Session Notes and System Thoughts: N.E.W. Playtest August

[RisTigger]

So we had our first session. It went well enough. It's the first time actually playing the system so I was mostly feeling my way around trying to figure everything out. You can read about the system as much as you want but until you play it, you don't know how it's going to go.

I will say that I want to play more. I was terrible as a GM in terms of combat but I think I understand how to set up a good encounter for next time. NEW requires you to think a lot more than most other systems about the setting and the battle map. I like that and it feels a lot more intuitive than D&D.

However, starting out it's hard to keep track of everyone and what they can do. This will just take practice. Also, balancing encounters is a science in this game and hopefully the bestiaries or the updated books give a better idea of how to make interesting and balanced encounters. I think I'll just have to work on future enemies and give them detailed strategies. This is one of my weak points as a GM and something I really need to improve.

We were all mostly unprepared for the game, some of us making our characters minutes before starting. But I do think the players are tantalized enough to play again.

I'll do a recap of the session later on.

 

[Nidrog]

Okey I'm gonna post my mind on the session. I'm sure Pixel and Ristigger has more to add but here are my general thoughts.

So Combat. We had two fights. One that we ended up skipping through half way and one that we finished. And honestly. I think SOAK is gonna need alot of work. But what I think is gonna need more work is general damage numbers. Alerana who I play has a IMO decent SOAK of six. Two natural and four from armor. I also have quite good HP at 24 max. And ofcourse I also have two exploits that lets me regain health by spending a full turn on it those being Spartan's Redundant Organs and Rugged. So yeah I dont mind taking risks becouse well in all honesty. I can handle it. And for the most part from what I saw in the fight so could M.A.X I who Pixle plays. However the rest of the group is rather... squishy unlike us. And thats where the problem comes in I think. Damage at least to me. Feels really high. And that brings us to the next problem. Overwatch.

Overwatch is nice dont get me wrong. But it feels really OP to me. Sure you spend a full turn to go into Overwatch but other then that. There is no penelties. And given how Overwatch practicly made our first encounter into a slow grind where people didn't really dare run out of cover becouse they might get shot. Maybe its becouse our group was after all abit of a mix of combat and none combat characters but it felt almost more like trench warfare then anything. You dont want to be the first guy going over the ridge and into the field. We did brainstorm out a few ideas or well at least talked about it. Like taking inspiration from the new X-Com where someone on overwatch takes a penelty to there aim and its only really for one guy. So what we talked aobut was the first thing. The aim penelty maybe give -1d6 on the first shot. Could make people want to take risks more then knowing that its basicly a fully aimed shot coming there way. I did propose some other ideas too like say someone who runs (aka spending both actions to move) into cover would cause a -1d6 becouse they're running towards cover after all. Ofcourse these might not work at all though either as this was just theoretical ideas I tossed up at the time so not sure how it would work out.

I will say this though. N.E.W most likely requires alot more planning then what I think any of us are used too when it comes to a combat scenario. And maybe thats where we're having our issues. Ofcourse it could also be becouse as RisTigger said. We where unprepared for the game and thats why things went the way they did. Though I'm definetly willing to try it some more as I am enjoying the system in general. One of the things about our first real session I liked the most was how there was a chase scene with me against one of the cat people kind of characters. And I had to use like 8d6 starting out (sense thats my speed) and then lost dice that where 6's. Made for some kinda tense moments if I would catch up or not. I'm not sure what it was called. But it was fun none the less.

 

[Morrus]

Thanks [MENTION=6781892]Nidrog[/MENTION]!

Regarding overwatch - were you applying the -1d6 penalty per shot? That's cumulative, so each subsequent shot gets harder.

Also did anybody cover anybody else to help them break cover and move? Suppressive fire is the antidote to overwatch.

It is definitely intended to be fairly tactical in combat, and I'm glad you're finding it so! You could certainly make it simpler by removing overwatch and it's counterpoint, suppressive fire; I might add a sidebar suggesting that as a 'starter' combat as folks get used to it.

 

[Nidrog]

Well we didn't apply the -1d6 penalty per shot becouse in the fight no one went out to sorta bait out the first shot. So from the ways it looks in the rules is the first shot is like a normal attack and then afterwards it gets harder to hit. So if no one goes over the edge to take the first shot becouse everyone is worried about dying if they get hit by the first shot. That penalty wont be coming into play.

And while we didn't use suppressive fire something we probebly should have but also given the situation it also kinda made sense not too do it. I dont remember everything exactly but me and Pixel was basicly dealing with one flank while the rest of the gang who was basicly staying in there position and trying to hold out while me and Pixel cleared the rest of the room so we didn't really need to break cover either before we ended up skiping the rest of the fight due to story/people maybe not enjoying it as much (I wasn't paying too much attention at that point to know why we ended up skiping. Sorta just zoned out ^^; ). I think one of the main problems for the group might have been that we're kinda used to DnD and similar systems where movement can only be restricted if someone is right up in your face. So it might also be that at work. I guese we'll see next session.

As for the rest of the combat. I really enjoyed it becouse of the tactical aspect. Though we did have some confusions. Like I have the exploit Double Tap. Is that just one attack roll with two damage rolls attached to it or one attack roll for each damage roll? The book isn't very clear on that. Also one thing we did that might not have been as intended was that at one point I used both of my actions as attacks. I'm not sure that would be a legal move or not or if actions can be used as whatever the heck you want if you're able to do it. This was also quite late into the session and somewhat late at night so might have been why that happened.

 

[Pixel]

There was some idea/concept we discuss that I was supposed to explain, but I can't remember what right now.

As for my feelings on the system: I love it! But we did run into a fair few problems during our game, and I feel our meager 2 combats aren't really representative for the system as a whole as our first combat was filled with fairly powerful enemies (don't know if on purpose) and was resolved by a story moment, and our second combat was out in the open, with few fairly weak enemies. We also made a whole lot of rules mistakes, and some we never got around to correct, that changed how the combat worked. Then there was the matter of expectations: I think some people more or less expected the 'standard' stand-out-in-the-open-and-kill-stuff straight forward fantasy combat.

Concerning the over-watch/suppress system; I think it's a cool little tactical feature, that has been fairly misjudged by the group, and something I'd suggest would be changing the name of suppression to covering fire, and add a new suppress feature that only suppresses 1 person, but gives an attack on the person, if that person in anyway takes an action that would make become un-blocked in some way (they shoot, move or something alike), and that would still cost 2 actions but reduce your cover by 1d6 (as you are constantly shoot at a single target). That would effectively shotdown a single enemy, protecting the entire party from him, but he can be "saved" by someone providing him with covering fire, which he then uses to move to a different piece of cover (x minimum distance away perhaps), or by moving while blocked.

I most admit that I love the vulnerability provided by the system, that you feel like you should actually be careful and try to plan ahead to get the upperhand in the system (and that the system really allows for that with the crossfires and alike), so now I somewhat regret having such a sturdy character as the one I have. Also is it right that if I feint in my turn, I can't use protector? and can I use protector more than once each round?

There are still a few things I think needs clarification in the rules, and a few things that needs polishing. I'm fully aware that it's still a playtest though, and this is the exact reason for it to be a playtest ^^

One of our members managed to record the entire thing, included our debates and brainstorms, so it's just a question of time, before that should be available, if you should want to listen in on our misguided session ^^

keep up the good work!

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Quick note on Overwatch: Keep in mind that the character doing overwatch is not moving. This can be one of those "penalties that isn't", but not moving reduces cover and provides the enemy an opportunity to flank.

I look forward to hearing about your debates and brainstorms!