Re: (TFT) Why not GURPS?

["Charles Gadda" <cgadda@earthlink.net>]

I have a number of the books, and find the system too slow and complex for
its own good.

It is too detailed, of course, but, more important, it has too much
*needless* detail. A great deal of mechanics could be easily abstracted to a
much easier and faster to learn and play system, and I bet the end results
would end up to be about the same, for much less effort.

Now, TFT is a little *too* simplistic and could stand for a bit of added
detail and mechanics. But nothing like GURPS, and little that does not
already have a precedent in canon TFT rules. It is surprising how good the
basic mechanics of TFT are - with mostly just tweaking it is possible to
have a really outstanding game, far and away better than GURPS or D&D.

As an example, the treatment of weapons is overly simplistic, and makes no
distinction of the very real differences between, say, swords and
axes/maces. In a very top level sense, the former are quicker and capable of
terrible wounds against unarmoured foes (though weak against armour), whilst
the latter are slower and a bit clumsier, but better against armour. Canon
TFT does provide at least two precedents for expansion here: one is the
second shot rule for bows (given sufficiently high DX) which could be
applied to swords, and the armour penetration bites and stings of giant
spiders and giant scorpions, which could work well with axes and maces vs.
armour.

The goal, btw, is not to make TFT slavishly realistic by any stretch, but
just to do a better job reflecting some of the real world considerations in
a top level, easy to use manner, that also allows for some "bending" of
reality, to avoid GURPS and the necessity for armour, for example, and allow
a bit more heroic action.

Back to the topic at hand, the various GURPS rules and sourcebooks do have a
treasure trove of ideas, which is why I have a bunch of them.
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