GURPS is becoming the only game I'll run

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

But I question your taste on Mage: the Ascension. In my experience, it doesn't work as advertised. It doesn't, in fact, work at all.

I ran a campaign lasting two years or so with it that my players look back on as one of their favorites. It had the best freeform magic system I had ever seen till I ran Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Bill Stoddard

[sir_pudding]

I tend to run more GURPS than anything else, although I feel that my most successful games weren't GURPS.

[Phaelen Bleux]

Originally Posted by copeab

A "right tool for the right job" sort of thing. As much as I like GURPS, I'd never use it for Star Wars (the d6 version handles it far better), for example. While GURPS is my go-to system in most cases, there are a few system I would use instead for very specific settings (if for some reason I ever ran supers, I'd dig out by yellow box Marvel Super Heroes).

I have used GURPS for SW and thought it did well except when vehicles come into play. GURPS has traditionally been terrible for providing rules for tactical vehicular combat and stats for the vehicles themselves. WWII changed that a little (and you changed it a lot), but in the 1980s there was no way I'd try Twilight 2000 for GURPS. Now, mmmmm, maybe. . .

The other thing is that I have a "reluctant" gaming group. They are not keen on trying new games; by changing genres without changing the ground rules, I am able to exercise a broader range of creativity without starting entirely from scratch.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I ran a campaign lasting two years or so with it that my players look back on as one of their favorites. It had the best freeform magic system I had ever seen till I ran Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I mentioned my problems with MtA before... and I did not get any better feel for it in the GURPS conversion :/
I like the rest of the Unisystem mechanics in Buffy, but I never really payed any attention to the magic system.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

I mentioned my problems with MtA before... and I did not get any better feel for it in the GURPS conversion :/
I like the rest of the Unisystem mechanics in Buffy, but I never really payed any attention to the magic system.

I thought it was brilliant. In fact, I wrote a rules addendum: a guide to GMs on how to roll for spell research efforts, based on a description of what the spell needed to do. Drop me a note with your e-mail if you'd like to see a copy.

Bill Stoddard

[kmunoz]

Originally Posted by copeab

if for some reason I ever ran supers, I'd dig out by yellow box Marvel Super Heroes.

Amen to that. GURPS Powers/Supers are RPG superheroes, and the rules are great as far as that goes. I've yet to see any RPG other than MSH that so fully describes the feel of a *comic book* superhero.

[Poppyseed45]

Wow, my thread grew!

In any case, it's good to hear others' experiences. A lot of you match mine. As I've said elsewhere, I can't be arsed to learn yet another set of rules. I liked experimenting too, and in fact I'm sure I'll buy other games and run them (for example, I'm a big Mongoose Traveller fan).

But for really running and trying stuff, I think it'll be GURPS. One complaint from my second to last group (and two of those people are helping to form the new group I'll play with next week) was that we switched games too often; the settings and story were liked, but not the system changes. I think, if I stick to GURPS for a bit, and go for different settings and such, everyone will be happy.

It's an experiment for me. I used to switch systems/games/settings every 3-4 months. Maybe its time to stick to something. I certainly feel so.

[BlackLiger]

A friend of mine a few years back used Heros System to run a sci-fi campaign with enhanced humans. (By a few, I mean back in the days of 3e GURPS, hence why he avoided it. It didn't do what he wanted)

He now wishes to resurrect that setting. I've shown him the GURPS books for 4e and explained to him how fast I could convert pretty much each of the character concepts he's explained, and even set up templates to create "enhanced" (who'd qualify for cheaper base stats up to a point but the template comes with it's flaws. Like unusual biochemistry) and "psychics" (Bester, Babylon 5. he likes that style)

I'll still run BASIC (percentile, Call of Cthulhu (same company)) on occasions when I don't want a rules heavy system for newbies (roll D100, get less than your % chance of success on the skill) and I'll still buy other systems. But GURPS is what I've ended up statting up things in (including a Battlefield 2142 TITAN)


Edit: Also, Ars Magica is good if you want that flavour and setting style and the ability to truly 'create' spells on the fly for mages.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by kmunoz

Amen to that. GURPS Powers/Supers are RPG superheroes, and the rules are great as far as that goes. I've yet to see any RPG other than MSH that so fully describes the feel of a *comic book* superhero.

The biggest headache with comic book superheroes is they cover such a huge range--from the mystery men (Batman, Phantom ,etc) through the moderately powerful (Spider-man, Cage), through the powerhouses (Superman, Sliver Surfer, Thor, Hulk) to totally off the scale insane power level (Hal Parallax, Specter, Dark Phoenix, Mxyzptlk, Mad Jim Jaspers, etc)

I tried building the 1938 version of Superman under GURPS 3e rules and he was insane. The Silver Age just to get the minimum level of his powers was even more ridiculous.

[Captain-Captain]

Originally Posted by maximara

The biggest headache with comic book superheroes is they cover such a huge range--from the mystery men (Batman, Phantom ,etc) through the moderately powerful (Spider-man, Cage), through the powerhouses (Superman, Sliver Surfer, Thor, Hulk) to totally off the scale insane power level (Hal Parallax, Specter, Dark Phoenix, Mxyzptlk, Mad Jim Jaspers, etc)

I tried building the 1938 version of Superman under GURPS 3e rules and he was insane. The Silver Age just to get the minimum level of his powers was even more ridiculous.

Mayfair's 1st edition DC Heroes game demonstrated that Batman's normal punch (ST 5) KILLS the Joker (Body 2) automatically, so they instituted a 'Mother may I?' approach. You had to call lethal damage before rolling dice or it was automatically non-lethal.

The Spectre ata one point in the 1960s was fighting a major demon from Hell and they were picking up GALAXIES and hitting each other with them!

Green Lantern's organization is set at the center of the universe. Green Lantern has been to something called the Promethean Barrier, set at the end of the universe. He can get from one of those places to the other in a couple of hours.

What is exactly so friggin special about the Flash being able to run at lightspeed?

Emulating comics is good practice to familiarize yourself with a set of rules. It's bad play.