Post by fredrix on Oct 16, 2017 23:58:51 GMT -8
So, elsewhere I reported two of my player complaining that character creation is overly complex. I've now created four other characters so I feel I can continue that discussion.
I'm confused. I don't find the process complex at all. Yet one of the four characters I created was for a third player who had said he'd make his own, then gave up and asked me to. These are all experienced players, of a variety of RPGs, so I can't understand what they are finding difficult.
My conclusion is that it might be in the layout of the beta rules. One player complained about having to flick back and forth between distinctions, techniques and the 20 questions. But that sort of split happens in every rule book I've ever read, except PbtA games where it's all in the playbook.
We have played a lot of those recently, so maybe that's where the "in this day and age" comment that so offended aslyn cane from.
Actually my only "in this day and age" complaint would be that lots more f games nowadays have character generation with a focus on links between the PCs. Given that one of the challenges I've often heard bout L5R is "why would these samurai from different clans be working together anyway", i'm a bit disappointed that some mechanic wasn't attempted in this version to address that. Feels a bit like a missed opportunity- though given this is a beta, if enough people share my feeling, perhaps it won't be missed.
Back to beta layout, my only flicking back and forth annoyance was that guidance on giri and ninjo was in a separate chapter, and I think most of it could've folded into chapter 2. But I note I did have two copies of the PDF open - one on my pad and one on my screen alongside SirGuido's formfillable character sheets, so maybe there are some layout issues the designers could solve (with some layout training myself though, I can't see an easy solution).
I like the unified advantage disadvantage mechanics (I think, we'll see how they work in play), but I'm a little frustrated at having to have at least two of each.
I'm not clear on whether there are discretionary XP to spend after the 20 questions. There are in the scenario but not at the end of chapter 2. This is one of the things also expressed by my L5R players.
I'm confused. I don't find the process complex at all. Yet one of the four characters I created was for a third player who had said he'd make his own, then gave up and asked me to. These are all experienced players, of a variety of RPGs, so I can't understand what they are finding difficult.
My conclusion is that it might be in the layout of the beta rules. One player complained about having to flick back and forth between distinctions, techniques and the 20 questions. But that sort of split happens in every rule book I've ever read, except PbtA games where it's all in the playbook.
We have played a lot of those recently, so maybe that's where the "in this day and age" comment that so offended aslyn cane from.
Actually my only "in this day and age" complaint would be that lots more f games nowadays have character generation with a focus on links between the PCs. Given that one of the challenges I've often heard bout L5R is "why would these samurai from different clans be working together anyway", i'm a bit disappointed that some mechanic wasn't attempted in this version to address that. Feels a bit like a missed opportunity- though given this is a beta, if enough people share my feeling, perhaps it won't be missed.
Back to beta layout, my only flicking back and forth annoyance was that guidance on giri and ninjo was in a separate chapter, and I think most of it could've folded into chapter 2. But I note I did have two copies of the PDF open - one on my pad and one on my screen alongside SirGuido's formfillable character sheets, so maybe there are some layout issues the designers could solve (with some layout training myself though, I can't see an easy solution).
I like the unified advantage disadvantage mechanics (I think, we'll see how they work in play), but I'm a little frustrated at having to have at least two of each.
I'm not clear on whether there are discretionary XP to spend after the 20 questions. There are in the scenario but not at the end of chapter 2. This is one of the things also expressed by my L5R players.