Epoch Fantasy RPG playtesters requested

[greyorm]

In regards to familiarity with CG art making a difference in acceptance, I don't agree. It isn't just "familiarity" I am speaking of, but quality. Most CG art simply lacks quality and aesthetic design.

I'm a big-time gamer (ie: computer and video) and I still don't like the typical CG art I'm criticizing above. Poor CG in a video game or movie is as bothersome to me as poor art in a product, period. My point above was simply that, to me, it appears that poor CG art is more common than poor "standard" (that is, traditional media) art, because the artist uses the technology to replace an understanding of imagery and dynamic, bypassing the struggle to learn why those are of such importance.

As you said, it is "easy, fast and cheap": I guess all I can say is that, with the vast majority of CG artists, this description shows. One would be equally at fault for using stick-figures for illustration, because they, too, are easy, fast and cheap.

FYI, artists willing to work for free, or on the cheap, are quite common. Check out "Elfwood" and similar artist depository sites for such -- there are any number of skilled, but unpublished artists, who will be more than willing to illustrate for you for in return for exposure and a complimentary copy of the product in which their work is featured.

[Christoffer Lernö]

To say that Epoch is the same as D&D is like saying every fantasy rpg is the same as D&D.

Err, no.

Even BRP is more different from D&D than your game is. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems like you kept a lot of Bad (tm) legacy from D&D such as "killpoints" as the way to increase levels. A first place to look would be Palladiums XP system to figure out how to properly reward players even within a level system.

The thing I like THE MOST is the game being slimmed down. That's not a complaint. I don't like reading too big systems.

Let's go on: statmodifiers are screaming AD&D in style. The guilds seems like tweaked classes inspired from MUDs.

Most of the skills are taken directly from AD&D. It's easy to see if you've played a bit of AD&D. Granted you have added skills as well.

You have hitpoints and weapon damage is copied straight out of AD&D. Treasures are also sounding very much like AD&D treasures.

...are you sure you want me to go on?

That said, I'd even say that Rolemaster is pretty much a D&D version if that makes you feel better.

one is ever forced to join a guild.  I've found that this system eliminates one part of role-playing that I've always been annoyed at.  I'm sure we've all been in a situation where you create your character, anxious to play, and after a few hours of playing, you wish you had played another character class.

Only possibly in the few games that actually use character classes. Which aren't the majority of games I'm playing. In fact it sounds like primarily an AD&D problem.

Thus, your game come out sounding like a mod on AD&D. Sure it might have house rules added but still fundamentally AD&D. That's ok, I just wanted to know if that was the case and... oh and I guess I should suggest you read the fantasy heartbreakers eassay.

HOWEVER. This doesn't mean your game is worthless. You might still be able to do something with it, it's just that at this point in time it needs more work if it's not supposed to come out as AD&D.
The Indie Game Design forum is a good place to get suggestions on improvements.

Edit: Something important... I do would like to try to read more in-depth to help out but you have to change the font for the standard text. It's a really cool font for titles, but that ragged, thin wide-spaced font was never ever meant to be in masses of text. Could you please just change that element and upload a new version? It's hard on my poor eyes.

[sacrosanct]

ok, ok, I can see some points there. (pulls foot out of mouth).  I think the trap I've laid for myself was that in order to keep it simple, I tried to keep it familar on a subconcious level.  However, I think D&D gets too much credit just for being the first major rpg out there.  Yes, my weapons seem to be right out of D&D, but you can't get around that.  They were actual weapons used in combat long before Gary Gygax was a twinkle in his ancestors eye.  As far as the creatures go, I've done quite a bit of research and found that just about every creature in any D&D book has some some of history with a local country's legend taken from somewhere.  The unfortunate situation that I'm finding myself in is that "oh, he has a manticore in his book.  That's a D&D monster.", when in actuality, the manticore has been in European legend for over a hundred years.

Experince is similar to D&D, but much simpler.  It's actually more similar to CRPGs then to tabletop.  For every level that the creature was, gain 1 xp.  No other charts but that.  Same with the hit points and skill advancement.  Unlike D&D, you don't get better with your weapon just by gaining levels.  You have to OPTION of getting better, but you always can save your points or spend them on something else.

I will upload an easier version to read when I redesign my web site (almost done).  Point taken at that.  The ability charts are also similar, but they are similar to most (not all) rpgs out there as well.  The treasure chart is about the most similar part to D&D in the game.  I really wish I could get around that (as I did in AFTERMATH), but I wanted to have pre-made arcane items so the novice player wouldn't have to think about that.  I may just take the whole section out.  I'll leave treasure strictly with the Adventure PAKs and keep it out of the rules. (except enchanting items, which I'll probably keep)

P.S: Rifts may have one of the best storyline and back fill for any rpg, but the system sucks :-)   (one MDC 3' long mole can take out a whole planet of SDC creatures?  cha' right)