New But Repetitive OCCs: Full Write-Ups or Revision Notes

[Svartalf]

I must agree... while it may be regarded as a space and paper waste, complete re publishing of setting appropriate OCCs is better, if only because it does not require you to sift through too many books to create a character... As things stand, the number of necessary reference works can already be a pain... so the more it can be limited, the better

[Killer Cyborg]

I think that the only exception to presenting an OCC/RCC description in full is if the original comes out of the core rules, AND the new Class is a Minor variation (like local equipment needs, or a new language set).

Otherwise, if they decide they want to make a new CS book and there is a need for the CS Juicer class again, then they should reprint the whole class. No need to force people to buy Coalition War Machine so that they can play the new book.

Personally, I think the same goes for equipment. If they are going to tell me in the new Lone Star/Chi Town showdown books (never going to happen, it's just an example), don't make me buy Lone Star to know what the Xiticix Killer mutants’ stats are (is that even their name?). Give me their stats. At the very least, give me the “typical NPC” stats of the classes or monsters I’m likely to see in the campaign in question.

Sure.
In fact, why not just make every new book they put out have the entire main book tacked onto the front of it?
That way, if you need to roll up a headhunter or look up some rules you don't need to go out and buy the main book?
Or they can just tack the GM's Guide and Book of Magic onto every book.
Sure, the books may be heavier and cost an arm and a leg, but you won't have to buy extra books....

[Killer Cyborg]

Wow, Killer Cyborg, I really must have communicated my point poorly to elicit that kind of sarcastic response. Perhaps a further explanation is in order, with the additional request that you try to communicate constructively, and not merely with attacking humor. The original post asked a serious question, and I tried to give a serious response.

Sometimes I am overly sarcastic and acidic in my responces.
My apologies.
I'll behave.

What I think about Rifts, or any RPG, is that you should be able to play with a Core/Main Rule book and whatever Expansion you manage to pick up along the way. I don’t think that to play expansion X, you should also need to buy expansion Y and Z. That is why I suggest that, to my mind, it is necessary to reprint the pertinent information so that players can play the expansion world without further purchases.

The Main Book is becoming less and less useful in the world of Rifts. Most of the OCCs in the book have become outdated and players usually prefer the flashier and more powerful OCCs in later books. The primary use of the main book is to explain how to play the game, and it is out of date there as well. The rules for Rifts are scattered throughout the Rifts books, with new rules cropping up in Conversion Book 1, SoT, BoM, FoM, Japan, and any number of other books. Even the equipment in the main book has been mostly updated and changed in the GM's Guide.
Since Palladium refuses to put out an updated version of the main book, you need to carry or memorize your whole Rifts library in order to play the game.

Your notion that the books will be heavier and more expensive seems completely misguided to me. The alternative for full comprehension of the texts is that the player or GM (or both) buys multiple books. This is both costly and heavy, maybe even more so than it would be if you were to buy one book that presented all of the pertinent information.

A new OCC takes up 1-2 pages. Not nearly enough to add weight to the book or anything, but it takes up space.
Combine that with redundant and unnecessary OCCs, and you can end up with a lot more wasted (in my opinion) pages.
I'm not really concerned with the weight; I'd just rather they summed up
"New Reno Guardsmen are the same as CS Grunts, only their equipment is as follows..."

Devil’s Advocate is an easy role to play on this topic. Give me a reason why I should prefer buying more books to fewer, and I’ll be glad to try and refute your logic. Maybe I won’t be able to, if you make compelling enough arguments.

No, I see your point.
The downside is for people who own all the Rifts books anyway.
When Palladium reprints an existing OCC, they waste space that I'd rather they use fleshing out the new area in detail. I'd prefer a couple of pages of maps rather than to see some OCC I already know.
Also, when Palladium reprints an OCC, they have a tendency to upgrade it. Like how Bursters fiery aura grants them MDC protection now.
Most of the problems in Rifts come from the writers not knowing when to leave well enough alone, so I'd rather they avoid the temptation.

[Killer Cyborg]

Man, don't even get me started on the cyberknight revision...

[Dead Boy]

The thing is, not everbody is going to have every book. So if they do a variation on a Necromancer but someone doesn't have the book that originally popped up in (I think it was Africa), then that's a class that person can't use because he doesn't have the additional material. It may be fluff in some cases, but it's better for people on a budget or just getting into the game if they include all the info on a new OCC.