Marpzilla
2nd Incarnation
Posts: 10
Favourite Doctors: In order, Third, Fourth, Second.
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Post by Marpzilla on Aug 21, 2020 9:18:09 GMT
With a second editon of Doctor Who confirmed to be on its way, hopefully this year, I figure I may as well ask if there is anything you'd like to see changed in a possible 2nd Edition?
I'm really curious as to what kind of changes could be done to require a conversion sheet, different attributes or something? Mostly, I'd just be interested in some XP rules. Considering how that was apparently in the Primeval RPG, I don't think it'd be too demanding. Other than that, not sure what I'd like to see in it.
What about you lot?
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Post by greyhame on Aug 21, 2020 13:38:06 GMT
1) The XP rules and equipment acquisition from Primeval. 2) Consolidate all of the Traits from all of the Vortex system games. 3) Add in the other skills from the other Vortex system games.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Aug 21, 2020 13:59:39 GMT
Better technical design on the PDF. It look C7 several iterations to properly implement Bookmarks for example. Optimisation for screen reading and mobile devices; i.e. better layout and use of graphics (with compression and the ability to switch off layers), use of in-text bookmarks for terminology.
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Post by olegrand on Aug 21, 2020 16:02:15 GMT
As far as I'm concerned, I don't really feel the need for more clearly defined experience rules - except, perhaps, using a season-based approach (like the one I'm using in my campaign ) as opposed to a cumulative buy-in XP system. I'd also like the various Good and Bad Traits to REMAIN! (see our earlier conversation on the subject). And simpler, slicker Story points rules restricting their use to PCs and, perhaps, major NPCs, as opposed to every Dalek extra having its own small reserve of SPs.
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Marpzilla
2nd Incarnation
Posts: 10
Favourite Doctors: In order, Third, Fourth, Second.
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Post by Marpzilla on Aug 21, 2020 18:17:50 GMT
As far as I'm concerned, I don't really feel the need for more clearly defined experience rules - except, perhaps, using a season-based approach (like the one I'm using in my campaign ) as opposed to a cumulative buy-in XP system. I'm relatively new here to this forum so i haven't really heard of that "season xp", can I ask what it's about? Might prove useful in my own ventures ^^
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Post by olegrand on Aug 21, 2020 19:25:25 GMT
I'm relatively new here to this forum so i haven't really heard of that "season xp", can I ask what it's about? Might prove useful in my own ventures ^^ Sorry it's just my own expression for the approach I use in my Dr Who campaign (and with other series-based games as well). The idea is as follows: since the game works best with an episodes & season format, instead of accumulating XPs or points of any sort, player-characters simply get one or two extra skill levels (or, if this makes sense, a new trait) between seasons - it's a bit like "levelling up", actually, without the hassle of bookkeeping etc.
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ryan
3rd Incarnation
The Unyielding 7th
Posts: 215
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Post by ryan on Aug 24, 2020 14:02:14 GMT
I can unofficially confirm that there will be a new XP system - if you listen to the Wibbly Wobbly Dicey Wicey Podcast we have an interview with Dave Chapman (the Vortex System Omega) wherein he tells us a few things we can look forwards to... WWDW Dave Chapman interview
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2020 13:59:33 GMT
After showing this system to friends who are not familiar with any of the cannon, and attempting to introduce it as a companion would be introduced to the doctor (suddenly and without context), I found that the rule book was waaaayyy to referential to the source cannon.
This differs from Fantasy Flights Star Wars RPG, which while using the setting and archetypes and teaches canonical history, it does not use the cannon as a crutch to introduce you to the world. There are only a select few in book examples that use completely original characters to illustrate how the game functions. Because of this I feel like there is a lot of fat that could be trimmed to make digesting the actual rules much more simple.
Beyond that I agree with what greyhame said, it would be nice if they could consolidate their sources for traits.
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Post by markrand on Aug 31, 2020 14:49:35 GMT
After showing this system to friends who are not familiar with any of the cannon, and attempting to introduce it as a companion would be introduced to the doctor (suddenly and without context), I found that the rule book was waaaayyy to referential to the source cannon. This differs from Fantasy Flights Star Wars RPG, which while using the setting and archetypes and teaches canonical history, it does not use the cannon as a crutch to introduce you to the world. There are only a select few in book examples that use completely original characters to illustrate how the game functions. Because of this I feel like there is a lot of fat that could be trimmed to make digesting the actual rules much more simple. Beyond that I agree with what greyhame said, it would be nice if they could consolidate their sources for traits. This could be the reason the writers of the FASA game used Time Lord Alistanathcalebiviteth (aka “Stan”) and his cat burglar companion T.C. “Tabby” Fellowes as sample characters.
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Post by Stormcrow on Aug 31, 2020 15:48:07 GMT
After showing this system to friends who are not familiar with any of the cannon, and attempting to introduce it as a companion would be introduced to the doctor (suddenly and without context), I found that the rule book was waaaayyy to referential to the source cannon. This differs from Fantasy Flights Star Wars RPG, which while using the setting and archetypes and teaches canonical history, it does not use the cannon as a crutch to introduce you to the world. There are only a select few in book examples that use completely original characters to illustrate how the game functions. Because of this I feel like there is a lot of fat that could be trimmed to make digesting the actual rules much more simple. You introduced the game to people who didn't know anything about Doctor Who by making them read the books? Why not just run a game for them using pregenerated characters? "How do I do such-and-such?" "Add this and that and roll two dice equal to or more than it. I'll tell you what happens." By the time the game is over, they'll understand the system. You don't need to reference specific characters to get the point across. Each edition of the rules have swapped characters in nearly exactly the same examples without any problem. Clearly, they are not depending on canon to make the examples stand up. Example: You don't need to know who Mickey is, what "Pete's World" is, or even what a Cyberman is to understand this example in the Tough trait. You could rewrite it without any loss of understanding: Earlier editions came with a four-page "Read This First! — How to Play" booklet. Try to get hold of one. It's an excellent reference for players.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2020 19:12:11 GMT
I guess my issue was I was hoping to spring the system on my friends like the Doctor would spring himself on a new companion (In a completely surprising way). I told them I wanted to try a new role playing game, and they wanted to make new characters. Because the books are so self referential to the cannon of doctor who the only way I was able to share the rules with them, without spoiling what universe we were in, was by redacting a lot of the references. It made me realize that if the books did not reference the source material so often, it would be much easier to digest the rules, and there would but much less text to parse through.
I have really enjoyed the system, and so have they. In fact this was only an issue when I was setting up the game and trying to make it a surprise for them.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Sept 1, 2020 11:02:34 GMT
I guess my issue was I was hoping to spring the system on my friends like the Doctor would spring himself on a new companion (In a completely surprising way). I told them I wanted to try a new role playing game, and they wanted to make new characters. Because the books are so self referential to the cannon of doctor who the only way I was able to share the rules with them, without spoiling what universe we were in, was by redacting a lot of the references. It made me realize that if the books did not reference the source material so often, it would be much easier to digest the rules, and there would but much less text to parse through. I have really enjoyed the system, and so have they. In fact this was only an issue when I was setting up the game and trying to make it a surprise for them. This is an excellent point. AITAS is extremely Who-centric and while it's possible to develop a campaign without the Doctor and the other elements of the Who Mythos the books don't help this. A more generic edition might help; after all the Vortex system is used for Rocket Age, Primeval and Pulp Fantastic, perhaps a generic (lite?) set of rules that is background agnostic would be useful?
You can deal with the issue of players Knowing Too Much (about the Whoniverse anyway) by altering it significantly.
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Post by Stormcrow on Sept 1, 2020 12:01:16 GMT
I, for one, would never buy a game called The Vortex System (Can Be Used for Doctor Who).
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2020 14:55:06 GMT
For my friends I kept calling the system the Time and Space RPG. Doesnt really roll of the tongue.
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Post by imajica on Sept 2, 2020 7:04:10 GMT
From a technical standpoint, I'd love to see epub versions - low/no art, very mobile-friendly.
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simonf
2nd Incarnation
Posts: 51
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Post by simonf on Sept 2, 2020 9:18:00 GMT
I would like the changes to be published in some kind of standalone document so that I could keep using the first edition books I have with tweaks. I'm really not keen on buying anything with the stuff from Seasons 11 and 12 in it, especially if there are Timeless Child references.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Sept 2, 2020 10:44:52 GMT
I would like the changes to be published in some kind of standalone document so that I could keep using the first edition books I have with tweaks. I'm really not keen on buying anything with the stuff from Seasons 11 and 12 in it, especially if there are Timeless Child references. The separation of the system into a more 'generic' rules book and a setting specific sourcebook seems like and excellent idea.
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Post by Escher on Sept 18, 2020 9:51:55 GMT
1) The XP rules and equipment acquisition from Primeval. 2) Consolidate all of the Traits from all of the Vortex system games. 3) Add in the other skills from the other Vortex system games. All of the above and an updated Time Traveller's Companion with all changes to canon since the last edition, a Time War sourcebook and for Cubicle 7 to abandon their odd fetish of not updating PDFs.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Sept 18, 2020 21:16:09 GMT
OK, this is not the most serious suggestion but it did come from one of my player groups and they told me to post it so..... Chocolate Daleks to use as Story Point tokens. Maybe just a mould?
I'll go now.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2020 16:02:06 GMT
Actually I had a similar idea when I was working on making a Harry Potter Roleplaying game, where your abilities would be represented as chocolate frog cards and you would open a chocolate frog package (like a booster pack) and get to eat the frog and pick your cards.
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bilbo
2nd Incarnation
Posts: 83
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Post by bilbo on Sept 25, 2020 14:15:16 GMT
A small thing that's nice... In other PDFs (thinking Old School Essentials), I've seen Table of Contents that link you directly to the page you want to find.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Sept 25, 2020 15:37:34 GMT
A small thing that's nice... In other PDFs (thinking Old School Essentials), I've seen Table of Contents that link you directly to the page you want to find. Hyperlinking in the ToC and the index are easily done, as is a proper bookmarks sidebar.
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Post by Escher on Oct 1, 2020 21:16:26 GMT
Updating errata for PDF's is also easily done. My wish for the second edition is that they update the first edition PDFs.
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Post by twodsix on Oct 6, 2020 2:22:33 GMT
Mainly having the removal of the heavily implied character concept limitations in the core rulebook: I don't want a gamd that's telling me the group shouldn't include a Cyberman with damaged emotional inhibitor or Time Lord. Especially the latter when the classic series is presented as an officially supported era. Even without three book supporting every concept it should just put all Traits into one list and let the group decide is and isn't appropriate for them.
On that note, also better integration of the classic series in the core book, instead of the heavy focus on the renewed series. At least in the artwork if not in the examples.
Rules-wise I'm mostly fine with the first edition, I'd like clearer XP rules and for minor NPCs to get group story points instead of several each, but I could live without those being changed. At least the XP rules aren't as bad as the other Vortex System game I own, which seems to think Skills are worth as much as Attributes. I honestly think just saying how many skill points they think an attribute point is worth, recommending a skill point every two to three sessions, and saying that minor adversaries get a small number of Story Points in a scene as a group would be all the rules changes they need.
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