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In Harm's Way: Aces in Spades

Started by flyingmice, February 10, 2007, 01:53:45 PM

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flyingmice

February 10, 2007, 01:53:45 PM
My next game - In Harm's Way: Aces in Spades, an RPG about Great War fighter pilots - is almost ready for beta testing, and I need some people willing to look at it objectively and run/play it. I've been alpha testing for several months, and I've got the worst kinks out, but I need some constructive crit.

Here's an earlier draft of the Dogfighting section so you can get the feel of it. Warning: It's pretty crunchy...

url]http://jalan.flyingmice.com/IHW_AIS_Dogfighting.pdf [/url]

The rest of the game isn't - it's based on the In Harm's Way Napoleonic Naval RPG. If you're interested in beta testing, PM me. I'll be setting up a playtest document nest week. I take beta test comments very seriously, so suggest away!

-clash
clash bowley * Flying Mice Games - an Imprint of Better Mousetrap Games
Flying Mice home page: http://jalan.flyingmice.com/flyingmice.html
Currently Designing: StarCluster 4 - Wavefront Empire
Last Releases: SC4 - Dark Orbital, SC4 - Out of the Ruins,  SC4 - Sabre & World
Blog: I FLY BY NIGHT

Blackleaf

#1
February 10, 2007, 10:47:10 PM
Very cool (and crunchy)!  I wanted to give you some feedback, but it's too crunchy for me to digest properly at this time of night. :D

I guess my initial comment would be to consider replacing all the talk about different types of energy with something that fits the theme for the game a bit more.  Energy makes it sound like Physics to me (or Sci-Fi) and not very evocative of WWI.  Not sure what would work better off the top of my head... but think about things like throttle, speed, thrust, or maybe just 'power'?

flyingmice

#2
February 10, 2007, 11:00:58 PM
Quote from: StuartVery cool (and crunchy)!  I wanted to give you some feedback, but it's too crunchy for me to digest properly at this time of night. :D

I guess my initial comment would be to consider replacing all the talk about different types of energy with something that fits the theme for the game a bit more.  Energy makes it sound like Physics to me (or Sci-Fi) and not very evocative of WWI.  Not sure what would work better off the top of my head... but think about things like throttle, speed, thrust, or maybe just 'power'?

Hey! Good idea! Power it will be! Thanks, Stuart!

-clash
clash bowley * Flying Mice Games - an Imprint of Better Mousetrap Games
Flying Mice home page: http://jalan.flyingmice.com/flyingmice.html
Currently Designing: StarCluster 4 - Wavefront Empire
Last Releases: SC4 - Dark Orbital, SC4 - Out of the Ruins,  SC4 - Sabre & World
Blog: I FLY BY NIGHT

Erik Boielle

#3
February 11, 2007, 11:11:36 AM
Quote from: StuartVery cool (and crunchy)!  I wanted to give you some feedback, but it's too crunchy for me to digest properly at this time of night. :D

I guess my initial comment would be to consider replacing all the talk about different types of energy with something that fits the theme for the game a bit more.  Energy makes it sound like Physics to me (or Sci-Fi) and not very evocative of WWI.  Not sure what would work better off the top of my head... but think about things like throttle, speed, thrust, or maybe just 'power'?

'Energy' is like a big term in fighter whatnoting though. One constantly talks about ones Energy State and Energy Fighting and Energy Management and whatnot:-

http://www.musketeers.org/Etactics.htm

Don't know if theres a period term for it - I'd faintly imagine that they didn't really have the vocabulary to describe it, being something you needed to pick up for youself or from such in depth hints as:-

http://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/comment/dicta-b.html

Quote1: Try to secure advantages before attacking. If possible keep the sun behind you.

2: Allways carry through an attack when you started it.

3: Fire only at close range and only when your opponent is properly in your sights.

4: Allways keep your eye on your opponent and never let yourself be deceived by ruses.

5: In any form of attack it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.

6: If your opponent dives on you, do not try to evade his onslaught but fly to meet him.

7: When over the enemy's line never forget your own line of retreat.

8: For the Squadron: Attack on principle in groups of four or six. When the fight breaks up into a series of single combats take care that several do not go for one opponent.

(Theres a bit in Wind in the Wires where a new pilot is talking about how it was considered vulgar to 'Talk Shop' in the mess.)

That said, I think 'Scout' is the period term for fighter. You can talk about The Master Scout Leader, which sounds really cool.
Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.

flyingmice

#4
February 11, 2007, 11:24:06 AM
Quote from: Erik Boielle'Energy' is like a big term in fighter whatnoting though. One constantly talks about ones Energy State and Energy Fighting and Energy Management and whatnot:-

http://www.musketeers.org/Etactics.htm

That's where I got it - Boyd's theories.

Quote from: Erik BoielleDon't know if theres a period term for it - I'd faintly imagine that they didn't really have the vocabulary to describe it, being something you needed to pick up for youself or from such in depth hints as:-

http://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/comment/dicta-b.html

I think Power works as well as anything for period flavor. Energy would be perfectly well understood, of course, but the pilots never used it as such.

Quote from: Erik Boielle(Theres a bit in Wind in the Wires where a new pilot is talking about how it was considered vulgar to 'Talk Shop' in the mess.)

That said, I think 'Scout' is the period term for fighter. You can talk about The Master Scout Leader, which sounds really cool.

Absolutely correct, but Scout was a specifically British term for fighter. Since in the game you can be British, French, German, or American - or by extension Canadian, Austrailian, Austrian, or Belgian - I went with the more generic Fighter. :D

-clash
clash bowley * Flying Mice Games - an Imprint of Better Mousetrap Games
Flying Mice home page: http://jalan.flyingmice.com/flyingmice.html
Currently Designing: StarCluster 4 - Wavefront Empire
Last Releases: SC4 - Dark Orbital, SC4 - Out of the Ruins,  SC4 - Sabre & World
Blog: I FLY BY NIGHT

Erik Boielle

#5
February 11, 2007, 02:25:10 PM
QuoteI think Power works as well as anything for period flavor.

Yeah, but it's energy for a reason - could you just ignore it and go back to talking about height and speed - when you run out of both, you are implicitly out of energy.
Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.

flyingmice

#6
February 11, 2007, 04:12:15 PM
Quote from: Erik BoielleYeah, but it's energy for a reason - could you just ignore it and go back to talking about height and speed - when you run out of both, you are implicitly out of energy.

Yes, but it makes things more complex for the players, and I don't want to do that. It's complex enough as it is. Maybe I'll just leave it at Energy. That's what it is, as you say.

-clash
clash bowley * Flying Mice Games - an Imprint of Better Mousetrap Games
Flying Mice home page: http://jalan.flyingmice.com/flyingmice.html
Currently Designing: StarCluster 4 - Wavefront Empire
Last Releases: SC4 - Dark Orbital, SC4 - Out of the Ruins,  SC4 - Sabre & World
Blog: I FLY BY NIGHT
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