Here is an excellent video by the designer of WOIN, in which the design principles and goals behind the game are discussed. This video is from 10 months ago when the Starter Set was discussed.
WOIN, a fun and tight D6 system, is not rules-light, but its resolution system feels that way, aligning with the ideal state of all systems. Currently, the game is in its 1.3 version, a testament to its continuous testing and development. This ongoing process, a rarity in many games, keeps the excitement and anticipation high for what's to come.
This system was inspired by the classic 1980s dice pool systems, but it has so many differences that it can be considered its own game. It is like calling Aftermath and D&D the same game since they both use a d20. It started as a Star Trek-style D6 game that went into generic sci-fi, fantasy, and modern games.
Every genre book is a stand-alone game, but the mechanics are all compatible.
People are comparing this very favorably to games like Savage Worlds. What I like about D6 pool systems over Savage Worlds is that Savage Worlds has a lingo, abstract concepts, and all sorts of "ceremonies" you must follow to play, and you need to load the "Savage Worlds OS" into your brain to get your mind all set. You also need plenty of "toys" on the table, such as poker chips, dice, cards, and resource wheels. With a straight D6 pool system, you only need dice, and the gameplay is "roll over a number."
I have run D6 pool systems with new players, and very little explanation and concepts of rules need to be communicated. Most of the time, I was not explaining actions, combat turns, or how to make a skill roll or attack. It was just "what do you do" and "roll the dice."
You can give someone a character sheet, and they can figure out 90% of the game.
I played Savage Worlds with a new player and needed a "tutorial character" to explain every step of the game to them. Still, it took up an entire session, and we ended up not playing again because there was too much in terms of rules scaffolding for them to remember. Every step of teaching Savage Worlds was to stop and explain the next thing. Once you "get it," you "get it," but it is a lot of abstract concepts to remember.
Cypher System was a hit with the same player, and it comes down to how simple the core task and action resolution are. There are so many abstract concepts here that it is way more complicated for referees to grasp than for players. Just figuring out Cypher System can be a challenge; I had that book for months and could not figure it out. For players, it is easier.
Rules-light games that go hard on abstraction are a weakness of the genre. A game can get so abstract it floats in a gray soup of meaningless concepts and ideas. And they are super hard to teach and keep in your head.
WOIN, like Cepheus, is a simple dicing system anyone can understand, with few abstract concepts to grasp. I bet WOIN would be just as easy to sell to that player since I know how easy D6 pool systems are and how straightforward the approach is for new players to grasp.
WOIN seems steeper for referees and, like the Cypher System, for character design since the career system introduces many choices. Still, with pre-gens, any D6 pool system flies with zero abstraction.
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