Grade the Megaversal/Palladium System

[Wofano Wotanto]

Solid "pretty bad" for me. The poll's about systems, not settings, and that is a bad system.

There must be some alternate timeline where Kevin's lawsuit over Primal Order killed WotC before they could print Magic. Palladium polls a lot better there, but that's because at least 50% of the RPGs you could use for comparison purposes don't exist in that world. Maybe 70%, depending on who (if anyone) salvaged the wreckage of TSR. Or maybe they somehow survived without the CCG boom to drive a few extra nails into the coffin, but that's still not going to produce the d20 OGL and it sure kills off the whole OSR movement. They Sue Regularly Inc. wouldn't go for any of that share the wealth/rising tide lifts all ships nonsense, no sir.

OTOH, White Wolf might survive too. No CCG boom and no money thrown in to their own CCGs to try to milk it. Maybe some bright spark approves a Storyteller OGL and alt-2024 is a Bizarro World where Hasbro owns a Corporate Hell version of White Wolf and there's a vibrant Old School World of Darkness community dominating the indie design scene. Absurdist speculation, but now I want someone to make faux OSWOD products from that reality.

 

[Ghost2020]

The system of interrelated games has no concept of or concern for balance. Remember, the core RIFTS book include the playable OCCs of the Glitterboy and the Vagabond.

We had a great time with a vagabond, mind melter, power armor guy and a line walker. The lack of balance is a feature not a bug. Anything and any style can be played.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

We had a great time with a vagabond, mind melter, power armor guy and a line walker. The lack of balance is a feature not a bug. Anything and any style can be played.

I actually agree, but it’s not for everyone.

 

[Jahydin]

One thing I will say about the imbalance in power levels is that it lets you tell different kinds of stories within the same system/universe.

Taking out Gargoyles with your Triax buddies is going to feel completely different than sneaking through the sewers of Chi Town as a group of City Rat criminals.

This also means the DM has a bit of work to do when establishing the kind of campaign that's going to be run and what O.C.C/R.C.Cs are allowed.

 

[Jahydin]

This of course is "older me" reflecting on the system I loved as a kid.

Truth be told, all my grade school friends and I did was rollup powerful characters to rob banks with, buy crazy gear, rob bigger banks, buy bigger, crazier gear, etc...