Topic: MUST buy Spacemaster - HELP!

[Oath of Blood]

I have no idea why but I must own Spacemaster!

I loved RM and recently purchased RMC and was very happy.  Do not dig HARP as much.  What ruleset SM books should I go with since I like RMC?  What is different between SM2, SM Priv and Harp Sci Fi?  Must know! Please help!

Thanks

[ictus]

the original SM is the closest t RMC but it is no longer in print.
some of us would love to see it return as SM classic, but at present that isn't on the cards

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

While Spacemaster 2 isn't in print, you can still purchase PDFs (mostly scans since ICE no longer has the original pagemaking files) of the SM2 material - including the core books and a number of expansion books and modules....

http://shop.ironcrown.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=128_49

[David Johansen]

Setting Differences:

Spacemaster Privateers takes place in a very high tech setting reminicent of Star Trek or Star Wars, or more to the point Larry Niven's Known Space.  Seven races of animal people seeded across space by the ancients have formed a peaceful federation.  They eventually run across an evil empire dominated by the most agressive race and fight a war that they win due to superior technology.  The evil empire sues for peace, and then steals the tech they need, get a new leader and go to war again.  This time they're winning.

Spacemaster 2 takes place in a stratified empire reminiscent of Dune and Starwars.  Humanity is its own worst enemy.  Transhumans and bioroids are commonplace and aliens are inscrutible and unplayable.  The techlevel isn't as high but it's a good match for Starwars.  (Hey who's idea was it to give PCs in SPAM reactionless drives AND zero point energy anyhow?)  Anyhow, eventually a major war wakes up the alien race that actually dominates this galaxy and several others and the empire dies in flames leaving only a handful of successor states.

Rules Differences:

Spacemaster Privateers is based on and compatible with Rolemaster Standard System.  This means that there's a bit more book keeping but a substantially superior skill system.  Character creation is slower but less limited.  The combat sequence is still counter intuitive but workable.  It's not the same combat sequence but it's equally screwy.

Blatantly Biased Opinion:

Personally, Spacemaster Privateers is the place where RMSS's advantages really shine, but the setting is a bit of a matter of taste.  This of course is true of the Spacemaster 2 seting as well.

[yammahoper]

SM Privateers rocks.  I do not use the setting, but the game is a rock solid sci-fi rpg.

[Oath of Blood]

So SM Priv = sort of RMSS?  If so thats fine.  I liked RMSS though I enjoy RMC much more.

Thanks for the input.

[markc]

Oath of Blood,
 One thing that I can add is that SM2 is most compatible with RMC IMO and also was/is used in Shadow World campaign world.

 I also am a big RMSS [and a bit of RMFRP] fan and SM:P works best with RMSS. But I can also say that I love SM2 Armored Assault and SM2 Star Strike and uses it with SM:P. There is a bit of shoe horning that takes place that needs to be done but IMO mixing the SM2 rules with the SM:P Vehicle Manuel rules is great thing.
 I bet you are going to ask, if I have the rules to hand out. No I do not I played it mostly by ear and decided on things in game. And since I was the one creating the space ships I knew what I had done before and what mods I needed to make to up date the SM2 vehicles from Armored Reserves and the 3 Star Strike ship books.
 BTW; Star Strike, Armored Assault and all four of the "vehicle" books are available as PDF's from the ICE store. Once in a while you can find the physical copies on Ebay or in stores with a used game section. BTW the one good thing for gamers during s down turn in the economy is that it brings a huge influx of games into the used game section.
MDC

[yammahoper]

Even if you go with SM2, you will want Blaster Law, Robotics Manual, Equipment Manuel, etc from the SM:P line.  Everything in them is easily adjusted to the old system.

I did an Issac Asimov salute game were everyone in the party was an Android.  Was a total blast.  Since every player bought the high end "back up drives" for their droid, even after vaporizing a few, they were right back in game (and with less ability at first because they needed more cash to buy "upgrades" with).  It was one of the wilder games I ever ran.  The players took full advantage of their droid nature, even being willing to mutilate themselves because everything is replaceable (just hope that d100 roll ain't 00 or the back up fails, bwahaha).  When Drano rolled a 97 on his recovery, I made him lose a few skills and suffer "glitches" for a while, until his new systems fully intergrated with his OS.  This resulted with some negatives to activity and a few well placed "I'm sorry Drano, but access is denied to those systems because of a glitch in your OS.  You repair program predicts 3-5 days till recovery."

[David Johansen]

Yeah, good point, the PC robot / android rules from the Robotics Manual are probably the best ever to appear in an rpg.

[ictus]

If you like RMC I'd get the SM2 pdfs, that way you have computability, I used RM2/SM2 together for years, makes for a complete system

[TerryTee]

I?ve played SM2 for years and love it. I have bought the SM:P rules as well, but have never converted to that system. I use some of the SM:P books for inspiration when creating house rules, and I import a few things from SM:P into SM2.
Just to be on the ?safe side? I have bought the SM2 rules on ebay. They do come up every so often, and I have in fact bought two sets, since I gave one set to a friend for Christmas last year.

-Terry

P.S. There are both SM2 and SM:P character generators in the Vault, including my Excel generator for SM2 that is soon due with a new version. A good character generator makes the game a lot easier to play.

[jolt]

I played SM2 once but never owned it.  I like SM:P very much.  I largely ignored the races and implied setting and used my own (which I would have done for SM2 as well is I had ever picked it up).  However, I have found all the "Law" and "Manual" books to be excellent and, as money permits, would recommend them all.

jolt

[Dark Mistress]

the original SM is the closest t RMC but it is no longer in print.
some of us would love to see it return as SM classic, but at present that isn't on the cards

I for one would love a SMC. It was my first ICE game the old SM game and likely will always be my fav cause of it.