What Non-D&D TSR RPGs Needs to be Revived?

[sophotek_bliss]

I would actually wish that dead games remain dead, as I tend to dislike modern revivals (modern D&D past 3ed I'm lukewarm on, newest World of Darkness things have been a disaster, etc.)

 

[VelvetViolet]

I would actually wish that dead games remain dead, as I tend to dislike modern revivals (modern D&D past 3ed I'm lukewarm on, newest World of Darkness things have been a disaster, etc.)

This is precisely why I advocate for shortening copyright. It’s obvious that these dumb corporations can’t steward their intellectual property. Fans deserve to be able to do as they please with it, because they’re the only ones who care.

 

[sophotek_bliss]

This is precisely why I advocate for shortening copyright. It’s obvious that these dumb corporations can’t steward their intellectual property. Fans deserve to be able to do as they please with it, because they’re the only ones who care.

Well said. Imagine all these disastrously revived games if they were only in the hands of fans. This same thing can be seen in numerous boardgames and card games where fans took it upon them to keep the games alive with fan-made content. In almost all the cases, those communities/games thrived.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Are you familiar with survivorship bias and lost media? It’s easy to dismiss the harms caused by ridiculously long copyright terms when only the lucky and popular media is preserved to be remembered, whereas everything else is completely forgotten. You can’t know how much was lost if you don’t know it ever existed.

EDIT:

I'm not dismissing the harms. I just don't think arguments should overstate elements for effect, and I think that's what you did in that specific case. That in no way makes me think the modern copyright structure is appropriate, but I don't think you need to act like everything prior disappeared to demonstrate that.

 

[NebulaMajor]

TSR made a number of RPGs over the years, and none of them besides D&D have a currently published version. So, which TSR RPG would you like to see revived? How? In what form?

I want to answer "Gamma World" because I love Gamma World, and miss it, but my real answer is definitely Alternity -- and not the bland one that is currently out, the actual Alternity, including the phenomenal Star*Drive setting. Clean it up just a touch but leave the system mostly alone, please.

What do you want to see revived?

I would pick Star Frontier and Conan.

 

[VelvetViolet]

I don't think you need to act like everything prior disappeared to demonstrate that.

Then I apologize. It was not my intent to give that impression.

It is actually easier to find books from the mid-19th century than the mid-20th century.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Then I apologize. It was not my intent to give that impression.

It is actually easier to find books from the mid-19th century than the mid-20th century.

I'm well aware. I'm a retired library assistant.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

I vote for Gangbusters. I mean, any system where you have a class where you can go from a Jimmy Olsen to a J Jonah Jameson and get XP for yellow journalism?

Actually, one cool concept, way ahead of its time, was as you got xp, you could spend it to buy new skills like lockpicking or combat driving.

 

[VelvetViolet]

and get XP for yellow journalism?

Tabloid! is absolute peak yellow journalism. If the Weekly World News was a ttrpg, then that would be it.

The text is just hilarious. In one sentence it mentions that the PCs may have to protect a clone of JFK from the assassin who killed the original and is back to finish the job.

 

[General_Tangent]

Didn't they acquire the New Infinities stuff? So, Cyborg Commando. I would like a version of Cyborg Commando where I can actually shoot lasers out of my fingers (as depicted on the cover) and isn't just filled with population tables of Cleveland. Also, a playable system would be nice. The old game provided two (the basic and advanced) and both sucked really bad.

I remember getting that boxed set for Christmas one year and while I was overwhelmed by the shiny newness of the game it quickly faded when I tried to run it a few years later.

It wasn't until I got to try the D10X mechanics did it really strike me how poorly they worked in play.