BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Game Systems => A Time of War => Topic started by: SLDF_Spector on 15 October 2018, 06:52:03
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At the request of my daughter, we are expanding our game beyond the usual "this lance vs. that lance". Since she wants more story telling, what RPG version should I introduce her to? I have 2nd edition, 3rd, and AtoW. I'd like to keep it as simple as possible and then convert some of the sample NPCs (if needed) from the older books.
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to be honest I would be inclined to go with 2nd edition, or ATOW, but I would avoid 3rd edition.
really atow is a pretty solid edition to work with, its just that the character generation can be a little rough for a lot of people. with that said I don't find it too bad, if a bit time consuming, because especially if you use the life paths it can take a while to work through everything.
I will say I can definitely see why some people make and use excel spreadsheets to do and automate some of the process
with that said what I did on my last go through was use an excel sheet (its posted under the how to make a confidence trickster) where I just put everything in rows and columns as I worked through.
all the items were on rows, and each phase was in a separate column. so I could tell at a glance where something came from.
note when its all summarized it really doesn't matter but as you are running through the process it helps keep things straight so you don't miss something or put it down too many times.
in a lot of ways 2nd edition is kind of ATOW lite, there are a lot of details that are different such as damage and similar, skills and attributes etc, but if you squint a bit, it is possible to say they come from the same framework. there are just a lot of ways that they take a different tack and come up with similar outcomes through a different process.
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I would drop the official rulebooks in favor of easier systems. There ar eplenty of free RPG systems out there. But if you chose one, of the official systems, I would take ATOW.
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Second edition is simplest, though third edition probably does the most to help a player flesh out their backstory.
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I like AToW much better than 3rd on background. You have more flexibility to explain particulars, and die rolls don't enter into the equation.
That said, I think it depends on how much math the OPs 12-year old has had, and how invested they are in wanting to role-play. If all they want is a little role-playing on top of BattleTech, 2nd is just fine. I'd go with AToW for anything deeper. What I do for games I run is work with the players and generally what they want, and do all the heavy lifting with my spreadsheet, adjusting as negotiated with the players.
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I was thinking of keeping it simple at first and then add in elements as she becomes more comfortable with the idea of RP. I can convert the character from 2nd edition to AtoW at anytime, correct? Or would that be too much of a headache for me?
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Converting has its own issues. Personally, I think generating in AToW is easier, but I use a spreadsheet I wrote to make it so.
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You'll probably have the least headache if, when you find things you like in ATOW, you convert them backwards into second edition.
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Also, don't underestimate your daughter. I was able to walk my oldest daughter through multiplying 4-5 digit numbers in her head when she was eight years old (it was a museum exhibit on how many jelly beans were in various shapes, and I didn't let her use the provided scrap paper and pencils). I can't claim she retained that skill, but she nailed it the first time through. The human brain is an amazing thing.
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Also, don't underestimate your daughter. I was able to walk my oldest daughter through multiplying 4-5 digit numbers in her head when she was eight years old (it was a museum exhibit on how many jelly beans were in various shapes, and I didn't let her use the provided scrap paper and pencils). I can't claim she retained that skill, but she nailed it the first time through. The human brain is an amazing thing.
Another thing to consider is if she really likes the game and character and character generation process it might inspire her to work on improving and keeping some extra math skills which is never a bad thing.
I can just see it now, whats 300 divided by 25 she instantly responds 12, its the number of heat sinks you can fit in a 300 rated engine. Or some similar responce getting everyone around her saying HUH??
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I'd run a few sessions just using the pregenerated characters from the book to get her used to the game before she goes and makes her own character. And I'm biased to AToW.