Ultimate Rifts. Improvement or Same Old Stuff?

[mcrow]

Those remarks are mostly valid, but I sadi give us some of the new tech, then add in the phrase 'for more tech, go see...' A lot of RPG's do this all the time, hence calling it a revision or ultimate edition.

Putting all the new gear in the core book would tick people off to no end, and that not what Im saying.

I do see what you are saying you would like more current tech in the book. The book then would cover more of the time line (if it existed). I wouldn't mind that either really, infact it would make it a more complete game. I think it comes down to two things:

#1-- page count. This thing is up to 300 pages (IIRC) and it is only $34.00. When it came down to it he likelu couldn't have fit everything in so maybe new tech was one that missed the cut. Bad call? Yup. Is the game still playable. Yup.

#2-- money. In the RPG market new editions= more money for the publisher. WotC,WW, and many others have done it so this is nothing new. The changes in Rifts were not as obvious as most others and were mostly updating errata type of stuff. The system is pretty much unchanged so I where that rubs people the wrong way.

anyway I think we mostly agree on this.

 

[Jack of Shadows]

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

I would be on this in a heartbeat. In fact it doesn't need to be D20, it just needs to be a rules system that WORKS! I don't care about the balance issue because quite frankly it's a misnomer in Rifts. A Glitterboy is really impressive until you need to sneak into Chi-Town.

Heck, I've been tempted uncountless times to create my own rules set for the world. But I know if I ever shared it with anyone KS and his lawyers would be all over me. I'd even submit it to them except that I know from second hand experience that KS is nuttier than chunky peanut butter and likely to sick lawyers on me just for that.

So instead I sit back and hope that who ever inherits the company after he dies is more open to reason. Which is a pretty sad state of affairs really.

Jack

 

[Crothian]

Its the nature of the beast, so its not possible to fully turn RIFTS or any paladium game into a full d20 system but it could be made more Userfriendly with simplier math and more intuitive rules for actions and items.

Userfriendly isn't rifts though. It would be like trying to take the goth out of first edition Vampire........Sure, it can be done but it tales somerthing away that cannot be replaced.

 

[Dragonblade]

I used to play a ton of RIFTS back in the day. For a short time in high school, it even surpassed AD&D 2e as our RPG of choice.

Of course, we house ruled everything. I wrote a up short rules patch that generally fixed the clunkier issues we had. After that the game ran fine. Well, as fine as it could, anyway.

I enjoyed the setting though. Balance never really was an issue for us and we tended to run a more high powered game. The best campaign I ever ran was one where all the PCs were members of an elite Coalition commando squad where everyone played a Juicer or Borg.

I definitely think the rules need serious updating, and Kevin Siembieda's irrational hatred of d20 is unfortunate. I think a well-written d20 RIFTS game would sell a million copies. Given the already fanatic Palladium fan base and tapping into the d20 fan base would be a license to print money.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Uh- what?

Sorry, I'm confused by what this statement means... sounds like a warning not to get too heated?

And quick advice to avoid getting heated. Somewhere, someone actually *likes* Rifts.

But, hey, my system of choice is Earthdawn and I know people who absolutely hate it.

 

[Catavarie]

And quick advice to avoid getting heated. Somewhere, someone actually *likes* Rifts.

But, hey, my system of choice is Earthdawn and I know people who absolutely hate it.

Earthdawn Kicks ARSE! YEAH BABY!

PS I also like RIFTS

 

[Crothian]

And quick advice to avoid getting heated. Somewhere, someone actually *likes* Rifts.

I like Rifts, I wouldn't still have a few shelves of the books if I didn't. But it has its problems and I think its good to identify them and talk abosut them; like we do with d20

 

[Beckett]

Look at Rifts: Aftermath. That book advanced the timeline for the whole world up to after the Siege of Tolkeen.

And you've just hit on one of Joe's major points. This is Ultimate Rifts. The core rules and setting info. But, for something as basic as a time line, one needs to pick up a different book.

I want to play Eberron, so I pick up the ECS. If I want more details on the setting, then I'll pick up Sharn or Five Kingdoms or whatever. But if I want a timeline for the setting, should I have to buy a different book? WotC puts that in the mainbook; Paladium has it in a supplement.

 

[Michael Tree]

I think I'll pass on this book, in favor of the more balanced Rifts rulebook that's also coming out this fall. Granted, that one doesn't have any setting information, and is labeled "Mutants and Masterminds 2nd edition", but it has all the rules I need to run a smooth Rifts game.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, I don't think that I will try Rifts - out of fear that I will suddenly get overtaken by an urge to mash me nuts flat with a wooden mallet if nothing else!

Seriously, I have witnessed K. S. describing the system a 'perfect' (his exact word), then refusing to listen when the person he was talking to tried to tell him otherwise. The man is daft.

The Auld Grump