09 Aardvark Projects

Submitted by Chainsaw Aardvark on Wed, 2009-02-18 18:44. Design

Its been a long while since I've done any RPG work. This year already seems pretty busy, but I'm hoping to get some stuff finally finished.

First things first, I took a trip to Israel in January (1/12/-1/22) and now I'm working on a book of essays. Its a nonfiction tome about my thoughts about Iran, what I saw in the middle east, ad reconciling my initial fixation on strategy with meeting the people. The expected title is "Friends in Chai Places".

Once I'm finished with that, there are a few older games that must be completed.

Dead and Back is due for further rules revision. Most of these are fairly minor things about rewording and including more examples. However, just the other day, I noticed a slight error in the way combat works - one rifle shot will instantly kill humans. Realistic in some cases, but that should still be tuned down a little for the health of the PCs. Any suggestions on that or other aspects of the D&B system you feel need work would be appreciated.

Though I've been saying this for a long time, Gangland is going to get finished. This will involve both a third installment (Gangland triage) and after feedback, a second edition that includes all the fixes and changes from the start.

Also in the works will be creating playable versions of two Wargames I've been working on. Dead EISS is my false historical Anime Mecha game. Small Boat Patrol is about the various torpedo and gunboats of world war two - and will ideally contain enough research to make it a teaching tool.

Nine-Tenths is about poltergeists (Possession is 9/10ths of the law) an is currently being developed in two variants. one is a standard RPG presentation, the other tries to fit everything into a cohesive story with rules merely being asides, foot notes, or diffidently colored text. While I know that might be a pain for looking up rules, I want to see what happens trying to fully integrate the elements.

I've had an idea for a 24 hour game based on the wild west for some time now. Holding onto the idea for a system for so long may disqualify it technically - but all the writing will be in a short period so I can look back and finish something.

There are miscellaneous projects as always - XenoExodous has been in progress since 2001, and a 1 page game about dinosaurs was started but never finished. But the ones listed previously I might have a chance at finishing.

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Iran or Israel

Submitted by SheikhJahbooty on Wed, 2009-03-04 20:17.

You visited Israel but your essays are on your thoughts about Iran?

Wouldn't it make more sense to write about the place you actually went to?

9/10 sounds like it could be really cool, scary infernal lawyers, terrifying divine judges, too many rules to keep track of, maybe a little like Beatlgeuse without the whimsy. It could be like Wraith but with judgment coming from an external source and you're not watching another player at the table to screw you over.

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Expanded Ideas

Submitted by Chainsaw Aardvark on Wed, 2009-03-04 21:23.

The original idea for the Book was to write my thoughts on Iran/The Middle East in general - then ask an Israeli (these trips are usually accompanied by soldiers) for their opinion. An experiment see the difference between the American media and reading Sun Tzu versus someone who lives in the area. Instead, the book takes a very different turn as I write about the actual experience and essentially comes to the conclusion its people and not Real Polotik that matters. Its a kind of see the trees not the forest kind of development.

Nine-tenths doesn't have quite that much meta-plot yet. Pretty much, I just have the rules about what a poltergeist can and can't do.

You can only take over a person for a short period of time before the soul fights back - and can in fact kill you.
People develop an immunity to possession, so taking them over multiple times is difficult.
Most of your skills and all physical attributes are based on who you take over.
Taking over too long/killing a host creates a new poltergeist - which is probably rather unhappy with you.
We don't know whats beyond, but its probably best not to die again.
Skills granted from hosts are the top three defining/muscle memory concepts. An accountant that takes judo classes is only going to give you tax preparation, not choke holds.

But you're right, I should consider what to do beyond simply "Grand Theft Body".

Thanks for your interest and enthusiasm.

There is a fine line between hobby and obsession. I seem to have lost sight of it some time ago.

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Nice to see you again

Submitted by xDungeonMasterx on Fri, 2009-02-27 23:08.

Funnily enough I decided to pop back on the site today and I noticed a post from you again CA. We're glad to have you back. Perhaps we can get the old crew rolling again. I have a few RPGs I'd like to finish myself.

"So I say to the guy, 'How you going to get the tank down to the planet?' And he goes, 'I'll just put it on the ship.' And I go, 'If you've got a ship that can carry a tank, why not just put guns on the ship and use it instead?'" -Caboose

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Cool to hear about what you are up to ...

Submitted by Jeff Moore on Wed, 2009-02-25 10:26.

I too have been out of pocket for awhile. I was approached by an art designer to take 5x5 in a more professional direction, but movement on that has been really slow and kind of frustrating. I want to get my fingers and my mind working on something again.

I was at Borders the other day just killing time and I picked up an issue of Nintendo Power (it was an RPG special) and I was amused by a checklist of JRPG Cliches next to every review. Things like: Hero has Spiky hair, Airship travel... etc. I was thinking it could be fun to write a JRPG RPG where I sat down and looked at all of those cliches and built a tabletop RPG around them.

I've got that bubbling around in the back of my head ... but that's about it.

Thanks for sharing!

Regards,

Jeff Moore
http://www.1km1kt.net/Jeff-Moore.htm

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