Dresden Files...the Story Game!!

[Mickey Finn]

"Yes, I know it's not out yet. I'm still torn, though. I'm pre-torn!"

You're perforated.

[finarvyn]

I am trying to make a "Harryesque" game using a combo of the old " Call of Cthulhu ' and the new D20 "C of C" . So I am waiting  for the new game, badly!

I'm curious as to how this has worked out, since the philosophy behind CoC and DF are so divergent.

CoC puts an emphasis on mundanes searching for clues that Nasty Things really exist, and their struggle to understand them. The magic systems of both versions aren't really designed to allow for much magic use by characters.

As posted in another thread, you might look at "Monte Cook's World of Darkness" if you want to insert d20 systems into the Dresdenverse. MCWoD is more supernatural in theme.

[Torvaldr]

I like to tell stories. Occupational hazard. But at the same time, no crunching makes things a little too loose for me. In a storytelling based game how do you know if a spell works, or if you shot someone or missed? Depend on the GM to decide? I don't like that idea at all. When I run RGPs I do have a story. I know how it starts. I know how it ends. I know what the party needs to find to get to the end. How they find it, how they get it, how they use it, is up to them. I am not above fudging the numbers to make something work when it needs to. The biggest problem with crunch games, D&D as an example, is that too many people who play it, GMs included, are "bible thumpers". The rules are the rules are the rules are the rules. I then take the book out of their hands. Bash them HARD across the skull and force them to write a million times the one rule in the book they always seem to ignore.

"THE RULES ARE GUIDELINES!"

By the way I really did take a book away from a player and hit them once. Eventually that player was no longer invited to play.

Now as Iago has already mentioned the game will be in the vane of a story form with some crunching as needed. I would expect for combat situations, or spell casting. I do not know if I will ever get to actually play, since I can't find a gaming group at all in this area, but I will likely get the game to read it over.

[Lizard King]

There are ways to do it without a lot of crunching.  Dozens of them.  And they keep things fair, with an element of suspense.  My group uses them all the time. 

[Lizard King]

The more I read about the upcoming RPG, the more disheartened I become.  It looks like an extremely rules-heavy game, and I'm just tired of that.  I've done those since I was a kid.  I'm ready to just play a game without having to read a text book first. 

I realize I'm probably in the minority on this, and I'm not trying to criticize the game.  I'm just into the more indy style story games.  Is anyone else thinking this way?

[R00kie]

The more I read about the upcoming RPG, the more disheartened I become.  It looks like an extremely rules-heavy game, and I'm just tired of that.  I've done those since I was a kid.  I'm ready to just play a game without having to read a text book first. 

I think you are very very wrong. I feel this for a couple of reasons. Firstly because it is FATE based and this is far from rules heavy, and secondly because the big names behind it are Fred Hicks and Rob Donoghue and if you listen to them in podcasts or look at any of the things they have published its clear that they are story gamers at heart and more interested in producing a fun game than a tactical simulation.

Try playing Spirit of the Century. Its very rules light as roleplaying games go, and a lot of fun.

[iago]

The more I read about the upcoming RPG, the more disheartened I become.  It looks like an extremely rules-heavy game, and I'm just tired of that.  I've done those since I was a kid.  I'm ready to just play a game without having to read a text book first. 

I realize I'm probably in the minority on this, and I'm not trying to criticize the game.  I'm just into the more indy style story games.  Is anyone else thinking this way?

You're still liable to be a healthy minority, even if you're in a minority there. And I feel you, man -- but I still feel like we need to stay true to our implementation with this one.  I'd heartily suggest that the game will still be a solid resource book for fans of the setting, and as such I wouldn't be surprised if a number of folks picked it up with the idea of setting aside the system part and using the setting info for their favorite system of choice.  If you're tired of heavier rules, something in the PDQ family would probably rock for ya.

(That said, do I think I'd characterize the game as "extremely rules heavy?" -- No, I wouldn't; it adds a few more systems on top of what Spirit of the Century offers, but I don't consider SOTC to be rules-heavy so much as example-drenched.  YMMV.)

[Lizard King]

You're still liable to be a healthy minority, even if you're in a minority there. And I feel you, man -- but I still feel like we need to stay true to our implementation with this one.  I'd heartily suggest that the game will still be a solid resource book for fans of the setting, and as such I wouldn't be surprised if a number of folks picked it up with the idea of setting aside the system part and using the setting info for their favorite system of choice.  If you're tired of heavier rules, something in the PDQ family would probably rock for ya.

(That said, do I think I'd characterize the game as "extremely rules heavy?" -- No, I wouldn't; it adds a few more systems on top of what Spirit of the Century offers, but I don't consider SOTC to be rules-heavy so much as example-drenched.  YMMV.)

You are likely exactly right.  My friends and I love both RPG's and the Dresden universe.  I have no doubt we'll have the Dresden RPG and canabalize the living crap out of it, at the very least. 

Regarding the rules heavy part of my statement, I realize it doesn't take much to have that description for me.  I totally know I'm hard to please in that aspect!

[R00kie]

Regarding the rules heavy part of my statement, I realize it doesn't take much to have that description for me.  I totally know I'm hard to please in that aspect!

Perhaps you could give examples of games you consider too rules heavy, and games you consider acceptably rules light so we can get some idea of what your tolerances are? Then maybe some of the nice guys on the alpha might comment on how the game compares to some of your examples?

[iago]

Better yet, maybe we could suggest some alterna-systems that would really rock for you!

[Lizard King]

Perhaps you could give examples of games you consider too rules heavy, and games you consider acceptably rules light so we can get some idea of what your tolerances are? Then maybe some of the nice guys on the alpha might comment on how the game compares to some of your examples?

Lemme get a quick consensus of my gaming group on the systems we've enjoyed most.  What I've considered too rules heavy would be games such as D&D, the Heroes Game System, White Wolf.
On the Indy scene, while I love Vincent Baker and the game idea, I found Dogs in the Vineyard not so much rules heavy, but rules tedious.  Spirit of the Century is awesome, but more reading than playing for me, at least at first.
I'm an extremist, guys.  Vincent Baker's Otherkind mechanic is the most elegant game system ever created, in my eyes.  I'd be more apt to dive into a game if it starts off basic and easy, minimal reading. I'll take supplements later, quite happily, if I can jump in with both feet quickly.
Thanks for listening to me, guys.  I'm fully aware that I'm a radical minority.  But I do love the whole CONCEPT of Dresden.  And I want to RPG with it.
By the way, Iago, we met at Gen Con 07, at your Indy area.  I was the long haired dude looking for illustration opportunities and you told me about the upcoming Dresden RPG.

[iago]

You fit the description of three or four guys, Lizard, but that definitely narrows the field.

SOTC is a good benchmark for what DFRPG will be like; add maybe another 10-20% in explicit support of the genre, rejigger several of the core elements of the system, and that's where you end up. 

Have you played around with any of Chad Underkoffler's PDQ products? (Zorcerer of Zo, Truth & Justice, etc)

[Lizard King]

You fit the description of three or four guys, Lizard, but that definitely narrows the field.

SOTC is a good benchmark for what DFRPG will be like; add maybe another 10-20% in explicit support of the genre, rejigger several of the core elements of the system, and that's where you end up. 

Have you played around with any of Chad Underkoffler's PDQ products? (Zorcerer of Zo, Truth & Justice, etc)

I haven't, but my co-creator/buddy/gamer Chris Moore (created Psi-Run and displayed at the Forge Booth) is the true indy gamer.  He knows his stuff way better than I do, so I'll ask him.  He's the one who showed me that an indy game culture exists. 

[iago]

Ah, groovy!  I didn't get a lot of chance to talk to Chris, but Psi Run definitely had the buzz.

[Lizard King]

Ah, groovy!  I didn't get a lot of chance to talk to Chris, but Psi Run definitely had the buzz.

When I say co-creator, I don't mean I had input on Psi Run other than test run and illo.  But I have the pleasure of working on a game with him now.