"feel" of CODA system and rules books

[Kirok]

I've read the PG & NG pretty much all the way throughand am prety durn impressed, but I'm not much good at imagining how a rules system will play by just reading it, sooo....

What do folks here think about the system, the way it plays. Does it "feel" like Star Trek to you? Do some aspects feel moreTrek-y than others? Have you found it necessary to make any house rules or modifications to make it, in your opinion, more Trek-y?

Also, and I hate to say anything critical because the book are beautiful and loaded with great stuff, but am I the only one who finds the prose style to be a little dry?

[aelius]

I find that the rules play quite well. In fact I have a player in my game who normally has a very difficult time with game mechanics, he picked up the CODA rules in a short time and very much enjoys the game.
I can't really say whether they have a Star Trek feel because my campaign is set outside the Federation and is not Starfleet, so the games don't flow much like a Star Trek episode. However that is more a matter of the way the game is run than a mechanics issue.
On the other hand, I find the rules to be very adaptable. I like that because it means that rules from other games where I like the setting but not the rules(cough..D20..cough) can be easily converted.
I also use the excellent Cyberpunk 2020 rules from R. Talsorien Games to enhance the unarmed combat rules. I also make use of the cybernetics rules from Cyberpunk and have adapted the setting to the planet Tortuga. You could call it Cyberpunk 2376.

[tmutant]

I like the character generation system. It seems to hit a happy medium between detail and playability. Other systems I've played have put players off because of how long character generation takes.

I like the starship combat system because it also doesn't get bogged down in details. It helps keep the narrative moving. A more detailed system can be fun if you want to just play combat, but it gets in the way when you want to roleplay. Another happy medium here.

I've played and GM'ed a number of systems, and this is as good as any of them, and better than most.

[Ineti]

I'm liking the Coda system the more I read about it. Trek is really good, and LOTR looks great. I tend to lean toward more role-playing in my games over die rolling, so the cinematic feel of Coda really works for me.

And I really, really like the move away from d20 style levels to the much more flexible advancements. Makes characters mcuh more diverse.

[RaconteurX]

The new rules definitely have much more of a Trek feel to them than either the LUG or FASA editions had. The only facet with which I am less than enamored is the hit-point-like wound mechanic, and that is easily swapped out in favor of something more elegant and less bookkeeping-intensive.

[Dan Stack]

I think they capture the feel of the Trek universe pretty well, but I think the LotR captured the feel of Middle Earth slightly better. I'm not sure if it is the text or the art/layout - both games are great in my opinion, but LotR feels slightly more infused.

I'm just looking forward to Coda versions of Dune and Star Wars.

[RaconteurX]

I concur with Dan... CODA suits Middle-Earth very well, far more than ICE's highly simplified Rolemaster variant did.

[Ineti]

Coda Star Wars would be cool. I wonder if a Coda Superheroes would work....

And Coda Aliens, and Coda Deryni, and Coda Paranoia....

[Sho-sa Kurita]

I think CODA Deryni would be very easy - and very cool. I haven't read the books for many years, but it's one of my fave fantasy settings. I've been considering doing a similar thing in a RP campaign.

[Ineti]

Originally posted by Sho-sa Kurita
I think CODA Deryni would be very easy - and very cool. I haven't read the books for many years, but it's one of my fave fantasy settings. I've been considering doing a similar thing in a RP campaign.

No kidding? That would be sweet. I envision most Deryni magic as being subtle, much like LOTR magic. Let me know if you get a system working. I'd be VERY interested in seeing it.

I know there's a Fudge Deryni RPG coming out someday, but haven't heard the latest on it.

[Garet]

steve jackson games has a link to company thats doing a deryni game. noticed it a couple weeks ago.

Just about finished reading the ST book and finally figured out how to roll up a character, i was making it harder than it is. I believe that is has the flavor, but will be hopefully trying it out thursday night with a couple of people

[Ineti]

As near as I can tell, the FUDGE Deryni game is being worked on, but the release date is nebulous at best.

Back to topic, I have to give kudos to everyone involved with both the Trek RPG and the LOTR RPG. Great work. I've reread the "how to narrate" sections of both several times, even though I'm a veteran at it. Good writing needs to be read and reread.

[Kirok]

thanks to all for their thoughts.
I don't know who to credit except all of you: this message board is great.

[el queso]

I love the feel of the new books and system.
Before, with the LUG system it felt nicely complicated enough to be Star Trek, but felt quite claustrophobic (especially being part of a shipboard campaign).
The new system was far too easy to start off with. I felt a little uneasy but my players loved the character creation system. We now have two campaigns set simultaniously on the same colony. I have planned the season so that it is 24 episodes (12 of each).
For the lower-decks campaign, the players are the lowest of the low. On a station with 1000 staff, they rank 995 to 1000. The use of the system is more present as they perform skills for command personnel they rarely see. The players do a lot more as they know how to make the rolls for it in this system and there are simple mechanics.
For the upper-decks campaign, the players pretty much ignore the system and use their roleplaying skills better than in most games. The only real trekkie in my group shined as the engineer, making up a station report from scratch without even missing a beat. The captain's opening speech to the crew was bold, passionate and had perfect timing.

My conclusion, the character creation is nice and easy if you have a tolerable GM to do the page-flipping for you. The system is good and easy and promotes actual ROLEplaying, which is the way I like my games. And it should be the way you like yours. After all, Star Trek wasn't all killing things, there was a lot of interaction with it.

Charlie E/N