What was Alternity like?

[Narfellus]

Hmm. It's interesting how some of Alternity was stripped for d20. I guess i'm trying to wrap my mind around how the multiple dice difficulty setting is any different than bumping up or down the DC in d20. Or how a d20 combat attack really is just a skill check against variably hard to hit opponents. Sounds like it was the writing and creativity behind the system that was so fantastic. Of course, all those guys still put out fantastic stuff.

 

[DMH]

Alternity is sadly dead, dead, dead.

That depends on your definition of dead- I prefer has no offical support. For people with net access, there is 2 offical fan sites that have lots of material and active messageboards. And both are growing in terms of members and material. We refuse to let it go into oblivion and therefor it is not dead.

I doubt I will ever read a game/engine that will replace it as my favorite system.

 

[CarlZog]

Hmm. It's interesting how some of Alternity was stripped for d20. I guess i'm trying to wrap my mind around how the multiple dice difficulty setting is any different than bumping up or down the DC in d20. Or how a d20 combat attack really is just a skill check against variably hard to hit opponents.

I suppose you can look it at that way. Either way, there are three elements: the character's skill, the circumstances of the task, and a random element to test the probability of success. I guess, if you think about it, nearly every game system is just a variation on the weave of those elements.

I like Alternity because I see its system as more character-centric. The character's skill score IS the target number, and the task's circumstances are woven into the probability test. The circumstances don't directly or invariably change the results; they merely change the distribution curve.

I see d20 as more task-centric. The task's circumstances (DC) is the target number, tested against the die roll, and the character's skill is a modifier seemingly tossed in at the end to see if it makes a difference.

Certainly, somebody else could paint a totally different interpretation, but this is mine -- for whatever it's worth.

As for d20 combat, I suppose you can view AC as just another DC , but I've never liked the so-called abstraction of combat that D&D's system supposedly represents. To me, it's a lame holdover from the wargaming days, and doesn't do a very good job of representing the clash of individuals.

Again, Alternity is more character-centric. The number 1 factor determining whether you can hit something is your skill with the weapon in hand (your skill score for that weapon or type of weapon). And no matter what your character does for a living, or how long he's been around, you've been given some say in how much effort you've put into training with that weapon or type of weapon. Again, the circumstances affecting the difficulty of the shot woven into the probability curve you're testing against.

I see d20 as more society-centric. Your combat abilities are determined and limited by the stereotypical characteristics of a narrowly defined, relatively inflexible "class". BAB represents some abstraction of martial training, homogenous to all members of a class, that somehow continues to increase regardless of the nature of your activities or personal interests.

Additionally, as a method of summarizing your defensive characteristics, AC contributes to the idea that the attack roll does not really represent a single swing or shot, but rather the result of some longer exchange. I've never been able to visualize this, particularly when it's in league with the myriad of tactical minutiae that d20 is able to add to the equation.

Please don't flame me; this is not an anti-d20 rant. It's just how I view the differences, and why I like Alternity better.

Give Alternity a try and see what YOU think.

Carl

 

[Narfellus]

Thanks, Carl. That was a nice breakdown. I'm already considering picking up Alternity just to give it a whirl. I love collecting books, and i like to try stuff that others recommend. DnD does have it's flaws that for sure, but it also has some virtues. It's true though, the abstraction of combat and then the minutae of combat doesn't really jive.

 

[CarlZog]

Have fun, and let us know what you think.

If you have questions, remember:

www.alternityrpg.net
www.tequilastarrise.net

By the way, A.net (as the first one is known) has web reprint privleges from WotC for all the Dragon and Dungeon articles about Alternity. Nearly everything ever published for the game, including adventures, is available on the site!

Carl

 

[arscott]

I've heard rumors of some of the Star*Drive stuff being updated for the upcoming D20 Future? Anyone know anything about this?

It's out already. Chapter 2 has a three page mini setting, which includes a very short description of the setting with blurbs on the concord, rigunmor, thuldan, voidcorp, and the klicks. It also includes d20 stats for the klicks, and a concord administrator AdC.

Also, the Xenobiology section has racial stats for the Aleerin, the Frall, the sesheyan, the t'sa, and the weren.

In addition, the Heroic Aliens d20 Future web enhancement includes stats for the medurr and dhamrin, plus the cykotek template.

The blix show up in Urban Arcana, and the N'sss and Gardhyi are in the Menace Manual.

This, plus the more generic Modern and Future rules are probably enough to allow you to play d20 star*drive, but only if you have the old Alternity books or are otherwise already familiar with the setting.

Edit:
Dark•Matter has fared slightly better in terms of coverage. The Menace Manual is full of D•M creatures, and even has a writup on the Hoffman Institute. And in Dungeon 108, there's a D•M Polyhedron Minigame. It's got two new AdCs (Antiquerian and Field Guide), four PrCs (Diabolist, Hermetic Adept, Visionary, and Xenoengineer), and short Writups on D•M's Major organizations.

 

[CarlZog]

This, plus the more generic Modern and Future rules are probably enough to allow you to play d20 star*drive, but only if you have the old Alternity books or are otherwise already familiar with the setting.

You don't need the Alternity core rulebooks to play a d20 Star Drive game, but you DO need the Star Drive Campaign Setting book.

The SD Campaign book is largely a system-neutral, background description of the places, people and characteristics of the known universe in 2500 a.d. It includes a future history leading up to 2500, and very detailed picture of the political and economic situation among the inter-stellar powers. It can be pretty easily adapted to any game system, and certainly to d20 Future/Modern.

A few of the other Star Drive supplements (Star Compendium, System Guide to Aegis, and The Lighthouse) help flesh out more detailed views of specific areas of the Verge, the adventurous frontier of space. These are also easily adaptable to other game systems.

All of these books can usually be found inexpensive on ebay, and I believe are all also available as pdfs now.

Carl

 

[Hammerhead]

I remember one flaw in Star Drive at least was Armor v. Damage. I recall emptying a clip of a high-powered firearm into someone with a CF Softsuit (a light bodyarmor) without killing them. The armor, damage, and hit point rules really sucked IMO. The rest of it was pretty good. Great settings.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I wasn't too enamored of the game itself, but the books had top-notch production values. Fantastic art and graphic design. Some of the adventures were great - I really dug The Last Warhulk, and Planet of Darkness is one of the best scifi adventures I've ever read.

Dark*Matter is a great looking book also.

 

[Narfellus]

Dark Matter, from what i've heard and read about it, sounds A LOT like Cthulhu and Delta Green. And since Monte Cooke worked on both, I wonder how similar they are. Is Dark Matter comparable to the d20 CoC book, as far as genre? What about graphic layout and design? d20 CoC IS a pretty book, only a lot of the combat feats were sort of a waste of space. I've had to change it around some with d20 Modern stuff to make it more fun.