Post originally by Lizard at 2005-03-05 02:48:08
Converted from Phorums BB System



Dan Davenport wrote:
-------------------------------
Actually, given the premise as I understand it for this edition of Gamma World, I think such weirdness feels right, in a way. It's the same kind of "unlimited tech + unlimited stupidity" theme found in Red Dwarf and Chi-Chian.

--
Dan Davenport

I wasn't involved in this GW book, so I can comment freely. You hit the nail on the head. One of the things which impressed the hell out of me when I saw the drafts of the GW monster book was the running theme of "Things removed from context". Unlike the old GW, where most of the monsters were the result of ATOMIC RADIATION GONE MAD!!!, the theme in the new GW was that the structure in which all of these things made sense has broken down (and, in some cases, there has been additional mutation and chance), resulting in a very Red Dwarf esque feel.

It's also worth noting some of the critters Mr. Maclennan especially disliked were holdovers from the original GW, given new backstories and some attempt to give them a purpose and a reason to exist -- which was the other major change. Handed a mountain of monsters created via random generation in 1978, the GW D20 team tried desperately to bring them into the 21st century by asking 'How could this thing come about? What might it have been for? Who would build it, and why?' By combining some vaguely plausible pre-wars rationale with further mutation and change post-war, it was possible to at least tentatively justify most of the acid trip monsters of the original. (I especially like the podog backstory.)

Frankly, I consider the GW MM to be one of the most original and creative 'Book Of Things To Kill' to come out of D20 in a long time, and I'm saying that as a player, not a writer -- I contributed nothing to it. (I worked on the PHB, Beyond the Horizon and the GMs guide)