Exalted: what's the big friggin' deal?

[Atom Again]

Do any of you play Exalted? What's the big friggin' deal, anyway? Seems to me like an anime/epic fantasy hybrid with a pretentious setting and a nearly unworkable dice pool mechanic.

Dice pool...bah! In my day the only dice pool we had was the pool of saliva that accumulated on the table as we eagerly rolled our d20's killing orcs with our ten foot poles! And we liked it, blast it!

[pauses, adjusts bifocals]

Anyway, please tell me why everyone at RPG.net is blathering on and on about Exalted. You'd think it's the cure for the common cold or something.

 

[Dinkeldog]

They're blathering because it's a) a good game AND b) not D&D. That's all it takes over there.

 

[mmadsen]

They're blathering because it's a) a good game AND b) not D&D. That's all it takes over there.

It only takes "b"...

 

[Mystery Man]

Exalted is the dumbest game ever. Anyone who plays it is dumb too. Matter of fact, those rpg.net guys are dumb for liking it. I'd be surprised if everyone over there wasnt dumb. The dummies.

 

[Henry]

...pretentious setting...unworkable dice pool mechanic... everyone at RPG.net is blathering on and on...

You know, honey catches more flies than vinegar.

You might want to ask over at RPG.Net (assuming you haven't yet) WHY they like it in terms of setting and mechanics, as well as reframing your request in that way here. Otherwise, the people who can actually ANSWER your question are probably never going to respond.

It ain't my bag either, and I can't stand d10 or d6 dice pool mechanics, but it's still not courteous to toss veiled insults about the game or its fans.

 

[WayneLigon]

... Seems to me like an anime/epic fantasy hybrid with a pretentious setting and a nearly unworkable dice pool mechanic.

Pretentious...

1. Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified.
2. Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious

I guess, first, describe why you think it's pretentious.

 

[JPL]

Pretentious...

1. Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified.
2. Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious

I guess, first, describe why you think it's pretentious.

Well, it does deal with the occasional heavy theme, and make allusions to a variety of non-mainstream influences --- some of which, like anime, attract their share of snobs.

And it is a very high-concept game --- it takes a considerable investment of time [and possibly money] to really get a grip on the setting. Anything that requires that degree of commitment will give rise to feelings of superiority.

 

[Teflon Billy]

I'm of two minds on Exalted.

On the one hand, i think the setting is a good read (but I am partial to those "pretentious settings" White Wolf produces...I like WoD just fine).

I also like the production values of the game...the "look" of the stuff is very well done (though I'm not super-fond of the anime-inspired interior art).

As a game, I can't even imagine how I would go about GM'ing it. The PC's are--very, very literally--unstoppable in any traditional RPG sense. "Normal" challenges mean less than nothing to them. Only unbelievably powerful beings like themselves stand any hope of challenging the PC's, and even then (as written) the hope is faint.

To GM Exlted you have to ask yourself not "How will the PC's overcome this obstacle?" but "When the PC's overcome this obstacle, what happens?" and that doesn not match my GM'ing style at all.

Like Ars Magica before it (which I also loved as a good read) I find that Exalted suffers from a game world that--as written-- literally cannot (if extrapolated properly) survive the introduction of the PC's.

And if that's the case, then the ten trillion pages setting material, no matter how well written, becomes "good Fiction" rather than "Good Gaming Material"

 

[Apok]

Exalted is an extremely fun game to play.

Lemme tell ya a bit about it...

Yes, it is indeed 'epic/high fantasy' but you can tailor that to a more greco/celtic myth style play or an anime/manga uber-kung fu style play depending on your preference. Exalted can also be extremely gritty at times, especially if you're playing a mortal-centric game where things like bleeding to death and infections come into play.

Exalted does tend to have a very wuxia feel to it (it does take a lot of influence from asian myth and culture) but it's certainly not all it can do. Yes, the dicepool mechanic is a bear, but combat is outrageously fun if you prefer a more cinematic feel to a tactical one. D&D is very tactical; square grids, AoO's, movement, etc. Exalted is exactly the opposite. In Exalted, your character is expected to leap high into the air, landing on his opponents weapon, balancing perfectly while executing a sommersault kick to his face, then kicking off a nearby pillar to launch halfway across the throne room of the Jade Emperor of Ten Thousand Undying Horrors, swipe the crown from his head and then use it as a discuss to decapitate the royal guards pouring in from another chamber while you espouse on the philosophy of the Immaculate Order and prepare a three-course meal hibachi-style.

Exalted is similiar to D&D, just with the power and flashiness level cranked up to about 11. One of the big things I like about the game is you aren't quite as dependant upon equipment like you are in D&D. Sure, having a couple of Level 5 Artifacts and a Manse or three is going to make you even more badass than you already are, but most of your power comes from your Charms; those innate magics common to all Exalted.

It's just a whole other feel than D&D, and I like a little variety now and again.

 

[JPL]

Pretentious...

1. Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified.
2. Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious

I guess, first, describe why you think it's pretentious.

Well, it does deal with the occasional heavy theme, and make allusions to a variety of non-mainstream influences --- some of which, like anime, attract their share of snobs.

And it is a very high-concept game --- it takes a considerable investment of time [and possibly money] to really get a grip on the setting. Anything that requires that degree of commitment will give rise to feelings of superiority.

Many folks, no matter what their game of choice may be, take the attitude that what they are doing with their free time is something greater than just playing pretend.