We all know that it’s to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the… anyway, of the game mechanics in ACKS, what are your favorites?
Consider this some market research as to what our “unique selling points” are. I know what I like about the system but I’d love to hear the parts that you guys think are best.
- everything is a saving throw
- death table
- specific racial class (the best of both worlds)
If I may add to Fabio’s list (all of which I agree with):
4) explicit rules for domain management
5) reincarnation rules that are awesome
6) carousing/hijinks (house rules in some campaigns, fully integrated in ACKS)
7) rules for stocking mages’ dungeons with monsters
8) an economy that works
9) new interpretations of old standbys (alignment, for example)
10) crossbreeds!
4a) The retainer, stronghold, and domain rules combine to provide a long developmental arc for an ambitious character (cf. Jeff Rients’s reverse-engineering/“to-do” posts from B/X, http://jrients.blogspot.com/search/label/to-do%20lists ) without disallowing bigger, badder dungeoneering.
Definitely the campaign roles and the campaign structures (domains, economics, class specific rules). I missed the Gencon play test so don’t have a strong opinion (yet) on THAC10 or the simplified mechanics.
The other thing is the backing; there’s been a big door left open for the right group to launch a commercial old school game. I have my doubts whether I’d love DCC. ACKS appears well backed and is positioned to play well with both old schoolers and new schoolers. I can use it seamlessly with Moldvay, or put a 3E spin on the game.
Lots of stuff that I’ll just call “the high end game.” There are a lot of games that provide the basis for a great dungeon crawl. I don’t know of any others that provide the basis for meaningful realm development for the same character. The detailed economics, mass combat rules, stronghold varieties, etc., which define how high level characters spend their time are a huge selling point. (Which makes me wonder if the real challenge in making ACKS popular will be getting people to play the King game without grinding a dozen characters trying to reach 9th level, but that’s another thread.)
Other exceptionally nifty things I like: the non-medieval fantasy setting, proficiencies, quirky tables, DIY necromancy and crossbreeding. I’m sure the list will be longer once I’ve had a chance to play the game properly.
I don’t know if it’s a marketable selling point at this time, but I’d consider the numerous obvious ways to expand the ruleset through different settings and digging deeper into specific areas a very significant strength.
Well, I can say for certain, it is the Domain rules, and frankly, the lists of what to spend cash on once you’re high level, and resource values and such is what is most important.
Someone said, we all want to play our version of D&D - well, I think most people will. Having the only set of domain rules is why I got involved. I’m looking at that, being exciting, clear, and concise, along with the mass combat rules by publishing time.
+1 on, broadly speaking, the domain rules (including hide-outs and hijinks, mass combat integrated with the core rules, rules for merchant excursions, etc.)
Hijinks and dungeon rules. Hijinks especially are brilliant. Making the cost of hiring a blacksmith work in relation to buying a sword–the unified economic theory of the d&d gold piece which can be ported over into any edition of the game.