Death to Dice Pools!, Why do we bother with these things? Options

[bwdemon]

I've fought long and hard over the dice pool issue. I hate the way combat pool works and is determined, how all pools refresh, and their overall distortion of reality in the game. So I say it's time for a change.

Option 1: Use an attribute + skill system. Every skill already has a defining attribute, so just limit the maximum added attribute dice to the skill rating, kill the pools altogether, and you're set. I'd keep KP, for the rerolls and other functions, but everything else would go.

Option 2: Pools only refresh once per scene or day. I hated that SR3 cut down pool refresh from every action in a turn to every turn (it killed the value of speed). However, taking it to this extreme makes players really choose how and when they want to allocate their pool dice, instead of automatically dumping them each action.

Option 3: The only pool is karma pool. KP is a reflection of the character's experience, so why not use it? The greener-than-grass newbie won't be throwing around a whole lot more than his skill under most conditions, but that's not a bad thing. The hardened veteran will have a few tricks up his sleeve that he can pull out from time to time.

I'm partial to #3, myself. These don't include task pools and other things of that sort, granted specifically by 'ware or magic, just the standard pools. What are your thoughts on these? Have any other methods that you prefer?