I created these specifically to be used with ExtraNoise’s Quandary Pack and the Minecraft Texture Rotator Mod. Included is an original Creeper, as well as twelve Creepers based on the Quandary grass texture (so they change foliage along with the world.) I imagine that these will become less useful as our favorite texture pack designers complete finish their mob textures.

Done

• Spider
  
• Zombie
  
• Skeleton
  
• Creeper
  
• Quandary Creepers
  

Design Goals

• To improve original textures.
• To create less “noisy” textures.
• Embrace, not fight, the blocky style.
• To maintain iconic elements of the original designs.

Installation

• Navigate to \.minecraft\bin folder.
• Open minecraft.jar with WinRAR (or other appropriate program.)
• Navigate to \mob directory.
• Copy these textures into that directory.

Installation for Quandary and Minecraft Texture Rotator

• Navigate to \.minecraft\bin folder.
• Open \Quandary_<month> folder.
• Create folder called mob.
• Copy creeper-<month>.png into the \mob directory.
• Rename creeper-<month>.png to creeper.png.
• Repeat for each of the twelve months.

To Do

• Pig
• Sheep
• Chicken
• Cow
• Slime

First, roll 2D6 to determine the number of clusters, write them in a column. These will be our clusters. Link them as per the Diaspora rules.

Example:

A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G

*The number should average around 7, but if it’s much higher, you may want to adjust the following rolls to 1D6.

Next roll 2D6 for each cluster (this will be the number of systems in the cluster) and write them in rows. Link them too.

A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H
|
B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J
|
C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J
|
D–E–F–G–H
|
E–F
|
F–G–H–I–J–K–L–M–N
|
G–H–I–J–K–L–M

Now you should have a cluster of clusters (which we’ll call Regions, for a lack of a better term.)

At this point (and I haven’t actually play tested this) I would pick a cluster with my players to develop. I’d also adjust the Technology table as follows:

Technology
+4: Fallen
+3 to +2: Advanced
+1 to -1: Spacefaring
-2 to -3: Primitive (pre-spacefaring to stone age)
-4: Pre-civilization

I might consider simplifying the Resources and Environment tables too. But as written, I’d imagine they’d work.

I’d use the following guide to help determine travel time:

Days: Linked system to system.
Weeks: Linked cluster to cluster, unlinked system to system.
Months: Linked region to region, unlinked cluster to cluster.

And so forth.

This system should create around 50 systems, which should be enough. If it’s necessary, you can repeat the process for Regions. Or, to simplify the process, take Planet A of Cluster A and roll 4Df. On a positive result, the Region is linked to three others. On a zero, two others. On a negative, one other.

You could do this as many times as necessary, keeping in mind the travel time would increase by one step for each level of scale, as follows:

Days, Weeks, Months, Years, Decades, Centuries, Millenia.

At some point, travel would become unfeasible due to travel time, thus essentially ending the cycle.

3:16 is a game about murdering (sometimes) innocent space creature en mass. So, in my experience, people tend to weigh a little heavier on the Fighting Ability side. Partially because of the setting and theme of the game, partially because the uses of Non-Fighting Ability are described throughout the book. Good because it talks about the rules roughly in the order in which they’d come up. But bad because NFA can seem a little useless until you delve further into the text.

Because I’ve learned recently that I’ve been playing the game wrong and also because I’m planning on making a cheat sheet for my players, I’ve tunneled my way through the rules (again) and compiled a list of actions or uses of FA/NFA that can be used in combat.

This list deals only with actions taking during combat.

For Attacking/Fighting Ability (FA)

• Attack: Cause kills, if FA roll is higher then the enemy’s AA/FA/NFA roll then you can also then move.
• Use a Special Weapon: TPK Bomb, Paradise Bomb, see rules.

Not For Attacking/Non-Fighting Ability (NFA)

• Move: Can be combined with another NFA action (ie roll NFA to Move and Switch Weapons)
• Switch Weapons: Can be combined with another NFA action (ie roll NFA to Move and Switch Weapons)
• Prep/Support: Give yourself or an ally +1 to yours or their next roll.
• Cause ‘E’ Wound: Can only be used when fighting a human NPC or another PC, see rules.
• Pilot a Vehicle: Drop Ship, APC, move and/or attack.
• Use Special Abilities: Force Weakness, E-Vac, Orbital Bombardment, see rules.

Free Actions

• Switch to Grenades, Hand-to-Hand, or Power Claw
• Use Combat Drugs: Re-roll FA.
• Use Strength/Weakness: May be used even when it’s not your turn.
• Apply Leverage Bonus (Optional Rule)

An RPG is always composed of two intertwined elements. The story and the game. Some games or styles of play might focus on one more then the other. But I feel pretty confident in stating that both need to be included. Of course, if you define an RPG as a game with a story then you’d also have to include almost every, except for the most abstract, board and video game too.

I was thinking about it today and I kind of realized that the order in which you combine “story” and “game” can produce different results in an RPG. And since we’re talking theory here, let’s use “narrative” in the place of “story” and “mechanics” in the place of “game.” Now we sound smart.

Okay. Here’s what I mean. In this example I’m playing  Zargon Morcar, a mighty wizard (of rock ‘n’ roll.) And he is being attacked by a horde of angry goblins who want to drink his blood.

A) Narrative + Mechanics: I state, “Zargon  plans to burn the goblin horde with a magic fireball” (narrative.) I roll some dice and determine I am successful and that five goblins are dead (mechanics.)

B) Mechanics + Narrative: I decide that Zargon is going to attack the goblin horde and I roll some dice, determining that he is successful and he kills five goblins (mechanics.) I state, “Zargon shoots a magic fireball, burning five goblins alive” (narrative.)

You: So? Both examples produced exactly the same result. Five fireballed goblins and one smug Zargon. What’s your point?

Me: Eh, well…

In example ‘A’, I want Zargon to shoot the goblins with a fireball, right? Therefor I need a mechanic that would inform me whether or not Zargon was successful and then how successful.

In example ‘B’, the mechanic is predetermined and using it tells me if I am successful and how successful (five goblins die.) Then I decide that Zargon shot fireballs at the little green bastards.

You: Again. What’s your point? In both examples, the narrative is informed by the mechanics.

Me: True. But which one am I manipulating? In example ‘A’ I’m choosing a mechanic to fit the intended narrative. In example ‘B’, it’s the narrative that’s changing to fit the chosen mechanic.

Now let’s take a look at the role of the GM real quick. A GM has many responsibilities. And among those, one is to be arbitrator of the rules.

Now let’s say I decide that Zargon, instead of killing the goblins, is going to strike some totally awesome rock ‘n’ roll poses to  impress the savages. And let’s assume that nowhere in the rules does it state how goblins react to rock ‘n’ roll poses. The GM would, to the best of her ability, have to decide how to determine whether or not Zargon was successful and state or negotiate an appropriate outcome.

This is awesome because Zargon might gain some goblin allies. Maybe even start a band. Zargon and the Morcars. I’m stoked.

But from the GM’s perspective, it’s a little different. Suddenly she has to adjust the overarching narrative to accommodate Zargon’s goblin groupies.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if she is up for the challenge (perhaps reveling in it.) But it is more work. Especially if she had planned and prepped some goblin antagonists who were to seek revenge for their fallen comrades later in the story.

If the narrative follows the mechanic, Zargon might not get his goblin groupies (boo!) because no mechanic exists (or no mechanic to create such a mechanic exists.) However, I do still get to be creative with my narrative (perhaps deciding that Zargon lets out a magic yodel, causing an avalanche, crushing five goblins under a giant boulder.) And I don’t need to lean on the GM for assistance or approval.

Now you’re probably wondering which method I prefer.

You: Actually. I stopped reading awhi–

Me: The answer is neither. It’s all about the group and what everyone is in the mood for.

You: Well, that was anticlimactic, what a fuckin’ waste of ti–

Here’s a couple of blogs with some awesome sci-fi concept art. Concept Ships and Concept Robots.

Okay, that picture isn’t very sci-fi-y. But shit, it’s cool.

Image Source: Concept Ships

Region Name – Palgrave
Region Feature – Gas Giant (unvisited)
Visited Planets – Carr, Kandinsky, Warhol

Planet Name – Carr
Type – Brigade Training Planet
Hostiles – Brigade Training Drones

Planet Name – Kandinsky
Type – Poisonous Atmosphere
Hostiles – Living Statues

Planet Name – Warhol
Type – Mineral Rich
Hostiles – Ravenasaurus

Hostile Name – Brigade Training Drone
Ability – 6
Power – None

Hostile Name – Living Statues
Type – Humanoid
Ability – 3 (Highest NFA)
Power – Induce Weakness

Hostile Name – Ravenasaurus
Type  – Bird/Flying Beast
Ability – 7 (Highest NFA + Lowest FA /2 +1)
Power – End Encounter

NPCs
Captain Hunt (Squad’s commanding officer)
Trooper Stokes (deceased, “suicide” on Kandinsky)
Trooper Fine (deceased, “suicide” on Kandinsky)
Trooper Teller (deceased, shot in the back by then-Corporal Slim, for running)

PCs
Squad Name – Fedge’s Packers
Sergeant Fedge
Sergeant Buckshot (deceased)
Sergeant Slim
Trooper Fluffy

Image Source: boxninja.com

Okay, sets. Sets in Spore are great. They link different pieces of content together. This means that when the game populates a city with an orange tank, it would be more likely that the city would also have an orange plane and an orange boat.

Sets work best with buildings. They also work pretty well with vehicles. But, for me, the best sets are “full sets”. These would include:

• 4 buildings (city hall, house, entertainment, factory.)
• 3 vehicles (Land, Air, Sea) of one type (religious, military, economic, colony.)
• 1 spaceship.
• 1 creature.

That’s a lot of work, admittedly. But the results can be pretty cool.

My Spore Profile

Well, there is. It’s called Card Table by Supremum Software. Now, at the time I’m writing this, the app does have some bugs. But it’s only $0.99 and it works perfectly fine for this particular use.

Here’s a quick a dirty tutorial on how to setup a “table” to use in your Savage Worlds game.

1. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the app onto your device, launch it and select New Table from the Main Menu.

2. Tap the Action Menu button on the top right of your screen.

3. Go ahead and tap Toggle Hands, we don’t really need them for this application.

4. Tap the Action Menu again and this time select Add Something.

5. Then select Pile With Deck.

6. Now tap-tap-drag the Pile With Deck somewhere near the bottom of the screen. This is your draw deck.

7. Action Menu > Add Something > Empty Pile.

8. Tap-tap-drag the Empty Pile next to the Pile With Deck. This is your discard pile.

9. Action Menu > Add Something > Joker

10. Drag the Joker onto the Pile With Deck.

11. Add another Joker by repeating step 9 and 10.

12. Triple-tap the Empty Pile to open the Pile Settings.

13. Tap Card Position to change it from Face Down to Face Up.

14. Triple-tap the Pile With Deck to open the Pile Settings,  scroll down, and tap Shuffle.

15. Action Menu > Save This Table

16. Enter the name “Savage Worlds”, make sure Shuffle and Deal is on, and select Save.

And you’re done. You can now select Load Table and then Savage Worlds from the Main Menu. Since you left Shuffle and Deal on, your deck will be shuffled every time you load it.

Now just drag the cards off the deck onto the playing surface as you would physical cards.

Double-tap a card to flip it over. Or tap-drag on the playing surface to create a bounding box and select multiple cards. Then double-tap any selected card to flip them all over.

You can drag a card onto your discard pile. Or you can select multiple cards and then tap the discard pile to get rid of them all at once.

Create a bounding box over the discard pile and tap the draw deck to put the discarded cards onto the main deck. Then just triple tap the draw deck and select Shuffle from Pile Settings to shuffle the cards. Or you could just reload the table from the Main Menu.

And that’s it.

A lot of people have a hate-on for 4E, it seems. And I get a lot of the complaints (even though I don’t necessarily agree all the time.) But one thing I like about it, it’s extremely consistent when it comes to the publishing schedule. Two books a month, easily tracked on Wizard’s website. The same can’t be said about Savage Worlds books. Books come out inconsistently, most of the time as a PDF first and then a book later, but not always.

And the Savage Worlds Licensee scene? Oh man… While licensee books are almost always pretty high caliber, the companies that publish them are often terrible at letting people know what’s out, in what form, and what to expect in the future. It seems the only way to really keep on tabs with it is to visit the Savage Worlds official website’s forums. Daily. And while I don’t mind, I can’t imagine that the majority of people are inclined to do this.

Of course, I’m at the same time absolutely loving Savage Worlds and have bought too-many-books-for-my-budget in the past few months.

The books that are on my radar are:

• Deadlands: Reloaded, but I’m not sure if I should wait until the split volume reprint with updates is available.
• Shaintar, but I’m not sure if I should wait until Shaintar: Unleashed is available.
• Rippers, but I’m not sure if I should wait until Rippers: Explorer’s Edition is out.
• Necropolis 2350
• Pirates of the Spanish Main
• The Supers Campanion, this should be out soon, I think.
• Savage Suzerain, I believe is out in print form, at least any day now.
• Hellfrost (Player’s Guide and Bestiary — I guess that Gazetteer too.)
• Sundered Skies
• Evernight
• Tour of Darkness
• Ravaged Earth
• Runepunk
• Daring Tales of Adventure Compendiums 3 and 4
• Official Savage Worlds Template Set, which is not a book. See here.

Wow, looking at these lists, I feel kind of greedy… But I must remind myself that I probably will never get all these books. It is, however, nice to have a checklist for when I feel like treating myself to a little bit of geekery.