I am into system design, and am working on my game design, so I like to check out lots of different games. Being that World of Arator was 'on sale' for $1.99 I'd thought I'd give a read through. I was unpleasantly surprised.
This is evident from the start. The document seems to be done as a single run of text, 235 apges of it.. No chapters, very little white-space, little in the way of headings and organization. No summaries evident, no bookmarks, no index. Ok, so that's -1 off the top.
With a name like a World of Arator I was expecting a Fantasy Heartbreaker, a FRP based on someones house-rules and game-world after having played D&D and some other games. Well, it is a Fantasy Heartbreaker after a fashion, but one designed in reaction to playing WoW or some other CRPG. Seriously, this game has the most calculation intensive, way to much of a pain to ever run by hand, mechanics I have ever seen.
I'm not kidding, from the intro...
"...A calculator is also essential to add and subtract the various bonuses, damage done, and percentages that are present in the game."
This games base mechanics are designed for computer moderation, not tabletop play by hand. Seriously, nearly every success and damage roll requires decimal multiplication to come up with percentages. Hit points measure in the hundreds. Levels range from 1-50+.
Tru story... from the stats section "A stat's percentage of success is added to a level success rates as well as specialty bonus success rates, but the stat number is divided in half. For example, a thief needs to make a climbing roll. His agility is 65, he is 40th level and has the climbing feat. Which gives him a success percentage of 48%. = ((650.5)1.4*1.05))"
So by the commutative principle, this is way way to much fiddly math for a tabletop resolution system. Seriously, don't get me wrong, my own system uses low two-digit addition, I'm not scared of counting up 12d6 attacks in Hero, but this is just ridiculous. The accepted wisdom is that in terms of resolution mechanics, comparison/result counting is easier than addition/subtraction, which is easier than multiplication, which is easier than division, and let's not even consider anything more complicated.
So if that isn't enough math, character's have health points in the hundreds, health that regenerates every x seconds (remember how I mentioned CRPG mechanics?). Then there are physical energy points, spiritual energy points, mana points, all which regenerate in the seconds, etc. Damage ratings and armor ratings are listed in the 100s as well. i.e, you'd need a computer to keep track of all this crap. Oh, and equipment has durability ratings
After it has numbed you by its descriptions of the base stats and assaulted with you examples of it's way to complicated resolution math, it drops into the character class descriptions. There are twenty, arranged into groups such as Battle Classes (Fighter's, Warriors, Berserkers, Nature, Knights), Stealth (Thieves, Scouts, Assassins, Bounty Hunters. Bards) Nature (Druid, Shamans, Rangers, Elementalists, Ferals) Holy (Paladins, Crusaders, Clerics, Priests, Monks), Magic (Sorcerers, Warlocks, Necromancers, Illustionsts, [Your a] Wizards [Harry], , and Special.
Special classes are 'fallen' versions of good aligned classes such as Paladin, Knight, Druid, Ragner. Yep, it has all 9 D&D alignments, yeah for Heartbreakers. Classes are defined by the weapons they can use, special abilities they can have, armor allowed, stat bonuses, healp points, specialties, etc. Most telling is that the classes have a class role defined, including Damage Dealer (DPS) - yep it really says DPS. Tank, Support (Buffs Plox or HJEALS!), etc.
The class descriptions make up the bulk of the book. There is never any mention made of the World of Arator or what it's like (You've been bamboozled, hoodwinked, run amuck!). Presumably that is in the other books in the line.
So what have we gotten for our TWO DOLLARS? A very poorly laid out, poorly organized mess of computer RPG mechanics masquerading as a tabletop RPG. Mechanics so calculation intensive and cumbersome that NO ONE but the most math loving would bother to use them at the tabletop without a ton of computer aids, and then they could just go play a MMO with their friends instead.
So, how to make this a better product? First, dump the overly calculation intensive rules and the ridiculous amount of book-keeping required.
Perhaps converting it to a PathFinder/D&D/OGL book would work. The classes could be made into an interesting variation on the core rules. Totally revise the layout and organization of the book. Throw in some actual setting details, anything besides a big book of CRPG rules.
As it is it is only of marginal value for stuff to rip off for making your own class variants for D20 based games, and there are many better products to spend your $2 on, where you literally, don't have to do all the work.
|