Games that define us Meme

As a tip of the hat to Lee I saw this over at Big Lee's Miniature Adventures and thought I would give it a whirl myself.

 

Traveller
Traveller should probably at one two and three. Maybe four and five as well. When I came across it, it was the only thing that could distract me from Star Wars. Whilst not the first game I played it is the most inspirational. It hooked me on role playing and got me into wargaming. It is the one game I want to keep playing and playing. Frequently updated to capture the gaming ethos of the day it has a broad appeal. It's a game that everyone likes to play around with and develop their own universe. It's even spawned a phrase to describe that very activity. Space ships and lasers what more could you want. This is what started me down the SF ground combat angle and later starship combat. From here I went to Starguard, laserburn and even 40k for a while.

                               

Aftermath
This is another RPG that has become a tabletop experience. Every time I have a bad day with the boss, I console myself with the knowledge that they wouldn't survive the apocalypse. From here I went to the Fallout computer game and then to gaming the post apocalypse on the tabletop. As a game it's a little intense and detail bound but as a source material for post apocalyptic gaming there is no better. Post apocalypse is a big gaming aspect for me and Aftermath is where it all began.
 

Conspiracy-X
Again another RPG. A classic modern horror game with ghosts, psychic powers and even the odd zombie. This is what dominated my life as a referee for about four years and like Traveller is still something I want to go back to. I wanted some figures for the game and this is what eventually started me down the 15mm route. From a few figures that were needed for the game I eventually expanded the range. Now all games I run and most of those I play in use 15mm and eventually I will have enough 15mm fantasy.

All Flesh Must be Eaten
I had always loved zombie films and this made me want to game it. I started in 28mm and have down shifted into 15mm. It made me think more about the zombies and how they might actually act and what varieties they make take. This spurred me on to doing some terrain which has become part of the big terrain box.

Car Wars

Cars with guns. Who hasn't wanted to blow fifty rounds through the guy that just cut them up. A very simple cheap game that turned tabletop gaming into a real treat for me. It was also the first game where I started making terrain albeit very simple terrain.

Harn
The best fantasy game in existence IMHO. This spawned the biggest painting binge I have ever had. Combat feels like combat. Magic is hard but powerful. You actually feel like you are in a medieval world.

Tunnels and Trolls
This is where it all started for me. This is the first game I got. It's a system where fun is more important than realism. Stats and rules are minimal making it fairly quick play. As a more mature gamer it probably doesn't hold it's appeal. As a kid, it offered the solo dungeon before fighting fantasy came out and what a lot more involved than fighting fantasy ever was. I still get the books out ever few years and run through a book or two. Fond memories.

  
Command Decision

Although I had done a fair bit of wargaming before I found Command Decision, it was CD II that really got my wargaming juices going. I even got into competitions which I haven't really done since. About fifteen years ago I got into playing CDII Spanish Civil War in 15mm after seeing a range of figures from Peter Pig. I look at the figures I did back then and think how far my painting has come since then. If you are looking for an alternative to Flames of War that has much greater realism and on a bigger scale I would still recommend this.

Stargrunt
I only ever played this once but it must be one of the most read books I have. The rulebook is in pieces from wear and tear. As a game it wasn't all that but as a source of inspiration it was fantastic. It has such a fine background for a game of this age and worked a lot of classic SF into the game. A nice war game but again superseded by current games. The figures for it which are available again now were fantastic at the time. The Dreenoi were particularly good and have been seen on a few websites over the years.

Flames of War

As a game system this isn't the best but battlefront figures are really nice. This was another system that pushed me into 15mm gaming in a big way. Some of the terrain I use now was designed for the random terrain system for FOW and the books have had a big impact on my terrain building. . Not a game I really play any more and some figures I should get around to selling some day but fond memories and a good motivator to getting things done. I am a little bit disappointed with Battlefront who seem to be making the same decisions that workshop was making twenty years ago.

Some honourable mentions

Force and Force and Tomorrow's War is what is driving me at the moment again in 15mm. Nice simple realistic rules that can be used for a variety of combat environments. This is what is driving me at the moment. If this question was being asked in about two years I would guess that it would be closer to the top of the list. Savage Worlds is another RPG but one that lends itself to tabletop gaming and having forces of figures rather than just characters. Nicely generic and easily enough to pick up. 7TV is a game I have recently picked up along with 7ombie. This is a game which is as much about putting on a good show as the rules and the figures. Laserburn is another game from back in the day. It inspired me in tabletop role playing in a skirmishing kind of way and very much a forerunner of 40k.