Modus Operandi » Forum: Recent Posts

admin on "TSSI Yahoo Group is gone"

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:03:18 +0000

Yeah, there was a problem with the server that the database for the website is hosted on. Back online now though - WEB can't keep us down for long

Jeffrywith1e on "TSSI Yahoo Group is gone"

Jeffrywith1e — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:38:16 +0000

For the last couple of days I wasn't able to access this site (Modus Operandi) thinking they're coming for us all! Taking our sites down one by one. 8O But then today I was able to log on, so....

admin on "TSSI Yahoo Group is gone"

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:11:28 +0000

That's a shame. Does anyone have any ideas as to why it's disappeared? Regarding archives, there are PDF downloads of the first couple of years available here: <a href="http://www.modus-operandi.co.uk/?p=219">Mailing List (1999-2000)</a> and <a href="http://www.modus-operandi.co.uk/?p=217">Mailing List (2000-2001)</a>

Jeffrywith1e on "TSSI Yahoo Group is gone"

Jeffrywith1e — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:45:54 +0000

Sad news. It appears that the long lived Yahoo Group for Top Secret/S.I. is no more. I'm unaware of there are archives of the many messages and files or if they are simply gone. <a href="http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tssi/" rel="nofollow">http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tssi/</a> That's the link if somehow it does return.

admin on "ENnies 2011"

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:44:16 +0000

Extremely cheeky of me, but a website I founded in 2003 (and continue to run) has made it to the nominations of the ENnies in the Best Website category. If anyone of you would be so kind as to vote for <a href="http://www.ukroleplayers.com/">UK Role Players</a> when voting opens on the 15th, I'd be most grateful :) BTW, this nomination means that websites I've designed have made the nomination list on four occasions since 2004 (with an honourable mention thrown in for good measure) - Modus Operandi received three of those four nominations (in 2004, 2005 and 2006 - the honourable mention was for Window of Opportunity (my, shortlived (like the game), Stargate SG-1 RPG website)). Anyway, thanks to anyone who's willing to vote for UK Role Players

admin on "[D101 games] Announcing The Company"

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:37:47 +0000

I'm not a fan of the BRP system, but this is being published by a friend of mine so I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle the genre. For those not aware the product webpage is <a href="http://d101games.co.uk/books/the-company/">d101games.co.uk/books/the-company/</a>

admin on "Burn Notice and Leverage"

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:32:40 +0000

I love Burn Notice - being really naughty at the moment and watching the new episodes the day after they air in the US I wouldn't really class it as part of the espionage genre though (although there are espionage aspects it's more of a buddy/action series - with the buddy alternating between Fiona and Sam depending on the episode).

admin on "Espionage Genre Toolkit"

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:27:43 +0000

Edited you post to add in my affiliate code - hope you don't mind ;) Not looked it this but, to be honest, the d20 espionage boat has sailed for me. As much as I loved Spycraft (and it, like Top Secret/S.I., will always have a place in my gaming heart), it's too crunchy for what I'd want in an espionage RPG. I'm tempted to look at Agents of SWING (as mentioned in another thread), but may just fall back on Savage Worlds

admin on "Agents of Swing"

admin — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 19:24:03 +0000

I've not played FATE myself, but I am interested in Agents of SWING. With regard to FATE itself, you can download a free (legal) version from another website I run: <a href="http://www.ukroleplayers.com/">UK Role Players</a> (<a href="http://www.ukroleplayers.com/downloads/free-fate/">Free FATE v0.4</a>). Oh, and as an aside, UK Role Players has been nominated for an ENnie this year (my 5th nomination for different websites in 7 years :))

Jeffrywith1e on "Espionage Genre Toolkit"

Jeffrywith1e — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:33:35 +0000

Has anyone looked at the Espionage Genre Toolkit PDFs from Louis Porter Jr Design? <a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=50946&affiliate_id=32567" rel="nofollow">http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=50946&affiliate_id=32567</a> I'm curious what this has to offer that the Spycraft games do not.

Jeffrywith1e on "Agents of Swing"

Jeffrywith1e — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:49:31 +0000

How do we like the FATE system? I have no experience with it, but all descriptions feel a little to abstract for my tastes. The setting for Agents of Swing, however, is more up my ally. Check it out here: <a href="http://www.grogtard.com/?p=1070" rel="nofollow">http://www.grogtard.com/?p=1070</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkghQihlPIA" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkghQihlPIA</a>

Doc Wilson on "[D101 games] Announcing The Company"

Doc Wilson — Sat, 28 May 2011 17:19:35 +0000

The Photo on the front page of "the Company" I think is taken in Kandahar province to the north and west of the city. If I am right there is a large bridge spanning a spill way... there are street kiosks on the right hand side ( Zam Zam is there for a buck a 2 Liter bottle) of the road the the canal/water way is on the left.

Doc Wilson on "[D101 games] Announcing The Company"

Doc Wilson — Sat, 28 May 2011 17:00:45 +0000

Humm will have to take a look at that... I have been wonder BRP or Cortex as a natural successor to the TSR Top Secret I still cherish so much. Ironically .. after the description given above.... I have some of the first hand experience quoted.

Doc Wilson on "Rules-Light vs. Rules-Heavy Games"

Doc Wilson — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:59:05 +0000

Rules Medium.... I don't like it when it becomes a pedantic quoting session

Doc Wilson on "Burn Notice and Leverage"

Doc Wilson — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:56:29 +0000

Cortex RPG system is used for leverage ... it is a light and fast play system once you get the hang of it.

Doc Wilson on "Inspiration"

Doc Wilson — Sat, 28 May 2011 16:51:39 +0000

Let me see- - The Brotherhood of the Rose Trilogy By David Morrell - The Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum - Crossfire J.C. Pollock (I know the author) - The Needle by Ken Follet - Orchid's for Mother by Aarron Latham - Harlot's Ghost- Norman Mailer Movies: Munich, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Enigma, Bourne Trilogy, Body of Lies, Salt.. etc. I could go on .... anyway I grew up in a house of Intell winnies... My grandfather is a former director of the DIA etc..

Aran on "Burn Notice and Leverage"

Aran — Fri, 27 May 2011 17:28:19 +0000

I love Burn Notice, but have yet to see Leverage myself. I've wondered how much of the espionage "tips" he gives are real world based, or just convenient to the story to make what he does seem more believable.

Jeffrywith1e on "Burn Notice and Leverage"

Jeffrywith1e — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:05:18 +0000

I'm a big fan of Burn Notice. It's just the right level of espionage mixed in with some family humor and a dash of The Wonder Years. I have yet to see Leverage. How do the shows compare?

kj on "Tennis in James bond RPG.."

kj — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:46:17 +0000

I am planning a Tennis match in my next module. Anyone have any suggestions for how to tennis? In the source books it tells how to perform a Golf and Backgammon match but thats it. Any suggestions? thanks!

kj on "007 RPG module i created.."

kj — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 14:12:41 +0000

Great! thanks! I'll get it touched up and be sure to upload it.

admin on "007 RPG module i created.."

admin — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:25:04 +0000

You should be able to attach it to the contact form for me to upload here. Failing that, email it direct to me at dpmcalister [at] modus-operandi.co.uk. BTW, welcome to Modus Operandi

kj on "007 RPG module i created.."

kj — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:01:59 +0000

Hello! This is my first post! Pleasure to be here! I have made a James bond 007 RPG "module". Its called "Lightning Strikes Twice". It is based on the villian Franz Kleiner from the "Villians" manual and an interview I saw with Frank Zappa 8O.... i know, strange inspiration but it seemed to work out! I played it out with acouple of players and they seemed to enjoy it! How could I go about summitting it?..or do I just ask anyone who reads this to just request me to email it to them? thank you!

blackhawks1 on "Dave...Could you please..."

blackhawks1 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:24:49 +0000

Here's a link to Wikipedia descriptions of most games. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_role-playing_games_by_genre" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_role-playing_games_by_genre</a>

blackhawks1 on "Incorporating Monsters into a Modern Game?"

blackhawks1 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:51:56 +0000

Can anyone talk about their experiences, positive and negative, in incorporating monsters into their modern-setting game, in a Call of Cthulu style? I have been running a Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes campaign and have been thinking about adding an adventure where there actually turns out to be some kind of monster behind the mystery. Any help or suggestions welcome. Thanks!

blackhawks1 on "Dave...Could you please..."

blackhawks1 — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:40:28 +0000

Here's a link to a site that lists "all" available game materials. <a href="http://pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=booklist" rel="nofollow">http://pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=booklist</a>

blackhawks1 on "Rules-Light vs. Rules-Heavy Games"

blackhawks1 — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:13:18 +0000

I agree strongly with RabbidJack, although I'll add that the enjoyment derived from the complexity of the rules depends greatly on the players involved. If the players are all serious gamers, complexity tends to add to the enjoyment - to a point. For more casual gamers, it's better to keep the rules fairly simple. As examples, in my younger days of playing D&D with a serious group, the complexity kept the game fresh and intense because everyone knew and appreciated the rules. Now, playing Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes with my girlfriend and daughter, the somewhat simplified rules make a lot more sense. For the latter, I'm not afraid to add more complex rules or "borrow" ones from other games when needed (thanks GURPS:).

RabbidJack on "TopSecret-SI.com"

RabbidJack — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:13:21 +0000

I had checked out there site some time ago and they have been doing a revamp of the Star Frontiers rules. If they do get the rights to share they may consider revamping the Top Secret / SI RPG. You could suggest hosting the discussions. They may want to user their own software as they do some group thing at a project level, but who knows. I bet this would drive hits to the site. I am not holding my breath for this one. It would be nice if it happens.

admin on "TopSecret-SI.com"

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:33:37 +0000

For selfish reasons I'd have preferred to get the rights myself but will be more than happy to see anyone have them

RabbidJack on "TopSecret-SI.com"

RabbidJack — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:59:24 +0000

Do you think they secured the rights to republish like they have with Star Frontiers? I know Dave has made repeated requests to do this. They have ended the license for Star Wars and I assume stopped publishing D20 Modern (They have not said this that I am aware of), so they might not be concerned with Top Secret / SI.

Jeffrywith1e on "TopSecret-SI.com"

Jeffrywith1e — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:22:53 +0000

Keeping on eye on this site. Looks like there were some things updated... in particular a link. "Check out our other site: StarFrontiers.com" That's a promising addition, I'd say.

Deuce on "Inspiration"

Deuce — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:33:03 +0000

Here is my story: I started role-playing back in 1978. We played everything that TSR put out, including Top Secret, although not as many of my friends were as interested in espionage as the the other genres. While I was at university, I saw Three Days of the Condor with Robert Redford. I changed my major to Russian Studies and eventually became a military intelligence officer in the army. That is how much the movie inspired me. I was always a fan of James Bond (Sean Connery more than Roger Moore and now Daniel Craig above all) and had a fond place in my heart for Dean Martin as Matt Helm and James Coburn as Derek Flint. Too silly for a good espionage game, but it led me to actually read Donald Hamilton's Matt Helm novels, which are a lot better than the Dean Martin movies. I just watched Salt with Angelina Jolie and it has a lot of good action and a nifty plot that could be used in a good spy game.

Jeffrywith1e on "Inspiration"

Jeffrywith1e — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:53:17 +0000

Reading the Flemming novels ruined most of the Bond movies for me. I was left with the opinion that the only redeeming quality the films had was the music. Now I think the Daniel Craig films are worthy of the admiration I have for the novels.

RabbidJack on "Rules-Light vs. Rules-Heavy Games"

RabbidJack — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:29:07 +0000

I am of mixed feelings on this. I have been checking out a bunch of systems, more than just spy types. I have checked out generic systems and genera specific. I have found that the rules can inspire me. The generic systems I found did not inspire me as much as the ones that are tailored to a particular setting. I have not seen the James Bond RPG so I can’t comment on this game. I have checked out Savage Worlds and that seemed fairly light on the rules. Savage Worlds is more of a generic system and I found it hard to pull together a campaign. This may have been that I had too many ideas and could not focus. The genera specific rules are designed to go down a specific path and I find they help me focus on that path. This leads me to the amount of rules. Too many rules tend to bog down the game. Too few rules I believe does not focus the group on a common vision (I could not think of a better word) of the campaign world. I think good rules help inspire how to think about the action. I think that rules that do not add flavor to the campaign are not good. This is why I am starting to think less of the generic systems. So in closing I think that I would prefer a middle of the road amount of rules that are limited to what inspires thought on the particular genera you are playing. I felt that SpyCraft 1 did a pretty good job at that.

Bedrockgames on "Rules-Light vs. Rules-Heavy Games"

Bedrockgames — Tue, 25 May 2010 15:38:44 +0000

Put me down for rules light.

admin on "[D101 games] Announcing The Company"

admin — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 08:18:19 +0000

The Company is D101's selfcontained OpenQuest powered game of modern warfare written by Rik Kershaw-Moore, out later this year. <blockquote>Ever wondered what it is like to jump out of an aircraft 50,000 feet above a stricken oil tanker? Or how you’d handle defusing an IED? Or what it is like standing between a visiting VIP and that sniper’s bullet? Well now you can because The Company will put you right at the centre of the action. In The Company you play an employee of The Company – an elite independent Private Military Service Provider, a global security concern capable of dealing with any situation from a high octane firefight to the tracking down of serial killers. If you can think of it, The Company can handle it. The Company uses D101 games’ OpenQuest rules engine; a sleek and streamlined D100 rule set that enables you to maintain the tempo of your stories whilst keeping the rules simple and in the background. The Company Operations Manual contains: The OpenQuest rules engine – tailored to a modern day setting, and including combat rules covering all aspects of modern warfare. Simple Character generation – enabling you to go from concept to fully finished character as quickly as possible. Equipment – a comprehensive list of vehicles and equipment, providing your character with everything you will need to prosecute a successful mission; be that the latest in covert surveillance or the most accurate of rifles. The world – in which The Company operates within, the global flashpoint locations that Company Operatives may visit, competitors to The Company, Company customers and organizations that Company customers may come into conflict with. Story seeds – covering a wide range of possible genre, from the classic war-story,adventures with corporate espionage, helping with disaster relief and close protection work. Two example scenarios – ‘Operation Bluebeard’ and ‘F.I.S.H & C.H.I.P.S’ which will introduce you not only to The Company but to the workings of the OpenQuest rules engine. ETA Late 2010. Broadly compatible with other D100 systems. Written by Rik Kershaw Moore.</blockquote> Playtesters needed! D101 Games need a couple of dedicated groups of external playtesters, to really bring out the bits that need sorting out before release. Everything you need is in the document that they'll provide, the rules and two short adventures. You'll be required to feed back formally on the document, nothing too grievous a quick playtest questionnaire for your players and more detailed comments from yourself. The time scale is about 3-4 months since they are hoping to release in the Autumn. What they're not looking for is: 1. Someone who wants to peer-review or proof the document. 2. Timewasters who just want to get hold of a free copy of the rules. Interested? Email Newt at <a href="mailto:newt@d101games.co.uk">newt@d101games.co.uk</a>