Re: (TFT) TFT Release -> Cheap talents

[Michael Taylor <MichaelTaylor1@compuserve.com>]

Message text written by INTERNET:tft@brainiac.com
>>>>>>>Actually lightning costs 1 memory. 

Your right, that's my mistake, but basically my point is that the wizard is
trading in the specific focused power that drains fST and does one specific
task well for the more general purpose usefulness of Talents. Talents also
dont usually make people want to tie you up and set fire to you as well... 

>>>>>>> The point is that many people in the historical
>>>>>>>real world who were not vast intellectuals, had many 
>>>>>>>more points than were possible in TFT.

Well, to me this works because Talents aren't skills. Most of the time I
think  those people can easily be characterised as Scholar (13/3) or simply
as having interesting esoteric knowledge because of their background, but
that those dont really translate to TFT Talents. This only works if you
allow that characters can 'know' anything they want, but only get a
game-mechanic benefiit by paying for the Talent. 

>>>>>>>Completely apart from
>>>>>>>the mouser's thieving skills, how could he with 
>>>>>>>his rapier beat a 60 attribute fighter with 
>>>>>>>great sword and plate armor?

I'd take that fight. It would help to allow some of the *new* Talents, but
I dont think it's necessary to give the Mouser any *more* talents.

>>>>>>> Balanced up to 36 attributes?!?  I agree with your 
>>>>>>>statement, but doesn't this sound wrong to you?  That is only 
>>>>>>>4 attributes past a beginning character!  Assuming that people
>>>>>>>can go up an attribute every two 4 to 6 hour game sessions, 
>>>>>>>after only 8 sessions the rules are beginning to have problems.

Wasn't an exact figure, I can't really see any problems up to 60 points,
but I dont ever get to the point where it becomes a problem (not a boast -
a compaint!). I'm just saying that if at high levels, this becomes a
problem, it should be adjusted at high levels rather than for everyone. 

>>>>>>>This is also mathematically easier to do than
>>>>>>>dividing the cost of all talents by half.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I don't follow the above paragraph at all.

I'm just saying the SIMPLEST solution is the old "AdjIQ" solution (see
mailing list archives). That's alot easier to understand and do that
halving all talent costs. 

>>>>>>>Assuming an average non-adventurer is 
>>>>>>>a 30 attribute figure (see the last paragraph on page
>>>>>>>7 of ITL for the reference) to get Fencing they 
>>>>>>>that a guard has to have at least an 11 ST, then
>>>>>>>these guards with fencing are 35 attribute figures.

Well, this is certainly a valid pont. 

>>>>>>>Despite the (I feel) many advantages to this 
>>>>>>>system, the superscripts were roundly criticized 
>>>>>>>because they were too complicated.  lowering
>>>>>>>the memory costs of most talents is a MUCH
>>>>>>>simpler way to handle the problem.

Well then now I think we're just talking about degree. Lowering the cost of
Talents IS much simpler than Superscripts, but I dont think it's as simple
as AdjIQ.

>>>>>>>up to high levels.  I think that TFT should be
>>>>>>>adjusted so that it works at higher levels.

I dont really disagree with this at all. In fact, it's the *main* reason
that I feel that Combat is the culprit that needs to be adjusted the most.
For my money, it's the combat system that doesn't work as well at high
levels as it does at low levels. I dont think its very flexible  and I dont
think it allows for much differece between expereinced combatants and
inexperienced combatants no matter WHAT talents the character has! 

This is why I've gone to a much more Starleader:Assault! type system.   

Anyway, sorry this is late, I just got back from vacation! Still catching
up!

Michael
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"