December 26, 2017: The Fantasy Trip Returns Home

[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

GURPS is of absolutely no use to me and those like me who want a fairly simple ruleset. I've used the bones of TFT for Sci-Fi and Modern day stuff and it works well with a few adaptions. I'm sure we can expect to see something of that sort in the future, just like Dark City games did with their rules, so don't rule it out.

I used TFT as a generic rules set before GURPS was even conceived. I even created a TFT version of Traveller, anticipating GURPS Traveller by about a zillion yahrens. I also ran a TFT version of the Morrow Project several times in the 80s. I wrote a “Swords and Space” TFT variant that envisioned a Dune-like future where armor technology has made guns relatively ineffective, while swords and melee weapons are still effective. Once, my players encountered a dwarf gunfighter from an alternate Old West universe. At least a decade before Deadlands, I’d add.

Indeed, Advanced Melee explicitly endorses other genres by including baseball bats, switchblades and bicycle chains in its weapon equivalents list.

So I respectfully dissent. I think TFT can easily handle other genres and have had considerable fun doing exactly that. There’s a lot to be said for a game that allows you to create a character in a couple of minutes, contains plenty of detail and that has an engaging, simple and fast moving combat system. Those qualities are useful for any genre...except maybe sparkly, angst-ridden vampire genres (excuse me, “vampyre genres”).