>I'm really torn on the idea of replacing the current rules with a "how to".
What are we going to do with you Old Chap? You are the Ayatollah of your
own Anti-PRS cult, but then when Clint comes out with a real shocker, which
almost everyone (so far) has condemned, you sit on the fence! I hope
you're not feeling battered into adopting a moderate stance to compensate
for your ultra-radical reputation
"battered into adopting a moderate stance"?!?! NEVER!!!! I've been in A LOT of games with newbies that are as clueless as I was when I started. My first game happend to be a team game, and I got a great mentor right from the start. I know I would have been very frustrated had I had to stumble cluelessly for my first few games. Probably would have just up and quit.
Then again, I fear the new "how to" could go too far. I could be very easy to become too long winded. It could get to the point of style. For example, there is a lot of debate about raising taxes to 60 on GT1, or lowering them to 39. A how to that recommends doing one or the other would probably be good. One that informs you that a 30C will have a tough time getting taxes from 40 to 60, even though it is an easy order, would be very useful.
I truely am on the fence on this issue. It will be VERY tough to do it right.
Unlike the PRS that will be very easy to get very wrong.
But even that is opinion. Some players will argue that there are certain
situations where light troops can be used.
Then, the how to will have to present one or two of those situations (I can't remember ever recruiting light troops), and point out just how badly quality light troops (high training, armor, weapons, etc) will perform against a equal number of new recruit junk HI.
>The economy is equally confusing. I've seen expereinced players go backrupt
>by buying too much, thinking the system would just round off their purchase
>to what they could afford.Yes, but there are times when this risk is taken knowingly in the
expectation (or desperate hope) of the gold coming in from another source.
You miss the point. No where in the rules is there a good discussion of: Receive income->buy->sell->pay bills. I nice couple sentances explaining that you can bankrupt yourself, even if you have a surplus, would be very helpful to someone in their first game.
When we were discussing a hypothetical 2nd Edition 18 months ago, one of
the major, and much repeated laments from worried lurkers was "you're
making it too complicated". There was broad agreement that the rule book
should not become more lengthy, as that would put off new players.
Agreed that the rules growing (as they are almost sure to) would be an issue. One of the primary reasons I'm on the fence vs. full in favor of a new rules presentation.
Most importantly, it is important to recognise that there are already
plenty of "Beginners Guides" and sermons on advanced strategy, already out
there. They've been written, many are on the web (though too many are
rather inaccessible through being buried in old copies of Mouth of Sauron
and News from Brie). And they are independent, claiming to be the opinions
of a single writer. It is to these sources that new players should be
directed, so that they can learn, question, and ultimately decide for
themselves about "good play".
And for those without web access? For those that put the "official" rules as more accurate than these unofficial guides? For those that read the rules first, then never get to these guides? And these guides are just as long as you fear the official rules will become.
I'd like to see Mepbm games getting some existing projects, like MEOW and
PRS up and running, tested and evaluated, rather than starting new projects
at this moment.
I don't think they are all that involved in MEOW as it is in the play test/bug fix stage. We all know what I think of PRS. Initially, it seems it would be the players doing a lot of the writing.
But if they do have all this spare time, I think their
efforts would be better spent on creating a well organised web archive of
existing material rather than producing a subjectively rewritten rulebook.
Probably lots of issues of "commercial use" of others materials. If I want to through MoS on a web site, it would be tough for anyone to do anything about it. ME Games certainly can't start chopping articles out of it and placing them on its web site.
Darrell Shimel
路路路
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