HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: I want my SR2!!!
Date: 14 Sep 92 23:29:46 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <38030@sdcc12.ucsd.edu>, jlkim@sdcc3.ucsd.edu (Justin Kim) writes:
> In article <ward1.716436328@husc8>, ward1@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) writes:
>> 
>> FASA tested the three main sections of SRII (character generation, combat,
>> and magic) with the help of anyone on GEnie who cared to download the rules,
>> for a long time.
> 
> 	Now all we have to do is get FASA to distribute betas of the
> rules via anonymous ftp! :-)
> 
> Justin
> 
> -- 
> ------->Justin Kim
> ---------->jlkim@ucsd.edu
> ------------->Graduate School of International Relations/
> ---------------->Pacific Studies-University of California, San Diego
--
Better yet.  We could get FASA on the internet.  Maybe even a
Shadowrun BBS.  I know, I know...ain't gonna happen.  But let me
dream.

+----------------------------------+
| kucloak@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu       |	
| bkreed@oread.cc.ukans.edu	   |
| EGARC\BKREED			   |
| Bryan "Use a bigger gun" Reed    |	
+----------------------------------+

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: barnejd@wkuvx1.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RPG Fiction
Date: 9 Sep 92 09:48:31 CDT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

In article <20235@plains.NoDak.edu>, dhenry@plains.NoDak.edu (David Henry) writes:
>>Not to put too fine a point on it, but I have always considered this stuff to
>>be a sterling example of Sturgeon's Dictum: Ninety percent of *everything*
>>is crud.  I have *yet* to pick up a piece of RPG-inspired fiction and enjoy it.
>>Often, I find I can't even finish the book -- and I've got a cast-iron stomach
>>when it comes to finishing a book the first time through.
> 
> Just to offer a point in opposition, many of the Games Workshop's
> novelizations of their Warhammer world have been far above the quality one
> would expect to find in such promotional tie-in stuff. Indeed, Jack Yeovil's
> "Drachenfels" is, IMHO, one of the best books I own. Period. (No snide
> flames on the other books I own, please -- :-))

 Also, a few of TSR's books are good as well.  My personal favorites:
    1) The Icewind Dale Trilogy          R.A. Salvatore
    2) The Dark Elf Trilogy               "       "
         (Of course, anyone who has read them and seen my signature
          knows that, though!)
    3) Spellfire                         Ed Greenwood

And, to a lesser extent, the Finder's Stone Trilogy by Kate Novak and
Jeff Grubb, and the Cleric Quintet (only Canticle and Night Masks;
In Sylvan Shadows is trash!).  I only consider one of the Harpers
series (Elfshadow) even worth the time to read, and the Avatar Trilogy
is absolute garbage IMHO.

                          -Drizzt the (Probably) Soon-to-be-Flamed
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mfp+@CS.CMU.EDU (Michael Polis)
Subject: Re: Universal Simulation Mailing List FTP site
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 16:02:56 GMT

In article <BuL3Cn.AJw@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, ericg@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Eric Chris Garrison) writes:
|> I found the following on the FTP site list.  It says it is defunct,
|> and I *really* would like to get ahold of all of the files listed
|> for that FTP site.  Is there a way to get it (is there another site,
|> does anyone who got stuff from there still have some of the stuff)???
|> 
|> Any information/leads would be greatly appreciated.
Well, the ftp site is timing out, and "archie usml" doesn't list anything,
so it looks like the archive is gone.  If anyone is interested in
reconstructing the archie, I have two of the files, fractal.c and plates.c,
which both generate terrain.  Plates.c has been hacked on to make the output
look better (without much success).

Mike Polis		mfp@maps.cs.cmu.edu
From: ratinox@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Richard Pieri/Stainless Steel Rat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Permenant damage in HERO
Date: 7 Sep 92 20:16:39 GMT
	<1992Sep7.181640.7857@nmsu.edu>
Reply-To: ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
In-reply-to: dleland@dante.nmsu.edu's message of 7 Sep 92 18:16:40 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 ]

>>>>> "L" == LELAND <dleland@dante.nmsu.edu> writes:

L> Hmmmmmmmm. I don't recall having ever read about this system where each
L> section of the body has its own little "mini body." That sounds as
L> though it would get complex (just what HERO needs) real fast. It seems
L> to work though.

Nope. I think the closest to that was a scarring effect done using a BODY
Destruct (yeah, 3rd edition), from one of the FH supplements. It might have
been something from a gaming magazine, tho. The new Disabling rules work
much better, IMO, under the proper circumstances.

--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: carl@gergo.tamu.edu (Carl D. Perkins)
Subject: Re: SR: Ruthenium(?) Swords
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Geochemical and Environmental Research Group - TAMU
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 09:32:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep11.023029.7165@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>, ins769v@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Veltyen) writes...
>Hi All,
> 
>Just looking for some ideas about Rutheniuming (The camoflage stuff) 
>the blade of a sword. What do people think of this? 
> 
>Seems to me that a sword you can't see is gunna be _much_ harder to
>dodge or block.
> 
>At 20k nY for an upgrade to a sword it better do something pretty good.
> 
>Bubba Machon 
>" Peacelovin' Troll " (with a Troll Sword *He HE He*)

It'll work. Once. Then it'll degrade. Might work a couple of times if
you get lucky, particularly if the target is unarmored and you don't do
a lot of damage.

--- Carl

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:5543 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2292
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: 40mm grenades (was Re: Let's talk REAL..)
Date: 15 Sep 92 04:56:39 GMT
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <WCALDERW.92Sep14195826@dante.nmsu.EDU>, wcalderw@nmsu.EDU (CALDERWOOD) writes:
> 
>>	There are a boatload of different munition types for the 40mm grenade.
>>There is either a HEDP or HEAT (I think the first) that has some effectiveness
>>against *light* armor, like a APC. There is (or was, before the M203 launcher)
>>a 'shot' round, which made the grenade launcher (M-79) a big shotgun. There
>>might even be 'stun bags' (sealed first-sized bags filled with sand or
>>something similar) for very special purposes.
> The shot round used by the M-79 or 203 was called a flachette (sp). It
> was made up of small metal darts. Because of the inhumane way it would
> tear flesh from bone it was outlawed by the NATO countries and is thus
> no longer produced by them.

	Hmm, didn't know that. I just thought that the flechette round was the
grenadier's anti-personnel direct-fire round, and after the M-16/M-203 combo
came out, there was no longer any need for it.
	I can think of a lot more weapons more inhumane than flechette rounds
that are being used ... :-)

Brandon Cope
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: juola@bruno.cs.colorado.edu (Patrick Juola)
Subject: Re: Matriarcal Societies
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 19:30:32 GMT

In article <92254.111545JLM@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> JLM@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU writes:
>In article <1992Sep10.135901.2728@mks.com>, viktor@mks.com
>(Viktor Haag) writes in response to another article:
>>
>>Having said that, I suppose I should provide one myself:
>>
>>        A society wherein a group of "mother figures" retain the
>>        positions of authority, and roles traditionally associated
>>        with power and authority.
>>
>
> Now that you have provided a definition of the "matriarchal"
>society, I will tell you the names of five societies, which
>until very recently were matriarchal (one still is):
>
> India  - ruled by Indira Gandhi
> Israel - ruled by Golda Meihr (sp ?)
> U.K.   - ruled on and off by women:  Elizabeth I
>                                      Victoria
>                                      Elizabeth II
>                                      Margaret Thatcher
> Philippines - Corazon Aquino
 &c.

One woman does not a group make, especially if the "positions of
authority" are plural and the woman is not.

What is the percentage of women in the U.K. cabinet?
What is the percentage of women in the U.K. parliament?
What is the percentage of women in the U.K. civil service?

	- kitten
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: wcalderw@nmsu.EDU (CALDERWOOD)
Subject: Re: 40mm grenades (was Re: Let's talk REAL..)
Organization: New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 01:07:20 GMT


> Just to try to set the record straight about the recently misunderstood
> 40mm grenade. It is not an anti-tank/armor munition. In conventional usage,
> it is definitely an anti-personnel munition. The most common application of
> the 40mm grenade (with an M-203) is suppressive, demoralizing, area-of-
> effect fire. Like a mini-mortar. These grenades are also available in
> smoke and para-flare varieties. 40mm grenades could be used against thin
> skinned vehicles, but I don't think it would do much against an MBT, even
> an older one. 
> 
> Now, 40mm grenades launched from the Mk-19 (automatic grenade launcher,
> vehicle or tripod mounted) would probably be effective against heavier 
> vehicles and armor peircing versions of the grenade might exist. Even so,
> the grenade is not included with other anti-armor weapons.
> 
> Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion about bad PR, cool races,
> head shots, exclusion of certain legendary sci-fi game systems, $50 bets,
> weapon-packing squirrels and other lunacy.
> 
> Okay,
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Chadd VanZanten SL9B4@CC.USU.EDU + ``There  is water  at the  bottom 
> of the ocean.'' --David Byrne, Once in a Lifetime


Actually there are many dual purpose 40mm grenades around that are
supposed to penetrate up to 2 inches of metal armor plating. This
might be affective againced an APC, but a MBT "I don't think so".
Try shooting a round into a guard tower. HEEEEHEEHEHEHE

Any ways there are also some neet rounds for use in the MK-19 grenade
launcher that are quite effective againced airborn inf. Like an
para-antipersonal grenade. "Hey, take them out before they hit the
ground."   It's also effective for those old open top self propelled
guns, just shoot a couple of these over their heads and they'll be
singing "Shrapnel keeps falling on my head."

But hey fun,death, gore, and uh..... oh yea Role-Playing are what
FRP/RPG's are all about.

Bill,
wcalderw@nmsu.edu
From: tfafr@fy.chalmers.se (Fredrik Rantakyr|)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS Combat - Step & Wait vs. All Out Attack
Date: 12 Sep 92 16:34:20 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: Chalmers Univ. of Technology, G|teborg, Sweden


In <92255.112424MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu> <MRM122@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
 
>The penalty for doing an All-Out-Attack would have ended at the end of the
>turn.  A new turn is a new turn for everyone.  A character still gets active
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^NOT!   
>defense even if they did an All-Out-Attack the previous turn.  The only time
>that they don't is the turn that they actually do the All-Out-Attack.  He was
>already penalized for it- he doesn't get penalized twice.
 
Minor nitpick: If I remember correctly (I don't have the book available for
reference) EACH player has his/her own turn. There is NO AD&D type turn. 

Fredrik
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: krelos@agora.rain.com (Neal Feldman)
Subject: the .Z Extension on Files
Organization: Open Communications Forum
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 20:40:01 GMT

Help!  I'm new to Unix systems and have not a clue what to do with
files ending in .Z.  I retrieved several files off of
FTP sites with this extension, but can't read them.

I tried ZIP and ZOO, but to no avail.

Help.  Reply in Email please.
From: jester@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Jester)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: rec.games.frp.srun
Date: 8 Sep 92 14:40:50 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center

lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino) writes:
}Might I suggest that the Shadowrun people start their own
}newsgroup.  It looks like there are enough postings on this
}subject to warrant one.

I second the motion!!!!!!!!!!

Jester
-- 
manifestations of a sort so insidious off the point
simple solution never confusion sport a gun kill a cop
crazy world of weary thought so receive me had enough
lock me up lock me up --- aSSiMilAte  SkiNNy puPpY
From: null@diku.dk (Niels Ull Jacobsen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: GURPS: Missile attack penalty vs. moving targets (Was: Knockback)
Date: 10 Sep 92 10:15:09 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

sl9b4@cc.usu.edu (Deep Six) writes:

>One thing that I've considered is an extra penalty for evasive movement.
>That is, when a character is running under fire, he/she can run erraticaly 
>(weaving slightly, crouched slightly, varying speed slightly). Characters
>could voluntarily sacrifice Move points and apply the inverse to their
>opponent's To Hit. So, a character with a 5 move could voluntarily move
>at 3 and apply the -2 to the opponent's To Hit. Character's whose Basic
>Speed is higher than their Move could apply a -1 to their opponent's To
>Hit with no penalty (then -1 to move thereafter). The justification for
>that would be that the character with a Basic Speed of 6.5 (Move of 6)
>has ``untapped'' speed with which to move erraticaly.

Have you seen the GURPS 3rd ed. errata? They include a rule giving a penalty
for shooting at something moving erratically. From -1 for something like
a swerving (sp) car to -6 for a bumblebee like motion.

And you can always crouch (-2 to missile attacks, I think), though it cuts
your move in half.

>Chadd VanZanten SL9B4@CC.USU.EDU + ``My karma ran over my dogma.'' --Unknown
-- 
   Niels Ull Jacobsen, Dep. of C.S., U of Copenhagen (null@diku.dk)
   Adaz sighed.  "So how long will this journey take?" 
   "A month?" Sutekh shrugged.  "Depends on when the horses die." 
     -- from "Adaz & Sutekh" by Jeff Stehman
From: dhenry@plains.NoDak.edu (David Henry)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: RPG Fiction
Keywords: RPG fiction, drivel
Date: 9 Sep 92 03:07:29 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computing Network

>Not to put too fine a point on it, but I have always considered this stuff to
>be a sterling example of Sturgeon's Dictum: Ninety percent of *everything*
>is crud.  I have *yet* to pick up a piece of RPG-inspired fiction and enjoy it.
>Often, I find I can't even finish the book -- and I've got a cast-iron stomach
>when it comes to finishing a book the first time through.

Just to offer a point in opposition, many of the Games Workshop's
novelizations of their Warhammer world have been far above the quality one
would expect to find in such promotional tie-in stuff. Indeed, Jack Yeovil's
"Drachenfels" is, IMHO, one of the best books I own. Period. (No snide
flames on the other books I own, please -- :-))


-- 
David R. Henry - Rogue Fan Club - CTHULHU in '92! Why vote for LESSER evils?
For Kate is a jealous God, and requires sacrifice./What was your question?--K
"All you of Earth are IDIOTS!"-P9fOS // Thanks... for the memories.--Rogue
dhenry@plains.nodak.edu * ud137927@ndsuvm1.bitnet * ud137927@vm1.nodak.edu
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Repartee in Gaming
Date: 9 Sep 92 21:18:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

When I got in on this thread, I thought I had a great idea, and based on the
two very nice responses so far, it seems to be being well enough recieved,
*but* I made one small mistake.  I neglected to define exactly what I refer to
as repartee in gaming.  For the record, my players have no difficulties in
engaging in conversation between themselves or with the various NPCs they
encounter.  What I am seeking to promote is my players engaging in the classic
'conversation' between themselves such as we saw in Star Wars...

Luke - They're gonna kill her!
Han  - Better her than me!
Luke - She's beautiful...
Han  - So's life.
Luke - She's rich....

or as we saw in The Princess Bride...

Inigo - You are wonderful
Westly - Thank you, I have worked hard to become so
Inigo  - I admit it, you are better that me.
Westly - Then why are you smiling?
Inigo  - Because I know something you don't know...

What I am hoping to do by encouraging this (which I have been but have not been
that successful yet as we end up doing this between the *players* and not the
characters) is to get them more involved with their characters, to add another
dimension of personality to the characters.

Skeksis
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: cleggp@aix.rpi.edu (Paul Jason Clegg)
Subject: Re: Sci-Fi Suggestions
Keywords: battlelords
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:11:32 GMT

In article <BuBGww.Mr0@acsu.buffalo.edu> v054p8yx@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Daniel J Kowalski) writes:
>ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS BATTLELORDS GAME,
>	PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!!!
> i would like to see some discussion of this game as everyone seems to 
>ignore it when ben or one of those other guys mentions it
>
>	thank you for at least reading this because from what i've seen noone
>		will respond!
>				dan
>

Well, here's my (quasi-professional) opinion of the BattleLords game:

It <had> possibilities.

Points on its side:

Nice n' lethal combat, the way it SHOULD be.
LOTS of equipment for everyone to play with.
Extensive background information.
Extensive character creation system.
Decent organization.
Lots of skills.

Points against:
75% of the equipment is weapons or armor.
    (Sure, there're only 4 pages of combat rules, but the rest of book is
     based on the idea that the player group MUST be militant).
The character races are all basically devoted to wiping each other out.
None of the character races, as presented, could survive as a culture in the
     way Simms expects us to believe.
Zero support so far.
    (Simms:  When am I going to be contacted for playtest material, since I
     signed into that little notebook of yours at Council of Five Nations?)
Incomplete rules for non-military actions.
    (No specific rules for interacting with computer systems, robots, et al.,
     and horribly insufficient rules for vehicles of ANY type)
The values of some skills are "way out".  
    (No starting character, save a pure human, may obtain even level 1 in
     Cybernetics Engineering, due to a combination of high skill cost and
     high skill cost prerequisites.  A pure human can get level one, iff
     they have only the minimum prereq's and MAYBE one or two "little" other
     skills.)

All in all, I'm actually glad I bought the book.  I really like the combat
system (most of it; automatic weapon rules are very vague and somewhat 
inconsistent), and the weapon descriptions are nice and complete, and well
thought out (unfortunately nothing else is well thought out!).  What I'm
probably going to end up doing (if I ever "really" use the system; I'm one of
those people who buy games just to look at the game mechanics), is to totally
re-write the character races, come up with some half-workable rules for
computers and robots and vehicles, and tidy up some loopholes in just about
all the subsystems...

...Paul
From: kinnema@wkuvx1.bitnet (Mark Kinney, Attorney at Chaos)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Cyberpunk: "Rockerboy" worth the $?
Date: 9 Sep 92 20:01:35 GMT
Organization: Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY

I'd like to know from someone who has or has seen the Cyberpunk
"Rockerboy" supplement... is it worth getting?  What does it have in
it, etc?

Thanks,
-- 
Mark Kinney [KINNEMA@WKUVX1.(BITNET)(WKU.EDU)] | MEN AT WORK
PhoneNet: (502)745-4246	  (Bowling Green, KY)  | New .sig Under Construction
Quote of the week: "No, I'm sorry lads, he's still got 23 hit points to go!"
				-- "Dragonmirth," _Dragon_ #150
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: fts5792@zeus.tamu.edu (SRONCE, FRANK T)
Subject: Re: Covers
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 22:09:00 GMT

In article <15091@mindlink.bc.ca>, Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow) writes...
>How important are covers?  Will you ignore a game with a plain cover, and buy a
>game without checking what's between the covers as long as that cover is fancy?
> 
>A fancy cover (full colour, or embossed gold leaf, etc) could raise the price
>of a game by several dollars.  Just what dollar value would you think a cover
>is worth?  If a store carried a plain-cover version for $20 and a nice
>colour-illustration-cover version for $25, which would you buy?
> 
>--
> 
>Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca

A good review is a lot more valuable than a good cover. I bought SwordBearer
on the basis of a detailed review in Dragon, despite its unimpressive cover 
art (the title and a sword on a black box. Really gives a good idea of what
the game is about, eh?).

I'd go for the plain-cover every time. My books get messed up so quickly that
I wouldn't want a really, really fancy cover for fear of damaging it.

Kiz