If you have a rules light system, it's hard to add stuff to it. Look at the total cock up DnD is these days - it was a simple system (albeit naively designed, but then, it was one of the first) that warped under the strain of having bits added to it. Today's simple systems tend to be better designed so they don't bend as much under the weight of additions.
On the other hand, GURPS is a very rules heavy system that was designed to provide a general mechanism to do anything. The size of the "basic" rulebook is enough to make my living room table quake with the impact. However, despite the rules being heavy, the GURPS basic rules have turned out to be one of the biggest selling RPG rules of all time. And, it's not people buying new editions either. The current edition has been around largely unchanged for about 8 years and it hasn't changed much from the first edition. How's it done this?
Well, just because the rules have a lot in them, you don't have to use them all. GURPS has got a really detailed combat system, but a lot of the time it's not needed. A lot of combats don't need it, but it's there if the players and GM want it. It all depends on the setting.
So, what am I saying? Well, if the system doesn't support something that some gamers want, it can be a bugger to add it. On the other hand, if the system has got it, and some gamers don't need it, sling it out. Compare CoC and RQ: Same system, but CoC's not combat oriented, so sling out criticals, fumbles, hit location.
Richard also said something rather disturbing...
In fact when I look at scenario design I would say I spent 10% of my
time doing the plot, and the rest drawing maps, detailing rooms, and
spec-ing all those bloody monsters. That makes scenario design take far
longer than I want it to, with the emphasis all out of balance.
I wouldn't say the system is out of balance, I'd say your perspective on it was. Are you telling me you rolled the attributes of each protagonist in a punch up, even when they're going to last one or two rounds as cannon fodder? You personally pick their skills? Work out a character motivation? Okay, so the big, personalised baddies are a good move to do in detail as the adventurers are going to interact with them a lot and the adventure hinges on them. Every Trollkin, Lunar Hoplite and Rubble Runner doesn't need to be individualised. Just because all the baboons in Apple Lane were individually developed doesn't mean you have to do the same thing with your NPCs. Do 'em once and reuse it. Keep a folder of standard NPCs and use them. Do the same with with floor plans and bingo, in 5 minutes of getting a plot, you can have a decent scenario ready.
Anyway, 'nuff said,
Ash
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