Star Ships & Spacemen Second Edition - A Different Perspective

So I go out to a job today & come back to find that Goblinoid Games has done it again! When the company acquired the rights to the first edition last year I was one of the first gamers to hand Drivethru rpg my money. My printer sang for about 2 hours & I had the game in my Goblinoid games binder. I devoured the game & filed it away under the heading of Star Trek games of yesteryear.
  First edition is a game with a quirky sense of humor, odd references, & one that belongs clearly in the old school tradition. The game is easily to play & cool.
So I go out collect my financee from the U.K. today & come back to find 2 of my fellow bloggers Here & Here   Are telling me about the second edition of the Star Ships & Spacemen game.You can take a look for yourself right Here   According to the Indie Go Go site for the game its described as :

"Starships & Spacemen was first released back in 1978, only the second science fiction RPG ever to be released.

This second edition of the classic game is compatible with Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future. The best elements of the first edition have been kept--the classes and subclasses, the excellent starship rules, and the space adventuring rules. Classes, races, and abilities have been made more in line with Labyrinth Lord.

This second edition has elements that let you customize the style of play whether you prefer an "original series" feel, a "next generation" feel, or something in between.

You won't be bogged down by an over-complicated and detailed galaxy. That's one of the difficulties sometimes when trying to play in an established licensed universe. With Starships & Spacemen get just enough information to get going, and plenty of advice for designing your galaxy. Galactic space will be yours to customize.

Much like in Labyrinth Lord, in Starships & Spacemen you design your milieu. This is adventuring in space, not History 101!" Here's the part that got me excited,"This second edition of the classic game is compatible with Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future."

 

Since Metamorphis Alpha has such a lovely reprint available recently right Here  

This basically means that the game is going to be fully compatible with both the rest of  the Goblinoid Games line as well as the wonderful Realms of Crawling Chaos. Lovecraft Mythos with Star Trek? Yes please.. 
 The other game that this going to be compatible with is Metamorphis Alpha! The recent reprint of the classic 1st edition means that many of your favorite boarding actions can take place aboard your own generation ships. Wizards such as the ones from the World of Thundarr can stake the worlds of a Federation style game as well.. 

Will this Meta Gaming system approach work with other games as well? Perhaps.. I've been thinking of getting into the newer updated version of  Stars Without Numbers by Mongoose



There are lots of chooses to consider now. This is really a gaming golden age in the amount of chooses that one can make. Is conversion between all of these games possible giving a Dungeon Master even more possiblities for science fantasy gaming?
I believe that the answer is - yes! However just because one can do such a thing should they? Its a question that you can decide for yourself as well. The free edition of Stars Without Number is still available through Drivethru rpg right Here
 There's one more thing to think about with Stars Without Numbers. Lots of top quality free rpg resources.. All of these games use the D&D basic engine as their base. That means crossover is available, tinkering is a must, & there are worlds to explore on your own five year missions!
 I still haven't forgot about one of my favorites though. 
 


Brave Halfling did right by me all those many months ago & the X -plorers game hasn't disappointed me each time I've brought it too the table for a fast playing game with great mechanics. I have a tendancy to think of these games taking place in the Space Pioneer era. There are lots of resources freely available for the game right Here

Here's My Opinion On Why This Isn't Simply Another Kick Starter or IndieGoGo Project 

Pledging at any level gives the following perk that has me really excited about this game - Pledging at any level gives you access to the playtest draft and the playtest forums!

Time & again we've seen  Goblinoid Games turn out quality product. These products are well liked, well received, & of consistent quality. This is a very weird time in table top rpgs in general. The old school movement has sustained itself with products & retroclones. Star Ships & Spacemen is a Star Trek Themed game however it has a distinctiveness all its own. This approach to the game is both different & exciting. Its a great time to be a science fantasy gamer with so many chooses to be had. I don't think that if supported this game will fade into the background. The fact is that it's simply one more tool in the DM's arsenal. This a great time for science fantasy games & I think that we are at the center of the Golden Age of Science Fantasy gaming.