Theatrics vs Human Perception, January 2010: Heavy Gear

[Shane]

As in times gone by, the gamer is oft called upon to display feats of great informedness. Shane, Dave, humbug and Liam instruct you on the specifics of Heavy Gear, complete with pre-packaged opinions for you to pretend to share. It's a bit like My Fair Lady, with particle cannons.

[Stonewolf]

I actually quite like third edition complexity.

[Liam]

It has it's merits. I do like the idea in general of separating your aptitude at a skill and the depth/breadth of your knowledge of it. It can really allow for the out of your league feel that you sometimes want when trying to do something that is way over your head. It can also mean that easier tasks are more likely to be done well since the player will be getting a bonus from their higher complexity. By my reckonin it's an attempt to get around the simple/complex skill problem of previous editions. In 1st ed the xp cost of a simple skill was the same as now 1 = 1, 2 = 4, 3 = 9, 4 = 16 etc etc. However if a skill was complex then it cost double the xp. Since pilot gear, gunnery gear, and many of the other skills you needed to be a pilot were complex this did hamstring you a bit. Some of the choices of what was simple and what was complex were also somewhat puzzling. Were the complexity rules expanded more (an errata with a table could work for this) then I think it could be great, as is now it's meh

[Shane]

The problem with it is that the book never explains what it's for, and it seems very inconsistent when you try to apply it similarly to all skills. What does a high complexity in Pilot (Air) mean, for example? Jumbo jets? Gliders? I learned this one from Paula Abdul?

All complexity in the book is is a concept, and it's a nice concept, but it's too hollow to count as rules. Almost any rules that there are to apply it in-game are home-brewed, I submit.

[Stu]

I noticed you failed to mention that shortly after that "character" fell below 5 emergency dice....he died

[Liam]

That's what happens when you sell out your cadre and your hemisphere!

[Stonewolf]

I will admit, there are some strange freaks with the 3rd ed system but on the whole I like it.

JPs Combat Sense rolls are the strangest instance of complexity I've encountered in pixies game. Initiative rolls are all complexity 1 so JP gets the best of 2d6 plus 2 for perception plus 1 for complexity 2 ...

[Stu]

That's what happens when you sell out your cadre and your hemisphere!

He was a patriot goddammit

[Liam]

Using the auld selling out your country to save it stick won't fly here!

[Arquinsiel]

Fuck you guys, Tera Nova sounds awesome with it's 36 hour day. I just need it to be a 38 hour day and I'm sorted.

The first game was Activision milking the Mechwarrior 2 engine for one more game and using Heavy Gear to do it with. The second was a hell of a lot more graphically impressive.

The internet also mentions a card game.

[Stu]

Using the auld selling out your country to save it stick won't fly here!

How was he to know his handler was a Northern Spy.

I'm confident he's going to get full Military Honour, he was a hero after all

[Shane]

He was a patriot goddammit

Wouldn't he have to actually have been born up there to count as a patriot?

[Stu]

He was a patriot goddammit

Wouldn't he have to actually have been born up there to count as a patriot?

Next Heavy Gear Session, I'm straping Dynamite to my chest and guess who I'm coming after!!!

[Stonewolf]

He was a patriot goddammit

Wouldn't he have to actually have been born up there to count as a patriot?

Next Heavy Gear Session, I'm straping Dynamite to my chest and guess who I'm coming after!!!

Surely you should be strapping dynamite to your Gears chest, otherwise you're sure to fail ...

[Liam]

Well he'd also have to have access to explosives which he doesn't ain't neither I nor supplies are likely to give him. Unless he has demolitions he'll also have a hard time rigging something up