By request:
I picked up a copy of Buck Rogers XXVc last weekend. I have vague memories of seeing this game when it was released, but I wasn't sure why I never picked up a copy at the time. I have always been mad for this kind of thing. As it turns out, the game was released in 1990, arguably the craziest year of my entire life (although the years that bracket it are also fair contenders for this title). Furthermore, I think I may have been put off of TSR product by this point for some bullshit early 20's reason or another.
Anyway, the rules are AD&D (2e) based- an obvious bonus to some; others may feel differently. I like it. Additionally, I'm a huge fan of Solar System SF and that is what this game is all about. I'm pretty sure I could tweak the rules for this game to emulate the settings from books like EE Smith's Space hounds of the IPCC, Bester's The Stars My Destination, Larry Niven's early Known Space stuff, and dozens of other things that I'm too lazy to type the titles of- or my own custom Solar System setting.
Anyway, onto the unboxing pics!
All these photos are crap. I can't cipher how to adjust the white balance on my camera, and my secret undersea base seems to be a less than ideal environment for taking pictures. Furthermore, autofocus sucks. I will be happy to rephotograph anything that anyone would like a better look at.
Anyway...
First up the box. It is big and thick.
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0282.jpg)
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0290.jpg)
And it has a lot of stuff in it:
There are three books:
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0283.jpg)
Two big ass reversible poster maps:
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0285.jpg)
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0284.jpg)
Counters and a (flimsy) three panel referee screen.
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0286.jpg)
Several 8 x 11 planet map/stat (map on one side, stats on the other) cards.
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0287.jpg)
A bunch of ship cards of the same size.
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0288.jpg)
And this thing, which appears to be some sort of game aid designed to help with figuring out interplanetary travel time, fuel requirements and other junk.
(http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/Junkyinthethrunky/DSCF0289.jpg)
Well, I have to say that all of this creates quiet an out of the box experience. It is a really nice assortment of stuff. I am not certain, however, how much table time some of the ship cards and what not would actually get. I'd have to give the game a spin in order to know that.
I've read the Characters and combat book and most of the World book, my impressions are overwhelmingly favorable; I'll go into a little more detail on those later when I've made my way through all three books.
In theory this should have been atrocious, but I got this when it came out and I still think it's pretty cool. I like the various weird human planetary cultures, the mutants/bioengineered guys are a good element, RAM are great villains, etc. I could see this doing Stars My Destination too, yeah. If I were to give this a go I would be more likely to use Stars W/O number seasoned to taste with elements out of this box, but there are things worth taking here.
I'd go with my own setting, but i would definitely use many, many of the concepts and systems presented in the game. The rocketship stuff is just too good to dump, imo.
Quote from: Aos;458007I'd go with my own setting, but i would definitely use many, many of the concepts and systems presented in the game. The rocketship stuff is just to good to dump, imo.
Well, basically the main thing I would discard is the basic character classes. The ships, gadgets, that kind of thing, lots of cool stuff there. If nothing else it'd be a shame not to wow your players with your
Official Buck Rogers Rocket Ruler.
I used to have absolutely everything for this, dunno what I did with it.
sigh
It was a really solid implementation of the D&D rules. Vehicle combat was not so good. Ship to ship was okay but the ship cards would have been handier at a quarter the size or if they'd had the deck plan on the card or something. The NPC cards were a bit of a waste and IRRC didn't even list skills.
The setting was a really nicely done setting. I always had trouble getting people to play because it was Buck Rogers. I think it'd do pretty well now, retro raygun is a bit more popular these days.
I get the feeling that the Buck Rogers elements were more or less grafted on to the game. Very little mention is made of the characters in the text as a whole and it would likely be easier to ignore Buck and Co than to actually use them.
You are using images from Imageshack, which are not viewable to a significant part of the world's population, including the site's administrator (me). Please change them to something else or delete them.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;458029You are using images from Imageshack, which are not viewable to a significant part of the world's population, including the site's administrator (me). Please change them to something else or delete them.
RPGPundit
Really? Sorry. I'll change them later on today, I'm on my way out to a wedding right now. Delete the thread if you feel the need.
'Forgotten'? It's right on my shelf. Along with the entire supplement run. I always loved this setting. Though I don't think that 2E was a great fit. Not sure what I would use to run a Buck Rogers game... Maybe OVA?
Quote from: Tetsubo;458071'Forgotten'? It's right on my shelf. Along with the entire supplement run. I always loved this setting. Though I don't think that 2E was a great fit. Not sure what I would use to run a Buck Rogers game... Maybe OVA?
I'd probably use CAH, but OVA is a damn fine idea too. I've got the boxed set on my shelf. I adore it. Harder SF than a lot of other games.
Quote from: David Johansen;458026I always had trouble getting people to play because it was Buck Rogers. I think it'd do pretty well now, retro raygun is a bit more popular these days.
Yes, probably. But I think it may also have been that the property was devalued by its appearance in film and TV. First of all, as far as the film goes, I doubt most people could distinguish Buck Rogers from Flash Gordon; not that Flash Gordon had any more baggage, but both were dragged down by the fact that through the 70's, the most we saw of them was cheesy black & white clips and stills from the old serials. And then BR had the silly Happy Days-era TV show with Gil Gerard.
Compare Conan or Edgar Rice Burroughs' stuff, which though it dated from the same period (and in the case of Tarzan, had been adapted in a pretty cheesy form early on) managed to be presented in fairly good "contemporary" style through the 70's & 80's, in comics, book reprints, and movies.
The images are fixed.
I hope you are all fucking happy.
Quote from: Tetsubo;458071'Forgotten'? It's right on my shelf. Along with the entire supplement run. I always loved this setting. Though I don't think that 2E was a great fit. Not sure what I would use to run a Buck Rogers game... Maybe OVA?
By forgotten I mean rarely spoken of. I did a search and found like three forum threads for it over the last 10 years or so.
I am certain that you have a shit ton of stuff that people would love to know more about.
Share.
Quote from: Aos;458088I hope you are all fucking happy.
Actually, that is just an
Official Buck Rogers Rocket Ruler in my pocket.
Given how well Stars Without Number has been recieved I think it's entirely possible the second edition D&D rules would be a big hit in the current retro clone age.
Those unboxing pics really want me to pick this up. IIRC Mike Pondsmith of CP2020 fame wrote this, which is yet another reason I am interested in this. I've heard it as having a fairly playable mix of pulp sf, early transhuman/cyberpunk and hard sf and the art looks fun. And I'm one of those who likes AD&D2E so I've no problem with this system.
Yeah the Buck Rogers tv show + the DDL Flash Gordon film and the early 80s cartoon(s) put me in the Flash Gordon camp but really it's rather easy to move between them and it's not like this has the original book or serial Buck Rogers setting anyway.
Were the TSR Buck Rogers novels from around this time set in this game's setting and are they worth picking up? I get that being game fiction they're not likely to be great lit, but readable is ok.
Quote from: David Johansen;458109Given how well Stars Without Number has been recieved I think it's entirely possible the second edition D&D rules would be a big hit in the current retro clone age.
The percentile skills kinda dimmed it, however, SNW would be an awesome alternate as well.
I so want to go make some PC's.
Well, it is second edition and it works far better than the stat based d20 proficiencies did. Hi I'm a thief! I can pick pockets with a 15% chance of success! But I can also forge weapons and armor with a 65% chance (13 in 20) maybe I'll just stay home and do an honest day's work after all. Even going to stat bonuses is too good unless you make the base target number 20.
Quote from: Aos;458088The images are fixed.
I hope you are all fucking happy.
I am. Thank you for making the change.
RPGPundit
I'm with some others - forgotten? Nu-uh. I was really excited about that game when it came out. I don't own everything for it, but I bought into it.
Seanchai
Quote from: Seanchai;458169I'm with some others - forgotten? Nu-uh. I was really excited about that game when it came out. I don't own everything for it, but I bought into it.
Seanchai
Knowing that you also have a huge collection-this applies to you as well:
Quote from: Aos;458090By forgotten I mean rarely spoken of. I did a search and found like three forum threads for it over the last 10 years or so.
I am certain that you have a shit ton of stuff that people would love to know more about.
Share.
Quote from: Aos;458170Knowing that you also have a huge collection-this applies to you as well:
Huge and growin', baby. But, yeah, okay.
Seanchai
That's pretty awesome. I remember really wanting it back in the day, but didn't have the money for it. It looks better than I would have expected.
Funny they choose to include a Map of the Earth, just in case you didnt own one.
Enough talky-talk; how's this bitch play?
I couldn't help but notice that you had a copy of my S&W: WhiteBox rules on the table next to the Buck Rogers game. That makes me very happy, and thanks for the "product placement"! ;)
I like the Buck Rogers rules. I don't use the actual modules much, but I bought the board game and combine the general setting with my own ideas. Very fun.
Quote from: finarvyn;458278I couldn't help but notice that you had a copy of my S&W: WhiteBox rules on the table next to the Buck Rogers game. That makes me very happy, and thanks for the "product placement"! ;)
I like the Buck Rogers rules. I don't use the actual modules much, but I bought the board game and combine the general setting with my own ideas. Very fun.
S&W WB is my fantasy game of choice, so thank you. I've house ruled the living shit out of it though- check out the link in my sig.
I was introduced to the Buck Rogers XXVC game through the old SSI gold box game 'Countdown to Doomsday' on the Amiga. Great game, but dead easy to cheat by copying the best equipment and doling it out (my entire team was decked out with rocket launchers and mercurian needle guns, best armour etc, more or less waded through everything, but the game was still tricky on the harder levels with robots and such providing stiff resistance sometimes). The game included a condensed set of rules for the rpg which would be fine to run a session with, if I recall.
That led me to hoover up everything published for the system (as far as I know. When I get chance tomorrow I will dig it out for a picture) though I never got round to playing it because my gaming takes place online these days, and the game wasn't well known. Aside from the percentile skills system, it was AD&D 2e, THAC0 etc but set in the solar system.
I gather there is some connection (The Dille family, and Lorraine Williams? Will have to check) between the then CEO of TSR and the creator of Buck Rogers. When TSR went bust there may have been some backlash against her and the game she brought with her. Perhaps TSR paid a lot of money for a license that really wasn't worth much at all..? I don't know. All I know is that the look and the feel of the game were excellent, up to the usual TSR standards of the day, which were top notch in my book.
Will stick a few scans up when I get chance.
Quote from: APN;458988I gather there is some connection (The Dille family, and Lorraine Williams? Will have to check) between the then CEO of TSR and the creator of Buck Rogers. When TSR went bust there may have been some backlash against her and the game she brought with her. Perhaps TSR paid a lot of money for a license that really wasn't worth much at all..? I don't know. All I know is that the look and the feel of the game were excellent, up to the usual TSR standards of the day, which were top notch in my book.
Will stick a few scans up when I get chance.
There is and there was; Williams basically made two different Buck Rogers games during her time at TSR in order to channel money from the company right into her personal family wealth.
As such, this game was not well loved or very well received in its time.
RPGPundit
I've played the two Gold Box computer games and count them among the best of that line. Never had a chance to play it PnP, but certainly wouldn't mind giving it a spin.
Quote from: Premier;459208I've played the two Gold Box computer games and count them among the best of that line. Never had a chance to play it PnP, but certainly wouldn't mind giving it a spin.
Funny thing is--I enjoyed the Sega version of one of them (the first one) better than the computer game. They were all very fun, but the Sega controls worked better for me and I liked the overhead 3/4 movement instead of the tiny "eye-view" version.
Still fun games, I'd love to play the tabletop game.
Quote from: RPGPundit;459179There is and there was; Williams basically made two different Buck Rogers games during her time at TSR in order to channel money from the company right into her personal family wealth.
As such, this game was not well loved or very well received in its time.
RPGPundit
I think its was pretty much ignored really. I think that it is possible that I identified it with the Buck Rogers TV show and probably just ceased to think of ti beyond that.
Looking at it now, it has some neat parts and does seem pretty solid, overall, though.
The layout of the books reminds of a shopping mall from the same time period, clean and functional, but sterile and uninspiring.
Quote from: Aos;459281I think its was pretty much ignored really. I think that it is possible that I identified it with the Buck Rogers TV show and probably just ceased to think of ti beyond that.
Looking at it now, it has some neat parts and does seem pretty solid, overall, though.
The layout of the books reminds of a shopping mall from the same time period, clean and functional, but sterile and uninspiring.
The visuals overall are kind of lacking but I think there are some good setting ideas in there, just rendered blandly. I doubt the williamses had much input into the thing other than it needed to use their license.
I kind of ignored it... it didn't look like it had much to do with the Buck Rogers I knew (the old comics and serials)... the only reason I looked at it twice was it didn't have the obvious tie in to the TV show.
Their other Buck Rogers RPG, the 'Cliffhangers' one, was more what I'd imagined.
Quote from: Simlasa;459297I kind of ignored it... it didn't look like it had much to do with the Buck Rogers I knew (the old comics and serials)... the only reason I looked at it twice was it didn't have the obvious tie in to the TV show.
Their other Buck Rogers RPG, the 'Cliffhangers' one, was more what I'd imagined.
I've heard that one was flat out awesome, but I've never managed to pick up a copy.
It's cheap on Ebay.
Here's my personal take on it. I make no claims for historical accuracy.
By the early 90's TSR's street cred among gamers, atleast the ones I knew, was at it's lowest ebb. They brought out a string of non-D&D games like Gamma World 4th edition, Amazing Engine and Buck Rogers with cheap and nasty production values and systems that seemed kind of dated and rushed out before they were fully baked.
Bare in mind this was at the precise time other game companies were upping the ante in terms of production values or deisgn innovation or both. This are the years Vampire, Amber, OVer the Edge, Rifts among others whhich all pushing the envelope one way or the other.
In retrospect these TSR games weren't actually all that bad. With a little extra polish the 1991 version of Gamma World could have been sensational (and I am still very fond of it) and some of the Amazing Engine world books are pretty cool. And while I only have a passing familiarity with the Buck Rogers game, the near space setting seemed surprisingly rich.
Basically, lots of missed opportunities.
Quote from: Soylent Green;459306Here's my personal take on it. I make no claims for historical accuracy.
By the early 90's TSR's street cred among gamers, atleast the ones I knew, was at it's lowest ebb. They brought out a string of non-D&D games like Gamma World 4th edition, Amazing Engine and Buck Rogers with cheap and nasty production values and systems that seemed kind of dated and rushed out before they were fully baked.
Bare in mind this was at the precise time other game companies were upping the ante in terms of production values or deisgn innovation or both. This are the years Vampire, Amber, OVer the Edge, Rifts among others whhich all pushing the envelope one way or the other.
In retrospect these TSR games weren't actually all that bad. With a little extra polish the 1991 version of Gamma World could have been sensational (and I am still very fond of it) and some of the Amazing Engine world books are pretty cool. And while I only have a passing familiarity with the Buck Rogers game, the near space setting seemed surprisingly rich.
Basically, lots of missed opportunities.
OK sorry if this demands a new thread more than anything but what about GW could have been boosted up easily? I was very fond of this version of GW myself.
I kind of agree with Amazing Engine. From memory (and going on the Dragon ads) Amazing Engine and Planescape seemed to appear about the same time, so maybe this was the "the company is sinking, quick do something!" phase. As with many things TSR, amazing engine was some good settings but crummy system.
D&D 2e 1987
XXVc- 1990
Amazing Engine/Planescape 1994
I don't think this was a desperation game. I think this was a game designed to make the Dille (owners of the BR property) family some cash. However, in the defense of the designers (Mike Pondsmith et al.) Buck is more or less shoe horned in to it. The game itself feels far more like 50's-70's solar system science fiction.
Quote from: Aos;459319D&D 2e 1987
XXVc- 1990
Amazing Engine/Planescape 1994
I don't think this was a desperation game. I think this was a game designed to make the Dille (owners of the BR property) family some cash. However, in the defense of the designers (Mike Pondsmith et al.) Buck is more or less shoe horned in to it. The game itself feels far more like 50's-70's solar system science fiction.
I'd agree - the first Buck Rogers game predates that whole thing. The second one (Cliffhangers) maybe - same googling places this in 1993.
A review I read of Cliffhangers in Dragon seemed to suggest that part of the reason Cliffhangers existed was that the first BR game wasn't as successful as hoped, but the whole company wouldn't have been in dire straits in the time period of the first Buck Rogers.
EDIT: In partial recompense for being a jerk and wandering off-topic, I found an XXVC related link which may be of interest. (?)
http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~leirbakk/rpg/buckrogers/buckrogers_index_e.html (http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~leirbakk/rpg/buckrogers/buckrogers_index_e.html)
Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;459318OK sorry if this demands a new thread more than anything but what about GW could have been boosted up easily? I was very fond of this version of GW myself.
They could've finished the design, and they could've given it to one team that actually worked together, instead of splitting it between two teams who went on to develop completely incongruous mechanics that were then sandwiched together.
I like the game too, but it's very clear that it wasn't exactly built by any kind of consistent design. On the one hand you've got proto-D20 stat and combat systems, but they're paired to a completely ass-backwards skill system.
The whole design is very sloppy and smacks of being the assemblage of many different random ideas stuck together to get a product out the door.
When I think of this game these days I can't help but think it's an ideal system for a retro clone, and a setting vaguely similar - to avoid being chased by lawyers for the Dille family.
Quote from: J Arcane;459395They could've finished the design, and they could've given it to one team that actually worked together, instead of splitting it between two teams who went on to develop completely incongruous mechanics that were then sandwiched together.
I like the game too, but it's very clear that it wasn't exactly built by any kind of consistent design. On the one hand you've got proto-D20 stat and combat systems, but they're paired to a completely ass-backwards skill system.
The whole design is very sloppy and smacks of being the assemblage of many different random ideas stuck together to get a product out the door.
Are we talking about the 4th ed. of Gamma World?
(http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff507/BSJ17/index.jpg)
I didn't think this was so bad. From memory, its d20+ mod vs. target number most of the way throughout, with no real skill system - just a percentage roll to see if you get swim or read/write as skills?
Quote from: Soylent Green;459306By the early 90's TSR's street cred among gamers, atleast the ones I knew, was at it's lowest ebb. They brought out a string of non-D&D games like Gamma World 4th edition, Amazing Engine and Buck Rogers with cheap and nasty production values and systems that seemed kind of dated and rushed out before they were fully baked.
I owned the Metamorphosis Alpha rules for Amazing Engine, and considered it a good idea ruined by a bland, generic system and bland, shoddy writing. The other games in the line may be good, but MA was just boring. I ended up not running the campaign I was all psyched up about before I actually owned the product. :(
Quote from: Premier;459208I've played the two Gold Box computer games and count them among the best of that line. Never had a chance to play it PnP, but certainly wouldn't mind giving it a spin.
I wish there was an easy way to play the old Gold Box games on an iPhone or Android.
Actually, I'm a little surprised no one has hashed together a retro-clone powered, gold box style, indie videogame.
Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;459444Are we talking about the 4th ed. of Gamma World?
(http://i1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff507/BSJ17/index.jpg)
I didn't think this was so bad. From memory, its d20+ mod vs. target number most of the way throughout, with no real skill system - just a percentage roll to see if you get swim or read/write as skills?
You've got the right cover, but not quite the right mechanics.
Combat is d20+mods, but the skills system is both present, and also literally backwards from the combat system, using a bizarre roll-under on D20 system, were the roll is D20+
difficulty, with the target being rolling under stat+skill.
Quote from: Melan;459449I owned the Metamorphosis Alpha rules for Amazing Engine, and considered it a good idea ruined by a bland, generic system and bland, shoddy writing. The other games in the line may be good, but MA was just boring. I ended up not running the campaign I was all psyched up about before I actually owned the product.
I've got some of these, though have never played them. I thought
Bughunters wasn't bad -this was from the guy who wrote Dark Conspiracy, Lester Smith.
The Galactos Barrier was somewhat weird - Star Wars with magical singing powers, made by the guy who TSR was using to spy on Gary Gygax- while
MagiTech was somewhat weird (pseudo-modern with space travel and magic-based technology).
Kromosome and
For Faerie, Queen and Country looked like interesting setting but I don't know much about them, even less about MA or the King Arthur one.
Quote from: J Arcane;459504You've got the right cover, but not quite the right mechanics.
Combat is d20+mods, but the skills system is both present, and also literally backwards from the combat system, using a bizarre roll-under on D20 system, were the roll is D20+difficulty, with the target being rolling under stat+skill.
You're right ! I'd remembered attribute checks were roll-under like that, but I checked and I'd forgotten that the class skills used the same system. Shameful since I played quite a bit of this back in high school :(
If you have a ref for the two different teams working on the design I'd be interested in checking this out; at the time it actually never struck as unusual that the mechanics were as you say ass-backwards, since 2E and quite a few other games at the time didn't have a universal mechanic.
Faerie Queen and Country was neat. Not quite Castle Falkenstein being more focused on Britain and particularly London but a Victorian urban fantasy that wasn't horror or over the top.
The magic system was a nice flexible make your own spells type thing though I don't remember much more about it now.
Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;459634You're right ! I'd remembered attribute checks were roll-under like that, but I checked and I'd forgotten that the class skills used the same system. Shameful since I played quite a bit of this back in high school :(
If you have a ref for the two different teams working on the design I'd be interested in checking this out; at the time it actually never struck as unusual that the mechanics were as you say ass-backwards, since 2E and quite a few other games at the time didn't have a universal mechanic.
It's more a sense of the design, and their obvious lineage in later games. The combat and stats obviously hint at proto-3e, while the skill checks remind me of nothing so much as a crude prototype for Alternity's system.
It seems a lot like they grabbed some random mechanics that were still in test bed for later systems, and hatily attached them to Gamma World to justify the expense.
Quote from: J Arcane;459661It's more a sense of the design, and their obvious lineage in later games. The combat and stats obviously hint at proto-3e, while the skill checks remind me of nothing so much as a crude prototype for Alternity's system.
It seems a lot like they grabbed some random mechanics that were still in test bed for later systems, and hatily attached them to Gamma World to justify the expense.
Well, did some digging (skip to end for short version)
4E Gamma World (May 1992) - lead designers Bruce Nesmith and James M. Ward. I'd expect Nesmith would be the primary design influence on this edition, Ward being the original author of the game.
Contributors included Rich Baker, Tim Beach, David Zeb Cook, Thomas Reid, Eric Haddock, Dale Henson, Dale Donovan. Skip Williams (who was on the 3E team later) is listed on as a playtester (whatever that means, given that Lorraine forbade playtesting).
Alternity (April 1998) was written by Bill Slavicsek & Richard Baker...so Richard Baker was a 'contributor' to Gamma World and wrote much of Alternity. James Ward appears as a 'special thanks' .
(Also there's advice from Monte Cook who of course was one of the three or so lead designers of 3E).
Possibly unrelatedly: Late in 2E, the later revision of the psionics rules (Will & The Way/Skills & Powers) is very similar to the Gamma World system, with 'mental Armour class' and 'M-THAC0' though it uses the old lower-is-better AC system; this is credited to Bill Slavicsek & Dale A Donovan; Donovan gets a mention in GW but is only credited as a 'playtester'.
3rd Ed didn't come out until August 2000 – so 8 years after Gamma World – with the core mechanic being generally credited to Tweet (and being similar to the system in both Talislanta and Ars Magica). Tweet was with WOTC from 1993, but TSR wasn't purchased by them until 1997.
Short Summary:
Possibly link between GW and Alternity with Richard Baker the likely guilty party. Differences in time make the link between 3E and GW more tenuous, but one of the lead designers (Williams) was a playtester for GW.
I faintly recall someone telling me that Tweet was involved in GW4 somehow as well, but I think it was Pundit who said it, so i dunno how accurate that is and given the dates I think he wasn't even with the company then.
Really though, the 3e changes to the core mechanics are pretty obvious evolutions anyway, Palladium had more or less already hit on the mechanic by this point. All it's presence in GW may indicate is just that TSR had been thinking about executing those changes themselves earlier than some may realize.
I think you may be getting mixed up with Omega World, the Gamma World inspired micro game based on D&D 3e.
Tell you what, if one took the basic framework of the 1991 Gamma World and applied the elegant design of Omega World you'd have one hell of game.