Mass Effect Sourcebook - Page 2

Kaldrin · 02-19-2009, 02:36 PM

I think the main problem you'll run into with the Mass Effect game is to run something that feels the same, but will still be a surprise for the players. I don't want to issue any spoilers here, but there were a lot of questions left unanswered. A lot of whys and hows to be explained by a creative GM.

Dreohboy · 02-19-2009, 03:32 PM

And me being only 5+ hours into the game. I should probably finish it first. LOL.

vicky_molokh · 02-19-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaldrin

I think the main problem you'll run into with the Mass Effect game is to run something that feels the same, but will still be a surprise for the players. I don't want to issue any spoilers here, but there were a lot of questions left unanswered. A lot of whys and hows to be explained by a creative GM.

The only way I see it is to play a game set after the events of ME - most likely with the 'good' ending (the Paragon choice in the final battle).

I still think their Spaceships situation is a mess.

Kaldrin · 02-19-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molokh

I still think their Spaceships situation is a mess.

Yeah, but it's not a space battle game. It's a sci-fi adventure game... with the odd APC thrown in to get you from point A to point B faster. If anything their 'spaceship' would just effectively be a roving headquarters and that's it.

vicky_molokh · 02-19-2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaldrin

Yeah, but it's not a space battle game. It's a sci-fi adventure game... with the odd APC thrown in to get you from point A to point B faster. If anything their 'spaceship' would just effectively be a roving headquarters and that's it.

I was talking about the spaceships situation as described in the Codex.

I'm actually quite happy with the way tech works for most of the [i]playable[/p] part of the game.

Mehmet · 02-19-2009, 05:23 PM

Ahhh! Mass Effect! Star Wars without all the "all heroics are already done here, move along" feel! Love it!

Ships shouldn't play a big role there I think, they are just "havens" and "plot devices" - I can't remember any good dogfight in the game and I don't think it is really appropriate for the setting. Waystations (or whatever they were called) are just really good tools that I can't wait to use as a GM :)

Cheerio!

Langy · 02-19-2009, 05:59 PM

If I remember right, there isn't too much Spaceship science that would be hard to reproduce in GURPS. The mass effect fields reduce the effective mass of the ship, while not changing its thrust. Most ships use Fusion Rockets (which normally give 0.005Gs of thrust), but with the mass effect field in place they likely give about 5Gs of thrust. The mass effect field reduces the ship's mass by 1,000 times. Ships will have the ST and HP of a ship of their real mass, but will have the Handling and Stability Rating of a ship six SMs smaller. They will also have accelerations about 1,000 times higher than normal for the engine. Also, somehow the mass effect field also acts as an inertial compensator, though I don't remember that being explained in the game. Ships will also have delta-Vs 1,000 times higher than normal for their reaction engie and fuel tank size.

The gravity shielding can probably be made as a force screen with a few options added on, though I can't remember enough about it to say what they should be. I can't think of anything else that's particularly difficult to emulate in GURPS.

The Benj · 02-19-2009, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Langy

Also, somehow the mass effect field also acts as an inertial compensator, though I don't remember that being explained in the game.

If you assume that the Mass Effect is working directly on the ship's effective inertial mass, this makes sense.
If not, the only alternative I can see is that it's actually reducing the mass of the ship to 1/1000th original.
Which is what I tend to call "almost total destruction". :)

paladin15132 · 04-15-2009, 08:17 AM

Hello, did anyone take this any farther? I really liked the console version and think it would make a fine RPG...

lordmalachdrim · 05-18-2009, 11:14 AM

I agree it's an interesting Idea and I think I'll start work on it for my own games, though if it's like any of the other projects I'm working on it'll be a year or more before much gets down. And with Mass Effect 2 scheduled for this year I'll definitely want to dig though that for more stuff.

02-19-2009, 02:36 PM	#11
Kaldrin Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Calgary, AB... looking for a few more to join us.	Re: Mass Effect Sourcebook I think the main problem you'll run into with the Mass Effect game is to run something that feels the same, but will still be a surprise for the players. I don't want to issue any spoilers here, but there were a lot of questions left unanswered. A lot of whys and hows to be explained by a creative GM. __________________ -safe from the children born as ghosts

02-19-2009, 03:32 PM	#12
Dreohboy Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: Mass Effect Sourcebook And me being only 5+ hours into the game. I should probably finish it first. LOL.

02-19-2009, 05:23 PM	#16
Mehmet MIB Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire	Re: Mass Effect Sourcebook Ahhh! Mass Effect! Star Wars without all the "all heroics are already done here, move along" feel! Love it! Ships shouldn't play a big role there I think, they are just "havens" and "plot devices" - I can't remember any good dogfight in the game and I don't think it is really appropriate for the setting. Waystations (or whatever they were called) are just really good tools that I can't wait to use as a GM :) Cheerio! __________________ My wife's music site, LadyObscure is for the prog/metal heads...

02-19-2009, 05:59 PM	#17
Langy Join Date: May 2008 Location: CA	Re: Mass Effect Sourcebook If I remember right, there isn't too much Spaceship science that would be hard to reproduce in GURPS. The mass effect fields reduce the effective mass of the ship, while not changing its thrust. Most ships use Fusion Rockets (which normally give 0.005Gs of thrust), but with the mass effect field in place they likely give about 5Gs of thrust. The mass effect field reduces the ship's mass by 1,000 times. Ships will have the ST and HP of a ship of their real mass, but will have the Handling and Stability Rating of a ship six SMs smaller. They will also have accelerations about 1,000 times higher than normal for the engine. Also, somehow the mass effect field also acts as an inertial compensator, though I don't remember that being explained in the game. Ships will also have delta-Vs 1,000 times higher than normal for their reaction engie and fuel tank size. The gravity shielding can probably be made as a force screen with a few options added on, though I can't remember enough about it to say what they should be. I can't think of anything else that's particularly difficult to emulate in GURPS.

04-15-2009, 08:17 AM	#19
paladin15132 Join Date: Apr 2008	Re: Mass Effect Sourcebook Hello, did anyone take this any farther? I really liked the console version and think it would make a fine RPG...

05-18-2009, 11:14 AM	#20
lordmalachdrim Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Central New York	Re: Mass Effect Sourcebook I agree it's an interesting Idea and I think I'll start work on it for my own games, though if it's like any of the other projects I'm working on it'll be a year or more before much gets down. And with Mass Effect 2 scheduled for this year I'll definitely want to dig though that for more stuff. __________________ HMGMA NY-3-00379-01 PC Kills: 4th Ed. - 69 Basic - 0 "Friends come and go... But enemies accumulate." Never Let the Facts Get in the Way of a Good Grudge.