When comparing Microlite20 Purest Essence vs GURPS 4th Edition, the Slant community recommends GURPS 4th Edition for most people. In the question“What are the best tabletop RPGs?” GURPS 4th Edition is ranked 10th while Microlite20 Purest Essence is ranked 54th. The most important reason people chose GURPS 4th Edition is:
GURPS can be as crunchy as you like, with rules available to cover any situation, but at its core, there are only about three rules you need.
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Pros
Pro Easy to start
If you are looking for a game like DnD, but much easier - try Microlite20 Pures Essence with Ultimate Fantasy supplement.
Pro Rules will be familiar to any veteran D&D player
As Microlite20 is a stripped down version of the d20 SRD with the same classes, races, items and abilities, it will be easy to understand by anyone that has previously played a D&D game. Especially D&D 3.x.
Pro Compatible with d20 SRD
Any material written for the d20 system can be used with the Microlite20 system. All creatures, items, monsters, spells, etc from any d20 SRD licensed resource are compatible with the Microlite20 system.
Pro Clear writing
The writing is very terse and to the point. There's very little in terms of fluff. As such the rules are easy to comprehend and reference.
Pro Simple rules allow easy customization
m20 remains compatible with the d20 SRD, but rules are lite enough that adding modifications to the system is trivially simple.
Pro Modular rules
GURPS can be as crunchy as you like, with rules available to cover any situation, but at its core, there are only about three rules you need.
Pro Great sourcebooks
GURPS sourcebooks are famous for being comprehensive guides to the settings/genres they describe, to the degree that even people who don't play GURPS find them useful.
Pro Option for Cinematic Rules
There is an option to make combat far less deadly.
Pro Long character creation creates a bond with your character
Spending a lot of time creating your character also helps with creating a bond with them. This way you will be more encouraged to keep them alive than going around doing dangerous things which would most likely end up killing them. Moreover, In depth character creation flushes out the back stories that enrich the role playing experience. Vampire also has a lengthy character building process for this reason.
Pro Character mortality
In GURPS, characters can be killed by a single blow to the head with a wood plank. For gamers seeking a more "realistic" level of mortality, GURPS is your game.
Cons
Con Combat can potentially get stale
Due to the fact that combat is simplified to just 3 variables (AC, HP and attacks) a less experienced DM runs the risk of creating repetitive combat.
Con Extremely Simulationist
Con Requires too much GM babysitting
Too many options with no setting structure and the freedom to do whatever is a liability, not a perk.
Con Boring rule system
Con Boring rule system
Con Core rules need two books
Con Long character creation
The lion's share of the work in GURPS is front-loaded: characters are built on points, pieced together with attributes, advantages, disadvantages, quirks, skills, powers, spells, cybernetics, and whatever else your game requires. Expect to spend easily an hour or more creating your character.
Con Option paralysis
Sometimes having so many dials to turn is not a good thing. It can be hard to create a game with so many options available.