NZRaG

[Luke]

So each year I put up a post to get a feel from Wellingtonians what RPGs published that year have been their favourite.

Though this thread is aimed at RPGs published in 2008, please feel free to mention supplements or any RPG you encountered this year that stood out.

Last year's thread is here: http://www.nzrag.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1680

My top five for 2008 are:

1. CthulhuTech: Before you call foul with me voting for this last year, let me explain. CTech changed publishers during 2008 and was republished by Catalyst Game Studios. The book had a number of improviements to layout and its physical binding (its in colour). Add in the fact that the supplement Vade Mecum was perhaps the best "Companion" supplement I have seen for any RPG and IMO CTech deserves to win again this year

2. Dragon Warriors: I never expected to find an RPG that could be both nostalgic and like a breath of fresh air at the same time, but this one managed it. A blast from youth, given new paint, the result is delightful. Add in that it has perhaps the best introductory adventure I have seen in the rulebook and its a very solid second place.

3. Dungeons and Dragons 4e: This one was unexpected for me as I had decided not to buy into it. The Core Set persuaded me to relook at it and it is a great RPG. It is very openly designed and communicates its intended use very well. It slipped to 3rd as I felt that a lot of the potential was unfulfilled by subsequent releases with only the new Forgotten Realms material proving of any interest to me.

4. Dark Heresy: Another unexpected entry as I had decided against buy it. However, it is a solid RPG and I hope to do more with it in the future. It pales against its elder sibling WFRP but altogether it is solid.

5. Grimm: The last entry is a delightful game that was a fantastic read. It has a list of great writers, many involved with WFRP for some odd reason. The system was also interesting. My main issue is that the premise of twisted faery tales actually proves very hard for me to write scenarios for.

A notable mention goes to Reign. It would have been 3rd on my above list but it was actually released in 2007.

Scion also gets a mention as the 6th RPG for 2008. So much potential yet it had a few too many issues to grab a top spot.

My 2007 choices: CthulhuTech, Star Wars Saga Edition, Monte Cook's World of Darkness, Savage Tales of Solomon Kane and BlissStage.

My 2006 choices: A Game of Thrones OGL, Spirit of the Century, Qin, Burning Empires and Agon.
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Playing: Red Sun SEED (Exalted2e); Paths of the Damned (WFRP2e); When the King Comes Knocking (D&D4e)
Running: Seekers of the Ashen Crown (D&D4e); Thousand Thrones (WFRP2e); D&D Encounters (D&D4e)
Planning: None

[MattCowens]

It's a pretty short list from me:

1. 3:16

2. Hot War

Both of which I've read but not played (having only played in a couple of one-offs this year).

[sophmelc]

[Luke]

[sophmelc]

To expand slightly:

3: 16 - as a game of kick arse space marines doing what they do best, it is excellent. As a game of moral conundrums and difficult calls it forces the player to do more than just kill aliens. The system is simple, elegant and ultimately easy to learn and use. I also love the fact that character gen really only takes 5 minutes.

Hot War - I've talked a lot about this game and a large part of what appeals to me is the alt history setting that is much a character as any of the PCs. It is dark and difficult and allows the telling of stories that don't always go the way you think. The collaborative nature of the game play means that as a GM unexpected things happen which just adds to the richness. Also the use of traits and relationships instead of skills makes for really well rounded and complex characters.

Cheers,
Sophie
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Planning: Al Shir-Ma (KapCon LARP)
Reading: Remember Tomorrow
Playing: Fall: A BtVS game, Random indie games

Blog - Mostly Geek

[MikeSands]

For me:

1. In A Wicked Age: Really good stories, no preparation required, and lots of fun.

2. Trail of Cthulhu. Technically a 2007 game but I only got it this year. To me, delivers all the stuff Call of Cthulhu promises but then messes up with the old BRP core system.

3. 3:16. Just plain fun. Also it is one half of the game I was trying to write in Badass Space Marines.

4. Geiger Counter. This is the other half of Badass Space Marines. Great one-shot survival horror.

Honourable mention for Hot War - I only played this in Sophie's game at Fright Night, but I was very impressed.

I'm also quite looking forward to the Mouse Guard RPG, which is not quite out yet, but sounds like it will be very good.
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Games: http://genericgames.co.nz/
Blog: http://gamesteratlarge.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GamesterAtLarge

[Luke]

[MikeSands]

[MikeSands]

Also Mouse Guard is awesome.
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Games: http://genericgames.co.nz/
Blog: http://gamesteratlarge.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GamesterAtLarge

[Luke]

[hix]

Yes it is.
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Cheers,
Steve

Gametime! A Kiwi groupblog about RPGs. Come and join the conversation.
multi-dimensional: my script-writing blog.

[MikeSands]

Oh yeah, my other honourable mention goes to Houses of the Blooded, which looks very cool but I haven't had a chance to play it yet.
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Games: http://genericgames.co.nz/
Blog: http://gamesteratlarge.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GamesterAtLarge

[Highwayman]

Games published this year?
1. Cthulutech
2. D&D 4th Ed
3. Demon hunter (although I've only played one scenario)

I'm not sure I've played any other new systems actually.

Cheers
Grant
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-=Mon Canard est en feu!=-

[Malcolm]

There have been two absolute standouts of 2008 for me. In the interest of full disclosure, they are both written by friends and I was involved in playtesting and other aspects of their production. However, I wouldn't still be so enthusiatic about them if they weren't great games.

3:16, Carnage Amongst The Stars by Gregor Hutton has been mentioned before, so I don't think I need to give any further detail on that.

Duty & Honour is a wonderful, wonderful game by Neil Gow, his first venture into the world of small press RPGs. It captures the Napoleonic adventure flavour of the Sharpe novels and TV programmes in an entertaining and fun fashion. The setting is the Peninsular Wars and you play soldiers fighting against the French. One of the things I really like about D&H is the way it handles the broad strategy of the entire war, the tactics of a small unit involved in the fighting and the very personal level of roleplaying individual characters. The 'mission' system of creating things that the characters want to do means that everyone round the table is involved in the military aspects, as well as the more personal things (such as 'Win the hand of the fair Lady Agatha', or 'Have my revenge on Capitaine Le Grande who half blinded me on the Lines of Torres Vedras').

It's exciting, action-packed, romantic and I thoroughly recommend Duty & Honour.

Honourable (no pun intended) mentions would also go to Empire of Dust by Clint Krause and Amy Garcia and Geiger Counter by Jonathon Walton.

Cheers
Malcolm
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Contested Ground Studios

[Mashugenah]

I'm intrigued by D&H; though I'm not too familiar with the Sharpe canon.

I am perennially behind the times on these things. Most of the games you lot are talking about I won't play for another 18 months to 2 years, if I get to play them at all.

2008 has been a bit of a downer year for me; but the best game I've read is Fear Itself by Robin Laws. Expertly written game that looks to deliver its brand of fun very well.

Not as well written, but nonetheless looking like one heck of a good game is A Dirty World by Greg Stolze. I'd play or run this at the drop of a hat!
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The opinions prevalent in one age... are confuted and rejected in another and rise again to reception in remoter times. Thus the human mind is kept in motion without progress.
- Samuel Johnson, Preface to Shakespeare