Why the lack of PC Sci-Fi RPG's?

Dogstar · Post by **Dogstar** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:25 pm

After watching an episode of Firefly, I tried to find a few party-based PC sci-fi (not post-apocalypse) RPG's. I failed. Yes, there's KOTOR 1 and 2, which I've played. However, given the success of Star Wars, the lingering fanbase from Star Trek, and the dedicated following of Firefly -- why aren't there more sci-fi rpg's? Is it too difficult for some reason to create RPG's that might have the option to travel between planets?

It would seem that science fiction has a fair amount to offer that would be similiar to the current fantasy RPG's. Possibility for strange and unique settings where different languages are spoken? Check. Possibility for different races (species) and all that that entails? Check. Possibility for different character classes (medic, empath, diplomat, soldier, mechanic, pilot, scientist/engineer, etc.)? Check. Potential for adding even more to an RPG with space combat based on skills (examine the old space RPG's like Buck Rogers and Sentinel Worlds for how it could be done)? Check.

The only thing that's noticeably lacking is magic. Is this really what cripples sci-fi rpg's? Or am I just over-estimating the market during these days of Star Wars?

Sterling · Post by **Sterling** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:44 pm

Star Ocean and Xenosaga spring to mind, both recent, both party based, both sci-fi.

Also Phantasy Star 3, but it isn't party based. Neither is Phantom Dust, but I think it has a sci-fi setting.

Orpheo · Post by **Orpheo** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:50 pm

He said PC. Only semi-recent one I can think of is KOTOR. And maybe Star Wolves.

Dogstar · Post by **Dogstar** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:54 pm

To be fair, I edited my subject title and post after he nicely responded. I was trying to target PC games with this topic -- I apologize for the misunderstanding.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue May 24, 2005 2:57 pm

Sterling wrote:Star Ocean and Xenosaga spring to mind, both recent, both party based, both sci-fi.

Also Phantasy Star 3, but it isn't party based. Neither is Phantom Dust, but I think it has a sci-fi setting.

Those aren't sci-fi - they're anime. The difference is irrelevant to an anime fan, but for non-anime fans, there's a huge difference.

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:01 pm

If you can find it, pick up Planet's Edge by New World Computing (at the time they were the Might and Magic people)

It might be old but Damn if it isn't a freakin' epic!

I am personally sick to death of fantasy RPGs. I wish there were more scifi RPGs as well. Anime RPG is OK, but watching the same attack animation (that takes 12 minutes for 2 damage) over and over gets old real quick.

docvego · Post by **docvego** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:09 pm

Who wants to make a Sci-Fi Mod for Oblivion?

malichai11 · Post by **malichai11** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:45 pm

Buck Rogers, Countdown to Doomsday/Matrix Cubed are my two favorite sci-fi RPGs.

Scanner · Post by **Scanner** » Tue May 24, 2005 3:46 pm

There's a Firefly mod for Neverwinter Nights.

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:00 pm

If you don't mind it being non traditional I'd defintitely say you should look at Starwolves. It slipped under a lot of people radars, but I think it's got some great RPG systems in it, and a lot of strategy in the later fights.

s

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:20 pm

malichai11 wrote:Buck Rogers, Countdown to Doomsday/Matrix Cubed are my two favorite sci-fi RPGs.

I thought I was the only one old enough around here to remember those. They were two of my favorite gold box games.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:22 pm

I'm greatly enjoying Brian Reynold's Rigel Kentaurus at the moment.

~Neal

Turtle · Post by **Turtle** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:23 pm

The question is, can Oblivion, or any engine in the near future, handle a mod that big? Considering how good the old toolset was, and how they said the new toolset would be better, I suspect it can, but that's still a lot of work.

Bioware's Dragon Age is another good candidate for a full conversion over to a scifi theme.

malichai11 · Post by **malichai11** » Tue May 24, 2005 4:37 pm

The Meal wrote:I'm greatly enjoying Brian Reynold's Rigel Kentaurus at the moment.

~Neal

Is this some obscure reference to SMAC?

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Tue May 24, 2005 5:22 pm

Wasn't there a (not very good?) fallout clone recently?

While I'm not a big RPG fan, I would enjoy some more Sci Fi RPGs. I played (and got pretty far in if not finished) and enjoyed KOTOR 1 and 2. I also loved many of the older ones (like Sentinel Worlds, etc) Particularily if the space travel wasn't just to transfger you between two different locations.

Personally, I'd like to see some RPGs in more unusual genres - how about a modern-day (or cold war) espionage rpg? Or one set in the Wild West?

Dramatist · Post by **Dramatist** » Tue May 24, 2005 5:22 pm

Wizardry has had some pseudo sci fi in it.

yossar · Post by **yossar** » Tue May 24, 2005 5:46 pm

Blackhawk wrote:
Sterling wrote:Star Ocean and Xenosaga spring to mind, both recent, both party based, both sci-fi.

Also Phantasy Star 3, but it isn't party based. Neither is Phantom Dust, but I think it has a sci-fi setting.
Those aren't sci-fi - they're anime. The difference is irrelevant to an anime fan, but for non-anime fans, there's a huge difference.

I think the difference only matters to sci-fi fans, because as a non-anime, non-sci-fi fan, they seem sci-fi-y enough to me. At least as sci-fi-y as something like Star Wars.

yossar · Post by **yossar** » Tue May 24, 2005 5:50 pm

Nade wrote:Wasn't there a (not very good?) fallout clone recently?

The Fall?

Big Jake · Post by **Big Jake** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:14 pm

Shadow Vault?

EddieA · Post by **EddieA** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:23 pm

Restricted Area has a sci-fi setting. Also, Bioware has trademarked the name "Star Citadel", which sounds like a sci-fi name.

Cylus Maxii · Post by **Cylus Maxii** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:27 pm

Have any of you an opinion regarding the Space Rangers game shipping tomorrow?

KiloOhm · Post by **KiloOhm** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:29 pm

malichai11 wrote:Buck Rogers, Countdown to Doomsday/Matrix Cubed are my two favorite sci-fi RPGs.

Was there anything better than stopping some incomming rockets from a rocket pistol with a chaff cloud? Huh? Huh?

I can remember a few others (real old): Mars Saga - kind of like Bard's Tale, had some tactical combat.
Space Rogue - More like Privateer
Spelljammer - It's D&D in space with "ocean" ships that behave like spaceships. Pretty interesting game actually.

I'm sure I've played more but that's all I remember.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:18 pm

Sterling wrote:Star Ocean and Xenosaga spring to mind, both recent, both party based, both sci-fi.

Also Phantasy Star 3, but it isn't party based. Neither is Phantom Dust, but I think it has a sci-fi setting.

Since when are these PC games?

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:19 pm

AndyM wrote:To be fair, I edited my subject title and post after he nicely responded. I was trying to target PC games with this topic -- I apologize for the misunderstanding.

Well, that should have been understood - this is "PC Gaming in General", not a console forum.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:19 pm

Blackhawk wrote:
Sterling wrote:Star Ocean and Xenosaga spring to mind, both recent, both party based, both sci-fi.

Also Phantasy Star 3, but it isn't party based. Neither is Phantom Dust, but I think it has a sci-fi setting.
Those aren't sci-fi - they're anime. The difference is irrelevant to an anime fan, but for non-anime fans, there's a huge difference.

Agreed, I want a hardcore sci-fi game, not some Japanese cartoon characters.

Scanner · Post by **Scanner** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:29 pm

If Diablo clones count as RPGs, then there's also Harbinger and Cybermercs.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:45 pm

Big Jake wrote:Shadow Vault?

That's it.

D.A.Lewis · Post by **D.A.Lewis** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:55 pm

Come on people there are a couple of classics Sci Fi rps that have yet to be mentioned:

1) Albion an oldie to be sure but interesting still.

2)NeuromancerFor me this put Interplay on the map.

Plus the more familiar offerings of Outcast, Deus Ex, System Shock and Anachronox. They do occasionaly come out but the release dates are so rare it's easy to forget those that did come out.

Point: I think there was about 2 years between Deus Ex Invisible War and Star Wolves.

Dhruin · Post by **Dhruin** » Tue May 24, 2005 7:57 pm

Cylus Maxii wrote:Have any of you an opinion regarding the Space Rangers game shipping tomorrow?

It's well worth a look. The original Space Rangers is an excellent freeform space-exploration game -- think a sort of very colourful, 3D, Escape Velocity Nova but turn-based. Just to make things weirds, even though the main game is TB, there are some realtime combat mini-games. A big universe, lots of factions, loot, ship upgrades and so on. It lacks the story campaign of EV: Nova, which I missed.

I understand Excalibur is bundling SR1 and SR2. I know SR2 adds a sort of RTS-like planet conquering ground game - I have no idea if that would work. I really hope they add some story missions just to add some interest to the exploration.

On a general note, (and for what little it's worth) every forum poll I've ever seen on fantasy vs sci-fi RPGs starts out with a few curmudgeons wanting more diversity but ends with the majority liking traditional fasntasy settings.

I think magic, gods and individual heroism make fantasy attractive. It's harder to imagine a future high-tech world with galaxy spanning empires, aliens and super-corps being changed by a single hero and it's much harder to use the ol' "chosen one" story line that is mandatory.

It's easier to make sword-swinging melee combat look interesting with a stats-based system -- this is one of the reasons KotOR with Star Wars works.

Despite a bunch of small non-fantasy Euro RPGs but I can't think of a big (non-Star Wars) sci-fi RPG in many years. Here's hoping that will change one day.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:05 pm

Play both System Shocks again. Or Fallouts.

Qantaga · Post by **Qantaga** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:15 pm

malichai11 wrote:
The Meal wrote:I'm greatly enjoying Brian Reynold's Rigel Kentaurus at the moment.

~Neal
Is this some obscure reference to SMAC?

Also known as Brian Reynolds' Foot of the Centaur.

And, yes, this must be an obscure reference, not to SMAC, but to BRAC.

Orpheo · Post by **Orpheo** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:21 pm

Dhruin wrote:
Cylus Maxii wrote:Have any of you an opinion regarding the Space Rangers game shipping tomorrow?
Interesting stuff about Space Rangers

Do you have a link to buy this game? Saw some great looking screenshots on Gamespot but couldn't find it at any online stores.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:51 pm

I used to watch Space Rangers. Too bad it only lasted 4 episodes.

Faldarian · Post by **Faldarian** » Tue May 24, 2005 9:05 pm

I had the same thing happen to me recently, where watching Farscape set me on a search for some decent Sci-Fi games to play.

I wound up with Homeworld 2, which isn't too bad, and Nexus: The Jupiter Incident. Nexus would be a great game if you can pick it up cheap, I've had a pretty good time with it.

Starshatter is one I'd be playing right now if I had a USB joystick... I don't have the link handy to try it out, but I'm sure you can Google it.

They're not RPG's, but they're good games. I'd give about 500 left nuts for a good traditional sci-fi MMO right now, but even the ones coming down the pipe are a little more quirky than standard science fiction.

Dhruin · Post by **Dhruin** » Tue May 24, 2005 9:09 pm

Orpheo wrote:
Dhruin wrote:
Cylus Maxii wrote:Have any of you an opinion regarding the Space Rangers game shipping tomorrow?
Interesting stuff about Space Rangers
Do you have a link to buy this game? Saw some great looking screenshots on Gamespot but couldn't find it at any online stores.

Sure, the UK publisher, Excalibur and the Russian developer Elemental Games.

Excalibur's site says early June.

Alefroth · Post by **Alefroth** » Tue May 24, 2005 9:20 pm

I'd like to see a Ringworld CRPG, or maybe Ringworld Online, even.

Then there is always Traveller, or Gamma World, that could be made into good CRPG's.

Ale

Veloxi · Post by **Veloxi** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:06 pm

Space Rangers is indeed excellent, and the sequel is due out soon. Also, older games such Starflight 1 and 2, or Sentinel Worlds: Future Magic are my favorites.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:11 pm

Daehawk wrote:Play both System Shocks again. Or Fallouts.

Yeah, but they're old. I want to play something up to date.

I'd also throw in Deus Ex 1/2 - both of those are sci-fi.

Grifman · Post by **Grifman** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:17 pm

AndyM wrote:After watching an episode of Firefly, I tried to find a few party-based PC sci-fi (not post-apocalypse) RPG's. I failed. Yes, there's KOTOR 1 and 2, which I've played. However, given the success of Star Wars, the lingering fanbase from Star Trek, and the dedicated following of Firefly -- why aren't there more sci-fi rpg's? Is it too difficult for some reason to create RPG's that might have the option to travel between planets?

It would seem that science fiction has a fair amount to offer that would be similiar to the current fantasy RPG's. Possibility for strange and unique settings where different languages are spoken? Check. Possibility for different races (species) and all that that entails? Check. Possibility for different character classes (medic, empath, diplomat, soldier, mechanic, pilot, scientist/engineer, etc.)? Check. Potential for adding even more to an RPG with space combat based on skills (examine the old space RPG's like Buck Rogers and Sentinel Worlds for how it could be done)? Check.

The only thing that's noticeably lacking is magic. Is this really what cripples sci-fi rpg's? Or am I just over-estimating the market during these days of Star Wars?

This has been a lament of mine for a long time, mainly because I really don't like fantasy stuff, but love sci-fi. What's strange is that there were a number of PC sci-fi RPG type games a "long" time ago - Wasteland, Sentinel Worlds, Shadowrun, Starflight, etc. But for some reason, this genre just doesn't seem popular gaming wise. Which is really strange, given that sci-fi movies are far more popular than fantasy movies (LOTR excepted). You see far more sci-fi movies than fantasy movies, but far more fantasy games than sci-fi games.

I'd love a sci-fi RPG where you both fly/fight in space, and also travel/fight on the ground. There's tons of sci-fi stuff that's never been touched by a game that would be so fun and fascinating.

Buatha · Post by **Buatha** » Tue May 24, 2005 10:52 pm

I've always been under the impression the reason we don't see many sci-fi RPGs is due to the play mechanics required. A fantasy setting is easier on your logic (no jokes please) instead of science fiction.

For instance, who would melee in the future? Personally, I'd carry a blaster at all times. That was one problem that really caused Anarchy Online to look stupid to be shooting a Leet right in front of you and missing with a double-barreled shot-gun-looking thing.

Spells are also easier to explain away with "magic". Sure, you can have a paralysis weapon, freeze weapon, flame thrower, etc., but instead of carrying an arsenal around, it's easy to have those spells in your head.

Of course, this is just conjecture on my part, but I can't think of why science fiction RPGs are so...unpopular.

Octopus Overlords

Why the lack of PC Sci-Fi RPG's?

Why the lack of PC Sci-Fi RPG's?

Re: Why the lack of PC Sci-Fi RPG's?