Why ST RPG?

[c57d]

Although in my 35+ years of RPG-ing I have GM'd campaigns set in varied genres (fantasy, horror, other scifi and even pure historical), I always find myself drawn back to ST (well TOS ST) RPG.
Now, although my personal favourite is the FASA game, and the emphasis and focus built into that games system has undeniably shaped my love (some might call it obsession!) for the ST game, I think that a major part transcends rulesets or versions.
So, why?
Mystery, problem solving, exploration, a diplomacy/conflict balance,life affirming (for Starfleet games anyway), and that pesky but always challenging Prime Directive (ditto Starfleet).
And for TOS especially (not TNG or anything since), that the characters are still imperfect humans, albeit a noticibly bit improved from today. And that the PD is not an excuse to moralise and ignore the plight of less advanced worlds. Rather it can be an obstacle to surmount in providing needed assistance.
Anyway, just my thoughts and I'd love to read yours.

[starcruiser]

Back when I did actively play (many moons ago), FASA Trek definitely felt "right" for TOS games.

I believe this is because quite a few of the FASA staff were ST TOS fans themselves and understood what the original show was about. It's a mixture of adventure, exploration, humor, romance and straight up action - all setup in a Sci Fi background in a "better" future.

The classic characters are professionals and while there is internal conflict, it rarely gets out of hand. Their professionalism takes over when needed. It's fairly easy to create an interesting - and still believable - character in the TOS background since they aren't that far removed from us today (at least, if you think of well educated professionals).

Part of the reason this system didn't work as well with TNG is due to Roddenberry himself trying to make humans be "perfect" and in perfect unity. That lack of conflict made it difficult to produce a consistent number of good episodes in the early seasons of TNG and, in turn, makes it difficult to setup truly interesting scenarios in FASA Trek.

[Falconer]

To me it’s a number of things, but I will throw this out there: there is a great fit between a TOS TV episode and a RPG session. A 3-hour session covers about the same ground as a 50-minute episode. The show doesn’t get too deep into lore, it only gives just enough detail to tell the story it wants; my players have similarly never been interested in getting too deep into lore and backstory. There is an ensemble cast that perfectly mirrors the size and variety of a RPG group, with different people bringing different skills and getting to do different things. Sometimes you need to repair or improve some technology, sometimes you need to find a cure for something, sometimes you need to navigate a diplomatic situation, sometimes you need to navigate in space, sometimes you just need to fight. I think things like transporters and phasers and communicators and tricorders are dilithium are easy to understand and work with. I think the idea of exploring other planets is a natural and real desire in most of us, and no other genre does it so well as Star Trek TOS. Finally, it’s infused with a sexiness - the skirts, the boots, the characters all fit and confident. It’s everything!