BDS

13 posts ยท Apr 5 2000 to Jun 19 2003

From: Thomas Barclay <Thomas.Barclay@s...>

Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:56:19 -0400

Subject: BDS

Okay BDS fans,

Keep in mind two things when anticipating this product:

1) Jon has already indicated it isn't as important as FB2 and I believe he
also indicated getting a skirmish game out there (FMASkirmish) is actually
more important business wise. I appreciate that his decisions must be made
this way, so be prepared for a wait (think what the FB2ers went
through....).

2) If you think FB needs playtesting, imagine how much playtesting you have to
put into stuff that is supposed to work in DS2 (with a point system and one
system of mechanics) and SG2 (without a point system, with another set of
systems) both. Picture it as trying to balance a ship for both cinematic and
vector. No easy task. BDS had better give itself the same length of time to
mature. We've waited this long, let's try to get it right rather than right
now.

On that note, I'm wondering if Jon's playtest group includes mostly FTers, or
if he has enough DS2 and SG2 players to give him feedback... because if not,
I'll gladly throw my hat in the ring.

From: Oerjan Ohlson <oerjan.ohlson@t...>

Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 18:24:02 +0200

Subject: Re: BDS

> Thomas.Barclay wrote:

> Okay BDS fans,

Us FB2ers only waited for a bit less than two years... I think you
meant "what the FB1ers went through" - five years, and even that is
less than the time that has elapsed since BDS was hinted at <g> Besides, FB2
is finished now...

> 2) If you think FB needs playtesting, imagine how much playtesting you

Not exactly. Any alien mechanics in DSII would be as separate from their SGII
counterparts as the current DSII rules are from SGII, so they don't need to be
balanced together. Balancing the SGII rules is very easy, since there's no
points system to balance anyway <shrug>

However, both of the ground combat games are a *lot* more complex than Full
Thrust, which of course increases the playtest work!

> No easy task. BDS had better give itself the same length of time

<chuckle>

> We've waited this long, let's try to get it right rather than right

"Let's try to get Jon to concentrate as much on this as he recently did
on FB2" ;-)

Later,

From: Brian Bilderback <bbilderback@h...>

Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 16:35:50 PDT

Subject: Re: BDS

Count me in....

Brian B

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Thomas.Barclay" <Thomas.Barclay@sofkin.ca>
Reply-To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
To: "GZG List (E-mail)" <gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>
Subject: BDS
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:56:19 -0400

On that note, I'm wondering if Jon's playtest group includes mostly FTers, or
if he has enough DS2 and SG2 players to give him feedback... because if not,
I'll gladly throw my hat in the ring.

From: Brian Bilderback <bbilderback@h...>

Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 16:40:33 PDT

Subject: Re: BDS

The concept BEHIND BDS is hinted at all the way back in DSII itself.....

And Amen to that....

Brian B

----Original Message Follows----
From: "Oerjan Ohlson" <oerjan.ohlson@telia.com>
Reply-To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
To: <gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU>
Subject: Re: BDS
Date: Wed, 5 Apr 2000 18:24:02 +0200

- five years, and even that is
less than the time that has elapsed since BDS was hinted at <g> Besides, FB2
is finished now...

"Let's try to get Jon to concentrate as much on this as he recently did
on FB2" ;-)

From: Andrew Martin <Al.Bri@x...>

Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 19:18:32 +1200

Subject: Re: BDS

Me two!

Andrew Martin Not missing out... ICQ: 26227169
http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/
-><-

[quoted original message omitted]

From: Chris Connor <con9570@f...>

Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 07:25:12 -0700

Subject: Re: BDS

> The concept BEHIND BDS is hinted at all the way back in DSII

It was explicitly mentioned in SGII on page(after shuffling through piles of
RPG and wargaming books for a couple of minutes)58. "a full treatment of the
subject of alien races is planned for our first SGII supplement, provisionally
entitled BUGS DON'T SURF!"

"treat your plane like your women, jump in them about 5 times a day and take
'em
to heaven and back." -Captain FlashHeart

From: David Reeves <davidar@n...>

Date: 06 Apr 2000 09:55:32 -0500

Subject: re: BDS

count me in for playtest as well. it was DS2 that got me first interested in
GZG products, since i then was mainly a WW2 microarmor player (Command
Decision).

i like some of the previous ideas floated around about giving the aliens
a unique game flavor -
- not just unit design, but also in confidence and reaction tests.
maybe we could work more of that out....

dave

From: Brendan Pratt <bastard@o...>

Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 10:26:54 +1000

Subject: Re: BDS

Count me in if we're forming a BDS group....

From: Allan Goodall <agoodall@a...>

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 00:15:51 -0400

Subject: Re: BDS

On Wed, 5 Apr 2000 10:56:19 -0400 , "Thomas.Barclay"
> <Thomas.Barclay@sofkin.ca> wrote:

> On that note, I'm wondering if Jon's playtest group includes mostly

I'm late in replying to this, but I'm in Jon's playtest group. I have been
tinkering around with FMA, I submitted some stuff for the scenario book, and I
will be playtesting SG2 stuff for BDS when it comes out.

From: Owen Glover <oglover@b...>

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 17:24:51 +1000

Subject: RE: BDS

Hmm, how many players from down this way (Oz...) are involved in Playtesting?
I KNOW we have some eager and enthusiastic types!

Cheers,

Owen G

> -----Original Message-----

From: Alan and Carmel Brain <aebrain@w...>

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 23:23:35 +1000

Subject: Re: BDS

RE: BDSFrom: Glover, Owen Hmm, how many players from down this way (Oz...) are
involved in

From: Germ <germ@g...>

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 19:43:03 +0100

Subject: Re: BDS

> Looking at these Kryomek tanks reminds me that "Bugs Don't Surf" is

> even DS on the net anywhere?

Well I still have my alien DS2 rules on my website.
http://www.germy.co.uk/downloads/Dirtside%20Alien.pdf

Can't answer the 'Good rules' bit I might be biased:)

Jeremey www.germy.co.uk

From: Roger Books <books@m...>

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 14:25:29 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: BDS

Looking at these Kryomek tanks reminds me that "Bugs Don't Surf" is still
closely akin to vaporware.  Any good rules for bio-constructs in SG or
even DS on the net anywhere?