Post originally by Viktor Haag at 2003-11-21 06:33:58
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Greg Porter knew full well the limitation of CORPS pointed out by the reviewer (it doesn't handle the cinematic mode very well). He has recently provided an excellent alternative to CORPS, just as inexpensive, just as thoroughly designed, which *can* extend to the cinematic mode -- EABA.
As far as I know, it's only available as a PDF, and is likely available wherever you can find CORPS in that form (i.e. electronic).
I playtested EABA (and played CORPS), and it has a very similar "Porteresque" feel in its design; but it does extend into the cinematic quite well where CORPS does not easily go.
Post originally by Peter Knutsen at 2003-11-21 09:26:04
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... that a borderline retard and a near-genius needs the same amount of "school bench time" (i.e. skill points) to go from zero to the same skill level in, e.g., rocket science?
CORPS and GURPS are both severely unrealistic in terms of how natural talent affects skill acquisition speed, they just botch in different directions, and hence they are equally unplayable.
Post originally by Enoch at 2003-11-21 09:47:36
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Actually a near-genius would learn the skill much faster because all skills you pick start at your aptitude ( a rating that depends on how high your stat is ). I don't know how big the differance is, but its there at least in part.
I don't see why that makes a game unplayable anyway. Stop being so anal.
Post originally by Zach Lynch at 2003-11-21 10:39:26
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Actually, a borderline retard (let's say AWR 1) would have a near impossible time learning rocket science at a reasonable level. He could only start with it at 1, and he'd pay 1 skill point for the privelege.
A near-genius (let's say AWR 8) would be able to buy it at 2 for free, but why bother when he can get it at 4 for 12, thus allowing him to get 2 levels of secondary skill and 1 level of tertiary skill, making his max 7. See, he gets a 4 point discount on all of his AWR-linked primary skill purchases.
A real genius (AWR 10) would get a 9 point discount, and some type of super-genius (say, AWR 15) would get it a 16 point discount. Default levels are also based on attributes - the retard would have no default, the near-genius a default of 2, the genius a default of 3, and the super-genius a default of 4.
Out of curiosity, what's wrong with GURPS? Skill levels are representations of ability, skill points representations of training time?
And how would either of these systems (assuming you were right about CORPS) be unplayable? Many perfectly playable games don't model the effects of attribute on skill at all, and I fail to see how CORPS would be completely ruined without the skill point discounts.
Post originally by Peter Knutsen at 2003-11-21 10:44:15
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Enoch wrote:
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Actually a near-genius would learn the skill much faster because all skills you pick start at your aptitude ( a rating that depends on how high your stat is ). I don't know how big the differance is, but its there at least in part.
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WRONG!
There is a wide ranges of aptitudes (attribute values) where there is no difference at all. That's why I specifically picked "borderline retard" and "near-genius" as examples. Both get the *same* aptitude bonus: Stat/4.
From now on, keep your mouth shut when the system debated is one which you know *nothing* about.
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I don't see why that makes a game unplayable anyway. Stop being so anal.
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I'll stop being anal when people stop misapplying the term "realistic". A RPG rules system is *not* realistic if it completely fails even the simplest of reality checks, by producing results which are in severe disagreement with reality.
Also, there is nothing anal about asking you to shut the @!#$ up, when you don't know about the basic features of the system being debated.
Post originally by Wes Johnson at 2003-11-21 10:53:20
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I think the problem with point buy generation systems is that there is a certain level of goffiness involved. For example if I am a pyromaniac that means I get 10 points to put into good things. The point value from GURPS might be off (I am at work and hence don;t have reference material handy).
I like CORPS and GURPS so far as mechanics go, they are okay. It is the character building I take umbrage with.
Post originally by Wes Johnson at 2003-11-21 10:56:09
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Great review of a game I have always liked, which is a tough sell for me as I am not a big fan of this kind of character building system.
I think this has always been an accessable game via pricing and mechanics...though Iadmit I have the first edition stuff and never used anything later than that.
Post originally by Zach Lynch at 2003-11-21 13:04:51
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I really don't see how a retard and near-genius getting the same Stat/4 aptitude bonus is a problem. Since the retard will get an aptitude of 0 (or 1, depending on just how you define near-retard) and the near-genius will get an aptitude of 2 or 3 (depending on how you define genius).
Linear Mode
