@limburger I have to disagree that setting specific games are in a league of their own.  I think that the greatest RPG system out there at the moment is not d&d 5E as WotC like to claim with the games slogan, but Modiphius’ 2D20 system and it’s not setting specific.  Each rulebook is tailored to a specific setting in terms of the necessary background, races and applicable abilities and equipment, but the game mechanics are the same for all settings.  If you haven’t tried it I highly recommend it.  I love it so much I have Infinity and Conan and hopefully I shall soon be investing in some of tile sets (which can also be used with the Conan Boardgame so double win!)

I don’t think you need a setting specific set of rules to create flavour when you have a GM who is telling you a story which should be setting the flavour for you to which you contribute your own Role-play to further enrich it. RPGs shouldn’t, IMO, rely on mechanics to introduce flavour because mechanics can be abused and will inevitably begin to influence player actions – at which point the flavour is coming from the game mechanics and not the players and all games you play will have exactly the same flavour.

As for 5E don’t get me started.  We’re playing a game of it now and far from being the “Greatest Role-playing Game in the World” it’s anything but.  It’s OK, it’s easy enough to play (although I think they have made comat turns too complicated)but it’s really rigid in terms things like character development and relies really heavily on predefined character archetypes, which when selected govern most of the abilities your character will ever get.  If I had to make a comparison between d&d 5E and the 2D20 system it’s like the difference between McDonald’s and decent restaurant.  McDonald’s is simple, convenient and pleases the masses but there’s very little complexity, artistry or nuance to it.  For what it’s worth I have seen the other end of the scale when I played Trudvang last year.  That’s a bit like nouveau cuisine – it looks beautiful but it’s pretentious and overly complicated.