From: David Cake (davidc@cs.uwa.edu.au)
Date: Tue 17 Aug 1993 - 09:54:49 EEST
>
> >> From: shadow@qedbbs.com (Wayne Shaw)
> >> Date: Sun, 15 Aug 93 02:39:58 PDT
> >>
> >>
> >> Too slow? Other than the basic calculations necessary to do modifiers, I
> >> can put together a character with that stuff in something like five
> >> minutes. How much faster can you want?
>
> But what level of detail or experience does the character have?
> I think that it's WAY too slow, and have been saying that all along.
>
I think that levels of detail is what is causing your characters to take a
long time, and I don't know if there is really that much that can be done
about it. I have known character creation to take hours using systems like
Amber (which is the closest thing to rulesless in many ways). Detailed
characters take time, and that is quite possibly insurmountable.
> I could probably crank some out _fairly_ quickly, but my players have taken
> about 2 hours or more _each_ for their first attempts with this system.
I have been finding that it takes about 2hrs for a first attempt using quite
complicated characters (including multiple templates, the optional cultural
skills, and cult skills and spirit magic). I found that the second time was a
lot quicker, about 1hr. It could easily have been faster except for the normal
mundane problems - only one copy of the rules, only a finite amount of GM '
attention, etc.
I'll admit that organisation, etc. could be a little improved, but
they inevitably will in a production version. Organisation can only be
improved so much (for example, acess to cult information about cult special
skills and magic can be a problem - I don't see the new character creation
system helping a whole lot)
What I like about the system is the immense burden that it removes
from the gamesmaster, by having simple templates immediately available (eg
what's his Scan? Well, hes an average warrior so - is preferable to me
just ad hoccing it all the time). I also like the fact that the inbuilt
flexibility means that I have to spend less time fiddling the rules - Hmm,,
Issaries merchant - Master trader, plus master initiate, maybe add in a little
missionary if appropriate: Sword of Humakt, Master Soldier, Officer option,
master initiate: Storm Khan, Master Barbarian mounted warrior, master initiate,(including the possibility of 90%sense chaos as a cult skill), and a lower level
of Noble. This sort of thing is very useful, as it means that a few scribbled
notes are almost entirely sufficent to define an NPC. This enables me to
concentrate GM work were it matters. I like the new system! I spend more time
using it and less time fighting it.
> I'll admit we used some time talking a few things over while building the
> characters, but the organization, and the package designs are a bit more
> tortured than they need be. ( BTW: all characters 60 - 85 points, with 3-4
> templates used ).
Complex characters like this will take time in any game system. I can't see
there being a way of making it easier without giving you a whole lot less
flexibility - and the flexibility is one of the things that I value the most.
Personally, I am in favour of complicating it even more by adding a few
seldom used options - like skills over 90%, buying items, etc. Just add them,
mark them as optional, and let people decide if they want to use them. I would
use them enough to appreciate there existence.
One thing that I do find irritating is the overload of weapon skills.
Some professions should have weapons as optional skills, and I do not understand
why they are made compulsory. In my mind the special exception made for CA
healers is pretty silly - it implies that non-CA healers are never total
pacifists, which is unlikely, I'm sure that there are Xemela nuns just as
pacifist as CAs.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> | john_medway@zycor.lgc.com | Landmark Graphics Corp | 512.292.2325 |
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
0,,
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