Everyone… No wait, let me rephrase that, I think that everyone will have experienced this. You buy an RPG, read it, get enthusiastic to play it and then NEVER get to play it.

For me this actually happened with quite a few systems. I bought WoD, nWoD, Werewolf, Vampire, Dark Heresy, All Flesh Will Be Eaten, etc. There just aren’t enough hours in a day to allow my hobbies to fill and hardly enough people with the same interests in my town, at least not enough who confirm to the standard of hygiene I prefer.

But the one game I never got to play and wanted to play the most was Cyberpunk 2020.

I bought the rulebook back when I was 15 and loved it. I borrowed it to my friends and not one of them thought it was interesting enough to play… Not one!

I still have the book somewhere in a box. I must have read it about a hundred times but never got around to playing it. I am sure I am not alone in this.

What games were the ones that „got away” for you?

The games that got away from me are Cyberpunk 2020 too...I really love the game. Left my core rulebook somewhere in my cuboard with C.O.P.S. and nWoD Vampire The Requiem (though I play the DA, VA, and TM of oWoD).

And lastly Hunther both from oWoD and nWoD.

Here’s hoping the FFG guys are reading along…

A cyberpunk game would be most welcome. A Bladerunner one for instance!

Yeah, i'm pretty fond of all cyberpunks universe in general, though I have a preference for Deus Ex. Which is for me the most interesting one.

So far, Edge of the Empire!

But your post immediately made me think of Aliens, by Leading Edge Games. Not because it's a great rpg (it's not - in fact, it's the worst I've ever read, not that I've read a lot), but just because, dammit, I'd really like to roleplay in that universe (well, more the first film than the second, but you see what I mean...)

So far, Edge of the Empire!

But your post immediately made me think of Aliens, by Leading Edge Games. Not because it's a great rpg (it's not - in fact, it's the worst I've ever read, not that I've read a lot), but just because, dammit, I'd really like to roleplay in that universe (well, more the first film than the second, but you see what I mean...)

Actualy, I think Aliens would be a better basis for an RPG than Alien. Not a better movie, but a better RPG.

I've always wanted to play an RPG based on the Goonies... Or Gremlins...

Wow, brain wave what if we could have an "80's RPG" where all those things are available Back to the Future, Gremlins, ET, etc.?

I'll design it! Heck if I remember correctly, ET even starts with the kids playing DnD!

Actualy, I think Aliens would be a better basis for an RPG than Alien. Not a better movie, but a better RPG.

I completely agree, on both points.

And an 80s rpg? Throw in stuff like Weird Science and Revenge of the Nerds, and I'm so there!

Instead of the characters meeting in a tavern in the first adventure, it would have to be Saturday morning detention...

This may sound out of place, but my Pathfinder book is just collecting dust. Which makes me sad, because the art alone for that game is enough to get me excited to kill some goblins.

A very hard-headed person in my group doesn't like how 3.5 nerfed fighters in later levels so he refuses to give Pathfinder a fair chance.

I bought D&D 3.5 but never got to play it. Not really sorry though and to this day I can't remember just why I bought it.

Shadowrun. It actually made it to my table for a few sessions but the group wasn't right for it. A few of them were really into it and a few of them wanted to flip the table over. Amazing setting but the ruleset isn't for everyone. So, a complete like-new collection of 4E materials is kinda just hanging out on my bookshelf. I've held off on buying Pathfinder because I know it will just sit unplayed, not because of a lack of interest, but because I'm already running two bi-weekly groups with Edge and WFRP and there just isn't the time to fit it in. Don't buy what you know you won't play. Easier said than done sometimes, but not a difficult policy.

Most of the rules I buy I end up just reading. Good for ideas if nothing else. Now that EotE is here, and has received such an incredible response from my groups (even non-Star Wars fans), I have no regrets.

Shadowrun. It actually made it to my table for a few sessions but the group wasn't right for it. A few of them were really into it and a few of them wanted to flip the table over. Amazing setting but the ruleset isn't for everyone. So, a complete like-new collection of 4E materials is kinda just hanging out on my bookshelf. I've held off on buying Pathfinder because I know it will just sit unplayed, not because of a lack of interest, but because I'm already running two bi-weekly groups with Edge and WFRP and there just isn't the time to fit it in. Don't buy what you know you won't play. Easier said than done sometimes, but not a difficult policy.

2 years ago Shadowrun 4E caused a HUGE fight among some members of my regular gaming group and to this day the incident is still re-hashed. Its a shame because it is hands down my favorite rules system that I never get to play.

I had a group that i was in where we did a Alien universe RPG where we were Colonial marines (Like in the movie Aliens) ended up clearing a station that was infested with xenomorphs. one PC was purposely attacked by a facehugger for giving away the end to Aliens3 to the GM. Through 2 botched rolls of the PCs he was killed. I failed a melee roll and smashed the faceplate of the helmet in, allowing the facehugger's acid to eat at his face. and another PC botched a medicine roll to render first aid, and ODed him on morphine.

But yea, finding a group is the hardest thing these days.

I love boardgames and usually buy 1 ever other month or so, and have a hard time finding players

Mouse Guard. Really liked the mechanics and seemed like I could play it with my son. Its collecting dust next to my 4e D&D books

Mouse guard... I'd love to play this one day.

For me it's Pendragon - sat on the shelf for years, still pretty much pristine, never had a player group that fitted the game structure.

And GURPS - everyone agrees it's a good concept, and makes sense then reverts back to whatever they know already. Lazy bunch I guess

At the moment, it's 'One Ring'.

My players have dismissed it because it's 'mundane'

(and I actually assumed EoE would be summarily dismissed too, but everyone has fallen in love with it after I removed the elements like Obligation they were objecting to....)

For me, Dark Heresy. Describing it to my group as "Call of Cthulhu in the 40k universe" probably didn't help my cause, in retrospect.

For me, I think it's the Iron Kingdoms RPG setting based off of D&D 3.5. It's the one that got me buying RPG books again after MANY years away from it. Now there's a new Iron Kingdoms RPG that doesn't interest me at all, as it strikes me more as a miniatures game variant on Warhmahordes, but the resources they used under the OGL made for a fascinating setting and alternative to D&D 3.5 (which I never did play, btw).

Going WAY back, we did play Cyberpunk (orginal) at least once. I had once written for Iron Crown Enterprises, and I was intrigued by their Dark Space rpg... but it was released not long before they went belly up, so it died on the vine. It was penned by the now-famous Monte Cook.

Every single rpg ever. I buy games, get my group to try it, but... no one but me will run it. I am the EverGM.

Particular games of note:

Edge of the Empire

Cosmic Patrol

Rogue Trader

Numenara

Traveller

Dragon Age pen and paper

I just really want to play in a game that isn't d20.

Owned absolutely everything for EarthDawn 1st ed. Never ran it, though I used it as source material for my AD&D 1st ed game. Still own everything published for HarnMaster- I know one of the contributing writers and would occasionally receive the latest publication by post. Played in a campaign that lasted about half a year, and absolutely loved the setting. The system is...cumbersome...but the setting is unique, and amazing.

I haven't had an opportunity to participate in a game as a player for more than a session or two since 1996.

I want to play EoE. I'll be lucky to GM it.

I bought the fancy edition of Mouse Guard, we played it once. It didn't stick, the whole narrative and "not using dice" mechanic really ground on our nerves. While I think the rule and the concept was very cool, the system itself was not my cup of tea, something about not actually rolling dice when you try to hit something killed it for me.

I'll echo the Iron Kingdoms sentiment too. I'm not a d20 hater, like so many others I've heard, but my group was made up of d20 haters. So I ran it, had a cool little adventure going, the capital city of Menoth was under siege by Cygnar, but the game never went anywhere.

So many books, so little time.

I would rather play a roleplaying game than consume any other type of media — only sometimes rivaled by comics.

I became a game master because of all the games I wanted to play but never got to.

Games like:

Jorune

Underground

AD&D Planescape

Rogue Trader

Boot Hill

Mechwarrior

Star Trek

Masterbook Indiana Jones

Masterbook Tales from the Crypt

…

I have books for many others that I have given up on playing.

I started Deadlands last year after having the book, selling it twice, and finally playing with pdfs from Drivethrurpg.

But to accentuate the positive, I have played way more games than I will not be able to play. There are many others that I have read, enjoyed, and filed away with no intention of playing.

If someone can answer what psychological affliction I have that makes me want to read a game I never intend to play (when timeless literature wastes away on my Kindle app), please diagnose. Maybe it is a futile search for order in a passive, uncaring universe.

Or is that Call of Cthulhu?

bl

(d100) RuneQuest - great background, but so much of it (seriously, you could do a degree course in it)

(AD&D) Planescape - mad, brilliant setting, but something about D&D turns my players feral (it's like everything has neon XP and GP values floating above their heads)

(VPS) Fading Suns - Want Noble House vs. Noble House vs. Guild vs. Church intrigue? Want some up-beat questing? Wish 40k leaned more on it's Dune aspects and less on the Grim Dark? I do. The system is wonky though - the gap between being competent and begin the best the galaxy has ever seen is very narrow.

(Have bought lots for all of the above. Have ran each for no more than a hand full of sessions.)

(GURPS) Transhuman Space - Hard Sci-fi biotech and spacing. Had no idea for any adventures (the published one seemed to miss the point of the setting, but given my own lack of inspiriation I can't really judge).