Help Wanted: Automaton Design

[ffutures]

This is a quick question for the role players in the audience. I'm working on rules for Victorian automaton design (think big clanking steam robots, clockwork musicians, etc.)

I'm writing this as a variation on character generation, with costs in money rather than points, and differences in the base value of some skills and some unavailable. This seems to work well enough, but I now need to think about adding some "chrome" to make it more interesting. Would you prefer:

1: Detailed complicated rules

2: Simple rules but prices for a lot of components e.g. rubber "skin", weapons systems, etc.

3: Vague "think of a number and double it"

4: A mixture of all of the above.

Can't do a poll on a free account, but comments would be very welcome.

Comments

[sirernest.livejournal.com]

I'd prefer the second option