Re: FT III, BIg ships and such.

On Tue, 10 Dec 1996, Alex Williams wrote:
>	  I don't know.  The primary reason why I don't play the FMA
games
> very often is the fact that they are very difficult to organize and
> play.  One of primary selling points of FT is that it's any easy
system
> to play and learn.  I'm not saying that DSII and SGII are not good
games,
> they are.  However, I have an easier time teaching the FT rules than
> teaching any of the FMA rules. Changing the entire system to
corresponde
> to the FMA system isn't necessary.  In fact we might even lose some
> potential players if we do this.

I think this may be more a problem with the teaching than the system; I
haven't had much problem teaching even some youngsters (hey, they have
the most micromachines) the basic resolution system of FMA DSII; in
fact, they usually catch me out if I've forgotten a rule and misquote it
from the book.	The basic idea of the unit having a basic ability (rated
by a die) plus an extra die (in the case of SGII) vs a die of the same
sort of rating, highest wins.  VERY little math involved, just comparing
magnitudes.  In SGII, all you have to do is figure out if one die or two
exceed the defending die (until you get to that damage system; I'm still
not real keen on all the mults, but its better than other things I've
worked with).  FT tends to involve a lot more in terms of die rollsfor
me, but that aside, it'd be really nice, as I've said in previous posts,
if the entire GZG line used roughly similar mechanics so suppliments
could be put out for all three together to expand things.

Anyway, I've pretty much mined out my statements for the day while I'm
here at work.  :)

-- 
Alexander Williams {zander@photobooks.com   ||Member: Evil Geniuses
		    thantos@alf.dec.com}    ||For a Better Tomorrow
============================================// => Charter Member <=

"Perhaps we should lower our mental trousers and compare the size of
 our consciousnesses?"
				       -- Jan Sands to Marvin Minsky
					  comp.ai.genetic
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