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Originally Posted by Johnny Angel
I think that after looking at the GURPs rules that I might be better of trying to start out with a modern campaign instead of a fantasy one. The reason I think that is because I feel that it might be easier to learn the rules if the things that are available in game are things which are more familiar to me (i.e. guns, ammo, cars, etc.)
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Yeah, that's one advantage of a "modern" campaign (by which I mean anything set in GURPS TL4 to GURPS TL8--say about AD 1700 to AD 2020). Another advantage, which is really only important for your first campaign) is that you get to practise with a limited set of the rules: you and your character-players get to get really comfortable with the basics of character generation, task resolution, and combat without having to learn GURPS magic and powers and whacky sci-fi technology all at once. Using the real world as a setting has a similar advantage of not having to learn about the world at the same time as you are learning about the rules.
If you and you players are really only comfortably familiar with D&D I have a hint to assist a change of genre. I suggest that you borrow or hire a stack of movies or TV-show DVDs of the same genre that you are going to run. Sit down with your character players, a slab of beer and a big bowl of pretzels and watch two genre movies (or equivalent TV episodes) together before you generate characters. Then watch another movie or two between character generation and starting play. The purpose is both to whip up a bit of enthusiasm and to remind everyone of genre expectations. It is important to get it clear in everyone's minds what kinds of things characters do in, say, a Western or a Kung Fu movie or a Film Noir mystery or a James Bond flick. Unless they have an idea of genre expectations clearing in their minds role-payers tend to fall back on default habits, which in the case of D&D players is usually killing people and stealing their stuff in room-to-room fighting. Somehow
James Bond 007 or
Indiana Jones or
Star Wars doesn't turn out right when approached that way. But unless the character-players a reminded what to do, and unless the GM keeps in mind what sorts of adventure hooks are appropriate, it is all to easy to fall into old habits.