Re: (TFT) Lifeisfun: Weapons and STR mins

[davidgrouchy <davidgrouchy@yahoo.com>]

pvk@oz.net wrote:. . .sophisticated player's 
. . .  solid rules 



  
 
 The following is from back in September 2003, almost exactly three years ago.
 
 
 The thread is called ''(TFT) Why not GURPS?''
 
 
 I have the # symbol next to both lines That I come back to at the end.
 
 
 My answers are interlaced.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 >> From: Peter von Kleinsmid <pvk@oz.net>
 >>
 >> My questions for the list are:
 >>
 >> Why do you play TFT and not GURPS?
 
 
 
 
 >    I did play GURPS.  I came back to TFT.  Just like many other games.
 
 
 
 
 >> What aspects of TFT do you prefer?
 
 
 
 
 > The best magic system ever written.
 > The only combat system where I can handle 20 players and 30 monsters without anyone getting bored, or the whole thing breaking down under complexities, and page flipping while someone looks up a rule.
 > I also love what TFT does to new players after they read the rules for the first time.
 > It actually empowers them.
 #>  They come to the table with ideas, and confidence.
 > Other game systems don't do this nearly as well.
 > AD&D says "DM will decide" too many times.
  > GURPS has so many source, and world books that even players who have read them all still have to ask "Do you use this book in your campaign," or "are we playing with 'X' optional rule?"  
 
 
 
 
      I go on to give some specific examples of how GURPS is prone to being min/maxed.
 
 
      To which Rick smith writes...
 
 
 >>  These stories remind me of a couple of times I ran GURPS at SF cons.
 >>  Players called me up and asked if they could prebuild characters for the adventure.
 >>  I said yes.
 >>  Both times they so mini-maxed their characters that they ruined the game for other people.
 >>
 >> After that I said no.
 >>
 >> (Actually now that I think of it, I didn't run GURPS at cons after that.)
 
 
 
 
 Peter Replies to Ricks comments above with  
 
 
 >
 #> If they want to do that, I'd suggest to have them clear the character with you before the con.
 > And/or provide a choice from characters (or at least, sets of abilities) which you have made for the game.
 >
 > PvK
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ok so forget all that.  Let's just put those (#) marked lines together.
 
 
 > I say about TFT
 >
 #> They come to the table with ideas, and confidence.
 
 
 
 
 > Peter Says about GURPS
 >
 #> have them clear the character with you before the con.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Now let us return to the present and your most recent response.
 
 
      In the paragraphs before the ''two sentences'' I read that the sophisticated player wants solid rules and that these are preferable to GM imagination.And in the paragraphs after the ''two sentences'' I read that without solid rules things can start to break down.
 
 
       May I humbly submit that for three years I have been patiently waiting.  Things have not started to break down, and I have not had a single player require more solid rules of me.  They seem to enjoy a game that is as fixed and unchanging as the 26 letter alphabet.  It affords us a common language.  One that is not too rigid.  That is easy to teach to new players.  That can be rapidly interpreted in almost any direction.  And one that fuels the imagination.  Which it does just as well today as it did decades ago, if not better.
     So can we stop fixing TFT to be more like GURPS please.
 
 
    David Michael Grouchy II
 
 
 
 
 
 
 >> Sep 2003  
 >> Peter von Kleinsmid wrote ...
 >>
 >> What aspects of TFT do you prefer?
 
 
 > David Michael Grouchy II wrote ...
 >
 > The best magic system ever written.
 > The only combat system where I can handle 20 players and 30 monsters without anyone getting bored, or the whole thing  
 breaking down under complexities, and page flipping while someone looks up a rule.
 > I also love what TFT does to new players after they read the rules for the first time.
 > It actually empowers them.
 #>  They come to the table with ideas, and confidence.
 > Other game systems don't do this nearly as well.
 > AD&D says "DM will decide" too many times.
 > GURPS has so many source, and world books that even players who have read them all still have to ask "Do you use this book  
 in your campaign," or "are we playing with 'X' optional rule?"  
 

 		
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