Why did TSR dump Alternity?

[buzz]

Plus, if you look at Unearthed Arcana, the random die bonus/penalty section looks an awful lot like the Alternity dice mechanic.

Wow. I hadn't made this connection. There's also the Traits/Flaws system in UA, which is probably another reason why Alternity is mentioned on the credits page.

<pedant>
Oh, FYI Von Ether, Alternity was a roll-under system, and tracked degrees of success.
</pedant>

Anyway, I seem to remember Rich Baker or one of the other designers saying that Alternity was sort of a "first attempt" by WotC (it was released one year after the buyout) to design an RPG from scratch, and, well, it shows. I think there's some really solid parts to it, but it's rough enough around the edges that I can see how it might not have been the hot seller they expected. I seem to also remember Baker saying that, in hindsight, splitting the core books into a PHB and GMG wasn't the best approach.

While it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the line had been allowed to continue, I'm generally happy with d20. I think it learned the right lessons from Alternity while ditching some of the wonkier bits. Not to mention, with a little help from UA, you can make d20/Modern pretty Alternity-like.

I'm still waiting for a new D*M hardcover, though.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Wow. I hadn't made this connection. There's also the Traits/Flaws system in UA, which is probably another reason why Alternity is mentioned on the credits page.

I think the feat system in d20 probably owes a little to the Alternity Trait/Flaw system, too.

 

[buzz]

Not to mention the trained/untrained skill-use concept.

 

[slingbld]

The Alternity system was a bridge system between the old 2nd ed & the current D20. They used it to test out several conepts in mechanics. There was never any intention to keep the system alive (although they did drop it about 18 months early).
When Alternity was introduced, it was as a temporary system. We, the gamers were the largest group playtesters they had. And we had to pay to playtest it to boot. The Final Church & Externals ESD's were originaly meant to be some of the last products released in print form. When the plug was pulled early on the system's life support, they got bumped to ESD status.

I learned a lot of this second hand from some people in the Living Greyhawk Triad for Illinois. Two of the three are friends or aquaintences (sic) of the Alternity design team. Although knowing why they poopcanned it hasn't made me feel any better about the fact they did poopcan it

 

[buzz]

When Alternity was introduced, it was as a temporary system. We, the gamers were the largest group playtesters they had. And we had to pay to playtest it to boot.

No offense, but I have a hard time believing this, even if it does come from a reliable friend of a friend who knew somebody who knew somebody... I can't see any reason why TSR/WOTC would invest such a huge amount of money and create so many products just to "playtest" a system they had no intention of keeping around. I had also been led to believe that there was talk at some point of AD&D adopting Alternity's basic system.

Unfortunately, my Googling isn't providing me with any material to refute you, so I dunno.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I can't see any reason why TSR/WOTC would invest such a huge amount of money and create so many products just to "playtest" a system they had no intention of keeping around.

Or make some very nice, full color hardbacks like Star*Drive or Dark*Matter.

Hmmm. Here's a new theory. Maybe settings with "*" in the middle of the title doom a system.

 

[Ranger REG]

From what I gathered here, Alternity was a testbed platform, an "Enterprise" shuttle, to put it in analogy. Although the shuttle's only purpose is to see if it can make a unpowered descending and landing from a high altitude, it paved the way for our ... well ... now-aging but still operating space shuttle fleet.

 

[slingbld]

Ranger REG is correct. It realy was meant as a testing ground for new rule subsets & a way to test soem ideas they were knocking around.

 

[Cowpie Zombie]

I learned a lot of this second hand from some people in the Living Greyhawk Triad for Illinois. Two of the three are friends or aquaintences (sic) of the Alternity design team. Although knowing why they poopcanned it hasn't made me feel any better about the fact they did poopcan it

Now *that's* reliable information: second hand rumours from "some people" who claim to be "friends" of the Alternity "design team."

Seriously though, this is rather silly. To suggest that a game company would pour thousands of dollars into the design, production, and marketing of a system solely to test its mechanics is utter nonsense. Game companies extensively test mechanics behind the scene before ever releasing a product; the games are tested by veteran gamers and industry insiders who play hundreds of hours of said game before rendering a judgement. Only then is the game system released. TSR poured a lot of money into Alternity for production and marketing. If the game had been a wild success, do you really think they still would have pulled the plug because it was their "plan"?

These conspiracy theories are getting old--when you've been on the Internet as long as I have you hear one too many of them.

Honestly though, the "TSR released Alternity *knowing* they would pull the plug! Bwa ha ha!" theory *would* make a good premise for a Dark*Matter adventure...

 

[buzz]

Although the shuttle's only purpose is to see if it can make a unpowered descending and landing from a high altitude, it paved the way for our ... well ... now-aging but still operating space shuttle fleet.

I can buy the US government burning money like that, but a game company? Maybe...

FWIW, there are some comments by Jim Butler on this over at Alternity.net.