Space Opera (role-playing game)
Cover of Space Opera Volume 1 manual
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| Designer(s) | Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner, Phil McGregor |
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| Publisher(s) | Fantasy Games Unlimited |
| Publication date | 1980 |
| Genre(s) | Space opera |
| System(s) | Custom |
Space Opera is a science-fiction role-playing game created by Edward E. Simbalist, A. Mark Ratner, and Phil McGregor in 1980 for Fantasy Games Unlimited. While the system is applicable to the whole genre of science fiction, Space Opera had a default setting intended to be used as generic science fiction role-playing game rules, the focus being on creating space opera themed adventures.
Space Opera resolved to give gamers a system and universe which they could mold into any popular science fiction milieu, be it Star Wars, E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensman, Larry Niven's Known Space, Frank Herbert's "Dune", Battlestar Galactica, Galactica 1980, etc.
Space Opera also resolved to be a "complete" system. With the basic rules one got most everything one would need: in-depth character construction, sci-fi toys/equipment, aliens and robots, monsters, combat, planet and society creation, starship construction and combat.
According to the Scott Bizar, the founder of FGU, "I wanted a SF rpg and I gave the job to Ed Simbalist. During the process I’ve never met Ed, nor Phil McGregor and Mark Ratner, who lived in the Canadian west, Australia and the east of the USA, respectively. The project was completed over more than two years entirely by correspondence." Ed was responsible for all the editing and coordination. Phil McGregor sent some technology and space ship related stuff, which Ed liked so much that he incorporated it in the finished product. While the background universe was based on Mark Ratner's Space Marines, Mark had little input into Space Opera itself.Part of the volume one introduction by Fantasy Games Unlimited owner Scott Bizar describes this undertaking:
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