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Old 05-15-2009, 12:09 AM   #21
Cybren
 
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

I've always understood that using she in place of he is preferable to using "the" or "he/she"
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Old 05-16-2009, 08:11 AM   #22
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Made some minor changes, an addition, and another attempt to paraphrase the concept portability title line.
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Old 05-16-2009, 09:41 AM   #23
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

I think the reference to Man to Man is going to be completely meaningless to the intended audience. I have no idea what Man to Man is/was, so I'd have to google/wikipedia the reference to understand what you're talking about (I'm sure I could, I'm just deliberately not going to). It would be better if that paragraph just talked about GURPS' relationship with wargames-in-general. Or D&D would be a better specific frame of reference for most (introductory) readers.
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Old 05-16-2009, 10:24 AM   #24
entitivity
 
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
GURPS is flexible
Being a point-buy system with no separation between trait types (i.e. Character Points, 'CPs' are a universal 'currency' with which you can 'buy' any of: attributes, skills, advantages etc.), GURPS is very flexible. You can make almost any character in GURPS as long as:
She is well-defined. (Comic and movie characters are often portrayed inconsistently, and thus are hard to write up in RPG terms.)
She has no 'infinite' abilities. (Infinite power has infinite price, and basically can't be built in GURPS. It's more complicated than that, but let's not get carried away.)
The point budget is sufficient and the GM allows the needed traits. ("No, you still can't play an ancient vampire in my gritty/realistic WWII game!" is an appropriate, if somewhat silly, quote.)
There are a number of comments on the wording of this section. Here's a way around some of the problems of gender (as well as a few other suggestions for wording):

"GURPS is very flexible. You can make almost any character in GURPS that you can imagine. Be aware that many fictional characters (such as those from comic books and movies) are often portrayed inconsistently, and translating them into GURPS requires resolving these inconsistencies (just how strong is The Hulk?)."

I suggest you remove the section about infinitely powerful abilities. This is a nuanced point that requires being familiar with the GURPS rule set. I don't think many players start off thinking they can make anything "infinitely" powerful, and what counts as infinitely powerful (such as absolute fire resistance) may surprise them.
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Old 05-16-2009, 12:47 PM   #25
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by entitivity
There are a number of comments on the wording of this section. Here's a way around some of the problems of gender (as well as a few other suggestions for wording):

"GURPS is very flexible. You can make almost any character in GURPS that you can imagine. Be aware that many fictional characters (such as those from comic books and movies) are often portrayed inconsistently, and translating them into GURPS requires resolving these inconsistencies (just how strong is The Hulk?)."

I suggest you remove the section about infinitely powerful abilities. This is a nuanced point that requires being familiar with the GURPS rule set. I don't think many players start off thinking they can make anything "infinitely" powerful, and what counts as infinitely powerful (such as absolute fire resistance) may surprise them.
Thanks. Good point.
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Old 01-15-2011, 09:25 AM   #26
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

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Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
GURPS is a toolkit
AKA Some assembly required


GURPS is modular

GURPS front-loads calculations
I'd like to bump the thread and emphasize these aspects of GURPS in connection to the recently closed threads. (Please don't continue any discussion of the pros and cons of these three points here - start new threads if necessary.) I'm also linking this thread into the beginning of the uFAQ, and noting that it is one of the first things to read for people new to GURPS.
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Old 01-15-2011, 10:41 AM   #27
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
What can a Vulcan Mind Meld achieve, and what it can't?
This should read "What can a Vulcan Mind Meld achieve, and what can't it?"
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Old 01-15-2011, 10:59 AM   #28
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
GURPS is a toolkit
AKA Some assembly required

GURPS isn't intended to be used exactly 'as is' out of the box
Personally I agree on that, but I am not sure that's how SJGames wants to represent GURPS to potential customers...
To many people, "cant' be used out of the box" will look like a bug, not a feature.

IIRC, the Basic Set does not explicitly refers to GURPS as a "tool box", or at least it tries to downplay the "GM will need to make prep work before playing" thing...
I might be wrong of course.
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Old 01-15-2011, 12:20 PM   #29
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post

Thanks in advance!
I like the concept. I might phrase some things differently. Among other things, the tone might be a little negative. It might scare people off. ("Wow, this sounds like more work than I thought it would be...") I might make a lot of what you wrote originally a second section, extra things to watch out for, once you get through a section like this...

--------

Playing GURPS is easy. In almost all cases, all you have to do is remember two things...1) To do something well, roll low. 2) There is one exception to the first thing...if you hit something, to hurt it badly, roll high. That's it. Pretty much everything else in the rules is for explaining when and why you might need to make a particular roll.

People say making characters in GURPS is hard, but that really is not true. GURPS lets you play virtually any kind of character in any kind or genre of role-playing game. That means you have a LOT of choices. Hundreds of advantages, skills, perks, character flaws, and so on. It can be a bit overwhelming at first. So...

When in doubt, just keep it simple. Especially at first. Figure out a couple of things the character is good at. Make those his critical skills. Make sure at least one of them has something to do with adventuring, like Search or Guns (Pistol). Give him one or two cool advantages, if they're allowed in that particular campaign. Give him one or two interesting character flaws. Then run with it until you feel comfortable with GURPS. Then you can start working on your version of that guy from Bleach...

Be sure it's the right character for the campaign, too. If you're playing a realistic mystery, a talking puppet or a vampire probably won't fit the game very well...a nosy kid, a retired boxer, and a chemistry teacher, on the other hand, might do pretty well.

If you're converting a character from another campaign, literature, film, etc., one trick that will save you a lot of time is to focus on the feel rather than the exact mechanics. What exactly does nine levels in Spot mean? Probably +3 or +4 to Perception or a good level of Observation skill. Pick something you have the points for and go with it. Does James Bond have Guns (Pistol)-17 or Guns (Pistol)-18? It's impossible to know for sure. Pick whatever feels right (if you have the points for it) and go with it. Want to create Spiderman in GURPS? Which version? Which issue? On the other hand, building a character who simply captures the basic feel of Spiderman--a guy with superhuman strength and reflexes, Hard to Kill, Clinging, Danger Sense, and a gadget-limited Binding attack--really isn't hard at all.

Oh, sorry, one more thing...As long as you are having fun, you're probably doing it right.

------

Anyway, that's my take on the whole thing. I hope this helps.

Mark

Last edited by Mgellis; 01-15-2011 at 12:25 PM.
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Old 01-15-2011, 12:25 PM   #30
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mgellis View Post
Playing GURPS is easy. In almost all cases, all you have to do is remember two things...1) To do something well, roll low. 2) There is one exception to the first thing...if you hit something, to hurt it badly, roll high. That's it.
Two exceptions, actually. To impress someone (reaction roll), you roll high, too.
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