So apparently they're running a game of Genesys using this setting and given I really know nothing about it I thought I set up this thread to gain answers to both what is it and what you think this means?

Someone's already openly wondered if this means they're planning a Runebound Beginner Game set?

The Runebound setting is where many FFG games already take place.

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/#/universe/runebound

Descent, Battlelore, etc.

They've already developed a rich lore for this world, it makes sense for them to use Genesys to make it an RPG setting.

Is the lore that rich? Admittedly, I've not bought any of the setting's games, not for lack of interest but due to higher priorities on the list of personal preferences. But I haven't seen much that implies that the setting has been that developed, unlike Android, which has multiple games, novellas and novels, and a setting guide open for public purchase.

Not trying to dismiss Runebound's setting, but as an outsider who hasn't had a chance to get even a foot in the door, I'm not able to see the setting's lore for the generic fantasy. Not that I'm saying FFG shouldn't use it for their baseline Genesys fantasy setting, if nothing else it is the opportunity to expand and invite people like myself into the setting's lore.

As an aside, I freely admit that when it comes to lore, I am a sucker for novels and automatically assume a rich and developed lore or one in the making when novels are published. That can be a failing from me, hence part of the reason I'm asking.

I hope they can present a rich fantasy world, and put out a couple good supplements for it. While I'm certainly capable of coming up with my own universe, I'm getting a bit lazy in my old age, and wouldn't object to a good one I can import. Especially one already designed for this engine.

I'm looking forward to supplements for them to put out. Primarily because they have added to and retcon'ed aspects of their Runebound universe which contradict each other because there is very little indication of the time period/location in the world in which their respective games take place outside of the cross-pollenizing of heroes and villains.

I love the possibility of the universe and look forward to seeing what can be done in this playground.

Runebound makes sense to use as a test bed for the GenCon module. It's a fantasy game, which pretty much anyone can dive into without too much of a primer. I know nothing about Android, and that could be oft-putting to someone who wants to try the Genesys system. Runebound sounds like your typical fantasy setting, which after decades of D&D just about any gamer can hop into. Plus, it gives them something to directly compare it to; how does Genesys stack up to D&D?

And, while I know it's a popular game for FFG, Android is ultimately another sci-fi setting like Star Wars with the Force removed from it. Not enough of a difference to showcase what you can do with Genesys.

I'm excited because this gives us a preview of how magic works in Genesys. Without the Force die, we have no idea how magic is going to work. This is going to be good intel to bring back here and discuss what's coming.

4 hours ago, DarthGM said:

I'm excited because this gives us a preview of how magic works in Genesys. Without the Force die, we have no idea how magic is going to work.

Have you looked at the fan-developed fantasy conversion, Sky Wars: Edge of the Kingdom ?

Redshirt Down put magic in there without using the force die, and I think it works quite well. At least so far, anyway!

I'm really looking forward to see how Genesys has handled it!

P.S. Phil, I wonder if you could run a beta Genesys game for the d20Radio Patreon group! Aren't we covered by some kind of NDA?

6 hours ago, DarthGM said:

I'm excited because this gives us a preview of how magic works in Genesys. Without the Force die, we have no idea how magic is going to work. This is going to be good intel to bring back here and discuss what's coming

WFRP had magic with skill checks instead of a Force Die, it works really well.

I also imagine it will be skill based. Functionally, it can't be much different than talents work now. I'm just curious if they'll be using some kind of energy point system (Intellect + 10?), or just strain.

7 minutes ago, Blackbird888 said:

I also imagine it will be skill based. Functionally, it can't be much different than talents work now. I'm just curious if they'll be using some kind of energy point system (Intellect + 10?), or just strain.

They may leave that to each Theme. Some may have a Willpower spell point system, some using Intellect. Other systems may implement a "memorised spell" system or a "once per encounter/day/session" system. It's all possible really, I just hope they keep the idea of Spell Trees, where they are separate to your talents and investing more xp results in a stronger spell.

17 hours ago, Richardbuxton said:

They may leave that to each Theme. Some may have a Willpower spell point system, some using Intellect. Other systems may implement a "memorised spell" system or a "once per encounter/day/session" system. It's all possible really, I just hope they keep the idea of Spell Trees, where they are separate to your talents and investing more xp results in a stronger spell.

Honestly I'm hoping for this.

I mean GURPS, Hero, and to a lesser degree Savage Worlds have a few different "magic systems" and This is too good a platform (IMHO) to waste it on a single system. Heck, even GURPS ended up with the Ritual Path Magic system after a fan/writer injected into a world book, then took of to be the "go to" system now.

So a great magic system might not hit when the book drops.

After a thread previously caused me to think, I'm going to take the "magic Law's" from Role Master Standard system, and build them into "trees" once Genesys drops. or at least that's an intent of mine currently.

I play Runewars the miniature game, and I'm looking forward to source books for the Runebound universe.

So, am I the only one confused by this announcement?

50 minutes ago, Blackbird888 said:

So, am I the only one confused by this announcement?

You're not the only one. At first I thought it was gonna be a sort of beginners set for Genesys, as it would make sense to provide at a baseline setting for the format. But then I saw basically no relation. Although it seems like there is so little info on the actual mechanics it could still be.

Although they put the forums for it under the board game category...

it could be their middle ground answer between RPG and boardgames?

Maybe like Heroquest:

I mean, They even say it's a narrative system, and seem to have character generation and leveling.

My interest is certainly piqued.

Seriously, watch the video when you can... it will make you smile, or your soul is dead.

I hope the emphasis will be on the "generic" part, not so much on "yet another fantasy setting". By no means am I opposed to specific setting supplements (and I would propably nevertheless purchase a couple of those supplements) but still I hope they will have Genesys emphasize on handing the players a system with which they can realize their own ideas of settings.

1 minute ago, DarthDude said:

I hope the emphasis will be on the "generic" part, not so much on "yet another fantasy setting". By no means am I opposed to specific setting supplements (and I would propably nevertheless purchase a couple of those supplements) but still I hope they will have Genesys emphasize on handing the players a system with which they can realize their own ideas of settings.

Agreed, but if they manage the mechanics in house, created a broad range of things that can be plugged into, or mechanically similar to their generic system then they get a wider audience, and some in-roads into the system.

As much as having a one book does it all, that requires a huge book (one could argue that Hero manages, but at quite a bit of crunch), but then the company starts stagnating with a single book.

This is obviously not Genesys, but it could be part of a wider setup that FFG is planning, by creating a very in-house system. Or, it might not be at all. Really the only thing (I think, I browsed the article as opposed to reading it completely) that I saw that even suggests Genesys is "Narrative system" in the first part of it.

Whoops, quoted the wrong person.

2 hours ago, Kommissar said:

You're not the only one. At first I thought it was gonna be a sort of beginners set for Genesys, as it would make sense to provide at a baseline setting for the format. But then I saw basically no relation. Although it seems like there is so little info on the actual mechanics it could still be.

Although they put the forums for it under the board game category...

It specifically mentions it is the first to use the "Oracle system," whatever that is. From the appearance, it's essentially a roleplaying game without dice?

34 minutes ago, Blackbird888 said:

It specifically mentions it is the first to use the "Oracle system," whatever that is. From the appearance, it's essentially a roleplaying game without dice?

And without GM. It really reminds me of Warhammer Quest in a modern era where storytelling is the focus rather than tactical battles. Whilst im surprised I also think it's a good move to have a bridging product that could bring new customers in

17 hours ago, Hexnwolf said:

Agreed, but if they manage the mechanics in house, created a broad range of things that can be plugged into, or mechanically similar to their generic system then they get a wider audience, and some in-roads into the system.

As much as having a one book does it all, that requires a huge book (one could argue that Hero manages, but at quite a bit of crunch), but then the company starts stagnating with a single book.

This is obviously not Genesys, but it could be part of a wider setup that FFG is planning, by creating a very in-house system. Or, it might not be at all. Really the only thing (I think, I browsed the article as opposed to reading it completely) that I saw that even suggests Genesys is "Narrative system" in the first part of it.

I just take FFG by their word

Quote

Genesys is a role playing system designed for flexibility and adaptability, specifically tooled to work with any setting imaginable .

With a system so adaptable and expansive you can explore every popular roleplaying genre , from classic fantasy style campaigns, to modern day detective thrillers, and even to a far off sci-fi future, Genesys doesn’t fit into any one genre of roleplaying, and instead invites players to craft their own stories with unparalleled freedom .

I am looking forward if they can deliver!

3 hours ago, DarthDude said:

I just take FFG by their word

I am looking forward if they can deliver!

Then if you have taken them at their word, you will note that they have said their "System" can

Quote

" explore every popular roleplaying genre , from classic fantasy style campaigns, to modern day detective thrillers, and even to a far off sci-fi future."

I don't see where it says "one book" or a single book being able to deliver on this front. I mean, as we've seen with Pathfinder recently, they are "delivering" Fantasy and Sci-fi with their system, in both pathfinder and starfinder. GURPS has continued to be able to support almost anything, but with a massive allotment of books (both 3rd and 4th editions combined, as it's not that difficult to mesh the two). The only two I'd give a nod to being able to do it all from the CRB would be Champions/Hero and Savage Worlds... Maybe GURPS 4th (Fate and the newer systems that have been mentioned, I don't have any experience with, so I can't talk to that). And For Hero, it's a huge book, 5th, and for 6th, they had to go with two separate books.

Point there being we have multiple system that "Can" emulate whatever you imagine. I've done Special forces, X-files, Superheroes, and "historic fantasy" in GURPS, I've done Superheroes, Transformers, Sci-fi, Biker Mice from Mars, Starship troopers, Gargoyles, Ronin (the de Nero movie), Xfiles, Modern day mages, Modern day gods, the anime "X," Steampunk, Fantasy, and more in Hero/Champions. I've done Fantasy, modern military, Warhammer Fantasy, time cops, Weird war, Pirates of the Spanish main, RIfts, and more in Savage Worlds. Heck, back in 1st edition D&D my GM took us into the modern age (where our fighter picked up a tommy gun) and into Star Trek where our mage and cleric picked up cloaking devices for their dragons (we were in Highschool, things got crazy), and then into Star Blazers to study the "Wave Motion Cannon" so that our spellcasters could learn to weave that kind of magic. In palladium I've played all sorts of things, just due to Rifts... Add in our time in the 80's cheeze action flicks with Ninjas and Superspies... and doing Dragonball Z with Heroes unlimited.... I don't think being able to replicate "anything" for a generic system is actually a bar to hit, it's been done, quite a few times... and if you work hard enough, it can be done by non-generic systems.

The above is a sales pitch. It's there to get you excited. it is a "promise" of sorts. But one they'll be able to do. Now, if they will be able to do what you are looking for in a generic system... that's probably more of the question. Heck, I don't know if they'll do what I want in a generic system. But at this point, with the products they put out, in general, I'm willing to give them a shot for it, and it sounds like you are too. But let's not get carried away by what they are saying and not saying.

They simply say their system as a whole will be able to manage anything you want to throw at it. Cool, I say that's not really difficult, as it's been done by quite a few systems at this point, and rules, really only being a framework for the imagination, it's easy to apply rules however you need. People are turning Edge of the Empire into a few different genres without Genesys to have funneled that creativity. They are also saying (without putting it out there) that their core book will specify 5 genres. This could mean that to tool their system to a different genre, you will need a genre book. Or it could be that they are examples. either way I'm sure future genres will be released to expand upon the core 5 given. And since they have claimed that their system can do this, I would wager it's much more splat book dependent (much in a GURPS style, than a Hero style). But we just don't know yet.

Having a single book become your only sales point is not profitable. I'm sure we'll be able to do a lot out of the core book but right now they have only told us that it will support a few specific settings.

Quote

" The Genesys Core Rulebook not only contains an overview of the rules and how the innovative narrative dice system works, but everything a GM and players need to run adventures in five completely different settings. "

Source: https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/genesys/

So the company's "word" is that they will have a core book that gives us the tools to run Fantasy, Steampunk, Weird War, Modern Day, and Sci-fi. The rest of "everything" seems to be left to splat books, in my reading.

I didn't mean it as critisizm, I plainly don't know enough of the system. I want to love it, I own all SWRPG and am optimistic that I will like Genesys as well.

If they manage to fulfill just half of the sales pitch, they will be lauded ;-) Btw. Open Legend, which is another generic system, manages in a bit over 100 pages to offer a generic system for absolutely every setting and every effect (magic, psionics, super powers) with vehicle, item and creature generation guidelines. OVA even manages in less. So page count is not everything, it depends on the approach and crunch of course.

I don't mind splat books (and even expect them). If the system convinces me, I do not mind a flood of supplements. All we know just yet is the skill check part from SW. Apart from that, talent trees, powers, creatute, item, vehicle creation will be exposed in due time and remains an item for speculation for now (and man do we love to speculate).

I look forward to GenCon how their fantasy setting approach will look like.

6 minutes ago, DarthDude said:

I didn't mean it as critisizm, I plainly don't know enough of the system. I want to love it, I own all SWRPG and am optimistic that I will like Genesys as well.

If they manage to fulfill just half of the sales pitch, they will be lauded ;-) Btw. Open Legend, which is another generic system, manages in a bit over 100 pages to offer a generic system for absolutely every setting and every effect (magic, psionics, super powers) with vehicle, item and creature generation guidelines. OVA even manages in less. So page count is not everything, it depends on the approach and crunch of course.

I don't mind splat books (and even expect them). If the system convinces me, I do not mind a flood of supplements. All we know just yet is the skill check part from SW. Apart from that, talent trees, powers, creatute, item, vehicle creation will be exposed in due time and remains an item for speculation for now (and man do we love to speculate).

I look forward to GenCon how their fantasy setting approach will look like.

Right on. and man, re-reading my posts, I feel like I'm coming off as more of a prick than I really mean it to sound. I suppose I did see your comments as a criticism, and I'm not really meaning to defend anything even, so much as just basically say what you said. We just don't know yet, and we don't even know the "How" of how they are going to deliver this product.

To get this out of the way, I don't know Open Legend, but I'm now quite interested, as I love open/generic systems, and seem to collect them more, as I don't like to subscribe to premade worlds (unless you can't help it, D&D has to be collected when you have no "home group" if you want to get any RP in at all, or it's something like FFG's Star Wars, which is a system we all seem to love, etc). Yah, I mean, I get what you are saying with page count. I did some good stuff in the D6 system (the original one, that didn't have supplement books, or at least in my little corner of the world we never saw them, back in the late 90's before they lost the SWRPG IP), and that was a rather thin book... However I had a ton of experience with the system via star wars at that point. But either way, you've made a solid point.

But the Meat of the deal for me, is how (or even if) they build the talent trees for both generic and specific.... or if we will be left to build, or even a purchase talents. Honestly, dig the trees. and would like that, but I don't see how to make them generic, unless... well they aren't, and thus require specific spat books per genre, while (like the SW CRB's ) they can swap and crossover. *shrug* But this is important to me for reasons. Next is the magic system/systems they use, or if they are going to do it like GURPS, where you have a generic one, and then a book on how to make them... and other expansion books on a few specific ones they've used.

I mean, the cool thing is, most, if not all of us on here, are excited.