Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games

[trappedslider]

After waiting for a while i decided to play devil's advocate and ask the question:

Why do you think GURPS isn't as popular as the D20 system and its games and why poeple don't like GURPS.

*hides in a bunker somewhere far away*

[Mylon]

GURPS isn't too popular with my friends because they just think of role playing in a different manner. They tend to prefer the high fantasy "cool" stuff, and the system itself favors a grittier style of play. Character creation is fairly detailed and requires a decent amount more thought than the d20, "I'm a mage" style of character creation. Thus D20 allows to pick a role and have a character they don't need to put much thought into and the system isn't too complex (for them, anyway). Which I should note is a valid style of play. Characters can develop a much better sense of personality and history through play than if it was all pre-written.

My primary complaint against GURPS is the probability curve. My secondary one is the stat/skill relationship. Unless every stressful (ie, adventuring) action is at a -4 penalty or so, half of the probability curve goes unused, which in turn encourages players from spend points on other skills until they hit that "probability ceiling", after which they move on to yet another skill...

[HeroPenguin]

Didn't we have this thread a few months ago? It seems awfully familiar...

Either way, I'm pretty sure it boils down to marketing and the pregenerated settings and characters made. Not everyone cares enough to make things from scratch, or handle the mechanics or explore every possible acton or reaction. Why do you think video games are so popular, beyond their graphics?

[madickey]

Originally Posted by trappedslider

Why do you think GURPS isn't as popular as the D20 system and its games and why poeple don't like GURPS.

Methinks a great deal of it comes down to the Kleenex factor. If you say "facial tissues," the average person will think Kleenex... If you ask a random co-worker if they are interested in tabletop RPGs, the most likely response, IME, is "oh, like D&D?" Although this seems to be overtaken more and more by the "like Everquest?" response...

[weasel fierce]

The man is right on the money.
The D&D brand name has an enourmous influence.

[This Name is Taken]

Originally Posted by weasel fierce

The man is right on the money.
The D&D brand name has an enourmous influence.

That's rather like curing the problem with the symptoms though.

See, saying D&D is more popular because it's well, more popular, simply states that it is...ummmm...more popular...

It's like if the Surgeon General said "Why are people eating so much McDonalds these days?" and the team of researchers he asked came back with "Cause lots of people eat them, see?"

The question is WHY had D&D reached such a massive scale and WHY do other systems not seem to really challenge it's dominance?

[weasel fierce]

My apologies. What I meant is, D&D has name recognition. Ask a group of people and a good chunk will say "D&D". Not roleplaying. D&D. Its synonomous (spelling?) to them.

I've had a long theory that D&D doesnt create roleplayers. It creates D&D players. Because most of them never do anything else, neither do they want to (A sad few are xenophobically opposed, in face)

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by Mylon

My primary complaint against GURPS is the probability curve. My secondary one is the stat/skill relationship. Unless every stressful (ie, adventuring) action is at a -4 penalty or so, half of the probability curve goes unused, which in turn encourages players from spend points on other skills until they hit that "probability ceiling", after which they move on to yet another skill...

you got that backwards for 4e.

Stressful situations are unmodified [the based assumption] it the non stressful that get +4. hence why Skill 12 is considered professional.

BUT in both d20 and GURPS is fined the probability curve does encourage them to stop leveling the key concept skills at a certain level, but actual they keep raising them so the can do more and more difficult takes [racking up the penalties]

and both d20 and GURPS probility distribution encourage people to get their secondary, and tertiary skills to a key probability level then leave them to either raise the primary, or pick up new tertiary skills.


to me the Populart of d20 has nothing to do with it machanics.

it becuase D&D uses it, create a huge base population that publishers can tap into for free, produces a lot of material for it. [it polatart is a not partical reated to d20 actually]

So it vissble, lots of material, anbd give it a group depended game work like a lowest common dinomater to which system people know.

[roguebfl]

Originally Posted by This Name is Taken

That's rather like curing the problem with the symptoms though.

See, saying D&D is more popular because it's well, more popular, simply states that it is...ummmm...more popular...

It's like if the Surgeon General said "Why are people eating so much McDonalds these days?" and the team of researchers he asked came back with "Cause lots of people eat them, see?"

The question is WHY had D&D reached such a massive scale and WHY do other systems not seem to really challenge it's dominance?

no the Question is why d20, which the current eddtion of D&D uses is popular. not why D&D is popular

It is valid to to say d20 is popular becuase D&D uses, and not sucurla , becauyse D&D popularity is based on d20 at all. [it popular was build long before the d20 system existed]

[trappedslider]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

no the Question is why d20, which the current eddtion of D&D uses is popular. not why D&D is popular

thats part of the question the other part which not been addresed is why ppl like don't GURPS