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Bozimus

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Posts posted by Bozimus

  1. What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

    in Non-Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

     

    My first Gemmell book was "Legend", book one of the Drenai series. A damn fine read! I own the second...."The King Beyond the Gate". Based upon what Oddhat has stated, I plan to read TKBTGate and the other Drenai books before reading "The Sword in the Storm" and the subsequent Rigante books.

     

    I have the opposite view of the "Stones of Power" books. I like the early ones, but not the last 'Jon Shannow' books. Which is a shame, because 'Post Apoc' is a sub-genre I have a strong urge to explore.

     

    Oddhat,

    You are the second person I know to recommend "Echoes of the Great Song" as the finest Gemmell book.

  6. What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

    in Non-Gaming Discussion

    Posted

    Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

     

    I recently finished reading Storm Front by Jim Butcher. It is the first novel of the Dresden Files. I got interested in it after watching the SciFi channel series. I enjoyed the book enough that I have aquired the next four in the series.

     

    The Dresden Files is a very good series. Only one of the books has disappointed me thus far...and it really wasn't that bad. It was simply not as good as the others, IMO. Butcher redeemed himself in my eyes with the very next book and I have high hopes for 'Proven Guilty'.

     

    I am enjoying Butcher's fantasy series (halfway throught the first book). The man is not a 'one-trick-pony' and is capable of successfully writing in two very different genres.

  9. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Maintaining the Mystery

     

    Originally I was planning to go slow and make sure that everything was set up right before the game got started. That is why I put this thread over here in "Other Genres" rather than the "Player Finder" (I just wanted to throw around some game related ideas).

     

    But I definitely don't want all of you who are interested in the game to die of boredom before the game even gets started.

     

    If you guys would like to see some action real soon, what about a “prequel†?

     

    Since I’m not quite ready to start the main game, I’m thinking that we could play out some of the events that happened a few years before the game started. We could re-wind back to 3577 (or maybe 3579).

     

    It would give a nice “depth†to the game if some of the characters who knew each other before the game starts, can actually have conversations about "the good old days."

     

    Right now, you and Bozimus have a past linked to 3577, and it should also be pretty easy to bring Zornwil into the prequel as well.

     

    This is a good idea...

  10. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Maintaining the Mystery

     

    I was hoping to even keep the information of who is playing what character secret' date=' but obviously that has not worked out in practice. And I actually like the way things have turned out, I like being able to talk with you about your characters in this forum. Having public knowledge of the group’s leader (Savinien’s character) helps form a core around which the other characters can develop.[/quote']

     

    Oops...

  11. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Maintaining the Mystery

     

    Most PBEMs are pretty open, I’ve often seen all the stats of the PCs listed so that everybody can see them.

     

    I have a different vision for my game. One thing I’ve mentioned a few times is that the “Aura of Mystery†is important to me. It might be a good idea to do into this concept a bit more right here.

     

    Before going on, I’ll should add that none of these ideas are set in stone, and I am open to other ways of doing things if good arguments for doing so can be presented.

     

    Also, before going on, I’d suggest re-reading the side bar on pages 340-341 of FREd. It sums up my position on these matters pretty well.

     

     

    I am willing to try this Mystery sidebar thingie. If it doesn't work, we can always go back to typical roleplaying conventions.

  14. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

     

    The Fair:

    Most people in the town are good, but a bad seed has blown in. Marshal Sav is moralistic and wins many folks over simply by charm and a warm smile.

     

     

    This requires that you...

    a)possess some charm

    b)you can turn the corners of your mouth upwards...

     

    I see two problems on the horizon. The only charm you got is in your cereal box! And being hit with frozen trout makes one angry!

     

    :)

    Edit...I am senile. Sav is getting hit with a frozen trout in Transit City 2. Wrong game! Me stupid!

  16. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

     

    Resource points works wonders for mixing natural abilities and epuipment mongers. I have the book but haven't read out all the details, yet. So, I think Boz, Zornwill, and I have pretty much the same feelings about this.

     

    Starting with the focus of cleaning up a particular town seems like a good idea.

     

    I'll play the Imperial Marshall sent in to help out the corrupted 'sheriff'. I was intent on a powered-armor 'Knight', anyway. On the other hand, one of the people attempting to work out that ranch just outside of town could be a retired 'Military Man' with a suit of working Powered Armor in his basement. When the Orcs or criminal minded organization of your choice decides to try and run the man out...

     

    Good ideas, Rob. Let's use 'em.

     

    Leaning towards a Gromm-arr Martial Artist! I could go for being Sav's deputy or hired muscle.

  18. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

     

    The next area that I’d like some feedback on deals with the mechanics of character building. The specific issue is about dealing with equipment.

     

    There are aliens with impressive natural abilities, and there will also be characters who rely on futuristic technology. I’d like to run the game in a heroic style relative to equipment, it would be cool to allow characters to use items that they can pick up without spending character points.

     

     

    Unfortunately there is a problem with allowing characters to pick up stuff without paying any points. Many of the aliens have a large number of natural abilities, which they’ll be paying large amounts their own points for, but these same abilities will be available to other characters for free (through the use of equipment). If a Gromm character pays 5 points for his IR vision, but everybody else can just go out and get IR contact lenses, without spending any character points at all, then this setup seems pretty unfair to the Gromm.

     

    This issue could come up in any heroic game, but it is more of an issue in the Mimm game. It is more of a problem here, both because of the fairly high level of technology, and the large number of points that some characters will sink into natural abilities.

     

    I have been kicking around several solutions:

     

     

    Option #1: go to a Super-Heroic style of having everybody pay points for equipment, this method may not be as realistic, but it is more likely to be fair to everybody. The Gromm will pay for his IR vision, but everybody else who wants it will also have to pay their points as well (probably with a focus limitation).

     

    Option #2: give discounts to the package costs of aliens with large numbers of points tied up in natural abilities which everyone else will have access to anyway. Basically this means that I would just assign a cost based on what I think each package will actually be worth in my campaign. The idea here is that abilities like IR vision are simply not worth much if everybody else can get the same ability for free.

     

    Option #3: Allow for two major options in character design. Players can choose from the option of designing a high point character who must pay his own points for items, or designing a lower point character who can pick up equipment with spending any character points.

     

    Option #4: Use “Equipment Pools†to buy equipment. An Equipment Pool works like a VPP that will be used to buy the equipment which each character carries around. The Equipment Pool can be increased for people who like to have a great deal of equipment. And the Pool can also be partially sold off for more points to buy natural abilities (in the case of some aliens).

     

     

    Ultimately I’ll have to make the decision, but before committing to a given direction, it would be nice to hear what some other people feel about these options.

     

    Number 4, Equipment Pools, sounds the most fair to me. Dark Champions has ways to handle this in detail (at least the old one did).

  19. Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

    in Other Genres

    Posted

    Re: Mimm (sci-fantasy game)

     

    There are a few points that I’d like some input on (broken up into 2 posts).

     

    The first deals with the focus of the main group. . . .

     

    As I’ve already stated, the flexibility of the virtual format of the game allows PCs to go off in their own directions, if they so choose.

     

    However, it is likely that many PCs would rather work together in a group. So it would be nice to have a focus for the main group.

     

    Here is my current thinking on the subject: the main group will work to clean up a town. The area in question is plagued by organized crime elements, corrupt officials, and orc terrorists.

     

    The PCs will have some official sponsorship, probably Imperial backing, although this “backing†does not mean that all group members have to be directly connected to the Empire. The PCs will probably sometimes work with local authorities, but will also have a mandate to act on their own.

     

    In order to accomplish their task, the PCs will need to

     

    1) Be able to fight effectively when necessary

    2) Be able to do detective work

    3) Be able to effectively negotiate with important NPCs

     

    Let me know what you think about this concept. . . .

     

    I very much prefer interacting with other players instead of going solo. I like the 'clean up the town' idea. I prefer talking with the other players and creating a well-balanced group instead of the typical PBeM "everyone builds what they want and balance be damned" approach.

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