Just picked up RIFTs for the first time since 1993 ...

[nedleeds]

After further digging around at the Palladium site <understatement>which could use a little work</understatement> it looks like they've spent the greater part of the past year begging their fans to bail them out of bankruptcy with cash payments, prints of artwork and back stocked books. Pretty sad. And once again this was all some other dudes fault. I gave the D20 modern stuff a look last night and may just pick and choose the great parts of the RIFTs setting for a D20:Modern Apocalypse campaign. Throw in some Star Wars Mini's, dismounted Mechwarrior pieces, and DDM's and I'll be good to go. I also stumbled on a yahoo group with a bunch of d20 conversion PDFs for RIFTs, which under the advice of my counsel I won't post here

 

[lukelightning]

I think you mean Sanskrit.

Nah, he meant Insanskrit, the language of Cthulhoid tomes that devours your san points.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And once again this was all some other dudes fault.

Theft usually is.

In all fairness, though, it does sound like there was a bit too much trust and not enough focus on security or doublechecking.

 

[Graf]

Rifts is a good world. As people have said it's a terrible system.
Siembieda is a gifted creator, and a poor system designer.
He's also, apparently, a business wiz and does a reasonably good job of running a company. You may laugh but for his generation he's basically the only one who's still in charge of a company that controls the original product (and Steve Jackson I suppose).

However the business model is busted, so the company will eventually go belly up.
If Siembieda is smart he'll get in on that action, but so far evidence suggests that he's got some emotional attachment to the proto-1ed rules set he developed decades ago.

When the inevitable happens someone will buy the setting and rebuild it with a decent engine (probably D20 but maybe something else). Personally I think MnM would work reasonably well, other possibilities exist though.

The sooner it happens the sooner that Rifts could regenerate as a viable gaming world. On the other hand the longer it takes the more time other engines will have the develop and (all things being equal) the richer Rifts 2e will be.

 

[Darkwolf445]

Rifts has a strong and loyal fanbase.

The game is not that bad, just quit trying to be so serious with it. Not everything is d20, nor should it be. I know some of you have played World of Synnibarr (which I also find, interesting). They both work for those who enjoy them.

Someone upthread spoke of opening the rulebook and having rules arguements. I guess that never happens in d20?

Then the thread eventually starts attacking K.S.. Or dregs up some thread from years ago.

FWIW, I don't play Rifts anymore, nor have I for many years.
But, man, you gotta quit beating this horse.
It's dead.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

*thwack*

I saw it twitch!

 

[Infernal Teddy]

Someone upthread spoke of opening the rulebook and having rules arguements. I guess that never happens in d20?

No, but after a while you get the basics in your head, even if you never buy a book. With Rifts/Palladium Fantasy, I played from 1992/93, to ca. 99/2000, and til the last day had to review the combat rules before EVERY SESSION...

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

I gave the D20 modern stuff a look last night and may just pick and choose the great parts of the RIFTs setting for a D20:Modern Apocalypse campaign. Throw in some Star Wars Mini's, dismounted Mechwarrior pieces, and DDM's and I'll be good to go. I also stumbled on a yahoo group with a bunch of d20 conversion PDFs for RIFTs, which under the advice of my counsel I won't post here

A sensible solution to your dilemma.

All the flavor of the RIFTS setting with none of the headaches of the Palladium rules.

I'm agreeance with the notion that sad as it may be, the best thing that could happen for RIFTS (again, a great setting) would be for someone else to buy the IP and update it to a system that's not so intimidating to new players or aggravating to older ones (particuarly in the realm of combat).

Hmm, I wonder if when Saga Edition Star Wars comes out (eventually), there'll be a flurry of unofficial conversion pdfs for Rifts under that system popping up...

Rules system is quick and easy, leaving more time to focus on the setting and less on how to figure out the rules.

Food for thought?

 

[Donovan Morningfire]

Someone upthread spoke of opening the rulebook and having rules arguements. I guess that never happens in d20?

But the majority of those arguments are about esoteric situations, or something that is by its nature complicated (such as Attacks of Opportunity), and even then doesn't happen every time.

I've never seen a RIFTS game (and have played in several in the past) that didn't have at least one arguement involving the basic combat rules, with neither participant being new to the rules. Some of these were resolved quickly, but most weren't, especiallly with the appalling lack of sensible organization that the book has.

 

[Bardsandsages]

I ran one Rifts game. It lasted four months. How I managed to go four months, I don't know. Yes, we have discussions regarding d20 mechanics at the table, but at least if I have a question about, say, whether or not a certain feat can do something, I can find the feats section of the book. The typical problem during the Rifts game went like this:

1. Player states they are using X ability.
2. When looking at the rules for X ability, instead of saying what the ability does, it reads "this ability works exactly like Y ability".
3. Spend fifteen minutes trying to find Y ability in the book, only to realize Y ability is in ANOTHER book.
4. Find Y ability in the other book, to see that instead of explaining what Y ability does, it says it works exactly like Z ability.
5. Spend fifteen minutes until realizing Z ability is explained, not in a book, but an issue of RIFTER...one we don't have.
6. Make an executive decision on the original ability and pray.