Re: Social Engineering
 

I'm excited about this product, provided it will be useful for an idea I have about a Traveller-style merchant/mercenaries campaign in which one of the major problems is getting along with the natives. I presume the social rules will have some guidance on alien/near alien societies, as well as rules for utilizing social skills in a more normal fashion. Pyschology (Xenopsychology) ought to provide some help, or Expert Skill (Non-Human Commerce or Xenosociology) at least a framework.

Re: Social Engineering
 

Right. In this specific case, for example, I take it that a Good reaction is sufficient for sex in an established relationship; a Very Good one is needed in a new relationship with someone who is open to the possibility; but an Excellent one is needed with somebody who wouldn't normally consider it—a person to whom you're the nonpreferred sex, a celibate, a married person who takes their vows seriously, or anyone to whom what you're suggesting is mildly squicky (for seriously squicky, I'd also apply reaction penalties).

And that's for NPCs. For PCs, I'd say, "They make the following emotional impression on you," and let the player decide. Unless the character has Lecherousness, of course. Normally I figure that NPCs will react as the reaction roll indicates, unless there's a specific reason for certain reactions not to be plausible for them.

Bill Stoddard

Re: Social Engineering
 

Social machinations are a form of mind control... kinda. I know a few players who get very frustrated in games where there is any hint of the DM or other players telling them how to feel and think in their characters (supernatural effects/powers aside). They view any mechanical influence as an attack. It's just their style of play. Why should they all of a sudden have a 'good' reaction to someone? In this style of play, unless the player feels the same pathos toward another character, getting told to react a certain way kills the game for them. (seen it happen personally).

See Quick Primer by Old School Gaming about a different perspective on social game mechanics.

I'm sure the GURPS Social Engineering will be neat and I look forward to it. I just hope Bill and the GURPS team address the issue of players as well as in-game stuff.

Interestingly enough, the most successful Diplo-mancer I've ever seen, while having plenty of super natural powers to aid her work, was successful because she also had tons and tons of contacts and allies and other resources she could call on and bring to bear. She could get the team top notch gear, info and get us into places that hacking/fighting into would have been not fun. (the game was Shadowrun, Physical.. er Social Adapt).

Re: Social Engineering
 

Am I recalling correctly that there are already some guidelines in the box under the description of the Area Knowledge skill in Basic? If so, that could be a good place to start...

Re: Social Engineering
 

I think those modifiers are too big, given that lack of cultural familiarity is only -3. And that's even somewhat plausible: We're talking in one case about knowledge of very specific bits of factual information, but in the other about a general sense of how to interact with other human beings. A lot more of the latter transfers over.

Bill Stoddard

Re: Social Engineering
 

If this book does for social interaction what GURPS :Martial Arts does for combat interaction, how could it not be worth the money. If it's about how to structure societies in RPGs, it's worth the money. I don't always agree with Mr. Stoddard, but the man is widely read and a good author, so I trust the resaults of his labour will be worth the cash!!!!!!!

Re: Social Engineering
 

I would absolutely love something that dealt with social manipualtion at the macro scale. Social "mass combat" for diplomats/inteligence agencies/merchant concerns/supers groups/etc. And certainly updated rules for 4e memetics wouldn't be out of place, for use in TS campaigns and eventual inclusion in a new 4e TS setting book. Better to come up with comprehensive rules now.

Re: Social Engineering
 

She'd give a discount if the Reaction Roll was a commercial transaction. Trying to seduce her is more of a Request for Aid, I'd think. The Reaction Roll table is for NPC reactions, PC's use the Influencing PCs rule, which simply inflicts penalties to the target.

Re: Social Engineering
 

To some degree those exist in a fragmented form, combining THS: Changing Times (mostly p47) with 3e material.

A united and possibly reworked version would be good, though.

Re: Social Engineering
 

With my blessing.

A consequence of Fantasy coming long before Low-Tech and High-Tech were written . . . and for that matter, before even the earliest, sketchiest draft of Vehicle Design. Bill used 3e stats converted as best as they could be converted at the time. The limitation was the state of the art, not the artist.

Bill didn't write that book.

I chose Bill for this book because he's just about the only GURPS writer I'm certain has run successful GURPS campaigns that were largely or entirely about social interaction. I think that speaks volumes about his suitability here! And I don't particularly think that Bill has a problem with crunch . . . he can't predict the future (which would've helped with Fantasy) or control other writers' minds (say, to make Lisa Steele write things you didn't like in Mysteries), but he does ask me before making rules calls (e.g., as in Supers), and has written his share of perfectly good crunch in such works as Steampunk, Steam-Tech, Covert Ops, and both editions of Low-Tech. And his playtest credit on Powers and Additional Material credits on High-Tech and Thaumatology weren't earned by not being good with rules.