[nWoD] Defense

[jaybird]

In the God-Machine "update", Defense is now (lowest of Dex or Wits) + Athletics, making the chances of hitting someone in melee considerably lower. What are the board's thoughts on this?

[hiryuu]

In the God-Machine "update", Defense is now (lowest of Dex or Wits) + Athletics, making the chances of hitting someone in melee considerably lower. What are the board's thoughts on this?

I suppose that makes sense now with armor subtracting directly from damage. Need to get more Defense somehow.

[Friv]

There was quite a long argument about this in the main Old World of Darkness thread. It went back and forth between "new Defense is way too high, it makes combat into horribly uncertain rocket tag" and "new Defense is perfect, it makes combat focus on manipulating the environment instead of just punching people to death".

Last I checked, there was a plan to run a PBP game to see how the rules worked out in-play. Don't know if they actually started it.

[SiuiS]

In the God-Machine "update", Defense is now (lowest of Dex or Wits) + Athletics, making the chances of hitting someone in melee considerably lower. What are the board's thoughts on this?

Probably best for the general world of darkness thread; it's what it's there for, after all~!


There was quite a long argument about this in the main Old World of Darkness thread. It went back and forth between "new Defense is way too high, it makes combat into horribly uncertain rocket tag" and "new Defense is perfect, it makes combat focus on manipulating the environment instead of just punching people to death".

Last I checked, there was a plan to run a PBP game to see how the rules worked out in-play. Don't know if they actually started it.

Yes. It comes from expectations, I think. Those who have talked with designers directly, think its great. Those who only read the rules think it is a problem. It's up in the air now, but we are starting a playtest for it, yes.

So far, the first thing we have discovered is that I'd you pitch a game as occult CSI, everyone will pick the psychic merits. Well, not everyone, but close.



The real issue is how combat heavy and crunchy you want your WoD games to be. That dissatisfaction, that idea that combat is swift and it's really easy to avoid getting hit but also really easy to die? The idea that fighting is stupid? That's intentional. It's what the game writers want you to feel. Whether that's good or not is a different question entirely.