Alternity (and OOP games in general)

[ssostac1]

A question for you then. In your opinion, having played (and even converted) both D&D 3.0 and Alternity, which has the more "complex" rules? It seems to me that, on the surface, the idea of having varying degrees of success or failure (Alternity) seems rather complicated. On the other hand, so does much of the d20 combat system...

I would have to say Alternity has the more complex rules, since every roll pretty much requires 2 dice (the d20 control die and a variable modifier die). But to me, that's what makes the system so much more interesting, and since my group plays online using mIRC, I've programmed a script that handles the dicerolls for us, so no problem rolling multiple dice all the time. I haven't played a face-to-face game with it, so I can't say if the extra dice are problematic or not. I imagine for some it might be.

The varying degrees of success isn't all that complicated. Instead of having just one score on your charsheet, you have three, for each level of success. Once my players got used to it, they found the preferred it to the simple pass/fail way of doing it in 3e.

The conversion itself was pretty easy though, and I buy 3e stuff all the time to convert over and use in my campaign.

 

[Express]

I loved Alternity. But for the most part my rpgs are fantasy not sci fi. Some of the elements of the setting I liked better than the other. I didnt really like the bag o dice method of resolution.

I still play Basic DnD sometimes, and Ive tried to dabble in Star Frontiers as of late.

 

[Impeesa]

Well, technically, Vampire: The Masquerade is out of print now, and I still run that twice a month.

Heh, yeah, I play Werewolf: The Apocalypse. Does that count?

Alternity holds a very special place in my heart. Other than a short lived PBEM that I started running a while back, I haven't played in a couple years. Would if I could, though.

Addendum:

I loved Alternity. But for the most part my rpgs are fantasy not sci fi. Some of the elements of the setting I liked better than the other. I didnt really like the bag o dice method of resolution.

Um... Alternity is setting-independant, and requires a maximum of two dice for anything that isn't extraordinarily hard or easy. Are you perhaps confusing it with a World of Darkness game?

--Impeesa--

 

[ssostac1]

Yes, Alternity is setting independent. The campaign I currently run is set in the Forgotten Realms. I've also run a far-future game and a modern game in Alternity, and am preparing to start a Wheel of Time game in it.

The Alternity rules system is pretty versatile.

 

[Staffan]

Personally I prefer EarthDawn. I know that some small publisher has started cranking out a supposed 2nd Edition of the game, but on closer inspection it’s just a re-print, almost page for page, of the 1st Edition... just a marketing ploy to get you to re-purchase the same materials.

Actually, there are two versions of Earthdawn on the market now. There's Living Room Games' "Earthdawn 2nd edition" which does have lots of differences from the old version (notably, skills have a bigger role), and there's Red Brick's (not sure of the name, but Red something anyway) "Earthdawn Classic" which is basically a reprint of 1st ed.

As for Alternity, I love that game. If I was running a modern or sci-fi game, that would be my system of choice. However, I'm not, and I don't foresee myself doing so in the near future.

 

[Express]

Um... Alternity is setting-independant, and requires a maximum of two dice for anything that isn't extraordinarily hard or easy. Are you perhaps confusing it with a World of Darkness game?

--Impeesa--

Maybe I was confused. Alternity was cool. I guess I didnt like alot of elements of the Star Drive setting (which is beside the point). I didnt really like the positive/negative step progression for resolution with the using of different die. It wasnt that complex and seemed better than ADnD ;I guess I just like d20.

 

[TerroX]

I am still creating a campaign for Alternity fantasy.
I prefer the system over D&D 2nd, 3rd and 3.5.
I like the d20+/- die roll under score system, the d20 way is just boring to me.

http://alternity.net/ for tons of alternity

 

[scourger]

I have a great and abiding love for Villains And Vigilantes

Yes, V&V is a great little game. I haven't played it in almost 20 years, though.

 

[scourger]

As far as Alternity goes, the only exposure I had to it was the fast play rules and Alternity Gamma World. I read both. Interesting, but I just didn't make the leap from reading it to playing or running it. I loved the idea that AGW was a complete game in one slim book. I converted the AGW adventures to d20 via the excellent Omega World mini game in Dungeon #94. It was great fun and very easy.

The other OOP game that I would like to claim to be playing is Deadlands Hell on Earth. My GM for that game last ran it about a year ago. I'm trying to talk him into reprising it. That whole system was pretty well (over-) exploited with many, many sourcebooks over the course of just about 5 years. I think it sort of killed it--combined with a failed d20 conversion. But the DL book is back in print, so maybe there will be a resurgence.

 

[HellHound]

I never got into Alternity (although I own all the core materials and some of the supplements), and thus don't play it.

For other OOP games however:

Villains & Vigilantes is still my fave supers game, with a few house rules tweaks to character generation (but nothing as extreme as the systems presented by the designer in his redesigned versions he had on his web site).

Gamma World is all about Third Edition. I play fourth sometimes too, but my passion is for the arcane system presented in the third edition - the only game, IMO, to REALLY successfully implement the action / act / feat tables from that era of TSR games (used in Star Frontiers - Zebulon's Guide to Frontier Space; as well as Marvel SuperHeroes where it originated). I have all my books, most of the modules, and tons of material converted from other sources. I typically run fourth edition about once every two months, and am working on converting all my players to third soon.

Top Secret - the original edition, not Top Secret/S.I. - unfortunately, my wife HATES this game, so I don't play it anymore.

CyberPunk 2020 - My cyberpunk fansite is still (I think) the biggest repository of new material for this game on the net. Just played a 16 hour game of this last night. DAMN I LOVE THIS GAME. I just get irked by the luck inherent in a 1d10 system, and the granularity of the system.

Oh... and all the games I wish I could get my players to really get into... Wraith is at the top of this list.