There is more to it than a simple dichotomy into gamified RPGs with complex rules and rules-light games focusing on role-playing. There were some rules-light g

There is more to it than a simple dichotomy into gamified RPGs with complex rules and rules-light games focusing on role-playing. There were some rules-light games in the 90s, appealing to a different kind of people than D&D. Vampire, Werewolf, and other Storyteller games were the most prominent. But there were also games like Cyberpunk and and Shadowrun, which were kind of similar to D&D in their target audience. But different game mechanics led to different approaches to encounters and ultimately to different outcomes. Call of Cthulhu was thematically very different. There were no expectations that the characters would grow stronger over time, and fighting was rarely the right answer. Ars Magica was kind of like an RPG for accountants. Resource management became important, when you had tens of characters living in a hidden fortress for decades. Then there were many niche games. Fading Suns had an interesting setting that combined many genres. The rules were kind of related to the Storyteller system, but there was so much added stuff that it never really worked. Unknown Armies was another interesting game with a very different setting. It was one of the first games I remember with rules designed to support a specific style of storytelling.