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Savage Worlds Sci-Fi Companion beta copy is out

Started by tenbones, April 24, 2024, 10:21:24 AM

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Wisithir

Conceptually, I like the split. A type of critter may be large or small compared to the base line, but a given critter of the type may be exceptionally small or large. A "giant" dwarf or a "diminutive" giant can be built as easily as an average dwarf and an average giant.

tenbones

Quote from: Wisithir on May 07, 2024, 09:56:50 PMConceptually, I like the split. A type of critter may be large or small compared to the base line, but a given critter of the type may be exceptionally small or large. A "giant" dwarf or a "diminutive" giant can be built as easily as an average dwarf and an average giant.

Actually, that brings up another powerful point: these splits are coded by points so they work for making monsters too - which also have their own Traits. Further, if you wanted, you can give your races monster-trait and you'd immediately know what the point cost is.

Habitual Gamer

After getting into Torg Eternity and then backing out of it because for everything in it I liked I hated something else and ended up needing all the old books to flesh out the huge gaps in the setting anyway, I'm looking at Savage Worlds as my "I want to play Torg, but with a different system" go to.

I'm guessing netrunning in Savage Worlds is now seen as an archaic game mechanic and no longer worth having in a game?

tenbones

Quote from: Habitual Gamer on May 09, 2024, 09:00:18 AMAfter getting into Torg Eternity and then backing out of it because for everything in it I liked I hated something else and ended up needing all the old books to flesh out the huge gaps in the setting anyway, I'm looking at Savage Worlds as my "I want to play Torg, but with a different system" go to.

I'm guessing netrunning in Savage Worlds is now seen as an archaic game mechanic and no longer worth having in a game?

As someone that never played Torg, I've heard literally that same story for decades by Torg fans about how cool the setting was but how they disliked the mechanics. I've anecdotally noted that there are a *lot* of Torg players that have converted over to Savage Worlds to play it.

From what little I know about Torg, it seems very much thematically perfect for Savage Worlds whose rulesets allow for literally every genre trope imaginable to be mechanically represented... which brings us to...


Netrunning. The bane of all cyberpunk themed games. So without seeing if they're going to cover that kind of stuff in the Sci-fi Companion, I'm of two opinions.

1) Interface Zero 3.0 does a very very clean version of Netrunning which allows the netrunner to play alongside the other players in real time. While it's not as *sexy* as the VR alternate dimension Johnny Mnemonic fictional version we saw in CP2020... it completely makes it playable and clean. I'd further note that Cyberpunk Red moves in this direction now too.

2) If someone wanted to make a VR-style Netrunning subsystem for Savage Worlds, it *could* be done. You'd have emphasize the necessity of that kind of play, or resolve the In/Out problem, but it could totally be done. Would be an interesting design project.


Corolinth

Ah, Shadowrun. Where you may as well play three different games at three different times, because nobody's actions have anything to do with anyone else.

Except the street samurai who's protecting the meat.

I mean, netrunning is a cool concept, sort of, until you actually try to play it.

tenbones

IF03.0 handles that pretty brilliantly. Instead of spending time *in* cyberspace, it's basically Augmented Reality happening in real time. So it's effectively like a spellcaster casting his magic to Remote operate a Drone, Hack a lock/other thing, so they're in the thick of the shit right alongside everyone else, operating round by round.

tenbones

What I want is more robust vehicle combat. I have something I'm working on now, I'm planning on modifying more when the final Sci-Fi Companion drops (on the off-chance there is more useful stuff inside it).

Basically I want to make vehicles like characters whose vehicle stats are derived by the pilot's skill die, on top of the capped stats of the vehicle. This capping is necessary to denote quality of the vehicle in terms of performance in combat. And to further support modification rules for gearheads that like to trick out their rides.

Ideally this will allow me to scale things from dirtbikes to starships and get more granular with combat without sacrificing the speed and flow of the Savage Worlds system. If I stick the landing right, there should be very little gear-shifting (tee hee) between regular combat and my new high-octane vehicle combat.


BadApple

Quote from: tenbones on May 09, 2024, 03:48:41 PMWhat I want is more robust vehicle combat.

I have never seen a system for vehicle combat in an RPG I liked.  In the end, I end up using some type of minis game or hex-and-chit.  I used Car Wars a lot over the years.

>Blade Runner RPG
Terrible idea, overwhelming majority of ttrpg players can't pass Voight-Kampff test.
    - Anonymous

Chris24601

The only thing I like about Ancestry is it would let me talk about "the ABC's of character creation (Ancestry, Background, Class)."

I still went with Race (and an explanation that race has been the traditional gaming term for playable creature types since the begin which I continue to use for clarity because the playable options I do have make even something as broad as species inadequate).

SHARK

Greetings!

So, WTF is wrong about the term RACE? Race has been used since forever, by D&D and everyone else, also forever. Who gives a shit about "species" and the cries of zoologists? Everyone KNOWS what is meant and informed by selecting their race in the game. Even otherwise noob players have an intuitive grasp of what selecting their character's race means.

So, who pushed to make this change in gaming? WHY? What was so needed to stop using a term everyone intuitively understands, and instead use more cloudy, murky terms that people are now mostly clueless about? Huge loss of efficiency and effective communication there, all for WHAT?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
"It is the Marine Corps that will strip away the façade so easily confused with self. It is the Corps that will offer the pain needed to buy the truth. And at last, each will own the privilege of looking inside himself  to discover what truly resides there. Comfort is an illusion. A false security b

Valatar


Heavy Josh

Quote from: tenbones on May 09, 2024, 03:48:41 PMWhat I want is more robust vehicle combat. I have something I'm working on now, I'm planning on modifying more when the final Sci-Fi Companion drops (on the off-chance there is more useful stuff inside it).

Basically I want to make vehicles like characters whose vehicle stats are derived by the pilot's skill die, on top of the capped stats of the vehicle. This capping is necessary to denote quality of the vehicle in terms of performance in combat. And to further support modification rules for gearheads that like to trick out their rides.

Ideally this will allow me to scale things from dirtbikes to starships and get more granular with combat without sacrificing the speed and flow of the Savage Worlds system. If I stick the landing right, there should be very little gear-shifting (tee hee) between regular combat and my new high-octane vehicle combat.


I would love to see this.
When you find yourself on the side of the majority, you should pause and reflect. -- Mark Twain