Rate A Concept

[WTFE]

@SG said in Rate A Concept:

I like savage worlds because it's incredibly simple to run, which I feel is important for mushing.

See, I just find the mechanics too confusing and random to be easy to run for. For quick pick-up games I'd likely favour Fate. (I picked up Fate Core and Fate Accelerated Edition on the same trip, in these cases with my eyes open as I'd already purchased the PDFs before buying hard.)

Starting characters are actually able to dive into adventures being capable of carrying interesting stories and it's super easy to wing stuff.

That's one of the appeals to FC/FAE for me. With the added benefit that I can actually make a character without getting lost.

The only real difficulty I have with it is planning for wild die craziness.

That would be one of my problems with the system, yes. The other is the reliance upon miniatures or miniatures-analogues. And the templates. (And did I mention yet that I'm not entirely certain how to actually make a character?)

When I compared it to scotch, this was for a reason. I get that other people like SW, and even occasionally understand what it is they like about it. I just ... don't get it for myself.

[Killer Klown]

Simple isn't always good. Anyone remember In Nomine? Great concept for a game, but utterly lousy mechanics. The sheet literally was only half of one side of a page long; and the numbers were such that the first half of your advancement you couldn't do jack, then you immediately became godlike. There was no point where random chance even seemed to play into it. Either you almost always failed, or there was almost no chance you could fail.

[Thenomain]

@Killer-Klown said in Rate A Concept:

Simple isn't always good. Anyone remember In Nomine? Great concept for a game, but utterly lousy mechanics.

Man, is Steve Jackson going to sue you, son.

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I really want to like Savage Worlds, but it's a game where the rules are almost entirely in the powers and not in the game itself, leading to as @WTFE says as being haphazard and potentially confusing. It reminds me of a far simpler D&D 3/3.5/4e system, or a far less insanely random GURPS (yeah, I'm getting sued too), but it still relies too heavily on knowing all the powers (merits, benefits, etc.) in order to intelligently build a character.

Savage Worlds does have one of my most favorite RPG books that I've read for the story: Slipstream. I could probably build a hundred characters in this setting because of how pulpishly iconic they are meant to be, therefore there wouldn't feel like a wrong way to make one.

To follow the post topic: Slipstream is the pocket universe at the other end of all black holes. Because of this, there is a more or less breathable atmosphere and vaguely consistent gravity throughout the roughly Inner Solar-System sized area. Add early Buck Rogers sci-fi universe mechanics and you've got Slipstream.

[Catsmeow]

@Thenomain said in Rate A Concept:

Man, is Steve Jackson going to sue you, son.

Wait why? Did he make a concept on The Reach and then say there was a copyright violation?

[WTFE]

@Thenomain said in Rate A Concept:

Savage Worlds does have one of my most favorite RPG books that I've read for the story: Slipstream. I could probably build a hundred characters in this setting because of how pulpishly iconic they are meant to be, therefore there wouldn't feel like a wrong way to make one.

I am meant to hate you, @Thenomain. Please stop having good taste!

edited to add

… it's a game where the rules are almost entirely in the powers and not in the game itself, leading to as @WTFE says as being haphazard and potentially confusing.

I took another look at the book after reading this and yes, I've finally put my finger on why I don't like Savage Worlds. This thing right here is the big one: the rules are everywhere except in the actual rules section. In this regard they're like the old Champions rules (before the multiple streamlinings of the larger Hero system), latter-day D&D rules, etc.

Thanks for putting to clear words what it was the bugged me about this game.

[ThatGuyThere]

@WTFE
To me Savage Worlds falls into what I call "The middle valley". What i mean by that is that is is not simple enough to be a really rules light game, but it is also not robust enough to engaging as a game. I have played in a couple of campaigns using it in groups where I was the only common element. Both times I had fun in the game for the story being told but every time that it was necessary to engage the mechanics the games became a chore. I would honestly rather just sit around a table telling a story without any sort of system then use Savage Worlds.
I can honestly say out of every system I have played, (nearly two dozen) Savage Worlds is the only one I would refuse to be in a game using.

[Misadventure]

I find that it reflects their war gaming Rail Wars better than a RPG. To me it's generic approach to things sucks the life right out of everything.

When I learned the powder Mage series was being made into a RPG, I kick started it heavily. When I read that it would be Savage Worlds I dropped almost all of it. it went from something I would use and love to supporting the authors efforts.

So on Savage Worlds. If you think GURPS can suck the life out of something, you haven't seen lifeless yet.

[SG]

@ThatGuyThere said in Rate A Concept:

@WTFE
I can honestly say out of every system I have played, (nearly two dozen) Savage Worlds is the only one I would refuse to be in a game using.

Oh wow, Labrynth Lord is that for me. OMG that's an awful game.

[ThatGuyThere]

@SG
Never played Labrynth Lord, but then I am not big on the OSR in general.
I will give Savage Worlds Credit for producing great settings many of them are well worth the read for enjoyment purposes and of course stealing ideas from.

[HorrorHound]

@Thenomain

Werewolves tried laying siege to Jupiter, once. Then they found the Horizon Realm, owned by the Order of Hermes. Oops?

[HorrorHound]

Concept Game:

Nightmare on Elm Street + Alice in Underland + The Darkness (Dark horse Comics) + WoD = The Week of Nightmares.

We all know that story, right? The one arc that pointed out how right The Sabbat, Technocracy and Kuei-jin were about Caine's Children? Because Lord Ravana woke up, a King of Hell, and decided to fuck the world. With his mind.

Basic rough idea: Game takes place within the 'Week' of Nightmares, wherein all of India was dragged into one of the 10,000 Hells, by Lord Ravana waking up. Except they weren't entirely flung into Hell, someone saved them, the same someone who made the Great Resurrection joke, the Baba Yaga story, and, of course, Dick Chaney: Malkav. So you are stuck between a rock and a hard place - You're in Hell, sort of, or you're inside of Malkav's consciousness. Or Malkav is in yours. Or you are a Malkavian. No one is really sure. Shit is really weird, and suddenly the Old Rules have New Rules and this dweebs Sheogorathian guy has Lord Cthulu as a butler, and it's cute but it's really not.

Because you're possibly in Hell. Or going to Hell. Or you're going insane.

The entire purpose of the game could be wrapped up in the dilemma, particularly if the Clans of Malkav and Ravnos were unable to be found. If Thaumaturgists and Necromancers had no power.

Welcome to my shard realm, bitch

^_^

[HorrorHound]

@HorrorHound

(Did I mention, John Dies At The End?)

[SG]

Vault Hunters:

Taking place on Pandora, players are all visiting vault hunters, looking to make their mark and get their fortune.

They soon find out it is a hellish nightmare world where New You(I know New You isn't canon, but I think the setting works better where it is) technology means nobody actually dies, and eventually devolve into savagery.

I think the WoD system might work for this, or some other one that's better at run n gun PrPs with a similar system to the Vampire humanity scores being used. You might die, but you're re-digitized at a nearby station, as are all those mooks you've killed. Fortunately, once someone loses all their humanity, their ability to learn and remember doesn't go past a trip through New You. If a PC loses all their humanity, the effectively become static NPCs.