Point of Discussion

[pyrephox]

Since I know my friends list is almost /entirely/ made up of gamers, I'll ask:

What makes a good RPG system for you?

This isn't a matter of organization, or of artwork, or of cost. What is it, specifically about a game system, that gets your attention and revs your engines?

For me:

Between 5 and 8 descriptive stats that give a good, easily communicated, picture of a character's general competence. Tri-Stat, although I like the flexibility of it, I hardly ever actually /use/. Anything with more than 8 or 9 stats, on the other hand, is too much of a pain in the ass to teach and use. I /like/ D&D stats, although leave off the Comeliness, thanks.

Simple, dice-based, combat resolution. For me, Unknown Armies has just nearly the perfect combat resolution system. It can be damned deadly, but it follows the same simple formula under almost all circumstances, has provisions for a variety of weapons and fighting styles, and best of all, is easy to extrapolate a reasonable solution to any combat situation the rules don't specifically cover. In Nomine, love it though I do, is a good example of frustrating combat.

Abstract health. I don't like hit tables, or having to calcuate crippling chances for each limb, or having to keep track of how much armor is over each body part. Give me some hit points, health points, vital points, or whatever you want to call it, and I can make up the rest as I go along.

Fatigue system for magic/psychic/supernatural abilities. I've actually /yet/ to see one that I really like. I know the system I want to see, but it's not been implemented in any game that I'm familiar with. And that's a darned shame.

So. Those are the ones that immediately spring to my mind. What turns /you/ on?

Comments

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

Setting is a real key, yeah. It has to be something I /want/ to play. But a frustrating system will turn me off from playing a setting that really sounds like a lot of fun. Example: Spookshow. WONDERFUL idea (Ghosts who can take corporeal form return as spies for various world governments), but the system made me weep.

I don't mind level based, or buy-as-you-go, or whatever form of progression, as long as it fits the setting. Level-based for CoC is dumb (*shakes fist at D20*). Level-based for heroic fantasy or superheroes, not so dumb.

I like cinematics to some degree. Although I like them more as climatic, at least somewhat unusual events. Drama Points in Buffy, or spending Essence in IN, as opposed to Stunts in Exalted, say. :D

[multiplexer.livejournal.com]

I cannot, cannot, cannont imagine playing CoC d20. There was nothing wrong with normal CoC!

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

Gya, yes. I've played it, at cons. It's the Deep One of gaming systems, a foul and hideous hybrid between D20 and Chaosium's D100 system. And it just doesn't work all that well.