What Do You WANT From Ninjas & Superspies?

[Mantisking]

As the title reads. What do you want? Kuseru listed a bunch of genres in this topic. He was asking what you do with N&S, I'm asking what you want it to do. Action/Thriller? Mystery/Intrigue? Espionage? Martial Arts? Law Enforcement? Crime? Fantasy? Oriental Fantasy? Space Opera? Cyberpunk? Historical? Post-Apocalypse? Time Travel? Superhero? Anime? What?

[JuliusCreed]

Yes.

[Desert Rat]

As much as it breaks my heart, I think N&SS is as complete of a line as it is going to be. Now Palladium may prove me wrong, but my money on the table is that WARPATH is Palladium's new contemporary game.

Now, what do I want from N&SS? I go for the action adventure, espionage/mercenary scenario's. I like the in-depth characters (when compared to say Top Secret/SI and James Bond), but what I would like to see is that carried through and into the gaming rules.

Not that I want it, more that I think it would help revive the game, is some good quality scenario's. I am a believer that N&SS is the base in which the GM can build his own world. The truth is that for a lot of players, especially younger ones, they need some 'assistance' in developing this world out.

[Mantisking]

Yes.

{* sigh *} Wiseass.

As much as it breaks my heart, I think N&SS is as complete of a line as it is going to be. Now Palladium may prove me wrong, but my money on the table is that WARPATH is Palladium's new contemporary game.

That's if it ever materializes. Right now it's vaporware.

Now, what do I want from N&SS? I go for the action adventure, espionage/mercenary scenario's. I like the in-depth characters (when compared to say Top Secret/SI and James Bond), but what I would like to see is that carried through and into the gaming rules.

How would you feel about power armor in N&S?

Not that I want it, more that I think it would help revive the game, is some good quality scenario's. I am a believer that N&SS is the base in which the GM can build his own world. The truth is that for a lot of players, especially younger ones, they need some 'assistance' in developing this world out.

Hence all the calls for a "metaplot" to be attached to N&S. Stupidest thing I ever heard.

[Desert Rat]

Power Armor? I don't have an issue with it. Not something I would utilize within my gaming world.

I understand why you think meta-plots are stupid. I get it. After all, it's not something I would incorporate into my games. The only reason I bring it up is that if done right, and that is the critical issue, it makes for a good business strategy and will create more of a market by catering to those players which are not as imaginative. Lets face it, we live in a world of "provide me everything and provide it RIGHT now." By drawing in these 'lessor', unimaginative players, you increase market share and thereby profits. Increase profits and that in turn is rolled into further product development. With further product development, you get other products which are not tied to meta-plot development. But alas, that's the business degree coming out in me.

[Hibik]

I kinda want it all. Hong Kong period film? Hong Kong John Wooish contemporary. Superspies (of a 21st century bent). Espionage and intrigue of course. Probably historical too if that's what people want.

Oh wait, mostly I want a copy that has a decent editing job. That's what I keep forgetting.

Addendum: I also admit a personal pet peeve of mine through the ages (Since I started playing N&S back in '01 or so) was that the martial arts aren't very well flushed out, flavor wise. The histories don't need to be 100% accurate, but they're always incredibly vague. I felt they responded well to that when including martial arts in Rifts China 2, and if they were to ever do an N&S new edition, they would benefit from flushing out the arts to make them genuine transmission of cultural ideas and technical abilities, not just a skill you pick up to beat someone in the face with. I admit entirely that's a personal goat of mine.

[Mantisking]

I kinda want it all. Hong Kong period film? Hong Kong John Wooish contemporary. Superspies (of a 21st century bent). Espionage and intrigue of course. Probably historical too if that's what people want.

Sounds good.

Oh wait, mostly I want a copy that has a decent editing job. That's what I keep forgetting.

I hear you on that one.

Addendum: I also admit a personal pet peeve of mine through the ages (Since I started playing N&S back in '01 or so) was that the martial arts aren't very well flushed out, flavor wise. The histories don't need to be 100% accurate, but they're always incredibly vague. I felt they responded well to that when including martial arts in Rifts China 2, and if they were to ever do an N&S new edition, they would benefit from flushing out the arts to make them genuine transmission of cultural ideas and technical abilities, not just a skill you pick up to beat someone in the face with. I admit entirely that's a personal goat of mine.

I'm not sure I understand. I don't have Rifts China 2 so could you tell me the difference?

[Mercdog]

Something I've been kicking around lately is the inclusion of an actual system for having Contacts in the game. As it is, the closest we've got is the Social Contacts description for each OCC, and that basically just gives the character the chance to recognize or be recognized by someone else in their respective fields of expertise.

Case in point, the Cyber Agent has a 15% chance to recognize key figures in the cybernetics field. OK, but so what? Does he know him personally? Are they friends? Enemies? Rivals? Is this contact willing to do the Cyber Agent a favor, or is he strictly a person willing to procure cybernetics , or perform cyber-enhancement operations for the right price? And what about other aspects of the Cyber Agent's life? Doesn't he have any friends or allies outside of other cyborgs and cyber-docs?

And while I'm not against things like psionics, magic, super powers, and power armor/robots in N&S, I do think that if they are included, they should be kept low key and rare. (Unless of course you are deliberately combining N&S with HU, then take it as far as you want to go.)

[Desert Rat]

I let my players generate up "contacts". Initially, they can have 2 contacts of their choosing with 2 to 4 skill programs. This allows for backdoor information peddlers, document forgers, people associated with persons of influence, etc... I think it gives depth and allows the players to think up other ways of solving situations outside of what is being feed to them by the GM.

As for psionics, magic and super-powers, I don't think PB needs to add that to the N&SS product line. If players want to delve into it further, then HU is established and rules easily transfer over. It's kind of the way I feel about Bionics. When I wanted to see if I could create the Bionic Woman, I ended up buying the Rift's Bionic Source Book.

[Hibik]

I'm not sure I understand. I don't have Rifts China 2 so could you tell me the difference?

If we're looking at length along, N&S and MC both gave like.. a 2, or 3 short paragraph blurb. Rifts China 2 per martial art gave something more akin to 6, if not more in some cases. One could argue that length might be an issue if you're trying to fit everything into a certain sized book and make it practical. However as far as setting a tone, I feel that N&S/MC simply did not give enough attention to these fluff paragraphs to flesh out what it means to be a practitioner of this art, or what the art is about. It's the difference between a few words inkling at something slightly better than a martial arts skill, and adapting a tradition to become part of your character's repertoire (if not who he is).

[Mercdog]

I let my players generate up "contacts". Initially, they can have 2 contacts of their choosing with 2 to 4 skill programs. This allows for backdoor information peddlers, document forgers, people associated with persons of influence, etc... I think it gives depth and allows the players to think up other ways of solving situations outside of what is being feed to them by the GM.

That's something like what I've been thinking about, but I'm kind of working on a point system for contacts in the vein of the organization creation table. The more available, loyal, and powerful a contact is, the more points they would cost. The number of points available to 'purchase' contacts would vary according to OCC.

[Mantisking]

I let my players generate up "contacts". Initially, they can have 2 contacts of their choosing with 2 to 4 skill programs. This allows for backdoor information peddlers, document forgers, people associated with persons of influence, etc... I think it gives depth and allows the players to think up other ways of solving situations outside of what is being feed to them by the GM.

That's something like what I've been thinking about, but I'm kind of working on a point system for contacts in the vein of the organization creation table. The more available, loyal, and powerful a contact is, the more points they would cost. The number of points available to 'purchase' contacts would vary according to OCC.

Sounds interesting. I'd like to see it once you've gotten it finished.

[Colt47]

I guess I'd like to see a more established lore and story that could take advantage of the source book material that is currently present. Mystic China presented some interesting ideas and there are some good directions being suggested in the revised edition of the game, but it still needs a face so to speak.

[gaby]

I always like James Bond type spies.

Thers a Mastermind wokring alone or in a Group,with one or two Body Guard/Assain with specialized talents or weapons and a number of hechmen.

[Beatmeclever]

Power Armor? I don't have an issue with it. Not something I would utilize within my gaming world.

I understand why you think meta-plots are stupid. I get it. After all, it's not something I would incorporate into my games. The only reason I bring it up is that if done right, and that is the critical issue, it makes for a good business strategy and will create more of a market by catering to those players which are not as imaginative. Lets face it, we live in a world of "provide me everything and provide it RIGHT now." By drawing in these 'lessor', unimaginative players, you increase market share and thereby profits. Increase profits and that in turn is rolled into further product development. With further product development, you get other products which are not tied to meta-plot development. But alas, that's the business degree coming out in me.

This is what I have been trying to convey over here.

As for the OP: My world being noir military sci-fi (think Marlowe in Ghost in the Shell in Appleseed), I like to use light PA and. I also have a huge list of secret societies that are all in contention for the control of the world. I also have tendency to throw the occasional genetic mutation, alien infestation, and radioactive kaiju into the mix from time to time.