Black Ops news?

[GuyB]

A question was asked on how random card activation makes the game more tactical. It does because you have to allow for the random sequence and plan accordingly. Can you sneak across the square or will that guard turn and see you? IGO UGO made the game too predictable. You can of course play it as an IGO UGO game and abandon the cards, but I suspect you'll come to the same conclusions I did...

How High tech? 5 minutes from now. Drones weren't included as they aren't exactly stealth weapons! Rules could be made up for them though...

Guy

[dijit]

Just ordered my copy today. Looking forwards to getting hold of it.

[Elk101]

I'd agree that the random card activation removes the predictability of the turn sequence making planning your moves more important. The two activations a turn helps with this too.

[Dalcor]

Tech Level: Tom Clancy's Ghost Warrior Future Soldier, Rainbox Six or Phantoms, or Jerry Pournelles Falkenberg Saga.
No tech level for Mass Effect, Infinity, Shadowrun, 40k. But rules could be easily modified, or you can move the actualy setting and make it futuristic and rewrite the actual keywords. Like Heavy Armor will be Power Armor, Light Armor will be Light Suit etc. Actualy the game is not sci-fi.

I dont realy like random activation overall. Where is the "tactic" aspect if it is ruined by randomness? As GuyB pointed out - in every movie, the sentry ALWAYS look by sheer luck your way when least needed. And every battle plan does not outlive contact with the enemy... But thats personal taste of everyone - for me - thats weird for tactics game. I played Skirmish Sangin today and enjoyed its activation sequence very much. I dont think the game was predictable. Anyway its very hard to tell its bad or good if i dont play a game myself yet.

Also I realy dont like the thing that I have to carry deck of cards (or any other mandatory preps, like that huge amount of tokens for Skirmish Sangin.

The randomness level is very limited in this game thanks to the system - and that does not look that bad.

Each type of soldier is assigned to a card (Leader Ace, Heavy King etc) and your side is using all red or black color cards of the type (2 Aces, 2 kings). If figure is drawn, all your models assigned to the type of card has one activation. So it means you have two activation per game round (activation deck is fully drawn). With extra activation for leader thanks to Joker - leader could order soldier within 6inh instead.
Or you can keep your soldiers in reserve when they activate on trigger (usualy model entering los to shoot on, or SAS team to simultaneously enter the building).
So thats not that bad I was originaly afraid of, and I realy want it to test it.

As I realy want to play Infinity and Mass Effect in these rules, I have to look how to modify... After some games to get through the overall design options not to disballance it.

[GuyB]

I can see it working for Scifi pretty well. I'd be interested to see what you come up with. Personal shields a la Mass Effect sound cool.

I'm a big fan of Cyberpunk, so will probably work some tweaks in for near future games. I'm also considering an article on 'Enemy Unknown' UFO style games and have some ideas for post apocalypse/zombie type games.

Guy

https://www.facebook.com/OspreyBlackOps

[Dalcor]

Well, I dont thing that there is huge need for any tweaking for sci-fi games - only renaming some items, armors and weapons - like Dragon Rampant, Samurai Rampant, Dark Age Rampant... just renaming the troop types and skill types you have a whole new game. So same it should be with renaming some of the basic data and you are from near future in Clone Wars.


But the Mass Effect / Star Wars "magic like" effects should be interested as add-on. But first I have to study the rules...

[YPU]

How High tech? 5 minutes from now. Drones weren't included as they aren't exactly stealth weapons! Rules could be made up for them though...

I was thinking of micro-drones. You know tiny flying cameras for scouting a area, or grenades that roll themselves around corners. Stuff we can actually make today but aren't in use as far as we know. (but is hyped in discovery docu's and the like)

[sundayhero]

Micro drones are already in use, I've seen photos in "RAID" french military magazine, talking about french special forces gear, already using little wheeled drones (a bit like RC buggies) or some kind of "flying saucer" with propellers, althought these are used for coms and intel, not to carry weapons. 

Concerning scifi settings for Black ops, personnaly I bought the 3rd edition Shadowrun RPG book, to use it as a source book to "house rule" anything I would need for this particular setup.

[The_Baron]

Well that was quick - my rules just arrived in Australia from book depository! First glance is a really well presented set of rules with nice photos. The possibilities of the rules from a quick flick are really exciting too!

Hey GuyB,  where is the awesome ship terrain from, and have you got any more photos? So cool

[MrHarold]

Got my rulebook (then ordered another for my buddy and the kindle edition too!)

I really like them! I'll probably add some more near-future sci-fi equipment and capabilities but i'm working on a Quick Reference Sheet at the moment.

Also, two quick rule questions:

Blinds, can I activate them or do the miniatures represented by the blinds just exist in that space until revealed? How many figures can be represented by one blind?

The Special Forces entry mentions air support, what does that refer to? Also, for HELO/HALO insertion can I only insert in the middle? Any thoughts on Helicopters/VTOLs as controllable vehicles?

[soulman]

Hi GuyB...Well done of a lovely rule set and the book looks lovely, sweet art inside. I`m on my second read though and must say the best modern rules i have read for my own tastes. They work great for something like "Ghost recon wildlands" and "The division" too..rules for civs will work great.

Quick question for today....Medic Rule ( If used ) lay "dead" figure face up, then at end of each turn you check to see who`s facing up, and then you just flip them face down to let people know they are badly wounded. Then when somebody wishes to check there wounds its a 5+/3+ and success means roll of Wound table ?

I think I got that right... If so, if you fail your Medic test, can you try again and anytime, or maybe remove figure to say you cannot try again he`s too far gone..?

Anyway a great ruleset, the best I have read, I look forward to using them, and with Battle systems next year, you rules will be a key player with them. I know Reviews will give you a thumbs up.. So all I need know is some simple drone rules, for large off today ones, to mini ones my Ghost ca use..

Thanks B

[GuyB]

Hi GuyB...Well done of a lovely rule set and the book looks lovely, sweet art inside. I`m on my second read though and must say the best modern rules i have read for my own tastes. They work great for something like "Ghost recon wildlands" and "The division" too..rules for civs will work great.

Glad you like them.

Quick question for today....Medic Rule ( If used ) lay "dead" figure face up, then at end of each turn you check to see who`s facing up, and then you just flip them face down to let people know they are badly wounded. Then when somebody wishes to check there wounds its a 5+/3+ and success means roll of Wound table ?

I'm happy for people to keep trying to stabilise a fallen comrade. They are after all 'wasting' activations to try...

I think I got that right... If so, if you fail your Medic test, can you try again and anytime, or maybe remove figure to say you cannot try again he`s too far gone..?

They can keep trying.

Anyway a great ruleset, the best I have read, I look forward to using them, and with Battle systems next year, you rules will be a key player with them. I know Reviews will give you a thumbs up.. So all I need know is some simple drone rules, for large off today ones, to mini ones my Ghost ca use...

Well you could say the drones are there already. Players have after all a 'godlike' perspective on the board.
I'll consider rules for Helios and drones but they will be noisy!

Guy

[soulman]

Hi B..hope your feeling better after your flu......Fingers crossed listening to people buying your rules and enjoying them will be the best medicine. Speaking of small drones, I guess they help check out blinds and spot hidden for your team... time to dig the rules out again... Be well

[Pijlie]

I enjoyed reading them tremendously and am looking forward to my first game. This might well be at Crisis, since my calendar is lamentably crowded until then.

[leonmallett]

How high tech does this game go?

Mildly, with a small array of bits and bobs, mainly stealth related.

Somebody mentioned wanting to try and use it for shadowrun, I'm curious if things like mini-drones are included.

No specific dtone rules on my first glance through, but brief rules for Air Strike and SIGINT could proxy what you want from drones.