From: hall@bcstec.ca.boeing.com (Robert J. Hall)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS Rewrite
Date: 12 Aug 92 17:09:33 GMT
Organization: Boeing Computer Services, Seattle



 > Laird Popkin writes:

 > The system works pretty well as it's written now, but it
 > couldn't hurt to pull out the optional rules and group them into separate
 > sections, for "gritty realism" and "cinematic realism" to cover the two
 > directions you can go from the combat system.

  That sounds even better. With sections for Quick, Standard, Detailed,
Cinematic, and Mass Combat; the system will be much more "Universal".

 > Mythus didn't originate it.  I proposed the same idea here last year, and
 > I am sure that I wasn't the first.  In GURPS terms, you could think of
 > "speed" and "finesse" and so on as modifiers to the base stats, and
 > implement them as advantages and disadvantages.  These already exist to an
 > extent (e.g. Strong/Weak Will, Eidetic Memory, etc.), but it could probably
 > be expanded.  The danger, of course, is that you could easily move too far
 > in the direction of "detail" and sacrifice "playability".  The 4 stats that
 > GURPS uses is too few, but I wouldn't want to see them all expanded into 3+
 > sub-stats, giving 16+ stats to deal with.  Four may be too few, but my
 > preference is that the number of stats be kept as small as possible, with
 > advantages and disadvantages used to flesh out aspects of characters (such
 > as appearance) which are usually "normal".

  I'd like to see the stat modifiers moved off into their own sections of the
Ad/Disad chapters, so that it is clear they are secondary stats and not just
an advantage. This is done more of a selling point than as a major change.
However, it would clear things up a bit for newcomers.

  IMHO, groups should have the choice of whether they want a few or many stats.
If a group just wants to just use DX on most of the skills, they should be
able to do so. Likewise, if a group wants DX+Speed, DX+Finesse, DX+Reaction
as separate abilities, they should also be allowed to do so. This will give
the game system more "Universal" appeal. (This should only require a little
more detail in each of the skill headers. The (Physical/Hard) would need to
be changed to something like (DX+Speed/Hard), etc. I don't think that's a
major complication.)

 >>  For the skills, I'd like to see the all points increased by a factor
 >>of 8 or 10, so we don't get these 1/2 point skills. I'd also like the
 >>skill levels start at a much lower value for low point totals. (Stat/2?)

 > Why?  This makes advantages and stats a much better deal.  That is, unless
 > everything scales up in price equally, in which case nothing changes.

  Well, everything would be scaled up equally. This is done so that the poor
GM has a greater range of choice when it comes to handing out CPs. It's also
a matter of taste: some people don't like handling 1/4 or 1/2 points.

  The skills should start out lower because it makes an expert more valueable,
and a bigger investment in CPs is required to become good at something.
With the points scaled up by 8, it still wouldn't be that hard to bring a
skill up to a decent level. It just takes more of a commitment in points.

 > I think that the "extensions" to the system need to be worked back into the
 > base system.  Most of the changes for a 4th edition should be the "obvious
 > ones" since on the whole, GURPS works well.  (IMHO, of course)

  Yup. Whether IMHO or IMPO, GURPS is a very good system that only needs a bit
more work to become great.
-- 
 Bob Hall, Systems Analyst | "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
 Boeing Computer Services  | Then give up. No use being a damn fool about it."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc