How do you like (or don't like) the Savage Worlds rpg?

[MGibster]

So far the only Savage Worlds games I've played where I felt like there was an overabundance of equipment was Interface Zero which is a cyberpunk setting. Between all the armor, weapons, and cyberwear available for purchase it just got to be a bit overwhelming.

 

[Retreater]

So far the only Savage Worlds games I've played where I felt like there was an overabundance of equipment was Interface Zero which is a cyberpunk setting. Between all the armor, weapons, and cyberwear available for purchase it just got to be a bit overwhelming.

I definitely felt overwhelmed by all the options in Rifts. If my mind could be focused on it, I'm sure it would be great having all that stuff. But since I don't have the mind I did when I was younger (or - maybe more accurately - the free time) it's just too much.

 

[Thomas Shey]

That's fair. I think there's a lack of utility spells that probably don't deserve a full blown Power as they're not effective in combat but might provide certain quality of life benefits. Something like D&D's prestidigitation for example.

The problem is deeper than that.

The SW list would work okay for individual low-magic like RuneQuest battle magic (though obviously a little more oomphy since you have some attack spells that are halfway serious), but the farther you get away from wanting something like that, the less they work. And the fact there's no in-system way to vary how to cast, where its skill based or not, or a bunch of other things doesn't really make it well suited to representing anything else.

As I mentioned earlier, there's two ways you can get around this kind of problem; have a bunch of different bespoke "magic" systems that are varied enough one of them will probably work (the GURPS approach) or have an extensive build-a-power-system approach (the Hero approach). SW doesn't really do either; its more like the approach GURPS had early in its lifespan where they tried to use the magic system they had in the corebook for everything (and sometimes it really, really stuck out how badly it worked for it), and don't seem to have much gone beyond that. Even third parties have mostly just made minor tweaks to the extent system (usually by limiting what spells were available doing custom botch consequences, though SWADE seems to have moved away from that).

Honestly, the magic system is the biggest reasons I don't use the system more; its just really inadequate for a lot of purposes.

 

[Thomas Shey]

That said it fills a nice niche between a heavy system from the 3x family and lighter rules games like cypher, fitd, pbta, and so on. it’s easier to manage and run than GURPS or Hero and it’s good for any kind of high action game you want to run.

Well, with the caveat I give about the magic system (and different problems with the SPC powers) I generally agree.

 

[jdrakeh]

They changed the way recovering from being Shaken works.

I'm aware but it's still not fixed enough for me. Even as it currently stands, you really need a high Spirit rating to stay on your feet in combat.

 

[Thomas Shey]

I'm aware but it's still not fixed enough for me. Even as it currently stands, you really need a high Spirit rating to stay on your feet in combat.

Can you give an example of how? Honestly, short of getting a massive damage raise, I don't think I've ever seen anyone go down in combat, and like I said, an average Spirit will let any wild card throw off a Shaken most of the time. Is there something you're thinking of I'm missing?

 

[jdrakeh]

Can you give an example of how? Honestly, short of getting a massive damage raise, I don't think I've ever seen anyone go down in combat, and like I said, an average Spirit will let any wild card throw off a Shaken most of the time. Is there something you're thinking of I'm missing?

Just having to roll a successful Spirit check to throw off a Shaken status. I've seen characters with low to average Spirit scores blow a lot of these rolls. Sometimes right in a row. One character in particular got taken out of the action a lot, because he built his character for... well, character, instead of mechanical optimization (he shortchanged himself on Spirit and paid the cost).

 

[Thomas Shey]

Just having to roll a successful Spirit check to throw off a Shaken status. I've seen characters with low to average Spirit scores blow a lot of these rolls. Sometimes right in a row. One character in particular got taken out of the action a lot, because he built his character for... well, character, instead of mechanical optimization (he shortchanged himself on Spirit and paid the cost).

Honestly, I have to write that off to dice roll aberrations. A typical Wild Card has a Spirit of a D6, and a Wild Die of a D6; he needs to roll at least one of those with a total of 4 or greater to be unshaken. That's a 75% chance. If someone can't do that on any kind of regular basis, its hard to see that as a system problem.

 

[MGibster]

I definitely felt overwhelmed by all the options in Rifts. If my mind could be focused on it, I'm sure it would be great having all that stuff. But since I don't have the mind I did when I was younger (or - maybe more accurately - the free time) it's just too much.

Okay, I forgot about Rifts probably because I ran it and didn't play it. But, yeah, I think Rifts might take the cake there.

 

[Ixal]

Unless they're minions, which have 1 HP.

Which is imo also a problem, that you only have minions and "bosses". There is not much room for "not pushover enemies which are not special". Nor can you have different levels of bosses because the thoughness system breaks down at higher levels (already a problem in Rifts)

And I initially forgot until someone mentioned it, the entire power/spell system is much too generic.