why we love ct

[aramis]

Originally posted by Straybow:
2d6 or 1d10 is too grainy for a hit locator. A d100 chart is barely adequate IMO.

THe only time a d100 chart works for me is when the skill system is also percentile in nature... then I pull a warhammerism: Flip the to-hit digits to get the hit location.

EG: If you hit with a 23, then you hit location 32. If you hit with an 09, you hit location 90.

Besides, the vast majority of D100 hit location tables are actually resolveable to d20 without loss in granulrity (All of the ones I reall for BRP derives Chaosium systems were, the old GW Judge Dredd was, WHFRP is....). Several such games resolved to d10...

 

[aramis]

Originally posted by Straybow:
2d6 or 1d10 is too grainy for a hit locator. A d100 chart is barely adequate IMO.

THe only time a d100 chart works for me is when the skill system is also percentile in nature... then I pull a warhammerism: Flip the to-hit digits to get the hit location.

EG: If you hit with a 23, then you hit location 32. If you hit with an 09, you hit location 90.

Besides, the vast majority of D100 hit location tables are actually resolveable to d20 without loss in granulrity (All of the ones I reall for BRP derives Chaosium systems were, the old GW Judge Dredd was, WHFRP is....). Several such games resolved to d10...

 

[mike wightman]

The thing about hit location charts that most people forget is that they have to reflect random chance.
"What's that?", you say, "My 18th level Imperial Marine trained sniper has all the feats necessary to hit the hairs on a fly's feet at a half a klick!"
Unfortunately a lot can happen in the real world between your brain sending the impulse to fire to your trigger digit and the bullet striking home.
You may have a perfect bead, right between the eyes, only for the target to reach up and scratch his head just as you fire. Effect, your killer bullet shatters his arm instead of his skull and then ricochet away.
You may want to consider aiming zones (such as HarnMaster uses) to make hitting an aimed for location more likely but there should still be the random element, IMHO.
A simple 1d10 or 2d6 hit location chart is more than capable of representing this.
YMMV of course.

 

[mike wightman]

The thing about hit location charts that most people forget is that they have to reflect random chance.
"What's that?", you say, "My 18th level Imperial Marine trained sniper has all the feats necessary to hit the hairs on a fly's feet at a half a klick!"
Unfortunately a lot can happen in the real world between your brain sending the impulse to fire to your trigger digit and the bullet striking home.
You may have a perfect bead, right between the eyes, only for the target to reach up and scratch his head just as you fire. Effect, your killer bullet shatters his arm instead of his skull and then ricochet away.
You may want to consider aiming zones (such as HarnMaster uses) to make hitting an aimed for location more likely but there should still be the random element, IMHO.
A simple 1d10 or 2d6 hit location chart is more than capable of representing this.
YMMV of course.

 

[Straybow]

Originally posted by Aramis:
THe only time a d100 chart works for me is when the skill system is also percentile in nature... then I pull a warhammerism: Flip the to-hit digits to get the hit location.

EG: If you hit with a 23, then you hit location 32. If you hit with an 09, you hit location 90.

Besides, the vast majority of D100 hit location tables are actually resolveable to d20 without loss in granulrity (All of the ones I reall for BRP derives Chaosium systems were, the old GW Judge Dredd was, WHFRP is....). Several such games resolved to d10...

Then I would describe such a locator as d20 or d10. Just because they're scaled up to 100 for that application doesn't make it a true d100 hit chart. The one I used was developed from anatomy texts by students at Vanderbilt for use with an alternate damage system. It was decidedly not resolveable to 5% granularity.

For D&D I modified it slightly so that each area covered would represent one element or subsection of full plate armor, so that in theory one could map not only location but level of protection based on what the combatant was wearing. Not that we ever got that far in practice.

Today with computers to do look-ups it could be workable.

 

[Straybow]

Originally posted by Aramis:
THe only time a d100 chart works for me is when the skill system is also percentile in nature... then I pull a warhammerism: Flip the to-hit digits to get the hit location.

EG: If you hit with a 23, then you hit location 32. If you hit with an 09, you hit location 90.

Besides, the vast majority of D100 hit location tables are actually resolveable to d20 without loss in granulrity (All of the ones I reall for BRP derives Chaosium systems were, the old GW Judge Dredd was, WHFRP is....). Several such games resolved to d10...

Then I would describe such a locator as d20 or d10. Just because they're scaled up to 100 for that application doesn't make it a true d100 hit chart. The one I used was developed from anatomy texts by students at Vanderbilt for use with an alternate damage system. It was decidedly not resolveable to 5% granularity.

For D&D I modified it slightly so that each area covered would represent one element or subsection of full plate armor, so that in theory one could map not only location but level of protection based on what the combatant was wearing. Not that we ever got that far in practice.

Today with computers to do look-ups it could be workable.

 

[aramis]

Originally posted by Straybow:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Aramis:
THe only time a d100 chart works for me is when the skill system is also percentile in nature... then I pull a warhammerism: Flip the to-hit digits to get the hit location.

EG: If you hit with a 23, then you hit location 32. If you hit with an 09, you hit location 90.

Besides, the vast majority of D100 hit location tables are actually resolveable to d20 without loss in granulrity (All of the ones I reall for BRP derives Chaosium systems were, the old GW Judge Dredd was, WHFRP is....). Several such games resolved to d10...

Then I would describe such a locator as d20 or d10. Just because they're scaled up to 100 for that application doesn't make it a true d100 hit chart. The one I used was developed from anatomy texts by students at Vanderbilt for use with an alternate damage system. It was decidedly not resolveable to 5% granularity.

For D&D I modified it slightly so that each area covered would represent one element or subsection of full plate armor, so that in theory one could map not only location but level of protection based on what the combatant was wearing. Not that we ever got that far in practice.

Today with computers to do look-ups it could be workable. </font>[/QUOTE]There is a multi-game engine out there that DID map to 16cm^2 areas. Had to account for belt buckles. Reductio in absurdam. To me, unplayable. Variable damage rolls account for missing granularity of hit locations.

 

[aramis]

Originally posted by Straybow:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Aramis:
THe only time a d100 chart works for me is when the skill system is also percentile in nature... then I pull a warhammerism: Flip the to-hit digits to get the hit location.

EG: If you hit with a 23, then you hit location 32. If you hit with an 09, you hit location 90.

Besides, the vast majority of D100 hit location tables are actually resolveable to d20 without loss in granulrity (All of the ones I reall for BRP derives Chaosium systems were, the old GW Judge Dredd was, WHFRP is....). Several such games resolved to d10...

Then I would describe such a locator as d20 or d10. Just because they're scaled up to 100 for that application doesn't make it a true d100 hit chart. The one I used was developed from anatomy texts by students at Vanderbilt for use with an alternate damage system. It was decidedly not resolveable to 5% granularity.

For D&D I modified it slightly so that each area covered would represent one element or subsection of full plate armor, so that in theory one could map not only location but level of protection based on what the combatant was wearing. Not that we ever got that far in practice.

Today with computers to do look-ups it could be workable. </font>[/QUOTE]There is a multi-game engine out there that DID map to 16cm^2 areas. Had to account for belt buckles. Reductio in absurdam. To me, unplayable. Variable damage rolls account for missing granularity of hit locations.

 

[Straybow]

Hmmm, 16cm²&#133 sounds about equivalent to the 400 location hit chart for ships, except that it wouldn't need to be specific for each human (unless obese or otherwise out of proportion to healthy physique).

Variable damage hand-waving works better for the quasi-supernatural hit point systems than for more realistic systems where everything is physical damage to the body. Once you start changing the damage based on location you are invoking the curse of micromanagement instead of using location for interpretation.

Use location to determine carry-over and shock, and that's about it. Hits to the head and vitals have high carry-over potential, whereas limbs don't. If the attacker's FGMP does 56 points to the character's left leg it simply leaves a seared stump behind. There isn't even blood loss, except for the volume of blood in the leg itself (which is no longer a circulation load and hence balances out). There is no carry-over. Heck, the character might not realize it's gone.

This kind of thing is where the hits-in-combat that resolves to dice-after-combat is good. Other situations don't work well at all for that system.

Combat and damage need to be complex in a "realistic" game, whereas simplicity is the heart of D&D type "potato" damage system at the expense of realism.

 

[Straybow]

Hmmm, 16cm²&#133 sounds about equivalent to the 400 location hit chart for ships, except that it wouldn't need to be specific for each human (unless obese or otherwise out of proportion to healthy physique).

Variable damage hand-waving works better for the quasi-supernatural hit point systems than for more realistic systems where everything is physical damage to the body. Once you start changing the damage based on location you are invoking the curse of micromanagement instead of using location for interpretation.

Use location to determine carry-over and shock, and that's about it. Hits to the head and vitals have high carry-over potential, whereas limbs don't. If the attacker's FGMP does 56 points to the character's left leg it simply leaves a seared stump behind. There isn't even blood loss, except for the volume of blood in the leg itself (which is no longer a circulation load and hence balances out). There is no carry-over. Heck, the character might not realize it's gone.

This kind of thing is where the hits-in-combat that resolves to dice-after-combat is good. Other situations don't work well at all for that system.

Combat and damage need to be complex in a "realistic" game, whereas simplicity is the heart of D&D type "potato" damage system at the expense of realism.

 

[hot dog vendor]

ct rules because of easy character generation, and easy combat rules plus all that gurps stuff can be made to work with it

 

[hot dog vendor]

ct rules because of easy character generation, and easy combat rules plus all that gurps stuff can be made to work with it

 

[praetorius3]

don't forget the game 'Imperium'. I got more wargamers into rpg's by leaving those LBB's out while we played. Also, traveller got more women in the hobby. 'Shotguns and Soap Opera' should be number 2 for this reason alone.

 

[praetorius3]

don't forget the game 'Imperium'. I got more wargamers into rpg's by leaving those LBB's out while we played. Also, traveller got more women in the hobby. 'Shotguns and Soap Opera' should be number 2 for this reason alone.

 

[rega_ryan]

I`ve been playing CT since it was introduced way back when.. My opinion, is you can`t fix what`s not broken.. ~chuckle~ I just like it is all.. Marc Miller and all the rest have over complicated a nice simple, easy to play system with detail that should be left to the GM and his players.. Thanks for listening..

 

[rega_ryan]

I`ve been playing CT since it was introduced way back when.. My opinion, is you can`t fix what`s not broken.. ~chuckle~ I just like it is all.. Marc Miller and all the rest have over complicated a nice simple, easy to play system with detail that should be left to the GM and his players.. Thanks for listening..

 

[Dabrayn]

Why do I love CT?

It has nothing to do with gameplay, I have never played a single game, in the 25 years since I spent weeks of my pocket money on those books.

The months I spent planning, and reading, and cajoling my DnD fixated friends, to try and get them interested in a different game.

The mass of sci fi material pouring out into the masses in the wake of star wars.

Traveller, to me, is all about nostalgia, of teenage enthusiasm. And finding this site has fueled that feeling, I sit here grinning like a fool.

I will look at T20, maybe even get my kids to play a game or two, they enjoy DnD 3e and the D20 star wars games. And I can dig out my old scraps of paper, with my worlds defined, and sit and remember a time filled with fun and excitement at what the future had in store for us all.

 

[Dabrayn]

Why do I love CT?

It has nothing to do with gameplay, I have never played a single game, in the 25 years since I spent weeks of my pocket money on those books.

The months I spent planning, and reading, and cajoling my DnD fixated friends, to try and get them interested in a different game.

The mass of sci fi material pouring out into the masses in the wake of star wars.

Traveller, to me, is all about nostalgia, of teenage enthusiasm. And finding this site has fueled that feeling, I sit here grinning like a fool.

I will look at T20, maybe even get my kids to play a game or two, they enjoy DnD 3e and the D20 star wars games. And I can dig out my old scraps of paper, with my worlds defined, and sit and remember a time filled with fun and excitement at what the future had in store for us all.

 

[flykiller]

And I can dig out my old scraps of paper, with my worlds defined, and sit and remember a time filled with fun and excitement at what the future had in store for us all.

(smile)

they're not always long-lived, but you can play games via bulletin boards if you don't mind the long time between turns. some people prefer it to face-to-face play.

http://rpol.net/rpol/

check the sci-fi section.

 

[flykiller]

And I can dig out my old scraps of paper, with my worlds defined, and sit and remember a time filled with fun and excitement at what the future had in store for us all.

(smile)

they're not always long-lived, but you can play games via bulletin boards if you don't mind the long time between turns. some people prefer it to face-to-face play.

http://rpol.net/rpol/

check the sci-fi section.