Minor: Playtest Packet 04C

"Megszakad a szivem." ["This breaks my heart."]

Layout improvements, balance pass, changes to moves reflecting playtest feedback. Final playtests are proceeding extremely well and I anticipate an initial release that will be largely the same as this document.

Changelog:

• Increased harm rating for all weapons by 1.
  • Designer's note: It is not the intention of the game to have inconclusive combat involving multiple rounds and moves, so increasing the lethality of weapons makes sense. It is also convenient for the difference between the harm of a Magnum and a AR/BR/SMG to be 50%, rather than 100%.
    
• Added check boxes to each weapon in the loadout section of playbooks for convenience in play.
• Reduced ammo for the Magnum to 8 (was 10), the Silenced Magnum to 6 (was 7), the Assault Rifle to 6 (was 8), the Battle Rifle to 4 (was 5) and the Plasma Rifle to 6 (was 7)
  • Designer's note: In a few situations tactical moves cause the player to mark multiple ammo at once. Weapons with larger ammo pools suffer significantly less in those circumstances and are probably too good.
  • Designer's note: Lower ammo counts promote higher tension.
• Changed the core move "Take the Fight to the Enemy". Choosing to aggressively flank is now significantly better, reflecting the risk taken.
  
• Changed the core move "Hit the Deck". On a 7-9 the only choice is to mark ammo or retreat (was: pick from a list of things involving taking forward to certain moves etc etc).
• Changed the Specialist playbook to choose 2 moves (was 1) at creation. Changed the move "Concealed Position" to be an optional move (was core).
  • Designer's note: This change allows the specialist a great deal more flexibility and creates opportunities for builds that are more than precision fires-based soldiers.
• Changed the Officer playbook to choose 2 moves (was 1) at creation. Changed the move "Forward Observer" to be an optional move (was core).
  • Designer's note: The Specialist and the Officer both had a slight shortage of moves to choose-2 from, which have now (hopefully) been rectified.
• Added a new optional move "Service Before Self" to the Officer.
• Added a new optional move "Lead By Example" to the Officer.
  • Designer's note: This move and Mozambique Drill below are intended to incentivise the use of Magnum weapons by the two leader classes, which is very thematic.
• Added a new optional move "Mozambique Drill" to the Sergeant.
  • Designer's note: The Magnum's low Harm is a key weakness when it comes to hitting heavier targets like Jackal Majors and Elites, and this allows the Sergeant to use it as a serious weapon in those scenarios at the cost of hugely increased ammo consumption.
• Added a new optional move "Close Precision" to the Specialist. Renamed the core move previously named "Close Precision" to "Every Shot Counts".
• Changed the Officer's core move "Tactician". It now no longer requires any roll but is causes them to mark stress in return for, effectively, assisting the whole team at once.
• Changed the Sergeant's optional move "This is Nothing" to have an escalating malus on the Steady roll and removed the once-per-mission limitation.
• Changed the Sergeant's optional move "Emergency Trauma Kit" to consume unit supply when used and removed the once-per-mission limitation. Renamed to "Trauma Kit".
• Changed the Scout's optional move "I Keep What I Steal" to consume unit supply when used and removed the once-per-mission limitation. It may still be used for free once per mission.
  • Designer's note: This change, and the changes above, reflects playtest feedback that once-per-mission abilities are not as fun as they could be, as there is a worry that it's the wrong time to use the ability.
• Changed the Sergeant and Trooper's core move "Breach and Clear" to remove the requirement to be in closed spaces, but removed the ability to avoid marking harm on 10+. Renamed it to "First to Fight".
  • Designer's note: Having a core move which may be situationally inapplicable is not very fun, no matter the original design for the move. This change broadens the move, reduces its peak power, and introduces a conscious choice to it.
• Changed the Officer's optional move "Naval Intelligence" to simplify and consolidate the options available.
• Changed the Scout's optional move "Mission Focus" to allow marking stress any number of times, adding +1 each time.
  • This aligns the Specialist move Close Precision and allows the Scout more control over when things fail, at the cost of increasing the draw upon their stress track.
• Removed the Sergeant's optional move "Get Tactical" and the Trooper's optional move "Blessing of Ares".
  • Designer's note: Those playbooks have enough moves, and they all do a better job of promoting roleplay.
• Renamed the Officer's optional move "Top of the Class" to "Four-Star Protégé".