Quick, while everyone is focused on the 5.24 PHB...

[Cergorach]

Das Scwharze Auge? Despite living in Austria for eight years and Germany for almost one year now, I have not played this game. However, my previous gaming group in Austria never spoke of the game in flattering words, to put it lightly, so I've never had a chance to play it.

Yes, it's from the German "Das Scwharze Auge" (DSA). The current game doesn't resemble the version from 35+ years ago. It was my first RPG and reminds me a lot of the atmosphere of those old choose your adventure books, it was gritty and certainly not high magic. More akin to WFRP then D&D imho. I also have the current version and at least looks a lot better... Is it good? I don't know, but it's like those US vs BBC vs Nordic TV series, it has a very different ambiance and it might be something you have a taste for (for a while)... Might be just a bit different. I certainly wouldn't advise running that 35+ year old DSA and expect a smooth/polished experience.

 

[Nikosandros]

I absolutely loved that character creation system, and I think I own about 5-6 HARP books. The combat was pretty cumbersome, though.

I played in a rather long HARP campaign and I quite liked the system. However, since all the participants had previous experience with Rolemaster we found the combat system a bit unsatisfying and we imported a lot of stuff from Arms Law.

 

[thullgrim]

RIFTS I think

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Hmmm... Probably either Gamma World, Top Secret/SI, or Traveller.

 

[kronovan]

It was Traveller and Gamma World around the same time. A DM at my college D&D club was transitioning between AD&D1e, Traveller and Gamma World rules in a campaign, depending upon the current setting. It sounds crazy and at times it definitely was, but the DM was one of the most skilled I ever played at a table with and he managed to pull it off. While a number of the players were experienced war gamers, so learning and adapting to new rules wan't much of a problem. Definitely one of the weirdest and most enjoyable campaigns I've ever played in.

The next non D&D experience was playing Das Schwarze Auge 2e in the early 90s, when a group of German exchange students were being hosted in my neighborhood. It was at a time when I'd left TTRPG play due to raising a young family, so the convenience of having a short campaign hosted next door was a treat and the game play was certainly a new and enjoyable experience. The students only had the rule books in German, so it was a case of learning while the dice were rolling. The Game Master was an excellent teacher though and I was impressed she was running her own adventures, which were quality stuff. I'm still fond of those rules and their Aventuria setting and own many of the latest editions (5e) publications.

 

[overgeeked]

I don't remember what my first non-D&D game was, but I do know it was either TSR's Top Secret, FASA's Star Trek, TSR's Star Frontiers, or TSR's Marvel Super Heroes. I played all of them but I have no recollection of which was first.

 

[Malmuria]

First non-dnd game I read was TMNT and Other Strangeness, first non-dnd game I played was, I believe, Mage: The Ascension.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

currently in an only war campaign, playing the squad's designated marksman. it feels weird being literally guaranteed to hit any target you can see.

 

[Theory of Games]

GDW's Traveller: hated the Life Path thing. Very boring. I thought it might do Star Wars but it played like Space Truckers instead. I remember trying Phoenix Command just to try it and when I sat down it turned into a Math Bee.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

What was your first non D&D game, and was it your first RPG or did you discover some version of D&D first?

My brother and I played the Mentzer red box before any other games and moved to 1e and 2e pretty soon after that. (We came into the hobby right at the very tail end of 1e.). Our first non D&D RPG would've been either the TSR Marvel Super Heroes advanced set or Middle Earth Role Playing. I think the latter was the first printing of the second edition?