I’ve been thinking a lot about systems lately. I recently bought a copy of the Savage Worlds Super Powers Companion and after a preliminary look it seems like a perfect fit for this genre. This isn’t surprising though, as Savage Worlds lends itself so well to campaigns with a pulp feel.
Since its release, I’ve used Savage Worlds for a number of different games and mini-campaigns but the only games that seem to mesh well with the system are those that mix genre elements in a fast paced, action-oriented atmosphere. The same is true of other systems.
I wind up gravitating towards a particular system based on what genre I’m interesting in exploring. For fantasy, I prefer either Castles & Crusades or Labyrinth Lord; for science fiction, I prefer Traveller (big surprise); for horror I like Call of Cthulhu (though I’ve not played it in years); and for modern/spy/action or Weird West I like Savage Worlds.
For me though, these aren’t merely system preferences so much as genre-system preferences. In each case, there’s something about the game system that captures what I’m looking for in a game of that flavor. So much so, that I tend to think of these systems as my defaults for that particular genre.
How much does this factor into your own decisions in running games?
To me the choice of system is important for the genre I play. Some systems are better at supporting certain genres than others. So for me it is natural to choose a system, that supports a certain genre, and then I begin to add house rules to further support genre and style.