Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post

JLV · 08-08-2018, 12:42 PM

The only problem with cards for items (especially magical or enchanted ones) is that they tend to drive the GM down a certain specified path. It you get a pretty card for a specific magic item, that virtually guarantees that magical item will pop up in the game, even it if were otherwise wildly inappropriate for that GM's actual campaign. It's like having the Hammer of Thor appear in your game, even though you're playing a campaign set in Middle Earth.

Plus, I find that cards like that (unless you publish millions of them a la Magic: The Gathering), tend to starkly limit choices and GM imagination. Mind you, this is all anecdotal information from observing a fairly limited number of campaigns over the years (maybe a max of 20, of which 10 were my own, so only about 10 run by others, and only a couple of which used cards in this way).

Cards for generic items, swords, shields, horses, wagons, whatever, are less of a problem that way; though as someone else observed, you might potentially need a ton of them as the campaign goes on. Plus they tend to eliminate individual variations (horses are not all produced by a cookie-cutter stamping press, after all). So design of the cards would be very crucial for those kinds of issues.

Cards for things like Spells, on the other hand, might be very useful, since they ARE produced by a cookie cutter stamping press...

I like the stand up "drinks/dessert menu" idea. I think that could be very useful, especially for the normally less frequently used, but nonetheless relatively complex rules sets (water, movement on and in, breathing, drowning, swimming, etc., or, as you suggest, mounted combat rules) kinds of situation. Something like that would be an enormous aid to play.

The more I think about the GM screen, the more I think that info on the player side should be limited to nearly universal and frequently consulted info (Armor/weapon tables, and equipment and costs tables, for example) printed as large as conveniently possible, with the remaining panel(s) taken up by art or something. It's hard for players to see it sometimes, particularly if the GM is establishing "atmosphere" with darkened lighting and the like, and should be confined to things that they need to periodically consult during the game itself. The pullouts (one for quick character design would be a nice touch, btw), or standup tri-fold menus would be better ways to convey other necessary information to them.

Sorry for the wall of text, but you asked... ;-)

08-08-2018, 12:42 PM	#4
JLV Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Arizona	Re: GM Screen Alternatives The only problem with cards for items (especially magical or enchanted ones) is that they tend to drive the GM down a certain specified path. It you get a pretty card for a specific magic item, that virtually guarantees that magical item will pop up in the game, even it if were otherwise wildly inappropriate for that GM's actual campaign. It's like having the Hammer of Thor appear in your game, even though you're playing a campaign set in Middle Earth. Plus, I find that cards like that (unless you publish millions of them a la Magic: The Gathering), tend to starkly limit choices and GM imagination. Mind you, this is all anecdotal information from observing a fairly limited number of campaigns over the years (maybe a max of 20, of which 10 were my own, so only about 10 run by others, and only a couple of which used cards in this way). Cards for generic items, swords, shields, horses, wagons, whatever, are less of a problem that way; though as someone else observed, you might potentially need a ton of them as the campaign goes on. Plus they tend to eliminate individual variations (horses are not all produced by a cookie-cutter stamping press, after all). So design of the cards would be very crucial for those kinds of issues. Cards for things like Spells, on the other hand, might be very useful, since they ARE produced by a cookie cutter stamping press... I like the stand up "drinks/dessert menu" idea. I think that could be very useful, especially for the normally less frequently used, but nonetheless relatively complex rules sets (water, movement on and in, breathing, drowning, swimming, etc., or, as you suggest, mounted combat rules) kinds of situation. Something like that would be an enormous aid to play. The more I think about the GM screen, the more I think that info on the player side should be limited to nearly universal and frequently consulted info (Armor/weapon tables, and equipment and costs tables, for example) printed as large as conveniently possible, with the remaining panel(s) taken up by art or something. It's hard for players to see it sometimes, particularly if the GM is establishing "atmosphere" with darkened lighting and the like, and should be confined to things that they need to periodically consult during the game itself. The pullouts (one for quick character design would be a nice touch, btw), or standup tri-fold menus would be better ways to convey other necessary information to them. Sorry for the wall of text, but you asked... ;-)