From: John M. Kahane [jkahane@comnet.ca] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 2:45 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Oceanography Debate On Thu, 14 May 1998 17:06:10 -0500 (CDT), William Hindmarch wrote: >> I've also just seen Jeff's post about this, Greg, and would >> have to agree with this on the basis of his reasoning. When it comes >> down to the integration of the various skills you list for >> Oceanography, however, it would seem to me to make sense to have both >> Biology and Marine Biology in there. > This would imply that Biology is simply the study of life systems on >land and that's all. Marine is a type of biology the same way Astro- is a >kind of physics. If Marine Biology is thought to be a separate skill, then >we would need new skills for botany, since it's very different than regular >biology. Zoology as well. Or Genetics. Blue Planet already has 100 skills, >which seem pretty prolific as is. Over-specialize and you breed in weakness. That is a good argument, Will, although I think we've both seen game systems where this sort of thing has been done. I was very fond of the RINGWORLD rpg for precisely the reason I mention - one has the general skill, Biology, and then got to choose sub-specialties within the skill. I think that BLUE PLANET's skill system works fine, but there are a few skills I will add. Not Marine Biology or Oceanography, I might add. :) > Rather than focus of specializations as an alternative, I would >suggest (if a given Biology check is focused on a character's profession or >background) offering an modifer in favor of the character (either the >Education modifier or a derivitave thereof or just a level bonus or so). That's a good suggestion, and I think one that works rather well. > Moreso than I think that Blue Planet is game of marine environments >and issues, it is a game about interaction with an environment, be it >political, natural, artificial, or what have you. Favoring a skill because >the planet is mostly water could undermine the scientific and realistic base >of the game. Certainly true. But at the time I first read the game (almost a year ago now!), it struck me as odd that the game didn't have Oceanography and a couple of other marine-related skills. That issue is pretty much laid to rest. (Or should that be consigned to the deep?) :) ... Purranoia is the fear that your cats are plotting against you. JohnK jkahane@comnet.ca http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: John M. Kahane [jkahane@comnet.ca] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 2:30 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - Sports Events On Thu, 14 May 1998 11:36:09 +0000, Auberon wrote: >John M. Kahane wrote: >> I agree with you, and I think that a Sports skill, where the >> character chooses a specific Sports skill (like hydroshot, baseball, >> null-g soccer, or whatever). Mind you, one might be able to do this >> as part of Athletics skill too. >GRAV*BALL!!! Exactly. All kinds of sports are possible in science fiction rpgs, although I have to admit that BLUE PLANET would seem to inspire a lot of aquatic-based sports and games. And the Aquaforms would have a lot of different games, too. :) ... See yourself for what you are, not for what others make you. JohnK jkahane@comnet.ca http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: John M. Kahane [jkahane@comnet.ca] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 2:40 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Rogues On Thu, 14 May 1998 13:02:50 EDT, Disturbnce wrote: >In a message dated 98-05-14 11:24:55 EDT, you write: >> Okay, that's cool. You can even send stuff to me in e-mail at >> the address noted in my signature below. I prefer text files, since >> that makes them real easy to convert to HTML, but whatever works as >> long as I can see it. :) >I'll be doing them in HTML after all, since Jim was nice enough to point us to >the HTML character sheets he zipped up and put online. Dunno when I'll get to >them but sometime soon. One of the things that I intend to do when I post characters from folks up to my website is to post them in a standard format. So the format for HTMLing that you use may not be the one that I'll use. Otoh, there's also the fact that having the numerical values for characters is fine, but the background, history, and description of the character is just as important. So that's going to be posted to the website to. The first character that I intend to post up there to my BLUE PLANET web pages is one Silence Montoya, and she will set the pattern, I think. :) This shouldn't discourage you, and others on the list, from sending characters to me for posting on the Characters pages. ... I started with nothing and still have most of it left. JohnK jkahane@comnet.ca http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: John M. Kahane [jkahane@comnet.ca] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 2:53 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Skill Missing? On Thu, 14 May 1998 23:27:19 EDT, BIOHZD wrote: >>I agree with you, and I think that a Sports skill, where the >>character chooses a specific Sports skill (like hydroshot, baseball, >>null-g soccer, or whatever). Mind you, one might be able to do this >>as part of Athletics skill too. >That was in part the intent behind the Physical Training skill (BP 291). Oddly enough, I was looking this one over again and checked out the description of it last night, and it still doesn't fit quite right with my mindset about sports and the like. While it makes sense for the running and the jumping kind of stuff, I don't see it as being quite right for Demolition Water Polo or some of the sports that one might find on Poseidon and the Earth colonies. Still, perhaps I'll add a variant to the skill write-up for the campaign. And in the meantime, the Physical Training skill works fine for this purpose. ... I went window shopping, and bought OS/2! JohnK jkahane@comnet.ca http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: John M. Kahane [jkahane@comnet.ca] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 2:50 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Game Supplements On Thu, 14 May 1998 23:27:09 EDT, BIOHZD wrote: >...and I have a good fire extinguisher ready at hand ; ). Seriously, it may >not be PC, standard online practice, or email ettiquete, but, as warned on the >website, we will not allow abusive posters to remain on this list. It's my >personal belief that just because we are isolated and shielded by the medium, >we do not have license to be uncivil. Consider this list a native village - >not an Incorporate boardroom ; ). For which many of us are grateful. This mailing list and the one for FADING SUNS are two of the best lists I've been on, because folks on the lists believe in being civil to one another and have an interest in discussing material that surrounds the game or is relevant to the game (even if it might not seem so at first). I like the idea of the list being a native village, and not an Incorporate boardroom. Much more friendly, methinks. :) ... Even the dullest candle burns brighter in the dark. JohnK jkahane@comnet.ca http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: John M. Kahane [jkahane@comnet.ca] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 2:36 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Market Exposure On Thu, 14 May 1998 10:22:03 -0500, Heivilin, Jim wrote: >> From: John M. Kahane [mailto:jkahane@comnet.ca] >> This is certainly all true, although based on the conversation >> I had with Jeff a couple of days ago, the circumstances surrounding >> the postponement of ARCHIPELAGO from November of last year had really >> solid reasons. But you're right about the book being out in six >> months to take advantage of the market for the game. I've had folks >> come into the store and see BLUE PLANET on the shelves...they won't >> buy it, however, when I tell them that there isn't another supplement >> for game out yet, because they feel there's no support for the game. >> Hopefully, that will change in June. :) >Perhaps you can point them to our web pages >(http://www.biohazardgames.com) and the fact that it's updated nearly >every week as an indication of our commitment to support the game. I >can find both exceptions and other examples of both sides of this. But commitment to support the game has to be seen in the form of products in the marketplace. There are rpgs out there that had websites from the company producing them, updated every week or two weeks, and then the game faded away for various reasons. Having a website is not evidence of commitment to the game. Fans of the game having websites is also useful - the more, the merrier - since the players/GMs/fans are the ones who sell games to new folks by word-of-mouth. And there's the fact that not everyone who is a gamer has access to the WWW. ... Yes, but where did the bowl of tropical fruit come from? JohnK jkahane@comnet.ca http://www.comnet.ca/~jkahane *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Kevin C. Carpenter [keepiru@nationwide.net] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 9:16 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - Sports Events Speaking of hydroshot, does it take place entirely underwater? The description sounds like it could, but I imagine someone has to come up for air sometime. Does the 'field' look more like a tank? Also, seals are said to take part in the game as well. The book only mentions their existence a few times, and I was curious just what their story was. How intelligent are they? Are they uplifted completely, just like the cetaceans? If so, what is their population on Poseidon? If this was discussed earlier in the list, just point me to the archives. I haven't had a chance to go through all of the messages there yet. Back on the sports issue, I was considering the idea of a cetacean game involving a large ball that they 'kicked' around with their tails, like an aquatic version of football. Tailball, maybe? It would take place on the surface of the water, and I'd imagine they'd need a lot of space to play it in. They'd probably stick to dolphin-only and orca-only teams, unless there were some particularly brave fins. - Kevin >>John M. Kahane wrote: >>> I agree with you, and I think that a Sports skill, where the >>> character chooses a specific Sports skill (like hydroshot, baseball, >>> null-g soccer, or whatever). Mind you, one might be able to do this >>> as part of Athletics skill too. > >>GRAV*BALL!!! > > Exactly. All kinds of sports are possible in science fiction >rpgs, although I have to admit that BLUE PLANET would seem to inspire >a lot of aquatic-based sports and games. And the Aquaforms would >have a lot of different games, too. :) > >... See yourself for what you are, not for what others make you. > > JohnK *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Disturbnce [Disturbnce@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 10:44 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Other games (was: Market Exposure) Kai: Muslim heretics? How about Sikhs? They'd have much more reason to flee the UIR and already exist as a large, organized group. I could see a Sikh splinter colony on the far side of Poseidon from Al-Mamlaka. Andrew *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Disturbnce [Disturbnce@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 11:03 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Sports Events In a message dated 5/16/98 6:14:55 AM, you wrote: <> Something more cooperative than competitive, I would imagine, as dolphins are well-known for good sportsmanship and being more interested in fun than testing their skills against each other in the human manner. Andrew *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message. From: Kevin C. Carpenter [keepiru@nationwide.net] Sent: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 11:54 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - Sports Events - Dolphin Competitiveness Perhaps, though I would imagine they could easily be just as competitive as humans are. Especially if it was two large fraternal pods against one another. They would really do what they could to compete and win admiration from fans (especially females). Their penchant for cooperation and group organization shouldn't be taken as a lack of competitive spirit, it just changes how and why they compete. - Kevin ><a lot of aquatic-based sports and games. And the Aquaforms would >have a lot of different games, too. :)>> > >Something more cooperative than competitive, I would imagine, as dolphins are >well-known for good sportsmanship and being more interested in fun than >testing their skills against each other in the human manner. > >Andrew *************************************************************************** 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: Saturday, 16 May, 1998 21:11 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Sports Events Hey Kevin, You ask about both hydroshot and sea lions. Undercurrents #2 has two articles on Hydroshot that should answer any questions you might have. They cover the basic rules of the game, the development of the Global Hydroshot League, arena layout and the basic gear. There were some detailed discussions on the list, in its early days, regarding sealions. I believe that at least one list member has posted stats for sea lions to their personal BP web pages. Can someone remind us of the URL? Thanks, 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.