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Old 02-10-2018, 02:29 AM   #1
scc
 
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Default How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

While unlikely to happen, I recently got to wondering what a company would need to change in the GURPS rules if they licensed them to make a video game, as has been done to D&D so many times over the years. I think, unless you can think of something really important, it would be best to keep examples to DF and things that can reasonably be expected to crop up in DF, as that parallels D&D and it's games.

So what I think would need changing or dropping?

1) Anything that requires lots of GM adjudication would have to go, so no Gadgeters and no Ritual Path Magic.

2) If building an MMO or other game where real time play is desired, then turn length would have to be made longer, as it would take longer then a second to input a second's worth of choices!
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Old 02-10-2018, 03:28 AM   #2
maximara
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

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Originally Posted by scc View Post
While unlikely to happen, I recently got to wondering what a company would need to change in the GURPS rules if they licensed them to make a video game, as has been done to D&D so many times over the years. I think, unless you can think of something really important, it would be best to keep examples to DF and things that can reasonably be expected to crop up in DF, as that parallels D&D and it's games.

So what I think would need changing or dropping?

1) Anything that requires lots of GM adjudication would have to go, so no Gadgeters and no Ritual Path Magic.

2) If building an MMO or other game where real time play is desired, then turn length would have to be made longer, as it would take longer then a second to input a second's worth of choices!
Considering Fallout originally was going to use the GURPS system you really wouldn't have to "change" that much. Turn duration isn't that big a deal as you generally don't have to think about such matters in an MMO.

GM adjudication can be handled by limiting what is available which is a setting matter. You aren't going to have the Enchantment college available if magic items are rare such as in Thundarr or Middle Earth.

In fact some settings (such as the Slayers anime) are best modeled with the Ritual Magic system.

Gadgeteering has such a time and money investment that next to no one would want to mess with it in an MMO so that is reason enough not to include it.
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Old 02-10-2018, 04:46 AM   #3
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

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1) Anything that requires lots of GM adjudication would have to go, so no Gadgeters and no Ritual Path Magic.
You can have lots of base rituals and allow all the objective parameters like duration, target weight, etc. to change. Having someone write up a few hundred base rituals is a trivial expense compared to coding and artwork.
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Old 02-10-2018, 05:55 AM   #4
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

I agree. Unless you were talking about an indie game, 3D rendering can cost millions of dollars worth of computer time. Music rights can also cost in the millions of dollars, as can voice acting. Marketing can also cost tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dollars.

GURPS probably lends itself more easily to video games than many other gaming systems because of it is moderately simulationistic. With only four Attributes, it captures reality in a relatively small box. The only problem is that a game that used GURPS can only capture a few dozen styles of play (the combination of difficulty levels and options).
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Old 02-10-2018, 06:35 AM   #5
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

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Considering Fallout originally was going to use the GURPS system you really wouldn't have to "change" that much. .
Looking at S.P.E.C.I.A.L., I'd definitely disagree: One of the biggest changes it added was bringing back levels. And that hasn't changed a lot in the mean time. In computer gaming, D&D is still state of the art and "RPG" just means "has levels".

So you'd need to bring 'em back in some regard. Either by handing out points in batched packages (1 lvl = 5 points?) or the other way round (for each 5 points your level increases, level being both a feelgood statistic as well as a variable for some gameplay effects).

Computer gamers being even worse min-maxers, level serving as some kind of skill cap wouldn't hurt, either.
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Old 02-10-2018, 07:05 AM   #6
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

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[...] I recently got to wondering what a company would need to change in the GURPS rules if they licensed them to make a video game, as has been done to D&D so many times over the years.
There has never been made a RPG game that follows the D&D rules exactly. There are always lots of changes. The most important being real-time. You can not have the same rules if going for real-time.

Most D&D games use some of the core mechanics and then a specific D&D setting.

So a GURPS game could go for the same main attributes and focus on skill, advantages and point-buy instead of levels. But would have to change A LOT for it to work AND be fun. (that last part is pretty important).

----


If you wanted to keep the rules as much as possible, it would have to be a turn-based game. focused on tactical movement and what parts of the target you want to hit, which a % of chance to hit... but would have the very important difference from for instance Fallout, that the target has an active defense... which I think would frustrate many players.
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Old 02-10-2018, 08:02 AM   #7
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

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Originally Posted by scc View Post
1) Anything that requires lots of GM adjudication would have to go, so no Gadgeters and no Ritual Path Magic.
I wouldn't say that those would have to go entirely. I'd say they'd need additional work to make viable. You'd need to set limits around what could be done, and with gadgeteer you'd need additional rules. but the basics could be kept for both.

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Originally Posted by Maz View Post
... but would have the very important difference from for instance Fallout, that the target has an active defense... which I think would frustrate many players.
XCOM: enemy unknown has something close to active defense. Its additive rather than multiplicative, but they combine it with your attack for a final to hit chance. It makes you think about how to best approach the foes that have it, and makes you feel like they're actual combatants instead of plain targets. Or drives how how insanely powerful the psionic beings with +40% defense are.

That style of game could be done with gurps reasonably well, I think.

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Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
With only four Attributes, it captures reality in a relatively small box. The only problem is that a game that used GURPS can only capture a few dozen styles of play (the combination of difficulty levels and options).
There are ways to tweak that, but once you start tweaking, many games will have the budget to recalibrate the whole system to fit their genre better.

It should also be remembered that Table top can cheaply add options but adding complex results is expensive (in terms of players running the game), while digital games can add complex results cheaply but have to manage the number of options they give the player.
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Old 02-10-2018, 08:02 AM   #8
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

There's no need for levels. Plenty of computer RPGs have skill webs. This could easily be expanded to spending points on increasing stats as well as skills or advantages.
There's no need for experience points per encounter, either - the PC takes a quest and when they complete it they get a certain number of character points they can spend on increasing whatever they like (stats, skills, perks, more advantages, etc.).
Quote:
Originally Posted by mhd View Post
In computer gaming, D&D is still state of the art and "RPG" just means "has levels".

So you'd need to bring 'em back in some regard. Either by handing out points in batched packages (1 lvl = 5 points?) or the other way round (for each 5 points your level increases, level being both a feelgood statistic as well as a variable for some gameplay effects).
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Old 02-10-2018, 08:18 AM   #9
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall and Morrowind would like to have a word with you regarding 'no RPM'

(Though from what I read apparently The Elder Scrolls: Arena was at the very least heavily inspired by GURPS)

Of course it was completely possible to build utterly broken spells and with no GM to veto it, you had an utterly broken spell that radically unbalanced the game.

Level vs 'you have 3 CP to spend' is a pretty arbitrary distinction and quite frankly about equivalent- many games use a slow progression system like this without too much incident (some of them also tie certain things to levels like extra HP or loot levels).

Some advantages like Gadgeteering would either have to see their usefulness 'baked in' to the campaign (IE- it becomes an extra dialog option) or just not included- there is basically no way to allow that type of open ended use unless you were building say 'Minecraft: GURPS edition' (With gadgeteer being a requirement for a lot of the high end refinements, materials, and recipes)
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Old 02-10-2018, 08:45 AM   #10
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Default Re: How Would GURPS Rules Need To Be Changed For A Computer Game?

Btw. what should the setting be?
Should it be PVP or PVE focus? Or single player?
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