Other RPG's to try...

[jameswllorimer]

Now this isn't of course any insult to the great guys at Crafty, but I'm wondering if you guys and gals out there have any suggestions for other interesting RPG's to try.

Basically our club either runs what it knows (Conan, D&D3.5 or earlier, old Runequest, TORG) or a GM will put together a simple system to run the flavour of whatever setting they want to run (e.g. we just had a samurai game cos the GM felt like it). I've run both an SC 2.0, and FC in Cloak and Dagger, with varying success and now want to introduce them to something new again.
 My wish is to try and bring a bit more life into our stagnating games either through

• Really interesting/different settings - probably the best draw
• A good mechanic or rules set - least likely (I'm the only real rules lawyer!)
• Or that random quirk factor, something that hooks most peeps

Thanks in advance,

James

[the331st]

I hear Gamma World has some pretty funny aspects to it. Never played but looked fun. Dark Heresy is a system that once you understand makes a great scifi/modern system (A friend I think is running a star trek game with those rules and it's working out ok).

[Mister Andersen]

It's an old game that's been out of print for a bit now, but the pdfs are available on drivethrurpg: Trinity (originally known as Aeon).

[glimmerrat]

It's an old game that's been out of print for a bit now, but the pdfs are available on drivethrurpg: Trinity (originally known as Aeon).

This. The assholes at MTV nixed the Aeon label thanks to Aeon Flux (cos that lasted for an age, right?). The other games in the series were Aberrant, where you play a super-powered being (note that I *didn't* say superhero for a good reason) and Adventure!, which is kinda like the greatest pulp story rpg ever written. Of course, it may well be eclipsed by 10kB...

[Agent 333]

I'm a big fan of Shadowrun, has a nice, evocative setting and one of the few RPGs that's tackled any form of Science Fiction (near future cyber-punk, if you didn't know) and has staying power. Without doing research to back up this claim, it might be the oldest RPG other than D&D and maybe Vampire that's still being published. Currently in it's 4th edition.

I'm also digging Changeling: The Lost from White Wolf, though that requires a certain play style I'm thinking my group isn't really up for. I was running a campaign with it for a while, but it petered out recently. Speaking of Changeling, I'm playing one in a World of Darkness "anything goes" game on Sunday nights. It actually works fairly decently, though that group is more concerned with character uniqueness than character balance.

Mutants & Masterminds can be fun, but in my experience it's usually funner to make characters than actually play them. Not sure if 3rd edition has fixed that, haven't gotten a chance to play that yet.

[Desertpuma]

Deadlands is still a classic to try if you haven't. I also enjoy the Cortex System that is used for the Serenity RPG.

[Agent 333]

I also enjoy the Cortex System that is used for the Serenity RPG.

I've had trouble wrapping my head around it. The basics I get, but when modifiers start getting involved it starts getting confusing (not in theory, but at game time it often takes a while to figure out what dice you're supposed to roll). Maybe I just haven't had enough practice with it? Does it get easier the longer you play it?

[Desertpuma]

Absolutely it gets easier ... I just kept notations in the margin depending upon what was needed to roll ... If you hit a D12 and get a bump add in a D2 for your +1, a D4 for +2, etc ... Plot points only a +1 per point if used after a role but add an entire additional die if used prior to a roll.

[MilitiaJim]

I'm a big fan of Shadowrun, has a nice, evocative setting and one of the few RPGs that's tackled any form of Science Fiction (near future cyber-punk, if you didn't know) and has staying power. Without doing research to back up this claim, it might be the oldest RPG other than D&D and maybe Vampire that's still being published. Currently in it's 4th edition.

I love Shadowrun's fluff almost as much as I hate the rules system.   

[Desertpuma]

I actually prefer RTalsorian's Cyberpunk to Shadowrun myself.

[Moebius]

I've recently been into the Ubiquity System and Hollow Earth Expedition. I just wish there were a full fledged and fluffy espionage setting for that system.

[VisualStatic]

I'm a big fan of Shadowrun, has a nice, evocative setting and one of the few RPGs that's tackled any form of Science Fiction (near future cyber-punk, if you didn't know) and has staying power. Without doing research to back up this claim, it might be the oldest RPG other than D&D and maybe Vampire that's still being published. Currently in it's 4th edition.

I love Shadowrun's fluff almost as much as I hate the rules system.   

You and me both. I love the setting and everything.  But the rules left much to be desired, 2nd and 3rd were good, 1st was too confusing and I just didn't like where they took it in 4th Ed.

I plan to use SC 3, 10KB, FC and Spellbound to do my own Shadowrun with the Crafty rules, till Shatterpunk.  (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

[Desertpuma]

I'd be right there with you Haughty ...

[Krensky]

Let's see.. This is based on what I have handy for quick games and whatnot.

Oldies (but still available in PDF):
Paranoia. Also worth finding just for the GMs advice. Among the best ever written.
Cyberpunk 2020. The definitive cyberpunk game. Pondsmith is one of the very few designers to really get the genre. Sadly, what was a major strength in CP2020 (Pondsmith's love and understanding of the genre) was a weakness for 203X. 203X is much more a post-cyberpunk game and sadly it's not even sure what stripe of post-cyberpunk it wants to be. Shadowrun is a pale shadow that attempts to cover it's shallow grasp of the genre with elves and magic. See also
Mekton Z. Especially with the Fuzion pdates in the Bubblegum Crisis books. Still my favorite 'mecha' anime RPG. It can and has done anything. One of it's sourcebooks, Starblade Battalion, is the future of CP2020 too.
Toon! Wanna play a cartoon character? Pure fun.
Teenagers from Outer Space. Toon! is Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry. TfOS is Ursei Yatursa the RPG.
Castle Falkenstein. It's a novel. It's an RPG. It's alternate Earth Victoriana mage punk.

Wow. There's a lot of R. Talsorian there. I blame Microsoft for luring Pondsmith from RPG design and driving the company into near catatonia.

Recent:
Eclipse Phase. Transhuman conspiracy and horror. Awesome setting, smooth system (I can run the entire game off the GM screen), great company. Posthuman Studios is in a three-way tie with Paizo and Open Design for my second favorite game company. It's got a cool action die mechanic too. The tagline says it all to me: Your mind is software... program it. Your body is a shell... change it. Death is a disease... cure it. Extinction is approaching... fight it.
Traveller. Could go in either section, but the Mongoose version is the easiest to find, has a SRD, and has a pile of setting material from the classic Traveller material to a number of material from the pages of 2000AD. I also find it the cleanest rendition of the rules. Oh, ignore the comment about Shadowrun being they longest running science fiction RPG. Traveller holds that title, with the first edition dating from 1977.

[player4]

I agree wholeheartedly with Trinity.  It's also the rules that VtR ended up being based on so it's pretty solid.

My recommendations are Hong Kong Action Theater and Riddle of Steel.  Both games have good rules in different ways.  HKAT is meant to be simple and shoot you and the group off and it's Star Power option (kinda similar to Fate Dice) if well played and presented well to the ST can let you up and change the face of an existing session.  
In a nutshell RoS is combat rules influenced by your desires and goals.  The more you incorporate those things (which you have given dice value on your char sheet) the more successful your character has a chance of becoming.  I once played in a Highlander game using RoS; seriously the rules did nothing but help solidify the feel of the game, enhanced enjoyment and made combat something you wanted every session and sometimes more than once.  How many time can you say that about Pen and Paper combat?  Inb4 everytime I play FC.
As an add in consider Star Wars in it's current SAGA Ed status.  SAGA rules isn't really something to write home about but Star Wars the setting has so much potential, so much to play with or re-write or discard and introduce.  It's the classic and ultimate in Space Opera so it's hard to go wrong with the setting.  Especially if you're willing to take time and tweak to your liking.

Honorable mention to Unknown Armies (& it's Mage the Ascension counterpart), Legend of the 5 Rings 4th Ed rules with 1st to 2nd Ed fluff material, & Dream Pod 9's Heavy Gear.  All of the rules for these games are unique and the settings are awesome.  There's a part of me that also wants to say Exalted but I have yet to play in a game... and man do I want to play in a game.  So. Damn. Bad.  The rules just seem too wonky.

Oh and I completely forgot but I really shouldn't have considering where I'm posting give 7th Sea a look.  If you ever wanted to play in the Pirates of the Caribbean but written by Tim Powers that's the game setting & rules you want.