Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-26-2010, 06:02 AM   #51
Mgellis
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Flushing, Michigan
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuroshima View Post
Right now, I'm getting some experience in writing for SJG by doing Pyramid articles (Not a native English speaker) and I must say that using the style guide and the formatting patterns takes some work to get used to. Once I feel confident that I can write up to the standard of SJG, and meet deadlines, I'll check what remains to be done, as before then, it would be vaporware (And being in the software industry, I HATE vaporware)
I'm not sure if you're using Word, but you can download SJG-WYSIWYG.dot, which you can then load into Word. It is a style sheet. That way the styles (a-head, b-head, text, etc.) are all loaded and you can just select the ones you need as necessary.

The format still takes a bit of getting used to, but the .dot file helps.

Mark
Mgellis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 07:49 AM   #52
carllarson
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain-Captain View Post
And in doing all that, it became a heavier crunch book than Powers itself, which didn't do that. This btw is NOT an attack on Psionic Powers. It's a statement of a simple fact and relevant here by the other simple fact that the OP specifically used Psionic Powers as an example of why she was having trouble getting back into to GURPS.

Finding ways to dilute the crunch or make it easy for the newbie to build up an immunity to it's crunch shock would be good things to do.
I agree that overall, GPP was crunch-heavy. However, I also believe that the upramp to that crunch was done well. And remember that there are more types of players than just new or returning interested in GURPS publications. That alone requires many levels in any publication. And is part and parcel of publishing GURPS as an encompassing system, a toolkit.

The issue I think is the layout of the book. (Yet I'd not change it in any way. For me, it works.) It gives the base ability, a description, and then how the author designed the ability, level by level. For a new or returning player, that 3d step is a doozy. And there is where the crunch overwhelms folks. Yet, a disclaimer, or a formal drawing of lines between lighter and heavier rules, would offend some folks. And, do we really want or need two books, creamy and crunchy, for every genre?
carllarson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 08:02 AM   #53
PK
 
PK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dobbstown Sane Asylum
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

I'd just like to note that the beginning of Chapter 3 describes the "crunchy" section thusly:
Statistics: The actual ability build. Those who don't need to modify the ability can skip this section.
There is no reason for anyone to need to look at or understand the Statistics line, for any of the abilities, unless they want to peek under the hood or do some modification. And the text makes this rather explicit.

After all, if you buy Telereceive 2 you just write "Telereceive 2 [36]" with your advantages. You don't write "Mind Reading (Melee Attack, C, -30%; Telepathy, -10%) [18] + Mind Probe (Telepathy, -10%) [18]". And if anyone has been doing that, then You're Doing It Wrong. :)
__________________
Reverend Pee Kitty of the Order Malkavian-Dobbsian (Twitter) (LJ)

MyGURPS: My house rules and GURPS resources.

#SJGamesLive: I answered questions about GURPS After the End and more!
{Watch Video} - {Read Transcript}

Last edited by PK; 04-26-2010 at 08:06 AM.
PK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 10:31 AM   #54
Not another shrubbery
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty
After all, if you buy Telereceive 2 you just write "Telereceive 2 [36]" with your advantages. You don't write "Mind Reading (Melee Attack, C, -30%; Telepathy, -10%) [18] + Mind Probe (Telepathy, -10%) [18]". And if anyone has been doing that, then You're Doing It Wrong. :)
*grumble* <looks for an eraser>

heh
Not another shrubbery is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 12:23 PM   #55
carllarson
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty View Post
I'd just like to note that the beginning of Chapter 3 describes the "crunchy" section thusly:
Statistics: The actual ability build. Those who don't need to modify the ability can skip this section.
There is no reason for anyone to need to look at or understand the Statistics line, for any of the abilities, unless they want to peek under the hood or do some modification. And the text makes this rather explicit.

After all, if you buy Telereceive 2 you just write "Telereceive 2 [36]" with your advantages. You don't write "Mind Reading (Melee Attack, C, -30%; Telepathy, -10%) [18] + Mind Probe (Telepathy, -10%) [18]". And if anyone has been doing that, then You're Doing It Wrong. :)
This is what I mean. Its plainly written, and IMHO to emphasize it even more could be considered patronizing. There's a wide variety of folks playing GURPS, which means a wide target audience.
carllarson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 12:59 PM   #56
Kuroshima
MIB
Pyramid Contributor
Mad Spaniard Rules Lawyer
 
Kuroshima's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: The ASS of the world, mainly Valencia, Spain (Europe)
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mgellis View Post
I'm not sure if you're using Word, but you can download SJG-WYSIWYG.dot, which you can then load into Word. It is a style sheet. That way the styles (a-head, b-head, text, etc.) are all loaded and you can just select the ones you need as necessary.

The format still takes a bit of getting used to, but the .dot file helps.

Mark
I'm using OpenOffice, but it's exactly the same. The word template is MANDATORY noadays, so I had to get used to it. The hardest part was unlearning bad habits (like adding empty lines, or putting spaces at the end of the lines, and when to add half-lines, what styles to use in a box,...)

Another hard thing was getting the right styles and formats for templates, new traits, etc etc. There's a big document by Kromm with the examples, but it took some time to get used to it, and write directly using it, instead of having to go back and revise.

Finally, the actual writing style is also hard to get, specially for someone who is not a native English speaker. SJG prides itself with quality, and so the style guide is rather massive, but in the end, you get it.

Folks, if I could get a Pyramid article published, so can you ;)
__________________
Antoni Ten
MIB3119
My GURPs character sheet
My stuff on e23
Kuroshima is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 06:53 PM   #57
capnq
 
capnq's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pittsburgh PA USA
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mgellis View Post
I'm not sure if you're using Word, but you can download SJG-WYSIWYG.dot, which you can then load into Word.
Open Office can read and use .dot files, as well.
__________________
Cap'n Q

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. -- Mark Twain
capnq is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2010, 07:14 PM   #58
shawnhcorey
 
shawnhcorey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: The Great White North
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by capnq View Post
Open Office can read and use .dot files, as well.
Any word processor than can read and write *.doc files can use *.dot ones. The only difference between them is that their names end in different letters. What is inside them is the same.
__________________
How do you keep a fool busy? Turn upside down for answer.
˙ɹǝʍsuɐ ɹoɟ uʍop ǝpısdn uɹnʇ ¿ʎsnq ןooɟ ɐ dǝǝʞ noʎ op ʍoɥ
shawnhcorey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2010, 08:58 AM   #59
vitruvian
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty View Post
I'd just like to note that the beginning of Chapter 3 describes the "crunchy" section thusly:
Statistics: The actual ability build. Those who don't need to modify the ability can skip this section.
There is no reason for anyone to need to look at or understand the Statistics line, for any of the abilities, unless they want to peek under the hood or do some modification. And the text makes this rather explicit.

After all, if you buy Telereceive 2 you just write "Telereceive 2 [36]" with your advantages. You don't write "Mind Reading (Melee Attack, C, -30%; Telepathy, -10%) [18] + Mind Probe (Telepathy, -10%) [18]". And if anyone has been doing that, then You're Doing It Wrong. :)
Unless you want a GM who doesn't have the Psionic Powers supplement to be able to read your character sheet and understand what abilities you've got...
vitruvian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-28-2010, 09:31 AM   #60
B9anders
 
B9anders's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Denmark
Default Re: Psionics in 4th Ed: I'm not getting it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty View Post
Disclaimer: As the author and an employee, I'm automatically biased in what I'm about to say. Doesn't mean it's not genuine and sincere advice, though.

I'd strongly recommend checking out GURPS Psionic Powers. It was written specifically for both the "I find psi confusing" crowd and the "I liked the power/skill approach of 3e" crowd. It is 100% GURPS/4e, but done in a way that those who used the old psi system seem to understand much better. Every significant ability comes in power levels and has an associated skill -- and if you're skilled enough, you can even learn to bend the rules in fun ways.

Hit e23 and look at the free preview -- or see if your FLGS has a physical copy in stock to flip through.

And if you like it, buy it, and still want something to make psychic character creation even faster and easier, GURPS Psis (a book of templates, "grab-n-go" premade packages of Psionic Powers, and character creation advice) is coming out pretty darn soon.
With apologies to the reverend, I would nevertheless argue that if this is a case of 'I'm confused about psionics' moreso than 'I want 3rd edition psionics' then, as much as I like Psionic Powers, I would have to recommend Powers as the first book to get.

It adresses pretty much everything you'd want to know about psionics in 4th edition, provides plenty of sample power groups, how to interpret power modifiers, the distinctions between source and power, etc.

Psionic Powers is basically 'just' certain rules found in Powers applied to iron out a pre-packaged skill-based system reminiscient of 3rd edition. Which, if that is what you want, you should go for, but if you are more interested in really understanding how it all works, Powers is definitely in the first tier of books to get. It's as close as you can get to a 3rd Basic Set rulebook.
B9anders is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
4th edition, help me out there, psionics, rules

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:18 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.