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Subject: Traveller-digest V1997 #1466
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Traveller-digest       Monday, June 23 1997       Volume 1997 : Number 1466



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Re: Psionic Institutes Errata
Re: Deckplans
Re: Deckplans
RE: Hardware, firmware, software
Re: Roll for Skills (was Re: Marc Miller--Please.)
Being Honest.
Re: Meta-facts?
Re: Deckplans
Re: Technology demonstrators
Re: Merrick Burkhardt's Task system
Re: A Task Idea
Anders FUDGES a Task System
Re: Being Honest.
Re: Being Honest.
Re: Task System: Compromise Solution
Re: Yet more task stuff
RE: Party time for munchkins
Re: Editions and Mechanics comments

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 14:10:36 -0400
From: "Peter H. Brenton" <brenton@psfc.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Psionic Institutes Errata

>>> other versions of Traveller, I wonder about just how game- breaking
>>> Invisibility is.  It's always been Canon (at least for the Droyne), but
>>> it's pretty powerful too.

>I have played it, and by making it a bitch to use and learn, so it cost a
>lot, it became fairly usable.  Essentially, it gave the character the
>equivalent of a cammo suit from a couple of tech levels higher, and one
>that he was never sure worked.
>
I used invisibility in a game at one point.  It was a very successful
campaign but might have been too "Gifty" for many of the players here.  The
GM (me) was quite generous with weapons/equipment and abilities, but that
generosity extended to the NPCs opposing the characters as well.  In the
end, the characters destroyed each other.

In fact it was the very "downside" of the psi character (he basically
traded away his sanity to acquire the ability to become invisible - and was
a good enough player that he *played* the character as insane...unlike
another player in the same group under similar circumstances) that caused
their destruction.

It can be done, but it should definitely be something that costs
dearly...and turns out to be not what the character or player expected
(even though it is precisely what they asked for).

Little things like this are what make Traveller so much fun!


Peter H. Brenton
"Shiela-X where are you"

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 11:43:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: Douglas <douglas@*teleport.com>
Subject: Re: Deckplans

On Mon, 23 Jun 1997, Peter H. Brenton wrote:

[snip]

> I almost immediately assumed the ship in question is a corsair.  I think
> there was a reference to the clamshell doors being welded shut so that the
> could no longer accomodate a 100ton ship - I think this feature was unique
> to the corsair.

In the text of the book, there is a discussion about the Imperium selling
captured Corsairs, after making sure that they could not be used in thier
original occupation.
 
[snip]

> 
> Personally I could never figure out why the Imperium would allow
> construction of a purpose-built privateer in imperial shipyards, capable of
> hijacking entire 100ton vessels whole hog (in addition to other, strictly
> paramilitary modifications).  The class was absent in my own adventures
> (although there was a Vargr version I used).

I can only speak for my campaign, but with the exception of the VARGR
classes of the ship, normally the Corsairs that have been commissioned
have been done so as Starship, Transport, Armed.  These are the ships that
go out and ferry the damaged Type S and J (by far the most common ships
out there) back to Class C+ starports for repair, deliver shuttles and
other small spaceships, etc... 

- --------------------------------------------
Any sufficiently reliable magic is indistinguishable from technology
                                              -Merlin

douglas@teleport.com
http:\\www.teleport.com\~douglas\

MCSE: Windows95, Windows NT 3.51 Server, Windows NT 3.51 Workstation, 
      Exchange Server, Basic Networking, TCP/IP
- --------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 97 19:51 BST-1
From: aboulton@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andrew Boulton)
Subject: Re: Deckplans

In-Reply-To: <v03007802afd43ef7e450@[18.77.3.40]>

Peter,

> Personally I could never figure out why the Imperium would allow
> construction of a purpose-built privateer in imperial shipyards, capable of
> hijacking entire 100ton vessels whole hog (in addition to other, strictly
> paramilitary modifications).  The class was absent in my own adventures
> (although there was a Vargr version I used).

Agreed. 
______________________________________________________________________
Andrew M J Boulton                  http://www.compulink.co.uk/~fubar/
 "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste"

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 12:07:21 -0700
From: Douglas <douglas@teleport.com>
Subject: RE: Hardware, firmware, software

I use a Wintel P-166 (non-mmx darn it!), Win95 is my primary OS (but I 
multiboot to DOS and NT for consulting/study/experimentation.  I also 
Telnet from work (co-incidentally at Intel) to get my afternoon TML fix.
_________________________________________________________
E-Mail: douglas@teleport.com
Http:\\www.teleport.com\~douglas

All I ask of a firearm is that it be reliable, accurate, and capable of 
dropping a god at 500 meters
_________________________________________________________________________

- ----------
From: 	John Wood[SMTP:John@elvw.demon.co.uk]
Sent: 	Thursday, June 19, 1997 9:03 AM
To: 	traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: 	Hardware, firmware, software

[If this has been discussed before, can some just tell me the results?
 Thanks.]

I was wondering what computers/operating systems people here use?  I've
seen quite a few mentions of Macs and only a few Unix/Windows/Dos.

If you *do* answer this, can we please be careful to avoid any OS wars.

My second question is more Traveller-related.  What would you want
Pocket Empires software to do?  This is a deliberately vague question to
avoid biasing the response.

Thanks,
- --
John G. Wood  |  john@elvw.demon.co.uk  |  Oxford, United Kingdom

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 09:31:26 -0700
From: Scott Ellsworth <Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu>
Subject: Re: Roll for Skills (was Re: Marc Miller--Please.)

At 12:48 AM 6/21/97 -0400, you wrote:
>In a message dated 97-06-20 21:41:50 EDT, you write:
>
><< 
> I've always wondered why such rolls in chargen (like enlistment, college
> graduation, etc) arent handled as tasks?  I've done some work like this on
> the MT advanced Naval and Scout systems.  
>  >>
>
>I see great potential for this for a kind of role-playing advanced character
>generation system.

I do too.  I always liked the old Merc/HG chargen system for characters
that would be around for a while, like major players and villains, with
others left to random assignment off the top of my head.

Using tasks for the parts of a year inside a term would give many of the
same results, but in a consistent way.  (Note: even in Merc/HG, I allowed
players unlucky at dice to get an automatic skill boost every year and a
half, with the dice determining the more RP-style things, like wounds,
decorations, promotions, and so on.  This way, an unlucky player might
never get a high rank character, but he would at least have a playable one.)

Scott
Scott_Ellsworth@alumni.hmc.edu   http://users.deltanet.com/~fuz
"When a great many people are unable to find work, unemployment 
results" - Calvin Coolidge, (Stanley Walker, City Editor, p. 131 (1934))
"The barbarian is thwarted at the moat." - Scott Adams

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 20:24:59 +0100
From: Simon Turner <madgamer@mistral.co.uk>
Subject: Being Honest.

From: VolantZep@aol.com

><SNIP>(or did you all just fudge it a bit - be honest, I'm
> curious).

<SATIRE MODE ON>

QUASTSYS V.01
QUick And Stupid Tas SYStem

1. Get the player to roll some dice. However many of what types they feel
comfortable with. They don't mean anything but hey it makes the player think
he actually does something.

2. Carefully ignoring the diceroll, decide if the player

   a) Needs to succeed in order to further the plot

   b) A little faliure at this point would be good for dramatic effect.

   c) Has been annoying you all night and getting rid of that overblown
character would be a good thing.

<SATIRE MODE OFF>

Not that us gamemasters ever really work it like this ;)

- ----------------------------------------------------------
Simon W. Turner     madgamer@mistral.co.uk

"Do not fear going foward slowly, fear only to stand still"

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 12:34:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Ayers <mark@bbic.com>
Subject: Re: Meta-facts?

Anders mentions referee's without games. I've got my game, it goes on in
my universe which is loosely based on the Traveller Universe. I always
demand full knowledge of my universe. While I sometimes fail to maintian
consistency it's going to be my failing and not Traveller's. The Traveller
materials, along with the rest of my 35 years experience, are the source
for ideas.

Once upon a time, I tried to be true to the Traveller Universe. I soon
discovered that it didn't exist. My players and I could read the same
material and understand it. Only our understandings were different and
sometimes incompatable.

- ----------
Mark Ayers
Net Admin for the Book and Bean Internet Cafe: <admin@bbic.com>
Traveller Referee for Seattle Metro Gamers  <mark@bbic.com>
- ----------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 14:19:02 -0500
From: "---> Wolfy <---" <wolfbane@gnt.net>
Subject: Re: Deckplans

> I almost immediately assumed the ship in question is a corsair.  I think
> there was a reference to the clamshell doors being welded shut so that
the
> could no longer accomodate a 100ton ship - I think this feature was
unique
> to the corsair.

I do believe you are correct.  It is a corsair that was captured and
modified by the Imperial Navy for resale as a merchantman.

> Of course, they should have included the ship's deckplans and class name.
 
I to agree.  It would have been a lot more convenient.

> I do not recall any CT product (I don't remember the corsair showing up
in
> any other version of Traveller) that featured the Corsair's deck plans
> (almost every other CT 'standard' class was either in an adventure or
> Traders and Gunboats) so I doubt that any deckplan for that class exists
as
> yet (except perhaps in someone's private collection).

There was a set of deckplans for a Corsair made by FASA (I think is was
them).

> Personally I could never figure out why the Imperium would allow
> construction of a purpose-built privateer in imperial shipyards, capable
of
> hijacking entire 100ton vessels whole hog (in addition to other, strictly
> paramilitary modifications).  The class was absent in my own adventures
> (although there was a Vargr version I used).

Not all ships have to be made at Imperial Shipyards.  There could be pirate
or independent shipyards or ships like Fleet Repair Docks (mobile
shipyards).


	                                                          ---> Wolfy <---

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 16:05:07 -0400
From: "Peter H. Brenton" <brenton@psfc.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Technology demonstrators

>Perhaps this is already addressed somewhere in the length and breadth of
>the reams of rules that exist for the Trav universe, and I just missed
>it... but is it possible to hand-build items one TL higher than the
>predominant one in that field? and do it at a greater cost multiplier?

I don't think it is addressed, but if you want free advice...

Prototypes can be built by a culture at one tech level higher than the
current TL provided;

1). The item being made does not require some critical technology that the
building planet has not discovered (Referee's discretion; example - no
matter how much money you spend, you can make a grav tank without gravitics
having been discovered).

2). The prototype is made in a laboratory by hand (as you indicate) in a
manner that precludes 'mass production' or 'common usage' (example -
requires a process that uses cutting edge technology and some quantity of
experimentation, or perhaps a high failure rate - so that many flawed
examples are produced for each successful example).

3). The planet in question did not "just" reach the TL below the one they
are attempting to emulate.

In any case there should be a significant outlay of cash and time, both
highly variable and dependent on the specific situation.  For your Battle
Dress, for example, I would roll or choose a number 10-20 times the regular
cost and require 5-10 years of development time over which the dollars were
spent.
If possible, a 'size penalty' would also be a good idea - think about
prototype computers as an example.  This would be hard to implement in the
Battle Dress example though.

Most importantly, any 'prototype' will, contrary to TV or Movie examples
(usually), have "bugs".  In game terms that is a random chance of failure
whenever the item is used, and especially when it is pushed to its
operational limits.  I would probably, in the case of Battle Dress, roll 2D
secretly every ten minutes or so to see if a breakdown occurs (It would
occur if I rolled a 2).  Under extreme conditions (heavy lifting by BD, or
operation in vacuum perhaps) the chance would be greater (according to my
mood).  The first breakdown might be relatively minor (radio burns out, HUD
goes down, etc) or not, but each subsequent breakdown would be an order of
magnitude higher in likelyhood and severity until the thing was brought
back to the lab and repaired (or the bonds in the bonded superdense broke
down, leaving the character standing in his/her underwear in the middle of
a pile of metallic dust).  Oh, and did I mention the unavailability of
spare parts outside the lab?

Technological prototypes are an excellent example of the need for Game
Balance(tm).\

Pete


Peter H. Brenton
"Shiela-X where are you"

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 13:08:25 -0700 (PDT)
From: "John R. Snead" <jsnead@netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Merrick Burkhardt's Task system

Phil Kitching <Philk@btinternet.com> wrote:

> Everyone seems to be posting task systems, so after a weekend spent 
> working out an alternative that I could actually, use, I read the 
> digests and find that Merrick has already proposed it:-( (or should it 
> be :-)?)  The problem that I always had with the MT task system was 
> visualising task difficulty - is brain surgery formidable or impossible? 
> All I know is that you need a good surgeon, about skill 5. Preferably one 
> with a decent dex.

> Taking the medical skill as an example:

> Medic-0 Apply sticking plaster, mop brow:)
> Medic-1 First Aid
> Medic-2 Nurse
> Medic-3 Experinced Nurse/Doctor
> Medic-4 Experienced Doctor
> Medic-5 Specialist
> Medic-6 Noted in field
> Medic-7 Name known across the Sector (not in M0:)

> (For CT, there would be fewer skill levels and less ambiguity about what
> each meant.)

> To perform a task that you ought to be able to do is 2d6 vs stat (ie 
> bandage a wound is first aid, thus medic-1. Surgery needs an 
> experienced doctor, thus medic-4.)

> Roll one extra die for each level missed, one less die for each extra 
> skill level.

> So a nurse does first aid on 1d6 and surgery on 4d6.
> If you don't like dice buckets, you automatically fail tasks requiring 
> more than 4 dice (or more than 3 dice, or more than 5.)

> If you need less than 1 die you automatically succeed (or roll 1d3 if 
>  you bought some to play T4.0 :-)

> The target characteristic should depend on the task - eg surgery on 
> DEX, diagnosis on EDU, research on INT.

This is a great suggestion.  Here we have a simple system, where stats 
are important, but skills are not made irrelevant.

This one gets my vote!


- -John Snead jsnead@netcom.com

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 97 14:19:28 -0500
From: eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)
Subject: Re: A Task Idea

On 06/23/97 at 05:32 AM,  pawn@CAM.ORG (Glenn Grant) said:

>Eris, your analysis of KBv2.0 is totally messed up: you're under the
>mistaken impression that Ken's system uses the same number of dice for
>each task as your CTS system. It does not.

Not mistaken, just done about 3am when I should have been in bed.  If you'd
like to redo the numbers using one die higher, feel free to do so.

Eris
ps.  You asked what CTS was..it was my first attempt at a compromise task
system (cts).   -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 97 14:41:21 -0500
From: eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)
Subject: Anders FUDGES a Task System

On 06/23/97 at 02:10 PM,  anders.backman@aniware.se (Anders Backman) said:

>Pick names for tasks/skills that mean something in both contexts: (Can
>somebody come up with something less derogatory than bad, inexperienced
>perhaps?)

Just use the Traveller Task name and the Fudge Skillname..

          Skillname   Taskname 
          =========   ========        
Skill-7+  IMPOSSIBLE  LEGENDARY
Skill-6   HOPELESS    SUPERB
Skill-5   STAGGERING  GREAT or EXCELLENT
Skill-4   FORMIDABLE  GOOD    
Skill-3   DIFFICULT   FAIR
Skill-2   AVERAGE     MEDIOCRE          
Skill-1   SIMPLE      POOR  
Skill-0   AUTOMATIC   TERRIBLE  

...I added a couple to make to two sets of descriptions fit, but they *do*
fit well.

>Roll 2D6 <= attribute.
>+1D6 for each difficulty level above skill
>-1D6 for each skill level below attribute
>If the number of dice is 0 or less success as well as SS is automatic. If
>dieroll <= attribute/2 (round up) then SF

This is similar to what I'm using for my PBEM's as Task vs Skill
Descriptors..except I offset the skill descriptors up one row.  When I
use this technique, I usually don't use the Attribute in the task
resolution at all, it goes into producing the Skill Points (high
Stat-learn skills fast, low Stat-learn skills slowly).  I also describe
the Attributes with these descriptors, so I can use them in Stat only
tasks.

The FUDGE-ish way to do this would be:  To perform a task, roll 4 dice
(the preference is -1,0,+1, but regular d6's can be used and compared to
tables) to produce a number in the range of -4 to +4, put your finger
on the task descriptor and move up or down a number of rows based on the
number you rolled.  If you don't go past the PC's skill descriptor you
succeed.

Example of how I would do it:  Joe's skill is FAIR and he is trying to
perform a STAGGERING Task.  Placing my finger on FAIR and running it up
to STAGGERING we see that Joe will need a +2, or better, to succeed.  He
rolls +3, and succeeds...one level higher than needed making this a
*solid* success.  If he had roll +2 he would have *barely* succeeded.
If he had rolled a +4, it would have been a *spectacular* success.  If
he had rolled a +1 he would have barely failed, 0 or below would have
been increasingly worse failures, down to a *spectacular* failure at -4.

Plus or minus, modifiers can also be added, but anything over +/-2 is a
*big* modifier.

This system works nicely and can be adapted to Traveller in many
different ways, but it is *so* different, I wouldn't dream of suggesting
Marc use something like this in T41.  ;->

Eris

- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 13:28:20 -0700 (MST)
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: Re: Being Honest.

On Mon, 23 Jun 1997, Simon Turner wrote:

> From: VolantZep@aol.com
> 
> ><SNIP>(or did you all just fudge it a bit - be honest, I'm
> > curious).
> 
> <SATIRE MODE ON>
> 
> QUASTSYS V.01
> QUick And Stupid Tas SYStem
> 
> 1. Get the player to roll some dice. However many of what types they feel
> comfortable with. They don't mean anything but hey it makes the player think
> he actually does something.
> 
> 2. Carefully ignoring the diceroll, decide if the player
> 
>    a) Needs to succeed in order to further the plot
> 
>    b) A little faliure at this point would be good for dramatic effect.
> 
>    c) Has been annoying you all night and getting rid of that overblown
> character would be a good thing.
> 
> <SATIRE MODE OFF>

All right...I can't let this OBVIOUSLY BROKEN system go on!

You completely forgot step 1.5: The GM Cackles gleefully as he/she rolls a
HUGE handful of dice, including the DM special Death Die (A 10-sided with
a skull and crossbones on every face), then gasps as he/she looks at the
results.

Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 13:52:55 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Ayers <mark@bbic.com>
Subject: Re: Being Honest.

> 
> <SATIRE MODE ON>
> 
> QUASTSYS V.01
> QUick And Stupid Tas SYStem
> 
> 1. Get the player to roll some dice. However many of what types they feel
> comfortable with. They don't mean anything but hey it makes the player think
> he actually does something.
> 
> 2. Carefully ignoring the diceroll, decide if the player
> 
>    a) Needs to succeed in order to further the plot
> 
>    b) A little faliure at this point would be good for dramatic effect.
> 
>    c) Has been annoying you all night and getting rid of that overblown
> character would be a good thing.
> 
> <SATIRE MODE OFF>
> 
> Not that us gamemasters ever really work it like this ;)

Not only do I use this wonderful system, without fooling anyone, but now
my players don't even pretend they need to throw the dice. They just ask
what terrible result fate has inflicted upon them.

- ----------
Mark Ayers
Net Admin for the Book and Bean Internet Cafe: <admin@bbic.com>
Traveller Referee for Seattle Metro Gamers  <mark@bbic.com>
- ----------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 97 16:02:22 -0500
From: eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)
Subject: Re: Task System: Compromise Solution

On 06/23/97 at 08:40 AM,  jlindsay@direct.ca (James Lindsay) said:

>> keep Stat levels from commonly inflating into double digits.  Put a cap of
>> 12 on them, and make it much harder to increase a high Stat than a low
>> Stat.  Let the player and GM negotiate the "purchase" or "award" of
>> temporary or artificially created Stat DM's to raise them (even above 12)
>> in game play, but don't hand out 11's and 12's like candy to
>> everybody...and T4/T41 does that.  Marc, your experience might not indicate
>> that, but mine does.

>I'm a little confused by what you mean by "purchase" or "award" of
>temporary DMs.  Are you talking about something like Karma, Luck, or
>Fortune Points that could be accumulated over the course of the campaign
>and exchanged (on a temporary or permanent basis) for one-shot DMs?

Examples would include:  Artificial aids that could be mechanical,
electronic or chemical; "Karma, Luck or Fortune" points; or even GM fiat,
to increase strength, agility, intellegence, etc.

Hey, my idea is to *limit* high Stats, not outlaw them.  So, let's not put
a absolute *cap* on the Stat, just require a roll of 12 for every increase
above 11.  That will let's you get to 15 if you want, but it's going to be
*hard* and cost you many skill rolls. ;->

>> We could use some technique to double the skills (not triple..that's too
>> much for Staggering and *really* Hopeless tasks) or increase the number of
>> skills players get during CharGen. For simplicity, I'm for increasing the
>> number of skills.  If we don't increase the Target Number's to *quite* the
>> number as might seem right, it also encourages the addition of DM's for
>> Tools, Teams, and so on...and Marc it seems you *like* that.

>These extra skill points would mean that individual skill points would be
>devalued.  Not that this is a bad thing, but it might increase a certain
>level of competence (eg: Professional) by a point or two.  In other words,
>if you hand out more skill points, Gun Combat 6 no longer represents a
>competence level as high as it currently does (either that, or Traveller
>characters are competent in a *LOT* of skills).

The problem is that that skill points are *currently* devalued by the
system.  In CT and MT we used 2d6, in TNE we used 1d20, now we are getting
up to 4,5,6 or even 7d6!  We're also getting more skills per term!  Skill
*levels* are already devalued compared to the old systems.

The easiest work-around is controlled inflation...add some more skill
points.  I think a couple per term would do it.  Would that mean our
*perceptions* of level of competency would have to change?  Yes, it would.
If you always thought of Skill-4 as Professional, you'd have to get use to
thinking of Skill-6 as Professional.

>> This means changing CharGen in two ways:  putting the Cap on Stats (I
>> suggest rolling above your current Stat on a 2d6 to improve..and if the
>> player wastes a skill roll trying, then tough...life's tough.  Instead of
>> giving automatic EDU bonuses for completing advanced schooling give some
>> additional skill rolls or maybe automatic increases in skills like
>> Research, Perception, or Instruction.), and increasing the number of Skills
>> (I suggest increasing the number of "childhood/background" skills by 3 or 4
>> and giving 6 skills/term rather than 4.  The 6 could be 4 career oriented
>> and 2 free choice.)

>Good stuff here, except that according to canon, stats as high as 15 (F)
>must be obtainable some how (perhaps by converting acquired skill picks
>into multiple +1 DMs for a future stat increase roll).

I can accept that, or just have the 3% chance of increasing past 11. That
works for me too.

>These ideas didn't, per chance, happen to originate during a dream, did
>they?  I wasn't really thinking too much about the current task system
>dilemma Saturday night and I was just about to drift off to Baywatch-land
>when "it" just popped in there:

Well, from some comments I've seen it must have been a nightmare instead of
a dream.  ;->

Eris
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------
eris@pen.net (Eris Reddoch)    using MR/2 ICE #245
- -----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 14:14:33 -0800
From: "David P. Summers" <summers@alum.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Yet more task stuff

Thu, 19 Jun 1997 01:38:52 +0000, "Kenneth Bearden" <dreamer@weck.brokersys.com>
>I think that if we are pleased, then the chances are that most of the
>occasional Traveller players out there will be pleased as well.


Actually, as more casual observer, I must say that this list has
certain biases that are not shared in gaming generally.

>Besides, if you play RPGs, you'd expect some complexity.

The lable "complexity" is a real bubaboo in gaming these
days.  I you are marketting a game you don't want it seen
as "complex".

______________________________
summers@alum.mit.edu

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 24 Jun 1997 09:19:48 +1200
From: Brody  Dunn <brody@intersol.co.nz>
Subject: RE: Party time for munchkins

On Sunday, June 22, 1997 5:30 PM, hdhale@siscom.net
[SMTP:hdhale@siscom.net] wrote:
> Favorite referee torture device: finding a player that has killer
> stats and then placing him or her in a position where those stats are
> meaningless.  This can involve stranding a ground pounder on a broken
> spaceship, taking a space combat expert and forcing him to survive a
> firefight on the ground, or forcing a group of "shoot first and ask
> questions later" PCs to look for clues to a mystery on a planet where
> they can't carry any guns (or their guns won't save them).  Being in
> charge is a *good* thing....

Favourite open line for a session containing all manner of Marine, Navy
and Merchant Characters.

"Okay - now who can drive"

Nobody could - they had to hire somebody to drive around town.   They'd
already brought the car and planned the activity (not legal of course).

Brody Dunn

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 21:15:49 GMT
From: jlindsay@direct.ca (James Lindsay)
Subject: Re: Editions and Mechanics comments

On Mon, 23 Jun 1997 03:22:14 -0400 (EDT), GypsyComet@aol.com wrote:

> My comments will probably get lost in all this hoohaa, but it's worth a
> shot...
> 
>  CT and MT:
>   Both have an open structure for determining tasks, and both keep the
> skill vs stat balance right around even. MT does it by dividing stats
> by 5, bringing them down to the +0 to +3 range, right where most skills
> are. CT does it by an uneven set of DMs ("DM +1 if STR 8+" for instance)
> which accomplish the same thing.
>   While it is possible to blow out the balance with a high skill,
> the fact that skills are randomly rolled and limited in quantity reduces
> this to rare cases.  The advanced systems (High Guard et al) disturbed
> the balance, causing the "total skills may not exceed INT+EDU" rule to
> be created.

Actually, I prefer limiting the number of skills linked to a
particular stat to /half/ that stat's value.  I can't see why poses
sing a low INT+EDU total would limit you in the number of physically
related skills you could possess.



James W. Lindsay     Vancouver, British Columbia
  "http://www.prosperoimaging.com/ground_zero"

"Give me the strength to change the things I can,
    the grace to accept the things I cannot,
         and a great big bag of money."

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1997 #1466
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