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<blockquote data-quote="Gadget" data-source="post: 8108079" data-attributes="member: 23716">I've always thought that the Cartesian Coordinate Alignment system was trying to do too much for too little benefit.&nbsp; I get that Good vs Evil, and to a somewhat lesser degree, Law vs Chaos, have been important parts of the fantasy genre.&nbsp; But I feel it leads to too much of 'filling in the matrix syndrome' with mechanics and game design.&nbsp; It really isn't need for players so much, especially now that alignment has been largely divorced from mechanics (though I can see a counter argument with paladins &amp; clerical types). I enjoyed 4e's take on it where it was more along the spectrum of Lawful Good, Good, Unaligned, Evil, &amp; Chaotic Evil.&nbsp; Not ideal for all cases, but I especially liked the 'Unaligned' option, as I thought it felt much better than 'Neutral.'&nbsp; You may have had your own values and priorities, but on the cosmic scale, you weren't really involved.&nbsp;&nbsp; That said, I can see a more BECMI system filling in the alignment role better.&nbsp; Instead of Good, Neutral, &amp; Evil, I would go along the lines of Law, Unaligned, &amp; Chaos.&nbsp; Many instances would seem to have Law = Good &amp; Evil = Chaos, but this would leave some wiggle room for Chaos serving a good purpose, and Law being used for evil.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Gadget, post: 8108079, member: 23716"] I've always thought that the Cartesian Coordinate Alignment system was trying to do too much for too little benefit. I get that Good vs Evil, and to a somewhat lesser degree, Law vs Chaos, have been important parts of the fantasy genre. But I feel it leads to too much of 'filling in the matrix syndrome' with mechanics and game design. It really isn't need for players so much, especially now that alignment has been largely divorced from mechanics (though I can see a counter argument with paladins & clerical types). I enjoyed 4e's take on it where it was more along the spectrum of Lawful Good, Good, Unaligned, Evil, & Chaotic Evil. Not ideal for all cases, but I especially liked the 'Unaligned' option, as I thought it felt much better than 'Neutral.' You may have had your own values and priorities, but on the cosmic scale, you weren't really involved. That said, I can see a more BECMI system filling in the alignment role better. Instead of Good, Neutral, & Evil, I would go along the lines of Law, Unaligned, & Chaos. Many instances would seem to have Law = Good & Evil = Chaos, but this would leave some wiggle room for Chaos serving a good purpose, and Law being used for evil. [/QUOTE]

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