Space Opera (role-playing game)

Infobox RPG
title= Space Opera


caption=Cover of Space Opera Volume 1 manual
designer= Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner, Phil McGregor
publisher= Fantasy Games Unlimited
date= 1980
genre= Space opera
system= Custom
footnotes=

"Space Opera" is a science-fiction role-playing game created by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner, and Phil McGregor in 1980 for Fantasy Games Unlimited . While the system is applicable to the whole genre of science fiction the focus is on creating space opera themed adventures. "Space Opera" resolved to give gamers a system and universe which they could mold into any popular science fiction milieu, be it "Star Wars", E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman", Larry Niven's "Known Space", Frank Herbert's "Dune", "Battlestar Galactica", "Galactica 1980", etc.

Though it gained a dedicated following, the game never achieved the popularity enjoyed by "Traveller". Like "Traveller", "Space Opera" had a default setting, though also like "Traveller" it was also intended to be used as generic science fiction role-playing game rules. As well, it would be a "complete" system. With the basic rules one got most everything one would need: character construction, aliens, monsters, combat, starship construction, and world creation.

Development

According to the Scott Bizar, the founder of FGU, "I wanted a SFrpg and I gave the job to Ed Simbalist. During the process I’ve never met Ed, nor Phil McGreggor and Mark Ratner, who lived in the Canadian west, Australia and the east of the USA, respectively. The project was completed over more than two years entirely by correspondence." [http://www.space-opera.net/GB/interviews/scott.htm Interview with Scott Bizar] Ed was responsible for all the editing and coordination. [http://www.space-opera.net/GB/interviews/phil.htm Interview with Phil McGregor] Phil McGregor sent some technology and space ship related stuff, which Ed liked so much that he incorporated it in the finished product. [http://www.space-opera.net/GB/interviews/phil.htm Interview with Phil McGregor] While the background universe was based on Mark Ratner's Space Marines, Mark had little input into Space Opera itself. [http://www.space-opera.net/GB/interviews/mark.htm Interview with Mark Ratner]

Character Creation

Character creation is a long process in Space Opera, typically taking an hour or more. While the number of random rolls is limited, the player has wide discretion in how points are applied and many choices especially when it comes to skills. This was a significant break from the tradition in earlier role-playing games such as D&D and Traveller, where there was more emphasis on "throw-away" characters.

Players choose from the following Character Classes; Armsman, Tech, Research Scientist, Medical Scientist, Engineer Scientist, and Astronaut. The classes are especially important for where bonuses can be applied to Personal Characteristics and later ease (cost) to acquire skills.

Space Opera characters are supposed to be larger-than-life. As such their Personal Characteristics average out higher than the "common man". For each of the 14 Personal Characteristics a d100 is rolled. These are Physique, Strength, Constitution, Agility, Dexterity, Empathy, Intelligence, Psionics, Intuition, Bravery, Leadership, GTA, MechA, ElecA. Depending on the Character Class chosen, bonus points can be applied to these rolls. The final number is compared against a table resulting in a number between 1 and 19 for the Personal Characteristic. Characteristic Rolls (CRs) are then made on a d20 during play.

Planet of Birth is made up of three rolls for Gravity, Atmosphere, and Climate. This could have effects on the Personal Characteristics, and some on the choice of race.

Races could be Human, Humanoid, Transhuman, Pithecine, Canine, Feline, Ursoid, Avian, and Warm-blooded Saurian for player characters. The races are general and don't necessarily bind to a particular star culture.

A variety of other capabilities, such as Carrying Capacity, Damage Factor, and Stamina, based on Personal Characteristics help to further define the character.

The Career path, is very similar to Traveller's with the main exception being that there was no risk of death prior to the start of play. The character goes through the recruitment process, participates for a random number of tours-of-duty, has opportunities for promotion, and then finally musters out.

Finally the player calculates the generous number of skill points available and goes through the process of picking skills. The rich assortment of choices often makes this the most time-consuming part of creating the character.

Races

In Space Opera races are treated very generally. Instead of assigning a unique name to a particular specific race, the races were named as their general, anthropomorphic stock. This allowed any race seen in fiction before or since to be simulated.

Humanoids: These include current Earth homo sapiens as well as well known Science Fiction races. Example: Fremen
Transhumans: Any kind of humanoid race which has achieved a greater level of evolution. Example: Vulcan
Pithecine: Anthropomorphic primate races resembling monkeys, gorillas and the like. Example: Planet of the Apes
Canine: Anthropomorphic canine races.
Feline: Anthropomorphic felines come in two general strains: Mekpurr, the smaller and more technically adept and Avatar, larger, hunting cat varieties. Example: Kzinti
Ursoids: Anthropomorphic bear races. Example: Wookie
Avian: Anthropomorphic bird races.
Saurian: Anthropomorphic reptilian races. Example: Gorn
Irsol: Low gravity, fragile humanoids which have been raised on space stations or other orbital installations. They are treated as the librarians of the universe.

Official Universe

While the Space Opera rules can be adapted to any imagined universe, the official universe was based on the nations described in Mark Ratner's Space Marines, and further defined through a series of Star Sector Atlases.

Combat

Combat was generally a four step process. One first determines if a character scores a hit with his chosen weapon. Things like range, size of the target, movement, and amount of cover come into play. If one scores a hit, then one rolls to determine hit location. After hit location, one then determines if the attack penetrated the armor. Finally, damage is determined.

Books

Technology

The technology of Space Opera follows the grand tradition of its name. Notably missing are the influences of cyberpunk, mechs, and nanotechnology, which all came later than the publication of the game. Computers were based on a monolithic, mainframe-style that seemed a bit dated even in 1980.

Reprints

Some components of "Space Opera" are in print again after a long absence and are available via FGU's online store and the RPG download sites DriveThruRPG and RPGNow.

The rights are jointly held by the authors and Fantasy Games Unlimited. The rights to the game were to revert to the authors if the company went out of business. Despite going into dormant periods operating as a company in name only, FGU is still in operation. The authors sought to buy the rights from the publisher Scott Bizar, however Bizar's asking price was judged too high.

From a December 2000 interview with Ed Simbalist:"I won't write another version of Space Opera. Scott Bizar owns that property, hasn't done anything much to promote it, hasn't paid royalties that offer any hope that an author will be compensated for his considerable effort, and won't release it back to the authors. I know of the many persona [l] reverses he's experienced, and I doubt that FGU would ever become a viable publishing company in the future. Any revision work on my part would be a waste of time. Similarly, the expense of legally recovering the right to publish Space Opera isn't worth it. Apart from a highly inflated value placed by FGU on the game (actually on the NAME), why would I wish to purchase several thousand copies of a recent reprint that just won't sell in the current market? It makes no sense." [http://www.space-opera.net/GB/interviews/ed.htm Interview with Ed Simbalist] Reportedly the asking price was $100,000, though the authors felt it was only worth $10,000. [http://everything2.com/title/space%2520opera message board posting]

References

External links

* [http://www.fantasygamesunlimited.net/index.html FGU's official site]
* [http://www.space-opera.net/ Space Opera fan site]