Unpopular opinions go here

[MGibster]

Tactical combat in RPGs is a pale shadow of its far superior counterparts in board games/war games/video games.

There is no RPG that has vehicle combat that is fun to play out.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There is no RPG that has vehicle combat that is fun to play out.

Car Wars?

 

[Reynard]

Car Wars?

Not an RPG. It's a miniature war game.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Not an RPG. It's a miniature war game.

GURPS Cars Wars?

 

[Reynard]

GURPS Cars Wars?

Does it use Car Wars' combat?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Does it use Car Wars' combat?

If it doesn't -- I've never played GURPS -- there was an RPG version (I think it was called Autoduel, but search results for that now just focus on the computer game of that name) that SJG put out in the 1980s that did. It wasn't a great RPG (it makes character development in The Fast & The Furious look deep), but it did turn Car Wars into an RPG.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Sorry, I misread the previous post and I was referring to tabletop RPGs only. I agree that video game RPGs can handle it well.

I wasn't clear; I was mostly just noting that if a turn-based structure can work in a tactical computer game, there's no reason it can't in an RPG. To the degree your point is true, its other factors besides being turn based.

 

[Reynard]

If it doesn't -- I've never played GURPS -- there was an RPG version (I think it was called Autoduel, but search results for that now just focus on the computer game of that name) that SJG put out in the 1980s that did. It wasn't a great RPG (it makes character development in The Fast & The Furious look deep), but it did turn Car Wars into an RPG.

Right, but the question was about tactical rules in RPGs. Car Wars is a miniatures game. Autoduel is an RPG. They are not the same product and do not have the same combat rules.

Granted, GURPS is pretty tactically crunchy itself.

 

[Thomas Shey]

That said, I would like to see TTRPGs take a cue regarding class/character design from MOBAs. Create a large selection of classes, but with a limited set of abilities (a basic attack, a passive, 3-4 active abilities, and an ultimate).

Monsterpunk (Monsterpunk - Gimmick Labs | DriveThruRPG.com) leans into that fairly heavily.

 

[Thomas Shey]

The modern take that the OSR is exclusively D&D retrogames effectively removes many of the original members of the OSR from the fold.

You'll see this battle on some Old School locations when someone wants to talk about, say, Traveller.