Quote from: Peregrin;401737Chaosium CoC is very focused and very fun.  I recently ran a game for some friends which, while I was really out of it from a long week at work, everyone really enjoyed.  The system is simple and to the point, with enough variety to keep play interesting.  It gets out of the way if you want it to, but it's also there when you want it to be.  The focus on investigation also kept the players engaged by challenging them directly.

CoC is one of the best RPGs ever. It's not even up for discussion to me.

Quote from: Peregrin;401737Still waiting to try out OD&D or BD&D, but hopefully I'll get a chance soon.  CoC was just higher on the list of things people wanted to play.

Dude. Come over in BC, and you'll get your O/BD&D game.

Tunnels & Trolls
Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes

Holmes D&D
Arduin
Rolemaster

Morrow Projest
Top Secret
Call of Cthulhu
Chill

Traveller
Universe
Space:1889

Runequest
Stormbringer
Elfquest

Also--in my mind, the old school is very much integrated with Car Wars, Ogre, Battletech, Nuclear War, Rogue Trader, Wooden Ships and Iron Men, Richthoffen's War, Star Fleet Battles--all those classic old non-rpg hobby games. They did a lot to shape how we thought of the old school rpgs, provided rules we incorporated as house rules (Traveller + Car Wars = Road Warrior), and helped, I think, to develop the DIY attitude that to me is the core of what defines old school games--defines them compared to more recently developed games.

CoC and the various iterations of BRP
LBB Traveller

I'm not one for levels/classes but I'd happily play/run some OD&D clone... mostly  so I could run through some of the classic modules I never used back in the day.

D&D. Still our favorite game, for some reason I can't quite articulate (but I supposed it's got something to do with D&D being a perfect storm of fantasy literary mishmash, wargame and exploration). Granted, it doesn't do everything, but it doesn't have to; as long as it does D&D, we're happy. For me specifically, I feel anything up to and including D&D RC (my personal favorite, for simplicity and comprehensiveness) and AD&D 2e, delivers what we want. D&D 3e and 3.5e also deliver, but tend to be more work than we can be arsed with, especially at higher levels. Castles & Crusades is what we've been playing for the last 2 years; it's got some weird "bugs" (e.g. the Cleric is a better trap-finder than the Rogue), but it's nifty, and we're only too happy to keep the D&D ball rolling. I'd absolutely love to finally try Swords & Wizardry (Core), or Labyrinth Lord (core or Advanced Edition Companion).

Call of Cthulhu. We've played lots and lots of it, but we've never really played a CoC campaign (a friend's considering running the classic Masks of Nyarlathotep, though). Sure, all PCs, given enough time, end up going crazy or dying, but we still get to blow up a few cultists and buy the Earth a little more time. I feel CoC is one of the most successful designs (if not the most successful design) in our little hobby.

Traveller. If by any chance you've skipped the dozen or so Traveller threads I've started in the last month or two, I've only recently borrowed a friend's copy to give it a spin. We've never played it before, as for some reason it was never as popular around here as it is in the US and UK. We're just one session in, and I'm having a blast (though not all players are as psyched as I am with the old school seat-of-the-pants feel of the game).

GURPS. Does it count as old school? We've played the hell out of 2e and 3e, and we still get to play one-shot, high-body-count games on occasion.

Palladium. If this doesn't count as "old school", I don't know what does. Rifts was my entry drug, and still is one of my favorite games, followed by Palladium Fantasy (amazing setting) and my dearest Ninjas & Superspies (a game whose niche I have yet to see filled by another game).

Star Wars D6. Also played the hell out of it, including an epic Sith War (circa 1500 BBY) campaign. Great memories. Would play again at the drop of a hat.

We already have a hard time scheduling our regular games, let alone trying out new stuff, but I'd love to try games like Runequest (also never popular around these parts), Stormbringer (I remember seeing a copy floating around the FLGS back in the day) or Dragon Warriors.

The one old school game you won't persuade me to play is Rolemaster. I'm thrilled that some people love it, more power to them, but I really dislike character generation. I'll gladly play MERP (as I have played in the past), though, and I wouldn't mind giving HARP a try.

A list in no particular order of my favorite "old school".

B/X D&D (I like the Mentzer)
Rules Cyclopedia
Labyrinth Lord
AD&D
OSRIC
I like both the clones because of accessibility. Especially when running an online game.

Star Frontiers
The first Sci-Game I played. I really enjoy it. It really is fun, furious, and fast. (Now where have I heard that before that before?)

TMNT
This was the first Palldium game I played. Loved it. Still do. But I definitely prefer the "After the Bomb" setting.

Twilight 2000
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Realistic WWIII action. I'm all about it. Then C&D is based on the awesome Xenozoic comic, using the TW2K rules.

Flashing Blades
a game that does the period very well.

Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP obviously)
My first super hero game. simple and quick. I dare say its still one of the best.

James Bond 007
Love the JB movies, so an RPG dedicated to that? Sold!

Mine.

I'm not being facetious.
I played T&T, Traveller, 0/AD&D, TFT, C&C, GURPS, Aftermath, and a few others.  
But really,  Vreeg's First Rule eventually won out.  The only way I was going to really create the setting and game I wanted was to build my own ruleset from the ground up.  And that was decades ago, so my Old School fix is my own.

TMNT and CoC I would still play. The rest are not worth the bother.

-clash

Sticking only with "old school" (versus actually "old") games, and not counting *.D&D derivatives:
- Zenobia: terrific reconstruction of the "adventure fantasy" concept for the Hellenistic/Roman period. One day, I have got to run it.
- Mazes and Minotaurs: an interesting thought experiment plus some good ideas in there for a game that hits the "old school" target yet isn't a straightforward adaptation of any old system.
- Encounter Critical: for all the raw enthusiasm that went into it and its supplements.

Quote from: The Butcher;401775Call of Cthulhu. We've played lots and lots of it, but we've never really played a CoC campaign (a friend's considering running the classic Masks of Nyarlathotep, though).

Don't let him off the hook. Masks of Nyarlathotep is one of The Best campaigns for RPGs ever.

Quote from: Melan;401827- Encounter Critical: for all the raw enthusiasm that went into it and its supplements.

YES. I have no words for the awesomeness that is EC.

Quote from: LordVreeg;401785Mine.

I'm not being facetious.
I played T&T, Traveller, 0/AD&D, TFT, C&C, GURPS, Aftermath, and a few others.  
But really,  Vreeg's First Rule eventually won out.  The only way I was going to really create the setting and game I wanted was to build my own ruleset from the ground up.  And that was decades ago, so my Old School fix is my own.

DIY: the ultimate in 'old school'!

Oh God. For fuck's sakes. Is that Rousseau you took as your avatar?! :eek:

The holy triad - Basic D&D, Classic Traveller, and Call of Cthulhu.

Quote from: Benoist;401842Oh God. For fuck's sakes. Is that Rousseau you took as your avatar?! :eek:

Yes.  Not a fan, I take it?

Quote from: Akrasia;401889Yes.  Not a fan, I take it?

Not exactly, no.