Interest Check : GURPS Learning Game (Updated 02/08/2012)

[Ninja D!]

I know that many people around here have expressed an interest in GURPS in the past. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in taking part in a GURPS game where I teach people how to play in the system.

Keep in mind that this is a very early interest check. I wouldn't be starting this game until at least early January, possibly not until a little later than that. If I'm to teach, I would want time to make sure I have the rules down first.

To make things as simple as possible, it would probably be a very simple game and would likely use pregenerated characters.

People experienced with the system would be welcome to join as well, especially if they could
help in the teaching. They would be welcome to make their own character, too.

This game could be either play-by-post or done in IRC, depending on what people wanted. Hell, it could be a live game if anyone feels like taking a flight to southern Minnesota on a weekly basis.

So...any interest?

Updated Here

[Elemental_Elf]

Never played GURPS, always wanted to give it a try.

I'd be interested in PbP.

[Ninja D!]

There's one player and one for play-by-post.

I should also mention that I would run it for as many people as want to play but I wouldn't have a problem doing it for a very small group, possibly even solo.

[Nomadic]

TBH I'd be up for it provided it was done in IRC, I'm not a big PbP person.

[Mason]

I know that many people around here have expressed an interest in GURPS in the past. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in taking part in a GURPS game where I teach people how to play in the system.

Yep. Sure would.

[Ninja D!]

Sarisa, any preference to what format?

It seems that there is enough interest to do this.

Any preferences on what style of game, anyone?

[Mason]

I s

Sarisa, any preference to what format?

It seems that there is enough interest to do this.

Any preferences on what style of game, anyone?

Either IRC or Pbp would be fine with me. My schedule is flexible for the next 2 weeks. Style of game? Whatever your most comfortable teaching GURPS with. Is it setting specific system? Or easily adaptable?

[Nomadic]

Sarisa, any preference to what format?

It seems that there is enough interest to do this.

Any preferences on what style of game, anyone?

I'm up for just about any style of game.

[Ninja D!]

The whole purpose of GURPS is to be easily adaptable. It can be used for anything.

[Nomadic]

The whole purpose of GURPS is to be easily adaptable. It can be used for anything.

Fine. Then I DARE you to do a GURPS game in the clockwork jungle. I DOUBLE DARE YOU!

[Ninja D!]

I don't know if that would be good for a learning game.

For a different game in the future...maybe.

[Elemental_Elf]

The whole purpose of GURPS is to be easily adaptable. It can be used for anything.

Fine. Then I DARE you to do a GURPS game in the clockwork jungle. I DOUBLE DARE YOU!

Dibs on being a Squirrel man!

[Snargash Moonclaw]

The whole purpose of GURPS is to be easily adaptable. It can be used for anything.

<giggle> I would say rather "very adaptable" - relative ease can be a very broad variable, because, yes, it can do anything. On the plus side there however, ease is very much a matter of choice - basically a question of how complex you want to make it. You can stick with the Basic Set (2 core books for character gen and campaign play - not quite a PH and DMG - players should have both) and keep it pretty rules light - esp. since you'll be ignoring at least some of the rules even in that. (Mostly the Character book - abilities applying to a genre you're not playing simply don't matter). Adding a couple of expansion products regarding facets that are significant to your game (magic, combat, modern intelligence ops and/or military equipment, space ships, etc.) won't necessarily tip the scale to rules-heavy but it can get very easy over time to want to include a bunch of things because SJGames nearly always does a stellar job of developing them - as much as may be applicable their research is of the highest standard.

Difficulty can arise, though not necessarily as a negative, in that it can also handle complicated material - perhaps even creating a conversion that outdoes the original. If say, Macross really appeals but too much of the published game rules left you asking "WTF?" or simply didn't address/couldn't handle things you or your gaming group would really like to see included, converting to GURPS can be the best way to fix it. Because it's really just a krunch tool-box however, it's weakness is in representing strongly atmospheric setting/genre elements - especially where many rely on a different fundamental rules structure to achieve some affects. the 3d6 bell curve creates a different spectrum of success/fail chance than re-roll sixes or tens and adding them to the previous die roll and/or comparing the number of successes by opposing actions. It could probably do a satisfying Shadowrun conversion, (though I've always enjoyed the game as written from 3rd ed. on,) but I would not really want to try to convert L5R's character stat structure and how that is used by many action tests to GURPS. for instance, I really can't think of a way to make playing an Iaijutsu duel with GURPS feel like it does in L5R. If it can be done I believe the mechanical gymnastics necessary to do so would be an inferior system in terms of smoothness and ease of play to simulate the same build-up and intensity (and almost certainly require some house-rule modification of canon). Deeper atmosphere (Call of Cthulhu, WoD and other, extra dark and creepy games are most often cited) is usually best achieved by harsher limitations on rules permitted rather than expansion of them and still leaves the matter ultimately to the skill of the GM to convey.

Even more than usual, personal mileage may very widely. The GURPS forum doubtless includes people who will declare (with well supported arguments) pretty much the opposite regarding any or all cases I've suggested here. It's that freakin' flexible! Needless to say, it is my system of choice for Panisadore (eventually I'll edit my wiki material to reflect the conversion from it's DnD 3.5 origins) and my choices of options leans toward the more complex. For now many character possibilities, such as psionic abilities, are only dealt with in the general sense of how they would fit within the setting, passing over specific krunch until a player declares they want to play such a character or I decide I really want an NPC to use them. It is crucial to consider at the beginning what will and won't be fun for the group and ensure that that yardstick remains close to hand whenever considering any further modifications.

[Ninja D!]

Yay, GURPS!

[Ninja D!]

Alright -- I think I would be totally willing to run a new player-friendly GURPS game in IRC in the near future. Who would be interested in joining, first of all (we'll discuss times after that)?

The idea I had would be a game where everyone is more or less ordinary people living in a more or less ordinary small city when something extraordinary happens. I'm thinking a werewolf on the loose or something similar. I say more or less ordinary because I was thinking it would be called the Key City Punk Rock Horror Show, I would frame it like a TV show sort of thing and everyone would play residents of a place lovingly dubbed "the Halfway House" (because it's halfway between the university and the liquor store) who are mostly "punks" and other "outsiders" with a couple of normal folks tossed in the mix to keep things interested. Probably very light hearted with a fair amount of naughty language and traces of adult themes (but not going overboard with them).

I could also come up with something else is more people want in than like that idea.