I also emailed the following suggestions to Sean Punch:
Sean,
I was very excited to see the poll on sjgames.com regarding the possibility of creating GURPS 4E. This revision really is needed. I am a GURPS player who has migrated mostly to D20 over the last couple of years. I considered what issues caused me to do so and came up with some suggestions for GURPS 4E:
1. Use very high production values (especially with regards to visual design and art) in the core rulebook(s)--even if this drives the price up. Go full-color. Do something that is visually stunning and has a high "coolness" factor.
2. Provide a means for more GURPS adventures to be published and distributed. One reason I play D&D is the sheer number of adventures available free online and within Dungeon magazine. Many GMs I talk to tell me that they just don't have time to come up with their own adventures. D20 has really made obtaining adventures easy and I think GURPS could benefit from a similar strategy.
3. Consider simplifying the "Advanced" combat rules in the core book(s). There has to be a balance somewhere between the "Basic" and "Advanced" combat options. Most people argue that combat in GURPS is more like playing a tactical wargame than a roleplaying game. The "Basic" rules are too simplified. But trying to keep track of everything in the "Advanced" rules is cumbersome and the combats take a long time. Is there something in between that would strike the right balance of realism and simplicity?
4. Consider competing head-on with D20 OGL by creating OPENGURPS. Open the core GURPS rules to 3rd-party publishers, just as D20 has done. Encourage other companies to begin producing GURPS-compatible materials.
These are just a few ideas that were not discussed in the poll.
