Star*Drive a space opera setting

[Coan]

Well Alternity was shut down as a rules systems by Wizards, however many could (and do) argue the system was the precursor and mature person's version of the d20 system.

And what about the flag ship setting for the Alternity rules set, 'Star*Drive'?

Anyone here ever (or still) play in this setting? I got the campaign setting a few months ago and as I read through it I think there is some tremendous fluff in there. It covers a lot of the points of a science fiction game and setting should have as well as a few new ones.

So any opinions?

[ScS of the Fraternity]

You know, StarDrive was a neat idea, but I never got into it.
I loved the origins behind mankind and the various alien races in the game, and the FTL (Faster Than Light) drive was a neat way to run the system.
However, StarDrive was ruined for me by the huge overdevelopment of the universe. There were just so many planets, and stellar organizations, that they all blurred together.
There wasn't much room for creativity left.

I also didn't much care for the big, bad aliens from beyond the rim. Thic Clicks? Just felt too lame.

[Tessa]

I have never played Stardrive but it is one of the settings in the "D20 Future" book. Personally, I thought "From the Dark Heart of Space" had more potential.

[Coan]

I have never played Stardrive but it is one of the settings in the "D20 Future" book. Personally, I thought "From the Dark Heart of Space" had more potential.

I suppose one could think that but where is the staying power of that setting? It's only really got one 'grand' enemy and nothing really out of the ordinary as a sci-fi setting save that enemy. Star*Drive has background, depth and most of all real options as to where it can go.

[Tessa]

That is true but the same thing could be said of Ravenloft with the Dark Powers or Masque with the Red Death. In FtDHoS, I don't think that you are really meant to engage the Void in combat any more than the Ravenloft heroes are meant to face the DP or RD.

[Tessa]

I meant to add this to my last post, sorry.
I wanted to say that I found that a setting similar to Firefly/Serenity fits this setting fairly well.

[Coan]

That is true but the same thing could be said of Ravenloft with the Dark Powers or Masque with the Red Death. In FtDHoS, I don't think that you are really meant to engage the Void in combat any more than the Ravenloft heroes are meant to face the DP or RD.

Point taken, but the advantage with Star*Drive is that it is written up with many enemies. From the Dark Heart it seems to imply the Void is well known. I think this detracts from the setting as the Dark Powers don't really interfere much with the day to day running of the realm. Ravenloft has domains and Masque -countries, S*D in turn has stellar nations.

Sure Dark Heart could have that but it would need more work. However I'm not denying the obvious; that it would take little effort for a horror Ravenloft DM to make an adventure in space in the Dark Heart setting.

On another track Cowboy Western (e.g. Firefly) could definatley fit the bill here.

Cowboy Bebop wouldn't seem so far off the mark either (Bebop just has a much smaller setting).

[daffy72]

Just curious if any one has heard of Battlelords? Its now in its 15th year in print and their spaceship book is slated as the next supplement.

I think its staying power has to do with it being based on sci-fi archetypes, being an open enough setting that allows for any players favorite kind of sci-fi to take place and where you can draw on general knowledge from any book, movie, etc

You can learn more here: http://www.ssdc.com/Games/Battlelords.html
the links to the right give a run down of the different player character species. The latest release 'Beyond the Rift' also has 7-8 new species not on that page.

If anyone checks it out I'd be interested in what you think.
~Andrew

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Good to know that some sci-fi systems work.

Of course, it probably didn't help that TSR went out of buisness just after Alternity came out.

[Coan]

They'd already been bought out by Wizards at that stage.

Twas only a puppet company.

[Bryan1108]

I have to agree with Tessa in that Dark Heart of Space" had more potential but that wasn't really a setting unto itself so much as a template to be laid over an existing sci-fi setting.

[Coan]

I have to agree with Tessa in that Dark Heart of Space" had more potential but that wasn't really a setting unto itself so much as a template to be laid over an existing sci-fi setting.

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=604117

Some person wrote a bit about the Dark Heart of Space and a campaign setting for it.

[Coan]

For those interested, the official Star Drive site is back up after almost a year or more in break down.

http://www.tequilastarrise.net/

I've also managed to secure all the books after months of searching.