22-15 Can space combat be fun? not the "bigger" question
Sept 10, 2018 8:53:07 GMT -8
Post by Distracted on Sept 10, 2018 8:53:07 GMT -8
To begin, in general I am pro-Tappy (may have needed to be said)
I will cherry pick two statements:
"I love space combat"
"Space combat should have consequence" (paraphrased?)
The big question might be how will we allow it to effect the game.
It was mentioned when this discussion began, but I feel it is best to get consensus on what effects space combat will be allowed to have on your role-playing game. "back in the day" my groups were always interested in adding mass combat battles
to our fantasy campaigns and I feel they are similar in this sense to space combat.
1) As the small freighter is seeking to escape from the capital ships of the fleet the Tie fighters strafe past.
When the shields are breached momentarily the jedi apprentice is killed by a blast or the game ends as all characters die
in the fiery explosion.
2) The Romulan plasma torpedo causes damage on multiple decks and the medical officer is killed. one less PC
3) The charge of the dwarven boar cavalry succeeds in crippling the witch doctor's casting hand.
Is any of this OK? none of this was a result of role-playing it was part of the war game or board game we tried to add to the game we originally started playing.
Remembering that having fun is the only rule that really counts. I am at a loss as to how we work these into the game without just being arbitrary to some degree. We can let the referee (or a concerned player) just narrate a story for the encounter. Roll a die on a chart. Multiple rolls. a flow chart of successes and failures.
No choice I currently see is much more satisfying than having a range of possibilities that the narrator works within to make up an inconsequential description and we move on.
Can our space battle kill a PC? cripple one? reduce our resources significantly? change the campaign's direction?
I think this must be dealt with even before we bother with finding a way to make it fun. (because maybe its not worth wasting time on).
I will cherry pick two statements:
"I love space combat"
"Space combat should have consequence" (paraphrased?)
The big question might be how will we allow it to effect the game.
It was mentioned when this discussion began, but I feel it is best to get consensus on what effects space combat will be allowed to have on your role-playing game. "back in the day" my groups were always interested in adding mass combat battles
to our fantasy campaigns and I feel they are similar in this sense to space combat.
1) As the small freighter is seeking to escape from the capital ships of the fleet the Tie fighters strafe past.
When the shields are breached momentarily the jedi apprentice is killed by a blast or the game ends as all characters die
in the fiery explosion.
2) The Romulan plasma torpedo causes damage on multiple decks and the medical officer is killed. one less PC
3) The charge of the dwarven boar cavalry succeeds in crippling the witch doctor's casting hand.
Is any of this OK? none of this was a result of role-playing it was part of the war game or board game we tried to add to the game we originally started playing.
Remembering that having fun is the only rule that really counts. I am at a loss as to how we work these into the game without just being arbitrary to some degree. We can let the referee (or a concerned player) just narrate a story for the encounter. Roll a die on a chart. Multiple rolls. a flow chart of successes and failures.
No choice I currently see is much more satisfying than having a range of possibilities that the narrator works within to make up an inconsequential description and we move on.
Can our space battle kill a PC? cripple one? reduce our resources significantly? change the campaign's direction?
I think this must be dealt with even before we bother with finding a way to make it fun. (because maybe its not worth wasting time on).