Cortex Prime vs Diaspora
Compare Cortex Prime and Diaspora side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Cortex Prime | Diaspora | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Sci-Fi |
| Tags | Narrative, Modular, Collaborative, Toolkit, Roleplay-Heavy, Character-Driven, Tag-Based | Worldbuilding, Collaborative, Tactical, Simulation, Toolkit, Sandbox, Tag-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Assemble a dice pool from trait sets (attributes, skills, relationships, etc.) rated d4–d12. Roll the pool, keep the two highest for your total vs. opposition, then choose an Effect Die from the remainder to determine magnitude. Plot Points let players add dice, activate abilities, or alter the narrative. Every mechanical element is a swappable mod. | Roll 4dF (four Fudge dice, range -4 to +4) plus a Skill from the character's 15-skill pyramid, compared against a fixed difficulty or an opposed roll. Spend a fate point to invoke one of your Aspects for +2 or a reroll; the referee compels Aspects to push the story and pay fate points back. |
| Dice | d4–d12 dice pool | 4dF (Fudge dice) |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Paid |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 4 of 5 book tools |
| License | Cortex Creator License | OGL v1.0a |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Not yet researched |
| Publisher | Dire Wolf Digital | VSCA Publishing |
| Year | 2020 | 2010 |
| Languages | English | English |
| Best For | GMs who want to build a custom system from modular parts: homebrew designers, genre-mixers, and groups tired of forcing their stories into a pre-built framework. | Groups who want to collaboratively build a six-to-ten-system star cluster at session zero, then play hard-SF interstellar campaigns where personal firefights, vector-based ship duels, social confrontations, and platoon-scale battles each run as their own dedicated mini-game. |
| Highlights | Highly modular: 18+ mods for core rules alone, clear writing with worked examples, Plot Point economy creates dynamic give-and-take, powered well-known licensed games (Marvel Heroic, Firefly, Leverage) | Cluster generation rolls Technology, Environment, and Resources for each star system on a -4 to +4 scale, then the table maps slipstream links between systems before play: the setting is built collaboratively rather than handed to the players. Space combat collapses range and velocity onto a single -4 to +4 vector track, so a torpedo-heavy frigate trying to hold standoff range and a beam-armed cruiser trying to close create real positional tension without grids or hex maps. Personal, social, and platoon combat each run as separate mini-games sharing one fate-point economy, so debating a planetary council, leading marines into a city block, and a knife fight resolve in the same language while feeling mechanically distinct. |
| Considerations | The game is not playable out of the box and requires significant GM assembly. There is a steep learning curve to understand which mods fit your game. Every roll involves choosing which dice to keep plus an Effect Die, which slows resolution. | Built on the pre-Fate-Core 2009 version of the Fate engine: terminology, the aspect-invocation flow, and the older stunt design predate later refinements, so players coming from Fate Core or Fate Accelerated will need to relearn the conventions. Cluster creation, system linking, and the five-phase collaborative character generation are designed to fill a full first session before play begins, so the game does not support spontaneous one-shots or solo character prep. Vector-based space combat enforces momentum, fuel, and reaction-drive constraints, so ship scenes resolve as deliberate tactical exchanges rather than narrative-first cinematic dogfights. |