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Old 05-20-2018, 07:10 PM   #21
Kirk
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Default Re: Reference screen

Well, Steve, just to get my 2 cents in on this topic, I dragged out my copy and here is what I see, in some detail, then comments on what we use from 40 years of play, etc.

There are various eye breaking pieces of art throughout as bordering work...

Center of 3 panel facing Players: Abbreviated Front cover of M/W/ITL

The other two Player facing sides seem taken completely from the rules as the Weapons Table, basically

Left: Weapons tables that include Swords, Axes/Hammers/Maces, Missile Weapons, Pole Weapons, then tabled at bottom Damage Based on Strength and modifiers for wizard/fighter, HTH combat, and 1H and 2H club damage

Right: Peculiar Weapons, Armor and Shields, and verbiage at the bottom about great strength, silver weapons, asterisk and sword ref. notes, etc.

GM side:

Left: Turn Sequence, Ready Possibilities, Saving Throws Table (2-9 dice with formulaic adjustment rule) across the top
Actions, DX Adjustments across the middle, Time Required (Actions), Reactions, and Reactions to Injury across the bottom

Middle: Saving Throws in two columns and quite detailed, Hearing Noise and Weight of Characters, Special Actions across the bottom

Right: Movement including prone/crawling, entering occupied hexes, distances for walking, flying, riding, sailing, etc., Rolling to Hit, Rolling to Miss, Cost List,
Experience, special DX adjustments, Buying and Selling across the bottom

I like everything on this GM ref sheet. The things players need is on their side in reasonable sized text so you don't have to hide all the GM notes, pick up the screen and hand it over, and the GM side has a lot of what the GM needs to know quickly to *keep the game moving forward*.

Often GMing players can be like herding cats, and if everyone's needs aren't being met quickly, multiple conversations and distractions can take hold. My biggest group was nine players, I'll never do that again.

Believe it or not, probably most used as GM are success and failure chart based on number of dice, reaction table, hearing noise, movement in campaign mode, and buying and selling. These probably fall this way because they aren't used often enough to have memorized them, but they happen often enough to want to quickly reference them without spending undue time poking through the rules.

I'm sure you can get screen shots from someone of the original screen, but if you still need that detail I'm sure a TFT fan will step up to set you on your way! :) I'd prefer a screen that is durable and can stand on its own, with legible font (which I find to be Times New Roman, probably one of the most legible fonts, IMO) and sizing to be read as easily as possible. with good contrast (black on white). The original screen folded very flat and was easy to transport and store, and was durable enough to stand on its own. I wouldn't want something fiddly or necessarily customizable and consequently expensive and bulky. Players can DYI that type of thing if they really want it.

I don't keep up with modern tech much anymore (I've never even owned a cell phone though a software engineer for over 30 years) but I'll see if it is possible to embed photos with my Mac or wife's iPhone.

Last edited by Kirk; 05-20-2018 at 07:27 PM.
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Old 05-20-2018, 07:53 PM   #22
Jim Kane
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Join Date: Mar 2018
Default Re: Reference screen

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Originally Posted by Steve Jackson View Post
We can do a better job of presenting info, and with fewer Formatt rubdowns, but yes, that screen was more useful than I recalled.

Clearly I'm just going to have to find a copy, even one in terrible shape, for sale. Or if anybody has a spare and wants to swap for some goodies, talk to me . . .
You're welcome STEVE, I feel confident in saying we are all here to help out, anyway we can.

I just wish the reference sample pics to the links I provided were 100% complete for you. Perhaps one of the other members can fill-in the missing DX adjustment page for you. That's all you're really missing as far as their product's layout and selected content is concerned.

JK
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Old 05-20-2018, 08:05 PM   #23
Jim Kane
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Default Re: Reference screen

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Originally Posted by Kirk View Post
... I dragged out my copy and here is what I see, in some detail, then comments on what we use from 40 years of play, etc...
KIRK, I knew one of the TFT-Brotherhood would come to the rescue. Nice job!

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Old 05-20-2018, 09:51 PM   #24
Melichor
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Default Re: Reference screen

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson View Post
We can do a better job of presenting info, and with fewer Formatt rubdowns, but yes, that screen was more useful than I recalled.

Clearly I'm just going to have to find a copy, even one in terrible shape, for sale. Or if anybody has a spare and wants to swap for some goodies, talk to me . . .

I have no idea, btw, why "Fantasy Master" was adopted. After my time. I don't agree with it; FM is radio.
I would be happy to send you a copy if you want to PM me an address to send it to.
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Old 05-20-2018, 09:57 PM   #25
Melichor
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Default Re: Reference screen

These were all very useful parts of the FM Screen for me when in running a game:

Saving Throw List
Time Required (Actions)
DX Adjustment
Reaction to Injuries
Movement List
Weight of Characters list
Buying and Selling chart
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Old 05-22-2018, 06:34 PM   #26
tomc
 
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Default Re: Reference screen

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Originally Posted by Steve Jackson View Post
I have no idea, btw, why "Fantasy Master" was adopted. After my time. I don't agree with it; FM is radio.
Fantasy Master = Fantasy Trip?

It's copyright 1981 Metagaming.
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Old 05-23-2018, 02:02 PM   #27
JLV
 
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Default Re: Reference screen

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Originally Posted by Jim Kane View Post
STEVE
We loathed and resented every word of HT's reasoning (q.v. Inside cover TFT:ITL, AM, AW) for not allowing you to deliver your baby the way you intended and according to your vision back in the day (Box, Screen, Die-cut Megahexes, counters, counters, and more counters, etc.).

Beyond the specific wants and desires of your fans and customers, I think many of us - more than anything else - want to see you put this thing together the way you wanted, BEFORE your vision was truncated, altered, and for all practical purposes, taken away from you.

It's your baby once again Steve, so let your heart guide you, within budget, on this and ALL future considerations of this type. You know we will support you regardless which way you ultimately end-up bringing TFT back into the market.
THIS. Like DE Ogre, I'd like to see you do TFT:AM/AW/ITL the way you originally envisioned the project. Sure, I imagine your standards for art work and component quality are higher now than they could have been back in 1981, but your original vision for the product was EXACTLY what I was hoping would be delivered. The decision to go with three books and nothing else was a great disappointment to me at the time, and I would love to have the product you actually planned for us to get. And yes, I'm willing to pay the required cost to get exactly that.
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Old 05-23-2018, 05:19 PM   #28
Kirk
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Default Re: Reference screen

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Originally Posted by JLV View Post
THIS. Like DE Ogre, I'd like to see you do TFT:AM/AW/ITL the way you originally envisioned the project. Sure, I imagine your standards for art work and component quality are higher now than they could have been back in 1981, but your original vision for the product was EXACTLY what I was hoping would be delivered. The decision to go with three books and nothing else was a great disappointment to me at the time, and I would love to have the product you actually planned for us to get. And yes, I'm willing to pay the required cost to get exactly that.
Do remember that the market has changed, unfortunately, with the advent of phombies that roam the planet, staring into their palms, viewing the real world through virtual reality, where a garbage dump looks like the garden of eden.

So there's the US, who remember rotary dial phones without a screen and bell bottom pants, and the THEM, who use a calculator to determine how far they will go in their car in an hour if they are going 65 miles per hour. What subset of these people know how to sharpen a pencil and sit down with friends to play a cooperative game without electronics? And more than that, what price point would be a barrier for them to even try it?

Be careful what you wish for! ;) A well-done set of rules, simple maps, and flat pieces might be the best approach...

Last edited by Kirk; 05-23-2018 at 05:39 PM.
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Old 05-23-2018, 06:05 PM   #29
marctabyanan
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Default Re: Reference screen

FM was a great song by Steele Dan. Oh, wait, what is the year again???
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Old 05-24-2018, 01:50 PM   #30
JLV
 
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Default Re: Reference screen

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirk View Post
Do remember that the market has changed, unfortunately, with the advent of phombies that roam the planet, staring into their palms, viewing the real world through virtual reality, where a garbage dump looks like the garden of eden.

So there's the US, who remember rotary dial phones without a screen and bell bottom pants, and the THEM, who use a calculator to determine how far they will go in their car in an hour if they are going 65 miles per hour. What subset of these people know how to sharpen a pencil and sit down with friends to play a cooperative game without electronics? And more than that, what price point would be a barrier for them to even try it?

Be careful what you wish for! ;) A well-done set of rules, simple maps, and flat pieces might be the best approach...
Designer Edition Ogre was like the second highest grossing game-related Kickstarter in history when it finished back in 2012. So apparently there IS a market for the kind of game he originally envisioned in the 1970's and 80's. At least at Kickstarter. I also note that he is still producing new Ogre material now, six years later. So maybe going big is okay?
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