Message
par Bayushixav » 17 déc. 2004, 16:38
qqs questions réponses entre Shawn Carman, L5R Story Team, sur la 3ed du jeu à prendre avec des pincettes.
Q : I realize you have little time to answer questions, but I'm curious
as to what the focus of the reworks are taking?
Are you going for balance of the entire system?
R : Yes.
Q : Or more for the gritty realism of battle?
R : The high likelihood of combat leading directly to death in L5R is not changing.
Q : I'd like to know, in your words, what you are striving for with this edition. I'm not only curious, but I'd also like to know the direction the rules will be taking in future supplements.
R : We're striving for balance among and between schools. Not only should two randomly selected bushi schools be roughly equivalent in terms of power and ability (though focus will vary wildly), but bushi, shugenja, and other schools should also be on an equal playing field. Courtiers should have abilities that bring them onto the same level of "contributing to the group" as any other school. Advantages, Disadvantages, Ancestors and Techniques should have well-defined effects that are specific and unambiguous.
Spells should be scaled properly with effects that are both mechanically and thematically appropriate for the element in question. Secondary
elements such as Kiho and Kata should be seamlessly integrated into the basic system in order to make them accessible to new players. Previously existing reference material should continue to be relevant without being
required for new players to become active in the game.
That's just some stream of consciousness thinking about 3E so far.
Hope that answers your question, at least in part.
R : But not every clan has a courtier school today, do they? I supose Yasuki Merchant and Kitsuki Magistrate can pass for their clans Coutier schools, but there are probably more. I can't even imagine what could be considered a Phoenix Courtier school. Is the new edition including new schools in order make that Bushi/Shugenja/Courtier/Extra pattern stand?
Q : No new Schools have been necessary thus far, although several have
recieved extensive revisions to bring them into line with the new design
principles for Third Edition. If you review the existing 2E materials, you'll
notice that many new courtier Schools appeared as we attempted to bring
everyone onto an even playing field in terms of character choices. For
example, to address your post specifically, Secrets of the Phoenix contains the Asako Courtier School, which will re-appear in Third Edition.
Q : This "schools be roughly equivalent" thing is bugging me now. It is
my opinion that Mirumoto Bushi and Kakita Bushi are the only ones you could look on and say "Yeah, I don't know which one would win" but both be largely superior to the other bushi schools.
R : If you make certain Schools clearly better than others, as you appear
to be suggesting here, then not only to you ensure that all players who
want to twink their character will play these Schools, you punish everyone
else who plays a different School.
Q : What -should- happen, is that Crane and Dragon should dominate
dueling.
R : Lion should be the most precise. Crab should shrug off more damage.
Scorpion should have dirty tricks. Recognize these themes? They've
been around since 1E. The difference is that they have not always had
equivalent degrees of ability in their chose area of focus. How screwed was the Shinjo Bushi once he got off of his horse? Is that fair to players who love the Unicorn Clan?
What we're talking about here is balance. Without it, the game just
spirals out of control and you end up seeing the same characters over and over again. That's not the sort of game we want to produce with Third
Edition.
Q : But how about the Minor Clans? Are they going to end up on par
with the great clans? This, I think, is not really appropriate.
R : Minor Clans do not have the resources Great Clans have. They have
poorer equipment, more meager holdings, virtually no representation in most major courts, fewer allies to call on, and the disdain of most Great Clan samurai.
R : Why should they get screwed mechanically on top of all that?
Q : I've been a Minor Clan fan since the day I read the 1E rulebook. If I were to be hosed on my School, which is basically all you really have to hold on to as a MC character, on top of all that other stuff, I'd wonder 1) why the writers hated the MCs so much, and 2) why they bothered to include them in the first place.
Q : And how about the Ronin?
R : The ronin will have an entirely new approach, which is still
currently undergoing testing.
Je ne sais pas si ça vaut quelque chose. Quoiqu'il en soit, Shawn Carman me semble un peu optimiste mais ça présage du bon en tout cas.
Bayushi Kurumada
Bayushi Kurumada
Scorpion Clan Ambassador
"My duty belongs to the Empire, my loyalty to the Scorpion."
