On 4 Feb 2018 23:00, "Caleuche" <xxxxxx@sudnadja.com> wrote:

That helps. This kind of thing helps me discover items that everyone takes for granted as available but that I don't know about: what are the "Keith brother's environment supplements"?

Evyn has answered that as well, if not better, than I could, so I won't repeat.

Playable usability can be a problem, even with computer support - either the players will want to do something that you didn't build into your model and gameplay has to break while you research the problem, or there is a fault in the model which gets discovered later in gameplay and needs to be corrected and possibly retroactively applied to prior gameplay. This usually isn't a problem in long, drawn out play-by-chat-and-email but it would be extremely inconvenient in a in-person 4 hour gaming session.

I don't disagree, but play testing rules in game should iron out most wrinkles. The few 'rules' I've added to things have generally needed a tweak or two from when I've come up with them to when I've run 'simulations' before play and even post contact with players.

By simulations, I'm a bear of little brain, so I don't mean computer modelling. Unfortunately. I just mean rolling some dice with sample NPCs, trying to make PC like decisions and see what happens. Over and over so I get a sense of probabilities. (For example the nudity rules at back of ItU as I knew *players* would have no problem saying their PCs were stripping off, but in real life it can greatly affected by culture and onesl's body image).

I liked components of your adventure with Blue Sky in it because the players were encouraged to describe their clothing. The environment should influence character activity - when it's really hot you will see soldiers in undisciplined units discarding armor components simply because it is so uncomfortable, or when it is very cold movement can be limited and there can be danger of frostbite and so on, and this should also influence what the characters will want to wear and carry (and consequently how armed and armored they are). This sort of thing doesn't seem to be often reflected in gameplay but the effect can be dramatic in real life, and I think those elements are an extension of that.

Thank you. That's exactly why I put it in and held the players to it. IMO a lot of Traveller games miss the opportunities this kind of thing. Not just for being mean about what equipment they (don't) have and so on, but also for role playing.

I make a thing of it in Second Scions' Society as well for the dilettante nobles. Not so much, on this occasion, to limit equipment - though it's useful to know it they are wearing their foils - but to judge reactions of others. And again help role playing.

For example if they are appearing formally before the local Count and/or his social function and NOT wearing correct fashion it will affect how they are received perhaps or at least how they are perceived. With potential loss of SOC.

Or conversely, when they went down to the Lower Park and met the prostitutes they were continually being accosted beforehand by beggars in this low rent area because they'd completely failed to dress down (adequately) for the occasion. (They thought they had, but were off by a country mile for where they ended up.)

Currently, in The Traveller Adventure, with the players on the ground in Wolf at the Door, they've picked up and are wearing cold weather gear which may well be useful if/when a cold front moves over just before or during nightfall in the forest, but before that is a rather warm day of late 'second summer' to get through with hiking and, urh, activity (I didn't say combat, did I?) which should mean more for them to carry (or cast aside and then get cold later).

A while back, the very first game for my lunchtime players, they were dumped in the desert by baddies so I'd made a point of making very sure I knew what they were wearing the night before their abduction.

One upside of this is that the players have become very partial to a) shopping for the exact item of clothing they need - eg for the dinner in Two Days on Carsten - and b) very attached to certain items of clothing, eg Gvoudzon's garish waistcoats or Lily's natty cape.

Of course it's best to make a habit of checking on clothing even when you don't care, or the PCs get wise to it suddenly being important. Hence the reminders to myself but which remain in the text of Into the Unknown to ask at various points, such as on the Spartan Wainwright in Jump when its not important. (My apologies to those for whom that point of refereeing is obvious!)

As a complete aside, I carried a fair bit of additional weight over my limit when I travelled to Nigeria for an year by stuffing the pockets of a big parka with small but heavy items. Fine till I hit the wall of heat stepping off the plane in Kano! (Though I knew that would be the deal, knew it was only for a short time through customs and knew it would worthwhile to have the stuff!)