Weird design decision in Dragon Age

[Budalic]

I'm kinda new to enworld, so I don't know should this be in General RPG rules forum.

Anyway, I got my copy of Dragon Age RPG (from Green Ronin) today, and I was really dissapointed with lack of point-buy caracter creation mechanism. It was really werid for me because a cRPG also features a point-buy system, and I was going to introduce it to number of new players, all of whom have played Dragon Age cRPG (and one of them Newerwinter Nights), and they definetly know how to allocate stat points. So I decided to run a game of D&D 4E.

Do you think this is design oversight? Perhaps Green Ronin tought that video gamers = simplified system?

That being said, I really like stunt system in DA. Perhaps we will play it somewhere in future (I'm planing a campain that picks of where the cRPG stopped, with PCs from game forming a party. I'll need to start from level 10, though, so I have to wait for 11-15 rules).

The systems are so different, that lvl 22 from cRPG could be translated to lvl 10, I hope.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Do you think this is design oversight?

No. At greenronin.com the game's designer talks about this very non-issue, because someone brought it up ages ago, perhaps over at RPGnet.

Essentially, if I ever play that game, that's one of the things I'll be glad about. But of course, YMMV.

The other thing about that article over at GR's site is that a possible point-buy alternative is given, for those that simply must have it that way, or might like to try it for whatever reason. So hey, all is not lost, if it's even that important in the first place.

edit --- Well, I believe it's over at that site, though I can't seem to find it atm. . . /:

 

[bagger245]

I remember Pramas suggesting 10 points to distribute amongst the attributes but cannot go higher than 4.

 

[LostSoul]

RPG.net thread: Chris Pramas posts about randomness in DA - RPGnet Forums

 

[billd91]

Do you think this is design oversight? Perhaps Green Ronin tought that video gamers = simplified system?

The game's written to be an introductory game. So new gamers = simplified system. The ability of video gamers to understand a tabletop RPG doesn't really factor into it.

 

[Princesskeyblade]

I don't think it was video gamers = simplified system. I think it was more of a desire to have a game that players could get the box, roll up the characters in 15 minutes or less and begin playing. Bringing in new players is a nice added bonus if it happens, and after playing the video game I am sure it will.

I am preparing a one shot for convention season, and have just begun to create the characters. The first one took me about 30 minutes to do, and that was just because I was learning how to do it. So simple, and I love the charts that randomize the extra bonus things, like an extra +1 to magic if a Mage rolls 2d6 and gets a 7 or a 8.


I already intend to run it for a group of people who have never played but want to try it out.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Like others have said, Dragon Age is designed to be an intro game for those new to RPGs in general. Into = simple.

Also, I believe a topic like this should be in General RPG rule discussion, FYI.