Quote from: flyingmiceUmm, no - I don't often watch TV, so I haven't heard about it. What is it and where can I see it?

Thanks!

-mice

From RottenTomatoes.com:

QuoteFrom Academy Award® winning filmmaker Mel Gibson (“The Passion of the Christ,” “Braveheart”), comes APOCALYPTO: a heart stopping mythic action-adventure set against the turbulent end times of the once great Mayan civilization. When his idyllic existence is brutally disrupted by a violent invading force, a man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression where a harrowing end awaits him. Through a twist of fate and spurred by the power of his love for his woman and his family he will make a desperate break to return home and to ultimately save his way of life. -- © Touchstone Pictures

Yeah, it's from Mel Gibson, so who knows...

EDIT: It opens on December 8th.

I've been contemplating putting my players into the situation faced by Horatio Hornblower in the book Lieutenant Hornblower.  Each of them would play a Lieutenant on board the Renown with a crazed captain.  

I'd like to see how long it would be before they would instigate mutiny.  

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how well that would go over, so I've thought to change it around a bit to make them all Midshipmen (thus the ability to keep them all together in an attack, whereas Lts would each need to direct different activities and bringing them all along wouldn't make a lot of sense).

I don't really care for the idea of them playing multiple characters at different levels.  It just isn't a dynamic that would work with my players.  We tried that with Ars Magica and I received a myriad of complaints on the style (and, to tell the truth, I didn't enjoy it, either).

When we have played 7th Sea we had ship-based adventures often, with one of the players as Captain, one as a nobleman who owned the ship they were on, one as Doctor, one as Major of Marines and the other two as Lieutenants.  It definitely wasn't historically accurate (but, then, it was 7th Sea!).

One dynamic I must always keep in place with my players: certain players' characters cannot be placed "in command" of other players' characters or the competive streak in both threatens to override whatever game is taking place.

Quote from: JongWKFrom RottenTomatoes.com:





Yeah, it's from Mel Gibson, so who knows...

EDIT: It opens on December 8th.

Thanks, Jong! I'll be looking for it!

-mice

Quote from: VellorianI've been contemplating putting my players into the situation faced by Horatio Hornblower in the book Lieutenant Hornblower.  Each of them would play a Lieutenant on board the Renown with a crazed captain.  

I'd like to see how long it would be before they would instigate mutiny.  

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how well that would go over, so I've thought to change it around a bit to make them all Midshipmen (thus the ability to keep them all together in an attack, whereas Lts would each need to direct different activities and bringing them all along wouldn't make a lot of sense).

That sounds like an awesome ides, Vellorean! Lieutenant Hornblower is my favorite book of the series, and it would be ultra cool to play on the Renown. I'd do it in a second.

Quote from: VellorianI don't really care for the idea of them playing multiple characters at different levels.  It just isn't a dynamic that would work with my players.  We tried that with Ars Magica and I received a myriad of complaints on the style (and, to tell the truth, I didn't enjoy it, either).

When we have played 7th Sea we had ship-based adventures often, with one of the players as Captain, one as a nobleman who owned the ship they were on, one as Doctor, one as Major of Marines and the other two as Lieutenants.  It definitely wasn't historically accurate (but, then, it was 7th Sea!).

One dynamic I must always keep in place with my players: certain players' characters cannot be placed "in command" of other players' characters or the competive streak in both threatens to override whatever game is taking place.

In Harm's Way contains several mechanics - including the competitive advancement in rank and the troupe play - which are layered over the basic system but not part of it. Stripping them out of the game can be accomplished by the GM saying "We're not using Troupe Play - so just make up one character, or Competitive Advancement - I'll deal with that as I see fit." There are several alternative playstyles given in the appendices which describe doing exactly this. I designed it that way on purpose. The mechanics aren't coercive, they're there to help the GM and players have fun.

-mice

French Revolution.
Scarlet Pimpernel FTW.
Not the B&W movies though.

Quote from: flyingmiceThat sounds like an awesome ides, Vellorean! Lieutenant Hornblower is my favorite book of the series, and it would be ultra cool to play on the Renown. I'd do it in a second.

I'll let you know how it turns out if I can convince my players to give it a try.  

QuoteIn Harm's Way contains several mechanics - including the competitive advancement in rank and the troupe play - which are layered over the basic system but not part of it. Stripping them out of the game can be accomplished by the GM saying "We're not using Troupe Play - so just make up one character, or Competitive Advancement - I'll deal with that as I see fit." There are several alternative playstyles given in the appendices which describe doing exactly this. I designed it that way on purpose. The mechanics aren't coercive, they're there to help the GM and players have fun.

I'll admit, you've piqued my interest.  Do you have a link where I can take a closer look?

Quote from: VellorianI'll let you know how it turns out if I can convince my players to give it a try.  

Awesome! I'd love to hear how it goes! I may just spring this on my own players...

Quote from: VellorianI'll admit, you've piqued my interest.  Do you have a link where I can take a closer look?

The In Harm's Way page has some info on it. It's just a month old, so there is no review out yet. Hopefully there will be one soon.

-mice

Quote from: flyingmiceThe In Harm's Way page has some info on it. It's just a month old, so there is no review out yet. Hopefully there will be one soon.

-mice

I'm working on it!

Late Republican Rome, a much underappreciated setting.  Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, just full of great gaming.

Renaissance Italy, the most underappreciated setting out there IMO, bizarrely I don't think a single published game has ever focussed on this period.

Elizabethan England, c'mon, feel the ruffs!  Jacobean also is good.

The 30 years war, though this is less exciting to me.

The Cold War, the 1960s and '70s but not focussing on how wacky it all was but rather the bleak and bloody actual history of the period.  In Italy the 1970s were called the Anni di Piombo, the years of lead, because so many people were killed in terrorist shootings.  This is a period in which the Italian government blew up its own people in mock terrorist bombings (pretty well documented, I'm not off on some conspiracy binge here, this isn't part of some "omfg the CIA were behind 911" nonsense or any of that crap).  The 1970s in particular was a nasty bleak decade and I'd like to see a game dealing with that.  

Much as I love the Avengers, I'd like a game for a change that was a bit more like the Professionals.

Richelieu's France - I cut my teeth on Dumas and haven't ever recovered.

I'll second early Renaissance italy - 1300 - 1600 or whenever the Medici were around.

Quote from: ReimdallRichelieu's France - I cut my teeth on Dumas and haven't ever recovered.

I'll second early Renaissance italy - 1300 - 1600 or whenever the Medici were around.

Not strictly Richelieu's France (far from it), but I downloaded the free pdf of the 1632 alt-history RPG some time ago, and I thought it was a bit of a mess.

The old FGU game Flashing Blades is brilliant for Richelieu's France.  It's actually quite rules light, not like other FGU games, has great background stuff and great rules.

It's fairly clearly ripped off from En Garde with much greater roleplaying stuff built in, but very good for all that.

En Garde incidentally has a flourishing web presence, check out:  http://www.engarde.co.uk/ and for active games http://www.engarde.co.uk/games.html#Top

Thanks!  I'll check those out.

mmm... nice thread...

first of all i would really love a campaign based on the Meiji Era in Japan...

also an italian inspired campaing in the renaissance era... more especially a plot among the sea-states (Amalfi, Pisa, Genova and Venezia)

Quote from: Alukrdmmm... nice thread...

first of all i would really love a campaign based on the Meiji Era in Japan...

also an italian inspired campaing in the renaissance era... more especially a plot among the sea-states (Amalfi, Pisa, Genova and Venezia)

Ah! That would rock!

-mice