Journal: My creating an RPG

[Thrawn4]

The main purpose of this thread is not to ramble on about my setting and its mechanics, but rather about the thought process behind creating setting and mechanics in general. (This ties in with roleplaying habits in general, which is why I post it here rather than in homebrew.)
I have been doing so for a veery long time and would like to share my thoughts. Feel free to add yours

There are many ways to start this, but I would like with the most recent developments.
If you are interested in other aspects (like where to start, implementation of skills, naming things, atmosphere etc.) go ahead.

So, currently I am juggling between a rules-medium and a rules-light system. Originally I envisioned the former one (slightly gritty standard fantasy with different races, point-buy to allow customization with 5 attributes and around 12 skills, advantages and drawbacks optional, equipment matters slightly... similar to OWoD but with slightly more focus on equipment). This one is finished and I dare say it is rather elegant while not being to complex IMHO.

The most annoying aspect which hold me up was equipment costs. On the one hand, a two-handed sword is more expensive than a spear as it requires more expensive material and more specialized craftsmanship, but I also wanted other weapons to be a valid option as well. The way to go (I thought) was to add durabilty, but the entailing bookkeeping was not to my liking. This thought process stalled me for a few weeks.

And then I had a change of heart and created a rules-light system. Basically, you have two attributes: Profession and Everything Else (names are work in progress). Simple idea: You want to play a knight? All the knightly thinks are part of your profession, everthing else... you get the idea. (Yes, I know at least one system has a similar approach, don't remember the name).
One of the benefits is that character creation is much quicker (3 minutes in contrast to 20 minutes), but it is also more beginner friendly.

I also decided to scrab the equipment costs, because while I sometimes enjoy a nice equipment list and the difficult question what to buy, I feel that it is worthwhile to skip the bookkeeping in favour of atmosphere and simplicity. So even in the rules-medium system I am going to give every character a starting kit and go on.

Which leads us to the main reason I am currently in favour of simplicity. When I started roleplaying, I could spend weeks browsing 600 pages of rules again and again and enjoy it. Nowadays I just lack the time and sometimes the motivation, and new players are often confused by the sheer amount of rules (cannot blame them). So a simpler system is currently the way to go for me, although the more complex system is not inferior.

[meehan8381]

thanks top