Who are the really interesting modern TTRPG designers?

[Committed Hero]

I feel the same way about Night's Black Agents (err... not by Kevin Kulp; it's Ken Hite): you want to play Jason Bourne vs. vampires, that sounds awesome... and then you pick Gumshoe as the system? WHY, MAN?

PirateCat's run of a demo here shows otherwise. Once you accept the fact that Gumshoe allows for success when you want it, it's a much better fit. I've run and played it for a decade, and it does the Bourne thing just fine.

As for SotS and four color fantasy, the apparent mismatch has more to do with intentional parts of the setting. Less of an area to wander, and something to make magic enticing, for example.

 

[thirdkingdom]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jenna Moran, author of Nobilis, Chuubo's Marvelous Wish Granting Engine, and the currently Kickstarting The Far Roofs.

 

[Joshua Randall]

That's because no-one has any idea how to play those games qua games. I'm serious: they are absolutely beautiful, incredibly evocative, and absolutely crash like the Hindenburg every time I've tried to play/run them, with any group.

(I know, I know: the plural of my anecdotes are not data, so it could be just me that's the problem here.)

 

[pemerton]

That's because no-one has any idea how to play those games qua games.

This isn't the first time I've heard this sort of sentiment about Nobilis.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

Miguel Lopez and Tom Parkinson-Morgan have done some impressive work with Lancer, and Tom's Icon RPG may do the same when it exits playtest. Both games are operating in a space at least adjacent to the gameplay style of D&D 4e IMO, with an even stronger focus on the dichotomy between in- and out-of-combat mechanics. They may not be to everyone's tastes, but they combine unique settings, stunning artwork, and pretty engaging tactical rules to be appealing to a pretty broad audience.

I would have also recommended Mun Kao and Zedeck Siew's collaborative work on A Thousand Thousand Islands, but after the middle of last year that pairing is broken up, probably for good.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

This isn't the first time I've heard this sort of sentiment about Nobilis.

The hobby's got a long history of games that some (many?) folks find impenetrable, unplayable, or otherwise impractical to actually use. Just off the top of my head I've heard similar opinions about Amber Diceless, Ars Magica, Continuum, Everway, Over the Edge - heck, even Atlas' largely-forgotten Rune RPG had folks bounce off it hard because it called for rotating GM's duties.

To me it just suggests you can't possibly write a game that works for everyone, and the more experimental you get compared to the existing market the more people you're likely to lose. OTOH, innovation and originality will draw attention as well, so it winds up being a balancing act.

 

[Reynard]

Miguel Lopez and Tom Parkinson-Morgan have done some impressive work with Lancer, and Tom's Icon RPG may do the same when it exits playtest. Both games are operating in a space at least adjacent to the gameplay style of D&D 4e IMO, with an even stronger focus on the dichotomy between in- and out-of-combat mechanics. They may not be to everyone's tastes, but they combine unique settings, stunning artwork, and pretty engaging tactical rules to be appealing to a pretty broad audience.

I would have also recommended Mun Kao and Zedeck Siew's collaborative work on A Thousand Thousand Islands, but after the middle of last year that pairing is broken up, probably for good.

I keep meaning to look at Lancer.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I keep meaning to look at Lancer.

Its kind of an odd beast; extremely crunchy and gamey in the mech game, pretty lightweight and narrative focused in the out-of-mech elements. In a weird way, it reminds me of 13th Age.

 

[Reynard]

Its kind of an odd beast; extremely crunchy and gamey in the mech game, pretty lightweight and narrative focused in the out-of-mech elements. In a weird way, it reminds me of 13th Age.

I like the idea of the dichotomy. i have some notes (which i hope to one day flesh out) for a dungeon delver inspired by Shadowdark where the characters are corpos at a place like Angel's Wolfram and Hart. They spend their lunch hours delving the weird otherworldly dungeon below the main building in full on Old Scholl Fashion, but the rest of play is PbtA inspired narrative corporate maneuvering for bonuses etc.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

Its kind of an odd beast; extremely crunchy and gamey in the mech game, pretty lightweight and narrative focused in the out-of-mech elements. In a weird way, it reminds me of 13th Age.

Icon is a little more even in terms of out-of-combat mechanical elements, but there's still a pronounced divide. I rather like both approaches they've taken - and as you said, there's something reminiscent of 13A there.

I keep meaning to look at Lancer.

If you enjoy D&D 4e tactical combat puzzles, mecha, or middling high-concept modern space opera settings there's probably something you'll like in Lancer. If you like more than one of those things, it's almost guaranteed even if you only use the game for inspiration and idea mining. Unlike 4e it comes with a complete and fairly compelling setting.

The art is gorgeous too, if that's a selling point.