Gamma World - Thoughts? Review?

[JamesDJarvis]

Mutants and Machines is the gem of the lot in the GW-d20 hardcovers.
I've been a long time GW fan (the original GW was my second or third RPG). I've bought every edition but couldn't really get into the white wolf version. But I am a sucker for monster books and mutants and machine is farily good, but there are and unusual number of penguin-based mutants in there.

 

[DMH]

Machines and Mutants (they changed the title for some reason) has some of the best material in the series. The only weak points are the "natural" organisms that just seem blah and the environmental templates that are a waste of space (one with varients would have done just as well). The robots section is the strongest (IMO) with several very cool templates.

If you want a bigger picture kind of campaign, one that deals with societies, communities and rebuilding (or destroying) civilization, CA&UE also has a lot of material to scavenge.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I, too, am a huge post-apoc fan. I have been hooked on Fallout since it was Wasteland by SSI.

Darwin's World 2 is the best D20 product that can approximate the Fallout setting in its complexity, not just flavor.

There is little I can complain about. All I can complain about is some of the art (when compared to the high-expense stuff out of WW or WotC). That's it. The rules and setting more than make up for this slight blemish. I love it and collect every release for DW since I discovered it.

An aside, I was contemplating a Grim Tales conversion of Darwin's World 2 stuff (both being built on a D20 modern foundation) because I have of late become infatuated with the simplicity of the Grim Tales toolbox concept of D20. Seems like a perfect mix. (Your chocolate is in my peanut butter! )


Regards,
Eric Anondson

 

[scourger]

I just want to note that the DW HC has been sold out for sometime. So if you see it on sale somewhere, that's the last of them until a possible reprint.

Other note, the first 1st edition DW was based on d20 fantasy (it was before d20 modern).

The 2nd edition was a complete (from the ground up) redesign using d20 modern.

While I was proud of the 1st edition, it was our first ever product, and well, it showed. But you got to start somewhere.

I would best describe the theme of DW as 50% gamma world and 50% fallout.

-chris

Interesting. I had the first edition, but it just didn't do it for me. So, I sold it. I have had little use for d20 Modern. What was the redesign of DW2?

 

[Kesh]

Luckily, the comic shop across from work is having a 75% off sale this week. I picked up the GWd20 core book and M&M earlier this week. For the price, they're great. I may pop back in tomorrow and see if they have the other books still, or if they've already been picked over.

 

[PosterBoy]

Interesting. I had the first edition, but it just didn't do it for me. So, I sold it. I have had little use for d20 Modern. What was the redesign of DW2?

It would take me a while to outline all the changes as they are very extensive.

The biggest is that it used d20 modern (of course). So all the guns, vehicle rules from 1st edition are gone (which had many flaws). Also, it uses the advanced class model opposed to 20 level core classes. And we did a lot more classes (over 20).

The other major change is the mutation system. Its multi leveled and tied to feats. This helps with balance and allows for a much great variant in the type of mutants. It can results in literal 1000s of different combinations and handles creatures with minor mutations to super mutants.

Also, it’s just a larger, more detailed work. DW 1 (and the monsters book) was 184 pages total. DW 2 HC was 384 pages. It contains a lot more help for GMs as well.

There's a lot of other major changes, but that's a long enough rant.

-chris

 

[Sea Devil]

I too was very disappointed in GWd20. Ultimately I give a 4 out of 10.

I've kept my copy of it and have read and reread it several times. The problem with it ultimately comes down to this: it was a personal project and not a market product. The editor/creators focused on what they wanted/liked and blewoff/ignored what they didn't care for.

For example it bends over backwards to put technological sci-fi in every chance it gets and tries to make everything about it "cooler" than anythign else. I've heard and read a lot of comments that the sythetics are more of a EL +1 race than balanced. Plus (to my understanding) there's little to no side-effect to having cybernetics and/or nanotech (which IMHO was overpowered, the nano tech that is). However; biotech, mutations and psychic powers all screwed up the characters even if they supposed to be beneficial.

I remember one of the creators posting that the pregame testing went beautifully. I bet they handpicked friends of their's to test it and they had the same interests.

I also saw a post once by one of the creators complaining about the negative reviews that GWd20 was getting and boy did he come off (IMHO) as whiny. Of course he posted this on a forum that kept praising it and just let the sympathy posts flow.

Now I do respect that they did put a lot of time into their personal version of GW, but when you revise an existing setting and make only barely like the previous versions you better be ready for some serious criticisms.

Oh well maybe the next version will at least be half-way decent.

 

[Samuel Leming]

The Gamma World Players Handbook is this week's free download over at DriveThruRPG. I can't comment on the quality yet, since I just downloaded it. I'm not going to gripe, it's free!

Sam

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

The Gamma World Players Handbook is this week's free download over at DriveThruRPG. I can't comment on the quality yet, since I just downloaded it. I'm not going to gripe, it's free!

I am thus reobtaining my copy-- I might theoretically have some future use for it.

I also saw a post once by one of the creators complaining about the negative reviews that GWd20 was getting and boy did he come off (IMHO) as whiny. Of course he posted this on a forum that kept praising it and just let the sympathy posts flow.

Was it Baugh, on rpg.net?

He's had similar reactions to people criticizing his work in the past; I was sympathetic until I paid thirty-five dollars for the GWd20 PHB.

 

[Krieg]

Was it Baugh, on rpg.net?

Bruce made some comments about the criticism, but the worst by far was one of the other authors (don't recall which) who was actively flaming anyone who said anything negative about the book.

Wish I could remember who it was, pricks deserve to be remembered.