Equipment Familiarity

[Dalin]

Originally Posted by jsbrewster1

I'd never penalize a player for using a Colt .38 instead of a S&W .38, as long as the mechanisms are the same. And even if they are slightly different, for example, a striker-fired versus hammer-fired 9mm, that's about 15 minutes of familiarity, not 8 hours.

Lots of other people wouldn't either. It totally depends on the style of game you're going for. I don't really worry about what GURPS officially marks as optional or not. I think of the whole thing as a menu and I'm trying to plan delicious meals for my players. My 10+ year 3e fantasy campaign never even used hit locations. What I love about it, though, is that the complexity is there if I need or want it.