On May 13, 1:49 pm, Peter Knutsen <p...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Are players happy with putting Limitations on their abilities, in
> systems such as GURPS and Hero System? One might naively assume that
> since players do in fact put Limitations on their abilities, they must
> be happy with it, but there are several alternative explanations:
>
> B. The players purchase Limited abilities because they cannot afford
> abilities without Limitations, due to being given a very tight point
> budget by the GM.
>
> C. The players purchase Limited abilities as a form of self-censor****p
> because they believe that the GM would reject abilities that do not have
> Limitations on them (or which have too few, such as 1 or 2, Limitations
> on them).
>
> D. The players purchase Limited abilities because they know for a fact
> that the GM of that specific campaign will reject characters who have
> abilities that are not Limited.
>
> We can't rule out, of course, that (A) players apply Limitations to
> their character's abilities because those Limitations fit the character
> concept and anyway the players feel that the cost difference between the
> abilities with and without Limitations are such that they (the players)
> are getting a fair deal.
I'd be in group (A).
Perhaps also (A') players in systems that are not granular enough
to sup****t their character concepts might pay for a general ability
and
then use it as a limited ability that is not available at a lower
cost. This
can be a useful way for players rather than the GM to increase the
challenge level of the campaign if they wish. I played several D&D
characters who chose suboptimal weapons or spells just because
they were eccentric, in a campaign that was non-lethal enough that
the other players didn't pressure me not to do this. The players in
this group would not think they are getting a fair deal, just an
acceptable one. It probably wouldn't happen if your campaign has
a high enough degree of challenge.
Conversely, in GURPS Supers I don't recall ever using a limitation
to make a character concept affordable; I revised the character
concept in other ways (usually discarding an entire ability) or
abandoned it if it couldn't be realized within the point budget as
originally planned.
I can't imagine having to do (C) or (D); those sound like a
hostile GM.
--
Magister
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