Can someone give me an overview of Coyote Trail's rules.  I'll go check the site out myself but I can't concentrate right now and find posts easier to absorb.

Quote from: walkerpCan someone give me an overview of Coyote Trail's rules.  I'll go check the site out myself but I can't concentrate right now and find posts easier to absorb.

Here are some reviews that go into the system in more detail.  Happy to answer any questions, but we should probably start another thread if you want to talk about it more, though.

http://www.therpgsite.com/node/385

http://www.therpgsite.com/node/565

Pete

Quote from: pspahnHere are some reviews that go into the system in more detail.  Happy to answer any questions, but we should probably start another thread if you want to talk about it more, though.

http://www.therpgsite.com/node/385

http://www.therpgsite.com/node/565

Pete

Hey, there's my review!  Couldn't find it. :raise:

Yeah, if we forked the thread, I have played Coyote Trail, and would be happy to answer questions from the AP side of things.

Quote from: CalithenaOh, man. I could actually get sold on this game the way this is going.

Thanks for checking in, Mark. Can you tell me a little more about how a typical 'adventure' might go for a beginning type to start you up the power brokering ladder, and give a couple examples of subsystems that tie into this?

Sure, but I'll have to keep it short and simple.  I'm on vacation this week for my wedding this weekend, and just managed to sneak away for a few moments on the in-laws'-to-be computer.  

One of my first characters came into town with only $5, no weapons and only the clothes on his back.  Got a job shoveling manure to prove my will to work, made some contacts at the saloon while looking for odd jobs.  Got a job at a ranch for a while, then got a job as drover riding shotgun on a delivery line between two towns.  Other PCs were trying to set up delivery businesses or working as journalists or running for office and together we were able to find out a lot about the competing gangs in the town and which law officers were on the take, and so on.  Eventually managed to finagle our PCs into various sheriff and deputy positions.

So we were able to earn $ and Building Points and practice skills (and improve these skills by spending BPs) in different professions while working our way up the political/business ladder.  Engaging in gunfights or practicing with our firearms let us improve our combat skill.

None of those particular characters were involved in playing/playtesting the micro-games (except brawling, I think), but if we'd gone prospecting, cattle driving, had a jury trial, etc we would have used those subsystems as well.

Check our our many PDF previews on the Aces & Eights page for a look at all of what I think you're referring to as the subsystems.

Quote from: WarthurHi Mark, thanks for chiming in.

I think one of the things which I like about Aces and Eights is the way it follows the old Boot Hill division between basic rules, advanced rules, and campaign rules - so those who want the bank-robbery-of-the-week can stick to the basic/advanced rules whereas those who want professions and townbuilding and stuff can use the campaign rules. Was that a deliberate idea taken from Boot Hill or was it just a happy coincidence?

I believe all the designers except for me had played Boot Hill back in the day.  So Boot Hill definitely had some influence in the western "feel", although we didn't sit down with BH and do a side-by-side comparison/copy with our own A&8 rules ideas.  Mostly a happy coincidence.  

Yeah, my money is on Coyote Trail. The Expanded Edition is great value for the money.

One thing that turned me off Aces and Eights is the promo blurb on the Kenzer site, selling it as the best thing that's happened to the world since Adam first saw Eve naked.
Enthusiastic promotion is to be expected; it's their site, after all. But still, enough of this, this is the bestest, super-duper production value western RPG evar!. Maybe, it is, but let the players be the judge of that.

I understand your gripe, but I also kinda expect the gang that makes Hackmaster to be relatively unrestrained in how they go about things.

Yep, that's classic Kenzerco, slightly tongue-in-cheek, but not entirely.

The game looks like a really fun, fascinating design. Subsystems are underrated and I'm glad that the Kenzer guys at least are following in that line of Gygaxian game design - relatively untrodden and fertile territory (even by Gary since AD&D) IMO.

I am a little turned off by the text that goes with the Shattered Frontier setting, particularly with respect to the CSA - no doubt more of my ponytail-wearing, latte-sipping, effete liberal political correctness distorting my judgment.

Quote from: walkerpYep, that's classic Kenzerco, slightly tongue-in-cheek, but not entirely.

All things considered, tongue-in-cheek "sells" me more on a game  than pretentious artsy-fartsiness of other games.

 I've always kind of liked KenzerCo and try to find excuses to buy their stuff when I can.


- Ed C.

What I've seen so far makes me nostalgic for those old leatherbound Time life cowboy books my grandfather used to have.  Edited to say "ordered".

Quote from: KoltarAll things considered, tongue-in-cheek "sells" me more on a game  than pretentious artsy-fartsiness of other games.

 I've always kind of liked KenzerCo and try to find excuses to buy their stuff when I can.

You probably know this already but KodT magazine has a regular segment called the Good, the Bad and the Ugly where three characters are statted and described and the backstory that entwines them is laid out.  Usually they are given Hackmaster stats, but this month (#130) they are in GURPS.  I thought that was cool.

How does Aces and Eights handle social skills and so forth?  Are there any personality mechanics?

Quote from: walkerpYou probably know this already but KodT magazine has a regular segment called the Good, the Bad and the Ugly where three characters are statted and described and the backstory that entwines them is laid out.  Usually they are given Hackmaster stats, but this month (#130) they are in GURPS.  I thought that was cool.

They actually stopped giving HM stats a while back. They give them occasionally, but more often than not they've been done with a "generic" stat rundown that can be used for most systems. I've seen d20 stats, and the GURPS set you mentioned.

Quote from: GunslingerWhat I've seen so far makes me nostalgic for those old leatherbound Time life cowboy books my grandfather used to have.  Edited to say "ordered".

"You'll read about John Wesley Harding--so mean he once shot a man just for snoring."

Those were the first things I thought of when I saw the book.