gull2112
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu 26 Aug 2021, 19:11

Re: Game rules.

Wed 22 Sep 2021, 00:36

I don't think I was insulting anyone, that certainly wasn't my intent. I merely stated what kind of rules I prefer.

My "Any idiot can make up a rule" statement came from a game design group where we sat around with a fairly decent system, but then everyone piled on a rule for this and a rule for that, we went from 36 pages of rules to 188 pages! Each rule, in isolation, was fine, but in the end the game became unplayable IMHO, and I bowed out. The game company went belly up and a few determined folks made a stab at a streamlined (but not really) system, that still struggles along.

I'm not going to give out any names because these guys are still friends and I wish them all the best. I even back all their KS expansions. I just don't involve myself beyond that.

I did not mean to bad mouth anyone specifically, rather a general philosophy of game design that I don't care for.

TOR hits all the right buttons for me!
 
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Fenhorn
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Joined: Thu 24 Apr 2014, 15:03
Location: Sweden

Re: Game rules.

Wed 22 Sep 2021, 01:52

Moderator Message: On this forum we discuss things with respect and decency. We would like to keep discuss things that way here. Thank you.
“Thanks for noticin' me.” - Eeyore
 
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Thranduil's Elk
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed 10 Feb 2021, 04:28

Re: Game rules.

Thu 23 Sep 2021, 02:20

I never played 1e TOR though I owned some of the AiME stuff and didn't particularly like it, in large part because 5e itself is such garbage in my opinion. It seemed like you kind of ended up with the worst of both worlds in marrying TOR to 5e. Others, of course, won't see it that way.

Personally, I'm hoping for the rules to be as light and easy as possible. I've realized in the past few years that I'm too old and set in my ways to learn convoluted new rules systems and we don't get to play that often so for us, the best way to maximize our limited gaming time is to play something we all understand well that isn't too complex. As a huge fan of Middle Earth, I'll end up getting something out of the books regardless, but here's hoping it's pretty streamlined. Otherwise, I'll likely just convert it to OSE like I've done with a bunch of my old MERP adventures.
Not all who wander are lost....
 
gull2112
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu 26 Aug 2021, 19:11

Re: Game rules.

Thu 23 Sep 2021, 16:43

Thranduil's Elk, we're in a very similar place. I have found the system is quite different from many others, but once we played through a combat or two, the combat runs very quickly. Everything seems to have been created with an eye towards streamlined game play.

The steepest learning curve for me is getting a feel for how to set the proper challenge for my players. The encounters aren't based on a challenge rating of any kind. In my limited experience (one 3 hour session), that doesn't seem to be too much of a problem. I have just created scalable encounters, where I can add foes if the party is mopping up too quickly. I have an encounter with a large cave troll coming up soon, and that is the only encounter that I am concerned about. For that reason, I have created the "Great Eagle" effect in the form of a Beorning rescuing them if it gets out of hand.

My running style is more narrative driven than system driven, and TOR 2E seems designed with that style in mind.
 
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Thranduil's Elk
Posts: 36
Joined: Wed 10 Feb 2021, 04:28

Re: Game rules.

Fri 24 Sep 2021, 11:27

Streamlined is good. Not too worried about things like challenge ratings since I don't play post-1e D&D anyhow so I've never bothered with stuff like that. I feel confident enough that I'll be able to gauge that once I figure out the base rules.
Not all who wander are lost....
 
Terisonen
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri 10 Sep 2021, 17:01

Re: Game rules.

Fri 24 Sep 2021, 12:11

Personally, I use the Pendragon System with TOR scenario. I did this because I know the Pendragon rule well, and the system fit well with the universe. Of course there is some work to made matching the two, but it's worth the cost IMO.
 
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eternalsage
Posts: 155
Joined: Tue 31 Aug 2021, 19:41
Location: Bree

Re: Game rules.

Fri 24 Sep 2021, 12:24

That's awesome! I've always loved the Pendragon rules conceptually but never gotten a chance to run it. The virtue system (I forget the actual name atm) maps pretty well to the idea of shadow paths etc, I would think.
“It is useless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing.” - Frodo Baggins, Return of the King

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