Decisions, Decisions

As some of you probably noticed, I kind of disappeared for a while. There were a couple of reasons for my disappearance: 1) There were a lot of real-world issues that I had to take care of, 2) Most of my gaming group went out of town for the summer break and it would have been too hard to transition to an online game, and 3) I was starting to feel somewhat burned out and I needed a break from the hobby.

Thankfully, I've taken care of most of those real-life issues and my enthusiasm for the hobby has been renewed. Now, I'm itching to get back behind the screen and run a game or two. However, I need to find a few players and figure out what kind of game do I want to run. 

If I wanted to keep things simple, I'd probably run a Pathfinder game. It's a game that I and a lot of players know and it would be really easy for me to slip back into. However, if I were to run a Pathfinder game, I'd probably limit players to the Core Rulebook at first so I don't have to worry about all of the feats, archetypes, alternate classes, and other options. 

Another game that I've been wanting to run for a very long time is The Dresden Files RPG by Evil Hat Studios. I've always been a big fan of the FATE system and I love Jim Butcher's books. However, FATE isn't as ubiquitous as Pathfinder and I'd probably have to teach it to new players and there's always the chance they might want to try the system in the first place. 

Mutants & Masterminds is also another fall back system for me. While it does have its fair share of crunch, it's surprisingly simple once you get the hang of it and it would be fun to run a light-hearted, four-color superhero game. However, the crunch might be intimidating to new players. 

Finally, I think it would be pretty fun to run a Science Fiction game using Savage Worlds. The system is relatively simple and it would be perfect for a more pulpy, space fantasy game that I'd probably want to run. However, I'd have to create a lot from scratch and there's a good chance the players might not be into the flavor of science fiction I'd like to run. 

So, I have a decision to make. Should I just go with the familiar Pathfinder so I can ease myself back into the GM chair? Should I go with Dresden and FATE? Should I give the capes and superpowers a try? Or should I do the work and run a fun, space fantasy game powered by Savage Worlds? 

Maybe I should just roll a d4 and see where my luck takes me.