Systems You'd Never Play after Reading Them

[Xaelvaen]

The Strange interests me more.Have you played it?

Played it, no, but I've read through it. I got the book as part of the Torment: Tides of Numenera kickstarter. I like the character shifting as you change worlds, and it has a lot of neat supplements, but the system is mostly the same down to its fundamentals (which isn't a bad thing for me). One of the races / world that supports the race, is quite unique, and they have a spellcaster that reminds me a lot of "Sourcerers" from the Divinity: Original Sin series.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Something else I did not want to play when I looked it over:
- the Gamma World edition that adjudicated everything with The One Comprehensive (Rainbow-Colored) Chart. How excessively comprehensive - and bland

That was the FASE-RIP system RIPped off from the first Marvel Superheroes.

- Gamma World Alternity. GW is supposed to be fun and over-the-top. Alternity combat is gritty and "realistic". Opposites do not attract in this case.

Thanks for the reminder. I can add those to my list, too. ;(

But I like GW as a game concept and background world. I hope 5e can eventually support another GW edition.

I'm a huge GW fan, and the most-D&D-ish editions, the 1st, 2nd, 4th, Omega World, and the last (7th, by my count, which said "D&D" right on the box, and had clear 4e DNA) were generally the best, most fun & over the top.

Hopefully, any 5e-based GW would avoid the pitfalls that the d20 Modern version fell into.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

The LOTR game that was released when the movies came out. The rules books were just tons of glossy pictures from the movies and then bad rules that included advice to DMs like "see how the heroes in the movie don't really get that hurt, copy that".

 

[AriochQ]

O.

LIVING STEEL.

I'd love to hear from someone who actually did run it. Because I was a glutton for punishment back then, and even I was like, "Eh, no thank you."

Living Steel: I didn't run, but did play in a short campaign in the late 80's. Not even sure why our GM wanted to run it, she rarely strayed from D&D. We had fun playing with the power armor, but it isn't a game we ended up playing long term. It was very number crunchy, an aspect I actually enjoyed back then. I am still an unapologetic min/maxxer.

Dangerous Journey's: Another game we had fun with for a while. I actually liked that Aerth drew heavily from actual history/mythology for each given geographical area. It gave GM and players a common base of knowledge. I am also a sucker for skill based systems.

Twilight 2000: We played a ton of this, but it has not aged well. I view it as a niche rpg. If people are really into military based stuff, it is a blast, but for general rpg'ers, I can see it being a snore fest. It did sort of suck that healing took so long. We would generally role up squads of characters and alternate playing them if they got injured. Often we had to dredge our memories to figure out what farmhouse we left a certain PC at months ago.

MechWarrior: This game was a hot mess. Both because the rules weren't very good and that you really wanted characters to be specialized, which means they sucked when doing anything else. (The same holds true for GURPS Autoduel)

 

[DammitVictor]

I guess I'll count Savage Worlds - we got so far as to make characters, but as we practiced rolling and understanding the game (before playing), we didn't enjoy the very 'swingy' feel of the mechanics at all.

I am also right there with you. I obviously can't say that it's a bad game, but it just rubbed me wrong from cover to cover.

 

[aramis erak]

The ones that won't see the light of day, and why:

• Fatal - probably needs no explanation
• Road Rebels - Almost indecipherable text
• Gamma World - I just cannot bring myself to embrace the gonzo there.
• Mongoose Judge Dredd d20 - Not a fan of D20... and looked clunky as hell.
• Mongoose Judge Dredd Traveller - got so far as generating a few characters, before I realized that the conversion team really did not grasp the mechanics they were working with.
• Cyborg Commando - poorly written, poorly edited.
• Lejendary Adventures - not quite as bad as Cyborg Commando, but close
• Everway - WTF? made no sense
• Warriors Adventure Game - non-random, point pusher mechanics
• Marvel Universe - non-random

A few I'm unlikely to run, and won't suggest, but players asking might get me to...

• Savage Worlds - too random
• Time Lords - system is too clunky. not big on time travel
• SpaceTime - same system as Time Lords. Not space opera.
• Dragon Raid - christian fantasy. weird.
• Barbarians of Lemuria

 

[GMMichael]

• Warriors Adventure Game - non-random, point pusher mechanics
• Marvel Universe - non-random

Is non-random a bad thing? Sounds like it has potential.

• Dragon Raid - christian fantasy. weird.

Also, potential. Of a very different kind. I wonder if this would be like D&D, but the players actually believe in Pelor?

 

[aramis erak]

Is non-random a bad thing? Sounds like it has potential.

Lacking random is, for me, a fatal flaw of a system. It's worse than too much random.

Rock-paper-scissors is as non-random as I will tolerate. (That said, I've enjoyed the Vampire LARP rules as a TT game.)

Also, potential. Of a very different kind. I wonder if this would be like D&D, but the players actually believe in Pelor?

Dragon Raid borrows a bit from Narnia. System isn't horrible as a read, but the magic system requires the player to quote suitable scripture from memory. Given that most of my players are agnostic, pagan, or preachily atheistic...

 

[Eltab]

Dragon Raid borrows a bit from Narnia. System isn't horrible as a read, but the magic system requires the player to quote suitable scripture from memory. Given that most of my players are agnostic, pagan, or preachily atheistic...

… they will get to experience - both in-game and IRL - the study needed to obtain access to higher-level spells*. Or pick a non-spellcasting class.

Now I'm going to have to find a copy of Dragon Raid and look it over. I liked the Testament 3e setting book (Biblical D&D), there could be more neat things to adapt into my own campaign world.

* I miss the icon on the old WotC boards that could be used for 'a college graduate / teach (or learn) / deliver a lecture / be (or get) smart'.

 

[aramis erak]

… they will get to experience - both in-game and IRL - the study needed to obtain access to higher-level spells*. Or pick a non-spellcasting class.

Now I'm going to have to find a copy of Dragon Raid and look it over. I liked the Testament 3e setting book (Biblical D&D), there could be more neat things to adapt into my own campaign world.

* I miss the icon on the old WotC boards that could be used for 'a college graduate / teach (or learn) / deliver a lecture / be (or get) smart'.

The website (dragonraid.net) seems to have gone dark in the last 4 months.

Archive.org has the 2E HTML draft version.