thread: 2009-09-14 : Subsystems
On 2009-09-17, valamir wrote:
I think there's a danger of confounding the idea of subsystems with the idea of unified mechanics (or non-unified as the case may be). From the list of subsystems Vincent provided as examples...they clearly seem to be pretty apples and oranges issues that may or may well not ever overlap in any given design.
The common useage of Unified Mechanic, typically refers to the specific technique of rolling dice to do stuff...regardless of what that stuff actually is.
I don't really see how having different rules for Character Creation than you have for NPC Creation connects with whether or not your game has unified mechanics. Those subsystems aren't what people (anyone I know anyway) are talking about when they talk about unified mechanics.
Dog's mechanics are completely unified. Unified to the extent that you can have "just talking" dice and "blowin' your fool head off" dice in the same die pool and not even care about which is which.
IAWA age mechanics are completely unified. The dice work the same whether you're drawing upon eldritch wizardries to avoid demonic possession, or saying no to an over zealous suitor.
Poison'd adds a few bells and whistles to knife fights vs ship fights with cannon. But basically the core dice and Xs mechanics works the same whether you're engaging the British Fleet or trying to avoid beint Buttsecksed by Dirty Pete's peg leg.
I think it is certainly an interesting conversation to see whether the technique of rolling dice to perform first aid and triage should be different than the technique of rolling dice to survive a fire fight in a game about Marine Hospital Corpmen. But I think that's an entirely different conversation from how Character Creation subsystems and Scenario Creation subsystems interact(except in so far as they intersect with each other).
