Hey Everybody!

I just wanted to take the chance to say Hi to all of the Anima players here. I finally got my rule book and am reading through it, hoping to get my group into it soon. I have grand plans for Anima in my local area and I am sure I will have a bunch of questions. The question I would like to ask in this post is, what is everyone's favorite thing about Anima?

Customization (ki abilities, creatures, characters. Really nothing you can't do). I wish this had gotten over to the spells too, but there's always MORE time for supps.

I'd say diversity, the main character classes (fighter, mage, Psi, Ki user) have very different systems, and you can even customize your own class features to have a unique character. I'm alos always more comfortable with a complex system that has envisiones all situations the PC may encounter.

several things make anima one of the best RPG systems iv ever seen before. (these are not in order of how much i like them)

One: the flow of complexity to simplicy: what i mean by that, is that charecter creation can be very in depth and complex. however when you are finished all you need to do, to know anything about the result of the actions of your charecter is roll a single % dice. Its very easy for players to make 1 roll, and add a single bonus.

Two: Meaningful Custmization: there are many games which provide you with various custimisation options, but few come close to the charm of anima. In anima you can have a whole party made up of the exact same class, and yet they would still all be very very very diffrent charecters. You could have an Accrobatic Warrior pursue Ki Powers, another could use a Bow, another could specialize in dodge + counter attack martial arts. and that does not even take into accout the various Psyon and magical poweres that are at each charecters disposal.

Three: Hybrid Classes: I love systems that allow for the creation of hybrid combat classes. While weaker at lower level, if used correctly they can be some of the most deadly aversaries in the game.

Four: Creature Creation / GM Control: Even though the book comes with a well done world, the GM still has a lot of control over the creatures and events that happen within it. It blows away DNDs 4 billion Monster Manuals. with this SINGLE book you can create and endless swarm of creatues, and because there are well defined rules for it, they are balanced complared to the players. Most DND games your only fighting a few diffrent types of creatues any way, anima allows you to create only what your going to use.

Five: realistic combat: anima does a fantastic job with combat, the only problem is that you need a calculator to play, it does allow for much more meaningful narration, since with one roll you know how well you hit, and how much damage you deal. It also rewards charecters for using tactics since that extra -30 from flanking might give you a bit more damage that you need at the end of the day. Criticals are common and more lethal, and hilerious no matter who gets hit.

there are more reasons, but thoughs are definatly the big ones.

First and foremost, the balance between fighters and mages. Having been introduced to RPGs through DnD, and other d20 systems, I have long lamented to the age-old "Linear Fighter, Quadratic Wizard" problem that plagues not only DnD itself, not only d20, but much of the industry as a whole. To see a system that takes both Fighters AND Mages into the "quadratic" area is vivid and refreshing.

Secondly, the critical system. Rather than applying more damage for a lucky roll, and thus ensuring a hit, the system turns a crit into a much more crippling physical blow, bringing about broken and severed limbs, horrible scars, and other such nasty effects that many other systems either glaze over poorly or ignore altogether.

Thirdly, the entire class system. The use of DP with varying costs, as well as other type of points, brings about a flavorful, if somewhat compliucated, path towards customizability within a class system, as yet I have not seen paralleled. The use of mixed-archetype classes also helps blur the normally sharp line between concepts, and again beings in a welcome originality that makes Anima fun and rewading, while at the same time preserving both an implied setting, and the ability to diverge from Gaia itself.

Fourthly, Creature creation. Not just for the GM, but for summoners as well, Creature creation both cuts out a large chunk of the core book and hands the GM a huge level of control over their own setting and scenario. One of the largest abuses of the game is, sadly, that when characters see a creature, either it's not described well, or someone recognizes it for what it is, in or out of the game, and the most legendary monster encounters are often the most predictable, since the more powerful beasts are all but memorized by even the least savvy players.

Last, but not least, Accumulation. While unusual, and at first even alien to most gamers, myself included, it turns into a wonderful and flavorful concept, one that forces players to stay on their toes, watch their enemies, and plan ahead, as well as allowing the progression to shorter and shorter casting times as levels go on for their weaker abilities, bringing about a beautiful and enticing incentives of speed and vulnerability to use their weaker and lower-level abilities more often.

id say being able to create anything you want from characters, to monsters, items and scenarios it is so, diverse it gives the players and gm the ability to create there own world in a sense

I have not had the pleasure of playing the game fully, just reading thru and toying with the system in a controlled level. I have been playing rpg's for 20 years now, and my experience has been varied over many different systems. I have always had problems with the basics of a system. A games world can be great, but if the system is limiting that can kill a game. Any system can be worked around with "house rules," but those slow the game down and create confusion with new players. I don't like starting a game and having to immediately create a house rule for something that seems like a standard action for any adventurer.

Saying that, after reading the Anima book and playing with the system I believe I have found a combat system that is truely exciting. Finally, archers are still feared after 3rd level (unlike DnD), and wizards are powerful from lvl 1. Warriors are a force to be reckoned with at all levels, and while one hit kills haven't happened for me to often in my "toying around" there is always the threat of it to give players pause before mindlessly entering combat. The use of the critical system is very nice (i got tired of critical hits only doing more damage). All in all with a few rolls of a d100 I can easily describe the combat in much colorful detail (makes my job as a GM so much easier).

The next thing that caught my attention was the long term use of beginning abilities. Where at one time I got used to first level abilities being used until I got to lvl 7 and then being discarded for higher abilities, I found it refreshing to see that the beginning abilities had many variables that could make a first level spell still useful at level 15.

All of this is what I've found just from reading the books. My opinion may change once I get a group together and start playing the game full time, but this is what I have to work with for now.

aravol said:

All of this, especially with creatures and summoners. Most games end up lacking flavor for me in this area. Anima does it in a way I love.

Well, I am about to start my first ever game in Anima. From what I've been reading I like the mixture of complexity with simplicity. All you need to play are a pair of ten-siders, but the amount of work going into making a character is complex. This seems to help make a diverse group of characters even if they were all the same class.