Here There Be Links:
Monsterpunk v09 Beta
Monsterpunk Character Sheets
Monsterpunk Tech Cards and Feat Sheet
I'll save up the big posts about the game for a later time and just get this out the door ASAP. Right now I need to do something that doesn't involve writing, proofreading or math.
...That leaves surprisingly little, actually.
GLHF.
Next: A lot of writing, proofreading and math... Probably.
Gimmick Out.
On my first read, my response is that the setting seems really interesting (though I can see many groups having problems with players not being able to all agree on which faction to play with), but at least for me the sheer number of possible faction/class type/class role/monster class combinations is really overwhelming (to say nothing of the different tech/feat choices, etc). Maybe things would clear up on further readings, but my immediate reaction is that it feels like you tried to insert 1-3 supplements worth of options into the book along with the "base" options and as a result the whole thing is kind of hard to digest.
ReplyDeleteI admit, when I make characters I like having options, sometimes too much, to the point where I think the Ubermensch classes (the simplest of the bunch) need more options. The first drafts of each class didn't even have feats! I gave every class more and more options as time went on to further let people tweak and customize them.
DeleteI think that cramming 1-3 supplements worth of options in a single book is a fairly accurate assessment of my design ethos. I want this to be a game that can be played not once or twice but many times and if you want to play the same class every time it should still have viable mechanical paths left to explore... Even if it can lead to indigestion of options.
Arguably, things could be better paced out and distributed by actually making said supplements. Also I could probably sell them separately. I think I would rather do things this way and alleviate the issue of having too many moving parts through advice and commentary, which is why there are example builds, reskins and roleplaying advice for every class.
This game is a big experiment for me so I could very well be wrong there though. This is an issue that I care about, and if feedback points to the game being too complex as is then I am open to simplifying or streamlining it.
On reflection, I think part of the issue may be more to do with how I approach RPG mechanics then a fault of design. I normally tend to try and take in all the options at once and then ask myself "what sort of fun or interesting combinations can I make with this toolset?" whereas this game seems to be built more around the idea of "figure out what you want to do first, then pick something that fits that idea and ignore the rest" (so "possible options informing the choice of characters" vs "possible characters informing the choice of options"). So I guess in that sense whether or not the density/complexity is a "problem" just depends on which way most people end up reading the system.
DeleteI've taken that approach in the past and it generally frustrates me because the toolset ends up being more limited than I'd like. While it wasn't a conscious choice, I would agree that this game is more designed around the idea of choosing a concept and figuring what you want to do with it best.
Delete