working title: Death Space 7000: Straight to VHS
Setting: A dark alternate-history near-future dystopian cyberpunk space science fiction horror comedy, based on the best of the worst of the 70s, 80s, and 90s movies.
Mankind has spread out among the solar system. Interstellar travel is a thing, but because of time-dilation, the first interstellar explorers won't be back for another million years. Aliens exist. Well, I mean, probably. That time dilation thing, and the vast distances of space mean that we'll never actually meet them, and even if we find evidence of them, by the time we travel to meet them, they'll have gone extinct millions of years prior.
We're not alone though. When humans began exploring the solar system, they became exposed to contaminants. Mutants are pretty common in space, as few can afford the equipment necessary to filter their air and water. We've also created new friends with technology.
Pilots, or "Greys", are genetically modified humans that are no longer considered humans. They are short, with large heads, small slit mouths, and gray skin.
Elevated are Earth animals who have had their DNA spliced with humans. According to science, nature doesn't produce these sorts of beings naturally, but we've helped them along in order to have cheap specialized labor forces. Pig-men and Rat-men are the most common, but everything from Marsupial-men and Buffalo-men are out there.
Xenos are genetically engineered creatures who have been designed for a specific purpose. Usually war. They get loose pretty frequently, and many planets and moons have been lost to infestations of these things.
Finally, we have built Androids with brains that almost perfectly mimic the functions of the human brain, even emotions. Several wars have been fought over the rights of these machines, and at this point, they are about as free as anyone else (free to have a shit life, and rot away on some hell-hole mining installation).
Artificial gravity is a thing, and it allows for Earth like conditions on other planets, moons, space stations, and ships. It even allows smaller objects to hold on to an Earth-like atmosphere.
Technology does not follow the same progression as it has in the real world. It takes a sharp left turn in the 80s, and never really finds its way back. Wireless communication is difficult and expensive, and computers tend to have displays of nothing but green text. Or they have life-like holographic displays. Or they use black and neon wire-frame vector graphics. Or all three at the same time. Full sensory virtual reality is a thing, but smart phones aren't.
There are spaceports, post-apocalyptic wastelands, neon-lit mega-cities, and even underground clone-complexes run by all-knowing computers.
Rules: I'm using a mix of Stars Without Number, the Cypher System (from Numenera/The Strange), Fate Core, and Gamma World. Any areas that feel too light-weight I will probably shore up with parts from Rogue Trader.
Inspiration:
Movies/TV: Total Recall, Judge Dredd, Blade Runner, Tank Girl, Johnny Mnemonic, Toxic Avenger, Firefly/Serenity, Heavy Metal/Heavy Metal 2000, Barb Wire, Wizards, Fortress, Escape from New York, Terminator, Ice Pirates, Akira, Alien
Video Games: Fallout, FarCry3: Blood Dragon, Borderlands
Tabletop Games: Gamma World, Stars Without Number, Numenera, Paranoia, Cyberpunk 2020, Necromunda