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Old 03-09-2018, 07:10 PM   #688
Rick_Smith
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Coquitlam B.C.
Default Lowering memory cost of talents doesn't fix everything.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skarg View Post
It seems to me the main talent issues are:
...
* Characters with talents tend to be more capable than those without, but that isn't taken into account for EP costs or estimating character ability level, unless/until someone spends EP on IQ.
...

To me, it seems like reducing talent costs doesn't solve many of those, but that all of that could be neatly addressed by adding some nice talents (more expert talents, armor-wearing talent that reduces armor DX penalty, other tricks), and then letting EP be spend on getting talents without raising IQ but with some revised study rules, and adjusting the EP curve for increasing attributes so it starts getting really steep at about 38 points.
Hi Skarg, everyone.
My superscript rules (and expended talent list) do fix all of these. (Except for one, see below.) However, I think that they are too different from basic TFT for Steve Jackson to go for them.

Making talents cheaper is a easy fix for some of the problems you listed.

Reducing the amount of experience given out is an easy fix for some of the other problems you listed.

A few different, easy fixes would make the new TFT significantly better than the old.

*****

The 'problem' you listed (that I did not cut out above), where people with talents are more capable than those without. I don't think this is a problem.

Talents are good to have. Spending 1 memory on Knife gives you effectively +4 DX for that 1 mIQ. People want to have talents and people should have talents. Everyone has the potential to gain exactly the same advantages with talents as anyone else. I see no reason why characters with talents should get less experience than those without, since everyone will have them.

Now some people with pick talents that work well together and make them more dangerous. Other people will pick talents without these synergies, or non-combat talents, and therefore get less experience in fights.

Is this a big problem? It seems to me that TFT has much bigger problems which should be addressed. Most GM's I know will reduce the experience given by the TFT formula if the fight seems too easy.

Warm regards, Rick.

Last edited by Rick_Smith; 03-09-2018 at 07:18 PM. Reason: Spelling error.
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