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Exploring Science-Fiction RPGs (Part 1+2)

# Exploring Science-Fiction RPGs (Part 1)

## Finding Your Science-Fiction Niche ...

### ... In Time
Science-fiction stories can occur in nearly any time period from pre-history to the end of time itself.

Many settings mix and match time periods in creative ways as well for interesting effects, such as time travelling, science-fiction westerns, alternate history settings, and more.

What time periods interest you, the past, the present, or the future?

Is time travel present?

### ... In Space
Science-fiction stories are not limited in where they occur.

Our Earth, alternate Earths, our Solar System, the nearby stars, across the galaxy or practically anywhere else our telescopes have ever seen.

Each scale or scope of setting provides its own wonders, opportunities, and limitations.

Science-fiction also offers many varieties of places from planetary surfaces, colonies, outposts, space stations, spacecraft, and fantastic megastructures like a Dyson sphere or Larry Niven's Ringworld.

How big of a setting interests you?

What kinds of places within the setting interest you?

### ... In The Details

#### Lifeforms
A common dividing point in science-fiction is whether or not alien species or lifeforms are present.

Some settings are human-centric while others teem with fantastic sentients and creatures.

What is your preference?

An example of a human-centric setting would be Joss Whedon's 'verse from the Firefly television series and the Serenity movie.

Star Trek and Star Wars are both examples of settings teeming with other lifeforms of all kinds.

What kinds of lifeforms interest you?

#### Communications
Another dividing point in science-fiction settings involves communications.

Some settings provide faster-than-light communication abilities, which can make the setting seem more "tightly packed" as news travels faster.

Other settings, such as Traveller's Third Imperium, limit communications to the speed of vehicles that can move between the stars and planets which make the setting feel much more "sprawling"

How fast should news travel?

#### Travel
Following on the communications detail, the speed of travel between planets and star systems drive much of the "feel" of a science-fiction setting.

Traveller and Star Frontiers limit interstellar travel to roughly one jump per week with much shorter travel times within a star system.

Star Wars or Star Trek can warp from place to place in the blink of an eye.

So, how fast should people travel?

## Know Thyself
With the factors above, we have only scratched the surface of the science-fiction possibilities available.

Consider your list of top science-fiction movies, television shows, books, comics, or manga.

What do the top entries have in common?

If you can list out a few of the most common traits of your favorites, that can quickly help find a game that fits your favorites.
 
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# Exploring Science-Fiction RPGs (Part 2)

## Game Systems
Last but not least, there are quite a few science-fiction RPG systems, usually with an associated setting, spanning the depths of time and space.

Below is a list of a fraction of the games and settings available as a starting point for exploration.

On request, these are sorted into 3 broad categories: Space Opera, Military Sci-Fi, and Post-Apocalypse

# SPACE OPERA

## Alternity (StarDrive)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternity
Explore the Verge, a new sector of space also claimed by the aggressive Klicks.

## Blue Planet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Planet_(role-playing_game)
Colonists work to survive and thrive on Earth's first colony, the enigmatic ocean-world of Pandora.

## D6 Space for D6 System
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D6_Space
Generic science-fiction rules supporting many types of science-fiction games.

## D20 Future for D20 Modern 3.x
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D20_Future
D20 expansion for several different types of sci-fi games:
### Dimension X
An adventure game setting based on the concept of parallel universes, which are referred to as dimensions.
### From the Dark Heart of Space
A Fifth Element style setting inspired by the eternal struggle between good and evil, with a touch of the Cthulhu Mythos.
### Genetech
Apparently an uncredited adaptation of the background of the Moreau series of books by S. Andrew Swann. It originally appeared as a mini-game in Polyhedron #155.
### StarDrive
A political space opera taking placed in the 26th century. It is a remake of Alternity campaign setting of the same name.
### Star Law
A remake of the popular 1980s Star Frontiers space opera-based role-playing game. The mini-setting is cited to use material from Star Frontiers Alpha Dawn and Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space.

## Firefly RPG
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly_Role-Playing_Game
Space western set in Joss Whedon's Firefly 'verse of big damn heroes.

## FTL:2448
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTL:2448
Living and working in 25th century space - a less than perfect galaxy.

## Metabarons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metabarons_Roleplaying_Game
Common folks in the Metabarons Jodoverse, based on French surrealist comics.

## Ringworld
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringworld_(role-playing_game)
Scout the Ringworld from Larry Niven's Known Space stories.

## Serenity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Role_Playing_Game
Space western set in the Joss Whedon Firefly 'verse, including the Serenity movie.

## Star Frontiers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Frontiers
Humans and three alien allies resist the Sathar invasion of the Frontier sector of space.

## Star Trek
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Role_Playing_Game
Join Starfleet and explore the Federation and surrounding space.

## Star Wars
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Roleplaying_Game
Adventures in the Star Wars expanded universe ... typically as the Rebels.

## Traveller
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveller_(role-playing_game)
Explore, trade, and fight across the 11,000 worlds of the Third Imperium.

## Traveller: 2300 (later 2300AD)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2300_AD
300 years after the Twilight War - Earth has colonized the near stars - the original version focused on colonization and exploration before the start of the Kafer war which was the focus of 2300AD revision.

# MILITARY SCI-FI

## ALIENS Adventure Game
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Adventure_Game
Colonial Marines patrol the colonies and deal with deadly lifeforms, human and otherwise.

## Battlelords of the 23rd Century
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlelords_of_the_23rd_Century
Corporate mercenaries battle other corporations, rebels, and the Arachnids across multiple galaxies.

## D20 Future for D20 Modern 3.x
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D20_Future
D20 expansion for several different types of sci-fi games:
### Bughunters
an adventure game and bug hunt setting inspired by Aliens, Starship Troopers, and its predecessor in Amazing Engine.
### Mecha Crusade
An anime-inspired (primarily Gundam-inspired) setting taking place in the 2050s that focuses on the war between Earth and the Colonists, with giant fighting robots (mecha) being used on both sides. It originally appeared as a mini-game in Polyhedron #154. Mecha Crusade uses a different system than the Guardians of Order-published d20 Mecha.

## Heavy Gear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Gear
Giant mecha combat on Terra Nova in AD 6132.

## Jovian Chronicles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovian_Chronicles
Our solar system at war.

## Legionnaire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionnaire_(role-playing_game)
Join or resist the Terran Overlord Government finishing its conquest of the galaxy.

## Macross II
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross_II:_The_Role-Playing_Game
Decades after the the SDF-1 Macross defeated Zentraedi, the Marduk invade our Solar System.

## Mechwarrior
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MechWarrior_(role-playing_game)
31st century mecha pilots fight to reunite Humanity after the fall of the Star League.

## Psi-World
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psi_World
People possessing psionic powers survive in a near-future intolerant society and oppressive government.

## Robotech
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robotech_(role-playing_game)
Protect Earth against the Zentraedi, Robotech Masters, and Invid.

## 2300AD (Formerly Traveller: 2300)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2300_AD
300 years after the Twilight War - Earth has colonized the near stars - which are under threat of attack by the alien Kafers.

# POST-APOCALYPTIC

## Cyberpunk 2020
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk_2020
High-Tech low-lifes hunt the big score in a Blade Runner-like world.

## D20 Apocalypse for D20 Modern 3.x
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D20_Apocalypse
D20 expansion for four different types of post-apocalyptic role-playing.
### Aftermath
The event just happened, and some of the immediate effects are still ongoing. Survivors still recall the world from before the event.
### Generation 0
The first and second generation born after the event reaches maturity. Elders still recall the world from before the event, but only as vague recollections from their distant childhood.
### Dark Ages
Approximately a dozen generations have passed since the event, and any history from before the event is melded into legend and myth.
### New World
Civilization has developed again in a new form. Much of the setting remains barbaric and dangerous, but more wide-ranging governments and social structures exist.

## D20 Future for D20 Modern 3.x
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D20_Future
D20 expansion for several different types of sci-fi games:
### The Wasteland
A somewhat western-flavored post-apocalyptic fiction setting inspired by its predecessors in Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World.

## Eclipse Phase
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_Phase
Agents of order work to stop existential threats to the remains of Humanity after Earth's fall.

## Gamma World
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_World
Explore the ruins of 25th century America after nuclear armageddon unleashes mutants and psionics.

## Living Steel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Steel
Warriors of the Seven Worlds awaken 60 days after the Spectral invasion of the distant world Rhand.

## Metamorphosis Alpha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosis_Alpha
Science fiction/fantasy of survivors unknowingly trapped on a deep space colony ship in trouble.

## Paranoia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia_(role-playing_game)
Cloned troubleshooters complete missions for an insane computer running an underground city.
 
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I would like to add:
  • Bulldogs: Tongue-in-cheek-style Traveller using Fate
  • Farscape RPG: TV series-based game using the D20 system
  • Infinite Worlds: World-hopping, multi-genre gaming using GURPS
  • John Carter on Mars: "Planetary romance" using the 2D20 system
  • Mindjammer: Far Future Transhuman Sci-Fi in the Commonality using Fate Core
  • Nova Praxis: Transhuman Re-sleeving Technocratic Sci-Fi after the loss of Earth using Fate Core
  • Numenera: Technology as Magic on an unrecognizable Future Earth using the Cypher System
  • Scum & Villainy: Traveller-ish Sci-Fi using a Blades-in-the-Dark-based system
  • Starblazer Adventures: Space Opera using Fate
  • Starfinder: Pathfinder-in-the-Future Sci-Fi
  • The Expanse RPG: TV series-based game using the AGE system
  • The Strange: Fiction-come-true world-hopping using the Cypher System
  • Transhuman Space: Transhuman solar system shades-of-gray Sci-Fi using GURPS
Not for all do Wikipedia pages exist.
 
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  • Infinite Worlds: World-hopping, multi-genre gaming using GURPS
  • Transhuman Space: Transhuman solar system shades-of-gray Sci-Fi using GURPS

Over the years, GURPS has produced a large number of setting books which, whether you play the system rules or not, are great references on their own.

Initially I didn't list them because... there are many and how do you choose?

Plus the list would have doubled in size right off the bat.

Your shorter list format might work however.

For science-fiction, the GURPS worldbooks I have are:
Steampunk - Steam Age adventures with a touch of a fantastic
The Prisoner - the groundbreaking 1960's TV series detailed as a game setting - I would be very nervous to ever try to run this...
Supers - comic book super heroes
Alternate Earths - exploring Earth through the multiverse
Cthulhupunk - Lovecraft meets Gibson as ancient horrors invade a dark future
Time Travel - exploring the multiverse through time
Black Ops - fight evil aliens and conspiracies sort of like X-files meets mercenary actions
Mecha - giant robots!
Space - everything you need to build 4 major far future space settings - with books of worlds and aliens as well
Reign of Steel - AI and their robot armies have devastated Humanity who are fighting back.
Horseclans - survive the barbarian future of the post-nuclear Americas from Robert Adams' Horseclans series
New Sun - Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun as a game setting - fantasy and science-fiction merged
Uplift - adventures in David Brin's dangerous galaxies of aliens and ancient patronages
Humanx - Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth (one of my personal favorites because so many great books are set here)
Lensman - E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman universe of galaxies at war
Terradyne - our 22nd century solar system homeworld and colonies under ruthless corporate control
Cyberworld - the cyberpunk world of the 1 and 20 expands the core GURPS Cyberpunk toolkit
Blue Planet - the GURPS version of the standalone Blue Planet RPG and setting world of Pandora, Earth's first enigmatic colony world
Traveller - a major version of Traveller set in a Third Imperium timeline where the Emperor survives the assassination attempt

GURPS also includes a number of sourcebooks of "cross-setting" or general material to expand on and mix into specific settings
Cyberpunk - tools and technology needed to bring your cyberpunk settings to the table
Timeline - organizing when things happened in history
Illuminati - Secret societies and conspiracy theories
Psionics - mental powers like magic
High-Tech - now to near future technology
Ultra-Tech - farther future technology

And there's tons more - the list above is less than half of my GURPS bookshelf, those are just the science-fiction specific ones.

The entire list of Worldbooks and Sourcebooks is here:
https://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/
 
Oh, I will use this list for sure. But I have some additions as well:

Fading Suns: a lot of Dune, a bit of the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf - for a long my favorite system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fading_Suns

Anybody already tried Stars without numbers? Again an old topic: galaxy-wide imperium fell to pieces. In session 0 you create the sector, the remnant of the fallen empire, you are living in. So, it's quite nice for sandboxes. We are currently planning to try it with a west marches approach. Or maybe we try "The Sprawl" before.
 
Oh, I will use this list for sure. But I have some additions as well:

Fading Suns: a lot of Dune, a bit of the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf - for a long my favorite system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fading_Suns

Anybody already tried Stars without numbers? Again an old topic: galaxy-wide imperium fell to pieces. In session 0 you create the sector, the remnant of the fallen empire, you are living in. So, it's quite nice for sandboxes. We are currently planning to try it with a west marches approach. Or maybe we try "The Sprawl" before.

Stars Without Number I don't have in print, but I have purchased a bundle or two of PDFs over the years.
I didn't even want to get into the addiction/hoarding-level mess that is my library at DTRPG, Humble Bundle, and Bundle of Holding.

SWN is a great setting and very old-school feeling system with a lot of modern polish.
A very interesting space opera background, much like Alistair Reynolds' Revelation Space series but with FTL (spike drive) where a once advanced shining empire imploded, and various levels of the surviving factions are each making their play. Just broken enough for lots of opportunity and to give it a very "lived in" background feel.
A particular favorite is the Hard Light scenario mixing tomb robbing with NPC intrigue on a space station.
Great stuff and well worth a look for anyone interested in science-fiction AND a lot of good inspiration for the craft of GMing - especially sandboxes.
Kevin Crawford builds interesting subsystems into his writing for things like factions, minigames, and such which were staples in the old school roleplaying days before "single die unified systems" emerged.
All those mini-games and subsystems are excellent tools in their own right.

Great reminder @knoppi

And if you like Frank Herbert's works, check out the new Godstar setting from Zozer Games for the Cepheus Engine rules.
 
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Wow, Allen! You are SOO knowledgeable about Sci-Fi!! I knew you were from your posts here, but now I have just seen your 1 hour discussion with Johnn about Sci-Fi for Patreons (Get Allen's Sci-Fi Brain: a Teaser)... I'm blown away!

Just for those of you who didn't already watch it:

Three Sci-Fi Genres:
  • SPACE OPERA
    Story pillar strong | War is still on the horizon | Journey, destination, interesting phenomena, aliens, things... | Star Trek

  • MILITARY
    System pillar strong | War is right now | Tide of battle ... | Alien

  • POST-APOCALYPTIC
    Setting pillar strong | Aftermath of war | Undo some damage, survivalism, ... | Mad Max

I'm half-way through, so don't flock me if you talk about it later, but where would you locate Cyberpunk games like Shadowrun in your
Three Sci-Fi Genres? Am I right to assume you would put them in the third one, so arguing that the people are just trying to survive in the harsh and injust world of the corporations?

I really see that almost all of the above systems you presented can fit into one of those three genres! That is again mind-blowing!
Would you mind ordering them all into these categories? You are surely much more adapt at this than anybody else here. This would be really helpful seeing which system to choose when you know which genre you want to run.

I was just thinking that there is another aspect in those: Space Opera seems to be all about hope, Military is about being on the brink of hope and Post-apocalyptic presents itself to me as basically out of hopelessness. What do you think about that?

(Finally, why did you put "Exploring Science-Fiction RPGs" into two different threads? Wouldn't be nicer to merge them?)
 
I'm half-way through, so don't flock me if you talk about it later, but where would you locate Cyberpunk games like Shadowrun in your
Three Sci-Fi Genres? Am I right to assume you would put them in the third one, so arguing that the people are just trying to survive in the harsh and injust world of the corporations?

I really see that almost all of the above systems you presented can fit into one of those three genres! That is again mind-blowing!
Would you mind ordering them all into these categories? You are surely much more adapt at this than anybody else here. This would be really helpful seeing which system to choose when you know which genre you want to run.

I was just thinking that there is another aspect in those: Space Opera seems to be all about hope, Military is about being on the brink of hope and Post-apocalyptic presents itself to me as basically out of hopelessness. What do you think about that?

(Finally, why did you put "Exploring Science-Fiction RPGs" into two different threads? Wouldn't be nicer to merge them?)

Cyberpunk is a combination of all 3 genres - you set the blender mixing levels.
Space Opera - there are cool futuristic things to play with - implants, virtual universes, etc - this is the "cyber" half of the term. The promise that we can use technology to become more of ourselves than we currently are.

Military Sci-Fi - this is the "punk" half of the term - multiple levels of revolution and war from the street to the boardroom to orbit and beyond - gun-fu is pretty much taught in daycares in the cyberpunk world.

Post-Apocalyptic - this is the "contrast" or "dark side" of the Space Opera and Military parts - all those cool tech has a cost - falling empathy levels with humanity and more ... while the revolutions and wars tend to go against the "street punks" trying to make things better while most just try to survive... and the apocalypse is generally up close and personal as cyberpunk is set *as its happening* - the glittering city on the hill is crumbling as you watch ... unless action is taken.

Ordering all of the sci-fi games I listed into categories might take me a bit - but any of them you look at you can pretty much place them based on how much hope / how close the war is / how much is ruined - if you know them.

But yes, I can see where it would be good to have the list sorted by which they primarily are - with the caveat that you can play most of them in all 3 modes if you like, depending on what parts of them you focus on as you play.

And I can totally agree with your assessment on how much "hope" there is in each - with one caveat - there is hope in post-apoc - the players have to bring it in their actions to make the world better despite the apocalypse - otherwise, why do they strive? The hopelessness of post-apocalypse should be kept in the setting and NPCs and let the players be the one tiny sliver of hope that is left. Living Steel is exactly this and its one of the aspects of it I really like.

And, I had to split the post because of forum post length limits - the whole thing wouldn't fit in one, so I broke it where the intro stopped and the listing started.

Keep chasing me on getting this sorted, or anyone is welcome to ask about any games they are interested in for more than a one line intro...
 
Some more:
On 52:20 of the Sci-Fi Introduction mentioned above you said "Every Utopia is a Dystopia" and point to the twist those utopian cities for example should have to make them interesting sci-fi. Isn't that exactly what you suggested for Shadowrun? To show the beauty, the perfection, the space operan possibilities, but on the horizon, almost out of reach, and flooding the setting with many dystopian elements to show the contrast?

In that context, I totally agree with your analysis of hope, and that the PCs should represent the hope while the setting might be much darker and more hopeless. But mind you, GMs out there, not to shove the hopelessness of the setting too much into your players' faces. They might not like it too much. Have at least 1-2 NPCs out there who are also still believing, show the little things that make people laugh and say thank you. Speaking out of experience here. Also, this goes hand in hand with your last point: Make the Story about People and People Problems. Exactly!
(and I had never thought about ALIEN as a people problem with a wasp in the house! So funny!)

On 52:30 of the Sci-Fi Introduction mentioned above you name Carl Sagan's audio book (like Pale Blue Dot) as your go-to for that sweet spot of wonder (before the landing on the moon), that you urge us to include in Sci-Fi games as a GM. Is the link here what you were referring to? Else, could you give a link to what you are referring to instead? And how would you include this exactly? How would you try to convey this wonder?


Regarding the two different threads we seem to be misunderstanding each other. You have created two different threads, each with a long post. Instead, you could have created one thread with both posts as there is a limit of 10,000 characters per post, but not per thread. And as an admin here you could easily merge both threads. The individual posts (including those of people commenting) would be reorganized in an order using the posting time without loosing anything really, just making it easier for people to not miss the other great post. So, just a thought: why not combine both threads? (I will end here, I don't want to push you)
 
On 52:30 of the Sci-Fi Introduction mentioned above you name Carl Sagan's audio book (like Pale Blue Dot) as your go-to for that sweet spot of wonder (before the landing on the moon), that you urge us to include in Sci-Fi games as a GM. Is the link here what you were referring to? Else, could you give a link to what you are referring to instead? And how would you include this exactly? How would you try to convey this wonder?

The video you linked is a tiny excerpt of Carl Sagan reading his book "Pale Blue Dot" as an audiobook.
When he was at JPL he campaigned to turn Voyager and take one last picture of Earth from its vantage point past Saturn.
And he describes it perfectly - everyone that ever lived, everything we've ever done or imagined ... is in that one tiny pale blue pixel.
When the Apollo spacecraft came around the Moon and snapped that first Earthrise ... breathtaking.
Those moments of wonder ... that's the pure gold of science fiction.

I think Erik Wernquist captured that well in his short film "Wanderers" if you don't want to do the entire 12 hour audiobook.
https://vimeo.com/108650530

Some other moments of wonder to try:
Le Voyage Dans La Lune by George Melliers - the original science-fiction movie.
The movie THE RIGHT STUFF
The HBO mini series FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON - especially episode 5 "Spider" and episode 12 which is an homage to Le Voyage mixed with the story of Apollo 17.
"A Glorious Dawn" by Melodysheep featuring Carl Sagan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgiXGELjbc
The anime series PLANETES is another inspirational win.

To include them you have to give them their moment in the spotlight.
Their first EVA is a chance to hit them hard with the magnitude of the situation.
The EVA is just a simple problem to solve... but you spend the minutes on the experience of it from the perspective that their character HASN'T done this a million times...
Other times are - first launch into space...
First drop into "the virtual world"...
First encounter with some new cool alien or robot...
Some future city vista like your first glimpse of Dubai...

And finally regarding two posts not one ... If you know how to merge or gather or deal with the multiple posts - feel free - I don't really know how this forum works and yes my VCR clock is flashing 12:00. I am not precious about the stuff i post - make it better if you know how.
 
Everything included, right, Allen? Part 1 had only 1 post, if I'm not wrong... (and I hope I am not)
Then both threads should now be merged chronologically.

Allen, you just need to delete the links to the different threads in your first two posts.
 
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Everything included, right, Allen? Part 1 had only 1 post, if I'm not wrong... (and I hope I am not)
Then both threads should now be merged chronologically.

Allen, you just need to delete the links to the different threads in your first two posts.

Looks awesome - I am very glad you know this forum software that well.

For doing the hard part, I've jumped in and edited the part 2 post to sort the game systems mentioned into the 3 large scale categories I described in the video: Space Opera, Military Sci-Fi, and Post-Apocalypse

The main caveat is that you can easily shift the focus of many of these systems into any of the other categories.

For example, Star Wars and Star Trek can be an exploration, trade, adventure game with the big conflicts in the background or off in the distance - or focus on the conflicts front and center with the fight between the Alliance and Empire in Star Wars, or the Federation, and Klingons, Romulans, etc in Star Trek.

Many sci-fi settings support that choice of focus, and some (like Traveller: 2300 and 2300AD) offered the same setting but with the different focus the main point of each revision.
 
If it is not too much trouble, can you include those systems Jochen and I mentioned after the post? I‘m missing Shadowrun for example. Thank you in advance.
 
If it is not too much trouble, can you include those systems Jochen and I mentioned after the post? I‘m missing Shadowrun for example. Thank you in advance.

I am not sure what you mean by "include" the other systems mentioned - include them in what way? Categorize them?
I can't do that in the existing posts without going over the 10K characters per post limit.
Also, I was trying to illustrated examples of sci-fi - I don't think its possible for me to index and catalogue every sci-fi RPG ever.
With these threads / posts, everyone is welcome to contribute their suggestions and categorize them.
But, if you were asking what my opinion might be of how those additional systems could be categorized ... (see next post)
 
Below are my thoughts on how many of the additional systems mentioned in posts in this thread might get categorized

However, my original caveat in the sci-fi patron call still applies - many sci-fi systems can be played in multiple ways - a space opera system/setting can be used as a military sci-fi game by focusing on the events during a specific war or series of battles rather than the wider galaxy of adventure.

And, I categorize Cyberpunk-style games as Apocalypse / Post-Apocalypse because the focus is generally on "the fall in progress" - surviving, slowing, reversing, or preventing it - tinged by some bad things that have already happened that have to be dealt with as part of the day to day.

## Additional Space Opera - Perilous Adventures in a Dangerous Galaxy
Bulldogs: Tongue-in-cheek-style Traveller using Fate
Farscape RPG: TV series-based game using the D20 system
Infinite Worlds: World-hopping, multi-genre gaming using GURPS
John Carter on Mars: "Planetary romance" using the 2D20 system
Mindjammer: Far Future Transhuman Sci-Fi in the Commonality using Fate Core [also available for Traveller 2d6 system]
Scum & Villainy: Traveller-ish Sci-Fi using a Blades-in-the-Dark-based system
Starblazer Adventures: Space Opera using Fate
Starfinder: Pathfinder-in-the-Future Sci-Fi
GURPS: Space - everything you need to build 4 major far future space settings - with books of worlds and aliens as well
GURPS: Transhuman Space: Transhuman solar system shades-of-gray Sci-Fi using GURPS
GURPS: Uplift - adventures in David Brin's dangerous galaxies of aliens and ancient patronages
GURPS: Humanx - Alan Dean Foster's Humanx Commonwealth (one of my personal favorites because so many great books are set here)
GURPS: Lensman - E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman universe of galaxies at war
GURPS: Blue Planet - the GURPS version of the standalone Blue Planet RPG and setting world of Pandora, Earth's first enigmatic colony world
GURPS: Traveller - a major version of Traveller set in a Third Imperium timeline where the Emperor survives the assassination attempt
Fading Suns - Dune or Hyperion style adventure beyond the jump gates
The Expanse RPG: TV series-based game using the AGE system

## Additional Military Sci-Fi - Fight for your future in a Galaxy at War
GURPS: Black Ops - fight evil aliens and conspiracies sort of like X-files meets mercenary actions
GURPS: Mecha - giant robots!

## Additional Apocalypse / Post-Apocalypse - Adventure in the crumbling or crumbled ruins ...
Shadowrun: survive the near future cyberpunk Seattle disrupted by the return of magic
GURPS: Cyberworld - the cyberpunk world of the 1 and 20 expands the core GURPS Cyberpunk toolkit
GURPS: Cyberpunk - tools and technology needed to bring your cyberpunk settings to the table
Eclipse Phase: after the fall of Earth to hard-takeoff AI, transhuman solar system fights to recover and prevent Human extinction
Nova Praxis: Transhuman Re-sleeving Technocratic Sci-Fi after the loss of Earth using Fate Core
GURPS: Reign of Steel - AI and their robot armies have devastated Humanity who are fighting back.
GURPS: Horseclans - survive the barbarian future of the post-nuclear Americas from Robert Adams' Horseclans series
Stars Without Number: The Scream shattered the Terran Mandate - adventure in the recovering ruins of Humanty's fallen star empire

## Additional Sci-Fi outside of Space Opera, Military, or Apocalypse - not all sci-fi falls into three easy categories
Numenera: Technology as Magic on an unrecognizable Future Earth using the Cypher System
The Strange: Fiction-come-true world-hopping using the Cypher System
GURPS: Steampunk - Steam Age adventures with a touch of a fantastic
GURPS: The Prisoner - the groundbreaking 1960's TV series detailed as a game setting - I would be very nervous to ever try to run this...
GURPS: Supers - comic book super heroes
GURPS: Alternate Earths - exploring Earth through the multiverse
GURPS: Cthulhupunk - Lovecraft meets Gibson as ancient horrors invade a dark future
GURPS: Time Travel - exploring the multiverse through time
GURPS: New Sun - Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun as a game setting - fantasy and science-fiction merged
GURPS: Terradyne - our 22nd century solar system homeworld and colonies under ruthless corporate control
GURPS: Timeline - organizing when things happened in history
GURPS: Illuminati - Secret societies and conspiracy theories
GURPS: Psionics - mental powers like magic
GURPS: High-Tech - now to near future technology
GURPS: Ultra-Tech - farther future technology
 
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Some more:
On 52:20 of the Sci-Fi Introduction mentioned above you said "Every Utopia is a Dystopia" and point to the twist those utopian cities for example should have to make them interesting sci-fi. Isn't that exactly what you suggested for Shadowrun? To show the beauty, the perfection, the space operan possibilities, but on the horizon, almost out of reach, and flooding the setting with many dystopian elements to show the contrast?

Yes, exactly - one of the reasons "apocalypse" games are popular is because the contrast is easy to see - much like military where everyone knows their side.

I also have a bias toward the players being heroes, rather than playing anti-heroes or villians. In apocalypse games, the setting is broken and the players are intended to be the good guys providing part of the solution. Cyberpunk gets into gray morality because it involves players doing the right thing in opposition to corrupted systems. Technically ... breaking into corporate systems and raiding their facilities is illegal - but the law itself is part of the corruption because its being used by those corporations to legitimize their exploitation and oppression. Revolutionaries are often on the "wrong side of the law" until they are caught - or win and change the system.

So, a cyberpunk GM should be making the setting as dirty as needed to give the players the opportunities to have their revolution and be the heroes that the world of that time needs - rather than being an excuse to go all Grand Theft Auto on people and be more of the problem. Anti-herroes who turn out to be true heroes in the end...

That's just the way I've always seen RPGs - as a way to play the good guys ... not as a vehicle to fantasize ways to be even badder guys.
Others may disagree - their tables and their games are theirs to run.
But yes, you correctly identified my bias - every utopia is a dystopia... until the players flip it - and break the dystopian elements and unlock the potential for the utopia to exist... until the next bad guy comes along with HIS plan to exploit and oppress.

A heroes work is never done...
 
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