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?
Quote from: NicephorusI 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.
Yeh, I agree with you. I found the combat system in T&T to be retarded. Adding up dozens of d6's is not fast or easy, IMO.
Quote from: flyingmiceThat'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.
Crunchiness of FtA! is about on-par with Red-box D&D, so yes, its not "rules lite" in the Over The Edge sense.
RPGPundit
Quote from: NicephorusRPGPundit, 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.
Personally, I think FtA! handles group combat slightly better than T&T did, but that's just my own (obviously biased) opinion.
The random dungeon tables and the magic items tables are both really cool, if I say so myself.
RPGpundit
Quote from: beeberit only uses d6's, right?
Correct. Only D6s.
RPGPundit
Quote from: mhensleyOk, I dig cool random tables and dungeon generators. No demo version?
I'm afraid not. The random dungeon generator is only really cool in its entirety (where it becomes a very good emulater of the computer game Nethack).. I don't think showing off individual tables or dumbing it down would really do it justice.
RPGPundit
Quote from: mhensleyYeh, I agree with you. I found the combat system in T&T to be retarded. Adding up dozens of d6's is not fast or easy, IMO.
Well, one of the senses in which I think that FtA! handles it better is that one; on the Players side you're only adding 3d6 per PC, pretty much every time.
With the monsters their dice varies according to size, and if you're dealing with a large number of monsters you can also opt to speed up the process a bit.
RPGPundit
Yo, Pundit. Some questions.....:pundit:
(1.) How does the game handle weapon damage? Is it similiar to how WFRP 2e does it? Warhammer weapons inflict d10 plus a modifier for weapon damage. Do FtA weapons inflict d6, plus mods?
(2.) Are ability scores/attributes randomly generated? What ability scores/attributes are there?
(3.) Does the game contain alignment? Is there any form of honor/reputation system?
(4.) What is the tech level of the game/setting? What is the implied setting? Is this a fantasy game?
(5.) Does the game contain a class/level system?
(6.) Are there hit points, or instead a form of "damage saves"?
(7) Is there a small download (8 to 12 pages) for "fast-play" rules?
(8.) How about races? Can I become an elf or dwarf?
(9.) Why d6?
(10.) Are there any character sheets available for download?
(11.) Were you able to cobble together any maps for the game?
Quote from: Sacrificial LambYo, Pundit. Some questions.....:pundit:
(1.) How does the game handle weapon damage? Is it similiar to how WFRP 2e does it? Warhammer weapons inflict d10 plus a modifier for weapon damage. Do FtA weapons inflict d6, plus mods?
It depends on the weapon. Generally, all weapons of a type - i.e. Ranged or One-Handed-Melee - have the same modifier regardless of the actual weapon used. In ranged combat, the difference between the attacker's dice total and the defender's DR, plus the weapon's damage value, is the damage inflicted. In Melee combat, the same procedure is followed, but the damage is added to a group total and apportioned by the GM to the other group's members.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(2.) Are ability scores/attributes randomly generated? What ability scores/attributes are there?
Yes. The abilities are the same as in D&D.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(3.) Does the game contain alignment? Is there any form of honor/reputation system?
Yes. Alignment is Law, Chaos, and Balance. There is no honor system.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(4.) What is the tech level of the game/setting? What is the implied setting? Is this a fantasy game?
It's implied to be the same sort of setting as OD&D - i.e. faux medieval european fantasy.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(5.) Does the game contain a class/level system?
Yes.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(6.) Are there hit points, or instead a form of "damage saves"?
Hit points, with criticals.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(7) Is there a small download (8 to 12 pages) for "fast-play" rules?
No.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(8.) How about races? Can I become an elf or dwarf?
Yes, along with a couple odder races like centaur or half-merman.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(9.) Why d6?
Everyone has them, and you can get them cheap most anywhere.
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(10.) Are there any character sheets available for download?
Yes! Here (http://jalan.flyingmice.com/FTA_Charsheet2.pdf).
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb(11.) Were you able to cobble together any maps for the game?
The setting is only implied, not actual.
-clash
thanks for including a sample character sheet, clash! it looks interesting. i especially love an actual spot under age for "dies at" :haw:
Quote from: beeberthanks for including a sample character sheet, clash! it looks interesting. i especially love an actual spot under age for "dies at" :haw:
I can't take credit for the character sheet. That was given me by Pundit and done by a friend of his. I think it very well done, myself.
-clash
I like the 3 six-sided dice part.
...for the obvious reasons.
- Ed C.
Quote from: Sacrificial LambYo, Pundit. Some questions.....:pundit:
(1.) How does the game handle weapon damage? Is it similiar to how WFRP 2e does it? Warhammer weapons inflict d10 plus a modifier for weapon damage. Do FtA weapons inflict d6, plus mods?
No, Weapon damage is a value (based largely on the size of your weapon) that is added to your combat stats. It varies according to the size of weapon (light, one-handed, or two-handed; in the case of melee), and whether or not you are trained in using the weapon.
This was done on purpose that the choice between a one-handed weapon (be it an axe or a sword or a club, or anything you want your character to have) be an aesthetic choice rather than one forced on you because some dumbass designer thinks that battleaxes should do 1 point more damage than swords or something like that. Its just like the "Hand weapons" in WFRP.
Quote(2.) Are ability scores/attributes randomly generated? What ability scores/attributes are there?
The ability scores are the same six as in D&D. There are options for generating them randomly or by point-distribution.
Quote(3.) Does the game contain alignment? Is there any form of honor/reputation system?
It does have alignment, it doesn't have honour or reputation, though you could easily add such a concept.
Quote(4.) What is the tech level of the game/setting? What is the implied setting? Is this a fantasy game?
The tech level of the game is fantasy-medieval; though there's no reason you couldn't add sci-fi elements to the game if you wanted. The implied setting is of a slightly gritty high-fantasy world in the style of the Wilderlands or Moorcock's writings.
Quote(5.) Does the game contain a class/level system?
(6.) Are there hit points, or instead a form of "damage saves"?
Yes to question 5, and "hit points" to question 6.
I've snipped the next few questions since Clash answered them well enough.
Quote(11.) Were you able to cobble together any maps for the game?
Sadly, there was nothing in the book that actually required a map, however, I'm toying with the idea of making some kind of sourcebook for FtA!, depending on how well the sales of the main book go; and that one might include a sample dungeon, and maybe some kind of setting with maps. We'll see.
RPGPundit