Pool is no more. Channeling limits the maximum number of words you can use in a single spell. Max two spells per turn out of combat, one spell in combat.
Thoughts? Opinions? I won't change anytime soon unless there's overwhelming support.
((The thing to keep in mind, is that one of the features of Perplexicon is that more complex words "cost" more to cast than simple short ones. And that's a huge thing, players have to make strategies by counting the words, choosing the best ones, combining short ones and the long ones, et cetera.
It also makes more sense that somebody who's spent a lot of time in combat and is exchausted can no longer make complex words, and has to resort to simpler ones. I believe that it helps the feeling that prolonged combat is supposed to envoke, and also encourages the players to seek periods of rest in between constant fighting. This can also come into play if a powerful players has been exchausted, and is now trying "recharge," while the lot of weaker players are trying to prevent him from doing so.
If you take away that system, you take all of that away. And I don't think that's a good thing. You're changing the barrier between the long and short words from a gradual one to a hard line. There isn't any reason now to use three word words when you can afford four. You're taking away any changes in combat and necessary strategies as it goes on, removing the need for the players to plan ahead. Now all combat rounds look exactly the same, which isn't a good thing.
And finally, I do think that one spell per round in combat is way too harsh of a restriction. A powerfull wizard should be able to blast away many spells at the same time if he's in a hurry and there's one annoying midget standing before him. As for two spells when not in combat, that too is also too harsh, the people here are used to three or four. And for both combat and non-combat, I think that unfortunately, there is no ideal number to allow people.
However, with regards to the pool being confusing. I do believe that there are some things you could change. First of all, when you gain a soul, you can add a point to any of your stats OR your pool. That (at least to someone who hasn't played the game) is confusing and unnecessary. If chanelling equals the number of words you can say, why say that you are adding points to pool? Is there a difference between adding them to the pool and adding them to the channeling? Just say that you are adding them to chanelling, remove the wording that says you can add them to the pool, and that will make it less confusing. In other words, make the stats and the pool completely separate in the mind of the user.
Secondly, there is this system of overdrive. Of using the pool to temporarily boost their stats. While I believe that this is a good idea, I don't think it's been presented especially well. I am not sure, but I think most people are forgetting to use it (that's one thing where I may be wrong). That is because this isn't exactly well advertized, as in neither Toaster neither anyone else is frequently reminding people of this possibility. And it is not the thing that people would exactly expect to see or understand unless they read the entire thread. Either scrap the system, better remind people that they can use it, (at the end of each post, at the beginning of each fight) or only allow it to people with... say 6+ pool. In other words, when a person gains 6 or more pool, you will tell them that they can use this system. Because that person will likely have been playing for a while, they will more likely remember to use it, and they won't have to absord the knowledge of this system at the same time as all the stuff they have to learn when creating a character.
And finally, I do believe that most of the confusion was when the people exited combat and didn't know that their pool was empty. If you simply decrease the number of turns they have to wait before having their pool recharged by one, a lot of the confusion will go away. And it will also make the game more fast-paced. Not sure if that is a good thing or not, but it will deal with the confusion. Alternatively, have the pool recharge by "n" (I think 4 is a good number) amount each turn out of cambat. If instead of waiting for their entire pool to recharge instantly at a specific turn, the players will simply rechange some amount every turn, it might help.))
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Topic: The Pit of Magic: A Perplexicon Game. [Oh well.] (Read 394253 times)