HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: CX6L@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CX6L)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: GURPS Skills
Date: 8 Oct 92 22:34:39 GMT
Organization: McGill University

In article <1992Oct8.141158.1428@ccsvax.sfasu.edu> z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu writes:

> Hmm, I like this. I might consider using it this weekend. The only
>problem I can think of is if there is a *big* disparity between skill levels
>because of stats. For example, leave Dr. Braniac with IQ 17, and Gambling-15.
>However, his 'opponent' is Vinnie the Clueless, IQ 9 and Gambling-12. Under
>your system, Vinnie rolls at a skill of (12+3) 15, while Dr. Braniac rolls at a
>(15-2) 13. I don't know, makes those 100 or so extra points the Doc spent on
>his IQ not worth nearly that much. The idea is good, but it just seems to have
>a problem there.

>Brandon Cope


Well, I don't know if Dr Braniac is *really* getting ripped-
off. Look at all the advantages he still has over poor Vinnie:

1. A huge Will roll, Fright Check et al.
2. Good resistance against all IQ-resisted, mind-affecting powers.
3. An excellent perception roll.
4. High defaults in a number of un-contested, useful skills.
5. High levels in the IQ-based skills he does buy, the regular
   use of which is still by-and-large unaffected by this rule,
   certain social skills being the notable exception.
6. An excellent level in his native language.
7. In worlds where magic is an issue, he meets the IQ
   prerequisites for all spells.
8. A much better chance of all his IQ-related advantages
   (Intuition, Empathy, Danger Sense, Magery...) working.
9. A much better chance of recovering from Mental Stun
   due to surprise.
10. Bonuses versus less-intelligent foes when using
    abilities like Fast-Talk, as well as a bonus to Guns
    and Gunner for having a good IQ.

...all things considered, the little edge experience
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters)
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 18:36:10 GMT

>>>Which system would you recommend to someone who had decided they wanted to
>>>try Role-Playing? The game should be suitable for whole groups of Newbies
>>>to learn on their own without the guidance of Role-Playing Gurus. 

_James Bond, 007_

If you've seen one of the films, you can play the game.  No cash worries, and
lots of nifty (i.e. Cinematic) gadgets.  Of course, some of the info is a 
little dated (i.e. all the films/info involving the KGB), but many adventures
could be run against terrorist/mad scientist/smugglers without directly 
involving any of the agencies.

-Reginald Delbert Boothroyd III, who never made "00" rank (fed to sharks)
-Coyt

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Re: Sexism in Gaming
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:53:22 GMT

ericg@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Eric Chris Garrison) writes:
>Anyone else get negative or startled reactions to playing the
>opposite or neutral sex?

	Well, about 1 in 4 of my player characters are female. These 
occaisionally get a little wierd - for example, in the Amber game I 
am currently in when I am trying to role-play being subtlely seductive. 
It's a little jarring given the amount of straight player-to-player 
interaction. I have taken to referring to my character in the 3rd 
person rather than the 1rst as I usually do - i.e. "Morgause reappears, 
wearing a tan riding skirt and white blouse." 

	However, when I GM, I definitely do tend towards having more 
male NPC's. It's a question of role-playing, mostly - I find it easier 
to role-play a male NPC than a female NPC, especially given that I have 
to switch alot between characters. Hence, when the PC's interact with a 
random person, it is likely to be male. 
	I don't think I did too bad a job of ratios, but it could easily 
be improved. The female characters that I do have are generally strong 
characters, and are just as effective and capable as the men (although 
sometimes in different ways). Actually, nearly all of my major NPC's have 
strong personalities, but as I said, minor ones are usually male. 

	As far as stereotyping - only where appropriate. My last campaign 
was a Gothic fantasy game, which would be quite difficult to stay in genre 
without some stereotyping. I will admit we regularly had a defenseless 
woman wandering into the basement, out on the moors, etc. However, this was 
a part fulfilled by a PC (played by Steve), so I'm not responsible. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "Remember: a running man may slit a thousand
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | throats in a single night."
Columbia University         |                    - Klingon proverb
From: bkoike@sdcc13.ucsd.edu (Bryce Koike)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Sexism in Gaming
Date: 7 Oct 92 15:09:31 GMT
Organization: University of California, San Diego


	(mostly reply to guys who say, "You can't do that, but *I*
can...")

	Augh.

	I guess that I'd call that sexism, but it's very irritating
no matter what you call it.  (And regardless of whether or not
you're playing a female character and/or you're female.  I recall
continuously being put down in a game and I just quit that group in
the end.)
	Most of my games tend to have a larger male ratio to female.
I suppose that I must admit that I'm "sexist" because of this.  Most
of the books that I have read are commanded by males.  The males are
often the heroes, the males are the warriors, etc, etc.  Heck, I'm
male...(guess that's a sin right there...)

	To go to a complete 50/50 rule would get a little silly,
though.  (Reading 50/50 King Arthur and His Noble Knights would be
defying the story somewhat, I think..."Since when was Lancelot a
woman?  Are you suggesting that she's a lesbian?"  [no offense
intended here])
	While I don't actively work to create non-sexist worlds, I
don't create sexist worlds either.  I don't think that my players
have ever come across the generic Damsel In Distress (although they
thought they had a few times and learned to regret it).  Random
women running around in skimy clothing (a la Piers Anthony) never
happens.  I treat the women in my worlds (NPC or PC) the same I
would the males and I've never had a problem doing things this way.
	I can't say that I know of a solution to this problem, but I
would personally bring up my offense at the block heads...

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.advocacy:2770 rec.games.design:1714
From: dfn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Nalle)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.design
Subject: A Free (condensed) RPG
Date: 11 Oct 92 06:18:56 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX

For those who've wondered about Ysgarth and To Challenge Tomorrow, and for
those who haven't wondered, but should have, I'm about to post the complete
Minirules to Y/TCT from the latest edition.

The Minirules are intended as a promotional item, and they'll be available
for free in game stores everywhere in a month or so.   The idea is to give
you all the basic mechanics and even let you set up characters and try out
some of the features without having to pay a cent.

We think the mechanics are so strong and so flexible that they will sell
themselves and you'll want to go out and buy the complete rules to fill in
the details.

Any feedback on the minirules would be appreciated.

Dave
From: CX6L@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CX6L)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Sorry for multiple posts: mailer error.
Date: 8 Oct 92 22:42:25 GMT
Organization: McGill University

Sorry for repeated and multiple partial posts: our mailer
eats wormy wombat turds. Profuse apologies to the homeland.

______________________________________________________________________
|      From the Most Holy Keyboard of:                               |
|      Dr Manfred Kromm, Reverend of the Temple of the Squid God,    |
|      Professor of Quantum Parapsychology.                          |
|____________________________________________________________________|
|           )                               "This won't hurt a bit.  |
|  |========|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO>------      Afterwards . . . you'll |
|           )                                see things MY way!"     |
|____________________________________________________________________|
From: schwarts@cps.msu.edu (Steven Eric Schwartz)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: What is the best Psionics system?
Date: 12 Oct 92 22:39:22 GMT
Reply-To: schwarts@cps.msu.edu (Steven Eric Schwartz)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Science, Michigan State University
Originator: schwarts@atlantic.cps.msu.edu

In article <1bcnimINN2fb@charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu> tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn) writes:
>
> Another FGU product, Psi World, would seem to give the most detailed
> treatment, or so I'd hope. It would be sad if a game so named did not
> adequately treat it's primary topic.

Does anyone have a copy of PsiWorld?



-- 
Steven Eric Schwartz            "It's not safe out here. It's wonderous, with
(schwarts@cps.msu.edu)           treasures to satiate desires both subtle and
125 East Wilson Hall-MSU         gross.  But it's not for the timid."
East Lansing, Michigan  48825                           - Q, "Q Who"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: jbridson@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Subject: Re: A Free (condensed) RPG
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 12:54:32 GMT

In article <81492@ut-emx.uucp>, dfn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (David Nalle) writes:
> 
> Any feedback on the minirules would be appreciated.
> 
> Dave
> 
Okay.
First of all, I would like to express my appreciation at doing something so 
thoughtful; posting min-rules was a really good idea.  I've fallen into the 
trap of buying RPG's before that sounded good from what others have said (
in no great amount of detail); turns out the game is not at all what I 
expected, and I'm very disappointed.  I hope you're setting a precedent for 
other gaming companies!

Now, as to feedback on the rules:  to be honest, I think they're too 
complex for me.  There are seem to be so many formulae to remember, with a 
fair bit of arithmetic involved...  If I were you, I would really 
concentrate on the optional "novice" rules; make sure they are streamlined, 
simpler, with less formulae, and elegant.  I'm not so concerned with 
realism in RPG's - that's what GM's with common sense are for - but I am 
with conerned with speed of mechanics, and the possibilities for doing
*anything*.  So go ahead and sacrafice the finer poitns of realism, take 
out some factors; make the novice rules nice, fast, easy to learn, and 
flexible.

Of course, I represent only one style of RPGing.
 
 --- Robert Bridson  (using the account of JBRIDSON)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 16:40:29 GMT

sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan) writes:
>>Which system would you recommend to someone who had decided they wanted to
>>try Role-Playing? The game should be suitable for whole groups of Newbies
>>to learn on their own without the guidance of Role-Playing Gurus. 
>
>If you have an experienced GM, I recommend GURPS.  With an experienced
>GM, GURPS can be learned as quickly as the simplest system out there,
>because, from the player's point of view, there are very few mechanics
>(if he has a premade character).  The GM needs to be well-versed in the
>game, however, and make all the characters for the first game. 

	This is obviously an advocacy point, and probably liable to get me 
flamed, but I would say that there is nothing about GURPS which makes it 
any better for introducing newbies than a host of other games, and many 
things which make it worse. 

	Character design is quite complicated, and unsuitable for 
beginners. There are a large number of combat options which may confuse 
and slow down beginners. Magic, I found, is troublesome due to the large 
number of spells which typical mages know and must choose between. 

	I have introduced a number of people to Champions, who all caught 
on quite quickly once it was explained how their powers worked. I don't 
think this means that it is any more qualified than most other games for 
introducing players to the field. Certainly there are also many games which 
are worse than Champs or GURPS for introducing new players - but I don't 
think that either of them is even above average. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "Remember, a running man may slit a thousand
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | throats in a single night."
Columbia University         |                    - Klingon proverb
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: WereVamp->Ars?
Date: 8 Oct 92 00:30:24 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

Awww...  Tunnels and Trolls is FUN...a lot more fun if you are comparing to an 
evening in the local proctologist's office... ;)
 
Skeksis
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: mwasson@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Michael Wasson)
Subject: Re: Anti-RPG programme
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:16:38 GMT

>>	I've been away for 3 months so I'd like to catch up on some news.  A month or so before my summer holidays the rec.games.frp was abuzz over a US programme which blamed roleplaying for the death of this person (can't remember the title of the programme t
>hough, think it was FATAL something or other, not sure though) and the usual negative stuff.
[...]
>Yes... I remember what it was about, anyway.  A (religious) talk show,
>The 700 Club, ran the program you seem to remember.  It featured
>several "born-again" former gamers who essentially condemned the game
>for supposed "Satanic" influences.  Of course, the reliability of
>anything on Robertson's show is very low...
>
>I don't believe anything, other than a form letter from CBN, ever came
>out of it.

They do this every few years or so, then they move on to heavy metal,
murphy brown, & the democratic party [whups... almost typed 'demoncratic'
heh heh] 

TriTac's _geriatric wars_ had a disclaimer, which paraphrased
went something like:
We did not intend for this game to be offensive to anyone. Rather, we
meant for it to be thought-provoking. ;-) But if anyone is offended
by this game they should feel free to purchase as many copies as they 
wish, and burn them.

Apropos, I think.


______________________________________________________________________
Mike Wasson  ---  U.Hawai'i, Manoa  --- Fat Messiah Games
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"It was one of those movies in which a computer takes over the world
and you jolly well wish it would -- anything's better than the people"
 							Joanna Russ
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: wildcard@nevada.edu ( WildCard !!)
Subject: Re: Thanks Loyd!
Organization: Shadowland BBS, GURPS division
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 17:23:00 GMT

In article <Bw0sCM.M8p@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> tbarnes@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (thomas wrentmore barnes) writes:
>In article <loydb.09bq@fnordbox.UUCP> loydb@fnordbox.UUCP (Loyd Blankenship) writes:
>>cpearce@nemesis.acs.unt.edu (Chris Pearce) writes:
>>> Thanks Loyd for a great sourcebook!
>I concur. Also thanks to Steffan O'Sullivan for doing a really good job
>on GURPS Swashbucklers. It's a fun book. 

This is probably not "Loyd's" but my personal fave GURPS book is the
Camelot book (complete with cinematic/classical/ and historical Arthur et al)

Just babbling...

                                   - WildCard !!

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+  "It's the old story- you start off chasing the Age of Aquarius, you wind   +
+   up settling for the milk of magnesia." - C. Adams _More_of_t.S.D._        +
+-----------------------     wildcard@redrock.nevada.edu  --------------------+



Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: stv@unislc.uucp (Steve Spencer)
Subject: Re: Sexism in Gaming
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 16:01:58 GMT

: 
: True, though, I wish I could play with more females.  The ones I have
: played with have been among the best roleplayers I've known.  And I've
: met a number of good roleplayers.
: 
: Leif Kj|nn|y
: leifmk@lise.unit.no

You know, I wish we could all say this. Sadly enough, in the 12 years
I have been roleplaying, I have never had even a single female in any
of the games (Sure, I've played female characters, and I've had female
NPC's, but never a female player or GM). I really would be curious to 
see how the roleplaying styles vary. So keep me in mind if anyone gets
a PBEM started with a female in it.
       _____  _____  _____         _____
      (_____    |    |____  \   /  |____           |\__/\    | | |
      ______)   |    |____   \_/   |____        <___/@ ) \    \|/
						 !!!!!\  /     X
				           ________|  | |______|_
			 	          (\_____!!!!!// ______\_) 
                                                 \____/  /     |
						 __|_|  |      |
					       ((_______|      |
From: trip@cco.caltech.edu (Trip)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: (Hero) What is the best Psionics system?
Date: 14 Oct 1992 01:00:12 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: punisher.caltech.edu

tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn) writes:

>I'd rather there be a system that is conducive to the referee being able
>to maintain some mystery and some wierdness to the game.  It's difficult
>to scare players playing in a brightly-lit room, and it's difficult to 
>scare players playing with a well-structured rules system.

This is only true if the players see all the 'character sheets' and the
GM describes everything in mechanics terms. A little bit of imaginative
description can do wonders for hiding the mechanics.

>See, I know and understand full and well how to do psi's in Hero for
>any game and genre.  I just would rather have more mystery to the 
>character and his/her abilities, that's all.  

You're not going to have mystery about character abilities in any game
where the players have access to the character sheets. So don't give it
to them. Let the GM do the write-up of the powers (which may or may not
be done according to the letter of the book), taking into account the
things the character has done in hir background. This should accomplish
what you want quite nicely.

Trip				|   Never be the first to believe
President, ECNG			|   Never be the last to deceive
(trip@cobalt.cco.caltech.edu)	|   Nobody's on nobody's side
				|			-_Chess_
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: twilight 2000
Date: 15 Oct 92 06:37:00 GMT
Organization: Chalmers Tekniska Lekskola, G|teborg, G|taland

In article <1992Oct14.200829.11382@news.Hawaii.Edu> mwasson@uhunix.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Michael Wasson) writes:
>If you're playing 2d ed. and still find it too slow, all I can suggest is:
>1. switch systems. Perhaps import the T:2000 background to GURPS.

  Eh? Is that supposed to make it faster? :)

>2. modify T:2000 (you *are* the GM :-) ... change automatic weapons fire to
>   a 50% rule or something

  Autofire is the fastest part of the system, just roll a load of d6's.
Concussion and fragments from a large round on many opponent at different
distances on the other hand is a pain. The solution for the latter is probably
to have the NPC's use real-world movement formations that minimizes the number
hit, because they're so spread out.

>Mike Wasson  ---  U.Hawai'i, Manoa  --- Fat Messiah Games

-bertil-
--
"It can be shown that for any nutty theory, beyond-the-fringe political view or
 strange religion there exists a proponent on the Net. The proof is left as an
 exercise for your kill-file."
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: TUK865@maccvm.corp.mot.com (Stephen Gill)
Subject: Re: Thanks Loyd!
Organization: Motorola
Date: 16 Oct 1992 07:22:15 CDT

thread heavily deleted ...
>>perhaps gurps CYBERWORLD will change this but i don't think i will go back
>>to gurps. i much prefer the eligence of the CP2020 system.

>Hmn.  While I play CP2020, I wouldn't call it elegent.  The
>combat system is STILL messed up (in fact my friends have forced me
>to switch back to ed 1 combat rules because the new ones don't work
>for them...) -- and this is back since the Mekton II days [and
>earlier?  Dunno].  No one has managed to design a set of netrunning
>rules that I like (or that I can actually use in my games without
>boring everyone else to death).  Not a CP2020 problem, but a general
>CP RPG problem...

As a quickie fix to the RTal combat system I changed the target numbers
to use ease factors as in James Bond 007, multiplying the skill total
by a variable number (modified by likelihood of success, base is 5).
This has led to a simple and qick combat system. Recently I've added the
penetration factor system suggested in Challenge 53 (I think) which has
led to very realistic combat and players who are SCARED of guns.

On the netrunning side I personally leave it to a few skill rolls as
IMHO spending too much time with the netrunning can grind the whole
session to a halt as everyone else gets left out.

Steve