Man and Machine v1.2
Here is the next revision of the game. Please make any comments here.
Changes:
- Injury rules for the first phase
- Mook values adjusted
- Additional abilities in the appendices
- Advice for using a battle map
Thinks
If a PC protects another PC but doesn't receive pool, then either they don't have the protecting trait (so they really did take one for the team, as it were), or the players voted down the pool. If they voted it down, then presumably they had a good reasons. However, if they do vote pool down in those situations, then it makes that character less likely to try to protect them in future (at least by risking injury), so their fellow players will suffer if they do so. I think it goes against the principles of dramatic self-sacrifice to have a large reward attached to it.
The trouble with introducing additional ranges is that there would have to be some other benefit for short-range weapons in the mechanics to compensate for their shorter range, which to me is starting to become unwelcome detail. Because each Machine only has one or two weapons, it didn't seem like too much of a problem in play.
As for miniatures, when I tested it I used the pieces out of Roborally.
Been there, done that, got the XP.
Thanks
On the self-sacrifice, I wasn't sure how much the group dynamic would influence it. I suppose it depends on how much the players are metagaming. The system as it stands gives good reasons for metagaming in pursuit of the plot, so it will probably work more often than not.
As for additional ranges, all that might be needed is one additional range. Melee already works within two squares and ranged works all the way across a map. What might be needed is something along the lines of "restricted range", whereby either a straight range is declared for the weapon (but the player gets some extra points to damage or other effects), or there is a penalty for using the thing at range.
It may not come up in play much, but it would be a house rule I would introduce.
Roborally. Hehehehe. I can just imagine putting Twonky or Hammerbot up against some of my Future Wars 6mm tanks ...
Thinks 2
Had a thought about the range thing- You can have the extra option of declaring a weapon long range or short range. If long range, it's range is line of sight, but you can't use it against targets in mêlée range. If it's short range, it has a range limitation of 10 squares.
This seems like a fair trade-off- fast moving Machines can blast right through short range and straight to mêlée, and can ambush Machines with long-range weapons and render them ineffective.
I might revise again with some more weapon variants in the appendix and a few more suggestions for battle map play.
Been there, done that, got the XP.
Seems like a good compromise
It stops the long-range sniping games that used to ruin Battletech for me, and allows for some tactical variation. Sounds good to me.
Took me a while, but ...
Finally had a chance to read through the second version. Out of the changes that have been made, I only have comments on two of them.
First off: the Phase 1 Injury Rules. I see a problem in the example whereby one of the PCs protects another PC from injury and gets no nett benefit. Yes, they did run the risk of not being able to participate further in the game, but they were fulfilling one of their traits. Looking at it froma purely mechnistic point of view, the player would have been just as well off as an individual doing nothng. How about giving double pool awards if somebody fulfills a trait by putting themselves at risk, or even ignoring the injury sustained altogether?
Second: Battlemaps. I have only used them in RPGs on one occasion (a con Zombie game), so I don't think they are that useful. However, the included rules are begging for some range lmitiation beyond melee. How about a range band that does not extend to the map edges? I know it may be problematical given the storytelling nature of the system, but some grognards may find it necessary to distinguish between pistols and rifles.
One last question: if you do use miniatures, what do you recommend? Bandai figures and their ilk are a bit difficult to get over here, and I have a downer on the technobox mecha that are the legacy of Battletech, but are readily available.