James Introcaso talks about the Power Roll, a change to the MCDM resolution system.

[Aldarc]

This honestly seems less like PbtA and more like the Cypher System, though in the Cypher System the bonus damage and minor/major effects occur at 17+ on a d20 roll.

 

[Zaukrie]

I have no idea why this is an issue. They said the game wasn't close to done..... And it isn't. Grifters? Unreal.

 

[Retreater]

This honestly seems less like PbtA and more like the Cypher System, though the bonus damage in the Cypher System the bonus damage and minor/major effects occur at 17+ on a d20 roll.

Oh ... that makes it even worse for me. (https://www.enworld.org/threads/numenera-third-time-wasnt-the-charm.660152/)

The greatest shame of Cypher/Numenera is that it has removed pretty good designers from the industry and put them working on a project I hate - and many others dislike as well. (https://www.enworld.org/threads/tell-me-about-the-cypher-system.699558/)

Imagine if we had the talent of Bruce Cordell, Sean Reynolds, and Monte Cook creating games for systems that are at least rated "above average" on here. As it is, it's like if Jimmy Page quit Led Zeppelin to join an AC/DC cover band.

 

[Meech17]

I have no idea why this is an issue. They said the game wasn't close to done..... And it isn't. Grifters? Unreal.

Seriously.

I really like Colville, and his content. I've given him money in the past. I did not, however back his game.

He was completely upfront about this. He said it was going to be a long term project, and they weren't even close to settled.

The only core thing was the premise. They wanted the game to be Tactical, Heroic, Cinematic, Fantasy. He explained what he felt all those things meant, and how he thought they might achieve those goals.

Now, they are going through playtesting and revisions and work shopping their ideas.

If you backed this expecting there to be a complete game and you're just funding the printing, you obviously weren't paying attention.

This is for people who are not only interested in the game itself, but also the process of game design. You get to watch the sausage get made here, and even take part of it through playtesting.

If I had a group that was really into tactical combat play, I might have backed it because I think this could be a really fun and interesting experience. It would be really neat to play through multiple revisions of a game. See how choices get made, and see it how evolves over time. I don't have that kind of group though so me backing it would only serve to help show MCDM support. I'm sure a lot of people backed it for that reason alone. They were probably going to back it regardless.

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

I have no idea why this is an issue. They said the game wasn't close to done..... And it isn't. Grifters? Unreal.

The sense I get is that the game isn't going to be as revolutionary as people expected, given Colville's track record. Imagine if someone you respected as a designer decided, during a bout of anti-D&D ranting online, to announce he was coming out with a game that would be monumentally game-changing (no pun intended), hyped up the donors and then... it all just appeared to be 4e with another company's skill combat etc resolution.

The premise was: new game system to scratch all those itches and NOT be D&D. What do we have? First we're told no combat role, and then it appears there IS a 'to hit' roll in the sense you're trying to see how powerful the effect is

 

[Zaukrie]

The sense I get is that the game isn't going to be as revolutionary as people expected, given Colville's track record. Imagine if someone you respected as a designer decided, during a bout of anti-D&D ranting online, to announce he was coming out with a game that would be monumentally game-changing (no pun intended), hyped up the donors and then... it all just appeared to be 4e with another company's skill combat etc resolution.

The premise was: new game system to scratch all those itches and NOT be D&D. What do we have? First we're told no combat role, and then it appears there IS a 'to hit' roll in the sense you're trying to see how powerful the effect is

If you didn't want to take a chance on a game they said wasn't finished, all you had to do was wait until it was. There's no grift here. It was all very clear that things would change. Backing the kS for an unfinished game clearly carried risk you wouldn't like what came.

 

[Aldarc]

Oh ... that makes it even worse for me. (https://www.enworld.org/threads/numenera-third-time-wasnt-the-charm.660152/)

The greatest shame of Cypher/Numenera is that it has removed pretty good designers from the industry and put them working on a project I hate - and many others dislike as well. (https://www.enworld.org/threads/tell-me-about-the-cypher-system.699558/)

Imagine if we had the talent of Bruce Cordell, Sean Reynolds, and Monte Cook creating games for systems that are at least rated "above average" on here. As it is, it's like if Jimmy Page quit Led Zeppelin to join an AC/DC cover band.

I disagree and this is pretty darn insulting to the designers who you claim to respect.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I disagree and this is pretty darn insulting to the designers who you claim to respect.

Eh, I don't know.

That's like saying you like At the Drive Inn and not The Mars Volta. Or that you liked Joy Division but can't stand New Order. You can like someone's previous works and also dislike what they are currently doing and wish they were doing something else instead.

 

[Willie the Duck]

I have no idea why this is an issue. They said the game wasn't close to done..... And it isn't. Grifters? Unreal.

An issue is a broad topic. To be clear, it absolutely, flatly, unflinchingly is not an issue on a legal, moral, uh... 'doing something wrong' level. The grifting claim suggestion made above seems likely to be either 1) casual overreaction, or 2) becoming used to a specific way something is done and forgetting that it is the exception (to the point of finding the lack of it to be suspicious).

Whether it is 'an issue' in terms of positive to the net result, or pleasing the people who bought in, there could be. Note that some people voicing their displeasure are simply stating that this looks a little more likely that the end result will be something they won't be as pleased with. So, an issue the same way that your lotto number not coming up is (the far opposite of someone doing something wrong style issues).

Seriously.
I really like Colville, and his content. I've given him money in the past. I did not, however back his game.
He was completely upfront about this. He said it was going to be a long term project, and they weren't even close to settled.
The only core thing was the premise. They wanted the game to be Tactical, Heroic, Cinematic, Fantasy. He explained what he felt all those things meant, and how he thought they might achieve those goals.
Now, they are going through playtesting and revisions and work shopping their ideas.
If you backed this expecting there to be a complete game and you're just funding the printing, you obviously weren't paying attention.
This is for people who are not only interested in the game itself, but also the process of game design. You get to watch the sausage get made here, and even take part of it through playtesting.
If I had a group that was really into tactical combat play, I might have backed it because I think this could be a really fun and interesting experience. It would be really neat to play through multiple revisions of a game. See how choices get made, and see it how evolves over time. I don't have that kind of group though so me backing it would only serve to help show MCDM support. I'm sure a lot of people backed it for that reason alone. They were probably going to back it regardless.

There we go. This is helpful information. If this was specifically advertised as experience delivered, I get how this could have proceeded without things I would normally expect to be within the pitch.
Premise, setting, and expected playstyle are the few things I think you can solidly settle upon before the primary resolution system. Everything else, I feel is stuff you have to leave loose (or else risk having to loosen and re-tighted, I guess) until you have that at least relatively confident. Since that base mechanic is often the big-lift component that tells me that someone has more than just a nifty concept (which, honestly, are a dime a dozen; execution is the hard part), I would normally expect that as being part of the pitch.
If the entire model of the project is 'we are going to take you through that part,' then it makes sense. It is a trust-fall with Colville, and advertised as such.

In that case, the only critique I have is that, knowing that (and where we are in the process), mid-2025 seems awfully ambitious.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Yeah, my excitement has decreased.

I'd wait until closer to its finish-date before building much excitement or lack thereof. They clearly weren't kidding every time they said "this stuff is subject to change". It's no wonder that they don't really want too many people putting eyes on it yet.

Imagine if we had the talent of Bruce Cordell, Sean Reynolds, and Monte Cook creating games for systems that are at least rated "above average" on here. As it is, it's like if Jimmy Page quit Led Zeppelin to join an AC/DC cover band.

Can't say that I disagree with you here. I was a pretty big fan of Monte Cook, but after Numenera, I'm not sure that I'd bother looking too closely at anything he was working on.

It reminds me of Todd McFarlane in comics. I was a big fan, but I don't have any interest in Spawn, and he doesn't have any interest in anything else.

James Introcaso: Check out We're talking about the power roll! A changed to the MCDM RPG mechanic.

Hey, he gave you a shout-out! Is your nickname really pronounced "Dahr Junior"? I always call you "Darjher" in my head. But then, I always just read the letters. I would pronounce haskdsfhlasdkfjl (just pounding the keyboard!) as hask-dis-flass-duk-fyull).