by Mathis » Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:59 pm
Test on Saturday went pretty smoothly, I think starting at level one made it easier to understand new abilities. We played Capture the Flag with Instant respawn at a location 30ft away from the flag, with Refresh on point scored. We gave everyone look the part for free. So far, this was the third v8 test at this park.
Team A:
Assassin - 2 pt bracers!!! throwies
Scout (Me) - 1 armor, board, throwies
Healer - Sword n' Board, Heal
Monk - Speedpole
Monk - Speedpole
Wizard (Switched after 1 round)- Force Bolt, Short... 2 Short?
Team B:
Healer - 4 Blessing Against Wounds, Heal
Bard - Short, Insult, Song of Determination... (was that it?)
Warrior - 6 pt breastplate, greatsword
Monk - Downspear + short, ferocious beard
Barbarian - Speedpole 1 armor
Score: Team A won by one? Two? Idk, I was tired.
Game was fast paced, at first a landslide to the A team with all 3 projectiles. Wizard was switched and it became even faster paced with a lot of killing/dying and many back and forths within each point, unlike v7 (60 second death) speed flag where slowly killing players one by one secures victory.
Class Feedback:
Monks and Barbarian wished desperately to be able to throw cans. Bard's Insult proved to be very useful in this game to break up enemy team. B Healer wished desperately to Harden their own weapons, but 4 Blessing Against Wounds per life was neat-o. B Healer felt too squishy without any in-combat/offensive level one spells. Monks wished Give Life was instant like v7. (We did not playtest new Monk resurrect.) Scout felt flossy in comparison to other classes at first level with Armor, Heal, Board, Adaptive Blessing, and Throwies all at first level. Especially in comparison to Monks, who had only a self heal. (I just noticed that's only with look the part. Damn, non-ltp first level monks are worthless.)
General Feedback:
Note: We've recently done a whole two games. Not a lot of experience yet.
v8 is not that much less complicated than v7. v7 is fun to play. Why not just remove the most obvious shitty parts of v7?
People like the buff to all armor, but don't think the new system is less confusing or more effective. (Also: Only one person here has tried having 4 point armor. No one here has tried 5/6.)
Half people thought Insult was too powerful at first level, half thought it well placed.
People like having the weapon options placed on the spell list instead of the shitty thing in v7. Didn't like the options though? (Did not elaborate)
Park Barbarian-lovers cried bitter tears at the lack of class flavor including but not limited to: having to actually yell 'berserk' really loud, throwing weapons, fur sashes, bows, friends, breaking shields with short swords.
Personally:
I like v8 a lot on paper, and playing it is pretty fun (I like fast pace), but people seem happy with v7 and reluctant to play what is arguably a different game. I like the new armor system. Small things, I think Healer could use some sort of combat/offensive spell at level one for the non-stick players. I think Monk at level one is weak (even if there were bows on the field, any class with a shield trumps the missile block ability). I think rock paper scissors is not a fun mechanic, but hey I've played this ruleset twice in my whole life, and only on a small scale. If v8 does not pass I hope certain things transfer to v7, specifically the Scavenge ability for warrior, faster paced games, and Armor being stronger in general.
Rules Clarifications:
*Experienced may only be used on Verbal type magic. If a spell is listed as Enchantment or Meta-Magic you may not make it rechargeable with Experienced.
*You must announce specialty arrows immediately before firing them. This was, however, already the case in v7. (Op-ed: That rule is dumb and no one follows it)