Battle of the RPG Systems

[JasonStarfire]

We've moved on to the Sudden Death Elimination phase! (http://forum.criticalfumble.net/showthread.php?t=295)

Check this post for updates and current standings!

And now for something frivolous, but hopefully fun (and hopefully it will increase traffic to the gaming section of the forums!). A battle of the RPG systems to determine which one is the greatest of all time (at least here).

Here are the rules:
Each round, two RPGs will be selected at random to compete. You vote for which RPG you prefer (or if you're not familiar with one, you can vote for the other). First to three votes wins that round, and so on until there is only one remaining. If two games receive no votes, or are tied, they may both be eliminated to keep things moving.

OLD Current standings:

1. Call of Cthulhu
2. Cyberpunk 2020
3. Hackmaster
4. Amber Diceless RPG (eliminated by Aberrant)
5. Ironclaw (eliminated by Exalted)
6. GURPS
7. Earthdawn
8. D6
9. FUDGE (eliminated by Silhouette CORE)
10. Paranoia
11. BESM (eliminated by Storyteller/oWoD)
12. Ars Magica
13. Villains and Vigilantes
14. Old WoD
15. New WoD (eliminated by oD&D)
16. Aberrant
17. SPECIAL/Simple (eliminated by Alternity)
18. Munchkin
19. Rolemaster (backstabbed by Munchkin)
20. Over the Edge (reduced to a amorphous bubbling ichor by Call of Cthulhu)
21. Everway (eliminated by d6 System)
22. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
23. D&D (OD&D)
24. AD&D 1e
25. AD&D 2e (eliminated by AD&D 1e)
26. D&D 3.X
27. Nightlife (eliminated by In Nomine)
28. Exalted/Age of Sorrows
29. Mutants and Masterminds
30. Hero 5th ed. (eliminated by Earthdawn)
31. It Came From the Late, Late, Late Show. (eliminated by Cyberpunk 2020)
32. TORG (critically hit by Hackmaster)
33. Lords of Creation (eliminated by Mutants and Masterminds)
34. Champions (eliminated by Deadlands)
35. Cyborg Commando (summarily executed by Paranoia)
36. Alternity
37. Silhouette CORE
38. In Nomine
39. Unknown Armies (eliminated by GURPS)
40. d20 Modern (eliminated by Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay)
41. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (eliminated by Villains and Vigilantes)
42. Arcana Evolved (eliminated by Ars Magica)
43. The Morrow Project (eliminated by D&D 3.X)
44. Deadlands: Reloaded

Contest history:

Round 1:
Win Earthdawn
Lose Hero 5th ed

Round 2:
Lose Everway
Win d6

Round 3:
Win World of Darkness (origional)
Lose BESM

Round 4:
Lose AD&D 2e
Win AD&D 1e

Round 5:
Win Exalted
Lose Ironclaw

Round 6:
Win Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
Lose d20 Modern

Round 7:
Lose Arcana Evolved
Win Ars Magica

Round 8:
Win In Nomine
Lose Nightlife

Round 9:
Win Aberrant
Lose Amber Diceless RPG

Round 10:
Win Mutants and Masterminds
Lose Lords of Creation

Round 11:
Win Call of Cthulhu
Lose Over the Edge

Round 12:
Win Villains and Vigilantes
Lose Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Round 13:
Lose FUDGE
Win Silhouette system

Round 14:
Win Munchkin
Lose Rolemaster

Round 15:
Lose Unknown Armies
Win GURPS

Round 16:
Lose Cyborg Commando
Win Paranoia

Round 17:
Win D&D (OD&D)
Lose New WoD

Round 18:
Win Hackmaster
Lose TORG

Round 19:
Lose The Morrow Project
Win D&D 3.X

Round 20:
Lose It Came From the Late, Late, Late Show
Win Cyberpunk 2020

Round 21:
Lose Champions
Win Deadlands: Reloaded

Round 22:
Win Alternity
Lose SPECIAL/Simple

[Kalzazz]

Hmmm

Alright, GURPS, Earthdawn and D6

[TinSoldier]

Fudge

Paranoia

[Marsden]

BESM

Ars Magica

[scans shelf]

Cyborg Commando .... :signs065: maybe not

[BlueNinja]

New WoD
Old WoD
Aberrant
SPECIAL (that's the Fallout system)

Does Munchkin count as a system? :grin:

[Detritus]

Rolemaster
Over The Edge (might be considered a d6 game)
Everway
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

[Wook]

D&D
AD&D
AD&D 2nd ed
D&D 3.X

Nightlife
Exalted/Age of Sorrows
Mutants and Masterminds
Hero 5th ed.
It came from the late, late, late show.
TORG

[David Argall]

D&D has got to be several nominations. We have the original game, which after all was the original game. Just about all the others can be said to be plagerisms.

AD&D 2nd edition hit the best seller charts, the only RPGA to manage that.

& D&D3.5 is the best of the series to date.

Now the contest itself is pretty worthless. If any 3 of us are really determined to push a piece of junk, we need merely be ready to post the second the round begins and our favorite wins.

[JasonStarfire]

Well, as it stands (even with some of the choices that were considered a bit 'iffy'), we have exactly 32 choices. We can use that.. The contest will start shortly. (But if there are any late nominees, I might replace some of them with the choices that we weren't sure about).

One vote per person for the game you want to advance, first to three wins.

[Detritus]

I think Champions and Villains & Vigilantes should be in there somewhere.

[Baelfyre]

I'd like to throw Lords of Creation on the list. But I'm too slow.

[JasonStarfire]

I think Champions and Villains & Vigilantes should be in there somewhere.

That's what I had in mind when I was accepting late comers. :D

[JasonStarfire]

EDIT: Earthdawn has won this round!

Earthdawn (1993 FASA)

Before science, before history, an era of magic existed in our world’s dim past. Magic flowed freely, touching every aspect of the lives of men and women of the Name-giver races. It was an age of heroes, an age of fantastical deeds and mythical stories. In this Age of Legend, bold heroes from all across Barsaive band together—ready to fight for life and freedom against the remaining Horrors and the oppressive Theran Empire, which seeks to bend the rebellious province again to their yoke. Through noble deeds and sacrifice, the heroes of the world forge Barsaive’s future, arming themselves for their daunting task with powerful magical spells and treasures.

vs.

Hero System 5th Edition (2002 Hero Games)

Widely regarded as the best roleplaying game system ever created, the HERO System has become even better with this Revised version of the 5th Edition rules!

Unlike any other roleplaying game, the HERO System provides you with unfettered flexibility, allowing you to exercise your own creativity without hindrance. Build any character, power, gadget, skill, weapon, ability, or vehicle you can think of! It's the ultimate gamer's toolkit, allowing you to do what you do best: create great characters and games.

Whatever you want to do, in any genre, time period, or setting, the HERO System lets you do it!

[Kalzazz]

Earthdawn

And apparently I need to type more letters

[Parzival]

Hero system.


(Make sure Call of Cthulu is BRP. The d20 version won't garner many votes.)

[JasonStarfire]

(Make sure Call of Cthulu is BRP. The d20 version won't garner many votes.)

Naturally! :)

[Wook]

Earthdawn baby!

[Magnus Bergqvist]

Earthdawn. FASA may not have been very good at creating working game systems they were VERY good at creating interesting settings.

/Magnus

[JasonStarfire]

And Earthdawn takes the win! Next matchup in a little while.

[JasonStarfire]

d6 System has won this round!

Everway (Gaslight Press)

Everway™ is a visionary roleplaying game that uses imagery and symbols to create dramatic stories of epic heroism. The system is extremely flexible to allow the players to create and portray any kind of hero they can imagine. Visual inspiration is an important part of character creation with a set of ninety "vision cards" which depict various situations, creatures, and people that you might find in the game world.

Game play is guided through simple hero attribute comparison, story appropriateness, and a unique set of thirty-six symbolic cards called the Fortune Deck. Players take on the role of "spherewalkers", travelers able to step from world to world through magical gates. The thousand worlds of Everway provide rich opportunities for unique game play experiences.

vs.

d6 System (West End Games)

One Die, Infinite Possibilities


D6 CoverAs part of a team of CIA operatives, you must infiltrate a remote terrorist base in the Middle East and recover stolen bio-warfare files ...

The Guardians of Time have asked you and your companions to leap into the past to prevent the death of King Thom before he institutes a peace treaty with a long-time enemy ...

Your elite spacetrooper unit has less than twenty hours to fly into the heart of the dangerous Tanni Nebula and disable a strategic sensor outpost before the first battle of the Grand War begins...

Customizable!The Tomb of Ulu has finally been found after five millennia, and only your group is daring enough to brave its unknown horrors to retrieve the Sacred Staff of Zasha ...

The D6 System allows you to play adventures in these or any other game setting - from high fantasy to space opera - using the same rules. For each world, you can create a specially modified set of mechanics that reflects the tone and feel of that genre. Choose a combat resolution method, create a character template, or even design your own psychic power system. D6 lets you do it all!

All you need are some six-sided dice and your imagination!

[Cranky Dog]

Bah!

Bah, I say!

If my favorite system isn't listed, then I'm not voting.

The system in question is the Silhouette system used by Dream Pod 9 (Heavy Gear, Tribe 8, Jovian Chronicles).

Ok, I'm fond of the Mutants & Mastermind system, but being an offshot of the d20 OGL, does it really count?


Cranky Dog
"I have a game system battle opinion, international!"

[JasonStarfire]

I guess I can allow a few late nominations until the first tier is completed (as long as I can keep adding them by twos). That goes for anyone else wanting to nominate something. I'll match your recommendation with one of my own. :D

I'll update the first post when the first tier is done, and nominations are closed.

[Parzival]

d6

If you're adding systems, may I suggest Unknown Armies?

[Magnus Bergqvist]

Or the system used in Buffy?

/Magnus

[Cranky Dog]

I'm almost scared to propose LARPs as a system as many different systems exist.

Rock-Paper-Scissors anyone?


Cranky Dog
"I have a basic gaming system opinion, international!"

[Wook]

D6

10 character minimums gave me blueballs.

[Detritus]

Not sure I've ever played a d6 game before, so I'll vote Everway, with which I actually have played a few sessions.

[Kalzazz]

D6 definitely

I like D6, and my Everway experience has been traumatic

[JasonStarfire]

Storyteller system / oWoD has won this round!

Origional World of Darnkess (White-Wolf)

(Storyteller system)

What are we? The Damned childer of Caine? The grotesque lords of humanity? The pitiful wretches of eternal hell? We are vampires, and that is enough. I am vampire, and that is far more than enough. I am that which must be feared, worshipped and adored. The world is mine -- now and forever.

No one holds command over me. No man. No god. No prince.

What is a claim of age for ones who are immortal? What is a claim of power for ones who defy death? Call your damnable hunt. We shall see whom I drag screaming to hell with me.

VS.

BESM (Guardians of Order)

BESM is the ultimate universal anime role-playing game! Now available in a Revised Second Edition, BESM uses the D6 Tri-Stat system to bring you into worlds of anime wonder. A two-times Origins Award nominated RPG!

[Wook]

WORLD OF DARKNESS

[Detritus]

My vote is for the Storyteller system/World of Darkness setting. And a dark darkness it is, indeed.

[Parzival]

Broken system or broken system?

Pass.

[Magnus Bergqvist]

My vote goes for BESM.

/Magnus

[Wook]

WoD isn't broken. It's simply based upon a different agreement between GM and player.

[BlueNinja]

World of Darkness (old over new, thanks)

Though I'm almost tempted to throw in a :th_gives:

[JasonStarfire]

AD&D 1st edition has won this round!

Storyteller system, ftw. Now the luck of the draw is doing the inevitable: Pitting two editions of the original RPG, Dungeons and Dragons, to see which one advances, and which one is ancient history! (It's nice to get this one out of the way early)

AD&D 1e (TSR)

In 1978, the 1st edition Player's Handbook was released, and with it the divergence between race and class. After rolling ability scores from one of four principal methods put forth in the DMG, characters chose from among five core classes (cleric, fighter, magic-user, thief, and monk) and five sub-classes (druid, paladin, ranger, illusionist, and assassin). They also chose from among seven races (dwarf, elf, half-elf, gnome, halfling, half-orc, and of course human). Class, race, and ability scores then interacted in a complex, love-hate triangle in which each aspect restricted or promoted the others.

vs.

AD&D 2e (TSR)

When the 2nd edition Player's Handbook came along in 1989, the Foreword outlined its goals:

"To make it easier to find things, to make the rules easier to understand, to fix the things that did not work, to add the best new ideas from the expansions and other sources, and, most important of all, to make sure the game was still the one you knew and enjoyed."

As part of the carryover, classes still had ability score and racial requirements. Paladins required 12 Strength, 13 Wisdom, 9 Constitution, and 17 Charisma, and could still be played only by humans. Non-human races still had ability score minimums, though the most onerous were a mere 11 Constitution for dwarves and 10 Con for Halflings. These races could now advance most of their ability scores to 18 (the exceptions being a 17 Dexterity and Charisma for dwarves, and 17 Wisdom for halflings).

[hidufel]

You need to make a new post for each round... its way too confusing to keep track of what happend or whats up for combat in this thread...

this thread would be a good overall score keeper, but the individual ones need their own threads.

[Wook]

AD&D 1

10 character minimums give me blueballs.

[Detritus]

I have to go with 2nd Edition since I've never actually played 1e. I've made a character, but never played.

[Parzival]

1e. The DMG alone cinches it.

[JasonStarfire]

You need to make a new post for each round... its way too confusing to keep track of what happend or whats up for combat in this thread...

this thread would be a good overall score keeper, but the individual ones need their own threads.

I thought of that, but I'd really like to avoid filling the forum with with this. I'm afraid it will drown out other threads. I'd like to keep that from happening, since this is just an amusement thread and not much more. I keep editing the first post to show what has been eliminated, and which RPGs are in the current round, if that helps.

I'm also deleting the pictures from the individual posts after each round, so the only round that will have pictures of the PHBs is the current round. (Actually, this was so my photobucket account wouldn't use up all its bandwidth, but still).

[hidufel]

fair nuff .

[hidufel]

agreed  

[JasonStarfire]

It's tough finding a balance between clarity and courtesy. :)

Standings so far: AD&D 1st Edition is leading AD&D 2nd edition 2-1

Can 2nd edition mount a comeback? Or is it's THAC0 too low to hit 1st edition? We shall see...

[SD Anderson]

GURPS

Tap dances until message length is suitable for the parameters of this version of the Forum software.

[David Argall]

AD&D 2nd edition

[TinSoldier]

AD&D 1e. Though in opposition to Detritus I have only played 1e and not 2e.

[Kalzazz]

1e

Played 2e far more, but the 1e rulebooks are just such entertaining reads

[JasonStarfire]

Exalted has won this round!

AD&D 1st edition proves that it's an oldie but a goodie by beating out 2nd edition. Next round!

Ironclaw (Sanguine Productions)

Ironclaw is an anthropomorphic fantasy role-playing game published by Sanguine Productions set in a renaissance-inspired fictional world, on a continent called Calabria. The primary theme of the game involves four noble houses embroiled in political hostilities, with players taking the roles of citizens and adventurers.

Ironclaw is a role-playing game set at the cusp of a change in a fantasy world's history. Dozens of different sentient races, cultures, and societies are converging upon the strategic island of Calabria. As a player, you will start with humble beginnings, only to become involved in machinations as each noble house vies for control. Which side will you take? Will you throw your dice with the Bisclavret, becoming a mercenary hoping for riches and glory? Can you stand against the Avoirdupois warriors, in their staggering numbers and unyielding formations? And what of the mysterious Doloreaux, with the rumors that they may have unlocked the secrets of the wizard-kings of yore? Or can you really hope to remain neutral as the fates of nations are decided?

Ironclaw is a bold new direction in fantasy role-playing games.

vs.

Exalted/Age of Sorrows (White-Wolf)

Exalted is a game of epic fantasy set during the Second Age of Man, a time before our own.
It is an age of magic and adventure, when heroes of legend are reborn into a time of woe.

At the dawn of the First Age, the gods gave power to men that they might slay the gods' Primordial enemies. Anointed by the gods, these beings were thereafter known as the Exalted.

Your character is among those individuals who have become Solar Exalted. You are a being of legend, as mighty as a demigod and as cunning as an asp. Will you be the savior of Creation or one of the terrible menaces that beset your world?

[BlueNinja]

Gotta go with Ironclaw for the furriness.

[Parzival]

Pass.

Not familar with either.
Ironclaw sounds interesting, though. I'll take a look if I run across it. (But probably wouldn't buy it. Furries and all that.)

[Wook]

Exalted, EXALTED, EXALTED!!!

[Detritus]

I have to recuse myself on this one, being unfamiliar with both choices.

[Valdier]

Exalted (even though it is based on the oWod system [far inferior to nWod])

[Kalzazz]

Hmmm

Havent played either

However, one has Furries (which are not uncool) and the other has the Storyteller system (which I dont like)

So, Ill vote for Ironclaw

[Wook]

Hmmm

Havent played either

However, one has Furries (which are not uncool) and the other has the Storyteller system (which I dont like)

So, Ill vote for Ironclaw

Dude if you like Earthdawn you'd LOVE Exalted I'm thinking.

[JasonStarfire]

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay has won this round!

The Indie Furry game was barely defeated by the Manga juggernaut. Next round...

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (Games Workshop, others)

Explore the grim fantasy world of Warhammer first-hand with the awesome new edition of the classic Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay roleplaying game. The core rulebook contains all you need to play: sections on character generation, careers, combat, magic (both divine and sorcerous), and religion, as well as extensive background information on the dark world of Warhammer. Full details on how to run a game, brand-new character sheets and maps for use in play, and a complete introductory adventure are also included.

Written by multiple-award-winning game designer Chris Pramas, the WFRP rulebook is packed with terrific artwork by David Griffith, Wayne Reynolds, Geoff Taylor, Jon Hodgson, Adrian Smith, Carl Frank, and more. Other contributors include such Warhammer stalwarts as Rick Priestley, Graeme Davis, Gav Thorpe, and Dan Abnett, making WFRP second edition a unique blend of the old and the new!

vs.

d20 Modern (WoTC)

Play Every Adventure You Can Imagine

Experience the thrills of every blockbuster action movie, every heart-pounding first-person shooter, and every explosive, high-octane escapade you can dream up. Inside this book, you'll discover everything you need to build the ultimate modern-world campaign filled with cinematic adventure, and to create the dynamic heroes needed to face the harrowing dangers that await within.

For players and Gamemasters, this product is compatible with the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game and other d20 System roleplaying games.

[TinSoldier]

WFRP.... Some of the most beautiful flavor that I've ever read.

[Magnus Bergqvist]

I cannot really give a good vote here... WHFRP is an icon (though it is not neccessarily good), though I haven't played the new version.

d20 modern is good at doing generic stuff and some things work very wellthere. The skills though are not one of those.

But in the end, I cast my vote for d20 modern as I actually have played it.

/Magnus

[Wook]

WFRPG .

[Detritus]

Warhammer.

[hidufel]

warhammer!

[Kalzazz]

Though I heartily dislike its init system, overall WFRP is pretty entertaining

I dont much like d20 Modern, particularly its wealth system, and Im not a big fan of the d20 system in general

So, I vote WFRP

Oh, and ****, Ill admit, I have a hard time seeing how anything using the Storyteller system could be ED related. I very much dislike storyteller system

[Wook]

Oh, and ****, Ill admit, I have a hard time seeing how anything using the Storyteller system could be ED related. I very much dislike storyteller system

Imagine a system where your charactes start out as 8th circle adepts and then go from there. All the cool stunts you normally have slog through acres of mud and blood to get to you start with and scale UP from there. Have you ever seen a WoD/storytelller game where someone rolls 52d10 for damage? I have.

[carmachu]

Warhammer hands down. Its a nice system.

[Cranky Dog]

I also vote for Warhammer.

Though it's mostly because of the setting than the system itself. Heheh, I still remember playing my crossbow wielding chaos dwarf. I don't remember what class he was, but he was fun.


Cranky Dog
"I have a Warhammer voting opinion, international!"

[Parzival]

Warhammer. The career paths are a thing of beauty.

[Kalzazz]

It isnt stuck on the normal 1-5 + some odd from form, and 1-5 on skills that all the other ST games I seen are stuck in?

[JasonStarfire]

Ars Magica has won this round!

Warhammer smashes the OGL opposition, and we move onto the next round. I've added two new entries: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and to keep an even number of games I've included Arcana Evolved (bringing the total number of games up to 42, for those of you keeping score). As luck of the draw would have it, Arcana Evolved will have to come out of the gate swinging, because it got drafted into the next round.

Arcana Evolved

The "Director's Cut" Edition!

This new variant player’s handbook from 3rd Edition codesigner Monte Cook takes everything that you loved about Arcana Unearthed, gives it a deluxe full-color treatment—then adds in lots of new bonus material!

Discover a new PC race, the dragonlike dracha; a new class, the ritual warrior; new champion types and totem warrior abilities; new prestige classes; combat rites; and dozens of new spells, spell templates, feats, manifestations, equipment, and more.

Then get ready to evolve! Arcana Evolved introduces exciting new storyline elements that evolve naturally from the return of the dragons. Plus, check out evolved versions of all races, new 10th-level spells, and high-level play with characters up to 25th level! Now you can do more with your characters than ever before.

vs.

Ars Magica

Welcome to Ars Magica, and to the world of Mythic Europe. It is a place where the glories of the Classical world are dust and the promise of the Renaissance is yet to come. The time is the 13th century ?1220 to be exact. Life is a struggle: wars and plagues stalk the land, the Church and kings rule with an iron fist. Yet Mythic Europe is also a place of magical wonder, inhabited by all the creatures of folktale and myth. What the folk of the land believe holds true: faeries and rural spirits must be placated; demons corrupt everything they touch; divine power is accessible through prayer; and magic is everywhere.

Against this background, you will play a magus, a member of the mythical Order of Hermes. You and your fellow players will also portray the loyal companions and grogs that stand with the magi in their covenants. These stalwart protectors provide a buffer between the magi and the mundane world that often misunderstands their power and motives. This is the setting for Ars Magica.

[Detritus]

Ars Magica

[Wook]

It isnt stuck on the normal 1-5 + some odd from form, and 1-5 on skills that all the other ST games I seen are stuck in?

Stats and skills still *start* in that 1-5 range but the number of "charms" that expand that die pool to OMFG huge sizes is rather incredible. Dr. Mercury, Hidufel, Dai Oni, and Org were all present for a game of Exalted that I ran a while back and 30+ dice for damage was completely reasonable. The five PC's destroyed an entire army in about 30 seconds. (1000 troops, 2 spec forces squads, and the Exalted equivalent of 4 main battle tanks)

[Wook]

Arcana Evolved

[David Argall]

Ars Magica

Definitely.

This is a game that has been around for about a generation now. It has got to outrank some newbie that is barely a year old and may be gone in another year or so.

[carmachu]

Oh you bastard. Thats a tough one.

Arcana Evolved.

[JasonStarfire]

Ars Magica and Arcana Evolved are tied at 2 votes each. Next vote wins it!

[Parzival]

Ars Magica

[Cranky Dog]

I've read many times that Ars Magica has an incredible system for magic.

Arcana evolved maybe enhanced D&D, but in the end it feels like just another flavor.

So I go with Ars Magica.


Cranky Dog
"I have a tie-breaking opinion, international!"

[JasonStarfire]

In Nomine has won this round!

Ars Magica, ftw. Now we have two of the darker games on the list going head to head...

In Nomine (Steve Jackson Games)

In Nomine is a modern roleplaying game in which the players take the part of celestial beings - angels and demons - as they struggle for control of humanity and themselves. The celestials, powerful though they may be, are merely pawns in a much larger game being played by their Superiors, the Archangels and Demon Princes. Based on the best-selling French RPG by the wonderfully diabolical Croc!

vs.

Nightlife (Stellar Games)

You are Kin. You are above the law, above society, above everyone's judgment but your own. You are the ultimate predator and the herd is humanity. Intelligence combined with powers far beyond that of normal humans means you go where you want, do what you want and answer to nobody.

You will never grow old and you'll never die. Night after night, year after year, decade after decade. You'll watch human lives flit by in an eye blink. That is, unless you run afoul of an enemy, and you have plenty of those. All humanity would destroy you if they knew what you were. Monstrous beings, worse then any possible nightmare will hunt you as prey. And the most deadly of them all is your own kin, the other immortal beings who, like you pose as humans while they live the Nightlife.

Live Fast
Live Free
Live Forever

Nightlife is the classic RPG where you are the hunter and the hunted. The night is wilder then you can imagine!

[JasonStarfire]

I'm actually going to step aside as mediator for a moment to cast a vote for In Nomine.

[Parzival]

In Nomine
Solid system, great flavor, great support.

[carmachu]

In Nomine.

[Cranky Dog]

In Nomine.

I even had an encounter with the original french game. Didja know it's been out since 1989? :lecture:


Cranky Dog
"I have a demon'n'angels RPG opinion, international!"

[JasonStarfire]

Aberrant has won this round!

In Nomine sweeps the competition and proves that Alicia Bridges is the only one that loves the Nightlife. Next round!

Aberrant (White-Wolf)

Heroes… Legends… Gods

In the dawn of the 21st century, select humans erupt with incredible powers previously seen only in comics and movies. These rare 'novas' are all too real, however, and their abilities and personalities will change the world forever.

vs.

Amber Diceless RPG (Phage Press)

Enter a universe where Pattern lets you "walk" to any world you can imagine, where Logrus tendrils can reach across infinite dimensions, and where Shape Shifting lets characters sprout wings!

A mature, demanding, and time-consuming system that puts character development above all else!

[carmachu]

Aberrant. Its a nice game....

[Detritus]

I've got to go the recusal route with this one, not familiar with either game.

[BlueNinja]

Oh, you son of a bitch ... pick my two favorite game systems and make me choose between them.

... Aberrant, reluctantly.

[Detritus]

OK, I'll changing from abstaining to voting for Amber so that BN can effectively "split" his vote.

[Parzival]

Amber

(It burns and stings!)

[Baelfyre]

Aberrant. Which kind of sucks 'cause I love Amber.

[JasonStarfire]

Mutants and Masterminds has won this round!
Aberrant gets a reluctant victory over Amber, and we move on...

Lords of Creation (Avalon Hill)

A fascinating game by Avalon Hill, ahead of its time in concept, but with a dated rules set. PC's begin as ordinary people, and slowly discover their super-human powers. The game features time travel, dimensional adventures, and cool weirdness. The set includes the rules book and the Book of Foes. Included in the rule books are a combat system (With 53 different types of weapons ranging from swords and spears to proton beamers and blasters), more than 450 foes to challenge the most daring of role-players, 100 different non-combat skills and 53 combat skills that characters can learn as they gain experience, and 60 different powers that characters can gradually gain.

vs.

Mutants and Masterminds (Green Ronin)

The World's Greatest Superhero Roleplaying Game Returns!

It has been called "the best, most exciting superhero RPG in years." It sets "new standards in design and presentation." It has won awards that include the Pen & Paper Fan Award for Best RPG, the ENWorld Award for Best d20 RPG, and the prestigious EN World Peer Award for 2003. Now the World's Greatest Superhero Roleplaying Game is even better!

Mutants & Masterminds, Second Edition, is all the best of the award-winning RPG, with new updates, refinements, and expansions to make it the most complete, detailed, and fun version of superhero gaming yet! In this 256-page hardcover with stunning new cover art by Ramón Pérez, you'll find a complete game. Based on the popular Open Game License, Mutants & Masterminds has everything you need to create your own superheroes and villains. It offers more than a dozen ready-made superhero archetypes and even more ready-to-use supervillain archetypes, so you can start playing right away! Included are two introductory adventures, one providing an introduction to the award-winning Freedom City campaign setting.

[Parzival]

Lords of Creation.
<sniff> I miss Avalon Hill. (And no, the Hasbro subsideary just isn't the same.)

[Detritus]

Mutants & Masterminds

[carmachu]

Lords of Creation. Because its Avalon hill....*sigh*

[Magnus Bergqvist]

My vote goes to Mutants & Masterminds.

/Magnus

[Cranky Dog]

Mutants & Masterminds.

I don't recall ever seeing the other one.


Cranky Dog
"I have a M&M opinion, international!"

[JasonStarfire]

Call of Cthulhu has won this round... a lot!

Mutants and Masterminds beats Lords of Creation. Next round!

Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium)

Horror Roleplaying in the Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft

The Great Old Ones ruled the earth aeons before the rise of humankind. Originally they came from the gulfs of space and were cast down by even greater beings. Remains of their cyclopean cities and forbidden knowledge can still be found on remote islands in the Pacific, buried amid the shifting sands of vast deserts, and in the frigid recesses of the polar extremes. Now they sleep -- some deep within the enveloping earth and others beneath the eternal sea, in the drowned city of R'lyeh, preserved in the waters by the spells of mighty Cthulhu. When the stars are right they will rise, and once again walk this Earth.

Call of Cthulhu is Chaosium?s classic roleplaying game of Lovecraftian horror in which ordinary people are confronted by the terrifying and alien forces of the Cthulhu Mythos. Call of Cthulhu uses Chaosium?s Basic Roleplaying System, easy to learn and quick to play. This bestseller has won dozens of game-industry awards and is a member of the Academy of Adventure Game Design Hall of Fame. In 2001 Call of Cthulhu celebrated its 20th anniversary. In 2003 Call of Cthulhu was voted the #1 Gothic/Horror RPG of all time by the Gaming Report.com community. Call of Cthulhu is well-supported by an ever-growing line of high quality game supplements.

vs.

Over the Edge (Atlas Games)

Welcome to Al Amarja, the mysterious mediterranean island that is home to all that is sinister and bizarre. If it troubles you in your dreams, if it scares you, if you hope it isn't true, you'll find it here. This is the setting of Over the Edge, the roleplaying game of surreal danger.

Since its 1992 publication, Over the Edge has become a cult classic, with a core of devoted fans and a raft of critical acclaim. Its subject matter and its innovative approach to game mechanics still define the cutting edge of roleplaying games, with free-form character generation, an open game setting, and elegant mechanics that allow more time for character and story development, rather than crunching numbers.

The supplements for Over the Edge are incredibly diverse, but with just the 240-page core book and a few six-sided dice, you have everything you need to begin your own Over the Edge series!

[Detritus]

Well, I think I know how this one will turn out, but I'm going to put in a vote for Over The Edge anyways.

[Magnus Bergqvist]

Call of Cthulhu. There is no substitute.

/Magnus

[BlueNinja]

Call of Cthulhu for the Sanity roll!

[Cranky Dog]

Call of Cthulu

Insanity or death, the choice is yours.

Old Ones FTW.


Cranky Dog
"I have a CoC opinion, international!"

[carmachu]

Call of Cthulhu. Is there really any question on it?

[BlueNinja]

Well, I think I know how this one will turn out, but I'm going to put in a vote for Over The Edge anyways. I've never heard of it, but the brief description sounds very much like Simon R. Green's Nightside series of novels.

[Detritus]

It's been a while since I've played any OTE, but it's a nice system. Basically a rules-light d6 system, if memory serves.

[Baelfyre]

Call of Cthulhu.

and DAMN! I didn't get to vote for LOC!

[Parzival]

As much as I like Over the Edge...

CoC. Hands-down. Every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[Grendel]

And 3 times on Saturday.

[JasonStarfire]

[size=4]Villains and Vigilantes has won this round!

Over the Edge loses 1d100 sanity points after encountering Call of Cthulhu, and is reduced to a gibbering heap in a corner somewhere... now we move on to...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Eden Studios)

The graveyard is cold and still. Bright moonlight deepens the shadows. The silence is disturbed by a throaty moan. Breaking through the soft, recently packed earth, a claw extends, sharp and grasping. A sickly sweet stench rises with the corpse. Desperate hunger is etched on it cadaverous face—a hunger for your blood!

Buffy: Alright, I get it. You're evil. Do we have to chat about it all day?

No we don’t. It’s time to slay. Get ready for action and adventure—Buffy-style.

Now you can join the Slayer's world!

vs.

Villains and Vigilantes (Fantasy Games Unlimited)

Villains & Vigilantes is a role-playing game simulating the lives and adventures of comic-book style superheroes. It involves a referee, hereafter called the Gamemaster or GM, and one or more players (as many as the GM feels comfortable with).

It is the Gamemaster's job to create the world wherein the players have their adventures, to play the parts of the inhabitants of his world, and to generally keep the players entertained and the game running smoothly.

Players take the roles of superheroes. But unlike most role-playing games, in V & V the character used by the player is himself with the addition of super-powers. Each player receives a random set of powers. then creates a costume and a.name in order to fight crime andprotect society. As the players gain experience, their abilities will increase, along with the difficulty of the tasks they will be called upon to perform.

[Grendel]

Despite having played neither, I could never vote for a Buffy game. Unless it was up against something truly hideous. So V&V all the way.

[Chimaera]

V&V by a mile or fifty...

[Valdier]

V&V, lets shut down buffy right from the start.

[hidufel]

Villians and Vigillantes by miles and mile!

[Detritus]

Since it's already academic, and I haven't played either game, I'll show Buffy The Vampire Slayer some love with a vote.

[Magnus Bergqvist]

I say Buffy, even though the point is moot.

/Magnus

[JasonStarfire]

Silhouette CORE has won this round!

Buffy gets slain by Villains and Vigilantes! In this round, we have two multi-genre systems going head to head!

EDIT: I'll probably start a new thread once we've finished the first tier of competition to help benefit those who found this one to be getting too long. :)

FUDGE (Grey Ghost Press)

What is Fudge?

Fudge is a rules-light role-playing game, concentrating on role-playing rather than endless dice rolls and tables and similar detailed game mechanics. It also uses words rather than numbers to describe character traits.

For example, a character might be a Great Swordsman rather than a 14th level fighter. Combined with simple action resolution, Fudge's descriptive nature makes ideal it for novice players. Fudge is also flexible enough to satisfy experienced role-players.

There are no artificial limits placed on character creation; any character the player can imagine can be described in Fudge terms. (Of course, Fudge encourages players to consult with their game master when designing characters, since the GM has final say over whether or not a character is acceptable in a given game.)

The basic Fudge rules contain no campaign world information (except for a few examples). But the game's flexibility allows it to be easily used with nearly any other role-playing game's campaign world - and, of course, with game masters' own personal creations.

vs.

Silhouette CORE (Dream Pod 9)

This 256-page hardcover manual contains the latest edition of the critically acclaimed Silhouette game rules. Use them to propel your adventures in the CORE Command universe -- or any setting in a wide variety of genres ranging from science-fiction, fantasy, anime, horror, modern age and more. It's an action-packed game in which you control bigger-than-life characters!

The Silhouette CORE rules drive all Dream Pod 9 roleplaying games:

* CORE Command
* Gear Krieg
* Heavy Gear
* Jovian Chronicles
* Tribe 8
and many more!

The book also contains Silhouette/d20 conversion rules, allowing you to benefit from the extensive d20-based library, and numerous additional examples and game tools.

[Wook]

Core .

[Detritus]

Fudgesicles.

[TinSoldier]

I've never played Core; I nominated FUDGE even though I've never really played it either but I like the basic system.

FUDGE.

[Parzival]

Silhouette. It's actually a rules system (and a good one) instead of guidelines of how to create a rules system.

[carmachu]

Silhouette. Pretty much for the same reasons Parz listed.

[Cranky Dog]

SILHOUETTE CORE RULES!

Essentially, CORE Command, Gear Krieg, Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles and Tribe 8 all had the same ruleset republished in every game universe.

So when the new editions came out, they settled for one big independant rulebook and the setting books would only include setting specific rules and material.

The system itself is relatively simple once you get the hang of it. It's sort of reminescent of the WW system where you match up a skill and attribute to find out exactly how many dice you roll and what the bonus will be. If you need more than 5d6 to play, then your character is godlike.

I also loved the universes that were also published with it. Jovian Chronicles being my all time favorite. Technically a mecha game where mecha can be an afterthought with the amount of material out there.

As a universal RPG system, it does the job nicely.

EDIT: I also have to admit that I'm biased since I'm the guy who suggested the rules for this competition.


Cranky Dog
"I have a favorite rule set opinion, international!"

[hidufel]

Core...!  

[JasonStarfire]

Munchkin has won this round!

FUDGE has to pack it up as Silhouette CORE takes the win. Here goes the next round...

Munchkin (Steve Jackson Games)

D20 -- THE WAY IT SHOULD BE PLAYED!

Bonnie and Clyde. Matches and gasoline. Famine and plague. And, of course, Munchkin and d20! Munchkin brought you the essence of roleplaying: kill them all and take their stuff! Now take the classes and races, nifty items, and fiendish monsters right off the cards and into your own campaign . . . and it will never be the same!

The Munchkin Player's Handbook, Munchkin Master's Guide, and Munchkin Monster Manual provide everything you need for a rollicking good game of dungeon-clearing, monster-slaying, treasure-gathering . . . and the inevitable up-leveling! Everything, that is, except for a warped imagination and buckets of dice -- but you already have those, right?

vs.

Rolemaster (Iron Crown Enterprises)

Q. What is Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing?

A. Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing (RMFRP) is ICE's original fantasy roleplaying system. RMFRP is a percentile-based role playing system with the following features that make your fantasy roleplaying wonderfully rich and exciting:

* Nine professions and five races.
* Flexible, customizable character development.
* Wide range of skills with all skills available to all professions.
* Three realms of magic and hundreds of spells to choose from.
* The most exciting RPG combat available, with a range of dramatic and realistic critical hits and fumbles.
* RMFRP is a fully expandable and customizable rules system.
* A large range of supplements designed to add power and flexibility to the core RMFRP set.
* A variety of books designed to expand and enrich your fantasy roleplaying campaign. Select from over a dozen books detailing everything from elemental magic, specific rules/tips for Gamemasters, character creation, weapons, to the creatures and monstersthat inhabit your fantasy campaign world.

[Wook]

Munchkin .

[Detritus]

Rolemaster by default, though I suspect I would vote for Munchkin if I had ever encountered it in any manner at all.

However, how can you not vote for RM on a site called "criticalfumble." :D

[Magnus Bergqvist]

Haven't played Munchkin (well not the RPG-version at least, only the card-game), but I have to vote for it to stop the evil of Rolemaster.

/Magnus

[carmachu]

Munchkin rocks.....

[BlueNinja]

If Munchkin already won, what's the next competition?

And I'm voting for Munchkin anyway. (Except Munchkin Bites, which has far too many lose-a-level cards in it. Games take forever!)

[JasonStarfire]

GURPS has won this round!

Munchkin backstabs the competition, and loots Rolemaster. The host then realizes that he hasn't prepared pictures for the next competition which causes a delay in posting the next match! :lamer:

GURPS (Steve Jackson Games)

Welcome to the Generic Universal RolePlaying System!

With GURPS, you can be anyone you want -- an elf hero fighting for the forces of good, a shadowy femme fatale on a deep-cover mission, a futuristic swashbuckler carving up foes with a force sword in his hand and a beautiful woman by his side . . . or literally anything else! GURPS has been the premiere universal roleplaying game for almost two decades. The new Fourth Edition makes it even better!

vs.

Unknown Armies (Atlas Games)

Unknown Armies is the roleplaying game of transcendental horror and furious action: Pulp Fiction meets Hellraiser.

In Unknown Armies, players take the roles of movers and shakers in the occult underground, fighting a battle for the ultimate prize: ascension to a higher plane and a hand in creating the next incarnation of reality.

Soon the cosmos will die and be reborn. Next time around, the world might be a terrible place -- or it could be a paradise. Someone gets to decide. Might as well be you. You could chart the course of reality itself, and make a new world in your image. You could be a god.

The problem is, lots of people have the same idea. Magickal adepts duke is out with gun-toting enforcers and weirdos of every stripe. Clockwork humans and plodding golems slip through the cracks of society. Entropics eat your memories and spit them back at you with poison added. Fringe groups like the Sect of the Naked Goddess, Mak Attax, The True Order of Saint-Germain, and the New Inquisition have all set their sights on the coming apocalypse and put their ante on the table. The only people you can trust are your friends are yourself, and you're not always sure about yourself.

It's a pulp apocalypse, and the players have front-row seats for the steel-cage death match of all eternity.

[David Argall]

GURPS, total walk

[Wook]

Unknown armies.

[carmachu]

Unknown armies if David Argall is endorsing GURPS...

[TinSoldier]

Munchkin has won this round!

FUDGE has to pack it up as Silhouette CORE takes the win. Here goes the next round...Heh. Pack in the FUDGE! :lol:

Unknown armies if David Argall is endorsing GURPS...Don't hate the game, hate the playa. GURPS.

[Detritus]

GURPS, for sure.

[JasonStarfire]

Paranoia has won this round!

GURPS edges out a victory over Unknown Armies, and on we go...

Paranoia (Mongoose Publishing, current)

TRUST THE COMPUTER! THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND!

Greetings, citizen! THE COMPUTER has made you a TROUBLESHOOTER, a protector of the underground city of ALPHA COMPLEX. You and your fellow Troubleshooters will have lots of fun rooting out Communist mutant traitors. The Computer says so.

Members of treasonous secret societies like the Frankenstein Destroyers, the Illuminati, Psion, PURGE and the Sierra Club may attack, maim or blackmail you. Treasonous mutants with powers like Electroshock, Pyrokinesis, Charm, Puppeteer and Bureaucratic Intuition may shock you, incinerate you, subvert you, control you or bury you in paperwork. But it will be fun. The Computer says so, and The Computer is your friend.

Most fun of all is uncovering your fellow Troubleshooters' secret societies and mutations, accusing them of treason and persuading The Computer to terminate them -- before they do the same to you.

PARANOIA: The Roleplaying Game of a Darkly Humorous Future

vs.

Cyborg Commando (New Infinities Productions Inc.)

A sci-fi RPG, playing cyborgs soldiers fighting an alien invasion of Earth by Xenoborgs in 2035. It included background on both the cyborgs defenders as well as the invading aliens (biology, society, and culture). The system used a roll of 1d10 times 1d10 for an odd probability curve that is referenced on a universal chart. The system had a handful of supplements, including "Film at Eleven" (by Guy McLimore, Greg Poehlein, and David Tepool).

[JasonStarfire]

I'm voting for Paranoia.

[Detritus]

Paranoia, no question.

[TinSoldier]

Paranoia. One of the funniest games of all time, and I really like the skills system (although it has been over 20 years since I've played it...)

[carmachu]

Paranoia .

[Baelfyre]

Paranoia. The computer told me to say that.

[Detritus]

Paranoia. The computer told me to say that.
Good answer, citizen.

[Wook]

VIVA LA COMPUTER!!!

[JasonStarfire]

oD&D has won this round!

Paranoia squashes the treasonous Cyborg Commando. This round, it's old vs. new as the D&D basic set faces off against the new incarnation of the World of Darkness.

New WoD (Storytelling System) (White-Wolf)

What is the World of Darkness? - It's a place very much like our world, sharing the same history, culture and geography. Superficially, most people in this fictional world live the same lives we do. They eat the same food, wear the same clothes, and waste time watching the same TV shows. And yet, in the World of Darkness, shadows are deeper, nights are darker, fog is thicker. If, in our world, a neighborhood has a rundown house that gives people the creeps, in the World of Darkness, that house emits strange sighs on certain nights of the year, and seems to have a human face when seen from the corner of one's eye. Or so some neighbors say. In our world, there are urban legends. In the World of Darkness, there are urban legends whispered into the ears of autistic children by invisible spiders.

vs.

Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D) (TSR)

(Thanks to the D&D wikipedia article for the "product description")

The original Dungeons and Dragons was a box set published in 1974 with several supplements and magazine articles of official rules published over the next few years.

In 1977, TSR released two new versions of the game: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) and Dungeons & Dragons (sometimes called Basic D&D to distinguish it from AD&D, though TSR never used that term).

The version called Dungeons & Dragons (1977 - 1999) was, by virtue of being published as discrete sets with increasing complexity, was seen as "introductory" version of the AD&D. It actually was a similar complete game, and though often simpler than AD&D, this game in full included rule areas not in AD&D. In 1977 the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set was published as a boxed set. This set was revised in 1981, to coincide with the release of an Expert Set, and again in 1983 when the series was expanded to five boxed sets adding the Companion Rules, Master Rules, and Immortal Rules. The Dungeons & Dragons game was revised again in 1991, with a hardback book Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia consolidate all the core rules in a single volume, though several versions of introductory boxed games were available through the 1990s.

[Baelfyre]

Despite sentimental ties, I have to vote WoD.

[Wook]

OD&D .

[TinSoldier]

OD&D FTW!

It's what I started with, anyway. Races as classes. Three alignments. Yes, that'll do pig. That'll do.

[Detritus]

I vote for New Skool WoD and Vampire: the Requiem.

[Parzival]

OD&D.

filler

[TinSoldier]

Umm, it may be too late to add any nominees, but if possible I would like to add "The Morrow Project" as a game where I have fond memories of playing.

[Cranky Dog]

OD&D

There's something to be said for the one that started it all.

And WW bring out new editions of WoD faster than any D&D incarnation so they must be more evil. This one up for vote will probably obsolete by the end of the week.


Cranky Dog
"I have an original system opinion, international!"

[Valdier]

It's pointless but NWoD, one of the better rules sets produced in the gaming market in a long time... so good in fact they practically copied it rule for rule for the new Shadowrun system.

[Parzival]

If it's being used for Shadowrun, that's practically an aknowledgement that the system's broken.

<ducks>

[JasonStarfire]

Umm, it may be too late to add any nominees, but if possible I would like to add "The Morrow Project" as a game where I have fond memories of playing.

I added it, along with the latest incarnation of "Deadlands" to even it out. :)

[JasonStarfire]

Hackmaster has won this round!

oD&D beats out nWoD now I'll StFU and GOWtNR...

Hackmaster (Kenzer & Co.)

Congratulations! In a world where there is no shortage of mediocre games, you've managed to find one of the true gems. Furthermore, if you've ever played a fantasy role-playing game based on a d20 combat roll and armor class, you already know how to play this game! And while this is the 4th edition of the HackMaster game, in another time, another edition or an alternate universe, this could easily have been called "3e." It's the 1st/2nd edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) with new crunchy bits and a whole lot of fresh attitude.

The HackMaster roleplaying game is the game of choice for those that know the difference between ordinary and epic. This is the game for YOU. You're not ordinary; you're extraordinary. For those of us that live in a world that forces us to conform, to abide by the rules day in and day out; for those of us that suffocate in our daily routine of breakfast cereal and ham sandwiches; for those of us that slave each day in our cubicle working for the Man; those who would be heroes if it were not for the constraints of reality, we present... HackMaster.

What is HackMaster?

Quite simply, HackMaster is a fantasy role-playing game with an edge, licensed from the hallowed Advanced Dungeons & Dragons core rules. And even though we took a wrecking crane and a crowbar to those rules, we certainly didn't take this opportunity to alter the rules lightly. Players of the original AD&D game will find HackMaster comfortably familiar, yet also new and exciting! And if you've never played AD&D or HackMaster before, what are you waiting for? Come join the party!

vs.

TORG (West End Games)

The Possibility Wars Continue!

It was widely believed at West End Games, official chroniclers of the Possibility Wars and of the High Lords' race to become Torg, that Wars End documented the culmination of the Possibility Wars. This has been proven False. It's unclear just what has happened. Whether a dream or a turning point, the Gaunt Man's pursuit of becoming the Torg has frayed the Infiniverse.

While we can't tell you what's going to happen next, we can offer you some stuff to help you in your version of the Possibility Wars.

[JasonStarfire]

I have to give Hackmaster a vote.

[Wook]

Hackmaster +5

[carmachu]

Torg rules!!

[hidufel]

Hackmaster! RAH!

[Cranky Dog]

I know plenty of people who own Torg but *no* one plays it. We even used the Torg cards as random factors in our games.

But Hackmaster is the shizzle! Also I'm currently in a game of HM. Playing an amidextrous thief with one finger missing and a split personality that turns him into a nobleman without each personality having knowledge of the other's existence.

It's good ol' 1st ed AD&D fun with new crunchiness and rules argument.


Cranky Dog
"I have a hack opinion, international!"

[JasonStarfire]

D&D 3.X has won this round!
Hackmaster wastes TORG with its crossbow, and we start a new round. New entry The Morrow Project gets drafted into this round.

The Morrow Project (Timeline Ltd.)

One hundred and fifty years after the Third World War, the members of the Morrow Project wake to a strange world. Instead of being part of an organized plan to rebuild our civilization, they find themselves isolated in a world where the War is only a distant legend, the people are ignorant of anything but the struggle to survive and strange mutated animals haunt their footsteps.
Playing the Morrow Project, you must not only survive but you must carry out your original mission: Rebuild the world. To do this you have your equipment and training, your team and your own guts and imagination. Together you and your teammates must try to do alone a job that thousands were trained to do.

vs.

D&D 3.X (WoTC)

Endless adventure and untold excitement await! Prepare to venture forth with your bold compaions into a world of heroic fantasy. Within these pages, you'll discover all the tools and options you need to create characters worthy of song and legend for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.

The revised Player's Handbook is the definitive rulebook for the Dungeons & Dragons game. It contains complete rules for the newest edition and is an essential purchase for anyone who wants to play the game.

The revised Player's Handbook received revisions to character classes to make them more balanced, including updates to the bard, druid, monk, paladin, and ranger. Spell lists for characters have been revised and some spell levels adjusted. Skills have been consolidated somewhat and clarified. A larger number of feats have been added to give even more options for character customization in this area. In addition, the new and revised content instructs players on how to take full advantage of the tie-in D&D miniatures line planned to release in the fall of 2003 from Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

[TinSoldier]

Man, that's not even fair! :banghead: :D

D&D 3.x

[carmachu]

Not even close.

D&D 3.x

[Detritus]

D&D 3rd edition.

[Wook]

3.x
.

[Cranky Dog]

The next round better be more challenging.

D&D 3.X for the bloody massacre!


Cranky Dog
"I have hoping for a real contest opinion, international!"

[Detritus]

The next round better be more challenging.
Only three more matchups to go for this round. Going to have to do something at some point about the 22 remaining entries once this round is over. That's not going to work very well for a head-to-head tournament.

[Wook]

The wierd and outlandish ones that are left need to do some "rat tail" matches to determine who goes and who stays. Or some obvious house faves need a bye to later rounds or something.

[Detritus]

I guess that would be 10 byes and 6 "play-in votes" to get down to 16. Should work, if we can figure out the 10 byes.

[JasonStarfire]

I'm working on the bye rounds, etc, as we go along. This round has been completely random matchups so far. After the next three matches are completed, I'll give details in the next thread.

Any ideas are welcome.

EDIT: Also, next round will be delayed. Have to assist the s/o with something or other...

[JasonStarfire]

Cyberpunk has won this round!

The Morrow Project was no match for the current incarnation of D&D. We mourn, and then we move on.

It Came From the Late, Late, Late Show. (Stellar Games)

It Came from the Late, Late, Late Show lets you play all of the characters in a movie, and the worse the movie, the more fun it is to play. You can be the hero, the villian, or the great scientist trying to save the world, or better yet, trying to destroy it! The possibilities are endless!

vs.

Cyberpunk 2020 (R. Talsorian)

THE CORPORATIONS control the world from their skyscraper fortresses, enforcing their rule with armies of cyborg assassins. On the Street, Boostergangs roam a shattered urban wilderness, killing and looting. The rest of the world is a perpetual party, as fashion-model beautiful techies rub biosculpt jobs with battle-armored roadwarriors in the hottest clubs, sleaziest bars and meanest streets this side of the Postholocaust. The Future never looked so bad.

BUT YOU can change it. You've got interface plugs in your wrists, weapons in your arms, lasers in your eyes, bio-chip programs screaming in your brain. You're wired-in, Cyberenhanced and solid state as you take it to the fatal Edge where only the toughest and coolest can go. Because you're CYBERPUNK.

CYBERPUNK: The original roleplaying game of the dark future; a world of corporate assassins, heavy-metal heroes and brain-burning cyberhackers, packed with cutting-edge technology and intense urban action. In this game you'll find everything you need to tackle the mean streets of the 2000's - in a game system that combines the best in realistic action and playability.

[Parzival]

CP 2020.
<grin> Screw the street samuri, I want to play the fixer!

[Detritus]

Cyberpunk 2020.

[Wook]

It came from the late, late, late show and ate CP2020

[BlueNinja]

Cyberpunk!

[carmachu]

Cyberpunk. No contest.

[Cranky Dog]

Cyberpunk!

ICFTLLLS is something that looks easy to emulate with many other systems.


Cranky Dog
"I have a cyber opinion, international!"

[TinSoldier]

Cyberpunk.

.

[Paulypalooza]

cyberpunk 2020 is my fav of all time

[JasonStarfire]

Deadlands has won this round!

The Late, Late, Late Show gets caught in Cyberpunk's Friday night firefight, and we move on to the second to last round of this thread.

Champions: New Millenium ()

Due to my oversight, this will now be primarily for the Fuzion game Champions: New Millenium (thanks ****)

vs.

Deadlands: Reloaded (Great White Games, current)

Deadlands: Reloaded is the latest incarnation of the award-winning Deadlands setting.

Powered by the Savage Worlds system, Deadlands: Reloaded takes the Weird West and gives it a Savage twist.

All the usual Western horror, all the hex-slinging, gun-toting, monster-hunting, ghost rock inspired mayhem you're used to, merged with Savage Worlds' Fast! Furious! Fun! ethos.

In Deadlands' 10th Anniversary year, strap on your six-guns and hit the high plains, pardner. The Reckoners are back - and Hell's comin' with them!

[Wook]

By champions I assumed you menat Fuzion. This is basically the same as Hero 5th. Champions is just the default setting for that ruleset...

[Magnus Bergqvist]

I say Deadlands for the setting.

/Magnus

[Detritus]

Champions.

[Cranky Dog]

Deadlands.

Not enough western setting RPGs while Champions is "just" another hero game.


Cranky Dog
"I have a quick drawing opinion, international!"

[hidufel]

Deadlands!

[carmachu]

New millium sucked ass, wasnt that with teh fusion rules?

Deadlands, all teh way.

[JasonStarfire]

Alternity has won this round!

Deadlands wins this showdown and we move on to our final preliminary round. One competitor is a Sci-Fi RPG which, although it only had a year or two to get off the ground, still has a cult following to this day. The other was a system created for a computer game that has spawned at least two tabletop systems, and that's good enough to get in this competition.

SPECIAL/Simple (Interplay, J.E. Sawyer, others)

Simple is the game system used to run Fallout tabletop games. The system used in the Fallout computer games was SPECIAL. SPECIAL was a variant of Steve Jackson Games? GURPS.

Okay, so what?s up with Simple?

Simple is designed to be easy to get into, but have long term flexibility for players. It is not intended to be as flexible as GURPS or as detailed as D&D 3.5. Though the mechanics for high technology and high skills can become more complex, the basics are, well, simple.

These rules assume that people want to play Fallout tabletop games because they enjoy the setting and are more interested in the idea of what their characters can do in the game world than what they can do on a piece of paper. You will not find rules on aging penalties, rolling for weather, or how to create bigger and badder versions of equipment. It uses levels and hit points for ease, but does not use things like alignment or class.

The Simple rule system requires the use of three types of dice: six-sided (d6), eight-sided (d8) and ten-sided (d10). These dice are mostly used to calculate weapon damage. Skill checks make frequent use of two ten-sided dice, which are sometimes referred to as ?percentile? with one die representing the tens digit and the other die representing the singles digit (d100).

Characters are statistically defined through Primary Attributes, Derived Attributes, Floating Attributes, Skills, Perks, and Traits.

vs.

Alternity (TSR)

What is Alternity? Written by : Starbrat (alternityrpg.net)

Alternity is a setting-generic Science Fiction game originally published by Wizards of the Coast. The game is designed for GMs to produce any kind of Modern or SF setting, from techno-thriller to cyberpunk to classic space-opera to superhero. It's even possible to run modern Horror games with this system, such is its versatility.

What you will need ..

The Alternity game, unlike many games currently available, uses a wide range of dice, rather than being fixated on a single die type. To play Alternity, you will need the Alternity Player's Handbook & Gamemaster Guide. There are other accessories available, but these core rulebooks are all you really need. You will also need the following types of dice: d4, d6, d8, d12 & d20 (the most commonly used). You can find these types of dice at any hobby games shop. Other than this, you'll also need pencils, scratch paper & a writing pad (lined would be best). You may also need squared and/or hex-printed paper (you can get squared paper at a decent stationer, and hex paper can be bought from hobby stores). Alternatively, you could download the Graph Paper Printer program from the following address: http://perso.easynet.fr/~philimar/ I have found this program invaluable.

[Detritus]

Alternity.

[carmachu]

Alternity. Man I love that game.

[Kalzazz]

Alternity!

So many shiny weapons, and the success levels are neat

[Wook]

Gratuitious vote for Alternity.

[JasonStarfire]

Okay, that's it for this phase of the tournament. I'll start a new thread soon with the next part. Be sure to read the rules in the next thread, because it will be a Sudden Death Elimination Round!!!