[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by JLV

But since you completely changed the game, your experience with attribute bloat is not indicative of the reality of TFT.

I’ll assume you are taking about both of my posts, since the one you quote very clearly identified the problem that I think exists with the standard 3d6 system and very clearly is a list of ways that I think these problems could be addressed. “There are several ways to address this [purported problem with the 3d6 mechanic]:”

In other words, the changes I list are responses to a perceived problem - the 3d6 system makes too easy to get overly powerful characters in TFT in the base system. Nowhere in my posts can it be reasonably inferred that these changes were driven by the move to a d20 system, or by other changes. The move to the d20 mechanic was an attempt to solve the problem; it cannot reasonably be read to imply that the d20 mechanic caused this purported problem.

Originally Posted by JLV

...by your own statement, went with a system (D20) that materially changed the bell-curve, and which significantly increased the tolerance of your system for high attribute numbers, and then compounded the effect with a host of new rules on combat, talents, etc.

I don't think you read my posts very carefully (they *were* rather long). A clarification - when I said “besides ditching the system” I meant “besides ditching the ‘roll an attribute or under’ system”.

The combat fixes had nothing to do with the 3d6 vs d20 issue. They were simple fixes to widely acknowledged problems (ex. - making boomerangs less overpowering; ditto with certain pole arms) or clarifications (ex. - clarifying the effect of Missile Weapons talent on number of shots a figure can take; an issue at is not clearly addressed in Advanced Melee or ITL).

The other fixes were independent of the d20 mechanic as well and were various attempts to address another widely acknowledged issue with TFT - the problem of everyone hitting 95% of the time, regardless of the skill of their opponent and at comparatively low power levels. These fixes were all tested with the normal 3d6 mechanic and some with the d20 mechanic.

If you don’t think that there’s an “ever one hits most of the time” problem or that the clarifications are required, well, that’s fine with me.

Originally Posted by JLV

...tailored to your new bell curve, all of which changed the nature of the problem for you and your gamers. The rest of us, who were playing TFT, had an issue with attribute bloat. Sorry, but them's the facts, and telling us about some other game you were playing doesn't actually invalidate our reasoning about TFT.

The problem, of course, is that you’re misrepresenting my arguments. I reviewed them and they seem pretty clear to me. So I have to assume you simply misread them. I can’t really imagine that you’d intentionally misrepresent my points...

Originally Posted by JLV

NOT trying to be snarky, but I need to point out the logical issue behind your argument and how it changes the nature of your experience.)

Neither am I. But you seem to be misrepresenting my arguments pretty seriously.

Also, I think I’ve been clear that I’m merely offering these ideas as examples of how my group addressed issues that I felt should be addressed. I really couldn’t care less if you (a) disagree that the problems exist or (b) don’t like the proposed solutions. use them or not. If you see a logical or mathematical flaw in a proposed solution that I’ve advocated, I’d be interested. But if your argument boils down to “I don’t think it’s a problem” or “I don’t like it”, my response is simply to shrug and say “suit yourself”.

Nor have I lobbied for any of these changes to be made to the official version of TFT that will ultimately be released. I just don’t care, since I will play the game I want to play. Obviously, I think many of the changes improve the game, but that’s highly subjective, akin to arguing about which brand of potato chip is best (Pringles, obviously) or which version of “I heard it through the Grapevine” is best (Marvin Gaye’s version clearly).

I am mildly curious as to which of these issues you think should be addressed and how you’d address them. If I think your idea is better, I’d certainly acknowledge that fact.