Subject:
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Re: The Pirate Game at BrickFest 2002
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.gaming, lugnet.pirates
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Date:
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Fri, 26 Jul 2002 02:46:14 GMT
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Viewed:
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3389 times
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"Frank Filz" <ffilz@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:3D3ED3EF.38019A36@mindspring.com...
> Benjamin Medinets wrote:
> >
> > In lugnet.fun.gaming, Frank Filz writes:
> > > Well, I didn't take many pictures, and I don't think we had a web cam • in
> > > the room, so I won't be able to do a turn by turn re-cap of the game, • so
> > > I'll just free associate about the game...
> >
> > <beaucoup de snippage...> :)
> >
> > It looked like Larry didn't have a lot of luck this year... ;)
> >
> > The game looked very fun from what I saw of it. I was tempted to join • but
> > was "rebuffed" when I was told that I couldn't use Imperials or use • Islanders.
> >
> > I am not really a big fan of using "scurvy knaves" ... maybe next year
> > I can help Frank with controlling a NPC ship or the island of natives... • :)
>
> I'm sorry to have rebuffed you. I have been trying to figure out just
> how to use non-pirates in the game. There needs to be some additional
> background work done. I am also afraid that such additional background
> detail may be an additional load on an already overloaded GM.
I have run games with stats for the islanders and the witch doctors. The
players seem to have a blast playing them. I even let players control
creatures like the sea monster, squid, the mummy in the lost Egyptian
temple, the possibilities are vast. I write out cards with all the stats for
all figures and creatures and place them under the islands and forts.
Everything is prebagged with a duplicate card in the bag, so it cuts down on
my headaches. I also let the player complete construction of the island,
forts, and town. Some have been quite imaginative, but I have to admit that
the aggregate number of parts I bring to some of the gaming cons is
staggering. I know I would not be able to transport such a large amount of
material by plane, but could we ship materials to a local BrickFest
representative?
I have used the idea that imperials and pirates players could control a
merchant ship as well as a combat vessel. The merchant ship carries the
booty from point A to point B. The biggest problem is space. The pirates
want prize ships and treasure so they are influenced to send their cargo
back to the their own base. The imperials purpose to protect the merchants
and recapture stolen merchandise is the best motivation for the players
serving the empire.
> This years game was the first I didn't feel overwhelmed as a single GM,
> since I am finally comfortable with the rules, many of the other players
> are also comfortable, and I greatly simplified the island interaction.
>
> One problem is coming up with interesting goals for non-pirates which
> are reasonably balanced. Clearly, the ships can be balanced. I came up
> with a quick and dirty way to run the islander catamaran which basically
> made it equivalent to a cutter, though a different damage table would
> give it more flavor. But what is the goal of islanders? They aren't
> going to capture pirate ships and take them in to port to sell them. One
> idea I have is that for each European (pirate or imperial) ship
> captured, the islander captain would gain more followers and more
> islander boats.
Islanders and other groups usually have something everyone else wants like
treasure, also pirates and imperials trespass in their territory.
> I would love to have merchants be a viable playing position, but I'm
> just not sure how to set up the economic rules to work. Traditionally
> also, the merchants have been a way to capture a bigger ship, so how
> would one play that into the equation? On the other hand, someone
> clearly functioning as a co-GM could easily handle merchant ships. A
> simple table or card drawing system could determine where a new merchant
> enters the fray, what size it is, and what it's destination is, or it
> could be left totally up to the co-GM to decide.
>
> Imperials have similar problems with goals. They can't just sail around
> blowing up any ship in sight. They should be setting sail in reaction to
> increasing levels of piracy.
Usually in most games, increasing levels of piracy is not a problem : )
> Frank
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