Frontier: No Way as Way

[JasonPalenske]

First off I really want to apologize if it seemed Frontier slipped off the face of the Earth without intent to publish. Unfortunately as it can happen with all people life took over and said "Stop!", the death of a father, birth of a son, but things move on and projects can resume.

Frontier has gone through some changes as of late, some minor, some dramatic. Currently the rules in their basic form stand as thus:

9 Stats
Intelligence
Awareness
Willpower
Compassion
Creativity
Compassion
Body
Endurance
Dexterity

Each being rated 1-10
With Speed, Actions, and Wound Levels being derived attributes that do not have a limit.

Skills are rated 1-8

Tasks are achieved by adding stat plus skill + and rolling under on a twenty sided die.
Roll of 1 = Critical success
Roll of 19 = always a simple failure
Roll of 20= Critical Failure

Here is where the changes come in that are slightly dramatic.

Beforehand damage was rolled and the task check was just that, a check. There was no means of guaging success. As of now that is changed:

1. The Stat required for your roll is fluid. This means if the normal stat used with the skill isn't appropriate for the situation, change it. Most appropiate example of this would be normally using Awareness with firearm oriented skills, but let's say the character is in a high stress situation and needs to make a critical shot to save the planet. It may just be more reasonable to make this roll using Willpower.

2. When a player makes a roll now the one die is intended to tell them everything they need to know. The amount you beat your task check by equals successes. These successes can be applied as damage, combined with others for completing complex tasks, or combined with another players to complete a competitive task.

3. No more hit locations, location is based on situation and severity. It made no sense to be attacking someone who is behind a low wall and blow their foot off.

4. Weapons are now given effects to help differentiate them from each other.

Now all these things make for fast and easy game play but bring me to the point that is giving me troubles.

How do you apply these methods to a Mass combat scenario such as fleets or armies?

I know the answer is there, I just may be blind from looking too hard.

Any suggestions?

[Josh Roby]

Welcome back to the Forge, Jason.  Congrats on the kid and condolences for your dad.

I did a quick search through the old threads and while I found a few about Frontier, I didn't see any that addressed the three questions that we're constantly asking eachother around here: what's it about, what do the characters do, what do the players do?  Am I missing that thread (and can you point it out), and if not, can you answer those so we know which target you're trying to hit?  That will help us all discuss a lot more productively.

[JasonPalenske]

Welcome back to the Forge, Jason.  Congrats on the kid and condolences for your dad.

I did a quick search through the old threads and while I found a few about Frontier, I didn't see any that addressed the three questions that we're constantly asking eachother around here: what's it about, what do the characters do, what do the players do?  Am I missing that thread (and can you point it out), and if not, can you answer those so we know which target you're trying to hit?  That will help us all discuss a lot more productively.

Thanks Josh,

The answers would be:

What is it about?
Frontier isn't an ordinary game. It's made incomplete. Not really as far as rules go but the settings. Each on is designed as a start for adventure but left open for players to expand on with their adventures. In time I will have a forum devoted entirely to expanding the Frontier Universe based on player submissions. The main goal will be to remain consistent.

What do characters do?
Characters in all the Frontier settings are out of the ordinary. There is something different about them. Trying to fit in and make their mark.

What do players do?
First and foremost they have fun. This should be the main goal of any game. The main thing I'd like to see players do is build on what I started.

If you's like I can send by e-mail a current version of the book as it stands now.

Jason

[Josh Roby]

Can you elaborate on the second two a bit?  What might the characters do in a given play session?  What things do the players do around the table when they play?

[gsoylent]

9 Stats
Intelligence
Awareness
Willpower
Compassion
Creativity
Compassion
Body
Endurance
Dexterity

I figure either 'Compassion' is a really, really important Stat for your design, or you missed one out!

[JasonPalenske]

9 Stats
Intelligence
Awareness
Willpower
Compassion
Creativity
Compassion
Body
Endurance
Dexterity

I figure either 'Compassion' is a really, really important Stat for your design, or you missed one out!

Thanks for the catch.

It should read:
Intelligence
Awareness
Willpower
Compassion
Creativity
Attraction
Body
Endurance
Dexterity

I need to check my posts a little better :(

[JasonPalenske]

Can you elaborate on the second two a bit?  What might the characters do in a given play session?  What things do the players do around the table when they play?

Not a problem.

First the players:
When gaming I've always thought of it as making a mental movie. The GM being the Director while the Players are the Cast and Crew. A lot of what I see them doing around the table while they play is expanding the world they play in. For example the Frontier book is designed to be customized, no two should be alike. Each one having different extras that perk the owners interest. One may have an extensive gear selection while another may have the best maps in the group. Each person with his own expertise.

This leads to the Characters:
For this I'll use my Exodus setting as an example. Exodus is a sci-fi setting in which man has gone into space but can no longer call Earth home. As a starting point human being only spread out twenty light years and there no known alien forms of life, but there are hints or possibilities spread throughout for adventure. As for what they can do, in a way it is a survival setting but it is also a setting of expansion and making your mark in the galaxy before someone else beats you to it.

Some possibilities might be:
Searching for alien life.
Establishing your own territory.
Exploring the galaxy.
First Contacts.

The potential really is limitless.

I hope this helps some.

Jason

[Josh Roby]

Alright, thanks for the information about the setting, that gives me a much better idea of what sorts of imagined content is being bandied about.

First the players:
When gaming I've always thought of it as making a mental movie. The GM being the Director while the Players are the Cast and Crew. A lot of what I see them doing around the table while they play is expanding the world they play in. For example the Frontier book is designed to be customized, no two should be alike. Each one having different extras that perk the owners interest. One may have an extensive gear selection while another may have the best maps in the group. Each person with his own expertise.

I hate to assume, which is why I asked these questions, but can I assume that by the above you mean the players select a GM who creates a scenario complete with NPCs, threats, and rewards for the characters, and then the other players create individual characters whose intended actions they submit to the GM who arbitrates based on dice rolls the measure of the characters' success, and describes how events pan out?  Accurate, or am I assuming too much?

[JasonPalenske]

Nope your not assuming too much. The main thing to remember is it is to be considered situation. So if it doesn't fit the current scenario don't use it, using the enemy behind the short wall as an example.