GUILDS new game ( very long)

[OddballE]

My game GUILDS is in playtesting phase.  Right now it is just with people I know but soon it is going to go to a lager group of testers.  I am trying to get as much feed back as possible to see if this thing has a chance.  Here is the summery of the game.

   Welcome to a quick explanation of GUILDS.  GUILDS is a brand-new fantasy RPG being designed and written by a small new company Oddball Enterprises.  GUILDS was written John Pace and designed by John Pace, Ray McMullen, and Corin Tegen.  These three people have role-played for at least ten years and have been active GM's for at least nine years.  Though GUILDS is not yet finished, there is a new twist to almost everything in it.
First let us look at the rules.  GUILDS uses a brand new dice system, the 3 D12 system.  This system is great in that it was designed so all you ever need are 3 D12 and never any other dice.  The 3 D12 system is quick and easy to use.  There are 7 main attributes and each main attribute is broken down into 2 sub-attributes.  Each skill comes from a sub-attribute.  When rolling for combat or when trying to succeed at using a skill, you roll your 3 D12 and add that to your skill and your sub-attribute; that gives you your total.  If your total beats your opponent's total (or the target number (TN) if it is a non-opposed action,) then you succeed; if yours is lower you fail.
   In GUILDS a round (or turn) is 10 seconds long.  Most people get about 5 or 6 actions each round with which they can do different things.  In GUILDS you get 2 "normal" actions, and every weapon gives or takes away actions.  The smaller the weapon the more actions it gives, but it does less damage.  The bigger the weapon the slower it moves so you get fewer actions, but it can do a lot more damage.  You also get actions from what we call "weapon styles."  Every character has a weapon style; it is how you wield your weapons.  Some basic examples are the single weapon style, weapon and shield, and two-weapon fighting.  Add your 2 normal actions, your weapon actions, and your weapon style actions to find your total number of actions.  There are opposed and non-opposed actions.  Opposed actions are combat related actions and non-opposed actions are non-combat actions.
   You can perform called shots to body locations to deal extra damage; and you can critically succeed and fail when rolling.  In a lot of cases when you do a called shot and you hit, the location you were going after will come off in one blow.
   Our game is named GUILDS because your player character will most likely belong to a guild.  A guild is a group you are part of where you get paid to do a certain job.  For example, if you belonged to the Adventurers' guild, you would get paid as a bodyguard or to patrol the city or other tasks like that.  When you are ready to retire you can create your own guild.
   There are 6 races: Humans, Halflings, Dwarfs, Elves, a Feline race, and Minotaurs.  Each race has their own bonuses and flaws, even the Humans.  Every race is a little different than what you might expect, but they are all still fun to play.
   Character creation is easy and very quick.  The average time was just under 20 minutes for my play testers.
   The magic system is very different from what most games have.  There are 16 spheres, and as long as you have the right spheres you can create just about any spell you could imagine.  There are no spells you have to remember, but there are some pre-done if you want one to try.  You just make up each spell as you need them.  You build your spell from 7 easy to follow charts.  The total from those charts becomes your spell total and target number.  If you equal it or beat it, your spell worked; if not, it failed.
   This is a high risk game.  Those people who like to run into battle will end up making new characters quite often.  Though, if you run in as a group, your chances of survival are better.  Damage is dealt quickly and smoothly; you will find that, with the right strategy, you can easily bring your foes down in 4 turns or less.  It does pay to put some extra thought into your attacks.
   The world is being designed as we speak, and, with time, will be an expansive environment in which you and your character can truly become a part of.  I am planning on leaving a lot of the world open for now; when play testers and fans have ideas, they can send them in and we will update the world with their cool city, outpost or whatever they may have come up with.  We will give credit for the creation of each thing we include in the world to the party that sent it in.  That way as we grow, the world grows; and the people playing the game can watch the world grow with their creations as well.
   I know there is a lot of stuff here that comes standard to all fantasy games; we can not get away from that fact.  We have tried to bring as much originality to GUILDS as possible; making it a unique game and one that we hope is fun to play and from which you can tell stories about for years to come.  Thank you for taking the time to read our sample.  We hope that it has peaked your interest in GUILDS.

Let me know what you think?

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

Sometimes people do what I'm about to do as a club to snuff out the dreams of newer game designers.  Please understand that I am in no way insulting you nor discouraging you from making a game, but you really should read the following essays, they do apply to your design:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/9/
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/10/

Here's my non-read-this-article advice: Before you design how a game works, races, setting, or anything answer these two questions first-

1. What is your game about?

2. What do the characters do?

Here is a thread where someone is doing just that:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=15805

Good luck :)

-Troy

[OddballE]

The main point of the game is to be part of a guild and increasing that guild's reputation through your actions.  Everything you do or do not do will reflect on your guild and yourself.  That is the characters' purpose.  Unfortunately, I am not very good at explaining this type of thing; so this is a very brief summary.

As far as what the game is about, it is about magic.  Everything is affected by magic and every player can use magic.  Not everybody is skilled in magic, but they have the ability to attempt.  Therefore every player is a mage.  Magic is common in everyday life to make life easier and faster, like technology today.  Magic has been around longer than anybody can remember so everyone is raised with magic.  Some people will still not trust magic and most people will not want to attempt anything but simple spells.  As the characters level, they can get better in magic as well; that way they can cast larger and more complicated spells.

[daMoose_Neo]

The question "What is the game about" is usually less a superficial response like "Magic", "Knights", etc. and a little deeper.
Example I gave a bit ago pertained to the X-Men; the comics, movies etc are not about heroics and kewl powerz, its a series of stories about acceptance and a social change for the better. Is your game actually ABOUT something, or is it a vehicle for pure, unadulterated adventure? Which is still cool, but it helps narrow the focus.

Given your response and the thread, could I be close in assuming that the game is about life as a guildmember, giving up a certain portion of yourself to belong to a greater whole? Or might that be a possible route to take it? Magic is the vehicle yes, but it ultimately translates to power, and apperently a quest for it. Give up your family to join the guild. Give up your home for greater status in the City. Give up your childhood companions to forge new connections in the upper eschelons of the guild. Just a bit of a ramble I suppose...

[OddballE]

I guess the answer would be there is no real overall plot for the game, it is just a vehicle for pure, unadulterated adventure.  How you get there would be up to the GM.  We are designing the world to be open, the story is up the the players and their GM.  The game is a lot about being a member of a guild yes.  I am sorry I cannot answer these questions very well; the world has not been made for those types of questions, and I am bad at writing down the answer that I have in mind.