Whatever happened to BESM3?

Gabriel · January 25, 2007, 10:49:42 AM

Like the title says. Wasn't White Wolf supposed to be releasing BESM3 around now?

Warthur · January 25, 2007, 10:51:59 AM

It is. Leisure Games in London say it'll be in stock this week.

kregmosier · January 25, 2007, 11:11:56 AM

it's out right here.

Ian Absentia · January 25, 2007, 12:52:09 PM

BESM 1st ed was kind of fun. BESM 2nd ed was kind of turgid. Any outlook on what the 3rd edition might be like?

!i!

Gabriel · January 25, 2007, 01:12:02 PM

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaBESM 1st ed was kind of fun. BESM 2nd ed was kind of turgid. Any outlook on what the 3rd edition might be like?

!i!

Well, I was kinda, sorta interested in it because it's supposed to be roll-high instead of roll under. That alone would address a good chunk of the game's problems by default. I also read somewhere the skill system was going to be excessively revamped.

I kind of envisioned something like a revamp cross of Tri-Stat DX (which I thought was a good effort with the crippling flaw of the hand me down BESM roll under system and variable dice) and BESMd20 (which would have been better if it were presented as the point based d20 engine it was, rather than shoehorned into the d20 license). No idea what the reality is like.

I hadn't heard anything about it in months, so I figured it had quietly died.

Balbinus · January 25, 2007, 02:02:29 PM

I saw a copy yesterday while in my FLGS, but since I'm not in the market for it didn't really look at it I'm afraid.

Ronin · January 25, 2007, 02:14:24 PM

A game of thrones was supposed to use the new high roll and skill system too. But I have not gotten a chance to look at it. (Or 3rd edition BESM for that matter.)

jcfiala · January 25, 2007, 05:57:57 PM

Quote from: GabrielI hadn't heard anything about it in months, so I figured it had quietly died.

There's a review on rpg.net - it is a roll-high system.

Wil · January 26, 2007, 10:45:17 AM

On top of that, there are people who have it in their hands. I'm actually interested in it - I have BESM 2 and never really did anything with it but I'm hankering for something to give me a good generic option for games that isn't GURPS or HERO. I only run Exalted using Storyteller because it's too much of a pain to convert it to something else; I use SilCore for all of my modern/science fiction type of stuff; I'd like to have something that will run any weird ideas I get that won't work with SilCore and BESM 3 looks like it will fit the bill.

TheQuestionMan · January 28, 2007, 08:34:30 AM

What's wrong with GURPS and HERO?

Wil · January 28, 2007, 01:27:31 PM

Quote from: TheQuestionManWhat's wrong with GURPS and HERO?

Mechanically they're too complicated for my tastes.

Ian Absentia · January 28, 2007, 02:34:39 PM

Quote from: TheQuestionManWhat's wrong with GURPS and HERO?

In all seriousness, that was actually a problem that I had with Tri-Stat dX -- it was re-inventing the wheel that GURPS and Hero already represented. And it didn't do it any better. I'm with Wil (at least I think this is what Wil was suggesting) -- GURPS is too mechanically fiddly for my tastes, and the pleasing feature of 1st edition BESM was that it was intentionally simple. 2nd edition and Tri-Stat dX tried to do too much with too little. Like I said above, turgid.

!i!

Silverlion · January 28, 2007, 06:05:39 PM

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaIn all seriousness, that was actually a problem that I had with Tri-Stat dX -- it was re-inventing the wheel that GURPS and Hero already represented. And it didn't do it any better. I'm with Wil (at least I think this is what Wil was suggesting) -- GURPS is too mechanically fiddly for my tastes, and the pleasing feature of 1st edition BESM was that it was intentionally simple. 2nd edition and Tri-Stat dX tried to do too much with too little. Like I said above, turgid.

!i!

3E looks like it continues the trend, sadly, and adds even more fiddly, point accounting, etc.

I've switched to OVA instead.

Nicephorus · January 28, 2007, 06:47:30 PM

Quote from: Silverlion3E looks like it continues the trend, sadly, and adds even more fiddly, point accounting, etc.

I've switched to OVA instead.

What's OVA? Not ringing a bell tonight.

I liked 2e but tristat Dx was too much fiddling for no gain.

Silverlion · January 28, 2007, 07:31:20 PM

Quote from: NicephorusWhat's OVA? Not ringing a bell tonight.

I liked 2e but tristat Dx was too much fiddling for no gain.

Open Versatile Anime--similar to BESM 1E with different base mechanics (still D6 based but uses a "roll pool, take highest compare to target number assaigned by GM" mechanic)

Put out by Wise Turtle Publishing: http://www.wiseturtle.com/products.html (I own a print copy its short--spends a lot of space on sample NPC's but is solid mechanically at least so much as 1E BESM

)