Space Opera (role-playing game)


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, Space Opera had a default setting intended to be used as generic science fiction role-playing game rules, the focus being 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, such as Star Wars, E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman, Larry Niven's Known Space, Frank Herbert's "Dune", Battlestar Galactica, or Galactica 1980.
Space Opera also resolved to be a "complete" system. With the basic rules one got most everything one would need: in-depth character construction, sci-fi toys/equipment, aliens and robots, monsters, combat, planet and society creation, starship construction and combat.

Development

According to the Scott Bizar, the founder of FGU, "I wanted a SF rpg and I gave the job to Ed Simbalist. During the process I’ve never met Ed, nor Phil McGregor 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." Ed was responsible for all the editing and coordination. Phil McGregor sent some technology and space ship related stuff, which Ed liked so much that he incorporated it in the finished product. While the background universe was based on Mark Ratner's Space Marines, Mark had little input into Space Opera itself. Part of the volume one introduction by Fantasy Games Unlimited owner Scott Bizar describes this undertaking:

Character Creation

Character creation is a long process in Space Opera, typically taking about an hour for a more experienced and indepth character. 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.
Players choose from the following Character Classes: Armsman, Astronaut, Tech, and Scientist. The classes are especially important where bonuses can be applied to Personal Characteristics and later ease the 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, General Technical Aptitude, Mechanical Aptitude, and Electronics Aptitude. Depending on the Character Class chosen, bonus points can be applied to these rolls. The final number is compared against a scaled table resulting in a number between 1 and 19 for the Personal Characteristic. Characteristic Rolls 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. They do though have prerequisites of Personal Characteristics, for example the Canine races can not have technical aptitudes beyond a score of 14, and Transhumans can not have any Personal Characteristics below 10.
A variety of other capabilities, such as Carrying Capacity, Damage Factor, and Stamina help to further define the character.
In the Career path 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, in some cases with severance pay, pension benefits, savings, and personal gear. There is no risk of death prior to the start of play.
The last step is for the player to calculate the generous number of skill points available and to go through the process of picking skills and spending points on them to advance them. This is made the most time-consuming part of creating the character, not only because of the rich assortment of skills to pick from, but also because of the accounting of prerequisite basic skills needed for more advanced skills. For example, the first level of Computer Engineering requires Physics/6, Math/4, Chemistry/2, Metallurgy/2.

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.
PC Races:
NPC Races:

Space Opera also included a much larger list of races for Non-player Characters and for encounters that consist of some meaningful contact:
Characters could be born on a planet with any Gravity Field ranging from zero G to 2.5 G.

Characters could be born on a planet with many atmosphere types, ranging from low or no atmosphere in dome cities, to very high pressure atmospheres, with or without some contaminants, or partially exotic constituents.

Characters could be born on a planet with many Climate types:
Where not noted normal axial tilts are assumed, extreme minimums with the suffix -A, extreme maximums with the suffix -B, with the exception of Type 2 and Type 3 which are axial tilt categories. Example: Type 12-B Terran "nightmare climate."

Psionics

Some characters are able to use Psionics, an advanced science with many fields of studies, three levels of functioning and vast number of skills. Characters that were open and been Psionically attacked or had contact with a raw PK Crystal could awaken and learn skills by trial and error. Characters with very high Psionic scores might be "contacted" and trained. Psionic fields included:
The technology of Space Opera follows the grand tradition of its name, as well as the lowest levels of tech possible.
Multi-Computers were based on a monolithic, mainframe-style that are meant to look after a least as many processes as the human brain takes care of for the human body, but for starships or cities. Space Opera also includes Mini-Computers at higher tech levels that is comparable to smartphones of today. A vast variety of software for computers is available covering "much of the significant knowledge of the race." The higher level Multi-comps are considered sentient with "cybernetic rights."
Many other innovative sci-fi technologies are included, for example: Artificial Gills, Still Suits, medical and anti-aging drugs, Electro-Binoculars, ECM for communication and sensorscans, belt-size personal force-screen generators, power assisted personal armour, grav/jump belts, robots of every type, laser/blaster guns, laserswords & lightswords, anti-robot positronic brain disruptors, etc.

Combat System

Combat is 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.
The full range of possible weapons technologies is covered, from the lowest tech level "Atlatl," to the high tech "Anti-Robot Positronic Brain Disruptor " guns and screens.

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.
Star Culture:Notes / AKA
Azuriach Imperium"Azzis"
Blarad: Star Kingdom of the BlaradUrsoids
BugsInsectoids
Confederate Systems Alliance
Galactic Peoples Republic"G.P.R."
Hissss'istWarm-blooded Dinosauroids
IRSOLNil-Low Gravity Space Dwellers
KlackonsIcthyoids
Korellian EmpireSix digit Humanoids
MekPurrFeline
Mercantile League
Ranan: United Ranan Worlds"Ranan Horde"
Rauwoof WorldsCanines
United Federation of Planets"UFP"
WhistlersAvian

Books

The Space Opera core game consisted of two volumes and four double-sided 8x11" data sheets, in a box. There were three different box covers
probably corresponding to three printings, and the two core books were merged into one binding in the last printing, but the contents remained the same throughout.

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 to the game are jointly held by the authors and Fantasy Games Unlimited, whereas the rights to the title were probably held by FGU solely. 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. Ed Simbalist 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 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, 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." Reportedly the asking price was $100,000, though the authors felt it was only worth $10,000.

New Work Beyond 1980's

Stefan Jones reviewed Space Opera in The Space Gamer No. 33. Jones commented that "Despite its flaws, I highly recommend Space Opera. This game has the best of the other major SFRPGs on the market and more."
Eric Goldberg reviewed Space Opera in Ares Magazine #5 and commented that "If only the attention to science fiction in Space Opera could be combined with the smoothness of the Traveller game, sf role-players would not need to look any further."
Andy Slack reviewed Space Opera for White Dwarf #25, giving it an overall rating of 8 out of 10, and stated that "this is an extremely complicated game which will take a very long time to set up properly. It is also unusual for such a detailed game to be 'heroic' rather than 'realistic'. Nonetheless, for someone prepared to spend the time required to do it justice, this could be a rewarding and entertaining game."
William A. Barton reviewed Space Opera, 2nd Ed. in The Space Gamer No. 49. Barton commented that "for those who liked Space Opera originally or for those who thought it had potential but were turned off by the typos, omissions, etc., the 2nd edition is definitely worth having."

Reviews