Quote Originally Posted by Knaight View Post
GURPS sounds right up your alley, though it is a pretty rules heavy game. There are also a few other excellent options, starting with the ORE system, particularly the Nemesis and REIGN implementations. Nemesis is a free action-horror game with a really solid mechanical underpinning, not too much crunch (though it's not rules light), and some really cool features. It is also free. REIGN is a fantasy implementation of the same system which strips out the horror and adds in lots of organizational interactions and political intrigue. It is also not free. You also might like Legends of the Five Rings, which is a fantasy game heavily inspired by the history and mythology of Japan. Then there's Burning Wheel, which is an excellent fantasy game that is heavily inspired by Tolkien's work and does a much better job with it than D&D ever did. It's extremely crunchy, but the organization is actually pretty well done, as opposed to the mess that is Shadowrun organization.

Honestly, the biggest problem with your request is that it's still pretty broad. Feel free to narrow down to a particular genre, and we can probably come up with another few games that can work in it.

I haven't tried GURPS but i hear bad things about it all the time. Is this all hate coming from people that are settled on their own games or legitimate problems with the system?

The Shadowrun combat systems are really cool, but like i said before the system itself is far too bloated and the rules are just a chore to find. I also love the setting of Shadowrun, but the cyberspace thing is a little meh.

Gritty medieval or D&D setting games are good too, but they tend to have a level system.

Basically anything with an great, intuitive combat system that has solid attacking/blocking/dodging mechanics, but players cant have 300hp and live through a point-blank nuke (hyperbole, but you get the point). And at the same time has the expansive world and/or universe with many things to do.

I am going to take a good long look at every system mentioned in this thread and make suggestions to my players and hopefully i find something. If there are more suggestions they are definitely welcome.