Re: FMA Skills [CLEAN STAMP]

I didn't mean to imply that each character/figure in a FMA game should
have a
broad set of skills, that would then be tracked from game to game.  What
a
headache that could be.  I suppose my interpretation of "skill use" in a
skirmish wargame is much, much more in line with the "Rules With No
Name" set
mentioned below.  When using such a system only a minority of characters
have
skills, and then usually only one.  More than one skill only if they are
of the
heroic variety.

Let me say that I do like they opposed die roll, based on the
character's "skill
die" vs "task difficulty".  Quick and easy.  Consider this example.  An
elite
squad performs a night raid on a enemy CP.  Squad made up of 1 leader, 1
electronics specialist, and 3 grunts.  Objective raid the CP and
download
mainframe contents.  Secondary objective, destroy the mainframe.  Skill
challenges for electronics specialist (skill "competent"), open CP blast
doors
(difficulty "average") download data (difficulty "hard").

If the specialist where killed then the leader might be considered to
have a
"poor" electronics skill, and the grunts a "hopeless" rating (ah let's
just blow
this thing).  Additionally the elite squad might all have a Stealth
skill to
sneak around the CP compound.

ScottSaylo@aol.com on 08/13/99 07:31:18 AM

Please respond to gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU

To:   gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
cc:    (bcc: Aron Clark/AM/Avid)
Subject:  Re: FMA Skills [CLEAN STAMP]

In a message dated 8/13/99 8:04:43 AM EST, rick@esr.com writes:

<<
 A skill system would move FMA closer to being a core system for a
 role-playing game, which might not be a bad thing, overall.
 Certainly nothing else has stepped up to take the place of Traveller.

 In their new miniatures game (called "Vor"), FASA figured out how to do
 something that no other game company has done yet: add a role-playing
 system to the miniatures game, so that players can improve their units
in
 between games, and keep track of their units from one battle to the
next.
 Even if there's nothing else to recommend the game, that will keep
their
 players coming back for more.
  >>

I don't know how many of you have played THE RULES WITH NO NAME which is
a
Old West, Seven Years War, Victorian Era skirmish game, but they use a
card
system to activate figures and it also is used to generate random wild
skills
and attributes on figures. This provides a "wild hare" for each game
which is
kind of fun. Skills and Abilities will add a role play feel to any
skirmish
game since both types of game are a one to one figure correspondence
game. I
agree that nothing has stepped up0 to take Traveller's place even the
post-
GDW edition and GURPS monstrosity adaptation. For skirmish games and
role-play my favorite is still the Twilight 2000 system from GDW used
for
Traveller: The New Era