elegant gaming

[Skara Brae]

Much like scientists find beauty or a kernel of some larger truth in their observations and theories, I find myself more keenly appreciating a well-turned rule or GMing technique as the years go on.  While a Grand Unified Rule of Gaming Perfection is as elusive as a GUT, I still admire the simplicity or elegance of some gaming elements.

For instance, I fell in love with Fudge's Four by Five magic system as soon as I saw it.  It just seems like a simple, compact way to recreate just about any spell.  Fudge itself can offer a lot of simplicity that is elegant instead of just dumbed down.  I really liked Castles & Crusades' way of handling class attributes as well (with attribute checks, basically, for anyone who may not know).  I'm also enamored of Microlite 20 and am trying to plan a good one shot for it.  And while I've only looked at Weapons of the Gods' free downloads, the dice resolution mechanic immediately intrigued me.

But there are also concepts or ideas pertaining to gaming -- especially GM prepwork -- that I love.  Errant Dreams' Instant Plot Hooks is one such gem: tiny, portable, and oh so delicious.  Five room dungeons are another tool I like.  Turning more toward the player's side of things, I found the best response I got re: character background stories was when I handed out a simple, half page handout that asked:
1. At least one personality trait your character has
2. At least one thing that motivates them.
3. Two NPCs: one you admire, trust, look up to, or have an otherwise positive relationship with, and another that you despise.
4. List the two most important events in your character's life.
5. List at least one goal your character has.

It was short, but I got so much workable plot material, and a better handle on what the players wanted out of the game.  It took all of five minutes, maybe, to fill out, and they all seemed to know and play their characters a bit more fully after that.

So, what RPG systems, portions thereof, resolution systems, concepts, or other gaming aids do you find to be particularly elegant and workable?  Why?

[PhaedrusXY]

It's been a while since I looked at it, but I really liked the Mutants and Masterminds system, especially how character creation is done. You could basically make anything using that system; it is nearly classless. It also seemed fairly well balanced at a glance.

[Squirrelloid]

I read the Capes 'lite' rules and was overwhelmed by their elegance.  Of course, I haven't actually managed to convince my rpg group to *try* it.

[DavidWL]

Card Resolution from Everway using a tarot like deck - I like it because it gives color to resolutions, and suggested not just win or lose, but how we won, lost, or tied.

Creating stories based on "moral issue" / "cool changes to society (shocks)" / "methods through which we resolve problems (example: guns / martial arts or violence /diplomacy).  From Shock:.  - I like it because it helps create very cool and relevant settings that really explore bigger issues.

Magic systems that give you an open-ended ability to do anything within a certain scope - example: Nobilis and it's treatment of Aspect or Domain.  Other systems come to mind as well, but Nobilis is the first that treats everything a normal person can do that way.

Nobilis, and it's treatment of the mythic.  You really _can_ jump over the moon, or blow over an army.

Unknown Armies and the abilities of the avatars / godwalkers - they are just plain cool, and often useful.

The atmosphere of the books: Weapons of the Gods, Unknown Armies, Nobilis - they all are very clearly suggestive of particular kind of setting that is beyond the normal.  Either in mythic kung-fu, weird and dark reality, or in mind-numbingly mythic alternate worlds.  Settings that inspire.

http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/magic/antiscience.html - a very interesting take on magic and how it _should_ (not) work

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/rwb/www/gaming/everweb/focus.html - while originally meant for everway, it could be adapted.  What if, in DND, each character had to write about what kind of strength they had?  And this text would have a reasonable mechanic effect?  A similar idea was found in Theatrix.

A few thoughts, I can talk about any of them in specific if desired - just ask. 

Best,
David

[PhaedrusXY]

I noticed that the last link is to a website hosted at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Did you create that yourself? Did you go to school there? I went to grad school there and used to game with some people there.

[DavidWL]

Hi PhaedrusXY,

No, I didn't go to school there - just one of the better links I've collected.  That said, it sometimes is a remarkably small world, and certainly there have been local people on the board near where I've lived!

Best,
David

[Guns]

It's been a while since I looked at it, but I really liked the Mutants and Masterminds system, especially how character creation is done. You could basically make anything using that system; it is nearly classless. It also seemed fairly well balanced at a glance.

I absolutely adore M&M. You can create *any* type of character, and most of all, you can do it with 2 books (in 2nd edition at least): the core book and the Ultimate Power book (basically a huge expansion/errata on the Powers section of the core book). The only problem with it is that the players require more imagination than in, say, D&D. Shooting laserbeams out of your eyes? That would be a Blast power (or even more generic: a Ranged Damage effect). Shooting lightning out of your fingers? Blast. Shooting lightning out of the sky? Indirect Blast with the Perception range extra. Your hero has an infinite supply of 'nades to toss around? Blast with the area extra. Rambo with a minigun? Blast with Autofire. Etc etc etc. No matter which concept you have, your character sheet will always look very generic. In addition, while it is very much possible to make elegantly simple characters with a bit of understanding of the rules, it can also be possible to make horrendous abominations of powers because you didn't think of that one thing that wraps it up elegantly.

For example, on the Atomic Think Tank boards, Cyclops was a minor proble for a time, what with the visor and all. Untill somebody gave his Blast (lasereyes) the Uncontrolled flaw (flaws cut down the cost of a power), and then bought back the flaw with the visor Device. Very elegant solution, and perfectly represents Cyclops. Another example: I once tried to make a character who had (among others) the ability to slip out of any lock, bond or grapple automagically. I was screwing around with Insubstantiality limited to bondings and such, some sort of automatic Telekinesis to release the bonds or somesuch, until I finally figured out that the best way to go about it was just giving him Immunity: bonds and grapples.

So while the rules are actually very simple, very open, and very GM-centered (preventing abuse, which is dead easy and also dead easy to spot), the actual application of those rules isn't always straight forward. Still, I love the system much much more than D&D 3.5, and if only my players would have some more imagination I'd be creating adventures for M&M instead of for D&D

[Josh]

The problem with M&M is that all the creativity happens at design.  You have to come up with all of your cool stuff before you play, and then you don't get to add to that.  

Compare the game to Marvel Super Heroes.  In Marvel you get a power like Fire Generation and then you can use power stunts to do cool things with that power in play, like make fire shields.  Furthermore you can come up with clever things on the fly.  Like using fire to turn water to steam to create an obscuring cloud.  

Now I like MandM, I think it is the best superhero RPG out there.  It just has a long way to go.  

[Guns]

Hmmm. AFAIK (and I do know, actually ), M&M also has things like Power Stunts and Extra Effort. You could (theoretically), Power Stunt your Fire Attack into a one-use AP (alternate power) that is a general area damage effect that requires water to work. Would need some figuring out, but it could be done.

However, the problems with M&M start when you (or more specifically/importantly: the GM) assume(s) that you need to plan everything in advance, that you need to Power Stunt everything that does not fit exactly in with what you can do on paper. If I were a GM and a player toldme: "I use my Fire Breath on that pool to create a steam attack." I would designate a reasonable affected area, pick some damage (lower than his original power) and have affected creatures roll a reflex save. There, done, and it would probably about the same effect as if he had power stunted it, only he really didn't have to because the effect isn't really all that powerful.

The M&M system is basically as lenient as the GM. The system of GM Fiat vs. Hero Points makes this easier as well. Suppose your at the climactic final battle of your adventure. The first attack of the players is a very good roll and you roll a 1 on Evil Dude's save. In, say, D&D, there's two options: or the combat is now basically over and your climactic battle was very anti-climactic, or you lie about your roll and if your pokerface isn't good enough an attentive player will feel cheated. In M&M, you just GM Fiat a reroll and give the attacking player a Hero Point, which he could use himself for a reroll, negating fatigue from power stunting/extra effort, take an extra action etc. Very powerful stuff, and the player won't feel as cheated because at least his good opening move gained him a noticable edge over his foe, whom he can now continue to pummel into oblivion in much more climactic fashion.

[Josh]

Hmmm. AFAIK (and I do know, actually ), M&M also has things like Power Stunts and Extra Effort. You could (theoretically), Power Stunt your Fire Attack into a one-use AP (alternate power) that is a general area damage effect that requires water to work. Would need some figuring out, but it could be done.

The M&M system is basically as lenient as the GM. The system of GM Fiat vs. Hero Points makes this easier as well. Suppose your at the climactic final battle of your adventure. The first attack of the players is a very good roll and you roll a 1 on Evil Dude's save. In, say, D&D, there's two options: or the combat is now basically over and your climactic battle was very anti-climactic, or you lie about your roll and if your pokerface isn't good enough an attentive player will feel cheated. In M&M, you just GM Fiat a reroll and give the attacking player a Hero Point, which he could use himself for a reroll, negating fatigue from power stunting/extra effort, take an extra action etc. Very powerful stuff, and the player won't feel as cheated because at least his good opening move gained him a noticable edge over his foe, whom he can now continue to pummel into oblivion in much more climactic fashion.

Screwing the players is still screwing the players. 

Re-rolling the 1 reduces drama because the PCs know they cannot get lucky and kill the bad guy.

Personally some of the best climaxes I have see involved the players demolishing the bad guys and some of the worst have involved dragged out fights.

Don't forget, I like M&M.  I just know where it's warts are.  Marvel has its own issues and given a choice I would play M&M.  Given more of a choice I would re work M&M with power stunts like marvel.

[ronyon]

I bought M+ M, mostly because it was a working superhero game, that my local crew would play.
First edition had two flaws-Armor was the defense, and the true bones of system where buried under crap, and revealed on only one page.Dont know if this stuff was fixed, but these problems scuttled interest amongst my dudes.

 The problems that MEG describes are inherit to a point bound system. See HERO system for the exact same problems.
Never played the Marvel game, but I heard many mouthings about brokenness and a lack of balance.
Bottom line for me is this: I want concrete balanced rules to start out with, or as closes as I can come to it.

 Sure, that can mean hampered play, but a mature group can easily overcome this. Its easier to break rules we dont like, than it is to make rules you do like.
Elegant play can mean starting with a good rules set, paring away the the parts that impede your play, adding parts  that you see as missing.
Customize.