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Post by Stu Venable on Nov 9, 2015 11:38:44 GMT -8
I ran a playtest of the game I'll run at the mini-con at Nerdstronggym in a couple weeks.
Thoughts on the system:
- While reading the dice pool starts out like trying to interpret chicken entrails, it does become intuitive, and rather quickly.
- The Destiny Points mechanic works very well (once we remembered to start using it).
- There were times I was at a total loss on what to do with advantages and threats -- especially out of combat.
- Combat is quick -- as long as it's not unarmed melee combat.
Overall, I like the game.
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Post by lowkeyoh on Nov 9, 2015 14:18:57 GMT -8
Man, now that I've gotten my GURPS game off the ground everyone goes and makes me want to finally crack the spine on my EotE book.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 10, 2015 3:41:04 GMT -8
I ran a playtest of the game I'll run at the mini-con at Nerdstronggym in a couple weeks. Thoughts on the system: - While reading the dice pool starts out like trying to interpret chicken entrails, it does become intuitive, and rather quickly. - The Destiny Points mechanic works very well (once we remembered to start using it). - There were times I was at a total loss on what to do with advantages and threats -- especially out of combat. - Combat is quick -- as long as it's not unarmed melee combat. Overall, I like the game. Stu Venable A good resource for you to get some ides from for the advantage and threats would be the Skill Monkey segments posted over at the Mad Adventurer's Society. Each segment talks about a skill and adjudicating the various symbols that can show up in the course of the roll.
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Post by joecrak on Nov 10, 2015 8:08:41 GMT -8
I ran a playtest of the game I'll run at the mini-con at Nerdstronggym in a couple weeks. Thoughts on the system: - While reading the dice pool starts out like trying to interpret chicken entrails, it does become intuitive, and rather quickly. - The Destiny Points mechanic works very well (once we remembered to start using it). - There were times I was at a total loss on what to do with advantages and threats -- especially out of combat. - Combat is quick -- as long as it's not unarmed melee combat. Overall, I like the game. My go to, if ever at a narrative loss for advantage and threat, is strain damage or recovery. It's quick and simple and makes sense in any situation.
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Post by jazzisblues on Nov 10, 2015 20:22:53 GMT -8
Got to play in Stu's game, tons of fun, and my love for this game system is more than a summer fling. Sitting here reading AoR right now working on my games for the NSG Game Day and for OrcCon.
Reading the dice does take a little getting used to, but it's not hard once you've done it a couple of times.
Remembering to use destiny is important.
My go to for advantages is to pass them along to the next character.
The initiative system takes a bit of getting used to. I'm working on a way to do visual cues to make it easier for everyone to remember.
Cheers,
JiB
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2015 5:56:02 GMT -8
Got to play in Stu's game, tons of fun, and my love for this game system is more than a summer fling. Sitting here reading AoR right now working on my games for the NSG Game Day and for OrcCon. Reading the dice does take a little getting used to, but it's not hard once you've done it a couple of times. Remembering to use destiny is important. My go to for advantages is to pass them along to the next character. The initiative system takes a bit of getting used to. I'm working on a way to do visual cues to make it easier for everyone to remember. Cheers, JiB That system originated with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition. They used a tracker: Each player had a stance meter with a marker on it that would tell them where they were in their stance and if they had acted or not. Since EotE has no stance you could just use a simple colored card. Green is good to go, red is stop you have already acted. Hope this helps in some way.
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Post by joecrak on Nov 11, 2015 7:08:58 GMT -8
My one friend uses colored magnets, blue for players, black for gm. Stack them on top of one another to show order, or put them on a small board in a row, removing them as actions are taken. Was stork in this game? So he can stop talking about the game without knowing anything about it and coming off poorly? Using numbers...get serious. "Okay, i got an 11, a 7, a 3, and a 1" narrate what that means.
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Post by Stu Venable on Nov 11, 2015 7:54:02 GMT -8
I think it would. I'd have to look at the dice to see the distribution, but for example:
d8 = 2 or higher is advantage. 4 or higher is success d12 = 2 or higher is advantage. 4 or higher is success. 12 is triumph.
and so on.
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Post by joecrak on Nov 11, 2015 8:07:14 GMT -8
I think it would. I'd have to look at the dice to see the distribution, but for example: d8 = 2 or higher is advantage. 4 or higher is success d12 = 2 or higher is advantage. 4 or higher is success. 12 is triumph. and so on. I think with that, it might get more confusing amd require more chart checking than the picture dice require, long term at least. The book does have a conversion chart for the regular dice mind you, it's just...not preferred and adds more time. I fully suspect that when you run the game at the con, your players will knkw the system better than you. I hope so, i can see that being amusing, and you enjoying the help.
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Post by yojimbohawkins on Nov 11, 2015 8:31:59 GMT -8
Originally, FFG produced a set of stickers and instructions for you to convert regular d6, d8 and d12 to their system. I suspect there has been a considerable amount of development and thought into the placing of the various symbols on the dice in question, along with the probabilities thereof. I'm sure there is (or will shortly be!) an analysis of the probabilities based on the spread of symbols across the faces of the dice in question, but it's an intimidating project given the varying dice pools for skills and traits and the wild card element of bonus and setback dice. Substituting regular dice might throw off the probability curve, but I'm too lazy to do the necessary research!
I personally have got to the stage where I can spot the result at a glance (because I'm like that), but an alternative also used by players in my games is FFG's die roller app (available on iOS and Android). It's cheaper than a set of dice from FFG, does all the calculations for you and provides you with the result at a glance. I think it's been integrated into Roll20 as well, but I might not be remembering that correctly.
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Post by yojimbohawkins on Nov 11, 2015 8:49:25 GMT -8
Got to play in Stu's game, tons of fun, and my love for this game system is more than a summer fling. Sitting here reading AoR right now working on my games for the NSG Game Day and for OrcCon. Reading the dice does take a little getting used to, but it's not hard once you've done it a couple of times. Remembering to use destiny is important. My go to for advantages is to pass them along to the next character. The initiative system takes a bit of getting used to. I'm working on a way to do visual cues to make it easier for everyone to remember. Cheers, JiB That system originated with Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition. They used a tracker: Each player had a stance meter with a marker on it that would tell them where they were in their stance and if they had acted or not. Since EotE has no stance you could just use a simple colored card. Green is good to go, red is stop you have already acted. Hope this helps in some way. I've seen this done in a couple of ways. I do initiative using an A4-size magnetic whiteboard, with a simple grid. The initiative order runs from top to bottom, with red magnets placed for NPC's and green magnets placed for the players down one side and a single green magnet to show where we are in the initiative order. I use blue and black magnets to show bonus or setback die that are going to affect the next roll. When someone has taken a turn, I toss them a green magnet to show they've acted this turn. If I'm a player, I offer to run the initiative board for the GM and use the same system as it works pretty well for me. For Destiny Points, I use some old Othello tokens. They're perfect for it, and I've found that putting one of the players in charge of tracking Destiny Points keeps them in the minds of the players so they don't forget! I usually ask them if they want to use a Destiny Point anyway, if the game is at a suitably dramatic moment.
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Post by jazzisblues on Nov 11, 2015 9:10:26 GMT -8
Was thinking something along the same lines but with tents that I would just move into the right order and then turn them around as actions are taken. That way if I'm using a screen (rare but it happens) I can hook them on top of the screen, or stand them on the table in front of me so everyone can see them.
I've looked at using numbered dice but I find it actually makes it harder and more time consuming to do that rather than read the tea leaves. Which, after doing it a time or two is really very easy to get used to.
Cheers,
JiB
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Post by Stu Venable on Nov 13, 2015 12:04:07 GMT -8
The biggest problem I saw with hippy initiative system is NOT that people didn't know whether they've had a turn or not (everyone seemed to know that). The problem, to me, seemed to be, "no you go ahead, I'll wait." Maybe the players in the playtests weren't as polite.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2015 4:43:03 GMT -8
You have an interesting issue. I think examining Old world of darkness initiative might provide some insight. In that game initiative is rolled and then everyone declares actions starting with the lowest numbers. Thus people higher up get to know what is happening before they chose their actions. The same thing can happen in edge. If there is no need to act urgently in response to a stimulus, then they players may want to sit back and weigh their options.
When the players act will be in direct response to the pressure you make them feel. Low danger will produce players waiting for an opening or the best move they can make. High stress and danger will see them wanting to gain a position of advantage before the bolts start flying. In order to drive this sense of urgency, use your narration to convey specific threats against the characters.
"You round the corner and come face to face with a squad of storm troopers. Seeing a man with a drawn blaster they all begin to raise their carbines in your direction Han. It's a player slot, what do you do?" Han is feeling the heat. He doesn't want to be shot by four storm troopers, so he is likely to grab for that first action to get cover, run, or blast them first. Keep reframing the scene in an urgent way. "Ok Han, you blast one of the storm troopers and start running away. The troopers return fire.... And they hit! Leia, take a setback die on your next action. Watching Han get blasted really shakes you. Red blaster bolts are streaking by down the hall and you aren't out of here yet. Who is going to take the next action?"
It's all about the emotion. Everyone should want to jump in and make things happen. Presumably the group likes/hates each other. Either way they are invested in what happens to each other. Keep it narrative and don't allow out of character chatter about who could do what when. Keep hitting them in the story gut and don't relent. If they aren't moving any quicker after that then you have a group of slugs on your hands. Just make them go when they rolled if they take too long to get their ass in gear.
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fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
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Post by fredrix on Nov 14, 2015 5:17:36 GMT -8
Or there's the Cortex+ way, the GM chooses who goes first, and then each person finishes their action by nominating who (including the GM) goes next.
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