Spycraft 2.0 is awesome!

[King of Old School]

The question is, is it so awesome that we might possibly see some Ronin Arts "Powered by Spycraft" PDF products down the line?



KoOS

 

[Azgulor]

There is a lot to absorb and unfortunately it's OGL. This means you have the eye stabbing fun of re-reading through stuff you've read before, but the wording is different and sometimes so is the rule/mechanics.

Thats a problem with most d20/OGL games and not a problem specific to Spycraft. At least they prepare you in Ch1 for some of the major changes

I'm preparing myself to be wowed as I continue onward

I vastly prefer OGL books to having to lug the D&D core rules to every gaming session. I'd rather consult a single book than trying to remember if it's contained in the genre book, the PHB, or the DMG, etc.

To each his own. Also, OGL seems to allow the publisher greater freedom in moving away from the D&D-isms that are not suitable to other genres and styles of play.

Azgulor

Azgulor

 

[Denaes]

I vastly prefer OGL books to having to lug the D&D core rules to every gaming session. I'd rather consult a single book than trying to remember if it's contained in the genre book, the PHB, or the DMG, etc.

To each his own. Also, OGL seems to allow the publisher greater freedom in moving away from the D&D-isms that are not suitable to other genres and styles of play.

Azgulor

Azgulor

You get the same thing with d20. All the "alternate complete players handbooks" you have to figure out what was changed and not changed. I've played in games for 3 months before we noticed some of the changes.

For the vast majority, OGL is the way to go. If you're making complete setting with classes and not even related to D&D, you should be going OGL.

I very much prefer OGL to d20. But it remains that game developers go with d20 or OGL because of an existing fanbase, then do just this. They recopy *everything* to make it complete and you're reading through stabbing your eyes. Things you've read 3x over before, you're reading again to see if you can spot the difference.

It's the same with revised and similar new editions. If you're a new reader - it's no big whoop. You just go in and read everything. If you're a returning reader, you're bored to tears re-reading something that you're read multiple times.

The only solution would be to collect all the changes in an outline or change document so you could find out what the changes are without reading through the entire book.

I'm not against OGL in any sense of the word. I'm just pissed at having to read through all the same friggin rules again to see what changed. Blue Rose/True20, M&M, Silver Age Sentinels, BESM d20, Castles & Crusades, Conan, d20 Modern... If Spycraft 2.0 were d20 it would still have this problem - minus experience and ability scores.

At least they did a rundown of the major changes in Ch1... just not the details.

 

[philreed]

The question is, is it so awesome that we might possibly see some Ronin Arts "Powered by Spycraft" PDF products down the line?

Maybe. There is an awful lot of the book that's OGL -- meaning that it's possible for me to write some expansion material. The challenge would be in marketing it in a manner in which people can understand what it's for while still obeying the PI restrictions of Spycraft.

 

[scourger]

The core ability to each class was a nice feature of Spellslinger. It makes it a little less attractive to sample certain classes by multiclassing just to pick up a few class extra abilities at 1st level.

I'm interested in reading about Spycraft 2.0 even though I likely will not buy it. I tried the fast play rules for the first edition. It was okay, but combined with a general decline in d20 interest for me and I just don't think I'll get into it. Good press like this can change things, though.

 

[Psion]

But I like the fact that each class has their own Core Ability that you can't multi-class into.

I think multi-classing into other classes on a conceptual level is pretty much a requirement to creating diverse unique characters that fit your ideas. This really helps you acheive that while still making it important which class you choose first. Because that's ultimately were you came from.

Another thing that helps with that is the way that some abilities are roman numeralized and add together if you get them from different classes.

 

[Cergorach]

Maybe. There is an awful lot of the book that's OGL -- meaning that it's possible for me to write some expansion material. The challenge would be in marketing it in a manner in which people can understand what it's for while still obeying the PI restrictions of Spycraft.

I was thinking of a sci-fi settening and thought that SpaceCraft as a title would get the point across (although it might be a bit confusing). For a fantasy setting MageCraft would do the trick ;-)

How about "For use with the 2nd edition of the ogl spy genre roleplaying game."?

 

[philreed]

Another thing that helps with that is the way that some abilities are roman numeralized and add together if you get them from different classes.

That was definitely a nice touch.

 

[philreed]

I was thinking of a sci-fi settening and thought that SpaceCraft as a title would get the point across (although it might be a bit confusing). For a fantasy setting MageCraft would do the trick ;-)

While the idea is good, it strikes me as devious, gray-area actions. I don't know if I'd feel right in taking advantage of the Spycraft trademark in that way.

 

[philreed]

Okay, I've started a poll to address the suggestion of creating titles that mimic Spycraft.

It is a good idea. I just don't know if I'd feel right in using the suggestion.