Spellheart Mechanics

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gamer5 said:
Hm. I could recommend that you use the Random Number Generator on Random.org when doing stuff with Random Numbers. It outputs sufficiently random random numbers. As for else ... I never tried searching for tools that do the background work in RPGs so I wouldn't know what to say... but I can suggest that you find a spare hour or two to Google around for possible tools that you might use to decrease the amount of math you have to do...
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*giggles*, it turns out that is already the source of my random numbers. I especially enjoy using their random integer function.
 
How much combat do you want?
I like combat, but one of the few things I like more is the "after-combat report." Sizing up your casualties, dealing with the fallen, checking on the wounded and generally feeling the effects of what a victory really is. Combat with the occasional lull has my vote.

That said, since this is an experimental RP that wishes to test out its mechanics, I would also support unlimited, constant combat.
Who/what do you want to fight?

I'm a co-op type of player, not competitive, so I must declare that I'm a little adverse to winning in PvP. That's not to say I don't like PvP, just that my characters a lot more likely to lose in PvP combat than they are too win.
But, hey, maybe that's a good thing; maybe someone needs to test out what happens when one loses in PvP combat, haha~

On the other hand, PvE is great. It's form of entertainment and reward is a little different than PvP, but that doesn't mean it isn't just as fun. Plus, as a co-op player, I don't have to fight against other players! Hooray!
What genre are you interested in playing?
I like fantasy. I like it a lot. I don't care whether it's medieval, modern, or futuristic. I don't care if there are dwarves, elves, and other high fantasy races, nor do I mind a "human only" setting.

But I must confess that medieval fantasy holds a special place in my heart. There's just something about swords and magic that makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

I have to note, since magic isn't instantaneous in this system, firearms could quite easily counter them. We could do a setting where the once respected and feared mages and Spells are losing out to the much faster and far more accessible firearms, but I can't claim that I'm knowledgeable with early firearms.
How developed would you like the character to start out?
I'm a fan of power, but since this is an experimental system I'll have to agree with gamer5: Not starting out at the bare minimum, but just high enough where a semblance of our style has appeared.
Would you rather have a largely player-driven story, or would you rather have me railroad a story-line?
I'd love to contribute to a story! But even though I say that, I can never seem to pick up on the cues of "it's OK to introduce your new ____ to the story," so I never usually go through with it. In that sense, I'll have to agree with everyone else: a mixture of the two, while it might add more work and foresight on the GM's part, would be best for all players.
What level of posting frequency are you expecting?
In a perfect world, I would like to see about one full posting round per two days, maybe even daily. I'm going to expect one full round of posting per week, however.

I usually expect the worst regardless of how likely it actually is~
Would you like to use a round based system of posting?
This is probably the most organized way of testing out the combat system and how the mechanics work, so I'm in favor of it.
Would you like an experience that is fun, challenging, or terrifying?

The most fun and satisfying battles is the ones where an end to your adventure is very real. And who needs a dumb-downed version of an experimental system? Bring on the pain! No risk, no reward!

...But I'm a team-player, and I wouldn't be against something a bit more forgiving.
Would you like our character's to grow in their ability to use magic over the course of the RP?

Physical growth is also another version of character growth, and as I am someone who enjoys power I would very much like my character to obtain some down the road. And who doesn't want a little unbalanced leveling to spice up their overpowered, untested characters~?

And maybe we'll even eventually learn to chain-cast OP spells! (I'm kidding.)
Is there any other considerations you would like to add?
At this moment, I don't think I can add anything worthwhile. I'll see if anything comes to mind later, but for now you seem to have everything under control.

Most of my questions are about the world or characters themselves (e.g. what is the average SP pool/flow/control in the world) and it is likely most of them will be answered in the OOC or from other players' CSes, so there's no immediate need to think about them.
 
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Mite said:
Most of my questions are about the world or characters themselves (e.g. what is the average SP pool/flow/control in the world) and it is likely most of them will be answered in the OOC or from other players' CSes, so there's no immediate need to think about them.
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This is actually something I should talk about now because it is probably something that will cause us to restart if it doesn't turn out right. I've talked about this many times, but as of right now there is no way to know what combinations of SP pool/flow/control which are fair. What I'm going to do is as each person who wants to play to PM me a rating for each trait ranging from E to S, (E:0, D:1, C:2, B:3, A:4, S:5), and players are allowed 10 points to distribute. Using these ratings, I'll provide the combat sheets. After this phase, I'll let everyone look at where their character lies with respect to each other. I will then ask everyone to begin drafting spells. I want this process to be very cooperative so I'll be encouraging everyone to get a Skype and join the Spellheart skype group to discuss what roles characters want to fill, and what kinds of themes each players spells are going to follow. Spells are going to be a bit interesting to work with since they balance more like a traditional RP than a tabletop, so it is going to be a group effort to create cool characters. If this approach works out, then I'll add this method to the GM's tips section to help other people who want to use the Spellheart mechanics.
 
I've read all your responses, and in response have prepared the following summary report.

1. Everyone almost universally wanted combat to play a significant role in the story, but also did not want it to be the only aspect of the story.

2. Most people wanted a mixture of both PvP and PvE fights, with minimal interest in noncombat situations.

3. In respect to genre, everyone recommended a fantasy setting, with a slight lean toward a low-fantasy with Medieval tech level.

4. For starting out, everyone wanted to use low level characters that are still at a basic level, but wanted stylistic differences to be evident in the stat distribution.

5. For the story, people want me to have a structure that allows for, but does not require player-driven content. I'll be placing emphasis on the options that are available to everyone, but leave a lot of room for the particulars to vary.

6. As for posting frequency, the average sits at around once every three days at the very least.

7. Although there was complete support for a round system, I think from what I've read, everyone would actually do better from a more loose system. In particular, I've noticed that some of you would like to be able to post everyday, that is too fast for others. I will be taking steps to make sure that players don't get ahead of each other, but I feel like a round system will only prevent people from posting when they are motivated to do so, which affects morale in the long run. Instead of rounds, I'm going to organize the temporal aspect by phases of the day in which a limited amount can be accomplished so that people at different posting rates can coexist without having to speed up or slow down.

8. As for the level of challenge, I learned that everyone wants an actual challenge without pulled punches, and people would like varied intensities associated with each match. I was also surprised that a number of you don't mind risking your character's life.

9. Despite potential balancing difficulties, everyone decided that they would want character growth as a part of the RP.

With these insights, I'm going to begin designing an OOC. Look forward to its release.
 
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