Other Suns is a science-fiction role-playing game published by Fantasy Games Unlimited (FGU) in 1983.

Description

Other Suns is a science-fiction space-adventure system of medium complexity.[1]The game includes a dozen alien races that resemble humanoid Earth animals such as cats, foxes, and bears.[1]

Character creation requires the calculation of two dozen attributes and abilities.[2] Combat covers many options for offense and defense, but is complex.[2] Other rules cover skills, psionics, careers, experience, and other technology.[1] Game critic Rick Swan found the section of spaceship design "difficult to use."[2] The section on world-building goes into great detail on some physical aspects of planets.[1]

Publication history

Other Suns was designed by Niall C. Shapero, and was published in 1983 by FGU as a boxed set with a 72-page book, a 64-page book, a cardstock gamemaster's screen, and a sample character sheet.[1]

An additional article entitled "Luna, The Empire and the Stars" by Shapero that expanded upon the background contained in the boxed set appeared in the Ares section of Dragon #89.[3]

A single supplement, Alderson Yards Shipbook, was published in 1986.

Reception

In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games, game critic Rick Swan noted that this game was "rendered in excruciating detail." He found the character generation system too complicated, as it "involves the calculation of about two dozen characteristics, many requiring lengthy formulas and a lot of math." Swan had the same concerns about combat, noting that "keeping track of special hits, fumbles, endurance, accumulated damage, and other factors gets tedious mighty fast." Swan concluded by giving this game a poor rating of only 2 out of 4, but suggested, "[The] variety of alien races, detailing their appearance, weaponry, and attitudes ... could make a good source of ideas for other science-fiction games."[2]

In his 1991 book Heroic Worlds, Lawrence Schick found the rules were very similar to RuneQuest. He also noted the many alien races that resembled Earth-based animals, and as a result called Other Suns "The original 'Pets in Space' game."[1]

Other reviews and commentary

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Swan, Rick (1990). The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 149–150.
  3. ↑ Shapero, Niall C. (September 1984). "Luna, The Empire and the Stars: The Moon in the Other Suns game". Dragon. No. 89. pp. 68–70.
  4. ↑ https://archive.org/details/different-worlds-39/page/30/mode/2up
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