Forum

Another 5 stretch goals added:
So...
1: Rapture Protocol NPC Cards -- Unlocked
2: Facehugger minis -- Unlocked
3: Lifepath character generation system -- Unlocked
4: Supply Dial -- Unlocked
5: Bonus xeno mini -- Unlocked

...and now also...

6: Skirmish Battle Rules -- Unlocked
7: Panic Cards -- Unlocked
8: Bonus Adventure (Chrysalis) -- Unlocked
9: Tartarus Sector campaign setting -- Unlocked
10: Another extra xeno mini -- Unlocked

It looks like from the kickstarter info the changes to CMOM and Building Better are VERY minor. Probably aesthetics mostly.

Though, hopefully, they'll have fixed all of the "reversed" system coordinates in BBW (see this thread: viewtopic.php?p=88429#p88429)

FL said they’re thinking on new stretch goals! Leave your ideas on the KS comments.

And how about the new rules... I have been able to read some words from the pages uploaded to the Kickstarter... My vision is far from perfect so if you can read better than me... I have seen some curious things:

- Stress is checked in a different way: you roll 2D6 + Stress level - Resolve. That Resolve is new although not new from other FL Games like Blade Runner. In essence the average of two attributes.
The table is more simple than first edition with fewer entries.
Edit: no, in new edition there are 9 entries against 10 from the first edition, so changes in this sense are minimal... BUT: I see that some new entries avoid to push rolls (that's important because it's a way to stop the Stress cascade from the first edition), another one force you to make an air supply roll, another one to lose an object (not drop an item like in the previous edition, here you'll have to find the object again) or you can injury yourself by accident (1 damage, without armor roll)... In general, effects are more simple.

- I have seen that weapons have an ammo value like 2 or 3... I don't know what It could be... In Blade Runner there is no ammo. In Twilight 2000 you have to keep the account of every bullet so here it's different. I have thought about some kind of "slots", so if you get a 1 on a Stress die, you lose those slots of ammo...
I don't know but when I played CMOM I realized that being out of ammo was really difficult (It was not the same with Cinematic scenarios). Maybe it's a way to reflect that some weapons spend more ammo than others, and that you can get easy without ammo even being a Colonial Marine.
Edit: I have seen that weapons have ranges. For example, you can only fire some weapons in certain ranges like in Blade Runner (like medium to long or long to extreme range).. It's a way to avoid that you can fire the Sniper rifle in short range, for example.

- There is another page about Stealth mode... I have seen the table and I barely see but the feeling was pretty similar to the first edition: stealth vs observation, in a tie draw initiative, if you win there are some effects, move to the next zones and repeat.
Probably I have missed something because it sounds really similar.
Edit: Ok, I have managed to see a bit more. And it's DIFFERENT. I have not seen nothing related to Mobility... There is only an Observation opposed check with only two options:
1.- You win the roll: you can retreat, you can ambush, hide (not in an open spce) or you can reveal yourself.
2.- In a tie: draw initiative.
And another important question if I have read It well. If you are in a group, all PCs can roll for Observation and keep the best roll (in first edition, only the player with best Observation value from the group can roll).
There are some modifiers to rolls like keep guard in a line of sight (+2)...
Ah! Last but not least, Aliens move in a hidden map And that's important because it was really difficult to keep secrecy in first edition... I know that Twilight 2000 has this kind of movement, but you have to print a second copy of any map included on the game... I don't know if here we'll have a second copy for this hidden movement.

And that's all.

Edit: I have included more information.

You have eagle eyes, Decanox.

- Stress check, 2d6 + stress - resolve
The stress table has 9 items and effects are simpler. Push rolls will be minimized. Again, this will mean even more stress, but let's wait and see the full text. The GM will always be able to manage that anyway.

- Ammo, I remember a comment from Angelman saying he saw a checkbox for ammo management. That must be it. We'll keep the ammo management count. The GM will always be able to say there's one clip left in the bag anyway. Weapon range management is very good.

- Stealth mode is observation vs. observation. Okay. That sounds very good.

- Alien moves in a hidden map. It's not a big deal at all. The cinematics will still have EVENTS, and with these events, we can make a group of Xenomorphs appear out of nowhere. The GM will be able to keep certain cards hidden without any problems.

That sounds great. Thanks, Decanox, for your spies.

Arthur.

I spent a while squinting at it too!

One other thing to add: the observation rolls are "passive", so you can't push them, and they can't cause panics.

This is a good rule imho. In the original game, using spurious observation rolls could cause panic to spread through the PCs. Now they're fair game.

I'm a on-the-fence backer. I'd love to hear something from Free League about the new rules to get me off the fence...

Yes, a good and reasonable modification. It was not strange to roll a 1 on a pushed roll while your character observed.

I suppose, since there is a small mention, and there are minis now, that there will be a "line of sight". So it's understandable that rules can be more "boardgamish" trying to avoid some abstractions that were in the first edition.

For example, the reference to a hidden map... On first edition, It was difficult to maintain some kind of secrecy and players knew soon where the alien was. Only when I played some Cinematic on Roll20, and I was alone at home without players looking at, was easy to keep this secrecy because I had another map to keep track of the xenomorph movement and that was great. So this addition can be great.

Resolve is the average of your Wits and Empathy score, rounded up.

They've replaced the current "roll panic on a facehugger" rolls with Stress Responses. No idea if Panic still exists. They've rewritten the responses to be more thematic - no catatonia and random trembling. Instead, its stuff like "Make A Noise", "Make Supply Roll Immediately", "You Can't Push A Skill", "Lose Item" and "Injury". They've specifically removed Panic rolls which remove the ability of players to do something during a turn.

I much, much prefer this as its broadly similar to what I am doing in my game, and will help newbie DMs structure their Panics. It's a vastly better system than the one currently ingame.

Ammo wise they seem to be going for an XCOM like system - 3 to 5. There's mention of "Bursts" from the Smart Gun, and repeated rolls. "The second and third burst of that attack also gain the bonus for aiming".

Edit: no, in new edition there are 9 entries against 10 from the first edition, so changes in this sense are minimal... BUT: I see that some new entries avoid to push rolls (that's important because it's a way to stop the Stress cascade from the first edition), another one force you to make an air supply roll, another one to lose an object (not drop an item like in the previous edition, here you'll have to find the object again) or you can injury yourself by accident (1 damage, without armor roll)... In general, effects are more simple.

They've specifically removed effects that take away from a players ability to do something in a situation - there's no panic spiral now. They've made the rolls more narratively inclined - there's a broader scope to interpret how those things happen.

Edit: no, in new edition there are 9 entries against 10 from the first edition, so changes in this sense are minimal... BUT: I see that some new entries avoid to push rolls (that's important because it's a way to stop the Stress cascade from the first edition), another one force you to make an air supply roll, another one to lose an object (not drop an item like in the previous edition, here you'll have to find the object again) or you can injury yourself by accident (1 damage, without armor roll)... In general, effects are more simple.

They've specifically removed effects that take away from a players ability to do something in a situation - there's no panic spiral now. They've made the rolls more narratively inclined - there's a broader scope to interpret how those things happen.

I hope thats the case. I’m admittedly more nervous about changing things now than I was before.
I love having Panic hit my players at terrible times and they can’t perform an action because of dropping a weapon or unloading their ammo or running away out of terror. To me that creates great narrative moments that my players talk and laugh about post-game.
Yes, Panic Spiral is a problem but can be mitigated by a GM removing stress die for safer/more routine things.

It looks like more the players or GM have to keep track of than less (which I thought was the point of “streamlining,” to
Make things simpler).

I am disappointed that I’m going to have to write more info on my old weapons cards in silver sharpie so they don’t go to waste. In Blade Runner ranges work well because it is a more micro-managey game. I had a combat in Blade Runner that lasted 2 minutes before I was wounded and the perp was dead. In ALIEN range should just be a max modifier and forget it. I’m not looking forward to different modes of fire for smartguns and stuff either. Just roll to shoot (and decide if full auto and move on).

I’m hopeful the new observation/stealth runs well and I’m hopeful manipulation rolls are a bit smoother too.

I’m not a naysayer or anything, I’m super excited for this new stuff. But from what I’ve heard on here I’m more cautiously optimistic than before.