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From:
Abrams47
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Posted on:
4/30/2004 1:45 pm
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To:
ALL
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Just got Friends of the Dragon and the only problem I see with it is, I WANT more! Actually real question is what do people prefer in terms of content? i usually like big thick hardcover Folios and am willing ot pay more for them, these skinny 72 page things I do not comprehend well, but still good stuff in there.
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From:
Bob the Dancing Monkey
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Posted on:
4/30/2004 2:07 pm
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To:
Abrams47
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Personally, I prefer the small ones, particularly for players. Having a player shell out for a 128 page Splat book is tricky; an occasional Big-Ass release isn't too bad, though. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of FotD soon. So, what's in the supplement? Give us an idea.
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From:
Abrams47
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Posted on:
4/30/2004 2:27 pm
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To:
Bob the Dancing Monkey
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Well, in Friends of the Dragon are 1.ALOT OF SCHTICKS you can never have too many schticks, and I mean not only the group schtick but a few type schticks as well as Sync (as in Syndicate or organization) schticks. 2. ALOT OF CONCEPTS Alot of extra ideas for groups to work with or against. Everythign fro mthe Cops, to the "Scooby" gang. 3. ONE NEW ARCHETYPE I really was expecting more archetypes, but hey there is one thats intrigueing.
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From:
Sensei
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Posted on:
4/30/2004 8:34 pm
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To:
Abrams47
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>> what do people prefer in terms of content? i usually like hardcover Folios. I don't mind the smaller paperbacks, like the faction source books, as supplemental material. I prefer hardcover for my main rules compendiums though. (I think a good game book should hold up under serious yearly use.) >> "Personally, I prefer the small ones, particularly for players." In our group, my players don't use books. Naturally, anything I want them to know from the published material, I tell them, but they don't need to have an entire sourcebook full of info literally at their fingertips. Obviously this approach wouldn't work for every group, but my guys/gals are happy keeping the vast majority of the Secret War secret, and they don't even bother reading supplements. It's all GM stuff, as far as we see it. As far as book content, I like generic information, such as descriptions for weapons, fight rules, archetypes, schticks, technology, vehicles, feng shui site powers, that sort of thing. I hate myriad NPC write-ups, especially with a lot of background material. The main guys are fine; sure, lemme know what Bonengal, Kar Fai, and The Prof look like stat-wise, but it's way too easy to design NPCs in the Feng Shui system to take up my valuable rule book pages with extensive descriptions of nobodies. Huh. I didn't even realize FotD was out yet. Mmmm... as with the Iron & Silk supplement, I'm hesitant to buy this because it doesn't sound like the sort of thing I was interested in. (Group schticks?... naaah. I'll pass.) And only one archetype?? Oh, well. Guess there's not too many more of them you can come up with at this point. But if there's more to it, like some useful personal schticks, maybe I'll check it out. Is there any new equipment, or new game rules of any sort?
Edited 5/1/2004 1:35 pm ET by Sensei (Sensei22)
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From:
John Nephew
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Posted on:
5/5/2004 10:24 pm
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To:
Sensei
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We're hoping FOTD is a book more players will want to own, since it's full of player-oriented material -- crunch for characters, and how to create groups that are effectively characters themselves. For an independent view of the book, there's a review this week on RPG.net that you might check out: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10280.phtml -- it provides a pretty good overview of the content. I think there may be a review up on Pyramid already as well (but I don't have the link, sorry).
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From:
prophet118
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Posted on:
5/6/2004 10:04 am
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To:
John Nephew
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arent they the one that should be relabeled "Cannon Fodder"?
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From:
Bob the Dancing Monkey
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Posted on:
5/6/2004 10:36 am
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To:
John Nephew
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Just bought it last night. I've skimmed it heavily, and a lot of things pop out. First of all, the concept for the book is a pretty good one. I can't help but see this as a GM book. Granted, it's one that players _could_ buy because it speaks so little about the Secret War itself. And it has some brilliant new schticks for certain Archetypes. However, I saw nothing in it but sweet, sweet mines of new ideas to stick into my on-going campaign. The Sentai Show premise is insane, and one that I think one of my players in my group who's been itching to do a one-shot will probably use. Who's the Battle of the Planets fiend, Will or Keith? I like the idea of the on-going 'show' FotD brings up rather than the action film, as it fits a bit more closely what's happening in my long-running game. The talk on themes to be used throughout is really pretty helpful, as I tend to want more than 'This group is good; that group is bad. Now go fight.' in my games. As soon as my players get the gist of the group schticks, they are going to be tossing _massive_ amounts of XP into the group pot. They've got an HQ, a Van, and a Secret Hideout in all but name, and they will surely want the mechanics benefits of these places. I think they'll like the "Don't You Die On Me", "Johnny, NO!", and "Like a Well-Oiled Machine" schticks as well. All of these ideas have already been used in some way by the group in any case, and canonizing the rules for these situations will fill some of my players with glee. I can completely seeing my group's martial artists and magic-wielders going nuts for the combined schtick stuff. Quick question on the 'two-fighters/one martial arts attack' rule; do they combine their AV by simple addition for this attack? How was it play-tested? We already have an NPC Action Family (the venerable Ai family, which holds the long-standing trans-Temporal Dragon site in Texas, the House on the Hill). The book's going to help a bit running that group quite a bit. The one disappointment thus far is on the question of mooks. I was sort of hoping that the new NPC Mook Ally rules might have some suggestions along with it on streamlining combat in major combat zones where you have a massive faction vs faction fight. C'est la vie. And thanks for adding the random crunchy bit for the Spy and the Cop. We've one of each in the group, and the 'Impossible' schtick and 'Cuff-Fu' will be snapped up quickly by these two.
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From:
Queex
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Posted on:
5/7/2004 6:08 am
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To:
Bob the Dancing Monkey
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What he said. I love the ideas it generates. While my campaign is fairly secret war heavy and none of the given groups really tally, it gives plenty of ideas. Plus, it doesn't matter if some of the group schticks seem unbalanced because they apply to the whole group- and GM can pitch things to keep games interesting. I do have concerns about a party with a Neural Stimulator and Like a Well Oiled Machine. Arcanowave character burns all 8 magic points and a fortune point on his Arcanowave roll, average result 24, all party members start on shot 24... Ick. Some of the group schticks look rather similar to ones I brewed when I was working on a high fantasy conversion of Feng. As I was reading I wished I'd had it at the start of my current campaign, and that has to be a good sign. Much of material can be transferred to other cinematic systems, too.
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From:
IronJester76
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Posted on:
5/14/2004 9:31 am
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To:
Queex
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Not seen the book yet (or Iron & Silk - Cursed English roleplay stores!)but it sounds appealing. I hesitate to offer my group more hard-hitting schticks (they are pretty damn tough already) and they role-played their justification of their allies, hangers-on, secret hide-out, etc. Still, the harder they get, the harder i can make the bad guys to 'maintain an element of challenge'. ie, i can finally justify the PC's dragons Vs a Guyver unit.
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From:
IronJester76
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Posted on:
5/17/2004 9:56 am
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To:
IronJester76
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Picked up Friends of the Dragon this weekend from my local RPG store and also ordered the 'missing' books from my FS collection (Blood of the valiant, Gorilla warfare and Iron & Silk) so i'm gonna have a glut of new stuff all at once. Deep joy. Still, while FOTD is fun it's not the best supplement i've bought for the game. I liked a lot of the ideas, and i really think that some of the group sthicks are great (they completely justify the menace factor of minions by being able to call for back-up or THE BIG GUNS!), but it does seem like an idea that could have filled a couple of great chapters in a larger book. Instead, as a book in it's own rights it is a little anorexic. Its great that new material is being made for a game that i thought died a few years ago, especially as we've also had some good new action movies too(Kill Bill, Once upon a time in Mexico). Its just that maybe i want a couple of hundred pages of resources, archetypes, shticks, etc. more than i wanted ideas on my PC's being the Scooby gang or A-team. You can't please everybody.
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From:
CCAMFIELD
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Posted on:
5/17/2004 4:08 pm
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To:
IronJester76
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How exactly do these group schticks get purchased? Do all PCs pay a certain small amount of XP, or does one PC purchase the schtick for the group?
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From:
IronJester76
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Posted on:
5/18/2004 4:20 am
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To:
CCAMFIELD
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Well, i don't have the book with me, but as i remember the group (when you play as a 'styled' group, not just as the players) earn EXP per session equivalent to the average EXP awarded to the players. This group EXP can be used to buy group shticks at a cost of 8+X (X= numbers of group shticks you will have with new one). Individual PC's can also just donate an amount of their own EXP at any time to bolster the group pool. Group expenditures have to be unanimously agreed. In addition to the group shticks there are sync shticks for sale. These are purchased by individuals at 8+X again, and these tend to give an effect for each player that has them, ie 'Back to back' gives AV bonuses for each PC with the shtick who fights in close proximity (so 3 guys watching each others backs is obviously better than 2, etc). I DO really like some of the ideas in the book. They are superb for the style of game that FS is. Its very tempting to just allow my PC's to start earning group EXP and spending it, BUT i think that some shticks have to be restricted ('Big Guns' being called in by PC's? No!) and some should be used with caution. I can just see my hard bitten Dragons, gun-slinging sword-slashing badasses that they are, with their new companion Pooky the Monkey!
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From:
Hindmarch
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Posted on:
5/18/2004 11:53 am
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To:
Bob the Dancing Monkey
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Hi again, Whoops. Sorry I missed this question earlier; I've been wrapped up in Blowing Up Hong Kong and lots of other things. Keith is the Battle of the Planets fan. I'm the Johnny Quest fan. To my knowledge, neither of us is a Scooby Doo fan, but that is the rosetta stone for action family antics, isn't it? word, Will Feng Shui Atlas
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From:
dsprag
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Posted on:
5/27/2004 10:33 pm
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To:
Hindmarch
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I just picked up FotD today, and I like it alot. One thing though, would it be possible for you guys to post the group sheet as a pdf in the Feng Shui downloads section? Dan
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From:
Hindmarch
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Posted on:
5/28/2004 9:47 am
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To:
dsprag
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Hi there, The Group Sheet is now available for download on the Feng Shui downloads page (www.atlas-games.com/fengshui/fsdloads.html) and on the Friends of the Dragon product page (www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG4012.html). For a limited time, the link will be on the Dispatches, too. I have another web enhancement coming, yet, for Friends of the Dragon. Hopefully I'll get that onto the site next week, between other projects. :-) word, Will Atlas
Edited 5/28/2004 11:28 am ET by Hindmarch
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From:
Sensei
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Posted on:
5/29/2004 12:08 pm
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To:
Hindmarch
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Hey, Will. Just in case we haven't said it lately, I'm sure everyone here appreciates the work and effort you put into the game, and the fact that you take time to respond to issues here on the forum. It's great when someone directly involved in a company puts forth a constant effort to be in touch with the customers. A sincere 'thank you' to you.
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From:
IronJester76
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Posted on:
6/11/2004 8:40 am
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To:
Hindmarch
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Not posted for days as i've been organising my wife's 30th Birthday celebrations (No, i didn't get to run a game for her either) but i've got to agree with Sensei. It's great that someone (anyone in fact) involved on the writing side will answer our questions. Well done to you. One question tho, what's next?
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From:
Tiffany
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Posted on:
6/13/2004 3:55 pm
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To:
IronJester76
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I'd like to see a book that had weapon feats in it. Not just gun schticks ported over but weapon fu-paths...there are a few. Like path of the flying steel and the few sword fu schticks in the main book. But after watching movies like Hero and the duel, there is definitely stuff lacking in this area. Also the CCG has a new faction...how about them. Perhaps opening some new junctures. 20s? WWII? 70s? Just thoughts,
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From:
IronJester76
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Posted on:
6/15/2004 9:22 am
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To:
Tiffany
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I agree. Not everybody who's deadly has to have spiritual kung-fu for an excuse. I must admit that i just ported over gun schticks and borrowed whatever was on the net to flesh out weapons users (including one of my PC's - he was playing a martial artist but was very particular to be a hard-bitten dirty brawler, not a saffron-clad fu-powered wong-fei-hung-alike). I also liked the idea of new junctures (maybe only one). I have played around with an idea in my head for a possible juncture for a while - 1969 but with friendly aliens having landed at Roswell in the 50's and decided to stay and colonise. The ideas are rife to steal - Men in Black, blaxploitation flicks like shaft and superfly, Veitnam films. Its really all motivated by a desire to create an alien afro-wearing pimp. Sad boy that i am.
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From:
dsprag
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Posted on:
6/18/2004 3:10 pm
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To:
Hindmarch
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Just wondering when/if you Atlas folks are planning on posting that web enhancement for FotD. If it's been pushed to the back-burner for awhile, that's cool. I'm just keen to know what this mystery pdf is. Dan
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From:
John Nephew
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Posted on:
6/18/2004 5:22 pm
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To:
dsprag
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It may be on the back burner until Origins. Will is the man in charge of it, and he's out of the office today (and out of town in fact), and only in the office one day next week before heading off to Columbus...
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From:
Hindmarch
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Posted on:
6/21/2004 9:49 am
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To:
John Nephew
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Hi all, As usual, John is correct. I'll get the "Friends of the Dragon" bonus chapter online after I get "Blowing Up Hong Kong" laid out and off to the printer. That book's complex layout is going to require all of my Feng Shui manpower for a while, which is both good (for the book) and bad (for the web enhancement). Sorry for the delay. Cheers, Will Atlas
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