(TFT) Updates...

[Joey Beutel <mejobo@comcast.net>]

Hey everyone,

Starting question, unrelated to everything else: If a 12 DX archer and  
11 DX spearman are facing off, how can the spearman dodge? does his  
dodge from one turn carry over to the next, allowing him to dodge  
after being shot the first round to dodge the second round, or is he  
incapable of dodging?

Anyway:

So I've been continuing my work on the semi-steampunk game, and things  
have gone well.... guns really are fitting in well, to tell the truth.  
One slight exception is the repeating rifle, but its restrictions mean  
that it is more or less like a fast shooting crossbow. I'm thinking of  
lowering damage or accuracy, but to tell the truth the weapon isn't so  
effective that it trumps all other weapons (it IS a very strong  
alternative to bows and crossbows, though...), as a lone fellow with a  
winchester will still usually get killed by the lone, axe-wielding  
barbarian.

Ultimately it is a good weapon for somebody devoted to guns but  
someone just picking it up will be too inaccurate for it to be  
effective.... while someone equally devoted to bows would find a  
longbow as a better weapon. Even so, I may reduce damage to 2+1, which  
kinda makes sense, as these weapons weren't much more powerful than a  
pistol, just more accurate at longer ranges. On the other hand, guns  
can't be bought everywhere and are expensive, so maybe in the campaign  
their use will be kept down anyway, as bows and swords are much less  
expensive for their bang and can be found in any town regardless of  
ruler.

The real reason I'm sending this is to discuss another part of this  
setting (well, sorta) that wasn't discussed in the last string of  
emails: Models

After a quick search, I found a couple of things:
	1) the idea of using Heroscape for 3d hex maps, particularly to use  
with models.
	2) People mostly used 28mm with those maps.
	3) People don't make mixed medieval, steam punk, western, and  
victorian models (as in, individuals containing all elements of all or  
some of these)
Despite 3, I bought heroscape for the hexes. After a quick examination  
I realized that 28mm models would be too small for TFT's 1 1/3 meter  
hexes, as the 28mm models that came with heroscape (as well as a few  
that I own) took up only about 2/3 of the hexes, making them about 3  
feet tall.... not really appropriate for Gragnar the Tall. Instead, I  
found that (surprise surprise) the best 'models' were Playmobils!
This is for two reasons:

	1) Variety. Playmobils are sold as knights, cowboys, victorian era  
people, pirates, etc. These can easily be mixed and matched (take the  
revolver and      	     give him to the victorian fellow, put a  
knight's helmet on him, and give him a pirate's sword) which is  
perfect for what I'm doing.
	2) Scale. The Playmobil are about 6 feet tall (depending on how you  
measure the hex, which could range the height from 5' 8" to 6' 6")  
which, though a 	 	     bit tall for a medieval peasant, is just fine  
for models.

I played some simple games (some using the guns that I've made up),  
although all were massacres... the revolver got a double damage on the  
Mage, the heavily armored Purple Dragons were able to take the very  
mixed speed Rebels with astounding ease (the fast guy got there and  
died, then the medium guy gets there and dies, then the slow guy gets  
there and dies... no teamwork), and the axe-and-chainmail mercenary  
had a ferociously powerful charge on the Purple Dragon with a Crossbow.
Tomorrow I shall post some pictures to show what the playmobil  
warriors look like on their oddly hexagonal battlefields...

Obviously, using these easy to connect 3d hex maps opens up many  
possibilities.... much larger battles can be portrayed, and hills and  
other terrain are much easier to make on the spot. Of course, I have  
to adapt.... no more Megahex range rules, instead 3 hexes= megahex for  
range purposes. Using models is a necessity with such nice terrain,  
and it feels kinda interesting that the cartoony children's toy was my  
best choice for a model. I'm actually getting to like the way these  
little fellows look.....
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