Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5715015" data-attributes="member: 54877">Agree with all of that, except limiting Core Rulebook to the base system. The Core Rulebook should include some options, clearly defined as such. That said, I do agree that to reinforce this aspect, the base system should be detail at the front of the book, by sub system--and only then touch the options--maybe even putting them in appendices. (That is, talk base system for character, race, class, skills, etc. before any options are broached.)  Reasons for including options:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Some people will want them right away. If they aren't in the book on launch, a lot of people won't hang around long enough to get them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Including them forces the developer and testers to consider how the game works with and without the options. If not built this way, there will be gaps, which will involve nasty kludges to make something work.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Done well, a moderate selection of options become explanatory and inspiring even for people who choose not to use them.</li> </ul>That last point is because you might decide to just wing, say, "Nature" skill to cover managing an animal in certain situations. Those of us who play 4E that way have a certain insight into what a limited skill list means, and how to think around it. However, for newer players or those not used to that style, poking around through the options conveys that information. "Oh, if I'm riding a horse, then nature, athletics, endurance, or acrobatics could all matter." Plus, even people that are used to this wouldn't mind some hints about what the designers were thinking. Instead of writing a ton of advice with numerous examples on how to use the base system, they can write some advice with a few examples, and then direct to the more detailed approach as an option or as the more comprehensive set of examples. The page count won't be much greater my way, and it will serve two audiences instead of one.</blockquote>

Verification