Game Mechanics That I Hate

Really, just a filler post.  This was originally written for inclusion in Alarums & Excursions #388 back in December 2007 or January 2008.  However, the opinions are still valid, so I have done some minor updates and will launch it into the blogosphere.

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Currently, the only RPGing I have been able to engage in is D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder.  I am not a D20 hater, nor am I a D20 fanatic... I think it’s a fine system, sometimes a bit too crunchy and tactical, but certainly robust enough to hang a game on.  I prefer D20 derivatives such as True 20 or Mutants and Masterminds to straight D&D.  Games I like but have not played recently include Savage Worlds, Runequest,  Tristat/Big Eyes Small Mouth, Feng Shui, Over The Edge, Unknown Armies, PDQ and Spirit of the Century/FATE.  I seem to be seeking two completely opposite games – one a robust, detail oriented, crunchy system with lots of tactical and character advancement rules, and the other a fast, rules light, detail light system that can be run on the fly with minimal references and red tape.

Some things I hate in a game as far as mechanics go:

1) Having to reference charts to determine the results of rolls (this kills games like TORG, Mayfair’s DC HEROES and ROLE MASTER for me).  I don’t mind an occasional “look up a critical hit” effect, but when you have to look up a chart to determine weapon damage or how far you jumped... that kills the fun for me.

2) Games where the combat sequence forces you to declare actions as a group, then roll dice, then determine what happens (GODLIKE, WILD TALENTS and REIGN all do this, as does WYRD IS BOND and a few other cool games).  To me, this not only slows down the combat round, but when you have four or five highly competent heroes fighting several equally competent villains, plus a dozen or so mooks, by the time everyone declares who can remember what anyone said?

3) In-elegance. <is that even a word?>  Games where sometimes you roll high and sometimes you roll low, and sometimes you roll percentile, and sometimes you don’t.... I’m not saying that everything has to be tied to one die mechanic, but the fewer exceptions the better for me.  This is one of my primary reasons for disliking AD&D in any edition, and I think that the Kenzer's Hackmaster and Aces & Eights games both suffer from the same flaws.

There are probably a few other things that really bother me in a game, but these are the main mechanic flaws that will lead me not to play a game.  How about you?