I played Role Playing Games (RPG) solidly for about 15 years from my early teens.
Game Systems
I’ve played Dungeons & Dragons (1974), Tunnels & Trolls (1975), Empire of the Petal Throne (1975), En Garde! (1975), Metamorphosis Alpha, (1976), Chivalry & Sorcery (1977), Traveller (1977), Gamma World (1978), RuneQuest (1978), Bushido (1979), The Fantasy Trip (1980), Call of Cthulhu (1981), Star Frontiers (1982), Paranoia (1984), GURPS (1986), Hero System (1989), and Fudge RPG (1992). Of these I loved the Tekumel setting of the Empire of the Petrol Throne but quickly discarded the rules. My favourite rules were The Fantasy Trip and its descendent Gurps. Simple and flexible. That said my taste in RPG mechanics has got simpler and simpler.
Right now I’m intrigued by Fudge RPG and its descendent Fate RPG. Both are available on-line for free. Both emphasise story telling over game mechanics. Fudge RPG is a rules-light game engine. You can use the mechanics to create any role-playing game desired. A simple word-based system is used for handling action and combat resolution. Fate RPG is a spin off from >Fudge RPG but there are some key differences. Attributes become skills or aspects; and gifts and faults also merge into aspects.
Genres
I started with Empire of the Petrol Throne. Then moved into high fantasy with D&D, Fantasy Trip and Gurps. I’ve only had occasional detours into other genres.
Lately I’m interested in two areas:
- Place of Reeds is a setting for a role playing campaign in Mesoamerica. The main city is called, not surprisingly, the Place of Reeds, and is nominally the historical city of Teotihuacan.
- Urban Fantasy in London along the lines of Dresden files