RE: (TFT) TFT, numbers and crunchy bits. What a campaign says.

[David Michael Grouchy II <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

> > As to the cultural exception of gods of theivery, during my years in the
east
> > I found that deception is highly valued, and what would be narrowly
> > defined as
> > theft in the west would be given much more lattitude as just being more
wise
> > than one's target. And that, yes, tricksters were highly respected, even
> > worshipped. Even Kung-fu itself is considered one of the arts of
deception.
> > It was in that sense that I meant theft. As a talent availiable in TFT.
To
> > use a purely western renaissance figure to illustrate I quote Picasso.
"Good
> > artists borrow, great artists steal."

> From: raito@raito.com
>
> But when you sat Thief here, it has a particular meaning. That being
> the D&D character class, or the TFT Talents.


In lifting up the word value over the ideas of more numbers and more fiddly
bits, I see no limits.  It is satisfying to me that the Theif Talent not be
seen as some limited little bag of tricks like just picking a pocket.  That it
represents an entire philosophy that the character is an agent of.  Saying
that TFT Theif is equal to the entire D&D class was a sufficient statement at
the begining of this discussion a few days ago when the context was purely the
issue of allowing Wizards to subtract fatigue from their IQ.

If at that point I had said that the Theif talent in TFT is equal to a Theif
god in old D&D I don't think anyone would have listened.  Now, at least, the
idea is almost visible as a possiblitity.  I'm not suggesting that anyone
start running their campaigns the way I do.  Just that I always felt that
games that have to add in more mechanics and/or bigger numbers are condemning
their original versions as guilty of incompleteness.

I just couldn't sit by and watch this happen to TFT again.  Not without
someone making a case for the defence of TFT as already complete, and wholly
capable of growing in scope as the scope of the players and GM grows over the
years.

In other words, I accept no limitations on the word value intrinsic in TFT
except in how those words, talents, spells, and actions are already
specifically balanced against each other.  My players on the other hand can
view it how ever they want.  As less than D&D, or as a low level magic-poor
genera.  What ever they want.  But if one of those players starts to reach
further and deeper in what they want to do, with their basic talents, they
will find me a pleasantly accomodating GM.

In financial terms every game that adds new abilities and/or inflates it
numbers (pretty much all of them) does nothing but dilute the value of the
currency of their own first edition.  TFT being the gold standard has only
appreciated in value and is still worth more than a 10kg stack of D&D books.
And in back in 2000 when compared to other games the Theif Talent was equal to
the D&D class theif.  Since fourth edition, I have had no compunction saying
that TFT's Theif talent is equal to the god of theives.  The inflation in game
systems is rampant.


In manufacturing terms everything seems to be made in a way that it is
guaranteed to become obsolete.  But I remember a time when people in America
used to make stuff that didn't break, and could be passed down for
generations.  TFT is just that in my eyes.  Allowing it to be fixed to death,
or modified to death, until it too becomes broken and obsolete is not
something I'm prepaired to do with out at least sounding my voice against it.
It was extremely unpleasent, years ago, to have some members of the news group
answer many of my posts with "well you should try G.U.R.P.S. then."


> But when you sat Thief here, it has a particular meaning. That being
> the D&D character class, or the TFT Talents.

You may be right.  I resist the idea that D&D defines TFT though.  I meant it
more as an example that no matter what the game, or how big the numbers, I can
use existing TFT to interpret that new game.  I didn't mean to suggest that
D&D sets the word values of TFT in stone.  On slowing down and looking at it
again though.  I have to conceed your point.  That is what I wrote.

David Michael Grouchy II
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