From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: SJG licenses White Wolf's Vampire
Originator: jmkaraka@c00031-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Keywords: Vampire, SJG
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 00:25:29 GMT


|>	I'll admit, as you can probably tell from my previous posts, I'm
|>pretty much opposed to the idea of GURPS Vampire.  But having read a few of
|>the other posts on the topic, I'm finding the idea harder and harder to
|>believe for three reasons.
|>	There was a great post earlier about the logistics problems in converting Vampire to GURPS (sorry I couldn't remember the number of the article, or I
|>would have quoted it).  I just don't see how feasible converting the system
|>would be--who's products would be canon for the game, would every NPC have
|>two sets of stats, in short, how could this be done?

        a) GURPS authors have successfully converted worlds with no published
rules (i.e. NOVELS!).         ^^^^^^^^^^^^
        b) The way I've seen SJG handle licensed stuff to date is to put out
a 'worldbook' and let the players run from there!  I'm sure conversion rules
are going to be included in the 'Vampire worldbook' so GURPS players will
probably be ENCOURAGED to buy WW products!
        c) I don't know why you find it hard to believe.  I've heard from at
least three sources I trust that it is a fait accompli (i.e. the inks on the
check, sweetheart.).

|>	Secondly, if I remember correctly, and I asked at a gaming store 
|>yesterday to confirm this, Steve Jackson Games almost went bankrupt last year.
|>Their sales are way down, and I don't know if they would have the money or
|>credit after their past problems to pull this off.

        d) SJG DID have some problems (partly caused by the infamous 'raid'
but they're doing fine now.  (They bought this license, didn't they?)

|>	Thirdly, having met Mark Rein-Hegan, Andrew Greenberg, and Tom Dowd
|>(of Shadowrun fame, but he did have a significant role in designing the 
|>Storyteller system and I'm sure he still owns a piece of it) I don't feel they
|>would give their baby up.  If White Wolf would license to *anyone* it would
|>be FASA--a company they are actually on good terms with.

        e) Explain the sources note at the end of VTM that lists GURPS as
one of the games that WW lists as an influence/really neat thing.
(as a side note, MANY other games recommend various GURPS products as
good reading material/sources of gaming related info.)
        f) Your last line there implies that they are NOT on good terms
with SJG.  See note d)
        g) Again...  THEY ARE NOT GIVING ANYTHING UP!  Sales of GURPS vampire
will not hurt WW.  It will HELP WW!  Not only direct paybacks from the books
sold, but on the WW VTM supplements sold, and on the gamers who will buy
the ORIGINAL VTM  (VTMII now, :)  Bigger market=more money=more supplements
for diehard WW-only-all-other-games-suck fans.

|>
|>	I'm taking GURPS Vampire with a wait and see attitude

      h) That's the only reasonable attitude.  I'm, frankly, surprised to
see it here.


|>Christine
|>		Until you've played Vampire the Masquerade,
|>		all you've been doing is rolling the dice.

       i) ever hear of Amber?  (no dice at all!  needs a great GM, though)
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