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spectra
2015-03-30, 06:09 PM
I used to play D&D 3.5e and GURPS 4e in my high school years. Then I did a difficult major in college, and dropped games almost entirely. Now that I have free time, I'm wondering what I should pick up.

1) Do people still play D&D 3.5e? Do a lot still play it?
2) Do people play GURPS at all or is it just some fringe game?
3) Is Pathfinder something I should pick up?
4) Is D&D 5e something I should pick up?
5) What other games should I pick up if I want good coverage of tabletop in general?

Gavran
2015-03-30, 06:12 PM
5E is on the rise, I believe 3.P is probably still the most played thing overall, I can't speak to GURPS' real life popularity and of course you should play what you enjoy most.

Mr Beer
2015-03-30, 06:14 PM
I don't really know the answer to these questions but it seems a bit like you're putting the cart before the horse. Surely what the groups in your area are playing is more relevant than a scattered sample across the entire world?

I play GURPS BTW, but good luck finding a lot of groups that do. D&D is by far the most prevalent.

spectra
2015-03-30, 06:19 PM
5E is on the rise, I believe 3.P is probably still the most played thing overall, I can't speak to GURPS' real life popularity and of course you should play what you enjoy most.

There are a lot of games I imagine have few to no players at all. If GURPS winds up being this kind of game, as much as I love it, I'll have to switch to something that is more practical, because roleplaying with people is a big part of tabletop.


Surely what the groups in your area are playing is more relevant than a scattered sample across the entire world?

"My area" means very little since I travel a lot. So I don't know if I'll be playing IRL at all, since I can't consistently show up, you know. I'm considering either Roll20 or just a play-by-post on these forums.

Mr Beer
2015-03-30, 06:32 PM
Makes sense.

jaydubs
2015-03-30, 06:32 PM
I'm considering either Roll20 or just a play-by-post on these forums.

The most popular games on roll20 are PF, 3.5, and 5e, not necessarily in that order. I'd definitely recommend learning both PF and 5e, both because I think they're fun systems, and because they'll increase the number of games you can consider.

Nothing else comes close to those 3 in popularity on roll20. Though in many cases, it's easier to get into other systems, since PF/3.5/5e seem to have a lower DM:player ratio. And in fact, many of the DMs in other systems are happy to take new players and show them the ropes.

So my recommendation is to learn 3.5/PF/5e for general coverage. And then selectively learn anything else you see a campaign for that sounds interesting.

Eisenheim
2015-03-30, 06:57 PM
Fate core an FAE, are awesome, and there are tons of settings. They're not exactly like D&D, but they're a bunch of fun.

themaque
2015-03-30, 07:13 PM
1) Do people still play D&D 3.5e? Do a lot still play it?

People still play it, I'm not sure to the numbers as most people I know switched to Pathfinder. I tried going back recently and won't do that again. Pathfinder is similar but improved enough I see no reason, personally, to go backwards.



2) Do people play GURPS at all or is it just some fringe game?
Personally, I don't know. But i'm told they do.



3) Is Pathfinder something I should pick up?

My opinion is YES. It's high magic High power gaming in way I haven't seen done better. Lot's of player choice and well defined rules.



4) Is D&D 5e something I should pick up?

Rules Loose gaming. More structure than Fate but light enough that most anything can fit inside of it. I'm highly enjoying the games I've been a part of.



5) What other games should I pick up if I want good coverage of tabletop in general?

I hear really good things about the FATE system and the Dresden Files.

I Really enjoy the Legend of the 5 Rings if you like an oriental setting. 4th edition is a low power high politics game i'm really enjoying.

World of Darkness: NOw you have a choice here. The older world of darkness now has DECADES of material and has a very interesting world, but the rules systems can be something of a mess. The New World of Darkness simplified the fluff but brough the crunch in line. Everything makes sense and fits together. The Fluff also leaves a lot more to the Storyteller.

Myself, I suggest New World of Darkness for new players.

Shadowrun is one of the finest Cyberpunk games out there with magic, an interesting world, and fun rules system. Pick up the latest 5th edition. I'm a fan.

Mutants & Masterminds for Super Hero Goodness.

DEADLANDS for Western Horror. Either Classic or Savage World rules.

Knaight
2015-03-30, 07:27 PM
I used to play D&D 3.5e and GURPS 4e in my high school years. Then I did a difficult major in college, and dropped games almost entirely. Now that I have free time, I'm wondering what I should pick up.

1) Do people still play D&D 3.5e? Do a lot still play it?
2) Do people play GURPS at all or is it just some fringe game?
3) Is Pathfinder something I should pick up?
4) Is D&D 5e something I should pick up?
5) What other games should I pick up if I want good coverage of tabletop in general?

1) D&D 3.5 is still a very popular game with a huge following.
2) GURPS doesn't have D&D levels of popularity, and it doesn't have the market share it had in the 1980's, but it's still a major system with a lot of proponents. The issue is that it's not something that people can reasonably be assumed to know, and it's not something that can be taught quickly - if your groups shift in people often (whether due to traveling or whatever else), having at least one of those properties is generally helpful.
3) It's basically 3.5 again. It might be worth acquainting yourself with the differences, but it's a game you already know.
4) It's picking up in popularity, so from a pure coverage perspective it's worth knowing. Personally I like it better than D&D 3.5.

5) D&D, GURPS, and WoD used to be the big three, and form the core coverage. To some extent that's still true, but to some extent it's now D&D/Pathfinder, WoD, and then a bunch of middle-string games. Notable ones worth getting that are more traditional are Legend of the Five Rings, Shadowrun, Fate, and Savage Worlds.

With that said, there's a lot out there. I'd go for a strategy of trying out a wide variety of games to figure out what you particularly value, then seeking out games in that niche. I can also reccomend games that I personally like - in which case Fudge, Chronica Feudalis, Microscope, and the ORE games (e.g REIGN, Nemesis) are top on the list.

cobaltstarfire
2015-03-30, 07:35 PM
"My area" means very little since I travel a lot. So I don't know if I'll be playing IRL at all, since I can't consistently show up, you know. I'm considering either Roll20 or just a play-by-post on these forums.


If you learn 5e, you can join the adventurers league which will fit with the traveling a lot. Just find a game store running AL and bring your character along. Make sure of course you follow the rules, and document stuff though. 5e is also fairly easy and simple to pick up. The hardest part seems to be when people treat the rules as an extension of a past edition of D&D. Read the rules as if you've never played a table top before, don't apply knowledge from other system to them, and it'll be much easier to learn and understand.

On this forum for PBP it looks like 3.p is the most popular. There seem to be a lot of Mutants and Masterminds (?) as well. 5e has also been showing up in there more often than some other things, those games have also been filling up really fast so I think there is more interest in it than there are DM's wanting to run a game.

aspekt
2015-03-30, 07:43 PM
I'm not sure where your personal interests lie, but if like me you enjoy reading gamebooks and settings almost as much as playing, then there are some really interesting games out there to explore.

There's been a significant move in the industry towards rules lite and narrative heavy games. FATE is a good example of this. I am really enjoying reading up on the core system of REIGN.

And while 3.5/PF are still the most widely used systems I have a feeling that 5e is going to catch up over the next few years. Frankly, I think the 5e DMs Guide is a real contender for best overall DMs Guide.

spectra
2015-03-30, 08:08 PM
So my recommendation is to learn 3.5/PF/5e for general coverage. And then selectively learn anything else you see a campaign for that sounds interesting.

Sounds like my best bet. Thankfully, PF doesn't sound like it'll be much trouble to pick up.


I hear really good things about the FATE system and the Dresden Files.

I Really enjoy the Legend of the 5 Rings if you like an oriental setting. 4th edition is a low power high politics game i'm really enjoying.

World of Darkness: NOw you have a choice here. The older world of darkness now has DECADES of material and has a very interesting world, but the rules systems can be something of a mess. The New World of Darkness simplified the fluff but brough the crunch in line. Everything makes sense and fits together. The Fluff also leaves a lot more to the Storyteller.

Myself, I suggest New World of Darkness for new players.

Shadowrun is one of the finest Cyberpunk games out there with magic, an interesting world, and fun rules system. Pick up the latest 5th edition. I'm a fan.

Mutants & Masterminds for Super Hero Goodness.

DEADLANDS for Western Horror. Either Classic or Savage World rules.

With so many mentions of WoD, Shadowrun, FATE, and M&M, I'm probably going to want to pick one of the four. Which is played most on these forums?


With that said, there's a lot out there. I'd go for a strategy of trying out a wide variety of games to figure out what you particularly value, then seeking out games in that niche. I can also reccomend games that I personally like - in which case Fudge, Chronica Feudalis, Microscope, and the ORE games (e.g REIGN, Nemesis) are top on the list.

Chronica Feudalis and Microscope look like a lot of fun. Do these see much play around here or on Roll20?


If you learn 5e, you can join the adventurers league which will fit with the traveling a lot. Just find a game store running AL and bring your character along. Make sure of course you follow the rules, and document stuff though. 5e is also fairly easy and simple to pick up. The hardest part seems to be when people treat the rules as an extension of a past edition of D&D. Read the rules as if you've never played a table top before, don't apply knowledge from other system to them, and it'll be much easier to learn and understand.

Unfortunately, my traveling is restricted to a) being in an airplane or b) being at a conference. And a some of it is in non-western countries. So while Adventurer's League sounds really appealing, I don't think it's practical for me.


On this forum for PBP it looks like 3.p is the most popular. There seem to be a lot of Mutants and Masterminds (?) as well. 5e has also been showing up in there more often than some other things, those games have also been filling up really fast so I think there is more interest in it than there are DM's wanting to run a game.

5e sounds like something I should definitely learn, then, although probably not expect to play it anytime soon.


I'm not sure where your personal interests lie, but if like me you enjoy reading gamebooks and settings almost as much as playing, then there are some really interesting games out there to explore.

For example? I'd love to pick up a well-written settings book.

DigoDragon
2015-03-30, 08:19 PM
As my RP gaming is all online currently, I been playing on simple systems that work well in a PbP setting, like Fate core.

themaque
2015-03-30, 08:54 PM
With so many mentions of WoD, Shadowrun, FATE, and M&M, I'm probably going to want to pick one of the four. Which is played most on these forums?


You just picked four with very different play styles, themes, and player bases. The question is, what style of games would be most interesting to you?

WORLD OF DARKNESS: The world filled with shadows. Things go bump in the night. Horrors, nightmares, and monsters are real and lurking just beyond sight. Starting as a simple mortal man or woman, you survive the darkness, or can become part of it.

Politics, Secrets, and high drama are hallmarks of a WoD game. A skill based system, there are no classes. The nWoD system allows cross play with all sorts of monsters and horrors. It's simple enough to be picked up quickly and story is king.

SHADOWRUN: Bladerunner, Matrix, Cyberpunk. a Dirty gritty dystopian future where soulless corporations secretly and not so secretly rule. The base game assumes you take on the roles of "Shadowrunners". Criminals for hire to do the dirty work of Corporations so they can keep their hands clean. Or maybe you are a ganger defending your portion of the urban sprawl. Or maybe you are "Hooding", striking at the evil corps for freedom and workign for the soul of humanity.

Magic has arisen and stands shoulder to shoulder with high technology. Skill based, you have rough "Roles" but mostly you make a story and play whoever and whatever you want. Human Con-Man, Dwarf Mechanic, Troll Hacker, or Elvin Wizard are all clear character concepts. Highly technical rules system that encourages rules mastery and planning ahead as combat can be deadly.

FATE: Honestly I know the least about this one. It seems to be story heavy rules light generic rules system. Options for Hard Science, Gritty Magic Noir, or High Fantasy are all available.

Mutants & Masterminds: D20 based super hero game. The rules allow and are flexible enough to allow for near ANYTHING. Space opera to urban sprawls to 4 color pulp serials. One of the better super hero games systems.

The real question is, what appeals to you and your other players?

Maglubiyet
2015-03-30, 09:38 PM
Easier to find a 3.5/PF game, but not loving the vibe of many of the players I've run into. GURPS is harder to find, but a more solid group if you do.

Talyn
2015-03-30, 10:05 PM
I played GURPS for about 15 minutes years ago when I was in the military, and I found it to be extremely clunky and not particularly fun. That being said, there are lots of people who swear by it, so to each their own.

Right now, I'm in two games, a 5e game and an extremely long-running WoD campaign (which is really four different WoD campaigns - two Hunter, a Vampire, and a Changeling, all set in the same world). There is a lot of overlap between the two groups.

Anxe
2015-03-30, 11:43 PM
Here's a survey on what most people are playing on Roll20.

http://blog.roll20.net/post/100246471625/what-is-the-orr-group-industry-report-and-what

VincentTakeda
2015-03-30, 11:52 PM
I'm a palladium's heroes unlimited and ninjas and superspies kinda guy to this day. I also playe ad&d 2e.

I've dabbled in lots of other systems but do not like most 'modern gaming conventions.'

Not a fan of d20, dice pools, feat trees, fate points, toughness/wounds mechanics, wargames, battle mats, battle mat mechachics, so while I can manage to have some fun in newer systems, its kinda pulling teeth to do so most of the time.

TheCountAlucard
2015-03-31, 03:15 AM
You might also consider Exalted. :smallwink:

Saladman
2015-03-31, 04:02 AM
All the following is local for me, but broadly in line with what I see online.


1) Do people still play D&D 3.5e? Do a lot still play it?

A pretty fair number play it, and probably an equal number play Pathfinder, which is broadly in the same school. In general, if someone's stuck with 3.5 or Pathfinder until now, 5e isn't going to make them convert, although 5th is going strong with new players and organized play events.


2) Do people play GURPS at all or is it just some fringe game?

Long time gamers still play it but it's hard to recruit new blood.


3) Is Pathfinder something I should pick up?

I'd wait until you get into a game of it; again, it's conceptually similar to 3.5, so not my first pick solely for reading material.


4) Is D&D 5e something I should pick up?

A basic version is free online (http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules). I'd definitely download that, and ideally drop in to an Expeditions (organized play) session to see if it's up your alley before you get the hardbacks.


5) What other games should I pick up if I want good coverage of tabletop in general?

13th Age for a more divergent take on D&D than Pathfinder or 5e. FATE for a look at a very different direction in rpgs. Savage Worlds for a less crunchy, pulpier take on a multi-genre game engine than GURPS.

Too, it depends on what you're after. If you're willing to GM, the world's your oyster. Pick your favorite old system, figure out a pitch, and give it a shot. If you're looking to play, I wouldn't be in a rush to buy hardcover books until you find a likely group.

And, welcome back!

Firest Kathon
2015-03-31, 04:20 AM
If you learn 5e, you can join the adventurers league which will fit with the traveling a lot. Just find a game store running AL and bring your character along.

Same goes for Pathfinder Society (http://paizo.com/pathfinderSociety), just show up with a (PFS-legal) character (or without one, if you want to play a pre-gen, you still get the chronicle/XP and loot for your "real" character). Not only true for traveling, but also if you just want an occasional game instead of a regular game you have to commit to.

Lord Raziere
2015-03-31, 05:36 AM
my two top systems have already been mentioned, and people seem to have covered the basics.

so I will not talk about them, other people already have those covered, if you ever more interested in a little more esoteric but notable rpgs, here are some recommendations:

Eclipse Phase:
This one is interesting, because the stat for your body and the stats for your mind are completely separate- here you in play a future where humanity has become transhumanity, people upload their minds into new bodies often customized to their desires, all humans are immortal as long as they can pay their fines for the new body to get uploaded into, Humanity has spread out into the solar system, nano-fabrication and a post-scarcity society is a fact of life. problem is, this all comes after a great near-extinction event by out of control godlike AI, and no one knows why they did not finish the job. the cultures of Earth that your familiar with are gone, and the future of transhumanity is in the hands of you, knowing that you'll live forever to see it. What will you do?

Nobilis:
Ever wonder what its like to be a god? Wonder no more, you play a Nobilis, who if they aren't gods, they are very close to one. Your a normal human who has just had divine power slapped into them by these even more godly beings, mostly because these things from outside of reality called the Excrucians want to destroy reality in the war they're waging and they look so pretty doing it, so they need people to fight them. Reality in this case is not just Earth, its a bunch of realms far beyond it with their own rules and how things go and whatnot, all of which are far more interesting than Earth with all its boring rules. Fight for existence itself with godly power! and make sure to find the Excrucian who made Firefly only have one season and destroy her for me will you?

Legends of the Wulin
A game about supernatural kung fu in mythical China. Pick your martial arts style, your story, the virtues you uphold, and go forth and kick ass, for whatever reason you want. Warning though: those who have played it have said that combat can be very long, but the fluff is awesome.

aspekt
2015-04-02, 03:06 AM
Just for reading --

I'd say Eclipse Phase is some of the best I've read lately. It's a very funky twist on AI, transhumanism, spacefaring, shifting economies of value, post apocalypse, and a touch of horror.

When I first read a description of EP I really thought this was going to be awful, but I was looking for a ruleset I could use at the time. Honestly I got swept up in the story and don't regret having spent the time on it. I tgink an older version of the Core Rules is free on drivethrurpg.com.

Engel is an older Euro setting and system for a game heavy on narrative and light on the crunch. But the setting is dark, not something I'm usually a fan of, and very bleak. It's OOP currently but you might have luck finding used copies of the Core book. There's a one shot graphic novel for the game as well which is nice but the Core is probably richer fare.

If you enjoy semi-historical stuff you might check out some of the fluff heavy books for Ars Magica. The beauty of which is of you don't plan on playing it there are 4 previous editions to cherry pick from and the 4ed Core book is a free download, though its rules heavy. Some of the more regional texts would probably suit you better. Another benefit is the game has setting fluff books which spread from Europe to North Africa and the Middle East.

For a very gritty historical take on fantasy medieval Europe find a cheap copy of Fantasy Wargaming by Bruce Galloway.

EccentricCircle
2015-04-02, 05:22 AM
I really like fifth edition, and am keen to play more games in it.
That said, most of my on going campaigns still use 3.5, so most of the games I currently have on the books for the next 6 months to a year will be using that rather than the new system.

I'm loath to convert an existing game to a new system when 3.5 is working fine thus far. So until I start a few new campaigns 5e won't be taking over from 3.5.

On the non D&D front I'm playing quite a lot of the Mistborn Adventure game at the moment. It is currently our group's light game of choice as it's easily hackable by swapping out the magic system from the novels for one more in line with the game.

Leon
2015-04-02, 06:17 AM
5) What other games should I pick up if I want good coverage of tabletop in general?

Dungeon World.

Felyndiira
2015-04-02, 06:31 AM
Eclipse Phase:
This one is interesting, because the stat for your body and the stats for your mind are completely separate- here you in play a future where humanity has become transhumanity, people upload their minds into new bodies often customized to their desires, all humans are immortal as long as they can pay their fines for the new body to get uploaded into, Humanity has spread out into the solar system, nano-fabrication and a post-scarcity society is a fact of life. problem is, this all comes after a great near-extinction event by out of control godlike AI, and no one knows why they did not finish the job. the cultures of Earth that your familiar with are gone, and the future of transhumanity is in the hands of you, knowing that you'll live forever to see it. What will you do?

I want to second Eclipse Phase. It has one of the most interesting settings I've ever encountered, and one that is vastly different from most standard Science Fiction RPGs. The sleeving system (basically, being able to switch bodies), having backups of your mind, cosmic horrors (the system uses Sanity), and all the implications of such is explored thoroughly in the world and makes for a completely unique experience. Keep in mind, also - EP's combat is very deadly. You are not expected to have combat encounters regularly like in D&D, and are expected to take full advantage of things like social skills, hacking, connections, and maybe even psi powers to solve problems. Death is also expected, as is switching bodies constantly for various tasks and when you die.

If you are interested, the best place to start with Eclipse Phase is actually by reading the Ego Hunters adventure path (I think there's a lite version of it online for free). It gives you a very good introduction to just what Eclipse Phase really is.