In the Giant in the Playground forums, someone
described how he actually tried to GM it. The haphazard and pointless attributes have already been mentioned.
- Check character creation so a step doesn't require redoing calculations made in an earlier step.
- Ensure a character creation step, such as randomly picking character class, isn't typically re-rolled at least twice, such as due to class entrance requirements.
- Check the maths of any class advancement, such as a barber cutting 10,000 beards or so to achieve second level.
- Avoid requiring boring actions, such as cutting beards, as the only way to advance.
- Ensure starting characters can afford basic equipment appropriate to the campaign, such as a weapon to fight bandits.
You can't accidentally make something as horrid as FATAL because you have the minimal insight to realize you can make a mistake. However, you are setting your bar far, far too low. Consider an RPG that was actually printed for comparison. Try stating your design philosophy and objectives.