Other RPG Systems

[headquarters]

started out with those play by yourself books at the kitchen table when I was 8 or 9 ,scribbling away and furiously sipping my glass of milk .went on to to do some dnd ,but after I fell in with the general I was embroiled in several ADnD campaigns,tried my hand at Warhammer ,call of Cuthulu,ParaNoia,top Secret -in which I ran a merc campaign and secret agents of Edwardian Britain campaign ,and after that found Twilight and have stuck with it ever since ,albeit with detours into merc that have been fun .

Mostly as a player in other systems ,and mostly as a GM in the Twilight v.2.0 rules./merc setting .

Speaking of which -Friday this autumns FtF weekend kicks of -a typical -players poised to attack a vastly superior enemy,hounded by relentless super villains and plagued by internal strife -type of do.
Really looking forward to it !

[Mohoender]

I have tried several games (RPG and wargames) since 1981-1982.

For now, I'm working on T2K and often running Star Wars game, taking a lot of pleasure teaching my players that you can die while playing this game. Anyway they are in trouble as the Empire has won their last exchange and the New Republic might fall again.
I also had the highest casualty rate in Star Wars with 2 dead, 2 prisoners (awaiting execution) and 2 wounded out of a party of 7 (my players had blown up half of a city under them and put an imperial army on full alert in order to kill one single target ). That's what happen when you follow the diceased leasy hot headed. The three survivors were taken prisoners by pirates and they ended up in some bad situation.

As player I'm playing AD&D (one of my friend's version) but casualty rate is way too high. I was the sole survivor of the previous game (as my dwarf ran out in front of an army of demons; my fellow players died wandering while a dwarf was running so fast) and the last game ended with death for all of us: 5 to face 100 beasts in an open field is definitely not enough.. Don't bring Paladins with inlove magicians along.

[spielmeister]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

I have tried several games (RPG and wargames) since 1981-1982.

For now, I'm working on T2K and often running Star Wars game, taking a lot of pleasure teaching my players that you can die while playing this game. Anyway they are in trouble as the Empire has won their last exchange and the New Republic might fall again.
I also had the highest casualty rate in Star Wars with 2 dead, 2 prisoners (awaiting execution) and 2 wounded out of a party of 7 (my players had blown up half of a city under them and put an imperial army on full alert in order to kill one single target ). That's what happen when you follow the diceased leasy hot headed. The three survivors were taken prisoners by pirates and they ended up in some bad situation.

As player I'm playing AD&D (one of my friend's version) but casualty rate is way too high. I was the sole survivor of the previous game (as my dwarf ran out in front of an army of demons; my fellow players died wandering while a dwarf was running so fast) and the last game ended with death for all of us: 5 to face 100 beasts in an open field is definitely not enough.. Don't bring Paladins with inlove magicians along.

Wow Mohoender, looks like you guys play/run lethal games judging from the bodycount. I should learn from you guys. I seem to be a bit too 'nice' to my players of late (not that anyone is complaining). But I notice that a reasonable degree of lethality always brings out the best in a player....

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by spielmeister

Wow Mohoender, looks like you guys play/run lethal games judging from the bodycount. I should learn from you guys. I seem to be a bit too 'nice' to my players of late (not that anyone is complaining). But I notice that a reasonable degree of lethality always brings out the best in a player....

The problem is to reach the good balance. With AD&D the lethality is too high and doesn't help the game anymore. However, we make fun of the GM, pointing out that none of us ever saw the end of one his game.

For my part, I'm not all forgiving but the casualty rate of the Star wars game I sited was high. Nevertheless, it was justified. The team had to assassinate someone (an arm dealer) but, instead of entering the house and killing the guy, they chose to blow up the building (one of them bright idea) in the middle of an Imperial army base with a full navy group orbiting the planet. Saddly for them, the basement was full of explosives and the time on the charge they set up was too small (1 minute only) and they didn't have enough time to take cover (they let the bright guy do all the job ). In the game that ended with the Empire winning they put the mission on hold to save one of their comrade, they should have finished the mission first. As a result, they failed and the guy died anyway. If you forget to play with your brain you die. In T2K, that's even worse of course.

[Marc]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

The problem is to reach the good balance. With AD&D the lethality is too high and doesn't help the game anymore. However, we make fun of the GM, pointing out that none of us ever saw the end of one his game.

The good balance... A key element in the secret formula of a good roleplaying session! It's a work for the GM to garantee the balance. But I agree in the fact that some set of rules are too lethal.

But, with time and observation, I have built for myself the opinion that the major cause of mortality in a group of playing characters is "the hero that is struggling to reach the surface" in every player. Some setups or games allow the hero in nearly all the ocasions. Others allow it only in a certain extent. Generally, the player with a fire weapon will always try to shoot. The player with a sword will always try to swing it against the enemy. In a combat, the player thinks that his/her character is loosing time if he is not killing anybody. Things like retreat, wait, cover, defensive actions, etc, are secondary or only take into consideration if can be doing while attaking. So, a lot of time the character is exposing himself to the enemy. And if the set of rules is lethal... Sometimes a little tuning time may be required in more lethal set of rules.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Marc

But, with time and observation, I have built for myself the opinion that the major cause of mortality in a group of playing characters is "the hero that is struggling to reach the surface" in every player.

So true! They just forget that a hero is often dead meat.

[Targan]

Harnmaster/Gunmaster uses 10 second turns but alot can happen in a turn.

[spielmeister]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

The problem is to reach the good balance. With AD&D the lethality is too high and doesn't help the game anymore. However, we make fun of the GM, pointing out that none of us ever saw the end of one his game.

Lol! Dunno if that's a compliment to the GM.

Originally Posted by Mohoender

For my part, I'm not all forgiving but the casualty rate of the Star wars game I sited was high. Nevertheless, it was justified. The team had to assassinate someone (an arm dealer) but, instead of entering the house and killing the guy, they chose to blow up the building (one of them bright idea) in the middle of an Imperial army base with a full navy group orbiting the planet. Saddly for them, the basement was full of explosives and the time on the charge they set up was too small (1 minute only) and they didn't have enough time to take cover (they let the bright guy do all the job ). In the game that ended with the Empire winning they put the mission on hold to save one of their comrade, they should have finished the mission first.

True. That approach is good as it keeps players focused. It's refreshing to see gamers playing both sides in the Star Wars millieu. Gives everyone a lot of opportunities for wheeling dealing and thuggery.

Originally Posted by Mohoender

As a result, they failed and the guy died anyway. If you forget to play with your brain you die. In T2K, that's even worse of course.

Always the best approach. Although deep inside no player really wants to have a character die, my group has matured a bit these days (or so i like to think!). a sort of its not whether you live or die but whether you played well and everyone had a great time. for some reason though, d&d4 brings out the power-gaming streak in them.