A dozen before you go
Nov. 20th, 2008 12:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bluegargantuaHi,
Ooh, here's a fun meme: 12 RPGs you should play before you die.
I will restrict myself to games I've actually played/run:
1.) D&D -- specifically red box/blue box Original D&D. Yes, the rules are clunky and weird, but not only is it a foundation of the hobby, it just glitters with a wealth of possibilities. Misty-eyed nostalgia? Perhaps, but I think even brand-new players are likely to find a lot of wonder and excitement in the game. You never forget your first dungeon.
2.) Nobilis -- Pretty much my most favoritest RPG ever. Embody one of the fundamental cornerstones of reality and defend it against nullity...and each other. The rules are open to abuse, but they also let a group of players address really philosophical questions if they want. Good times.
3.) Amber -- This game has been the source of many in-jokes and fond memories possessing a "long-tail" of entertainment value that far exceeds any other game I own. Diceless mechanics bother a lot of people and seem ill-suited for a game where PCs actively compete against one another, but I think they actually work pretty well.
4.) Call of Cthulhu (Delta Green) -- A fun game where as the "hero" your job is to fail as slowly as possible. Turns the usual game conventions on their head. Delta Green is a particularly good implementation because the PCs have a reason to be together, a reason to investigate the unknown and they're actually halfway competent at investigating things. It also allows you to cloak ultimate cosmic evil in the amoral grey of espionage. I suspect this game is even better using the Trail of Cthulhu rules, but I haven't tried that yet.
5.) Ars Magica -- I'm most familiar with...3rd/4th editions (White Wolf/Atlas Games). Play a group of Wizards banding together against the chaos of Dark Ages Europe. There were a lot of interesting ideas involving troupe and campaign play with Ars Magica and a lot of ideas first saw light here that would eventually go on to be used in the Storyteller line of games (Vampire, Werewolf, etc.).
6.) FUDGE/FATE -- There are lots of "generic" systems out there. All of them are pretty interesting (GURPS and HERO leading the pack). FUDGE (and especially the basic FATE implementation) are the only ones that have gone past character creation to play and which I've actively been interested in playing again or using as a system for some other game.
7.) Paranoia -- I'm most familiar with the original West End version. Play a hapless troubleshooter in an oppressive underground society run by your Friend, the Computer. The game comes with oodles of great setting information and lots of fun advice for getting into the spirit of things. Not a Serious Game by any means and a hoot to play through.
8.) The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchhausen -- Now back in print at Mongoose Games! This really skirts the edge of RPG because it's really more of a storytelling game. Each of you takes on the role of an late 18th century nobleman and you take turns attempting to tell the most outrageous (but completely true) story. A fun game that can be played in an evening and drinking is fully encouraged.
9.) Polaris -- Another in the category of "doomed hero", but this game doesn't let you slide into mindless insanity, it forces you to pick your poison and play it out. You basically play a knight of the Ice Elf kingdom and you'll go around getting your idealism ground away as you realize the Camelot you're defending is already sour and poisoned with corruption. Lots of tragic potential that can be a lot of fun to work through. The "GM-less" mechanic works well and aside from letting everyone play a guy, they make you think about how various game jobs can be divided up.
10.) Gumshoe (Esoterrorist) -- Running an investigative game? Here's a good way to do it. All of the hassles of a missed clue meaning the story is over? Gone. It seems counter intuitive that a game that just "gives you the answers" would be any fun, but it opens up a much more relaxed, free-flowing roleplay. You don't have to search a room six times to make sure you found everything, just show up, act like an investigator and forward the story will go.
11.) Prime Time Adventures -- Come up with an idea for a TV series, pick a major character to play and then play out a season. Spotlight mechanic gives everyone a "time to shine", but also keeps them involved. The resolution mechanic is only a little more complex than "flip a coin", but still satisfies.
12.) Traveller -- 1st edition. Not quite the first Sci-Fi RPG and your randomly generated character can die during creation, but still a lot of fun. You're not a young, fresh-faced hero out to defeat a great evil and be the hero of the land. You're a grizzled ex-serviceman in his 30's-40's and you mostly hope to keep the mortgage on your starship paid. You train local bands of militia to fend off mercenaries, you are a mercenary attacking local militia bands or your a trader taking shifty jobs from mysterious patrons and it's all likely to go bad. A very seedy, "hard" sci-fi universe where you're just a drop in the ocean.
There are plenty of other wonderful games out there of course, this list is as utterly scientific as any other, but I'd say those 12 would be a pretty interesting mix giving you a good overview of a lot of the fun of RPGs.
But I'm talking out my ass. What are your 12 games?
Tom
Ooh, here's a fun meme: 12 RPGs you should play before you die.
I will restrict myself to games I've actually played/run:
1.) D&D -- specifically red box/blue box Original D&D. Yes, the rules are clunky and weird, but not only is it a foundation of the hobby, it just glitters with a wealth of possibilities. Misty-eyed nostalgia? Perhaps, but I think even brand-new players are likely to find a lot of wonder and excitement in the game. You never forget your first dungeon.
2.) Nobilis -- Pretty much my most favoritest RPG ever. Embody one of the fundamental cornerstones of reality and defend it against nullity...and each other. The rules are open to abuse, but they also let a group of players address really philosophical questions if they want. Good times.
3.) Amber -- This game has been the source of many in-jokes and fond memories possessing a "long-tail" of entertainment value that far exceeds any other game I own. Diceless mechanics bother a lot of people and seem ill-suited for a game where PCs actively compete against one another, but I think they actually work pretty well.
4.) Call of Cthulhu (Delta Green) -- A fun game where as the "hero" your job is to fail as slowly as possible. Turns the usual game conventions on their head. Delta Green is a particularly good implementation because the PCs have a reason to be together, a reason to investigate the unknown and they're actually halfway competent at investigating things. It also allows you to cloak ultimate cosmic evil in the amoral grey of espionage. I suspect this game is even better using the Trail of Cthulhu rules, but I haven't tried that yet.
5.) Ars Magica -- I'm most familiar with...3rd/4th editions (White Wolf/Atlas Games). Play a group of Wizards banding together against the chaos of Dark Ages Europe. There were a lot of interesting ideas involving troupe and campaign play with Ars Magica and a lot of ideas first saw light here that would eventually go on to be used in the Storyteller line of games (Vampire, Werewolf, etc.).
6.) FUDGE/FATE -- There are lots of "generic" systems out there. All of them are pretty interesting (GURPS and HERO leading the pack). FUDGE (and especially the basic FATE implementation) are the only ones that have gone past character creation to play and which I've actively been interested in playing again or using as a system for some other game.
7.) Paranoia -- I'm most familiar with the original West End version. Play a hapless troubleshooter in an oppressive underground society run by your Friend, the Computer. The game comes with oodles of great setting information and lots of fun advice for getting into the spirit of things. Not a Serious Game by any means and a hoot to play through.
8.) The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchhausen -- Now back in print at Mongoose Games! This really skirts the edge of RPG because it's really more of a storytelling game. Each of you takes on the role of an late 18th century nobleman and you take turns attempting to tell the most outrageous (but completely true) story. A fun game that can be played in an evening and drinking is fully encouraged.
9.) Polaris -- Another in the category of "doomed hero", but this game doesn't let you slide into mindless insanity, it forces you to pick your poison and play it out. You basically play a knight of the Ice Elf kingdom and you'll go around getting your idealism ground away as you realize the Camelot you're defending is already sour and poisoned with corruption. Lots of tragic potential that can be a lot of fun to work through. The "GM-less" mechanic works well and aside from letting everyone play a guy, they make you think about how various game jobs can be divided up.
10.) Gumshoe (Esoterrorist) -- Running an investigative game? Here's a good way to do it. All of the hassles of a missed clue meaning the story is over? Gone. It seems counter intuitive that a game that just "gives you the answers" would be any fun, but it opens up a much more relaxed, free-flowing roleplay. You don't have to search a room six times to make sure you found everything, just show up, act like an investigator and forward the story will go.
11.) Prime Time Adventures -- Come up with an idea for a TV series, pick a major character to play and then play out a season. Spotlight mechanic gives everyone a "time to shine", but also keeps them involved. The resolution mechanic is only a little more complex than "flip a coin", but still satisfies.
12.) Traveller -- 1st edition. Not quite the first Sci-Fi RPG and your randomly generated character can die during creation, but still a lot of fun. You're not a young, fresh-faced hero out to defeat a great evil and be the hero of the land. You're a grizzled ex-serviceman in his 30's-40's and you mostly hope to keep the mortgage on your starship paid. You train local bands of militia to fend off mercenaries, you are a mercenary attacking local militia bands or your a trader taking shifty jobs from mysterious patrons and it's all likely to go bad. A very seedy, "hard" sci-fi universe where you're just a drop in the ocean.
There are plenty of other wonderful games out there of course, this list is as utterly scientific as any other, but I'd say those 12 would be a pretty interesting mix giving you a good overview of a lot of the fun of RPGs.
But I'm talking out my ass. What are your 12 games?
Tom
