Hadn't seen this before... I've been chipping away on a "retro clone" of RT with the working name
Oldhammer: Renegade Merchant.
It's been a year in the making, and I mostly just do stuff with it when I commute by train. I now have a shorter commute since a few months so not much have really happened lately.
I work with a printout of the rules, mark ALL rules bits and then transcribe them into a word document. I'm on lvl 3 psychic abilities so far. There have been no editing, only transcribing. Some rules have been moved around (stuff pertaining to LOS that were not under LOS in RT, but instead around indoor movement for instance).
So far, the page count is 27 - but it's just raw text and tables. No layout considerations, no editing and most importantly - no rework of the texts.
My purpose is to end up with a briefer rules-only document aimed at experienced gamers. Thus, there are no explanations of terms other than those needed for the game. There are no fluff justifications on why someone will hurt themselves when exiting a vehicle moving faster than 10", it would just say "Exiting a vehicle moving faster than 10" results in an automatic hit with Strength = Speed - 10." Since the rules are for grown, experienced people there's no need to detail that it's 10" the current turn or that the hit is suffered by the model exiting the vehicle. This isn't law, it's a rule set for table top gaming. It should be easy to interpret the intent of rules, and the rules shouldn't have to be written for Magic: The Gathering players...
I would like to make some changes, some clarifications and some simplifications. Maybe this could actually happen if I got some help from a few able bodied young men such as you, Assless or Optimus?
Here's how I see the steps involved:
Transcribe the rules "as printed". - This is a team effort bit.
First draft - rules more or less as is but discussed. - Editor work with committee decisions on what to keep as is, what to change and what to remove.
Proof reading and evaluation of first draft - Team effort.
Second draft - making the text make sense. - Editor work.
Proof reading and evaluation of second draft - Team effort.
Final draft based on feedback from proof reading. - Editor work.
After that, I think we'd have an ashcan release. It would be slimmer, more concise and to the point and easier to reference. Completely re-written (ie no old text reproduced) and with un-fluffy terms used, thus completely void of copyright. For instance, the stat line would probably be changed (as it's pretty iconic) to something like Speed, Melee, Ranged, Power, Resilience, Health etc etc... If people like it, we'd do a nice illustrated version with a bit more layout work. Distribute it for free, digitally.
In the end, an open ended toolbox to create space fun would be available. No army lists, just a bestiary and a framework to create whatever you need to put on the table. After that, I'd love to do a fluffless, fun and broken campaign system... something like 5 parsecs from home but for a "proper" rule set.
