TFT Game Design Issues

[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by JLV

Actually, you know, you're right. Despite all the comments I and others have made about the ways in which you COULD change things, I don't know that I've heard too many really convincing arguments (including my own in many cases) that a lot of those things SHOULD be changed! ;-)

Sure, I think experience needs tweaked, and pole arms could definitely use a re-write, and possibly, I could see an adjustment to the DEFEND option to make it somewhat more attractive to use, but otherwise, correcting typos, maybe clarifying what was actually meant in a couple of places, and tightening up the actual writing of the rules somewhat would be all that's really needed here. This game was damn good when it first came out, and very little is necessary to make it perfect in my opinion. Lightning struck Steve when he originally put this game together, and it's going to be really hard to improve much on the original rules!

Agreed. If I were the TFT Czar, I'd limit the changes to:

1. Correcting errors/misprints/typos;

2. Resolving ambiguities/inconsistencies (does the Missile Weapons DX bonus count for determining rate of fire? What about DX penalties for aimed shots?);

3. Fixing serious game balance issues (nerfing boomerangs, revising bolas, nerfing some pole weapons and charge attacks);

4. Polishing rough systems (maybe re-working the experience points a little; deleting or simplifying some peculiar weapons);

5. Clarifications (clarify whether halflings are 32 point characters for experience, or express experience levels as "extra attribute point 1-4; extra attribute point 5-8);

6. Nerfing cheesy exploits (making job rolls for 50 weeks just to build attributes; throwing wizard's staves at an opponent to cause it to explode for 3d damage);

7. A few Needful Things (a healing spell; alternate death rules; designer's notes);

8. Deleting and possibly fixing anything that just doesn't work (the TFT system for gaining experience probably should be revised, as it really doesn't capture the power differences between monsters - currently a 7 hex dragon is worth 74 ep; about the same as 3 ST12 DX12 myrmidons); and

9. Updating the rules organization and style to be more coherent and modern.

I'd leave additional attributes, talent points, new defense rules, etc., for future supplements. Because TFT has not officially existed for 35 years, there are a LOT of house rules out there that are probably far better conceived and playtested than typical RPG house rules. The problem is that they are often incompatible with other house rules that address the same issues.

Regarding "attribute bloat"... That seems to be the most common complaint, so I'd address it somehow. There are zillions of ways to go at the problem, so I'll only list a few.

Maybe the initial TFT RPG rules should flatly state "This game works best for characters with no more than (say) ten extra attribute points. More powerful characters will need the future T-BASE (the TFT Bad-Ass System Expansion)."

Or tweak the experience point levels so that characters with XX extra attribute points are almost impossible to get.

Steve might want to include some comments on how long a group should expect to play before reaching various levels of extra attributes. I.e., "you should expect to go through X normal game sessions to get to your 4th additional attribute point. Y game sessions to get to your 4th additional attribute point." Etc.