Musings on Role-Playing Games

I've played role-playing games, on and off (mostly off) for many years. I haven't played much over the last few years. During the last week I've been reading Lankhmar stories by Fritz Leiber. They have relatively simple plots, but truly evocative scenes, events and characters. Reading these stories have inspired me to re-start some role-playing.

Role-playing games that I've played over the years:

• Dungeons and Dragons (basic, 2nd edition, 3rd/3.5 edition, 4th edition)
• Middle Earth Role-Playing (I loved those critical hit tables!)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (so many different mutants to choose from!)
• Paranoia (clones, Communists and the great Outdoors!)
• Shadowrun (meh)
• d20 Modern (meh)
• Orpheus (meh)
• Traveller (only the d20 version, unfortunately. The new Mongoose one looks very good.)

I recently read a fairly comprehensive history of role-playing games at http://ptgptb.org/0001/history1.html. It goes through a lot. Origins of RPGs, gamebooks, collectible miniature games, etc. Reading this history brought up a lot more games that I've never tried.

Role-playing games that I'd consider playing:

• Amber Diceless (game system sounds interesting)
• Call of Cthulhu (interesting setting, though I'm not overly into horror)
• RuneQuest (system seems very interesting, and I still love fantasy settings)
  
• Savage Worlds (game system sounds interesting)
• Serenity (cool setting)
• Star Wars (d6 or Saga Edition, cool setting)
• True20 (d20 without the crap)
• Swords and Wizardy (re-write of old D&D)
• Traveller (Mongoose version)
• Paranoia