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Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 2:40 pm
by Byrn
Hi mate, have made a start on the readthrough and thought I'd put some stuff up that I'd found.

I've got some typographical stuff, but from the list I'm assuming you want content based stuff first?

General stuff:
Like the background images, and I think the contrast is very good for the text - looks damn fine. Font and page spacing is great and doesn't distract from the text. Section breaks - hmm, it does flow nicely when reading through, but I suspect when you're trying to find a section (more usual) then a more prominant section break would be good.

Anyway, here we go:

p5 deviant wheel - words are potentially confusing - could be read as filling in 5 boxes or a single trait. suggest "Fill in up to 5 squares in a trait, then fill up the opposite until the total is 5. Continue until all the opposite sides of the wheel add up to 5."

p7 deviant wheel - the tip at the column break is practically identical to the tip two paras later

p9 skill maximum - v4 says 99%, used to be 90%... change in policy?

p10 Instructor courses. cost depends on many factors but should be half the AI training - "about half" instead of "half"?

p11 starting skills and bionics - probably could do with some clarification here. There are four potential numbers for a bionic char: original number from stat generation, post-psychotheatric number, pre-bionic number including any trained raises and their bionic stat. I suspect that the number in the bottom disk is the second of these, and the one to be compared to? If it uses non-trained levels, this rule is relevant to non bionic chars. If the only stat other than current level that matters to a bionic char is pre-bionic level, we should formalise the rubbing out of the bottom number on getting bionics and replacing it with the old top number...

p11 improving skills - "The GM will set how many times you may tick a skill per session. The normal number is 3 times" - could be taken as an assumed three ticks per skill per session. suggest the rewording "The GM will set the maximum number of times a skill can be ticked per session. The normal maximum is 3 times."

p11 improving skills - "If a character is using a lower epoch skill to perform a higher epoch task, then they may not tick the skill". I agree with the sentiment, but either the char hasn't got the higher epoch skill, in which case there is no skill to tick, or they have the higher epoch skill in which case they (at least used to) have to use the right skill...

p12, top para. Modifier when using an attribute (-4?) should be repeated here.

p12, same para, reference to the skill diagram - move ref or refer to index?

p12 overall. Am wondering if a lot of this detail should be in the appendix with the skills, with just the more overview, backgroundy stuff inline with the rules... seems odd to define know/sys/design the opposite end of the book to the list that it refers to?

Oh, missed one. p5, irritate tthe gm with questions - I'm fairly sure this isn't optional ;)

Hope that's helpful mate, if not, do tell me to bugger off :D

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 1:58 am
by Rob Lang
This is precisely what I need! Thank you Byrn, that's terrific - just what I need.

I'm currently rendering equipment index images and will apply the changes in one big go.

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:36 pm
by DOC_Agren
feedback..
Psychotheatrics List
#42. Borged
Ends "People treat you badly because of your lack of humanity and" Should there be more?

I like some of the ones and the discription of them.. A straight follow-up and + or - too an Attribute, unless it says a fixed 10 for example, can raise the Attribute over 10 or below 0?

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 4:12 pm
by Rob Lang
@Doc +/- from a Psychotheatric can raise an Attribute over 10. It's not clear in the rules, I'll make it obvious. :)

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 6:22 pm
by DOC_Agren

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:06 am
by Rob Lang
You're right about the printing - the v4 you're looking at is the one that will go print on demand. I will create a 'print light' version that will have the background switched off. Very little effort for me to do and will be a big saving in ink for those that want to print. A great comment - as always!

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:46 pm
by viziel

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Wed Aug 25, 2010 12:49 pm
by viziel
How is this book being published, is it Adobe Framemaker? Is it Docbook XML? or something else?

Re: Version 4 Alpha Feedback thread

PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 2:32 am
by Rob Lang
The aim of the Icar book is to give you everything you need to play - GM and player alike. The rules and the setting are tightly bound together because I prefer games like that. When playing Icar, it should feel like Icar rather than d20 wearing an Icar skin. The system could be extracted for other games but it's not really intended that way.

Icar's background comes in two parts. First there is the overall setup of the galaxy and the human race in 92023 and within that there are a large number of possible 'settings'. I've provided one at the moment (Scavenger), which allows you to play low-level characters while at the same time having access to a space craft. It's an example of how Icar can be played. I will produce other setting books that will still be within the same Icar background but are not Scavengers. That's not a problem for most - the new books fit in with the existing canon, you just ignore the Scavenger Setting piece.

It's been constructed in Adobe's Indesign with export to PDF, although I am looking to move it to Scribus.