First Impressions and suggestions.

[Malwing]

For a while now I've been writing reviews and generally talking about Pathfinder and third party Pathfinder products on a blog, but more recently, due to a broken computer, I branched out into a few other RPGs to talk about, including OVA.

Before I talk about a system I post an article about my general impressions, usually after making a character and playing a bit with my wife and just today I posted my first thoughts on OVA.

One thing is that I don't see much in terms of further products to talk about aside from the Golden Sky Stories crossover (I picked up Golden Sky Stories in my buying spree so I'm getting to that.) so I wanted to ask, what kind of topics do you, the consumers of OVA want to see discussed?

I already had the idea to start making NPCs based on whatever I'm currently playing. For example; the primary reason why I got the game was for a Sailor Moon campaign my wife wanted to run and I wanted to post some Youma Stat blocks. I also wanted to try my hand at a few settings and items.

[Chris Brady]

Part of the issue I have with OVA's 'implied' setting is that there isn't one so much as a group of disparate characters with settings that outright clash.

Which means there's potential for several settings within the game, but Clay seems to be very busy with life in general to even consider doing anything with the base setting in the first place.

[Malwing]

In regards to the 'setting' of the artwork/example characters are appropriate enough. Given the premise is a flexible system I don't mind it. I am curious about the life of the product in general. In some ways its more solid than say FATE but given what's going on with the system, as I noted, is that it's more of a builder than a full on game much like the abilities themselves. For example; you can't have the Vehicle(Mecha) ability on the table when you're doing a shoujo romance drama. You can easily replicate Pokemon but that takes some thought and consideration to codify what the system does not inherently codify. (one reason why I thought it would be more beneficial to separate the generic abilities and the genre specific ones.) To this end I would imagine that the most useful line of additions for the book would be subgenre or setting books to serve as tools to make more specific games. Like a 'Monster League' book where you have directions for how to make companion monsters, what to use to make them captureable, granting affinities and vulnerabilities to make a Pokemon/Digimon/Monster Rancher/Angelic Layer kind of game. Alternatively sub rules and tools to make any kind of 'henshin' game whether its magical girl or any other tokustatsu setting. Things like that seems like the next step to me because the book itself has some depth to it that isn't exactly explained enough. As far as I can dig up the game has been around since 2005 with the current edition being 2014 so I may be missing some old edition support but I'm mostly going by what I find lying around without digging too hard on DrivethruRPG. I'm also unaware of the politics behind the scene as to where OVA goes from where it is or even if it even allows for published third party support.

[Chris Brady]

Sorry, that's technically what I meant.

Each of the characters have an implied setting with them, and that although some can cross over, there are seeds of ideas that can expand in terms of rules. For example, as you pointed Yuu and Fenrir, who have a new mechanic, Trust, which could be expanded upon in a book of its own.

Karis, for example, could do with a more 'detailed' version of the game, with some abilities broken up into components fitting a science fiction anime. Breaking apart Pilot into a couple of abilities for example. Maybe even detailing a specific combat system, a la Battle Angel Gally/Alita.

Even Fukiko could have her own setting book, where magical girl tropes are expanded on, with Auren even allowing for something even more fantasy based.

And then there's Raine and Shou, for a more traditional Japanese Samurai Fantasy, with some rules on how do duels and the famous one hit 'kills' in the more Chanbara-esque and violent anime series.

BUT the way the game is written, and the ONE example given, it's implied that all the characters are meant to exist in the same world at the same time.

[sniffycrab]

I must say 'the every character type in alternate modern Japan' default setting does work. Every time I ran that setting the game took off. When I tried a fantasy type setting or outer space one, it sunk.

[Chris Brady]

For us, it's been the opposite, the game falls apart. We can use parts of it, certain characters, but not all together, as implied.

[Clay]

The original OVA (from 2005) was built on the framework of a long-running campaign where a school campus was home to pretty much every anime cliche imaginable. From a mecha-building club to a magic user’s club to a martial artist club—there were a lot of clubs—you can see where the hodgepodge nature of OVA’s sample cast came from.

It always worked for us, but it’s not for everyone. It just seemed the best way to me to capture all of the various kinds of games people would want to play while not fragmenting the cast so heavily that it made it difficult to use all the sample characters in conjunction.

There are supplemental lines planned that focus on various popular genres, but they’re still in production. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but I hope to expand the OVA line soon.

[Belisarion]

There are supplemental lines planned that focus on various popular genres, but they’re still in production. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but I hope to expand the OVA line soon.

Wohoo, now you make me a happy new fan, to have the statements that supplements are planned.

I tried Fate Accelerated and Savage Worlds as versatile systems but I say OVA beats them all. I even claim it can be easily used for non anime settings as well. A space line would be ingenious to cover everything from Robotech to Star Wars
Maybe some "Horror" as well to cover Vampire Hunter D and the likes.

[Clay]

I like FATE Accelerated, but sometimes I feel like all the compels and fate points can call too much attention to themselves. It’s still fun, but fun in a different way from OVA. I appreciate that you think so highly of my game, though!

The two books furthest in production are a fantasy setting and a sort of near-future cyberpunk style setting, but I have plans for lots of others too (including mecha space opera and *gasp* magical girls), but one thing at a time.

And yes, OVA is perfectly suitable for non-anime type games. I’ve thought about making a stripped down generic version of the ruleset before, but…I like anime too much.

[Belisarion]

The two books furthest in production are a fantasy setting and a sort of near-future cyberpunk style setting, but I have plans for lots of others too (including mecha space opera and *gasp* magical girls), but one thing at a time.

The near-future cyberpunk setting might fit Appleseed by chance?

And yes, OVA is perfectly suitable for non-anime type games. I’ve thought about making a stripped down generic version of the ruleset before, but…I like anime too much.

Oh, I don't mind the Anime focus at all. There are so many different Anime settings, from Space Opera, to Mecha, to Horror, to Fantasy, OVA is really awsomely versatile. Will those different setting books be cross compatible, lets say will I be able to cannibalize rules from each of them for own settings or merge them by chance?

And will they contain additional abilities/weaknesses/perks?

[Clay]

The near-future cyberpunk setting might fit Appleseed by chance?

Yes, along with Bubblegum Crisis and a smattering of other anime. I’m hoping to make it a real love-letter to the 80s.

Oh, I don't mind the Anime focus at all. There are so many different Anime settings, from Space Opera, to Mecha, to Horror, to Fantasy, OVA is really awsomely versatile. Will those different setting books be cross compatible, lets say will I be able to cannibalize rules from each of them for own settings or merge them by chance?

And will they contain additional abilities/weaknesses/perks?

Yeah, it’s not STRICTLY necessary. But there enough people that might pass on OVA for its anime coat of paint that having some kind of more generic option may be beneficial for spreading its adoption. But I’ve had such good fortune with the anime fan-base, I haven’t really felt the need more than musing. So far.

Anyway, yes the books will be completely cross compatible. In fact, I’m really not fond of the “ever-expanding splatbook” syndrome where you have to own 6 or 7 books to have the “complete” game. I’ll definitely add a few rules here and there if it fits the theme of the book, though. For instance, the fantasy book has various magic systems and expanded handling of weaponry. (Sssh, top secret!)

[Belisarion]

For instance, the fantasy book has various magic systems and expanded handling of weaponry. (Sssh, top secret!)

Oh, this will be the icing on the cake! Now you made me really excited. Will there be a KS for those setting books?

[Pparnell83]

Clay it's awesome to hear that all this is going on with the books!

I've been playing OVA off and on for like 6 months and would love to create some setting books for it or even work for you to help get all the others done. I really love all the care you've put into the OVAre book.

If you don't need help is there a way to start making supplements and modules? A licensing fee or a profit share or something?

Thanks and I can't wait to see the magic system! Is there any way to get on a beta test or something? I'm about to run a Magicians inspired Modern Arcana game and I bet it would come in handy. If not I understand.

Also I have a small gaming channel.

Here is my Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/InfinitePixelTV
and My twitters: twitter.com/infinitepixeltv
twitter.com/filminayear

[Clay]

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but there's no official way to publish licensed OVA content at this time. Perhaps when I finally finish a few of the supplement books (and thus, set a precedent for how they should be), it's something I could revisit.

Best of luck with your gaming channel, and feel free to post any thoughts you have for settings on the forums, or questions about how your Magicians-inspired game should work!

[Dravencour]

I first came across OVA on RPG.Net a number of years ago as something of a successor to BESM, a game which went from being a pretty simple anime game to being a pretty point-bloated game by the end when Guardians of Order crashed and burned.

I even got to play in a relatively short game and had to be walked through character creation because I didn't have the book and mainly only had the player handouts to go by. I rather liked the "base zero" style of character creation, and came up with a pretty solid character with the GM's help. Probably my favorite feature of the game thus far, other than the Transformation ability which was very conspicuously absent from BESM, was the ability to create your own attacks free of charge, which in the other game you would have to spend points for with each one. So I've recently ordered the game so I can get into it for real.