SPI Universe

[skars]

Any Universe players out there? I got a copy of this old SPI boxed set for $5 this past weekend and wonder if I should prioritize it amongst my list of new goodies to read

[kesher]

I never played it, though I used to gaze upon it longingly...

[makofan]

I DM'ed a game once with a single player. I absolutely loved the game (but then I love Dragonquest). My player enjoyed it, but this was almost 30 years ago so memories are fuzzy. I still own the boxed set and one day it will be resurrected!

[jmccann]

I kind of said "meh" to the AH and SPI RPG offerings back then. Is there anything interesting enough for me to seek this out?

[barrataria]

I saw several recommendations of the planet/system generation scheme, but still haven't gotten around to doing anything with it yet.

[coffee]

I have it. I also ran it (once) around 30 years ago.

It has some serious quirks and some specific assumptions. But like anything else, you can make what you want out of it.

Some people find the SPI rules structure to be offputting. I've played their wargames, and I think it makes things easier to find when you need to look something up.

(Actually, I think I have one copy of the boxed set and two of the 2nd edition paperback. So if anybody needs one of the paperback...)

[skars]

I'd be interested in the paperback to go along with my boxed set It was the planet generation that initially caught my eye, well after the sweet "I'm wearing suspenders on a tight skin colored shirt" piece of artwork on the cover hehe

[Craig J. Brain]

I loved Universe back in the day.

Craig J. Brain

[tog]

Some people kvetch about how "unplayable" Universe is. Pfeh.

Character generation is a bit complicated but since you generate not only a PC but their home environment I've come up with some really neat PCs as a result, like the guy who grew up on a world circling a brown dwarf where Construction skill was routinely taught to deal with the occasional tidal earthquakes.

Planet gen is simple - you get a description of the general resources (rich/poor), a general description of the environment (Terran/minimal/hostile) and a temperature. Planet maps are divided into environs, which makes drawing maps based on a specific hydrographic percentage easier to do.

I particularly like the classification for alien life as well, basically how well it corresponds to earthlike carbon/protein life. A system for generating new life forms would have been nice, but you could always modify Traveller's system I suppose.

Starships are modular deals - you get a "hull" (which I've always envisioned as more like a frame) and plug in particular modules as you need them.

I'd run/play it in a heartbeat, frankly.

[ritt]

It was mechanically eccentric and very 80's but cool in it's own way.

I recall the map that came with the box set as being a thing of beauty.