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Read the books by Harrison, Sheckley, Bradbury, and Koontz, and find me your four template pieces there. I'll look at them with interest.
Don't suggest any Russian low-brow science fiction authors.
And even these "template pieces" in sci-fi are sometimes presented so originally and interestingly that it's far superior to black armies of undead and orcs who decided to kill all elves and humans.
What do you think, why are MMORPGs mostly fantasy-based?
Because when buying this game, the user already knows that axes, bows, fireballs, and elves await him there, that is, the familiar stuff that he loves.
Making a sci-fi MMO is very risky because you can stuff anything into sci-fi that will appeal to not everyone.
In general, fantasy is very similar to games and films about World War II, where Omaha Beach, fascists, tanks, and trenches are obligatory, although it is more diverse.
But the fact remains: fantasy is шаблонно.