Setting meets system

[HauntWrigs]

Greetings! For those of you who embark on the journey of creation, how do you decide which system (FATE, Savage Worlds, d20, Codex, dice pool, GURPS, etc.) to use for your setting? For example, I am in the process of creating a low-tech, low-fantasy, setting inspired by a smash up of "Call of the Wild" meets "The Grapes of Wrath" meets "Jaws." Ha! Which system would you use?

[HauntWrigs]

Since no one has responded, I would like to frame my question differently.

1. What is your favorite system to use?
2. Is there a system that can work in any setting? Conversely, which systems have niche settings (meaning, work well is specific situations but not in others)?
3. Does it even matter? Should I just choose the one I'm most familiar with?

[Jormengand]

Since no one has responded, I would like to frame my question differently.

1. What is your favorite system to use?
2. Is there a system that can work in any setting? Conversely, which systems have niche settings (meaning, work well is specific situations but not in others)?
3. Does it even matter? Should I just choose the one I'm most familiar with?

1. Depends what I'm doing. I usually play D&D 3.5/PF, but not always. SIFRP is fun too.
2. Alea Iacta Est (http://www.topsecretgames.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Alea-Iacta-Est.pdf) can be used for any setting, while things like SIFRP, all the warhammer/WH40K, Star wars, and other specific franchise-based games are pretty much locked into one setting.
3. Well, if we take 3.5 as an example, sure it's set in a swords-and-sorcery setting, but D20 modern is based on pretty much exactly the same system, as are many different games - there are Star Wars and Warhammer 40,000 versions, there are rules for firearms in 3.5 and PF, and so forth.

[ngilop]

for me setting and system are completely independent of one another.

I am not sure if that is the minority view or not though.

1) I have to say D&D, its what I first experienced ad what im most familiar with and in spite of its VAST failings, I still love it, just like family

2)GURPs is an extremely versatile system, there is literally a sourcebook for anything you can imagine. though I will admit it tarts to breakdown with superpowers/high powered setting in general

but there is HEROs for that :)

3) not really, for me setting is backstory, lore and other non-rule mechanics information. so attaching rules to fluff depends on what you are familiar with, and what seems best for you.

[Hanuman]

Considering the board, most people play 3.5, up and up people use pathfinder's core and use 3.5 supplements and I fall into this category.

My campaigns go from prehistoric to total scifi, if I were to stay at a scifi level I may run eclipse phase or shadowrun instead, but I like to change my setting during campaigns quite often.

For what matters and what's got the most variables, I'd say that the more vague the less substance.

Either you're going to have a system with a lot of odd rules or a system with very few minimal-descript rules.

I would say that your players are the primary factor here.

Sit them down, ask them what they want to play, ask them what kinds of characters they want and get them to write their own connective backstory with you, then take that freeflow cooperative session and use it as the group template, choose a system off of that.

Rules and exact numbers are mostly used to keep the game fun and fair, if a player attacks another player or something does something a player doesn't like, you need to give form and function to it, especially if characters lives hang in the balance.

Hope this helps.

[tyriuth]

1. What is your favorite system to use?
2. Is there a system that can work in any setting? Conversely, which systems have niche settings (meaning, work well is specific situations but not in others)?
3. Does it even matter? Should I just choose the one I'm most familiar with?

I personally like 3.5 for fantasy, Traveller for Sci-Fi, and Aftermath! for apocalyptic games.

GURPS, while is a multi setting system is rather complex and I wouldn't suggest it to anyone not wanting to spend several weeks going through the rules/char gen to figure anything out. Rissus, while free, is rather simplified. There are also a series of systems that are all similar in design that fit into their own niches; Dungeon World (General fantasy), Inverse World, Apocalypse World (Dark fantasy)... There are probably others but I can't recall.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Greetings! For those of you who embark on the journey of creation, how do you decide which system (FATE, Savage Worlds, d20, Codex, dice pool, GURPS, etc.) to use for your setting? For example, I am in the process of creating a low-tech, low-fantasy, setting inspired by a smash up of "Call of the Wild" meets "The Grapes of Wrath" meets "Jaws." Ha! Which system would you use?
Eh, I can go either way. Sometimes I'll say "I want to play Mutants and Masterminds, let's make a superhero universe for that." Other times I'll say "I want to play an epic fantasy game... eh, everyone knows D&D." And then there are the systems with attached settings-- if I want to play in the Deadlands setting, I'm breaking out Savage Worlds.



1. What is your favorite system to use?
2. Is there a system that can work in any setting? Conversely, which systems have niche settings (meaning, work well is specific situations but not in others)?
3. Does it even matter? Should I just choose the one I'm most familiar with?
1. At the moment, probably Mutants and Masterminds 3e or STaRS (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?281582-STaRS-the-Simple-TAbletop-Roleplaying-System-4-0).
2. There are plenty of generic games. Fate, GURPS, Risus...
3. You've got to balance what you know and what they're good at. For example, you may know 3.5, but it's more trouble than it's worth to make it work for a low-magic game. M&M is wonderfully setting-nonspecific, but it can't do low-power very well. On the other hand, something like Fate or GURPS can work fine for any type of game... but probably not as well as something written for that purpose.

Basically, find the game you know that's closest to the setting and style you want, and twist it to fit. (Unless your group has the time, money, and inclination to learn a new system.)