The cover to GURPS Infinite Worlds
GURPS Infinite Worlds is a supplement for the Fourth Edition of the GURPS role-playing game, published by Steve Jackson Games in 2005 and written by Kenneth Hite, Steve Jackson, and John M. Ford.
Background[]
GURPS Infinite Worlds updates nearly all of the information originally presented in the Third Edition books Classic: Time Travel, Classic: Alternate Earths, and Classic: Alternate Earths 2 to Fourth Edition . It won the 2005 Origins Award as Best Game Supplement.
Homeline and Centrum setting[]
In the main setting game, only two Earths have full-fledged, public "parachronics" programs (the technology behind traveling between parallel universes which are called Worldline); that of the players, known as Homeline, and one other, known as Centrum. Travel between worlds is generally done through ground-based equipment ("projectors") or vehicles ("conveyors"), but magic, parahuman abilities and even stranger methods can and have been utilized by both. Alternate worlds (also known as realities or worldlines) are grouped into "quanta", which have varying degrees of ease of access to either side. Within the game, the two agencies can either be adversaries, or grudging allies, depending on the scenario.
Several of the parallel Earths in the Alternate Earths volumes reappear - sometimes in slightly altered form - in Infinite Worlds: Reich-5, Caliph, Dixie, Ezcalli, Gernsback, Roma Aeterna, and Shikaku-Mon.
Reich-5 is of particular interest as thanks to an ill advised raid by Spetsnaz troops from Homeline it has gained access to world jumping which currently is limited to Quantum 3...though developments involving Red Moon raise questions about that limitation.
The book describes itself as the "core setting" of GURPS, with the worlds described in other GURPS sourcebooks as alternate Earths within the Infinite Worlds scenario.
Precent at the Creation[]
- Types of worlds: Empty, Echos, Parallels, Challenge Worlds
History, Already in Progress[]
How is history shaped?
- Decision: Great Man, Great Moment, Great Motherland
- Development: Politics, Economics, Generational Cycles
- Alternating Worlds
Comment[]
James Burke's Connections provides another way - system theory with innovation being the product of Religion[note 1], War[note 2], Accident[note 3], Environment[note 4], Deliberate search because it will make you money[note 5], concept in one field triggers progress in another[note 6] and Deliberate search with unexpected but useful results.[note 7]
Differences from Classic[]
In addition to the differences noted above there is a "smoking gun" that the Homeline in Infinite worlds is not the same one in Time Travel: Centrum Beta.
In Time Travel, Centrum Beta's present was 1910 and there is no mention for Centrum's 1902 to 1912 world war[1] while in Infinite worlds its present is 1895.
Alternative Organizations[]
- Project Hypercube; updated to being a sub project of Infinity.
- Eternity's Rangers
- The Order of the Hourglass
- The Time Corps
- The Horatio Club
- Collegio Januari and the Order of St. Eustace (Infinite Worlds: Collegio Januari)
See Also[]
- GURPS Campaigns
- Worlds of Infinite Worlds (List of canonal alternate Earths)
- Worlds of Infinite Worlds (Fanworks) (List of fanwork alternate Earths)
- Infinity Unlimited: one of the main organizations of the setting
- Infinite Worlds characters (player and NPCs)
- Infinite Worlds adventures (scenarios, campaigns, etc.)
- Time Travel Mechanics
External Links[]
- Designer's Notes: GURPS Infinite Worlds (2/25/2005)
- Pyramid #3/20: Infinite Worlds
- Pyramid #3/63: Infinite Worlds II
Additional Information[]
- Walking Between the Worlds: A GURPS Infinite Worlds Campaign (4/14/2000): despite the name this is actually for Classic: Time Travel
- witness2fashion: blog on everyday fashion of the past
- Parallel Universes & Alternate Realities
- History-Makers: Ibn Khaldun: The four generations of dynasties (Build, Peak, Decline, Fall/Reform)
- The Crisis of the 21st Century: another possible cycle
- Knowledge Web: digital version of Burke's concept.
- Dystopian worldbuilding is dumb (also bad)
Notes[]
- ↑ Clock
- ↑ better maps, screwdriver
- ↑ Discovery of static electricity, domestic gas
- ↑ Chimney, air condintioning
- ↑ food in cans, domestic refrigerator, Huntsman's Steel, Edison's lightbulb
- ↑ Cams used in water wheels result in the punch cards used in the Jacquard Loom,
- ↑ Search for artificial quinine resulted in artificial dye
References[]
- ↑ GURPS Alternate Earths 2 pg 111