>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>GEV List Thingy, April 22nd<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< From: sjackson@... (Steve Jackson) Subject: Long time no hear. You alive? Tried the new BBS software at Illuminati? Got any more comments on the playtest questions posted, or any new version of the Remarkable Algorithm? ___ [So I went and looked and saw that he's switched to an Amiga (It MUST be a dead platform now! :) You too can see the 14.4 lights on your modem come to life at: (512) 447-4449, but if you haven't got one... -HJC] ___ [From ] Steve Jackson [To] All [Date ] Thu 25 Mar 93 21:11 [Subject ] Ogre questions and issues . . . Or, things I'm poring over at the moment. (1) Should LOS always be measured from the ground? The argument can be made, and has been, that LOS from a laser tower or an Ogre should be measured from the top of the tower, because units and terrain are both distored in the same 100-1 height ratio. Hmm . . . (2) All right, what SHOULD a GEV-PC be worth? We have wobbled back and forth between 6 and 3 points, and managed to get BOTH values into the rulebook. It all depends on what you think it's worth to be able to carry 3 infantry units. And that depends both on the scenario and on the intelligence of the player. (3) Does anybody have a clue what I was thinking about when I said "an attack on a structure destroys 2x its attack strength value in Structure Points"? Why didn't I halve SP values and just say "an attack on a structure destroys its value in Structure Points?" And now a helpful hint for Structure Points, whatever they are . . . When you set up the board, determine the SP value of each building in advance, write it on a sticker, and put it on the bottom of the building. Speeds reference, saves arguments, and gets your wash brighter than ever before. Where's Henry Cobb? Did an Ogre get him? Or perhaps the Thought Police? [From ] Doctor Z [To] Steve Jackson [Date ] Wed 31 Mar 93 19:17 [Subject ] Answer to #2... I think it should stay at 3...Infantry has been woefully underused in OGRE games I have played in the past, and really should be made more valuable. the GEV-PC is really one of the most interesting pieces, and should be encouraged into wider use. [From ] Steve Jackson [To] Doctor Z [Date ] Thu 1 Apr 93 13:38 [Subject ] GEV-PC valuation But is it good design practice to encourage their use by making them (too) cheap, or will that just lead to abuses the other way? [From ] Ben Kodiak [To] Steve Jackson [Date ] Fri 2 Apr 93 16:01 [Subject ] Re: GEV-PC valuation Good point, make you could lower the price of specialized infantry types as well in order to encourage more creative tactics. [From ] Stefan Jones [To] All [Date ] Fri 2 Apr 93 22:23 [Subject ] OGRE Artist on GEnie Where Are They Now Dept.: I ran into Winchell Chung, _Ogre_ artist, on GEnie. He's heavily into worldbuilding, and regrets selling the original _Ogre_ art for a flat rate instead of taking a royalty . . . SEJ [From ] Steve Jackson [To] Stefan Jones [Date ] Fri 2 Apr 93 22:48 [Subject ] Winchell Chung Heavily into what kind of worldbuilding? Is he still programming games? Ask him to get in touch with me, please! I'd love to get him to do some more Ogre pix . . . [From ] Doctor Z [To] Steve Jackson [Date ] Sun 4 Apr 93 12:22 [Subject ] Re: GEV-PC valuation Well, it wouldn't be good to make them TOO cheap, but I think the current balance is against infantry, and 3 would be a good number...2 would be ridiculous. [From ] Stefan Jones [To] All [Date ] Fri 9 Apr 93 21:10 [Subject ] Winchell RE: Getting in touch with Winch, sure. I would have assumed y'all were in touch already... Winchell mentioned building worlds & solar systems using custom programs on his Mac. From the formulea he's posted on GEnie's worldbuilding section he's pretty sophisticated. I've suggested he go to the CONTACT conference. Don't know what he's doing. I'll ask. ___ [What is the "value" of the GEV-PC?!? Sounds of the Cobb unit reaching for a calculator... -HJC] Henry J. Cobb hcobb@fly2.berkeley.edu SFB Tyrant 265 Fell, apt #506 SF, CA, 94102