Thursday, April 12, 2012

Pretty Snazzy

So, one of those games I've always regretted not really grokking is Exalted.  On the surface, it's got a lot of things I should totally get into: crazy martial arts, over the top heroes, ancient vistas, mythic resonance.  But the rules have always gotten in the way of my good time.

As it turns out, what I think I really needed was a good tutorial.  Someone who knew how to play the game to show me what to do.  And, lo and behold, that someone has arrived.  Behold: Exalted: Becoming - A Tutorial, an absolutely fantastic web-based solo adventure that takes you through every par of the game.  You can even save it and return later.  So far, my character has investigated a ruined temple, sparred with her Sifu, and killed some soldiers who were busting up her ex-wife's tavern.  Also, she just Exalted, so shit's about to get really, real.

Anyway, this is a fantastic resource, and a lot of fun to play.  All the dice rolls are generated by the page, but shown so you can see what's going on.

In short, it's great, and I think I'm actually beginning to understand how the game's supposed to be played.

3 comments:

  1. We had the exact same experience with Exalted. A great world, a rich and interesting story, etc. But a 12 step process to resolve a single melee swing (among many other kludgey rules) ruined the whole thing for us.

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  2. They've managed to pare down the number of steps quite a bit. It's still more than many other games, but it seems throwing fistfuls of dice is one of the defining characteristics of the game.

    Becoming uses the so-called Exalted 2.5 rules, which are a major reworking of the system by fans and line writers that has WW's blessing. It seems a lot less cumbersome. At least compared to the earlier versions of the game.

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  3. I'm always curious about the various hacks folks have done to other games to do Exalted. (Most recently Marvel HR) Because the world is awesomesauce, but the system has always made me back away slowly, trying to avoid eye contact.

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