Author  Message Page: 2 1 [all][bottom]
aguy777
 member, 358 posts
 Join Date:
 Thu, 28 Nov, 2013
Thu 5 May 2022
at 18:28
 msg #1
Most Common Games?
Purely out of curiosity, I was wondering what everyone thought the most common games played/wanted were on here. Looking through Wanted: Players and the games that most recently received posts, it looks like a lot of D&D 5e, Pathfinder, and freeform. I know that can't be 100% true, as any Shadowrun game gets more applicants than they can shake a stick at. So what does everyone else think?
evileeyore
 member, 687 posts
 GURPS GM and Player
 Joined 20150819
Thu 5 May 2022
at 18:34
 msg #2
Most Common Games?
Freeform > D&D (various editions, but mostly 5e and 3.5e) > everything else.  Systems seem to come in waves, they'll be a bunch of Pathfinder flavors one month, then SWADE games, then whatever...  but for some reason Freeform is the most super popular, which I'll never understand.
aguy777
 member, 359 posts
 Join Date:
 Thu, 28 Nov, 2013
Thu 5 May 2022
at 18:41
 msg #3
Most Common Games?
I always see you running GURPS (which your bio kinda also tells me). How popular do you feel GURPS is compared to everything else?
liblarva
 member, 751 posts
Thu 5 May 2022
at 18:56
 msg #4
Re: Most Common Games?
evileeyore:
but for some reason Freeform is the most super popular, which I'll never understand.


I've never really understood freeform. Can anyone point me to some kind of blog or write-up about how it's supposed to work?
Katwood
 member, 43 posts
Thu 5 May 2022
at 19:00
 msg #5
Re: Most Common Games?
In reply to liblarva (msg # 4):

Generally speaking Freeform is exactly what it says.  The GM can develop as many rules or as few rules as they like.  I have been in some games that are a complete free for all and focuses mostly on character interactions.

I have also been in games where the GM creates rather compelling situations that the characters must work through.  Those are by far the most interesting in my opinion.  It is sort of like writing a community short story or novel.

I have been in games where the GM uses a loose rolling system to determine PvP and I've been in games where PvP is strictly forbidden.

It's kind of a grab bag.


Here is a lovely article: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/...-play-by-e-mail-game

This message was last edited by the user at 19:03, Thu 05 May.

evileeyore
 member, 688 posts
 GURPS GM and Player
 Joined 20150819
Thu 5 May 2022
at 19:51
 msg #6
Most Common Games?
aguy777:
I always see you running GURPS (which your bio kinda also tells me). How popular do you feel GURPS is compared to everything else?

GURPS is extremely niche.  SWADE is currently probably more popular, in general and on RPoL, if that means anything as a comparison.

Among GURPS Players, we do tend to be a fairly fanatic, we do play other systems, but because "GURPS does it all" a large number of GURPS fans don't see any point in playing much of anything else.  GURPS GMs very rarely run anything else, unless they really have a system that just handles doing something different (like FATE handles social and mental conflicts and the narrative system), then they'll switch back and forth, but really, GURPS GMs tend to be even more rabidly single system than most other rabid single system GMs.
liblarva
 member, 752 posts
Thu 5 May 2022
at 20:18
 msg #7
Re: Most Common Games?
In reply to Katwood (msg # 5):

>Generally speaking Freeform is exactly what it says. The GM can develop as many rules or as few rules as they like. I have been in some games that are a complete free for all and focuses mostly on character interactions.

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding...but isn't that what most GMs do anyway?

>I have also been in games where the GM creates rather compelling situations that the characters must work through. Those are by far the most interesting in my opinion. It is sort of like writing a community short story or novel.

I guess I don't understand how that's different than how most GMs run games.

>I have been in games where the GM uses a loose rolling system to determine PvP and I've been in games where PvP is strictly forbidden.

>It's kind of a grab bag.

Here is a lovely article: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/...-play-by-e-mail-game

Thanks for the link. It reads as general running PBP advice rather than anything specific to freeform play.

I'm starting a new thread to avoid cluttering up this one.

This message was last edited by the user at 20:22, Thu 05 May.

pdboddy
 supporter, 740 posts
 EST/EDT [GMT-5/GMT-4]
Thu 5 May 2022
at 20:44
 msg #8
Re: Most Common Games?
D&D is the most common game, by far.

And this is across many of the play-by-post and VTT games that I have looked at.
evileeyore
 member, 690 posts
 GURPS GM and Player
 Joined 20150819
Thu 5 May 2022
at 23:18
 msg #9
Re: Most Common Games?
liblarva:
Sorry if I'm misunderstanding...but isn't that what most GMs do anyway?

Eh.... sure.  But in most non-Freeform rpgs the GM is using a standardized set of rules and then, if they wish, making changes.  Inversely with Freeform, most Freeform games do not use any standardized rules, or no rules, or minimal "Be Good To Each Other" rules.

quote:
I guess I don't understand how that's different than how most GMs run games.

Freeform is far, far closer to a Narratively driven Storygame than a regular rpg.


pdboddy:
D&D is the most common game, by far.

D&D is still the market leader by such a long shot, that even combining every other rpg game in existence, I don't think they equal a quarter of D&D's market.

This message was last edited by the user at 23:20, Thu 05 May.

ladysharlyne
 subscriber, 3371 posts
 Member before Oct 2005
 Creative Writing ROCKS!!
Thu 5 May 2022
at 23:43
 msg #10
Most Common Games?
I run 8 Freeform games s.  It to me is creative writing by a group of like minded people spinning a great story together.  No stats or systems to have to remember.
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