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Message: <blockquote data-quote="d4" data-source="post: 1504888" data-attributes="member: 12699">don't make the supposition that d20 gamer haven't tried other systems. i could probably rattle off close to two dozen or more systems i've played over the years (i've been gaming since 1982), but as it stands now, all the games i play are d20. i honestly prefer d20 to other systems, and i say that from a wealth of first-hand experience.one nit-pick re: superhero systems... my two favorite systems for supers are HERO (which uses a bell-curve for die rules and a mainly linear progression for powers and stat costs) and M&M (which is pretty much purely linear).i agree that a rules engine can provide some of the flavor of a setting. but i like cinematic games and d20 is at some level inherently cinematic. on the other hand, i don't like rules-light games, and d20 is one of the few non-rules-light cinematic game systems on the market.others have already pointed out the familiarity angle, and it's another thing i agree with. i'm pretty much past my "experimentation" stage in gaming -- i don't want to pick up a new rules system every month now, though i used to like looking at new systems in the past. now that i've found something i'm comfortable with, i plan on sticking with it. like Psion said, now the onus is on the non-d20 systems to prove to me that they are worth my time to learn. and as the Gneech said, d20 is a perfect "middle ground" for my group -- it's the system we can all agree on.as far as skill- vs. level-based systems go, i prefer something that is a hybrid of the two. like, oh i don't know... d20. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />i like having most of the character's abilities be skill- and feat-based, because it provides more distinctions between characters than going purely class-based. it allows the player to control the growth of the character in a particular direction.on the other hand, i like having levels because it provides some framework as well -- i've noticed a lot of players get overwhelmed when there are too many choices.the other major thing i like about level-based systems is because growth is punctuated and the change is significant when it happens. with purely skill-based systes (like GURPS, HERO, and BRP), change is almost so gradual that it becomes undetectable. i don't get the feeling that my character is actually improving all that much. (even though over the long run he is.) in a level-based system like d20, when you level up... BAM! new class abilities, skills, feats, BAB, saves, hit points, etc. it's a large and noticeable improvement. it feels like a reward. getting 3 xp after a good GURPS session so that i can bump my Broadsword skill from 12 to 13 doesn't feel like a reward.</blockquote>

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