HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tdunn@ecst.csuchico.edu (Tim Dunn)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: help with mecha games
Keywords: mech stuff
Date: 14 Oct 92 06:48:44 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: California State University, Chico
NNTP-Posting-Host: hairball.ecst.csuchico.edu

Stuart writes:
>We are working on a game built around the cartoon style of mecha combat.

Hmmm, that's a pretty wide range of stuff.  Mecha combat exists in many
forms of animation.  US studios have done some stuff, or commissioned 
some stuff (GoBots, OrBots, Transformers) and have translated some stuff
(Voltron from GoLion, DaiRugga 15 and one other show).  I'm sure our
European counterparts have done shows as well.

Most of the "current mecha systems" either create their own form of 
reality (BattleTech, Rifts w/RoboTech, and to a degree RoboTech itself)
or are based on Japanese animation, anime for short.

Which do you mean?

>What beefs do you people have about current mecha systems?  What do
>you think is missing??  Please give us your comments!

Mecha! is missing a roleplaying system (which I'm assuming you are]
interested in, else you'd post to rec.games.board.)  I haven't played
it, so I'm not qualified to say much else about it.  A missing RPG is
*very* easy to surmount.  Just adapt one, map the character level skill
rating to a mecha level skill rating.  As for damages, if a mecha level
weapon hits a character, bye-bye character.  Character level damage is
of no effect on mecha...   See, simple.

Battletech is missing an anime feel, if that's what you're looking for.
Well, it might feel like some of the anime where the robots are walking
tanks, such as Dougram, but I've not seen Dougram, so again I'm not very
qualifed to speak.  It's also not a very "fast and furious" system, IMPO
a very deficient limitation for an anime based game.

RoboTech is 1) too genre-specific, 2) models the genre poorly, and 
3) chose a very poor genre to model.  In short, (and IMPO) what it
set out to do, it does poorly.  However, it is unsuitable to do any-
thing else because it set out to do only one thing, and the thing it
set out to do shouldn't have been done in the first place.

Mekton 2 (the 3rd edition, really =) is probably the best at mecha RPGs.
(Battletech is best at simulating walking tanks without any pretense of
being an RPG.)  It is sorely lacking in detail and flexibility, giving
the players only a very bare selection of weapons, and a very skimpy
mecha combat system.  It's first and foremost a RPG, then a mecha game.
IMPO, it's too sketchy, but a good referee can always add or subtract
details.

On that note, a good referee and group can run any of the above as
a fantastic RPG, and a poor ref *or* group can ruin any game I think
highly of, anime, mecha or not.  I generally evaluate the games out of
the box, and IMPO a good game is one that is playable out of the box,
or with a minimal amount of work.

-- 
Putt's Law:
	Technology is dominated by two types of people:
		Those who understand what they do not manage.
		Those who manage what they do not understand.
From: cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie System?
Date: 11 Oct 92 12:32:47 GMT
Organization: The PowerDrome BBS [(716)825-3614 Excelsior]
X-BBS-Software: EXCELSIOR! v0.960

I made the mistake of letting a player bring their own pre-established 
character from another Star Wars campaign....THAT will never happen again....
 
Skeksis
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu (Travis Casey)
Subject: Re: Why not NET.GURPS ST: TNG??
Summary: How about a net.project?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   
Reply-To: picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu
Organization: F.S.U. Dept of Physics
Distribution:  world
Date:  7 OCT 92 10:13:24    

In article <1992Oct7.133256.20088@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters) writes...
>In article <1992Oct7.034215.18287@ncsu.edu> jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH) writes: 
>That last remark gives me an Idea.  In the spirit of the anarchic nature of 
>the net, why not produce a (drumroll):
> 
> NET.GURPS.StarTrek(tm):The Next Generation(tm).Guide?
> 
>Just slap a disclaimer at the beginning something like:
> 
>The Net.GURPS.ST:TNG Guide
>GURPS is a Trademark of Steve Jackson Games.
>Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation are trademarks of 
>Paramount.  These trademarks are used without permission of the 
>repective companies, but do not constitute challenges to said 
>trademarks.
> 
>This is not an "Official" product, i.e. it has not been approved by
>either Steve Jackson Games or Paramount Productions, but is rather a
>fan-supported effort to provide roleplaying guidelines for adventures
>in the Star Trek universe as envisioned by Gene Roddenberry, using the
>rules of GURPS.
> 
>As much as possible, the information in this Guide has been checked against
>the information provided by publicly available sources of information
>about Star Trek:TNG, which includes the Televison Series, "approved"
>publications, etc.  Items in this guide may change as the Star Trek
>universe evolves.
> 
>Now, where to begin?
> 
>-Coyt
>(who does not have the disk space or the time to handle this daunting task!)
>(but sure wished he did!)
> 

Sounds like a good idea to me.  After all, there's half a million ST fanzines,
and Paramount hasn't bothered suing any of them, so why would they sue us?
	I'm willing to help work on such a project, but don't have time to do
it all.  Who else in NetLand is willing to join in?

Travis
picl17@fsphy1.physics.fsu.edu
"He-who-has-no-.sig"
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Subject: Re: Star Wars Second Edition
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 02:00:50 GMT

cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner) writes:

>Does anyone have any information on the changes between the first and second 
>edition?  Inquiring minds want to know....is it worth laying out the cash?  If 
>someone already has the first edition and three of the hardcovers, would it be 
>enough diffenert to merit looking into?  I am asking for a friend as I enjoy 
>the system as it is now and will stay with it.

My friends and I asked the WEG folks about this at GenCon.  I don't remember
any details, but apparently the second edition will be different enough from
the first edition to justify buying it.  I think they're revamping the
damage system and making the system in general more like that of Torg, but
I'm not sure.


                      --Steve Stelter
                        sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:6679 rec.games.frp.advocacy:2750
From: dagibbs@quantum.on.ca (David Gibbs)
Subject: Re: Doc Kromm's hi Stat vs hi Experience
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 17:01:19 GMT
Organization: Quantum Software Systems

In article <1992Oct16.001144.1@pearl.tufts.edu> dhoberma@pearl.tufts.edu writes:
>	I liked your idea too. But my question is what about where it is not
>a direct contest of skills between two people? For something like a piloting
>roll for example, based off DEX.
>	The veteran pilot with a DX of 12 and spends 2 pts to bring the m/a
>skill to 12.
>	The hotshot young pilot with a DX of 14 spends 2 pts to bring the
>m/a skill to 14 (whereas the vet would have to spend 6! more points to get
>	to the same level.)
>	Somehow I believe that a vet pilot with more experience would be
>better than a rookie pilot with only a few months flight time.
>	Any suggestions for this situation?

If the vet. pilot has more experience, then he should have spent more
points on the skill -- it looks like both the vet and the hotshot have
spent 2 points on the skill -- implying the same amount of experience,
but the hot shot started out with inherently better native talent.
He should therefor be better.  Now if they both had skills of 14, the
veteran would be better.

-David
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: fts5792@cs.tamu.edu (Frank T Sronce)
Subject: Re: RFD: GURPS disad limits
Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 03:01:57 GMT

In article <cm182s182.05im@pdrome.UUCP> cm182s182@pdrome.UUCP (Clayton Miner) writes:
>Let me put it this way...I had the misfortune of having a GURPS player over 
>one night (put the brakes on there for a sec).  the misfortune stemmed not 
>from the fact the person was a GURPS player but from the particular person.  I 
>have had the good fortune of having other GURPS players (and the occasional 
>ref) visit and they were just as much fun as anybody else.  I wearly listened 
>for about an hour how a particular referee exploited this 'disadd' and that 
>'disadd' and generally cruelly crushed his players and when asking what a 
>'disadd' was I was told that they were minuses and/or weakness.  Now maybe I 
>am just too far out of the mainstream of gaming but when something called a 
>'disadd' is explained as a minus, then I gotta wonder why isn't it called a 
>minus and what are these people hiding from if they can't refer to things as 
>minuses.  This situation got even further muddled when the person started 
>talking aboud 'disadds' to their dice rolls!  GEEZ!  :)  Isn't calling a minus 
>a 'disadd' like calling dying a terminal episode?  And if it is just a 
>terminal episode, does that mean the poor sucker who just croaked might be 
>revived in syndication????  If people are gonna start screaming about the 
>improper use of 'sexist language' in gaming, then I have the right to start 
>complaining about what I see as insane language too...
> 
>Skeksis

Weird. Perhaps your local slang/dialect of english/american is a bit different
than ours. The term "minus" is a bit meaningless to me. Far from being a 
synonym for disadvantage, the ONLY thing I've ever heard it used to refer to
around here is a penalty to a die-roll. 

Incidentally, it's supposed to be "disad" as in "disadvantage", not
"disadd" as in "dis-addition", which would be a stupid way to refer to things.

Kiz


C
C

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: davidc@cs.uwa.oz.au (David Cake)
Subject: Re: SR: Spider Totem
Organization: Dept. Computer Science, University of Western Australia.
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 08:00:29 GMT

I rather like the African spider totem - Anansi the trickster.

I think that SR totems should definately be less set than they are written.
There are two problems - from the playability point of view, you can tell
things about a shaman from their totem, losing some mystery, and from the
realism and flavour point of view, all totem characteristics conform to the 
SR basics, mostly either Amerindian or intuition based. So other interpretations
of a totem, like Spider as Anansi the trickster are lost.
 	Insect totems are a particular case in point. Some societies have 
insect spirits, and they are nothing like SR ones. For example there are
Australian Aboriginal spirits known as the Wa-tha-gun-darl, that are bull-ant
spirits. They are small, feisty, agressive warriors, but not particularly 
sinister, certainly not accused of stealing host bodies. They are a reasonable
spirit for Australian shamans to contact, but you have to rewrite the SR
rules to allow them.




-- 
David Cake		|life is easily understood as bit strings with logical
[WLM] Weird Little Man	|depth greater than their length - Rebis, Doom Patrol
Cognitive science, UWA	|..think about a government entirely of fish - JBC				
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Subject: Re: VAMPIRE: Various
Originator: jmkaraka@c00016-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jmkaraka@eos.ncsu.edu (JOHN MARTIN KARAKASH)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 20:55:44 GMT


|>Hi, I'm going to be playing Vampire soon: I've already made a character. I
|>think it will be kinda fun, but it is also sorta uncomfortable having a
|>character that subsists by drinking the blood of humans. Any veteran
|>Vampire players got any comments about this?
|>
|>Also, is there a Vampire mailing list that I could subscribe to?
|>
|>Chris Pearce -- cpearce@nemesis.acs.unt.edu
|>
	Well, sit down, this could take a spell.

	One of the MAJOR concepts of Vampire is the 'uncomfortable'
feeling most people have about snacking on their neighbors.  I don't
just mean the player, now;  I mean the character too!  Every vampire
was a human at one time.  Some go hog wild and revel in their power
over mortals.  Some experience great moral anguish over their new
existence.  The ones who cling to their humanity (a very important
Statistic in the game also) will try to get by on the blood of animals,
or by raiding blood banks, or getting willing volunteers somehow (there
are ways...).  Sometimes, though, there's no convenient cow to drink 
from (especially after a tough battle) and the character might frenzy
from thirst and drink from a human.  That's OK!  This gives you a great
chance to role-play the guilt that accompanies doing something that is,
frankly, hideous.  If the Player is uncomfortable with the idea, let
him play a vampire that prefers not to do it either.
	Eventually, any vampire that lives long enough is forced to 
subsist on human vitae (blood).  But there's a virtue in the Players'
Guide (Animal Succulence) that can be of great use.

	-john 'hope this helps' karakash-
From: kulance@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: SkyRealms of Jorune (take II)
Date: 7 Oct 92 13:56:52 CDT
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

Sorry (*^*&%(ing editor.

	My last paragraph should read:  If anyone out there is interested in
what I'm talking about, drop me a line and I'll post a review here or in
rec.games.frp.advocacy.

Later,
Pauly

r.g.f.advocacy
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Sunday, 11 Oct 1992 22:32:32 EDT
From: Society for Creative Solipsism <IK20001@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: We're gone?!?
 <1992Sep27.231733.6542@udel.edu> <1ar5gqINNb15@ub.d.umn.edu>
 <1992Oct11.013349.13053@ucsu.Colorado.EDU>

Could someone who still *has* rec.games.frp on their system
tell the people posting to it that it aliases them to .misc
on lots of other systems?  So, everything they post on their
`empty newsgroup' ends up on other newsgroups...:-)
--
Eric Alfred Burns, Lord Sabre            "Faith is a fine invention
Society for Creative Solipsism            When Gentlemen can *see* --
"It's all in your mind"                   But *Microscopes* are prudent
IK20001@maine.maine.edu                   In an Emergency."
|-}----------                                     --Emily Dickinson
From: gobeski8618@iscsvax.uni.edu (Steve 'Gobes' Gobeski)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: CHAMPS: Movement Question
Date: 12 Oct 92 16:39:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: iscsvax.1992Oct12.213957.7562
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <18052@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>, good@turing (Joe Good) writes:
> 
> 	Our gaming group has recently hit upon a question that doesn't
> seem to be clearly answered in the Champions book.  When a character
> starts out, they automatically get x2 noncombat multiples on their
> running and their swimming; if you buy teleportation, you can
> teleport twice the distance without spending any extra points.

Er, I could swear you have to buy x2 on teleport extra.  As I recall, a n-c
teleport is dealt with specifically under teleport since it is not an
immediately obvious effect (and the treatment of it, "disorientation", is, IMO,
a pretty ad-hoc & lame way of doing it...).

x2 flight, on the other hand, is free, as with running, swimming, superleap (I
think), gliding (like that's a real power), and maybe tunneling.  Any power
that says +x pts for add'l x2 n-c (or something like that) has a base x2 free,
excepting (for sure) teleport wherein it says you have to buy the x2 extra.

Please note I don't have a rulebook handy at the moment, but I'm pretty sure
that's how it works.

-- Steve 'Gobes' Gobeski // GOBESKI8618@iscsvax.uni.edu
From: "jeff zeitlin" <jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: mtrav: society design
Date: 7 Oct 92 04:50:01 EST
Reply-To: "jeff zeitlin" <jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com>
Distribution: rec
Organization: Executive Networks Information

    Subject: MegaTraveller society design question

ST::>I've been going through the MegaTraveller system for quite some time now.
  ::>Something that I find lacking, among other things, is the design
  ::>capabilities for societies/cultures.  Does anyone know of any source books
  ::>that will assist in this?  Even sources that aren't necessarily cannon to M
  ::>would be fine as long as it's somewhat applicable ... maybe one of the GURP
  ::>volumes?

  The World Builder's Handbook, from Digest Group Publications, is a
  canon source that gives you at least the basics to characterise a
  society.  Interpretation, and fleshing out the details, are up to
  you, but WBH at least provides you with fodder.

  WBH actually allows yo to expand on almost any aspect of a world,
  from plate tectonics, to tech development concentrations, to
  religious beliefs.  But, as I said above, it provides only the raw
  data; you have to interpret it.

  J/
  jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
  ==================================================================
  Anything I say in this or any communication to this or any medium
  is strictly my own non-authoritative opinion, unless otherwise
  explicitly noted.  Except for myself, or where explicitly noted
  otherwise, I do not speak for any individual or organization.
  ==================================================================

 * OLX 2.2 * Printer paper is always strongest at the perforation.
--
Executive Network Information System  (914) 667-4567
International ILink Host
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mason
Subject: Re: SR:  Spider Totem
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 10:00:12 GMT

Look at the Secrets of Power series written by Bob Charette,
especially the third book -- Find Your Own Truth.  FYOT deals
with the Spider totem, and since Charette was one of the game's
designers, the information he gives is probably legitimate.
 
Re:  your objections to the nature of insect totems.  It has
been argued that the irrational fear of insects displayed by
most people is an instincitve one.  Why?  Srun offers the
insect totems as a possible explanation.
 
And chummer, if you ain't scared by the bug totems, then you
ain't long for this world ...
 
-- mason
From: seawasp@vm2.cis.pitt.edu (Sea Wasp)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Appropriate labeling...
Date: 12 Oct 92 16:14:40 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Pittsburgh
Originator: seawasp@unixd1.cis.pitt.edu

In article <1992Oct12.154141.7846@cass.ma02.bull.com> ddavis@cass.ma02.bull.com (Dave Davis) writes:

	(about odd-sided dice deleted. Personally, I think you could make odd-
sided dice the way I used to: take a large cylinder, carve it with X number
of faces. Theoretically you could make dice with any number of sides.)

>QOTD:
>      Section 8. The Congress shall have power
>      To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the

	Now isn't it appropriate that it's section 8...?

	(For those unaware of it, a "Section 8" discharge was the term
for someone discharged from military service for reasons of insanity or
other mental disability...)


                                 Sea Wasp
                                   /^\
                                   ;;;
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: optimus@swix.ifi.unit.no
Subject: RPG magazines
Reply-To: optimus@swix.ifi.unit.no
Organization: University of Trondheim
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 09:58:46 GMT

I am trying to make a list over all RPG magizines that exist, and would like
to ask you all to help me with this. If you could fill out the form which I
have included and mail it to me I would be grateful. 
I will of course send the finnished list to the ones that ask for it and to
rec.games.frp.archieves.

Thanks!

P. H . Johansen, optimus@swix.ifi.unit.no

-------------------------------------------
Name of Magazine:
Publisher(include adress if known):
Cost of subscription:
Contents(what the magazine generaly covers):
Country:
Language:
Other(other things you find important about the magazine):
From: mcgrew@ichthous.Eng.Sun.COM (Darin McGrew)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Cost of Slaves
Date: 14 Oct 1992 17:33:15 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
NNTP-Posting-Host: ichthous

Is there a good rule of thumb for determining a reasonable price
for a slave?  (I'm using GURPS, but that shouldn't matter much.)
I'm looking for something relative to the income and/or living
expenses of a free laboror who performs the same job.  Variations
based on the age, health, attractiveness, etc. of the slave might
be important too.

For example, if a free laboror would earn $100/month, and a
slave's "living expenses" are $25/month, then a slave owner saves
$75/month by owning a slave.  Ignoring inflation, that would be a
10% annual return on a $9000 slave, a 5% annual return on an
$18000 slave, etc.  What is a reasonable "return" on the
investment of owning a slave in a low-tech culture?

(Don't you love it when players stretch your game in new
directions?)

Darin.McGrew@Eng.Sun.COM               California Prop 161 
    Soli Deo Gloria!                "Physician-assisted death"
                                          Just Vote NO!

Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (steven mancini)
Subject: SRUN: Da Minotaur has *more* Questions!!!
Summary:  Geeeeeeeeeeeee What a Surprise!!!!
Keywords: shadowrun 
Organization: The Labyrinth
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 20:38:50 GMT


1. Can a person who has a Quickening walk through a non-friendly Ward?
   How about a spell lock? (We have allowed for people to specially
   design Wards to allow spirits to pass, but it is written into the
   Warding, so basically, by non-friendly I mean those wards made up
   to keep people, spirits, etc. OUT).

2. When a character passes a skill through the infamous Web, and
   someone must resist, what type of target number do you use?
   ie A character uses his Quickness for Unarmed, what target does
     the person who is his target resist? Un-altered quickness?

3. Do you folks allow mages who have lost cyberware to install cyberware
   upto that 'lost' point for 'free' or does it cost them another magic
   point?

4. Physical Adept Killing Hands: Are you other GM's limited in the
   'danger zone' this creates? Is it *only* their hands or could a
   physical adept with this power deliver a lethal elbow smash?
   Kick to the Groin? (yeah it is lethal enough I know)  Head Butt?

5. Is anyone else bothered by the fact that the Availibility Rating
   for  Foci is a constant? Somehow I imagine that the availibility
   for these magic devices should be dependent upon their rating.

							-Minotaur

		
-- 

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
| Steve Mancini (a.k.a. The Minotaur) | mancinis@mentor.cc.purdue.edu   |
|    Grad Student {Dazed & Confused}  | mancinis@vm.cc.purdue.edu       |
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc