RE: (TFT) week 2

["Ray Rangel" <ray.rangel@cox.net>]

One of the things I noticed about D&D is that it is such a hassle to gen up
new characters nobody gets killed. Who is going to stop a game for half an
hour while the unlucky player is rolling up a new char. To put things in
perspective, the D&D character sheet is two pages of blanks that are so
tightly packed no human can write in them. Even with that dense sheet, a
player must have a notepad handy for all the info that won't fit. On the
other hand, my TFT characters are on 3x5 index cards. I think that speaks
volumes.

I think I want to toss TFT out for my gaming group too. Fortunately, they
like to try different things. They play D&D, Hero, and WoD sp they might
think that TFT is too simple. On the other-hand, killing off a PC would get
their attention. Perhaps you can relate your attempt to us so that I don't
commit the same errors.

 
Ray Rangel
ray.rangel@cox.net
http://xraysvision.blogspot.com/

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tft-admin@brainiac.com [mailto:tft-admin@brainiac.com] On Behalf
> Of Todd Roseberry
> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 10:11 PM
> To: tft@brainiac.com
> Subject: Re: (TFT) week 2
> 
> Ray,
> 
> I was "converted" from D&D to TFT about 25 years ago or so. I had been
> out
> of gaming for years but got back into when a group of friends invited
> me to
> play D&D. I was stunned by the complexity. I always enjoyed playing
> wizards
> in TFT but found that running a D&D wizard gave me a headache. I'm not
> trying to bash D&D but it's the way it hit me. Love TFT wizards; hate
> D&D
> wizards.
> 
> I always loved playing a wizard because my GM usually ran a game with
> only a
> couple of players. This allowed things to get "personal". When my
> wizard
> went up against the bad guy wizard, it was a real fight between GM and
> me.
> It was great fun. It was always a challenge to judge just when to
> commit
> your last bit of ST in wizard combat.
> 
> I tried introducing my friends to TFT but it went over like lead
> balloon.
> Part of it was my fault in not preparing them properly for it. I might
> try
> it again.
> 
> Because of the way that we played TFT, we never got real fond of our
> characters. Characters didn't die every time we played but death was
> expected to some degree due to the nature of the adventures and the
> uncertainty of TFT combat. A character would get whacked and it would
> take a
> few minutes to draw up another one and work him into the story. In the
> D&D
> group, the guys were much more invested in their characters. The
> characters
> were very well developed in stats, abilities, etc... So much work is
> put
> into their characters, I can see why there is an emotional investment.
> I'd
> certainly rather lose a TFT character to a D&D character.
> 
> Oh well, just my .02.
> 
> Aidan
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ray Rangel" <ray.rangel@cox.net>
> To: <tft@brainiac.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 7:56 PM
> Subject: RE: (TFT) week 2
> 
> 
> > Forgive me if I speak out of turn. I'm quite new to TFT but not so
> new to
> > RPGs and gaming in general (30+ years). I joined this list to learn
> from
> > others about the TFT system.
> >
> > Let me share with you the reason that I chose to pursue TFT. I have
> been
> > playing a lot of D&D over the past few years and more recently, WFRP.
> What
> > I've found is that I really have come to appreciate simple game
> systems
> > that
> > do not require calculators, computers, Mentats, and piles and piles
> of
> > rule
> > books to play. The character sheet that I use for TFT fits on a 3x5
> card.
> > I
> > want to play a game, not the rules. I have become committed to this
> > concept.
> > So much so that a few weeks ago I invited some gaming friends over
> and
> > gave
> > them all of my D&D 3.5 collection. It was a stack of books that was
> about
> > four and half foot tall. By way of comparison Advanced Melee,
> Advanced
> > Wizard, and In the Labyrinth isn't even an inch.
> >
> > You can, I think, understand my concern when people start talking
> about
> > rules for joules. Did I leap from the frying pan into the fire? I
> came
> > into
> > the TFT fold to escape the RFES (Rule For Everything Syndrome) that
> > plagues
> > other systems. I'm seeking sublime simplicity. Who cares how far a
> > Claymore
> > can penetrate ballistic gel.my Conan like character slices and dices
> > without
> > regard for the unscientific (albeit, highly entertaining) antics of
> TV
> > personalities on Mythbusters.
> >
> > When I GM and an event isn't covered by the rules occurs, I'll make
> it up
> > as
> > I go along. I don't really need to know how many joules are
> represented by
> > one ST. All I need is general idea, or feel, for what's reasonable in
> > order
> > to make a judgment which is consistent with the heroic PCs, NPCs,
> monsters
> > and the game as a whole. As a player, that's what I expect the GM to
> do.
> > After all, how "real" can a game be that includes dragons, goblins,
> and
> > elves?
> >
> > So now we come to the meandering thoughts of Jay. Jay, I mean no
> offense,
> > but I just don't understand the value of much of what you have
> posted.
> > Cutting through the "stream of consciousness".err.style of your posts
> and
> > looking at the "data" that you present, it means little to me as an
> RPG GM
> > or player. After reading through the various books and adventures, I
> have
> > to
> > say that there is little attempt to be true to real world physics.
> There
> > is
> > approximation, not precision, and then only to the extent required to
> > allow
> > a fantasy game player to suspend disbelief.
> >
> > The bottom line is that I'm afraid I have to agree with Rick.
> Furthermore,
> > your statement that you use the list as an on-line notepad
> demonstrates a
> > disregard for others. My impression was that the purpose of this list
> is
> > to
> > share and communicate with others about TFT, not that it is to be
> used as
> > a
> > personal scratch pad.
> >
> > I'm certain that you have valuable contributions to make. Please
> organize
> > your thoughts and ideas before posting them. Not doing so and making
> > everyone else do it for you, is inconsiderate in the extreme and
> doesn't
> > communicate them well, if at all, to other readers. Please stop
> telling us
> > that you aren't a writer. The moment you hit the "Send" button, you
> are a
> > writer regardless of your disclaimer. You cannot claim no
> responsibility
> > to
> > readers while you writing a message which you fully expect others to
> read.
> >
> > So, all that being said, would someone like to carry on a
> conversation
> > about
> > TFT? I'm curious to see what characters others have played, what
> their
> > starting characteristics were and why. I'd like some of the
> experienced
> > players to share nuggets of wisdom about playing solos adventures.
> How
> > 'bout, since I'm new to the game, where the pitfalls and gaps are in
> the
> > rules. Does anyone have a home brewed adventure or campaign they
> would
> > like
> > to share?
> >
> > Ray Rangel
> > ray.rangel@cox.net
> > http://xraysvision.blogspot.com/
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: tft-admin@brainiac.com [mailto:tft-admin@brainiac.com] On
> Behalf
> >> Of Jay Carlisle
> >> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 1:30 PM
> >> To: tft@brainiac.com
> >> Subject: (TFT) week 2
> >>
> >> Progress report
> >> (note Today is 9th making this report 1 day late)
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Schedule for week 1, Jan '08
> >> >
> >> > Scan Images from "Places of Worship, 150 years of Latter-day Saint
> >> > architecture".
> >>
> >> This did not get accomplished.
> >> In my defence, I had more trouble finding an Image converter than I
> >> anticipated so I purchased another cheep scanner (3 in 1 that won't
> >> print, Lexmark) and low and behold! It'll do decent OCR so Wizard is
> >> now scaned. This is a significant bonus as I figured to be typeing
> on
> >> this for ?, weeks?
> >>
> >> >
> >> > Brush up at least one chart, table, etc. in Plain Text TFT.
> >> >
> >>
> >> I did the Job Table
> >> Also the above work on Wizard.
> >>
> >> > Edit at least one Wiki page.
> >>
> >> Well...., yes.
> >> I did tidy up some of my thoughts on IQ but,...
> >> I need to do a little better this week.
> >>
> >> > Prepare presentation post "Laborer".
> >>
> >> Well it appears I'm a slick little so and so.
> >> I HAVE prepared Labor.
> >> I'm on my THIRD preperation now.
> >> LOL
> >> After reading some of the feedback, I went back and took a long look
> at
> >> what I'd written and decided that explaining ME in essay form is no
> >> better than explaining ME of the top of my head.
> >> So I'm pulling my campagne as an example and trying for a focus on
> >> principals w/o long, rambeling discriptions.
> >> Again, I'm not a writer so this is difacult and frustrating for me.
> >> Sorry if/when I go a bit cookoo.
> >>
> >> > Prepare speculative post "Intelligence".
> >>
> >> Oh bloody yes.
> >> I got THAT done.
> >> I recieved an english lesson in return instead of much thought on
> IQ,
> >> but any feedback offered honestly deserves to be answered with
> honest
> >> consideration.
> >>
> >>
> >> > Start pulling together a Bibliography of reference material.
> >>
> >> This suprises me.
> >> I'd forgotten this one.
> >> Yet it seems I didn't because I've actually gotten quite a bit done
> on
> >> this.
> >> I've even pulled a page on a couple of styles of reference.
> >> I think I'll write it up in Esperanto...
> >>
> >> > Look again, for the umpteenth time, at how to structure this
> >> material.
> >> > Is there a clearer method to present this material?
> >>
> >> Rewrites!
> >> Aparently I was AFRAID of this!
> >>
> >> Okay so Week 1 in review?
> >> Eehhh
> >> At least it's something.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Schedule for week 2, Jan '08
> >>
> >> Scan Images from "Places of Worship, 150 years of Latter-day Saint
> >> architecture".
> >> Buildings are coming up fast, I'd like to have Images available.
> >>
> >> Edit at least one Wiki page.
> >>
> >> Check feedback and prepare a speculative post in response.
> >>
> >> Post Labour.
> >>
> >> Prepare presentation post on Cities.
> >>
> >> In PlainText tidy up the Spell List.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> _______________________________________________
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