HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: thegamer@aol.com
Subject: Product Announcement
Followup-To: thegamer@aol.com
Originator: cwatters@top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Reply-To: thegamer@aol.com
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:52:19 GMT
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer

Product Announcement

The Gamer #5 is out and will be available in hobby stores shortly. The Gamer,
the Independent Magazine of Adventure Gaming, brings its first year to a
successful close with this star-studded issue! Inside:

Games To Books -- a look at how novels are becoming the latest way to enjoy
your favorite RPG universe.

Featured Review: Dangerous Journeys -- is GDW's new roleplaying system worth
all the hype?

Hall of Fame Profile: Sandy Petersen -- learn all about the brains (and
pseudopods, and tentacles...) behind Call of Cthulhu.

Plus lots more! Dozens of game reviews ... industry news ... opinions and
controversy in The Board Room ... a GenCon/Origins report ... computer game
reviews in The Electronic Gamer ... Convention news ... and loads more.

The Gamer #5 costs $3.50, and is available at most hobby and comic shops (if
your retailer doesn't carry The Gamer yet, ask him to! We're available
through many distributors). 

[note the followup and reply lines - any responses should bounce over to
 America Online to their account.  Ain't the net neat? - mod]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce
From: magnus@ii.uib.no
Subject: RFD rec.games.netrpg
Followup-To: news.groups
Originator: cwatters@top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Reply-To: magnus@ii.uib.no
Organization: University of Bergen, Norway
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 14:25:07 GMT

Proposed newsgroup name: rec.games.netrpg
Status: unmoderated

Charter: rec.games.netrpg is for discussion of design, implementation
and use of the net.rpg game.

Rationale: The net.rpg game is a role-playing game being created by a
number of people on rec.games.design. However, some people have
complained that we are filling the newsgroup with messages which are
not of interest to all readers.

The net.rpg posts constitute a pretty large volume, I would estimate
more than 40 messages a day. As we get out of the design phase, we
would have to move off the group anyway, so might as well do it now. I
propose this as the maintainer of the faq and one of the designers of
the game.

The game is not for a computer, it's a paper, pen and dice game. See
the faq for more information.

The RFD period will begin when posted and end on December 14, 1992. If
appropriate, a CFV will be posted shortly thereafter. I will manage
the vote-taking. All discussion will go on in news.groups.

-Magnus

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce,news.answers
From: 89kenward@gw.wmich.edu (Strahd Von Zarovich)
Subject: CON: WARP CON (MICHIGAN) 11/21, 11/22
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Originator: cwatters@bottom.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Organization: Western Michigan University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 15:07:46 GMT

Hey!
	Did you know that WarpCon is mere days away?

WARP Con, the gaming convention at Western Michigan University, sponsored
by the Western Area Role Playing club of WMU, is on November 21st and 22nd.

Saturday, November 21st is 9am to Midnight
Sunday,   November 22nd is 9am to 4pm

Activities include Role Playing Games, Strategic Board Games, Miniature War
Games, A Miniature Painting Contest, Prizes for Games, Movie Rooms, Dealers 
and MORE!

The Con will be held on the WMU campus in Sangren hall's 2nd and 3rd floor.

Admission is $3 for each day or $5 for both days.  Also, you can buy a
WarpCon T-Shirt for $8.

For more information, write to SC_WARP@GW.WMICH.EDU

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not what you know                                              Jeff Kenward
It's not who you know                                     89KENWARD@GW.WMICH.EDU
It's what you know about who you know   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce,news.answers
From: dragon@camelot.bradley.edu (Matthew Korth)
Subject: CON: B-CON (this is *really* far in advance...)
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Originator: cwatters@top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Organization: Bradley University
Distribution: na
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 00:20:11 GMT

The third installment in an ongoing saga...

On February 27th and 28th, 1993, the Bradley University Medieval
College Society will be hosting:

B-CON!!!

...on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.

We're still working on guests of honor, and they will be announced
once we know who they are.  The games we will be running are
Shadowrun, Champions, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (both editions),
Star Wars, Warhammer miniatures, Toon, Call of Cthulhu, and others.

We now have a special event: the GDW demo team will be here, demonstrating
and even running Dangerous Journeys.

Fees will be $5 for the weekend, $3 per day if you preregister; $7 for the
weekend and $5 per day if you pay at the door.

Pre-registration information should include the names of all the
people you're registering (yes, we *do* have a reason for that
request), and should be sent (along with the money) to:

B-CON REGISTRATION
c/o Medieval College Society
425 Sisson Hall
Bradley University
Peoria, IL  61625

More specific information will be posted when available.  If you would like
to receive this information through email, send email to one of these email
addresses:
	dragon@camelot.bradley.edu (this one is preferred)
	dragon@buhub.bradley.edu
	mystk@camelot.bradley.edu
	mystk@buhub.bradley.edu

...and we will send you the information.

(p.s. If you need to speak with someone, the MCS office's phone number
is (309) 677-3358.  We do have an answering machine, and if no-one's
there, we'll call you back as soon as we can.)

Also, if you forget any of this, don't worry... the people in charge of the
con will have me reposting it several more times before the con...
--
*** Matt Korth *** dragon@camelot.bradley.edu *** dragon@buhub.bradley.edu ***
	Westheimer's Time Estimation Rule:
	    Estimate the time you think it should take, multiply by 2,
	    add 3, and change the unit of measure to the next higher unit.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce
From: skinner@lab2.smcm.edu (William Skinner)
Subject: email campaign
Followup-To: rec.games.pbm
Originator: cwatters@bottom.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Reply-To: skinner@lab2.smcm.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 1992 21:02:25 GMT


	My name is Ted and I am going to try to start a email camaign for   
approximately six 1st level characters. I will be using a mix of ADND first and
 second level rules. I am not going to email the computations of the campaign, 
I will only keep you informed of what is going on. I will try to keep up with
 this a few times a week. If you will send characters to me at my email
 address of skinner@oyster.smcm.edu I will sort through them and let those who
 are in know about it and start the campaign.

					Thanks,
						Ted

[Ted, please press return every 70 characters or so, makes me job easier -mod]


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: ERRATA: GURPS Bunnies & Burrows
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Originator: cwatters@bottom.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 15:47:43 GMT


The author of GURPS B&B takes full responsibility for this ommission:

Each level of Encumbrance in GURPS B&B reduces a rabbit's Move by 2.

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce,news.answers
From: cm601@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bradley Alexander Derrick)
Subject: ICE Forge(TM)
Originator: cwatters@top.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 22:47:24 GMT


 

                                            /\
   \                                      /    \
     \    /^\                           /        \
       \/     \             /\        /            \   /\       /\
      /         \  /\  /\ /    \ /\ /     /\         /    \   /    \
    /       /\   /   /    \/\   \   \ /\/    \  /\ /   /\   \        \  /\
          /    \   /     /    \       \  \     \      /   \   /\      /   
\

        Discover the world of Urath(c) in ICE FORGE(c) a monthlyNewszine.

xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
 Races(Monthly)         X  Adventure Module(Monthly) X CreatureFeature(monthly)
 o History              X  o Player Handouts         X o New Monsters inAD&D
 o Appearance           X  o Non-Player Characters   X   Standard MonsterForm
 o Rituals and customs  X  o Maps (Terrain/Dungeon)  X o New monstermythology
 o Envolvement in Urath X  o All ready playtested    X
 o Special Abilities    X                            X
xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
 Urathian Gods(Monthly) X  Dwarven Tech Journals     X Urathian Spell Craft
 o Indepth history      X  o Dwarven inventions and  X o New Wizard spells
 o Envolvement in Urath X    nick-nacks common to    X o New Priest spells
                        X    dwarven folk            X o Lab Equipment
xXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
                           AND MUCH MUCH MORE
                        The first issue is free!                      
     E-Mail CM601@CLEVELAND.FREENET.EDU with address for more information 
  Ice Forge is printed on a XEROX Color Laser Printer and mailed via US
Post
---------------------------------------------------
Copyright c 1992 Alexand Derrick (cm601) All Rights Reserved
  This material may not be copied, reproduced, photographed,
  reproduced, or translated or reproduced to any electronic
  medium, in whole or in part, without the prior written
  consent of the author.

[Ooops!  I guess I should not be posting this, but hey, my mailer made an
 electronic copy of it for me - MOD  B^)   ]

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.announce,news.answers
From: maillet@tls-cs.cert.fr (Luc Maillet)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Silencers and Laser Sights in Shadowrun 2.0
Date: 20 Nov 92 07:50:37 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: CERT, CS Dpt. Toulouse, France

In article <Bxtnos.6K0@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White) writes:

  [.. stuff about bullet drop deleted ..]

|> Guys!  Stop with the bullet drop calculations!!!  I would like to point out
|> a glaringly truth: a laser sight is still highly effective *regardless* of how
|> large or small the bullet deviates from a straight line (provided one can see the
|> target).
|> 
|> Think about it.  Aiming any weapon involves assessing where it is presently pointed
|> and then making corrections.  That dot certainly is an advantage over squinting through
|> metal sights.  If the bullet drop is large, which a marksman would know from experience
|> (or memorize off a table), he would simply place that dot X centimeters higher to
|> compensate.  Correcting for wind is, in principle, the same.

  I don't think it is so. Such things are not done "manually", i.e. the marksman
doesn't need to compensate. Rather, the laser sights ( like the metal sights )
can be adjusted for range, and so ALWAYS target the point where the bullet WILL
actually hit (at least, if the adjustment for range is exact, otherwise, preci-
-sion is approximative). Correcting for wind is much more difficult for firearms,
because it requires an expert marksman and a previous shot to determine the
exact effects of the wind shift. That means that, in firefight situations ( as
opposed to aimed shots ), laser sights - which require actual aiming - are basi-
-cally useless.

  So, I we come back to Shadowrun, I would allow the laser sight bonus to TN
only if the marksman takes at least 1 action to aim ( giving him a total of -2 :
-1 for 1 aim action, and -1 for laser sights ). Optionnally, this rule could be
valid at medium+ ranges ( given that shadowrunners have enough reflexes to pull
the trigger as soon as they see a red dot on their target ).

								Redwing
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp,rec.games.frp.misc
From: pmwg1641@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Peter M. White)
Subject: Re: Silencers and Laser Sights in Shadowrun 2.0
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 18:36:26 GMT

In article <BxpF1s.Cp1@news.chalmers.se> d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell) writes:
>In article <2431@cix.cict.fr> dutech@reseau.Berkeley.EDU (Groupe ELEVES) writes:
>>In article <BxJJM1.Fpt@news.chalmers.se>, d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se
>>> In article <KETIL.92Nov10143606@sandel.ii.uib.no> ketil@ii.uib.no writes:
>>> >	Niels> Let's try calculating it. A very rough guestimate:
>>> >	Niels> Muzzle velocity: 2000 m/s (I think this is in the right
>>> >I think the AG-3 (norwegian army equipment, 7.62N ammo) has a muzzle
>>> >velocity of roughly 700 m/s which changes things a bit.
>>> 
>>>   You can't compute the drop with linear methods since it comes from the
>>> downwards acceleration of the bullet. Unless we are talking about slow(1)
>>> bullets the drop will be almost neglible on short ranges up to around 50m.
>>> 
>>>   (1) As a datapoint: Normal .22LR (it is hard to get any wimpier than that
>>> except for BB guns:) hits less than 10cm lower at 30m than on 15m.
>>
>>  Problem is, we are talking about longer ranges (50-300m).
>
>  And faster and heavier bullets. The .22long has a speed of 300-350m/s and
>a weight far below that of normal military rifles.
>  
>>  BTW, when you say 'you can't compute the drop with linear methods...', do you
>>mean that, since y=-1/2.g.t^2 + v0t + x0, this is not linear (ballistic
>>trajecto-
>>ries introduce cos and sin), or that you must rely on non-linear aerodynamic
>
>  Niels(?) did an estimation that I cant find now, but the essence was that
>since a rifle bullet travels with about 1000m/s, it will drop 9.81m over those
>1000m, thus it will drop 0.981m per 100m.
>
>  I know that that is wrong: The bullet will drop much less than 0.981m 
>during the first 100m part of the trajectory and much more than 0.981m
>between 900m and 1000m,
>
>>								Redwing.
>



Guys!  Stop with the bullet drop calculations!!!  I would like to point out
a glaringly truth: a laser sight is still highly effective *regardless* of how
large or small the bullet deviates from a straight line (provided one can see the
target).

Think about it.  Aiming any weapon involves assessing where it is presently pointed
and then making corrections.  That dot certainly is an advantage over squinting through
metal sights.  If the bullet drop is large, which a marksman would know from experience
(or memorize off a table), he would simply place that dot X centimeters higher to
compensate.  Correcting for wind is, in principle, the same.

--Peter
______________________________________________________________________________
						|
     "Guards!  Let me draw their fire!"		|	p-white@uiuc.edu
		   --Scapegoat,_Marshal Law_	|
______________________________________________________________________________
From: lower-tony@cs.yale.edu (Tony Lower)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Names
Date: 16 Nov 1992 09:31:57 -0500
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Dept., New Haven, CT 06520-2158
NNTP-Posting-Host: gator.zoo.cs.yale.edu

In article <1992Nov16.133144.23713@news.uit.no> dago@stud.cs.uit.no (Dag-Frode Olsen) writes:
>
>Here are two names to start with:
>Boz the Minotaur.
>K'eeli the Elf.
>
>Dag-Frode Olsen

A little exercise _I_ always like to engage in is changing ones expectations.
Boz is a good "Heavy-set tough guy" name, and K'eeli is a good "Flitty semi-ditzy"
name.  So, how about:

   Boz the Elf
   K'eeli the Minotaur

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: naam@cecer.army.mil (Ramez Naam)
Subject: Re: Bell vs. Linear
Keywords: bell linear
Organization: US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Labs
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 02:18:02 GMT


fks1@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>i was just wondering at people's opinions on bell curves
>vs. linear resolution.  

>which would you prefer?

Linear.  It makes it much easier for the GM to balance data and also
makes it easier to look at the specs for a character/monster/item/whatever and
be able to tell, instantly, just how powerful it is with respect to
another character/monster/item/whatever.

Of course, I'm also an advocate of EverythingMustBeOnTheSameScale
(TM).


--
Ramez Naam
naam@lorax.cecer.army.mil
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy,news.groups
From: tsang@cs.washington.edu (Donald Tsang)
Subject: Re: Call for "Straw" Votes: Rec.games.frp.campaign
Followup-To: news.groups
Organization: Computer Science & Engineering, U. of Washington, Seattle
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 21:39:31 GMT

In article <> TUK865@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Stephen Gill) writes:
>Wow a call for votes already.

No, it was a "Straw Poll".  A badly-written one at that.  Under its
specifications, a "NO" vote is treated exactly the same as a "YES"
vote.  Sneaky, underhanded, and slimy, if you ask me.


>I have only one problem with .CAMPAIGN, I still don't know what it's for.
>
>Obviously if it's only for describing events that have happened in
>campaigns then it's just trying to replace .ARCHIVE. However if it's more
>orientated to PBEM then maybe a namechange would be useful, PBEM.CAMPAIGN
>looks good to me.

It's much too late for that.  The person "in charge" of this proposal
has taken leave of his senses, and the group proposal now seems to be
a personal-vendetta thing.

The people participating on news.groups cannot seem to convince him
that, if a "Straw Poll" shows that the group in all probability won't
pass, he shouldn't continue wasting our time and the Net's bandwidth/
money.  Sigh.


>What would be nice would be if it were chock full of campaign ideas,
>outlines and peoples ideas on how to run campaigns. Something similar to
>the way RPG mags were 10 to 15 years ago.

There is *no* reason why one shouldn't post this stuff to rec.games.frp.misc
or rec.games.frp.dnd (or CROSS-post it, if it's equally applicable to xD&D
and other games).  In fact, campaigning discussion is (I believe) explicitly
included in their charters...

Certainly, magazine-quality full-length articles are few and far between,
but there's no reason to expect that a new group will magically yield
such fruit...


-- 
Donald Tsang                    "Ho!  Haha!  Guard!  Turn!  Parry!  Dodge!
tsang@june.cs.washington.edu     Spin!  Ha!  Thrust!"
..!uw-beaver!june!tsang                       -- Robin Hood Daffy
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: wildcard@nevada.edu ( WildCard !!)
Subject: Vampire System's Merit....
Organization: KAOS
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:48:32 GMT





Well, I'm glad to see we still have a hefty debate going...

I do not believe I have made myself clear, though.

The "mechanics" of Vampire are best used as gauge rather than a hard-and-fast
number for the purpose of crunching.  Some of my players said, "That sucks!
Why can't I bench 133lbs? Why are the increments like that?"  I replied that
they were general guidelines and should not be taken as exact measurements.

When used as a guideline for what a player and a ST'r then they become a tool
for resolving conflict rather than a solution within itself. (ie "Roll this
number or less on xDx and you do it)

It is for this reason that the *rules* of Vampire should be largely ignored
but the *numbers* should be used as the ruler by which you measure the actions
of the PCs. Once the players know their limitations, they act accordingly.
(ie the 48yr old sickly priest (Sta:2) doesn't go into combat if he can help it
because he gets tired to easily, etc...)   If a player was playing a large
portly man, he would not try to jump from the second floor of a house and try
to catch a flagpole to break his fall just because "the rules/dice/chances"
say that he might have a chance to do so. 

In conclusion, when used as a gauge, the "mechanics" of VtM are quite usefull
and allow for flexibility but can be depended on, in a pinch, to satisfy
those who like the random element of games. You may have to "tweak" them to
suit you, but what game *doesn't* have house rules or some such thing.


P.S. Again I state that if you can have an enjoyable (ie horrific, highly
disturbing) time playing the VtM world under another system, feel free to
do so. As a matter of fact, I hope everyone has a chance to play in that
"universe" no matter how they do it.  I just have a hard time "porting"
a world and an overall "feel" to another system.

Et Nunc Et Semper

- WildCard !!

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: johnson1@cs.uwp.edu (Christina Johnson)
Subject: SR discussion
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Parkside
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 23:43:18 GMT


so when does the discussion start?  (or has it already???)

-Brandy the Clueless-


-- 
-brandy the dandalion eater-
"Give me a steak.  Rare."
From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Medieval Pain-in-the-Arse
Date: 17 Nov 92 14:47:03 GMT
Organization: Newt World Order

Here are some ideas:

Leper -- everybody hates him/her, he's afraid of everything, and he/she
isn't allowed into towns. what could be more annoying to play with or
GM?

Fishwife in exile -- her fishing village was ravaged by vikings, and now
she wanders through europe hawking salted herring and trying to find a
new husband who can match up to her old husband, an incredible man among
men. he actually ran away from his wife and joined the vikings. her new
acquaintances may have the same reaction for her temper is short and
terrible.

Peasant Victim -- prey to attacks by more powerful people since he/she
was a child, this character has been beaten, raped, and robbed many
times, mostly by respected society people. now he/she is a head case,
catatonic in response to certain stimuli, murderous at others, and
always paranoid, especially about those in power.

Normal townsman -- child of a moderately successful artisan, this
character just wants to get married and have a family and open a shop
selling cheese, sausage, and meat pies.

For real fun, just mix two or more together!

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
Mediocrity is a hand rail.                         -- Baron de Montesquieu