When I started my on-line Engiziland game, I told the players that they
could chose any ability ratings they wanted. As I said inthe Char gen
section:
"You aren't heroes yet, but on the other hand, I'm easy about your ability
ratings - but be assured that if you want to play with multiple masteries, I'll
make sure you have opponents and situations to match!
If you're the kind of person that wants guidelines, here they are."
*Every* single person then used the guidelines I provided for Character Generation. (They were a little more generous than the "base" HQ ones, because I wanted a little more experienced crew). Not one person took advantage of the "Take what you want and I'll make it fit" section.
Now, what does this tell me? That while any set of guidelines may be flawed, people will still choose them over "take what you want". People *want* some sort of help in statting their characters. So while Jane can say "Everything is a flaw and therefor free, take it at whatever level you want", *most* people will look for guidelines. So I feel no problem with having included them in the book.
Now, as noted above, I changed the "base" ability ratings for the characters
(just shifting ratings a few points up, no big deal). Is this "legal"? Damn
straight it is. Are you going to shut down my game because of it? Is Greg?
Robin? Rick? Mark?
Now, it may be that I have some innate ability to make things up or ignore
rules that other people don't have, but I don't think so. I take what I need
or want from the rules, and ignore what I don't. If I'm in someone else's
game I play by *their* subset of the rules. We all do it. How many people
play that landing on "Free Parking" allows one to take all the money in the
kitty in Monopoly? it's a common house rule (we used it), but it's not in
the Official Monopoly rules:
(http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_179.html).
RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad
R. Sabatini, Scaramouche
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