GURPS Does It The Hard Way!

[PrinceYyrkoon]

Well, Im slowly acclimatising myself to the Gurps system but I can see Im still a long way off from running it.

Ive played many games (Ive said this previously), from D&D, through RQ, Traveller, Twilight 2000, Rolemaster, etc., etc.. mechanics dont scare me! But Gurps is the biggest challenge Ive ever seen.

I can see the appeal, after being initially put off. Despite a hefty couple of rulebooks, it still seemed to be lacking something. I thought it was a bestiary. But, you know, Im coming to the conclusion that it is the lack of scenario material.

I know its an old issue with Gurps and Im sure people have mentioned it lots of times before I have.

In the same way that the lack of a bestiary was seen as a good thing by some, Im sure many would argue that the lack of scenarios and general GM support is also a good thing. I cant see it myself. As for the argument that scenario material doesnt sell, Im not so sure. Such material actually improves sales of the core rulebooks in the long run.

Every system has its classic scenarios, products that define the system. RQ had Griffin Mountain and Pavis and the Rubble, AD&D had the Slavers series, the Giants series. Twilight 2000 had the Polish campaign. Today, Savage Worlds has scenario material bursting at the seams.

Gurps not so much.

When you do it the Gurps way, you do it the hard way! Dont expect fluff or colour. What you get is a black shiny toolbox. You want monsters? Make 'em yerself! You want storylines? What, ya lazy or what? Get workin'! Yer a Gurps player now sonny! You can forget all that mollycodlin' in future!

And, to emphasise the point, were going to call it the most unappealin' name ya evah heard! Ladies and gentlemen I give you, GURPS!

Maybe it could be a bit more friendly?

[RedMattis]

What's it with these suggestive topic titles lately?

Sourcebooks don't sell all that well by the way, though GURPS does have a few. Don't particularly like most of them myself, but they are there.

[PK]

GURPS has sourcebooks and defined campaign worlds, with Infinite Worlds and Banestorm leading the list. Is there something lacking in either of those books that doesn't give you enough of everything to play?

[Stone Dog]

Originally Posted by RedMattis

What's it with these suggestive topic titles lately?

He was never a cautious poster.

[Mark Skarr]

Keep in mind that each of those other games you mentioned only cover one, specific setting inside one specific genre. GURPS covers every setting in every genre. You just have to figure out how you want to run it.

Since the game covers everything from playing amoebas in the primordial sludge up to Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and beyond, I'll give it some slack on not giving me setting ideas or adventure threads. That's what I'm supposed to do, as the GM, anyway.

If you want books with scenario ideas . . . go buy some. Any game will do. I buy books from other game systems all the time. Then I mine them for ideas. If you want to do that, you might check Warehouse 23, right on this website. Or, if you're like me and loves you some PDFs, check out e23! You don't have to go far. The people here at SJGames are nice and friendly and will sell you other people's books.

Saying that GURPS not having scenario ideas is like saying that Daz3d and Poser don't have rendering topic suggestions, or an Xbox 360 doesn't come with games. They don't because they don't know what you're interested in and it would cost them too much money to cover all the possible bases.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by PrinceYyrkoon

In the same way that the lack of a bestiary was seen as a good thing by some, Im sure many would argue that the lack of scenarios and general GM support is also a good thing.

I'm not sure anyone would characterize it as "good" so much as a natural consequence of the market niche GURPS fills.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by RedMattis

Sourcebooks don't sell all that well by the way, though GURPS does have a few. Don't particularly like most of them myself, but they are there.

That is why I think that having GURPS try to have monsters and stuff from other games be converted to GURPS rules would be perfect. That way other companies like D&D can write the settings and adventures while GURPS provides rules so you can plug them in. And if you want a character or monster that is a little different from D&D then you can stick that in easily too. The first GURPS book I bought was GURPS Vampire the Masquerade and I have bought close to 50 since then so it shows you that if you convert a well supported setting to GURPS you really have a good chance at making a lot more sales for other GURPS prducts.

[BMR]

GURPS Campaigns comes with an Infinite Worlds setting, right there in the book, with every basic thing the GM needs. Between the Player and the Campaign manuals, you have everything the GM and the Player needs to run adventures. Any additional detail can be filled out by a visit to Wikipedia or your local library (I recommend the Janes Information Group books, provided you don't actually pay for those expensive behemoths).

Otherwise, GURPS has plenty of scenarios for download--either on e23 or on various fan sites. I am writing scenarios and adventures based on the default rules that e23 may accept, and if they don't, I'm posting them free of charge on my site. I am also writing more generic adventures and worldbooks based on my own fiction that I plan to license; and if that falls through, I can sell them online with instructions for GURPS or d20 conversion.

Hell, I'm even making my own basic d10 ruleset for cRPG developers, with an even simpler table-top version. Its got a bit of GURPS, a bit of SPECIAL, a bit of d20, even some Storyteller and Fallout PnP. But that's straying from the topic...

GURPS does appear to throw a lot of crapola at you on the first, second, or even third glance. It can especially be a chore for a new or lethargic GM. But the books are written well enough, and the rule set flexible enough, that you don't even have to use most of it.

Indeed, adventures and scenarios tend to be pretty simple in their layout, from what I recall. Maps and some narration blurbs tend to do about 70% of the work. Most of the rest is just keeping track of the PCs stats and equipment.

[The_Nightwatch]

I still remember buying a scenario for D&D back around 1975 or so, and being shocked when I finished reading it. I thought I was buying rules, new critters, new spells....something!! Instead all I got was somebody's idea of a game to run.

I've been running games for 36 years now, and I haven't used anybody's scenario yet, mainly because that would take all the fun out of it for me. I'm not saying people shouldn't buy 'em - buy whatever you want. But I definitely don't see their absence as anything lacking.

[Ragitsu]

I used to call it BURPS.