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This post is a part of the #RPGaDAY series for 2017 by David F. Chapman and RPGBrigade. For more information, see this post at AUTOCRATIK. I'm modifying per suggestions from S. John Ross as well as applying my own interpretations. Comment with your answers or links to your own posts!

Day 18 - Which RPG have you played the most in your life?

This is another one that makes me reach back into the misty memories of the past. Back when I had all sorts of free time for playing RPGs, my gaming followed a very different model than it does today. Back then, stable groups, campaign play, and a not very wide awareness of available games all meant that there was a lot of gaming of not very many different titles. Many years later, following a bit of a dry spell, I got swept up not only in the indie game explosion, but also a renewed interest and ability to attend cons as well as a much wider social circle than before. This all led to gaming that not only tended more toward one-shots, but also tended toward playing a little bit of a lot of different games instead of the other way around. So any "what have I played the most of" questions spanning my whole gaming career are going to have to tilt toward my early years. Another thing I pondered for this question was whether to count different editions separately. In the end, I think I'll go with "yes" on that; I don't feel the need to call AD&D and 3.5 the same game, any more than I would call any two PbtA games the same game just for both being PbtA. Similarly, I wouldn't consider the various World of Darkness titles (Vampire, Werewolf, etc.) the same game; I'd consider those separate.

Going by sheer hours logged, it's going to be hard for me to decide between Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (first edition) and Vampire: The Masquerade (second edition). I think I can tilt the scales toward AD&D, but that is pure guesswork on my part. Mostly that's based on the memory of having quite a few different AD&D characters but mostly having GMed V:tM. If we discount number of sessions or actual play time and just go by number of characters made, I would definitely have to give it to Champions (fourth edition). That game was my first exposure to a point-buy generic system, and I was simply entranced. I really enjoyed coming up with just the right powers and modifications to fit the visions I had, and I would make character after character, basically just to do the math. It seemed to me at the time the height of creativity. Years later, and after encountering more GURPS players, I would come to know this as "the character-creation game," which honestly is still one of my favorite games. (Well, favorite solo games, let's say; though I won't discount the draw for me of any game with a robust group chargen mechanic.) I liken it to, when playing any of a number of adventure or tactical video games, instead of actually playing the game, spending all my time customizing the character avatars. Which I have no regrets about, by the way. Fun is fun, after all!