 Stand up for your Tabletop RPG, What games system do you think is best |
  |
 Jul 4 2004, 03:55 PM
Post
#26
|
|||||
|
Running Target  Group: Members Posts: 1,213 Joined: 10-March 02 From: Back from the abyss. Member No.: 2,316  |
|
||||
 |
 
|
||||
|
Jul 4 2004, 04:07 PM
Post
#27
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 328 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,353 |
First Edition Legend of the Five Rings holds a place in my heart as a great RPG. Like all RPGs it has its flaws (unbalanced schools, initiative, etc), but the mechanics nonetheless flowed together. The D10 mechanic and raises was quick and simple. Combat was short but sweet (and deadly, just as I like it). The setting was one of the best I've seen full of all sorts of potential. Thankfully, some people I know have reworked it with rules from Seventh Seas and removing all its flaws to make it even better.
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 5 2004, 01:41 PM
Post
#28
|
|||
|
Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,013 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
So what're the stats for a plush Cthulhu? ~J |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jul 6 2004, 03:07 PM
Post
#29
|
|||
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 7-January 03 From: Wilton NH Member No.: 3,872 |
Which one? The X-Mas Cthulhu or All-Season? Large or Small? ;) And my two creds on the topic subject: Best combat system - Couldn't answer this one if I tried... depends on the gamestyle I'm going for... - Though if I had to pick it would probably be 7th Sea R&K. Best Magic System - Ars Magica - Though Shadowrun is a close second for the spells/conjuring. Most customizable (from GM's point of view) - GURPS (though D20 isn't far behind) Best Story Line - Shadowrun(system) - Planescape & Darksun (Setting) Character creation - GURPs (Not the easiest, but it has a high concept to paper ratio) Ongoing Character Development - Ars Magica Learnability (how easy is the game to pick up) - White Wolf Any other reason why one system beats another. - Depends on what my interests are at that particular nano-second. :) Edit: Hmm maybe I'll port 7th Sea R&K into Ars Magica... This post has been edited by Erebus: Jul 6 2004, 03:22 PM |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jul 19 2004, 06:29 PM
Post
#30
|
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 19 Joined: 17-July 04 From: Chicago, IL. Member No.: 6,491 |
Well, I'de say that the best combat system goes to d20, same for learnability, its very simple. Best magic system I would say is shadowrun since theres no limit to the spells per day as with D&D and some others. Most customizeable would have to go to Exalted by white wolf. Unlike The Forgotten realms setting in D&D, they dont detail EVERY little thing, which gives you much more room to do some customization. (With so much info. I dont understand why they call it forgotten realms.)Storyline would have to be shadowrun for sheer consistency (spelling?). Character Development goes to SR and Exalted where you arent stifled by classes and stuff like with D&D and Rifts.
just my two cred. Peace |
|
|
|
|
Jul 28 2004, 02:27 PM
Post
#31
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 9-September 02 Member No.: 3,239 |
Best combat system
- I suppose I'd have to say GURPS, it gives you an option of how complex you want to make things. Best Magic System - Mage. It largely depends on how much understanding the players have of the game, but since you can do litterally whatever you want, it's pretty good stuff. I like the lack of boundaries. Most customizable (from GM's point of view) - GURPS, no challenge. Best Story Line - Aeonverse (although it got a little murky with Adventure!) - Shadowrun Character creation - Aberrant (Storyteller System), although it's slightly complicated, creating characters in Aberrant is fun because you are basically encouraged to come up with unique characters. My character with Immolate 2 and Quantum Bolt 3 could either have a nimbus of flame, and throw fire balls, or could have acid covering his skin, and spit cobra venom. Great stuff. Ongoing Character Development - Hard to say, the WoD games have a very steep curve, while Shadowrun and Gurps seem to have a much more shallow one. I suppose I'd go with the steep WoD curve. Learnability (how easy is the game to pick up) - White-Wolf Any other reason why one system beats another. - Not off hand. |
|
|
|
|
Jul 28 2004, 04:04 PM
Post
#32
|
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 17 Joined: 23-August 03 From: Georgia Member No.: 5,532 |
This aught to be interesting, it seems I play a few games that havn't been mentioned yet!
Best combat system: Silhouette by Dream Pod 9, the entire system is very easy to learn even if you want it to be detailed (as far as martial arts and grappling). It's a skill based system, point buy character creation, and as of 03', it's a near-generic system. Best Magic System: BESM or Tri-stat from Guardians of Order has to be the best for it's cutomization. You can literaly do anything with it! If you want a fire ball, you got a fire ball, if you want to make the ladies swoon with your amazing lute playing, bam, you got that too! Most customizable (from GM's point of view): BESM again here, Posibly the simplest system ever(published). From creating magical (high tech.) weapons and armour to race and 'class' templates, it doesn't get much easier. However this is also a downfall. Unless you get a few setting books (Uresia(fantasy), Cute, Cockfighting, Seisure Monster, Big Ears-Small Mouse) you have to do all the work yourself, wich can be a bit stresful. Though taking things from other modules or campaign books is simple enough. Best Story Line: I'm going to have to go with Tribe 8 by Dream Pod 9. It's a setting that has had such a huge impact on me and what I have picked up sinse (including Shadowrun). It's a Post-Apocalyptic Tribal setting based around the Montreal area (called Vimary, in Tribe 8 ). Peoples fears and hatred start manifesting into physical beings called Z'bri and begin to rampage around the world, pooling humans into large 'camps' and bathing themselves in the flesh and blood. Eventualy the 'Mother Goddess' sends her children to teach the humans how to combat the Z'bri and live after the time of the Camps. I could go on and on! Character creation: I know I seem a bit biased here in this post but I'm going to have to say Sillhouette again. If your really into creating a character, and not just crunching a bunch of numbers together, Sillhouette offers a great system with plenty of examples. Shadowrun is a close second, however, I'm not too sure I have had so many ideas come to me when creating a character before Shadowrun, but thats primarily because of the setting. Ongoing Character Development: Probably Little Fears here, being able to watch a character physicaly and emotionaly grow is wonderful and Little Fears gives that to you upclose and personal (considering most players start at age 7). Learnability (how easy is the game to pick up): I don't believe i've ever had trouble with picking up any game really, besides maybe White Wolf games, but I believe thats based moreso on the layout of their books. I think my favorite game to teach to people is Palladium. Palladium anything, TMNT, Robotech, RIFTS, Fantasy...it's all great and very simply detailed. Any other reason why one system beats another: It really is up to the game, I think. Some systems just work better for certain people or certain genres. I would use BESM over SiliCore to play a giant mecha game anyday (well, actualy i'd probably strugle through Silicore untill I could use it instead). Tyrae ~ Fallen Child of Magdalen ( from Tribe 8 ) VICTORY NOT VENGEANCE I wanted to list a few games I play as well, obviously all the ones above, including: Heavy Gear (rpg and miniatures), Mechanical Dream, Confrontation (miniatures), Iron/Jadeclaw, Gear Craig (rpg and miniatures), Wraith: The Oblivion (proud owner of ever book printed for Wraith (yes, including Spectres!)), Changeling: The Dreaming, and quite a few others, if I think of them i'll type them up. |
|
|
|
|
Jul 29 2004, 01:39 PM
Post
#33
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 223 Joined: 23-December 03 Member No.: 5,929 |
in all this, not a single mention for earthdawn as the best magic system. i am truly disappointed.
although, i am very biased on that topic. thankfully though, no one posted anything (that i saw) from D&D as best anything, though i would forgive people claiming Planescape for atmosphere. |
|
|
|
|
Jul 29 2004, 03:10 PM
Post
#34
|
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 17 Joined: 23-August 03 From: Georgia Member No.: 5,532 |
Shew, yeah, Planescape...good frickin night. The artwork was absolutly briliant and though I don't know much about the setting. When I was younger those books certainly had an influence on my style today!
Tyrae ~ Fallen Child of Magdalite VICTORY NOT VENGEANCE |
|
|
|
|
Jul 29 2004, 03:40 PM
Post
#35
|
|
|
Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,840 Joined: 24-July 02 From: Lubbock, TX Member No.: 3,024 |
Best Combat System: I actually like SR's. Alot more deadly then D20 combat (typically), a close second would be old D6 Star Wars. It was pretty simple, but deadly and very quick.
Best Magic System: Shadowrun or Runequest Most customizable: Palladium or GURPS stuff. You can find a book on anything, anything at all. Best Story Line:SR (with the exception of the early NAN stuff, just too unbelievable for me). Dark Sun was also always one of my favorites. Character creation: Hmm. I like a bunch, and none sticks out above the rest much for me. AD&D, D&D, SR, MechWarrior, Star Wars D6 Ongoing Character Development:Personally, I feel this is a reflection of the way the game is run and the DM/players, not the system. Learnability (how easy is the game to pick up):It sure isn't SR. :D I'd say Marvel Super Heros (the old dice-based one) or D6 Star Wars. Any other reason why one system beats another:SR for it's coolness factor. I still love just reading the damn books. Star Wars for it being Star Wars and being the main game I played first in my youth. AD&D because of all the good times with the gang. |
|
|
|
|
Jul 29 2004, 04:22 PM
Post
#36
|
|||
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 749 Joined: 22-June 02 From: Parts Without Member No.: 2,897 |
Heh. Now I can get even more enjoyment from my killer rabbit. Now those would be some wacky stats.... |
||
|
|
|
||
 Jul 29 2004, 04:54 PM
Post
#37
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 180 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,722 |
IMOHO
Best/Favourite System/Mechanic - HERO System (Conversions galore) Best/Favourite Setting - Shadowrun: 2050-2064 (14yrs of goodness) Best/Favourite Genre - Modern Espionage/Near Future (Shadowrun's got it) Best/Favourite Board Game - Battletech: 3025-3039 Cheers QM |
|
|
|
|
Jul 29 2004, 10:23 PM
Post
#38
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 160 Joined: 16-August 03 Member No.: 5,501 |
a lot of people seem to like a product called "Mage" and i would like to learn more about it. However, i am not finding anything online by that title, so i am thinking that it might not be the full title.
could somebody post a relivent link ? |
|
|
|
|
Jul 29 2004, 10:59 PM
Post
#39
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 9-September 02 Member No.: 3,239 |
Mage: The Ascension is a game by White-Wolf Game Studios. There is one slight problem, Mage is a game from the World of Darkness and the World of Darkness is discontinued. You can still probubly find Mage 3rd Edition on Amazon or Stiggybaby.com and a new version of Mage should come out in 2005.
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 30 2004, 12:13 AM
Post
#40
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 109 Joined: 29-March 03 From: Tir Tarngiere Member No.: 4,353 |
Favorite setting: Shadowrun
Favorite Genere: Action Movie/Anime (Feng Shui/HKAT/BESM) Favorite Systems: Top 5
Games I really want to try:
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 30 2004, 06:52 AM
Post
#41
|
|||||
|
Manus Celer Dei Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 17,013 Joined: 30-December 02 From: Boston Member No.: 3,802 |
I want stats on my Asterix and Obelix plush figures. Or Felix, the four-foot teddy bear. ~J |
||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Jul 30 2004, 08:49 PM
Post
#42
|
|||
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 7-January 03 From: Wilton NH Member No.: 3,872 |
Mage is a great game, put out by White Wolf that someone else already mentioned, and uses their Storyteller system. All of White Wolf's games have their roots in the Original Ars Magica game to some extent mostly due to Mark Rein-Hagen's influence in starting both of them. Its hard for me to discuss Mage, and Ars Magica without inter-referencing the other, because I got into 3rd Edition Ars Magica, at roughly the same time the First Edition of Mage came out. Mage is brilliantly put together, but to get the most out of it, your players really need to be able to percieve the world through their character's paradigm of reality. This can be very hard at first, but is worth the effort in the long run if your really into roleplaying over rollplaying. Basically, each type of Mage has their own outlook on how their magic works, and must be internally consistant with their own practices.. Rules-wise the game talks about Mage's enforcing their will to shape reality, but generally mage characters don't see it quite that way, they know if they do this little ritual, the car explodes. Whereas in objective reality the ritual was a tool for the mage to focus his will to explode the car. Confused yet? No, good. Then your ready for Mage:tA, grasshopper. Ars Magica is basically Mage & the World of Darkness Dark Ages style before there was a White Wolf:Dark Ages, and using a different rules system. Ars Magica included three types of casting that roughly correspond to their equivelents in Mage: Spontaneous - Basically describe an effect based on your skills and roll. This is really where the roots of Mage's Magic system got their first breath of life. Formulaic - Think D&D style spells, but Mage's can cast anyone they know anytime they want basically as many times as they want... (The limiting factor being if you don't cast it well enough you can get fatigued.) This is the origin of M:tA's Rotes. Ritual Spells: Just like it sounds... BIG MAGIC... Both games have something similar. I generally prefer Mage for modern games, and Ars Magica for historical games, but thats just me. Ars Magica has a whole other set of baggage revolving around Covenants that Mage really downplays in their Chantries, both of which are basically just the names of places where the mage's live and study, but in Ars Magica the Covenant is really a seperate character that has a life all its own. Here's the link for Mage: http://www.white-wolf.com/mage |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Aug 2 2004, 10:22 PM
Post
#43
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 160 Joined: 16-August 03 Member No.: 5,501 |
thank you for the prompt information about Mage, Maxxi and Erebus
it sounds like a interesting game |
|
|
|
|
Aug 2 2004, 10:49 PM
Post
#44
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 256 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,709 |
I really have only invested significantly in three systems: Shadowrun, Star Wars d6, and D&D. I've also played CP2020, and a very little bit of Deadlands and LOTR (I.C.E). Of these, D&D 3.X has by far the most durable and dependable rules set. Shadowrun's is pretty functional, but advancement and game balance aren't all that they could be. D6's rules were very thin, but surprisingly usable.
I can't even count D&D as a game universe, because I almost always run homebrew. But Shadowrun's setting is still a favorite of mine. I have almost as much affection for West End's Star Wars setting, even though (or perhaps because) it drifts from what the overall Star Wars universe is today. When I played CP2020, my impression was that it was a shoddy rules system. That was years ago however, and I can't make that call for certain. I did appreciate the punk atmosphere of CP2020, but for whatever reason, the games I played with other people devolved into just wandering around Night City and causing mayhem, not unlike free-form Grand Theft Auto. Amusing for awhile, but very limited. I could just never get into the Rolemaster-light Lord of the Rings setting, and unfortunately I've never had opportunity to play Deadlands. |
|
|
|
|
Aug 3 2004, 12:43 AM
Post
#45
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 118 Joined: 9-September 02 Member No.: 3,239 |
I never much liked CP2020, the setting seemed too generic cyberpunk. Besides that, looking at all Cyberpunk now seems more like a time capsule to the past. It's interesting how bionics is a new field, but our communication technology is 20 years ahead. It seems odd to go to a data terminal on a street corner when you'd normally expect your PDA with web access to have that function.
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 4 2004, 05:07 AM
Post
#46
|
|
|
UMS O.G. Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 444 Joined: 18-May 04 Member No.: 6,335 |
DEADLANDS, DEADLANDS, DEADLANDS, DEADLANDS!! Seriously, this game has it all. The best part has to be character advancement and the games reliance on props. You actually play out the iniative rounds using a deck of cards. Also, almost all the magic relies on the random draw of a deck of cards which has to be the most original magic system I've ever played. I highly recomend this one but avoid the D20 version like the plague. The Black plague. At its very worst.
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 4 2004, 04:28 PM
Post
#47
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 409 Joined: 9-March 04 Member No.: 6,140 |
What's the name of that kid's show about the Christian Superhero? The one that's like Spider Man meets Billy Graham? They should make an RPG out of that.
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 5 2004, 07:24 AM
Post
#48
|
|
|
Target Group: Members Posts: 83 Joined: 12-February 03 Member No.: 4,083 |
I have an odd facination with Earthdawn. Sure the rules were a bit clunky, but I've had a blast with that setting.
|
|
|
|
|
Aug 6 2004, 03:20 AM
Post
#49
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 128 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Winston Salem, NC Member No.: 1,359 |
Best Magic system: Shadowrun, so very customizable.
Best Combat system that includes firearms: Shadowrun Best Combat system that doesn't include firearms: D20 Best to bring in new blood: D20 Best setting: Iron Kingdoms by Privateer Press, a D20 setting with a steampunk feel, or as they like to call it, Full Metal Fantasy Best storyline to date: Shadowrun, but they may be in danger of being eclipsed by Iron Kingdoms Best overall feel: Shadowrun Best advancement: Shadowrun Most versatile from GM view: BESM or Tri-stat There is my :nuyen: .02 |
|
|
|
|
Aug 8 2004, 12:31 AM
Post
#50
|
|||
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 515 Joined: 10-April 04 From: Chicago, IL...Ich vermisse Deutschland. Member No.: 6,230 |
I agree. I'd recommend Savage Worlds. It's based off of the Great Rail Wars system that spun off from Deadlands. It's a pretty snazzy combat system; if your basic tactics are "hit it till it drops", then you're going to have a quick, painful death in this game. You really have to fight tactically. Plus it supports lots of homebrew and other genres. If you just want to see how it works, there's a free download available: testdrive rules (with character creation rules). Still uses the cards for initiative plus it just simplifies a lot of things from Deadlands while adding in stuff for generic settings. One thing that gives me a lot of pause about getting back into Shadowrun is the number of books you need. Sorry, but I've already dropped more than $500 on this game. I like the fact that you just need the basic book for Savage Worlds and the setting book of your choice and there's you campaign. For those who are interested, here is the reasoning behind Savage Worlds. BTW, Deadlands as a trilogy is being revamped and reworked to use this system. Don |
||
|
|
|
||
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 19th February 2026 - 06:13 AM |
Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.