Does anyone actually LIKE Trait+Flaw Systems/Skill Points in online RPs?

[Griever]

It just seems like a lot of minutia to consider. Minutia which weighs everything else down and is more restrictive than creative.

I mean, how exactly is a roleplayer supposed to gauge a Strength of 12? How do you distinguish a strength of 12 in comparison to a strength of 11? 13? More importantly, why not just get rid of Skill Points altogether and people can safely assume that a person wielding the battle axe or greatsword is undoubtedly quite strong.



As for Trait and Flaw systems, they're even more ambiguous, restrictive and most importantly difficult to enforce.

Trait/Flaw systems force the roleplayer into considering a specific set of rules during each and every post. Not only is this limiting, but it's difficult as well. I very much doubt there's too many that are apt at considering a precise outlined set of guidelines, in each post (or simply remembering to do so.)


Trait systems aren't too much of an issue if they're extremely general and give little room for sway such as "Your nation is full of mages." Then, we can assume that a nation will likely have a military made up of primarily mages. The real confusion starts when we have to distinguish between:
-"Your nation is full of mages."
-"Your nation is apt at magic."
-"Your nation is highly in tune nature."
-"Your nation is highly in tune with the weather."
-"Your nation is full of cryomancers."
-"Your nation is settled on a leyline."
-"Your nation is highly spiritual."



I wholeheartedly believe the best thing to happen to Roleplaying was taking it off the table and moving it online. About the only useful thing that came out of DnD/tabletop roleplaying were dice rolls, which are really just a fancy alternative for random number/event generators. Online RPs are substantially less restrictive, less formulaic, less tedious, more entertaining and they conserves paper.


/curiosityminirant

[Memory]

Strength can be used as a requirement. Such as it requires a strength level of 7 to wield a sword.

4 intelligence to cast grievers grief bomb
Depends on how you use them.

[Griever]

Strength can be used as a requirement. Such as it requires a strength level of 7 to wield a sword.

4 intelligence to cast grievers grief bomb
Depends on how you use them.

And what is the advantage of that over something which involves less minutia/calculations and could potentially result in an additional RP post? Not to mention, it would essentially be more viable like "White Knight practiced his thrusting on the training dummy with his wooden sword, Oakcalibur. He got better and Merlin entrusted him with a real sword."

[Kestrel]

Trick is mostly to compare to others and forcing players to make choices. Outside of that, just gotta be flexible. If strengths, weaknesses and abilities are written down people become less likely to pull a deus ex machina or shrug things off. It also allows you to punish stupid moves with less whining, because you can simply say "Your strength is too low to perform a feat like that." and move the fuck on.

They are great GM tools. For players they're mostly building blocks and well, they can also profit off a certain balance. They do sacrifice a bit in terms of originality, but... Well, nothing is original anyway.

A good stat system takes away as little as possible freedom and encourages the greatest amount of balance and a fair bit of control for the GM.

[Mimosa]

No...but then again, I play for the character development and interactions, occasionally for the romance, and nothing I do here involves any physical fighting (at least, not when the skills are equally matched - curse my masochistic needs). So I really have no use for dice rolls or skill points.

[Alexander Tau]

Generally I agree with your main point. I don't think overly detailed Rule Systems are all that needed online.

But what you said about moving online from the tabletops makes me wonder if you have ever really RPed in the original way.

I love online RP and I have been doing it for a long time. I have created huge Games and I have done small ones. My Games have been featured on more than one RP Site.

But none of that even comes close to the intensity and power of playing around a tabletop. When you get a group of people together to play there is a magic that simply does not exist online. Done well the experience is amazingly powerful. People sweat, they scream, they feel fear, joy, victory and just about every other emotion you can describe.

I have run sessions where by the end of the 6 hours of play everyone was physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. We would have been in better shape if we had been playing basketball for 6 hours. Groups also stick together when they meet in person. Having a group play every weekend for years is not even uncommon in real life. How long exactly do most online games run? What is the average like a week? Talk about the Game for 2 weeks and play for 1 seems pretty common.

Online RP is great fun and I love it. But I can barely compare it to the experience of tabletop play. Online is a mere shadow of the glory that is Role Playing with a live group of people.



A.T
(-)

[Darkwingfrog]

No...but then again, I play for the character development and interactions, occasionally for the romance, and nothing I do here involves any physical fighting (at least, not when the skills are equally matched - curse my masochistic needs). So I really have no use for dice rolls or skill points.

I agree and disagree. I am a d&d nerd all the way, but the way our DM conducts things allows for character development.

On here, I actually prefer roleplays with little action in them (and I agree with the masochistic needs bit) because I believe in character-based plots, which requires more character development than fighting.

[Duskz]

why not just get rid of Skill Points altogether and people can safely assume that a person wielding the battle axe or greatsword is undoubtedly quite strong.

Cause it so happens that that same character wielding the battle-axe/greatsword is not only strong, but so happens to be godly fast, smart ass a whip and as unbreakable as steel itself. You know... everything I already am

Though, I do see the point. Sorry, I may be a nerd, but I will never find myself playing DnD...

[Darkwingfrog]

Then you must be the OTHER type of nerd that watches Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica and stuff. Lol

[Duskz]

I'm the closet nerd B-) I didn't really like things like star wars, star trek, battle star gal, etc. I did like Star Gate though! The main army guy on there is hilarious, I wish I knew the actors name.