MerricB said:
Hmm... I really detest Rolemaster as well; it seems to be a heroic system, yet instant death is too much a factor.
I've never understood seeing this sentiment from d&d players.
A first level d&d character will generally be able to drop a clone of himself with two hits, often times one. At high levels you have insta-kill spells, allowing a single saving throw or die. In earlier additions, you even had insta-kill spells with no save at all (eg, death spell).
Anyone ever fought a beholder?
The only game I can recall that I would consider more lethal than any edition of d&d is the Aliens Adventure Game (which, back on topic, is also one of my votes for worst game ever).
Aliens Adventure Game:
Starting characters could be green recruits or 20 year battle hardened veterans - all based on random die rolls.
The advanced movement/initiative system could not be used if an alien was involved in combat.
Generally speaking, without armour, a hit to a limb incapacitated that limb, a hit to the head or torso killed.
Aircraft can only fire if they have initiative. In a spacecraft vs aircraft fight, the spacecraft always have inititiative. Yet they go on for some time about spacecraft vs aircraft combats, even though the aircraft can never, ever, fire a shot.
Introducing an original type of alien required drawing up a whole new combat matrix for it.
Characters were hopelessly specialised (eg, a dropship pilot would be well advised to do exactly what they did in the movies - wait on the ship while the rest of the party carried out the operation).
All in all, a game designed to sell based on the name, not its value as a game in and of itself.
Traveller: The New Era is pretty poor as well. It tried to do some really good things (the only game I've ever seen with rules for beaten zones for automatic weapons). Unfortunately, the mechanics ended up very unwieldy.
Other mediocre games:
WHFRP
Interstellar Elite Combat (nice concepts, too many big numbers - d100,000 anyone?)
Anything Palladium
World of Darkness (don't mind the system, hate the attitude)
The Best (in no particular order)
OD&D
3e D&D
Rolemaster (both RM2 and RMSS)
Silouhette System
Paranoia
But, its all just a matter of personal taste.