d20 Future preview is up!

[King of Old School]

I seem to remember it being longer and a lot more detailed than the campaign models in d20M. It took up most of the Poly, iirc. The models in d20M are usually just a couple of pages.

The models in the d20M corebook average about 14 pages each. The Genetech article is slightly longer (a bit over 20 pages) but it also has things like almost 2 full pages of maps, proportionally larger pics and a full-page ad in the middle ('cause it's a magazine, of course). Structurally it reads more-or-less the same as the three campaign models in the corebook (contrast, say, Iron Lords of Jupiter which isn't structured quite the same way), which is why I thought it was a word-for-word transfer from one to the other.

KoOS

 

[King of Old School]

I don't know, I think Alternity supported other game models as much as any game. I guess that's just personal opinion... Though I do agree with the strong Star*Drive slant.

I wasn't talking about the rules (which I agree are nicely broad), I was talking about the actual background campaign info and flavour bits. The Alternity corebooks didn't really have anything like the d20M/d20F campaign models, and what fluff was there was almost entirely S*D as the default setting (much like how people complain that the d20M fluff outside the campaign models almost always assumes Urban Arcana as the default).

I agree it will be nice to have it all in one place, but I'm not so sure about the elaborating part. They're compressing the Player's Handbook, Gamemaster Guide, Dataware, Tangents, and probably Starships into one book. I think if anything, we'll lose a bit of info (like we lost alot of weapons from 2e to 3e D&D, even though the 3e books had weapons from all sorts of 2e sources).

I meant elaborating on the corebooks, not on the supplements themselves. I think replicating all the stuff from all of the supplements would be a tall order! But even if d20F contains abridged versions of the supplement content, that would still be a solid elaboration on the Alternity corebooks (the PHB and GMG).

KoOS

 

[baileyrecords]

Don't forget Mindwalking, too!

FWIW, 224pp should be enough room for a SFRPG, given that d20M handles the "RPG" part. All d20F needs to cover is the "SF" part. I'd wager that Tangents won't figure in too much, either.

I'm optimistic.

Buzz... love your Francis avatar!

I'm very optimistic of d20 Future as well. Has Moridin ever let us down? I think not!

- Stratos

 

[buzz]

The models in the d20M corebook average about 14 pages each. The Genetech article is slightly longer (a bit over 20 pages) but it also has things like almost 2 full pages of maps, proportionally larger pics and a full-page ad in the middle ('cause it's a magazine, of course).

Hmm.

Well, that's still a few more pages, and I had thought that, since the rules on making moreaus were in d20M that there was more sapce for the setting itself. Did the Poly have any Advanced Classes? I'd look, but I'm at work and my copy is at home.

I still think it's kinda wacky that it'll be in the d20F book. Not that this is a bad thing, just interesting. Other than Shadow Chasers, this is the first Poly mini-game to get revised for a major product. (And SC was really more of a d20M preview.)

 

[buzz]

Buzz... love your Francis avatar!

Thanx! I was deciding between him and Brent, but the shot of Francis with his dice was just perfect.

 

[RodneyThompson]

It would be a crime if they don't credit the Alternity writers for authoring this book. There's nothing new here...

Whoa, man, this is the fastest review of a game I've ever seen. The book's not even on store shelves and yet you've read the whole thing? Man, that's something amazing!

Look man, I know you must think that pessimism is cool and all, but you'd best keep in mind that the writers of these books frequent these boards and tend to not look kindly on people accusing them of plagiarism. I mean, I know that all I did on this book was copy word for word out of those Alternity books I own. I didn't spend a couple of months busting my ass to come up with good rules and new concepts.

I'll thank you to keep the accusations to a minimum until you've actually read the book. If you can come to that conclusion and support it after that, well, you won't get any argument from me. But I know that I certainly didn't spend days at a time ripping off Alternity. You do understand the difference between an homage and a reprint, right?

 

[King of Old School]

Hmm.

Well, that's still a few more pages, and I had thought that, since the rules on making moreaus were in d20M that there was more sapce for the setting itself. Did the Poly have any Advanced Classes? I'd look, but I'm at work and my copy is at home.

Two Prestige (not Advanced) Classes, the Patrol Pointer and Guerilla Intruder. There is also a new moreau species detailed (Orca), and the rules for franks (too short in the article, but they appear to be enhanced in d20F).

Like I said, the structure is identical to the campaign models in the d20M corebook and the only part that appears significantly expanded from the standard is the chapter on adventures, which isn't setting-intensive and includes weapon entries for the FN P90 and FiveseveN and the large maps I mentioned before. If you scale that back a bit, I'm sure the article would comfortably fit into the same page count as Urban Arcana in the corebook.

I still think it's kinda wacky that it'll be in the d20F book. Not that this is a bad thing, just interesting. Other than Shadow Chasers, this is the first Poly mini-game to get revised for a major product. (And SC was really more of a d20M preview.)

I have a sneaking suspicion that Mecha Crusade might also make an appearance as one of the 8. Not Iron Lords of Jupiter though, which is too bad.

KoOS

 

[Sarigar]

Moridin, just don't let we believers down. Homage away!

 

[C. Baize]

Moridin... After reading that post... all I can really say is....
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
You're great, man. Keep the good stuff coming.

 

[Ranger REG]

Everything they've presented so far indicates that D20 Future should be called D20 Alternity. It's a rules update only, there's no real difference in ideas, focus, or content.

But that would be misleading, and an affront to the Alternity community. They will rip this book apart if there is one iota, one speck of information that does NOT belong in the Alternity universe. Trust me, I've seen them in Dark Sun community, Gamma World community. Alternity fans are no different. They all want to retain their distinct identity. They don't believe in Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination (IDIC).

Better to use a more generic title that will appease anyone who prefers a toolkit for creating and running a futuristic campaign, and not be restricted to Alternity. After all, we each have our own ideas about science fiction roleplaying and they differ from one another.