HardNova 2

3rik · April 25, 2016, 06:56:11 AM

Quote from: dragoner;894151Did you recommend it to me on the geek?

Possibly.

Quote from: dragoner;894151I have looked at some reviews. The other GD games are also of interest, because I can then use them for setting on various worlds.

I'd say the info on Precis' site tells it like it is. Don't expect anything flashy or fancy, just easy to pick up, no bells and whistles. And especially with the Revised & Expanded versions you get quite a lot of buck for your money.

dragoner · April 25, 2016, 01:19:38 PM

Quote from: 3rik;894237I'd say the info on Precis' site tells it like it is. Don't expect anything flashy or fancy, just easy to pick up, no bells and whistles. And especially with the Revised & Expanded versions you get quite a lot of buck for your money.

That's the plan. I just wanted to see if anyone had played it, and what their feelings are, I figured here might be the place to find that out, as Brett is admin, that is actually what brought me back here. Next sci-fi game I run is going to be more hard sci-fi, 3D maps and such, it would be nice to find the perfect system where I didn't have to do any work other than figure out the setting, but I don't think that will happen.

brettmb · April 25, 2016, 01:25:27 PM

Hi. I've been very busy these days. Did you have specific questions about it?

dragoner · April 25, 2016, 01:31:53 PM

Quote from: brettmb;894300Hi. I've been very busy these days. Did you have specific questions about it?

Hi, thanks for dropping in. I think most of my questions have been answered, I'm sure I will have more later. Do you plan any expansions such as spacecraft?

brettmb · April 25, 2016, 01:40:35 PM

Quote from: dragoner;894302Hi, thanks for dropping in. I think most of my questions have been answered, I'm sure I will have more later. Do you plan any expansions such as spacecraft?

I don't foresee any new titles for the game unless part of a new edition (it is an older title). Future sci-fi development will likely be focused on a new edition of Shatterzone though.

dragoner · April 25, 2016, 02:09:58 PM

Quote from: brettmb;894309I don't foresee any new titles for the game unless part of a new edition (it is an older title). Future sci-fi development will likely be focused on a new edition of Shatterzone though.

Does it use the same mechanics as the old Shatterzone, d6?

brettmb · April 25, 2016, 02:16:08 PM

HardNova uses the genreDiversion i rules, which is roll-under 2d6. Shatterzone uses an early version of the MasterBook rules, which is roll-over 2d10 using a bonus chart. Any future version of Shatterzone would probably be genreDiversion 3E, which is roll-over 2d6 (the same in the upcoming Bloodshadows 3E).

dragoner · April 25, 2016, 02:23:14 PM

Interesting, I did not know that GD was going to roll over (I have actually been working on that mechanic), are the stats the same? It seems there was talk of there being only one physical stat. Are there going to be conversions to the latest system?

brettmb · April 25, 2016, 02:44:49 PM

The genreDiversion 3E Manual has been around for some time. This introduced the roll-over mechanic and includes conversions for the GDi games. Conversion is pretty simple. Only the difficulty and skill values need to be converted, but this is simple. Abilities are the same, but can be more detailed with ability gimmicks (like musclebound and acute hearing). Lots more options too.

There's also a supers resource, Bold & Brave, for GD3E.

Stormrift is a stand-alone game using GD3E, as will Bloodshadows 3E be.

Bloodshadows actually changes the ability gimmicks a bit - instead of having a positive and negative version of something like strength, which is musclebound (x) vs weak (x), there's only strength (+x or -x).

PaladinCA · April 25, 2016, 03:14:00 PM

I have and like both Hard Nova II and Coyote Trail.

I have run and played Coyote Trail but not Hard Nova II.

My only gripe is as already mentioned: The Fitness stat being the only physical stat. This tends to result in characters that place an emphasis on that stat over any of the others as it affects so many different skills. This was particularly true of Coyote Trail games where fistfights and gunfights were so commonplace. Fitness was definitely THE stat to have.

Other than that, it is a fun light user friendly rules set.

dragoner · April 25, 2016, 03:53:48 PM

Rules light, clear and concise is top of my list of favorite things about game systems, that way the setting stands out more.

jan paparazzi · April 25, 2016, 04:08:56 PM

Quote from: 3rik;894119For me, HardNova II offers enough of a framework to start with. There's a bunch of planets with inhabitants, a timeline of events, starmaps, aliens, vehicles, weapons and tech. You could and probably should fill in a lot of the details but a lot of this can be done on the fly while running it. IMHO, it's hardly "starting from scratch".

Maybe starting from scratch is a bit exaggerated, but it is sparse. It's a good game, but I already got bothered by the nWoD openness and this is even more barebones. It's not for me. I want more detail.

brettmb · April 25, 2016, 04:32:30 PM

Well, the game is more designed for a ready-to-play experience. That's why it includes so many scenarios (mini-adventures).

jan paparazzi · April 25, 2016, 05:18:07 PM

Quote from: brettmb;894358Well, the game is more designed for a ready-to-play experience. That's why it includes so many scenarios (mini-adventures).

In a way it's a little like the Last Parsec. The universe forms itself as you play and roll into one adventure after another. I personally like it better when I have a framework/lay of the land (just like the board of a boardgame) in which I can move the NPC's/factions around. If that makes any sense.

This is as a GM. As a player I am perfectly fine with it. As a player I am fine with everything and I will play any game, np.

brettmb · April 25, 2016, 05:21:15 PM

Sure. It's a different experience.