Recent content by Enaknomolos

  1. Enaknomolos

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    There is Stara Szkoła which is very much combat-focussed sim; but the same publisher Codex Integrum also do settings based on the medieval baltic, guides to historical weapons, and so on. They're very sim-orientated, although Stara Szkola also aims to be very light and fast. That said, as far...
  2. Enaknomolos

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    I wasn't that jazzed about Pioneer; but looking at the preview and what we know so far, I think that it is a strong contender for a version of contemporary simulationist as a style. By that, I mean rather than trying to tie 'contemporary' to some ultimately arbitrary time period, 'contemporary'...
  3. Enaknomolos

    Pulp RPGs General Thread [+]

    I'll add Dicey Tales to the list. It's Barbarians of Lemuria adapted to pulp, and it does it excellently.
  4. Enaknomolos

    Contemporary Simulationist TTRPGs [+]

    Some Mongoose releases are strongly sim too. The World Builder's Handbook, in particular, packs an absurd amount of contemporary astrophysics into a gaming supplement. I think it's also a clear example of one sort of situation where simulation does require complexity. If you want your sci-fi...
  5. Enaknomolos

    What Do You Think Of As "Modern TTRPG Mechanics"?

    I think the fashion metaphor works fairly well here. If you are designing a game today, you have a whole bunch of history you can learn from that simply wasn't available to someone in 1985. At the same time though, and even if you're really good, the game that you design almost certainly won't...
  6. Enaknomolos

    What Do You Think Of As "Modern TTRPG Mechanics"?

    I think this thread has led me to the conclusion that the engineering metaphor ('mechanics') is fundamentally misleading when trying to understand the ways that RPG systems change over time. I don't think analogies with self-serious high arts such as literature are any better. I think a better...
  7. Enaknomolos

    What Do You Think Of As "Modern TTRPG Mechanics"?

    I loved AW, but have reached the point where I consider 'PbtA' branding to be a warning flag on a new game. It's a bit melancholy really. I also consider 'OSR' a warning despite being nostalgic for old D&D, avoid 'NSR' games despite liking the Black Hack, and expect nothing but disappointment...
  8. Enaknomolos

    Traveller: the iconic science fiction roleplaying game

    I think this is exactly right. There's a reason why Traveller is the first system Ron Edwards mentioned in the intro to Sorcerer, and why a bunch of Trav fans were so enthusiastic about FATE that they made Diaspora. The core game lends itself extremely well to loosely structured narrative play...
  9. Enaknomolos

    Critical Role Teases Campaign 4 World Via ARG

    Maybe it's a hint: the game won't be D&D or Daggerheart: they're going to run it with Tom Molday's (1983) system:p
  10. Enaknomolos

    What are must read short stories?

    The best modern Sword & Sorcery magazines: Tales From the Magicians Skull: the most polished, with great art and the most established authors. Also the most gaming-adjacent, with a section on converting creatures to DCC in every issue. New Edge: works as the hub of new sword & sorcery as a...
  11. Enaknomolos

    What are must read short stories?

    Clark Ashton Smith: Xeethra The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis For mega-short, his prose poems are brilliant too. You could base a campaign around some single pages: The Image of Bronze and the Image of Iron The Flower Devil
  12. Enaknomolos

    The Good Sandbox Thread [+]

    For me, Traveller is the ultimate sandbox game, so I'm glad to see the thread has already gone there! I think the key is that Marc Miller took something in OD&D and ran with it more systematically than anyone else: Traveller just consists of modular procedures that work at different levels...
  13. Enaknomolos

    Do All of Your RPG Maps Now Belong To Judges Guild? ... and more?

    No, you're right. Mongoose have bought the rights to Traveller, 2300AD, Twilight: 2000 and Dark Conspiracy. They're continuing the T:2000 license to Free League though.
  14. Enaknomolos

    Mongoose Publishing Acquires Dark Conspiracy RPG

    Free League would do it prettier, but I'd much rather see it using the Traveller system. For me, GDW should have made that their house system back in the day anyway. (I'd also still rather T:2000 was done in Trav, although I don't think Mongoose would have produced as good a package away from...
  15. Enaknomolos

    Which game books most inspire the "sense of wonder" in you?

    As a kid, GDW did this best for me, and they managed it with minimal art: just by opening a sense of possibilities with the text and setting: the Traveller black box, Space 1889, and (perhaps weirdly) the 1st edition of Twilight: 2000. They were really good at creating a provocative, wide open...
Top