Elements of a Military RPG

[Lead Luteist]

What do you consider to be critical elements of a military focused RPG?
Lethality? Vehicles? A "Cover me!, I'm reloading" type of play?

I'm looking to bring some more military elements to my groups Star Wars RPG adventures.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What do you consider to be critical elements of a military focused RPG?
Lethality? Vehicles? A "Cover me!, I'm reloading" type of play?

I'm looking to bring some more military elements to my groups Star Wars RPG adventures.

Information about military culture and hierarchy, both in theory and in practice. IMO, those are the features most routinely gotten horribly, horribly wrong, both in RPGs and all other fiction. It's one of the things that "Over There" is struggling with, f'r instance.

Culture is especially important -- one of the reasons that "Over There" feels "off" is because it's written as though it were the Vietnam War in the desert. While one can argue about that in a political sense, there's a world of difference between an incredibly well-trained volunteer force and a mostly draftee force with vastly different level of morale.

To model military life in an RPG, you need to be able to accomodate these aspects of military life, especially the wide range. It doesn't matter whether you're talking about Spartans or Green Berets, these issues are as old as warfare.

 

[domino]

Some sort of rules to make taking normal combat tactics worth it. I've yet to see a system that say, makes covering fire worth it, for instance.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Some sort of rules to make taking normal combat tactics worth it. I've yet to see a system that say, makes covering fire worth it, for instance.

Shooting the enemy in the face when they stick their head above cover to shoot at someone from your side leaving cover isn't worth it?

 

[The Shaman]

I play military RPGs like this.

 

[domino]

Shooting the enemy in the face when they stick their head above cover to shoot at someone from your side leaving cover isn't worth it?

And yet, most games don't let you do that if there's more than one or two people you want to shoot at.

In game mechanics, spraying a stream of bullets over cover means nothing. They're just as safe if they stick up, and just count that you're not going to be shooting at them, and instead shooting at their comrades.

In REAL life though, if I'm shooting around the table you're hiding under, odds are VERY good you're going to stay there, and not risk a lucky shot.

Likewise, pincer attacks from different directions I've not seen done at all. The characters get all the time they need to decide who to attack.

Basically, a big thing could be taken care of with some sort of mechanic for the chaos and indecision that is inherent in a modern military situation.

Well, actually, that last is more for things like swat entry into a building. Might not apply.

 

[Psionicist]

Interesting. I've been thinking about this myself and I always get stuck at the same question... The reason.

One of the more (if not the most) important element is the _reason_ the military exists. Why fight and risk your life for _your_ planet? In normal D&D and Star Wars games you just have to figure out a reason why the characters are doing what they're doing but with a military theme you as the DM have to figure out why the military (as a group) exists.

The easiest is probably to create and conquer some common enemies now and then and bring the citizens together that way, it will breed patriotism and with some good rethorics your forces will mindlessly take care of themselves without asking questions ("are you saying this isn't the greatest planet in the universe?").

Another, more passive idea is to defend your own planet against evil intruders (and not the other way around as above). That's not so fun though, until you have to invent the answer to the question why your citizens don't just move to another planet. The common enemy thing will work here.

A cool idea is to ignore this altogether and travel from planet to planet as mercenaries, then you can use different reasons the military and conflict exists each adventure. This is probably more suited for a RPG so you don't have to design armies (literally!) of recurring NPC's. But on the other hand you don't get the same military "stand your ground this is what we are fight for" feel.

Have you ever played Warcraft III? You can probably get some nice cool ideas from that game.

 

[domino]

Another, more passive idea is to defend your own planet against evil intruders (and not the other way around as above). That's not so fun though, until you have to invent the answer to the question why your citizens don't just move to another planet.

Maybe because said planet is HOME?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

One of the more (if not the most) important element is the _reason_ the military exists. Why fight and risk your life for _your_ planet? In normal D&D and Star Wars games you just have to figure out a reason why the characters are doing what they're doing but with a military theme you as the DM have to figure out why the military (as a group) exists.

A world full of dangerous critters, many of them player character races, and there has to be some special reason why any social construct would want to defend itself?

Everything from bandits to angry demigods are sufficient reason for a village, a region, a nation or a collective of nations to form a military.

I don't get your question at all.

 

[D_Sinclair]

I play military RPGs like this.

ohhh... I have to know... did you find any suckers to stick with the ACMA Troupes Aeról Portées Mle. 56?

If you want a comp copy, just let me know.