Thinking ahead: NTBB 2013

[plasmoid]

You're probably right about underworld, it might push them into low tier 1. Which I'd love - but it isn't the goal of NTBB.

I can see design problems with the slann team, but since they're balanced (but weak) I'll restrain myself and leave them alone

[garion]

Please please please please get the proper Titchy rules back. It would make ogres interesting. Personally I think even with that buff they are still the worst race in the game by far, but I also really dont like that snotlings are faster than flings now, they shouldn't be.

Best buff is the original Titchy rule. roll 1D6 for every snotling on the pitch after both coaches have set up -
1 No extra Snotlings Sneak out
2-5 1 Extra Snotling Sneaks out
6 2 Extra Snotlings Sneak out

Obviously you must have the extra Snotlings available on your bench, if you run out then no more can be added.

This is a little buff but most importantly it is loads of FUN, and would actually make me want to play this useless team.

And yeah keep the price reduction to ogres. They are way overcosted in CRP... like all big guys other than trolls and maybe treemen really.


P.S. Khemri buff is far too big drop it and go for the sensible removal of decay and add thick skull. Although I think adding thick skull to their postionals minus the TGs may even be a little too much for what is already a top tier team performing very well in most leagues i look at.

[mattwhile]

I don't like Tackle not working on the Snots when Blocking them. If you must negate something, wouldn't negating Tackle on the Dodge rolls seem fluffier? When someone Blocks a Snot they are focused on bringing down the Snot, but when they Dodge the opponent may not be ready (hence using Dodge Re-Roll even when opponent has Tackle).

Sneaking extra Snots on does seem like a very fun buff, rather than negating skills though.

[plasmoid]

Hi guys,
it's a cute rule, and if I was doing Plasmoids Utopia Rules, I just might use them.
But with NTBB, I'm trying to walk the fine line between paletable and outlandish.
Or as I've stated before: One man's awesome is another man's ass-hattery.

That's why I'm trying for rules that are in themselves bland, yet ones that (hopefully) make the game more interesting.

Matt, your objection is duly noted. But at this point I'm sticking with it. I think it works very well.

Cheers
Martin

[garion]

I understand the point you make about not using outlandish rules but I really think you will be hard pushed to find anyone that wouldn't think that titchy rule would be brilliant and bring something different to crp. There really is nothing to dislike about it, and it would mean you could drop the +ma which they.shouldn't have over flings, snotlings are meant to be terrible but lots of them.

[kerrygray8]

I seem to recall that in a previous edition of BB I had 32 Snotlings on 1 roster and anywhere between 11 and 16 on the pitch at once. Having tried that 'for a bit' I personally prefer the current version where every team is limited to 11 players. For me, the 'joy' of playing Snotlings (particularly my all-Snotling team) is the sense of satisfaction to be had from scoring a TD or doing a casualty!

I'm undecided on MA5 vs MA6 for Snotlings - I can rationalise it either way. More confusing (for me at least) is that virtually every gaming / RPG / fantasy interpretation of Halflings I have come across seems to portray them as pudgy, waddling types in the fluff, but then proceed to make them relatively mobile / agile in the stats. I guess it is generally for 'game balance' issues (otherwise no-one would ever play Halflings in these games....). Anyway, MA5 feels right to me for Halflings; and MA5 seems fine for Snotlings if you take 'short legs' as the deciding factor, whilst MA6 seems reasonable if you take the 'nippier than pudgy Halflings' approach (similarly, a chicken has short legs but can run a damn sight faster than me!).

I have toyed with the idea of (Secret) Weapons for Snotlings. Some basic ideas - they often carry round sharp pointy sticks (Stab skill - maybe 0-2 on the roster at 30k or 40k?); and they make use of poisonous fungus (Foul Appearance and / or Disturbing Presence if represented with skills; Bombardier if used as a 'regular' Secret Weapon).

This is probably veering too far away from the 'working parameters' of NTBB however.....

[TalonBay]

Any chance of the Slann getting some love? The blitzers are too expensive at 110k, who takes 4 of these? They're barely taken at all from what I've seen. Priced at 100k would still probably not see all of them taken but it would at least make it a decision.

[plasmoid]

Hi TalonBay,
I agree that Slann Blitzers for 100K would be a good change.
I've been thinking long and hard about the Slann team before this - and here is why I've decided on not changing them.

1. The stats gathered for them puts them in the bottom of tier I believe. Someone has to be. I've several times been told that with NTBB I'd be unable to draw the line and stop tweaking. Something would always need a nerf or a buff. So this is me drawing the line.

2. For aestaethic reasons I don't want to mess with more than half the teams. I.e. 12 max. So to change Slann, something else would have to be un-changed.

3. I held a poll (on TFF) about which were the weaker teams at low-mid TV. Both Nurgle and Chaos came in weaker than Slann. So they aren't the most obvious choice for buffing.

I hope that explains it.
Cheers
Martin

[TalonBay]

The reason I suggested it was nothing to do with their win % but rather to do with the pointlessness of having positionals that just aren't worth it, the blitzers could be a big part of the flavour of the team but they really are not at the moment. I confess it's not based on extensive research and I'd be happy to be proved wrong but I've only ever seen one or maybe two (if any) blitzers on the Slann teams, I doubt changing the price and having 4 of of them on the team would raise the team performance much when compared to its TV.

I don't get the only tweaking 12 teams aspect, they're either worth tweaking or they're not IMO.

[garion]

he is right. The team is more effective without their supposedly best player. Just build a 4 catcher and krox starting roster and play them like leaping rats and they are really effective. The blitzer is soooooo big a TV drain in makes no sense to buy them. Once they get 3 skills they start to even out a bit. But that takes a long time for a player without block, dodge, sure hands or any bash skills to achieve.

I don't really agree with narrowing the tiers to the extent you are, but in this case the player is just priced wrong. Much like all the big guy price changes for ogres and Minotaurs from lrb4 to crp too really. Both totally unneeded and has just made them big TV drains rather than useful players now.

[plasmoid]

I'd say it makes sense to tweak them.
Whether that makes them tweak-worthy is another matter. IMO.

It would sense to tweak Blitz! and PD too.
And if Slann need an early buff, I figure Chaos amd Nurgle do too.
I'm trying to not change too much, in order to make the rules paletable to more people.

If Slann are performing as a (low) tier-1 team, then I'd rather not change them.

[plasmoid]

Right - 2013 changes look like they will be:
1. Wardancer becomes Dodge, Leap, Fend instead of Block, Leap, Fend.
2. Mummies lose G.
3. Gobbos get only 0-2 trolls, but they're lonerless. Rerolls go back to 60K. SWs get Sneaky Git for +10K.
4. Halfling Catchers reduced to 0-4. Rerolls go back to 60K.

A. Clarification a KO'd sent off SG has to recover from both to return to play. (Same as in current CRP with Bribe & injured SW)
B. Bank merged with petty cash rule. "Transfer gold from Treasury to petty cash" becomes "Transfer gold from Bank to Treasury".

[garion]

Clarification a KO'd sent off SG has to recover from both to return to play. (Same as in current CRP with Bribe & injured SW)

That doesn't make sense, because they haven't actually been KO'd they have just been sent off. So why roll twice. Making them roll twice has just turned it into a never take skill again???

I don't like this rule anyway because SW rolls were better and should never have been removed form the game in the first place. But if you are going to do it, might as well make them only roll once, even then it is only worth taking on Secret Weapon players really and possibly DP stunty players. Roll twce on the other hand means never take it.

[harroguk]

If a SW SG has been KO'd then he needs to recover from the KO and from the sending off separately. Makes sense to me. ITs how they currently behave with bribes.

[fanglord13]

I personally think that SG roll should be seperate to KO and should be made immediately after being sent off. in other words, roll a 4+ and place them in Reserves straight away otherwise ejected for remainder of game. Stops the player sitting in the KO bin all game until roll is passed.

otherwise we appear to be getting close to the final resting place of the NTBB list. Hopefully the rules can change and make the challenging teams more fun and the easy teams that little bit harder