Today’s game made me wondering about a thing:

Today’s game made me wondering about a thing:

Today’s game made me wondering about a thing:

PROVOKE SOMEONE

[…]

For PCs: On a 10+, both. On a 7-9, choose one.

● if they do it, add a team to the pool.

● if they don’t do it, they mark a condition

Add a team to the pool (instead of potential) feels a bit small as incentive, also because it could be Team is reset before the team is spent; while marking a condition feels quite big; I was wondering about the reasons behind this design choise.

Brendan Conway Magpie Games 

Mario Bolzoni Nicola Urbinati Fabio Succi Cimentini Steve DeCarli 

In our last session our Nova (Nicola Urbinati) took a powerful blow, rolled 10+ and chose to lose control of his…

In our last session our Nova (Nicola Urbinati) took a powerful blow, rolled 10+ and chose to lose control of his…

In our last session our Nova (Nicola Urbinati) took a powerful blow, rolled 10+ and chose to lose control of his powers in a terrible way; this meant an NPC was in danger’s way, so the Outsider (Steve DeCarli) decided to defend them… which leads to the questions: how does this work?

Successfully defend against a PC means the defender can give -2 to the attacker, but in this case there wasn’t any roll; the Nova could roll to unleash his powers (this was our on the moment solution), but this makes little sense, since (1) he wasn’t trying to overcome an obstacle, reshape his enviroment or extend his sense; and (2) if he hit the roll… he has a success, yet he still lost control of his powers.

Maybe it just isn’t possible to defend, like it was a hard move?

Other players: Mario Bolzoni Fabio Succi Cimentini 

What happens if a character gets from another playbook a move with reference to that specific playbook? For example:

What happens if a character gets from another playbook a move with reference to that specific playbook? For example:

What happens if a character gets from another playbook a move with reference to that specific playbook? For example:

Dangerous Web: When you reveal a trap you’ve left for someone using your powers, roll + your Mask Label. On a hit, your opponent trips into it, and you get an opening or opportunity against them. On a 10+, take +1 forward to pursuing it. On a miss, the trap inadvertently leads to a dangerous escalation

that require a Mask Label. Do the character gets to choose a Mask Label (or a Mentor Label, or whatever), or characters outside that playbook just can’t get those moves?

From the new handout, Twenty-four hours with the 588th: “You may need to ASSESS or ACT UP”.

From the new handout, Twenty-four hours with the 588th: “You may need to ASSESS or ACT UP”.

From the new handout, Twenty-four hours with the 588th: “You may need to ASSESS or ACT UP“. What’s “assess”? Written that way it seems a move, but there isn’t an “assess” move. It’s meant to be EYEBALL?

Also, in the GM reference sheet all squadron and section are said to have the same composition (three plane, plus a reserve), while in the manual each section in the squadron has something unique  (reserve plane, ambulance, limo). It’s a semplification since it’s just a reference sheet, a typo, or there has been some change?

A couple of visual references I find useful to get an idea of what it meant to fly a Po-2:

A couple of visual references I find useful to get an idea of what it meant to fly a Po-2:

A couple of visual references I find useful to get an idea of what it meant to fly a Po-2:

586th flew this: http://ram-home.com/ram-old/yak-1-gor1p129-1.jpg

http://www.airwargame.com/upload/image/render/Yak-1b_03.jpg

587th flew this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Petlyakov_Pe-2_at_Poltava,_Russia.jpg

http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/265/pics/1_13.jpg

588th flew this: http://www.hans-egebo.dk/images/po2-2.gif

http://www.bestpapermodels.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/o/polikarpov_po-2-winter.jpg

After the second reading, some more thoughts, doubt and typos (with help from Daniele Di Rubbo):

After the second reading, some more thoughts, doubt and typos (with help from Daniele Di Rubbo):

After the second reading, some more thoughts, doubt and typos (with help from Daniele Di Rubbo):

First things first, what I miss most is something more about the life in duty stations during the day, how it changes according to ranks, etc. There is something, and I have to see how it developes during the game, but after reading the rules I felt I’d have needed something more. Also about ranks: it’s not really clear to me how duties, and day scenes, changes according to ranks (I know Section Leaders have to do paperwork, for example; I’m not so sure about how to bring this without being repetitive or boring, I guess I’ll have to see what I can do during play).

Doubts:

• Pag. 20, Major: If another airwoman attains [Major] rank, one of them will be reassigned to a different command

This means one of the PC is out of the game?

• Pag. 31, Order of the Red Banner: When you earn this individually, you may choose any staff role in the Regiment other than Commander. Choose a character to be transferred into your old job when you receive the Order of the Red Banner

“Old job” as in pilot/navigator, so the PC isn’t pilot/navigator anymore? (Unless she finds a way to keep flying.)

• Pag. 42: Split 5 Harm between you however you like

How to split Harm is chosen by whoever rolled the Move? So, if I roll it, I can say “The other PC in my plane takes it all and dies”?

• Pag. 44, Murky Past: Choose two things you are hiding: valuable training, prominent family, political connections, a strange secret, portable wealth. Define them whenever you want

Just to be sure, can I also choose which one I’m hiding (valuable training, etc.) on the spot, as the details, or I have to choose them when I get the Move? (I guess I can?)

• Pag. 46, Sacrifice: When you are sent to the hospital to recover from combat injuries, you may choose your assignment, Squadron, Section, and aircraft when you return

What if she returns to a different Squadron/Section, not the one with the other PCs? Not sure about how to manage this during missions.

• Pag 46, Behind Enemy Lines: On a miss, you don’t evade capture

And? I mean: the captured PC is out of the game, returns after a while after managing to escape, it’s GM’s choice…

• Pag 107. Wayfind and Attack Run: HOW CAN I IMPROVE OUR ODDS?/Ask your Vedomaya for help

“Help” here is just the Vedomaya ability to take consequences? I’m not sure because that doesn’t improve odd of Wayfind (i.e., roll’s result), but I guess being able to return home in a piece counts as improved odds?

Typos:

• Pag. 23: MAKE AN ATTACK RUN, endure Enemy Fire, find yourself Behind Enemy Lines, or in an Informal Interview, and choose it as an option.

Not sure if it’s a choise for Moves’ names not to be bold.

• Pag. 41/42: “split 2-harm between you and your crewmate however you want” and “Split 5 Harm between you however you like” and “Split 3 Harm between you however you like”

Wayfind, Enemy Fire and Wheels Down have similar consequence, written in different ways; this could be confusing (I wondered for a while if “however you like” meant “among all planes”, since Wayfind says “between you and your crewmate”).

• Pag. 21 and 42: You are free to change a slot’s tone at any time, and you can change who a slot’s target is between sessions or as a result of the Reach Out Move

Also Wheels Down let you change your Regard (“Change an existing Regard slot to refer to your plane if you want”); not sure if it’s a typo this isn’t shown in the summary on page 21.

• Pag. 72: Consider changing GMs when:Any player chooses the “Moving West” Advance

According to Moving West, the player who choose it has to become GM (“you become the GM”), while here it seems just an option.

• Pag 109 and 111: “PASHKOV-skya” and “Pash-KOV-skya”

Pronunciation is written in a different way.

• For Engeles, it isn’t said missions are to be done in order, but since training has an order I guess the mission should be done as presented?

(I’m guessing friendly fire here works as normal Enemy Fire, since they could mess things up and hit you nevertheless?)

Handouts & doubts & typos

Handouts & doubts & typos

Handouts & doubts & typos

Pages from the complete, 46-pages file.

Typos

Pag. 13: In Missions, there is a “Spewcial” and a “duty station. veryone”.

Pag. 17: In Honors, it’s not said the medal doesn’t increase +medals, while in all the other it’s said.

Pag. 21: In Mission A, I guess the part “All consequences are increased by one during this mission” should be red.

Pag. 25: I guess “Wingman move” should be “Vedomaya move”.

Pag. 31: I guess “Support” should be “Vedomaya”.

Pag. 40: “after the debrEIf” (inverted letters).

Pag. 40: “choose an initial GM” seems to imply the training duty station is played without a GM.

Pag. 44: “in the form of Captain barsukova” (missing capital letters).

Doubts

Pag. 18: “Adequate supplies: +0 to all Scrounge and Repair rolls.”

There is some difference between this and pag. 20, “There are no special supply rules for Peresyp’”?

Pag. 36 & 38: “As Senior Lieutenant Petrova, ask each player one question” & “As Captain Barsukova, ask each player one question”.

Questions like “What did you lie about on your regimental intake form?” and “Why does the NKVD already have a file on you, and how did you get around that black mark to join the regiment?” seems more like questions done by GM, than an NPC; the second, asked by an NKVD official, sounds almost like a request for auto-impeachment O_o

Pag. 41: “We’ll be pilots, navigators, mechanics and political oficers”.

Players characters can help mechanics, but can they also be mechanics, as an official role? O_o

One thing I’d have loved to see in the rules are examples from real women: what was their life in the base?

One thing I’d have loved to see in the rules are examples from real women: what was their life in the base?

One thing I’d have loved to see in the rules are examples from real women: what was their life in the base? what was like being caught being a lesbian? what was like having to scrounge for parts? But with real examples from history.

The same for Natures and Roles: there was a woman from the 588th who was a Hawk? What was she like? And a Protector?

If you know Grey Ranks, I’m thinking about the sidebars with grey ranks’ stories: I always use them when presenting the game, because I can spend ten minutes trying to explain what the Thing Held Dear is and what does it mean lose it, or I can just read Anna’s story.

Jason Morningstar, could you share some stories like those? A Hawk, a Sparrow, some good moment, someone who paid just for being herself, things like those?