When comparing Paranoia vs Stars Without Number, the Slant community recommends Stars Without Number for most people. In the question“What are the best sci fi-themed tabletop RPGs?” Stars Without Number is ranked 1st while Paranoia is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Stars Without Number is:
Has tables to randomize the whole galaxy. Including societies, factions, planets, aliens and more.
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Perfect for One Shots.
Paranoia offers a different experience to a typical roleplaying game, and tends to lead to characters suffering multiple deaths (they have 6 clones = 'lives'). While it doesn't lend itself well to long campaigns, it has a tight scenario-design formula, which makes running games off the cuff quite easy for the referee. Players don't normally need much encouragement to get into the spirit of the game - making it ideal for a short notice, one shot game.
Pro Humourous in tone
There is a lot of tongue in cheek and black humour in this dystopian setting.
Pro Semi-competitive play
Secretively backstabbing other players is encouraged, setting it apart from many of its peers.
Pro Randomly generates the whole galaxy
Has tables to randomize the whole galaxy. Including societies, factions, planets, aliens and more.
Pro Faction system
Faction system provides the possibility for numerous plot hooks, and keeps the universe feeling alive and active.
Pro Customization
A great set of tools, and the ability to make it your own universe without needing to stick to established setting lore.
Pro Simple
Easy to understand mechanics. 2d6+X to everything except combat which uses d20.
Old school D&D but converted and modernized to fit sci-fi setting.
Pro Great story
Book has a lot of fluff inside.
Cons
Con It is essentially a rehash of old ideas
In a nutshell, Stars Without Numbers is old school D&D rules meets Traveller. It's nifty, if this is all you've ever wanted, but isn't really original enough to inspire gamers brought up on other games. It doesn't offer anything new.
Con D20
Linear rolls are not as good as bell-curves. (As long as the level of success doesn´t affect the outcome, it´s fundamentally the same)
Con Weapons are bit too deadly
Weapons are bit too deadly, especially in lower levels, when you are lucky if you survive the bullet.