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Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - OOC: Discussions


Krul

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Regarding the Scope extra ( http://www.rpgpost.c...928#entry286928 )

I'll be brutal. I don't like it, and for one very good reason. It bypasses the main reason to push for Q6+ : Mastery.

Sure, Mastery does more: it ups the range and area, blah-blah. But let's face it, 80% of the reason we add Mastery to a power is the scope enhancement. Having a Scope extra purchaseable at Q4 basically means that a Q4-5 nova's quantum bolt can stack up against a Q6's. Worse, a Q4 nova's Armor or Forcefield, with Scope added, can shrug off the blast from a Q6 nova's Mastered Q-Bolt. I'm all for levelling a playing field, but not to the extent of allowing a high school football team to take on the Superbowl champions. A Q4 nova should be afraid of the Q6, not think "'meh, I have my FF with Scope, screw Caestus Pax circa 2012"

Q6 is supposed to be a benchmark, the point at which a nova crosses the line from 'super-person' to 'demigod', with all the subtext such power brings. Mastery is a part of that benchmark's effect. Scope, if put into play, blurs out that mark, raises lower-Quantum novas to the level of people past the Q6 mark, and unbalances the game.

In a game where Mastery is taken out, I could readily vote for Scope being put in in it's place. But in a setting where Mastery is obtainable and makes Q6+ something to strive for, Scope is little more than easy-mode munchkinism.

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I agree with Einherjar here. This extra adds nothing positive to the game, save for dramatticaly increasing the power of any nova really.

This takes away from Mastery duplicating the primary effect but better in many ways it is cheaper on the whole, more effective as it can be bought much sooner for cheaper than mastery.

Where scope truly shines is on powers like Armor, invulnerability, psychic empath quantum and social shield, any power that's always on .

it takes 4 extras at q 8 to raise a level 1 power to the next rank. lets assume psychic shield is our base. I'm just going to go with 8 dots.

it would cost 6 xp for scope 1 2 and 3 making it already over half again as powerful as mastery 2 that would be versus 25 xp for mastery 2 and the effect is weaker.

on armor 8

6 xp brings it up to x4 effect nearly equal to mastery 2's x5 vs 36 xp for mastery 2.

that's right 6/6/10xp and you balance a q5 against the power of a q8

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Even worse than that.... in my opinion, as written, the following is true of a q 8 pc

I can buy quantum bult in theme for 3xp add scope 1, 2 and 3 to it for 3, 3, 2 xp

now it is level 3

buy scope 4 for 5xp

buy 2nd dot of Qbolt for 5xp

21 xp total for a 2dot lethal quantum bolt with scope 4

the damage formula= [qx32] + 128d10L

That's [256] +128d10L for 21 xp and 3 qp a hit.

Let's look at mastery

First you have to have a number of dots for mastery equal to the q-min of the master -1. Let's go with mastery 2 so 7 dots.

those seven dots in qbolt cost 66 xp.

adding mastery 1 is 15 xp

adding mastery 2 is 21 xp

That brings the total up to 102 xp

now the damage formula

[qx10]+dotsx20d10L

[80] +140d10L

now let's look at this

102 xp for an attack that perfectly would do 220 damage L and cost nothing to fire

or

21 xp for an attack that perfectly would do 384 damage L and cost 3 qp.

That is rediculous in the extreme.

I say this knowing the issues I've had crafting enemies to challenge the PC's but this extra will unbalance the game in the extreme as PC's will undoubtedly take it as well.

considering the rules modifications in place on mastery, scope is too unbalanced, and unnecessary. It's pure munchkin, much as Ein already said, and totally unneeded in this game.

-brought to you by one of the few open powergamers

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The big problem with scope is that there are now a whole bunch of ankle-biter nova NPCs who can, would - and thus IC should - buy this extra. In this case, the PCs basically cease to be special relative to the rest of the universe.

As a group, with all these unlimited new powers coming in, and this scope ... the existing PCs don't matter. Every PC in the game now looks alot like hundreds or thousands of other NPC novas out there (because scope is dead easy to buy, so lots of NPCs would have it).

It breaks the fundamental balance of the game. End result - really boring setting. Everyone running around with essentially equal (or even better than) mastery level power (see Long's point about other extras and scope) ... boring.

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Okay now I am going to weigh in now that I am understanding this.

What were you thinking?

This is indeed the biggest break of the system that could possibly happen! With the NPCs having access to this as well as players this arms race has reached a new stage.

This is becoming a game of amassing power, not telling stories. Simple as that. Take this back. remove it from existence.

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Krul, I didn't attack you with my commentary. I was just shocked about that particular power. To be honest though, I could have been less direct. If you were stating in general, then that is just something that has to be cleared up.

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384L was for a q8 nova....built up over time after eruption realistically that wouldn't happen. Ever. Now coming in with a bunch of points should from a story standpoint to think that waymunchkuns of munchkinania aside. I think it's more of a responsibility issue

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I'm no longer comfortable with the power level of this game, or where we are going with it.

I'm sorry, but as of today I am really pulling out both of my characters. I'm burned out on CoQF and what is going on.

Honestly, I'm not having fun anymore. I wanted to continue forward, but I had painted my characters out of the plot preparing for an event that would have removed me from the site. This has left me with no clue as to what my future is with this game.

Quite honestly, Kamiko is now not where I expected her to be at all. None of my original goals are even in reach and after one plot possibility left with Adrian, I really don't see anywhere else to go with Kamiko. Any further plots would be just going through the motions without any feeling.

Mary was a rush job and no where near where she should be for an elite. She would be eaten alive by what is out there, and I don't want to have her just gather dust as she withdraws from the world or have her made into street pizza. I shouldn't have even made her in the first place.

I'm sorry, but I'd better just call it now, because pulling out when Chapter 6 starts would just ruin possible plot threads. It's over.

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Sorry to see you go Kasumi.. but I understand the feeling

I just ask that my last wishes is honored. Kamiko left the universe to one where her mother was still alive, and Novas were not under the heel of Proteus. Then she decided never to return. As for Mary, she followed, and seeing her old friend again and knowing her only way home wasn't going back, she decides to stay. Seemed far better a place to be.

Kamiko is still a young teenager who operates from emotion. Nova or not. For her to choose not to leave because she loved her mother so much wouldn't be that much, if anything out of character for her.

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Now I feel like I got egg on my face. But now I can't go back. I just wish Krul or someone could have told me I needed more faith.

I've just thrown away a character I had more of a connection with than any other on this site. For nothing.

I'm sorry I let everyone down. I don't deserve a second chance now. Or ever.

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On a different note... any threads still active are free to continue if you have stuff you still want to do in them..

I'll add a few more threads of events over the next few days and during this weekend, been waiting to allow folks to decide what they want to do.

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Krul - Just a note for On the Horizon. If the entire Nursery is moving to the island, Puck would have just given it to them So far as I had understood before, only Norman's faction was moving out there. The whole Nursery is fine, Puck would have no issue with it, but he'd never charge Bounty or Scripture for anything.

Also....is there something that's supposed to be going on in the thread? I'm not sure of anything to post, as it seems like that was just a recap of what NPC's were doing in September and October.

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