Has enthusiasm died?

[scavitt13]

I tend to think that enthusiasm is on an upswing. RPG Objects is putting out great supplements and has just retooled Darwin's World for D20 Modern. Sidewinder is also being re-vamped for D20 Modern. Even the new Gamma World is D20 Modern. I just wish that Mongoose had used the D20 Modern engine for B5, Horror and Cybernet. Alas they insist on using the D&D model.

 

[Pagan priest]

The problem for me is that I want to run a Star*Drive campaign, but there are no rules for Cybernetics.

D20 Modern does not need, nor should it have, any such rules. I will happily agree with you that the delay in getting d20 Future is very long and bothersome. But D20M is exactly what it should be, a set of rules for creating games in the modern era.

Some of those games may have fantasy FX, or psi FX or no FX at all. The one thing in common is that they are in a modern mileu, not a future time. In the modern world there are no cyborgs. (I am quite aware that in the modern world, people don't see elves very often {unless they have pharmasutical assistance!}, but that is irrelavent) Now, for me, I am happy with the inclusion of "D&D" stuff. The games that I have run have been Shadow Chasers/Urban Arcana type games. I have played in games with no FX at all. If I had my druthers, I would run a Stargate game (no fantasy there) and a Pulp Fiction game (some psi FX, maybe).

By including things that can appeal to a broader audience, WotC makes it more likely that we can continue to have new things made for this system in the coming years.

 

[jcfiala]

The problem for me is that I want to run a Star*Drive campaign, but there are no rules for Cybernetics. They've made rules for people who want to run a modernized fantasy campaign, but a full set of science fiction rules is not available. I don't have time to create them myself, especially given that I don't want to have to convert to whatever they get around to creating later. So, I'll get into the non-D&D system when they've got Sci-Fi rules.

How about Digital Burn by Living Room Games? It's a Cyberpunk supplement that is supposed to be d20 Modern or d20 Modern compatible, and I'm pretty sure it's got cybernetics rules.

-john

 

[Ranger REG]

I just wish that Mongoose had used the D20 Modern engine for B5, Horror and Cybernet. Alas they insist on using the D&D model.

Maybe in the near future, but right now, Mongoose prefer to use the cost-effective means to marketing and selling their products. As it stand now, there are more Player's Handbook owners than there are d20 Modern Rulebook owners.

One can hope they include notes for use with OGL-based Cybernet book with d20 Modern. (Or should I legally say, "modern genre roleplaying games"?)

 

[King of Old School]

D20M is exactly what it should be, a set of rules for creating games in the modern era.

Some of those games may have fantasy FX, or psi FX or no FX at all. The one thing in common is that they are in a modern mileu, not a future time. In the modern world there are no cyborgs. (I am quite aware that in the modern world, people don't see elves very often {unless they have pharmasutical assistance!}, but that is irrelavent)

I have to disagree. Superscience is no more or less relevant to a modern-era game than is magic or psionics. It comes down to preference, not objective fact, and by ignoring superscience in favour of D&D-esque fantasy Wizards ignored the preferences of a certain portion of the market.

KoOS

 

[Ranger REG]

As you say, "certain portion of the market." Not exactly major.

Then again, superscience may be addressed in the upcoming d20 Future supplement (due out in 2004). Perhaps superscience FX is so large that it deserves its own book.

So we're getting there, albeit at a snail pace. Of course, that doesn't mean a third-party publisher should wait for d20 Future. They could offer their own version as an option.

 

[Biohazard]

How about Digital Burn by Living Room Games? It's a Cyberpunk supplement that is supposed to be d20 Modern or d20 Modern compatible, and I'm pretty sure it's got cybernetics rules.

-john

Digital Burn? Yech. Horrible book. It's about 80 pages or something yet still hardcover and has these half-assed photographs of B-movie actors wearing black leather coats and sunglasses in place of decent artwork. And the content is brutal. Don't waste your money.

 

[King of Old School]

As you say, "certain portion of the market." Not exactly major.

Yeah, that must be why games like Spycraft and movies like The Matrix are such commercial failures. There's more of a proven market for modern+superscience than there is for modern+Tolkeinesque fantasy.

KoOS

Edit: What's with the weird characters and such? Finally got the formatting fixed.

 

[jcfiala]

Digital Burn? Yech. Horrible book. It's about 80 pages or something yet still hardcover and has these half-assed photographs of B-movie actors wearing black leather coats and sunglasses in place of decent artwork. And the content is brutal. Don't waste your money.

I'll admit the price-point makes me cringe, but of the two reviews I found for the book on the internet, one liked it (4 on rpg.net) and the other thought the rules were good for the cybernetics, but that it could have used a lot more on what cyberpunk is.

What about the content is brutal?

-john

 

[Ranger REG]

Yeah, that must be why games like Spycraft and movies like The Matrix are such commercial failures. There's more of a proven market for modern+superscience than there is for modern+Tolkeinesque fantasy.

Perhaps that's why Wizards won't step on AEG's "turf" yet (after having been so chummy with the Oriental Adventures/Rokugan debacle). Spycraft proved what d20 can do in terms of modern-day genre games. And they did WAY before Wizards entered their d20 Modern into the market. Granted, it is specific (that is, until AEG used the Spycraft engine to power Stargate SG-1), but it is very successful, and well-established. I don't think Wizards is ready to compete in that area, at least not yet, so it's better to stick what they already know best.

As for The Matrix, the Poly mini-game is pretty much Wizards' contribution to that genre, even though it is more like Tron meets the Matrix. Who knows? Maybe Wizards is one of many publisher competing for the license as we speak but did not want to give away until they are certain the deal is signed.