I know of all the time I spent playing RPG's, my favorite environment has always been Rifts. I think the people of Obsidian could do an amazing job with this in maybe a 3D style RPG, possibly mixing action and roleplay to attract a wide variety of people. The only tough part is convincing Palladium Books owner Kevin Siembeda to release the rights.

My one brush with rifts was pretty negative overall. I was invited to a game where all the players had absurdly powergamed class combos like jiucer/glitterboy/x/y, I got critized for making a feasable character, got whipped then observed a bit more of a senseless game and didn't return. Definately my most miserable PnP time ever.

 

I have no idea if Rifts itself is any good since I haven't looked at it since but I think the license is so small that an original setting would be a better idea for sci fi since the tradeoff of freedom vs recognition would be unfavorable.

True, an original is always preferable. Something with a large following can be a mixed blessing. The hardcores find you never meet enough of the environment, and the casuals dont know enough to appreciate it. But, it would be nice to see something with such a richly developed world come to life. Its too bad your first experience with it was so bad, but as with any similar game, the crowd and GM make or break it.

I never actually managed to play Rifts

Rift looked like a very unbalanced game from what I have read about it so far. When you look at the different character professions avilable together with races it does not even try to be balanced.

 

Liked the background story of it though.

That would be the hardest part is balance, but thats true for any new world too. Even if it wasn't a specific copy, a similar storyline would be easy to reproduce. Futuristic chaotic world, rebuilding after a nuclear holocaust situation, which caused portals from other worlds to open and integrate earth with infinite numbers of dimensions and planets. And ya could probably go so far as to have the same anti-human style faction which attempts to erradicate all non-human life. Plenty of freedom with the idea.

Where can I read more about Rifts? I never did play P&P games and I've never even heard of this setting..

http://www.palladiumbooks.com/ That's if ya wanna hear what the makers have to say. Don't be fooled by the website, it's a fairly good game and the site doesn't do it justice.

The site is verrrrrrrrrrrrrry primitive.

 

I wonder if they will EVER get those player made martial arts judged :ph34r:

Most poorly balanced system ever. Juicer + Glitterboy + Chinese Antiquarian = party of non-stop laughs!