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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silverblade The Ench" data-source="post: 5169800" data-attributes="member: 19083">I've been playing Planescape Torment, and thoughly enjoying it once again, after all these years <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> (bar the bugs, as it's very buggy on new PCs, sigh)However, it shows ot me once again, and fully, that the Faction War of end of 2nd ed run, and 4th eds screwing up the Blood War, and other stuff were totally *STUPID!* <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/rant.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":rant:" title="Rant    :rant:" data-shortname=":rant:" />1) Like the mess they made of Dark Sun, TSR should have left the hell alone with Planescape.The Faction War ended up with the factions mostly all getting annihilated/driven out of Sigil...WHY? Why for the love of Mike ruin such a damn good, well thought out and documented bundle of lore etc, eh?The factions, thier goals, decals, characters and ideals, were awesome!I adored the idea that Planescape wasn't about "super lewts n' and power by levels for munchkins only", but instead about belief, alignment, etc etcAwesome stuff! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />This gave you a counter point to the other thematic settings and their shtick:Dark Sun, brutal, gritty, violentSpelljammer, humorous, swashbuckling, ship and space heroicsRavenloft, dark Gothic horrorUndermountain, ultimate dungeon crawl with a good campaign setting for such.TSR managed to screw all of 'em up, grrr!!2) 4th ed, much as I love it, screwed up by dumping the Law/Chaos alignments. BAD IDEA!Alignment sure as hell is important..Hell...you know? devils, demons, angels, modrons etc etc.All good stuff to play with! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Alignment for some of the supernatural beasties is almost hard coded, that is not a bad thing, nor should folk complain about it. It is good for D&D.ALignement is a great, quick guide to the rough, general moral & ethical attitudes of NPCs, it's as important as AC, THAC0, BAB or whatever (depending on yer edition)ALignment is a good thing as it shows, oddly enough, the game has maturity, as morals & ethics are important. It's a stage director's shorthand notes for the guide work he does to get the characters to act to what you'd expect..but this doesn't stop 'em having individual quirks.Exceptiosn being the plaanr beasties may have absolute hard alignments, it's why they are the way they are.A marut isn't some big metallic giant, it's Law and the application of the rule of law personified.Devils ain't "Lawful but Chaotic on fridays to suit Bob the DM" <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />it jsut means Bob the DM shouldn't have them doing chaotic things without a heck of a good DM reason...but chaotic, and dirty backstabbing devious, ain't necessarily the same thing..and devils are the masters of duplicity and charm.Ok, changing the Planar set up a bit was ok, as it could do with a bit of "Spring cleaning" for 4th ed, but without law and Chaos, you have problems: Mechanus...modrons..maruts? Get the dirft? :/I like the planar travel by ship in 4th ed, and other things which I think improved it <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> less boringly lethal nature to the ELemental Planes for example.2) Having the Blood War on hold...is also dumb.WHY? If there's no conflict, WHERE'S THE FUN?!FUN..a complex, huge war on many planes with many agents etc, that characters can get involve in, and players have fun with.Except now in 4th ed...it's not occuring.like...duh? and Demons, holding to a truce...duh?So, IMHO, recton it right back to the start of Planescape just like has been done with Dark Sun! Solves all the problems. At least, for those of us with original Planescape boxed sets <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Just have the planes not currently in 4th ed as mega-astral dominions.otherwise...4th ed and to lesser extent, 3rd ed Planescape (planar) stuff is a bit on the lacklustre side, by comparison, to what it once was.Take the good bits from each, and mash 'em together <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I gotta do some 3D art based on Sigil...mmm <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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