BarryDingle's page

My apologies, as I'm probably the one doing the skating on that ice at the moment...

Noticing that the Blog thread was veering off on a discussion about feats, and figured it might be done for soon (250+ posts in, some deviation from the original point is going to happen). Whereas this one was quite specifically focusing on Design Goals.

So, not looking to echo chamber my own stuff...(and hoping to thicken up that ice...)

I think Magnuskn has pretty much hit the nail on the head. Cross posting from the Blog thread, with a bit of revision:

My take on the goals?

1) Pretty much a failing grade. You want simple and easy to learn? Beginner Box. I mean, seriously, my young kids can grasp that edition, and it transitions pretty smoothly into 1E. This 2E version? Forget it.

2) Any edition can do this. Pathfinder - GURPS edition could do this. Really just a "sunshine and puppy dogs" statement rather than an actual design goal.

3) Not seeing much of this. Sure lots of new stuff. After throwing much of the baby out with the bathwater with 1E. Had this been closer aligned with 1E, incorporating innovations like those found in the Unchained book, then it might be a success. Failing grade here again.

4) Everyone can be different, but your all the same! Like every other snowflake even! "Within defined roles" however should be a warning sign - more straight-jacketed roles. Was Paizo successful? Perhaps? But does that make a better game? Not for me. I find the mathematics behind 2E to be hindering the game, not enhancing it. The spell nerfing was over the top. But YMMV.

5) Another "sunshine and <pet of choice>" statement. With my apologies from earlier - it was not my intent to exclude anyone. But seriously, I would hope any game designer would strive for this as a goal. **And I think Paizo has done a stellar job to date.** But it's another "goal but not really a goal" thing.

So, I'm pretty much seeing 1/3 on actual design goals. 2/2 on the fluff goals. Rest of the gaming group isn't feeling it either. High chance that without significant reworks that 2E will be dead to us. But we had a good run - and have lots of 1E material to work with. It's 3.0-3.5 to 4E all over again, but now with Paizo.

Halfway to Doomsday? I'd say so.

My take on the goals?

1) Pretty much a failing grade. You want simple and easy to learn? Beginner Box. Beginner Box. Beginner Box. I mean, seriously, my kids can grasp that edition, and it transitions smoothly into 1E. This 2E version? Forget it.

2) Any edition can do this. Pathfinder - GURPS edition could do this. Really just a "sunshine and puppy dogs" statement rather than an actual design goal.

3) Not seeing much of this. Sure lots of new stuff. After throwing much of the baby out with the bathwater with 1E. Had this been closer aligned with 1E, incorporating innovations like those found in the Unchained book, then it might be a success. Failing grade here again.

4) Everyone can be different, but your all the same! Like every other snowflake even! "Within defined roles" however should be a warning sign - more straight-jacketed roles. Success? Perhaps? But does that make a better game? Not for me. I find the mathematics behind 2E to be hindering the game, not enhancing it. But YMMV.

5) Another "sunshine and <pet of choice>" statement. With my apologies from earlier - it was not my intent to exclude anyone. But seriously, I would hope any game designer would strive for this as a goal. **And I think Paizo has done a stellar job to date.** But it's another "goal but not really a goal" thing.

So, I'm pretty much seeing 1/3 on actual design goals. 2/2 on the fluff goals.

Halfway to Doomsday? I'd say so.

Sadnerd wrote:

Great adventure! my group is going to love the mix of roleplay in the beginning and dungeon crawling in the latter half.

"You're stuck on a ship with a colorful cast of NPCs!" is pretty much the briar patch I want to be thrown into.

It's not quite 'Gilligan's Island' that your heading to...but that's what got stuck in my mind after reading this...LOL

I was thinking about holding off the reveal of it being Sorshen contacting them. Like perhaps she appears to them as an ancient armored knight with an echoing voice. I'd really like for them to see the reveal that their "patron" is truly Sorshen in person. To reference my favorite guilty pleasure Batman and Robin, much like the scene where Ivy is in the gorilla costume into a dramatic reveal. What do you folks think?

I have to agree, seems a bit early in the game for Sorshen to be so forthright in her reveal.

For the Runelord of Lust (Enchantment) NOT working through an intermediary at first seems rather counter-intuitive. I mean, the first thing the party needs to do after that reveal is let EVERYONE know that there is more than one Runelord on the loose now - and one of the most dangerous of them all is ACTIVE.

Ok, is it me, or have the years not been kind to ol' Sheila?

Page 19 - Yikes...