psychophipps

Ahh...you use a completely different system than what we've been discussing back at you. Thanks for the clarifications in that regard. Of course, I still don't get the "It's 90% for head, and arm shots, 20% for a specific leg, and 40% for either/or." thing but it's all in the good, I guess.

The "canon" rules state that the above shot would be as follows. Target is within the Short range band for the a base difficulty of 15. They would raise this to 19 for the head shot at -4 for a called shot. Now this is an ambush so Jim only has to roll a 14+ (+5 ambush bonus) on a Ref + Handgun + d10 roll to gat Johnny in the nug-bone with a high potentual for the "BANG! Splat!" effect. Not too tough for your typical solo if they get a chance to aim or use a special sight of some sort.

Thanks for at least giving my comprehension a spin,

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

My question about this idea of yours, Psiberzerker, is "Why do you feel that people don't already get shot enough in your games?" I can see your logic and the "realism" of it but I don't see the logic in making sure that characters, NPC and otherwise, get shot more often if the shooter goes for a tricky shot and flubs it.

Mark(psycho)Phipps(HAHAHA! )

Sooo...by aiming over thier torso you automatically assume that they aimed low and gatted the person anyway if they fail by four or less? Kinda makes your combats a bit brutal, don't you think?

I prefer to use the "hit what you aim for" model. You get fancy and you'll miss more often unless you aim, use a scope, etc. but a miss is still a miss. Giving everyone a chance to go "I aim for the head" and still hit on a miss is definitely in the "non-optimal" section of my campaign guide.

My players would rape that rule big-time...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

And here's post #3000. Others made it before me, but then, I've always gone for quality over quantity...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I'm not sure anymore, to be frank, Hanns. I tried the link again a year or so ago and it was dead. I only copy/pasted the parts I thought were relevant so I don't have the addy or anything.

The Smith and Wesson .38 Model 10 -

2" - 232 m/sec

4" - 253 m/sec (+9% of the 2")

6" - 261 m/sec (+3% of the 4")

Off by a bit from your numbers but well within the realm of load/projectile variance,

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

The study was based on incapacitation or removal of hostilities, not death. They took the reported incidents by caliber and crossreferenced it, without shot placement being taken into account, with the number of people being shot and their reported responses at the scene. It's pretty wank, to be honest, but there simply aren't any other people or agencies who can give us better information of this type.

I also say that the numbers aren't as cack as you two think. Getting shot by a single round of 9mm will take the fight out of a person right around 62% of the time by my reckoning. I really don't care if they're dead, simply lying down doing the bleeding bit and moaning or entering a screaming orgasm as long as they aren't coming at me or are a threat anymore.

Besides, the link is dead now so it doesn't really matter...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

First off, 90% of the .22LR out there is hollowpoint. In fact, you just about have to actively search to get that type of ammunition any other way. I'd say that the 'devestating effect' of the .22 LR 'hollow-point-o-death' was taken into account in the study I read.

The problem is that the .22 LR projectile is usually a simple chunk of hollow-nosed, soft lead so it tends to disintegrate on impact with bone, or anything hard for that matter, which limits it's ability to penetrate to the vital blood-bearing organs or the CNS for an effective incapacitating shot. A .22 LR can certainly kill you but shot placement is much more important than with a more powerful round.

Second, the bank robbers in question were wearing body armor so it wasn't a failing of the police officers' weapons or thier ammunition choice. Any PD in the US would have pretty much been in the same predicament at that time. Furthermore, switching the responding officer's weapons to .40 S&W would have done nothing to help that situation as this round still would not have penetrated the suspects vests. Many PDs issue AR-15s, the weapon used to finally take down the suspect who didn't shoot himself in the nugget, for this exact reason.

Finally, I understand that getting shot sucks. I also understand that you had some need to tell us about your experience to prove a point of some sort. But that doesn't mean that I can't comment on it without you flipping a biscuit on me.

A collarbone shot tends to be a relatively minor wound, as informed from my EMT father of 20 years, provided it doesn't enter down into the torso which is pretty rare given the angles needed. There aren't any arteries in the area and the vast majority of the tissue is muscle which heals up great. The fact that the bullet disintegrated on your collarbone further reduced the overall effect as a large portion of the projectiles energy was expended on breaking the bone instead of tearing through you. It sucked but it wasn't exactly the end of the world, just like you described it.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

Well, a .22LR isn't exactly the biggest boy on the block. Sure It can kill you, but so can breathing with all the gunk in the air nowadays. A .22LR has around a 21% chance of incapacitation with one shot and I think it's fairly safe to say that you beat the odds.

The 9mm Para, however, has a reported 62% one-shot incapacitation ratio to put things into perspective. So multiply all the pain, shock and blood by around 3 and you'll get the kind of lovin' that a 9mm probably would have given you. Not fun.

Of course, my rear naked choke has a 100% incapacitation ratio in combat so far but that's another story...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I'm still amazed that people still give a flying f*ck about Version 3.0, myself. I mean, really.

They've lied about it's release date for 6-7 years now, he's obviously not really that motivated by the project, the Fuzion system is some rinky-dink backwater project that hardly anyone uses or even mentions anymore, the cyberpunk genre is all but dead in literature and gaming and after seeing the pre-view can you really say that you like the new direction the game is heading into anyway?

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I always hated the NC maps. If you look at them, they're incredibly small of the supposed 5 million+ people they're supposed to hold. Seattle is smaller in population and covers an area of at least 10-15 times the NC map.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

Hell, I think that cyberpunk, just like real life, is simply what you make of it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I just reintroduced myself to the horrifying beauty of the audio trainwreck known as Cannibal Corpse (horrible but strangely fascinating). How I ever let these guys out of my circle of musical interests is beyond me...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

The issue with the supercavitating torpedoes is hydrodynamics. They've gotten them past the speed of sound (REALLY!) and having it jink in any way in a substance that has 7 times the density of air is non-optimal. Designing the missle, which is what it really is, to be maneuver is basically a waste of time and money as an ultrasonic underwater weapon would be rather difficult to countermeasure with current technology. The thrust sytem even counters the effects of currents over range for the most part.

Just be sure you point it right in the first place, eh?

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

The best GMing book I've ever read is "Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering" published by Steve Jackson Games.  At only $9.95 US it's a bargain and has plenty of great advice.

As a long-time cyberpunk Referee I can give you a few bits that have done me well over the years:

1) Look over the characters after a "creation session".  It seems basic but I'm not talking about adding up eurobucks and the like (which you should still do).  These sheets will tell you what sort of game the players want by how their characters are made.  Also check to see what type of game they want, realistic or cinematic.

2) Try to fit a section for each character to be the main character for a bit.  Somebody makes a combat monkey?  Give them stuff to brawl with.  You get a charismatic fixer? Try to have him run some backdoor deals or work a trade using his wits.  Tech geeks in your party? Give them something to tinker with.  Pretty simple stuff that will help make everyone happy.  Be wary that sometimes you'll get an attention whore and you have to hook the others up now and again.

3) Be firm.  This isn't frollicking through the happy meadow to go hug the trees of the elven glen, ok?  If the characters get into firefights then somebody's probably going to get hurt, and it might just be them.  They do something stupid then they have to pay the price.  Don't back down just because they don't like their die rolls and can whine really loud.

4) Be fair. If they pull a dumbsh*t give them an out or two. Describe Deathsolo as a total badass.  Give them a chance to get used to your style of Refereeing before you pull out the armored cyberboots with the Psychopunk foot to ass neural interface gear.

5) You're going to make mistakes.  Be aware of this and realise that you're only human.  Don't take them personally and file them away before you carry on.

6) Ask for feedback, including bad stuff.  Some people are simply whiney little bitches that you can ignore but the others will give you good stuff you can use.

7) Make kool NPCs.  While the PC are definitely the focus of the game, good recurring NPCs make it that much better and alive.  These characters will also go a long way towards telling the players your style of game through their interactions.

8) Have fun.  If things go sour and they look bored or pissed off, call for a short break.  Scan their sheets for ideas from their background or who you've missed to be important and go from there.

Provided you're not a complete putz like me, you'll do well with these eight bits of dubious advice...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I could mail you my copy of Near Orbit.  On loan, of course.  It has a pretty good map and an adventure that can easily be tweaked for your needs.

Drop me a PM and I'll send it down your way USPS-style...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I can't help but think that some sort of "custom cutie", to steal the GURPS Cyberwold term, would eventually come out.  Using some sort of myomar structure or fluid sac system you could increase or decrease the breast size to fit the wants of certain clients.  Sure they would hurt if thet got too much bigger but twenty minutes of pain isn't too bad if they pay enough to make it worth your while.

They could have a braclet or card, in a locale where prostitution is legal, that you could swipe or scan while the cyber/bioware did the rest.  Otherwise you'd pick a brothel you like or a pimp's girls you dig and they could be ready to roll, for lack of a better term, when you arrived.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

The whole "comabatant/non-combatant, soldier/not soldier" issue is quite simple in my mind.  When captured or shot, were you pointing, or planning to eventually point, a weapon at Johnny Apple Pie or the other Coalition forces?  Then you're a combatant.  Were you in possession of a weapon that is not allowed within your locations current military command status and not a part of the Coalition's forces?  Then you're a combatant.  Cut and dried.  Easy to understand for both sides.

The fact remains that most people are stupid.  They think that the world is full of "fair" and "not fair".  They think that in their limited, and quite ridiculous, opinion that everyone is just as reasonable as they are and that everything should be handled in a fair and amicable manner.  Well people...you are incorrect.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

They are further allowed to send and receive uncensored mail (which people in US prisons are not even allowed to do), btw.

You, like many people and the media, seem to make the mistake of comparing their treatment to those in our judicial system.  Well, I hate to tell you this but... they are not criminals in our judicial system.

You'd think that the concept of capturing enemy soldiers and holding them for interrogation and processing would be a simple one but apparently it's this huge mental leap that requires a few more feet of pole than most people have.  Our military and intelligence services are simply taking the time to use these recently acquired intelligence assets to their best advantage and in the mean time we take care of them as you'd expect for POWs.  In fact, we're treating them several magnitudes better than they'd get from just about anyone else on the planet if they were in the same situation.

In other words, BOO-f*cking-HOO!  Maybe they should have considered the potentual of their current situation before they decided to join a bunch of ragheads intent on "destroying the great satan"?

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

Oh yeah!  The part that has never been touched even once in all of the thousands of hours of me and my friends playing cyberpunk!  *smacks forehead*  How could we have missed it?

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I'd give them a hefty penalty for Iaijutsu, myself. A telescoping baton isn't a katana so they'd be at a distinct disadvantage in this regard if they tried a katana draw.

Ohhh! You meant a fast-draw! My bad...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

While I do enjoy the ruthless and hard sh*t, I must say that black metal has never been my bag.  I get bored with the "How to piss of the christian establishment in 10-15 songs" that pervades the genre from the bits that I've heard (and been able to actually understand... ).

I'm also rather surprised that a bunch of really good stuff has been mentioned.  Perhaps it's the "anti-pop" mentality that seems to be the norm amongst you guys.

Korn

Fear Factory

Dry Kill Logic

DMX

Yes, I like Limp Bizkit as well (at least their first album...)

Cypress Hill

Sex Pistols

Pantera

System of a Down

Rage Against the Machine

Paul Oakenfold's various mixes

Moby

Front Line Assembly

The two Blade soundtracks

Massive Attack

Fischerspooner

50 Cent

G-Unit

Front 242

Insane Clown Posse

Twiztid

Blaze Ya Dead Homie

Anybody Killa

Biohazard

The Chemical Brothers

The Crystal Method

Dead Kennedys

Rammstein

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

You do tend to whip out your wang for comparison a lot...

But I still love you, man! *looking forward to hitting a pit with you some time fairly soon*

I'll just be the best me that I can be, I guess.  I would like to lose some  weight, though.  I'm tired of sighing whenever I see myself in the mirror...

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

It would be situations like this, provided armor like this ever gets inexpensive enough for common use, that will really force the issue of energy weapons for military applications.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I do the japslapping thing, work on KISS, work on another project with this other guy (another d10 RPG engine), read the Otherland series, write the techno-thriller genre GM stuff that will come with KISS, Lan and game whenever I can...y'know, stuff.

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

I sure hope so.  You know how hard it is to pull a wad of BS that big out of a tight sphincter like mine?

Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )