From: hummell+@pitt.edu (Andrew G Hummell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Palladium RPG comments
Date: 15 Dec 92 10:23:40 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Dec9.193434.13188@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca> apace@mta.ca writes:
>>
>     Palladium rules are poorly thought out, (that is to say there are
>numerous holes for the munchkins to live in) simplistic (not necessairily
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^- Munchkinism is not caused
by any game (although the mechanics make it a little easier).  I know
people who have munchkinized Call of Cthulhu -- how, I don't know -- and Coc
is one of the most anti-munchkin games around.  Munchkinism happens when
the GM lets the players get out of control.

>bad) and _slow_.  My first Palladium system game (Rifts) took longer than 
          ^^^^^^^- What was slow about it?  The character generation process
is fairly slow, but I have never seen a decent *character* generated in under
30 minutes (for most of the systems I've seen, anyway).  If the combat is slow,
it is just not being handled correctly.  Combat has always been a strong point
in Palladium's games.  Even long, drawn out battles are over relatively 
quickly.  We once ran a combat in which 8 PC's took on 130 opponents and the
combat lasted about 3 hours (it was an all-night session) (I realize this may
sound like a munchkin campaign, but it was not.  Some really unorthodox
strategy turned a potetial disaster into a minor victory.  I guess you had to 
be there...).  I've seen AD&D battles between 4 PC's and 4 opponents last
nearly that long.

>the only ChartMaster combat I have ever played, and that is just scary. 
>There are huge power disparities between different OCC's.  For example try 
>comparing a Glitter Boy and a Techno-Mage's combat capability.  This is 
>simply ridiculous.
A Glitter Boy just *looks* powerful on paper.  I had one blown to dust by
2 Coalition Grunts (with standard issue rifles!).  The Glitter Boy has a
lot of weaknesses and disadvantages.  If the GM is not taking advantage of
these weaknesses, then he (or she) is not doing the job.  (The Grunts shot
the ammo belt for the boom gun.  This severely limits the Glitter Boy's
firepower.  Once the few remaining shots were spent, it became a turkey
shoot. With *my* PC being the turkey.  -- for anyone who was wondering).

>Not only is Palladium simplistic, it is slow. One or the other is fine, both
>is unforgivable.
Palladium is supposed to be simple.  I don't think that a game has to be
complex in order to be fun.  And I also don't think that complexity has any 
bearing on quality.  For my group, the simplicity has allowed us to
concentrate on *role*-playing, as opposed to "roll"-playing.  In out last 3 
RIFTS sessions, I only needed 10-20 dice rolls (that's for *3* sessions).

>Your point about AD&D is well taken, but I think that the reason that people
>play it has little to do with it having the "best" system, and everything
>to do with setting and an unwillingness to change.
There is no "best system," or "worst" for that matter.  These are opinions
only.  For someone who likes AD&D and has fun with it, it may be the best
system...for them.

>IMPO, the AD&D mechanics are _horrible_.
On this point, I agree.  I don't like the AD&D mechanics, either.

>And Palladium inherits all these problems, as well as those inherent in a 
>skill based system. (mostly min-maxing)
>
[stuff regarding GURPS skill 21 sharpshooter deleted.  Though I didn't quite
get the connection between a skill 21 sharpshooter and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Oswald allegedly was a poor marksman (according to Marine buddies), and he
supposedly made an inhuman shot through dense foliage with a lousy rifle that
had a scope that wasn't sighted in properly (according to the FBI and others).]

>Tony Pace
>apace@mta.ca

Andy
-- 
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  "I'm not insane...just a reasonable facsimile."  | Hummell@vms.cis.pitt.edu
   -- me				           | Andy Hummell     230 DLH 
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Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc