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Old 03-14-2020, 04:03 PM   #1
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default GURPS X-Com

I was just wondering if anyone had come up with a GURPS conversion of X-Com (either the old series or, preferably, the new series)? If so, would you be willing to share it? If not, how would you do such a conversion?
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Old 03-14-2020, 05:10 PM   #2
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
I was just wondering if anyone had come up with a GURPS conversion of X-Com (either the old series or, preferably, the new series)? If so, would you be willing to share it? If not, how would you do such a conversion?
I think interpreting X-Com with existing rules would be pretty easy. GURPS is a very good fit for X-Com. You would need Ultra-Tech for weapon, armor and technology (terrestrial and alien), maybe Bio-Tech too. Transhuman Space books would also help. Boardroom and Curia, Social Engineering: Pulling Rank for roleplaying dealings inside the X-Com organization. Powers and Templates: Races would be helpful as well.

P.S. Tactical Shooting
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Old 03-14-2020, 10:10 PM   #3
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

Octopus Carnival wrote about such a game, but using faeries instead of aliens.


I'd probably convert different ways depending on what I wanted to emphasize, but I think the parts that would actually require converting are the aliens, the psionic powers, and the gear. The gear isn't too hard to do, though I would NOT just take stuff from ultra-tech without modification. I've been thinking about the powers for some of my own stuff recently. Psionic powers isn't a great match, but the powers themselves are pretty well defined. I was looking into replicating some of the powers in this thread. The aliens are a bunch of templates, and mostly depend on how you statted up the gear and psi powers.



The soldier parts, and the research are pretty well covered under existing rules.
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Old 03-15-2020, 06:12 AM   #4
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

Chrysalids would be difficult. They are fast, tough, deadly, and capable of turning humans. I mean, their unarmed attacks have a very high chance of killing the average human, suggesting damage of around 10d impaling (though they do have some difficulty penetrating armor).
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Old 03-15-2020, 07:32 AM   #5
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

Hi there,

I tried and failed twice. So I will post some points I came up with afterwards.

First think you need to figure out is what role will the players play. (Are there members of Strike One squad? - If yes you need to think realy carefully about tactical situations. What is smooth in PC game is realy long and could be boring in tabletop.)

As always but more so - be on the same page as your players. I had a very inconsistent groups both times. It eventualy broke the games neck. Some wanted to shoot aliens, other's wanted to feel the struggle and grim situation of X-COM. And there were players that did have some forknowledge of the setting, and had hard time adapting for it.

Lastly about gear and aliens. I used gurps Ultra tech and in blowed back in my face quickly. It confused players a lot. While computer game does this with ease and gear research and upgrade feels rewarding for tabletop they felt lost. Maybe because the campaign was relatively short. But I would love to stick to one type of enemy for several missions if I get to do it again.

Beware of Ultra tech while in X-COM series lasers and plasma weaponry only improved damage. In GURPS both lasers and plasma work quite differently from normal bullets. Same goes for armor. While in game agent in powerarmor or mech suit is still vurneable to normal weapons TL10-12 power armor is basicly too good for anything other that plasma.

On the side note - light amored agent can survive one plasma shot if lucky in X-COM. There is no way that would be true to GURPS. (Actualy he might, but with loosing limb or another crippling injury, writting the character of.)

Just to point out a huge difference - in new computer game a granade o rocket is sure source of set damage with 0 miss chance. In GURPS in exact opposite.
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Old 03-15-2020, 08:00 AM   #6
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

I managed to run a pretty successful X-Com game awhile back (before even the X-Com PC reboot).

I used Gurps Black Ops and Gurps Conspiracy X 3e books as my base campaign, especially for the look, feel and tenor of the campaign.

Blacks Ops introduces an "academy" where they train the soldiers, so I used their "graduation" scenario as an "alien free", first adventure.

The second adventure where I introduced the aliens, it was more like a horror campaign, with them being shot at from the dark, and only seeing scuttling, strange shapes.

Go checkout Black Ops:

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/blackops/

It has a lot of what you want: "watch out for the insidious Greys, as they kidnap human women and steer the destiny of entire nations!"

It is 3e, so you have to convert it. But I think it is a great base to build on.
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Old 03-15-2020, 08:06 AM   #7
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

I would also look at either Action or Monster Hunters, depending on how over-the-top you want to be.
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Old 03-15-2020, 01:54 PM   #8
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

I should note here my only experience with the series is XCOM 2, so this probably only applies to converting the reboot series.

For weapons, I'd probably have the assault rifles as SCAR-H's (HT122), probably firing APHC (5d(2) pi-). The magnetic rifles would be smaller caliber - probably 4mm - but deal 50% more damage (7d+2(2) pi-). The plasma rifles would convert damage to tight-beam burning and have high damage, but be semi-automatic; I'd say 10d(2) burn. Other weapons would follow the same trend. I'd say the base shotgun would be something in 12G using a cinematic flechette loadout that grants AD(2), the base sniper rifle is an AI AW (HT 120), and the base cannon is probably the XM214 (aka 6Pak, apparently found in Seals in Vietnam p.65). For the plasma versions of each, I'd suggest they do around the same damage as the magnetic, but deal burning rather than small piercing (the assault rifle gets a damage boost in exchange for switching to semi-automatic; the shotgun and sniper rifle stay semi-auto, while the cannon stays fully-auto). This does have the unfortunate side effect that XCOM needs to produce/acquire 3 types of ammo at least at the first tier (7.62 for the assault rifles and sniper rifles, 12G MF for the shotguns, and 5.56 for the cannons), but that should be surmountable.

For armor, I'd probably go with top-of-the-line TL8 ballistic fibers + ceramic inserts for the starting "kevlar" armor. I'd boost these to TL9 for the tier 2 armor, and TL10 for tier 3. The powered armor I'd use more as exoskeletons (and relatively low-ST ones at that; see here for a potential design system), but they'd probably replace some of the ballistic fiber + ceramic inserts with metal plate (which weighs more, but gives better sustained protection against multiple threats). The mobility suits (like the Wraith Suit) may have some exoskeleton components, mostly restricted to the legs.

Once you've figured out the gear for XCOM, scale the abilities of the aliens appropriately. I'd actually suggest giving the aliens weaker versions of the weapons XCOM eventually fields (their magnetic rifles might be 6d(2) pi-, for example) - the aliens can get away with using cheaper gear due to their numbers advantage.
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Old 03-15-2020, 06:03 PM   #9
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

I like the idea of using Action/MH for this.

One thing that the GM needs to do before the game is to create some potential player characters and their enemies, and put them into simulated battles with each other. Give one side or another advantages and see what happens.

It is much too easy to create really fun opponents that will then slaughter the PCs on their first adventure.
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Old 03-16-2020, 06:26 AM   #10
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Default Re: GURPS X-Com

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Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
Chrysalids would be difficult. They are fast, tough, deadly, and capable of turning humans. I mean, their unarmed attacks have a very high chance of killing the average human, suggesting damage of around 10d impaling (though they do have some difficulty penetrating armor).

Monster Hunters 5 has this covered. The Insectoids on page 32 are basically chrysalids with the serial numbers filed off and the transformation slowed down to add to the mystery. It does about 3d(2) cutting with extra attack and a nasty poison.


MH5 also has a zero point template for greys on page 30, and additional guidelines for copying alien tech on page 44.


*************************************


I have to agree with the people saying to be careful and deliberate with the gear stats. You don't want to just use ultratech.



And the people who are saying that making the campaign "x-com" is not enough are also right. know the activities the pc's are and are not expected to engage in, what the chance of death is, and if the enemy will actually be "unknown", with surprises from outside the game. and let your players know these things too.
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