System advice. Which do you use?

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by M-Type

Another system I've been itching to try is FLOW, from the official STALKER game (and I'm talking Roadside Picnic, not the video games). It's diceless, and is based on utilizing character skill and common sense to convince the GM that your idea will work, or maybe work half-way, etc etc. Character creation is also easy, and you can probably shoe-horn some stuff in for radiation and the like if you want to go full T2k

That sounds interesting. I kind of like the idea, but I see some potential problems with such a system as well. I imagine you'd need a fairly intelligent and mature group for it to work, otherwise, as GM, you'd probably spend a lot of time arguing about the plausibility of various proposals. Also, as the ultimate arbiter, the GM could come across as a bit of a tyrant. In most systems, the objectivity of a die-roll helps level the playing field just a bit.

I use v2.2 only because that's the first system I actually played with. I started my relationship with T2K with the original box set (v1) rules but the first time I ever got to play T2K was a PbP (thanks Kcdusk) and the GM was using v2.2. I bought it so that I could build a PC and ended up sticking with it when I started by own PbP. It's not perfect, but it seems to work OK, and I don't really have the free time or the funds to invest them in a new system.

[Cdnwolf]

I have used V1 and V2.2 and played TWL2013 - The only problem I had with V2.2 was the extra dice rolling it sometimes it involved when using the burst rules. I liked TWL2013 but hated the background and thought if they made an effort to make it more like TWL2000.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

I have used V1 and V2.2 and played TWL2013 - The only problem I had with V2.2 was the extra dice rolling it sometimes it involved when using the burst rules. I liked TWL2013 but hated the background and thought if they made an effort to make it more like TWL2000.

Nothing in that rules set is stopping you from using it with the v1, v2, or v2.2 timeline.

- C.

[cavtroop]

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

Nothing in that rules set is stopping you from using it with the v1, v2, or v2.2 timeline.

- C.

Precisely. If I were ever able to get a game together, this is what I'd probably do - not that I dislike the background that came with 2013 (it's not nearly as bad as the reputation it has around here, I kinda like it for the most part), but I simply have a huge soft spot for the v1 timeline/cold war.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by cavtroop

Precisely. If I were ever able to get a game together, this is what I'd probably do - not that I dislike the background that came with 2013 (it's not nearly as bad as the reputation it has around here, I kinda like it for the most part), but I simply have a huge soft spot for the v1 timeline/cold war.

I couldn't have put it better myself.

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Tegyrius

Nothing in that rules set is stopping you from using it with the v1, v2, or v2.2 timeline.

- C.

LOLOL as if I had the time to do that lol.

[Tegyrius]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

LOLOL as if I had the time to do that lol.

I am interested in hearing exactly what conversion work you feel is necessary to make the 2013 rules work for the older settings.

(Other than vehicle stats, which I might be persuaded to do on request and in low volumes.)

- C.

[Adm.Lee]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

The only problem I had with V2.2 was the extra dice rolling it sometimes it involved when using the burst rules.

My groups considered that fun, since we usually have scads of d20 lying around. The extreme was a kid who had maxed out a lot of things, and was able to roll 42d20 when holding down the trigger on a SAW. He had 21 dice, and shuffled them twice through a dice tower.

[Michael Lewis]

Thanks for the feedback. It seems like everybody sticks to GDW or TW2013.

I've started rereading TW2013 again.

[alexei]

I use Twilight:2013 with Stage III rules. I like the flow of advanced combat timing.

I like the original v1 timeline and skill improvement rules. I like the encounter rules from v2.

I ran a campaign using the v1 timeline with Tw2013 rules a few years ago, and it worked quite well, but there was very little vehicle combat in that one.

[M-Type]

Originally Posted by Raellus

That sounds interesting. I kind of like the idea, but I see some potential problems with such a system as well. I imagine you'd need a fairly intelligent and mature group for it to work, otherwise, as GM, you'd probably spend a lot of time arguing about the plausibility of various proposals. Also, as the ultimate arbiter, the GM could come across as a bit of a tyrant. In most systems, the objectivity of a die-roll helps level the playing field just a bit.

Yeah, a bad group can ruin things. I also might be over-simplifying it, since I read it almost a year ago!

Another system that is getting a lot of praise is FATE Core, which I believe (don't quote me) can be picked up for free. The system can be used for any sort of setting/theme. It's definitely based more around story than making sure you've got enough 5.56 for another firefight though, so it may not be good for the logistically-minded. Which, I confess, is not me.

EDIT: Looked it up, and FATE Core is on a PWYW (Pay What You Want) basis.