What is in the ultimate system?

[Umbran]

It would seem to me that there's one thing that's required in the ultimate system - the end of the world. Not the fantasy world, but the real world. Otherwise, it wouldn't be "ultimate". Someone would eventually come up with a better idea if the world was allowed to continue, leaving the prior ultimate game as the penultimate, at best.

 

[ExploderWizard]

It's what I'm trying to do, or at least in a way.

See, my idea is to make a realistic game that gives you (the player) the options to do what you want to do, role play skills effect not what you say but how you say it, say "Milady you look beautiful today" and roll a 1 on a diplomacy check, you made it seem sarcastic, or say "pudding" and roll a 20 on an intimidate check, you scared away a giant

combat to a sense of realism pertaining to control, actions that run smoothly through a turn and still give you a complex feel without being beyond comprehension

treasure that is fun to find a number booster "I found a +x sword? SWEAT!"
gold and currency for use OTHER than making you're character stronger "Ye must pay four gold to cross the bridge of West Haven"

Magic that allows you to customize your magic user to be able to cover spells of all types (including healing magic) but still have the random effects that allow you to either fumble a fireball and actually snuff a torch out or shoot a thermo-nuclear missile, with respect of course

monsters that include both favorites from the past and ways for GMs to make new monsters WITHOUT needing extra prep time just for that

random table for everything (a lot of those)

a setting of adventure and intrigue without offsetting a GMs creativity (this goes for just about any famous D&D setting, having to work within the rules kinda sucks)

characters that are always different (no 2 dwarven fighters have to be the same)

races that are simple
classes that are simple
rules that are simple

and to all three, the options to go as deep as you want WITHOUT being a total power gamer and making it unfun for others, it would reward roleplay more than hacking...I guess its a system for me, but the hacking side of it would still be fun too!

Looking at all this.............have you looked at GURPS as a base? It is easy to add or subtract content for and will do most if not all of what you want.

 

[cbbakke]

I have been working on a system of for a year or so now and first off, DAMN it is a lot of work.
For me a good system has a few things:
1. ability for characters to develop themselves to be unique.
2. The balance of solid rules for combat that dont drag every fight out into hours of rule debates.
3. Fun factor
4. Giving a player the ability to become powerful without making most foes obsolete. I really hate that about DnD (amongst other things). A group of Orcs should always be a dangerous foe. In systems like DnD once your level 12ish, orcs are pointless.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Ad&D 1e with the WFRP 2e magic system tacked on.