It might be a short game then.
And...this is as good a time as any to point this out.
It is important to design a *playable* character. In this case, if you are a transport, make your character a suitable transport, with armour. (Yeah, as moderator, I could have the enemy characters refuse to attack until anybody you are carrying can get away. But, that is not going to make much sense in the game.)
The less playable the character, the more difficult it will be for the player to earn points. And, the fewer points that a player earns, the more difficult it will be for them to keep up with the other players. Similarly, it will be more difficult for the other players to earn points while covering the guy with the less playable character. Finally, it will be more difficult for the moderator to design suitable scenarious and enemies.
I have to allow you to make characters and allow you to use the points necessary. (For example, 1 piece of armour costing xxx points.) But, the player characters need to be playable and have relevant stats.
Dom
-nobody likes a minotaur poet.
Power Core Combiner RPG outline
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
...Ok, really, what am I missing here? The hovercraft I chose is one of the fastest going. It's built for speed, not endurance. How is that not ok? o_o
COME TO TFVIEWS oh you already did
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
That is fine.
Just remember to invest in other stats as the game goes on.
Dom
Just remember to invest in other stats as the game goes on.
Dom
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
Well, yes, naturally... I'm really not sure what you were trying to tell me with your last couple of posts. I wanna start off with a character that prioritises manouevrability and offensive strength over intelligence and endurance, and as they go on I hope for them to build up the latter two. Is that "playable"?
COME TO TFVIEWS oh you already did
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
So an aquatic version of Speedtrap then.Gomess wrote:Well, yes, naturally... I'm really not sure what you were trying to tell me with your last couple of posts. I wanna start off with a character that prioritises manouevrability and offensive strength over intelligence and endurance, and as they go on I hope for them to build up the latter two. Is that "playable"?
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
I doubt Speedtrap has as much offensive strength. Right?
COME TO TFVIEWS oh you already did
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
I would think endurance and strength would be more important for a transport. But, either way, not a bad start. (Remember, drones can pick up slack for a Commander.)
Good catch with Speedtrap. He would have high speed, skill, endurance and intelligence. But, he would not have much armour or firepower. The speed would make him more likely to be in trouble, as he found himself when fighting the 3 Overcharge troops.
Dom
-would not actually want to play Speedtrap in a game.
Good catch with Speedtrap. He would have high speed, skill, endurance and intelligence. But, he would not have much armour or firepower. The speed would make him more likely to be in trouble, as he found himself when fighting the 3 Overcharge troops.
Dom
-would not actually want to play Speedtrap in a game.
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
I have revised the Weapons/Equipment entry.
Note the mock entry for "Black Box Systems" at the bottom. I plan to do similar entries for other weapons and systems. If there are any specific systems you want me to work on first, (from the list below or otherwise), let me know.
Dom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most characters will have weapons/equipment of some kind or another. These weapons will be upgradable at
a point cost to the player. Additionally, players will have the option to buy or otherwise acquire (through in-game
theft or scavenging) additional additional weapons/equipment.
These additional weapons/equipment are intended for use by plyer controlled Commander characters. However, as
combination and inter-operabiltiy are a large part of Power Core, it is theoretically possible for some additional
weaponry/equipment to be mounted on drones or Minicons.
All weapons/equipment will have some kind of stat line to represent minimum requirments (if any) of their users as
well as the effect they may have on a target. Some weapons/euqipment will also include stat-modifiers (such as a
movement penalty for using a particularly cumbersome weapon or an endurance penalty for a consumptive device such
as a force-field.
Weapons will generally be defined as being in one or more of the following categories. While it is possible to be
wholly in one category or another, it is not mandated. it is possible for a weapon to include traits (for better
or worse) from several categories. In fact, that will more often than not be the case.
-1a: Ranged Weapons
Ranged weapons include rifles, pistols and other other projectile/projecting or purpose made throwable. They are
designed to inflict damage on a target from a (hopefully) safe distace. These weapons are defined by their effective
range, the level of damage they can inflict and the necessary skill to use them. In some case, a Commander character
may not be able to use a weapon well, if at all. For example, the ability to lob a gredade would be a function of
the character's skill and strength.
-1b: Melee weapons
Melee weapons are used for close combat. Sometimes, a range weapon just will not cut it....or dent it...or puncture
it...or do much of anything beyond scratching it. And, sometimes, you just might want to get up close and person
because you want to feel mech fluid spurting up in your face. For those times, we have skirmish weapons. These
include blades, clubs, the non-shooty ends of guns, knuckle-dusters, teeth, claws, axes, flails. occasional debris
or a cleverly used appendage. These can be used to soften a foe up before hitting them with a volley of shots or
to start and finish the same job.
-2a: Solid construction
This category includes any weapon that is constructed primarily of matter. Despite what the name implies, these are
not single piece (solid state) weapons. For example, a spinning blade can be made of solid metal, but will require a
number of moving parts and some kind of power source. Similarly, solid ammunition is cast from matter, but still
relies on kinetic energy to move and be a problem.
-2b: Energy weapons:
This category includes weapons that are created assembledfrom projected energy. This includes skirmish weapons such
as Prime's axe or Megatron's flail as well as ranged weapons like null rays, sonic attacks or lasers. These weapons
have the advantage of being less breakable (so long as the "projector" of a melee weapon is protected) than solid
weapons and theoretically more efficient than solid ammunition. But, they are more complicated in technological
terms and thus more expensive.
-3a: External Weapons:
External weapons are any weapon that a character must hold to use. If a character has to pick up and hold a weapon
to use it, it is external to them. as a whole. This includes the rifles used by most Autobots in the original
cartoon. Regardless of the weapon's purpose in a transformer's alternate mode, if it is hand-held by the robot mode
it is considered an external weapon in robot mode. An xternal weapon has the advantage of being modular and distinct
from the character that is wielding it. If it is damaged or destroyed, the player character will suffer no direct
damage or penalty beyond losing the use of the weapon. (Note: The incident that causes the character to lose their
weapon may also damage the character. But, losing the weapon does not require damage to the character.) If an
external weapon is used in alternate mode, it then counts as an integrated weapon while the character is in alternate
mode.
-3b: Integrated Weapons:
Integrated weapons are any weapons that are built in or grafted to a character. Examples of this would include
Warpath's turret, Megatron's cannon or (most obviously) Shockwave's arm gun These weapons are effectivly part of
the character. The advantages to this are that the weapons are that much more difficult to lose as well as that
they are a bit easier to wield by virtue of being part of the character's body. The disadvantages, however, are
these weapons tend to draw from the same fuel/supply sources as the character and that damage to them counts as
damaged to the chracter. Along similar lines, if a character is captured, there is no way for them to relinquish
their weapon (as part of a surrender or capture) without suffering significant damage.
-Combined type:
Obviously, a weapon must be either ranged or melee combined with either solid construction or energy.
But, it is also possible to have solid construction combined with energy. And example of this would be a round of
solid ammunition that is built to have an energy field around it (perhaps to pierce a target's force field) or a
sword with an energy fieled, similar to the swords used by the G2 Laser Rods or (in some cases) the Dynobots.
Any solid construction melee weapon can be given an anergy field, generally at 50% cost of its energy analogue.
Any solid construction weapons upgraded in such a manner may also be converted to a ranged weapon, (the sword shoots
a beam or something similar), for the cost of a weapon with similar range and/or firepower. Any energy weapon may
be upgraded to have a ranged option for a similar cost.
Extremely useful upgrades, (such as field piercing rounds) will be more expensive at the moderator's discretion.
Equipment:
Equipment covers external devices and internal systems that are not strictly weapons, even if many of them do have
fairly obvious combat applications. This includes repair kits, teleportation systems, enhanced communication
arrays, ECM technology, hacking/imagine equipment, enhanced sensor suites, sensor baffles, force fields, external
flight gear and similar devices.
Generally, equipment follows the same pattersn as weaponry in terms of how a character would acquire or use it.
Black Box System: (cost xxxpts)
It is common practice for Transformers to make forensic images of their minds and memories during basic maintenance.
While the forensic image may provide a basis for programming a replacement (as in the origional G1 comics or replacing
damaged/lost memories, these copies are limited to the state of the subject's mind at the time the copy was made.
A Black Box System allows a player character to produce a forensice copy of their mind and memories in the field and
to have that copy sent back to base before a potentially catastrophic fight. If the character is destroyed or captured
in the fight, the player may use the forensic copy that was sent back to base to build a replacement character.
A player may install the Black Box System on any Minicon or Drone for a cost of (1.5 * base cost) points. Before or
during a battle, the player may elect to use that Black Box System to create a forensice image of their mind at that
moment. The Minicon or drone will immediately depart the battle. The player loses the use of the drone or Minicon for
remainder of the game. At the moderator's discretion, the player must rolla xD6 probability roll to see if the drone
or Minicon was able to return safely to base. If the player fails the roll, the Minicon or drone (along with the
information that they are carrying) is assumed to be lost/destroyed.
If a Black Box equiped Minicon or Drone is destroyed, the Black Box System is assumed to be lost
as well, regardless of if the system has been used.
Minicons may also make use of Black Box systems. However, Black Box systems are single use and may only hold one
forensic image at a time. A player may install a Black Box System onto a character and allow that character to use
it. However, this would not necessarily do much good.
Upon returning safely to base, the Minicon or Drone would give the forensice image file to the appropriate technicians.
The technicians will then construct a replacement character for the player for up to (1.5 * base cost) or 90% of their
total character value (base cost + upgrades + Minicons/drones + stored points) when the copy was made (whichever is higher).
(Normally, a character replaced with a forensic image take during routine maintenence would only be replaced using their
base cost + 50% of whatever points they have stored.)
Missing pieces: If a weapon or piece of equipment that is needed in one mode is lost in the other, the player loses
both the weapon/equipment as well as its functionality/benefit in both modes. For example, if Ultra Magnus is
attacked while in truck mode, and his trailer is destroyed, he most likely will not be able to combine with it
as a robot. If Optimus Prime's command center is destroyed, he will not be able to use it as a trailer in truck
mode.
Note the mock entry for "Black Box Systems" at the bottom. I plan to do similar entries for other weapons and systems. If there are any specific systems you want me to work on first, (from the list below or otherwise), let me know.
Dom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most characters will have weapons/equipment of some kind or another. These weapons will be upgradable at
a point cost to the player. Additionally, players will have the option to buy or otherwise acquire (through in-game
theft or scavenging) additional additional weapons/equipment.
These additional weapons/equipment are intended for use by plyer controlled Commander characters. However, as
combination and inter-operabiltiy are a large part of Power Core, it is theoretically possible for some additional
weaponry/equipment to be mounted on drones or Minicons.
All weapons/equipment will have some kind of stat line to represent minimum requirments (if any) of their users as
well as the effect they may have on a target. Some weapons/euqipment will also include stat-modifiers (such as a
movement penalty for using a particularly cumbersome weapon or an endurance penalty for a consumptive device such
as a force-field.
Weapons will generally be defined as being in one or more of the following categories. While it is possible to be
wholly in one category or another, it is not mandated. it is possible for a weapon to include traits (for better
or worse) from several categories. In fact, that will more often than not be the case.
-1a: Ranged Weapons
Ranged weapons include rifles, pistols and other other projectile/projecting or purpose made throwable. They are
designed to inflict damage on a target from a (hopefully) safe distace. These weapons are defined by their effective
range, the level of damage they can inflict and the necessary skill to use them. In some case, a Commander character
may not be able to use a weapon well, if at all. For example, the ability to lob a gredade would be a function of
the character's skill and strength.
-1b: Melee weapons
Melee weapons are used for close combat. Sometimes, a range weapon just will not cut it....or dent it...or puncture
it...or do much of anything beyond scratching it. And, sometimes, you just might want to get up close and person
because you want to feel mech fluid spurting up in your face. For those times, we have skirmish weapons. These
include blades, clubs, the non-shooty ends of guns, knuckle-dusters, teeth, claws, axes, flails. occasional debris
or a cleverly used appendage. These can be used to soften a foe up before hitting them with a volley of shots or
to start and finish the same job.
-2a: Solid construction
This category includes any weapon that is constructed primarily of matter. Despite what the name implies, these are
not single piece (solid state) weapons. For example, a spinning blade can be made of solid metal, but will require a
number of moving parts and some kind of power source. Similarly, solid ammunition is cast from matter, but still
relies on kinetic energy to move and be a problem.
-2b: Energy weapons:
This category includes weapons that are created assembledfrom projected energy. This includes skirmish weapons such
as Prime's axe or Megatron's flail as well as ranged weapons like null rays, sonic attacks or lasers. These weapons
have the advantage of being less breakable (so long as the "projector" of a melee weapon is protected) than solid
weapons and theoretically more efficient than solid ammunition. But, they are more complicated in technological
terms and thus more expensive.
-3a: External Weapons:
External weapons are any weapon that a character must hold to use. If a character has to pick up and hold a weapon
to use it, it is external to them. as a whole. This includes the rifles used by most Autobots in the original
cartoon. Regardless of the weapon's purpose in a transformer's alternate mode, if it is hand-held by the robot mode
it is considered an external weapon in robot mode. An xternal weapon has the advantage of being modular and distinct
from the character that is wielding it. If it is damaged or destroyed, the player character will suffer no direct
damage or penalty beyond losing the use of the weapon. (Note: The incident that causes the character to lose their
weapon may also damage the character. But, losing the weapon does not require damage to the character.) If an
external weapon is used in alternate mode, it then counts as an integrated weapon while the character is in alternate
mode.
-3b: Integrated Weapons:
Integrated weapons are any weapons that are built in or grafted to a character. Examples of this would include
Warpath's turret, Megatron's cannon or (most obviously) Shockwave's arm gun These weapons are effectivly part of
the character. The advantages to this are that the weapons are that much more difficult to lose as well as that
they are a bit easier to wield by virtue of being part of the character's body. The disadvantages, however, are
these weapons tend to draw from the same fuel/supply sources as the character and that damage to them counts as
damaged to the chracter. Along similar lines, if a character is captured, there is no way for them to relinquish
their weapon (as part of a surrender or capture) without suffering significant damage.
-Combined type:
Obviously, a weapon must be either ranged or melee combined with either solid construction or energy.
But, it is also possible to have solid construction combined with energy. And example of this would be a round of
solid ammunition that is built to have an energy field around it (perhaps to pierce a target's force field) or a
sword with an energy fieled, similar to the swords used by the G2 Laser Rods or (in some cases) the Dynobots.
Any solid construction melee weapon can be given an anergy field, generally at 50% cost of its energy analogue.
Any solid construction weapons upgraded in such a manner may also be converted to a ranged weapon, (the sword shoots
a beam or something similar), for the cost of a weapon with similar range and/or firepower. Any energy weapon may
be upgraded to have a ranged option for a similar cost.
Extremely useful upgrades, (such as field piercing rounds) will be more expensive at the moderator's discretion.
Equipment:
Equipment covers external devices and internal systems that are not strictly weapons, even if many of them do have
fairly obvious combat applications. This includes repair kits, teleportation systems, enhanced communication
arrays, ECM technology, hacking/imagine equipment, enhanced sensor suites, sensor baffles, force fields, external
flight gear and similar devices.
Generally, equipment follows the same pattersn as weaponry in terms of how a character would acquire or use it.
Black Box System: (cost xxxpts)
It is common practice for Transformers to make forensic images of their minds and memories during basic maintenance.
While the forensic image may provide a basis for programming a replacement (as in the origional G1 comics or replacing
damaged/lost memories, these copies are limited to the state of the subject's mind at the time the copy was made.
A Black Box System allows a player character to produce a forensice copy of their mind and memories in the field and
to have that copy sent back to base before a potentially catastrophic fight. If the character is destroyed or captured
in the fight, the player may use the forensic copy that was sent back to base to build a replacement character.
A player may install the Black Box System on any Minicon or Drone for a cost of (1.5 * base cost) points. Before or
during a battle, the player may elect to use that Black Box System to create a forensice image of their mind at that
moment. The Minicon or drone will immediately depart the battle. The player loses the use of the drone or Minicon for
remainder of the game. At the moderator's discretion, the player must rolla xD6 probability roll to see if the drone
or Minicon was able to return safely to base. If the player fails the roll, the Minicon or drone (along with the
information that they are carrying) is assumed to be lost/destroyed.
If a Black Box equiped Minicon or Drone is destroyed, the Black Box System is assumed to be lost
as well, regardless of if the system has been used.
Minicons may also make use of Black Box systems. However, Black Box systems are single use and may only hold one
forensic image at a time. A player may install a Black Box System onto a character and allow that character to use
it. However, this would not necessarily do much good.
Upon returning safely to base, the Minicon or Drone would give the forensice image file to the appropriate technicians.
The technicians will then construct a replacement character for the player for up to (1.5 * base cost) or 90% of their
total character value (base cost + upgrades + Minicons/drones + stored points) when the copy was made (whichever is higher).
(Normally, a character replaced with a forensic image take during routine maintenence would only be replaced using their
base cost + 50% of whatever points they have stored.)
Missing pieces: If a weapon or piece of equipment that is needed in one mode is lost in the other, the player loses
both the weapon/equipment as well as its functionality/benefit in both modes. For example, if Ultra Magnus is
attacked while in truck mode, and his trailer is destroyed, he most likely will not be able to combine with it
as a robot. If Optimus Prime's command center is destroyed, he will not be able to use it as a trailer in truck
mode.
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
...
You realise, of course, that you're going to have to walk me through the character creation process hand-in-hand. Is this as complicated as it first appears? Because it appears, at first, complicated.
-Gom
and I thought fanfic was a waste of time
You realise, of course, that you're going to have to walk me through the character creation process hand-in-hand. Is this as complicated as it first appears? Because it appears, at first, complicated.
-Gom
and I thought fanfic was a waste of time
COME TO TFVIEWS oh you already did
Re: Power Core Combiner RPG outline
it is actually pretty simple. The hardest part for you (and other players) will be me tweaking points and stat values.
The probably seems more complicated than it is because I have not yet produced a mock character sheet. i was going to work a bit more on the weapons/equipment file or Minicons and Drones next week. But, I am thinking that a (very) rough character sheet would be better.
Dom
-going to use an actually (but unofficial) PCC character this time, and crack him out for purposes of example.
The probably seems more complicated than it is because I have not yet produced a mock character sheet. i was going to work a bit more on the weapons/equipment file or Minicons and Drones next week. But, I am thinking that a (very) rough character sheet would be better.
Dom
-going to use an actually (but unofficial) PCC character this time, and crack him out for purposes of example.