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<blockquote data-quote="dbm" data-source="post: 9680182" data-attributes="member: 8014">I like the PCs to be exceptional because I like asymmetrical design for RPGs, The PCs should work on a different paradigm to most NPCs; how different and what that difference is can vary by game. In Savage Worlds for example, the PCs are Wild Cards while most NPCs are Extras, and that makes the game a better play experience for me. In the new DaggerHeart RPG player actions generate Hope and Fear and are resolved on a 2d12 mechanism while NPC actions are resolved with a d20 and don’t usually generate meta currency.This provides two strong benefits in my opinion.First, PCs are intended to have much more ’spotlight time’ across many different scenes and encounters. They are also run by a player on a 1:1 basis. So they warrant complexity and it adds to the game. Most NPCs will only be in one or two scenes, and the GM will be running many of them at the same time. So they warrant less complexity and need less depth to still deliver what is needed from them in the game.Second, by running the PCs and NPCs on slightly different mechanical sets it frees up the cast of NPCs to be much more diverse. You no longer have to think through how this particular NPC’s abilities would be modelled using PC mechanics or rules. Even highly simulationist games like GURPS do this, with ‘character points are for PCs’ as a design principle - just give the NPC the scores and abilities that make sense for them rather than labouring through the detailed mechanics for PC creation.So, I like my PCs to be exceptional by design.PCs also tend to be exceptional in what they do, in my experience. ‘Slice of life’ games are a thing, sure, but they don’t personally excite me.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="dbm, post: 9680182, member: 8014"] I like the PCs to be exceptional because I like asymmetrical design for RPGs, The PCs should work on a different paradigm to most NPCs; how different and what that difference is can vary by game. In Savage Worlds for example, the PCs are Wild Cards while most NPCs are Extras, and that makes the game a better play experience for me. In the new DaggerHeart RPG player actions generate Hope and Fear and are resolved on a 2d12 mechanism while NPC actions are resolved with a d20 and don’t usually generate meta currency. This provides two strong benefits in my opinion. First, PCs are intended to have much more ’spotlight time’ across many different scenes and encounters. They are also run by a player on a 1:1 basis. So they warrant complexity and it adds to the game. Most NPCs will only be in one or two scenes, and the GM will be running many of them at the same time. So they warrant less complexity and need less depth to still deliver what is needed from them in the game. Second, by running the PCs and NPCs on slightly different mechanical sets it frees up the cast of NPCs to be much more diverse. You no longer have to think through how this particular NPC’s abilities would be modelled using PC mechanics or rules. Even highly simulationist games like GURPS do this, with ‘character points are for PCs’ as a design principle - just give the NPC the scores and abilities that make sense for them rather than labouring through the detailed mechanics for PC creation. So, I like my PCs to be [I]exceptional by design[/I]. PCs also tend to be exceptional in what they do, in my experience. ‘Slice of life’ games are a thing, sure, but they don’t personally excite me. [/QUOTE]

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