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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dbm" data-source="post: 9766588" data-attributes="member: 8014">I think systematic versus exception-based design is another big factor in complexity.In play, GURPS isn’t actually very complex as it is very systematic - the rules work the same way consistently pretty much all the time. What varies are modifiers and procedures. This might seem like sophistry but for me it  means  once I have internalised the system I can do pretty much anything with it.Compare that to systems like AD&D which has multiple examples of exception-based rules (spells and monster abilities in general) that are often very different for no real benefit. You have to memorise these things or look them up.Modern D&D has shifted to more consistency from 3e onwards, with defined statuses reducing the need for spells to define their effects from first principles every time.Additionally, the number of procedural steps to resolve common actions adds to the feeling of complexity. Here GURPS can be legitimately criticised if people want to: roll to hit, roll defence, roll hit location, roll damage, possibly roll versus stun. If you use all the detail available it is quite a few steps for every 1-second round. So a ‘complex’ game may actually be more of a ‘slow to operate game’.</blockquote>