Who is excited about the Marvel Multiverse D616 system so far? The game is weak on mechanics, and a chore using the charts. 3s and 4s have an equal chance of being rolled. Rolling three 6s is mundane apparently.
Im following this with interest because of the comics, i dont have the preview book. So far we only have the playtest, maybe they will improve on the bad parts. Its ''medium crunch'' and im ok with that.
I haven't seen the game in the wild yet. Do you own it or are you going off of videos?
I got the play test book.
There are some aspects of its game design that's interesting and some that's Huh.
The basic system of it being called the d616 system is it uses 3d6 and one die has to be a different color, which is called the Marvel die. Anytime you roll to do an action you roll the 3 dice and add them together. But... If the Marvel Die rolls a 1, it's a fantastic roll. It counts as a 6, unless the other two dice are also 1's... Then it's a 1. If you roll 6's on the two dice and a 1 on the Marvel die, that's a 616 result. Super ultra success, auto success. Total counts as a 18.
The game also uses Edge and Trouble, which is kind of similarish to Advantage and Disadvantage in D&D 5e.
Characters have a Rank, which range from 1 to 25. Rank determines just about everything in this game. Gives you how many Ability Score points you get to spend, Number of bonus Traits you get not part of your Backstory choices (Origin and Profession), Number of Powers and Power-Sets you can pick from, your Archetype modifiers that you apply to your Attack Mods, Defense Scores, and your Damage Scores.
Powers are categorized into two kinds... Powers from Power-Sets and Utility Powers. Power Sets are groupings of very specific powers that fit the theme of the Power Set. In the playtest book there are 12 Power Sets...
Battlesuit, Blades, Cybernetics, Firearms, Energy Control, Martial Arts, Plasticity, Shield Bearer, Spider-Powers, Super-Strength, Tactical Mastery, and Weather Control.
So, the Battlesuit Set has Powers like...
Anti-Dazzle Optics, Armor (Rank 1 to 4), Effect Resistance, Lock-On, Mighty (Rank 1 to 4), Titanic Frame, and so on.
Utility Powers are those Powers that are just a Power that are very universal, like Flight and Wisecracker. Powers that don't fit into a Power Set.
This isn't a true points but game. You only ever get points when buying Ability Scores. Your Archetype, of which there are 6 and come off like classes, gives you all the numbers you need to apply to your character and despite all the tables, making a character doesn't seem that complicated.
Writing is wokist if you are of the mindset that the use of the gender neutral they and their is woke. This book is fully written in this style. The $9 I spent on this book might be all I ever spend on it for that reason alone. If that doesn't bother you, there is probably a solid game here.
Quote from: RebelSky on April 22, 2022, 03:11:51 AM
The basic system of it being called the d616 system is it uses 3d6 and one die has to be a different color, which is called the Marvel die. Anytime you roll to do an action you roll the 3 dice and add them together. But... If the Marvel Die rolls a 1, it's a fantastic roll. It counts as a 6, unless the other two dice are also 1's... Then it's a 1. If you roll 6's on the two dice and a 1 on the Marvel die, that's a 616 result. Super ultra success, auto success. Total counts as a 18.
Just seems odd that rolling a 1 6 6 is the same as rolling a 6 6 6. More chance of rolling an 18, I guess.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll on April 22, 2022, 03:31:11 AM
Quote from: RebelSky on April 22, 2022, 03:11:51 AM
The basic system of it being called the d616 system is it uses 3d6 and one die has to be a different color, which is called the Marvel die. Anytime you roll to do an action you roll the 3 dice and add them together. But... If the Marvel Die rolls a 1, it's a fantastic roll. It counts as a 6, unless the other two dice are also 1's... Then it's a 1. If you roll 6's on the two dice and a 1 on the Marvel die, that's a 616 result. Super ultra success, auto success. Total counts as a 18.
Just seems odd that rolling a 1 6 6 is the same as rolling a 6 6 6. More chance of rolling an 18, I guess.
Just part of the gimmick. Just like the six Ability Scores spell MARVEL...
Might
Agility
Resilience
Vigilance
Ego
Logic
I'm not gonna get it any time soon, but based on stuff I've read elsewhere, it may have some interesting bits. So I might check it out at some point.
Total Party Skills has been talking about it. At least the book isn't woke. But we both agree the game will fail if Marvel stays on its course.
I saw his video. He's right in asking who this game is for and why the book exists in the first place. The book has a long list of playtesters who have already been playtesting it for who knows how long.
I say the book is partially woke. It has a whole page on "Playing It Safe" plus the constant use of gender neutral language. A playtest book should not have a page about Playing It Safe. It's a playtest... All that should be in the book is what's absolutely needed to playtest. Not be preachy.
Quote from: RebelSky on April 22, 2022, 02:17:22 PM
I saw his video. He's right in asking who this game is for and why the book exists in the first place. The book has a long list of playtesters who have already been playtesting it for who knows how long.
I say the book is partially woke. It has a whole page on "Playing It Safe" plus the constant use of gender neutral language. A playtest book should not have a page about Playing It Safe. It's a playtest... All that should be in the book is what's absolutely needed to playtest. Not be preachy.
Kind of the point of the book is that it's completed. Nothing really for playtest. This is a sample from the bigger core book is all. A lot of the playtesters listed in the book were basically graphics people converting the Marvel Handbook pages from the '80s to Marvel Multiverse pages. Nothing else.
I'd go with your partially woke claim. There is a reference to 14-year-old black girl that is over-geniused compared to Tony Stark probably. But we'll see if they add 57 genders to the book later.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll on April 22, 2022, 03:11:49 PM
Quote from: RebelSky on April 22, 2022, 02:17:22 PM
I saw his video. He's right in asking who this game is for and why the book exists in the first place. The book has a long list of playtesters who have already been playtesting it for who knows how long.
I say the book is partially woke. It has a whole page on "Playing It Safe" plus the constant use of gender neutral language. A playtest book should not have a page about Playing It Safe. It's a playtest... All that should be in the book is what's absolutely needed to playtest. Not be preachy.
Kind of the point of the book is that it's completed. Nothing really for playtest. This is a sample from the bigger core book is all. A lot of the playtesters listed in the book were basically graphics people converting the Marvel Handbook pages from the '80s to Marvel Multiverse pages. Nothing else.
I'd go with your partially woke claim. We'll see if they add 57 genders to the book later.
Pay to playtest a beta that's already 90% complete...
The ghosts of FFG are back.
It would be wishful thinking then to assume that any problems found now will actually get addressed before the final product comes out. That irritates the hell out of me (conversely, neutral pronouns and a now-standard safety bit don't bother me).
Quote from: HappyDaze on April 22, 2022, 03:19:56 PM
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll on April 22, 2022, 03:11:49 PM
Quote from: RebelSky on April 22, 2022, 02:17:22 PM
I saw his video. He's right in asking who this game is for and why the book exists in the first place. The book has a long list of playtesters who have already been playtesting it for who knows how long.
I say the book is partially woke. It has a whole page on "Playing It Safe" plus the constant use of gender neutral language. A playtest book should not have a page about Playing It Safe. It's a playtest... All that should be in the book is what's absolutely needed to playtest. Not be preachy.
Kind of the point of the book is that it's completed. Nothing really for playtest. This is a sample from the bigger core book is all. A lot of the playtesters listed in the book were basically graphics people converting the Marvel Handbook pages from the '80s to Marvel Multiverse pages. Nothing else.
I'd go with your partially woke claim. We'll see if they add 57 genders to the book later.
Pay to playtest a beta that's already 90% complete...
The ghosts of FFG are back.
It would be wishful thinking then to assume that any problems found now will actually get addressed before the final product comes out. That irritates the hell out of me (conversely, neutral pronouns and a now-standard safety bit don't bother me).
FFG did make changes during the Beta phase of the games however, and did call them Beta's and not playtest. This MU RPG book is a Beta. It's not a playtest. I think Paizo also called it's preview books Beta books as well.
The D616 system sounds moronic. Sacrificing runability for a gimmick because '616 is main universe lol!'
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee on April 22, 2022, 04:26:59 PM
The D616 system sounds moronic. Sacrificing runability for a gimmick because '616 is main universe lol!'
I never knew that 616 was a marvel universe until this game was released. Is it an issue #616 thing? I've only known Marvel Universe and MCU terms. Lawyers use terms like SONY's, Disney's, and FOX's Universes.
Marvel exists in a multiverse so you can have all of these alternate-worlds versions of heroes, like Miles Morales as Spider Man instead of Peter Parker, etc.
Universe 616 is the "main" Marvel universe. It doesn't technically have anything to do with MCU, although I'm sure someone somewhere has identified MCU as being some universe#.
Quote from: Zelen on April 22, 2022, 08:39:48 PM
Marvel exists in a multiverse so you can have all of these alternate-worlds versions of heroes, like Miles Morales as Spider Man instead of Peter Parker, etc.
Universe 616 is the "main" Marvel universe. It doesn't technically have anything to do with MCU, although I'm sure someone somewhere has identified MCU as being some universe#.
The MCU is identified as universe 444 with the SHIFT key held down.
Quote from: Zelen on April 22, 2022, 08:39:48 PM
Marvel exists in a multiverse so you can have all of these alternate-worlds versions of heroes, like Miles Morales as Spider Man instead of Peter Parker, etc.
Universe 616 is the "main" Marvel universe. It doesn't technically have anything to do with MCU, although I'm sure someone somewhere has identified MCU as being some universe#.
We need a Crisis on 616 Earths.
More seriously, I think the multiverse works for one-shots, because it allows everyone to bring in their favorite versions of whatever. But there's a reason why DC and Marvel stepped back from all the alternate versions of everything. You lose continuity and even causality, which makes it hard to invest in any of the stories.
And I'm a huge fan of Elseworlds and What If?
Quote from: Pat on April 23, 2022, 01:31:36 PMWe need a Crisis on 616 Earths.
Did you want it with Captain America and Iron Man agonizingly beating each other to death, blaming each other for the end of the world as two earths go to war fruitlessly? And somehow not being able to resolve the issue while having the Infinity Gauntlet?
Because they did it, and boy did it blow. When not being woke and twee, marvel falls into gruesomly nihilistically dark.
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee on April 23, 2022, 04:03:46 PM
Quote from: Pat on April 23, 2022, 01:31:36 PMWe need a Crisis on 616 Earths.
Did you want it with Captain America and Iron Man agonizingly beating each other to death, blaming each other for the end of the world as two earths go to war fruitlessly? And somehow not being able to resolve the issue while having the Infinity Gauntlet?
Because they did it, and boy did it blow. When not being woke and twee, marvel falls into gruesomly nihilistically dark.
Yes, I want that. That's exactly what I want. You're absolutely correct, and that's not at all some weird rant-projection.
(Backs away.)
The Crisis on Infinite Earths was about paring back the insane profusion of alternate earths in early 1980s DC. I don't see how it has anything to do with Civil War, or Endgame, or whatever you're trying to reference.
Sounds a bit naff...
Not sure why I'd use it, when I could just keep on using the better (from what I've seen so far) FASERIP or G-Gore system.
Quote from: Zelen on April 22, 2022, 08:39:48 PM
Marvel exists in a multiverse so you can have all of these alternate-worlds versions of heroes, like Miles Morales as Spider Man instead of Peter Parker, etc.
Universe 616 is the "main" Marvel universe. It doesn't technically have anything to do with MCU, although I'm sure someone somewhere has identified MCU as being some universe#.
I thimk MCU is 1606, but im not sure.
Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on April 23, 2022, 06:22:22 PM
Sounds a bit naff...
Not sure why I'd use it, when I could just keep on using the better (from what I've seen so far) FASERIP or G-Gore system.
The "not sure why I'd use it when I could just..." argument can be applied to > 99% of games, but there is almost always something of value to be found in any game (new or old).
Quote from: HappyDaze on April 24, 2022, 09:24:37 AM
but there is almost always something of value to be found in any game (new or old).
Perhaps... But that bit of value probably won't outweigh the already tried and tested FASERIP system.
But YMMV.
I liked the old Marvel FASERIP RPG.
Quote from: HappyDaze on April 24, 2022, 09:24:37 AM
The "not sure why I'd use it when I could just..." argument can be applied to > 99% of games, but there is almost always something of value to be found in any game (new or old).
Moral relativism.
Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on April 24, 2022, 11:24:39 AM
Quote from: HappyDaze on April 24, 2022, 09:24:37 AM
but there is almost always something of value to be found in any game (new or old).
Perhaps... But that bit of value probably won't outweigh the already tried and tested FASERIP system.
But YMMV.
Probably not...but it might. If you have the $ to gamble on it, why not give it a try? I've done this with a great many games. Only a few are things I really end up liking, but that's no different from television shows, novels, movies, video games, and board games. Thankfully I have the disposable income to sample whatever I want (short of Games Workshop miniature games).
I'll say it again...
Supers is super-niche in TTRPG's. Most TTRPG players *are not* comic-collectors. Today most people's assumptions about comics comes from movies, not the actual comics themselves.
This game is doomed - they will *never* grow the gamer-base for Supers play beyond what already exists. Those tribes are long established: MSH, DC Heroes, Champions/Hero, M&M and all the lesser known systems/derivatives of those systems, are well ensconced and well supported internally.
This new Marvel game is competing against all of them. There is *zero* chance Marvel Comics, which can't even properly support their own IP in comics is going to support a TTRPG which isn't even in their wheelhouse. And even if they did, they will give the veneer of a nod to the classics, but then pivot towards modern Marvel (like they're doing in the MCU) at which point, it'll crash regardless.
This game will be DOA.