History Main / StandardScifiSetting

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'', with the network of jump gates, mass effect fields as the {{Applied Phlebotinum}} of choice, the Reapers and Protheans sharing the role of {{Precursors}}, the Krogan as [[ProudWarriorRaceguy proud warrior race]], the Salarians as [[ProudScholarRaceGuy proud scientist race]], the Geth and Reapers as the genocidal aliens (with a hint of {{Cosmic Horror}}), and the Asari doubling as both [[PsychicPowers psychic]] SpaceElves and an [[OneGenderRace entire species]] of [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe blue-skinned space babes]].

* TabletopGame/{{Traveller}} has many fairly familiar tropes.
** {{Precursors}}=Ancients
** Humans "classic"=Solomani
** Venerable Race=Vilani
** Psionic Race=Zhodani
** ProudWarriorRace=Aslan
** SpacePirates=Vargr
** TheFederation=The Imperium

* The ''Literature/HumanxCommonwealth'' universe, with the titular Commonwealth as TheFederation, the [=AAnn=] as TheEmpire with elements of ProudWarriorRace, scads of {{Precursors}}, including the Xunca as the NeglectfulPrecursors, along with their LostTechnology, and the galaxy-devouring [[UltimateEvil Great Evil]] as the BiggerBad.

** The dark side of the Minbari is shown almost right away though they always have an attractive side as well as a dark side and the Narns don't really mellow although G'kar does(they simply change from [[TheEmpire the would-be Empire]] into TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized). The Minbari curiously are both a ProudWarriorRace and a ProudScholarRace. The Centauri are a big surprise; no one would expect them to be good enough at fighting to be brutal conquerors anymore. [=EarthGov=] is a surprise; we expect it to be TheFederation and instead it evolves into a PoliceState but with the twist that it is an isolationist and nativist PoliceState rather than TheEmpire and spends more time supressing internal rebellion then in aggression. Interestingly most of the characters including the command staff and all the main ambassadors, at one time or another end up as LaResistance to their own government in various ways and degrees. The Vorlons are a real surprise turning out to be almost as evil as the shadows except for Kosh. The Shadows follow the generic description above almost exactly being the SealedEvilInACan that forces leaders from other races to form TheAlliance.
* ''Franchise/{{Firefly}}'' is arguably a Standard Sci-Fi Setting adapted to fit closer to the realistic end of the SlidingScaleOfRealisticVersusFantastic. It clearly has many of the elements, as listed below, but lacks the more fantastic ones like aliens.

* Averted/subverted in ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'', which tries to be a [[MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness hard]] sci-fi setting without sacrificing any of the appeal of the more traditional SpaceOpera. The result is a transhumanist setting ruled by godlike {{Artificial Intelligence}}s called Archai, which have experienced not one, but several [[TheSingularity Singularities]] and rule over their lesser subjects like benign deities. Advanced nanotechnology and relativistic spaceflight are commonplace, and while true FTL is impossible, [[PortalNetwork wormholes]] and ReactionlessDrive technology have been created by the Archai. CreatingLife is also not that hard, and baseline unmodified humans represent only a tiny part of the extremely diverse terragen (originating-from-Earth) civilization composed of genetically modified transhumans and sentient animals and sentient human-animal hybrids, cyborgs of all kinds, sentient robots, and several kinds of infomorphic lifeforms. And that's just the lower toposophic (read: number of Singularities crossed) levels, before you get to the various planet-sized [=AI=]s, DysonSphere-sized [=AI=]s, and the wormhole-based [=AI=]s that are the higher toposophic beings (the 'godlings' and full godlike Archai). And that's just the terragens, not counting the handful of ''[[StarfishAlien very alien]]'' aliens that the setting features. Basically, any technology or lifeform that isn't banned outright by physics in in there, somewhere.

** The StargateVerse differs from the Standard Sci-Fi Setting in a number of ways. First and most importantly, the characters are mostly modern Americans, and all the high-tech stuff is unknown to the general world simply because of a {{Masquerade}}. Morality is more [[BlackAndGrayMorality black and gray]] than in many Sci-Fi settings because the military often has to ShootTheDog. This is almost unique in that most of the protagonists are GenreSavvy. However, by the end of the series Earth basically is playing the role of TheFederation, thanks partially to the [[NeglectfulPrecursors Very Neglectful Precursors]] and partially to Earth's role in freeing the {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s from millenia of slavery.

* ''TourOfTheMerrimack'' fits this, with the US as TheFederation, Palatine as the ProudWarriorRace at war with them, and the Hive as the HordeOfAlienLocusts that forces the two into an EnemyMine.

* ''Series/{{Andromeda}}'' had [[TheKingdom The Commonwealth]], the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Nietzscheans]], the [[PlanetLooters Magog]], and various {{Precursors}}. It was following the standard plot pretty well [[JumpTheShark until]] the mysticism took over and it [[MindScrew got weird.]]

* Lovingly parodied by GratuitousSpaceBattles; the back story is pure fluff, used as a tongue-in-cheek excuse for the eponymous space battles. The main thing it lacks is the wise CrystalSpiresAndTogas civilization: the Tribe comes close, but they're {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s, just as violent as everyone else.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'' is more or less the TropeCodifier in modern fiction. While it's far from the first and has its own unique quirks, StarWars made the Standard Sci-Fi Setting palatable for the masses.

* The ''HumanxCommonwealth'' universe, with the titular Commonwealth as TheFederation, the [=AAnn=] as TheEmpire with elements of ProudWarriorRace, scads of {{Precursors}}, including the Xunca as the NeglectfulPrecursors, along with their LostTechnology, and the galaxy-devouring [[UltimateEvil Great Evil]] as the BiggerBad.

* ''{{Rifts}}'''s ''Phase World'' setting. The Consortium of Civilized Worlds is TheFederation, the Transgalactic Empire is TheEmpire of ScaryDogmaticAliens, and the CrystalSpiresAndTogas are handled by the United Worlds of Warlock. Any examples of TheVirus or PlanetLooters are, for the time being at least, nascent and/or lying in wait.
* ''FadingSuns'' uses a setting which falls nearly exactly into this trope. The extinct Ur have littered space with floating portals that allow for travel ans strange technologies, the Known Worlds are United under the new Phoenix Emperor, harboring numerous races amongst the humans. The Vau are the wise race living in their own world outside the empire. And constantly straining to get in the Empire are the Symbiots, a metamorphic plague/virus/infestation. Of course, space pirates, political conflicts and psychics manifestation abound.
* {{Traveller}} has many fairly familiar tropes.

* ''{{Starcraft}}'': The Terrans are the humans, the Protoss are the Warriors, the Zerg are the HordeOfAlienLocusts and the Xel'Naga are the Precursors. PsychicPowers are everywhere.

* ''{{Freelancer}}'' is kinda like a conspiracy story with CasualInterstellarTravel, SpaceClothes to some degree (mostly the LSF uniforms), [[spoiler:and genocidal aliens who come to claim back their old turf]]. There are no Psychic Powers though, and the closest thing to The Federation are the four Houses that are kinda like our countries.

* ''SinsOfASolarEmpire''. The Trader Emergency Coalition (or TEC) is TheFederation, The Advent have PsychicPowers, Vasari are PlanetLooters, and there's SpacePirates and [[CasualInterstellarTravel easy faster-than-light travel]], by means of "phase jumps" along "phase lines" in "phase space." Most beyond that is uncertain, since the developers decided to drop a campaign in favor of better multiplayer.

* ''SwordOfTheStars'' has a wealth of this, although it plays with a lot of them, like different races using different faster than light drives (all the standard methods are used, but by different races) and a wealth of [[AllThereInTheManual background information]] on the different races and their inner workings that would put several sci-fi TV series to shame.

* The ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' games have less of a mystical bent than other examples but otherwise fits perfectly. The Covenant are the ScaryDogmaticAliens, The Flood are TheVirus, and The Forerunners are the NeglectfulPrecursors. The plot is largely as above.

* ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' has a 1000-years-from-now setting that was so close to the Standard Sci-Fi Setting (at least until the threeboot) that you'd think it's clearly based on ''Franchise/StarTrek'' had it not actually ''preceded'' Trek by a good 8 years. FTL? Original has warp drive, reboot adds Stargates. Threeboot isn't so stock, as transmatter gates have rendered spacecraft obsolete. The United Planets is TheFederation (it was at least once erroneously called "the Federation of Planets"). Mysticism? Check. Not just psionics, but explicit magic, since it takes place in the FantasyKitchenSink [[TheDCU DC Universe]]. Proud warrior race? The Khunds, sometimes specifically based on Klingons. Alien hordes? Check. Space pirates? Check.
* DCComics' ''ComicBook/StarRaiders'' graphic novel features one of this. Easy FasterThanLightTravel, PsychicPowers, ScaryDogmaticAliens, TheEmpire, LaResistance, and lots of Epic Space Battles.

* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'''s forerunner, ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', decides to mix things up. You have the so non-proud warrior race/Alien Slaver Pfhor, then the indigenous Flick'ta replaced the planned [[TheVirus fungal zombies]], and an EldritchAbomination shows up in the final game. The S'pht and their long-lost cousins EnemyMine with the humans to take on the aforementioned threats. Other than the above alterations, the plot pretty much follows the above discription to a T.

* The ''StarControl'' universe does all of the above both straight and with a light-hearted tone.

* The ''Videogame/WingCommander'' series is all about this. Initially it's the [[TheFederation Terran Confederation]] versus the [[TheEmpire Kilrathi Empire]], but in the fifth game the HordeOfAlienLocusts shows up.

* Webcomic/{{Zap}}! has a fairly similar setting. Aliens (almost all [[RubberForeheadAliens humanoid]]), psychics, AIs with very human-like personalities, an Empire (in all but name), a GovernmentConspiracy or two, SpacePirates, lost technology, {{Mad Scientist}}s and {{Bungling Inventor}}s, a [[HeroesWantRedheads hot redhead]], etc, etc.
* ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire takes place in a setting very similar to this, except Humans are relative newcomers to [[TheFederation the Gallimaufrey]] and only become notable due to [[spoiler:their possession of the Winslow]]. Oh, and their invention of the popsicle.

* Averted / subverted in ''OrionsArm'', which tries to be a [[MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness hard]] sci-fi setting without sacrificing any of the appeal of the more traditional SpaceOpera. The result is a transhumanist setting ruled by godlike {{Artificial Intelligence}}s called Archai, which have experienced not one, but several [[TheSingularity Singularities]] and rule over their lesser subjects like benign deities. Advanced nanotechnology and relativistic spaceflight are commonplace, and while true FTL is impossible, [[PortalNetwork wormholes]] and ReactionlessDrive technology have been created by the Archai. CreatingLife is also not that hard, and baseline unmodified humans represent only a tiny part of the extremely diverse terragen (originating-from-Earth) civilization composed of genetically modified transhumans and sentient animals and sentient human-animal hybrids, cyborgs of all kinds, sentient robots, and several kinds of infomorphic lifeforms. And that's just the lower toposophic (read: number of Singularities crossed) levels, before you get to the various planet-sized [=AI=]s, DysonSphere-sized [=AI=]s, and the wormhole-based [=AI=]s that are the higher toposophic beings (the 'godlings' and full godlike Archai). And that's just the terragens, not counting the handful of ''[[StarfishAlien very alien]]'' aliens that the setting features. Basically, any technology or lifeform that isn't banned outright by physics in in there, somewhere.

* The ''Endless Universe'' of ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'' and ''VideoGame/EndlessLegend''. The very core of all civilization revolves around a substance called [[GreenRocks Dust]] which were created eons ago by the [[{{Precursors}} Endless]], and is used for almost anything. From building cities, creating new technologies, to a form of currency. It features multiple races of every alignment, and ideology, including sentient robots, and SiliconBasedLife.

* The ''Endless Universe'' of ''VideoGame/EndlessSpace'' and ''VideoGame/Endlesslegend''. The very core of all civilization revolves around a substance called [[GreenRocks Dust]] which were created eons ago by the [[{{Precursors}} Endless]], and is used for almost anything. From building cities, creating new technologies, to a form of currency. It features multiple races of every alignment, and ideology, including sentient robots, and SiliconBasedLife.

* Thanks to the above tropes, trade between {{One Product Planet}}s is common.

* Andrey Livadny's ''TheHistoryOfTheGalaxy'' series fits many parts of the trope. There's the [[TheFederation Confederacy of Suns]], the late [[TheEmpire Earth Alliance]], animal-like [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Forerunners]], [[CasualInterstellarTravel easy FTL travel]], SpaceMarines (although less of the ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'' variety and more of the piloting HumongousMecha kind), SpacePirates, and several NeglectfulPrecursors (many of whom are still around). There's a notable absence of {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s and CrystalSpiresAndTogas. Rogue robots are the main theme of several novels (one novel deals with a completely automated gigantic alien mothership attacking a small human colony). There is only one race of HumanAliens, and they're blue.

* The ''{{Halo}}'' games have less of a mystical bent than other examples but otherwise fits perfectly. The Covenant are the ScaryDogmaticAliens, The Flood are TheVirus, and The Forerunners are the NeglectfulPrecursors. The plot is largely as above.

* {{Halo}}'s forerunner, ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', decides to mix things up. You have the so non-proud warrior race/Alien Slaver Pfhor, then the indigenous Flick'ta replaced the planned [[TheVirus fungal zombies]], and an EldritchAbomination shows up in the final game. The S'pht and their long-lost cousins EnemyMine with the humans to take on the aforementioned threats. Other than the above alterations, the plot pretty much follows the above discription to a T.

* ''GalacticCivilizations'' used this as part of its "nothing you haven't seen before" approach to game design.

** It's worth noting that B5 sets the clichés during the first season and then proceeds to [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstruct]] them in short order. The Narns mellow down considerably, the Minbari demonstrate serious flaws and hypocrisy, the Centauri who initially seemed to be ineffectual comical figures develop a darker edge, and so on. The less significant races keep to their clichés pretty tightly, though - the Drazi for example demonstrate the ProudWarriorRace traits quite a bit, when the Narn set them aside.

** It's worth noting that B5 sets the clichés during the first season and then proceeds to [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstruct]] them in short order. The Narns mellow down considerably, the Minbari demonstrate serious flaws and hypocrisy, the Centauri who initially seemed to be ineffectual, comical figures develop a darker edge, and so on. The less significant races keep to their clichés pretty tightly, though - the Drazi for example demonstrate the ProudWarriorRace traits quite a bit, when the Narn set them aside.

A typical plot involves the humans fighting the {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s until one or the other stumbles upon the ruins of the Neglectful Precursor civilization and unleashes the [[SealedEvilInACan evil third race]]. Then a bunch of people die, there are lots of a cool explosions, and the first two races [[EnemyOfMyEnemy team up]] to take out the genocidal aliens. Usually they have to track down some LostSuperweapon and use it to destroy the alien queen/mothership/homeworld, thereby saving the galaxy... for now.

* SpaceIsAnOcean and the StandardSciFiFleet sailing it.

* ''EscapeVelocity Nova'' is no exception to this trope. The main twist is that ''all'' the major factions are human (no [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe GSSBs]], Greys, or lizardfolk). There's also no Horde faction, and since the game takes place entirely in space, SpaceMarines are present but largely ignored. As for the precursors, little remains of their leavings and even less is understood; they're just gone.