Space Opera 2003

"Explore the mysteries of outer space with your trusty ship and intrepid crew."

The player is in command of a starship. The attributes of the starship and the skills of the crew are randomly determined by rolling on tables. The six member crew includes a captain, science officer, chief engineer, and three specialists (science, technical, or ship systems). The object of the game is to complete ten missions in the shortest time possible.

Missions are randomly generated by referring to tables. To complete a mission, the ship must face three random threats generated by rolling on tables. The crew and ship must have the skills and systems required by the threats and the mission to successfully complete the mission. If the player cannot complete the mission, the result is randomly determined by rolling on the failure table.

The game also includes three additional scenarios that expand on the basic game.

In the Drax Campaign scenario, the player must complete missions in order to win the war against the Drax. The player controls three starships. The attributes for these ships are generated by rolling on special wartime ship systems tables. Successfully completing missions makes a player victory more likely, while the failure to complete missions will lead to a Drax victory.

In the scenario A Long Way Home the starship must complete missions to reach a home destination. In the scenario A Campaign of Terror the starship must complete missions to defeat aliens threatening the human colonies.