How good is BESM 3rd Ed?

[[WanderingMagelok]]

I have been hearing great things about the BESM game lately, and think it may be something that my current RL group could convert to after our current game concludes.

Basically, what is the general opinion on the quality of the latest edition (3rd?). I'm looking for the latest one that uses the Tri Stat system, as I really don't want to play another D20 game.

[itches]

This poll fails and by extension so do you. When providing a number scale you need to mention which end of the numbers is the better side and which end is the worse side.

[BigRedRod]

I didn't realise 3rd edition was out yet. 2nd edition, or 2nd edition revised is the latest version as far as I'm aware.

Essentially, go and use GURPS4. BESM is a similar system stripped down to the point of unuseability. Any game idea you have will require massive mechanical overhauls and it simply isn't worth the effort.

For a time it was in vigue here, but people have since come to their senses.

[Doomsmile]

My dabblings in BESM have netted me this insight on the game's balancing force: it's so ridiculously easy to break (I did it without meaning to while making my first character), but it winds up being balanced because everyone is broken, and the GM can make brokener things than you can. From what a few of my friends have told me, that also seems to be how Exalted is balanced, so BESM is in good company.

[LynMars]

White Wolf took over BESM after GoO went under, and released it under their Arthaus imprint, with a constant disclaimer that they are not accepting responsibility for GoO's debts created in making the game--like all the writers and artists who never got paid, presumably.

I haven't looked at 3rd ed yet, but I have to agree that previous versions of BESM were way too fluid, easy to twink, and overall "meh." You ended up always succeeding if you did it right. The GM would really have to control point expenditures and what stuff was and wasn't allowed in order to keep it anywhere near balancing. And then you ended up broken anyway, so yeah. Anime, go fig.

BESM d20 was horrible in my opinion, as it tried to take a too-fluid system and smoosh it together with a too-rigid system and ended up with the worst of both. Also, the editting was crap; the book contradicted itself or just flat-out didn't define too much stuff.

[[WanderingMagelok]]

Well, thanks for the help guys. I guess we'll stick to GURPS (we currently use 4th ed).

And itches, you may have just failed to read the poll correctly. 5 is the highest rating (hence the "best" in the poll description). pwned!!!!!!!! :)

[itches]

Hmm, I could have sworn that wasn't there before. You have my apologies.