Some minor tweaks to MEPBM 1650

mepbmlist
#1

This has probably been discussed many times, but here goes.

After playing MEPBM since the ealry 90's and then taking about a 4
year break until recently. I still find certain things bothersome.
Most of these are minor and should be easy to incorporate into the
game.

1)Riddles-Get some new riddles please. I really enjoyed in the old
days getting a new riddle and looking up info in my books to try and
figure it out. I would spend tons of time searching for the hard
ones, and I am sure I was the first to discover the answers to some
of them. The same damn riddles have been around for ever, and the
answers are widely available. I remember when GSI came out with a
riddle contest for new riddles. Having another contest would be a
great source for new material. Maybe give a free turn for the best
ten riddles. Of course you wouldn't post them, just let the winners
know.

2) Add some more hidden powers to artifacts, keep the same ones now,
but throw in 15-20 more hidden powers. Maybe even include 1 neutral
hide pop arty as a hidden power as well. These random 15-20 could
change each game. Jeez someone might use research artifact, think of
it.

3) Dragons. Please.......... A dragon in every army is a bit
ridiculous. Change up maybe half of the dragons respones for
recruitment every 10 games or so. This would put some risk back into
the dragon encounters. I don't want to hear anything about play
balance here either, back when no one knew the responses it was
balanced, now it is just plain unbalancing and stupid to boot. As
soon as a dragon shows up in a pop center, boom, send a character and
it's recruited. I usually play DS so it would reduce my sides
effectiveness somewhat, but it would bring the spirit of the game
back to what it was meant to be.

Anyway, lots of people have many suggestions. I just think these
would be relatively easy to implement and would add an exciting
element back into the game.

-Ned M

#2

After playing MEPBM since the ealry 90's and then taking about a 4
year break until recently. I still find certain things bothersome.
Most of these are minor and should be easy to incorporate into the
game.

1)Riddles-Get some new riddles please. I really enjoyed in the old
days getting a new riddle and looking up info in my books to try and
figure it out. I would spend tons of time searching for the hard
ones, and I am sure I was the first to discover the answers to some
of them. The same damn riddles have been around for ever, and the
answers are widely available. I remember when GSI came out with a
riddle contest for new riddles. Having another contest would be a
great source for new material. Maybe give a free turn for the best
ten riddles. Of course you wouldn't post them, just let the winners
know.

GSI won't change the riddles I am afraid.

2) Add some more hidden powers to artifacts, keep the same ones now,
but throw in 15-20 more hidden powers. Maybe even include 1 neutral
hide pop arty as a hidden power as well. These random 15-20 could
change each game. Jeez someone might use research artifact, think of
it.

Same again.

3) Dragons. Please.......... A dragon in every army is a bit
ridiculous. Change up maybe half of the dragons respones for
recruitment every 10 games or so. This would put some risk back into
the dragon encounters. I don't want to hear anything about play
balance here either, back when no one knew the responses it was
balanced, now it is just plain unbalancing and stupid to boot. As
soon as a dragon shows up in a pop center, boom, send a character and
it's recruited. I usually play DS so it would reduce my sides
effectiveness somewhat, but it would bring the spirit of the game
back to what it was meant to be.

And again.

Anyway, lots of people have many suggestions. I just think these
would be relatively easy to implement and would add an exciting
element back into the game.

I, personally, find the game reasonably exciting. When I want a more in
depth game (and some of the beauty of ME is the simplicity of it all but
hard strategic choices - it's basically a very good wargame with some bits
chucked on) I play other games.

Clint (player and GM)

#3

Couldn't we do a dragon tweak quite easily?
Just make a variant game (like the No Kill/Assassinate) where only a
few of the available dragons will be allowed to be recruited, and the
rest must be left alone.

This wouldn't require any work on Middel Earth Games part other than
stating: "Game XX is a Limited Dragon Recruitment game". It could be
1650 or 2950 with normal setups - all there has to be done ahead of
the game is a decision on which dragon to use and which to leave alone.

And to answer the "What if the dragon pops into my vharacter through
no fault of my own?" question, then I'd say you'll just have to try
getting away without recruiting the dragon. Sure that's more dangerous
than normal, but that was the idea I guess...

42!

--- In mepbmlist@y..., "Middle Earth PBM Games" <me@M...> wrote:

> 3) Dragons. Please.......... A dragon in every army is a bit
> ridiculous. Change up maybe half of the dragons respones for
> recruitment every 10 games or so. This would put some risk back into
> the dragon encounters. I don't want to hear anything about play
> balance here either, back when no one knew the responses it was
> balanced, now it is just plain unbalancing and stupid to boot. As
> soon as a dragon shows up in a pop center, boom, send a character and
> it's recruited. I usually play DS so it would reduce my sides
> effectiveness somewhat, but it would bring the spirit of the game
> back to what it was meant to be.

And again.
>
> Anyway, lots of people have many suggestions. I just think these
> would be relatively easy to implement and would add an exciting
> element back into the game.
>
I, personally, find the game reasonably exciting. When I want a more in
depth game (and some of the beauty of ME is the simplicity of it all but
hard strategic choices - it's basically a very good wargame with

some bits

···

chucked on) I play other games.

Clint (player and GM)

#4

OK:

Where I come from, providing a quality product means continually
improving upon the product to meet or exceed your customers needs. The
whole deal with the continual improvement process is continuing.

Yes the game is "reasonably" exciting. But with a few minor tweaks an
element of the game can be added back into the game that was suppossed
to be their in the first place.

Thanks,
Ned M

--- In mepbmlist@y..., "Middle Earth PBM Games" <me@M...> wrote:

> After playing MEPBM since the ealry 90's and then taking about a 4
> year break until recently. I still find certain things bothersome.
> Most of these are minor and should be easy to incorporate into the
> game.
>
> 1)Riddles-Get some new riddles please. I really enjoyed in the old
> days getting a new riddle and looking up info in my books to try

and

> figure it out. I would spend tons of time searching for the hard
> ones, and I am sure I was the first to discover the answers to

some

> of them. The same damn riddles have been around for ever, and the
> answers are widely available. I remember when GSI came out with a
> riddle contest for new riddles. Having another contest would be a
> great source for new material. Maybe give a free turn for the best
> ten riddles. Of course you wouldn't post them, just let the

winners

> know.

GSI won't change the riddles I am afraid.

>
> 2) Add some more hidden powers to artifacts, keep the same ones

now,

> but throw in 15-20 more hidden powers. Maybe even include 1

neutral

> hide pop arty as a hidden power as well. These random 15-20 could
> change each game. Jeez someone might use research artifact, think

of

> it.

Same again.
>
> 3) Dragons. Please.......... A dragon in every army is a bit
> ridiculous. Change up maybe half of the dragons respones for
> recruitment every 10 games or so. This would put some risk back

into

> the dragon encounters. I don't want to hear anything about play
> balance here either, back when no one knew the responses it was
> balanced, now it is just plain unbalancing and stupid to boot. As
> soon as a dragon shows up in a pop center, boom, send a character

and

> it's recruited. I usually play DS so it would reduce my sides
> effectiveness somewhat, but it would bring the spirit of the game
> back to what it was meant to be.

And again.
>
> Anyway, lots of people have many suggestions. I just think these
> would be relatively easy to implement and would add an exciting
> element back into the game.
>
I, personally, find the game reasonably exciting. When I want a

more in

depth game (and some of the beauty of ME is the simplicity of it all

but

hard strategic choices - it's basically a very good wargame with

some bits

···

chucked on) I play other games.

Clint (player and GM)

#5

GSI don't care, is my reckoning. They've got day jobs and aren't
interested in investing a lot of time in hacking this around which
they could be spending with their families or whatever. On the other
hand ME Games do seem to care which is why we have had more specials
happen in the last two years than in the rest of the previous ten put
together.

Unfortunately GSI have the power to change the program not ME Games
so we will have to live with the excellent game we already have and
whatever else Clint et al can extract from GSI. That said, there are
some arguements for arch-conservatism as we have avoided many of the
bad ideas (I am not including Ned's in those by the way!) which might
have been inflicted upon us as various 'popular' fashions for rules
changes have come and gone.

Off course, if I win the lottery.......

Chris Courtiour

--- In mepbmlist@y..., "Edward Merrick" <midwestmins@y...> wrote:

OK:

Where I come from, providing a quality product means continually
improving upon the product to meet or exceed your customers needs.

The

whole deal with the continual improvement process is continuing.

Yes the game is "reasonably" exciting. But with a few minor tweaks

an

element of the game can be added back into the game that was

suppossed

to be their in the first place.

Thanks,
Ned M

--- In mepbmlist@y..., "Middle Earth PBM Games" <me@M...> wrote:
>
>
> > After playing MEPBM since the ealry 90's and then taking about

a 4

> > year break until recently. I still find certain things

bothersome.

> > Most of these are minor and should be easy to incorporate into

the

> > game.
> >
> > 1)Riddles-Get some new riddles please. I really enjoyed in the

old

> > days getting a new riddle and looking up info in my books to

try

and
> > figure it out. I would spend tons of time searching for the hard
> > ones, and I am sure I was the first to discover the answers to
some
> > of them. The same damn riddles have been around for ever, and

the

> > answers are widely available. I remember when GSI came out with

a

> > riddle contest for new riddles. Having another contest would be

a

> > great source for new material. Maybe give a free turn for the

best

> > ten riddles. Of course you wouldn't post them, just let the
winners
> > know.
>
> GSI won't change the riddles I am afraid.
>
> >
> > 2) Add some more hidden powers to artifacts, keep the same ones
now,
> > but throw in 15-20 more hidden powers. Maybe even include 1
neutral
> > hide pop arty as a hidden power as well. These random 15-20

could

> > change each game. Jeez someone might use research artifact,

think

of
> > it.
>
> Same again.
> >
> > 3) Dragons. Please.......... A dragon in every army is a bit
> > ridiculous. Change up maybe half of the dragons respones for
> > recruitment every 10 games or so. This would put some risk back
into
> > the dragon encounters. I don't want to hear anything about play
> > balance here either, back when no one knew the responses it was
> > balanced, now it is just plain unbalancing and stupid to boot.

As

> > soon as a dragon shows up in a pop center, boom, send a

character

and
> > it's recruited. I usually play DS so it would reduce my sides
> > effectiveness somewhat, but it would bring the spirit of the

game

> > back to what it was meant to be.
>
> And again.
> >
> > Anyway, lots of people have many suggestions. I just think these
> > would be relatively easy to implement and would add an exciting
> > element back into the game.
> >
> I, personally, find the game reasonably exciting. When I want a
more in
> depth game (and some of the beauty of ME is the simplicity of it

all

···

but
> hard strategic choices - it's basically a very good wargame with
some bits
> chucked on) I play other games.
>
> Clint (player and GM)

#6

Harlequin are the license holder not the owner. See them as Acme Car Hire, not Rolls Royce. They can keep the cars running, but they can't do very much to improve them. If you feel strongly, why don't you badger GSI (link to their web page from mine below. Check out the MEPBM 2nd Edition while you're passing through). Who knows maybe you are the man to make them see sense.

Laurence G. Tilley

http://www.lgtilley.freeserve.co.uk

···

At 02:37 PM 15-11-01, Edward Merrick wrote:

Where I come from, providing a quality product means continually
improving upon the product to meet or exceed your customers needs. The
whole deal with the continual improvement process is continuing.