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Amaril
2013-06-13, 10:12 PM
I was wondering--what are good systems for running a space opera game? I'm not familiar with very many systems of any kind, and it occurs to me that I really can't think of any that are designed, or at least well-suited, for this kind of story. Any suggestions?

Grinner
2013-06-13, 10:17 PM
D6 Space and Stars Without Number are commonly suggested. Both are freely available.

Rhynn
2013-06-13, 10:31 PM
Stars Without Number Free Edition (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/86467/Stars-Without-Number%3A-Free-Edition). It's a cool system and great for creating worlds on the fly, especially for "one planet, one adventure" style of play (although nothing prevents you from detailing a world from continued play, and some supplements turn one world into a campaign setting).

More:

GURPS is great for scifi, hard or operatic.
TSR's old Buck Rogers XXVC.
The afore-mentioned D6 Space (and the earlier D6 Space Opera).
Thousand Suns.
Mileage on Traveller (in its many, many incarnations) varies greatly, but I think any space setting where you can acquire sword skills in chargen as part of your job (and then fence with wolfman pirates during play) is fairly space opera.
Alternity can do space opera for sure, although it feels a bit more space-cyberpunk to me.
The venerable Space 1889 is Victorian space opera.
There's Serenity if you're into Firefly (although IMO there wasn't enough show to really turn into a setting).
Dark Heresy and it's kin, of course.
There's a Dune RPG.
There's Fading Suns, which is like a wonderful and serious mash-up of Dune and WH40K (all Dark Heresy does for me is awaken a desire for Fading Suns).


I know I've seen several others (including, I think, at least 2-3 other games with lizard-men on Venus, which is a thing for some reason) but can't remember them off-hand.

Krazzman
2013-06-14, 01:43 AM
If you can afford it: SWSE (Star Wars Saga Edition). IIRC someone said that this system is quite suited for space opera if you adjust it a little.

Yora
2013-06-14, 03:05 AM
I also love Star Wars Saga. The best d20 game there is. Just having the basic rulebook is everything you need. Just ignore Jedis and it works for pretty much everything.

The Rose Dragon
2013-06-14, 04:33 AM
I'm gonna be weird and say Maid, since space operas are basically soap operas in space with guns and action (and should not be confused with space fantasy, as White Wolf does all the time). Maid covers those things perfectly, but it's a bit heavy on the soap opera side of things.

The Dark Fiddler
2013-06-14, 08:58 AM
Fate Core is a good one if you want a low-mechanics, character and narrative focused system, and has the benefit of currently being free. You may need to do a bit of work coming up with relevant extras if you want stuff like equipment to really matter, though.

Mutants and Masterminds can work well if you want equipment and racial powers to be varied, and want something a bit crunchier without quite being GURPS level, but is still a bit cinematic (since it was designed for superheroes, and everything).

Alejandro
2013-06-14, 10:04 AM
Thirding Star Wars Saga Edition.

Mutazoia
2013-06-14, 10:47 AM
I also love Star Wars Saga. The best d20 game there is. Just having the basic rulebook is everything you need. Just ignore Jedis and it works for pretty much everything.

I've found SW Saga to be full of grey areas. Every time my group has tried to play it we usually have to stop several times a session to try to figure out how something was supposed to work or some other nonsense. Stick to the regular D20 Star Wars (IMHO)

D6 Space (or D6 Star Wars) is a good option
GURPS Space is another good option
There are several versions of Star Trek out there, including D20 versions
There are a few obscure ones like a Ring World RPG and Albedo (furries in space) If you can get ahold of it, TSR's old Top Secret S.I system (the revamped Top Secret rules) were extremely well written and adapted really well to any setting (I ran a space opera style game with it..just had to add a few skill sets for the higher tech). It's a shame it's fallen into obscurity.
There's an Aliens's based RPG out there some where
There's also a couple of versions of TSR's old Star Frontiers (really miss that game)

BUT...since you'll probably want to use systems you can actually find I would suggest using D6 (Space or Star Wars) or GURPS...

1337 b4k4
2013-06-14, 12:01 PM
I highly recommend Traveller.

You can grab all the Classic (original) books from the author on CD for $35 here (http://www.farfuture.net/) or you can pick up a PDF of Mongoose Traveller from RPGNow for something like $15

Classic is a bit rough around the edges but very 70's space opera. Mongoose is essentially Classic very cleaned up and with a simplified task resolution system. Traveller 5 was just released but the publisher isn't providing any CD copies for purchase until all of his kick starter obligations have been filled, so I couldn't tell you how T5 compares. There are also other editions of Traveller, but if you're just starting, either Classic or Mongoose would be your best starting point. Mongoose also has an SRD available (http://www.travellersrd.com/) for their version if you want to check out some of the rules before laying out any money, but like the d20 SRD, you lose something of the flavor.

Mutazoia
2013-06-14, 03:41 PM
I highly recommend Traveller.

You can grab all the Classic (original) books from the author on CD for $35 here (http://www.farfuture.net/) or you can pick up a PDF of Mongoose Traveller from RPGNow for something like $15

Classic is a bit rough around the edges but very 70's space opera. Mongoose is essentially Classic very cleaned up and with a simplified task resolution system. Traveller 5 was just released but the publisher isn't providing any CD copies for purchase until all of his kick starter obligations have been filled, so I couldn't tell you how T5 compares. There are also other editions of Traveller, but if you're just starting, either Classic or Mongoose would be your best starting point. Mongoose also has an SRD available (http://www.travellersrd.com/) for their version if you want to check out some of the rules before laying out any money, but like the d20 SRD, you lose something of the flavor.

Ah...forgot about Traveler...that brings me back.

Asmodai
2013-06-15, 06:49 PM
Dark Heresy is bad for space opera... Rogue Trader on the other hand... You start with a ship, a glorious legacy and carte blanche for swashbuckling among the stars. Hard to get better then that :)

HELLAS is quite brilliant if you like a dash of Greek mythology with your Space Opera. It's based on ORE, and is essentially what happens when the Space Greeks and their allies (Nymphs, Venusian Amazons, Tentacle monsters in cenotaurian exosouits, armies of battle ants forming humanoids...) colonise space and fight the wicked invasions of the Atlantean horror fleets...

For extra insanity, you could always hit up Exalted and go the route of Gunstar Autochtonia, with the human remnants led by the Exalted living on a giant God-Ship fighting off the wicked Primordial empire... I'd wait for 3rd ed rules, or use the 1st ed rules if i really wanted to run it right now.