tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post7281531131809997876..comments2024-03-17T20:50:21.456-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: GURPS Multi-Sourcebook Ideas, or Why 4th Edition Failed MeSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-48067426148685437582014-11-18T18:51:43.440-04:002014-11-18T18:51:43.440-04:00I'm actually a fan of GURPS 4e. I started on 3...I'm actually a fan of GURPS 4e. I started on 3e, but didn't find the transition painful at all. In fact, since the majority of a 3e book was plain English information, they don't really need revising to be useful with the new edition.<br /><br />The big problem was probably the change to hardcover-only releases. Since each book was a significant investment, they had to focus on their stronger sellers, which were the crunch books, Tech and Powers and whatnot.<br /><br />They've addressed this problem somewhat by releasing smaller new products as PDFs. I say "somewhat" because some of us are still very strongly print oriented. Though some strong selling PDF products have gotten physical print runs, so it's not all bad.<br /><br />@Nicholas: It doesn't have the random character generation system, but that's been replaced by the template system from later in the life of 3e.F. Douglas Wallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06497140550892192807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-85615506369374129982014-11-16T19:44:34.703-04:002014-11-16T19:44:34.703-04:00It's an interesting dilemma about the business...It's an interesting dilemma about the business case for RPG publishing like that, that bloats/paints itself into a corner on the usability/approachability of a huge tome like that. I wonder if a more solid transition (if one must update editions at all), is to commit to keeping the core book very slim, and keeping the add-on books perpetually available by digital download?Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-18437259699166938822014-11-14T11:33:28.622-04:002014-11-14T11:33:28.622-04:00I think you hit the nail on the head there by comp...I think you hit the nail on the head there by comparing it to Hero.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-71355344193981493072014-11-14T11:24:34.454-04:002014-11-14T11:24:34.454-04:00There's not a lot of mechanical difference bet...There's not a lot of mechanical difference between GURPS 3rd and GURPS 4th, it was all about presentation. I could easily run GURPS 3rd and say "use this setting book, and ignore/use Compendium I or II" and players could figure it out quickly. GURPS 3rd still had those random generation rules for characters that allowed us to run some quick on the fly games. GURPS 4th did get more structured, and then incorporated everything from Compendium I and II into its pages. It became much harder to sell players on it because it simply had too many options. Even though actual play could be very easy, getting over that initial difficulty curve of char gen was the tough part.<br /><br />I've been looking at going back to GURPS and running some 4E, but I admit I'm kind of in the same boat you are....90% of my GURPS gaming happened in 1st-3rd edition, but 4E created a wall of trouble toward quickstarting GURPS games....which is a real shame, because it's still the same system, just repurposed in a way that puts it in the same troublesome boat at Hero System got itself into.Doctor Futurityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02586371999646337047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-91642019402405768782014-11-14T08:42:53.701-04:002014-11-14T08:42:53.701-04:00Yes, I've played that game. I have a feeling i...Yes, I've played that game. I have a feeling it spawned more than one Savage Worlds campaign setting.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-25761228538525448752014-11-14T08:13:11.790-04:002014-11-14T08:13:11.790-04:00Nicely done!
I remember there used to be a site ...Nicely done! <br /><br />I remember there used to be a site that would serve you up 2-3 GURPS books (for instance, CthulhuPunk, Time Travel, and Goblins) and challenge you to create a setting with 'em. Seems you've got similar ideas going on some of these... :)Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08836804977528685989noreply@blogger.com