From dhcole@nwu.edu Thu Nov 6 21:39:59 1997 Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 18:26:40 -0600 (CST) From: "Douglas H. Cole" To: "David P. Summers" , GURPSnet-L@lists.io.com Subject: Re: Re. Guns At 10:39 AM 11/6/97, David P. Summers wrote: >Wed, 5 Nov 1997 19:02:47 -0500 (EST), "David L. Pulver" > >>Yes, GURPS makes accurate fire too easy. >[suggestions] > >My first thing would be to retool the IQ bonus. At the moment, >since IQ 12 is pretty common, it works as a +2 to almost everyone's >skill. I would at the least makes it -1 to +1 for IQ 10 to 12 >(or maybe even make it into just a penalty). Another alternative >is to base Guns off of the average of IQ and DX (though that >involves introducing a new concept.). > >____________________________ >Summers@Alum.MIT.edu Another possibility that is a *huge* variation from the basic gurps rules is to make all skills default from the basic attribute/2, rather than -5 for average skills. So, at level 10, nothing changes for defaults, but you improve from the *base* not the attribute. So, you'd get the following: Points Easy Average Hard Default Base+1 Base Base-1 1/2 Base+3 Base+2 Base+1 1 Base+4 Base+3 Base+2 2 Base+5 Base+4 Base+3 etc... This would, unfortunately, overvalue the straight +1/+2 to skill, but you could modify it to IQ12+ gives a +1, and leave it at that. this emphasizes skill over abilities, since even skill 20 only gives a default on an "average" skill of 10. So, in order to get Guns at skill 15 with the following attributes, it costs: DX GURPS Alternate 10 24 24 12 8 16 14 2 8 16 1/2 4 18 default to 14 2 20 default to 16 1 So, high attributes do make a difference, but you *always* have to spend some points to get skills greater than 11 (for easy skills). This will reduce the ability of people to be hyper (and unrealistically) accurate at just about anything, and restore some level of reality and balance to the selection of skills and abilities. Not quite what the doctor ordered, but it makes it less likely for crankin' DX and IQ characters to default to tremendous skills. After all, a DX 14 IQ 12 character who spends a half-point in Guns(Whatever) will have a skill of 13+2=15. That's a bit high for a few hours on the range. Under the alternate system, he defaults to 8+1 (for IQ 12) = 9, and a half point gets him to Base+3+1 (again for IQ), or 8+3+1=12. A gifted person with a little training has achieved a 12 score, which in the basic set is described as "an average man after a little training, or a talented beginner." Sounds like the right scaling, to me. Doug -- Douglas H Cole Department of Materials Science and Engineering Northwestern University dhcole@nwu.edu