Does anyone still play Rifts?

[kind_of_a_ROBOT]

I loved Rifts years ago. While replacing a bookshelf in my bedroom, I cam across my old books, and have been pouring through them again. I know that it can be a very divisive game, but can we get a thread going to praise the positive aspects of Rifts?

[digiman619]

I have an ironic story about Rifts. I'm 95% certain that my (I think) 10th grade English teacher married Palladium founder Siembieda, as she mentioned that her then fiancee had written a RPG book , which I remember having the classes referred to as OCCs. The irony is that she used to give me guff me guff that I played Magic rather than RPGs (I graduated in '02, so 2nd Edition was long old news, and 3rd hadn't been written yet), and my brother got into Rifts for the designs and setting, but never played the game.

[kind_of_a_ROBOT]

I have an ironic story about Rifts. I'm 95% certain that my (I think) 10th grade English teacher married Palladium founder Siembieda, as she mentioned that her then fiancee had written a RPG book , which I remember having the classes referred to as OCCs. The irony is that she used to give me guff me guff that I played Magic rather than RPGs (I graduated in '02, so 2nd Edition was long old news, and 3rd hadn't been written yet), and my brother got into Rifts for the designs and setting, but never played the game.

That's a funny story. The designs (I'm assuming you mean of the game's tech and creatures?) are usually pretty fantastic, and its an overall awesome setting. Its a super fun game to play, though you do need a GM who doesn't take the minutiae of the system too seriously.

[Grinner]

I have an ironic story about Rifts. I'm 95% certain that my (I think) 10th grade English teacher married Palladium founder Siembieda, as she mentioned that her then fiancee had written a RPG book , which I remember having the classes referred to as OCCs.

Was her last name Donald by any chance?

The irony is that she used to give me guff me guff that I played Magic rather than RPGs (I graduated in '02, so 2nd Edition was long old news, and 3rd hadn't been written yet), and my brother got into Rifts for the designs and setting, but never played the game.

Speaking of liking it for the setting, I'm one of those people. Not enough to actually put out money for the books, but I do like the idea of Rifts. It sounds like a nightmare mechanically, but there's this unutterable coolness about it when you hear the post-game reports.

It sits alongside Exalted and Eclipse Phase for really-cool-games-that-I'll-never-play.

[digiman619]

Also the general aesthetic.

[WolfLordBran]

I absolutely love the idea of Rifts- I just dont like the percentile system (hey I'm a highly skilled Destroid Pilot, i have a 60% chance to pilot my MAC-II) or the monstrous difference in character power. like i had a game where i played a Dog Boy. Three variants of Glitterboy, a Ley Line Walker, and a Dragon showed up as well.

[kind_of_a_ROBOT]

I absolutely love the idea of Rifts- I just dont like the percentile system (hey I'm a highly skilled Destroid Pilot, i have a 60% chance to pilot my MAC-II) or the monstrous difference in character power. like i had a game where i played a Dog Boy. Three variants of Glitterboy, a Ley Line Walker, and a Dragon showed up as well.

Rifts is a game that is intentionally built to avoid any kind of game balance. Its kind of a double-edged sword. Again, I think Rifts really comes down to the GM. Even the lowest powered characters can still be useful. If the game is something other than a meaningless string of fighting, a Rogue Scientist or Operator can actually be super fun to play.

[Segev]

Rifts is a fun setting, and it really is purpose-built for the Paladium system. Unfortunately, the Paladium system is...clunky. It really, really badly needs an edition update that overhauls it at LEAST as much as 3e D&D did 2e AD&D. Given where RPG rules technology is now, it probably needs a bigger step. But at the same time, it has its charm, and you wouldn't want to abandon what makes it feel like it does (as 4e did to D&D).

I'm playing in a Rifts game IRL that a friend runs. It's been enjoyable so far. One of the PCs had just become a Warlord of the Pecos a little before I joined; I was broken out along with an NPC ally of theirs from a Coalition prison camp in Fort Pinnacle. Now we're trying to stamp out a group called Armageddon Unlimited that has unquestionable ties to greater demons and had taken over New San Antonio under a guise of respectability that is surprisingly hard to dispel. Especially since everybody seems terrified that if the CS figures out about the greater demons, they'll solve the problem with a scorched earth method that will leave the Pecos uninhabitable.

[Quertus]

Angela is proud of her heritage. Generations of pilots guide her reflexes, making her almost one with her machine. Coupled with her divinely-wrought reflexes, Angela grew up knowing where her destiny lay. Even at a young age, she could make the towering metal man, symbol of hope and freedom, do things even experienced pilots would have difficulty repeating. Her father, an immortal god who was watching over humanity during the dark age, has even hinted that the blood of the legendary neemans flows in her veins. Imagine if that were true! But mother looks perfectly human - it's hard to imagine some godlike superhuman D-Bees in her ancestory.

Angela, though, is radiant. When she opens the cockpit, amid the sparkling cascade of light, and she unfurles her wings to join the masses on the ground, there is no doubt that her ancestors were not all human.

Pros: where else can you build a character like this (short of point buy)?

Cons: where else would a character like this have a 40% chance to fail to pilot their mech, or a character more beautiful and more charismatic than Aphrodite have a ~40% chance on seduction?

[LibraryOgre]

FWIW, Pinnacle has announced that a Rifts: Savage Worlds kickstarter will be launching April 26th.

I played for years, even writing a book for them, but I've moved on. The system is poor, and the world is seldom well connected or thought out... A bunch of awesome ideas thrown at a wall, and you get to decide what sticks.

[themaque]

I'm looking forward to see what they have come up with for Savage Worlds. What little they have said in interviews has me cautiously optimistic.

[LibraryOgre]

I'm looking forward to see what they have come up with for Savage Worlds. What little they have said in interviews has me cautiously optimistic.

Really, it's a different "They". The "They" of Palladium isn't directly involved in this; the "They" of Pinnacle is.

[kind_of_a_ROBOT]

Really, it's a different "They". The "They" of Palladium isn't directly involved in this; the "They" of Pinnacle is.

I was honestly amazed when I saw that. Surprised Palladium was cool with licensing the setting, seemed a bit out of character for them from what I've seen in the past.

[themaque]

Really, it's a different "They". The "They" of Palladium isn't directly involved in this; the "They" of Pinnacle is.

Yes, I was aware, although that statement might not be for ME but for the audience now that I think about it. It's WHY I'm optimistic considering what I've seen happen to writers working directly with Palladium.

[LibraryOgre]

I was honestly amazed when I saw that. Surprised Palladium was cool with licensing the setting, seemed a bit out of character for them from what I've seen in the past.

Palladium's been having some interesting times, recently.

Yes, I was aware, although that statement might not be for ME but for the audience now that I think about it. It's WHY I'm optimistic considering what I've seen happen to writers working directly with Palladium.

It's not all about you, Marsha.

[themaque]

It's not all about you, Marsha.

BLASPHEMY! You take that back right now!

I hear they toyed with the idea removing MD but eventually brought it back, but attempted to bring it back into the realm of the original concept.

Mech Suit = Mega Damage
Rockets = Mega Damage

Re-enforced Vest = Normal Damage
Laser Hand Pistol = Normal Damage

Various different brands have tweaked the Savage World system to varying degrees.

Deadlands tweaked it so make their classes feel unique while Hell on Earth could barely be bothered to changed the paint.

I'm excited to see how good a balance they achieved in Savage Rifts.

[ghanjrho]

From what I have heard, the MDC solution was just to use the Heavy Weapons/Armor rules already in core Savage Worlds, along with generally reducing the number of MDC (now Heavy) weapons.

For the uninitiated, in Savage Worlds Heavy Weapons (explosives, anti-materiel rifles, vehicle-based weapons, etc.) are needed to penetrate Heavy Armor (vehicle armor). However, there is no multiplier when attacking non-Heavy armor. So a M2 Browning is going to do 2d10 damage whether it's attacking a Panzer IV or the zombies summoned by the SS necromancer.

[Beelzebub1111]

I recently played a game that was Rifts:Chaos Earth but where the PCs were all Heroes Unlimited superheroes. That was fun.

I played as El Santo, returned from heaven to fight off the vampiric invasion into mexico. I knew exactly how to fight them, because I fought them all the time in movies I've been in. It was great.

[Telok]

More than 20 years ago now I was banned from playing. Broke that campaign with a rogue scientist, a love of hard science fiction, and salvaging stuff from defeated enemies. Plus smart missiles. We got thirty or fourty with the GM thinking we would shoot them or sell them. I pulled the brains from them and welded autonomous laser turrets all over our mecha. Good times.
I recall that my solution to the megadamage issue was to use the over-penetration rule when MD weapons were used on SDC stuff. Except explosions, but there was scatter for misses and chain detonations that made people cautious about using them close up.

But yeah, there's no 'power level' or 'challenge rating' mechanic like people are used to these days. As long as all the characters are about even in power it works ok.

The skills did always bother me untill I ran across a guy who only used them for risky stunts and serious emergencies and did a sliding scale of success. So you only rolled piloting if the wing got blown off or you tried to fly under a highway overpass at Mach 2.

[Blackhawk748]

FWIW, Pinnacle has announced that a Rifts: Savage Worlds kickstarter will be launching April 26th.

I played for years, even writing a book for them, but I've moved on. The system is poor, and the world is seldom well connected or thought out... A bunch of awesome ideas thrown at a wall, and you get to decide what sticks.

Ooh cool. I like Savage Worlds, started playing Deadlands in it so i bought the basic rulebook and i use it for when i want a grittier game. Ill be intrigued to see where this goes.

[Donnadogsoth]

The skills did always bother me untill I ran across a guy who only used them for risky stunts and serious emergencies and did a sliding scale of success. So you only rolled piloting if the wing got blown off or you tried to fly under a highway overpass at Mach 2.

Yes, it's the realisation that basic things shouldn't require a roll which escaped me, as a bad GM, until much later in my gaming career. Very important thing to remember.

I found RIFTS intriguing, with sharp art, but the system and the kitchen sink-ness sunk it for me.

[themaque]

I won't link it here, not the right thread, but it's easily found. The Kickstarter to the mentioned Savage Worlds RIFTS is up and running. It reached it's goal and all stretch goals in the first few hours so It's happening one way or another now.

[Malifice]

I am really really really excited to get into Savage Rifts.

There is some stuff in rifts that could be super awesome in a different system.

The system as it is is clunky as hell, but with the right DM it can make for a fantastic game. An inexperienced DM and a clever munchkin and it can get wrecked pretty quickly.

[themaque]

I wish they had a full list of what's in the main book, but they are going to town on options, and just released a preview on the new take on Glitterboys.

[Raimun]

I have never played Rifts but I'm really interested of the new version under Savage Worlds-ruleset. Sounds like it would be a blast to play, what with all the different types of PCs.

[Ceiling_Squid]

Alright, damn it, I'm backing it.

I'm a sucker for Savage Worlds (though I need a regular group to play it more often). Never played Rifts before, but the gonzo setting sounds damn fun, upon reading up on it a bit. And I think this could finally entice my group to play more SW.

I have never considered playing a Palladium property before, but that's largely because I was warned off from the clunky system. With that out of the picture, there's nothing stopping me from grabbing this.

[Deathra13]

Actually yeah. Currently running a game through roll20. Granted it's been heavily modified with homebrew and rifter rules. The game is absolutely delightful but it is one of the most broken things ever written. However it's the only system I've found where no matter what a player wants to play they can. That guy who's always asking for a shotgun in dnd, or the person who wants a wizard in the space opera. It always works pretty well.

[Malifice]

Im impressed by the new Glitter Boy preview.

[CE DM]

I loved Rifts years ago. While replacing a bookshelf in my bedroom, I cam across my old books, and have been pouring through them again. I know that it can be a very divisive game, but can we get a thread going to praise the positive aspects of Rifts?

Sure, it's very imaginative, fun, a bit gonzo on a dark leaning.

I can't say I still play it, or that I really wanted to ever DM it (but several people always wanted me to do so/love the game), but it's got lots of cool things lurking in those many pages & books.

[Ceiling_Squid]

Im impressed by the new Glitter Boy preview.

Absolutely.

I'm just as intrigued by the other PDF they shared, detailing their design ethos with a few examples (Mega damage, vampires, and Juicers).

I'm new to this setting and don't have any previous attachment to it, but it does please me to see the Pinnacle guys are trying to preserve the heart of a beloved setting while also not being afraid to re-examine and tune parts of it to work better in a new system context.

The new rules regarding Juicer burnout sound pretty interesting, in particular. They aren't just slavishly adapting Rifts, but apparently distilling and refining it.

One question, though...their Mega Damage preview mentions a specific scenario where a Glitterboy Pilot is sitting by a campfire in regular body armor. He gets jumped by a guy in leather armor wielding a spear. Apparently, in core Rifts, the likely scenario is the spear wielder has no chance of even hurting the pilot, and he proceeds to get pasted by the pilot's laser pistol?

If so, I'm kind of glad the Pinnacle guys are getting a fresh crack at Rifts and altering that scenario. I've heard from group members that original Rifts combat can either be insanely lethal if you run into a bigger fish, or very sloggy if you're on an even level with the enemy.

I like that Savage Worlds is liable to tear that assumption down a little. In the right circumstances (ambush, planning, lucky rolls, catching enemy without his fancy powersuit), the little guy ought to have a shot at dealing a deadly blow.

And, judging by the preview, a Glitter Boy can potentially one-shot another Glitter Boy, instead of trading shots round after round. As someone who prefers a bit of expediency and lethality that can swing both ways on the power scale, this interests me.

Seriously, though, if you guys haven't checked out the Kickstarter yet, there's a link on the RPG kickstarter thread. They've added more stretch goals I'd love to see them meet. Apparently this is the beginning of a whole new Savage Rifts line, rather than just a one-time conversion.