I want to start making a sci-fi/cyberpunk world, and my first instinct was to reach for my already decent sized Edge of the Empire book collection, but I'm wondering for world creation and freedom from stuff I might have to tell players no to, and run a Genesys game. Love the narrative dice and want to stay in this general system.
What do you think is easier or would be more fun?
Suggestions?
Edited by irdonnyGenesys has a cyberpunk setting released: Shadow of the Beanstalk.
I'd suggest looking at it before you decide. (It's available in pdf form on DrivethruRpg.
Genesys does not use Specializations & talent trees. This gives considerably more freedom to players to build their characters, but the Genesys rules also limit talent selections in certain ways. Overall, I think the Genesys rules are more polished and better. The only reason I would use the Star Wars versions is if I'm playing Star Wars. For everything else, Genesys gives a clean start.
Specific to cyberpunk, the Genesys system has cyber implants reduce Strain Threshold rather than having a hard limit by Brawn. In Star Wars you have to work out and increase Brawn to fit another bit of tech into your brain, while in Genesys you can take a few ranks in Grit. I like the latter far better.
*Cough cough* Little bit of both *Cough cough*
6 hours ago, irdonny said:I want to start making a sci-fi/cyberpunk world, and my first instinct was to reach for my already decent sized Edge of the Empire book collection, but I'm wondering for world creation and freedom from stuff I might have to tell players no to, and run a Genesys game. Love the narrative dice and want to stay in this general system.
What do you think is easier or would be more fun?
Suggestions?
I'd go Genesys primarily, as FFG's published a cyberpunk-themed sourcebook for the Android setting, Shadows of the Beanstalk, which will cover a lot of the heavy lifting for you. There's also at least one Shadowrun fan-made splat out there, though fair warning it's a fairly beefy tome and was released prior to Shadow of the Beanstalk.
You probably can pull from the EotE books for further ideas for gear and tech, but you'll need to keep in mind that Star Wars and Genesys have some different core conceits where gear is concerned, so port from EotE with caution.
15 hours ago, irdonny said:I want to start making a sci-fi/cyberpunk world, and my first instinct was to reach for my already decent sized Edge of the Empire book collection, but I'm wondering for world creation and freedom from stuff I might have to tell players no to, and run a Genesys game. Love the narrative dice and want to stay in this general system.
What do you think is easier or would be more fun?
Suggestions?
I'd suggest the original Cyberpunk 2020, or one of its successors, (R.Talsorian Games), if you want to play Cyberpunk.
Currently playing a SHADOWRUN campaign using a combination of EotE and a little bit of GENESYS, and it's the EotE that is the easier re-skin, even though I had expected the not-at-all-skinned Genesys rules to be the easier translation.
That said, the EotE dice do not promote classic (read: cynical) cyberpunk storytelling, so if that's your thing, consider using something darker like WFRP 3e or INFINITY 2d20 or BLADES IN THE DARK (which itself has a Shadowrun reskin out in the world).
There's also a savage worlds and dnd setting/rules available. If you want, I can send you some links. They were both on KS earlier this year.