Why HackMaster?

So all this edition reviewing and system analysis has had me reconsidering my preferences but it didn't take long to come back to HackMaster. Now don't get me wrong, there are lots of good games out there. Games I admire in more ways than one. But I always come back to HackMaster. Now, I'm an AD&D man, always have been--like I mentioned in my last post. But as I've explained before it's kind of important for me to play a game that is actively in print and supported.  And if you've followed my blog at all you know I've been back and forth over various different games; so though I can't say my search has been exhaustive it has been extensive. I've read so many rule systems, I'm beginning to feel like I'm having deja vu with some of them. ... "Haven't I read this before?"

Anyway I'm perusing the web reading HackMaster discussions in between re-reading my HackMaster rules old and new when I happen upon a discussion over on rpg.net. That's when I catch a post by Tori Bergquist that sums up alot of how it feels to get into HackMaster. I once posted that reading HackMaster made me feel like I was rediscovering gaming all over again. But Tori captures the feel in a way I didn't quite manage. So without further ado, I quote:

"For what it's worth, I'll chime in that I really like Hackmaster so far ---a related thread on the Hacklopedia of Beasts rapidly turned into an exercise in finding my copy of HMB I had bought a year or two ago, digging it out, and finally reading it. Then I ordered the module. Now I am puzzling my way through making various characters and marvelling at how much I feel like I am learning to play a Mirror Universe edition of D&D.

I really like that it looks suspiciously familiar (D&D) yet it surprises me at every turn with new and unusual turf for How to Do Things. This is probably the only D&Desque game out there where I really feel like I've fallen through the looking glass."

 

Through the looking glass indeed. Thanks Tori. (Emphasis mine)