Just a silly question

[Shin Kenshiro]

The South American books. By nipping the Carella Effect in the bud and stopping the massive power uppage, this in turn would cause chrono-distortion so that all other books weaponry, magic, and assorted whatnots would now have downgraded MDC and MDC infliction capability...the Boom Gun would once more be the scariest weapon out there, no one-man rifle would do 1D6x10, players wouldn't have to face off with common monsters that now have MDC in the hundreds....

Rifts would remain a vicious world, yet no one character would be walking around with enough weaponry on his back to assault Chi-Town.

[Dustin Fireblade]

Rifts Main Book.

Include OCC's that would be common the world over, master skill list, combat rules, world overview not done by Erin Tarn, generic weapons, armor and equipment (allowing World Books to go into detail on design, function, etc) and a history/backstory expansion.
This should be something the size of the HU2 main book

Or do a Coalition States Worldbook, something that has the CS military fleshed out, cities, maps, resources, civilian life, etc.
Would be a good size book.

[Uncle Servo]

Mutants In Orbit.

I liked this book's potential, but let's ditch the whole 'Muppet Show' cast of animals (even though it's logical for ATB) and make it straight Rifts and Rifts only. I'd also like to see a bit easier for Rifts Earth and the orbital community to interact (what if one of the stations established a treaty with one of the nations on Earth)?

[Shin Kenshiro]

Shin, CJ was great, lay off.

Didn't say he was a bad writer or creator, I'm saying his weaponry ideas launched something that totally overpowered Rifts at the time, and have since caused everything to do so much more damage than it should.

I don't care a lot for the idea of wearing 20 lbs worth of insanely strong armor (Dead Boy Spec Ops, 100 MDC) and there being the chance of losing it all in 2 melee attacks vs. a single SA/SA2 rifle.

[Dustin Fireblade]

I agree with Dustin Fireblade, except for the part about Erin Tarn.

I'd just rather see a stand alone Erin Tarn book. A GM can then decide if he wants the info from her point of view or not much more easily then (ie just dont get the book or do and tell the players this is the type of "common knowledge" you know)

[Colonel Wolfe]

the Rifts Main book, but Rename it the Rifts Players guide, gice OOC world info (non-erin tarn, have her give Flavor text like white wolf uses). complete skill list, Redesign the Character creation process to include making non-human races. Add a few non-human races to the Book as well, Common DEE-bees found in most areas of Rifts earth.

[Killer Cyborg]

Let's say KS somehow got magical powers that lets him magically rewrite entire Rifts books. Let's also say that he was running a contest were the winner gets to have a book of his choice remade. Let's also say that you are that winner. Which book do you have him change?

Rifts Japan.
Set it as a dimension book instead of taking place on Rifts Earth.

[chaserone]

Aegis wrote
Another mini rant from me Anyway for starters KS let all that stuff get into the books, so its not really a "Carella Effect" since some of it was rewritten by KS to get into the books, so really its a KS effect.

If you look on page 112 of GMG on #15, KS himself admits that South America is toooo powerful and the conversions for making them more balanced.

[Rex]

If there was a Rifts book that needed rewriting, I'm going with Africa. Nice idea, I really keep meaning to spring it on PC's that I hate...

I would like to comment on the "Carella Effect." CJ was a good thing for PB. He saw Rifts as an intermensional epic. I know this because I remember talking about it with him. It was Atlantis, and races such as the Pogtal (WB 1) that I think he got this idea from. I don't think he can be faulted with such logic. As for the ATL-7 (I think thats it, that cannon that does 3D6X10 and change) the concept doesn't seem that bad. Why not focus an entire e-clip into one blast? The damage could be toned down, but the concept is still feasible.

[Rex]

If there was a Rifts book that needed rewriting, I'm going with Africa. Nice idea, I really keep meaning to spring it on PC's that I hate...

I would like to comment on the "Carella Effect." CJ was a good thing for PB. He saw Rifts as an intermensional epic. I know this because I remember talking about it with him. It was Atlantis, and races such as the Pogtal (WB 1) that I think he got this idea from. I don't think he can be faulted with such logic. As for the ATL-7 (I think thats it, that cannon that does 3D6X10 and change) the concept doesn't seem that bad. Why not focus an entire e-clip into one blast? The damage could be toned down, but the concept is still feasible.

[Athos]

I would redo the GMG and make more clarifications, use it to edit the other books and bring everything in line. I know it sucks to have the rules changed a dozen years after you started playing, but it is no different than a version 2 would be. Personally, I like the starting with 2 attacks instead of 4. But there are skills like archery that have not been updated to reflect the change from 2 to 4 starting attacks. The whole system is great from an idea point, it just needs some serious editing for consistency.

[Uncle Servo]

This whole thread smacks of the "Lucas effect"....I would change nothing...but then again, I am a writer so maybe it is just selfish to say that...revisionist rewriting is more often detrimental than it is beneficial...

While I have no real argument with your statement about revisionist writing, I am getting just a little tired of all the knocks on Lucas for going back and updating the original trilogy (as well as doing the prequels).

Maybe it's just me, but I kept hearing when it was originally released that they had to abandon original concepts due to lack of time/money, and also developed much of the technology for the special effects as they went... and I'm sure there were lots of fanboys out there just like myself who watched the movies years later and wondered how these movies would have turned out if they were able to utilize techniques/tools/tech that only became available after the movies were done.

While I'm not overly fond of the re-scored ending of ROTJ or changing things around where Greedo shoots first in ANH, criticizing Lucas for going back and giving the movies the look he originally wanted (at least, that's what he says) is like saying that a creator can't -- or at least shouldn't -- re-visit his/her works later on to make sure he/she got it the way he/she wants it.

As an illustrator/designer, I can easily think of several instances where I've looked at something that was published (and enjoyed some success) but just saw something that made me say, "You know, I'd love to go back and change that part because I didn't have time/money/knowledge to do it the way I wanted it at the time."


Yeah, I know this is hijacking the thread and I apologize for doing so... but that's a pet peeve of mine. Regardless of the work, the creator should have the right to go back and tweak his/her works if so desired and provided they understand the pitfalls that come from changing too much.

Anyway, back on thread... I stand by my earlier post saying Mutants In Orbit needed the rewrite the most IMO.

[Colonel Wolfe]

Colonel Wolfe

You are the MAN!!!!!

but anyway getting back to my post, Colonel Wolfe you are a genius, there i said it. . .

Thanks, Most Gamers I've converted to WW players Love the Books, though you have good and bad ones, they Devote a good % of the Book to the Story. The Smalle Flavor Text through the Chapters... (Chapters even... dont think ym Rifts books have them) at the beginning of the Chapters, and the Opening Story to set the mood for the Book. I'd like to see more of this in All RPG products. My Big problem With Shadow run was It was 90% system in EVERY book. To many charts, To many Complex Mathimatical Equations to Make one thing.
Palladium has good Story, but some of the Books Devolve in to 15 new OCC's and 10 new MEcha, 25 new Guns, 50 new spells and another new RCC.... with 5 pages of Setting text.

I'd Still Re-do the RMB, Make it a Base Ssytem book with some Setting info. and Chapters... i like them... index to.... Glossery.... Table fo contents....

[Dead Boy]

The Rifts Games Masters Guide

I felt that the end result of the RGMG was a major waste of an excellent opportunity to completely go through the rules, fix what wasn't working too well, emphasize and clarify what did, and completely retool everything else. It wouldn't have taken them more than a page and half to make the ROF rules fully functional and operable, especially with the complete re-listing of the small arms later on like they did. But that is just one of may rule clarification/revision opportunities they missed out on in that book.

[Dustin Fireblade]

I agree with Dustin Fireblade, except for the part about Erin Tarn.

The Main Book should be THE main book. All of the material listed in the first source book should have been included in the main book as well as THE skill list. More and expanded world maps should have been in it. In addition to Erin Tarns overview a general overview of the world the world form KS should have been there.

I think thats a bit harsh, when they made that main book they didn't know if it was gonna fly or crash into the ground. Once they saw that, they came out w/ the source books later on.

If I recall right Sourcebook 1 was released because fans wanted information that was not included in the Main Book.

Anyway I could easily see a 2nd Edition or Revised Rifts Main Book easily reach 350 or so pages.

[grandmaster z0b]

The South American books. By nipping the Carella Effect in the bud and stopping the massive power uppage, this in turn would cause chrono-distortion so that all other books weaponry, magic, and assorted whatnots would now have downgraded MDC and MDC infliction capability...the Boom Gun would once more be the scariest weapon out there, no one-man rifle would do 1D6x10, players wouldn't have to face off with common monsters that now have MDC in the hundreds....

Rifts would remain a vicious world, yet no one character would be walking around with enough weaponry on his back to assault Chi-Town.

I don't think it's fair to blame lack of balance on CJ, especially as others have pointed out that KS has final say anyway. The first 1d6x10 rifle was the Wilks pulse rifle which came out in SB1!.
I've always thought that the guns in Rifts do not do enough damage, a guy with a heavy weapon should be able to take out a guy in armor in one shot, and a tank should have no problems with a lowly infantryman without having to launch a volley of missiles at him/her.

Anyway without going into detail my answer(s) are :
England - (

Perhaps bringing Morgana as a ( good) oponant of merlin would be an idea and i would like to see druids with some actual magic ( like palladium druids ) . In fact seeing as Britian is supposed to be one of the most magical places on earth a lot more British magic would be nice ,as well as more Celtic and anglo saxon mythology

I couldn't agree more.

and

Africa - just too small, didn't have enough information about the amazing contenant, just seemed to be a "Four Horsemen" source book.

[chaserone]

I would go to the main book, and do away with the -10 rule altogether, and also ensure that mages are always permitted to wear environmental armor. I would also make intelligible magic and psi rules.

I like the -10 dodge rule and the -12 to dodge rail gun fire. It makes modern weapon combat more believable. Although, I do NOT like the fact that no one gets bonuses. This makes characters that naturally move fast and agile no better than a 7 year old kid who has no idea if he can duck and such. In most of my games, I have done away with the no bonuses to dodge modern weaponry, although, I still apply the penalties to dodge. This makes characters more willing to play it careful and not come running at thier adversaries all crazy like when they know they have insane bonuses, yet not so scared that they wouldnt engage a punk in the middle of the street with a laser rifle, which would be a short run or come around the corner and leap at them.

I guess its how each person runs thier game and how they prefer the intensity levels in thier game. I know some GMs that still use the Robotech and N&SS penalties in thier game rather than use the hefty -10 dodge.