You know, Pundit's latest Riveting Recyclo-Rant (tm) reminded me that back in the day (when the same old argument spilled all over the site) we never learned exactly what kind of a situation couldn't supposedly be resolved in Nobilis as written without resorting to extensive houserules. So, expanding on that a little and taking genre into account, what would it take to break the system in Your (Least) Favourite Game?

I really don't have least favorite games ... at least not ones that I know well enough to find a system-breaking exception for.  Can I do system-breaking stuff in my most favorite games instead?  I imagine they'll be somebody's least favorites

1) Well, for the longest time, trying to determine the number of attacks a character had was a big question in Palladium.

2) When playing a Glitter Boy, does it take an action to sink the pylons?  I asked this of the rules FAQ some years back and was literally told.  "Yes it does" as well as "No it doesn't" in the same response.

3) What do skills default to?  Since there is no unified mechanic in the game, it's not clear what you do when something happens like a character without Pilot Automobile tries to drive a car.  The official FAQ (and I think it's printed in one of the rulebooks somewhere) says that a skill can default to a related attribute.  However, it doesn't even attempt to give any guideline about what would be a related attribute to a skill.

4) Does a "power attack" take two action phases to perform?  Does it take two action phases but go off immediately?  Or does it just go off immediately and reduce your total number of attacks for the round?

5) Do Boxing and Athletics and other physical skills count toward Mecha Combat bonuses?  For a long time I said no.  This was because the wording of the rule for determining bonuses in a mecha stated quite clearly "Hand to Hand Combat Skill and Mecha Combat skill EXCLUSIVELY" determine bonuses in a mecha.  So, I took that as meaning that unless something was explicitly clear as adding into the mecha bonuses, then it didn't.

Of course now, not only are the "two attacks for living" part of the Hand to Hand Combat skill, but it's been more or less explicitly answered that all physical skills add into mecha combat bonuses.

Quote from: TonyLBCan I do system-breaking stuff in my most favorite games instead?  I imagine they'll be somebody's least favorites

Sure. And as for Nobilis, it's hardly surprising that the rules have the least support for determining what happens if there's ever a conflict between ordinary people, without any supernatural powers whatsoever taking an interest in the matter. Since lowly mortals are never statted out, the outcome then boils down to a straight GM call, based on the probable competence of the characters in whatever abilities the situation involves, with the lowest levels of Aspect as guidelines.

Granted, such conflicts aren't the focus of the game, or even significant compared to what the PCs and their peers are up to, but that's the one somewhat nebulous bit in the ruleset.

Capes will firmly refuse to represent a super-powered character (hero or villain) who doesn't have anything to prove.  Some of the '90s super-villains (I'm thinking Apocalypse here, though eventually his agenda did become clear enough that people could meaningfully attack his ideals) just flat out can not work in the system.  And this in a system that's supposed to represent comic books!

Primetime Adventures will let you get away with almost any story stakes, as long as you define it as the losing condition for your character.  Instead of saying "If I win then Vanessa falls in love with my character, Cody," you say "If I win then I drive Vanessa away for her own good, but if I lose then she falls in love with Cody," and then you deliberately take a dive, playing very few of your resources.  You get the outcome you wanted in the first place, and you husband your resources at the same time.  The only problem is that people throw popcorn at your head and yell "Dude!  What they fuck is wrong with you?"  But such is the curse of the rules-lawyer in any system

GURPS + chases = :bawling:

Quote from: TonyLBPrimetime Adventures will let you get away with almost any story stakes, as long as you define it as the losing condition for your character.  Instead of saying "If I win then Vanessa falls in love with my character, Cody," you say "If I win then I drive Vanessa away for her own good, but if I lose then she falls in love with Cody," and then you deliberately take a dive, playing very few of your resources.  You get the outcome you wanted in the first place, and you husband your resources at the same time.  The only problem is that people throw popcorn at your head and yell "Dude!  What they fuck is wrong with you?"

The Answer™.