From: laird@think.com (Laird Popkin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: New From SJ Games!
Date: 13 Oct 1992 12:07:22 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: django.think.com

In article <cm182s182.05j4@pdrome.UUCP> cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner) writes:
>John,
> 
>  I am sorry, but I just can't see GURPS Bunnies and Burrows...I just can't.  
>I have tried, but I just can't see it.  I still have my original copy of 
>Bunnies and Burrows (I have two copies in fact) and I have some fond memories 
>of the time we found that hunter's camp and some dead rabbits and vowed 
>revenge so we waited for the bastard to show up, tripped him with a branch we 
>found, and then shot him with his own gun...but I just can't see a GURPS 
>verwsion...I don't know why...maybe because the guy at the local gaming store 
>siad he felt a GURPS version would not be as much fun.  I gotta ask 
>though...if there is going to be a Bunnies and Burrows book for GURPS, when is 
>there going to be a TOON book....
> 
>Skeksis

I have to admit that I don't have the final copy of GURPS B&B, but having
read the draft, knowing the author, and knowing that the author of the
original B&B said that he was delighted with GURPS B&B, and having played a
session of GURPS B&B recently and a fair amount of B&B back in school, I
feel pretty safe in saying that GURPS B&B works at least as well as the
original, and benefits from run on top of a system that covers more options
than the original.

Toon GURPS is unlikely for a number of reasons.  First off, Toon is
inherently a completely silly game, so it doesn't make sense to add GURPS'
detail and realism to Toon -- neither GURPS nor Toon would gain anything
from a cross-over.  Second, both games are currently in print and well
supported.  Third, Toon works fine as it is.  So there's no reason for
anyone (aside from obsessive collectors) to buy such a thing...

Contrast this to other GURPS "crossover" books that have been proposed or
written.  Bunnies and Burrows has been out of print for years, and had only
minimal rules when it was in print.  GURPS Paranoia was talked about, since
Paranoia has a great world background, but (1st edition) weak rules, but
West End Games nixed the deal and came out with the "after the computer"
material instead.  GURPS Japan could be viewed as a "Bushido" crossover in
a way, since (if I recall correctly) it was written by the author of
Bushido, but that system is out of print.  And then there was GURPS
Autoduel, which added GURPS roleplaying to Car Wars, or added Car Wars
vehicular combat to GURPS, depending on how you look at it; it was a good
idea, but badly flawed.  As a friend put it "everything in it is great
except for the vehicles, weapons, and rules".

In general, SJ Games avoids licensing the subjects of existing (even if
unpublished) games, since (typically) it costs a lot of money to re-license
things.  For example, GURPS Dune is unlikely since someone already has the
license for Dune games.  I was rather surprised that SJ Games did GURPS
Bunnies and Burrows, though I'm certainly not complaining!

-- 
- Laird Popkin, Thinking Machines

Connection Machine: Massively parallel supercomputer.  Also a cool black
cube with more blinking lights than you can shake a stick at.