Anyone interested...?

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Perceptor
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Anyone interested...?

Post by Perceptor »

...in working on an RPG / Combat system for TF's with me?

I've got the foundation of a relatively simple scomabt system for a TF-based RPG, uing only the info form the Tech-Specs card and a "size-factor."

Would be interested in bouncing ideas of someone and/or working with someone to flesh it out.
Test results of mock matchups thus far looks relatively promising.
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Re: Anyone interested...?

Post by Time Traveller »

Sure, I'm in!

I actually found a TF-RPG on the internet years ago, based more loosely on tech specs. It's around the complexity of D&D 3e, but needed a lot of cleaning up and polishing. I ran a campaign in college with Blackjack, Quicksilver, and Rattrap (and another non-TFL friend), but it only lasted one session. What've you got? I'm very interested.
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Perceptor
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Re: Anyone interested...?

Post by Perceptor »

OK... It's loosely based on the concept used by Mayfair on their DC Heroes game. If you're actually familiar with it, it's a big time
simplification - no Column Shifts, Last Ditch Defense, or Hero Points. If you're NOT, the basic idea is this:

Every (non-automatic) action has an Acting and Opposing value, used to determine the Die Roll, as well as an Effect Value and
a Resistance value use to determine the effect (or DAMAGE in the case of combat.)

So, what I'm coming up with for combat is this:

Your "to hit" number = 11 + Opponent's SKILL - Your SKILL
-or- If they're in ALT-mode, as appropriate, they could also use:
Your "to hit" number = 11 + Opponent's SPEED - Your SKILL

You'd roll a 2d10, rolling again (and adding together) for Doubles, and record the number you exceeded the roll by. (This is bonus damage!)

DAMAGE is either:
2 x your FIREPOWER - their ENDURANCE + BONUS (from the roll) for Guns, Missile, etc...
2 x your STRENGTH - their ENDURANCE + BONUS for Punches, Kicks, etc...
Your FIREPOWER + STRENGTH - their ENDURANCE + BONUS for Swords, Claws, etc...

That's the BASIC idea anyway. And that's how it would work for opponents of roughly the SAME SIZE.

Now it gets complicated:

SIZE FACTOR (0-10):
0 : Heads/Guns/Micro's
1 : Mini-cars, Cassettes
2 : Stunticons, Combaticons, Protectabots, Aerialbots (-except leaders), Constructions
3 : Autobot Cars, Seeker Jets, Predacons
4 : Leaders, Dinobots
5 : Gestalts (Combined forms)
6 : Bases (Omega Supreme, Trypticon, Metroplex)
7 : Fort-Max
8: ?
9 : ?
10: Unicron

Just a rough guideline. It plays into a couple of other things...

HIT POINTS (how much damage one can take before shutting down)
= ENDURANCEsquared + [SIZE x ENDURANCE]

Also - your "to hit" number is LOWERED when your attacking a LARGER target (easier to hit): Subtract the SIZE difference
from your required "to hit" roll. (No such bonus or penalty applies when attacking a SMALLER opponent.)

BUT - you'll do less damage: Subtract DOUBLE that amount from the damage inflicted. And the BIGGER guy? Gets to ADD
DOUBLE the difference to HIS damage!

So: if Bumblee punches Unicron, he'd get a +9 bonus to hit, but incur a -18 penalty to damage.
Thus, with STRENGTH
of 3, vs. Unciron's Endurance of (10?)? He would need to exceed the to hit by 22 just to dent him. Now, I have know idea where
to put Unicron's SKILL, but if it was a 10? Bee would need a 12, based on Skill, minus 9 for the size, so, "3" to make
contact, but a 25 to actually do ANY damage at all! (And the only way to GET a 25 on a 2d10 is to roll doubles.)

Finally INITIATIVE: Each Character's initiative is their INTELLIGENCE + SPEED + COURAGE + d10 (each
round)

Actions are then resolved
in the order of initiative, from highest to lowest. (GM's option: in the Mayfair game, actions had to be DECLARED in reverse
order, giving those with the higher initiatives a much better chance to act in a way that directly counteracts their opponents.)

Well, that's the basic structure, for Combat anyway. I drew up some characters (G1 exclusively) based on what I could read
from the Tech Spec cards. I'm not sure how all the various bonus skills and powers would work yet, but I figure to throw them
in and figure out the details later. here are the Autobots I've done:

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The big thing I'm missing, aside from fleshing out how the Bonus Skills and Powers would work, is adding some kind of
FUEL GAUGE that would need to be taken into account, or a least make them ineffective when it dropped to -0-.
Last edited by Perceptor on Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Anyone interested...?

Post by Roadbuster »

That's.....interesting.
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Re: Anyone interested...?

Post by Time Traveller »

That's certainly much more straightforward in terms of statistics and rolls than the system I used. It also includes 100% more "Catastrophic Rage", which is a plus. I'll have to take a while to see the forest through the trees, but I definitely think it's workable!

Would you be wanting to try this online, or is this for in-person meets?
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Re: Anyone interested...?

Post by Perceptor »

I haven't given much thought to running it AT ALL, truth be told. I wasn't sure if there would even be any interest. It was as much to satisfy my own curiosity about who might win certain head-to-head matchups, given an objective system to work with. Also, regarding "Catastrophic Rage" (LOL)...

I borrowed some of the drawbacks from the DC Heroes system as well:

Irrational attraction – when confronted with the object or situation, must roll the following or higher to resist it:
Minor – 5
Serious – 11
Catastrophic – 18

Same goes for Irrational Fears. If the character is to overcome their fear they must roll the following or higher:
Minor – 5
Serious – 11
Catastrophic – 18

Rage is treated a little bit differently. In DC heroes if you rolled a 2, 3 or 5 (or less) for Minor, Serious and Catastrophic accordingly, you went into a bezerk rage, and entered killing combat. (Which heroes are NEVER supposed to do, and for which the game has penalties.) In the TF context, the Rage would imply that they would continue to attack, be incapable to taking any other orders or actions, until the one enemy, or maybe ALL enemies were destroyed. Also open to suggestion on what ELSE might trigger the various levels of rage – maybe taking a certain amount of damage?

I’ll have to go back and look up the exact rule on Burnout.

There are also various maneuvers in combat - either trading damage for increased accuracy, or accuracy for increased damage - that could be worked in. Short verison: for every point of one you give up, you get double the amount of the other.
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