I'm new to the forums (just joined) and picked up EP at GenCon2014, so am still reading through the core book. The artwork on the books caught my attention as I was walking past the booth, so I stopped to look and after talking to a couple of the people at the booth, I was intrigued enough to purchase the core rule book.
I'm very impressed with what I'm seeing from a setting and concept standpoint. However being a Rolemaster and Spacemaster fan for about 3 decades now, with its very realistic and simulationist game mechanics (better than anything else that I've seen in my 33 years as an RPGer) and with my engineering and scientific background, I am thinking that if I were to use the Eclipse Phase setting, I would likely use it with Spacemaster instead of the included rules set. While the rules set that is included is better than many other RPG systems out there, it still doesn't mimic real action resolution as well as what the RM/SM system does. The real advantage is that both systems use d% (but with RM/SM using a roll and add your skill and other modifiers, with the result being an indication of success (the higher the adjusted roll the more successful the attempt or attack) and with a combat system where weapon and armor interactions actually simulate real-life physics. As such the conversion would be a very simple proposition and would add a layer of detail that Eclipse Phase currently doesn't have.
As such, this first post is to see if anyone else has ever looked at using the Rolemaster/Spacemaster rules set with the Eclipse Phase setting? I see that there are references (although I've not read them yet) about using the Fate system mechanics and other RPG systems with it, so obviously others have looked at other system mechanics as an option.
A combination of the scientific simulation principles behind the RM/SM system mechanics combined with the fantastic Eclipse Phase setting could be the greatest thing since sliced bread... even better than cylon toast.
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EP using Spacemaster rules?
Thu, 2014-09-04 12:49
#1
taibhsa
EP using Spacemaster rules?
Thu, 2014-09-04 13:00
#2
ORCACommander
I've never touched these two
I've never touched these two systems so the first question is. how do you fail in SM/RM.
physics simulation is fien enough but i find with my groups of gamers when it comes to Armor rules simplicity is best. they tend to prefer either it making it harder to hit or dr system where ap lowers the dr value.
Thu, 2014-09-04 20:03
#3
jackgraham
The original radiation damage
The original radiation damage table I made for Core converted to an ICE rules set would be hilarious.
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J A C K G R A H A M :: Hooray for Earth!
http://eclipsephase.com :: twitter @jackgraham @faketsr :: Google+Jack Graham
Thu, 2014-09-04 23:45
#4
MAD Crab
It's all a matter of taste,
It's all a matter of taste, of course, but simple is often good. Combat can get bogged down as is with dice rolls, physics simulations are probably not going to help matters at all.
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Fri, 2014-09-05 06:51
#5
taibhsa
Low rolls are usually failure
Low rolls are usually failure, in that the lower the total result the worst the failure is, but likewise the higher the result the better or more productive the success. So in the case skills would be added to the roll instead of giving you a target number that has to be rolled below, with the break point between success and failure typically being 100 (although this can be modified by difficulty factors, your opponents abilities, and environmental factors and such).
And that is what makes the Rolemaster/Spacemaster system so great is that it is a relativelyn simple system that does a fantastic job of simulating real combat. When it comes to armor affecting the likelyhood of being hit, tougher armor making it more difficult tombe hit is not usually (depending on the specifics of the armor design) often times make it easier to be hit but drastically reduce the likelihood of the blow being fatal or as detrimental (getting hit happens more often, but the damage sustained and the "critical" effects suffered tend to be greatly reduced, again depending on the specifics of the armor, as for every armor there is usually some weapon or attack type that can easily penetrate or overcome it) which RM/SM simulates very well.
Fri, 2014-09-05 06:55
#6
taibhsa
So I take it that you are
So I take it that you are familiar with their products and rules systems then. Yes, the critical system that they use tends to be very interesting snd entertaining (sometimes even if you are on the receiving end of the damage).
Fri, 2014-10-03 22:03
#7
Octomorph
Rolemaster/Spacemaster Crits
By far the best part of the system, IMHO. I don't have time to do a conversion though, but would implement immediately if someone were doing the work.
Mon, 2014-11-17 01:33
#8
Broodhunter
RM/SM is our go-to game
My group also plays spacemaster primarily, and I am currently working on some conversion stuff, so, please feel free to share ideas, thoughts. Also, where are you located? It's so hard to find Spacemaster players~
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Punching provincial police to get arrested is preferable to be caught by the Gorchoffs. At least with the provincials, you don't end up in the back of the Prize Patrol."