HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH: The Lawman LWN-2K
Date: 15 Sep 92 15:19:15 NZST
Organization: Welligton City Council, Public Access.
NNTP-Posting-Host: kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

In article <4941@daily-planet.concordia.ca>, kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane) writes:
> From: taia_a@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz

> You are walking on sacred ground Tony! But, you must understand, the
> Gunslinger was designed first as 100 tons, and then, due to limitations
> imposed by FASA (they already had many 100tonners), it was reduced to
> 85. Then some shmuck decided to "correct" it by limiting movement. Idiot.

 Struck a nerve did I? :) If you read the last of the post I wanted to
show a more improved design. But I must agree with FASA, we have a lot of
100 ton mega-death machines. I don't consider the Crossbow one of these.

> The original Gunslinger, called "The Peacemaker", is 100 tons, 3/5/3, 19
> tons of armor, and all the weapons as is. BTW, the foot mounted weapons
> are great for rear defense, and it was added to make the design "well
> rounded".

 The reason for the anti-foot mounted weapons is that one can't kick and
fire at the same time! This is why I never mount weapons here. I think
weapons in the torsos to stay critical hits from the vunerable XL engine
is a much better idea! Someday I'll post the dos and donts of mek design.
But not today, this news server is very slow and misses most of my
replies :(

> Flame off.

 Shrugged off with a smile.......:)

> Over!   __ ( . )      From        : Stephane I. Matis
>       _/__\(___)      Internet    : kgnome@cs.concordia.ca

This has been.....
 Tony Taia
  TAIA_A@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz, tai-shu@kauri.vuw.ac.nz
3067: When the Combine takes Twycross! :)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: wimple@csusac.csus.edu (Mike Wimple)
Subject: Civil War Strategic Games
Organization: California State University, Sacramento
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 22:04:21 GMT

Christopher A. Wood writes:

>I have recently been looking at some sort of Strategic level
>Civil War game.  I had my eye on VG's The Civil War, but I happend
>to notice another one from a small company which name escapes me
>at the moment.  It had something like "The war that pitted brother
>against brother" or somesuch  in the title.  I remember this one
> looked more impressive on the stuff covered, but was also about $15
> more.
>
>  The question is :  What do people out there recomend for someone who
>wished to fight the entire Civil War?  Is the VG game any good?  Are there
>others out there I should be looking for?



   I think you may be refering to the Fresno Gaming Association (FGA)
game called Civil War: Brother Against Brother. That game does look nice
from the box art, and the graphics on the inside are also superb...,
unfortunately the rules and quality of the game are not up to the 
billing.... Victory Games' Civil War is a great game, and worth the money...

A new game from Clash of Arms called War for the Union is brand new but 
it looks pretty good I think....

    -mike
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH - machine gun mechs
Date: 11 Sep 92 02:37:02 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <BuD5F4.43B@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu>, cpbeaure@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Chris Beauregard) writes:

[discussion of mechs with better jump than walk numbers deleted]
> 
> Well, we never design them to allow that, but I've seen one or two from
> various magazines that do have those capabilities.  We figure, if anyone
> _really_ wants to use them (they were really pretty shitty designs...)
> they're quite welcome...
> 

	Only once have I ever done this, and it was for an 80 or so ton mech
with two AC/20s. I think walk was 3, jump was 5.

> A munchkin mech is pretty undefined, yes.  I think of a munchkin mech as
> being something that would not generally be found in the field.  While a
> 40 MG mech is great for the arena, how many do you see on the average
> battlefield?  

	Well, there is a difference between a munchkin mech and a silly mech.
I think I designed a mech once with 20-22 MGs in the 50-60 ton range. However,
it also had a LRM-5, and was *specifically* for use against infantry and light
vehicles. It was also a variant on a more 'conventional' design.

	In some ways this is a reverse of Car Wars, where most vehicles *are*
for arena duels, and not battlefield (open highway) use. In the world of BT, I
can't see anyone wasting money on a machine that is useless on the battlefield,
even in a specialized role, either.

Brandon Cope.
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland)
Subject: Re: Arrow IV
Organization: Dept. of Scientific Computing, Uppsala Univ.
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 21:13:33 GMT

dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
: IMHO the greatest danger to the Inner Sphere is that the Clans will
: begin fielding vehicles. The tonnages saved by Clan construction methods
: would allow them to field vastly superior vehicles (Imagine the above
: Saladin carrying three times the ammunition.) *grin* Or maybe we have
: not shown them to you..yet.
: 

In that case I'll hope for the not-named clan to help the inner sphere :-)

I don't really think that the clans would have withheld veichles if
they had them veichles are far more useful than elementals. This not
saying the clans couldn't learn to use veichles again. The more
openminded clans (like Clan Wolf) surely would consider that giving
some real reason to do so, but the other clans would probably think
veichle duty as a grave mark on their codex and thus avoid it at any
cost.

			Karl

-- 

Karl-Gunnar Hultland              Vox Dei, Vox Populi
m91kgh@bellatrix.tdb.uu.se
From: eiswirth@vixvax.mgi.com (Steve Eiswirth)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Any Superstart Baseball fans out there?
Date: 8 Sep 92 10:45:15 CDT
Organization: Management Graphics, Inc.

I'm curious if there are any others who've played and enjoyed Avalon Hill's
"Superstar Baseball" game.  I bought it in '82 and have been playing seasons
ever since.  I constructed an 8-team league with approx. 13 players and
6 pitchers per team to compete in a 20-game regular season.  The only
modifications I've made to the game are:

	- devised a Hit and Run chart
	- modified the stolen base charts to factor in the catcher's defensive
	  rating.
	- created a card for Joe Dimaggio (who was mysteriously left out of
	  the original Set 1 player pack), and have added cards for about
	  15 of the best players and pitchers of the past 10 years.

I've never gotten into any of the hardcore baseball simulation games that
netters talk about in rec.sport.baseball.  Superstar Baseball is fun because
it's plenty realistic and you learn about some of the great players of the past.
Highly recommended for baseball fans.
From: z_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTECH - machine gun mechs
Date: 15 Sep 92 12:30:11 CST
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

In article <1992Sep15.124705.516@HQ.Ileaf.COM>, hal@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Hal Wadleigh) writes:
> 
> It's enough to drive you back to Car Wars.

	Except that CW has a better vehicle combat system :-)

Brandon Cope

Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: gwd@unislc.uucp (Greg Davis)
Subject: Bazaar by 3M for sale
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 16:28:30 GMT

I have a copy of Bazaar by 3M for sale.
The box has some tape damage, but the components are
complete and in good condition.
If interested, make an offer.  You pay postage.
Highest bid received by Sept. 23 gets the game.
-- 
Gregory W. Davis
UNISYS Corporation, MS: B1C05 |  Internet: gwd@unislc.slc.unisys.com
322 North 2200 West           |  UUCP: ...!{sun, uunet}!unislc!gwd
Salt Lake City, UT 84116      |  Voice: (801) 594-5410
From: kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Arrow IV
Date: 14 Sep 92 12:22:29 GMT
Organization: Computer Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec

From: m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland)

> dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly) writes:
> : IMHO the greatest danger to the Inner Sphere is that the Clans will
> : begin fielding vehicles. The tonnages saved by Clan construction methods
> : would allow them to field vastly superior vehicles (Imagine the above
> : Saladin carrying three times the ammunition.) *grin* Or maybe we have
> : not shown them to you..yet.
> 
> In that case I'll hope for the not-named clan to help the inner sphere :-)

Hmmm ... I could "assure" that ...

> I don't really think that the clans would have withheld veichles if
> they had them veichles are far more useful than elementals. This not
> saying the clans couldn't learn to use veichles again. The more
> openminded clans (like Clan Wolf) surely would consider that giving
> some real reason to do so, but the other clans would probably think
> veichle duty as a grave mark on their codex and thus avoid it at any
> cost.

Sorry .. no vehicles ... 'cause FASA said so .... :-)

			> Karl
> 
> -- 
> 
> Karl-Gunnar Hultland              Vox Dei, Vox Populi
> m91kgh@bellatrix.tdb.uu.se


Roll!       ___      +---------------------------------------------------+
Over!   __ ( . )      From        : Stephane I. Matis
      _/__\(___)      Internet    : kgnome@cs.concordia.ca
    / /\\[==]//\ \    Working for : Monenco Systems Group 
   /_/  |THOR|  \_\   Working  at : Newfoundland Offshore Contractors 
  [00] _//==\\_ [00]  Writing for : Mecha*Press and FASA's BattleTech
      / _/--\_ \      		    Dream Pod 9
     |__|    |__|     "It Just Works... " - Steve Paul Jobs, CEO NeXT
     (__]    [__)     "Clam Warships are landing on Toycod !" - Anonymous
    [_=_]    [_=_]   +---------------------------------------------------+
From: david@master.uchicago.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: What's a MUSE
Date: 12 Sep 92 00:21:09 GMT
Organization: University of Chicago, Department of Anatomy

I tried to post this question a little while ago, but I don't think it got here.
I was cruising through the group, and noticed mention of a Battletech MUSE.
What's a MUSE and how does it work ?  I play B-tech at the B-tech center here
in Chicago, and think it is the coolest game on earth.  I have'nt played the
board game, but hve been thinking of getting into it.  Please post replies, or
you can e-mail me.  thanks

					-David david@master.uchicago.edu
					 Unversity of Chicago
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 13:46:21 -0400 
From: "Timothy C. Worsley" <tw1r+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Marsh/Plains
	<1992Sep13.232133.25167@galois.mit.edu>

Excerpts from netnews.rec.games.board: 13-Sep-92 Re: Marsh/Plains Bo-Yin
Yang@ccvax.as.edu (1037)

> This must be a really different group of gamers that you have there.  At
> the MIT "Warroom" some 1/3 of the opening moves involves a tripling of
> Ogres or Centaurs.  You got to remember that Centaurs aren't that much
> worse than Lions.... On a 1 a lot of people that I know will go for a
> triple, especially if a THREE on the next move is bad otherwise.

	This one confused me a lot.  The most common strategy here is to put
the gargoyles with the Titan (for quick power) and either the Cerntaurs
or the Ogres with the Angel (Centaurs for odd towers and Ogres for even
towers).  On a one, the Titan would get a Cyclops, and the Angel a lion
or troll.  If we stray from this plan, it's almost always to switch the
Angel and Titan stacks to confuse the enemy.

ZZnew guy
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: thornley@deca.cs.umn.edu (David H. Thornley)
Subject: Re: Hostility in Gamers toward Certain Games
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, CSci dept.
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 21:33:33 GMT

In article <14894@mindlink.bc.ca> Bruce_Harper@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Harper) writes:
>Some interesting postings on this topic.  I think what some are referring as
>prejudice or closed-mindedness really has a more rational basis, though.  I
>think for quite a few games, the more you play and learn the game, the more you
>enjoy it.  Since there are only 24 hours in a day, this limits the number of
>games one can really learn and appreciate.
>
>Even within the genre of board-games, this is surely a common phenomenon.  I
>have probably played 20 to 30 boardgames, but within the last five years have
>probably played more like 5 different ones only.  (My estimate of 20 to 30 is
>likely very low, now that I think about it).  Having been more or less forced
>to pass up some interesting boardgames for lack of time and energy, it's
>understandable I wouldn't make the larger jump miniatures or role-playing
>games.
>
Actually, this applies especially to boardgames.  I think you can probably
have a normal life and enjoy Third Reich, but this isn't true of Advanced
Squad Leader.  If you want to learn wargames the way other people learn
chess, not only the rules but the best strategies and tactics, obviously
you'll only have time for a few (and you *will* subscribe to the General,
which publishes lots of articles of this sort).  If you play boardgames
to experience the system and situation, you'll play more different games.

In games with some sort of gamemaster, there is much less reason to
specialize.  I know people who role-play well and enjoy themselves and
really aren't all that familiar with the system they're using.  This
applies to a lesser extent in miniatures; if you know the movement rules
pretty well and have a reasonable feel for the combat rules, you can do
well without knowing the details of the rules.  This is especially true if
the minis rules are realistic and you know something of the historical
tactics.

DHT
From: Bruce_Harper@mindlink.bc.ca (Bruce Harper)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Advanced Third Reich tournament
Date: 13 Sep 92 15:43:22 GMT
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Distribution: world

There will be an A3R e-mail tournament starting in somewhere around four to six
months, provided there is sufficient interest at this early stage.  I won't
bother everyone with format and conditions - reply to me privately if you want
to learn the game "in combat".
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Axly)
Subject: Re: BTECH: After GenCON92 Report ... sorta
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 19:40:35 GMT

kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane) writes:

>1. The icing on the cake is Mr. Pardoes use of HUGE 'Mech
>designations, like HNR-WO-R4L Huron Warrior. It infuriates me, beacause
>9 out of 10 times, he messes up his total tonnage on these same 'Mechs,
>and everyone at FASA get's blamed. I like some of his writing,
>especially ComStar (which you guys haven't seen yet), but out of the
>three new 'Mechs in ComStar, not a single one added-up! Sheesh!

*smile* So upload the Mecheditor from the ftp site and give it to Mr.
Pardoe. I'm a little surprised that FASA didn't have someone write
a program like this for them a LONG time ago. 

Axly

 
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 11:49:24 -0400 
From: "Timothy C. Worsley" <tw1r+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Titan - who does NOT like it?
	<1613@idacrd.UUCP>

	Demons and Dryads sound like very powerful peices for defense.  If you
have 5 of them in a group, you can push up all the way to 5 row and
force your opponent to face you with only 4 non-flyers.  Skill 5 pieces
can be very mondo that way.

ZZnew guy
From: wachter@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Markku Kristian Wachter)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: BTech: MS-DOS Version Beta 0.2 ready
Date: 11 Sep 92 08:31:34 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki

In <BuDwHA.Kwq@immd4.informatik.uni-erlangen.de> kabreuer@cip.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (Klaus Breuer) writes:

>Anyway, I've uploaden mech02b.zip, same place. I tried to
>upload to the states, but archive.umich.edu kept dying on me,
>so currently it's just available at 131.188.1.43 in /pub/pc/incoming

>I REALLY REALLY hope it uploaded ok (yes, I'm using binary)

	Well, it seems it didn't, sorry... :-(
	I tried to PKFixZip that packet but it was no use. 

>Ciao,
>Klaus
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army, n. A class of non-producers who defend   | Markku Kristian Wachter
	the nation by devouring everything     | wachter@cc.helsinki.fi
	likely to tempt an enemy to invade.    | Kind of optimist. 
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 12:11:42 -0400 
From: "Timothy C. Worsley" <tw1r+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Marsh/Plains

	Normally, I don't like to post personally mail, but I can hardly see
how it would hurt this time.

Excerpts from mail: 11-Sep-92 Re: Titan -- non-game-alter.. David
desJardins@ccr-p.i (491)

> In article <QefwtSG00VpEA_C1gq@andrew.cmu.edu> you write:
> >1) Rather than rolling for tower and turn randomly, we have a set order
> >(some towers are better than others.).  Even towers get "extra" marshes
> >instead of plains, while towers 1 and 4 get one less jungle.  

> I'm curious.  Is this supposed to imply that marshes are better than
> plains?  If this is what you mean, I would be interested to hear the
> argument.  Write or post.

	I'm going to start by saying that equal point creatures of different
skills are not equal.  Because of the hitting system, skill 4 peices are
best*, then skill 2, and then skill 3.  Movement favors the higher
skilled creatures, or course, but hit factor is almost always the most
important.  
	When this is combined with the fact that Lions are smaller that Trolls
anyway (15 vs 16) it's pretty clear that Trolls are better.  Both bet
rangers, of course, but Trolls get Warbears, which are generally better
than Minotaurs (The rangestriking can swing the difference sometimes,
but not always.).  The Troll path then leads to Giants which are not
only bigger than Dragons, but skill 4 to boot (Flying is nice, but not
generally enough to make up the difference.).  On the hydra rout, the
lions have the slight edge.  Griffons, while worth one less point than
Wyverns, actually fight better (skill 4 vs skill 3).  However, the
advantage of the Trolls is generally bigger than the dissadvantage, so
the marsh rout is better than the plains rout.

*  For example, I'll use 3 24 point creatures, because the rounding
works well moderately well.

6-4 vs 12-2
6-4 gets 5 hits on average  42% damage
12-2 gets 2 hits on average 33% damage

6-4 vs 8-3
6-4 gets 4 hits on average 50% damage
8-3 gets 2+2/3 hits on average 44% damage

12-2 vs 8-3
12-2 gets 4 hits on average 50% damage
8-3 gets 5+1/3 hits on average 44% damage

ZZnew guy
Organization: Doctoral student, Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:22:04 -0400 
From: Erik Lauer <el0g+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Marsh/Plains
	<1992Sep11.233434.8187@galois.mit.edu>

Bo-Yin writes:
>[Note, when playing the Bo-Yin expansion, people tend to grab the third
>Mino (which if you remember gets good recruits) but not as often the third
>Bear.  The reason is that Minos actually fights better in our games...]

I am not sure what is written incorrectly here.  I would assumer it
should be people grab the Mino more often than the third Bear. 
Recruiting the third Bear more often than the third Mino because the
Mino fights better than the Bear is just stupid.

Someone else posted saying that they thought rangers could end games
before they ever got to the powerful creature stage.  While this can
happen, there are a few problems with relying on rangers.  First of all,
any stack can be stopped by a two high group in a bad location.  Also,
rangers will usually lose to a similarly sizes brush / jungle group in
the brush jungle.  Since the brush is the most common space, this can
really impede the ranger group.  The rangers do not have a large enough
edge over the recruiting pieces to survive an attack by the recruiters
should the rangers be outnumbered, so the rangers would have to choose
between running away, or being attacked themselves (sure if the rangers
fought they would maim the recruiters, but that would mean the
recruiters got full points from rangers).

Are Minotaurs better than Warbears?  Well, a typical Warbear group is
better than a typical Minotaur group in a head to head fight due to the
surrounding stuff, though a Minotaur may be more usefull in some groups.
 If you are attacked, it is useful to have at least one skill four
character (the Minotaur might be your only one, but that is not
typical).  Assuming I have at least one other skill four character (and
not five others, so I could take the 6 row), the warbear tends to be
better.  When attacking, the rangestrike, if couple with enough others
(and assuming the defensive setup makes rangestriking feasible) can be
more useful.  Since I don't tend to get a third centaur or ogre with my
starting groups (I do with spilt-offs), the warbear is supportred by
trolls and giants to the minotaurs lions and dragons, so I prefer the
warbear.  I would have to look at your recruiting charts to see which
works better there.


Erik
---=
From: m91kgh@tdb.uu.se (Karl-Gunnar Hultland)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Arrow IV
Date: 14 Sep 92 16:33:58 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Scientific Computing, Uppsala Univ.

kgnome@cs.concordia.ca (MATIS stephane) writes:
: 
: Sorry .. no vehicles ... 'cause FASA said so .... :-)
: 


Good for the inner sphere, this is the best chance they 
will ever get, just building cheap veichles which can be used by almost any
militiaman after a short period of training.

Mech pilots are both more expensive and more difficult to train and if
the inner sphere has a good supply of anything it is people.



				Karl
-- 

Karl-Gunnar Hultland              Vox Dei, Vox Populi
m91kgh@bellatrix.tdb.uu.se
From: c9106225@wombat.newcastle.edu.au (Matt McLeod)
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
Subject: Re: Postscript Diplomacy with Positions
Date: 14 Sep 92 10:42:28 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle, Australia

In article <14148.9209101212@biochemistry.oxford.ac.uk>, mikes@biochemistry.oxford.ac.uk (Mike Smith) writes:
> 
> I don't suppose anybody knows of a proggy that prints the diplomacy board
> with armies/fleets on (presumably in color).  Surely it wouldn't be too
> difficult ... who did the board in the first place?
> 
> Mike

I'm presently working on a program for the PC which does this (amongst other
things).  It's called 'The Adjutant' (hopefully I've spelt that right! :-) and
is being written in QBASIC.  Not the most elegant of languages, but it gets the
job done.  To print a map you'll need a PostScript printer or a copy of
GhostScript (the program will just alter the map file to add the units).

Hopefully it'll be ready soon.

Matt
 
---
Matt McLeod
Programmer, Freelace Computer Journo and ASP Approved Vendor
c9106225@alinga.newcastle.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.games.board
From: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Subject: Re: Civil War Strategic games
Reply-To: sos@oz.plymouth.edu (Steffan O'Sullivan)
Organization: Plymouth State College - Plymouth, N.H.
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 13:01:38 GMT

woodc@aix.rpi.edu (Christopher A. Wood) writes:
>  The question is :  What do people out there recomend for someone who
>wished to fight the entire Civil War?  Is the VG game any good?  Are there
>others out there I should be looking for?  

I have both VG's Civil War and GDW's House Divided, but haven't played
either of them.  The former looks a bit too complex for my tastes,
reading the rules, and the latter a bit too simple!

I'm waiting for Columbia Games' Civil War projects.  There will be two,
one covering the eastern theater, the other the "western" theater,
though I don't know how much trans-Mississippi that will include.  They
will be linkable to form a single game, and judging from their
EastFront/WestFront series, they'll be just right for my tastes.

Problem is that the first won't be done for another half a year at the
earliest :-(

-- 
  - Steffan O'Sullivan		         sos@oz.plymouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.board