How would one go about designing a gurps game loosely based on SMT?

[MonkeySage]

Having looked at other systems for generic role playing games, I decided that a game based loosely on the themes of SMT might best be represented by Gurps. That said, I'm still quite new to gurps, and I'm trying to find ways to simplify what I can.

So I've got the concept down, but not the mechanics.

This is very loosely based on SMT; the setting I've got is a near future(late 2020s, early 2030s, TL9) preapocalyptic urban fantasy. Humans team up with demons to take on supernatural threats, etc.

I'm mainly wondering if I could get a rundown of some good places to start; I'm obv. taking inspiration from the SMT series, but as far as gurps is concerned where might be some areas of interest?

[Xuc Xac]

34 views as of this post but no replies. I'm guessing they were all wondering the same thing I was. What's SMT?

[MonkeySage]

Shin Megami Tensei, it's a series of games that take place in a post apocalyptic cyberpunk version of Earth in which war rages between two factions of demons(One of which calls themselves 'angels' to distance from the other faction). All myths are true, and virtually anything you might have suspected was under your bed is real. A common theme is that some humans, known as Demon Busters, make pacts with some of the friendlier demons(sometimes), getting them to fight on the human's behalf or learning to cast spells(humans do not normally have access to magic).

It follows a similar alignment system to that of D&D, light and dark, except that light is not always good, and dark is not always evil. Alignment here serves sort of as a way to declare your faction.

[Comet]

To add to the above: it's about Law and Chaos where Law is angels, harmony and tyranny and Chaos is demons, freedom and anarchy and humans stand somewhere in between, either having to choose their side or standing on their own. Since it's apocalyptic it's about choosing what kind of world you would build after the old one has ended. Do you value safety more than freedom? Do you think the strong deserve more thant the weak? Do you want to punch God or the devil in the face and let mankind decide its own fate without being chained to one particular philosophy?

Basically you make a party out of, say, Thor, Sarasvati, Amaterasu and Jack Frost and fight against other mythical beings who may or may not be philosphically against your particular brand of utopia.

It's a great setting for a roleplaying game since there's a lot of fighting and excitement but also the potential for talking about what kinds of worlds might be cool to build from the ashes of armageddon. No idea about GURPS, though, haven't played it enough to comment how to make SMT's brand of craziness work on that system. Sorry!

[mikeejimbo]

Consider picking up GURPS Monster Hunters. It should have some pretty good framework for the theme of humanity caught between a supernatural war. It does focus on the idea of the supernatural being hidden from most people and I'm not sure how that's handled in SMT but it's an assumption that can be overturned.

I think there are some GURPS conversionso of In Nomine stuff too, that could be useful. Actually, have you considered In Nomine?

[MonkeySage]

Reading a bit more, it seems like Gurps might be very useful for a game like this. I think I might play it as a mon game, in which the player has control over the demons in their party.