There's a used bookstore in one of the towns I travel to for work every couple of months.  I always go over and check out the rpg shelf but usually it's all D20 and White Wolf stuff that doesn't interest me.  Today I walk in at lunch, and there's a whole bunch of other stuff!  So has anyone played any of these?  Are they gaming junk or gaming gems?

-Millenium's End
-Waste World
-Gamma World 4th Edition
-Heavy Gear 2nd Edition
-Fading Suns
-Providence

The one that piqued my interest the  most was Millenium's End, and I say they seemed less interesting the farther down my list, but I really didn't have time to look over any of them too much.

One of my Great Gaming Regrets:  Not playing more Fading Suns.

Whuzzat tellya?

Fading Suns is choice stuff if that category of setting turns your crank. Even if you don't normally go for sci-fi of far-flung worlds in a Dark Ages period you might want to give it a second check anyway.

Gamma World 4th is pure mutant awesomeness.  The skill system needs a quick house rule, and the item identification mechanic could use some simplification, but the rest is pure gold.

You should purchase it immediately, if for no other reason than to sell the copy to me so I can have a second copy for group use.  Especially if it's still got the map in the back.

I remember really liking Millenium's End although its been a while since I read it. Its set up to play techno-thriller type stuff, private investigations, corporate espionage, anti-terrorist and government secret agency stuff and although the background is now quite dated, there's nothing to really stop you going slightly retro in the game or just making more stuff up. System I recall as looking quite elegant if involved.

If it is second hand check to see if it still has the plastic overlays that were used to indicate damage locations. I don't think they were necessary but thought they were pretty cool.

Nothing ground breaking (Merc:2000 supplement for Twilight 2000 did something similar) but it was a really good idea well presented and well written - well worth a second hand price

Fading Suns strikes me as Traveller for the Vampire crowd.  Yet I still kinda like it.

The setting of Fading Suns rocks. It's a pastiche of a lot of things, certain elements of the setting don't make sense, and despite everything I like it. It's as if it screamed to me ADVENTURE!!!

One interesting note: Although it's sci-fi on surface, the setting feels very medieval, in fact it's more medieval than a lot of other RPGs that are described as medieval fantasy.

Fading Suns gets another vote here. And there is no such thing as Gamma World after 1st edition.

Gamma World 4th is one of the best versions of the game (some people might argue in favour of 1st or 2nd; but to me 4th was the best).

RPGPundit

Quote from: jrientsFading Suns strikes me as Traveller for the Vampire crowd.  Yet I still kinda like it.

Good call!

Have a "Good call" point on me...

Another ping for Millennium's End. Dug it.

One man's garbage is another man's gold, and vice versa.

Fading Suns gets my vote as a great game.

Millenium's End is pretty decent, % skill system and rolls and such.  The setting is based around the fictional fact that the US lost the first Gulf War.  Even with that alternate history bit, the game is a little dated.  But it is fun.

Fading Suns is another decent one, sorta space opera-ish.  Can't remember the system much, only played it about three months or so.

So of course I go back and pick up the one that nobody recommended  

I got Waste World, the Campaign Pack w/ screen, and the Shogunate supplement for the game.  Not bad for $12.  It basically seems like a much more mechanically slimmed down version of Rifts.  The intro on the back of the campaign book reads:

QuoteThe air is poisonous.  The seas are dead.  Mutants roam the toxic wastes.  Mechanized barbarians plunder the scattered settlements.  Sentient death machines stalk the survivors.  In the last megacities, five warrior civilizations perpare for Doomsday.  Strap on your weapons and get ready to take part in the ultimate conflict.

On top of that, one of sample characters is a Tyranasaurus with a machine gun and in the background of the cover for the supplement there is a tiger walking by with a machine gun mounted on its back.  Who wouldn't want to play this game!

Millenium's End looks cool, but combat seems to have a ton of book keeping involved, you track damage by wound location of which there are 30some and you keep track of the rate of blood loss for each wound.  Almost pulled the trigger but put it back on the shelf.