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 18 of #RPGaDAY 2017!
#RPGaDAY Question 18: Which RPG have you played the most in your life?
Morrus: Dungeons & Dragons. By an order of magnitude.
Darryl Mott: Probably Dungeons & Dragons. While I’ve played more one-shots and short campaigns of Shadowrun, my longest campaigns have been in D&D over the various editions, even more if you include Pathfinder in that count.
Angus Abranson: Vampire: The Masquerade probably wins hands down as I ran a massive Vampire/World of Darkness campaign throughout much of the 90’s (in addition to almost ten years of Vampire LARPS). The next nearest is probably TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes or Call of Cthulhu as I ran, and played, Marvel for a number of years (and an schoolfriend I’ve recently bumped into after 25 years and I have been talking about resurrecting our Marvel game with the original characters now that much older and feeling their years…) and Call of Cthulhu has been a reoccurring constant in my gaming life (currently replaying Masks of Nyarlathotep).
Robert J. Schwalb (Schwalb Entertainment; Wizards of the Coast): D&D. In all its many flavors.
Bruce Heard (Dungeons & Dragons; Calidar): D&D BECMI tied with AD&D 1st Ed.
Jason Vey (Eden Studios; Troll Lord Games): That'd be Dungeons and Dragons in its various iterations. Sure, that's a cliche, but it's true. It was my first experience back in 79 and I've played every single version in some form or another including a number of years-long campaigns.
Hans Cummings (ENnie Awards; VFF Publishing): I started with Dungeons & Dragons and I always come back to Dungeons & Dragons. Since my first experience with the Moldvay (and Mentzer; we mixed and matched freely 'cause we didn't know the difference) boxed sets back in 1982, I have played every edition released: D&D, AD&D, AD&D 2nd Edition, D&D 3rd edition, D&D 3.5, D&D 4th edition, and D&D 5th edition.
There have been other games, to be sure. We played a LOT of Paranoia when I was in school in Germany because it was quick and easy and we could play it during our lunch period. In the '90s I played a LOT of West End Game's Star Wars RPG because the friends I played with weren't allowed to play D&D (the whole Satanic Panic thing). But through it all, there was always Dungeons & Dragons.
No matter how I feel about a particular edition, there's a part of me that still wants to play D&D. I expect that won't change, even if the edition I play and the current edition don't always match up.
Aaron Hubrich (Jetpack 7; Gods & Goddesses): By far, it has been Dungeons & Dragons. From a young age, it inspired me to do what I do now for a living and I even met my wife playing D&D.
Jonathan Thompson (Battlefield Press): Hands down this would be Dungeons & Dragons. I started playing the game in 1980, and I have played a version of it every year since. I do make room for other games, but this is where I started and where I default to in my own circles.
Laura Hoffman (Black Book Editions; Polaris RPG): Pathfinder.
Garry Harper (Modiphius Entertainment; The Role Play Haven): Vampire: Dark Ages by White Wolf.
Michael E. Webb (Alliance Game Distributors, Game Trade Magazine): GURPS. I am a lifelong GURPS lover. My first year in college (1988) I traded a footlocker full of 1st Edition D&D for a 3rd Edition GURPS rulebook and several sourcebooks. I immediately started converting concepts from other games to fit the system. GURPS Talislanta. GURPS Highlander. GURPS Star Wars. My library now includes every published item from 3rd edition forward and a few 2nd edition copies. I've run everything from the Zombie Apocalypse (before the days of The Walking Dead) with players being themselves at Mississippi State to Star Trek to High Fantasy to Espionage to Bunnies and Burrows. The system is to me simply elegant. Sure, more recent innovations in role-playing offering more interaction between players and GMs with rules-based ways for the players to directly affect the storyline have impacted the market. I love FATE. I love Savage Worlds. But my greatest love will remain GURPS.
Darren Pearce (EN Publishing; Savage Mojo): I’d have to say that variants of D&D used to be my go-to staple, closely followed by tons of Cyberpunk and Warhammer Fantasy RP. These days though, I reckon it’ll be Shadow of the Demon Lord.
Mike Lafferty (BAMF Podcast; Fainting Goat Games): Probably a tie between Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Mutants &Masterminds 2nd Ed
Simon Brake (Stygian Fox): Almost certainly Call of Cthulhu. Although I probably play more Dungeons and Dragons at the moment that’s more to do with my friends wanting to play D&D than it being my game of choice.
T.R. Knight (Freelance Editor): Definitely AD&D 1st edition. It was the second RPG I ever played and continues to be the played game in the RPG library. I played it all through high school, college, graduate school, and was still playing up until 5e was released. As much as I love the new 5e, I still plan to return to games of 1e periodically just for the nostalgia.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): Vampire the Requiem, which I have played several times, and currently have a campaign that has been in hiatus for some years (but that I do want to go back to) since it started back when I lived in Argentina, and managed to go one for a while even when living on the other side of the world!
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): Das Schwarze Auge - it was pretty much my sole RPG for my teen and college years - back when I still had time to play once or twice a week.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): Dungeons and Dragons in all its iterations. I was a bit young when AD&D came out, but quickly took a liking to Basic and eventually the entire BECMI system. Since then I’ve played each edition of D&D, as home campaigns, one-offs, and via organized play.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): Call of Cthulhu. Present day or Gaslight settings. I’ve almost never played 1920s.
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): By far, counting all the various iterations as one game, I have played D&D the most. I started with Basic, moved on to 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e, and now 5e. I have played various retro-clones such as Swords and Wizardry and even spawns such as Pathfinder. Some people mock or dislike D&D, and that is their choice. The great thing about our hobby is that there is infinite variety and no one true way.
Ed Jowett (Shades of Vengeance; Era: The Consortium): Hands down, there's only one answer: Era: The Consortium! My first game, and its 5 content expansions, have taken a long time to develop, and a lot of play sessions to get right. I love this game through and through, though, and regret none of the time I've spent playing it! Although I usually GM, I have recently had the chance to complete my set of Core Rulebook races: I've now played as each of a Human, Eulutian, Ximian and Vilithii in a campaign! I've not yet had the chance to play as a Pliangrathilon yet... but I'm looking forward to the opportunity before too much longer... hopefully before the other races become available!
****
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 18: Which RPG have you played the most in your life?
Morrus: Dungeons & Dragons. By an order of magnitude.
Darryl Mott: Probably Dungeons & Dragons. While I’ve played more one-shots and short campaigns of Shadowrun, my longest campaigns have been in D&D over the various editions, even more if you include Pathfinder in that count.
Angus Abranson: Vampire: The Masquerade probably wins hands down as I ran a massive Vampire/World of Darkness campaign throughout much of the 90’s (in addition to almost ten years of Vampire LARPS). The next nearest is probably TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes or Call of Cthulhu as I ran, and played, Marvel for a number of years (and an schoolfriend I’ve recently bumped into after 25 years and I have been talking about resurrecting our Marvel game with the original characters now that much older and feeling their years…) and Call of Cthulhu has been a reoccurring constant in my gaming life (currently replaying Masks of Nyarlathotep).
Robert J. Schwalb (Schwalb Entertainment; Wizards of the Coast): D&D. In all its many flavors.
Bruce Heard (Dungeons & Dragons; Calidar): D&D BECMI tied with AD&D 1st Ed.
Jason Vey (Eden Studios; Troll Lord Games): That'd be Dungeons and Dragons in its various iterations. Sure, that's a cliche, but it's true. It was my first experience back in 79 and I've played every single version in some form or another including a number of years-long campaigns.
Hans Cummings (ENnie Awards; VFF Publishing): I started with Dungeons & Dragons and I always come back to Dungeons & Dragons. Since my first experience with the Moldvay (and Mentzer; we mixed and matched freely 'cause we didn't know the difference) boxed sets back in 1982, I have played every edition released: D&D, AD&D, AD&D 2nd Edition, D&D 3rd edition, D&D 3.5, D&D 4th edition, and D&D 5th edition.
There have been other games, to be sure. We played a LOT of Paranoia when I was in school in Germany because it was quick and easy and we could play it during our lunch period. In the '90s I played a LOT of West End Game's Star Wars RPG because the friends I played with weren't allowed to play D&D (the whole Satanic Panic thing). But through it all, there was always Dungeons & Dragons.
No matter how I feel about a particular edition, there's a part of me that still wants to play D&D. I expect that won't change, even if the edition I play and the current edition don't always match up.
Aaron Hubrich (Jetpack 7; Gods & Goddesses): By far, it has been Dungeons & Dragons. From a young age, it inspired me to do what I do now for a living and I even met my wife playing D&D.
Jonathan Thompson (Battlefield Press): Hands down this would be Dungeons & Dragons. I started playing the game in 1980, and I have played a version of it every year since. I do make room for other games, but this is where I started and where I default to in my own circles.
Laura Hoffman (Black Book Editions; Polaris RPG): Pathfinder.
Garry Harper (Modiphius Entertainment; The Role Play Haven): Vampire: Dark Ages by White Wolf.
Michael E. Webb (Alliance Game Distributors, Game Trade Magazine): GURPS. I am a lifelong GURPS lover. My first year in college (1988) I traded a footlocker full of 1st Edition D&D for a 3rd Edition GURPS rulebook and several sourcebooks. I immediately started converting concepts from other games to fit the system. GURPS Talislanta. GURPS Highlander. GURPS Star Wars. My library now includes every published item from 3rd edition forward and a few 2nd edition copies. I've run everything from the Zombie Apocalypse (before the days of The Walking Dead) with players being themselves at Mississippi State to Star Trek to High Fantasy to Espionage to Bunnies and Burrows. The system is to me simply elegant. Sure, more recent innovations in role-playing offering more interaction between players and GMs with rules-based ways for the players to directly affect the storyline have impacted the market. I love FATE. I love Savage Worlds. But my greatest love will remain GURPS.
Darren Pearce (EN Publishing; Savage Mojo): I’d have to say that variants of D&D used to be my go-to staple, closely followed by tons of Cyberpunk and Warhammer Fantasy RP. These days though, I reckon it’ll be Shadow of the Demon Lord.
Mike Lafferty (BAMF Podcast; Fainting Goat Games): Probably a tie between Werewolf: The Apocalypse and Mutants &Masterminds 2nd Ed
Simon Brake (Stygian Fox): Almost certainly Call of Cthulhu. Although I probably play more Dungeons and Dragons at the moment that’s more to do with my friends wanting to play D&D than it being my game of choice.
T.R. Knight (Freelance Editor): Definitely AD&D 1st edition. It was the second RPG I ever played and continues to be the played game in the RPG library. I played it all through high school, college, graduate school, and was still playing up until 5e was released. As much as I love the new 5e, I still plan to return to games of 1e periodically just for the nostalgia.
Federico Sohns (Nibiru RPG): Vampire the Requiem, which I have played several times, and currently have a campaign that has been in hiatus for some years (but that I do want to go back to) since it started back when I lived in Argentina, and managed to go one for a while even when living on the other side of the world!
Uli Lindner (Space: 1889; Clockwork Publishing): Das Schwarze Auge - it was pretty much my sole RPG for my teen and college years - back when I still had time to play once or twice a week.
Martin Greening (Azure Keep, Ruma: Dawn of Empire): Dungeons and Dragons in all its iterations. I was a bit young when AD&D came out, but quickly took a liking to Basic and eventually the entire BECMI system. Since then I’ve played each edition of D&D, as home campaigns, one-offs, and via organized play.
Stephanie McAlea (Stygian Fox Publishing, The Things We Leave Behind): Call of Cthulhu. Present day or Gaslight settings. I’ve almost never played 1920s.
Ken Spencer (Rocket Age; Why Not Games): By far, counting all the various iterations as one game, I have played D&D the most. I started with Basic, moved on to 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e, and now 5e. I have played various retro-clones such as Swords and Wizardry and even spawns such as Pathfinder. Some people mock or dislike D&D, and that is their choice. The great thing about our hobby is that there is infinite variety and no one true way.
Ed Jowett (Shades of Vengeance; Era: The Consortium): Hands down, there's only one answer: Era: The Consortium! My first game, and its 5 content expansions, have taken a long time to develop, and a lot of play sessions to get right. I love this game through and through, though, and regret none of the time I've spent playing it! Although I usually GM, I have recently had the chance to complete my set of Core Rulebook races: I've now played as each of a Human, Eulutian, Ximian and Vilithii in a campaign! I've not yet had the chance to play as a Pliangrathilon yet... but I'm looking forward to the opportunity before too much longer... hopefully before the other races become available!
****
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!
