How to Make Ultra-Tech Combat Exciting (TL10)?

[myrmidon]

I am running a campaign for a group of friends. The setting is a science fiction setting at TL-10 with no superscience technologies (except for a couple to make space travel and communications less a part of the story) and no nanotech. I have been twisting the kaleidoscope, so to speak, making some alterations here and there to the campaign style to find what's fun and what fits. However, I am running into some perceived difficultes (at least to me) in combat, with regards to deadliness and excitement.

For deadliness, the basic problem is this. At TL10, I can't really find a balance between not penetrating armor and quite possibly killing the PCs. I obviously try to err on the side of the PCs. This results in most of the combat seems to be quick and deadly (generally for the NPCs). Does anyone have any ideas on how to balance the combat a bit? I have introduced melee weapons recently, but that's fairly situational (although I know I can force that with scenario design).

For excitement, I feel that most of the combat eventually unfolds in the same manner every time: a quick (a few seconds long), deadly firefight. Certain characters have certain abilities (such as high Pistol or Rifle skills) that allow them to dominate the scenario every time. What are ways to change it up? How can I allow the other characters to shine? How can I set up a scenario so that it doesn't devolve into a couple-second firefight?

I've recently purchased and read, "How to Be a GURPS GM," which has helped a great deal; but I still feel like I'm struggling. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or feedback you all might have. There's a phenomenal amount of knowledge and experience here to tap.

[Ulzgoroth]

Close combat in clear space tends to be fast and brutal in GURPS unless you've got armor strongly outclassing weapons - unlikely really at most TLs unless you're using Low Tech muscle-powered damage tweaks.

A longer range firefight is a slower firefight, though with UT acc values you may need a lot of range or similar penalties. What really slows down a fight, I think, is an environment that breaks it up. Once you're in a room it's going to wind up cleared fast one way or another, but if you need to enter the room first, and maybe don't know which room...

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by myrmidon

Does anyone have any ideas on how to balance the combat a bit?

You might want "Survivable Guns" in Pyramid #3/44: Alternate GURPS II. "Armor Revisited" in Pyramid #3/34: Alternate GURPS may also help.

Tactical Shooting has a number of rules that make shooting more difficult, and some more that discourage fighting until death.

How can I allow the other characters to shine?

There are, I find, two opposite workable approaches to this, and it depends on the structure of your adventures. If your stories are like a dungeon crawl with a series of mostly combat encounters that always involve all the players equally, then all characters need to have some competence and role in a fight. If your stories are more like a caper movie, where different characters are contributing to the mission in different areas, then having quick brutal fights is actually appropriate, it allows the combatant PCs to demonstrate how badass they are without stealing too much spotlight. Just make sure the other character's primary niches are equally represented in the adventure too!

Two of my recent games have been more like the latter and they work fine. One thing that works really well is having the combatants engaging hostiles while the noncombatants try to complete a task before they are overwhelmed.

How can I set up a scenario so that it doesn't devolve into a couple-second firefight?

In both fiction and life there are few problems where killing someone is the ideal solution. Make this true in your game too.

[exalted]

If combat take place between people using interesting sensors to see each other you can do some fun things by jamming them or working with things that disrupt them. Might get a bit more careful when you have to open the visor and eyeball things. If people are using standard issue eyeball to see each other already fill up the battlespace with interesting chemicals, smokes, limiting nanotech might harm the posibilities here a bit but there are a lot of interesting things at TL 10 to fill the air with. The guy with the gun is a lot less intimidating when hot poisonous none-transparent gas fills the battlefield and hearing is the most powerful sense beyond a yard or three.

Basically if long sight lines are the problem don't have them as often.

Part of the problem is likely that the best at mayhem will always shine at it, if it is a major part of the adventure everyone should be capable enough at it to a degree.

[Anthony]

Ultratech fights that don't end instantly usually involve very long ranges or terrain with large amounts of cover, and stealth/perception can be as important as guns skill. Note that this sort of limited information combat is rather difficult to run in a tabletop RPG.

[Phantasm]

One of the most memorable encounters in my first GURPS Star Wars game was when the PCs' rebel cell had to infiltrate an Imperial Senator's fundraiser gala ... on Coruscant. The party was littered with high-value targets: Isanne Ysard, daughter of the ISB director; an ISB general the PCs mistook (due to the white uniform) for a Grand Admiral; a sector moff or three; and an Emperor's Hand (though the PCs were unaware he was until much later). Certainly not the kind of situation where combat should happen, especially since the Senator hosting it was a Rebel himself with an information packet to hand off to the PCs. I really fought off the urge to have Vader crash the party. ("Senator Organa, I am most displeased I was not on your invite list." *Force choke*)

On top of that, one of the PCs managed to get arrested and was in the lift when the rest of the party had to do a daring mid-air rescue... at 30,000 feet above street level. Piloting, Mechanic, and Demolitions were more important at than point that any kind of Guns or Beam Weapons skill; you can possibly do something similar with Driving.

And some situations the PCs can possibly be more interested in getting away with the intel than in racking up a body count, particularly if they happen to be outnumbered. Some combination of Running, Stealth, Climbing, Lifting, Driving, Piloting, Boating, and/or Swimming would be more useful than Guns in a need for a getaway.

[David L Pulver]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Ultratech fights that don't end instantly usually involve very long ranges or terrain with large amounts of cover, and stealth/perception can be as important as guns skill. Note that this sort of limited information combat is rather difficult to run in a tabletop RPG.

Characters having Move 6-7 and Dodge 10 or so plus a willingness to take partial cover tends to result in fights lasting a decent length of time, especially if you prefer to give skill 12-13 rather than higher values NPC opposition. Still seconds rather than minutes though...

Limited information combat is not that hard to run in an RPG. That's what an impartial GM who runs NPCs as non-player characters rather than war game foes is there for. It's hard to run in a tabletop war game style that way without a referee though...

[David L Pulver]

Originally Posted by myrmidon

For deadliness, the basic problem is this. At TL10, I can't really find a balance between not penetrating armor and quite possibly killing the PCs. I obviously try to err on the side of the PCs. This results in most of the combat seems to be quick and deadly (generally for the NPCs). Does anyone have any ideas on how to balance the combat a bit? I have introduced melee weapons recently, but that's fairly situational (although I know I can force that with scenario design).

For excitement, I feel that most of the combat eventually unfolds in the same manner every time: a quick (a few seconds long), deadly firefight. Certain characters have certain abilities (such as high Pistol or Rifle skills) that allow them to dominate the scenario every time. What are ways to change it up? How can I allow the other characters to shine?

I think the question is that "what other skills do the under-used PCs have in place of pistol or rifle that you think SHOULD let them do well in a fight that aren't being used?"

* set things up as GM to encourage these skills get a workout before the combat (e.g., Stealth to get snipers into place). I'm afraid that most of my TL 10 fights when the party are smart tend to be brief and bloody as well, but the fight is usually the climax of the adventure, and often the PCs are happy if they've manipulated things so that the enemy don't even get to shoot...

* Increase the number of most NPC opposition, while reducing the armor penetrating quality of their equipment so they only occasionally penetrate the PCs gear, to lengthen the fight itself

* Set more fire fights in situations where ranged weapons are too indiscriminate

* Use variant weapon rules, e.g., instead of 6d+2 (3) for a gauss rifle, change it to 2d+2 (10) (hypervelocity needles!) and make the weapon semi-auto with ROF 3 instead of full auto. Keep armor at 75/45 or whatever...


What is the typical PC weapon/armor load out in one of your fast firefights?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by myrmidon

This results in most of the combat seems to be quick and deadly (generally for the NPCs). Does anyone have any ideas on how to balance the combat a bit?

Something fundamental: decide which weapons technologies are used in your setting. Having all of Ultra-Tech as a shopping list for the PCs doesn't work very well. With fewer kinds of weapons in use, balancing armour against them is easier.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

Limited information combat is not that hard to run in an RPG. That's what an impartial GM who runs NPCs as non-player characters rather than war game foes is there for. It's hard to run in a tabletop war game style that way without a referee though...

Why do you assume the problem is the GM cheating? It's tricky to run a table-top tactical map such that it only shows the players things that their PCs should be able to see.