[Torg] Any ever thought of or tried reversing/altering Torg's Metapower vs Advancement struggle?

[Scott Schultz]

I think you'll find that this is the last group in the world where you'll have to be criticized on the basis of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". *heh*

Here's the thing that your friend hasn't quite grasped (or maybe it's his gamemaster): Your total "income" of possibilities over the course of an adventure is normally positive, in spite of, or even BECAUSE of, judcious spending of your possibilities. Every act has a built-in possibility award and the end of an adventure typically has a bonus possibility award. This is no different than games that have "XP". If you're an MMO player, you've seen this model, where you get a certain amount of XP from "killing stuff" and then you get a bonus at the end of the mission.

TORG is designed around the same engine. Instead of XP, you get a possibility allowance at the end of each act. At mission's end, you get a bonus. The size of the reward is dependent on the GM, the adventure, and how he feels about your gameplay. Like any other RPG, your TORG GM is likely to reward compelling or fun gameplay with extra possibilities. Spending possibilities creatively adds to the fun, which generally adds to the rewards.

Sure, there will be times where you have to make a choice between gameplay or advancement, but if your friend feels like he's making that choice constantly then either your GM is being stingy with the rewards or your friend needs to get out of the min/max powergamer mindset that says that all possibilities must be hoarded towards advancement. The game is designed with the idea that there's a balance between the two goals and part of "playing right" is achieving the right balance. 

Now, this may sound like variation on "it ain't broke, don't fix it". I'd say it's more a comment on how a system that tries to let you have your cake and eat it too is a system that is making a change that isn't just about XP, it's about changing one of the fundamental foundations of the game. Spending possibilities isn't about choosing advancement over success. It's about risk versus reward and choosing what kind of reward is more important to you.

Ultimately, though, I'd say that a typical gaming session should make you feel that you succeeded at both goals - game success and advancement. As I said earlier, if you feel like you're constantly stuck with one or other, then your GM should probably start pumping out more possibilities as mission rewards.