Hot Damn! It's about freaking time. My group hasn't had the time to do anything more than occasional one-shots for almost a year, and as the GM that really handicaps what I can do creatively (although it does give me an opportunity to play some really cool games like Dread and Fiasco) but a year of one shots was (more than) enough and I am ready to start again.

The group is going to be different now and for the first time in a long time there will be a player who really isn't super big into the RP in RPG. He's a good guy and he won't be disruptive, but I am going to have to slightly alter the way I run my game in order to keep it fun for him.

I'm using Savage Worlds because the couple Campaign ideas I have in mind work best with it, and he (and a couple others) haven't played Savage Worlds as of yet, so that was a harder selling point for my Friend to whom mechanical character advancement is a key part of what he enjoys in RPGs, and Savage Worlds is a much more qualitative system than Pathfinder of 3.5 which is what he's used to.

So to form this all into easily addressable questions:

1) Thoughts on integrating a more crunch-dedicated player into a group who (while they use the rules and enjoy powers ect) are going to be more into in-character RPing.

2) Working something a little more tangible into a system like Savage Worlds to cater a little bit to this new player. (Especially since the games I have in mind are Lovecraftian noir, Fantasy horror, and Necessary Evil).


PS: WOOOOO I GET TO RUN AN ONGOING GAME AGAIN

I think that crunchy player is going to have a hard time with Savage Worlds. Which you seem to be aware of. To keep their crunch-quota filled make sure they pick a character that does more than just swing a sword, because they'll see very little in terms of advancement. Ensure they pick a character that has powers that advance over time. You may want to consider adding another system on top of the base system or to use a campaign setting that has nifty rules for how powers work. I really enjoy the magic/arcane edge system in the Hellfrost setting.

This is a tough one - I have always had difficulty integrating more crunch-oriented players into RP heavy groups. When it has worked, it has usually been because I was able to provide sequences that could be addressed either via crunch or via RP, which meant that the players would try both approaches at different times, and sometimes could use both at the same time.

For example: If the crunch player is playing a combat monster, I would make sure they took skills that were good for intimidation. That way, they other players could RP through a conversation with the villain's lackeys, but the crunch-oriented player could use their skills to assist the RP-oriented players.

Can you give Crunch a position in the party where he or she should know the other players' stats, or many of them? A doctor, a professional of some sort. So the crunchmeister can be doing some of the other players' crunching for them and letting them know things their character needs to know but they might not have thought up for themselves.
I was in a game where we had a good crunchmeister and he did this for some of us who aren't very good at system manipulation. I'd just be waling away at trying to do something and he'd say, "but look at your skills, did you know that x feat does that? Add +6 to that roll."
A crunchmeister in a responsible position is a real asset to a group of roleplayers.

Leoff's idea is a good one.

Another thing to try is to find a role within the party that is particularly given to crunch - in many games it's a warrior, but it could also be a healer, or an academic, etc.

I think since we're not just playing Core Savage Worlds (we're playing Necessary Evil) the powers could leave a lot of room for mechanical advancement, or even more he could be a tech villain who is always upgrading his gadgets and equipment. Now that I think about it, finding (or artificially inserting) crunch into a rules light system isn't going to be nearly as problematic as meshing the play styles associated with those two types of systems.

DISALLOW MIND CONTROL. Or at least multiple targets.

Seriously. Trust me. Mass mind control has one of two results: Boring instant win, or complete cock-blocking of the mind-controlled person. There really isn't any in-between, and it's rather annoying for everybody involved. SW Mind control suuuuucks.

Also, if you don't already, pick up the super-power companion. It tweaks and improves the entire supers system over NE.

And drop Willy the Fish's subplot. It's stupid and pointless. >.> I like NE, but I have problems with it. Willy's stupid subplot (90% exposition from one NPC in one sitting, 100% useless), and Dr. Destruction in general are just ... bad ideas.

I never thought I'd say this, but the squirrel speaks true. Hear him, hear him very well.

Yes, Mind Control is lame. I think I remember Illusion being pretty bad too.

Yeah, I'd forgotten about that, because the player that used it in our game might as well not have been there. But when someone put a fist up her ass and used her character as a puppet, it was pretty absurd.