TheRPGSite

So, which RPGs do you think are not being played anywhere, by anyone, at present? Published RPGs only, obviously, not ultra-obscure games. Games that were released once, but either due to the crapulence of the rules or the stupidity of the setting or just plain bad luck, are not being played anymore?

Mind you, I suspect that a great deal of the non-RPGs that the Forge crowd had developed are not being played, what with the combination of their short shelf-life and the fact that so many Forgers want to talk about Storygames more than they want to play them, but that's an easy mark.

RPGPundit

Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

Quote from: ggroy;348304- original SPI version of DragonQuest

I think that this is still being played (at least the 2e version) by at least a dozen people out there.  There's some online support for it.

I doubt that any FGU games are seeing much play these days (Space Opera, Bushido, Aftermath, Psion World, etc.).

I haven't seen anyone play Middle Earth Role Playing in a while. I still have the books somewhere. There was also a Hercules and Xena game released as a boxed set years ago. The game itself wasn't bad. But it was doomed for obvious reasons.

Tales fromt the Floating Vagabond is another.

Quote from: Akrasia;348309I think that this is still being played (at least the 2e version) by at least a dozen people out there.  There's some online support for it.

Is the 2e published by TSR or SPI?

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;348311I haven't seen anyone play Middle Earth Role Playing in a while...

I'm pretty sure that MERP is seeing some play.  At the very least, people are still using the supplements (and, judging by their prices on ebay, there remains a very high demand for them).  I continue to use material from ICE's Middle-Earth campaign books today, albeit primarily for non-ME games (and I haven't run MERP since 1999).

MERP's close cousin (nephew?), Rolemaster Express (essentially a 'stripped down' version of Rolemaster 2e/Classic, similar in many respects to a 'generic MERP') is being sold by ICE.

Quote from: ggroy;348317Is the 2e published by TSR or SPI?

SPI.  2e is the version that was published in book form (c 1981, iirc).  

TSR's version was 3e (the version that stripped out all the cool stuff on the 'Dukes of Hell', etc.).

Quote from: Akrasia;348319SPI.  2e is the version that was published in book form (c 1981, iirc).  

TSR's version was 3e (the version that stripped out all the cool stuff on the 'Dukes of Hell', etc.).

The one I have is in three books published on rather low quality paper with a copyright date of 1980 by SPI.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;348311There was also a Hercules and Xena game released as a boxed set years ago. The game itself wasn't bad. But it was doomed for obvious reasons.

I'm not sure the reason is so obvious -- at least I'm not getting it.  Do you mean the fact that both shows went off the air?  That puts it in the same general category as the Ghostbusters RPG, which I also think no one is playing anymore, in spite of the fact that it's a very, very good game.  The system was developed further and used in subsequent West End games, though.

!i!

Quote from: Akrasia;348310I doubt that any FGU games are seeing much play these days (Space Opera, Bushido, Aftermath, Psion World, etc.).

I've run some Flashing Blades & Villains & Vigilantes only very recently. But some of those you specically mention - perhaps not.

Simon W

Quote from: Akrasia;348318I'm pretty sure that MERP is seeing some play.  At the very least, people are still using the supplements (and, judging by their prices on ebay, there remains a very high demand for them).  I continue to use material from ICE's Middle-Earth campaign books today, albeit primarily for non-ME games (and I haven't run MERP since 1999).

MERP's close cousin (nephew?), Rolemaster Express (essentially a 'stripped down' version of Rolemaster 2e/Classic, similar in many respects to a 'generic MERP') is being sold by ICE.

Where does "Rolemaster: The Basics" fit in?  (The copy I have has a copyright date of 1995).

Quote from: Ian Absentia;348322I'm not sure the reason is so obvious -- at least I'm not getting it.  Do you mean the fact that both shows went off the air?  That puts it in the same general category as the Ghostbusters RPG, which I also think no one is playing anymore, in spite of the fact that it's a very, very good game.  The system was developed further and used in subsequent West End games, though.

!i!

Maybe it is less obvious than I thought. When I got the game when it came out, I knew it wouldn't last no matter how good the game was. I think its because it was based on a show that many gamers probably watched but wouldn't set their campaign in. I tried to get people to play, but as soon as you said "Hercules and Xena" no one was interested. I did like this system though. If I remember they used their own dice with "hits" and "blocks" etc on them. So no math for the die rolls.

I sincerely doubt anyone is playing UNIVERSE from SPI. I have a copy around here that's probably 25 years old. A google search on it, however, suggests that the last played game might have been fairly recent -- say within the past five years.

Wonder how many people are playing F.A.T.A.L.

Quote from: Akrasia;348310I doubt that any FGU games are seeing much play these days (Space Opera, Bushido, Aftermath, Psion World, etc.).

I think V&V still gets some use. We only stopped using it a year or so ago.

Quote from: Ian Absentia;348322I'm not sure the reason is so obvious -- at least I'm not getting it.  Do you mean the fact that both shows went off the air?  That puts it in the same general category as the Ghostbusters RPG, which I also think no one is playing anymore, in spite of the fact that it's a very, very good game.  The system was developed further and used in subsequent West End games, though.

!i!

Maybe what he meant was that the shows sucked. A lot. I'm sincerely more interested in emulating My Little Pony than Xena or Hercules.

Well there is alwasy that one person somewhere but I think you'd struggle to find anyone running any of TSR Amazing Engine or Buck Rogers games.  The settings for AE were not all bad, but find it hard to think someone would run the AE itself.

I also doubt there are many people playing some of the Masterbook games like "Tank Girl" or "Species" or "Tales from the Crypt". Maybe there are still some who play"Bloodshadows" and haven't convereted to the D6 version; it was always an interesting if flawed game.

Staying with WEG, I don't think their "Men in Black" played much anywhere anymore (if it ever was).

Also, GDW "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs" has probably gone extinct, pun intended.

Well, you can count me and my kids for playing the Hercules & Xena game as of late.  Excellent system for the under 10 crowd and the dice mechanic (not to mention the dice themselves if you've got the particular dice that came with the boxed set) clicks right away with them.  IMHO and all of that.

If we're talking about media based licenses, how 'bout the Battlestar Galactica game?  The show isn't on anymore, MWP really didn't crank out the envisioned goods to follow up the core release (and they probably never will), and, if it is to be believed, RPGers are a fickle lot who want their stuff to be current.

Quote from: Claudius;348337Maybe what he meant was that the shows sucked. A lot.

And yet, the shows seemed so much like someone's RPG campaign.  Not that I want to watch someone's campaign notes week after week.

!i!

Quote from: ggroy;348324Where does "Rolemaster: The Basics" fit in?  (The copy I have has a copyright date of 1995).

It is part of the 3rd edition of Rolemaster (sometimes called 'Rolemaster Standard System' [RMSS] or 'Rolemaster Fantasy-Roleplaying' [RMFRP]), which was published in the mid-1990s.

Fans of Rolemaster tend to be split between 'Rolemaster 2e' (now being published as 'Rolemaster Classic,' of which 'Rolemaster Express' is a simplified version) and 'Rolemaster Standard System'.  The latter is a more complicated ('crunchy') system.  

MERP is based on Rolemaster 2e (now Rolemaster Classic), as is Rolemaster Express.  

Myself, I find Rolemaster 2e/Classic to be too 'rules heavy' for my current tastes (so RMSS/RMFRP is obviously beyond the pale).  If I were to play Rolemaster again (something I hope to do, someday), I'd use Rolemaster Express, with some supplementary material.

Quote from: Simon W;348323I've run some Flashing Blades & Villains & Vigilantes only very recently. But some of those you specically mention - perhaps not.

Simon W

Quote from: Aos;348335I think V&V still gets some use. We only stopped using it a year or so ago.

Yeah, I forgot about V&V.  I can imagine that it's still being played.

As for Space Opera, though, I'd be shocked if there was anyone on the planet playing it now.  It was pretty much unplayable when it was in print.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;348311I haven't seen anyone play Middle Earth Role Playing in a while. I still have the books somewhere. There was also a Hercules and Xena game released as a boxed set years ago. The game itself wasn't bad. But it was doomed for obvious reasons.

We played MERP some months ago - when we stopped I started my Rolemaster Fantasy Campaign - so, maybe it's not alive, but it is still warm :)

MERP is still being played. I know of two groups that play it extensively.

However, I wonder if Dangerous Journeys (Gygax) is being played by anyone. It has some great ideas hidden in it but it had some of the most craptastic layout I ever came across.

Perhaps the craptastic Reich Star RPG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reich_Star)?


TGA

FtA!

Quote from: Aos;348357FtA!

Ouch!



TGA

Some are no-brainers: SenZar, FATAL, Synnibarr (I doubt even its creator plays anymore), deadEarth.

Quote from: Aos;348357FtA!

You know, I was going to ask...

!i!

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

Twilight 2000 is still being played, mostly 2nd and 2.2 editions along with a fair number using a different system.

Dragonraid

You know, I would love to play SenZar if I could find some other people.

Quote from: Angry_Douchebag;348400Dragonraid

Was that the Christian RPG alternative where heroes of the Lord go forth and slay Satanic dragons?  I'll admit to a sick kind of fascination with those advertisements.

!i!

Quote from: Ian Absentia;348412Was that the Christian RPG alternative where heroes of the Lord go forth and slay Satanic dragons?  I'll admit to a sick kind of fascination with those advertisements.

!i!

Something to that effect.  I don't actually recall ever having seen the ads, were they advertising in Dragon?  I stumbled across it in a book store in the early nineties.  Memory may not serve correctly on this point but a large component of the game seemed to revolve around the memorization of scripture.  

I took mild pleasure in seeing it sit on that shelf for month after month before going into the bargain bin.

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

I know that of those, at least Chivalry and Sorcery was still being avidly played by a small group up to about 10 years ago. One of the authors of C&S was based in Edmonton, and the game had a small but loyal following there.

RPGPundit

I doubt that FtA! has a very big number of games going on at any one time; but it is being played, probably a hell of a lot more than, say, "the shab-al-hiri roach" or "the mountain witch" or any number of other vogue-of-the-season Forge crap.

One of the biggest joys of publishing a game is when someone you've never met or heard of before in any context contacts you and you find out they've played your game.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Soylent Green;348338Also, GDW "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs" has probably gone extinct, pun intended.

Not if I could get a game going.:p

Quote from: RPGPundit;348418I doubt that FtA! has a very big number of games going on at any one time; but it is being played, probably a hell of a lot more than, say, "the shab-al-hiri roach" or "the mountain witch" or any number of other vogue-of-the-season Forge crap.

I actually ran a game of The Mountain Witch a few months ago. Aside from shifting the Trust Points around within the group, though, the resolution system essentially seemed to boil down to rolling a pair of six-siders and checking who gets the higher score, so the mechanical side of things admittedly didn't captivate me that much.

Just out of curiousity. Did any one here on the boards play Aftermath? Because while it has some neat ideas, and stuff to mine from. It just seems so ultra crunchy, as to be intimidating.

Quote from: Angry_Douchebag;348415Something to that effect.  I don't actually recall ever having seen the ads, were they advertising in Dragon?  I stumbled across it in a book store in the early nineties.  Memory may not serve correctly on this point but a large component of the game seemed to revolve around the memorization of scripture.  

I took mild pleasure in seeing it sit on that shelf for month after month before going into the bargain bin.

Yes pretty much. One of the neat things was the complete game came in a HUGE box, with a lot of materials. Strangely enough I like the concept in many ways. A few aspects fell flat. (The nature of monsters being fallen creatures exiled to Edenagain, the naming like say Edenagain...) I don't mind fallen creatures/Demons, but lets make them just that--demons.

It was a neat game that had some very interesting ideas for its time, but marred a bit by the fact that it is was trying to do something that really, I'm not sure there was enough call for in the end. I've owned it a couple of times, I LOVED the artwork in it. It blew most games of the same era out of the water in its production values. (Dice, tape, character planning sheet, character sheet, counters, multiple adventures, rulebooks, with evocative art.)

Quote from: Ronin;348431Just out of curiousity. Did any one here on the boards play Aftermath? Because while it has some neat ideas, and stuff to mine from. It just seems so ultra crunchy, as to be intimidating.

Played it once back in the day.  Even with a lot of crunch, it was manageable.

Quote from: Ronin;348431Just out of curiousity. Did any one here on the boards play Aftermath? Because while it has some neat ideas, and stuff to mine from. It just seems so ultra crunchy, as to be intimidating.

I played it regularly with a group in college. The whole group was composed of gun nuts, so I guess the obsessive detail didn't bother us that much.  That and we had the free time that comes with the indolent college lifestyle.  Even then, it was too crunchy for my tastes and I didn't worry too much about the details of the system.  We had a couple of obsessive-compulsive types who liked that part of it.

Haven't played it in almost 20 years, however.


TGA

Quote from: Soylent Green;348338The settings for AE were not all bad, but find it hard to think someone would run the AE itself.

We played For Faerie, Queen, and Country not to long ago. (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell had just swept through our group.) To be fair, I don't know that I'd play it again...

Seanchai

Can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet: UnderGround (or maybe it was Under Ground, I forget exactly). I remember it being mildly popular enough at my flgs when it came out. Tons of guns and a ridiculous setting(where McDonalds was called Happy Ghoul and served former characters as food.).

Quote from: ggroy;348444Played it once back in the day.  Even with a lot of crunch, it was manageable.

We used to play it back it school and a lot of other FGU stuff especially Daredevils and the FGU mechanics certainly influenced my own house games which is generally all that gets played now.

Quote from: ggroy;348321The one I have is in three books published on rather low quality paper with a copyright date of 1980 by SPI.

That's Dragonquest  first edition. SPI's 2nd ed from 1982 largely replaced the combat system and made a few other changes, and was published in a single volume. I think there was a Bantam Books printing as well, but it was the same as 2nd ed just with a different imprint for wider distribution. You could find these all over the place for a while.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;348312Tales fromt the Floating Vagabond is another.

A friend of mine ran a few sessions of that recently.

Quote from: KrakaJak;348490Can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet: UnderGround (or maybe it was Under Ground, I forget exactly). I remember it being mildly popular enough at my flgs when it came out. Tons of guns and a ridiculous setting(where McDonalds was called Happy Ghoul and served former characters as food.).

I've actually run this, with my own somewhat altered setting on several occasions. I play up the science fiction and down the parody. Sure the super soldiers are engineered and built and have problems dealing with society from the tools used to adapt them to their engineered forms.

The guns weren't all that big a deal with my group. I played a character nicknamed "Cat" in a game someone else ran, wore an actual leapord skin "headress" created with taxidermy. As well.

There were things I still think were brilliant and useable for the time. (The system is a variant of DC Heroes, pared down, which is a good thing.) The system to adjust the the local environment by PC choosing what to improve in their area, and the delicate balance that was? Awesome.


We had an Urban Primitive who ended up with the tribal name "Screams like a Girl.." for falling into a pit filled with the corpses of people killed by a supersoldier gone mad (wasn't sane to begin with, but ah well.) Called the White Spider, he was a NASTY NASTY person.

I picked up a game called Immortal sometime in the 90's.  I don't think it was even playable as-is, so I'd bank that nobody is playing it now, either. :)

It used multicolored dice and had unusual names for everything.  It had some interesting art, but that's about all I'll say for it.

-O

I doubt the Wizards RPG (based on Ralph Bakshi's film) is played anymore.
The talk around Microlite20 has died down so I am unsure this is getting any play.

Aberrant d20. Apart from the complete mismatch between flavor and mechanics ("What would you do with the power of... a fairly above average person?") it manages to poop on both the original Aberrant setting conceit (high power) and d20 (by doing everything in a d20 culturally incorrect way). It's remotely possible, I guess, that someone plays this, but to me it is the very definition of unloved and unlovable, a cynical hack job cobbled together from the corpses of the dying d20 glut and a fun but decidedly peculier White Wolf superhero game.

Quote from: pawsplay;348568Aberrant d20. Apart from the complete mismatch between flavor and mechanics ("What would you do with the power of... a fairly above average person?") it manages to poop on both the original Aberrant setting conceit (high power) and d20 (by doing everything in a d20 culturally incorrect way). It's remotely possible, I guess, that someone plays this, but to me it is the very definition of unloved and unlovable, a cynical hack job cobbled together from the corpses of the dying d20 glut and a fun but decidedly peculier White Wolf superhero game.

Data point: a while back, after the Savage Worlds/Necessary Evil campaign I was in imploded, my GM's boyfriend suggested that she try running an Aberrant campaign instead. We ran with the Storyteller version of the rules.

Other games nobody plays... I do wonder sometimes whether I was the only person ever to run an A|State campaign, aside from the original designer. Doesn't help that the game seems to have been abandoned for all intents and purposes - or at least, nothing new is being made for it, despite only a tiny fraction of the originally-promised supplements ever seeing the light of day.

Secrets of Zir'An. The game came and went so quick that I wonder if anyone ever got a chance to play it at all.

Quote from: jeff37923;348581Secrets of Zir'An. The game came and went so quick that I wonder if anyone ever got a chance to play it at all.

Seconded.

The two most-visited game stores locally never even saw a copy of it or had regular customer/gamers mention having tried it.

It did seem to have a heck of hype & promo campaign for awhile.


- Ed C.

I hope that 7th Sea is still being played somewhere :D

Quote from: Alaxk;348614I hope that 7th Sea is still being played somewhere :D

It seemed like such a neat idea, until I found out what it was really about. :(

!i!

Quote from: jeff37923;348581Secrets of Zir'An. The game came and went so quick that I wonder if anyone ever got a chance to play it at all.

Well, earlier this year I ran a test scenario with SoZ, set in a kind of fantasy version of early Hollywood, complete with foreign spies and an elven Valentino. I wouldn't mind trying to get the game going again at some later point if time allows.

Hmm. What was it that I mentioned in another thread like this... Ah, yes: I recently picked up a cheap used copy of A.C.E. Agents!, a "super spy science fiction adventure parody" RPG published by Stellar Games in 1992. That one probably doesn't see much action these days, if it ever did in the first place.

Quote from: GrimGent;348618Hmm. What was it that I mentioned in another thread like this... Ah, yes: I recently picked up a cheap used copy of A.C.E. Agents!, a "super spy science fiction adventure parody" RPG published by Stellar Games in 1992. That one probably doesn't see much action these days, if it ever did in the first place.

I was just going to mention ACE Agents! It wasn't too bad a game (although I don't have it any more). As you say, I doubt it got much play - we only ever got as far as creating characters.

Simon W

Quote from: Ian Absentia;348616It seemed like such a neat idea, until I found out what it was really about. :(

Do tell.

I would be interested to hear your thoughts as well.

Quote from: obryn;348520I picked up a game called Immortal sometime in the 90's.  I don't think it was even playable as-is, so I'd bank that nobody is playing it now, either. :)

It used multicolored dice and had unusual names for everything.  It had some interesting art, but that's about all I'll say for it.

-O

I did run it under the original rules which, well sorta worked. Not great though. It fell flat with the horribly produced quality book, Claudia Christenson IIRC digitially "painted" over and the book fell apart because of the binding quality.

  It DID get 3 editions, the last one was given away as a PDF. The original one as odd dice thing, that if it could have been worked on might have produced something brilliant. The new mechanic didn't do anything special, but was at least solid.

The game suffered mechanically and thematically because it seemed tied to a WOD type setup, with strange crossbreed of Highlander. It had some really neat aspects. (An immortal had to be able to use their vocal chords to resurrect. so beheading killed them.) It's back story was at least as good as WOD, just different.

Quote from: Akrasia;348343Yeah, I forgot about V&V.  I can imagine that it's still being played.

Some friends of mine started a campaign at V&V a couple of weeks ago. I was never really into it, but it was played a lot in my gaming club during the '80s.

Quote from: Ronin;348654I would be interested to hear your thoughts as well.

You mean 7th Sea?  Sure.

When it was first announced, I was still into 1st ed. Legend of the Five Rings.  This advertisement was released that was so very, very vague, the title seemed to suggest that the game would be a L5R-like game of swashbuckling on the high seas -- maybe with pirates!  It turned out to be a largely land-bound game of political intrigue, albeit with some nifty mechanics for schools of fencing.  In the end, very little of it was what anyone who had an interest in the teasers expected (and wanted) it to be.

Hey, and while we're talking about Immortal, from that same period and essentially same genre there was Chaosium's Nephilim.  Hell, I loved that game and am currently cannibalising it for a campaign to run for my kids, but even I won't bother playing the game as it's written anymore.

!i!

I, too, have a copy of Immoral on the shelf. Not sure I ever even read it all the way through the first time. And I always thought 7th Sea was a swashbuckling game too, but never even cracked a cover.

7th Sea also had cthulhuesque aliens and everyone including your mother were members of world spanning secret societies. Not to mention your magic user was unknowingly killing the world with magic.

Ah, I forgot about the secret societies and magicians.  See what I mean?  And not much in the way of sailing adventure as I recall.

!i!

This thread reminds me of the Island of Misfit Toys.  We need an Island of Misfit RPGs.

Shatterzone.
The RPG based on Bakshi's Wizards movie.
Dream Park.
GDW's Dark Conspiracy.

What kills me is that I've owned and/or played about 85% of these games...

I'm certain that there are people somewhere playing D20 Modern, but it sure seemed to fade away without notice.

Quote from: ticopelp;348777Dream Park.

I've had this game for awhile, but I've used it more as a resource for other games than ever actually played it.

I'd almost bet my immortal soul that no one is currently playing Cyborg Commando. :)

Much as I hate to say it:  DC Heroes.

As much as I love it, for all the talk on the mailing list, it doesn't seem like any of them actually play the game anymore.  It's more about the writeups.org thing, and monkeying around with the character system, than anything that has the slightest thing to do with actual play.

Quote from: J Arcane;348800Much as I hate to say it:  DC Heroes.

As much as I love it, for all the talk on the mailing list, it doesn't seem like any of them actually play the game anymore.  It's more about the writeups.org thing, and monkeying around with the character system, than anything that has the slightest thing to do with actual play.

Wasnt their someone around here that was looking to start a DC Heroes game?

Quote from: Akrasia;348782I'm certain that there are people somewhere playing D20 Modern, but it sure seemed to fade away without notice.

We're finishing a (rather modified) d20 Modern mini-campaign right now, of the steampunk variety.  Not my first choice for modern gaming most of the time, but I expect there are plenty of people still using it in some fashion.

The old TSR game, Kromosome.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: Ronin;348809Wasnt their someone around here that was looking to start a DC Heroes game?

Yeah, me.  ;)

Shatterzone.

1st edition of Torg.

Wonder which other WEG titles are still played these days.

After a quick run through the 8 pages that appeared before I saw this thread, here are a few I don't think I saw mentioned, but which I wonder about:

The Morrow Project
Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes
Expendables
It Came From The Late, Late, Late Show
Lost Souls
Gamma World (1st edition)
Metamorphosis Alpha (any edition)
Boot Hill (especially the original version)

It's interesting to think there are a few lonely groups out there still playing some of these.

I think The Morrow Project is the most likely candidate for having a few active groups, based on a bit of a web presence...OK, I Googled it while I was writing this post. Apparently it still has a "loyal following," to quote the Wikipedia entry. It's kinda cool to think that there are antediluvian groups out there still plugging away. I wonder if this is a case of only a handful of players who all know each other giving it a bigger web presence than it might have otherwise?

Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha, particularly the original editions, may seem more likely, but I dunno. I haven't heard or seen much about either of them, just their descendants.

One of these days I'd like to run Expendables and Flashing Blades.

Quote from: Werekoala;348779What kills me is that I've owned and/or played about 85% of these games...

I've played closer to 90% or so..


Example: D20 Modern Above, is one of my friends favorite games to run--he bought it with his own cash, one of the few he did and wasn't given by other friends. (His other favorite is MSH.)

JArcane: As I've said before, tell me when--online--and I'll do my best to be available. (Weekends are a problem. M-W before between 6-9CST are troublesome...due to commitments.)


I liked Khromosome. Ran it once. I'd still run it now combined with Underground, if I weren't working on my own semi Cyberpunk style game.

I'm trying to think of when I'll have time for Morrow Project (4th Edition is allegedly coming, YAY! Too late for my current PA game.) Then I'm hoping to do MSPE--probably ripping off T&T to do a Bureau 13 game (someday.)

My biggest problem is the more games I write--the more my players want me to run THOSE games not games created by others. Sigh. I like other games, a lot.

Quote from: VectorSigma;348810We're finishing a (rather modified) d20 Modern mini-campaign right now, of the steampunk variety.  Not my first choice for modern gaming most of the time, but I expect there are plenty of people still using it in some fashion.

I think a lot of people rushed to buy it when it came out--I know I did--but it seemed to fizzle. Everyone I know who games had the book, but getting people to play it was tough.

QuoteJArcane: As I've said before, tell me when--online--and I'll do my best to be available. (Weekends are a problem. M-W before between 6-9CST are troublesome...due to commitments.)

Yeah, I could probably cobble together something online, I've just never had any luck with online games.  Need to invent some special online RPG system that doesn't allow for any of the usual distractions.   ;)

The other problem of course is just that I'm more of a player than a GM, and that makes it hard to get a game in a new system going.

Quote from: J Arcane;348817Yeah, me.  ;)

Lol I guess thats why it seemed familiar.:)

Quote from: Silverlion;348655I did run it under the original rules which, well sorta worked. Not great though.

No kidding!  I'm not ashamed to admit that I couldn't figure out a damn thing about how the game was supposed to be played from the actual text of the book. :)  To this day, I still occasionally pull it off my third-tier shelf and puzzle over it for a bit.

I got it because the color art had a very neat angle to it, and the "clans" seemed really, really cool.  And yeah, the world was very neat - a vampire rip-off, sure, but I personally found it more interesting than WoD.

But like I said, I couldn't figure out how anyone was supposed to use the words contained in the book to play anything resembling a game.  Otherwise, I probably would have, back in high school when I had time for such things. :)

-O

Quote from: Machinegun Blue;3487517th Sea also had cthulhuesque aliens and everyone including your mother were members of world spanning secret societies. Not to mention your magic user was unknowingly killing the world with magic.

How can you go wrong with Cthulhu, Secret Societies, Pirates, Magic, Global Conspiracies, and the Inquisition.  

Ah, good times :D

Quote from: DeadUematsu;348402You know, I would love to play SenZar if I could find some other people.

Me, too.  I'd try that or World of Synnibarr if any one else locally was interested.

Quote from: enelson;348521The talk around Microlite20 has died down so I am unsure this is getting any play.

There's at least one active blog documenting a campaign somewhere in my blogroll.

Quote from: jeff37923;348581Secrets of Zir'An. The game came and went so quick that I wonder if anyone ever got a chance to play it at all.

Played it once.  The setting seemed shallower than I like, which when as I type it seems damning considering I like my games pretty dang shallow.  The combat system seemed pretty interesting. though.

Quote from: PaladinCA;348795I'd almost bet my immortal soul that no one is currently playing Cyborg Commando. :)

Yeah.  If I had to choose between playing Cyborg Commando or FATAL I'd have to think about it.

Quote from: jrients;348909The setting seemed shallower than I like, which when as I type it seems damning considering I like my games pretty dang shallow.

That's mostly because the more substantial setting details were reserved for the planned supplements (like that atlas of the Treaty Nations which was already being advertised at one point), which were then never published after White Wolf cancelled the line as unprofitable. It was stated from the start that the so-called "secrets of Zir'An" would be limited to only two "essential truths" about the world, though, with the rest left up to the imagination of the players. While there's been no word on what those two might have been, based on the GM's guide we do know that they were never going to explain officially some fairly central mysteries like the disappearance of the gods or the origin of the Fane.

Can't remember the last time I heard of anyone playing Living Steel from Leading Edge Games.  But maybe someone here knows somebody who knows somebody...

Quote from: Bobloblah;348980Can't remember the last time I heard of anyone playing Living Steel from Leading Edge Games.  But maybe someone here knows somebody who knows somebody...

Nor Phoenix Command. We tried a combat when I was a college. Increments of a tenth of a second. Tracking the bullet trajectory. And I thought Rolemaster was chart heavy. Phoenix Command redefined combat complexity for me.

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

I know of at least three Gangbusters campaigns. I'd be running one myself if I had the time. ;)

Quote from: KrakaJak;348490Can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet: UnderGround (or maybe it was Under Ground, I forget exactly). I remember it being mildly popular enough at my flgs when it came out. Tons of guns and a ridiculous setting(where McDonalds was called Happy Ghoul and served former characters as food.).

Only thing I remember about that game was the fact many of the corporations in the game had names with the same abbreviations as game companies. (TSR, GDW, FASA etc). I didn't notice til someone pointed it out to me and it gave me a chuckle.

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

I'm not playing Dragonquest at this second, but I would in a heartbeat...

I know of people playing C&S in Seattle (at least as of 2005). I wouldn't be surprised if someone, somewhere wasn't playing D&D with the immortals set in some manner.

Quote from: Akrasia;348782I'm certain that there are people somewhere playing D20 Modern, but it sure seemed to fade away without notice.

I know of people playing it right now in Portland, and it gets discussed on other forums in an active manner. I'd probably play it again if chance presented itself, even though I was always irritated with the D&D HP system wrapped around gunplay mechanics.

Quote from: ggroy;3488251st edition of Torg.

I wanted to ask if anyone thought Torg was being played. I never owned a copy, but I've heard intriguing/positive things about it.

I wonder if anyone is playing Aria, by Last Unicorn Games?

Quote from: two_fishes;349104I wanted to ask if anyone thought Torg was being played. I never owned a copy, but I've heard intriguing/positive things about it.

Torg rules. It has some quirks, but it's a fine game. I tried to put together a game just a couple of years ago. Didn't work out, though.

The Amazing Engine by TSR. I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about playing it, ever.

Of course, considering when it came out, it's entirely possible nobody at TSR ever played it either.

Quote from: Warthur;349276The Amazing Engine by TSR. I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about playing it, ever.

Of course, considering when it came out, it's entirely possible nobody at TSR ever played it either.

I've run Khromosome, and I've played in "For Fairy Queen and Country"

I love KODT... just seeing Jolly's icon makes me laugh a little.

Quote from: Warthur;349276The Amazing Engine by TSR. I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about playing it, ever.

Of course, considering when it came out, it's entirely possible nobody at TSR ever played it either.

I ran a Bughunters campaign.

Quote from: Drohem;349333I ran a Bughunters campaign.

We feel your pain.

On another note, I ran a Gangbusters game not too long ago, it's a brilliant game that I highly recommend.

I'm pretty sure Flashing Blades and Bushido still get some play.

And I have played Aftermath, I actually took a dog bite to the 12, inevitably.  Far, far too complex for what it was trying to achieve.  I've also played Space Opera, it made Aftermath look like Risus.

Quote from: Balbinus;349410We feel your pain.

Eh, it wasn't that bad, but, like most things with RPGs, it was a labor of love.  I wanted to run a Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega game after that but my group was done with the Amazing Engine System.  At least we were able to actually play a Bughunters game as opposed to the Aliens Adventure Game game by Leading Edge Games.  After making character and trying a mock gun fight, they were finished adn done with it. LOL

Is anyone still playing Cybergeneration these days?

Amazing Engine get's perhaps worse press than it really deserved. If I remember correctly it  was basically a simple, skill based percentile system.

Where things went horribly wrong is with the concept of Core Character, the notion that in a sense the XP stayed with the player and not with the character, but that was easily ignored. Also I think the damage system was pretty awful but probably not beyond repair.

But the actual world books themselves were actually not bad. Back in the day I played in a couple of enjoyable "Queen, Fairy and Country" and "Magitech" games.

But in the end was most damning, what I suspect sticks to most players mind, was just the cheap, nasty books full of recycled art at a time TSR had pretty much lost all street cred. And if you try running a game with such a damaged reputation there is a good chance the game ends up sucking because the players expected it to suck so never invested that much into their characters to start with.

Quote from: Balbinus;349410On another note, I ran a Gangbusters game not too long ago, it's a brilliant game that I highly recommend.

And, in a fit of synchronicity, right about the time that you were posting this comment (honestly, within just a few minutes, I reckon), I had stumbled upon one or two Gangbusters scenarios in a local used book store.  I'd recalled your praise for the game in the past, and, had they had the rules themselves on the shelves, I would have bought the entire lot.

!i!

Top Secret
Top Secret S.I.
Spacemaster
Timemaster
Star Ace
Morrow Project

Quote from: Soylent Green;349419Amazing Engine get's perhaps worse press than it really deserved. If I remember correctly it  was basically a simple, skill based percentile system.

I agree. We played it not long ago. It wasn't the best of systems, but not the worst. If I had to say something negative about it, I'd say it shows its age...

Seanchai

Quote from: Paul B;349428Top Secret
Star Ace

I'd play either one again in a heartbeat. I LOVED Star Ace. And Chill. And Timemaster. Those three games got a good workout back in the day.

Quote from: GrimGent;348618Hmm. What was it that I mentioned in another thread like this... Ah, yes: I recently picked up a cheap used copy of A.C.E. Agents!, a "super spy science fiction adventure parody" RPG published by Stellar Games in 1992. That one probably doesn't see much action these days, if it ever did in the first place.

dear god i had that. it was amusing.
i tried porting some of the vehicle rules over to Nightlife with marginal success.

Dave

Quote from: Broken-Serenity;349418Is anyone still playing Cybergeneration these days?

I was showing it to my wife the other day. I need to work some kind of buffy/bones tv show angle into it to entice her.

Glad to hear someone is still playing that game it used to be one of my favorite settings back in the late ninties(was sad to see it go outta print aswell).

Quote from: Broken-Serenity;349495Glad to hear someone is still playing that game it used to be one of my favorite settings back in the late ninties(was sad to see it go outta print aswell).

Cybergeneration is a valued part of my RPG library.

It used to be a valued part of mine until it got stolen by an old friend of mine when i left my rpg's and a buncha other stuff with him whilst i was overseas and unable to keep my lease going....that bastard took a buncha other stuff i liked aswell then buggered off leaving the rest for his brother to look after :(

Quote from: Soylent Green;349419But in the end was most damning, what I suspect sticks to most players mind, was just the cheap, nasty books full of recycled art at a time TSR had pretty much lost all street cred. And if you try running a game with such a damaged reputation there is a good chance the game ends up sucking because the players expected it to suck so never invested that much into their characters to start with.

I confess, the thing that put me off the time was how godawful ugly the books were. I remember looking at the Magitech book and thinking "Wow, this looks like a third-rate Choose Your Own Adventure cover."

Star Ace?  It rings a bell, what was it like?

Short Answer: Polar Bears flying starfighters.

Quote from: Werekoala;349582Short Answer: Polar Bears flying starfighters.

I'm sold.

Quote from: Balbinus;349575Star Ace?  It rings a bell, what was it like?

Zany sci-fi (the polar bear thing is accurate) in the same continuity as Timemaster...and possibly Chill as well. I can't remember. But once you knew one game, you could pretty much run them all.

Well, don't know about "zany" - we played it deadly serious and it worked great. :)

And yes, all three games used the same rules, but I dont think it was the same "universe".

Quote from: Werekoala;349582Short Answer: Polar Bears flying starfighters.

You know, I'm totally onboard with that.

!i!

Tom Moldvay's magnum opus from Avalon Hill, Lords of Creation.

And why no pdf of this game floating around either?? It's just a damn shame. PM me if you've got one, I'll send you my firstborn by UPS tomorrow.

Quote from: Kellri;349664Tom Moldvay's magnum opus from Avalon Hill, Lords of Creation.

And why no pdf of this game floating around either?? It's just a damn shame. PM me if you've got one, I'll send you my firstborn by UPS tomorrow.

Holy cow, how could I have forgotten? Dunno if it was ever played in great quantities, given that "playing" LoC was itself more-or-less impossible straight from the tin. We hacked through a few sessions of it in the same spirit as hacking through Galloway's Fantasy Wargaming (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Wargaming-Bruce-Galloway/dp/0812828623).

Quote from: Paul B;349669Holy cow, how could I have forgotten? Dunno if it was ever played in great quantities, given that "playing" LoC was itself more-or-less impossible straight from the tin. We hacked through a few sessions of it in the same spirit as hacking through Galloway's Fantasy Wargaming (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Wargaming-Bruce-Galloway/dp/0812828623).

Impossible?  Why?  I ran a one shot of Lords of Creations a couple years back.  I didn't encounter anything grotesque about the rules.

Quote from: baran_i_kanu;349470i tried porting some of the vehicle rules over to Nightlife with marginal success.

Cribbing the space vehicle rules from Expendables into A.C.E. Agents! probably wouldn't prove all that difficult, come to think of it. The agency's own "Space Command" section doesn't get much attention in the book.

Quote from: jrients;349672Impossible?  Why?  I ran a one shot of Lords of Creations a couple years back.  I didn't encounter anything grotesque about the rules.

Oh hell, who can remember any more? I was like 14 at the time. I just remember reading and reading and reading and it never quite sticking in my head. It was, uh, the Universalis to my li'l book Traveller, Gamma World, Star Frontiers, etc.

Quote from: Paul B;349677Oh hell, who can remember any more? I was like 14 at the time. I just remember reading and reading and reading and it never quite sticking in my head.

Okey-dokey.  I have lots of games that I didn't have straight when I was kid.  I just wondered if I had missed something that was crucially screwed up about the game.

LOC is a good one. I forgot I had bought it when Wargames West (? -- a distributor in the US) had it on clearance. Didn't it have a standard type of damage -- something CS?

Any Twilight 2000 play still happening? Tried it once in the early/mid 80s and it was fun but very different to what we had been playing at the time (D&D and Rolemaster).

Quote from: enelson;349692Any Twilight 2000 play still happening?

I wish there was around here. I would be on board.

My group will dust off T2K about once a year and go for a spin in a BTR70 just for old-time's sake.

Quote from: Kellri;349664Tom Moldvay's magnum opus from Avalon Hill, Lords of Creation.

And why no pdf of this game floating around either?? It's just a damn shame. PM me if you've got one, I'll send you my firstborn by UPS tomorrow.

I wish I could find another print copy myself.

I'd be curious to know if anyone is still playing any of the anime rpg's (tenchi muyo, sailor moon, hellsing, trigun,  dominion tank police, demon city shinjuku, el hazaard, slayers, utena).. which I think were all besm/tri stat pulp.

Quote from: jrients;349681Okey-dokey.  I have lots of games that I didn't have straight when I was kid.  I just wondered if I had missed something that was crucially screwed up about the game.

You know what it was? I think it was that the game is unclear as to how one becomes a Lord of Creation. Did you start as one? Did you ascend somehow? All the dimension-hopping and pocket-universes and all that were just sort of scattered through the book IIRC as well: did you create pocket universes? How did you travel? Yeah...I had no real issues with straight resolution. It had more to do with the promise of multiversal awesomeness not quite being spelled out.

I think we hammered through Horn of Roland. That sounds super-familiar.

Quote from: BloodyCactus;349758I'd be curious to know if anyone is still playing any of the anime rpg's (tenchi muyo, sailor moon, hellsing, trigun,  dominion tank police, demon city shinjuku, el hazaard, slayers, utena).. which I think were all besm/tri stat pulp.

Sailor Moon RPG, occasionally, although I don't currently have a regular campaign or particular plans for it. And yes, the system that it's based on is an early version of Tri-Stat, dating back to the time when GoO was still publishing their anime games as standalone products instead of fan guide supplements for BESM.

Quote from: Paul B;349759You know what it was? I think it was that the game is unclear as to how one becomes a Lord of Creation. Did you start as one? Did you ascend somehow? All the dimension-hopping and pocket-universes and all that were just sort of scattered through the book IIRC as well: did you create pocket universes? How did you travel? Yeah...I had no real issues with straight resolution. It had more to do with the promise of multiversal awesomeness not quite being spelled out.

I think we hammered through Horn of Roland. That sounds super-familiar.

You leveled up--and eventually could create your own realities when you ascended to the top of the "level" chain.

Quote from: SilverlionYou leveled up--and eventually could create your own realities when you ascended to the top of the "level" chain.

Exactly. In practice it was akin to starting out as a nobody and ending up as Dr. Who - seemingly the #1 inspiration for the game, albeit through an American POV.

Quote from: Paul B;349428Morrow Project

There are actually quite a few hardcore fans still playing Morrow Project. Also, much to my surprise, the books are still in print (http://www.timelineltd.com/).

Last Unicorn : Star Trek Next Gen   and Deep Space 9

I see microlite20 get used for a lot of 1 shots or intro games.

Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World and Gangbusters get queries and games scheduled at conventions. I think all 3 will be played at GaryCon and I've seen mentions for NTRPGCon.

I'd love to play Gangbusters at some point.

What about the TSR Conan RPG? It seems like there are a 1,001 Conan styled RPGs but I don't hear so much about this one. I saw a post dated 2005 from RPG.net but that's it.

Quote from: Chgowiz;351093What about the TSR Conan RPG? It seems like there are a 1,001 Conan styled RPGs but I don't hear so much about this one. I saw a post dated 2005 from RPG.net but that's it.

Conany Goodness TSR style - well, its close anyway (http://www.midcoast.com/~ricekrwc/zefrs/)

While it ain't the original per se, it is a brave attempt to renew/revive the system.

I wish folks were playing Metal Magic and Lore. That's a neat game.

I'd be mildly shocked to find there were still people playing the newer Marvel Comics rpgs. The Saga card deck version never seemed to click with anyone, and I don't recall the one using the stones getting any play whatsoever. In any case, I certainly never see any discussion of them online.

Quote from: Patrick Y.;351115I'd be mildly shocked to find there were still people playing the newer Marvel Comics rpgs. The Saga card deck version never seemed to click with anyone, and I don't recall the one using the stones getting any play whatsoever. In any case, I certainly never see any discussion of them online.

The Marvel Universe rpg (the one with the stones) came and went so fast I actually did not manage to get hold of it originally. Strangley a few copies remerged last year. Basically it was Marvel that pulled the plug on that game.

It is actually a very interesting design. My major concern though it seem to a lot of hard work for the GM. Just imagine running 4-5 super villains at the same time, each with their own pool of stones and regeneration rates.

So in the end when I finally did get a hcance to run a supers campaign I turned to the old FASERIP Marvel set instead, and I have to say despite its age and odd clunky bit, it worked very well.

Quote from: Ian Absentia;348713Hey, and while we're talking about Immortal, from that same period and essentially same genre there was Chaosium's Nephilim.  Hell, I loved that game and am currently cannibalising it for a campaign to run for my kids, but even I won't bother playing the game as it's written anymore.

Probably too far in the future for you, especially if you're waiting for the English version, but hey (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=16088)...

Quote from: Patrick Y.;351115I'd be mildly shocked to find there were still people playing the newer Marvel Comics rpgs. The Saga card deck version never seemed to click with anyone, and I don't recall the one using the stones getting any play whatsoever. In any case, I certainly never see any discussion of them online.

No one ever played the stones game. I knew online a number of people who successfully played games using the character writeups and some rules of some kind, but truly there was not a playable, defined game within those pages.

Swordbearer. Excellent design, but very spare, very old school. I think it inspired other designers more than it ever resulted in actual games.

Quote from: pawsplay;351991Swordbearer. Excellent design, but very spare, very old school. I think it inspired other designers more than it ever resulted in actual games.

Great game. I'd play it today if it wasn't for the damned tiny font. And I don't know if it was all that "spare"....certainly not compared to OD&D or T&T...a lot of info in those small booklets.

Quote from: The_Shadow;352039Great game. I'd play it today if it wasn't for the damned tiny font. And I don't know if it was all that "spare"....certainly not compared to OD&D or T&T...a lot of info in those small booklets.

It had two magic systems which, while interesting, were not to my liking and not very fleshed out.

Broodmother Skyfortress
Any material from the Flame Princess Cult "zine"
Andy Slack's Classic Traveller Ultralite

Quote from: ggroy on December 12, 2009, 02:41:08 PM
- Gangbusters

I have a copy of Gangbusters 3rd edition and I ran a game for a group and had a lot of fun.  The rules were wonky but we could make then work.

A guy named Mark Hunt got the trademarks for the game and put out a B/X edition of Gangbusters not too long ago and it looks good.  I have it but haven't fully read through it yet.

Dragonlance Fifth Age Saga

Quote from: drayakir on July 22, 2022, 12:52:45 PM
Dragonlance Fifth Age Saga

Did anyone EVER play that?

I did, once, I often use the GMing as an example of what not to do.  Mind you I did play the highest trump card to push his wife's character down the stairs at the Inn of the Last Home.

Quote from: Dylan Logos on July 22, 2022, 12:57:45 PM

Quote from: drayakir on July 22, 2022, 12:52:45 PM
Dragonlance Fifth Age Saga

Did anyone EVER play that?

  Yes, but never in Dragonlance, oddly enough--I did some playtesting for the Ravenloft variation and ran a couple of short campaigns in college based on the Dragon Quest (aka Warrior) and Final Fantasy (1) video games.

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 12, 2009, 02:28:27 PM
So, which RPGs do you think are not being played anywhere, by anyone, at present?

Anything from the Masterbook line (I'd be surprised if the revised Bloodshadows is being played either)
In Dark Alleys (honestly, anything by the company is probably dead, but this line had some real good ideas)
Mechanical Dream (the weird French RPG that was translated into English and then died)
Alpha Omega (that game that got mistakenly linked to Cloverfield and had the crazy elaborate ARG-lite website)
Noctum (about as close to a Kult heartbreaker as there'll ever be.  May be too obscure for this list though)
Phoenix Dawn Command (used card decks instead of dice and required PCs to use a limited number of extra lives in order to level, so it had some novelty at least.  May be too "storygamey" for this thread though.)
Unhallowed Metropolis (nobody cares about steampunk Goth Victoriana vs zombies anymore.  Not that I wouldn't use it with Deadlands: HoE or Torg or something)
Mummy the Curse (I suspect you could add a bunch of World of Darkness games to this list, but Mummy really jumps out at me as a likely culprit)

Honestly though, there's probably tons of bigger games people are just reading and/or hoping to play "some day".

So Pundit, looking to see if some IPs are up for sale and have a go making a revised/reprint edition?

(EDIT: Damn this thread is old.)

Quote from: Dylan Logos on July 22, 2022, 12:11:53 PM
Broodmother Skyfortress

I will still occasionally bust that out for inspiration.

Not with any sort of regularity, but sometimes I'll be flipping through the shelf and think "hey, I liked that one."

Jorune has been a closet queen for a long time.  If I ever play it, I'll probably snag the setting but use a light weight/easy to hack RPG like FAE.

As far as Dragonlance SAGA I am trying to put together a game for Friday evenings, a short one. Not in the Dragonlance world, it's kind of shit, but in the setting of Heroes of Might and Magic 3. For a short game, I think it's a fine system and the casters can really do some flexible shit with it.

Quote from: ICFTI on December 18, 2009, 10:08:43 PM

Quote from: Paul B;349428Morrow Project

There are actually quite a few hardcore fans still playing Morrow Project. Also, much to my surprise, the books are still in print (http://www.timelineltd.com/).

Not exactly. According to the website, Timeline LTD is closed and the IP has been sold. I clicked the links they pointed to for more information.

There is a Morrow Project character sheet and fanzine on their DTRPG page.

Looking through the the Morrow Project 4th edition KS updates (last one was 2020-06-03) and comments, it looks like some people at least got some of what they were promised.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/904655047/the-morrow-project-4th-edition/description

The FB page has recent activity, and its shop has an adventure and two t-shirts for sale. Have not been able to see the MeWe page as of yet.

If the new owners of the IP are selling the Morrow Project rules, it is not clear where they are selling it.

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 13, 2009, 02:20:32 AM

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

I know that of those, at least Chivalry and Sorcery was still being avidly played by a small group up to about 10 years ago. One of the authors of C&S was based in Edmonton, and the game had a small but loyal following there.

RPGPundit

Brittannia Game Designs Ltd did a KS for the C&C 5th edition rules in 2019. They are an Electrum Best Seller on DTRPG and have additional source books and adventures. Based on that I would guess that there is someone out there playing it.

Dallas the Roleplaying Game!

Quote from: dkabq on July 31, 2022, 08:12:12 AM
... Have not been able to see the MeWe page as of yet. ...

It's a low traffic casual page and does not appear to be an official voice.  Still, I like MeWe in general since it is more focused that a lot of other platforms.

I actually wonder what the relationship is between kickstarter success and people actually playing the game There are tons of games on kickstarter that make tons of money but you actually never hear about anybody playing them in the real world or online

Quote from: PencilBoy99 on July 31, 2022, 11:31:33 AM
I actually wonder what the relationship is between kickstarter success and people actually playing the game There are tons of games on kickstarter that make tons of money but you actually never hear about anybody playing them in the real world or online

In my opinion there are a few reasons for this...

First: Promoting "The Message"

For some of the more blatantly SJW oriented ones like thirsty sword lesbians, there is a lot of what one could call 'fiscal virtue signaling'. For the openly racist projects like coyote and crow, there's also a lot of 'white guilt indulgence buying' going on.

No one will be playing either game a few years from now.

They're not really meant to be played so much as they serve as 'standard bearers' of what they want the future of the RPG hobby to look like. Throwing money at such projects is more about supporting a cause than any real desire to engage in or promote actual gameplay.


Second: The Collector/Completest side of the RPG hobby.

You have big ticket kick-starter games like the licensed AVATAR game. Ridiculous big money.

Yet, no one will actually be playing it two years after its release.

Why? Because it is just not a good RPG property to actually game in. (Let alone their system choice...)

So why did it do such big numbers then?

First: There is a huge collector aspect in the RPG hobby. People buy RPG's that they will never play just for the Lore/IP all the time.

Second: An IP like AVATAR is also drawing from a larger separate collector fanbase outside of the RPG hobby. Lots of AVATAR fans and collectors are going to buy the RPG just to have it and be completest.

In my opinion; the Collector side of the RPG hobby is BIG. And it is not accounted for enough when it comes to discussions of what games are actually played vs. those that rack up sales numbers.

Modiphius 2d20 Conan game line is a prime example of this effect in my opinion. You have a good sized game line with several hardcover supplements filled with quality Art and Lore, that wouldn't get made unless sales were rather decent.

But who is actually playing the game? Good luck finding people on any of the major RPG forums or online VTT that admit to doing so in sufficient numbers to even remotely justify modiphius's output. Yet they must have the sales to justify their releases...

Quote from: Jaeger on July 31, 2022, 04:04:38 PM
You have big ticket kick-starter games like the licensed AVATAR game. Ridiculous big money.

Yet, no one will actually be playing it two years after its release.

Why? Because it is just not a good RPG property to actually game in. (Let alone their system choice...)

(snip lots of stuff I agree with)

That was exactly my thought.  It's a show about an uber-PC and his underling PC sidekicks, set in a relatively small world with monolithic cultures.  Then we get a sequel that, honestly, has a bit more to explore but still the same underlying problems.  Meanwhile, everything it tries to do (outside of "here's more art and lore for that show you loved years ago") other games do better.  Exalted has more interesting "benders" in the form of Dragon-Blooded, and a better setting to explore and adventure in (and for GMs to tweak).  Ars Magica does a better job at handling differing power levels with its troupe-style play.

This does bring up a second question though: how many games are played as one-shot campaigns?  Say 6 sessions, give or take.

Quote from: zircher on July 22, 2022, 02:37:20 PM
Jorune has been a closet queen for a long time.  If I ever play it, I'll probably snag the setting but use a light weight/easy to hack RPG like FAE.

I was about to post "Skyrealms of Jorune"
I played it a bit wayback in the 80s and loved it.
Never played it or heard much about it since.

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 12, 2009, 02:28:27 PM
So, which RPGs do you think are not being played anywhere, by anyone, at present? Published RPGs only, obviously, not ultra-obscure games. Games that were released once, but either due to the crapulence of the rules or the stupidity of the setting or just plain bad luck, are not being played anymore?

Mind you, I suspect that a great deal of the non-RPGs that the Forge crowd had developed are not being played, what with the combination of their short shelf-life and the fact that so many Forgers want to talk about Storygames more than they want to play them, but that's an easy mark.

RPGPundit

That is a long long long long long long long long x1000 list.

There are hundreds of RPGs out there that just never took off for reasons other than being bad games or having wertched designers, or horrid publishers.

Usually it is due to timing, or being badmouthed by other companies, or smaller print runs that keep the game from getting traction. Or not enough advertising or not enough interest.

Some fall because they feel too much like another game despite sometimes coming out first.

Others are too off the beaten path.

And as we've been discussing on the other thread. Some games arent as obscure or forgotten as people think.

And some games are never played through no fault of their own but due to external problems. Posterchild for that is Other Suns. The designer antagonized everyone and to this day still threatens the few remaining fans. Beating out Palladium for most idiotic treatment of fans.

D20m Gamma World. An RPG no one can play because the hacks calling themselves designers could not even write playable rules. "oh we didnt add those rules. The players will write it for us." (Still though one of the best DMGs for how to DM tips and tools out there. And the community as a PC idea was great.)

Synnabarr probably stands out too as its so complex.

I love Universe but freaks sake the chargen makes Traveller look easier than BX D&D.

Did anyone ever actually play Amazing Engine or Alternity?

The default state of a game is not to be played.  Even with my collection culled hard, I've still got 20 or more still on the shelf.  At any given time, I'm not playing all but 2 or 3 of them, usually all but 1 of them. :D

QuoteDid anyone ever actually play Amazing Engine or Alternity?

I ran a Bughunters campaign and several Star*Drive campaigns before 3.0 came out in 2000. When I have time, I want to GM Star*Drive again.

I love Alternity's system.  Unfortunately haven't been able to get anyone to play it for about 15 years now.

I played in one Alternity Star*Drive game and ran an Alternity Dark Matter game, but both of those were > 20 years ago.

Quote from: Steven Mitchell on August 01, 2022, 10:41:47 AM
The default state of a game is not to be played.

Correction: the default state of a game is not to be read. This is particularly true of pdfs. Anyone here can go to the RPG folder on their computer right now and find a bunch of RPG pdfs, and make a guesstimate of how many they've even opened once - let alone read, or played.

Most rpgs are never purchased.
Of those purchased, most are never played.
Of those played, most are not played for 12+ months.

That's not something to get dramatic about, though. A while back I looked it up, and the US had some 4 million new books published each year, with 693 million sales all. That's fewer than 200 sales per book. So if you write something and 200 people buy it, congratulations, you're above average.

The "basically unknown" RPG that I liked the most is "Lacuna Part I". I ran it as the GM and it unlocked areas of my creativity that I didn't even know they existed. The "heartbeats" system is fantastic and the paranoia about what it is really going in the "real world" (which can even not be real) is half of the fun.

For the uninitiated, it is about Agents who descend into the "collective subconscious", Blue City, to hunt for criminals. In a way, it is a paranoid/horror/mystery version of "Inception", as the concept is similar. Many clues, however, suggest that A LOT of the things surrounding the "Company" they work for are extremely dubious, if not scary... The fun was creating the specifics of the different subconscious. I literally picked up ideas by looking around. I still run Lacuna every then and now, because I can prepare sessions on the fly, the system can be taught in five minutes (actually you don't even need to teach it; the "Controller" can simply say "New Agents must be careful, as they will have to learn things on the field) and you can finish each adventure in one sitting (I always did).

Quote from: Kyle Aaron on August 02, 2022, 02:01:41 AM

Quote from: Steven Mitchell on August 01, 2022, 10:41:47 AM
The default state of a game is not to be played.

Correction: the default state of a game is not to be read. This is particularly true of pdfs. Anyone here can go to the RPG folder on their computer right now and find a bunch of RPG pdfs, and make a guesstimate of how many they've even opened once - let alone read, or played.

Most rpgs are never purchased.
Of those purchased, most are never played.
Of those played, most are not played for 12+ months.

That's not something to get dramatic about, though. A while back I looked it up, and the US had some 4 million new books published each year, with 693 million sales all. That's fewer than 200 sales per book. So if you write something and 200 people buy it, congratulations, you're above average.

Weird. I always, at the least, skim through every pdf I buy. I have at times deleted them shortly after if I don't find anything in them I want to explore in further detail, but I've never got a pdf and just let it sit untouched.

Quote from: Paul B on December 17, 2009, 01:34:31 PMWe hacked through a few sessions of it in the same spirit as hacking through Galloway's Fantasy Wargaming (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Wargaming-Bruce-Galloway/dp/0812828623).

Wow.  Someone actually played that?  I got Fantasy Wargaming as a monthly book from the science fiction book club back in the day, and my impression, even as a teen, was that it was an unplayable mess.  It looked looked like someone had tried to write an RPG with only hearsay information about how they actually work.  There were odd things like skill check modifiers based on the time of year and your characters astrological sign.

Quote from: Mishihari on August 05, 2022, 03:14:05 AM

Quote from: Paul B on December 17, 2009, 01:34:31 PMWe hacked through a few sessions of it in the same spirit as hacking through Galloway's Fantasy Wargaming (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Wargaming-Bruce-Galloway/dp/0812828623).

Wow.  Someone actually played that?  I got Fantasy Wargaming as a monthly book from the science fiction book club back in the day, and my impression, even as a teen, was that it was an unplayable mess.  It looked looked like someone had tried to write an RPG with only hearsay information about how they actually work.  There were odd things like skill check modifiers based on the time of year and your characters astrological sign.

These modifiers can be interesting if the lore of the setting (and the rules) support them. Dragonlance had magic influenced by the three moons of Krynn and their phases, for example.

Quote from: Reckall on August 05, 2022, 06:15:27 AM

Quote from: Mishihari on August 05, 2022, 03:14:05 AM

Quote from: Paul B on December 17, 2009, 01:34:31 PMWe hacked through a few sessions of it in the same spirit as hacking through Galloway's Fantasy Wargaming (http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Wargaming-Bruce-Galloway/dp/0812828623).

Wow.  Someone actually played that?  I got Fantasy Wargaming as a monthly book from the science fiction book club back in the day, and my impression, even as a teen, was that it was an unplayable mess.  It looked looked like someone had tried to write an RPG with only hearsay information about how they actually work.  There were odd things like skill check modifiers based on the time of year and your characters astrological sign.

These modifiers can be interesting if the lore of the setting (and the rules) support them. Dragonlance had magic influenced by the three moons of Krynn and their phases, for example.

This works so much better now that computer programs can easily be found to keep track of such things.

Quote from: Mishihari on August 05, 2022, 03:14:05 AM
...  I got Fantasy Wargaming as a monthly book from the science fiction book club back in the day, and my impression, even as a teen, was that it was an unplayable mess.  ...

LOL, I had the same experience. 

I want to say, "all of them that's not D&D based."   

Clearly it is D&D that dominates.  Even spin-off OSR games are still D&D to me.  Yup, including Star Adventure and Lion & Dragon. 

There are some contenders to be sure, but once you get away from six stats and armor class, the games listed will probably be more of a personal choice than what is under rated. 

But, in my case I can truthfully say I've never played D&D.  My game list is:

1.  Palladium books.  Fantasy, RoboTech, and Heroes Unlimited mainly.  Some Recon as well. 

2.  West End Games Star Wars.   A bit clunky, but it works better with dice rolling apps to speed up playing. 

3.  Pocket Fantasy.  This is the most rules lite game I've played that still works as a proper game.  And it's free.

4.  Dungeons and Delvers Dice Pool Edition.  This is my OSR game of choice now.  It's got more character customization than a lot of games, yet it is a simpler game to play than most OSR.  No D20.  Everything is a stat die and a skill die, and often a few other dice from those customizations.  Roll them and pick the best 2 to add up. 

I could also add in the black hack games, but they didn't actually play that well. 

Black Void by Modiphius springs to mind. I remember a certain amount of buzz when it came out a few years ago, but I never hear anyone talk about it anymore, and support for the line dried up shortly after release.

Modiphius games in general seem to have a public profile out of proportion to the number of people playing them. I'm not saying no one plays their Conan or Fallout RPGs, but the books for the Dune RPG are in every game store in my state, and I've never heard anyone talk about actually playing it.

I predict the Marvel Multiverse RPG will be dead on arrival. Sure it might sell ok with a big glossy tome but judging by the playtest book  the system is a clunky mess, characters are like 'Wtf?' with regards power levels and write ups and every review or opinion about the thing suggests it needs scrapping and starting from scratch. Heck, resurrect one of the previous Marvel game systems, but this is a mess.

I wouldn't mind but every lame duck game using the Marvel system generally means it's years before the next one rolls around to get wheeled out, mouth-foamed over at the Big Purple and vanish into obscurity when the game gets canned. Again.

Marvel. The license doomed to failure? (Since the first TSR game, the rest have lasted a year or two each, if that.)

For a lot of Story Games I expect more than you expect are played in any given year since a lot are played in convention one-shots (have played some reaaaaaaaaally obscure games in convention one-shots) even if nobody plays them in their home campaign.

For the general category of games that aren't played at all I'd expect a very broad swathe of pre-OSR "I Can't Believe It's Not D&D" games.

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 06, 2022, 06:03:06 PM
Modiphius games in general seem to have a public profile out of proportion to the number of people playing them. I'm not saying no one plays their Conan or Fallout RPGs, but the books for the Dune RPG are in every game store in my state, and I've never heard anyone talk about actually playing it.

Pretty sure stores were banking on the hype of the new films to sell the Dune rpg. That tends to be the way of things. For example, my local B&N typically kept 1-2 copies of each Dune book on the shelf at any given time. That jumped to 3-4 copies around the time the new film dropped.

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 06, 2022, 06:03:06 PM
Black Void by Modiphius springs to mind. I remember a certain amount of buzz when it came out a few years ago, but I never hear anyone talk about it anymore, and support for the line dried up shortly after release.

Modiphius games in general seem to have a public profile out of proportion to the number of people playing them. I'm not saying no one plays their Conan or Fallout RPGs, but the books for the Dune RPG are in every game store in my state, and I've never heard anyone talk about actually playing it.

Because modiphius doesn't really do original IP games. (Yes, yes, I know they have some..)

They are essentially catering to the RPG collectors market. i.e. Acquire well known marquee IP then add: Art+Lore = sales.

It's the basis for their entire Conan line. Good luck finding anyone that actually plays the thing.

Quote from: Jaeger on August 08, 2022, 12:44:21 PM

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 06, 2022, 06:03:06 PM
Black Void by Modiphius springs to mind. I remember a certain amount of buzz when it came out a few years ago, but I never hear anyone talk about it anymore, and support for the line dried up shortly after release.

Modiphius games in general seem to have a public profile out of proportion to the number of people playing them. I'm not saying no one plays their Conan or Fallout RPGs, but the books for the Dune RPG are in every game store in my state, and I've never heard anyone talk about actually playing it.

Because modiphius doesn't really do original IP games. (Yes, yes, I know they have some..)

They are essentially catering to the RPG collectors market. i.e. Acquire well known marquee IP then add: Art+Lore = sales.

It's the basis for their entire Conan line. Good luck finding anyone that actually plays the thing.

I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PM

Quote from: Jaeger on August 08, 2022, 12:44:21 PM

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 06, 2022, 06:03:06 PM
Black Void by Modiphius springs to mind. I remember a certain amount of buzz when it came out a few years ago, but I never hear anyone talk about it anymore, and support for the line dried up shortly after release.

Modiphius games in general seem to have a public profile out of proportion to the number of people playing them. I'm not saying no one plays their Conan or Fallout RPGs, but the books for the Dune RPG are in every game store in my state, and I've never heard anyone talk about actually playing it.

Because modiphius doesn't really do original IP games. (Yes, yes, I know they have some..)

They are essentially catering to the RPG collectors market. i.e. Acquire well known marquee IP then add: Art+Lore = sales.

It's the basis for their entire Conan line. Good luck finding anyone that actually plays the thing.

I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Ah, it's the same with Critical Role and DnD in my experience. People just want something like the thing they are familiar with and don't like it when you tell them their assumptions are wrong. Those people never wanted to actually engage with the tabletop hobby to begin with. And that's okay. It's not for everyone. But don't waste time trying to get these people interested when they just want more of the thing that wears the thing you like's skin.

Also The Secret World > Conan Exiles

Quote from: King Tyranno on August 08, 2022, 02:28:38 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PM

Quote from: Jaeger on August 08, 2022, 12:44:21 PM

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 06, 2022, 06:03:06 PM
Black Void by Modiphius springs to mind. I remember a certain amount of buzz when it came out a few years ago, but I never hear anyone talk about it anymore, and support for the line dried up shortly after release.

Modiphius games in general seem to have a public profile out of proportion to the number of people playing them. I'm not saying no one plays their Conan or Fallout RPGs, but the books for the Dune RPG are in every game store in my state, and I've never heard anyone talk about actually playing it.

Because modiphius doesn't really do original IP games. (Yes, yes, I know they have some..)

They are essentially catering to the RPG collectors market. i.e. Acquire well known marquee IP then add: Art+Lore = sales.

It's the basis for their entire Conan line. Good luck finding anyone that actually plays the thing.

I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Ah, it's the same with Critical Role and DnD in my experience. People just want something like the thing they are familiar with and don't like it when you tell them their assumptions are wrong. Those people never wanted to actually engage with the tabletop hobby to begin with. And that's okay. It's not for everyone. But don't waste time trying to get these people interested when they just want more of the thing that wears the thing you like's skin.

Also The Secret World > Conan Exiles

I should point out that the player that likes Conan Exiles is a roleplayer, and a good one. He just doesn't want to roleplay in the Hyborean Age of REH's Conan.

I like Conan Exiles AND REH's writing. Why not both!

Hit me up if you're in the Toronto area and you wanna play Hyperborea 3E.

Quote from: rytrasmi on August 08, 2022, 04:25:34 PM
I like Conan Exiles AND REH's writing. Why not both!

Hit me up if you're in the Toronto area and you wanna play Hyperborea 3E.

I live in central Florida. That would be a bit more of a journey than I'm up for for a typical game (and I have zero interest in online gaming at thr moment). OTOH, let me know if you're heading for the House of Mouse for a week of vacationing, and we might work out a session of high adventure!

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PMI offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline.

I understand the sentiment. I generally don't want to play an RPG in a licensed setting when I like or care about that setting. I' would rather play in a game that is different but shares the same feel. This is one area where a knock-off is superior to the real thing.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 04:38:24 PM

Quote from: rytrasmi on August 08, 2022, 04:25:34 PM
I like Conan Exiles AND REH's writing. Why not both!

Hit me up if you're in the Toronto area and you wanna play Hyperborea 3E.

I live in central Florida. That would be a bit more of a journey than I'm up for for a typical game (and I have zero interest in online gaming at thr moment). OTOH, let me know if you're heading for the House of Mouse for a week of vacationing, and we might work out a session of high adventure!

Hehe....that day might come, my friend!

Quote from: hedgehobbit on August 08, 2022, 04:47:05 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PMI offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline.

I understand the sentiment. I generally don't want to play an RPG in a licensed setting when I like or care about that setting. I' would rather play in a game that is different but shares the same feel. This is one area where a knock-off is superior to the real thing.

I chose not to play in a Wheel of Time or Dune setting because I didn't find them all that interesting for RPing  OTOH, I would rather play In a Star Wars game than In a Star Wars knock-off (I think; I'll let tou know after the Twilight Imperium setting for Gensys come out).

Le's see... I have print versions of Legends of Anglerre, World Tree, and Eoris Essence.

I doubt anyone is playing any of those - not sure I ever heard of anyone playing these TBH.

Quote from: Akrasia on December 12, 2009, 03:03:36 PM

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;348311I haven't seen anyone play Middle Earth Role Playing in a while...

I'm pretty sure that MERP is seeing some play.  At the very least, people are still using the supplements (and, judging by their prices on ebay, there remains a very high demand for them).  I continue to use material from ICE's Middle-Earth campaign books today, albeit primarily for non-ME games (and I haven't run MERP since 1999).

MERP's close cousin (nephew?), Rolemaster Express (essentially a 'stripped down' version of Rolemaster 2e/Classic, similar in many respects to a 'generic MERP') is being sold by ICE.

More immediately, the new game "Against the Darkmaster" is basically an updated MERP homage and judging from their Discord server, lots of folks are using it to revive MERP and/or mix the systems, including me.

Quote from: Persimmon on August 09, 2022, 06:09:08 PM

Quote from: Akrasia on December 12, 2009, 03:03:36 PM

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;348311I haven't seen anyone play Middle Earth Role Playing in a while...

I'm pretty sure that MERP is seeing some play.  At the very least, people are still using the supplements (and, judging by their prices on ebay, there remains a very high demand for them).  I continue to use material from ICE's Middle-Earth campaign books today, albeit primarily for non-ME games (and I haven't run MERP since 1999).

MERP's close cousin (nephew?), Rolemaster Express (essentially a 'stripped down' version of Rolemaster 2e/Classic, similar in many respects to a 'generic MERP') is being sold by ICE.

More immediately, the new game "Against the Darkmaster" is basically an updated MERP homage and judging from their Discord server, lots of folks are using it to revive MERP and/or mix the systems, including me.

Hey, I've actually played vDM! Friend from out of town is a playtester and proofreader for a company that works with them, and he ran it when he visited. He's since moved to the Land of Gators and Craziness, so I'll probably be playing it again.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PM
I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Can you elaborate a bit on the differences?

Quote from: Thornhammer on August 09, 2022, 11:23:49 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PM
I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Can you elaborate a bit on the differences?

Sure: The asscrack is seen as a vertical cleft above (when the character is squatting) the descending scrotum and narrowly separated by the taint. Female characters have the asscrack but lack the scrotum.

Oh, you meant the games? Exiles is a "pocket" setting that doesn't really care at all about the Hyborean world. It's a survival game of upgrading gear and building bases. The typical Conan RPG is as much about the locations and peoples of the Hyborean world. While you might play out survival scenarios in some lands, a game in Nemedia or Koth (for example) is much more likely to be about political strife, including assassinations and wars. A game in Stygia probably involves mysteries and Cults of Set. The Modiphius Conan game gets some grief at times, but it does a fantastic job of bringing the Hyborean world to life.

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 10, 2022, 12:27:02 AM

Quote from: Thornhammer on August 09, 2022, 11:23:49 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PM
I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Can you elaborate a bit on the differences?

Sure: The asscrack is seen as a vertical cleft above (when the character is squatting) the descending scrotum and narrowly separated by the taint. Female characters have the asscrack but lack the scrotum.

Oh, you meant the games? Exiles is a "pocket" setting that doesn't really care at all about the Hyborean world. It's a survival game of upgrading gear and building bases. The typical Conan RPG is as much about the locations and peoples of the Hyborean world. While you might play out survival scenarios in some lands, a game in Nemedia or Koth (for example) is much more likely to be about political strife, including assassinations and wars. A game in Stygia probably involves mysteries and Cults of Set. The Modiphius Conan game gets some grief at times, but it does a fantastic job of bringing the Hyborean world to life.

If Modiphius had just kept some of the SJW BS out of the game, it would have been better.  If you feel that pressured, put a short disclaimer in the core book about adult content and move on.  Plus, the 2d20 system kind of sucks.  But they do capture the spirit & feel of Hyboria in the various supplements.  The art is generally cool and the game has a solid Conan vibe.  But the mechanics & politics were deal breakers for me.  Instead I recently backed a new S&S game called "Swords & Chaos," which runs on the Siege Engine system used by Castles & Crusades, which I love.

Quote from: Persimmon on August 10, 2022, 09:25:33 AM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 10, 2022, 12:27:02 AM

Quote from: Thornhammer on August 09, 2022, 11:23:49 PM

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 08, 2022, 12:57:57 PM
I offered to GM a Conan game for a player that really likes Conan Exiles, but he just wasn't interested. Apparently CE differs considerably from most of REH's baseline. I figure he just doesn't want a game where backviews of your character's asscrack and scrotum aren't the highpoint.

Can you elaborate a bit on the differences?

Sure: The asscrack is seen as a vertical cleft above (when the character is squatting) the descending scrotum and narrowly separated by the taint. Female characters have the asscrack but lack the scrotum.

Oh, you meant the games? Exiles is a "pocket" setting that doesn't really care at all about the Hyborean world. It's a survival game of upgrading gear and building bases. The typical Conan RPG is as much about the locations and peoples of the Hyborean world. While you might play out survival scenarios in some lands, a game in Nemedia or Koth (for example) is much more likely to be about political strife, including assassinations and wars. A game in Stygia probably involves mysteries and Cults of Set. The Modiphius Conan game gets some grief at times, but it does a fantastic job of bringing the Hyborean world to life.

If Modiphius had just kept some of the SJW BS out of the game, it would have been better.  If you feel that pressured, put a short disclaimer in the core book about adult content and move on.  Plus, the 2d20 system kind of sucks.  But they do capture the spirit & feel of Hyboria in the various supplements.  The art is generally cool and the game has a solid Conan vibe.  But the mechanics & politics were deal breakers for me.  Instead I recently backed a new S&S game called "Swords & Chaos," which runs on the Siege Engine system used by Castles & Crusades, which I love.

You talk.about the "politics" but they're not really in the books. They may have been involved in discussions about what to put in the books, but unless you hunt for such things, you'll not find it in the pages. As for the 2d20 system, it's not my favorite, but the Conan version is definitely one of the more traditional RPG takes on it. Sure, there is a meta-currency and narrative elements, but it's still based on an attribute/skill/talent triad that has become very common today. By contrast, some 2d20 use wide fields or attitudes/approaches instead and are even more narrative.

Unfortunately, the politics are at the beginning of every one of the books, with their disclaimers about Howard the racist, etc.  Then, some of their writers quit because Modiphius censored their stuff.  And their discussion boards are an SJW cesspit, infiltrated by people who have neither read nor understand the original texts.  There's also their bullshit propaganda about being "pure to Howard" when they add tons of stuff that wasn't in Howard.  Just because he and Lovecraft were pen pals it doesn't mean you stick deep ones in every coastal Hyborian city or whatever.  I have no problem with adding the content itself; it's their Howardian virtue signalling, which is also contradicted by their censoring of the Khitai & Black Kingdoms material that irks me.

And, yes I think the 2d20 system sucks, but that's just personal preference.  It's too bad because I really wanted to like this game and bought a bunch of the stuff after it first came out, but it just didn't do it for me.  Oh well, next.

Quote from: Jaeger on August 08, 2022, 12:44:21 PM
Because modiphius doesn't really do original IP games. (Yes, yes, I know they have some..)

They are essentially catering to the RPG collectors market. i.e. Acquire well known marquee IP then add: Art+Lore = sales.

It's the basis for their entire Conan line. Good luck finding anyone that actually plays the thing.

Strangely, one of the groups I'm playing in is just in the process of switching to Modiphius' Conan (first session next week). I'm very curious to see how it turns out. I bought the book a few years ago and then wound up never running it, because I did a few test combats and found it to be way too crunchy. But we're playing on VTT, so hopefully having some of the math automated will actually make it playable.

Quote from: Persimmon on August 10, 2022, 02:18:42 PM
Unfortunately, the politics are at the beginning of every one of the books, with their disclaimers about Howard the racist, etc.  Then, some of their writers quit because Modiphius censored their stuff.  And their discussion boards are an SJW cesspit, infiltrated by people who have neither read nor understand the original texts.  There's also their bullshit propaganda about being "pure to Howard" when they add tons of stuff that wasn't in Howard.  Just because he and Lovecraft were pen pals it doesn't mean you stick deep ones in every coastal Hyborian city or whatever.  I have no problem with adding the content itself; it's their Howardian virtue signalling, which is also contradicted by their censoring of the Khitai & Black Kingdoms material that irks me.

There's something horribly cycnical about the way that so many people make money off of the works of the Weird Tales generation of writers, while at the same time constantly insulting the very people whose creations they're exploiting.

Modiphius is far from the worst offenders, though. I didn't even really notice a woke bent to their Conan line until I had other things to compare it to. I find the problem is less with what they put in than with what they leave out. I went and looked at some of the old D20 Conan splat books: nudity on every page, grotesque illustrations and extensive discussions of prostitution and slavery. Modiphius' Conan, by comparison, just feels too clean and bloodless. Even Savage Worlds' Solomon Kane products have more teeth to them. 

Greetings!

I think that Franzetta's genre-defining art and artistic vision is so monumental that its celebration of uber-masculinity, heroism, luxurious sensuality, and uber-femininity, makes all of the feminized Woke morons gnash their teeth and simmer in grinding rage and hatred.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 11, 2022, 01:59:25 PM
...
Strangely, one of the groups I'm playing in is just in the process of switching to Modiphius' Conan (first session next week). I'm very curious to see how it turns out. I bought the book a few years ago and then wound up never running it, because I did a few test combats and found it to be way too crunchy. But we're playing on VTT, so hopefully having some of the math automated will actually make it playable.

I did a one-shot session of their quickstart adventure.

I get what they were trying to do -  but man do they have a lot of moving parts...

And some things are just re-inventing the wheel for the sake of doing so - Like how they use d6's for damage, but in a non-standard way so that they can sell special dice.

The Doom pool is what did me in though. "GM Points" meta mechanics just rub me the wrong way. Especially as a player because you can clearly see when the GM 'holds back', because any play group worth their salt will know exactly how many point the GM has in their 'doom pool' at any given time.

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 11, 2022, 02:11:08 PM
...
There's something horribly cycnical about the way that so many people make money off of the works of the Weird Tales generation of writers, while at the same time constantly insulting the very people whose creations they're exploiting.

Modiphius is far from the worst offenders, though. I didn't even really notice a woke bent to their Conan line until I had other things to compare it to. I find the problem is less with what they put in than with what they leave out. I went and looked at some of the old D20 Conan splat books: nudity on every page, grotesque illustrations and extensive discussions of prostitution and slavery. Modiphius' Conan, by comparison, just feels too clean and bloodless. Even Savage Worlds' Solomon Kane products have more teeth to them. 

I have Conan d20. It was a decent attempt, but even they kept the HP bloat endemic to OGL games. Unfortunately, as we've seen with the recent shield maidens thread, mongoose would be psychologically incapable of making that same game today.

Sadly it is very hard for a new publisher to break into the RPG business. Because your average RPG fan is loyal to a fault to their older favorite IP, even when it becomes obvious that said IP is being used as a skinsuit for something else...

No one is playing Coyote and Crow, apparently.  ;D

Quote from: Jaeger on August 11, 2022, 10:37:43 PM

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 11, 2022, 01:59:25 PM
...
Strangely, one of the groups I'm playing in is just in the process of switching to Modiphius' Conan (first session next week). I'm very curious to see how it turns out. I bought the book a few years ago and then wound up never running it, because I did a few test combats and found it to be way too crunchy. But we're playing on VTT, so hopefully having some of the math automated will actually make it playable.

I did a one-shot session of their quickstart adventure.

I get what they were trying to do -  but man do they have a lot of moving parts...

And some things are just re-inventing the wheel for the sake of doing so - Like how they use d6's for damage, but in a non-standard way so that they can sell special dice.

The Doom pool is what did me in though. "GM Points" meta mechanics just rub me the wrong way. Especially as a player because you can clearly see when the GM 'holds back', because any play group worth their salt will know exactly how many point the GM has in their 'doom pool' at any given time.

Quote from: ForgottenF on August 11, 2022, 02:11:08 PM
...
There's something horribly cycnical about the way that so many people make money off of the works of the Weird Tales generation of writers, while at the same time constantly insulting the very people whose creations they're exploiting.

Modiphius is far from the worst offenders, though. I didn't even really notice a woke bent to their Conan line until I had other things to compare it to. I find the problem is less with what they put in than with what they leave out. I went and looked at some of the old D20 Conan splat books: nudity on every page, grotesque illustrations and extensive discussions of prostitution and slavery. Modiphius' Conan, by comparison, just feels too clean and bloodless. Even Savage Worlds' Solomon Kane products have more teeth to them. 

I have Conan d20. It was a decent attempt, but even they kept the HP bloat endemic to OGL games. Unfortunately, as we've seen with the recent shield maidens thread, mongoose would be psychologically incapable of making that same game today.

Sadly it is very hard for a new publisher to break into the RPG business. Because your average RPG fan is loyal to a fault to their older favorite IP, even when it becomes obvious that said IP is being used as a skinsuit for something else...

I agree 100% about the Doom concept. It suggests to me a basic distrust of GMs. I don't mind it so much as just a means of letting the GM push their NPCs rolls, but the idea that you have to spend it to add challenges to the adventures kind of breaks the whole concept of GMing. I just generally dislike meta-currency anyway, though. The general design of Conan 2d20 makes me think that they were trying to copy the design of D100 fantasy games (Especially WFRP), while shoehorning it into their proprietary dice system for copyright reasons. 

I might make a whole secondary thread about this, so I'll spare the details here, but I'm coming around to the idea that HP bloat in D&D-based games is a logical consequence of the AC system, and how it limits your options to improve your defense.

I often wonder the actual number of gaming sessions that take place for a given system. Gaming is a private activity, after all, and not everyone posts about it online. Is there a group out there that have been playing some obscure game for 30 years? Or has that same obscure game been dusted off and given a mini-campaign recently. How many people are still playing Hero System regularly? 10 groups, 100 groups, 1000 groups? My Intuition says far less than 1000 but far more than 10. Only the omniscient Deity knows.

Powers & Perils anyone? Published by Avalon Hill no less.

Some I haven't heard about in a long time...

ElfQuest
Aria
Ysgarth
Ringworld
The Fantasy Trip
Bushido

Quote from: kenmckinney on August 13, 2022, 12:17:57 AM
Some I haven't heard about in a long time...

ElfQuest
Aria
Ysgarth
Ringworld
The Fantasy Trip
Bushido

Oh, I remember seeing that one in the store when it was brand new. I loved the Kaluta covers, and nearly bought it. But then, I couldn't figure out what kind of game was expected based on the flipping through it. It seemed wordy more than anything.

Quote from: Trond on August 13, 2022, 12:49:17 AM

Quote from: kenmckinney on August 13, 2022, 12:17:57 AM
Some I haven't heard about in a long time...

ElfQuest
Aria
Ysgarth
Ringworld
The Fantasy Trip
Bushido

Oh, I remember seeing that one in the store when it was brand new. I loved the Kaluta covers, and nearly bought it. But then, I couldn't figure out what kind of game was expected based on the flipping through it. It seemed wordy more than anything.

Greetings!

I have the ARIA book! The Blue one. I think they also had a Red book, but I didn't get that one. The Blue ARIA book is all about tribes, governments, and kingdom building, as well as society, economics, and religion.

The book has some very cool and interesting ideas, and certainly some interesting presentation and idea development. Definitely a good book for inspiration, ideas, and just "thought chewies".

The ARIA downfall is that they try to construct their own RPG, and try too hard to "Not Be Some Other Game" in which they scrupulously avoid standard terminology for dozens of concepts and ideas, and instead slot in far more obscure terms. Then, they create weird subsystems with crazy names, and much of it gets lost in wordy, arcane jargon.

At the time, I was glad to buy it for inspiration, but there's some very good reasons why D&D is KING, and so many "Indie Games" are ultimately mediocre and are doomed to failure and obscurity. ARIA is a good example of why so many "Indie Games" ultimately fail.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: SHARK on August 13, 2022, 12:59:40 AM

The ARIA downfall is that they try to construct their own RPG, and try too hard to "Not Be Some Other Game" in which they scrupulously avoid standard terminology for dozens of concepts and ideas, and instead slot in far more obscure terms. Then, they create weird subsystems with crazy names, and much of it gets lost in wordy, arcane jargon.

I guess the irony is that even Gygax fell into that trap of swapping terminology and using unnecessary jargon with some of his later stuff, like Lejendary Adventures if I'm not mistaken.

Quote from: Trond on August 14, 2022, 02:36:56 PM

Quote from: SHARK on August 13, 2022, 12:59:40 AM

The ARIA downfall is that they try to construct their own RPG, and try too hard to "Not Be Some Other Game" in which they scrupulously avoid standard terminology for dozens of concepts and ideas, and instead slot in far more obscure terms. Then, they create weird subsystems with crazy names, and much of it gets lost in wordy, arcane jargon.

I guess the irony is that even Gygax fell into that trap of swapping terminology and using unnecessary jargon with some of his later stuff, like Lejendary Adventures if I'm not mistaken.

Considering TSR sued him and buried Dangerous Journeys for being "too much like D&D," he had a serious incentive to rename stuff...

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 14, 2022, 04:20:19 PM

Considering TSR sued him and buried Dangerous Journeys for being "too much like D&D," he had a serious incentive to rename stuff...

Ah, did not know that.

FTL:2448. I know of know one playing this old game at all.

Polaris? 
We bought into the hype but didn't find it playable.  Maybe they're still playing it in France...

Quote from: dungeon crawler on August 20, 2022, 05:52:44 PM
FTL:2448. I know of know one playing this old game at all.

John R. and I thought about reviving this one, but then Richard T. died and that killed the momentum.

Quote from: Brooding Paladin on August 20, 2022, 06:23:18 PM
Polaris? 
We bought into the hype but didn't find it playable.  Maybe they're still playing it in France...

I have the pdf tucked away on a thumb drive. I remember reading it about three years ago or so and just having my eyes glaze over. Same with Coriolis. The lore was very interesting, but the rules are dense af.

I don't know of anyone playing either game.

Quote from: Effete on August 21, 2022, 04:00:18 AM

Quote from: Brooding Paladin on August 20, 2022, 06:23:18 PM
Polaris? 
We bought into the hype but didn't find it playable.  Maybe they're still playing it in France...

I have the pdf tucked away on a thumb drive. I remember reading it about three years ago or so and just having my eyes glaze over. Same with Coriolis. The lore was very interesting, but the rules are dense af.

I don't know of anyone playing either game.

I considered using the Polaris setting with another (generic) rule system, possibly Savage Worlds, Genesys, Traveller, or (my least favorite) GURPS, but I just didn't want to put in the work to convert it.

Then there was Alpha*Omega, a beautiful book with nearly unplayable rules. I've never known anyone to play it.

Quote from: Brooding Paladin on August 20, 2022, 06:23:18 PM
Polaris? 
We bought into the hype but didn't find it playable.  Maybe they're still playing it in France...

This reminds me of that fantasy RPG that was incredibly hyped a number of years ago, almost solely due to the art, which the authors were sure to show off as much as possible during preorders etc. I think options included playing bears with gills or some such weirdness. The moment people actually started reading the thing much of the enthusiasm evaporated. Does this ring a bell anyone?

Quote from: HappyDaze on August 21, 2022, 09:17:45 AM
I considered using the Polaris setting with another (generic) rule system, possibly Savage Worlds, Genesys, Traveller, or (my least favorite) GURPS, but I just didn't want to put in the work to convert it.

There was someone on the PEG forum a couple years ago asking about a Polaris --> SW conversion. I did some rudimentary work toward that, but soon gave up. The attribute conversion was easy since it mirrored 3e DnD (and I did a shit-ton of 3e --> SW conversions), but Polaris's weird weapon stats just broke my brain.

Quote from: Trond on August 21, 2022, 10:04:40 AM

Quote from: Brooding Paladin on August 20, 2022, 06:23:18 PM
Polaris? 
We bought into the hype but didn't find it playable.  Maybe they're still playing it in France...

This reminds me of that fantasy RPG that was incredibly hyped a number of years ago, almost solely due to the art, which the authors were sure to show off as much as possible during preorders etc. I think options included playing bears with gills or some such weirdness. The moment people actually started reading the thing much of the enthusiasm evaporated. Does this ring a bell anyone?

To answer my own question: the game I was thinking of is Eoris.

Quote from: dkabq on July 31, 2022, 08:21:46 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 13, 2009, 02:20:32 AM

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

I know that of those, at least Chivalry and Sorcery was still being avidly played by a small group up to about 10 years ago. One of the authors of C&S was based in Edmonton, and the game had a small but loyal following there.

RPGPundit

Brittannia Game Designs Ltd did a KS for the C&C 5th edition rules in 2019. They are an Electrum Best Seller on DTRPG and have additional source books and adventures. Based on that I would guess that there is someone out there playing it.

I have threatened to run C&S 1e...

I am playing in two FGU Bushido games (one of which I started but then handed off to another GM - I WOULD have run the Tyr Games edition if there was any legal way to get a PDF or reasonable cost way to get a physical copy).

Wayne of Wayne's books was blogging about a Twilight 2000 campaign.

Quote from: ffilz on August 24, 2022, 10:55:48 PM

Quote from: dkabq on July 31, 2022, 08:21:46 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit on December 13, 2009, 02:20:32 AM

Quote from: ggroy;348304Perhaps:

- Aftermath!
- original SPI version of DragonQuest
- Chivalry & Sorcery
- Immortals box set of BECMI D&D
- Gangbusters
- older editions of Bushido
- Twilight 2000
- Cyberspace (by I.C.E.)
- 1st edition of Ars Magica

I know that of those, at least Chivalry and Sorcery was still being avidly played by a small group up to about 10 years ago. One of the authors of C&S was based in Edmonton, and the game had a small but loyal following there.

RPGPundit

Brittannia Game Designs Ltd did a KS for the C&C 5th edition rules in 2019. They are an Electrum Best Seller on DTRPG and have additional source books and adventures. Based on that I would guess that there is someone out there playing it.

I am playing in two FGU Bushido games (one of which I started but then handed off to another GM - I WOULD have run the Tyr Games edition if there was any legal way to get a PDF or reasonable cost way to get a physical copy).

We also play Bushido at least once per year and it is my favorite system to run. I have a copy of the 1st edition and it is nice to see the progression  of the system from that version to the version FGU released. But I am not sure it is more playable.

I have 2 copies of the Hercules and Xena RPG and it is actually really good.  Rules lite and lots of fun.  I've checked online to see if there is any interest in playing and there are still people that want to play.

If any of you are interested in possibly getting something going for it online, PM me.

The main author for Chivalry & Sorcery, Steve Turner, hangs out all the time in the Discord server for Mr. Mean Speaks, the YouTube game reviewer.  Some in that channel occasionally play the game and streamed some of their stuff to YouTube a while back.  There was also a recent Land of the Rising Sun Kickstarter that fulfilled months back that expanded the game to Japan.

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 14, 2022, 04:20:19 PM

Considering TSR sued him and buried Dangerous Journeys for being "too much like D&D," he had a serious incentive to rename stuff...

I am assuming they were worried about the competition.

I wonder what gaming would look like if Dangerous Journeys was still around.

I see Trond mentioned Powers & Perils.  I last played that in 1986 along with the optional rules from AH's Heroes magazine. I bet with Trond that no one is playing that nowadays. :)

Quote from: Tallifer on September 01, 2022, 11:22:03 AM
I see Trond mentioned Powers & Perils.  I last played that in 1986 along with the optional rules from AH's Heroes magazine. I bet with Trond that no one is playing that nowadays. :)

I have my box somewhere and the nearly finished new edition from online.

I get excited to try and run it, get it out, and remember why I never did.

Kind of like the various Red Book versions of C&S out there.

Quote from: dungeon crawler on August 20, 2022, 05:52:44 PM
FTL:2448. I know of know one playing this old game at all.

I've given serious thought to using its background with a variety of other games. The Tri-Tac system is just too weird for me anymore, but SW, True20, GURPS, maybe a couple of the OSR games, would be great for it.

I'm not sure in my skim if anyone has mentioned it, so I'll throw out Nightlife by Stellar Games. It was Vampire before Vampire, but picked the wrong aesthetics in a few ways, both in going splatter punk instead of goth and by not putting nearly the emphasis on style White Wolf did.

Quote from: Akrasia on December 12, 2009, 04:58:40 PM

As for Space Opera, though, I'd be shocked if there was anyone on the planet playing it now.  It was pretty much unplayable when it was in print.

I'm running a game of Space Opera. There is a Mewe group for the game. I'm part of it. I've posted my custom game charts to make the game playable there as pdf files. Basically I went through the book and found every resolution mechanic (sans space combat) and put it on one sheet.

PCs needing to write down their weapon stats and penetration numbers, while clunky, is still something which must be done in most every ttrpg so nothing odd there.

The combat system is straight forward and robust. Gear lists are ample. Character creation is simple, but adding and subtracting skill points during build is straight clunky 80's processes. Once done though you don't need much off the sheet during a typical game. In the old school tradition you get tools to play your game. The actual playing of the game must come from you and your imagination. There are no "moves".

Quote from: J Arcane on December 14, 2009, 08:05:06 PM
Much as I hate to say it:  DC Heroes.

I've been running my own supers game with these rules (3rd edition) for two years. Sooo much better than Champions in my opinion. I like the system so much I am trying to hash out a retroclone which doesn't violate copyright law.

Quote from: Tallifer on September 01, 2022, 11:22:03 AM
I see Trond mentioned Powers & Perils.  I last played that in 1986 along with the optional rules from AH's Heroes magazine. I bet with Trond that no one is playing that nowadays. :)

I played a couple of years ago with an online group of 5.  It worked well enough for a while, but there were a couple of players who NEVER tried to master the rules and the other 3 eventually got tired of the additional overhead that was introduced.

Quote from: PulpHerb on September 01, 2022, 11:32:31 AMI have my box somewhere and the nearly finished new edition from online.

I bought the boxed set because it was written by Richard Snider who was one of the early DMs in Dave Arneson's game. According to the First Fantasy Campaign (Judges Guild 1980) he was the one who came up with how dragons worked in early D&D where they got more hit points per hit die as they grew older. He also came up with level drain which is something many would not appreciate.

Having read other rules he wrote, I can only say that Richard must be very good at doing math in his head as calculating complicated equations on the fly is a characteristic of many of the rules he wrote or helped write, such as the earlier Adventures in Fantasy.

Quote from: GhostNinja on August 25, 2022, 01:02:15 PM

Considering TSR sued him and buried Dangerous Journeys for being "too much like D&D," he had a serious incentive to rename stuff...

But his nomeclature choices... DUDE!

Makes some of his later stuff borderline unreadable.

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 14, 2022, 04:20:19 PM

I am assuming they were worried about the competition.

I wonder what gaming would look like if Dangerous Journeys was still around.

The Gygax name has a lot of cachet in gaming circles - I think to a degree TSR was right to be worried.

But when you look at what he actually designed post TSR - They really had nothing to worry about.

The move for Gygax to make in hindsight was to take an established system - and modify it to essentially do D&D all over again.

Gygax + Palladium*, or + R. Talsorian.

i.e. a "Dangerous Journeys" using a modified house system from another publisher...



* All right, all right, you got me; no way in hell a Gygax and Siembieda arrangement would have lasted ten minutes...

Quote from: hedgehobbit on September 02, 2022, 09:58:17 AM
Having read other rules he wrote, I can only say that Richard must be very good at doing math in his head as calculating complicated equations on the fly is a characteristic of many of the rules he wrote or helped write, such as the earlier Adventures in Fantasy.

The math doesn't bother me per se, but I know I'm not most people (I'm very good at doing it in my head).