<Douchey Rules-Lawyer Mode> So it's a huge benefit for my lancer to "argue" with my mount so we become passenger and carrier (Fantasy Craft, page 215, quoted above) so we both get two half actions in combat each round? Awesome! </Douchey Rules-Lawyer Mode>

But we already have rules covering this situation.

<GM Mode> Awesome; let's start making those Impress/Intimidate checks any time you try and direct your mount. We'll also be discussing disposition checks in the near future.</GM Mode>

Walter

A new gamer (one can hope) was born last night. Corbin joined us at 2348, weighing 6 lb 10 oz. Labor and delivery were relatively easy, and momma and the baby are doing well. His brothers and sister will get to meet him this afternoon, and all are quite excited.

Walter

As Antilles indicated, I had the opportunity to poke around in the beta this evening. The site appears early enough in the dev cycle (small feature set; needs polish) it's not particularly useful to judge its future worth at the moment. It's not something I would choose to use today, but in six months it could be awesome. It's certainly worth tracking.

So, here are some particular issues, good and bad:
1) Die Roller: Awesome. I am very happy with its flexibility (exploding dice! number of successes!), and that die rolls can be public or shared privately with the GM.
2) Browsers: Not currently available on Safari, though the webkit bug referenced appears to have been recently solved so that may change soon. Didn't test IE. Chrome and Firefox both worked fine. Interestingly, I was able to log into the campaign simultaneously from both Chrome and Firefox. We couldn't think of a *use* for that, but cool anyway.
3) Video Chat: Even my own video feed was laggy. Either the site has me streaming my feed both up and down (not real efficient), or the video capture needs help. Note that I video chat with my wife and kids several times a week with no problem, so something is mucky here.
4) Snapping: The location on a grid that tokens snapped to changed with the map we loaded (e.g., on one map tokens appeared to snap to the vertices, on another to the centroid). Grids were different scales in those maps. Didn't test enough to figure out the underlying issue.

Walter

Now I'm curious. Anyone out there feel the constant, unavoidable possibility of an instant reversal from any position in a grapple is not a good idea? Inquiring designers want to know.

I *really* like the idea that holds/pins could be reversed, but not on a simple success on a grapple check. Work the crit and/or feat systems for this. Maybe a feat (or feat chain) that allows for a reversal, with a crit allowing reversal of a pin.

Walter

I've blocked out time on 18 May. As we get closer let me know if that's still on.

Walter

Heh, I'm imagining some sort of infernal rube-goldberg sequence that starts with you character going 'one little white lie, how could it hurt?' and ending up with a nationwide path of death and destruction with your character becoming public enemy #1.

This movie needs to be made.

Walter

Action dice are awesome (in case you're tallying votes).

Walter

Yep, GMT+1 (well, +2 for summertime atm).

Right, I forget that GMT doesn't shift. Central European is what I meant.

So yeah, Central European Timezone and late afternoon/evening for weekdays or noonish/midnightish for weekends. MugMug's in, if he wants, anyone else in a decent timezone or fancy some early/late gaming?

I do want, but my schedule is a little hammered at the moment (always, really). So, this month I'd be available 1700-2300 on 14 & 18 May, 0800-1700 on 19 May, and any five hours from 0800-2100 on 20 May [and yes, that is my availability for the entire month--that's what I mean by 'hammered' ]. If that works out then great, but if it doesn't I won't take it personally.

Walter

I'm definitely going to be at the con, along with a couple of FC players, so if there is a game or something going, wouldn't mind sneaking a peak.

Thanks for bringing us back on thread, Coyote. I read your comment as expressing hopeful interest to the same mythical GM I was looking for. Just to be clear, though...

I can say with absolute certainty I will not be running anything at Gamex this year. My fourth child is due pretty much that weekend, and I'm only in-country for a week or two, so even contemplating playing is kinda dickish of me. But, you know, compulsive disorder and all that.

I would like to run some tables at Gateway (in September), and thereafter, but can't commit to that until I get a better feel for my new job. I've already dropped the ball on a commitment to Crafty once (I'm still ashamed about those master indices, Patrick), and will avoid doing that again. That being said, I'll try really hard to run some FC at future cons.

Walter

Man, I remember the heady days of RPGA convention mastery. And then I vomit and feel better.

Yeah, sorry about that. That we hosted occasional GameDays on top of that (at our own expense, no less) I think indicated we had some sort of compulsive disorder.

I do look back on those days with fondness (in a vomit in the mouth kinda way).

Walter

I'm in town for a couple weeks, and would very much like to grab a bite. I'll email you with my schedule (keeping in mind 'wife going into labor' trumps any plans).

I can speak from personal experience when I say that organizing the entire RPGA living play at the Strategicons sucks spastic, undead donkey dick. Running a few tables personally shouldn't be that bad, though.

Chances are good I'll be moving back to SoCal some time this summer. No promises until I get a better feel for the (not yet official) new job, but I'll see about running something at Gateway in September. Is Wyrmstone still active?

Walter

What timezone are you in? I'm in GMT+1, which usually makes this a no-go for me.

Walter

Though there was, until recently, a very very distinct embargo on my taking social skills.

I'm curious, and yet not entirely sure I want to know.

Walter

Apparently and Undead Deep Horror, given the kind of thread necromancy it required. 

Walter

[Loved the minion / henchman / mastermind classification in Spycraft 2.0. It was brilliant, inspired, and a bunch of other superlatives… and cinematic in concept.]

Again, we're not looking for things you dislike or things you want to see in this thread. This is strictly for stuff you dig and why. Nothing more, nothing less. Thanks!

But what if we dug something, and want to dig it even more in a new and improved version?

Loved the minion / henchman / mastermind classification in Spycraft 2.0. It was brilliant, inspired, and a bunch of other superlatives… and cinematic in concept.

However, I don't think you took minions far enough. These are 'easy kill mooks and other supporting characters' (Spycraft 2.0, pg 331). I want to know as little about them as possible, and track nothing except how many are still standing.

Know Little
I was going to say minions had too many stats, but on a closer look there isn't much I'd cut. Any simplicity gains from cutting would be more than offset by too much deviation from other NPCs. Mostly what I was remembering as a problem was poor GC discipline in NPC creation (including myself). This can be partially alleviated by a better discussion in the rules as to what it means to be a minion, as the next paragraph suggests.

I like the Type and Mobility sections of the Fantasycraft NPC rules, and would use them here. Type would be minion, henchman, mastermind, or foil (did I forget any?). Type is also where you would indicate specific rules common to the type (e.g., damage saves for minions), and provide guidance for creation (e.g., minions typically have a weapon, armor, and 0-3 qualities) . Mobility would address movement type and speed; mechanism (e.g., jetpack, magic) is just flavor [example: Walk, 30ft; Fly, 60ft (jetpack)].

Track Nothing
The damage save idea had potential, but was too cumbersome. I liked the little bit of suspense resulting from being uncertain about a save result. I hated tracking cumulative damage for increasing save DCs, recalculating those DCs with each additional hit, and having this entire process be conditional (on a successful save) and conditionally repeated (with the toughness quality). I would, quite frankly, rather track hit points than that mess.

Let's keep the damage save for its suspense-inducing bit, and use it to actually reduce tracking requirements.
     * Scale the save DC in some simple manner to damage; simple scaling reduces calculations. Combat specialists *should* mow through mooks faster than non-combat specialists, contraindicating flat DCs.
          - For damage values in Spycraft 2 I'd consider DC = damage. Average damage values of 6.5 for pistol ammunition give failure (i.e., death) rates of 30%, which works nicely with your 'three-shot men' idea. This ignores armor, but it also ignores assault weapons.
     * Keep damage saves independent of past success. A successful save means they're still standing; the fact they've soaked up a bullet is immaterial.
     * Failure = death (or unconsciousness, whatever is situationally appropriate). Tougher opponents should have a higher save bonus, or get an immediate free attack when they fail their save (ooh, I like that), or whatever--but not make me track how many saves they've failed.

Other Stuff
While I'm beating this drum, it would have been great if NPC qualities were organized into some sort of categories for easier application.

Walter


[Edited to correct author's markup failure. ]