Combat!
- Thread starter BP
- Start date
TrippyHippy
Emperor Mongoose
My house rules mainly pertain to using a single D6 for Initiative, in an attempt to tie it in with the normal Timing rules (based on a 6 second round).
I use house rules that make combat more like the original beta version of MGT Traveller. I liked the timing die idea and so kept it with some adjustments inspired by early discussion here before it was tossed. I guess not truly house rules because it is the original rule system melded wtih the new one.
Other house rules are small tweaks such as adjustments to autofire and expanded morale/tactics/leadership rules.
Other house rules are small tweaks such as adjustments to autofire and expanded morale/tactics/leadership rules.
MGT doesn't do it for me on with the combat rules. I don't like the sliding initiative stuff. MGT could have really nailed it with me with a simple 2d6 combat system - the story of my life.
I also don't get how armor and weapons scale in the system. A "generic" sci-fi system needs to be able to handle the weapons and armor of different tech levels. The weapon damage and armor rules need tweaking before I could use them.
I do think the basic system is good and the core book covers a lot of ground, but there were enough misses that I shelved the book. I'd like to see some house rules or official expansions that would make me take another look.
I also don't get how armor and weapons scale in the system. A "generic" sci-fi system needs to be able to handle the weapons and armor of different tech levels. The weapon damage and armor rules need tweaking before I could use them.
I do think the basic system is good and the core book covers a lot of ground, but there were enough misses that I shelved the book. I'd like to see some house rules or official expansions that would make me take another look.
To be sure! :lol:apoc527 said:... I probably should have said that I use "a lot" of house rules, but that's very subjective.
(Personally, I've ditched it entirely - since it can't handle simple duels, can't pass the 'mime' believability test, and the initiative/turn handling feels worse than a low-B grade movie...)
Now I want to have a discussion about this!
rust's issues I can understand. MGT is a moderately complex combat system and if you aren't into the simulationism it provides, I can understand why it's not useful to you.
BP's comments, on the other hand, I am wondering more and more about. Can you explain your issues in a bit more detail? Why does it fail the "duel" test? (as an aside, I have come across VERY FEW RPGs that handle duels well) What do you mean by "mime" believability test? And why is the initiative/turn handling so bad?
I guess I ask because I've been playing these types of games for about 17 years and MGT seems pretty solid by comparison to MANY other games I've played. Certainly CT isn't significantly better in most of these issues! I guess I'm wondering then, if MGT combat doesn't meet your expectations, what game out there does??
Maybe it's all the D&D 3.X and 4E I've been playing recently, but I thought MGT combat worked pretty well!
rust's issues I can understand. MGT is a moderately complex combat system and if you aren't into the simulationism it provides, I can understand why it's not useful to you.
BP's comments, on the other hand, I am wondering more and more about. Can you explain your issues in a bit more detail? Why does it fail the "duel" test? (as an aside, I have come across VERY FEW RPGs that handle duels well) What do you mean by "mime" believability test? And why is the initiative/turn handling so bad?
I guess I ask because I've been playing these types of games for about 17 years and MGT seems pretty solid by comparison to MANY other games I've played. Certainly CT isn't significantly better in most of these issues! I guess I'm wondering then, if MGT combat doesn't meet your expectations, what game out there does??
Maybe it's all the D&D 3.X and 4E I've been playing recently, but I thought MGT combat worked pretty well!
Golan2072
Cosmic Mongoose
I pretty much like the MGT combat system, which is quite rules-light. The only advantage that CT has over it is the fact that some weapons penetrate armour better than others, making weapons more interesting; on the other hand, MGT does away with the combat matrices, making combat easier, so this is a fair trade IMHO.
Nathan Brazil
Banded Mongoose
More melee options
* Use of an off hand second weapon in combat/Additional attack
* (Relatively) Non-Lethal Combat (Punching someone unconscious let's say) with rapid healing/recovery
* Bonuses/Penalties for position (Front vs Side vs Rear Attacks)
* Melee and Projectile Weapon Design (i.e. TNE allowed you to design bows...)
* Weapon equivelencies ("Jambiya? Same a Dagger...")
* Armor Design (TNE FFS had that one)
* Use of an off hand second weapon in combat/Additional attack
* (Relatively) Non-Lethal Combat (Punching someone unconscious let's say) with rapid healing/recovery
* Bonuses/Penalties for position (Front vs Side vs Rear Attacks)
* Melee and Projectile Weapon Design (i.e. TNE allowed you to design bows...)
* Weapon equivelencies ("Jambiya? Same a Dagger...")
* Armor Design (TNE FFS had that one)
BP said:
That may be the case, or most people just run the rules as is and don't worry about it.
I don't recall which poll option I chose, but I wouldn't use the core rules. I don't like the dynamic initiative system and I don't get how weapons and armor of different tech levels mesh. A generic sci-fi system has to be able to handle weapons and armor of different tech levels. What's chain or plate armor?
Combat is my biggest disappointment with Traveller. The rest of the system is attractive. I love the 2d6 mechanic. The system is a near miss for me.
I tried posting some combat related "house rules" in the past and didn't get much of a response either, I seem to be in the minority. I've shelved MGT for now.
TNE had this Fire, Fuzion & Steel (FFS) supplement that allowed to design vehicles and weapons (at least). Very nifty, especially as you could actually reverse-engineer vehicles (including space craft) and weapons using FFS and then modify them if you wanted. The most interesting thing was the ACR that had mixed TLs because it was manufactured on two planets with varying TLs.
Anyway, I didn't answer the poll because I am yet to actually run any games using Traveller rules. Still, I have a hard time accepting the way that damage is handled (that it reduces stats). But since I have not any practical experience with it I can't really comment...
Anyway, I didn't answer the poll because I am yet to actually run any games using Traveller rules. Still, I have a hard time accepting the way that damage is handled (that it reduces stats). But since I have not any practical experience with it I can't really comment...
Fedmahn Kassad
Mongoose
I run a very modified combat system reminiscent of Snapshot, complete with action points and variable point costs for actions based on Dexterity (i.e. it takes a Dex 7 Character 12AP to draw a gun, but a Dex 12 character can draw the same gun in 10AP [12-7=5, 5/2=2.5, round down]). This removes any initiative from the combat as you react using APs from the moment you are aware of things.
I also use a Hit Points/Body Points system derived from stats for damage, with weapon damage effecting hits and critical effecting body and stat reduction.
I also use basic (D20) hit location charts (reminiscent of old RuneQuest) for armor and HP breakdown.
As you might tell, I polled the Lots of House rules combat.
I also use a Hit Points/Body Points system derived from stats for damage, with weapon damage effecting hits and critical effecting body and stat reduction.
I also use basic (D20) hit location charts (reminiscent of old RuneQuest) for armor and HP breakdown.
As you might tell, I polled the Lots of House rules combat.
