From: Naval.Ravikant@dartmouth.edu (Naval Ravikant)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: RM Gripes
Date: 25 Jan 93 18:15:11 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0b3@newshost.dartmouth.edu

Yay! Now that there's finally someone on the net from ICE, I get to
vent my Rolemaster gripes: (Keep in mind, it's still my favorite
system:)

 1) Uselessness:
       The sheer amount of utterly worthless material in the Companions
keeps growing and growing. Agreed, different GM's will take what they
need, and discard what they don't, but some of the stuff is simply
ridiculous. Ie., RMCVI wastes 23 pages on 75th -125th level spells!
Argh!! I'll bet the amount of people out there who actually use these
is so infitesimably low, that it's not worth it to waste so much space
on it!. If instead of 3 trillion ridiculous crit charts, five
initiative systems, four combat systems, three development systems, two
spell systems, and a partridge in a pear tree, the companions added to
the core rules with additions that were not so OVERPOWERED (Why use a
list from spell law when you can get one from RMCI? Why from RMCI, when
the RMC II ones are more powerful? And so on all the way to Spell
User's companion!) I would suggest that sensible, realistic (as much as
is possible, anyway), and consistent options be suggested for the core
rules

 2) Disorganization: I don't know half the time which rules I'm using!
Binder format, anyone? I'd pay for it...

 3) Spells: no more, no more, I surrender! How about a few rules to
improve the already incredible core combat system? It's great as it is,
but good rules to make combat more interactive (players get to pick
options and tactics in combat or something) would be nice. 

 4) Skills: I think RMCII forgot breathing as a skill. At least RMCVI
saved the day with the USS.

 5) Classes: Better and more balanced rules than those in RMCV for
creating your own classes would be awesome! Also giving classes some
distinction besides DP costs, lists, and level bonuses would be
welcome.

 6) Spells: Radical departure here: Is anyone out there ingenious
enough to come up with a felxible spell system with flavor? (Ie., Ars
Magica style?) Describe the spells in more detail, add some interesting
components and backgrounds to them, and see if its possible to come up
with a system to spontaneously create spells. If the spell system can
be improved to match the combat system in sheer fun, I will be really
impressed. (And sell all my other RPG's. Honest!)

 7) Flavor: RMCVI started on this, fleshing out more social class
distinctions, genre options, and background stuff. More of this would
be great; especially interesting and non-overpowered background
options. 

 Overall, the hack n' slash is already there in the form of a great
combat system. The char. development system is good, but worsening
steadily, and the spell system needs some real work. The biggest
overall problem is that of cohesion. A few more RMC's come out in the
same style as II-VI, and it'll swamp the system. Quality over
quantity??

 Errr, by the way, did I mention that RM is still the best system
around? (I've got bigger gripes about most of the rest!) Just my
$2000...

                                             - Naval

 ..oh, right, credentials...I've been playing RPG's since...aw, screw
it. You don't care anyway...

 "Yeah, but it has its upside - my underwear is nice and loose!"
                                           - Adolf Hitler, As quoted in
the     
                                          Harvard Lampoon issue of the
Review