cpt.crush wrote:

Hi, I was wondering what you think about these simplifications:

• Rushing: Remove test. It's already a complex action, so mechanically I'm paying for it.
• Jumping: Convert test to table / formula (e.g., distance = Athletics/10 in meters or something similar).
• Shock attack: Simple SOM check only to resist? (It's quite complex as it is).
• Wounds / trauma: Automate knockdown or unconscious by comparing damage to SOM value instead of rolling (e.g., DV > SOM/2 or DV > SOM)? Do same for traumas / WIL.

Additionally, some questions:

• Movement in Gravity: The paragraph about Movement becoming automatic action is not clear. Same goes for high gravity.
• Attack against helpless: Does that automatically succeed?
• Flex: What would prevent NPC spamming, e.g., 4 players spending 2 flex each to spawn / spam 8 guards to help them?
• Moxie: What would prevent players spamming Major favors each day with Favor reset?

One more idea: Could you include an optional "simplification" table for opposed tests, to convert them to Success tests - in particular for combat: That is, a matrix, one dimension for total skill of P1, one for total skill of P2, and entries that map to a converted Success test modifier for P1 in a single roll. Mathematically speaking it's the same, but would allow for more streamlined combat and reduced GM task loading.

Rushing and Jumping being lookup tables:? Yeah, sounds good to me. Shock Attack to simple SOM: yes, though including any modifiers from insulated armor or being a synth and such. Knockdown and KO: These I think should probably stay randomized. I don't think a high SOM should just make you soft-immune to these kinds of effects. Spamming Flex: GMs do have the right to veto spending flex in that way. That said, if my players *really* felt that strongly about wanting backup in that sort of situation, I'd strongly consider giving it to them. Note that players may only decide one aspect of the NPC, and "guard" would be it. I might consider having some of the guards be crooked, or if I was in Extropia, having guards from 8 different legal jurisdictions show up and turn a combat encounter into a social-legal one. Or have the guards be... nosy about just what kinda noise is going on here. NPC spawning can be a double-edged sword. Spamming Moxie: I kinda thought that was sort of expected behavior from how things were worded. That said, they're called favors for a reason. Your character has to go pay those back at some point, and if you're asking for a Major every day? Well, then you need to spend time and effort and pay off at least some of them by the end of the session or you're looking at damage to your Rep. (This could stand to be mentioned in a sidebar somewhere though) As for gravity and helpless attacks, I'm not sure.