[gurps] Mitigators (was Cyberpunk & 4e)

[Michael Sarno]

hal at buffnet.net wrote:

>It would seem then, that advantages in and of themselves should be paid
>for if present at the start of the character generation regardless of the
>source.  If it is "meat", it is natural, if it is cybernetic, it is
>"chrome".  Regardless, if the character starts with it - the player pays
>the points.  If the player acquires it later in play, it costs money - not
>points.
>
There seems to be little reason to keep track of character points after 
character generation with this system. If the players and GM like it, 
then it makes sense, but I'd never want to play in a game like this. If 
the character point system isn't broken, then it should be used to 
regulate game balance.

>Thus, a player character could start off as strictly "normal" without
>enhancements.  The player takes obscene levels of wealth with the
>expectation that they will translate the wealth into advantages later on.
>
>(I can hear the angry natives growing restless already with this aspect!)
>
>To counter balance this?  The GM, sadistic creature that he is, says "Ok,
>for the really difficult operations - the doctors who can perform the
>operation are all reserved for up to 6 months in advance.
>
<snip additional descriptions of sadism>

This seems to be the classic mismatch of role playing software and 
hardware. If the players want to be able to buy cyberware, the GM 
shouldn't put up arbitrary barriers. There's already a system of 
character points in place if the GM is worried about game balance. 
Otherwise, the GM should be running the kind of game in which the 
players would like to play.

-Mike


-- 
Michael Sarno

“The light of the soul is bright,
 but dense clouds of human ignorance obscure it.”
	-Deng Ming-Dao