Inspiration for Realistic Modern Action Gaming

[macphersonrants]

As some of you may have noticed, I just love thrillers that give you a feeling of plausibility and realism accompanied by a lot of kinetic action. I'm talking about films like Heat, Miami Vice, Body of Lies, Man on Fire, Shooter, Spartan, and the like. Books by authors like Stephen Hunter or Frederick Forsythe would fall into the category. So would comics like Queen & Country and TV shows like MI-5.

The common elements I see are:

1. A high level of action grounded by actual tactics and techniques, realistic effects, and outcomes and so on

2. Plausible backgrounds, settings, characters, and scenarios

I'm interested in other peoples recommendations. I'd also welcome comments on how to implement this sort of thing in a game, websites with source material, and so on.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by macphersonrants

I'm interested in other peoples recommendations. I'd also welcome comments on how to implement this sort of thing in a game, websites with source material, and so on.

I'm going after some of the same subject matter in the fiction bibliography section of one of my homebrew RPGs-in-progress, Modern Action RPG, except that I define "action" fairly widely, to include any non-consensual action taken against an enemy or target, including playing a long con or stealing from him, but basically Modern Action RPG campaigns are meant to start at the monent everyone (except perhaps the most howlingly naive) realize that the time for talking is over; realize that you can't negotiate with Hitler, can't appease him. That your enemy is an unreasonable man. That it is time to act.


From the TV shows section, "Spooks" from BBC is quite possibly the only show that fits your interests, as I understand them, and even that one is fairly low on action.

In the movies section, "Heat" which you mentioned is on the list of five movies that are required watching. The other four are "Die Hard", "Sneakers" (a good example, to my mind, of mosly non-violent action), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (showing, also, that I interpret the term "modern" as broadly as the term "action"), and also my all-time favorite movie "Ronin", which has plenty of action and car chases. That's the one movie you most definitely should check out.

"Heat" and "Sneakers" originally weren't on the required viewing list, "Heat" because it is somewhat drawn-out, and "Sneakers" because it's very low on physical action, but after a while I changed my mind and decided that they're just so good, they have to be included.

I've got a couple dozen more movies on the list that I'd characterize as "action for the intelligent population segment", but most of them seem to fall outside of your subject matter. You ought to check out "Spy Game", though. That's a really good movie, and once I buy it on DVD in a few months, the list of required watching movies might well expand to six.

(Possibly even seven; I'm a huge Jeremy Brett fan, but Guy Ritchie and RDJ did a lot of great things with the new "Sherlock Holmes" movie, and it does have much more action than most Doyle adaptations, without sacrificing any real intelligence.)


I'm not opposed to sharing my entire fiction bibliography, it's just that your focus seems narrower tha mine, and so many of the entries fall outside of your apparent area of interst.

(Also, lots of people completely fail to get it; I asked on the Pyramid discussion boards some years ago, for suggestions for intelligent action movies, and several people mentioned an apparently famous retard named John Woo. I did get some good soundtrack suggestions, though, and some good "back to the 80's" tips.)

[macphersonrants]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

I'm going after some of the same subject matter in the fiction bibliography section of one of my homebrew RPGs-in-progress, Modern Action RPG, except that I define "action" fairly widely, to include any non-consensual action taken against an enemy or target, including playing a long con or stealing from him, but basically Modern Action RPG campaigns are meant to start at the monent everyone (except perhaps the most howlingly naive) realize that the time for talking is over; realize that you can't negotiate with Hitler, can't appease him. That your enemy is an unreasonable man. That it is time to act.


From the TV shows section, "Spooks" from BBC is quite possibly the only show that fits your interests, as I understand them, and even that one is fairly low on action.

In the movies section, "Heat" which you mentioned is on the list of five movies that are required watching. The other four are "Die Hard", "Sneakers" (a good example, to my mind, of mosly non-violent action), "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (showing, also, that I interpret the term "modern" as broadly as the term "action"), and also my all-time favorite movie "Ronin", which has plenty of action and car chases. That's the one movie you most definitely should check out.

"Heat" and "Sneakers" originally weren't on the required viewing list, "Heat" because it is somewhat drawn-out, and "Sneakers" because it's very low on physical action, but after a while I changed my mind and decided that they're just so good, they have to be included.

I've got a couple dozen more movies on the list that I'd characterize as "action for the intelligent population segment", but most of them seem to fall outside of your subject matter. You ought to check out "Spy Game", though. That's a really good movie, and once I buy it on DVD in a few months, the list of required watching movies might well expand to six.

(Possibly even seven; I'm a huge Jeremy Brett fan, but Guy Ritchie and RDJ did a lot of great things with the new "Sherlock Holmes" movie, and it does have much more action than most Doyle adaptations, without sacrificing any real intelligence.)


I'm not opposed to sharing my entire fiction bibliography, it's just that your focus seems narrower tha mine, and so many of the entries fall outside of your apparent area of interst.

(Also, lots of people completely fail to get it; I asked on the Pyramid discussion boards some years ago, for suggestions for intelligent action movies, and several people mentioned an apparently famous retard named John Woo. I did get some good soundtrack suggestions, though, and some good "back to the 80's" tips.)

Can't believe I left Ronin off of the list. I'm definitely going to have to compile a comprehensive one.

It seems like we have very similar taste. If you want to broaden the focus a little it's fine with me.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by macphersonrants

Can't believe I left Ronin off of the list. I'm definitely going to have to compile a comprehensive one.

It seems like we have very similar taste. If you want to broaden the focus a little it's fine with me.

I have a breadth of focus that I like, which includes, among other things, low-violence spy fiction and crime fiction and even a few no-violence ones. Modern Action RPG is still in development, but if you want to see the fiction bibliography section, send an email to peter AT sagatafl DOT org.

It's a bit out of date and probably doesn't contain "Spy Games", and the entry on "Monk" also covers only the first season or so (that show is, early on, a good example of how crippling GURPS-style "mental disads" can be, but later on the show degenerates into low-brow comedy), but it should give you a fair idea of where I want to go.

[Þorkell]

Taken fits the criteria.

Then there's a TV show The Unit, I'm not entirely sure you'd agree it fit. But it's about a supersecret US Special ops unit and what they do.

[macphersonrants]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Taken fits the criteria.

Then there's a TV show The Unit, I'm not entirely sure you'd agree it fit. But it's about a supersecret US Special ops unit and what they do.

Taken definitely fits the bill. I'll give it a solid two thumbs up as well.

I haven't watched much of The Unit yet, but it's on my Netflix list. I recollect liking the episode or two I have caught.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by macphersonrants

I haven't watched much of The Unit yet, but it's on my Netflix list. I recollect liking the episode or two I have caught.

David Mamet is or was involved, to some extent, in the production of "The Unit". Script or ideas or something.

[reb]

these type of scenerios are usually what i enjoy running,the key elements i like to add in are:
-special operations sof type forces
-the characters are contacted by a hither to unknown force/unit/group that is off the radar.
-the threats are real and also clandestine in nature(at first)
-the foe is a real threat and death can come for you at any time or place.
-secret plots
-the characters are operating on a independant mission and are contacted periodically by their command to get further instructions and relay gathered intell.
-the players have to nuetralize a specific target,if they are captured they are on their own.
-the players are special forces that are operating behind enemy lines on some deep penitration mission.
-their is constant tension all the time.the players have to be on their toes at all times.one major slip and they could be dead.
-contact missions where the players have to contact and smuggle a specific individual out of a enemy occupied area.
-the players are merceneries hired by a rich individual for some purpose.
the scenerios for this type of game are endless.
i have ran these type of games in every genra and era,sci-fi,fantasy,horror you name it.
the players are contacted to do paramilitary work for a secret agency that deals with the paranormal,it could be a cult group that is well armed and has some artifact or something.take out a group of werewolves or vampires,i have ran several games like this set in modern day and they were freakin intense!!!!
i ran a game once where the players were prior service and one of them found a hidden alien bunker hidden a long time ago while deer hunting and he found out that the earth was being infiltrated by a alien race,they had to find out who to trust and i set it up so they had to work together.
-the richerd marcinko books even though they are rather stupid in certain parts are excellent game scenerios and are chock full of ideas for modern sof scenerios.
FOR FLICKS:i have so many good flicks it is hard to remember all the really good ones.the ones that are gritty,realistic enough to be beleived and not so hollywood cinimatic as to be retarded.
-the wild geese(merc film) 1978 awsome merc mission w/ lots and lots of good ole fashioned throwdown,yahoo!
-the eiger sanction
-tobruk (old ww-11 flick)
-sniper (the original) 2 &3 were stupid!
-cross of iron
-behind enemy lines
-the wild bunch
-defiance/except the players are sof that have been para'd in to help them reach the border or a extract point.
-tears of the sun
-the great raid
-enemy at the gates
-jarhead
-the lost battalion/except here the players are a surrounded squad and must infiltrate out.throw in rain,lashing winds,lightning,a huge dense wooded area and you have a awsome e&e combat scenerio!!!!
-u-571/except the sub is not at sea,it is somewhere else,island,docked,who knows.could be anywhere.
-the thin red line was a excellent portrayal of jungle warfare in ww-11 or in any era for that matter.the players are a small unit sent to take out a jap officer or installation,capture intell,etc and must hump through miles of jungle and past jap patrols to get there,swamps,mesquitos,heat,snakes,etc sap the characters and the true ''heros'' come out.
-the book,bravo two zero.the movie stunk!book was excellent.
-the eagle has landed
-the guns of navarone
-84c charlie mopic excellent flick realistic depiction of lrrps in the nam
-bat 21
-platoon leader good depiction of what it takes to lead men in combat
-uncommon valor good depiction of a private funded mission,ignore the drama and focus on the plot.the book was way better.
-apocolypse now ignore the weirdness and you have a classic scenerio that could go down in any era or genra.
-force 10 from navarone
-march or die excellent french foreign legion flick with terrance hill.
-raid on rommel
-the bridge at remagen
-where eagles dare
-the devils brigade
-the dirty dozen
-the great escape i ran this as a game and it was non-stop suspense!
-merrills marauders
-hell is for heros
-pork chop hill intense REALISTIC squad and platoon fighting in korea,this flick could be a training film on combat.
-the bridge on the river kwai the small unit infiltration is pretty realistically portrayed and shown at the end.
-darbys rangers
-battle cry
-the frogmen
-go for broke!
-back to bataan
-gung ho the carisons makin island raiders 1943
-objective burma
-boondock saints ran this as a game,was very fun and brutal as all get out!
-harley davidson and the marlboro man
-red heat
i know theres more i have seen,these are in my movie collection,other that i know of i can't remember the names of.
i left out the jason bourne flicks cause even though their sorta allright,they are rather corny. and the concept of the players all losing thier memories is hokey to say the least!

i have ran so many of these type of scenerios it would take me hours to explain them all.
i ran a game i called,''iron nova'',the players were all members of this orginization and they never knew who ran it or where the main organization was located.iron nova would contact them,through phone calls,mail,anybody would contact them,old bag ladys,bumms,buissness men,taxi drivers,whatever,the players never knew who their superiors where actually.they would be contacted and asked to go to certain location to get their orders and $$$ would mysteriously appear in their bank accounts or be found in their cars or house or someone would just walk up to them and give them a envelope with cash.nothing was rarly done with electronics or through the web.they would be told to be at a certain place at a certain time to drop off a list of what they needed as far as equipment and arms and it would be ''aranged''.sometimes the players would be given a contact source in another country,who would supply arms and equipment.
god help the player who skipped out with the $$$,they would be screwed as they found themselves all of a sudden with warnings,the head of someone in their bed or other unmistakable warning,if they did'nt heed that,then woe to them.the characters were well payed and the players characters would not meet untill they were all informed who the others where and where they lived,which could be anywhere in the globe.was a fun scenerio each and everytime i ran this.the players where always wondering just who the hell they were working for,but the missions where always against individuals who needed killing or removal.sometimes they were told to acquire certain items from someplace,a museum,estate,computer files,etc..
my players always referred to my mysterious agency as the ''shadow agency''.

[The Benj]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

From the TV shows section, "Spooks" from BBC is quite possibly the only show that fits your interests, as I understand them, and even that one is fairly low on action.

MI-5 is the US name for Spooks. It gets much higher-action as it goes on. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of taste.

I'll second the recommendation of The Unit. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of season 4 since my wife and I blitzed our way through the series 1-3 box set she got me for Christmas.

Have I mentioned I love my wife? :D

It's only pretty occassional, but every so often there's a decent action scene in The Wire.
Of course, I'd recommend the show for so many other reasons...

[macphersonrants]

Originally Posted by The Benj

MI-5 is the US name for Spooks. It gets much higher-action as it goes on. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of taste.

I'll second the recommendation of The Unit. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of season 4 since my wife and I blitzed our way through the series 1-3 box set she got me for Christmas.

Have I mentioned I love my wife? :D

It's only pretty occassional, but every so often there's a decent action scene in The Wire.
Of course, I'd recommend the show for so many other reasons...

If I haven't seconded the plug for Spooks/MI-5 already, I'll officially do so. This is exactly the sort of thing I look for. It's plausible and the tradecraft seems reasonably accurate. What I'm shooting for definitely doesn't have to be all firefights and explosions. If you've got some good caper flicks, espionage, or cop books or movies feel free to post them if they seem realistic and the tension is high. Never mind the bullets...