From: johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu (John White)
Newsgroups: rec.games.pbm
Subject: Re: New PeBM game through internet
Date: 12 Oct 1992 23:44:43 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: scratchy.caltech.edu
Originator: johnjohn@scratchy

In article <Bvzquw.4oF@mach1.wlu.ca> wool8657@mach1.wlu.ca (john woolsey  
9209 U) writes:
>In article <Oct.11.15.27.26.1992.27169@yoko.rutgers.edu>  
zamick@yoko.rutgers.edu (Jonny the Z) writes:

>>A point system would be nice. One thing that we set up in a house RPG
>>for character design was giving characters specialty areas. That is,
>>not all stats cost the same. So some characters could advance dex
>>easier than others, while their competitor might be be a giant. This
>>is a nice alternate to random starting points, and as an addition to
>>random starting points. (It really only works well if characters can
>>train their abilities over time)
>I like a point system, but currently I am using a random generation system
>it tends to produce less maxed out in stats characters, which tend to ruin  
a
>gaming system. However if you have 6 or seven fighters a few lemons
>shouldn't hurt you too much.

Duelmasters designers took care of the "problem" this way:  The way a  
fighter fights is mainly determined by the number of skills he learns from  
his fights.  Certain stats translate into certain skills, which implies that  
certain starting stats translate into starting skills.  So while some  
warriors may start out better than others (more skills), the ones that do  
best are the ones that learn the most skills over time.  Does that make  
sense?

>>Really it comes down to making the basics interesting and building
>>from there. Duelmasters has a heck of a developed system to model a
>>very simple battle. One person fighting one other person. This aids
>>its popularity. 

This is true.  It's a good model...

>I need more ideas on how to control fighters. Is choosing weapons, and  
round
>fighting styles enough for now? or would people want more details on the
>control of their fighter?

Duelmasters uses three variables:  Offensive Effort, Activity Level, and  
Kill Desire, with a scale of 1-10 on each.  Different combinations of each  
are condusive to different things (i.e. low offensive effort and kill  
desire, coupled with a high activity level is condusive to dodging, rather  
than attacking).  I can get more detailed, but Duelmasters is a game where  
EVERYTHING is focused on determining the outcome of a 1 on 1 battle.

>As far as actual fighting between characters I have already been testing
>some, and it seems to work nicely. I have not added hit locations properly
>yet however.

How about adding an attack location in the "battle plan."  How precisely you  
hit that location could be a function of how skilled you are (I don't know  
how you're planning on doing skills).

>I do not know when I will get the game actually running, but if
>I don't take too long at other things tomorrow I might get the basics
>running nicely. Maybe two weeks or probably sooner now that I actually have
>a working model. At that point I will start some kind of a limited  
playtest,
>which will probably slide into the real game as time goes on, and things
>stabolize.

>PS Water Balloons is actually being considered as a weapon type. Not
>seriously, but it might be fun at least for the beginning :-)
>PPS This actually links in to both your `showability' in the ring, and the
>ability to taunt another fighter into losing his/her cool, and changing
>their fighting style to accomodate :-)

*grin*

--
John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
|===============================================================|
|                          What the HELL?!                      |
|                   Did I come BACK to Caltech?!                |
|===============================================================|
-- 
John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
|===============================================================|
|                          What the HELL?!                      |