*shrug* Let's just kill the fuckers, it's getting cold.

Gatac

Quote:

Quote: from Dieter on 7:47 am on July 7, 2004
Ok, so the plan for "Operation: Early Retirement" is to procure a van/truck, aim it for the villa's gate then everyone starts shooting?

That's my proposal.

Quote:

Quote: from Gatac on 8:48 am on July 7, 2004
Ivan: SFA hate? How come?

Gatac

SFA is one of a long line of AEG's setting ADD. With both Spycraft and 7th Sea, they take a great setting, then encumber it with genre fringe elements. For example, sidhe tech in 7th Sea was massively powerful...and totally out of character for a swashbuckling game. Same with SFA. I'd be totally cool with a "Spycraft: Psy Ops" book...hell, I'd probably buy it. But to make the official, supported setting, which lots of gamers will use because they like pre-prepared material, something that dwells at the fringe of the espionage-action genre, rather than a more quintessential setting, disappointed me.

Basically, from AEG I have always wanted, and gotten, outstanding genre-emulation games. Whenever they try to get creative, I get disappointed.

Honestly, I don't care too much for the storyline either, but there's tons of mechanics, NPCs and gear you can use. A more Spy-ish setting would be nice, yes, but on the other hand, there's so many different elements SFA ties up, I wonder whether anyone could have done better. There's chemical monster, mythics, psionics, sci-tech gadgets...any of those would push a spy campaign to the fringe, and SFA has to accomodate them all. In light of this, I think it might be argued that SFA should have scaled down a bit and focussed on something, but then you wouldn't have such a wide choice of stuff you can use.

That said, yes, I would have preferred a "normal" main campaign setting, too. But you can't have a campaign that has spy and psion, then spy and mythics, spy and gadgets....that would have been a nightmare to support. So instead they made a big campaign and threw everything at it, and you pick and choose what you want. Atleast, that's how I see it.

Gatac

That's how they intended it, too. I got to meet and greet for a few hours with Patric Kapera, whose name you might recognize from the front of your Spycraft Espionage Handbook. SFA is designed to incorporate just about every sort of modern espionage or military genre, as well as psi and magic. Faction books are there for a reason. If you want to run a techno-thriller campaign, you run an Archer Foundation/The Shop campaign. If you want a ninjas and kung fu campaign, you run one based in the Pan-Asian Collective. Bond-style? The African Alliance. And, in the man's own words, The Corporation is there for playing GI Joe.

Don't like those wacky psionics? Well, that's why you run African Alliance.

Call me cheap, but I'm still running my game mostly off the rules from Spycraft Lite.

I only have the SEH, MAG, and the Soldier/Wheelman Guide. I'd probably have the other books if I was actually a player, but you really don't need them if you're running your basic espionage game. Hell, most of the time I just wing it.

Oh...in that case...did you know that there's a new rule in Agency that says that cute Facewomen must never, never be allowed to die?

Really, I'm a Spycraft junkie. Gracing my bookshelf is

The SEH
All three class guides (Soldier/Wheelman, Fixer/Pointman, Snoop/Faceman)
The MAG
Agency (twice, in fact, due to a little order mixup - I'm planning to give one away, any candidates?)
The SFA Worldbook
Pan Asian Collective
The Shop

And I intend to go much further down the SFA line while there's still stock of it. On the other hand, the purchase of Mastermind, US Militaries and World Militaries are planned, I'm hunting for the 60s Decade book, and I guess I could get Most Wanted and Gentleman's Agreement if I really, really need the fix.

I also have a printout of the errata. Does come in handy every once in a while.

Gatac

Quote:

Quote: from Gatac on 3:03 pm on July 8, 2004
Jess disables the radio in annoyance, then spies the chopper hovering over the frozen wasteland. At once, she reaches for the stashed Beretta, but neglects to put away the Makarov beforehand; as a result, she finds the Russian gun in herleft hand struggling to somehow make it's way into a pocket while her right hand already steadies on the 92F. Perplexed at her lack of proper coordination, she holds up both guns, her eyes darting from one hand to another while a smile slowly spreads over her face.

Oh, come on. It can't be THAT hard, right?

Still hefting both pistols, she begins to make her way back to Elena.

...and that officially makes this a John Woo movie. :cheesy:

One action point to Jess.

Quote:

Quote: from Infested Paladin on 6:31 am on July 8, 2004
That's how they intended it, too. I got to meet and greet for a few hours with Patric Kapera, whose name you might recognize from the front of your Spycraft Espionage Handbook. SFA is designed to incorporate just about every sort of modern espionage or military genre, as well as psi and magic. Faction books are there for a reason. If you want to run a techno-thriller campaign, you run an Archer Foundation/The Shop campaign. If you want a ninjas and kung fu campaign, you run one based in the Pan-Asian Collective. Bond-style? The African Alliance. And, in the man's own words, The Corporation is there for playing GI Joe.

Don't like those wacky psionics? Well, that's why you run African Alliance.

Here's my theory: AEG shouldn't make campaign settings. For 7th Sea and Spycraft, I want a toolkit. Not NPCS and the like...I want to watch say, Spygame or Boondock Saints, and say "That's what I want to run...". WW did it with Vampire, managing a diverse line, and I understand the reasoning behind AEG's decisions with its "canon" campaigns.

I'd just prefer they leave the cumbersome junk at home, and not make me wade through it. I want techno stuff, I'll buy the book. I want psy, I'll buy the book.

On the other hand, I ran into SFA for Spycraft, and the Sidhe stuff for 7th Sea...and never bought another book.

So you'd rather have fewer books, without the campaign but all the crunchy bits? I dunno about that, really...it seems most people need atleast some fluff to first get the avalanche rolling. (After all, the ploy of the stolen rocket fuel is straight out of the SEH, and look where we are now.) Though I guess you really could have axed the SFA storyline, since the SEH has a few nice examples, but even if it's fluff, I thought it was nice fluff.

Ah well, SFA is dead anyway. Perhaps you'll like Dark Inheritance better - it may not be the "official" campaign setting any more, but it sets out to do pretty much what SFA did (all the fringe stuff).

Gatac

Um...BOOM, or something.

Where is everyone when the truck explodes?

Following up behind it, to the left, with the closest thing I can find to a SMG.

My pistol if need be.

You've got your pistol and sniper rifle...then again, those guards probably have some firepower of their own.

I'd assumed we'd be following in the mustang. If that's not viable, then I was at the tree from earlier.

Opposite Brian, guns akimbo. Were there any guns in the Mercedes, like an SMG for our sniper friend?

Maybe Jess can fire one-handed until one's dry, then pull a border shift? That is, juggle the guns. It's a Western gunslinger's trick.

In that case, pistol out until I can liberate some more firepower.

Have you taken a look at Jessica's Dexterity lately?

Gatac

Quote:

Quote: from Gatac on 10:36 am on July 10, 2004
Have you taken a look at Jessica's Dexterity lately?

Gatac

Sure, that's only a 10, but she also has 4 ranks in Sleight of Hand.

4 frequently overlooked ranks in Sleight of Hand, if I dare say so.

Gatac

So, how far away am I ?

Gatac