qualitative comparison of RPG systems

I spent way too much time devising this, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that Elfcrusher et al have already been discussing a similar topic. Rather than numerical values, I came up with a set of descriptive criteria & keywords to compare RPGs.

Do you think this is a good framework? Do you agree with my assessments?
Recommendations can be genre, specific universe, and/or play style.

UPDATED 2019-July.

D&D:
Genre: fantasy (but sometimes modded for other genres).
Focus: fantasy combat, also social & exploration (skills).
Roll: d20+stat+prof+mods vs DC.
PCs: race, class, subclass, items. discrete spell lists. 6 stats + derived numbers. Also, background & personality traits.
Special: Inspiration Points earned for good roleplay of traits, expended for rerolls.
Advancement: 20 class levels with specified features, especially Hit Points.
Recommended for: Fantasy. Most of the content is based on magic.
Not recommended for: genres where combat is risky even for experienced PCs (e.g. Firefly).

FFG Narrative Dice (Star Wars, Legend of Five Rings, Genesys):
Genre: universal. specific settings add rules.
Focus: ???
Roll: symbol-sided opposing dice where plus/minus pairs cancel each other. circumstances add dice.
PCs: race, class, talents. stats + skills + derived numbers.
Special: plot chips that are expended then given to other side (PC vs enemies).
Advancement: talent tree.
Recommended for: SF&F.
Not recommended for: ???

Pathfinder (also Starfinder?):
Genre: fantasy (also Sci Fi)
Focus: combat, also social & exploration (skills).
Roll: d20+stat+points+mods vs DC.
PCs: race, classes, level, items.
Special: ???
Advancement: 20 class levels with specified features.
Recommended for: Fantasy, SciFi, Stargate?
Not recommended for: ???

Storytelling (nWoD - Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, et al):
Genre: modern supernatural (but potentially universal)
Focus: ???
Roll: Xd10 pools (stat+skill+modifiers) vs TN, each roll of 8+ is a Success, roll of 1 causes Drama.
PCs: stats (9 core + many derived), skills, features, virtue & vice.
Special: ???
Advancement: XP spent to increase stats, skills, features.
Recommended for: Modern Supernatural (specifically World of Darkness).
Not recommended for: "realistic" genres.

Fate (Dresden Files, Spirit of the Century, et al):
Genre: universal modular. Rule sections are designed to be added or removed.
Focus: dramatic narrative. Everything is abstracted. Players can explicitly modify scenes.
Roll: 4dF+approach (skill)+shifts (modifiers) vs ladder. Fate dice are {-1, 0, +1}. Ladder is a sliding success scale (-2 Terrible to +8 Legendary) of effects.
PCs: aspects (high concepts), approaches, stunts (special features). 1 stat (Refresh).
Special: Fate Points earned for good (or compelled) roleplay of aspects, expended to invoke aspects (bonus or reroll) or add narrative details.
Advancement: Refresh earned as XP, can be spent at Milestones to gain stunts or skills.
Recommended for: collaborative worlds.
Not recommended for: tactical combat.

Powered by the Apocalypse (Apocalypse World, Dungeon World, et al):
Genre: universal framework. Apocalypse engine builds lightweight rule sets with bespoke stats & features.
Focus: cinematic narrative. Players describe story actions via moves.
Roll: 2d6+stat vs 7 / 10. 7-9 is success with cost, 10+ is success.
PCs: classes with moves based on 5 stats (usually).
Special: varies by game.
Advancement: 10 levels with specified improvements.
Recommended for: Apocalyptic, ???
Not recommended for: ???

Savage Worlds (Deadlands, Interface Zero, et al):
Genre: universal. specific settings often add rules.
Focus: cinematic action.
Roll: dX+mods vs TN (often 4). Ability scores and skills are die sizes (d4 to d12).
PCs: skills, edges/hindrances (mods), gear. 4 stats, sometimes races, archetypes, powers.
Special: Bennies earned for creative roleplay, expended for rerolls.
Advancement: XP spent to increase die sizes, gain edges.
Recommended for: Action/Horror, ???
Not recommended for: ???

Cypher System (Numenera, The Strange, et al):
Genre: universal (but primarily aimed at human-level SF&F).
Focus: ???
Roll: d20 vs TN -edge -effort -mods. (effectively like D&D but counting in the opposite direction). Ability scores have 2 modifier components: Edge (constant) and Effort Pool (expendable).
PCs: "descriptor type who {focus}". Each keyword has associated skills & moves. 3 stats x2.
Special: Cyphers are one-shot boost items found and used during adventures.
Special: GM Intrusion stirs up the plot: earn XP in exchange for compelled difficulty.
Advancement: XP spent on stats, skills, or big one-shot boosts.
Recommended for: Numenera, The Strange.
Not recommended for: Superhero?

Hero System (Champions, Danger International, Fuzion, et al):
Genre: universal. Effect-based abilities reskinned as magic, super powers, tech, etc.
Focus: combat, also social and exploration (skills).
Roll: 3d6+OCV-DCV (combat value) vs 11, Xd6 - Defense for damage.
PCs: point-valued abilities & modifiers. 8 stats + derived numbers.
Special: Perks & Disads: point values for persistent story complications (NPC friends/enemies/dependents, compulsions, etc).
Advancement: XP adds to ability point total.
Recommended for: Superhero, players who like math puzzles ("EC, MP, or VPP? I'll make a spreadsheet...")
Not recommended for: non-combat focus.

GURPS (many many setting books):
Genre: universal. It's right there in the name.
Focus: tactical simulation.
Roll: skill vs 3d6 (low roll is better).
PCs: point-valued abilities & skills. 4 stats + derived numbers.
Special: ???
Advancement: XP adds to ability point total.
Recommended for: "realistic" genres.
Not recommended for: genres where combat isn't a big risk.

WOIN (OLD, NOW, NEW):
Genre: universal (fantasy, modern, SF)
Focus: action.
Roll: Xd6 (stat+skill+equipment) vs TN.
PCs: "descriptor career who {hook}" with skills, traits & exploits. 9 stats + derived numbers.
Special: Luck stat provides expendable dice pool.
Advancement: career grades (how many?) gain or improve skills.
Recommended for: ???
Not recommended for: ???

Most of your post is invisible to some of us. Here’s why, and how to fix it.
https://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?348563-Dark-Text-on-a-Dark-Background-Tutorial

Ok, I've reformatted and also added FFG, which is possibly the 2nd best selling RPG system after D&D.

This is interesting, but these are descriptors, which is particularly useful if you want to compare multiple systems with a view to selecting one for what you want to do. But they don't measure quality, so I wouldn't call them metrics. The closest they get is the recommendation, but a recommendation isn't a measurement.

I think it has just become cool to day d&d is only good for one style of play. Never understood that. It’s all about how you write the adventures. And system does not matter in the least for that. D&D can be used for any genre and setting as easily as any other system.

Arnwolf666 said:

I think it has just become cool to day d&d is only good for one style of play. Never understood that. It’s all about how you write the adventures. And system does not matter in the least for that. D&D can be used for any genre and setting as easily as any other system.

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I love D&D, but it's absolutely not suited for genres where guns are meant to be seriously feared (i.e. every single hit really matters, and there's no armor that works against both melee and guns). If a few non-magical expert combatants need to grab a fragile item guarded by armed minions behind heavy cover across open ground, in D&D you just plain charge at them, maybe taking a couple survivable hits in the process. That's not how modern-day action adventure works, and it's definitely not how Firefly episodes work (or historical Western genre).

Michele said:

This is interesting, but these are descriptors, which is particularly useful if you want to compare multiple systems with a view to selecting one for what you want to do. But they don't measure quality, so I wouldn't call them metrics. The closest they get is the recommendation, but a recommendation isn't a measurement.

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That's a fair point; "metric" is the wrong word. I've updated the title.

For GURPS Roll is 3d6 under combat/weapon skill; Target gets Defense roll to avoid.
I wouldnt say not recommended for PCs who regularly survive combat. Buy a decent HT score, advantages like Hard to Kill and its pretty survivable even against guns.
Maybe: Not Recommended: Games where combat is meant to be trivial and not risky

Focus: Simulationist and Tactical, choices matter.

Frankie1969 said:

I love D&D, but it's absolutely not suited for genres where guns are meant to be seriously feared (i.e. every single hit really matters, and there's no armor that works against both melee and guns). If a few non-magical expert combatants need to grab a fragile item guarded by armed minions behind heavy cover across open ground, in D&D you just plain charge at them, maybe taking a couple survivable hits in the process. That's not how modern-day action adventure works, and it's definitely not how Firefly episodes work (or historical Western genre).

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I respect your opinion. But I don’t see it that way. I have no problem playing pistols 1d6 and rifles 1d12. I look at hit points very abstractly. So it does boil down to the minds eye for some. I play alot of westerns with d&d Ruleset and have a blast. And I do the same with stream punk and the Cthulhu Mythos. At least there is something out there for everyone this day.

Arnwolf666 said:

I have no problem playing pistols 1d6 and rifles 1d12. I look at hit points very abstractly.

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Could you explain this further? That sounds like really low damage, no better than any other weapon. Why would characters above 1st or 2nd level bother to take cover against that? Why worry if someone has a gun pointed at you?

Are you saying that you don't use D&D hit points as written?

I understand that players can choose to roleplay situations that aren't warranted by the game mechanics. But they can also choose not to. If you're relying on narrative to drive gameplay rather than rules, then what do you use the rules for?