bits and ends - and also a proposal for cannon

[Westfalia Chris]

I understand that T&T initially might not have been designed with such a dimension in mind, but things are evolving, and besides, what would be the point of playing RCW without armoured trains or gaming them as pumped up tanks or AC?

Well, basically, Armoured trains of the period (and until the end of WW2) ARE nothing but "pumped-up tanks or AC"...

Seriously, I personally consider a fully-blown armoured train to strain the system to the max, especially if it sports multiple cannon/machine guns. Too much firepower in too compact a unit. You could, of course, allow the Red player a mined track and a squadron of Garfords (as was occasionally done) which would then bomb the train into submission. Boo-ya.

Armoured trains are absolutely lovely, but a pain to properly incorporate into a decent game that´s fun for all sides, unless you have him as a gun battery in a siege, or as a terrain piece for a raid. I love armoured vehicles to an extent that is downright creepy, but I never take more than two light or a single heavier vehicle to a game of T&T, and had the most fun with T&T games without combat vehicles at all (particularly the Dark Continent one).

Don´t get me wrong. There´s nothing wrong with drawing up ideas to make the game more enjoyable. I would, however, suggest you first try them out in a game or two, probably refine them, and then put them up for discussion, or for the benefit of other gamers to adopt as they see fit. I´m just a little bit worried you might be perceiving T&T less of a "storytelling/fun game with lots of space for impromptu tweaking" and more of a "bloody slugfest-compatible ruleset with some RPG thrown in that needs all details pinned down".

[former user]

no, You are wrong here 

exactly what You stated is what turned me away from rules like WH40K.
I never played any tournaments and always regarded my 40K army as something very alternative.
When I see these "apocalypse" set-ups, it makes me sick.
As You already pointed out, rulesets and points costs are for me too a means to balance a game, nothing more. I have played RPG for much longer then tabletop games, and the former without story and background gets me bored pretty quickly.

The last RPG I mastered involved not a single dice throw, apart from the improvised fighting at the show-down  . It was pure storytelling and everybody was content. No character sheets etc.

Wargame simulation is something else however, it involves some kind of "winning spirit", at least for some gamers  (I am so used to losing my 40K games... )

And I do not want to confront gamers who have to oppose armoured trains with a "battle titan" they can't fight. This is the reason why I will be gaming the train myself, in order to be able to scale it down during the game, if necessary (a possible frustration I don't want to confront another player with as well).
My idea so far is indeed that a side opposing an armoured train will get a sabotage team for free, with a sabotage table to choose from  (T&T "demolitioner" skill is exactly the right thing for this).

Concerning the playtesting before discussion, well I can tell You that Your very useful comments have already been taken into account and that they provide me with a "red line" to go along  .

A very detailed game report and discussion of the rule approach involved will follow after the game.

[Westfalia Chris]

I´m happy to hear that & don´t mind at all if I was wrong, and am indeed looking forward to seeing pics of a decent armoured train game.

The main thing I want to stress is: You do not need our approval to use house rules if your gaming group is happy with them. We do not wish to go into "condoning" rules (unless we choose to incorporate them in a publication) since that can seriously impact the way the game is perceived. I´ll admit, though, that some aspects might benefit from being discussed in more detail, and I´ll certainly look into it.

[former user]

of course I don't need approval
but it gives me some security

problem with house rules is that You can't use them with other players....
When we use house rules, it is usually only for one scenario, and they not always get general approval or are taken over for further use

When mastering a game, I like to give players maximum security (although this does not work always - and I am trying to improve  )
As a player. I usually care less about rules, all I want is fun...
twisted world...

well anyway, I am looking forward to Your colonial supplement - I need some more input on general ideas