Defense and higher levels.

By Sorthlador, in Game Mechanics

Posted at

Sorthlador said:

BradPlogsted said:

Sorry, "Tragedy" should read "Despair." I don't have the book in front of me.

Major problem with that…the better at attacking they are, the less despairs you get. Also the less defenses you have the less despairs you get…my point remains on that one.

Inksplat said:


Yeah, I'd definitely have to say that soaking damage in SW is essentially getting lucky. You take a hit, that just means you're one dodge closer to actually getting shot. And when you look at it like that, it makes sense. Han runs around the corner, gets shot at, maybe gets "hit"--this turns into Han having a blaster shot graze by his head, and causes him to turn tail and run.

No physical damage to his character, but the damage system still works just fine. And then the critical strike would be when Luke loses his hand.

I am all for what you two are talking about, sounds like a great reasoning…exp for one thing. Why is it then based of brawn? Why should a wookie be able to dodge and story wise miss blaster bolts better then a human? or a skilled bothan? Once again the mechanics don't support the story.

I'm not a hater of this system by the way. Just think defense needs work.

My argument on that one would be that wookies can consider more things as glancing, non-serious blows. For example, Luke getting knocked out in the beginning of Empire--that same blow would have hardly phased Chewie.

Posted at

Sorthlador said:

1. Force Field Generator? Yeah because leia and Chewie were running around with those.

Sorthlador said:

Well if thats a theme of star wars then that should be a theme in the RPG game. PERIOD.
Posted at

Test it out. It's a lot harder to "play the system" than it is to "play the game" with what FFG has cooked up for SW and WFRP. That isn't intended as a dig or slap. But in d20 you can pretty much read the rule-books and then start to formulate how things will scale mathematically. You can set up theoretical spreadsheet combats and tell whether or not a game mechanic starts to shake loose in the upper levels. It's all modular bits that clink together. But for the narrative systems that FFG has started to produce, you really have to take a look at how the whole thing works. You can't ladle out the smaller for microscopy. You just get a big spoon and shove it in your mouth at once.

Now I'm hungry…

Posted at

Manchu said:

Can someone explain to me what about EotE (or WHFRP 3E) makes this especially problematic?

In essence the problem isn't with the game mechanic in EotE at all, the problem is with the game itself.

The problem is current games, most encourage munchkin toons, Pathfinder, D&D, etc… The players min/max. That's all there is to them.

This game is coming as a bit of a culture shock to some, because it is unfathomable that a level 10 character can still be struck by a common goblin.

Personally, the very reasons the OP was bringing up, were the very issues I adore about this new system, stormtroopers never become a "non-threat". It provides reason for how these troopers managed to bring 3/4ths of the universe to it's knees. Unlike SAGA, you never get that 1 vs' the mob mentality, you can't level, or buy yourself, to greater mysterious armor.

On a logical level it makes sense. Other then a few athletics skills, and armor, what else can a person do to become harder to hit with a gun? The answer is cover, but that isn't something that a player can select as a skill. Tactics will work wonders as well, and this game is supporting that type of thinking.

This is some of the best news I have encountered since I became aware of this game (last Friday). The more I hear about it the more I adore it.

$hamrock

Posted at

Sorthlador said:

Inksplat said:


Yeah, I'd definitely have to say that soaking damage in SW is essentially getting lucky. You take a hit, that just means you're one dodge closer to actually getting shot. And when you look at it like that, it makes sense. Han runs around the corner, gets shot at, maybe gets "hit"--this turns into Han having a blaster shot graze by his head, and causes him to turn tail and run.

No physical damage to his character, but the damage system still works just fine. And then the critical strike would be when Luke loses his hand.

I am all for what you two are talking about, sounds like a great reasoning…exp for one thing. Why is it then based of brawn? Why should a wookie be able to dodge and story wise miss blaster bolts better then a human? or a skilled bothan? Once again the mechanics don't support the story.

I'm not a hater of this system by the way. Just think defense needs work.

Soak is more dynamic then how you're looking at it. It does represent "near misses" and luck, but it also represents the ability to "take it". It's like getting punched in the arm. It hurts, but it is not doing any "real" damage to you. Wookies don't so much dodge the shots as "suck them up".

Brawn covers more then just dodging, it covers physical brawn (size/strength) as well. That is why wookies have higher brawn values then humans, because they are 8 foot tall and built like brick crap houses.

If you and I took a punch to the face the results would be entirely different then say Brian Urlacher taking that exact same fist/force.