Re: (TFT) Reality in Melee (The Space Gamer #20, 1978), Elephants in war

["Jay Carlisle" <Jay_Carlisle@charter.net>]

So it was THIS all night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTn1v5TGK_w&feature=related

The insight is that overriding your body's "internal governor" is a check 
STRONGLY tied to Disbelief.

I'm thinking about requiring "out of shape" Figures to Disbelieve each time 
they try to expend a fST at least through physical Actions.
Maybe something like the more points in the Athletic Talent the more fST 
spent before it's necessary to Disbelieve the 'wall' and spending down to 1 
fST is still that crawl to the finish type thing.
Might be easier than what I'm using now.

Anyway, the historical bit on Melee is just spooky.

"Neolithic warriors do not use shields, although later primitive types might 
have animal-hide shields that stop 1 hit adjust DX by 1."

"Heavy wooden shields covered with hippopotamus hide stop 1 hit and adjust 
DX -1."

"Light infantry carry large wicker shields which stop 1 hit and adjust 
DX -1."

Okaaaaay.

Then there's stuff like.

"After the 8th Century BC, heavy infantry wore iron-reinforced leather armor 
which may be considered equal to MELEE chainmail. Before that, they wore 
breastplates and helms and carried large shields. The helm and breastplates 
may be considered chainmail, but with MA reduced to 5."

MA 5.
Ughh.

"ACHEANS: These are the forerunners of the great Greek civilizations, 
invading the Greek isles around 2000 BC. They did not use shields or armor 
and their weaponry is similar to Neolithic equipment."

Do what?

"In Greek mythology, the perceived cultural divisions among the Hellenes 
were represented as legendary lines of descent that identified kinship 
groups, with each line being derived from an eponymous ancestor. Each of the 
Greek ethne were said to be named in honor of their respective ancestors: 
Achaeus of the Achaeans, Danaus of the Danaans, Kadmos of the Kadmeioi, 
Hellen of the Hellenes (not to be confused with Helen of Troy), Aeolus of 
the Aeolians, Ion of the Ionians, and Dorus of the Dorians.
Kadmos from Phoenicia, Danaus from Egypt, and Pelops from Anatolia each 
gained a foothold in mainland Greece and were assimilated and Hellenized. 
Hellen, Graikos, Magnis, and Macedon were sons of Deucalion and Pyrrha, the 
only people who survived the Great Flood; the ethne were said to have 
originally been named after the elder son Graikoi but renamed later after 
Hellen who was proved to be the strongest. Sons of Hellen and the nymph 
Orsiis were Dorus, Xuthos, and Aeolus. Sons of Xuthos and Kreousa, daughter 
of Erechthea, were Ion and Achaeus.[12]
According to Hyginus, the Achaeans killed 362 Trojans during their ten years 
at Troy."

If he's talking Neolithic tribesmen colonizing the area then he already 
covered this and is really just saying that one "tribe" is called Achaeans.
If he's using it like Homer then the stone tools are WAY off.
Where's the Dendra panoply?
Heck, based off the above those guys probably only get an MA of 2.

He thinks knights lack discipline and Philip and Alex's "strategy" were 
responsible for Macedonian success "rather than any technological 
superiority".

"The next turn in which the pikeman strikes he must "choke up" on the pike, 
striking by -1 DX for each extra hex the pike was extended."

Or drop the pike maybe?

This guy must read MUCH different books than I do.
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