Settings D6 would be perfect for

[The Game Guy]

I am curious to hear different settings you think D6 would work for (such as a space setting, etc).

What kind of games do you think D6 would do extra well with. What kind of games with D6 would you like to see?

[Grimace]

Going generically, I'd say:

Fantasy setting, Space setting, Pulp Action setting, Super Spy (think 007-ish or even more outlandish) setting, 4-color Superhero setting, freakish Post-Apocolyptic setting, Pulp Horror setting, umm...... I think that just about covers everything.

Honestly, given the right touches for flavor, D6 could conceivably tackle just about anything. As for "extra well", I think any of the above D6 could really emphasize the fun and fast paced nature of the game without behing overly rules heavy.

[skeloric]

Grimace I think has covered it well.
I think the better question is "what doesn't D6 do well?"
To which I'd respond with, "Ponderously slow, failed (but artificially bolstered to appear successful) RPG systems like D&D."
It does everything else just fine.

[Whill]

skel, it's refreshing to know others who share my extreme dislike for D&D and all things d20. :cool:

D6 was created to be a cinematic role-playing system, so I feel that adventure-movie-type settings are perfect, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond and superheroes.

[skeloric]

skel, it's refreshing to know others who share my extreme dislike for D&D and all things d20. :cool:

As we continue to share our dislike, hopefully we can actually destabilize the "house of cards" that is the D&D empire.




D6 was created to be a cinematic role-playing system, so I feel that adventure-movie-type settings are perfect, such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond and superheroes.
Exactly, and any genre can be be accentuated by a properly cinematic (fast and simple) system.

[Whill]

As we continue to share our dislike, hopefully we can actually destabilize the "house of cards" that is the D&D empire.

Wow, you are a rebellious one, aren't you? I try to be an optimistic person, but I have serious doubts that anyone can take down that Empire. Just yesterday I was surfing the net and found myself at some rpg forum thread where they were discussing the latest Star Wars d20 release. They were up to 18 pages devoted to this one book and it just came out September 16th. Half the posters didn't have it yet and they were asking the other half questions about the content. There were going on and on about this and that new "feat" and all these other complex d20 mechanics that eventually made me ill after a few pages. I felt like screaming "The Star Wars RPG is not supposed to have this many rules!"

"It's not that I like the Empire; I hate it. But there's nothing I can do about it right now."

[skeloric]

Wow, you are a rebellious one, aren't you?
I'm just tired of having my RPG playing options decided by the congenital idiot that some toy company put in charge of their pet RPG.
An RPG that most of their board of directors probably have never played and are who quite definitely too stupid to play any RPGs even if they decided to actually try one.
The same gang of musclebound sports jocks/retards that used to laugh at their local gamers back in high school.
The usual gang of idiots who just don't understand anything about RPGs except that their sales confirm their opinion that gamers are just the sort of people with low expectations/standards that will buy anything they publish and thus make them a fortune.
Unfortunately, they just happen to be right enough.

[Grimace]

Let's try to stay on the topic, guys. I'm certainly no fan of D20 either, but this isn't really the thread for that topic.

[pathfinderap]

skel, it's refreshing to know others who share my extreme dislike for D&D and all things d20. :cool:

You are not the only one, And I spent alot of money trying hard to make that game work (For a Dragonlance game) bought every version of a GM and players book out there, True 20, BESM d20, Iron Heroes, etc etc etc,

I could fix the class's, and the levels, but the deal breaker was the thing most rooted in the system, the BAB believe it or not, that was the real cause of all that systems problems,

I tried hard, and gave it more than a fair chance, but nope, the suckage was still there,

But 4th Ed is a playable system for a Dungeon crawl if nothing else, its almost a completely different game, not retooled but rebuilt, with some very gutsy moves by the designer, and I think, like me, the more you could not stand the old d20 system, the more surprised you will be by the new d20
(I don't even like putting this in the same group as the old d20)

(btw sorry Grimace, I'm also not a d20 fan, but you guys need to see this new game, ;))


I think D6 would/could handle almost anything most people would consider "Cinematic"

But I personally would not use it for a grim' n gritty setting,

[skeloric]

But I personally would not use it for a grim' n gritty setting,
I don't think it'd even have trouble doing "grim 'n' gritty".
Lugubrious and overwrought systems do not achieve "grim 'n' gritty" merely by being overwrought and lugubrious, they attach special rules.
Maybe an Attribute or Attribute combo could become "Courage" and then Fear and Madness checks could be rolled for it.
Maybe a skill called "Fearless" or "Strong Mind" could be added to assist in rolling Fear and Madness checks.
One could add 1 to all damages causing combats to be slightly more lethal.
A Cinematic system can do "grim 'n' gritty" just fine.

[Stormchild]

The Orrorsh world laws in Torg make for an extremely grim and gritty game. If you want it not as extreme, D6 can do the trick. Use the Wound and Body Point rules together and apply Wounds to body parts. 1 Wound renders that Body Part useless, 3 Wounds destroy it altogether.

[Whill]

Part of the beauty of D6 is that it's adapatable enough to make it more grim n' gritty if you need it to be that.


You are not the only one, And I spent alot of money trying hard to make that game work (For a Dragonlance game) bought every version of a GM and players book out there, True 20, BESM d20, Iron Heroes, etc etc etc,

I could fix the class's, and the levels, but the deal breaker was the thing most rooted in the system, the BAB believe it or not, that was the real cause of all that systems problems,

I tried hard, and gave it more than a fair chance, but nope, the suckage was still there,

But 4th Ed is a playable system for a Dungeon crawl if nothing else, its almost a completely different game, not retooled but rebuilt, with some very gutsy moves by the designer, and I think, like me, the more you could not stand the old d20 system, the more surprised you will be by the new d20
(I don't even like putting this in the same group as the old d20)

I've have all incarnations of WotC's Star Wars RPG, and the system mirrors D&D enough to earn the title of "D&D in space." Their original edition corresponds to D&D 3E, their "Revised" version corresponds to 3.5, and the current "Saga Edition" corresponds to D&D 4E. I also own D&D 3.5 and have played in several campaigns. And, this summer I went to my local big box book store and spent about an hour looking over the 4E books.

Overall, I will admit 4E does seem to be an improvement over the previous editions. They have simplified and streamlined some things in an attempt to make it less complicated and more user friendly. So as far as d20 goes, it may overall be better.

But I have no tolerance for levels and classes and feats and BABs. In my opinion, these are all by their very nature antithesis to what role-playing should be. I feel the new game is still very much d20, and therefore still has a lot of "suckage."

To get this thread back on track, I will say that even though I didn't mention it before, and even though I don't own D6 Fantasy, I think that D6 could be great for fantasy as well. No, there is no way you could sucessfully adapt D&D to D6 because d20 is just way to complicated for that. But I don't think you'd ever need to. Even Fantasy RPGs doen't need to be that complex to be fun.

Fantasy can be cinematic too. Lord of the Rings, anyone? Fantasy cinema supreme. I'd buy Middle-Earth D6 in a heartbeat.

[The Game Guy]

Grimace I think has covered it well.

Well I meant specific settings, not generic genres.


I think the better question is "what doesn't D6 do well?"

Why not start a thread then?

[Grimace]

Specific? Are you talking about "named" settings, like Indiana Jones, or are you trying to get specific in the generalness, such as "Pulp 1940s era setting" or "Incredibles style superhero setting"?

[pathfinderap]

Part of the beauty of D6 is that it's adapatable enough to make it more grim n' gritty if you need it to be that.

You would think,
I can make this system do almost anything without much thought, but to me at least I don't feel it has enough gravitiy, this could be mostly due to the settings I am use to see this used in,

I mean sure, as a system you could use it for anything, but I think there could be better fits for something gritty like the Bourne movies etc,

but again, tastes differ,




I've have all incarnations of WotC's Star Wars RPG, and the system mirrors D&D enough to earn the title of "D&D in space." Their original edition corresponds to D&D 3E, their "Revised" version corresponds to 3.5, and the current "Saga Edition" corresponds to D&D 4E. I also own D&D 3.5 and have played in several campaigns. And, this summer I went to my local big box book store and spent about an hour looking over the 4E books.

Overall, I will admit 4E does seem to be an improvement over the previous editions. They have simplified and streamlined some things in an attempt to make it less complicated and more user friendly. So as far as d20 goes, it may overall be better.

But I have no tolerance for levels and classes and feats and BABs. In my opinion, these are all by their very nature antithesis to what role-playing should be. I feel the new game is still very much d20, and therefore still has a lot of "suckage.".

Yes I also have all the WotC Star Wars Core Rules, and they suck, no surprise there...I also have the Saga version, which I believe to be closer to 3.5, than 4th, and therefore also of the suck

But Classes,
Star Wars as many of WEGs D6 line use "archetypes" is that so far removed?

And Levels,
Think of it as point cost for your character, not a problem in system like Gurps, right?

4th Ed D&D is alot more open in many ways, and alot more radical than Saga,
if some one offered to run a game of 4th Ed D&D, I would consider playing

Unlike 3.5 that would make my face look as if I had suffered the fate of sucking on a barrel full of lemons,

I'd say, if you don't like dungeon bashing, or the D&D vibe of fantasy, AVOID this game,

If on the other hand you do, Go get it, you will not find any D&D game better,

Sure it's related to a game that had one of the very worst systems out there,
but thats like judging a kid by its parents actions,

Give it a chance, it could be a pleasant surprise





To get this thread back on track, I will say that even though I didn't mention it before, and even though I don't own D6 Fantasy, I think that D6 could be great for fantasy as well. No, there is no way you could sucessfully adapt D&D to D6 because d20 is just way to complicated for that. But I don't think you'd ever need to. Even Fantasy RPGs doen't need to be that complex to be fun.

Fantasy can be cinematic too. Lord of the Rings, anyone? Fantasy cinema supreme. I'd buy Middle-Earth D6 in a heartbeat.

Yeah it would do fantasy well, and in theory at least there would be ways of making it more D&Dish, (through structure)

But remember that D&D is a different thing to d20,

[The Game Guy]

Specific? Are you talking about "named" settings, like Indiana Jones, or are you trying to get specific in the generalness, such as "Pulp 1940s era setting" or "Incredibles style superhero setting"?

Ok How about this... Lets talked name settings s well as generalness settings like the example you provided.

[skeloric]

Not only might it be nice to name a specific name but it might also be nice to have at least some example that might be realistically cheap.

Thus:
Sid and Marty Krofft Supershow.
Featuring:
H.R. Pufnstuf
Liddsville
Land of the Lost
Sifgmund and the Sea Monsters
Etc.
Classic 60s-70s live action children's show extravanganza.

Xanth
Upcoming movie alert!
Get in on it before the film happens and drives up the licensing fee!
Fun fantasy that millions... at least hundreds of thousands already read.
For that matter, the Incarnations of Immortality series would be a nice modern world/magic hybrid.
Just license everything Piers Anthony to be made into RPGs.

Stainless Steel Rat RPG!

Stasheff's Warlock series.

I doubt they'd cost as much as top of the line films.

[The Game Guy]

Well you have given a number of examples. And that's great. However you have to look at each one and ask yourself if there is enough of a fanbase, would it work and mostly would a game based on X sell?

[skeloric]

Well you have given a number of examples. And that's great. However you have to look at each one and ask yourself if there is enough of a fanbase, would it work and mostly would a game based on X sell?
In this day and age?
If the license isn't priced out of reach so as to defeat the purpose of attempting to buy it, it probably lacks the fanbase.
Thus why I am not as big a fan of licensed games as I used to be.
Also a license will often dictate limits, usually reasonable at first glance but do not always remain so midway into a publishing venture (or so I was informed thrice upon a time).

[The Game Guy]

In this day and age?
If the license isn't priced out of reach so as to defeat the purpose of attempting to buy it, it probably lacks the fanbase.
Thus why I am not as big a fan of licensed games as I used to be.
Also a license will often dictate limits, usually reasonable at first glance but do not always remain so midway into a publishing venture (or so I was informed thrice upon a time).

Well they did put out a license game "Starblazer Adventure" based on an old british comic book that was almost unknown in the US and has been out of print for some time.

I guess some companies think that perhaps the low license fee is worth trying to create a game that might make some money and may make the license worth more.

I admit though I too am not as into licensed games as I used to, mostly because many of the licensed games I bought way back when turned out to be crap.

[skeloric]

I admit though I too am not as into licensed games as I used to, mostly because many of the licensed games I bought way back when turned out to be crap.
And since most have been made for the D20 system in the last 8 or so years, its rather easy for them to be crap.

[The Game Guy]

And since most have been made for the D20 system in the last 8 or so years, its rather easy for them to be crap.

I know you have an errational hatred of D20 but can you please focus on the topic at hand, which is D6 and not get off topic.

[Lee Torres]

There's a lot of settings that D6 would serve well - I think the problem is that potential publishers are not thinking that anything produced more than 10 years ago (or adapted to the screen in that time) has much value. I think, though, that the genres that D6 supports are full to bursting of good properties - in science fiction, we have the Dorsai novels, Asimov's Foundation series, Laumer's Bolo stories, Mike Resnick's Birthright: The Book Of Man (http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/2/Timeline.htm)future history stories, Harry Harrison's Deathworld and Stainless Steel Rat novels, and (using the scaling rules and space combat rules) Fred Saberhagen's Berserker stories. Mongoose Publishing has worked along these lines by licensing Hammer's Slammers for their Traveller rules.

In fantasy, the Shannara novels, the Mythago Wood novels by Holdstock, King's Dark Tower/Gunslinger novels, urban fantasy like Roofworld... In short, if you have fond memories of reading it in your youth, and there's no rpg licensing for it yet, there may be others like you that would like to see a careful, loving RPG adaptation of the setting - I know I'd pay for Berserker, Foundation, Stainless Steel Rat, and Mythago Wood... and those were just throwing ideas out over a few minutes.

Head to your bookshelves, folks - there's probably a gem or two there that could revitalize the D6 System - but maybe you haven't thought of it in over 10 years - I've noticed online a lot of instances where someone mentions an old book or series, and soon dozens of others have jumped onto the thread with fond reminiscing about how the book influenced them. That kind of nostalgia still has power, in a "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world" way.

Even some of the silly Saturday morning kid's stuff might work, like Land of the Lost or Jason of Star Command -or take something like "Speed Racer" and build on the "universe" that's set in. There's a lot of sources out there, and a lot of it would probably be reasonably priced...

[skeloric]

I know you have an errational hatred of D20 but can you please focus on the topic at hand, which is D6 and not get off topic.

Not only do I rather think it completely rational, but its success directly harms D6's hope for success:
We are a small and vanishing group and there is insufficient money to buy into every system.
Indeed, there isn't enough money often to buy into more than ONE system.
One company being the ONLY system people even know means it will be the one that is bought, which directly places it with the cash necessary to buy up ALL of the licenses if it needs to.
What D6 and other companies living in the shadow WotC/D20 have left is those licenses that WotC deem to be such failures that NOBODY could make money on them.
Which actually does tie back into the conversation at hand because those are the licenses that D6 is likely to be able to get -- the unprofitable ones.

[Grimace]

Very true, Lee! Not only is it a problem with game designers/publishers, but it's also a problem for some fans. Some people seem to think that only the newest, best, and most up to date thing matters to have in a game. It's rather unfortunate.

And if you're going for more recent additions to movies/books, you could do something like: The Mummy, 5th Element, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Hot Fuzz, etc. for action type settings. Van Helsing, Underworld or other "gothic horror/action" type settings. Of course Indiana Jones! You might even be able to do something with Transformers.

The problems with pulling established settings is that those all cost money to get and that's something that (unless the new company is swimming in money to start with) won't be extremely plentiful to start. A new company, or anyone making a game for that matter, is best served to take an "idea", such as "pulp action/adventure in the 1930s" and create their own setting and adventures so they can expand upon it how they like. Yes, it's taking a chance that people will go "I don't like this. It's trying to be Indiana Jones but it's not!" but there's also the chance that people will take it for what it is, use it for their own games because the setting is interesting enough, or use the stuff for their Indiana Jones game or whatever sort of game they're running.

Success would certainly be people liking the setting enough to keep buying and want more supplements for it, but if people like it enough to use it as a supplement for something they've already got, it might just break even and get your name out there so people start noticing you. Then, on the next venture, you'll have more people who will at least pick up your material to look at it and potentially buy it.

So my personal opinion is that someone needs to do something, much like Godsend Agenda did, and create their own setting to get your name out there and known. If it's good, you've got your foot in the door and hopefully just a bit of money that you might be able to turn around and latch on to something a little bigger. Build up and THEN land a license for a known setting that can grab people just with the name (such as Star Trek or Babylon 5 or some such for a space setting).

[Lee Torres]

Yes, sir! I was just throwing the thought in for the thread - I'm actually working on a science fiction universe setting (I've mentioned it in passing on some other threads) but the example of Godsend Agenda and more recently Hellas is precisely what I'm going for - something new and interesting to a broad scope of gamers. I just keep reminding myself that Warhammer 40K grew to what it is during maybe half of my gaming lifetime - I remember when it first came out, long before Tau, Necron, and such - just sort of a Warhammer in Spaaaaaace with the whole grim darkness bit. And look at it now!

Well, okay, it's still pretty much exactly the same, just really really frickin' huge, with novels and computer games and role-playing games and such!

[The Game Guy]

Not only do I rather think it completely rational, but its success directly harms D6's hope for success:
We are a small and vanishing group and there is insufficient money to buy into every system.
Indeed, there isn't enough money often to buy into more than ONE system.
One company being the ONLY system people even know means it will be the one that is bought, which directly places it with the cash necessary to buy up ALL of the licenses if it needs to.
What D6 and other companies living in the shadow WotC/D20 have left is those licenses that WotC deem to be such failures that NOBODY could make money on them.
Which actually does tie back into the conversation at hand because those are the licenses that D6 is likely to be able to get -- the unprofitable ones.

D20 is popular but not as popular as it once was. Companies are dropping it and either switching to different systems or they are creating their own systems.

The thing is D6 isn't as popular because of mistakes made by WEG (which has been discussed many times). There should have been one core book, more advertising of the system and an overall attempt to get a game designed using D6 for a major setting or a new setting that could have built up D6's popularity.

The problems D6 has right now has more to do with mistakes made by WEG (no offense Eric, I am not trying to rub your nose in it) then it has to do with D20.

There are plenty of generic systems that are competing with D20 and doing well.

[skeloric]

There are plenty of generic systems that are competing with D20 and doing well.
And I have probably never heard of most of them which nullifies that competition rather neatly.

[Cryonic]

GURPS and HERO would be the two biggest universal systems out there that I can easily think of off the top of my head.

[Lee Torres]

What Cryonic said, plus Unisystem and Savage Worlds... I think Savage Worlds is a bigger competitor to D6 than D20 is, even if D20 is the 800 lb. gorilla of the industry - the intent of the SW rules design is so similar to D6, it would be harder to draw away SW fans to a new D6 product than D20 players.

[The Game Guy]

And I have probably never heard of most of them which nullifies that competition rather neatly.

You never hearing about them doesnt equal they dont exist. There are plenty of places to look to find out what is out there. Just need a little google foo.

[skeloric]

You never hearing about them doesnt equal they dont exist. There are plenty of places to look to find out what is out there. Just need a little google foo.Actually, it plays right into the problem.
I consider myself somebody who does know a lot about games and yet I barely ever hear anything about GURPS or HERO -- I honestly thought them both defunct based upon the lack of advertising and general discussion.
Savage Worlds I hear every once in awhile but not enough to impress me.
Now we take a step back to the average game buyer in Barney Ignoramus [Barnes and Noble] and they are even MORE out of the loop.
They know what is on the shelf right there before them and i assure you, it isn't anything else except D&D and the rare White Wolf (Storytelling) book.
The rest are unrepresented and thus just as good as defunct because at that rate they eventually will be.
Access to actual shelf space in Barney Ignoramus is how the product reaches 80% to 90% of the customer base.

Not being aware of a product when one IS into looking deeper (or else I would never have gotten into the WEG forums or here or discovered AFMBE or have 4th edition GURPS) is rather indicative how much more difficult it is if one is only looking at what's on the shelf at Barney Ignoramus and hasn't a damn clue that any other company still exists (or EVER existed, for that matter).

[pathfinderap]

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Underworld

Sign me up for those,

Shame the last Indy film sucked bottom, can't see that being picked up now,
The Mummy, and Transformers are far to narrow for long term play,

but Mechamorphosis by Fantasy Flight Games seems very close to the movie
(but its crappy d20 system)

[The Game Guy]

Not being aware of a product when one IS into looking deeper (or else I would never have gotten into the WEG forums or here or discovered AFMBE or have 4th edition GURPS) is rather indicative how much more difficult it is if one is only looking at what's on the shelf at Barney Ignoramus and hasn't a damn clue that any other company still exists (or EVER existed, for that matter).

Well owners of game stores being clueless isn't a new thing. It's been a problem for a long time. But there are plenty of websites such as rpg.net andf the like that has discussions about games that are out as well as games that are coming out.

Not to mention the sites of game companies and google. There is always a way to get information (good information) about what is coming out. Better then what you can find digging around at your local FLGS.

[The Game Guy]

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

See this I would play in a heartbeat. It's kind of the setting the Crimson Skies has going and I had always wished Crimson SKies had been a rpg instead of a board game.

[skeloric]

Well owners of game stores being clueless isn't a new thing. It's been a problem for a long time. But there are plenty of websites such as rpg.net andf the like that has discussions about games that are out as well as games that are coming out.

Not to mention the sites of game companies and google. There is always a way to get information (good information) about what is coming out. Better then what you can find digging around at your local FLGS.
But Barney Ignoramus isn't a "game store".
It is the "Wal*Mart of Books" and it alongside Borders means that the two are everywhere -- unlike game stores.

Again, if all you see is D&D and all you have any reason to believe exists is "D&D.com", what would ever compel you to dig deeper?
For the vast majority -- NOTHING.

This is the crux of the D&D situation.

Setting isn't as much an issue as access to regular bookstore shelves and thus to the actual customer.

[Cryonic]

And most game companies can't afford to abide by the rules that Borders and B&N put on their sales. IIRC the books need to move in a certain, small, amount of time, else they rip off the cover and you have to reimburse them for the "destroyed" books.
And both of those bookstores are nothing like Walmart... Walmart is the Walmart of books... I can find titles at B&N or Borders that aren't just the latest "hits". 50 year-old Asimov, Heinlein, H.G. Wells, etc...

[skeloric]

And most game companies can't afford to abide by the rules that Borders and B&N put on their sales. IIRC the books need to move in a certain, small, amount of time, else they rip off the cover and you have to reimburse them for the "destroyed" books.
And both of those bookstores are nothing like Walmart... Walmart is the Walmart of books... I can find titles at B&N or Borders that aren't just the latest "hits". 50 year-old Asimov, Heinlein, H.G. Wells, etc...
Actually, the "book stripping" is not exactly automatic anymore.
There is the new "non-strippable book" originally pushed through by White Wolf in fact which DEMANDS unsold stock be shipped back.
Which means that White Wolf can move stock from where it isn't going well to where it is selling out and needs more.
Its part of the "green" policies that some instituted before "green" policies started being really accepted.
The utter waste of publishing has been skewered quite nicely and I hope it becomes industry standard.

[Grimace]

Cover stripping only applies to paperback books, not hardback. And the "short" period of time was 1 year. It may have dropped to 9 months, but still, that's rather long. And only certain publishers allow the cover stripping, so if the book comes from another publisher that doesn't allow that, no stripping. (I worked in a bookstore for a couple of years.)

Be that as it may, that all has little to do with settings that D6 would be good for, so could we please try to meander back to the topic at hand.

Crimson Skies was a neat idea, for sure. I always could see potential in it for an RPG. I think, somewhere, there is one, but I can't be certain. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow was great in that it encompassed a lot of things that Crimson Skies had but also had that touch of fantastic thrown in. It would make for a very cool RPG.

If I didn't have so much on my D6 plate already, I'd probably tackle something like that just to see what came of it. Certainly food for thought though.

Admittedly something like The Mummy or Transformers would have to be greatly expanded to allow for any sort of long term play. The Mummy would have to be expanded to allow other things (like what was presented in the last movie...Yeti) and various other folklore and legends. Basically, the Mummy RPG could have something like an pulp action based game with various flings into gothic horror. That way you can have zombies and maybe vampires as well.

I thought of another game that D6 could do well, and since there was already a version of it out, it wouldn't be too hard to base things upon that: Space: 1889. Victorian era mixed heavily with H.G. Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle. Think early-Industrial era British, French, Germans and Americans with life on other planets, Martians, Dinosaurs and such. I think that could be fun.

[Stormchild]

I used Masterbook for Space 1889 and it worked like a charm. Forget the original rules, they are crap (except the character generation which is quite adorable but you can adabt that for any system).

[pathfinderap]

or Transformers would have to be greatly expanded to allow for any sort of long term play.

I maybe able to help you out there, I'll PM you some details ;)

[hellsreach]

Actually, the "book stripping" is not exactly automatic anymore.
There is the new "non-strippable book" originally pushed through by White Wolf in fact which DEMANDS unsold stock be shipped back.
Which means that White Wolf can move stock from where it isn't going well to where it is selling out and needs more.
Its part of the "green" policies that some instituted before "green" policies started being really accepted.
The utter waste of publishing has been skewered quite nicely and I hope it becomes industry standard.

Barnes and Noble is actually a pretty good store. They continue to sell magazine and books that ultra-conservative people find objectionable, and that wins points with me.

That said, most book stores, including Barnes and Noble ignore "non-stripping" requirements -- even on case-bound books. The result is, that book stores in general over-order books by about 2 of 3 times and you are on the hook to reemburse the whole amount in 90 or 120 days when you get a nice bok or two of cover back.

Book stripping IS the green solution. A stripped book, is supposed to go to recycling (and in the better stores, most books do). The covers are then sent back to the publishers saving enormous amounts of fuel costs and reducing the publishing world carbon fingerprint.

Of course, if you really wanted a green solution, you'd drop your irrational crusade against electronic documents. :)

[skeloric]

Of course, if you really wanted a green solution, you'd drop your irrational crusade against electronic documents. :)
I'm still a luddite.
I want physical product in my hands.

[Stormchild]

I am a neo-luddite (not the sect that goes by the same name). I hope for new tech to bring me back to old times. There is a new version of E-paper about to be published next year. When I saw this video I nearly drooled. I found it on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jwld9lGKSz4

I have problems with Pdf. I can't concentrate too long on text on my screen. Also, I want to take my book with me all the time and read it where I want. Even a laptop doesn't do the trick like the simple dead wood product. Also, I use a lot of Pdf manuals for programs. I want to try the program and read the manual separately. I even have 2 computers that stand side by side to do this but it is not that good as a book, I can toggle on my knees.

Moreso with Roleplay Pdfs. I often take my laptop to cons but it is bulky (OK the whole Torg collection is much more bulkier), needs a plug and is basically ruining the scenery.

[Whill]

I'm really not a materialistic person, but I have to admit that when it comes to my media I prefer a physical product. Which is why when I do (rarely) download music from iTunes or Amazon, I burn the music on to a CD and make an insert for it. My wife loves her iPod but that's not for me.

For books, I do prefer to have a physical copy if that is at all an option. I will only buy a PDF if that is the only option and I really want it. If Septimus D6 goes PDF-only, I am all over that. But I will probably have Kinkos print the bad-boy and make it into a book, and then I'll promise Mother Earth I will someday plant a new tree to replace the one I just killed.

[pathfinderap]

For books, I do prefer to have a physical copy if that is at all an option. I will only buy a PDF if that is the only option and I really want it.

Totally agree, gimmie a real solid book you can feel any day,
I see pdfs as a temporary solution,

I have the same problem with pdfs that Stormchild does, more so when the text is dry and dull, it becomes a chore

[skeloric]

PDFs are like Betamax recorders, there are people who will swear as to how great they are but in the end people will choose VHS/real paper books.

[pathfinderap]

PDFs are like Betamax recorders, there are people who will swear as to how great they are but in the end people will choose VHS/real paper books.

But beta was better its a well known fact, (the only reason vhs won was because they had more chioce in movies, true)

I like the really thing because I like books

[Kalzazz]

I try to get pdfs of all the books I buy, that way I dont need a huge pile of RPG books swamping my computer area, and I can do chargen and such quite conveniently

But, the book is really nice to have and enjoy the reading of, but not as convenient as a reference

[Kalzazz]

Oh, and pdfs Im much more likely to impulse buy 'Ooh, shiny, click buy download!'

A full price hardshell book is something that takes time to acquire, so, much less impulse buying

[The Game Guy]

But Barney Ignoramus isn't a "game store".
It is the "Wal*Mart of Books" and it alongside Borders means that the two are everywhere -- unlike game stores.

Again, if all you see is D&D and all you have any reason to believe exists is "D&D.com", what would ever compel you to dig deeper?
For the vast majority -- NOTHING.

This is the crux of the D&D situation.

Setting isn't as much an issue as access to regular bookstore shelves and thus to the actual customer.

So it looks like the crutch of the problem is that you dont have a game store that sells a number of different games, but you have a book store that also sells rpgs (but it isnt a big focus).

[Kythian]

This poor thread! Continually getting hi-jacked!

So, here comes the new guy on the block to REVIVE the thread and say...

Bladerunner. Nobody thought to consider Bladerunner?!?! Replicants? The snake dance? Harrison Ford in something that's NOT Star Wars or Indiana Jones? Wow... just... wow.

Ok, so here's another idea. A wonderful book series by Kim Harrison, the Rachel Morgan books. (The first book in the series is Dead Witch Walking. I highly recommend it.) It's a contemporary setting in Cincinnatti, with witches (who are genetically not compatible with humans), werewolves, demons, living vampires, undead vampires, ghouls... all sorts of goodness! Even world hopping to some minor degree.

Both of the above settings would make for some GREAT D6 products!

[Jamfke]

This poor thread! Continually getting hi-jacked!

So, here comes the new guy on the block to REVIVE the thread and say...

Bladerunner. Nobody thought to consider Bladerunner?!?! Replicants? The snake dance? Harrison Ford in something that's NOT Star Wars or Indiana Jones? Wow... just... wow.

I had pondered doing this a long time ago and I'd love to see it done right.

[Kythian]

Resident Evil would be interesting, too. Or even 28 Days Later and the sequel 28 Weeks Later.

[skeloric]

Or even [B]28 Days Later and the sequel 28 Weeks Later.
I'm still waiting on "28 Months Later" which would involve some secret installation seeking a cure to the "Rage Plague".
Maybe next would be "28 Years Later" where the remnants of humanity have been rendered immune by the discoveries of "28 Months Later" are threatened anew by a mutation of the virus which allows for greater cognition by the carriers of the "Rage Virus".
I figure that they'd have to be thinking of that progression themselves or something like it.

To be honest that sort of progression would be great as a setting in some fan RPG treatment.

[Kythian]

Absolutely! A 28 Years Later RPG? *drool* *chortle*

[The Game Guy]

Absolutely! A 28 Years Later RPG? *drool* *chortle*

I agree. I am sure D6 would do a good job handling a zombie rpg.

[kellhound]

It does, TGG, it really does :D

[skeloric]

I'd honestly start with a 28 Months Later RPG, which would be a little over two years after the event of 28 Weeks Later.

As a progression:
Day 0 = Virus is released

"Day 28"/ 1 month = Events of film 1

"Week 28"/7 months, 8 Months total = Events of film 2

"Month 28"/2.33 years, exactly 3 years after the outbreak = The core RPG setting.
The situation is dire but there are still some vibrant safe havens where technology and industry continue.
Even if entertainment relies upon the remnants of precollapse society, the society remains capable enough to supply teams with the firepower and armaments necessary to achieve the task of clearing out the world and making it safe for humanity.

"Year 28", exactly 31 years after the outbreak = follow up scenario which ups the ante and shows a much more dire situation as humanity now lacks enough people to continue without incurring serious genetic repercussions.
Extinction is near inevitable at this point.
Society has collapsed back to ancient primitive tribal society while the diseased are somehow cogent enough to reproduce and rear crazed feral children thus forming into primitive tribes as well.
Can the diseased be reclaimed in some fashion?
Can the disease truly be running down as humanity gains greater and greater resistance over time?
Or is it too late to save the civilization of "the ancients", the civilization of 31 years ago?

[Kythian]

The 28 Months Later RPG would be an excellent place to start, leaving the 28 Years Later open for a Revised & Expanded edition should the franchise prove popular enough.

I'm not sure I could get on-board with your view of the 28 Years Later... the procreating ferals just seems... wrong? I don't know how to put it.

Either way, though, I think it has promise. Of course... there's the licensing thing.

[skeloric]

Realize that the ferals must breed if they are to endure because they are still alive and only infection causes them to act as they do.
There is a specific mouse/rat parasite that causes the mouse/rat to act "stupid" so as to get eaten by the cat.
The parasite harms the cat in no way whatsoever as it uses the cat's digestion as a breeding ground before fully flushing back out of the feline body so as to re-infest another mouse/rat to begin the process anew.

We really haven't seen the entire cycle of the virus yet, we can't know what that cycle is as its never been explored.

[Mike844]

I think D6 would/could handle almost anything most people would consider "Cinematic"

But I personally would not use it for a grim' n gritty setting,

I'm inclined to agree. I have one foot in the D6 camp, and another in the Chaosium camp. I think D6 is great for cinematic and simple (rock'em sock'em is how I usually refer to it). With something more serious, though, rolling D6s just doesn't have the same atmosphere to me. The D6 system feels "round" to me. (Wow... that sounds like I'm about to start talking about it's "aura" LOL)

In my humble opinion, part of the reason WEG Star Wars and Ghostbusters did so well is they didn't try to adhere to a single universal system. They felt like they were built around the game. I think that's where OpenD6 is going to be an immense resource.

To me, create a specific setting rather than a generic one.

I'm also not big on expanding the rules with every supplement. The original Changeling game was bad for that - I'd have 4-5 books laid out, in preparation of character creation (for options). Turned a lot of people off, and establishes an expectation that - if not met - gives the impression the system is slowing down.

Something else that turned me off a few games - even the wonderful Earthdawn - was a wonderful initial concept, which was ruined with too much follow up. The beauty of Earthdawn was that the world was unknown. With the new supplements, it seems to be a completely fleshed out world. You could almost create a "Google Earth" version of the map. LOL

Too much detail, IMHO, takes away from the creativity. Compare the feel of Star Wars THEN to NOW, and I think it might get the point across.

[kellhound]

Too much detail, IMHO, takes away from the creativity. Compare the feel of Star Wars THEN to NOW, and I think it might get the point across.

I agree.
The setting I'm preparing for my D6 games (and probably OpenD6, if I write it all down AND then translate it to english) is very open, detailing a couple things here and there I feel important to the setting, but leaving all the rest out, so anybody can flesh it out as they see fit.
Actually, my idea was to "dual-stat" it to two friends systems (spanish RyF, and a FUDGE version) so the setting can be expanded between both games too.

[kfeltenberger]

This poor thread! Continually getting hi-jacked!

So, here comes the new guy on the block to REVIVE the thread and say...

Bladerunner. Nobody thought to consider Bladerunner?!?! Replicants? The snake dance? Harrison Ford in something that's NOT Star Wars or Indiana Jones? Wow... just... wow.

Ok, so here's another idea. A wonderful book series by Kim Harrison, the Rachel Morgan books. (The first book in the series is Dead Witch Walking. I highly recommend it.) It's a contemporary setting in Cincinnatti, with witches (who are genetically not compatible with humans), werewolves, demons, living vampires, undead vampires, ghouls... all sorts of goodness! Even world hopping to some minor degree.

Both of the above settings would make for some GREAT D6 products!

First post and I resurrect a long dead thread...

I co-own the Hollows mailing lists with Kim Harrison and periodically the question comes up, "Which game system would work for the Hollowsverse?" Quite a few suggest d20 Modern as a knee jerk response until it's pointed out just how different magic works and just how broken the d20 Modern rules are when faced with anything more realistic than portraying a Saturday morning cartoon. And yes...I'm in the forefront of gleefully pointing this out. :)

Over the years I've looked at a lot of games ranging from the original D&D (beige books) to Aftermath!, GURPS, Morrow Project, Traveller, Rolemaster, Cyberpunk, Skyrealms of Jorune, Powers & Perils, Warhammer FRP, Runequest, and anything else I could get my hands on. Then one night I remembered the Force rules from WEG's Star Wars game. My friends and I had a blast with the rules; they were straightforward, intuitive, and made sense. The books were buried so I looked online and found d6 Fantasy.

A few days later I had my copy and began reading.

Ugh. I love the concept but someone needs to take a weedwhacker to the rules and clean them up, big time. Reading how to configure a Netware server is easier than some of the paragraphs in this book. And where are the prices for horses? Anyway, I digress...complaints and questions are for another threat.

What I did discover as I read the rules was that they could very easily be modded to reflect the Hollowsverse and how magic works within the books. Yes, the types of magic would have to be completely reworked to earth, ley line, and curses, but that's a lot easier than fixing d20 Modern, modifying the other rules (which usually make magic a very exclusive ability), or writing a new set of rules from the ground up.

I've helped edit the Rogue Mage game based on Faith Hunter's "Rogue Mage" world and developing a new set of rules from the ground up is a heck of a lot more daunting than most realize - than I realized. Faith's world could also be a contender for being "d6'd".

All in all, I think that d6 has a lot to offer and I hope to see the Open d6 project move forward.

Kurt

[Whill]

First post and I resurrect a long dead thread...

Kurt

Welcome to the board, Kurt!