From: dhoberma@pearl.tufts.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: (GURPS) Thanks Loyd!
Date: 15 Oct 92 21:10:46 GMT
Organization: Tufts University - Medford, MA

In article <1992Oct15.170045.621@news.columbia.edu>, jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim) writes:
> 911087e@ace.acadiau.ca (JOHN ANTHONY ENZINAS) writes:
>>There are some good gurps supliments out there but gurps CYBERPUNK was not 
>>one of them although it could have been. 
>>The biggest problem was the lack of anything concrete. There were many many 
>>good ideas (ecoteurs being one of my favorites) but there was nothing solid 
>>on which to base the campaign. 
> 
> 	In general the GURPS books seem to concentrate more on making alot 
> of neat suggestions than on providing usable material. This makes for more 
> work on a GM's part, but at least it makes him think. 
> 
> 	The Cyberpunk book was quite thought-provoking - mainly in the 
> Netrunning and Campaigning sections, which notably had many good ideas for 
> social aspects of a Cyberpunk world. The 'realistic' Netrunning is an 
> excellent and original option. Character creation is, as usual, well 
> handled. 
> 
> 	My main complaint is that the equipment is straight out of 
> Ultratech, and much of the Cyberwear is direct conversions of 'Fantasy 
> Folk' and Basic Set advantages to technology. The Space-Opera ray-guns and 
> near-invulnerable armor suits are inappropriate to c-punk, IMO. And chips 
> which grant Strong Will and Charisma are also rather jarring. Many of those 
> interested in Cyberpunk who are more hard-science-oriented, I think, will be 
> annoyed at this aspect of things (I was). 
> 
> 	Regardless of the rules used, G-Cpunk is good to read for ideas, 
> but for campaign material, I highly recommend the Cyberpunk RPG and its 
> sourcebooks. GURPS Cyberworld is supposedly coming out sometime soon, but
> my expectations for it are not that high based on the other original 
> worlds I have seen for GURPS (Supers and Fantasy). 
> 
> 	How do other people feel? Would you prefer more campaign material 
> in GURPS Worldbooks? 
		^^
		Unless I am mistaken, G-Cyberpunk is a Sourcebook.
	The GURPS Cyberworld will be a WORLDBook.
        I think you meant source book in the sentence above?
	If not disregard all that is below.
	

NO! IMO it is better to have lots of suggestions, then to waste paper on
a gameworld which people may or may not like. I am one of those GM's
who enjoys creating a world, and is rarely satisfied with the "provided"
setting. 
	If we are just discussing Cyberpunk, I do recommend R.Talsorians
Cyberpunk 2020, for backgroun if not for play (in cyberspecific genre)
I like that background, probably because they give you a somewhat realisitc
progression of world events that led to the current situation rather than
going on for pages and pages about individual cities or countries.
	I like GURPS because it doesnt provide a campaign background. 
IMO that would be so much useless filler that I would never read.
I realize that other GM's may like to play in a created setting.
	For that, I think that the GURP Sourcebooks should forever be
separate from campaign settings, which should be in the Worldbooks.
Not that they should not offer suggestions, I like that part. I just don't
want to buy a 17$ book with ten pages of campaign material I dont wont.
Keep source books and world books apart, and never the twain shall meet.

	Dobie

> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> John Kim                    | "It seems, gentlemen, that the universe is 
> jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | larger than we previously imagined."
> Columbia University         |       - Einstein in 'The Proteus Operation'