Those 'soldier of the future' things you saw in the login screen would be the Karavan. They're definitely classic futuristic sci-fi, but the thing is we don't get to play them...
The game isn't usually considered fantasy because it doesn't play in the traditional sword&sorcery style. The larger background story is more sci-fi style. But the characters we get to play do indeed live in a historical/magical society more than a futuristic one. Just on an alien world instead of an earthly one.
We get guns instead of bows, next to the Karavan NPCs that's about the only hint to sci-fi.
Personally I still find it one of the best blends of fantasy and sci-fi I've come across yet. Most games tend to either turn all their sci-fi elements into magic (like WoW did with the Draenei spaceship) or turn all their magic elements into sci-fi (like Tabula Rasa did with the Logos). Ryzom doesn't let either style become dominant over the other.
But if you're looking for a definite sci-fi setting, Ryzom definitely isn't your cup-of-tea.
