HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Killing rolemaster pc's
Date: 7 Sep 92 09:22:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <Marijan_Madunic.048h@panam.wimsey.bc.ca>, Marijan_Madunic@panam.wimsey.bc.ca (Marijan Madunic) writes...
>I have a problem (guilty complex) about killing pc's. After all they do
>spend a couple of hours creating these pc's. Can anybody help me in getting
>over this problem.
> 
>Marijan Madunic
> 
>-- Via DLG Pro v0.992

Sorry, but I have the same problem no matter how much or how little time is
spent creating a character.  I game for the story telling and the fun of it,
not for a body count and in my opinion, humble or otherwise, if things have
gotten to the point that players are dropping like flies, then I have made a
mistake somewhere...

Skeksis - Let me get this straight.  I'm driving a 91 Geo and he's driving a 93
Vette and you want me to drag?  What are you, some kind of optimist?
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: spzkny@lims02.lerc.nasa.gov (JAMES ZAKANY)
Subject: Re: test
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date:  8 Sep 1992 08:12 EST  

In article <Bu2pnz.AEx@acsu.buffalo.edu>,
 lnorton@acsu.buffalo.edu (Louis Norton) writes...

>In article <67654@hydra.gatech.EDU>,
 gt7219a@prism.gatech.EDU (Christopher Michael Lawyer) writes:

>>Good Golly!  Who would have thought my .sig would start a thread....
>>
>>the manatee
> 
>	Yeah, but it was my test!!!

Yeah, but *I* was the silly nincompoop that REPLIED to your test!
So there!!! (and to the .sig, if you'll remember) 
                                                  James S. Zakany
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: Melee rounds
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 15:10:17 GMT

v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!) writes:

>Regarding the subject of length of melee rounds, I have always found a time of
>5 seconds to be satisfactory to me.  Not too much happening so that players and
>myself lose track of what is going on, not so short we can't get a little
>cinemagraphic detail into the proceedings.  This is of course a biased view,
>but then aren't all views biased in one way or another?

I prefer the round from Ars Magica myself. 

" The unit of time in combat systems is called a Round. A combat Round is
usually about six seconds, but it can be up to 12 seconds if the action
is very slow (as in a methodical duel) or as short as three seconds if the
action is extremely fast (desperate Grogs trying to break through
enemy ranks. ) When in doubt, figure that a Round is enough time for each
character to perform one quick action, such as an attempt to connect with
a sword or dash to another part of the battle - enough time to do     
something interesting. "

Axly
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Real Sci-Fi Games
Date: 12 Sep 92 07:41:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <BuFC47.1q0@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v057qkmm@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (BABBLING SAGE) writes...
>In article <BuF9Dp.7x6@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes...
>> 
>>>v057qkmm@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (BABBLING SAGE) writes:
>> 
>> 
>>>      Eridani: Warriors dedicated to the perfection of the Self.
>>       ^^^^^^^
>> 
>>       Gee, sound familiar to anyone else?
>> 
>> 
>>Axly
> 
>	Yeah, it's a part of a name of a star system. So?
> 
>Bluerazor
> 
Sounds a LOT like the DragonCrests to me....

Skeksis
From: swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Real Sci-Fi Games
Date: 14 Sep 1992 03:19:34 GMT
Organization: Rice University

In article <1992Sep14.001710@cs.man.ac.uk> peterw@cs.man.ac.uk (Peter Wake) writes:
>In article <BuHyoD.4nG@rice.edu>, swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim) writes:
>>Orion pirates appear in "Journey to Babel." FASA considers them something
>>like hedonistic thieves. 
>
>The Orions are described in 'detail' in the Star Fleet Battles rules.
>SFB is a licensed Star Trek game, but nothing to do with FASA.

  On the other hand, "Star Trek, The Role Playing Game" was put out by
FASA, and included a sourcebook for people who wanted to play Orions.
I use the past tense, because they got their licence to the setting
yanked last year by Paramount.
-- 
Mike Swaim            | Canada will become the next world power
swaim@owlnet.rice.edu | and they will work to ENSLAVE all the nations
Disclamer: I lie      | of your planet. -Ricardo
Cthulhu in '92! The stars are right!
From: sahlberg@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Mauri Sahlberg)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Killing rolemaster pc's
Date: 8 Sep 92 12:24:40 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki

In <1992Sep8.111023.1@sara.cc.utu.fi> juklehto@sara.cc.utu.fi writes:

>article <7=rnd_q.akuma@netcom.com>, akuma@netcom.com (Steven E Barnes) writes:
>> rolled an 00 on the tiny-animal crit and killed him outright 
>> (this wasn't even taking the 100 foot fall into account).
>> 
>> The solution our GMs use is fate points (spend a fate point to
>> survive a lethal wound).

Or just suggest your GM not to create such situations. (Squirrels are not
very aggressive animals and certainly won't attack human size targets.)

>> -steve
>     I have a bit different problem. Couple of PC's are level 15 - 20.
>They cannot be hit even by two open-ended in a row and when hit they
>have almost automatic lifekeeping/lifegiving. I wasn't GM when they 
>became such and now when I am GM I cannot throw in anything heavy
>enough to blast them. (God could blast them but that wouldn't be
>very reasonable either.)

No problem, strip them for magic items and weapons. Get them separated
and have them face real dangers such as Dragons, Balrogs, Black Reavers,
Beyond pale demons etc.
When our characters got to levels 26 and above, our game master did
that. We faced Sauron, who just got every scrap of item we had and
dumped us few thousand years backwards in time to create us some real
challenges. 

>Lehtonen JV
>juklehto@sara.cc.utu.fi


-- 
Internet: sahlberg@cc.Helsinki.fi	| "Unlike some politicans, we, the
          mos@error.nullnet.fi		|  noble crew of error.nullnet deliver
					|  what we promise. You'll get at 
+358 (9)0 5668944,error 24H,v22bis MNP5 |  least one error" -Mad Hatter, 1992
From: acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Arthur C. Adams)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Supplements for Multiple Systems
Date: 11 Sep 92 21:53:49 GMT
Organization: The Great Beyond

A poster in r.a.f.dnd made the statement that he would have
preferred GURPS Dark Sun to AD&D Dark Sun.

This made me think of a dream of mine.

Wouldn't it be great if, some day, role-playing supplements
were released with stats for _all_ of the appropriate systems?

For instance, TSR comes out with a module. It would be "written"
for AD&D. But, there would be a an order form included in the package.
For, say, five dollars, you could order a booklet listing the
stats for GURPS or Fantasy Hero. 

I do know this went on, for a while, in some genres. For a while,
espionage modules included stats for Mercenaries, Spies and Priavte 
Eyes, as well as for Danger: International (and a couple of
others.) One super-hero system did the same, but I can't
remember which one. :-(

I know system conversion rules are included in some
nulti-genre systems. But, these rules, IMHO, aren't very
useful, and require a lot of work on the part of the GM. 
If I wanted to have to come up with that many stats, I'd have
written my own adventure in the first place.

After all, imagine what the software industry would be if each
manufacturer released their code for only one platform. You
would only be able to get Microsoft Word for the PC, for 
instance. Wouldn't be anywhere near the industry it is today,
would it?

Yeah, I know it would mean a loss of sales in system rulebooks.
But, supplement sales might well boom. Dark Sun, to go back to
the original example, is a great setting, IMHO. But, how many
people aren't buying it because the hate AD&D the system?

Yeah, it may be a dream. But, hey, every great thing starts
out as a dream, doesn't it?
-- 
The world is not analog. The world is digital,
with an incredible number of bits.
Arthur C. Adams (not the comic-book artist)                        <fnord>
E-Mail acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: bcd@fang.att.com (Brendan Dwyer)
Subject: Re: Why TW2000 eats wormy dog turds.
Organization: AT&T Tax Systems Development, Maitland FL
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 1992 02:37:03 GMT


I know it probably sounds like I'm whining, but I getting tired of laying
out hard earned green backs for product which is lacking due to the most
basic quality control.  Here's another example from TW2000(2nd edition);  
If you compare the the weapon cards, pages 94 - 117, against the weapons
charts, pages 254 - 257, against the computer game of TW2000 which is based
on the second edition rules you find the following.

Weapon Damage:

              pgs. 94-117      pgs. 254-257    TW2000 Computer Game
.44 Magnum         3                2                 NA
M1911              2                1                 NA
Sterling           2                1                 NA
Uzi                2                1                  1
M117               3                2                 NA
MP5                2                1                  1
M12                1                2                  2
G11                3                2                  2
M16A2              3                2                  2
AK74               3                2                  2
L85                3                2                  2
FA-MAS             3                2                  2
All Shotguns       4/9              5/9               5/9
RPK74              2                3                  2


And I didn't even get into the discrepancies of recoil and range.
C'mon guys (and ladies) this is a lot more than just a couple of typos,
this is shoddy workmanship.  I think we have to start holding these game
companies responsible for some of the crap they turn out.  This is not 
an inexpensive hobby.  Am I the only one this bothers?  I will now climb off
my soapbox.  Thanks for putting up with my ranting and raving.

Brendan Dwyer




Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.advocacy:2281 rec.games.frp.misc:5516
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Reichstar (sp?)
From: The Computer.... <MABBC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Date: Monday, 14 Sep 1992 15:02:46 EDT
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center


Hello everyone,

    Does anyone know anything about this game or Werewolf, which is
put out by White Wolf...  I heard a little about Reichstar but nothing
that makes me want to invest money in it.  Can I hear some input on
this please....

Thanks in advance...

*======================================================================*
*   Remember this:                                                     *
*          Live Fast,                                                  *
*          Die young,                                                  *
*          But take as much company with you as possible.....          *
*======================================================================*
*      ===>  It's a Brooklyn Thing, you wouldn't understand  <====     *
*======================================================================*
* Mabbc@Cunyvm.Bitnet      <== Bitnet                                  *
* Mabbc@Cunyvm.Cuny.Edu    <== Internet                                *
*======================================================================*
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Real Sci-Fi Games
Date: 10 Sep 92 10:18:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

I am not after your 50 bucks, but I am after your opinion.  The term COOLESt
races does not impress me so much as do your observations regarding the combat
system for Battlelords.  How does it compare, in your opinion, to Living Steel?

Skeksis
From: peterw@cs.man.ac.uk (Peter Wake)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Real Sci-Fi Games
Date: 13 Sep 92 23:17:10 GMT
Organization: Dept Computer Science, University of Manchester, U.K.

In article <BuHyoD.4nG@rice.edu>, swaim@owlnet.rice.edu (Michael Parks Swaim) writes:
>In article <BuHqCw.G72@acsu.buffalo.edu> v057qkmm@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (BABBLING SAGE) writes:
>>	No. Star trek had Green Orion Women.
>There was a green orion slave womaN in "The Cage."
>Orion pirates appear in "Journey to Babel." FASA considers them something
>like hedonistic thieves. 

The Orions are described in 'detail' in the Star Fleet Battles rules.
SFB is a licensed Star Trek game, but nothing to do with FASA.
--
Peter Wake
Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.advocacy:2163 rec.games.frp:25123 rec.games.frp.misc:5260
From: Patrick_Andrew_Barnes@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy,rec.games.frp,rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Let's talk REAL sci-Fi systems
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 04:41:58 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

"Ok, I'm going to compare Battlelords to those OTHER so-called Sci-fi game
systems out there." ---  You've already blown your objectivity before you
even started your comparison.  As far as your $50 bet, since it is entirely
based upon your opinions and you stand to lose fifty bucks if you admit that
another game is better than Battlelords, it is obvious to me and probably to
anyone else with half a brain that your contest is rigged and nobody can
possibly win.  Why don't you try finding some third party who has no vested
interest in the outcome and let him or her judge which is the best game?  I
don't know about any other readers of this group, but personally seeing a
littany of characters whose fates are listed as "killed by own party" and 
seeing the poster was a playtester does not influence me in favor of this
game.  I left the "You jerk, I wanted that magic sword.  My character kills
your character." style of gameplay behind in my Jr High School D&D games.
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: quirk@pioneer.unm.edu (Gym Z. Quirk)
Subject: Re: Btech and Shadowrun, the newsgroups
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 00:20:16 GMT
Organization: Nit-Pickers for a Better Tomorow Afternoon

In article <1992Sep9.124910.17134@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> cwatters@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Coyt D Watters) writes:
>Folks,
>
>[snip!]
>Btech normally goes over in rec.games.board (admittedly it is also unsuited
>for that group).  There is discussion in news.groups hashing out the logistics
>of creating a newsgroup dedicated to strategic games (of which Btech is part).

Actually, the discussion has turned to 'abstract' games of which BTech
is definitely *not* a member...

>If you wish to take part in these discussions, check news.groups and join the 
>fun and random flamage.

Especially the 10-group cross-posted racist flame-bait. :-P

>-Coyt (who would HATE to have to change the FAQ a lot real soon.)  B^)

-- 
Capt. Gym Z. Quirk  (Known to some as Taki Kogoma)  quirk@pioneer.unm.edu
 I'll get a life when someone demonstrates that it would be superior to
                          what I have now...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
From: gsl2598@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Subject: Re: Info on Cthulhu wanted
Reply-To: gsl2598@Msu.oscs.montana.edu
Organization: Montana State University
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 21:34:57 GMT

>	Hi. I'd like to know a bit more about Chaosium's 'Call of Cthulhu',
>i.e. what sort of game mechanics are used and a brief desc. of what sort of
>storyline / adventure plots that players get into. I have played AD&D before
>(1st and 2nd ed.) but no other system. What are the differences in stats etc?

Ooooh, goodie...
I get to post something helpful....

First: Call of Cthulhu is a game set in the 1920's (w/rules for
1890's and 1990's) based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft.  If you
have never read any of his storries, check one out.  The Cthuhlu
Mythos is a ficticious(?) bunch of alian beings, elder gods, and
ancient ones, of which Cthuhlu has the most influence on humans.
They are immensely powerful, and now it seems they are taking more
interest in humanity....
Call of Cthulhu is more of a role-playing than combat based game.
CoC combat is often fatal.  Investigators usually are wound into a
mystery in some way, and as they go along, they begin to encounter
the supernatural, or something connected to it.  As this happens,
the investigators' sanity slowly slips away, leading to the eventual
NPCizing of the once sane lunatic.
Tip: don't get too attatched to characters, as they are often chomped
whole by the monster at the climax of the scenario.
CoC runs on a system of characteristics like AD&D (STR, DEX, etc...)
However, it has a skill system which is percentile.  (Investigators
try to roll % dice above their zoology skill in order to identify
the badly mangled animal corpse in the sacrificial chamber of
the mysterious cult they are spying on.)
CoC does not use levels as an experience system, rather, each time
you use a skill you have a chance to improve, and the better you are,
the harder it gets to improve.
The most unique stat in CoC is Sanity Points.  If an investigator
sees a Dark Young of Shug Niggurath, he rolls %d against his current
Sanity Points.  If he rolls above this his sanity is reduced by a lot
(I think 1d10 or something.)  If he rolls under this, he can stand
the sight and only loses a little.  If an investigator sees a lot of
horriffic things in a short time period, he may go insane.  This can
be temporary, indefinate, or perminant.  The list of insanity
effects is interesting, too.
The best part of CoC is that there are few rules, it is easy to learn,
and it is more of an imagination game than a rules-look-up-kill game.
the highlight of the game is not defeating great numbers of enemies,
but often it is the relief you feel when you find out that those strange
noises were a branch on the window and not the monstrositythat you
immagined.

I suggest it whole-heartedly.

Leprican~~~
From: v054nn84@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Foto...Taking pictures again, and Happy for it!)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Let's talk REAL sci-Fi systems
Date: 15 Sep 92 12:26:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

In article <15121@mindlink.bc.ca>, Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow) writes

>Hmmm, the manual doesn't cover broadswords (not a typical item in 2150 AD),

THIS IS NOT A FLAME....

Nick,

   What happenes when a less technologically advanced culture is encountered 
in Legacy then?  I have always found the occasional 'first contact' game to be
a *very* interesting gaming experience for everyone involved.  Also, gotta
admit, swords don't run out of ammo.. ;)

Skeksis - Check out The Forever War...interesting use of swords in that one
From: mmadsen@bonnie.ics.uci.edu (Matt Madsen)
Subject: Re: Time and judgement
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Reply-To: mmadsen@ics.uci.edu (Matt Madsen)
Organization: Univ. of Calif., Irvine, Info. & Computer Sci. Dept.
Date: 6 Sep 92 00:54:22 GMT

I think the real "cure" for this time problem is to use a "one-second" (or
similar) system like GURPS with a few simple additions -- rules to make
circling an opponent, catching a breather, etc. legitimate and important
actions.

The reason you need a "high-resolution" system (e.g. detail down to one second
increments) is that sometimes it's very, very necessary.  If you want to
handle a psycho with a knife stabbing ten people in a matter of seconds
(_not_ difficult to do!) that kind of resolution is necessary.  Likewise for
someone firing an assault rifle or point-sparring, etc.  Real fighting can
be very, very fast.

Of course, while fighting _can_ be very fast, it _isn't_ always.  This is
the main complaint against GURPS.  The answer is _not_ to increase the
duration of a round to ten seconds (or whatever value) and say "oh, they
circled each other, parried once or twice, then scored an 'effective hit'."
That removes the possibility of quick combat.  What we need are some simple
rule-additions to make GURPS more realistic.  Characters need incentives
to take a breather, circle each other looking for openings, duck behind
cover for intervals of more than one second, break off attacks to regain
their bearings, take in the scene around them, and so on.  That's what
is needed.

Matt Madsen
mmadsen@ics.uci.edu

P.S. The "GM-call" isn't such a bad method considering it's simplicity --
     it's very efficient ("OK, as long as this is a duel, let's say you
     circle for...oh, ten seconds..."), but having "brakes" to slow things
     down built in to the rules is not good.
From: slp66@cc.usu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Time mechanics, healing and aiming
Date: 5 Sep 92 09:43:50 MDT
Organization: Utah State University

OK, this is a tangent off the Time Mechanics arguement, but I mention it
because it is dealing with the realism issue.  Let's say you are getting healed
after a AD&D fight.  You've taken, oh, 20 hit points.  Your Cleric walks up and
heals 19 of them.  You know, when you wake up tomorrow, the one  hit point is
healed by sleep.  Fine.  I think that's ok.  

Now, GURPS.  You are in a fire fight.  (TL7) You get hit with, say, an M-16,
that does 2 points to you (after getting through your armor).  Your medic walks
up to you and does first aid.  After 5 minutes, the medic rolls a 6 sided dice
and hey, you get 2 points back...your healed.  Now, how did that happen.  You
were shot and wounded.  THen, 5 minutes later....your are healed.  THis wound
should take at least a week to heal, maybe longer.  There just isn't any
realism.  

Ok, now, why do I think that AD&D is more realistic?  Well, it centers around
the one minute round.  You can still move and fight.  If you get hit on, say
the 20 second mark, you've still 40 seconds to adjust (you know, scream, whine,
moan, complain, die, etc).  As somebody in this thread has pointed out, not so
in GURPS.  Every second you can get hit and not notice it.  Let's say I'm
playing GURPS.  (TL7) I'm aiming my gun at a target say, 200 yards away.  The
round before I shoot, I get shot.  Let's say I've got good armor and the bullet
does no damage.  Does the impact of a piece of metal traveling at 2000 feet per
second and impacting me with 800 foot pounds of force even affect my aim? 
Nope.  Thats just not real.

Matt
-- 

       **********************************************************
       ******          Stranger In A Strange Land          ******
       **********************************************************
From: leifmk@Lise.Unit.NO (Leif Magnar Kj|nn|y)
Subject: Re: Time mechanics
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 17:23:17 GMT


 

 > And I've NEVER seen any fiight/gunfight, real or from a moview, which
 > lasted less than 10 seconds. Except when the opponent is down in one shot.
 > 
 
How many real gunfights have you seen?

 > --
 > /---------------------------\
 > | Patrick "Paradak" Rannou. |
 > | Rannou@info.polymtl.ca    |
 > \---------------------------/
 >