CODA or LUG

[stule]

Got a weird question.

I just recently bought alot of LUG books for source material for my CODA game.

Which system is better?

Which has more of an accurate Star Trek feel?

LUG seems more complicated, does that mean it's better?

I want the space battles to acurately reflect the series (as do my players).

I want the physical fights to be exciting.

Which one do you guys think is the best?

[stule]

LOL!!!

Nevermind. After reviewing the boards, I think I answered my own question.

CODA seems to be the favorite.

Or at least the simpliest.

[tonyg]

Well, a lot of the "iconic" posters like LUG and have stuck with it.

Both systems have thier own strengths and weaknesses (as does FASATrek, and pretty much every other RPG).

Personally, I prefer LUG's combat system and skill-based character design, and character creation system, but I also prefer CODA's handing of overlapping skills, and starship combat system.


The good news is that since the same people were behind ICON (LUG-Trek) and CODA supplements for one system can be helpful to those running the other.

[stule]

Well LUG seems alot more technical and true to the Star Trek Universe and CODA seems easier but less specific.

I am leaning towards LUG, but I am kinda worried that it will bog me down with rules.

But it certainly is pretty...

[LUGTrekGM]

Well if you are looking at just rules, LUG is simpler, especially as regards ship combat.

Skill resolution seems to be about the same difficulty, in LUG and Decipher. Fasa is actually slightly more complicated by a percentile, coming off of a base of 40% for competence, and a little strangeness with scores of 10, and some other weirdness.

For certain, character generation is more straightforward in LUG. Decipher is simpler if you've played 3rd ed (which I haven't done a lot of.)

If you want more detail for space combat, use Decipher, or LUG with Spacedock, or parts of spacedock. Or FASA and all the race recognition guides for that matter (but they are set in a non-canon TOS / Early next gen era.)

But flavor, setting etc it's all up to the GM. I have run both FASA and LUG (along with Prime Directive). All were star trek, within their own parameters.

If you want a straight hard core wahoo! TOS feel use FASA, with LUG as source.

If you want to play Movies ERA or Next Gen, LUG works well. TOS too, just that FASA was slightly more faithful to the TOS era setup.

Seems to me like Decipher is a lot like 3rd ed in that you can mix feats and such. (or picks or whatever it's called.) there seems to be levels, there, also...of a sort.

Reagardless of any of the above, the chapters in the narrator's guide of the Decipher book (#2) are most excellent for showing how to set up plot based gaming for Star Trek, or any game.

Good luck. I am currently running a LUG that used to be fasa, that we ported over earlier this spring.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Coda.

[C5]

I guess it's really a matter of personal taste, as both systems have their pros and cons.
Personally, I like CODA's skill tests resolution better, as it allows for a much wider range of degrees of success and expertise. CODA's starship combat is also IMHO the closest you can get in a RPG to what you see on screen.
OTOH, I liked ICON's fighting rule more, even though it had some oddities, like a very tough character being almost invulnerable to anything save a phaser shot set on vaporize. And CODA's character creation is a bit more complicated (others may disagree), although it removes the "What if I get the same skill twice" bug ICON had.

I think it also depends whether you like to stick to the rules or consider them merely an indication when roleplay isn't enough to resolve a situation (I know we GM usually are between both these extremes).

[Tobian]

Despite it's flaws DEFINATELLY CODA, Icon had it's charms, but character creation, and the horrible skill ablation nightmare still haunt me, Coda is much more simple. The only strength for Icon is the breadth of resources, but many of these are compatible with Coda anyway (By design!)

[Doug Burke]

I run CODA (big surprise), but still use a lot of the ICON stuff for reference. They convert over quite easily, adventures especially...

[tonyg]

I have been sorely tempted to run TREK with the CORPS ruleset.

Make a few tweaks and port over some of the stuff from ICON and CODA that I liked and it could be very interesting. CODA abtrasct starship combat & traits, LUG templates, and CORPS skills and secondary skill rules.

[stule]

I tried to make a character using the ICON rules and ouch my head. I tried to figure out how to make a First Officer in those rules (ouch again).

I like the ICON starship combat system but to be honest, it's a little more difficult than CODA.

It seems to me that CODA works well if you want a simple fast game. It's abstract system gives you a quick and easy way to emerse yourself in the Star Trek universe. I also coupled it with LOTR the other night for my gaming group (nothing beats a crew member running his new Holoprogram "Helmsdeep" for the Captain and then the Holodeck going on the fritz lol!) and it worked beautifully. Now my players can get their fantasy fix while playing a sci-fi game.

I wish the CODA rules were a wee bit more detailed in regards to the Starships but to be honest, no system is perfect.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[LUGTrekGM]

Seems to me with all the maneuvers and rules for getting them as a special ability for Pcs, along with pre-req moves to set up shots and such, and various combo restrictions, coda ship combat is more difficult, but it does seem to be more flavorful.

The only real problem I see with LUG PC generation, is that the rules with all the trimmings and options, are spread out over 6 or so books, if you use everything available.

[tonyg]

Probably the "major" problem with LUG character generation was the way LUG handed specialities and getting the same skill mulitple times. Skill didn't quite add up in LUG nicely all the time.

[stule]

I keep looking at LUG...grrrrr.

The Starship combat is schweeet.

CODA is far more simpler but it seems LUG is more technical (especially Spacedock).

GRRRRRR.......

So here I go again, opening my LUG book.

[C5]

Spacedock is a wonderful starship creation system that allows a minute crafting of ships' stats. On the other hand, it can be sometimes too complex and therefore potentially slow the game down. CODA's starship system creation (especially in the Starship book) is less precise but quicker and simpler. I also think it's the system that will be the most faithful in reproducing the starship battles we see on screen - where we seldom see starships flying around, but more often the command crew sitting at their consoles, enunciating shield strength and results of hits on the ennemy vessel.

A matter of taste, really.