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Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Sun May 18, 2014 12:20 pm
by viscounteric
flashbackjuice wrote:
Howard wrote:My books are all 5th edition or earlier. I'm also not a fan of the d6 Dark or GUMSHOE.
Just out of curiosity: what were the differences in 6th that put you off?
Not to put words in his mouth, but probably just the need to buy another edition. If I had 5th edition I wouldn't have a need for edition 6.1.2.6.1355*pi. And if a 6th edition product catches your eye, outside the revolving door of added/subtracted tertiary skills, there's not much more that's obviously different.

BRP all the way!

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Mon May 19, 2014 11:35 am
by Dr. Gerard
flashbackjuice wrote:The problem is that it's not just a case of "X is better than Y", as each system brings something different to the table. Although I haven't had a chance to try out all the systems, I do recognise some of the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Flashbackjuice has already referenced the central idea of how I respond to this issue. I'm done looking for a single perfect horror game to rule them all. I'm also done looking for the one perfect type of cuisine in the world. Or the one perfect tool for building a house. Sometimes you need a 21-ounce framing hammer. Sometimes you need a cement mixer. Sometimes you need a miter box.

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Mon May 19, 2014 11:48 am
by flashbackjuice
Dr. Gerard wrote:
flashbackjuice wrote:Sometimes you need a 21-ounce framing hammer. Sometimes you need a cement mixer. Sometimes you need a miter box.
And that is my problem. When is the right time to use that cement mixer? Right now, the way only I can think of using Cthulhu Dark, for example, is if I want to play a kind of game that players want to mainly focus on roleplaying, or when a location to play can be done almost spontaneously (no need to whip out character sheets and such). How can I recognise when would be the right to time to whip out X system? Otherwise, I may just stick to CoC 6th (the system I started with), and implement a little of each to bolster 6th's shortcomings for example.

Actually, I may give Cthulhu Dark a whirl this weekend, around a camp fire. Maybe once I try out these system and get a feel for them, I can better understand when to use them.


Thanks for your comments everyone! :D

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:26 am
by SamS
I haven't tried Dark yet but i have ran Trail. IMO Trail is only fun if everyone is into full out role play. If you group is all about dice rolling then Trail is not the system to use. My group likes a lot of the system of Trail but they like dice too much.

On a side note D20 has always been a off putting thought for a CoC system to me. But i may get it now from Drivethru for the content, thank you for helping me spend more money. Ha Ha

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 12:21 am
by fox01313
For me most of the books or PDFs I have are 6th ed though thanks to collectoritis (or is that collector-mania) I have a 4th & 5th print edition of the core book. As much as I like the setting for Invictus or Dark Ages, I rarely see games for them online which is my main way of gaming now but with the lovely BRP system, it's easy to jump in any time period or these alternate settings without much beyond the main book. I have the main book & Shadows over Filmland for Trail & while I like it, I want to play through it more before getting books to run it as I love the system almost as much as BRP.

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 3:40 am
by Shannon Mac
Most of the changes from 5th to 6th are minor. For instance, in 5th you only raised a skill up when you impaled. In 6th it's different.

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:13 am
by Wordcraftian
For me, it's BRP Call of Cthulhu for planned sessions and Cthulhu Dark for short notice pick up games. Seems to work out nicely.

Re: Keepers: how do you choose a CoC system?

Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2014 1:58 am
by SamS
COC/BRP will always be my go to system. I've been reading Savage Worlds. It looks like it might be with a go.