Obsidian should make a Sci-Fi RPG

[Humanoid]

A fake-class based system like D:OS works for me, where classes are nothing but templates (and starter gear) for a classless system behind the scenes.

 

 

That said, I don't want another party-based game. Sci-fi or no, I want a solo experience next.

[Qistina]

Fake class is pointless and i hate it. The reason is in the middle of the game i don't know what i want to build anymore, snce every path is open and in the end it doesn't make any difference, it just me who try hard giving own rule for not being a jane of all trades, in which i usually failed to hold to my own rule anyway

 

the simple example is Dark Souls, it just me who keep remind my self of not using magic, but i keep investing in attunement in the end because some magic are free and is there to use...meaning my character is always can use magic, just invest some stats and equipt catalyst/talisman/flame

 

I still believe in class system, it give an idea on the path i want to go, either i change it or not it is up to me, even if change it a little bit it will not go as far as becoming a total hybrid. If i want a hybrid i will choose hybrid.

[Oerwinde]

I like the idea of doing a 3.5 e D&D style class system, being able to choose whatever class you want at level up, with some prestige classes at higher level.

[rjshae]

 

What class should be in Sci Fi fantasy anyway?

 

Soldier, commando--->warrior, tank

Technician, smuggler--->rogue, dps

Psychic, medic--->mage, nuker, healer

 

It will goes around that isn't it? What makes the difference?

I view a sci-fi setting as a perfect chance to get away from those tropes personally.  Perhaps even avoid classes altogether.

 

In a future sci-fi setting there's a lot more to know, so it is even more difficult to be a jack-of-all-trades. To me that's more of a reason to use career-based classes. If you want to allow cross-over skills and capabilities, you can enable them through swappable cybernetic implants.

[Fardragon]

I bet if you do a poll now. post apocalypse, vampires, fantasy, sci fi. Garauntee you sci fi will be least picked. People like midgets and elves more then phasers and mechs.

Most people are sheep, they vote for whatever is currently fashionable. Currently, everything is zombies, a couple of years back, it would have been vampires.

 

The thing is, whilst most people are sheep, some are goats. I.e., there is always a gap in the market for what is not currently fashionable. If you can produce something on a reasonable budget, targeting a niche market can be an extremely effective business strategy, and can sometimes put you ahead of the game.

 

With post-apocalyptic zombies and dark brooding superheroes so fashionable, who would have predicted that a comic space opera would have been one of the top movies of 2014? Yet Guardians of the Galaxy happened.

[Jhelzei]

What, no mention of Fallout New Vegas? Hopefully when Fallout 4 gets released, Obsidian will also do a followup. Nothing quite like scavenging my way through the Wasteland, vaporizing deathclaws from afar with my scoped laser rifle.

[Kavlrya]

This might appear strange, but... I actually think a spiritual reboot of Fallout is in order.

 

I would certainly gobble it up.

[Failion]

 

I bet if you do a poll now. post apocalypse, vampires, fantasy, sci fi. Garauntee you sci fi will be least picked. People like midgets and elves more then phasers and mechs.

Most people are sheep, they vote for whatever is currently fashionable. Currently, everything is zombies, a couple of years back, it would have been vampires.

 

The thing is, whilst most people are sheep, some are goats. I.e., there is always a gap in the market for what is not currently fashionable. If you can produce something on a reasonable budget, targeting a niche market can be an extremely effective business strategy, and can sometimes put you ahead of the game.

 

With post-apocalyptic zombies and dark brooding superheroes so fashionable, who would have predicted that a comic space opera would have been one of the top movies of 2014? Yet Guardians of the Galaxy happened.

 

 

So true all the casual dude bro guys I know. Are buying xbox ones and I ask these guys what they going to get and they say something zombies or shooter related. Nobody cared about zombies until dawn of the dead remake came out in 2004 that started a rollercoaster that made them popular and mainstream.

 

I feel with sci fi space games to be successful I feel you got to make it a space opera and have a really good narrative. If I could make a space opera I have it be a dysotopian setting in the not too distant future where mankind finally made it into space but not without brutal dehumanization, suppression of the human psyche and propaganda. "The main protaganist of the story is a bald physically disabled from the waist down genetically unfit human. He is part of one of humanities frontier fleets working in the stressful bowels of a space ship as a mechanic. Constantly ridiculed and hating his station in life he is surprised when tasked to be part of a crew on suicidal mission to a unknown dangerous planet future humanity wishes to explore. The landing on the alien planet is catastrophic and the crew is scattered. He crash lands in a mountanous cave system and awakes in dank wet darkness. Despite being disabled and injured from the waste down he has a strong desire to live and something miraculous happens. He can walk again and starts noticing has acquired immense strength.

 

Turns out the planet has some anomaly to it where as long someone has the willpower to carry on with life they grow stronger and stronger possibly reaching godlike potential but the planet drastically changes the mind. Our initially weak willed scrawny disabled protaganist turns into john cena over night and eventually turns into a huge evil douchebag and the antagonist of this space opera. You the player assume the role as one of the scouts of the planet who survived. independent thoughts swarm your indoctrinated mind for the first time. Will you stay loyal soldier to humanity?" 

 

Thats the bare basics idea for a story I thought up just now. 

[damoqles]

I still believe in class system, it give an idea on the path i want to go, either i change it or not it is up to me, even if change it a little bit it will not go as far as becoming a total hybrid. If i want a hybrid i will choose hybrid.

So who forces you to become a hybrid when you clearly don't want to become a hybrid? If the option is there, it is still merely an option. If you don't want to (say, use magic in Dark Souls and invest in Attunement), then don't. Surely you have the self-control to play as you want instead of actively going against your character concept!

[Darkpriest]

Well IF Star Wars ep. 7 will be good then that will be an awesome period of time for sci-fi products to re-emerge o the top. We miss good sci-fi series like StarTrek StarGate or Battlestar Galactica. I can't even recall a name of some new good sci-fi production so no wonder that there is little hype for sci fi games. The last good game was Alien Isolation if you are into 'survival horrors' and that paid a good tribute to the original Alien movie.

[Fardragon]

I'm not to keen on all this post-apocalyptic Fallout stuff*. There is plenty of it, and it's all as depressing as so much else these days. I want some proper space opera with spaceships and aliens!!! Given the difficulty in getting a licence for another Star Wars CRPG, something like Space Frontiers/Alternity, Lensmen, Polesotechnic League or Humanx Commonwealth would be good, done with the PoE engine. There was a Traveller CRPG in the 90s which was okay, apart from lousy space combat. Traveller does take itself a bit too seriously at times though.

 

 

*I would be up for a new Dark Sun game or remake though.

[rjshae]

It might be interesting to use an Avatar-like approach; start with a diverse team of body pilots with various sci-fi like skills, then stealthily interact with the universe through remotely-controlled bodies. This would allow you to operate in a diverse range of locales as well as allowing you to pass yourself off a natives. As the game goes along, you can acquire new technology that allows you to build and equip better avatars. The goal becomes not to avoid getting killed, but to succeed in your missions even in the face of avatar losses. As long as just one avatar survives to achieve the mission purpose, then you succeed.

[Fardragon]

Thinking about it, the Pillars of Eternity game engine (although far from perfect) would adapt quite well to a Science Fiction/Space Opera setting. It's already dominated by guns, just add duel wielding one handed guns and an ammo system. Damage types become kinetic, thermal, ion (organics have natural resistance), cryo, bio and psi (synthetics have natural resistance). Replace "trinket" item slots with cybernetic implants (find an autodoc to install them).

 

Tweak the skills:

 

Stealth, Athletics unchanged

Lore -> Science (allows ancient alien artefacts to be used)

Mechanics -> Demolitions

Ditch survival (and food), add an Intelligent System Interface (hacking) skill, Piloting, and a Persuasion skill.

 

Tweak the classes:

 

Fighter -> Soldier. Only class able to equip Power Armour. Other Armours toned down in power.

 

Ranger (+some Rogue) -> Scout. Stealthy, with a Cloaking Ability, bonus for attacking from unseen, can snipe, designate targets, summon drones (on a per fight basis) to act as scouts or decoys.

 

Cleric (+ some mage) -> Meditech. As well as providing healing (at range and AoE with dart guns, nanite clouds and chemical clouds) can also stun and debuff enemies. Uses a medikit that works like a grimoire, equipped with various abilities that you can change out between fights (and cost credits to buy).

 

Rogue (+some paladin) -> Spacer. Good at rapid melee and ranged DPS with fast weapons. High critical chance. Can learn a leadership aura that boosts allies attack.

 

Chanter -> Scitech. Has a force field projector which they can use to protect the team or themselves in combat (various defensive buff auras). Has a robotic companion which can help (AKA get in the way) in combat.

 

Cypher -> Psion. Much the same, but instead of gaining Psi points through combat starts with a pool which they can replenish by draining Endurance (possibly leading to unconsciousness).

 

Monk (+ Jedi and a little Chanter) -> Adept (Okay, Shadowrun rip off). Uses internally focused psionic energy to boost physical powers. Instead of Wounds, gains power through fighting.

 

[i can't think of a good substitute for Barbarian or Druid]

 

Races:

 

Human, Reptalian race (cos' I like lizard people), Insect race (obligatory), Synthetic (machine) race (obviously) and Orlan (just because). Elves, dwarves and orks are banned.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Fardragon

[FlintlockJazz]

I don't get why people equate soldiers to straight up fighters.  Today's soldiers fight guerrilla style, they don't stand there getting hit.  They are part fighter, part rogue, part ranger, part medic, part technical specialist, etc.  They need to have good personal skills, in order to deal with civilians, tactical awareness, driving skills, etc.  Some soldiers are specialised engineers, others field medics, yet others are leaders of men.  Personally I am leaning more towards a 'template' system than a full class system: you choose a base template such as soldier which gives you basic training skills, then take lenses like 'Office Lens' to give them the skills an officer would have, 'Medic lens' for a field medic, 'Power Armour lens' for the power suit wearing assault troops, etc.  For those who recognise this, yes I am stealing the template system from GURPS here.

 

As for the world itself, I'd actually like a more hard sci-fi approach, I'm not talking 2001 level hardness just harder than the space magic we have been getting as sci-fi lately.  Would enable them to look into the impact of certain technologies, such as genetic engineering, AI, automation of daily life, and themes like Transhumanism, which I find interesting.  Instead of aliens I would propose we should have human subspecies created with genetic engineering, bioroids (biological androids, essentially 'assembled people' but not clones), uplifted races etc, kind of like how Red Dwarf had GELFs (genetically engineered life forms) instead of aliens.  This would both allow people to play 'humans with funny bits on their nose' like in Star Trek, more exotic things like uplifted squids, and still preserve aliens as something mysterious, either as a precursor race that you can investigate the ruins of or to keep them truly alien, essential space Cthulhus whom humanity cannot comprehend.  This is of course my own perfect sci-fi setting, my own wishlist, but screw you guys I think it's awesome.

[Fardragon]

I don't get why people equate soldiers to straight up fighters.  Today's soldiers fight guerrilla style, they don't stand there getting hit.  They are part fighter, part rogue, part ranger, part medic, part technical specialist, etc.  They need to have good personal skills, in order to deal with civilians, tactical awareness, driving skills, etc.  Some soldiers are specialised engineers, others field medics, yet others are leaders of men.  Personally I am leaning more towards a 'template' system than a full class system: you choose a base template such as soldier which gives you basic training skills, then take lenses like 'Office Lens' to give them the skills an officer would have, 'Medic lens' for a field medic, 'Power Armour lens' for the power suit wearing assault troops, etc.  For those who recognise this, yes I am stealing the template system from GURPS here.

 

As for the world itself, I'd actually like a more hard sci-fi approach, I'm not talking 2001 level hardness just harder than the space magic we have been getting as sci-fi lately.  Would enable them to look into the impact of certain technologies, such as genetic engineering, AI, automation of daily life, and themes like Transhumanism, which I find interesting.  Instead of aliens I would propose we should have human subspecies created with genetic engineering, bioroids (biological androids, essentially 'assembled people' but not clones), uplifted races etc, kind of like how Red Dwarf had GELFs (genetically engineered life forms) instead of aliens.  This would both allow people to play 'humans with funny bits on their nose' like in Star Trek, more exotic things like uplifted squids, and still preserve aliens as something mysterious, either as a precursor race that you can investigate the ruins of or to keep them truly alien, essential space Cthulhus whom humanity cannot comprehend.  This is of course my own perfect sci-fi setting, my own wishlist, but screw you guys I think it's awesome.

Stick with "Fighter" is you prefer it for the "guy in armour who stands at the front and takes the hits". As it's based on PoE background is separate anyway. It could be a pirate, a bounty hunter, or wealthy playboy weapons designer rather than regular military. The Scout/Ranger is intended to cover the guerilla fighting style.

 

The advantage to using PoE rather than designing a new system (based on GURPS or otherwise) is fairly obvious. With a lot of the groundwork already done it would require far fewer development resources to make the game, which is pretty much essential if you are targeting a niche market. Added to that, Obsidian wouldn't have to pay anyone for a licence. Furthermore, connection to another successful game, all be it in an entirely different universe, aids marketing.

 

The trouble with "Hard" SF is you open up all your convenient plot devices to scientific scrutiny. Why does that sniper rifle only have a range of 20m? Why is that hero duel wielding giant swords against guys with plasma cannons? How does FTL travel work? How does psionics work? Why don't those insectoid aliens collapse under the weight of their own exoskeleton? How come that armour fits a human and an orlan? However, if you make it clear that it isn't to be taken deadly serious, you can have your laser swords and plasma pistols with "it's fun" being the only justification needed. This approach worked perfectly well for Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

Besides, far to many games have caught the "dark and serious" disease (AKA Nolanitis). I want to play a game that isn't afraid to be fun.

[Qistina]

 

I still believe in class system, it give an idea on the path i want to go, either i change it or not it is up to me, even if change it a little bit it will not go as far as becoming a total hybrid. If i want a hybrid i will choose hybrid.

So who forces you to become a hybrid when you clearly don't want to become a hybrid? If the option is there, it is still merely an option. If you don't want to (say, use magic in Dark Souls and invest in Attunement), then don't. Surely you have the self-control to play as you want instead of actively going against your character concept!

 

 

I lack of self control, without class syetm i will want to try everything nd become jane of all trade, i don't like fake restriction, why would i put restriction on my self while there is no restriction? So non-Mage should not use magic in it's skill tree (and no magic-like skills in its skill tree), unless want to make it a hybrid, that is what i believe as class system. Today more games remove that restriction, and us players who put fake restriction on self while playing, and for me it's annoying.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Qistina

[Fardragon]

I think it is actually a bit of a dogma. Fantasy game? Must have classes. SF game? Can't have classes.

 

 

I don't care much either way, so long as it's good. Shadowrun makes a decent compromise.

 

However, there are huge logistical advantages for Obsidian to reuse the PoE engine and as much of the game systems as possible, which means classes. Which I'm fine with.

Edited June 2, 2015 by Fardragon

[rjshae]

The modern education system creates a type of class-based approach just from the fact that it takes 4-7 years to get really good at a subject. That type of dependency should be enough to differentiate sci-fi characters, while still allowing some crossover skills that don't require lengthy training to reach a suitable level of proficiency. After that it's mostly a matter of getting rid of the word 'class', and replacing it with, say, 'career'.

[Qistina]

If want Sci-Fi games have no classes, better make it FPS game, just shoot, shoot, shoot, throw bombs and don't care about anything else. That will please CoD crowd.

 

Classes that makes games interesting for me, because classes are also roles, it will remind myself it is not me in the game, but the character i created.

 

But it is boring though if classes going the same tank/dps/nuker/healer every time, why not mix-match it? The assault guy/girl doesn't have to be a tank, the technician doesn't have to be weak nerd, the medic doesn't have to be don't know combat at all.

 

So i think, it is a matter of Combat Skills and Non-Combat Skills, just separate these two. Which skills being invest more by player determine the class of the character created. Make it if invest both equally the character will not reach maximum speciality, a Jane of trades know a bit of this and that but not excel in any.

[Fardragon]

The modern education system creates a type of class-based approach just from the fact that it takes 4-7 years to get really good at a subject. That type of dependency should be enough to differentiate sci-fi characters, while still allowing some crossover skills that don't require lengthy training to reach a suitable level of proficiency. After that it's mostly a matter of getting rid of the word 'class', and replacing it with, say, 'career'.

That would depend on which country's education system you where talking about.

 

For example, the English/Welsh National Curriculum makes it quite hard for students to specialise until quite late.

[Humanoid]

Also it discounts peoples mid-life crises. :D

[Fardragon]

Also it discounts peoples mid-life crises. :D

According to Dungeons and Dragons 1st and 2nd edition, only humans have mid-life crises.

[FlintlockJazz]

 

I don't get why people equate soldiers to straight up fighters.  Today's soldiers fight guerrilla style, they don't stand there getting hit.  They are part fighter, part rogue, part ranger, part medic, part technical specialist, etc.  They need to have good personal skills, in order to deal with civilians, tactical awareness, driving skills, etc.  Some soldiers are specialised engineers, others field medics, yet others are leaders of men.  Personally I am leaning more towards a 'template' system than a full class system: you choose a base template such as soldier which gives you basic training skills, then take lenses like 'Office Lens' to give them the skills an officer would have, 'Medic lens' for a field medic, 'Power Armour lens' for the power suit wearing assault troops, etc.  For those who recognise this, yes I am stealing the template system from GURPS here.

 

As for the world itself, I'd actually like a more hard sci-fi approach, I'm not talking 2001 level hardness just harder than the space magic we have been getting as sci-fi lately.  Would enable them to look into the impact of certain technologies, such as genetic engineering, AI, automation of daily life, and themes like Transhumanism, which I find interesting.  Instead of aliens I would propose we should have human subspecies created with genetic engineering, bioroids (biological androids, essentially 'assembled people' but not clones), uplifted races etc, kind of like how Red Dwarf had GELFs (genetically engineered life forms) instead of aliens.  This would both allow people to play 'humans with funny bits on their nose' like in Star Trek, more exotic things like uplifted squids, and still preserve aliens as something mysterious, either as a precursor race that you can investigate the ruins of or to keep them truly alien, essential space Cthulhus whom humanity cannot comprehend.  This is of course my own perfect sci-fi setting, my own wishlist, but screw you guys I think it's awesome.

Stick with "Fighter" is you prefer it for the "guy in armour who stands at the front and takes the hits". As it's based on PoE background is separate anyway. It could be a pirate, a bounty hunter, or wealthy playboy weapons designer rather than regular military. The Scout/Ranger is intended to cover the guerilla fighting style.

 

The advantage to using PoE rather than designing a new system (based on GURPS or otherwise) is fairly obvious. With a lot of the groundwork already done it would require far fewer development resources to make the game, which is pretty much essential if you are targeting a niche market. Added to that, Obsidian wouldn't have to pay anyone for a licence. Furthermore, connection to another successful game, all be it in an entirely different universe, aids marketing.

 

The trouble with "Hard" SF is you open up all your convenient plot devices to scientific scrutiny. Why does that sniper rifle only have a range of 20m? Why is that hero duel wielding giant swords against guys with plasma cannons? How does FTL travel work? How does psionics work? Why don't those insectoid aliens collapse under the weight of their own exoskeleton? How come that armour fits a human and an orlan? However, if you make it clear that it isn't to be taken deadly serious, you can have your laser swords and plasma pistols with "it's fun" being the only justification needed. This approach worked perfectly well for Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

Besides, far to many games have caught the "dark and serious" disease (AKA Nolanitis). I want to play a game that isn't afraid to be fun.

 

Eww, you just want a reskin of Fantasy!  Ewwwwwwwww!

 

Seriously though, a lot of the 'issues' you list there is because you are trying to fit sci-fi to the system used by Pillars, a game designed for Fantasy.  Pillars is designed for close up skirmishes not gun battles, and that is precisely why it would not work.

 

As for wanting hard, I specifically said I wasn't asking for hard like 2001, just harder than the Space Fantasy Magic we have been getting.  There has barely been even Star Trek level of hardness in sci-fi shows these days.  Oh, and just because it looks at how transhumanism would affect society wouldn't mean it would be dark and serious, on the contrary Transhumanism fiction tends to be optimistic and bright as compared to the future envisoned by Cyberpunk.

[FlintlockJazz]

I think it is actually a bit of a dogma. Fantasy game? Must have classes. SF game? Can't have classes.

 

 

I don't care much either way, so long as it's good. Shadowrun makes a decent compromise.

 

However, there are huge logistical advantages for Obsidian to reuse the PoE engine and as much of the game systems as possible, which means classes. Which I'm fine with.

I don't like classes to begin with, and prefer systems which don't use them regardless of setting.  Classes just don't cause as much an issue for me in fantasy because they don't stand out so much against the world, whereas settings like sci-fi and modern day, being set closer to a real world setting, don't.  Unless you are talking about Space Fantasy, in which case fine, but then we aren't talking sci-fi anymore.

[Fardragon]

 

 

I don't get why people equate soldiers to straight up fighters.  Today's soldiers fight guerrilla style, they don't stand there getting hit.  They are part fighter, part rogue, part ranger, part medic, part technical specialist, etc.  They need to have good personal skills, in order to deal with civilians, tactical awareness, driving skills, etc.  Some soldiers are specialised engineers, others field medics, yet others are leaders of men.  Personally I am leaning more towards a 'template' system than a full class system: you choose a base template such as soldier which gives you basic training skills, then take lenses like 'Office Lens' to give them the skills an officer would have, 'Medic lens' for a field medic, 'Power Armour lens' for the power suit wearing assault troops, etc.  For those who recognise this, yes I am stealing the template system from GURPS here.

 

As for the world itself, I'd actually like a more hard sci-fi approach, I'm not talking 2001 level hardness just harder than the space magic we have been getting as sci-fi lately.  Would enable them to look into the impact of certain technologies, such as genetic engineering, AI, automation of daily life, and themes like Transhumanism, which I find interesting.  Instead of aliens I would propose we should have human subspecies created with genetic engineering, bioroids (biological androids, essentially 'assembled people' but not clones), uplifted races etc, kind of like how Red Dwarf had GELFs (genetically engineered life forms) instead of aliens.  This would both allow people to play 'humans with funny bits on their nose' like in Star Trek, more exotic things like uplifted squids, and still preserve aliens as something mysterious, either as a precursor race that you can investigate the ruins of or to keep them truly alien, essential space Cthulhus whom humanity cannot comprehend.  This is of course my own perfect sci-fi setting, my own wishlist, but screw you guys I think it's awesome.

Stick with "Fighter" is you prefer it for the "guy in armour who stands at the front and takes the hits". As it's based on PoE background is separate anyway. It could be a pirate, a bounty hunter, or wealthy playboy weapons designer rather than regular military. The Scout/Ranger is intended to cover the guerilla fighting style.

 

The advantage to using PoE rather than designing a new system (based on GURPS or otherwise) is fairly obvious. With a lot of the groundwork already done it would require far fewer development resources to make the game, which is pretty much essential if you are targeting a niche market. Added to that, Obsidian wouldn't have to pay anyone for a licence. Furthermore, connection to another successful game, all be it in an entirely different universe, aids marketing.

 

The trouble with "Hard" SF is you open up all your convenient plot devices to scientific scrutiny. Why does that sniper rifle only have a range of 20m? Why is that hero duel wielding giant swords against guys with plasma cannons? How does FTL travel work? How does psionics work? Why don't those insectoid aliens collapse under the weight of their own exoskeleton? How come that armour fits a human and an orlan? However, if you make it clear that it isn't to be taken deadly serious, you can have your laser swords and plasma pistols with "it's fun" being the only justification needed. This approach worked perfectly well for Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy.

 

Besides, far to many games have caught the "dark and serious" disease (AKA Nolanitis). I want to play a game that isn't afraid to be fun.

 

Eww, you just want a reskin of Fantasy!  Ewwwwwwwww!

 

Seriously though, a lot of the 'issues' you list there is because you are trying to fit sci-fi to the system used by Pillars, a game designed for Fantasy.  Pillars is designed for close up skirmishes not gun battles, and that is precisely why it would not work.

 

As for wanting hard, I specifically said I wasn't asking for hard like 2001, just harder than the Space Fantasy Magic we have been getting.  There has barely been even Star Trek level of hardness in sci-fi shows these days.  Oh, and just because it looks at how transhumanism would affect society wouldn't mean it would be dark and serious, on the contrary Transhumanism fiction tends to be optimistic and bright as compared to the future envisoned by Cyberpunk.

 

And fantasy is just a reskinned Western. So what? I like stories of swashbuckling action and adventure, and I'm sick and tied of the same old generic-fantasyland scenery. Which is another problem with "hard" SF: it tends to be about issues, not adventure. Who am I? What is the nature of reality? It's all a time paradox! (see: Intersteller, Oblivion, etc). The adventure and fun gets squeezed out.

 

If you are going to do a top down or isometric party based game it has to be about close up skirmishes. Which you can only really justify with "soft" SF. If you are going to do realistic gun battles you are talking about moving to a 3D 1st or 3rd person viewpoint, which immediately movies you into shooter territory and limits party size. I really, really don't want another Mass Effect* or CoD clone!!!!

 

PoE is a lot less fantasy-flavoured than D20 for example, in terms of things like names for stats and skills and prevalence of firearms, rates of fire and reloading.

 

 

*Okay, I would buy a Mass Effect game that didn't force you to play as a badass space marine, but it still wouldn't be a RPG.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Fardragon