Re: OT: Hard Sci-Fi Role Playing Games...

GURPS is your best bet as far as systems go, especially now that the
supplement tying it into Marc Miller's TRAVELLER is available.	However,
be advised it is not the easiest system to get into (on a par with
HERO/CHAMPIONS), and you will not really be able to run a hard-SF game
with just the basic game book.

At a minimum, you will need:

	GURPS Basic Rulebook

You SHOULD have:

	GURPS High Tech
	GURPS Ultra Tech (unless your tech level isn't very high)
	GURPS Traveller (recommended)

You might also want GURPS Vehicles.

That's a fair investment, both of time and money.  However, if you are
making up your own background, GURPS is going to give you the most
flexibility (unless your going to do really wierd stuff, in which case
go for HERO).  GURPS also has several supplements for existing
background that you could use for reference -- everything from Lensman
and the strange space aliens of the '50's B movies, to some very
interesting near-future Corporate Space settings.

As far as pre-written backgrounds go, I can't recommend TRAVELLER
enough.

I have not actually played ALTERNITY, but those of my friends who have
can't say enough bad things about it, which seems reasonable considering
TSR's usual track record with anything but D&D.