So...what's the big deal about this role-playing game?

As in, why should I play this game instead of D&D, or Vampire? What's it do different?...what's it do better?


And more importantly...how does it do it?

Quote from: KrakaJakSo...what's the big deal about this role-playing game?

As in, why should I play this game instead of D&D, or Vampire? What's it do different?...what's it do better?


And more importantly...how does it do it?

I'll be able to answer that in the next week or so (in a proper review).  I've just started reading it and so far I like what I see.

Pete

I´d say the big thing that is worthwhile  looking into is the magic and the combat system. The combat is group/mob tactics instead of individual ressource management so popular with many systems, it´s related to Tunnels & Trolls in that regard.
The magic system is a bit like Rolemaster/Harnmaster. You must make skillchecks, but can cast as often as you like. You have to be creative with your spell use.

Apart from that, you get a complete package to use those two.

I haven't read it yet and to me the "Big Deal" is that Pundit did a put up or shut up move.

 LOTS of people say hings like "Well If I made a game ..it would be better !!"... or : "It would be Like this!!"

 He went and actually made a Game.

 I don't know how good it is or not - but the fact that he DID something instead of just talking about it  - I gotta respect that.


- Ed C.

That's not really what he was asking, Koltar.

Quote from: KrakaJakSo...what's the big deal about this role-playing game?

As in, why should I play this game instead of D&D, or Vampire? What's it do different?...what's it do better?


And more importantly...how does it do it?

You shouldn't play FtA! "instead of" D&D; you should play it on those days or weeks or months or years where you don't have time to bother with making D&D characters, where the complexity of feats and having to decide what to multiclass in just isn't worth it when all you want to do is have an iconic archetypal game of high adventure; where you only have 5 minutes to make a character, when you're playing with someone who doesn't know about D&D but has played a lot of Nethack (or Diablo, or whatever online).

So you shouldn't play FtA! instead of D&D, you should think of FtA! as a lighter, faster, smoother, and simpler response to D&D; a more old-school game, emulative of what it feels like to play Nethack (Moria, Angband, etc);  or if you want to run an entire campaign of old-school high adventure in a setting like the Wilderlands or something fairly Moorcockian, FtA! can certainly do that too!

And you shouldn't play Vampire at all.

RPGPundit

In D&D, you build a character.

In FtA! you whip a character up.

Handling time nears zero, increasing the ratio of fun to work

-clash

No, seriously, what does it bring to the table that the other hundred, rules-light fantasy heartbreakers already don't?  And I just love the fact that you don't even sign your real name as the author.  :rolleyes:

Well, it's a mix between the crunchiness of D&D and the group combat of T&T. That's about it. I'm still not sure whether those two mix all too well mathematically, but it's an interesting concept. Deviations from the normal combat round procedure are chronically underused...

Quote from: mhensleyNo, seriously, what does it bring to the table that the other hundred, rules-light fantasy heartbreakers already don't?  

Not that much; a lot of playability, a good random dungeon generator, cool magic items, a spell-list magic system, lots of exciting random tables.

Again, there's nothing too new and different about FtA!; its just done to be a fast fun fantasy RPG that's very easy to play.

RPGPundit

Quote from: mhensleyNo, seriously, what does it bring to the table that the other hundred, rules-light fantasy heartbreakers already don't?  And I just love the fact that you don't even sign your real name as the author.  :rolleyes:

That's not what the OP asked. As for your question - IMO, I'm not the designer, just the publisher:

FtA! is not rules-light at all. It's quite crunchy. Chargen, on the other hand, is very fast, and GM prep time is low.

FtA! mechanics aren't too streamlined and uniform. They are designed to feel organic and somewhat quirky. I've often felt current game design may be too unified and streamlined, especially for beginners. Quirkiness adds interest in exploration of the rules.

FtA! is fully informed of the full range of current design, and deliberately uses these methods in areas where the anticipated gameplay would be improved by them, and deliberately chooses old-school methods in others.

-clash

If you were following some of the posts made during the design process, you might remember that doing new things was expressly avoided in some places. If you weren't, well, now you know.

RPGPundit, you deserve praise for not saying how much better it is than D&D and not claiming that it's the hottest, totally new thing.  That sort of thing always turns me off of a game and pretty much makes sure I'll never look at it.
 
I wasn't too impressed with the group combat in T&T but I might have to check this out, mainly for the random dungeon generator and the random tables.

it only uses d6's, right?

Quote from: RPGPundit...a good random dungeon generator, ... lots of exciting random tables.

Ok, I dig cool random tables and dungeon generators.  No demo version?