Gamer Math

Over on the GSA, Jay Little, one of the senior designers on Fantasy Flights Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG, has written a few articles about the “Nerd Numbers”  behind the dice system in EoE. You can find the main article here and the follow-up with Q&A here.  Both are a recommended read.

It’s interesting to get to see behind the GM screen, so to speak, and see what went into designing the new system. Some cynical gamers viewed the new dice feature of EoE as just another marketing tool; a way for FFG to get more money out of the gamers. If they have custom dice, people need to buy more stuff! And while I’m sure that was a thought that occurred to someone along the way, it’s clear from Jay’s article that wasn’t the impetuous for them, far from it.

Reading his explanation of what kind of terminal outcomes he wanted for this RPG, reminded me a lot of the issues I started to have with some aspects of Saga Edition. In fact, the kind of things he described being his goal for the system, were many of the things I praised about the game when I first got to give it a try. Having just two outcomes from any roll is limiting and boring. The variables of the Success/Advantage system make the game more exciting and unique.

Give the articles a read if you are at all interested in what goes on in the mind of a game developer and/or Star Wars: Edge of the Empire.