Previous Topics

2/24/2003 Mike Holmes: The Forge's Reputation on the Line
So over on RPG.Net there's this monumental discussion about how the Origins Award is messed up that turned into a war about the quality of HackMaster. Anyhow, if you look…
In Site Discussion
Participants: Mike Holmes, Bankuei, Dave Panchyk, C. Edwards, Jake Norwood, Gordon C. Landis, clehrich, Walt Freitag, Jack Spencer Jr, Ron Edwards, Kuma, Jeffrey Miller.

2/15/2003 Mike Holmes: Mike's Standard Rant #2 - Species/Race/Culture/
As with all my Standard Rants, I put this down here as a sort of shorthand to which I can refer people so as not to have to repeat the…
In RPG Theory
Participants: Mike Holmes, clehrich, Ron Edwards, M. J. Young, ADGBoss, Bob McNamee, Jack Spencer Jr, Le Joueur, C. Edwards, simon_hibbs, JMendes, Drew Stevens, xechnao, Christoffer Lernö.

12/4/2002 Mike Holmes: Environment
[quote="Nuredin"]We could go on to explore the ergonomics of a good gaming environment... [/quote] Cool topic. I've often heard discussions of mood stuff, lighting, music, etc, but I've not really…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, Ziriel, bluegargantua, cruciel, Maurice Forrester, Valamir, Emily Care, Walt Freitag, Enoch, Matt Wilson, Steve Dustin, Le Joueur, Clinton R. Nixon, GreatWolf, Stuart DJ Purdie, Paul Czege, DaR, A.Neill, contracycle, Michael S. Miller, J B Bell, rabidchyld.

11/29/2002 Mike Holmes: Player Power Abuse
[quote="Christopher Kubasik"] If anyone has any actual "All my fears of trusting my Players/GM with too much power played out exactly as I expected" stories, I'd love to get them…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, Ron Edwards, damion, MK Snyder, Christopher Kubasik, Bankuei, Blake Hutchins.

11/22/2002 Mike Holmes: Combat systems [Pervy and Vanilla]
Something just occured to me. Combat systems are Pervy! Mike
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: Mike Holmes, Mark D. Eddy, M. J. Young, Ron Edwards, JMendes.

11/22/2002 Mike Holmes: Hero Wars in an alternate setting - session 4
The previous session can be found here. I did a bad, bad thing this week. I used the game for some experimentation. Gareth, listen up. I did Shakespeare. Merry Wives…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, Julie, contracycle.

11/15/2002 Mike Holmes: Hero Wars in an Alternate Setting - Session 3
Refer to the prior session here. Summary This may be the last summary of the action of play at least until other issues come up. At this point all the…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, contracycle, Ian Cooper.

11/8/2002 Mike Holmes: Hero Wars in an Alternate Setting - Session II
See about set up and Session 1 here. Lot's quieter this week, as my wife had taken my two-year old son out of town. Nice. Anyhow, things started off with…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, joshua neff, Ron Edwards, Valamir, hardcoremoose, Ian Cooper, Julie.

11/1/2002 Mike Holmes: Forge Convention?
Paul and I have been batting around an idea for, well, way too long about putting together a small convention. When I mention it to people, they often say, hey,…
In Moderators
Participants: Mike Holmes, Valamir, Jason L Blair, Matt Snyder, Ron Edwards, Le Joueur, Clinton R. Nixon, unodiablo, Jared A. Sorensen.

10/18/2002 Mike Holmes: Hero Wars in an Alternate setting
There has been some clamor to hear about my impending Hero Wars game, so I thought I'd post the general outline. Josh and Julie, and possibly one or two others…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, AndyGuest, Matt Wilson, Ron Edwards, joshua neff, Julie, Christoffer Lernö, Blake Hutchins, ADGBoss.

10/9/2002 Mike Holmes: Let's make a game!
People keep suggesting doing cool stuff, and then not starting the projects up themselves. Guess if you want something done... OK, here's a thread for a theoretical game design that…
In RPG Theory
Participants: Mike Holmes, talysman, Jack Spencer Jr, Bob McNamee, Bankuei, JMendes, Mark D. Eddy, Paganini, RPunkG, Emily Care, M. J. Young, amiel, Jeremy Cole, Valamir, Ron Edwards.

10/9/2002 Mike Holmes: "Iron Game Chef" Lives!
[size=18px][color=blue]Iron Game Chef Contest![/color][/size] I can wait no longer! The people have spoken, and must know! Are there designers yet living who can accept the challenge to create a game…
In Indie Game Design
Participants: Mike Holmes, Valamir, JSDiamond, contracycle, Jonathan Walton, talysman, Paul Czege, greyorm, Walt Freitag, Kuma, lumpley, Le Joueur, M. J. Young, Palaskar, Zak Arntson, Matt, hardcoremoose, Emily Care, Ron Edwards, Blake Hutchins.

10/8/2002 Mike Holmes: Dead Meat review
Ooh, I get the extra credit for being the first to post it! http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_7302.html Mike
In Destroy All Games
Participants: Mike Holmes, Demonspahn, unodiablo.

10/8/2002 Mike Holmes: Plot Components
Just thinking a bit today, and I realized that there is a simple and effective way of introducing a lot of plot and pacing to a game that uses the…
In Universalis
Participants: Mike Holmes, Bankuei, Tony Irwin, Valamir.

10/2/2002 Mike Holmes: Observable Probability
Not as dry as the subject line sounds. What I want to look at is the question of players being able to discern the probabilties of their characters chances of…
In RPG Theory
Participants: Mike Holmes, Le Joueur, contracycle, damion, Andrew Martin, Christoffer Lernö, Jeremy Cole, deadpanbob, Valamir, C. Edwards, Marco, Bankuei, Matt Wilson, M. J. Young.

9/24/2002 Mike Holmes: Splitting Threads can be Hard
Um, how'd my posts get over in "Site"? Mike
In Scattershot
Participants: Mike Holmes, Le Joueur.

9/23/2002 Mike Holmes: Converting to Scattershot Science Fantasy
Can I get an order of Traveller, please? And can you have it ready by Thursday night? Scattershot will replace GURPS, which I'm currently using. Mike
In Scattershot
Participants: Mike Holmes, Le Joueur, Seth L. Blumberg.

9/12/2002 Mike Holmes: Weapons Designs
About time for a weapons post. Give us your favorite. This thread had a lot of interesting notes about designing weapons. Here's one to start it off: Atlatl - spear…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: Mike Holmes, Valamir, Thirsty Viking, Jasper.

9/6/2002 Mike Holmes: Potential Resource
Hey, check out this RPG.net review: http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/reviews/rev_7076.html Could make for a great resource for the Dealer to come up with random details. Mike
In Chimera Creative
Participants: Mike Holmes, Valamir.

9/5/2002 Mike Holmes: Setting Shift
OK, so I'm putting together a Hero Wars game, but I want to do something terrible with it. I've never been a fan of the Glorantha setting, you see. Well,…
In HeroQuest
Participants: Mike Holmes, Blake Hutchins, Ron Edwards.

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Subsequent Topics

2/28/2003 Mike Holmes: Universalis Wiki
For those who may not be aware, I am starting a game of Universalis using the innovative Wiki web technology. The game is hosted by the inimitable JB Bell. To…
In Universalis
Participants: Mike Holmes, Bob McNamee, Psycho42, Valamir, quozl, dragongrace, hix.

3/13/2003 Mike Holmes: Mike's Standard Rant #1: Designers! Know your hobby!
Well, Chris Passeno, recently asked me where Mike's Standard Rant #1 was. I informed him that I had numbered them sorta randomly, and had not gotten around to number one.…
In RPG Theory
Participants: Mike Holmes, DaR, wyrdlyng, RobMuadib, Jonathan Walton, Rob Donoghue, Sylus Thane, lumpley, Valamir, clehrich, cruciel, Ron Edwards, Walt Freitag, M. J. Young, Kester Pelagius, efindel, Bankuei, Pramas, Stuart DJ Purdie, rdl, Andy Kitkowski, Bruce Baugh, szilard, J. Backman.

3/21/2003 Mike Holmes: Demon Antagonism
OK, I've noted a possible problem with some GMing of Sorcerer. And I'm not sure how to adress it, so I'm chucking it out here. Sorta important to me right…
In Adept Press
Participants: Mike Holmes, Ron Edwards, szilard, jburneko, hardcoremoose, Christopher Kubasik, Valamir, Nev the Deranged.

4/22/2003 Mike Holmes: Possible TO "Solution"
I've moved this to a new thread from the thread on toughness lest I be accused of Topic hijacking: That, on the other hand, would make toughness dependent at least…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: Mike Holmes, Durgil, Mayhem1979, Mokkurkalfe, arxhon, redcrow, Wolfen.

5/8/2003 Mike Holmes: Iron Game Chef - Simulationist!
The Chairman enters the arena once again. The light's come up. He's carrying a copy of Pendragon. What could it mean? Iron Game Chef Contest! I can wait no…
In Indie Game Design
Participants: Mike Holmes, Jonathan Walton, Emily Care, cruciel, bluegargantua, talysman, C. Edwards, dragongrace, Jared A. Sorensen, Shreyas Sampat, Matt, ethan_greer, greyorm, ADGBoss, deadpanbob, Valamir, Ron Edwards, Bankuei, Simon W, Kester Pelagius, Wormwood, Palaskar, Gwen, Le Joueur, Walt Freitag.

5/15/2003 Mike Holmes: Power Level of Allies
OK, Josh's character is a member of an organization. That organization has members that are much more powerful than he is. His relationship with the org is 17. Now, through…
In HeroQuest
Participants: Mike Holmes, Ron Edwards.

5/15/2003 Mike Holmes: TROS Handicap
[quote="I"]For example, I don't want to face Brian unless he's got a character with at least... 4 CP less than I have. [/quote] I was thinking. We could all rate…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: Mike Holmes, Brian Leybourne, Ashren Va'Hale, Fallen_Icarus, Bankuei, Mayhem1979, Wolfen, Jake Norwood.

5/15/2003 Mike Holmes: What's up cat?
Calling Unodiablo. Calling Unodiablo. Come in Unodiablo. Working on anything new lately, Sean? Mike
In Destroy All Games
Participants: Mike Holmes, unodiablo.

5/29/2003 Mike Holmes: Applicability of Game Theory
[quote="Walt Freitag"]Game theory has no problem with different players placing different values on different aspects of the outcome. But it requires all that information -- that is, the payoff for…
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: Mike Holmes, deadpanbob, Wormwood, epweissengruber, Jeffrey Miller.

5/29/2003 Mike Holmes: Beeg Horseshoe Theory Revisited
Fine, Ralph wants to put out that I've got some half-assed unformed theory working? I'll play along. Besides this has been eating away at me for so long that maybe…
In GNS Model Discussion
Participants: Mike Holmes, Clinton R. Nixon, Bankuei, clehrich, Valamir, Matt Wilson, jdagna, cruciel, M. J. Young, Walt Freitag, Emily Care, talysman, ethan_greer, C. Edwards, Ron Edwards, John Kim, Gordon C. Landis, Wormwood, Cassidy.

6/2/2003 Mike Holmes: Psyched
So I'm watching BBC America as I tend to do on Sunday nights (big Coupling fan), and I slide into watching a show called Faking It. The premise of this…
In Errant Knight Games
Participants: Mike Holmes, Matt Gwinn, hardcoremoose.

6/5/2003 Mike Holmes: Shadow World using Hero Wars
I stopped posting about this a while back, and indeed there was a long hiatus from this game. For those who might want to look back at it: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=4194 But…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes.

7/2/2003 Mike Holmes: My Life with Master: Origins
Well, Origins was a great time, as usual. Late one evening I found myself in a hotel room with a bunch of folks, and we were trying to decide on…
In Actual Play
Participants: Mike Holmes, Jason L Blair, Matt Snyder, Valamir, Alan, Matt Wilson, Paul Czege, TSL, Jared A. Sorensen, xiombarg, Nick Pagnucco, Ron Edwards, Christopher Kubasik, Wolfen, Jake Norwood, Paul's Girl, Bob McNamee, Comte.

7/10/2003 Mike Holmes: Empty Slots
In response to a question about what could fill the racial pref list holes...And I, for one, would LOVE to see those two gaping holes filled. They just bug…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: Mike Holmes, Ben Lehman, Ashren Va'Hale, Morfedel, Nick Pagnucco, Wolfen, Jake Norwood, Lxndr, Brian Leybourne.

8/1/2003 Mike Holmes: Forum
Hey Paul, are you going to open up the forum now that it's published? Maybe pull the 1.2 rules, but otherwise make it public? Mike
In My Life With Master Playtest
Participants: Mike Holmes, Paul Czege.

8/13/2003 Mike Holmes: 9W: Card Mecahnics
The last thread got all tied up with the philosophical ramifications. So I talked to Matt, and he agreed that it would be cool to talk about some of the…
In Chimera Creative
Participants: Mike Holmes, Lxndr, Matt Snyder, MathiasJack, Valamir.

8/15/2003 Mike Holmes: Taveruun Status
Where are we at, people? Lot's of promised additions never materialized. Should we be waiting, or does anyone want to pass on their places? Any status reports would be good.…
In The Riddle of Steel
Participants: Mike Holmes, Brian Leybourne, Morfedel, Nick Pagnucco.

8/28/2003 Mike Holmes: Mike's Standard Rant #6: Concepts are Dime a Dozen
I've had all I can takes and I can't stands it no more! As usual, I'm posting this as shorthand for a post that I make all too often. It's…
In RPG Theory
Participants: Mike Holmes, Bankuei, John Kim, Jeph, M. J. Young, WDFlores, simon_hibbs, Lxndr, Jack Spencer Jr, Windthin.

9/16/2003 Mike Holmes: Projects
Other than Thugs and Thieves, do you have any other projects going? What ever happened to Pollies? :-) Mike
In SimplePhrase Press
Participants: Mike Holmes, ethan_greer.

9/19/2003 Mike Holmes: Keyword Magic Conversions for Shadow World
I wanted to post the assumptions that I had in making magic Keywords for my Shadow World campaign. This should serve two goals. One, if anyone wants to resurrect that…
In HeroQuest
Participants: Mike Holmes, simon_hibbs, Der_Renegat, Brand_Robins.

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