Long Time Gamma World fans - is the d20 game worth it?

[Laslo Tremaine]

I voted 1e, which is the first edition that I started with (although I had played Metamorphosis Alpha before that).

But if I were going to play today, it would definitely be the Omega World mini-game (from one of the Dungeon/Poly issues). I think Jonathan Tweet did a fantastic job of capturing the whole "wahoo" aspect of GW. Too bad there will be no follow-up material, but then again, what do you really need?

 

[scourger]

Jonathan Tweet is a genius!

I voted for Alternity only because Omega World is not on the list. OW is one of the finest games I own. It does it all, from character generation to DM advice, in about 40 pages. For me, it is the best GW incarnation ever.

Alternity got my vote among these choices because it presented such a great product. All the rules you need in one book. Plus a great mini-campaign of adventures. The story-line was awesome, especially since you have to read the book cover-to cover (or at least pay attention to the beginning and the end) to get it. I used the Alternity adventures for an OW d20 mini-campaign that was really great.

As for the newer product titled "Gamma World d20"--don't waste your time with it. If you're going to have to write your own adventures anyway, use OW (with Alternity if you can get it) as it presents a simple but complete DM's toolbox.

I do love the Einstein quote from Darwin's World, but that's about it.

 

[DMH]

The best edition of GW is all of them. The GM should pick and choose what bits from all the editions to get what he (or she) wants out of the game. Like anything else they all have their good and bad points (anyone remember the errata for the 3rd ed?). I say grab as many core rule sets that you can.

GW is not a setting like Midnight or Oathbound, it is a ruleset for PA games set where ever the GM wants.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

What? No love for the original Metamorphosis/Alpha?

I own a copy...which I refuse to give up at all costs.

 

[Gallo22]

I'm one of the fools who has all the GW stuff ever put out (ok well most of it!).

When I heard GW D20 was coming out it was the first time in "forever" I was excited about a new product. However...when I finally got "into" the book I was very disapponted. actually I was beyond disappointed!!!! Without spending all night here telling you why, basically...the new GW is a (almost) totally new game and new feel. I thought the books were "average" at best and did too much jumping around, mutations were pretty much gone and replaced with nano tech (a neat idea, but not one I favored over mutations) The "Out of the Vaults" book looked good at first, but then when you see that the book takes two pages to detail an oven, I knew it was a waste of money. Compare it to the equipment book for 4th edition GW and see what I mean.

Because I was so disappointed, I just started to convert the 4th edition rules (plus a mish-mash from some of the other GW rules, including a little and I mean very little of the new D20 rules) to D20. I'd say I have about 70% finished, but I have not worked on it in about a year. All the mutations are converted, I have the 4 base classes completed, including a "scale" for each on how well they use mental mutations. I even have an "android" race/class in the works that is coming out quite well I might say.

One very good thing I can say about the new GW books is that the "monster" book has most of the work done for you as far as D20 conversions go. You just have to tweek a few things here or there.

Anyway, if you don't want to go through all the work I did, I would recommend using the Omega World from Dungeon and then augment it with D20 future material. I think Darwin's World is great, but it's still not GW.

Well, my 2 cents worth.

Gallo22

 

[Veritas]

Well, lots of great suggestions here and great advice. Thanks everyone!

I'm currently looking through my 4th edition rulebook, along with d20 Modern to see if I can come up with some stuff on my own... at least for the basic system, and then maybe I'll take the advice from some of you and use the suppliment books (Mutants and Machines and a few others) to round it out. Sort of what Gallo22 is up to. But I'm definitely looking for Darwin's World. No luck yet, but I'm not giving up yet. heh.

 

[buzz]

Guess this is my cue to chime in...

You can read my review of the GWd20 PHB here:
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9821.phtml

The implementation of GWd20 is extremely shoddy, IMO. The PHB is jam-packed with rules that are, as I see it, simply broken (and that's not a term I use lightly). Ther fluff bits of GWd20 are quite compelling (it's what White Wolf does best, after all), but the mechanics are terrible. The designers just don't really "get" d20, as far as I can tell. The editing is also very poor.

The biggest downside, however, is the expense. In order to get a complete game (i.e., equivalent to what you get from most other incarnations) you need to buy a truckload of books: GWd20 PHB, GWd20 GMG, Out of the Valuts, Mutants & Machines, Cryptic Alliances, and maybe even the new Beyond the Horizon. Not to mention the d20M core book. And all of this still leaves you with what's probably the least-flexible and skimpiest rules for creating mutant PCs of any edition. Oh, and the books are very ugly.

OTOH, I have heard that writing of the succeeding books has improved a lot, so there may be some merit to using them with a better core system (see below).

IMO, the best d20 implementations of GW are Omega World and Darwin's World. It's also worth looking at JAGS Have-Not (2003 Indie RPG of the Year) and FFG's Redline mini-rpg.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

I voted for 4th edition as that was what I played. On that note, I like d20 GW and using d20 Modern/Future with it. I did not like the 'Toon-ish nature of Darwin's World and Omega World. The GWPhB could have been better organized, and it's an expensive line to get the "complete system" but I like it.

I will agree that it was a departure for the 1st-4th editions, and the Alternity edition (from what I've heard) was also a great departure.

My 2cp, for what they're worth.

 

[Tetsubo]

I voted for 4th edition as that was what I played. On that note, I like d20 GW and using d20 Modern/Future with it. I did not like the 'Toon-ish nature of Darwin's World and Omega World. The GWPhB could have been better organized, and it's an expensive line to get the "complete system" but I like it.

I will agree that it was a departure for the 1st-4th editions, and the Alternity edition (from what I've heard) was also a great departure.

My 2cp, for what they're worth.

I can understand your comment about Omega World being toonish. But Darwin's World? It's so harshly realistic as to induce depression. You need to take a Feat to be fertile... That just doesn't feel "toonish" to me...

 

[buzz]

I can understand your comment about Omega World being toonish. But Darwin's World? It's so harshly realistic as to induce depression. You need to take a Feat to be fertile... That just doesn't feel "toonish" to me...

Indeed. DW is quite sober, in a good way. Are you sure DW is what you're tlaking about Ike?

And as for Omega World, I found to be just as 'toonish as 1st edition GW, and thus captured the feel of the original perfectly. Best adaptation of the game yet.