From: Joni Virolainen [jmv@wsp.fi] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 2:27 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Wet/Dry Greetings? > From: "John M. Kahane" > Now, you used the term "aboard" but Jeff welcomed me to the > water. Now, which is it? Are we on a boat here, or are we swimming? > Or was it something that we did on the boat that got us in the > position of swimming? Or... :) > We all float here... :-) "Cash, never leave home without it!" Joni Virolainen jmv@wsp.fi *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Ghost [awillia8@wvu.edu] Sent: Monday, 04 May, 1998 23:29 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? BIOHZD wrote: > Hey All, > > I have been wondering how many people on this list will be attending either > Origins and/or GenCon this year. My interest in asking it that I thought it > would be way cool if those of us that were going made a effort to get together > one night - maybe dinner, a few beers or maybe even a special *invitation > only* late night BP game... > > Who thinks they are going to go, and to which con(s), and who would be > interested in getting together? > > Jeff Barber > Biohazard Games Both me and my former roommate will probably be at Origins, and I think he'd be interested. No beers, though... I'm allergic to alcohol, believe it or not... - Ghost Microsoft: "Where do you want to go today?" Linux: "Been there, done that..." PS: I've noticed John Kahane seems to use OS/2, and I think I heard that Blue Planet was a Macintosh product. I guess Windows isn't as dominant as some people think : ) *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Hilarion [rhogan@mnsi.net] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 7:07 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures On 05-May-98 BIOHZD playfully chanted: | 2. The Access Denieds are diverse, ongoing and therefore continually useful | (hopefully) adventure hooks intended to take the place of an intro adventure. | Hint - Archipelago is *packed* with Access Denieds... Yah. These are what initially caught my eye when I scanned it over. Personally, I don't like adventures at all, as modification is always necessary; the plot ideas from AD's were cool, though. | 6. We are also curious, and would like to hear for the list. What would the | interest level be in a short booklet (say 32 page) that was nothing but | Access | Denieds (say 40 to 60 of them), drawn from all parts of the BP setting? What | would be the interest level if the booklet were packaged with a Game | Moderator's screen? I guess it always depends on the price, huh? I think you're looking too hard to sell a screen by putting other stuff in of value (ala Earthdawn), and not looking at shining the gem. I don't know anybody who uses GM screens these days. Then again, I'm not a coventioneer. --- rhogan@mnsi.net Do we chase our tail or the moon when we follow the path of self-modification with out objectivity? *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Ghost [awillia8@wvu.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 9:11 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures Hilarion wrote: > | 6. We are also curious, and would like to hear for the list. What would the > | interest level be in a short booklet (say 32 page) that was nothing but > | Access > | Denieds (say 40 to 60 of them), drawn from all parts of the BP setting? What > | would be the interest level if the booklet were packaged with a Game > | Moderator's screen? > > I guess it always depends on the price, huh? I think you're looking too hard > to sell a screen by putting other stuff in of value (ala Earthdawn), and not > looking at shining the gem. I don't know anybody who uses GM screens these > days. Then again, I'm not a coventioneer. > > --- > rhogan@mnsi.net > Do we chase our tail or the moon when we follow the path of self-modification > with out objectivity? I think it would be cool, if the screen were well-designed. I only use a screen for D&D when playing Planescape(then again, I play a lot of Spelljammer, and the screen is one of the few things I don't have for that...), and use the Fading Suns screen about 50% of our gaming sessions. On the other hand, I use the TORG screen almost every time I GM, as does just about every TORG GM I've seen. For those who haven't seen the TORG screen, It was a sturdy(mostly - mine has a hole from a thrown die in it...), 4-section screen with the die result table, difficulty levels, benchmarks, a few skills, a reconnection difficulty by cosm chart, and non-combat results tables. It didn't try to add equipment lists, martial arts moves, or anything like that, just rules. The Access Denieds are a cool part of the book. Even if you never use them, they add a bit of flavor to the mind of a GM, I think. It really wouldn't matter in my choice of buying the screen, however. I mean, let's face it: how many of us from the FS list bought the GM screen for the Weapon's Compendium? - Ghost *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: fleschneab13@uwwvax.uww.edu Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 11:06 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures I happen to love DM screens. Yes, I play *lots* of AD&D (but it's Planescape, so it's cool. =) ), but frankly, I want a screen for all those combat charts. I _hate_ having ti flip through the book to find the chart and rules I need to do combat with. Damage and all that stuff could be put on it. Maybe a map of Pacifica for quick reference to places ("say, what IS the croptown for MacLeod, anyhow?") or maybe edges that players get. If you're wondering about the inserts, maybe some more character ideas like Star Wars has with thier screen? Or cool toys? Or more monsters? Planewalker *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: James Kiley [tenzil@io.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 10:31 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen I'm a big fan of GM screens. I keep notes on a couple of pads, I roll lots of dice, my players sit near me; I _need_ a good way to hide things from them. And BP is an extremely chart-heavy book, when a combat gets going. Other than combat I can pretty much avoid using my rulebook and let the players leaf through it as they wish, but during a combat everybody loses; my book gets excessive thumbing-through, and the players can't refer to info they may need. A good screen would be a godsend. If you make one, please do playtest it (hell, PDF it and put it on the website, we can paperclip it to existing screens and tell you if it works); a well-playtested GM screen is like manna from heaven. jk *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Heivilin, Jim [banzai@missouri.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 10:59 To: Blue Planet List (E-mail) Subject: Charts & stuff Shotgun responses below: What I do with the book in cases like ours (where there are a ton of charts) is to put those little colored 3M tags along the edges and label them with extra fine marker. This way I can flip to the appropriate section of the book quickly. Awhile ago I heard that the student chapter of one of those national associations related to whatever you happen to be studying at the moment (in my case the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, AIAA) at my alma mater (University of Illinois) was selling t-shirts that said on the back "Actually, I am a rocket scientist!" I managed to get two. It gave me the idea. So I need to get in gear before Origins and get Jeff a t-shirt that says "Actually, I did write the game!" (in case we run into any rules lawyers) Whoa Ghost. Not being able to drink the brew. Never again to have a Guinness. *core reboot* DON'T say things like that. Bummer dude! Later, Jim Jim Heivilin, Webmaster Biohazard Games heivilinj@missouri.edu http://www.biohazardgames.com From: Planewalker [fleschneab13@uwwvax.uww.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 11:21 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - New Weapon- P-37c Bulldog Hi there all. this is a weapon I designed for my Blue Planet adventure. In my game, it was actually designed by Biogene, but that's just me. =) I didn't put any stats down because I don't own the book and forget how the layout for them is. If anyoone could give them to me, I'll gladly add them to this description. until then, please comment on this. I love desinging cool toys and stuff for games, so tell me what you think of this one. there is an ACCESS DENIED secion at the bottom, so players, don't read it. Planewalker P-37c Bulldog The original template for the P-37 Bulldog Series was created by MacLeod Enforcement for the express purpose of riot control. During the time of The Blight, riots on food centers and in cities in general were not uncommon. Assault rifles and large stun cannons were set up to deter rioters, but assault rifles needed to be loaded fairly often, and stun cannons were non-lethal but couldn't be fired at a rapid rate. This problem came to the fore in the Omaha Corn Riots of 2097. Rioters, thinking that several different canning companies were hoarding food to artificially raise prices, attacked canning facilities across the city to get the food inside. MacLeod sent in riot control teams, but after initial fighting broke out, the rioters overwhelmed the officers when they stopped to reload. Rumors persist that the officers were given defective stun cannons, but evidence proves otherwise. The rioters overpowered the officers and killed fifty-seven before the National Guard came in to stop the problem. MacLeod was reeling from the riots. They had lost a lot of prestige and respect when the newscasts displayed graphic pictures of the Incorporate officers getting beaten back by angry, starving rioters. MacLeod swore they would never be in that position again. In the following several months, MacLeod R&D was put to work at finding an effective control weapon for officers on riot control duty. After a few unsuccessful attempts at rapid-fire stun guns were tried, Emilio Westhaven came up with the idea of altering the basic assault rifle design. The result was the first P-37 Bulldog. The gun is now in it's fourth incarnation as the P-37c. The P-37 series is known as the Bulldog due to it's shortened design. The gun itself highly resembles a standard assault rifle, but more compact lengthwise and has larger clips. It carries a larger ammo capacity and a large binary gas canister that is loaded in the rear part of the weapon, allowing for a more larger capacity than what is normally possible for an assault rifle. The engineers who worked on the P-37c designed a way to improve the firing rate of the gun, allowing officers to get more shots off in a shorter period of time. However, long range accuracy was lost due to the removal of some secondary stabilizers in the pressure release system for the binary propellant. Most officers who have used the P-37c in riot situations feel the trade-off was a good one. The P-37c is designed specifically for riot control, though it could conceivably be used in any sort of mass group assault. Its high rate of fire and large ammo clip make it an excellent choice for the one who has to fend off many. The clip itself is usually loaded with gel rounds, though criminals and other private owners have been known to load armor piercing and explosive rounds into the gun as well. Its accuracy, however, doesn't make it good for general warfare, as the gun cannot be relied upon to be able to hit a partially covered target at medium range. The gun is manufactured and sold solely by MacLeod Enforcement, though no one can get one without an extremely good reason for having one. The Bulldog is usually used in conjunction with supressive stun cannons, though riot squads carrying the P-37c have been effective without heavy backup. Some black market people will not sell Bulldogs at all, complaining that the gun is defective and will break down under heavy use. ACCESS DENIED MacLeod Enforcement knows it's weapons well, and the reported breakdown of the P-37c is no mistake. In order for them to get permission to manufacture a weapon that could conceivably be a better weapon than what GEO Peacekeepers had, they manufactured the gun to specifically shoot gel rounds. While other rounds can be used in the clip, engineers figured the cooling specifications with the idea that gel rounds will be used. Gel rounds, containing less solid substance, don't create as much heat as their metal and bioplasic counterparts. Thus, when other rounds are loaded into the gun and fired, there is a 2% cumulative chance per round that the gun jams and backfires. This can be reset by letting the weapon cool for an amount of time equal to how long it was used. Armor Piercing rounds, when they backfire, tends to fly through the barrel of the gun, effectively ruining it. Explosive shells have a 5% chance of backfiring per round due to thier unstable nature. People wondering what happens during a backfire with explosive shells are referred to the grenade damage section of the rulebook. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Cedric M. BoB PONCHY [ponchy@club-internet.fr] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 10:51 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures > Date: Tue, 05 May 1998 07:06:54 -0500 (CDT) > Organization: Wirehead Latency, Inc. > From: Hilarion > > On 05-May-98 BIOHZD playfully chanted: [...] > | Hint - Archipelago is *packed* with Access Denieds... Great ! > Yah. These are what initially caught my eye when I scanned it over. > Personally, I don't like adventures at all, as modification is always > necessary; the plot ideas from AD's were cool, though. Often adventures included in the rulebook are there to give you some flavor of the background until they print that 'world' supplement and make it a usable game. The BP rulebook is packed with short stories that bring life to the abundant background, so I think it's better than an adventure. > | 6. We are also curious, and would like to hear for the list. What would the > | interest level be in a short booklet (say 32 page) that was nothing but > | Access > | Denieds (say 40 to 60 of them), drawn from all parts of the BP setting? What > | would be the interest level if the booklet were packaged with a Game > | Moderator's screen? Throw in a few stories and NPC's and it should do the job. You could ask the list as you did for Archipelago; with a dead line farether away, I think that many people didn't participate because it was hard to find enough time to make a good story, would give it a try. I think that NPC's (a lot of them) with their background is one of the most useful thing I can think of. They often give me adventures ideas and campaign directions. It's also one of the things that take a lot of time when writing an adventures. The stats are easy to do, I generally use typical sets of stats as I think the numbers are not that important, but to have "successfull" NPC's you have to put a lot of sweat in their bg. > I guess it always depends on the price, huh? I think you're looking too hard > to sell a screen by putting other stuff in of value (ala Earthdawn), and not > looking at shining the gem. I don't know anybody who uses GM screens these > days. Then again, I'm not a coventioneer. I use a screen when it's available or make one when it's not and I can scrape the time. I don't hide behind, but I find that a cardboard piece is handier than the rulebook or photocopies (I'm a book maniac; I love well preserved books), but it's a matter of personnal taste. > --- > rhogan@mnsi.net -- Those who forget the past are condemned to fulfill it. --George Santayana, Life of Reason Those who do not archive the past are condemned to retype it! --Garfinkel and Spafford, Practical UNIX Security (first edition) -- Cédric PONCHY, The BoB Master ///\Oo/\\\ ponchy@club-internet.fr *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Ghost [awillia8@wvu.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 13:12 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - New Weapon- P-37c Bulldog Planewalker wrote: > Hi there all. this is a weapon I designed for my Blue Planet adventure. In > my game, it was actually designed by Biogene, but that's just me. =) I > didn't put any stats down because I don't own the book and forget how the > layout for them is. If anyoone could give them to me, I'll gladly add them > to this description. until then, please comment on this. I love desinging > cool toys and stuff for games, so tell me what you think of this one. there > is an ACCESS DENIED secion at the bottom, so players, don't read it. > > Planewalker Cool. Pretty well-thought out, with advantages and disadvantages to balance. Mind if I post it? I'm in finals week right now, so should be able to do something with my page soon. - Ghost *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Fred Langen [flangen@cisco.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 16:29 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures > >4. Early this summer we will be putting together a Blue Planet Conventeer Pack >to support folks that would like to run BP games at their local conventions. >Among other cool things like posters, prizes and give-aways, there will be a >complete "convention style" scenario included. Kick butt! "Game Day" is a new offshoot of the same folks that do Dundracon (Feb) and Pacificon (Sept) and it's coming up in July. If y'all have it done 'fore then, count me as runner! Game Day is in Oakland this year (I think. I'll recheck). >6. We are also curious, and would like to hear for the list. What would the >interest level be in a short booklet (say 32 page) that was nothing but Access >Denieds (say 40 to 60 of them), drawn from all parts of the BP setting? What >would be the interest level if the booklet were packaged with a Game >Moderator's screen? A few years ago, Jorune put out the "Sholari Pack". If any of you play Jorune, try and get this (from Chessex). It's a screen loaded with vital charts, a mini adventure, and another suppliment with other information. I think the screen was fifteen US dollars or something like that, but its usefulness is only exceeded by the origional rulebook. So, if the BP screen is even half as good, I'm sure I'd be up for two! -fred *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Auberon [fskln1@aurora.alaska.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 17:16 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen I agree heartily -- I'm not always a big GM screen fan, but then I usually run Amber, which requires nothing but a good GM. I'd buy it if it has all the combat charts on it -- damage levels, hit locations (character and vehicle) and summaries of hit location damage to vehicles. A list of skills like the one on the first page of the character sheet would be good too. Right now, when I run the game, I keep a blank copy of the character sheet in front of me, so I can be sure I name the most apropos skill and stat; a printed copy of the damage tables, and the book, with the two hit location charts marked with pencils. By the way, thanks a lot for putting the damage tables up -- I had to run the game once without printed copies, and combat ran about half as fast. I also think putting up a PDF file with proposed content would be a great idea -- I own at least one GM screen I've never used for anything except to block players' view and paper clip pages from other game books to, because it's too poorly organized and doesn't have the most useful info. James Kiley wrote: > > I'm a big fan of GM screens. I keep notes on a couple of pads, I roll > lots of dice, my players sit near me; I _need_ a good way to hide things > from them. And BP is an extremely chart-heavy book, when a combat gets > going. Other than combat I can pretty much avoid using my rulebook and > let the players leaf through it as they wish, but during a combat > everybody loses; my book gets excessive thumbing-through, and the players > can't refer to info they may need. A good screen would be a godsend. If > you make one, please do playtest it (hell, PDF it and put it on the > website, we can paperclip it to existing screens and tell you if it > works); a well-playtested GM screen is like manna from heaven. > > jk > > *************************************************************************** > To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line > 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. -- (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*) May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places where you must walk. Auberon *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Max Kalus [max.kalus@student.uni-augsburg.de] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 17:32 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures Auberon wrote: > BIOHZD wrote: > [snip] > > 2. The Access Denieds are diverse, ongoing and therefore continually useful > > (hopefully) adventure hooks intended to take the place of an intro adventure. > > Hint - Archipelago is *packed* with Access Denieds... > [snip] > > I think that this is, in fact, a much better way to do things -- I often find > that intro adventures, among the other things you mentioned, conflict with my > personal style as a GM, whereas ideas I come up with reading Access Denied, > the voices in my head get to critique. I very much agree with Auberon! One of the things I liked most about Ars Magica, which I played for a long time, was that it was full of adventure hooks, similar to BP's Access Denied sections. In Ars Magica, I found it very easy to keep an ongoing campaign running for more than two years, just by incorporating those hooks in my own adventures! It never really became monotonous with just one GM, as the hooks provided me with a lot of new ideas I personally would never have come up with myself. Max Kalus. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: czege@gatecom.com Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 17:42 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM Screen >> | 6. We are also curious, and would like to hear for the list. What would the >> | interest level be in a short booklet (say 32 page) that was nothing but >> | Access >> | Denieds (say 40 to 60 of them), drawn from all parts of the BP setting? What >> | would be the interest level if the booklet were packaged with a Game >> | Moderator's screen? I used the hell out of my first edition AD&D screen. I've even used it as a dice rolling barrier for non-AD&D games. It was published in two parts but I taped the sections together, which gave me a sprawling six-panel screen. The AD&D screen stood up to a lot of abuse, and I think one of the keys to a good screen is the durability of the cardboard. I've seen quite a few flimsy GM screens published by other companies. A good rule of thumb is if it needs an additional piece of cardboard inside the shrink-wrap to stiffen the package, the cardstock is probably too light. Another important thing is that it be at least five panels long (although I'd recommend a six-panel screen), sectioned so that the GM can close down less key sections on the ends if he wants it to be shorter. I like the idea of using color versions of some of the outstanding BP cartography on the outside of the screen. BP has a lot of important charts. I like Access Denieds, and I'd buy a screen with a booklet of all Access Denieds. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: tun kai poh [poh@cis.ohio-state.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 18:24 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? May be able to make Origins, but definitely not Gencon. Kai Poh *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: tun kai poh [poh@cis.ohio-state.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 19:09 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures > > > On 05-May-98 BIOHZD playfully chanted: > | 2. The Access Denieds are diverse, ongoing and therefore continually useful > | (hopefully) adventure hooks intended to take the place of an intro adventure. > | Hint - Archipelago is *packed* with Access Denieds... > > Yah. These are what initially caught my eye when I scanned it over. > Personally, I don't like adventures at all, as modification is always > necessary; the plot ideas from AD's were cool, though. Speaking as a part-time Blue Planet GM, I've never used the Undercurrents scenarios, but I've folded lots of Access Denied material into my adventures. The Access Denied stuff is much easier to use as background material and sub-plots, while the Undercurrents stuff is specific enough that I haven't been able to use any of it...yet. Besides, when I _do_ find the time to run BP, my adventures are usually so packed with my own NPCs and subplots that there isn't room for something as big as an Undercurrents adventure. Kai Poh Otaku no Bataku *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: tun kai poh [poh@cis.ohio-state.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 19:21 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen I like the idea of a GM screen - a 5- or 6-panel one, with damage charts, a list of which skill groups contain what, and which attribute modify them, and *MOST IMPORTANTLY* a one-stop character generation reference section so that I don't have to keep flipping through my book to create characters. I'm seriously thinking of buying a new copy of BP for spiral binding so that I can lay it flat open, to speed up chargen (I don't want to use my original because it's been signed and verified by Jeff Barber as being the 21st copy of BP ever sold). I'm all for using color illos and maps for the front of the screen, and I'm all up for an all-Access Denied booklet. Heck, they could even name the screen ACCESS DENIED - it fits, after all! Kai Poh Otaku no Bataku *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: BIOHZD [BIOHZD@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 19:47 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? Hey Planewalker, You ask about generating characters for BP games at conventions: The sorts of convention games we tend to run are very plot oriented and depend on the roles of specific characters. We alway provide pregenerated characters as a result. Jeff Barber Biohazard Games *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: BIOHZD [BIOHZD@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 19:47 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? Hey Ghost, Allergic to alcohol? Ouch! You need to get yourself to the nearest genetic modification salon and get that tragic problem taken care of. Not that...hic...I'm implying that beer is a neccessary...hic...part of a healthy diet ; ). Jeff Barber Biohazard Games *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: BIOHZD [BIOHZD@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 19:48 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Wet/Dry Greetings? Hey Joni, You say: We all float [down] here... Pennywise would be proud... Jeff Barber Biohazard Games *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: BIOHZD [BIOHZD@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 20:40 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen Hey Kai, If you can make Origins that would be great. You make some comments: I like the idea of a GM screen - a 5- or 6-panel one, with damage charts, a list of which skill groups contain what, and which attribute modify them, and *MOST IMPORTANTLY* a one-stop character generation reference section so that I don't have to keep flipping through my book to create characters. >>>>Excellent content suggestions... I'm seriously thinking of buying a new copy of BP >>>HEY YEAH! Now you're talkin'. ; ) >>>>The current plan, should we go ahead with the project, is to use a "drained-ocean" style color map of the Pacifica Archipelago as the screen front. Heck, they could even name the screen ACCESS DENIED - it fits, after all! >>>>Geeesssh - you're stealing all our thunder Kai - that is *exactly* the project's working title ; ). Later All, Jeff Barber Biohazard Games *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Planewalker [fleschneab13@uwwvax.uww.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 21:39 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen Wow, you know, with all this project stuff up, it sounds like your real busy. Now with all this coming up, I was wondering about all the people you have on it. Then, since I am a lowly college student, I was wondering about how a person goes about getting a job in biohazard. I guess the questions are as such: 1. Can a person get a job at Biohazard? I know SJ games only hires a few people, and White Wolf not many more. How often do you hire? What about freelance writers? 2. What does a person need to get hired? A writing degree? Journalism? science minor? what? 3. what do the jobs involve? Planewalker The quickest way to a man's heart is to strike between the shoulder blades. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: tun kai poh [poh@cis.ohio-state.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 21:45 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen > 1. Can a person get a job at Biohazard? I know SJ games only hires a few > people, and White Wolf not many more. How often do you hire? What about > freelance writers? > > 2. What does a person need to get hired? A writing degree? Journalism? > science minor? what? > > 3. what do the jobs involve? > > Planewalker Ditto! Kai Poh Otaku no Bataku *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: R. Stefko [stefko@westol.com] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 22:04 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen >> 1. Can a person get a job at Biohazard? I know SJ games only hires a few >> people, and White Wolf not many more. How often do you hire? What about >> freelance writers? >> >> 2. What does a person need to get hired? A writing degree? Journalism? >> science minor? what? >> >> 3. what do the jobs involve? >> >> Planewalker > >Ditto! > >Kai Poh >Otaku no Bataku > Ditto that ditto. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: tun kai poh [poh@cis.ohio-state.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 22:09 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? > > Hey Planewalker, > > You ask about generating characters for BP games at conventions: > > The sorts of convention games we tend to run are very plot oriented and depend > on the roles of specific characters. We alway provide pregenerated characters > as a result. > > Jeff Barber > Biohazard Games > *************************************************************************** > To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line > 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. > Yeah, what he said! My personal rule for running con games is to _always_ pregen characters for the players, because Blue Planet is such a huge game world, and for a scenario to be good, it has to be specific, which means excluding a lot of character types. For instance, my "Murder in Undersea Habitat 2" con scenario at Capcon XXI, "Blue Planet Blues," had 6 pregenerated roles: a Miner, a Mining Engineer, an Incorporate Security man, a Doctor working for Atlas, a rookie GEO patrol officer, and a GEO Deputy Marshall. All of them had reasons to be there and to help solve the mystery, and all of them had ties to several of the major NPCs in the scenario. You can't get that kind of set-up if you let players bring in their own character, or (God forbid) try to make a character on the spot! Kai Poh Otaku no Bataku *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Planewalker [fleschneab13@uwwvax.uww.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 22:17 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - re: bulldog >Cool. Pretty well-thought out, with advantages and disadvantages to >balance. Mind if I post it? I'm in finals week right now, so should >be able to do something with my page soon. > > >- Ghost Well, that's great. I'm glad you want to post it, and I want to let you, but what I really need is how to layout the stats. =) I know others will want to adjust it to thier own game, but I hate filling in blanks cuz other people thought it would be "More modular" to leave out game stats. So PLEASE help me! Someone tell me what I need to put in! Planewalker The quickest way to a man's heart is to strike between the shoulder blades. *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Auberon [fskln1@aurora.alaska.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 22:26 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? tun kai poh wrote: > My personal rule for running con games is to _always_ pregen characters for > the players, because Blue Planet is such a huge game world, and for a scenario > to be good, it has to be specific, which means excluding a lot of character > types. I ran a convention game at our, admittedly, very small con up here in Fairbanks, and what I did was let people generate characters on day 1, came up with about 4 pregens and the details of the adventure that night, and ran it the next day. Which reminds me -- I can mail as an attachment the Excel 5 spreadsheet I used to automate character generation a bit. You have to enter the numbers manually, but it totals everything for you onto a second page much like the second page of the character sheet, so that you can copy it quickly. I was finding it saved me at least a flat 30 minutes/character generating PCs. -- (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*) May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places where you must walk. Auberon *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Auberon [fskln1@aurora.alaska.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 22:32 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - GM screen Shotgun Commentary: I don't know that I'd like anything more than about 5 panels, personally. I sometimes play in space-limited areas, and a 6 panel screen would take up too much room to fit the pizzas anywhere! ;-> I'd also like it out of the toughest material available. Engraved on 16-gauge sheet steel would be good. I've had too many of the things fall apart on me. Particularly where they fold. Tun Kai Poh's suggestion below on speeding character generation would be a big time saver. Including the stats that usually modify the skills would also be fantastic! And I think the "me too" and "ditto" responses can be cut down on by assuming that everyone here would love to work for/with you guys, if only to be in on the Big Seekrits, and freelance if that's not possible. We think you've written a fantastic game in an incredible setting with stunning depth, and want to contribute to it in any way possible. tun kai poh wrote: > > I like the idea of a GM screen - a 5- or 6-panel one, with damage charts, > a list of which skill groups contain what, and which attribute modify them, > and *MOST IMPORTANTLY* a one-stop character generation reference section so > that I don't have to keep flipping through my book to create characters. > I'm seriously thinking of buying a new copy of BP for spiral binding so that > I can lay it flat open, to speed up chargen (I don't want to use my original > because it's been signed and verified by Jeff Barber as being the 21st copy > of BP ever sold). > > I'm all for using color illos and maps for the front of the screen, and I'm > all up for an all-Access Denied booklet. Heck, they could even name the > screen ACCESS DENIED - it fits, after all! > > Kai Poh > Otaku no Bataku > *************************************************************************** > To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line > 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. -- (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*) May God stand between you and harm in all the empty places where you must walk. Auberon *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: William Hindmarch [hindmarc@stu.beloit.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 22:51 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Adventures Planewalker mentioned the presence of Edge on a GM Screen (but I forgot to quote it, no disrespect intended). When I ran BP at an area con, I had little cards I had typed the character's edge on so, when they used it, they could just hand it in if applicable. Some sort of perforated edge counters on cardstock similar to the GM screen might make a nice counterpart (make one big cardstock printing). Or not. wil *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: William Hindmarch [hindmarc@stu.beloit.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 05 May, 1998 23:02 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Con Gathering? > > Not that...hic...I'm implying that beer is a neccessary...hic...part of a > healthy diet ; ). Though you do spend a lot of time on a college campus, don't you Jeff? :) wil *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message.