Ultimate Rifts. Improvement or Same Old Stuff?

[Kanegrundar]

Seeing as how I do that now (for the most part), yes. I would enjoy it a lot more since it would be a decent setting toolkit that utilizes and system that makes sense, IMO.

Kane

 

[Crothian]

Ok So here's a quick question, and I'm not saying that this will happen its just hypothetical, but...

If Rifts was Rereleased with all new d20 ruleset, since most peoples complaint seems to be that they love the setting but hate the rules would it be more enjoyable for you to play and therefore you would be willing to play RIFTS where as now you do not?

Just a thought...maybe

that woulod suck the life out of the game if they did that. Rifts is not about balance, so trying to shoe horn it in will ruin what makes rifts rifts. THe names will be the same for the Coalition and the Xiticix and the Splurgorth, but the feel won't be the same.

THat would be like "fixing" exalted by making the solars and other races as par with the mortals.

 

[Kanegrundar]

I play Rifts with D20 just fine. I don't make a straight conversion though and I toss out stuff that I don't like (Glitter Boys and most mech armor) and try to get keep the flavor of the setting while making it actually fun to play. Rifts the way it is now isn't fun unless everyone is on the same page on how they want to play. Plus, the system is a mess, IMO. I'd much rather use the setting with a system that has a lot more coherencey, even if it isn't entirely true to the letter.

Kane

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I wouldn't mind a D20 version of RIFTS...as long as you kept the unbalanced classes and chaotic world setting. The D20 rules (while not perfect) are much more condusive to running a smooth-running game than the Palladium rules.

Of course, KS would NEVER let that happen until the RIFTS imprint was virtually valueless.

 

[Catavarie]

Some of my questions would still lead me to think no.

1. No maps.

2. No solid GMing advice.

3. No solid time line.

4. No mechanics for game balance outside of experience point tables with different levels.

5. Old equipment would still be listed instead of new and actually used equipment.

6. Rules and background don't have clear and consistent seperation.

Let me see if I can provide a little insight I've had through years playing RIFTS among other games...

Maps = Use an Atlas after all the basic geopraphy is earth, just with a few minor changes

GMing adivse = Most of the books are filled with the background information to the area they cover including NPCs of Note

Time Line = Each book has an excerpt from Erin Tarn's "Diary's" which are all dated to provide you with some sort of a loose timeline, D&D doesnt' give you time line either though

Game Balance= What do you want to Balance?

Equipment = whats new and whats old? If you figure that the core book is the old equipment an dthe expansions are all new equipment, then how did your players get their hands on such new items which I'm sure that the government would want to keep tight security on

Rules vs Background = Rules are the mechanics and Background is the fluff

Now let me say before people start flaming me let me say that I don't mean to seem pretintious, nor do i consider myself the foremost expert on D20 or Paladium rulesets, I'm just curious as to how many people would be interested in such a thing if it did exist

 

[Catavarie]

I wouldn't mind a D20 version of RIFTS...as long as you kept the unbalanced classes and chaotic world setting. The D20 rules (while not perfect) are much more condusive to running a smooth-running game than the Palladium rules.

Of course, KS would NEVER let that happen until the RIFTS imprint was virtually valueless.

Sure he would, afterall they allow players to post House rules

Just can't call it "RIFTS D20 Conversion Rules" because that would be wrong and prosecutable

 

[Crothian]

Maps = Use an Atlas after all the basic geopraphy is earth, just with a few minor changes

the continent of Atlantis coming back is a minor change??

 

[Catavarie]

that woulod suck the life out of the game if they did that. Rifts is not about balance, so trying to shoe horn it in will ruin what makes rifts rifts. THe names will be the same for the Coalition and the Xiticix and the Splurgorth, but the feel won't be the same.

THat would be like "fixing" exalted by making the solars and other races as par with the mortals.

Just because rules are "streamlined" as somepeople would surely say, doesn't mean that a Glitterboy wouldn't still be able to smoke a Vagabond in a quick draw...RIFTS is designed with all character classes being balanced to each other but a good player can make his character stand up to anything IMHO despite what OCC/RCC he is playing

 

[Voadam]

Time Line = Each book has an excerpt from Erin Tarn's "Diary's" which are all dated to provide you with some sort of a loose timeline, D&D doesnt' give you time line either though

D&D doesn't, but the world of Greyhawk does.

 

[Catavarie]

the continent of Atlantis coming back is a minor change??

Depends on your definition of minor change

I use a cheep world atlas and just drawn new shore lines as they are described in the books...there was a program floating around on the net somewhere at one time that would let you raise and lower water levels of the oceans over topographical maps of the earth which was a good help, don't remember the name of it now though