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Science Fiction Games
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Gamma World
Design : James M. Ward and Gary Jaquet (1st ed.); James M. Ward,
Gary Jaquet and David James Ritchie (2nd ed.); James M. Ward and
Harold Johnson (3rd edition)
Editions : 3 editions - 1st: 1978, TSR; 2nd: 1983; TSR; 3rd: 1986,
TSR
Presentation : Boxed sets - 1st: 1 rulebook, map & dice; 2nd:
2 rulebooks, map & dice; 3rd: 3 rulebooks, GM screen, map &
dice.
Comment : Following "Metamorphis: Alpha", Gamma World
gives us a Sci-Fi / Fantasy world when "civilization as we
know it has been destroyed in a cataclysmic holocaust"... sounds
new ?! Well, not if is wasn't of playing very weird mutated humans
or animals with super-powers (wings, shapechange, teleportation...).
The game displays its compatibility with D&D and Metamorphosis:
Alpha and plays like "Planet of the Apes" meets "Gilligan's
Island".
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Lords of Creation
Design : Tom Moldway
Editions : Avalon Hill, 1983
Presentation : Boxed set, 2 books, dice
Comment : Time-travel skill-based system. PCs starts as ordinary
people with mega-powers they discover through adventures. Slowly
building up their time & space powers, characters become the
Lords of Creation (whole new world creator). Books include campaign
ideas (historical, parallel worlds...) and more than 400 foes fully
illustrated.
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Manhunter
Design : Ramon P.Moore
Editions : 2 editions - 1st: 1987, Kingslayer Publications; 2nd:
1990, Kingslayer Publications
Presentation : 1 book, color GM screen included
Comment : The book, enhanced with great artwork by Comic artist
Jerry Bingham, details a mixed High-Tech / Magick universe where
intelligent robots are widely used. Players may choose to roleplay
renegades robots in this far SciFi setting with complete informations
such as Laws and Most Wanted Robot "Manhunter". One supplement:
"Into the Bloodhood: the guilding of Bounty Hunters in Manhunter".
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Mechanoid Invasion (The)
Design : Kevin Siembieda
Editions : 1st ed. 1981, Revised ed 1985, both Palladium
Presentation : Flimsy 'magazine' style 50 page booklet..
Comment : The game displays the origins of the Palladium system,
which is seen in all of their later offerings. There are character
classes, levels, experience points and hit points - all very much
taken from early D&D, although there are skills to. The premise?
Not easy to say as the setting is very light. It seems that it is
the far future and you are part of a human colony that has been
invaded by the mechanoids who have now taken over virtually the
whole planet. It was followed up by two more booklets - "The
Journey" (1982, you infiltrate a vast Mechanoid mother ship
and carry on the fight from within) and then "Homeworld"
(1982, you get to the Mechanoid planetary system to continue your
fight). The later edition was of improved quality and included material
from all three books.
Reviewed by Simon
Washbourne (see :
http://www.geocities.com/simonwashbourne/Beyond_Belief.html)
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Midnight at the Well of Souls
Design : Timothy A.Green
Editions : 1985, TAG Industries
Presentation : Boxed set with 1 rulebook plus Space Combat System
supplement,
Introductory adventure, World maps, ref. and character sheets, dice.
Comment : The game is based on a serie of novels written by Jack
L.Chalker during
late 70' ("Well of Souls"). Rules include Space Travel,
Stellar System
builder and short description of 100+ races found on the Well World.
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Other Suns
See
the publicity !
Design : Niall C.Shapero
Editions : 1983, FGU
Presentation : Boxed set of 2 books, GM screen
Comment : A simpler version of "Space Opera" with alien
races taking their background from animals: bears, cats... The game
itself contains everything to settle a campaign (from starship design
to psionic skills) and, except for the arts, is very well done.
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Space Opera
See
the publicity !
Design : Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Reiner, Phil McGregor
Editions : 2 editions - 1st: 1980, FGU (boxed set); 2nd: 1997, FGU
(reprint in one book)
Presentation : Boxed set of 2 books - Numerous supplements (scenarii,
spaceships compendium and star atlases)
Comment :Hard SciFi as its best ! A complete RPG which cover skill-based
character creation, starship and planetary systems builder, psionist...
Quite strangely, a typical Space Op' computer is no more than a
super-calculator of the 80': no AI, no enhanced interface or the
like. This SciFi RPG had, along with Traveller, a strong influence
on every serious gamer who wanted to recreate a Star Wars campaign
or a Larry Niven's Ringworld.
Links : http://www.space-opera.org/GB
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Starships & Spacemen
Design : Leonard H. Kanterman
Editions : 1978, FGU
Presentation : One booklet with ref. sheets.
Comment : As an early premise to FGU's Space Opera, Starships &
Spacemen describes the Space Fleet Service: character creation,
spaceships combat and a few alien races. The author, a former military,
took a very serious approach when writting this "Space Fleet
Service Manual" of SciFi RPG.
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Timeship
Design : Herbi Brennan
Editions : 1983, Yaquinto
Presentation : Boxed set, 1 book, GM Screen, map, dice
Comment : First (and last ?) try of the defunct Yaquinto regardingsTime
Travel RPG. Even the 3 included scenarii failed to give use a credible
approach on the subject. Not much to say...
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Time & Time Again
Design : H.N. Voss and W.P. Worzel
Editions : 1983, Timeline Ltd
Presentation : (Boxed ?) Set of 1 rulebook, 1 campaign book and
1 booklet with game tables and 3 scenarii
Comment : Book I describes principles of a "realistic"
time travel system based of the asumption that "change belongs
to the present, the Past is unchangeable". A complete history
of the World Government, the Bureau of Temporal Affaires (BTA) and
Temporal Physics since mid-20th century is provided. PCs take role
of BTA members (Voltigeurs) on missions of initial contact, obesrvation,
rescue... Character generation is deeply described (D200 System
: attributes + skills). Combat os complexe and wants to sound "real".
Book II gives full informations on climate, terrains, animals, money
& trade, technology, transportation, language, government and
politics, ethics and etiquette. The scenarii are only 2-3 pages
long but get into the spirit of the game.
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Universe
Design : John H. Butterfield
Editions : 3 editions - 1st: 1981 (boxed set), SPI; 2nd: 1981 (2
books), SPI; 3rd: 1982 (1 book), SPI
Presentation : 2 books, maps, counters
Comment : Maybe an alternative to "Space Opera" but with
a strong wargame influence, Universe delivers a fairly complete
system: 23 character professions, robot design tables, a efficient
planetary generator etc. Starships combat situation can be played
with Delta Vee, a boardgame supplement.
Links : -
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