I'd like to start a sandbox open world game set in an apocalyptic setting. Whether it was a war, a plague, zombies, demons from another dimension, aliens, or something I haven't decided. It could be Sci-fi galaxy apocalypse (my original idea) or any other kind of setting.

So the main theme is a galaxy/world filled with ruins and now a power vacuum. This means players can form factions, explore ruins, etc.

What I'm stuck on is what system/setting to use.

I really like Savage Worlds a lot, and it has several 10-15 dollar supplements like savage world's sci-fi companion, a zombie setting(War of the Dead I believe?), etc.

FATE always works nicely, and Apocalypse World would do a beautiful job but there's no tech stuff for a sci-fi setting, and while i could just say tech is weird in this setting so Brainers and all do it best I don't know how that's go over with others.

I thought perhaps the best idea would be a freeform/homebrew system would allow for the most flexibility but how do folks feel about that? I'd likely use 2d6 for rolling as like the bell curve and average results.

I have looked at DnD 5e before, but didn't get much interest in the idea.

Finally, Stars Without Number and Traveller for scifi. SWN looks great, but I don't love the feel of the mechanics. Traveller looks amazing on paper, but actual gameplay on PbP I don't know would work, since I have never used the system. I really like that life path system though.

I could possibly meld the life path system with a homebrew?

Thoughts? Interests?

Thanks!
This message was last edited by the user at 16:08, Thu 20 Oct 2016.

Two systems you can consider:

Atomic highway (found for free in Drivthru)

or

Barbarian of the Aftermath which is an adaptation of Barbarian of Lemuria into a post-apocalypse world.

AH has a nice system for scavenging and for road fighting (I think the idea was a Mad Max like feel), while BoA has a cool apocalypse creation system.

Personally, I am not keen on galaxy-apocalypse but I would import the faction rules from SWN as they are cool and easy to use and are apart from the whole system. SWN have a lot of tools for a sandbox game you could use just as well with minimal changes from planets to cities.
This message was last edited by a moderator, as it was against the ToU, at 16:51, Thu 20 Oct 2016.

Designing a system is easy, designing a system that actually achieves what you want from it not so much.

Picking an existing system depends a fair bit on what you actually want from the gameplay (different from the story/setting).

Some players like to have a series of encounters to defeat with story acting merely as a backdrop to pull them together and give context. For this, I'd suggest taking 4e and simply refluffing everything. It's rigid enough to make swapping powers of the same type easy enough, and refluffing super easy (shortbows becomes pistols, etc).

Others like to have a story with cool stuff being possible even when it doesn't make sense and without care for things like consistency. For this, I'd suggest SW or similar.

Lastly (and it sounds like you might be part of this group), there are players for whom the world itself is important and functions in a certain way, and for whom the rules should reflect how the world works and choices should make sense with respect to the world. For this, I'd suggest using d20 as a base, there is an apocalypse supplement for d20 modern, and of course there is the urban arcana if you wanted some magic in your scifi, ala Fallout Equestria's arcane science. And d20 is very flexible so it can easily be modded, there are even classless versions available.


I also have experience in crafting games, I'm even currently putting something together to be published someday. So if you go the homebrew route I'd be happy to help you put something solid together.

I've been tooling with Castle Falkenstein myself, because it has a "journal" aspect I really like. The project is somewhat semi-inactive due to a collusion of events that life has thrown at me causing floundering enthusiasm for the project. I still work on it from time to time, but only in passing.

I would second Atomic Highway. It's A: free and B: very simple.

I personally would go with a World setting. A continent is big enough to explore and a Galaxy wide Apocalypse strains disbelief.

I think the rule set you use will depend very much on the type of game you want to play, and my feeling is you haven't tied that down enough to make a decision yet.

A rule set that works well for a galaxy-wide faction setting will be pretty useless at the personal level and vice versa.

Choose your setting first - what you want to play, the story and the scale - then find a group of rule sets that might work for that setting, then find some potential players who can help you choose from your shortlist of rules.

I've used the Faction rules from SWN, and they are useful for their purpose, but that purpose is a fairly abstract solo game for the GM to play behind the scenes of his world - I'm not sure how useful they would be for a player-led game.

A better choice might be the empire building rules called An Echo Resounding (by the same author). These can be easily modified and scaled to represent individuals building a settlement or factions building a galactic empire (or any combination of scales using factors of ten).

Neither of those are much use for depicting individuals scavenging in ruins, though - hence you need to choose your scale first.

I've tried using Traveller for an apocalypse setting. It's OK, but I'd avoid the Mongoose version and use the 1977 Classic version. Mongoose has some great character building rules, but the combat takes forever to resolve and IMO is utterly useless for PbP. Traveller is very much tailored to the adventures of individuals rather than factions.

Atomic Highway is a 'dice pool' game, which may or may not be to your taste, but it has some useful ideas.

Sorry, I'm not going to join you - I'm already playing in an open-world sandbox apocalypse game, but good luck with yours. Hope the above helps. :)

I would like to contradict slightly on the usability of swn for scavengng and stuff. As it is mostly based on odnd i always found it very well Suited for that kind of game. It has rules for the global worldbuilding Part and the  Characters Action .

Savage Worlds has a setting, "Broken Earth"  published by sneak attack Press which is classic Post Apocalyptic. What I like about it is the cool rules for creating communities. It is available in PDF or Print on Demand.

SWN has a supplement titled Other Dust for a Sandbox Apocalypse game.