Emerald City--Discussion

[nitrosyncretic]

Here's a place to ask questions, make comments, and discuss what I posted in 

Praise is also welcome! It would encourage me to give more!

[nitrosyncretic]

Possible topics:

Rules, build decisions, how the two statements showed up, etc.

[astralfrontier]

A comment about power frameworks, in the context of Breakthrough, one of the PCs.

 

Aside from using powers in play, the choice of frameworks affects how the characters develop. For Breakthrough, I wanted to leave room to expand his abilities in new or interesting directions. The game gives a couple ways to do this: manifest a new power during play (as with a VPP), or pay for a new power with points (as with an EC or MP). The point cost for a new slot in the EC is higher than that of one in the MP, and I wanted to be able to manifest maybe one new power every couple of sessions, so I went originally with the MP.

 

Another part of the choice is cultural. Among the gamers I've talked to, many have expressed distrust or dislike of VPP or similar anything-goes power frameworks in other systems (e.g. modular abilities in Mutants & Masterminds). For purposes of the demo/playtest, I wanted to keep my PC simple for the sake of the other players, because a VPP can be complex in play.

 

These are things that won't directly show up in the rules, but I hope we keep them in mind as we design more characters in the future.

[nitrosyncretic]

On 3/15/2020 at 12:38 AM, astralfrontier said:

A comment about power frameworks, in the context of Breakthrough, one of the PCs.

 

Aside from using powers in play, the choice of frameworks affects how the characters develop. For Breakthrough, I wanted to leave room to expand his abilities in new or interesting directions. The game gives a couple ways to do this: manifest a new power during play (as with a VPP), or pay for a new power with points (as with an EC or MP). The point cost for a new slot in the EC is higher than that of one in the MP, and I wanted to be able to manifest maybe one new power every couple of sessions, so I went originally with the MP.

 

I had not considered the design considerations for growing the character. I can see that a multiform slot would be a faster way to add something new.

 

Let me unpack my thinking, not as a defense, but so you can follow the logic even if it would not be your preference. The changes were in response to two new rules about MF, ie it takes a half phase to reallocate the slots and the only limitations that reduce cost must apply to all slots. Because one power was flight limited as superleap and another was a clinging effect, the limitation on the superleap slot would have been worth nothing. Also, I made a call thinking that an EC would allow use of both modes of movement in a single phase without having to spend half a phase to shift.

 

 

On 3/15/2020 at 12:38 AM, astralfrontier said:

 

Another part of the choice is cultural. Among the gamers I've talked to, many have expressed distrust or dislike of VPP or similar anything-goes power frameworks in other systems (e.g. modular abilities in Mutants & Masterminds). For purposes of the demo/playtest, I wanted to keep my PC simple for the sake of the other players, because a VPP can be complex in play.

 

These are things that won't directly show up in the rules, but I hope we keep them in mind as we design more characters in the future.

 

I thought I was the only one who avoided the VPP in order to keep the character easy to handle in play! As GM or player I don't want to be trying to formulate a power under pressure during play. I solve this by spending extra preparation time creating a list of options -- and this has its downside of requiring more prep.

 

Another factor you mention is the "fuzziness" of the VPP. I think this framework puts a lot of responsibility on the player and GM to define and apply the conceptual limitations of the pool's special effect If one runs fast and loose with the special effect, the character of the pool feels more like an excuse than a fictional element..