Spycraft Third and non-Espionage Settings

[Desertpuma]

I have no issue with Palladium other than their combat system where a combat round can take an entire hour to accomplish. I love the Rifts setting but I won't play it mainly because of the combat system.

[Coyote0273]

Much as I love the Rifts World, nearly *any* game system is better than Paladium. Once I thought it was the greatest out there, now I realize just how clunky and horrid it is.

Biggest problem with the Paladium "magic system" is there is not *one* magic system. There's 27 at last count, and I stopped counting years ago. Spell, Elemental (altered spell), Stone, Crystal, Techno-wizardy, Bio-Wizardry, Druidism, Witchcraft, Summoning, and on and on and on. While most are convertable to spell magic, many aren't. Stone Magic, Bio-Wizardry, and Tattoo Magic come to mind right off the top.

A while back, Palladium's system was thought to be superior to D&D 2nd ed so it's funny to hear all the venom spewing about RIFT's system (besides the complaint of their refusal to "update" their game system).

What you see as negative, I see it as a positive.  Many contemporary rpgs are so obsessed with unified mechanics and its nice to see systems, once in a while, made up of subsystems still being produced.  The diversity of the magic system in RIFTS contributes to the total feel of the RIFTS setting IMHO.  I love that Whale Song feels different from the typical Ley Line Walker.  I love the Tattoo magic of the Atlantians...I can go on and on...

Actually I agree with all of this. My complaint on the multiple magic systems was more to converting it to Fantasy Craft would be a nightmare and lots and lots of work.

The mechanics of the system is what I don't like, but the thematic aspects, especially of the Rifts setting which is still my favorite world, I have no problems with. It's character building, skill selections, combat, etc, that drive me up the wall.

[Morgenstern]

I have no issue with Palladium other than their combat system where a combat round can take an entire hour to accomplish. I love the Rifts setting but I won't play it mainly because of the combat system.

I'v never seen a published RPG's combat system DISLOVE under the presure of multiple combatants the way Palladium's does. You try and put a flock of low-tier Invid on the field and the game grinds to a halt. 4-5 actions per character with both active and taarget character making a roll fo rjust about everything. Ow, my brain.

[Desertpuma]

If there was a good conversion to the combat system into something easier, I'm certain it would get played more frequently.

[Coyote0273]

If there was a good conversion to the combat system into something easier, I'm certain it would get played more frequently.

Amen

[agent oni]

Actually I agree with all of this. My complaint on the multiple magic systems was more to converting it to Fantasy Craft would be a nightmare and lots and lots of work.

The mechanics of the system is what I don't like, but the thematic aspects, especially of the Rifts setting which is still my favorite world, I have no problems with. It's character building, skill selections, combat, etc, that drive me up the wall.

Personally, I like RIFTS chargen for the most part.  I don't mind front loaded characters and all that comes with it.  I do agree about the combat system.  I love the hth combat subsystem but the overarching combat system could use a bit more streamlining.

I'm constantly amazed at what I find in the License to Improvise subforum and on the wiki site.  I've seen several magic variations.  I think with the products that are coming out soon-ish and the forum members here constantly posting their hacks, it'll get easier to convert RIFTS.  In your case, maybe the magic supplement that is coming out will help get you past that wall.

I've put RIFTS conversion to d20 on hold at the moment (waiting for 10K and SpyCraft 3.0) and have instead been working on and off, converting RIFTS to another system (big clue to what system I'm using is shown on Crafty's front page) but it has it's own challenges (mainly hth combat).

[mathey]

Rifts' system, character generation, and combat are all pretty awful. I say this as a guy who ran a short western-flavored mercenaries campaign with it. The setting is fun in a goofy kitchen sink kind of way, but I'd rather see Torg than juicers and glitter boys in SpyCraft 3.0.

[VisualStatic]

All this is why I can't wait for 10KB, Spellbound, and SC 3.0.    Gets me that much closer to doing  my own version of Shadowrun.

[Goodlun]

All this is why I can't wait for 10KB, Spellbound, and SC 3.0.    Gets me that much closer to doing  my own version of Shadowrun.

Now that is a great plan.

[Coyote0273]

Rifts' system, character generation, and combat are all pretty awful. I say this as a guy who ran a short western-flavored mercenaries campaign with it. The setting is fun in a goofy kitchen sink kind of way, but I'd rather see Torg than juicers and glitter boys in SpyCraft 3.0.

Hmmmm. Torg. That is a name I have not heard in a long time, a long time.

[Sletchman]

All this is why I can't wait for 10KB, Spellbound, and SC 3.0.    Gets me that much closer to doing  my own version of Shadowrun.

That's been my plan since late 2006.  Sooooon, so very very soon...

As it happens I'm playing in 2 Shadowrun games right now and nothing else, so the desire is at an all time high.

[VisualStatic]

All this is why I can't wait for 10KB, Spellbound, and SC 3.0.    Gets me that much closer to doing  my own version of Shadowrun.

That's been my plan since late 2006.  Sooooon, so very very soon...

As it happens I'm playing in 2 Shadowrun games right now and nothing else, so the desire is at an all time high.

Gah, I'd kill to cut a deal with dragon right about now..... Which version you using, I don't  care much for what they did in 4th Edition.

[Sletchman]

All this is why I can't wait for 10KB, Spellbound, and SC 3.0.    Gets me that much closer to doing  my own version of Shadowrun.

That's been my plan since late 2006.  Sooooon, so very very soon...

As it happens I'm playing in 2 Shadowrun games right now and nothing else, so the desire is at an all time high.

Gah, I'd kill to cut a deal with dragon right about now..... Which version you using, I don't  care much for what they did in 4th Edition.

The 20th anniversary 4th edition version, it's the only one I've played.

[agent oni]

Hmmmm. Torg. That is a name I have not heard in a long time, a long time.

I've heard that a foreign company took up the license for TORG but they said it would be a good while before fans would see material for it.  I've never played TORG but a lot of designers/publishers seem to have loved the rpg and had an influence on them.

[agent oni]

All this is why I can't wait for 10KB, Spellbound, and SC 3.0.    Gets me that much closer to doing  my own version of Shadowrun.

Actually, I would like to see a future (whether near or far) stand alone MasterCraft product hopefully with mechs and psionics along with every other trappings for that type of genre.  That would immensely help with my version of RIFTS d20.