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Author Topic: Diceless systems  (Read 2820 times)

Dr_Avalanche

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« Reply #15 on: March 15, 2006, 11:03:57 AM »
Quote from: Nicephorus
I wonder if you could mix dice and diceless - some things are pre-ordained or chosen to definitely work and the rest is left to chance. Hero points or action points are sort of like this, you have a small pool if almost definite successes or failure erasers.
 

I liked the example - could be a very cool game.

Like you say, action points, fate points, hero points, they're all examples of limited currency mechanics. I suspect you could create all kinds of systems ranging from all dice to no dice with multitudes of shades in between. Maybe a resource system where each token you pay before performing a certain task gives you one die (into some sort of dice pool system), another system could let you draw a number of cards depending on your skill (where each skill point would equal one card drawn) Edit: Actually, that's a bad example - it's purely luck based...just not using dice..., and the value of the highest card indicated the quality of your action. Or dice could determine how fast you replenished your tokens in some fashion.

CleanCutRogue

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« Reply #16 on: March 21, 2006, 11:08:15 PM »
Top Secret/SI was sorta like that.

You had stats, dice, hit points (in the form of damage boxes - which to this day I say is the best damage system in RPGs), etc.  But when things didn't go your way you screamed "LUCK POINT" and you knew your character would survive.  It encouraged very heroic actions in an otherwise lethal world, but eventually your pool of Luck Points (which the GM kept track of - not you) would run out and your heroic antics might just become foolish... but made for great stories.
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RPGPundit

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« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2006, 11:30:52 AM »
Quote from: Redcap
The biggest problem we have with diceless systems like Amber is that they cater to the worst impulses of human behavior.  Yes, GMs can cheat with dice, but with a diceless system, it takes far greater self control for them not to cheat.

We might be interested in a diceless system if it somehow introduced the concept of fairness.  But we have not seen such a thing.

"We"?
What the hell are you, royalty?

Incidentally, I can't disagree with you more. A DM will "cheat" with or without dice. What Amber gets rid of is the illusion that the DM can't do whatever the hell he wants. Which is true, in any game; in Amber it just becomes more apparent, and then the game becomes a direct interaction of the DM's intentions for the story and the players' actions and interests in the game.

The only thing that ever, ever, stops a DM in any game from doing whatever the hell he wants (aside from the fact that some newbie DMs might fall for the "dice illusion" and think they can't) is the "player satisfaction" factor. Obviously, "whatever the hell you want" as a DM has to be something that will also appeal to and function well with your players, and keep them satisfied.

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Thjalfi

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« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2006, 11:42:39 AM »
Quote from: RPGPundit
"We"?
What the hell are you, royalty?

We would advise you to be at least somewhat polite when speaking with the Redcap. He has an annoying tendancy to wear the entrails of his victims as a hat...


In case you havn't figured it out, the moderators and admins on this board all have a theme. We are changelings. some of us have specific posting schticks that we rather enjoy maintaining when discussing things.


Now, we can tell you a rather amusing story of the last time we saw a n00bling mouth off at a redcap, but since we are in polite company, we think that the story may be a little too graphic for mass consumption. We will just let you know that it wasn't merely his cap that was red, after that incedent..
 

Nicephorus

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« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2006, 11:45:57 AM »
Quote from: RPGPundit
"We"?
What the hell are you, royalty?

Apparently, you're unexperienced with admin schticks.  It's a longstanding tradition in the Nutkinland family of forums.

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« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2006, 12:05:16 PM »
Yup, highly unfamiliar with whatever the hell you're talking about.

Are you saying that guy's an admin, and that the admins here all pretend to be...what, woodland creatures? Royalty? Whatever the hell a "redcap" is?

Doesn't that sort of get in the way of say, professionalism in their admin duties?

Ah well, I'm hardly one to talk about having an online persona, at least according to some people.

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LORDS OF OLYMPUS
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kryyst

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« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2006, 01:21:45 PM »
One of these things is not like the other.....
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Aelfinn

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« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2006, 01:27:35 PM »
Quote from: RPGPundit
Yup, highly unfamiliar with whatever the hell you're talking about.

Are you saying that guy's an admin, and that the admins here all pretend to be...what, woodland creatures? Royalty? Whatever the hell a "redcap" is?

Doesn't that sort of get in the way of say, professionalism in their admin duties?


Oh christ what are you, illiterate? they told you where the schtick comes from - at least, they gave anyone with the name "RPGPundit" enough information so that you should at least have some kind of clue as to what their posting schtick is based around. Look it the fuck up.

As to professionalism and other "admin duties" as you put it, what the fuck do you think they are doing? This is an internet messageboard where they moderate and fix problems. If they choose to do it while in character, and (see above where Eshu went out of character) only come out when it's needed in order to be informative or deal with problems, then thats their buisness. This is their site, and if they want to have fun with it, that's their buisness.

for your reference. anyone with a 150x150 avatar, and a special little thing under their name that says ***Grump*** or ***wilder*** is either an admin or a mod. oh and they all have changling names, but since you've already proved that you can't be bothred to notice things like that, it shouldn't make a difference to you.
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kryyst

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« Reply #23 on: March 22, 2006, 01:37:00 PM »
While I share your thoughts Aelfinn, I really don't think that was entirely necessary.
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Aelfinn

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« Reply #24 on: March 22, 2006, 01:39:09 PM »
Quote from: kryyst
While I share your thoughts Aelfinn, I really don't think that was entirely necessary.


Yeah you're probably right. the guy just managed to get under my skin in bad kind of way.
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Gunhilda

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« Reply #25 on: March 22, 2006, 03:31:08 PM »
Quote from: RPGPundit
Doesn't that sort of get in the way of say, professionalism in their admin duties?


We advise you to keep a civil tongue in your head AND DO NOT LECTURE THE MODERATORS OF THIS BOARD or we will leave a steaming hole where your account once was.
 

Gunhilda

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« Reply #26 on: March 22, 2006, 03:32:34 PM »
Quote from: kryyst
While I share your thoughts Aelfinn, I really don't think that was entirely necessary.


We are quite pleased with Aelfinn, actually.  This board needs to assert more that we are not ENWorld.
 

kryyst

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« Reply #27 on: March 22, 2006, 03:40:13 PM »
Quote from: Redcap
We are quite pleased with Aelfinn, actually.  This board needs to assert more that we are not ENWorld.


Well if that's the case it's GO TIME.

 But then again I also remembered the inital code of conduct that was loosely spelled out and didn't want to open up the door to utter newb bashing.  Which is cutting close to what Aelfinn said.  There is a way to call someone a fucking idiot and to tell them to pull their head out of their ass without actually having to say it bluntly - the first time.  The third or forth time it's needed then yeah it's time.
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Gunhilda

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« Reply #28 on: March 22, 2006, 03:47:25 PM »
Quote from: kryyst
But then again I also remembered the inital code of conduct that was loosely spelled out and didn't want to open up the door to utter newb bashing.


We understand your concern.  However, we would like it if more posters adopted a posting schtick.  This IS a roleplaying board, after all.  We do not like the idea that enjoying one of the facets of roleplaying is stupid or "unprofessional".  :rolleyes:
 

Thjalfi

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« Reply #29 on: March 22, 2006, 04:18:35 PM »
Quote from: kryyst
Well if that's the case it's GO TIME.

 But then again I also remembered the inital code of conduct that was loosely spelled out and didn't want to open up the door to utter newb bashing.  Which is cutting close to what Aelfinn said.  There is a way to call someone a fucking idiot and to tell them to pull their head out of their ass without actually having to say it bluntly - the first time.  The third or forth time it's needed then yeah it's time.


We feel that we very nicely gave him a heads-up. We also understand why the Elf got a bit angry there. We feel that the matter should be closed now, though. Perhaps it can become a fond story in some distant future...