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12-02-2005, 03:03 PM | #1 |
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Deserts of Arrakis - Dune the Desert Planet
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Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
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* |
12-02-2005, 03:20 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Tampa, Florida
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
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... |
12-10-2005, 12:57 PM | #3 | |
Dog of Lysdexics
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
Quote:
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. |
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12-31-2005, 11:11 PM | #4 | |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
Quote:
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12-31-2005, 11:15 PM | #5 |
Dog of Lysdexics
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
um 3rd has exactly the same HP rules, as 4e. the meraly Shifted them to be based on ST rather than HT. which was a commong house rule the got incorare into CI
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12-31-2005, 11:24 PM | #6 |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
One thing I could really uses is a GURPS "Monster Manual" with ready-to-play NPCs for PCs to defeat. Each entry should be an NPC complete with weaponsm equipment, and armor all written out on a character sheet and ready to use. The individual should generally be an average specimin of a type of NPC encountered, and their should be suggestions on encounter numbers for this type of creature and what its treasure should be and how many character points the GM should award for each such creature's defeat. The GM shouldn't have to do "homework" the night before to create this NPC to challenge the PCs. I've seen templates, but a template isn't character stats. I'd like to have a situation where I can open a book of standard NPCs and say things like, "You encounter 6 of these type creatures." Point to the creatures illustration in the book and then begin combat. I'd like to be able to build random encounters tables quickly with these ready made NPCs, and not have to plan ahead of time what creatures the PCs will encounter the next day.
I like to be able to have encounters on the fly. The easier GURPS makes things for GMs, the more popular their game will be. Its generally the same idea with their new book Vehicles, instead of rules on how to build a vehicle, we want ready to use vehicles to play in each page. In a like manner, I would like ready to use creatures and NPCs to through at my players, and I shouldn't have to generate the complete Character Stats for each one of the PCs opponents. It takes long enough to make the PCs in the first place, the rest of the NPC world should be done for us, so we GMs don't have to spend 90% of the time preparing for play and the other 10% GMing. That is my criticism. otherwise the game can be very compeditive with D&D and D20, it already is more realistic. I like the HIT POINTS because now that makes realism optional, one can play high fantasy if one wants, do dungeon crawls, accumulate enourmous hit points and challenge gigantic monsters if one wants to play that. |
01-01-2006, 07:09 AM | #7 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
Quote:
Btw, even in 3E, there have been Hit Points. You could increase HP in 3E, too. What's your point?
__________________
Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
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01-01-2006, 09:04 AM | #8 | |
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
Quote:
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01-01-2006, 09:10 AM | #9 | |
Experimental Subject
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: saarbrücken, germany
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
Quote:
But seriously, are you interested in introducing levels in Gurps? It sure sounds that way to me.
__________________
Like a mail order mogwai...but nerdier - Nymdok understanding is a three-edged sword
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06-29-2009, 03:39 AM | #10 | |
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
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Re: Why isn't GURPS as popular as the D20 system and games
Quote:
If the entire probability curve isn't used, there's a human error, not a system one. (Note GURPS 3E didn't have such a rule.) |
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