Re: [BNW] Hello - powers package concept - please do!

[Mark Kilfoil <kilfoilm@nbnet.nb.ca>]

> No.  The package system as currently (minimally) described is a
> limitation.

> For example, maybe you want a hero with flying and heavy armor.  
> Maybe no package will offer that.  That's a limitation.

Hmmm... rereading Matt's brief, I guess I'm forced to admit the
possibility...

Actually, considering the other games (Deadlands and HoE), it
strikes me that it will likely be done with very strong "archetypes", 
which fit a particular "strand" (to use your DNA example) of
hero...

Rereading the web page strengthens the case:

  'In the roleplaying game, players take on the roles of people 
   known as deltas, people who have somehow gained fantastic 
   powers "far beyond those of mortals."

  'The America of Brave New World is a fractured place in which 
   deltas are required to register themselves as lethal weapons 
   and to report their movements no matter where they may go. The 
   entire country's been under martial law since the early '60s, 
   and it doesn't look like things are going to get better any 
   time soon.'

        (from BNW web site, (c) Pinnacle)

So we have these "deltas" which are registered....  Now, he may be
using the idea that "bureacracies categorize", so each "power package"
may correspond to a government category...  Say, category G1-10 for
ten levels of supernormal strengths, or category E1-10 with an 
I-rating (intensity rating) for energy emissions..

So perhaps a character would be categorized G3, E4(I8), which might
correspond to a mechanic like G3=="3 extra dice damage", E4(I8)=="area
effect; 8D10 damage"..

But this is all just wild (and inspirational...) speculation...

What was I talking about?  Oh, yeah... archetypes..  So if there are
archetypes in BNW, they'd be much like archetypes in Deadlands or
HoE...

Y'know...  HoE *is* a kind of superhero game, in a way.. especially
with Sykers, Doomsayers, Junkers...

> >>Yep...   trouble is, we've only heard the short description of it,
> >>so much of our discussion is moot anyway...
> 
> I disagree.  Our discussions are not moot. The reason Matt is reading
> and writing to this list is to test his ideas on diehard fans.  We 
> are contributing to his thought processes.  By commenting, we may
> actually have an effect on the game.

True...  I merely meant that we can tangle ourselves in knots of
discussion about wild speculation based on a few non-descriptive 
words..  Much like I'm doing right now! ;)

> >>Depending on how the packages are described, acquired, etc.  they
> >>could be far less restrictive than you give them credit...
> 
> True.  However, I'm going to do my best to let Matt know when I think 
> he is making a wrong decision.

I gotta know more before I can say it is a "wrong" decision... If the
rest of the game works well with the "power packages" idea, is it a 
"wrong" decision, just because externally to the whole game it appears
to be anathema or restrictive?

MK
-- 
the encaffeinated ONE -- LIVE! from minbar!
Mark K.  <kilfoilm@nbnet.nb.ca>