Reboot that game!

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There was an aside I edited out of my response about a gritty game of sexual politics and betrayal set in the 70's around the Stonewall Inn...

There is a rpg by Jason Cordova about playing people in the queer Harlem ballroom scene of the 80s called True Beauty available in the Codex - Joy zine and there is another game about playing cross-dressers (not neccesarily trans) in the 90s bar scene called Midnight at the Oasis in Codex - Glamour by Catherine Ramen.

I need to check these both out but rather than the 90s I'd rather locate a Midnight at the Oasis game in the pre-Stonewall 50s queer scene portrayed in Selby's hypnotic Last Exit to Brooklyn (which was adapted into a great film but it can't capture the sweep and language of the novel) or maybe the queer underworld of Jean Genet's Paris in Our Lady of the Flowers. Or hell how about John Water's Baltimore in the 70s?
 
The reason I initially edited the comment out is that is was more a joke about the name Arse in the Dark. Setting that aside, the actual idea has a lot of interesting promise done right, although it's probably not toward the top of my list of things to play as the issues explored in a game like that are issues that I'm not in dire need of exploring.
 
Mine is obvious given my posting history, but...

Reboot 'Street Fighter: The Storytelling Game' with features such as...

1.) Good Art! The art in the original is... not great. Replace instead with official Capcom art, or Udon stuff (like the aborted "Capcom World Tournamment" d20 game was going to use).

2.) Good Lore! The Street Fighter RPG came out before we even had heard of Akuma/Gouki, and so White Wolf invented their own lore (Psycho Meteor! Ryu is half German! etc. Even the styles of the World Warriors is kinda just made up.) Basically, a reboot would incorporate all of the characters, organizations and lore that have been added to the Street Fighter universe over the last 27 years. Ideally it would incorporate Final Fight & Saturday Night Slam Masters, possibly the DarkStalkers in supplemental material.

3.) Good Rules! I actually think the existing game has great rules at its core, and a reboot game would use them as the core of what it was doing. Still, material added in later supplements was rocky due to lack of playtesting and tight deadlines. Some of the rules could use some minor tweaking, tightening, balancing and clearer explanation. A tighter skill list. The Maneuver Costs & Styles are overall OK, but could be streamlined a bit and made a bit cooler. Ideas from the original, like "Unique Backgrounds" from the Players Guide could be balanced and used to represent some other character types. Tweak or eliminate Rank. Reconsider Honor & Glory, and Willpower/Chi recovery. Honor and Glory somewhat remind me of MSH Karma or V:tM Humanity and I think there is room to rework this to better reflect the "Satsui No Hado" conflict you see with Ryu, etc.

4.) Good stats! With so many characters in the world of Street Fighter (from fighters in the main titles, to street thugs & obstacles in Final Fight, wrestlers, etc.) there is enough material that whatever company produces this product will not have to invent their own: WTF: Street Fighter Contenders
 
The reason I initially edited the comment out is that is was more a joke about the name Arse in the Dark. Setting that aside, the actual idea has a lot of interesting promise done right, although it's probably not toward the top of my list of things to play as the issues explored in a game like that are issues that I'm not in dire need of exploring.

Oh I knew you were joking I just thought it was interesting someone had created historical games along those lines. I'm intrigued as I'm wondering how they envision play.

Now that I think on it a bit I think a John Waters style game would probably be a lot of fun at the right table but not for the easily offended! Something like Female Trouble where the 'criminal running amuck' concept would give a backbone to the play.

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TristramEvans TristramEvans If every new RPG had “storytelling game” on the cover a loud wail would rise throughout the land, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again.

Jennifer Aniston would, despondent, throw themselves into a South American Volcano, uttering one last final curse upon the land and peoples....
 
My next "Reboot That Game" is both "Ninjas & Superspies" and "TMNT & OS" mashed up into one game! What changes?

Well... the core early Palladium combat survives (Roll above 4 to hit, Parry, Dodge, AR, etc.), and the general art vibe survives, but everything else is done by Kevin Crawford. Kevin Crawford has SWN for sci-fi, WWN for his take on fantasy. Time for him to tackle cartoony martial arts/low supers action by remaking N&S + TMNT&OS! That's pretty much the whole pitch.
 
My next "Reboot That Game" is both "Ninjas & Superspies" and "TMNT & OS" mashed up into one game! What changes?

Well... the core early Palladium combat survives (Roll above 4 to hit, Parry, Dodge, AR, etc.), and the general art vibe survives, but everything else is done by Kevin Crawford. Kevin Crawford has SWN for sci-fi, WWN for his take on fantasy. Time for him to tackle cartoony martial arts/low supers action by remaking N&S + TMNT&OS! That's pretty much the whole pitch.

Maybe having someone who knows something abot martial arts take a pass over would be good as well. Ninjas & Superspies was one of the books I looked at as a potential resource when doing research for the Martial Arts abilities in Phaserip, and when I tried to correlate the info to any other sources, I found out it was all just complete nonsense-gibberish. I got the impression the author just looked up some random Japanese words and then assigned them new, completely unrelated meanings under the assumption no English-speaking gamers would notice.
 
Translated back out of the pseudo-Japanese: My superior urban sandal will crush your overcooked cabbage! Your rutabaga is a fraud and his shredded paper wouldn't restock an oversexed pachinko cup!
 
Heh, reminds me of my Phaserip Martial Arts Moves Name-Generator:

martial arts Movess are generated by first choosing or rolling for the Effect:

33724861218_9af41e180b_z.jpg


Then a name is generated for the Move using the following chart:

33720549478_0257ea144e_z.jpg

The Martial Artist can choose to roll a D10 for any combination of Style, Element, Form, Weapon, or Manoeuvre.

Ex: Tang Shi (The Jade Elbow) prefers short and to-the point names and thus rolls only for Element and Manoeuvre, getting a 3 and a 6, "Steel Chop". Lu Tang (The Cosmic Egg) on the other hand, prefers elaborate names for Moves that he proudly announces in combat, so he rolls on all 5 charts getting a 9, 8, 2, 10, and 2, or

"Dancing Storm Crane Fist Punch!"
 
Fading Suns. The rules for the 2nd edition didn't work well. The 3rd edition didn't seem to change much. For the 4th edition, I would...

(record scratch sound effect)


What!? When did this happen!
 
I'd like to reboot 40k. Drop back to a single hardback a la Rogue Trader 1987. The emphasis on small squad/horde actions. Have heroes, randomly generated equipment and a sense of mystery and wonder.
I would like a reboot to Rogue Trader. I prefer the Space Marines as hard ass veterans and psychos. The monastic knight thing is not as interesting.
 
I'd go for a Superworld reboot. Not so much to change to the mechanics, but to give it a solid setting that riffs off the nature of BRP supers and shuns the powers-bloat of the comics. Maybe set it in an earlier era, 1940s or pre-WWII '30s, with supers who can still be taken out by bullets, bayonets and bombs. Lots of villains who don't have powers at all. Detectives with an edge who can't solve everything with combat.
Give it fancy new art so people will buy it because it looks nice, even if they never read/play it.
 
I'd go for a Superworld reboot. Not so much to change to the mechanics, but to give it a solid setting that riffs off the nature of BRP supers and shuns the powers-bloat of the comics. Maybe set it in an earlier era, 1940s or pre-WWII '30s, with supers who can still be taken out by bullets, bayonets and bombs. Lots of villains who don't have powers at all. Detectives with an edge who can't solve everything with combat.
Give it fancy new art so people will buy it because it looks nice, even if they never read/play it.
Superworld was going to be redone by Steve Perrin, but this became sadly curtailed by some serious personal and family issues that he is going through.
 
Superworld was going to be redone by Steve Perrin, but this became sadly curtailed by some serious personal and family issues that he is going through.
As much as I've enjoyed his past work, I somewhat doubt his future intentions would suit my interests.
 
As much as I've enjoyed his past work, I somehow doubt his future intentions would suit my interests.
Well, it’s never going to be remade without his approval. It’s basically his baby.
 
Well, it’s never going to be remade without his approval. It’s basically his baby.
I didn't think this thread was limited to the possible/probable...
Not that I particularly care about the name... TDM is working on a new Mythras-based supers game regardless.
 
I didn't think this thread was limited to the possible/probable...
Not that I particularly care about the name... TDM is working on a new Mythras-based supers game regardless.
Yep, and there is also a mooted Pulp Cthulhu supplement for playing supers which would at least be interesting for BRP fans.
 
I don't know, I look at all the miniatures companies that produce 40k knockoffs and I think "now what if they built their own shared universe?" I guess it's something like Cephus Engine letting Traveller fans create stuff without getting permission or CaD orders.
One of the reasons I like Traveller, even when sticking to the Third Imperium setting, is that setting details are loose enough and ecclectic enough over the whole span of the setting, that it is quite easy to interpret them as you see fit. You want nazi-esque Star Marines? You can have it. You want warrior monks or psychopathic pirates? You can have them too.

I always felt that W40K RPGs were more restrictive and canon heavy.
 
I'd like to reboot the Iron Empires RPG as a Cepheus Engine-powered game, completely shorn of any connection to Burning Wheel. I adore the setting but Burning Empires is extremely focused in terms of what it wants to do, and I prefer something more open-ended. Considering that Traveller is cited as one of the key influences of the setting, I think CE is a natural fit.

I'd also include a variant of the point-buy chargen system John Snead wrote for the Traveller edition of Mindjammer.

(Alas this will never happen, as Christopher Moeller -- who is a really nice, stand-up guy -- is super tight with Luke Crane and the BWHQ crowd. More's the pity...)

KoOS
 
oh, another. Marvel Heroic returning. i don't know. if that is a reboot to do it with a system that is nearly 100% compatible. but i wanted to see the MCU along side the rpg

I will second this. 100% compatible, with a chapter on alternate playstyles and trait sets (Affiliations versus Values versus w/e) and all the official datafiles are modular like that, defaulting to "generic 616" and MCU presentations, and then going back to the Event product lines the way MWP planned them.

Street Fighter: the Storytelling Game: This is kind of a big one.
  • Update (and correct) the game's continuity to include the Alpha games, IV, V, and III. (Plus Final Fight, Rival Schools, and Slammasters.)
  • Omnibus edition including material from the Player's Guide, Secrets of Shadaloo, and Contenders.
    • More balanced, less wonky rules for Animal Hybrids, Cyborgs, and the undead.
    • Rules for non-combat magic and psychic abilities and incorporate magic and psionics into normal fighting styles.
    • Incorporate the C.H.A.M.P.S. rules for custom moves and styles, characters with multiple fighting styles, and improving moves. (Like Ryu's fireball and Ken's dragon punch.)
  • Use the Chronicles of Darkness attributes, with a different assignment method. (Otherwise, everyone is always Physical first.)
  • Incorporate Mental and Social into combat more.
    • Make Speed fire off of Dexterity and Wits for physical and psychic maneuvers.
    • Decouple Chi/Willpower from Fighting Style and pin them to Stamina/Resolve/Composure.
    • Taunting based on Charisma, Recovery/Powerup rolls based on Resolve.
  • Super Meter with EX and Super Moves.
  • More complete rules for weapons and guns, but leaving them weaker than bare hands and a fighter's resolve.
Alternity Science Fiction Roleplaying Game:
  • Repackage the game:
    • The original settings (Star•Drive, Dark•Matter, and Gamma World) are sold as standalone games, like Gamma World 5e was, but as larger volumes with more of the Alternity core rules included. Despite all good taste and sensibility, these volumes will each have an Appendix for using them together.
    • The Alternity Science Fiction Roleplaying Game itself is an omnibus of the Player's Handbook, Gamemaster's Guide, and Beyond Science, with an emphasis on modular setting design.
    • The Technology Guide is an expansion pack for equipment of all kinds for every Progress Level. (So, including Starships and Dataware and both versions of Arms & Equipment Guide.)
  • Like I mentioned in the "online house rules" thread, decouple starting skill points from Intelligence and remove the cap on Broad Skills.
  • Remove the "half value" on untrained skills: untrained skills check at +2 (if allowed), trained broad skills check at +1.
  • Reemphasize the mechanical value of species:
    • Characters purchase specialties of their species' broad skills at list price -1, stacking with profession. (Skills reduced to 0 award rank 1 for free.) Instead of 5 free skill points, Humans get a 7th (non-FX) broad skill.
    • Species factors into the Achievement Benefits table (Table P29)... somehow.
  • Just generally more skill points. At 1st level, at every subsequent level, human bonus, Tech Op bonus. Period.
    • Probably split this into a pool for class/species skills and a pool for general skills and everything else.
    • Games that include FX would be classified as "low FX" and "high FX" with an additional pool of skill points for FX skills and related perks/benefits.

The least gonzo edtition of Gamma World was 6th, which Wizard's licenced to White Wolf. It's a full blown D20 system, didn't really appeal to me. It's still Gamma World, but the weirdness was toned down and the "science" updated from 1960 drive in movie to more contemporary SyFy tecnhoballe. It's still available on Drivethru.

I actually recently had the opportunity to apologize to Bruce Baugh for my conduct in the Gamma World d20 flamewars. I still really, really just cannot disrecommend that game in sufficiently harsh terms-- if you want less gonzo, 5th (Alternity) is still available on the secondhand market.
 
A new version of Streetfighter, even stripped of the official license, I'd grab in a heartbeat. It was just such a stupidfun system.

In fact, I wouldn't mind a combo Streetfighter-OWOD setting ala Darkstalkers...

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Another game I would like to see rebooted somehow, come to think of it, is Bushido.

Legend of the Five Rings is OK, apart from needing to use expensive dice to play the current edition, but it would be good if there was a more straight historical/mythical Samurai game. Senguko is another option, although I didn’t think much of the Fusion system it had when I looked at it last.
 
I can't think of a good reason that Teenagers From Outer Space, the very first anime-based RPG, doesn't have a modern edition with modern anime-style art.
 
Another game I would like to see rebooted somehow, come to think of it, is Bushido.

Legend of the Five Rings is OK, apart from needing to use expensive dice to play the current edition, but it would be good if there was a more straight historical/mythical Samurai game. Senguko is another option, although I didn’t think much of the Fusion system it had when I looked at it last.
Bushido cleaned up, with character generation that makes sense and a slightly less opaque system, is ripe for a retro clone.
 
Bushido cleaned up, with character generation that makes sense and a slightly less opaque system, is ripe for a retro clone.
It is one of the few games I don’t already have on my shelf in some form or other that I would actually be inclined to buy these days, having never owned it. I’ve just seen some old White Wolf articles about it, and references elsewhere. I think we could do with a classic samurai game that isn’t just a high fantasy samurai game, anyway.
 
Earthdawn d20. I got excited about the idea of this because I love the setting but have not engaged with the system. It didn't happen, but I would definitely buy the hell out of it.

Also, for Ken St Andres BRP Aztec project to see the light of day. he was working on it for Chaosium in 1985 but...tumbleweed.

While we are about it, lets have all the Runequest projects promised in RQ2, Masters of Luck & Death...still waiting for you.
 
Another game I would like to see rebooted somehow, come to think of it, is Bushido.

Legend of the Five Rings is OK, apart from needing to use expensive dice to play the current edition, but it would be good if there was a more straight historical/mythical Samurai game. Senguko is another option, although I didn’t think much of the Fusion system it had when I looked at it last.
Yes, loved Bushido. Still has the best 'you are in a battle, what happens' rules. I can live with the core system - once you have worked out the stats the play is straightforward. Would fix the budo rule so everyone present in the battle gets budo. Just needs a metric tonne of supplements :smile:
 
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