HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dave Van Domelen)
Subject: The Good things about Killing attacks as they are now
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 16:17:21 GMT

I've also run a Champs game for over 3 years with one world (and as many as 12 
players at once), and I find the damage variability of KAs to be one of their 
best points.  In fact, the only tweak I found I needed for KAs was to make 
extra Damage Multiples a +1/4 advantage as explained in a previous post.  In my
game, lethality was higher than in the "typical" game, mainly because the 
villains were A: built on the same philosophy as the heroes as far as high DCs 
and low DEF, and B: actually trying to put a serious hurt on the heroes most of
the time (excluding CLOWN and Foxbat & Fandom).  Hence no one had less than 10 
resistant DEF, even though few had more than 30 total.  As a result, normal 
agent would usually be screwed except for the variability of STUN on Kills.  
6-9 DC HyperThugGuns will bounce off such heroes if they are normal attacks, 
but if they are Kills, one of the thugs might actually stun a hero, so the 
heroes don't blow off the thugs.  And when Doctor Megaton's boys came trotting 
in with their Highly Dangerous To The User 4d6 EKA rifles, even the team bricks
gave pause.  Sure they had OCVs of about 7 even with levels, but if all of them
shot at one guy, odds are that guy would suck at least one shot, and if it were
max multiple, he'd be out.  Heroes get cocky when normal dudes with guns can't 
touch them, and logically so would villains.  By having the chance of a lucky 
shot, only the most Psych Lim'ed of supers would totally ignore the threat of 
gunplay.  Otherwise, why have thugs, and why bother sending normal people to 
contain supervillains?  Kills are the Great Equalizer...they let the small fell
the large (and the large pulp the small...oh well).  Keep them as is.  Players 
need a little fear once in a while, even if they are Captain Indestructo.
     Dave Van Domelen, Panzer was really displeased to suck on 4 shots of 4d6 
kill with multipliers 5,5,5,4....
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:10491 rec.games.misc:19008 rec.games.mecha:864 rec.games.cyber:874
From: adler@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Philip Adler)
Subject: Re: Small company advertising/smart moves?
Organization: MIT Laboratory for Computer Science
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 04:01:22 GMT

While at the moment we don't do reviews (unless something is so
incredible we must mention it,) I can give something of an insiders
view on the way it works. Unless the advertising department keeps
the reviewers apprised of the current state of the each advertiser,
the reviewer can't refer to that information in making his
judgement. I do know that some magazines have their line reviewers
(I'm not sure about their feature reviewers, but considdering the
work that can go into a feature article I doubt that it works the
same way,) to submit two reviews of each product, one focussing on
the good points and the other on the flaws, I'm not sure how they
select between the two.
I would venture to say that unless you're submitting an established
or semi-established game for review, you should contact the editor
before sending it. You would do best with a feature review and they
are not going to do that for an unsolicited submission. I don't
doubt that ad purchases will improve your chances of getting a feature
review, I would bet that the content of the review will be based on
the merits of the game. If you're confident that your game will
garner a good review, then call the editor(s) of the magazine(s)
you'd like to see review your game.

PHil Adler
Associate Editor/Public Relations
From: laurence@cco.caltech.edu (Dustin Lee Laurence)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Champions: mage special effects
Date: 10 Jan 1993 01:17:58 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: sandman.caltech.edu

dleland@dante.nmsu.edu (LELAND) writes:

>Mages seem to need a lot more points to be 
>effective. I don't think you can make a D&D style first level fighter and
>a first level or so wizard for the same point cost. 

>But maybe that's ok. SHould mages start out (especially your "super" mages)
>at a higher point level than other types of FH characters? I think maybe
>they should.

Never, ever been a problem for us.  The reverse can be true with over-liberal
magic rules.  And if you want to simulate D&D 1st level characters, neither
will cost very much at all.  Though IMHO it would be a shame to force hero
characters to look like that...

-- 
Dustin Laurence       "As sensitive and broad-minded humans, we must never
                       allow ourselves to be in any way judgmental of the
laurence@alice         religious practices of other people, even when these
caltech.edu           people clearly are raving space loons." -- Dave Barry
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: Rent-a-Lemming <ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu>
Subject: Re: Torg question
X-Posting-Software: GNUS 3.14.1 [ NNTP-based News Reader for GNU Emacs ]
X-Signature-Virus-Protection: Version 1.51
X-Get-A-Clue: Have two, they're small.
Organization: 3WA, Boston Office. Or Nu Meta Chi. Take your pick.
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 00:18:30 GMT

Try over in alt.games.torg

--Rat                               PGP Public Key Block available upon request
||||| | | | |  |  |  |   |   |    |    |    |   |   |  |  |  |  | | | | | |||||
Northeastern's Stainless Steel Rat          ratinox@meceng.coe.northeastern.edu
Carpe Joltem! (Seize the Caffeine)                                         --Me
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:10437 rec.games.board:12900
From: torbenm@diku.dk (Torben AEgidius Mogensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Dumb Moves By Game Companies
Date: 4 Jan 93 11:45:19 GMT
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Arthur C. Adams) writes:

>I was setting around thinking today:
>what are some of the dumbest moves made by game companies?

>Here's a few I came up with:

>Avalon Hill's decision to not make RuneQuest products purely 
>Glorantha. RuneQuest players want Glorantha!

Not all players like Glorantha.

>Non-RPG companies getting into RPG's. It bloodied SPI. Avalon Hill
>never did well with anything except RuneQuest.

Avalon Hill's "Powers and Perils" is actually not a bad system, but
the rules are terribly written. You need to read through the rule
books several times just to begin using the system, and in general it
is hard to find the information you need. The system requires some
book-keeping, but other modern systems do as well.

>Any other suggestions?

T$R's failure to re-issue some of SPI's products. I don't think the
time is right for the more complex hex-based wargames, but SPI had
several smaller games that are quite good. Some of the games from
"Ares" and "Strategy and Tactics" would do quite well it published
with components of reasonably good quality (and some editing of the
rulebooks). One of my favorite games "Babarian Kings" has (to my
knowledge) only been published in "Ares".

	Torben Mogensen (torbenm@diku.dk)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: tkelly@unix2.tcd.ie (Mithrandir)
Subject: Ars Magica Question
Organization: Trinity College, Dublin
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 11:26:22 GMT

    Is it true that House Merecere get absolutely no magic at all, yet
are considered Magi?

   Seems a bit of a raw deal to me.

--
 Haggis: Haggis is a black pudding eaten by the Scots and considered not
only a delicacy, but fit for human consumtion.The minced heart, liver
and lungs of a sheep are mixed with oatmeal and boiled in the sheep's
stomach before ...Excuse me a minute... [Mithrandir/tkelly@unix2.tcd.ie]
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: gm1116@albnyvms.bitnet
Subject: Re: net.hero.bestiary?
Reply-To: gm1116@albnyvms.bitnet
Organization: University of NY at Albany
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 93 06:17:20 GMT

I'm confused.  You mean if I create a charector/spell/trap for a
system(HERO, GURPS, AD&D) and the distribute it over the net, it
is unethical since I'm costing the compnay that produces the system
profits IF they were to produce a similiar product???
Perhaps its not the same, but it seems like saying that if i create
a database program and distribute it freely over the net, the action is
unethical since I am costing the compnay that produced Dbase profits
on the sales of their program.  After all, if they are both database programs
than they are similiar.
I can see it being unethical to distribute copyrighted material of HERO's
over the net, but how is it unethical to distribute uncopyrighted
(or copyrighted by you) material of your own over the net?
    ts unethical to dis
-one really confused badger
to Dave Van Domelen


Gary A Mort
GM1116@albnyvms
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga)
Subject: Re: Dumb Moves By Game Companies
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 23:46:03 GMT

thornley@milli.cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley) writes:


>Well, Arneson and Gygax did, as far as I know, invent the RPG, even if
>it was invented elsewhere and earlier.  Enough technicalities.

And the "Huh?" of the Month award is promptly awarded....

Axly
From: pwheat@cup.portal.com (Philip A Wheat)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: 2300AD questions
Date: Tue,  5 Jan 93 20:02:29 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

>What (if any) is the address for a 2300AD mailing list or ftp site?
>--
>| Chris Gregg gt8601a@prism.gatech.edu  My dog, he barks, some. In your |

I think that it's in with the Traveller mailing list.  I've gotten a hold
of them, but I haven't recieved my first mailing, and I don't have the
address handy.  It is on the mailing list list <g> if you can find that
around.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip A Wheat                                                 Jackson, MS

Douglas Adams was almost right... It's called ORBITING when you throw youself
at the ground and miss.  :->
From: news@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: An Ongoing PBeM
Date: 8 Jan 93 02:05:57 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, Tucson AZ.

This is a call for interested players...I have been running a Fantasy
RPG Play By E-Mail game for a few months, and we are running low on
players (initial group of players indicated interest, then never showed
up...no players have been killed yet or dropped out).

This is a fairly standard fantasy game, but rather low on the magic
content, and there are no nonhuman races.  The pacing is such that   
response is desired within, oh, 3-4 days at longest.

If you are interested, please mail me with a character description.  
Character personality and a rough idea of capabilities are what is
really desired, though complete writeups are fine (100+40 in GURPS,
75+75 in Hero, say).  Mechanics and the details of combat are not
emphasized...

dddawson@lpl.arizona.edu
From: dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dave Van Domelen)
Subject: Re: net.hero.bestiary?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 06:49:34 GMT

Okay, it's like this.  Suppose you were to create a module for AD&D, like alot 
of people did in Ye Olde Days, then distribute it.  Nowadays the TSR lawyers 
would be all over you, since the system is copyright, tm, and all sorts of 
other things.  Hero isn't as nasty legally, but any large-scale project like a 
net.bestiary would be a bit of a slap in their face, and they might warm up a 
lawyer or two to make sure everything's legal.  Posting a character here or 
there, or a rules modification, or whatever, is No Big Deal.  But something the
size of supplement would certainly not be No Big Deal.
     Remember, even if the character or critter is totally your 
idea/adaptation, you are using *their* system, and should ask and get 
permission before undertaking big stuff.  The other week I made a game with 
mechanics based on other Better Games products, but made sure to get the okay 
from someone in BG before releasing it to the mailing list I was making it for.
I suppose my netrunning system is in contradiction of what I'm saying here, 
since it is Hero stuff intended to replace a published product.  I probably 
shouldn't have posted it in the first place, although sending it to a few 
people here and there would be okay.  Probably.
     Setting up a dedicated list or archive for Hero stuff would probably 
require permission of some sort from them.  They might say "Sure, we could use 
the publicity" or somesuch.  Why not ask them?
     In the meantime, think that if no one buys products from Hero they will 
fold, and then where will we be?
     Dave Van Domelen, thinks he should make friends with a law grad....
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: markl@dvorak.amd.com (Mark Luedtke)
Subject: Re: A Shadowrun Question (both 1st and 2nd ed.)
Organization: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.; Austin, Texas
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 16:55:55 GMT

In article <1993Jan10.225812.15075@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> cks@hawkwind.utcs.toronto.edu (Chris Siebenmann) writes:
>lward@husc11.harvard.edu (Lester Ward) writes:
>| No cash (and even certified sticks have to come from somewhere).
>| This means that you need a bank account to buy anything.  And guess
>| what?  You can't get one without a SIN.
>
> My personal view on SINs and services is 'money attracts services'.
>So there are banks out there who will make accounts of the SINless;
>not necessarily the best banks, but they're there. Similarly for
>things like medical care, housing, education, and cable.

In my game, everyone has several SINs, none of which were given to them
by the government, and all of which generally trace to nice, normal
lifestyles that may or may not exist.

Of course, if someone decides to actively persue these SINs, they might
well come across the characters.  It has happened before.
-- 

Mark Luedtke    markl@dvorak.amd.com

This was typed by an infinite number of monkeys.
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:10513 rec.games.board:13005
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Dumb Moves By Game Companies
Date: 6 Jan 93 20:45:57 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd3.cis.pitt.edu


	FGU's publishing really marvelous games (V&V, Space Opera) and
never advertising, revising, or even redoing the artwork. The simple
lack of repackaging and advertising destroyed them.

	By comparison, one of the Smartest Moves was by Wizards of the
Coast -- watch the Net, find good consultants, make a good product, then
ADVERTISE  IT!

	The first is an example of being handed a Rolls-Royce and using
it as an off-road vehicle; the second is surveying the race-track,
getting a good car, tinkering up a first rate engine, getting good 
backers, and finding the right driver.


				Sea Wasp
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: dhenry@plains.NoDak.edu (David R. Henry)
Subject: Re: Old time D&D reminiscing
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 08:13:47 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computing Network

I breifly interrupt this warm-fuzzy reminiscing about the hobby's roots to
ask a question that still bothers me, after almost two decades of
role-playing:

>Bzzzzt. Bzzzzt. Bing! Only one out three right. I started playing D&D
>right after Greyhawk came out (in 75 or 76, I forget), and the D&D
>collector's edition was already out. *Blackmoor* (which had the first
>module, _temple of the frog_, and the first hit location rules, for
>D&D),

Speaking of the good ol' Temple of the Frog:


Will someone please tell me what the Egg of Coot is, already?

"Lighten up. In a few years, I'll be rich, and you'll be dead. Or maybe I
have that backwards..."
		--Richard Darwin

		
-- 
David R. Henry - Rogue Fan Club - "I have a pullchain in my head." -- RIII
My mind is a jackal.--Richard Darwin // What was the question? --Kate Bush
"All you of Earth are IDIOTS!"-P9fOS // Thanks... for the memories.--Rogue
dhenry@plains.nodak.edu * ud137927@ndsuvm1.bitnet * ud137927@vm1.nodak.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Subject: SR(II):  NAGEE FTP Site?
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 22:21:22 GMT
Reply-To: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Organization: Visix Software, Reston, Virginia


Yeah, I suck.  I forgot where the NAGEE volumes are archived.  

Could some kind soul please let me know where the NAGEE and the FlashLife archives are?

Thanks,

--gray
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: ahankin1@cc.swarthmore.edu (A. Luke Hankins)
Subject: Re: TWERPS publisher/availability?
Organization: Swarthmore College
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 18:08:56 GMT

sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:

>slb3y@cc.usu.edu (Punk Rocketeer) writes:
>>     Can someone please tell me who publishes TWERPS?  That is,
>>assuming it's still in print.  I saw it at a con in April, but didn't
>>buy it at the time.  Now I'm kicking myself for that decision.

>Still in print, published by Gamescience, carried by many distributors:
>hence, your local retailer can order it for you.  They even have two new
>modules, one a Star Trek spoof and the other a collection of more useful
>options for all genres.

the address i have for Gamescience is as follows:

  	Gamescience
	1512  30th Ave	
	Gulfport MS, 39501


>-- 
>  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu

the only problem that i've found with TWERPS is that all of my friends think
it's too simple to be worth playing (i've heard "what's the point?" too many
times to remember.)
 i know about five people who will play; one's in rochester, one's at
Georgetown, one's in RI,the other two 've just lost touch with ...

sigh.

btw: i hgaven't had a chance to look at TWERPS own "Robo-punks" but made my
own version a few years ago (when i first played TWERPS)...
 if anyone would like to look at it email me.
-- 
______________________________________________________________________
===Starman-* 		|	ahankin1@cc.swarthmore.edu
			|	tnx luke
________________________|______________________________________________
From: mehawk@agora.rain.com (Michael Sandy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Hero Bestiary and other Hero Stuff
Date: 7 Jan 93 02:05:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: agora.C0GoHI.IK6
Organization: Open Communications Forum

I just had a brainstorm!  Why not make both normal dice and what
have heretofore been called "killing" attacks and make them both
go versus normal defenses.

3d6 "normal" would cost 15 points, as would
1d6 "Wild" damage.

For a +1/4 Advantage _either_ goes vs resistent defenses, a +1/2
if the STUN also goes vs resistent defenses.

You could also have 'flat' dice, doing 2,3,3,4,4,5 Stun and 1 body
per 3.5 stun.

Most handguns would be normal dice vs resistent defenses, (Stun
included).  Thus, a 6 rpd Kevlar vest would stop the body
from 4d6 (normal) Pistols, but a lot of Stun would get through.

Likewise, a Brick with 20 rpd will snicker at 8d6 Normal Assault
rifles.

However, a flame attack might be 2d6 "Wild" d6, AP, vs resistent
defenses, 30 +3/4.

An electrical attack might be Wild dice, but vs Stun only, not
resistent defenses at all.




-- 
Michael Sandy
mehawk@agora.rain.com
michaels@m2xenix.psg.com
"The above does not reflect the views of any organization."
From: loren@wmkt.wharton.upenn.edu (Loren Miller)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: RQ: illusions
Date: 8 Jan 93 00:02:14 GMT
Organization: Wharton Marketing

I have a question about the illusion magic in RQ3. To me it seems extremely 
restrictive, so much so that it is virtually (haha) useless. Even with the 
errata, come on, you need an intensity 10 spell to make a SIZ 1 illusion 
that looks solid? You need an intensity 23 spell to make a non-moving 
illusion of a normal sized solid human? How many sorcerors can cast 
intensity 23 spells? You need to have an INT of 23 at minimum, which is 2
more than the human maximum and 5 more than the rollable human maximum, and 
you need to have 23 magic points sitting around somewhere waiting for you to 
use them. This is ridiculous when a venom spell with the same power could 
kill a rune lord-priest with no trouble, and a telekinesis could get the 
caster flying about as fast as a gryphon.

What do you use as the default SIZ of visual illusions? Do you do the 
opaqueness measure or something else? I mean, hell, a darkwall is 2 magic 
points but would cost a sorceror around 40 (!) to duplicate. Is there 
anything else you change about visual and other illusions in the RQ3 magic 
system?

--
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller              LOREN@wmkt.wharton.upenn.edu
Time am I, wreaker of the world's destruction, matured, grimly
resolved here to swallow up the worlds.             -- Krishna
From: upmrj@mcl.ucsb.edu (Peter M Jazmin)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Harpoon help
Date: 7 Jan 93 21:44:49 GMT

I purchased the Harpoon RPG over the holidays and I was wondering
if there are any FTP sites for the game.

Peter Jazmin
upmrj@mcl.ucsb.edu
From: by670@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Marc-Eivind Cruz Evensen)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Killing Attacks (Hero)
Date: 13 Jan 1993 01:25:38 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


    I just came up with the example which would allow no BODY to be taken
while a noticeable amount of STUN would get through.
    When a person in hit by a gunshot while wearing a bullet-proof vest
(especially the Kevlar type), the killing power of the round is absorbed
by the vest -- effectively stopping the BODY damage of the attack. At
this same time, however, much of the kinetic energy is transferred over
a broader area. With a sufficiently powerful gun (say a .45 or shotgun),
the target will not take a real wound, but will end up with a nasty bruise
or collection of bruises -- not enough to qualify as BODY, but certainly
qualifying for STUN damage.
    If you combine this example with others from previous posts, I think you
will see that both extremes on the spectrum of Killing Attack damage can
be explained in the real world to a reasonable degree.
    As has been noted, realism is only one component of a game system, and
I believe that these examples illustrate that the HERO combat system is
sufficintly "real" while maintaining playability.
    Other specific Killing Attacks may not be as easily explained (ie electric
shock), but this is a generic system, and therefore has that inherent
weakness.

NOTE: The vest I refer to is the flexible type worn under a uniform, although
I understand that a similar situation could occur while wearing an over
jacket.

-- Marc
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: Petri.Wessman@hut.fi (Petri Wessman)
Subject: Re: Small game co. advertising
Reply-To: Petri.Wessman@hut.fi
Organization: La Gata Encantada
Date: 12 Jan 93 19:12:25

On 12 Jan 93 14:15:34 GMT, porterg@gems.vcu.edu said:

Greg> Greg Porter
Greg> BTRC
Greg> (small game company extraordinaire, producers of TimeLords,
Greg> CORPS, Macho Women, 3G^3 and a bunch of other stuff we can't
Greg> afford to buy ads for...;)

_That_ Greg Porter? Congratulations. I must say that Macho Women With
Guns (and the follow-up modules/games) had just about that most
hilarious skills I've ever seen in RPGs. I mean, "Throw Things",
"Throw Things At Other Things", "Look Good With Heavy Weaponry" (or
something like that), ad nauseum :-) Good stuff. Almost as much fun to
read as a good Paranoia module.

//Petri
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Subject: SRII:  Game in DC area?
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 20:42:05 GMT
Reply-To: gray@visix.com (Gray Jones)
Organization: Visix Software, Reston, Virginia


I am interested in joining a Shadow Run (2nd Edition) game
in the DC area.  If anybody out there (in the DC area) 
has an opening for another player, please let me know.

Also, if anyone could give me membership information on
either DC or Northern VA gaming clubs/organizations,
I'd appreciated it.

Thanks,
--gray