Blue Orange
Gone to Texas
FWIW, Gygax himself struggled (and failed) to make another successful RPG. Sometimes you just catch lightning in a bottle once and it's hard to replicate.
I remember Enforcers. I looked at in the discount section of a game store, after reading about it online. After a few minutes perusing the rulebook, I put it down. I had played and created characters GURPS, Champions, and Rolemaster which can be time consuming in character generation, but I don't consider them complex as the non-math people in our group could generate characters.My answer is always Enforcers, a super hero setting in the near future that came out in 1987. A calculator is absolutely required as some of the derived statistics for your character was determined by calculating square roots. The back cover touts Enforcers as the "easiest, fastest, most flexible super-power role-playing game." Just a few lines down the writer's proudly proclaim "LOTUS compatible spread sheet program for online character sheets." For a certainly value of online of course. This was 1987 and most of us didn't have personal computers and those of us who did really weren't online in the sense that people are online today. We had no problem with GURPS but nobody in my group was touching this one.
Math, more math, still more math, and even more math. Not all of it doable with at-release readily available 4-function calculators.I remember Enforcers. I looked at in the discount section of a game store, after reading about it online. After a few minutes perusing the rulebook, I put it down. I had played and created characters GURPS, Champions, and Rolemaster which can be time consuming in character generation, but I don't consider them complex as the non-math people in our group could generate characters.
Hah! Already called it!Sword's Path Glory. Designed by an actual rocket scientist.
I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only personI remember Enforcers. I looked at in the discount section of a game store, after reading about it online. After a few minutes perusing the rulebook, I put it down. I had played and created characters GURPS, Champions, and Rolemaster which can be time consuming in character generation, but I don't consider them complex as the non-math people in our group could generate characters.
It's not the only game to suggest software... Hero had two different database programs written for it... D&D4E tried to sell one...I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only persontraumatize bywho remembers Enforcers. I still can't believe it had instructions for using LOTUS 1-2-3. I can't believe I had LOTUS 1-2-3!
But Enforcers came out late in Ronald Reagan's presidency at a time when the majority of Americans, even those who played D&D, didn't have personal computers at home. I think the Hero system came out of Champions (I never played either extensively) in the late 80s or early 90s. But Enforcers came out a few years before Hero did I think.It's not the only game to suggest software... Hero had two different database programs written for it... D&D4E tried to sell one...
Most TT gamers I knew DID have computers in the late 1980s. My house had 3 in 1982... An Adam, a Kaypro II, and my TS1000... ok, the TS1000 was almost useless... and I couldn't get Appleworks onto the Adam.But Enforcers came out late in Ronald Reagan's presidency at a time when the majority of Americans, even those who played D&D, didn't have personal computers at home. I think the Hero system came out of Champions (I never played either extensively) in the late 80s or early 90s. But Enforcers came out a few years before Hero did I think.
Remember the character generator that game with 3rd edition D&D? I actually liked it.
Champions came out in 1981, Enforcers in 1987. HERO 4th was initially released in 1989.But Enforcers came out late in Ronald Reagan's presidency at a time when the majority of Americans, even those who played D&D, didn't have personal computers at home. I think the Hero system came out of Champions (I never played either extensively) in the late 80s or early 90s. But Enforcers came out a few years before Hero did I think.
Remember the character generator that game with 3rd edition D&D? I actually liked it.