Post originally by Michael S. Miller at 2004-10-15 19:30:13
Converted from Phorums BB System

Hi, Jack.

I've not read FATE, so I can't say how similar WGP's Aspects are to the Aspects in FATE. I can confirm that FATE wasn't a direct influence.

I can't claim that the basic idea of what an Aspect is (i.e., a stat to represent a customizable bit of story stuff, rather than an in-game-world learned skill or natural talent ... although an WGP Aspect could represent one of those, too) is my original invention. The idea has shown up in many games over the years, from the Over the Edge character creation system, to Descriptors in Theatrix, to Hero Wars/Hero Quest, to Traits in Universalis.

Just because I didn't create them out of the Ether, though, doesn't mean I didn't try to put my own stamp on them. For instance, in WGP, Aspects are the *only* trait of a character, plus each Aspect has its own individual level of Suffering (what might be called "damage" in other games).

I'm a big fan of innovative ideas and using traditional ideas in innovative ways. I tried to put that in my game.

Jack, I'll be out of town this weekend, but if you have any other questions or comments, I'll try to get back to this on Monday. Have a great weekend!