I'm looking for a long-term game that's focused on the PCs' individual careers and plans in a somewhat simulationist way. They might be space pirates or superheroes or cyberpunks or wizards, but the main thrust of the game is individual PC development and their personal legends.

Ideally not a one-on-one game, but one in which the PCs are free to work together, against one another, or alone at different times for different reasons. There can be subplots and the story threads, but the main "plot" should be the characters' growth as they go from beginners to masters of their fields.

Examples of what I mean:

Sci Fi game where the players are crew on the same ship, military or civilian, starting off as Ensigns or the equivalent. They perform shipboard duties and deal with shipboard problems, trying not to get killed on the rare away missions. As they advance in rank and get noticed by the bridge crew, these missions grow more frequent, and their duties become more important. Optionally this might start at SPACE ACADEMY or whatever.

Cyberpunk game about low-lifes trying to build their reps pulling jobs for and against the megacorporations. Sometimes together, sometimes alone, sometimes finding themselves on opposite sides of a firefight. No offense, brah, it's just business. The career path here is mostly your reputation, and you'd better hope your skills keep up. Optionally this would also work as a modern day criminals sort of game.

Fantasy game about wizards vying for influence and mystic power. The PCs are apprentices in the same land, perhaps trained by the same old man. Eventually he dies or vanishes or whatever, and the PCs must replace him in advising the kings, lords, peasants, etc on all matters mystic and magical. They must hire adventurers for quests, study ancient lore, and take part in (or ignore) the kingdom's politics. Wizards are powerful, and everyone will want to use them. Optionally there could be no NPC human wizards.

Superheroes game. PCs get powers. Might be heroes, might be villains. The focus on the game is them learning to use these gifts, then what they choose to do with them, and the public's image. Mixture of being celebrities and the rest. Optionally, they could be the setting's first supers, and their every choice influences what people believe about them.

Anyway, point is that plot/metaplot should take a back seat to where the players go with who and what they are. There are a ton of other possible game ideas.

Systems: Fate, GURPS 4e, ORE, Storyteller (new), Shadowrun 5e, M&M3e

I could really get into that. Sort of reminds me about what Joss Whedon said he wanted "Firefly" to be about-- finding a job, getting by, how people get along on a small space ship.

Or also what the creators of the Diaspora (FATE variant) called their setting-- "Blue-Collar Space Game".

That could be great. I think you may be seeing my preference for sci-fi, but I could be flexible. Do you have a preference in the genres you mentioned?

Not really. Sci Fi is great.

My main requirements are:

1. Player agency: choices matter, different play-styles possible
2. Individual focus: While the PCs may or may not be part of the same group, they're each working towards individual goals and agendas.
3. Room for growth: Character arcs include growth along capability or social lines or both, we start out low-powered with little influence, and if we choose to grow facets of ourselves we totally can.

As far as scope and scale go, anything is fine, as long as there are prosaic moments and concerns alongside whatever else is going on.

Still looking!

I need test players for my homebrew game system. The game play will be basically as you describe, though finding players is always troublesome. I have one solo player right now. The setting is fantasy with scifi elements (arcane science!) But post apacolypse. I can create an alternate setting if you would prefer, as I am an improve type GM. The game lasts as long as I have players, though some things may change as I get feedbback and streamline things.

What's the gist of the system?

A while ago I tried to interest players in a similar game. On your scale, it would be a sci-fi/cyberpunk crossover.

The players start as lieutenants in a mercenary force, commanding a force of redshirts for each scenario. The twist being, they are themselves redshirts - convicts with wiped memories, each shocking situation in combat potentially unlocking more of their memories. These might give exceptional skills to improve performance durig combat, and so on. PCs might work with or against eachother - eventually either taking over the mothership from which they are deployed, or becoming the single confidante of the overall commander.

This could just as easily be set in a fantasy environment.

The system was to be FUDGE, with a backup semi-serious plan for Risus. (Grim-faced convicts(3) and Exiled Microsoft programmers(2) fighting Carnivorous bug-things(4) on a volcanic moon(2)... yeah)

This message was deleted by the user at 15:59, Wed 02 Apr 2014.

This message was deleted by the user at 20:28, Wed 09 Apr 2014.

I am not sure if it would interest you but take a look at this. you would be playing alongside/driving pc quests. the career paths available are currently un restricted. But each career path starts out with certain political affiliations.

link to a message in this forum

This message was deleted by the user at 20:28, Wed 09 Apr 2014.

Still looking.

looking.

I might have the sandbox game for you. It combines two of your suggestions but I warn you it might not exactly be in the way you want. You could create a charcter or choose a premade one.

 You are a wizard and your either playing the guardian superheroes, one guy of several neutral parties or an expansionist empire. They are the first supers in the world, even though these groups have been around for generations they are unknown to the vast majority of the normal human population. The way these groups and their individual magi or monsters interact will effect the rest of the world.

 If that sounds interesting to you maybe check out the game here: link to another game

Not really what I'm looking for, but thanks.