I was wondering, in looking over my library of gaming books, what does everybody here play, aside from the obvious?
It's on my mind, because while my SG and I have been wanting to play Ars Magica for some time, we were playing with a group of mostly D20 players and in order to have Game at all, had to slowly woo them over with very non-D20 storylines (entire adventures without combat! Unheard of!).
So I thought I'd ask.
As for myself, I love Ars Magica, but have played a bewildering number of games in the last 28 years. My favorites have been RuneQuest, Paranoia, Traveller (in the very old days and in the GDW redo of the game), Cyberpunk, Champions (now in the process of being replaced by the much streamlined and fantastically un-D&D-like Mutants & Masterminds), and any number of homebrewed games.
What I look for in a fun character to get into the headspace of, regardless of what they do. I'm not a combat monkey, as combat is actually the least creative part of a game short of economics (which I find painfully dull in the real world and would never care to roleplay).
My favorite adventure was actually in a game of D&D, though, surprising though that may be. It was a feast that we went to at one player's behest, as he was certain the clue to the mystery was to be found there. It wasn't, but the following six hours were the most amazingly enjoyable roleplaying I've ever encountered, without more than a handful of die rolls and no combat at all.
So if you feel like it, I'd love to know what other games (if any) people around here play.
My favorite games, beside ArM, are Blue Planet, Castle Falkenstein, and a bunch of French games. I also discovered Serenity RPG a short while ago and loved it!
Original Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Before the D20 ruined it)
I remember 'evolving' out of the dice-rolling stage years ago. Our storyteller did it by turning the lights low, sitting back and saying, "You each receive a personal Invitation to Chicago GenCon, it includes airfare.", and we pretended to go to a GenCon, only that was the night the nukes hit and America turned into total anarchy with the gangs claiming 'turf' with might. No electricity anymore, etc, etc. We hit a sporting store for equipment, and rushed home to protect our loved ones, by car. During the trip, things happened, and we started 'developing' strange powers that fit the nature of each player. It's still the best game I was ever in.
Anyhows, I'm also just as glad that I 'devolved' back into loving the sound of 16 dice hitting the bottom of a box and raising my hands in victory as I do way above average damage on the super arch villian/nemesis. It's nice to put the 'game' back into 'rp-game'. Of course, I'm heavily influenced by the kids I run games for down at the House (a Get-off-the-street place for kids to play games)
I DM a semi-regular D&D tabletop campaign, which employs the standard kill-loot-repeat style. I enjoy it very much, but it's having some difficulties. We'll see if we can manage to pull it through. If not, we'll probably switch to ArM, but possibly to Nobilis or another game.
I play a D&D PbP campaign, again fairly regular. I enjoy this game too - the scene where my character jumped onto the back of a dragon and tried to wrestle with it was definitely fun. Not succesful, but fun.
I SG an ArM PbP. It's going nice, but very slow.
Nearly all my experience is with D&D, in various incarnations. I played only a little ArM, and no other game. Ars Magica is my favorite game, but I have nothing against D&D. I love combat, I love the simple "lets bash in some doors and have fun" and nonseriousness of our D&D games, and I love the grand save-the-kingdom be-the-hero plots.
I'm keen to play Nobilis, Blue Rose/True20, or Iron Heroes - all variants of D&D - as the core D&D is getting a bit heavy and restricted for me.
I love action and combat, especially over-the-top combat with wild stunts and evocative environments but plain standard fights are fun for me too.
I also love roleplaying politics and interest conflicts. One of my most fun games was a Birthright (a D&D variant) game where the players played merchant and wizard guilds and kingdoms competing with others.
I also love the mythic, fairy-tale feel, and epic Tolkeinish save-the-world plot arcs (the latter not in Ars Magica).
I have played a lot of different games in the past thirty years and wished I could have played in more...
Started off with D&D (before "1st edition..."), moved to RuneQuest (mainly 2nd ed), Traveller (Little Black Books edition), and Chivalry & Sorcery. Also got into early Champions, Arduin Grimoire, Empire of the Petal Throne, Call of Cthulhu, Boot Hill (in its semi-rpg era), Metamorphosis: Alpha, Justice Inc, Star Trek (FASA version), Castle Falkenstein, Golden Heroes, GURPS, and quite a few others.
Later I found two games that I truly loved -- Ars Magica and Over the Edge.
And I have played D&D 3.0 (along with massive variants).
But still there are many games I wish to play and probably will never get a chance. Still, gaming is what I do. Others have golf or bowling or poker; I have rpgs.
My group is pretty loyal playing Ars Magica since 2nd edition. Many of our troupe think we have the longest running campaign, but since there's no prize for that I think so what?
Pre Ars I played Villians and Vigilantes and the AD&D 2
Post Ars I've mainly played Atlas Games.
Over the Edge, Once Upon a Time, Cults Across America.
Recently we tried Feng Shu and I loved it. I participate in a Feng Shui and Unknown Armies PbP.
There are some one shots in there- Werewolf, Legend of the Five Rings (but using Ars Mechanics), RUNE, maybe some more. But the troupe WANTS to play Ars Magica so we keep returning to it.
Given the friends I have and that gaming is our common ground, I suspect I'll be playing Ars when I'm an old man.
Of course, I'm heavily influenced by the kids I run games for down at the House (a Get-off-the-street place for kids to play games) 
