Don’t reinvent the wheel, being well versed in different RPGs

[Distracted DM]

I mean, this depends on what kind of heartbreaker you're looking at making right?

If it's fantasy/DnD, I'd add Dungeon Crawl Classics and 13th Age to that list.

 

[Aldarc]

I would switch out Cairn for its predecessor Into the Odd or even Mausritter for its presentation.

Maybe Numenera/Cypher System.

Risus the Anything RPG.

 

[Deset Gled]

Well part of the goal is reacting to new designers saying “I found D&D combat slow, so I invented a new system.” Or “I found D&D social interaction unfulfilling so I created a new one.” Replace D&D with Call of Cthulhu for a lot of other new designers.

IMNSHO, if you want to understand what designers are "fixing", you need at least a few more old school games to understand where they're starting from. I'd recommend covering some bases with:

• West End Games d6. Star Wars 2e highly recommended.
• Palladium. Rifts is probably the best shock exposure.
• Hackmaster
• GURPS

Also, at least some smattering of war games. Battletech for current stuff. Avalon Hill and SPI for old stuff.

 

[Fenris-77]

I would switch out Cairn for its predecessor Into the Odd or even Mausritter for its presentation.

Maybe Numenera/Cypher System.

Risus the Anything RPG.

The remaster of Into the Odd is a gorgeous book with cracking good layout and design.

 

[Wolfpack48]

Let’s just call a spade a spade shall we? Go read all the systems.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What ever they call the Free Leauge system

"Year Zero"

 

[overgeeked]

Ah. Forgot a two.

Risus, but that was already mentioned.

Wushu. This is one of the best examples of rules light games ever done. It’s almost magical how good it is at what it does.

 

[rhythmsoundmotion]

To ask a different but related question "How can a person get a survey of the different types of RPGs."
Survey of different approaches
-What D20 system(s) should be read to understand how they work?
-What Dice Pool system(s) should be read to understand how they work?
-What Percentile system(s) should be read to understand how they work?
-What Card-Based system(s) should be read to understand how they work?
-What Opposed Roll system(s) should be read to understand how they work?
-What Resource/Action Point system(s) should be read to understand how they work?
-What GM-less system(s) should be read to understand how they work?

Survey of different focuses
-How do highly collaborative systems compare to highly GM-guided systems?
-How do highly improvisational/low prep systems compare to systems requiring high planning?
-How do setting-driven mechanics compare to generic all-settings mechanics?
-How do statistical chance mechanics compare to GM ruling mechanics?
-How do troupe-style character mechanics compare to set player-character mechanics?

And honestly, this seems like only a start, I am probably missing lots of important types of RPGs.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Is the goal primarily

1. Exposure to different systems
2. History of the development of systems

If (1) then use the latest versions. Like there is no reason to play Spirit of the Century if you want to know how Fate works, because modern day Fate is a way better game.

If (2) then we need to start looking at publication dates.

 

[Kobold Stew]

To ask a different but related question "How can a person get a survey of the different types of RPGs."
Survey of different approaches
<snip>

And honestly, this seems like only a start, I am probably missing lots of important types of RPGs.

These are good questions, but it's not the way I would approach the problem: you end up with too many games, because granularity always allows more divisions. I would look for games that have something distinct about them, in terms of setting and/or mechanics, and see how those specific features (a) interact with other subsystems within the game and (b) work out in play.

To take two of the games mentioned above: both Burning Wheel and Reign offer non-D&D fantasy, and both of them require a high degree of GM control -- more than D&D. And both produce deep, rich characters out the gate, that are in my view well balanced against each other. And yet they couldn't be further apart: BW uses lifepaths (the only implementation of that approach I like other than Traveller), and Reign has you roll a fistful of d10s and a unique and deep character emerges.

Both systems are also cheat-resistant, in that you can choose lifepaths to get what you want or pick your d10 rolls, and the character still stands alongside one rolled randomly. They're totally different games, that achieve similar outcomes (when measured against D&D, though different means.

Classic Traveller is a good system to look at for D&D players because (a) everyone needs more science fiction in their life, and (b) there is almost no character progression. And yet, it's an amazingly fun game. Characters aren't balanced, and they're not going to improve, butyet they can tell amazing stories, and there is a rich setting if you want it.

And so forth.

In my view, thinking about every type of game (card-based; diceless; GMless;; etc.) might give you some candidates, but if they don't pluck your fiddle you ain't getting a tune. It's important to learn about systems, and then look at what works (and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn't).