Quote from: Dumarest;971437If you're referring to my post, that's unfortunate because they are both excellent games that were designed specifically for their settings. If you're even in the San Diego area maybe you can sit in if there is a game going on. Can't promise what game it'd be, though, as I change from one to another fairly often.

I was. I'd love to. Unfortunately I'm on the other coast.

Quote from: Dumarest;971370More to the point, why would anyone care what's popular anywhere other than at your table?

How can this notion not be the notion that everyone starts from? I am honestly baffled by the panic that people feel that either
a) I need to know what other people are doing?
b) the panic that some people are driven to tears over that someone might be playing a game they don't play or don't like.

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;971520How can this notion not be the notion that everyone starts from? I am honestly baffled by the panic that people feel that either
a) I need to know what other people are doing?
b) the panic that some people are driven to tears over that someone might be playing a game they don't play or don't like.

Yeah, I think for all the good of easy access to information and communication that it allows, the Internet also tempts us to indulge in our worst instincts. Much easier to be an argumentative petty busybody when anonymous.  It's part of why I try to limit my time online. Sometimes I'm sorry I caved in and registered in this forum. I think we often feel compelled to comment in threads even when we really have nothing useful to add and would probably be better off scrolling down to a thread where we have something worthy to post. I know I've regretted posting my opinions on a few topics. We get too involved in things that really have no bearing on our lives or our gaming groups at all.

But I do enjoy your blog especially when you write about Traveller '77. I think it's been about a month since you last posted there! Get cracking!

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;971520How can this notion not be the notion that everyone starts from? I am honestly baffled by the panic that people feel that either
a) I need to know what other people are doing?
b) the panic that some people are driven to tears over that someone might be playing a game they don't play or don't like.

For myself, my only concern is whether I could find a group to play with that I'd enjoy or find Players if I wanted to run a particular game. Here locally, it's gotten harder I think.
Really, I'll play just about anything at least once... but I've seen how hard it is for our GM to find new Players and keep them... and some of the demands I see local LFG/LFM queries making are very narrow.
It's been MUCH easier to find what I'm after online, but it's still optimal playing face-to-face.

Quote from: jan paparazzi;971193It seems to me the biggest trends or populair game systems (wether we like it or not) are:

1. D&D (D20)
2. Fate
3. Savage Worlds
4. Gumshoe
5. Indie (Apocalypse World/Burning Wheel)
6. Retroclones/OSR
7. Pathfinder

Is this a valid conclusion?

What's popular right now still are solo-players that are looking for human random number generators for their next game. So they tell their friends that they wan't to be Dungeon Master at a game table.

Quote from: Dumarest;971554But I do enjoy your blog especially when you write about Traveller '77. I think it's been about a month since you last posted there! Get cracking!

Thanks so much!

Things are really busy right now and time is tight. For now I can either put my gaming time into prepping my game or into writing the blog posts. So I game.

But I do have more posts I want to get on!

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;971612Thanks so much!

Things are really busy right now and time is tight. For now I can either put my gaming time into prepping my game or into writing the blog posts. So I game.

But I do have more posts I want to get on!

Clearly your priorities are correct.

The industry charts, from ENWorld, generally has it as:

1) D&D
2) Pathfinder
3) Star Wars
4) Shadowrun
5) Another game (varies)

The last two especially, fluctuate depending on releases. Call of Cthulhu 7E broke into the top 5 last quarter of 2016, Dragon Age before that, etc. These figures don't take into account things like online sales, drivethru or kickstarter campaigns. The various World of Darkness kick-starters and pdfs, have made a multi-million turnover in recent years but it's pretty impossible to be able to rank these alongside each other (although I suspect they would still be in there if there were conventional retail releases still). There are other measures of 'hotness' too - you can rank games in terms of internet buzz for example. Of these, 6 of the current Top 10 are D&D variants:

1) D&D 5e
2) Pathfinder
3) OSR
4) D&D 3.5
5) D&D 4e
6) WOIN (ENWorld's own system)
7) Savage Worlds
AD&D 2e
9) World of Darkness
10) GURPS

The full set of data can be found here and here.

Unless you are getting into splits by edition Pathfinder is D&D, as are most OSR/Retroclone games. Swords & Wizardry is D&D,  Beyond the Wall is D&D.
I am certain that there are more tables playing some variant of D&D than all other games combined. My current table is no exception. We are currently playing Mutant Future which is a retroclone of Gamma World, using the Laryrinth Lord rules, which are a retroclone of D&D, so it boils down to a D&D variant.

Think of it this way if RPGs are soda D&D is cola. 5e, Pathfinder, OSR, that's Coke, Pepsi, RC, etc.

Quote from: jan paparazzi;971193It seems to me the biggest trends or populair game systems (wether we like it or not) are:

1. D&D (D20)
2. Fate
3. Savage Worlds
4. Gumshoe
5. Indie (Apocalypse World/Burning Wheel)
6. Retroclones/OSR
7. Pathfinder

Is this a valid conclusion?

No.

The most accurate listing would be:

1) D&D 5e
2) Pathfinder
3) in relatively distant 3rd: all other editions of D&D, plus OSR games.
4) everything else, which barely registers.

The Roll20 data agrees (D&D and Pathfinder dominant) and disagrees (WH, Star Wars and WoD are way bigger than the OSR). Course online play isn't totally reflective of home games but I bet it gives a better indication than most think, I've noticed more and more migrating to online play, even older players. And the future is most likely more online than anywhere else.

Well let's see...

Currently Playing -
0D&D Campaign
5e D&D Campaign

Currently Running
0D&D Campaign

Actively Prepping or Developing for home games
Gamma World - Florida
Castles & Crusades Darkenfold adventures
Mindjammer Campaign (FATE)
Classic Traveller

Actively Prepping for Convention Games
0D&D
Gamma World - Florida
Mindjammer (FATE)
Traveller


Ran Earlier This Year
Star Wars Saga d20

I ran Roll20 earlier this year. Still am not enjoying running online games with the same enthusiasm as tabletop. With online games I'm getting a consistency problem with players not playing a full campaign, but just playing one or two sessions, and then switching games. Too entirely to unpredictable and flighty for me. Much prefer a game where a group of players get together regularly to play, with a history, and who work together as (more or less) a team. Not getting that with online games.

Quote from: ChristopherKubasik;971612Thanks so much!

Things are really busy right now and time is tight. For now I can either put my gaming time into prepping my game or into writing the blog posts. So I game.

But I do have more posts I want to get on!

At least you can use some of the material from here as you did on your June 29th entry. I only wish it were a book I could carry with me and refer back to as needed. You need to print it in the same size as the old Travelled books so I can keep it in my box.

Quote from: Voros;972614The Roll20 data agrees (D&D and Pathfinder dominant) and disagrees (WH, Star Wars and WoD are way bigger than the OSR). Course online play isn't totally reflective of home games but I bet it gives a better indication than most think, I've noticed more and more migrating to online play, even older players. And the future is most likely more online than anywhere else.

It has its own biases, however. Fans of certain games are probably a lot more likely to embrace online play than fans of other games.

Quote from: RPGPundit;972949It has its own biases, however. Fans of certain games are probably a lot more likely to embrace online play than fans of other games.

Just about any of the information is biased. That's the nature of data of this sort. Sales isn't correct because some people are still using their old books from 1982. Downloads aren't correct because not everyone has embraced digital and on top of that, I tend to download things on a laptop, desktop, and smartphone so I can read it whenever the urge strikes. Plus there's the fact that not everything bought or downloaded is even played. I know most of us have games on our shelves we bought and never played. How do you really know what people are playing? Polls are flawed.

Any of it is biased.