On Fri, 24 Sep 2004, dicework wrote:

> Thanks to all your answers, I have a better idea about how
> to balance a game with more than one aspect per phase.
> Quite easily, in fact :-)
>
> I'd still like to know what are Fred and Rob opinions
> about it: do you still believe in your "It is stronly
> suggests that characters gain no more than one aspect per
> phase".

These days I'd probably make it more like "one to two
aspects per phase". That "to two" portion can take many
forms -- the occasional freebie aspect, a parallel set of
aspects which are GM-chosen (based on player-provided
character cues) instead of player-chosen, etc.

> Btw, I really enjoy the supplemental aspects chosen by the GM! They
> can:
> -- spice up dull characters;
> -- temper power gamer creations (but do they play FATE?);
> -- help newbie players with the whole creation process.
>
> But why did Rob came with it when tailoring his new
> system? Did you (Rob & Iago) thought it wouldn't be
> balanced with only the standard player-chosen-aspect?

The thought came up when we were contemplating 5-phase
characters, questions of "are 5 aspects enough?" -- I find
myself sometimes thinking, well, 20 skill points are
enough, but I'm not sure 5 aspects are.

An interesting side-effect of bumping up to two aspects
per phase is that you get access to a (not-rules-enforced)
idea that one aspect level is "equal" to two skill points
(2 aspects per phase; 4 skill points per phase; that's the
ratio). Considering that two skill points allow you to
raise a skill +2, and that during play, using an aspect
level to flip a minus die gets you a +2, that starts to
become a fairly attractive casual "equivalence."

It's just something that we're kicking around for a
specific implementation, though. :)

--
Fred Hicks * "Curse you iago and your fast fingers!" - Rob Donoghue
Co-Author of Fate - Managing Editor of Fudge Factor - The 'fan' in fanatic
Fate RPG * http://www.faterpg.com/ Fudge Factor * http://www.fudgefactor.org/
Plink * http://www.rainlikely.com/ Jim Butcher * http://www.jim-butcher.com/