xthetenth

This is a public service announcement to anyone living in the United States and currently in possession of a rifle, musket, crossbow, bow or spear: kill and eat as many deer as you can.
 
Thank you for your cooperation.

Very different from what I'm playing with but it looks interesting. Have you done the math to see how swingy that might be? If the damage resolution rules are harsh, it might go towards the old school territory of character death being a normal part of the game. Flexibility in that regard is probably a very good thing to have because that's a huge influence on the feel of a game and a very personal taste thing.
 
It looks like you're doing similar to me and getting the base mechanic down and then bolting magic on, is that right?
 
I want to get a chance to playtest mine, but the hp pool equivalent is best handled with a table and I haven't gotten around to making those yet. Just as well, will keep it clear to discuss your system a bit.

Okay, here is what I have so far.
 
Some preliminary thoughts:
It's hella hard to keep a system simple. Damage models are really hard to make simple and realistic. I very quickly ended up putting more time into the information for GM's section than anything else. Might have to be a separate post. I really have a thing for card-based systems. General mechanics
Attributes: short description attached to characters/items/objects. Applied as stated, with room for negotiation but without mechanical execution. May be agreed to have mechanical effects (eg: skills)
No hitpoints: characters are taken out of the fight by injury, with death being resolved after the fight unless something spectacular occurs.
No skill trees: skills are increased by adding/removing/modifying attributes on a character.
Card-based items: items are represented by cards, with standard forms being used for some items (weapons, armour etc.). The cards contain a set of relevant item variables: name, type of item, range (if applicable), armour value/coverage (if applicable), special rules and an attribute description. Items can have more than one attribute.
GM-driven play: the GM is responsible for rolls, with players giving actions/directions. Further, the GM is allowed to alter rules (with notice) to any extent he wants.
 
General Combat mechanics
1 action per turn: move or attack or cast or perform misc. action.
Combined roll (3xD6): hit roll, placement roll, damage roll. Floating dice can be used to simplify skill/counter rolls. It is advisable to have some way of easily separating dice or sorting them to allow for smooth play.
1 counter roll: opponent gets to choose 1 dice before roll to reroll if the score is unfavourable. This represents generic blocking/dodging/luck.
Skills can be represented to changing the score on a dice, changing the score-to-exceed for a roll or forcing a reroll.
 
Range and movement
Weapons and spells (if any) can have effects at range. Range is represented by four states: melee (<10m), short range (10 – 50m), medium range (50 – 100m) and long range (>100m).
Hitting involves exceeding a score, the score being dependent on the situation. GMs are allowed to tinker with to-exceed scores as the situation dictates, but must give contextual clues to players (example: "it's a rainy night and the target is moving, so it will be extremely difficult to hit" = a standard to-hit roll now has a +2 modifier to the to-exceed score.)
Hitting at range against an opponent is difficult, so the base to-exceed score for actions at range increases: melee = 2, short range = 3, medium range = 4 and long range = 5. Hitting a stationary or large object is easier, of course.
Base movement per turn is jogging speed (roughly 2m/s), so closing from range can take some time. Turns are represent roughly 10 seconds of time (although this varies for story and mechanical reasons), so a character can move 10-20m per turn.
Weapons are used in order or range, with weapons in range getting priority. This means that at short range, the short ranged weapon will go first, followed by the long ranged weapon and medium ranged weapon.
Weapons can exceed their stated range by one increment (you threw your sword), but suffer a reroll penalty to hit along with whatever the GM feels is situationally appropriate (sword now unavailable for rest of scene).
 
Placement and damage
After a successful hit roll, the placement of the shot will be determined by the placement roll. Placement is as follows:​1: legs 2: lower torso 3: upper torso 4: arms 5: head 6: player chooses ​The effect of successful hit placement determines the effect of damage, which is contextual and based on the area hit, the effect of armour and the type of weapon used (a significant wound to the legs, for instance, would result in the character not being able to move or only being able to crawl. A slashing weapon hitting the same point might even remove the leg entirely). Damage is determined by the damage roll, with the effects being as follows:​1: no damage. 2-5: a wound is inflicted.  6: a severe wound is inflicted. Characters are taken out of the fight based on wounds. A normal person, upon receiving a severe wound, generally becomes unable to continue with anything beyond finding cover or retreating. A particularly hardy or strong-willed person, on the other hand, might get multiple injuries and still carry on fighting. The number of wounds a character can withstand is determined by their attributes. Severe wounds are such that a character will be instantly out of the fight or severely impaired, with correspondingly more difficult healing and recovery.  
Narrative, scene, resolution and healing
Events in a game can happen in one of two ways: narrative (where things are broadly resolved by the GM and players discussing things) and scene (a specific event, where mechanics are in play). GMs can include rolls as needed to represent difficulty, but are advised to only use these where an unexpected, mechanistic resolution to an issue is needed. Players may, during narrative or a scene, argue an attribute. Arguing an attribute involves making a case to the GM that the description of the attribute held by a player (in the form of a character attribute or item attribute) will allow the character to perform a certain action. This might involve ignoring or instantly passing a roll ('light touch' being used to bypass a roll to successfully pickpocket another character), or it might involve a constant effect ('veteran' adding another wound to a character). The GM has final authority on the outcome of the argument, but is advised to be reasonable and refrain from simply imposing his/her own interpretation. After a scene, it is often the case that one or more characters are out of the fight due to wounds. For the player characters, there must now be a period of healing to restore wounds. Here a skill roll, with a to-exceed score based on the number of wounds received (severe wounds count as two) can be taken every few days, with a roll of 1 adding a wound. Six wounds would thus result in the character dying at the end of the scene. Attributes would, as with all actions, be taken into account where healing is concerned. However, the GM does have some leeway to fudge things if needs be. If the game is expected to be realistic and/or difficult, then a more realistic approach to injuries can be taken. If a game is expected to be easier or more fantastic, then injuries resulting in death can be treated as more rare events.  
Armour, penetration and weapon types
Armour allows characters to negate the effects of a successful attack beyond the counter-roll, and is item-based. Armour items have a coverage statistic (with the numbers corresponding to the parts of the body covered), as well as an attribute description describing the level of protection conferred. Penetration is generally dependent on the type of weapon being used, with slashing weapons generally having low penetration. Again, context is important when determining penetration of armour. A discussion of weapon types, armour and damage in the real world is included in the Appendices.

I love discussions of pre-fordist industrial states, like the Union, Victorian Britain and 1940s Germany.

I love discussions of pre-fordist industrial states, like the Union, Victorian Britain and 1940s Germany.

I love discussions of pre-fordist industrial states, like the Union, Victorian Britain and 1940s Germany.

I am, I must admit, a complete dilettante when it comes to military history.  I know that there has been critical analysis of Guderian's autobiography, Erinnerungen eines Soldaten, or Panzer Leader in English, but other than that I am ignorant of it.  Still, I found the book an interesting read, and at times amusing.  Amusing, I think, for reasons old Heinz would not immediately have appreciated:
 
 
Production rationalization is haaarrrdd!  Also, Guderian didn't even play World of Tanks and he knew that the aufklärungspanzer panther was a stupid idea.
 
 
Hitler cannot into tank tactics.
 
 
But just think of how dead it would kill a tank if it did hit!
 
 

I had suggested that in the spirit of European colonial administration, where local minorities were often propped up to rule various territories because they would be dependent upon their overlords, that Iraq be reconstituted under Yezidi rule as the Empire of Satan.

Excellent radar reflection is a prime masculine trait.

Maybe not far enough East?
 

People very rarely go out and shoot people just for being the other gender, hell even Elliot Rodger wanted to kill men too because his poor little feelings couldn't handle the thought that nobody wanted him but instead wanted actually socialized humans, and he was mad at them too. The only one I can really think of who did something straight up like that is Marc Lepine.
 
Incidentally: the worst of tumblr: really not a huge deal. If they want to have their own weird angrily touchy-feely circlejerk, they don't usually delve into straight up agitprop against men like, say, mgtows do.
 
 
 
I have met far too many people who have let their blood flow out of their brain when the subject comes up so to speak to truly believe either gender is significantly picky. Too many guys in bars whose standards sound like a NASA countdown.
 
Weirdly I can't think of any time I've gotten hit on by a dude. Then again unlike some people here despite growing up in an incredibly gay neighborhood I don't go to gay hangouts.
 
 
 
Literally and cheerfully, given the opportunity.

People very rarely go out and shoot people just for being the other gender, hell even Elliot Rodger wanted to kill men too because his poor little feelings couldn't handle the thought that nobody wanted him but instead wanted actually socialized humans, and he was mad at them too. The only one I can really think of who did something straight up like that is Marc Lepine.
 
Incidentally: the worst of tumblr: really not a huge deal. If they want to have their own weird angrily touchy-feely circlejerk, they don't usually delve into straight up agitprop against men like, say, mgtows do.
 
 
 
I have met far too many people who have let their blood flow out of their brain when the subject comes up so to speak to truly believe either gender is significantly picky. Too many guys in bars whose standards sound like a NASA countdown.
 
Weirdly I can't think of any time I've gotten hit on by a dude. Then again unlike some people here despite growing up in an incredibly gay neighborhood I don't go to gay hangouts.
 
 
 
Literally and cheerfully, given the opportunity.

This makes me wonder about how many women actually go out and kill men for being male. Are we talking full-on gendercide here or... no, pretty much nobody.
 
Dude, it is hilarious when you get worked up over things like this. I'm sort of tempted to prod you over it a bit.

Also had the experience of getting hit on really heavily... by a friend who came out of the closet in a big way after high school.
 
It's really uncomfortable knowing the playbook and getting treated to the moves

I think that a huge number of silenced black rifles isn't a particularly good look to put forward for people who go that's what commandos and stuff carry, right? For the knowledgeable outsiders who don't automatically axiomatically treat gun ownership as an end in and of itself stuff like children who are young enough to be treated with severe distrust unless they're carrying baby's first sporting rifle with a responsible adult on hand and definitely someone letting them hold a cocked handgun for a picture where it doesn't need to be cocked doesn't help the image that the gun community puts forward that they have a universal safety culture and that there aren't people doing irresponsible things with guns.
 
Long ugly sentence but I think it parses and I can't figure out how to cut it down without gutting it.

Never mind look down shoot down, how are you going to get the first spot to get the birds in the air?
 
I'm a first church of high and fast man, but low and fast is even worse.
 
On the other hand making it actually work would be crazy. I have a feeling dealing with something shitting radiation is even worse when you're trying to deal with making it work as intended. Add in a good deal of MacNamoronic decisions and it's not a good time for a manned plane period, let alone one cruising for a troublesome development cycle.

The best I've been able to come up with if I could tailor a defense specifically to that threat is helped considerably by the very low bar for a system that does less damage than PLUTO. Defense in depth by nuclear devices a bit above the ground trying to swat the things out of the air would actually make sense in a great number of places because it would be less destructive than letting them through.

There's still the time between the radar bouncing off the inbound, the computer processing everything, the gun accelerating the projectile up to speed and the decidedly non-zero travel time.
 
The P(k) may be high, but it isn't going to be 1, and at that point the question is how many tries do you get? Gatlings fill an area with a nice density of projectiles to get that P(k) high.
 
The refire rate on the railgun is likely the constraint on the system.

Fantastic TV. Dark and funny.
 
It's a black comedy set in a military hospital in Vietnam Korea. Weird that I typed Vietnam. No idea what came over me there.

Fantastic TV. Dark and funny.
 
It's a black comedy set in a military hospital in Vietnam Korea. Weird that I typed Vietnam. No idea what came over me there.

This is where the first church of high and fast comes in with my dream bomber:
 

This is where the first church of high and fast comes in with my dream bomber:
 

That certainly looks like a weapon that would be carried by an anonymous henchman standing around in the background of a super villain's top secret lair. It's the sort of gun that says "I'm wearing a bright blue contractors helmet and silver coveralls but I'm not supposed to look directly at the camera while I shuffle around in front of this forklift". It's the sort of gun that is so imposing, a guy with a toupee and tuxedo armed only with a .32 caliber pistol can shoot me from the distance of most cricket pitches while I spray the Spectre sub-machine gun futilely from the hip causing sparks to fly from the sheet metal siding the hero is hiding behind. It's the sort of weapon that the aforementioned hero wouldn't even deign to pick up as he escorts the buxom love interest through the hanger vault of the top secret lair while he attempts to track down the aforementioned super villain, before an elaborate countdown sequence blows up a recognizable World Heritage Site with a stolen nuclear device.
 
Cool find though!

For that matter how frequently do you see non-enemy Iraqis? I mean there's a war in a country and the people in that country barely make an appearance like they're an afterthought.

Chuck Yeager was very good at talking about doing things that would mean Chuck Yeager is a good pilot, no matter what the facts are.
 
Here's a big old source dump post on the subject of B-36 intercepts: http://www.tank-net.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=9510&p=179123. The quote from Magnesium Overcast is there in the book, so I'm confident in the Big Stick quotes being in that one.