Diary of a T20 GM...

[Reginald]

First off, don't shoot the messenger ... or throw me out of the airlock, for that matter.

http://www.paizopublishing.com/news/diary/diary.shtml

Feel free to discuss.

 

[sandman]

Originally posted by Reginald:
First off, don't shoot the messenger ... or throw me out of the airlock, for that matter.

I wonder if he read/found every erratas for the Ship Design seq.

Doesn't sound bad for a review tho

 

[Reginald]

Well, someone has to notify him that there is an errata (albeit felt incomplete, but that's me).

I have yet to read the T20 ship design sequence rules. I just hope there are gamers with master's degree standing by to answer my question. Hehehe. I hope not. The last thing I want to do is have my eyes start glossing over as I read the text.

 

[notagoodusername]

Originally posted by Reginald:
I have yet to read the T20 ship design sequence rules. I just hope there are gamers with master's degree standing by to answer my question. Hehehe. I hope not. The last thing I want to do is have my eyes start glossing over as I read the text.

Heh. TNE Fire Fusion and Steel anyone?

Makes T20 look like grade school math.

Shane

 

[Ellros]

Heh. TNE Fire Fusion and Steel anyone?

Makes T20 look like grade school math.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[sandman]

Originally posted by Reginald:
Well, someone has to notify him that there is an errata (albeit felt incomplete, but that's me).

I have yet to read the T20 ship design sequence rules. I just hope there are gamers with master's degree standing by to answer my question. Hehehe. I hope not. The last thing I want to do is have my eyes start glossing over as I read the text.

It ain't only you... The Errata page needs an Errata of its own, and needs to be expanded (it dates back from the end of november)

As for the Ship Design Seq., it's not *THAT* bad. would just need to be clarified on some spots, a FULL ship design example, and those erratas fixed.

 

[sandman]

Originally posted by Ellros:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr /> Heh. TNE Fire Fusion and Steel anyone?

Makes T20 look like grade school math.

Ain't that the truth. </font>[/QUOTE]I'm curious

More or Less than Mekton Zeta Plus and Gurps Vehicule?

 

[notagoodusername]

Originally posted by Sandman:
I'm curious

More or Less than Mekton Zeta Plus and Gurps Vehicule?

I don't know either - but I've heard someone liken creating a ship with FF&S to running a Rolemaster campaign for 30 players.



Shane

 

[MichaelL65]

I think the author of the review made a mistake in assuming T20 was just like CT. He expected things to be very similar (and in some places they are), but there are several deviations.

I would also say it is a big mistake to start running a campaign without reading the rule book thuroughly - which was another mistake the reviewer made. Glad I'm not in his game.

If he was that anxious to start his campaign, he should have started with the T20 Lite book instead of waiting for the full book - it would have given him opportunity to get some of the background in place before starting up.

Just my review of the review.

 

[Ellros]

Mekton Zeta Plus is a lot easier. By far in my opinion.

 

[Reginald]

Originally posted by Shane Mclean:

Heh. TNE Fire Fusion and Steel anyone?

Makes T20 look like grade school math.

True, but I'm interested in playing a game, not taking a class.

For now, T20 suits me just fine.

 

[sandman]

Originally posted by Shane Mclean:
I don't know either - but I've heard someone liken creating a ship with FF&S to running a Rolemaster campaign for 30 players.



Shane

OUCH... I think I won't try it!

 

[sandman]

Originally posted by MichaelL65:
I think the author of the review made a mistake in assuming T20 was just like CT. He expected things to be very similar (and in some places they are), but there are several deviations.

I would also say it is a big mistake to start running a campaign without reading the rule book thuroughly - which was another mistake the reviewer made. Glad I'm not in his game.

I see your point. Some player could've read the book before him and think they have the same frame of reference than the GM, only to find out after some hours of gameplay that his PC's dead because they both didn't understand/believe they were or weren't talking about the same thing.

 

[GypsyComet]

Mekton Zeta Plus (and it's earlier incarnation, the Mekton Advanced Construction System) can get pretty deep in the tangled modifiers, but it doesn't *have* to, as a lot of those mods are intended to be campaign determined.

TNE's Fire Fusion & Steel (FF&S) is quite different, in that the design process is fairly linear, and you can benefit from the design you did last week by reusing that new 'turret can' you worked up. The math, while a bit dense in places, is well explained (assuming you know your algebra) and well laid out.

By comparison, T20 is plug and play.

 

[Smiling DM]

Originally posted by Sandman:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Shane Mclean:
I don't know either - but I've heard someone liken creating a ship with FF&S to running a Rolemaster campaign for 30 players.



Shane

OUCH... I think I won't try it!</font>[/QUOTE]I ran a Rolemaster campaign for 10 players once - it wasn't that bad (thanks to judicious use of spreadsheets and great players).

I only created a starship with FF&S once - just once - and even with a spreadsheet, it wasn't easy.

 

[Smiling DM]

Originally posted by MichaelL65:
I would also say it is a big mistake to start running a campaign without reading the rule book thuroughly - which was another mistake the reviewer made. Glad I'm not in his game.
If he was that anxious to start his campaign, he should have started with the T20 Lite book instead of waiting for the full book - it would have given him opportunity to get some of the background in place before starting up.

That a shot, Michael?

Maybe he was just soooo hungry to start a Traveller game that his ambition overcame his good sense (like me).

My point is that we all need to take any review with a grain of salt - nothing beats actually reading a product yourself. I use online reviews to help steer my RPG-purchasing decisions, but in the long run I usually make up my mind after glancing through it at my FLGS.

 

[lightsenshi]

Originally posted by GypsyComet:
By comparison, T20 is plug and play.[/QB]

Hang on, let me get my palladium books out.

 

[notagoodusername]

Originally posted by lightsenshi:
Hang on, let me get my palladium books out.

And looking at the Rifts release schedule alone, he is *still* getting them from the shelf! "Only a few more to go..."

Shane

 

[Reginald]

Exactly how many of you read a core rulebook thoroughly before playing a game?

Heck, even I have not gone through the entire T20 rulebook. I mean just now I started reading the psionics rules, and I have my book since November.

Is it safe to assume that this T20 game is strictly intended for experienced role-players, or can anyone off the street get into it without reading from cover to cover?

I'm curious as to what audience is this product aimed at?

 

[MichaelL65]

Originally posted by Smiling DM:
[/qb]

That a shot, Michael?
[/QB][/QUOTE]

(Subtracts 1000XP off his character sheet

)

"Thoroughly" was perhaps not the best choice of words...what I meant was he should have read it well enough to pick up on what was different from CT. I doubt anybody has the book memorized, after all I had to point out that liaison was equivelent to diplomacy...(subtracts another 1000XP...)