Re: GZG DS2 Mikko: Genres for DS2.

Mikko Kurki-Suonio <maxxon@swob.dna.fi> wrote:
>How about the *real* Hammer's Slammers game from Mayfair? Ok, it's out
of
>print.
    Yes. Can it handle modern, battle tech and ultra modern? No.

>Dave Ferris' Generic Legions can do it, and probably quite a number of
>other generic systems.
    So can DSII! Can they handle modern, battle tech, and ultra modern?
No.

>>     HS doesn't need PDS. HS GEV tanks automatically, with no cost in
>> actions, shoot down missiles.
>Erm, I couldn't see this bit in the article.
    Described in the short stories compilation which I have. Also,
implied
by you earlier.

>I want to play a "Slammers-inspired" force in a bring'n'battle. Is that
>really too much to ask?
    That's fine. Make sure that your opponent agrees with you and fields
an
appropriate force designed for the Hammer's Slammers (HS) genre.
Otherwise,
you must use the standard rules without HS Power Guns and with standard
DSII
GMS.

>Excuse me, but have you actually *read* any of the stories? How about
the
>"interludes" that explain the world and technology?
    Yes. That's where I got the information from. Careful reading shows
this. Don't extend today's or near future technology into the HS genre.
It
doesn't fit.

>A blanket ban is not a very satisfactory solution. Background reasons
need
>game reasons to back them up.
    I though I did! Oh, well here they are again. HS has no GMS as
described
by DSII rules. The missiles that are fired in HS stories are of two
types.
One is the very short range buzz bombs that are carried by infantry.
These
are adequately covered by the DSII rules already.
    The other missile system in HS is the wireguided, joystick operated,
operator controlled missiles used by the various defenders. They are
exactly
similar to first generation AT missiles as used by various Arab nations
in
the Arab Israeli wars. HS GEV tank crew deal with them in exactly the
same
way as the Israelis did. That is, fire heavy MG and tank guns at the
operator and the missile. The fire causes the operator to duck, the
missile
goes off course and explodes harmlessly in the ground. Only if the tank
crew
are totally unaware of the threat, for example, in DSII travel mode,
does
these missile system pose any problem. If you need a guidance dice roll,
use
1D2 and let the crew quality die be the defence.

>Let's give supertanks superior PDS. Is it good enough? (I don't think
so)
>Does it even fit in the tank?
    They didn't have PDS in the stories! Therefore it's not allowed by
the
genre!

>And just how does it help with the "shoot down aircraft" bit?
    In David Drake's military experience, there was no terrain
following, no
Nap of Earth flying and no multimach ground attack aeroplanes. All
aeroplanes followed a straight course at a safe altitude immune to rifle
fire. This course is easy to predict. Just fire ahead of the position
the
plane is in now and the plane goes down when hit by Power Gun rounds. If
you
want a system, roll the GEV's fire control dice. Any result but "1" and
the
plane is shot down.

>To offer you another analogy, what would you say if you bought a house
>and got a pile of bricks and a sack of cement with a brochure reading:
>
>"The new CementSlab 2000 housing system is completely customizable.
>Therefore, no customer complaints about design will be accepted."?
    I, too, would be disappointed and I would complain. But I didn't get
this when I bought the DSII rules. I bought a generic SF wargames system
that is easy to alter to suit my chosen genres. I use DSII for modern,
ultramodern, GZG Future History and BattleTech genres. Each genre has
it's
own limitations and extensions, which our group adheres to. I've
published
many extensions which are available on my web site. See the the
addresses
below for more.
    With some more significant work, DSII rules can even suit WWII and
WWI
combat as described by some other peoples published vehicle conversions.

Andrew Martin
Shared email: Al.Bri@xtra.co.nz
Web Site: http://members.xoom.com/AndrewMartin/
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