GURPS 4th edition 15th anniversary

[Polydamas]

An index to rules in the GURPS books would be an excellent fan project, all it needs is an organizer and a few helpers. Since the issue right now is lack of resources, ambitious projects by SJG are not in the cards: they need to focus on getting more players and keeping money flowing in from their current base.

I like the idea of a GURPS SRD which could be patched as designers learn new things, but SJG also seems to have problems with digital projects: Ultracorps has been in testing for a long time (and coders are giving up software industry wages, not publishing industry wages, by working in the games industry).

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

An index to rules in the GURPS books would be an excellent fan project, all it needs is an organizer and a few helpers. Since the issue right now is lack of resources, ambitious projects by SJG are not in the cards: they need to focus on getting more players and keeping money flowing in from their current base.

I like the idea of a GURPS SRD which could be patched as designers learn new things, but SJG also seems to have problems with digital projects: Ultracorps has been in testing for a long time (and coders are giving up software industry wages, not publishing industry wages, by working in the games industry).

A game like Ultracorps is not really comparative to a GURPS SRD especially if one goes a Hypertext d20 and wiki like organization route.

From my experience with the GURPS wiki the biggest issue would be how much information to put into a GURPS SRD rather then coding

Obviously you don't want just a book and a page number for each listing but conversely you don't want there to be so much information that the books become redundant. A medium between those two extremes needs to struck.

Right now the GURPS wiki has the advantage of being able to tie into other sources like non SJG webpages and youtube videos.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by maximara

Obviously you don't want just a book and a page number for each listing...

Too much more than this and you risk a C&D. I know there's some leeway given, but it's stupidly easy to go far, especially on a wiki being added to by any/everyone.

[lordabdul]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

GURPS Magic. It never got a proper update treatment.

What do you mean? AFAIK, 4e Magic basically combines 3e Magic and Grimoire. Is it missing anything that isn't covered by Thaumatology?

Otherwise, yeah, I'd gladly take a new Cyberpunk and Bestiary.

Also:

• GURPS Cops/Special Ops/Black Ops, or some other police/federal agencies/etc. sourcebook.
• GURPS Traveller line. That's probably never gonna happen for various reasons but hey, we didn't say it was supposed to be plausible?

[ericbsmith]

Originally Posted by lordabdul

What do you mean? AFAIK, 4e Magic basically combines 3e Magic and Grimoire. Is it missing anything that isn't covered by Thaumatology?

Many of the spells were barely ported into 4e, many are gamebreaking in need of rewriting, some even had 3e-isms sneak in because of the poor translation. Basically, it was a rush job, and while they fit most of the material from Magic and Grimoire in they didn't take the time necessary to revise it and fix it.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by lordabdul

What do you mean? AFAIK, 4e Magic basically combines 3e Magic and Grimoire. Is it missing anything that isn't covered by Thaumatology?

Otherwise, yeah, I'd gladly take a new Cyberpunk and Bestiary.

GURPS Magic has some confusing parts where the text wasn't updated for Fourth Edition. Also as a subjective matter many people have problems with various spells and rules they felt should have been changed, but thats a matter of taste and less clear you can knock the book for that.

As for the ever popular Bestiary issue, GURPS has a LOT of bestiary type books. I think most people forget just how many because they are scattered all over the place with different titles and in different series or settings.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Refplace

As for the ever popular Bestiary issue, GURPS has a LOT of bestiary type books. I think most people forget just how many because they are scattered all over the place with different titles and in different series or settings.

That they're spread all over is actually part of the problem, IMO. I find myself reaching for my 3e Bestiary, Fantasy Bestiary, or Dinosaurs and doing the ST conversions when I need a creature, not paging through a dozen books that may not be full bestiaries - such as the selections of creatures in the Basic Set, DF2, Lands Out of Time (whose dinosaurs are actually weaker than the ones in Dinosaurs, IME), Magic, and DF5: Allies.

I'd accept a Bestiary series if it was clearly marked as a Bestiary series. F'rex: Bestiary 1: Modern Megafauna ("modern" meaning "extant or extinct in recorded history"), Bestiary 2: Classic Fantasy Creatures, Bestiary 3: Dangerous Aliens, etc.

DF5: Allies and the Dungeon Fantasy Monsters lines help, but only to a point. If I need stats for, say, a Wakandan War Rhino in my Marvel superhero game, where would I start? 3e Bestiary for rhino stats or maybe even Dinosaurs for the larger Paleocene woolly rhino (though the War Rhino would be sans fur, I think) are the two places I'd start, as I have no clue where a basic rhino is hiding in 4e - or even if one exists!

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

That they're spread all over is actually part of the problem, IMO.
I'd accept a Bestiary series if it was clearly marked as a Bestiary series. F'rex: Bestiary 1: Modern Megafauna ("modern" meaning "extant or extinct in recorded history"), Bestiary 2: Classic Fantasy Creatures, Bestiary 3: Dangerous Aliens, etc.

Agreed.
I blame Marketing. I get that sticking things in the DF line can help boost sales of the book and make the line more visible and profitable. However I think it hurts the rest of GURPS. We should not have to be fighting and hearing the meme "GURPS has no Bestiary!" all the time as a failing of GURPS.

[bert]

GURPS has a couple of small bestiaries; lots of smaller ones. Also lots of monsters in supplements like Monster Hunters and GURPS Horrors. But it has no bestiary like the Monster Manual, or the Hero System bestiary, or like virtually any other major rpg system. In this regard the DFRPG is a solid improvement.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by bert

GURPS has a couple of small bestiaries; lots of smaller ones. Also lots of monsters in supplements like Monster Hunters and GURPS Horrors. But it has no bestiary like the Monster Manual, or the Hero System bestiary, or like virtually any other major rpg system. In this regard the DFRPG is a solid improvement.

So I made a quick list and added it to the Bestiary section on the GURPS Wiki.
I did not count the books that weren't mostly monster or animal write-ups.We certainly have room for more but I think the fantasy space is pretty well covered. Mundane animals are probably covered as well as most other games between Basic and DF5: Allies.
I certainly am not saying we cant use more, I just think the "We need a Bestiary" cries are not very accurate or helpful. Requests for specific things might do better and inspire an author to make more.
Especially saying we dont have anything like a monster manual. I mean look at this list!

Creatures of the Night Vol 1
Creatures of the Night Vol 2
Creatures of the Night Vol 3
Creatures of the Night Vol 4
Creatures of the Night Vol 5

Dragons (Written at end of Third Edition so has conversion notes for Fourth Edition)

Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies Primarily animal companions but also has Divine Servitors.
Dungeon Fantasy 9: Summoners Summon-able creatures such as elementals and demons.
Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 1
Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 2: Icky Goo Slimes and such
Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 3: Born of Myth and Magic
Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 4: Dragons
DFRPG Monsters
DFRPG Monsters 2 (Coming soon)

Lands Out of Time Mostly dinosaurs
Zombies