I strongly disagree. I've played and run both versions a bit and 3e is a vastly more complicated game. Just damage calculation alone has three times as many variables, not to mention that charm effects during combat can stack and you have many more resources to track. I can't help but wonder how so many eyes could have looked at the system and thought it was a good idea. While Essence doesn't quite fall under the category of rules light it is far simpler and easier to run than 3e. I went back to playing 3e again recently and was astonished at how much work it was just to create a character and maintain my character sheet.
That's fair. I think that more of 3e's complexity is tied to the complex character management rather than the rules themselves though. But I do agree that it's overly complex in several places.
@@ekorren Gotcha, I should have looked it up! I agree, while 2nd Ed. was fun, 3rd Ed. is ultimately a more satisfying experience, at least at our table.
@@bigsarge2085we had the opposite experience, oddly enough. Loved 2nd edition and played it for a long time. Had a single campaign last almost 2 years. 3X came out and we were hyped. The campaign lasted less than 2 months and everyone was miserable.
Exalted was always "the game with great lore and terrible mechanics". Kind of like Rifts. That's why I use Exalted lore with Ironsworn (or Starforged) mechanics.
