Steam: A game of beautiful logic.

For example genetic engineering uses a very high level of technology, something that is incongruent with the average level of technology being steam age.[/QUOTE]

Thats why it's far into the future, if you look at Bioshock or impossible creatures they are both based off of this time period, they just figured it out faster then we did (and a touch of magic probably helped), and still slowly got to the point of genetics and advanced electronics (holographics) we did with keeping the same basic level of technology.

When we do genetic we understand the most very basic concepts, in this world they understand the broad concepts and use previously unknown creatures to modify genetic structures. When they create creatures they use steam or magic for power and push it through growth chambers with seeds of genetics and nutrients, knowing relatively little about how it actually makes a living creature.

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Same thing with your classes. I'm not a class-liker anyway, but here the classes are not only cumbersome (as they always are), they do nothing to increase the flavour of the setting. Which is a problem, as the only thing I do understand are the visuals of the setting.

The classes are more of archetypes not like D&D with pre-defined classes, these are more loose guidelines for organizing skills, abilities, ect. a player could be part of every archetype at once with no negatives besides being spread out. A player spends XP to pick what abilities/skills they want to buy, not to level up.

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What's the driving force behind the setting? What makes it different from "normal" 1930s adventure? What effect does immortality have on humans? Stuff like that needs to be addressed first, IMHO, before you set down rules elements of the setting (classes and abilities).

Well first it's not a "normal" 1930's adventure, space travel is akin to a blimp flight (which is akin to a road trip) there are under water cities, there are space stations and partially terraformed planets and moons (mars is fully terraformed) they can push the boundaries of space and go to distant colonies. It's different in the fact that not only is there advanced technology and magic, but there are more places to explore.

Immortality is only for the rich but the ghosts of the dead are always around to be revived. Immortality has a heavy price genetics can slow the body's aging and grow new ones and even the brain can be replaced, or they can use cybernetics and keep only the brain. But slowly the spirit wishes to be free and they tend to eventually kill themselves, even though the ghosts hang around they won't want to be revived for a long time. For the masses immortality is a dream but as they live longer and longer and there are more and more of them they spread into space where currently it is becoming crowded so colonies and faster then light travel are being developed.

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What is your Character, or for me, my group of friends doing?

The main drive is that of most humans to become more powerful, more famous, more rich, (i.e. character advancement) but others could be exploration (theres a lot of space out there.) Winning a conflict (there are gangs, nations, mafias, and all kinds of organizations.) Personal quests (find and resurrect a family member, make a great city.) The quest will be very open but I plan on including a good deal of ideas for player groups. Horror is another type of campaign, this is an example I really like:

The characters are part of a colony ship and are almost out of supplies so when they find a planet in the middle of no where, with no star, they are forced to land. Because there is no star the planet is cold, and dark. But the planet is extremely volcanic and heats the planet while throwing up clouds to keep the heat in. But there are creatures in the dark that threaten the group and the colonists. With limited supplies survival and discovery become dominant themes.

Just one example... there are plenty of things back to do in our solar system.

So any thoughts?