Aren't you all slightly optimistic?

[jester]

I usualy place limits on the PCs equipment, within reason of what would be available and what they can carry. Weapons, I give them a selection of basic weapons. Although sometimes I am EVIL and give them a number and I pick their weapon based on that number, same for ammo, and yes I have had some PCs have less than 30 rounds of ammo for their personal arms.

Com. eh, I love giving them com gear, with limited power, so they can get used to relying on it and then poof battery is dead when they most need it. That is always fun!

Armor, it gets used up and damaged. And the PACT forces gear is bulky, and in my games they don't always have it.

Night Vision; rare in my world.

Vehicles, eh, they get them, I preffer older stuff. But in my wolrd, the GM giveth and the GN taketh. And the more shiny new gear or the cooler kit the more a target you become. As well as the the larger and well armed are the hostiles you will encounter to make it suitably challenging.

I always like to include 1 issue where the PCs are worrying about more than any other, be it fuel, food, water, ammo something that they have no extra and what they have is short to a critical level.

And I also toss in a nice twist like giving them three 60mm mortars but only a dozen rounds and half of that is illum, which will force them to be creative. Or several belt fed machineguns but with only 50 to 100 rounds per gun with maybe 1 gun having a decent ammo load. <This is easy when you give them 1 M60E3 with the disentrigrating links, a MG 3 with non desentigrating link, and a PK MG in a totaly different caliber so you can't really swap ammo>

[Mohoender]

Ok, now I understand, I was starting to fear I was the only sadistic GM around. In fact you are only advertising around here: "Look at the picture, isn't it nice to take a small walking trip with us?". Then, when your PCs are ready, it doesn't look exactly as it appeared : "Of course you can have that nice gun you always wanted, there is just a slight problem. The next available one is in the hand of a Cossack warlord in the middle of Siberia, protected by a full cavalry corps of elite horsemen and a few dozen tanks".

[TiggerCCW UK]

My players complain that I only use my equipment lists to show them things they can't have, find or afford

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by TiggerCCW UK

My players complain that I only use my equipment lists to show them things they can't have, find or afford

IMO you are a good GM (player's opinion).

[TiggerCCW UK]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

IMO you are a good GM (player's opinion).

I'm going to print that off and show it to them

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by TiggerCCW UK

My players complain that I only use my equipment lists to show them things they can't have, find or afford

LOL, awesome.

In my game, the PCs have amassed a large bit of material wealth. I try to limit the enemy to bare essentials, but even with that, every time they win a battle there always seems to be a crapload of gear. They are like vultures too, and take absolutely everything.

[TiggerCCW UK]

My group got like that, and then complained how much paperwork they had keeping track of it! You just can't win sometimes

[Fusilier]

Originally Posted by TiggerCCW UK

My group got like that, and then complained how much paperwork they had keeping track of it! You just can't win sometimes

"They"

I wish. My game is online play by post. I have to do it all (or rely on Legbreaker to help me out).

[TiggerCCW UK]

I do miss my face to face sessions now I'm living in the country. Used to be the 7 of us every Tuesday night, now we only manage to get together every 3 or 4 months

[Legbreaker]

Originally Posted by Fusilier

I wish. My game is online play by post. I have to do it all (or rely on Legbreaker to help me out).

And I don't mind lending a hand with the admin either.

Yes, call me mad, but I actually like paperwork...

[Targan]

Originally Posted by TiggerCCW UK

My group got like that, and then complained how much paperwork they had keeping track of it! You just can't win sometimes

My campaign has generated vast reams of paperwork. The PCs in my campaign accumulate vast amounts of loot too. In NYC during the Armies of the Night part of the campaign Major Po wanted to reduce the population on Manhatten Island so he had a strict policy of trading guns to the locals in return for their food. Yes, he is a worry.

[Nowhere Man 1966]

I know you can make your own body armor from old tires with the steel/kevlar belts in the treads although it will be kind of heavy and the stench in the summer would be horrible from the tires themselves plus the sweat.

Chuck M.

[jester]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Ok, now I understand, I was starting to fear I was the only sadistic GM around. In fact you are only advertising around here: "Look at the picture, isn't it nice to take a small walking trip with us?". Then, when your PCs are ready, it doesn't look exactly as it appeared : "Of course you can have that nice gun you always wanted, there is just a slight problem. The next available one is in the hand of a Cossack warlord in the middle of Siberia, protected by a full cavalry corps of elite horsemen and a few dozen tanks".

Well, my idea is there is a cost to what they want. Sure you can have the .44 Automag but you get 1 magazine and 6 rounds.....have fun! Oh yeah the enemy is a Catagory C unit and has 6 T-34s and they are hunting you. Have a nice day

Like, I have thought about giving the PCs a cool toy but, they need to fight to get the items needed to make it work, fuel, ammo or items to trade to the folks who have the item needed to make their cool toy function.

And of course I still pat myself on the back for giving the PCs a large supply of M1 Garands and letting them think they had a few cases of 30-06 ammo, but when they opened it, it turned out to be 7.62. No one bothered to think they could trade the locals for 30-06 since it was the most common caliber in the region and their MGs used 7.62, hehehe I laughed at that one though, built up their hopes and then dashed them on the rocks with a real life snafu.

And that I think is a key to good GMing, adding comical but real foul ups due to administrative error. And of course a lack of checking to confirm on the part of the PCs.

[weswood]

I don't have a game running, but if I can ever get together enough players, I plan on starting the game with the characters fleeing on foot from a Soviet ambush. Thier issue equipment will be weapon, less than 200 rounds ammo, and 3 MREs. They can have more stuff if they can afford it and carry it, and I've got my own start up cash generating system. For example, an E-5 could end up with about $4,000 max.

Also, in my world, vehicles won't run on straight alcohol, it's got to be mixed with at least 50% gas. Diesel engines can run on vegetable oil though.