Post originally by arcady at 2004-03-30 16:37:04
Converted from Phorums BB System

The following makes my statement in the review a whole topic, but was not included as it's not a review of the book itself:

It can also be found on my website here:
http://home.pacbell.net/arcady0/MnM/Musings031804.html



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Writing Superlink Crunch material:

There are some very basic things that should be done to ensure a good book with new rules material:

1: Pay attention to the costing structure of powers in MnM. There's a whole section in the back of the powers chapter on designing new powers - read AND use it PROPERLY.

2: Don't remake an already existing core book power.

3: If a rule already exists, stick to it, add to it, but don't change it.

4: Pay attention to the way rules work in MnM, what bonus or penalty is used for what, how range works, how area works, the die rolling mechanics, and so on. Keep it consistant with the design philosophy of the game.

5: Don't give us "new" powers that are nothing more than existing powers packaged in a certain way, or with certain extras. If you have new extras or flaws - just give us those.

6: Stacking. Get it right. Even Green Ronin has trouble here... But for some reason we fans seem to get it right a lot. :P

7: Balance things not on genre-rarity, but number of game effects. The Cosmic Key should not cost 10pp/r because it's the Cosmic Key, but because it does 9 effects, or something equivalent in game-mechanic power.

8: A Weakness isn't a weakness unless it's a weakness. But neither is it an automatic character killer. Don't be too easy, and don't be too harsh. The same holds for new power flaws.

9: Balance your new feats for MnM, not for d20. MnM actually has a section on designing new feats, use it properly.

10: Think about what will happen when your new extras are used with other powers, or when other extras are applied to your new powers. Make sure common applications in this vien won't break the new power or extra or stunt or whatever it is.

11: A stunt is a stunt, and an extra is an extra. The game does say how to know which is which. Get it right.

12: A feat belongs in the feats section, and a power belongs in the powers section. If it should have been built as a feat, build it so. If it should have been built as a power, build it so. A good example for this is the assorted new sensory abilities - most of them are feats. A few are powers and when they are it's very easy to see how they differ from the other senses. In some way, they simple cannot be resolved with Spot checks (such as ESP - which has the complexity of a different range scheme, or precognition - where you need to know how far through time it works. Most new sensory powers though, are already in the core book under the detect feat.

13: Get playtesters. Make sure they know MnM if what you desire is for them to test any new mechanics or writeups.

14: If you don't know how something should be done, get one of the more critically minded people in the MnM community to help you - if not the community as a whole.

15: The most important thing though, is to remember to keep faith with the design philosophy of the game.


The community here has the best grasp of MnM's nature and where it should go next. So if you're unclear, feel us out over a number of mechanics issues and you'll start to see how the logic of the game holds up (or fails where MnM breaks down).

While this is not Champions where we try to believe the entire universe can be replicated with our existing engine, there is something of an 'MnM way' out there...

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