 Stand up for your Tabletop RPG, What games system do you think is best |
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 Jun 30 2004, 10:41 PM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 16-October 02 From: Leicester UK Member No.: 3,459  |
Well come on guys lets have it. GURPS, D20 system, Shadowrun System or any others...
Who thinks what is best and why. (though I do understand this is going to be an interesting argument due to where we are) |
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Jun 30 2004, 11:19 PM
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#2
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Whichever one serves the needs of the campaign and the group most appropriately.
Bam, thread over. :-) |
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Jul 1 2004, 12:37 AM
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#3
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
Bad Adam! What have we told you about using logic on this forum?
*MooCow gets out the rolled up newspaper* |
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Jul 1 2004, 01:21 AM
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#4
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 881 Joined: 1-May 04 Member No.: 6,295 |
You're really asking for the flames aren't you i mean come on we all know which one is the best and will flame others merciliously (poor spelling) to prove it.
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Jul 1 2004, 02:52 AM
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#5
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,138 Joined: 10-June 03 From: Tennessee Member No.: 4,706 |
The real question is what do you mean by "best"?
If it's best background, theme, and metaplot, it's probably SR. HERO 5e fits into a lot of "best" categories as well. I mean, any rule book that gives an example for quite literally everything is worth using. |
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Jul 1 2004, 04:52 AM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 577 Joined: 12-June 04 Member No.: 6,398 |
My personal favorites, though the answers vary with my mood...
Favorite Overall Concept: Changeling: the Dreaming Favorite Overall Theme: Delta Green Favorite Overall Rules: World of Darkness Favorite Overall Gameplay: Shadowrun Favorite Magic System: Toss up between Ars Magica and Mage, though Shadowrun is the best in a game that wasn't focused entirely on magic Favorrite Overall Story and Background: Shadowrun Favorite Set of "Simple" Rules: Tri-Stat Favorite Set of "Not-So-Simple" Rules: Shadowrun Somewhat biased, obviously, but I tried to be impartial. :) |
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Jul 1 2004, 07:41 AM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 515 Joined: 10-April 04 From: Chicago, IL...Ich vermisse Deutschland. Member No.: 6,230 |
Savage Worlds, which I run at the moment, is pretty tight as a rules system. I know of people trying to do a SR (fan) conversion at the moment. Based on the Great Rail Wars table top system. They just released Weird Wars: Vietnam under the title: Tour of Darkness. Decent rules; you really have to think tactically. It a toolkit game system that will also offer different settings, such as Weird Wars, Deadlands, Pirates, mutated poo, etc. Interesting and the game runs like its tagline: Fast, Furious, Fun.
Shadowrun is a great game, but to be honest, the rules are tied into the setting. The metaplot is great, by and large, while you can make any type of character with respects to the game environment in Shadowrun. Don |
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Jul 1 2004, 08:31 AM
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#8
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Target Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 16-October 02 From: Leicester UK Member No.: 3,459 |
OK then the answers have been interesting so far. Lets define things a bit:
Also lets supply reasons to back up your answers. :) |
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Jul 1 2004, 01:12 PM
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#9
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
Fuzzy Heroes. :D
I would say Shadowrun. Mage is a close second, but while it's nebulous rules system is it's greatest asset, it's also it's greatest hinderance.
I'm gonna go with World of Darkness on this one.
Hmmm..... I'm going to go with Trinity on this one. It kinda flopped, but I really liked the storyline.
Either Shadowrun or WoD.
Ummm.... geez, I don't know. I don't want to say SR or WoD again. ;)
D&D. There are a few things that are a bit hard to wrap your head around, but in general the rigidity of the system is helpful to first time Roleplayers. I used to always tell new roleplayers interested in my WoD and SR games to go talk to the D&D GM first, because it was easier for new players.
Battle Cattle. Cybernetic cows. Nuff' said. |
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Jul 1 2004, 01:17 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 973 Joined: 3-October 03 Member No.: 5,677 |
What's Fuzzy Heroes?
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Jul 1 2004, 01:26 PM
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#11
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Target Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 16-October 02 From: Leicester UK Member No.: 3,459 |
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Jul 1 2004, 01:40 PM
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#12
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
As the link Dubstbin provided indicates, it's a game played using stuffed animals. You grab a stuffed animal. All it's characteristics are based on the physical aspects of the toy. It's a funny game. Nothing like a bunch of drunk gamers sitting around a comic shop arguing over the stats of a teddy bear. |
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Jul 1 2004, 01:47 PM
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#13
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Target Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 16-October 02 From: Leicester UK Member No.: 3,459 |
Seen it on the self in the store but never picked it up. Might do so now. It looks good. I wanna be a cyber Punk Bunny!!! :cyber:
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Jul 1 2004, 02:17 PM
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#14
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
Keep in mind that in order to play a cyber punk bunny you have to have a cyber punk bunny stuffed animal. ;)
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Jul 1 2004, 02:21 PM
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#15
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Target Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 16-October 02 From: Leicester UK Member No.: 3,459 |
Oh I seeeeeeeeeee! You use your actual stuffed toys to play! :)
That is cool! My six-month-old baby is basically in a good position to take over the world!!! |
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Jul 1 2004, 02:48 PM
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#16
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
Exactly!
It makes a great game to play when you've been drinking. It's also a great "Baby's First RPG" game. Another neat one is "Clay Fighters" or something like that. You create some kind of creature out of clay, then the GM determins it's attributes based on what it looks like. There are guidlines to help the GM make the determination. Fun game. |
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Jul 1 2004, 03:01 PM
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#17
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Target Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 16-October 02 From: Leicester UK Member No.: 3,459 |
Did that get turned into a computer game? :talker:
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Jul 1 2004, 03:27 PM
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#18
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 515 Joined: 10-April 04 From: Chicago, IL...Ich vermisse Deutschland. Member No.: 6,230 |
Savage Worlds: My opinions, based on 1) GMing it at the time, 2) having been at a con game with the creator (Shane Hensley) and seen 1) what I'm doing isn't wrong, 2) how to get the most (not munchkin) funwise and playingwise out of the system. It also won the Origin's award for people's choice. It's a real tactical fight, if you are a legendary character (80+ xp, multiple adv, spells, etc) you still have to think it all out and maybe even run to make it through. Really flat power curve. Lots of built in room for creativity, intimidating opponents, and basically something different than "I stand here, hit, get hit, repeat."
Shadowrun. SW is good but too generic, L5R is too many books, D&D just ticks me off. Mage is good, but tends to suffer when you outthink your limitations.
2nd on WoD
Actually, I'll go odball and say L5R. Lots of CCG influence, but the storyline goes on. And on, and on and on. I like it.
There are some good ones. Savage Worlds is fast (15 minutes or so/or maybe 30-45 minutes-1 hour for a group of 9). WoD is also pretty fast. Most others take a while. D&D isn't too slow either, if that's your bag.
Shadowrun lets you see long term change. L5R does too, just differently, same for SW. Basically, any and every game has to show this, or it's just back to abstract board games people. But Shadowrun does it 1) more elegantly, 2) more tangibly IMHO, 3) offers a lot of possibilities no matter what character or type of character or even subtype of character you play.
WoD is the idiot's RPG from this standpoint. Not to say that's bad, but it's probably the easiest to pick-up tying with D&D just for simplest mechanics. SW is quick, but decently fast to pick up (snipers at a con-game learning the mods for headshots in about 5 minutes).
For me, it's all about mood. Shadowrun is a game I can come back to. Buckets of dice are also nice, especially if you are plagued with poor dice luck. For its conception, SW is nice but really tied to the short campaign/med. campaign mentality. Not surprising considering that's the flavour of the designer. It's good if you want to run a game under a semester or just a 6/8 month game. WoD is ease but dice are wonky, which isn't all that reflected. D&D, while good for some things, just takes too long (in a fight, for instance) and breeds the hack/slash mentality. It just happens to be some people's bag. Based on the criteria, but I am a bit biased. Don |
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Jul 1 2004, 03:43 PM
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#19
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
Well, I disagree with that. (Not in any kind of a "You're an idiot" flame-like way though) I think that WoD still has too much customization for new role players. We're all used to it, but the idea that /you/ decide what kind of attributes, skills, etc is a pretty big jump for people who have never played any game before. |
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Jul 1 2004, 04:34 PM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 515 Joined: 10-April 04 From: Chicago, IL...Ich vermisse Deutschland. Member No.: 6,230 |
It wasn't meant as a flame bait (must learn word choice again), just an illustration of how easy it is to fill in dots. Getting to know what to do is easy, plus the system can actually be quite elegant with trait + attr = dice pool. Game mechanics like that are usually a snap; the burden is on the GM to remember what goes together.
Character making is a bit customization, but once you've gotten the 7/5/3, 14/10/5, 5 or 7, plus that, add that, 15 freebie points, and you're done, it's a snap to make characters. For newbies....it might be a bit, especially if they're coming from D&D with random attribute assignments (one thing I will always loath in RPGs). For newbies, then yes, you are correct. For experienced...simple concepts really. WoD is really rules light to a large extent. Don |
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Jul 1 2004, 05:12 PM
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#21
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Target Group: Members Posts: 67 Joined: 11-March 03 Member No.: 4,238 |
Personal preference from most standpoints is: WoD LARP rules.
Really quick to teach new players, you can 'roll up' NPCs in no time, and anyone is vulnerable to anyone else. Just because they're human and you're an elder, they could get a lucky hit on you if you're going toe to toe (or shooting). Oh, and they have Lasombra... and Tremere. SR I like for many reasons (though the original thing that attracted me to it was the matrix/decking aspect). As for most in-depth background, Harn wins out. No real challenge. Many kingdoms fully mapped out (Ordnance Survey detail level), main crops of areas, weather, cultures, where to find different herbs, etc, etc, etc. |
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Jul 1 2004, 05:51 PM
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#22
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Moo!! Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 75 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 424 |
Hrm.... didn't mean to insinuate you were, just to clarify that I wasn't either. Well hey, now that we've decided we're nice people..... :) |
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Jul 3 2004, 02:38 AM
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#23
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 409 Joined: 9-March 04 Member No.: 6,140 |
Call of Cthulhu and Paranoia get the rewards for best role-playing. Insanity, paranoia, and scapegoating, oh yes!
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Jul 4 2004, 02:54 AM
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#24
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,362 Joined: 3-October 03 From: Poway, San Diego County, CA, USA Member No.: 5,676 |
Better yet, combine the two. Knowledge of the Necronomicon is above your security clearance, citizen! Zap zap!
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Jul 4 2004, 08:00 AM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 409 Joined: 9-March 04 Member No.: 6,140 |
Beware the right angles! Oh my god, your gun has right angles! You must be some kind of demon-communist! Zap zap!
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