v4 Rules & Mechanics Discussion

[Legbreaker]

Maybe it's intentional? A badly thought out mechanic to keep PCs on the move?
Yeah, I don't think so either.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Maybe it's intentional? A badly thought out mechanic to keep PCs on the move?

That actually makes a lot of sense. Hasn't FL described their approach to T2k as a "hex crawl"? I have a sense of what a hex crawl is, but I'm not sure I really grasp the concept, or see an obvious connection to traditional T2k RPG'ing. Hopefully, someone here can explain it to me.

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[pansarskott]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Maybe it's intentional? A badly thought out mechanic to keep PCs on the move?

That would fit in with the rules for encounters when players ares stationary. Those rules are ambiguous when it comes to spotting (implies automatic discovery of PCs), and encounters get more severe as time passes.

[Southernap]

Originally Posted by pansarskott

That would fit in with the rules for encounters when players ares stationary. Those rules are ambiguous when it comes to spotting (implies automatic discovery of PCs), and encounters get more severe as time passes.

Reading the part about stationary players, seems like they are forcing the players to keep move all under the assumption that there are enough Russians and hostile Polish troopers to round up all the fleeing NATO troops.

The risk of being stationary seems directly opposite of what is supposed to happen when you need to brew up a still of alcohol fuel. Since if you have a small still you can only produce 5 liters of fuel per shift. While a larger still can produce a 50/liters a shift. Or fight hunger or find that part to fix the vehicle you have.

With a Hummer taking 95 liters of fuel, an M113 taking 360 liters, a couple of the Swedes vehicles taking 80-100 liters. Taking a quick look at the vehicle stats.

So the way they have the rules written, you move. Roll an encounter, set a watch, brew up fuel, forage for the next movement to the next hex and run out of fuel again, repeat steps 1 through 4. Oh and you have to have a body that can watch the still as well. So there is less than two PCs out of your team that need to stay by the base camp.

Makes no sense. Then combine that with the rules that rest does a body good to heal from wounds and stress. Means your watch you set might as well be the most broken PC in the team at the moment. With the still operator as the 2nd most broke team member. While all the more able body folks run through foraging, fishing, hunting, whatever per a shift.

Unless I am misreading these rules or misunderstanding the intent here. Seems like the idea is forcing the PCs to be on the move almost constantly and that someone in the group will always have stress on their person.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

This is very much the impression I am getting from the alpha rules (for what it's worth, I have the same understanding of the rules as you do).
I'm finding it a tad difficult to figure out what the actual point of the game is, if its design is to keep you moving for "reasons".

Originally Posted by Southernap

Reading the part about stationary players, seems like they are forcing the players to keep move all under the assumption that there are enough Russians and hostile Polish troopers to round up all the fleeing NATO troops.

The risk of being stationary seems directly opposite of what is supposed to happen when you need to brew up a still of alcohol fuel. Since if you have a small still you can only produce 5 liters of fuel per shift. While a larger still can produce a 50/liters a shift. Or fight hunger or find that part to fix the vehicle you have.

With a Hummer taking 95 liters of fuel, an M113 taking 360 liters, a couple of the Swedes vehicles taking 80-100 liters. Taking a quick look at the vehicle stats.

So the way they have the rules written, you move. Roll an encounter, set a watch, brew up fuel, forage for the next movement to the next hex and run out of fuel again, repeat steps 1 through 4. Oh and you have to have a body that can watch the still as well. So there is less than two PCs out of your team that need to stay by the base camp.

Makes no sense. Then combine that with the rules that rest does a body good to heal from wounds and stress. Means your watch you set might as well be the most broken PC in the team at the moment. With the still operator as the 2nd most broke team member. While all the more able body folks run through foraging, fishing, hunting, whatever per a shift.

Unless I am misreading these rules or misunderstanding the intent here. Seems like the idea is forcing the PCs to be on the move almost constantly and that someone in the group will always have stress on their person.

[Legbreaker]

If that's the intention then it makes staying put and trying to hole up impossible. Firstly their rules mean you WILL starve before long and secondly, with the encounters ramping up, you WILL be killed.
The ramping encounters also lends weight to the "uber soviets" complaint most of us have.

Has anyone found anything that actually WORKS with these mechanics?

[Tegyrius]

I've been tinkering with some solo play (which, for me, is really more of writing prompts). The v2.2 encounter tables and travel rules, combined with Jed McClure's hex overlays of the original boxed set maps, seem to work fairly well for sandbox gaming. What you guys are describing sounds like it's more story- than simulation-focused, and leaning very hard toward survival RPG play.

- C.

[pansarskott]

Some stationary encounters issues:
* Increased severity of encounter for longer stays . (stationary encounters table).

detection rules:
Allow the PCs a RECON roll to spot the scouts (opposed roll). If spotted, the scouts might attack, retreat, or negotiate, depending on their goals.
* Automatic discovery of the PCs and the enemy know when the PCs have detected them?

* Some parts implies automatic detection of PCs, other parts says RECON is necessary to spot a hidden camp.