Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshade
Well, sometimes you're stuck with the problem that there's just no appropriate tool for the job, and you have to use the closest one; or when there are external reasons you use it even though it isn't ideal. As an example, if you've got a bunch of hardcore BRP fans, but everyone wants to play a high-cinematic game, in practice you're probably going to end up doing your best to make some flavor of BRP work for that, even though its contrary to the general biases of the system (which tends to lean toward the gritty and relatively realistic), because starting with a more appropriate base system just isn't an option (this is why people do the opposite with D20 so often). But it really isn't the ideal way to go; pick the closest to what you want among the available systems and work from there is usually better.
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Oh, yeah, I definitely with you on this one. It is less true today with all the different systems out there, but was certainly the case in the 90s and 80s. Often I would have an idea for a campaign, and then try to determine what was the best system to adapt for that purpose.
Or, when I wanted to run one thing, with a bunch of players who didn't want to try a new system. I did a D&D/Glorantha crossover under just such conditions (and with 3.0, too).
For the most part, though, most genres have multiple games to cover them, so we have more options than on the past.