Conversely, my first tabletop RPG I bought was AEon Trinity. I didn't know squat about roleplaying mechanics and I remember being mystified that I had to wait a week between sessions for my character to heal. Didn't understand the GM could handwave time passing.
Having an older player to teach me would have been a good place to start!
In a “realistic” game set in the “swords-are-still-relevant stage of technology,” you’re either playing a mounted archer, or you’re bringing everyone else down. Most of the game will be spent on weapon and armor maintenance, so hope you’re down for some hot, rust-fighting action! Also basically any damage would call for a “roll for lethal infection” mechanic, which would also be called for at basically every turn because ancient hygiene was a horror story all its own.
For all the memes, no one fired up Oregon Trail thinking, “oh boy! I can’t wait to die of dysentery!”
Combat where the most likely outcome is getting sent back to a lobby to wait for longer than you were actually playing is bad enough. Combat where the most likely outcome is seeing a character and all the time and investment put into them dissolve in the opening is far worse. Searching for “realism” can spark innovative design, sure, but realistic combat has been tried, studied, dissected, and left on the wayside because it isn’t conducive to a good time.
See also "Sword's Path: Glory" by Leading Edge Games, which came with a full binder of lovingly calculated tables to describe how you cut, stab, or crush your way into an opponent (or they through you) from nearly all possible angles and locations. Still a ton of fun back in the day. We MAY have judged "fun" differently...
But they are bringing short rules back! All the Jeff Vogels of the world of indie tabletop RPGs are doing just that - tinkering in their garages and coming up with things that may look cheap, but are so joyful and fun that you can't help but love them. And some of them don't even look that cheap and get published as something called a paper book, with pictures and all! Look at Blood of Pangea, Outworlders, Cairn, Roguelands, the 2400 series, Into the Odd, In the Light of a Ghost Star, even D&D hacks like Microlite 20 or Searchers of the Unknown. Most of those available at itch.io or drivethrurpg.
Conversely, my first tabletop RPG I bought was AEon Trinity. I didn't know squat about roleplaying mechanics and I remember being mystified that I had to wait a week between sessions for my character to heal. Didn't understand the GM could handwave time passing.
Having an older player to teach me would have been a good place to start!
In the search for “fun,” “realism” is a trap.
In a “realistic” game set in the “swords-are-still-relevant stage of technology,” you’re either playing a mounted archer, or you’re bringing everyone else down. Most of the game will be spent on weapon and armor maintenance, so hope you’re down for some hot, rust-fighting action! Also basically any damage would call for a “roll for lethal infection” mechanic, which would also be called for at basically every turn because ancient hygiene was a horror story all its own.
For all the memes, no one fired up Oregon Trail thinking, “oh boy! I can’t wait to die of dysentery!”
Combat where the most likely outcome is getting sent back to a lobby to wait for longer than you were actually playing is bad enough. Combat where the most likely outcome is seeing a character and all the time and investment put into them dissolve in the opening is far worse. Searching for “realism” can spark innovative design, sure, but realistic combat has been tried, studied, dissected, and left on the wayside because it isn’t conducive to a good time.
I've never heard of this one before. It sounds suitably insane, and of its time.
How many hundred little RPG and wargame systems must have been made in the times before desktop publishing?
I've got a couple of fat A5 stapled booklets that I still find utterly baffling, but more charming than eg. Space Opera.
See also "Sword's Path: Glory" by Leading Edge Games, which came with a full binder of lovingly calculated tables to describe how you cut, stab, or crush your way into an opponent (or they through you) from nearly all possible angles and locations. Still a ton of fun back in the day. We MAY have judged "fun" differently...
Take heart, the spirit of gloriously bad RPG art lives on.
https://basicfantasy.org/downloads/Basic-Fantasy-Field-Guide-1-r45.pdf
Lovely series of posts you've started, btw. Long may it continue.
I’m rushing to finish BG3 so I can read your review without worrying about spoilers. :) Been looking forward to talking about that game for ages now.
But they are bringing short rules back! All the Jeff Vogels of the world of indie tabletop RPGs are doing just that - tinkering in their garages and coming up with things that may look cheap, but are so joyful and fun that you can't help but love them. And some of them don't even look that cheap and get published as something called a paper book, with pictures and all! Look at Blood of Pangea, Outworlders, Cairn, Roguelands, the 2400 series, Into the Odd, In the Light of a Ghost Star, even D&D hacks like Microlite 20 or Searchers of the Unknown. Most of those available at itch.io or drivethrurpg.