PDA

View Full Version : Trying to find a good RPG game



xDacY
2010-08-28, 11:08 PM
I got started on DnD like 6years ago and I still really like it, Iv even DMed a few games, and now im currently running a d20 Apocalypse campaign and its going ok but i can feel it coming to an end here pretty soon. I stared searching for other kinds of DnD and d20 kinds of games and i found a bunch like, werewolf the forsaken, Vampire the requiem, Mage the awakening, Star Wars, 4e...i was just wondering if someone could help me figure out if any of them are good/fun to play...and what each of them has to offer.

Knaight
2010-08-29, 12:45 AM
Here's a list (http://www.feartheboot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10158).

Several of them are free, many are good. Of the lot I prefer Fudge, Fate, Blood Sweat and Steel (kind of a pain to get ahold of though), and Risus or Wushu for really quick games. GURPS is another system worth looking at, and there is always Savage Worlds, which enjoys wide popularity for indie standards*. Burning Wheel enjoys wide popularity as well, and is certainly worth looking into.

*That doesn't mean I recommend it. I hate that miserable system, but its still significant enough to be worth pointing out. If you think you want to buy it, talk to Satyr and myself, and we will try to save you 10 dollars.

Edit: If you are willing to buy something, the Haiti RPG Bundle is currently retailing for 3 dollars. Originally the money was donated to earthquake reconstruction, it probably still is, and you get a whole bunch of games besides. Chronica Feudalis is one of the ones most worth looking at, just because of the quirky writing style. Furthermore, it looks to be a good stepping point away from D&D.

Satyr
2010-08-29, 01:47 AM
What kind of fun are you looking for?

If you'd like a very research and combination-heavy game focused on horror and deduction, Trail of Cthulhu is made out of solid gold. If you look for something like the World of Darkness, but less focused on splat books, there are the Unknown Armies and Witchcraft (which is free, and very similar in its rules to D20).

If you have a good idea what you like to play and look for a set of tools to realise your ideas, it will be hard to find something better than Gurps; if you just want a game which is ready to play directly from the book, it is not the best choice.

If you want a game, which is basically D20 but avoids a few of that's peculiarities like classes and levels, take a look at the Unisystem games, especially All Flesh Must Be Eaten.

Knaight
2010-08-29, 01:54 AM
If you have a good idea what you like to play and look for a set of tools to realise your ideas, it will be hard to find something better than Gurps; if you just want a game which is ready to play directly from the book, it is not the best choice.

I would argue that Fudge does an even better job, but it requires even more work. Satyr here would probably disagree with the first bit. Everything else he said is pretty solid, though I can't give much praise to Unisystem, though it is by no means bad.

Satyr
2010-08-29, 02:03 AM
Can we agree on that Fudge is the rule-light, gurps is the rule-heavy take on a similar toolbox approach? Which is the better one is then usually depending on personal taste and preference.

The Rose Dragon
2010-08-29, 02:38 AM
What do you want, other than "not D&D" (which is a choice to be applauded, by the way (not playing D&D, that is))?

Let me list my favorites in order of being my favorites.

1) Mutants & Masterminds 2nd and 3rd Editions. Ostensibly a superhero game, which it handles very well, but works for a lot of other things by some tweaking. Though character generation is kind of difficult for beginners, since there are a lot of options (not as much as GURPS, but being a superhero game, most of the options are always valid, unlike GURPS, which is much more toolkit). Though by all means not the best game on this list, it is still my number one due to a certain je ne sais quoi.

2) Unisystem. I really can't recommend Unisystem enough. Even if you never play it, you can read the books simply for their insights into gaming and different genres. All Flesh Must Be Eaten specifically can handle just about everything Mutants & Masterminds doesn't. And if all else fails, you can use One of the Living as a survivor's handbook when civilization fails.

3) Qin: the Warring States. OK, admittedly, you won't like this game much if you don't care about wuxia as a genre, but if you do, Qin will deliver. Not to mention that it has a very fun dice mechanic called "yin-yang dice".

4) Exalted 2nd Edition. Let me begin by saying I hate Exalted 2nd Edition with a passion. It is a schizophrenic game that keeps contradicting previous fluff and most of its writers lack a clear view of game balance. Yet it doesn't stop it from being one of the most entertaining games I've played, and the setting is incredibly lovely. It is certainly a polarizing game, so tread carefully.

After that, it devolves into games I like for various reasons and are definitely good games, but I can't really elaborate as much as the above ones. GURPS is great if you like game- and world-building, Spirit of the Century is great if you want to get your pulp on, Faery's Tale Deluxe is great if you want to unleash your inner child and / or have young children you want to RP with, Maid the RPG is fun if you don't care how offensive and silly you're being and RISUS is fun if you just want to get to roleplaying already. Most of the other games I play are too specialized and probably won't cater to your tastes, but if you are interested, I can explain more about them as well.

EDIT: And really, don't buy Savage Worlds. It looks promising and alluring at 10 dollars, but if I were to choose between Savage Worlds and D&D 3.5, I'd choose D&D 3.5. If I were to choose between D&D 3.5 and any other game, I'd choose the other game. It should tell you how poorly I think of the game.

Knaight
2010-08-29, 02:43 AM
Can we agree on that Fudge is the rule-light, gurps is the rule-heavy take on a similar toolbox approach? Which is the better one is then usually depending on personal taste and preference.

Well, Fudge is the rule-light to rule-medium, Gurps is the rule-medium to rule-heavy. Then of course there is Hero, which is rule-heavy to "dear god why are there so many of these rules. And of course it eventually depends on personal taste and preference, it always does. Really, we are mostly in agreement on a lot of points. D&D isn't the best, Savage Worlds needs to go die in a hole, FATAL can't be allowed to die in a hole because that would be offensive to both death and holes, etc.

BobVosh
2010-08-29, 05:27 AM
Fun is mandatory in Paranoia, citizen.

Deadlands can be an incredible amount of fun.

Tyndmyr
2010-08-29, 07:32 AM
Well, Fudge is the rule-light to rule-medium, Gurps is the rule-medium to rule-heavy. Then of course there is Hero, which is rule-heavy to "dear god why are there so many of these rules. And of course it eventually depends on personal taste and preference, it always does. Really, we are mostly in agreement on a lot of points. D&D isn't the best, Savage Worlds needs to go die in a hole, FATAL can't be allowed to die in a hole because that would be offensive to both death and holes, etc.

Yes. While I hate and despise all generic systems, Hero is the one that most made my forehead scrunch up while thinking "why...dear god, why would you do this".

7th Sea is my personal favorite. Very cinematic, great setting.

Older versions of D&D can also be great fun when you're looking for something just a little different.

Paranoia does not do long term campaigns or seriousness well, most of the time. It is, however, fun. Obviously. I can't speak to the rules, since that's above your clearance level, but you'll enjoy it.

And of course, call of cthulu/trail of cthulu are fun if you're in the mood for that sort of game. Again, a very genre specific choice.

Psyx
2010-08-29, 08:27 AM
On the bright side; pretty much anything is going to be good, compared to D&D. Any of the titles you mention are good, although I'd recommend something not based on d20.

Depends what genres you want to explore really; because there's something for everyone. What are you favourite books and films genre-wise?

big teej
2010-08-29, 05:57 PM
I don't know if it's on the list, and I don't have time to check right now but I"d highly recommend Phoenix, a d20 superhero expansion

it is, without a doubt, a blast

however, it's still in development, but that just means you get to tell the guys making it 'hey this doesn't work'

12d6 damage at creation WHAT?!

sambo.
2010-08-29, 08:18 PM
Citizen, you should venture to Alpha Complex and partake of the joys of Paranoia.

You are having Fun.
The Computer Tells You That You Are Having Fun.
Failure To Have Fun Is Treason.
Treason Is Punishable By Summary Execution.
Are You Having Fun, Citizen?
Trust The Computer.
The Computer Is Your Friend.

darkpuppy
2010-08-29, 08:36 PM
but Sambo, what about page [CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT, CITIZEN], where it says [CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, CITIZEN]? Damn, 2 clones gone already, but I [DISAGREEING WITH THE COMPUTER, CITIZEN]... and so on [EXTREME INJUNCTION FOR NOT ONLY BEING TREASONOUS, BUT COWARDLY ABOUT IT]

Hehe, yeah, I do love Paranoia. There are loads of systems and settings out there, and it all depends on your taste. For fantasy, there's Artesia AKW (for good combat rules and interesting, open setting), Riddle of Steel (for stupidly detailed combat), and many others, for sci-fi, there's Traveller in its various flavours, Alternity (which I'm currently running a game of here on the forums), Cyberpunk 2020... and for the sillier side, there's things like Cartoon Action Hour (the RPG of... 80s action hour cartoons), Toon (Tom and Jerry style games), Heavy Ordnance (a free game about demons invading a small town, where only those under 15 or something like that aren't possessed)... the list goes on, but if you want a good list of free ones, you can't go far wrong with Chris' List of Free Homebrew Games (http://www.homebrew.net/games/).

Talakeal
2010-08-29, 09:58 PM
Look up FATAL. You won't regret it.




Looking it up that is. Actually playing it on the other hand...

Jolly
2010-08-29, 10:02 PM
It would be easier if you could define why you're looking for a new system. Something bothering you about D20, or just looking to expand your horizons? What things do you like best about the games you've played? What has bothered you about them?

Without a bit more info, these kind of threads tend to be a bunch of people just telling you the systems they have played and like. Not saying that is necessarily a bad thing, but that's seems to be the tendency.