Here are two blog posts in response to a video and it’s all about the old discussion if systems matter.
Here the question is slightly different: How do systems matter?
If an RPG system puts a great focus on combat (like 5e), does that make the game focus on combat? Alternatively, does it relieve the GM from combat simulation and instead let’s them focus on other aspects (roleplaying, drama, improv, story, exploration, etc)?
The discussion around the “Fruitful Void” and Brennan’s initial comment made me think specifically of this story from Chocolate Hammer where a highly-random, highly-lethal small-scale cowboy wargame ended up being an extremely fertile ground for interesting stories despite having no narrative mechanics of any kind.
A system specifically focused entirely on combat gave the GM room to weave a vast web of intrigue and personality based on how everyone knowing the power of violence in the system and trying to avoid getting near it while using it to threaten everyone else.
Wow, awesome story!
It seems the GM brought a lot to the setting (“I already knew quite a bit about [Tombstone, Arizona]”), so most people would not be able to create such an experience with just the game document.
I looked up the rules. According to my understanding, here is roughly what happens in a pistol duel:
There are three checks, quite similar to D&D. Who goes first (initiative), hit determination, and wounds. I can see the shared heritage.
For each of these, you have a base number from your stats. Then various modifiers are applied depending on range, movement of shooter, movement of target, wounds, weapon type, and more (e.g. hipshooting is +5 for first shot but -10 for hitting). Collecting and adding all the modifiers is what makes it complicated.
Initiative does not require a roll. Hit determination takes one percentage die roll (d100). The wound takes two d100. Example from the rules: “A first roll of 49 would indicate a wound in the left shoulder, and a second roll of 72 would mean that the wound there was a serious one.” A serious wound means -7 to your strength attribute and shows up in later bonus calculations.
Such a serious wound will take seven weeks to heal assuming proper medical treatment.
Fun fact: The rules contain more than five pages of stats for historical figures like Billy the Kid. :)