xBlackWolfx
2016-02-02, 05:43 PM
I've recently been looking at dead simple rpg, a very minimalistic D&D-esque system (well, the system doesn't bear much resemblence to D&D outside of its race and class options). I decided to make my own game based off of this, with the simple mechanics but a lot wider race selection and I wanted the system to be classless.
However, 12 races later and a handful of abilities, I'm thinking that the game may be getting a bit much. The races themselves are about as minimalistic as you can get. There's nothing to them but stats, and two paragraphs of information, one explaining the race's appearance and the other its culture. And besides that, the number of abilities I would need to make for a classless system honestly is kinda daunting.
I feel like my system is getting to be too much, but at the same time I feel the dead simple rpg is lacking in depth. Some people actually claim its more of a wargame than an rpg in how minimalistic everything is (even microlite 20 looks complicated in comparison, at least their rules required more than a page to explain).
I'm thinking about ditching the classless thing and just going for a system with highly simplified classes, so that I can easily generate more if I want. Essentially, each class would start with 2 abilities that improve as they level up. They can aquire a few more as they level (such as the ability to resurrect other characters), and there's also some multiclassing options (mostly just taking a 'feat' that is a weaker imitation of an ability from another class), and maybe they can take one 'feat' to make their character a bit more distinct, but even then at max level characters won't really be that complicated, with only really 3 maybe 4 different special actions they can do. For example, a necromancer character can raise the dead to fight for him and inflict diseases on others (which are primarily a de-buff). At first, minions they raise will be weaker than they were in life, and even then they only raise less things. As they level however their undead will become stronger, eventually even being better than they were in life, and they'll be able to raise more things, possibly up to things as big as dragons. Note that they can have more than one undead at a time. Their diseases will also become stronger as they level. Eventually they'll gain the ability to resurrect characters (including themselves). Eventually, you progress to becoming an immortal lich. Of course, once you get there all you'll be able to do is summon hordes of undead and make everyone really sick, and of course cast a resurrect spell which honestly is pretty crappy as far as res spells go (other classes have better versions with less penalties).
Anyway, that gives you an idea of how characters will work. They'll always remain simple, they'll just become stronger over time. I feel like though that there isn't much for progression with characters. Yeah, characters will have attributes and a small list of skills (maybe) to choose from, and they can dabble in other magical disciplines if they want, but outside of that you really have no control over the progression of your character. And like I said, he/she will always be dead simple.
And having classes be so limited in scope causes problems. How do you do other magic classes which may have a wider variety of spells available to them? Right now all I've managed to think of are summoners who can conjure a single powerful minion and some gear their summon or other characters can use (they're obviously inspired by magicians in everquest, note that I've never actually played that game, I've just been reading a lot about it). And warlocks can also summon powerful minions, but they actually have direct damage spells too. Yeah, okay there's some variety in what they can summon (thinking of making it so the player can essentially custom-make their own summon, with their rank in summoning determining the pool of points they can draw from to make this thing), but in the end you'll only ever have 2-4 spells. What if I want to create more of a traditional wizard who actually has a wider variety of effects to choose from?
And is this enough really? How much is too little, and how much is too much? I honestly don't know.
However, 12 races later and a handful of abilities, I'm thinking that the game may be getting a bit much. The races themselves are about as minimalistic as you can get. There's nothing to them but stats, and two paragraphs of information, one explaining the race's appearance and the other its culture. And besides that, the number of abilities I would need to make for a classless system honestly is kinda daunting.
I feel like my system is getting to be too much, but at the same time I feel the dead simple rpg is lacking in depth. Some people actually claim its more of a wargame than an rpg in how minimalistic everything is (even microlite 20 looks complicated in comparison, at least their rules required more than a page to explain).
I'm thinking about ditching the classless thing and just going for a system with highly simplified classes, so that I can easily generate more if I want. Essentially, each class would start with 2 abilities that improve as they level up. They can aquire a few more as they level (such as the ability to resurrect other characters), and there's also some multiclassing options (mostly just taking a 'feat' that is a weaker imitation of an ability from another class), and maybe they can take one 'feat' to make their character a bit more distinct, but even then at max level characters won't really be that complicated, with only really 3 maybe 4 different special actions they can do. For example, a necromancer character can raise the dead to fight for him and inflict diseases on others (which are primarily a de-buff). At first, minions they raise will be weaker than they were in life, and even then they only raise less things. As they level however their undead will become stronger, eventually even being better than they were in life, and they'll be able to raise more things, possibly up to things as big as dragons. Note that they can have more than one undead at a time. Their diseases will also become stronger as they level. Eventually they'll gain the ability to resurrect characters (including themselves). Eventually, you progress to becoming an immortal lich. Of course, once you get there all you'll be able to do is summon hordes of undead and make everyone really sick, and of course cast a resurrect spell which honestly is pretty crappy as far as res spells go (other classes have better versions with less penalties).
Anyway, that gives you an idea of how characters will work. They'll always remain simple, they'll just become stronger over time. I feel like though that there isn't much for progression with characters. Yeah, characters will have attributes and a small list of skills (maybe) to choose from, and they can dabble in other magical disciplines if they want, but outside of that you really have no control over the progression of your character. And like I said, he/she will always be dead simple.
And having classes be so limited in scope causes problems. How do you do other magic classes which may have a wider variety of spells available to them? Right now all I've managed to think of are summoners who can conjure a single powerful minion and some gear their summon or other characters can use (they're obviously inspired by magicians in everquest, note that I've never actually played that game, I've just been reading a lot about it). And warlocks can also summon powerful minions, but they actually have direct damage spells too. Yeah, okay there's some variety in what they can summon (thinking of making it so the player can essentially custom-make their own summon, with their rank in summoning determining the pool of points they can draw from to make this thing), but in the end you'll only ever have 2-4 spells. What if I want to create more of a traditional wizard who actually has a wider variety of effects to choose from?
And is this enough really? How much is too little, and how much is too much? I honestly don't know.