Low Tech vs Basic Weapon Stats

[safisher]

Originally Posted by kracht

Let me put this straight: to me, GURPS is the most (scientifically, technically, historically) authoritative RPG ever, and this we owe to people like you. Nothing I say is meant to detract from that.

I'm never bothered by questions. That's why we authors hang out -- to help clarify and support the system. I'm bothered by the near constant rudeness toward the authors by some of the posters. This can range from completely ignoring the author in a thread referencing the book they wrote, to telling the author that their own interpretation of the words they wrote can't possibly be right. That stuff gets old. Question away, by all means. But like in real life, be kind, be fair, be reasonable. Above all, be civil.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by safisher

I'm never bothered by questions. That's why we authors hang out -- to help clarify and support the system. I'm bothered by the near constant rudeness toward the authors by some of the posters. This can range from completely ignoring the author in a thread referencing the book they wrote, to telling the author that their own interpretation of the words they wrote can't possibly be write. That stuff gets old. Question away, by all means. But like in real life, be kind, be fair, be reasonable. Above all, be civil.

At least one poster seems to be applying Death of the Author to GURPS books, though I actually don't remember the name. I'm not sure if that's the sort of thing that counts as uncivil in your book; I just found it to be an approach that is very alien to the local mainstream approach to books, but not necessarily rude, but I'm not one of the authors.

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by safisher

... Question away, by all means. But like in real life, be kind, be fair, be reasonable. Above all, be civil.

I think these are important rules to live by here (anywhere), and it goes without saying they apply to all.

However that said I think:

Originally Posted by kracht

Let me put this straight: to me, GURPS is the most (scientifically, technically, historically) authoritative RPG ever, and this we owe to people like you. Nothing I say is meant to detract from that.

Is also true, and while we think it, and personally speaking it's a basic under pinning premise of most of my posts here, I can see that if it goes unsaid it might easily go unnoticed!

[kracht]

If I happened to offend or merely annoy anybody, let alone any GURPS author, please accept my apologies. It was entirely unwanted.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

There's nothing quicker or easier about Basic Set weapon stats compared to Low Tech. The Low Tech stats tweak a few weapons that probably should be, and don't change anything else or add any complexity at all. If you have both, use Low Tech unless you're violently allergic to looking at longer tables.

The other circumstances in which I'd say "use Basic Set" is if it's accepted that members of your group should or will all own the system core books, but buying supplements is entirely optional (and people make up their own character sheets).

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

The other circumstances in which I'd say "use Basic Set" is if it's accepted that members of your group should or will all own the system core books, but buying supplements is entirely optional (and people make up their own character sheets).

You could even go with "The subject in question is not predicted to be sufficiently important to this campaign to warrant using the greater details in supplement X".

A lot of games (or gamers) wouldn't invest enough time and energy in personal combat to profitably use Martial Arts or Tactical Shooting. The armor weights in Basic (or the Shield stats) bother me about as much as thye do anyone but I know people who _hate_ buying equipment and would nt like needing to use Low Tech. A lot of them wouldn't even like the level of detail found in DR by Hit location.

I was dealing with a dubious game system yesterday called "The Strange" which had very generic weapon labels. My character was insisting that his "Heavy Handgun" was a S&W .500Magnum and his "Medium Handgun was a Sig P225 wit aftermarket 20 round magazine. I don't think anyone else at the table understood a word of that but it did help establish my guy as a "gun nut" (and probably dangerous to annoy).

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I was dealing with a dubious game system yesterday called "The Strange" which had very generic weapon labels. My character was insisting that his "Heavy Handgun" was a S&W .500Magnum and his "Medium Handgun was a Sig P225 wit aftermarket 20 round magazine. I don't think anyone else at the table understood a word of that but it did help establish my guy as a "gun nut" (and probably dangerous to annoy).

That's my partner in any game he can get a gun in, ever.

Finding a compromise position between the players that want super detail and the players who want as little detail as they can get away with often seems to end up at one extreme or the other, because there's usually published rules at either end, but none in the spectrum along the middle.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's my partner in any game he can get a gun in, ever.

Finding a compromise position between the players that want super detail and the players who want as little detail as they can get away with often seems to end up at one extreme or the other, because there's usually published rules at either end, but none in the spectrum along the middle.

GURPS sort of does that ... you can pick a dozen or so real guns, give them generic names, and print them in the handout for players while letting the ones who really like smallarms go through Pulp Guns and the Internet's cornucopia of websites earnestly explaining the important differences between 20 different models of .303 bolt-action rifle with more or less the same action. The stats for the generic guns will be pretty reasonable, because its GURPS, while the details will still be there for those who want them.

I have not played AD&D 5e so can't comment on whether they succeeded in a similar goal.

[Kalzazz]

Isn't that essentially what High Tech does? Cherry picks a tiny subset of the wide world of guns liable to be amusing for games, such that most people can (hopefully) find what they want, or at least something close.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Bruno

That's my partner in any game he can get a gun in, ever.

Finding a compromise position between the players that want super detail and the players who want as little detail as they can get away with often seems to end up at one extreme or the other, because there's usually published rules at either end, but none in the spectrum along the middle.

A similar situation is handling situations which deserve more or less detail. Its hard to run a day-long skirmish and track every blow and every shot, and the climactic duel with a main character's Enemy deserves more detail than the brawl in the alley on the way to that enemy. A good GURPS GM will sometimes chose to just pick a skill and a modifier and tell the players to roll once or twice, and sometimes crack open a book of optional rules, but its hard.