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<blockquote data-quote="RFisher" data-source="post: 4636660" data-attributes="member: 3608"><p>I voted: “I like some parts random, but certain aspects of the character must always be choosable.”</p><p></p><p>Although, even in those cases I’ll sometimes random roll the choices I get to make as well.</p><p></p><p>I’ve been really impressed by classic Traveller. Chargen is very random, yet if I try to make a pilot or a doctor more times than not I actually get what I was going for.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In my groups the numbers on your character sheet usually don’t count as much as your decisions. I’ve seen characters who would be discarded as “hopeless” by many players do very well indeed.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Ah, but I find that often to not be the case. The lack of dice rolls doesn’t mean the system supports creating the character I want to create with the number of points I’ve been given.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>My experience is the opposite. It is nigh impossible to correctly sum up the value of a mechanical ability in a single number. Especially since one of the many variables involved is the GM. If we all build the exact same character, we’ll be balanced. If we create different character with the same number of points, we won’t be balanced.</p><p></p><p>That’s not to say it makes a game unplayable. I can enjoy a good point-buy system. I just recognize that they aren’t really any better balanced than completely random systems.</p><p></p><p>And random systems have the advantage of doing a better job of making things rare. You put a point value on something, and either every character can buy it or no character can. A high-but-not-too-high point value might make something rare but might not.</p><p></p><p>In fact, in a random system you can make available to starting characters things that—in a point buy system—would be priced out of the budget of starting characters.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RFisher, post: 4636660, member: 3608"] I voted: “I like some parts random, but certain aspects of the character must always be choosable.” Although, even in those cases I’ll sometimes random roll the choices I get to make as well. I’ve been really impressed by classic Traveller. Chargen is very random, yet if I try to make a pilot or a doctor more times than not I actually get what I was going for. In my groups the numbers on your character sheet usually don’t count as much as your decisions. I’ve seen characters who would be discarded as “hopeless” by many players do very well indeed. Ah, but I find that often to not be the case. The lack of dice rolls doesn’t mean the system supports creating the character I want to create with the number of points I’ve been given. My experience is the opposite. It is nigh impossible to correctly sum up the value of a mechanical ability in a single number. Especially since one of the many variables involved is the GM. If we all build the exact same character, we’ll be balanced. If we create different character with the same number of points, we won’t be balanced. That’s not to say it makes a game unplayable. I can enjoy a good point-buy system. I just recognize that they aren’t really any better balanced than completely random systems. And random systems have the advantage of doing a better job of making things rare. You put a point value on something, and either every character can buy it or no character can. A high-but-not-too-high point value might make something rare but might not. In fact, in a random system you can make available to starting characters things that—in a point buy system—would be priced out of the budget of starting characters. [/QUOTE]
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