http://www.mentalwinds.com/page351.html

Free download, clocking in at a respectable 25 MB.

Attitude? Check. RIFTS-y fever dream powergaming? Check. Homebrew out of control? Check.

On top of that: abundance of typos and grammatical challenges (not met), RIFTS-esque classes, and a scifi setting that at first glance sounds, well, kinda interesting.

This was the game that used the really wacky D16 (NOT numbered 1-16).  

RPGPundit

When we were talking about boxed sets, I was waxing nostalgic about old Metascape. I played their Guild Space millieu--sort of a cross between Star Wars and Battlelords of the 25th Century. I also played a few short campaigns with The Ultimate Power, the generic version of the rules.

The rules are designed to be pretty high-powered. The wierd die is a doubling die, and an effect die, with two of the sixteen faces being the crit indicators. Dice are open-ended yeilding a wide range of results. The GM predominantly assigns target numbers; there aren't many opposed rolls.

Scenario design is pretty easy. Character generation in Guild Space was easy. It was more difficult in the generic rules, because you had to develop free form abilities, with little guidance on limitations. Metascape isn't much about the limitations. It's full-on gonzo.

I still have a dozen of the wierd dice. I will certainly download this version and compare it to the old box. I'm intrigued by the rerelease of the product and by its freeness.

Quote from: RPGPunditThis was the game that used the really wacky D16 (NOT numbered 1-16).

Numbered 0-F?

Quote from: John MorrowNumbered 0-F?

You're the wind beneath my wings, sir.

You know, at first, I thought this thread was about Heroscape.  After looking through both websites, I'm not sure that they're not one and the same.

!i!

Damn it. Damn you guys.

I downloaded this. I went way back into my game room, in the deepest, dusty archives, and flipped through the books, especially the Ultimate Power. I found a binder full of characters and notes and campaign material--some played, some not. I found my Scaper ID card (#817) and marveled at my lowly Initiate rank. I considered the ridiculous jargon in the game, the hysterically overblown self-promotion, the insanely explosive dice mechanics, the multiple ways not to die, the strange mechanics and cryptic references to clearly non-existent math that supported the balance and playability of this unlikely hodge-podge of rules.

And I loved it. Not a clean love, born of deep appreciation of the genius and rigor involved in an inspired game system. No--it's dirty wrong love, whipped up by the demented enthusiasm of the highly excitable designer. Though I scarcely remember any of it, at one time I was obviously enraptured with this game and spent what appears to me now to be hours of effort attempting to spackle some clarity and consistency to the game. I was getting married at about this same time, going by the dates on these notes. That period of my life has been blessedly scoured from my memory and the fleeting flashes I'm getting of playing this game are an unwelcome reawakening of those dormant neural pathways.

So. Now I have to play it again. Just to get some closure, if nothing else. This is nuts. I have Cthulhu to play in October and B movie scenarios to write and a short Metal, Magic, and Lore campaign to plan and a RuneQuest arc to complete and a SW Saga game to coach, and now this--this . . . gamer baggage. I have a job. I don't have time for this. I bitterly regard my lack of discipline. I curse my weakness.

It'll be cool, though. They'll have to infiltrate a renegade battlemoon, deal with the insectoid squatters, rescue an artificial intelligence with Patty Hearst syndrome, and fend off sorcerous space pirates . . .

Save yourselves, boys, I'm a goner.

Thank you so much for that stu2000.     You resurrected a piece of my naieve delight.  Which should be a ship name.

Quote from: stu2000It'll be cool, though. They'll have to infiltrate a renegade battlemoon, deal with the insectoid squatters, rescue an artificial intelligence with Patty Hearst syndrome, and fend off sorcerous space pirates . . .

Save yourselves, boys, I'm a goner.

God damn that sounds like fun.

Quote from: Christmas ApeGod damn that sounds like fun.

For a good powergame, fun is the primary aspect. Don't buy that whole "expert role-players only" spiel on the promo. Blow weird shit up and enjoy the fireworks.

Quote from: from the MetaScape websiteMetaScape II is a very advanced role playing game targeting a mature, experienced audience. To successfully grasp this system and wield its power, you need to be mature and intelligent. Seriously, if you're not at least in upper high school or college with above average intelligence and maturity level, this system is NOT for you.

This is the exact same play that made me fall for ADVANCED Dungeons & Dragons as a kid.  I love it.

I'm not learning how to use that goddamn 16-sider of crazy fucking moon voodoo.

I'll just run it in Rifts, or Rifts - 100% Metal Edition (all percentile) if I get it done.

Quote from: Christmas ApeI'm not learning how to use that goddamn 16-sider of crazy fucking moon voodoo.

That just proves that you're not hardcore enough to play this game.

Quote from: jrientsThis is the exact same play that made me fall for ADVANCED Dungeons & Dragons as a kid.  I love it.

You know, there is a certain reverse psychology to it isn't there? "You gotta gotta be an old pro to have fun blowing this shit up!", definitely has an appeal to it.

Quote from: jrientsThat just proves that you're not hardcore enough to play this game.

Dude--if your "percentile" dice can't give you results from 1-2500, they aren't very hardcore at all . . .
Can you accept the responsibility of a game that lets you bend the very walls of reality with the powr of your imagination?!