[Poly] World War II Mini-Game

[Erik Mona]

I call it a stand-alone d20 game because it works more or less on its own (with the Player's Handbook, of course). It's more than just a campaign setting, since Chris Pramas rejigged the class system and added different options to combat to make cover more important, for example. Character creation works differently than in d20 Modern. Dogface's development actually came at the same time WotC was putting together d20 Modern, so it's been interesting to see how different designers tackled the same issues.

I think it's pretty sweet. Definitely more of a "Saving Private Ryan" feel than a "Nick Fury and His Howling Commandos" feel, but Chris did include a few "Hollywood" options for those of you who want to keep the bullets flying fast and furious without the fear of taking a bullet in the eyeball every time you peek over a fence.

--Erik Mona

 

[EarthsShadow]

I honestly think you need to somehow offer a vote of some kind in the future for what kind of mini-campaigns we would like to see in future issues of Polyhedron. I say this because I, personally, could care less about ww2, or role-playing in it, and I know some will like it, but to me that is just a waste of good pages that could be used for something better.

We know our history, there are other games out there that do wars and recon, and for those who will like it, all the better for them, but I think it stinks. This is the first issue I will not purchase, unless you have something else to offer, like the missing Star Wars adventures that have been promised to us who like that game, or perhaps you could come up with adventures for other mini-games you have created, or something good like that. Your last issue was great with the Cthulu adventure, about time I might add, and it would be cool to see an adventure for something like your Omega World setting, but for this next issue you won't get my 8 dollars unless something spectacular is coming along with it.

I really think that, if you want to please as many people as possible, somehow have somekind of vote, on either this website or at wizards.com and go with the majority of what we would like to see instead of making the decision yourself as to what you think is cool because some of us just might not think that. By using some kind of option like this, at least those who vote and their favorite idea doesn't get picked, at least you saw what we are interested in.

I know some others of you will say, hey if you don't want it, don't buy it, and your right, I am not going to buy it.

I hope your issue after this next one will have something better in it. You guys need to do a cyberpunk mini-game of some kind, I am sure more people would rather see that than a world war mini-game. And, like I said, for those who like ww games, have fun playing it.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Cyberpunk has been done to death.

Creating a magazine - or any creative endeavor - by way of polling ensures mediocrity will dominate. I think it's great that a variety of subjects is being covered.

 

[EarthsShadow]

Cyberpunk has been done to death.

Creating a magazine - or any creative endeavor - by way of polling ensures mediocrity will dominate. I think it's great that a variety of subjects is being covered.

How would mediocrity dominate? If the majority want something, they should get it.

I do agree that its a good thing a variety of subjects are being covered, and I do know that its been a while since a war game has been offered, but I think its crappy that its being used in polyhedron. I think that since polyhedron is offering many people mini-games, they should offer us the chance to affect which mini-games are produced. Since they are making them for us, they should ask us what we want.

An example could be something as follows: at the beginning of the year they say they are going to work on some mini-games of various genres or types, and they have us pick from a list of ten possible choices. We can only pick what we would want for our top six, since there are six issues a year. If this is done ahead of time, they take all the tallies and the top six picked are the ones they do for that year out of those ten. Since they are offering various genres, we can get somewhat of a glimpse of what they have planned, and we get to choose what is made for us. They could put a voting system on this website, on the wizards site, and even put them in issues of dungeon magazine, so all who purchase it would know about the option available. Those who vote dictate what they want, within a matter of reason, and those who don't vote can't complain because they had the choice. This wouldn't be to hard for them to accomplish, and they would have a good idea on what the gaming community would prefer they get. Plus, if they took the time to ask us, we would appreciate them even more for the consideration of their asking us, and they would probably get more subscriptions for their magazine.

That said, I will look at the issue, and if it does peak my interest I may eat my words above. But I will look at it first and not just ignore it.

 

[Erik Mona]

Sometimes it's difficult to edit a magazine with a staff of 1. That said, I'd prefer not to edit one with a staff of 50,000.

We won't be putting Mini-Game topics up for a vote. I choose the Mini-Games based on what I think is cool and what people submit to me. If I see lots of requests for specific Mini-Games (like, say, Gamma World or Dark Matter), I'll pull my magic editor strings to provide those games. Sometimes, I've got to go with my gut, which brings us such gems as Thunderball Rally. No one's going to "vote" for a 70s racing game, but I thought it would be cool, and it got done.

I'm unapologetically greenlighting Mini-Games that interest me, informed by the feedback and suggestions of my readers. It's a pretty good gig, if you can get it.

Sometimes, one of the Polyhedron games isn't going to appeal to you, just like you're not going to be interested in the features of every Sports Illustrated (or, for that matter, Swank) that you might normally buy. I think it's well within reason to forgo purchasing something that doesn't interest you, and don't begrudge you that decision at all.

Out of curiosity, though, what sorts of Mini-Games would you personally prefer to see?

--Erik

 

[Virginia Wilde]

I dunno. I'd kinda like to see a freaky manapunk type setting, where it's the modern day (around 20th century sometime), but not. With dungeons, weird monsters, magic is the norm, but with pseudo-modern technology. Not extremely dark and gritty like Shadowrun, but more fun, with swords and bizarre monsters alongside guns and cars.

 

[Kenpo Wolf]

I liked all the minigames put out so far, Mr Mona, which I can't say about the Dungeon element of the magazine. As it stands now, I would rather see the Dungeon cancelled rather then it taking up space from the great Polyhedron articles. As to what I would like to see;

1, A campaign similiar to StarGate SG1, although using may a different name, involving a organization which travels to different planets or dimensions via a portal of some kind.

2, Official revised D20 updates on various Alternity sources

3, A enhanced martial arts tournament or wrestling game, similiar to the Street Fighter and Mortal Combat video games, employing mega feats and/or a in-house super power system

4, Official revised D20 update on the Star Frontiers setting

BTW, you did'nt reply to my comment above about seperating Dungeon and Polyhedron into seperate magazines, and releasing them on alternating months. Is there any chance of seeing this happen? As it stands now, I don't see where it's fair devoting one magazine and three quarters, at the very least, of another one to the D&D game while Modern and Star Wars barely gets any space at all. At least give some thought on trying it out on a temporary basis to see if it might work out

 

[JPL]

Opinions are like Player's Handbooks. Everybody's got one.

But having said that...since Erik asked...

1. Anytime Bill Slaviseck wants to write a d20 Dark Matter, you let him do that. Might be a little too close to "Shadow Chasers", however. Damn, that Dark Matter campaign book is good...

2. A Victorian setting, whether it be straight steampunk or more of a Castle Falkenstein / Greyhawk 1890 dwarves-with-tophats thing.

3. I'm confident that the martial arts pitfighter thing will happen someday. Personally, I'd love it to be fully compatible with d20 Modern...

4. I wouldn't mind a really old-school pulp space opera...John Carter, Buck Rodgers, Lensmen, that sort of thing. Four-armed Green Martians as PCs. Trace back to the roots of "Star Wars" and see what happens.

5. Modern-day Special Forces stuff.

6. Top Secret d20. Nuff said.

 

[SJ]

Erik, you go boy.

You're already there, but polling would never work, IMHO. You just make what you think is cool and let the buyer decide. Even as a subscriber to Dungeon/Polyhedron, I don't mind a game or adventure showing up that I wouldn't have picked. It's called variety, and it's the spice of life. Even if I don't like something, my players might, or I can borrow part of it for another game or change of pace. Or I can line the hamster cage with it. Or unsubscribe and lambaste E. Mona here on the boards. To each his own.

That said: obviously the WWII was one I looked forward to. Maybe a wuxia style game ala Stunning Fist. Ancient Egypt, the Matrix, or a cartoon-based game (Roger Rabbit?).

On second thought, your ideas are a lot better than mine.

And I bet I'm in the minority for sure on this one, but I'd like to see one adventure in each Dungeon/Poly be for a game other than D&D. d20 Modern, Star Wars, Shadow Chasers, CoC, I don't care. The mini-games have all been cool, but adventure content is why I buy the mag.

SJ

 

[Blacksad]

If you plan to do an update to another old setting, I think that a mini-setting with Planescape and Al-Qadim elements (i.e. the City of Glass in the vortex of madness book for AD&D 2nd edition by Chris Pramas) would be very cool.

It would allow to introduce some of the missing elements from those setting: Sha'ir rules for Al-Qadim, and whatever is missing from Planescape like philosophie which take a physical form rules using feat chain instead of prestige class (like the faction that were in a Dragon magazine).

Plus the city isn't well know, which means that there won't be many eyebrow rising if the Ormyr are transformed in Mercane, or any other alteration in the sacred cow of the city.

Did I say that my current campaign is set in the city of glass? and that I would like a nice three-quarter view of the city in colour? So perhaps I'm a little biased

If you want to know which "new" game I would like to see:
Space/Futur Cops. With sources like Metroid, Tenchi-Muyo, Lost-Univers, Apple Seed, Ghost in the Shell. I do not see how such a game could be done wrong, so it would be nice to see it in poly

P.S. perhaps I'm not the averge reader, so if it helps:

-setting wise:
--I disliked shadow chaser (it's just Buffy, I have already that), and thunderball rally (not my cup of tea).
--I liked shadow of the spider moon

-rules wise
--I disliked shadow of the spider moon, I know some half-orc who can easily destroy many of the ships and I prefer ships rules from other d20 books (plus the ship in SotSM do not really suffer the risk of sinking, so their low hp are reallystrange).
--I liked shadow chaser (it provides me with modern rules).

Favorites: Mecha Chaser, not the best or worst in any category, but I'm a mecha fan, and I think that the rules can be used (I haven't it tried yet). Omega world, probably because it's my first post-apocalypse game