tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post1457109192754705268..comments2024-03-03T03:20:20.957-05:00Comments on Ancient Faith in the Far Future: More on Space Combat - The Select ProgramsRobert Weaverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07917387796213598551noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-13710306238713139092019-02-09T12:18:19.318-05:002019-02-09T12:18:19.318-05:00Mr. Weaver,
Yup, I played with people who called ...Mr. Weaver,<br /><br />Yup, I played with people who called the computer rules too fiddly. Like I said, it was an excuse for ignoring those rules and not a reason.<br /><br />I had groups and players in group balk at using the computer rules. They couldn't or wouldn't see what the rules added to ship combat and didn't want to make the effort so they came up with the usual excuses; it's too fiddly, it's boring, it's not "realistic", etc. I didn't and still don't understand that thinking nor am I defending it. All I'm saying is that it happened. They chose to use HG2's computer differential bonus instead.<br /><br />Of course when they complained that an IN patrol cruiser had a tough time tackling Vargr corsairs like canon suggested it should, I'd tell them "Well, if you were using the actual computer rules..." ;)Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02987843264254276569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-79150172635141424732019-02-09T08:40:33.304-05:002019-02-09T08:40:33.304-05:00Bill,
"Too Fiddly"? If you look at most...Bill, <br />"Too Fiddly"? If you look at most modern board, card or RP games; take Savage Worlds or any D20 game as examples, and they are ALL ABOUT the fiddly bits. Edges, Raises, Advantages, Perks, call it what you will, they are all 'you get a bonus of +X in this specific situation. That's what the CT Computer rules do. Predict-5 has prerequisites (have the CPU space, pay the price to buy it) and gives a specific bonus - +3 to laser fire. It is the same mechanic.Robert Weaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917387796213598551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-9998380543522968302019-02-08T21:29:20.083-05:002019-02-08T21:29:20.083-05:00Another great column, Mr. Weaver, and a nice shout...Another great column, Mr. Weaver, and a nice shout out to a great post at another great blog.<br /><br />People dropped Classic's computer programming rules from ship combat for many reasons. In the beginning, most of those reasons had to do with the rules being too boring or too fiddly. After a while, claims that the game's computer rules and sizes weren't realistic replaced those reasons with an all purpose excuse. (Mr. Weaver's column is the latest and one of the best example refutations of that excuse; i.e. No, ship computers are NOT your laptop or tablet.)<br /><br />My early groups were war gamers as much as they were role players and so loved Classic's computer rules. They studied the programs and their various benefits looking for an edge in combat often surprising me with their inventiveness. They developed what they called programming "chains", that is a progression of programs changed over a few combat turns which would force an opponent into a specific action or choice. They had one "chain" that I can't quite remember which allowed a patrol cruiser to "fork" a Vargr corsair into choosing between two almost equally poor options. That tactic, which was entirely due to computer rules, was so good that I had to use multiple corsairs against them in order to provide any challenge.<br /><br />They referred to the Select program, specifically Select-3, as the program which separated the "men" (military) from the "boys" (civilian/paramilitary). It wasn't the cost of the program. Instead it was the CPU size needed to run it in the laser fire, return fire, or ordnance launch phases and the storage size needed to store it during the rest of the turn. Once "Must Have" programs like Maneuver, Target, Anti-Missile, or Launch were loaded, few of Classic's ships had the CPU or storage space for "luxuries" like Maneuver/Evade, Select, Gunner Interact, Predict, and others.Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02987843264254276569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-89526995456632786952019-02-08T13:43:46.177-05:002019-02-08T13:43:46.177-05:00Interesting the 1981 description of Selective ment...Interesting the 1981 description of Selective mentions the 1/3 chance and matches with the text on TTB p.77, but the description of Selective on TTB p.70 is almost the same as 1981...<br /><br />These differences have been highlighted in my section by section comparison.Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855679156477779666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-42218456257629739632019-02-08T11:00:28.307-05:002019-02-08T11:00:28.307-05:00Interesting post, and thanks for the link!Interesting post, and thanks for the link!Michael Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499151284629030483noreply@blogger.com