KnightSteve:
In reply to MazVN (msg # 6):
Okay, so if they're nothing alike, then why do they have a GURPS 4e system? To me, that's like having two candy bars and one is chocolate but the other has no chocolate at all, but calling both chocolate. Very confusing. I may not want to try GURPS if I have to a complete learning phase from step 1. I was hoping for a few things to carry over, but the majority to have a new feel.
Hi Steve.
Well, sorry about the confusion, but as the others have already hinted, GURPS 4e and D&D 4e are two wholly separate roleplaying game systems/engines that are very different from each other. Both games just happen to be in their 4th edition of the give rulesets, like Shadowrun 4e is and HERO 4e used to be (that one now has a 5e and a 6e).
In other words, the suffix 4e cannot be taken to mean that a game has anything to do with D&D 4e, even if it's sometimes the case.
Being an old D&D'er myself I would entice you to look into GURPS 4e though, as it was quite a revelation for me back in the day. Of course, I was becoming dissatisfied with the then 2e D&D ruleset and was looking for something else. I found my home with GURPS.
Try looking at the abbreviated GURPS rules in the free GURPS Lite publication if you want to get a feel for how the systems are different:
http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG31-0004