GURPS Heavy Gear?

[El Guapo]

Will the new edition of Heavy Gear be compatible with GURPS or include conversion rules?

[sir_pudding]

Is there any reason to suspect it should?

[El Guapo]

Just this:

http://www.sjgames.com/ill/archives....&m=August&d=27

[cmdicely]

Well, the announcement indicates that it will be a new edition of the Silhouette-based rules, so that woul dsuggest it is unlikely to be GURPS-compatible. And if GURPS conversion rules were a planned feature of the core book, you'd thinkl that would be in the announcement.

But, who knows, maybe even if its not in the initial book, it'll come later , either as a conversion product or perhaps a GURPS adaptation after the initial, as with GURPS In Nomine.

[RevBob]

Given the text of the release (particularly the reference to HG4e), I would expect it to be a non-GURPS line. However, I would hardly be surprised if the terms of the deal included a GURPS license.

I am, though, a bit disappointed in the announcement that it's primarily going to be an e23 line. I understand the business decisions involved in shunting so much stuff over to e23 rather than paper, but I can't help thinking that e23/W23 exclusives by their nature limit the audience and, in doing so, hinder FLGS outlets. I'm not trying to criticize, though - it's just my personal observation, and my wish that the numbers favored a different outcome.

[Kromm]

It seems to me that more people can order games over t3h intarwebs than can find a FLGS nowadays. I'm fresh from GenCon where I heard all about it. Most of the folks who didn't buy some product at the booth because they lacked the cash or the desire to lug the goods home didn't say, "I can get this back home." They said, "Nobody carries SJ Games back home . . . what's the URL of your web store?" I would say that electronic products are more a response to poor brick-and-mortar coverage than a cause of it.

[cmdicely]

Originally Posted by RevBob

Given the text of the release (particularly the reference to HG4e), I would expect it to be a non-GURPS line. However, I would hardly be surprised if the terms of the deal included a GURPS license.

I am, though, a bit disappointed in the announcement that it's primarily going to be an e23 line. I understand the business decisions involved in shunting so much stuff over to e23 rather than paper, but I can't help thinking that e23/W23 exclusives by their nature limit the audience and, in doing so, hinder FLGS outlets. I'm not trying to criticize, though - it's just my personal observation, and my wish that the numbers favored a different outcome.

I think SJG's been pretty good at taking e23 products that work to hardback or POD softcover, and I don't think the choice is really been between electronic and physical media, I think its between electronic media and not getting a product out at all.

[Harald387]

As Kromm noted, it's becoming rather hard to find actual FLGS's, as opposed to comic shops that carry D&D on a rack in the back and maybe stock some polyhedral dice at the counter. I'm entirely in favor of more easily-accessible electronic products.

I think Heavy Gear going to e23 is fairly awesome news, though, whether it's GURPS rules or not. There's just something inherently appealing about giant robots shooting at each other. :D

[Paul]

Answers . . .

* The new Heavy Gear will not be GURPS; it'll be a new edition of the Silouette system. A conversion document isn't currently planned, but isn't unlikely.

* Our current plan calls for a print version of the core game, to make those who only frequent physical FLGS aware, and PDF for the remainder of the line. However, given printing technology, you're going to see hardcopy sooner or later.

* Kromm said: "I would say that electronic products are more a response to poor brick-and-mortar coverage than a cause of it."

Yup.

[MIB 1473]

Originally Posted by Kromm

It seems to me that more people can order games over t3h intarwebs than can find a FLGS nowadays.

Perhaps, but from what I've heard at my FLGS and from gamer friends around the country, most people are unaware of e23, DriverthroughRPG, etc. In that respect, I worry that RevBob is right that putting the product online limits its potential audience. That could change, but finding effective and efficient means of advertising is a challenge for companies much larger and wealthier than SJG.

(A simple way to advertise e23 would be to provide links to .pdf products from within Warehouse 23. But why have separate storefronts?)