BigJackBrass

Re: blade runner If you're looking for a very Blade Runner figure for your gaming, I noticed this one from a new line hitting the stores: http://www.rezolutiondt.com/cso_rangers.html

Re: Lands of Mystery

Re: Driving through barriers I can't think of many instances where the new velocity of the vehicle would actually matter, as far as the game is concerned. Certainly no such situation has ever come up in one of my games in the past, but of course others may prefer more detail and it's an interesting fix for those who need to know. More important to me is the matter of control of the vehicle after impact, which is going to be affected by such concerns as whether the barrier is opaque, remains attached to the car, damages the steering mechanism and so forth, and for that someone's going to be looking at a modified skill roll and, most likely, a GM gleefully rubbing his hands together as he launches into the description of what's happening...

Re: why u all sux Thank you for the information. What a peculiar and pointless form of communication. I'm reminded of the classical musician who, on hearing Jimi Hendrix for the first time, allegedly said, "I wish I could play like that, then I never would."

Re: why u all sux I know that I'm going to regret asking, since the best I can hope for is a public display of my age, ignorance and near-Victorian lack of modernity, but... ... what is this "leet" of which you speak?

Re: Bigoted Archetypes

Re: Mute Characters I've played two, the first a DC Heroes android called Silkworm and the second a Spacemaster character, whose name escapes me. Silkworm was only in a convention game (Coppercon 1988) and so I had little chance to explore the idea, but he ended up being a bit like the typical native American "sidekick" style of character, a bit like Mani in "Brotherhood of the Wolf." Without resorting to charades for every action he would tend to listen to the group's plan and then disappear to take care of his part. The Spacemaster character was more interesting. Since the technology existed to get around the "disability" there was actually a reason why he remained mute, although the entire party was wiped out before anyone bothered to ask about it (and I'm sorry to say that fifteen years later I can't remember either!). This character did tend to mime and signal - quite effectively, actually - and it was an intriguing addition to play, but it all ended badly. Overcome with greed when one of the party managed to hack the access code to the enemy armoury everyone raced off to load up on firepower, and I can still remember the unthinking command called back to me as they did: "You stand guard and shout if there's any trouble."

Re: Bigoted Archetypes "A Confederacy of Dunces" features a lovely example of how to portray a minority, where the other characters see him (and use him) as pretty much a dumb slave, but his own dialogue and attitude reveals him to be sharper than any of them. I don't necessarily remove the racist attitudes from pulp games, but they definitely change as different characters get to know one another, much like real life. That said, I only do this with people I can trust to roleplay in a mature manner and who I know are not actually racist. Real racism, sexism, bigotry and such have no part in my games, in much the same way that real violence doesn't. As for the Oriental Mastermind, it's a stereotype I've never used. By definition he has to be intelligent, and that means that player characters are very likely to underestimate him (and perhaps his associates) because of their ingrained attitudes to race. Personally I tend to model masterminds on the Carl Peterson character from "Bulldog Drummond," a white man whose country of origin cannot be determined. To the average pulp character the difference between a Japanese and a Chinaman is trifling, but that between a German and a Swede is important to their understanding. It's a matter of familiarity, and of course it can be seen in reverse where people from the East tend to assume that if you're white then you're English or American.

Re: Dear G-D, NOOOOOOOOO!!! I hate Hollywood! Let's just hope this is all fluff to raise interest in the film, as John Nathan Turner did many years ago by claiming that he'd be casting a woman as Doctor Who. If it turns out to be true then I think the first use of any viable time-machine should be to come back and drop an anvil on the director.

Re: Real world Pulp characters Well now, here's a strange and tenuous Pulp HERO link. Example character Randall Irons is pursued by an enemy named Colonel Bruce Forsythe... Bruce Forsythe is a real person (still alive and performing today) who began his career under the name "Boy Bruce the Mighty Atom." Nah, couldn't be.

Re: There's No "REAL HORROR" in a Horror RPG setting...is there? Granted. A poor choice of words on my part, especially since I saw someone seriously injured on a funfair ride a few years ago. Better to say that the people going on rollercoasters believe that there is no real danger. I'd be very surprised if anyone genuinely expected mortal danger at, say, Disneyland (although the overall sweetness might trigger a diabetic coma).

Re: There's No "REAL HORROR" in a Horror RPG setting...is there? The best work I've ever found on this topic is Ken Hite's "Nightmares of Mine," published by Iron Crown. Have a read of that and you might find some interesting ways to up the tension level. That said, do we actually want horror in our games? Tension, excitement, that first frisson of fear yes... but real horror? If it were possible to create that level of raw emotion in a game then I doubt you'd get many returning players. At best what people want from a "scary" experience is a safe scare, something like a rollercoaster or movie where everyone knows there is no danger.

Re: King Kong Trailer Online Good heavens, was that Jack Black? Straight acting? With typical smooth timing, after I'd spent half an hour downloading the smallest version of the trailer, my girlfriend came home, flicked the telly on and they were showing the whole blasted thing. Much more impressive when it's larger than postage stamp size. Have to say, I wasn't too bothered about this one (dark memories of going to the pictures to see the De Laurentis version have scarred me) but the trailer has actually sparked my interest. Pulp lives!

Re: Real world Pulp characters Gerard Fairlie was apparently the inspiration for Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond, and was also the man who took over writing the series after the death of "Sapper." I rather like the idea of a two-fisted hero who ends up writing books about himself; might be interesting for a group of characters to meet the prototype for the fiction. Actually, I should have mentioned Drummond much earlier, because he's a character who really deserves inclusion in "Pulp Hero." The books may be jingoistic, racist and violent (Drummond has been described as a "demobbed thug"), but they are of their time and are ripping adventures. Carl Peterson is an absolutely perfect Pulp villain, charming, ruthless and a master of disguise. These days the Drummond stories are often overlooked, but it's worth remembering how immensely popular they - and the many stage and movie versions - were. Even if your characters don't meet "Bulldog" there's a fair chance they'll go to see him prtrayed on the silver screen.

Re: Your Character's Room at the Base I've always liked the Peter Parker approach, not so much a room at a base as a cruddy apartment with rent owing. Something about the defenders of humanity being so unappreciated that they have to scrape by like everyone else creates a nice contrast and grounding in the game. After all, Super-hero adventures can get so wild at times that anything that reminds the players of "real life" is useful. Having said that, the best room idea I came across was an energy-based hero who simply slept in a modified bank of batteries kept in a cupboard. Didn't even need a bedside lamp.

Re: 4th Ed vs. 5th ed for Pulp Heroes? I've been using "Justice Inc" with the current rules and even that hasn't been too much of a stretch (admittedly I've not done a lot with major powers and complex gadgets, though) so I'd be surprised if you had too many problems. Of course, I expect the next dozen posters to demand to know why you've not bought 5th yet...

Re: I touched it! Probably the funniest thing in HERO for me is the fact that Randall is hunted by a character called Bruce Forsythe. Might not make much sense outside of the UK, but this link http://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2004/04/22/comedancing/ or a quick Internet search should clue you to the fact that Brucie is in his late seventies, has been in showbusiness for over sixty years and wears a decidedly dubious toupee. Maybe Randall isn't as tough as he's been made out...

Re: Money System By that do you mean that the characters are part of an official military organisation? If that's the case then I'd be tempted to ignore the money issue and simply hand out the gear (but make them responsible for it). Otherwise, the above replies seem to cover things; I tend to "wing it" too much on this sort of topic to offer a balanced points breakdown.

Re: Best Section Header *Ever* Yak wrestling... Yak to Yak combat... Raiders of the Lost Yak... Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of Yaks? Wow, this game could have it all. Blimey, must be way past my bedtime or the missus has been putting experimental chemicals into the cocoa again.

Re: Best Section Header *Ever* Is it too late to change the title of the book to "Add more yaks"? You could be on to a winner there.

Re: Super Steve Speaking as a semi-oldie I'd say that it does make an impression on me, because I've been around long enough to watch the change from hobby to industry. Being lucky enough to spend time with people like Ken St. Andre, Mike Stackpole and Lou Zocchi in the past has been wonderful, and the fact that writers and designers were prepared to treat me as a regular bloke and not just a customer was important. Inevitably as businesses grew it became harder for that personal touch to reach everyone, and with a big company the staff dealing with the public are not likely to be the creative team, but just because it's been an inevitable and understandable progression doesn't make it less sad. And then along comes someone like Steve Long and you realise that some folks still do things the old-fashioned way. As for being "a crass thing to say"... Well, the day it becomes crass to praise someone for doing their job well and giving something extra is going to be a sad day for us all.

Re: The Great Finality With so many Champions characters hidden behind assumed identities death takes a different tack for me. Barring something unprecedented, if a character is dead then he's gone, completely. Of course, it might be part of the plot to have someone appear to die (especially handy for your Dr Strange types who might find themselves fighting their way back from mystic dimensions, only to discover that the team buried them months ago and recruited a new member), but actual death is final. Champions is a pretty forgiving game and I don't like to stomp on my players too much anyway. However, just because Captain Oblivious has been fried, diced and pureed there's no need to lose that brand identity. If the player wants to keep playing the Captain then they can, but it's someone else behind the mask and it might take a lot of time out, perhaps a change of powers even, to effect the changeover. Just look at the way Altar Boy took over the role of The Confessor in Astro City. Easy returns from the dead are pure laziness. If your character actually beats death then it ought to be a pretty momentous, world-changing thing, I think. Generally I'll settle for getting the tights taken in at the back and hemming an inch off the supercape for the new guy.

Re: Anyone get DC: TAS yet? The general standard of editing and art in the games industry is fairly poor, and the reasons are simple. Most companies are very small and have limited budgets and experience. Since RPGs have been around for thirty years we've naturally seen improvements, and not just with the big names who have reached a size where they can attract seasoned talent and invest in quality production. Personal computers have made layout easier, clip art offers a standby for certain genres, and the overall raising of the bar by companies like Steve Jackson Games and Games Workshop has forced everyone to pay attention to things we all let pass years ago. Many of the acknowledged classics of yester-year simply would not stand up today. The problem games companies face, though, is the split - clearly demonstrated in this thread - between people who just want the raw information and people who want that information to be slickly - professionally - presented. I don't buy Games Workshop or White Wolf games anymore, but the presentation is superb. I do buy Hero, and the presentation is... patchy. Unfortunately, I'm a small part of the market. If we're going to forego art entirely (and as an artist I shudder a little at that) then we might as well shift to PDFs and forget about publishing books. However good the content, the average punter is going to be more attracted to a big colourful hardback than to a text-heavy black and white book when they see them side by side on the shelf; and if you don't believe me then ask yourself why companies spend billions every year on packaging and advertising. The more experienced shopper, in this case someone who has likely played a number of different games and can see the real worth in a product, will see past the gloss and will judge the books by different criteria, but even so a good presentation can tip the balance. If you're going to put art into a book then I'd rather it related closely to the text, hadn't appeared three times before in the same product line and didn't look as though a high school student had scrawled it into the back of an exercise book during lunch, but really good art costs money and takes time. Editing a book calls for tough decisions, and sometimes you have to go with a less than perfect option. Ultimately, I'd rather have excellent content than excellent presentation, but it would be nice to think that the two might not be exclusive. Hero Games had an awful reputation for art in the past, and DoJ have unfortunately inherited that particular albatross. Things have improved (I've been especially happy to see the Champions covers looking more "comicbook" than "painting") and they have countered criticisms on appearance by raising the standard for content, editing and for the sheer quality of the index in a Hero System book, but errors creep in to any sizeable project. Admittedly, one or two of the things mentioned here and highlighted in recent reviews do suggest that editing might be a bit more rushed than it should ideally be. To be honest, I can forgive a few errors if the company then offers a correction. Steve Jackson Games have long been leaders at this and it's good to see errata posted on the Hero site, but it's not as easy to find as it might be: I found out about the location of the missing VA page through this thread, whereas I had (not unreasonably) been checking the Errata page. Recently I bought a copy of "Necessary Evil" for the "Savage Worlds" game, and it's a fine demonstration of evolution in a product line. Earlier SW supplements were black and white; NE is full colour. The art is good, some of it very good, and generally relevant to the text. Editing is mostly fine, although there is evidence of a computerised spell-checker in use without someone bothering to confirm the results, and the buzz in the gaming stores is very positive. It seems to be selling well. Actually, I rather like it, but compare NE at twenty quid with just about any Hero book for the same price or a few pounds less and the actual value for money involved swings entirely in favour of Hero. Hero simply has much more substance, but you have to take the time to see it. Until DoJ have more money behind them, more staff and more hours in the day there is always going to be the need to compromise, so as the people who buy the books I think it's up to us to criticise (constructively) where appropriate and offer praise where it is due. Criticism of DC:TAS is reasonable if it really does look poor and have editing issues, so I'm not railing against earlier posts. Naturally when I publish a revised version of this post I'll be sure to improve the art and layout considerably. Comments welcome.

Re: Resistance is futile Shhh! Not so loud! So far, so good. The simple expedient of ambushing the postman every morning and hiding the card statements in a box labelled "Batting averages for England Cricket Team, 1976 - 1982" seems to have deflected attention so far. This hobby can be so stressful.

Re: The Catholic Church's Super Team-The Virtues Would anybody care to post a HERO write-up for Sinead O'Connor to go along with this?