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Old 04-24-2018, 07:28 AM   #1
PL Madeira
 
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Default GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

I'm halfway through GURPS Mars Attacks and I'm loving it. But although it is a pretty solid book (despite being so short), it could use extra information (and crunch) on some aspects of the setting.

With that in mind, I would like to know if there is any chance of a GURPS Mars Attacks line of supplements to come out eventually. I'm aware that the book didn't sell as much as expected, but launching supplements in PDF format is still a possibility?
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Old 04-24-2018, 08:54 AM   #2
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Even PDFs still require licensing and contracts.
What are you looking for? Some things might be available in more generic form.
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Old 04-24-2018, 09:06 AM   #3
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
Even PDFs still require licensing and contracts.
What are you looking for? Some things might be available in more generic form.
It would be cool to see more stuff on Tiger Corps, Novas Vira and United Earth Alliance (more NPCs, more tech, more details on how everything works, etc).

More official racial templates and Character Templates designed for the setting, more martian tech, more martian "monsters", and so on.

The book does a good job suggesting which existing GURPS books can be used as inspiration to expand the setting yourself, but as there are some things that would be very cool to have a official aproach.

I'm aware that the licensing costs probably will turn this more difficult, but I would like to know if there is even a possibility of some supplements comming out.
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Old 04-25-2018, 11:24 AM   #4
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Quote:
Originally Posted by PL Madeira View Post
It would be cool to see more stuff on Tiger Corps, Novas Vira and United Earth Alliance (more NPCs, more tech, more details on how everything works, etc).

More official racial templates and Character Templates designed for the setting, more martian tech, more martian "monsters", and so on.

The book does a good job suggesting which existing GURPS books can be used as inspiration to expand the setting yourself, but as there are some things that would be very cool to have a official aproach.

I'm aware that the licensing costs probably will turn this more difficult, but I would like to know if there is even a possibility of some supplements comming out.
Personally i would prefer to a supplement to GURPS Mars that expanded on the Planetary Romance version of the planet seen ala Barsoon and War of the Worlds (original novel)

Stanley G. Weinbaum's and Quatermass' Martians may be cheap enough but I suspect Ray Bradbury's version would cost way too much for the license.
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Old 04-25-2018, 11:50 AM   #5
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

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Personally i would prefer to a supplement to GURPS Mars that expanded on the Planetary Romance version of the planet seen ala Barsoon and War of the Worlds (original novel)

Stanley G. Weinbaum's and Quatermass' Martians may be cheap enough but I suspect Ray Bradbury's version would cost way too much for the license.
GURPS Mars already includes such a setting, the "Dying Mars" chapter. I could see a book devoted to expanding it. I doubt they'd license a particular Planetary Romance-type setting, since one isn't really necessary - I doubt any of them are popular enough these days that the number of fans of the setting drawn to GURPS would outweigh the cost of the license.

Based on what various SJ Games people have said, previous licenses have apparently not drawn in new people anyway. By and large, fans of a given property who aren't already GURPS players don't seem to seek out the GURPS adaptation of a work, meaning the market for a given license is basically "existing GURPS players who are also fans of that setting".
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Old 04-25-2018, 06:32 PM   #6
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

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Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
GURPS Mars already includes such a setting, the "Dying Mars" chapter. I could see a book devoted to expanding it. I doubt they'd license a particular Planetary Romance-type setting, since one isn't really necessary - I doubt any of them are popular enough these days that the number of fans of the setting drawn to GURPS would outweigh the cost of the license.

Based on what various SJ Games people have said, previous licenses have apparently not drawn in new people anyway. By and large, fans of a given property who aren't already GURPS players don't seem to seek out the GURPS adaptation of a work, meaning the market for a given license is basically "existing GURPS players who are also fans of that setting".
Some of the licensees struck me as odd as GURPS put out a truly generic book that in my mind make the licensed property a big 'why?'

Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire Companion vs Blood Types

Mars Attacks vs Mars

Then there is the stuff that was so niche (Casey & Andy) that I also wonder 'why?'

Last edited by maximara; 04-25-2018 at 06:37 PM.
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Old 04-25-2018, 06:58 PM   #7
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Quote:
Originally Posted by maximara View Post
Some of the licensees struck me as odd as GURPS put out a truly generic book that in my mind make the licensed property a big 'why?'

Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire Companion vs Blood Types

Mars Attacks vs Mars

Then there is the stuff that was so niche (Casey & Andy) that I also wonder 'why?'
You're lumping together books that have been separated by long periods of time. 10 years or more in most cases. That's a long time in the industry and particularly so for licensed properties.

For example, the WoD books (VTM+ the Werewolf and Mage books) came out very early in 3e and the license was not renewed. Blood Types is more reasonably paired with Undead, Spirits and Shapeshifters all from a different
and substantially later period when SJGames had long ago sold out of the licensed VtM books..

Mars Attacks is likewise very different and much later from the more generic Mars with Mars Attacks being driven by the art more than the generic subject matter.

Licensed books and niche books in general are very individual driven at SJGames. Very few books have been decided upon at the highest level and then had writers and editors chosen from a general pool. It's much more common for a writer and/or editorial team to decide they want to do a particular book or line and then sell that idea to SJGames' top level.

This can be particularly true with "niche" and licensed books.
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Old 04-25-2018, 06:59 PM   #8
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Quote:
Originally Posted by maximara View Post
Some of the licensees struck me as odd as GURPS put out a truly generic book that in my mind make the licensed property a big 'why?'

Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire Companion vs Blood Types

Mars Attacks vs Mars

Then there is the stuff that was so niche (Casey & Andy) that I also wonder 'why?'
The only ones who can rally answer that are staff but based on what I recall from them and authors notes as well as my general perception.
Generic books have their own appeal and licensed books are hoping to hook people who like the property but are unfamiliar with GURPS.
Its a fairly classic strategy a lot of companies try but usually it has minimal impact.
On the other hand some properties that are cheap enough might justify themselves because of that impact and be welcomed by those who already like GURPS but are also fans of the property.

Third Edition tried this a LOT, Fourth has moved away from it after seeing the results but will still do it if the proposal seems appealing.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
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Old 04-25-2018, 07:33 PM   #9
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
You're lumping together books that have been separated by long periods of time. 10 years or more in most cases. That's a long time in the industry and particularly so for licensed properties.

For example, the WoD books (VTM+ the Werewolf and Mage books) came out very early in 3e and the license was not renewed. Blood Types is more reasonably paired with Undead, Spirits and Shapeshifters all from a different
and substantially later period when SJGames had long ago sold out of the licensed VtM books.
Very early in 3e? GURPS 3e came out in 1988, GURPS:VTM was 1993, and Vampire Companion was 1994. Blood types was 1995. Hardly a 'long period of time' and certainly nothing like 10 years.

In fact GURPS 3.5 (3e revised) would come out in 1997 and then in 2004 they put out both 3e revised (sixth printing) and 4e. That was a mess.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
Licensed books and niche books in general are very individual driven at SJGames. Very few books have been decided upon at the highest level and then had writers and editors chosen from a general pool. It's much more common for a writer and/or editorial team to decide they want to do a particular book or line and then sell that idea to SJGames' top level.

This can be particularly true with "niche" and licensed books.
Even in 3e SJGames was starting to shift to the Powered by GURPS so SJGames didn't have to worry about the license...it was the author's problem. Sure sometimes things went a little pearshaped (such as 4e Prime Directive initially using the 3e TL system) but at least is wasn't SJGames' problem.

Last edited by maximara; 04-25-2018 at 07:43 PM.
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Old 04-25-2018, 07:50 PM   #10
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Default Re: GURPS Mars Attacks Supplements

Quote:
Originally Posted by maximara View Post
Very early in 3e? GURPS 3e came out in 1988 and GURPS:VTM was 1993 and companion was 1994. Blood types was 1995. Hardly a 'long period of time' and certainly nothing like 10 years.

In fact GURPS 3.5 (3e revised) would come out in 1997 and then in 2004 they put out both 3e revised and 4e. That was a mess.
Ah, I hadn't bothered to look up when Blood Types came out. It was still after SJGames lost the license for the WoD.

So when the decision to publish Blood Types was made any question of "Why do this when you already have VtM"" was irrelevant. SJGames did not "have" VtM at that point.

They are also very different books. VtM is a specific setting while Blood Types is a broad survey of a trope and how to do that trope in Generic GURPS.

Mars and Mars Attacks are separated by more than 10 years and are also very different books.

Your claim that #e Revised was "put out" in 2004 is simply bewildering.
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