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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 9848045" data-attributes="member: 6779310">Star Fleet Battles, 18XX series games, Starfire, Babylon 5 wars....Me, I don't mind moderate complexity as long as it increases the range of meaningful choices available to both GM and player...The added complexity of the DGP Task System (for CT, originally, but core in MegaTraveller, and 2300 AD) is, for me, worth it, as it allows for rushing, haste, precise time taken (and hence races), mixing a variety of different kinds of asset (Skill, attribute, equipment rating [usually computer]) and doubling up on a single kind (eg: two attributes or two skills or maybe even Computer + Maneuver) consistently. It has a process for "uncertain" tasks, for hazardous tasks, for when a failure actually causes problems (mishaps), modifiers for how hazardous a task is...it has 5 explicit difficulties (Simple, Routine, Difficult, Formidable, Impossible) and, if using rules as written, those correspond nicely to the chances of a skill 1, attribute 7 (Traveller's average attribute) character with extra time... and it has two more implied (automatic and simple failure). Note that it also has no "nat 2 always fails" nor "nat 12 always succeeds.... That default Att 7 skill 1 is a net +2; TNs are Sim 3, Rou 7, Dif 11, For 15, Imp 19. With a +2 on 2d6... Simple is automatic, you cannot fail. Unless unskilled, simple succeeds, and it's just by how much. Routine is automatic if you take extra time for effective +4 of a difficulty shift; Difficult is a chance when not taking time but not rushing, and a needed Nat 5+ when taking extra time. Formidable needs extra time for the Att7 skill 1 to have a chance, as without extra time, it needs a nat 13 on 2d6. And Impossible needs a nat 17+, nat 13+ on extra time, for the Att 7 skill 1. Since skill 1 is "employable in field", that sets a mental mapping of the difficulty for making it playable - I internalized it readily. (I'd rather have 3 point steps than 4 point, but that pushes need for something between routine and difficult, and it would benefit from one between formidable and Impossible - T4 gives us Staggering there.)That complexity in the core mechanic, however, makes the game feel lighter in play since 90% of player mechanical interactions are using it. (The rest are mostly damage mechanics.)Likewise, I like the complexity in the FFG NDS line of games' task systems... Star Wars, WFRP 3, L5R 5th... again, they open meaningful choices by how certain factors are handled.</blockquote>

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