HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mmcalees@cs16.UVic.CA (Michael McAleese (One of 'Those Dudes'))
Subject: Re: Strategic Fantasy Battle Simulator
Followup-To: rec.games.board
Keywords: Strategy, Fantasy
Organization: The Forgotten Legions of... uhh... umm...
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 02:36:26 GMT

  Does anyone know of a game designed to handle the interaction of several
fantasy-type kingdoms in war and peace?  I'm thinking along the lines of
GW's Mighty Empires (which is flawed almost beyond playability and is also
somewhat limited in scope).  The ideal game would be as follows:

  Allows random (or at least varied) terrain for the world
  Handles the generation of kingdoms/empires for each player
  Deals with economic and diplomacy matters as well as warfare
  Handles magic and all it entails in this scale
  Deals with the spys, assassins and other chrome that the players
  will probably want

  I suspect that the game I'm looking for doesn't exist, but I'd be happy
to be proved wrong.
-- 
*     mmcalees@csr.uvic.ca (Michael McAleese) : I speak only for me...       *
  "Man can believe the impossible, but never the improbable." - Oscar Wilde
From: cassidy@cl-next4.msu.edu (John J. Cassidy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Keywords: Music
Date: 14 Aug 92 17:08:22 GMT
Organization: Michigan State University

In article <4481@disuns2.epfl.ch> SATELLITE@eldi.epfl.ch (Uncle Alias)  
writes:
[ stuff deleted]
> 	- If you need some "strange metal" for some cyberpunk game, pick  
up
> some albums by Queensryche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater or Faith No  
More.
> This is no run-of-the-mill metal.

	I'll say.  "NM-152" on "the Warning", and "Screaming in Digital"  
on "Rage for Order", both by Quennsryche, are great for cyberpunk pieces.
> 
> 	"Fire in Harmony!.."						 
Alias
> 
> SIG v.2.5   //||              |||||||||||||||||  ## Stephane "Alias"  
GALLAY
>           //  ||         ()    \\                ## c/o  
satellite@eldi.epfl.ch 
[LONG (!) sig deleted]
From: hfmartin@acsu.buffalo.edu (Hex Martin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: SRun: Mag 3 Cyber Eyes in Combat
Date: 13 Aug 92 13:37:59 GMT
Organization: Insoluable Poisons Company, Lt.
 Affiliations: Research, Development, and Product Testing
 Project: Extermination and the bettering of Human life
 Where: Offices in New York, Seattle, Tokyo, London
 Quote: We shall sell no compound before its time. 
 Phil


>>>He thought that they worked like a scope on a gun and reduced the 
>>>range of the shot.  I informed him that that was not my opinion, 
>>>especially while someone was running and shooting a SMG.  He thought 
>>>that the smartgun link would take care of the movement.  After a more 
>>>careful look at the mag 3 eyes later, I noticed that it never said 
>>>anything about making the range shorter for fire combat, but did have 
>>>a short sentence that they "behave like Imaging scopes of the 
>>>appropriate rating."

   Well, they way we run it is that the Smartgun and Vision Mag don't stack. If
the enhancement works just like the Imaging scope, then just look at the 
description of Scopes in the Equipment section. Neither Scopes or Laser Sights 
will stack with a Smartgun. If you think about it this way, then it's really 
only useful to a Sammi when he/she (Gotta be correct :^) gets it at Level III, 
and even then, only at long range. Otherwise it's either the Smartgun or the 
Vision Mag - not a real big difference there, a -2 either way (Or a -1 for 
Level 1, but that'd be silly ...) ...

From the Dark mix of the Future,
    
     Eldrich
                       Life is short,
                        And love is always over in the morning.
                         Black wind come carry me far away.

                     * A Merciful Release *
From: SATELLITE@eldi.epfl.ch (Uncle Alias)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Date: 13 Aug 92 14:22:17 GMT
Organization: Satellite -- Enjoy!.. -- EPFL Students pub
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.22


	Well, I've already answered this a big while ago, but that's a tread I
like, because, you see I use a LOT of music as atmosphere in my RPGs sessions.
I remember for example a very nice ElfQuest game, where I played to my players
mostly Tangerine Dream, Clannad, Dead can Dance and Bel Canto. Did a lot for
the atmosphere.
	So here are some recommendations.

	- Tangerine Dream : I have so far about 10 CDs of their later (80s)
stuff. Works fine for almsot any ambiance, if you choose carefully the parts.
Usually some nice, moody stuff.
	- Klaus Schultze : "Miditerannean Pads" is a very gloomy thing, with a
quite heavy rythm. Nice for battles, when you're sick of the Charge of
Walkyries or Carmina Burana...

	- Clannad : nice Irish atmosphere. The same goes for Enya or Dead Can
Dance.

	- Pick up some OST, like Terminator II (for cyber or sci-fi games),
Aliens, Akira... or The Omen, for Cthulhu sessions.

	- Fields of the Nephilim and Sisters of Mercy albums are quite gloomy
too, with a fast and furious atmosphere that fit well to some fights. I
heartily recommand Fields' "Elizium" or "Earth Inferno", and Sisters'
"Floodland" or "Vision Thing".

	- If you need some "strange metal" for some cyberpunk game, pick up
some albums by Queensryche, Fates Warning, Dream Theater or Faith No More.
This is no run-of-the-mill metal.

	- Finally, two pieces of Viking atmosphere, the last two Bathory
albums.

	Have a nice play!

	"Fire in Harmony!.."						Alias

SIG v.2.5   //||              |||||||||||||||||  ## Stephane "Alias" GALLAY
          //  ||         ()    \\                ## c/o satellite@eldi.epfl.ch 
        //    ||                 \\              ##
      // \\|||||||||     ||  ||\\  \\            ## "Tout est dans rien
    //    \\  ||  ||     ||  ||  \\  \\          ##  et rien est dans tout
  //       \\ ||  ||     ||  ||        \\        ##  et reciproquement..."
//          \\||  |||||  ||  ||||||||||||\\      ## (Pierre DAC)
"Stay not on the precipice with the dress of matter, for there is a place for
thy image in a realm ever splended." (the Chaldean oracle of Zoroaster)
From: surge@milton.u.washington.edu (Jonathan Sari)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Descriptions (from, but not related to Improvisation!)
Summary: What makes a good description?
Keywords: description
Date: 21 Aug 92 12:28:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Aug21.122827.9895
Organization: The Barbarian Hordes of Gnur

In article <Bt3Dt6.BEL@acsu.buffalo.edu> swann@acsu.buffalo.edu (Stephen Swann) writes:
>GM:  There's a black bag there, too.  Pretty standard looking medical
>   issue type thing.
>p1:  I open it.
>GM:  There's some bandages, a set of surgical implements, some bottles -
>  probably for injection, they've got holes through the stoppers - a
>  stethescope, a black case about 8" by 2" by 4", a necklace with
>  some beads [and a little cross], a couple of rolls of surgical tape.

Anyone else here bothered by the description Stephen gives of the
bottles? "some bottles - probably for injection, they've got holes
through the stoppers -"  Stephen is giving the players a conclusion,
rather than just a description.

As a player, I much prefer to make the deduction that the holes in
the top were likely made by a syringe (minor, though it is) by myself
rather than having it handed to me on a plate.  

As a GM, I try to leave all the deduction up to the player.  If
necessary, I give a note to the player whose character would be able
to make the deduction automatically, for him to share with the rest
of the characters if he feels like it.

A minor point, perhaps, but I feel that small details like this are
significant in creating the feeling that you are experiencing a pseudo-
reality rather than just a game.

-Jon
-- 
  surge@u.washington.edu, BITnet: surge@milton, UUNet:uw-beaver!surge@milton
"What's in it for me?" "Enough cash to buy the Outer Hebridees."
"14 shillings sixpence?"
From: ward1@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Shadowrun Astral Adepts-
Date: 20 Aug 92 14:10:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc8.ward1.714319815

ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat) writes:
>Combat as your Astral Combat Skill, the Astral Defense Pool only works
>against other Unarmed Combat; it gives you diddly-squat against spirits or
>spells. [I interpret it this way from the example on page 66 of the
>Grimoire: if you use Conjuring as your Combat Skill, you only get your
>Defense Pool against spirits.]

I completely disagree with this interpretation.  The reason you can use
Conjuring as a .combat. skill to attack spirits is that you know a lot about
spirits.  If you knew a lot about .combat. (and most magicians don't) then
you'd just use that knowledge to attack anything.  In other words, I believe
it means Conjuring will work against Spirits (because Conjuring is knowledge)
of spirits), Sorcery will work against spells and other astral things (because
sorcery is the ability to manipulate astral space), but combat skill will
work against anything (because combat is the knowlegde of doing damage).

>--RAt

Wordman
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: lev0@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Ron Levy (Armchair))
Subject: Amber question 
Reply-To: lev0@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Worshippers of Yig
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 02:01:12 GMT


>Reading the stats on Merlin, Dara and other half chaosites, I was stunned.
>Merlin has chaos stats for all attributes except for psyche in which he
>has a measly 4!  Martin, sone of an amberite and a shadow human or some
>such is a normal amberite.  Merlin, the son of Corwin and a chaosite is
>a wimp (attribute wise).  Same with Dara.  What gives?  Sounds like an
>error to me!

     Well, because he IS a wimp.  Firstly, Chaosians are just weaker
than Amberites as a base (remember that there are less than fifty
amberites and who knows how many Chaosians).  Second, the action of
walking the Pattern strengthens you, and thirdly, you grow in power
with age AFTER walking the Pattern.  Whether this is
Amber-real-one-true-world-time-age or physical age is a valid
question, but it's probably Amber age.  At the end of the first series
of books, Merlin was just about to walk the Pattern (he did it
off-screen a few minutes after the end of Courts of Chaos).
Chaos-Merlin is a boy who has just taken the first step on the road to
power.  Same with Dara.  Dara is revealed to be a pretty hot sorceror
is the second series, but remember that she walked the Pattern in the
first series and had the time from one to the next to get tougher.

The next problem is that Merlin has every dang power in the book and
it costs LOADS of points, and they didn't want to just up and say that
Merlin was a 300 point character.  If there were limited versions of
the Powers, Merlin would be easier to build since he's clearly not a
wonderful shapeshifter, or Logrus user, or Pattern user, or Trump
artist; but he can do all of their most basic things.

If the much-mentioned 'Shadow Knight' comes out it'll probably have
several more updated versions of Merlin as he might or might not be.
No doubt I'll buy it and wince to look at Merlin, God-Being In Training,
Advanced Cluelessness Adept.  I mean, he spent years in Berkeley, he's
SEEN science fiction movies, he should KNOW better than to make a
hyperactive computer that gains sentience and causes trouble...




-- 
Snake Owner's Safety Tip #3: 
	Never, EVER say, "Do da wittle snakie-wakies wanna come out to pway?"
anywhere near their cage.
From: a0v6282@zeus.tamu.edu (Art Velasquez)
Subject: CHAMPS: Need to model a GURPS power
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 21:09:00 GMT

     I sometimes like to take rules and powers from other supers systems
and model them using HERO System rules.  Most of the time, this is
relatively easy to do, but one GURPS advantage has been giving me trouble.
     GURPS Psionics has something called "Mindswitch," in which a psi
can switch minds with someone else, with or without the target's
permission.  The psi and target then use each other's bodies, and get
each other's physical abilities.
     Now this could wreak havoc on PC teams without mentalists, which is
why I, the GM for a current Champions campaign, like the idea. :-)
However, I've had little success converting this into a HERO Power of any
kind, and any help from the net would be greatly appreciated.

     Please e-mail responses if possible; a fellow netter is one of my
players, and he'll be returning from vacation in midweek.
     Thanks in advance! :-)

#     Art Velasquez                         a0v6282 @ zeus.tamu.edu    #
#                         Texas A&M University                         #
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jglarson@watmsg.uwaterloo.ca (Johan Larson)
Subject: What price a soul?
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 14:07:05 GMT

I'm designing a Gurps character who has the interesting feature
of having traded his soul to the Devil 
for some specific advantages.  As part his part of the bargain, 
the character has to kill one person every week, or he will lose the
abilities and suffer other grievous consequences.

I'm trying to fit this into Gurps by having a disadvantage
Demonic Agreement added to the game.  My problem is cost.
I'm not sure how much this disadvantage should be worth;
none of the disadvantages in the Basic set seem comparable.

I understand that the cost should vary depending on the setting;
for example, the duty is a trivial disadvantage in a war setting.
Of course, the duty could be modified to require one killing per day, 
which would be onerous even in a setting of total war, 
or perhaps even requiring killing one innocent per week.
What should the modifications cost?
-- 
Johan Larson
                    The net is packed with objectivists, anarchists, 
                    libertarians and self-appointed threats to the current 
                    order, writing on company time with company equipment.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: covin@tartarus.uchicago.edu (David Covin)
Subject: Re: SRun: Mag 3 Cyber Eyes in Combat
Organization: University of Chicago Computer Science
	<1992Aug13.103225.6603@ncsu.edu> <BsxCJC.9MH@acsu.buffalo.edu>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 18:17:03 GMT

In article <BsxCJC.9MH@acsu.buffalo.edu> hfmartin@acsu.buffalo.edu (Hex Martin) writes:

      Well, they way we run it is that the Smartgun and Vision Mag don't stack. If
   the enhancement works just like the Imaging scope, then just look at the 
   description of Scopes in the Equipment section. Neither Scopes or Laser Sights 
   will stack with a Smartgun. 

Of course, there's a logical reason for this is the case of the scopes
and sights-- if you have a smartgun, you don't use scopes or sights.
The gun projects crosshairs on your goggles or visual image, showing 
exactly where your shot would go if you fired at that instant.  This is
the effect that laser sights are intended to achieve, thus laser
sights add nothing further; and scopes add nothing because you *don't
look through them*.  You don't need the scope to see where your shot
will go, and thus don't spare the time in combat to aim through it.

I'd argue that image enhancements built into your cybereyes, which 
you do use at all times in combat, will still help you, however.  Give
the sams a break-- as pointed out, spells never take range mods and
are a lot deadlier to boot.

--
David Covin                           covin@despair.uchicago.edu
From: kyle@Csli.Stanford.EDU (Kyle Wohlmut)
Subject: Re: Music & Roleplaying
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Summary: Ahem...
Organization: Rocking Pig Enterprises
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 21:00:51 GMT

In article <4738@blue.cis.pitt.edu.UUCP> seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp) writes:
>
>	On the subject of music for RPGs...
>
>	I've often seen the Orff piece "Carmina Burana" mentioned. I've 
>sometimes seen people claim that it was the actual music used in the
>_Conan_ movies.
>
>	Well, I just picked it up (tough to pass up a $5 CD) and while parts
>of it are really good (I don't regret the purchase), I hear virtually NO
>SIMILARITY to Conan. In fact, the movie it most reminds me of is Young
>Sherlock Holmes -- the Rami-Tep ritual song.

Uh, sorry, but listen again... the opening piece of Carmina, 'Fortuna
Imperatrix Mundi,' was actually -used in- Conan, I think it was the
Halle Orchestra recording.  Since I don't own the Conan soundrack, I
guess it may not be on the Conan album-- perhaps they couldn't get the
rights to it (tho I don't think it's copywrited... funny...).  Anyway
that piece was definitely in the film.
But aside from that, glad you liked it!

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
                       /               
/'''   Kyle Wohlmut    -  'Heute back ich, morgen brau ich, und       
c-OO                   /   uebermorgen hol ich mir der Koenigin ihr      
   \   Rocking Pig     -   Kind.  Ach, wie gut dass niemand weiss,
  -     Enterprises    /   dass ich kyle@csli.stanford.EDU heiss.'    
                       -                                              
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steelratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steelratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steelratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pier)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: What *is* "Role-Playing"
Date: 7 Aug 92 20:06:39 GMT
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
Old-Message-ID: <RATINOX.92Aug7160639@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu>
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 ]

I think at least half of the argument between diceless and dice is we're
all using different interpretations of the term "role-playing," as opposed
(as some say) to "story telling" and "acting."

My "definition" of role-playing comes from the true original role-playing
as you find in psychotherapy, where one or more members of a group assume
the role of another person as a means of therapy (role-playing predates any
"role-playing game" ever thought of). This commonly takes the form of
"role-reversal," where SOs act as their partners. Is this acting? Yes.  Is
it role-playing? Yes. Is it story telling? No; it's therapy.

My "definition" of "role-playing game" adds the element of story telling
and removes the aspect of therapy. Is it acting? Yes. Is it role-playing?
Yes. Is it story telling? Yes--it isn't therapy.


The concept of "dice" in role-playing goes back to the wargamers who
decided to take their favorite fantasy battles and compress the scale down
to the individual. This is the birth of DnD and the Fantasy Trip. Since
these peple were wargamers and really wanted small-scale wargames, that's
what they made; the role-playing aspects came along later. Is this role-
playing? I don't think so. Is it possible to add role-playing? Certainly,
but it isn't purely role-playing.

I like to think that RPGs have finally come full circle with Amber's
diceless (un)system. But that's my opinion.

--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.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Re: Curious about .frp
Followup-To: rec.games.frp
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 12:29:26 GMT

In article <1992Aug15.013003.58175@cc.usu.edu> sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:
>Just wondering how many people have:
>
>A). Given up on rec.games.frp because it is supposedly going to 
>    be deleted.

Not Supposedly - IS going to be RMgrouped 25-Aug-92

>B). Given up on rec.games.frp because now there are the split 
>    groups to post in.

The Split is working, much to some nay-sayers (and I was one at first) surprise
and dismay.

>C). Given up on rec.games.frp because your site doesn't get it
>    anymore.
>
>It's just that there used to be about ten zillion posts per day on
				       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's why the split succeeded - too much volume, now we have 20 zillion
posts per day, but they're split up among the proper groups.  If your site
isn't getting the new groups, ask your friendly sysadmin to add them soon!

>that group, but now there are only about 10 posts per day, most of
>them dealing with Bill Clinton..

Political discussion and Flamewars being the only subjects a "lame duck"
group should contain.  Hopefully these discussions will die off when the 
group is rmgrouped, or move to rec.games.frp.advocacy...

-SIGH-  I got rid of my .sig so it wouldn't get appended when I moderate, now
I've found I can't find the damned thing....

-Coyt


Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: Diceless or Senseless?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 20:22:05 GMT

J.P.Brannan <J.P.Brannan@cornell.edu> writes:

>  1.Yes, it is not totally true to the novels, but then again, I gather
>it was put together before all of the novels were written.  This leads
>to....

Well, the novels (the first series) are pretty old. Nice guess though.

>   2. Yes, the magic system is made out to be pretty wimpy.  BUT, in the
>hands of an imaginative role-player, and a GM who is familiar with the
>Merlin series, it can still be pretty dangerous (4pts, Rack and Use
>Spells), especially when a character can literally make any spell they
>want, as long as they have the endurance for the casting time and/or the
>other powers they want to combine with Sorcery/Conjuration.  

Well, people tossing spells around doesn't seem to fit Amber (the first
set of novels at least). You don't see anyone lobbing spells at each
other all that often.

>But for me, the difference between diceless and die-based rpgs is that
>very often, the dice based systems (especially *D&D and SR) have very
>rigid restrictions on who can do what with what and how often, while (at
>least in the Amber system) you can custom make a character however you
>want, with whatever spells you want, whatever combination of powers, or
>even create new powers.  I'm not saying it impossible with die-based
>systems, just that it isn't usually encouraged to the extent that it is
>in diceless systems.

Actually, there are restrictive things about Amber. It doesn't
matter how good the best guy in the world is in GURPS, or SRUN, or
ADD. You can always improve a skill, even if it's glacially slow. In
Amber, you are sort of stuck with your initial bid. 

You can create any character you want in GURPS or HERO, and powers
are only limited by your imagination there. If a GM is creative enough,
you could do AMBER with either system.  

Just a thought.

Axly

********************************************************************************
*   Axly      *  "Is Axly tough? Yes. Talented? Yes. Brave? Oh, certainly.     *
* Red Sword   *   He is also erratic, irresponsible, accident-prone, and a     *
*   Targa     *   constant threat to public safety. The trick is to keep him   *
*             *   pointed in the right direction. "                            *
*             *         -Niki                                                  *
********************************************************************************