Favorite non-D&Desque RPGs

Posts: 1348 · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 7:21 pm

A simple question, but a difficult one:

What is your favorite non-D&Desque (ie, not Medieval fantasy / D&D trappings) roleplaying game?

Why?

Posts: 508 · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:24 pm

Definitively CoC! Or Rêve de Dragon (but it is medieval... but not D&Desque at all)

Posts: 604 · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:32 pm

Traveller (DUH!)

I'm a gearhead. I like the formulas in the game, and always envisioned actually drawing a gravity template for the sun. Granted, the game had its flaws, as all 1st editions do. But, it also allowed me to take virtually any science-fiction trope out there and shoehorn it into my universe if I wanted.

For example, I shoehorned teleportation drive from the L. Ron Hubbard book "Battlefield Earth" into Traveller, though at the time, c. 1982, I hadn't paid much attention to how teleportation drives work (they're reactionless drives). Gamma World tech made it onto my tech level tables. So did Star Trek.

In fact, I've gotten the ships of Star Trek boiled down to High Guard stats, and have a working character generation system plus some subsectors. Star Trek by Traveller rules could be awesome.

Posts: 995 · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 10:04 pm

I like Harn. It is medieval, but not really D&D'esque. Far more realistic. However, if that is excluded, I would have to say (no surpise) Skyrealms of Jorune. It is so very different. Strange magic systems. Strange creatures. Set in the future. Interesting world to flesh out.

Posts: 1210 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 12:53 am

i only play (and played) medieval fantasy rpg... hence not any real alternative...

should i be allowed to highlight a FRP anyway, well i definitely reccomend Tiers Age (it's in frech!)... its a free rpg based on the lord of the ring: really really well done! rules, setting, everything is perfect!

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:03 am

i played CoC a few times many moons back - great game.

i also love star frontiers and gama world.

i do like the look of traveller but i never got the chance to play it.

Al

Posts: 1756 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:17 am

Of course I love Call of Cthulhu

But, I remember playing a few games of SPACE 1889 (even though it was probably 15 years ago now). The system was really not very good, but the setting is amazing!

Posts: 1440 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:27 am

Other than D&D esque? Exclamation

Never heard of such a thing..........

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:00 am

red_bus wrote:

The system was really not very good, but the setting is amazing!

I think "Love the setting, hate the system" is the standard comment when anybody talks about Space: 1889. Laughing

Favourite non-D&Desque RPGs? Call of Cthulhu, obviously. Paranoia. To get more recent: Deadlands -- which has perhaps the most setting-appropriate rules I've ever encountered.

Hrm. I also have a soft spot for Tribe 8, to get on a very different game-style track, even if the game does take the idea of metaplot to a whole new level. Very Happy

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:15 am

paranoia always looked cool, but i never got the chance to play it.

judge dredd is also excellent, as is shadowrun.

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:16 am

D&D both the Holmes printing and 1st edition (never played 2nd edition very much).

Call of Cthulhu (of course) Very Happy

although I have run if far more often than I have had a chance to play it.

I enjoyed running a Traveller campaign for several years back in the early 80's.

Had a lot of fun with the Morrow Project. Very Happy

Dabbled in almost everything that came out during the '80's from the James Bond game to many of the superhero genre (Champions, DC Heroes, Marvel, etc.).

Even played some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a mutant pig who enjoyed hanging out in strip clubs... Laughing

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:25 am

always wanted to get the morrow project stuff, but it was always a little too steep for me liking. looks very interesting.

Al

Posts: 1200 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:35 am

killjoy32 wrote:

always wanted to get the morrow project stuff, but it was always a little too steep for me liking. looks very interesting.

Al

Timeline is still publishing Morrow Project and according to their web site they are in the play testing stage of version 4.

http://www.timelineltd.com/

Our group had a regular place to play and had a big North American map pinned to the wall showing which cities had been nuked, etc. Lots of fun!

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:38 am

mmm would prb like the older books really methinks

Posts: 2559 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:45 am

I've always been a big fan of the "What If?" type alternate earth, near-future, cyberpunkish genre RPG's such as Shadowrun, Transhuman Space, and 2300 AD. Lots and lots of really good reading material there. The Call of Cthulhu stuff I have read is really fantastic. The problem is....I need more of it! Wink

Hey Al....Morrow Project is a lot cheaper than it was a few years ago. It has been some time since I checked but both Noble Knight and Dragon's Trove were selling the reprinted modules for less than $10 apiece and Prime Base for only $14.

Posts: 7612 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:49 am

Kingofpain89 wrote:

I've always been a big fan of the "What If?" type alternate earth, near-future, cyberpunkish genre RPG's such as Shadowrun, Transhuman Space, and 2300 AD. Lots and lots of really good reading material there. The Call of Cthulhu stuff I have read is really fantastic. The problem is....I need more of it! Wink

Hey Al....Morrow Project is a lot cheaper than it was a few years ago. It has been some time since I checked but both Noble Knight and Dragon's Trove were selling the reprinted modules for less than $10 apiece and Prime Base for only $14.

well am gonna see if i can just get a batch of used copies off someone first. if not, then i will just go and get the new stuff.

Posts: 1348 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:17 am

Some interesting choices, really. Some picked "light" games, and others really seem to enjoy the "overweight on rules" systems. It is interesting reading what games someone really likes.

Posts: 1117 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:04 pm

So serl, you haven't given us your choices yet. Razz

Posts: 1348 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:10 pm

True, I have not.

I like a great many games:

Lace and Steel (I don't consider this to be D&Desque - others might.)

Chill (I actually prefer this game over Call of Cthulhu, but I started with it, so it may be a non-rational reason as to why.)

Gamma World 1st Edition (there is little better than random mutants.)

Shadowrun (I love the multigenre Post-modern semi-realistic setting, and the mechanics have always intrigued me.)

TORG (another multigenre system with some weird mechanics; there are certainly elements of D&Disms but they are not the focus.)

Toon (just wacky fun all around.)

Paranoia (the computer is my friend, not yours.)

I could probably keep going and going, but these are my first choices and, so, "favorites."

Posts: 1193 · Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:18 pm

I think Empire of the Petal Throne/Tekumel is different enough from D&D to qualify for this thread. Call of Cthulhu is great as many have pointed out. Space Opera by FGU was a good sci-fi RPG. Last Unicorn's Star Trek RPG was also very nicely done, and FASA's version was not bad as well.