HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mallory@ee.rochester.edu (Derek Mallory)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Gangsters Question
Date: 24 Jul 92 17:42:12 GMT
Organization: Univ of Rochester, College of Engineering and Applied Science

In article <1992Jul23.175601.1312@cpqhou.compaq.com> danm@cpqhou.compaq.com (Dan Mazina) writes:
>Just bought the new AH game Gangsters and had a question that was unclear.
>In the rules on shootouts, it states that a joint has two joint guards per
>every level of the joint. It also states that the joint guards can absorb
>one hit for each level. However, in the example following the rules, they
>don't have the joint guards absorbing any hits at all but have the racketeers
>taking the damage. Is this just an oversight or am I reading the rules
>wrong?
>
>It seems like with a level one joint, an invading gangster must do at least
>2 hits in the shootout to reduce the joint to unowned status. If only one
>hit was done then nothing happens. For a level two joint, it takes 3 hits
>to reduce it to a level 1 joint. Does this make sense?


The guards in the joints each carry two guns!  But take only one hit to kill.
The deal is though that if they kill you any hits are ignored.  Your attacking
Thug or Racketeer has to survive.  If you have other peices in the joint
you can at your option take hits on them instead of the guards (and vice
versa).  Your other peices get to shoot as well.  It is a good idea to buy
level two joints in vicious games.  They survive one "bust" by the cops and
the opposition doesn't ususally feel like taking two hits on average to
knock over a joint.  The heaters option for thugs is great though since
they become fearsome Racketeer slayers.

Derek Mallory   mallory@ee.rochester.edu

.
From: u8901744@cs.uow.edu.au (Daniel Robert Farnan)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH - Munchkinism
Date: 23 Jul 92 00:54:02 GMT
Organization: Dept of Computer Science, Wollongong University, Australia

orac@chinet.chi.il.us (Paul Giovacchini) writes:


>	Ops, forgot to mention...

> The Behemoth.  This is a damn cool looking 'Mech.  Stats are also great
> ( rememinds me of a Marauder II variant I made a while ago... ).  But,
> take another look at the stats..  2 Gauss Rifles, 2 LP lasers, and a
> Small Pulse laser.  Look at the pic, then look at the stats, and what
> do you see???  The stats say the LP lasers are in the arms.  The Gauss
> rifles are in the torsos, and the small pulse laser in the Head...  Look
> at the pic again...  You tell me how a small pulse laser looks larger
> than a large pulse laser????????  I know pulse lasers are big, but damn!!! :-)

>	Thus it will be, until they are dust and memories, and beyond
> that time until the end of all that is....

>	Star Commander Paul  
>        279th Battle Cluster, Trinary Second, Charlie Third Star


	Actually, I prefer to think that the second Gauss Rifle wasn't
	included in the picture. It makes me feel a little better :)


--------------------------------------------------------  PPPP    BBBB    IIII
Daniel Farnan,	InterNet: u8901744@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au   PP  PP  BB BB    II
Wollongong Uni						  PP  PP  BB BB    II
							  PPPP    BBBB     II
"Clearing minefields is a dangerous job, so it is	  PP	  BB BB    II
given to the infantry." _The BattleTech Compendium_, p61  PP	  BB BB    II
--------------------------------------------------------  PP      BBBB    IIII
From: gt7994a@prism.gatech.EDU (ORMOND,SEAN PATRICK)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: SFB: Star Fleet Battles info request
Date: 28 Jul 92 16:37:21 GMT
Article-I.D.: hydra.64518
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


	Many years ago I was part of a group of serious SFB players.  We
used miniatures almost exclusively and played on a ping-pong table we had
painted black.  I think our gaming "magnum opus" was a campaign that we 
played for 26 hours non-stop...the good ol' days! :-)  Eventually, reality
intruded and I haven't played in ages.  Wanting to get back into it, I went
to the local gaming store and was overwhelmed by the number of manuals, 
supplements, annexes, etc.!  
	I was wondering if anyone could post or mail some info on the 
products currently available for SFB or the products that you feel are 
necessary for a good game. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...reality
has been getting rather dull lately! :-)

Sean

-- 
Sean P. Ormond
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp:	  ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt7994a
Internet: gt7994a@prism.gatech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: mathers@sibelius.trl.oz.au (Steven Mathers)
Subject: SUMMARY OF ANCIENT MILITARY REFERENCES
Reply-To: s.mathers@trl.oz.au
Organization: Telecom Research Labs, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 02:25:20 GMT


"Greece andRome at War" Peter Connolly, MacDonald, 1981.
"The Origins of War" Arther Ferrill, Thames and Hudson, 1986.

A really good place to start is with the Osprey series of 
monographs on military history.  Each is about 40p. long,
with b/w and color illustrations, and covers a particular
culture and/or period.  The series has over 200 such in
print, and though most of these are A.D., there are a good
number covering earlier periods.  They can be ordered, but some
very large bookshops will carry them.  

The Wargames Research Group (WRG) army list books, 3 of them,
are quite educational as regards composition and organization,
but there are no pictures and no bibliography.

Other books:
	Yadin, Y., 1963, The art of warfare in biblical lands
	 in the light of archaeological discovery
	Humble, R., 1980, Warfare in the ancient world

The titles of Caesar's books are "The Gallic War" (Romans vs. 
Gauls) and "The Civil War" (Romans vs. Romans).  Another
first-hand account worth checking is Thucydides' "The
Peloponnesian War" (Athens vs. Sparta).  Also see
Xenophon's work variouslt titled "The Anabasis" or
"The Persian Expedition".

_The Ancient Art of War_ by Sun Tzu

You can start on reading about andcient warfare by reading the ancient
authors. Thucydides, Arrian, Julius Ceasar, etc.  are all in Penguin
Classics and suchlike volumes and usually can be bought very cheaply at
used bookstores.  Delbrueck's (can't do an umlaut in ascii, so far as I
know), big series of large gray paperbacks on the history of warfare were
just recently republished and included a couple of titles on ancient
warfare.  Reaching for books on my nearest bookshelf, Alexander the Great
and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army by Donald W. Engels is a good
one for any considering campaigning.  Also the Grand Strategy of the Roman
Empire but Edward N. Luttwak.  Maurice's Strategikon, translated by George
T. Dennis, University of Pennsylvania Press is one of my favorites on the
nuts and bolts of ancient warfare, a manual for Byzantine commanders.
I really like an old coffe table book I have called Greece and Rome at War,
don't remmeber the author.

William H. McNeills _The Rise Of The West_
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Subject: BTECH: The missing Clan?
Reply-To: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: Wellington City Council, Wgtn, NZ
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 06:04:40 GMT


 A while ago, I had a discussion of what Clan was warden or crusader.
For those of you not in the know, I am refering to which of the
Clans disapprove and approve of the Invasion of the Inner Sphere. So
I went to my copy of the "Wolf Clan Sourcebook" and browsed through
my copies of the novels "Lethal Heritage" and "Blood Legacy".

 There were 20 Clans and three were removed. Widowmakers were absorbed
into Wolf, Mongoose were also absorbed, but no further info and the
Wolverines the Not-To-Be-Mentioned Clan became outlawed. The remaining
17 included the familar Wolf, Ghost Bear, Nova Cat, Smoke Jaguar, Jade
Falcon and Steel Viper.

 But the reserve Clan used on Tykurid(sp), the Diamond Sharks were not
to be found. Now this is a error, but can someone think up a cute excuse
how this happened? The winner of this question will gain the blueprints
for the Koshi deliverable to any Comstar HPG station :)

 Another question. Are the Clans we face now the strongest and most
powerful of the Clans? I doubt that the Clans are equal. The readings
imply that Wolf, Jade Falcon and Smoke Jaguars are quite strong. If
they are the best that the Clans have to offer, then fighting the
others may be easier. As they may lack the resources and military
might of their bigger brethern. Of course, I would like to see as
few Clans as possible.
 Also I noticed with the "Jade Phoenix" trilogy that not all Omnimechs
were available to a Clan. Making me think that each Clan may make a
certain mek that is exclusively their own. The "Wolf" clan meks in the
sourcebook reveal this. Hey I'm rambling must be that Clan Large Pulse
Laser shot to the head on my Atlas. Gotta go, got some Nova Cats'
tails to pull :)

Tony Taia
 tai-shu@akeake.vuw.ac.nz, TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
3067:The Stacalkas-Nomen, when the Combine destroys the Clans!
 *sigh*Not another Cluster, we'll be here till Christmas.
 HEY! VUW and WCC don't know Btek, so you know that this is mine!
From: elric@imryrr.Eng.Sun.COM (Rick Heli)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: 2 player Britannia
Keywords: Britannia
Date: 23 Jul 92 19:53:24 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: imryrr

In article <39709@skye.dcs.ed.ac.uk>, db@dcs.ed.ac.uk (Dave Berry) writes:
|> tc37942@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Tani  Chen) writes:
|> >Does anyone know of a good 2-player version of Britannia?

I found even the three-player version too clumsy -- we were always getting
in our own way.  So much so in fact that I re-designed it, but I wasn't any
happier with the new one.  So I'd bag the straight two-player concept, but
designing rules to specify the activities of two non-players in a four-player
game could be kinda fun.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: rleroux1@sol.UVic.CA (Roger Leroux)
Subject: Re: Canadian Wargames Journal
Organization: University of Victoria
Distribution: na
Date: 26 Jul 92 23:18:35 GMT

In <1992Jul24.185115.7419@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> robert@geoblue.gcn.uoknor.edu (Robert Lindsay) writes:
>>Exactly what I said. Independent: 1. Not affiliated with a larger
>>controlling unit. (Merriam-Webster dictionary)
>I think what he means is that the 2 main "independent" game magazine
>(F+M and Moves) are now controled by a company that also PUBLISHES
> ...
>All the other wargame magazines are also run by game companys

Well the Canadian Wargames Journal is owned and operated by the Canadian
Wargamers Group. They have lots of reviews, variants, and further, often
have designers rebut their reviews (recent examples include Siege of
Jerusalem, where some rules mods were suggested in the review, and the
designer rebutted the review and the mods).

Note that by rebuttal I don't necessarily mean disagreement. I mean that
the designer has the chance to justify and/or explain and/or agree with the
review.

Roger

-- 
Roger Leroux          | "Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get." Me
rleroux1@sol.uvic.ca  |	"Everybody lies about sex." Lazarus Long
----------------------+ "Six of one, half a dozen of the other." Number 2.
rec.motorcycles DoD#43| Be seeing you...
From: dlow@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au.ua.oz (David J Low)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH Scenerio
Date: 25 Jul 92 06:34:59 GMT


 In article <BruL35.Ivx@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
>>	You have to remember that the Locust would have to get in behind the 
>>	Atlas first so it would have to be a suprise attack or bad initiatve
>>	on the half of the atlas?
> 
> Not really. If the Atlas moves, it isn't going to be able to hit at all. 
> So if you win initiative, you go behind him. If you lose, you just move around
> so he is forced to take a shot that has a 13 to hit and wait to win initiative
> again. Patience is a virtue when driving a trashcan.

      OK, let's do something I generally hate and look at the numbers :-)

      Assume base Gunnery targets 4/6/8 for both.  The Locust can get a
      maximum movement modifier of +4 by using no more than 2 turns/other
      terrain modifiers.  To stay behind the Atlas, it will HAVE to make
      more than this in general.  So, say a movement modifier of +3 on every
      round (uses no more than 5 extra MP in turns, etc..).  The Atlas must
      as least walk each turn, and probably gets no more than +1 defensive
      modifier.  

      If the Locust keeps at long range, the Atlas needs 8+3+1=12 to hit,
      and conceivably more.  Fine, let's say it misses.  The Locust needs
      8+2+1=11, conceivably only 10, so it hits one time in six shots.  Not
      bad.  Note that if the Locust closes to medium range, the Atlas'
      to-hits become achievable, and cannot be ignored.  

      Now, we have the Locust behind the Atlas at a range of 8 (a scenario
      which Dave Lichtman and I considered).  What does the Locust do if it
      loses initiative?  If it runs away, the Atlas simply turns to face it.
      Now, the Locust cannot get behind the Atlas again unless the terrain
      is so heavy as to prevent shots!   And if the Locust accepts the risks
      of a side shot, the LRM20 comes into play.  Consider a Locust 20 hexes
      away in front of the Atlas - if the Atlas ONLY turns in place, how
      does the Locust get behind it without getting closer than 7 hexes,
      ignoring the LRMs?

      The Atlas will run into problems if it attempts to close the range
      itself, since then the Locust may have enough movement to get past and
      into the rear arc.  Otherwise, it's just a matter of time before the
      Locust soaks up enough random hits to die.  Special terrain will always
      present problems, but that's why a light lance can beat an Atlas in a
      city :-) [refer a scenario in an early BattleTechnology, pitting Atlas
      against UrbanMech+Panther+Stinger in a city] 

      David.

--
   ___          ~~            | David J. Low, Atmospheric Group, Dept. Physics
  /  /-----^-/~~~             | Adelaide University, South Australia 
 /  /-------/~  "I'll be back"| 
<__/  '            --- Arnie  | E-Mail : dlow@physics.adelaide.edu.au  
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: hrjoist@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Holger Joist)
Subject: Chain Reaction
Organization: CSD., University of Erlangen, Germany
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 11:53:01 GMT
Keywords: Sid Sackson

Hi!

Has anybody  heard  something  about  the  2-player  game  'Chain
Reaction'  written  by  Sid  Sackson?  Could  someone send me the
rules?

Thank you,
  Holger
-- 
Snail: Holger Joist, Neue Strasse 29, 8520 Erlangen, Germany
Email: hrjoist@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: c9036991@cc.newcastle.edu.au (UNFORGETTABLE ... IN EVERY WAY . AND FOREVERMORE .. THATS HOW WELL STAY)
Subject: Re: BTECH Scenerio
Organization: University of Newcastle, AUSTRALIA
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 23:21:14 GMT

In article <BruL35.Ivx@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
> c9036991@cc.newcastle.edu.au (UNFORGETTABLE ... IN EVERY WAY . AND FOREVERMORE .. THATS HOW WELL STAY) writes:
> 
> 
> 
>>	You have to remember that the Locust would have to get in behind the 
>>	Atlas first so it would have to be a suprise attack or bad initiatve
>>	on the half of the atlas?
> 
> Not really. If the Atlas moves, it isn't going to be able to hit at all. 
> So if you win initiative, you go behind him. If you lose, you just move around
> so he is forced to take a shot that has a 13 to hit and wait to win initiative
> again. Patience is a virtue when driving a trashcan.
>

	So we have an Atlas pilot with standard gunnery and piloting skills?
        I dont know of any hose that would put a person in the biggest mech
	availiable who isnt a good shot/pilot ! :) .. but theni have been 
	kown to be wrong :)

	A pilot with gunnery 2 _SHOULD_ ( well, i mean MIGHT really) be able
	to get atleast one shot with his main weapon in before the locust
	finnaly gets in behind him.
	 

> 	One Mech that I've seen growing in popularity is one of the Solaris
> 	'Mechs that is basically a Locust with a Large Pulse Laser. Speed
> 	and armor are comparable to the original, although this 'Mech  does
> 	weigh in at 25 tons. Still, I've found this to be one of the most
> 	useful variant 'Mechs designed yet.


	I have had some mail about this locust, but id like to get the
	stats for it ... ifsome nice person out there wants to post them
	to me :) 

-- 


	This is just a test .sig
	I suppose i should make it bigger, but i cant be bothred.
	All th ideas expressed are mine and therefore MUST be correct
	I will allow you to be wrong in your ignorance however.

	C9036991@wombat.newcastle.edu.au 
	C9036991@cc.newcasl.edu.au
From: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: TAL Scenario cards
Date: 21 Jul 92 19:19:43 GMT
Reply-To: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Organization: Department of Chemistry, UCLA

There are 7 Campaign cards, if that's what you mean.

-Doug Gibson
 doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu

Neither UCLA nor the National Science Foundation has a clue what I am doing.
They just pay me to do it.

This is a properly spelled version of the mimetic signature virus.  Copy it
into your .signature file and join in the fun today!
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: vadim@CS.Stanford.EDU (Vadim Akselrod)
Subject: Re: Supremacy
Reply-To: vadim@cs.stanford.edu
Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 17:48:26 GMT


We have tried several variants for the market (as it seemed to yield way
too much money as originally written), and found one that works fairly well.
Each turn, at sell/buy phase, all participating players roll 2d6 to
determine order (roll off ties).  Then the top player picks ONE resource
to trade in (be it grain, oil, or minerals), and carries out the 
transaction in that resource.  Then the next player gets one resource, and
so on (may have multiple rounds if one players sells/buys more than one
even after everyone else has done so).  This eliminates all of the money 
going to a lucky roller, spreading it out more evenly.

As far as encouraging combat goes, this is not usually a problem.  Whoever
looks particularly strong is usually attacked by one or more of the weaker
players, and the chain reaction from that usually gets things rolling.

The problem we have had is with the 12-nuke rule.  Once the 11th cloud is
placed on the board, all nukes become relatively useless; and if someone 
with a nuke is about to be eliminated conventionally, they can set off the
nuke (in their own country) to blow up the world.  We have come up with
some possible solutions, but none have worked too well.  If anyone has
found a good cure, I'd love to hear about it!

-Vadim			vadim@cs.stanford.edu
From: dave@admiral.uucp (Dave Litchman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: CENT:  Now that we've bashed BTECH into oblivion how is Centurion?
Date: 29 Jul 92 18:42:27 GMT
Distribution: rec
Organization: The Admiral's Unix System & The Grid BBS

In article <NIGEL.92Jul28183040@rs733.GSFC.NASA.Gov> nigel@rs733.GSFC.NASA.Gov writes:
>
>Hmmm...I've always found the BTECH universe to be annoyingly unbelivable...
>but how is the other FASA game Centurion?  Better or worse?  I'm about to
>ditch my BTech stuff and buy something else.  If those rules are better
>I may simply switch.

I have never played Centurion, but I have seen a description of the game's mech-
anics. They look REALLY interesting! The concept is similar to BTech, with
armored vehicles running around shooting at each other (in Centurion it's
various types of tanks) but the main difference I noticed was the way that
armor hits are handled. Each weapon has its own damage profile. So, while lasers
produce simple holes in armor, other weapons can have other effects. For
instance, 'sabot' type munitions produce little surface damage, but blow the 
interior armor all to hell.

It's hard to describe completely in a post, but there is an info sheet put
out by FASA that tells all about the system. Your local hobby shop may have
a copy or two.


-- 
"Dammit Jim, I'm a free man, not a number!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a copy of the mnemonic signature virus. Remember to copy it into
your .signature file later. Join the fun!
From: cscoging@unpcs1.cs.unp.ac.za (Chris Scogings)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: multi-player Britannia (was RE: 2 player)
Keywords: Britannia
Date: 24 Jul 92 12:26:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: unpcs1.cscoging.56
Organization: University of Natal (Pietermaritzburg)

In article <Brsxo5.DML@news.cso.uiuc.edu> Tani Chen writes:

>Does anyone know of a good 2-player version of Britannia?

I'm afraid this doesn't help but may have had some really great games of 
multi-player Britannia, between 10 and 16 players.  Shuffle the nations and 
deal them out to each player so everyone has 2 or 3 nations.  Certain 
combinations are not allowed, eg: Angles and Saxons (use commonsense here).
Everyone plays each of their nations to attain most victory points for that 
nation.  We usually don't bother to see who won, but I suppose you could 
work out some sort of system.
From: pl1605@sjfc.UUCP (Patrick Ludwig)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: EIA in rochester
Date: 27 Jul 92 18:21:17 GMT
Distribution: wny
Organization: St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY

Is there anyone interested in starting a new game
of Empires in Arms in the Rochester, NY area?

One of my roommates and I love to play but have trouble
finding enough other people.  If you would like to join 
us, drop me a line or give us a call at 647-9451 (ask
to speak to either Pat or Alex).


Thanks,

--Pat
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: brian@tpocc.gsfc.nasa.gov (Brian Youse)
Subject: Re: Diplomacy - Time for an Update?
Organization: Computer Sciences Corporation
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 15:40:29 GMT

  Coming Soon:  "Deluxe Diplomacy" (I think this is the title!)   

  From what I understand, this game will be a "rerelease" of the old
woodblock diplomacy game with the rules updated to include clarifications
to previous Q&A done in the General, nutmail, ...

  I *think* Rex Martin is in charge of the project, and think it is due
out later this year.

  Note, these are just things that I have heard, and I don't work for
AH, so these should strictly be taken as strongly substantiated 
rumors.  Also, judging AH's new, improved, drive the nail home pricing
policy, it would not suprise me if this game went for about $45 to $50
bucks.  (Just my guess!)

Brian Youse
From: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: AH's _The_Longest_Day (TLD)
Date: 22 Jul 92 21:22:47 GMT
Reply-To: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Organization: Department of Chemistry, UCLA

The Longest Day sounds like a good game, but I get the awful impression that
even laying the map(s?) out on the floor of a decent sized room wouldn't
give enough room.... is this the case?  How big IS this monster?

-Doug Gibson
 doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu

Neither UCLA nor the National Science Foundation has a clue what I am doing.
They just pay me to do it.

This is a properly spelled version of the mimetic signature virus.  Copy it
into your .signature file and join in the fun today!