Closer and closer to the publication: last changes to the game

A lot passed since my last post, I know that... The end of summer holidays, the start of the school and other worries kept me far from here!

However this doesn't mean I was far from my project: I got the first proofread manuscript back! Thanks again Carl! Now, I need to amend the errors and, after that, I planned four additional steps before the final version:

1. Get the second proofread from Ian, the other fellow helping me in the proofread, and include any amendment from his side.

2. Revise the book with changes I did after the proofread version went out (therefore I thought it'd have been wise to correct first the text with the proofread and change it afterwards).

3. Edit the book with images (few) and text outlining.

4. Complete the product offer for the playtest by adding two additional books: a player's primer and an adventure module... (I have already them in mind!)

With reference to the second point, I want to get into details of what I changed from the first version. There is basically one main change which  draws several other minor changes scattered across the whole set of rules: in the first version any character is described like in any other RPG by some stats. Very linear and very traditional approach. 

In this revision, two stats have been handled in a different way: there have been nor deleted neither replaced with other game mechanics; the player is going to take them over: the player himself (and not the character like in other RPGs) will use his own capabilities on behalf of his character. The attributes involved are close to the D&D concept of Intelligence and Charisma: in the VI·VIII·X KUP RPG these two stats are present (for the sake of completeness) but "disabled" and in their place the real intelligence and charisma of the player will affect the game.

I made my mind up after a discussion in a board (I wrote about this here) and I came to the conclusion that I do not need to follow what the "tradition" has always done: with a very rationale and detached thought I realized that if you want to be close as much as possible to a full role-play experience, you can simulate any stats but the main "mental" ones... It is very hard to role-play in any circumstance a "low-intelligence" character when you are a person with an average intelligence and it is nearly (if not completely) impossible do the other way round. This applies to charisma (i.e. any in-game social relationship) as well: you cannot avoid the game, for example, when you have to deal with a noble by simply saying to the GM: "You know? I dunno what to say but I roll charisma (where my character has a bonus of +25) and see what happens... Eheheh..."; in the VI·VIII·X KUP RPG every player is in the position to act with his intelligence and charisma always on behalf of his player. No role-play, no gain.

This could be another feature that (indirectly) helps the KUP model, asking the players not to rely on pure figures representing capabilities far from their real ones... it is a more thrilling challenge to try to overcome their limits (and enjoy the game for this!).



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