[RPG]: GURPS Basic Set: Fourth Edition, reviewed by Eli Smith (4/5)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10731.phtml

Eli Smith's Summary:

GURPS Fourth Edition does the job of being better than it's predecessors. It's still GURPS but clarified, better organized and better looking.

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by NPC Brown Cow at 2004-10-11 10:32:26
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First off, nice review.



Now admittedly, I haven't had time to sit down and read characters and campaigns cover to cover yet, but there are many small things that I have seen skimming the books that is troubling me.

The page references mentioned in the review, that got annoying real fast. The less than clear wording of some important rules/concepts, the rule of 16 comes to mind. If it hadn?t been for the example, it never would have been clear to the group exactly what it was getting at.

However over all I'm finding it more flexible than 3rd, but the same game at hart. Lack of flexibility was one of the sticking points that kept me from running GURPS 3rd.

The only thing I could complain about is the lack of a "bare bones" construction system for vehicles/items. It won't be too hard to make up stats on the fly given the examples in the campaigns book, but that doesn't mean that a basic construction system wouldn't have been nice.

Post originally by Shanya Almafeta at 2004-10-11 12:03:05
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If I see that phrase one more time in a GURPS review, heads will roll.

*mumblegrowl*

Post originally by Mike Moore at 2004-10-11 14:05:48
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It's STILL gurps.

Post originally by NPC Brown Cow at 2004-10-11 15:12:57
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Shanya Almafeta wrote:
-------------------------------
If I see that phrase one more time in a GURPS review, heads will roll.

*mumblegrowl*
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Ya, it is getting a little old.

Apparently some people were expecting a bit more "radical" change than the consolidation/clarification/tweaking that 4th turned out to be.

>shrug<

Post originally by Buzz at 2004-10-11 16:10:49
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"If you absolutely hated GURPS in its previous versions, Fourth Edition will probably not change your mind."

FWIW, it changed mine. I'm liking it quite a bit.

Post originally by Shanya Almafeta at 2004-10-11 19:31:12
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What changed your mind between 3e and 4e?

Post originally by Buzz at 2004-10-11 19:37:33
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The better organization and streamlining helped, and some aspects were changed to make things more like HERO, i.e., less "pick from a list" and more toolkit-ish.

It just seems more truly generic to me now. I also like the idea that I really have most all the rules I need in the core books, and the sourcebooks are more about implementation.

I had honestly wanted to like GURPS before. Now it seems that SJG has fixed the areas that put me off.

Post originally by Nawara at 2004-10-11 20:00:56
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Agreed... I gave up on 3rd Edition and moved to HERO and nWoD as my generic systems of choice. While GURPS hasn't supplanted either of them, it's taken its place alongside them as my new High-Realism system.

-Jeff
(With a half-point, default+2 skill House Rule, of couse, because sometimes I want a skill that's not quite 5 better than the default.)

Post originally by Rob Davies at 2004-10-12 01:57:51
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Does this 4e pair of books really break any of the more useful (to me) rule supplements like Martial Arts, Robots, Vehicles, etc?