CODA question

[AslanC]

OKay I am sure this has been handled in a dozen different threads, but I want to get the answers centralized.

What are the biggest gaps/errors/poor choices/bad system calls/weakness of the CODA/LOTR system AND (important this) what fixes or house rules do you propose to fix them?

I ask this since I am thinking (thinking) of picking up CODA for a generic fantasy game and want to fix the probs

[Brandir]

GandalfOfBorg is working on a generic CODA document at the moment. Try the Decipher message boards for various threads he has started, or this specific one:

http://forums.fanhq.com/viewtopic.php?t=19732

[AslanC]

Thanks for the link, but not exactly what I am on about.

I am asking what people see as the faults of the game system, and THEN what fixes they use.

I have the BSR and while it is well done (despite the Harry Potter references left over from when it was the Harry Potter game) it is only one person's take on the system. I may not agree with everything he says, or I may.

The whole purpose of this post is to generate discussion as well as elucidate myself to the problems of the game.

[GandalfOfBorg]

At the Decipher messageboards, we are discussing the perceived disparities of the CODA system and proposing solutions to them to create a CODA LOTR RPG 2.0. Everyone is more than welcome to join us.

PS - Ya, I'm sorry about the HP ref's. I used my HP game as the initial template for a lot of the information and am still picking pieces of it out.

PPS - I have finished the BSR.

[Ineti]

Do some research. There have been many threads here and on RPG.net's Open forum (among others) discussing the pros and cons of Coda ad nauseam. Some people like it as is, some people like it with a couple house rules and mods, some people don't like it and massively retool it, and some people despise the game.

Best bet would be for you to get it and decide for yourself.

[AslanC]

Ineti, do you remember me at all?

I ran CODA Trek and CODA LotR.

I have extensive threads on these very boards about my campaigns.

A little too much Holiday Cheer there buddy?

Anyways I avoid the RPG.net boards like they inflict cancer and I have no immune system.

That put too fine a point on it?

[KillerWhale]

I haven't found any weakness per se in it - we made some alterations, clarified some points, but these are more "house rules" than "patches" on design flaws. The system is very smoothly designed in our opinion, and ran very well.

If you're interested in these house rules however, I can post'em here.

[Ineti]

Ineti, do you remember me at all?
I ran CODA Trek and CODA LotR.
I have extensive threads on these very boards about my campaigns.
A little too much Holiday Cheer there buddy?
Anyways I avoid the RPG.net boards like they inflict cancer and I have no immune system.
That put too fine a point on it?

Your first post mentioned you were thinking of picking up Coda for a generic game, hence my assumption that you didn't own it yet. Sorry for that assumption.

At any rate, if you have run both Trek and LOTR, your first post mystifies me. If you've run them, I would think you'd have an idea what works for you and what doesn't work.

Sorry to hear you're not into RPG.net. I've found a ton of very good advice there.

[Tobian]

I don't change the rules persay, but I have had to add a couple of my own on the fly, where the system is lacking. Things which spring to mind include personell forcefields, which I have some house rules for, and I guess a number of other stuff like the ESO which I use allot

Generally speaking I haven't had to change much of anything in the system, but I do allow the players to spend 1 pick at a time and I tend to give out more XP than they say in the book, but then that's just 'cause I don't run the game often enough.. It's annoying when you play a game, don't play it for months.. and then still don't get enough XP to get at least 1 upgrade, even if it's just a skill pick On the flip side of that I've tied rank in with renoun, so they don't make Admiral in 3 weeks

I also add allot of stuff, but then that tends to be campaign specific and is often not rules based (for advanced technology especially) so really the answer is it's good to go for me