Has GURPS lost it's charm?

[Gilfander]

Over the past few months I noticed that my enthusiasm for GURPS has been waning. Now before I get flamed off the boards please hear me out. GURPS is still me favorite gaming system. I’ve been GMing GURPS for 20 years. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the system at all. That is not my point. My point is nothing has felt new for a few years.
I like 4th ed. and I think it fixed many of the mechanical issues with 3rd ed. I think all the new books are good quality and well written. But I can’t help get over the feeling that I’ve seen this material all before. So many of the concepts appear to be the same as in 3rd ed. stuff. I know SJG needs to put out core books to support the new edition. I know 240 page hardcover books take longer to produce than 128 page soft-cover ones did. I know Munchkin is the main bread-winner now at SJG not GURPS, but I feel the magic is slipping away.
I remember going to my FLGS ten or fifteen years ago and always seeing something new and interesting from GURPS. I didn’t buy all the books but I have over 40. I always remember thinking how this new material would make a great campaign. I don’t feel that energy in the stuff I’ve seen in the past few years.
I think this feeling came from setting books. Seeing some new Cyberpunk or Ice Age book was always a thrill. Ultra-Tech is cool, but I have the UT and UT2 plus all the THS books already. The items are slightly different, and layout is better now but the theme is not new.
Maybe the point I’m trying to make with all this is will we see ‘new’ material again? How long will it take with one three books a year? And am I alone? How do others feel?

[DoctorRomulus]

Originally Posted by Gilfander

Over the past few months I noticed that my enthusiasm for GURPS has been waning. Now before I get flamed off the boards please hear me out. GURPS is still me favorite gaming system. I’ve been GMing GURPS for 20 years. I don’t think there is anything wrong with the system at all. That is not my point. My point is nothing has felt new for a few years.
I like 4th ed. and I think it fixed many of the mechanical issues with 3rd ed. I think all the new books are good quality and well written. But I can’t help get over the feeling that I’ve seen this material all before. So many of the concepts appear to be the same as in 3rd ed. stuff. I know SJG needs to put out core books to support the new edition. I know 240 page hardcover books take longer to produce than 128 page soft-cover ones did. I know Munchkin is the main bread-winner now at SJG not GURPS, but I feel the magic is slipping away.
I remember going to my FLGS ten or fifteen years ago and always seeing something new and interesting from GURPS. I didn’t buy all the books but I have over 40. I always remember thinking how this new material would make a great campaign. I don’t feel that energy in the stuff I’ve seen in the past few years.
I think this feeling came from setting books. Seeing some new Cyberpunk or Ice Age book was always a thrill. Ultra-Tech is cool, but I have the UT and UT2 plus all the THS books already. The items are slightly different, and layout is better now but the theme is not new.
Maybe the point I’m trying to make with all this is will we see ‘new’ material again? How long will it take with one three books a year? And am I alone? How do others feel?

Maybe you need to take a break from GURPS for a while and do something else or some other system. I'd say D20 but I'm in hate with them right now.

OR

Try coming up with your own stuff. I'm sure you remember the early years of GURPS. In 1986 when I bought the first boxed set it took a while for Fantasy to come out and Space we didn't see til like late 88 or early 89. So we made our own stuff.

and

Check out if you haven't Pyramid Magazine.

just my 2 centavos

[laserdog]

Originally Posted by DoctorRomulus

Maybe you need to take a break from GURPS for a while and do something else or some other system. I'd say D20 but I'm in hate with them right now.

I have to agree with the doc here.

Pacing back and forth infront of your FLGS waiting for new GURPS material will definitely wear you and your enthusiasm for GURPS down.

Truly, the best way to regain your "love" of the system, is to play around with others.

I myself recommend trying True20. It isn't everything. It isn't a replacement for GURPS.

But if GURPS is frustrating you, the best medicine for that, is to get frustrated with another system for awhile, if only to remind you about what GURPS *does right* rather than focusing on the long wait for MA, VDS, Supers, Spaceship or whatever it is that you're waiting on...

HTH, and hang in there.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by laserdog

I have to agree with the doc here.

Pacing back and forth infront of your FLGS waiting for new GURPS material will definitely wear you and your enthusiasm for GURPS down.

Truly, the best way to regain your "love" of the system, is to play around with others.

I myself recommend trying True20. It isn't everything. It isn't a replacement for GURPS.

But if GURPS is frustrating you, the best medicine for that, is to get frustrated with another system for awhile, if only to remind you about what GURPS *does right* rather than focusing on the long wait for MA, VDS, Supers, Spaceship or whatever it is that you're waiting on...

HTH, and hang in there.

Actually, if I may make a suggestion: how about a non-generic RPG? I mean, I find the need to make all my own rules and settings for GURPS its most rewarding -- and most frustrating -- aspect. When I want a break, it's not to play another generic system (why would I want to play something I could do better in GURPS?), but to play a very specific game. My publisher of choice is White-Wolf, naturally, and my current flavor of the month is Scion. But there are swarms of others out there (Rifts, 7th Sea Unknown Armis, Nobilis, etc).

System is less important than the ideas offered in the setting. In addition to relieving me of the need to make my own world, the game also offers inspiration for new game worlds I might want to create. And often, I begin to get frustrated with this new world, seeing it as flawed and unrealized. And that's when the juices begin to flow and I find myself drawn back to GURPS. :)

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Gilfander

Maybe the point I’m trying to make with all this is will we see ‘new’ material again?

We are seeing it. It's just on e23. So far as physical books are concerned, certainly, we'll be seeing revised versions of older books for quite some time to come.

[Brandy]

I'll add that GURPS Martial Arts is a substantial upgrade over 3e Martial Arts and Swashbucklers with a lot of truly new ideas and material. That's reported to be coming in August.

[ArmoredSaint]

I'm salivating in anticipation of GURPS martial arts so much that I've put my GURPS games on hold until it hits the shelves.

[Kyle Aaron]

Originally Posted by ArmoredSaint

I'm salivating in anticipation of GURPS martial arts so much that I've put my GURPS games on hold until it hits the shelves.

I think this is the wrong thing to do. You shouldn't deprive yourself of the pleasure of playing a game just because some other book is coming out at some later date. Especially since game companies' release dates tend to be somewhat elastic and stretch out further than anyone thought possible ;)

If you're going to wait until you have a complete collection of system X before you run it you'll never run a game.

[KevinJ]

If you think GURPS is getting dull then here is a way for you to fix it.

Write your own world book!

That's right, research and write your own material for publishing! It's easy and fun and when you quit in disgust you will never complain again about how SJG isn't putting out new material fast enough to keep the game new and fresh...

</sarcasm>

[Xplo]

Originally Posted by Mad Douglas

how come you put sample fantasy races in GURPS Banestorm?

AFAIK, they didn't; they put Banestorm races in Banestorm.

Your belief that every book should have the same write-up for a given fictional race or creature is understandable, but inappropriate. Races and "monsters" are specific to settings, not systems.

Suppose you had your way and every "elf" writeup was identical. Would all of Santa's laborers be forced to be immortal forest-dwelling archers? Or, perhaps, would the elven population of Middle Earth be retconned into midgets who wear stripey green jumpsuits and build toys all year? You see, the idea is ridiculous.

If GURPS had settings that generated enough sales to justify D&D-like levels of support (or even a healthy fraction) then you'd see multiple books for that setting, and they would all agree on races and monsters. But, it doesn't, so every writeup looks like a one-off.

There are only four or five in GURPS Fantasy 4th Edition, the book that's supposed help "World Builders".

Right. They're examples. Examples are good.

You make it sound like a bad thing, to want a world book like GURPS Fantasy 3rd Ed./ GURPS Banestorm 4th Ed.

I bought Fantasy. I don't plan to buy Banestorm. I would probably have not bought a book that was both Fantasy and Banestorm. Work it out.

Why don't some of you answer the thread starters question, instead of haranging my answers to his.

People have done so. Presumably, if people are "haranging" you, it's because they find some fault with your statements.

GURPS 3rd Ed. wasn't broken, just bent a little. The attempts to make it better have left out some things that were plus points of the system.

Such as?

I'll adapt, improvise, and overcome the fact that I have to translate every new GURPS book, until it's content and structure make sense.

Pity you weren't consulted, eh? You could have saved us all.