Rifts vs D&D

[prosfilaes]

This isn't to say that I think Palladium has a high level of quality or anything, just that you can decide who to market yourself to and go with it and that isn't a bad thing

I don't see that Palladium is marketing to the exceptional DM, though.

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

I've heard that RIFTS is a great system with a great GM. But I don't think a game should require a good GM to be playable;

I would argue that ANY RPG needs a good GM to be playable in any meaningful sense of "playable". But that's probably a topic for another thread.

At any rate, we can both agree that RIFTS blows chunks.

 

[SSquirrel]

I don't see that Palladium is marketing to the exceptional DM, though.

No they're really probably marketing themselves to anyone interested in a kitchen sink game or ridiculous power levels, the better DMs who want to shape the system a bit are probably the only ones who will stick with it tho

 

[ssampier]

I will admit I don't much about Rifts. I have, however, played Palladium Fantasy. It was fun and the setting was interesting, but the mechanics seemed a bit wonky. I haven't touched it since '96 or so; maybe it has changed.

So D&D versus Palladium Fantasy?

 

[Wik]

I will admit I don't much about Rifts. I have, however, played Palladium Fantasy. It was fun and the setting was interesting, but the mechanics seemed a bit wonky. I haven't touched it since '96 or so; maybe it has changed.

So D&D versus Palladium Fantasy?

D&D wins, no contest, then. Because at least RIFTS had some scifi fans backing it. With PalFantasy, you don't get that. Pretty much anything you can do in it, you can also do in one version of D&D or another.

But then, it's probably established by now that I dislike RIFTS and anything to do with Palladium.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I prefer Palladium Fantasy to D&D myself, but I wouldn't touch Rifts with my trusty 10' pole.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I went back and reread my rifts books, and maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I remember it being a little less black and white, but maybe that is 15 years of playing it.

 

[Saeviomagy]

...while the Rogue Scholar hacks the security panel to get into the secret facility...

And to make this anything more than just repeated rolls to get under the percentage of his skill, the DM will basically need to make up an entire new system because rifts doesn't give any detail to these actions.

Other games either don't produce characters that are so heavily skewed in terms of combat abilities, or give equal weight to combat and non combat rules so the noncombatants actually get to do interesting things.

And personally I think that as a general rule, a system should be gauged on how fun it is out of the box in the hands of a novice DM. Expert DMs can run a great game with nothing more than rock-paper-scissors and a few on-the-spot tweaks. If you're going to add expert and accommodating players to the mix, you can drop the rock paper scissors.

 

[giant.robot]

And to make this anything more than just repeated rolls to get under the percentage of his skill, the DM will basically need to make up an entire new system because rifts doesn't give any detail to these actions.

Other games either don't produce characters that are so heavily skewed in terms of combat abilities, or give equal weight to combat and non combat rules so the noncombatants actually get to do interesting things.

And personally I think that as a general rule, a system should be gauged on how fun it is out of the box in the hands of a novice DM. Expert DMs can run a great game with nothing more than rock-paper-scissors and a few on-the-spot tweaks. If you're going to add expert and accommodating players to the mix, you can drop the rock paper scissors.

I think you may need to re-read my comments on the matter, we're in agreement about the failings of the Palladium system.

 

[Thagdal]

The worst part about RIFTs is that, even if you use just a core-rules game, with none of the expansions, you will have a party where at least one player feels useless and at least one player just dominates. I've been in games where the Rogue Teacher (me) sat around and did next to nothing while the glitter boy destroyed everything in sight, and the wilderness scout made some rolls to get us to the next fight, and then repeat. And when we got to a city so I could be all Rogue Teacher-y.... the other two players complained that they had nothing to do, and the encounter got waved by - because, at least in those combats, I could shoot my pistol for 1d6 MDC or whatever.

That's RIFTS.

Thats potentially any RPG, 'cause I'm sure I can invent similar scenerios about the different versions of D&D. (actually its a bit like my current saga game in terms of balance of combat/skills in characters but no one is getting bored or missing out on spot light time.

My pet hate with Rifts book is the lack of organisation/indexing, and I love its story plots and artwork. A little dose can make for a great idea for entire campiagn.

I certainly think that the flavours of D&D are more structured, better balanced mechanically.