12-30-2009, 08:40 PM | #71 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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Bill Stoddard |
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12-30-2009, 10:13 PM | #72 | |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Shangri-La
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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But really, you're right in that a character's total point value isn't meaningfully related to their combat prowess ... but in the broad sense of, "how much power can they bring to bear for/against the party." That's why allies and enemies even have point values, as a ballpark estimate of what they can do. And it's certainly useful to go through the act of statting out NPCs, so that if nothing else, I can decide what specific abilities they have, and guage their power level based on that. Points are just there to give me a number along with eyeballing it. |
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12-30-2009, 10:32 PM | #73 | |
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Shangri-La
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
Quote:
Okay, sure, if you come up with situations where points don't matter, then they don't matter in those situations. Point taken, although I don't generally have nameless soldiers with high-powered rifles pick off my PCs. Not a statement on "realism," nor a condemnation of anyone who chooses to run their games that way ... just not what we consider fun. Given that I choose to give the PCs a sporting chance in most fights, I find that it does help to know the relative power level of the people that the party will meet in tactical combat. I agree that equipment is overwhelmingly important in combat ... and there are a great number of points-based traits that deal with equipment. Wealth, Signature Gear, High/Low Tech, etc. When statting out Storm Troopers, for example, be sure to take into account that each and every one has Patron: The Empire (Giant Interstellar Organization, appears almost all the time, grants equipment at least equal to average starting wealth, and has "special abilities" in the form of being able to do anything that Darth Vader gets it in his head that he wants to do) [180 points]. Does that directly affect their combat prowess? You betcha! How about their "general formidability" as characters? I'd say so -- especially considering that without their Patron, they're 50-point mooks at best. But mooks with blasters, body armor, and hundreds of thousands of like-minded friends. Anyway, point being, points serve a purpose, and not just limiting how many abilities a character can buy -- that's more based on whether or not Exotic, Supernatural, Cinematic, and other exceptional traits are available to PCs, and what "level-caps" the GM chooses to place on leveled advantages. Points will give you a ballpark of what kinds of stat and skill levels to expect ... 100 point characters build out very differently than 200 point characters, just in basic attribute levels, which trickle down to skill levels, secondaries, etc. And at the atomic level, you can expect that a 100-point combat build is a "reasonable challenge" for another 100-point combat build, given similar build rules and arbitrary starting circumstances. There's no science to it, but again, knowing the points just helps in the process of eyeballing it. Sheesh, you'd think I was arguing that D&D hit points are realistic or something. |
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12-30-2009, 10:40 PM | #74 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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I didn't mean to suggest that point totals are vitally important. Quote:
If I recruit experienced GURPS players and I tell them, "There's four of you, you get 250-point characters, and the Big Bad Guy is a 1000-point superhero," then the players know that I'm going to play fair. If I say, "Yeah, make up anything you like with 250 points, and the Big Bad Guy ... well, he'll be a challenge," then I leave the door open to kill flow for everyone concerned. I still have not had a chance to actually run Greg Stolze's "In Spaaace!" but apparently its "Token Effort" mechanic is designed to prevent the GM from having an "unlimited point budget." "In Spaaace!" is a very high-abstraction game - not a lot of crunch. But it seeks to limit GM fiat, and therefore I find it very intriguing. I might even manage to recruit players for it, because most of the folks I talk to want something light, immediately engaging, and resolvable in no more than 60 minutes.
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"It is now time to put away this embargo of truth about the alien presence. I call upon our government to open up ... " - Edgar Mitchell, Ph. D., Captain (Ret.) Last edited by riprock; 12-30-2009 at 10:46 PM. Reason: adding Eric B Smith quote and comment |
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12-30-2009, 10:53 PM | #75 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
Unless the PCs specifically try to trigger personality traits, I never roll against them.
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12-30-2009, 10:59 PM | #76 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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12-30-2009, 11:49 PM | #77 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
Quote:
Its easy to do with the best of Intentions and should be avoided at all costs! If you're worried that a given conflict could result in an outcome that is unfavorable to your story, LEAVE IT OUT! Only include conflicts where you can (at least somewhat) forsee and narrate the outcomes, and those that are consistent with the plot,chars etc Nymdok p.s. Read the Article. Loved it! Its a great reminder that there is a difference between refereeing a game and sitting in moral judgement on Players. Refereeing a game means that you are ensuring that everybody follows the same ruels and is held to the same standard. That means both sides of the screen. |
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12-30-2009, 11:51 PM | #78 | |
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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A stormtrooper who is secretly the son of a high-ranking admiral who will protect him especially and who can influence orders and posting has a Patron. A regular one has a job. *They also have a Duty, Extremely Hazardous and worth [-20] points, but that's not all that germane to this point. In my experience, knowing the tactical variables, including Attributes and skills, helps in the process of eyeballing. Knowing the total point value adds zero information to that.
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Za uspiekh nashevo beznadiozhnovo diela! |
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12-30-2009, 11:57 PM | #79 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Houston
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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Im not sure how you ensure the breadth of developement for NPCs is similar to PCs, but if its working for you, KEEP DOING IT. If it keeps working for you, try to articulate how your doing it, heck Id read that thread. If it stops working for you, you can always come back to this one. :) Nymdok |
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12-31-2009, 12:05 AM | #80 | |||
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
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Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC
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Of course if you're playing in a players vs. NPCs type of game, then you don't need a real GM anyway, just some dude who's willing to referee. Quote:
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