From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SF Poll
Date: 12 Jan 93 01:51:56 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd3.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1it79hINN17v@nutmeg.csv.warwick.ac.uk> mauht@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr A Jones) writes:
>[No comment. But see CUDADS' last newsletter for 1991/2... ]

	"CUDADS"?

>|> 	But I'd go with the system which was designed with Lensmen in
>|> mind, very clearly: Space Opera. Best psionics system made. Some powers

>I have to admit, I've never even heard of this system. I would be interested in
>hearing more about it.


	No doubt we'll hear some loud catcalls from the wings, but ...

	Space Opera was/is an SF game from FGU (Fantasy Games Unlimited).
It's still available from FGU, which is maintaining a precarious existence
out in, I believe, Arizona. Its obscurity derives from a lack of promotion
on the part of FGU (at least, that was the considered opinion of the 
game store proprietors whom I asked).

	SO had a fairly long  character generation sequence, random based
(although, like all such games, one didn't HAVE to use random). Most
of the stats were on a biased percentile curve (which favored fairly high
results) and all characters had between 35-40 points to split up between
the various rolled scores for their character's prime stats (that is,
an Engineering Scientist would want to make sure his tech stats and
intelligence and dex were high, while his strength didn't matter so much)
and after calculation were converted onto a scale from 1-20. For many of
the stats, a 1 equated to human average -- that is, a character with a 
1 intelligence had the same intelligence as the average human.
	It was designed for heroic scale, obviously.
	After the base stats were generated, one determined the character's
home planet -- gravity, atmosphere, and climate -- and then the racial
type (the ones they had to choose from were Human, humanoid, picathene,
canine, feline, ursoid, avian, and saurian, but adding others isn't really
tough). Afterwards one determined what service (if any) the character was
in, and for how long, and then you bought skills with Skill Points --
SP's derived from BOTH your stats (natural talent) and from length of
service (experience).

	Once you were done, you pretty much knew everything about your
character. Such characters would generally be damn good at what
they did, and pretty good at faking their way through a lot of other
things. 

	Play relied on either percentile chances for acheiving success
(modified by situations) or on stat-based rolls (d20, you want low...).

	The background given in the Star Atlases is very detailed and
interesting -- and includes a lot of tips o' the hat to many classics
of SF. 

	The Psionics section is the finest working of mental powers I've
ever seen, and it derives (quite honestly stated in the text) from the
two great Space Operas of all time: the Lensman series, by Doc Smith,
and Star  Wars. It includes the "PK crystal" [Lens] and even has rules
for special psis [Lensmen -- people contacted by some strange force,
trained in psi powers, and given a PK crystal].

	Space Opera has some flaws, most of them easily fixed with a
little thought. The skill purchasing system works fairly well, although
in some cases it's damn tough to buy up everything your character needs --
I've been toying with lowering the costs on some astrogator skills and 
upping the costs on some Armsman skills. 
	The skill costs can be confusing, and some are just not stated
well; FGU's other main failing has always been editing -- sometimes
one thought that monkeys with cut-and-paste could do a better job.

	However, it's still my favorite space game, and it's the ONLY
one our group will play.


				Sea Wasp



Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc