Mixed Feeling About Savage Worlds Conversion

[DeusXXX]

This is a repost of a post I made earlier at the RIFTS subreddit.

So I really like SW. I ran that game system for a couple of different campaigns over 2 years and we all had a blast. Actually, one was RIFTS!

Now my group and I are starting another RIFTS campaign, but this time we're going to use the classic rules which God help me I actually really like.

I think the thing I like about the rules so much is that they are such a mess that they become sort of illustrative of the game world which is also a mess and completely broken. In that way, the game system actually helps, for me at least, with the immersion factor.

While SW is super fun TO PLAY, I am skeptical whether or not a conversion can actually capture the spirit of the world the way I feel the classic ruleset does.

[Alrik Vas]

I think this game could do with some organized changes. The creativity of the setting deserves more. Currently it's basically that one RPG your friend designed in college that only works when he runs it.

[Grell]

I think this game could do with some organized changes. The creativity of the setting deserves more. Currently it's basically that one RPG your friend designed in college that only works when he runs it.

While this assessment made me chuckle, I don't think it's THAT bad. It definitely does take some getting used to, though.

To the OPs point, I think that for someone like me who is very set in their ways and deeply familiar with running the current rule set, that a transition of system would cause more problems than it would solve. At least initially, though I do concede that I am less motivated to try new game systems than most.

[Alrik Vas]

Ask any person I've gamed with, I hate learning new systems.

This has my interest, though.

[Brayon]

I'll admit to not reading every breaking News Article from Palladium, but did they go into a partnership with another company for RIFTS?

[boxee]

Yes they did as far as I can tell. They made an announcement a while back. I have played SW several times. It is very smooth running. I played in a friends Tron game using that system. The next was slipstream, then necessary evil, then I think L5R. They were all a blast. One of the game masters ran several one shot games as well. The system is super easy to learn, and can do basically any setting with a little work.

[Alrik Vas]

They licensed Rifts to Savage Worlds, who also have a universal RPG system. There's a general explanation of it in their Wikipedia article.

[SpiritInterface]

Is the Savage World settings coming to Rifts?

[Shark_Force]

Is the Savage World settings coming to Rifts?

no, the rifts setting is coming to savage worlds.

[Library Ogre]

But, generalized conversion rules will make the conversion largely a matter of putting in the time, not invention.

[Damian Magecraft]

But, generalized conversion rules will make the conversion largely a matter of putting in the time, not invention.

Given the thought processes at PEG...
I doubt there will be any hard and fast math formula for converting.
It will be more of a "port the fluff not the crunch" method.

[Alrik Vas]

But, generalized conversion rules will make the conversion largely a matter of putting in the time, not invention.

Given the thought processes at PEG...
I doubt there will be any hard and fast math formula for converting.
It will be more of a "port the fluff not the crunch" method.

which is what I'm hoping for.

[DeusXXX]

Lemme be clear: SW is awesome. It's like a comic book. For me, though, RIFTS isn't comic bookey. It's more like a violent and intense novel.

What is cool about the port is that a lot of folks will get into RIFTS who otherwise wouldn't. To be honest, lol, I'll PROBABLY get the port. But we'll see...

[Hotrod]

Is the Savage World settings coming to Rifts?

no, the rifts setting is coming to savage worlds.

All motion is relative.

[Shark_Force]

Is the Savage World settings coming to Rifts?

no, the rifts setting is coming to savage worlds.

All motion is relative.

not really in this case.

nobody is (officially) doing a conversion of the savage worlds settings at all. a crossover in one direction does not in the slightest create a crossover in the other. once the book is completed, you should be able to play the rifts setting with the savage world rules without needing additional effort, but any desire to play the savage worlds settings using palladium's megaversal system will require you to convert everything yourself. the savage worlds rifts book certainly might assist in that, but it will not do the work for you.

[Nox Equites]

Lemme be clear: SW is awesome. It's like a comic book. For me, though, RIFTS isn't comic bookey. It's more like a violent and intense novel.

What is cool about the port is that a lot of folks will get into RIFTS who otherwise wouldn't. To be honest, lol, I'll PROBABLY get the port. But we'll see...

Depends on the group. My games tend to be military sci-fi with action movie pacing.

[Alrik Vas]

It does depend, but...sometimes your action military sci-fi meets a cosmic crapload of demons and is pulled part and eaten in an intensely violent way.

[SpiritInterface]

Is the Savage World settings coming to Rifts?

no, the rifts setting is coming to savage worlds.

All motion is relative.

not really in this case.

nobody is (officially) doing a conversion of the savage worlds settings at all. a crossover in one direction does not in the slightest create a crossover in the other. once the book is completed, you should be able to play the rifts setting with the savage world rules without needing additional effort, but any desire to play the savage worlds settings using palladium's megaversal system will require you to convert everything yourself. the savage worlds rifts book certainly might assist in that, but it will not do the work for you.

So unless you are going to play Savage World this whole thing is a non-event and doesn't matter to Palladium Games players at all.

[Alrik Vas]

This is true, it would seem.

[Library Ogre]

So unless you are going to play Savage World this whole thing is a non-event and doesn't matter to Palladium Games players at all.

Except insofar as people who play Palladium worlds might see an influx of interest, including on this message board. There's a lot of folks who've played Palladium in the past but have outgrown the system (Alrik, your line "Currently it's basically that one RPG your friend designed in college that only works when he runs it." was brilliant), but may have a fondness for the settings, and be willing to engage again if the settings are married to a different ruleset. Heck, they may already have used another ruleset to play Rifts, but not talked much about it because of Palladium's no conversions policy.

Opening things up to Savage Worlds (and the inevitable cross-conversions that will happen, even if it's "Ok, so we're playing SW Rifts but we're incorporating Ghost Rock as a component in TW items...") has the potential to attract new blood, and return some prodigals. It also has the potential to change how the game is talked about on here, because it will no longer be a safe assumption that the rules in use are the Megaversal system.