My first semester ended with an A and a B+, and now, in week three of the new semester I'm enjoying both Anthro and Intro to Military History. Damn, but these 8-week semesters move FAST. I feel like I just got started, and one prof has already posted about the mid-term...
OK, most of you (that is, two out of the three readers of this blog) come here to see me post about gaming stuff. So here's what I've been tinkering with, MechWarrior-wise. I think I've sussed out that I want to borrow lots from Traveller, some from MechWarrior 1e and 2e, and then tack on some concepts from FATE. When all this comes together, it should be the MechWarrior system I've wanted to play with.
After some consideration, we'll be stealing bits of the Traveller character gen, and the concept of UPP. Something else I like is with the Mongoose tweak of Traveller, the attribute bonuses are on a fairly tight scale, which might help keep high attribute scores from creating supercharacters. One of the issues with MechWarrior 2nd Edition is that any character with a 6 ITN was godlike in pretty much anything but social interaction. The flip side was that an 'average' person with 3s across the board needed a skill level of 4-5 just to be competent at something. University Education only gave a max skill level of 3. Your PCs won't be 'average' for the most part, but unless you're going to decouple PCs from NPCs for determining skills then you want the system to reflect some sort of internal consistency... Hmmm... perhaps you COULD simply rule that the average NPC as the skill roll of a military regular at whatever it is they do and just ignore the math...
OK, next thing I want to steal from Traveller is the lifepath system. I want to find a way to make it interesting and useful, but not the amazing monster it became in MW3. I think the big problem in MW3 was the way skill points worked. If the lifepath is going to grant skills, it needs to grant skills, not skill points that must later be rectified into something else. Mongoose Traveller even has a notation for granting a skill level and no higher. I like that as well, as it allows for someone to reach a given experience level without exceeding it for certain things or types of training. As an aside - I'd like to also borrow planetary UPP codes as well.
From MechWarrior 1e and 2e I'm taking the personal combat system. I think personal combat should be very close to 'Mech combat to keep the paradigm from shifting too much for players. Also - I love hit locations in personal combat. Gives a bit more flavor to the fighting. We're going to go for a straight +1 damage per MoS in combat, avoiding the math in AToW of 1/4 point here and 1/2 point there. Armor will be handled like it was in MW2e, since the whole BAR/penetration system is linked to AToW's system. I don't think scaling will be as much of an issue as to require us to use the whole gamut of BAR.
Skills give me pause. AToW uses a 0-10 skill level scale. I'm not sure we are going to use 10 skill levels. I'm almost tempted to use untrained, green, regular, veteran and elite (with possibly one or two levels above this) as skill levels to keep things simple. It also allows a quick assignment of target number to NPCs. OK, stream of consciousness here, in MW1e, there were 8 skill levels. If we go with 8, that means keying Regular to a TN of 5, green to 6 and untrained to 7 or 8...
I really have to stop with the stream-of-consciousness notations... I always lose focus and end up tinkering with stuff that has no direct effect on the project at hand...
OK, so chargen and skills etc. What about FATE integration? Well, we're looking at replacing the EDG attribute with something like the refresh mechanic used in the Dresden Files RPG, where the GM sets a refresh rate and 'powers' are subtracted from that number. For the purposes of MW, a 2nd Edition or AToW-style natural aptitude (roll 3d6 keep best 2) would be a power. Most advantages might be considered for powers, like sixth sense, etc. Have to make a list, I s'pose. We're also going to leave SOC and EDU as aspects. Like "Swordmaster of the House of Dencourt", which would have a value assigned to it by the GM, or "Graduate of the DeChevalier Military Academy" which would have a number assigned likewise. Why do it this way? These things I want decided on based on style and character background, not balancing a pool of points.
Hmmm... I'm starting to see a White Wolf-style character sheet for some reason... No, wait, eight bubbles next to each skill would be a bit much. Speaking of skills, the skill list needs to be pruned a bit. AToW gives for a skill list so long that every character in our party needed more space for skills and required me to make a custom character sheet to deal with it. And then a sheet of JUST skills for two of the nine PCs in the party. This will bear looking into...
This is almost making me want to... yep... I'm going to go tinker with a character sheet... I will try to post more soon...
28 February 2011
MechWarrior meets Pendragon meets Traveller?
Last night, I ran a one-shot of MechWarrior First Edition. It took me back... waaay back. And while I was running this one-shot I was making mental notes on some things I'd like to do with a MechWarrior game. I've made posts before on message boards about how I love the original feel of the MechWarrior universe. The Dune-inspired post-apocalyptic neo-feudal universe where 'Mechs are the lords of the battlefield and can no longer be constructed- or at least constructed on a small-scale.
This has given me some ideas for what I would consider "my" version of MechWarrior, or MechWarrior 1.5, as it were.
I want to use the 1st edition rules as a basis and I'll admit its out of nostalgia. Let's start with that and take a look at the things I'd like to keep or modify.
The MechWarrior 1e game was often criticized for not being able to do much more than make MechWarriors and pilots. Something that crossed my mind while reading Pendragon the other night was that Pendragon is a game that makes Knights. Only knights, pretty much. Pendragon is touted as one of the greatest genre games ever made. So... what the heck is wrong with MechWarrior being designed to make... MechWarriors?
Now, don't get me wrong. I think there's a LOT more to the Battletech universe than BattleMechs. There's so much history, culture, so many nooks and crannies in the universe to fit into that have nothing to do with 'Mechs at all. I've run a couple of campaigns like this and they were brilliant. The deal is, if Greg Stafford could design Pendragon to handle the Knights of the Round Table, why can't MechWarrior be designed to deal with the Knights of the Inner Sphere- IE, MechWarriors?
Pendragon gives me some inspiration here. Each character is assumed to be a landholding noble. Isn't that really the feel of the original MechWarrior universe? That MechWarriors were the landed nobility by virtue of having a BattleMech?
So why tweak the game to assume that the characters are either these landed noble MechWarriors and Aerospace Pilots or their retinue?
So the default character type would be a MechWarrior. Other possibilites would be aerospace pilots, tankers, etc. There would be a clear social like between MechWarriors/Aerospace Pilots and everyone else. Much as knights had serjeants, I think every MechWarrior would have a small number of tankers as retainers. And maybe some infantry. These would be to support the 'Mech, and to guard the household when the 'Mech is away.
Which brings me to the 'Mech being away. Just as a Knight was required to serve his lord for a period of time per year, why not have MechWarriors required to serve a certain amount of time in active duty to their liege. In fact, one could even take some of the household mechanics from Pendragon and even include something like "The Winter Phase" for the fortunes of the house and the household members.
Now, at this point, I have to mention that I've cribbed a lot from "A Song of Ice and Fire" about houses and house fortunes, etc. I think we might look to MechWarrior 1st Edition and come up with some additional ideas for building landholds and figuring house fortunes.
I'm ruminating on possible projects around this. MechWarrior 1st Edition sourcebooks, maybe. Or maybe start with an article a'la Battletechnology covering governing a landhold. I can take a look at Pendragon and it's sourcebook Lordly Domains, plus the Song of Ice and Fire rules, and see what we've got going on to adapt. I think it would be awesome to come up with something retro, but useful...
This has given me some ideas for what I would consider "my" version of MechWarrior, or MechWarrior 1.5, as it were.
I want to use the 1st edition rules as a basis and I'll admit its out of nostalgia. Let's start with that and take a look at the things I'd like to keep or modify.
- The game uses 2d6 task resolution. This I want to keep because it's the core of the Battletech game, with which my version of MechWarrior should remain compatible.
- The ability scores run on a 12-point scale. I think it's possible to keep this scale, or even to expand it to 15 a-'la Traveller for an old-school hexidecimal UPP scheme... Hmmm... Traveller-style systems for MechWarrior...
- The basic system of ability scores giving a modifier to target number works for me. The challenge here is to create a scheme by which ability scores have an effect, but not as much of an overpowering one as MechWarrior 2nd Edition had, where a character with a 6 ITN was godlike.
- I like the HTK system, and having HTK by body location. A Time of War has overcomplicated what should be a simplification by reducing the number of damage points a character has, then having margin of success add 1/4 point or 1/2 point to damage. Why not just keep a larger pool of hit points and count full points?
- I have been looking at the Battletechnology article on character creation. It gives a variable number of CP for character creation based on the throw of 2d6-2. This gives a range of 145-225 CP rather than the 150 CP normally alotted by the original MechWarrior RPG. It also gives several different training possibilities with differing skill packages. This is terribly old-school in its complex crunchiness. I may or may not keep some of this just out of nostalgic grognardism.
- I like having experience classes. They give the old-school feeling of "Levelling" without really having a bunch of levels. There's Green, Regular, Veteran and Elite. I like that.
- Crunchy as it is, I like giving out XP for skill use, combat damage, etc. But I am going to alter XP rules to allow for more non-combat XP for non-combat characters.
The MechWarrior 1e game was often criticized for not being able to do much more than make MechWarriors and pilots. Something that crossed my mind while reading Pendragon the other night was that Pendragon is a game that makes Knights. Only knights, pretty much. Pendragon is touted as one of the greatest genre games ever made. So... what the heck is wrong with MechWarrior being designed to make... MechWarriors?
Now, don't get me wrong. I think there's a LOT more to the Battletech universe than BattleMechs. There's so much history, culture, so many nooks and crannies in the universe to fit into that have nothing to do with 'Mechs at all. I've run a couple of campaigns like this and they were brilliant. The deal is, if Greg Stafford could design Pendragon to handle the Knights of the Round Table, why can't MechWarrior be designed to deal with the Knights of the Inner Sphere- IE, MechWarriors?
Pendragon gives me some inspiration here. Each character is assumed to be a landholding noble. Isn't that really the feel of the original MechWarrior universe? That MechWarriors were the landed nobility by virtue of having a BattleMech?
So why tweak the game to assume that the characters are either these landed noble MechWarriors and Aerospace Pilots or their retinue?
So the default character type would be a MechWarrior. Other possibilites would be aerospace pilots, tankers, etc. There would be a clear social like between MechWarriors/Aerospace Pilots and everyone else. Much as knights had serjeants, I think every MechWarrior would have a small number of tankers as retainers. And maybe some infantry. These would be to support the 'Mech, and to guard the household when the 'Mech is away.
Which brings me to the 'Mech being away. Just as a Knight was required to serve his lord for a period of time per year, why not have MechWarriors required to serve a certain amount of time in active duty to their liege. In fact, one could even take some of the household mechanics from Pendragon and even include something like "The Winter Phase" for the fortunes of the house and the household members.
Now, at this point, I have to mention that I've cribbed a lot from "A Song of Ice and Fire" about houses and house fortunes, etc. I think we might look to MechWarrior 1st Edition and come up with some additional ideas for building landholds and figuring house fortunes.
I'm ruminating on possible projects around this. MechWarrior 1st Edition sourcebooks, maybe. Or maybe start with an article a'la Battletechnology covering governing a landhold. I can take a look at Pendragon and it's sourcebook Lordly Domains, plus the Song of Ice and Fire rules, and see what we've got going on to adapt. I think it would be awesome to come up with something retro, but useful...
One Semester Down...
Well, that was a quick eight weeks. And a challenging one. COLL 100 Foundations of Online Learning and HIST 300 Research Methods in History are under my belt, leaving me 61 hours to complete my degree. I have 35 credits I can't use which represent a significant amount of time and tuition I used a decade ago that aren't doing me any good right now. Kinda frustrating. Oh, well.
These two classes I've just completed were eye-opening for me. They really showed me it's time to kick in the spurs and get back to serious academics. These classes aren't the walk in the park I thought going back to college would be. I did a lot of reasearch and writing in the last eight weeks, and I'm proud of my paper on the history of the roleplaying hobby and all the hours of reading and researching that went into it. Oh, and the $100+ of old books I purchased to help in that endeavor.
My next classes up for bids are MILH201 Introduction to Military History and ANTH100 Introduction to Anthropology. I'm looking quite forward to both of them. This will be my first course specific to my major. Huzzah.
I get a week off. Then it's back to the books. Things are going quite swimmingly.
These two classes I've just completed were eye-opening for me. They really showed me it's time to kick in the spurs and get back to serious academics. These classes aren't the walk in the park I thought going back to college would be. I did a lot of reasearch and writing in the last eight weeks, and I'm proud of my paper on the history of the roleplaying hobby and all the hours of reading and researching that went into it. Oh, and the $100+ of old books I purchased to help in that endeavor.
My next classes up for bids are MILH201 Introduction to Military History and ANTH100 Introduction to Anthropology. I'm looking quite forward to both of them. This will be my first course specific to my major. Huzzah.
I get a week off. Then it's back to the books. Things are going quite swimmingly.
17 February 2011
09 February 2011
Time, time time... See what's become of me...
Time does get away from me. At this point, I'm past the mid-term in my 8-week semester. I'm on the downhill rolling toward the two research papers I have to write for my final exams. One is on the use of gaming in education, the other is on the history of the D&D game. Both topics I have quite a bit of interest in, but it's been over a decade since I have had to write a scholarly work. I'm trying very hard to get back into the swing of things academically. Mary being back in school makes things interesting around the house, as she requires a LOT more homework and tutoring to overcome her learning disability, and I end up spending a lot more time doing some of the housework I took for granted before she started school. I was always the cook of the family, and helped with laundry - but now things are totally flopped since I want to give her the maximum amount of study time and support I can.
The result is one tired Old Dragoon. I get home, I cook, clean up, work on laundry, homework... I am really missing downtime. The two games I'm actively running are sandwiched in there, and the only thing that saves them is that the AD&D game is by design bog-standard fantasy not requiring extremely deep thought, and the Royal Dragoon Guards game is always bubbling and simmering in the back of my head. This last I have found to be an interesting malady that many members of the RDG suffer. Leftenants Dencourt and Eversole are always talking to me and to each other about the game, same with Sergeant Major Doyle - although he and I do also talk about The Dresden Files as well. The DF game will be making an appearance sometime soon, when we can all find time.
Ah, so many games, so little time. I have found myself lately experiencing a wave of nostalgia (imagine that) and a renewed love for the old TSR games on my shelf. Star Frontiers. Top Secret/S.I. Gangbusters. D&D BECMI or Moldvay/Cook. Hell, even Indiana Jones, which I have threatened to run as a one-shot with the Raiders of the Lost Ark module. I am thinking of taking the time to do a blog entry here on TOD about each of those games in turn, wnd what I like about each of them. If I can find the time to do so, I will most certainly begin the project soon.
Speaking of projects I'd like to get around to, Catalyst Game Labs keeps vexing me by their failure to release Interstellar Operations, and their fixation on moving past their recently-released Era Report: 3052 rather than covering the Succession Wars or anything of interest to the original Battletech set. I very much want to get back into the idea I had years ago and do a Mechwarrior RPG Boxed Set, basically, MechWarrior 2nd Edition as I would have done it. Mad Max/Dune with 'Mechs and all. Firmly set in an idealized and further explained version of the Third Succession War that detailed *how* the neo-feudal society with MechWarriors works. Fill in some of the gaping logic holes in the way the military works, maybe do some thematic nerfing of tanks etc. to make sure there's a good reason 'Mechs are Lords of the Battlefield... Oh, this is a pet project I would so love to to... But time... Time...
I have to go back to work on my research papers now. Just wanted all your readers out there (that's right, both of you) to know I was still here, still writing.
Until next time - Excelsior!
(Apologies to Stan Lee)
The result is one tired Old Dragoon. I get home, I cook, clean up, work on laundry, homework... I am really missing downtime. The two games I'm actively running are sandwiched in there, and the only thing that saves them is that the AD&D game is by design bog-standard fantasy not requiring extremely deep thought, and the Royal Dragoon Guards game is always bubbling and simmering in the back of my head. This last I have found to be an interesting malady that many members of the RDG suffer. Leftenants Dencourt and Eversole are always talking to me and to each other about the game, same with Sergeant Major Doyle - although he and I do also talk about The Dresden Files as well. The DF game will be making an appearance sometime soon, when we can all find time.
Ah, so many games, so little time. I have found myself lately experiencing a wave of nostalgia (imagine that) and a renewed love for the old TSR games on my shelf. Star Frontiers. Top Secret/S.I. Gangbusters. D&D BECMI or Moldvay/Cook. Hell, even Indiana Jones, which I have threatened to run as a one-shot with the Raiders of the Lost Ark module. I am thinking of taking the time to do a blog entry here on TOD about each of those games in turn, wnd what I like about each of them. If I can find the time to do so, I will most certainly begin the project soon.
Speaking of projects I'd like to get around to, Catalyst Game Labs keeps vexing me by their failure to release Interstellar Operations, and their fixation on moving past their recently-released Era Report: 3052 rather than covering the Succession Wars or anything of interest to the original Battletech set. I very much want to get back into the idea I had years ago and do a Mechwarrior RPG Boxed Set, basically, MechWarrior 2nd Edition as I would have done it. Mad Max/Dune with 'Mechs and all. Firmly set in an idealized and further explained version of the Third Succession War that detailed *how* the neo-feudal society with MechWarriors works. Fill in some of the gaping logic holes in the way the military works, maybe do some thematic nerfing of tanks etc. to make sure there's a good reason 'Mechs are Lords of the Battlefield... Oh, this is a pet project I would so love to to... But time... Time...
I have to go back to work on my research papers now. Just wanted all your readers out there (that's right, both of you) to know I was still here, still writing.
Until next time - Excelsior!
(Apologies to Stan Lee)
14 January 2011
Updates on The Old Dragoon
My apologies for the length of time since I posted last.
Since I last blathered on to you kind readers I have begun classes with American Military University in hopes of completing my BA in Military History, with a firm intention of rolling straight into their Master's program. I want to teach, my friends, and I've waited far too long to finish my education to be able to do so. Thus far I am taking COLL100 - Fundamentals of Online Learning and HIST300 - Research Methods in History. Both have proven to be more interesting than they sound, and I've even been assigned to do my term paper in HIST300 on Dungeons and Dragons! I can't wait to dig into that.
My Serenity campaign has been taken over by another GM, and in its place I am running an AD&D game, first edition. I find it humorous that while I love AD&D, I would almost rather be playing BX or BECMI D&D so that the fiddly bits of the rules don't get in the way of the story. That's a huge turnaround from how I used to be, loving every minute crunchy rule and detail in a game. I've struck something of a balance, I think, with my other gaming that is influencing me drift ever more rules-lighter than my previous games. I'm really looking at doing something with FATE - and FATE may become the new system for the Royal Dragoon Guards after all.
In reference to the AD&D game, one of my players asked "How complicated can it be?" For those who would ask the same question, please hop over to Dragonsfoot and check out their first edition downloads. Along with a lot of great fan-made modules and cheat sheets, there's a document called ADDICT. The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Initiative Combat Table. This simple document explains all the intricacies of surprise, initiative and combat in first edition AD&D - in 20 short pages. OK, so a good chunk of that are examples, but still...
So. New Year. I've got an "A" average in both my classes so far. Haven't missed a day of WiiFit yet since starting back on my regimen on 3 Jan. Been back on Atkins with the wife, and have been cooking more. For those of you who like low carb, check out George Stella's web site for some awesome low-carb tips. I got one of his cookbooks for Christmas, and thus far everything we've tried has been amazing.
Now... to make sure I keep my blog updated with more information for all of you who actually read it. That's right, both of you. Take care, all. Hopefully my next post will have some good news about our homestudy being scheduled.
Since I last blathered on to you kind readers I have begun classes with American Military University in hopes of completing my BA in Military History, with a firm intention of rolling straight into their Master's program. I want to teach, my friends, and I've waited far too long to finish my education to be able to do so. Thus far I am taking COLL100 - Fundamentals of Online Learning and HIST300 - Research Methods in History. Both have proven to be more interesting than they sound, and I've even been assigned to do my term paper in HIST300 on Dungeons and Dragons! I can't wait to dig into that.
My Serenity campaign has been taken over by another GM, and in its place I am running an AD&D game, first edition. I find it humorous that while I love AD&D, I would almost rather be playing BX or BECMI D&D so that the fiddly bits of the rules don't get in the way of the story. That's a huge turnaround from how I used to be, loving every minute crunchy rule and detail in a game. I've struck something of a balance, I think, with my other gaming that is influencing me drift ever more rules-lighter than my previous games. I'm really looking at doing something with FATE - and FATE may become the new system for the Royal Dragoon Guards after all.
In reference to the AD&D game, one of my players asked "How complicated can it be?" For those who would ask the same question, please hop over to Dragonsfoot and check out their first edition downloads. Along with a lot of great fan-made modules and cheat sheets, there's a document called ADDICT. The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Initiative Combat Table. This simple document explains all the intricacies of surprise, initiative and combat in first edition AD&D - in 20 short pages. OK, so a good chunk of that are examples, but still...
So. New Year. I've got an "A" average in both my classes so far. Haven't missed a day of WiiFit yet since starting back on my regimen on 3 Jan. Been back on Atkins with the wife, and have been cooking more. For those of you who like low carb, check out George Stella's web site for some awesome low-carb tips. I got one of his cookbooks for Christmas, and thus far everything we've tried has been amazing.
Now... to make sure I keep my blog updated with more information for all of you who actually read it. That's right, both of you. Take care, all. Hopefully my next post will have some good news about our homestudy being scheduled.
14 December 2010
Back to School
Has it really been a month since I've posted? Looks like it. My apologies to the two people who actually read my blog. I have been quite busy finishing up the last of the foster care paperwork (am turning in photos of the house today) and getting ready to go back to school.
As of this writing, I am now a student at American Military University, majoring in Military History. I have ~60 hours to go on my Bachelor's, and then I'm going to roll into their Master's program with an eye toward teaching History at the college level. Parenthood, studenthood, and game-masterhood are going to be an interesting juggle in 2011 but I'm sure they will be well worth it. The whole package will help make of for some of the time I feel I've wasted marking time in my current job at my current education level. Sometimes it takes a while for a person to build up the giveadamn to press on. I think it took me way too long.
So what have I been up to gaming-wise? Lots of stuff. I hope to elucidate a bit over the holidays, but snippets of fun that I've had recently-
As of this writing, I am now a student at American Military University, majoring in Military History. I have ~60 hours to go on my Bachelor's, and then I'm going to roll into their Master's program with an eye toward teaching History at the college level. Parenthood, studenthood, and game-masterhood are going to be an interesting juggle in 2011 but I'm sure they will be well worth it. The whole package will help make of for some of the time I feel I've wasted marking time in my current job at my current education level. Sometimes it takes a while for a person to build up the giveadamn to press on. I think it took me way too long.
So what have I been up to gaming-wise? Lots of stuff. I hope to elucidate a bit over the holidays, but snippets of fun that I've had recently-
- The discovery of a new video arcade here in Austin. Check out http://www.pinballz.com/ Seriously. This place was like stepping back into my childhood. 13,000sf of arcade awesome. I played Centipede, DK Jr., Asteroids, Galaga, Tempest, Gyruss... and the pinball machines. Sadly, when I tried to enlist in the K.I.S.S. Army, they declared me 4F.
- The introduction of my younger brothers to Marvel Superheroes. See, despite my being a bad brother and being 95% absent from their childhoods save the few holidays Dad managed to get them to Mammaw's, I'm making up for lost time by showing them some of the best hobbies in the world now that they're old enough to really enjoy them. Upon arriving in East Texas for Thanksgiving, my oldest little brother Cody was wearing a Secret Wars shirt. It was on. Dustin, the younger of the two, commented on how the game system really made it vivid in his mind's eye, just like reading a comic book. Damn, that was fun.
- My friend Cort got cast in a stage show about Dungeons and Dragons. Problem is, she'd never played. Her only GM has ever been our mutual buddy Andy, who is pretty much GURPS and Cyberpunk 2020 only. So I got to introduce her to D&D. We played a basic D&D game rolling 3d6 straight down, rolling for HP, the whole nine yards. Two character deaths within 45 minutes, and that was just to Zombies and Kobolds. FUN! Her husband Jon and I waxed nostalgic with Clint and Dixie, the other players in this historical demo about "old school" D&D. We explained about Orcus. And the Temple of Elemental Evil.
- I continue to work on my Renegade Legion campaign idea. I still want to do my game badly. Thanks to C-in-C miniatures, I have some things to paint this holiday break. A couple of Centuries of grav tanks, and two flights of Interceptors. Oh, and I found a MIP Unseen Thunderbolt and Locust as well.
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