Recommendations Needed For A Star Trek RPG

RPGPundit · April 02, 2019, 07:41:33 AM

Quote from: jeff37923;1080354OK, I have a group who wants to play in the Star Trek universe and my go-to games don't emulate the genre well enough. These people only know D&D, so something close to that or simple and easy to learn is preferred. I've got the Last Unicorn Games version, but that may not hit the sweet spot with them. The old FASA version is too complicated and I don't know how well the Modiphus version plays.

Any help would be appreciated.

The old Prime Directive RPG was relatively decent. Of course, you could also just try to modify Traveller.

The Black Ferret · April 02, 2019, 04:49:09 PM

Show them Spacemaster, the sci-fi version of Rolemaster. They'll be begging to play the FASA system instead.

Toadmaster · April 02, 2019, 06:22:18 PM

Quote from: The Black Ferret;1081948Show them Spacemaster, the sci-fi version of Rolemaster. They'll be begging to play the FASA system instead.

Space Opera :eek:

RandyB · April 02, 2019, 07:13:43 PM

Quote from: Toadmaster;1081956Space Opera :eek:

Great flavor, overthought mechanics.

Toadmaster · April 03, 2019, 01:58:33 AM

Quote from: RandyB;1081963Great flavor, overthought mechanics.

Yep, I bought a box full of SO stuff at a convention flea market in the 80s. Loved reading through the books, but we had a heck of a time trying to actually play it and we were not unaccustomed to complex games having played Champions and Aftermath.

HappyDaze · April 03, 2019, 02:03:22 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1081865The old Prime Directive RPG was relatively decent. Of course, you could also just try to modify Traveller.

Star Fleet universe has quite a different feel from pretty much all of the Trek lines. It's far more military themed. Also, the game focuses on Prime Teams--special ops type groups--rather than the bridge crew groups of all other Trek. You could do Trek with it, but you're fighting a lot of the setup. Also, IIRC, phasers and disruptors were pretty survivable in Prime Directive (which oddly fits with mid-to-late DS9, but not oiginal Trek or TNG).

jhkim · April 03, 2019, 02:14:49 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;1081865The old Prime Directive RPG was relatively decent. Of course, you could also just try to modify Traveller.

Quote from: HappyDaze;1081999Star Fleet universe has quite a different feel from pretty much all of the Trek lines. It's far more military themed. Also, the game focuses on Prime Teams--special ops type groups--rather than the bridge crew groups of all other Trek. You could do Trek with it, but you're fighting a lot of the setup. Also, IIRC, phasers and disruptors were pretty survivable in Prime Directive (which oddly fits with mid-to-late DS9, but not oiginal Trek or TNG).

I agree with HappyDaze. The original 1st ed Prime Directive mechanics were really wonky, IMO - with it triple difficulty numbers and break points. The tech was mostly 20th century commando gear, with only a few nods towards Star Trek that didn't fit with TOS. I wouldn't recommend it.

Prime Directive now has GURPS and D20 versions - I don't know how well done they are, though.

Omega · April 03, 2019, 09:55:40 PM

Late to this but have you looked at Starchips & Spacemen? The reprint is over on DriveThru still I believe. It is fairly D&D-esque in certain matters and can easily be retooled into a Star Trek setting.

Also there is Star Frontiers. That too can be retooled into a ST setting.

Spinachcat · April 04, 2019, 02:30:56 AM

I am currently reading FAR TREK. If I like it after a playtest, I will post a review. On my first read, it's interesting.