Re: (TFT) How to revive TFT without invoking a Summon Lawyer spell

["Dave Seagraves" <dseagraves@austin.rr.com>]

Brad writes . . .

> The legal way to do this is to put all of your TFT materials away and
> sit down at the word processor and start dumping rules out onto the
> screen.

   Nah . . .  too much trouble.  If I want to go through that much effort
then I might as well design my own RPG.

> Sale doesn't matter in the legal sense, only distribution.

   I'm not as concerned as much about legalities as much as moralities.  I
have no problem with anyone republishing TFT, as long as (a) they don't make
any money from it, and (b) they don't take credit for the creation.  To do
otherwise would be /evil./
   (It just so happens I have the 5th Edition /Melee/ rulebook sitting on my
desk.  Nowhere in the book does it credit Steve as the author!  Instead on
the cover it says, "Revised Edition Edited by Guy W. McLimore, Jr. and
Howard Thompson."  Very cheesy Howard, if not outright evil, IMO.)

> Interesting idea.  Have you seen Compact Combat?  Greg Poehlein and
> Guy McLimire released it last year through their Microtactix company.
> Its philosophy is very similar to the minimalist approach taken by
> TFT, and it's very inexpensive.  www.microtactix.com, if you're
> interested.

   I haven't actually read the rules; just the writeups for the game on
their web site.  Mechanics are important to me, and I was looking for an
inkling of what the mechanics of the game are like.  The only clue I could
find was from a picture of one of the weapon cards showing how damage is
rolled.  I think someone on the list mentioned that basic attributes are
generated randomly (Ack!) which IMO is a step backwards in RPG technology.
   Speaking of minimalistic game design, long ago some friends and I were
getting silly and thought up an RPG with only one basic attribute -- a
combination of every attribute and skill you could think of -- called
Ability.  No matter what combat tactic or feat the players attempted, the GM
would simply say, "Okay, make an Ability roll."  Or (even worse) to resolve
a one-on-one fight you simply compare the Ability of the two opponents.  The
one with the lower Ability automatically DIES.
   Long after I had half-forgotten this silliness I started creating
/Zilch/, which has NO basic attributes!  Ideally the character sheet for an
average person is a blank piece of paper.  This makes it easier for a GM to
run the game and easier for new players to learn it.

> [snip] . . .  and this is not legal advice.

   You could have fooled me!  8^)

Dave Seagraves
Seagraves Mutual Fund   dseagraves@austin.rr.com   1 (512) 255-2760
Current fund value: $1.83 per share.


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