Episode 136: The City is Like a Woman, and She Wants Her Alimony

Role-playing games Improvised Radio Theatre with Dice
21

Yes. I was another of the players, and we were fighting the system and the Roll20 automation a lot of the time.

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22

Like two modern day Robin Hoods?

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23

I’m getting the feeling the group is not a fan. It’s a shame because I’ve heard such good things about it, and I wanted to try it with the Wharties, but the more I hear about it now, the less enthused I am to try it.

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24

I think that it really wants a specific style of play, which may not be the style we want to play in.

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25

I bounced of BitD after running one session, because after that I read the downtime rules, and found those to be fiddly and it seemed at the time to have way too many systems and subsystems. Like Fate, it initially appears to be rules light, but is definitely not. On the other hand I found the writing style to be quite clear and enjoyable to read.

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26

See my post higher up the thread: “simple rules” often now means “doesn’t engage in detail with reality, but has just as much fiddly stuff and number manipulation as the next system, only on things you can’t check for plausibility”.

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27

Another “simple rules” that aren’t iteration that I’ve come across recently (in Swyvers, recently Kickstarted). It has simple character definition/creation - three stats, randomly rolled, no skills to start with but player defined skills gained through character growth, plus random trinkets and traits. Then, we get to action resolution, where we find there are no less than three separate resolution systems, depending on your intended action:

  1. If your action is reasonably backed by one of your stats (Con, Dex, or Str), then you roll a d6 pool to get under your Stat (+ Skill if you have the relevant skill). The more difficult the task, the more dice you roll in your pool.
  2. If your action cannot be considered to rely on one of the three physical stats, then the resolution system is roll 3d6 under a target number (+ Skill if you have the relevant skill).
  3. Combat is roll 2d10 and add your fighting skill, rolling equal to or greater than the defence value of the target (which is determined by looking up the target’s weapon and/or state in the defences table. Also, this defence value determines initiative order, with higher values going later in the order. Ties between PCs are negotiated between them, ties with NPCs are resolved with opposed d6 rolls. Also, when targets of ranged attacks different Defence Value to that given by the table, but only for resolving the ranged attack.

I am so put off by this rule system that I am seriously considering attempting to get a refund for this Kickstarter, a first for me.

5 Likes