Which Version of Rolemaster Do You Normally Play

For the past eternity, or so it seems, there have been small polls running here that ask a random question.

I recently did a reshuffle and so we have a whole new set of questions going on now but I thought I would share some of the results.

Today it is the results of the Which Version question.

I am not that familiar RMX (by which I mean I have never even seen the rules) so I don’t know which family it falls into but even without RMX the RM2/RMC camp is by far the largest segment.

It is nice to see that we have 14 RMU playtesters here.

I suspect that because just about everyone who writes on here is in the RM2 and RMU camps it is not unsurprising that RMSS & RMFRP are less well represented. On the other hand it could be that RMSS and RMFRP are less popular  systems.

I don’t really know.

Any thoughts?

5 Replies to “Which Version of Rolemaster Do You Normally Play”

  1. It seems to be similar to the impression I get from the ICE forums: RM2 still seems the most popular, though RMSS/FRP is a healthy second place. RM2 was certainly far from perfect, but it was the edition that was standard during the golden age of the game, after all.

    The RMU development team, by contrast, seems more RMSS and HARP players, who at times seem to have a rather low opinion of RM2, or at least certain aspects of RM2. Some of the choices they’ve made (such as the category skill system and the generic weapon chart system) suggest that HARP is more of a model for them than RM2, or that they prefer the HARP way of handling these things to the RM2 way. Obviously, I don’t think that’s a good thing, but then again, I am also very biased. These HARP elements are the ones I find the hardest to accept as an RM2 player, because I feel they erode the distinctions between classes (category skill system) and weapons (generic weapon chart system) that were perhaps the single biggest reason I was attracted to Rolemaster in the first place.

    Anyhoo, it is good to see RM2 still chugging along, and to see a healthy interest in RMU.

  2. Given that HARP is Gold on RPGNow, I’d assume that there are a lot more HARP players than answered the poll. Although most RM2 players would probably have owned the books for years.

    1. RMSS wins there, but I think that reflects the background of both the majority of the RMU developers and the regulars of the board. It could be RM2 players and GMs have so heavily customized their rules they don’t feel the need to frequent the boards.
      Personally I find the HARP/HARP SF rules to be far too templated and rigid for my taste. They also don’t lend themselves to good rules for firearms and other mechanics I feel are necessary for non-fantasy gaming. Like RM in its various incarnations, HARP may be a solid platform for fantasy but I think it breaks down when used for other settings.

      1. Also, this blog is written and references RM2/RMC as that is what the writers know. RMSS is barely mentioned here.

        I have HARP and HARP SF as I wanted to run a SF game but I have lost my SM books at some point in the last 20 years. RMU SF is many years away, if it ever appears, so HARP SF is the natural choice.

        I haven’t run it yet but I like the feel of HARP. I agree that I can see a lot of HARP in RMU.

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