The next campaign I'll be running for our gaming group will be a Fate-based science-fiction setting. I'm currently reading through Diaspora and loving it.
I've been curious about the other two Fate-based sci-fi settings out there of which I've heard: Starblazers and Bulldogs. Frankly, there are two factors that appeal to me in these settings over Diaspora.
One, aliens. Yes, Diaspora makes suggestions on how you can generate your own, but it's not a focus in the material, and there's definitely nothing to pull from. It's a more realistic setting after all. I've always enjoyed having the added flavor that various species and/or races contribute to a setting. And for the sake of my precious time, I would rather not have to create them all.
Second, looser parameters, in terms of "what might happen." The hard science-fiction setting seems a little limiting in it's sense of, "Sorry, you couldn't realistically do that." I'm also concerned that my player's command of a hard sci-fi setting might vary widely. In other words, with a more cinematic sci-fi setting, players might feel more encouraged to be creative, as opposed to the setting of Diaspora. I really won't know this until I run it, but it's a concern.
All that said, I really enjoy the ways the rules were put together for Diaspora. They're very clear and well-written. The build-your-own Cluster mini-game sounds like a lot of fun, and I have high hopes for player buy-in through it. I'm also very attracted to several of the mini-games the system has to offer, like ship combat and platoon combat.
I hope to find some alien templates out there for Diaspora. That will probably be the one thing that convinces to me run it (over the other two systems). Perhaps, I'll pick up the pdfs for the other two and borrow what I need. If I do, I'll blog on this further, perhaps, making a comparison table of sorts.
I've been curious about the other two Fate-based sci-fi settings out there of which I've heard: Starblazers and Bulldogs. Frankly, there are two factors that appeal to me in these settings over Diaspora.
One, aliens. Yes, Diaspora makes suggestions on how you can generate your own, but it's not a focus in the material, and there's definitely nothing to pull from. It's a more realistic setting after all. I've always enjoyed having the added flavor that various species and/or races contribute to a setting. And for the sake of my precious time, I would rather not have to create them all.
Second, looser parameters, in terms of "what might happen." The hard science-fiction setting seems a little limiting in it's sense of, "Sorry, you couldn't realistically do that." I'm also concerned that my player's command of a hard sci-fi setting might vary widely. In other words, with a more cinematic sci-fi setting, players might feel more encouraged to be creative, as opposed to the setting of Diaspora. I really won't know this until I run it, but it's a concern.
All that said, I really enjoy the ways the rules were put together for Diaspora. They're very clear and well-written. The build-your-own Cluster mini-game sounds like a lot of fun, and I have high hopes for player buy-in through it. I'm also very attracted to several of the mini-games the system has to offer, like ship combat and platoon combat.
I hope to find some alien templates out there for Diaspora. That will probably be the one thing that convinces to me run it (over the other two systems). Perhaps, I'll pick up the pdfs for the other two and borrow what I need. If I do, I'll blog on this further, perhaps, making a comparison table of sorts.
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