08-31-2009, 02:46 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Not in your time zone:D
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GURPS litterally as a literary resource
I know it's been mentioned frequently enough that even I've noticed and agreed - I now read books/ watch movies/ meet people and think "Hmm, in GURPS that would be..."
Recently, however, I've got the distinct impression that some of the books I've been reading had used GURPS as a guide to their possibilities. Anyone else noticed this or am I rain-dancing?* Any authors out there doing it? I know the reason I got into GURPS was to reality-check my writing:). Currently, a steampunk "thriller", The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters. The characters and their actions, particularly in combat, meld so well with GURPS mechanics. Cardinal Chang's reasoning of his actions, the Doctor's phobia and addiction. *The efficacy of a Rain Dance is in the timing.
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"Sanity is a bourgeois meme." Exegeek PS sorry I'm a Parthian shootist: shiftwork + out of country = not here when you are:/ It's all in the reflexes |
08-31-2009, 03:14 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston
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Re: GURPS litterally as a literary resource
With the exception of Fallout, id say that your rain dancing, but its impossible to be sure.
For better or worse, we see the world through the lens of our own experience. Since we utilize GURPS alot, we are prone to see where it might be even if it isnt. I remember watching John Carpenters the Thing back in the 80s and thinking 'WOW thats just like the dopleganger in D&D! I wonder if thats where the idea came from?' Of course it wasnt, heck even the movie was a remake, but since that was during my 1ed D&D years, I had a tendency to 'see' that in other stuff. Its not unlike the phenomena of Shapes In the Clouds. Its also testament to Gurps Breadth and Flexibility. Nymdok p.s. Although I cant think of any great stories GURPS has told me per se (Its lack of Modules is well documented, theres like what 12? 15?) it is the richest canvas for telling a story I've ever seen. |
08-31-2009, 04:27 PM | #3 |
"Gimme 18 minutes . . ."
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
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Re: GURPS litterally as a literary resource
I loved the jailhouse shootout in Appaloosa. 2 Lawmen vs. 4 bad guys, over in less than 10 seconds with 3 bad guys dead, both lawmen sprawled on the floor bleeding heavily, and one bad guy running away on a horse.
One of the lawmen gasps, "that was quick." His friend replies groaning as he rolls to his side "everyone could shoot." Made me very happy. |
09-01-2009, 02:26 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Not in your time zone:D
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Re: GURPS literally as a literary resource
Gotta admit that, although I'm most likely rain-dancing, I've never experienced the phenomenon with any other game system. Even had to have the movie link for Chasosiums' Bestiary Anthropophage explained to me.
Systems I can remember using: RQII & III, Traveller, D&D, CoC, Twilight, Delta Force, TMNT, Albedo, Bunnies & Burrows, MWWG, Cyberpunk, and a shed-load of systems I can't remember. It may be the Universal thing: - if anything can be described by it, anything will resemble it. Caveat: the truism doesn't fit for older fiction/ autobiographies I've recently read, only for recently written fiction. Maybe that's just a reflection of the quality of modern writing. There are a number of recent works I'd have to omit from "quality" but they are also a proof for the negative - bad writing and didn't fit GURPS:)
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"Sanity is a bourgeois meme." Exegeek PS sorry I'm a Parthian shootist: shiftwork + out of country = not here when you are:/ It's all in the reflexes |
09-01-2009, 10:23 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: GURPS litterally as a literary resource
I know of three short stories that benefitted from the alien design rules of GURPS: Uplift. (All appeared in Analog magazine in the late 90's.) Great resource, although I think that most of those notes and rules have been fully integrated into 4e.
When reading Mistborn, I couldn't help but see the combats in terms of GURPS. Very quick, very mobile, highly acrobatic in looping arcs as the combatants Push and Pull on various objects around the battlefield. Whether Mr. Sanderson had a game system in mind though is speculative at best. Overall, since GURPS is so good at simulating various aspects of Reality, it is rather easy to overlay the rules over just about anything and see how it can be done in-game. Which is one reason it is my game of choice (I am rather simulationist).
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Warmest regards, StevenH My current worldbuilding project. You can find the Adventure Logs of the campaign here. I try to write them up as narrative prose, with illustrations. As such, they are "embellished" accounts of the play sessions. Link of the moment: Bestiary of Plants. In a world of mana, plants evolved to use it as an energy source. It is also the new home of the Alaconius Lectures, a series of essays about the various Colleges of Spells. |
09-01-2009, 10:58 PM | #6 |
Pike's Pique
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio U.S.A.
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Re: GURPS litterally as a literary resource
Some authors of Alternate Timeline or "Alt History" books have looked at the 3rd edition GURPS books TIME TRAVEL, ALTERNATE EARTHS 1, and ALTERNATE EARTH 2. I know - because on some website that discusses Altewrnate Histories a couple of authors admited that they got the phrase or term 'Point of Divergence' from reading SJG books.
Some of these same authors may have looked over GURPS because of the book INFINITE WORLDS. Once, 4 or 5 years ago I was on a panel with Harry Turtledove - I didn't get to ask him anything GURPS-related. It was just too cool being put on a panel with an author that famous. - Ed Charlton
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Take me out to the black Tell them I ain't comin' back Burn the land and boil the sea You can't take the sky from me.... A vote for charity: http://s3.silent-tower.org/TheKlingonVotes/index.html |
Tags |
character, literature, steampunk, writing |
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