HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bell@monet.cs.unc.edu (Andrew Bell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: r.g.frp.* and sci fi games
Date: 14 Sep 92 12:15:22 GMT
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

In article <12SEP199215541729@rosie.uh.edu> lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
>This is r.g.frp.misc.  In the hierarchy r.g.frp.* is for 
>fantasy role playing games.  Sci fi games are not fantasy
>games.  Therefore, officially they do not belong here.

bodie(2)% webster fantasy
Cross references:
  1. imagination

1. fan.ta.sy or phan.ta.sy \'fant-*-se-, -*-ze-\ n [ME fantasie] obs  1:
   HALLUCINATION 2: FANCY; esp : the free play of creative imagination 3a: a
   creation of the imaginative faculty; broadly : a fanciful design or
   invention 3b: a chimerical or fantastic notion 3c: FANTASIA 4: CAPRICE usu
   5: the power, process, or result of creating mental images modified by
   need, wish, or desire {the ~ of daydreams}
2. fantasy vt : to portray in the mind : FANCY to indulge in reverie :
   DAYDREAM

With the exception of 3b, nothing in the definition even hints at fantasy
meaning solely low technology settings with working magic.

Obviously, the gaming industry has added its own meanings to the word
that this webster doesn't know about.  However, "frp" is a phrase for
use both outside and inside the gaming world, so the external definition
is the relevant one.

   -Andrew Bell
bell@cs.unc.edu
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: BTech Conversion for MS-DOS Beta ready
Date: 11 Sep 92 00:34:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: splinter.RATINOX.92Sep10203437
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Distribution: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
In-reply-to: kabreuer@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de's message of 10 Sep 92 04:09:19 GMT
X-Get-A-Clue: Have two, they're small.
X-Signature-Virus-Protection: Version 1.51
X-Posting-Software: GNUS 3.14.1 [ NNTP-based News Reader for GNU Emacs ]

>>>>> "KB" == Klaus Breuer <kabreuer@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
>>>>> writes:

KB> Looks like the previous release had a bad header in the ARJ -
KB> sorry about that.
KB> Have now releaseed Version 0.2b, including a preview of what
KB> the game itself will look like.

Guess what? 0.2b also has bad header problems.

--Rat

||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
                                                   __        ___ 
Richard Pieri, Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat/   | /| / /   | The Worlds
Internet: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu   /__  |/ |/ / /| | Welfare Works
    UUCP: ...!northeastern.edu!meceng!ratinox  /   | /| / / / | | Association:
  BITNET: UA_RLP@NUHUB{.BITNET}               /__  |/ |/ / /  | | I will solve
  USNail: 14 Westdale RD  Holbrook, MA 02343 /   | /| / / /___| | any problem
 ICBMnet: 42 deg 1 min N, 71 deg 0 min W    /    |/ |/ /_//_____| for you.
From: batemanc@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (Mad Chris)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation
Date: 8 Sep 92 14:15:02 GMT

v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) shouts:

>Improv ref's can't create maps/props/etc????  WHY NOT??????

>If I have not created a hard copy map of a space port, *and it becomes
>necessary at a later time* I simply pop my cheezy CAD pack into the computer,
>ask my players to hang on a minute, and whip up a quick schematic
>representation sufficient to settle whatever tactical situation comes up.  Gee,
>the hardest part of that is waiting for the damn programme to load of these
>incredibly slow-reading floppies (aaarrgghhh!!  I HATE floppies!) and in the
>meantime (about 2 minutes, maybe 3 if it is big programme) I consider what I am
>about to create.

Whilst I agree that it is possible to improvise props, I think your
rage here is a little silly, because if you have to stop the game
for five to ten minutes to create a prop, you cannot say this is the same
as having the prop prepared in advance. Imagine stopping the game every
quarter of an hour to spend half an hour creating a prop...

And if you'd been following this thread closely, many of the props
under discussion have been quite intricate: tapes with static messages
on them, faded parchments etc. You cannot just whip these up on the
fly, and the question of whether you need to is another matter
entirely.

Mad Chris.
From: mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (steven mancini)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: rec.games.frp.srun
Date: 10 Sep 92 00:25:08 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

In article <BuBvuM.FJ3@news.cso.uiuc.edu> dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
>braca2@cspyr1.cs.adfa.oz.au (BRAY CHRISTOPHER) writes:
>
>>For all the SR munchkins ( and otherwise ) there is already a board, try
>>reaching
>
>>	rec.games.cyber
>>	it also deals with Cyberpunk, and Cyberspace, but I'm sure
>>	you can handle that load.
> 
>     As Minotuar has pointed out, the moderator there keeps it almost
>     strictly Cyberpunk or Cyberspace. Discussing the magic aspect of
>     SR leads to a kickback. My suggestion? Given that rec.games.cyber
>     normally has almost zero traffic as is, why don't they kill the
>     moderator there and let the SR junkies post whatever they want
>     there? 
>
>
>Axly

>>>>>[ Sounds great ta me chummer. Dens I can goes back to talkin like
      ta peoples in Shadowrun adn ev'n use Shadowtalk Format without
      bein pummel'd wif hate mail 'bout it!]<<<<<
							-Minotaur


-- 

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Steve Mancini (a.k.a. The Minotaur) | mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu   |
|    Grad Student {Dazed & Confused}  | mancinis@vm.cc.purdue.edu       |
From: v124jw4y@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Benjamin R Pierce)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: My last thoughts on Battlelords
Date: 11 Sep 92 16:48:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Sigh...it's been a LOOOOONG couple of days.  For those of you who have had to
suffer through the plethora of Battlelords boasts and flames, my apologies.
The original post which triggered all of this WAS poorly thought-out, ill-
conceived, and just plain obnoxious.  Chances are very good that it has done
serious damage to the image of Battlelords on the net, which I think is a shame.
Therefore, I ask those of you who haven't included Battlelords in your killfiles
out of hand by this point:  don't judge the game based on Bluerazor's post. 
Pick it up and browse through it at a con (ODS goes to LOTS of cons), skim 
through it at a game shop, try to find someone running a campaign, whatever.
You'll get a much more complete and accurate idea of what the game is like.  As
for the very valid points about weaknesses in the game raised by Jason Clegg and
others:  I, for one, never said the game was perfect, all-encompassing, or 
divinely-inspired.  All I said was that it was entertaining, and that it works. 
I stand by that statement, though I'm not about to offer fifty bucks to anyone
who can disprove it.

That's about it.  I'm not going to boast about the game, and I'm not going to 
try to defend it here, because frankly, I'm as sick of this thread as most of
you no doubt are.  Immediately upon finishing this post, I plan to put "real
sci-fi systems" in MY killfile (which is a shame, because there were actually 
some interesting articles nestled in amidst the garbage).  I leave you with a
very simple suggestion: don't let other peoples' attitudes or opinions dictate
your view of Battlelords (or any other game).  Take a look at it and decide for
yourself whether it's worth playing.  Thanks for your time.


                                                        --Ben
From: loewenst@cs.rutgers.edu (David Loewenstern)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Looking for "women's" rpg.
Date: 7 Sep 92 12:31:28 GMT
	<Bu5Bxx.M3@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> <1992Sep6.114800.1@wharton.upenn.edu>
	<1992Sep6.183309.17720@u.washington.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Whippany, NJ
In-reply-to: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu's message of 6 Sep 92 18:33:09 GMT

... On 6 Sep 92 18:33:09 GMT, mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner) said:

} millerl@wharton.upenn.edu writes:

}>What other aspects of play or design should be emphasized or de-emphasized in
}>order to attract non-roleplayer women to our games?
}>Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu

[...]
} Small groups are better than large groups. I noticed, during a
} disasterous Gurps came at Dragonflight, that I couldn't make myself
} heard over the seven excited men in the same room with me, and was
} mildly afraid to try.  My sample size is small, but it seems to me that
} female gamers may have more trouble with noisy, crowded, chaotic gaming
} sessions than males do (on the average, many exceptions no doubt exist).

[...]  

From my experience, the number of woman players is the primary
determinant.  Few women really want to try to steer the dynamics of a
group of five (or more) men, especially when they are new to the
group.  Having two or more women players in the game simulataneously
seems to help the new woman feel comfortable and to give her backup.
Every woman RPGer I've asked started in a game that was either GMed by
a woman or had another woman player to smooth the initiation.  

On the other hand, I've seen women start with games as "male-oriented" as
AD&D, Champions, Shadowrun, and Traveller.

These opinions are shareware.  If you like the product,
please send your $0.02 to
               David Loewenstern
   <davel@homxc.att.com> || <loewenst@paul.rutgers.edu>
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: WANTED:  Clip Art
Date: 10 Sep 92 21:21:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

The term 'Clip Art' is a little vague.  Are you askingfor ASCII art or are you
looking for structured clip art dedicated to a particulat system or programme. 
If thelater, please let us know what to look for.

 Many thanks

Skeksis
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Improvisation-an example
Date: 6 Sep 92 11:00:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Okay.  Here isan example of what I call improvisation.  The setting is Boston,
a Hyatt hotel, the year 1991.  The brave gang of S.A.V.E. members are trying to
track down a religious/occult cult called The Keepers ofthe Sacred Twilight who
seem to be housed in a fire damaged cathedral dating from the 1670's.  One cult
member has escaped and joined up with them.  The party is attacked by a shadow,
yes a shadow, on the wall commanding a force of 6 morlocks (yes, from the
movie) and takig a terrible toll on some of the characters.  In desperation one
of the players aims her flashlight (electric torch to some) at the shadow and
lo and behold the shadow is unable to move away and seems to be thrashing
about.  Two more adventurers join in and the shadow is really thrashing about,
wailing and moaning yet they cannot dispell the shadow or kill it.  An
overlooked player suddenly has the bright idea of activating one of the big
energency lanterns these places usually have (uh oh) and they kill the nasty. 
To boot she got to the emergency lantern by crawling up a chair that was
earlier thrown at the shadow!

Why is this improvisation?  I had not planned on the use of the emergency
lighting system!  They killed the shadow which was the evil nasty wizardthey
were after (his soul *was* the shadow)!  The cultist was rescued from the
shadow and was able to help them get into the cathedral...but since the wizard
was dead his life force was no longer keeping th building standing..so by
coming up with an unusual solution that I had not prepared for they created an
entirely different set of pssibilities.  They ultimated did what I had
expectedand wanted them to do, but a differant way.  So I improvised things a
bit for their entertainment...sue me.

Skeksis - Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni
i
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu (Dave Bonar)
Subject: Re: champ: What if...
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Reply-To: eebonar@sn01.sncc.lsu.edu
Organization: News and Views from LSU
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 14:16:06 GMT
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-26300]: sn01.sncc.lsu.edu

In article <1992Sep8.114529.29192@odin.diku.dk>, klaus@diku.dk (Klaus Ole Kristiansen) writes...
>v076jy2p@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Cosmo Of The Cosmos) writes:

>>Question:
>>	How would the world react to finding out that it had real,
>>live superheroes?
> 
>You will find the answer in the book series called Wildcards. Highly
>recommended.

	Wildcards is a good to great start (and a fun series to read).
However, the Wildcards series has some basic postulates that might make it
a poor model.  In Wildcards the virus was spread worldwide in basically one
day.  It caused massive, obvious changes.

	If your introduction of super powers isn't as massive or obvious
there would be considerable differences.  I think that the first reaction
would be scoffing.  Until some time had passed (and a body of evidence both
scientific and anecdotal has built up) I expect that the news media would
report on super powers as isolated, strange occurences.  

	As more and more sightings occur (and a few super powered folks
start making their powers known to the government or other scientists) the
majority will come around to the feeling that powers are real.  I'd expect
legal action to follow (both lawsuits centering on the usage of super powers
and legislation intending to restrict or order the usage of super powers).
Depending on your feelings for the governments they could either 'draft'
super powered people or they could attempt to attract them voluntarily.

	Obviously there is much more.  I think a lot depends on how many
super powered people there are; how spread out they are, and whether or not
the origion of the super powers is a big, flashy, event that attracts loads
of attention or just a quiet introduction of super powers.

Dave
__________
Dave Bonar
eebonar@lsuvax.sncc.lsu.edu
__________
From: klaus@diku.dk (Klaus Ole Kristiansen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: champ: What if...
Date: 8 Sep 92 11:45:29 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

v076jy2p@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Cosmo Of The Cosmos) writes:

>Setting:
>	Normal world, today.

>What's going on:
>	Normal people are waking up with funky new superpowers.
>(ie. The PCs)  Why?  I'd post that except some of people who might
>play might read this and find out.  Besides, it's not important.

>Question:
>	How would the world react to finding out that it had real,
>live superheroes?

You will find the answer in the book series called Wildcards. Highly
recommended.

Klaus O K
From: ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen)
Subject: Re: SR: Ruthenium(?) Swords & the Astral Plane
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 00:04:15 GMT

steven mancini (mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu) wrote:
: 
: 	Which brings up an interesting point. I have heard 2 arguments
: 	that are both from the books about the Astral Plane:
: 	(1) That the 'shadows' of non-living things is because of the
: 	    light in the physical plane.
: 	(2) That all objects have a shadow, irregardless of light.
: 
: 	If (1) is correct, and you create a tech sword, you are looking
: 	at a weapon that is invisible (though also useless) to the
: 	Astral Plane.... eeeeeewwwww!
: 
: 	If (2) is correct, you're sword is going to be obvious in the Astral
: 	plane anyway....
						-Minotaur

Something I use (and personally like) is that the astral plane is somewhat
like all the schlocky dream sequences from every badly made B grade
movie your've ever seen.
ie: Everything is a washed out grey color (with an option of living things
being in full Technicolor(tm))
Time of day is very hard to tell/ light is near constant (dull).

And so on.

As pertains the sword:

Weaponry can always be seen on the astral, as
	a) it has a physical presence
	b) The wielder would be concentrating on it, and therefore the weapon
	   would be apparent in the weilder's _Aura_

Obvious is a relative thing. A troll carrying a sword is obvious on the
astral. A troll carrying a magical sword is obviously a PA or Mage.

-Veltyen (yup still me)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: ins894r@aurora.cc.monash.edu.au (Aaron Wigley [Wigs])
Subject: Re: Re Legos as props
Organization: Monash University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 03:20:59 GMT

Deep Six (sl9b4@cc.usu.edu) wrote:
[ Re: Lego (tm) figures looking alike ]
: > And they do NOT all look alike.
: 
: Yeah, but my lead figures don't have the same ``have a nice day'' smile 
: pasted on their faces.

Time for some creative mutilation then. I'm sure you have paint. :-)

The Wigs of Oz,
Aaron Wigley
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu (Mary K. Kuhner)
Subject: Re: SRUN: Questions from the Minotaur: The Next Generation
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 04:44:59 GMT

Dave Covin asks why anyone would play a Hermetic mage.

At the high end, the ability to back spells with elementals is basically
unanswerable.  A Force 8 Fire elemental putting eight autosuccesses into
a spell will back most combat spells to the point of assured death--
through any reasonable spell defense and against any reasonable
willpower.  The shaman's only answer to this is not to be targeted by
the spell, unless you allow spirits to attack spells on the True World.
Another hermetic could defend with another elemental.

At the low to mid parts of the range shamans are a lot more versatile.
At the high end their spells stop working.

This is all SRI analysis; I don't have SRII.  We found it to be true in
our campaign, though we took steps to limit the utility of elementals so
as to maintain more of a balance.

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@genetics.washington.edu
From: swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Repartee in Gaming
Date: 9 Sep 1992 22:45:14 GMT
Organization: Rice University

In article <BuB65q.HF1@acsu.buffalo.edu> v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) writes:
>  I would like to see more repartee in gaming, period, not just
>as a way to make gaming more attractive to women as I think that repartee adds
>a lot to the game.  My problem is simple, how do I go about encouraging my
>players to engage in repartee among their characters and between my NPCs and
>their charcters.  They do a fine job of keeping it going from player to player,
>but this is not exactly what I am looking for.

  Lace & Steel allowed one to use the combat system in repartee. (Cool
idea!)  Since the characters already do a good job among themselves,
if you just have your NPCs join in, or attempt to start some on their
own, the PCs will probably join in. Awarding experience for particularly
witty repartee will also help.

>Skeksis


-- 
Mike Swaim            | Canada will become the next world power
swaim@owlnet.rice.edu | and they will work to ENSLAVE all the nations
Disclamer: I lie      | of your planet. -Ricardo
Cthulhu in '92! The stars are right!
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Women Gamers
Date: 7 Sep 92 21:06:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <Bu7G0A.9G0@rice.edu>, swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim) writes...
>In article <Bu7BoG.1qq@acsu.buffalo.edu> v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) writes:
>>Someone mentioned Lace and Steel and women gamers and my first reaction is huh? 
>>The reason for that is Lace and Steel is aimed more at the traditional
>>stereotype of the stay-at-home, scheming-coniving-vain-party-hopping socialite,
>>which to say the least seems to be an unpopular way to portray woment these
>>days.
> 
>  I think that the reasoning is that women are also into "romance fiction"
>than men are. Our GM was heavily into regency romances, and I think that
>this helped her stories a lot.
> 
>>  From my experience, the two ladies in my group, are more interested in
>>action than being shy and retiring so I have to wonder if the two ladies I am
>>gaming with are not representative of the norm for women gamers. Any input on
>>this (other than flaming me for some of my player's preferences) would be
>>appreicated and of interest.
> 
>  Women don't have to be shy and retiring in L&S. The game's heavily into
>character interaction, usually at large parties. Our games involved large
>parties where people worried about making good impressions on the "right"
>people (which depended on who you were interested in), and making the
>appropriate people look bad. In this game, talking can be a very
>effective form of combat.
> 
>-- 
>Mike Swaim            | I can see clearly now my brain is gone.
>swaim@owlnet.rice.edu | I can see all the bicycles in my way.
>Rupp doesn't even know who I am,
> much less care what I think


I am not even going to TRY to edit this post as I *still* can't handle the
editor...At the point we were playing Lace and Steel the game was a little more
action oriented, simply because the group wanted to do more than go to
balls...I guess they didn't see the possibilities...bear in mind that htis is
the same group who eventually convinced themselves thatthey were not up to the
challenge of LAce and Steel...I sit corrected...

Skeksis - Let me get this straight.  I'm driving a 91 Geo and he's driving a 93
Vette and you want me to drag?  What are you, some kind of optimist?
From: cwagner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Christian Wagner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Music and Lights
Date: 8 Sep 92 04:05:53 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

In article <Bu6nGF.G5F@acsu.buffalo.edu> v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) writes:
>To the poster who asked what a LeMarchand Cube was, sorry for not making that
>clear (also sorry for all of the typos in that post, it was early, I was
>rushing to get to work).  A LeMarchand Cube is the fancy name for the gold
>cube/key from HellRaiser, HellRaiser II, and I would guess HellRaiser III...

Actually, I believe it's called "the Lament Configuration", or a "lament box"
for short. That's what it's referred to in the comics, the books on the movies,
and the cardboard replica I snagged for $.59 from a local comic store......

It's fun to have one of those around. Mine is only B/W right now (gonna paint
it in a little while), but it still causes people to do a double-take when 
they see it sitting on my bookshelf.......... 

"Is that what I think it is?"   "Probably. Want to watch me solve it?"

Gonna -have- to get that Cenobite costume made for a con one of these days....

-- 
    "Well, do you ever get the feeling that the Story's too damn real
                        and in the present tense?"
               Christian Wagner - cwagner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu