Spill it.
Is it Sword and Sorcery? Horror? Science Fiction? Historical? Sports? Mythic? Superheroes? Military?
And why?
1. Fantasy
It's classic. It's home. Although I like my fantasy human-centric. Dungeon crawling stuff.
2. Horror (Lovecraftian)
CoC scenarios. The best of roleplaying.
3. S&S
The combination of the first two. What's not to like.
1. Fantasy
2. Pulp action
3. Horror
For me?
Superheroes, or more broadly, "Modern Action" (by which I mean "Birth of the Automobile" to near-future). Basically, the "genre" that encompasses the comics, video games & cartoons of my '80s/'90s youth.
Why?
I suppose nostalgia is playing into it a little. Also, I find that modern era games are more familiar and so it is easier to come up with plausible background details and improvised depth, more cultural references my character can tap into without falling into familiar tropes that I often see in fantasy games that can kinda bore me.
Games that first come to mind when I think about the genre: Marvel Super Heroes, DC Heroes, Champions, Street Fighter, Adventure, Feng Shui, TMNT & Other Strangeness, Ninjas & Superspies, James Bond 007, Covert Ops, maybe BESM & OVA (and obviously a bunch of others, this just being some of what first comes to mind). It's broad to call that all the same genre (Supers, Hong Kong Action Movie, Anime, Espionage), but the unifying theme is the modern era, and a kinda light, upbeat adventure vibe.
Fantasy. It was the genre that broke my RPG cherry. You never forget your first love.
1. Tolkien inspired heroic fantasy with a touch of D&D style. Preferably in a long campaign filled with dungeon delves, wars, and a real chance that the heroes may not succeed.
2. Traveller inspired sci-fi large enough to house several sub-genres in one campaign. Trading space cowboys, horrific ancient experiments rediscovered, ect. I needs to be soft enough to have common FTL but hard enough to not be sci-fantasy.
3. Personal dramatic horror in the style of Vampire: The Masquerade but not run or played by a group of douche rockets.
Fantasy, mostly "heroic" or "epic", and mostly sandbox, with a strong preference for mystery and exploring the unknown. Then on top of that, I want a bit of occasional horror, a fair amount of comedy, a dash of soap opera, and several veins that lean away from "epic" more into "swords and sorcery". All of those latter bits are flavorings to the main dish of epic fantasy. It's the sandbox that reinforces the swords and sorcery though. The world and rules are biased to produce epic, but when things go bad for the players, it can turn into Vance or Leiber in a hurry.
Quote from: jux;10868751. Fantasy
It's classic. It's home. Although I like my fantasy human-centric. Dungeon crawling stuff.
2. Horror (Lovecraftian)
CoC scenarios. The best of roleplaying.
3. S&S
The combination of the first two. What's not to like.
BOOM! Nailed it.
My favourite genre is old school Science-Fantasy like the way that Gygax rolled.
I have to say weird fantasy which can cover a lot of ground, but appears to be more stable than high fantasy.
Then again I am a fan of epic fantasy which is bigger than high fantasy. Well so long as they stick with mythological sense to explain why the pcs are so powerful.
Medieval Fantasy. Core 4 Classes, plus maybe a few more. LotR Races. Classic Monsters, plus Lovecraftian stuff.
I like high powered, highish magic, swords & sorcery best. Can be gonzo (Wilderlands) or fairly serious (Primeval Thule). PCs who go from competent to super-heroic.
Next preference would be either dark heroic fantasy (eg most Paizo stuff) or vanilla high fantasy, Forgotten Realms style. I like sci-fi and several other genres in theory, but always struggle to maintain a campaign outside the fantasy genre, and normally some variant of D&D.
Sword and Planet - Because there's a little place in my soul that calls Barsoom home. That and mostly naked martian babes are way hotter (and deadlier) than any elf-chic. That's right. Gauntlet thrown!
Space opera - By which I mostly mean, Traveller. Because the setting of play is damn near infinite. So is my love of science fiction.
Urban fantasy - Mostly because our world can't be beat for verisimilitude.
Swashbuckling fantasy - I dig the aesthetics. Age of Sail ships were goddamn gorgeous. And, you know, firearms are a thing.
And, one day, I'll play a Norse Mythology / Viking inspired game. Or a Polynesian-inspired S&S game. Just because.
1. Horror
2. Post-apocalypse
3. Sci-Fi
I have trouble finding non-D&D groups
1: DnD style Fantasy:
Easiest to get players for and light easy fun to run. Really good for "Pick up and play" Roleplaying games.
2: Lovecraftian style Horror:
Harder to get players for, but for RP the most fun and rewarding.
Generally not suitable for those who want lots of action, as their characters will probably die a horrible, painful death lol.
3: Scifi (Stars without Number with a mild horror/Post Apocalyptic flavor)
Lots of fun with the right players who buy into it.
I find people who primarily come from a DnD background aren't into this sort of thing.
I love working out the factions, planets, conflicts, politics etc.
A nice mix of dangerous action and RP.
Quote from: myleftnut;1087053I have trouble finding non-D&D groups
Yeah this.. DnD has LOTS of players begging for DMs.
I occasionally manage to convince people to try other genres from the DnD pool of players.
3: "Street - level" superheroes and Masked Vigilantes
2: Teen - style Adventures as a part of Urban Fantasy
1: Combining them both
Post-Apoc, then Superheroes/Pulp Heroes, then Hard Sci-Fi/Mecha/Vehicles, then Fantasy, then Wild West, then Animals, then Horror.
So far have not as yet gotten into any Historic, Planet Romance, Spy, Military, or Crime Drama/Sleuthing type RPGs. Probably a few others.
Gamma World - Marvel Superheroes & Aberrant - Star Frontiers & Albedo - D&D - Boot Hill - Bunnies & Burrows & Its a (Prairie) Dogs Life - Beyond the Supernatural & Call of Cthulhu.
I would eventually like to try any given historic RPG that isnt a western or medieval. I playtested Furry Pirates but have not gotten to actually GM it - Iron Lords of Jupiter - Top Secret or James Bond 007 - Recon or V for Victory - and High Jinx.
Quote from: Catelf;10870613: "Street - level" superheroes and Masked Vigilantes
2: Teen - style Adventures as a part of Urban Fantasy
1: Combining them both
1: Marvel Superheroes can handle street level heroes easily.
2: Polyhedron did High Jinx which was essentially playing any type of "Traveling Teen Sleuth" ranging from Josie and the Pussycats, to Scooby Doo and so on. Bemusingly Beyond the Supernatural has at the back a lighthearted variant where you play teens in a haunted house.
Post-apoc. It can be the typical Mad Max modern-day post-apoc, or post-fantasy-apoc, or post-sci-fi-apoc, or whatever, but everything I run (and I strongly prefer to GM) seems to end up being some flavor of post-apoc or other. I suppose that's at least in part because I'm rabidly pro-sandbox and hate "save the world" quests, so the next obvious way to allow the PCs to have a significant impact on the world around them is by putting them in a position to pick up the pieces and rebuild at least some small corner of that world. I also tend to prefer low-powered/"gritty" settings, which meshes well with the post-apoc vibe.
I'm between swords & sorcery and science fantasy. I'm tired of epic fantasy, so more down to earth suits me well.
1. A cross-over of Cliffhangers/WWII (1920 to 1950) with the supernatural (of any sort, including horror). Unfortunately, that's a very small niche nowadays.
2. Classic fantasy, that's where I and many others started and it's always nice. Preferably not too high fantasy.
3. The anything-goes default setting for GURPS, Infinite Worlds. Any alternate Earth you can think of exists somewhere, and clever people can move across the dimensions. That's where Generic, Universal really provides maximum mileage.
Supers>S&S>Cyberpunk
Superheroes because the genre is all genres in one.
Urban Fantasy
Space Sci-Fi
Street Level Superheroes
Quote from: jux;10868751. Fantasy
It's classic. It's home. Although I like my fantasy human-centric. Dungeon crawling stuff.
2. Horror (Lovecraftian)
CoC scenarios. The best of roleplaying.
3. S&S
The combination of the first two. What's not to like.
Huh, yeah about the same and for the same reasons. :)
Quote from: jux;10868751. Fantasy
It's classic. It's home. Although I like my fantasy human-centric. Dungeon crawling stuff.
2. Horror (Lovecraftian)
CoC scenarios. The best of roleplaying.
3. S&S
The combination of the first two. What's not to like.
Just thinking about this point about roleplaying - very true IME. My regular D&D games often don't have a lot of in-depth roleplaying, whereas my swords & sorcery D&D games certainly do. I hadn't thought about this relating to the horror aspect, but it's an interesting idea.
Quote from: Theory of Games;1087162Superheroes because the genre is all genres in one.
Thaaaat's right!
I'll take some Asgardian dungeon-crawling with my mutants, thanks!
1) Fantasy Post-Apocalypse - I love exploring the wreckage of a ruined world (whether space fantasy, cyberpunk, D&D fantasy, etc).
2) OD&D Gygaxian Fantasy - 3 classes, dungeons everywhere, 10 levels of brutal goodness. (Often, this combined with the post-apoc)
3) Space Horror - I love CoC, but I prefer my tentacles in spaaaaaaace!
1. Wuxia
2. Horror
3. Myths, Legends etc.
4. Historical
5. Fantasy
6. Pulp
I like also science fiction, and would love to be in science fiction campaigns but don't play it enough to include it on the list I think. Maybe I should remedy that
I really like having elements of Horror in any game, but it's a seasoning that I feel I can toss into whatever genre.
Quote from: Theory of Games;1087162Superheroes because the genre is all genres in one.
Post Apocalypse feels a bit that way to me as well. Rifts, Earthdawn, Gamma World, Eclipse Phase... they're all post apocalyptic and wide open to strange tangents and weird incursions. I'm less interested in the Mad Max variety, but something Fallout-flavored can go all over the place as well... "Oh look! A secret government facility that was building a stargate!"
I'd say it's a split between Fantasy and Supers, depending on what I've played recently and how burned out I am on it. When i do want to hit Supers after Fantasy, it's mainly because of Fantasy's tendency for the zero to hero, with more time spent on the zero part.
I guess if I were to pick one it would be (human-focused) swords-n-sorcery fantasy. More Leiber/Howard/Moorcock than Tolkien-style or "standard D&D setting" style.
I also like ancient/medieval historical (e.g., Marian Romans in the Pictish wilderness), or ancient/medieval pseudo-historical fantasy (Danes on an Iceland where trolls and giants and dragons are real). And I like Lovecraftian horror (e.g., Call of Cthulhu). And I like swashbuckling (e.g., Flashing Blades). And I like Tolkien-style high fantasy, although if I'm going to do that, I prefer to just use Middle Earth as the setting. And I like post apocalyptic, either in the "survival" mode (e.g., Morrow Project), or in the "gonzo" mode (e.g., Gamma World). And I like relatively modern warfare (e.g, Behind Enemy Lines).
But do you ever feel unsure what "Sword & Sorcery" is as a tabletop roleplaying game? There ARE a lot of those games, expressed in many ways. It looks crazy to write but, is there ONE FORM of D&D , or, what D&D is to the hobby? Is the genre ONE THING, or is it far more diverse --- maybe more diverse than a flurry of games can depict?
It's curious that the OSR can flourish at the same time 5E expands across venues D&D hasn't touched in nearly 40 years. Is our game evolving to be THE GAMING EXPERIENCE, or is it just good marketing? I'm a good enough chess player to understand D&D is a whole other level of game. I stopped playing video games years ago because the AI will never eclipse what we get from tabletop RPGs.
I mused, way back in 1983, that tabletop RPGs present a level of game that STANDS ALONE.
Are we there --- or are we waiting?
Science Fiction, mainly because of a long-running series of homebrew sci fi campaigns within my circle of friends from college.
1) Science Fiction (Traveller, Cepheus Engine, 2300AD)
2) Science Fantasy (d6 Star Wars)
3) Mecha and Cyberpunk (Jovian Chronicles and R Talsorian Games Mekton and Cyberpunk)
After 38 years playing D&D and other fantasy games, I'm just burned out on the fantasy genre.
1) Science Fiction (Traveller, Cepheus Engine, 2300AD)
2) Science Fantasy (d6 Star Wars)
3) Mecha and Cyberpunk (Jovian Chronicles and R Talsorian Games Mekton and Cyberpunk)
After 38 years playing D&D and other fantasy games, I'm just burned out on the fantasy genre.
Quote from: Theory of Games;1086866Favorite Tabletop Role-playing Genre? And why?
Rather than attempt some fancy pants literary explanation, I'll go with Thundarr. I dig the swords, sorcery and super-science layered onto a post-apocalyptic dystopia. :D
Can't pick. I like too many different generes.
Quote from: Theory of Games;1087511But do you ever feel unsure what "Sword & Sorcery" is as a tabletop roleplaying game?
That would be a good thread topic!
I find S&S very subjective.
1. Fantasy, usually the "everything including the kitchen sink" variety, and I can thank Expedition to the Barrier Peaks for that. "You got your sci-fi chocolate in my peanut butter fantasy" not only sounds obscene but is a pretty apt description. But I want it chunky - Spelljammer doesn't work very well for me because the sci-fi/fantasy are blended together too much - magic-powered spaceships? Meh. "What about Shadowrun?" I like Shadowrun. Tech stuff is powered by technology, magical stuff is powered by magic.
2 & 3. Tie (or very close to it, with 2 and 3 changing positions based on my mood that day) between horror and sci-fi. I say "horror" and that pretty much exclusively means "Call of Cthulhu."
Quote from: Chainsaw;1087811Rather than attempt some fancy pants literary explanation, I'll go with Thundarr. I dig the swords, sorcery and super-science layered onto a post-apocalyptic dystopia. :D
Gotta love the classics. OOKLA! ARIEL! WE RIDE!!!
Quote from: Theory of Games;1086866Spill it.
Is it Sword and Sorcery? Horror? Science Fiction? Historical? Sports? Mythic? Superheroes? Military?
And why?
I'll play nearly any genre. I'm just picky about what system is used.
Probably easier to mention the ones I am not particularly fond of: steampunk, cyberpunk, very high fantasy, hard scifi, god games.
I like post-apocalyptic, pulp adventure, black powder/pirate fantasy, western, low-ish fantasy/swords & sorcery, space opera, arabian nights.
Quote from: Theory of Games;1087511But do you ever feel unsure what "Sword & Sorcery" is as a tabletop roleplaying game?
No. But I don't try to define "swords-n-sorcery" for anyone except myself. I known what I mean by it, and what I like in my game. That's enough for me.
Quote...is there ONE FORM of D&D , or, what D&D is to the hobby...
I have no idea, and to be honest, I don't really care. I know what D&D is (and isn't), and what I like. Again, that's enough for me.
1. Cyberpunk / spitting distance into the future, crime-based or intrigue-based games
2. "Low" fantasy (or alternatively, ridiculous gonzo fantasy; basically, no middle-ground)
3. Modern fantasy or supers
I realize I've sort of cheated here but whatever.
Quote from: Lurkndog;1088108OOKLA! ARIEL! WE RIDE!!!
Nice!
Pulp action for me, mostly because it can veer into all sorts of different sub-categories like low-powered supers to horror.
Quote from: NYTFLYR;1088432Pulp action for me, mostly because it can veer into all sorts of different sub-categories like low-powered supers to horror.
Was about to post this but you beat me to it. Pulp is the best genre objectively (followed closely by western...) specifically because it's all-inclusive. You want voodoo witch doctors and dark gods? You got it. Wizards and warriors and strange alternative realities? Absolutely. Realistically D&D is nothing but pulp with a fantasy veneer; adding laser pistols seems almost logical. I think the only thing pulp doesn't do well is super high level stuff, at least for the protagonists. It perfectly within genre to have an unbeatable enemy, but the heroes will never achieve that power level. Best campaign I ever ran was what seemed to be some sort of Maltese Falcon game that ended up in lost lands with dinosaurs, aliens, and wizards channeling evil powers. Kitchen sink doesn't even being to describe it.
My two favorites would be...
"Near-future supers" - because it provides a nice sandbox of superhero, cyberpunk and space fantasy tropes. I especially like the way it feels a bit more realistic in that "cut Lex Luthor a check" is in full effect while "Reed Richards is useless" is not. In other words, the world is different than ours precisely because of the involvement of supers in it (super inventors and reverse engineered alien tech alters the course of history).
"Schizotech Fantasy Apocalypse" - inspired by Thundarr and similar. Maybe not Earth, but fantasy set in the ruins of sci-fi.
Quote from: Brad;1088433Was about to post this but you beat me to it. Pulp is the best genre objectively (followed closely by western...) specifically because it's all-inclusive. You want voodoo witch doctors and dark gods? You got it. Wizards and warriors and strange alternative realities? Absolutely. Realistically D&D is nothing but pulp with a fantasy veneer; adding laser pistols seems almost logical. I think the only thing pulp doesn't do well is super high level stuff, at least for the protagonists. It perfectly within genre to have an unbeatable enemy, but the heroes will never achieve that power level. Best campaign I ever ran was what seemed to be some sort of Maltese Falcon game that ended up in lost lands with dinosaurs, aliens, and wizards channeling evil powers. Kitchen sink doesn't even being to describe it.
I couldn't agree more, only trouble I have is many people seem to think that Pulp is a time piece. Meaning they think it needs to be on a particular time period. IMHO this is BS Pulp is about larger than life characters built on certain archetypes, who will never become god-like but will still manage to thwart the enemy.
Quote from: GeekyBugle;1088446I couldn't agree more, only trouble I have is many people seem to think that Pulp is a time piece. Meaning they think it needs to be on a particular time period. IMHO this is BS Pulp is about larger than life characters built on certain archetypes, who will never become god-like but will still manage to thwart the enemy.
I absolutely love pulp. To my thinking, pulp eventually became action cinema. So I tend to think of Stargate SG-1 (a personal favorite) as pulp. The movie Sahara would be pulp. Stuff like that.
Quote from: SavageSchemer;1088487I absolutely love pulp. To my thinking, pulp eventually became action cinema. So I tend to think of Stargate SG-1 (a personal favorite) as pulp. The movie Sahara would be pulp. Stuff like that.
Stargate . . . . Hadn't thought of it, but yes, Sahara, can't remember the movie.
Dune is Pulp, and making some important and heretical changes you could make a John Carter, movie, series, game set in the present or even the future. Ditto goes for Pellucidar, The Warlock from DC was basically Pellucidar in the present {back in the 70's}
How are each of you defining "pulp"?
For me, I go to the origin. Lurid stories in cheaply printed texts where action trumps everything. In many ways, the proto-comics.
Quote from: GeekyBugle;1088489Stargate . . . . Hadn't thought of it, but yes, Sahara, can't remember the movie.
Dune is Pulp, and making some important and heretical changes you could make a John Carter, movie, series, game set in the present or even the future. Ditto goes for Pellucidar, The Warlock from DC was basically Pellucidar in the present {back in the 70's}
You mean, like the Jane Carver of Waar (https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Carver-Waar-Book-One/dp/1597803960) books?
Quote from: SavageSchemer;1088492You mean, like the Jane Carver of Waar (https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Carver-Waar-Book-One/dp/1597803960) books?
I had never heard of that, and now I gotta have all the books!
Quote from: Spinachcat;1088490How are each of you defining "pulp"?
For me, I go to the origin. Lurid stories in cheaply printed texts where action trumps everything. In many ways, the proto-comics.
Yes, agreed, yet I have seen many videos, games and comments where people take Pulp as to having to be on a determined time period. To me this isn't true, it's what you said with larger than life characters that fit certain archetypes depending on the kind of Pulp story. Adventurer, scientific, golden boy, terran in a strange planet/time, barbarian, primitive, femme fatale, masked vigilante, etc.
You have to respect the tropes of the "genre" but the time period isn't one of them. The Rocketeer could be remade in present day and still be Pulp (even if it really wasn't but neo Pulp) as long as you stick to the tropes.
Quote from: GeekyBugle;1088493I had never heard of that, and now I gotta have all the books!
Changed my mind, the author is an SJW with severe TDS. Guess his heroine is a MarySue
Count me in the broad scifi genre. I prefer both classic scifi based on Piper, Heinlein and Asimov as well as not too gonzo post-apoc. Cut my teeth on post-apoc (old Swedish Mutant) back in the day so I still have a soft spot for that kind of post-apoc rpg.
Still have a weak spot for fantasy (both my parents were huge Tolkien fans when I was growing up so I guess it rubbed off on me) and horror (like Kult and CoC).