It’s August and that means that the annual #RPGaDAY ‘question a day’ is here to celebrate “everything cool, memorable and amazing about our hobby.” This year we’ve decided to join in the fun and will be canvassing answers from the ENWorld crew, columnists and friends in the industry to bring you some of our answers. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too… So, without further ado, here’s Day 17 of #RPGaDAY 2017!
#RPGaDAY Question 17: Which RPG have you owned the longest but not played?
Angus Abranson: Fantasy Games Unlimited’s Bushido. I brought it when I was at school but never got round of playing it. It is, sadly, one of many RPGs that I own and haven’t played. Some I own the entire collection of (core rules + adventures and sourcebooks) and have never actually played. I kid myself in thinking that they’re waiting for me to have epic campaigns in my retirement but I somehow suspect even then many won’t actually get played.
Darryl Mott: Tephra. I’ve had a copy of it since I believe 2013 but, aside from making a character and running through a couple of “test scenario” one shots, I’ve never played it.
Eddy Webb (Pugmire; Futurama: Game of Drones): Star Frontiers. I very briefly owned the original box set, and since then I've had various versions of it in my life. But yet I've never done anything more than read it. I haven't even made a character for it! But it always looked like such a great space opera game with the right balance of straight-faced adventure and slightly-daft background. Maybe some day!
Robert J. Schwalb (Schwalb Entertainment; Wizards of the Coast): So many I’m not sure where to start, but Nephilim and Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth spring to mind.
Shannon Appelcline (Designers & Dragons; RPGnet): Two college purchases stand out: Amber Diceless Role-Playing and Aria Roleplaying. They both were really exciting because they pushed the bounds of roleplaying. Amber was diceless before anyone else was thinking about non-randomized resolution while Aria lets you roleplay big things like countries. To a certain extent, I think that time has passed both of them by. Amber still seems like an evocative and playable game, but its innovations are now more staid. Still, I could see myself playing it someday. Aria was always a bit of a beast mechanically, and I'm not sure much of anyone ever played it; it's now been surpassed by indie games like the excellent Microscope. It'll probably drop out of my collection the next time I move, leaving Amber as the winner and champion of the never-played record.
Simon Brake (Stygian Fox): I don’t think I’ve actually ever played Werewolf, although I bought the 1st edition (it may be the 2nd edition that’s on my shelf). Vampire, Mage and Wraith have all seen some play time, but Werewolf and Changeling remained more background material for the other gamelines.
Dennis Detwiller (Creator of Delta Green, Arc Dream Publishing): Metamorphosis Alpha. It’s worse than never playing it though. I’ve never even OPENED it.
Emmanuel Gharbi (Exil, Hellywood): Earthdawn. I just love the setting, the tone, the visuals (especially those from Mr Laubenstein). I own the book since the first edition, I always wanted to play "Prelude to War" but I always was too afraid of the system. Much too complicated for me. One of my biggest gaming regrets.
Jonathan Thompson (Battlefield Press): Only one comes to mind. I have owned the Star Trek RPG (Icon, Last Unicorn Games) since its release, but I have never played it. Mostly I used it as a resource for another version of the same game.
David Donachie (Solipsist, Starblazer Adventures): Dragon Warriors. It was pretty much the first RPG that I bought, and I've been through the original paperbacks till they have literally fallen too pieces, but I've never actually played them — except in my head. I based my first system on them, though, so I've used bits of the rules out of context. Second prize probably goes to Nephilim, a game I love to read but have never dared to try.
Kevin Watson (Dark Naga Adventures): Living Steel is the oldest unplayed game in my collection. It is simple unplayable. However, it is a wonderful Sci Fi Zombie Apocalypse scenario.
Ed Jowett (Shades of Vengeance; Era: The Consortium): I'm usually pretty good with this one! The last game I got which I've not yet played is the new Conan RPG by Modiphius! I was interested from the start and backed their Kickstarter, which did extremely well. The game looks great and I can't wait to get around to playing it! It's just that I have so many things I'm currently developing and that means almost all of my slots are taken up with playtest sessions! I've recently been playing Era: The Consortium and Era: The Chosen, with an Era: The Empowered campaign beginning this weekend, so it's really busy here!
Egg Embry (EN Publishing; Tessera Guild): Dangerous Journeys. I remember I had to have them all! I remember I still haven’t had an occasion to use them... hmm...
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): That should be Engel by German publisher Feder & Schwert, which I think got an English version too. Always loved the books, but never found anybody to play with.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): Nobilis 2nd ed.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): The Dune RPG from Last Unicorn Games. Sadly, the games I had as a kid are all long gone, but I managed to acquire this beauty when it was released and it sits in my collection waiting for a new version to join it an d be played. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a Fremen or Sardaukar?
Mike Myler (EN Publishing, Legendary Games): The Authority RPG.
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): I have owned Dark Hersey by FFG since it first came out. I am a fan of the 40K setting, and the miniatures, and have been since the old Rogue Trader days. Naturally, when a 40K RPG was released I jumped right on it. Unfortunately, I could not get anyone to play it. Those who were long time 40K fans scoffed at the system, and those who were unfamiliar to 40K did not buy my pitch. Oh, well, it is a very pretty book and a fun read. One day, one day…
Eran Aviram (Up to Four Players; City of Mist): Earthdawn, first edition; then 2nd edition; then 3rd edition. Look, this is the most exquisite campaign setting I've ever read. I have all the books, all of them. But, and unlike any other game I own, I would like to play this game only with people who are willing to get deeeeep into the lore, up to and including reading the philosophical treatises about the Disciplines (yes, really).
Rich Lescouflair (Alligator Alley Entertainment; Esper Genesis 5E): Cyberpunk - It's a game I've only watched being played but I've had it from the beginning.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): Eclipse Phase. I feel like it's a game that has a lot going on when it comes to setting, but the mechanics (specifically, the percentile rolling) always keep me away from trying. But alas, I do want to give it a shot! I cannot come up with a strong opinion about it without playing it!
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Originally created by Dave Chapman (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space; Conspiracy X) #RPGaDAY os now being caretakered by the crew over at RPGBrigade. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too!
#RPGaDAY Question 17: Which RPG have you owned the longest but not played?
Angus Abranson: Fantasy Games Unlimited’s Bushido. I brought it when I was at school but never got round of playing it. It is, sadly, one of many RPGs that I own and haven’t played. Some I own the entire collection of (core rules + adventures and sourcebooks) and have never actually played. I kid myself in thinking that they’re waiting for me to have epic campaigns in my retirement but I somehow suspect even then many won’t actually get played.
Darryl Mott: Tephra. I’ve had a copy of it since I believe 2013 but, aside from making a character and running through a couple of “test scenario” one shots, I’ve never played it.
Eddy Webb (Pugmire; Futurama: Game of Drones): Star Frontiers. I very briefly owned the original box set, and since then I've had various versions of it in my life. But yet I've never done anything more than read it. I haven't even made a character for it! But it always looked like such a great space opera game with the right balance of straight-faced adventure and slightly-daft background. Maybe some day!
Robert J. Schwalb (Schwalb Entertainment; Wizards of the Coast): So many I’m not sure where to start, but Nephilim and Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth spring to mind.
Shannon Appelcline (Designers & Dragons; RPGnet): Two college purchases stand out: Amber Diceless Role-Playing and Aria Roleplaying. They both were really exciting because they pushed the bounds of roleplaying. Amber was diceless before anyone else was thinking about non-randomized resolution while Aria lets you roleplay big things like countries. To a certain extent, I think that time has passed both of them by. Amber still seems like an evocative and playable game, but its innovations are now more staid. Still, I could see myself playing it someday. Aria was always a bit of a beast mechanically, and I'm not sure much of anyone ever played it; it's now been surpassed by indie games like the excellent Microscope. It'll probably drop out of my collection the next time I move, leaving Amber as the winner and champion of the never-played record.
Simon Brake (Stygian Fox): I don’t think I’ve actually ever played Werewolf, although I bought the 1st edition (it may be the 2nd edition that’s on my shelf). Vampire, Mage and Wraith have all seen some play time, but Werewolf and Changeling remained more background material for the other gamelines.
Dennis Detwiller (Creator of Delta Green, Arc Dream Publishing): Metamorphosis Alpha. It’s worse than never playing it though. I’ve never even OPENED it.
Emmanuel Gharbi (Exil, Hellywood): Earthdawn. I just love the setting, the tone, the visuals (especially those from Mr Laubenstein). I own the book since the first edition, I always wanted to play "Prelude to War" but I always was too afraid of the system. Much too complicated for me. One of my biggest gaming regrets.
Jonathan Thompson (Battlefield Press): Only one comes to mind. I have owned the Star Trek RPG (Icon, Last Unicorn Games) since its release, but I have never played it. Mostly I used it as a resource for another version of the same game.
David Donachie (Solipsist, Starblazer Adventures): Dragon Warriors. It was pretty much the first RPG that I bought, and I've been through the original paperbacks till they have literally fallen too pieces, but I've never actually played them — except in my head. I based my first system on them, though, so I've used bits of the rules out of context. Second prize probably goes to Nephilim, a game I love to read but have never dared to try.
Kevin Watson (Dark Naga Adventures): Living Steel is the oldest unplayed game in my collection. It is simple unplayable. However, it is a wonderful Sci Fi Zombie Apocalypse scenario.
Ed Jowett (Shades of Vengeance; Era: The Consortium): I'm usually pretty good with this one! The last game I got which I've not yet played is the new Conan RPG by Modiphius! I was interested from the start and backed their Kickstarter, which did extremely well. The game looks great and I can't wait to get around to playing it! It's just that I have so many things I'm currently developing and that means almost all of my slots are taken up with playtest sessions! I've recently been playing Era: The Consortium and Era: The Chosen, with an Era: The Empowered campaign beginning this weekend, so it's really busy here!
Egg Embry (EN Publishing; Tessera Guild): Dangerous Journeys. I remember I had to have them all! I remember I still haven’t had an occasion to use them... hmm...
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): That should be Engel by German publisher Feder & Schwert, which I think got an English version too. Always loved the books, but never found anybody to play with.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): Nobilis 2nd ed.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): The Dune RPG from Last Unicorn Games. Sadly, the games I had as a kid are all long gone, but I managed to acquire this beauty when it was released and it sits in my collection waiting for a new version to join it an d be played. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a Fremen or Sardaukar?
Mike Myler (EN Publishing, Legendary Games): The Authority RPG.
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): I have owned Dark Hersey by FFG since it first came out. I am a fan of the 40K setting, and the miniatures, and have been since the old Rogue Trader days. Naturally, when a 40K RPG was released I jumped right on it. Unfortunately, I could not get anyone to play it. Those who were long time 40K fans scoffed at the system, and those who were unfamiliar to 40K did not buy my pitch. Oh, well, it is a very pretty book and a fun read. One day, one day…
Eran Aviram (Up to Four Players; City of Mist): Earthdawn, first edition; then 2nd edition; then 3rd edition. Look, this is the most exquisite campaign setting I've ever read. I have all the books, all of them. But, and unlike any other game I own, I would like to play this game only with people who are willing to get deeeeep into the lore, up to and including reading the philosophical treatises about the Disciplines (yes, really).
Rich Lescouflair (Alligator Alley Entertainment; Esper Genesis 5E): Cyberpunk - It's a game I've only watched being played but I've had it from the beginning.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): Eclipse Phase. I feel like it's a game that has a lot going on when it comes to setting, but the mechanics (specifically, the percentile rolling) always keep me away from trying. But alas, I do want to give it a shot! I cannot come up with a strong opinion about it without playing it!
****
Originally created by Dave Chapman (Doctor Who: Adventures in Time & Space; Conspiracy X) #RPGaDAY os now being caretakered by the crew over at RPGBrigade. We hope you’ll join in, in the comments section, and share your thoughts with us too!
