tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post4630877979624640168..comments2023-10-16T07:47:36.179+11:00Comments on Eleven Foot Pole: Bonus Post: Rules As WrittenGreg Tannahillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-47101819057844621942009-05-16T17:08:00.000+10:002009-05-16T17:08:00.000+10:00Nix that; I got lighting running in MapTool today,...Nix that; I got lighting running in MapTool today, it's fine. <br />Still wouldn't touch it on a tabletop though.GregThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532920274312703426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-83776450500979970932009-05-16T10:14:00.000+10:002009-05-16T10:14:00.000+10:00I haven't yet managed to make lighting in MapTool ...I haven't yet managed to make lighting in MapTool work satisfactorily. Setting up the vision blockers seems to be still more effort than I get back by way of reward.Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-88657381795757007372009-05-16T01:39:00.000+10:002009-05-16T01:39:00.000+10:00Since my players are scattered all around the coun...Since my players are scattered all around the country, we've been using maptool, and the lighting system there has worked to great effect. Combined with the fog of war system it's very easy to send the players into a dark part of the dungeon and figure out exactly where they can or can't see. So good, in fact, that it prompted me to severely reduce the effective range of sunrods, because the lighting system actually matters now. As a side benefit it also makes it easy to determine line of sight/effect when there are corners/pillars involved.<br /><br />Depending on how complex you wanted to make your tabletop experience, you could always model the lighting system on a laptop and just match player token movement to what they're doing on the table. It's probably not worth it for every game, but hearing my players scramble in terror because they can't see the elite lurker that's sniping them has been fantastic.Fauxreignerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14356011415909132253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-20126849919500318972009-05-16T00:39:00.000+10:002009-05-16T00:39:00.000+10:00I fully agree on light for tabletop. However, my ...I fully agree on light for tabletop. However, my group has been enjoying using Maptool on a big screen TV as our "tabletop". We're going to be trying the light rules for the first time this weekend, and I'll be interested to see if the computer assistance makes them run smoothly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-44771752912927890372009-05-15T23:11:00.000+10:002009-05-15T23:11:00.000+10:00Tracking light is a pain. On a battlemap working ...Tracking light is a pain. On a battlemap working out which squares are in light and in which in shadow is disproportionately time-consuming compared to the slight increase in tactical complexity and atmosphere you get back (particularly with multiple light sources).<br /><br />When someone gives me an easy way to track lighting I'll use the rules.Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-88221786239707968222009-05-15T21:32:00.000+10:002009-05-15T21:32:00.000+10:00Just as an aside, what's your beef with the light ...Just as an aside, what's your beef with the light rules? I halve the ranges in my game, that's about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-23187218422728990262009-05-15T17:40:00.000+10:002009-05-15T17:40:00.000+10:00Yes, but homebrew only happens in computer games o...Yes, but homebrew only happens in computer games once you have an essentially solid game. You don't get out the door unless you already have a class A product. And mods are clearly delineated and relatively small in number.<br /><br />People need to make a decision about how a videogame is, as printed, before they engage with it on any deeper level. No one gets into modding a videoame without a thorough understanding of the experience the game offers straight out of the box.<br /><br />By contrast, it's not unusual to see people modding roleplaying games before they've ever tried the printed rules. You see it on the D&D forums all the time - "New to D&D, here's my homebrew Kalashtar".<br /><br />We can instinctively grasp that some ideas are bad - but because it's so easy to ignore them, to not engage with them, we never have the discussion about WHY they're bad, and we never end up with better rules.Greg Tannahillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00823898295759037081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991833568800031158.post-84221670983005094382009-05-15T17:26:00.000+10:002009-05-15T17:26:00.000+10:00There's plenty of homebrew in computer games. Game...There's plenty of homebrew in computer games. Games like Oblivion have thousands of modifications available that many players use to customise their experience and increase the replay value.<br /><br />Hell games like Counter-Strike and Defense of the Ancients are essentially home-brew. However I'm not sure if they count in this discussion as they are games in their own right.<br /><br />I think the major reason that homebrew in computer games is less frequent is because of the technical and time overhead involved in modding.<br /><br />I would say the major reason computer games are more advanced is because of the sheer magnitude of technical details that can be handled behind the scenes and end up seeming simple to the player. An example of this would be the auto-atttack and attack power mechanics in world of warcraft. That level of detail alone would slow a tabletop game down far too much, but on a computer it just happens.<br /><br />NickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com