Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Scoping: If I ran GURPS 4E Again

GURPS was my core go to material for a while and because it was too tough to digest I gave it up. The game is progressiveness on the path of more material, but not material that makes it easier for newbies to enter but for those still running.

Unlike the other Traveller or DnD, GURPS has no SRD. Unlike these two SRD systems, I already made a GURPS Lite for Low Tech. Or what people would call GURPS Medium - a 100 page Letter Sized PDF that only has what you need to run a Low Tech Game - specifically 11C. This year I learned to play Crusader Kings which gives me the Categories and Lore I can use to generate ANY Plot or adventure in the Eras found in the Game.

If I were to ever run GURPS again the Material I make would be accessible  legally (either they buy it off Warehouse 23 or they approve it).


The material would be the Following

Character Creation Booklet. A booklet meant for Newbie Players. A fun mini-game. It comes with a program/spreadsheet that automates everything. Its actually given freely. (this is how you get people into the game)

  • a Statement or A5 sized Booklet 
  • with a Life Path System 
    • Roll Stats
      • Roll Physical and Mental Traits
    • Roll Background
      • Roll Social Taits
      • Roll Opportunities/Education
      • Choose Career/Profession and Roll to Qualify
      • Rules to Age and Advance the character by Dice.
  • Skill Packages 
    • Talent Advantage becomes more of a Profession "Level"
  • Equipment Packages
    • For Various Builds with Doctrine notes. 
    • Equipment packages for Groups, Roles, and for Logistics. 
  • Designed for 11C Europe. 
    • Alternate Booklets are the following: 
    • Eastern Europe and the Eastern Roman Empire
    • The Middle East 
    • India
    • China 11th
Players Options Booklet. Containing details that Character Creation Booklet goes into at x2 to x5 the depth. This is paid for and ideally at the standard GURPS 8-10usd (bundles packages and gift giving options in the store; GMs giving it as gifts or players Giving it as gifts to hint the GM to run a particular campaign). This is what people who PLAY buy. GMs of course should get this. 

It does not Overwhelm. The format of the information focuses in Categories and Roles. Particularly the classes of various cultures and their key concepts and Roles. These booklets are all in the context of the setting and genre. 
  • Details of the Skills 
  • Advantages 
  • Techniques
    • Various Builds and Optimzation.
  • Money and Economy
  • Equipment
  • Henchmen and Hireling Roster
  • Notches that clearly signal which needs GM oversight. 
  • Combat Rules - Narrative system not the detailed rules. 
World Mechanics Booklet. This booklet is for the GM who runs for a particular setting. Its bundled: buy 1 Setting Mechanics Booklet with 6 Players Options Booklet for a specific Setting. 
As a Bonus: pay for a service: someone who can edit and layout your world Mechanics Booklet. 

  • Setting Material
    • MAPS at a level of usable detail for mass combat if that is an option of the setting. 
    • NPC portrait Cards galore. ideally hundreds of printable (B&W) on sticker paper. 
  • Hazards, Conditions, and details on Character Mechanics. 
  • Tables of Names, NPCs, Encounters, Hooks, Challenges, etc... 
  • NPC Generation
  • Hundreds of NPC Pictures to be printed on sticker paper (B&W friendly) for NPC cards. 
  • Mass Combat or Warfare systems: (I'm biased to my own warfare system that is much simpler to run and easier)
    • Some settings emphasize on bean counting mass combat. 
      • Some Naval 
      • Some Very Macro with fine points of Personal Combat.
    • Some settings is about Politics and Intrigue, and Political Warfare of such would be needed. 
    • Some settings is about Revolutionary Ideas/Memes spreading and changing. 
  • Automate many of the Program or Spreadsheet with these values built in and exportable lists or groups of stat bocks. 

Realization
GURPS is so modular. a service of helping make such: Setting specific Character Creation Booklets, Players Options Booklets, Settings Book-Booklet is GM support as a service. It may be niche, but its really working with GMs to make a great Game Running experience. 

Character Creation Booklets being free and fun to Play for one's one amusement and to be shared is kinda awesome. It would do a lot to spread the game system and compete for attention in this overly saturated and dominated market. 

Realistically its belt tightening time and there is no risking the IP. 

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