In short: Although I once said that PIG's GenreDiversion 3 would not likely become my go-to game, recent recalculations and renewed appraisals of Brett Bernstein's genre-neutral game have led me to change my stance.
But before I make the official announcement, a few words of explanation:
It's hard for me to pick a go-to game -- in other words, a single one. I just can't do that. I can't do that because I love games too much, in all their different styles and designs and tropes and what-have-you-to-add. I have favorites, yes; some more favored than others, and that's where my re-evaluation starts.
I'm noticing a tend in the games that I like -- or at least in the way I like to play them. I'm liking games that require me to roll one or two dice at a time -- preferably two, and D6s at that. I'm noticing an attraction to games with a simple, solid core mechanic upon which I can expand with simple tweaks, ideal for adjudicating on the spot. Also, I like games which allow the PCs to stay in combat for a while, because mayhem is fun.
GenreDiversion 3 hits these. All of 'em.
For those who came in late (or didn't read the page to which I linked up at the top of this post), here's what GD3 gets ya: A simple, solid 2d6-plus-mods roll-over mechanic, with broadly-defined character stats. Charcaters can further be tricked out with bells and whistles like Gimmicks (advantages/disadvantages/powers), Roles (which bring in bonus Pursuits, aka skills) and Vocations (which require certain Pursuits and/or Gimmicks but provide non-mechanical bonuses). These add to playability without requiring too much fiddling about rules, looking stuff up, etc.
In short: It's compact and elegant.
So let's put it into Rotwang!ian Hierarchy thusly: It's up there next to D6, Castles & Crusades and Classic Traveller in my personal ranking of games.
In other words, it's amongst my go-to games.
There! That's better!
