Gamma World?

[tec97]

Curious why Gamma World doesn't have it's own TSR Classics board... This was always my 2nd favorite TSR product behind the various iterations of D&D!

Is there really not enough love for GW here to merit?

[kesher]

Perhaps a bit confusingly, all Gamma World stuff can be found in the Metamorphosis Alpha forum.

Fear not---Gamma love abounds, in all its multidunous forms...

[Sean Michael Kelly]

Oct 12, 2012 16:50:54 GMT -6 kesher said:

.....
Fear not---Gamma love abounds, in all its multidunous forms...

You mean "in all its mutations."
;D

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

Nothing really meaningful to add. I've tried to track down the 2nd edition several times and I always seem to miss it by "that much"...lol. I really liked the tone of the original. How does the second edition compare?

[Lorgalis]

I am partial to graybook myself - it's clunky elegance is what I enjoy. 2nd edition used the rainbow chart not unlike Marvel Superheroes to determine level of success - it's ok IMHO. I also like 7th edition though I tone down the goofy and get rid of the cards.

When my firend and I think of GW we all think graybook.

Oh as for tone, 2nd edition seemed to focus on the cryptic alliances more. The world was more fleshed out, but they had more time and spent more money on it. I think it was more gonzo and less gritty, but like any game with a dedicated GM it could go anywhere.

It had a cybercat battletank on the cover . That was neat.

[geoffrey]

Jul 1, 2014 18:39:14 GMT -6 The Semi-Retired Gamer said:

Nothing really meaningful to add. I've tried to track down the 2nd edition several times and I always seem to miss it by "that much"...lol. I really liked the tone of the original. How does the second edition compare?

While I love the 1st edition of Gamma World, I am left cold by all the later editions that I've seen. I couldn't give you any particulars off the top of my head, but that is definitely my reaction.

[Finarvyn]

A couple of comments:

(1) As was mentioned, there is a certain degree of overlap between GW and MA.

(2) Jim Ward still owns the rights to MA but does not own GW. Since I count Jim as a friend, I chose to specifically support his MA game line.

(3) That doesn't mean that there couldn't be a GW section, if we get enough threads on the topic.

[The Semi-Retired Gamer]

Jul 2, 2014 13:42:53 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

A couple of comments:

(1) As was mentioned, there is a certain degree of overlap between GW and MA.

(2) Jim Ward still owns the rights to MA but does not own GW. Since I count Jim as a friend, I chose to specifically support his MA game line.

(3) That doesn't mean that there couldn't be a GW section, if we get enough threads on the topic.

That's very reasonable, I think. Even though there is overlap between GW and MA, there are also plenty of differences...

[Finarvyn]

Well, the key (as always) is that if there is enough chatter on a particular topic then I tend to create a board or sub-board for it. Feel free to chatter away on Gamma World and we'll see what happens.

[ritt]

It somehow seems appropriate that a game about mutation would have several editions that often vary wildly in system and tone.

[Lorgalis]

Jul 8, 2014 20:38:30 GMT -6 ritt said:

It somehow seems appropriate that a game about mutation would have several editions that often vary wildly in system and tone.

Love It!

[ritt]

Rules-wise, I prefer the first two editions. But, man oh man, that third-edition cover with the cyborg riding on the giant cyborg cat... that's just iconic.

If I had Bill Gates money I'd get a big 70's van and get that bad boy airbrushed on the side of it.

[murquhart72]

Just to clarify, I do believe the first two editions were nearly the same, 2nd edition merely updating and improving on much of the original. It was the 3rd edition that used the color bands of Marvel Super Heroes (something ALL TSR games tried in the mid 80s) and had the "iconic" cover. It also had some of the worst editing in the history of gaming and was a bit of a rushed mess. I could post more details on the various editions to come out if enough folks needed them. Gamma World was one of my favorite games/settings!

[foxroe]

If you're still looking for 2nd edition:

www.amazon.com/Gamma-World-2nd-BOX-SET/dp/0394531582

I'm with the others though - the first edition was the best. Still have my original boxed set (sans dice).

MA and GW are essentially the same game in my mind. The rules are pretty much the same (1st edition), MA is about what happens to the Warden after it leaves Earth, and GW is about what happens to Earth after the Warden leaves. Another way to look at it: MA is the ultimate GW megadungeon. The two together would make one of the greatest SciFi campaigns ever, IMHO.

If anyone wanted to run a game here (PbP), I'd be up for it.

[ritt]

Jul 12, 2017 16:51:43 GMT -6 murquhart72 said:

It was the 3rd edition that used the color bands of Marvel Super Heroes (something ALL TSR games tried in the mid 80s) and had the "iconic" cover. It also had some of the worst editing in the history of gaming and was a bit of a rushed mess.

Yeah, giant chunks of the rules were just missing (A problem shared by TSR's "Color Band" CONAN game the same year). A crushing disappointment to me as a teen. TSR's quality control/editing/whatever was just in the toilet in that era.

[Malcadon]

Oh, and don't forget Mutant Future — a fine spiritual successor to Gamma World.


PS: I would love SECOND EDITION GAMMA WORLD® more, if they did not make the FORMATTING a GIANT EYESORE with every single KEYWORD being in BOLD CAPS.

If I was to redo 2e GW, I'll trim-down the loud format (e.g. I'll use italic for keywords while avoiding using ALL-CAPS with bold in most cases) and not use single letter classification (like with Mutation Type and Base Type). I'll also add all the rules into a single Rule Booklet (from 64 to 70 pages), with the Right of Passage scenario and pull-out reference sheets taking-up the (now 16 page) Adventure Booklet. Otherwise, it is a great ruleset. (But I still prefer 1e GW)