I spend a great deal of time working on dice systems. I made a linkshell for it, converted the FATE tabletop system for use in-game (read: converted a 300-page document to something a sixth its size and added some notes on incorporating Jobs), and am tinkering with converting another system that will be more effective at using /random in-game to eliminate the need for an outside roller.
I'm basically fine with character sheets because I want the complexity and interesting results that come from more detailed RPG systems while also getting the better writing and prose styles of freeform players.
What I want from dice specifically are the same thing that OP has described - accurate assessments of character ability in resolving conflict. But what I also want is the capacity for dramatic upsets, which is where most people seem to stumble at the 'Why should a novice have a fair chance against an expert" conundrum. I agree they shouldn't have a fair chance, but if they don't have some chance at all of success, even as slim as 1%, then I don't see a point in rolling.
FATE did a decent job at this by relying on a swingy roll system and by including a metamechanic that allowed characters to be more effective at a roll if it was important to their personal story development or plot hooks or what-have-you. What I'm working on now includes flat bonuses for characters over a certain level of ability when competing against characters below that.
I'm also looking for mechanical means of resolving conflicts that lead to interesting decisions beyond "Roll, describe how the conflict ends.' That means thinking about levels of success and failure and restricting the ability of players to use the same ability indefinitely.Â
As far as making character sheets, I look for systems that allow for a lot of flexibility in defining what your character can do. This is partly because very few roleplayers adhere strictly to the Class/Job system in the game such that it could be converted to a class system, and partly because most players aren't making a character for the system but rather converting an already-existing character to it, and freeform characters have been, in my experience, pretty broad. Can't begin to recall the number of times I've walked players through the issue of "I can't seem to include all the stuff I think is important about this character on this sheet" when working with Fate-14.
The real problem with dice systems I've found are character advancement, especially when new players start using the system after many players have used it long-term. Many old dice guilds on AOL had the problem of a hierarchy forming from more "experienced" characters lording it over weaker ones, and so I try to avoid that when thinking about how to describe character advancement. So far, the ability to rewrite character stats at a slow pace over time has shown some success, but I think more can be done there.
Ultimately, I look for systems that marry the best traits of tabetop roleplay with the more freeform desires of the playerbase, balancing the desire for interesting mechanics with the interests of players who just want to get on with it already. There's an actual Final Fantasy RPG system or two floating around the internet, but I wouldn't think of using them online because they're both too rules-heavy.
I'm basically fine with character sheets because I want the complexity and interesting results that come from more detailed RPG systems while also getting the better writing and prose styles of freeform players.
What I want from dice specifically are the same thing that OP has described - accurate assessments of character ability in resolving conflict. But what I also want is the capacity for dramatic upsets, which is where most people seem to stumble at the 'Why should a novice have a fair chance against an expert" conundrum. I agree they shouldn't have a fair chance, but if they don't have some chance at all of success, even as slim as 1%, then I don't see a point in rolling.
FATE did a decent job at this by relying on a swingy roll system and by including a metamechanic that allowed characters to be more effective at a roll if it was important to their personal story development or plot hooks or what-have-you. What I'm working on now includes flat bonuses for characters over a certain level of ability when competing against characters below that.
I'm also looking for mechanical means of resolving conflicts that lead to interesting decisions beyond "Roll, describe how the conflict ends.' That means thinking about levels of success and failure and restricting the ability of players to use the same ability indefinitely.Â
As far as making character sheets, I look for systems that allow for a lot of flexibility in defining what your character can do. This is partly because very few roleplayers adhere strictly to the Class/Job system in the game such that it could be converted to a class system, and partly because most players aren't making a character for the system but rather converting an already-existing character to it, and freeform characters have been, in my experience, pretty broad. Can't begin to recall the number of times I've walked players through the issue of "I can't seem to include all the stuff I think is important about this character on this sheet" when working with Fate-14.
The real problem with dice systems I've found are character advancement, especially when new players start using the system after many players have used it long-term. Many old dice guilds on AOL had the problem of a hierarchy forming from more "experienced" characters lording it over weaker ones, and so I try to avoid that when thinking about how to describe character advancement. So far, the ability to rewrite character stats at a slow pace over time has shown some success, but I think more can be done there.
Ultimately, I look for systems that marry the best traits of tabetop roleplay with the more freeform desires of the playerbase, balancing the desire for interesting mechanics with the interests of players who just want to get on with it already. There's an actual Final Fantasy RPG system or two floating around the internet, but I wouldn't think of using them online because they're both too rules-heavy.
Verad Bellveil's Profile | The Case of the Ransacked Rug | Verad's Fate Sheet
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine
Current Fate-14 Storyline:Â Merchant, Marine
