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<blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 9058170" data-attributes="member: 6779310"><p>There is, however, something to be said for the use of a good and thematic adaptation where both setting and mechanics are familiar but not 100% the same.</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pugmire and Monarchies of Mao are similar enough to D&D to require little relearning at level 1, but show their differences as one levels up, and the feel is different from the small differences at level 1. They're still D&D adjacent setting-wise, too. A small difference in mechanics, and a small difference in adventure types, with a couple bigger divergences in setting.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Wyvern's Stargate SG-1 is an excellent adaptation of 5e... for the first 5 levels, it's very much like D&D 5E mechanics, but at 5th level, further advancement is by direct purchase of new feats. The mechanics changes are just enough that it does require some change.</li> </ul><p>If we look back in the 80's and 90's...</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em><u>AD&D</u></em> and <em><u>Gamma World</u></em>. It was easy to use both as one setting, or to use GW as a place accessed by planar travel...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><em><u>AD&D 2E</u></em> and <em><u>Buck Rogers XXV C</u></em> - same core mechanics, very different settings and classes.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">1st ed <em><u>GURPS </u></em>- the various sourcebooks changed the costs for various items, and tweaked the «bleep» out of the mechanics at times. Alas, by 3rd's release (not even 3R), the mode changed to just alter the setting to fit GURPS...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Chaosium - every game except Pendragon used the same core mechanics devised by Ray Tourney and Steve Perrin, originally for Greg Stafford's Glorantha seting... but tweaking them for Ringworld, ElfQuest, Superworld, Stormbringer... and particularly heavily tweaked Pendragon.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Palladium uses the same core mechanics in all but 3 games (<em><u>Amber</u></em>, <em><u>Recon</u></em>, and <em><u>Valley of the Pharaohs</u></em>). Tweaked, somewhat, for each setting. it makes mashing them up and hopping between them much easier.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hero Games - <em><u>Champions</u></em>, <em><u>Fantasy Hero</u></em>, <em><u>Star Hero</u></em>, <em><u>Justice, Inc.</u></em>, <em><u>Robot Warriors</u></em>... it was early 90's when the switched to monolithic core and separate setting books. But those also make changes to the core mechanics; not as steeply as the standalones of the 80's.</li> </ul><p>I'll note that, in the late 80's, Palladium Fantasy was a good way to break AD&D fans away from the clunkiness... and then, once they got into it, hop them over to other Palladium games, and from there, to other genres in other systems.</p><p></p><p>I'll note also that Buck was a total failure. It came out without any concurrent media exploration in the same version of the setting. It was close enough time-wise to the 1981-82 show that it being grounded in the 1940's comics version was a big fumble... It wasn't hard to get people to try it... but it was hard to get people to grok the setting within. Thus, it was a poor choice for most.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="aramis erak, post: 9058170, member: 6779310"] There is, however, something to be said for the use of a good and thematic adaptation where both setting and mechanics are familiar but not 100% the same. [LIST] [*]Pugmire and Monarchies of Mao are similar enough to D&D to require little relearning at level 1, but show their differences as one levels up, and the feel is different from the small differences at level 1. They're still D&D adjacent setting-wise, too. A small difference in mechanics, and a small difference in adventure types, with a couple bigger divergences in setting. [*]Wyvern's Stargate SG-1 is an excellent adaptation of 5e... for the first 5 levels, it's very much like D&D 5E mechanics, but at 5th level, further advancement is by direct purchase of new feats. The mechanics changes are just enough that it does require some change. [/LIST] If we look back in the 80's and 90's... [LIST] [*][I][U]AD&D[/U][/I] and [I][U]Gamma World[/U][/I]. It was easy to use both as one setting, or to use GW as a place accessed by planar travel... [*][I][U]AD&D 2E[/U][/I] and [I][U]Buck Rogers XXV C[/U][/I] - same core mechanics, very different settings and classes. [*]1st ed [I][U]GURPS [/U][/I]- the various sourcebooks changed the costs for various items, and tweaked the «bleep» out of the mechanics at times. Alas, by 3rd's release (not even 3R), the mode changed to just alter the setting to fit GURPS... [*]Chaosium - every game except Pendragon used the same core mechanics devised by Ray Tourney and Steve Perrin, originally for Greg Stafford's Glorantha seting... but tweaking them for Ringworld, ElfQuest, Superworld, Stormbringer... and particularly heavily tweaked Pendragon. [*]Palladium uses the same core mechanics in all but 3 games ([I][U]Amber[/U][/I], [I][U]Recon[/U][/I], and [I][U]Valley of the Pharaohs[/U][/I]). Tweaked, somewhat, for each setting. it makes mashing them up and hopping between them much easier. [*]Hero Games - [I][U]Champions[/U][/I], [I][U]Fantasy Hero[/U][/I], [I][U]Star Hero[/U][/I], [I][U]Justice, Inc.[/U][/I], [I][U]Robot Warriors[/U][/I]... it was early 90's when the switched to monolithic core and separate setting books. But those also make changes to the core mechanics; not as steeply as the standalones of the 80's. [/LIST] I'll note that, in the late 80's, Palladium Fantasy was a good way to break AD&D fans away from the clunkiness... and then, once they got into it, hop them over to other Palladium games, and from there, to other genres in other systems. I'll note also that Buck was a total failure. It came out without any concurrent media exploration in the same version of the setting. It was close enough time-wise to the 1981-82 show that it being grounded in the 1940's comics version was a big fumble... It wasn't hard to get people to try it... but it was hard to get people to grok the setting within. Thus, it was a poor choice for most. [/QUOTE]
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