The Fudge and FATE Systems

[AKA_Bait]

Howdy folks,

As a follow up on my earlier thread asking for good modern options I started looking at the SRD's for Fudge and the Fate and Spirit of the Century games. I must say, at first glance, I really like the system. It seems complex enough to be interesting but light enough to not feel burdensome.

What are peoples thoughts/experiences with the systems?

[Chronos]

FATE has a whole bunch of highly-detailed rules that don't make sense for things you'd never want rules for, but a shortage of usable rules for things you actually would want rules for. Stay away from it if you value your sanity.

I don't know about the others, though.

[AstralFire]

SotC's pretty good, though I personally dislike how loose the aspect system is.

[Knaight]

Fudge is the original, FATE and Spirit of the century are both rules heavy versions, which in my mind are excessive. Fudge is one of the most elegant, most impressive, most open systems that I have ever seen, is by far the most fun to play of any system I have ever seen, is the easiest system to homebrew stuff for, and what little work that you have to do at the beginning due to it being a toolbox is totally made up for by the first session, if not character creation. Its nothing short of incredible, and I would strongly suggest you try it. Furthermore simultaneous combat is one of the best things I have ever seen for a combat system, and relative degree and scale are both genius. Play Fudge, then when you like it buy the 10th anniversary edition, which has awesome rules for dogfighting(planes, space ships, whatever), an incredible turn based martial arts system(fudge fu), cybernetics, magic, and any number of other things. That said fudge lacks a base setting, and attributes and skills are not predefined. If only there was a game you were familiar with that had a reasonable amount of attributes(4-6), and skills you could transfer over.

Fudge does not have an aspect system, just gifts and faults, which are secondary to attributes. So if you prefer aspects, FATE, attributes, Fudge.

[Raum]

SotC interested me enough I purchased it. It (and FATE) is an interesting system - one I'd like to see in play sometime.

My biggest concern (purely from reading the rules) is the aspect system and how / if it will affect role playing. It looks cool from a pure mechanics point of view...but it seems counter intuitive to a RP point of view. Tagging a darkness aspect instead of turning off the lights or tagging a gimp leg aspect instead of having a wound cause inherent movement penalties seems too 'metagamey'. Perhaps I just need to see it in action.

From a pure setting point of view, I'm looking forward to seeing how they implement Dresden Files.

[Knaight]

It uses metagamey stuff in it, and is based around the story. If you don't like that, then try Fudge, which really doesn't.