High Lord Dee
Mongoose
Sutek said:Let's get a couple of things straight:
1) Different systems suit different game genres and universes. The old, d6 style COC rules still rock, but only for playing COC or something in a mundane, normal human world. Try using it to run a crime/espionage game - it's great. D20 was built off of the "video game" concept of leveling up on a set incremental framework, that's why low lvl characters get more XP for a given encounter than high lvl characters do: It's a formula. It suits the fantasy genre be cause of this predictable engine, because it allows characters to succeed more often than not, unless rolls are poor (or good, if you look at it from the GM perspective.
With Conan D20, this formula is sent sideways because the aspect of incremental XP progression is excised, meaning there's no CR for monsters and everyone can get more or less XP depending on what the GM wants to award. This makes the setting more dangerous and unpredictable.
Let's face it though, D20 is a tight engine. The only flaws occur when a writer of a perticular supplement forgets to explain what the heck he truly meant by a new rule. Otherwise, the system welcomes and promotes on-the-fly rulings and makes for the most equal standing between players and GMs that has ever existed in this industry.
If there was a better mouse-trap out there (say RQ for instance) I also think we'd all know it. I personally love Hârnmaster, but either people have never heard of it, or it wouldn't be suited to running a Conan style game with. Conan is unique, remember: It has elements that should be very gritty and grounded in reality, but the fantasy elements are supposed to be far out. D20 accomplishes that wonderfully.
Why change? Because the money is somewhere else - that's the only reason to make such a business decision. I cannot fathom D20 vX.X going anywhere anytime soon, so the money being elsewhere theory just doesn't hold water in my view. The only other reason is to suit othe raspects of the liscenec (since this is a multi-media liscence that's pretty plausible) and the ONLY other conan thing yeat to be realeased that will impact the tone and feel of a game mechanic built for Conan...
...the MMORPG.
I think any decision to change the system over is because RQ mirrors what the designers of the MMORPG are doing, since D&D on-line would restrict the use of that code based on IP laws. Just a guess.
Which brings me to...
2) Open Liscence. All games are open open liscecen to an extent because NOBODY can copyright the mechanics. They can only copyright the actual content, and that's where Wizards OGL has helped. They ahve essentially said "We arent' going to quibble over the usage of the basic words that make out game function; use them to your heart's content and multiply." That's cool, but if I wanted to create a game that renamed the stats to BRAWN, AGILITY, ENDURANCE, etc. yet otherwise operated basically the same (roll a d20 versus a target number and see if you succeed) then I could. The OGL only allows the proliferation of the textual parts of the game that make it easier for people to make thie own knock-off modules and stuff.
That's why Conan isn't anbd OGL game.
:wink:
I also agree with most of your quote. Other than the concept of level being an MMORPG aspect. D&D has been around a lot longer then Windows or Macs and that is where they got the concept. I believe level is necessary in simulating an RPG game. I have heard arguments on this and many other forums opposing it but people need to remember that this a GAME. Without a level based system, it is very difficult to manage. I have also hear that challenge ratings are not very popular to some GM's. Never understood that one....As with all other d20 rules, you do not have to use them but they are there as a guideline if you choose to use them. Can help the GM from staring at the dice after his high level Giant has just killed a major character and has Great Cleave because he/she underestimated the difficulty.
Also, most d20 (since 3.0) campaigns that I have played in allow the GM to be the final say on XP. This varies from the old D&D systems in which you get x experience point for each monster slain and for each gold piece. It is now completely subjective and allows for the GM to pace the character advancement with that of the campaign. I did not like this at first but now I think it is actually a better way to play it.
Conan is a d20 game system. Albeit, a well thought out and true to Hyboria setting. Being that, it is also level based so not sure why the comparison to the MMORPG would favor RQ versus the MConan? Again, no CR but fairly true the major d20 concepts.
HLD