This is a personal project to create a system that works for playing Superheroes.
I don't like d20, and Storyteller is too inexact for me too. I want something in between.
In general, when I want to figure out how a game is going to be played - I look at the reward system. What your reward system indicates is that the game is going to be *very* heavily driven by the GM. Almost all of the rewards require the GM to present a player with some situation for them to get a reward. Line by line review:
* Player and character present for the session - 2 pts: Pretty typical baseline reward.
* Player was active "in character" during the session - 1pt: Basically GM candy. Who decides what constitutes "active in character"?
* Player/Character was challenged in some way during the session 1pt: Depends almost entirely on the GM providing the player with a challenge. Also challenge has a very unclear definition.
* Player(s) challenged the GM in some way during the session 1pt: More GM candy. What do you mean by challenge?
* Character overcame some sort of minor adversary/puzzle/etc. 1pt: * Character overcame some sort of median adversary/puzzle/etc 2pt * Character overcame some sort of major adversary/puzzle/etc 3pt * Character overcame some sort of nemesis/arch-villain 4pts * Character faced a life threatening situation (not necessarily theirs) 2pts
all of these pretty much require the GM to present the character with something to overcome.
* Character spent time in "training" 1pt per 12 hours of training. - This seems kinda vague and pointless to me. How does this work - I just tell you "I'm going to train for twelve hours" and get XP?
Based on your reward system, it seems like your game will largely consist of players waiting for the GM to present them with some challenge, which they will ferociously and mercilessly attack and overcome.
My personal RPG taste really doesn't go in this direction any more (which you can probably gather, based on my comments). I'm a fan of systems that encourage the player to take a more active hand in fashioning conflicts.
Another question - what specifically is your RPG about? I mean superhero comics exist on a lot of layers. On the surface you have guys in costumes kicking ass. But thematically there's often stuff layered beneath that - human drama, the villians as a metaphor for the problems in the superheroes life (buffy was notorious for this), etc etc. Based on what I see (big list of powers, character sheet with lots of skills on it) you're going for more the former than the latter - am I right?
Actually this is the sort of thing that I want to look at, and hear from others. THis will allow me to clarify and refine the system.
Yes the GM needs to be the primary driving factor in the game, they control everything but the character itself. If the player wants to help driv ethe game along by bringing in conflicts to overcome then yes there needs to be added stuff for the exp.
"Active in character" is to me, pretty no-nonsense. Did the player show up and play the game, or just sit around whine and eat pizza?
Player challenged? Player judged, "was I challenged in some way?" In other words wa sthere something to do other than sit here with my thumb in my ass?
Player challenged the GM - This is one of the main ones to me. As a GM i want the players to make the end run around me, thats what makes it challenging for me. I want them to pull a mcguyver and throw me for a loop.
Faced a XXX list is for the D&D folks out there. SThis is something I disliked about the Storyteller games, there was no sense of accomplishment for going out and killing a few bad guys.
As for training, thats mostly for downtime. One thing I have alsways dislike about many games is the fact that there is no set system for advancing a character during a 3 month downtime, I think there should be something in place.
As for the reward system you also neeed to look at the Karma side, which is more character driven. karma is a two sided thing, either turn it into exp at the end or spend it for being cool, up to you. But this is for the RP portion of the game.
As for what the RPG is about...thats really up to the players and the GM, I'm just trying to make a system that I like and want to play. How the characters/villains and game itself works thematically I don't care. I want the math and what not to work well, and be functional without being to over the top.
Characters with a 1 in a skill have a 1 in 100 chance of matching a roll against someone who has a 10 in the same skill. But then again that "10" guy has 99 chances to really make the other character look like a fool. (yes I know that math is statistaclly off, but whatever). I want that guy who has a 4 vs a 6 to have a decent chance 40% approx of winning a challenge, but that 6 guy is still clearly better.
I personnaly have about 8 diffrent story/campaigns I want to try this out on.
If you want to play this as Buffy, sweet go ahead. The math isn't going to change. If you want to play this as a "Sliders" type game, go ahead the math doesn't change. I want an anything goes type of system that isn't as crazy on sourcebooks as Gurps, but open enough to do almost anything.
You're going to love me for this. :D
ReplyDeleteIn general, when I want to figure out how a game is going to be played - I look at the reward system. What your reward system indicates is that the game is going to be *very* heavily driven by the GM. Almost all of the rewards require the GM to present a player with some situation for them to get a reward. Line by line review:
* Player and character present for the session - 2 pts: Pretty typical baseline reward.
* Player was active "in character" during the session - 1pt: Basically GM candy. Who decides what constitutes "active in character"?
* Player/Character was challenged in some way during the session 1pt: Depends almost entirely on the GM providing the player with a challenge. Also challenge has a very unclear definition.
* Player(s) challenged the GM in some way during the session 1pt: More GM candy. What do you mean by challenge?
* Character overcame some sort of minor adversary/puzzle/etc. 1pt:
* Character overcame some sort of median adversary/puzzle/etc 2pt
* Character overcame some sort of major adversary/puzzle/etc 3pt
* Character overcame some sort of nemesis/arch-villain 4pts
* Character faced a life threatening situation (not necessarily theirs) 2pts
all of these pretty much require the GM to present the character with something to overcome.
* Character spent time in "training" 1pt per 12 hours of training.
- This seems kinda vague and pointless to me. How does this work - I just tell you "I'm going to train for twelve hours" and get XP?
Based on your reward system, it seems like your game will largely consist of players waiting for the GM to present them with some challenge, which they will ferociously and mercilessly attack and overcome.
My personal RPG taste really doesn't go in this direction any more (which you can probably gather, based on my comments). I'm a fan of systems that encourage the player to take a more active hand in fashioning conflicts.
Another question - what specifically is your RPG about? I mean superhero comics exist on a lot of layers. On the surface you have guys in costumes kicking ass. But thematically there's often stuff layered beneath that - human drama, the villians as a metaphor for the problems in the superheroes life (buffy was notorious for this), etc etc. Based on what I see (big list of powers, character sheet with lots of skills on it) you're going for more the former than the latter - am I right?
Actually this is the sort of thing that I want to look at, and hear from others. THis will allow me to clarify and refine the system.
ReplyDeleteYes the GM needs to be the primary driving factor in the game, they control everything but the character itself. If the player wants to help driv ethe game along by bringing in conflicts to overcome then yes there needs to be added stuff for the exp.
"Active in character" is to me, pretty no-nonsense. Did the player show up and play the game, or just sit around whine and eat pizza?
Player challenged? Player judged, "was I challenged in some way?" In other words wa sthere something to do other than sit here with my thumb in my ass?
Player challenged the GM - This is one of the main ones to me. As a GM i want the players to make the end run around me, thats what makes it challenging for me. I want them to pull a mcguyver and throw me for a loop.
Faced a XXX list is for the D&D folks out there. SThis is something I disliked about the Storyteller games, there was no sense of accomplishment for going out and killing a few bad guys.
As for training, thats mostly for downtime. One thing I have alsways dislike about many games is the fact that there is no set system for advancing a character during a 3 month downtime, I think there should be something in place.
As for the reward system you also neeed to look at the Karma side, which is more character driven. karma is a two sided thing, either turn it into exp at the end or spend it for being cool, up to you. But this is for the RP portion of the game.
As for what the RPG is about...thats really up to the players and the GM, I'm just trying to make a system that I like and want to play. How the characters/villains and game itself works thematically I don't care. I want the math and what not to work well, and be functional without being to over the top.
Characters with a 1 in a skill have a 1 in 100 chance of matching a roll against someone who has a 10 in the same skill. But then again that "10" guy has 99 chances to really make the other character look like a fool. (yes I know that math is statistaclly off, but whatever). I want that guy who has a 4 vs a 6 to have a decent chance 40% approx of winning a challenge, but that 6 guy is still clearly better.
I personnaly have about 8 diffrent story/campaigns I want to try this out on.
If you want to play this as Buffy, sweet go ahead. The math isn't going to change. If you want to play this as a "Sliders" type game, go ahead the math doesn't change. I want an anything goes type of system that isn't as crazy on sourcebooks as Gurps, but open enough to do almost anything.