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I like strike:combat ends. I like their interaction with the other combat cards and the game as a whole. They definitely have a place in fluff as well. Existence of combat ends have to be accounted for when you build a combat deck. It poses interesting deckbuilding challenges.

I don't like S:CE resolving separately from other strikes and the excessive number of combat steps.

Bloodartist wrote:

They definitely have a place in fluff as well.

In the VTM you spent a point of willpower, which everybody got plenty off, to ignore effect of presence for a round, then crush dork trying to be awesome, with your two splits and three additional strikes. And even without this (if we go with a notion, that VTM as a ruleset suck at representing fluff of VTM), majesty was a power, accessible only to the elders, not any dork having basic presence (there was kind of a combat power Dread Gaze thou, which in VtES was somehow moved to completely irrelevant card).

But you are right, that they pose an interesting deckbuilding challenge, so if we want to embrace it in a reasonable way, we should stop pretending that we care about m-s-p.

elotar wrote:

In the VTM you spent a point of willpower, which everybody got plenty off, to ignore effect of presence for a round, then crush dork trying to be awesome, with your two splits and three additional strikes. And even without this (if we go with a notion, that VTM as a ruleset suck at representing fluff of VTM), majesty was a power, accessible only to the elders, not any dork having basic presence (there was kind of a combat power Dread Gaze thou, which in VtES was somehow moved to completely irrelevant card).

Two things I want to say:

1.) In general, I disagree with your notion that VTES sucks in representing the fluff. I think that on average it does a decent job. I think its important to maintain the atmosphere and tone of world of darkness. Its more important than strict adherence to RPG rules in my opinion.

2.) However, too many cards in VTES that are playable by young smallcap vampires, actually are the sole providence of really old and strong vampires in the lore. (Discipline technique requiring more than 5 dots in a discipline in the RPG books). This is pretty much solely of a naming issue however, someone named the card wrong. Another issue is disciplineless cards actually requiring a discipline in the lore. Example: Wake with evenings freshness is a disciplineless reaction card, while in the lore its actually a Tremere ritual.

Bloodartist wrote:

1.) In general, I disagree with your notion that VTES sucks in representing the fluff.

Where have you find such notion? Actually I'm always saying that VtES better represents fluff, than VTM mechanics (which, in my opinion, mostly do not work at all). Fluff of presence is questionable, but it's obviously meant to be a social power, used when you are trying to win arguments, not fights. Clans with possess combat disciplines for a reason.

Bloodartist wrote:

2.) However, too many cards in VTES that are playable by young smallcap vampires, actually are the sole providence of really old and strong vampires in the lore. (Discipline technique requiring more than 5 dots in a discipline in the RPG books). This is pretty much solely of a naming issue however, someone named the card wrong. Another issue is disciplineless cards actually requiring a discipline in the lore. Example: Wake with evenings freshness is a disciplineless reaction card, while in the lore its actually a Tremere ritual.

WwEF, obviously, in the "Alpha" was a Thaumaturgy card, but then it was moved to general when it was found, that wake effect is of key importance to the game.

I think, that they should have changed the name (or maybe not them, keeping in mind that they was pressed by time), but WW who have more that a decade to do it.

Obviously, we can't avoid having names of the disciplines on a cards and no ability of neonates play them, but it can be executed differently.

Having each dork with trowing Majesty's left and right as a main and highly effective answer to any threat is not flavorful.

Original Majesty (as I think it was):
Press, only usable to end combat.
As above, and burn one blood to untap

was imo much better - yea, neonate can play it, but for very basic effect, for elder vampires, tho, it gives one of the most valuable effect in the game (ability to act again) quite understandable lorewise (blocking this vampire will not stop him from doing it's thing - remember, repeatable actions were allowed at the time). It helps in combat, but you are better packing some more combat defense. So as a result - it will be mostly used by bigger vampires and mostly when it has valuable action coming.

I was asked earlier about positive aspects of the old system. Obviously we can't compare them in terms of balance or strategy debts, but it was much easier to interpret in the terms of the logic of the World of Darkness.