The Inside Scoop on Gaming

"I now know everything. I can kill myself now" -Pablo Picasso, on discovering photography.

GURPS Vehicles is Steve Jackson Games' comprehensive vehicle and equipment (including weapons) design supplement. At 208 pages, it is crammed full of information, on how to design everything from a simple wooden cart to a starship.

I repeat, EVERYTHING.

It is also a summary of GURP's conception of the universe, fusing elements from GURPS Low, High, and Ultra Tech supplements, GURPS Space, Compendiums One and Two, and almost every other GURPS sourcebook. Whatever the campaign genre, players want to travel someplace and change things, and this book provides the tools to do it. By purchasing this book, and the Basic Set, GM's would require little else to run any concievable campaign. Examples of designs would run to many pages, as would descriptions of game-applicable uses.

It has only one drawback: Complexity.

GURPS Vehicles may well be the single most complex and detailed RPG supplement ever published. As such, designing a vehicle may take hours, if not (insert legnthy time period). Computer aids exist for GURPS vehicles (many free, see www.sjgames.com), and are almost mandatory if anything beyond the pale is to be attempted.

Which reminds me. The potential for the greatest abuse of a game environment by players and GM's alike is the second drawback. Gadgets that are far, far out of controllability in game terms are all too possible using this system. If you have a budget, you can build it.

"No, Richard, you can't have the supersonic C-130 with the cloaking device that fires enveloping plasma torpedoes..."

I'm an engineer by training (EE). I'm also ex-military, a qualified pilot, and an aircraft and weapons nutcase. I *love* designing stuff. In gamer terms, I'm a certifiable "gearhead" and simulationist.

But GURPS Vehicles is too much like work.

After considerable play experience with vehicles and systems designed by GURPS Vehicles, my evaluation of the product is simple: buy it as a reference, but never, ever let it into your campaign world.

Dave.

GURPS Vehicles, Second Edition
GURPS Vehicles, Second Edition Playtest Review by U Dog on 25/05/01 Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 3 (Average) GURPS Vehicles. Calculate At Your Own Risk. Product: GURPS Vehicles, Second Edition Author: David Pulver, edited by Sean Punch Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Steve Jackson Games Line: GURPS Cost: 24.95 Page count: 208 Year published: 1998 ISBN: 1-55634-325-6 SKU: SJG 6505 Comp copy?: no Playtest Review by U Dog on 25/05/01 Genre tags: Fantasy Science Fiction Modern day Historical Horror Far Future Space Comedy Anime Espionage Conspiracy Post-apocalyse Old West Vampire Gothic Asian/Far East Superhero Diceless Generic Live-action Other	"I now know everything. I can kill myself now" -Pablo Picasso, on discovering photography. GURPS Vehicles is Steve Jackson Games' comprehensive vehicle and equipment (including weapons) design supplement. At 208 pages, it is crammed full of information, on how to design everything from a simple wooden cart to a starship. I repeat, EVERYTHING. It is also a summary of GURP's conception of the universe, fusing elements from GURPS Low, High, and Ultra Tech supplements, GURPS Space, Compendiums One and Two, and almost every other GURPS sourcebook. Whatever the campaign genre, players want to travel someplace and change things, and this book provides the tools to do it. By purchasing this book, and the Basic Set, GM's would require little else to run any concievable campaign. Examples of designs would run to many pages, as would descriptions of game-applicable uses. It has only one drawback: Complexity. GURPS Vehicles may well be the single most complex and detailed RPG supplement ever published. As such, designing a vehicle may take hours, if not (insert legnthy time period). Computer aids exist for GURPS vehicles (many free, see www.sjgames.com), and are almost mandatory if anything beyond the pale is to be attempted. Which reminds me. The potential for the greatest abuse of a game environment by players and GM's alike is the second drawback. Gadgets that are far, far out of controllability in game terms are all too possible using this system. If you have a budget, you can build it. "No, Richard, you can't have the supersonic C-130 with the cloaking device that fires enveloping plasma torpedoes..." I'm an engineer by training (EE). I'm also ex-military, a qualified pilot, and an aircraft and weapons nutcase. I love designing stuff. In gamer terms, I'm a certifiable "gearhead" and simulationist. But GURPS Vehicles is too much like work. After considerable play experience with vehicles and systems designed by GURPS Vehicles, my evaluation of the product is simple: buy it as a reference, but never, ever let it into your campaign world. Dave.

GURPS Vehicles, Second Edition