Wanted to thank the thread for their suggestions. It clicks with my original experiences in a few ways plus I was trying to gm in a way that doesn't work me (in fairness, it was some time ago).

The mechanical tips will take a little longer to examine but they seem solid. Combat can be a chore. I really like the suggestion of changing the MDC/SDC scaling. So simple and solves so many issues.

Quote from: J.L. Duncan;986547Avoid Rifts Ultimate Edition, but if you must...

Out of curiosity, why specifically?

Quote from: Ratman_tf;986628I'm pretty sure in the official rules, doing 100 SDC in a single attack will convert to 1 MD. (A burst won't do MD, but an SDC rocket may) So I say for every 10 full SDC, 1 MD point is inflicted.

Its been a long time but as I recall MDC structures were invulnerable to SDC attacks even if they totaled 100+ points of damage but I maybe remembering it wrong or thinking of Robotech. It might have been changed in a later printing. I only had the first one.

I think the whole "MDC is too big" thing is overblown.

Quote from: Nexus;993481Its been a long time but as I recall MDC structures were invulnerable to SDC attacks even if they totaled 100+ points of damage but I maybe remembering it wrong or thinking of Robotech. It might have been changed in a later printing. I only had the first one.

No. You're right. Kevin talks about that in RUE and prior to RUE in I think Sourcebook One. He did an example of throwing rocks at a tank (I think that was it) if a rock does 1 SDC and you throw 100 rocks at a tank the tank is still going to be fine.

Also just get RUE. It's fine. It's the same game and folks can easily find it.

The core book is where Rifts stood out to me. I just think it becase an overblown melting pot as more books were released. The world startrd to feel very small.

But at the actual core of the game it's a decnt setting.

I always quite liked the MDC thing. Worked for guys in power armour or bots (and certain creatures). I felt Kev S. did'nt get the balance right a GM really needs to keep that in check imo.

Quote from: Ulairi;994232No. You're right. Kevin talks about that in RUE and prior to RUE in I think Sourcebook One. He did an example of throwing rocks at a tank (I think that was it) if a rock does 1 SDC and you throw 100 rocks at a tank the tank is still going to be fine.

Also just get RUE. It's fine. It's the same game and folks can easily find it.

The rule I'm thinking of is 100 SDC in a single attack. So throwing 100, 1 SD rocks at an MDC tank won't do 1 MD, but a rocket that does 1d4x100 SD, will do the equivalent of 1d4 MD.
I'll have to check my rulebook when I get home to see if the rule even exists, though.

Quote from: Ratman_tf;994251The rule I'm thinking of is 100 SDC in a single attack. So throwing 100, 1 SD rocks at an MDC tank won't do 1 MD, but a rocket that does 1d4x100 SD, will do the equivalent of 1d4 MD.
I'll have to check my rulebook when I get home to see if the rule even exists, though.

I'll check too. We've always run the combat system that way and maybe it was in the books and I've just forgotten in over 20 years of playing it.

Quote from: Nexus;993473Out of curiosity, why specifically?

Because it doesn't do anything to improve the system from the original... It's like putting a new coat of paint on house with termites... (useless in my opinion) But, termites and all, I've enjoyed Rifts more than almost any other game because it taught me what being a GM really means... And it taught me that I could tweak any game how I liked, (and sometimes, it might be required). This is all because they're many nuggets (or termites) in Rifts which it's really unclear how to (by the rules, mind you) proceed.

I've never had any problem with the many games and systems I've run since... And I would argue it's because of Rifts.

My opinion: A bad system makes you a better GM, by engaging your GM-ness to improve that game.