Discussion on GURPS 4E Revised or Database

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Icelander

*shrug*

Given how gritty the various stories are, elements in them are such points as 'non-lethal' subdual methods being either less than effective or very dangerous; medical skills having inter-species defaults; a clear distinction between Combat Sport and Combat skills, not to mention Brawling vs. Boxing or Karate; a wealth of different academic skills existing, interdefaulting or not; and other nods to realism which are easily modelled in GURPS, less easily in a more abstract system.

One of the conceits of the Discworld is that the stories are often founded on taking fantastic tropes or situations and then not abstracting away little details of realism as is done in simplistic fantasy stories, and by extension RPGs designed to emulate such stories.

This means that my first thought for emulating Discoworld stories is having a fairly robust system for simulating something much closer to reality than BESM, Toon or pretty much any simple RPG I've seen. Of course, it needn't be GURPS, but a purpose designed system for Discworld wouldn't necessarily be any simpler than GURPS, at least not if the stand-alone product reproduces only the parts of GURPS that are necessary for the setting.

Well I'd argue that any grittiness or realism is still very much subjugated by the narrative requirements and character tropes involved. i'd also argue that the subversion of genre troupes is done for comic or dramatic effect rather as an appeal to realism.

Also Toon and BESM really aren't that close. More over the range of available RPGs really isn't just GURPS, BESM and Toon.

Anyway I guess we can agree to differ on this one