> In the simplified BR model, Frank did have a version of this, but perhaps
> not to your satisfaction?
I wouldn't say that, I just couldn't remember the details. My recollection
is that he scaled the rules very well, there was just a problem with a
couple of the abstracted ship designs.
> He basically said one MFD for every meson/PA
> gun and one MFD for every two lasers or you started getting negative
> effects.
One MFD for every two laser turrets? Unless I'm forgetting something
that's almost too strict. I've been away from it for too long to remember
the subtleties, however.
> (Yes, I always preferred the simple, and to my mind more playable, BR
> combat system than BL which reminded me too much of FASA games with its
> level of detail. But each to his own I say. I think BL could make a very
> good computer-assisted game with modern PCs).
The idea was that BL was an aid to the RPG and BR was the actual "game."
BL was anal-retentive because those ships were supposed to be able to be
filled with PCs who were playing out their adventure. BR was so two people
could say, "let's throw some fleets at each other." Because the abstract
range-band starship combat in the core rules was only one-dimensional, it
didn't really help players understand what space combat looked like; it
was a place-holder. Originally I had wanted the Deluxe TNE boxed set to be
the core rulebook and BL, but it was explained to me that would be too
expensive, so we went with FF&S plus custom goodies instead. Like I've
said ad nauseam, and skip ahead if you know what I'm about to say, I was
sick to death of MT adventures saying, "suddenly an enemy ship appears
from behind a nearby moon." "WHAT nearby moon?" And it was our own fault
for not giving players something to visualize space around them so that
adventures could be developed "realistically" without "nearby moons" and
the cast of Hello Dolly appearing at random.
Do you still use the resolution cards with BR? I felt like if I played it
a lot I would probably go back to just rolling dice.
Dave
> not to your satisfaction?
I wouldn't say that, I just couldn't remember the details. My recollection
is that he scaled the rules very well, there was just a problem with a
couple of the abstracted ship designs.
> He basically said one MFD for every meson/PA
> gun and one MFD for every two lasers or you started getting negative
> effects.
One MFD for every two laser turrets? Unless I'm forgetting something
that's almost too strict. I've been away from it for too long to remember
the subtleties, however.
> (Yes, I always preferred the simple, and to my mind more playable, BR
> combat system than BL which reminded me too much of FASA games with its
> level of detail. But each to his own I say. I think BL could make a very
> good computer-assisted game with modern PCs).
The idea was that BL was an aid to the RPG and BR was the actual "game."
BL was anal-retentive because those ships were supposed to be able to be
filled with PCs who were playing out their adventure. BR was so two people
could say, "let's throw some fleets at each other." Because the abstract
range-band starship combat in the core rules was only one-dimensional, it
didn't really help players understand what space combat looked like; it
was a place-holder. Originally I had wanted the Deluxe TNE boxed set to be
the core rulebook and BL, but it was explained to me that would be too
expensive, so we went with FF&S plus custom goodies instead. Like I've
said ad nauseam, and skip ahead if you know what I'm about to say, I was
sick to death of MT adventures saying, "suddenly an enemy ship appears
from behind a nearby moon." "WHAT nearby moon?" And it was our own fault
for not giving players something to visualize space around them so that
adventures could be developed "realistically" without "nearby moons" and
the cast of Hello Dolly appearing at random.
Do you still use the resolution cards with BR? I felt like if I played it
a lot I would probably go back to just rolling dice.
Dave