It all depends exactly what you want to do - to use the D20 System licence, there are only two stipulations, being related to character generation and the application of effects of experience. This gives you everything else to play around with a tweak. D20 Modern is a little different, as it has rather more binding requirements for its licence.
Now, don't get me wrong, D20 Modern is a good game and has its applications. For example, if we were to do, say, the licenced game of Lethal Weapon, D20 Modern would be the system of choice. However, when looking at more esoteric/futuristic games, we have run into a number of problems that were instantly solved when we reverted back to standard D20. The rules for vehicles, for example, are cool - but they do not adapt particularly well across all genres.
Mechs are an obvious case, and needed a new system designed from the ground up. The game-that-still-cannot-be-mentioned will feature spacecraft of varying sizes which needed to be integrated with surface vehicles and, again, we found it much more expedient to start from scratch (especially as said spacecraft are quite specific to the genre
). Even something like Judge Dredd could have used 'standard' vehicle rules, but when a lot of the action is set on a Meg-Way at speeds of over 200 MPH, sometimes a rules set geared to the application is preferable.
And don't get me started on the character classes
Basically, I believe the D20 System grants a rules set that is wide open to do whatever you wish. It can be broken apart, mutated, toyed with and then put back to gether to form something new, _without_ the core mechanics breaking down. D20 Modern imposes limits that, when you start to move outside of the modern day genre, start to interfere. For our RPGs, we don't want to create a 'setting' book or simple supplement - we want to provide fully integrated RPGs that bend the D20 rules to fit the genre. Not the other way around.
Still, just my opinion
Now, don't get me wrong, D20 Modern is a good game and has its applications. For example, if we were to do, say, the licenced game of Lethal Weapon, D20 Modern would be the system of choice. However, when looking at more esoteric/futuristic games, we have run into a number of problems that were instantly solved when we reverted back to standard D20. The rules for vehicles, for example, are cool - but they do not adapt particularly well across all genres.
Mechs are an obvious case, and needed a new system designed from the ground up. The game-that-still-cannot-be-mentioned will feature spacecraft of varying sizes which needed to be integrated with surface vehicles and, again, we found it much more expedient to start from scratch (especially as said spacecraft are quite specific to the genre
). Even something like Judge Dredd could have used 'standard' vehicle rules, but when a lot of the action is set on a Meg-Way at speeds of over 200 MPH, sometimes a rules set geared to the application is preferable.And don't get me started on the character classes
Basically, I believe the D20 System grants a rules set that is wide open to do whatever you wish. It can be broken apart, mutated, toyed with and then put back to gether to form something new, _without_ the core mechanics breaking down. D20 Modern imposes limits that, when you start to move outside of the modern day genre, start to interfere. For our RPGs, we don't want to create a 'setting' book or simple supplement - we want to provide fully integrated RPGs that bend the D20 rules to fit the genre. Not the other way around.
Still, just my opinion
