What I Don't Like About New West

[maasenstodt]

umm... the rifts main book hasn't been revised like that.

You are incorrect. The Rifts Main Book has been slightly revised over time. I own multiple printings of it and there are differences between them. I'm looking at the -10 dodge rule being in print in one copy and not in another right now.

[Mack]

Actually, the main book does.
In the newer printings, they've scrapped the original stats and the new stats are boosted to the level of power portrayed in New West.
The original dino stats have been scrapped after New West.

Ahh, didn't know that. Both of my copies have print dates of 1990.

[Sentinel]

In addition to my previous points, 'normal' dinos still do make appearances as I need them. If I have to step them up, well, now I can thanks to New West.
Normal predatory animals also provide occasional threats. Sometimes they're just what I need sometimes, they're not. I'm not advocating MDC lions and tigers and bears, just tougher dinos. If whales and sharks can, then why not dinosaurs? If a regular bear isn't enough, then I go to the next 'biggest' animal. If that won't do then a low-end dino. If not, then a tougher, MDC dino.
Along the same lines, sometimes the human threat can be as low-end as a pack of bandits in home spun armour, sometimes a Coalition armoured column, sometimes a diabolic coven of witches.
The players now have a wide variety of oppnents/menaces to contend with, wthout tiring of any one type.
And, I do use the OCCs from the main book. I alos use the juicer variants, mercenary OCCs, and OCCs from the New and Spirit West. It would be neat if everyone wanted to run low-end characters all at the same time, but, inevitably, one player will want a Rogue Scholar, another will want a Wilderness Scout, and another will want a Mega-Juicer. And now, I have something to challenge everyone, without leaving anyone out of the action, or coming up with a threat for one which would totally destroy the rest of the group.

[TechnoGothic]

i liked/dislike the book at the same time.
i liked the OCCs for the most part.
Loved the Mining Borg.
Hated the MDC Dinos.

I use Dino as SDC creatures.
Like the Titan Juicers the have alot of SDC yes, but a MD Blast chews them up big time.
i give the average big dino between 2,000 to 6,000 SDC. Some much much less, others with thick armor more.

But we didnt need MDC Dino ever, one reason i hate Dino-Swamp so much now. They could have posted SDC versions too, and i would have been happy.

[Mech-Viper Prime]

nothing like an old gitty grizzly loony miner borg in search NORAD

[Sentinel]

I just hate MDC, and I never use it for anything at all. Most of the time, a one-to-one works for converting to SDC, other times I have to check different versions of a creature/monster/armour/weapon/spell, and see which version best suits me.
I tried keeping to MDC when I first ran Rifts, but as soon as CB1 offered guidelines for conversion, I took 'em.
If I run Robotech, which is rare antmore, I will keep MDC. Not for anything else though.

[Sentinel]

I have to agree with you about the excessive number of new OCCs. A lot could have been omitted by just having a wider margin for players to customize to suit.
A Gunslinger who prefers card games to gunfights is a gambler. No Need for a new OCC there. A Gunslinger who actually learned to repair and build firearms, as in has Weapons Engineer. No need for the GunFighter OCC.
If we have the Vagabond in the RMB, why do we need the Saloon Bum? Heck, I'm surprised there wasn't OCC: School Marm, which would be the Western Rogue Scholar.

[Killer Cyborg]

The only other problem was that some of the OCCs were just repetitive.
Do we really need a gunfighter, gun slinger, deputy, sheriff and bandit OCC? Or could we basically generate the same effect by having a slightly different selection of Other OCC skills made by the players when creating their general gunman or whatever OCC?

I'm with you there.
For that matter, The Saloon Bum the Barmaid (or whatever they were) could have easily been covered by the existing Vagabond OCC.