[LFP] GURPS > What genre would you like?

UPDATE - 19:21EST 013MAR2016                                                                                     Time Bracket:   Primary game: Sunday @ 3pm Schedule spreadsheet here . Please input your name and availability, even if you think you can't make the initial time! System: GURPS 4th Edition Genre:   Modern - Crime, Empire-Building                                                                                     I've played so many games in the last 6 months that either petered out or just flopped.  I've been taking most of that time to delve into GURPS - a passion of mine, since it's such a thorough toolkit for designing your own games.  I don't think I'm ready to DM, exactly, but I'm not going to get any *more* ready until I run a session.  It might suck - a lot - and it might be awkward and I damn well may make some really bad organizational errors, but no one ever learned from merely doing easy things and succeeding all the time. If you're interested, please respond with an answer to the following questions: What length game are you looking for?  One-and-done? Adventure-length?  Campaign? What genre do you prefer or are interested in?  Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you?  Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. <UPDATE> Fill out a row on the availability spreadsheet, linked at the top. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular?  Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). There are a couple of disclaimer points to put forward for the benefit of all: Depending on the genre and theme of the campaign, I will put together a variety of race, class, and/or profession templates.  There's lot of room for flex, but templates give players an easy layering system to develop a good base character with a bit of balance.  It also gives a bit of structure, which is important in such a potentially chaotic environment as GURPS.  Which leads me to... I hate, loathe, and will bring down the wrath of all things dark and terrible on players that gum up the works.  There are several behaviors that can - and often do - destroy a session (often in a slow, painful manner). These abusive and obnoxious qualities can and will get you shown the door.  The following is not an all-inclusive list of the types of player I will purge with extreme prejudice: Munchkin Power-gamer Min-maxer Rules Lawyer If that seems a bit harsh, understand that I will work with anyone to a point, and that point is when the game itself starts to break down and the rest of the players suffer for it. I will use Dropbox to proliferate any assets or files that might be necessary, such as GCA character sheets.  If I can't put it on Roll20, I'll use Dropbox. Here's what you can expect from me as a DM: Regular sessions.  I have a newborn in the house and no job to attend, so interestingly I crave the structure.  You can expect me to produce weekly sessions at reliable times - unless someone ends up in prison, we're dying at the ER, or I have a mental breakdown, at which time I will instead reschedule for later in the week. A steady game pace.  There will be something to do in each session.  My goal is to make sure that I know everyone's characters and their interests, and keep the everyone involved, and happily so.  I also aim to keep my own rules lawyering to a minimum: once the session begins, I'll do my best to avoid cracking open a book in order to give you, the players, a good answer.  If I have to, I'll make a ruling on an issue and then either certify or clarify it later.  It'll give me an idea of what rules are important to keep handy, too. Rewards for exceptional play, including clever solutions, good teamwork, excellent in-character actions and choices, and game momentum.  Rewards include not only the traditional extra character points, but special rewards that suit the situation.  Of course, an excellent session is its own reward, but we all like the shinies . Plenty of hands-on support. Pretty much everyone is welcome, but I especially am looking for: GURPS veterans who recognize potential pitfalls and understand what makes the system run like a well-oiled machine. Anyone who has experience navigating the Roll20 UI and setting up assets/characters/etc.  I can do it, but it'd be nice if there's someone to answer more technical questions on the fly. And that's about it.  Feel free to ask me any question and I will answer it here post-haste.

so first of all I wanted to ask the question on nobodies mind but mine, what is GURPS? also you said respond if we are interested (which I am), does that mean respond on this particular thread or pm you?

Hey, Raphael! Respond here is fine.  GURPS stands for Generic Universal Role Playing System.  It's a omni-toolkit for putting together any variant or combination of any genre and theme.  You can find out more here . It's not quite as prolific as the current RPG standard (D&D, Pathfinder, etc) but it's fully capable.  There's nothing it can't do, really.

First a HEX game shows up. Now this! Never rains but pours... 1. Depends on the group. Time-wise I'd commit to at least an adventure arc or 4-5 sessions. That's enough time to understand if the group will stick and if play styles are compatible. If it's your first time out GURPS GMing you might want to just run a short adventure first and then retool. I don't focus well after 3 hours of gaming so no marathon sessions for me. 2. Not interested in Dungeon Fantasy (or most things fantasy). Almost anything else is fair game if the pitch sounds interesting. Steampunk, pulp, horror (more CoC less WoD), action, pirates, space, espionage, all good. 3. I'm EST. Weeknights after 8pm ideally. Friday evenings I have a RL game more/less biweekly. 4. Check my profile for games I've played. I've GM'd probably about 10 sessions of GURPS 4e (TL5-6) and played another 4 (TL modern?) or so. Tinkered with the rules a lot. GURPS is a love/hate for me. Love the idea of it. Prep can get tiring. Love playing and running it. Only used the Basic Set although I own supplements. We've got the same GM hates w.r.t. min/max etc. I get bored of games that are a string of combats. I like solving problems, investigating, and talking with NPCs to accomplish goals if possible, but I'm not the RPer that has to always be in character and talks in funny voices.

1. What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? I'd be interested in any of the above.  My biggest concern is when the games would occur. 2. What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? I've played a lot more fantasy settings than anything else.  Any setting could be fun, it really depends on the people. 3. If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. The best day for me is Sunday.  I work the normal 8 to 5 grind Monday through Friday, and I have a scheduled game every other Saturday already, so really the only times I have available are Sundays, alternating Saturdays, or after about 7pm during the week.  I'm located in CST 4. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). My practical experience with RPGs is mainly centered around D&D and Pathfinder.  Aside from that, I played around with GURP, Mechwarrior, Rifts, Whitewolf games, and a few others I can't think of right now.

Oh my gosh, an actual GURPS game. It's a Saturnalia miracle! What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? The longer the better, but I'm willing to settle for anything. I don't have a great deal of experience with one-shots, and I think I would maybe have a bit of trouble getting properly into character in just one session, but I am willing to take whatever you're bringing. What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? I prefer something low-tech to modern, and I prefer modern to futuristic, as I find that GURPS, being on its own a complex (not necessarily difficult, but certainly complex) system, gets rather bogged down by adding the complexity of modern technology and suchlike. It's just easier to not get lost in a world where a watermill is the pinnacle of human engineering. At the same time, I'd definitely be interested in trying out something more modern, I just can't guarantee I'd be much good at it, at least at first. Concerning the actual contents of the game, I like something with a lot of social elements and chances to explore one's character. I can absolutely go for the kind of game where combat is the order of the day - in fact, I quite like mechanics-heavy situations because they give me a chance to have fun by poking at the system - but even then, you'd probably find me trying to start conversations 'round the campfire, or in the stake-out van, or wherever we might end up. The thing that is the most of a deal-breaker for me is the level of realism. I don't mind larger-than-life, and I don't mind the occasional narrative technique, but I am just utter rubbish at wrapping my head around four-colour superheroes or dungeon fantasy. I can't seem to grok it at all. If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. Anything but Friday, and the more the better. I have a dreadfully open schedule, and don't particularly anticipate that changing for the next multiple months. FWIW, I am currently UTC+1, and times between 2 PM and 2 AM work best for me. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). I've been playing roleplaying games for the last eight or so years, and have tried a range of different systems (with varying success). With GURPS, however, while I have spent quite a bit of time poking at the system from a theoretical PoV, I haven't had much chance to try it out, and the couple of games I did play in were a few years ago mostly, and didn't last terribly long. I tried GMing one, once upon a time, but that ended up crashing because of real-life circumstances, along with the fact that I went for a too-ambitious SciFi setting.

Good to see some enthusiasm here.  Hope it keeps rolling in! Looks like the two brackets we're looking at are after 8PM EST on non-Friday weekdays, or Sunday (in general).  I'm pretty flexible, so I want to leave it up to a general consensus.  If we get enough people that can pull off a Sunday, I think that might be ideal, but we'll see what happens! Yeah, I did a little snooping around a few months back for a GURPS game.  I keep an eye on the listings, too, but there are rarely more than a handful posted at any given time.  I've played in two or three that just didn't come together, mainly because the one thing that a GURPS game really requires was in short supply: structure.  GURPS is so thoroughly sandbox that play can get descend into chaos if left purely to entropy. That's the thing with GURPS: when you're given so many choices and so much power, where do you even begin?  I believe that after we decide on a genre and a loose setting, it'll be important for me to cut the system down to just what we need and then build on it as necessary.  Keep it simple, and all that.  The biggest goal I have for this game is to ensure that everything runs smoothly . I definitely want to run a hard sci-fi session one of these days - I'm thinking, something on Mars - but that's a special item I'm not prepared for.  I think that it's best to avoid the more exotic genres (cyberpunk, steampunk, supers, mix-genres, etc) this time around.  Right now, I'm thinking either straight fantasy or modern.  Both are familiar in their own right, and should be adequate for getting our feet wet. One question I also definitely want to posit for every prospective player: What do you like to see in an RPG?   We're still in the formative stages, so I want to put together something for everyone.  Some people just want to wade in, roll the dice, and knock some heads.  Others enjoy interesting characters and clever banter.  Yet others like to settle into a story and build onto it (appropriately, I term them "Settlers").  Still others prefer a deep mental or logical challenge.  The more I know, the better fit the game will be for everyone.

Personally, I'd have to be out in the case of 8 PM EST. I can play 'till 2 AM, and even a little past it, but a game that starts 2 AM my time is just a bit too ambitious. For the two suggested genres, I'd like to suggest that in the case of fantasy, we go for something low-fantasy, and in the case of modern, we go for something... less violent-conflict-focused than a lot of roleplaying tends to be. For the former, it's because GURPS magic and fantastical powers just tends to end up a bit of an unmanageable mess, and for the latter, it ends up with everyone bleeding out on the pavement.  As for what I like to see, hmmm. A mix of #2 and #3? Some of the most enjoyable roleplaying experiences I've had have consisted of building an interesting character with their own ideas and agendas, chief amongst which was typically "not being in this here situation". Something where I get to see what my character does when faced with a difficult choice, and how they react under stress. The dice and the deep challenges are nice as well, but they're less central to the experience than #2 and #3.

I'm beginning to see a time bracket open.  Loosely, it would appear that Sunday starting @ 11AM or 12PM might work out well.  That would allow for any of our European night owls to still participate, but hopefully give most prospective players enough time to get up and around, and perhaps get home from any particular religious duties they might have.  I expect most players might be in by 1 or 2 PM, which would allow for a good five or six hour game on the long end. In any case, I'll wait to see if we get more prospects before I set a solid time. @Exasperated Cultist, do you have a problem with violence or magic as a whole?  Could you elaborate more on your experience with magic in GURPS?  And it seems as if you've some experience with modern combat as well.  I want to make combat meaningful and interesting for everyone, without doing what some GURPS games do; that is, make 90% of the session time go into processing combat. Specifically, I may sniff around and find a way to do magic that's less chaotic and more interesting than the fluster-cluck that I've seen before.  That's one of the reasons I plan on making templates, after all.  :D

Absolutely strange to GURPS, but very interested. I really liked your perspective of GMing. 1.  What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? Ideally, I'm looking for a whole campaign. As suggested earlier, you may first run an adventure, and build up from there. 2.  What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? Any genre is ok for me. The one I like the least is horror, but I'm willing to play even that. 3.   If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. I can play any day 7:30-19:30 UTC, except Saturdays, when I'm available 9:30-19:30 UTC. Would prefer not to play on Thursday, if possible. 4.  What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). About GURPS, I've got only a faint idea of it. I have been playing and GMing RPGs for more than 10 years (D&D up to 3.5 and Pathfinder).  In general, I like consistent worlds/settings. I enjoy combat and action, but also RP and, specially, alternative challenges, like puzzles, etc. I believe the best of an RPG, regarding both fun and learning, is to really think and act as the character would. Therefore, I really dislike meta-gaming and related "rules"-gaming; that is, of course one must know the rules as to act one's character smoothly, but must think and play as the character, not as the player. Not at all an expert in roll20 mechanics, but I could help with the basics.

@Algunillo - Hey! Lots of guys across the pond showing interest.  It's a bit rough trying to make such vastly different time zones cooperate, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.  Every time someone new pops in, I reevalute the time blocks available.  We'll get there! I'm bouncing around a few themes in my head at the moment.  Rest assured, there will be plenty for everyone.  I'll gear the adventure heavily towards whatever personality types and interests we have, but there will be plenty for everyone.  :) Glad you feel that way about being in-character.  A lot of people fail to realize that regardless of what happens to your character, the outcome is still advancing the story.  Good, bad, or very bad - all are equally valuable and interesting.  In fact, if characters, and players, aren't challenged enough to make distinctly bad things a real possibility, then where is the intrigue, amirite?

I've never played GURPS, but I've been trying to find a game for YEARS.  Sundays would be great for me. What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? I prefer campaigns, but I'm ok with the other two as well. What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? There's a lot of genres I like:  Swashbuckling, old west, pre-historic, meso-american, medieval, Greece, Rome... It's all good. If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. Sundays would be best, or Saturdays if it wraps up by about 6pm Arizona time.  Friday nights are also doable, but I'd have to bow out of anything starting before 9pm EST due to work. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). None.  I've been playing RPGS (mostly d&d) since 1988 but have never been able to find a GURPS game, and I've been trying off and on since the 90s.

Hey, Steve ! Yeah, GURPS games aren't exactly grown on trees, it would seem.  There are reasons for that: GURPS campaigns are front-loaded, meaning a lot of work goes into prep (character generation, number crunching, general setup stuff); the sheer freedom of the system can actually overwhelm both the GM and the players if it's not managed properly (read: handled in bite-sized sections); and combat especially presents a bit of a curve and can be a bit unforgiving (read: lethal) if players don't know what they're doing and the DM doesn't pull his punches. I think the Sunday bracket is getting more set in stone here.  I think we should move on to deciding on genre so that I can start to work on a general setting.  I've got a veritable book full of ideas.

What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? Campaign. What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? I'm open and I'm willing to work with nearly everything. If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. Any. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). I have over 1000 hours as a gurps DM. I love gurps and only dabbles in other table top systems. My longest campaign lasted nearly two years.

What length game are you looking for?      Campaign but whatever you do I'm fine with What genre do you prefer or are interested in?       I enjoy playing any genre I haven't played one that I didn't like yet. But out of the two that you are picking I'd say modern I haven't played a good modern game in a while and that sucks because I really like them Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch?      Nope but if it ends up being the one you pick I'll tell you after 3 sessions If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP .         Any day(I am fine with the day and aprox time you put) and I like the idea of the additional day if the thing we are doing is close to done or something like that What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed).      I have a medium level of experiance in tabletop RPGs and GURPS

Hi! I might be interested, as you'd surmise from me replying here. :) Generally speaking, I've got approaching 30 years of Rp experience, and of that quite a lot was 3e GURPS. I have played 4e, so there's little to no learing curve for me there. What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? I don't play one-shots in any game system (let alone GURPS), since it tends to take me close to a week to make a character even in simple systems - I pour a lot of time and thought into making an interesting and consistent character psychology. I would suggest an adventure of 4 weekly episodes; it should be enough to get a feel for player personalities and their consistency in attendance (which is never as good as you might wish for, or they claim). What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? I enjoy settings where combat is infrequent, and realistic. Generally speaking, I want my fellow players (or players in general, when I'm the GM) to be afraid to enter combat, since it's a very risky way to solve problems. After all, you need to be frankly mad to rush headlong into mortal combat, when you might sneak, talk or finesse yourself around the obstable. I also like intrigue, and settings with ample of "history" and "politics" tend to garner my interest. Since I'm an anthropologist, this generally means I'll do my research, and if it's not a historical or historical-fiction setting, I might have questions as to how things work in your world. :) If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. I'm mostly retired, so I have a fair bit of time on my hands. Good times would be US afternoons (on Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri) or evenings (Mon, Tue maybe, Sat, Sun). I would argue against being flexible with your times as a GM, since it will encourage players into shifting days to fit their schedule, and this, in my experience, tends to end up with people leaving when it doesn't work for them. Figure out a day of the week at least two weeks before the campaign starts and stick with that, no matter what. Skip a week if needed. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). As mentioned, I'm a veteran, and somewhat older by gamer standards. Played lots of GURPS (among others) in college and much of the '90s, with the occasional game of GURPS since. Never quit playing RPGs in general, but GURPS has been a bit sparse on the ground in the last decade or so. I have a clear preference for playing with fellow older gamers, since it gives a better understanding, from having a more even playing field when it comes to shared life experiences. They can be totally new at GURPS if you wish, and I'll be happy to assist you and/or them where needed. Feel free to contact me in a pm if you want, and we can talk. PS. Edit, in reply to your edit: I am entirely unavailable during weekend afternoons.

Just when you think you've got a date locked down, too! I went ahead and put together a spreadsheet here - everyone interested, go ahead and update your availability there.  I've taken the liberty of updating the sheet with the info people have given me thus far. It's good to see a veteran, Patrick!  I'm hoping we can work you into the session.  As soon as we get a solid date (I'd like at least two or three players before I go ahead and develop a setting and post a new game on the board) I'll send you an invite. My biggest concern with players if, of course, that they play the character they've developed.  I find that a player who spends little to no effort developing a character will tend to play them in a very loose, shallow manner.  Still, there is room for act first, think later, often aggressive characters, but it's just like the difference between (as we used to say in D&D 3.5) chaotic evil and chaotic stupid.  You might be surprised how many characters lack actual character!

I think the Sunday bracket is getting more set in stone here.  I think we should move on to deciding on genre so that I can start to work on a general setting.  I've got a veritable book full of ideas. Well, my votes in order are swashbucking, then Greek, then Medieval, then any other historical period.  But I'm easy.

@Exasperated Cultist, do you have a problem with violence or magic as a whole?  Could you elaborate more on your experience with magic in GURPS?  And it seems as if you've some experience with modern combat as well.  I want to make combat meaningful and interesting for everyone, without doing what some GURPS games do; that is, make 90% of the session time go into processing combat. Specifically, I may sniff around and find a way to do magic that's less chaotic and more interesting than the fluster-cluck that I've seen before.  That's one of the reasons I plan on making templates, after all.  :D I don't have a problem with violence or magic in general, save for a general preference to not have it aimed at me when I can avoid it (but I think we all feel that way). With magic, my issue is that the basic GURPS magic just plain does not work very well. It's too easy to become good at everything by taking a high-ish IQ and Magic, and a lot of the spells just function... weirdly. It's harder to hit your enemies with a fireball than with a bear, for instance, and an 8-energy Enlarge spell (which is not very difficult) lets the average person lift 2500 lbs for an hour. As for the modern combat, it's not a problem  as such. It's just that modern combat in GURPS is about deadly as it is in real life, which is a lot. A single shot to the torso with a TL7 semi-automatic pistol has a decent chance of taking you out, and an aimed shot to the vitals is as good as a death sentence (2d6+2 x 3 averages 27 injury, or enough to force two death checks on your typical person.) Even getting shanked is a pretty bad proposition (surprisingly enough), 'cause All-Out Attack (Strong) with a Large Knife may only be 1d6 damage, but the injury modifier on an impaling attack is x2, so yeah. It's not that combat can't take place when appropriate, it's just that in an era where armour is out and concealable weapons of ludicrous overkill are in, combat becomes nasty and grizzly and preferably avoided.

Yeah, I noticed a similar issue back when I ran D20 Modern.  Admittedly, characters would get more durable as they leveled up, but in the beginning, one or two rounds from a pistol (or good shotgun blast) could lay out a character post-haste. I was reading articles and forum threads about GURPS combat yesterday.  It's true that combat is more deadly than not, but it's also more tactical.  Savvy players spend time (read: rounds) setting up their opponents for a particular crippling or incapacitating attack.  Unfortunately, a lot of people are coming from rather cinematic systems where characters walk into a fight and grind health off of each other until the lesser one drops, and all damage recovers with a good night sleep or a couple of heal spells.  The points where I include combat, I want to make sure that it's interesting and meaningful.  Eventually, I'll walk players into more complex combat techniques, making the whole thing more interesting when they can swallow it all.

Yeah, that makes sense. I also think that there's another thing that improves combat a lot: Characters being scared. Trying to avoid fights, or running away from them, or staying in cover, because they're seriously afraid of being hurt. Most people, and by extension most characters, aren't used to their life being in immediate danger, and I feel like a lot of what makes combat situations needlessly deadly is that people aren't scared enough.

Of course.  There are only a few types of people that rush headlong into danger - fools, soldiers, and zealots: the first fights just because; the second because he is compelled to; the third because he believes it necessary.  The kicker is they all have about the same basic life expectancy.  Admittedly, those are all interesting characters to play in varying degrees - a good adventure is full of fools, soldiers, zealots, and everything in-between. I must admit that when it comes to GURPS: Magic , I don't want to eliminate it completely.  The system is complex and hardly ideal, sure, but the only alternatives are either a) making up a completely new system or b) doing away with magic altogether.  I don't really like either of those options, but I'm not going to shoehorn magic into a game where it isn't a good fit and when I don't understand the system enough to make it function well.  I file this under "Challenge Accepted!" for now.

I tend to prefer avoiding fools, zealots and soldiers in my party, since they get me killed. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Great to see so much interest in GURPS (or really anything that's not D&D on this site)! Regular Sundays are going to be tough for me because of the whole family thing so I may have to bow out. But I'll keep monitoring this thread in case of changes or you're deciding to run something shorter.

Carl T said: Great to see so much interest in GURPS (or really anything that's not D&D on this site)! Regular Sundays are going to be tough for me because of the whole family thing so I may have to bow out. But I'll keep monitoring this thread in case of changes or you're deciding to run something shorter. I'm in that same boat. I can get away with Sunday evenings, but daytimes during the weekend are not an option.

Carl T said: Great to see so much interest in GURPS (or really anything that's not D&D on this site)! Regular Sundays are going to be tough for me because of the whole family thing so I may have to bow out. But I'll keep monitoring this thread in case of changes or you're deciding to run something shorter. I hear you on that, Carl.  GURPS is kind of a more advanced system in my eyes: it appears to be not for everyone, but it could be with but a little effort. I hear you on the time, too.  The scheduling thing is a bit of a sticker!

No no, I'm fine with GURPS. It's scheduling. I meant shorter in the sense of I could spare 1-2 Sundays but admit I couldn't do it indefinitely.

So, it after going over the schedule sheet , it looks like most of the players are available on Sunday after 6pm EST.  I'm going to set that as a primary date, with the option for a secondary date for additional roleplay or for players that want to attend the main game but can't. I'm going to open the discussion now to genre specifically.  I've got ideas for both Fantasy and Modern , but if you had to pick one, players, which would it be and why? Let's keep this ball rolling.

Hey boss yes I've played the GURPS before and have been scouring these pages looking for another game unfortunatly my play has been limited to the third Ed of the game and so with that being said any help with the updated rules will be much appreciated. I'm free all day on Wednesday and I'm in the PST zone as far as my time slot. I'm also free until 8 p.m. on Thursday. I look forward to hearing back from you until later then have a most excellent weekend be good have fun and most importantly stay safe.   I could maybe do Sunday after 6:00 I'll have to check with the wife and see what she says. As far as genre I would prefer to play fantasy as that's always been my favorite. But I'm willing to play anything you want to host. (yes I'm easy and proud of it lol)

Thomas H. said: Hey boss yes I've played the GURPS before and have been scouring these pages looking for another game unfortunatly my play has been limited to the third Ed of the game and so with that being said any help with the updated rules will be much appreciated. I'm free all day on Wednesday and I'm in the PST zone as far as my time slot. I'm also free until 8 p.m. on Thursday. I look forward to hearing back from you until later then have a most excellent weekend be good have fun and most importantly stay safe.   I could maybe do Sunday after 6:00 I'll have to check with the wife and see what she says. As far as genre I would prefer to play fantasy as that's always been my favorite. But I'm willing to play anything you want to host. (yes I'm easy and proud of it lol) Hey, Thomas! Go ahead and fill out an entry on the schedule sheet linked in the first post, near the top.  Even if you can't handle the Sunday game, I may very well do a supplemental game another day of the week so that more people can have some fun.  I'll even have some interaction between the groups, if I can work it well. Welcome to the group.  :)

Weiland: You've already prepped for one game. Why not recycle and run a second team through the same adventure? :) It's actually something that I was planning on doing for a different game myself some time. Anyway, my vote is for "modern" (whatever that means) because I'm already in a fantasy game. But since I'm less likely to be able to participate do with that preference as you like.

Carl T said: Weiland: You've already prepped for one game. Why not recycle and run a second team through the same adventure? :) It's actually something that I was planning on doing for a different game myself some time. Anyway, my vote is for "modern" (whatever that means) because I'm already in a fantasy game. But since I'm less likely to be able to participate do with that preference as you like. Reviewing your schedule entry, are you only able to attend a session after 8pm on those four days?  If so, it might be a bit difficult to get you in on a session.  I'd like to, but those are tight hours.  :)

I would suggest, Weiland, that it might work smoother for the GM to choose setting and time. Democracy isn't exactly blessed with a positive track record in online gaming, and at the end of the day you're the only one that's indispensable.

I am indeed indispensable - and the sooner players recognize that, the better off they'll be. I just wanted to see if there was a preference one way or the other.  Apathy encourages me to do whatever the hell I want to - which leaves my creative license intact, of course.  :)

1. What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? I'm fine with any of the above but currently fighting against the school for my right to use roll20 . If I lose that then I will have to drop out (will know by the end of this week). i obviously would prefer longer games because I love the idea of bigger open worlds (or just longer time with each character) 2.What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch?I prefer the fantasy sword and magic kind of skyrim like genres but I'm sure I could try anything since I'm sure everything can be fun if done properly (like space and futuristic stuff) 3. If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. I'm only good on weekends (depending on time zones I could squeeze in a Thursday or Monday or Friday) 4. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). total nub... I've played one game with pathfinder and I'm trying (because I play life on death wish) to write a home brew. I haven't yet found a gm that has actually helped me through game mechanics instead of just getting bored of helping me and then 'accidentally' moving the game to day I couldn't do. ___________ also if you could add me on Skype since it's so much better for me whilst I'm in this battle with IT support thegoldangel232 also I was wondering what's the whole deal with familiars and pets and stuff? thanks for reading and stuff looking forward to hearing from you

So, is this game happening?

Steve H. said: So, is this game happening? Same question here

I apologize for the delay.  Family issues, infant, and all.  By the time I sit down at my computer to work on anything lately, most of the day is gone!  Being a father is rough work!  :) It's going to happen.  I've just got to get a few ducks in a row.

Okay

Update:  I've gone ahead and settled on the Modern genre with a Criminal Empire-Building setting.  Players will vie to create a criminal organization and take over a city, section by section, through any means necessary.  Subterfuge, manipulation, extortion, hostile takeover - the choices are yours to make.

Eh I don't know how I feel about that but I guess I'll try it

It's alright if you don't feel like playing it.  If it's not really your bag and you don't really feel flexible outside of a certain theme or genre, then it may not be a good fit.  There is a huge selection of games on Roll20 and I won't be hurt if you decide to select one that fits your interest better.  :)  I simply had to set on a theme with what I was given and I did.

I just wasn't thinking that we would be bad guys in this game that doesn't mean that I am not comfortable with it I play basically any game genre

Well, "bad" is relative.  There's all levels of crooks and criminals.  Some have a code of honor and won't do certain things, while others are simply bloodthirsty fiends.  For example:  In the Godfather, the family was originally formed to protect Italian immigrants; in Sons of Anarchy, the Sons dealt in weapons trade, but rigorously avoided the drug trade because of its destructive and addictive effects on the locals.  A 1920s mafioso might firebomb a business, but he'll never lay hands on women or kids (innocence means at least something to him). If you've ever played a crime game, you might now how fun it can be.  If you need inspiration, draw from game or movie titles like Scarface, Grand Theft Auto, Mafia, the Godfather, or Saints Row.  And ultimately, it's whatever you're interested in playing.  I'm looking for interest above all else. Anyway, as a general update:  I'm brushing up on the GURPS mechanics while I put together the assets.  I've found a way to pull off assets, such as maps, but I'm also working to learn the system more fluidly so that I can avoid having to look up the rules for something every 2 minutes.  Also, I'm building templates and lenses.  It's a lot of work, but the good news is that GURPS frontloads all of its work, so after the first session, regular sessions should be cake.

Due to additional interest for the time slot, I went ahead and established Sunday @ 3pm for the primary game.  If any of you can't make that, I apologize, but hope that the secondary bracket works out better. Still hard at work brushing up on system rules and developing assets.  GURPS is probably one of the heaviest and chewiest rulesets I've ever played with.  There's a lot of freedom and potential, but that can also be overwhelming if not administered properly.  Still searching around for DM software I can use to manage and organize notes and tables and the like. The important thing to note is:  Thank you all for your patience, and this is definitely happening!  I'll have the link up to the game as soon as I finish a few more loose ends!

Weiland said: Still searching around for DM software I can use to manage and organize notes and tables and the like. You mean roll 20

Weiland said: UPDATE - 19:21EST 013MAR2016                                                                                     Time Bracket:   Primary game: Sunday @ 3pm Schedule spreadsheet here . Please input your name and availability, even if you think you can't make the initial time! System: GURPS 4th Edition Genre:   Modern - Crime, Empire-Building                                                                                     What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? Definitely campaign but i can go also with adventures of 4-5 sessions given that the character can go on and evolve between adventures. What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? I'm ok with anything as long as there's flexibility in the character creation from the GM If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. <UPDATE> Fill out a row on the availability spreadsheet, linked at the top. I filled the spreadsheet. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). I'd say I'm an experienced player although not a veteran. I can go with the empire/crime game type but first i'd like to know the schedule if I can manage it, what kind of characters are allowed and the world background. I will love the game if it had supernatural and/or sci-fi elements. That said, happy gaming for everyone. Eugenio.

What length game are you looking for? One-and-done? Adventure-length? Campaign? I love campaigns  and adventure length games. One-and-done is what I do at game convention is not something I am looking for online gaming. What genre do you prefer or are interested in? Any deal-breakers - genres you won't touch? I have played and GM so many. Fantasy, Civil War, Western, World War II, Star Trek, Modern war, - I like them all.open for anything. Deal-breaker : Low point games. I really cannot stand games with 125 to 175 point PCs. especially Fantasy games as Mages just have do not have enough power and you never get enough CP to use the great spells. Most of the games that use firearms that I have played or GM have 250 to 300 points to start with. Usually what we do is start with a 175 point PC, then get that PC approved by the GM, then add an additional 125 points as if the PC has been in play for some time. If I set a day of the week, what days are good for you? Depending on interest, I may have a supplemental day for additional RP. Sunday at 3pm EST is good for me, I am at PST so it works well for me. What is your practical experience playing RPGs, and GURPS in particular? Veterans are useful (I could always use the help) as are newbies (I learn a lot by getting inexperienced players up to speed). I have been playing and GMing GURPS since version 2. I specialize in TL6+ games as a GM.and because of that I rarely get the chance to play in a TL6 games as a player - somethign I really want to do.

Hey, Mike! Still hard at work putting together assets and polishing my abilities for the campaign.  It's slow-going.  But it'll be worth it! A note of note: I was planning on making the campaign between 150 and 200 power level.  I tend to find that characters much beyond that have a tendency towards abuse and over-ability, so I wanted to try something different this time around.

Weiland said: A note of note: I was planning on making the campaign between 150 and 200 power level.  I tend to find that characters much beyond that have a tendency towards abuse and over-ability, so I wanted to try something different this time around.                   Will the disadvantage limit be 50% of the total then? Weiland said: Update:  I've gone ahead and settled on the Modern genre with a Criminal Empire-Building setting.  Players will vie to create a criminal organization and take over a city, section by section, through any means necessary.  Subterfuge, manipulation, extortion, hostile takeover - the choices are yours to make.                  Are we competing against each other OR are we part of the same organization.gang? Mike