HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ward1@husc8.harvard.edu (Lester Ward)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Military Mechs?
Date: 29 Jul 92 13:42:37 GMT

William Henry Timmins <wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:
>>Why this can't be used in a tank is left as an exercise for the intelligent.

>I suppose pistons have been 'forgotten' in the ensuing centuries? I can
>think of several designs for tanks which would utilize myomer muscle.

In the .way. beginning of BT, I remember a line about how myomer fiber
bundles had to be of a minimum length to be useable; they had to be .longer.
than, say, 2 meters.  That was their explanation of tall 'mechs instead
of infantry.  Hand-waving, but someone might care.

>Intelligence is in the eye of the intelligent, bub.

Fortunately, the intelligent get it into the eyes of the non-intelligent.
Like sand.

Wordman
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: littlefield@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Subject: Re: NEWGROUP II
Reply-To: littlefield@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 17:38:50 GMT

In article <1992Jul21.152617.13303@ulowell.ulowell.edu>, bdianton@cs.ulowell.edu (Brian Diantonio) writes:
>
>NO THE NEW NEWSGROUP ISN'T GOING TO BE LIKE THAT FIRST OF ALL I 
>WILL LIST THE DIFFERENCES.
>[a] it will not be a place to list petty differences of the
>Stone skin spell.  I will appreciate your DM's right
>to modify whatever rules he sees fit.
>[b] the Beasitary, Magic spells, and etc. will be in a read able
>form so anyone that wants to can contribute his own piece
>via E-Mail to that item's caretake (me for now) or posting
>APPEND: 's.
>[c] I haven't seen any ads for DM'S or players of certains area's
>in any of the rec.games.frp.(whatever)'s.  Have you?
>
>I think my newgroup idea would COMPLIMENT those other groups
>very nicely.
>Anyone else agree with me on that?

	No. Wouldn't agree to anything as annoying as this post in this
many groups.

>-Mark DiAntonio
>bdianton@cs.ulowell.edu
>
>Keywords: 
>
From: ez007612@hamlet.ucdavis.edu (Tim Prestero)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Weapons (Big & Small vs. Medium)
Date: 29 Jul 92 15:57:51 GMT
Organization: Computing Services, UC Davis

In article <2A721760.1831@ics.uci.edu> mmadsen@ics.uci.edu (Matt Madsen) writes:
>I've noticed that characters in RPGs never carry medium-sized weapons.  Either
>they carry a rifle or a pistol.  They almost never carry a submachine gun.

I had that problem in my Dark Conspiracy game.

>If they're not carrying giganto weapons-of-death, they're carrying concealable
>weapons: pistols, daggers, etc.  But they still don't carry anything medium-
>sized.
>
>What can be done to change this?

At first, everyone in my game wanted to carry a G11. I'm using Phoenix Command
as the combat system, and after reading over the gun stats, they all decided
they wanted G11's. Argh. As the first adventure was set in the somewhat less
than chaotic environs of Dayton, Ohio, I realized their choice of armament
could be a bit, um, conspicuous? (riding in the subway): "Hey, Mom, look at
those guys carrying assault rifles under their jackets!" Also, machine guns
and assault rifles have a nasty habit of penetrating even the thicker types
of armor. Combat in Phoenix Command can get pretty grisly, and unlike most 
other game systems, you CANNOT expect to survive getting shot in the face
with a shotgun/assault rifle/pistol/flare gun.

So, I mentioned to the players that the "bad guys" would have as much trouble
carting heavy weapons around as they did. If everyone wanted to pack LAW
rockets and minguns, fine, the brigands could shop at "Heavy Weapons 'R' Us"
just as easily. Conversely, if they opted for a somewhat more realistic
selection of weapons (pistols, SMGs, the odd shotgun), they would face more
realistically armed opponents. Not to say they don't all own assault rilfes
and rocket launchers, I've just convinced them that carrying them around town
could be extremely hazardous to one's health. Shadowrun's _Shadowtech_
supplement had some excellent suggestions for government legislation involving
heavy weapons, including suggested fines and/or jail time for possession/use
of heavy weapons.

Hope that helps.

Tim Prestero
ez007612@hamlet.ucdavis.edu
From: apearlma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Combat Characters? (Was: SR: Melee Weapons)
Keywords: Shadowrun, SRun, SR
Date: 25 Jul 92 18:11:17 GMT
Organization: The Ohio State University

In article <1992Jul24.123511.17702@visix.com> gray@visix.com (Gray Jones) writes:
>If you assume that the average skill level is 3, on average a character should have 6, 7, 8, 10, or 13

You should definitely assume the average skill level is either 5 or 6.
Because this system gives an advantage to taking small skills, you should make
it 5.  So the skill priority system would be:

0 (21*3) + 3 = 66
1 (21*4)     = 84
2 (21*4) + 13= 97
3 (21*6)     =126
4 (21*8)     =168

The reason behind this is that Skillwires become devastatingly powerful
otherwise.

>level	skill "points"
>1	1
>2	3
>3	7
>4	13
>5	21
>6	31

Andy Pearlman
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: JLOCK00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Joseph L. Lockett)
Subject: Re: world (atmosphere, etc.) generation?
Organization: Rice University  
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 06:22:24 GMT

     GDW's 2300 AD -- now, I think, no longer supported -- had a good
system, I thought, though rather on the dry-and-hard-science-fiction
(yes, I KNOW we're all arguing on another thread just what that means)
side.  I.e., no mention of the 'living planets' or whatever which
GURPS Space, though I like it very much, still mentions as options
for enterprising GM's.  And 2300's system was all physical data, for
planet placement, atmospheric density, etc.  I used to use a brew of
that and Traveller (which had better climate modelling).
 
     Also try Digest Group Publication's Grand Survey, and (for socio-
economic chrome) Grand Census, for MegaTraveller.  Also good material.
 
Joseph L. Lockett
jlock00@ricevm1.rice.edu
From: canders@isr.harvard.edu (Carl E. Anderson)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Military Mechs?
Date: 28 Jul 92 15:55:37 GMT
Organization: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

In article <1992Jul28.161435.89577@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au> jwadsley@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au writes:
>There is no scientific basis on which to argue that mechs are more efficient
>than normal vehicles. This applies to energy usage and weight of engines and
>power sources. 
>
>I think we are getting to the heart of the thing here. This magical efficiency
>of myomer and fusion engines compared to everything else appears to be a major
>assumption behind the existences of 'mechs' ( Size and shape arguements put
>aside ).

	Could someone with some understanding of the science involved (I
can do biology and geology, but engineering is beyond me!) try to come up
with some way that might explain and efficient Mech motor?

	I'm not particularly concerned with whether there's a way to do it
from a contemporary scientific standpoint - I'm willing to accept that 800
years from now future science could well make us look pretty primative.
But I find the BattleTech universe interesting, and while I can believe
their science sucks (God knows their anthropology needs some help!) I am
sure that gamers who know what they're talking about can
"secondary-rationalize" something - I'm a great fan of secondary
rationalization in gaming :)

	I think one of BattleTech's problems in the science department is
that they are using contemporary (or for fusion engines, near contemporary)
technology and projecting it 800 years into the future, where they say
"This stuff works so well now that it does all these cool things".  Perhaps
they should have sat down and thought, "What technology would explain all
these cool things?"

	800 years ago no one could have dreamed at what our current
technology would be like, and I think the same could go for 800 years from
now.  

	So if we pre-suppose the existance of Mech's etc., and are willing
to throw in some changes to game mechanics to account for truly foolish
things, can anyone dream up a vaguely plausible technology that explains
it.  I'm sure someone with a bit more hard science than me can think of
something that is inventive and imaginative without being totally
unrealistic.

Cheers,
Carl

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carl Edlund Anderson	            	"Hefi ek ok aldri sva reitt vapn
canders@isr.harvard.edu			at manni at eigi hafi vidh kommit."
OR
anderso2@husc.harvard.edu			- Skarphedhinn Njalsson 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: goodwin@orionsci (Ben Goodwin)
Subject: Re: Cyberpunk (was: SR: SRII combat mods)
Reply-To: goodwin@orionsci.UUCP (Ben Goodwin)
Organization: Orion Scientific, Inc.
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 13:29:16 GMT

>
>And you *really* think that the situation you've described justifies the
>expenditure of either a) 4 skill points at character generation, or b) 1+
>2+4+8=15 Karma points, later?!  And that's just for a Firearms skill at
>level 4!  You honestly believe that?
>
>If so, you're hopeless.

Hum, lets not forget concentration or specialization or whatever.
1+2+3 gets you to level 3 with a predator or whatever.  I can see wasting
6 karma points to become competent on the street with a pistol.

And the question that needs answering is, does your decker always tag
along with the sams?  What if he goes out alone one night, to go to
a club or something, and someone decides they want to get even or
somesuch.  "Gee, I don't know how to use a pistol."

In that book 2XS there was a decker that lived in her apartment and never
came out.  She spent every point on skills.  If that's your decker fine.
No gun skills are needed.  But if you're going to step into the street you
had better have some combat ability just to survive biker gangs and other
people who see you as an easy mark.  God, if I was going to make a career
of pissing powerful people off, I would make sure to spend a few days
getting acquainted with mr. firearm!

>
>--
>================================================================================
>| Jeff W   uk06666@ukpr.uky.edu | Meddle not in the affairs of cats, for they  |
>| Wilder   & wilder@mik.uky.edu | are subtle, and will piss on your cyberdeck. |
>================================================================================


-- 

-Ben
From: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: GURPS: Timeliness of Books
Date: 22 Jul 92 21:49:41 GMT
Reply-To: doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu
Organization: Department of Chemistry, UCLA

In my experience, characters' skills change rapidly enough (especially when
you're talking about a skill on the order of IQ+3, which is probably the
character's primary skill) that this sort of 'shared points' idea, while
an excellent idea, would be just too irritating to implement.  It's not as
heavy on paperwork as the Time Use Sheets (does anyone actually use them?),
but I think it's a load of unnecessary complication.

-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.

"We have to tear you to shreds because we care." - EAC
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: viktor@mks.com (Viktor Haag)
Subject: Re: Media in Roleplaying Games
Organization: Mortice Kern Systems Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1992 17:01:20 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.051857.25425@mks.com> rod@mks.com (Rod Currie) writes:
>	I am just curious about how other GMs treat the media in
>their campaigns, especially in Superhero games.   The superhero
>genre is a breeding ground for media interaction, since it deals
>with larger than life characters with a knack for getting involved
>with events that are sure to make the evening news.  Does anyone
>have any media-related tales from their campaigns?  Let's hear
>about them.
>
>Rod Currie
>rod@mks.com

The first Champions campaign I ran (for a group of College friends who
had never played HERO before and are now confirmed addicts ...) was 
quite serial in nature, although there a few continuing plot elements.
I started each session with a "news broadcast" that either highlighted
something they had already done, or introduced some new plot hooks.
The characters came to known, love (and loathe) some of the regular 
local TV personalities, some of whom were not at all convinced that
local costumed types were a healthy thing ...



-- 
Viktor Haag					viktor@mks.com
Mortice Kern Systems				(519) 884-2251
35 King North, Waterloo, Ontario		ext. 16
From: a_copeab@ccsvax.sfasu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Military Mechs?
Date: 31 Jul 92 19:37:18 GMT
Organization: Stephen F. Austin State University

Lets compare different BT vehicles in various areas:

(the lower the number, the better)
vehicle type	mech	tracked		wheeled		VTOL	hover
speed:		5	4#		3#		1	2
cost:		5	2		1		4	3
mobility:	2	3		5		1	4
survival: *	1	2		2		2	2
power: **	1	2		2		2	2
size limits:***	1	1		3		5	4
------------------------------------------------------------------
totals:		15	14		16		15	17

* - this is based on the critical charts for non-mechs.
** - powerplants of non-mechs are automatically larger, so advantage:mech
*** - some vehicle types have a maximum tonnage, and thus can only be so
well-armed and armored
# - in reality, if you have two vehicles, same tonnage and same engine power,
the wheeled vehicle will be faster than the tracked one; I'm not sure if this
holds true in BT though...


It seems like mechs aren't quite so dominant after all...


ps. I won't get mad if someone disagrees with my numbers, or the areas I chose
to rate vehicles in.


Brandon Cope
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: coult@euler.geom.umn.edu (Nicholas Coult)
Subject: Re: Anyone Heard of Rifts
Organization: Geometry Center, University of Minnesota
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 21:12:16 GMT

In article <0095E587.83A286A0@abby.chem.ucla.edu> doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu writes:
>Okay, so what do they do about the Cyberknight?  Just watch him carefully?
>
>"Oh, sir, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to check your psi-blade at the
>door."  Yeah, right.
>
>-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.
>
>"We have to tear you to shreds because we care." - EAC

Well, a cybernight is a psionic, and so therefore wuold be pretty easy to
keep track of inside any city (particularly coalition cities, where
Dog Packs and Psi Stalkers are very common).  Not only that, but a 
Psi-Sword, while technically a megadamage weapon, really doesn't compare to
heavier, longer-range mega-damage pistols and rifles.  

It seems that most of the people who are complaining about Rifts either
haven't played very much are just plain don't know the details of the game
--
Nick Coult internet: coult@geom.umn.edu  or  coultn@carleton.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: mmunoz@vxcrna.cern.ch (MUNOZ,MARC./DG)
Subject: Re: Rolemaster Character Creation Aid: What would you expect from it?
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 18:13:00 GMT

> 
>	Finally!  A Rolemaster game-aid on a ftp site!  Tack s} mycket.
>	BTW, I didn't realize that Rolemaster sold in Sweden (which judging
>by your address is where you are).  Is it actually sold there or did you
>pick it up in the US or something?  It isn't translated into Swedish, is
>it?  THat would be too cool.  
>	I always here about RPGs in the US, what RPG stuff goes on in
>Sweden (or elsewhere)?
France: Lot of stuff: Some french games (_Reve de Dragon_,_ In nomina Satanis/
Magna Veritas_, Berlin XXIV, etc...), some translated games (CoC,ADD,MERP,
Runequest,SRUN,...) and it is possible to find the english version in specia-
lized stores. Also some magazines in french: _Casus Bellii_, Dragon, etc...
You find groups in almost any departament.
Spain: Less extended than in France. Some Spanish games (Mutantes en la 
Sombra, Aquerrale [very good, settle in the 13-15 century]), some translations
(AD&D, MERP,RQ,TRAVELLER,James Bond,Paranoia), and you could find imported games
in some places. They're a lot of people playing at Barcelona, some in Madrid
but I don't know the situation in the rest of the country. I see AD&D ads in 
comics-books.

> 
>Cheers,
>Carl
> 
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Carl Edlund Anderson	            	"Hefi ek ok aldri sva reitt vapn
>canders@isr.harvard.edu			at manni at eigi hafi vidh kommit."
>OR
>anderso2@husc.harvard.edu			- Skarphedhinn Njalsson 
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fins aviat,
 Marc 
_______________________________________________________________________________

Xref: sparky rec.games.frp.misc:2763 rec.games.frp:24213
From: rowe@soda.glorantha.berkeley.edu (Eric Rowe)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,rec.games.frp
Subject: Re: ArsM:  Twilight question
Date: 23 Jul 92 14:18:43
Organization: UCB Integrative Biology
NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu
In-reply-to: gobeski8618@iscsvax.uni.edu's message of 23 Jul 92 11:32:21 -0500

In article <1992Jul23.113221.5749@iscsvax.uni.edu> gobeski8618@iscsvax.uni.edu (Steve 'Gobes' Gobeski) writes:

I have a question about an apparent contradiction in the 3d Edition Ars Magica
as regards Twilight (p. 356).  "Magi do not gain Twilight Points until they
begin using a longevity potion..." and "Twilight points also come from studying
the Art of Vim...".  My question is that, e.g. my character, if you have a Vim
score of 5 (one Twilight) but have not taken any longevity potions, do you have
Twilight points?

	What we in Berkeley do, and what I believe is the correct answer, is
that before longevity potions twilight can only come from temporary twilight.
Once the longevity potion is taken, 'regular' twilight associated with the
magi's inherent nature is expressed. So if you are 35 with a vim score of 10
and have no previous points from temporary twilights you suddenly express all
three twilight points upon taking your potion. More simply, twilight from Vim
score does not accumulate until you are taking your potion.

eric
From: jwadsley@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Fantasy Genre...
Date: 23 Jul 92 16:59:33 +1000
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

In article <dlaird.0us4@terapin.com>, dlaird@terapin.com (Delbert Laird) writes:
> While it has absolutely nothing at all to do with magic, the other day I
> started thinking about spell use and came up with an independant system that
> none of the above use.....my question that I pose to all of you:
> 
> Based on your personal preference (not what you think other's might think), why
> do you play a particular game?...Is it the system (ie. familiarity)?...The
> world in which the game takes place?...The ease/hardness of play?...Spell
> usage?...Combat?...Monsters/Demons/et all?
> 
> You see, while my main goal is to have this game (MARAUDER:2107) out by mid-
> 1992 (Anime/manga-based..non-magic)....I now possess this magic system which is
> just burning at my soul.  (I truly think it's innovative, easy to use, and
> allows for customization of spells)....What do I do with it?

Wow, another super dooper game system. I would be a lot happier if you would be
willing to give some details of your magic system. If you are worried about
letting everyone know about game mechanical details then don't post them. I
want to know your aims and motivations for this 'new' magic system. What
was missing from the magic systems you saw? Which mythologies is your system
capable of modelling? Are the spells generalized ( eg. 'form/set <substance> ),
specific ( eg. 'sword dancing' ) or built up ( eg. a bit of minor telekinesis
plus a bit of bend metal and animation added up gives 'sword dancing' )? What
are some more specific advantages of this magic system? 

There are many, many games out there and they all have their advocates. (
Should this post be in .advocacy? ). Do you really want a response from
everyone? Do you want responses tailored towards magic systems? 

If you get more specific, about what you want and what your system
has to offer, I'll be happy to give you a detailed response.

James Wadsley.
From: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: HERO vs. GURPS
Date: 27 Jul 92 18:49:54 GMT
Reply-To: jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim)
Organization: Columbia University

>joshua salter <jsalter@silver.ucs.indiana.edu> writes:
>|> 	I'm using both to see which game works better in action, (long campa-
>|> igns). Suggestions on what supplements to buy? (For each.)

BillSeurer@vnet.ibm.com writes:
>Oh goody!  Another GURPS-Hero flamewar!!

	Please, everyone - if you're not going to say anything constructive 
or informative, take it to frp.advocacy. 

>
>I have always been bothered by Hero's 27 (or whatever) attributes for
>physical things and 2 (INT and EGO, right?  It's been a while...) for mental.
>OK, so most comic book heroes are big on bashing things around and short on
>brains.  But still...

	Hero has INT, EGO, and PRE vs. 5 base physical stats and 5 figured, 
along with one mixed (SPD). Hero also supposedly does not have a stat for 
IQ-type intelligence - INT is supposed to be how *fast* you think on your 
feet rather than how well (i.e. you can be a Nobel prize-winner with a low 
INT). 
	I like this idea alot - I would rather not have intelligence 
simplistically rated with a few numbers, instead showing it in how you play 
and your skills (note that you can buy Overall and General Skill levels to 
represent aptitude and greater learning rate). Unfortunately, in the 4th 
edition this has been ruined by allowing the option of basing Knowledge and 
Science skills on INT (not possible in previous editions).
	I am also in favor of officially defining SPD as a mental 
characteristic by buying movement in inches per *turn* rather than per 
phase. SPD then represents what is described in Twilight 200 as 'Coolness 
Under Fire' - the ability to act quickly and decisively in combat situations. 

>
>Why does everyone love games (exaggeration warning) that
>have 200 page rule books 150 pages of which are detailed combat rules and 
>5 pages of which are vague social interaction rules?  Are everyone's games
>really that dominated by combat?

	Because complicated combat rules can be fun (just ask any wargamer). 
The systems I have seen for rolling out social interaction are not terribly 
interesting or accurate, especially when there is the alternative of role-
playing out the interaction. The only possible exception I can think of is 
the seduction rules for James Bond. 
	Does anyone out there know of any social interaction rules that are 
any fun (while maintaining a slight relation to reality)?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Kim                    | "All the world will be your enemy, Prince with
jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu | a Thousand Enemies. And when they catch you, 
Columbia University         | they will kill you."         - Watership Down
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
From: jdale@cats.ucsc.edu (Jonathan Dale)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: OPIGS [was Re: Homemade Systems]
Date: 22 Jul 92 07:34:57 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: si.ucsc.edu


I love it!  But: why Hammer and Coruba?  I feel like I'm missing something
here...  

I gotta try this out.... no more players complaining "I don't know the rules
[whine snivel]"!
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc