When you go from encouraging a more freeform magic system where many paths can meet in the middle to create the same effect to a system that discourages freeform magic and has a lot more one-true-waysim to achieve an effect, of course you'll have less arguments
I always explained to people how if they wanted to have a character that was more directed toward certain spheres that you could still create similar effects w/X sphere while maybe having a slightly higher level of Y sphere, and maybe a bit of Z if possible.
Your houseruling only suggests that it's a flawed system. If you go outside of the intended system that doesn't mean it's freeform. You making it freeform by bending the rules does not make the rules system flexible. The arguments came from a poorly designed, inherently flawed system. The floating difficulty was the most important factor, not the dice pools. Just lower the difficulty, spend a willpower, and you'll succeed. A character with 20 dice and a mediocre difficulty will lose to a character with 5 dice and difficulty 2. That means a character that is designed to lower Difficulty levels, although a lower Arete, is more powerful/effective than a character than cannot lower difficulty and has a higher Arete. It runs counter to the fluff and intentional design of the system.
The arguments came from the poorly conceived sphere system. Call it freeform all you want but it's a plain and simple fact the spheres were not balanced. The range of abilities available to a given sphere varied greatly. It's evident by your houserules. You're giving players effects that were not covered by the system. This is a testement to the failings of that system, not its strengths. Take away your house rules and it's no longer free form. The damage of each sphere wasn't tempered against the possible range of effects. There was no quality control as to determine why Forces had more damage AND more effects than the other spheres.
The new system offers better guidlines for balance. I ran a MtA campaign for two-and-a-half years and there are several glaring problems with the oWoD.
1) There is no system of unity. Mages do not have any incentive to work together. It's very easy for Mages to gain individual power and not have a reason to stay in the group. Mechanically, the system supported individual power over group dynamics. In the new system the Rotes, Spells, Items, Cabal casting, extended Cabal casting, all point toward the necessity of group dynamics.
2) Some Spheres are more equal than others. It was clear right off the bat than MtA required houserules. Some characters flat out sucked. They couldn't achieve a modicum of success compared to other characters. In my nWoD campaign the biggest problem players have is "every Arcanum is so good I want them all." That's a huge difference. Players that would previously use the same sphere time and again are now building characters on schtick alone because they know everyone is useful. Better game means reliable player choices. The players now know that whatever they choose it will work as intended. And nobody has to house rule it
3) The price of power. In oWoD characters would simply become powerful - that's it. I'm powerful, teh uber kewl weezard!. Players could grow tired of their ties with other characters. There was no mechanical reason for players to have their characters form a union at higher levels. Now the curse of Auras demands that players continue to work together. The footprint left by an Archmage needs a cabal to erase it. As players grow in power so does their paradox. In oWoD Paradox only occurred
when you failed. Reference the floating difficulty number. Lower your difficulty and no paradox. In nWoD paradox increases as power increases. Essentially, your presence is a disturbance to the Fallen World. Unlike oWoD, there is a mechanical and narrative price for power that demands group dynamics. Last time I checked, RPG's are a cooperative game. The increase in mechanical elements that drive narrative elements means a better
Roleplaying game.
The constantly encroaching metaplots of White Wolf games do get old, but setting is pretty easy to ditch. I can't stand the story behind magic in the new game. heck, IRL I enjoy discussions about Atlantis and such, but it was SO cliche to reach out and peg Atlantis as the source of magic and such. The metaphysical ladders and such were even worse. Nephandi, Marauders and the Technocracy were built in boogeymen but at least they were INTERESTING (for me)
Is it really cliche to peg Atlantis as a source of magic? For starters, Atlantis is not the
source of magic. You are wrong. The Supernal World is the
source of magic. Atlantis was the mythical
nation of Wizards. Mythical because in the nWoD game many wizards consider it as metaphor for hubris and an allegory for the price of power,
not an actual place. Furthermore, name 20 other game systems that use Atlantis as metaphor for hubris and an allegory for the price of power. In order to qualify as a cliche` there must be gross overuse. You cannot name one.
