From: Fred Langen [flangen@cisco.com] Sent: Tuesday, 19 May, 1998 12:26 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Skill Missing? >>>>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). > >>Yeah, I don't think there's a need for a specific Sports skill either. If >>you want a character skilled in, say, hydroshot, just put lots of points >>into Aquatics, Throwing (or should it be Archery?) and Physical Training... > > While that's fine and dandy, I think the real problem is that >if one wanted to have a good Hydroshot Sport skill to reflect that >one had been a really good Hydroshot player as a younger man, and >then had to abandon that in favour of a profession after being, say >seriously injured, one would end up putting a lot of points into the >Hydroshot skills above, and not into the profession that one is >currently active in. That's the real difficulty with the multi-skill >"ability," imo. *Easy fix!* If you're going to check against someone who's injured, have the injured person check with a scandalous penalty. Or if you feel that it should be judged by abilities, then check against his attributes instead of the skills. Or make a skill and you can have it start at his athletics skill (plus or minus some bonus/penalty depending on how difficult it is). I mean, Blue Planet is about the flavor and color of the world, not about the mechanics. Why let the mechanics be a problem at all. -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: Kevin C. Carpenter [keepiru@nationwide.net] Sent: Tuesday, 19 May, 1998 11:02 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - Sports Events - Cetacean Cooperation/Competition It is more of a measure of how dolphins and orcas compete than if they compete. Both species are quite competitive in the wild. While dolphins do not hunt other cetaceans like orcas do, which gives orcas more of a fearsome reputation, most dolphins have established pecking orders within their pods or fraternal groups and will be especially competitive in regards to attaining and mating with females. As I mentioned in an earlier message along this same topic, there would be cooperation among a fraternal group to accomplish some goal or to 'win' in a sport if they were a team, just like a pod of orcas would do the same, since they're cooperative animals too. However, individual dolphins within a group can be quite competitive, maybe even more so than some resident groups of orcas, which apparently have quite stable group hierarchies. This of course is all in reference to wild versions of these animals. According to the information presented in BP, they seem to have stayed rather true to their primal forms in most cases, but correct me if I am mistaken. - Kevin 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. > > That would certainly be true when it comes to dolphins, >although I'm not sure about the orcas. Competitveness seems more in >their way of thinking and their view of life than it does in the >dolphin philosophy. > 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: R. Stefko [stefko@westol.com] Sent: Tuesday, 19 May, 1998 17:22 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - A Few Comments I have a few questions about BP for the fine folks at Biohazard. Here goes: 1) Why weren't one or both of the aquaforms given some kind of aquajet, like the kind squids (the animal, not the aquaform) use for propulsion? I'd imagine it would greatly increase their maneuverability underwater. Is there something about human anatomy that makes this difficult (or impossible). 2) Do you guys plan to publish material on spacecraft? In Fluid Mechanics, perhaps? I ask because it's useful to know what kind of drive systems ships use, how long interplanetary trips take, what's the cargo capacity of your average freighter, and other details nosy . . . I mean curious players ask for from time to time. 3) On that note, ever thought of putting a short primer in Undercurrents covering the basics of living, working, and travelling in space and underwater? (Some numbers and equations thrown in there would be greatly appreciated by us "sticklers for details" types.) 4) Were nukes and mass drivers banned by the U.N. or something? 'Cause if they weren't, what stopped all the warlords and terrorists (not to mention the petty politicians) from levelling a few cities during the chaos of the Blight Years? You'd think someone would have at least tried. (Or did I miss something in the timeline? I sometimes make mistakes like that.) That's it for now. *************************************************************************** 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, 19 May, 1998 17:30 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Oceanography Debate > > 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. :) Well, sure. A good idea. New skills should probably crop up to deal with specific campaign situations. I actually had someone in a game take the "Clubbing" skill (as in discoteques), and it was great. Different games use different details in a skill list, and there is no right way to do it. I, personally, like specializations and such because they allow for flavorful illustration of individual characters. I'm not sure that BP's skill system allows for it (smoothly). I may very well be wrong, as I've had trouble getting a long-running game going. I've yet to encounter much character development in my one-shot games. Percentile systems can get strange if they get too complicated, in my experience. > 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?) :) I think the broad application of the skills in BP supports the entire setting and the feeling of exploration and expansion, of frontier adventure, without excluding any particular area of the setting. Of course, I'm basically saying the same thing over and over at this point. My point is, all the marine-related skills are covered, just in broader strokes (which I support). Again, since this is what lots of people have said before me, I'm being redundant. 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, 19 May, 1998 17:32 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - Game Supplements > 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. :) Hear, hear! *************************************************************************** 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, 19 May, 1998 17:41 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. Excellent notion, Andrew. In the futuristic military game I ran at school last year, a friend of mine in a history of India course played a Sikh fighter pilot. In order to maintain the strict religious requirements of his role, he had been genetically altered before birth so that his hair will not grow past a certain point. (Whether or not this is possible was less important to me that it was interesting.) I love taking existing Earth societies or problems, or historical ones, and bringing them into a new sci-fi setting to look at them a new way. Sikhs on the Blue Planet could be fascinating. 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: Jason A Werner [c577200@showme.missouri.edu] Sent: Tuesday, 19 May, 1998 18:44 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - A Few Comments Well, I know Jeff is out of town this week, and I think I heard the same regarding Greg.  I'd wait for the Gospel from Jeff and Greg, but I can take a stab at giving you my answers to your questions... R. Stefko wrote:  1) Why weren't one or both of the aquaforms given some kind of aquajet, like the kind squids (the animal, not the aquaform) use for propulsion? I'd imagine it would greatly increase their maneuverability underwater. Is there something about human anatomy that makes this difficult (or impossible). Pretty much.  If you think about it, the most efficient way to move a person throught the water is with the crown of the head leading and the feet trailing.  You'd want to put the intake for a jet near the leading edges (neck, shoulders, head) and the exhaust in a more-or-less trailing position.  Now, I could see putting intakes in the neck or the back of the shoulders, but there really isn't room for the complicated and extensive musculature it would take to drive someone at speed.  The chest is darn rigid, and there's not much room in there, anyway (witness the problems people have with even small pneumothoraces).  The abdomen is almost worse, since there's _lots_ of stuff in there to worry about.  And where would the outlet be?  The only place I can think of doesn't bear repeating in polite conversation. Additionally, octopi are fairly hydrodynamic creatures.  Their lack of a rigid endoskeleton allows them to assume a very low-drag shape.  Watch even a cartoon of an octopus taking off, and you'll see why it's so efficient.  There's a rounded leading edge (the head) and then a fairly continous trailing off to the tips of the tentacles.  Very few protruberances to set up drag or turbulence.  With humans, you've got things sticking out all over. 2) Do you guys plan to publish material on spacecraft? In Fluid Mechanics, perhaps? I ask because it's useful to know what kind of drive systems ships use, how long interplanetary trips take, what's the cargo capacity of your average freighter, and other details nosy . . . I mean curious players ask for from time to time. It's my understanding that "Airlock", a future supplement to the Blue Planet world, will cover all sorts of things in that area. 3) On that note, ever thought of putting a short primer in Undercurrents covering the basics of living, working, and travelling in space and underwater? (Some numbers and equations thrown in there would be greatly appreciated by us "sticklers for details" types.) BP 150-152 ("Oceanography for Gamers") has a short discussion of some of the unique aspects of the marine environment.  As for equations, things like drag associated with various (vehicle) body styles and such are rather complicated.  As far as other numbers, I'd suggest www.PADI.com, it's the page for an international scuba-diving association that has a number of tables (also published by people like the US Navy) regarding things like decompression times, etc.  I'll talk to Jeff-n-Greg, though, about your suggestion.  -- -Jason Werner  Biohazard Games ------------------------------------------------ I lacked the courage to investigate the weaknesses of the wicked, because I discovered they are the same as the weaknesses of the saintly.  - Wm. of Baskerville --------------------------------------------------   From: Greg Benage [gbenage@ix.netcom.com] Sent: Tuesday, 19 May, 1998 23:21 To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Subject: Re: [BLUE PLANET] - A Few Comments -----Original Message----- From: R. Stefko To: blue_planet@MPGN.COM Date: Tuesday, May 19, 1998 4:30 PM Subject: [BLUE PLANET] - A Few Comments >2) Do you guys plan to publish material on spacecraft? In Fluid Mechanics, >perhaps? I ask because it's useful to know what kind of drive systems ships >use, how long interplanetary trips take, what's the cargo capacity of your >average freighter, and other details nosy . . . I mean curious players ask >for from time to time. There will be a section in Fluid Mechanics covering the massive transports that do the Sol-Serpentis run. "Airlock," which Jason mentioned, may also cover this in more detail, though I believe it focuses on complete descriptions (and deckplans) of an orbital station and an underwater habitat. >4) Were nukes and mass drivers banned by the U.N. or something? 'Cause if >they weren't, what stopped all the warlords and terrorists (not to mention >the petty politicians) from levelling a few cities during the chaos of the >Blight Years? You'd think someone would have at least tried. (Or did I miss >something in the timeline? I sometimes make mistakes like that.) Yeah, check out the 2117 entry in the timeline. The Anasi city-state at Beirut levels Damascus with a 10 megaton nuke to discourage the United Islamic Republic from moving into Lebanon. If you read between the lines, you'll find that the Incorporate states' ability to develop and deploy weapons of mass destruction is one of the primary reasons they weren't taken care of when the Blight was brought under control. The reality, though, is that even a state with a tiny population can be a military power in an age of high-technology. Mass drivers have not yet seen military application. Before the Blight, the UN was pretty successful in restraining the militarization of space, and the GEO has made every effort to ensure that it is the only military power in space. Indeed, what authority it has maintained on Poseidon is largely due to this monopoly, particularly its control of the wormhole. I think Jason covered the rest of your questions. Thanks, Greg Benage Biohazard Games www.biohazardgames.com *************************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@mpgn.com with the line 'unsubscribe blue_planet' as the body of the message.