My Life As A Gamer: Autarch's "Ascendant" On Kickstarter

Autarch, the folks behind one of the best D&D retroclones--Adventurer, Conqueror, King--have a campaign going at Kickstarter for their new original Superhero game, Ascendent.

And now a quote:

Comic book RPGs tend to be sub-divided into “descriptor-based” and “effect-based” games. “Bolt of Fire” is a descriptor, while “Ranged Attack that 50 points of damage to one target” is an effect. A descriptor-based game prioritizes the descriptor over the effects. An effect-based prioritizes the effects over the descriptor.

Ascendant strives to be neither a descriptor-based nor effect-based game. It is, rather, a physics-based game. The game mechanics are intended to be the physics engine of the game world. Powers have both descriptors and effects. Some effects are precluded by the logic of the descriptor, and some descriptors inevitably entail certain effects. The mechanics are elaborate and detailed (as in an effect-based game) but they are also broad and universalized (as in a descriptor-based game). Players are expected and encouraged to use their powers in whatever manner makes sense within the physics of a comic-book world, but not in ways that don’t make sense.

If a descriptor-based system aims to let players experience a comic-book story; and an effect-based system aims to let players play a superhero game; our physics-based system aims to let players simulate a comic book world. To do so, we have created logarithmic chart-based universal mechanics, a style of design that has not been widely used in the last two decades, but which will be instantly familiar to fans of the classic FASERIP and MEGS RPGs from the 1980s.

And if you want more, click through to the campaign page. Autarch is Good People. They put out good stuff. This game deserves a shot.