AMA (now over) for GURPS After the End series

[PK]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I would put money on it being the next product to be released. The most recent Pyramid was "The End is Nigh" and then the next product will be "After the End," and it's all a cute joke. That's what I think, anyway.

Heh, Steven, Kromm, and I actually debated about whether that joke was too obtuse. I wanted to change it to "(After) The End Is Nigh" but they thought that was too on-the-nose. Glad to see I was wrong and the joke wasn't too subtle.

(PS: Astromancer, you should read post #20.)

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by PK

Yes. Radiation has been simplified via the concept of "Radiation-threshold Points" (RP) which are somewhat comparable to Hit Points in that bad things happen when you lose them. And I knew that some groups love cinematic mutation while others hate it, so I did include rules for mutated PCs and NPCs in ATE1 (for the lovers) but kept 'em to just three pages (so the haters won't feel like they're paying extra for them). Mutated enemies get a bit more love in ATE2.

3 pages out of how large a page count?

If the two first volumes (presumably analogous to DF1+2, MH1+2, Action1+2) total 28 pages (not counting intro, index, etc), haters are gonna hate a lot on those 3 pages, compared to if the first two volumes total 73 pages.

Originally Posted by PK

(For the record, "mutation" is not a power. Its inherent drawbacks are handled via a completely new and unique game mechanic.)

Sounds potentially very interesting.

[johndallman]

PK, did ATE change very much between stopping being on hold and being ready for release?

[PK]

Had a long weekend, and not in a good way. So I think I'll tackle this now, both because I plan on sleeping late (and would hate to keep anyone waiting) and because it cheers me up to talk about my baby. :)

*clatter* . . . 2.

PK, will ATE also cover fantasy settings, for example cataclysms such as seen on Talislanta or Krynn?

No. Keeping the series focused enough to be grab-n-use meant making a few high-level judgment calls, and one of those was that ATE would omit fantasy/supernatural apocalypses in favor of real-world or technological ones. Adding the paranormal would have meant adding a lot of wordcount to support powers, spells, etc. In addition, a post-apocalyptic fantasy world is arguably supportable via Dungeon Fantasy right now, and we all wanted ATE to stand on its own.

That said, if someone wanted to pitch a religious/magical/fantasy setting book for ATE at some point down the line, I'd certainly listen.

PK, will After the End address the ragged bloody mess that is TLs in most post apocalyptic settings?

Yes. Part of setting up the campaign involves deciding what TL the world achieved before the fall, but that merely establishes an upper bound. The game itself assumes that gear from TL0 to TL<upper bound> is in play, and has rules in place to streamline this mishmash of tech levels. My current group is using everything from TL0 spears to TL10 electrolasers -- and some neat combos, like the TL4 compound bow firing arrows with TL8 detonator caps on the end -- with no trouble.

[Proteus]

PK, does After the End contain any "worked examples" of campaign settings, or just the construction kit itself?

PK, would campaign frameworks be suitable topics for future volumes in the series, or does that violate a sub-line's intentionally generic nature and/or other intentional limits in its scope?

PK, do the potential "ends" offered for campaign design include a technological Singularity, for gaming in something like Kathleen Ann Goonan's Queen City Jazz?

PK, any chance we could see the book's bibliography / ludography listing released early as a teaser?

[TorgSmith]

I just had this really great idea for that extra Thursday next month. Fill the extra Thursday with After the End 2.

WOOTERS!!!!

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by PK

PK, will ATE also cover fantasy settings, for example cataclysms such as seen on Talislanta or Krynn?

No. Keeping the series focused enough to be grab-n-use meant making a few high-level judgment calls, and one of those was that ATE would omit fantasy/supernatural apocalypses in favor of real-world or technological ones. Adding the paranormal would have meant adding a lot of wordcount to support powers, spells, etc. In addition, a post-apocalyptic fantasy world is arguably supportable via Dungeon Fantasy right now, and we all wanted ATE to stand on its own.

Ah, so I suppose you could use it for the first three Emberverse novels, but not for the later series?

[PK]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Ah, so I suppose you could use it for the first three Emberverse novels, but not for the later series?

I'm afraid I haven't read the series, though I am passingly familiar with it from hearing people talk about it -- particularly all the discussion comparing the show "Revolution" to "Dies the Fire." So I can say that "all technology above a certain point stops working" is definitely doable, but I'm hesitant to comment on Stirling more directly.

[Daigoro]

PK, is it a deliberate attempt to bring about the End yourself by inviting people to ask you anything, but then only answering 3.5 questions per day?

[PK]

I seem to be conscious, though I'm really not feeling up to super-detailed answers today, so I'll stick to the simple ones.

*clatter* . . . 4.

PK, how many ATE books are currently planned?

Not counting Pyramids, there's two: Wastelanders (the character and gear book) and The New World (the setting, hazards, and actions book). There's plenty of room for more after those, of course -- and I do have some ideas -- but we're focusing on the core books first.

PK, what colour is the d6 you are rolling?

Light blue (verging on cyan) with pink pips, and a flamingo where the "1" should be. I used to live in Florida, so this is a cheesy reminder of those days.

PK, will there be crafting or Gadgeteering rules, similar perhaps to in Fallout?

Yes. The rules for inventions, upgrades, and repairs were one of my biggest undertakings, and the part of the books that saw the most revision as I used these rules in my own games (and my players found ways to break them or things to complain about). I'm very proud of them. And yes, they share some similarities to Fallout in that you have to obtain (or create) appropriate "parts" before embarking on most projects.

PK, any chance we could see the book's bibliography / ludography listing released early as a teaser?

No, because there isn't one. Worked-genre series don't get bibliographies. (Well, not in the books, at least; I did manage to sneak a MH biblio into Pyramid #3/31.)