Space Marine Campaign

[MarcoSkoll]

D&D

I deliberately didn't bring D&D up because a lot of people have a view point on it that's really not so much RPing as it is "Players and GM try and kill each other". It has the innate associations (your mileage will vary on how unfairly) with the Dungeon Crawl - which, in my opinion, is basically the antithesis of actual roleplaying, requiring little more characterisation than "I don't like talking about my dark/mysterious/ominous (delete as applicable) past and think that wielding a massive sword somehow makes up for that".

Not that I'm saying there's no place for that kind of thing, but I think calling it roleplaying is a bit optimistic.

[Mordenkenain]

I deliberately didn't bring D&D up because a lot of people have a view point on it that's really not so much RPing as it is "Players and GM try and kill each other".

Yeah, D&D shouldn't be found in the same ballpark as Inquisitor, unless you have a very twisted individual, even with good roleplay, it's just players vs DM, I've played very few games of D&D which haven't consisted of; get to the treasure (or hostage or whatever), kill all the bad guys, dodge the booby traps, whereas Inquisitor has the potential to be so much more

[Dolnikan]

I think that Inquisitor can be used for a game such as this, the basic framework of the rules does support it even thoguh they tend to not work as well as with lower power levels. I myself don;t really like Space Marines but it is everybody's personal freedom to play the game like this if they want to and all the players that are involved agree.

I would however try to make clear that the game is not very representative of how Inquisitor is commonly played.

About D&D, I've played that game with two different groups, with the first, it indeed turned into a dungeon crawl and was quite boring, but with the second it was enterely roleplay centered, although of course, the more a game becomes about roleplaying, the less rules are needed and used.

[Alyster Wick]

Well, since I was the one who originally brought up D&D I will say that yes, it can be played simply as a dungeon crawler with little regard for character or it can be heavily RPed. The reason I bring it up as relevant to the conversation is that the same is true of Inquisitor. It provides a game mechanic that can be used simply to make an incredibly detailed skirmish game but it can be so much more if people put the time and effort into it.

Zeroing back in on the current conversation I would then say that the mechanics support the use of the game in the manner Prasmatis is describing (it could be argued that it isn't optimized for Marine on Marine combat but that's somewhat debatable and up to the GM to control well).

On the character front that goes up to the players (with some guidance from the GM). I think many Black Library books prove that Marines are in fact dynamic characters if a little more action-star oriented then your standard Inquisitors. Those who say playing psycho-indoctrinated super-soldiers is no fun and they prefer to play more realistic or relatable characters are making an argument that (in my opinion) holds little weight. After all, most of us who post on the Conclave RP characters with an inherent connection to an unfathomable void that routinely stare darkness in the face (psychers), those who have never set foot upon a real planet and have eaten only recycled food for their entire existence (void born) or who have ordered entire planets put to death with zero regrets (our Inquisitors) just to name a few (heck, some characters could have all three).

My point is that while I'll acknowledge that SMs lead a rather different life than any of us so do just about all the characters in the 40K universe. It's a bit of a leap to RP in any completely fantastical universe. I'll just say again that I think the task is difficult but totally doable and I'm interested in seeing the results to help inform how to effectively run a more non-traditional (by Conclave standards) campaign.

[InquisitorHeidfeld]

Nah. I think of it like gas blowback, using some of the excess heat to recharge an integral power cell and eliminate the need for a separate power source.

You might find more primitive versions that did need a separate power source, but I generally discourage this kind of thing as it means keeping track of more than one ammo supply for no real reason. Their ammo supply is basically defined by the weakest link, so if they've not got enough power cells for fuel cells or vice versa, then it's pretty  redundant to say "well, they have this much extra fuel they can't use".

It can be redundant, but it can also provide the characters with things of value - the ability to trade a little extra, valuable, ammo for small considerations (like doing your mission first) leads to much more bargaining, possibly more careful use of scarce resources (one does not wish to waste The Emperor's ammunition) - potentially it could add a lot to the game.

Canonically, they're both electric (despite the video games doing a two stroke sound, which sounds cooler), and given the Imperium actually manages to maintain some kind of standardisation (although Emperor alone knows how) over power connections, I can't imagine there's any difficulty in recharging them.

IIRC they're driven by a power field aren't they? One might suggest that the "two-stroke" sound is there to invoke the chainsaw but you could as easily suggest that its the sound of the teeth breaching the power field edge 

The energy usage on a Chainsword is going to be very low, low enough that you're probably looking at power supply lifetimes which, for all intents and purposes, are effectively infinite.

[MarcoSkoll]

potentially it could add a lot to the game.

I'm just seeing unnecessary bookkeeping that won't make much of a difference between "you have 20 shots" and "You have 20 shots, plus another 15 you were only given so you wouldn't be able to use them".

IIRC they're driven by a power field aren't they?

Not sure about that. Normally, power fields are a form of defensive field. I think I've read something about a form of linear motor, but I can't remember whether that was someone quoting canon or their own fan interpretation.

Anyway, that's a bit like saying a car is driven by its engine. True, but what runs the engine?

One might suggest that the "two-stroke" sound is there to invoke the chainsaw

It's definitely there to evoke the chainsaw - pure artistic licence, done for the sake of coolness over logic.

But I wouldn't suggest otherwise. While it would make much more sense, the chainsaw bayonet in Gears of War wouldn't be half as fun if it was electric.

[InquisitorHeidfeld]

I was thinking more in terms of someone finding a cache of gas charges (for example). Maybe he started off with 60 shots and the power pack is good for 100,  he finds 50 shots worth of gas charges so he either has to find some way of extending his power charge (leading him in one direction) or he has 10 shots worth of gas charges spare...

Power Fields certainly drove the chain fist, at least in its first incarnation - While the power field was originally available as a defensive field most of its uses tend to be aggressive (Thunder hammer, lightning claws, power fist, power sword...etc).

[MarcoSkoll]

That's the disruption field (at least since I've been involved in 40k) - although it should be said that many GW authors do get it wrong and call them power fields instead.

[Koval]

That's the disruption field (at least since I've been involved in 40k) - although it should be said that many GW authors do get it wrong and call them power fields instead.

The name is suitably nonspecific for it to be quite excusable, though, and in any case very little mention is actually made nowadays of a power field being a piece of defensive apparatus.