Rules Aren't Important

[MGibster]

I'm running a Cyberpunk Red game, and one of the first rules of Cyberpunk is style over substance. It's right there in the book that looking good matters more than being effective. The rules as written make automobiles and even motorcycles completely unaffordable to any player. In fact, the special ability of a Nomad is that they have access to a vehicle. Not even a cool vehicle, but something like a small motorbike or a compact car. So tell me, choom, how cool does your character look while taking public transit to pull an extraction job at a Biotechnica lab? How stylish is it for your Fixer to show up to a meeting with a client 30 minutes late because the bus was late? The rules matter.

 

[bloodtide]

I see the rules as suggestions. Rules are nice to have a light framework to play a game on.

Though too many players are way too into the rules. To the point they are not even role playing, they are playing a board game. There character moves one move space forward and takes the search action.

The perfect balance is the GM can do whatever they wish on a whim around the rules suggestions, and the players are locked into the rules frame work.

 

[overgeeked]

But does it matter? Does it actually matter in play whether the ogre is a clock or is a bag of hit points? I don't think it does, except insofar the bag of hit points has a more narrowly defined set of applicable mechanically discrete PC abities that can be leveraged. Which really just shrinks the game. But otherwise, it's still some re that says some number of appropriately high dice rolls overcome the obstacle. So from that perspective @overgeeked is right: the (specific) rules don't actually matter.

What’s interesting is that if you dig into the math of say D&D 5E you can see that with little variation you might as well be using a clock instead of the bag of hit points. To hit is calibrated around 65% +/-5%. Normal monster damage is calibrated around doing about 1/4 of the average PC’s HP per hit. Etc. The fiddly details just hide that. So, strip away the details and go with the underlying math instead.

 

[overgeeked]

I'm running a Cyberpunk Red game, and one of the first rules of Cyberpunk is style over substance. It's right there in the book that looking good matters more than being effective. The rules as written make automobiles and even motorcycles completely unaffordable to any player. In fact, the special ability of a Nomad is that they have access to a vehicle. Not even a cool vehicle, but something like a small motorbike or a compact car. So tell me, choom, how cool does your character look while taking public transit to pull an extraction job at a Biotechnica lab? How stylish is it for your Fixer to show up to a meeting with a client 30 minutes late because the bus was late? The rules matter.

Did you use that obviously dumb rule because it was written in the book or did you ignore/change it because it clearly goes against the theme of the game?

 

[Reynard]

What’s interesting is that if you dig into the math of say D&D 5E you can see that with little variation you might as well be using a clock instead of the bag of hit points. To hit is calibrated around 65% +/-5%. Normal monster damage is calibrated around doing about 1/4 of the average PC’s HP per hit. Etc. The fiddly details just hide that. So, strip away the details and go with the underlying math instead.

The difference is that the clock being hit points constrains the methods by which players can engage the obstacle. As pure clocks, it keeps it open to possibilities that exist in the fiction without having to constantly ask the GM to adjudicate every potential attempt.

 

[overgeeked]

The difference is that the clock being hit points constrains the methods by which players can engage the obstacle. As pure clocks, it keeps it open to possibilities that exist in the fiction without having to constantly ask the GM to adjudicate every potential attempt.

Exactly. So instead of using the limited mechanic of hit points use the wide open mechanic of clocks. Instead of pointing out this one solution to overcome the obstacle, you open things up to any solution. It takes six successes to overcome the obstacle of the ogre, whether that’s combat or conversation or bribery, it’s up to the players.

 

[MGibster]

Did you use that obviously dumb rule because it was written in the book or did you ignore/change it because it clearly goes against the theme of the game?

I've ignored it. In Red, automobiles are so rare that there would be few opportunities to even steal one. So if you go by the setting, just figuring out how to get from point A to point B for the most mundane of tasks requires a lot of work. It's tedious and not at all fun. In all honesty, this is one of the few times I'd rather be player an earlier version of the game. I'd rather be playing Cyberpunk 2020.

 

[overgeeked]

I've ignored it. In Red, automobiles are so rare that there would be few opportunities to even steal one. So if you go by the setting, just figuring out how to get from point A to point B for the most mundane of tasks requires a lot of work. It's tedious and not at all fun. In all honesty, this is one of the few times I'd rather be player an earlier version of the game. I'd rather be playing Cyberpunk 2020.

Right. So the rule doesn’t matter because you can change/ignore it.

If you‘re into cyberpunk you should check out CY_BORG, a MORK BORG variant. Very style over substance. The layout and design are…interesting and reminiscent of what most would imagine a cyberpunk setting’s punk band’s posters would look like.

 

[Jd Smith1]

But does it matter? Does it actually matter in play whether the ogre is a clock or is a bag of hit points? I don't think it does, except insofar the bag of hit points has a more narrowly defined set of applicable mechanically discrete PC abities that can be leveraged. Which really just shrinks the game. But otherwise, it's still some re that says some number of appropriately high dice rolls overcome the obstacle. So from that perspective @overgeeked is right: the (specific) rules don't actually matter.

Except that some rules sets do not made NPCs just bags of hit points.

 

[MGibster]

Right. So the rule doesn’t matter because you can change/ignore it.

Why would I bother to change the rules if they don't matter? Anyone who changes the rules of a game are admitting that that they matter.

If you‘re into cyberpunk you should check out CY_BORG, a MORK BORG variant. Very style over substance. The layout and design are…interesting and reminiscent of what most would imagine a cyberpunk setting’s punk band’s posters would look like.

I just might check it out. I've seen the book, but I haven't taken a close look yet.