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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 4654242" data-attributes="member: 2067">Depends on the game. Actually, it depends on the type of detail as well.4e, for instance, is rich in detail about combat positioning. If I ever need to know how many feet away from which goblins I am, 4e's combat rules will help describe not only that, but also what lays in between us and what I would have to do to cross that gap and how, in 30 different ways, I can kill him and take his stuff.4e, however, is not rich in detail about character development. If I want to take a character through a tragic arc, being ultimately destroyed in hopes and dreams by his own character flaws, 4e doesn't give me any help whatsoever.A game should ideally be developed with a clarity of vision about what it wants to provide detail on, and why. HARN, for instance, is completely clear about its world simulation. It puts it right there on the label, so to speak: Play HARN, simulate adventures in a living breathing world! D&D has had trouble articulating the reason for its own existence.What I want will vary with the mood and seasons and goals of my group. Sometimes I want something adaptable and easy to use (T20, for instance)), sometimes I want something with a more specific vibe.I don't like a system that is "good for everything" in general, unless I'm trying something that's weird enough that only a "good for everything" system will be able to handle it.Rather, I prefer a system that is specifically and blatantly about achieving a certain experience. FFZ (or the ZERO SYSTEM in general) with its character/narrative game play, for instance, wants to tell a story, and goes to great lengths to set that up. It is not a system for world simulation (except where such simulation helps tell the story). It is not a system for complex combat (except where such combat helps tell the story). It is not a system for detailed advancement (except where such advancement relates to character development). It gives you the appropriate details for playing a game and telling a story. D&D4e, to me, seems to want to kill some goblins, and it goes to great lengths to provide extensive detail on how to go about doing that, but isn't concerned about world-building or character-building except in that they serve the central goal: killin' goblins. V:tM is about scheming and manipulating and hiding, and it provides a lot of detail on how to go about doing that, but it's not concerned with killing goblins except in as that serves the goals of political machinations of the PC's. T20 works when I don't have a more specific experience in mind (like I'd imagine GURPS would), but I prefer a system to have a goal, and to help me meet that goal. A dedicated hammer is better for nails than using the blunt end of a Swiss Army Knife.</blockquote>

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