I think I’m going to have to go with Space Opera — a truly terrible set of mechanics for a sci-fi game. I think we got through a session before throwing in the towel. Another that’s obscure today, but was supposed to be SPI’s answer to GDW’s Traveler was Universe. I mentioned it in another RPGaDay post — I don’t remember much about it other than it was percentage-based, I think, and there’s was some cool stuff to it — but the coolest bit was the tremendous star map that came with the game.
I also tried The Morrow Project, a post-apocalyptic game with terrible rules for combat that were so damned table and dice roll oriented that a single gunshot could take minutes just to figure out what happened. I seem to remember that you figured the trajectory of the bullet, cut of the knife, whatever through the victim and what that did to their stats as well as general health. I might be wrong, on some of that but it played like a forensics examination.
30 August, 2023 at 18:17
I never found Morrow Project difficult when it came to combat. What I did find difficult was it’s half-siblings by Tri-Tac (Stalking the Night Fantastic, FTL:2448, and Fringeworthy); they were so over complicated with hit location and damage that it was almost unplayable.
As for obscure games, I think the most obscure were either Jorune or Albedo, but rather niche games with amazing and rich backgrounds. You could add Empire of the Petal Throne, as well.
30 August, 2023 at 19:19
Funnily, a friend of mine ran Jorune for me a few times. Didn’make an impact either way, so it must not have been too bad. Albedo — loved the comics; game less so.