Reviewer gives GURPS Space substance 3 out of 5

[Luther]

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12134.phtml

Ranting a part,

In sum, GS 3e was a gaming product, while GS 4e is almost more of a reference manual for someone wanting to write a hard SF novel, but is seriously lacking (almost totally lacking, in fact) in actual game material.

is this true?

[Wicked Lurker]

Quote from the review:

"Gurps space 4e is the latest product out for gurps 4e, and like other 4e gurps products it's expensive, hardbacked, slickpapered, colored and overpriced for what actually get."


This does not seem like the reviewer had a neutral, unbiased view on the material.

[jahn]

Hmm, I haven't liked either of Reid's reviews. He expects something different than what the product is supposed to be. GURPS 4e Space is analogous to GURPS 4e Fantasy -- they're both more concerned with creating the world and running the campaign than with giving you actual charts and rules. So if you didn't like Fantasy because it's too theoretical then Space will probably also disappoint (and although the world/system and alien design rules are quite excellent, I bet people like Reid would have preferred a simpler treatment that takes half the space and use that space for charts of weapons, tech and spaceships along with a simple space combat system).

[Luther]

Comments point out that GURPS Fantasy has a list of supplemental stuff that makes the product more complete. GURPS Space not. Why?

[damon]

zay're making it so that to run a campaign you need like 8 books instead of 3.

that was one of the biggest complaints i heard about 3e.. and they're exacerbating it rather than addressing it.

but that's the trade off for no overlap i guess, which was reportedly a bigger complaint.

huh.

[KDLadage]

Originally Posted by Luther

Comments point out that GURPS Fantasy has a list of supplemental stuff that makes the product more complete. GURPS Space not. Why?

I like GURPS Fantasy. Good book. very good book.

But I would have to say that many of the things you say make the book more complete are "wasted pages" in my opinion. Fantasy has spells that are covered in MAGIC -- so why do I need them here? When I got to that section, I skipped it without reading it. I knew it was wasted pages, in my opinion.

Fantasy includes some material that will be getting full treatment in Vehicles -- so why do I need them here? When I got to that stuff, I skipped it as well without reading it. I knew it was wasted pages, just like the spells, in my opinion.

Do I find Fantasy "more useful" because of that info? No... I wonder what other info would have been included had those pages not been wasted.

So I guess I am on the other side of this fence.

[Luther]

Originally Posted by KDLadage

Do I find Fantasy "more useful" because of that info? No...

Personally I think that SJG should use Web-Enhancement for such things. They would:

• shut down complaints
• tease customers
• avoid repetition in books (wasted pages)
• be updated to match latest products

If they can't, I prefer a little bit of overlap. You shouldn't need lots of books to run a campaign. What strikes me as odd is that they used two different stances for Space and Fantasy.

[KDLadage]

Originally Posted by Luther

Personally I think that SJG should use Web-Enhancement for such things.

I like the idea... but SJG has not gone this route... no harm in suggesting it, I suppose.

[MIB 1473]

Originally Posted by Luther

What strikes me as odd is that they used two different stances for Space and Fantasy.

What's even odder is that the decisions seem to have been made by the authors.

Does anyone remember the order in which Ultra-Tech and Space were playtested? I'm wondering whether the original intent was to release Ultra-Tech first. Magic came out only a month after Fantasy, so it's also possible that Ultra-Tech was expected to be released second, but much closer in time. Releasing Interstellar Wars before either one is also kind of a weird decision.

[Wicked Lurker]

Originally Posted by Luther

Personally I think that SJG should use Web-Enhancement for such things. They would:

• shut down complaints
• tease customers
• avoid repetition in books (wasted pages)
• be updated to match latest products

Exactly my opinion as well.