RPGs of yesteryear, Ever look again at the RPGs you used to play ?? Options

[Wesley Street]

Rifts and Palladium in general ruined me on RPGs for a long time. I will say that I truly miss 2300AD and I wish that would be reprinted or brought back in its original form.

[Black Jack Rackh...]

I have a very nostalgic place in my heart for PSI-World. To this day, I pull out the old books (of which I have every one) and try to figure out how to get my regular groop interested.

Some of my other old game loves,
Call of Cthulhu (still going, I know, but in the early days, scared the hell outa me.)
Top Secret
Early Champions
Paranoia
Warhammer FRP
Villains and Vigilantes (my first foray into superhero RPGs, Gads how I remember the random superpower generation of this game...)
Recon
and almost everything already mentioned.

Mark

[bofh]

Sure.

I packed up all my gear about 10 years ago and got ready to sell it. Didn't get a good deal so I just kept it in boxes. Fast forward to November 2006. My wife can't stand boxes kicking around the house. Either put them on shelves or get rid of them.

So I finally gave in and started unpacking my gaming gear with an eye towards selling it off.

I'm going through my stuff; D&D, AD&D, AD&D2e, CoC boxed, Paranoia boxed, oh look, Shadowrun 1st and 2nd. Browse. Universal Brotherhood, yea that was cool. Denver boxed set. Yea, I think I'll put Shadowrun aside; unpack 35 or so books to the shelves.

Over the next couple of weeks I read the 1st and 2nd ed rules, browsed the adventures. Rigger Black Book, Street Sam Catalog.

I dropped in on rpg.net to start cataloging the books I wanted to sell. Found dumpshock and then started searching for books. eBay, Titan Games, Troll & Toad, and Dragon's Trove and I have the rest of 1st and 2nd and most of third as well as all the paperbacks.

I decided there was just too much 3rd to assimilate and with 4th recently out, I went with that. I played 3rd and a year ago started running 4th.

So yea. I do read the old books (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Carl

[Voran]

I've lost many through the passage of time. Stuff my mom threw out when I was in college, etc. Stuff that's outta print now and only really found online rarely.

The one game I really really loved, and wished would come back was Star Frontiers. Sure d20 tried to bring something similar back via Alternity, but I wanted Star Frontiers.

I was a big Champions fan too, never kept up to date with it past whatever they were printing mid 90s or so.

I'm still a big fan of Marvel Superheroes and DC RPG system. I've still got characters built for the games, though I never get to play them anymore.

[WearzManySkins]

As I sit here in my game/computer room with double rows of book selves of nothing but my collection of RPing books.

Empire of the Petal Throne
Chivalry and Sorcery all iterations
AnD all iterations up to 3rd
Traveller all but the latest iterations
BattleLords
GURPs and its Traveller iterations
Shadowrun and its iterations
Bunnies and Burrows
Monster, Monster
Morrow Project
Gamma World
Metamorphosis Alpha
Phoenix Command and variants
Harn and its many iterations
DnD
ChainMail
Champions
Space: 1889

It has been a long time of RPing games for me.

WMS

[Synner667]

Some lovely titles remembered (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The one game I really really loved, and wished would come back was Star Frontiers. Sure d20 tried to bring something similar back via Alternity, but I wanted Star Frontiers.

Just to let you know...
...Star Frontiers is apparently now "freeware" and some kind soul has put the rules, some scenario's, updates, etc on the web for FREE download and use.

[crash2029]

One of me favorite games of yesteryear is Spawn of Fashan. I never could figure out quite why it never really caught on. I mean the rules aren't that much more complicated than the Unified Tax Code.

[Kyoto Kid]

...OK was just doing some rearranging around the flat and came a cross a bunch of old RPG stuff. Along with the original D&D, AD&D, Original Shadowrun, and SRII there are a few "gems":

...Space Opera by FGU. This is a game that was ahead of it's time for it really required a PC (of the computer variety) to manage a campaign before PCs became a reality for the average person. I ended up using a slide rule, a 5 function calculator (y'know one of those cheesy TI ones with the red LEDs), and a Jeppsen pilot's Calculator to figure out hyperspace times and TISA fuel consumption. Then there were the starship and character combat systems that make SRIII look like Tunnels and Trolls (see below).

...Chivalry and Sorcery (FGU again). Written my medieval re-creationists with doctorates in abstract math. Chargen involved tables for just about everything as well as quadratic equations. So "realistic it was totally unplayable. Only used it for the fluff.

...The aforementioned Champions (the original 1st printing Blue cover version that looked as if it was typeset with an Olivetti Underwood Manual typewriter) Still one of the most fun games I ever played. Also have the updates and sourcebooks including Champions III - the "Super Supplement" and the first Enemies

...Fantasy Hero: Champions meets D&D.

...Space Hero: Champions in Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaace......

...Danger International: Champions Meets James Bond.

...Villains and Vigilantes: FGU's foray into the costumed hero genre, Actually one of the most playable games they ever published.

...Traveller: the original boxed GDW one including Mercenaries, High Guard, Merchants, and several issues of the Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society.

...Star Trek the RPG (FASA): Played only a couple times as rules were kind of like SR Matrix rules.

...Call of Cthulu the Chaosium one, the only one.

...Runequest: Chaosium's Fantasy RPG which was far ahead of D&D. I always liked the way you improved skills (same mechanic as CoC above)

...Tunnels and Trolls (Flying Buffalo): A real oldie but goodie. Simple dice mechanic, more sensible armour and magic system, colourful spell names, and so much fun. Like SR, a game where the more 6 siders you had, the better.

...and finally, the first RPG I ever played (and still like) Beasts Men and Gods: A small press publication that unfortunately had only limited distribution. Like T&T it had armour absorb and magic point system as well as a pretty good combat mechanic. Mages could wear armour though depending on the discipline, it increased the risk of a spell backfiring (a spell could still backfire even if the mage was unarmoured). There were also some very interesting classes including a hybrid thief-mage called the Shadow Mage and a Warrior Priest. BM&G also had an interesting Chargen system that pared up related attributes like Strength & Con, Dex and Agility, which shared a common control die that was rolled first and added to a 2D6 roll for each attribute. Hence for example, a fighter character wouldn't have a huge disparity between Strength and Con as could happen in D&D. Unfortunately the game did not survive on the market long enough to allow for any supplements or updates.

...ohh and one more, Car Wars: OK not a true RPG but in a way your vehicle was the character as you had to custom design it. Also have Sunday Driver, Truck Stop (18 wheelers and buses), and Autoduel the Champions/Car Wars crossover

[Fortune]

Another game that deserves mention, at least in my opinion, is Dream Park. Interesting concept, and easily able to handle many different gaming styles (sometimes even at the same time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ).

[fistandantilus4....]

...Tunnels and Trolls (Flying Buffalo): A real oldie but goodie. Simple dice mechanic, more sensible armour and magic system, colourful spell names, and so much fun. Like SR, a game where the more 6 siders you had, the better.

Damn I loved Tunnels and Trolls. It's been so long since I'd seen anyone else acknowledge it's existance, I was beginning to wonder if I'd dreamed the whole thing.

Take that you Fiend! "Colourful spell names" indeed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[WearzManySkins]

I liked Monster, Monster made by the Flying Buffalo who made T&T.

Nothing going in and destroying a village of humans, getting points for creative destruction too.

WMS

[Remjin]

Heck, I sold off and got rid of a lot of books for various games over the years... robotech, various D&D stuff, a lot of random garbage and what-not that I got into for whatever amount of time for sundry reasons. I've settled down into a few games that I still buy for, on occasion, even if they are no longer produced...

I still keep Hero System (4th edition and now the 5th ed. revised, a sprinkle of 3rd, but none of that Fuzion stuff) and all my Shadowrun stuff (1st ed. and on), Cyberpunk (1st and 2020). I bought into d20 modern to try and get some of the D&D nuts to maybe play something different, but I also have a bunch of D&D since 1st Ed. advanced came along. I mostly keep that stuff for nostalgia than any actual use anymore. I also have Tribe 8, from Dream Pod 9, which was a fun game, but no one wants to play that one anymore.. and started a GURPS collection just to offset the Hero stuff in assumed scale.

A lot of memories with Traveller, a disaster of a Villains and Vigilantes game, several Mechwarrior games.. but as a whole, I have to say I wasn't too adventurous on getting a lot of games. I've dabbled in several mentioned above, but can't say I've been big on most of them. =)

Toying with Savage Worlds lately because someone wants to run a game of it. Its so simple that its almost a great way to start a pick-up game or introduce new people to roleplaying as a hobby. I mention that as its absorbed Call of Cthulu, Deadlands, and others... heck, I think its based on old Call of Cthulu, isn't it?

[apollo124]

I bought way more books than I ever played games of, just because I liked reading the books. Played a lot of AD+D 2nd ed when I was in the military, I introduced my D+D pals to Shadowrun.

My first gaming was D+D, closely followed by Top Secret S.I. and the F.R.E.E.lancers add-on (superpowers). Loved the Marvel Super Heroes game, especially the Ultimate Powers Book. Got my butt kicked the one time I played Star Fleet Battles (shooting the enemy with the rear torpedo launcher is not a smart thing to try your first time out). Got my butt kicked my first time out in Mechwarrior, too.(Jumping an 80 ton assault mech onto the top of a 2 story apartment building is also not a smart thing). Got a lot of the Star Trek RPG books, and a weird one called Tripping the Night Fantastic, or something close to that. It was a pretty funny setting with supernatural stuff happening in the modern world, puns everywhere.

[SinN]

Another game that deserves mention, at least in my opinion, is Dream Park. Interesting concept, and easily able to handle many different gaming styles (sometimes even at the same time (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ).

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/blush.gif) Thats just Dirty.....

[psychophipps]

My favorite old skool game from my misspent youth is Synnibar. "Why is one of the most reviled, dissed, and generally disdained RPGs of all time your favorite RPG?!?", you ask.

Because no matter how bad my own adventure and/or game ideas seem after I look them over a few days or weeks later, I can always open one of Synnibar's two books and say to myself, "Self, at least your ideas don't suck as much as this shit that managed to get published and sell enough copies to make a second edition." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[paws2sky]

...Villains and Vigilantes: FGU's foray into the costumed hero genre, Actually one of the most playable games they ever published.

Which is a really sad statement, when you think about it. :crazy:
In all seriousness, I know several people who enjoyed the game, but I could never get into.

...Call of Cthulu the Chaosium one, the only one.
...Runequest: Chaosium's Fantasy RPG which was far ahead of D&D. I always liked the way you improved skills (same mechanic as CoC above)

I loved that skill improvement mechanic.

I still keep Hero System (4th edition and now the 5th ed. revised, a sprinkle of 3rd, but none of that Fuzion stuff) and all my Shadowrun stuff (1st ed. and on), Cyberpunk (1st and 2020). I bought into d20 modern to try and get some of the D&D nuts to maybe play something different, but I also have a bunch of D&D since 1st Ed. advanced came along. I mostly keep that stuff for nostalgia than any actual use anymore. I also have Tribe 8, from Dream Pod 9, which was a fun game, but no one wants to play that one anymore.. and started a GURPS collection just to offset the Hero stuff in assumed scale.

Fuzion: The Original "gives you cancer" game system. Champions: New Millennium, gave me Gamer-Rage. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dead.gif)

My favorite old skool game from my misspent youth is Synnibar. "Why is one of the most reviled, dissed, and generally disdained RPGs of all time your favorite RPG?!?", you ask.

Because no matter how bad my own adventure and/or game ideas seem after I look them over a few days or weeks later, I can always open one of Synnibar's two books and say to myself, "Self, at least your ideas don't suck as much as this shit that managed to get published and sell enough copies to make a second edition." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

So, what you're saying is that Synnibar is the uglier-than-you-friend you bring to the bar to make yourself look more attractive? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Wait, it had a second edition!? WTF?

-paws

[SRJunkie]

Anyone ever take a look at Aria : Canticle of the Monomyth. Talk about unreal. Was probably the most in-depth system I've ever used. So in-depth it was too much. Probably why it was never going to succeed. You could spend a week creating a character (or their family tree) and then you'd forget you had to actually have stats.

Another fun game I used to play was TMNT from Palladium. There's something about playing a nefarious toad-man haha.

[paws2sky]

Another fun game I used to play was TMNT from Palladium. There's something about playing a nefarious toad-man haha.

Not sure if I mentioned this before (and too lazy to go check), but...

Speaking of mutant animals, does anyone remember a game called Justifiers?

-paws

[Catsnightmare]

Oh yeah! I've played a little bit of Justifiers. A friend had the booklet and ran a few games for us back when I was in high school. I liked it but could never find a copy of my own.

[pbangarth]

Anyone remember Bounty Hunter? Not the current Runescape online thing but the RPG with one manual?

[paws2sky]

Anyone remember Bounty Hunter? Not the current Runescape online thing but the RPG with one manual?

Sounds vaguely familiar. Do you remember what was on the cover?

-paws

[pbangarth]

Damn, my copy of the book is stored in Toronto, and I'm 4000 km. away. If memory serves me, it's a futuristic / cyberpunky person looking left, holding a fancy handgun up James Bond style.

Yeah, like that's unique.

Peter

[paws2sky]

Hmm. Not what I'm thinking of.

I think the cover I'm thinking of was for Palladium's Rifts Manhunter.

-paws
PS Damn, I was really into Palladium during the 90's, I guess... *shudder*

[The Exiled V.2.0]

Anyone else re-visit old rules and/or sourcebooks and using them again ??

All the time. Examples:
- Empire Of The Petal Throne
- Talislanta
- HoL
- The Morrow Project

[eidolon]

Oh yeah. My favorite game next to Shadowrun is still AD&D 2nd edition, and I have an old Top Secret box set around somewhere. Also a huge fan of Alternity, and I'm always up for good game of Rifts.