Rulebooks?

[Deck]

Guys, I've been wondering. Do you think we should pick up some sort of official rulebook for our games? We've been using the simplified system for a long time, but I think an official system, though complex, could really add spice and creativity to what we do. Not necessarily for Fybertech games, but whatever we fancy even with new made up characters and worlds. (Classic Fantasy and Sci-Fi, etc.)

Do you think it would be too complex for us to learn? I know we don't do many games as it is but I think if we had an official rulebook system it could give us the extra 'umph' we need to become more interested in the pastime. I've skimmed some different rulebooks over a long time and from what I have seen, the mechanics would add situations no one expected, so what happens doesn't rely solely on the players and GM.

Plus we would all know how things worked (mechanically) behind the scenes. Since each of our GMs have a different campaign style. A unified system could help clear the confusion I have often seen. Since we're all relatively new, we could probably pick up any system we wanted. I personally think that the complexity of learning a system may outweigh the benefits we would receive. But what do you think?

[FyberOptic]

I've downloaded D&D rulebooks, and even weird games, like a James Bond RPG, and they're somewhat elaborate and confusing to someone like me who's never really played one before.  Though I wouldn't mind someone with knowledge of these rulebooks sharing the finer points and various fun features we might look into implementing in certain RP's.  I agree with having the one unified system, as long as it wasn't too complicated.  Look what happened to Haz Labs/Snipe Hunt RPG after all.

[Boris]

We've actually toyed with the idea of a full class/combat/skill system in the past. I myself made a cool 3x3 grid to describe all the archetypes thats still somewhere deep in the archive so far.

I don't think complexity is the cause of worry, this group is all smart enough to pick up on rules, or at least listen to the GM.

No, the problem is this kind of ruled system encourages long games which don't last well. I've noticed every RP that goes over about an hour, except sometimes Gar's will end with all players getting bored and looking for other things to do. Unless somebody can write a really engageing storyline and scenario, all the rules in the world won't matter since focus can't be maintained.

Sorry to be a downer, just warning you ahead of time before you dive too much into this.

[Deck]

Sorry to be a downer, just warning you ahead of time before you dive too much into this.

Nah, I see where you're coming from and it's a good point.

[Boris]

Now being a group of technical coolguys, we might be able to script a more complex engine so that the GM could do fancy stuff while still keeping up with a pace that'll hold the attention of the players. When it comes down to it, its just dicerolls (which we already have) and percents (which is all just math, pretty easy.) Nothing is ever lost if you work on a system either, it can always be ported to other players. Also: I bumped the topic with the classes I was talking about earlier if you want to have a look.

[LtSterling]

I had always envisioned creating a bot being able to store character stats and such, so when you do a dice roll for an attack it would instantly add any modifiers/elem bonus and the same for when you got attacked. Honestly, I find battle being the most boring part of the RPs because it takes some 3 dice rolls to just go through each character's attack and when you have a group of 4 going against a group of another 4 half the time of the RP is just deciding damage. Which is why I try to make mine more story oriented rather then battle ended.  Players are not even keeping track if they have had enough damage to to be dead even, I get asked if they should be dead.  Something as basic as keeping track of a 20 gauge health bar is too hard for players and considering how simplistically easy the current system is, I really don't see the pace being able to be keep up even at its current rate without some sort of technical assistance to go through all the complexities.

Another note: weapons are only suppose to give +X to damage in the current system, but apparently that is too hard to keep track of as well, so people just make them do 1dX for different weapons and ignore DP and AP currently.

[Deck]

There's always that Fantasy Grounds, though we never got it working properly.