RDU Neil

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion Thanks, man. I haven't been on the boards in forever, but friends talked me into gaming again, so I thought I'd continue posting these, as I'm back at the Mavs again in a PBeM game. Take it easy!

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Speedball: From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From MIRV: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Speedball: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From MIRV: --- From GM:

Re: Philosophical: Definition Of A Mechanic After nearly two years of non-Hero board action, I was requested to come to this thread and comment. I expected some contentious bit of online brawling commentary, yet what I find is a bunch of my favorite long-time Hero posters having quite a civil conversation. heh. Anyway... I'm not sure what exactly I might say on this subject. I don't actually play RPGs anymore... been out of that kind of gaming for a long time now... still, this kind of conversation is near and dear to my heart. Seems many are still requesting the ol' "Intent" concept to be included in Hero descriptions. Always thought that needed to be there. The "The intent of EB is to provide a ranged damage attack... etc." Always a good idea, IMO. On the Definition of a Mechanic, I go back to my old standbye... Mechanic vs. Game Rule vs. SFX A mechanic should have a base functionality that shows how it interacts with other mechanics... nothing defined beyond that. Example: 1d6 EB generates 1-6 S and 1-2 B and are negated 1 for 1 by PD/ED (Forcefield etc, just being variations on this defense.). Or some such. That core mechanic should not be violated in intent, though adding or subtracting from this basic effect is grounds for modifier (advantage/limitation) costs. Example: AP effectively makes EB 1 for 2 vs. defenses... so increases the cost... but is still based on the basic mechanic. The problem comes when you include Game Rule and SFX layers in the description so that they seem to be part of the mechanic, but aren't. Example: Running... 2" of movement per 1 pt spent is the mechanic... but "only when touching a surface" is a SFX. There are no surfaces mechanically defined. They are SFX of the game world. Must be touching the ground... well the ground only exists as an SFX of the SIS. Generic mechanic assumes nothing about ground or cars or trashcans or sides of buildings or lake surfaces... those are SFX. To make movement more generally mechanical, you'd need a core mechanic like - 2 inches of game movement per 1 pt that can shift the character in any three dimensions in relation to other character positions in defined game area. (Of course, the proponents of Flatland Hero would have a sh-tfit over this but hey? ) Then you can limit movement in a variety of ways. Of course... all movement assumes some element of SFX... air, water, earth, surface, etc. These built in SFX defined aspects muddy the issue a great deal, because when they are considered part of the "core mechanic" there is an assumption of like games, like SFX from game to game, where the occurrence of water, air, earth, surface are equal and of equal importance. Rarely is that the case in a truly "generic" system. Assuming a generally earth like/human society occupied SIS which your character will operate in is layering on all kind of Game Rule/SFX associations directly on to mechanics How do you limit that stuff effectively? Dunno. Not that I would propose cutting out that SFX level stuff... that would gut Hero... but it does cause problems when deconstructing the system like that. Good to know not much has changed in the 2 years I've been gone. Hope you all are doing well and life is good thing. Take it easy.

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From MIRV: From Impetus: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: --- From GM: Ok... to make up for my mistake, you need to jump ahead to to get the correct continuity... then come back to post 320 after those nine posts. Sorry for the confusion.

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Impetus: From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From MIRV: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Skinwalker: From GM: Sent privately From Skinwalker/Eric: From GM: ---- From MIRV: From Impetus: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: ---- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Impetus: From Speedball: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From MIRV: ---- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Skinwalker: From Impetus: From Speedball: From Dr. Cairo: From MIRV: ---- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion Thanks aylwin... so as requested... From GM: Thought it interesting to put bits like the above in here, just to exemplify how side conversations were held to keep everyone on the same page. --- From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From Impetus: From Crusader: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Speedball: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Crusader: From Impetus: From Skinwalker: From MIRV: ---- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Impetus: From Speedball: From Crusader: From MIRV: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Speedball: From Skinwalker: From Crusader: From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From Impetus: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From MIRV: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From GM: From Skinwalker: From Impetus: From Speedball: From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From Crusader: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Crusader: From Impetus: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From Impetus: From Speedball: From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From MIRV: From Skinwalker: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion Now, back to our regularly scheduled adventure, already in progres... From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From Dr. Cairo: From MIRV: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion Here is another short piece by Geoff, showing some character building bit and filling in background on Speedball. As a GM I honestly enjoy this kind of thing MUCH better than someone who tries to write a novel about a character before they have ever been played. Lots of players often love their character so much that they have entire lives and histories all played out so that their imagined life of the character is more important that developing the character in actual play. I like it when actual play inspires character growth that the player then drives... like this... (artistically, I really like how Geoff explored Speedball's psyche by writing a projection of Joe's thoughts through the dead Arcsilver. I think it captures how Joe would think in a very powerful way.) From Speedball:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Skinwalker: From MIRV: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: From Skinwalker: From MIRV: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Dr. Cairo: --- From GM: From MIRV: From Speedball: From Dr. Cairo: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: From MIRV: ---- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion Geoff... actually I don't think you were, as it was often amongst those of us in FtF range... spilled over into other games. You were spared. --- From MIRV: From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: ---- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Skinwalker: From MIRV: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Speedball: From Dr. Cairo: From Skinwalker: From MIRV: From Speedball: --- From GM:

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Impetus: --- From GM:

Re: How do you hide a saved half? Maybe if we rephrase the original question by returning to "intent." The original question is not really "How do you hide a saved half?" The original question, based on intent, was "How might you simulate being ready, on guard, able to go defensive or offensive at the drop of a hat, but not appear to be ready so as to get some element of surprise?" Really, when I read MT's original question, that was how I was interpreting it. Not a mechanical issue as much as "How do I achieve this certain effect?" Now maybe I'm wrong and MT can correct me, but if I interpreted his intent correctly, I go back to my original answer. Use a skill roll that fits the situation and character... modifiers as appropriate. The fact that If asked this as a GM, I'd be more than happy to say "Just hold your action and the surprise part comes from your Acting roll, or Acrobatics, or whatever is applicable." Done. KISS it, IMO. Understand the intent behind the request, it is easy to do.

Re: PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion From Skinwalker: From Dr. Cairo: From MIRV: --- From GM: From Dr. Cairo: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From MIRV: From Skinwalker: From Speedball: From Skinwalker: --- From GM: