Point of Discussion

[pyrephox]

Since I know my friends list is almost /entirely/ made up of gamers, I'll ask:

What makes a good RPG system for you?

This isn't a matter of organization, or of artwork, or of cost. What is it, specifically about a game system, that gets your attention and revs your engines?

For me:

Between 5 and 8 descriptive stats that give a good, easily communicated, picture of a character's general competence. Tri-Stat, although I like the flexibility of it, I hardly ever actually /use/. Anything with more than 8 or 9 stats, on the other hand, is too much of a pain in the ass to teach and use. I /like/ D&D stats, although leave off the Comeliness, thanks.

Simple, dice-based, combat resolution. For me, Unknown Armies has just nearly the perfect combat resolution system. It can be damned deadly, but it follows the same simple formula under almost all circumstances, has provisions for a variety of weapons and fighting styles, and best of all, is easy to extrapolate a reasonable solution to any combat situation the rules don't specifically cover. In Nomine, love it though I do, is a good example of frustrating combat.

Abstract health. I don't like hit tables, or having to calcuate crippling chances for each limb, or having to keep track of how much armor is over each body part. Give me some hit points, health points, vital points, or whatever you want to call it, and I can make up the rest as I go along.

Fatigue system for magic/psychic/supernatural abilities. I've actually /yet/ to see one that I really like. I know the system I want to see, but it's not been implemented in any game that I'm familiar with. And that's a darned shame.

So. Those are the ones that immediately spring to my mind. What turns /you/ on?

Comments

[pyrephox.livejournal.com]

I also tend to only have one or two Songs when I start out with a character. Mostly that's because of point costs, though. Starting characters in IN have a tendency to be point poor.

Speaking of flexibility, I wish Songs in IN were more flexible than they are. You can make them a little moreso if your character is a Virtuoso, but that's a very difficult mastery to attain.

[multiplexer.livejournal.com]

Several sections of the IN system is poorly designed, and Songs are one of them. It seems good in concept -- giving the characters "spells," as such -- but not well implemented. They tend to be very narrow in focus and only good for one or two very specific uses.

I've found burning starting points on skills is a better buy in the long run than songs.

[fadethecat.livejournal.com]

I kinda like the simplicity of Songs; there's something very, mm, thematic about them working /just so/ no matter what, and it keeps the focus more on resonances and attunements than on 'spells'. On the other hand, I can certainly appreciate the desire for flexibility. Choices GOOD.