Howabout Dry Erase Counters?

[KevinJ]

Originally Posted by JLV

I'm not entirely sure that a "dashboard" concept is a good idea with a game this simple, however, since my only experience with such things was with games like SPI's Air War (an incredibly complex game), my opinion may well be worthless in this regard.

So...I'll reserve judgment until I see an actual screenshot or mock-up of what we're talking about here...

Think of the dashboard as a dry-erase (or wet erase or grease pencil) version of a character sheet. You can make all the notes for poison, on fire, unconscious, bolo'd or any other status that might have a timer or require multiple turns to 'undo' in combat.

Keep in mind, a lot of experienced players might not need them, but we want MORE NEW PLATERS and they do not come with the rules pre-installed.

[JLV]

No, I get that, Kevin -- I'm just remembering that the dashboard concept in those long ago Air War games worked, but it would have been pretty fiddly to use if it hadn't been absolutely necessary to track all the things that a pilot would get from his HUD and control panels. In TFT, I'm not seeing enough variables to make it worth the extra work load.

But, as I said, that was based on my experience with the concept in that ONE game, and four decades ago. Which is why I've deferred any real comment until I can see an example of what Guy is thinking of...

[guymc]

Hey, This dashboard thing may or may not be useful, but I want to try it out. Like you, I can’t be sure it’s going to work without a prototype.

The concept doesn’t describe well; you need to see it. Or at least I do. It will be more than a dry-erase character sheet (though that may be part of it).

The main reason so far I want one is that everyone in a campaign-level game has so much trouble keeping straight ST loss from fatigue and ST loss from damage. I wanted a very fast visual way to track that, and I think I may have one. It could prove impractical, and if it does I’ll be the first to kick it to the curb.

Meanwhile, I mentioned status markers because if I introduce a component, it needs to solve multiple problems to be worthwhile. It’s just one of those things I won’t know for sure about until I tinker with it.

[JLV]

That totally makes sense to me -- which is why I said I'll shut up until I see it. Now I'm shutting up! ;-)

[XRaysVision]

How about a sheet of paper with squares on it, a small pair of scissors, and a pencil.

You can then have as many counters as you wish with whatever you choose written on them.

What's more, you can either put them on the table or drop them on the character sheet/card as a reminder (especially if you're using miniatures).

Additionally, after the game you can just toss in the recycling bin, bottom of the bird cage, or whatever, because you'll be making whatever you need, ad how, the next ime you play.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by guymc

Hey, This dashboard thing may or may not be useful, but I want to try it out. Like you, I can’t be sure it’s going to work without a prototype. ...

Hi Guy, everyone.
In the Serenity roleplaying game they had basically subdual damage (which could knock you out, but you healed quickly from), and real damage. The character sheets had two columns of boxes equal to your hit points. Damage was ticked off from the top, and subdual damage was ticked off from the bottom. When the two touched, you fell unconscious. You could keep taking subdual damage after you were unconscious and that made you stay unconscious longer. And when damage filled the boxes, you died. (Oversimplifying a little bit here.)

I thought it worked well.

Warm regards, Rick.

[JLV]

I also offered a suggestion a while back on using squares next to ST and marking them with either a "/" (to represent fatigue damage) or an "X" to represent wounds. Another user suggested that you could mark the X's from the left side of the squares, and the /'s from the right side, and then, when you didn't have any squares left without something in them, you fell unconscious, which was a brilliant suggestion.

Such a line of "squares" already effectively exists on the character pads (the hexes along the bottom) and you could easily do something similar there using those hexes.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by guymc

I've been looking at the status marker discussion, too, and it overlaps with something else I'm doing. Would there be any interest or benefit to an off-board status indicator, say on individual character "dashboards"? Or is taking the indicator off-board too distant?

Too distant. No better than a character sheet, really.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

Hi Guy, everyone.
In the Firefly roleplaying game they had basically subdual damage (which could knock you out, but you healed quickly from), and real damage. The character sheets had two columns of boxes equal to your hit points. Damage was ticked off from the top, and subdual damage was ticked off from the bottom. When the two touched, you fell unconscious. You could keep taking subdual damage after you were unconscious and that made you stay unconscious longer. And when damage filled the boxes, you died. (Oversimplifying a little bit here.)

I thought it worked well.

Warm regards, Rick.

Not Firefly RPG; Serenity RPG. Same company, VERY different rules.
Firefly damage is "You get hit, spend a plot point or die. Plot Point converts it to a penalty die of same size has biggest unkept die, minimum d4."

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

Not Firefly RPG; Serenity RPG. Same company, VERY different rules.
Firefly damage is "You get hit, spend a plot point or die. Plot Point converts it to a penalty die of same size has biggest unkept die, minimum d4."

Hi ak_aramis,
oops! You are totally right. I'm going to edit my original post to get it right. Thanks for the heads up! (You are also right about them being very different games.)

Warm regards, Rick.