We ran 65 events for Sixcess Core and sold a boatload of books.  I was curious if anyone here managed to get into a session and what your thoughts were?

I didn't go to Gencon, but congrats on your success! I'm looking forward to the review copy.

RPGPundit

Well, here's the skinny...  

We had 65 events.  About 12 were empty -- no one showed up -- but the other 53 were usually full to the gills!  Lots of generic tickets.  And it built up steam.  

Wednesday was *PACKED*!  Full tables all around.  (That's normal, though, so few events on Wednesday and you can expect *everyone*  who is there early to buy out all tickets for any Wednesday events.)

Thursday was lightly attended -- mostly fans from the kickstarter and last years games.

Friday things started picking up with more generic and some event tickets sold during the day.

Saturday was starting to get pretty busy. The morning was light and two of our games were no shows -- but all the other tables were packed. Saturday night was *hopping*!  It was one of the rooms that was so busy you had to really pay attention to what was happening at your table.

That being said, one of our GMs really got into the drama of his NPCs and started ranting and raving because the PCs were not going along with the character's ideas -- the other tables all quieted down and listened to the tirade.  When he stopped, everyone broke out into applause and Morgan (the rookie GM) sat back with this happy, Sally Field, "You love me!  You really love me!" look on his face.  When the applause died down, he said, "I award myself a Strike die."  Which caused everyone to erupt in laughter.  (One of the suggestions for GMing Sixcess Core is to give players awards for breaking up the gaming group in laughter while in character -- so it was perfectly awarded.)  

Sunday we had two events that were no-shows, but otherwise packed -- and it was our busiest sales day!  All told we sold about 50 copies of the book while at Gen Con.

Our first setting -- if you don't mind my stumping a bit -- is Promised Sands:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1299187159/promised-sands-for-sixcess-core

We have four other settings slated for release during 2014 and we are also discussing up to four mini-settings that we'll be slipping in here and there, as time allows.

I'm glad to hear of your success! Promised Sands deserved another chance as a setting.

Quote from: RPGPundit;686278I'm glad to hear of your success! Promised Sands deserved another chance as a setting.

I appreciate that, Pundit.  Promised Sands was not without it's flaws, but the majority of them were in the mechanic -- at least, according to the reviewers (though, as I recall, you had some appreciation for certain elements of the mechanic).

If you don't mind my sharing some bits of happiness that I've had from the Sixcess Core players...

Nearly everyone who played lauded us with praise over the simplicity, power and versatility of the game system. They "grokked" it very quickly and used it effectively to roleplay without it hampering their enjoyment of the experience.  Combat is swift (we reduce all combat rolls by about half).

But, the best two compliments I received, that I take to heart (despite needing to attribute them to "some random players at Gen Con") are:

"Sixcess is sooo much better than D&D!"

Now, one can debate the significance of that compliment, but the bottom line is that D&D is the "benchmark" of our industry.

"Sixcess is more versatile and easier to play than Savage Worlds."

Again, I consider Savage Worlds to be an amazing, "rules light" game that's easy to get into and have fun -- so with as much crunch as we offer in Sixcess, to have someone tell me that it's more versatile and easier to play than SW ... wow.  

The thing I really find fascinating is that Sixcess Core creates *fans* when people play the game.  Very few people (but there are some, I must admit) walk away not liking it.  Almost everyone becomes a "fan" -- which truly warms my heart.  

The latter might be more directly relevant to you. The former is just something any idiot (usually some idiot who never liked D&D to begin with) just says whenever they want to express contempt.

RPGpundit

Any word on where there is a comprehensive system review?

The blurbs on your websites are not exactly long on detail.

Quote from: Jaeger;687168Any word on where there is a comprehensive system review?

The blurbs on your websites are not exactly long on detail.

I've sent out review copies but it'll take time for them to reach the reviewers and then time for them to actually write and post their reviews.

If you have questions, I can answer them in the interim.  (And I'll try not to "fanboy" my responses.)

I'm an analyst by profession, so I'd like to think that I can be fairly unbiased -- or at least honest about my bias when I have one.  

OK, reading a bit about Marks and Ticks. Can you:

A) Give an example of skill resolution using Sixcess?

B) Provide an example that shows how abstracted/detailed combat is?

C) Tell us if there's a core rulebook for the system for sale, say if folks weren't part of the Kickstarter?

Zach, the core rulebook just became available from DriveThruRPG both in pdf and print-on-demand a couple of weeks ago. Print seems somewhat on the pricey side, but then again, it's in full color.

Sixcess Core - Harsh Realities | DriveThruRPG.com

I think the core rulebook is not required for any of the settings they're planning to publish.

Ah, many thanks, HLD!

Quote from: Ben Rogers;683300We ran 65 events for Sixcess Core and sold a boatload of books.  I was curious if anyone here managed to get into a session and what your thoughts were?

Does Sixcess have an open license for third party material?

Quote from: Zachary The First;687264OK, reading a bit about Marks and Ticks. Can you:

A) Give an example of skill resolution using Sixcess?

Zachary, let's set up a little detail so that I can give you that example:
 
Your character is playing in a world where firearms exist.  He has a Perception (PER) attrbute of 2 (average) and a Pistols skill of 3.  This gives him a pool of 5 dice to roll.

If the TN is a 4 (short range, easy target) then he tosses those 5 dice and gets 1, 2, 4, 5, 6.  That resolves to 2 Ticks (4 and 5) and a Mark (6).  Marks allow a reroll.  For convenience, he rerolls a failed die, and gets a 5 -- that's one more Tick.  That is a total of 1 Mark and 3 Ticks.  The Mark increases the wound rating of the shot (he placed the bullet better on th target) and the Ticks add to the base damage of the gun.  On an average gun (5M3) that means the target is now facing a 5L6 damage. When resisting (or soaking) the damage, the target uses the first number of the damage code (5) as his TN to resist. If he makes any Marks, it lowers the damage code by one level for each Mark (just as attacking increases the wound by one level for each Mark) and any Ticks reduce the number of the actual damage.  So, if he rolled 1 Mark and 2 Ticks to reduce the damage, he would take 4 boxes of damage starting at his Major wound track.

QuoteB) Provide an example that shows how abstracted/detailed combat is?

Combat begins when everyone rolls Drive.  Zach and the Raider both have DRV attributes of 2.  Both roll two dice.  Zach rolls 1 and 6.  the Raider rolls 2 and 4. There are only 5 phases of combat, so Zach's 6 is an "interrupt" action that he can spend anytime he wants during combat.  (And if he chooses not to spend it, it becomes a "Strike Die" that can be added to any future Mark Test out of combat.  If he never spends the Strike Die and the game comes to an end, it is a free point of XP.)

Combat Phase 1 begins:  Zach can go.

He chooses to shoot at the Raider.  The Raider is behind cover (+1TN) but otherwise not really moving to avoid Zach.  Zach's TN is 5.  He rolls PER (2) + Pistols (3) against a TN of 5 (4+1 for cover). He rolls 2,3,4,5,6 and rerolls the 6 for a 4 -- no help, but a total of 1 Mark and 1 Tick. This raises his pistol damage from 5M3 to 5L4.  The Raider has no armor and rolls to soak the Damage.  This is a combined "Dodge" + "Soak" roll -- FIT (3) to soak and Dodge (1).  (Note that if the Dodge value exceeds the success made on the attack roll, that the attack misses entirely -- so usually rolling the Dodge dice separately or using different colored dice makes it more clear.)  The raider rolls 5, 5, 6, 1 (the 1 is on the Dodge die, so he is soaking rather than avoiding the hit). He rerolls the 6 and gets a 5.  That's 1 Mark and 3 Ticks.  The Mark reduces the wound level to M(ajor) and the Ticks reduce the damage to 2.  If the GM is using the "mook rule" and determins that this is a Mook and not a "significant threat" then he just has a pool of damage.  If it is a "signficant threat" then it has damage broken out just like a PC (Slight, Major, Lethal and Fatal wounds treated separately). The GM determines this is just a "mook" with a pool of 15 damage point.  The "Major" wound is 5 points, plus the 2 points of damage, he's now operating at 7 points of damage.

Phase 1 is over.
Phase 2 begins. It is the Raider's turn.  He chooses to rush Zach's character, drawing a nasty vibroblade and launching himself at Zach.  This is his entire action and he can't quite reach Zach on this action phase.  
Phase 2 is over.  
No one goes on 3 and Phase 4 begins.
Zach interrupts the action of the Raider and chooses to use his Strike action. He fires again.  The GM determines that the TN is still a 5.  Even though the cover has been lost, there is a certain amount of surprise and stress in being charged by the assailant. Zach rolls 2,3,5,5,6 - rerolls the 6 for another 6 and rerolls it for another 5.  He has 2 Marks and 3 Ticks. The Raider rolls to soak: 2,4,5,5. He wasn't able to soak the wounds any lower.  The pistol damage code was increased by Zach's roll to 5F6.  The Raider reduces the damage from 5F6 to 5F4 with his two Ticks -- which is pointless, he has only one Fatal wound.  Zach has successfully dispatched the Raider, who skids to the ground at Zach's feet, as the vibrblade jitters on the gound beside his boots.

QuoteC) Tell us if there's a core rulebook for the system for sale, say if folks weren't part of the Kickstarter?

You can find it at DriveThruRPG.

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?keywords=sixcess&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=&x=0&y=0

It's a full-color, 300 page softback.

For a limited time (meaning, until the extra stock runs out at my house) I am offering specific people the chance to order it directly from me.  I'll give you "Gen Con Special" price of $40 and I'll include some Gen Con swag in that deal.  Shipping is a flat $5. (So, Paypal me $45 and an address and I'll get you the book and some swag.)    (Email me: ben at harshrealities dot org if you are interested this deal -- it is only while supplies last!)

Once you get the hang of the damage system (which is arguably more complex and abstract than "I hit him for d6 hitpoints!") you'll find that the system is *very fast*.  We've basically cut all player rolls in half.  You only make one roll for attack and damage resolution instead of two.  This greatly speeds up combat.  Also, the GM doesn't need to consult a chart, he just makes some quick notation on a notepad (or keeps track of it in his head) and you roll on with combat (pun intended).   Large groups can also be handled nicely with "swarm rules".

We tried to reduce the time spent in combat resolution so that players could spend more time in storytelling and roleplaying.

If you like crunch and detailed target modifiers and the tactical side of combat, everything is there.  If you like to go more abstract and light, then you can do that, too.  It really can be as light or crunchy as you like.  

That being said, it's not "TWERPS" light and it's not "HERO" crunchy.  But you could play it "fast and loose" and get it down to quick, "gut rolls".  You could also play it using every guideline as a hard and fast rule and use the GM Screen to full-value with all the charts and tables.  

Personally, I find that my games meander between these two points.  Sometimes it's fast and loose and it's all about the roleplaying.  And sometimes it gets crunchy because the drama is high and everything hangs on this *one roll*.  

I think of Mission Impossible a lot when I'm planning games. There are times to sneak, times to impersonate, times to socially interact, times to fight, times to diffuse the bomb in a tense situation, times to flee or chase, times to wait while something happens 'off-screen'.  All of these points have their own flow and tone.  I think it would innappropriate to be "fast and loose" while sweating over diffusing of a bomb, where every action must be careful and meticulous.  I also think it would be innappropriate to try to play every social interaction with hard and fast rules (though there are situation that may need this!).  We tried to give Sixcess that ability to "ebb and flow" with the needs of the dramatic moments in the game so you can be crunchy when you need it or fast and loose when you need it -- and varying levels in between.

I make no claims that it's "perfect" by any stretch.  I don't believe that a "perfect system" exists, nor that it can exist.  

And, I readily admit that some people don't like dicepools.  However, we have also made efforts to reduce the biggest complaint about dicepools -- that eventually you're tossing a bucket of dice for every skill test.  In Sixcess, the player can choose to sacrifice dice to gain other effects, like reduced target numbers and extra actions.  

This allows the skill to mean more than just a brute force die roll. It can also mean that more difficult tests are easier for the charcter with the better skill.  Or it can mean additional actions for the character with the higher attributes.  

However, if the player just wants to brute force toss all the dice he can accumulate, that option is never taken away from him -- because some players like doing that!

Wow.  That was a long reply.  I hope I answered your questions.  I apologize for taking so long, but I'm working all weekend and my sleep schedule is off kilter.  If you have any more questions, I'm happy to respond.  

Again, if you are interested in getting the Gen Con Special: the core rules for $40 (full color, 300 pages) and whatever swag I have left from Gen Con, email me: ben at harshrealities dot org to make arrangements.  

Quote from: estar;687363Does Sixcess have an open license for third party material?

Nothing "official" - but we are very open to the idea of others using Sixcess Core as the basis for their gameworlds.  

At this point, it's on a case-by-case basis.  If you have an idea and you want to use Sixcess as your base mechanic, we're happy to oblige and we'll even promote your using it.  

If it involves Vulcans gang raping Hobbits with Apple and Nike trademark symbols in the artwork ... well, we're really not going to want to lend our names to that project, so a cease and desist order would probably be winging it's way in that direction...

If you have a cool idea for a world, fire me an email and we'll certainly talk.  

And, no, we don't want you pay us money so you can use our game system.  If you bought the book, you've paid us.  We don't have to have a piece of your pie to enjoy the world you've created.  We'd love to have a few copies of it, in fact.  (There are three primary developers, so if you could manage to get us three copies, that's pretty much all I can imagine us asking at this point.)

We're also interested in working with other gaming groups to host games of Sixcess at conventions all over. If you're doing that, we'll support you as much as you can.  We have posters and literature, we can mention you on our website and to our kickstarter backers, we also have a mailing list for just that sort of news.

If you want to mold Sixcess to fit a particular gameworld need, we'll also happily give you our take on how you could do that.  So, you need a new edge in your world.  We'll discuss how *we* would make it and you can roll with it.  That sort of thing.  "How would you make a spell that did X?"  Well, this is how we'd do it...  "What about a new derived attribute that does Y?"  Well, this is how we'd do it...  (And if you don't like how we'd do it, that's okay!)

We have no intention of hiring a "Sixcess Core Police Force" to be sure that everyone is playing and not doing any "wrong/bad/fun".

I had a player at Gen Con tell me that he may change the system so that REF is used for firearms instead of PER.  He asked me if that is okay.  I said, I disagree with it, and it can unbalance some of the current and planned racial profiles, but if that's how you want to houserule it, who am I to say you're wrong?  

It's like the Faith attribute.  Sure, we tied that into a particular use.  But, if you get it home and say, "No, FTH can only be used with the dark lord Dagon of the underworld!"  Okay.  It's your game. Have at it.  

Long winded, again, sorry.  It's late.  

Hope that answered your question.  Let me know if you have any other questions...

Quote from: Jaeger;687168Any word on where there is a comprehensive system review?

The blurbs on your websites are not exactly long on detail.

I've been sent a review copy, apparently, but it has yet to arrive.