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Involved Observer wrote:This was somewhat of the thought that I had. If GMs are the main audience/submitters it not only limits the range of articles, but also the size of the audience. I think its kind of obvious that Game Masters outnumber Players in the number of readers of the Rifter. Which stinks, because I know a lot of Players would enjoy the stuff that's in there.

The thing is, the Rifter by its very nature is largely a GM supplement right now, with adventures, settings and tips for running great games. This explains why we have more GMs than Players as readers. So is there a way to change this? Is there some way to put more Player-centered content into the Rifter? And should it be changed?

Greetings and Salutatoins. I'll start by saying I voted (a while ago) as a GM. It's true that I am a player from time to time, but the truth is that I play so often that usually I'll just go with something from the main books. Because as a player I don't want to go through the hassle of asking the GM if this "optional" material is acceptable, then go through the review process, etc. Going with the main book is just quick, simple, and pretty much a lock to be allowed. Also, I don't play enough to be tired of the main book yet.

Now, with that said, I'll address the matter of the Rifter. I don't see the content as an issue. While I will admit some of it is directed towards a GM, that much can be said of almost any RPG book. Let's take the Rifts Adventure Guide is a book designed around adventures. The Rifts GM Guide has "GM" right in the title. Most of the game mechanics (outside of character creation) are for the GM to run the game such as the rules for combat, penalties for various skills or situations, and things like that. These are all GM tools. Almost every book has a section that's meant to be read only by the GM and not for players (because it contains secrets). While a lot of this is directed towards a GM when we stop and think about it. So let's look at what the Rifter offers: Setting material, adventures, new O.C.C., magic spells, skills, martial arts, and more. I don't (personally) see it being that different from a normal RPG book.

The main difference is that most of the Rifter is "unofficial" material and many GM don't allow Rifter material. If you glance around at threads I've seen several Game Masters who said they simply don't allow anything at all from a Rifter (they won't even look it over first). Then you have the "can I use this" "can I use that" period, and in my personal experience it's more trouble than it's worth. Also keep in mind that while there are 19 GM who said they use the Rifter, there are 13 players who said they use it. While that does mean there are more Game Masters than players, that is far from being a huge difference.

Anyways, I'm not here to argue. I'm just trying to provide a look from another view point. Hopefully this has provided you something to think about. If not, then my apologies for wasting your time. Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys for now.