What Licensed RPG Do You Wish Used A Different System?

[ColinChapman]

For me, the new Hellboy/BPRD and Stargate SG-1 RPGs should not have been 5e-based. Even the old GURPS version was a better fit than 5e for the former. Free League could likely come up with something better, or it should use a retooled version of the high action investigative version of Gumshoe as published in Swords of the Serpentine. Not a fan of the clunky system used in the new Terminator RPG either; Free League's Year Zero engine would've been much better. It likely would've worked better for SG-1 too.
In many regards the number of licensed properties jumping on the 5e bandwagon (regardless of the system's suitability) reminds me of the days of the d20 boom. And not in a good way.

 

[aramis erak]

For me, the new Hellboy/BPRD and Stargate SG-1 RPGs should not have been 5e-based. Even the old GURPS version was a better fit than 5e for the former. Free League could likely come up with something better, or it should use a retooled version of the high action investigative version of Gumshoe as published in Swords of the Serpentine. Not a fan of the clunky system used in the new Terminator RPG either; Free League's Year Zero engine would've been much better. It likely would've worked better for SG-1 too.
In many regards the number of licensed properties jumping on the 5e bandwagon (regardless of the system's suitability) reminds me of the days of the d20 boom. And not in a good way.

I've run the current SG-1. Note that the prior one was D20 STL...
While the first few levels are D&Dish, they go completely off the reservation from there... level-up by buying feats, rather than buying features with level-up in class.
While I'd love to see SG-1 in a non-D&D system, until the industry changes, only a D&D linked system is profitable enough for investment. I think a T2K 4E adaptation requires very little new work - Zat guns, gate travel, aliens... and probably a d14 and d16 in the custom dice sets.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And because I came to the thread late, if you enjoy PbtA games, more power to you I just wish Avatar had used something more flexible and detailed.

Another one came to mind. I haven't fully read through the Marvel RPG rules yet, but again, I think the Hero System or even Mutants and Masterminds would have been a great fit. I enjoy being able to tweak powers and I think both games could do a great job modelling characters from Marvel. I also got a feeling reading the stat blocks from the RPG game, that they are basing it off MCU heroes and not the comic book heroes. That being said, I feel like even in the comics, the power levels change with every new writer.

They do. As an RPG writer you have to find a median and chalk up the crazy stuff as some kind of power stunt.

 

[Micah Sweet]

7th Sea 2nd edition

I really want to like this game but the resolution mechanics is just too alien to my mind, both as a player and as a DM. I’m not sure what to do with it either though, or what system would be a good fit.

I was very disappointed to see how much the mechanics had changed between editions. I feel that John Wick was holding back from the kind of design he actually liked in his earlier work, and it turns out that I preferred him that way.

 

[FriendlyFiend]

I like Cypher System and think it works well for a whole bunch of genres, but I can't help but think that GUMSHOE/BRP/similar would be a much better fit for The Magnus Archives.

 

[Ulfgeir]

The obvious one is Shadowrun. BRP(-based) might be a good idea. I like the more modern version used in The Troubleshooters, but it is probably not gritty enough for Shadowrun. I mean the only thing that would be worse than the disaster Catalyst had in their 5e (previous versions were also bad, but they were at lest semi-functional although too crunchy) would be using D&D 5e-system...

edit: realized the title said licensed game..., but my point still stands regarding the game.

 

[aramis erak]

The obvious one is Shadowrun. BRP(-based) might be a good idea. I like the more modern version used in The Troubleshooters, but it is probably not gritty enough for Shadowrun. I mean the only thing that would be worse than the disaster Catalyst had in their 5e (previous versions were also bad, but they were at lest semi-functional although too crunchy) would be using D&D 5e-system...

edit: realized the title said licensed game..., but my point still stands regarding the game.

Technically, FASA was the creator of Shadowrun. Catalyst is not (legally) the same company. I don't recall if they purchased or licensed, but it's not their original creation, so the issues are really similar to licensed even if they purchased it. Also, they (Catalyst) describe themselves thusly:

Catalyst Game Labs is a top-ten hobby games and fiction publisher specializing in licensed properties. We are the largest licensee of The Topps Company, fully managing two intellectual properties on their behalf—and have held additional licenses with Hasbro, MGM, Paramount, Wargaming.net, and Valiant Entertainment.

ISTR that Topps owns BT and SR...

 

[Committed Hero]

Play of it was great.

I have several times thought of going to Cortex Prime, and seeing if I could cobble together something cogent around character generation, which I felt Marvel Heroic RP lacked.

Melding in something akin to the FASERIP Game's Power Stunts would be fantastic.

You might want to take a look at Sentinel Comics, then

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Per the title: what licensed RPG do you wish had used a different system than the one(s) it was licensed for? Which system or style of system would you have preferred?

I wish there was an offical Savage Worlds (SWADE) Star Wars RPG. I love WEG d6 and am not keen on Genysis for Star Wars. SWADE is pretty much perfect for Star Wars, IMO.

While I like TOR and thought AiME was a pretty good implementation of 5E for Tolkien's world, I would really love to see a Year Zero Engine Lord of the Rings game that leans into Hope and Despair with its stress die mechanics.

What about you?

IMO Star Wars wants a system with intentional (limited) player narrative control, and less “plan ahead” character advancement.

I’d go with a fitd system, or Cypher. Different arguments for each, but I think both would work better than FFG’s system.

There is already a Star Wars game based on Blades in The Dark, I think, and it’s well reviewed. A Cypher Star Wars would have tech cyphers and personal artifacts like a lightsaber or a special ship or even a droid companion, and they all have really good ways they can come due. The “Descriptor” “Noun” who “Verbs” setup would work really well I think.

Luke is an Optimistic Force Adept who Knows What’s Right. Leia is a Commanding Noble who Finishes What She Starts. Han is a Charming Scoundrel who Stays One Step Ahead.

Add in character arcs, and I think it’d work a treat.

Adventure Zone should be D&D based IMO. Take bits from pbta concepts and other systems they’ve used to again give narrative push ability to players, but TAZ is best when it’s D&D.

 

[Parmandur]

Adventure Zone should be D&D based IMO. Take bits from pbta concepts and other systems they’ve used to again give narrative push ability to players, but TAZ is best when it’s D&D.

I'd be interested in an AZ campaign book for 5E, for sure.

PbtA style Star Wars would be more fitting and easier to grasp than the FFG system (which seems moribund at this point). Any Stsr Wars system will be haunted by the very excellent 80's rendition by WEG, one way or another.