I think it's safe to say that Dark Heresy has a larger following, but this is a factor of age.
And of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention the very detailed combat mechanics and options which do allow for some fairly cinematic gameplay.Īny with a more enthusiastic following than another However, the mission structure has a similar appeal to the job layout of Shadowrun games and can really help get players moving. While it does lend itself to combat-intensive sessions, FFG has done a good job of trying to give the marines some actual personality (although this personality is often hidden and only revealed in the solace of their own rooms). Deathwatch - For many, this game will be the winner simply because it's Space Marines.Combined with the geeky attraction of designing your ship, I think this game has quite a bit to offer. Players are fairly powerful and masters of their own fate, each highly specialized with something to do. Rogue Trader - Out of the systems, this is the most interesting in a lot of ways in that it delivers on the promise of roleplaying in a Star Trek style without that silly Prime Directive.Dark Heresy - Really encourages the exploration of the mythos and gives a GM a lot of opportunity to develop deep, intricate (perhaps even obtuse) plots with encounters that seem truly lethal and require cunning and skill to get through.To some degree, these answers are quite subjective and could be modeled in other games, but the rich backdrop of the 40K universe really helps drive these elements home. I think each game really does bring something unique to the role playing experience. A lot of the rules necessary for longer play (insanity and corruption in particular) are very weak and not well developed and the mission-based structure essentially gives you the format for each episode.
Rogue Trader does tend to lend itself to games that have some space combat/travel/exploration component in order to allow all players to contribute (not quite as bad as deckers in Shadowrun, but a similar problem).ĭeathwatch really and truly seems designed for episodic play (though you could easily work in overarching plots). Because there is no default status quo, you can pretty much go in any direction imaginable without significant hand waving. Dark Heresy is probably the most similar to a traditional game in this regard.