Introduction
NGRG (Next Generation Role-playing Game) is a new revolutionary role playing game which is going to change the way you perceive world around you (or at least in your role playing game, RPG). I promise much and no doubt am exaggerating a little bit, but the truth is that sometimes I feel very proud about our project. Indeed, NGRG is being developed by me and Ari Mäki and may be finished some time this year.
The game is a new, individual system - no longer owing anything to any other existing RPG (well, every game owes something to all previous games, but in our case we have further developed every aspect of the game into something we have never seen in any other game). The main game engine is (being) written into a computer program and with all the details and properties of this game it would be absurd even to think of playing it without a computer. The program is, however, just game master's (GM) aid and does not constitute as a computer game in any way. The program is needed to boost the game into an unforeseen level of detail making the playing of RPG much more entertaining, challenging, realistic, and generally enjoyable. It also makes life easier for the GM as well as for the players, reducing the amount of paper waste generated by the game.
Our ultimate goal is to get NGRG finished and made into a commercial version. This lies somewhere (far?) in the future so I shall keep you informed of our progress. And as NGRG is only a working title, don't be surprised if nothing with that name ever appears into your RPG-shops. A part of the full game is of course the world where the game takes place. For various reasons we decided to create a world of our own but we may keep the new system adaptable to at least some existing worlds (such as Tolkien's).
History so far:
1987 - we purchased MERP by ICE (see my RoMerp page, click on a link below)
1988 - first modifications to the rules and new Character Sheets
1992 - an MS Excel sheet was made to run basic GM tasks
1993 - the whole combat system from MERP was added to Excel
1994 - some Rolemaster rules were adopted to our gameplay
1995 - major modifications to the combined MERP/Rolemaster rules
1996 - a new improved battle system was created, most everything about playing the game was included in the Excel sheets
1997 - the idea of a new game was born
1998 - most rules were recreated from the beginning, a much improved new battle system was created, weather system was created, existing game systems were examined to avoid similarities, totally new Character Sheets saw the daylight
1999 - a new world, Getisola, was created
2000 - a VRML three dimensional model was made of Getisola, a new system for magic was created, basic structure of animal life on Getisola was determined
2001 - a thorough study of pre-modern professions and their relative abundance was conducted, plate tectonics were determined for Getisola, vegetation zones were determined for Getisola, a computer clock was programmed for Getisola time system
Current Status: the unfinished new game is subjected to extreme beta testing
More later...
PS. If you want to read more about my previous work on developing MERP and Rolemaster into a more playable game, go to my ROMERP page.
Created by Rami T. F. Rekola