Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 342287" data-attributes="member: 1645">Champions' complexity doesn't stop at character generation though.&nbsp; Combat is far from streamlined -- even though it wouldn't take much to streamline it.The first slow-down comes from the Speed Table.&nbsp; At its core, the speed system gives a Spd-N character N actions per 12-second turn.&nbsp; Keeping track, segment by segment, of who can act according to the chart though is a pain, especially if different characters have different Spd stats and players want to optimize their choices based on who can or cannot act before their next phase.&nbsp; Why not just roll a d12 to see if you can act?&nbsp; Or a d6 for Spd stats under 6, and a guaranteed action plus an extra action (depending on a d6 roll) for Spd stats over 6?The second major slow-down comes from the endurance system.&nbsp; The constant End accounting adds little to the game, and it comes at a clear cost.&nbsp; Most games assume that fighting is tiring, but they don't bother to codify it.&nbsp; I don't see why that can't work for a superhero game.&nbsp; For the few cases where a power should be truly exhausting, it can take a limitation causing Stun damage from fatigue.Once you get rid of End, you can probably simplify recovery as well.&nbsp; A &quot;second wind&quot; rule, like SAS's, fits the genre better, granting quick recovery only if the hero is driven.The third slow-down comes from the huge number of dice rolled and the peculiar damage-counting mechanics.&nbsp; Do you really need to roll ten dice for a typical attack?&nbsp; Obviously not.&nbsp; It might feel &quot;super&quot; at first, but it gets old quickly ,and it slows things down.&nbsp; Counting both Body and Stun from the same dice seems like a good idea, but it also slows things down.&nbsp; Killing attacks don't require as many dice, but they suffer from the &quot;Stun Lotto&quot; effect.&nbsp; Roll just a few dice for damage, then multiply that result by another die!&nbsp; I'm sure we can come up with an elegant system that plays &quot;fast and loose&quot;.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mmadsen, post: 342287, member: 1645"] Champions' complexity doesn't stop at character generation though. Combat is far from streamlined -- even though it wouldn't take much to streamline it. The first slow-down comes from the Speed Table. At its core, the speed system gives a Spd-[i]N[/i] character [i]N[/i] actions per 12-second turn. Keeping track, segment by segment, of who can act according to the chart though is a pain, especially if different characters have different Spd stats and players want to optimize their choices based on who can or cannot act before their next phase. Why not just roll a d12 to see if you can act? Or a d6 for Spd stats under 6, and a guaranteed action plus an extra action (depending on a d6 roll) for Spd stats over 6? The second major slow-down comes from the endurance system. The constant End accounting adds little to the game, and it comes at a clear cost. Most games assume that fighting is tiring, but they don't bother to codify it. I don't see why that can't work for a superhero game. For the few cases where a power should be truly exhausting, it can take a limitation causing Stun damage from fatigue. Once you get rid of End, you can probably simplify recovery as well. A "second wind" rule, like SAS's, fits the genre better, granting quick recovery only if the hero is [i]driven[/i]. The third slow-down comes from the huge number of dice rolled and the peculiar damage-counting mechanics. Do you really need to roll ten dice for a typical attack? Obviously not. It might feel "super" at first, but it gets old quickly ,and it slows things down. Counting both Body and Stun from the same dice seems like a good idea, but it also slows things down. Killing attacks don't require as many dice, but they suffer from the "Stun Lotto" effect. Roll just a few dice for damage, then [i]multiply[/i] that result by another die! I'm sure we can come up with an elegant system that plays "fast and loose". [/QUOTE]

Verification