Gamma World

[YPU]

Something you old grognards might appreciate to hear (probably so you can go on and complain about it  ) Wizards is releasing a new edition of Gamma word.

A short rundown of the new edition as I understand, mind I never played the game before.

1 it uses the dnd 4e rules, with quite a few modifications. Everything is interchangeable, but their is no balance between characters from one to the other. (gamma has more damage and is more lethal) monsters are a go both ways tough.

2 The main focus is on HUMOUR and FUN, take that as you will

3 character generation is random, as in roll a d20 twice on a table and that s your main and sub type. Each of the two upcoming adventure/expansion sets will include 10 additional types.
These types determine one stat to put at 18 and one to put at 16 or one at 20 if both types have the same. The rest of the stats are rolled on 3d6, thats right, as much chance of a high stat as a low stat.

4 Powers are random, characters have something called flux shift or something which means their Alfa mutations changes every fight and every time you rest. This can be anything from very large feet to eye lasers to pryokinetic wall projection to rather specific counter powers. How are these powers determined? see 6

5 Omega tech, the "magic items" of the setting are also random, they all sooner or later run out of juice. However, many have a salvage option which allows one to adjust power settings etz so that the effect is lessened, but the item can be used permanently. I spotted a few nice items, a leaky fusion rifle that hurts both user and target AND a pneumatic lifting suit, flavour text? "get away from her you-...."

6 the powers and tech are determined by cards, the starter set comes with 40 of each kind, mutation and tech and then there are random card boosters which contain 8 cards.
When your alpha power changes, which is pretty ofthen you draw a card from the GM's deck, and keep it no matter what, later in the game you can get multiple powers at once.
The same goes for loot.
You can use the cards that come with the game plus any boosters you buy, (you get one free with the starter set)  players are also allowed to build their own decks, this must include 7 cards or more and no more then 2 of the same card.
This way you could for instance build a pyromantic character, or simply something that isn't in danger of growing large and useless feet. Once this deck runs out you draw from the GM's deck as usual.

A note on booster content, each booster will contain 7 or 8 cards, sources vary in any case each booster will contain common cards x trough y and the FOLLOWING pack in the stand will contain Y trough Z the pack will also include 1 or two random uncommon and 1 random rare card. this means that if you, like me, plan to pick up boosters once you wont get a lot of double commons, instead getting a whole range of them.


Now a few far more personal notes, first of, assuming the prices shown online right now are any indication, I will surely be buying the game somewhere between 24 and 30 dollars it looks. the boosters I have only spotted once at 3 dollars but I think that cant be right. (I plan to buy about 3-6 of them, assuming they are an OK price)
I originally heard of the card idea and decided it sucked, but considering the setting I can see the random nature fitting. Of course it is a trick to improve revenue, but that I can live with.
The deck building aspects might seem like a stupid idea, but it ads a layer of control the game otherwise lacks, and it helps to reel in players who are more of a control freak nature, who would hate the completely random nature of the normal powers abut might actually like the trading card aspect.

[Conquistador]

(Arches eyebrow)

Really?  Randomly changing powers?    How, um, different   from Metamorphosis Alpha can you get?  

Hmmpf.

Gracias,

glenn

[Orkdung]

(Arches eyebrow)

Really?  Randomly changing powers?    How, um, different   from Metamorphosis Alpha can you get?  

Hmmpf.

Gracias,

glenn

Thats exactly what I thought Glenn.  Actually disappointed with this news.  Why not just republish the classic, it worked, and it worked well.

 

[YPU]

Each character will get a few powers as determined by his origin, and then indeed extremely random mutations. In fact I think this whole random thing is mentioned as being something special and setting the PC's apart from the rest of the world.


Something that has changed also is the reason for the apocalypse, the design team mentioned that the reason for the world coming to and end has changed almost every edition, tough I have no idea how true this is.

The reason that the world is so screwed up in the setting is called "the big mistake" (don't know if previous editions call it that as well?) 

The big mistake happened when something went wrong with the Big Hadron Collider, in 2012 to be exact. Apparently some experiment ended up merging many alternate dimensions together, some similar to our own, some very different. what was left is a big mes and mix of different realities all smudged together. Some worlds might have brought alien technology, some might have brought nuclear holocaust.


I agree that the random changing powers are a bolt out of the blue, for the little I know of the setting. Ofcourse I never played it before, nor have has anybody in my group, so for us it isn't a problem.

[Conquistador]

  As to the first paragraph, I stand by my earlier comment.

I assume the second paragraph was humor that didn't survive the cultural translation?   

Gracias,

Glenn

[YPU]

Might have formulated the second paragraph a bit better. Edited it.

[Conquistador]

Each character will get a few powers as determined by his origin, and then indeed extremely random mutations. In fact I think this whole random thing is mentioned as being something special and setting the PC's apart from the rest of the world.


Something that has changed also is the reason for the apocalypse, the design team mentioned that the reason for the world coming to and end has changed almost every edition, tough I have no idea how true this is.

The reason that the world is so screwed up in the setting is called "the big mistake" (don't know if previous editions call it that as well?)  

The big mistake happened when something went wrong with the Big Hadron Collider, in 2012 to be exact. Apparently some experiment ended up merging many alternate dimensions together, some similar to our own, some very different. what was left is a big mes and mix of different realities all smudged together. Some worlds might have brought alien technology, some might have brought nuclear holocaust.


I agree that the random changing powers are a bolt out of the blue, for the little I know of the setting. Ofcourse I never played it before, nor have has anybody in my group, so for us it isn't a problem.

Right, now I get it.  They changed the Orgin story   so that it is a completely different game   using the old title.  

Well, never mind.      Comparisons to the original MA are not applicable if they totally changed the Origin story!  Like one of those comics "reboots" I guess.

To be honest I found the waking up from deep sleep (with or without mutations) in an Ark ship [which you did not necessarily know was an Ark ship] where "things have gone very bad" backstory of Methamorphosis Alpha the most appealing for a background for this kind of game.  The challenge was that the players "knew" trhe "world" was a Ark spaceship travelling STL even if the "characters" were not supposed to know that.  

It all makes sense now.  

Obviously I missed that initially, oops!     Some mornings (I get up at 0430 hours CT to go to work) I am more alert than others...  I'd die if I had 12 hour second shift   like some of the Watch Center guys/gals have, some days 8 hours seems long.  

Gracias,

Glenn

[YPU]

Well, I suppose its the exact opposite of and origin story, finality story?   

Anyhow, I guess that the idea of a comic reboot applies, roughly the same ideas and starting point, be re-done so that new people can jump in without missing the decades of back story the other have read.

On a side note, it is quite probably that this is only the main mode of play and character generation, the current dnd edition also has 4 or so different methods of char gen, even tough one is always assumed.

[Conquistador]

Well, I suppose its the exact opposite of and origin story, finality story?   

Anyhow, I guess that the idea of a comic reboot applies, roughly the same ideas and starting point, be re-done so that new people can jump in without missing the decades of back story the other have read.

On a side note, it is quite probably that this is only the main mode of play and character generation, the current dnd edition also has 4 or so different methods of char gen, even tough one is always assumed.

Finality story, I love that.  Well stated.

Yes, changes are difficult when you have had the "orthodox" treated as the "only" way.  Not all war gamers have the mindset for RPGs.

I remember when people in "Original" D&D (before there was a Greyhawk supplement even) started trying 4D6-lowest D6 instead of the 3D6 method of character stating or the roll "6 sets of stats and put them in the order you want them" school of character creation.  The purists (grognards in training?  ) were horrified.  "That is cheating!  You aren't following the rules!"  Having successfully played characters where the high stat was 12 or less I know the sheer wonder when a GM/player (in the presence of others) rolled a 3D6 natural fighter (we declared class we were rolling for before the first dice rolled bacjk then) with Str, Con, and Dex of 18!  Given some of the other stats from those same dice for the character there was no question about the dice being abnormal, just his luck that day.

Well, maybe it won't be as odd as it first seemed.  Most changes are more dreaded then is warranted with rare exceptions.

Gracias,

Glenn

[YPU]

Wise words Glenn, people can easily become stuck in their favoured edition, and it can be hard to embrace the new thing, even if one can always go back to the old days.

What mostly impresses me is that their have already been 2 expansion and large adventure packs announced. Plus a novel, that's more then they have done for Eberron this edition (who's the grognard now eh?)

I am curious if there will  be any onlline support for the game, like there is for DnD. The whole insider deal has been quite useful even if it has still not delivered everything promised beforehand.

[Orkdung]

The purists (grognards in training?   ) were horrified.  "That is cheating!  You aren't following the rules!"

 Ah yes!

 I was one of those purists 
 
 I begrudgingly followed suit.

[YPU]

Oh yea all the art is online now, but apparently its a DnD Insider deal only. I must say some of the pictures do look quite cool. Two explorers being guided down into the underground by a swarm of rats in combat gear, light falling in trough a hole struck in the room by a chrome disk like object. It probably makes you guys go NOOOO while it only grabs my interest.

[Conquistador]

Oh yea all the art is online now, but apparently its a DnD Insider deal only. I must say some of the pictures do look quite cool. Two explorers being guided down into the underground by a swarm of rats in combat gear, light falling in trough a hole struck in the room by a chrome disk like object. It probably makes you guys go NOOOO while it only grabs my interest.

Now if they were mice in combat gear...

M-i-i-i-i-i-i-c-e in S-p-a-a-a-a-a-a-c-e!

Sorry, a reflex of mine...

Gracias,

Glenn

[YPU]

You know, I can see how the random shifting mutations can be a bit annoyance for older players. Can anybody tell me how this used to be?

On the Wizards forums some others have mentioned this, and the general conclusion was that one could always build a 7 card deck (the minimum) of powers to use in games, that way it represents a far more tighter suite of mutations, somewhat haphazard but controlled.

However, that would mean you can get stuck with a permanently repeating bad card if you draw randomly, or you would need to go card hunting like in any tradable card game, either are a great option. still, none of this effects me.


I'll also elaborate on what I expect to gain from this game, for clarity. This is one random game, random origins, random stats, randomly changing powers, random loot.
Now that could be a bad thing, but I remember a lazy afternoon rolling up completely random characters in Mekton Zetta, we ended up with perhaps the best worked out personalities I have seen my players make.
Now that says something about my group, but it is what it is. In my experience randomness evokes roleplay or at least character development in my players. I however doubt they could sustain it for long, but together with the humour aspect of this edition I think it will make for a very effective one shot game.

[YPU]

Well, I ordered the main game, I'll let you guys know how it is when get it!