Yeah, pretty much from day one, this game was hard to play and had a lot of rules rewrites as time went on, especially with Magic & Matrix issues. But, in all honesty, I play for the setting and stories. I'm liking what I'm reading for 6E and think that it's one of the cleanest versions around yet.
But, it is true they've had a lot of rewrites and versions through the years. In case you haven't noticed there's a lot of companies that have the same long history of "fragging over their players":
Dungeons & Dragons Versions1991 - Dungeons & Dragons (Rules Cyclopedia): This was not a rewrite it was a consolidation of multiple level of play boxes.
1994 - Classic Dungeons & Dragons : name says it all.
2000 - Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition: first major change in years
2003 - Dungeons & Dragons 3.5: will give you one.
2008 - Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition: was a complete rewrite of the system to get gamers from MMOs (sound familiar)
2010 - Dungeons & Dragons Essentials: Was a consolidation of rules and a manga style pitch.
2014 - Dungeson & Dragons 5th Edition: was WoTCs attempt fix there image after 4th.
Call of Cthulhu1981 - 1st Edition
1983 - 2nd Edition
1986 - 3rd Edition
1989 - 4th Edition
1992 - 5th Edition
1998 - Edition 5.5
1999 - Edition 5.6
2001 - 20th Anniversary Edition
2004 - 6th Edition
2014 - 7th Edition
About the standard for time between games during the times listed.
Vampire: The Masquerade (Not counting Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Mage: The Ascension, Wraith: The Oblivion, Changeling: The Dreaming, Hunter: The Beckoning, Mummy: The Resurrection, Kindred of the East, and Demon; The Fallen)
1991 - 1st Edition
1992 - 2nd Edition
1998 - Revised Edition
2011 - 20th Anniversary Edition
2018 - 5th Edition
About the standard for time between games during the times listed.
Star Wars RPG1987 - Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (West End Games)
1992 - 2nd Edition (WEG)
1996 - 2nd Edition - Revised and Expanded (WEG)
About the standard for time between games during the times listed.
Star Wars (WotC)2000 - Star Wars: Roleplaying Game (Wizards of the Coast)
2002 - Revised Core Rulebook (WotC)
2007 - Saga Edition (WotC)
Star Wars (FFG)2012 - Star Wars Roleplaying Game (Fantasy Flight Games): Not sure if you are talk about the intro box or the beta book.
2013 - Edge of the Empire (FFG)
2014 - Age of Rebellion (FFG)
2015 - Force and Destiny (FFG)
The last three are different aspects of star wars (fringers, rebels, jedi) and while I don't like it they were up front with the layout from the beginning
GURPS (Steve Jackson Games)
1986 - GURPS (1st AND 2nd Edition)
1988 - 3rd Edition
2004 - 4th Edition
really, 16 years between 3rd and 4th and you put it on the list.
Paranoia RPG1984 - 1st Edition (WEG)
1987 - 2nd Edition (WEG)
1995 - "5th" (3rd) Edition (WEG)
1997 - Unrelease 3rd Edition (WEG)
2004 - Paranoia XP (Mongoose Publishing)
2009 - 25th Anniversary Edition
2014 - Kickstarter Edition
Cyberpunk 20201989 - Cyberpunk (R. Talsorian Games)
1990 - Cyberpunk 2020 (R. Talsorian Games)
1993 - Cybergeneration (R. Talsorian Games)
2005 - Cyberpunk 203X (R. Talsorian Games)
2019 - Cyberpunk Red (R. Talsorian Games)
Traveller (Game Designs Workshop)
1977 - Classic Traveller (1E Games Design Workshop)
1986 - MegaTraveller (2E GDW)
1992 - Traveller: The New Era (3E GDW)
1996 - Marc Miller's Traveller (4E Imperium Games)
1998 - GURPS Traveller (5E Steve Jackson Games)
2002 - Traveller D20 (6E QuikLink Interactive)
2006 - Traveler Hero (7E ComStar Games)
2008 - Mongoose Traveller (8E Mongoose Publishing)
2013 - Traveller 5 (9E Far Future Enterprises)
BattleTech1984 - BattleDroids (FASA)
1985 - BattleTech, 2nd Edition (FASA): where forced to change the name to avoid lawsuit.
1992 - 3rd Edition (FASA)
1996 - 4th Edition (FASA)
2007 - Classic BattleTech (Catalyst Game Labs)
2011 - 25th Anniversary Box Set (CGL)
2013 - Introductory Box Set (CGL)
then standard spread.
1986 - MechWarrior (FASA)
1991 - 2nd Edition (FASA)
1999 - 3rd Edition (FASA)
2006 - Classic Battletech RPG (FanPro)
2009 - BattleTech: A Time of War (CGL)
About the standard for time between games during the times listed.
not sure what any of this proved.
most was misrepresented, and what wasn't was the standard spread between games at that time.
The issues is CGL releasing a game(s) that are know to need errata and having mechanics issues even before they are printed and sold as complete ready to go books.
So the "fragging over their players" is in response them knowing the issues and going ahead with printing and sale, not the number of editions they have put out over the years which in truth was low for RPG games.