Sunday, July 21, 2013

New E-Mail

After 17 years, my e-mail provider, Arkansas.net, decided they would change their provided e-mails to gmail accounts, then they decided they wanted their customers to pay 5 dollars a month to keep their e-mail addresses.  That's right, 5 dollars a month, for free a-mail accounts.  To make matters worse, their website does not have any sort of page to sign up or pay for this account, it all has to be done by phone, and they NEVER answer their bloody phone.  

So screw them, if I am going to have a gmail account, I damn sure am not going to pay for it.  Over the next few months, I will be slowly changing all the e-mail links on the site to reflect this, but right now, if you need to get a message to me, the e-mail button link on the main menu of Datafortress 2020, and the e-mail at the bottom of the page are the best way to contact me.  wisdom000 at gmail.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Thinking of IU rules changes.... Range and weapon skills

The range mechanics have never quite sat right with me...  For IU I have already made minor alterations, but I am thinking something more drastic is needed.

The idea that when using a non-scoped rifle, it is as difficult to hit a target at 500m as it is to hit a target a 50 meters with a pistol.  Now having shot before, I can tell you, this isn't really accurate.  In fact with a non-scoped rifle, it is only slightly less difficult to hit a target at 50 meters than it is with a handgun.  That's about half a football field.  This is a pretty significant distance. 

Now its true completely that a rifle will generally have a longer reliable range than a handgun.  But just because the bullet travels farther does not mean you are going to be significantly more accurate with it. 

I am thinking all firearms should operate at the range difficulties of the handgun.  With scopes allowing that range to be increased out to rifle ranges in varying degrees depending on the scope. 

I need to giver it a bit more thought though before I make the changes... tweak it until it sits right with me. 

Another thing I have been wrestling with for a loooooooooong time are the gun skills themselves.  Why is there a submachinegun skill?  What purpose does it actually serve.  If I am Shoulder firing an mp5 with a stock, or even an Ingram Mac 10 with a stock, is that really any different than firing an AK-47 or an M-16 from a practical standpoint?  If I am shooting a micro uzi without a stock, how much different is that really from shooting a Baretta... If you say because its fully auto, then what about when I am firing that micro-uzi on single shot setting, or firing a Handgun with a 3-round burst setting?  Does the micro Uzi suddenly use the handgun skill?  Does the Handgun suddenly require the submachinegun skill?  Why does the full-auto and burst difference not translate to rifles?  Firing a lever action Winchester uses the same skill as firing an M-16.

I am thinking of dropping the smg skill altogether.  And thinking of changing the rules for full auto.burst fire to incur addition penalties on top of the standard modifiers.  -4 with no skill, -3 with a 1, -2 with a 2, -1 with a 3, skill level 4 on receives no additional penalties. 

I will probably have to word it a bit better, but I think the idea is solid enough.  I understand they spread the skills out to prevent people from becoming overpowered in combat too quickly, but I don't think it really works. 

Any ideas on this?

I am cross posting this across several forums, to get the broadest collaboration possible.    I have other small changes to make to the IU core rules, but these 2 bits have been eating at me for a couple of years now, and I am finally getting something worked out in my head to correct the issues I have.

As always anyone with a suggestion that makes the final cut will be credited in the core rules.

Oh, and the Datafortress 2020 File Project and Forums are back up, doubtful they will stay up long, but if you are looking for files I would grab them now.