I have a problem. It’s a problem with fantasy, storytelling, and by extension, RPGs. I like consequences. This problem takes on a lot of forms. Character continuity, status quo issues, debates about agency and authority… and I’m sure more that I can’t even think of just now. But I’ve been playing some games, watching some …
Tag: design
Experience is the Point
I saw a post the other day that mentioned a D&D game where the DM awarded experience points, not for doing stuff, but for playing in line with your alignment. It was touted as a good idea. A comment pointed out the issue that alignment is often subjective. The OP replied with, "Make it Objective." …
Rattling Around Town
One of the most fascinating parts of gaming for me is the places that players call home. I'm always drawn to the cities, towns, and villages that populate our game worlds. Some of these cities are famous in their own right - just look at how Waterdeep has taken on central importance in the Forgotten …
Magic (is stupid)
Magic, in most role playing games, is stupid. I don't really know how else to put it. Magic is a very complex subject and as it tends to be a power that allows its wielders to exert control over reality; it creates significant hurdles to achieve a balance between fun and fairness, play-ability and wonder. …
Shadowrun Sixth World, Part Five
"Risk it all!" That's the tagline for this new edition. In 5e, it was, "everything has a price." I think the design team must come up with a pithy sounding phrase and build mechanics around it. Wouldn't be my choice. But hey, we've reached part five of my assessment of Sixth World (6W) edition of …
Shadowrun Sixth World, Part Four
Matrix The wireless world and the 'runners who manipulate it are often some of the most complex characters in any Shadowrun game. I know that one of the goals of the new edition was to try and improve the play-ability of the Matrix and hackers. To a certain extent, they did achieve this goal. Many …
Shadowrun Sixth World, Part Three
Magic! I want to clarify something. Shadowrun is a complex game. Personally, I think that a certain level of complexity is vital to the experience, considering that you have a game that wants to encompass near-future mercenaries and criminals with advanced technology while also maintaining the trappings of a full-fledged fantasy game. It's a balancing …
Shadowrun Sixth World, Part Two
Combat The combat system in Sixth World (6W) Edition does not resemble previous editions much at all. The changes are pervasive and make me wonder again about the amount of play testing behind the system. Aside: the tone of the writing in this book really bugged me. The book is clearly written as aimed at …
Shadowrun Sixth World, Part One
I got a copy of the core book for Sixth World from GenCon this year. So I've spent some time with it and, now that the PDF has been released, I thought I'd discuss it. There's a lot to take in so I'm devoting this whole week to my assessment of Shadowrun Sixth World (Edition). …
Player Determinism
The phenomenon of Player Determinism is a strange one to my mind. I’ve found this post the most difficult to write of the three despite it being the one I’m most passionate about. Perhaps that is the problem after all? As with previous posts, I want to start with a general defining of my terms …
