How M.D.C is this game?

Organics, nanotech, and intrigue...discuss your thoughts on the new Palladium RPG here.

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demos606
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Unread post by demos606 »

In that case, you can go ahead and hate Splicers because it's a purely MD setting. The only SDC you'll find here is unarmored humans. Of course, Splicers never presented MD as a comparative rarity for the setting so it's prevalence isn't out of place like it should be in Rifts.

Seriously though, as much as I absolutely love Splicers, if you want something focused on robots and robotic combat you need to look in to Robotech, Battletech or another game designed for robots and robotic combat. Palladium games are a lot of things, robots-centric ain't one of em though.
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demos606
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Unread post by demos606 »

Splicers actually has a LOT more in common with ATB than it does Rifts. No magic, no native psionics - characters ported in with magic/psi operate at a huge penalty because the world is devoid of ley lines. Despite being a MD setting, Splicers has easily the lowest survival ratings of any Palladium setting save BtS2.
What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world. - R E Lee
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. - G Orwell
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demos606
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Unread post by demos606 »

When I say the only SDC beings you'll find are naked humans, thats how common MDC is - EVERYTHING is MDC in Splicers.
What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world. - R E Lee
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. - G Orwell
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Guy_LeDouche
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Unread post by Guy_LeDouche »

If I may, Charz, don't write off Splicers due to the MDC aspect.

Like you, I'm not fond of MDC or the MD concept; my group and I have been playing Rifts completely SDC for the last 8 years (completely changes the scope of mages and psionics, on an unrelated note.)

For my money, Splicers is one of the best settings in the Palladium catalog. For some reason, my brain and my players don't really mind the MDC concept; I'm not sure why, but it seems to make much more sense in this setting.

MD arms, armor, genetically enhanced beings, living Host Armor; the amount of cusomization that can go into a Splicers PC is jaw dropping. And yet, despite all this, the remaining humans (as Demos alluded to) are still very outnumbered and outgunned. Players really have to use wits and smarts to stay alive.

Give it a look see; I don't think you'll be disappointed. I sat on the fence with Splicers for several months before I finally took the plunge and bought a copy. Money well spent.
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demos606
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Unread post by demos606 »

If you like games that are more than "I shoot back while my armor soaks too much damage to comprehend", you'd like Splicers regardless of it being MDC. I wasn't kidding when I said Splicers has the highest mortality factor of any Palladium setting save BtS2 where it's dangerously easy to get dead. I have issues with the "everything and the kitching sink" philosophy so prevalent in RIFTS that just don't exist in Splicers because of the way the setting is laid out.
What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world. - R E Lee
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. - G Orwell
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Guy_LeDouche
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Unread post by Guy_LeDouche »

I had completely forgotten about System Failure. :D Sadly, I've never played SF (though I have the book). I remember when I first read it I was struck by how dangerous the setting was. I can only imagine the lifespan of unthinking PCs.

Mankind has its work cut out in both settings.
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demos606
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Unread post by demos606 »

Systems Failure comes in a close 3rd for me and it's pretty dangerously easy to get dead there too. Splicers get a higher rating from me because the world itself is dangerous to the players.

As for tinkering with the stsyem, I seriously recommend giving it a couple of sessions 'as is' first. Given proper tactical consideration, NEXUS forces can cripple/kill even the strongest warmounts in 2 rounds.
What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world. - R E Lee
People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. - G Orwell
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Spinachcat
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Unread post by Spinachcat »

Splicers can easily be converted to an all SDC world with just one bottle of liquid paper and it would not affect the game in the slightest. Everything in the book is MDC except the humans and making everything SDC isn't going to alter anything of any importance.

What is important however is this question: would you like to play an RPG that is Bio-Guyver + Dune + Terminator? If the answer is yes, then buy Splicers and you will be a happy camper. It is extremely cool setting and the core book just touches the basics. So much of the greatness of the setting is reading between the lines and following cool concepts into fruition in your own game.
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Unread post by TechnoGothic »

Charz wrote:
Guy_LeDouche wrote:If I may, Charz, don't write off Splicers due to the MDC aspect.

Like you, I'm not fond of MDC or the MD concept; my group and I have been playing Rifts completely SDC for the last 8 years (completely changes the scope of mages and psionics, on an unrelated note.)

For my money, Splicers is one of the best settings in the Palladium catalog. For some reason, my brain and my players don't really mind the MDC concept; I'm not sure why, but it seems to make much more sense in this setting.

MD arms, armor, genetically enhanced beings, living Host Armor; the amount of cusomization that can go into a Splicers PC is jaw dropping. And yet, despite all this, the remaining humans (as Demos alluded to) are still very outnumbered and outgunned. Players really have to use wits and smarts to stay alive.

Give it a look see; I don't think you'll be disappointed. I sat on the fence with Splicers for several months before I finally took the plunge and bought a copy. Money well spent.


Thanks I'll probbly give it a better look, I'm just very disapointed because to be blunt my gaming catalog of pallidum books is dated in the 80's. I'm 22 years old and play games such as tmnt and robotech (the only mdc game i like) because the world lets me think. I want to help pallidum books in the crises but I also don't want to waste money on a game I'll never play.

I probbly own almost every single S.D.C. book pallidum has ever offered and I love the ruleset, infact I'm creating my own series of games based off them for use of my home group, and thought Splicers could help. (its a mixture of the homeword, gears of war, and doom video games). I wanted something that had aliens monsters and mutants with out the M.D.C.


SPLICERS...

MDC works in SPLICERS like MDC works in ROBOTECH.
MDC is for for Bio-Technology (Splicer-tech), and for the MACHINE's Army.
The Humans and world's normal animals (whats left) are SDC.

Sounds like you "MIGHT" like SPlicers.

It is super easy to convert the setting to SDC though. (Which is what i do).

If your still SDC rules, MDC the sukkor though ;)
Check out HEROES UNLIMITED at some point...its an SDC setting.

HEROES UNLIMITED has :
    ROBOTS
    Robot Vehicles
    Mecha "Robot"
    Power Armor "Robot"
    Cybernetics/Bionics
    Eugenics (Bio-Technology kinda like Splicers) (Power Unlimited 2 Sourcebook)
    Super-Soldiers
    Mutants
    Aliens
    Chemical Augmented Super-Soldiers (Juicers) (PU2)
    Brain Augmentation Super-Soldiers "Mind Over Matter" "MOM" (Crazies) (PU2)
    Experiments
    Hardware
    Slueths
    Hunters
    Raithenor Symbiote Armor "Original Version" (Aliens Unlimited)
    Raithenor Paristic Armor "New version" (Aliens Unlimited Galaxy Guide)


SPLICERS is a single book, so the buy-in is cheap...

HEROES UNLIMITED has more books but is more open to many ways.
TechnoGothic
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