Re: Simple is good

	Maybe it's just me and that I am getting old (I think the
Wombles post did
it) or perhaps it's just bad experiences from my GW (shh don't tell any
one) days but I really don't like rolling lots of dice. Having said that
I
do like FT (love it in fact) but it does slow down with a big battle
when
it comes to shooting, threshold and damage repair rolls. The FMA system
is
quick, simple and by opposed rolls keeps both players doing something
which
the little power munchkins in our club need to keep them occupied if we
are
ever to drag them away from GW and the endless fights they have over the
rules. It has been the experience of my club over the last 30 years
(some
of us are that old, not me but some) that you need to turn the little
power
GW munchkins into respectable gamers to keep your club alive. Stargrunt,
Dirtside and Full Thrust are great for this (though sadly they will
never
make ancients gamers, sigh).
	 As for damage chits with an index card cheat sheet reminding
which ones
are valid the system works quite well. As for losing them Jon has given
a
break down of the counter sheets in the front of each book so you can
make
your own sets as needed. The only thing he has not done (and he might
correct this in future editions) is to give a break down of the actual
values of the chits. Well make up your own, as the values are only going
to
be an issue when both players use their own chits and I am yet to see
that
happen. Two players one set of chits.
	Anyway its 4 in the morning and time for sleep.
	
	Tony "you are only as old as the person you feel".
	twilko@ozemail.com.au

At 11:51 31/07/98 -0500, you wrote:
>> When I first joined, I asked if they ever played DS2.  Most of the
>> criticisms of it and SG seemed boil down to "too many fiddly bits."
>> Anything where you can write the relevant rules on the back of an
index
>> card and finish a game (or two) in an afternoon is a hit.
>
>Wow. Although most of the guys I game with like to finish a game, if 
>the game is too simplistic, they can't be bothered. They find it more 
>a waste of their time to play something that doesn't give them the 
>right (to their mind) feel and complexity. I can't imagine us playing 
>a game where the rules fit on an index card. 
> 
>> I own both of the FMA games and like their content, but don't really
care
>> for their mechanics.  I'd like to see the chits and n-sided die
column
>> shifts replaced by the "fists full of six-siders" mechanic you see in
FT
>> and Charlie Company.
>
>Why do you prefer ten zillion six siders to say a d1000? And it sure 
>isn't better than the die levels Jon has worked out for Stargrunt.  I 
>don't necessarily see that using a bunch of d6s is an improvement. It 
>works for FT, but I don't see it working well for SG2.  
>
>> (For those of you who've never seen/played it:  Charlie Company is a
>> squad-based Vietnam RPG/skirmish game.  Base fire power is one die
for
>> every rifle, two or more for larger weapons.  Fire is squad versus
>> squad(s).  Modifiers can halve or double the number of dice rolled
and are
>> cumulative.	Sixes hit.  Then you roll to see which troopers of the
target
>> squads are hit and whether they are wounded or killed.
>
>Seems (on the surface) like a lot of dice are rolled here too (moreso 
>because of the way you conduct fire combat). 
>
>  Good points: Quick
>> and simple, easy to learn.  
>
>Bad points: Simple. That one cuts both ways. 
>
>GM keeps everything moving along and reduces
>> rules squabbles.
>
>Doesn't sound like there is a lot to squabble over. Now, mind you, 
>put two gamers in an empty room and they could still squabble...
>
>  Bad points: It is locked into the GM-controlled RPG
>> format.  While that works very well for ambush scenarios and other
>> fog-of-war situations, it lacks the team vs. team aspects that I like
in
>> most other games.)
>
>And it sounds like it lacks a higher level organizational aspect. I 
>think the command rules are part of what makes SG2 a good game. To 
>often I've seen games where command is not represented as 
>significant. Nor troop quality. SG2 does this (IMHO) very well. That 
>make all the difference in the real world, I'd guess. 
>
>Tom.  
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