Gamma World D20
Feb. 3rd, 2004 01:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cmdr_zoomI finally got a chance to sit down with GAMMA WORLD D20 and give it a good read-through. Here are my somewhat belated thoughts:
First, the authors did an admirable job updating, revising and rationalizing this long-cherished and often goofy setting. It’s unfortunate, but not surprising, that they ran afoul of some people who didn’t like having their simple childhood fun (and fears*) re-examined and interpreted through adult eyes. In defense of childish amusement, I should mention that’s one big reason I enjoy Star Wars (RPG and otherwise).
(*This is not, IMO, a game that could have been made, in this form, in the Gay 90s. GAMMA WORLD was born in a time of uncertainty, factionalism, violent change, and doubt about the future of civilization itself. Now those bad old days are here again.)
Second, there were some poor choices made when it came to organizing the book itself. This is a volume which can’t decide whether it’s a Player’s Handbook (as the cover states) or a core rulebook. If the former, it contains much material that is of little use to a player and should have been left for the promised GM’s Guide; this space would be better used on more worked examples of the power-building system (approximating the “shopping list” of other editions), or even a full character-generation system (reducing or eliminating the need for D20 Modern). If the latter, it is woefully incomplete, requiring the prospective GM to have access to previous editions of the game and/or the courage and imagination to fill in the blanks and flesh out the skeleton himself.
If there was genuine concern that there wouldn’t be another book, and thus as much as possible had to be packed into this one, I can understand that grim necessity; nevertheless, the result is a bit of a muddle.
First, the authors did an admirable job updating, revising and rationalizing this long-cherished and often goofy setting. It’s unfortunate, but not surprising, that they ran afoul of some people who didn’t like having their simple childhood fun (and fears*) re-examined and interpreted through adult eyes. In defense of childish amusement, I should mention that’s one big reason I enjoy Star Wars (RPG and otherwise).
(*This is not, IMO, a game that could have been made, in this form, in the Gay 90s. GAMMA WORLD was born in a time of uncertainty, factionalism, violent change, and doubt about the future of civilization itself. Now those bad old days are here again.)
Second, there were some poor choices made when it came to organizing the book itself. This is a volume which can’t decide whether it’s a Player’s Handbook (as the cover states) or a core rulebook. If the former, it contains much material that is of little use to a player and should have been left for the promised GM’s Guide; this space would be better used on more worked examples of the power-building system (approximating the “shopping list” of other editions), or even a full character-generation system (reducing or eliminating the need for D20 Modern). If the latter, it is woefully incomplete, requiring the prospective GM to have access to previous editions of the game and/or the courage and imagination to fill in the blanks and flesh out the skeleton himself.
If there was genuine concern that there wouldn’t be another book, and thus as much as possible had to be packed into this one, I can understand that grim necessity; nevertheless, the result is a bit of a muddle.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-03 01:39 pm (UTC)What happened to all the mutations? I mean, come on, the original was chock full of weirdness, and this edition cuts the number in 1/2? Removed the plant mutation list... tsk, tsk, tsk.
Not kewl (or even cool for that matter), not cool at all.
Sounds like it needs a 2nd edition turning it into a real PH and not the muddle I have heard you and so many others describe it as.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-02-03 03:28 pm (UTC)Presumably we'll get more in future books (much like the Fantasy Hero Companion(s)), but "front-loading" the so-called Player's Handbook with them might have quelled some early complaints.