Starblazer Adventures makes use of the FATE system, a system focused around Skills, Aspects, and Stunts to create characters that make use of lots of player description to determine their capabilities. Skills are simply enough and are tested with a simple roll of the dice, though here Skills do tend to be broad and can have applications not initially considered. Aspects are one word or one sentence descriptors for a character which can be used in play to gain a bonus or suffer a penalty (and gain a FATE point for later use), thereby driving play forward in a way that interests the player. Stunts reflect an area of the character's expertise, and allow for the character to do something or have something unavailable to other characters.
In play the game has handled everything from Mechwarrior to Star Wars inspired sessions, and I've been very pleased with it. In particular, it tends to bring out the creativity in my players as they design their own Aspects and endeavor to be as descriptive as possible in play.