Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

[Icehouse] Re: Icehouse RPG

  • FromDavid Artman <david@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • DateTue, 06 Mar 2007 08:57:47 -0700
> = Fred Poutre
> But in using the Pyramids for stat scores, then you should eliminate
> the dice aspect altogether.

That's worth considering... but I don't like the static turn order and
 guaranteed conflict wins that would result. There's something to be
said
 for uncertainty when committing to an attack (or other action), and
 having both sides roll and add and compare makes "level" (pip count)
 relevant without making the outcome of every conflict a foregone
 conclusion. That said, the die will probably be a d4--a d6 can be WAY
 to significant a swing, if most ability use is in the 1 - 3 value
 range.

> The idea that color equals effect is actually very cool, but I am
> not sure you can come up with enough skills, and still keep it simple
> for play.

Well, I have eleven colors with which to work, three of which can "hide"
 a lower piece (hence, they should be somehow special; not just another
 skill set). SO, that leaves 8 colors * 3 contexts = 24 "skills" or
 "powers". That's really not very many. 9 more, counting the solids,
 makes for only 33. Yes, that chart will have to be a handy reference
 (I can make a PDF with two charts per sheet, once done with rule
 design) but I really don't think that's too many total abilities.
 ESPECIALLY if one considers my five-way matrix of general effects:
Attack
Defend
Move
Mental
Social

Thus, each general effect can have, on average, ~7 specific abilities.
 That's not too many or too confusing, I don't think.

> With the basic layout you already have, I would suggest a street
> fighter concept, or a supper hero concept.

As Champions RPG has shown, an RPG that is sufficiently flexible to
 model super heroes can be made to model almost any other genre's
 effects. That's why I am going "generic" from the very beginning.
 And as I hope to make each color's ability "appropriate" to that
 color, it's not very likely that there will be other abilities I
 could use in lieu of the "default" ones, for other genres.

...Hmmm... Though "travel in space" seems pretty much modern or future,
 and not particularly germane to fantasy. Maybe "travel in space or
 alternate dimensions (e.g. astral plane)"? Eh... we ought to take
 such laundry-list brainstorming to the Wiki Talk page, right?

Regarding a street fighter game, I think the (very elegant) Ice Fu
 is already doing that very well (albeit abstractly):
http://icehousegames.com/contest/icedes-5/IceFu/IceFu.pdf

> Then it is matter of play test the building of characters to determine
> how many points required to buy the skills to make a decent character.

That's how I did it with GLASS:
http://www.davidartman.com/GLASS.pdf

I figure I'll get it near to "final" on the abilities, then crank out
 a couple of standard fantasy, sci fi, and supers characters, to see
 where the CPs settle out.

And in closing, oh yeah, it takes a serious piece collection... OR, as
 my co-designer pointed out, by taking turns one can "build a team"
using
 a limited set of pieces, and thus each individual will shine in some
 particular bailiwick, rather than everyone becoming jacks of all
trades.

But, yeah, the GM will likely need a full set of eleven monochrome
stashes.
 Which I have. ;)

Thanks for taking a look at it. Perhaps you could gin-up a matrix, on
 the Wiki Talk page, as a springboard for brainstorming? I intend to
 fill out the "main one" on the game page, as I get free time.
David



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