Nomad Gaming

There are people in this world who started playing OD&D and still do. I've had conversation with people who played 2e and never played 3e. I know people who've never played anything other than D&D.

That is not me. I've played more game than I care to list.

3rd edition - East Wing collection

This kinda models how I've lived. I was in 5th grade when I met a person who lived in the same house his whole life. It was so strange to me. I grew up around military and oil-workers kids. I assumed everyone moved every couple years.

Same with games. I typical change from one game or system to a new one at the drop of a hat. The idea there are people in this world who never played 3rd edition is just...it's just weird to me.

However, as I've matured and stopped moving so much (in fact I've become more than a little aversive to moving) the idea of settling on a few core systems is very attractive. I'm not sure it is realistic for me. I have the gaming attention span of a gnat. Still, I would like to have my "go-to." games.

I know some of them. For space opera, I am just going to play Star Wars d6. I am not going to bother "fixing" it. It's fine. Not perfect, but I don't care. I had tons of fun with it for years and it never needed fixing (or "modernizing") then.

For more gritty "modern" stuff, I'll use Shadowrun 2/3 editions. There isn't that much difference between the editions and I used them together all the time. It's a good game, possibly one of the best I've ever played. Plus, it uses a ton of dice...

...which is awesome.

But now I get to my problem. Fantasy games. I have numerous to choose from. My go-to would be 'something D&D', I could play Savage Worlds, but that's not really something I see myself doing as a standard option. It's more of a "we have time to game and want to game something crazy, right now." system.

Part of the problem is options. There are a ton of D&D options. For example:
OD&D: the original, but not something I want to be playing all the time. I respect the OSR, but it's not really my bag.
1e: it's good and I respect WOTC for re-releasing it. That's hard core awesome. Love it. But, not a game I want to be playing because I never much cared for it as a kid.
2e: this is what I cut my gaming teeth on. I got tired of the wonky system then, it's still wonky.
3e: now we get complicated as hell. 3e is, by far, the most used version of D&D I've ever played. Problem is, if you say "3e" what do you mean?
-You could mean original 3e, you could mean 3.5, you could mean Pathfinder, you could mean arcane evolved, you could mean Midnight, you could mean Iron Heroes, you could mean Legend, you could mean any of a dozen or so retro-clones (Castles & Crusades being my personal favorite of that mess).
-Each of these is a version of 3e that has some compatibility with the other, but is distinct in it's own way. But that's really the trick with the SRD. You can do so much with it.
-Plus I'm tired of some of 3e's more intense rules.
4e: great game but not a great rpg. Plus, it's biggest problem (shared with 3e btw) is that the game gets to be a pain in the ass after about 10th level. Seriously, both are more-or-less fun until about 10th level. You may keep playing, but most of the time it stopped being fun levels ago.
5e: It's not out yet, but it's coming. I know I will buy it, but no idea if I will play it with any kind of regularity or stability. I like some of what I read, I hate some of the stuff I read. I thought the play test was keen. Just too early to tell.

Gun to my head, right now, today, I would choose 3.5. Core books. Yes, I know. Feats (blarg!) Attacks of Opportunity (blarg!) Grappling (blarg!). I know the problems with the system, I really, really do.

But, just stop of a second and think. We all know the problems with 3e, and yet it is a remarkably successful and solid system that has pretty much revolutionized the entire industry. Is it perfect? No. Not even close and I dare say there are things in any other system that are profoundly better. No question. But, given the options at hand, it's the one I choose.

Given that...I think I am going to play more Shadowrun and Star Wars than D&D until 5e comes out and I can figure out what it is that I am really looking for in a fantasy game.