Do you have a "litmus test" setting for generic rule sets?

[Reynard]

GURPS can be 100% relevant by making a bespoke core for the separate settings, which it is more of a marketing decision, such as in fact they already do in settings having templates. I mean even with a bespoke core for a setting, most GM's are going to buy the full core, I did.

As I understand it, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy was/is pretty successful.

 

[dragoner]

As I understand it, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy was/is pretty successful.

That is 100% the example I was thinking of.

 

[MGibster]

that you personally wouldn't use either does not in any way mean those games can't do supers. Both have perfectly usable Supers specific books and subsystems -- even if some other games do supers better.

My apologies. My sensibilities seem to have taken a leave of absence as I had forgotten how important it was to place a disclaimer on any statement of opinion I might make. Allow me to amend my statement as follows, "In my opinion..."

GURPS can be 100% relevant by making a bespoke core for the separate settings, which it is more of a marketing decision, such as in fact they already do in settings having templates. I mean even with a bespoke core for a setting, most GM's are going to buy the full core, I did.

Yeah. I understand SJG is reluctant to license out their game for others to publish. But if there were more games powered by GURPS then I'd probably have an easier time convincing my friends to play. The basic rules themselves aren't really overlycomplicted (in my opinion).

 

[Bill Zebub]

The fact the RPG is an all-caps acronym makes the irony even more delightful (and intentional, I'm sure)

Donchoo make me put ma pedantry hat on!

 

[chuckdee]

In thinking about it, I’m a bit odd in that I’m not big on generic systems… I dislike GURPS, I’ve never gotten into Savage Worlds, and the only Cortex game I’ve played has been Marvel Heroic.

But I do like games that use the same system for different genres. I’ve enjoyed Blades in the Dark, Scum & Villainy, Band of Blades, Galaxies in Peril, The 13th Fleet, and False Kingdom which presents a pretty wide range of genres/settings but which all use the Forged in the Dark system.

The same goes for the Resistance System that powers Spire and Heart. These games are admittedly pretty similar… they even take place in the same setting world… but they focus on different things. And I’ve enjoyed a number of Powered by the Apocalypse games of all sorts.

I wonder how much distinction people see between the two classifications.

Perhaps it's not so much generic systems that you don't enjoy. You just don't enjoy the direction of most generic systems that bill themselves as such? Cortex leans narrative, but isn't really. I notice you don't list Fate or any of its iterations which I think would be the most narrative leaning generic that I know of (though it's still a bit crunchy other than accelerated)

 

[Nth Dimension Games]

I tried to keep up with this thread and happy to see it sort of end up cordially. I do have some questions because there seems to be some confusion on what a "system" is.

From my understanding, a core system has a bunch of questions it must answer. I'll use Attributes as an example.

How do we quantify attributes? Which attributes do we quantify? How do we measure them? How do they scale? What problem do they solve?

A core system will answer these like this: "Using a rang from 0 to infinity with the average score of the average human being 10. An average score of 10 translates into a +0 modifier for actions that utilize that attribute. A score above 10 indicates a higher than average attribute that translation to an increased modifier... Blah blah blah."

This to me, is what a core system is. There seems to some conflating of core systems into the meta-lore of a genre based game. Like the names of spells and their effects, special abilities, classes, and creatures are not part of a core system. Those things are the problems the system answers.

 

[Reynard]

I tried to keep up with this thread and happy to see it sort of end up cordially. I do have some questions because there seems to be some confusion on what a "system" is.

From my understanding, a core system has a bunch of questions it must answer. I'll use Attributes as an example.

How do we quantify attributes? Which attributes do we quantify? How do we measure them? How do they scale? What problem do they solve?

A core system will answer these like this: "Using a rang from 0 to infinity with the average score of the average human being 10. An average score of 10 translates into a +0 modifier for actions that utilize that attribute. A score above 10 indicates a higher than average attribute that translation to an increased modifier... Blah blah blah."

This to me, is what a core system is. There seems to some conflating of core systems into the meta-lore of a genre based game. Like the names of spells and their effects, special abilities, classes, and creatures are not part of a core system. Those things are the problems the system answers.

Here is another thread where I was trying to drill down on core rules: Let's Talk About Core Game Mechanics

 

[pemerton]

From my understanding, a core system has a bunch of questions it must answer. I'll use Attributes as an example.

How do we quantify attributes? Which attributes do we quantify? How do we measure them? How do they scale? What problem do they solve?

A core system will answer these like this: "Using a rang from 0 to infinity with the average score of the average human being 10. An average score of 10 translates into a +0 modifier for actions that utilize that attribute. A score above 10 indicates a higher than average attribute that translation to an increased modifier... Blah blah blah."

This to me, is what a core system is.

There are multiple examples of "universal" systems that have been mentioned in this thread, that depart from this model: Cortex+/Prime; Hero Wars/Quest; Fate; even FitD.

 

[Reynard]

even FitD.

I am not sure FitD fits the idea of a universal system much. Can you explain how you think it does?

 

[pemerton]

I am not sure FitD fits the idea of a universal system much. Can you explain how you think it does?

I was responding to this post:

In thinking about it, I’m a bit odd in that I’m not big on generic systems… I dislike GURPS, I’ve never gotten into Savage Worlds, and the only Cortex game I’ve played has been Marvel Heroic.

But I do like games that use the same system for different genres. I’ve enjoyed Blades in the Dark, Scum & Villainy, Band of Blades, Galaxies in Peril, The 13th Fleet, and False Kingdom which presents a pretty wide range of genres/settings but which all use the Forged in the Dark system.