Somebody asked me that a while back via e-mail, here is pretty much what I told them:
First I want to say how great FUBAR is.
It is the sole reason for me getting back into 6mm sci-fi after about 20 years or so away.
FUBAR is still for my money the best one sheet rules system ever.
It does what it sets out to in great style, I really really like FUBAR.
A lot.
So after making it clear that FUBAR is great I want to answer your question.
Though of course I may be bias
.!
I prefer the KR 16 activation system.
(Though I would say that!)
In FUBAR a typical squad will activate on a 4+ and then carry out any of the commands you wish.
In KR 16 a typical squad's activation depends on what you are asking it to do.
In FUBAR a squad coming under heavy fire is just as likely to retreat as they are to attach bayonets and charge. The typical 4+ to activate applies to all orders, regardless of what that order is.
In KR 16 squads under fire are more likely to retreat.
In KR 16 for example take cover is a 2+, fall back is a 3+, engage is a 5+ etc.
It seemed wrong to me somehow that a squad being bombarded would be just as likely to run across open ground toward the enemy as it would be to take cover.
So this is reflected in KR 16 commands having different difficulties.
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FUBAR troops can choose to take damage as suppression instead of damage.
The higher the troop's ‘status'; green, regular, elite etc the more suppression they can take and thus the more damage they can ignore.
I did not like the idea that a squad of elites can ignore damage because they are experienced; to me a body is a body.
If you explode a tank shell into a squad, they are gonna get hurt no matter how many tours they have done
Now; I know that is a very simplistic view and I know that with every game there are reasons why mechanics do what they do, and it is not that simple, however that is how the mechanics work.
More experienced FUBAR squads can take more suppression and thus avoid deaths.
In KR 16, any hit passed the first that fails a saving throw will kill someone.
In FUBAR you can fail multiple saves and have the people still live (albeit not function well) in KR 16, failing multiple saves means deaths.
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The vehicle rules in KR 16 are a lot more fleshed out and have a system where a roll on the damage table is modified by the amount of damage of done.
An example being that in FUBAR if a single weapon caused 4 hits and the target failed all 4 saves then you roll on the damage chart 4 times.
In KR 16 if a single weapon caused 4 hits and the target failed all 4 saves then you roll on the damage chart only once but you add +3 to the damage roll, this reflects the power that the firing weapon has.
That I think highlights the main differences:
Activation and commands
Damage to squads
Vehicle rules
I want again to make clear that I like FUBAR and whilst both games are free and skirmish based I think they are aiming for slightly different goals.
FUBAR is fast and simple.
KR 16 is fast and not quite so simple.
Both are easy to learn and play and you should be able to pick the game up for both after about the third turn.
I think it really comes to what you want from a game, but ain't that always the case!
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Michael.