Is TME for me?

GreyKatana, welcome to the forums.
These are excellent questions and we're lucky to have you.
It sounds like the type of game you're looking for can be handled by the ME system.
If you want a Wrath of Kahn style game, Transhumans are already there.
If you want a Bladerunner style game, replicants are included.
An assassin android has traveled back in time to kill/protect you?
This is your set of rules.
(These rules will even fit a pure fantasy game with very minor tweaking, although that's not the premise.)

My only experience with Fallout are the 1st two versions. (If you get the chance, check out the old Wasteland game.)
I find it interesting that Fallout was based on the GURPS design. They didn't allow their name to be used at the last minute, but part of that "generic universal rpg" still made it into the Fallout games.

ME is not GURPS, thankfully, but it is easily adaptable to nearly any setting.
I've played Twilight 2000 (and Traveller/MegaTraveller and 2300AD) and ME makes me both nastalgic of old games and excited to play again.

You want to pick up an enemy and use them as a meat shield?
That's in the rules.
How hard is it to shoot a laser pistol out of someone's hand?
That's in there, too.
Starship Troopers style power armor?
3 different models.

Gonzo over the top mutations?
If that's what you want, then it's there. If you don't want that, then don't use it. Nothing really breaks the game, so to speak.
As a GM, I don't tell my players about my "femtotech" machines waging war on a cellular level with virulent strains
of animal human chimera genes attacking some hosts but not others.
We just call them mutations because that's how the PC's think of it. The game is kept simple so you aren't playing a game of rules.
But you don't have to use them.
Radscorpions?
Sure, there are 4 very similar critters, but you might also meet one
that has been mutated to a nightmarish level.

Then there are Cyborgs.. Robots, Slavers and a whole host of other interesting curiosities.
You want Planet of the Apes but only that?
This game can do it.

This is a fun or serious, high tech or Thundarr the Barbarian style of game.
It's all up to the group.

One of my players began the game still in shackles, wearing rags with a black eye (and maybe fleas..)
Another started with a high powered rifle. It's all how you run a game
and how your players want to game.
One character just added an extra cybernetic arm on his shoulder. That's in the rules, if you want it.
The Nightcrawler looking martial artist mutant in a lucidor mask is making a name for himself freeing slaves.
Our military clone sniper is learning that he's not just a number from the clone vats.
The absolute fury of another mutant with meter long mandibles is nigh unstoppable.

You want Road Warrior? It's in there.
Best thing is the game is supported!
New books are being developed all the time and right now.

It's a fun family. Glad you found us; hope you'll stay.

Thanks to both of you for your detailed answers.

I went ahead and grabbed the PDF. Your arguments convinced me that it was at least worth a look. And the author is a fellow Canadian that is living his lifelong dream. So that in itself is worth encouraging.

I'll go do so reading and get back to you with my observations (and possible questions).

Cheers!

Hi GreyKatana, welcome to the forums!

Always a pleasure to find a Fallout/Road Warrior fan 

I just wanted to say that my campaign is heavily fallout inspired ( I can't stop playing the games even years after!). You can achieve that with minimal tweaking! I've added a lot of items taken from the game such as stimpacks or plasma weapons (you can find the stats I use on the forum, in the home-brew relics section). 

have fun killing raiders in the wastes!

well normal fire arms (small guns!) are quite common in my game. Raiders always carry at least one. Energy weapons & "big guns" are a bit rarer instead because I want them to be seen as amazing treasures to be found in the wasteland, but thats just a matter of taste. You can put as many weapons as you want in your game, just lower the selling price! 

here's our world map if you want to check it out. It's the area to the south of Phoenix. You'll find locations like Shady Sands or Mariposa military base

mutantepochforum.boards.net/attachment/download/19

Our characters are/ were mainly human and cyborgs ( hell, I love cyborgs too).  We've had some ghost mutants too, randomly rolled, but personally I don't think they fit in a fallout-ish campaign. I'd suggest you to still try them out, they are fun to play with but if you want to stick with purestock humans only I think you'll gonna be just fine!
Ready for some T-51b PA action??

Speaking of Fo1, how did you set up you character?? I love the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. & AP system so much  . I'm also really looking forward to play Wasteland 2, should come out in a couple of months!

I must confess I went with a little killer combo of mine from back in the day.
10 AG and the Traits which let you shoot for one less AP but you loose the ability to do aimed shot. Gives you a character that can double burst every round right from the start. As soon as I get the SMG from Vault-15, I can usually completely clean out the raiders' camp south of Shady Sands.

Apart from that (and from the top of my head since I don't have my character in front of me), I think I dropped a point of CH and LK to boost ST and and PE. BitD I use to pull every points in weapon skills, now I have a really high Science and Repair though it is far less evident how useful it is compared to the more modern Fallout games.

Haven't tried the Wanderer Edition Mod. Will have to look it out.

If you ever have play reports of your Fallout TME game I'd be really interested in reading them.