SF Squeaked in on a Top 25 RPG Poll

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 18, 2009 - 5:26am
Found this on Dragonsfoot forums...

http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/04/you-decided-top-25-rpgs-results.html

Quote:
The first 7-8 spots were pretty solid, then there was a bit of a vote drop-off, then spots 17-25 were fiercely contest, as were the honorable mention. All of the honorable mentions missed out on the Top 25 by 40 points or less.

You voted, you decided. Without further ado, here's your Top 25!:

Top 25 RPGs Project Final Rankings:

1) Basic/Original D&D
2) Call of Cthulhu
3) Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 1st Edition
4) Traveller (Classic)
5) Star Wars (West End Games/d6)
6) Dungeons & Dragons 3.0/3.5
7) GURPS 3e
8) Tunnels & Trolls
9) Champions
10) RuneQuest (majority of 85% favored 2nd Edition)
11) Vampire: the Masquerade
12) Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition
13) Gamma World (1st/2nd Editions)
14) Shadowrun 3e
15) Pendragon (Chaosium editions)
16) Warhammer Fantasy Role Playing 1st Edition
17) Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP)
18) Savage Worlds
19) Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition
20) Amber
21) Rifts
22) Hackmaster
23) Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP)
24) Star Frontiers
25) Risus

I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website
Comments:

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 18, 2009 - 8:13am
Not too shabby.
and MERP pleases me as well.
I don't understand D&D 4th ed. though as its was released with so much hype and they haven't, to my knowledge, delivered the online content that was a major portion of the hype. Its only been out a short time and couldn't have won over new converts from the MMORPLGs yet without their promised on line content. It boggles the imagination that such a mishandled product would make the top 25 list.
I can see head up the butt execs at Hasbro/WOTC patting themselves on the back over this.

I bought my books on sale and weaseled a friends wife to get me her employee discount so I didn't pay alot but I still feel cheated particularly over the on line content. I may never buy another WOTC book again unless I get it on ebay for cheap.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Imperial Lord's picture
Imperial Lord
May 18, 2009 - 10:05am
I thought the best edition of AD&D was the 2nd.

Call of Cthulu?  What up with that?

I am most pleased that people are pooping on the 4th Ed.  It begs the question: what was wrong with the 3rd Ed?  And then, what was wrong with the 2nd?  Haha!  You will not Microsoft US, Jizzards of the Coast!

What a bunch of tools.  They should put all of their effort into blasting out high quality MODULES.  Instead, they re-write rules over and over and over again.  People are getting pissed.  Total lack of creativity.

Plus, I don't like all of the Political Correctness in D&D nowadays.  They are bending over backwards (and forwards) to attract fanchicks and it looks lame.

pineappleleader's picture
pineappleleader
May 18, 2009 - 1:56pm
Imperial Lord wrote:
Call of Cthulu?  What up with that?

It is fun - in a twisted sort of way.

You look for things you don't want to find. When you find them they kill you in a horrible, painful way or drive you insane. If, by some chance you succeed in foiling "The Horror" the local authorities arrest you and execute or imprison you (if you are still sane) or send you away to the local version of the Funny Farm.

Fun Smile

Imperial Lord's picture
Imperial Lord
May 18, 2009 - 2:11pm

Pineapple -

I am not saying that Call of Cthulu was a bad game (never played it) but number TWO?  That's quite a statement.

I thought Tunnels and Trolls was a Commodore 64 game?  What was Champions?

Runequest - was that the Avalon Hill boxed game?


I could see Traveller and a lot of the other stuff.  I have heard a lot of good things about GURPS over the years.  And how about Marvel making 17th?  That's real nice - almost brings tears to my eyes.  Talk about a game with great potential.  If they only made modules with more than 16 pages and not 60% covered by artwork, it would have ranked much higher.  They also made the mistake of REQUIRING the preset characters included in some of the modules to be played in the adventure!  Who wants to do that?


And for the record, my "Armadillo" character, complete with carapace and wrist rockets, was gaining Karma Points a full YEAR before the character came out in the real Marvel Comics.  Take that Stan Lee!

I basically count 2nd Ed. AD&D with the first, at least emotionally.  The two systems were so similar that they really should be in the same category.  2nd Ed was just written on a level lower than Phd English, and gave more latitude to the DM. 


Will's picture
Will
May 18, 2009 - 2:39pm
jedion357 wrote:
Not too shabby.
and MERP pleases me as well.
I don't understand D&D 4th ed. though as its was released with so much hype and they haven't, to my knowledge, delivered the online content that was a major portion of the hype. Its only been out a short time and couldn't have won over new converts from the MMORPLGs yet without their promised on line content. It boggles the imagination that such a mishandled product would make the top 25 list.
I can see head up the butt execs at Hasbro/WOTC patting themselves on the back over this.

I bought my books on sale and weaseled a friends wife to get me her employee discount so I didn't pay alot but I still feel cheated particularly over the on line content. I may never buy another WOTC book again unless I get it on ebay for cheap.


Bribes...lots and lots of bribes.

Same way Pale Puppy's crap got to the top of the list(and Classic Traveller only came in at #4?! How gay is that? It should've at least come in second).

It does gladden my heart that GURPS 3e came in at #7 and 4e didn't place at all, tho one would think True 20 or Blue Rose would've at least come in at #25.

Oh well, that's life, that's what they say.....

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

SmootRK's picture
SmootRK
May 18, 2009 - 2:50pm
Bear in mind that Dragonsfoot is an extremely biased group that patently hates any D&D edition beyond 2e (editions prior to WotC control)... an old-school group.  Obviously the poll will not reflect any 3e or 4e love... taboo over there. 

I like dragonsfoot because I like old-school rules (namely classic edition and Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game BFRPG rules), but I am often put off by the bile spewed against any newer rules, despite any merits that such newer games might actually have.
<insert witty comment here>

Will's picture
Will
May 18, 2009 - 2:56pm
Imperial Lord wrote:
I thought the best edition of AD&D was the 2nd.

Call of Cthulu?  What up with that?

I am most pleased that people are pooping on the 4th Ed.  It begs the question: what was wrong with the 3rd Ed?  And then, what was wrong with the 2nd?  Haha!  You will not Microsoft US, Jizzards of the Coast!


And, what was wrong with the 1st? Remember all the 2d Edition hatred that raged on forever (at least 'til 3d Edition came out....) ?

Personally I think Second Edition was the beginning of the slippery slope for AD&D.
 
As for CoC, it was a good game of classic horror that I'll never play again(not big on the Mythos, and the Keeper kinda ruined it for me).

And, it beats Pale Puppy's crap by a country mile. 

ImpLord wrote:
What a bunch of tools.  They should put all of their effort into blasting out high quality MODULES.  Instead, they re-write rules over and over and over again.  People are getting pissed.  Total lack of creativity.


Modules don't make money, ImpLord, it's new rules and class handbooks and rules supplements which do, especially if they strategically position the release of the new rules set, &c., just when players have finally stopped bitching about the previous new edition and associated goodies, bought the previous new rules set and add-ons, converted every map, character, campaign, what have you to the new standard, and are now sitting comfortably around the table playing the freakin' game....guess what, pendejos, it's time to bankrupt yourself again buying a whole new library of rules stuff which you have to have or you're out in the cold, babies....

Why I stopped playing GURPS when SJ Games decided it was time for a Fourth Edition after over a decade of 3e working just fine, thank you very freakin' much....

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Will's picture
Will
May 18, 2009 - 3:07pm
ImpLord wrote:
What was Champions?


What was Champions?! You're kidding, right?

You're not kidding....

Back in the dim past, Iron Crown Enterprises(makers of MERP and the Evil That Is RoleMaster)screwed up and made a realistic, playable, simple point-based superhero RPG, which blasted DC Heroes and MSH into a smoking crater(sorry, Shadow). The character generation system(using character points, advantages and disads) was the basis for SJG's
GURPS RPG, and the system made possible not just classic superhero/supervillain fights from the comics possible, but also gritter superhero/antihero fare which MSH just couldn't handle.

It also had rules for creating gadgets(like say, Green Lantern's ring), with a point-based enhancement and limitation system.

ICE, realizing SJG had taken their idea and ran with it, spun the basic RPG system off from Champions and created their own generic-universal RPG called Hero System, with such titles as Cyber Hero and Star Hero...quite good for Iron Crown Enterprises, and it almost made me switch from GURPS.

Almost.... 

By the way, where the bloody hell is R. Talsorian's Cyberpunk?! Ain't no way it couldn't have at least breached the bottom of the top 25.....
   

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Will's picture
Will
May 18, 2009 - 3:11pm
SmootRK wrote:
Bear in mind that Dragonsfoot is an extremely biased group that patently hates any D&D edition beyond 2e (editions prior to WotC control)... an old-school group.  Obviously the poll will not reflect any 3e or 4e love... taboo over there. 

I like dragonsfoot because I like old-school rules (namely classic edition and Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game BFRPG rules), but I am often put off by the bile spewed against any newer rules, despite any merits that such newer games might actually have.


Hey, I patently hate any AD&D edition beyond 1e, so there's some point in common.

I like old-school rules too, nice, simple, realisitic, but not gummed up with overthink. At the same time, like you said, RK, some of the newer rules systems out there that do get it right(like Green Ronin's stuff, for example).

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 18, 2009 - 3:22pm
Imperial Lord wrote:
  What was Champions?


Champions was a super hero RPG, predating the Marvel came IIRC. I never played it but saw it several times and ran into a couple guys in high school that loved it. I suppose you could say it was like Marvel but you made your own characters instead of using licensed/pregenerated ones.
I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 18, 2009 - 5:20pm
Who says you cant make money on modules? That was the Gygaxian model-
Print high quality rule books and churn out tons of modules.
1st ed rule books blast the rest out of the water the way they stand up to the test of time.
and Hackmaster, it seems to me (I haven't played), is doing well with their dungeon crawl classic modules where the cover artwork reminds you of a classic D&D module

I do play 3.5 but the reason for that is its what the group uses. I didn't even buy a rule book but they gave me a players manuel for Christmas. I think its lousy ed. for one reason- 1 combat takes the whole session BAH! that is no fun but its a day out with other guys forgetting the stress of real life so...
I bought 4th on faith hoping they'd address the 3 hour combat issue and the promised on line content would have been great as we could have organized a night with people in different towns and states to go on line at the designated time and still played. None of the "hey my kid is sick I cant make it tonight" or "its snowing pretty bad maybe we should cansel?". Even if the system wasn't any better so what my brother from 2 states away could have joined in and that would have been cool.

Sure it would have been like Evercrack and WOW but it wouldn't have been the whole thing of spend 8 hrs/ day to keep your character at the same level as everyone else or fall behind plus there is no real role play in the quest on those games. Having a virtual table top and all the untilities would have been awesome. You'd start getting international games going (Luckily I have the Black Hand Gang for my international gaming.)
I would have hung with 4th e if they hadn't promised the moon and delivered nothing.
So I guess I have to agree with ImpLord what a bunch of tools.

Carification: I'm only dumping on the company because of recent mismanagement. I got out of gaming before 2nd ed. and missed the whole brew hah hah from over 2nd and 3rd and 3.5 which seems to have irritated so may people. So I was prepared to cut the company some slack but now it just seems their all hype and fluff and no substance.
though I don't mind the new modules as they come with some nicely done 1 inch grid battle mats of the module's settings and I almost had a GASLIGHT game of the ground and had planned to use some of those maps for a temple setting. I guess they would appeal to me since I'm so into miniatures.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

TerlObar's picture
TerlObar
May 18, 2009 - 7:23pm
I never actually played the Call of Cuthulu RPG but I know some of the guys that made it and wrote many suppliments.  and I love the original Arkham Horror board game based off it (I've never played the new one). 

RuneQuest was originally written by Chaosium (makers of CoC as well) but sold to Avalon Hill in a time of finanical crisis for Chaosium.  I really like the RuneQuest mechanics and skill systems and have serioiusly considered porting the SF setting to that rule system.  I played RQ all through high school and early college (until I got married) with an amazing GM (one of the CoC authors).  We actually played an adapted version of RuneQuest, same mechanics but greatly enlarged skill set and magic system.

Although I've never owned or played it, Tunnels and Trolls was a solo RPG (I don't know if it was only a solo game but playable in that manner).  The modules were laid out sort of like choose your own adventure books so you could play by yourself if you wanted.

Vampire, Amber, Hackmaster and Resis are the only ones I haven't heard of.
Ad Astra Per Ardua!
My blog - Expanding Frontier
Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site
Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine
Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine

Aardvark892's picture
Aardvark892
May 18, 2009 - 8:23pm
This post truly struck a chord in my heart.  Please forgive me for getting emotional, but gaming has been a huge part of my life for 31 years; this stuff is important.  I dearly remember LOTS of the games on this list.  Good, warm memories of zany games, and dear friends no longer with us fill me up seeing this.

Thank you so much, Shadow Shack, for posting this list.

P.S. I stand Vindicated!  SR3 beat out SR4!  Woohoo!
Tim Schuster Tubist, Walla Walla Valley Band

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 19, 2009 - 5:03am
"SmootRK" wrote:
Bear in mind that Dragonsfoot is an extremely biased group that patently hates any D&D edition beyond 2e (editions prior to WotC control)... an old-school group.  Obviously the poll will not reflect any 3e or 4e love... taboo over there. 

 
Is that blog run by one of the DF members? I pretty much hang out in the Classic D&D folder there and don't drift much further, and being relatively new there's a lot of members there I simply don't know. You're one of the few I do LOL

"Will" wrote:
Back in the dim past, Iron Crown Enterprises(makers of MERP and the Evil That Is RoleMaster)screwed up and made a realistic, playable, simple point-based superhero RPG, which blasted DC Heroes and MSH into a smoking crater(sorry, Shadow).


No need to apologize, my gaming background is extremely limited. As a kid I owned Moldvay basic/expert with B2-3 and X1-2, and some 2E AD&D stuff (the 5 hardbound books, A/G/D/Q series modules, and a few other modules), and of course everything Star Frontiers except for the two UK modules and the 2001/2010 games. I played Traveller with a friend who had a slew of those books, played Indiana Jones once, Top Secret a few times (owned some of that stuff too), and a few micro-box type games like Car Wars and a few SciFi type tabletop games.

Lately I acquired the Mentzer and Holmes versions, so I have all three basic games and two experts, and the comapnion set...and a few more B/X modules along the way too, but pretty much still stick to the Moldvay version for play.

SF was the staple in every group I was with though, it's what we always gravitated back to each time. I just wish I could somehow connect with some of the guys I used to play with...being an Air Force brat all those guys are scattered across the globe by now LOL
I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

umungus's picture
umungus
May 19, 2009 - 7:12am
I played Rolemaster for years with a group in the bay area. I assure you that it is not evil....

At least I got to scare an alien rabbit thingy......


pineappleleader's picture
pineappleleader
May 19, 2009 - 10:42am
Imperial Lord wrote:

Pineapple -

I am not saying that Call of Cthulu was a bad game (never played it) but number TWO?  That's quite a statement.

CoC has a " large, deeply disturbed, following" (to steal a line from the movie The Big Chill) Smile

 

Imperial Lord wrote:
I thought Tunnels and Trolls was a Commodore 64 game?

Yes, but also a paper and pen RPG. Perfect for Solo Play. Solo dungeons are very tough. Most characters die. At one time there were over 20 Solo Dungeons and even a T&T Magazine. There are a few GM adventures, such as "Dungeon of the Bear", too. Has some interesting spin-offs: "Monsters! Monsters!" (you play the monsters) and "Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes" (Known as: MSPE)  (Modern Rules - for just what it says).

It was at one time the number two fantasy game after D&D. It also cost a lot less and all you really needed to play was one book and a handful of common D6s (6 to 8 do just fine). Very simple game mechanics. Games were very fast - you either were very rich or very dead. Lots of fun.

Outlaw Press (on the web) is now selling lots of T&T stuff, some quality reprints, some new and some very rare original items.

 

 

 

 

 

 


jedion357's picture
jedion357
May 19, 2009 - 11:06am
Shadow Shack wrote:
my gaming background is extremely limited. As a kid I owned Moldvay basic/expert with B2-3 and X1-2, and some 2E AD&D stuff (the 5 hardbound books, A/G/D/Q series modules, and a few other modules), and of course everything Star Frontiers except for the two UK modules and the 2001/2010 games. I played Traveller with a friend who had a slew of those books, played Indiana Jones once, Top Secret a few times (owned some of that stuff too), and a few micro-box type games like Car Wars and a few SciFi type tabletop games.

doesn't sound limited to me


Shadow Shack wrote:
...being an Air Force brat

Small world-me too; did you ever spend time at Plattsburgh in the '80s?
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers!

Will's picture
Will
May 19, 2009 - 2:45pm
umungus wrote:
I played Rolemaster for years with a group in the bay area. I assure you that it is not evil....


No comment...let's just say I still see the tons and tons of tables for every little thing in my sleep and leave it at that, LOL....

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Will's picture
Will
May 19, 2009 - 2:47pm
jedi wrote:
Small world-me too; did you ever spend time at Plattsburgh in the '80s?


Or, how 'bout Robins?

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Will's picture
Will
May 19, 2009 - 2:54pm
TerlObar wrote:
Vampire, Amber, Hackmaster and Resis are the only ones I haven't heard of.


Vampire(and it companion games, Werewolf: The Apocolypse and Mage: The Ascendence[I think?])was a live-action/narrative RPG put out by Atlanta-based White Wolf Games—Pale Puppy to everyone not deeply disturbed—back in the 90s. It is, or was, all the rage amongst certain gaming groups, the mental state of which I won't pass judgement on, except to say they almost make WH40K players look like well-adjusted members of society.

Almost.  

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

aramis's picture
aramis
May 19, 2009 - 4:34pm
Sorry, Will, but not quite right.

The folowing are the WWG tabletop line
   Vampire: The Masquerade
   Werewolf: The Apocalypse
   Mage: The Ascension
   Changeling: The Dreaming
   Wraith: The Oblivion
   Hunter: The Reckoning

They are all (Stat+skill)d10 count successes (each die is compared to a target number, usually 6+ or 7+)
They all also have at least two editions each.

The LARP line didn't use this format. It just used the infinitive forms for the early editions (Masquerade, Apocalypse, Ascension; later editions are Laws of ___; Laws of the Night, Laws of the Hunt, Laws of the Wild, Laws of Ascension, Laws of the East, etc.


It should be noted that the "revised" setting for the WWG World Of Darkness setting uses different names:
   Vampire: The Requiem
   Werewolf: The Forsaken
   Mage: The Awakening
   Promethean: The Created
   Changeling: The Lost
   Hunter: The Vigil

White Wolf should be disturbed... the note that VTM is on the list and VTR isn't... and they also own Pendragon.

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 19, 2009 - 8:24pm

Well, I suppose "limited" was a bit harsh...but in reality the RPGing our groups were involved in went as follows:

Star Frontiers
When that got stale --- D&D (Moldvay B/X, with occassional AD&D)
Top Secret, 3 modules worth
Then repeat one and two. TS collected dust.
The occassional dabblein microbox games popped up, mostly one shot sesions. And Indiana Jones slipped in once as well.

When I moved here, our group did a similar pattern:

Started out with D&D (Moldvay B/X, Mentzer B/X and Companion...some AD&D elements thrown in)
I introduced them to Star Frontiers. Back and forth between those two for a while
Eventually Traveller got thrown into the rotation by one of the guys. I tried to introduce TS here, epic failure after the first combat was resolved.


I regret not having tried WEG Star Wars at some point though. I never even knew about it until the late 90s...alas for the most part it was either Star Frontiers or D&D (of which I only consider as two different games, despite the different versions/editions...technically you could break down SF into three editions: AD/KH/Zebs)




As far as where I lived ---

Hampton VA (Langley AFB) 1968-73, several return trips since
Albuquerque NM (Kirtland) 1973-76, one return trip, several drive-throughs
Montgomery AL (Maxwell-Gunter) 1976-77
small town Lancaster WI (father was overseas in Korea for a year, Mom & us young 'uns lived near the grandparents) 1977-78, been there frequently before and after
Myrtle Beach SC (MBAFB) 1978-1980, would like to get back sometime
San Antonio TX (Randolph) 1980-83, drove through last summer
Las Vegas NV (Nellis) 1983-present

I heard about D&D in Myrtle Beach but didn't get introduced to it until Texas.

We had a travel trailer and saw a lot of this great nation in between. Chicago, Green Bay, lots of trips to Minneapolis/Lake Milax area, Stone Mountain, Orlando, Colorado Springs, Carlsbad, Grand Canyon, Sangre de Cristo mountains, Corpus Christi, Canyon Lake & Rio Frio all were common camping destinations. Pretty much have been everywhere except the northwest and northeast.

The folks and my sister live in Ocala/Orlando respectively, I drove out there last summer and took a road trip to Branson MO a few years earlier. I'm planning a trip to Green Bay sometime this year, gotta see what towns that will bring me through.

I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

Zeram's picture
Zeram
May 19, 2009 - 8:52pm
Aardvark892 wrote:
This post truly struck a chord in my heart.  Please forgive me for getting emotional, but gaming has been a huge part of my life for 31 years; this stuff is important.  I dearly remember LOTS of the games on this list.  Good, warm memories of zany games, and dear friends no longer with us fill me up seeing this.

Thank you so much, Shadow Shack, for posting this list.

P.S. I stand Vindicated!  SR3 beat out SR4!  Woohoo!


I have to agree with the nostalgia trip this post induced.  I got started on the red box basic D&D of a friend until I got my own then moved up to the blue box Expert set and on to AD&D.  It is amazing what looking at some of those old books brings back in memories:
How "Der Komissar" was playing on the radio when I talked my mom in to driving me to the book store in the city to buy my copy of "The Ghost Tower of Inverness".  Tracing my fingers in the "M" in the shape of a pitchfork of her Dodge Demon.

Getting my copy of AD&D 1st Ed Player's Handbook as a birthday present and then foolishly using it as a makeshift umbrella while running into the house as the rain poured down.  The water got into the inside of the cover and after drying made it look all bubbly.  I lamented my foolishness but later grew fond of how my copy was different and my own.  Recently I was going through my boxes of old stuff brought up from my parent's house, I was looking for it.  Weird that it pained me I couldn't find that unique treasure.

In high school getting a large group of friends to play a regular game of AD&D 2nd edition.  Many of them had never roleplayed before.  The overreligious parents of some of them got my name circulated on a list among the churches as a devil worshiper because I was trying to snare them in with that "devil game" D&D. 

Anyway, nice list.  I never really played GURPS or West End's Star Wars.  Champions was way better than Marvel Super Heroes.  So much detail, I would love to get a game going with my older kids.  Of course, Star Frontiers, I never owned it but would borrow my cousin's books.  I played tons more but one of the last one's I played was Battletech and the Mechwarrior roleplaying piece along with it.  We had some good times with our mercenary outfit the Ironwolves   :)

Sorry for the rambling.

TerlObar's picture
TerlObar
May 19, 2009 - 9:20pm
We almost overlapped in San Antonio although my dad was Army, not Air Force.  My dad was going to go phamacy school there (Fort Sam Huston) starting in Oct '81 when we got back from Germany (20 mi from the East German border '78-'81 at the height of the cold war) but he had just gotten promoted and there were no openings for his new rank so he went into Air Traffic Control and we went to Ft. Rucker, AL instead. We were in San Antonio for a total of 3 days.  Now my folks live in Vegas and if I'm ever down there for any amount of time, I'll have to look you up.




Ad Astra Per Ardua!
My blog - Expanding Frontier
Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site
Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine
Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine

Shadow Shack's picture
Shadow Shack
May 19, 2009 - 9:31pm
I made a few excursions to Ft. Sam Houston, I had to see an ocular specialist there following a soccer injury.

I remember you mentioned the folks living here. IIRC you mentioned living in Salt Lake? I make occassional jaunts up to Zion, I try to hit it twice/year. Where did you end up relocating to?
I'm not overly fond of Zeb's Guide...nor do I have any qualms stating why. Tongue out

My SF website

Ascent's picture
Ascent
May 19, 2009 - 9:55pm
With just a 150 entries, it's not exactly a cross-section. It's biased at best. It's great that SF made it on that list (wow, 1 or 2 people voted for Star Frontiers), but I can tell that it was available only to a select group of gamers.
View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write.
"It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi
"That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi
Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild)

Imperial Lord's picture
Imperial Lord
May 19, 2009 - 10:39pm
Well, when I buy Star Frontiers off Wizards of the Coast (someday... someday...) the ONLY thing that I will dole out money for will be beautiful modules with fat maps and critters and races.

Tons and tons and tons of modules.  So many that they can barely be coded.  And maps so juicy that the modules HAVE to be bought in their printed form.

TerlObar's picture
TerlObar
May 19, 2009 - 10:54pm
Shadow Shack wrote:
I made a few excursions to Ft. Sam Houston, I had to see an ocular specialist there following a soccer injury.

I remember you mentioned the folks living here. IIRC you mentioned living in Salt Lake? I make occassional jaunts up to Zion, I try to hit it twice/year. Where did you end up relocating to?

I'm still based out of Spanish Fork, UT (about an hour south of SLC on I-15) but I spend my week days in San Jose, CA working at NASA Ames Research Center. 

Until the economy picks back up and we can sell our house in Utah (or I take a different job back home), I'll be commuting.  I fly out to California on Monday mornings, work through the week and fly home Firday night and spend all day Saturday and Sunday with the wife and kids.  I have a small studio apartment here in California and spend my evenings doing SF related stuff (mainly working on my game program).
Ad Astra Per Ardua!
My blog - Expanding Frontier
Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site
Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine
Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine

Will's picture
Will
May 20, 2009 - 1:22am
aramis wrote:
Sorry, Will, but not quite right.

The folowing are the WWG tabletop line
   Vampire: The Masquerade
   Werewolf: The Apocalypse
   Mage: The Ascension
   Changeling: The Dreaming
   Wraith: The Oblivion
   Hunter: The Reckoning

They are all (Stat+skill)d10 count successes (each die is compared to a target number, usually 6+ or 7+)
They all also have at least two editions each.

The LARP line didn't use this format. It just used the infinitive forms for the early editions (Masquerade, Apocalypse, Ascension; later editions are Laws of ___; Laws of the Night, Laws of the Hunt, Laws of the Wild, Laws of Ascension, Laws of the East, etc.


It should be noted that the "revised" setting for the WWG World Of Darkness setting uses different names:
   Vampire: The Requiem
   Werewolf: The Forsaken
   Mage: The Awakening
   Promethean: The Created
   Changeling: The Lost
   Hunter: The Vigil

White Wolf should be disturbed... the note that VTM is on the list and VTR isn't... and they also own Pendragon.


Thanks, Aramis...and, don't forget the supplement the Book of the Wyrm...I know I can't.... 

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation

Will's picture
Will
May 20, 2009 - 1:28am
Imperial Lord wrote:
Well, when I buy Star Frontiers off Wizards of the Coast (someday... someday...) the ONLY thing that I will dole out money for will be beautiful modules with fat maps and critters and races.

Tons and tons and tons of modules.  So many that they can barely be coded.  And maps so juicy that the modules HAVE to be bought in their printed form.


Not if I buy it off of them first, LOL.

You can work for me tho....

"You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so."


—Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation