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<blockquote data-quote="Jacob Lewis" data-source="post: 8629931" data-attributes="member: 6667921"><p><h3>Better Mechanics for a Better Design</h3><p>We all know the d20 mechanic works. We know how it works, why it works, and all the pros and cons that go with it. But that doesn't mean we have to like it or hate it. We just accept it for what it is. If its doing the job well enough, then there's no reason to mess with it. Like I said, I'm not going to waste my time or energy to revise a game system with the same mechanics. That game already exists; several, in fact. So if I want to do more with the system, I need core mechanic that will better support the kind of play that I enjoy; the kind that 4th Edition inspires me to want to play. The ideas that I have, however, will require something more than just a d20.</p><p></p><p>Before I go into any specifics, I want to talk a little about general mechanics and good game designs. Problem is I'm not very good at describing my thoughts and ideas. I'm not an expert or had any professional training on the subject (aside from personal study and interest), but I do recognize good designs when I see them. So I'm going to use a different game as an example, and then do my best to explain what I like about their mechanics.</p><p></p><p>The game is called <strong>The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth</strong> by Fantasy Flight Games. Yes, it's a board game. But we're talking mechanics and design here. Plus, it shares some of the same elements as your typical D&D game: exploration, combat, etc. One of the unique features of the game is the use of a skill deck for each character instead of dice. That's right. No dice are used in this game. Since they're better at explain their own game, I'll just modify their overview for a quick summary about how it works. (You can read more on their site -> <a href="https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-journeys-in-middle-earth/" target="_blank">LINK</a>.)</p><p></p><p><em><span style="color: rgb(147, 101, 184)">(Ed. Note: Also, I highly recommend this game for many reasons, but I'm not going to get into those here. That's for another thread.)</span></em></p><p></p><p>So each skill card has two distinct roles. First, it offers a special ability that the character can use during the game. But in order to make it available, you need to remove it from the deck. This disables its secondary function, which is to generate success or inspiration points during a skill test. You'll note that the better abilities typically have one or two success or inspiration points, thus making it valuable in and out of the deck. This makes the player's decisions more meaningful knowing that there are only so many possible success and/or inspiration available in their skill deck. There is a balance in play that the players must gauge for themselves, which makes strategy and choices very meaningful for the player.</p><p></p><p>Also note the efficiency of the design itself. You don't have separate cards doing one particular thing (like drawing success or inspiration), and another for special abilities. But there's more examples of efficient design in this game. Here's one of my favorites:</p><p></p><p>Rather than making two different types of tokens (one for exploration and one for inspiration), the designers simply printed tokens with each symbol on one side. When I first got my copy and started organizing the pieces, I was confused why they had done this. I hadn't read the rules yet, so I didn't know that the two were actually connected. I knew characters would collect Inspiration tokens that they could use during play. But I did not realize they could earn one just by entering an unexplored tile. So rather than removing the exploration token into a pile and having the player pick up a different token for their inspiration from another pile, the player just takes the exploration token from the board and keeps it, flipping it to the inspiration side.</p><p></p><p>This might not seem like much, but it accomplishes a number of small things. First, it reduces the amount of materials needed to produce the game (i.e. there's no need to create separate exploration and inspiration tokens). This also reduces the amount of clutter around the table while playing. It also keeps the tokens "in play" longer. Imagine the sole purpose of the exploration token was to simply mark which tiles haven't been explored yet. Once a player lands on it, they simply toss the token back into the pile. Instead, the player collects it for future use. It also has the added benefit of making the player feel more rewarded because they gain a physical object that can be touched.</p><p></p><p>Obviously, a board game is going to have some significant differences than an RPG. However, they can (and do) share some common ground with each other, especially where similar design principles and practices apply. This is where I take my queues when making decisions on how a certain mechanic might work better or more efficiently. That's the kind of thing I'm good at. So even if you don't see it, or can't imagine how something is possible, that is one of my greater strengths. Let's see how this goes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jacob Lewis, post: 8629931, member: 6667921"] [HEADING=2]Better Mechanics for a Better Design[/HEADING] We all know the d20 mechanic works. We know how it works, why it works, and all the pros and cons that go with it. But that doesn't mean we have to like it or hate it. We just accept it for what it is. If its doing the job well enough, then there's no reason to mess with it. Like I said, I'm not going to waste my time or energy to revise a game system with the same mechanics. That game already exists; several, in fact. So if I want to do more with the system, I need core mechanic that will better support the kind of play that I enjoy; the kind that 4th Edition inspires me to want to play. The ideas that I have, however, will require something more than just a d20. Before I go into any specifics, I want to talk a little about general mechanics and good game designs. Problem is I'm not very good at describing my thoughts and ideas. I'm not an expert or had any professional training on the subject (aside from personal study and interest), but I do recognize good designs when I see them. So I'm going to use a different game as an example, and then do my best to explain what I like about their mechanics. The game is called [B]The Lord of the Rings: Journeys in Middle Earth[/B] by Fantasy Flight Games. Yes, it's a board game. But we're talking mechanics and design here. Plus, it shares some of the same elements as your typical D&D game: exploration, combat, etc. One of the unique features of the game is the use of a skill deck for each character instead of dice. That's right. No dice are used in this game. Since they're better at explain their own game, I'll just modify their overview for a quick summary about how it works. (You can read more on their site -> [URL='https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/the-lord-of-the-rings-journeys-in-middle-earth/']LINK[/URL].) [I][COLOR=rgb(147, 101, 184)](Ed. Note: Also, I highly recommend this game for many reasons, but I'm not going to get into those here. That's for another thread.)[/COLOR][/I] So each skill card has two distinct roles. First, it offers a special ability that the character can use during the game. But in order to make it available, you need to remove it from the deck. This disables its secondary function, which is to generate success or inspiration points during a skill test. You'll note that the better abilities typically have one or two success or inspiration points, thus making it valuable in and out of the deck. This makes the player's decisions more meaningful knowing that there are only so many possible success and/or inspiration available in their skill deck. There is a balance in play that the players must gauge for themselves, which makes strategy and choices very meaningful for the player. Also note the efficiency of the design itself. You don't have separate cards doing one particular thing (like drawing success or inspiration), and another for special abilities. But there's more examples of efficient design in this game. Here's one of my favorites: Rather than making two different types of tokens (one for exploration and one for inspiration), the designers simply printed tokens with each symbol on one side. When I first got my copy and started organizing the pieces, I was confused why they had done this. I hadn't read the rules yet, so I didn't know that the two were actually connected. I knew characters would collect Inspiration tokens that they could use during play. But I did not realize they could earn one just by entering an unexplored tile. So rather than removing the exploration token into a pile and having the player pick up a different token for their inspiration from another pile, the player just takes the exploration token from the board and keeps it, flipping it to the inspiration side. This might not seem like much, but it accomplishes a number of small things. First, it reduces the amount of materials needed to produce the game (i.e. there's no need to create separate exploration and inspiration tokens). This also reduces the amount of clutter around the table while playing. It also keeps the tokens "in play" longer. Imagine the sole purpose of the exploration token was to simply mark which tiles haven't been explored yet. Once a player lands on it, they simply toss the token back into the pile. Instead, the player collects it for future use. It also has the added benefit of making the player feel more rewarded because they gain a physical object that can be touched. Obviously, a board game is going to have some significant differences than an RPG. However, they can (and do) share some common ground with each other, especially where similar design principles and practices apply. This is where I take my queues when making decisions on how a certain mechanic might work better or more efficiently. That's the kind of thing I'm good at. So even if you don't see it, or can't imagine how something is possible, that is one of my greater strengths. Let's see how this goes. [/QUOTE]
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