Well. It's been a season or two, but I really wanted to get back to work on my system and re-evaluate the goals I was looking toward with it. I'm afraid in all my talking about it, I got a bit lost in all these systems and numbers and possibilities that I forgot what I want the system to do at its most basic.
At the most basic, this system is meant to provide a fun game. While in its initial form it might be better suited to being a strategic skirmish game and not a roleplaying game, as I want to make fun mechanics that work and expedite play, but I want this to eventually be able to support stories and conflicts that people will remember. So, what I want to focus on for the time being is creating good, solid mechanics and helping those mechanics support stories.
Another factor I want to consider is the creation of systems that support complexity of options, but help streamline play so that combat and other interactions can proceed at a fun pace. While I enjoy games where I can sit and create options for myself and my players with each turn, this tends to eat up lots of time and drag things out to where they start to become boring for all players. While allowing for complex interactions of skills and abilities that everyone can gain access to, I want to create systems that help those actions be easily dealt with rather than having nobody knowing what to do and searching through books for hours. D&D 5th edition actually does this pretty well by separating everything out into the 6 basic attributes and having all checks be quickly derived from your attribute modifier and your proficiency bonus, if applicable. No random extra bonuses, no searching through books, just that.
I don't really want to simply rip off the D&D attribute system, particularly since some of it doesn't make a lot of sense. What is the difference between intelligence and wisdom? And how would one measure charisma?
Either way, the D&D 5th edition system is quite good and easy to understand on both the DM's and Player's parts. I would like to create a system that is also easy to grasp and update like that, but rather than using that system, I'd like to create something with more options at the front but still keeps the quick and clean style that 5th ed. uses.
By folding things into basic categories that share the same bonus, I can keep things streamlined to the point where my players don't have to go scavenging their character sheets asking why there are nearly a thousand stats that all roll off of their own bonuses. With a few consistent bonuses and conditions that always act in predictable ways and give the same effects to whatever they target, it'll expedite the game.
In summary: Streamlines are good.
Song of the Post: Daft Punk - "Touch"
