Some thoughts on game design

My ftf group's next campaign will have a tinge of Nobilis to it. I've been thinking about a character, chewing it over in earnest, for more than a week now. And I've gotten a flash of insight into why I love the WoD-style tribe/phase of the moon/whatever groupings, which I believe are described as/in "splatbooks". I mean, I said before that by listing out the options, it gives me an idea of what style and feel the setting and game is meant for. And you can assume that the various options are at least somewhat balanced against each other. And there are zillions of little crystallization points in the descriptions around which a character idea may suddenly precipitate.

But what I really like about characterized systems is that I know what I'm missing. Take Deadlands. I read through the list of Edges and Hindrances, and I know that I could take "Big Ears" or "Grim Servant o' Death", and I can decide whether or not those are things I'm interested in, whether the character I'm thinking of will be able to get by without them. Compare that to Everway,
"What'd you pick as a Fire specialty? I finally went with 'Archery.'"
"Oh, I chose 'Kicks Ass.'"
"'Kicks Ass'? That was an option? Fuck!"
And then for an Air specialty, you could have "Takes Names." Hee hee hee.

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