Omega World problem

[buzzard]

Got my dungeon in the mail yesterday. I spent the time to read through Omega world. I am left with a few questions.

1. Did Tweet ever actually play Gamma World?
2. Did Tweet really read the Gamma World rules?
3. Does Tweet has some deep seated antipathy to Gamma World?

This mini-game was written so tongue in cheek that the tongue pierced the mouth wall and is sticking out the side.

It reads as a running criticism that Gamma world was simply about characters dying constantly and silly nonsense. The character generation seems angled towards disposable characters (what do I mean seems- it is damned explicit).

I do like many of the concepts vis a vis d20 conversion, but much of it IMHO is not in the spirit of the original. I imagine that one could use the rules to make a decent GW campaign, but you can tell that Tweet didn't have any such expectation.

Buzzard

 

[VorpalBunny]

Take a look at this thread . Erik Mona addresses those concerns towards the bottom of the page.

 

[trancejeremy]

So, it's pretty much like all the other adaptions of previous worlds in Polyhedron? Basically a mockery of the original? Not too surprising.

I just don't get that. Or that Hackmaster game. Why is it so much fun for publishers to make fun of dead gaming worlds and their fans?

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't see them making fun.

Andy Collins did a good rendition of Spelljammer: Shadow of the Spider Moon without getting into all the ridiculous "phlogiston" and "crystal sphere" (trust me, I remembered why I couldn't get past Chapter 2 of the boxed set). It may not adhere to the true Spelljammer but it utilize some of the wonderful elements.

As for Hackmaster which was supposed to Kenzer & Co.'s parody of past editions AD&D, it was surprisingly an enjoyable game. Gamers love it.

When it comes down to it, gamers simply want to enjoy playing, not be dead serious. So if you guys want to nit-pick as your form of enjoyment, go ahead.

 

[VorpalBunny]

So, it's pretty much like all the other adaptions of previous worlds in Polyhedron? Basically a mockery of the original? Not too surprising.

I just don't get that. Or that Hackmaster game. Why is it so much fun for publishers to make fun of dead gaming worlds and their fans?

I don't see Omega World as a mockery of Gamma World - more like a "spin off". Like any RPG, Omega World is what you make of it. If you want to play it as a wild and wahoo parody, then great. If not, there's a lot of crunch there to start a d20 Gamma World campaign. I'm almost done converting the (humor/parody free) first published GW adventure (Gygax's Legion of Gold) using the Omega World rules, and I'm suprised at how easy it's going.

And REG is right-on about HackMaster. It is a less of a parody of AD&D than an homage to it. If you look past the humor, there is a very playable and enjoyable game there.

 

[Erik Mona]

Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy. Whatever shall we do with you?

Omega World has some tongue-in-cheek elements that, in my opinion, were misinterpreted by Buzzard as disdain for the game. In point of fact, Jonathan has played a LOT of Gamma World. He favors the earlier, somewhat more whimsical versions of the game (which has had so many versions I decided to name this one Omega World as a joke--it clearly won't be the "last" word on the setting, despite the name), so Omega World tends toward the elements of the original that he liked best.

As a Greyhawk fan, I have a great deal of experience loving dead campaign settings. While the two "revision" Poly mini-games we've done _have_ put new spins on the concepts upon which they were based, neither of them did it with disdain for the original games or their fans.

Even though a few people seem to think so.

Such is life.

Erik

 

[DPGDarrin]

Call me crazy, but my favorite edition of Gamma World was the Alternity incarnation. As far as I'm concerned, if you start with that book, then replace the game specific rules with Omega World, you have the perfect D20 post apocalyptic set of rules.

And I found the humor enjoyable, although I do disagree with the notion that it has to be a short lived campaign.

Erik, I have an idea for you. In order to make all of the loyal fans of a setting happy, on a future D20 mini game, why not remake the game EXACTLY as it was before (or at least the first chapter or two until you run out of space).

 

[Vigilance]

As a fan of GW since the original rules (yeah, I'm old), I think the Poly rules were dead on.

My GM started out wanting to run a *very* serious mad max campaign. However, after the mutated Bear PC in the party found a bandolier of grenades, and started doing Chewie impressions all the time (and especially after he learned how to *drive), we couldnt help it... the game became pretty lighthearted...

I mean really... a bear throwing grenades who knows how to drive... its just a little silly

 

[Tetsubo]

My favorite version was 4th edition. It had many D20 like aspects already. I'm looking forward to the Omega World version. sadly I can't find a copy in my area yet.

I think you can have a serious GW that still contains humor. I ran a three+ year 3rd edition campaign that had both. I even tossed in a bit of mystery as well.

I think the Omega world idea would fit into a Dragonstar campaign easily.

 

[EarthsShadow]

comparing editions...

From what I heard, Omega World is a spoof of a game of what it could have been. I will still by the game, because I like the adventures that come in the magazine also.

Alternity GW was the darkest version in my opinion, and I think a lot of people didn't take to the gritty aspects of that version, and to me that was a highlight of the game. Made sense.

I am looking forward to Darwins World, and perhaps combined the two into the ultimate post apocalyptic game ever.