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?