Reminder of RPG Research Breadth of RPG Formats, Genres, Systems, & Settings

All too frequently there are misrepresentations by much of the media and blogger outlets only mentioning the D&D portion of our research and community programs. But this is not by any means our primary focus. We cover a very wide range of genres, game systems, settings, and formats. Here is a quick reminder, about the breadth of our research and community programs related to RPG formats, genres, & systems.

RPG Formats

We research and provide in our community programs, all 4 RPG formats:

• Tabletop RPG (TRPG)
• Live-action Role-play (LARP)
• Computer-based RPG (CRPG)
• Solo Adventure Books / Modules (SABM)

Genres

We research and provide in our community programs, a wide range of genres, not just sci-fi / fantasy:

• Dystopic / alternate realities
• Fantasy
• Espionage
• Historical (Mediterranean areas, European, Eurasian, Greater Asian African, South American, North American, Australian, etc.)
• Horror / Supernatural
• Military
• Mixed genres
• Modern / Contemporary
• Multiverse
• Period intrigue / "gumshoe" / mystery / police procedural
• Political Intrigue
• Science Fiction
• Superhero
• Western (American West)
• Young children's adventures

Tabletop RPG Systems

We use a wide range of game systems, including an increasing number that have been specifically authorized by the RPG creators for use (not to be considered the same as endorsement by either party).

While we recently we have been trying to standardize on AiMe (+TOR elements) for baseline research comparisons, we are constantly evaluating many other other systems, settings, genres, and formats, for pros, cons, options, and other system that offer other genres of more interest to a wider audience than just scifi/fantasy genres.

The list below includes the most recent we have been using (past 2 years or so). A fully comprehensive list of all the systems/genres/settings over the past 14 to 35 years would be far to lengthy for this document. Though a partial list can be found on the RPG Optimization research page.

Here are the systems we're using in research and/or community programs in just the past 2 years (as of May 2018)

• Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu
• Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing: evaluating with other systems for police procedural, historical, and other non-sci-fi/fantasy/horror settings.
• Cubicle 7's The One Ring Role-playing Game
• Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG: also evaluating with other systems for police procedural, historical, and other non-sci-fi/fantasy/horror settings.
• Cubicle 7's Adventures in Middle-earth
• Evil Hat Production's FATE System: evaluating with other systems for police procedural, historical, and other non-sci-fi/fantasy/horror settings.
• Grey Ghost Press's FUDGE System: evaluating with other systems for police procedural, historical, and other non-sci-fi/fantasy/horror settings.
• Iron Crown Enterprise Rolemaster in many settings, including historical, fantasy, and science fiction.
• Iron Crown Enterprises Middle-earth Role-playing (though now mostly as source material to support TOR & AiMe)
• Margaret Weiss Production's Cortex System: Serenity RPG (older (we like system better than new cortex)) and Firefly RPG (newer, don't like new cortex system as much as the older one).
• Monte Cook Games No Thank You Evil
• Pelgrane Press's Gumshoe System / Trail of Cthulhu (currently evaluating)
• Palladium Games Pendragon
• Palladium Games RIFTS
• Steve Jackson Games GURPS:  evaluating with other systems for police procedural, historical, and other non-sci-fi/fantasy/horror settings.
• Steve Jackson Games GURPS Discworld RPG
• TSR's Boot Hill (though trying to find a modern in-print alternative that is straight Old west (no sci-fi or fantasy elements)) (this is the old defunct TSR)
• TSR's Top Secret New World Order (current in evaluation stages) (this is the newly rebooted TSR)
• West End Games Paranoia (old and new versions)
• Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D, AD&D1, D&D3, D&D5)

CRPG Systems/settings/games

<information coming soon>

LARP systems/settings/games

<information coming soon>

SABM systems/settings/games

<information coming soon>