RPG Forums

Go Back   RPG Forums > Role Playing Game Section > Twilight 2000 Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-04-2022, 03:11 PM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default Oops, I Did It Again: Random PC Generator

So there you are: waiting for the bus in the pouring rain after a long night of gaming during which you finally pushed your referee too far. In retrospect, the warning signs were there: shaking hands, a nervous tic at the corner of his eye, incoherent frothing rage every time a PC laughed off another 1d6 9mm round to the head. You knew he was tired of apparent PC immortality but you really didn't think he'd go as far as he did tonight. You never expected him to bribe Paul Mulcahy to stat up the RPC.

But it happened. Now you're cold, wet, slightly cranky, and trying to figure out what to roll up for your replacement character.

I'm here to help you.

Introducing the all*-new random Twilight: 2000 v2.2 player character generator. Select your preferences, click the button, and (assuming I debugged several thousand lines of code correctly) it will spew forth a complete player character, fully clothed and equipped and ready for post-nuclear adventuring. With at least 89,280 possible combinations, you'll never need to worry again about having a backup PC!

- C.

* Contains approximately 37.5% pre-used content from the starting equipment generator. Guaranteed gluten-free.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-04-2022, 05:08 PM
The Zappster's Avatar
The Zappster The Zappster is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Liverpool, England
Posts: 36
Default

Another fantastic tool. Thank you
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-05-2022, 09:41 AM
Silent Hunter UK Silent Hunter UK is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 370
Default

Great work. Please note this may not generate Britney Spears, even if that lady did once turn up in a campaign.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-05-2022, 03:32 PM
Ursus Maior Ursus Maior is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Ruhr Area, Germany
Posts: 327
Default

Thanks again for the inspiration work. I mean it. I have constructed many plots from random dots like these. It keeps me from repeating narrative patterns of my own to much.
__________________
Liber et infractus
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-05-2022, 07:14 PM
bash's Avatar
bash bash is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: California
Posts: 156
Default

I received the following with the kit generator:

Quote:
an insufficient 2d6 and a copy of Shadowrun 1st Edition
Solid. Gold.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-06-2022, 08:55 AM
pmulcahy11b's Avatar
pmulcahy11b pmulcahy11b is offline
The Stat Guy
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 4,345
Default

I generated a designated marksman wearing Luxembourger jungle fatigues. Not sure the Luxembourgers ever made those...and she has volumes 1 & 2 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Excellent!
__________________
War is the absence of reason. But then, life often demands unreasonable responses. - Lucian Soulban, Warhammer 40000 series, Necromunda Book 6, Fleshworks

Entirely too much T2K stuff here: www.pmulcahy.com
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-08-2022, 08:15 AM
leonpoi leonpoi is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 171
Default

As someone who is gluten free, I appreciate the consideration.

What a lovely thing you have made. Time to make some characters !
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 09-08-2022, 10:36 AM
Heffe Heffe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 223
Default

This is really excellent. Thank you so much for this awesome resource!
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 09-11-2022, 06:43 AM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

Thanks for all the kind words, gentlemen. I just posted some minor updates. Nothing major, just bug fixes and a few more noncombat role profiles.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent Hunter UK View Post
Great work. Please note this may not generate Britney Spears, even if that lady did once turn up in a campaign.
She is, however, on the list of USO performers who may appear in my expanded encounter generator.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bash View Post
I received the following with the kit generator:

an insufficient 2d6 and a copy of Shadowrun 1st Edition

Solid. Gold.
Remember buying a Chessex brick of 36d6 for Shadowrun games? Stuffer Shack remembers!

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 09-11-2022, 07:41 PM
bash's Avatar
bash bash is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: California
Posts: 156
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegyrius View Post
Remember buying a Chessex brick of 36d6 for Shadowrun games? Stuffer Shack remembers!

- C.
I had several bricks the Chessex mini D6s for Star Wars RPG, I think they were nominally for Warhammer, so I was well equipped for the random Shadowrun game. I still find those dice hidden at the bottom of boxes in my garage.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-03-2022, 04:00 PM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

Enhancements soft-launched over the last few weeks:

• Expanded list of backgrounds.

• Expanded lists of specialties for several combat and noncombat roles.

• Added character appearance and personality traits.

• Re-balanced attribute point allocations (work in progress).

• Enhanced language allocation: native languages now appear in the stat block alongside all other skills and duplicate languages should no longer occur.

• Generator now checks minimum allocations for certain key skills to reduce the likelihood of complete uselessness.

• Added optional retro boot sequence.

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 12-10-2022, 10:51 AM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

Some minor updates today:

• All Soviet characters now have some level of Language (Russian) proficiency.

• Incremental additions to both combat and noncombat role permutations.

• Added much more variety to American first name tables (female and male tables are each 200+ entries instead of about 20 each).

(Edit: If the generator is refusing to do anything when you click the "build and equip me" button, try clearing your browser cache. Thanks to Desert Mariner for a heads-up on an issue here.)

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson

Last edited by Tegyrius; 12-10-2022 at 12:32 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 12-11-2022, 08:20 PM
Ckosacranoid Ckosacranoid is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 27
Default

...and the one thing everyone forgot on the list....everyone from mother Russia has great skill....but now no one can speak the language now.

Sorry, just had to leave something funny like that after you fixed some issues.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 12-12-2022, 02:03 PM
Graebarde Graebarde is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Texas Coastal Bend
Posts: 528
Default

Good job....
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 12-27-2022, 03:49 PM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

For all none of you who were asking for it, there's now a version of the generator for 4th edition PCs. The character history is a lot less verbose on this - more of sketchy notes or writing prompts than complete sentences. I got very tired of writing modular prose that my elementary (if not remedial) text parser could staple together.

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 12-27-2022, 07:31 PM
Cdnwolf's Avatar
Cdnwolf Cdnwolf is offline
The end is nigh!!!
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: London, Ontario Canada
Posts: 1,455
Default

THANK YOU
__________________
*************************************
Each day I encounter stupid people I keep wondering... is today when I get my first assault charge??
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 12-27-2022, 08:40 PM
Jonesy64 Jonesy64 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2021
Posts: 3
Default

Thanks for the generator! Enjoyed both of your books especially the Pacific Northwest,
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 12-28-2022, 03:50 AM
therantingsavant therantingsavant is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 72
Default Savant's back, yes he's back...

This generator is pretty cool, helps fill the void I felt there was in terms of pregen characters in the core rulebook quite well as part of "Starter Set" resources or "the Ammo Box" as I was thinking of calling it. My only comment for improvement suggestion would be to have the ability to select combat +/- non-combat role to help round out starting parties or pregen opposing (or OpFor) parties eg for use in scenario creation - I think the v2.2 generator had this feature.

Mind you this is me with no coding / parsing skill and no idea how much work that would be - it's still amazing don't get me wrong.

And yeah it's been over a year since I visited...

And seems even longer since I posted about anything T2k related over at the 'Rants: https://therantingsavant.blogspot.com/ I realise - apologies, I have just started looking through things and the FB groups and noticed this generator (and Teg's kind comments about my blog back in the day).

Tbh I'm waiting for the Riverine resources so I can start writing posts themed as "Take Me To the River" LOL:

* Cruising Down the Visla
* Smoke on the Warta
* Carry on Down the Oder

Still, all this has inspired me a bit, maybe I should have a look at the old articles and consider 4E versions and commentary like I had originally planned before the pandemic and then the Ukraine war upended things. Or maybe collate all the v2.2k articles into a PDF or PoD for DriveThruRPG even for ease of use Maybe <shrug>

Last edited by therantingsavant; 12-28-2022 at 04:02 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 12-28-2022, 06:39 AM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

Welcome back!

Unfortunately, the architecture of this one doesn't lend itself well to combat/noncombat selections. In the 2e generator, I used a system combining (background package) + (combat role package) + (support role package) to build the stats, so filtering was fairly easy.

I took a different approach for the 4e generator, though. It steps through (background phase) --> (first adult phase) --> (second adult phase) --> (war phase), with each phase transition having a table of available paths. With that architecture, classifying and filtering each phase transition by combat vs. noncombat is... not impossible, but not easy, and something I'd have to think about how to achieve. There's lower-hanging fruit in terms of incremental improvements to this generator, and I also have a few more sourcebook ideas in the hopper...

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 12-28-2022, 10:39 AM
Heffe Heffe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 223
Default

Teg - out of curiosity, any other ideas for 4e in particular in terms of sourcebooks or anything else, or are you still mainly focused on the older editions?
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 12-28-2022, 10:50 AM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

I'm not really interested in working on 4e story or setting material. While I'm coming to appreciate the system (while still acknowledging some significant shortcomings), Free League's setting is not to my taste. Anything I do for 4e in the foreseeable future will probably be along the lines of rules or equipment conversions.

More importantly, I'm profoundly uncomfortable with the current Free League Workshop terms for T2k products. The required copyright statement for every other FL game line in the Workshop leaves original content ownership with the creator. The required T2k copyright statement omits that clause and seems to assign ownership of that content to Free League and GDW (ref: screen shot taken 19 March 2022 for reference, Workshop guidelines article on DriveThruRPG). As a semi-pro author in this industry with 1.1 million paid words in print, I am wary of the precedent of giving Free League rights to any of my work for free. If they want ownership of content I create, I am open to discussing my availability for standard work-for-hire contracts at my usual word rates.

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson

Last edited by Tegyrius; 12-28-2022 at 10:56 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 12-28-2022, 11:27 AM
Heffe Heffe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 223
Default

Makes sense. Thanks!
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 12-28-2022, 12:12 PM
Raellus's Avatar
Raellus Raellus is offline
Administrator
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Southern AZ
Posts: 4,174
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegyrius View Post
More importantly, I'm profoundly uncomfortable with the current Free League Workshop terms for T2k products. The required copyright statement for every other FL game line in the Workshop leaves original content ownership with the creator. The required T2k copyright statement omits that clause and seems to assign ownership of that content to Free League and GDW (ref: screen shot taken 19 March 2022 for reference, Workshop guidelines article on DriveThruRPG).
This is a big reason I haven't "published" my 4e adventure yet. It's pretty much done, except for layout and formatting. I might have to bite the bullet if I want it to see the light of day. It's basically in limbo, ATM.

-
__________________
Author of Twilight 2000 adventure modules, Rook's Gambit and The Poisoned Chalice, the campaign sourcebook, Korean Peninsula, and co-author of Tara Romaneasca, a campaign sourcebook for Romania, all available for purchase on DriveThruRPG:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...--Rooks-Gambit
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...ula-Sourcebook
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...nia-Sourcebook
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product...liate_id=61048
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 12-28-2022, 12:28 PM
Heffe Heffe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 223
Default

I assume you guys have asked FL for comment on it? Have they responded with anything?

The omission there is clearly glaring, but given the nature of business I wonder if there might a benign reason for the choice to remove it.
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 12-28-2022, 01:50 PM
Tegyrius's Avatar
Tegyrius Tegyrius is offline
This Sourcebook Kills Fascists
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 892
Default

I have not. As previously noted, I don't have a lot of drive to write in the 4e setting, so it's not been a priority for me. I understand that other creators brought the concern to Free League's attention at least as early as March, when I took that screen shot.

Thread drift incoming...

I am hesitant to ascribe malice in this industry, as experience has taught me that ignorance or lack of understanding (especially in international business) are much more likely explanations for something that looks sketchy. However, the fact that FL hasn't changed the terms of the license agreement after being contacted by others - and, to my knowledge, hasn't even responded to those inquiries - makes it hard for me to believe that omission is unintentional.

While this is not my primary means of supporting my other hobbies, I've had a number of friends over the years whose RPG freelance work was a significant fraction of their total annual income. So when I see a publisher who's making profit off creators' work and is neither paying them for the rights (which has been the vast majority of my freelance experience) nor allowing them to retain those rights, my inclination is to see it as exploitative.

That's not to say that I have an issue with you or other creators choosing to participate in Free League Workshop for 4e. Everyone makes their own business decisions, and I suspect that many of the creators with material in Workshop are fans who are just happy to put something out there for the community and earn a bit of cash to sink back into other gaming material. But for myself, I've been doing this too long, and have invested too many hours of my life into honing my craft, to put my usual amount of effort into a sourcebook just to hand it over to Free League.

- C.
__________________
Clayton A. Oliver • Occasional RPG Freelancer Since 1996

Author of The Pacific Northwest, coauthor of Tara Romaneasca, creator of several other free Twilight: 2000 and Twilight: 2013 resources, and curator of an intermittent gaming blog.

It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.
- Josh Olson
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 12-29-2022, 02:59 AM
therantingsavant therantingsavant is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 72
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegyrius View Post
Welcome back!

Unfortunately, the architecture of this one doesn't lend itself well to combat/noncombat selections. In the 2e generator, I used a system combining (background package) + (combat role package) + (support role package) to build the stats, so filtering was fairly easy.

I took a different approach for the 4e generator, though. It steps through (background phase) --> (first adult phase) --> (second adult phase) --> (war phase), with each phase transition having a table of available paths. With that architecture, classifying and filtering each phase transition by combat vs. noncombat is... not impossible, but not easy, and something I'd have to think about how to achieve. There's lower-hanging fruit in terms of incremental improvements to this generator, and I also have a few more sourcebook ideas in the hopper...

- C.
Yeah so checking the life path system this makes sense. When I made the "Training Packages for Redcaps" article for Ars Magica, I realised you could probably randomise the chunks similarly but the lifepath systems don't really lend to "chunking" as you say without more work sure.

So look I'm patient. But in terms of a GM resource would be amazing.
Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:18 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.6
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.