[jimminy]

(STANDS ON SOAPBOX)


CHARACTER CREATION:

I found the first chapter makes it pretty clear which rules you'll need for your style of game and which you won't. It spells out pretty quickly that it's a big book with a lot of options; the system itself is simple.

Yes, GCA makes character creation a LOT easier.

Personally I think 4e is a major cleanup of 3e. Stats in 3e were silly. The GM had to set controls but now the controls are built in. Even in low powered games ruthless players with a bit of experience could design themselves monstrosities with ridiculous DX and IQ who could derail any adventure. Not so now. The rules in general seem more clearly defined.

FINDING RULES:

It's easier. The benefit of GURPS is they have most obscure situations covered in the rules. That's great, but in 3e I could never find those rules. Now I can.

POWERS:

Powers IS daunting. I am going to start a game soon... After we have a day set aside to make characters. But you always need a day set aside for characters in any RPG, I find, unless everyone wants the most basic fighter. Powers is daunting but... dammit, I'm glad it's not just a list of things. Lists, slotting in a few abilities, that gets exhausted too quick. There are so many possibilities. Scary, but... Pays off in the long run. Will that scare off new players? I don't know. I played GURPS casually back in the day, and gradually GURPS became the only game I wanted to play. 4e set this in stone.

GMing:

The simple fact is GURPS is harder to run. No pre-made game worlds (not really, well sort of ok, no well not really, they all come with lots of options) and you can't just throw combat at players to pass the time, because they'll die (where is the GMs greatest cheat!). It has made me plan my games in much more detail, be better prepared, and think about my campaign in detail in terms of STORY (rather than in statistics, or background, or whatever) like never before. In short, it has made me a better GM for any game I run in future. In fact, it has made me MUCH better. I will always think of GURPS as the system that raised me to the next level as far as GMing as concerned, but then, I'll probably stay playing GURPS from now. Preaching to the converted, huh?

WHAT I LOVE MOST:

Honestly? The 4e rules spell out that each GURPS game is most about genre. Not reality. Not combat, or worlds even, or rules when you get down to it. You think of the style of book, TV show, movie, comic or whatever you want to emulate, and choose the rest based on that. To me that was the key to running GURPS after years of D and D.

For the record, I run a gritty WWII game, with a hint of action/adventure, and the players love it so much I can safely say they've been converted to the system. In the past I have played homebrew space; a satire of 'reality' in my home city; atomic horror (once) and a touch of fantasy (sheepish look).

Every game has pros and cons. For me, the pros of GURPS far outweigh the cons. And so folks, choose the system that best suits you and your players! I'll be happy for you. Well not really because I won't know or care really. But let's pretend I'm a humanist.