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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Primitive Screwhead" data-source="post: 5595115" data-attributes="member: 20805">Coming from a long time D&D gamer, currently running 4e but enjoys a variety of other game systems {CP2020, SW WEG, Star Trek LUG, FASA Aliens, Stormbringer, etc..}1) Instead of increasing HP and defenses as you level up, you only increase HP.   Techincally, DnD 4e does this as your defenses stay relatively static compared to an equal level challenge. The advantage is that you have a range of challenges to play with.  The disadvantage is that at some point you get players going 'no problem, I can step off this 100' cliff and not even be bloodied'2) As above, but you only increase defenses.    Has the issue of becoming glass cannons. It gets really hard to hit you, but once you do.. BAM. Dead.Addition: 1/2: Increase neither, but increase your skills. This represents that you really don't change how hard it is to hit, nor how much 'damage' you can soak.  CP2020 does this and I love it. Downside: players don't really feel like thier character is much different at higher levels, so the game has to play different. 3) Spells always took more than a round to cast, but were commensurately stronger. Getting hit during casting would disrupt your spell.  I love Elements of Magic, so I bet you know my answer! The challenge is to avoid the 'nerf the mage or lose' aspect that higher level play can turn into. See 3x and earlier anti-magic zones.4) Movement wasn't tracked by square; instead, the battle had different arenas, and you could move between them as a move action.    I like this for space combat where the 3 dimensional movement has to be more abstract. It gets harder with multiple characters. I love the battlemap for adding a tactical layer to combat, its just really hard to use and tends to pull my players out of immersion in the game.  So, for vehicle/space battles.. yes. Character scale? Not so much5) There was a mechanic to inflict horrible wounds beyond simple HP damage during combat.   In 4e, use the disease track as a wound mechanic as 4e is rather abstract.   Generally, critical hits and the like can be a problem. I love Rolemaster's critical hit system. But it makes it harder to track details and can result in a loss of fun when a PC gets crippled, but not dead.6) You could never get above level 6?   E6? For 3x games that would be excellent as that hits the sweet spot. I think 4e can go up to mid-paragon and still be okayish.7) A typical combat exchange went Attack Roll -> Dodge/Parry Roll -> Damage Roll -> Armor/Toughness soak -> Damage inflicted.   Ala Stormbringer? I like the idea of having the targets skill play a part in combat, but for speed most DnD games assumes that the target 'takes 10'. Rolling a dodge/parry multiplies the swingyness of the attack unless you drop the attack rolls down to D10s... which alters all the +1 to hit things. FOr D20 games, I prefer that only one side rolls.  I do, however, prefer that armor could be split into AC boost {block attacks} and Soak {prevent damage} Finding the right balance on that math would be hard.8) There was a sanity score that took damage from encountering scary or horrible things.   Oooh.. difficult. Mechanics ro represent how the player should respond in character? I love CP2020's alternate cyberpsychosis where you developed mental conditions as your humanity dropped, allowing the player to choose how it works.  I would like a mechanic to force a PC to react with real fear instead of the 'but my character would never wilt in the face of danger'.. yet not steal the power of choice from the player.9) There was a social standing score that took damage from attacks against your reputation.  Tracking repuation that impacts social encouters would be good. I think Ptolus had a social ranking based on how much you spend on the lifestyle. 10) Spells had a chance of going horribly awry and doing chaotic things.   YES YES YES!    But then again, this is a game and it takes a certain player to enjoy the chaos and unpredictability. And a certain group to handle that player <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />   In most games, this is chaos would not work out very well. As an option.</blockquote>

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