Dungeon Fantasy: Good or Bad for GURPS?

[Nymdok]

Originally Posted by Landwalker

I've never really understood this. I can certainly see how fantasy would simply not appeal to some people, but I've always been flummoxed when the notion of it manages to elicit opinions as strong as this.

Cheers.

I thought I hated fantasy for a while when I first started playing gurps. Now I see that I didnt hate fantasy at all, nor do I hate it now, but there is so much more to do inside the system that fantasy looses some luster.

So now I'm a player in a GURPS:Fantasy campaign with a bunch of 30-35 year old geezers who think that fantasy is the conerstone of RPGing, and I run a World War Z campaign for my son and his friends (15-18) who are young enough not to have such ridiculously unwarranted esteem for the genre and have alot of fun with the question of 'What should we play?'.

Nymdok

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

On the other hand, I can get "not my thing." I can't imagine ever wanting to play Vampire: The Masquerade or its successor species.

I hear you!

I can't imagine ever wanting to play in a hard-SF game where I had to track delta-V and worry about radiation . . . or in a historical campaign where my ability to warp real events was constrained . . . or in a purely mercantile campaign or anything else without fightin'. I game mainly for social reasons, but inasmuch as the gaming itself matters, I value escapism and tactics. For me, the first demands one or more of high power levels, impossible abilities, and fast-and-loose physics. The second calls for the occasional scuffle, and leaves me prone to seeing all groups of PCs as squads or teams made up of people whose skills and equipment let them fill a set of vital combat roles.

I recognize that those views aren't universal, though. Thus, when I run the line and counsel writers, I try to set aside my biases. This is why GURPS supports many things that aren't my personal interests.

That is, when I wear my editorial hat. When I switch hats and operate as a writer, I can't get inspired to create material that falls outside my areas of personal interest. This is why I work on stuff like GURPS Action (high power, loose physics, squad-based, violent) and GURPS Dungeon Fantasy (high power, impossible abilities, squad-based, violent), and not some putative GURPS Academia or GURPS Canada (both of which I'd be quite qualified to write).

[Not another shrubbery]

Regarding the nominal question, I can't think of any way DF could be reasonably construed as 'bad for GURPS'.

Originally Posted by Kromm

... and not some putative GURPS Academia or GURPS Canada (both of which I'd be quite qualified to write).

...
I'd buy those :| ;)

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Could you talk more about this?

In my limited exposure to conspiracy-centric literature and games, the generally overt message of "everything you know is wrong" is accompanied by a strongly implied message of "and you're a fool for having been duped!", leading to a feeling of "nyah-nyah, we're better than you!" from someone or something in the game or among the people involved in it. Perhaps the players are real live lunatic conspiracy theorists. Perhaps the GM has a childish love of proving he's oh-so-much-smarter than other mere mortals. Perhaps it's just an aspect of the game world in question. Is this an accurate representation of conspiracy games or reflection of their necessary attributes? Probably not, but that hardly matters. It's what I've run into and it has tainted the entire genre for me.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by Kromm

This is why I work on stuff like GURPS Action (high power, loose physics, squad-based, violent) and GURPS Dungeon Fantasy (high power, impossible abilities, squad-based, violent), and not some putative GURPS Academia or GURPS Canada (both of which I'd be quite qualified to write).

So the way is open for me to write GURPS Hot Spots: Moosejaw, Saskatchewan!

[Kaldrin]

Originally Posted by b-dog

I'm curious what the average GURPS player thinks about the Dungeon Fantasy series. For me of course I really love it but I am wondering what other people think. Thanks.

I use some of the ideas in my non-DF games, but otherwise it does remind me of the old D&D games we had a long time ago... a bit too much. I'd rather try and figure out something new to do with it.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

... I also hate Sit-Coms and Reality TV.

Freak!

;-)

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Kromm

... some putative GURPS Academia ....

It would just duplicate IOU anyway.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Kromm

I can't imagine ever wanting to play in a hard-SF game where I had to track delta-V and worry about radiation . . . or in a historical campaign where my ability to warp real events was constrained . . .

So, that 1970-era moon-landing campaign would just drive you batty, huh?

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Freak!

And darn proud of it!

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

So the way is open for me to write GURPS Hot Spots: Moosejaw, Saskatchewan!

There were times when Moose Jaw was Squad-Based and Violent.