Quote from: rgrove0172;939699Played once on a bus trip with a big book to flip open to a random page and use the last two digits as a percentile roll. Made a 6 hour trip pretty enjoyable.

I like this one rgrove. Consider the idea "borrowed" for future minimalist games.

Shemek

Quote from: Moracai;939663Pen or pencil, paper, one or more dice and imagination. Cliché, I know, but I have played this way.

So far you are the only one who hasn't taken imagination for granted.

Quote from: rgrove0172;939699Played once on a bus trip with a big book to flip open to a random page and use the last two digits as a percentile roll. Made a 6 hour trip pretty enjoyable.

There was an RPG that I watched a video review of (cannot remember which, I think it was one I didn't like the actual game of) where they pointed out that the publisher had put a row of polyhedrals along the top and bottom edge of each page with a random (or possibly advancing) die roll in each of the dice for just that purpose. I thought it was a neat innovation.

Quote from: Opaopajr;939750So far you are the only one who hasn't taken imagination for granted.

Or just don't need it to be provided by the RPG, instead supply it ourselves

Quote from: Tristram Evans;939768Or just don't need it to be provided by the RPG, instead supply it ourselves

No one said anything about the RPG supplying it. That's not even really possible. The question is what are the bare necessities.

As to imagination, I guess I just figured it was assumed (so yes, took for granted). Should we also mention that 'desire to do so' is a necessity? How about 'having a pulse?'

Quote from: Willie the Duck;939774No one said anything about the RPG supplying it. That's not even really possible. The question is what are the bare necessities.
'

Oh, durr, lets ignore context...noone's mentioned oxygen, food and shelter ::rollseyes::

I'm not sure how your response relates to that part of my text you copied in the quote which was addressed to you. It seems more appropriate to the part you didn't include, not directed to you, and a general aside about imagination being assumed.

Estar, that shelf kicks ass, and I don't even mean the books for a change:)!

Quote from: Willie the Duck;939763There was an RPG that I watched a video review of (cannot remember which, I think it was one I didn't like the actual game of) where they pointed out that the publisher had put a row of polyhedrals along the top and bottom edge of each page with a random (or possibly advancing) die roll in each of the dice for just that purpose. I thought it was a neat innovation.

Game books have been doing it with 2d6 for ages, I suspect the first such book would be older than me!

Quote from: Tristram Evans;939778Oh, durr, lets ignore context...noone's mentioned oxygen, food and shelter ::rollseyes::

Yeah, you forgot water and security;).

Quote from: Tristram Evans;939768Or just don't need it to be provided by the RPG, instead supply it ourselves

If only every player I have ever played with could supply it themselves.

Don't take imagination for granted. You'll miss it once it's gone...

Quote from: RunningLaser;939637Was just thinking about this.  I know for me, it'd be a workable combat system- not an in depth one either.  Everything else isn't that important for me:)  These days I'm finding myself more drawn to wargames and just sprinkling some role playing on top of it.

What says you?

Players and some dice.  If you're talking game itself, combat resolution, character competency evaluation, task resolution, and examples of a baseline.

I've played enough diceless games like Amber that I don't consider dice a necessity. Also, having played some non-combat games, I don't consider a combat system a necessity.

So even though I generally like a solid rule system, I don't think there is any particular feature that is required. Just players, characters, and imagination - and add on whatever works for the particular game.

(As a parallel, a board game to me just requires a board to play on - it doesn't necessarily require cards, dice, or any other specific features.)

Dice, writing implements, paper and friends.

Quote from: AsenRG;939650I've played and run freeform, with no rules or mechanics, so I'll let you guess the answer.

And yes, that might sound weird coming from someone who has read hundreds of systems. Thing is, systems might be an extra, but they're an extra I appreciate!

I guess that's not really clear. Or rather, it's minimalistic to the point of being useless:).
With that in mind, what do I want?
1) A kick-ass close combat system.
Legends of the Wulin, Mythras, The Riddle of Steel, Le Pavillion Noir (with the fencing supplement) and Spellbound Kingdoms do it in spades.
Honour+Intrigue, GURPS Martial Arts and Fates Worse Than Death*, Flashing Blades, DCC when playing an Warrior, Exalted 3e (without charms) and ORE/Reign are almost there.
Artesia, Usagi Yojimbo (the dicestep system version by Sanguine - never read the Fuzion version), Qin, Fireborn, Zenobia/43AD/Warband, Mastercraft (Fantasy Craft/Spycraft 2.0), Sengoku, OMNI (Talislanta/Atlantis/Hellas) are close. Presumably, so is Fading Suns, too, but I've only read a quickstart of that one.
Traveller, Blue Planet v2, OD&D, TFT and DCC wihen you're not playing an Warrior are merely decent, but acceptable.

*FWTD (and the other games based on the same engine) kinda gets in the first there with my styles, I dare say.

2) A suitably deadly system for wounds and incapacitation, and for recovery.
TRoS, Blue Planet, Traveller, Flashing Blades, Mythras, Usagi Yojimbo, Qin, Sengoku, Artesia, Zenobia/43 AD/Warband, The Nightmares Unerneath, MasterCraft (Fantasy Craft/SpyCraft 2.0), OD&D on the lower levels are where I want them. GURPS is a weird beast in this, but it can get there with the right optional rules (or it can get very far away with the other optional rules). A lot of D&D isn't deadly enough on high levels. ORE can be deadlier than it makes sense, though, so yes, you can go too far in the other direction, too.

3) Sub-systems for whatever matters in the setting.
Yes, that's too generic, but true nonetheless. Let me give you some positive examples.
Social Standing and climbing up are major themes in both 17th century France, and in Tekumel. There's a reason why PCs in both Bethorm and Flashing Blades have Social Standing, if you get my drift.
OD&D has the morale of retainers and troops matter, as it should. The Reaction Table is, IMO, the best part of the rules, whenth you account for its interactions with morale and Charisma (XP for gold being a close second).
Reign has a very good sub-system for the handling of organisations. It can model anything from a mercenary company or thieves guild, to the workings of an empire. Incidentally, in the setting "what are you a part of" is the first part of "who you are".
In Traveller, economics is the lifeblood, the means and reason for the existence of the Third Imperium. It's got a trading sub-system, 'nuff said.
Fates Worse Than Death is a cyberpunk setting. Computers have to matter...and lo and behold, it's got the best hacking sub-system I've ever seen in a game (better than in other cyberpunk games, at any rate). For that matter, the game adds a reputation sub-system in Price of Power, and guidelines for stealing secrets, which was long-overdue.
Passions are important in both Pendragon (genre emulation), in Spellbound Kingdoms (the basis of magic, with the whole setting being based around the control of magic and avoiding magic surges) and in Exalted 3e (because "the feelings of the powerful matter", duh). All of them have such systems, and you can manipulate other people via their passions, too.
Chases and gear are important for spies. Spycraft 2.0 is relatively well-known for it chase and gear sub-systems.
The favour of gods is important in games inspired by Antiquity, and non-incidentally, Zenobia/43D/Warband has such mechanics.
Witty repartee is important in swaschbuckling games and games where you mingle with nobles, which is why it's part of both Honor+Intrigue, and Spellbound Kingdoms.
Eclipse Phase has a really fragmented society, and social networks, thus the decision to have multiple kinds of reputation that allow you to ask for favours is excellent.
Finally, the combat system itself can be that sub-system. But that was kinda covered already:D!

Quote from: AsenRG;939650I've played and run freeform, with no rules or mechanics, so I'll let you guess the answer.

And yes, that might sound weird coming from someone who has read hundreds of systems. Thing is, systems might be an extra, but they're an extra I appreciate!

Which is why a better question would probably replace "you" for "a newbie", because each of us is already carring around a mass (and mess) of roleplaying games in our heads (which is probably of no use for anyone else but a mindflayer ...) .

If on the other hand it IS a question what you personally need to get a group running, then it is something that can´t be abswered by a single person, because you have to meet the limits for all yet unknown participiant or you won´t have a group to play withand your answer would depend upon how similar your ideas will be with the others to start with (and the rest needing to be carried by the used system (+house rules)).

Quote from: Maarzan;939985Which is why a better question would probably replace "you" for "a newbie", because each of us is already carring around a mass (and mess) of roleplaying games in our heads (which is probably of no use for anyone else but a mindflayer ...) .

Then my subsequent (and much more detailed) answer would remain unchanged. Just add "a good Refereeing guide" to it:).

QuoteIf on the other hand it IS a question what you personally need to get a group running, then it is something that can´t be abswered by a single person, because you have to meet the limits for all yet unknown participiant or you won´t have a group to play with

Of course I can answer for everyone if I'm the GM. Everyone else can play what I want to play, or skip it.
Still have to find myself without a group.

Quoteand your answer would depend upon how similar your ideas will be with the others to start with (and the rest needing to be carried by the used system (+house rules)).

Funny, by that perspective, people would need most mechanics when playing with others with different backgrounds:D?