OVA's been around for more than 2 years now, so I'm increasingly considering a book-wide revision of the game. Not a second edition mind you, I think the game is quite fine at its core, and editions are for much more changes than I intend.
I've gotten much better with book design, and a general face lift might be in order. I also have a bigger budget for art, so replacing some of the more lackluster pieces is also crossing my mind.
But I'd also like to spruce up the game text itself. Certainly clarify a few things. (What does, and doesn't, add to attack rolls seems to be a constant point of confusion). Make some new attributes, and remove some redundant ones. Maybe rename a couple of things for consistency's sake.
So, several questions for all of you!
1) What has confused you most and you wish were explained at greater length?
2) What attributes and rules do you feel are missing from the text? Excessively genre specific ones (like expanded magic or mecha-building rules) is not what I'm looking for.
3) What attributes do you think are vague, or contain text that does not reflect what you feel it should do? Likewise, which attributes do you feel have inappropriate or confusing names?
4) Do you hate the experience point system as much as I do? *laughs*
Of course, any other suggestions are welcome as well.
BTW, if you're still lurking around, Doc Hal, fret not. PDF revisions will always be free. And even if I work over the book enough art-wise to warrant creating a new "edition" of the product, previous owners of OVA will get it for free or at a substantial discount. That, and a document containing all changes will be uploaded, so you don't have to bother with a new edition at all, if you don't want to.
Other Potential Revisions
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Father of Dragons
- Worthy Tortoise
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 10:08 pm
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Off the top of my head, I will note the following:
- It needs to be clearer which attributes have which effect on combat. There needs to be a table listing these and just what effect they have (or, special marking in a master table of attributes);
- There should be a table in the book of advantages and disadvantages, rather like the PDF files on the site, except without the ommissions;
- The example characters should be in character sheet form, with the attack and defense fields filled out as examples;
- Invention needs to be better specified, even if the specifications are suggestions and not hard rules.
"If that's pure logic I'll take vanilla."
1) What has confused you most and you wish were explained at greater length?
Honestly, my biggest confusion was always around Power Move, and with the recent explanation you gave, as well as the changes you designed, I think that''s been cleared up to a good degree.
However, I think some examples of the various 'power' attributes would be good. Magic examples, Power Move/Weapon Creation examples, and Invention Examples would definitely be a good thing to do. You already have a Transformation example, but you may want to go through it to see if it can be made a little clearer.
2) What attributes and rules do you feel are missing from the text? Excessively genre specific ones (like expanded magic or mecha-building rules) is not what I'm looking for.
I'm not sure about rules, but maybe a Flaw you might want to think about adding is Charges.
Charges - Power cost no endurance to use, but can only be used a number of times before it is no longer usable. Good for Inventions with limited use (like potions) or powers that could lead to death if used too many times (as the main Protagonist in Maburaho deals with, as he is only able to use magic eight times before dying).
It's a thought.^_^
3) What attributes do you think are vague, or contain text that does not reflect what you feel it should do? Likewise, which attributes do you feel have inappropriate or confusing names?
I'll have to look through the list. I'll let you know more if I see anything.
Beautiful and Cute! pop to mind, but I can see a use for either attribute. The problem is if someone takes both at +3 and tries to use them at the same time as Charisma to give them a huge dice pool to roll with. Maybe a clarification on those two where you can use one or the other, but not both.
4) Do you hate the experience point system as much as I do? *laughs*
I have no problem with the experience point system yet, but I have just given out the first batch of XP in one of my games. Let me think on this a little more, or if you could give us some of the things you don't like about it.
Honestly, my biggest confusion was always around Power Move, and with the recent explanation you gave, as well as the changes you designed, I think that''s been cleared up to a good degree.
However, I think some examples of the various 'power' attributes would be good. Magic examples, Power Move/Weapon Creation examples, and Invention Examples would definitely be a good thing to do. You already have a Transformation example, but you may want to go through it to see if it can be made a little clearer.
2) What attributes and rules do you feel are missing from the text? Excessively genre specific ones (like expanded magic or mecha-building rules) is not what I'm looking for.
I'm not sure about rules, but maybe a Flaw you might want to think about adding is Charges.
Charges - Power cost no endurance to use, but can only be used a number of times before it is no longer usable. Good for Inventions with limited use (like potions) or powers that could lead to death if used too many times (as the main Protagonist in Maburaho deals with, as he is only able to use magic eight times before dying).
It's a thought.^_^
3) What attributes do you think are vague, or contain text that does not reflect what you feel it should do? Likewise, which attributes do you feel have inappropriate or confusing names?
I'll have to look through the list. I'll let you know more if I see anything.
Beautiful and Cute! pop to mind, but I can see a use for either attribute. The problem is if someone takes both at +3 and tries to use them at the same time as Charisma to give them a huge dice pool to roll with. Maybe a clarification on those two where you can use one or the other, but not both.
4) Do you hate the experience point system as much as I do? *laughs*
I have no problem with the experience point system yet, but I have just given out the first batch of XP in one of my games. Let me think on this a little more, or if you could give us some of the things you don't like about it.
Roleplay does not begin with everyone else.
Roleplay begins with you.
Roleplay begins with you.
There will be more examples for everything, and making several "quick-reference" lists is definitely a good idea. Thanks FoD. 
This already exists in OVA mecha, but I may move it over to main rulebook. We'll see!Beli wrote:I'm not sure about rules, but maybe a Flaw you might want to think about adding is Charges.
It's not very often you should have both to start with. You're either cute, or you're beautiful. You're rarely both. But this is one of many potential abuses of the system; I'd hate to plague the text with constant warnings for munchkinism. It'd take up 40 pages. ;DBeli wrote:Beautiful and Cute! pop to mind, but I can see a use for either attribute. The problem is if someone takes both at +3 and tries to use them at the same time as Charisma to give them a huge dice pool to roll with. Maybe a clarification on those two where you can use one or the other, but not both.
I was mainly being facetious. It just makes characters grow a little too fast, and I hate the entire concept of Experience Points. It feels very arbitrary in a game like OVA where you can gain Abilities and Weaknesses simply by role-playing it out.Beli wrote:I have no problem with the experience point system yet, but I have just given out the first batch of XP in one of my games. Let me think on this a little more, or if you could give us some of the things you don't like about it.
Anyone here familiar with the Cartoon Action Hour roleplaying game?Eisenmann wrote:I agree with what the other guys mentioned.
Clay, I'm not a big fan of experience points myself. I'm really stingy with them in my games because it's too easy to jack character abilities up in a hurry.
Admittedly, I was a contributing writer for that, so I happen to know it really well.
Cartoon Action Hour has an optional experience/advancement system built in. Few people seem to actually use it, but it's a great system and I'm going to explain it to you:
For the optional advancement in CAH, you have to literally imagine the player-characters as characters in a TV series, where they are pretty much closely defined and laden with problems and villains for an entire season. Their skills and abilities don't suddenly jump up in the middle of a season, nor do they acquire an all-new skill in just one episode.
The GM will determine if and when a "season" of the show is over, maybe even playing a massive season finale where special events unfold. Usually a season concludes after 12 to 15 adventures played. You can then actually vote on whether the season was successful enough to get a pick-up. If the players agree, or there is a majority vote in favor of continuing, you can go on playing your series, but it's a new SEASON.
For such a new season, you can renovate characters: give them a new gimmick, improve a skill by one level, etc. Superhero-type characters can also get a new cosume or a new power for some reason or another.
Jandar, I like it. I'll be using that for now on not only with OVA but with other games as well. It's such a great idea.Jandar wrote: For such a new season, you can renovate characters: give them a new gimmick, improve a skill by one level, etc. Superhero-type characters can also get a new cosume or a new power for some reason or another.
Awesome that you liked it right away!Eisenmann wrote:Jandar, I like it. I'll be using that for now on not only with OVA but with other games as well. It's such a great idea.Jandar wrote: For such a new season, you can renovate characters: give them a new gimmick, improve a skill by one level, etc. Superhero-type characters can also get a new cosume or a new power for some reason or another.
That other system, CAH, uses the TV show concept throughout: the player-characters are the main characters (heroes), their friends are supporting roles, an adventure is an "episode," several adventures are a "season," and so forth.
What I should have said earlier is that in CAH, the characters still "work" towards getting the improvements, and changes to a character are not random. (But you could go really wild by making them random!)
For example, there are guidelines for what is considered a "great feat" and "acting in character." For every major situation where the player acted in character he can get bonus points, even if the character suffered a failure in the situation (we all learn from our failures and setbacks, don't we?). Add to that one point as an award for just being in the game session, and so on.
When those points go over a certain score (it's 10 in Cartoon Action Hour), the character qualifies for an upgrade.
this is ideas based on a few days of reading
#1. A greater explanation of how to scale settings for bigger badder stuff, but as you have said the mecha book will have this I just think a paragraph and an example then explain that there will or is a book that has the actual rules.
#2. I think Ranged might want to be covered more for people who want stuff like Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, etc... though sorry if that is to exact like ya said ya didn't want.
#3. Can't find any it's all fun and games except for some powers overlapping but with a smart group they won't do it but I can see people taking Martial Arts/Weapon and Strong quite often
#4. Depends on the group. When some are complete noobs to RPGs its hard to make them understand that OVA isn't based on the idea that the Abilities decide how you effect things like other rpgs. An Example would be the difference from Yu Yu Hakusho at the start Yusuke had about a 1 in the start. He probably ended the series with a 4 at most and the guy that Yusuke fought at the end edged him out by having a few 5s. Where as a group who have played a few games it might be easier to get the idea across.
Sorry for the detail of answer #4 but to put it shortly I love the fact that OVA isn't so exp focused but the idea might throw people off like it did me when i first looked at it.
#1. A greater explanation of how to scale settings for bigger badder stuff, but as you have said the mecha book will have this I just think a paragraph and an example then explain that there will or is a book that has the actual rules.
#2. I think Ranged might want to be covered more for people who want stuff like Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, etc... though sorry if that is to exact like ya said ya didn't want.
#3. Can't find any it's all fun and games except for some powers overlapping but with a smart group they won't do it but I can see people taking Martial Arts/Weapon and Strong quite often
#4. Depends on the group. When some are complete noobs to RPGs its hard to make them understand that OVA isn't based on the idea that the Abilities decide how you effect things like other rpgs. An Example would be the difference from Yu Yu Hakusho at the start Yusuke had about a 1 in the start. He probably ended the series with a 4 at most and the guy that Yusuke fought at the end edged him out by having a few 5s. Where as a group who have played a few games it might be easier to get the idea across.
Sorry for the detail of answer #4 but to put it shortly I love the fact that OVA isn't so exp focused but the idea might throw people off like it did me when i first looked at it.