Let's Talk About Character Resources To Power Abilities

[TwoSix]

I imagine they do want tactical and strategic thinking. The question, I think, is whether or not resource management is required for that.

Or maybe they don’t! Strategic and tactical thinking is not a requirement for lots of kinds of RPGs.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Or maybe they don’t! Strategic and tactical thinking is not a requirement for lots of kinds of RPGs.

Yes, it's possible, and a perfectly valid viewpoint, but I was basing that guess off of other posts they have made.

 

[TwoSix]

Yes, it's possible, and a perfectly valid viewpoint, but I was basing that guess off of other posts they have made.

You’re almost certainly correct, but I like to keep the various options in context for the broader thread readership.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Personally, I like having in-game resources: HERO's End, spell points, L5R's rings.

Not everyone does. I've noticed more people dislike the ones that look the most like maths, e.g. HERO's End. (That it constantly goes up and down is just more maths and makes it even less popular.)

Whereas simpler systems, e.g. L5R's rings, aren't an issue for most folks. Tracking the charges doesn't even need maths, coloured tokens would do the job. That they're also narratively cool helps too.

Another thing that occurs to me is that every magic system (that I know of) uses some sort of resource tracking, be it power points or spell slots. This means that anyone who wants to play a spell caster has to be happy with resource tracking.

 

[MichaelSomething]

You’re almost certainly correct, but I like to keep the various options in context for the broader thread readership.

So how do you have resourceless tactical/strategic gameplay???

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Well, the action economy is a resource in a way. Physical placement of characters. Decisions on who/what to attack/defend. Terrain.

 

[TwoSix]

So how do you have resourceless tactical/strategic gameplay???

You don't, IMO.

 

[Bill Zebub]

You don't, IMO.

i'm so curious/puzzled by this.

I'll acknowledge that I can't yet think of a way to do it with absolutely no resources, but as I described in our earlier exchange with even just one resource ("health"?) I think you can do it.

Other examples: in Chess you have finite pieces, so those are your one resource. In Go you are capturing areas, so those are your one resource.

Is that your argument, that you need at least one resource? Or are you suggesting that more resources are needed (e.g. mana, uses per day of special abilities, arrows, rations, torches, expertise dice, etc.) to make RPGs tactical/strategic?