This will be the article of the reversed order. Let me start with the necessary disclaimer:

I think I need to explain my reasoning why system matters -- because that's a kinda controversial statement these days.

Now, you can certainly run almost any game with almost any system. (I still struggle to imagine "My little pony" with Warhammer 2e mechanics, but that's just me!) However, some systems would help you while running some genres, while others would actually hinder you or remain largely unused. I think it's safer if I don't give examples for the "hindering" mechanics, and as far as the helpful ones are concerned -- just check GUMSHOE and how it helps running mystery games.

So, picking the right system for the setting and genre is actually an important part of preparation -- the part that spends you effort later, after you're running the campaign (and I'm all for anything that would spend me some effort, as long as it doesn't reduce the quality of the game).

Now, let me give you an example about this, using the wuxia genre to illustrate the point -- simply because that's what I've been running and playing lately.

(Besides, the genre isn't that known, and picking the right system might be more of a challenge to GMs compared to a fantasy game, so someone might actually benefit from this information).

For those not really familiar with wuxia, the genre is about the adventures and lives of the Chinese "knight-erants", the xia, and their rivalries. These are often tied to ethics, power, religion, women, men, families, competing martial schools, or the rivalry to own scrolls with powerful martial arts manuals, vendettas and the like.

It just so happened (yeah, right!) that I was running wuxia games in 3 different systems (BRP, ORE, LotW), with 3 different groups, and playing in another one (Qin: The Warring kingdoms). So here I'm going to share my observations, without pretending they're the TRUTH .... But at least, this is speaking from experience, and I can tell you my experience.

Take my opinion for what it is, no more and no less. And yes. It's subjective. All game texts, GM advice, and even choice of mechanics is subjective. Because even if the game is the best fit for the genre, if it doesn't wok for your group, it doesn't work. But that's not something I can address in an article -- I can only share what worked for me, and explain why it worked

Now, allow me to reverse the usual order again (you were warned!) I'm going to present you first my conclusions for what you need in a wuxia system, so it fits the genre better, and makes your life as a GM or a player easier.

My Wuxia Criteria

A roll-then-narrate system. That suggests particular outcomes based on the dice is almost a must. Practice just showed it works best, because you can declare basic intentions (say, kick the guy in the chest and defend while he tries to go for the riposte), but after the roll, the system helps shaping them into something interesting and genre-appropriate (so he parries your attack, and counters with a palm to the top of the head, but you manage to protect your head by rapidly deflecting it aside -- and everything after the kick of this was suggested by the ORE system). With a system that only tells you whether you succeed, you can do it, but it's going to be a bit harder to come up with the manoeuvres. And frankly, the GM has enough things to track already, no matter what is the game.

Rules for combining actions with different skills. That's one of the strongest points of ORE. If the character can't climb, write poetry and fight at the same time, it's going to be a problem using it for Wuxia. Or you'd have to handwave a lot, or simply invent your own rule for that.

Not wasting good dice rolls is generally pretty important. In wuxia, the fight is part of the excitement -- a major part, actually. Thus, anything that impacts the mood at the table negatively is a bad thing.

And players often hate it when the result of a good die roll is that nothing happens. It might not grant you a win, but it should at least have an entertaining effect! And yes, the importance of that one can really vary between groups. Some of my groups cared way less than the others.

Relatively low lethality, but with the option to suddenly become very deadly. The system should be able to emulate the flow of a good combat, with maybe some scratches and lighter wounds, and then when you manage to get the upper hand, you can perform a single strike that ends it abruptly. I simply find that genre-appropriate.

Unified system allowing for non-combat conflicts that involve the system to the same degree as during combat. This might be one where people disagree, but I like it when words to influence your opponent are just as important as actually being better than striking and parrying. And it's definitely genre-appropriate to win by making your enemy doubt his cause!

Suggestions for genre-appropriate actions that are rewarded. Kind of a no-brainer for any genre-based game.

A light enough system that you wouldn't need to check too much stuff during the game. You want the action to go smooth, and that generally means everybody should be able to play without referencing the book.

Setting and genre information in the book. Not everybody is a scholar in Chinese culture, and even a native player might have trouble coming up with description of setting-appropriate period clothing. (I know I'd have problems with some clothing and customs from my own country).

With that in mind, let me see how the four systems I've tried handled this.

Qin

Qin is really good, but best for grittier kind of wuxia.

Qin is very good when you want the characters teaming up on the villain at the end of the game to be able to overcome him. However, it also requires that the players be on board with the genre. Any stunts will be there because you wanted them, and seldom because they gave you a noticeable advantage -- or at least just using the combat action to attack might not be such an inferiour option.

Again, this fits grittier wuxia to a T. Also, weapons are rather important in that game, which I find fits the genre -- beating someone empty-handed shows you're way better. This might not be everyone's preference, though.

OTOH, the system has a treasure of setting information. And when I say a treasure, believe me, I don't use such words lightly. From mores and clothing to political information, it's all there!

BRP

Making more than one action at the same time is the main problem here. It's mostly left to the GM to handle, but really, I find a GM always has enough stuff to handle. Anything the system takes off my shoulders is a good thing.

BRP is known for lethality, but with the Dragon Lines and Celestial Empire supplements, it really wasn't causing any issues with this. If anything, it was the slowest to inflict actual injuries when the PCs are evenly matched with the antagonists.

In a movie, parrying everything and getting parried every time is fun. For a game, I'd rather have it be represented by a single exchange that gives you some advantage, so you don't go straight for the kill. Alas, no such advantage is part of the system. Going straight for the kill is still the best option, especially since a critical on your attack is unlikely to be parried.

In practice, we hated it even more when the rolls were evenly matched. When people rolled some good dice, they were excited. When the opponent rolled as well and nothing happened as a result, with the few attacks that make it through having no immediate effect, it looked like a waste of a good roll to us.

I was toying with the idea to make all rolls opposition rolls, and to have only the players roll and describe the results, both for offence and defence. It might have alleviated the problem a bit.

Worst of all, especially for a wuxia game, it didn't lead to interesting fights. Attack, parry, counter, parry, attack, parry … if I wasn't throwing some bonus challenges -- like fighting with a couple guys trying to steal a painting and trying to prevent them from leaving with it -- it would be just hit-and-parry sequences. These are more entertaining in a movie, IMO.

Now, if I was using Legend/RQ6, the last two issues wouldn't exist. However, trying to run a wuxia game with an old-school approach turned out to be piling work on the GM. Too bad, because the system is actually quite promising in many respects (the rules for improving with a manual inspired me quite a lot for my campaign)! Also on the plus side, the system was never too slow, so at least the game went fast and with little consulting the rules.

And, well, it has good setting information. The historical parts might stand to be thicker, though that is not the authors' fault.

Legends of the Wulin

LotW was quite the opposite. The game has brilliant mechanical ideas, like the Laughs At/Fears mechanic (which reminds me of the Advantage system John Wick is using for his games like Enemy Gods). It almost runs itself, when you account for the interaction of Deeds and Loresheets. While it's quite slow in play, everything you do, matters. And it rewards creative fights. All of this, and the genre support really drives home the themes of the relatively high-powered wuxia.

The only issue, which turned out to be too much for our group? Why, it was the bookkeeping! Tracking who has what Chi and how much left, what Internals were used already, and just adding up all the different bonuses, was a PITA. But when you want detailed and genre-appropriate fights or even dialogues? I'd reach for LotW without a second thought!

Also, I must repeat that the setting information is almost on the level of Qin. Although LotW is more appropriate for high-powered wuxia, and consequently, describes a different setting. For example, politics isn't really addressedÖ except when it concerns the societies of the xia. In Qin, you have descriptions of each of the Warring kingdoms. Both approaches fit their own genre -- but I still give Qin the higher mark on setting info because of that.

ORE

The version we used was StarORE, because 1) It's free and 2) We all agreed that the difference between Jedi and Xia is mostly in who can use their sword's blade to melt down metal. At the same time, StarORE is complex enough in its 14 pages to allow us for a game stretching for months.

Actually, after reworking the rules to avoid causing too much instant kills, it fitted almost all the requirements. The inherent high lethality meant that you only fought until you spent all Willpower. After that, death was swift to follow, so surrender was important as well (and my houserules allowed PCs to be captured more often than killed even if they chose to fight). Of course, it didn't have any setting material and genre-appropriate actions weren't really suggested. But it does just fine, and this campaign is still running strong.

Of course, I think it's clear that this campaign doesn't have its own setting info, since we're using a re-purposed system. But with several other wuxia systems and a few books on China, setting material wasn't really my first issue. Actually, I plundered all the other wuxia books on my hard drive quite happily and without a second thought! Setting info is more interchangeable between systems than mechanics. Not that you can't adapt those as well, but you need to adapt them at least a bit.

In Conclusion

This was part-review, part-comparison between systems. However, the important part is the list in the beginning. You need to make such a list for any genre you haven't played extensively, or any setting with unfamiliar themes. Then look for a system that covers this!

Believe me on this -- it will save you lots of frustration down the line.

If I had managed to identify these criteria faster, I'd have probably been able to improve some of the actual campaigns quite a bit. As it is, two of the game have folded, not failing or anything, just folded and were replaced by other games. Well, the groups were in the mood to play something else, but when a game is good enough, it tends to create interest.

Of course, in order to identify the requirements for such a list, it's important that you try different systems in the same genre. But now, that's just part of the fun!