> On 8/12/99 6:05 PM, Aron_Clark@digidesign.com wrote:
A skill system would move FMA closer to being a core system for a
role-playing game, which might not be a bad thing, overall.
Certainly nothing else has stepped up to take the place of Traveller.
In their new miniatures game (called "Vor"), FASA figured out how to do
something that no other game company has done yet: add a role-playing
system to the miniatures game, so that players can improve their units in
between games, and keep track of their units from one battle to the next. Even
if there's nothing else to recommend the game, that will keep their players
coming back for more.
Fairness dictates that I mention GW has campaign style systems in Necromunda,
GorkaMorka, and Warhammer 40K. A simpler system is found in Warhammer and in
Man O War.
Also, individual development is a key part of campaigns in the Rules With No
Name and Charlie Company (from RAFM) is an interesting mix of miniatures
wargaming and roleplaying. In a campaign of Charlie Company, your model can
gain experience and eventually go home, while your quality of play dictates
the size of squad you command as the campaign progresses.
> On 8/13/99 9:42 AM, Tom McCarthy wrote:
Whoops! I forgot to take my blinders off... (GW? Who's that? Oh yeah, didn't
they do a cool "hunt the vampire" boardgame a while ago?):)
Thanks, Tom...
> In a message dated 8/13/99 8:04:43 AM EST, rick@esr.com writes:
<<
A skill system would move FMA closer to being a core system for a
role-playing game, which might not be a bad thing, overall.
Certainly nothing else has stepped up to take the place of Traveller.
In their new miniatures game (called "Vor"), FASA figured out how to do
something that no other game company has done yet: add a role-playing
system to the miniatures game, so that players can improve their units in
between games, and keep track of their units from one battle to the next. Even
if there's nothing else to recommend the game, that will keep their players
coming back for more.
> [quoted text omitted]
I don't know how many of you have played THE RULES WITH NO NAME which is a Old
West, Seven Years War, Victorian Era skirmish game, but they use a card system
to activate figures and it also is used to generate random wild skills and
attributes on figures. This provides a "wild hare" for each game which is kind
of fun. Skills and Abilities will add a role play feel to any skirmish game
since both types of game are a one to one figure correspondence game. I agree
that nothing has stepped up0 to take Traveller's place even the
post-
GDW edition and GURPS monstrosity adaptation. For skirmish games and
role-play my favorite is still the Twilight 2000 system from GDW used
for Traveller: The New Era
I didn't mean to imply that each character/figure in a FMA game should
have a broad set of skills, that would then be tracked from game to game. What
a headache that could be. I suppose my interpretation of "skill use" in a
skirmish wargame is much, much more in line with the "Rules With No Name" set
mentioned below. When using such a system only a minority of characters have
skills, and then usually only one. More than one skill only if they are of the
heroic variety.
Let me say that I do like they opposed die roll, based on the character's
"skill die" vs "task difficulty". Quick and easy. Consider this example. An
elite squad performs a night raid on a enemy CP. Squad made up of 1 leader, 1
electronics specialist, and 3 grunts. Objective raid the CP and download
mainframe contents. Secondary objective, destroy the mainframe. Skill
challenges for electronics specialist (skill "competent"), open CP blast doors
(difficulty "average") download data (difficulty "hard").
If the specialist where killed then the leader might be considered to have a
"poor" electronics skill, and the grunts a "hopeless" rating (ah let's just
blow this thing). Additionally the elite squad might all have a Stealth skill
to sneak around the CP compound.
ScottSaylo@aol.com on 08/13/99 07:31:18 AM
Please respond to gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
To: gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
cc: (bcc: Aron Clark/AM/Avid)
Subject: Re: FMA Skills [CLEAN STAMP]
> In a message dated 8/13/99 8:04:43 AM EST, rick@esr.com writes:
<<
A skill system would move FMA closer to being a core system for a
role-playing game, which might not be a bad thing, overall.
Certainly nothing else has stepped up to take the place of Traveller.
In their new miniatures game (called "Vor"), FASA figured out how to do
something that no other game company has done yet: add a role-playing
system to the miniatures game, so that players can improve their units in
between games, and keep track of their units from one battle to the next. Even
if there's nothing else to recommend the game, that will keep their players
coming back for more.
> [quoted text omitted]
I don't know how many of you have played THE RULES WITH NO NAME which is a Old
West, Seven Years War, Victorian Era skirmish game, but they use a card system
to activate figures and it also is used to generate random wild skills and
attributes on figures. This provides a "wild hare" for each game which is kind
of fun. Skills and Abilities will add a role play feel to any skirmish game
since both types of game are a one to one figure correspondence game. I agree
that nothing has stepped up0 to take Traveller's place even the
post-
GDW edition and GURPS monstrosity adaptation. For skirmish games and
role-play my favorite is still the Twilight 2000 system from GDW used
for Traveller: The New Era