look for critical feedback of game system

[stefoid]

I dont think I have enough actual play to present an accurate picture.  (3 month old baby doesnt help)

Id like to thank evryone who participated in this discussion.  I have a lot of things to think about.  found it more helpful than perhaps it appears.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Cool. We're here if you need us.

Post your Power 19 answers when you've got time and we'll help you refine more.

[stefoid]

argh, Im STILL posting to this thread? 

For those that did read the rules, and made suggestions, Ive taken it on baord and come up with some example modifications for your consideration:

Simplified combat rules:

what I has is some relatively simple basic combat rules and an array of possibly complex signature moves that players have to buy in order to use. 

The aim is to make the basic comabt rules much simpler by pushing any complexity out of the general rules and into the signature moves.  that is manouevering, knockdowns, called shots etc... these are all now signature moves.

so the ONLY combat rules are now:  roll the contest for this round, looser resists an INJURY or HURT with armour and body.  apply penalties for any extentuating circumstances: existing injuries, multiple oppoennts, being knocked over...

BUT...  let any character use any signature move they want during combat, but unless they bought it (i.e. unless its part of that characters cool fighting style that they have practiced) then they take -2L penalty to their favour role that tests if the sigmove comes off.

so I know what youre thinking, its a step in the right direction, but why not do away with having to buy sigmoves alltogether?  I mean, now any player can invent a signature move on the spot and apply it, so thats virtually what Ive done, however they get a -2L penalty to attempt apply it against a target number of 6.  Why is that?  they get punished for trying soemthing cool? 

well,  they are Signature moves.  they are supposed to represent a characters unique flighting stye.  Like Achilles in Troy with his leaping-stab-em-in-the-neck move.  way cool.  but not if everyone else in the movie did it too.  So yeah, maybe a soldier standing around saw that move and thinks wow, Id like to try that, but it aint his move, he hasnt done it before so its not goingto work as well.  If he runs off and poractices it a bunch, then it becomes part of hs style...

And why have a favour role to employ them, anyway?  well, sigmoves are basically combat magic.  like magic breaks the rules of conventional physics or whatever, sigmoves break the conventiaonal comabt rules.  You dont have PCs that can cast an unlimited number of spells all the time.  there has to be some limiter on breaking the rules so that breaking the rules doesnt become ho-hum and common place.  Otherwise there is nothing dramatic about employing the sigmove or magic spell or whatever.  Its not dramatic if dave's warrior character trots out the same old show every single round of every single comabt he gets into.  If he waits and saves his juice for the critical moment and then employs his groovy move, then its special.  Achilles didnt go around neck-stabbin every cruddy opponent he met - he did it twice in the movie: the first against the big guy at the end of level 1, and then later in the movie agaisnt hector (where it didnt come off)  Both times it was dramatic, but both wouldnt have been dramatic at all if it was the 45th time during the movie that achilles neck-stabbed someone.

next post:  simplifying weapons, armour and encumbrance.