... Colour me intrigued.
I am very interested in how they will go from old Late 80's complex to a sleeker less stat heavy game.
I thought Mutants and Masterminds would work as a good replacement for the system. Especially the ability to vary the power level.
I am very interested in how they will go from old Late 80's complex to a sleeker less stat heavy game.
I thought Mutants and Masterminds would work as a good replacement for the system. Especially the ability to vary the power level.
Yeah, I've running Savage Worlds at the moment (with the East Texas University setting) and having finally got a grip on how the system works, I'm really interested to see what they do with RIFTS. Feels like an odd fit.
I'm not seeing it.
I'm not seeing it.
Not showing on the linked page for some reason, but if you search Rifts under news tab on their site it comes up.
Did expect to see something about K. Siembieda being dead when I read this though. Never thought he'd let go of his system for Rifts.
-TimD
Yep, here is the text from the Palladium Weekly Update page from before a specific company was announced for this:
"Something new and exciting. In an effort to truly expand Rifts® across the Megaverse®, in cooperation with Palladium Books, another role-playing game company is currently adapting the Rifts® Earth setting to that company’s RPG system of rules, as well as producing adventure sourcebooks. This is only the second time in Palladium’s history that an outside company will create new game material under a different set of rules. Rumor Squashing: No, Palladium is NOT going to stop publishing Rifts®, nor change to a completely different set of rules. Far from it. In fact, Palladium expects to release six new Rifts® titles in 2015 and 98% of all Rifts® titles are in stock and available for purchase right now! The idea is that by offering Rifts® via another game company’s set of popular rules it creates a parallel dimension of gaming enjoyment. An expanding Megaverse®, if you will. This is a bit of an experiment, but we are excited to see how it all unfolds."
I'm not seeing it.Not showing on the linked page for some reason, but if you search Rifts under news tab on their site it comes up.
Did expect to see something about K. Siembieda being dead when I read this though. Never thought he'd let go of his system for Rifts.
-TimD
his hatred for other systems is considerable.
his hatred for other systems is considerable.I'm not seeing it.Not showing on the linked page for some reason, but if you search Rifts under news tab on their site it comes up.
Did expect to see something about K. Siembieda being dead when I read this though. Never thought he'd let go of his system for Rifts.
-TimD
Which is pretty ironic, since the Palladium system is basically a heavily house-ruled version of OD&D/AD&D, with some additional bits bolted on. Of course, because it's his house-ruled version, it's "the most awesome RPG ever invented" (although he's pretty "old school" about ignoring the rules whenever it's "convenient," to judge from some of his comments about how games "should" be played).
Anyway, IMO he's much better at setting design than system design. Most people I know love the settings much more than the mechanics of actually playing in the settings. He tends to indulge a bit too much in Platonic thinking (which isn't that uncommon for RPGs), though.
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his hatred for other systems is considerable.I'm not seeing it.Not showing on the linked page for some reason, but if you search Rifts under news tab on their site it comes up.
Did expect to see something about K. Siembieda being dead when I read this though. Never thought he'd let go of his system for Rifts.
-TimD
Does it match your hatred of Whedon?
his hatred for other systems is considerable.I'm not seeing it.Not showing on the linked page for some reason, but if you search Rifts under news tab on their site it comes up.
Did expect to see something about K. Siembieda being dead when I read this though. Never thought he'd let go of his system for Rifts.
-TimD
Does it match your hatred of Whedon?
in intensity, but not in effect. I don't think I would make my own tv shows and hold on to the rights just because I had a bad experience with some browncoats over 30 years ago. Which...may say more about me than him. Hm
As a long time Rifts player...I am interested in this news till I got to the system. The Savage World System...there are really just too many options in Rifts for it to do a good job. Also my history of the Savage World system is like the girlfriend you keep going back to...yeah she looks good and all that but eventually she will just keep breaking your heart.
I'll check it out...but I don't think converting 10% of my characters will be possible...so ultimately I'll stick with the Rifts system...as to me at least characters are more important than system.
This is basically our dream project at Geekspeaker (at least, Ryan's).
As a long time Rifts player...I am interested in this news till I got to the system. The Savage World System...there are really just too many options in Rifts for it to do a good job. Also my history of the Savage World system is like the girlfriend you keep going back to...yeah she looks good and all that but eventually she will just keep breaking your heart.
I'll check it out...but I don't think converting 10% of my characters will be possible...so ultimately I'll stick with the Rifts system...as to me at least characters are more important than system.
There's lots of stuff in the Rifts world, but a lot of it is extraneous in a streamlined system. Do we need rules for a psychic, a gunslinger AND a psychic gunslinger? A wizard AND a russian fire wizard? As long as they're hitting the big points (glitter boys,juicers,dragons etc) I think most characters will be conceptually possible, even if they don't have their own encumberance of fiddly bits added to them.
How has the game let you down? Most of our players just love it. We have trouble getting them to play something else.
Interesting.
There's lots of stuff in the Rifts world, but a lot of it is extraneous in a streamlined system. Do we need rules for a psychic, a gunslinger AND a psychic gunslinger? A wizard AND a russian fire wizard? As long as they're hitting the big points (glitter boys,juicers,dragons etc) I think most characters will be conceptually possible, even if they don't have their own encumberance of fiddly bits added to them.
Well it is kinda of nice when you are playing a psychic gunslinger it feels like you are playing a psychic gunslinger and not a gunslinger with a little psychic ability.
Those 'fiddly bits' as you call them are often the difference between telling people what your character is instead of actually showing them what your character is.
Besides most of my characters are not based on the 'big points'.
How has the game let you down? Most of our players just love it. We have trouble getting them to play something else.
Lol...sorry the system is okay. It is a generic system though which means it does everything 'meh'...
But it has let me down because of my friend Eli. Eli loves Savage World and has probably has talked about starting various Savage World games on numerous occasions and has never follow through even though I have brought books before. Should I have explained that better.
Anyway I wish you luck in this. If my GM decides to convert his Rifts game to Savage Worlds than I am not going to quit his games because of it....I just hope converting characters is possible (like my Zenith Moon Warper).
Well it is kinda of nice when you are playing a psychic gunslinger it feels like you are playing a psychic gunslinger and not a gunslinger with a little psychic ability.Those 'fiddly bits' as you call them are often the difference between telling people what your character is instead of actually showing them what your character is.
Besides most of my characters are not based on the 'big points'.
Was not my intent to condescend. "Fiddly bits" is fairly common parlance for RPGs that have lots of minor mechanics. It's not inherintly bad. Pathfinder, for example, is very fiddly, but it's still a good game.
That said, there were a lot of classes in Rifts that, in a sufficently flexible system, need not have existed. Psi-Slinger was one of those (wasn't there a tavern wench class?). Of course, Rifts has more "cool stuff" in it than any other game I can think of, so you take the bad with the good. I can definitely see why people like it.
Lol...sorry the system is okay. It is a generic system though which means it does everything 'meh'...But it has let me down because of my friend Eli. Eli loves Savage World and has probably has talked about starting various Savage World games on numerous occasions and has never follow through even though I have brought books before. Should I have explained that better.
Anyway I wish you luck in this. If my GM decides to convert his Rifts game to Savage Worlds than I am not going to quit his games because of it....I just hope converting characters is possible (like my Zenith Moon Warper).
I see what you mean there. It definitely needs to have campaign rules added to each game to make it feel like that genre. But, when it does, it runs smooth (though the math can be somehwat delicate, and encounters can be made too difficult). Tell your friend to get off his butt and run something!
Those 'fiddly bits' as you call them are often the difference between telling people what your character is instead of actually showing them what your character is.
Derailing: How much of this should be done in play rather than adding complexity? I doubt there is an answer here we could all agree to. I guess the often heard argument that universal systems don't do a particular genre justice grates on my nerves. I don't see the need for additional mechanics to make up for weak narrative.
Those 'fiddly bits' as you call them are often the difference between telling people what your character is instead of actually showing them what your character is.Derailing: How much of this should be done in play rather than adding complexity? I doubt there is an answer here we could all agree to. I guess the often heard argument that universal systems don't do a particular genre justice grates on my nerves. I don't see the need for additional mechanics to make up for weak narrative.
Derailing: Let me explain what my point of view is a little better. Playing RPGs is sort like writing a story. I have been told a million times a good writer does not tell you what is happening but shows you what is happening. To me mechanics is the way to show you what is happening. I could tell you that my gunslinger is a psi-slinger...but that is meaningless if the character does not have the mechanics of psionics to support that claim. I can show you my psi-slinger is what he is via mechanics.
All too often it seems people view the mechanics as getting in the way of the narrative...and to me that is just people not using the tools given them.
Also it is really just the truth...universal system don't do anything excellent...there are exceptions. For instance Hero system is probably the best system out there for Super Heroes...but it starts to break down with anything else.
Of course the above is just my opinion and based on my experience.
Also it is really just the truth...universal system don't do anything excellent...there are exceptions. For instance Hero system is probably the best system out there for Super Heroes...but it starts to break down with anything else.
Only if the GM (and possibly the players, as well, depending on the genre and the level of control over the setting/mechanics development allowed) fails to establish the campaign mechanics (modeling the desired cosmology, setting, themes, etc.), to include package deals and "templates" (available equipment/tech; allowable powers/power frameworks, possibly including mandatory advantages/limitations and limits on power levels separate from the normal active point maxima; etc.), before play. Note that in most genre-specific systems, this is already done before publication (more or less); HERO System gives you the comprehensive toolkit to "build it from scratch."
Granted, many GMs aren't willing to put forth the effort required.
Also it is really just the truth...universal system don't do anything excellent...there are exceptions. For instance Hero system is probably the best system out there for Super Heroes...but it starts to break down with anything else.Only if the GM (and possibly the players, as well, depending on the genre and the level of control over the setting/mechanics development allowed) fails to establish the campaign mechanics (modeling the desired cosmology, setting, themes, etc.), to include package deals and "templates" (available equipment/tech; allowable powers/power frameworks, possibly including mandatory advantages/limitations and limits on power levels separate from the normal active point maxima; etc.), before play. Note that in most genre-specific systems, this is already done before publication (more or less); HERO System gives you the comprehensive toolkit to "build it from scratch."
Granted, many GMs aren't willing to put forth the effort required.
Also, this is EXACTLY how Savage Worlds works. There's the generic core system, and each setting usually has a book that adds and/or removes edges and hindrances as necessary, as well as altering the rules. It's not a truly generic system in that regard, you've got the core mechanics that are much the same, but playing a game of Deadlands vs a game of Interface Zero 2.0 is going to be a very different feel. So it's basically like Dragonchess Player is saying, except that the GM doesn't usually have to put that effort in if they're using a published setting, as it's all done for them.