With most games named, how about a book series called 'the foundation' written by Isaac Asimov

Reminds me: I've been thinking that, if SaGa Frontier 3 were made, it could be structured in a way like the foundation series.

The game would have you play through events, much like SaGa Frontier 2 does, but set in a galaxy rather than on a medieval-era planet. You would then have different races and growth systems like SaGa Frontier 1, with non-human races having completely different growth rules.

I think that would work as a game.

(SaGa Frontier 1, as I mentioned, could count as Science Fantasy and would be a suitable recommendation. SaGa Frontier 2, however, is just medieval fantasy, albeit a common magic setting instead of the more common approach where magic is rare and powerful.)

I don't know if these fit into any of those categories, but they were fun to play back in the day.

Ultima™ Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams

Worlds of Ultima™ : The Savage Empire

(Both on GOG)


Oh, here's another one maybe.

Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut (GOG)

I'm not familiar with the games and in these modern times my science fiction love in gaming is mostly provided by the 4x genre or strategy in general, combat in space remains a rewarding topic if done right and the occasional rpg for fantasy it is almost the same actually still there remains that subtle difference between the two. With the request of the author of the original post in mind i would almost say if he's looking for story arcs and presentation he's better of in the bookstore then any game that could only poison you with their mechanics

Kenshi ; kind of. Science-Medieval/Barbarian world maybe? So SciFi it regressed into a medieval (or rather Conanesque with some eastern elements) age. It does not have magic outside what that worlds inhabitants might assume is magic (walking skeletons = dark magic but actually self aware left-over robots that during the centuries had to wipe their memory so often even they don't know their origin anymore).

What actually happened is more or less a mystery you can piece yourself together*; or not. The game world really does not care that much about you. More of a do-it-yourself game.

*literally; there is no detailed record left about what actually happened. So you have to go by vague notes of ppl researching similar stuff before and of course the surrounding visuals and the occasional ramblings of skeletons. And even then its guessing. At one point I started to collect everything written (every book, pamphlet, notes) and put it into a tower I build (and named "Tower of Knowledge" :P). I guess Kenshi 2 which is aimed to play in the past will proof or disproof some of the theories I have.

Combat is usually melee (swords and stuff); ranged with crossbows or crossbow turrets. So no guns.

Wizardry 8, kinda magic and scifi
Arcanum...would steampunk be scifi?...its kinda victorian scifi
Anachronox, set on another planet.
Omikron Nomad Soul could be a nice fit.
Star Wars KOTOR kinda like Mass Effect.
Outcast
Septerra Core?

Would the Shadowrun series fall into this category?

I have a lot I love in this category.

Star Trek: Armada 1 and 2
Star Control - All of them
Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2 - the original ones
Pathfinder Kingmaker

Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

Torchlight

Rise of Legends

Unfortunately, the two that come to mind aren't on GOG yet:

Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace, an SSI D&D RPG from 1992 based on the Spelljammer setting. The setting is high fantasy, but in space. No real SF to speak of. Wizards do battle from castles built on the back of giant, spacefaring fish (among other things). There was also a six-book series published between 1991 and 1993.

Emperor of the Fading Suns, a strategy from 1996, based on the Fading Suns RPG. Millenia after the collapse of a vast jumpgate-using human society, a medieval-equivalent empire has risen using remnants of the old technology.

I remember trying this game. The left/right mouse buttons are backwards, and i remember trying to leave the village only to collapse into some tunnels and getting gang-banged to death.

So... not sure.

Shadowrun (SNES) & Shadowrun (Sega Genesis), they came out at the same time but are completely different games
Robotrek
Secret of Mana
Secret of Evermore
Cataclysm: Dark Days Ahead
Terranigma
Shin Megami Tensei: I, II, IV, & Strange Journey; Most of the 20+ SMT spinoff games, including Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Crystalis
Chrono Trigger & Chrono Cross
G.O.D.: Heed the Call to Awaken
E.V.O. 4.6 Billion Year Story: The Theory of Evolution
Thousand Arms series
Parasite Eve 1 & 2
Star Ocean series
Earthbound series
Lands of Lore 3

That sounds more like Amberstar, older game by the same team, then under the name of Thalion.

Don't know. I remember it being albion.

Who knows, maybe it was some Copy-proection check where the cavein only happens if it thinks it's a illegitimate copy...

Phantasy Star & Star Ocean series ^_^