[New Release] GURPS Classic: Imperial Rome

[Steven Marsh]

Rome where you want to... Rome around the world!

Now you can, with GURPS Classic: Imperial Rome -- newly released to e23! It's got the history, geography, insight, and other goodies that the GURPS historicals are famous for.

We also note it's a useful companion piece to the recently released GURPS Hot Spots: Constantinople, 527-1204 A.D. -- Now you can learn what was going on with the rest of the Roman Empire!

[Pragmatic]

If you think this is enough to make me buy it, you've got another think coming.

You forgot to mention GURPS Martial Arts: Gladiators.

:-P

(Anyway, you're too late, bwahahahaha! :-P

[Peter Knutsen]

Why isn't this labelled more clearly as the 2nd edition of this product? The only place it says 2nd edition is on the cover scan, and that's not readable unless I click to get the enlarged cover.

Wasn't substantial changes and improvements made between Imperial rome 1st and 2nd edition?

[Steven Marsh]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Why isn't this labelled more clearly as the 2nd edition of this product? The only place it says 2nd edition is on the cover scan, and that's not readable unless I click to get the enlarged cover.

It hasn't generally been the style of e23 to differentiate GURPS Classic releases by version; see GURPS Classic: Magic, GURPS Classic: Old West, and [url="http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG30-6027"]GURPS Classic: Cliffhangers for examples. We might revisit the issue if we ever start putting earlier editions of supplements online, but for the time being we only plan on using the last edition of any Classic releases we upload.

As to why we don't do it... I can't say with certainty, since that's before my time at e23. However, I will note that I've addressed some confused e23 customers who've seen the Second Edition on various supplements and have expressed concern that they wouldn't be compatible with GURPS Third Edition; I'm not at all sure that labeling supplements' edition numbers would solve more problems than it would create (since I believe most customers presume the Classic releases are the most-recent ones).

Wasn't substantial changes and improvements made between Imperial rome 1st and 2nd edition?

That I'm afraid I can't address; while my GURPS library is massive, I confess that I only have the Second Edition.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Steven Marsh

It hasn't generally been the style of e23 to differentiate GURPS Classic releases by version; see GURPS Classic: Magic, GURPS Classic: Old West, and [url="http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG30-6027"]GURPS Classic: Cliffhangers for examples. We might revisit the issue if we ever start putting earlier editions of supplements online, but for the time being we only plan on using the last edition of any Classic releases we upload.

I understand the problem with confused users worried about edition compatability.

But I have GURPS Imperial Rome 1st Edition in print, so it might not be so clear to me that I'd actually get new content if I bought the PDF. I might assume it as just a way to get an electronic version of material that I already own in paper form.

It depends a lot on how much was changed, though. It's been years since I looked through my Imperial Rome (it's not particularly relevant to me), but my guess is that 2nd Edition might be using advanced GURPS features such as templates, which IIRC my 1st Edition did not.

[Tzeentch]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

It depends a lot on how much was changed, though. It's been years since I looked through my Imperial Rome (it's not particularly relevant to me), but my guess is that 2nd Edition might be using advanced GURPS features such as templates, which IIRC my 1st Edition did not.

-- Imperial Rome, 2nd Edition is a pretty typical early-mid Third Edition historical sourcebook with regards to character notes unfortunantly. It's still a decent read, but you may find GURPS Low-Tech, the Roma Arcana setting from GURPS Fantasy, and Roman Technology from Pyramid to be useful additions.

[Pragmatic]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

and Roman Technology from Pyramid to be useful additions.

Second volume (i.e., online, no longer available to anyone who wasn't a subscriber when it ended)?

Or third volume (i.e., the current crop of PDFs)?

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Tzeentch

-- Imperial Rome, 2nd Edition is a pretty typical early-mid Third Edition historical sourcebook with regards to character notes unfortunantly. It's still a decent read, but you may find GURPS Low-Tech, the Roma Arcana setting from GURPS Fantasy, and Roman Technology from Pyramid to be useful additions.

I already have both editions of Low-Tech, and GURPS Fantasy. And I'm not particularly interested in GURPS Imperial Rome. I'm just worried that SJ Games may lose a few dozen PDF sales, due to their PDF naming policy.

[Tzeentch]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Or third volume (i.e., the current crop of PDFs)?

-- Pyramid #3/33 in this case.

http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-2633

-- I suppose they could lose some sales, but I've been buying GURPS books for a LONG time and have never seen the 1st edition - even at used bookstores and in sale lots at game stores. if you have the 1st edition then you should be chompin' at the bit even more than those that already have the second edition :)

[RevBob]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Why isn't this labelled more clearly as the 2nd edition of this product? The only place it says 2nd edition is on the cover scan, and that's not readable unless I click to get the enlarged cover.

Technically, its thumbnail on the "15 most recent" grid on the main GURPS page notes the Second Edition info as part of the ALT/TITLE text. If you're using a mouse-based device, that should pop up when you hover the pointer over that linked image.

And, of course, it's also thoroughly noted in the preview PDF.