Simplifying GURPS - Builds without Points

[dataweaver]

What would a suitable block of points for a four-year block of time? On-the-job training for a 40-hour work week comes out as 2000 effective hours of study, or 10 points; so your estimate sounds good on the surface. But it should be quadrupled if a given four-year block is centered around formal education; and intensive training programs ought to achieve similar results in half that time or less (Intensive training programs rarely last for four years; they tend to be cap out around six months). Then there's the effect of Talent, which can quickly complicate matters. Not to mention such things as Laziness.

As well, those training points aren't just for skills; once you achieve adequate competency in your job, I would expect a shift from skill improvement to work-related social traits like Rank, Reputation, Contacts, and even Allies, Patrons, or even Wealth — though there's some question how much of those sorts of gains ought to be paid for by points earned through study; a case could be made that such benefits ought to come from the chance events that Lifepath systems are famous for, and should be priced in separately.

Personally, I'd prefer a Lifepath system that's geared less around the training and awards acquired and more around the personality and social developments that occur.

[kabson]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Has anyone come up with a way of doing lifepath generation for GURPS?

There's an old pyramid article available as a sample. It's short, so not very deep.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

What would a suitable block of points for a four-year block of time? On-the-job training for a 40-hour work week comes out as 2000 effective hours of study, or 10 points; so your estimate sounds good on the surface. But it should be quadrupled if a given four-year block is centered around formal education; and intensive training programs ought to achieve similar results in half that time or less (Intensive training programs rarely last for four years; they tend to be cap out around six months). Then there's the effect of Talent, which can quickly complicate matters. Not to mention such things as Laziness.

As well, those training points aren't just for skills; once you achieve adequate competency in your job, I would expect a shift from skill improvement to work-related social traits like Rank, Reputation, Contacts, and even Allies, Patrons, or even Wealth — though there's some question how much of those sorts of gains ought to be paid for by points earned through study; a case could be made that such benefits ought to come from the chance events that Lifepath systems are famous for, and should be priced in separately.

Personally, I'd prefer a Lifepath system that's geared less around the training and awards acquired and more around the personality and social developments that occurred.

On the job training is half as effective though, so 2,000 hours of work only counts for 2.5 CP/year of training. Of course, people are experiencing life as well outside of work, with 4 hours of leisure per workday and 12 hours of leisure per non-workday, which which also count as 'on the job' training for Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Games, Hobby Skills, etc. Then you have the people who take classes during their leisure time...

I generally dislike lifepath designs because they either a) result in radically different point total, b) artificially force the same point total despite experiences through inflicting undesirable negative traits, or c) waste everyone's time by killing the PC or making a useless PC during character creation. After all, not many people who want to produce a magician would want to end up with a PC with ST 8, DX 8, IQ 8, and HT 8, even if they got Status 7 and Wealth (Multimillionaire 2) in compensation.

[dataweaver]

On the job training is only a quarter as effective, and I already factored that into my 2000-hour figure. Your other points hold.

[Black Leviathan]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

Has anyone come up with a way of doing lifepath generation for GURPS?

We do a sort of life-path. We do 25pt or 50pt racial templates, career templates that vary between 50-150pts, then a number of 25pt miscellaneous templates that reflect hobby interests or life experiences.

So it's not purely chronological and you're choices aren't gated (Other than templates that have optional lenses), but you're basically assembling a character with a history built upon templates.

[RedMattis]

Reminds me a bit of some old roleplaying systems in Swedish. Eon (Fantasy) & Neotech (Sci-fi).

In both of them you roll up basically your entire character, what race are you? Gender? Age? Who are your parents? What is your background?

There are a few points where players can make decisions (race, and profession f.ex.), but generally you're stuck with what you roll up. The power level of characters can end up quite different as a result, but rolling up characters through endless tables is actually quite fun.

Such systems can be nice for players who can't come up with good characters, though as an experienced roleplayer & GM I'd rather come up with most of my character myself.