Post by: ExKirby on May 25, 2012, 04:44:37 pm
Gaming Block is basically the same idea. You have an idea, you put it into the thread. You need an idea, you pull out a net and fish it out. You're unsure about an idea, you hold it in until it's perfectly rusty. There was also something about crediting the thread when taking ideas, but I don't think anyone's ever done that. So don't bother.
To get the ball rolling, would anybody be interested in a Peasant Adventure Redux? For those unaware, Peasant Adventure is one of the all time classic games, up with Do Not Follow The Rainbow Snail and You Are Scientist (Hey, you know all those You Are X games? Scientist was the first. And best.) where the players are peasants and get to do stuff. Sorry, I cannot remember details, but I recall it being funny as heck. Especially NUKE's edition. That guy is amazing.
Post by: jc6036 on May 25, 2012, 05:39:55 pm
Anyways, I always have tons of ideas for suggestion and freeform games. I can barely stand to play, and I love to GM so this thread should be pretty beneficial.
I already have a game up and running, but it doesn't seem to be catching on. Would anybody care to tell me what's wrong with it?
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110210.0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110210.0)
Just boring? Too wordy? Cliched?
Post by: IronyOwl on May 25, 2012, 05:48:54 pm
I already have a game up and running, but it doesn't seem to be catching on. Would anybody care to tell me what's wrong with it?Yeah, not really interesting enough. To some extent that's a problem endemic to suggestion games in general; you're not in charge of anything directly, so it's less fascinating all around. The vague and not especially interesting start is probably what's dragging it down aside from that, though. Wake up, horror game, some sort of hospital/prison room, go explore. There could be all sorts of fascinating things to discover or do out there, but there's no real hint of them at the moment.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110210.0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110210.0)
Just boring? Too wordy? Cliched?
I began contemplating making an RTD based on the discworld at some point...You wouldn't be the first. We do have an RTD discussion thread for that, though.
EDIT: Almost forgot.
To get the ball rolling, would anybody be interested in a Peasant Adventure Redux? For those unaware, Peasant Adventure is one of the all time classic games... ...where the players are peasants and get to do stuff. Sorry, I cannot remember details, but I recall it being funny as heck. Especially NUKE's edition. That guy is amazing.Peasant Adventures are infinitely better with pictures, though.
Post by: MonkeyHead on May 25, 2012, 05:52:21 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on May 25, 2012, 05:55:42 pm
Post by: jc6036 on May 25, 2012, 05:56:24 pm
Also I like your art style, freeform. I might check those games out but I'm generally not one for playing.
EDIT: The game got more interesting as it went on with puzzle concepts, but I've just added a bit more that should make it more interesting. Link for anybody that wants to read my blocks of text and solve weird puzzle stuff along with a new feature I'm trying out involving IRC.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=post;msg=3317067;topic=110210.0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?action=post;msg=3317067;topic=110210.0)
Post by: freeformschooler on May 25, 2012, 06:30:45 pm
For example: You have a somewhat boring strip of game that your players could slog through or you as a GM could just do a montage of skipping it involving Samuel L. Jackson somehow. BUT THEN! You remember that you could always play it out as a Flash exploration sequence (http://freeformschooler.com/flash/waluigi01/). I'm quickly realizing this is a double edged sword, though.
The good side: Flash games, am I right? But seriously, from a GM perspective making these is like inhaling vast amounts of candy then going to the emergency room for it. Not only was the setup delicious to enact, but afterwards people are there cheering you on for not dying from the candy overdose. Also, you make a boring part of the game interesting. (Note: I'll probably not think this way at all after the Flashes start ramping up in complexity and tiring me out).
The bad side: But who said it had to be boring? After all, the suggesters are the co-GMs. When you run a Flash sequence outside of just a cutscene, you're basically stripping them of their suggestion rights, as any actions they might have made replaced with the ones you thought of when programming which, let's be honest, aren't going to always be as interesting or thought-provoking.
So what I'm asking here is would people as suggestion game readers prefer to have multiple Flash sequences scattered about (think Homestuck), have them reserved for cutscenes almost exclusively or not present at all (in the case that they're not as easy to skim over)?
Post by: jc6036 on May 25, 2012, 06:38:48 pm
Post by: OscarComrade on May 25, 2012, 06:48:04 pm
Post by: Spinal_Taper on May 25, 2012, 07:01:18 pm
Realistic ModernReally?
Post by: jc6036 on May 25, 2012, 07:05:53 pm
Post by: OscarComrade on May 25, 2012, 07:21:07 pm
Realistic ModernReally?
Admittedly, You Are A Russian is far from modern, and the Red arc of You Are A Destroyer was nowhere near realistic, but I would say that they're as close as I can get without being overly boring and pretentious.
Post by: Doomblade187 on May 25, 2012, 08:57:05 pm
Post by: Skyrunner on May 25, 2012, 09:01:54 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 26, 2012, 03:09:42 am
Post by: ExKirby on May 26, 2012, 03:27:24 pm
I am suddenly reminded of a game someone ran ages ago. There were two kings who set bounties on everything an an army of peasants who did the jobs to grab the bounty. And it was done on Lego. Anyone remember what it was?
Post by: jc6036 on May 26, 2012, 03:37:26 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 03:42:22 pm
Speaking of, I was thinking of reviving Keeping Up With Bay12 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=87704.0). Any thoughts?
Post by: freeformschooler on May 26, 2012, 03:54:50 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 03:58:27 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on May 26, 2012, 04:01:23 pm
I am suddenly reminded of a game someone ran ages ago. There were two kings who set bounties on everything an an army of peasants who did the jobs to grab the bounty. And it was done on Lego. Anyone remember what it was?Majesty, LEGO edition. Don't remember the proper name or who did it, though.
Post by: jc6036 on May 26, 2012, 04:03:47 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on May 26, 2012, 04:05:15 pm
What do you think would keep a new KUWB12 afloat? Cos I really liked that RP.
Oh, except for the godmodder because he was Ythian or some shit. And thus, with no regard for the rest of the team, even though they were being driven increasingly insane from the shots and the screaming, he kept firing and firing. No body could put up with his shit and everybody quit.
Finding a way to prevent stuff like this, possibly.
Post by: OscarComrade on May 26, 2012, 04:06:28 pm
Post by: FuzzyZergling on May 26, 2012, 04:08:16 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 04:09:16 pm
Basically, godmodders get "Warned" at first to stop godmodding, and their godmodding posts are said to be "Non-canon". If they continue, then the first post is edited to add them to a thing called an ignore list. Any person on the ignore list is to be ignored by other players when they post on the thread.
And Kobold Quest...
Well. I have respect for the dead, and I think that my ideas for Kobold Quest have floated away from me.
Post by: freeformschooler on May 26, 2012, 04:11:19 pm
I've been thinking of doing an illustrated suggestion adventure based on my Objecticon game, but I don't think I'd be able to keep up even a few updates a week with my terrible art skills and tendency to procrastinate...
Oh yes. I loved reading Objecticon.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on May 26, 2012, 04:11:53 pm
Eureka!But who's going to decide that. If it's one person, what are you going to do if he posts when you ain't online. After all, the thread will have moved one.
Basically, godmodders get "Warned" at first to stop godmodding, and their godmodding posts are said to be "Non-canon". If they continue, then the first post is edited to add them to a thing called an ignore list. Any person on the ignore list is to be ignored by other players when they post on the thread
If there are multiple, what to do if there was a conflict.
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 04:13:54 pm
Post by: lawastooshort on May 26, 2012, 04:14:02 pm
Sorry, I'm getting carried away.
Post by: jc6036 on May 26, 2012, 04:16:02 pm
Post by: monk12 on May 26, 2012, 04:17:14 pm
Indeed, I've just been using Roller's Block for FG&RP ideas sneakily disguised as RTDs. Now, if only we can keep this on the first page eternally like Roller's Block.
*raises hand* Guilty as charged. I was actually debating whether to start such a thread up here, but lacked the motivation. Now I can just hang out and kibitz until I have an idea what needs peer review. Not that I don't have random ideas eternally spewing from my mind anyway...
You are an Ant! Suggestion game where the players control an exploring worker ant in his quest to find and retrieve delicious noms whilst dodging rain, enemy soldiers, bigger bugs, treacherous terrain, little kids with magnifying glasses, and who knows what all else.
Could also work with bees.
Spoiler: Related (click to show/hide)
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 04:17:46 pm
And JC, I think I could make that work with Keeping Up With Bay12. Hell, it could be very general. Keeping Up With Bay12 doesn't have to be in a modern reality!
Post by: OscarComrade on May 26, 2012, 04:18:32 pm
Well fuck you too buddy.
You're fired. I'm in charge now.
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 04:18:59 pm
Post by: jc6036 on May 26, 2012, 04:22:13 pm
And anyone who tries posting in the thread itself gets rounded up by stormtroopers and fired out of a cannon into the sun.Keeping up with Bay12 had no concept of reality, with sub-basements, dragons, interdimensional portals, demons, spontaneous rapid reconstruction, a guy with a gunblade, a guy that kept an eldritch horror as a pet, an apathetic landlord, a quirky and grouchy ass engineer...the list goes on.
And JC, I think I could make that work with Keeping Up With Bay12. Hell, it could be very general. Keeping Up With Bay12 doesn't have to be in a modern reality!
Post by: ExKirby on May 26, 2012, 04:25:56 pm
>Respect for the deadYeahhhhhhhh no.
Well fuck you too buddy.
You're fired. I'm in charge now.
You're fired. I rehire whoever you fired.
Moral of the story: Do not shit in the thread of one of the oldest FG&R's threads.
Post by: Fniff on May 26, 2012, 04:26:56 pm
But it's seemingly in a modern world. In the vaguest sense.
Another idea, instead of just "No Godmoding", it actually says what would be godmoding, like getting tons of supplies from nowhere.
Post by: jc6036 on May 26, 2012, 04:28:38 pm
And giving some tight definitions for godmodding could be tough, but it does seem possible.
Post by: ExKirby on May 27, 2012, 01:49:03 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=61770.msg1408816#msg1408816
Anyone think rerunning it slightly differently would be a valid idea?
Post by: monk12 on May 27, 2012, 07:56:41 pm
So I had a quick search and I found the game I was looking for.
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=61770.msg1408816#msg1408816
Anyone think rerunning it slightly differently would be a valid idea?
Yeah, that looks pretty sweet.
Post by: ExKirby on May 28, 2012, 02:02:10 am
I'm considering having some kind of tech tree in this game-some tiles can have research markers, which, if delivered, give a bonus. Thoughts?
Post by: 10ebbor10 on May 28, 2012, 12:58:22 pm
The end of time is approaching, the walls of the universe are coming down, battered and broken. The apocalypse has come. Across the multiverse, cracks in the spacetime continuum are appearing. Time storms are ravaging the earth, and nothing can be trusted to be what it is. The multiverse is folding onto itself. The epicentre of this cascade is Planet earth, where all the Earths from across the multiverse are folding on top of each other. Entire continents blink out of existing, replaced by copies from alternate universa. War soon erupts, as each civilization tries to anchor itself into the one remaining reality, and not to dissapear into the void.
Spoiler: What is this (click to show/hide)
Signup sheet
Name:
Nation:
-Description:
-Species
-Starting location (Description needed)
Altearth
-Dominant species
-Description and look
-Atmospherical peanut concentration:1-100 (More peanuts, the more unstable the place is. This allows for incredible feats as magic and gods and such, but make it easier to blip back out of existebce)
-Differences in physics or other laws of nature (Require a quite high APC, only active on own terretory)
-Other information
Spoiler: Word explanation (click to show/hide)
Post by: Fniff on May 28, 2012, 01:00:13 pm
...
Heh. Perhaps combine the two lores into one... :P
Post by: jc6036 on May 28, 2012, 04:49:24 pm
Fuck yes.
Here's a link to the game thread, if you're interested. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110471.0)
Post by: OscarComrade on May 28, 2012, 06:20:49 pm
I figured that I would ask here to get a larger sample size. I've discussed possible plans for the game to some extent in my OOC thread, but the only people that read the thread are just the people who actively participate in my other games, which isn't a very large number.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 28, 2012, 08:01:16 pm
Specifically, it's a terrible fanfiction RPG.
Post by: ExKirby on May 29, 2012, 01:28:37 am
Post by: IronyOwl on May 29, 2012, 01:43:29 am
Post by: jc6036 on May 29, 2012, 01:48:00 am
And I'm still suffering from chronic procrastination. Yaaaaaaaay o/'Come on, ExKirby. I hardly ever see you around these parts.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 29, 2012, 04:27:21 am
A new season is just beginning, and YOU are the manager of a new gladiator team. Can you find the ultimate team and claim victory?
So, basically, warriors from all over space and time (though not more recent than the set official date) are drafted into teams, drugged and brainwashed not to panic, and fielded against eachother in bloody matches, accompanied by cheery commentary full of bad puns and crowd-pandering. You are the manager - you choose, train and field the gladiators, negotiate trades, pick coaches and tactics, etc etc.
Spoiler: So, suggestion game, or...? (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Matches/Strategies/Control (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: System (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Audience Participation! (click to show/hide)
Enjoy the rambling mess. Really, I should only have shared the basic idea.
Post by: monk12 on May 29, 2012, 12:03:45 pm
Post by: ExKirby on May 29, 2012, 03:28:38 pm
I'm the ghostAnd I'm still suffering from chronic procrastination. Yaaaaaaaay o/'Come on, ExKirby. I hardly ever see you around these parts.
That hides
In your soul
Rock 'n' roll
...Why did I do that
Post by: lawastooshort on May 29, 2012, 03:34:26 pm
Sounds pretty cool- it makes me think of some kind of Historical Crazy Blood Bowl.
Yes, I like the sound of that.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on May 29, 2012, 03:41:48 pm
The year is 1927. The Holy Roman church is still strong, supported by many because of their battle against devilish dragons. In many countries the Church orders have an exclusive contract. However the Church is unable to cope with all the dragons, as it orders, while highly trained, are very few, because only descendants of the Patron of the order are allowed training. Meanwhile freelancers and mercenaries groups have sprung up. However due to their lack of knowledge and tendency to use untested strategems they sometimes cause more bad than good, resulting in them being banned from many countries. No doubt that the Church had something to do with that.
Meanwhile, hidden in their castles or caves under the Earth, the dragons are cunningly at work, manipulating and bribing humans to furthen their goal. They have a great influence on the different nations, and wouldn't doubt before sending millions to their down to further their own goals. Among other things World War I was of their devising.
Spoiler: Different player characters (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: How would this game work (click to show/hide)
Post by: ExKirby on May 30, 2012, 03:27:12 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on May 30, 2012, 03:30:14 pm
Books, LSD, what's the difference?Books burn better and are often not in color. Anyway, the writer of the books was Markus Heitz, and I'm now rewriting that thing for clarity and sanity.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 04, 2012, 01:04:25 pm
Post by: Riccto on June 04, 2012, 08:50:19 pm
http://roll20.net/
Post by: OscomGafarade on June 07, 2012, 09:18:43 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 13, 2012, 02:21:16 pm
Google Docs:
Unit and Building Stats: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuVIx_dGFiP0dFFYXy1ueXhYZFJoWXU4UDdjdUw2MWc#gid=0
Summary Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuVIx_dGFiP0dF82cDVCRm11RVRDbG5xWUc0ZjFMZEE#gid=0
(Location will give resource bonuses/penalties. For example, a mountain would be + stone and metal, and - food and wood, and so forth.)
Post by: ExKirby on June 13, 2012, 03:55:33 pm
Post by: ExKirby on June 14, 2012, 04:12:20 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 15, 2012, 11:43:56 am
Hrm. I have the urge to make a Freeform Roleplay, but I can't think of a good idea. Help?Bay12 takes over a nuclear powerplant, Bay12 stranded on a uninhabited island(Complete with cannibalistic natives), Bay12 after an apocalypse of some sort, Bay12 during the First/Second world war,...
Anyway, completly unrelated idea.
Nations of ...
Spoiler: What is this? (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: A typical region (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Technology and magic (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Techs everyone has (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Tech tree (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Magic (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Player actions (click to show/hide)
I might add other stuff later.
Post by: EveryZig on June 15, 2012, 12:05:10 pm
- When you say that the mana field might deplete, is that depletion of a finite quantity (like oil) or out-pacing the regrowth of a renewable quantity (like overfishing)?
- Can mana be stored or transported?
- If deep mana fields are literally deep underground, is it possible to access them using non-magical mining?
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 15, 2012, 12:17:00 pm
Some questions about your nation game:-I think they are best comparable with fresh water. Some regions have an ample supply, others little. There are sometimes large reserves, deep underground, constaining a large supply that refills very slowly. You could also have vast rapidly filling reserves, but those are rare. The ultimate sources of these are mana springs, hidden deep underground.
- When you say that the mana field might deplete, is that depletion of a finite quantity (like oil) or out-pacing the regrowth of a renewable quantity (like overfishing)?
- Can mana be stored or transported?
- If deep mana fields are literally deep underground, is it possible to access them using non-magical mining?
- For small scale use, in crystals and such, but players will eventually be capable(probably a project or tech) of moving mana wherether by storing it or create a large scale manaduct. Mana fields can also move on themselves. If you deplete a mana field in one region, mana will flow from the other. Note that mana field depletion will disrupt the natural magic field, leading to potential disasters.
Mana can also slowly crystallize, possible forming large solid underground reserves of magical ore.
-They are quite deep. Note that you don't really need to acces them physically, trained wizards can just use them, whitout directly accesing them. Having a mineshaft down there would increase manaflow, but for nonmagical societies this will form no problems. The mana springs are almost always hidden deep underground, and are the source of all mana.
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 17, 2012, 12:11:28 pm
Here's the links: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuVIx_dGFiP0dFFYXy1ueXhYZFJoWXU4UDdjdUw2MWc#gid=0
and https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AuVIx_dGFiP0dF82cDVCRm11RVRDbG5xWUc0ZjFMZEE#gid=0
Post by: Doomblade187 on June 17, 2012, 03:06:54 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 17, 2012, 03:09:49 pm
Post by: ExKirby on June 18, 2012, 02:53:33 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on June 18, 2012, 02:58:45 pm
Post by: ExKirby on June 18, 2012, 03:13:30 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 19, 2012, 12:44:33 pm
Post by: Phantom on June 19, 2012, 09:04:34 pm
Anyone remember the Countries at War games? Decent group, if a bit cluttered for GMs to do turns in a daily frame.
Other than that, Godhood. A once rather popular series of forum games. Not sure what happened to it anymore.
Why I'm saying this? Because, well, You Are X kinda lost their touch for me, and I don't really have any more time to participate in a tabletop RPG such as 3.5e DnD.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 20, 2012, 03:52:42 am
Post by: ExKirby on October 08, 2012, 04:06:45 pm
So here's a radical idea-a Suggestion Games sub forum. We move all of the little single-player hivemind games into their own little room, and everyone can enjoy them there. This probably makes more sense when you think about it-suggestion games are about as popular as RTDs and Mafia, so they are in the ballpark for subforumville, and honestly, it'd make the board a lot neater as an entity. Those who are here for the You Are X games can have their own patch of land and those who prefer classic games like Tacticus and Godhood get more breathing space (Games seem to rarely stay on the front page for long periods of time these days). Thoughts?
Post by: freeformschooler on October 08, 2012, 04:10:55 pm
Post by: ExKirby on October 08, 2012, 04:19:52 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on October 08, 2012, 04:22:07 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on October 08, 2012, 04:24:55 pm
Now it's 9 in 10 suggestion gamesThis kind of indicates the problem, though; there's not a whole lot of forum games that aren't suggestion games. Having another subforum would probably leave the "main" one pretty sluggish and barren.
Post by: ExKirby on October 08, 2012, 04:50:58 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on October 09, 2012, 01:00:58 am
Post by: Yoink on October 09, 2012, 01:13:13 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on October 09, 2012, 01:21:34 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on November 06, 2012, 04:29:33 pm
Had a bit of a system written up, but I'm afraid I won't be able to do it on my own.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 16, 2013, 08:47:14 am
DUALISM - A GOD GAME
Dualism is a god game with a different focus from most of its kind. Two players take the roles of LIGHT and SHADOW or ORDER and CHAOS, or DAY and NIGHT, who have battled and struggled for control of the world since the dawn of time in an unending cycle. In the last age, they tore the world apart with their armies, champions and touch upon the world, threatening to unravel the fabric of reality itself! Neither side could gain victory, and in the end, they were sealed away where they could no longer touch the world. But now their prisons are weakening, and the cycle begins anew...
The Two begin weak and limited, only touching the world lightly. They must find mortals to do their bidding, their Chosen, who will bring about their release and victory. A millennium has passed and without them, the world has lost much of its glory, living among the ruins of the past age. Many weapons, armies, knowledge, remain buried and hidden, useful tools in the coming struggle.
---
So, basically, two players are the opposing personifications/primordial powers/whatever you want to call them. The Powers act at the beginning of every turn/month/whatever, exerting their influence, giving orders to their Chosen and what have you. As their prisons weaken more and more, they can influence the world more often and regain their once-great powers. For example, the power of, say, CHAOS, could decide to spend their power that turn to send an unnatural storm against a party of the champions of Order heading for a perilous mountain pass, in addition to giving its Chosen the knowledge of an ancient weapon hidden beneath the earth and ordering them to bring about a civil war in some kingdom or other.
The Chosen themselves, which the powers create during play (though they may not know it, in typical Chosen One way) or start with (if they choose to spend their starting points on them), are taken by players (or are NPCs if nobody claims them) and set to enjoy themselves and/or do as the Dark/Light/Pure/Great/Unkind One commands. On both sides, they work towards shattering the prisons of their master and bringing about its victory while trying to prevent their opposing side from doing the same. Though most of them start off weak and inexperienced, they can amass god-like power, perhaps even challenge their masters and claim reality for themselves!
I realize a game like this could suffer from metagaming a lot, so PM'ed actions of the Chosen might be needed, though I have enough faith in players not to need that most of the time. The Chosen would also gain their extra power from their master, but sharing it among eachother - meaning it's only useful for them to kill off and/or discredit their fellow Chosen.
This idea was more than slightly inspired by the Wheel of Time, but eternal dualistic conflicts occur pretty much everywhere.
Post by: monk12 on February 16, 2013, 02:51:49 pm
On the topic of "why is this thread never used," I think it might be that forum games are much more diverse than RTDs- less common ground for discussion. Everyone here pretty much does their own thing.
Of course, Roller's Block also serves as a hangout/discussion thread for the regulars, and I don't know why that aspect hasn't caught on up here. :shrug:
Post by: Fniff on February 16, 2013, 03:30:49 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 16, 2013, 03:38:30 pm
I was actually thinking of doing a Godhood style game set in the modern age of our world. The gods would have physical bodies in the world, and instead of being vague on how long each turn takes ingame, turns would be either Spring or Fall with years advancing as time goes on. Does it have potential?
It does. It gets brought up every now and then, but somehow it never gets created. I imagine the gods could be masquerading as mundane mortals if they wanted? It'd be urban fantasy in a nutshell.
Post by: Fniff on February 16, 2013, 03:52:10 pm
Post by: monk12 on February 16, 2013, 04:26:26 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 17, 2013, 02:54:58 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on February 17, 2013, 04:01:09 pm
Alternatively I've been wanting to run a game of Only War since the official version has been released a little bit ago, tried running it in beta but since everyone was in different time-zones I couldn't schedule a day where people would be able to show up. Might try running it again, since I still have most of my custom campaign for it written out.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on February 17, 2013, 04:04:28 pm
Right, the curse upon the lack of Urban Fantasy Godhoods has been broken, as it has now materialized! Check it out! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=123037.0)Now you just need to break the curse that lies on regular Godhood's, namely that each one'll be shorter than the last.
((Though Caesar already kinda broke it))
Post by: mcclay on February 17, 2013, 05:25:40 pm
Post by: RulerOfNothing on February 17, 2013, 07:07:30 pm
I would not mind seeing another Countires @ War. I personally don't have the time or math skills to do so but I have fond memories of them. The one moon cannon indeed.What exactly is involved in doing a Countries at War game? I am somewhat interested in running one if the burden isn't too onerous.
Post by: Firelordsky on February 17, 2013, 11:17:50 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on February 18, 2013, 12:06:26 am
I'm thinking about running a suggestion game where the players play as an officer of a fictional elite force of the British Army during the 18th Century. Would anyone be actually interested?If it's pure text, you have to do something to make it interesting. Whether that's some kind of interesting battle mechanics, illustrations, or extremely good writing it'll have to be SOMETHING. Many suggestion games are made, very few are actually remembered.
Post by: Bdthemag on February 21, 2013, 07:03:25 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on February 21, 2013, 07:10:35 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on February 21, 2013, 07:19:41 pm
Autorealm (http://sourceforge.net/projects/autorealm/): Kind of clunky but has a lot of options. It's specifically tailored to cartography and fantasy-style map creation.
DAME: (http://dambots.com/dame-editor/) I frickin' love this software. It's specifically geared toward pixel-based Flash game development, but it's still awesome as a general purpose tile-based map editor. Has pretty good options for image export.
Tiled: (http://www.mapeditor.org/) Similar to DAME, but it's a little more general purpose. There's more support for adding map "pieces" as opposed to assuming the map maker has a tileset on hand.
Hexographer/ (http://www.hexographer.com/)Campain Cartographer (http://www.profantasy.com/products/cc3.asp): ($$$MONEY$$$) Paid software for map making. I've heard good things about both, but CC3 (as a software bundle) seems excellent.
What would you guys think of a Homestuck RP? Not a system or anything, just an RP set in a vanilla session.
God no. I mean, okay, there's probably people here it appeals to. But there are literally hundreds of those on the MSPA forums, and the vast majority of them end up being afflicted by Sues, bad writing, failed attempts at humor, and god moding toward both other players and the session at large.
I have no reason to think Bay12 would be any different.
Post by: Doomblade187 on February 21, 2013, 07:22:11 pm
I have no reason to think Bay12 would be any different.Considering how the last 2 freeforms died, the concern is very reasonable. Neglect is almost as bad as sues.
Post by: Bdthemag on February 21, 2013, 07:25:38 pm
Oh and thanks Freeform, I'll check those out. I was only asking for a software that did it primarily because I have no skill whatsoever when it comes to image-editing software.
Post by: Doomblade187 on February 21, 2013, 07:34:29 pm
I took part in a Homestuck RP once, and now it provides to be one of the many things I always remember and instantly feel ashamed about. But seriously, I have some experience with freeform RP's on this forum. All of them have turned into mary-sue concentrated RP's where every tries to one-up each other and godmod.Yeah, we don't have the best record with freeforms. I think pretty much the only one that got it right that I can remember was Keeping up with Bay12, and I wasn't even in that one, so I wouldn't know.
Oh and thanks Freeform, I'll check those out. I was only asking for a software that did it primarily because I have no skill whatsoever when it comes to image-editing software.
But yeah, I was just looking at that option to reduce the GM delay in the current HS systems we have, though I realize they're very reasonable. We'll see how Roll to Strife goes.
EDIT: Forgot to say thank you for the links, FFS.
Post by: monk12 on February 21, 2013, 07:38:13 pm
What kind of maps are you looking at? Simple grids of things? World maps? I just use Flash/Photoshop for grid based mapping, but there might be easier things. Here's some options:
Autorealm (http://sourceforge.net/projects/autorealm/): Kind of clunky but has a lot of options. It's specifically tailored to cartography and fantasy-style map creation.
DAME: (http://dambots.com/dame-editor/) I frickin' love this software. It's specifically geared toward pixel-based Flash game development, but it's still awesome as a general purpose tile-based map editor. Has pretty good options for image export.
Tiled: (http://www.mapeditor.org/) Similar to DAME, but it's a little more general purpose. There's more support for adding map "pieces" as opposed to assuming the map maker has a tileset on hand.
Hexographer/ (http://www.hexographer.com/)Campain Cartographer (http://www.profantasy.com/products/cc3.asp): ($$$MONEY$$$) Paid software for map making. I've heard good things about both, but CC3 (as a software bundle) seems excellent.What would you guys think of a Homestuck RP? Not a system or anything, just an RP set in a vanilla session.
God no. I mean, okay, there's probably people here it appeals to. But there are literally hundreds of those on the MSPA forums, and the vast majority of them end up being afflicted by Sues, bad writing, failed attempts at humor, and god moding toward both other players and the session at large.
I have no reason to think Bay12 would be any different.
*commits links to memory/bookmark*
Thanks FFS!
Post by: Bdthemag on February 21, 2013, 07:41:29 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on February 21, 2013, 07:42:39 pm
Keeping up with Bay12 was fine at first, and I was involved with it since it started. It then quickly devolved in everyone doing crazier and stupider things, straying from the original ideas. Everyone did it, and the sane people dropped off as soon as it went downhill. I did particularly shitty in that RP too, and strayed into Mary Sue territory a few times. But there were people far worse. I can say with 100% assurance, that there has never been a freeform RP on here that has gone well. There needs to be mechanics or someone looking over the general plot of the story so the players don't do anything stupid.Ah, thanks- as I said, I was never in that one.
Post by: Fniff on February 22, 2013, 12:02:59 pm
Edit: Here is Anything Can Happen. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=81962.0)
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 01:36:12 pm
1. My games are always complicated.
2. I always get excited for them, and start a forum game for it.
3. The game isn't actually finished and I end up getting burned out, or not even fully starting. Then I hide in shame away from the forums.
Most of the time I only start them so people ask me questions. That way I know what I need to come up with. So I'm kinda glad this thread now exists.
Actual post:
I've had an idea that would "combat" gm abandonment. It involves a player posting their action. Then the next player rolls the above player's action and write out an outcome, then they post an action for their character. Then the next player rolls for them and does the same.
Please tell me why this is a terrible idea and should not be pursued.
Post by: Fniff on February 22, 2013, 01:37:28 pm
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 02:12:07 pm
May be open for abuse... Could be interesting to try out. Plus it'd be good against trenchcoating.
To limit abuse I thought of some not fully fleshed out rules.
1. You cannot roll for the last person who rolled for you. That way you can't fudge the dice of someone who just made you fail your hopscotch check, and totally embarrass you in front of your secret crush.
2. There's 2 different types of rolls. Basic rolls which work like roll to dodge rolls. The other being "Versus" rolls.
When you roll a 6 on a basic roll, you succeed your check, but begin a session of "Versus" Rolls.
Example: You successfully unlock the door, but failed to notice the guards on the other side. Commence vs. roll
5 you succeed and get a little bit extra out of it (one time bonus to next roll)
Example: You successfully unlock the door. And you also receive a boon, which allows you to call upon one of your traits.
4 you succeed.
Example: You successfully unlock the door.
3 you succeed but at a cost.
Example: You successfully unlock the door. However the door is pretty loud and you receive a "negative sounding word" which can be used by any player rolling for you to lower your check by 1 for each "bad thing word", using up the "mean word of -1".
2 you fail, commence versus check.
Example: You fail to unlock the door, also there's guards.
1 you fail, commence versus check. Start out with a disadvantage.
Example: You fail to unlock the door, also there's guards, also you drop your dagger when you pull it from your sheath.
Versus checks start whenever your in a fight, or simply trying to survive. The first check (unless you rolled a 1 when commencing the check) is just like any other check, however if you fail, stuff happens to you, and you gain a disadvantage. A disadvantage is a -1 that applies to the next roll.
If you fail your next versus roll, and you have an disadvantage you are injured, which applies something. I'm thinking of using a trait system (as stated earlier).. When you get injured you either gain or lose a trait. If you fail again you "die" (or get knocked out or imprisoned whichever makes the most sense).
If you succeed a roll while disadvantaged, or injured, you go back to the starting point, or "normal" and then if you succeed again you are no longer in the versus session. This is to prevent you from going from disadvantage to injured to disadvantage to injured, over and over again.
Possibly limit injuries to once per versus banaza, to limit drastic character changes.
More on traits: Using a boon point allows you to use one of your traits (that relate to your action) to receive a +2 to the check.
Example: You have the "deft hands" traits, you use a boon point to receive a +2 to your lock pick attempt.
You could thus lose the "deft hands" trait, from an injury, such as being mauled by a wolf. You could of course gain the "fear of wolves" trait instead of losing your "deft hands" trait. "Fear of Wolves" being a trait that other players can call upon when making a roll for you if it applies, but would be pretty useless for you.
Example: You have the "Fear of Wolves" trait, and are in the woods. You roll a travel check. The player rolling for you, decides to use your "Fear of Wolves" check to take away 1 from your roll. He rolls a 3, and lowers it by 1. Claiming you heard a wolves howl and froze in your tracks, failing your travel check, he then comes up with a challenge in your way, lets say bandits.
Example 2: You have the "Fear of Wolves" trait. You are beset by a wolf. You use a boon point to to use your "Fear of Wolves" in an escape check. The next player rolls a 3, then adds the +2 from your trait use, giving you a 5. You escape the wolf and regain your boon point.
Thoughts? ((wrote way more then I planned))
Post by: sjm9876 on February 22, 2013, 02:19:19 pm
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 02:23:42 pm
This is intruiging.... player numbers would have to be limited so everyone could keep track of everyone elses last actions, for continuity, but otherwise this seems like a good idea.
[/quote
It'd have to be between 4-6. That way the same people don't roll for the same people every time.
I'm a bit stumped on player interaction, both in fighting each other, and just plain talking to npc's or each other.
Post by: Fniff on February 22, 2013, 02:30:15 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 22, 2013, 02:31:51 pm
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 02:33:44 pm
Should it be a freeformer too? We could actually make the freeform RP work!
I pretty much came up with the idea, because I missed old school, post a paragraph rp's I used to do in middle school and some in highschool. But I also prefer it if it wasn't a one up contest filled with mary sues.
Post by: Fniff on February 22, 2013, 02:36:28 pm
Freeform RPs generally don't have action rolling or mechanics by definition.
And that's usually why they kinda collapse in trenchcoating and random murder.
Should it be a freeformer too? We could actually make the freeform RP work!
I pretty much came up with the idea, because I missed old school, post a paragraph rp's I used to do in middle school and some in highschool. But I also prefer it if it wasn't a one up contest filled with mary sues.
Really? Well, I must thank you for coming up with that idea, as it certainly did make me happy, though it does have it's problems. I tried doing my own version of it, but it didn't really work out because my idea was being a constant GM and people being random murderers wears on you even more when you're actively trying to prevent it.
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 02:41:24 pm
Freeform RPs generally don't have action rolling or mechanics by definition.
And that's usually why they kinda collapse in trenchcoating and random murder.Should it be a freeformer too? We could actually make the freeform RP work!
I pretty much came up with the idea, because I missed old school, post a paragraph rp's I used to do in middle school and some in highschool. But I also prefer it if it wasn't a one up contest filled with mary sues.
Really? Well, I must thank you for coming up with that idea, as it certainly did make me happy, though it does have it's problems. I tried doing my own version of it, but it didn't really work out because my idea was being a constant GM and people being random murderers wears on you even more when you're actively trying to prevent it.
The main one being, writing out a fantastic roll and your own post, only to be ninja'd by a hastily written post and nothing but a bolded action. Of course you could always reserve, but if you reserve and don't finish, you either have to unreserve leaving a gap, or keep it reserved but hold up the game.
Can you delete your post if it's the last one in the thread? I forget how bay12 handles that. Well I'll find out in 2 seconds.
edit- the answer is nope.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 22, 2013, 02:44:15 pm
I'm a half [(half vampire demon) (half vampire angel)] half [(half angel catgirl) (half cyborg fallen angel)]. That's right, I'm a third generation sue. I need a chart to keep track of my own tragic backstory and bullshit power suite!Should it be a freeformer too? We could actually make the freeform RP work!
I pretty much came up with the idea, because I missed old school, post a paragraph rp's I used to do in middle school and some in highschool. But I also prefer it if it wasn't a one up contest filled with mary sues.
Also "half" no longer looks like a word, and yes, the parentheses were necessary for being able to parse that at all.
Post by: Fniff on February 22, 2013, 02:46:02 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 22, 2013, 03:03:00 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on February 22, 2013, 03:06:18 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 22, 2013, 03:15:00 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on February 22, 2013, 03:17:02 pm
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 04:38:44 pm
Think I might make a thread for my system. Post-Epidemic Cityscape could be a fun setting.
Anyone have any thing they have to say about my system before I make the jump?
Post by: sjm9876 on February 22, 2013, 04:46:40 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 04:48:27 pm
Would it be alright if i use a (heavily modified) version of your system for a game? With room for fallen angel cyborgs?Spoiler (click to show/hide)
As I said in my pm. sure.
Post by: sjm9876 on February 22, 2013, 05:11:14 pm
A freeform(ish) game that may work? (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=123216.0)
Post by: Bdthemag on February 22, 2013, 05:13:20 pm
Post by: King_of_the_weasels on February 22, 2013, 06:41:22 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=123219.0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=123219.0)
Post by: RulerOfNothing on March 27, 2013, 07:45:51 am
- Alien Incursion: the players work for different alien polities and are all trying to infiltrate Earth for some reason (I'm leaning towards Precursor artifacts that have inexplicably been placed here)
- X-COMs: While the recent alien invasion should have caused the various countries to put aside their differences and put up a united front against the aliens, unfortunately that did not happen and now many countries have formed separate alien-fighting agencies which are controlled by the players. Not quite sure on the logistics of this one though.
- SMAC inspired game: Humans send a colony ship to someplace, colony gets fractured into various factions upon arrival, that sort of thing.
- Hivemind: I remember seeing a few games where there was a zerg/tyrannid style hivemind and the players had to guide said hivemind, and also that there was a multiplayer version of it.
- Countries @ War: I think I have a pretty good handle on how the mechanics are supposed to work, so I could try my hand at this
Post by: Xantalos on March 28, 2013, 12:32:24 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on May 04, 2013, 06:54:12 am
How about a game where most conspracy theories are right, and you are one of the many institutions covering it up. Maybe a governement program, ancient secret society, a cult worshipping ancient beings, or just something else entirely.
Of course, you'd have acces to all pseudoscience, magic, and the like which totally works and such.
Might be fun.
Post by: monk12 on May 04, 2013, 08:32:48 pm
Post by: Xantalos on May 04, 2013, 08:33:38 pm
Digging up this thread again.I remember Harry Baldman proposed something like this in the RTD suggestion thread.
How about a game where most conspracy theories are right, and you are one of the many institutions covering it up. Maybe a governement program, ancient secret society, a cult worshipping ancient beings, or just something else entirely.
Of course, you'd have acces to all pseudoscience, magic, and the like which totally works and such.
Might be fun.
Post by: kj1225 on May 04, 2013, 08:35:50 pm
Digging up this thread again.I remember Harry Baldman proposed something like this in the RTD suggestion thread.
How about a game where most conspracy theories are right, and you are one of the many institutions covering it up. Maybe a governement program, ancient secret society, a cult worshipping ancient beings, or just something else entirely.
Of course, you'd have acces to all pseudoscience, magic, and the like which totally works and such.
Might be fun.
Only if it all leads back to the Haarp array.
Post by: kj1225 on May 04, 2013, 08:40:28 pm
Post by: Xantalos on May 04, 2013, 08:41:36 pm
Also I need an idea to give my game a plot. So far a bunch of independent entities find that there bored and poses beings with magic potential for fun. I have a treant and a magical hawk. I need something to tie the adventure together besides very bad or very good rolls.Introduce villain. Get them to have motivation to stop villain (ie he took their bananas). Go from there.
Post by: Fniff on May 06, 2013, 02:19:19 pm
Should I let the players constantly know the numbers, only inform them when it hits 1, 5, or 10, don't let them know at all, or supply hints at the current number based on background information? Last one might be hard to do.
Post by: kj1225 on May 06, 2013, 03:51:06 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on May 06, 2013, 03:52:49 pm
Post by: Phantom of The Library on May 06, 2013, 03:57:56 pm
You could also make it vague phrases instead of hard numbers to keep them on their toes.^^This^^
It can generate delicious paranoia all on its own.
Post by: Fniff on May 06, 2013, 04:32:57 pm
Should I roll every time for suspicion, and if I get a failure I say the opposite?You could also make it vague phrases instead of hard numbers to keep them on their toes.^^This^^
It can generate delicious paranoia all on its own.
Actually that last one could be easy. say is you walk into town at 10 suspicion and you see wanted posters all over, where as if you walk in at one and you see a random cop look at you as if he is uncertain as to where he's seen you.
Well, it's a modern RP so wanted posters might be a bit Wild West, though I see what you mean. Maybe instead of posters it's "Police reports of a terrorist group in Birmingham have the populace on their toes! Please report any sightings of these suspected terrorists, depicted by their police impressions." and at one it's "The case of the Birmingham terrorists has gone cold as sightings drop off. Police believe that they may have moved on, though they encourage citizens to remain on the look-out."
Post by: tryrar on May 06, 2013, 04:36:55 pm
Ok, the year is 2025, and a massive collision of asteroids in the belt has put Ceres on an orbit that will intersect with the Earth in roughly 70 years. Mankind needs to race to build an ark to a new home or be wiped out forever as the planet is wiped out by the collision. Players take the role of the project leads as they come up with proposals for a ship(s), with they'll get into space, what will propel the ship, logistics trains, who gets to go and who stays behind, selecting the new world we'll be living on, and overseeing construction, all while everything goes steadily to hell as riots, wars and other nastiness erupts around the globe due to impending destruction.
Now I wanted to be pretty realistic with this, with the handwave of course about Ceres being knocked from the belt without being shattered completely(it DOES have 1/3 of the total mass of the belt after all!)
Post by: Solifuge on May 12, 2013, 06:59:56 pm
Which of these things make your favorite adventures most memorable?
- A strong element of interactivity, with deep and/or exciting game rules.
- An intersting, mysterious, or strange story/setting.
- Humor and general zaniness.
- Quick-paced action, or rapid updating.
- Something else.
Which of these things kill your interest in forum adventures most?
- Lack of GM interactivity or regular updates.
- Long/wordy posts that make it hard to catch up/get started.
- Slow-paced action/tension/drama/plot-advancement.
- Blandness of setting, characters, or storyline.
- Something else.
Been picking people's brains about my current forum adventure (http://bit.ly/TJtv89) via the Bay12 Lower Boards IRC, wondering why I'm losing interested folks, so I can address it as a GM in the future.
Also, folks seem to jump on board with new adventures without hesitation, but I've heard a lot of people talk about how they don't want to get caught up with many established adventures (and the longer they've gone on, the harder this is). This makes me think new readers get dissuaded by the size of the posts or the adventure as a whole, and don't often want to get started unless something particular catches their interest, or other people convince them to read it. Do you think that's true?
Post by: Xantalos on May 12, 2013, 07:25:40 pm
Considering I've only just convinced myself to read Warrens, I'd consider this yes.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 12, 2013, 08:29:27 pm
Which of these things make your favorite adventures most memorable?Interesting concepts and high interactivity are obviously a plus. Most of the other stuff is situational- it depends on how well it's pulled off, what kind of humor it is, etc.
- A strong element of interactivity, with deep and/or exciting game rules.
- An intersting, mysterious, or strange story/setting.
- Humor and general zaniness.
- Quick-paced action, or rapid updating.
- Something else.
Which of these things kill your interest in forum adventures most?Long updates, or even just a lot of posts, tend to kill my interest. I love Warrens, for instance, but I still just can't keep up to date on it.
- Lack of GM interactivity or regular updates.
- Long/wordy posts that make it hard to catch up/get started.
- Slow-paced action/tension/drama/plot-advancement.
- Blandness of setting, characters, or storyline.
- Something else.
I also suffer from general ADD on that subject, though. It's not uncommon for me to pop into a fresh adventure to suggest something, then lose interest and wander off.
It also tends to kill my interest to see the game consistently go in directions I don't like. Not much to be done about that, but there's not as much investment or point in playing when things keep going elsewhere from what you'd like.
Been picking people's brains about my current forum adventure (http://bit.ly/TJtv89) via the Bay12 Lower Boards IRC, wondering why I'm losing interested folks, so I can address it as a GM in the future.Never started that for a few reasons.
One, the title sort of gave me the impression of an era I'm not fond of, and I never really bothered to get past that.
Two, it's massive. I could jump onto the end and have no idea what's going on, or start at the beginning and not have the effort to slog through it all.
Three, I never had a particularly good sense of what I was missing out on. Again, this is sort of a weird advertising issue, but once I'd decided that it was long and about muskets or something, there wasn't anything to counter that and suggest that I should give it a try.
Obviously none of those ought to be problems for existing players, but maybe that'll be helpful for the future.
Also, folks seem to jump on board with new adventures without hesitation, but I've heard a lot of people talk about how they don't want to get caught up with many established adventures (and the longer they've gone on, the harder this is). This makes me think new readers get dissuaded by the size of the posts or the adventure as a whole, and don't often want to get started unless something particular catches their interest, or other people convince them to read it. Do you think that's true?Definitely.
I suspect there's also sometimes a sense that once a game is established, there's sort of an established set of situations or method of doing things or clique of decisionmakers, which makes an established game much different from a new one. People love popping into games to say "Turn into a potato!" or "Clowns everywhere!" for no particular reason. Figuring out which lead to investigate or what your next piece of dialogue should be is both more restricting and requires much more understanding of what's going on, which makes it less appealing to a lot of people.
Post by: FuzzyZergling on May 12, 2013, 09:15:49 pm
Posting to follow, and I'll be throwing some adopt-a-concepts up here soon enough. Until then, I did have a query for other Forum Gamers and GMs:Interactivity is the most important in suggestion adventures, while deeper game rules are more important in the games where each person controls their own character.
Which of these things make your favorite adventures most memorable?
- A strong element of interactivity, with deep and/or exciting game rules.
- An intersting, mysterious, or strange story/setting.
- Humor and general zaniness.
- Quick-paced action, or rapid updating.
- Something else.
A suggestion game needs the suggesters to feel like they're having an effect on the plot, or they lose interest. There don't necessarily have to be any "rules" at all for it to work.
With the other type, the plot can remain static while the player's actions keep them entertained. The rules must be as interesting as possible, so that the player can know what they can and cannot do,
Story is important for both.
I personally don't care how often something updates; I'm not likely to lose interest due to that.
Quote
Which of these things kill your interest in forum adventures most?I don't think I've ever really lost interest completely in a game, but I think the thing most likely to bore me are long combat segments in textual format. Exciting pictures can make it interesting, but just reading about what the main character is doing in a fight cannot.
- Lack of GM interactivity or regular updates.
- Long/wordy posts that make it hard to catch up/get started.
- Slow-paced action/tension/drama/plot-advancement.
- Blandness of setting, characters, or storyline.
- Something else.
A bland setting also brings down quality.
Quote
Been picking people's brains about my current forum adventure (http://bit.ly/TJtv89) via the Bay12 Lower Boards IRC, wondering why I'm losing interested folks, so I can address it as a GM in the future.Yes, definitely.
Also, folks seem to jump on board with new adventures without hesitation, but I've heard a lot of people talk about how they don't want to get caught up with many established adventures (and the longer they've gone on, the harder this is). This makes me think new readers get dissuaded by the size of the posts or the adventure as a whole, and don't often want to get started unless something particular catches their interest, or other people convince them to read it. Do you think that's true?
I almost never ever look at a game if it's more than five pages long, unless it's from a GM I'm familiar with or someone points me to it specifically.
I couldn't tell you why.
Post by: monk12 on May 12, 2013, 09:39:00 pm
It also tends to kill my interest to see the game consistently go in directions I don't like. Not much to be done about that, but there's not as much investment or point in playing when things keep going elsewhere from what you'd like.
...
I suspect there's also sometimes a sense that once a game is established, there's sort of an established set of situations or method of doing things or clique of decisionmakers, which makes an established game much different from a new one. People love popping into games to say "Turn into a potato!" or "Clowns everywhere!" for no particular reason. Figuring out which lead to investigate or what your next piece of dialogue should be is both more restricting and requires much more understanding of what's going on, which makes it less appealing to a lot of people.
In my experience, these two things tend to combine to cause playercount to drop over the course of the first few segments of a new game. When the game starts, there's a fair number of ways things can go, and in many games there's the freedom for it to really go anywhere. The first few situations handled tend to establish what method and tone is most popular, and how the GM reacts to things this early goes a long way toward establishing that tone. Usually, this means the first major schism is between the silly lol-random people and the serious people, whichever camp loses usually quits the thread for another.
At the same time this is happening, there's usually a handful of very active players whose suggestions tend to be the most popular, which gives rise to the first clique arising. Once they get history on their side, there's a definite sense that "this is a sort of thing the character would do" which lends extra credibility to their suggestions, since it's hard to ignore internal consistency. From what I've seen, the less vocal players tend to either quit or start lurking, either because their votes can't overcome the clique or because their opinions are already adequately covered by the clique. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, since a small core of dedicated players will keep the game alive through various levels of popularity. This tends to be the point at which strong story wins out over strong mechanics, since people who are interested in the actual story of the game are more likely to hang around, even if they just lurk. People who hang around only for the mechanics will drift away if they get consistently outvoted.
Assuming the GM is still going strong at this point, what I've seen happen often is that the original clique will splinter based on smaller deviations than the broad strokes that brought them to the forefront in the first place. Depending on how things go, either history will repeat itself, or the splintering will allow the votes of newcomers to matter more, increasing player count. Once the game is established newcomers will have accepted the "story so far" as just part of the cost of joining the game, and internalized the history/motivations of the characters, meaning their suggestions usually fit within the broad strokes defined by the original clique. As far as I can see, this is how long-runners survive; new blood comes in at about the rate old blood loses interest in the game for whatever reason.
/pompous overanalysis
But anyway, as for your actual questions, I don't have much to offer other than what Fuzz and IronyOwl mentioned. Action/Combat that drags tends to kill things I otherwise like, and is usually a byproduct of adapting round-based tabletop rules to a setting where trying to advance the game in 6 second time increments makes everything take weeks IRL. I think the only GM I've seen get away with it is freeformscholar, and that's because he usually makes combat a series of quick updates that are done on the same day, or the day after.
I know irregular/infrequent updates kills it for some people, but I myself don't mind that much, and the fact I still have any players at all in my games tells me there is a decent population of the forums that can live with one update every few weeks/months. I know that if infrequent updates are common, it can be difficult to keep up if the plot is reasonably intricate, which tends to drive away the more casual followers. I try to alleviate this by having every update linked from the OP for quick reference, where I don't reference the past directly in the update.
As far as joining new adventures vs joining established adventures, for me a lot of it comes down to subject matter and whether I'm already familiar with the GMs work. Blunderbuss is a pretty good example for me, actually- I remember the first time I saw it the game hadn't gotten very far (so I didn't know whether it was something I would be interested in a month down the line,) I wasn't in a super Steampunky mood, and I wasn't familiar with the you from other things. The second time I saw it I was jonesing for a good ISG, and not only was I more familiar with you from around the forums I was also quite aware you could deliver the goods on the "pretty pictures" front, which sucked me in long enough to decide the story was worth following.
I don't know about anyone else, but I don't spend too much time lurking around the main FG&R board looking for new threads. I keep involved in a couple-three at a time, and every once in a while I take a glance to see if anything catches my eye. This tends to be why I miss out on the ground floor of a lot of games, but if something looks like it might be interesting I'll read at least the first few updates before deciding whether to continue with it. Or bookmark it in case I'm not in the mood to read a wall of text at that moment- you know, like this wall of text!
Post by: Kadzar on May 12, 2013, 11:46:53 pm
-snip-Well, I guess, thinking about it, your game has great illustrations and an interesting setting, but there really isn't all that much happening; there isn't much of a plot.
Zany games can get away with a bare bones plot because there's enough happening due to player character antics to keep up interest. If running a more serious game with a reasonably-minded character, like Blunderbuss, you need to add some interesting events going on in the game environment to shake things up a bit (which you seem to be doing with the last update). My philosophy for forum games is that, whether it's a suggestion game or a multiplayer rp, every update should leave players feeling like they have something important they need to react to.
As for pace, I find that, if there's anything good about a game, people will be willing to wait awhile between updates (just look at Elves of Amanereli (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=47677756ba40cecea9393854bdf41d58&topic=55601.0).)
So on my last forum game, I kind of got burnt out because I was having to write six or seven separate stories at once for nine players while trying to be as funny as possible.
So that's either on hold or dead, I'm not sure. Anyway, I'm thinking of starting a new game to address the problems in the previous one. Here's what I'm thinking of for an OP:
Quote
Party Quest (or I Am Forever Bad at Naming Things) IAFBaNT?
In this game you will play a group of adventurers who’ve banded together to follow their dreams. Each of you possesses a certain skillset or some other valuable assets, but that alone is not enough to reach your goal. You’ll need the help of your fellow party members to help face the challenges on your way to ultimate victory.
This is intended to be a game of cooperation and camaraderie. If you are the kind of person who just likes to go off and do their own thing, please don’t apply for this game, it’s not meant for you.
That’s not to say that you can’t split up or occasionally go off and do your own thing, but the idea is that each of you is a part of the group and needs each other in some respect. If that ever becomes no longer the case, your character can go off to do their own thing and you can make a new character for whom that is the case.
I’ll take 4-6 players (the intention is for the group to be small so that everyone has a chance to get know everyone else better). Use the following template for your character sheets:
Your Name: What name are you known as by your fellow adventurers?
Ultimate Goal: What do you ultimately seek to accomplish through adventuring? You can include pertinent backstory here, though backstory isn’t strictly necessary; I just need to know what you’re after and possibly why. This shouldn’t be some trivial thing; it should be something you’ll be trying to acquire throughout the whole game.
Why you’re with the party: How does the party help you reach your goal? What ties you to the party: do their goals align well with yours; do they have something you can’t find anywhere; or do you have a special connection with one or more of the party members? Why don’t you just go off and do your own thing?
What you bring to the party: As it says, what makes the party want to keep you in it’s employ? It isn’t necessarily special skills, you might have funds or access to some special contacts that make you valuable, or secret knowledge or something else I haven’t thought of.
Your Problem: What in your character’s life causes them or gets them into the most trouble? This should be neither a trivial bother nor a major handicap, just something they struggle with often but are not overcome by. It should be something that adds interest to the character and to the game and makes your character more 3-dimensional.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 12, 2013, 11:55:31 pm
I'd have to say story/setting is most important to me, though nifty concepts and mechanics are nice too. I still miss a very shortlived freeform RP (like, 2 pages) from years ago where we had a good thing going, RP-wise. Pure story interest there.
Post by: kj1225 on May 13, 2013, 12:03:03 am
Anyways, since it seems that my previous game has died to the inactivity of players I have an idea for a new game.
So you (The players) are the outcasts of a school full of stuck-up jocks, future whores, and lawyers... Doesn't getting beat up suck? So take over the school by beating the yammering quims up! Ignore the fact your principal is telling you this by the way.
Post by: Fniff on May 13, 2013, 09:45:33 am
You see, not only did you have to handle the school side of things without having a nervous breakdown, you'd also have to stop supernatural monsters from invading. There'd be two meters for the schoolwork side of things (if that reaches 10, you have a nervous breakdown from stress) and for the monster side of things (if that reaches 10, monsters invade in a huge number). You'd also get your own special abilities for both mundane and supernatural things.
I must do that sometime.
Edit: on good forum games.
I like games that do things differently and don't get too much into one-upping. Take You Are A Hitchhiker (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=124772.0). I liked how it worked out that no-one was going "LAWLZ MURDER HIM AND RAPE HIM TO DEATH" or "TURN IT ALL INTO CLOWNS SO RANDOM", but it was still interesting. This applies to forum roleplays as well. Anything Can Happen (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=81962.0) is another example of this. I think in both cases it primarily worked because it was a small collection of people who were somewhat on the same wavelength. If there's too many people trying to one-up themselves as the craziest/coolest (depending if it's a forum game or a roleplay), then it tends to get harder to make it interesting.
Post by: Furtuka on May 16, 2013, 06:42:08 pm
Post by: Solifuge on May 16, 2013, 08:07:01 pm
-snip-Well, I guess, thinking about it, your game has great illustrations and an interesting setting, but there really isn't all that much happening; there isn't much of a plot.
Zany games can get away with a bare bones plot because there's enough happening due to player character antics to keep up interest. If running a more serious game with a reasonably-minded character, like Blunderbuss, you need to add some interesting events going on in the game environment to shake things up a bit (which you seem to be doing with the last update). My philosophy for forum games is that, whether it's a suggestion game or a multiplayer rp, every update should leave players feeling like they have something important they need to react to.
Yeah. I'm actually still learning how to Write write as it is, and at the same time am learning GMing, and what hooks to leave and how to leave them at the same time. It depends on your players a lot; what sort of things interest them or work as hooks, and what things they'll ignore. Regarding slow starts, I've seen them done elsewhere (http://www.mspaintadventures.com/) to decent effect. I mostly wanted to handle the background and exposition through the events of the intro chapter, rather than doing plot dumps... the story as it exists now is just set-up for the story I'm hoping to tell. But I'm starting to get to stuff that feels more plot-like, I hope.
On that note, I'm not sure if so much background info is even necessary, sometimes. Maybe it's better for people to be flung into a setting and cast of characters without any backdrop. But I think you need a certain minimum of backdrop presented, or the situation and characters become unrelatable, and lack clear direction.
Post by: Kaferian on May 16, 2013, 08:08:13 pm
Post by: Nerjin on May 16, 2013, 08:11:45 pm
Do you think that players would be able to create plausible nations for an alternate history game?
I would like to think so yes. It depends, to my way of thinking, how much you want for the nations though.
Post by: Xantalos on May 16, 2013, 08:14:12 pm
So that GWG thread got me thinking. What if we made an organized suggestion game where there was a different GM every day?Like Roll to GM?
Post by: Kaferian on May 16, 2013, 08:20:26 pm
I'm expecting them to just write a history of their nation why it is what it is while I make the stats for their nations so that no transcontinental empires will be vastly overpowered and perfect. I can just fill in whatever I feel that needs to be filled in to make their nation plausible. The problem with this approach, though, is that players might expect me to do most of the work for them.Do you think that players would be able to create plausible nations for an alternate history game?
I would like to think so yes. It depends, to my way of thinking, how much you want for the nations though.
Post by: Furtuka on May 16, 2013, 08:21:06 pm
So that GWG thread got me thinking. What if we made an organized suggestion game where there was a different GM every day?Like Roll to GM?
I suppose, but with daily/half-daily changes instead of by turn like I mentioned, and my original idea involved sign-ups or something. The GMs would also be free to change the mechanics however they want when it is their turn.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 16, 2013, 11:51:45 pm
I'm expecting them to just write a history of their nation why it is what it is while I make the stats for their nations so that no transcontinental empires will be vastly overpowered and perfect. I can just fill in whatever I feel that needs to be filled in to make their nation plausible. The problem with this approach, though, is that players might expect me to do most of the work for them.Do you think that players would be able to create plausible nations for an alternate history game?
I would like to think so yes. It depends, to my way of thinking, how much you want for the nations though.
I don't know about plausible, but certainly interesting. You'd have to go by app quality in player selection, but that's never a bad thing. What sort of time period would this be set in, by the way?
Post by: Kaferian on May 17, 2013, 03:55:55 pm
The 18th to 19th Century as that would allow players who are not really into the whole dynastic succession shenanigans to fully enjoy playing the game.I'm expecting them to just write a history of their nation why it is what it is while I make the stats for their nations so that no transcontinental empires will be vastly overpowered and perfect. I can just fill in whatever I feel that needs to be filled in to make their nation plausible. The problem with this approach, though, is that players might expect me to do most of the work for them.Do you think that players would be able to create plausible nations for an alternate history game?
I would like to think so yes. It depends, to my way of thinking, how much you want for the nations though.
I don't know about plausible, but certainly interesting. You'd have to go by app quality in player selection, but that's never a bad thing. What sort of time period would this be set in, by the way?
Post by: freeformschooler on May 20, 2013, 12:43:57 pm
Spoiler: Concept: Forum Stories (click to show/hide)
Post by: monk12 on May 20, 2013, 10:22:30 pm
Spoiler: Concept: Forum Stories (click to show/hide)
Hella
Sweet
Post by: Furtuka on May 20, 2013, 10:23:26 pm
Spoiler: Concept: Forum Stories (click to show/hide)
Hella
Sweet
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 21, 2013, 08:48:24 am
---
In the distant and increasingly amoral future, a new sport is sweeping the nation(s). Travel through time and space, accidentally invented by a broadcasting company, is now being used to draft gladiators into teams in the present day from all over the past. Legions of samurai face off against bands of vikings and wild west bandits, musketeers battle ancient charioteers, famous painters duke it out with bewildered cavemen.
A new season is just beginning, and YOU are the manager of a new gladiator team. Can you find the ultimate team and claim victory?
So, basically, warriors from all over space and time (though not more recent than the set official date, say, the 1600s) are drafted into teams, drugged and brainwashed not to panic, and fielded against eachother in bloody matches, accompanied by cheery commentary full of bad puns and crowd-pandering.
The suggesters would make (or possibly choose) the initial team, drafting from across time and space, but I'm thinking there wouldn't be much control over the team (not at all inside matches). Instead, the focus of the game will be on betting and gaining points through successful betting. With these points, people can become Sponsors of a player or several and try to get them to the top of the league (alive).
Or maybe I should go for a more manager-focused deal. What do you think? It'd stay safely suggestion-driven singleplayer, then.
Spoiler: Betting (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Sponsor (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: System/Gladiator Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Fighter and Match Types (click to show/hide)
If you want to help - names, criticism, suggestions, all are welcome. I'm currently wondering how to determine match scores - damage inflicted will contribute, as will kills, but not sure if more complex things ('successful defense') should be included. I'm also welcoming fighter roles and match types.
Post by: Nerjin on May 21, 2013, 09:23:58 am
Harasser = Charger as their whole thing is to break enemy formation and that’s what the charge was used for historically.
Guardian = Defender. That’s exactly what they do.
Slicer=Assassin. It sounds better and doesn’t make them sound like quite a one-trick pony [Only using knives or something? What?” That was my first thought.
Tank is fine.
Driver = Jailer. Their main thing appears to be that they “tie-up” enemies so that they aren’t used as much. Seems like a better name than Driver who sounds like a buffing unit.
Hammer = This was a tough one but I finally settled for “Grunt”. I think it fits a bit better than hammer which sounds like a High Damage thing.
Dagger should be combined with Slicer because they seem to have the same sort of use. No need for a redundant class.
Bastion should be combined with Guardian for the same reason as stated above.
Capture the Flag= A less bloody but less risky game-type that only ends when one team captures the flag.
Destruction= Several “Posts” are set up with random stats. The team which destroys the most wins. Kills and Damage still give points just not as much as a “Destruction”
Forts= One team starts in a fortified position. The game ends when one team is killed or if the “attackers” enter the Fort.
Match Scores should be rated as following and give a boost to the “Team Score”:
Epicness: Based on risky moves that pay off.
Fairness: A band of Modern day AK weilders fighting off Cavemen is boring. This lowers the score ONLY if it’s outside of a threshold. Otherwise it has no effect.
Star Power: Two famous guys fighting? Fun! Two unknowns? Also fun, but to a lesser degree.
“Team Score” is influenced by the above but also by the following:
Risk: Your team pulled off a risky move that got the crowd cheering? Good job bonus points. They tried one but failed? Bad form. Lose points.
Star Power: People love seeing the stars of the team put into a match. But they also like seeing people the loathe killed in one. You can actually cooperate with another sponser to remove one of your “Unsavory” players to the delight of the crowd with boosts both teams ratings [if that needs clarification I can]
Damage inflicted: Obvious
Kills: Obvious
That’s all I got for ideas on the actual game… Except for this advice:
Go through and cut out redundant stuff: Classes, stats, or whatever you feel may be covered already. That’ll cut down on unneeded complexity which makes a game more enjoyable [To me at least]
As for the actual name of the game [if that’s what you’re wanting] I have only one suggestion so far:
“Coliseum 1600 A.D.”
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 21, 2013, 09:35:29 am
Guardian I think I was a bit unclear with. They are fighters who move around the battlefield a lot, staying free from combat and generally retaining a sense of the battle, so they can jump in when someone seems to be getting their ass kicked. They're not defenders per se - more relievers.
Slicers and Daggers - Daggers are surprise weapons that can pop out without a warning to deliver the blow that wins the game. Slicers are open, visible attackers who circle around looking for reckless/vulnerable prey. There is some overlap, yes - I'll think on this. Assassin isn't really Slicer's cup of tea, though, as they don't give two shits about stealth.
Driver is a bit off-sounding, but Jailer doesn't sound that good either. Hmm.
Hammer I'm not changing - it's a reference to an earlier game of mine, like Dagger, ehehe. They are 'blunt instruments' who get the job done but don't have any real finesse in it.
Bear in mind that these are just the role the fighter players on the field - they could be absolutely terrible at it, but that's what they've been ordered to do, damnit.
Thanks for the suggestions, anyway!
Post by: Nerjin on May 21, 2013, 09:37:52 am
@Roles: Harasser is likely to stay in ranged (but sometimes do hit-and-run and charges as well), so I doubt I'll change that.
Guardian I think I was a bit unclear with. They are fighters who move around the battlefield a lot, staying free from combat and generally retaining a sense of the battle, so they can jump in when someone seems to be getting their ass kicked. They're not defenders per se - more relievers.
Slicers and Daggers - Daggers are surprise weapons that can pop out without a warning to deliver the blow that wins the game. Slicers are open, visible attackers who circle around looking for reckless/vulnerable prey. There is some overlap, yes - I'll think on this. Assassin isn't really Slicer's cup of tea, though, as they don't give two shits about stealth.
Driver is a bit off-sounding, but Jailer doesn't sound that good either. Hmm.
Hammer I'm not changing - it's a reference to an earlier game of mine, like Dagger, ehehe. They are 'blunt instruments' who get the job done but don't have any real finesse in it.
Bear in mind that these are just the role the fighter players on the field - they could be absolutely terrible at it, but that's what they've been ordered to do, damnit.
Thanks for the suggestions, anyway!
Alright. It's fine. You know it better than I do though.
Post by: Xantalos on May 21, 2013, 12:03:57 pm
I assume it's limited to Earthlings? Otherwise some opportunistic bastard (ahem) would make up some OP alien guy.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 21, 2013, 12:39:49 pm
Post by: Nerjin on May 21, 2013, 04:54:04 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on May 28, 2013, 10:58:55 pm
I need a fun combat system for use in suggestion games. Up until now, I've been using a D20-based system, but that leaves me with an issue. The players, as a collective whole, are at the mercy of entirely random rolls. Not even individual players who can help each other out, just the suggestion results themselves are dependent on these rolls. It's not really fun to have a character die when you roll five straight 1s, but it's even less fun when that character is the viewpoint character of a story and at that point those 1s might as well have been GM railroading.
I have a few ideas around this, but none are without drawbacks. One idea: puzzle combat. I'm not great at puzzle design, but the gist is essentially that each turn, every enemy has a little puzzle that pops over their head (but not one with a binary solution.) The readers could argue about how to solve the tiny puzzles, and their effectiveness in collectively doing so would determine how well the combat round goes for the player. The primary upside to this is it really does become a suggestion game under a facade of puzzle RPG rules. The many downsides include players possibly being able to figure out all the puzzles perfectly every time, potential repetition or worse lack of it (a new puzzle for every Goomba? HA!), so on etc continued.
Another idea is a combat system based purely around risk management. Has anyone played Penny Arcade's game, Precipice of Darkness 3? Essentially, in that game, all combat is based around careful manipulation of a timing bar. Giving yourself more moves, skipping enemy turns, pushing them further and further away by timing your skills to align everything just right. In a suggestion game adaption of it, there would be multiple things to react to every combat round, and determining how and when you're going to deal with them would determine the outcomes. I don't even need to describe the problems with this as they're probably similar to the above idea.
Third idea: truly interactive battles. This one would be the highest workload but the greatest control over the outcome. Essentially, I would create - in Adobe Flash - some way to interpret each combat round and have the players play it directly. They'd be given a code based on what score they got/what skills and items they used/how much HP they lost and would then post it in the thread. The average (or median?) of each reader's codes would be taken and used as the result for the actual combat round. The downsides to this are pretty hefty - that's far too much work for multi-round combat, so each scene would have to be played to completion in-Flash before a code is given.
Anyone have any other ideas? I need creativity, here.
Post by: Bdthemag on May 28, 2013, 11:02:57 pm
God damn, now I know how Peter Molyneux feels.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 28, 2013, 11:18:01 pm
Not the same, but I'd love to see someone use it.
Post by: freeformschooler on May 28, 2013, 11:19:53 pm
Heh, there was a MSPA forum adventure where a number of player suggestions were chosen at random, some for the PC, some for the enemy. It was hilarious (you can never know if your 'punch yourself in the face' is gonna go to the enemy or yourself.
Not the same, but I'd love to see someone use it.
I tried this once, only instead of the players directly suggesting actions, they suggested songs from youtube which were interpreted as actions. The less popular ones were used for the enemies. Basically:
God damn, now I know how Peter Molyneux feels.
Post by: monk12 on May 28, 2013, 11:38:24 pm
On top of that, there's the fact that forum games tend to have fewer mechanics in general, and that's important because there's fewer non-random action available to the player. In particular, movement and positioning just don't play well with forum games. If I lose a game of Blood Bowl, sure, there's probably a play I can point to where the dice just didn't fall my way and the other guy tore me up, but on the whole I probably could have mitigated or even prevented that with better positioning before rolling any dice. That aspect is wholly under my control. Forum games, not so much.
So, generally speaking, when I'm looking to improve suggestion game combat, I'm looking to reduce the randomness of player actions, and I'm looking to reduce the consequences for poor dice (or at least make it easier to recover from.)
As far as reducing badness of randomness: Make it harder to die. The idea is that losing all your hitpoints is a setback for the character, but not a game-ending one. The upside is that it gets easier to bounce back from bad dice without losing the advantages of having the possibility for good dice, and is generally easier to tack on to existing mechanics than my other ideas. The downside is that you need to find a credible setback to inflict instead of death, and that largely depends on the game. Does it make sense for combat to be able to end in favor of the bad guys without being a game over? Are there Phoenix Downs which could have otherwise been used to acquire loot? It's much harder to do in a setting where "no quarter" is the assumed combat state.
As far as reducing randomness in general: Non-dice based combat mechanics, obviously. You already mentioned puzzle-based mechanics, which would be neat even though I personally suck at it (creation or solving, either one.) The other that springs to mind that could work quite well as a forum game would be a Collectible Card Game style thing. The upside is that it keeps some randomness (did you get the card you need/want, or the ability to play that card?) while also giving players the ability to quickly adapt to poor luck (don't have enough SP to cast Summon Blorblemancer, so we should play one of these other cards instead.) For a straight RPG-style combat, you could have a base pool of "regular" actions that are always available, and then the random special ability cards based on how you've outfitted yourself and your party. It also narrows player choice down a little, and the effects of their actions are entirely predictable (though maybe not the enemy's actions.) Downside, you have to design a goddam CCG. So yeah, nothing you can just whip up. Possibly easier than "mini flash game for every single combat" though :D
I also had a crazy idea about making every upvote count as extra dice/modifiers to actions (reducing randomness, encouraging unity of action) but I rather suspect that would be hard to balance/easy to abuse, so I didn't put much more thought into it.
I hope this train of thought was not instigated by future events in Warrens. :P
Post by: freeformschooler on May 29, 2013, 12:02:44 am
As far as reducing randomness in general: Non-dice based combat mechanics, obviously. You already mentioned puzzle-based mechanics, which would be neat even though I personally suck at it (creation or solving, either one.) The other that springs to mind that could work quite well as a forum game would be a Collectible Card Game style thing. ccg ccg ccg ccg ccg
At first I was going to say this is the best idea all day but then realized I'd already done this before too and screwed it up so, so badly.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
That's not to say there weren't some good ideas in that short-lived game. In fact, let me see if I can't remember exactly how combat worked in that game. Hmmmmm~
Basic mechanic: there is zero randomness available in combat. Six primary stats: AGG(ression), FOR(titude), BRI(lliance), AWA(reness), HP, SP. They were named differently in Traveler, but that's the gist of it. Aggression-fortitude for physical damage (or AWA-FOR for ranged stuff like bows), BRI-FOR for magic damage and then the whole gamut of secondary effects. SP used to activate cards/effects, HP used to not die. The intent with this system was to give the players a method of specializing in certain stats while not being something that was complex enough to need "learning."
Cards: In Traveler, Cards took the form of Copy Cards. Miranda (the MC) could not naturally gain new abilities like most people, so she instead relied on the power of green-and-white cards which analyzed and copied anything - items in the world, enemy attacks and so on. Each card had a whole slew of conditional effects and lore. (http://i.imgur.com/z611x.png) Outside of utilizing them in battle, Miranda could also directly manipulate them at a great SP cost (combining them, sacrificing them to gain boons/EXP for the next stat gain).
The point of this system was to provide the players something to plan out, research and carefully coordinate. Players love that kind of thing.
The Stat Grid: Instead of having traditional stat representations, each stat was laid out across a grid that Miranda had some control over. The HP blocks absorbed damage, the AGG blocks combined to equal Miranda's total AGG, stuff like that. Actually, this was a really stupid idea, now that I think about it.
Basically, though, it's Baiten Kaitos: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baten_Kaitos:_Eternal_Wings_and_the_Lost_Ocean) the suggestion game. Instead of drawing cards at random, the players would have more fine control over their deck. I'm not sure how exactly this compares to your suggestion which sounds like more like Chain of Memories. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_Hearts:_Chain_of_Memories) I'll definitely be including some form of this in my next game, but I'm not sure how much work it would be.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 29, 2013, 03:24:45 am
Risk/Reward
I've never played PA3, but I like the notion of tying randomness to wagers on that randomness.
Essentially, the problem with standard randomness is that there's no alternative and no variable wager. If you miss on an attack, you've missed on an attack. It wasn't really a calculated risk or an intentional gamble, it was just the only thing you could do and sometimes that thing fails. Monk addressed a lot of this with his positioning example, but the short version is that suggestion games tend to lack the complexity to make most failed rolls meaningful. Running vs fighting to the death is the closest they usually get.
So that leads us to wagers. Suppose normal attacks always hit, but you can Power Attack for increased damage at the cost of a chance of missing? Suddenly things get interesting. The problem here is that there's probably going to be a mathematically ideal solution for every situation, meaning you either need to meticulously calculate everything out to make it even, or ensure that there's always room for debate. Which brings us to...
Differing Goals
What if combat affects things outside combat?
See, one of the things that makes a small thing interesting is how it slots into a big thing. Supremely mundane and banal things, like which square to place your guy on or whether a 100 hp unit takes 12 or 13 damage, can become interesting if they start affecting whether or not your healer gets clubbed or whether you'll be able to kill something fast enough to loot a chest. Conversely, combat tends to become menial when it really doesn't matter- if the enemies can't really hurt you or paying attention to them can't really make them hurt you less, you end up with grinding.
So in this specific case, suppose you let actions in combat affect more than just the amount of damage dealt that round. As a modest example, you could have attacks or other maneuvers that recover HP or SP, but at some sort of cost or risk. More ambitiously, you could have attacks that grant bonus experience or have a chance to produce bonus wealth or raw materials, moves that defend or heal an ally, or moves that weaken or wound them for your own benefit.
The end result, ideally, would be that there'd always be room for debate as to what to do in combat, because there'd always be options and they'd always matter. Under more ideal circumstances, you'd have concerns like whether to finish a fight at full HP or with a new item, or whether to keep yourself at moderate HP while an ally sits at low health or risk dropping low yourself to make sure they don't get finished off. Under more mundane circumstances, you'd have issues like whether HP or SP is more important, whether 3 exp is better than a Wartortoise Shell Fragment, who you want to start with a Finisher Shield next combat, and so on.
Moveset Modification
There's also a lot of room for fiddling with a system like this, though you run the risk of making (permanent or temporary) exp bots or similar if it gets (or can be made) too constrained. Different characters could have different mechanics for their different moves, even if they accomplished the same basic goal (HP recovery, SP recovery, EXP generation, ally-healing, etc). You could also do some sort of card system, or base their current moveset on their mood, goals, or other stuff, but again constraining the moveset too much might result in one option always being better than the others.
So, short version: Give everyone a wide set of moves accomplishing both long and short-term goals, tie risks or other disadvantages to some of them. Then everyone gets to argue about whether gaining more experience is worth the risk of missing or whether protecting a certain ally is better than gaining a new hat.
Finally, the third option you listed is insane.
Post by: Fniff on May 29, 2013, 09:00:03 am
You play as a zombie who can constantly resurrect. However, the problem is if you die, you lose everything since your stuff has been looted, and if you die enough times there is the potential that you will start losing limbs and need to recover them.
Post by: lawastooshort on May 29, 2013, 09:03:13 am
Here's a solution to the whole "You're dead now, suggestion game over" thing.
You play as a zombie who can constantly resurrect. However, the problem is if you die, you lose everything since your stuff has been looted, and if you die enough times there is the potential that you will start losing limbs and need to recover them.
Or the resurrected zombie of the original character. I like the Quest for Limbs idea though. That could be a suggestion game in itself: You Are a Zombie Head.
Post by: Fniff on May 29, 2013, 09:06:19 am
Post by: lawastooshort on May 29, 2013, 09:18:47 am
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 11:52:40 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: kj1225 on May 30, 2013, 12:13:07 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 12:17:51 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 30, 2013, 12:23:34 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 12:25:58 pm
Post by: Nerjin on May 30, 2013, 12:26:41 pm
Basically the more their sanity degrades the more room you [the GM] have to outright lie to them about stuff.
Not sure how it would work exactly but might be interesting. It'd also make sanity a much higher priority to keep around as with lower rolls players can just avoid that sorta thing but if your sanity is low it makes them question what is and isn't real.
Post by: monk12 on May 30, 2013, 12:30:10 pm
Have lower sanity levels result in the player getting less accurate information.
Basically the more their sanity degrades the more room you [the GM] have to outright lie to them about stuff.
Not sure how it would work exactly but might be interesting. It'd also make sanity a much higher priority to keep around as with lower rolls players can just avoid that sorta thing but if your sanity is low it makes them question what is and isn't real.
This would be my preferred method of handling sanity. Insanity comes in so many flavors, why restrict yourself to just a handful of symptoms?
I will note that information-related insanity is trickier if you have multiple players, since they can fact-check with one another. Unless sanity levels are hidden...
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 12:32:11 pm
Suicidal is self explanatory. You roll. If you fail it, your character tries to kill themselves by any means possible. Catatonia means your character slips int catatonia, meaning you're essentially dead because your character has locked themselves off from reality. Psychosis means that your character experiences a massive nervous breakdown. After that, he becomes an actual GM-controlled enemy, as his entire personality is overwhelmed by madness.
Basically, sanity one is really, really bad.
Post by: Nerjin on May 30, 2013, 12:34:39 pm
I had an idea where at sanity one, there's a chance you get one of three really, really bad effects. Suicidal, Catatonia, Psychosis.
Suicidal is self explanatory. You roll. If you fail it, your character tries to kill themselves by any means possible. Catatonia means your character slips int catatonia, meaning you're essentially dead because your character has locked themselves off from reality. Psychosis means that your character experiences a massive nervous breakdown. After that, he becomes an actual GM-controlled enemy, as his entire personality is overwhelmed by madness.
Basically, sanity one is really, really bad.
I personally don't like those methods as they're essentially a death roll. Taking control from a player should only happen at death. What if someone you're playing with simply shoots a kid because they hate playing with you? Your sanity slips to one and you're out. You had no chance to prevent it.
If your character is alive you should have a chance at avoiding this bit that actually in your control.
Post by: Xantalos on May 30, 2013, 12:36:16 pm
Post by: Nerjin on May 30, 2013, 12:39:54 pm
So wait, what if the pc is a cynic convinced that the world is bad? Every act of kindness would reduce his SAN. :P
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes,Yes, Yes, YES, YES,YES! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!
Post by: kj1225 on May 30, 2013, 12:40:42 pm
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 12:43:22 pm
So wait, what if the pc is a cynic convinced that the world is bad? Every act of kindness would reduce his SAN. :P
Yes. See that guy over in the corner? He's gone totally psychotic. He's actually donating to charity and petting dogs on the street. Poor bastard.
*puts on serious hat* Anyway, that'd be more likely to increase your sanity because no matter how cynical you are, you're going to like doing nice things. Even if you're total nihilistic, you have some standards. Unless you are a complete sociopath (which would be recommended against because that'd be kinda like having an invulnerable character), child murder and genocide is going to be considered wrong in your eyes, and if you commit it you're going to feel like an utter shit.
Actually... Maybe a sociopath would end up having a reverse sanity? He'd end up becoming more and more kind until at sanity one he was basically a messiah. That sounds... surprisingly interesting.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 30, 2013, 12:43:34 pm
So wait, what if the pc is a cynic convinced that the world is bad? Every act of kindness would reduce his SAN. :P
I'm sure you could justify anything with a bit of effort. 'Oh, he only gave his entire fortune to that beggar because the stock market was about to crash/so his actual family and loved ones wouldn't get anything/a team of transdimensional assassins was tracking him by his money/he was nuts'.
Hell, to a cynic 'he only did it because he gets joy from altruism' could be a negative reason.
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 12:50:07 pm
So wait, what if the pc is a cynic convinced that the world is bad? Every act of kindness would reduce his SAN. :P
I'm sure you could justify anything with a bit of effort. 'Oh, he only gave his entire fortune to that beggar because the stock market was about to crash/so his actual family and loved ones wouldn't get anything/a team of transdimensional assassins was tracking him by his money/he was nuts'.
Hell, to a cynic 'he only did it because he gets joy from altruism' could be a negative reason.
The cynic might have to roll for SAN if someone rescues him from a life or death situation, then ends up sacrificing themselves to make sure he lives. It's hard to twist that into a "for myself" motivation. Even if the person is important, your life is the most valuable thing to yourself.
Post by: Harry Baldman on May 30, 2013, 01:42:09 pm
Sanity roll: 1 - "Oh god, he just gave away his life for that person, expecting nothing in return. How can there be such a person in the world? Somebody possessing pure selflessness... incredible..."
Sanity roll: 20 - "Hahahahahah, did the rest of you see that? Hey, hey, have fun being dead, moron! Let's see how you like thoughtless nonexistence as your eternal reward, eh?"
However, I have to go against the idea of Sanity: 1 meaning a death roll (considering that 2 ones mean dealing with this, and these do happen quite a lot). Better to keep ramping up the screwing with perception. Change details. Add details. A shadow here at first, new people that only one guy sees next, finally trap a person in a delusional world or just turn their life into a haze - they can sorta see what they're doing, but the fine points of it get completely lost except for moments of lucidity - the GM starts adding fitting bits of flavor to what they do, occasionally even substituting actions for new ones. Or better yet, when the players fail at something, give them entirely wrong reasons why (like, say, a bat flew at them from a dark spot in the room). Along with occasionally correct ones to keep them guessing. However, don't ever take away control completely. That's no fun.
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 01:51:20 pm
Also, by sanity one, I mean it's the bottom of the sliding scale of sanity. 10 being "normality" and one being insanity. When you roll 1-2, it means that you simply cannot come up with an excuse for your actions or the actions of others.
EDIT: IDEA! The RP I'm going to put this involves hunting an utterly sadistic, morally reprehensiable person from a list of others, all with their own unique style of craziness. Maybe at sanity one, your character starts to think like the very person he's trying to kill?
Post by: Xantalos on May 30, 2013, 02:18:13 pm
Hrm. So, at sanity one, everything that the player sees nothing but his own insane hallucinations? I actually like that. Though I would like another consquence to sanity one.YES
Also, by sanity one, I mean it's the bottom of the sliding scale of sanity. 10 being "normality" and "ten" being sanity. When you roll 1-2, it means that you simply cannot come up with an excuse for your actions or the actions of others.
EDIT: IDEA! The RP I'm going to put this involves hunting an utterly sadistic, morally reprehensiable person from a list of others, all with their own unique style of craziness. Maybe at sanity one, your character starts to think like the very person he's trying to kill?
Post by: kj1225 on May 30, 2013, 02:25:05 pm
Hrm. So, at sanity one, everything that the player sees nothing but his own insane hallucinations? I actually like that. Though I would like another consquence to sanity one.
Also, by sanity one, I mean it's the bottom of the sliding scale of sanity. 10 being "normality" and "ten" being sanity. When you roll 1-2, it means that you simply cannot come up with an excuse for your actions or the actions of others.
EDIT: IDEA! The RP I'm going to put this involves hunting an utterly sadistic, morally reprehensiable person from a list of others, all with their own unique style of craziness. Maybe at sanity one, your character starts to think like the very person he's trying to kill?
Do tell me if and when you do this. I am quite interested in playing.
Post by: Fniff on May 30, 2013, 02:41:39 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on June 10, 2013, 05:49:54 am
Fudge Dice Emotion-Calibrated Action System v1.0
The basic concept involves utilizing fudge dice, essentially a d3 with the values -1, 0 and +1 on its sides. For each action (other than trivial ones) a set of fudge dice would be rolled, and each action would have a minimum value to succeed, a Difficulty Rating. Said DR would be a certain value, and the difference between the DR and the roll would indicate the degree of success.
Spoiler: DR Chart With Examples (click to show/hide)
As you may realize, this requires a whole lot of dice. But the number rolled would actually vary depending on the character's state of mind of all things. You roll from one to seven dice, and the number is dependent on your State of Agitation, each with a number corresponding to the dice rolled.
Spoiler: States of Agitation (click to show/hide)
Now, this system provides a nice polarity, I believe, particularly when you begin to consider skill bonuses. When you are skilled at something, possess an unusual proficiency or some inborn ability to do something, you get a +1 (proficient), +2 (skilled), in exceptional cases a +3 (masterful) to it. So, if you are skilled at something, you may want to reach a state of calm to roll reliably to achieve things without all the minuses getting in the way. Also, you may wish to achieve a frenzied state that allows you to do the nigh-impossible, though this carries the unfortunate risk of an equal risk of incredibly terrible failures, which may befall even a master in certain cases.
As for how to manage these states of agitation, I was thinking that a character would "switch gears" depending on what happens to them during a story, and a player may call a switch of gears if the GM misses a potential opportunity, which the GM would have to approve to keep it appropriate and prevent unnecessary emotion-whoring. Naturally, for optimum simulation a comprehensive backstory and consistent personality of a character would be required.
So, what do you guys think? I think that perhaps the DR chart may need calibration.
Post by: Xantalos on June 10, 2013, 06:37:54 am
*You have punched the punching bag through several walls!*
Post by: Harry Baldman on June 10, 2013, 06:48:38 am
And then he has to roll for how much damage he did to himself in the process.
Post by: freeformschooler on June 11, 2013, 12:28:56 pm
Spoiler: Concept: Pen and Paper Mario (click to show/hide)
It would be up to them to decide where they should go and what they should do.Post by: Furtuka on June 11, 2013, 12:33:15 pm
2. Don't hurt yourself FFS! D:
Post by: freeformschooler on June 11, 2013, 12:44:03 pm
Spoiler: Relevant (click to show/hide)
Post by: Gamerboy4life on June 11, 2013, 12:46:23 pm
Spoiler: Relevant (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: My lord... (click to show/hide)
Post by: Furtuka on June 11, 2013, 12:47:02 pm
Post by: monk12 on June 11, 2013, 12:48:13 pm
Spoiler: Relevant (click to show/hide)Spoiler: My lord... (click to show/hide)
I just peed a little
Post by: Kadzar on June 11, 2013, 07:23:39 pm
I'm planning to run a game of it sometime in the near future, though I'm not sure if I want to run it on a virtual tabletop program of some kind (like maptools or roll20) or PbP (does Obsidian Portal have a built in diceroller? Or is there something like that that has such a thing?). I also haven't genned up a sector yet (SWN has tools that allow you to roll up a sector full of worlds with various built-in plot hooks).
I do have a few ideas for extra plot hooks and stuff, most of which I can't share without ruining them. There is one thing I think I can safely disclose:
So the way the game works is, starting level characters ;have no hope of affording any of the spaceships listed in the equipment section. The game recommends that PCs by some means or another should be given access to some sort of space travel sometime during or after their first adventure. This can be berthing with a merchant ship or gaining access to a small starship of their own.
My idea is to go the second way, and give the PCs access to something I call the party boat, tentatively titled the "S.S. Good Times" (will take any better suggestions). The idea is that it has extended life support (so that you can have a lot of people on board) and custom fittings of a cocktail bar (which, like the Armory fitting, is always fully stocked) and a pool. It's owned by some rich guy who really likes to party, and by some means or another might end up in the possession of the PCs.
Post by: kj1225 on June 11, 2013, 07:45:43 pm
I think just calling it the Normandy or something would be good. Or try looking for a name generator. Also this interests me do make it.
Post by: Remuthra on June 15, 2013, 06:26:34 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on June 15, 2013, 06:53:07 pm
freeformPrepare for it to die after ten pages, or to go on as a hulking abomination of all that is holy for hundred pages.
Post by: kj1225 on June 15, 2013, 06:53:55 pm
Post by: Fniff on June 15, 2013, 07:03:28 pm
And also expect it to have a lot of players who simply murder everything in their sights/do blatantly overpowered things.freeformPrepare for it to die after ten pages, or to go on as a hulking abomination of all that is holy for hundred pages.
Freeform RPs really don't work all that well. The drop-in drop-out thing combined with the fact you can do anything just isn't a really good combination. Roleplays need rules or else it just attracts one-upping.
Post by: Remuthra on June 15, 2013, 07:07:51 pm
By freeform I am talking more about the plot, actually. I'm working on rules for the actual mechanics.And also expect it to have a lot of players who simply murder everything in their sights/do blatantly overpowered things.freeformPrepare for it to die after ten pages, or to go on as a hulking abomination of all that is holy for hundred pages.
Freeform RPs really don't work all that well. The drop-in drop-out thing combined with the fact you can do anything just isn't a really good combination. Roleplays need rules or else it just attracts one-upping.
Post by: Fniff on June 15, 2013, 07:10:56 pm
Post by: Kadzar on June 15, 2013, 09:46:01 pm
So you actually mean sandbox, then?By freeform I am talking more about the plot, actually. I'm working on rules for the actual mechanics.And also expect it to have a lot of players who simply murder everything in their sights/do blatantly overpowered things.freeformPrepare for it to die after ten pages, or to go on as a hulking abomination of all that is holy for hundred pages.
Freeform RPs really don't work all that well. The drop-in drop-out thing combined with the fact you can do anything just isn't a really good combination. Roleplays need rules or else it just attracts one-upping.
Post by: Remuthra on June 15, 2013, 09:50:32 pm
My sandbox has no form factor...So you actually mean sandbox, then?By freeform I am talking more about the plot, actually. I'm working on rules for the actual mechanics.And also expect it to have a lot of players who simply murder everything in their sights/do blatantly overpowered things.freeformPrepare for it to die after ten pages, or to go on as a hulking abomination of all that is holy for hundred pages.
Freeform RPs really don't work all that well. The drop-in drop-out thing combined with the fact you can do anything just isn't a really good combination. Roleplays need rules or else it just attracts one-upping.
Post by: kj1225 on June 20, 2013, 11:23:34 pm
Post by: Remuthra on June 20, 2013, 11:24:43 pm
Post by: monk12 on June 26, 2013, 02:58:48 pm
I'm currently in the planning stages of a dialogue-heavy suggestion game. It's a game I feel will be served well by images; since I can't draw, I plan to rely on photos. Ideally, everyone will get their own little portrait for delivering their dialogue. This shouldn't be a big deal since most of the characters are pigeons, so suitable images should be readily available.
However, this route means that the main character needs a portrait as well, and she's not a pigeon; she's a human. I'm not sure how to handle her dialogue.
Option 1: Her portrait is a photo like all the pigeons; this means I need to find a picture of somebody to use, which is... unsatisfactory. It would mean that the main character is an actual person, which is weird in its own right, especially if the picture is somebody famous (as is likely the case, as readily-available pictures of good quality are most likely to be celebrities of some kind.) I like this option the least, and include it mostly to show I've considered the idea.
Option 2: Her portrait is a photo exactly like all the pigeons; namely, she's a human in the game, but her picture is a bird. Justifiable given the setting, but I think it's quite likely players will forget she's actually human, which is plot-significant. I'd like this option, otherwise.
Option 3: Her portrait is a cartoon. If it's a cartoon somebody else drew then I still have a fair bit of grunt work to find a suitable portrait, and if it's one I draw myself it'll be shit. It also creates stylistic dissonance, as everything else in the game will also be photoshoops.
Option 4: Her portrait is a symbol, and not actually an image of herself. It dodges most of the aforementioned problems, but it means I won't be able to insert her portrait into any scenes (necessarily making each scene a literal Point of View shot) and it begs the question of what symbol would be appropriate for the player character.
Option 5: Ditch dialogue boxes entirely. Use the portraits of the characters to establish a scene, then resort to typical TSG dialogue techniques. I prefer having images throughout each post if I'm going that route and using them for reaction shots and the like, as this option is basically "TSG with a couple pictures"
I've been bouncing back and forth between 4 and 5, but I thought I'd poll the creative people in here for better ideas. I'm still working on the timeline, so I've got time before I have to make a decision one way or another. So, what would you people do?
Post by: freeformschooler on June 26, 2013, 03:00:16 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on June 26, 2013, 03:16:22 pm
Anyway, I'd say go with ditching the dialogue boxes. After all, if you give an image for each bit of text, it'll result in a lot of image repetition with altered text, as the expressions probably won't change that much in most situations.
If you must have the PC in a shot, do a cartoon image. Utilize external aid if needed. Would be good if you draw it yourself, no matter how shitty it is. Think of it as a mental addition by the protagonist.
Post by: monk12 on June 26, 2013, 04:43:59 pm
I'll draw you a cartoon portrait if you want, Monk. Just PM me with what you need style and specification-wise and we can go over some options.
You, good sir, are a scholar and a gentleman. If I do go that route, I'll likely take you up on your offer.
Oh dear, is this a Hatoful Boyfriend suggestion game I see? Because that's rather awesome.
Anyway, I'd say go with ditching the dialogue boxes. After all, if you give an image for each bit of text, it'll result in a lot of image repetition with altered text, as the expressions probably won't change that much in most situations.
If you must have the PC in a shot, do a cartoon image. Utilize external aid if needed. Would be good if you draw it yourself, no matter how shitty it is. Think of it as a mental addition by the protagonist.
Hatoful Boyfriend: IN SPAAAAACE! or Hatoful Boyfriend meets X meets Y, where X and Y are not revealed due to spoilers. But yeah, I'm hoping it's as awesome as I think it is.
As far as the ditching dialogue boxes option... I've seen it done both ways, and maybe it's the ADD talking, but in some cases I find myself forgetting character names, and thus confusing which dialogue goes with which character. Add that to the entire premise of ISGs (an image is worth a thousand words,) and it's still my preferred course of action. Dunno, I'll keep thinking about it.
You say it matters not how shitty my art is, but you have not seen me make an art. Though stylistic suck might be justifiable too...
Post by: Remuthra on June 26, 2013, 04:48:02 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 30, 2013, 01:54:18 pm
Idea I
I've been playing around with an old idea (that I fully got in a pretty cool dream). Basically, after some great cataclysm humanity lives on floatung islands governed by a nobility of superpowered individuals, each fighting for power, intermarrying, repressing the mundane population and whatnot, as noble houses do. A big part was trying to breed specific powers through dynastic marriages.
Anyway, that's just the setting, but I've been considering a strategical dynasty control game, where the players would handle their entire House, perhaps through the eyes of the current 'head' of the dynasty. Possibly the years would move quickly, the head of the dynasty changing.
I could also go for an RPG or suggestion game, tbh. This be little more than a setting.
Idea II
The Primordial Bloodlines. Basically, the players would head werewolf clans, vampire bloodlines, mage orders, fallen angel cults, etc. from the dawn of the world to, eventually, an urban fantasy modern-day world. Their choices and teachings would shape their followers/descendants (such as absorbing an animal spirit and your descendants gaining its powers in weaker and weaker form). Their petty grievances and alliances might continue in others for hundreds of years.
Eventually, the world that would have emerged could be used for a more traditional form like an RPG. The old ancestors might even cameo, depending on their fates.
The problem here would be keeping in the personal level. I'd probably just include miniquests with limited a), b), c) progression alongside the general strategy play and orders.
---
I also have the strangest urge to run a Godhood-esque god game. Nobody sane would want to do such a thing, but I dunno. My best forum writing is born in these games already, might as well go for the GM's seat.
Post by: Xantalos on June 30, 2013, 02:00:50 pm
Post by: kj1225 on June 30, 2013, 02:09:59 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 30, 2013, 02:38:21 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on June 30, 2013, 02:51:57 pm
Post by: ExKirby on June 30, 2013, 04:27:20 pm
Then I realised I'd have no idea how to make it work.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 30, 2013, 04:29:14 pm
I had an idea for a Dokapon-esque game.I'm thinking you could copy a lot of Dokapon concepts directly without too much trouble.
Then I realised I'd have no idea how to make it work.
Post by: ExKirby on July 01, 2013, 03:56:25 pm
Post by: monk12 on July 02, 2013, 12:44:27 am
Oh dear, is this a Hatoful Boyfriend suggestion game I see? Because that's rather awesome.
Anyway, I'd say go with ditching the dialogue boxes. After all, if you give an image for each bit of text, it'll result in a lot of image repetition with altered text, as the expressions probably won't change that much in most situations.
If you must have the PC in a shot, do a cartoon image. Utilize external aid if needed. Would be good if you draw it yourself, no matter how shitty it is. Think of it as a mental addition by the protagonist.
Welp, I kept the dialogue boxes, and drew the as-yet unnamed Main Character myself. I spent an embarrassingly long time on that doodle, but I like how it came out. Star Crossed (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=127993.0) is the name, dating pigeons IN SPACE is the game.
Post by: Bdthemag on July 02, 2013, 12:53:48 am
Post by: Kaferian on July 02, 2013, 12:54:32 am
Post by: Shoruke on July 02, 2013, 02:33:00 am
Dungeons And Dragons 5e.
It's in Open Alpha, just google 'D&D next'
Dibs out of being DM, I'm starting up a play-by-post soon :-\
Post by: NobodyPro on July 02, 2013, 07:17:48 am
Automatic Gladiator Sim (Better name pending)
Basically, players would create a gladiator or gladiators using their points. This includes stats, skills and equipment.
At the beginning of a tournament they volunteer a gladiator, when everyone's in I show the pairings and it's time to place bets. I then run these gladiators through a program that makes them throw dice at each other (by which I mean they fight) for guts and glory. Fights aren't to the death but... dice gods. There is prize money but only one gladiator can win the tournament.
After a tournament, new equipment becomes available, venues change, random events might occur, players may be approached by NPCs with business proposals/job applications/sponsorships.
Post by: kj1225 on July 02, 2013, 10:36:12 am
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 10:54:15 am
Spoiler: Go go go (click to show/hide)
Post by: Fniff on July 02, 2013, 11:10:08 am
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 11:17:32 am
I had an idea where basically you earn EXP for certain actions (Like taking out enemies for a small reward, roleplaying excellently/doing something spectacularly for a large reward) and you get presented with a small list of perks tailor made for your character. So if your guy is focused on stealth and melee, you can choose between "Lights Out" (If you bash someone's head in, no-one will detect it as long as you get it in one), "Mr Sandman" (You can slice necks open with a knife as long as the target is sleeping), or "Spears from the Shadows" (If you throw a spear or similiar object from a hiding spot, you won't be detected).
That's the system Lawastooshort uses in his RTDs. He does it really well. Cerapa and I used a compact variation of it for a long time (choose between three tailor-made abilities every level), but it's another one that I feel works better for really "light" games like silly RTDs and suggestion games, not full RPGs.
Post by: Fniff on July 02, 2013, 11:27:50 am
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 11:33:31 am
Darn... That sucks, I was planning on using it for a pet project I've been slowly coming up with ideas for.
Well, if you want to use it, no one's stopping you (it's a cool system). I'd just recommend expanding it for more options if you want to do a really complex game. Here's an example:
Expanded Lawastooshort System: Every time the players level up, they get to choose ONE Passive Ability (stat boosts?) and ONE Active Ability (spells?). Each level, the palette of Active and Passive Abilities increases, and previously-chosen Abilities are replaced by options for upgraded forms on their next level up. The palette of abilities may stem from things like: the character's personality, the character's class, what types of actions they've taken the most often, what types of items they've used or searched for the most often and so on.
Post by: Fniff on July 02, 2013, 11:39:58 am
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 11:40:51 am
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 02, 2013, 11:43:57 am
Post by: Fniff on July 02, 2013, 11:49:06 am
@Harry This RP I was planning is the same one with the sanity system. Perhaps a level-up system based on keeping yourself sane/insane with accompanying themed skills?
Post by: monk12 on July 02, 2013, 11:50:56 am
Would anyone be interested in a play by post Sci-Fi Horror RPG type game? You know, with the usual "People go explore a station that went off the grid" type vibe, and spooky stuff happens. I'm trying to improve my writing, as it's fine in short bursts but as I go into multiple paragraphs I feel the quality deteriorates. Besides asking for interest, I'm curious as to what system I should use. I don't want something TOO simplistic like just rolling a d6, so would a simple d20 plus certain skills and equipment suffice?
If you don't want to invest a lot of effort in making a system, that's probably the easiest way. Personally, I'm a fan of "can you or can't you" for writing-heavy things, since lots of dice rolls tend to get... weird. Flow-breaking, I guess. Obvious exception is combat, though if combat is really something you shouldn't be doing (common in Horror games, things are less scary if you can just wrench their face in,) it's also fine to make it more of a "every enemy is a puzzle" thing.
I had an idea:
Automatic Gladiator Sim (Better name pending)
Basically, players would create a gladiator or gladiators using their points. This includes stats, skills and equipment.
At the beginning of a tournament they volunteer a gladiator, when everyone's in I show the pairings and it's time to place bets. I then run these gladiators through a program that makes them throw dice at each other (by which I mean they fight) for guts and glory. Fights aren't to the death but... dice gods. There is prize money but only one gladiator can win the tournament.
After a tournament, new equipment becomes available, venues change, random events might occur, players may be approached by NPCs with business proposals/job applications/sponsorships.
I heartily endorse this event or product.
Let's talk about level up mechanics in forum RPGs.Spoiler: Go go go (click to show/hide)
One that I've been pondering is a Battle of Wesnoth style thing, where leveling up actually changes your class, and you have options of what to change into. For example, you start as a Fighter, then when you level up you have the option to turn into a Knight or a Swordsman, then the Knight can turn into a Paladin or Commander and the Swordsman path leads to Blademaster or Hero, so on and so forth. Upside is that it gives the players some meaningful choices about character development while also constraining those choices to keep each player fulfilling a specific team role. Downside is that it means the GM has to make a lot of classes, and it's the kind of thing that would work better if the player knows the class progression from the beginning. I think it would work well in a narrative-heavy game, since class-change-as-improvement can closely follow character arcs.
I don't remember whether it was you or lawas that pitched the idea of having every levelup let the player add a word to his class to expand his abilities (so Fighter, then Sword Fighter, then Shadow Sword Fighter, etc.) I quite liked the idea, though it seems like it would work better for sillier games.
There's also the skill tree system, where players get XP points to spend towards various skills, unlocking new/improved abilities the more they invest. I was working on a skill tree for my ninja school RTD that's been chilling in my ideas box.
The other one I've been kicking around would be a variation on Loot-to-Levelup; basically, the idea is that characters don't actually level, they just get more stuff. Characters don't learn how to search better, or swing their swords in new and exciting ways, they just get items that can search better (magic detection rods, x-ray scanners) or more powerful equipment (sentient swords that increase accuracy, swords that catch on fire.) It dodges the "why didn't he use/foreshadow that ability before now?" question that gets begged in more serious games; or rather, the question that would be begged if the concept of leveling up wasn't so deeply ingrained in all of us.
Darn... That sucks, I was planning on using it for a pet project I've been slowly coming up with ideas for.
Well, if you want to use it, no one's stopping you (it's a cool system). I'd just recommend expanding it for more options if you want to do a really complex game. Here's an example:
Expanded Lawastooshort System: Every time the players level up, they get to choose ONE Passive Ability (stat boosts?) and ONE Active Ability (spells?). Each level, the palette of Active and Passive Abilities increases, and previously-chosen Abilities are replaced by options for upgraded forms on their next level up. The palette of abilities may stem from things like: the character's personality, the character's class, what types of actions they've taken the most often, what types of items they've used or searched for the most often and so on.
I've always liked the lawas system, and just because he uses it for comedic effect doesn't mean it can't be used for more serious endeavors. It's basically an ability-based skill tree.
Also, I'm heartily in favor of insanity-based levelups.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 11:56:53 am
As for level-ups, it really depends on what the tone of the game and the general atmosphere of the setting is. One idea I can propose is that level-ups are awarded not for a multitude of tasks, but one specific set of tasks, each depending on the character - they all have an XP resource, so to speak. You could even tie it into virtues and vices, where, say, a glutton becomes more powerful when eating a lot, while a man exhibiting strong faith gets more powerful by serving their god, but they get more powerful in areas relating to that virtue or vice. Say, gluttons become extraordinarily fat or addicted to substances, getting bonus HP and so on, while the faithful get stronger resistance to mental attacks or magic and so forth. Chastity awards resisting temptation, lust rewards doing the opposite, with associated perks. Seems like it might be fun, and also would help establish a personality for characters, and establish heroes and villains as larger than life, beyond common people in their extremes.
Frickin' GENIUS.
Maybe it could also be like... most action universally give EXP, but it's a lot slower than stuff you're apt with already, so a larger-than-life cleric could get Sword Points, but he would only gain lame low-level Sword Abilities at first that way (rather than Sword Guy who already has a ton of Sword Points and whose next ability at that point in the game is a choice of +8 Limb Rending and +7 Sword Poweruping.)
I don't remember whether it was you or lawas that pitched the idea of having every levelup let the player add a word to his class to expand his abilities (so Fighter, then Sword Fighter, then Shadow Sword Fighter, etc.) I quite liked the idea, though it seems like it would work better for sillier games.
I don't think I ever pitched this, but Dexexe did at some point way back when. That's where I stole the idea of a Class Tree in Warrens from. It's a genius idea, but yes, probably better for sillier games.
Post by: Xantalos on July 02, 2013, 12:16:01 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 02, 2013, 12:21:50 pm
Frickin' GENIUS.
Maybe it could also be like... most action universally give EXP, but it's a lot slower than stuff you're apt with already, so a larger-than-life cleric could get Sword Points, but he would only gain lame low-level Sword Abilities at first that way (rather than Sword Guy who already has a ton of Sword Points and whose next ability at that point in the game is a choice of +8 Limb Rending and +7 Sword Poweruping.)
That's also a way it could work, yes. I still prefer the personality trait idea, if only to see the results of minmaxing it. Say, somebody draws power from cowardice. Or autocannibalism. Or pacifism. Or alcoholism.
But for a more general game, you could have a set of primary abilities (they have maximum progression, let's say... 5 Point increases), a set of secondary abilities (medium progression, 3 point increases) and a set of tertiary abilities (minimum progression, 1 point increases).
Post by: Fniff on July 02, 2013, 12:22:05 pm
You have a sanity meter that measures how sane you are. It goes on a level of ten (Most sane) to 1 (Least sane). It can be lowered by seeing or doing things that conflict with your worldview, like if you believe that god isn't real then directly witnessing a miracle, or accidentally shooting a kid if you are completely against harming children. As it goes down or up, you get certain benefits.
10-7 has the benefit of stability. Your abilities are sane and normal things you could actually do without stretching your imagination too hard, thus if you try them you won't get injured or even killed as you would with the crazier abilities. The downside is that you don't get as much power out of it. An example of an ability that came from this level of sanity would be the ability to steady your rifle for a turn by holding your breath, getting a bonus to shooting for that one turn.
6-4 has the benefit of balance. You're just crazy enough to try insane things, but not insane enough to truly go off the deep end. The downside is that your abilities come with a heavy element of risk: if you screw it up, you're going to get hurt. An example of an ability that came from this level of sanity would be the ability to jump out of cover and fire a machine gun at all areas until you're out of bullets, causing everyone (including allies) to roll against getting shot.
3-1 has the benefit of power. You've gone crazy enough that you're either too crazy to die, too crazy to notice the things you're doing shouldn't happen, or just too crazy to care. Either because of your twisted grasp of reality or something deeper, your abilites grow larger scale and hallucinogenic, like something you half-remember doing in a dream. The downside is that you are writing cheques your mind cannot cash, and this means that your hallucinations are just as likely to harm you as they are to help you. An example of an ability that would come from this level of sanity would be the ability to slice patterns into your arms and let the blood flow out in certain ways, giving you stat bonuses for a few turns.
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 02, 2013, 12:52:52 pm
Maybe there should be a game where all the players are lunatics that draw upon their delusions to achieve pseudo-supernatural effects, or at least that's the way it looks like to them.
Post by: Fniff on July 02, 2013, 12:54:51 pm
Post by: Solifuge on July 02, 2013, 02:09:51 pm
Let's talk about level up mechanics in forum RPGs.
Character Advancement, and Player Reward Systems:
By Solifuge
Many games rely on Character Advancement and Increasing Difficulty to create a sense of direction and rising tension in the game. This taps into the basic human desire to collect resources and improve ourselves, and makes us enjoy putting time and energy into games. Character Advancement is a player-reward system at it's base, and can be done in a number of ways depending on the nature of the game. Consider what sorts of behavior you want to encourage in your players, and build your reward system around that.
Question 1) What behavior is being Rewarded?
Reward Time Spent:
Some games reward players based just on time passing, either in the real-world or in game-time. Players may earn bonus skill-points every time they participate during a day, may accumulate currency or resources automatically even when not playing, etc. This is good for games that represent a long-term commitment such as strategy games, games that support intermittent,, short play periods (online board games), or games where you assume the characters are always working or training even when the camera isn't looking at them. The rate of reward (how much they earn, or how quickly they reach the time-threshold required) can be variable based on character traits, the number of Training Facilities built or Tomes of Knowledge collected, etc. Examples would be things like skill-training in EVE Online, League of Legend's "First Win Of The Day" Bonus, or even Minecraft's Agricultural System (provides food passively over time).
Reward Success:
To encourage a certain style of play, many games reward players whenever they do a certain action successfully. Combat-focused games reward players based on combat victories. Exploration-focused games may reward players based on seeing new regions or locations, or finding artifacts and objects that help them improve. Narrative games may reward players based on participation. When combined with steep difficulty, this can be used to create an addictive "Try Again!" atmosphere, where players work to perfect their strategies and play-style. Examples include most role-playing games, shooters, strategy games, etc.
Reward Skillful Play:
Similar to rewarding success, other games reward players based on the quality of their performance in-game. Players may earn points based on accuracy and avoiding mistakes, bonus goals such as sneaking through the mansion without being discovered, coming up with clever or unexpected ways to defeat enemies, quality role-playing and narrative contributions, etc. This tends to create more competition between players in multiplayer games, as players struggle to outperform others.
Question 2) What form do these rewards take?
Currency and Point-Buy:
Players earn points, which are exchanged for the reward of their choice. Currencies can be abstract or tangible; Experience Points that players trade for new skills and abilities, material wealth that players use to purchase equipment, allies, resources, etc. This allows players more control over how they advance in the game, and finding ways to maximize their potential can becomes a game in itself. Some games allow players to lose their points, or even the rewards they've bought with them, to discourage other kinds of behavior; taking unnecessary risks, failing to succeed, dying in combat, long-term absences, etc.
Pre-Defined Rewards:
Players complete a milestone or action, and earn a set reward. Perhaps this involves winning a combat, completing a mission, rescuing a skill-trainer from the Dungeon, gaining 1,000 XP, etc. Players may know what their rewards are ahead of time (+10 HP, +1 Strength, and 1 new Fighter Skill!), which helps set up their expectations, and dangles a carrot for them. Alternatively, they may just know what they have to do, but have no idea what the reward is (Beat the mini-boss and collect the dungeon's Artifact, which will grant you some kind of new ability). Removing player choice from character advancement via pre-defined rewards has benefits; it simplifies and streamlines the game, increases its accessibility, and helps players focus on other aspects of the game.
Non-Personal Rewards:
Particularly in cooperative multiplayer games, or games where death and starting new characters is expected, you may consider players earning rewards not for themselves, but impersonal rewards that benefit the group. This may be a communal point-pool or collection of gear/materials/wealth that all players draw from. A good example of this would be X-Com's Research/Equipment-based advancement, which can be earned by strong Veteran performance, and passed on to Rookies when they die.
Post by: monk12 on July 02, 2013, 07:55:25 pm
Well said. I have nothing to add.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 08:05:00 pm
My last question for the same game is this: if I want to push the boundaries of the forum game format, how would you like to see it done? Some inspiration from other games:
-Every update is in the form of a youtube video (pretty darn cool, but low update speed).
-Every update is in the form of a LEGO miniature photo set (I don't have anything like this, sadly).
-Every update is actually played out through an external application/game and then the results are copied and pasted into the thread. (That one RPG that did this was way cool).
-Every update is in the form of an individual flash, web or other game. (Not really sure how to go about this, but it's definitely possible).
If you have any other ideas you'd like to see, I'll definitely consider them. The more creative the better.
Post by: kj1225 on July 02, 2013, 08:14:56 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 08:15:32 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 02, 2013, 08:17:19 pm
Post by: Gamerboy4life on July 02, 2013, 08:26:21 pm
Alright, thank you for your input, everyone. I think I've gotten more than enough information now to decide on the level up system for a future RPG.
My last question for the same game is this: if I want to push the boundaries of the forum game format, how would you like to see it done? Some inspiration from other games:
-Every update is in the form of a youtube video (pretty darn cool, but low update speed).
-Every update is in the form of a LEGO miniature photo set (I don't have anything like this, sadly).
-Every update is actually played out through an external application/game and then the results are copied and pasted into the thread. (That one RPG that did this was way cool).
-Every update is in the form of an individual flash, web or other game. (Not really sure how to go about this, but it's definitely possible).
If you have any other ideas you'd like to see, I'll definitely consider them. The more creative the better.
I think the external application thing would be the most practical/easy to do.
Easy to do isn't always bad, it allows you to make more frequent updates.
Post by: monk12 on July 02, 2013, 08:28:04 pm
I will note the examples you listed are all different forms of media adapted to the forum game format, as opposed to unique rules implementations. Off that theme, we can also add Text and Illustrations as "standard" forum game media. That would leave Music as the big unrepresented medium. Well, that and Performance Art, and if you can come up with a forum game where the primary mechanic is making the GM literally dance, I'll give you a cookie.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 02, 2013, 08:30:31 pm
I've got no secret ideas for something that might push the forum game envelope in strange new ways. That said, what RPG was number 3?
I will note the examples you listed are all different forms of media adapted to the forum game format, as opposed to unique rules implementations. Off that theme, we can also add Text and Illustrations as "standard" forum game media. That would leave Music as the big unrepresented medium. Well, that and Performance Art, and if you can come up with a forum game where the primary mechanic is making the GM literally dance, I'll give you a cookie.
That's more a thing with Bay 12 than forum games, though. I mean, I could put an SMF sandbox on my website right this minute and have embedded Flash interactives in each post.
I don't think in terms of actual media built into the there's much room to "push," but for adding interactivity and intrigue to the game through external media? Heck yes.
Post by: Gamerboy4life on July 02, 2013, 08:32:53 pm
Has there ever been a sci-fi sort of RPG/Turn-based strategy forum game that incorporated multiple Z-levels in an efficient way?
I'm wondering how to do this with my own game, maybe by taking the different levels of the map, and posting them in various spoilers on the thread, so someone could see something like:
Spoiler: Z level 0 (Bottom Level) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Z level 1 (One level up) (click to show/hide)
Post by: Solifuge on July 02, 2013, 11:20:30 pm
So, this is actually a question.
Has there ever been a sci-fi sort of RPG/Turn-based strategy forum game that incorporated multiple Z-levels in an efficient way?
No spoilers, but in a weeks or two there will be. >_o
Spoiler: Isometric Projections are my 3D Map-Rendering method of choice: (click to show/hide)
Post by: Furtuka on July 02, 2013, 11:21:46 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on July 02, 2013, 11:22:29 pm
Post by: monk12 on July 02, 2013, 11:35:50 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 02, 2013, 11:58:31 pm
1. A multiversal adventure in which you traverse many worlds, each time stepping into the shoes of a native of that world while inheriting some skills from the previous ones, in order to collect clues and discover the true nature of a universe destroying monster that seems to appear wherever you go.
2. This ones a bit weirder and probably unfeasible. It's a sortof dungeon crawling thing in this massive complex where the characters are all hoping to reach the core where they will be rewarded with a return to life/their homeland. The twist that makes the idea difficult was that if it's possible my original plan would be for the complex to be populated with characters from other forums games. Specifically dead ones, meaning ones who died in game, along with ones from dead games. Of course that would require an exorbitant amount of contacting for permissions for courtesies sake, along with confusing logistics, so the crossover aspect is very likely wind up being cut out all together if I try it... In hindsight I should probably should cut that out actually.
Post by: monk12 on July 03, 2013, 12:09:08 am
And hey, look at this thread being all active and junk! Very nice.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 03, 2013, 12:14:21 am
Post by: Furtuka on July 03, 2013, 12:14:38 am
Post by: Gamerboy4life on July 03, 2013, 12:27:57 am
2. This ones a bit weirder and probably unfeasible. It's a sortof dungeon crawling thing in this massive complex where the characters are all hoping to reach the core where they will be rewarded with a return to life/their homeland. The twist that makes the idea difficult was that if it's possible my original plan would be for the complex to be populated with characters from other forums games. Specifically dead ones, meaning ones who died in game, along with ones from dead games. Of course that would require an exorbitant amount of contacting for permissions for courtesies sake, along with confusing logistics, so the crossover aspect is very likely wind up being cut out all together if I try it... In hindsight I should probably should cut that out actually.
Who cares? It's not like they're getting royalties for them. If they make a fuss about it, then drop it.
I doubt anyone actually would, though.
I'd like to see a game like that, imho.
Post by: Furtuka on July 03, 2013, 12:31:19 am
Post by: Solifuge on July 03, 2013, 12:49:54 am
I sincerely hope you post a link to that in here, Soli, when it becomes a thing that exists. I don't even know what you're going to do, but if it's a tactics thing that's as pretty as you make things, I want to know about it!
Will do. Got most of the gameplay and plot stuff planned, but my biggest hurdle right now is coming up with portraits and Iso-Sprites for a full roster of player-submitted characters. Especially with perma-death and player turn-over being fairly regular occurances. :I
Spoiler: P.S. For a small subset of the internet, this will be a spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Shoruke on July 03, 2013, 02:40:08 am
2. This ones a bit weirder and probably unfeasible. It's a sortof dungeon crawling thing in this massive complex where the characters are all hoping to reach the core where they will be rewarded with a return to life/their homeland. The twist that makes the idea difficult was that if it's possible my original plan would be for the complex to be populated with characters from other forums games. Specifically dead ones, meaning ones who died in game, along with ones from dead games. Of course that would require an exorbitant amount of contacting for permissions for courtesies sake, along with confusing logistics, so the crossover aspect is very likely wind up being cut out all together if I try itI'd play that.
And I normally hate ISGs
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 03:04:50 am
Post by: Bdthemag on July 03, 2013, 03:20:34 am
Post by: freeformschooler on July 03, 2013, 10:20:20 am
I'd play that.
And I normally hate ISGs
Why?
That sounds pretty fun. I can't imagine anyone would really mind being used, but *shrug*. Crossovering hasn't been done here for whatever reason but has so many different possibilities.
Well, unlike boards such as Eagletime, most games on here are started then dropped on a whim and not particularly memorable. There's also lots and lots of text based RPGs, and it's very unlikely anyone's going to remember someone else's character from that. I try to do a little bit of crossovering in each game, but the most I've seen is Magnificent Timelord, and that's really more references than actual cross-overs.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 11:15:44 am
Quote
not particularly memorable
Well if that isn't the most subjective statement of the year. I think you'll find a lot of people disagreeing with you here. Just because you didn't enjoy them...
Post by: freeformschooler on July 03, 2013, 11:17:33 am
Quotenot particularly memorable
Well if that isn't the most subjective statement of the year. I think you'll find a lot of people disagreeing with you here. Just because you didn't enjoy them...
Actually, most seem to agree with me. See the old topic on segregation of suggestion games. Great discussion there.
There's tons of good stuff on here, but you'd be crazy to say the majority of it isn't dropped quickly and then later replaced by new games which are also dropped quickly, etc. Even many of my games are guilty of this and for that reason I find them, too, unmemorable.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 11:21:18 am
Post by: Fniff on July 03, 2013, 11:22:03 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 03, 2013, 11:25:55 am
Consequences. It helps if things actually matter, after all.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 03, 2013, 11:26:25 am
I think we might just not gravitate to the same games in the first place. Games dying quickly is true, but (not?) fairly unique to B12 - the majority of MSPA forum adventures die very quickly, for example. That's just the nature of things (though this Eagletime place doth intrigue me).
Eagletime is only less affected by that because it's currently filled with the dedicated and passionate previous GMs from MSPA who wanted to continue making cool stuff after that section of their forum was shut down. In time it will also be filled with cool adventures which ask for your personal investment in their stories which die the moment you become invested in them.
You know, we don't seem to discuss players that often. I mean, this is mostly working on mechanics, and mechanics are only 1/3 of roleplays/suggestion games, the other 2/3rds being plot and players. Here's my question: how do you make a plot that involves the players and interests them? I find that "You all meet in a tavern, here, have a job" only goes so far, and doesn't work in a game meant for politics. However, there is always the risk of the players shrugging the plot hooks off and ending up wandering pointlessly around. Now, I'm not asking for advice on how to most efficently railroad your players, but I generally find having a goal makes an RP last much longer then one that's just directionless. So, how can I make a plot involving, interesting, and (not) intrusive?
Start them with a common goal. And I mean literally build it into the bio section of their character sheet: "why did this character join Superspace Military?" Sure, you'll get a few people who aren't invested and take off on their own, but this seems to be the most effective way of having both the player and their character sign up for a specific experience and follow through as best they can.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 11:30:58 am
You should generally make sure the players know what they're getting into. If you want a political game, make sure you get players who want that in the first place. This is obvious basics, though. I wish I knew the answers to your question.
Honestly I'd just say that different things work with different people but that's, like, the lamest cop-out.
@freeform: As an addendum, I kinda agree that this forum doesn't produce memorable characters that often, but it sure as hell produces interesting worlds. A world-hopping crossover might work better.
Post by: monk12 on July 03, 2013, 11:44:27 am
In time it will also be filled with cool adventures which ask for your personal investment in their stories which die the moment you become invested in them.
Well that's not incredibly depressing at all!
I will say one of the reasons I don't often hop into new forum games is because of this. I prefer to let them develop a bit to get a gauge of how much effort and investment the GM has, since a GM willing to put in a lot of work up front (and not show signs of disinterest/burnout in the early stages) is more likely to stick with things in the long term. Of course, if EVERYONE did it my way we'd end up with a Tragedy of the Commons situation where (apparent) lack of player interest kills promising forum games in their infancy (*cough**cough**TornAjar**cough*) leading to a situation where only established GMs are able to attract interest to their new games.
So, uh, I guess I'm saying don't do what I do? That's probably safe advice in general.
Post by: Fniff on July 03, 2013, 11:49:27 am
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 03, 2013, 12:02:42 pm
So, if people seem bored, add random events. Manipulate the dark unknown that is the bit of the setting the players don't know about and put what you want in it. Put it on a collision course with innocent people (or PCs).
Post by: monk12 on July 03, 2013, 12:05:27 pm
1) Make sure the game mechanics are interesting enough to be enjoyable in their own right. Most video games are like this; a lot of the game is filler (random battles and sidquests and things like that) but the experience of playing the game is part of why the player is here, so it's okay. Can still burn you out as a GM if you aren't fascinated by the workings of your own mechanics (and the fact that I can be probably speaks to narcissism on my part.)
2) Skip the boring bits. If nobody cares, it happens offscreen. If this means that the game only has enough "interesting bit" content to make a chapter or two, then so be it. I'd rather have a short, thoughtful, spirited game than a grand epic of mostly bland crap. Obviously tricky to handle when you think something was going to be fun but turns out to be kinda boring halfway through, but experience is all about learning to recognize what you're going to like or dislike ahead of time.
3) Try to reason out why people should care in the first place, before you start. Obviously the most preferable one, but also obviously the hardest one. Trying to plan out a step-by-step game of honest to god content is a lot of work, and a lot of times I feel I write better/maintain interest longer if I work out the details on the fly. It's a balancing act I try to get better at with every game (Star Crossed is exciting as it's the first game where I really know everything I want to do from the start, just about. I hope I can pull it off.)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 12:12:18 pm
Good way to keep things interesting for both the GM and the players is to let random shit happen and not impede derailing. Give players the idea that they have a set storyline to follow and let them shatter it into tiny pieces or ignore it if they want to. That's what player satisfaction is made of, no? Provide an atmosphere where players can be killed off or changed over periodically (provided they are unlucky or silly enough), that keeps the people rotating and improves the general freshness of things. If you have a setting, let it be as flexible as possible in terms of what is and isn't likely to happen. If you stick close to realism, it's much harder to make things seem interesting, I've found.
This doesn't sound like it'd bring too much GM satisfaction or player satisfaction for that one player who was enjoying the plot and doesn't like the others breaking it. It's good advice, but not really universal to every type of game.
(In other words, that sounds kinda... imperfect for me both as a GM and a player. Mainly because words like 'shatter' so I can only imagine a bunch of vandals laying waste to a centuries-old precious mural (the lovingly-crafted plot) or somesuch. Kerping your plot flexible and un-railroady is key in any game, naturally.)
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 03, 2013, 12:36:17 pm
This doesn't sound like it'd bring too much GM satisfaction or player satisfaction for that one player who was enjoying the plot and doesn't like the others breaking it. It's good advice, but not really universal to every type of game.
(In other words, that sounds kinda... imperfect for me both as a GM and a player. Mainly because words like 'shatter' so I can only imagine a bunch of vandals laying waste to a centuries-old precious mural (the lovingly-crafted plot) or somesuch. Kerping your plot flexible and un-railroady is key in any game, naturally.)
Well, if there's just one player who was enjoying the plot, it's going to be pretty difficult for them to enjoy it if the rest don't share in the joy, know what I mean? And lovingly crafting a plot for a game implies several things. For one, it means that you're planning too far ahead. Secondly, it means you're getting too attached to your plot. You shouldn't do that. It just makes it hurt more when somebody ruins it by accident or on purpose.
And laying waste to things (such as a lovingly-crafted plot) is very fun, I must say. Particularly when it's clear you're not supposed to be doing it - subverting expectations and surmounting odds gives the player joy. Particularly when you feel like you're destroying something beautiful, powerful or wonderful, especially if it's done through planning and effort.
Speaking of, I'd also say that one way to increase your GM satisfaction is to get the players plotting or thinking strategically. This is difficult to achieve, but one way to get people thinking is to add more potential for strategy (primarily on the enemies' part as a GM) in combat portions and reward the players when they do unconventional things generally.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 03, 2013, 12:38:29 pm
Only applies to decently crafted plots though.
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 03, 2013, 12:59:00 pm
There are quite a lot of people who enjoy a decently crafted plot, and just one player randomly shooting a plot important person for no raisin can ruin it for everyone.
Only applies to decently crafted plots though.
Certainly, that sort of thing can happen, though I'm having a hard time imagining such a situation where it would, unless one particular player joining the game (a good game, no less) specifically to disrupt it as much as possible (as in, somebody just joining for trolling purposes and nothing else, which in most cases would be noticed by players sooner rather than later). And even in that case, it is usually possible to continue the plot somehow, or make up the beginnings of a new one. For these purposes, it's good to keep track of what the players have seen before and what they have not, and also what they have done in their time.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 01:11:37 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 03, 2013, 01:48:17 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 03, 2013, 04:04:22 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 03, 2013, 04:17:25 pm
It could be, for example, a novice RPer joining such a game and derailing the others' fun with selfishness/godmodding or just poor roleplaying, which I've experienced more than once. I've probably been such a person in the past. They could shoot up the plot-important NPC because they're not all that invested and just want to have their fun, no matter what the others think. It's not easy for a GM to manage.
Yeah, I can certainly see how that could possibly happen, and I will concede that point. In addition, they could also be an aspiring loonie, except forgetting the part that they have to be funny rather than highly annoying, completely random and disruptive.
I know one or two people on this forum (Who I shall not name) who have a tendency to do that sort of thing. Worst thing, it's usually not that creative: just killing everyone in sight with no style. Generally, I think bringing down the hammer on them in-game is better then settling it OOC, though I haven't done this myself, which I should have.
Also, yeah. It's really unpleasant if somebody derails your plot without style. With enough style brought to being disruptive (as in, your disruptions actually becoming entertaining rather than merely awful), it stops being an issue, really, because it becomes fun to watch and participate in, engaging players in what they do. And with engaged players comes a good game. Also, boring characters don't help, certainly. Especially boring and omnicidal ones.
I'm wondering where I should go with First Contact. I've got a basic idea laid out, but I'm wondering if I should have planned more as to the game itself; no map of the ship yet, only the most general idea of who the enemies are, etc. Not sure how to decently craft a plot, either. Whenever I do, I end up comparing my ideas to the books I read, and they don't hold up. There's rarely the intricacies and overall connected-togetherness.
You shouldn't worry if you haven't got much planned out. At first, just throw stuff you think is rather interesting toward the players. If your game holds up, work on a deeper plot on the sidelines, weaving the random stuff you came up with into a single framework.
And never compare the plot of a game to the plot of a book. They, while compatible, certainly aren't the same thing and people certainly don't look for the exact same things in both. Focus on the gameplay at first. Make things up as you go. It's fun. And liberating.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 03, 2013, 04:27:08 pm
If you want to focus on an involving story, make sure you find the players for that. Talkin' hardcore roleplayers here. But again, railroading is death.
Post by: Solifuge on July 04, 2013, 10:12:20 am
This doesn't sound like it'd bring too much GM satisfaction or player satisfaction for that one player who was enjoying the plot and doesn't like the others breaking it. It's good advice, but not really universal to every type of game.
(In other words, that sounds kinda... imperfect for me both as a GM and a player. Mainly because words like 'shatter' so I can only imagine a bunch of vandals laying waste to a centuries-old precious mural (the lovingly-crafted plot) or somesuch. Kerping your plot flexible and un-railroady is key in any game, naturally.)
Well, if there's just one player who was enjoying the plot, it's going to be pretty difficult for them to enjoy it if the rest don't share in the joy, know what I mean? And lovingly crafting a plot for a game implies several things. For one, it means that you're planning too far ahead. Secondly, it means you're getting too attached to your plot. You shouldn't do that. It just makes it hurt more when somebody ruins it by accident or on purpose.
And laying waste to things (such as a lovingly-crafted plot) is very fun, I must say. Particularly when it's clear you're not supposed to be doing it - subverting expectations and surmounting odds gives the player joy. Particularly when you feel like you're destroying something beautiful, powerful or wonderful, especially if it's done through planning and effort.
Yeah, I don't enjoy any of those things, as a player or a GM. Flexibility of plot is fine, and clever subversion of tropes or expectations is great. However, in saying that everyone likes to troll and "lay waste to" stories for the lulz, I think you're assuming a little too much about the nature of other people. Also, you talk as though the reader/player should be given more narrative control than the writer/GM. Seems in those kind of games, there should be no writer/GM at all, because there's no place for one.
From years of Tabletop experience, ranging from on-the-spot collaborative storytelling games we used to come up with as kids, to the evocative worlds and storylines my friends have built for various campaigns, I've found that a true "Anything Goes" attitude tends to destroy the heart of the narrative, and quickly degrades things into a pile of incoherent silliness that it's hard to get excited about or invested in. It's not even fun to subvert anymore, because there's nothing coherant left to subvert. The story isn't just derailed; it is effectively broken.
You need at least a minimum of structure or limitations on what can and can't be, or you won't have a story or a game or anything. You'll be having a... fictional group conversation. Or something else which I can't find a word for.
Post by: Solifuge on July 04, 2013, 10:33:43 am
I'm wondering where I should go with First Contact. I've got a basic idea laid out, but I'm wondering if I should have planned more as to the game itself; no map of the ship yet, only the most general idea of who the enemies are, etc. Not sure how to decently craft a plot, either. Whenever I do, I end up comparing my ideas to the books I read, and they don't hold up. There's rarely the intricacies and overall connected-togetherness.
Well, for starters, a strong setting is important. If the players are spending a lot of time in the ship, you should have at least a good idea of several major locations in the ship ahead of time. You can come up with more as the plot demands. As for Plotcraft, it sounds like you should experiment with the art of the Plot Hook. As a GM, you don't need to plan every intricacy out ahead of time; in fact, that's often a bad idea, and leads to railroading! You just need to create characters and motivations, and let events unfold organically, based on the players' actions.
Create a setting. Create a number of NPC Entities, be they religions or empires or cosmic forces or individuals or whatever, and polarize them. Give them resources, personal goals, and plans by which to achieve their goals. Set some of them at odds with one another; give some of them goals that clash. Then lump them into your universe, let your characters know the surface details, and then have them make their characters, and encourage them to have ties with one or more of these NPC factions or entities (they can be friends with these entities, or enemies, or might owe them a favor or be owed a favor, etc). Then, if you drop enough Plot Hooks for the players to get involved in these factions, and swept up in their plans, they'll react, and suddenly you have a plot! The players will let you know where they want the plot to go, and they may surprise or inspire you with an endgame you didn't expect.
If you'd like a nice, simple structure for writing a compelling interactive plot for a game, you could do worse than familiarize yourself with Minimus. You don't have to do things the same way, but it's a great base to adapt a storytelling structure from: Linko (http://www.adastragames.com/downloads/RPGs/Minimus.pdf)
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 04, 2013, 11:37:14 am
Yeah, I don't enjoy any of those things, as a player or a GM. Flexibility of plot is fine, and clever subversion of tropes or expectations is great. However, in saying that everyone likes to troll and "lay waste to" stories for the lulz, I think you're assuming a little too much about the nature of other people. Also, you talk as though the reader/player should be given more narrative control than the writer/GM. Seems in those kind of games, there should be no writer/GM at all, because there's no place for one.
From years of Tabletop experience, ranging from on-the-spot collaborative storytelling games we used to come up with as kids, to the evocative worlds and storylines my friends have built for various campaigns, I've found that a true "Anything Goes" attitude tends to destroy the heart of the narrative, and quickly degrades things into a pile of incoherent silliness that it's hard to get excited about or invested in. It's not even fun to subvert anymore, because there's nothing coherant left to subvert. The story isn't just derailed; it is effectively broken.
You need at least a minimum of structure or limitations on what can and can't be, or you won't have a story or a game or anything. You'll be having a... fictional group conversation. Or something else which I can't find a word for.
It's called a minimalist freeform RP, I believe. Or simply a freeform RP that gets really out of hand. Or, if you add a single die, a minimalist RTD. Those usually don't work very well for most audiences, at least not for long.
Also, players should be given control of the narrative. The GM controls and consistently describes the circumstances of the players, places plot hooks and such, adds NPCs and adversaries, but ultimately should not control the narrative itself, merely give it paths of greater and lesser resistance to follow, and allow players to choose whatever path they may wish. That's the essence of a roleplaying game and its difference from a work without audience participation, the author giving up their solitary control of where the story goes and what happens during it. Essentially exactly what you describe in your second post. That, I think, is how plotting should be done, and how players should be approached in a game.
And laying waste to a plot can mean many things, and it isn't always done for the lulz. It can be done out of disinterest, lack of investment, poor RPing, a desire on the players' part to have more control over the narrative and more. But destruction and subversion is fun as long as it doesn't destroy the game itself in most cases. That's why the GM limits the power of the players, provides obstacles in their path to make their end goal a thing that was reached through hardship, whatever it may be. A plot can get destroyed when the GM sets a goal for the player and the player chooses to do something incompatible with this goal for whatever reason. When this goal is but one of many the players may have and the GM has foreseen, there is nothing to really destroy, at least nothing that cannot be easily replaced.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 04, 2013, 11:41:16 am
"The GM is not the writer. The GM is the stage."
Can't remember where I first heard it.
Post by: Fniff on July 04, 2013, 11:43:08 am
And before you say it, NO. You can never run a freeformer. It doesn't work out. There is no freeformer that ended happily. It always ends in godmoding or abandonment. Even other RPs end.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 04, 2013, 11:49:01 am
Ehehe. I've been in freeform.
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 04, 2013, 11:52:26 am
Oh God, in my experience, never run freeform RPs. They really don't work properly. You need rules.
And before you say it, NO. You can never run a freeformer. It doesn't work out. There is no freeformer that ended happily. It always ends in godmoding or abandonment. Even other RPs end.
Exactly. If the GM is the stage, and I do believe this is true, then one that runs a freeform minimalist game (and is a complete non-interventionist) is the equivalent of a blank wall. You have to have really good players to make that interesting or lasting in any way. It happens to most minimalist RTD's, and those actually have rules. Well, one rule, really, but still.
Post by: Solifuge on July 04, 2013, 05:52:38 pm
Food for thought statement for the current discussion:
"The GM is not the writer. The GM is the stage."
Can't remember where I first heard it.
I tend to view the players and GM as writers. The GM is just the editor-in-chief. The stage is in everyone's collective brains.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 07, 2013, 03:17:37 pm
Sadly I don't have any notes for it anymore, but from the first post;
Quote
Spoiler: The Game (click to show/hide)Spoiler: Aspects (click to show/hide)---Spoiler: Belief and Prophets (click to show/hide)Spoiler: God Application (click to show/hide)
So, stuff. I'm just looking for vague improvements, I guess - not entirely sure why I stopped it, so I dunno what to fix. But yeah, wanna give this another go someday.
Post by: Bdthemag on July 07, 2013, 03:20:08 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 07, 2013, 03:24:46 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 07, 2013, 03:32:07 pm
I don't know if I even had dice rolls in the original! It ran mostly on narrativium (like all good things) with arbitarily granted/taken Divine Essence.
That's no good. That's no good at all. Getting too close to freeform RP that way.
Also, you need more of an established setting (if there isn't already one - it's . A generation of previous gods, for instance (like titans), plus other ones. A bunch of old, power-mad, stuffy deities keeping all the young, cool gods with all the great ideas down! It would help players form objectives of their own, as well as provide enemies to square off against.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 07, 2013, 03:39:38 pm
I regard them as more creative writing exercises anyway, but they do have enough mechanics to be called games too.
Also, uhh, 'players'. Just like the original posters, you seem convinced this is a multi game when it goes against the whole point of the Aspect system. Damn.
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 07, 2013, 04:48:02 pm
Also, I don't see how that really conflicts with the Aspect system, at least not overtly. You can still have other gods spring up from you, what's the problem? You'd eventually wind up getting many players anyway if two suggestion blocs decided to go their separate ways.
Post by: Remuthra on July 07, 2013, 04:51:38 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 07, 2013, 04:53:03 pm
EDIT: The Aspect system was purposefully designed to work through the contradictory whims of suggesting posters. As a multi game, you'd need teams of players for each god. Which is possible, of course, but a lot of work and breaking up the focus.
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 07, 2013, 05:09:33 pm
Also, GM fiat is notoriously biased toward reason and sensibility. And cruel fate frequently shakes things up in an unexpected fashion that is hard for a GM to imitate.
But about the Aspect system, I'm curious - if an Aspect splits off as you describe, do only the people who suggested for it in the first place control it, does it go out of control, what?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 07, 2013, 05:15:30 pm
A split-off Aspect becomes an NPC, unless reabsorbed. In the original, the one created was friendly and submissive mainly due to how it came to being, but there's no guarantee of that. You could be your own worst enemy. There was also something about taking defeated gods as your own Aspects, hmh.
Post by: Solifuge on July 07, 2013, 08:10:30 pm
Spoiler: CHARACTER RACES: (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: CHARACTER CLASSES: (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: ABILITY SCORES AND CONDITIONS: (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: TECHNIQUES: (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: EQUIPMENT AND CONSUMABLES: (click to show/hide)
Post by: Furtuka on July 07, 2013, 08:41:01 pm
Post by: Nerjin on July 08, 2013, 03:40:50 pm
1. Multiple players can be part of any of the available factions. Each player would be allowed to have a single party that they control entirely.
2. Upgrade trees are not mutually exclusive. You'd still have to build the proper buildings but you can now have multiple people in your party.
3. Rod Planters have a leadership of 3 [Hero + 2 units instead of Hero + Unit]
4. Some slight changes to various units.
I was wondering if there was any sort of interest in this sort've thing before I go through the trouble of actually doing all of this.
Post by: Fniff on July 08, 2013, 07:28:38 pm
Here's the stuff I have so far.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Xantalos on July 09, 2013, 01:33:29 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 09, 2013, 03:18:10 am
Post by: Bdthemag on July 09, 2013, 03:28:57 am
It's a nice supplement to a standard d20 dice rolling system, and I might "borrow" the general idea for something I want to do.
Post by: Fniff on July 09, 2013, 11:47:09 am
Spoiler: Bosses (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Examples of Bosses (click to show/hide)
I also worked out a different way of doing GMing that prevents GM burnout. I think it might have been done before, and it'd be nice to know if how those attempts went.
Basically, you can ask for two positions. You can be a player or a GM. You can also ask to be both. The games would go in rounds, so the players and GMs could be switched out. The GMs would go down the list and be added at the bottom of it, like a succession game, but the difference being it eventually goes back to the first GM then back down again.
One thing I do need to work out is how safezones should be established... I'm not sure how to do that. So, yes. Thoughts?
Post by: kj1225 on July 09, 2013, 11:59:15 am
Post by: Fniff on July 09, 2013, 12:16:32 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 09, 2013, 12:20:59 pm
Post by: kingfisher1112 on July 10, 2013, 10:23:06 am
It's a multiplayer empire building game placed shortly after WW1 on a fictional " Forbidden Continent", basically a place in a seperate dimension accessible every 1000 years. Each player must carve out a niche on this world and perhaps become the ruler of it. Of course, they are going to need to industrialise and deal with some of the fantastical creatures. Eventually tanks will be rolling across the plains and aircraft will be flying and dropping bombs. Would anyone play it?
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 10, 2013, 12:12:40 pm
Post by: kingfisher1112 on July 10, 2013, 12:16:44 pm
I would, as long as I could design my soldiers and tanks and such, and tactics and their design actually mattered, rather than being abstracted to 'you have 1 army. He has two armies. He wins.'Yes of course. Certainly not to the level of People's Weapon Design bureau, but certainly designing.
Post by: RulerOfNothing on July 10, 2013, 09:59:44 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on July 10, 2013, 10:10:38 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 10, 2013, 11:26:09 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 10, 2013, 11:27:03 pm
Post by: Remuthra on July 10, 2013, 11:28:58 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on July 10, 2013, 11:35:08 pm
Give the swords stats :P
What if swords are the only things with stats? What if swords are the only thing with stats in the whole WORLD?
In a world full of swords, gladiatorial combat is the highest form of entertainment. One young boy from humble beginnings, given a sword by his dying father, aspires to one day fight the Legendary Swordsmaster Blademore. To climb the ranks of the Swordmaster Championship, he will have to break the blades of several top-tier combatants, each more intimidating and eccentric than the last. "Sever their sword and you SEVER THEIR SOUL! HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
ULTIMATE SWORDMASTER RPG
Post by: Parsely on July 10, 2013, 11:55:20 pm
Give the swords stats :P
What if swords are the only things with stats? What if swords are the only thing with stats in the whole WORLD?Thats sort of what I meant. But the thing I'm having a hard time with is: what sorts of stats would they have? I mean I'd want to implement reach, blocking ability, weight, and sharpness. Thats what I need help with. And I'd want separate fighting mechanics for fighting groups of mooks and one-on-one'ing the blademaster heading them.
In a world full of swords, gladiatorial combat is the highest form of entertainment. One young boy from humble beginnings, given a sword by his dying father, aspires to one day fight the Legendary Swordsmaster Blademore. To climb the ranks of the Swordmaster Championship, he will have to break the blades of several top-tier combatants, each more intimidating and eccentric than the last. "Sever their sword and you SEVER THEIR SOUL! HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
ULTIMATE SWORDMASTER RPG
And Jesus Samurai Champloo flashbacks.
Post by: Parsely on July 10, 2013, 11:56:22 pm
As an alternative to stats, abstract everything. Damage is based on how well the sword would cut if you really swung it, then you throw in its special properties.I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what you meant.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 10, 2013, 11:57:12 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 10, 2013, 11:59:35 pm
Don't forget strength, fragility, flexibility, and special abilities related to their construction/and or legendariness. And speed.Yeah yeah, whatever. As long as they all come together to make an interesting system that I can use to build awesome swords so I can make a badass game.
Post by: kj1225 on July 11, 2013, 12:01:07 am
Post by: Remuthra on July 11, 2013, 12:01:58 am
Run some complicated formulas to determine what swinging a sword with the amount of force the character is swinging it with at the angle the character is swinging it would do to a target approximating the enemy faced moving as the enemy is. You now know what the stroke would do in real life. Now just inflict the real injury on the enemy. This is incredibly complicated, but there are no stats necessary and the game is as realistic as possible.As an alternative to stats, abstract everything. Damage is based on how well the sword would cut if you really swung it, then you throw in its special properties.I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what you meant.
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 12:03:50 am
I never said I wanted it to be realistic, I just want it to be arbitrary and fun! That just sounds overly complex and hard, and not fun. :CRun some complicated formulas to determine what swinging a sword with the amount of force the character is swinging it with at the angle the character is swinging it would do to a target approximating the enemy faced moving as the enemy is. You now know what the stroke would do in real life. Now just inflict the real injury on the enemy. This is incredibly complicated, but there are no stats necessary and the game is as realistic as possible.As an alternative to stats, abstract everything. Damage is based on how well the sword would cut if you really swung it, then you throw in its special properties.I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what you meant.
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 12:04:37 am
You forgot combining the swords! If you have a game with a lot of collecting things you should let people combine them to make even better things.Awesome. *scribble scribble* Now what about the base stat system? Thats the most important part. I can tack all that junk on afterward.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 11, 2013, 12:05:41 am
Post by: Remuthra on July 11, 2013, 12:07:38 am
It's what I'm using for my realism RPG experience. It's rather inappropriate, but it's something to keep in mind if you really want to avoid arbitrary systems.I never said I wanted it to be realistic, I just want it to be arbitrary and fun! That just sounds overly complex and hard, and not fun. :CRun some complicated formulas to determine what swinging a sword with the amount of force the character is swinging it with at the angle the character is swinging it would do to a target approximating the enemy faced moving as the enemy is. You now know what the stroke would do in real life. Now just inflict the real injury on the enemy. This is incredibly complicated, but there are no stats necessary and the game is as realistic as possible.As an alternative to stats, abstract everything. Damage is based on how well the sword would cut if you really swung it, then you throw in its special properties.I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what you meant.
Post by: kj1225 on July 11, 2013, 12:07:48 am
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 12:14:14 am
What difficulties are you actually having with the stat system? I could whip you up a system for strategic silly sword combat pretty easily, but I'd need to know the context (how quick battles should be, whether you want to use a tile-like grid/some other kind of map or merely descriptions, that kind of thing).I just never used stats much, so id esti inexperienced and not good at imagining them on my own. I've used tons of different systems before though while experimenting, so understanding whatever you can come up with won't be a problem.
No grid or map. Group battles (12 or more foes, I'm thinking) would be 3-5 turns if you were ready for it, and a tough boss fight could be 7~ turns easily.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 11, 2013, 12:15:40 am
No grid or map. Group battles (12 or more foes, I'm thinking) would be 3-5 turns if you were ready for it, and a tough boss fight could be 7~ turns easily.
Hmm. That's a tough combination (many foes, strategic combat, no map), but only because it's one I haven't done before. I'll look into it.
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 12:18:32 am
You welcome the challenge. You relish it.No grid or map. Group battles (12 or more foes, I'm thinking) would be 3-5 turns if you were ready for it, and a tough boss fight could be 7~ turns easily.
Hmm. That's a tough combination (many foes, strategic combat, no map), but only because it's one I haven't done before. I'll look into it.
Post by: kingfisher1112 on July 11, 2013, 01:25:18 am
Post by: Nerjin on July 11, 2013, 01:29:04 am
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 02:44:46 am
Alright, I'm going with a sort of freeform research system, but I've encountered a problem. How do i make a good map? If it's hexes then ordering units will be hard, and If it's MSpaint then it's the same problem.Maptool is free. Grids are the way to go.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 11, 2013, 04:11:08 am
Post by: monk12 on July 11, 2013, 10:06:45 am
You welcome the challenge. You relish it.No grid or map. Group battles (12 or more foes, I'm thinking) would be 3-5 turns if you were ready for it, and a tough boss fight could be 7~ turns easily.
Hmm. That's a tough combination (many foes, strategic combat, no map), but only because it's one I haven't done before. I'll look into it.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
*thinking cap on*
Post by: monk12 on July 11, 2013, 02:02:02 pm
Thats sort of what I meant. But the thing I'm having a hard time with is: what sorts of stats would they have? I mean I'd want to implement reach, blocking ability, weight, and sharpness. Thats what I need help with. And I'd want separate fighting mechanics for fighting groups of mooks and one-on-one'ing the blademaster heading them.
No grid or map. Group battles (12 or more foes, I'm thinking) would be 3-5 turns if you were ready for it, and a tough boss fight could be 7~ turns easily.
First question to address is what, exactly, the player is.
After all, the point of swinging swords is to kill the guy holding the sword. For this purpose, I'm slapping in the GMWS, my own adaptation of the Gatleos Western Standard Wound System. If you aren't familiar with it, it's a common format for handling injuries down in the RTD board. The short version is that it tracks severe damage to limbs and things, and bleeding to death is common.
Spoiler: GMWS (click to show/hide)
Okay, so we've established that players are things with HP and limbs to impair, and you can bleed them to death. They also need a Balance stat. Balance serves a couple different functions.
1) Balance is initiative. Whoever has the highest balance in a fight is able to act faster than anyone else; they act first.
2) Balance is mana. Well, not literally mana, but it serves the same purpose. Balance is a finite (but renewable) resource used to initiate Sword Forms (more on those later.)
Cool, let's talk swords.
Spoiler: Sword Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Basic thug v thug combat (click to show/hide)
That's all very chaotic and dependent on random chance; aspiring blademasters do not rely on such things. They are trained in the Forms of the Sword, a series of choreographed movements and maneuvers that are intended to be adapted as tactics in battle. Sword Forms are intentional movements that achieve a specific outcome; in effect, they are combo attacks that can deal damage, restore Balance, alter the engagement range, or any number of other things.
If a blademaster were to fight a thug, the Sword Forms would help him greatly, even if the thug moved first. Sword Forms are declared before any attacks occur; often this has an immediate Balance cost to initiate the maneuver, and may also give the wielder immediate bonuses (Sword Forms intended to ward ambushes often immediately increase Defense, for example.) The thug's attack is resolved the same as if he were attacking another thug, and if hits, then good for him. When the blademaster attacks, however, he uses the template described in his Sword Form. Often this results in multiple attacks (of the same dice + Balance vs dice + Defense) with different outcomes depending on what the result of the attack is.
Let's look at an example Sword Form before continuing.
Spoiler: Sample Sword Form (click to show/hide)
Now let's look at an example attack with this Sword Form.
Spoiler: Sample combat round (click to show/hide)
+ Balance(10) + Sword Form(2)) 20 vs 15 (1d10(As you can see, a single untrained opponent picking a fight with a Blademaster is just an elaborate form of suicide. Really, the thugs only have a prayer if the Blademaster is still in training (and thus doesn't have a wide plethora of Sword Forms to utilize) and if they also attack in a group, thus guaranteeing at least some of them will have a favorable attack range and forcing the Blademaster-in-training to utilize more defensive Sword Forms.
The fun begins when two Blademasters duel. Many Sword Forms are designed to counter specific other Sword Forms, either by providing additional benefits (often the only Immediate Effect a Sword Form has,) providing a way to interrupt the other Form, by launching an immediate counterattack when the other Sword Form has resolved (which may be as varied as any other Sword Form phase,) or some combination of the three.
Spoiler: Final Thoughts (click to show/hide)
hoo dang I wrote a lot there. Hopefully I don't think it's all garbage when I come back to look in an hour. Threw some spoilers in there to keep it from hogging the page.
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 02:14:28 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on July 11, 2013, 02:29:22 pm
Post by: monk12 on July 11, 2013, 02:56:43 pm
Anywho, if there's anything you want to discuss/don't like/don't understand about it, feel free to shout out. And if you use a form of this for your game, please let me know so I can spy on how well it works!
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 03:04:55 pm
Thanks for the kind words. This is actually a system I've been working on for a while with the intent to put it in a videogame someday; I've just adapted it to a forum game compatible format. There's still some evidence of that origin in the rules, which is why I think there's still some small room to improve things beyond what I mentioned as being framework.Can you replenish your balance in the middle of the battle? What happens if you run out of balance in the middle of a fight? Is there a way to cut out limb damage and simply replace it with healthy, wounded or dead, samurai style, where fights end in one or two strokes? I'd like to make combat extremely fatal.
Anywho, if there's anything you want to discuss/don't like/don't understand about it, feel free to shout out. And if you use a form of this for your game, please let me know so I can spy on how well it works!
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 11, 2013, 03:17:08 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 11, 2013, 03:29:03 pm
While it looks amazing, I think the real fun would begin at describing the swordfighting and cutting-to-ribbons. Or just at naming Sword Forms.Sword Forms are the part that I'm the most worried about. Not sure if I could come up with sufficiently hilarious and/or awesome names for them. But the gibbing I can handle.
Post by: kj1225 on July 11, 2013, 03:33:58 pm
Post by: Remuthra on July 11, 2013, 03:35:55 pm
I can help with that if need be ;D.While it looks amazing, I think the real fun would begin at describing the swordfighting and cutting-to-ribbons. Or just at naming Sword Forms.Sword Forms are the part that I'm the most worried about. Not sure if I could come up with sufficiently hilarious and/or awesome names for them. But the gibbing I can handle.
Sword Form: Superior Tactics-
Burgeoned by the power of Superior Tactical Skill, you receive a burst of focus. Choose a target. You can make three attacks on the target per turn at a -1 penalty to hit (Because you're performing the exact same strike over and over again) until you do something else.
The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman! The swordsman slashes the swordsman!
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 11, 2013, 03:45:46 pm
Post by: monk12 on July 11, 2013, 03:50:19 pm
Thanks for the kind words. This is actually a system I've been working on for a while with the intent to put it in a videogame someday; I've just adapted it to a forum game compatible format. There's still some evidence of that origin in the rules, which is why I think there's still some small room to improve things beyond what I mentioned as being framework.Can you replenish your balance in the middle of the battle? What happens if you run out of balance in the middle of a fight? Is there a way to cut out limb damage and simply replace it with healthy, wounded or dead, samurai style, where fights end in one or two strokes? I'd like to make combat extremely fatal.
Anywho, if there's anything you want to discuss/don't like/don't understand about it, feel free to shout out. And if you use a form of this for your game, please let me know so I can spy on how well it works!
1) The way I see it, Sword Forms would have a few main purposes. One of them is Balancing; if you get really off-balance during a fight (either from taking damage or expending yourself in a furious attack) you would use a Form that has lots of Balance recover; no or low cost, and two or three Balance boosting phases. As long as I'm on the subject, the other main purposes would be Attacking (Boar Rushes Down the Mountain would be nothing but attack,) Positioning (setting the range to someplace advantageous to yourself,) and Defense (increasing your defense stat against an expected devastating attack.) And then of course you can have a bunch of quirky flavorful Sword Forms depending on tone/magicality of everything, like if you wanted to make your sword fiery through pure will, or whatever.
2) Running out of balance in the middle of the fight means you've probably stumbled and maybe fallen down. You could add rules letting the opponent get free stabs in if you go down to 0, or it could just be "you're really off-balance and need to do a recovery Form to get your mojo back." Or you could go read #3 below.
3) Certainly! Wouldn't be too hard; I'd cut HP and make Balance basically fill that role. Basically, in that case when Balance runs down to 0, you are sufficiently off-guard that the opponent lands a solid blow, wounding you severely. Get hit like that three times, and you're dead. If you go that route, I'd automatically give the wounded party back some Balance; think of it like the sword knocks them back or something, so everyone can dramatically look at the big ol' slash down their side before they get back to it.
It's a good idea for the forum game format, since that lends to shorter combat than the "death by a thousand cuts" thing the original system supported. It also makes the choice of attacking (and leaving your Balance dangerously low) versus defending (less likely to kill the other guy, but less likely to die yourself) a more interesting one.
While it looks amazing, I think the real fun would begin at describing the swordfighting and cutting-to-ribbons. Or just at naming Sword Forms.Sword Forms are the part that I'm the most worried about. Not sure if I could come up with sufficiently hilarious and/or awesome names for them. But the gibbing I can handle.
Here's a list (http://wot.wikia.com/wiki/Sword_form) of the sword forms used in Wheel of Time. They're intended to evoke the movement of the fight, and frequently he describes battles just using combinations of Sword Form names, to avoid bogging down the narrative. Obviously a lot depends on the tone you're shooting for, but it's a place to start, anyway.
The hard part is actually statting all of these Sword Forms; or maybe not hard, but certainly time-consuming and probably tricky to balance. If you're willing to put in the work beforehand though, I bet it'd turn out nice.
EDIT:
I'm sure monk would be okay with just shamelessly ripping off everything WoT has to offer. We'd just call them clever references, naturally.
STOP PREDICTING WHAT I'D DO!
Post by: Kadzar on July 11, 2013, 11:38:47 pm
-snip-This seems like the beginning of a really interesting combat system, that uses weapon reach in a fun and dynamic way, and would actually allow you to simulate the real-world technique of half-swording. Though I will admit I'm not such a big fan of the HP and wounding system, I think the rest of it shows a lot of promise.
An idea I had for adapting this system to tabletop was that you could simply have the ranges associated with certain numbers (like Close (1), Medium (2), Far (3), ect.) and thereby use a d6 or maybe d4 face up to show the current range, thereby having simple and easy way of noting the current fighting range round-by-round or within the round, and you could put them between different figurines to denote their relative combat spacing.
If you're looking for a different name than sword forms, I can suggest a few alternatives: either just calling them forms (if the compound word seems weird to you), or moves or techniques.
As for the forms themselves, I can imagine all kinds of things like full attacks that can do a lot of damage but offer no movement or balance regain, moves that bring your balance back up don't offer much other benefit, techniques that allow you to move in and out of range with a jab in the middle, maybe some passive ability that give you more defense when someone tries to move into a closer range with you, or maybe a different passive ability that lets you make an opportunity attack when someone moves from a certain range to another, or a form that lets you defend better against opportunity attacks.
I think forms should generally require certain weapons. You might be able to substitute weapons of similar reach, but if the move requires a certain form of shield, a knife, two hands, or a free hand, you'll generally need to provide those to do the move unless there a good substitution rules. And maybe secondary weapons or shields might be used in certain steps of the technique.
Also, you should definitely have some sort of unarmed techniques. Some might involve kicks (this would also be a possibility for some armed techniques) and probably revolve around either getting in and out of range really fast, disarming, or occupying the opponent's weapon somehow to avoid strikes since you'd have nothing to parry with.
If you want to lower the amount of dicerolls, you might possibly want to just have a few steps in the move be compared straight against the enemy's defense, though I would personally first consider if it's really necessary to roll the opponent's defense in the first place, rather than just comparing it to a straight defense value (possibly half the dice's max value plus the usual modifiers). Since balance allows these values to fluctuate on a round-by-round basis, it might even be worthwhile to compare straight values without rolls for certain steps.
And those are my thoughts so far without reading up to your second post yet (which may turn out to totally invalidate all my points or something).
EDIT: Looking at Monk12's second post, it seems he did indeed think of a few of the same types of forms as me, though I did come up with some original ones too. I thought of a few more and some other ideas after reading his post:
So I know proposed using Balance as hitpoints, and that could certainly lend to an interesting style, but I think in a fight actually hits should maybe be somewhat rare, as you have to overcome your opponents defenses, one of which should be a passive parry ability that uses the defender's current balance score. The idea should be that, unlike other games where HP represents depleted luck from near-misses and/or loss of stamina to keep up with constantly avoided blows until you get down to the last few that represent actual flesh and blood damage, here every single wound should represent actual physical damage.
I think some moves should allow you to activate some sorts of stances, or whatever you'd want to call them, that would do various things such as boost your defenses or allow you to perform counter-attacks in certain situations. Thinking about it, maybe there should be certain moves that act as combo moves, being able to be used freely upon successfully executing certain other moves, allowing you to not only change stances but alternatively perform a the equivalent of a single step of a regular move as part your turn (it's possible more steps could be included in a combo, but my gut says a single step is probably a good idea since it's an extra thing). Also, some combos, at least maybe stance combos, might be free to execute (since you have to succeed in another move to use them and you can only have one stance active at once (probably)).
Also, some combos might be what I would call default weapon forms, certain moves that can be used by anyone holding a certain weapon at the time. These would, by design, tend to be less useful, powerful, and varied than those provided by actual fighting schools and styles, since they mostly just simulate the general wild flailing of someone who is unfamiliar with a weapon (though there should be some benefit gained from being a generally competent fighter; probably just the general benefits you gain from having a good balance score). Rather than having forms for each weapon, there would probably be different forms for groups of weapons that behave similarly. In addition, there would also be some sort of default unarmed form that could be used by anyone who finds themselves suddenly unarmed in combat and needs to resort to good of fashioned fisticuffs.
Speaking of unarmed combat, my post original spoke of it in a way that implied use against someone with a weapon. While there should be some styles for that, I think most forms of unarmed combat should probably be devoted to defeating other unarmed combatants (and you should probably have to master one of these styles before you're ready to take on dudes with weapons using only your fists).
Oh, and I also thought of another way to keep track of fighting range: do as before, with numbers denoting the range, but instead of using dice, you can add or subtract a number of glass beads or poker chips or some other easily countable thing.
Alright, that's it for now.
Post by: monk12 on July 12, 2013, 12:09:12 pm
This seems like the beginning of a really interesting combat system, that uses weapon reach in a fun and dynamic way, and would actually allow you to simulate the real-world technique of half-swording. Though I will admit I'm not such a big fan of the HP and wounding system, I think the rest of it shows a lot of promise.
Thank you! I'll note that the GMWS is intended as a "plug-and-play" type system to quickly give a starting point. It's usually modified somewhat on a game-by-game basis, and isn't really married to the rest of the combat system. I think GUNINANRUNIN's propsed "healthy/wounded/dead" system would fit the system better, especially for a forum game implementation.
An idea I had for adapting this system to tabletop was that you could simply have the ranges associated with certain numbers (like Close (1), Medium (2), Far (3), ect.) and thereby use a d6 or maybe d4 face up to show the current range, thereby having simple and easy way of noting the current fighting range round-by-round or within the round, and you could put them between different figurines to denote their relative combat spacing.
That's a good idea! A tabletop adaptation would be interesting, and an actual map could simulate the impact of terrain (being forced into a corner, dancing around muddy, uncertain ground, etc) in a way that the forum game version simply doesn't. Of course, that opens up a whole can of worms about how the scale weapon reach operates doesn't match any scale you'd use to draw a battlefield. Not an unsolvable problem, I think, but definitely a tricky one.
I think forms should generally require certain weapons. You might be able to substitute weapons of similar reach, but if the move requires a certain form of shield, a knife, two hands, or a free hand, you'll generally need to provide those to do the move unless there a good substitution rules. And maybe secondary weapons or shields might be used in certain steps of the technique.
Yes, there should probably be sword stat called Type that specifies the general shape of the weapon, explicitly calling it a shortsword/longsword/whatever. And of course, there can then be schools of Sword Form that rely on a specific named weapon; if the weapon is really exotic then I imagine it wouldn't be a form that works with any other sword of the type, or maybe you could use another sword of the type but you'd lose out on some specific advantage for not using the designated weapon.
Also, you should definitely have some sort of unarmed techniques. Some might involve kicks (this would also be a possibility for some armed techniques) and probably revolve around either getting in and out of range really fast, disarming, or occupying the opponent's weapon somehow to avoid strikes since you'd have nothing to parry with.
Obviously, a more realistic implementation of the system would have a lot of the "contact" between combatants being punches and kicks and shoves and the like. Specifically unarmed techniques... I mean, the Sword Form system as described can be used for unarmed martial arts about as well as it can be used for sword martial arts. For a game focused around swordfighting though, I don't know if I'd include it unless being disarmed is very possible, and even then I imagine a lot of it would probably focus on picking up your sword again. Then again, what do I care, it's at GM discretion like everything else.
If you want to lower the amount of dicerolls, you might possibly want to just have a few steps in the move be compared straight against the enemy's defense, though I would personally first consider if it's really necessary to roll the opponent's defense in the first place, rather than just comparing it to a straight defense value (possibly half the dice's max value plus the usual modifiers). Since balance allows these values to fluctuate on a round-by-round basis, it might even be worthwhile to compare straight values without rolls for certain steps.
Yeah, dice vs dice is laziness on my part, as that should average out over the long run (assuming the dice are the same size.) Static defense makes more sense, I just didn't want to think about it. The first rough rough draft mentioned that Balance might be used as Defense, or a modifier for it. My concern with that is that low Balance means you are more likely to be hit, which means you'll have even lower Balance. It's a feedback loop. Then again, since the Balance cost for a Sword Form resolves before the execution it gives the combatants more reason to think about the cost of their Sword Form. It supports that rock paper scissors dynamic of "Do I attack strongly (and expensively,) do I defend and recover Balance, or do I mix the two and try to tread water?" It could work, and would definitely lend toward shorter battles, but I'd want to playtest it a bit to make sure it doesn't feel like "Well I lost the first exchange, so now I'm dead."
So I know proposed using Balance as hitpoints, and that could certainly lend to an interesting style, but I think in a fight actually hits should maybe be somewhat rare, as you have to overcome your opponents defenses, one of which should be a passive parry ability that uses the defender's current balance score. The idea should be that, unlike other games where HP represents depleted luck from near-misses and/or loss of stamina to keep up with constantly avoided blows until you get down to the last few that represent actual flesh and blood damage, here every single wound should represent actual physical damage.
I think if I understand you right, that's basically what I meant. Losing Balance doesn't mean you've really been hit, it just means that your flow and movements have been interrupted. An attack that "hits" doesn't draw blood, but it does force you to break your stride by parrying, or the force of the blow might make you stumble back. Being out of Balance means you're so far out of your flow that you leave an opening, which your opponent takes to deal "real" damage.
I think some moves should allow you to activate some sorts of stances, or whatever you'd want to call them, that would do various things such as boost your defenses or allow you to perform counter-attacks in certain situations. Thinking about it, maybe there should be certain moves that act as combo moves, being able to be used freely upon successfully executing certain other moves, allowing you to not only change stances but alternatively perform a the equivalent of a single step of a regular move as part your turn (it's possible more steps could be included in a combo, but my gut says a single step is probably a good idea since it's an extra thing). Also, some combos, at least maybe stance combos, might be free to execute (since you have to succeed in another move to use them and you can only have one stance active at once (probably)).
This is something I've thought of (and intended to include in the maybe-someday videogame version,) but I didn't include it in the forum game version for the sake of simplicity. There was one concept I was thinking of, the idea of a precondition/postcondition of some description. Basically instead of choosing from any Sword Form you know, you'd have to pick Sword Forms that "connect" to each other to make a smooth dance. By connecting, I mean one of the requirements to start a Sword Form would be a certain stance, and at the end of a Sword Form you'd be in a different stance. Thus, you might pick an unexpected Sword Form which does not help you greatly on the turn you use it, but leaves you in a stance that would let you use a more powerful/useful Form the next turn. Like I said, I think it might be too complicated for a forum game, but in a perfect world I think that's how I'd do it.
Also, some combos might be what I would call default weapon forms, certain moves that can be used by anyone holding a certain weapon at the time. These would, by design, tend to be less useful, powerful, and varied than those provided by actual fighting schools and styles, since they mostly just simulate the general wild flailing of someone who is unfamiliar with a weapon (though there should be some benefit gained from being a generally competent fighter; probably just the general benefits you gain from having a good balance score). Rather than having forms for each weapon, there would probably be different forms for groups of weapons that behave similarly. In addition, there would also be some sort of default unarmed form that could be used by anyone who finds themselves suddenly unarmed in combat and needs to resort to good of fashioned fisticuffs.
Yes, this is probably the best way to handle thug combat; they know enough about swords to hold it right, but they don't know any real fighting styles like a Blademaster would. Base styles would probably have 2 steps at most, and not be as likely to succeed. Naturally good fighters would just have higher Balance, yes. I touched on the "weapon types" discussion a few paragraphs ago.
Speaking of unarmed combat, my post original spoke of it in a way that implied use against someone with a weapon. While there should be some styles for that, I think most forms of unarmed combat should probably be devoted to defeating other unarmed combatants (and you should probably have to master one of these styles before you're ready to take on dudes with weapons using only your fists).
Yeah, that's what I figured. GUNINANRUNIN asked specifically for sword fighting mechanics, but if you wanted to make an all-encompassing Martial Arts system for all weapon types (unarmed, staves, bows, whatever) I don't think it would be too hard to riff off of this system. Most of the melee weapons could use the same stats as swords, and ranged weapons just need a little tweaking, I think. Obviously the hard part is coming up with a mess of Schools and Forms for all those weapons, but hey, that's half the fun!
Oh, and I also thought of another way to keep track of fighting range: do as before, with numbers denoting the range, but instead of using dice, you can add or subtract a number of glass beads or poker chips or some other easily countable thing.
I think I like the dice idea better, but counters would work where dice are unavailable.
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 03:22:39 pm
So, would anyone play it or do you have a suggestion to make it more fun?
Post by: Remuthra on July 12, 2013, 03:25:45 pm
Given the mild failure of my last game I'm going to try and run one last one that is very much based on the RP between characters. In fact there are no stats and the only combat that will happen is between players and I just roll a d100 for each side to find how successful they were. Really I will only exists as the GM to give people permission to do things. This is more an experiment then anything.As a supporter of forum experimentation, I would be willing to play this.
So, would anyone play it or do you have a suggestion to make it more fun?
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 04:48:12 pm
Post by: Chink on July 12, 2013, 04:51:27 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 04:52:38 pm
Speaking of that, it is now up. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=128462.msg4398944#new)
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:09:39 pm
Freeform RPs don't work out. Even if you have a GM on hand, which I have tried myself, there's going to be godmoding and I speak from experience when I say that it really takes the spirit out of the roleplay when you're forced to deal with that kind of stuff and constantly be on hand.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 05:11:34 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:15:22 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 05:16:13 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:17:42 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 05:19:26 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:23:01 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 05:27:29 pm
Also one of the players is an obelisk, I don't think there will be much fighting unless there is a real reason.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:29:21 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on July 12, 2013, 05:30:17 pm
Ninja'd by four other people resetting the universe before me.
...oh, but only if we roll higher than the other guy when we qualify as fighting. Otherwise their plotarmorium mech crushes us as intended and someone else joins the fray instead.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:35:46 pm
Post by: Remuthra on July 12, 2013, 05:38:07 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 05:44:25 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 05:48:11 pm
And another thing, what if the players aren't fighting? What if one player's hacking into another player's computer? Does that count as fighting or is it an instant win?
I wouldn't know that they were doing that. Also if that did happen then the hacker would probably win and lose and the same time.
I think there definitely needs to be rules of some kind in place, as well as a way to determine success, since we are not omnipotent.
I am working on them, and I'm coming up with a decent way for you all to be able to meet up. Spoiler, the answer is portals.
I think you have to have faith in humanity. The people who play like that aren't fun to play around, and I don't think I've honestly seen many of them in the forum. I'm fine with my characters dying, as long as I can make new ones and keep playing. If I can't, or if I have to wait to do so, I'm more careful, but godmoding isn't enjoyable for anyone. In most cases, that includes the godmoder. If someone decides to godmode, ask them politely to stop. If they stop, good. If they ignore you, PM them. If they answer rudely, they aren't going to play anymore. If the PM doesn't work, they aren't going to play anymore.
Thank you!
Post by: freeformschooler on July 12, 2013, 05:48:58 pm
The people who play like that aren't fun to play around, and I don't think I've honestly seen many of them in the forum.
I have before. And by before I mean every single freeform or mostly freeform RP on the forum.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 05:51:13 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on July 12, 2013, 05:52:14 pm
If there aren't any rules or mechanics, there's nothing to keep players in check. Even the best players are wild and unpredictable, and a set of rules helps them realize their character's limitations.
If you think your freeform rp is going to magically be better than all of the other ones, and work because of X reason, then you're pretty naive. Either it'll die out fast, or turn into a godless abomination that any sensible person will flee from with disgust. Both have happened, and the latter happens plenty of times. But hey, we're just the people who were initially involved in the whole freeform RP craze that went on awhile back, so who cares.
Then you deal with them, rather than being afraid to even try because you think they'll ruin it. If the GM has the patience and the willingness to deal with it, it can be resolved.How do you deal with it if everyone is doing it?
Post by: freeformschooler on July 12, 2013, 05:53:11 pm
Then you deal with them, rather than being afraid to even try because you think they'll ruin it. If the GM has the patience and the willingness to deal with it, it can be resolved.How do you deal with it if everyone is doing it?
"Everyone" is an exaggeration but not too big of one.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 05:53:36 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 12, 2013, 05:56:29 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 05:58:05 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 05:58:51 pm
You don't expect it to magically be better. You work at it, to force it to be better.
If everyone's doing it, then that's what it is, and it's fine. You watch, deal with anyone who's getting overly upset or otherwise truly ruining the game, and see where things go.
As for PMing the guy, then at that point, I would have involved a moderator. He's not respecting the game, you, or the other forum-goers. Report him, and ask people to ignore him as long as he acts that way. If you don't have faith in people, there's no point in starting any sort of RP whatsoever. If you don't have leeway, same thing.
I'd suggest just making rules as needed. Sounds dumb, but really, just see where it goes. It's an experiment, after all.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:04:34 pm
Post by: monk12 on July 12, 2013, 06:08:59 pm
Not that I'm a freeform RP guy, but I don't see what's wrong with somebody saying they'll try it. If you think it'll be a flaming wreck, then don't post in it. It's literally the easiest thing in the world to not play a game. He's been thoroughly appraised of the risks, and there's no particular need to get vehement about it.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 06:10:01 pm
You have several designs of train. The first goes 120 mph, and can carry 5000 tons. The second goes 160 mp, and can carry 3000 tons. The third goes 60 mph, but carries 20,000 tons. Now, the catch is, the third one breaks down quite often. Does this mean it never gets used? No. It means it has a team of qualified engineers ready for it.
Aka; A freeform RPG can do things other RPGs cannot, by virtue of being freeform, even if it can commonly fireball.
Post by: Remuthra on July 12, 2013, 06:15:18 pm
I'd suggest just making rules as needed. Sounds dumb, but really, just see where it goes. It's an experiment, after all.This. You can tailor your rules to your specific game and players. If a situation comes up, make a judgement on how it's resolved. Whenever that same situation comes up again, refer to your previously made rule.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:15:18 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on July 12, 2013, 06:18:23 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 06:20:04 pm
It's not encouraging poor game quality. It's encouraging a greater variety of games. If you don't want to risk your emotions, don't play. People who do are willing to take the risks involved.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:22:32 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 12, 2013, 06:28:32 pm
Post by: Nerjin on July 12, 2013, 06:31:31 pm
...y'know. Now I'm really hoping his game succeeds. Seeing this occur every time someone brings up freeform games is getting to be annoying *sigh*
Past performances influence current discussion. Since they tend to be awful things that aren't fun to deal with people treat them as such.
Post by: monk12 on July 12, 2013, 06:32:25 pm
So we should encourage poor quality games then, just so we don't hurt anyone's feelings? I'm not saying that we have AMAZING GAMES, THAT ARE TOP QUALITY on our part, but why encourage something that will fail three pages in? I'm not saying this to be a dick, I'm saying this because it will happen. If it doesn't happen, I'll renounce my ways on the forum publicly and stop acting like a dick forever.
I'm not saying we should encourage each and every little thing that comes by, but there's no need for excessive discouragement, with emphasis on excessive. He's been warned of the risks, and the worst that happens is that the game goes poorly and he learns something from his admitted experiment.
Mostly what I was objecting to was the attitude of "this will suck forever and always" as opposed to "this is what went wrong in past games, so you know what to look for, and this is how I'd go about avoiding it." Rolepgeek was doing the latter, other posters the former. I'd rather this thread was used for constructive criticism.
Or in short, I felt that things were a bit unfriendly for the last page or so. Maybe it's just me. I'll just go back to dating pigeons now.
FAKEEDIT: Oh hai several ninjas.
Post by: kj1225 on July 12, 2013, 06:34:51 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:35:04 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 12, 2013, 06:36:45 pm
I've found that one on one free-form RPs generally work out rather well. Though that is a different genre entirely from what I'm given to understand....y'know. Now I'm really hoping his game succeeds. Seeing this occur every time someone brings up freeform games is getting to be annoying *sigh*
Past performances influence current discussion. Since they tend to be awful things that aren't fun to deal with people treat them as such.
Speaking as someone who was part of the freeform craze alongside them back when it occurred, while I agree that many of their criticisms are valid, I don't see a good reason for beating on this horse so excessively.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:38:54 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 12, 2013, 06:44:29 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 06:54:22 pm
I think the reason for the hostility is that when freeformers fail, they either fail depressingly or spectacularly, since the optimal freeformer is techincally never meant to end. Either way, they leave a bad taste when they stop working.Then that's part of the problem, that attitude. Every game ends. Every single one, no matter which, ends eventually. It could go for years, and be amazing, but eventually, that too will end, often in a satisfying, if bittersweet, conclusion. Every game ends, you have to expect it, accept it, and be ready for it.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 12, 2013, 06:56:31 pm
Sorry about this Fniff, but I'm not really seeing that as being a good excuse. I guess I just don't really comprehend how it can be that mentally inconveniencing.
It's more about leading people to invest their time and minds to a story that slowly builds up over time and then pulling the rug out from under them and destroying what they created. Even if it sucked. A game ending with a good conclusion from all the players is not like that.
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:57:41 pm
Freeform roleplays on this site don't end bittersweetly, or satisifyingly. They just die because everyone gave up.I think the reason for the hostility is that when freeformers fail, they either fail depressingly or spectacularly, since the optimal freeformer is techincally never meant to end. Either way, they leave a bad taste when they stop working.Then that's part of the problem, that attitude. Every game ends. Every single one, no matter which, ends eventually. It could go for years, and be amazing, but eventually, that too will end, often in a satisfying, if bittersweet, conclusion. Every game ends, you have to expect it, accept it, and be ready for it.
Though I'm beginning to think we should make a new topic that's called "Freeform RPs suck: discuss" at this point...
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 12, 2013, 06:58:14 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 12, 2013, 06:59:05 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on July 12, 2013, 07:00:40 pm
I said everyone gave up. There isn't a GM in most freeformers on this site.Even if there are, the only kind of people who want to GM a freeformer usually aren't the kind of GM who stick with something for a long period of time. Freeform games end because the players make poor choices, freeform games with GM's end because the GM makes poor choices before the players get the chance to.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 12, 2013, 07:10:07 pm
Hence, if you show enough people a button, there will be someone that pushes it.
All in all, Freeform RP is a high risk/ reward thing, which will probably end in a rather explosive way. No way to distance yourself from them though. After all, by believing that something has a forgone conclusion, it will mostly end up like that.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 12, 2013, 07:13:16 pm
The idea of a freeform RP is that there are little rules . Ie, there is no real higher authority.
Hence, if you show enough people a button, there will be someone that pushes it.
All in all, Freeform RP is a high risk/ reward thing, which will probably end in a rather explosive way. No way to distance yourself from them though. After all, by believing that something has a forgone conclusion, it will mostly end up like that.
A solid perspective. Thank you, ebbor.
Post by: Kadzar on July 12, 2013, 08:21:56 pm
My idea was that you could represent the battlefield without having to use a grid or anything to keep exact track of the combatants' positions. Though the way I originally conceived it would require the relative positioning of each combatant with every other single combatant, which would be quite cumbersome with even just a handful in play.An idea I had for adapting this system to tabletop was that you could simply have the ranges associated with certain numbers (like Close (1), Medium (2), Far (3), ect.) and thereby use a d6 or maybe d4 face up to show the current range, thereby having simple and easy way of noting the current fighting range round-by-round or within the round, and you could put them between different figurines to denote their relative combat spacing.
That's a good idea! A tabletop adaptation would be interesting, and an actual map could simulate the impact of terrain (being forced into a corner, dancing around muddy, uncertain ground, etc) in a way that the forum game version simply doesn't. Of course, that opens up a whole can of worms about how the scale weapon reach operates doesn't match any scale you'd use to draw a battlefield. Not an unsolvable problem, I think, but definitely a tricky one.
I think it might be possible to do if you just used a normal battlegrid and placed dice next to any combatants that are adjacent to each other and have any significant number of enemies around a single one change the whole lot to "surrounded" or "flanking" range, with the possibility of activating certain moves at this special range. And I guess anything outside of "far" range (which could probably use a better name, but damned if I can think of one) would be one space away. I'm thinking this is such a great implementation either. This is tricky.
If you want to lower the amount of dicerolls, you might possibly want to just have a few steps in the move be compared straight against the enemy's defense, though I would personally first consider if it's really necessary to roll the opponent's defense in the first place, rather than just comparing it to a straight defense value (possibly half the dice's max value plus the usual modifiers). Since balance allows these values to fluctuate on a round-by-round basis, it might even be worthwhile to compare straight values without rolls for certain steps.
Yeah, dice vs dice is laziness on my part, as that should average out over the long run (assuming the dice are the same size.) Static defense makes more sense, I just didn't want to think about it. The first rough rough draft mentioned that Balance might be used as Defense, or a modifier for it. My concern with that is that low Balance means you are more likely to be hit, which means you'll have even lower Balance. It's a feedback loop. Then again, since the Balance cost for a Sword Form resolves before the execution it gives the combatants more reason to think about the cost of their Sword Form. It supports that rock paper scissors dynamic of "Do I attack strongly (and expensively,) do I defend and recover Balance, or do I mix the two and try to tread water?" It could work, and would definitely lend toward shorter battles, but I'd want to playtest it a bit to make sure it doesn't feel like "Well I lost the first exchange, so now I'm dead."Yeah, since you phrased it that way, I realized that we were both just trying to do the same basic thing by two different approaches. For the record, thinking about it, I think like yours better, since it doesn't have the chance of one of two equally matched opponents getting in a lucky hit on the first round, which would be especially bad if dueling to first blood. Though I suppose it could be somewhat ameliorated by boosting the basic defense modifier so that it's higher than what you could naturally roll for attack, and I think certain move steps could probably be compared against some defense that doesn't have Balance added to it. I also liked how my idea would make it easier to hit your opponent as the fight went on and they got tired, though it does mean there would be certain times (especially in the beginning) while fighting an equal opponent where neither of you can actually hit each other and are just trying to wear each other down with Balance-sapping moves. Which could actually be fun in its own way so, after writing this paragraph, I think it may turn out to be bit of a toss-up for my favorite implementation.So I know proposed using Balance as hitpoints, and that could certainly lend to an interesting style, but I think in a fight actually hits should maybe be somewhat rare, as you have to overcome your opponents defenses, one of which should be a passive parry ability that uses the defender's current balance score. The idea should be that, unlike other games where HP represents depleted luck from near-misses and/or loss of stamina to keep up with constantly avoided blows until you get down to the last few that represent actual flesh and blood damage, here every single wound should represent actual physical damage.
I think if I understand you right, that's basically what I meant. Losing Balance doesn't mean you've really been hit, it just means that your flow and movements have been interrupted. An attack that "hits" doesn't draw blood, but it does force you to break your stride by parrying, or the force of the blow might make you stumble back. Being out of Balance means you're so far out of your flow that you leave an opening, which your opponent takes to deal "real" damage.
I think some moves should allow you to activate some sorts of stances, or whatever you'd want to call them, that would do various things such as boost your defenses or allow you to perform counter-attacks in certain situations. Thinking about it, maybe there should be certain moves that act as combo moves, being able to be used freely upon successfully executing certain other moves, allowing you to not only change stances but alternatively perform a the equivalent of a single step of a regular move as part your turn (it's possible more steps could be included in a combo, but my gut says a single step is probably a good idea since it's an extra thing). Also, some combos, at least maybe stance combos, might be free to execute (since you have to succeed in another move to use them and you can only have one stance active at once (probably)).
This is something I've thought of (and intended to include in the maybe-someday videogame version,) but I didn't include it in the forum game version for the sake of simplicity. There was one concept I was thinking of, the idea of a precondition/postcondition of some description. Basically instead of choosing from any Sword Form you know, you'd have to pick Sword Forms that "connect" to each other to make a smooth dance. By connecting, I mean one of the requirements to start a Sword Form would be a certain stance, and at the end of a Sword Form you'd be in a different stance. Thus, you might pick an unexpected Sword Form which does not help you greatly on the turn you use it, but leaves you in a stance that would let you use a more powerful/useful Form the next turn. Like I said, I think it might be too complicated for a forum game, but in a perfect world I think that's how I'd do it.Yeah, the idea of combos was that you wouldn't have to break out a specific move just to get into a stance. Also, they would either not generate much useful effect or would use up balance with no chance to get it back. I'm not too attached to the idea, though I think if they were too overpowered as-is they could be made to be only usable with two-step moves or as a substitute to the last step of a move.
Oh, and I also thought of another way to keep track of fighting range: do as before, with numbers denoting the range, but instead of using dice, you can add or subtract a number of glass beads or poker chips or some other easily countable thing.
I think I like the dice idea better, but counters would work where dice are unavailable.The idea of using beads was that it might be quicker than changing faces on a die (I haven't done any testing or anything to know for sure either way). Another idea I had that I forgot to mention was that you could just have a piece of paper with the ranges written on it and move a marker or the two figurines back and forth on it. The downside of this approach is that it would only work for one-on-one duels.
Post by: monk12 on July 12, 2013, 09:17:31 pm
My idea was that you could represent the battlefield without having to use a grid or anything to keep exact track of the combatants' positions. Though the way I originally conceived it would require the relative positioning of each combatant with every other single combatant, which would be quite cumbersome with even just a handful in play.
I think it might be possible to do if you just used a normal battlegrid and placed dice next to any combatants that are adjacent to each other and have any significant number of enemies around a single one change the whole lot to "surrounded" or "flanking" range, with the possibility of activating certain moves at this special range. And I guess anything outside of "far" range (which could probably use a better name, but damned if I can think of one) would be one space away. I'm thinking this is such a great implementation either. This is tricky.
I think the big problem is figuring out when the range dancing inside the squares should translate into multi-square movement. If there's a fight going on, and one guy goes to close, then the other guy goes to far, then the first guy goes to close again... well, they should move back a square at some point, since essentially the one guy is forcing the other one back. The question is, without absolute positioning on a sub-square level, how do you figure that out? How do you decide whether one guy is moving away from the other, or if he's physically knocking the other swordsman back? You can do the second one with your back to a wall, but not the first.
I don't think placing dice next to combatants would be too terribly tricky, provided you can remember which die belongs where. It helps to have an embarrassment of multicolored dice. Then again, my battlegrid isn't in the house, so I haven't exactly tried it myself.
And for a name other than "far range"; "extended" maybe?
I think some moves should allow you to activate some sorts of stances, or whatever you'd want to call them, that would do various things such as boost your defenses or allow you to perform counter-attacks in certain situations. Thinking about it, maybe there should be certain moves that act as combo moves, being able to be used freely upon successfully executing certain other moves, allowing you to not only change stances but alternatively perform a the equivalent of a single step of a regular move as part your turn (it's possible more steps could be included in a combo, but my gut says a single step is probably a good idea since it's an extra thing). Also, some combos, at least maybe stance combos, might be free to execute (since you have to succeed in another move to use them and you can only have one stance active at once (probably)).This is something I've thought of (and intended to include in the maybe-someday videogame version,) but I didn't include it in the forum game version for the sake of simplicity. There was one concept I was thinking of, the idea of a precondition/postcondition of some description. Basically instead of choosing from any Sword Form you know, you'd have to pick Sword Forms that "connect" to each other to make a smooth dance. By connecting, I mean one of the requirements to start a Sword Form would be a certain stance, and at the end of a Sword Form you'd be in a different stance. Thus, you might pick an unexpected Sword Form which does not help you greatly on the turn you use it, but leaves you in a stance that would let you use a more powerful/useful Form the next turn. Like I said, I think it might be too complicated for a forum game, but in a perfect world I think that's how I'd do it.Yeah, the idea of combos was that you wouldn't have to break out a specific move just to get into a stance. Also, they would either not generate much useful effect or would use up balance with no chance to get it back. I'm not too attached to the idea, though I think if they were too overpowered as-is they could be made to be only usable with two-step moves or as a substitute to the last step of a move.
I may as well share my original concept of stances while I'm here, instead of the combo version.
Basically, stances give some passive benefit, and they also function as schools; Sword Forms are grouped by the stance you need to be in to use them. Any given turn you have the option of half a dozen Sword Forms to choose from, or you can spend the turn shifting into a new stance for a new benefit and set of Forms. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, different groups of Sword Forms have benefits against other groups; thus, spending the turn to shift into a new stance can give you immediate benefits against the stance your opponent is using. The idea is that there'd be almost a Pokemon style mechanic where stances are almost like type advantage, where you have to evaluate whether the matchup you're in is bad enough to warrant a stance shift, or whether you have enough tricks up your sleeve to keep from being overwhelmed. Of course, being wounded would let you shift stance for free, much like having a Pokemon faint lets you send in one of a different type.
Oh, and I also thought of another way to keep track of fighting range: do as before, with numbers denoting the range, but instead of using dice, you can add or subtract a number of glass beads or poker chips or some other easily countable thing.I think I like the dice idea better, but counters would work where dice are unavailable.The idea of using beads was that it might be quicker than changing faces on a die (I haven't done any testing or anything to know for sure either way). Another idea I had that I forgot to mention was that you could just have a piece of paper with the ranges written on it and move a marker or the two figurines back and forth on it. The downside of this approach is that it would only work for one-on-one duels.
I think with the counters, the problem would be if you have like 5 figurines all right next to each other, all with a pile of range counters next to them. Especially if it's a 3-way fight or something. The piece of paper idea isn't too bad; it would work best if you had enough minis to have one on the battlegrid and a separate one for the range paper. Not sure what to do for multiple opponents though; I suppose if you had a bunch of different colored beads/counters/chips so that each combatant could have multiple of their own color, that could work.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 12, 2013, 11:20:23 pm
For example, see the Grand Battles of MSPA fame. Very much freeform up to controlling others' characters, hugely successful. I think someone tried to host one here (The Heroic Clash), but it was too freeform for the player culture of these forums.
Post by: Bdthemag on July 12, 2013, 11:29:57 pm
Honestly, most freeformer problems could be checked just with a bit of quality control, ie, not letting just anyone join. You're not gonna get random godmodding with a bunch of good writers. Defining a good RPer/writer is gonna be a problem, though.Why did you remind me Digital, why did you remind me. I DO NOT WANT TO BE REMINDED OF MY SHITTY FORUM GAME DAYS.
For example, see the Grand Battles of MSPA fame. Very much freeform up to controlling others' characters, hugely successful. I think someone tried to host one here (The Heroic Clash), but it was too freeform for the player culture of these forums.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 13, 2013, 07:34:05 am
@monk: Haven't read all of the swordfightin' discussion, but maybe you could partly implement Stances as Starting Stances? You could select one at the start of battle that would make some types of Forms cheaper.
Example;
Coiled Serpent Stance
*-5 Balance Cost to The Serpent Uncoiled, -3 to Springing Serpent
*A ceremonial fighting stance where the blade is held deftly above the wielder's head, one foot extended.
It wouldn't limit the Forms you could use. But ehh, it might work better as a specialized Form, no need to complicate things.
Post by: Fniff on July 13, 2013, 07:49:11 am
Anyway, speaking of sword fighting, perhaps there could be a way of making stylized gunfights as well? Cos a common complaint from my own roleplay group is that my RPs are generally focused around gunfights as combat and guns tend to be rather boring. Since my RPs tend to be quite stylized, I was thinking of implementing an action movie style combat system with guns, but I'm not sure how to do so. Any tips?
Post by: Aklyon on July 13, 2013, 09:17:17 am
You Are Scientist (Hey, you know all those You Are X games? Scientist was the first. And best.)But You are Wizard lasted much longer than Man of Science! (And I'd say it was at least as good).
For Fniff, Perhaps you could have some sort of bonus for shooting dramatically or just barely evading fire?
Post by: Parsely on July 13, 2013, 09:17:36 am
EDIT: I never have difficulty imagining settings, so I can probably think of a
Post by: Nerjin on July 13, 2013, 09:24:52 am
@fniff Find a good reason to not keep track of bullets. Counting ammo is so boring. Probably the best way to do guns is make them magic, then you can light your bullets on fire via sheer power of will, which is awesome.
I disagree. Having to keep track of bullets [not per clip but as a whole] helps add a layer of tension. Also magic guns are boring to me. "Oh I'll just keep pulling the trigger forever and if you get out of cover you're fucked."
Also fire bullets.... meh. Not at all entertaining to me. But that's just my opinion.
Post by: Fniff on July 13, 2013, 11:22:03 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 13, 2013, 11:27:21 am
Post by: Remuthra on July 13, 2013, 11:29:28 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 13, 2013, 11:32:38 am
Post by: Fniff on July 13, 2013, 11:37:29 am
Anyway, I'm more a proponent of the idea that a game should be fun rather then realistic, and I find players don't like realistic firefights behind cover that only end once someone rolls high and blows the enemy's brains out.
Post by: Remuthra on July 13, 2013, 11:40:07 am
Post by: Fniff on July 13, 2013, 11:43:43 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 13, 2013, 11:44:44 am
Also news flash weapons are made to make things go really fast and are pretty boring in general.
Post by: Fniff on July 13, 2013, 11:51:16 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 13, 2013, 12:03:24 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 13, 2013, 12:09:36 pm
Post by: Kadzar on July 13, 2013, 02:11:01 pm
For starters, you don't have to have explicitly magical guns to avoid tracking bullets. If ammo is plentiful and the characters can reload quickly and without problems, you can forget about tracking ammo. And even if those things aren't exactly true, but those things don't lead to any sort of interesting situations, you can ignore them as just the specific level of abstraction the game is using. Unless you keep meticulous track of the amount of calories players take in and use up in a day, you can probably get away with just asking them to buy a certain unspecified quantity of ammo every month to replenish or bolster their stocks.
If, however, having to reload or running out of ammo in any capacity would in any way be beneficial to the game (not necessarily the players), you can instead roll to ammo. Either as part of the attack roll or its own separate roll, you can roll to see if you're out of ammo, which could either mean you need to reload or you need to think of something to do that doesn't involve bullets. For reloading, you can adjust what number range you want avoid rolling (and maybe the dice rolled itself if using a separate roll) based on the size of the gun clip to differentiate them, possibly including different chances for different firing modes. I'm not sure I'd actually recommend rolling for your total bullets on hand, though it might be Fun if you rolled to run out of bullets and then had to scrounge around your person to find some more ammo.
On a somewhat related note, if you're still tracking inventory by weight, stop that immediately and use this system instead (http://rottenpulp.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/matt-rundles-anti-hammerspace-item.html). Not only is assigning items to slots quicker and easier to use than a weight-based system, you also become keenly aware of where exactly you're keeping everything, rather than having everything fully accessible in some nebulous hammerspace. You could even adjust this system so that some slots easier to reach than others, meaning that when things get rough, you might have to quickly fumble with a thigh pocket to get another reload in.
If you feel like actually keeping track of individual bullets, instead of just clips, I would encourage you to make them somehow scarce (either in general or just for the fight at hand). One idea I saw in another forum was that there was a zombie outbreak and the PCs only had 13 bullets between them (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?512674-How-do-you-keep-track-of-ammo-in-your-games&p=12095341#post12095341). Or maybe you might have certain special bullets that are armor-piercing or magic or something; you'd keep track of those and abstract the rest. Basically, if you're keeping track of bullets, you should have a good reason for it.
Post by: Bdthemag on July 13, 2013, 05:27:14 pm
Although this really only fits in a game striving for some kind of realism, and it's usually much better to either have infinite ammo (But just count how many shots are left in a magazine, I tried this once when running Only War. It was okay.) or just forget about ammo and shoot stuff.
I find the idea of a realistic game pretty interesting, in which everyone has the same amount of hitpoints and guns do massive amounts of damage, killing players and NPC's alike in two to three shots.
Post by: Remuthra on July 13, 2013, 05:35:44 pm
Post by: Nerjin on July 13, 2013, 05:37:02 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 13, 2013, 05:39:11 pm
Post by: Bdthemag on July 13, 2013, 05:52:15 pm
You'd probably wouldn't want to implement any kind of perma-death though. A realistic system would ideally be more equipment based than statistic based so if they die, you just take away some of their equipment.
Post by: monk12 on July 13, 2013, 08:37:18 pm
Basically, I think we're going for two different things that are really hard to reconsile. You want a realistic RP that where firefights lethal and quick, like real life. I want a cinematic roleplay that has firefights that are varied and dramatic, like in a film. Both of these are equally valid, but I prefer the latter because it allows for cool scenes to happen and generally doesn't restrict the players to a few tactics, and also because the former is quite lethal and killing player characters tends to annoy the player in question when it's too sudden, since players tend to get quite attached to their characters and prefer for them to have a proper death.
This is, of course, why gun mechanics that are like an action movie are really hard to get right; when you get shot, you tend to die. It works in action movies because the villains shoot like Stormtroopers, so the heroes mow through piles of mooks without ever getting hit. For a player in a game to do that, they need to either be extremely capable (making no mistakes) and also a bit lucky, or the villains need to have a hell of a time even threatening the hero, which kills tension.
As far as videogames, it works because the player can respawn if they die. Which they do. A lot. If they didn't respawn, then they'd spend all their time camping so they don't die.
As far as an actual system that maintains permadeath... well, the player needs something to do other than "roll dice, hope I roll high enough to hit." If you were willing to do things with maps, you might be able to devise a system where player actions are all about maneuvering to improve their chances of hitting their target. So Player A moves up a hill to get the high ground (and a better chance to hit/kill his opponent, Player B,) and Player B responds by retreating into the city and hiding around a corner, so Player A follows him and gets behind a car, and Player B moves into a building and gets to a vantage point... so on and so forth, until one player has forced the other into an untenable position, and kills him or forces him to surrender. Definitely tricky, and doesn't really jive with the action film thing you were looking for, I think.
Post by: Furtuka on July 13, 2013, 08:48:47 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on July 13, 2013, 08:51:34 pm
This is, of course, why gun mechanics that are like an action movie are really hard to get right; when you get shot, you tend to die. It works in action movies because the villains shoot like Stormtroopers, so the heroes mow through piles of mooks without ever getting hit. For a player in a game to do that, they need to either be extremely capable (making no mistakes) and also a bit lucky, or the villains need to have a hell of a time even threatening the hero, which kills tension.
I think the forum game equivalent is to have lots of stormtroopers whose bullets hit the players and who individually can only deal minor damage (unrealistic but not much moreso than never ever hitting).
Never really had a problem with this kind of system. But if you're going with realism over balance, it's a bad idea.
Post by: monk12 on July 13, 2013, 09:02:47 pm
This is probably a terrible idea since I'm so inexperienced at this, but what about figuring out the stormtrooper aiming by instead of hp have a sort of luck meter that as it goes down the likelyhood to get hit increases?
It's functionally the same thing, if being hit results in death. The big problem with gun combat is that A- it's basically impossible to block/parry/dodge a bullet and B- if you can see something, you can shoot it, and it can shoot you. Thus, combat either needs to take place at extremely long ranges to make frequent misses more believable, or there needs to be a way to be able to threaten somebody without just setting yourself up to be shot, or you need Matrix shenanigans to make avoiding bullets a matter of skill instead of luck.
This is, of course, why gun mechanics that are like an action movie are really hard to get right; when you get shot, you tend to die. It works in action movies because the villains shoot like Stormtroopers, so the heroes mow through piles of mooks without ever getting hit. For a player in a game to do that, they need to either be extremely capable (making no mistakes) and also a bit lucky, or the villains need to have a hell of a time even threatening the hero, which kills tension.
I think the forum game equivalent is to have lots of stormtroopers whose bullets hit the players and who individually can only deal minor damage (unrealistic but not much moreso than never ever hitting).
Never really had a problem with this kind of system. But if you're going with realism over balance, it's a bad idea.
Realism isn't the be all and end all, but there IS Willing Suspension of Disbelief that gets shattered. People know how deadly guns are, so if they see somebody getting shot a dozen times and not caring, well, they know something is wrong with that. If it doesn't act like a gun, why call it a gun? May as well shift the setting to a fantasy world and replace all the guns with Wands of Magic Missile or something.
Post by: Parsely on July 13, 2013, 09:11:10 pm
Well if you're using magic bullets then you would probably have other sorts of magical abilities to make firefights interesting. Like full-body copies to use as decoys and reflective shields. Maybe your "hp" is your ability to keep deflecting bullets that would've hit you and caused realistic injuries (i.e. MP. you wouldn't be able to deflect too many shots since it takes a lot of energy to stop something moving that quickly), and you could sacrifice some of this energy to use an ability that could turn the tide. Fire bullets might not be useful for actually causing damage to a human target, since bullets do just fine on their own, but hey. You can set things on fire. Maybe he's hiding behind something thats wooden, or near some propane tanks (since (at least in the game) you can't really set those off with a normal bullet)?@fniff Find a good reason to not keep track of bullets. Counting ammo is so boring. Probably the best way to do guns is make them magic, then you can light your bullets on fire via sheer power of will, which is awesome.
I disagree. Having to keep track of bullets [not per clip but as a whole] helps add a layer of tension. Also magic guns are boring to me. "Oh I'll just keep pulling the trigger forever and if you get out of cover you're fucked."
Also fire bullets.... meh. Not at all entertaining to me. But that's just my opinion.
EDIT: I'm not saying this is a replacement for something more realistic, but you can't deny that it wouldn't be interesting. And can you really repulse anything that isn't totally true to life? Thats a bit unfair. I like my fantasy settings just as much as the modern ones, and not a few people have mixed them together and done an above-average job of it.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 13, 2013, 09:13:55 pm
Quote from: meI think the forum game equivalent is to have lots of stormtroopers whose bullets hit the players and who individually can only deal minor damage (unrealistic but not much moreso than never ever hitting).
Never really had a problem with this kind of system. But if you're going with realism over balance, it's a bad idea.
Realism isn't the be all and end all, but there IS Willing Suspension of Disbelief that gets shattered. People know how deadly guns are, so if they see somebody getting shot a dozen times and not caring, well, they know something is wrong with that. If it doesn't act like a gun, why call it a gun? May as well shift the setting to a fantasy world and replace all the guns with Wands of Magic Missile or something.
That's a pretty good point. I like to balance it so that no one would go down in a single shot (unless there was a CLEAR power discrepancy not just between the gun and the foe but also the gunner and the foe), but no one goes down in more than about three. I mean, people can survive bullets to the head (though it's rare), and you definitely don't instantly die from a bullet to the arm.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 13, 2013, 09:22:24 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 13, 2013, 09:36:53 pm
I think the trick is just to make it about placement. Yes, people can survive a bullet to the head, but a .22 to the skull(if it doesn't go through because of distance or something) is gonna knock them out of the fight. Just force people to use cover; make cover give big bonuses and if you don't have it, and you aren't the Hulk, you're screwed.That makes sense. Just like Enemy Unknown.
Post by: monk12 on July 13, 2013, 10:06:06 pm
I think the trick is just to make it about placement. Yes, people can survive a bullet to the head, but a .22 to the skull(if it doesn't go through because of distance or something) is gonna knock them out of the fight. Just force people to use cover; make cover give big bonuses and if you don't have it, and you aren't the Hulk, you're screwed.
Heck, a .22 to the arm will probably knock you out of the fight, and even if you've got the Heroic Determination to keep on fighting it'll severely inconvenience you (and probably kill you later if you don't get immediate medical attention.)
Making the game all about positioning (relying heavily on cover that only applies from certain directions, to allow flanking and such) is probably the best way to handle an actual gunfight, but it doesn't really fit the Rambo action hero schtick. Thing is, those guys don't die because they only ever get shot once, maybe. A satisfying game experience that lets you Run and Gun without resorting to some flavor of Guns Are Worthless (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GunsAreWorthless) (including woeful inaccuracy) is... hella tricky. I'd like to see it done, but I don't know how to do it without a justification that relies on supernatural shenanigans and/or some other Necessary Weasel (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NecessaryWeasel)
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 13, 2013, 10:11:14 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 15, 2013, 06:37:41 am
Realistic gun damage isn't something I've ever been much concerned with, though. Usually the setting allows handwaving on that front (scifi armor, shields, etc.) or the players can just take an ungodly amount of punishment and keep going with Heroic Willpower. Not that I mind combat being brutal and deadly either.
Nice things in gun combat; ammo, reloading. Different uses for different weapons (not just different damage values - varying clip sizes, reload times, damage against certain types of protection/enemies, etc.), and/or specialized ammo, add-ons, etc. Tactical battlefields (cover, possibly flanking etc.). The players should think on what to use in any given situation, not just use the same weapon/tactic every time.
I've always liked the idea of protagonist HP being 'luck' or 'Fate', but I've never gone that route. Hmm.
Post by: Fniff on July 15, 2013, 11:51:53 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 15, 2013, 12:30:35 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 15, 2013, 12:32:34 pm
Hell, melee fights are exciting because you can parry a sword, but you can't parry a bullet.Wrong, it's improbable but you can do it. I kind of want to make that a thing now.
Post by: Fniff on July 15, 2013, 12:33:52 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 15, 2013, 12:38:32 pm
Hell, melee fights are exciting because you can parry a sword, but you can't parry a bullet.Wrong, it's improbable but you can do it. I kind of want to make that a thing now.
It's pretty much impossible to deliberately parry a bullet in a way that isn't equal to just taking cover or getting lucky while raising a metal plate.
Maybe I need to come up with a better term for this... I want gunfights to have as many options as melee fights.
Maybe you're thinking about this the wrong way. You can't really compare a gunfight with a melee fight on any reasonable terms because the mechanics of them are far too different. I mean, you could compare them with archery to a degree, but not melee combat. If you want to have options, you invariably have to incorporate cover, line of sight, that sort of thing and completely eliminate dodging from the thing.
EDIT: Had an idea. How about having a mechanic in the gunfight where it tracks how fast you are moving? The faster you move, the harder it is to hit you, but you also have a harder time aiming a weapon. For instance, a person can be standing, walking and running, plus additional levels that come with supernatural stuff if you feel like having that.
Post by: monk12 on July 15, 2013, 08:28:41 pm
Hell, melee fights are exciting because you can parry a sword, but you can't parry a bullet.Wrong, it's improbable but you can do it. I kind of want to make that a thing now.
It's pretty much impossible to deliberately parry a bullet in a way that isn't equal to just taking cover or getting lucky while raising a metal plate.Maybe I need to come up with a better term for this... I want gunfights to have as many options as melee fights.
Maybe you're thinking about this the wrong way. You can't really compare a gunfight with a melee fight on any reasonable terms because the mechanics of them are far too different. I mean, you could compare them with archery to a degree, but not melee combat. If you want to have options, you invariably have to incorporate cover, line of sight, that sort of thing and completely eliminate dodging from the thing.
EDIT: Had an idea. How about having a mechanic in the gunfight where it tracks how fast you are moving? The faster you move, the harder it is to hit you, but you also have a harder time aiming a weapon. For instance, a person can be standing, walking and running, plus additional levels that come with supernatural stuff if you feel like having that.
This is interesting to me, since it makes me imagine crazy Parkour gunfights, and it's easy to handwave the increased miss chance as a combination of misleading movement and dynamic improvisation of cover. Mechanically though, as described it's a bit too simple; generally speaking (and all things being equal,) I find that the ability to murder trumps the ability to not die, since doing unto others eventually equals out to not being killed. In other words, assuming killing other people is the goal then it's still more advantageous to hunker down somewhere than to run around like a crazy person.
Possible solutions:
1) Parkour movement mechanics that allow you to set up better attacks via strategic movement or combos or something. The idea being that moving around makes you hard to hit, but if you satisfy preconditions you can mitigate/offset your own attack penalty. This concept can be further broken down into a more tactical map-based thing (so your movement is aimed at specific features of the map which will enable better shooting tricks,) or a more abstract system where pulling off particular Parkour stunts (either individually or as a combo or something) unlocks specific Martial Parkour attacks, the conceit being that you specifically build momentum/movement up and then trade it in for a directed attack (running off a roof, sliding down a guardrail, and then flinging yourself around a lightpost in order to throw yourself at the opponent from an unexpected direction, guns blazing.)
2) Make the goal not about killing people. The idea would be that going places and grabbing things is more important than direct elimination of opposition; thus, moving around is better than standing still because you can't accomplish any objectives if you stay in one place.
Note that for both of these, I'd definitely make reloading a thing, since that's an action that can be difficult to pull off on the run (especially when "on the run" involves some kind of crazy gymnastics.) Stop running for long enough to reload, or hope the one bullet in your clip will do the job? Added bonus, it makes attacking riskier, since if you waste your attack then it costs you time/movement.
Post by: freeformschooler on July 15, 2013, 11:29:30 pm
Spoiler: Elematrix basics (click to show/hide)
Post by: monk12 on July 20, 2013, 10:47:21 pm
1- All magical incantations are done in strict 5-7-5 haiku format.
2- The effects of these incantations are based on keywords within the haiku. Thus, spellcrafting involves forcing a keyword or two into the same haiku.
3- Nobody knows all the possible keywords, which naturally leads to spell failure and shenanigans.
Obviously, the brute force way to accomplish this would be to map out a million different keywords before the game starts, but that'd be a pain and unnecessarily restrictive. Rather, to simulate the unpredictable nature of haiku magic the GM rolls a d6 with every spell, and on a 1 there is a new keyword in the spell! The GM then randomly selects a word and comes up with an effect/modifier for it to have.
The problem with that approach is that the new keyword may have already shown up in a previous haiku spell. One solution is to keep a txt file with all spells in it for easy searching, and disregarding potential keywords that have already shown up. Another solution would be to make the selected word a special modifier, in that it only has an effect when used with another keyword; thus, the spell in question can be justified if the modifier appears with a keyword, and that combination has never appeared before.
I'm also interested if anyone has better ideas than those!
So I'm looking into a unique way to build a semi-classless game system. Essentially, it would be your standard RPG fare: either rolls or flat math on a stat/skill system. However, there's a twist: you build you characters with an Elematrix.Spoiler: Elematrix basics (click to show/hide)
Your ideas are interesting to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. Especially since I'm in my summer RPG mood. It would be particularly neat if new Elements are gained as loot; namely, you get some of them as random drops, some as predetermined quest rewards and some you just buy to properly customize your character. Bonus points if a mechanic exists to free up used slots in the Elematrix (at some cost, of course.)
Post by: Fniff on July 23, 2013, 04:47:49 pm
There are two meters: Luck and Money. Luck runs out is when you fail certain rolls that could lead you into danger. If you get shot, you lose a luck point, but if you fail to hack into the CIA database then you'll lose a luck point too. Money is the amount of cash you have on hand, and it's lost when you buy stuff or at the end of a few turns as part of "living expenses" like food and electricity. When both meters run out, you're out of the game as you're either made bankrupt, killed, or arrested. Naturally as time goes on, things get riskier, but also living expenses go up, meaning the players can't just farm jobs until they've got infinite money.
There is another two meters that are more wanted levels: Heat and Notoriety. Heat is the active persuing by the law you're getting, while Notoriety is your long-term reputation. Heat will have you being actively hunted by the cops with the only way to stop it would be hiding or losing them. Notoriety is more subtle; it's a tracker for what the cops know about you. If you're a drug dealer, except more cops to turn up if you roll a bum roll on dealing, or if you're a bank robber expect the banks to be more heavily armed. If you want notoriety to go down, do something different in order to throw them off the scent: they won't think it's you because it doesn't match your M.O. You could also wear a mask instead, but that's rather suspicious on it's own and they can identify you if your notriety gets high enough.
The final idea I had was for gang warfare. As most of the mechanics I've come up with implies the average player is probably a single crim who cares more for mercenary jobs then supporting any gangs, a good way to involve gangs would be this. Every so often, a certain district is embroiled in a gang war. This means the streets are not safe (Meaning the player could get into combat while within the zone) and the customers do not want to hang around there (meaning lower profits for black market players). However, the advantage to gang wars is that players can join on the side of a certain gang to do hostile activities against the other gang. The other gang will get very angry, but the reward will be double the usual cash. The problem is, gang wars don't last forever and when the war ends, the source of money is gone too.
Post by: Nerjin on July 23, 2013, 06:16:53 pm
There are two meters: Luck and Money. Luck runs out is when you fail certain rolls that could lead you into danger. If you get shot, you lose a luck point. Similarly if you fail to hack into the CIA database then you'll lose a luck point too.
Sorta fixed that for you. BUT it seems like Luck is just a modified health roll. But for the most part I dig the idea. I sorta... Well I think the gang war thing should be a bit more of a benefit. Something like access to the various gangs you help power and wealth with the downside being that you piss off other gangs.
Post by: Fniff on July 24, 2013, 07:37:47 am
Post by: Parsely on July 24, 2013, 09:53:49 am
Maybe you could get free items and supplies from the gangs without having to spend money? Also, Luck is kinda meant to be a health roll, if a bit more expanded upon.How do you recover luck? What happens if you run low on luck? Do you just keel over, or is the next bullet that comes near guaranteed to blow your brains out the back of your head?
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 10:03:13 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 10:13:41 am
Post by: freeformschooler on July 24, 2013, 10:16:41 am
Just have teams that go out at different times. If you give everyone a set amount of crazy allowed in the hub then you just need to pay attention to the guys on the mission.
Wrong thread, but see my edit.
Post by: Parsely on July 24, 2013, 10:24:00 am
You seem to for get that most people who have never taken a bullet tend to do things that let them get caught. One bullet is enough to let you get arrested or worse in almost all scenarios if you don't get shot a lot.I'm having a really hard time understanding what you were trying to get across there.
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 10:24:34 am
Post by: Parsely on July 24, 2013, 10:27:44 am
Bullets really hurt.What does that have to do with fniff's luck mechanic, which I was talking about? And that still doesn't make sense in relation to your previous comment?? D:
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 10:35:26 am
Post by: Parsely on July 24, 2013, 10:45:39 am
The luck mechanic is basically you not getting caught through sheer luck. You don't need to die to get out of the game which you think is what the luck system means. Luck is when you, say for example, are running away from the police and you get shot in the back of the knee making you fall over and get arrested.Well yeah. I knew that. You just assumed I didn't based upon the example I gave, though you had no way of knowing that. It became perfectly clear after I asked myself: "How else would you lose after, say, failing to hack something?" And I responded to myself after a moment of thought by saying: "Oh! Perhaps you're arrested and get a life sentence or something?" And then my brain said: "Precisely. Here's a cookie. *pats on head*"
So yeah, I got it beforehand. I understand what he meant by Luck, and that you don't necessarily need to be killed in order to lose.
Post by: Fniff on July 24, 2013, 11:53:39 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 11:58:46 am
Post by: Fniff on July 24, 2013, 11:59:51 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 12:01:10 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 24, 2013, 12:03:32 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 24, 2013, 12:05:14 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 24, 2013, 12:06:25 pm
Or maybe you could add certain superstitions that can increase or decrease one's Luck. For instance, ill omens (like a raven watching you menacingly or walking underneath ladders) decrease Luck, while certain lucky rituals (like a prayer before going out) would increase Luck, and you can even move up to lucky charms (like a poker chip that once belonged to a famous conman) increasing Luck regeneration? After all, criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot.
Or you can do both at once.
Post by: Kadzar on July 24, 2013, 12:27:59 pm
This made me think of a mechanic where-in you roll a die when you get hit and try to roll under your current health value, otherwise you take a wound corresponding to the die value on a chart (for sanity's sake, you would only have to roll the dice if your hitpoints were at or below the maximum dice value). Higher die values would confer less serious wounds, while lower die values could be potentially life-threatening. And there might be different tables for different types of weapons, which might even use some different dice values occasionally.Maybe you could get free items and supplies from the gangs without having to spend money? Also, Luck is kinda meant to be a health roll, if a bit more expanded upon.How do you recover luck? What happens if you run low on luck? Do you just keel over, or is the next bullet that comes near guaranteed to blow your brains out the back of your head?
Not that I think this would work with your game, but it was an idea I had.
Post by: scapheap on July 24, 2013, 01:18:14 pm
Bullets really hurt.Actually most people don't noticed that they have been hit until their clothes turn red(Excluding gun shots strong enough to blast you off your feet, but at that point it less 'that hurt' and more 'I think that my lung over there'.)
Post by: Remuthra on July 24, 2013, 01:20:07 pm
This suggests a bright new future for the practice of giblet-based euthanasia.Bullets really hurt.Actually most people don't noticed that they have been hit until their clothes turn red(Excluding gun shots strong enough to blast you off your feet, but at that point it less 'that hurt' and more 'I think that my lung over there'.)
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 24, 2013, 01:27:48 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 05:25:59 am
Doesn't matter how it works, and it doesn't have to be anything like that at all. I just want an effective strategy system that will work in a pure text format while still allowing for a bit of depth.
Post by: Doomblade187 on July 25, 2013, 06:49:23 am
Requesting a science fiction strategy with a unit system whereby I mix and match terms (mechanised, aerial, shielded, heavy, light, etc. + base type + race = unit) to create a unit, and each term has a set of modifiers (beams +1 to shields, slugs +1 to armour, frag +1 to infantry, etc.). Also need an effective casualty system: 500 Heavy Beam Orcs vs. 200 Jetpack Human Shocktroops = ???Now I want to work on something like that. I might.
Doesn't matter how it works, and it doesn't have to be anything like that at all. I just want an effective strategy system that will work in a pure text format while still allowing for a bit of depth.
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 06:59:05 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 25, 2013, 07:25:49 am
Every unit has HP and an Attack value. They can also have special abilities.
An army is just the accumulation of its units. So if you add three infantry with 2 HP and 1 Att, two heavies with 4 HP, 1 Att, and the Suppression I ability, and a commander with 2 HP, 2 Att, and the Armor II and Sniper I abilities, you get an army that functions like a unit with:
16 HP (2+2+2+4+4+2)
7 Att (1+1+1+1+1+2)
Suppression II
Armor II
Sniper I
Traits could work the same way. The above army might have the Infantry VI, Hero I, Heavy II, Light III, Biological VI, and Human VI tags, for instance.
Anti-X abilities couldn't function at a higher level than a unit's tags; so for instance, if an opposing army had Concussion IX (+9 dmg vs Heavy), they could only function at Concussion II because there were only two heavies to deal damage against.
Alternatively, anti-X abilities could deal their bonus damage directly to the units in question.
Speaking of which, combat. Each side rolls a d6. The winner deals its attack score in damage to the loser. Repeat. Each side damages the other on a tie.
Casualties are dealt with by assigning damage to the next unit with the worst Att:HP ratio, so meatshields go down first. Alternatively you could let the defender sacrifice units at will, presumably to preserve special abilities on otherwise beefy and undermuscled units.
A unit must be slain completely before damage can be assigned elsewhere, however; you can't spread out a point of damage to everyone to keep them all alive. This might be waived if there were a lot of "directly damage Unit X" abilities, but as it stands I think that'd just make the game swingier, since you'd basically have that grace period where you're dropping everything to 1 HP, and then the losing side needs to start shedding troops and thus attack damage.
Originally designed (and then tweaked slightly) for the mindless waves in a MOBA-thingy, so very simplistic and lacking any kind of battle-level strategy, but it's a thing.
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 07:33:50 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 25, 2013, 07:47:06 am
Heavy and Light strike me as very fundamental tags based on a unit's general construction. A lot of abilities might deal bonus damage to Heavy or Light units, and a lot of units might be Heavy or Light.
Biological and Mechanical strike me as similar, though most units would probably be Biological so that might be overpowered. They also strike me as more likely to accommodate special abilities, like healing that only works on Biological or EMP that only stuns Mechanical.
Human feels like basically a "The Manhunter and Humanity's Finest special abilities trigger against this" tag.
Essentially, to me most tags don't do anything on their own, they just work as criteria for other abilities. It'd probably be relatively easy to implement more inherently meaningful tags, though.
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 08:00:14 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 25, 2013, 11:05:31 am
Different note: so, I can't figure out if I should use a grid or hex-based map for this medieval fantasy game I'm wanting to make. It has both strategic and tactical maps, and grid based tends to be better for formations and shit while hex is better for accurate movement and ranges.
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 11:14:18 am
I think I get what you're looking for, so give me a couple hours and I'll see what I can come up with.Looking forward to what you've got.
Different note: so, I can't figure out if I should use a grid or hex-based map for this medieval fantasy game I'm wanting to make. It has both strategic and tactical maps, and grid based tends to be better for formations and shit while hex is better for accurate movement and ranges.
I like grids, personally.
Post by: sjm9876 on July 25, 2013, 12:14:57 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 25, 2013, 12:21:56 pm
I think I get what you're looking for, so give me a couple hours and I'll see what I can come up with.Use octahedrons.
Different note: so, I can't figure out if I should use a grid or hex-based map for this medieval fantasy game I'm wanting to make. It has both strategic and tactical maps, and grid based tends to be better for formations and shit while hex is better for accurate movement and ranges.
More serious, are the numbers that important, you could just use descriptions.
... Damn, now the strategy game I was going to do will look like a complete rip-off. But still, looks awesome if I do say so myself.It's not a rip-off, it's a homage.
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 12:22:14 pm
... Damn, now the strategy game I was going to do will look like a complete rip-off. But still, looks awesome if I do say so myself.What do you mean?
Post by: sjm9876 on July 25, 2013, 12:33:02 pm
Was planning to do something like this soonish anyway. Hence why it's awesome :P... Damn, now the strategy game I was going to do will look like a complete rip-off. But still, looks awesome if I do say so myself.What do you mean?
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 12:39:43 pm
You were planning to do something like Irony's idea?Was planning to do something like this soonish anyway. Hence why it's awesome :P... Damn, now the strategy game I was going to do will look like a complete rip-off. But still, looks awesome if I do say so myself.What do you mean?
Post by: sjm9876 on July 25, 2013, 01:10:13 pm
Aye, similar. Not immediately, as I'm going away soon, but when I get back. Though if anyone else is running it I have no issues.You were planning to do something like Irony's idea?Was planning to do something like this soonish anyway. Hence why it's awesome :P... Damn, now the strategy game I was going to do will look like a complete rip-off. But still, looks awesome if I do say so myself.What do you mean?
Spoiler: The idea. (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 25, 2013, 02:11:16 pm
Basically, you make a unit by combining aspects/tags/whatever you want to call them. There are two types. Optional, and required. Optional ones can usually be added to anything, give a bonus, and usually stack. They represent things like equipment or skills. Required ones have to be had, and many of them cannot both be on the same, though in some cases, you can have two required traits from the same category.
I wasn't planning on science fiction, so this is an incredibly basic example using arbitrary numbers, but:
Mechanised Infantry Squad
10x Infantry (R); Cost: 10 MP, 50 CR; Move: 5, HP: 20; Range: Melee, Damage: 10, Infantry, Biological
10x Light Armor (R); Cost: 30 CR; Move: -1, HP: +10, AR: 10
7x Assault Rifle (O); Cost: 35 CR Range: Medium Damage: +30, Automatic, Firing Modes(Range: Long, Damage: +20)
2x RPG (O); Cost: 30 CR Range: Long, Damage: +60, Single-Shot, Explosive, Shaped Charge, Heavy
1x LMG (O); Cost: 10 CR Range: Long, Damage: +10, Automatic, Suppression, Heavy,
10x Grenades (O); Cost: 20 CR Range: Short, Damage: +20, One-Use, Explosive, Concussive, In-Direct
10x Pistol (O); Cost: 15 CR; Range: Short, Damage: +20, Light, Fast
10x Knife (O); Cost: 5 CR; Range: Melee, Damage: +20, Fast
+
Transport
Wheeled Vehicle(R); Cost: 4 MP, 200 CR; Move: 15, HP: 130; Range: Melee, Damage: 30, Wheels, Vehicle
Medium Armor (R); Cost: 80 CR; Move: -2, HP: +20, AR: 10, Environmental, Passive
10x Transport Capacity(O); Cost: 100 CR; Move: -1, HP: +50, Environmental
Turreted HMG (O); Cost: 30 CR; Range: Long, Damage: +25, Automatic, Suppression, Heavy, Turreted, Gunner
These are two units that act together, and cost 605 CR and 14 MP overall. It is a generalist unit, without a leader, and can get where they are needed quickly.
The abilities do different things that act differently, there are various uses of cover and such, armor should be decently simple, though it requires some wrangling to make pistols better than assault rifles up close.
Post by: Parsely on July 25, 2013, 11:36:15 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 25, 2013, 11:47:29 pm
When you make the game, be sure to let me know, as I'll want to playtest it before working on my medieval version.
Post by: Parsely on July 26, 2013, 12:18:40 am
Post by: Parsely on July 26, 2013, 12:23:20 am
EDIT: Eh. Double post. :/
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 26, 2013, 10:44:21 am
Post by: Nerjin on July 26, 2013, 12:17:46 pm
[. . .] [M]eaning it's like sci fi steam punk.
I'll admit that I sort of [really] hate steam punk but I'm curious. Isn't steam-punk a sub-category OF sci-fi? or is there enough difference that they are different categories cause I've seen that little phrase "Sci-fi steam punk" thrown around a few times.
Post by: Parsely on July 26, 2013, 12:34:11 pm
I think steampunk is a sub-category of sci-fi.[. . .] [M]eaning it's like sci fi steam punk.
I'll admit that I sort of [really] hate steam punk but I'm curious. Isn't steam-punk a sub-category OF sci-fi? or is there enough difference that they are different categories cause I've seen that little phrase "Sci-fi steam punk" thrown around a few times.
EDIT: Also, I made an airship game, and the whole world is clouds somehow, and everyone just lives on airships with the occasional floating platform or giant metal floating city.
Post by: scapheap on July 26, 2013, 12:38:04 pm
I wouldn't view it as a sub-category. I wouldn't call dishonored a sci-fi, but it a steam punk through and through.[. . .] [M]eaning it's like sci fi steam punk.
I'll admit that I sort of [really] hate steam punk but I'm curious. Isn't steam-punk a sub-category OF sci-fi? or is there enough difference that they are different categories cause I've seen that little phrase "Sci-fi steam punk" thrown around a few times.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 26, 2013, 01:54:54 pm
In is context, I meant it as 'sci fi hashyperspace, this game has clouds' and 'sci fihas planets, this game has lands' as well as some 'sci fi has aliens, this game has dwarves and orcs'.
Post by: kj1225 on July 26, 2013, 02:46:12 pm
Post by: Solifuge on July 28, 2013, 07:19:39 pm
Post by: Xantalos on July 28, 2013, 07:59:41 pm
One of the reasons I like the umbrella term SF, for Speculative Fiction. It's more of the "What If?" variety of fiction, whether that's "What if Napoleon had a Dragon Navy?" or "What if human space explorers met a hive-dwelling race of aliens that pooped out the ingredients for complex nuclear-pulse propulsion systems that spread them from planet to planet."I see what you did there.
Post by: monk12 on July 28, 2013, 08:18:21 pm
One of the reasons I like the umbrella term SF, for Speculative Fiction. It's more of the "What If?" variety of fiction, whether that's "What if Napoleon had a Dragon Navy?" or "What if human space explorers met a hive-dwelling race of aliens that pooped out the ingredients for complex nuclear-pulse propulsion systems that spread them from planet to planet."I sea what you did there.
FTFY
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 28, 2013, 09:09:59 pm
The new one would have a better ruleset, based on what I saw that went wrong.
Post by: Xantalos on July 28, 2013, 09:11:53 pm
Post by: gman8181 on July 29, 2013, 12:25:21 am
I'm wanting to reboot (Un)Holy Powers. Should I make a new one or simply wade through my topics and try and necro the old one?
The new one would have a better ruleset, based on what I saw that went wrong.
I would love to participate in either. If it's a new one I'd still sort of want to create a similar character though, just because I liked the overall concept I had going.
Post by: Fniff on July 29, 2013, 12:44:30 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on July 29, 2013, 01:08:46 pm
Maybe if a monster is clearly weaker than you or heavily outnumbered, or if they're sentient and they recognise that they have no chance to beat you, they might attempt a retreat, which you could roll for? And then for players they could choose to run in similar situation, retaining that chance to drop an item as a consequence.
Post by: Fniff on July 29, 2013, 01:10:19 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 29, 2013, 01:12:24 pm
Well, combat is meant to be a one turn thing, hence why Force allows you to roll multiple times.Ah. Then forget what I said. Seems solid all around.
Post by: Nerjin on July 29, 2013, 07:01:32 pm
"Oh I have 12 meals so that's... 12/3 = 4. 4 Days of food."
Versus
"4 rations? 4 days."
I dunno. That's just my thought on the food subject.
If "Health" is just your pain thresh-hold then shouldn't armor just reduce damage? You'd still get hurt wearing even the best of armor. So perhaps armor should be a little less effective and just reduces damage and doesn't block it entirely.
Are you going for "Hard-core survival is a REAL issue." or just "This is basically Fallout so nothing's too difficult you'll probably die but only if you're dumb."? Because the rest of my advice hinges on that difference.
Post by: Fniff on July 29, 2013, 07:03:17 pm
Edit: Also, the game primarily takes place within a military safe zone, thus why you are provided with rations. Anyway, rations are meant to be much higher quality then the stuff you'd randomly steal from radioactive ruins.
Post by: Parsely on July 29, 2013, 07:11:56 pm
I dunno about the military providing rations in a post-apacalyptic scenario but if you must... Well I also believe that the having to eat three meals is fine but why do you only need one ration? Why not just say "One ration is enough to sustain you for a day."? It'd make for less large numbers and be easier to keep track of.This is probably a pretty good idea. Its important that, as a GM, you don't force too much work on yourself. That way you're much less likely to burn out. :P
"Oh I have 12 meals so that's... 12/3 = 4. 4 Days of food."
Versus
"4 rations? 4 days."
I dunno. That's just my thought on the food subject.
Post by: Fniff on July 29, 2013, 07:12:49 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 29, 2013, 07:23:52 pm
Okay, so one ration for one day. Good thing the game's still in sign-ups so subtle rule changes won't harm much.As a rule, most Bay12'ers are pretty adaptable and easygoing, so I don't think it would have mattered even if you had been on page 100. :)
Post by: Fniff on July 29, 2013, 07:32:04 pm
Post by: kingfisher1112 on July 30, 2013, 07:16:46 am
Post by: kj1225 on July 31, 2013, 04:14:16 pm
Post by: Nerjin on August 02, 2013, 05:44:04 am
The goal of [It’s a M.A.D. World] is to be one of the last two players alive or the last player all-together. To help do this each player has possession of 3 card types [Nuke, Bunker, Peace]. The turn order would go something like this:
1. Each players is given 1 Nuke Card, [Players Left]/2 Bunker Cards, and Unlimited Peace Cards
2. Players can do diplomacy
3. Each player PM’s the mod on whom they want to use their Nuke, Bunker, and Peace cards on.
4. The turn plays out
5. The remaining players rerun the game from step 1.
Each card has its own effect to try to balance out the game.
[1] The Nuke – This is the only offensive card. Each player will only ever be given one of these per turn. This card, is successfully deployed, will eliminate the opposing player from the game. For this card to be successful your target must NOT use a Bunker card on you. If you are the only one who targeted a player with The Nuke then the use of The Nuke is declared publicly. Otherwise only the number of players using The Nuke is declared.
[2]Bunker – This card is a defensive measure. The number of Bunkers available to you is always half of the remaining players rounded down. This card protects you from enemy Nukes but only from players that you play this card on. Any other nukes will destroy you. Only the players you target with this are informed.
[3] Peace – This card has no affect and is automatically used on any player who you do not target with The Nuke or Bunker card.
[Example Turn]
There are 4 players: US, USSR, Germany, and Canada. The UN is the Mod.
[1] Each player receives 1 Nuke, 2 Bunkers, and Unlimited Peace cards.
[US] Nukes USSR, Bunkers USSR, Bunkers Germany, Peaces Canada
[USSR]Nukes Canada, Bunkers US, Bunkers Germany, Doesn’t Peace
[Germany]Nukes US, Bunkers Canada, Bunkers US, Peaces USSR
[Canada]Nukes USSR, Bunkers US, Bunkers Germany, Doesn’t Peace
[Turn is Processed] [UN sends the following PM’s]
[US’ Message] Your Nuke Failed/ 1 German Nuke was stopped by your Bunker/ You Survived
[USSR’s Message] Your Nuke Destroyed Canada/ 2 Nukes were used on you/ You have been destroyed
[Germany’s Message]Your Nuke Failed/ No Nukes targeted you/ You survived
[Canada] Your Nuke destroyed USSR/ The USSR’s nuke destroyed you/ You have been destroyed
[The UN posts in thread]
Canada was destroyed! USSR was destroyed! Germany and America are the only powers left on the planet. They are victrorious!
It’s a rough idea I think but simple enough that it might be fun to dick around with. Thoughts?
Post by: IronyOwl on August 02, 2013, 06:13:52 am
Post by: Nerjin on August 02, 2013, 06:27:52 am
Post by: IronyOwl on August 02, 2013, 06:37:20 am
I don't doubt that could make it short and fun, but I suspect it'd be one of those games that's not really much of a game unless you view it as a cluster of attempts.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 04, 2013, 03:51:45 pm
The players are the heads of a supernatural community - say, the Council of Mages, or the high aristocracy of the Vampire Courts, or the ancients of the Werewolf Clans, etc. I'm leaning towards the first, as I may have some systems and a setting to use already.
Anyway, the players have different roles and duties in their Council, possibly one being the leader. They are tasked with dealing with the problems of the supernatural community, maintaining the balance of power between various factions or plotting world domination, and endlessly bickering so they get nothing done. The players would wield considerable influence within the supernaturals who accept their authority but also considerable personal power, as you don't get to be in charge if you don't know what you're doing.
You'd of course have all the traitors, corruption, ambitious renegades and usurpers, problems with other supernaturals and of course the independent, very lucky and very effective loose cannons ala Harry Dresden and co to deal with. I have fancy lore and a nifty magic system I could use, if I can dig it up, too.
It also occurs to me I never continued working on the 'supernatural lineages' idea I had. Hmmm.
Post by: Xantalos on August 04, 2013, 03:53:48 pm
From a different era or something, but still.
Post by: Fniff on August 04, 2013, 03:56:30 pm
Idea: the players are all representatives of the various groups. So one player can be a werewolf, the other can be a mage, a vampire, etc, etc.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 04, 2013, 04:03:07 pm
If you're going to put it as the Wizard's Council, why not make it so the players are the actual White Council from Harry Dresden?
From a different era or something, but still.
I don't do established settings, for the most part (just not real comfortable messing around with them) and I think the setting I have is interesting enough, so nope, sorry.
Idea: the players are all representatives of the various groups. So one player can be a werewolf, the other can be a mage, a vampire, etc, etc.
This is also a possibility, sure. And yes, urban fantasy.
Post by: Xantalos on August 04, 2013, 04:04:57 pm
Post by: Fniff on August 04, 2013, 04:07:04 pm
Post by: Remuthra on August 04, 2013, 04:10:16 pm
Post by: Kadzar on August 04, 2013, 04:12:33 pm
I have vague thoughts of a game swirling around in me poor head. Basically;All my yes!
The players are the heads of a supernatural community - say, the Council of Mages, or the high aristocracy of the Vampire Courts, or the ancients of the Werewolf Clans, etc. I'm leaning towards the first, as I may have some systems and a setting to use already.
Anyway, the players have different roles and duties in their Council, possibly one being the leader. They are tasked with dealing with the problems of the supernatural community, maintaining the balance of power between various factions or plotting world domination, and endlessly bickering so they get nothing done. The players would wield considerable influence within the supernaturals who accept their authority but also considerable personal power, as you don't get to be in charge if you don't know what you're doing.
You'd of course have all the traitors, corruption, ambitious renegades and usurpers, problems with other supernaturals and of course the independent, very lucky and very effective loose cannons ala Harry Dresden and co to deal with. I have fancy lore and a nifty magic system I could use, if I can dig it up, too.
It also occurs to me I never continued working on the 'supernatural lineages' idea I had. Hmmm.
Well, actually I'm interested in any sort of diplomacy/intrigue game like this, but, if I can pretend to be an old wizard at the same time, that's just aces.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 04, 2013, 04:15:17 pm
Looking over what I have on the setting, it's pretty dark. But I'm sure you can brighten it up if you so wish. Grimdark, maybe, even, judging from this quote;
Quote
'We live in a world of no beginnings. No new hopes, no bright lights, no coming salvation. It is the darkest before the dawn, but the dawn will never come. At the end of our age, we will see the truth, and despair.'-James Omegon Harper, Magis Maleficarum, shortly before his execution
Nothing stopping me from rewriting parts of this - I just had some vague quotes and descriptions of creepy WWI-born spirit realms.
Looking over the magic system, it might need some adaptation for the focus of the game, as it's more for a straight-up RPG type of game. I'll have to see.
Post by: kj1225 on August 04, 2013, 04:18:20 pm
Post by: Fniff on August 04, 2013, 04:20:26 pm
Post by: Remuthra on August 04, 2013, 04:21:06 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on August 04, 2013, 04:22:52 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 04, 2013, 04:24:04 pm
Quote
'They dragged themselves out from the corpse-piles of the Great War - spirits of steel and carnage, children of hate and fear. Their breath is poison gas, their flesh that of dead men. Pray you never meet them again.'-Dead Hawk Atylumen, Shaman of the Three Corners
Which I don't think is any more cheerful. When your generic 'magical Native American' name is 'Dead Hawk' you're not in for rainbows and happiness. That said, I really welcome a 'brightener'. Just the concept brings a smile to my lips, hehe.
@Remuthra: See; vague, swirling. But no, there are no preset classes as of yet - probably I'd have you give a description of your thing, magically speaking, and grant spells and abilities accordingly.
Post by: kj1225 on August 04, 2013, 04:25:49 pm
Post by: Fniff on August 04, 2013, 04:27:48 pm
Post by: Remuthra on August 04, 2013, 04:40:21 pm
For once I may make a character who isn't a sarcastic asshole. So this will be exiting.Same, actually.
Post by: Kadzar on August 04, 2013, 04:59:00 pm
The other quote I had was;Well that's just talking about some sort of demonic magic warbots or whatever. So it's likely the Great War (is this actually WWI or a separate thing?) was terrible, and the things it produced were terrible, but that doesn't mean the whole world itself has to be grimdark. It may not be sunshine-and-rainbows land, but it could at least be somewhere in the middle of the two.Quote'They dragged themselves out from the corpse-piles of the Great War - spirits of steel and carnage, children of hate and fear. Their breath is poison gas, their flesh that of dead men. Pray you never meet them again.'-Dead Hawk Atylumen, Shaman of the Three Corners
Which I don't think is any more cheerful. When your generic 'magical Native American' name is 'Dead Hawk' you're not in for rainbows and happiness. That said, I really welcome a 'brightener'. Just the concept brings a smile to my lips, hehe.
Post by: Harry Baldman on August 04, 2013, 05:15:37 pm
If you run this, what would the mechanics be like - a lot of them, very few or somewhere in between?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 05, 2013, 08:40:38 am
If you run this, what would the mechanics be like - a lot of them, very few or somewhere in between?
This is what I've been trying to wrap my head around all day. I don't want straight-up strategy as the personal level of the players should be important here, but going too personal might leave everyone having their own private adventures and cause problems with time.
The magic system needs adaptation, as it was more meant for a smaller-scale RPG. With the power level of the players they should really have an endless list of spells to use and a vast power reserve to use. As you can probably imagine, this is not the ideal thing to implement. On the other hand, just generic magic rolls for everything is pretty dull. A compromise could be giving the players a handful of useable powers according to how they describe their style of magic, and handling 'lesser' spells with generic rolls. But I don't think this is good either. I might just go for simple rolls, making it not-dull with the power of Narrative (and/or the players' own RP).
The difference
*Archmage A crafts together a Strangler Hex [Body 3, Primal 1] against the usurper. The poor man fails to counter the spell and goes down with invisible ropes wrapping themselves around his neck and body. [Damage: something something] [Probably some other mechanics here, too]
*Archmage A magics at the irritating usurper. (Magic Roll: 4) vs (Magic Roll: 4) He strikes fast, lashing out with eldritch lightning, but his opponent deflects it at the last moment with a shimmering ward. The two men begin crafting the Art at incredible speed, cascading waves of magic rolling against eachother between the duelists. They are evenly matched - when the Archmage calls down lightning, the usurper deflects it and follows up with a spectral lion of fire that nearly slams into the Archmage, but the older man disperses it with a snarl and a thrust of his staff. And so on and so on.
In any case, as the focus of the game is on politics/intrigue, though also magical discovery and investigation, combat need not play such a big role - so I think the latter approach might work better. Non-magic combat would work much the same, though just going with 1d6 vs 1d6 a bit oversimplistic, so I'd likely improved it somehow. Especially when modifiers come to play.
Social actions, like persuading someone, I'd generally fully do with RP rather than rolls. Always more fun that way. Most actions would be simple rolls, maybe with a Difficulty rating to beat. This generally works well enough.
Advice/criticism is welcome - I wouldn't have written any of the above otherwise.
Post by: Kadzar on August 05, 2013, 01:46:40 pm
Post by: Remuthra on August 05, 2013, 01:52:46 pm
Post by: Fniff on August 05, 2013, 01:56:27 pm
Post by: Remuthra on August 05, 2013, 01:59:21 pm
Post by: Fniff on August 05, 2013, 02:25:58 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 05, 2013, 02:29:11 pm
@Kadzar: Of course there will be modifiers to said rolls and other stuff, such as bonuses for fields of magic you've truly mastered. I'm not just gonna roll 1d6 no matter what, that would be unimaginably dull and wonky. I'll keep working, but I'm probably going with 'mechanically simple, narratively rich'.
Post by: Xantalos on August 05, 2013, 02:36:49 pm
Your challenges will be tackling armies of vampires and subduing dark gods, not worrying about some thug in a dark alley. No pressure, though. Though yes, a bullet to the brain you're not protected against will hurt, wizard or not.*froths at the mouth in anticipation*
@Kadzar: Of course there will be modifiers to said rolls and other stuff, such as bonuses for fields of magic you've truly mastered. I'm not just gonna roll 1d6 no matter what, that would be unimaginably dull and wonky. I'll keep working, but I'm probably going with 'mechanically simple, narratively rich'.
To say that I don't really care about the mechanics but the premise is delicious.
Post by: Harry Baldman on August 05, 2013, 02:41:06 pm
And I am also rather interested in the whole magical politics aspect, though I do hope that there will also be plenty of domestic concerns as well, not just vampire armies and gods and whatnot.
Post by: Remuthra on August 05, 2013, 02:45:39 pm
I'd say to go with the opposed rolls plus signature powers thing, as it isn't too complicated, but also gives a certain uniqueness to each character, like a trait system in an RTD does.I second all this.
And I am also rather interested in the whole magical politics aspect, though I do hope that there will also be plenty of domestic concerns as well, not just vampire armies and gods and whatnot.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 05, 2013, 02:57:00 pm
The original, ill-fitting magic system was basically built around these power sources called Aspects (such as Thought or Entropy). Wizards would be able to prepare some to use just like that, but for a large part they would be found in Anchors. These were things bound with magic temporarily or permanently, from simple words (like Ignis! granting a point of Primal needed for a fire spell) to magical ingredients (fetch me a newt's eye and fellroot!) and artifacts.
There were also Cosmic Anchors, such as an admission of love, spoken truly, that were very powerful and seemingly eternal Anchors that even mortals could partially access.
Spells required expending Aspects, and Anchors made them cheaper/more powerful. If the Fire spell from above required two points of Primal, you could just shout Ignis! and only have to spend one of your own.
But I digress. It's not that fitting here, but by Jove I'll use it someday.
Post by: kj1225 on August 05, 2013, 03:00:47 pm
Post by: kj1225 on August 06, 2013, 08:56:36 pm
All the players wake up effectively naked with no weapons and no fighting skills besides flailing at the person they're fighting. However they have in their possession a giant monster of some kind. The giant monster is there for combat, making bases, and shares the players stats. (The physical ones are multiplyed as needed.) The goal of the game is to basically build a kingdom from ground up using your giant and any thing you manage to grab for yourself.
Post by: sjm9876 on August 07, 2013, 04:43:37 pm
Spoiler: The idea. (click to show/hide)
Started this. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=129632.0)
Post by: Parsely on August 07, 2013, 05:00:30 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on August 18, 2013, 09:06:18 am
I say RPG. Minimal mechanics, maximum RP. more like a godhood, without the omnipotence.
Basically, players are 'demons' in my persistent world thingy. Not incredibly powerful ones though. Turns are ~ 1 month.
Tasks have DCs, and a die is rolled against it and situational modifiers added, as made up on the spot by me.
the die rolled depends on what stat is used:
Body: Physical
Mind: Intellect, runic magic
Soul: Charisma, non-runic magic
Each stat is assigned a die at character creation from d4,d6,d8. As power increases, these may go up.
Think that covers everything. The goal is more about creating an interesting story than looking for +1 shinies.
Post by: kj1225 on August 18, 2013, 09:08:58 am
Because my SGs never seem to get posters, another RPG idea for after I'm finished.Oh goodie! I do like meself a good RP filled game.
I say RPG. Minimal mechanics, maximum RP. more like a godhood, without the omnipotence.
Basically, players are 'demons' in my persistent world thingy. Not incredibly powerful ones though. Turns are ~ 1 month.
Tasks have DCs, and a die is rolled against it and situational modifiers added, as made up on the spot by me.
the die rolled depends on what stat is used:
Body: Physical
Mind: Intellect, runic magic
Soul: Charisma, non-runic magic
Each stat is assigned a die at character creation from d4,d6,d8. As power increases, these may go up.
Think that covers everything. The goal is more about creating an interesting story than looking for +1 shinies.
Post by: sjm9876 on August 18, 2013, 10:30:18 am
Annnnnndddddd Here! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=130063.0)
Post by: Nerjin on August 19, 2013, 02:17:26 am
Survivors
Each player must fill out the following sheet in order to be considered for the game. The players will be together for an entire campaign so it’s important to try to flesh out who you are.
Spoiler: Survivor Sheet (click to show/hide)
Weaponry and Items
You won’t get very far without a weapon and some items. Each item fills a specific slot in your load-out and replaces that slots previous occupant.
Primary Weapons
Primary weapons are powerful but have a drawback of needing to reload every few uses. Furthermore they have an “Ammo Count” that needs to be replenished. If this number is reached and hasn’t been replenished at an “Ammo Pile” then the primary weapon can no longer be used.
All weapons follow this template:
Spoiler: Weapon Template (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Pump Shotgun (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: SMG (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: M16 (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Ak-47 (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Auto Shotgun (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Bolt-Action Rifle (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Sniper Rifle (click to show/hide)
Flame Thrower
Grenade Launcher
Secondary Weapons
This weapons are weaker than primary weapons but never need to be reloaded and sometimes have special abilities.
Spoiler: Pistol (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Dual Pistols (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Revolver (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Melee Weapons (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Chain Saw (click to show/hide)
Backpack
Backpack items provide a powerful bonus to the team whether through healing, special ammos, or even reviving dead team-mates. All of these items are one use only and disappear afterwards.
Spoiler: Health Kit (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Defibrillator (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Incendiary Ammo (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Explosive Ammo (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Laser Sight (click to show/hide)
Throwable
These one use items are auxiliary weapons that can provide a number of interesting effects but are almost always offensive.
Spoiler: Grenade (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Pipe Bomb (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Molotov (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Bile Jar (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Caltrops (click to show/hide)
This one use items are essentially secondary back-pack items. They tend to provide lesser effects that will fade over time.
Spoiler: Pain Pills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Adrenaline Shot (click to show/hide)
The Infected
The Infected are the enemy and the main obstacle to your survival. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Alone they are weak. Together they will likely give you a hard time.
Spoiler: Infected Template (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Common Infected (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Hunter (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Smoker (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Boomer (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Charger (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Spitter (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Jockey (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Tank (click to show/hide)
Death
If a player is incapacitated 3 times without being healed or if they are not picked up after being incapacitated quickly enough then the players character is dead. They may take no actions nor may they influence the game in any way. But is this the end of your adventure? If even one survivor remains than it doesn’t have to be. Defibrillators are a powerful item for this very reason.
Incapacitation
When a player reaches 0 health they are incapacitated. While incapacitated you cannot use most of your weapons or any of your items. While incapacitated you lose 20 health per survivor turn plus any damage that infected do to you. Furthermore you only have 2 action point neither of which can be used to move.
Being Pinned
When you are pinned by a special infected you continuously take damage per survivor turn [each time a player’s turn comes around] and have 0 Action Points.
Areas and Events of interest
Closets will be found every so often where a dead character might just be found barricaded inside. If one of the surviving players opens the door the dead character is brought back with a single pistol and 50 health.
Safe Rooms mark the beginning and end of each chapter. Each one holds four health kits, two weapons, two pocket items, and a single throwable. As an added bonus most infected cannot destroy safe room doors so they are as they are advertise: Safe. Even better all dead survivors will respawn inside of a safe room after a chapter is completed with 50 health and a pistol.
Car Alarms are a dangerous hazard. If one is activated [via being shot by a stray bullet, being hit by a throwable, or even by having a survivor make contact] it will trigger one of three crescendo event: Either a small horde will attack, a tank may spawn nearby, or a crazed survivor group will attack. It is best to exercise a lot of caution when one of these is nearby.
Rescue Vehicle mark the end of the campaign. After a finale is completed an uber-horde will spawn. At the same time a rescue vehicle will arrive and open its doors for the survivors. Once all non-incapacitated survivors are inside the vehicle the campaign is completed and you win. If you are downed inside the Rescue Vehicle you still win. All who are left behind are considered dead and therefore lose.
Crescendo Events
These are event that ramp the difficulty up for an undefined amount of time. They are placed in order to kick up the amount of action. Some of these allow you to decide when to trigger them while others occur randomly.
Horde: During a horde a large amount of common infected spawn and attack the players regardless of where they are located. These can occur randomly, during a finale, during a Survival section, during a gauntlet section, or during a car alarm.
Tank Attack: During a tank attack a single tank spawn and does its best to kill the survivors. These can occur randomly, during a finale, or during a car alarm.
Crazed Survivors: These insane survivors are randomly equipped with a single item/weapon and will try to end your status as living. There are always between 1-4 of them.. Crazed Survivors automatically die when they are incapacitated. Infected are just as likely to attack Crazed Survivors as your group. These can occur only during Car Alarms.
Survival Section: During this crescendo event the survivors must survive for a random amount of time. Afterwards the crescendo ends.
Gauntlet Section: During this crescendo event the survivors must reach a predetermined point and use an Action Point to press a button that will end the event. This event will continue forever otherwise.
Finale: Finales are ramped up versions of a Survival Section or a Gauntlet section. Both involve two large hordes, two tanks, and an uber-horde. The large hordes and tank sections are randomly assigned an order to occur in.
Uber-Horde: Occurring only at the end of a finale the Uber-horde comprises of a Large horde and two tanks at the same time.
Difficulty
Difficulty is just that. It influences how difficult it is to win the game. Difficulty increases Infected Spawn Rates, Infected Damage, Infected Health, Ammo frequency, Item Frequency, and friendly fire damage.
Easy – In this game mode infected spawn less frequently, deal the least damage possible, have very low health, and items spawn in abundance. Friendly fire is turned off in this mode. This game mode isn’t recommended for players who want a challenge. This difficulty is no longer available with 5 or more survivors.
Normal – This game mode sees a decent infected spawn rate, damage output, and health. Items spawn somewhat frequently but shortages can happen if players aren’t careful. Survivors also take 1/5 damage from each-others weapons. This game mode can be challenging if dice rolls or player decisions do not act favorably. This difficulty is no longer available with 6 or more survivors.
Advanced – This game mode is difficult. Infected spawn frequently and have a heavy damage output with the health to match. Even worse is that items are hard to come by. Further-more survivor weapons do ½ damage to eachother.This game mode is designed to be a real challenge. Expect plenty of death. This difficulty is no longer available with 7 or more survivors.
Expert – This game mode is almost impossible. Infected spawn almost frequently and can kill survivors in just a few hits. Items are almost non-existent. As if this weren’t bad enough survivors do full damage to each other in this game mode. This game mode is only for those who REALLY want a challenge. Death is a constant companion in this mode. This mode is always available.
How to Play
Goal: The goal of this game is to move from Safe Room to safe room until you reach true safety with the rescue vehicle. In your way there is an entire army of infected.
Action Points: Each survivor has 5 action points with which they can do any of the following actions:
- Use an Item – Uses an item and creates whatever effect is applicable. See items for more details.
- Fire a weapon – Pick a target and fire away. This is the most obvious way to kill enemies. See weapons for more details.
- Move – Moves you character to a new square. See survivors for more details.
- Shove – Forcibly moves all units in the target square back two spaces. Shoving usually rescues any survivor from the pinned status.
- Revive Teammate – By standing next to a team-mate who has been incapacitated you can bring them out of the incapacitated status with 30 temporary health.
[Edit: Note: Some things are missing. Witches, Flamethrower, and the Grenade Launcher are a Work in progress so...]
Post by: Furtuka on August 20, 2013, 04:59:26 pm
Nah, I don't plan anything after FEF2. Possibly will go back to sci-fi games and mecha.
Is there a Mecha Fire Emblem somewhere I can spy on? :P
I'm working on it! But not in the way you spoke. Hmmmm I should consider that. I have the perfect setting and all...
But it's probably a year off or something XD
*crawls into the thread by fingertips*
The deed you requested... is... mostly completed sir...
My brain now feels like mush... but it was worth it. Most likely incredibly unbalanced and unpolished... but good enough for now...
...don't really have anywhere else to put it...
Here you go...Spoiler: The World of Argoths (click to show/hide)
...god it feels good to have somewhere to unload this fluff after all these years
reposting here for interest check and seeking balancing advice...
Post by: scapheap on August 20, 2013, 05:56:03 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on August 20, 2013, 10:34:05 pm
1) Is primarily text based
2) Can be updated in less than 2 hours a day (don't worry I write fast)
3) Doesn't require long-term or constant commitment
4) Doesn't require a lot of bookkeeping
4) Is still pretty interesting and not flat-out a minimalist RTD or something like that?
Post by: kj1225 on August 20, 2013, 10:36:14 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on August 20, 2013, 10:47:05 pm
Post by: kj1225 on August 20, 2013, 10:50:25 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on August 20, 2013, 10:52:31 pm
Post by: Nerjin on August 20, 2013, 10:53:23 pm
Post by: monk12 on August 20, 2013, 11:13:18 pm
So guys. Homework is already killing me. Also regular work. What's a type of forum game that I can run that
1) Is primarily text based
2) Can be updated in less than 2 hours a day (don't worry I write fast)
3) Doesn't require long-term or constant commitment
4) Doesn't require a lot of bookkeeping
4) Is still pretty interesting and not flat-out a minimalist RTD or something like that?
Define "Is still pretty interesting."
If you want it to be mechanically interesting, well, that's a tricky one, since the more complex things get the more bookkeeping and update speed get affected. You can cut down on things a bit if you do something with a well established mechanical verse since that will require you to think about it less, and more importantly, if the players have prior knowledge of the mechanics they won't waste (as much) time asking you questions about edge cases. So like, Pokemon suggestion game? The only other route I can think of would be to invent a game system that meets your criteria, which would basically imply a non-minimalist RTD (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=128304.msg4388660#msg4388660).
If you're willing to let things be interesting in terms of just storytelling, you can let the mechanics devolve to a narrative "you can do this/you can't do this" place based on a couple stats/established facts and just focus on telling a story or exploring a setting in a TSG (basically what I'm doing in You are Necromancer.) Of course, that just shifts the work from preparing mechanics to play with to preparing characters/places to interact with.
Also, The Stupendous Sojourn of Slog the Slime: A Prequel Story
Post by: freeformschooler on August 20, 2013, 11:14:52 pm
Great suggestions though thx
Post by: scapheap on August 21, 2013, 06:34:36 am
I would play that regardless, but I'm about to sleep so I'll hold off advice till the mor.Okay, I going to question making healing magic part of the triangles, but other then that, seem good(Would like split promotion, but I'm not going to hold that against you).
Post by: Furtuka on August 21, 2013, 06:38:06 am
I would play that regardless, but I'm about to sleep so I'll hold off advice till the mor.Okay, I going to question making healing magic part of the triangles, but other then that, seem good(Would like split promotion, but I'm not going to hold that against you).
Well it's part of the triangle because of what it has in the A-Ranks spells. Logical extremes and such.
What do you by split promotions? I have it set up so each starting class has two options.
Post by: scapheap on August 21, 2013, 06:40:51 am
Huh? Oh, never mind, I misread it, you did them, I'm stupid.I would play that regardless, but I'm about to sleep so I'll hold off advice till the mor.Okay, I going to question making healing magic part of the triangles, but other then that, seem good(Would like split promotion, but I'm not going to hold that against you).
Well it's part of the triangle because of what it has in the A-Ranks spells. Logical extremes and such.
What do you by split promotions? I have it set up so each starting class has two options.
Post by: Fniff on August 22, 2013, 10:46:43 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on August 23, 2013, 07:29:06 pm
So guys. Homework is already killing me. Also regular work. What's a type of forum game that I can run thatI hate numbers (but I learned to like math recently actually) so basically all my games are like that. I also hate inventory management so I usually just go with something like: Health, Items, Weapon(s) for inventories.
1) Is primarily text based
2) Can be updated in less than 2 hours a day (don't worry I write fast)
3) Doesn't require long-term or constant commitment
4) Doesn't require a lot of bookkeeping
4) Is still pretty interesting and not flat-out a minimalist RTD or something like that?
1st post after being gone and not touching a computer for about 25 days BTW. Feels fucking awesome to be back.
Post by: Kadzar on August 24, 2013, 11:42:08 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on September 07, 2013, 09:44:40 pm
Note the question is not "represent" but "best represent." I can do 3d, isometric, text-based, pretty much anything. How do we handle elevation, or do we need to? What game mechanics would make it cool and not just fighting but with a water backdrop?
Post by: Remuthra on September 07, 2013, 09:48:34 pm
So. Question for future use. How would one best represent underwater, tile-based combat in a forum game?3D Animation would of course be the best way to graphically represent it :P. Realistically, I'd say an isometric slice view similar to DF would be best. Having three dimensions of movement is a must for underwater action.
Note the question is not "represent" but "best represent." I can do 3d, isometric, text-based, pretty much anything. How do we handle elevation, or do we need to? What game mechanics would make it cool and not just fighting but with a water backdrop?
Post by: monk12 on September 07, 2013, 10:06:02 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on September 07, 2013, 10:13:15 pm
Oh, for reference: this is for a system that isn't breathing-agnostic. So the characters could totally be normal people who were holding their breath or chewing magic air gum. They might also be mermaids. I'm not sure if having an air counter is interesting in this scenario or just needless busywork, but Breath Bubbles ala the sonic the hedgehog games could be fun.
Post by: kj1225 on September 07, 2013, 10:17:54 pm
Post by: kj1225 on September 08, 2013, 09:54:57 am
So if you have read the inheritance cycle you'll know about the fact that the place it takes place in is perfect for an RPG. This is that RPG. The game is going to be pretty free in what people can do because I don't have a full blown plot for it, so for example you could have someone helping peasants and improving the general living conditions in Alagaësia and on the other side of the continent someone is becoming Galbatorix 2.0. I will probably start it if people want it. Also it will take place years after the last book so depending on what people want in terms of what's happened I can change plot accordingly.
Post by: Nerjin on September 08, 2013, 11:54:31 am
Post by: Remuthra on September 08, 2013, 11:55:58 am
I found that after the midway point of the third book that series went downhill faster than a 90 degree drop. BUT that being said I wouldn't be adverse to playing the game.Indeed.
Post by: freeformschooler on September 08, 2013, 12:32:22 pm
I am not good at isometry.
So this is basically a simple representation of depth in an underwater tile grid, taking into account the earlier advice. Players would have a theoretically-limitless range of vertical movement, assuming no artificial limits (ceilings, surfaces, arbitrary rules). Terrain features would be fairly easy to add and represent - after all, we don't need complicated ground tiles for ocean floors. Just a simple textured grid (not shown).
Any other ideas for improving this idea and making it more underwater-y?
Post by: Furtuka on September 08, 2013, 12:33:45 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on September 08, 2013, 12:41:15 pm
Currents?
Ooh, I like it.
(http://s24.postimg.org/a1m2mc4yd/Isometry_Test.png)
A potential difficulty would be representing 3D currents - I may just stick with only showing whichever ones are currently relevant (as with depth projection).
Post by: Fniff on September 08, 2013, 12:44:21 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on September 08, 2013, 12:58:47 pm
Perhaps as you go lower into the depths, debris obscuring your vision/the darkness could come into play, giving accuracy penalties to those who don't have flashlights and such?
(http://s17.postimg.org/6skr3xehr/Isometry_Test.png)
Lighting/LoS is a source of trouble. The most I've ever fiddled with is fog of war-style view reduction. Anything else might be tricky on an isometric grid. That said, it could be fun for exploring an underwater ruin or similar.
Post by: Remuthra on September 08, 2013, 01:02:42 pm
Post by: Fniff on September 08, 2013, 01:04:31 pm
Post by: monk12 on September 08, 2013, 11:27:53 pm
Spoiler: Players/Waitlist (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The World (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Patrician Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Patrician Action (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Improvement Slots (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Armies, Generals, and Desertion (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Combat (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Sample Starting House (click to show/hide)
I'm actually kinda happy with this for a change, though Characters and their acquisition/attributes needs to be expanded a bit, and I'd like to make Regions a little more interesting in terms of terrain. And usually every time I poke at this, I later decide I hate the combat and do everything over, but hopefully that won't happen this time.
Feedback appreciated!
Post by: Kadzar on September 09, 2013, 06:33:06 pm
So now, can I get a show of support from people who'd like to play a game of this?
Post by: freeformschooler on September 09, 2013, 06:35:20 pm
As an RP-heavy TTRPG, it would a pretty big time investment, though. What's the longest game you've run?
Post by: Kadzar on September 09, 2013, 07:10:31 pm
Though the health system is such that it shouldn't be a slogfest like D&D; I've seen a couple of blog posts that compare the combat system to something like a game of chicken. So in some respects it should work better than a lot of other published games for PbP; maybe not as well as games specifically made for PbP, but to get that you usually have to create your own system from scratch, and I've never been any good at that.
Post by: freeformschooler on September 09, 2013, 07:20:06 pm
The kind of excellent writing you did with IGYNPADCA RPG would be perfect for a FATE game, come to think of it.
Post by: Remuthra on September 09, 2013, 07:20:43 pm
Post by: Kadzar on September 09, 2013, 08:06:58 pm
FATE isn't combat-centric, so even if it did slow down PbP, it wouldn't come up very often. Unless you wanted it to. The combat system isn't exactly interesting enough to build the game around, though.Well, even if a game isn't about combat, you have to consider it somewhat since you can't usually just gloss over it and say that the players automatically win or lose against their opponents (well you can, but I'd rather not have to arbitrarily decide the outcome of all battles); even just having combat be down to a single roll is enough to make it a game about more than just the GM's whims.
The kind of excellent writing you did with IGYNPADCA RPG would be perfect for a FATE game, come to think of it.
Also, another thing I like about Fate is that the game encourages and makes it easy to get players involved in world building, and the character creation encourages them to make their characters have some sort of relationship with each other. This is something I would have liked in IGYNPADCA RPG, since it was sometimes hard to figure out what kinds of things people would like, and especially there was the problem with most of the players not really having much of anything to do with each other, so that I had to write several different concurrent plots at once which eventually caused me to burn out.
Post by: sjm9876 on September 20, 2013, 03:26:11 pm
Spoiler: Context (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: System (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Attributes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Traits (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Race (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
That's everything i can think of atm. May have missed something. Oh, and this takes place in my persistent world.
Post by: Rolepgeek on September 21, 2013, 12:44:22 pm
I'm in the process of making a game, but it's still on paper and having exact numericals and ratios worked out. It's got a crapton of stuff though. Just needs real mechanics, instead of basic 'you need wood and people to make a mine'. I'd rather have 'you need x lumber and y people to make z mine.'
Post by: sjm9876 on September 21, 2013, 01:16:30 pm
Post by: Furtuka on October 08, 2013, 07:38:06 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on October 08, 2013, 07:38:56 pm
Post by: Furtuka on October 08, 2013, 07:42:29 pm
And suddenly I realize I did my math wrong. It seems I would actually have to make 72559410 possible skills >_<
Post by: freeformschooler on October 08, 2013, 07:45:37 pm
Let's say you're using a system. With game mechanics. That kind of thing. What you'd do is assign properties to each [thing] in a way that you could simply have a script that prints out the mechanical result of those two or three or however many things based on their properties alone. Python? Javascript? Z80 assembler? Up to you. Prevents you from having to make them manually.
Post by: Furtuka on October 08, 2013, 07:51:43 pm
My idea was inspired by some PS2 JRPG my cousins showed me once. The plan is that everyone would have the same abilities, but instead of learning skills/attacks, on their turn they would input up to 10 commands, those commands being Up, Down, Left, Right, A, and B. Each command input would cost some amount of some sort of points, and each combination would have a different result.
Post by: freeformschooler on October 13, 2013, 04:53:20 pm
(http://i.imgur.com/hn8vPKQ.png)
What would it take to create a PHOENIX WRIGHT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Wright:_Ace_Attorney) forum game?
What would it take to create a PHOENIX WRIGHT (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Wright:_Ace_Attorney) forum game?
The Phoenix Wright series of visual novels are a wholly different genre than most forum games or even video games. You play as the titular defense attorney, facing off in a courtroom against corrupt witnesses, evil prosecutors and a three-day guilty-until-proven-innocent deadline. The games are dramatic, intense, and often hilarious. I've studied the difficulties in creating a forum/tabletop adaption and present them to you here.
Spoiler: Difficulties in Translation (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Leveling the playing field (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Investigation Team (click to show/hide)
This is another one of those things that would take far too much time away from my current projects, so I can't (currently) run it. Potentially, I may try a one mission or less playtest (in either limited RPG or suggestion format) to see what issues the system brings. If anyone has any input, I'd love to hear it - such an experimental concept demands Gaming Block brainstorming!
Post by: Fniff on October 13, 2013, 05:07:04 pm
Unrelated: Since I'm not really sure where else to discuss this, I was thinking of running a New World of Darkness IRC game set in, rather then America as it's typically done, a fictional communistic Eastern European nation. However, I'm not quite sure how to present it. Should I post it here or in other games, should I mention it's a specific campaign, etc, etc. I mention this because my last attempt at making a thread for an IRC game here fell through completely due to a severe lack of players (Which has never actually happened to me except when making Suggestion Games), so I'm wondering what to do.
Post by: freeformschooler on October 13, 2013, 05:12:24 pm
You should have the Prosecution and Defense be separate teams of players, though that might not be really "Phoenix Wright-ish" unless you have a mechanic for faking evidence and screwing with the judge... Which would also have to be allowed for defense, so it result in a situation where both teams of lawyers are making a mockery of the justice system. Which sounds hilarious, actually.
Unfortunately, this fundamentally changes the game from a single-focused game to a PVP game. Sure, it could fit: only the witnesses are fully aware of what they know. Both defense and prosecution are informed, but in the games, defense is far less informed. Separating knowledge and actions between players is tricky territory that I forgot to write about.
One possibility would be changing the dynamic of the accusations. In Wright, the defense is always innocent. In this, it might be more like a normal courtroom where neither side (prosecutor or defense) truly knows until the end, but they're working off different stories and evidence toward different goals.
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 13, 2013, 05:15:39 pm
My problem is where to put it. Other Games? Forum Games and Roleplaying? Creative Projects?
Well, that, and an interest check.
Fun Fact: whole idea came about because we were discussing how there should be a poison type legendary. We figured it would probably be in a legendary quartet of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Edit: Also, consider that usually, in reality, the prosecution has far less evidence than the defense. Well, depends on the legal system in your location.
Post by: Nerjin on October 13, 2013, 07:41:16 pm
Spoiler: The Set-Up (click to show/hide)
How's it look? Needs work and all but I figured I'd toss one out.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on October 14, 2013, 11:25:26 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 14, 2013, 06:37:21 pm
Post by: Nerjin on October 14, 2013, 08:47:48 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 14, 2013, 08:59:14 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on October 16, 2013, 11:45:01 pm
Spoiler: A short introduction (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Resources (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: A city (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Research (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Example tokens (click to show/hide)
Post by: Fniff on October 20, 2013, 07:10:05 pm
Was thinking of running an image suggestion game based off Papers Please. Need advice for the story and the mechanics.
See that bottom guy in the fetching ushanka? That's the PC. He lives in the glorious nation of Tejekov, one of the last few remaining communist nations in Europe. He works at a gun factory as a low-grade worker and is struggling to feed his kids. The game would be mostly rendered in the style above: primarily black and white with splashes of color here and there (Here it denotes the factions: black is civilian, red hoodie is a rebel, blue is a guard).
Here's how it would go. There would be a strict schedule. After [number] turns of daylight, the sun sets and it becomes night, meaning curfew happens, and if you're caught after curfew you get arrested. You also have to work for a few turns or else you don't get paid. You need to feed and heat your family with this money, and if you don't they will die one by one. However, as time goes on the country is growing more unstable. Rebel groups are forming, and an armed uprising is growing more and more likely. What scarce freedoms there were originally are repealed to stop the rebels, leaving you in the lurch. Your situation is getting desperate. What will you do?
So, what mechanics and plot points do you think would be good for this kinda thing? I was thinking of having a "quicksave" mechanic where any death/arrest that was triggered by an obvious trolly suggestion (Like "kick the guard in the balls") is reloaded from prior to the death/arrest. Also, what do you guys think of the artwork itself? Think it could carry a suggestion game?
Post by: Remuthra on October 20, 2013, 07:32:54 pm
-The main character discovers a plot to infiltrate the country and its government. Unable to persuade the authorities to help, the main character must form a counter-resistance to stop the insurgents from weakening the country so it can be invaded.
-The main character is recruited into an aggressive space program as part of an international space race. Politically charged space exploration ensues.
-The main character's family is taken hostage by an underground organization demanding a high ransom. How will a standard worker scrape together the ransom money in a society where no one has any wealth?
-The main character becomes a smuggler, and must evade the customs officers.
Post by: sjm9876 on October 28, 2013, 09:27:39 am
Despite the appropriate timing, this would have to wait until after November due to NaNo.
Notes below, may need further clarification:
Spoiler: Notes (click to show/hide)
Post by: Remuthra on October 28, 2013, 05:01:06 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on October 31, 2013, 10:11:38 am
A text RPG where the players are members of the Order - a secret society in a world with both steampunk technology and magic, tasked with defending our plane of existence against invasions from others. the players would have elemental and magic/technological affinities and weaknesses, but their physical strength has little effect on combat - their equipment and planning is their only advantage. After all, punching a dragon won't work regardless of how strong you are.
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 31, 2013, 08:44:14 pm
Another idea:
A text RPG where the players are members of the Order - a secret society in a world with both steampunk technology and magic, tasked with defending our plane of existence against invasions from others. the players would have elemental and magic/technological affinities and weaknesses, but their physical strength has little effect on combat - their equipment and planning is their only advantage. After all, punching a dragon won't work regardless of how strong you are.
Uh...I don't know about that last part. Have you seen the unarmed builds in DnD?
Post by: sjm9876 on November 01, 2013, 06:38:19 am
In this world, there are no monks :P Although you could hypothetically build an exoskeleton toi let you punch that hard, but that comes under equipment.Another idea:
A text RPG where the players are members of the Order - a secret society in a world with both steampunk technology and magic, tasked with defending our plane of existence against invasions from others. the players would have elemental and magic/technological affinities and weaknesses, but their physical strength has little effect on combat - their equipment and planning is their only advantage. After all, punching a dragon won't work regardless of how strong you are.
Uh...I don't know about that last part. Have you seen the unarmed builds in DnD?
Post by: Remuthra on November 01, 2013, 02:05:00 pm
Duly noted.In this world, there are no monks :P Although you could hypothetically build an exoskeleton toi let you punch that hard, but that comes under equipment.Another idea:
A text RPG where the players are members of the Order - a secret society in a world with both steampunk technology and magic, tasked with defending our plane of existence against invasions from others. the players would have elemental and magic/technological affinities and weaknesses, but their physical strength has little effect on combat - their equipment and planning is their only advantage. After all, punching a dragon won't work regardless of how strong you are.
Uh...I don't know about that last part. Have you seen the unarmed builds in DnD?
Post by: sjm9876 on November 02, 2013, 05:07:46 pm
Possibly something based upon THIS (http://helloquizzy.okcupid.com/tests/the-fantasy-rpg-class-test).
Admittedly that's as far as the idea's come.
Post by: Parsely on November 05, 2013, 07:56:21 pm
Players join one of the many "forces" of the Earth Republic Military Force, a force dedicated to forcing all alien forces out of the universe.
Post by: Furtuka on November 05, 2013, 08:05:59 pm
Post by: Parsely on November 05, 2013, 08:29:39 pm
Post by: TCM on November 05, 2013, 09:06:34 pm
Does anyone know a good system for Arena Fighting, Wrestling, Damage Calculations, and K.O. Rules? So far, I'm looking at expanding upon ExKirby's combat rules in his Bay Wrestling Federation RTD.
Spoiler: Combat (click to show/hide)
I don't plan to use this exact method, but I like it as a starting point for the combat fundamentals of the game. I want to expand further, like how I would handle K.O.'s and Submissions, as I am promoting the usage of differing fighting styles for each character.
Post by: Nerjin on November 05, 2013, 09:10:06 pm
I don't really know what a submission is though so... yeah.
I would think that "Favor" should be a stat of some importance. It basically represents the audiences "Favor" for the fighters. Maybe a high favor could result in some fatigue being gained back?
Post by: Remuthra on November 05, 2013, 09:11:41 pm
Hey guys, I had an idea for a Free-base Arena Fighter WWE-Style Game based off of "Def Jam: Fight for NY".Real Life. Use formulas from physics to calculate things.
Does anyone know a good system for Arena Fighting, Wrestling, Damage Calculations, and K.O. Rules? So far, I'm looking at expanding upon ExKirby's combat rules in his Bay Wrestling Federation RTD.Spoiler: Combat (click to show/hide)
I don't plan to use this exact method, but I like it as a starting point for the combat fundamentals of the game. I want to expand further, like how I would handle K.O.'s and Submissions, as I am promoting the usage of differing fighting styles for each character.
It is quite literally the perfect system.
Post by: TCM on November 05, 2013, 09:29:15 pm
K.O's could be done if, when the opponent is below a certain fatigue, the player does their "Signature Move" or one of their "Power Moves" which have low negatives if they fail but can only be used once.
I don't really know what a submission is though so... yeah.
I would think that "Favor" should be a stat of some importance. It basically represents the audiences "Favor" for the fighters. Maybe a high favor could result in some fatigue being gained back?
I was thinking something similar with the Finisher-Based K.O., the only issue being if they miss in the way you're saying, then they can't use it again. This is why I also have pondered the use of "Environmental Finishers" from Def Jam, as slamming someone's head into a concrete wall or an amplifier should be enough to knock them out cold.
Submissions refer to holds on a certain section of the body, such as an arm, leg, or neck, that cause pain and massive discomfort to whomever they are applied. The fighter under the submission must either get out of it, or forfeit the match. This is the system used in real life sport wrestling.
There will be a Reputation factor for the relationship with a fighter to their audience, though I don't see how it would result in them getting healed. I'm not a big fan of healing in the first place, I think the best matches are when the last beaten fighters struggle at each other in a scenario where one hit could end everything.
Real Life. Use formulas from physics to calculate things.
It is quite literally the perfect system.
I feel like that would detract from the game's Def Jam and WWE Wrestling, where the most impractical and inefficient moves were also the most spectacular and devastating.
Post by: Kadzar on November 06, 2013, 02:04:59 am
Anyway, couldn't you also have some sort of pain meter or something? So certain moves could be more painful than they are "fatiguing", and once you reach a fighter's pain threshold they give in. And perhaps it can have certain effects on people before that. Though I'm thinking maybe the pain meter would have to go down somewhat in absence of ongoing stimuli, so I don't know how well that would work out.
Post by: Remuthra on November 06, 2013, 06:34:06 am
Post by: TCM on November 06, 2013, 09:58:29 pm
Anyway, couldn't you also have some sort of pain meter or something? So certain moves could be more painful than they are "fatiguing", and once you reach a fighter's pain threshold they give in. And perhaps it can have certain effects on people before that. Though I'm thinking maybe the pain meter would have to go down somewhat in absence of ongoing stimuli, so I don't know how well that would work out.
Pain would fit more along the lines of Wrestling and Submissions. I've been trying to find a way to branch together "General" Damage with "Submission" Damage in the end, as someone whose been subject to several attacks would be easier to submit.
This is what I've come up with so far, (Note that I'm using Damage and Fatigue interchangeably, I'm still deciding on which term to use):
D12 -(Fatigue/10) = Submission #. If D6 > Submission #, submissive fighter surrenders.
This is what I've now developed for K.O.s:
Finishers are unique to each fighter, and have a larger Damage Range, meaning that they cause much more damage than regular attacks, but also inflict more-self damage if missed.
Knockout Conditions: 100 - Total Damage Received < Damage of Successful Finisher
Both these systems are subject to critique and change.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on November 07, 2013, 05:06:50 pm
Though If I were to run one, it'd most likely be a suggestion game to deal with complexity.
Post by: Nerjin on November 07, 2013, 05:10:40 pm
Post by: Fniff on November 11, 2013, 02:05:35 pm
What if you had a roleplay that had two threads: one played like an RTD, very dry (Terry attacks the soldier. Terry kills him.). However, there was another thread where it played like a freeform roleplay, except it's influenced by the RTD thread. You can write all you like about what happened, influenced by your character's style (If Terry's more the type to run away and be cowardly, Terry's player could write that Terry ran away from the soldier, hid, then bashed his head in from behind while the soldier was still looking around) but it has to follow what was said in the RTD: if it says the soldier was killed by Terry, Terry killed the soldier and that's that.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on November 11, 2013, 02:15:09 pm
Yeah, sounds like a nice idea. Poor unnamed mook #67.
Post by: Fniff on November 11, 2013, 02:19:56 pm
Post by: gman8181 on November 11, 2013, 04:14:36 pm
I can see the heartrending tragedy played through the soldier's death throes, recounting his dark past, overcoming his problems, and becoming a better person. He founds a family, but soon has to turn to less legal paths to support them. His past catches up to him, but he's working towards redeeming himself one last time... and then the hero comes along and kills him without a moment's thought. As he lies in a puddle of his own blood, just holding onto his love for his wife... and another protagonist comes along and chops him up so they can use his bodyparts for a sculpture he forgets about immediately.
Yeah, sounds like a nice idea. Poor unnamed mook #67.
Vaguely reminds me of the plot from Red Dead Redemption.
Post by: TealNinja on November 19, 2013, 02:15:20 am
Might be interesting. Anyway, bump.
Post by: evilcherry on November 24, 2013, 11:24:45 am
Post by: Furtuka on November 24, 2013, 11:27:34 am
Post by: Remuthra on November 24, 2013, 02:22:18 pm
Post by: Fniff on December 12, 2013, 01:28:14 am
... Anyway. So I was thinking of doing something unusual in terms of rules. I've heard the idea kicked around a bit, but not very often. Here's my take on it, anyway.
Communist Roleplays, where everyone is a GM!
There are three types of character in a communist roleplay.
Leads are characters that a player is entirely based around. This is the traditional player character. You can never control this character if it is not yours. There can only be one lead for every player.
Actors are characters that are major parts of the story. They usually possess a defined character and appearance. You can declare a character an Actor which means that players can only control them with permission from you.
Extras are characters that are minor parts of the story. Their character doesn't matter much and usually can be decided on the fly. Any player can control an extra and define their appearance and personality.
When doing things that require random chance and skill, players post actions at the end of their posts, which are in bold. When this is posted, any player can act as GM and roll for the action, then describe the result. D20s are the standard, though other dice may be used as appropriate. Rolls cannot be made by the same player who posted or by people who have an obvious conflict of interest (I.E a player in a fight scene rolling for the other player) and the other player must respect the roll's description. If, for instance, the player posts that an attack is indescribably painful, then your character should act like it, no matter how badass you want them to be. The system should be also quite minimalist: just roll a single dice for an activity.
Just need to work out a setting. A complicated setting would just end up getting lost in the natural evolution of the roleplay, so it needs to be a simple concept. It also shouldn't have the potential to grow too fast and leave newcomers in the dust, so it should be easily graspable. Hrm. Perhaps time to revive Anything Can Happen? Always thought that needed a dusting off.
Post by: kj1225 on December 12, 2013, 01:42:43 am
Post by: Fniff on December 12, 2013, 01:51:03 am
Post by: kj1225 on December 12, 2013, 07:41:16 am
Post by: Remuthra on December 12, 2013, 02:53:09 pm
I could do that... Wouldn't want to make it inaccessible to players, though, and I know that it's hard to keep your lore updated with a roleplay and roleplays tend to get crazier as time goes on. So having a modern city with loads of weird stuff in it makes you question the world it's in. Actually, idea! I should use something like that city from Planescape, some sort of multiversal hub that is just one sprawling city. Puts all players on the same level no matter what and explains weirdness... This is sounding like an actual roleplay now.Will it feature the Lady of Pain? Because that alone is enough reason to join a game.
Post by: Nerjin on December 13, 2013, 06:20:04 am
Post by: Harry Baldman on December 13, 2013, 07:19:08 am
Would anyone be interested in a Fallout based Role-play? I'm trying to make a "Home-brewed" system using most of the stuff from Fallout 1 and 2. But before I go any further with it I'd like to know if there's any interest.
Will it be post-apocalyptic or post-post-apocalyptic?
Post by: Nerjin on December 13, 2013, 07:54:05 am
Would anyone be interested in a Fallout based Role-play? I'm trying to make a "Home-brewed" system using most of the stuff from Fallout 1 and 2. But before I go any further with it I'd like to know if there's any interest.
Will it be post-apocalyptic or post-post-apocalyptic?
What do you take me for? A coward? We're doing post-post-post-apocalyptic. Anything less is for leetle bebies. But in all honesty I've not thought of a setting just yet. I'm still working on the system in all honesty. I'm really up for almost anything once it gets finished though.
Post by: kj1225 on December 13, 2013, 08:01:17 am
Post by: Harry Baldman on December 13, 2013, 11:11:30 am
Post by: Fniff on December 13, 2013, 11:54:34 am
Post by: Nerjin on December 13, 2013, 10:37:49 pm
I would be interested in a post-post-apocalyptic game, for what it's worth. As long as the mechanics don't take two full posts to describe.
That shouldn't be a problem. Most of the "complexities" will come from making a character. But that's more along the lines of "Use 40 points in these 7 stats, pick 3 TAG skills, and up to two traits."
So I guess there's enough interest for me to work on the game as it is. Still need to think of a thing to do with the story. Right now it looks like maybe post-post-apacalyptic. Maybe a few years after New Vegas. Hm... I'll have to think on that.
Post by: Remuthra on December 13, 2013, 10:39:38 pm
Post by: Nerjin on December 13, 2013, 10:43:50 pm
Post by: Remuthra on December 13, 2013, 10:46:12 pm
Post by: kj1225 on December 14, 2013, 09:32:53 am
Post by: Nerjin on December 14, 2013, 10:27:25 am
Post by: kj1225 on December 14, 2013, 10:28:50 am
Post by: Funk on December 14, 2013, 01:08:28 pm
My idea is to split the players in to 3 or more teams, each with there own country and army.
Turn wise it'd be split in to strategy where units can be ordered and moved around a hex map and design which is where new weapons get designed.
Rule wise im unsure how to do battles, and that is the main stumbling block.
Post by: Remuthra on December 14, 2013, 01:09:53 pm
Post by: Funk on December 14, 2013, 01:11:58 pm
Post by: Remuthra on December 14, 2013, 01:14:25 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on December 14, 2013, 02:01:56 pm
Spoiler: Basic system (click to show/hide)
Post by: kj1225 on December 14, 2013, 02:04:01 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on December 14, 2013, 02:09:01 pm
Post by: UristMcWanderer on December 14, 2013, 02:39:43 pm
Would anyone be interested in a Fallout based Role-play? I'm trying to make a "Home-brewed" system using most of the stuff from Fallout 1 and 2. But before I go any further with it I'd like to know if there's any interest.Something like this was exactly one of the games I had in mind, and I actually had a lot to think about it; though recently, I reconsidered making it into a suggestion game.
Post by: scapheap on December 19, 2013, 04:04:40 am
History pros, harder to guess, less likely to 'that not what so and so stats would be' and more in feel with the subject(fate/stay) matter. Cons, hard to stat up and hard to find someone for every role(berserker mostly) who not been used.
Fiction pros, easier to stat, easier pool to look through. Cons, easy to guess(there no way I can descipe Gorden Freeman(someone I was thinking about) without it being clear it's Gorden Freeman(Saber, Archer and Assassin, if you want to know), There going to be someone who goes 'Gorden Freeman is clearly a lancer' or 'That not what Master Chief stats are suppose to be at all' and finally, it crossover madness, bebit a setting that can take and is suited for crossover madness.
There also a overpowered servant on the fiction sets, but since they hanging around in the 'sort of' Gilgamesh role, their history replacement is probable going to be as well.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on December 21, 2013, 09:18:30 am
Sure, it might be complicated, but not unnecessarily so. Everything in it just adds to what you want (here, varied tactical combat) and exists in perfect harmony, everything equally useful and needed.
These are my thoughts of today. Forum game systems, whoo!
Post by: Nerjin on December 21, 2013, 03:17:19 pm
Post by: monk12 on December 21, 2013, 09:30:54 pm
I'm just marvelling at the feeling you get from the creation a smoothly-functioning, useful and just thoroughly beautiful system. It's like looking at a work of art, really, the pride you get from looking at something and being able to say 'this is mine, and this is good'. In this case, the wonder mainly comes from the internal consistency of the thing. All the parts fit together and flow from eachother, sections springing from the core of the system so they make perfect logical sense. The things you want the system to do don't need to be forced or awkwardly fitted in, because they come to existence nearly on their own.
Sure, it might be complicated, but not unnecessarily so. Everything in it just adds to what you want (here, varied tactical combat) and exists in perfect harmony, everything equally useful and needed.
These are my thoughts of today. Forum game systems, whoo!
Indeed, this is a high matched by little else. It's why I periodically try to ideate some games even if I don't plan on running them.
Post by: Fniff on December 21, 2013, 09:38:48 pm
Post by: Parsely on December 21, 2013, 10:44:36 pm
Post by: Furtuka on December 21, 2013, 11:26:32 pm
Post by: Parsely on December 21, 2013, 11:34:14 pm
Post by: Furtuka on December 21, 2013, 11:36:36 pm
Post by: Parsely on December 21, 2013, 11:44:32 pm
Post by: Furtuka on December 21, 2013, 11:51:02 pm
Post by: Parsely on December 21, 2013, 11:59:40 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on December 26, 2013, 07:17:27 pm
I tend to dislike how hitting and hurting something tends to be lumped together in games. I also dislike the amount of randomness there tends to be. So i brainstormed for a while, trying to find something that satisfied me for sci-fi games I was(and still am) planning on making. I found it, and at this point it's mostly balancing mumbers against each other, and trying to make sure the system works how I want it to.
To make it clear how it works, I think I should just give a couple examples of things. Numbers are still rough, names and such, but it gives the idea, I think. I may be bad at explaining things.
Spoiler: Example Weapon (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Explanation of Terms (click to show/hide)
It can be rather complicated when you get into the depth of the game system I was trying for, but it basically just comes down to tags you add to weapons to change their effects slightly. The variable dice and basics of the stats is what I was trying for in the system(though I am considering adding a flat 3d4 or something to some of the rolls to allow for even inaccurate weapons to get lucky sometimes)
However, this wouldn't be complete without a ship to show off the weapons and how it would practically work.
Spoiler: Example Ship (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Explanation of Terms (click to show/hide)
Gah. That took a while, and is far clunkier than I could wish for, but it does more or less what I was hoping it would, I guess.
What do you guys think?
Post by: Remuthra on December 26, 2013, 07:21:59 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on December 27, 2013, 12:10:32 am
On the ground and the like, less sure. Probably about the same thing...
Post by: Remuthra on December 27, 2013, 12:20:37 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on December 27, 2013, 12:49:47 am
Post by: Nerjin on January 08, 2014, 04:24:31 pm
Character Creation
In order to participate in the world after nuclear Armageddon you will require a player character. How do you make one? Simply fill out the following sheet:Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)
[Initially based off Agility]Quote from: Known Traits
These are documented traits that have been observed within those living in Vault 222. During character creation you can select up to 2 traits. All traits have a positive and a negative effect. There are other traits that have been observed outside of Vault 222 and they will be mentioned here for completeness though their likelihood of appearing within the vault is negligible. Note that some traits are mutually exclusive. These will be noted via underlined text
Bloody Mess: Your attacks are always all out. You can cause a lot more damage but you rarely cause a critical hit. To reflect this you will always do +4 points of damage but your critical hit chance gains a -9% modifier. Finesse
Bruiser: Your large, muscular, frame is almost freakish. You hit a lot harder but are also slow due to the amount of mass you have to move. Your strength is +2 but you lose 2 action points. Small Frame
Chem Reliant: You are more easily addicted to chems. But who could with-stand their rush? You are twice as likely to be addicted to a chem BUT they effect you twice as long. This does not apply to Stim-packs or other healing chems. Chem Resistant
Chem Resistant: You don’t see the point in chem-use. They just don’t seem to do that much for you. You are half as likely to get addicted to a chem BUT they only effect you half as long. This does not apply to stim-packs or other healing chems. Chem Reliant
Conqueror: You love the taste of combat! You seek it out at every opportunity. Unfortunately this leaves your non-combat prowess a little stunted. All of your combat skills gain a +20% bonus but your First Aid, Doctor, Speech, and Barter skills gain a -10% modifier.
Fast Metabolism: Your metabolic rate is abnormally high. You heal twice as fast as you normally do but have halved resistance to radiation and no resistance against poison.
Fast Shot: You don’t have time for fancy trick-shots. Who would? Instead you simply unload the weapon while the enemy is still aiming their weapon. You cannot take aimed shots but all weapons cost -1AP to use. Steady Shot
Finesse: You handle weaponry with a lot of grace though you sacrifice pure power to do so. All of your attacks deal -20% damage but your critical hit chance is increased by 10%. Bloody Mess
Gifted: Others learned skills, you were born with attributes! Things come a little easier to you but you’re starting to find that maybe you shouldn’t have coasted through life like that. All SPECIAL stats gain a +1 modifier but all skills start with a -10% modifier. Furthermore you receive 2 less skill points per level.
Good Natured: You studied less-combatitive skills as you were growing up. Your First Aid, Doctor, Speech, and Barter skills gain a +20% bonus but all of your combat skills gain a -10% modifier. Conqueror.
Jinxed: Nothing ever seems to go right around you. You used to think this was a curse until you noticed that your enemies ALSO seemed affected by this! If people around you fail at something it will be upgraded [downgraded?] into a critical failure. Their weapons could explode, they could break their leg while jumping or any other wide range of bad things.
Kamikaze: You charge head on into fights! You rely on hitting the enemy first to avoid damage because your reckless nature negates any natural agility you might have in that regard. Your sequence score gets a +5 bonus but your natural armor class is 0.
One Hander: One of your hands is very dominant. Thus you can use one-handed weapons with great skill but two-handed weapons and dual wielding can cause great problems. You have +20% to hit with one-handed weapons but -20% with two handed weapons and -40% when dual wielding.
Overlooked: No one ever seems to take notice of you. You don’t know why. Sometimes it seems like a curse but sometimes it has helped you out. NPC’s will always treat you as though you have 0 karma, but your reputation gain will be half as fast.
Skilled: You couldn’t rely on natural gifts to get you through life so you focused on honing your skills to make up for it. You gain perks one level slower than others BUT you gain +5 skill points per level. Gifted
Small Frame: Your body is much slimmer than most others but you don’t let that slow you down. Quite the opposite in fact as it grants you increased agility! You gain +1 agility but your carry weight is reduced. Bruiser
Steady Shot: You don’t like wasting bullets and as such you try to make each shot count. Some may prefer firing more often but that leaves them with only a knife by the time a death-claw comes creeping about. You have a +10% chance to hit enemies when using Aimed shots. Fast Shot
There will be a few other traits I think, but these are the important ones.
Post by: kj1225 on January 08, 2014, 05:01:46 pm
Post by: Nerjin on January 08, 2014, 10:51:49 pm
Post by: kj1225 on January 08, 2014, 10:52:54 pm
Post by: Nerjin on January 11, 2014, 01:47:39 pm
Post by: kj1225 on January 11, 2014, 01:51:04 pm
Post by: UristMcWanderer on January 16, 2014, 12:13:26 am
Vault 222According to official Fallout lore, only about 125 Vaults were constructed (122 for the public, the Secret Vault, Vault 0, and another one whose name escapes me ATM)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on January 16, 2014, 03:19:47 am
The players would be these superhuman leaders, perhaps with their own army, vast world-ship, shadow organization etc., tasked with leading the charge into the stars. Virtually unchecked, they could forge their own empires, choose how to deal with races and things they encounter, engage in petty rivalries and wage war on eachother if they so wish, uncover the mysteries of the universe (and perhaps then jealously guard them from all others), and so forth.
Roleplay and strategy'd be the focus. Personal-scale gameplay'd be sweet, but I know from experience combining it and grand strategy is difficult. That said, the strategy level could be scrapped and just come from personal RPG mechanics (Command rolls etc.). Remains on the idea stage. Suggestions welcome.
Post by: kj1225 on January 16, 2014, 03:23:51 am
In short, RPG system is good for everyone and I like the idea.
Post by: Kadzar on January 16, 2014, 04:07:53 am
On the other hand, an RPG puts you on the personal level and lets you handle things that aren't warfare or whatever. But it sucks with things that are those things.
In conclusion, it's 3:00 AM and I can't brain anymore.
Post by: Funk on January 16, 2014, 12:27:34 pm
1: Time commandos, a team based RPG where the players go back in time and change with events and generally muck about with the past.
I kind of want to have fun with the player characters, im thinking there skills should be based on there back grournd, I.E. playing a viking means you good fighting skills, but your no good at useing high tech weapons.
a yet to be named martial arts based RPG, maybe team vs team or every one for them selfs.
stat/skill based perks based on old corny movies i.e. high toughness lets you use the iron armour power and ignore some attacks.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on January 16, 2014, 03:11:41 pm
I like the idea. And I suggest the personal RPG mechanics since number one it would feel more like you are the reason that your people won and it would be easier on you. After all if you take a thousand years to update because you made it hard to do so you might as well be doing a game that focuses on those mechanics.
In short, RPG system is good for everyone and I like the idea.
Yeah, I dunno. I like the idea, and I think both implementations have their merits. I don't think a strategy game can't have meaningful interpersonal interaction if you do it right.
On the other hand, an RPG puts you on the personal level and lets you handle things that aren't warfare or whatever. But it sucks with things that are those things.
In conclusion, it's 3:00 AM and I can't brain anymore.
I've managed to cobble together a system where the strategy elements are fairly light and tie into the personal RPG mechanics. Mainly the very very nice thing here is that the different levels are not separate and, for example, there's no need to rush along personal-level narratives so you can update the strategic part. Especially if all players are not at the same place at same times.
For example, rolls can be made for a phase of space combat, and then change to a smaller scale of, say, you boarding the enemy flagship, while the space combat is still going on (perhaps affecting its outcome). The personal mission can drag on for as long as it needs to, with the battle still running in the background, because it has no effect on other players and they don't need to wait for it. The strategy mechanics could be as complex as hell like this - though they won't be.
I decided to use RPG mechanics I've already used in some forms in the past, simple and flexible. Four stats (Physique, Social, Intellect and Will) determining base dice used, with a wide variety of traits giving bonus dice to specific actions. With a narrative focus the mechanics can be simple enough, so there. Armies/organizations/etc. use another set of stats that basically correspond to those. In any case, the flexibility allows players to be warlords, scientist-kings, empire-builders, masters of shadow organizations, seekers of the mysteries of the universe etc. as much as they wish.
Now, to actually see if I could ever muster up enough time to do this. *sigh*
Post by: kj1225 on January 16, 2014, 04:51:31 pm
Post by: Fniff on January 17, 2014, 05:55:09 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on January 17, 2014, 06:02:40 pm
Post by: Fniff on January 17, 2014, 06:20:56 pm
Post by: Remuthra on January 17, 2014, 06:24:21 pm
Post by: Fniff on January 17, 2014, 06:29:38 pm
Post by: kj1225 on January 17, 2014, 06:30:45 pm
Post by: Kadzar on January 17, 2014, 07:25:26 pm
So, to summarize, want to run a space game, would like to do voice chat (possibly with something like Roll20 (http://roll20.net/), I don't know), might be willing to do other methods if necessary. And I probably should gen up a sector to use for said game at some point.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on January 18, 2014, 09:16:04 am
What do I want from you? Look them over and tell me what you think and what you think is missing. The idea is to get something full, well-rounded created that lends itself well to plot hooks and characterization in-game.
Code: [Select]
[i]Consider questions these and more...[/i]
What is your force referred to as?
What are the origins of your force?
What is the purpose of your force? Does your force possess any secondary capabilities – for example, an intelligence wing of a military force, or the other way around?
How is your force organized?
What rules and laws does your force follow? What noteworthy traditions, customs or central beliefs/philosophy do they have?
What attitudes does your force have towards common humans (regular armed forces, colonists, the Lord Regent, etc.)? What is their attitude towards other superhumans and their forces?
Does your force possess anything of unique value – a powerful weapon, experimental technology, a library of forbidden lore, etc.?
What are you to the force – a living god, a respected or feared leader, a parental figure, their first among equals, etc.?
Are there any specific symbols, insignia, mottoes, et cetera associated with your force?
Any specific uniform, appearance, equipment unique to your force?I adapted these from a Mage Council idea - might've posted the original questions here. It just goes to show this kind of thing is useful to any game where you're creating an organization/civilization/army/etc., so feel free to add and adapt it to your uses.
So, yes, if you can think of any other questions or have any critique of the ones there, please do tell.
Post by: kj1225 on January 18, 2014, 02:06:13 pm
Maybe a question about how the force is treated by you?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on January 19, 2014, 12:03:05 pm
Looks pretty good but...
Maybe a question about how the force is treated by you?
I dunno - it goes under 'what are you to the force', most likely, and otherwise it's going to come clear through your actions in actual gameplay. Of course if your treatment of the force before the present moment has been 'stalk and kill them in the hallways', that's probably something I should work into their characterization before the start of the game.
Post by: hachnslay on January 19, 2014, 12:08:07 pm
Any game, however carefully crafted, will not survive first contact with the Bay12Forums ...
It happened every single time - from trying their hardest to start fights with plot important NPCs to running away from interesting places and sometimes even collectively ignoring game mechanics.
... I wouldn't be on this site if that didn't sound like fun to me.
So, i am working on the next game:
Suggestion game coming next Month.
Complex magic system based on MTG
general Fantasy world.
Skill system 'based' on D20.
Story almost fleshed out.
Post by: Remuthra on January 21, 2014, 04:44:18 pm
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 07:18:10 pm
Spoiler: Like This (click to show/hide)
If someone can give me an idea for a story I'll make it.
Post by: Nerjin on January 28, 2014, 07:19:35 pm
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 07:21:36 pm
Based on a weird dream I had about carrying a Bag of Holding that led to the Walmart pocket dimension.
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 07:27:20 pm
A mercantile based game where you must build up your medieval merchant empire from the ground up?Could be. Not precisely what I'm looking for though.
Post by: Fniff on January 28, 2014, 07:41:23 pm
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 07:46:01 pm
You are a refugee wandering through a wartorn country. Your entire home is in your backpack. Try not to get shot by rebel forces.Think comically huge backpack. A bit too serious.
Post by: kj1225 on January 28, 2014, 07:49:33 pm
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 07:49:42 pm
"Hm, isn't that sad? You have all that gold you found and nowhere to put it? Well, as I see it there are two options here. You can give half to me in exchange for a nice large bag, or you can leave and let it all be stolen before you get back."
Post by: Fniff on January 28, 2014, 07:50:12 pm
Good, actually, cos thinking about it, I rather like that idea and I needed to come up with a suggestion game idea.You are a refugee wandering through a wartorn country. Your entire home is in your backpack. Try not to get shot by rebel forces.Think comically huge backpack. A bit too serious.
Post by: Furtuka on January 28, 2014, 07:50:56 pm
I want to make a game about a person who has a giant backpack.Spoiler: Like This (click to show/hide)
If someone can give me an idea for a story I'll make it.
You are on a journey to see the world! No wait, not just one world, to see all of the worlds! and you are going to keep souvenirs from everywhere you go, plenty of space in your backpack after all. This what you're gonna do, and nothing is going to stop you. But no matter what, you are going to have fun, because this is going to be the best vacation ever!
TLDR: Multiworld Madness but as a suggestion game starring a Twoflower esque relentlessly cheerful tourist.
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 07:52:30 pm
You're a wandering adventurer/merchant who has one of the highest carrying capacities in the world. You take advantage of that by killing gobbo fortresses with the things people trade with you for and taking all the stuff in it.Possibly.
You are a traveling backpack salesman. Venture forth into remote corners of the world in search of people without carrying space you can gouge.Too evil. The man with the comically huge backpack shall be benevolent and adorable.
"Hm, isn't that sad? You have all that gold you found and nowhere to put it? Well, as I see it there are two options here. You can give half to me in exchange for a nice large bag, or you can leave and let it all be stolen before you get back."
Post by: Fniff on January 28, 2014, 07:57:02 pm
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 07:58:53 pm
Question. When making a multichoice backstory in a suggestion game, like LCS, which is better: specific answers you make up or just letting the players come up with their own stuff? I would prefer the latter, but one player tends to dominate the whole thing.The latter. If only one player has any good ideas, well that's democracy. Constraining the game to specific choices is damaging to its natural creative progression.
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 08:11:35 pm
..one player tends to dominate the whole thing.That's one of the fatal flaws of suggestion games I feel. Plus its hard for me to get involved when its been going for a long time (lots of reeeaaadiinngg to catch up), unlike RTDs or other kinds of forum games. Dunno if anyone else feels the same way I do.
Post by: kj1225 on January 28, 2014, 08:13:26 pm
It depends. If you can figure out what has happened recently in like, the last five pages it's fine but otherwise it's a bit much...one player tends to dominate the whole thing.That's one of the fatal flaws of suggestion games I feel. Plus its hard for me to get involved when its been going for a long time (lots of reeeaaadiinngg to catch up), unlike RTDs or other kinds of forum games. Dunno if anyone else feels the same way I do.
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 09:09:57 pm
Post by: monk12 on January 28, 2014, 09:34:10 pm
You are a refugee wandering through a wartorn country. Your entire home is in your backpack. Try not to get shot by rebel forces.Think comically huge backpack. A bit too serious.
You are a kobold. You are small and weak, and lack anything resembling combat abilities, but you DO have a big ol' backpack. Thieve anything and everything you can get at, which often involves using the items you've already looted in interesting or unintended ways. You could go really zany Bottomless Backpack with it and have players stuffing pieces of furniture in there, or you could have a size/weight limit and make the players make choices about item utility + value vs space.
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 09:35:55 pm
Fixed.You are a refugee wandering through a wartorn country. Your entire home is in your backpack. Try not to get shot by rebel forces.Think comically huge backpack. A bit too serious.
You are an elf. You are small and weak, and lack anything resembling combat abilities, but you DO have a big ol' backpack. Thieve anything and everything you can get at, which often involves using the items you've already looted in interesting or unintended ways. You could go really zany Bottomless Backpack with it and have players stuffing pieces of furniture in there, or you could have a size/weight limit and make the players make choices about item utility + value vs space.
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 10:03:52 pm
Bottomless backpack for sure. The world would prolly only have hoomans. It'd be very not serious but at the same time serious, like Metal Slug. Rather.. Comical characters. Serious setting. I think that's how I'd put it.Fixed.You are a refugee wandering through a wartorn country. Your entire home is in your backpack. Try not to get shot by rebel forces.Think comically huge backpack. A bit too serious.
You are an elf. You are small and weak, and lack anything resembling combat abilities, but you DO have a big ol' backpack. Thieve anything and everything you can get at, which often involves using the items you've already looted in interesting or unintended ways. You could go really zany Bottomless Backpack with it and have players stuffing pieces of furniture in there, or you could have a size/weight limit and make the players make choices about item utility + value vs space.
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 10:12:49 pm
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 10:16:51 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on January 28, 2014, 10:19:46 pm
Post by: Remuthra on January 28, 2014, 10:22:05 pm
IDK about Warhammer because I've only read 40k and that is bleak as all hell and then some, but Paranoia hits the nail right on the head.It has Space Communists, the Nunnic Inquisition, and Sci-Fi Cockney Orcs. It's not bleak from my point of view :P.
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 10:28:30 pm
I read too much evil spess mehreens.IDK about Warhammer because I've only read 40k and that is bleak as all hell and then some, but Paranoia hits the nail right on the head.It has Space Communists, the Nunnic Inquisition, and Sci-Fi Cockney Orcs. It's not bleak from my point of view :P.
Query: How would people feel about a sideways-view mining game? Preferably as some kind of suggestion game, and set in the 1800s or a steampunk-type universe.Wait, you mean an ISG? Even if it isn't I'd be super down for that.
Post by: Parsely on January 28, 2014, 10:29:42 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on January 29, 2014, 09:08:38 am
Query: How would people feel about a sideways-view mining game? Preferably as some kind of suggestion game, and set in the 1800s or a steampunk-type universe.Wait, you mean an ISG? Even if it isn't I'd be super down for that.
Yeah, definitely as an ISG. With an emphasis on the suggestion game part, since I'm a shitty artist.
Post by: kj1225 on January 29, 2014, 11:21:31 am
Basically you wakeup knowing that you were a great hero but almost everyone suddenly hates you and the people you used to fight are all friendly with you and you have to find out why.
Now, I have two ideas for early plot twists. One, one of your party members are the ones that made this happen.
And two, you have been good all along but one of your actions accidently caused something bad to happen.
Post by: Fniff on January 29, 2014, 04:40:41 pm
You are an occupant in a virtual reality designed to be as appealing as possible and to trap people inside by wiping their memories and making them think that this is reality. Essentially the Matrix. However, in the outside world, the machines running the world are falling apart. This means the simulation is breaking apart at the seams and becoming unstable. Due to the errors, you have been given the ability to manipulate reality on a small level: essentially, you've learned some of the simulation's debug functions. As time goes on, you learn more and more, and must try to avoid being annihilated by the corrupting viruses and the computer system itself. Perhaps you can escape the simulation and get into the outside world, but who knows what's waiting for you out there?
For specifics, I was thinking this should be rather creatively minded, based off official and unofficial MSPA games like Problem Sleuth, A Beginner's Guide To The End Of The Universe, and Homestuck. I have a set of rules for reality, and I'm going to get a start on the debug functions themselves soon. However, it should probably not be focused on comedy like PS. A mix of surreal horror and odd comedy should be the best result.
The part I'm iffy on is the setting. I was thinking Suburbian America in the 50s, but I think medieval Arcadia or similar would work. What would be the ideal location for a creepy attempt at electronic paradise?
Post by: Remuthra on January 29, 2014, 04:51:00 pm
Post by: Fniff on January 29, 2014, 04:51:19 pm
Post by: TealNinja on January 30, 2014, 12:04:00 am
Actually have an agenda for that question, but nothing's really set for said agenda (yet.)
Post by: freeformschooler on January 30, 2014, 02:02:14 am
Say, random question. Is there an IRC set up for Bay12?
Actually have an agenda for that question, but nothing's really set for said agenda (yet.)
#bay12lb on darkmyst
Post by: 10ebbor10 on January 30, 2014, 02:21:08 am
The 80s where, though? In a city or the suburbs?Well, you can mess with your players for a while while you decide. A simulation, within a simulation, within a simulation.
Sure, not that original, but it works.
Post by: Rolepgeek on January 30, 2014, 10:58:37 pm
I wanted something that allowed for real tactics, but not so complex that the tactics were the whole game, so I came up with a relatively simple, but very customizable, system. As in, very simple and I didn't so much come up with it as realized there's a reason stuff like that is used. >.>
Attack Roll vs Defense Stat/Roll(not sure which).
Your Attack and their defense depend on the unit, bonuses and penalties can apply for circumstances. Charging gives bonus based on individual unit stat for it, and there's the Stamina mechanic. Stamina represents morale/numbers of troops/ammo/fatigue etc.; when you have 0 stamina, the unit cannot fight. In fact, it's so badly demolished it is disbanded. Effectively health, save that the relative Stamina of units in combat can give bonuses/penalties. And that you can spend it and regain it in various ways during the battle. In a fight, you always end up losing at least 1 Stamina every time. The difference between the attack and defense rolls also reduces Stamina.
And of course, Movement and special abilities that make it all more than just a numbers game. Formations, supply trains, terrain, all this and more can affect a battles outcome.
So yeah.
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 12:10:00 am
You're a scholar who has just invented the art of pyromancy. Explore its mysteries and try to develop it, then use these newfound powers to realize your ambition, which is decided in character creation.
Anyone interested? If so I'll make it.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on February 01, 2014, 11:29:58 am
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 11:51:59 am
Post by: Aklyon on February 01, 2014, 12:17:52 pm
What say you guys?
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 12:28:36 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 10:32:04 pm
Post by: Remuthra on February 01, 2014, 10:33:21 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 10:34:47 pm
Post by: Remuthra on February 01, 2014, 10:35:42 pm
Apprentice
Journeyman
Expert
Master
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 10:40:05 pm
Post by: Furtuka on February 01, 2014, 10:44:02 pm
Seed
Sprout
Sapling
Shrub
Oak (If you stop here, then just tree)
Spruce
Redwood
At more stages as needed arranged in order of tree height
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2014, 10:48:52 pm
Post by: Remuthra on February 01, 2014, 10:50:09 pm
Novice- Some experience, but no real training.
Trainee- Some training, but no comprehensive knowledge.
Apprentice- Comprehensive, but incomplete, skill and knowledge.
Journeyman- Standard of professional training.
Adept- Professional training augmented by considerable extra skill and talent.
Expert- An extraordinary level of skill and talent, the result of years of practice.
Authority- A complete level of knowledge, from a lifetime of training and practice.
Master- The penultimate level of knowledge and talent possible. All but as perfect as can be.
Grand Master- Complete mastery of a skill, perhaps exceeding reasonable human capability.
Average Person Formally Trained and Skilled in Thing is a Journeyman. A person with no formal training is probably a Trainee or less, Trainee assuming extreme natural talent.
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2014, 02:01:47 am
What would you all think of a suggestion game about being a good guy. Like some overlord who got his position from being loved by the people so much or being a super hero, or something like that?
Post by: Parsely on February 02, 2014, 02:10:08 am
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2014, 02:13:49 am
Post by: Parsely on February 02, 2014, 02:40:47 am
...
Can't see anything wrong with that! SG? RTD? RPG?
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2014, 02:42:42 am
And It's good that that was the choice since the only thing I have written for it is this:
Characters: Robot who is constantly worried since you’re not as durable as it. Gets worried over things like not getting enough sleep and talks as though you are also a robot. Like this: “HUMANS NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME RECHARGING FOR ALL THEIR SYSTEMS TO RUN OPTIMALLY”
Post by: Parsely on February 02, 2014, 02:56:57 am
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2014, 02:58:16 am
Post by: Parsely on February 02, 2014, 03:00:08 am
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2014, 03:02:17 am
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2014, 03:13:14 am
Post by: hachnslay on February 05, 2014, 02:59:14 pm
by now i have:
There are 5 types of magic, White,Green, Blue, Red and Black
White Magic (W)
White Magic deals primarily with Virtue, Purity and Light. It is the chosen magic type of Angels and Knights.
Virtue: Offensive and Defensive enhancements.
Purity: Destruction of unnatural Enchantments and artifice. Banishing of Evil.
Light: Especially potent against Black magic creatures. Mostly offensive
Green Magic: (G)
Green Magic is used to strengthen the body, summon creatures and commanding nature. Elves are natural users of green magic.
Nature: From growing Brambles to stop your enemies to animating a whole forest.
Summoning: simple squirrels to mighty Elementals. Not just limited to creatures.
Body: Healing and Toughening of your own body.
Blue Magic: (U)
Blue magic is of the Mind, Artifice and Water.People living near the sea and merfolk practice blue magic.
Mind: from simple manipulations of minds to putting it over matter.
Artifice: creating items of use and mechanical constructs
Water: Ice to steam – you can control it – you can create it.
Red Magic: (R)
Red magic is the magic of Heat, Destruction and Battle. Mountaindwellers and especially Dwarves use this magic.
Heat: Inner heat outer frost. Deals with Temperature.
Destruction: most offensive magic. Think Demolitionist.
Battle: Offensive enhancements of combat proficiency often at the cost of defense.
Black magic: (B)
Curse: Mostly deals with weakening enemies or enchanting items to get stuck on people that touch them.
Shadow: Manipulation and utilization of the ever present darkness.
Mind you, there are schools of magic that are hidden at the beginning. Necromancy is not available.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on February 05, 2014, 03:08:30 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on February 05, 2014, 03:37:05 pm
Post by: Funk on February 05, 2014, 03:55:17 pm
The hard part is keeping track of all paper work and running the battles, any one got an idea.
Post by: Remuthra on February 05, 2014, 04:10:08 pm
Ok i have the idea of a design game where your in charge of a small african country, recently freed from you colonial oppressors, your broke and short of arms with a number of neighbours that are less than friendly.Most often, when I do battles, I loosely base them around my Total War experiences.
The hard part is keeping track of all paper work and running the battles, any one got an idea.
Post by: hachnslay on February 05, 2014, 05:32:52 pm
Third school of black magic - Conjuration? Summoning creatures of the less-than-good persuasion and their paraphernalia? Or Corruption, turning normal lifeforms and objects into hosts for dark entities.The problem is i don't want the magic itself be inherently evil.
Ambitious, yes. Self righteous, yes. Unlawful, no.
If i were to use "Demonic" or "Pact" magic that would clearly be evil. ...
Corruption is covered by "curse"
Ideally i would like a school that has a cost attached.
Post by: Remuthra on February 05, 2014, 05:34:28 pm
Ideally i would like a school that has a cost attached.Yes! Powerful, dangerous, difficult magic is arguably more fun.
Post by: flabort on February 05, 2014, 09:14:18 pm
Post by: Aklyon on February 05, 2014, 10:38:54 pm
Blood magic?Ideally i would like a school that has a cost attached.Yes! Powerful, dangerous, difficult magic is arguably more fun.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on February 06, 2014, 06:52:56 am
Ideally I would like a school that has a cost attached.Illusion based magic that makes you see or hear things that aren't actually there if you use it too much?
Post by: Harry Baldman on February 06, 2014, 01:11:59 pm
The problem is i don't want the magic itself be inherently evil.
Ambitious, yes. Self righteous, yes. Unlawful, no.
If i were to use "Demonic" or "Pact" magic that would clearly be evil. ...
Corruption is covered by "curse"
Ideally i would like a school that has a cost attached.
Hm... how about Sacrifice? Destroying objects and living creatures to endow yourself with related empowerment, usually of the temporary sort?
Post by: hachnslay on February 06, 2014, 01:39:51 pm
Good enough i guess.The problem is i don't want the magic itself be inherently evil.
Ambitious, yes. Self righteous, yes. Unlawful, no.
If i were to use "Demonic" or "Pact" magic that would clearly be evil. ...
Corruption is covered by "curse"
Ideally i would like a school that has a cost attached.
Hm... how about Sacrifice? Destroying objects and living creatures to endow yourself with related empowerment, usually of the temporary sort?
Broad enough and powerful at a cost.
Now i will probably run character generation within the next week.
I am currently trying to draw a map of the main dungeon with Dungeon Designer 3... it is rather frustrating, as that seems to be used to only make small blocky maps, like single rooms.
Stupid goblin warrens ...
... i will be creating the other rooms one by one, so they don't look stupid (not one nice dirt texture)
you can make a map out of it.
!! the buttons that are used to create the posts seem to have stopped working for me. i don't know why.
Post by: kj1225 on February 11, 2014, 10:37:57 pm
Post by: Nerjin on February 11, 2014, 10:59:19 pm
Post by: kj1225 on February 11, 2014, 11:00:46 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 12, 2014, 05:54:40 am
Post by: Remuthra on February 12, 2014, 06:20:51 am
Post by: sjm9876 on February 12, 2014, 10:26:23 am
So the players are trying to build and defend a town whilst under assault from nightmarish creatures each night. They can develop fears and phobias etc... The game would likely be very lethal, with minimal expectation of success.
Spoiler: Rambling system ideas (click to show/hide)
Post by: kj1225 on February 12, 2014, 10:27:03 am
Post by: sjm9876 on February 12, 2014, 11:44:56 am
Spoiler: More rambling on systems (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rolepgeek on February 28, 2014, 11:36:35 pm
Anyway, since everyone's doing it and I've been playing a shitton of Final Fantasy recently, what do you guys think of a Final Fantasy Emblem? FFE, rather than FEF, as confusing as that is(not my fault they have similar acronyms!)?
It would be heavily influenced by Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Advanced, and Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift(mostly the latter, I would think, since that's the one I have), and mostly use the Fire Emblem mechanics, heavily modified(the degree of which is half of what I'm here to ask about), in a Final Fantasy setting, with Final Fantasy jobs/races. Inspired by other Final Fantasy games, too, of course, but Tactics was itself based off Fire Emblem, I think.
What do you guys think? And how much should the rules shift?
And is anyone good at pixel art and/or knows how I could get better?
EDIT: OH GOD I JUST REALIZED ANOTHER IDEA.
It might be awesome. It might be dumb. Worth saying either way.
Perplexicon, but instead of words, songs, or pieces of songs. Battle of the Bards. You string together songs to make your magic, and the song/verse or whatever has to do with the effect, somehow, no matter how obscure. And it may be very obscure. Probably less cool in practice than theory, though.
Post by: Furtuka on February 28, 2014, 11:39:02 pm
EDIT: Found it! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=128155.msg4379897#msg4379897)
Post by: freeformschooler on February 28, 2014, 11:42:23 pm
WHY DID THIS DIE?
Anyway, since everyone's doing it and I've been playing a shitton of Final Fantasy recently, what do you guys think of a Final Fantasy Emblem? FFE, rather than FEF, as confusing as that is(not my fault they have similar acronyms!)?
It would be heavily influenced by Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Advanced, and Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift(mostly the latter, I would think, since that's the one I have), and mostly use the Fire Emblem mechanics, heavily modified(the degree of which is half of what I'm here to ask about), in a Final Fantasy setting, with Final Fantasy jobs/races. Inspired by other Final Fantasy games, too, of course, but Tactics was itself based off Fire Emblem, I think.
What do you guys think? And how much should the rules shift?
And is anyone good at pixel art and/or knows how I could get better?
Yes yes yes FFF would be incredible.
Shoruke tried it once, but it was over real quick.
I would suggest you look at the rules for the original Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA). It seems most suited for this kind of conversion. It was all about class changes and swapping out weapons to learn new abilities. You probably would have difficulty converting the FEF system unless it ends up being final fantasy "IN NAME ONLY."
You get better at pixel art by getting better at regular art. Unfortunately. You can google pixel art and spriting tutorials for general tips, but generally, doing traditional art and learning the rules of form, lighting, and space is the best way to improve in a reduced medium like pixel art.
There are always pixel artists on the forum willing to volunteer their time. Some of them are quite good.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 01, 2014, 12:16:05 am
Post by: kj1225 on March 01, 2014, 12:36:19 am
Post by: Remuthra on March 01, 2014, 08:07:35 am
EDIT: OH GOD I JUST REALIZED ANOTHER IDEA.That sounds amazing.
It might be awesome. It might be dumb. Worth saying either way.
Perplexicon, but instead of words, songs, or pieces of songs. Battle of the Bards. You string together songs to make your magic, and the song/verse or whatever has to do with the effect, somehow, no matter how obscure. And it may be very obscure. Probably less cool in practice than theory, though.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 01, 2014, 08:15:04 am
EDIT: OH GOD I JUST REALIZED ANOTHER IDEA.That sounds amazing.
It might be awesome. It might be dumb. Worth saying either way.
Perplexicon, but instead of words, songs, or pieces of songs. Battle of the Bards. You string together songs to make your magic, and the song/verse or whatever has to do with the effect, somehow, no matter how obscure. And it may be very obscure. Probably less cool in practice than theory, though.
Yes, but how would it work? Would the players pick songs to throw in? How would the effect be determined; song title, a verse/lyrics, the whole song as interpreted by the GM? I like music-based games in general, so you have my axe.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 01, 2014, 06:00:22 pm
Post by: Furtuka on March 01, 2014, 06:04:59 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 04, 2014, 10:26:06 pm
Naturally, I will disregard all of that, and simply make something far easier to keep a handle on. Which is more to say that the numbers will be rather smaller, hopefully. Maybe not; it's still just math, after all, even if it's a lot of it. I will in all likelihood be bastardizing both FEF and FFTF as well as the actual mechanics for Grimoire of the Rift, though I could say screw it to the tactics portion (as that is truly the most difficult part of the endeavour) and simply make Final Fantasy on Forums, no tactics necessary, using the old, usual system of the party lined up against the enemy. However, this would probably be rather boring.
I also run into the issue of wanting to add additional classes(so that if you decide to be a bangaa, you have the decision to be a spellcaster other than the *shudders* bishop if you want to for whatever reason), needing to figure out the (exact, I know the general) relative growth rates for the various existing classes, unique classes for everyone and how much customization they should have for that, a suitably melodramatic storyline and/or title, and, of course, making maps, how to run turns, keeping everything organized, and having enough time.
Post by: kj1225 on March 04, 2014, 10:30:40 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 04, 2014, 10:40:47 pm
Post by: kj1225 on March 04, 2014, 10:48:43 pm
Post by: NobodyPro on March 05, 2014, 12:10:13 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 08, 2014, 10:19:03 pm
I now have info on stat growths, easy access to weapon and item stats and the like, and the resolve to make this game work.
Now all I need is a decent way of displaying the map, the ability to make pixel sprites, maybe some changes to game mechanics(simplifying numbers, mostly, though it would probably be significantly different in several ways to fit in with a forum game), and of course a plot. Which I have in general, the issue is a concrete one. Maybe I'll ask Haspen for advice on how to
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 09, 2014, 12:55:10 am
Post by: flabort on March 09, 2014, 02:14:05 am
Well, regardless, I just remembered and located probably the best frame for a FEF game ever. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231733) Garryl posted the rules so anyone could make a game with them. You could adapt these to your game, create some class templates and whatnot from these rules.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 09, 2014, 02:18:56 am
Would there be any interest in a Nechronica (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3jTLk60X5a3TnFUdld6eGo2azg/edit?usp=sharing) game?Seems wonky, or maybe just poorly organized. Also a little too moedark as written, though I'm sure that could be tweaked easily enough.
Certainly has some neat concepts, too. Four-eyed cannibal berserkers in frilly dresses are always nice.
By the way, anyone have suggestions on how to adjust the mechanics to fit into a forum game more easily?Of what, FFTA2? I'm not really familiar with them, but my advice would be to build from the ground up using them as inspiration, rather than starting with the existing mechanics and trying to trim them down.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 09, 2014, 09:52:17 pm
Specifics of storyline, I think, can come while characters are being built.
Post by: NobodyPro on March 11, 2014, 09:16:32 pm
It's certainly poorly organised. I'm not sure if that's from the original game, the translation, or this particular version of the translation.Would there be any interest in a Nechronica (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3jTLk60X5a3TnFUdld6eGo2azg/edit?usp=sharing) game?Seems wonky, or maybe just poorly organized. Also a little too moedark as written, though I'm sure that could be tweaked easily enough.
Certainly has some neat concepts, too. Four-eyed cannibal berserkers in frilly dresses are always nice.
If I were going to run it I'd refluff if as straight-up zombies (intelligent Legion, i guess) or robots or something. I don't know anything about kawaii uguu~
Post by: kj1225 on March 11, 2014, 09:18:44 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 15, 2014, 05:18:50 pm
Would you prefer more Final Fantasy Tactics inspired rules or more Fire Emblem inspired rules? I can list the differences between the two, but it mostly comes down to Final Fantasy being more tactical and Fire Emblem being more strategic. As well as, to a certain point, the severity and seriousness of the gameplay, of course.
Post by: kj1225 on March 15, 2014, 05:23:32 pm
Post by: Remuthra on March 15, 2014, 05:26:06 pm
Explain the difference between tactics and strategy.Strategy is more grand than tactics. Tactics is taking cover, while strategy is coordinating separate armies to flank an enemy simultaneously.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 15, 2014, 05:37:22 pm
As an example of the difference, even though they are both grid based games, there is a significant difference in overall movement and playstyle(in certain ways);
Movement in Final Fantasy Tactics is more limited in some ways than Fire Emblem; Typical movement ratings for characters range from 3-4, in some situations able to be boosted to 5-6, and in even rarer situations, getting up to 7-8(as in, a Chocobo Knight on a White Chocobo with Ninja Tabi is the only way to get 8 movement, and I don't even know if that would work). Enemies are typically the same move speed or slower. Characters can jump up elevation up to their Jump rating with no penalty, and can some times jump over gaps or obstacles(presumably, as far as I can tell, this adds 2 to the effective elevation), also without move penalty(though the panel jumped does count towards movement for the round). This elevation is what typically presents movement challenges(besides impassable terrain), and other than water(which certain races can't enter, but works normally for all others), all terrain is effectively the same; nothing costs additional movement.
Movement in Fire Emblem is typically in the range of anywhere from 4-6 for typical characters, reaching 10 for things like Nomad Rangers on plains. Some terrain blocks movement, some costs additional movement, especially if you're of one movement type or another.
However, the balance to this is how ranged attacks work; in Fire Emblem, ranged weapons and magic vary from 1-3 range, depending on the exact things involved. In Final Fantasy Tactics, they have a max range between 4 and 8, typically, and just because someone is adjacent to you doesn't mean you can't shoot them in the face.
Also, it's a matter of whether you choose your stat growths, are stuck with them, and just get a set of stats,(Fire Emblem), or whether your stat growths depend on your job when you level up/the main one you'd been for that level, can affect your stat growths overall only slightly, and can choose your own stats(plus being able to switch jobs).
Post by: kj1225 on March 15, 2014, 05:40:09 pm
It's a bit simpler but from the way you describe it I can customize my character better.
Post by: flabort on March 15, 2014, 06:05:07 pm
Well, regardless, I just remembered and located probably the best frame for a FEF game ever. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231733) Garryl posted the rules so anyone could make a game with them.Customize your character better, you say?
Although, yes, it does sound like FFT allows for more customization. I'd say a 60/40% FFT/FEF mix sounds good right now.
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2014, 06:36:22 pm
Would there be any interest in a Nechronica (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3jTLk60X5a3TnFUdld6eGo2azg/edit?usp=sharing) game?That sounds hardcore, except I'm not into the whole "something-something girls" thing. Not hate, just not interested. But the idea that everyone's dead is a very, VERY interesting one.
EDIT: Also, has a thread been made for the Final Fantasy on Forums thing yet? If not can I be notified? Do want. *grabhands* :o
Post by: kj1225 on March 15, 2014, 06:37:49 pm
Surely that wouldn't ruin anything.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 15, 2014, 08:40:42 pm
Post by: flabort on March 15, 2014, 08:52:30 pm
Though generally games with player-generated-pixel-art have >1 artist, by my experience. Generally some guidelines and stuff, but around half the players wind up making their own stuff, and some of those make the art for the other half too.
Post by: freeformschooler on March 16, 2014, 11:03:51 am
Spoiler: Backtracking in suggestion games (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on March 16, 2014, 02:33:06 pm
If I were going to run it I'd refluff if as straight-up zombies (intelligent Legion, i guess) or robots or something. I don't know anything about kawaii uguu~I could teach you, Pro-kun. ^_^
What if you could play men as well?EVERYTHING
Surely that wouldn't ruin anything.
RUINED
FOREVER
Spoiler: Backtracking in suggestion games (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Motive, Multiple Uses, and The Inevitable Descent Into Overcomplexity (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on March 16, 2014, 04:07:48 pm
NOT complaining, just asking for suggestions, because I really want to make it work for him, because he really wants to play this character straight, but it seems impossible to balance, and I feel helpless.
Post by: Nerjin on March 16, 2014, 04:23:54 pm
Post by: Furtuka on March 16, 2014, 04:29:18 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on March 16, 2014, 04:33:53 pm
Otherwise, it's rather simple. Where other players roll, for example, a d20, (average outcome: 10.5) he would ideally roll 7d2's. ((On average that has the same results. And no, it doesn't work with 8, unless you want to have dies with fractional results.))
Post by: IronyOwl on March 16, 2014, 04:42:13 pm
Okay, so in my game, a d20 RPG, a player is playing a litter of eight kittens. Its set in a science fiction setting where the party is on a ship and is tasked with exploring outer space following the discovery of faster than light travel. He wants to have eight actions per turn, but I don't know how to make that fair, especially in combat rounds.Why does he want it? What does he want about it?
NOT complaining, just asking for suggestions, because I really want to make it work for him, because he really wants to play this character straight, but it seems impossible to balance, and I feel helpless.
There's a lot of potential solutions, but it depends on what he and you are willing to give up or alter to make it happen.
As a generic suggestion, though, I'd recommend rolling once for all 8 actions (mainly for simplicity on your end, though it does have the advantage of keeping the character and their general fortune each round more coherent), and then scaling each action to an adorable kitten and/or 1/8th of a player. So he might be able to pull the pins from eight grenades at once, but attacking an enemy bareclawed is just going to deal 0 damage eight times. Similarly, he might need multiple actions to, say, haul a toolkit or give himself enough of a lift to reach the button on a door, though doing too much of that might defeat the purpose.
Post by: monk12 on March 16, 2014, 08:33:18 pm
Okay, so in my game, a d20 RPG, a player is playing a litter of eight kittens. Its set in a science fiction setting where the party is on a ship and is tasked with exploring outer space following the discovery of faster than light travel. He wants to have eight actions per turn, but I don't know how to make that fair, especially in combat rounds.Why does he want it? What does he want about it?
NOT complaining, just asking for suggestions, because I really want to make it work for him, because he really wants to play this character straight, but it seems impossible to balance, and I feel helpless.
There's a lot of potential solutions, but it depends on what he and you are willing to give up or alter to make it happen.
This. The easiest (read: laziest) solution would be to apply a penalty to everything he does which can be only offset by having another character (or more likely, another kitten) help. Pulling numbers out of my ass, flat -10 to most skills/combat with each kitten giving +1, any given stat check uses the shitty stacks of a weak newborn kitten. Yes, I know that means that even with every kitten pulling together he's still worse off than any other character, but I'd say that's balanced by having an unprecedentedly large action economy. And even then, remember that while he can potentially do 8 things at once, kittens have more troubles than humans; a human can probably push a button with no trouble, but a kitten needs to somehow climb up on top of the console without also pushing a Bad Button. It would take a lot of GM creativity and extra work, but it's doable.
But, as I said, that's just the quick lazy solution which works and makes the game playable but probably isn't the best solution for what you need.
Post by: Parsely on March 16, 2014, 10:48:07 pm
Post by: NobodyPro on March 20, 2014, 06:52:58 am
Anyway, I've being toying with the idea of running a semi-automated game and I'd like to gauge people's interest in some ideas before I rewrite my program (that should support any of these ideas if I do it right this time):
Gladiator Management (original idea)
Players manage and/or place bets on gladiators. If a player doesn't post their actions for the turn, the game goes on (they simply didn't enter their gladiator or place any bets that turn). The program handles the fights and the crowd.
Multiverse Strategy
The players capture and use different universes to fight each other. The catch is that to assimilate a universe, you need to conquer it and you don't start with a top-tier universe. If you want to rush straight for WWII equipment, you'll have to storm the beaches of Normandy with Roman legionaries.
Single Universe Strategy
A more traditional take on the strategy game taking place in a single setting, like ancient Rome, WWII, or Warhammer Fantasy.
Post by: kj1225 on March 20, 2014, 06:56:40 am
Post by: Nerjin on March 20, 2014, 12:58:54 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on March 20, 2014, 01:01:14 pm
I like the Multiverse Strategy one myself.Especially if we get to go for alt-histories as well.
Post by: sjm9876 on March 20, 2014, 01:26:34 pm
Post by: kj1225 on March 20, 2014, 01:39:57 pm
Post by: Parsely on March 20, 2014, 01:51:46 pm
So, unrelated question. Would anyone be interested in a SCP forum game? There was a RTD dodge one that was pretty interesting but met it's end soon and I was thinking something like that would be fun.DOO ITTTT
Post by: kj1225 on March 20, 2014, 01:54:42 pm
I was mostly tossing it out as a suggestion. Also I could post concepts I remember if it is wanted.
Post by: flabort on March 20, 2014, 06:32:47 pm
I've been trying for a while to come up with a good way to word an article... Though I just came up with an idea to make it "Decommissioned".
Post by: kj1225 on March 20, 2014, 06:42:28 pm
Post by: Fniff on March 20, 2014, 08:01:01 pm
Post by: Furtuka on March 20, 2014, 08:11:14 pm
Post by: Fniff on March 20, 2014, 08:31:35 pm
Problem is, I am not really good at making happy settings. The best I can do is probably mundane.
Post by: kj1225 on March 20, 2014, 08:33:31 pm
That said I think I have an idea for a rudimentary stat system for the SCP RPG idea.
Post by: Parsely on March 20, 2014, 10:17:52 pm
Well, I like being grimdark, I guess. I would like to think that you'd get a free pass for doing overly-depressing shit when you're a teenager, but maybe I'll think of something that isn't grimdark in setting. Problem is, I like having a dark setting so that the good things that happen seem much better. Though I can see how that would be off-putting at first, I can understand the feeling of not being able to change things in a setting that seems bad enough. Perhaps a layered approach would be best: "Oh hey, this world seems nice!" "Oh, so it's got a lot of bad shit, but I'm too invested to stop now." "Oh hey, things turned out okay after all."Trends aren't a bad thing dude.
Problem is, I am not really good at making happy settings. The best I can do is probably mundane.
Post by: freeformschooler on March 20, 2014, 10:30:43 pm
Here's a question. I've found that my suggestion games have a tendency to not get off the ground a lot. Either they don't attract more then 1-3 players or they don't attract anyone at all. I fear this may be because of my tendency to use concepts other then straight up sci-fi or fantasy. What's the general opinion on concepts in a suggestion game? Can a player actually be spoiled by an unusual concept or am I just being paranoid and it's just my execution?
Well, I took a look at some of your games and wasn't interested in the least, but it's hard to say way. It's definitely not the genre. They just don't seem like they're going anywhere, and the content is boring. Basically, they all feel like the start of a cliche novel rather than the start of a fun suggestion game, if that makes sense. I wouldn't be compelled to invest time in them.
Some ideas: Avoid the "you are" title trend. Readers now associate it with games that die early and often. Readers want to be invested in a story, and for that to work well, it has to go on a LONG time. Don't stop when the suggestions start dwindling. The fact that so many of your suggestion games peter out quickly suggests that you also aren't invested. This may not be true, but as a reader, it seems like it.
Post by: Fniff on March 21, 2014, 08:35:46 am
Post by: kj1225 on March 21, 2014, 07:12:25 pm
Spoiler: The start of rules for SCP game (click to show/hide)
Post by: Fniff on March 21, 2014, 08:26:16 pm
Post by: kj1225 on March 21, 2014, 08:30:30 pm
Start with the famous onesI'd like to keep the total wipes at the beginning to a minimum thank you very much.
I was thinking of some way to decide on what the classing of the SCPs would be. I think a dice roll is a good idea.
Post by: Fniff on March 21, 2014, 08:34:07 pm
As for object classes, don't focus on them. A nuke counts as a safe object. Anyway, what if you roll keter on the first mission?
Post by: kj1225 on March 21, 2014, 08:40:35 pm
Hey, if you know what you're doing, 173 is easy to handle in a team.
As for object classes, don't focus on them. A nuke counts as a safe object. Anyway, what if you roll keter on the first mission?
Point. Though, not really difficult enough to prompt it as a proper mission... probably.
I know, but a nuke is easily contained and predictable as well. And on the subject of a Keter on the first mission...
:D
Post by: Parsely on March 21, 2014, 08:41:57 pm
Post by: kj1225 on March 21, 2014, 08:45:54 pm
Post by: Parsely on March 21, 2014, 09:30:11 pm
Spoiler: Warning, there are A LOT (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 23, 2014, 10:45:28 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 08:41:47 am
Post by: scapheap on March 26, 2014, 09:12:35 am
This thread is for hashing out ideas for forum games and things like that, right? I'm working on a new forum game, but I'm having trouble thinking up interesting skills for the players. Would this be a good place to ask for help brainstorming?Yep.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 09:13:15 am
Post by: scapheap on March 26, 2014, 09:16:18 am
So it wouldn't be a problem if I dumped what I have here for people to look at, comment, and think of new skills?If it a lot, put it in a spoiler(or a few to space it out.)
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 09:57:34 am
Spoiler: Explanation of the Game (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Basic Gameplay (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Classes and Their Skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Weapons (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Skills (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mutation Table (click to show/hide)
Uh... Yeah. There's a lot more here than I thought, but it's still not enough. I probably didn't explain everything well, so don't be afraid to ask questions to understand something. Otherwise... Any ideas for more skills?
Post by: kj1225 on March 26, 2014, 10:08:36 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 10:12:21 am
Dude... I think you're done. Also I really want to play this.
No, I'm definitely not. I haven't even made up any status affectments, the mutation table is half done, the insanity table doesn't exist, and I only have 29 generic skills. I need more skills, especially support ones between the players. And more conditional/silly ones would be awesome too.
Post by: kj1225 on March 26, 2014, 10:18:24 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 10:20:58 am
Maybe you should change dome of the skills out for others. Afterall, what will happen if you make it to complicated to run?
What do you mean?
Also, I don't expect it to be too complicated to run, though it will be tedious to keep looking up what each skill does.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 26, 2014, 10:29:43 am
Multiply that by 1.5 and that's a good number of total skills to have.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 10:34:05 am
How many of the skills do you honestly expect to be used?
Multiply that by 1.5 and that's a good number of total skills to have.
Hmm... Good question, actually. I'm going to say... 20? 30-ish? I'm aiming for around six players, and with six different classes with different focuses, I don't expect everyone to all grab the same skills. But some skills are obviously going to be better than others, so the variety shouldn't be too large. Plus all the skills will be available at the start of the game, so people can decide what works well with what and plan out their character ahead of time. Or at least that's the plan.
Post by: Remuthra on March 26, 2014, 02:10:29 pm
Post by: Parsely on March 26, 2014, 02:11:11 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 02:13:33 pm
Your skill list doesn't include coffee brewing.
...
That's actually a good idea. This is why I posted in the thread.
Sounds cool USEC. I'm surprised you haven't been on this thread before!
I'm pretty sure that I have posted here before, for that mining game that I dropped almost immediately for reasons I cannot remember. Blah.
Post by: Fniff on March 26, 2014, 03:35:36 pm
For the mutation table, I highly recommend looking up the Metamorphica for inspiration. As for the insanity table, what does it do?
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 03:51:19 pm
...
I'll probably add in a facepalm skill, for when all of the other players start talking about how awesome they are. It'd be amusing and useful.
I'll look at Metamorphica for the mutation table. I've filled it out some more, but it could be improved.
Also, the insanity table is basically a bunch of random bad effects, for when the cultist class uses its powers (I'm going to make up some skills that involve it too). The effects range from pointless to instadeath, and serve to make the skills based around it unpredictable, to offset their power.
Post by: Remuthra on March 26, 2014, 04:03:30 pm
I'm pretty sure that I have posted here before, for that mining game that I dropped almost immediately for reasons I cannot remember. Blah.The one like a year ago, or am I thinking of something else?
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 04:07:39 pm
The one like a year ago, or am I thinking of something else?
Something else, probably.
Post by: kj1225 on March 26, 2014, 04:12:35 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 04:17:07 pm
Actually you could do a class based around being unimpressed by everything around you. Maybe focusing on debuffs and buffs.
Such as? I'm open to ideas and suggestions. The only problem is that the Wizard and Alien classes occupy the same kind of role.
Post by: kj1225 on March 26, 2014, 04:23:05 pm
Maybe point out flaws in their most obvious plan and stun them for a turn while the same ability used on an ally gives them a bonus since they close up ways they could have their attack turned on them.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 04:26:22 pm
Post by: kj1225 on March 26, 2014, 04:31:11 pm
To be honest I just had the idea so I don't have anything solid.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 26, 2014, 04:35:20 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 26, 2014, 05:13:35 pm
Have a class that gives debuffs and buffs in equal proportion. Especially with status effects, but, he has to be able to do both, is the catch. He can cure Poison and give an enemy Poison, but an ally has to be poisoned first. He can raise an allies attack while lowering an enemy's, but not if the ally already has maxed bonus attack or the enemy has maximum attack penalty.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 26, 2014, 10:56:22 pm
I want to see how FFT goes first, I think, but if I think I can handle it or when it finishes, I'd like to run a minimally adjusted FEF - with just one tiny catch.
All of the characters? They're all already dead.
Post by: scapheap on March 27, 2014, 03:24:32 am
Double post, however...A game of FEF that must be finished in three turns?
I want to see how FFT goes first, I think, but if I think I can handle it or when it finishes, I'd like to run a minimally adjusted FEF - with just one tiny catch.
All of the characters? They're all already dead.
Easy
Medium
Hard
Lunatic
haspen
Post by: Kadzar on March 27, 2014, 12:16:11 pm
The basic idea is that you would have an adventuring company, and they would send out teams of adventurers on various missions. The players would play the adventurers, who would switch out from mission to mission either because different ones are needed for their particular skillset or the main team was returning/recovering from the last mission.
Also there would be tomes/relics/artifacts/whatever that the teams would bring back from their missions for the company's scholars and mages to study, and I'm thinking that. like in Stargate, sometimes they need to bring some of these brainy guys along to study something in person (though usually they'll try to only bring them along to places they've mostly cleared). And the teams might occasionally encounter some new races and groups from whom they might recruit new members or resupply or do trade with. And there may be other advantages to exploring, like finding new valuable mineral deposits or farmland or other things that I can't think of myself.
But venturing into new lands can be dangerous, since even a veteran can fall to misfortune (it might be a good idea to have some rookie NPCs along for people to play in case someone dies in the middle of a mission). It's a good idea to send out scouts and gather information about the surrounding area from the locals, not to mention digging up as many legends and as much lore as possible, especially before heading into a dungeon. It's also a good idea to just generally play it safe, as even a previously cleared dungeon might have a few monsters still wanding about or some previously unseen traps or magical whatsits.
Unfortunately, I've sort of given up on running forum games for now and am trying to psyche myself up to get an online game started, plus I can't write even the likely minimal systems needed to run this game, but if anyone wants to use this idea in any way, feel free to go wild with it.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 27, 2014, 12:24:31 pm
Double post, however...A game of FEF that must be finished in three turns?
I want to see how FFT goes first, I think, but if I think I can handle it or when it finishes, I'd like to run a minimally adjusted FEF - with just one tiny catch.
All of the characters? They're all already dead.
Easy
Medium
Hard
Lunatic
haspen
Well, I kinda had two things in mind when I was typing that. One, Spirit Emblem, where you are all dead and have to do some shit in the spirit world because the living are fucking up stuff in the real world. Time travel shenanigans optional.
The other one would be an interesting concept for any forum game, but very difficult to do; one where you start at high level, but the game goes backwards from the last party member being killed during the final battle. RP would not go backwards, it would just be in weird chunks. Difficult as all hell to organize and keep things interesting and logical(logic would be impossible to keep, really), and it might end up having to be a 'get back into X state from Y state' where X was what the battle start would have looked like.
Post by: TealNinja on March 27, 2014, 06:21:22 pm
Post by: freeformschooler on March 27, 2014, 06:27:47 pm
How do people feel about yet another D&D (Pathfinder) attempt? Caveat being that I'd need a Co-GM...
Why? What can't you do yourself? If it's mechanics or maintenance, you can always ask for player help. Most of the D&D players here are GMs themselves.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 27, 2014, 06:33:53 pm
Post by: TealNinja on March 27, 2014, 06:35:20 pm
How do people feel about yet another D&D (Pathfinder) attempt? Caveat being that I'd need a Co-GM...
Why? What can't you do yourself? If it's mechanics or maintenance, you can always ask for player help. Most of the D&D players here are GMs themselves.
Unfamiliar with Pathfinder, yet committing to doing that version of the game. Also, terrible with art, including mapping.
Post by: Remuthra on March 27, 2014, 06:39:40 pm
I would probably be willing to help out with bringing more D&D to the forums.How do people feel about yet another D&D (Pathfinder) attempt? Caveat being that I'd need a Co-GM...
Why? What can't you do yourself? If it's mechanics or maintenance, you can always ask for player help. Most of the D&D players here are GMs themselves.
Unfamiliar with Pathfinder, yet committing to doing that version of the game. Also, terrible with art, including mapping.
Post by: freeformschooler on March 27, 2014, 06:45:34 pm
How do people feel about yet another D&D (Pathfinder) attempt? Caveat being that I'd need a Co-GM...
Why? What can't you do yourself? If it's mechanics or maintenance, you can always ask for player help. Most of the D&D players here are GMs themselves.
Unfamiliar with Pathfinder, yet committing to doing that version of the game. Also, terrible with art, including mapping.
Hmm... well, as for pathfinder, there's plenty of useful tools you could use to learn "on-the-go."
Pathfinder random generators (http://donjon.bin.sh/pathfinder/random/#trap)
Pathfinder SRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
Pathfinder character generator (http://www.pathguy.com/PathfinderCore.htm)
As for mapping...
Tiled (http://www.mapeditor.org/) - I use this for FEF
Free tilesets (http://hasgraphics.com/category/tilesets/)
Maptool (http://www.rptools.net/?page=maptool) - exports to image like Tiled, plenty of sweet tokens and textures downloadable in-app
Post by: Fniff on March 27, 2014, 07:02:44 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 27, 2014, 09:17:01 pm
Post by: TealNinja on March 28, 2014, 01:50:06 am
How do people feel about yet another D&D (Pathfinder) attempt? Caveat being that I'd need a Co-GM...
Why? What can't you do yourself? If it's mechanics or maintenance, you can always ask for player help. Most of the D&D players here are GMs themselves.
Unfamiliar with Pathfinder, yet committing to doing that version of the game. Also, terrible with art, including mapping.
Hmm... well, as for pathfinder, there's plenty of useful tools you could use to learn "on-the-go."
Pathfinder random generators (http://donjon.bin.sh/pathfinder/random/#trap)
Pathfinder SRD (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
Pathfinder character generator (http://www.pathguy.com/PathfinderCore.htm)
As for mapping...
Tiled (http://www.mapeditor.org/) - I use this for FEF
Free tilesets (http://hasgraphics.com/category/tilesets/)
Maptool (http://www.rptools.net/?page=maptool) - exports to image like Tiled, plenty of sweet tokens and textures downloadable in-app
I'm familiar with the basic rules and concepts (I'm familiar enough with 3.5 to optimize silly builds), it's the particulars I'm unfamiliar with, and I'd need to spend a lot of time on the Pathfinder material to become familiar enough with it to know what players are doing with their builds. It's important to me to make sure all players feel like they are contributing and aren't being completely overshadowed by someone more familiar with the system.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on March 28, 2014, 02:53:46 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 28, 2014, 10:40:28 am
Pathfinder is incredibly similar to 3.5, just more streamlined without actually becoming simplistic.
Post by: Fniff on March 28, 2014, 01:21:20 pm
Post by: Remuthra on March 28, 2014, 03:50:18 pm
The differences are mostly an easier class system (archetypes rather than shittons of base classes) and some small adjustments in a few areas to streamline and 'improve'(I put quotes because I dislike what they did with grappling...). Just find the areas that are different and bookmark them for reference. Other than that, just keep a close eye on what your players and doing and make sure you find out what everything means.That and they added several hundred words to the Fighter entry.
Pathfinder is incredibly similar to 3.5, just more streamlined without actually becoming simplistic.
Post by: Funk on March 28, 2014, 04:02:57 pm
Think reservoir dogs, heat,the usual suspects Payday: The Heist all rolled up in to a form room game.
Maybe a bigger mission like The Day of the Wolves later.
Players each take a class based roll/perk i.e. the Juggernaut class lets them wear loads of armour, or Dragonman class lets them take the biggest gun.
Throw in a simple map and a roll + stats system for the action.
Lets steal Keyser Söze so we have a reason way the players are doing the jobs/ crimes they are.
Any one got any ideas to add?
Post by: TealNinja on March 30, 2014, 08:15:35 pm
Post by: Tawa on March 30, 2014, 08:45:34 pm
FORUM MONOPOLY
?
It's basically the classic Monopoly game, but on a forum.
I can't elaborate much at the moment, but thoughts?
Post by: Parsely on March 30, 2014, 08:47:42 pm
It's Monopoly, but on a forum.Ooh. Not a fan of monopoly.
Post by: Nerjin on March 30, 2014, 08:51:49 pm
I don't think it'd finish anytime soon but I might join up.
Post by: Remuthra on March 30, 2014, 08:57:52 pm
Expecting to throw up my Pathfinder thread tonight sometime. Rem, I'm sitting in the mIRC if you want to chat about being Co-GM. I'll give it a go without, if you don't want to.Sure thing.
WOO, MONOPOLY!
EDIT: What client/room are you in?
Post by: TealNinja on March 30, 2014, 09:18:58 pm
DarkMyst server. I don't think Client matters too much, but I'm using mIRC at the moment.
Post by: Tawa on March 31, 2014, 04:35:06 pm
Motion carried. Expect to see ForuMonopoly within half an hour.
Post by: Remuthra on March 31, 2014, 05:39:33 pm
within half an hour.
Quote from: Post Time
5:35:06 pm
Quote from: Local Time
6:37:18 pm
:P
Post by: Parsely on March 31, 2014, 08:43:23 pm
Post by: Remuthra on March 31, 2014, 08:44:52 pm
He posted the topic at 6. :l (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137508.msg5140827#msg5140827)From my timezone, he posted it at 9.
Post by: Parsely on March 31, 2014, 08:46:48 pm
He posted the topic at 6. :l (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137508.msg5140827#msg5140827)From my timezone, he posted it at 9.
NVM. It took him more than that I think. :p
Post by: Empiricist on April 01, 2014, 01:54:35 pm
A high lethality, roleplaying based game set in a hospital. Specifically, a hospital ward to which those who are now beyond help are sent, one to which spend the last moment of their life, away from the monitoring equipment, away from the careful attention of the nurses, somewhere to die in peace.
Each character has a post limit. A very short one. Upon hitting that limit, they die. The objective is to characterize them as much as possible beforehand. However, players are not allowed to use explicit descriptions (such as "X looked [emotion]") nor describe thoughts, they may only describe their expressions, gestures, voice and whatnot, which hopefully won't be misunderstood.
Of course, this requires someone to start a conversation, thus using up one of their precious turns, however, this is balanced by the fact that they would be setting the starting content of the conversation and can perform some characterisation in the manner in which they do it, whether loudly with a grandiose quality or softly with a degree of hesitation.
Post by: Tawa on April 01, 2014, 02:34:48 pm
An idea that came to mind recently was the following:
A high lethality, roleplaying based game set in a hospital. Specifically, a hospital ward to which those who are now beyond help are sent, one to which spend the last moment of their life, away from the monitoring equipment, away from the careful attention of the nurses, somewhere to die in peace.
Each character has a post limit. A very short one. Upon hitting that limit, they die. The objective is to characterize them as much as possible beforehand. However, players are not allowed to use explicit descriptions (such as "X looked [emotion]") nor describe thoughts, they may only describe their expressions, gestures, voice and whatnot, which hopefully won't be misunderstood.
Of course, this requires someone to start a conversation, thus using up one of their precious turns, however, this is balanced by the fact that they would be setting the starting content of the conversation and can perform some characterisation in the manner in which they do it, whether loudly with a grandiose quality or softly with a degree of hesitation.
Sounds... interesting, but there is no notion of winning or accomplishment in your basic pitch.
Maybe if the person an impartial judge determined was the most fleshed out won?
I'd still join, though.
Post by: kj1225 on April 01, 2014, 02:36:34 pm
Post by: Empiricist on April 01, 2014, 02:39:28 pm
Sounds... interesting, but there is no notion of winning or accomplishment in your basic pitch.That's the primary issue currently, I have no idea how to make it an actual game seeing as in this rough state it seems to be more of a writing practice exercise.
Post by: Tawa on April 01, 2014, 02:49:26 pm
-Have an impartial judge determine who's the most fleshed out character (as previously stated).
-Have all the other players judge how fleshed out someone was before they died; when everyone's dead, the highest-approved one wins. Dead players and live players alike vote.
-Put it in a Creative Projects thread, labeled as a writing practice game.
Post by: Fniff on April 01, 2014, 03:10:04 pm
I do like the idea of a time-based roleplaying thing. Perhaps you should change the premise so that instead of making the best roleplay, you make the most impact in the short time you have? Reminds me of the minimalist RTD "Roll to slowly die of radiation poisoning", which is a good thing to look at if you're thinking of time-based RPing.
Post by: kj1225 on April 01, 2014, 07:05:57 pm
Post by: Remuthra on April 01, 2014, 07:15:11 pm
So I was just thinking of a concept for a game. Everyone is a bard. As everyone is a bard they obviously each get a genre of music (for example, punk, country goth soft rock folk wave caberet. Yes that last one was a sigular grouping for songs to be taken from) that they can take songs from. They link to say a youtube video of the song and the magical effects happen based on it with a roll determining the potency of the effect. (For example Re:Your Brains would summon office zombies.)Didn't we talk about this already?
Post by: kj1225 on April 01, 2014, 07:49:06 pm
Post by: Remuthra on April 01, 2014, 07:52:44 pm
EDIT: OH GOD I JUST REALIZED ANOTHER IDEA.^
It might be awesome. It might be dumb. Worth saying either way.
Perplexicon, but instead of words, songs, or pieces of songs. Battle of the Bards. You string together songs to make your magic, and the song/verse or whatever has to do with the effect, somehow, no matter how obscure. And it may be very obscure. Probably less cool in practice than theory, though.
Post by: kj1225 on April 01, 2014, 08:00:59 pm
I think it's different enough to at least be talked about.
Post by: Remuthra on April 01, 2014, 08:03:33 pm
Spooky.
Post by: kj1225 on April 01, 2014, 08:14:14 pm
Post by: flabort on April 01, 2014, 09:18:08 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 03, 2014, 10:51:56 am
Basic idea is, you are a fellow who has been blessed by a few gods to not die for some plan you don't know about. Whenever you die, you must sacrifice an item or skill of yours, and then you wake up in your body alive and well. The more chunky-salsaish your death, the more items you have to sacrifice (Get shot by a pistol in the stomach? One item. Get your head blown off with a shotgun? Two items. Get stuck in a woodchipper? Three items. Get directly hit with a nuke? Four items.). Another thing is the fact that you will get "Blessings" from the gods that you respect. Here are the three major ones and the blessings you get from them at the start of the game.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Tawa on April 03, 2014, 02:48:51 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 03, 2014, 02:53:07 pm
Perhaps, in the case of the latter, have a negative modifier for rolls. Like Blitz, but in reverse.
Post by: Tawa on April 03, 2014, 04:58:09 pm
The great warrior should have died. However, his/her deity saved him/her at the last moment, and he/she continued onward, with the last resolves of his/her strength...
Post by: kj1225 on April 03, 2014, 07:33:40 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 07, 2014, 09:17:19 pm
- A gamemaster asks questions on what rules should be put in, and the players give answers. The gamemaster writes them in and then asks again, ad untilthegameisdoneium
- A collection of players add rules to a roleplaying game until they have a full roleplaying game ruleset.
What do you guys think?
Post by: Parsely on April 07, 2014, 09:18:14 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 07, 2014, 09:19:48 pm
Post by: Furtuka on April 07, 2014, 09:25:15 pm
...either way I'd probably need to collaborate with one or two other people to run it when I finally figure things out.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on April 07, 2014, 09:30:11 pm
So I've been having a mecha strategy idea that would be a sortof a combination of X-Com, Gihren's Greed, SRW, and Fire Emblem. My main hurdle when trying to come up with the concept is that I can't figure out how to reconcile the administration thread's timescale with the mission teams, since the science team would be running on a separate turnscale in which time would pass much quicker since development of things takes a long time.
...either way I'd probably need to collaborate with one or two other people to run it when I finally figure things out.
...
I'm kinda interested in this, honestly. Sounds good.
Post by: Parsely on April 07, 2014, 09:31:10 pm
Specifics?There's games where people have to follow rules, and they use those guidelines to make more rules.
Post by: kj1225 on April 08, 2014, 02:11:15 pm
I feel like it would be popular among some people.
Post by: lawastooshort on April 08, 2014, 02:13:39 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 08, 2014, 02:40:44 pm
Has anyone thought of running a game of Maid RPG (http://www.maidrpg.com/) on here?Hah. All the magical girl fans would love that.
I feel like it would be popular among some people.
Post by: kj1225 on April 08, 2014, 02:42:28 pm
Where do you think I found it?
Post by: Nerjin on April 08, 2014, 11:59:05 pm
Essentially it's squad based with each battle taking place between 2 sides of 1-6 people. I'd handle all the direct combat while the players would worry about leveling and managing who fights who. Right now I'm thinking max Gladiator amount is based on how much fame the school has. Exciting fights [close ones] land fame while boring ones [One hit kills and the like] can lose fame.
Another thing is that each gladiator has an experience amount. Once they gain enough experience they "Level Up" into a new unit type. Squire > Knight. However, taking [stealing?] an idea from the Disciples series [Heavy Influence] there are branching paths.
It's not fully fleshed out yet though... Any thoughts?
Post by: IronyOwl on April 09, 2014, 04:04:14 am
It's not fully fleshed out yet though... Any thoughts?Two things come to mind.
Essentially it's squad based with each battle taking place between 2 sides of 1-6 people. I'd handle all the direct combat while the players would worry about leveling and managing who fights who. Right now I'm thinking max Gladiator amount is based on how much fame the school has. Exciting fights [close ones] land fame while boring ones [One hit kills and the like] can lose fame.One: You might want to give more thought as to what exactly a school is and how it improves or lessens. Is equipment or money a thing, for instance? What about influence beyond their fame score? Other than the whims of the dice, what determines if they succeed or fail?
Another thing is that each gladiator has an experience amount. Once they gain enough experience they "Level Up" into a new unit type. Squire > Knight. However, taking [stealing?] an idea from the Disciples series [Heavy Influence] there are branching paths.Two: You might want to map out what exactly each decision means. It can certainly be interesting to add knights and archers and cabalists and half-siren swashbucklers just because, but it can have unexpected design results. You might want to ask yourself what, aside from "be cool," a knight does or means. Is an all-knight team supposed to be strong against archers and weak against swordsmen? A really bad idea that should get stomped by anything? A hardy team that's slower but not any better or worse than any other composition?
Post by: darkpaladin109 on April 09, 2014, 07:13:04 am
So do we currently have a Gladiator thing going on? I know a few have started and died. I've been thinking of trying to throw my hat into the ring of Gladiator games.Not really, though I've been thingking of making a game based off of the final part of Bionicle. Mostly basing it off of the web games they released, since those work well enough as a base to build off of.
Post by: Nerjin on April 09, 2014, 01:58:53 pm
Essentially it's squad based with each battle taking place between 2 sides of 1-6 people. I'd handle all the direct combat while the players would worry about leveling and managing who fights who. Right now I'm thinking max Gladiator amount is based on how much fame the school has. Exciting fights [close ones] land fame while boring ones [One hit kills and the like] can lose fame.One: You might want to give more thought as to what exactly a school is and how it improves or lessens. Is equipment or money a thing, for instance? What about influence beyond their fame score? Other than the whims of the dice, what determines if they succeed or fail?
Well right now... Schools have a couple of stats such as their Ranking, Fame, Money, Upkeep, and Lord Type. Basically, Ranking determines how the league views them, Fame is the publics view [results in more money due to increased audience size], Money is... money, Upkeep is the amount of money you lose a turn due to expenditures associated with running a school, and finally Lord Type determines the bonus your school gets [Increased Health Regeneration between turns, Increased Income, Increased Fame, etc. etc.]. That's all I have right now for that. It's very basic for now.
As for the whims of the dice thing: Each gladiator will have Personality and some will have Clauses. Personality would be something like "Hot Headed" which gives them a bonus to X or a deficit to Y. Clauses would be for higher up Gladiators which is basically something you have to do for them to keep fighting at peak strength. For example: Lortrec the Fighter has a Clause that he won't go into combat without a Acolyte on the team. Therefore if you have no Acolyte he simply won't be available for a fight. Stuff like that. Personality and Clauses are more recent additions so I'm not sure if they'll make it in the final product.
Another thing is that each gladiator has an experience amount. Once they gain enough experience they "Level Up" into a new unit type. Squire > Knight. However, taking [stealing?] an idea from the Disciples series [Heavy Influence] there are branching paths.Two: You might want to map out what exactly each decision means. It can certainly be interesting to add knights and archers and cabalists and half-siren swashbucklers just because, but it can have unexpected design results. You might want to ask yourself what, aside from "be cool," a knight does or means. Is an all-knight team supposed to be strong against archers and weak against swordsmen? A really bad idea that should get stomped by anything? A hardy team that's slower but not any better or worse than any other composition?
[/quote]
Can do, Can do.
Post by: Nerjin on April 09, 2014, 08:16:50 pm
Spoiler: School Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Gladiator stats (click to show/hide)
[[There are roughly 27 personality traits. I'm still tweaking them a bit so I'm not gonna post them yet. ANy thoughts on the stats I have so far?]]
Post by: Kadzar on April 09, 2014, 09:04:59 pm
Also, I don't really see why you need Revive Cost as a stat, as I would think would be something that would be dependent on what injuries they suffered or there would be a set amount of money to heal any character a certain amount or something like that. Frankly, it just seems weird to me that different people have a certain monetary value specific to them that's needed to heal them if they get critically injured.
Post by: Nerjin on April 09, 2014, 09:16:42 pm
I feel like you could trim some of those stats, or at least make them traits. Immune and Ward I'd say definitely only need to be listed if that unit has them, and you could also assume most fighters are medium sized make unusual sizes be their own trait.
Immunities and Wards are only going to be listed if they are part of that unit, same with armor and everything else. If you don't have it, it's not listed. There are only two sizes: Normal and Large. Normal takes up 1 space in the party, while Large takes 2. The size of the gladiator is dependant on their class so it's sorta stuck not being a trait [traits as in personality... by the way?
Quote
Also, I don't really see why you need Revive Cost as a stat, as I would think would be something that would be dependent on what injuries they suffered or there would be a set amount of money to heal any character a certain amount or something like that. Frankly, it just seems weird to me that different people have a certain monetary value specific to them that's needed to heal them if they get critically injured.
Because health is very basic. You pay more to heal/revive higher level units because they're more powerful so it makes hiring a lower level unit a bit more desireable if you lose a higher level one.
Post by: Nerjin on April 10, 2014, 05:22:18 pm
Spoiler: School Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Gladiator stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Battle (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: League Types (click to show/hide)
[[This is the stuff I have so far on the Gladiator game… Thoughts? Sorry if I'm posting too often, I just want to make sure that I'm not making any HUGE mistakes.]]
Post by: kj1225 on April 10, 2014, 05:26:41 pm
Post by: Remuthra on April 10, 2014, 05:28:25 pm
Post by: Nerjin on April 10, 2014, 06:19:25 pm
Post by: Remuthra on April 10, 2014, 06:20:05 pm
Well the way it's shaping up I should be able to handle a near infinite amount of players. It shouldn't be too hard. It's pretty basic math and stuff... Hm...The highest of follies.
Post by: Parsely on April 10, 2014, 06:21:12 pm
The highest of follies.
Post by: Nerjin on April 10, 2014, 06:59:16 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 10, 2014, 07:07:57 pm
Post by: TCM on April 10, 2014, 07:10:58 pm
Post by: Nerjin on April 13, 2014, 08:33:00 am
Spoiler: School Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Gladiator stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Turn (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Battle (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: League Types (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on April 13, 2014, 11:36:58 am
Any thoughts/additions?Throw it at players and see what happens.
Post by: Nerjin on April 13, 2014, 04:22:40 pm
Spoiler: School Stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Gladiator stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Battle (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: League Types (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 13, 2014, 05:08:50 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 13, 2014, 05:19:27 pm
Looks pretty cool. I'd play. You might split things up or make them more clearly distinct with italics or bold, though, for ease of reading.This.
Post by: Nerjin on April 13, 2014, 07:36:45 pm
Post by: jetex1911 on April 20, 2014, 01:05:02 am
The basic idea would be that once someone picked you up & started to use you, you would use the "Souls" of those slain by you to give yourself traits that would make you either more deadly and/or useful to your owner, or more able to manipulate them into doing what you want. Over time, the sword you might inhabit would change from looking like any regular old sword to something that even the most clueless adventurer would recognize.
Eventually, once you have been used by your current owner long enough, or after you have gotten a few traits, you could try to take over them, possessing their body and eating their soul. The only requirement being that you are near them or otherwise on their person, you'd be able to do anything your owner was capable of doing from then on.
One problem you would need to deal with is constantly having different owners, either from losing your owner to illness or even age (Although you might be able to mitigate that with the correct trait...), or from them being slain by someone else meaning to gain you.
Can anyone think if anything I might have missed, or any suggestions that you would like to make?
TL;DR Would anyone be interested in the idea of an Evil Weapon/Armor (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilWeapon) Suggestion Game?
Post by: Parsely on April 20, 2014, 02:03:16 am
Yeah it'd be fun, even better if the user of the weapon is genre savvy and he and the weapon have hilarious banter as they slaughter things together.
Post by: kj1225 on April 23, 2014, 06:29:51 am
In just thought of doing something like this from miss reading the title of another thread and I think it would be a good idea. Of course, if someone ran it they would need to be able to use Microsoft paint at least.
Post by: Fniff on April 23, 2014, 06:38:26 am
Post by: kj1225 on April 23, 2014, 06:49:38 am
Post by: Fniff on April 23, 2014, 04:57:20 pm
Post by: flabort on April 23, 2014, 05:05:35 pm
Which is why I hardly plan at all, beyond the mechanics.
Post by: kj1225 on April 23, 2014, 05:08:04 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 23, 2014, 05:13:18 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 24, 2014, 05:25:44 pm
Setting based question. In the backstory of the setting I'm making for suggestion game I was hinting at there, a massive war between several hundred somewhat organized cells of superpowered maniacs (Before you ask why the small number, they were pretty much on a godlike scale at the point in time and most of them are meant to be sociopaths which are quite rare) and most modern Earth armies happens. The casualties on the army side are in the millions, and the civilian casualties actually managing to reduce Earth's population to two billion. I'm leaving it intentionally vague as to how the hell a war could be that absurdly horrible. However, I'm trying to work out how much the world would be cost by it in terms of cash. In a four year war that completely trashes the majority of Europe, the Americas, and some parts of Asia, reducing most first world nations to third world by the end of it, how much damage would there be?
I was thinking 157 trillion dollars. For comparison, the world GDP is 69 trillion. Is this wildly exaggerated, reasonable, or even underestimating it?
Post by: IronyOwl on April 24, 2014, 05:41:12 pm
Part of the problem is that money is relative. How much does it take to rebuild or repair a building? Depends on the everything- notably, how much infrastructure, how many people, what kind of technology, and so on are left afterwards.
Speaking of which, "cost" is relative as well. You say there's only 2 billion people left, so how do you measure, say, loss of housing? Do you say that there used to be a million homes here and now there aren't, so that's a million homes worth of damage? Or do you note that those million homes were unlikely to be used anyway, and thus of no consequence?
Additionally, a lot of all that depends on the type of damage. City-wide nerve gassings are unlikely to damage infrastructure as much as orbital earthquake bombardment, for instance.
Post by: Fniff on April 24, 2014, 05:48:31 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 24, 2014, 07:52:22 pm
Post by: kj1225 on April 24, 2014, 07:55:56 pm
Post by: Fniff on April 24, 2014, 08:09:14 pm
A better question would be why does anyone care about how much it cost when everyone is dead and crazed superheroes are assumedly still roaming around smashing stuff.Actually, the crazed superheroes got taken out (Mostly) by either an epic and awesome counterattack by the army which was undoubtedly humanity's finest hour or they all starved to death due to the absurd amount of energy required for superheroics and a total lack of food due to the collapse of society, basically allowing the army to play "Shoot the starving, mass murderer fish in a barrel" depending on who you ask.
When the suggestion game takes place, it's ten years later and society have been kinda sorta kludged together into working. It's less post-apocalyptic and more cyberpunk without the cyber by that point.
So, it's at the point where people can crunch numbers on the situation but still find corpses when they dig out foundations for schools and condominiums.
Post by: Parsely on April 24, 2014, 10:12:47 pm
It's less post-apocalyptic and more cyberpunk without the cyber by that point.It's a Crapsack World then.
Spoiler: Aside (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on April 24, 2014, 10:18:06 pm
Accidentally had a good idea. But how to?+9001Tank Rancher Ultimate™
YES
Post by: IronyOwl on April 24, 2014, 10:24:31 pm
So it mostly starts with figuring out what the stats should be, but those are arguably tied to how you want the other systems to interact with them.
Post by: flabort on April 24, 2014, 10:58:16 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 24, 2014, 11:08:52 pm
And the definition of tank will have to be stretched a bit. Up to you just how much, whether you want to have actual tanks being farmed, or a beast a bit like a were-creature except instead of "<Race> twisted into the form of a <Animal> on a full moon", it would be "<Animal> twisted into the form of a <MOTHAFECKINGTANK> all the time".Good thing I'm not running it. (http://store.steampowered.com/app/263400/)
Post by: Fniff on April 25, 2014, 10:20:12 am
It's less post-apocalyptic and more cyberpunk without the cyber by that point.It's a Crapsack World then.Spoiler: Aside (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Aside from that (hehe) (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 10:28:30 am
Well, lessee... tanks will need stats of some sort, preferably some sort of breeding and inheritance system, probably a raising or growth system, and then you'll probably want random events to spice things up. Aside from that, presumably players will be selling their tanks to buyers of some sort (and/or milking them for shells), which may necessitate altering your herd to accommodate fluctuating whims or pursue less competitive markets. Players could instead or also try pushing the advantages of their unique herds, especially if the breeding system is complicated enough to allow increased specialization or mutation over numerous generations. If so, that'd open up opportunities for advertising and sales.Came up with: body types, stats related to food types, classes, breeding items, etc.
So it mostly starts with figuring out what the stats should be, but those are arguably tied to how you want the other systems to interact with them.
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 02:08:06 pm
Spoiler: Hereditary Aptitude System (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 06:16:04 pm
Each turn is a week, and it starts with deciding your tank's diet for that period. Different foods have mixtures of stuff that will affect your tanks attributes.
Food and their Relation to Attributes:
Fat = Armor
Energy = Mobility
Protein = Firepower
Minerals = Accuracy
Body Type: Heavy, Medium, Light, Others?
Body type affects skill growth through food as well as compatibility with moves. Some moves are universally compatible, other moves can only be learned by certain kinds of tanks.
Relationship Between Food and Body Types
[H]-[M]-[L]
/ \ / \ / \
F P M E
For example, an [L] tank will get the most growth from mixtures of minerals and energy. They benefit slightly less from protein, and the least from fat.
[H]-[M]-[L]
/ \ / \ / \
F P M E
For example, an [L] tank will get the most growth from mixtures of minerals and energy. They benefit slightly less from protein, and the least from fat.
Heavy tanks are more likely to be tough, slow and powerful. Light tanks will be hard to hit and always land their shots. Certain body types encourage certain builds, but with hard work you can create nimble tanks with [H]-type bodies, and so on.
Breeding
When one tank loves another very much.. You shove them in the barn for a month (3 turns/weeks) and hopefully if they like each other enough they make a babby tank. Details about this will remain mysterious. You can use items to encourage specific outcomes. You're more likely to have the attributes of one tank if it breeds during the season it was born (we'll call this their "heat" period). You're more likely to get a fairly equal distribution if neither tank is in heat. If both are in heat, the outcome will be extremely random, but you're guaranteed massive growth in at least one stat. The best and the worst tanks are created this way.
The average babby will almost always be a combination of the best parts of their parents. This includes stats, personality, and sometimes even moves.
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 06:20:26 pm
BreedingFixed and slightly improved.
When one tank loves another very much.. You shove them in the barn for a month (3 turns/weeks) and hopefully if they like each other enough they make a babby tank. Details about this will remain mysterious. You can use items to encourage specific outcomes. You're more likely to have the attributes of one tank if it breeds during the season it was born (we'll call this their "overheat" period). You're more likely to get a fairly equal distribution if neither tank is overheated. If both are overheated, the outcome will be extremely random, but you're guaranteed massive growth in at least one stat, and major conceptual anomalies. The best and the worst tanks are created this way.
The average babby will almost always be a combination of the best parts of their parents. This includes stats, personality, and sometimes even moves.
Post by: kj1225 on April 25, 2014, 06:22:35 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 07:01:03 pm
That change doesn't even make any sense.BreedingFixed and slightly improved.
When one tank loves another very much.. You shove them in the barn for a month (3 turns/weeks) and hopefully if they like each other enough they make a babby tank. Details about this will remain mysterious. You can use items to encourage specific outcomes. You're more likely to have the attributes of one tank if it breeds during the season it was born (we'll call this their "overheat" period). You're more likely to get a fairly equal distribution if neither tank is overheated. If both are overheated, the outcome will be extremely random, but you're guaranteed massive growth in at least one stat, and major conceptual anomalies. The best and the worst tanks are created this way.
The average babby will almost always be a combination of the best parts of their parents. This includes stats, personality, and sometimes even moves.
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 07:06:29 pm
It does within the context of mechanics. And puns.That change doesn't even make any sense.BreedingFixed and slightly improved.
When one tank loves another very much.. You shove them in the barn for a month (3 turns/weeks) and hopefully if they like each other enough they make a babby tank. Details about this will remain mysterious. You can use items to encourage specific outcomes. You're more likely to have the attributes of one tank if it breeds during the season it was born (we'll call this their "overheat" period). You're more likely to get a fairly equal distribution if neither tank is overheated. If both are overheated, the outcome will be extremely random, but you're guaranteed massive growth in at least one stat, and major conceptual anomalies. The best and the worst tanks are created this way.
The average babby will almost always be a combination of the best parts of their parents. This includes stats, personality, and sometimes even moves.
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 07:13:01 pm
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 07:18:50 pm
Why would they overheat on the season they were born? And why would that affect breeding positively when overheating is ostensibly a bad thing..? Eh. I like the way I did it better. Ignore the logic when it makes more sense/is sillier or more fun.
punsIf you're going to be logical about this, why do tanks have a mating season?
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 07:23:28 pm
Quote
Ignore the logic when it makes more sense/is sillier or more fun.
Quote
Ignore the logic
Quote
IGNORE. LOGIC.And it wasn't even a pun!
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 07:54:08 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 07:58:11 pm
I retroactively apply your maxim to the argument at hand.Oh yeah?! Mine makes way-y-y-y less sense than yours! Heh. c:
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 08:00:18 pm
Yeah, but mine is less stupid :P.I retroactively apply your maxim to the argument at hand.Oh yeah?! Mine makes way-y-y-y less sense than yours! Heh. c:
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 08:11:22 pm
No. It's pretty dumb.Yeah, but mine is less stupid :P.I retroactively apply your maxim to the argument at hand.Oh yeah?! Mine makes way-y-y-y less sense than yours! Heh. c:
Post by: Remuthra on April 25, 2014, 08:18:44 pm
I said less stupid.No. It's pretty dumb.Yeah, but mine is less stupid :P.I retroactively apply your maxim to the argument at hand.Oh yeah?! Mine makes way-y-y-y less sense than yours! Heh. c:
Post by: Parsely on April 25, 2014, 08:37:57 pm
Heh. :3I said less stupid.No. It's pretty dumb.Yeah, but mine is less stupid :P.I retroactively apply your maxim to the argument at hand.Oh yeah?! Mine makes way-y-y-y less sense than yours! Heh. c:
Post by: flabort on April 25, 2014, 09:00:04 pm
Good thing I'm not running it. (http://store.steampowered.com/app/263400/)Huh.
Well, that looks interesting enough to buy.
And, ooh, spotted a sale while buying that. On Risk of Rain... people keep talking about that.
...Steam. Why are you such a wallet vampire.
Hmm, maybe someone wants to design a game around owning and running companies like Steam? Around wallet vampires? Try to drain the other multimillionare players dry of cash by sucking them in.
Post by: sjm9876 on April 26, 2014, 12:41:59 pm
yeah, it would be pretty combat light, and probably based outside London, though the precise location would remain undisclosed for paranoia's sake.
*disclaimer: the chances of me ever running this game are very low, and the chances in the next couple of months even lower.
Post by: Fniff on April 26, 2014, 12:43:24 pm
... I mean yes. Sorry. I would be very, very interested as urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres and Neverwhere is one of my favorite novels.
Post by: sjm9876 on April 26, 2014, 01:31:18 pm
Spoiler: A brief summary of the Neverwhere RPG system (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on April 28, 2014, 01:00:59 am
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 08:36:37 pm
Bay 12. Dating sim. It would probably use the more infamous users as options, such as Xanatalos, or GWG, or (insert user here) and then you could date them and potentially scar the actual users. Again, silly idea.
Post by: Furtuka on April 28, 2014, 08:38:41 pm
...tell me more
Post by: Remuthra on April 28, 2014, 08:39:25 pm
So! Potentially scaring/hilarious/(insert pleasurable adjective here) idea.I am slightly perturbed.
Bay 12. Dating sim. It would probably use the more infamous users as options, such as Xanatalos, or GWG, or (insert user here) and then you could date them and potentially scar the actual users. Again, silly idea.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on April 28, 2014, 08:43:02 pm
So! Potentially scaring/hilarious/(insert pleasurable adjective here) idea....or Derm. Also, absolutely genius, LOVE IT
Bay 12. Dating sim. It would probably use the more infamous users as options, such as Xanatalos, or GWG, or (insert user here) and then you could date them and potentially scar the actual users. Again, silly idea.
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 08:43:17 pm
((Sorry, it needs to be done.))
Post by: Remuthra on April 28, 2014, 08:47:27 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 28, 2014, 08:51:08 pm
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 08:52:08 pm
Also, what if it was a multiplayer RPG? I think it could work as a thing. It'd probably be different from the Suggestion Game version I plan to run.
Post by: Playergamer on April 28, 2014, 08:53:14 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 28, 2014, 08:53:43 pm
Eh, I really would avoid that if possible so he's probably safe anyways.do it
Also, what if it was a multiplayer RPG? I think it could work as a thing. It'd probably be different from the Suggestion Game version I plan to run.Into the ground.
Post by: Remuthra on April 28, 2014, 08:57:33 pm
Eh, I really would avoid that if possible so he's probably safe anyways.I was just thinking you might do that.
Also, what if it was a multiplayer RPG? I think it could work as a thing. It'd probably be different from the Suggestion Game version I plan to run.Into the ground.
What, you don't want an insane old guy in your dating sim?
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:04:02 pm
Also, don't complain about keyboards to the guy who is using a phone and planning to start an RPG despite how difficult it would be to not screw things up.
Post by: Playergamer on April 28, 2014, 09:05:39 pm
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:06:21 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 28, 2014, 09:08:53 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 28, 2014, 09:09:14 pm
That's a bad thing.
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:11:10 pm
Post by: Nerjin on April 28, 2014, 09:16:41 pm
I have to wonder how many people you'd be planning on including and how famous they'd have to be.
I vote for 7 options. Four mainstays, two of your personal favorites, and one selected by those who sign up via vote.
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:18:35 pm
Also, Nice idea Nerjin. You'll definently be in it. Definently.
Post by: Parsely on April 28, 2014, 09:18:45 pm
I want you all to know that you're inspiring me right now.Oh. Ohhhhhh~
That's a bad thing.
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 28, 2014, 09:19:00 pm
The question also lies in gender...would they all be female/male? Or their actual genders? Or some random combination?
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:20:32 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on April 28, 2014, 09:23:01 pm
I get the feeling that the Yaoi is going to through the roof though. If possible, you should include a guy who looks like a girl just to mess with people. I think that'd be hilarious.
Post by: Kadzar on April 28, 2014, 09:23:55 pm
It's less of a gulf and more of a small pond, to be honest. Shipping cares not about reality, canon or cross-species borders.is all that remains of the last Bay 12 shipping thread. The rest was nuked to oblivion.
Maybe, as USEC said, if you get their permission first. But these are dangerous waters you're treading.
Post by: Nerjin on April 28, 2014, 09:26:53 pm
I feel so loved right now.
Also, Nice idea Nerjin. You'll definently be in it. Definently.
Oooh, I get me some nice lovin' by the community? I support this. Lemme just double check with MOWE though...
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on April 28, 2014, 09:30:00 pm
Maybe, as USEC said, if you get their permission first. But these are dangerous waters you're treading.
Indeed. Here be Vengeful Toads and stuff like that. A disclaimer of some sorts should definitely be in the OP if you make a thread, and finger should hover the lock thread button at all times. Things could spiral out of control easily.
Post by: Parsely on April 28, 2014, 09:30:52 pm
If you're going to do this... Ask them about what gender they want to have. Plus, you know, you should be asking them whether to include them in your dating game anyways. So two birds with one stone.Mixing genders without permission seems fine. Asking them first is probably a good idea though.
I get the feeling that the Yaoi is going to through the roof though. If possible, you should include a guy who looks like a girl just to mess with people. I think that'd be hilarious.
Someone find that one guy who has a game with a trap in it.
EDIT: Yes, be extra careful when you make this.
Post by: Remuthra on April 28, 2014, 09:32:14 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on April 28, 2014, 09:32:32 pm
Someone find that one guy who has a game with a trap in it.
Hmmm? What are you talking about?
Post by: Playergamer on April 28, 2014, 09:32:36 pm
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:33:56 pm
Post by: Parsely on April 28, 2014, 09:36:27 pm
Kevak! Had to hunt for the name. Makes characters that are traps. Runs a game where one character is a trap. Suggested a character for at least one game that was a trap.Someone find that one guy who has a game with a trap in it.
Hmmm? What are you talking about?
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on April 28, 2014, 09:37:15 pm
Kevak! Had to hunt for the name. Makes characters that are traps. Runs a game where one character is a trap. Suggested a character for at least one game that was a trap.
Huh. Good to know, I guess?
Post by: kj1225 on April 28, 2014, 09:38:36 pm
Post by: Nerjin on April 28, 2014, 09:54:09 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 03, 2014, 10:26:09 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 03, 2014, 10:26:57 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 03, 2014, 10:30:47 pm
I like how there's no room for input there. It's very firm and to the point.Uhmm..:c
Post by: Remuthra on May 03, 2014, 10:31:17 pm
I like how there's no room for input there. It's very firm and to the point.This is Gaming Block, not Gaming Panel.
Post by: Parsely on May 03, 2014, 11:50:17 pm
I like how there's no room for input there. It's very firm and to the point.I mean if you've got something you want to add go ahead. But I haven't even begun to write it up yet so there's nothing to even talk about yet.
Post by: Playergamer on May 03, 2014, 11:51:41 pm
Actually, both of those sound awesome.
Post by: Parsely on May 03, 2014, 11:59:29 pm
Is it a suggestion game, or does each player control a team or something?That's actually a very helpful question as I begin to brainstorm.
Actually, both of those sound awesome.
I lean towards suggestion at first, because then we can focus on some gritty tactical action from the perspective of a commander leading a global initiative that can range heavily in the scale of conflict, from a small battalion being dispatched to handle a city-wide outbreak to some slower paced character driven sections with only a single pair of agents on an investigation.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on May 04, 2014, 03:19:37 am
The squad will be sent on missions given by mission givers the players communicates with during the metagame (missions can be acquired via a mission list updated after every mission, during a mission, and via RP in the metagame.) to various locations, with various objectives. Before each mission, the soldiers would be equipped with gear in the HQ's inventory, which is obtained as rewards, during a mission, and in the metagame.
After being sent on a mission, the game turns into a bit of a roll to dodge. Each soldier has stats, hidden to the players, affecting various things along with their equipment+(also hidden)traits, D20 style.
The squad can converse with peaceful contacts, explore, fight hostiles, etc., and eventually be extracted on the dropship. Post-mission, you ONLY get what is in the returning squadmates' inventories.
If someone died and you didn't pick up their gear, you lose their gear. If you didn't pick up something, you don't get said something.
Soldiers can be hired when a player asks for hiring options. A random amount of soldiers will be made with varying pays and bios, hinting at their stats+traits.
When injured in the mission, soldiers will remain injured and be put in the HQ's medbay, and take varying amount of missions to recover. They can be prematurely ejected, or put in better hospitals
for faster recovery times at a fee.
Soldiers can also level up in skills, and acquire traits at certain occasions.
Spoiler: Sample Turn (click to show/hide)
The metagame would be pretty hands off. The players can unlock new items to purchase via mission rewards, and during missions as well as RP segments.
The players then purchase items at any time in the metagame, and equip soldiers with those items. This would provide a progression from a lowly group to a renowned high-tech one.
Players can take missions, converse with contacts, and manage their soldiers.
Spoiler: Misc Stuff (click to show/hide)
However, I'd like some input. What could I add to the metagame to add more stuff for the players to do (making it a large part of the game), while keeping it simple? I'm also undecided on when/how to level up soldiers. Should I make them earn exp by killing things+etc, and the players can choose what general avenue to "train"/etc. in? A natural 20/whatever would level them up in that attribute? I honestly don't know. ANOTHER problem is the setting. I was thinking sci-fi, but it could be anywhere. 1970s, 2030s, 2521, etc. And what would the player's group be? A special ops team? Mercenaries?
The type of game is also a concern. I want it to be a suggestion game, but I'm not too sure if it's the right path for it.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 04, 2014, 03:47:34 am
For setting, I'd go with futuristic or scifi; though of course you could have, say, 40s tech mixed with advanced technology. Could you share the combat system more in detail?
(Not really relevant, but I somehow got the idea of an Urban Fantasy XCOM-style game. Maybe I could mix it with the Mage Council idea from way back.)
Post by: Mesa on May 04, 2014, 06:09:40 am
Alright, 'ts just about my own bloody laziness, but still.
(although there's one game of mine that might be coming back really soon, even though it's not being made directly by me (I still get to help the new GM with some of the content) and hopefully everyone should like it)
Post by: Chiefwaffles on May 04, 2014, 12:32:21 pm
When combat first start, I would look at the environment for possible modifiers. Cover may be a thing, but I'm not sure. Certain conditions would help/penalize various rolls.
What happens in combat:
A weapon is fired -> Accuracy rating of weapon w/ modifiers, such as stats/items rolls against defender's agility, w/ modifiers, like the environment, a good "dodge-armor", etc.
If hit, then the damage range of the weapon (e.g. 4-12) is 'rolled' against the armor rating of the opponent, for total damage.
The damage is then deducted from a hidden health stat(, though health loss is hardly the only way to die in combat), and the severity of the wound is chosen by me, based on the damage.
If I want, I can roll again for severity of wound if it's a lot of damage/any other time, for non-health related effects.
Throughout the combat, I may roll for Luck. (Possibly another hidden stat?)
Things such as initiative, etc. are left to the GM to choose based on the situation.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on May 04, 2014, 06:34:11 pm
Spoiler: Intro 1 - Dystopian Future (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Intro 2 - Apparent Paradise (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Intro 3 - Frontier (click to show/hide)
On another note, what do people think of an XP+Rank System (e.g. "Private", etc) based on kills, recovered tech, and maybe other things furthering the mission?
EDIT: Somehow didn't notice the double post. Oops.
EDIT2: Added some more possible intros.
Post by: Mesa on May 12, 2014, 03:29:46 pm
- A sci-fi game in which the galaxy (which may or may not be Milky Way) has been conquered by a more powerful alien race and pretty much all once-civilized planets have been turned into force-field protected slave worlds (Gothic's Valley of the Mines...IN SPACE!). The player (or players) finds themselves on one such world, with a single urge...To escape.
- A fantasy-ish game which is in essence a glorified Tree Spirit challenge (http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/336073-challenge-the-tree-spirit/) from Mynekraft. Or, in other words: you are a dryad/tree spirit/
an elfand have to protect your tree and let it grow. Potential for some fancy stuff later on, I suppose.
/me shrugs
(Ideas, suggestions and just simple "votes" are more than welcome.)
Post by: Parsely on May 13, 2014, 11:05:14 am
Post by: sjm9876 on May 13, 2014, 12:32:12 pm
4 stats, each of which functions as HP too, (two types of HP, Phys and Mag)
Physical:
Flesh: Determines Phys Attack, weak to Cutting.
Bone: Determines Phys Def, weak to Bashing.
Magical:
Blood: Determines Mag Attack, weak to Soul Magic.
Soul: Determines Mag Def, weak to Blood Magic.
Magic/Physical damage is split between the two appropriate stats, but deals more damage to the weak stat. If that makes sense.
Each undead is missing something, and so has a 'null stat', which has no points, and can survive without the points in. this gives certain benefits?
Flesh: Immune to status conditions
Bone: Incorporeal
Blood: Unnoticed by mundane mortals
Spirit: Only die if a stat hits -5 rather than 0.
Being undead, stats can be leached from mortals.
Oh, and a quick intro thing I knocked up some time ago for a similar themed idea:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on May 13, 2014, 01:22:31 pm
Chris Redfield
Squad Skills
Leadership 5.00
Tactics 4.00
Agent Skills
Operations
Investigation 2.00
Medicine 2.00
Combat
Handg 5.00
Magnm 3.00
SMach 1.00
AsltR 3.00
Shotg 5.00
Marks 5.00
Lnchr 2.00
Thrwn 3.00
Melee 5.00
---
I need to make the operations skills cover everything generally. Less than 10 skills total is preferred. I also need to figure out a stat system for weapons and how that would work with the combat skills.
Post by: Nerjin on May 15, 2014, 10:01:28 am
Post by: Nerjin on May 15, 2014, 10:35:42 am
I need to make this better:
Alrighty then, I shall comment on what you have and then go into what you wanted to add.
Quote
Chris Redfield
Actually, are you making all the characters or do the players get to make their own? I’m not aware of if you’ve made this game yet but I’m somewhat curious about that.
Quote
Squad SkillsWhat does tactics do that leadership doesn’t do? If you ask me if seems like Leadership and Tactics should be one and the same. Plus you can put it into Agent Skills to make it less expansive [Which sounds bad at first, but you should shoot for every skill being useful than a bunch of skills that are just sitting around.]
Leadership 5.00
Tactics 4.00
Quote
Agent Skills
Operations
Investigation 2.00
Medicine 2.00
Sounds good to me. Though is Investigation going to be a huge part of the game? Just a thought as it seems to be based on Biohazard/Resident Evil.
Quote from: The One I really want to talk about
Combat
Handg 5.00
Magnm 3.00
Two things, don’t abbreviate things on the character sheet. It makes it hard to understand what you’re talking about. At least, don’t do it on the first character sheet in the OP so everyone can kinda get what you’re saying. Secondly, Magnums are just larger caliber handguns. They use different ammo but the principle operation is the same I would think. Merge this with handgun to condense the list. There is another reason, but I’ll get to that after the next quote because it applies there too.
Quote
SMach 1.00
AsltR 3.00
What are these? Sub-Machine Gun and Assault Rifle maybe? If so, merge them into the “Automatics” category. As with the above they share many characteristics [though less, I will admit] but have different ammo types. But why merge them then? Well, as well as the characteristics it gives the player more choice. If I start pumping points into SMach [SMG might be a better abbreviation as that is a super common one], then I can never use AsltR because “Hey, I have too many points there.” Despite both of them filling the same type of role in a firefight [suppression]. Maybe that’s a weak point, but I feel it might be better to the game overall.
Quote
Shotg 5.00
Seems fine to me. Nothing to really say.
Quote
Marks 5.00 [Marksmanship I suppose. I would call it Sniper instead, since it appears to be more geared towards Single Shot rifles. But see my afterward for that.]
Should probably be called Sniper, since it appears to be geared more towards that brand of rifles. But I like the term Marksman, so we’re gonna keep that for the afterward.
Quote
Lnchr 2.00
Hm... Not sure if a rocket launcher will come up enough to really warrant an entire stat for it. Imagine if a fantasy game had stats for Fire Magic, Water Magic, Earth Magic, Wind Magic, Healing Magic, Summoning, and then Black Hole [a one off spell that costs thousands of gold to use. I dunno, seems like sinking points into this would be a bad idea. BUT there should be a skill for them… Hm… In 4 and 5 the Rocket Launchers are scoped… Let’s put it in with Sniper as it uses a single powerful shot. I’m just gonna skip the other two skills because they seem fine.
Quote
I need to make the operations skills cover everything generally. Less than 10 skills total is preferred. I also need to figure out a stat system for weapons and how that would work with the combat skills.
Well if I did this right the new sheet should look something like this.
Quote from: New Sheet
Chris Redfield
Agent Skills
Leadership 5.00 [I don’t know what this would do really. That’s up to you.
Marksman 4.00 [Increases accuracy with all ranged weapons.]
Investigation 2.00 [It’s up to you]
Medicine 2.00 [Increases benefits with healing items]
Combat Skills
Handg 8.00 [Increases skill with Handguns and Magnums]
Automatics 4.00 [Increases skill with SMGs, Assault Rifles, and Machine Guns]
Shotg 5.00 [Increases skill with Shotguns]
Sniper 7.00 [Increases skill with Scoped weapons such as Rifles and Rocket Launcher]
Thrown 3.00 [Increases skill with Grenades, Mines, and other Miscellaneous thrown items]
Melee 5.00 [Increases skill with weapons such as Knives, Chairs, Bottles, Cattle Prods, and unarmed attacks]
So that’s my idea on it. As for the weapon stuff I’m going to assume this is turned based combat that relies on action points [Similar to Fallout or Left 4 Dead: Back 4 More as those are the systems I like best. If this is not the sort of system you use, get back to me and I’ll try to think up something better for your game.]
Quote from: Weapon Template: Name would usually go here
Type: (Skill) [list the skill needed to wield it. Shotgun, Handgun, Automatic, etc. If you’d like you could also have each weapon require a certain amount of skill to use. Obviously Accuracy would have a lot to do with your level of skill and the amount of points you have in Marksman.]
Range: Min/Max [The ranges that this weapon is capable of operating at.
Firepower: # [How much damage the weapon deals per shot]
Rate of Fire: #/#AP [How many shots you can use per amount of AP.]
Clip Size: #/# Ammo [How many shots are left in the clip. Also shows what ammo type it uses.]
Reload Cost: #/#AP [How much it costs to reload the gun to full Clip Size]
Piercing: # [The amount of targets the bullet will go through before it becomes useless.]
Special: Blah blah blah [Whatever special thing needs to be kept in mind with this weapon.]
Size: X,Y [How much space it takes in your attaché case. Shown as Horizontel spaces vs Vertical. Not sure if you’re using that system however.]
Description: A quick description of the weapon. About a sentence or two I would think.
Let’s make two quick guns. A shotgun and a SMG. Just to get the full effect. First the shotgun.
Quote from: Sawn-Off Shotgun
Type: Shotgun
Range: 1/10
Firepower: 35
Rate of Fire: 1/AP
Clip Size: 2/2 Shotgun Shells
Reload Cost: 1AP* [Not the Asterisk, this means to check Special]
Piercing: 3
Special:
Shotgun – This weapon loses 1/7 [-5] of its Firepower per each square its shot goes.
Tubed Reload – This weapon reloads 1 ammo at a time.
Small Gun – This weapon is small enough that it allows the user to move a little more per turn.
Size: 6,3
Description: A common double barreled shotgun that has had its stock and most of the barrel sawn off. Never leave home without it.
Quote from: The UZI
Type: Automatic
Range: 1/25
Firepower: 3
Rate of Fire: 5/AP
Clip Size: 25/25 SMG Rounds
Reload Cost: 1AP
Piercing: 0
Special:
Small Gun – This weapon is small enough that it allows the user to move a little more per turn.
Size: 4,3
Description: One of the most well known submachine guns in the world the Uzi combines easy handling with a high rate of fire. Its high rate of fire eats through ammunition however.
And I’m sure I’m missing something but those are my thoughts so far. I’d be willing to help you work on this system a bit more if you need to.
[/list]
Post by: Mesa on May 15, 2014, 02:01:16 pm
If anyone here follows my Gun Francisco (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137004.0) project, you may know that I tried to do a suggestion game based in that universe.
But it failed. Rather horribly.
And the following concept may as well fail even harder, but HEY, why NOT?
Basically, it would be a multiplayer vs. strategy/tactical(-ish) game, with 3 (humans, frogs, birds) teams of 3 players, taking place on this WIP map, with the simple purpose of smashing the opposition.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
All teams start out in their respective cities (which would have some witty names, naturally; the city in the middle is of course Gun Francisco, even though the geography of its area does not look anywhere near like that map. :P) and after negotiating can do the following (probably by sending a PM to me by someone from their team):
- move their vehicle (convoy/fortress/airship) and all that is on it (weapons/ammunition/troops) and possibly meet another vehicle/attack a city
- purchase weapons/upgrades/ammunition (with ammunition) at a city
- evolve a mutation for their troops (which costs mutagen; more about that later)
- build another vehicle (which costs ammunition, mutagen and can only be done at a 2x2 city)
- split resources between vehicles
- possibly something else I've forgotten about
If two teams are about to meet (either in a city or off-road as two vehicles), a battle begins, which uses some-sorta turn-based roll-based system (which is gonna be fairly minimalistic to keep things tight and easy). During battles all players of the participating teams play (and possibly control multiple characters at once to make the action interesting).
In combat players can move, attack, dodge roll (which prevents shooting but provides a quick burst of speed and a (fairly high) chance to avoid incoming attacks), change and reload weapons and make use of their passive mutations. (I wish I could incorporate jumping into this but unfortunately I can't...) :/
When one player dies, they get to pick another mutant from their local "pool" until it's completely depleted in which case the other team wins and gets to get their weapons and ammunition.
(I've done a few posts about weapons in the GF thread and the overall system should remain the same in this game ie. three primaries (SMGs/shotgun/bow), three melees (chainsaw/harpoon/sledgehammer) and three explosives (missiles/grenades/mines). With some adaptations to a forum game system.)
Overall goal is a game that's big, fun and yet manageable for me to...well, manage. So it needs to be relatively simplistic mechanically.
So any help in relation to that would be more than appreciated.
(I'm pretty sure that my post is missing something...)
Post by: Parsely on May 15, 2014, 06:49:08 pm
Actually, are you making all the characters or do the players get to make their own? I’m not aware of if you’ve made this game yet but I’m somewhat curious about that.This isn't a character sheet, these are stats for an agent in a suggestion game that I'm currently running. So yeah, I'm generating these myself. Think X-COM BTW.
What does tactics do that leadership doesn’t do? If you ask me if seems like Leadership and Tactics should be one and the same. Plus you can put it into Agent Skills to make it less expansive [Which sounds bad at first, but you should shoot for every skill being useful than a bunch of skills that are just sitting around.]
Sounds good to me. Though is Investigation going to be a huge part of the game? Just a thought as it seems to be based on Biohazard/Resident Evil.
Two things, don’t abbreviate things on the character sheet. It makes it hard to understand what you’re talking about. At least, don’t do it on the first character sheet in the OP so everyone can kinda get what you’re saying. Secondly, Magnums are just larger caliber handguns. They use different ammo but the principle operation is the same I would think. Merge this with handgun to condense the list. There is another reason, but I’ll get to that after the next quote because it applies there too.
What are these? Sub-Machine Gun and Assault Rifle maybe? If so, merge them into the “Automatics” category. As with the above they share many characteristics [though less, I will admit] but have different ammo types. But why merge them then? Well, as well as the characteristics it gives the player more choice. If I start pumping points into SMach [SMG might be a better abbreviation as that is a super common one], then I can never use AsltR because “Hey, I have too many points there.” Despite both of them filling the same type of role in a firefight [suppression]. Maybe that’s a weak point, but I feel it might be better to the game overall.
Should probably be called Sniper, since it appears to be geared more towards that brand of rifles. But I like the term Marksman, so we’re gonna keep that for the afterward.
Hm... Not sure if a rocket launcher will come up enough to really warrant an entire stat for it. Imagine if a fantasy game had stats for Fire Magic, Water Magic, Earth Magic, Wind Magic, Healing Magic, Summoning, and then Black Hole [a one off spell that costs thousands of gold to use. I dunno, seems like sinking points into this would be a bad idea. BUT there should be a skill for them… Hm… In 4 and 5 the Rocket Launchers are scoped… Let’s put it in with Sniper as it uses a single powerful shot. I’m just gonna skip the other two skills because they seem fine.
So that’s my idea on it. As for the weapon stuff I’m going to assume this is turned based combat that relies on action points [Similar to Fallout or Left 4 Dead: Back 4 More as those are the systems I like best. If this is not the sort of system you use, get back to me and I’ll try to think up something better for your game.]
Quote from: Weapon Template: Name would usually go hereType: (Skill) [list the skill needed to wield it. Shotgun, Handgun, Automatic, etc. If you’d like you could also have each weapon require a certain amount of skill to use. Obviously Accuracy would have a lot to do with your level of skill and the amount of points you have in Marksman.]
Range: Min/Max [The ranges that this weapon is capable of operating at.
Firepower: # [How much damage the weapon deals per shot]
Rate of Fire: #/#AP [How many shots you can use per amount of AP.]
Clip Size: #/# Ammo [How many shots are left in the clip. Also shows what ammo type it uses.]
Reload Cost: #/#AP [How much it costs to reload the gun to full Clip Size]
Piercing: # [The amount of targets the bullet will go through before it becomes useless.]
Special: Blah blah blah [Whatever special thing needs to be kept in mind with this weapon.]
Size: X,Y [How much space it takes in your attaché case. Shown as Horizontel spaces vs Vertical. Not sure if you’re using that system however.]
Description: A quick description of the weapon. About a sentence or two I would think.
This is probably where I should've been more clear: Operations skills affect the performance of the units that you send to handle large-scale conflicts, so when you attach Chris Redfield to Special Operations Unit x*, they gain these skills. Agent skills are personal stats which come into play when you're doing smaller scale stuff in the vein of RE1-5, where you've got a single highly skilled operative or pair being sent to investigate. Less destroying B.O.W.s and more gathering evidence to bring down the pharmaceutical megacorps behind them. Leadership would represent Chris' ability to rally the men, inspire them, make sure they follow orders, etc. Chris' knowledge of Tactics would grant the troopers some natural insight into the concept, meaning they'd better understand where to position themselves advantageously.
Investigation will be HUGE. You can stop B.O.W.s by shooting them, but they'll just keep being bought by terrorists. You need Agents with solid detective skills to gather the sort of information you need to track the source, and stop companies like Umbrella from supplying terrorists and creating such destructive weapons. That's the whole point of the BSAA in the games.
Relax, it's for my benefit. I thought you'd infer that. And even if I left it that way, I'd be sure to have a legend available. Also, sticking with the theme (Resident Evil) I'm going to separate them because Magnums are crazy powerful. They're literally more destructive than some explosives.
This isn't a traditional RPG-style point system. You increase stats through training and usage. The initial values are mean to denote affinity. And as a matter of fact submachine guns fill a radically different role than assault rifles. It's kind of why they have a different name, buddy. c:
"Marks" is short for "Marksman Weapon," this covers actual sniper's rifles, as well as DMRs and the like. I prefer it.
"Launcher" covers shoulder-launchers, grenades launchers, possibly some special weapons. It's fine imho.
It's not. I don't like AP because it's too hard to keep track of, and I prefer dice. I won't be using images or maps anyways and those would likely be required if I used that system. Also, no attaché case, you just deploy and carry whatever is reasonable. Suggestion games are chill like that.
*As in the variable. Like in algebra.[/list]
Post by: Nerjin on May 15, 2014, 08:09:53 pm
Though I do take some issue with the Assault Rifle vs SMG thing you said. They seem, to me, to fill a similar battle-field role. But that's just my opinion.
Post by: Parsely on May 15, 2014, 08:20:28 pm
Well then I'm sorta out of my element. Free-form-esque games aren't my style so I don't really know what works with them. I'm more of a rigid system kinda guy because I find having rules makes the game run far more smoothly than "Eh, this sems reasonable" so... Yeah.Well the numbers come in during the Agent sections, which is where it becomes more like a game with players. I'm just having trouble making the numbers mean something, which is generally why I avoid those kinds of games, but I want the personal combat to be much more rigid as you said. I want a combat system that works with 1-2 PCs against a host of enemies. I want stats so players can see a measurable benefit to the TSG half of the game, as well as a set for weapons affinity and combat. I want the guns to have stats themselves as well so players can swap them and tune them and equip the Agents because that's fun! I want the enemies to have easy but flexible stats so updates don't take forever but the bad guys are still interesting to fight.
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 15, 2014, 08:27:45 pm
And two, assault rifles and sub-machine guns fill a vaguely similar battlefield role. Assault rifles were a compromise between true/bolt-action rifles and sub-machines guns meant to be effective at a distance up to 400 meters, since that's where most firefights were taking place in, yet still be capable of automatic fire, and easily carried by basic infantry. Rifles were at peak effectiveness compared to other weapons at over 1000+ meters, and sub-machines guns were rarely effective past perhaps 200 meters.
Post by: Parsely on May 15, 2014, 08:54:20 pm
Two things. Why would magnums and handguns be in separate categories, but grenade launchers and rocket launchers be in the same one?Because "Magnums" aren't handguns. They're super-heavy personal weapons with massive bores, specifically anything over the range of .50 caliber, designed to take down massive BOWs. MassiveAnnihilatory/GenocidalUnassistedMunitionsSystem. MA/GUMS. Or "Magnum."
Grenade launchers and rocket launchers will do about the same damage, plus they're rare so I might as well rope them together. It also includes other shoulder-fired weapons. Look, you have to keep in mind that they'll get weird experimental things too like giant lasers which I can also include in there. So just chelax about the categories m'kay?
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 15, 2014, 09:19:07 pm
My question, is when would sniper rifles and assault rifles even be useful in the kinds of close-quarters action something even vaguely similar to X-COM would have?
Post by: Nerjin on May 15, 2014, 09:21:09 pm
"Hm... I like Handguns... Oh wait, they're phased out pretty quickly by pretty much every other weapon. Only used if I don't need them. No need to really train that up. *Shrug* And my Magnum is awesome but only really useful in a boss-fight due to its scarcity so I can't train that up. May as well just focus on SMG or Assault Rifle."
I dunno, seems like Handgun and Magnum become more desireable if you put them together. Because then you use the Pistols as training wheels while the magnums are what you're working up for. I dunno... Maybe I'm just not getting something. I am somewhat biased towards having less skills overall...
Post by: Parsely on May 15, 2014, 09:23:37 pm
And you hush over there Rolep!
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 17, 2014, 03:41:32 pm
Look the categories will work, okay?! Just forget about them! I want help with the combat system. Will post more in a bit..
And you hush over there Rolep!
>:D
EHEHEHEHE
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 03:43:29 pm
8C
Nah its fine I'll just work it out on my own. You guys are frustrating (<3) but it did give me some ideas! Thanks! :-D
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 17, 2014, 03:54:26 pm
And swords. Never forget swords.
Post by: Playergamer on May 17, 2014, 03:59:23 pm
Versus SG.
Specifically, space colonists versus aliens/natives/the entire world.
Just asking for interest.
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 04:11:32 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 17, 2014, 04:26:37 pm
Also does anyone remember that one game where dragons took over the world and everyone played either a freedom force for their own ideology or a dragon trying to keep control.
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 17, 2014, 06:20:04 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 17, 2014, 06:22:51 pm
Post by: Squeegy on May 17, 2014, 06:41:24 pm
To get the ball rolling, would anybody be interested in a Peasant Adventure Redux? For those unaware, Peasant Adventure is one of the all time classic games, up with Do Not Follow The Rainbow Snail and You Are Scientist (Hey, you know all those You Are X games? Scientist was the first. And best.) where the players are peasants and get to do stuff. Sorry, I cannot remember details, but I recall it being funny as heck. Especially NUKE's edition. That guy is amazing.
Shamelessly quoting the OP to remind everyone that Peasant Adventure was the shit.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 17, 2014, 06:52:14 pm
I especially remember the dwarven equivalent whose name I've totally forgotten. Though I for some reason remember the name of the one who ran it, so...
Ah. Potash Maker Adventure (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=54026.0) and Potash Maker Adventure II. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=90271.0) Good times leveling skills too slowly for them to become useful before you got yourself killed. Plus crafting! Useless, useless crafting.
Post by: Jboy2000000 on May 17, 2014, 07:36:42 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 07:38:38 pm
Not really an idea, but I think there are really to many Suggestion games, and not enough RPG's on the forum.Not exactly. About 3 of the games on the first page of the FGRP board are SGs.
Why don't you try making one?
Post by: IronyOwl on May 17, 2014, 07:40:48 pm
Why don't you try making one?Always good advice, I say.
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 07:46:53 pm
Everyone should try GMing sometime.Why don't you try making one?Always good advice, I say.
Post by: Jboy2000000 on May 17, 2014, 07:49:00 pm
Why don't you try making one?Because Im rubbish at it and I already have one going that I can rarely update thanks to real life distractions. And what I meant is that theres always a relative lack, you said theres 3 on the front page. Whats the rest? I bet most of the rest of the first page and the next are suggestion games, and the ones that are up are filled and you'd need to be placed on a waitlist.
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 07:50:39 pm
Post by: Jboy2000000 on May 17, 2014, 07:54:24 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on May 17, 2014, 07:56:28 pm
Alright, maybe I was a bit vague, what I meant is RPG games where you control a character you create, which what I really see as a RPG, I don't really think suggestion games to be real RPG games.
...
...
I'm sorta making up a new RPG game. It's probably not what you have in mind, but...
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 08:20:26 pm
Alright, maybe I was a bit vague, what I meant is RPG games where you control a character you create, which what I really see as a RPG, I don't really think suggestion games to be real RPG games.Pretty much all games in the FGRP forum are games with players though! I agree with what you say about SGs, but they are a minority, imo.
Post by: Squeegy on May 17, 2014, 08:24:46 pm
Not really an idea, but I think there are really to many Suggestion games, and not enough RPG's on the forum.
Not exactly. About 3 of the games on the first page of the FGRP board are SGs.
Why don't you try making one?
Alright, maybe I was a bit vague, what I meant is RPG games where you control a character you create, which what I really see as a RPG, I don't really think suggestion games to be real RPG games.
Tell that to Dueling Blades and Foot Soldiers, which are both in need of players. Dueling Blades can't even start and only one person who's joined has turned in a sheet.
Post by: Fniff on May 17, 2014, 08:27:36 pm
I think I remember a period where suggestion games were so common people actually talked about giving them their own subforum. That's obviously died down nowadays, though.Alright, maybe I was a bit vague, what I meant is RPG games where you control a character you create, which what I really see as a RPG, I don't really think suggestion games to be real RPG games.Pretty much all games in the FGRP forum are games with players though! I agree with what you say about SGs, but they are a minority, imo.
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 08:38:39 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 17, 2014, 08:42:43 pm
Post by: Squeegy on May 17, 2014, 09:25:32 pm
Tell that to Dueling Blades and Foot Soldiers, which are both in need of players. Dueling Blades can't even start and only one person who's joined has turned in a sheet.Alright, you guys win. And you're awesome.
Post by: kj1225 on May 17, 2014, 09:26:51 pm
Post by: Squeegy on May 17, 2014, 09:27:58 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 17, 2014, 09:29:56 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 17, 2014, 09:59:08 pm
I pimp my games in the forum game list where they belong, gosh darn it.You should pimp your games in my thread exclusively dedicated to pimping games. That's right. I just pimped the pimp, sucka.
Post by: kj1225 on May 18, 2014, 06:41:12 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 18, 2014, 06:47:11 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 18, 2014, 06:48:21 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 18, 2014, 06:58:27 pm
Which end of the spectrum? Because the PC will start at the low end of the spectrum and go up.Mostly I just meant: Marvel-style super powers? Transformation? Is it a virus that unlocks normal human potential? Magic? What kind of powers are we talking here?
Post by: kj1225 on May 18, 2014, 07:02:54 pm
Post by: Parsely on May 18, 2014, 07:05:26 pm
Think Marvel style powers but occasionally people get a little bug that makes them be able to unlock powers after events like, defeating a number of enemies, or being defeated in a big way. (Kind of like Saiyans from DBZ? I think that's something about them.)What kind of power can the PC start with?
Post by: kj1225 on May 18, 2014, 07:10:38 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on May 18, 2014, 07:13:47 pm
Post by: Funk on May 18, 2014, 07:19:18 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 18, 2014, 09:28:44 pm
Post by: Mesa on May 19, 2014, 02:36:03 pm
A "create-your-own-boss-and-then-fight-it".
Essentially, there are two phases to every round of this game.
In phase 1, players can suggest and vote for various aspects of a giant monster creature they're willing to fight in the phase 2. It'll probably go based on a list to keep things somewhat organized.
Every player can choose a character from the list of X characters, each having a unique basic attack and two "active" abilities. Said abilities can be upgraded between rounds with specific upgrades. Because chances are that you will NOT defeat one boss in a single round. But you will gain gold that you can spend on upgrading your abilities, "unlocking" new heroes for other players to play as, and whatnot.
Not sure what kind of combat system it would use, but it should be somewhat emergent to keep things interesting and prevent people from just abusing some loophole in a lame way.
It would be relatively fast-paced, too.
Post by: kj1225 on May 19, 2014, 08:09:00 pm
Post by: Squeegy on May 19, 2014, 08:27:29 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 20, 2014, 09:16:13 pm
Units have four basic stats.
Stamina is basically a measure of the unit's ability to keep fighting; morale, fatigue, casualties, and supplies all rolled into one. Units regain Stamina slowly when they idle, and even more slowly if they're moving at a slow walking pace. Firing a volley of projectiles, fighting in combat, and witnessing other units routing are all examples of events that will reduce Stamina. If Stamina ever reaches 0, the unit is completely unable to fight, effectively destroyed, as it's few, exhausted remaining troops flee for their lives, defect to the enemy, or are slain to the last man. Units with low Stamina also receive penalties due to their hindered combat ability, while units with high Stamina receive bonuses. Some effects can reduce effective Stamina, without reducing actual Stamina; a unit with an effective Stamina of 0 is unable to move or fight, and instantly reduced to 0 Stamina if another unit enters combat with it, but can recover and continue fighting if left alone.
Attack is the skill of the unit at offensive maneuvers and actions. If the unit attacks an enemy unit, it uses its Attack to determine it's effectiveness in Combat. Attack is opposed by Defense.
Defense is the skill of the unit at defensive maneuvers and actions. If the unit is attacked by an enemy unit, it uses its Defense to determine it's effectiveness in Combat. Defense is opposed by Attack.
Move is a measurement of the speed of the unit over terrain. It can move as far as it's movement rating in one turn at a brisk marching pace. The unit can move up to three times this distance if it Runs, instead.
The combat system uses this, but is a little more complex. Compare the Attack and Defense of the units involved, then each side rolls a number of dice based on the ratio of one to the other. For every [maximum possible result] rolled, the roller may roll an additional dice and use the results of it in the combat results as well.
A : D - Attacker's Dice vs. Defender's Dice
x >= 3:1 - 4 vs. 2
3:1 > x >= 2:1 - 3 vs. 2
2:1 > x >= 1:1 - 3 vs. 3
1:1 > x > 1:2 - 2 vs. 3
1:2 >= x > 1:3 - 2 vs. 4
1:3 >= x - 2 vs. 5
Next, compare the results, highest to lowest. Excess dice are left aside for now. In each pair, whoever rolls higher scores a Success. Ties give no Success to either side. ]Every two excess dice give one automatic Success to their owner.] OR [Excess dice may be spent to give +1 to one of the non-excess dice results, possibly turning ties into Successes or Failures into ties] The results of the fighting depend on the number of successes each side got.
Each success causes a point of [Morale or Casualty?] Damage.
Each success after the first causes a point of [Morale or Casualty?] Damage.
Each success after the second causes a point of [Fatigue???] Damage.
Getting two or more successes means the enemy unit is pressed to defend themselves(If Attackers) or cannot advance(If Defenders), and may have their formation disrupted, giving them penalties to combat in subsequent turns. If the enemy got two or more successes as well, this result is negated.
Getting three or more successes means the enemy is forced back, into a disadvantageous position(If Attackers) or is forced to break off the assault(If Defenders), and may have to fall back.
Getting four or more successes means the enemy is forced to fall back in disarray, and may rout entirely!
Getting five or more successes means the enemy is completely routed, slain, or otherwise neutralized as a threat on the battlefield.
Various actions give bonus dice, bonuses to die results, or bonuses to Attack and/or Defense ratings; Charging, for example, gives a bonus die to Attackers the turn you charge. If Cavalry charge, it instead gives two bonus dice, as well as +1 to all die results. However, if Cavalry charge Pikemen who have set themselves to receive the charge, the Pikemen get their bonuses instead!
I'm not done yet, partially because exact numbers aren't complete(not even sure if I want to use d10s or d6s), and partially because I need to decide how ranged combat will be handled.
Post by: sjm9876 on May 21, 2014, 12:58:01 pm
Mechs would be built from a series of components, each of which has its own stats. Large parts of their function are determined by common sense however, so punching something with a cockpit would not be a good idea.
Stats:
HP: how much of a beating the part can take before breaking
Power consumption/generation: the power used/needed per turn. Power using items need that much power to be activated on any given turn.
Weight: Self explanatory. This acts downwards first, and failing that horizontally, with the weight split evenly between connected components.
Bear: The maximum weight it can support. This includes the supported parts, as well as any load on these parts.
Speed: Exclusive to locomotion items. movement occurs at the lowest speed of any modules. Deactivated locmotive modules reduce speed to 1/4 of the lowest activated. this stacks.
Spoiler: Example parts (click to show/hide)
Example mech blueprint (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NNvRZ0QP_BLDCuJCfAJ0b-MadPQjPP5sa4eTZGA6quw/edit?usp=sharing)
post is horrible, so may clean it up later. maybe.
Post by: Parsely on May 21, 2014, 01:28:20 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on May 21, 2014, 01:58:57 pm
Plus I just had the brilliant mental image of a mech coated in dragon hide from a past encounter.
But to actual rules:
Pilots themselves have 5 stats:
Skill: Skill in piloting the mech - analogue to physical stats for the most part.
Luck: For when it all goes wrong. May enable a broken limb to get one last use, avoiding area abilities, or even preventing your power pack detonating.
Technology: Building, repairing, and understanding parts all fall here.
Affinity: Connection to magic. Useful for spells, and pretty much anything magical really.
Body: The out of mech physical ability of the pilot.
Additional parts may be unlocked through defeating enemies (such as dragon hide armour) or through research.
Post by: kj1225 on May 21, 2014, 08:41:17 pm
Post by: Furtuka on May 21, 2014, 08:45:47 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on May 22, 2014, 03:39:33 am
I'm sure Bay12 could come up with some brilliant/horrifying creations.
Although if anyone has any ideas for parts/part stats I'd be interested to hear.
Current additional stat: Strength - which applies to things with some way off applying strength (eg arms, legs). This is used to determine how much force it can exert whilst powered (note - this could mean that depowering a limb results in the collapse of the mech, if not the breaking, if such things aren't accounted for). this also would be applied for damage - and as a direct measure of force in units weight, means bodyslams and similar ridiculous maneuvers would actually work in the damage system.
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 22, 2014, 09:54:52 pm
Post by: Mesa on May 24, 2014, 06:30:29 pm
Essentially, it's based on the idea that a forum is your game world, a board is a sector/area/zone/youcallit and a thread is a specific location (think like a dungeon).
Making new threads and posting costs you points, but you gain points every time someone responds to you or your thread.
There's also cards which have specific effects ranging from "Your next 5 posts cost no points" to "+50% points from replies to your threads" to "Lock a single enemy thread.". The cards would be obtained randomly when posting, purchasable with points or obtained in more specific ways.
It could be a competitive (if only vs "AI", read: me) game with some team stuff going on and would be more than likely to contain references to Bay12 as far as the cards go. (I'd be willing to take card requests even.)
Or it could be a typical suggestion game with an atypical setting.
I may have done something similar to that in the past, but whatever, would anyone be up for that?
Post by: Fniff on May 24, 2014, 06:47:16 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 24, 2014, 06:54:15 pm
Post by: Mesa on May 24, 2014, 07:01:24 pm
Though then it would be just a card game with a forum setting.
Ah well, I will make it anyway! Expect something tomorrow (well, technically today, it's 2AM here, lol) or on Monday!
Post by: Mesa on May 25, 2014, 05:09:06 am
Quote
The point of the game is to become the most influential poster on the forums, with the largest amount of points at the end of the game. Points are used for playing cards and can be attained in a few different ways:
- whenever someone replies (plays a card) on top of your thread/post card (thread replies are worth more, but thread cards cost more points)
- threads passively generate points per turn, dependant on how many posts there are in the thread
Points can be also used to purchase additional cards in-between rounds.
Post cards have to be played on Thread cards, which in turn have to played on Boards. Boards can provide various bonuses to specific Thread types, and specific Post cards gain certain benefit in particular Threads.
There are also Support cards, which follow their own placement rules and provide various benefits.
Each turn, a player may draw a card and play a card from their hand.
Post by: kj1225 on May 25, 2014, 07:50:13 am
Post by: Mesa on May 25, 2014, 07:58:29 am
Looks god.
OK.
Post by: Fniff on May 25, 2014, 08:01:16 am
Post by: Mesa on May 25, 2014, 09:58:22 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 25, 2014, 11:26:09 am
One idea I had is that every turn a random Thread or Post card is played by a GM with no cost (probably using random.org to avoid bias).
random.org is biased...invisible castle(or, you know, actual dice) would work far better.
Post by: kj1225 on May 25, 2014, 11:34:15 am
Post by: Fniff on May 25, 2014, 12:04:02 pm
Actual dice are biased, the same way that coins are.One idea I had is that every turn a random Thread or Post card is played by a GM with no cost (probably using random.org to avoid bias).
random.org is biased...invisible castle(or, you know, actual dice) would work far better.
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 25, 2014, 12:11:47 pm
Post by: Mesa on May 25, 2014, 12:18:09 pm
Post by: kj1225 on May 25, 2014, 12:22:19 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 25, 2014, 12:28:12 pm
EEdit; kj,you know invis castle has all that too? and it stores a memory of the die rolls that you can search for?
Post by: 10ebbor10 on May 25, 2014, 12:30:09 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 25, 2014, 12:32:54 pm
Post by: Nerjin on May 25, 2014, 12:44:20 pm
What you SHOULD want in an RNG is for the dice to determine what happens. Even if the die rolls the same way several times in a row that's what you have to go with.
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 25, 2014, 12:49:18 pm
In all honesty, I just think the layout and customizability of what you're rolling makes invisible castle really nice. Plus, if you forget, you can go back and check.
Post by: Funk on May 25, 2014, 01:54:12 pm
Does any one have any idea of how to help the player color there characters?
i was thinking of letting every one roll on the attributes table in the rule book Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness, but:
A) not every one has a copy and i can't tell them where to get one.
B) i need a way to keep people honest, some attributes are far more powerfull than others.
Post by: adwarf on May 25, 2014, 05:36:27 pm
I have an idea for a team game where the players are part of a chaos warband in 40K.1) Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness is a Warhammer Fantasy rulebook, you should probably use some of the 40k rulebooks or simply make them up on your own as the gods do act somewhat differently between the two and their power levels are vastly different.
Does any one have any idea of how to help the player color there characters?
i was thinking of letting every one roll on the attributes table in the rule book Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness, but:
A) not every one has a copy and i can't tell them where to get one.
B) i need a way to keep people honest, some attributes are far more powerfull than others.
2) The best way to handle it if you're gonna roll with a rulebook section that needs to be used to get something from then roll on the random table yourself and tell the player the result to add to their character sheet, that way its fair for everyone and no one can cheat.
3) Even if you don't use a rulebook section I'd still advise rolling the thing yourself if you want the thing to be random, or of course you could let them choose one beneficial thing and then roll a negative one or something.
Post by: kj1225 on May 25, 2014, 05:43:35 pm
Also, I'm somewhat interested in this as I always wanted to do something with Warhammer 40k.
Post by: Funk on May 25, 2014, 06:37:50 pm
1) Realms of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness is a Warhammer Fantasy rulebook, you should probably use some of the 40k rulebooks or simply make them up on your own as the gods do act somewhat differently between the two and their power levels are vastly different.Theres a large section on 40k, you have to remember that early 40k was basicy Fantasy but IN SPACE, so there a lot of crossover.
i'll go with 3 and do the rolls my self but all let the players choose the number of rolls.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on May 29, 2014, 07:11:18 am
Magic System I've Come Back to Recently
I. Aspects
Thought---Soul---Body---Primal---Blood---Entropy---Oblivion
Thought---Soul---Body---Primal---Blood---Entropy---Oblivion
The magic system is built around six Aspects and their use. Aspects are the 'materials' of magic, which would-be mages need to store within themselves to put into spells. A mage can only possess so much energy at a time, so how much of each, if any, they take is very much important, and needs to be chosen according to their magic style and the situation they face. A mage expecting a battle, for example, could anchor himself with a lot of Primal, which is the basic building block of all 'elemental' spells, which are raw, powerful, and unfocused. A mage embarking on a spirit journey would take on a lot of Soul, not just to begin such a journey, but also to protect himself against malevolent spirits and forces. And so forth and so forth.
Spoiler: The Six Aspects (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Using Aspects (click to show/hide)
II. Tools of Magic
Learning spells is not child's play, and mere human mages can only hold so much magical energy at a time. Over-reliance on magic can be fatal to a human. However, more power is found in magical objects. These are essentially powerful Anchors, which have been suffused with the energies and forces of the earth, and the collective feelings, ideas and thoughts of living beings around them. Tools of magic can range from staffs to swords, to shields, bracelets, rings, flutes, harps - everything human-crafted.
The origin and journeys of this kind of magic tool grant it varying levels of power and affinity. A staff carved from a bloody wood crackles with the energy of that thirsting, hateful place. A bracelet of bone fashioned from the skull piles of the Red Khmer radiates chilling desperation and stillness. A healer's rod crafted from the plastic and wrappings of a maternity ward, full with the gentle afterglow of a new life. A horn built in the epicenter of the aftermath of a nuclear explosion echoes with apocalyptic primal power.
The world changes. The land dries, or grows more verdant, and the people who tend to it fill it with their lives and emotions. Old tools of magic are powerful not only because power grows with age, but also because they become unique; one of a kind.
Spoiler: Mechanics of Tools of Magic (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Tools of Magic in the Game (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Example of a Tool of Magic (click to show/hide)
III. Spells and Other Mechanics
Spells require expending a number of Aspects, and have an effect. Spells can be ranged, ranged-and-following, on touch, on self, around the caster etc., depending on the specific spell. Actual RPG mechanics for the effects of spells are still pending, sssh, but they'll have a variety of effects. For example, the Strangler Hex [1 Body, 2 Blood] is a thrown burst of focused energy that catches a target (if it hits), wrapping them up in a steel vice and then crushing them to death. In game terms, it could cause 5 damage on hit, then continuing, +1 increasing damage every turn until the target is dead, as well as dealing movement- and action-impairing effects. Succeeding in a strength roll to break through or dispelling would be needed to escape.
Mechanics are still a bit iffy here, but it'll work out. I'm thinking of going with a number of your usual RPG stats - Strength, Toughness, Agility, plus magic stats which influence how many Aspects you can store at a time, your basic power, etc., which would allow for a variety of player builds. Suggestions, ideas, etc. welcome, if you have 'em.
The game would probably go in rounds of weeks, where you could allocate your actions, such as meditation, Anchoring a spell, crafting a weapon, doing research, and doing missions, investigating things, dealing with surprise visitors and getting involved in stuff that will end up in a quick death if you're lucky. It's a nasty world out there, I'm afraid. Either at the start of a week or the start of each day you could choose your Aspects for that time.
I'd probably have to keep the players together, because dealing with keeping the passage of time the same with separated players is hell, as I've noticed time and time again. Somehow, this makes me visualize an apartment full of magician roomies. I haven't decided on the focus of the game yet (so that would be possible, or the Wizard Council idea I had way back), so a variety of ideas could go with the same system.
---
Yeah, I think that's all. I wrote this after waking up, so it might be a bit unclear at points. You have my sympathies.
Comments, shows of interest, questions etc. welcome!
Post by: Tawa on June 02, 2014, 08:15:01 am
Bay12 Plays Final Fantasy.
Using an old FF ROM, I would have the party members named after Bay12ers. Every twenty steps of playing, I'd stop, take a screenshot, and have everybody vote on what to do.
Thoughts?
Hell, I'm doing it anyway.
Post by: Parsely on June 02, 2014, 03:20:59 pm
Well that's a Let's Play, this thread is for Forum Games. :pI had an idea:
Bay12 Plays Final Fantasy.
Using an old FF ROM, I would have the party members named after Bay12ers. Every twenty steps of playing, I'd stop, take a screenshot, and have everybody vote on what to do.
Thoughts?
Hell, I'm doing it anyway.
And I don't think there's much to suggest in an FF game unless you're really bad at FF or it's an FF you've never played before.
Post by: TealNinja on June 02, 2014, 07:58:54 pm
Well that's a Let's Play, this thread is for Forum Games. :pI had an idea:
Bay12 Plays Final Fantasy.
Using an old FF ROM, I would have the party members named after Bay12ers. Every twenty steps of playing, I'd stop, take a screenshot, and have everybody vote on what to do.
Thoughts?
Hell, I'm doing it anyway.
And I don't think there's much to suggest in an FF game unless you're really bad at FF or it's an FF you've never played before.
Well, if it were FF5, you could do a vote for a single class challenge, two class challenge, multiple class challenge, single character challenge, and then which classes and, if applicable, which character.
Post by: Parsely on June 02, 2014, 08:01:42 pm
I've never played FF5. Sounds cool though.Well that's a Let's Play, this thread is for Forum Games. :pI had an idea:
Bay12 Plays Final Fantasy.
Using an old FF ROM, I would have the party members named after Bay12ers. Every twenty steps of playing, I'd stop, take a screenshot, and have everybody vote on what to do.
Thoughts?
Hell, I'm doing it anyway.
And I don't think there's much to suggest in an FF game unless you're really bad at FF or it's an FF you've never played before.
Well, if it were FF5, you could do a vote for a single class challenge, two class challenge, multiple class challenge, single character challenge, and then which classes and, if applicable, which character.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 02, 2014, 09:56:03 pm
I think the system is very interesting, though I get the feeling that Oblivion Aspects probably have to be earned in a different way. I would think, however, that it would make more sense and, at least in my opinion, be more interesting, if the way each mage gained mana was individual to the mage in question. Certainly, some methods might be more universal than others, but the efficacy of such methods might differ...After all, it works similarly for Anchors, does it not?
Speaking of Anchors, for the tools, I find it interesting that it has a spell that uses Oblivion, yet has a penalty to Oblivion magic use(disregarding my opinion that a spell such as stillness should be Body and Thought, as much of it comes down to just that: opinion). But perhaps it's just a matter of my understanding of the Aspects versus yours, and the manner you intend Tools to be used.
All in all, it seems like a great idea for a magic system; simple, flavorful, and useful. It might need to be combined with an overall game system so that not everyone is a mage, for general RPGs, or simply have numeric mechanics assigned, for a mage-themed game, but I really like it, I think.
I think my only questions would be clarifications on how much the individual using a spell might influence it, and their personality; they might, in a sense, be their own anchors, should they believe strongly enough or accumulate enough power. A mage extremely in tune with the forces of nature might have Primal +1 Thought -1 and Oblivion -1, for example. An ancient necromancer could have Entropy +2 Oblivion +1 Soul -1 Blood -2 Primal -1. Different sites might attune to different aspects as well, would they not? Acting as anchors, or granting different aspects at different rates over time. Other than that, I think you answered any questions someone like me might come up with.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 03, 2014, 08:30:14 am
Stillness - the Oblivion might be misplaced, but that depends on the 'fluff' of the spell. Those spells in the example are not mechanically defined yet, but Stillness would likely be a spell ending all movement, sound, smells etc. inside the area - a bubble of frozen time and space, effectively. Oblivion serves here as destroying these forces of life and existence for a moment.
On the other hand, it could just as well be a Primal spell that prevents sound waves and such in the area. If it was Thought, though, it would only be mental, tricking people's minds. Body is mostly used on self, or brute physical alterations.
In other words; what the spell does isn't defined exactly, and you could justify almost every Aspect there. :P
Oblivion penalty and spell - You'll notice the Oblivion penalty is the sum of a large penalty and a bonus from The Long Silence. A tool's affinities can be altered in its centuries of use, so even a staff dedicated to survival and the continuation of life might in a way turn against its own purpose. The spell can be used, still, if more expensive, and you might be wearing another tool or Anchor that balanced it out (finding the best mix of gear will be tricky, ofc). Also, you can Learn the spell from the staff, so you can use it even without having the staff at hand (and thus without the staff's Aspect modifiers).
Oblivion - you're absolutely spot-on that Oblivion is different from the other Aspects. Gaining and using it will most likely be similar to the other Aspects, but the fluff and the world's reactions to using it will certainly not be.
I hadn't considered different ways of gaining Aspects much, but now I'm wondering. I had some things in mind - leeching off Aspects from people, creatures, possibly things being one - but for NPCs and enemies, mostly. Hmh.
I'm not sure about mages being Anchors on their own. Powerful mages would mainly be powerful because of the many spells and tools they've accumulated - though of course they're also more skilled. Places of power are very much a thing, though. Tapping into their power, maybe setting up your lair at one, is very useful. Though of course, high-'energy' places will also attract and create spirits by the dozens. Some places of power might have their own genius loci spirits, so making pacts with/devouring/enslaving them could happen.
As a final note, I've put together an RPG system for this and worked out how the game would play, generally. The basics are all done, just debating if some parts are unnecessary complexity or not.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 04, 2014, 06:42:44 pm
For the penalty/spell, that makes sense, and once I reread everything afterwards I realized that it was so.
As for Oblivion, I thought gaining it might be different, since if it's a tear in the heart of the world, why would the world give you that? It would seem like it would need special, probably 'evil' things to gian.
Also, I was thinking superficial changes for most mages, like taking a really long bath or meditating in a high place; listening for the Eternal Song in a crowded market for an hour; eating a crapton of food(and only getting perhaps a third of the nutrition consumed); giving other people pleasure or pain, hearing people talk about their lives, etc.
Though other ways to do so would certainly be possible.
For people being Anchors, it would mostly be in ways that took a long-ass time to get to, as in Gandalf might be an Anchor, or the Dark Queen(it really doesn't matter which Dark Queen from what book(s)/movies). Archmage of the Largest University of Magic in the world? Probably not an Anchor, though he'll have plenty. Additionally, I was trying to give the impression that overall you got more penalties than bonuses; that's how specialization works, after all.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 04, 2014, 06:58:46 pm
I get what you mean with the ways of getting their Aspects, but mechanically it's best to make it similar/abstracted, I think. I like the idea of, let's say a therapist mage, getting his mojo from listening to other people's problems, and such.
Oblivion, I want it to be sort of easy to gain. It doesn't come from the earth, no, but it's still ready and open to any mage willing to dive in. There's also no real understanding of how harmful Oblivion is, essentially - it destroys life and spirit, rather than 'recycling' it like normal death and change, so in the long run the world is going to have less and less life in it, and more of 'the Void'. The effects and rate of this happening are only getting worse with time. It's not treated the same way as other magic - anyone can tell there's something just wrong with it - but it's still used without any real stigma.
...I realize now I may have accidentally made some kind of global warming/fossil fuels allegory with Oblivion. Ah, well.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 04, 2014, 07:18:09 pm
Post by: Fniff on June 04, 2014, 07:22:34 pm
Creatures of Thought would be probably psychics or similar, as a lot of the themes definitely make me think of telepathy and mind control. Creatures of Soul make me think of spirits and such who are associated with baser emotions. Body would be similar to direcreatures, I imagine. Big massive wolves and bears and other such things. Primal would be definitely elementals. Blood... I really want to put down "vampires", but that'd be more of an entropy thing. Werewolves will have to do. Entropy is undead, since it's associated with decay and falling apart which most undead definitely are since undeath never lasts. Oblivion is probably eldritch monsters and horrors.
Would that make sense to you? If you want to include creatures as PCs, I'd imagine they would be the "Jack of One Trade, Master of All": they have only one element, but are much better at it then any mage can be. Plus, they can probably get their element much quicker then mages. Then again, this is all depending on whether or not you want a World of Darkness style monster mash or a more focused game.
Ah, but the difference there, I think, is that Oblivion can't be undone, period, while pollution can. Eventually.Well, nuclear pollution isn't looking too good. At least, if you're talking "undone in a reasonable timeframe". If you aren't, it's going to be fine.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 04, 2014, 07:26:37 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 05, 2014, 05:58:18 am
Thought is essentially the most human Aspect, that of thinking, sapient beings. There could be spirits of pure intellect, I suppose, but it won't be the central Aspect usually. You'll also find Thought with the scary old ones like the Fae. Blood being associated with them is spot-on (I have a demonic Hellhound spirit statted out, Blood is certainly there). Blood is also the Aspect of bestial minds, ie the opposite of Thought, but it's maybe the most varied/multi-faceted Aspect.
Your thoughts on Body make a whole lot of sense. I'd see werecreatures also of Blood, given Blood is the 'bestial nature' and the driving instincts and forces of your flesh and blood. Ghosts are Soul and Entropy as well, so that makes sense too.
Right now, mechanically speaking, the supernatural critters/non-mages I've done have Innate Aspects, so they don't need to refuel, which allow them to use their innate abilities. I don't really need to have them there, mechanics-wise, but it's also to encourage 'spirit leech' style of play. If you have the right abilities or spells, you can refuel anytime by snacking on something or someone. I imagine vampires also feed like this, maybe for a specific Aspect they need.
I realize you said you were thinking of your own system, Fniff, but this is useful discussion for me too, yes.
Post by: Fniff on June 05, 2014, 04:11:58 pm
The deal's gone bad,
It's everyone for themselves,
All the folks are pointing guns at each other,
And the only question on anybody's lips is...
How long until the bullets start flying?
Welcome to the Standoff!
The rules of the Standoff are simple. Each player has a gun. When shot with a gun, a player dies. Before firing, one has to aim the gun for a turn at who they want to shoot. Guns have a finite amount of ammo: when you run out of ammo, the gun can't fire. Ammo is represented by the number on your playing card. When you kill a player, you get their items and their ammo. Try to complete your objective and survive until the end of the round.
Simple explanation: this game is a combination of a Mafia game and that really tense bit at the end of a heist movie where everyone's pointing guns at each other and shouting angrily about missing money. At the start of a game, people are either given a random playing card that could represent one of four things: a special gun, role, item, or objective. The goal is to complete your objective and not get shot.
I'm still working out the rules, but it isn't a very highly complicated game and the premise explains the game pretty precisely. Sound good to you guys? I was thinking of making this an RtD, but that format is a little too random for what seems like a game of rapid alliance changing and tactical murder.
Guns
None: Pistol. Baseline gun.
Clubs: Dual Pistols. Aim and fire at two people.
Spades: Machine Gun. Ammo is doubled.
Hearts: Throwing Knife. Kill is silent.
Diamonds: Revolver. Kills whoever kills you.
Roles
None: Regular. Baseline role.
Clubs: Armor. Can survive one bullet.
Spades: Observe. Can determine someone's objective, once.
Hearts: Block. Can block one bullet from hitting someone.
Diamonds: Sharp. Can determine what someone's item/gun is, once.
Items
None: Zilch. Baseline item.
Clubs: Drugs.
Spades: Cash.
Hearts: Reports.
Diamonds: Diamonds.
Objectives
None: Survive until the end. [Note, this is automatically included with the other objectives].
Clubs: Kill [player]
Spades: Make sure [player] survives until the end
Hearts: Get [item] and keep it until the end of the round
Diamonds: Determine what role [player] is.
What do you guys think?
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 05, 2014, 05:24:54 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 06, 2014, 04:48:33 am
Post by: Nerjin on June 06, 2014, 04:50:33 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 06, 2014, 04:53:50 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 07, 2014, 05:43:23 am
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 07, 2014, 05:48:46 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 07, 2014, 05:49:56 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 07, 2014, 11:38:56 am
Post by: TCM on June 07, 2014, 12:32:40 pm
What were you expecting to do in this, other than duel, and maybe explore?
Otherworld subplot with Egypt and the Shadow Dimension and that stuff?
Honestly, I'd be mad hyped for a YuGiOh game, I'm getting hardcore nostalgia vibes. Oooh boy, the elementary-TCM inside my soul wants this a lot.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 07, 2014, 12:38:59 pm
Speaking of that, how would we make duels work?
Honestly, I'd be mad hyped for a YuGiOh game, I'm getting hardcore nostalgia vibes. Oooh boy, the elementary-TCM inside my soul wants this a lot.I can symphatize. Seriosly, Yugioh was the shit back in elementary school.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 08, 2014, 05:46:57 am
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 08, 2014, 05:49:26 am
Duels would presumably be held mostly in the thread, with me sending you your hand and then the cards you draw via PM. You would then post your actions in the thread, but you must PM me with what the facedowns are.Hm, that sounds good enough.
Post by: TCM on June 08, 2014, 09:18:44 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 08, 2014, 09:20:45 am
Post by: TCM on June 08, 2014, 09:26:35 am
Up to around GX, so none of those Synchros and Xyzs. I might decide to keep Hieratics and such, but Synchros and Xyzs are almost definitely getting the boot, unless someone can tell me a god reason to keep them.
Thank you, the game will be a lot smoother without all that nonsense. You summon a card with tributes, not all this new bullshit about synchros and ranks.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 08, 2014, 09:29:24 am
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 08, 2014, 09:34:16 am
Post by: TCM on June 08, 2014, 09:36:58 am
Don't even get me started on Pendulums. I can't make heads or tails of that stuff. It uses some 'Pendulum meter' thing to determine what can and can't be summoned.
That wouldn't have flown in the hood back in the day. YuGiOh was clear cut and ferocious, not all these additives they had to put on, which I'd guess is just a means to sell more cards. Maybe that would have been alright for Pokemon, but definitely not the Y Game. (Not disrespecting the Pokemon TCG, but it was always perceived as more of a thing for suburban kids. Cultural/socioeconomic differences and all.)
So, in addition to dueling will there be a whole school aspect with actual classes and socializing with other students?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 08, 2014, 09:39:09 am
Yes. Yes there will.Don't even get me started on Pendulums. I can't make heads or tails of that stuff. It uses some 'Pendulum meter' thing to determine what can and can't be summoned.
That wouldn't have flown in the hood back in the day. YuGiOh was clear cut and ferocious, not all these additives they had to put on, which I'd guess is just a means to sell more cards. Maybe that would have been alright for Pokemon, but definitely not the Y Game. (Not disrespecting the Pokemon TCG, but it was always perceived as more of a thing for suburban kids. Cultural/socioeconomic differences and all.)
So, in addition to dueling will there be a whole school aspect with actual classes and socializing with other students?
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 08, 2014, 12:04:46 pm
For XYZ, are you talking about XYZ Dragon Tank?
But, but....I like machine-type decks! How can you have a machine deck without XYZ Dragon Tank?
Post by: TCM on June 08, 2014, 12:25:47 pm
I don't think I even know what synchronization stuff you're talking about.
For XYZ, are you talking about XYZ Dragon Tank?
But, but....I like machine-type decks! How can you have a machine deck without XYZ Dragon Tank?
Nah, XYZ Dragon Tank is fine. XYZ-Monsters though, they're part of the new stuff. This is how they work, see if you can figure it out. (http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Xyz_Monster)
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 08, 2014, 12:35:23 pm
I think Synchro Summons are alright, but I also never had a special investment, so I just don't really see how it ruins whatever's being builton or whatever.
But also/mostly, I just know that in order for a lot of card games to stay interesting, they have to introduce new effects and mechanics sometimes, otherwise you just reach the limit of the variety of cards possible. Every block does it in MtG. Just, maybe not as drastic of changes as Yu-Gi-Oh does, with new monster card types and whatnot.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 08, 2014, 12:41:07 pm
So BlitzDungeoneer, where will we be playing this, once/if it starts? On that forum linked in your sig or here?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 08, 2014, 03:23:38 pm
The only reason I think Synchro Summoning is okay is because it actually makes decks focusing on low level monsters a lot more viable, alongside cards that increase levelsWe'll be doing this here, as that forum is an open RP forum.
So BlitzDungeoneer, where will we be playing this, once/if it starts? On that forum linked in your sig or here?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 09, 2014, 04:06:55 am
Post by: Fniff on June 10, 2014, 11:59:36 am
Spoiler: Rules (click to show/hide)
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on June 10, 2014, 12:07:46 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 10, 2014, 12:26:02 pm
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 10, 2014, 12:27:43 pm
Post by: Fniff on June 10, 2014, 12:30:51 pm
I'm all for a storytelling game. Is there any actual gameplay difference between sad/happy, success/failure? Like 'the atmosphere is melancholy for this turn; gain +3 Respect Points from Spades'?Hrm, I didn't think of that. I can't think of a way to change the mood in the pub in a way that makes sense, but a good idea might be Narrative. That is, if you play the cards in an appropriate way and not schizophrenically, the last card will get doubled in value. So if one bad thing after another happens to you, then you manage to turn it all around in a badass way, then your last card gets doubled in points. It'd be like combos in a fighting game, but with storytelling instead and focused on dramatic tension.
Post by: Nerjin on June 10, 2014, 01:30:59 pm
So I made a few changes and would like to submit it for approval of the community. I'm hiding the flavor to make it a bit of a surprise.
Quote from: Da Rules
Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role-Playing Forum Game
[Flavor hidden]
Character CreationIn order to participate in the world after nuclear Armageddon you will require a player character. How do you make one? Simply fill out the following sheet:Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)Quote from: Known TraitsThese are documented traits that have been observed within the wastelands. During character creation you can select up to 2 traits. All traits have a positive and a negative effect. Note that some traits are mutually exclusive. These will be noted via underlined text.
Bloody Mess: Your attacks are always all out. You can cause a lot more damage but you rarely cause a critical hit.Finesse
Bruiser: Your large, muscular frame is almost freakish and causes you to hit a lot harder. However, you seem to be slightly less intelligent than others. Small Frame.
Chem Resistant: You don’t see the point in chem-use. You’ve tried them but you find it boring. Maybe others see something you don’t?
Conqueror: You love combat! You seek it out at every opportunity. Unfortunately, your blood-lust has led to your other skills deteriorating over time.
Fast Metabolism: Your metabolic rate is abnormally high. You are thinner, heal faster, and seem to exude an aura of health no matter what you eat. You lucky bastard.
Fast Shot: You don’t have time for fancy trick shots. After all, if you plug the enemy full of holes before they can even draw their gun who is the real winner? Steady Shot
Finesse: Few are more graceful than you with a weapon. Unfortunately you’ve sacrificed power for this level of skill.
Ghoulified: You have come into contact with large amounts of radiation. More than enough to kill a normal person. But you are no longer normal. Your flesh has melted off the bone and you look like a walking corpse. But there are some fringe benefits. You don’t get sun-burned for example… Super Mutant.
Gifted: Others learned skills, you were born with attributes. Things come easy to you, but you feel like your coasting through life will come back to bite you. Skilled.
Good Natured: You don’t yearn for combat and prefer peaceful solutions. Outside of a fight you are THE person to talk to. In a fight… Not so much.
Jinxed: Nothing ever seems to go right for you… Or the person next to you… or anyone you’ve ever seen for that matter… It’s almost as if there is a curse centered on you that destroys luck.
Kamikaze: You attack first and often. You are always the first into a fight. Unfortunately your reckless nature often means you are also the first out of the fight.
One Hander: One of your hands is very dominant. You can use one handed weapons with great skill! Unfortunately the second you try to include your other hand into the mix you find that everything goes down-hill quickly.
Skilled: You don’t rely on your natural gifts to succeed. Mainly because you have none! Your natural states is a despicable thing indeed. Thankfully long years of practice have resulted in you being somewhat acceptable in other matters. Gifted
Small Frame: Be you slim or short you are much smaller than other people. You don’t let this slow you down however. In fact, you are much faster for not having to carry around a lot of bulk. Bruiser
Steady Shot: You don’t like wasting bullets so you try to make each shot count. Some may prefer firing more often but that only leaves them with a knife when a deathclaw comes creeping about. Unfortunately you seem to have some trouble if firing on the move.
Super Mutant: You don’t know how you came to be like this. You don’t remember much about your life prior to becoming this hulking humanoid. You easily dwarf even the tallest of humans and could out-wrestle them all. Unfortunately their words hurt your head… Your skin is also an interesting color… But still, you’ve managed to make a decent living out here in the wasteland… Or so your smarter friends tell you.
Combat: Or Resolving Differences via Alternative MethodryCombat is unavoidable in the wasteland. It will occur when attacked or when you initiate an attack. Combat follows the following flowchart:Quote from: Usual Combat FlowchartA. Combat is initiated.But we at Vault-Tec feel we should further go into how combat works. But first you should know what actions are available to you during combat.
B. Sequence for both sides is rolled (d20+Sequence of random member of side)
C. Side with the highest sequence goes first, followed by 2nd highest, then 3rd, etc. etc.
a. The members of each side go in order of their Sequence modifier in descending order. Members with matching Sequence modifiers roll a die. Highest goes first.
D. If any members of an opposing side remain repeat B and C until only one side remains.
E. The Victorious side gains experience and may continue on however they wish.
See the following for actions you can take on your turn:Quote from: Combat ActionsWalking – 1 AP per Space MovedWalking is rather self evident. You can move any amount of spaces during your turn so long as you do not end your turn in the same square as anyone else. You can move through the same square as your allies however you must walk around enemies. You can also attempt to Sneak by using the sneaking skill. This may allow you to move undetected. Attacks made while sneaking have a +5% chance to critical hits. Unfortunately if you are noticed while sneaking your turn will end immediately.
Attacking - # AP (Varies from Weapon to Weapon)
Targeted Attack - +1 AP (In addition to the weapons normal cost)
Reload Weapon – 2 AP
Access Inventory – 4 AP (This involves switching weapons, using chems, or anything else not in your hands currently.)
Other Actions – 3 AP (This involves moving rocks, picking up a weapon from the ground, etc. etc.)
Attacking is a bit harder. You should analyze the weapon you have for more details on how best to use it but in general the theory holds something like this: You select a target to attack, you roll a d100 for chance to hit. If you roll at or below your “Chance to Hit (CtH)” you successfully hit them and they take damage. CtH is affected by light level, distance from target, and proficiency with your weapon. Aimed shots work similarly however you can target a specific spot on your enemy for a variety of effects depending on weapon. Try out a variety of attacks to find the one you like best.Quote from: Overseer’s Note on CriticalsEvery person has a chance to do a Critical Hit. This could be anything from increased damage [1.5x, 2x, or even 3x on very lucky shots], Crippling a Limb [Only on targeted shots], Ignoring the Targets Armor, Knocking the Target out, or Knocking the Target over. This is rolled independently of CtH and Damage.
Unfortunately you also have a chance to suffer a critical failure. If your CtH roll fails you make a second roll. If that one also fails you will suffer a Critical Failure. This can include Running out of Ammo, Jamming your Gun, Losing all of your remaining AP, Dropping your Weapon, or even your weapon exploding! If this wasn’t bad enough you can also see other critical failures!
Reload Weapon is simple. Most firearms, and some rare melee weapons, rely on ammunition or energy cells to function. Once the clip/cell is spent you must replace it with a fresh one or else you cannot attack. Simply reload in order be able to attack again.
Access Inventory is vital! As you can only have one weapon prepared at a time you might find that another would be better suited to your situation. Thus you can rummage through your backpack/holsters/holding container in order to fetch a new one or grab a stim-pack. Regardless finding your equipment takes time. If you do not have enough AP you may have to deal with making an unarmed strike [Always an option] instead of using your brand new chainsaw.
Other can be anything else! Vault-Tec cannot think of everything. Perhaps you want to eat a bullet or talk to your opponent or open a sewer grating or climb down a ladder. This can mean almost anything other than what has already been explained.
Armor Class Bonus is also an option. Sometimes you do not want or cannot take another action that would be tactically sound and so you must wait. Thankfully this grants you a small bonus to your Armor Class. For each unspent action point at the end of your turn you gain +1 to your Armor Class until your next turn.Frequently Asked QuestionsNo matter how long the supplies in your vault last one day you will be required to leave it in order to reestablish America and defeat any remaining communists on the planet. Set below are several Frequently Asked Questions that should cover some of the basics:
What’s up with the colored text?:
That depends. If it is within quotation marks that means that someone is speaking. People who use the same colored text sound like eachother. If it is an item or weapon name it denotes what skill is used with the weapon or if it is an armor or some other type of item. The weapons are colored thusly:
Small Guns, Big Guns, Energy Weapons, Melee Weapons, Unarmed Weapons, Throwing Weapons, Armor, Misc. Items, Chems, or other items that don’t fall into an earlier category.
Furthermore all colored text, aside from speech can be moused over to show more details. Give it a try! But not here…
What actions can I take?
Any and all actions you can think of! Part of life after the nuclear devastation is being able to adapt. Generally actions wills proceed like this:
1. The player will state the action they wish to take in bold.
2. Their character will attempt to perform that action. If they are unable to they will do the action as closely as possible.
a. Actions with a meaningful chance of failure will rely on a SPECIAL stat, tools, or a skill in order to accomplish it.
3. The Mod will post the results in the forum.
Let’s take an example shall we?
Little Jimmy wants a cookie from the cookie jar. Oh that rapscallion. Unfortunately his mom has placed the jar atop the counter [just out of Little Jimmy’s reach]! How will our hero prevail? Well in this case we’ll assume Little Jimmy is an agile sneakster.
Little Jimmy might say he wants to Sneak up to the counter and try to climb to the cookies. Good plan Jimmy! Let’s see if that works out for you.
Obviously he wants to sneak so his sneak skill will be pitted against his mom’s Perception. We’ll skip any complications and say that he succeeds. Sneaking over to the counter he now much climb up the counter. As there are no skills for climbing he’ll have to rely on his Agility Stat to do so. Again we’ll say this works for him.
Congratulations Little Jimmy you have succeeded in your mission!
How do I gain EXP?
By completing quests or killing/knocking out enemies.
How do I move?
In most instances you simply treat movement like any other action. Meaning you bold what you want to do. However when you’re trying to move on the Overmap [The Map covering the entirety of the world available to you] it’s a little different. You can either denote locations [I.E. Go to Vault 222], Directions [Head East until…], Specific squares [Go to ZZ24], or simply state you want to explore [This will make your group head into unexplored hexes].
Be warned however that moving through the Overmap is dangerous. Each Grid square has a possibility of a Random Event which could be anything from Merchants to Bandits to Mutants. It is a necessary evil however. You can ask to see the available “Overmap” at any time and the Overseer will send all relevant data to your pipboy.
How Do I Get More Non-Vault-Tec Equipment?
There will likely be several ways. Scavenging the bones of civilization for what you need, purchasing it from roaming traders (Using whatever primitive currency they have), or even stripping the cannibals who thought they might have you for supper. In short: You can find equipment in almost any area so long as you are clever and keep an open mind.Quote from: Overseer’s NoteYou could also steal it. The wasteland savages don’t need it as much as you. Just try not to get caught.
What about...?
Any further questions can be posited directly to a Vault-Tec representative who will answer your question AND add it to the FAQ if needed.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Other?
Post by: IronyOwl on June 10, 2014, 08:06:00 pm
I definitely like the idea of combos or otherwise making all these differences you have meaningful. As written, I don't see why it typically matters whether a story is happy or sad or backed up or added onto; it's all just points. Having some kind of mechanic or card class that plays off certain values might make things more interesting and nuanced.I'm all for a storytelling game. Is there any actual gameplay difference between sad/happy, success/failure? Like 'the atmosphere is melancholy for this turn; gain +3 Respect Points from Spades'?Hrm, I didn't think of that. I can't think of a way to change the mood in the pub in a way that makes sense, but a good idea might be Narrative. That is, if you play the cards in an appropriate way and not schizophrenically, the last card will get doubled in value. So if one bad thing after another happens to you, then you manage to turn it all around in a badass way, then your last card gets doubled in points. It'd be like combos in a fighting game, but with storytelling instead and focused on dramatic tension.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Other?Too distracted to give useful criticism, but I get the feeling this is less complex than it looks. You might consider trying to reorganize it if it seems like people are having trouble with it.
Also, it seems really hard to comment on without seeing equipment stats, since most of how combat works is locked up in there.
Post by: Fniff on June 10, 2014, 08:13:55 pm
Post by: TCM on June 10, 2014, 08:52:19 pm
Post by: flabort on June 10, 2014, 09:03:47 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 10, 2014, 09:26:25 pm
There is no such thing as too much Otaku, disregarding that we're all nerds in one way or another anyway.
EMBRACE IT
Post by: IronyOwl on June 10, 2014, 09:30:29 pm
What does that mean?It means your kawaii desu is so sugoi, Senpai~
But really, I haven't noticed any Otakuonium spikes lately. You've got the usual magical/monster girl superthreads presumably forged of the stuff, and now a Madoka game is starting up, but otherwise it's seemed like business as usual to me. Why, what have you been noticing?
Post by: kj1225 on June 10, 2014, 09:33:32 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on June 10, 2014, 10:12:30 pm
So. Happiness.
What you're looking at is the intended map style for a Civilization-type game I'm working on. Unfortunately I have a persistent problem I figured I'd ask about: that of what this peculiar "happiness" thing everyone keeps talking about is.
I think I know what I want Happiness to be and do to an extent. I think I have a much clearer impression of what I don't want it to do. Unfortunately that means I'm still a little fuzzy on the details, despite it being a major, major focus of the game.
At present, Happiness:
-Should be a major focus of the game. Your empire's population is limited primarily by how much Happiness you can accrue to placate your citizens.
-Should NOT be a simple population cap. This is obviously the simple, easy way out, but I'm not fond of it for a few reasons. If nothing else, I'd like to differentiate between highHap and lowHap empires, even if being an empire with negative Happiness is an Unsustainably Bad Thing.
-Should involve a certain amount of choice. Ideally, I'd like a sort of high/broad decision regarding how happy your empire is- if you keep your population down (which is relatively easy to do) but pursue Happiness-increasing things anyway, your empire should be "smaller but better" than someone who's pushing it... but ideally I'd want both of these to be viable paths.
-Should be a lifestyle choice, not a temporary condition. I want empires to have high or low Happiness because that's the way their players want to play, not because they triggered a good event or are spiking to reach some kind of milestone.
As an example of my ideal solution, consider a high elven empire living in spires of gold, versus a sprawling orcish war machine. The elves are probably quite a bit more limited, both in land area and population, than the orcs, but they make up for it by doing all sorts of fancy things the orcs can't. The orcs are stuck a bit lower on the cool stuff rung, but compensate by having unstoppable legions and corresponding influence.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to make this happen. Things I've considered and discarded as Not Perfect include:
-Tech Levels
-Random Events
-Arbitrary Events
-Unique Tech Discoveries
All of which have varying issues, but which frequently include some combination of not necessarily encouraging long-term commitment and just not being significant enough to justify rerouting large portions of your workforce and strategy towards appeasing.
So. Thoughts, anyone?
Post by: TCM on June 10, 2014, 10:57:46 pm
There is no such thing as too much Otaku, disregarding that we're all nerds in one way or another anyway.
Second part is true, first part is definitely up for debate.
My cases: Body-Pillows and Actually marrying your Dating Sim GF.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 10, 2014, 11:05:31 pm
I think you might have cause and effect backwards there Irony. Being a sprawling empire typically causes you to have low happiness because each city gives a flat unhappiness penalty, and captured cities give huge unhappiness penalties. Being small and focused means you rarely have happiness issues.
But mostly it's a soft, then hard, pop cap, plus filling up for Golden ages. In Civ V at least. It's not a hugely major focus for the game; as long as it's in the green, you're usually good, barring Persia and the like. And culture empires can get a bunch of extra culture from it at low tech levels.
But I agree that it would be interesting to change it around. Probably need to make it an effect in most cases, rather than a cause. Although happier citizens might be willing to pay more taxes, work for the benefit of the state more, etc...make it into some sort of 'efficiency factor'? Introduce slavery?
EDIT: Also, every time you misuse the word senpai it gives a baby animal heartburn.
Post by: monk12 on June 10, 2014, 11:25:01 pm
Off the top of my head, you could make it less of a population cap and more of a production cap, though this makes several assumptions about the other game mechanics. Basically, I'm assuming that you have a basic Guns or Butter style game system with your Population being an action pool. You can put population into building improvements and researching tech, or you can draft them into the army and have a military presence. I'm also assuming that the Guns side of the economy is limited by how well your infrastructure and tech is set up; the flip side of the coin would have the Butter based economy rusher being limited by their Happiness, which when low either instills flat penalties, destroys progress in riots, results in revolutions, etc.
I'm actually a bit pressed for time at the moment so that's all I've got, but I'd be most interested to hear the rest of what you're working on.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 11, 2014, 04:40:20 am
But I agree that it would be interesting to change it around. Probably need to make it an effect in most cases, rather than a cause. Although happier citizens might be willing to pay more taxes, work for the benefit of the state more, etc...make it into some sort of 'efficiency factor'? Introduce slavery?This is problematic because the current system is relatively simple, so there's less room for modifiers or bonuses. I could potentially mess with production and research values relatively seamlessly, but I'd still want it to be simple. Perhaps more importantly, I'm concerned that might screw with the pace too much; I don't want the players of unhappy empires to just sit around for five turns building things really slowly. Or at least, I don't think I do.
Speaking of which, that'd also be somewhat problematic regarding population usage. Population is used to man buildings, but there's currently a cap on construction, so if it takes you too long to build something, you end up with a lot of population you don't really have any use for at the moment; conversely, if your empire can build things really quickly, you've got more construction ability than you have people to operate it.
Hm. I guess I could use that as a sort of "this is ideal Happiness, shoot for this" mechanic, if I wanted to somewhat scrap the idea of high/low happiness being a meaningful choice.
As an aside, I mostly scrapped it for being too complex, but at one point I considered the possibility of differentiating between empires that were mostly homogeneously happy, and empires with an ultrahappy upper class and a miserable slave class. Unfortunately that would require more Happiness/Unhappiness micromanagement than I'm comfortable with.
EDIT: Also, every time you misuse the word senpai it gives a baby animal heartburn.I'm sorry, Seal-kun, but it must be done.
I'm actually a bit pressed for time at the moment so that's all I've got, but I'd be most interested to hear the rest of what you're working on.Guns or Butter is... somewhat close, but there's a number of complications.
Spoiler: Citizens (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Cities, Sources, and Spigots (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Luxuries and Exploration (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Production, Tech, and Crits (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Building Giant Penises (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Military and Supplies (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Combat and Levels (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on June 11, 2014, 05:17:23 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 11, 2014, 07:05:27 am
You could, I believe, resolve the escaping unit problem by allowing units to barricade the surroundings, meaning that they will stop any further movement of enemy troops through bordering hexes that doesn't consist of attacking the blockading unit or running away.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 11, 2014, 03:04:48 pm
Say you were a dog-man. If you had non-retractible lupine claws, wouldn't you say that'd make it hard to manipulate fine objects and comfortably hold certain things meant for humans, such as guns?I'm not sure what this is in relation to, but not particularly. Lupine claws aren't that excessive, from my experience, and not many human objects explicitly require flat or short fingers. Maybe if they prevented proper formation of a fist?
On a side note, I don't think a true military power is going to whittle down a turtling player eventually. The attacker needs more supply than the defender, and the defender also has the advantage that he will be able to consistenly utilize his highest level units, whereas the attackers needs to go home to resupply.I've actually been thinking about this, and the way I have it set up currently I'm not sure long-range war is even viable... and the game map is intended to make all war long-range. I might need to let Supply stack indefinitely or something just to let you go to war with anything that isn't a neighbor in the first place.
Alternatively, maybe supply ships/caravans could do something. War isn't intended to let one player "win" and conquer another entirely, so I'm not concerned about that. But it should probably be possible for an attacker to "win" and get something out of it beyond experience (which, remember, would be less than the defender would get assuming the attacker has a stronger force). I don't particularly mind them having to prepare for an attack for it to be successful, though essentially having every unit die every battle in addition to normal casualties might be a fairly hectic pace.
I dunno. Maybe I could make raids about winning the battle and save Supply whittling for when two players are willing to genuinely lock horns over a location.
You could, I believe, resolve the escaping unit problem by allowing units to barricade the surroundings, meaning that they will stop any further movement of enemy troops through bordering hexes that doesn't consist of attacking the blockading unit or running away.Potentially. Just adding a zone of control type thing where they auto-attack any unit trying to slip past them unless ordered not to could be simpler.
I was more thinking of what happens when two units are adjacent, the attacker is faster than the defender, and the defender is trying to get away, though. Currently you have to move into an enemy's space, meaning even a slow enemy has some potential to dodge engagement just by moving erratically. Maybe that could be a feature rather than a bug, though I imagine it'd get rather frustrating to have slippery raiders or scouts refusing to be caught. Probably pretty amusing for the raiders themselves, but since all "getting caught" does is cost them Supply or at worst send them packing, that might be too much benefit for too little risk. Or maybe you just have to decide between sturdy defenders and outriders to catch them in the field? Especially if I made city supply range an autoengagement range.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 11, 2014, 03:17:41 pm
Other options are adding NPC villages, supply caravans and supply ouposts, which all would prevent decay, and perhaps military outpust that can heal.
Also, the defender still has a descive advantage. He starts using more troops, while the enemy already suffers from attrition.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 11, 2014, 03:22:38 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 11, 2014, 03:26:49 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 11, 2014, 03:35:19 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 11, 2014, 03:38:52 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 11, 2014, 04:49:05 pm
Gah. I don't really get how you win the game, anyway, since Irony said war isn't meant to be a way to conquer your enemies and see them driven before you.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 11, 2014, 05:21:47 pm
Maybe you could add pillaging as a mechanic, but that supports raiding more than anything else.
Pillaging is a thing in Civ V. You break the improvement that's on a tile and get some gold for it.I've got some peculiar conditions I'm pursuing here, which makes this doable but tricky.
The short version is that I don't like the notion that war is destructive, because that makes it a bad idea. Even when it's only a bad idea for whoever's not doing it, I'm still not fond of it, but especially when two players go to war and that means both of them lose by virtue of being at war, it seems like it makes the game worse.
So in essence, I don't want war to be a bad thing because then doing it is a dick move and/or a poor strategy. I'm perfectly fine, on paper, with war not having any negative consequences whatsoever...
...except that does really, really weird things lore-wise. Orcs raiding you routinely? Eh, we don't need any soldiers, they're fine. Rampaging dragon terrorizing the countryside? Probably just lost, it'll find its way out eventually. Worse still, this can become codified and mutual- you might have situations where a player intentionally settles near another to give them something to raid, or as a means of leveling their sole garrison unit.
So I do want war to be a competition of some variety, I just don't want it to ruin anyone's fun or need a lot of success to pay for itself. This means, naturally, that pillaging should reward the victor with something and cost the defender something, but that it shouldn't be a big deal in any case. Given the mentioned lack of highly granular, semi-unimportant resources like currency, that's a tricky order. Maybe a stacking Happiness penalty (but again, was hoping to make Happiness a Thing You Do, not a condition) that's reset on winning a battle for the loser, and a Phallic trophy for the victor? That'd mean you couldn't ignore orcish raids, but they'd be a temporary nuisance in most cases... though if they raid you a bunch and then leave, you've either got a penalty you can't do anything about or the problem solves itself after all.
TL;DR Warning: Carebear Archlord designing war systems.
Other options are adding NPC villages, supply caravans and supply ouposts, which all would prevent decay, and perhaps military outpust that can heal.NPC villages are intended as a large part of the game, but they'd only really be useful if you could convince one that's pretty close to the action to host you, meaning their neighbors haven't already recruited or coerced them for some reason. Maybe even nominal allies would be open to, you know, just... hosting some travelers from time to time, even if they happen to be riding wargs and dragging carts of war supplies and boasting about how those fools will never know what hit them?
Also, the defender still has a descive advantage. He starts using more troops, while the enemy already suffers from attrition.Yeah, but his troops might be more spread out, he might not be nearly as warlike as the aggressor, and in theory he's risking something that the attacker isn't.
...phallic structures....>.>Huehuehuehue.
I mean, call a duck a duck, right? :))
Gah. I don't really get how you win the game, anyway, since Irony said war isn't meant to be a way to conquer your enemies and see them driven before you.Oh, that's easy. You "win" by having an empire you think is really cool. Despite all the mechanics, it's still intended as a sandbox more than a series of goals.
Post by: Parsely on June 11, 2014, 07:52:13 pm
It was in relation to: none of your business! >:CSay you were a dog-man. If you had non-retractible lupine claws, wouldn't you say that'd make it hard to manipulate fine objects and comfortably hold certain things meant for humans, such as guns?I'm not sure what this is in relation to, but not particularly. Lupine claws aren't that excessive, from my experience, and not many human objects explicitly require flat or short fingers. Maybe if they prevented proper formation of a fist?
I'm kidding! :p It was really just a general question because I have a character in one of my game's who is a dog-person and I was considering whether or not he would trim his claws, since he intended to use them to cut something.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 12, 2014, 12:27:48 am
Oceania, the game:
The 2 most vital stats are Fear (how much the population fears the enemy/you) and trust (how much they think you're somewhat competent). Going to war obviously increases fear, while making a treaty with other players boosts trust. If the war is going against you, fear increases, but you loose trust. If it's in your favor, you can loose fear however. As such, it's not always benevolent to actually win a war. Making it swing around a stalemate might be better to keep control of the population.
Warscore is used to keep track of the war, ranging between 5 to -5. It starts out as 0. Every battle you win increases the battle by 1, however, the harder you're winning, the faster you loose fear. In order to afford winning one war, you might need to start 3 others and slowly loose them.
In addition, there're 3 other stats. Economy (used to construct all the 3 others), Science (used to make inventions) and troops (used to fight battles). Having the most of one of those boosts trust, but might reduce fear.
Inventions have 3 possible uses. You can militarize them (massive bonus to next battle), use them to aid the population (turn fear into trust), or use them to control the population (turn trust into fear/)
Post by: Nerjin on June 12, 2014, 06:10:11 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 12, 2014, 06:14:01 am
Without threat, they will start to wonder why they still maintain martial law and all those things.
Post by: Nerjin on June 12, 2014, 06:15:48 am
Post by: IronyOwl on June 12, 2014, 03:03:00 pm
That war is not destructive thingy gave me a simple idea.Hah, I like it. Reminds me of the nation system I was thinking of for a Pacific Rim style game, where each nation has a Prosperity and Panic level, and your funding is a product or some other function of the two. Destructive monster attacks would reduce Prosperity while raising Panic, meaning if you did your job too poorly or too well, your funding would drop. It'd also have some interesting effects on nation selection, since "front-line" nations would generally have more initial funding than safer, further-back ones.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 13, 2014, 03:05:24 pm
So, the humble god game. We have these Lords of Creation, Godhoods, Age of Fires, many RTDs, et cetera. I'm just wondering if y'all have any new ideas for god games out there, something to shake up the formula. And otherwise; how much freedom do you think god games should have? You've got the Godhood-alikes which are mainly communal creative writing exercises, and then the more structured and mechanics-based god games which might even have (*gasp*) a chance of failure when doing your godly business. Is the 'blank canvas' set-up better or worse than the defined/semi-defined world? Other questions that don't come to mind right now?
Pantheon had god-to-god combat and conflict, but the way it was implemented was a mess. In a Godhood-like, it's preferable to settle combats in advance/during in OOC in a way that adds to the world and the gods, but I understand the need for a competitive edge and game-ness in these things. So, uh, anyone have any good ideas for dealing with player combat in god games? Pantheon had some attempt at giving stats and strengths to gods based on the amount of Acts they put into things, but that snowballed totally out of control and things got, at least from my point of view, seriously unfun time to time.
One twist, with godly combat, I had is introducing clear NPC antagonist gods, beings, etc., that act on the world and the players whether they want it or not, but that's already taking a lot of the godly freedom that makes god games so appealing. You'd need some mechanics here, I think, so it's not just 'well, the giant crab god eats you, sorry, GM fiat'.
More specifically on Godhoods/Age of Fires: these games are, as said, communal creative writing exercises more than real games (very few mechanics, if at all), and I've been thinking that the format doesn't need to limit itself to god games. I have vague memories of talking with Fniff about this. That discussion involved... pirates? Hell if I know. The problem is, I think, that in god games the Act happens because, well, you're a god - but if you were a nation or a bunch of people, or so, it feels like you'd need to justify it a hell of a lot more. With just normal people with normal limitations, the micro scale could be problematic. Creativity is obviously limited without being able to do everything a god can.
So. Things. Let's talk gods.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 13, 2014, 05:06:30 pm
That's what I tried to do, at least, in (Un)Holy Powers.
Speaking of which, I want to try it again, but I'm not sure how to go about solving the whole Pantheon dilemma.
Post by: IronyOwl on June 13, 2014, 06:24:10 pm
So, the humble god game. We have these Lords of Creation, Godhoods, Age of Fires, many RTDs, et cetera. I'm just wondering if y'all have any new ideas for god games out there, something to shake up the formula.As what I believe is the resident grandmaster on experimental, often failed god game RTDs, all I can say is [Maniacal Laughter Intensifies].
Really you'd have to be more specific; I tend to look at god games the same way as most other games, so that question's a bit like "any new ideas for gangster games" for me.
However, as a prominent example, I guess I'm willing to share a brilliant idea I had that sadly didn't pan out as intended.
Spoiler: Divine Flesh RTD (click to show/hide)
Possible solutions include telling them about some aspects ahead of time, which is less fun but more fun than a concept that doesn't work, and trying to rework the gibbing thing to be relatively difficult. Maybe if each god consists of 100 Points and you only rip off as much of them as you beat their roll by on a d6, godly ganking just isn't viable... which defeats a lot of the point. Maybe some kind of defender's advantage, so you have to wait for them to be distracted... but that just makes numbers auto-win.
I'm sure there's a way to make a game about a bunch of grim deities demanding sacrifice and dreaming of the utter consumption of nonbelievers, and in a way that's really interesting and not just dark, but I'm not sure what it is.
And otherwise; how much freedom do you think god games should have? You've got the Godhood-alikes which are mainly communal creative writing exercises, and then the more structured and mechanics-based god games which might even have (*gasp*) a chance of failure when doing your godly business. Is the 'blank canvas' set-up better or worse than the defined/semi-defined world? Other questions that don't come to mind right now?I'm hideously biased on this, but I tend to find even communal writing exercises work better when there's some unpredictability or outside direction. That's one of the reasons writing exercises often have specific prompts- to encourage people to explore the hand they've been given, which isn't necessarily a hand they'd ever draw on purpose.
Same thing with blank canvas vs defined starting world. It sounds bizarre and I don't prefer it, but my honest experience has been that players like having things already around to discover and take inspiration from, even when they're playing reality-warping entities with the power to create all of existence. If you want to compromise, you might consider having a starting world/star system/etc, and then let players abandon it to forge their own nightmarish hell or poke around in it looking for things that interest them as they see fit.
Pantheon had god-to-god combat and conflict, but the way it was implemented was a mess. In a Godhood-like, it's preferable to settle combats in advance/during in OOC in a way that adds to the world and the gods, but I understand the need for a competitive edge and game-ness in these things. So, uh, anyone have any good ideas for dealing with player combat in god games? Pantheon had some attempt at giving stats and strengths to gods based on the amount of Acts they put into things, but that snowballed totally out of control and things got, at least from my point of view, seriously unfun time to time.I'm at a peculiar loss here, because I'm not familiar with what Godhood&Co disputes tend to look like or be about. In god game RTDs, where the basic mechanics, if not the actual effects, of combat are pretty straightforward, I tend to find players very seldom have cause to fight each other directly. More often it's conflict over one player trying to push an asteroid into a planet and another trying to stop them, but even that's pretty rare.
One twist, with godly combat, I had is introducing clear NPC antagonist gods, beings, etc., that act on the world and the players whether they want it or not, but that's already taking a lot of the godly freedom that makes god games so appealing. You'd need some mechanics here, I think, so it's not just 'well, the giant crab god eats you, sorry, GM fiat'.
Mechanically, though, you should ask yourself what you want the possible outcomes to be. If one god should "win" and one should "lose," an official coinflip will do the trick. If you need more granular and/or specific outcomes, you should base the system off of that. Obviously there's still room for creative writing on the specifics.
More specifically on Godhoods/Age of Fires: these games are, as said, communal creative writing exercises more than real games (very few mechanics, if at all), and I've been thinking that the format doesn't need to limit itself to god games. I have vague memories of talking with Fniff about this. That discussion involved... pirates? Hell if I know. The problem is, I think, that in god games the Act happens because, well, you're a god - but if you were a nation or a bunch of people, or so, it feels like you'd need to justify it a hell of a lot more. With just normal people with normal limitations, the micro scale could be problematic. Creativity is obviously limited without being able to do everything a god can.My thing on god games being regular games does swing both ways, so I'd agree on paper that there's nothing stopping you. I'd also agree that the power and subject matter of god games probably carries it quite a bit further than most other concepts could go, however. If I were to recommend a test subject, I'd say highly cinematic monster hunters or maybe dueling mages- something where you can produce interesting things despite focusing on a handful of static characters.
So. Things. Let's talk gods.Yaaaaaaaay.
Just make godly combat impossible. They can't tussle godo-e-godo; they have to use minions and followers. Make it a function of that.But then that needs a resolution mechanic, as does "I change this" versus "I stop him from changing that" style scuffles.
Speaking of which, I want to try it again, but I'm not sure how to go about solving the whole Pantheon dilemma.What dilemma was that?
Post by: Fniff on June 13, 2014, 06:37:16 pm
This Godhood takes place after an apocalypse. Humanity is destroyed utterly, the earth is a barren rock, etc. The players play as spirits of concepts that have managed to stay on after the apocalypse. Thing is, acts aren't handed out. They come from wellsprings in the landscape that are like oases in a massive desert. Whatever player is control of the wellspring gets a steady supply of acts. There is not enough wellsprings to satisfy all players at once. This is basically blending Godhood with a strategy game, which I find interesting but probably needs work. A lot of godhood games have little to no player conflict in them, which I think is a missed opportunity. Of course, this needs a proper resolution mechanic.
Also, I think a game like this could use multiple types of act. My thoughts? There could be two types of "energy". There's Creation, which allow you to do/make stuff and Destruction, which allows you to unmake stuff.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 13, 2014, 06:59:47 pm
Also, I meant the dilemma in that there should be downsides and upsides to being in a Pantheon, such that several smaller, weaker gods have better chances by forming a pantheon together, whereas most really powerful gods are better off on their own.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 14, 2014, 04:30:24 am
I like Divine Flesh, anyway. Sacrificing body parts and senses (and concepts - get rid of love, creativity, satisfaction) is the best source of godly creation.
Godhood-likes rarely have direct conflict, actually. I've always thought the way to resolve them was in advance, with both participants talking out an outcome of max fun, then just focusing on writing the most sweet-ass combat scene possible. I remember this happening maybe once. Then there's battles between creations and followers, which the GM dealt with however they wanted.
Pantheon, on the other hand, focused for a semi-large part on god-to-god combat. There were no gentlemen's agreements here - you lose, you get eaten for the power inside you. Coinflip would be even more unfair than the Act-weighed GM fiat used there. I don't think anyone had a problem with outcomes of follower/creation scraps, but the godly ones were very final in most cases.
Post by: sjm9876 on June 14, 2014, 04:41:31 am
Perhaps you could have 'death' make a god inactive for a few rounds, at which point they return with a couple of bonus acts as compensation, making godkilling something of a strategic move rather than blanket benefit.
Fluff it as them returning to the fabric of creation and coming back refreshed or something.
Maybe give each combatant a 'strength' of 1d6+acts spent (with bonuses for good plans/descriptions) and compare, and the loser is knocked out of the game for a number of rounds = difference (or half), but comes back with that same number of acts.
Post by: Harry Baldman on June 14, 2014, 05:13:39 am
A very important problem in most, if not all blank-slate god games that I've played is, I feel, that nothing people create really does anything and there's no sense of progression, and little or no sense of large scale. Everything's either a single-biome planet, a single species of creature (including the frequently found Space Lifeforms Without Physiological Needs That Don't Do Anything, the invariable result of somebody putting the cart before the horse in the life creation business), a single-hat civilization or something in that vein, which is a very large problem with godly actions in that sort of game.
Personally, I'd prefer it if gods in blank slate games (or in ready-made universe games where the universe is very immature) felt more immense, and the timescales far larger - for instance, in the very beginning, a god gets three actions, and that's what happens for a billion years or so, as the gods are feeling leisurely and are awakening from slumber. Then, as more and more life appears, the timescales grow shorter to correspond with evolution, and eventually slow down to five thousand years per turn at about the Neolithic period, and then gradually down to one thousand years at modern levels of technology. So what would happen is that civilization as a whole eventually starts becoming radically different with each turn, and gods would need to adapt to the much faster-moving ways of the beings they created. Or, you know, forbid them to change through divine intervention (such as creating the Altered and making humanity band together into a loose technophobic union of planet-states) and then slowly mold them to their liking, depending on what rate of progress they prefer. And also have there be NPC gods, who will be creating the alien races of the universe if nobody else steps up to the plate. Or not, and have all alien races descend from the civilizations of Earth.
Alternatively, and this is a game idea I had, have a game where seven gods on the bottom rungs of a divine hierarchy create a portal to a different universe that has no gods, and whose current inhabitants have absolutely no idea what a god even is. And then they have to set themselves up, and after a while even ward off their asshole divine superiors. Kind of like a divine colonization game.
Post by: Mesa on June 14, 2014, 05:59:29 am
Quote from: Game 1
It's a dungeon crawler suggestion game...That takes place on a PC.
The idea is that it could be made on a virtual machine (lots of screenshots would be involved), and each folder would represent a new room, and files could be...things. Or monsters. Or NPCs. The player would be controlling a text/image file (that contains info like stats, skills and inventory) and moving from folder to folder, killing other enemies in some as-yet undecided manner.
Basically: AdventurOS (http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=176185396&searchtext=AdventurOS) as a suggestion game.
I haven't figured out the details of it yet, but it sounds like an at-least-decent idea.
Quote from: Game 2
An ASCII/otherwise-illustrated fortress-building suggestion game that takes place in my Gun Francisco (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137004.0) universe.
You are in charge of a group of humans/birds/frogs that have just conquered a city/a bunker/something else and now your job is to manage this new outpost while defending yourself from other factions and the nasty mutant animals that roam the wasteland.
Should shit hit the fan, you can, probably, evacuate your settlement using your initial vehicle(s) and move elsewhere. Or die horribly. And start elsewhere.
It could be helpful for me to help develop the GF world better and maybe for once I could make a game that I don't abanadon within minutes.
Anyone want to see either of those games? (Assuming I don't inevitably procrastinate and forget about it, but the fact I'm still doing Gun Francisco things is a feat in its own right. Plus I'm almost done with school now.)
Post by: Empiricist on June 14, 2014, 06:18:39 am
Gods would have various affinities, personalities and quirks known only to the GM which influence how they act. For example, a more antagonistic god may start opposing the actions of other gods without being ordered to or tamper with their acts to add a more asshole side to them, whilst a more paranoid god may, even when unsealed to a relatively low degree, become suspicious and set measures to reduce or otherwise interfere with their player's control over them. It's up to the players to find these out and take them into consideration.
Of course, the ultimate risk is that a god breaks free of the player's control altogether, becoming a powerful entity that completely ignores the fourth wall, they can be resealed by other players, but it will be a troublesome matter: a certain degree of divine power is required to reseal them, this means that multiple gods are required, with a lower quantity required the less sealed each of those gods are. Needless to say, the rogue god would be aware of that and will attempt to bargain with players to maximize the time it spends unsealed and thus the amount of time it has to screw over it's own player. Not to mention that the resealing players may decide to implement a few "additional features" into the seal to further their own cause.
Finally a god may implant it's will into an object or the world itself, the scale and/or magnitude varying with the unsealment degree. These could manifest as a river suddenly changing it's nature to suit the nature of the god as soon as enough developments take place around it to make it difficult to simply reset or a trigger that causes an event to happen when some criteria are met.
For example, say a seemingly-obedient trickster god with an affinity for death is unsealed to a high degree to create a new, magical construction material. It may decide to create the most inexpensive yet reliable and versatile material it can except adding the detail that when it is proliferated enough, it becomes highly and indefinitely radioactive. If the players aren't aware of the god's nature, the material may be used for centuries, being used as the standard building material for humanity before suddenly killing off most of the human race and rendering most cities uninhabitable when they all start to spontaneously emit radiation.
In such a system, god-killing wouldn't be necessary as a source of conflict, the tendency for disasters to spiral out of control due to unsealing would suffice as a source of problems for the players. Players wouldn't need to have a lethal option to deal with other players who oppose them constantly, they could instead just overpower them by temporarily unsealing their god to a greater degree as a calculated risk, or goading them into losing control of their god and helping reseal it but adding measures that prevent them from interfering as much as they used to.
Post by: Xantalos on June 14, 2014, 06:21:49 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 14, 2014, 06:25:12 am
You could throw in (different, strange) native gods in the new world the players will also have to deal with, first (overcome them, unite with them, co-exist with them...). But maybe that's getting too RL-colonization-ish.
Post by: Parsely on June 14, 2014, 06:27:16 am
I'm not really interested in anything that isn't sci-fi, but that dungeon crawler one sounds neat. The pathing would be fun.Quote from: Game 1It's a dungeon crawler suggestion game...That takes place on a PC.
The idea is that it could be made on a virtual machine (lots of screenshots would be involved), and each folder would represent a new room, and files could be...things. Or monsters. Or NPCs. The player would be controlling a text/image file (that contains info like stats, skills and inventory) and moving from folder to folder, killing other enemies in some as-yet undecided manner.Quote from: Game 2An ASCII/otherwise-illustrated fortress-building suggestion game that takes place in my Gun Francisco (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=137004.0) universe.
You are in charge of a group of humans/birds/frogs that have just conquered a city/a bunker/something else and now your job is to manage this new outpost while defending yourself from other factions and the nasty mutant animals that roam the wasteland.
Code: [Select]
-dungeon 2 entrance
>doorway
-corridor
-player
-goblin
-goblin
>doorway
>doorway
Post by: flabort on June 14, 2014, 12:01:01 pm
I'd RUN it if I didn't have so many irons in the fire already.
Post by: monk12 on June 14, 2014, 02:48:12 pm
Post by: Kadzar on June 14, 2014, 04:35:45 pm
Another important thing is that the gods shouldn't be impersonal forces. That works okay for monotheistic religions, but a big part of polytheistic mythology is the interaction between gods. And the gods should be human (or at least human-like beings) with human wants and desires. Even if gods can't starve to death, they should still feel hunger and might want to create a source of food soon enough to alleviate that problem. Maybe they might need to find or create some fruit or elixir to actually be immortal to begin with. The point is, gods should have reasons to create things other than the sublime joy of creating.
Also, some things should come into being that are explicitly created by the gods. Perhaps two god-made creatures mate and sire some foul offspring. Or maybe one day a bunch of stones up and decide to be dwarves from now on. The GM should add in random occurrences like this to add antagonists and just general interest to the game. Maybe this is how the gods might be able to obtain things and creatures more powerful than they themselves could create. Harry Baldman's post makes me wonder if it might not be a good idea to make the players new gods usurping some old gods who created the world in the first place (possibly even taken from a previous god game that died before it could get very far).
Oh, and one more thing I want to mention before I end this post: gods shouldn't start with domains (or portfolios or whatever you want to call them). It doesn't make sense for someone to be god of kobolds before kobolds have even been created (it's possible people have gotten past this bit of silliness since I last looked at a god game; if so, ignore the rest of this). Instead, I say that anything a player creates can be controlled by them, unless it's a unique item or creature, in which case control falls to whoever possess it, and any sentient creatures or beings have free will to do as they please (but their creators will get some sort of benefit from their worship or something). Also, if you make a new type of creature out of someone else's creation, you only gain control of your new creatures, though there might be some method(s) of usurping someone else's domains.
Post by: Tawa on June 14, 2014, 04:38:52 pm
The players are late 1800s businessmen, each running a moderately sized business in some commodity like oil or steel or something at the start of the game. Their goal is to buy out all of the other companies owned by the other players and by the NPCs. All the while, as they grow more powerful, they must dodge assassination attempts, NPC business buyouts, and other such dangers. They may stay straight and honest, taking loans from the bank and paying them back, or they may become corrupt ne'er-do-wells, trading craploads of cash from shady sources like the organized crime syndicate in exchange for increased risk of death and "favors". As the players play, time passes, and as the years go by, more industries arise, starting with things like automobiles and eventually growing to 80s industries. Of course, anti-monopoly acts will eventually permanently impede the players' progress, and their goal becomes to own the most businesses at the end of the game without getting arrested or killed.
Post by: Playergamer on June 15, 2014, 11:33:11 am
Now then, business: GWG, as many of you know, got hit with a perma-ban.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 15, 2014, 11:43:34 am
...thank god, at last. He was by far the worst and most obnoxious player I've ever had the misfortune to play with and I know for a fact he played a large part in killing several games I loved. Okay, maybe I just never saw his good side. But it seems to have been damned hard to spot.
Post by: Fniff on June 15, 2014, 11:59:30 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on June 15, 2014, 12:51:38 pm
Post by: TCM on June 15, 2014, 01:03:21 pm
So, my latest idea for a game:
The players are late 1800s businessmen, each running a moderately sized business in some commodity like oil or steel or something at the start of the game. Their goal is to buy out all of the other companies owned by the other players and by the NPCs. All the while, as they grow more powerful, they must dodge assassination attempts, NPC business buyouts, and other such dangers. They may stay straight and honest, taking loans from the bank and paying them back, or they may become corrupt ne'er-do-wells, trading craploads of cash from shady sources like the organized crime syndicate in exchange for increased risk of death and "favors". As the players play, time passes, and as the years go by, more industries arise, starting with things like automobiles and eventually growing to 80s industries. Of course, anti-monopoly acts will eventually permanently impede the players' progress, and their goal becomes to own the most businesses at the end of the game without getting arrested or killed.
I'd be into industrial dirty businessman gaming. I'm down.
Post by: flabort on June 15, 2014, 01:26:58 pm
Huh, so he did. I'm sorry for any players in his games/games with him, but...This feels strange, considering he was one of the people who introduced me to the forum. I considered him a friend.
Oh, well, I guess it can't be helped.
In the gaming discussion, illustrating a game is hard. Even when the game hasn't started yet, I'm preparing as many resources as I can, and it's just hard to keep focused.
Post by: Fniff on June 15, 2014, 02:09:27 pm
Post by: monk12 on June 15, 2014, 08:56:24 pm
Post by: kj1225 on June 15, 2014, 09:17:44 pm
I'd figure they'd have to be modified and not completely realistic as some (Jeff, Sonic.exe) would be really easy and boring to beat while others (Slendie... Worm Jeff I suppose) would be darned impossible.
Post by: flabort on June 15, 2014, 09:36:19 pm
. We'd all like to be drawing Homestuck
>.>
<.<
>.>
Derm, would you mind filling everyone in on my project? I think it's time to drop the veil of secrecy.
Of course, it's still not ready....
Post by: Kadzar on June 15, 2014, 09:42:32 pm
Post by: Furtuka on June 15, 2014, 09:44:57 pm
Post by: adwarf on June 16, 2014, 12:24:02 pm
Civil War: 23rd Regiment of the Damned
The Civil War was raging across the South like a wildfire, brother killed brother and father killed son as the war tore the nation apart between the Union and the Confederate States who refused to change their way of life. The first signs of what was happening came from witnesses from throughout the nation, terrified and half-mad they spoke of walking corpses that devoured living flesh and they were simply brushed aside and locked away or put down for we assumed they were insane. Boy were we proven wrong, what happened in St. Louis proved the supposed madmen right as the dead rose from graves, walked out of the forests and hills, and fell upon the city where Captain Lyon lead his mean in a valiant last stand against these foul creatures.Their stand gave many of the citizens time to flee, but Lyon and his company where slaughtered to a man holding the line against the seemingly endless horde. From there it only went downhill as more of these attacks began overrunning cities and towns all over the North and the South, before long both the Union and the Confederacy found themselves confined to far less land than they once had as they failed over and over to rebel these monsters. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Charleston, Cleveland, and the surrounding towns became bastions of humanity where the armies of the dead could not reach for the defenders were to many in such confined areas but even when over half of the land of the United States was lost to those monsters the South continued its war of independence. Even now as I'm telling you this Colonel Jacob is taking the 11th Infantry to meet Union forces who have came North looking for a fight, even in dark times humanity seems to rely on the greed in their hearts. Any who the reason I've brought you here is to give you command, you are going to be the leader of the 23rd Safeguard Regiment, the so called Damned who fight to keep our lands safe and I'm passing this command to you because I reckon I'ma go with Jacob and strike the South. This war is gotta end son so we can fight the true enemy, and I need you to keep our lands safe while we march to bring peace between the South and the North lets just hope we weren't to slow in acting ...
------
This is an idea I had for a game about (Yes you guessed it!) a Civil War where in the midst of the dead came back to life to hunt the living, and the players will control a regiment in this alternate universe tasked with safeguarding what little land remains to the Union from the hordes of the dead. Of course I had in my mind for this to be a suggestion game because its easier to handle than dividing up the regiment between a bunch of different players. Anyway I didn't just come here to spout some prologue stuffs I came to get some input about the idea, and the ruleset for it so here we go.
First things first combat, I'm gonna keep it fairly simple just using d6s as the dice to be rolled to determine whether the attacks hit/their effectiveness in some cases.
Spoiler: Combat (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Unit Status Information (click to show/hide)
And that's what I've got so far.
Post by: Parsely on June 16, 2014, 01:34:11 pm
Post by: kj1225 on June 16, 2014, 03:43:38 pm
Post by: Parsely on June 16, 2014, 03:49:45 pm
Then it's a good thing this is apparently the civil war. Also, the idea reminds me of Deadlands a little bit.Same thing in my head.
Post by: monk12 on June 16, 2014, 04:11:26 pm
Then it's a good thing this is apparently the civil war. Also, the idea reminds me of Deadlands a little bit.Same thing in my head.
That's unfortunate, considering they were very different wars.
The game actually looks really interesting to me so far. It might be interesting to do a Battle for Wesnoth defense thing where the basic accuracy of attacks is determined by the terrain the defending unit is standing on; a unit standing in the middle of an open field could be hit on a 3+, the base 4+ would be for situations where the defending unit has a little bit of cover to work with (a fence, a low wall, a ditch, small trees/rocks,) a more difficult 5+ for when the unit is well defended (completed field fortifications, dense forest,) and rarely a 6 or bust roll for when the unit is ludicrously well defended and should really only be targeted with artillery (stationed on a hill fortress, holding the high ground behind trees and fortifications, etc.)
Speaking of artillery, do they get their own special rules, or do they just use the base rules with some extra skills added?
Side note, the Civil War is a touch early for barbed wire fortifications; it wasn't invented until shortly after the war, though according to Wikipedia the idea of a wire obstacle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_obstacle) allegedly originated in the Knoxville Campaign of the Civil War (the Union used telegraph wire to similar effect.)
Post by: Parsely on June 16, 2014, 04:21:06 pm
I mean I dislike them. As a fictional setting. Equally.That's unfortunate, considering they were very different wars.Then it's a good thing this is apparently the civil war. Also, the idea reminds me of Deadlands a little bit.Same thing in my head.
That includes Sid Meier's Waterloo (even though I like these kinds of games. close combat is better), Bioshock Infinite (aside from the tech, it's a period piece), Darkest Days, Civil War: Secret Missions, Call of Jaurez, and a lot of western movies. Assassin's Creed III, Empire Total War, Europa Universalis, and a surprising amount of board games.
Post by: monk12 on June 16, 2014, 04:46:46 pm
Post by: kj1225 on June 16, 2014, 04:49:06 pm
Post by: Parsely on June 16, 2014, 05:11:18 pm
Ah, so it's less the wars themselves and more "I don't care for Early Modern warfare," then? Fair enough.The warfare is a major part of it, but I just find the entire setting unpalatable. I don't like the people, the buildings, the trees.. It's kind of indescribable. It'd be easier if I had an example right in front of me. But there's a reason no one makes games about those wars. And really the more I learn about the Revolution the less sense the conflict makes politically. I wish it was as easy as saying that one side was in the right but really there were a lot of scumbags on both teams, and aren't there always?
Watching them stand in lines so they can shoot each other really grinds my gears. Cannons are cool for the shootbangs, though.
Post by: kj1225 on June 16, 2014, 06:00:00 pm
Post by: Parsely on June 16, 2014, 06:13:31 pm
Didn't revolutionary America avert the standing in lines thing?I guess. The colonial army tried to play by the rules most of the time, but they didn't get to do a whole lot anyway. Ironically there wasn't a whole lot of actual fighting in that war.
Post by: monk12 on June 16, 2014, 06:42:34 pm
Post by: Fniff on June 16, 2014, 06:49:24 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 16, 2014, 06:54:44 pm
You know, speaking of revolutions, someone should do something on Red October. From what I read, it was such an utter clusterfuck of a revolution with a bazillion sides with not many people knowing exactly what was going on. Might make a good setting for an RP.Huh, sounds like YOU AT FINAL BOSS.
Post by: Fniff on June 16, 2014, 07:03:18 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 16, 2014, 09:49:38 pm
I've been working on a French Revolutionary-ish game and setting, might run it sometime. That's more of a standard RPG in the period, though - I'd also want to run a revolution game, let players create and lead their factions and try to grab and hold onto power by whatever means necessary.
Post by: TCM on June 16, 2014, 10:06:41 pm
Revolutions and civil wars are my jam. French, Russian, anything goes. There's just something indescribably delicious about it all, so much bloodshed, toppled regimes, powerful leaders, thousands of little factions and groups vying for power.
I've been working on a French Revolutionary-ish game and setting, might run it sometime. That's more of a standard RPG in the period, though - I'd also want to run a revolution game, let players create and lead their factions and try to grab and hold onto power by whatever means necessary.
"The French Revolution was pretty fucking metal."
I'd dig it.
Post by: adwarf on June 16, 2014, 11:31:31 pm
Terrain is a factor in accuracy rolls though instead of changing the chart they hit on it is a straight bonus or penalty to the accuracy roll though that does basically achieve the same thing as having alternate charts just without me having to make and follow every single one. As for how artillery works it has a much greater range than standard units, and follows a couple of rules that other units don't such as being on higher ground increasing its firing range or being on lower ground reducing firing range. The terrain will actually have a decent effect on artillery as your artillery pieces sitting in the wide open plains won't have nearly as much range (and thus not as much damage potential) as the artillery positioned on a nearby hill.Then it's a good thing this is apparently the civil war. Also, the idea reminds me of Deadlands a little bit.Same thing in my head.
That's unfortunate, considering they were very different wars.
The game actually looks really interesting to me so far. It might be interesting to do a Battle for Wesnoth defense thing where the basic accuracy of attacks is determined by the terrain the defending unit is standing on; a unit standing in the middle of an open field could be hit on a 3+, the base 4+ would be for situations where the defending unit has a little bit of cover to work with (a fence, a low wall, a ditch, small trees/rocks,) a more difficult 5+ for when the unit is well defended (completed field fortifications, dense forest,) and rarely a 6 or bust roll for when the unit is ludicrously well defended and should really only be targeted with artillery (stationed on a hill fortress, holding the high ground behind trees and fortifications, etc.)
Speaking of artillery, do they get their own special rules, or do they just use the base rules with some extra skills added?
Side note, the Civil War is a touch early for barbed wire fortifications; it wasn't invented until shortly after the war, though according to Wikipedia the idea of a wire obstacle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wire_obstacle) allegedly originated in the Knoxville Campaign of the Civil War (the Union used telegraph wire to similar effect.)
Also thanks for the info about barbed wire, I did not actually know that O_o
I really don't like the American Revolution/Civil War as a setting, but the system looks promising. Is it just d6? How does damage work?Everything in the game that needs to be rolled is a d6 for ease of handling as for damage each weapon has a damage value that if the weapon hits (on a direct hit) then the successful attack will do that much damage or (in the case of a crit) do twice that amount of damage. Of course that damage is then effected by armor and traits.
Post by: Parsely on June 17, 2014, 12:16:50 am
Everything in the game that needs to be rolled is a d6 for ease of handling as for damage each weapon has a damage value that if the weapon hits (on a direct hit) then the successful attack will do that much damage or (in the case of a crit) do twice that amount of damage. Of course that damage is then effected by armor and traits.Noice.
Post by: Nerjin on June 19, 2014, 02:25:14 pm
I was just wondering as that might be something I'd want to join into.
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 02:26:01 pm
Post by: kj1225 on June 19, 2014, 02:27:43 pm
Also, I would join as well if only to play as an expy of Varric or Isabella.
Post by: darkpaladin109 on June 19, 2014, 02:28:23 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 19, 2014, 02:34:39 pm
Now to play Dragon Age again so I can get reacquainted with the setting.
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 02:36:07 pm
Post by: Nerjin on June 19, 2014, 02:37:16 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 02:37:52 pm
Post by: Nerjin on June 19, 2014, 02:39:40 pm
Hopefully there aren't useless cameos in it. I loathe useless cameos. Hopefully it also doesn't ignore that it's Dragon Age and instead tries to be medieval Mass Effect. Dragon Age should do its own thing.
Post by: kj1225 on June 19, 2014, 02:40:02 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 02:41:31 pm
Ah, it's about time that Dragon Age got a worthy sequel. It'll be nice to play a game that recreates the world changing events and such in a new way.Well, unfortunately Morrigan's back in it.
Hopefully there aren't useless cameos in it. I loathe useless cameos. Hopefully it also doesn't ignore that it's Dragon Age and instead tries to be medieval Mass Effect. Dragon Age should do its own thing.
Time to get ready for taunting the fuck out of her as I did in Origins, then.
Post by: Nerjin on June 19, 2014, 02:42:38 pm
Conession time 2: I actually do like 2 a bit. It's not god-aweful. It's just not as good. Which in the end I suppose I shouldn't hold against it.
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 02:44:34 pm
They called me out on my actions nearly the entire game, but at least Sten eventually got respectful about it.
Post by: kj1225 on June 19, 2014, 02:50:49 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 03:11:21 pm
Uh...
Post by: kj1225 on June 19, 2014, 03:13:16 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 03:15:14 pm
And Isabella betrayed me for an imaginary boat, so I turned her in to the Qunari. Have fun getting tortured by the Islamic Borg!
Post by: Nerjin on June 19, 2014, 03:19:17 pm
Oh well yeah the dog's a given. Who was Merril?
And Isabella betrayed me for an imaginary boat, so I turned her in to the Qunari. Have fun getting tortured by the Islamic Borg!
You... bastard! She is my favorite Dragon Age character.
Isabella... Yeah, no thank you.
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 03:25:06 pm
Post by: Nerjin on June 19, 2014, 03:26:19 pm
But still, I guess I can't blame you.
Post by: kj1225 on June 19, 2014, 03:28:32 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 03:33:21 pm
She really didn't have much of a choice against the turning on you thing. And why didn't you do bad things to the rest of the people who would betray you?I did, I just remember her especially because she defiled my favorite dwarf Warden, MC 'Hammer' Aeducan, who started romances with literally every option he could get his hands on.
Yes I know the quotes are from two different artists.
Twice? You are a stronger person than I. I could barely stomach the first play-through. It was... Uninspiring honestly.Completetionism is a powerful thing.
But still, I guess I can't blame you.
Post by: kj1225 on June 19, 2014, 03:34:44 pm
Post by: Xantalos on June 19, 2014, 03:39:34 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 25, 2014, 08:30:03 pm
Of the following games, which one would people be most interested in:
(Un)Holy Powers 2.0; now with a pre-made set of rules that make sense, and are based on the old game!
Dragons & Darkspawn: DnD set during the next blight in Dragon Age unless that actually fucks with canon in which case nevermind!
Rifts: One of the most obscure, over-the-top, and convoluted RPG systems in existence! Wooh!
Some other thing possibly related to what I've tried to run before/am failing to run!
Post by: kj1225 on June 25, 2014, 08:36:28 pm
Post by: Nerjin on July 07, 2014, 02:08:48 pm
So... Would there be any interest in that? I was thinking of doing a 4 person thing just to keep things moving.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2014, 02:10:31 pm
Gonna have to find them rulebooks again.
Post by: kj1225 on July 07, 2014, 02:11:45 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2014, 02:13:55 pm
Post by: Tawa on July 07, 2014, 02:18:39 pm
IT IS THE DUTY OF TAWAROCHIR TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL DND GAMES
I HEREBY RESERVE A SPOT
Post by: darkpaladin109 on July 07, 2014, 02:21:02 pm
So... I was thinking of doing a 3.5 DnD game based in a world with a lot of small islands and a couple large continents. There have been 5 ages in recent memory each of which was marked by a major world-changing event: Dragon, Slayer, Revival, Godblessed, and Abandon. In the current age [Abandon] gods do not interact with the world directly or even semi-directly. Cleric and Paladin powers come from them, it is assumed, but no one has heard from a god since Godblessed during which holy-wars were common.I'd certainly be interested.
So... Would there be any interest in that? I was thinking of doing a 4 person thing just to keep things moving.
Post by: Nerjin on July 07, 2014, 02:21:58 pm
I'm probably going to do point buy and outlaw anything outside of the Players Handbook or DM guide unless I give specific permission [at the players request. Essentially "Hey can I X?" and I will look it over and say "Yes" or "No" as needed.]
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2014, 02:22:46 pm
Would it be PBP or IRC?
Post by: Nerjin on July 07, 2014, 02:24:45 pm
This puts us at exactly 4 players.
Would it be PBP or IRC?
Play-by-post. I literally cannot do anything else as my internet is a total meanface.
Post by: Tawa on July 07, 2014, 02:26:54 pm
I SHALL GO TO MYTH-WEAVERS IMMEDIATELY
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2014, 02:27:42 pm
I'm not entirely certain, but I don't think systems like DnD lend themselves to PBP very well. Whatever. We'll see how it works out.This puts us at exactly 4 players.
Would it be PBP or IRC?
Play-by-post. I literally cannot do anything else as my internet is a total meanface.
Post by: Tawa on July 07, 2014, 02:30:05 pm
It'll be fine!
... Point buy?
Maybe I should just wait...
Post by: darkpaladin109 on July 07, 2014, 02:36:04 pm
IMaybe I should just wait...Yeah, just wait until he actually begins it. :P
For the record, I'l propably play a rogue again.
Post by: Nerjin on July 07, 2014, 02:42:33 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 07, 2014, 02:44:25 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2014, 02:50:22 pm
And I know what I'm gonna be doing all night.
Post by: Yoink on July 07, 2014, 02:56:47 pm
Imagine an Uncharted-style adventure, in the 40K universe and using their rulesets.
Uncharted, for those who somehow haven't heard of it, is a videogame whose story follows Nathan Drake, adventurer/explorer/thief/smartass/graverobber, and his mismatched companions around the world on various quests for ancient lost treasure.
Along the way they gun down countless mooks who end up in their way for various reasons, platform their way across all manner of obstacles, narrowly avoid death in plenty of dramatic set pieces, and, bizarrely enough, continue cracking jokes for the entire game despite the bloody work they do.
Now, imagine a Dark Heresy party working for an Inquisitor with an unhealthy interest in the work of some long-dead Inquisitor/Cold Trader/other mysterious figure. Basically, they're following clues across either one planet or a whole space system, visiting exotic locales to search for clues as to the whereabouts of some lost treasure worth heaps of money and/or xenos artefact that desperately needs to be destroyed.
There are basically endless options for adventures and themes here, but I think it has great potential.
Puzzles, traps, exploration, knowledge rolls for the nerdy members of the group, plenty of combat with other factions after the treasure and, of course, plenty of explosions, floods, fires and what-not requiring the hapless acolytes to pass various agi checks to escape, Nathan Drake-style... or die an ignominious death without the handy ability to reload from the last checkpoint.
And who knows whether said acolytes are truly dedicated to the Imperium and their superiors, or whether the sheer value of the object(s) they seek will lure them from the path of duty, most likely tearing the party apart from within...
Post by: Nerjin on July 07, 2014, 03:06:51 pm
What do you mean by point-buy?
And I know what I'm gonna be doing all night.
I'm gonna go ahead and include a quick guide in the OP.
Post by: Nerjin on July 07, 2014, 03:16:26 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 07, 2014, 03:59:10 pm
I want to run a DnD game, for reasons.
My only wonder, is what setting I should use, what ruleset I should use, and whether anyone would want to play. It would probably be a setting built around the gods growing in number at a ridiculous rate by this point and it's starting to fuck things up in the world. Or a setting in which there are but two gods, whose various aspects and forms are inverse and opposites to one another; Passive and Active dissimilarities, mostly.
Post by: flabort on July 07, 2014, 04:37:51 pm
Hmmm.If my character doesn't make it into Nerjin's game, and you choose 3.5, I'm going to apply to this one too.
I want to run a DnD game, for reasons.
My only wonder, is what setting I should use, what ruleset I should use, and whether anyone would want to play. It would probably be a setting built around the gods growing in number at a ridiculous rate by this point and it's starting to fuck things up in the world. Or a setting in which there are but two gods, whose various aspects and forms are inverse and opposites to one another; Passive and Active dissimilarities, mostly.
Post by: Yoink on July 07, 2014, 05:20:41 pm
I'm feeling inspired right now. This idea is building in my head, just making me smile constantly.
Imagine an Uncharted-style adventure, in the 40K universe and using their rulesets.
Uncharted, for those who somehow haven't heard of it, is a videogame whose story follows Nathan Drake, adventurer/explorer/thief/smartass/graverobber, and his mismatched companions around the world on various quests for ancient lost treasure.
Along the way they gun down countless mooks who end up in their way for various reasons, platform their way across all manner of obstacles, narrowly avoid death in plenty of dramatic set pieces, and, bizarrely enough, continue cracking jokes for the entire game despite the bloody work they do.
Now, imagine a Dark Heresy party working for an Inquisitor with an unhealthy interest in the work of some long-dead Inquisitor/Cold Trader/other mysterious figure. Basically, they're following clues across either one planet or a whole space system, visiting exotic locales to search for clues as to the whereabouts of some lost treasure worth heaps of money and/or xenos artefact that desperately needs to be destroyed.
There are basically endless options for adventures and themes here, but I think it has great potential.
Puzzles, traps, exploration, knowledge rolls for the nerdy members of the group, plenty of combat with other factions after the treasure and, of course, plenty of explosions, floods, fires and what-not requiring the hapless acolytes to pass various agi checks to escape, Nathan Drake-style... or die an ignominious death without the handy ability to reload from the last checkpoint.
And who knows whether said acolytes are truly dedicated to the Imperium and their superiors, or whether the sheer value of the object(s) they seek will lure them from the path of duty, most likely tearing the party apart from within...
I forgot to mention that whatever ancient civilization is responsible for the treasure/artefact the team is after had a habit of making huge, impractical temples/buildings/labyrinths solely for the purpose of fucking with anyone trying to find their stuff. Because PUZZLES.
Also gratuitous fight scenes, car chases and comical cultural misunderstandings.
Post by: adwarf on July 07, 2014, 09:33:59 pm
Civil War: 23rd Regiment of the Damned
Son let me tell you a tale, the tale of the 2nd Safeguard Regiment, the Valiant Damned. A regiment made up of two thousand brave men, and women they were, it was the first night of the new year 1867 near the great bastion Philadelphia where the 2nd had taken up their places on the fortifications south of this great city. Their cannons sat in a row behind the double row of trenches covered in dirt, and mud just like the soldiers who manned the trenches below as the air filled with smoke and the sound of rifle and cannon fire. During the night before the undead hordes had come streaming forth from the south in numbers far superior to the small force, the 42nd was three days hard marching from Philadelphia, and the citizens of the bastion were hurriedly in the midst of evacuation but they would not be able to flee before the horde caught up.Seeing this Colonel Vanburen order the 2nd to take up arms, and stand their ground against a foe that would surely overrun them for it was simply a matter of time before they began to reach the trenches. With fury in their hearts the soldiers of the 2nd fought hard, the air was filled with what seemed to be an endless torrent of cannon shells and musket balls as they fought like few had ever before, every man and woman there proved themselves a hero of this country that day. However there efforts weren't enough, eventually the ammo began to run low, and the gunfire dwindled but still Vanburen yelled, cursed, and spat at anyone and everyone who could here him urging them to hold their ground.
Fire, and fire again he said, fire until your shots runs out. When your shots runs out affix bayonets he said, take up post against the trench walls and stab, and cut until your blade or musket breaks. When they break claw, scratch, bite, punch, and kick them he said, fight them until you lay dying on the ground. And when you lay dying on the ground close your eyes, rest for your vigil has ended and the angels shall come to free you from being one of the Damned, let it all slip away knowing that you are the greatest hero the world has ever seen he said. And with that he fired his pistol's last shot, he drew his sword and he drew his saber, and as the gunfire began to quiet and the undead streamed into the trenches he raised that bloody sword high in the air.
'We are the 2nd Safeguard Regiment, the Valiant Damned! We lived as heroes, and will die as heroes. Affix bayonets, draw your knives, ready your fists, to you brave bastards I give my last command. Stand and die the Valiant Damned, be the heroes everyone of you truly are.'
With a flick of his sword he dove from his perch above the trenches, and those not already amidst the undead followed suit laying about them with a vengeance that will likely never be seen again. For many a soldier that was their last day, they died with courage in their hearts, and weapon in hand to defy our ultimate enemy. By the time the day drew to an end one hundred and twenty three of the Valiant Damned remained alive, not a one was the hero commander Colonel Vanburen, but everyone was a guardian angel who had saved the lives of many a person in the bastion of Philadelphia. They were the greatest soldiers the Damned will ever see in my opinion.
How do I know this you ask? Well that's quite simple son, I'm one of the last surviving members of the Valiant Damned, I tell you this tale because its something every man, woman, and child in the North must know. The 2nd may not exist anymore, but we do and we'll be damn sure to spread our tale before heading back out to follow our commander's last order, after we've spread our tale and we've given people hope for a better day through it we're going to finish our job. You might say we're crazy, but to many a man sacrificed themselves that day for us to ignore that final order that our brothers and sisters followed, we'll die sure enough but we'll do so screaming, and kicking to drag down every single one of those fuckers we can along with us. We're the Valiant Damned son, we'll show those ungodly monsters just what they've got themselves into, this is our land not theirs' and only death will answer their crimes.
---
Spoiler: Combat (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Unit Status Information (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Influence of Terrain, and Rules of Building (click to show/hide)
Started messing with this ruleset again, expanded on a few things and then decided to share that and right another story intro bit to the post so it wasn't only slightly more information than last time. Also yes I know barbed wire doesn't technically exist at the time this is based, fudging that ever so slightly :P
Post by: sjm9876 on July 08, 2014, 12:37:25 pm
And by in the works, I mean I was gonna release it today, but DF 2014 and server deficiencies have delayed it. Currently just cutting down the textwall. Or trying to at least :D
Post by: kj1225 on July 08, 2014, 12:38:14 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 08, 2014, 01:14:48 pm
Great idea! An epic journey across the 40k verse is really using all the best parts of Warhammer. You should adopt an Uncharted style of plot writing, so you'd have an Ork bit, an Eldar bit, a Necromunda bit, etc. I'm excited for it, which I don't say that often about 40k games!Spoiler: snip (click to show/hide)
I forgot to mention that whatever ancient civilization is responsible for the treasure/artefact the team is after had a habit of making huge, impractical temples/buildings/labyrinths solely for the purpose of fucking with anyone trying to find their stuff. Because PUZZLES.
Also gratuitous fight scenes, car chases and comical cultural misunderstandings.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 01:26:31 pm
I should probably just make a properly Orky game meself, if none o' ya grots 'll git to it.
Post by: Xantalos on July 08, 2014, 01:32:34 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 08, 2014, 01:37:33 pm
Psh. Playing more boring humans. Seems like every 40k game on the forums is based around the players being the Imperium(except the one Dark Crusade game). Which surprises me, why isn't there a "Yu iz da Warboss!" game?Do it. Do it now. Or else.
I should probably just make a properly Orky game meself, if none o' ya grots 'll git to it.
And da Orks haf plenty o' depth to 'em. What yoo talkin' 'bout puny hoomie?
Post by: Xantalos on July 08, 2014, 01:41:33 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 01:43:31 pm
An' call me puny again, ya git, an' I'll stomp ya! >:( I'z da boss here!
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 08, 2014, 01:45:53 pm
Post by: Fniff on July 08, 2014, 01:50:33 pm
The people of the Inperium are theoretically capable of having more than one or two personalities.True. Orks are fun, but... That's about it.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 02:09:33 pm
Bullshit. Just you wait. I'll give Orks, like...five personality types! Yeah! Take that!The people of the Inperium are theoretically capable of having more than one or two personalities.True. Orks are fun, but... That's about it.
Brutally Cunning, Cunningly Brutal, Unbrutally Cunning, Uncunningly Brutal, and Git.
Post by: Fniff on July 08, 2014, 02:16:29 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 02:22:00 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 08, 2014, 02:25:17 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on July 08, 2014, 02:36:15 pm
The people of the Inperium are theoretically capable of having more than one or two personalities.
Correction, the Imperium are comprised out of several factions and a vast majority of the books/written media are focused on them. So of course they're more well developed than everyone else in 40k.
You know, I really want to play this.
You aren't the only one, trust me.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 08, 2014, 02:39:25 pm
Also, would the whole 'gestalt field' think be included?
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 04:37:02 pm
I may or may not know what the gestalt field is, but I certainly don't know what it means under that name.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 08, 2014, 04:39:41 pm
Anywhay, it's basically the whole 'if enough Orks believe it, it's true' thing Orks have going on. You know, like 'da red ones go fasta'.
Post by: Fniff on July 08, 2014, 04:52:44 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 08, 2014, 04:53:59 pm
The crazier, creativer, and !!FUN!! the idea is, the more positive modifiers it gets.Uhh...
Is this a game idea?
Post by: Xantalos on July 08, 2014, 05:02:19 pm
The crazier, creativer, and !!FUN!! the idea is, the more positive modifiers it gets.Dorf gestalt field
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 05:02:55 pm
Also, it's possible even my OOC in the game will be Orky-speak.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 05:41:41 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 08, 2014, 10:40:33 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 10, 2014, 04:22:12 am
I was thinking a setting in which you're part of an organization/guild that takes various missions. You would participate in these missions as a team.
What do you think?
Post by: Parsely on July 10, 2014, 06:47:42 am
Post by: anailater on July 10, 2014, 06:53:15 am
Post by: Parsely on July 10, 2014, 07:05:11 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 10, 2014, 09:28:52 am
I'm interested. Everything I'm in is slow. What's mutants and masterminds?d20 superhero-themed system.
Has anyone made a suggestion based lawyer game yet?This sounds oddly hilarious for reasons I'm unsure of.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 10, 2014, 12:07:09 pm
Post by: adwarf on July 10, 2014, 12:08:14 pm
Has anyone made a suggestion based lawyer game yet?You mean Phoenix Wright the Forum Game :V? It hasn't happened but it should.
Post by: Nerjin on July 11, 2014, 03:23:26 pm
Post by: Funk on July 12, 2014, 10:26:15 pm
I was thinking of letting player pick a back ground as they have been lifted from there time zone to help some king of time protectoin agency.
Probaly need to brake skills down in to eras i.e. the viking has limited gun skill but bonus to melee fighting where as the cowboy get shooting bonus.
One idea i have is level of future shock/ tech levels to let characters from later time use / fix better weapons
After all any one can shoot a gun but fixing/ maintaining it is the hard part
Probably throw in psychic powers and cybernetics as well.
The other idea i've had is simply called you are a criminal(working title), basic idea of a RPG players are working for a mob boss who pulls strings and has some leverage forcing the players to do as he says.
Rules will probably be stolen/ reworked from Violence: The Roleplaying Game of Egregious and Repulsive Bloodshed.
Post by: Playergamer on July 12, 2014, 10:31:10 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 13, 2014, 09:35:53 am
Post by: Playergamer on July 13, 2014, 09:36:43 am
Post by: Mesa on July 13, 2014, 10:24:06 am
The problem is, it's basically a MOBA played on the forums, and there was a lot of micromanagement involved, at least in the regular system. I've been trying to come up with a more abstracted and simplified system to reduce the enormous amount of micromanagement while still keeping the game relatively deep. Some concepts I had in regards to that:
- removal of secondary resources (mana) with some exceptions, like charges (think rogue class from WoW) (leaving cooldowns in)
- less skills per character (say, 2 + ultimate)
- no skill ranks (or less of them)
- a simplified shop system with few to no active items
- easier-to-calculate stats (health, physical damage, special damage, physical armor, special armor, speed...initiative?)
- smaller map(s)
- map objectives?
- progression? (upgrade stats of all heroes' after the game using points gained during the game)
If someone has any ideas to throw, don't hesitate to do so.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 14, 2014, 11:14:56 pm
Who wants to play Super Robot Wars-esque game?
Post by: adwarf on July 14, 2014, 11:31:57 pm
Okay, so, I've never even played this game, but I've had a mech battling system in my head for a while now and it appears to be awesomeness condensed so-If you do it mechs from all the (good) mecha anime must be in it!
Who wants to play Super Robot Wars-esque game?
Post by: Furtuka on July 14, 2014, 11:32:33 pm
Okay, so, I've never even played this game, but I've had a mech battling system in my head for a while now and it appears to be awesomeness condensed so-
Who wants to play Super Robot Wars-esque game?
LITERAL CROSSOVER OR NOT?!?!?
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 14, 2014, 11:33:08 pm
Partially because I know very, very few mech animes, certainly not enough to decide which are good or not.
Post by: kj1225 on July 14, 2014, 11:34:34 pm
Post by: Furtuka on July 14, 2014, 11:35:51 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 14, 2014, 11:36:56 pm
You can just bring in a character from an anime if you really want. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference, after all.
Post by: Furtuka on July 14, 2014, 11:39:03 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 14, 2014, 11:58:20 pm
Netflix doesn't get many huge mecha animes though...so I might have difficulty finding them.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on July 15, 2014, 10:46:25 am
If you do it mechs from all the (good) mecha anime must be in it!
Don't be silly, we don't want Rolepgeek to be swamped from all of the mechs he'll have to make.
Oh. Well that might still happen.
Netflix doesn't get many huge mecha animes though...so I might have difficulty finding them.
Well, it's not like other people know a lot about mecha animes and would be ecstatic be help. :P
Also, this would probably be a bad time to announce that I'm thinking of making my own SRW game.
Post by: Furtuka on July 15, 2014, 10:56:57 am
Also, this would probably be a bad time to announce that I'm thinking of making my own SRW game.I had thoughts on one too for when I finish clearing my anime backlog
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on July 15, 2014, 11:01:07 am
Post by: Furtuka on July 15, 2014, 11:07:31 am
Well we'll have three SRW games then and it'll be awesome. Though mine probably won't include other mecha animes, at least to start. Gonna do a quick test game first to see how it plays out.Well my backlog includes the entirety of every gundam show I haven't seen yet, so it'll take quite a while :P
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on July 15, 2014, 11:10:41 am
Post by: Furtuka on July 15, 2014, 11:14:24 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on July 15, 2014, 11:18:01 am
Post by: Parsely on July 15, 2014, 05:04:33 pm
RESERVING A SPOT FOR SRW RIGHT NOW.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on July 15, 2014, 05:09:30 pm
Post by: Mesa on July 16, 2014, 03:03:16 am
- I have some basic lore going on but it needs some extra fleshing out still
- I only have one character done mostly for general "testing" (as in trying to figure out a good template) purposes
- Characters have 8 stats (health, physical damage, special damage, physical armor, special armor, speed, initiative bonus), each of which can be increased by items
- Characters have a unique basic attack, two regular abilities and an ultimate ability - there are no secondary resources like mana (right now - some characters might be centered around having a unique resource but nothing in that regard)
- Characters start out with all their skills (ultimate included), and certain aspects of their skills scale with their stats
- Characters can hold up to 4 items which increase their stats and possibly provide other unique bonuses
- Items can be bought at the base with gold, which is gained passively each turn, collected from around the map and from killing enemy minions and heroes
- There's no crafting system - however, certain items can be bought multiple times (without taking up an extra slot), giving extra stats this way
- The main base splits up into 3 lanes (hallways/corridors), each containing two smaller chambers
-- Characters can use teleport pads at the base to teleport to their team's chambers
-- Chambers are guarded by two golems each (one ranged and one melee) which are confined to the area of the chambers
-- Chamber golems have relatively low health compared to towers in actual MOBAs, however once they're down to 0HP, they will revive themselves a few turns later
-- To prevent the golems from respawning, players have to destroy generators present in the corners of the chambers - each golem has their own generator that needs to be destroyed
-- The main base contains 4 golems with their own 4 generators - destroying the generators and enemy golems guarantees victory
--- Upon destroying a base golem, a bridge will rise, leading to a platform containing its appropriate generator
Spoiler: ASCII Imagery (click to show/hide)
(I may drop the special/physical damage split for the sake of simplicity though, among other things but I'm definitely open for ideas here.)
Post by: Nerjin on July 16, 2014, 12:01:30 pm
Less stats = Less work = More enjoyment for the mod = More updates = More fun for the players.
At least that's my experience.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 16, 2014, 12:12:59 pm
Of course, this would make it borderline mandatory to have a mixed-damage team for exactly that reason, and the split damage attributes are perhaps of more concern. It's usually not going to be worth it to build both, which means at some point you might as well just give heroes and critters a Physical or Magic descriptor rather than worry about their exact values.
Post by: Mesa on July 17, 2014, 02:05:46 am
Health - pretty self-explanatory.
Damage (renamed to power) - added as a percentage bonus to abilities and basic attacks, exact bonus percentages vary per skill. Split into physical and special.
Armor - an extra layer of health on top of one's regular health. Regenerates when out of combat for n turns. Split into physical and special, affecting physical and special attacks respectively.
Speed & Initiative - self-explanatory. (initiative rolls are based on a D6 roll [feel free to hate me for that] and the bonus initiative is added on top of that)
Depending on how I get around to the actions per turn (I'm thinking of 2 or 3 unique actions per turn, that being moving, using an ability/attack, using an item or interacting with something), you'll hardly be using all the stats at once. Even then, they're fairly simple to manage.
I've also made the map more compact to reduce the amount of rooms I need to draw in REXPaint, plus it makes things a bit more action-packed, so that's also a good thing.
I think all I need to do now is make some heroes (aiming at 6 for now, working on the second one) and some items to boot and I could start it pretty soon, I suppose.
(I know that my armor is kind of lame but should still makes tanks good at tanking.)
Post by: sjm9876 on July 23, 2014, 02:19:13 pm
Brief rules summary below:
Spoiler: Basic rules (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Pieces (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Events (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Karma (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Power (click to show/hide)
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 23, 2014, 02:20:58 pm
Post by: Remuthra on July 23, 2014, 02:23:13 pm
Post by: Kadzar on July 23, 2014, 02:24:36 pm
A piece is a figure of importance, an empire, a location, or an artifact. it could be a powerful spell, or an ancient beats, or a god itself.I want to create ancient beats so sick that anyone who hears them will contract some sort of divine plague.
Post by: Remuthra on July 23, 2014, 02:26:01 pm
Can I invest power in my beats to upgrade them to jams?A piece is a figure of importance, an empire, a location, or an artifact. it could be a powerful spell, or an ancient beats, or a god itself.I want to create ancient beats so sick that anyone who hears them will contract some sort of divine plague.
Post by: sjm9876 on July 23, 2014, 02:28:08 pm
10 power will up them into grooves.Can I invest power in my beats to upgrade them to jams?A piece is a figure of importance, an empire, a location, or an artifact. it could be a powerful spell, or an ancient beats, or a god itself.I want to create ancient beats so sick that anyone who hears them will contract some sort of divine plague.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 23, 2014, 02:30:29 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 23, 2014, 02:32:42 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on July 23, 2014, 02:36:09 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 23, 2014, 02:40:43 pm
Post by: Remuthra on July 23, 2014, 02:42:13 pm
Ah, I didn't quite get it, I assumed that the bigger your karma the better.No, elves have high karma and they're terrible at doing anything.
Post by: Nerjin on July 23, 2014, 02:42:42 pm
Post by: sjm9876 on July 23, 2014, 02:45:18 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on July 23, 2014, 02:54:30 pm
Post by: Kadzar on July 23, 2014, 03:11:47 pm
Mostly cause if I did it the other way round someone would inevitably misread the word 'deducted.' Ah well, I'll probably change it in the final copy anyway. Assuming there ever is a final copy.It would certainly make more sense the other way, as negative karma is generally considered a bad thing.
Post by: TCM on July 23, 2014, 04:26:43 pm
Can I invest power in my beats to upgrade them to jams?A piece is a figure of importance, an empire, a location, or an artifact. it could be a powerful spell, or an ancient beats, or a god itself.I want to create ancient beats so sick that anyone who hears them will contract some sort of divine plague.
Ancient Bangers? I could form some sort of concept out of this...
Post by: flabort on July 23, 2014, 11:02:15 pm
Might give it a more ominous name, like Causality or Sin.Oooh!
If you call it Causality, you can invest extra power into producing events in the past! You know, before Piece A was [Ruined] by Event C, so that you can set up a legacy of a reincarnating hero or some such.
Such as "Before [The Kingdom of Hyrule] was [Ruined by [Ganondorf]], [The Hero of Time] reincarnated to rise against [Ganondorf]."
Followed by
"During the present, [The Hero of Time] [Ruined] [Ganondorf] and [Restored] the [[Ruined] Kingdom of Hyrule]."
The first event would cost around 15 power, because time travel, while the second would only cost 5 power or so.
Post by: sjm9876 on July 24, 2014, 07:42:37 am
I think the game would
EDIT:Just realised that the theme would pretty much be determined by the pieces anyway.
DOUBLEDIT: Realised that the creation of pieces may as well be Events themselves, just ones that require power. Thus the players will now receive 2 events per turn, and it costs 5 power to create a piece within an event.
Post by: TealNinja on July 24, 2014, 05:58:07 pm
Huh. Come to think of it, the effect might be better referenced as retcon. I prefer hammer-time, at least for that pun, and retconning seems more like something at the GM's disposal rather than the "players'."
Post by: Nerjin on July 26, 2014, 11:21:50 am
Post by: Remuthra on July 26, 2014, 11:29:48 am
Post by: Tawa on July 26, 2014, 11:24:03 pm
Therefore, I'm game.
Speaking of D&D, I was thinking of spending a day or so turning the SRD into open source Saloons & Sheriffs-- D20 Western.
Any interest in cowboy D&D? It'll make a nice (6th? 7th?) time killing project.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 26, 2014, 11:34:32 pm
All I need to do is think of a plot, make a map, write up some nations and politics, decide on a rules set and power level, and type up the topic.
It will be set in a world where divinity is beginning to run rampant, and have a heavy religious bent, in the sense that gods and divine magic will probably be the most common supernatural element in the game in terms of plot purposes, rather than psionics, arcane, various outsiders, or That-Which-Should-Not-Be-Named. Though probably all of those except psionics will be present.
I know jack shit about psionics.
Post by: Nerjin on July 26, 2014, 11:35:51 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 26, 2014, 11:41:59 pm
Post by: Remuthra on July 26, 2014, 11:45:15 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 27, 2014, 12:58:16 am
More than anything, that makes me want to play an irreverent bard who goes around angering the gods :P.Gods probably wouldn't give a shit, in all honesty. They don't have self-confidence issues. At least not most of them. And there's enough new and minor gods that some certainly could...
Lemme see if I can find my notes...ah, here we go.
A summarized history of the gods.
Spoiler: The Beginning of Time; First Era (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Firstborn Era (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: World-Shaper Era (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Life-Makers Era (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Strife-Torn (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Exiles (click to show/hide)
Not done with eras, but will finish later.
Post by: flabort on July 27, 2014, 01:11:58 am
It's dark, right? Lots of undead? Think I might go find a splat and grab Dread Necro...
Tawarochir Seems like a short time to do a full conversion of all those classes and spells... and monsters, and races, etc.
A day? Really? You must have more time on your hands than even I do. Meaning you must never even try to sleep, let alone have to.
That said, I'd be willing to play that one too. I'm less comfortable with western settings because, well, I know less about them, but I'd be willing to play.
Rolepgeek DEFINITELY in on that one. Clerics are apparently my bag, and while I've applied for spontaneous cleric for several games, I've never, ever reached a point where I gain XP with one. :P Being a neutral spontaneous cleric, of course, lets me not know what gods rule the world while pretending I do.
But then again, maybe I should try something else. A scout, maybe.
Post by: kj1225 on July 27, 2014, 01:41:51 am
RPG It does sound interesting.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 27, 2014, 08:33:57 pm
Spoiler: The Shamed (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Ascended (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Orphans (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Scattered (click to show/hide)
With theoretically 162 or more gods, I think people can find the one that suits their fancy just fine.
Post by: kj1225 on July 28, 2014, 06:12:55 pm
Stats won't change and will determine the upper cap what one can roll for those stats. They get modifiers from equipment and perks they gain as they play.
The world is three continents, two in the north that are populated and one in the south that is unpopulated and is the area from which a darkness is encroaching, that are connected by land bridges forming a triangle. The game will be fairly open and there isn't really going to be a lot to prevent the players from doing their own thing besides the fact that somethings may be locked off if they don't occasionally go help fight the darkness.
Post by: Yoink on July 28, 2014, 08:03:11 pm
Speaking of D&D, I was thinking of spending a day or so turning the SRD into open source Saloons & Sheriffs-- D20 Western.
Any interest in cowboy D&D? It'll make a nice (6th? 7th?) time killing project.
Do it, ya varmint! :)
Post by: mosshadow on July 29, 2014, 01:23:39 pm
Quote
I am interested in running a space opera game with strong RPG elements. I am a big fan of a board game called Eclipse where you start off in one system and research technology to build your species. I was also really impressed with the Star Age thread and Star Gate thread but I really want a much more in depth ship battle system and a few PVE elements.
In dawn everyone would just start with one system. The game plays itself on a Hexagon board. Each Hex contains space for 4 systems. Each player has 3 generic resources , Money, Materials and Research. The game is played in rounds where each player uses as much money as they have to do actions which include exploring more planets, improving the infrastructure of systems they control, researching equipment for ships and building more.
To start out players select a general archetype for their species such as humanoid, insectoid, etc. They can then select traits such as in other games. They all start out with some sort of FTL drive but the majority of equipment they can purchase is near future. Researching involves submitting a research request in a general area to improve upon a field, or asking to research a specific technology. Research is limited by what your species believes is possible, for example in the beginning you cannot immediatly ask to research Energy shields because for your people that's still science fiction, however you can research it if you encounter someone else with shields or you find parts of one in a ancient ruin.
In addition to the basic 3 resources there are also rare resources that are found on planets which at first range from things like Uranium and Titanium to things like Dilithium Crystals or mithril. Its rare that a player will have more than a few of each on their planets so they would need to trade to other players for them. These rare resources are needed to make equipment for ships such as nuclear missiles in the beginning to wormhole generators later on. The Players vs Environment comes from NPCs which mostly consist of a race of Bio-mechanical ships that lurk at the edges of systems based on sci fi races such as the Shivans, Reapers and Shadows. For the most part they will leave players alone, but they can become active from player actions which can range from discovering a more powerful form of FTL to attempting the genocide of another race (NPC or player). Their ships will start off small but gradually increase in power and size. The only way they can permanently be defeated is by several players banding together to fight them but they probably will not be enough of a threat to cause that until later in the game.
So far I have made a map and 90% of a ship construction instructions and All of combat.QuoteShip building rules:
You start off with 5 slots for ship classes. They have the attributes of volume and mass.
Volume determines how easy it is to Target a ship and how many of one ship can fit inside a
carrier or station, Mass effects speed/acceleration.
Ships each have a number of blocks,
they act as the frame for pieces of equipment, weapons and modules.
At minimum a ship will have 4 blocks (fighter sized). Blocks will also count for mass and volume.
The more blocks there are the more mass and volume increases with each additional block.
There are Three types of blocks, Light Medium and Heavy, these determine the type of system available.
A heavy block can still hold a light item. In addition to holding a System they can also hold a sheet of
armor to protect the system.
Large ships also have an Overslot this is a block that is distributed throughout the ship and it can
have items such as a layer of armor covering all blocks, an auto repair system, a shield emitter etc.
You can refit ships to lose several blocks to gain a larger block that is meant only for a
certain weapon on a case by case basis. And vice versa, But there should be weapons that act as a
group of smaller weapons.
Space stations are made the same way as ships but do not need propulsion. They also get a bonus
to requests for changing light blocks to heavy blocks along with other systems.
Blocks(L/M/H/O) Mass Volume
Fighter/shuttle
4 (4/0/0/0) 1 1
5 (5/0/0/0) 2 2
6 (5/1/0/0) 4 4
Frigate/destroyer
7 (5/2/0/0) 8 10
8 (4/4/0/1) 16 15
Cruiser
9 (4/5/0/1) 30 20
10 (3/7/0/1) 60 30
Small Battleship/carrier
11 (2/8/1/2) 100 50
12 (0/9/3/2) 200 70
Large
For ships over 12 blocks or over 3 Heavy blocks submit a description and weapons list.
Construction:
Submission form for creation of new ship class:
Name of new ship class: (Class here)
Block number: (number)
Equipment in each block
1L : (item)
2L : (item)
3L : (Weapon)
4L : (item)
etc
Calculated energy produced: (energy)
Calculated energy used: (energy)
Calculated mass: (Mass)
Calculated Volume: (volume)
Calculated Material Needed: (material)
Special Items needed: (material)
Calculated Production for construction: (Production)
Order form for construction :
Class of ship: (class)
Number: (amount)
Name(s): (name)(Smaller ships do not need to have names)
Total Cost: (cost)
Total Production required: (production)
Order for refit: (allows you to upgrade an outdated ship)
Name of ship/class: (name)
Number of ships to change: (number)
Block Changes:
1
2
3
4
Describe any special features such as filling it with exposives as a suicide ship, removing all
regular weapons to try and fit a single spinal railgun in, converting it into a spacestation etc.
Total Cost: (cost)
Total Production required: (production)
Order for repair: (repair battle damage)
Name of ship/class: (name)
Number of ships to repair: (number)
Total Cost: (cost)
Total Production required: (production)
Combat:
Combat is caused when two or more factions at war (or trying to start one) enter the same System. Each
player does a writeout of prebattle orders and preparations and pays the cost for the use of certain
items. Orders can range from just telling all ships to retreat, to describing specific targets to
attack, detailing allied ships to attack ships that attack their own capital ship, etc.
Both sides will fire simultaneously in a series of rounds until one side is destroyed or retreats.
Occasionally if a battle is big enough it can last long enough for new orders to be given by players.
Retreating can be determined by the player giving a threshold order of how much damage to sustain
before leaving or by the morale of the crew breaking.
Combat order:
Launch missiles/torpedoes: Use long range missiles first on both sides. This only happens once in the battle
Counter missile systems: Ships with the correct equipment can shoot down missiles.
Missiles hit: Missiles do damage based on specific capabilities.
Target weapons: All ships aim at each other, this is controlled by sensors. A ship of volume 1-5 will require a roll of over 8 to be targeted, if a 8+8
is rolled and added to, that would mean that up to 2 fighters can be targeted. Target points can be
increased by ECM.
Volume Target Points
1-5 8
6-40 4
41-80 2
81- 0
Fire Weapons: All ships fire their non missile weapons. In this stage some weapons will misfire based
on damage, or fail to fire due to lack of crew or power. The ships fire based on weapon type,
ship type and orders. For example a destroyer instructed to defend a carrier will shoot at fighters with
its light railguns and lasers and shoot at other destroyers with its medium guns.
Evade: Ships under 20 volume will attempt to dodge projectiles.
Acceleration Points Deducted
1 1
2 1
3 2
4 2
5+ 3
Weapons hit: Weapons hit based on their individual stats and the volume of the target along with
equipment of the firing ship.
Blocks hit: Weapons do not damage the whole ship but hit individual parts. This is determined by a dX roll
based on the number of blocks. If there is an energy shield on the ship this will not matter.
Beam weapons,projectile stream and explosive weapons can hit multiple blocks in one shot.
Critical/Collateral Damage: Based on damage done to systems other systems can be damaged.
Items:
Standard: all players can use these at any time
Primitive Sensor
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 29, 2014, 04:41:40 pm
Just a simple request, but I made a similar-ish system(as in it's also about space and about ship construction and fighting and whatnot) a while back and posted it in here, and I'd like to know what you thought of it.
It's just right here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110287.msg4863481#msg4863481), is all.
Post by: mosshadow on July 29, 2014, 05:00:29 pm
Looks pretty good to me, though it's hard to tell how it would all go in practice, whether it would encourage or discourage certain doctrines of warfare, etc.
Just a simple request, but I made a similar-ish system(as in it's also about space and about ship construction and fighting and whatnot) a while back and posted it in here, and I'd like to know what you thought of it.
It's just right here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110287.msg4863481#msg4863481), is all.
I like your system. I would guess this is more for a small fleet battle than a large battle though. It looks great for somesort of spacetrader game or a star trek style explorer game.
I didn't include range because that starts to make things confusing with large groups of ships. I am thinking that to make my game easier to start I can change the plot from building a space empire to playing as a nation on earth taking part in the defense of the solar system from an alien threat.
Post by: Parsely on July 29, 2014, 05:01:57 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 29, 2014, 05:04:00 pm
I would personally prefer competitive space empire game that has players jostling each other, but it's not a big deal.
Post by: mosshadow on July 29, 2014, 05:20:14 pm
Well, regardless, it looks pretty damn cool and i'd like to participate in it if and when you start it.
I would personally prefer competitive space empire game that has players jostling each other, but it's not a big deal.
I would like to do the competitive space empire since thats what the original boardgame is based on, but being able to have a smaller setting and a mostly PVE enviroment seems better for practice, plus since If I am running the aliens as the GM I can get alot more information on how the ship building and combat systems balance out.
Ill post more information once I type it through and Im glad you like the ship building system.
EDIT: also its going to look like space Xcom or Enders game
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 29, 2014, 05:38:41 pm
With regards to the ship building (the part I read) that looks absolutely fucking brilliant. A badass system.I ran something similair one. The biggest problem is in balancing the part list.
Post by: Nerjin on July 29, 2014, 07:36:02 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 29, 2014, 07:45:27 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Is anyone interested in this?
Post by: mosshadow on July 29, 2014, 07:49:06 pm
Quote
Dusk:
The year is 2201 AD. As humanity expanded its reach from the Moon to Mars and finally the Kuiper belt.
Despite predictions of International Unity in science fiction Earth is still broken up into many countries.
While there have been many wars in the 21st century on Earth and the occasional skirmish amounst miners in
the asteroid belt, Earth has been much more peaceful than in previous centuries. In 2120 the GravSlip Sublumial Drive
was invented by Brazilian scientists on a Martian Colony. While it did not provide faster than light travel as hoped
it allowed ships to reach speeds of .10c in only a few minutes of acceleration without the effects of time dilation.
GravSlip allowed civilian ships to reach the Kuiper from earth in only a few days rather than half a year. The
GravSlip allows ships to hop between areas of High gravity with a short stop to recharge power. The creation
of bases and habitats on the moons of Jupiter and Neptune became commonplace for large corporations and leading nations.
With trips to Mars taking only hours millions of colonists were able to immigrate from overpopulated cities by the end
of the 22nd century. Wars on earth became even less common as Governments used their resources to build up infrastructure
off world. As the 23nd century began Humanity expected a continuation of the peace.
On April 5th 2200 Humanity had first contact with alien life. It is speculated that the crew of a Orion 3 Heavy Harvester
encountered the alien ship while searching for iron in the outer edge of the Kuiper belt. They were the first vessel to go
dark. Within 2 days there were 4 missing ships. Despite this Humanity at large was unaware of the threat because each ship
had been destroyed so quickly that that they did not have time to send a message. Its was only when the planetoid Vesta in
the main Asteroid belt was attacked that the nations of Earth began to respond. When the Scoutship appeared above Mars to
do what we now know to be a population scan it was attacked by 8 warships, 4 Chinese, 2 American and 1 from Britain and
India. Dozens of railgun shells and laser beams sped toward the alien and impacted an energy field. It replied with a
pair of brilliant crimson beams that cut right through the hulls of the Victoria and the Liaoning. The alien ship was able
to fire a second and third that finished off the two damaged ships before being destroyed by a pair of 25 megaton nuclear
missiles. The first battle of the war was over. The invasion is about to begin.
Post by: mosshadow on July 29, 2014, 10:07:19 pm
With regards to the ship building (the part I read) that looks absolutely fucking brilliant. A badass system.I ran something similair one. The biggest problem is in balancing the part list.
Yeah thats going to be annoying
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 29, 2014, 10:18:16 pm
I don't think anyone knows what the Major Arcana are.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Is anyone interested in this?
Post by: Furtuka on July 29, 2014, 10:23:10 pm
I know! I know! :P
not interested in the game though sorry. don't think its my thing
Post by: mosshadow on July 29, 2014, 10:24:10 pm
I don't think anyone knows what the Major Arcana are.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Is anyone interested in this?
Is that the 4/5 elements? Or is ether and a some other stuff?
Post by: kj1225 on July 29, 2014, 10:26:44 pm
*raises hand*Eh, okay.
I know! I know! :P
not interested in the game though sorry. don't think its my thing
The arcana is the cards in a tarot deck. There's the minor Arcana, which are (If I remember right) the swords, the coins, and the plants(?). And there's the twelve major Arcana consisting of cards like the fool, the tower, strength, wheel of fortune, ectera.I don't think anyone knows what the Major Arcana are.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Is anyone interested in this?
Is that the 4/5 elements? Or is ether and a some other stuff?
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 29, 2014, 10:30:29 pm
Post by: kj1225 on July 29, 2014, 10:33:37 pm
Post by: Parsely on July 30, 2014, 01:51:57 am
Balancing is the hardest and most discouraging part of making your own system, which can be really fun to do normally. You just need to dive in and not be afraid of making mistakes and just fix things as they come up.With regards to the ship building (the part I read) that looks absolutely fucking brilliant. A badass system.I ran something similar one. The biggest problem is in balancing the part list.
Post by: mosshadow on July 30, 2014, 11:05:50 am
Balancing is the hardest and most discouraging part of making your own system, which can be really fun to do normally. You just need to dive in and not be afraid of making mistakes and just fix things as they come up.With regards to the ship building (the part I read) that looks absolutely fucking brilliant. A badass system.I ran something similar one. The biggest problem is in balancing the part list.
yeah.....
Does anyone have an idea for the name of the aliens?
Post by: mosshadow on July 30, 2014, 12:07:53 pm
Quote
Nation name: The name of the country you are playing as. It can be either a real Earth nation or a new nation in space.
Optional Flag or image: Place flag or a picture here.
Nation Type: While you can play as an earth nation you can also be a colony on Mars or a Satellite such as an O'Neill
Cylinder. Satellites/space stations count as very large ships.
Government Type: Bases what you can do RP wise in controlling your population.
--HARD VALUES--
Population Units: This is an abstraction of your population. Gives Money points.
Size: This is an abstraction of where you can draw material points from. It includes asteroids in claimed areas.
Populated areas: Includes colonies and space stations
-
-
-
Research Station Areas: These allow you to gain research points.
-
-
Military bases: These allow you to build/repair/refit ships. They are all space stations or built into an asteroid because
most ships cannot land.
-
-
Money: Used to do actions.
Money per turn: Gained from Population and the UN.
Material:Used to build ships and space stations. Also can improve areas.
Material per turn: From terrestrial and space mining
Research: Used to acquire technology
Research per turn: Comes from research stations and population. Can also be gained from looking at destroyed alien ships,
destroyed human ships with advanced technology, and alien artifacts/ruins.
Rare materials: These are items used in certain systems that only come in limited amounts. Some like Uranium can be mined
in the very beginning in some countries. Others are only found in the wreckage of alien ships or in ruins. Many are also
present on planets and asteroids but cannot be detected until certain technologies have been researched.
Rare Material Production: This is where you see how much of each rare item is being produced. Some can be synthesized from
regular material.
General Technology researched: Broad technology types such as teleportation, Advanced Laser weapons, Stealth Systems.
-
-
-
Specific Technology researched: Technology that can be used in ships such as various lasers, better hull plating, faster engines
-
-
-
General Technology available for research: Technology that you can now research based on what you already have. The list is
not all thats available, just all that your researchers have thought can be done. You can always ask the GM to research
something thats not on the list and he can say wether its within your capabilities.
-
-
-
Specific Techonology available for research: Based on general technology researched you can apply knowledge to make new
weapons and systems. You can also Reresearch something you already have to make it better. For example you can ask your
scientists to Miniaturize a Radar to fit in a small block instead of a medium block, or you can make a single cannon
into a double cannon.
-
-
-
--SOFT VALUES--
Population Morale: This is how the population feels about the war. Its not a specific number but a description. You can
change it with RPing propganda and showing videos of sucessful battles. It will probably start off as panicked. It also
causes random events such as the invention of new technology or riots.
Alien Sympathy: This is the possiblity of religious cults and other groups arising in support of Aliens. This tends
to be caused by Alien ships getting in close proximaty to your population centers. How you deal with it is up to you but
its quite possible for them to sabotage military vessels or even attack you with modified civilian vessels.
United Nations relationship: How well you are thought of by the United Nations. They are in control of a network of
High powered telescopes and satellites that warn of alien ships. They also have the ability to share technology between
countries with permission.
Specific problems: Basic writeup of national issues such as corruption, riots and natural disasters. These can erode Morale
and Increase Alien Sympathy. You can do things such as building walls and sending police to stop these problems.
These will usually cost money or other resources.
Relationships with other National Populations: How people feel about other players countries. This can be increased by
helping each other out in battle, exchanging resources and sending diplomats. It can be decreased by retreating from a
battle without fighting while other fleets stay, salvaging or stealing damaged ships, and random events.
--Military--
Fleet Deployments: This is where ship deployments are listed. This includes individual warships and generalized
tender fleets which are required to build structures and field repairs.
-
-
-
Ship blueprints: List your ship classes here.
-
-
-
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 30, 2014, 12:35:12 pm
Post by: mosshadow on July 30, 2014, 02:21:05 pm
Are you going to this here, or somewhere else?
here
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 30, 2014, 04:06:46 pm
Post by: mosshadow on July 30, 2014, 04:31:23 pm
Quote
List of Sectors
Each sector contains planets and asteroids. The Gravslip drive requires ships to head towards gravity wells thus
it is not possible to journey through empty space to reach an area for humans. Fleets travel along each line. Because this
game follows Space Opera logic the distance disaparities are ignored.
How a Planetary sectors works: Each planet has 3 Subsectors: Far Orbit, Moon Orbit, Low Orbit. Because of the way Subluminal drives
work ships will enter near the planet in Low Orbit, to leave they will need to enter Moon orbit and then Far Orbit.
How a Asteroid sector works: Asteroid sectors have 5 Subsectors, North, South, Inner, Outer and Central. The Inner sector is
from the direction of Earth. Central contains any Dwarf Planets or large asteroids.
How Moons and Dwarf Planets work: Moons and Dwarf Planets only contain 1 Subsector called Orbit from here ships exit and enter
Exiting sends the ship to the planetary Moon Orbit Subsector and vice versa.
----Inner Solar System OverSector----
The Sun: Many research and industrial space stations orbit around the sun.
Mercury: A rather boring sunbaked place. Nothing to see here other than a few miners. There are rumors of strange sensors
readings along the dark side. Maybe theres an ancient ruin buried somewhere?
Venus: A few Corporate satellites Orbit around. The upper atmostphere contains a few million people in floating cities.
Who knows what could lie below the surface?
Earth: Our home. The most populated planet. Populaton 16 billion on the surface and underground. 20 million in local space.
-International Space station: A massive station that contains almost a million people. It is a hub for ship construction
and off world transportation. Many countries rent out sections for their own military bases. Along with its defense
satellites this acts as a last line of defense for Earth with recently installed weapons due to the sudden Alien threat.
-Orbiting Areas of Earth-
Luna: Earths moon has a population of 10 million plus 2 million in orbital satellites. Many Countries have their military
starbases here.
Mars: A heavily colonized planet with a population of 500 million and an orbital population of 1 million. The skies are
heavily choked with orbital docks and factories.
-Orbiting Areas of Mars-
Deimos: a small moon thoroughly drilled through with settlements.
Phobos: a small moon with several military installations.
----Asteroid Field OverSector----
Asteroid Field North: Contains many Corporation mining bases and ships.
Asteroid Field Central: Contains many Corporation mining facillities and Research bases. Also a few large Human Habitats
built for the families of Asteroid miners.
Asteroid Field South: Contains many miners and Ceres.
-Internal areas of AF south-
Ceres: A Dwarf planet with a few research stations on the surface and orbiting.
Various additional Dwarf planets: These will only be used if you build a research station or base.
----Outer Planets OverSector----
Jupiter: a massive gas giant with dozens of orbital gas mining stations
-Orbital area-
Dozens of moons you can make bases on or in orbit around them. There are rumors of alien artifacts.
Trojans: an asteroid field that used to have few miners. Now its mostly abandoned.
Saturn: a gas giant with rings. A few way stations are in orbit
-Orbital area-
Dozens of moons you can make bases in or around. Strange structures have been noted underneath some of them.
Titan: a Moon with a significant corporate population of 10,000. They mine the surface for hydro carbons.
Centaurs: an asteroid field with a few research stations.
Uranus: while economically unimporant thanks to the bountiful asteroid field it is the first chokepoint on the path to earth
and has been a waystation and refueling station for a century. Now orbital defenses are starting to be created by UN forces.
There is a population of 15,000 amoung a few stations that service vessels.
-Orbital area-
Dozens of moons.
Neptune:
(http://s4.postimg.org/jiuqd4wot/Solar_system.png)
Post by: mosshadow on July 30, 2014, 04:31:45 pm
I am most interested.
Thanks. :)
Post by: Parsely on July 30, 2014, 04:45:22 pm
PsilansBalancing is the hardest and most discouraging part of making your own system, which can be really fun to do normally. You just need to dive in and not be afraid of making mistakes and just fix things as they come up.With regards to the ship building (the part I read) that looks absolutely fucking brilliant. A badass system.I ran something similar one. The biggest problem is in balancing the part list.
yeah.....
Does anyone have an idea for the name of the aliens?
Post by: mosshadow on July 30, 2014, 05:24:17 pm
PsilansBalancing is the hardest and most discouraging part of making your own system, which can be really fun to do normally. You just need to dive in and not be afraid of making mistakes and just fix things as they come up.With regards to the ship building (the part I read) that looks absolutely fucking brilliant. A badass system.I ran something similar one. The biggest problem is in balancing the part list.
yeah.....
Does anyone have an idea for the name of the aliens?
Sounds good for now
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 30, 2014, 11:44:33 pm
We'd give them some sort of vaguely derogative code name that would eventually be reduced to a catchy abbreviation.
*shrugs*
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 10:29:55 am
Like:
The reapers->the Borg-> the Zerg -> the shivans ->the flood -> the Vong-> the Tyranids-> the Bydo.
Can anyone think of any other hive mind/insectoid/space nazi alien race?
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 31, 2014, 10:53:49 am
On a side, I dislike directly importing threats from popular media.
Post by: kj1225 on July 31, 2014, 10:58:20 am
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 12:47:47 pm
Dalek, Cybermen, Xenon, Kha'ak, ...
On a side, I dislike directly importing threats from popular media.
Yeah but they make good inspiration. I think I could make some sort of chart that we use to roll up alien races based on archetypes. For example there would be 3-5 traits that
are picked from individual lists
Mindset: Individual Extreme(narcissist), Individual Humanlike, Individual Herd, Light hivemind, Centralized Hivemind, decentralized Hivemind.
Body structure: Human, Humanoid, Bipedal, nonbipedal, No-body, Mechanical
Body type: Mammal, Insectoid, Reptoid, Blob, Energy, Demonic/Eldritch, Vehicle, Robot
Vehicle type:Metallic, Biomechanical, Biological, Energy.
Motivation: Benevolent Imperialistic, Nationalist Imperialistic, Resource mining, Lifeform consumption, Unknowable to human minds, Berserker Probe.
Based on which one it is affects their ship abilities and how your population reacts. Theres a higher chance of 5th columnists arising in your nation if you are fighting Humanoid aliens who just want to make earth into a colony and force their culture upon you than the Tentacle creatures who want to eat you.
EDIT: Also Based on mindset hiveminds would be better at reacting and can use ships as meat shields, but the destruction of certain ships can defeat the entire fleet (as in Enders Game).
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 12:48:09 pm
What about importing them, combining them with general moe type girls, and add in some not readily apparent horror?
no
Post by: Funk on July 31, 2014, 02:25:38 pm
Maybe they want to share there power and tech with those they judge "worthy" of joining, and just trade with the "lesser" beings.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 31, 2014, 02:55:49 pm
No vision!What about importing them, combining them with general moe type girls, and add in some not readily apparent horror?
no
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 03:00:01 pm
So going from modern to fantasy in weaponry:
Chemical Cannons: Pretty much what we have been using for 1000 years(in game) propellants would be at the most advanced possible. These should be much cheaper and longer
lasting than other weapons but the velocity would be low. Assuming Space Opera "Logic" they should be useful against fighters by using proximity detonators and explosive payloads(in real life explosives aren't very good in space). By using Nuclear or Antimatter shells you can make it much more useful.
Electromagnetic shells: Rail guns and Coil guns. For simplicity we can say coil guns are better since in real life they have had much better results due to the lack of contact with metal
parts. They would work similarly to chemical cannons but have less fire rate and a much higher velocity.
Lasers: I would think we can do 2 varieties Continuous beam and Pulse. CB does heat damage while Pulse is explosive. So CB melts through armor and shields while Pulse can easily destroy unarmored parts or fighters.
Radiation beam: Kills crew and damages electronics.
Particle beam: Like lasers but they cut through armor with tiny atoms and use much more energy.
Missile:Used once in the first stage battle in a volley, can contain whatever you want but the engines are what matter in terms of accuracy. In the beginning I suppose you would have Nuclear engines but later on you can move on to Antimatter.
Torpedo-:A short range weapon that is just a really big missile with a short range engine.
Molten beam: Basically a thick particle beam.
Plasma: a short range weapon that burns through hulls and does massive internal and crew damage.
Biological Acid: eats through the hull, does acid damage
Plasma Bolt: Basically those so called "lasers" that appear in star wars. A mix of kinetic and Burn effects.
Wave Cannon: A combination of Lasers and Plasma (somehow) with a multi turn charge up.
Disintegration Beam: Weapons that some how turn armor into dust. Extremely lethal against all armor.
Gravity weapons: Black holes and the like.
Damage Types:
Kinetic: From solid objects. Has a very low chance to degrade armor. Medium chance to hit crew. Low Block Damage. High penetration.
Kinetic Slam: From a ship being rammed or gravity weapons . Has a chance to tear armor off. High Chance to hit crew. High Block damage. No penetration.
Melt: From heat and acid. Has a high chance to degrade armor. High Chance to hit crew. High block damage. No penetration.
Blast Fragmentation: From explosives and lasers. Has almost no chance to degrade armor. Has High chance to hit crew. Low block damage. Almost no penetration.
Blast Shockwave: From explosives and lasers. Has a medium chance to degrade armor. Has a medium chance to hit crew. Medium Block damage. Low penetration.
Disintegrate: From certain beam weapons. High Chance to degrade armor. High chance to hit crew. High Block damage. No penetration.
Weapon description format
1st Stage: K KS M BF BS D
# # # # # #
2nd Stage: # # # # # #
3rd Stage: etc
Accuracy: Must be over 10. D20 +Base# + Computers/sensors - Enemy dodge(not for beams)- ECM or whatever
Special Rules: Basically says if it hits multiple parts for beam weapons or automatic weapons.
The stages are for shells that contain explosives so instead of blowing up on the armor you can penetrate inside. Penetration is listed on the armor not the shell.
Anything I missed?
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 03:00:41 pm
Don't import the name but the general theme, the Borg and the Cybermen are mostly interchangeable so come up with a spin of the idea of a "race" of cyborges are wish to assimilate every one.
Maybe they want to share there power and tech with those they judge "worthy" of joining, and just trade with the "lesser" beings.
Thats a good idea.
No vision!What about importing them, combining them with general moe type girls, and add in some not readily apparent horror?
no
:D
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 31, 2014, 03:04:20 pm
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 03:24:23 pm
Are you going with a rigid tech sheme, or a non-rigid tech tree. Because for the latter it might be better to set up a more flexible weapon system, because people are probably going try and break it in various ways.
Well I think both, theres a list of techs that you can research but you can always ask for anything else so I can decide if its within your level. I will make the stats for each weapon you can research. If you guys are suddenly shooting every alien ship down then they can just up the difficulty with bigger ships and a whole new set of weapons. Of course since you can also betray fellow humans for their stuff that would cause a problem in which case I would have to retcon the weapon stats.
Also I will never EVER let you guys get time travel since that instantly breaks the game. :D
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 03:29:39 pm
Quote
List of Sectors
Each sector contains planets and asteroids. The Gravslip drive requires ships to head towards gravity wells thus
it is not possible to journey through empty space to reach an area for humans. Fleets travel along each line. Because this
game follows Space Opera logic the distance disaparities are ignored.
How a Planetary sectors works: Each planet has 3 Subsectors: Far Orbit, Moon Orbit, Low Orbit. Because of the way Subluminal drives
work ships will enter near the planet in Low Orbit, to leave they will need to enter Moon orbit and then Far Orbit.
How a Asteroid sector works: Asteroid sectors have 5 Subsectors, North, South, Inner, Outer and Central. The Inner sector is
from the direction of Earth. Central contains any Dwarf Planets or large asteroids.
How Moons and Dwarf Planets work: Moons and Dwarf Planets only contain 1 Subsector called Orbit from here ships exit and enter
Exiting sends the ship to the planetary Moon Orbit Subsector and vice versa.
----Inner Solar System OverSector----
The Sun: Many research and industrial space stations orbit around the sun.
Mercury: A rather boring sunbaked place. Nothing to see here other than a few miners. There are rumors of strange sensors
readings along the dark side. Maybe theres an ancient ruin buried somewhere?
Venus: A few Corporate satellites Orbit around. The upper atmostphere contains a few million people in floating cities.
Who knows what could lie below the surface?
Earth: Our home. The most populated planet. Populaton 16 billion on the surface and underground. 20 million in local space.
-International Space station: A massive station that contains almost a million people. It is a hub for ship construction
and off world transportation. Many countries rent out sections for their own military bases. Along with its defense
satellites this acts as a last line of defense for Earth with recently installed weapons due to the sudden Alien threat.
-Orbiting Areas of Earth-
Luna: Earths moon has a population of 10 million plus 2 million in orbital satellites. Many Countries have their military
starbases here.
Mars: A heavily colonized planet with a population of 500 million and an orbital population of 1 million. The skies are
heavily choked with orbital docks and factories.
-Orbiting Areas of Mars-
Deimos: a small moon thoroughly drilled through with settlements.
Phobos: a small moon with several military installations.
----Asteroid Field OverSector----
Asteroid Field North: Contains many Corporation mining bases and ships.
Asteroid Field Central: Contains many Corporation mining facillities and Research bases. Also a few large Human Habitats
built for the families of Asteroid miners.
Asteroid Field South: Contains many miners and Ceres.
-Internal areas of AF south-
Ceres: A Dwarf planet with a few research stations on the surface and orbiting.
Various additional Dwarf planets: These will only be used if you build a research station or base.
----Outer Planets OverSector----
Jupiter: a massive gas giant with dozens of orbital gas mining stations
-Orbital area-
Dozens of moons you can make bases on or in orbit around them. There are rumors of alien artifacts.
Trojans: an asteroid field that used to have few miners. Now its mostly abandoned.
Saturn: a gas giant with rings. A few way stations are in orbit
-Orbital area-
Dozens of moons you can make bases in or around. Strange structures have been noted underneath some of them.
Titan: a Moon with a significant corporate population of 10,000. They mine the surface for hydro carbons.
Centaurs: an asteroid field with a few research stations.
Uranus: while economically unimporant thanks to the bountiful asteroid field it is the first chokepoint on the path to earth
and has been a waystation and refueling station for a century. Now orbital defenses are starting to be created by UN forces.
There is a population of 15,000 amoung a few stations that service vessels.
-Orbital area-
Dozens of moons.
Neptune: a Dozen moons and a few stations. Its not as strategicly important as Uranus but its on the path to the Kuiper belt
Greeks: a small Asteroid field. One or two research stations. Occasional rumors of a derelict alien ship on the outskirts.
----Frontier OverSector----
Pluto: a boring rock that used to be a planet. Still its solid ground unlike the previous four planets so theres a 40,000
people here for research and manufacturing.
Kuiper north: Plenty of asteroids and hundreds of mining ships. There are fewer corportations so free lancers from the
inner system have been pushed out here. Valuble metals are found here along with unknown ones that may be needed in
the future. Confirmed Presence of alien derelicts.
-internal area-
Eris: a dwarf planet with research stations and a refit dock. It is used to repair mining ships.
Kuiper north central: Plenty of asteroids and hundreds of mining ships. There are fewer corportations so free lancers from the
inner system have been pushed out here. Valuble metals are found here along with unknown ones that may be needed in
the future. Confirmed Presence of alien derelicts. Piracy occurs often here.
Kuiper south central: Plenty of asteroids and hundreds of mining ships. There are fewer corportations so free lancers from the
inner system have been pushed out here. Valuble metals are found here along with unknown ones that may be needed in
the future. Confirmed Presence of alien derelicts. A religious cult has set up base on several asteroids here.
Kuiper south: Plenty of asteroids and hundreds of mining ships. There are fewer corportations so free lancers from the
inner system have been pushed out here. Valuble metals are found here along with unknown ones that may be needed in
the future. Confirmed Presence of alien derelicts.
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 05:18:48 pm
Also formatting sucks.
Quote
Resource Acquistion
Money is calculated from your population units. Population units are general indication of the productivity of your
civilians. Thus instead of waiting for the population to grow you can build space stations to increase the unit count because
the reduction of actual population numbers on earth reduces unemployment due to overpopulation. In the same way genetic
engineering and cybernetic enchancement will also increase the population.
Population Money per turn
100 100
120 150
140 190
160 220
180 240
200 250
220 260
+20 +10
You can also get money from other players and the UN.
Material mainly come from asteroid and planetary mining. Earth has used up most of its resources so you cannot expect to
be able to build ships from Earth. Improvements can be made that increase the production greatly to several times the original.
Area Material per turn
Small station Military base Small settlement Settlement Colony Small nation/Space Habitat Nation
Sun 5 5 5 5 10 10 10
Small moon 20 20 30 30 30 35 40
Mercury 10 10 20 30 35 40 40
Venus 10 10 20 30 30 30 30
Earth 0 0 X X X 40 40
Luna 10 10 30 40 45 50 60
Mars 20 10 30 40 45 60 70
A Field 40 20 40 60 80 150 X
Jupiter 30 20 30 35 35 35 X
Trojans 5 5 10 20 30 50 X
Saturn 20 10 20 30 40 35 X
Titan 40 40 60 70 75 80 100
Centaurs Same as Trojans
Uranus 30 20 30 40 50 70 X
Neptune Same as Uranus
Greeks Same as Trojans
Pluto 50 40 60 70 80 100 120
Kuiper F 70 40 100 120 160 300 X
All others such as dwarf planets and moons are case by case.
Research comes from settlements and research bases. It also comes from alien artifacts and detroyed ships. Some research
is specific for only one technology, this is from studying a specific item
Area Research per turn
Small station Military base Small settlement Settlement Colony Small nation/Space Habitat Nation
Post by: IronyOwl on July 31, 2014, 05:21:23 pm
Post by: mosshadow on July 31, 2014, 10:00:49 pm
Tables are a forum feature, if you're looking to optimize them for here. Grid button to access, copy td tags for additional columns in that row, tr tags with td tags inside them for extra rows.
Thanks. I was pretty annoyed though that it ignored my carefully spacebarred rows when I copied it from note pad :P
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 31, 2014, 11:25:36 pm
I suppose I could also do the aliens in a Wave mode basically after you wipe out one species a harder one takes its place .
Like:
The reapers->the Borg-> the Zerg -> the shivans ->the flood -> the Vong-> the Tyranids-> the Bydo.
Can anyone think of any other hive mind/insectoid/space nazi alien race?
...couldn't we give them more character and motivation? Instead of it being 'well obviously these are the enemy in every way...and therefore we don't have to ever worry about traitors or anything'?
There was a novel (series?) I liked (and no matter how hard I search for it now I cannot find the name) in which the aliens were hostile to humans because our radio transmissions were extremely painful to their ancestor spirit ghosts that could teleport which is how they achieved FTL communication, and thus thought we were attacking them, and always targeted our communication systems first in fights...whole point of the story is resolving the misunderstanding, I think. And huge annihilatory battles.
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 02:33:51 pm
I suppose I could also do the aliens in a Wave mode basically after you wipe out one species a harder one takes its place .
Like:
The reapers->the Borg-> the Zerg -> the shivans ->the flood -> the Vong-> the Tyranids-> the Bydo.
Can anyone think of any other hive mind/insectoid/space nazi alien race?
...couldn't we give them more character and motivation? Instead of it being 'well obviously these are the enemy in every way...and therefore we don't have to ever worry about traitors or anything'?
There was a novel (series?) I liked (and no matter how hard I search for it now I cannot find the name) in which the aliens were hostile to humans because our radio transmissions were extremely painful to their ancestor spirit ghosts that could teleport which is how they achieved FTL communication, and thus thought we were attacking them, and always targeted our communication systems first in fights...whole point of the story is resolving the misunderstanding, I think. And huge annihilatory battles.
Check a few posts ago, I had a chart. I would really like to see that series.
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 05:06:43 pm
Quote
Resource Acquistion
Money is calculated from your population units. Population units are general indication of the productivity of your
civilians. Thus instead of waiting for the population to grow you can build space stations to increase the unit count because
the reduction of actual population numbers on earth reduces unemployment due to overpopulation. In the same way genetic
engineering and cybernetic enchancement will also increase the population.
Population Money per turn
100 100
120 150
140 190
160 220
180 240
200 250
220 260
+20 +10
You can also get money from other players and the UN.
Material mainly come from asteroid and planetary mining. Earth has used up most of its resources so you cannot expect to
be able to build ships from Earth. Improvements can be made that increase the production greatly to several times the original.
Please note that Stations and Settlements coexist.
Area Material per turn
Small station Military base Small settlement Settlement Colony Small nation/Space Habitat Nation
Sun 5 5 5 5 10 10 10
Small moon 20 20 30 30 30 35 40
Mercury 10 10 20 30 35 40 40
Venus 10 10 20 30 30 30 30
Earth 0 0 X X X 40 40
Luna 10 10 30 40 45 50 60
Mars 20 10 30 40 45 60 70
A Field 40 20 40 60 80 150 X
Jupiter 30 20 30 35 35 35 X
Trojans 5 5 10 20 30 50 X
Saturn 20 10 20 30 40 35 X
Titan 40 40 60 70 75 80 100
Centaurs Same as Trojans
Uranus 30 20 30 40 50 70 X
Neptune Same as Uranus
Greeks Same as Trojans
Pluto 50 40 60 70 80 100 120
Kuiper F 70 40 100 120 160 300 X
All others such as dwarf planets and moons are case by case.
Research comes from settlements and research bases. It also comes from alien artifacts and detroyed ships. Artifacts and
captured technology decrease the cost of research for that item. Please note that Stations and Settlements coexist.
Area Research per turn
Small station Military base Small settlement Settlement Colony Small nation/Space Habitat Nation
Sun 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
Small moon 20 20 30 30 30 35 40
Mercury 10 10 10 10 20 40 40
Venus 20 10 40 40 40 40 60
Earth 60 80 X X X 100 150
Luna 30 30 30 50 80 100 160
Mars 50 30 50 80 90 100 150
A Field 50 10 10 10 20 60 X
Jupiter 60 20 20 20 30 70 X
Trojans 50 10 10 10 20 50 X
Saturn 60 10 10 10 20 65 X
Titan 80 20 20 20 25 100 150
Centaurs Same as Trojans
Uranus 60 20 20 20 30 80 X
Neptune Same as Uranus
Greeks Same as Trojans
Pluto 90 20 20 20 40 100 120
Kuiper F 60 40 40 40 50 100 X
All others such as dwarf planets and moons are case by case. Based on real life, a planet with Cryovolanoes will have more
research points that a barren rock even if they are the same size.
Rare Materials are used in construction of equipment and fuel. They may also be used in RP sections such as using a
large amount of uranium to blow up an asteroid for a one time boost in material. At first there are only a few types
of rare material but more will be discovered or salvaged.
Uranium: a generic for all radioactive material. It is used to make reactors, fuel nuclear engines and used in nuclear
weapons. Produced via specialized mining facilities or breeder reactors.
Titanium: Used to make engines and better armor. Produced via special mines.
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 01, 2014, 08:49:50 pm
Ah. I would suggest adding something relating to magic; basically, the race manipulates physics or does things that would normally be considered impossible, and while there's a reason for it, nobody knows what it is, not them, not us, and so it's basically magic. Simple explanation is they're the survivors of a fallen empire or the like with technology left over, possibly self-reproducing technology incorporated into their biology and such, far above anything we know and more complex than what we understand. Part of the reason the empire fell, perhaps, was the decadence they indulged in; they had the ability to bypass physics, but they used to to make lightning shoot from their finger tips, rather than creating split-second black holes inside their enemy's skulls.I suppose I could also do the aliens in a Wave mode basically after you wipe out one species a harder one takes its place .
Like:
The reapers->the Borg-> the Zerg -> the shivans ->the flood -> the Vong-> the Tyranids-> the Bydo.
Can anyone think of any other hive mind/insectoid/space nazi alien race?
...couldn't we give them more character and motivation? Instead of it being 'well obviously these are the enemy in every way...and therefore we don't have to ever worry about traitors or anything'?
There was a novel (series?) I liked (and no matter how hard I search for it now I cannot find the name) in which the aliens were hostile to humans because our radio transmissions were extremely painful to their ancestor spirit ghosts that could teleport which is how they achieved FTL communication, and thus thought we were attacking them, and always targeted our communication systems first in fights...whole point of the story is resolving the misunderstanding, I think. And huge annihilatory battles.
Check a few posts ago, I had a chart. I would really like to see that series.
Also maybe something relating to psionics? A lot of truly high-tech sci-fi things often incorporate psionics into a weapon alien races wield(to be fair, they'll turn basically anything into a weapon alien races wield, from probability to pheromones). Not really important unless it's some types of hiveminds, in all honesty.
Post by: Parsely on August 01, 2014, 09:06:59 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 01, 2014, 09:13:13 pm
If you ask me, I think it's bad to spoil good sci-fi with magicks.Not magicks. I just mean Sufficiently Advanced Science. We don't understand it, neither do they. Could manifest in any number of ways, from biological monstrosities that shouldn't be able to survive, to materials that withstand forces beyond anything currently manufacturable.
It's just being honest with the Handwavium; acknowledging that there isn't a cut and dry explanation for how everything works adds credence to sci-fi, too; we don't know everything now, in the future there'll just be more stuff not to know about/understand.
Post by: Parsely on August 01, 2014, 09:17:07 pm
Post by: Furtuka on August 01, 2014, 09:17:57 pm
Post by: Parsely on August 01, 2014, 09:19:50 pm
meh lets let mosshadow setup the setting the way he envisions it, it's his after all.^^
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 01, 2014, 09:25:18 pm
meh lets let mosshadow setup the setting the way he envisions it, it's his after all.Thus I was giving only suggestions in case he had not thought of them yet. The system provokes enough intrigue within me that I do not really mind one way or another about the setting.
Alright, that was a lie, I'm a worldbuilder so some aspects of settings can bother me immensely.
Basically everyone with an RP I'm in who isn't Ross Vernal can testify to this. Even some people with settings I'm not in.
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 10:02:22 pm
I added a new damage type called Kinetic Penetration which is what you would expect. I realized that only having a Kinetic damage type would cause issues because you could have a small 10mm railgun with a very high velocity be unable to penetrate an inch of steel because theres no reason it should have a large Kinetic damage. The KP allows for say a large 8 inch cannon to be terrible at penetrating armor yet do much more damage because of the large size, while a 3 inch coilgun can penetrate anything but do very little damage since the round is very small compared to the spaceship. In addition there is an option for an Aimed Shot, this means that if you give orders to target a certain part of a vessel there will be an additional accuracy check. This is useful for order frigates to aim lasers at point defense turrets so that your missiles and fighters are more effective. Most aimed shots will fire one Aimed shot while the rest are regular targeting.
Also I decided on a simple battlefield system, 7 areas, each fleet starts at one end, areas 1 and 7 are not target-able by most weapons this is where you can leave your carriers, unarmed supply fleet and AWACs if you do not want them to be in the fight. Areas 2 and 6 are where most ships start and weapons tagged normal can always hit here but not 1 and 7. Areas 3, 4 and 5 are where your fighters would need to travel through before they get to shoot with their best weapons. You can also have other ships move through there if you want to but that would allow alien fighters to attack them much more easily. If ships are able to reach 2 or 6 they will be able to shoot at areas 1 or 7 with normal weapons. Normally though if the enemy is closing in like that your own ships would retreat but there would be the chance to get hit once or twice.
| |
1 | 2 3 4 5 6 | 7
| |
120mm cannon: A cheap outdated weapon that does not require special materials.
Light Block
Mass: 1
Power:-1
Restrictions: None
Range: Normal
Durability: 50 Damaged at 40, Disabled at 20
Damage vulnerability: Immune to EMP/Radiation effects. Normal for all else.
Crew Protection: Low D100, protected at 81 or above. 20%
Ammo type: Armor Piercing
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 30 50 0 0 10 0 0
Crew hit : Extreme low D100, hit at 96 or above. 5%
Ammo type: Flak
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 10 10 0 0 5 0 0
Crew Hit : Extreme low D100, hit at 96 or above. 5%
2nd Stage: 0 0 0 0 50 0 0 Hits 2-3 blocks, 2/3 Proximity
Crew Hit : High D100, hit at 40 or above. 60%
Firerate: 3 Shot burst
Accuracy: D100 hit at 61 40%
Aimed Single Shot: 91+ for direct hit, 71+ for regular hit. 10%, 30%
Special Rules: When Flak shells miss, they get a 2/3 (miss on 1)chance to detonate in proximity.
120mm Railgun: A cheap effective cannon.
Light Block
Mass: 2
Power:-3
Restrictions: Cannot fit on fighters only block 7+
Range: Normal
Durability: 60 Damaged at 50, Disabled at 25
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection: Low D100, protected at 91 or above. 10%
Ammo type: Armor Piercing Sabot
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 60 40 0 0 10 0 0
Crew hit : Extreme low D100, hit at 96 or above. 5%
Firerate: 2 Shot burst
Accuracy: D100 hit at 41 or above 60%
Aimed Single Shot: 81+ for direct hit, 71+ for regular hit. 20%, 20%
Special Rules: None
50mm AutoRailgun: A rapid fire weapon used for both fighters and CIWS.
Light Block
Mass: 1
Power:-2
Restrictions: None. Special version available for Fighters that combines with cockpit.
Range: Short 2
Durability: 60 Damaged at 50, Disabled at 25
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
medium D100, protected at 81. 20%
Fighter version takes cockpit Crew Protection.
Ammo type: Armor Piercing Sabot
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 10 5 0 0 5 0 0 7 Shots
Crew hit : Extreme low D100, hit at 96 or above. 5%
Firerate: 3 Bursts of 7 shots
Accuracy: D100 hit at 56 or above 45%
Aimed Double Burst: Range 0 : 11+ for direct hit, 6+ for regular hit. 90%, 5%
Special Rules: Can shoot down 1 Missile/Torpedo D100 at 61 or above 35%
Quad 50mm AutoRailgun: A rapid fire weapon used for CIWS.
Light Block
Mass: 8
Power:-6
Restrictions: None.
Range: Short 2
Durability: 80 Damaged at 50, Disabled at 20
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
High D100, protected at 66+. 35%
Ammo type: Armor Piercing Sabot
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 10 5 0 0 5 0 0 30 Shots
Crew hit : Extreme low D100, hit at 96 or above. 5%
Firerate: 2 Bursts of 30 shots
Accuracy: D100 hit at 46+ 55%
Aimed Burst: Not available
Special Rules: Can shoot down 3 missiles or 1 Torpedo D100 at 36+ 65%, 46+ 55%, 66+ 35%
20mm Xray Light Beam Laser : a weak laser used mostly for point defense
Light Block
Mass: 4
Power:-2
Restrictions: None.
Range: Short 2
Durability: 80 Damaged at 60, Disabled at 40
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
High D100, protected at 66+. 35%
Ammo type: Continuous beam Xray
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 0 0 0 25 0 0 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : Medium D100, hit at 76 or above. 25%
Firerate: 2 Bursts of 2 shots
Accuracy: D100 hit at 16+ 85%
Aimed Long Burst x3 : Range 1: 11+ for direct hit, 6+ for regular hit. 90%, 5%
Special Rules: Can shoot down 3 missiles or 1 Torpedo D100 at 36+ 65%, 36+ 65%, 46+ 55%
Armor: If a weapon has a KP Greater than 150% of the blocking value then it is an instant penetration with full damage. If its under but greater than 120% then there is a 20% chance of deflect due to angle, 40% chance of penetration with damage reduction, and 40% of full damage. From 100% to 119% there is a 30% chance to deflect and 70% chance to reduce. From 90% to 99% there is a 10% chance to penetrate with reduced damage. All else will be fully blocked though its possible to damage the crew from radiation. Penetrations only cause 20% of normal degradation value. Over slot armor acts as spaced armor, thus KP values will be decreased by 40% after penetrating. Their mass is Blocks times a value.
High Strength Steel Plate: a cheap armor used to stop projectiles and lasers. It comes in various thicknesses. Its main weakness is vulnerability to degradation.
100mm 500mm 1M 3M 5M 100mm(O) 500m(O)
Mass: 5 15 30 70 100 B*4 B*12
Durability: 120 250 320 500 800 300 500
KP Blocking 20 40 50 70 85 20 40
--------------
Damage reduction:30% for Kinetic damage.
Degradation: K KS M BF BS D
% 5 200 250 10 150 500
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 10:09:45 pm
meh lets let mosshadow setup the setting the way he envisions it, it's his after all.
Thanks fo
If you ask me, I think it's bad to spoil good sci-fi with magicks.Not magicks. I just mean Sufficiently Advanced Science. We don't understand it, neither do they. Could manifest in any number of ways, from biological monstrosities that shouldn't be able to survive, to materials that withstand forces beyond anything currently manufacturable.
It's just being honest with the Handwavium; acknowledging that there isn't a cut and dry explanation for how everything works adds credence to sci-fi, too; we don't know everything now, in the future there'll just be more stuff not to know about/understand.
Well thanks for all ideas. I think RP Geek has a point that we could have some Space Magic in here. The only problem is that I do not really want a whole magic system. I have been thinking since starting that the aliens could have the Mass effect reaper indoctrination style because I finished Mass Effect 1 a few days ago and that was pretty cool. It would be one of the ways that the Populace starts to have alien sympathizers(the other 2 ways are from religious cults and Pirates who ally themselves with aliens). In terms of Psychics I think Fluff wise eventually players like you guys will be able to research and recruit Psionics and Psykers but these will be depicted on ships as stuff like "Psyker Tactical Command" or "Telekinesis Deflector". Description wise these would be space magic but mechanics wise its just a better targeting computer and a reactive armor system.
I would rather keep it away at the beginning though.
EDIT: Also I suppose if you are a dictatorship you could also make Red Alert style Psychic Beacons to mind control your population and get 100% public support. Of course the aliens might send a advance stealth ship that appears above Earth and zaps your Beacon. Next thing you know its a revolution! :o
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 01, 2014, 10:17:47 pm
Just means they're firing lightning at you instead of lasers. Teleporting boarding parties on, and using real invisibility as cloaking devices.
It's just being honest with the handwavium, really. :P
Post by: Parsely on August 01, 2014, 10:20:05 pm
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 10:31:40 pm
I mean, mechanics wise, it's as likely to just be different types of weapons, because basically every alien species is going to have unique weapons(to a degree) anyway.
Just means they're firing lightning at you instead of lasers. Teleporting boarding parties on, and using real invisibility as cloaking devices.
It's just being honest with the handwavium, really. :P
Sure that can be all in the battle descriptions. Though I think a lightning gun would have a bonus effect to knock out crew or break your electronics rather than just melting stuff.
I'm all for having Psychic Dominators. Yuri is your master!
Also I would hope someone plays
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 10:33:55 pm
Post by: Parsely on August 01, 2014, 10:37:34 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 01, 2014, 10:40:07 pm
Also how do you guys like the 5 weapons I have written up so far?
...Why is the laser short range, despite having an effective range of nigh-infinity in space, as long as you can see them and have tracking computers up to the task, whereas the projectile cannon, which fires things at a much much lower speed than the speed of light in a vacuum, is long range?
Post by: mosshadow on August 01, 2014, 11:41:29 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 02, 2014, 12:48:16 am
And the lasers have such strong beam dispersal whilst in a vacuum that they can't reach even as far as the railguns can in a reasonable time to hit their targets, when the targets wouldn't even be able to dodge the lasers like they could the railguns(and yes, I mean when the projectiles are in flight; they're nowhere near the speed of light, sensors can detect that shit and project a trajectory; we have sensors basically capable of doing so today, even). Why the fuck are they using lasers at all, then?
And who said anything about homing lasers?
Post by: Nerjin on August 02, 2014, 12:54:17 am
Post by: Empiricist on August 02, 2014, 01:00:15 am
As a thought, don't lasers disperse due to air particles or something? I'm not really a science person but... Wouldn't they be good in space?Yeah. In space, the only real issue is cooling along with their relative inefficiency with Free-Electron Lasers having only about 65% efficiency and other types lucky to get even 22%.
I would recommend project rho (http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacegunconvent.php) as a guideline for the technology involved.
Post by: tuypo1 on August 02, 2014, 03:26:29 am
Post by: mosshadow on August 02, 2014, 08:48:28 am
...So the railguns have better targeting computers than the lasers. Yet the lasers are used as point defense.
And the lasers have such strong beam dispersal whilst in a vacuum that they can't reach even as far as the railguns can in a reasonable time to hit their targets, when the targets wouldn't even be able to dodge the lasers like they could the railguns(and yes, I mean when the projectiles are in flight; they're nowhere near the speed of light, sensors can detect that shit and project a trajectory; we have sensors basically capable of doing so today, even). Why the fuck are they using lasers at all, then?
And who said anything about homing lasers?
It's the 20mm small laser , the bigger ones would have regular range. Also homing lasers came up while I was looking through tv tropes. They sounded cool but completely rediculous.
Post by: Parsely on August 02, 2014, 08:58:32 am
Rolep, you were the one who suggested soft science.. Sometimes I don't understand you at all....So the railguns have better targeting computers than the lasers. Yet the lasers are used as point defense.
And the lasers have such strong beam dispersal whilst in a vacuum that they can't reach even as far as the railguns can in a reasonable time to hit their targets, when the targets wouldn't even be able to dodge the lasers like they could the railguns(and yes, I mean when the projectiles are in flight; they're nowhere near the speed of light, sensors can detect that shit and project a trajectory; we have sensors basically capable of doing so today, even). Why the fuck are they using lasers at all, then?
And who said anything about homing lasers?
It's the 20mm small laser , the bigger ones would have regular range. Also homing lasers came up while I was looking through tv tropes. They sounded cool but completely ridiculous.
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 02, 2014, 11:28:39 am
Post by: mosshadow on August 02, 2014, 11:55:10 am
As a thought, don't lasers disperse due to air particles or something? I'm not really a science person but... Wouldn't they be good in space?
Yeah they do. In space there is still a little bit of dust but lasers will have much more range then in air. Particle beams are even worse since they disperse off themselves. Railguns/coilguns have infinite range in space but they have less velocity than a laser. In the game this is shown via accuracy rather than range. The light laser has an accuracy of 85% compared to 45% for the autorailgun. So that means the laser is better than the Arailgun for fighters, but may be better for a frigate because you could install a targeting computer that might bring up the accuracy to 85% in which case you can easily shred enemy fighters.
Post by: mosshadow on August 02, 2014, 01:53:44 pm
77mm Xray Medium Beam Laser : A standard energy efficient laser used for military ships.
Medium Block
Mass: 12
Power:-6
Restrictions: None.
Range: normal
Durability: 80 Damaged at 60, Disabled at 40
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Medium D100, protected at 76+. 25%
Ammo type: Continuous beam Xray
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 0 0 0 60 0 0 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : Medium D100, hit at 76 or above. 25%
Firerate: 2 Bursts of 2 shots, sweeping across 1-2 blocks.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 16+ 75%
Aimed Long Burst x3 : 31+ for direct hit, 26+ for regular hit. 70%, 5%
Special Rules:Hits 1-2 blocks. Can shoot down 2 missiles or 1 Torpedo D100 at 36+ 65%, 46+ 55%
77mm Xray Medium Pulse Laser : A newer laser weapon that has a explosive component. Explosive when destroyed.
Medium Block
Mass: 14
Power:-8
Restrictions: None.
Range: normal
Durability: 80 Damaged at 60, Disabled at 40. Explodes doing 10 BS damage to 1-2 blocks when destroyed.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Medium D100, protected at 76+. 25%
Ammo type: Pulse Xray
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 0 0 0 50 0 40 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : High D100, hit at 66 or above. 35%
Firerate: 2 Bursts of 2 shots, Sweeping across 1-2 blocks.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 16+ 75%
Aimed Long Burst x3 : 31+ for direct hit, 26+ for regular hit. 70%, 5%
Special Rules:Hits multiple blocks. Can shoot down 2 missiles or 1 Torpedo D100 at 36+ 65%, 46+ 55%
Bonfire Missile Launcher: A long range missile powered by a Nuclear Fission Fragment engine. Contains 2 missiles.
Light Block
Mass: 8
Power:0
Restrictions: None.
Range: normal
Durability: 40 Disabled at 10. Explodes doing 30 BS damage to 1 block when destroyed.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Low D100, protected at 96+ 5%
Ammo type: Kinetic Missile
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 50 70 0 0 0 0 0 Missile Warhead
2nd Stage: 0 30 0 20 20 20 0 Missile Engine
Crew hit : High D100, hit at 66 or above. 35%
Firerate: Early shot,
Accuracy: not applicable
Resistance to Point Defense: None
Aimed launch: 50% chance to hit aimed area, 40% chance for normal hit 10% for fuel exhaustion.
Special Rules: Can be shot down.
25MT Nuclear Torpedo: A missile used mainly by fighters to give them a short ranged punch. It is heavily armored for crew protection.
Light Block
Requires 1 Uranium for build. 1 Uranium for Turn upkeep.
Mass: 15
Power:0
Restrictions: None.
Range: 1
Durability: 150 Disabled at 50. Explodes killing crew of 1 block if destroyed with no damage.
Damage vulnerability: Chain reacts if hit by another atomic weapon.
Crew Protection:
High D100, protected at 61+ 40%
Ammo type: Kinetic Missile
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 40 20 0 0 0 0 0 Missile Penetrator
2nd Stage: 0 30 0 40 20 250 0 Missile Warhead
Crew hit : High D100, hit at 66 or above. 35%. 10% chance to kill via radiation through armor without penetration.
Firerate: Early shot.
Accuracy: not applicable
Resistance to Point Defense: None
Aimed launch: 50% chance to hit aimed area, 50% chance for normal hit.
Special Rules: Can be shot down.
Post by: mosshadow on August 02, 2014, 03:28:24 pm
105mm Xray Large Pulse Laser : A massive Laser cannon used on the biggest ships.
Heavy Block
Mass: 25
Power:-13
Restrictions: None.
Range: Cannot shoot at enemies in same Area. Normal
Durability: 150 Damaged at 90, Disabled at 50. Explodes doing 50 BS damage to 1-2 blocks when destroyed.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Medium D100, protected at 76+. 25%
Ammo type: Pulse Xray
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 0 0 0 130 0 80 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : High D100, hit at 61 or above. 40%
Firerate: 2 Bursts of 2 shots, sweeping across 1-2 blocks.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 21+ 80%
Aimed Long Burst x3 : 31+ for direct hit, 26+ for regular hit. 70%, 5%
Special Rules:Hits 1-2 blocks.
280mm Medium Coilgun : A Powerful Coilgun that is effective against most warships.
Medium Block
Mass: 12
Power:-5
Restrictions: None.
Range: Cannot shoot at enemies in same Area. Normal
Durability: 250 Damaged at 120, Disabled at 90.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Medium D100, protected at 76+. 25%
Ammo type: Armor Piercing Sabot
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 75 90 0 0 40 0 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : Low D100, hit at 81 or above. 20%
Firerate: 3 shot burst. Can penetrate 1 additional block.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 41+ 60%
Aimed single shot : 61+ for direct hit, 26+ for regular hit. 40%, 35%
Special Rules: none
180mm Ultravelocity Coilgun : A Powerful Spinal Coilgun that can pierce any armor made by humans. It can target ships that are not within normal battle range and it has additional crew and weapon Durability.
Heavy Block
Requires: 3 Titanium.
Mass: 32
Power:-10
Restrictions: None.
Range: Cannot shoot at enemies in the same area or within 1 Area, shoots into non combat zone.
Durability: 500 Damaged at 300, Disabled at 100.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
VeryHigh D100, protected at 46+. 55%
Ammo type: Armor Piercing Sabot
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 125 80 0 0 50 0 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : Low D100, hit at 81 or above. 20%
Firerate: 2 shot burst. Can penetrate 2 additional block.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 11+ 90%
Aimed single shot : 61+ for direct hit, 26+ for regular hit. 40%, 35%
Special Rules: Targets ships under Block 7 with 10% accuracy.
Light Plasma Caster : A magnetically controlled blast of superheated particles that melts armor. Its crude but very powerful.
Light Block
Mass: 6
Power:-3
Restrictions: None.
Range: 0. Must be in same area to shoot
Durability: 100 Damaged at 70, Disabled at 30. Explodes doing 30 BS damage to 1-2 blocks when destroyed.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Medium D100, protected at 76+. 25%
Ammo type: Plasma blast
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 30 20 0 120 0 0 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : High D100, hit at 61 or above. 40%
Firerate: 1 Burst of 2 shots.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 21+ 90%
Special Rules:None
Medium Plasma Caster : A magnetically controlled blast of superheated particles that melts armor. This version is frigate sized and much more efficient.
Medium block
Mass: 15
Power:-5
Restrictions: None.
Range: 0. Must be in same area to shoot
Durability: 160 Damaged at 100, Disabled at 60. Explodes doing 40 BS damage to 1-2 blocks when destroyed.
Damage vulnerability: Normal
Crew Protection:
Medium D100, protected at 76+. 25%
Ammo type: Plasma blast
KP K KS M BF BS D
1st Stage: 40 40 0 230 0 0 0 2 Shots
Crew hit : High D100, hit at 61 or above. 40%
Firerate: 1 Burst of 2 shots.
Accuracy: D100 hit at 21+ 90%
Special Rules:None
Titanium Layer Armor: an advanced armor consisting of layers of Titanium, Depleted Uranium and Steel. It is much more effective against energy weapons. The mass is slightly higher due to the Uranium but it is a little more resistant to melting.
Requires 1 Uranium and 1 Titanium for Each level over 500mm. Overslot Requires 1 Uranium and 1 Titanium for Every block over 9 blocks.
100mm 500mm 1M 3M 5M 100mm(O) 500m(O)
Mass: 10 25 40 90 130 B*8 B*20
Durability: 200 300 420 630 850 360 570
KP Blocking 30 50 60 85 100 30 50
--------------
Damage reduction:40% for Kinetic damage.
Degradation: K KS M BF BS D
% 20 200 180 10 180 500
Electric Reactive armor: an advanced armor that detonates warheads and slows down projectiles
Power: -B*1
Requires 1 Titanium for all types
100mm(O)
Mass: B*6
Durability: 400
KP Reduction 50%
--------------
Damage reduction:40% for Kinetic damage.
Degradation: K KS M BF BS D
% 30 200 150 10 180 500
Post by: Tawa on August 02, 2014, 04:40:31 pm
Would anybody here be willing to play a PBP Pokémon Tabletop United game that plays like one of the video games? I know that somebody ran an IRC campaign around here a while back, but that was sci-fi themed.
Post by: Nerjin on August 02, 2014, 04:50:15 pm
Post by: Tawa on August 02, 2014, 04:52:23 pm
I'd be down for it if I knew the rules.Free PDF. (http://www.mediafire.com/download/ss8xoof408j8swj/PTU+1.04.zip)
Post by: mosshadow on August 02, 2014, 04:54:06 pm
Command Modules: These are what carry the crew and are required to operate the ship. Each Block requires 1 crew unit to operate, and the command module will have a number of crew members, when the battle starts the crew module will empty out until each block has one crew, all remaining crew will be inside the command module. A hit on the command module will do a kill check for each crew unit inside so it may be a good idea to have backups or heavy armor on a large ship. The destruction of the command module with no back ups will render a ship immobile, guns will still fire as long as they have power but there will be 20% increase in accuracy on shots fired at it. If the engines are still working the crew can manually steer it out of the battlefield after 2 turns. Some modules will also increase crew capabilities such as accuracy and fire power once they are researched.
Fighter Cockpit: A small cockpit for a small ship. It can also contain a 50mm Autorailgun.
Mass 2
Light Block
Power: +2 Self contained power for 50mm
Durability: 100
Restrictions: Ships 6 blocks or smaller.
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Crew Size:6/6
Abilities: Steers ship.
Frigate Bridge: A small cockpit intended for a frigate but occasionally used on heavy fighters
Mass 6
Light Block
Power: -1
Durability: 130
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Crew Size:8/8
Abilities: Steers ship.
Small Backup Bridge: A backup command post intended to help a damaged ship continue fighting or escape
Mass 4
Light Block
Power: +2 Engines only
Durability: 220
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: High 40%
Crew Size:3/3
Abilities: Steers ship.
Cruiser Bridge: A larger bridge that contains a decent sized crew complement.
Requires 2 Titanium
Mass 25
Medium Block
Power: -1
Durability: 500
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: high 35%
Crew Size:10/10
Abilities: Steers ship.
Crew Quarters: Contains crew but does not control ship
Requires 1 Titanium
Mass 7
Light block
Power: -1
Durability: 300
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: high 35%
Crew Size:12/12
Abilities: Boosts Morale +5% Targeting up to 60%
Power Generators: These provide power for systems. Some more advanced generators also double as engines.
Compact Fusion Generator: provides a safe source of power for small ships
Mass 5
Light block
Power: +5
Durability: 160 , +3 power at 40
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Super capacitor/Fuel Cell: A large battery that provides power. Not as safe as a Fusion generator but much more powerful. Outside of battle it is recharged by a Fuel Cell.
Requires 1 Titanium.
Mass 6
Light block
Power: +10
Durability: 120 Explodes when destroyed doing 30 BS to 1 Block.
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Special Rule: Does not Require crew.
Small Nuclear Reactor: a Safe and powerful design that provides energy for a frigate sized ship.
Requires 1 Uranium and 1 Titanium. Upkeep 1 Uranium per turn.
Mass 20
Light block
Power: +18
Durability: 200 , +12 power at 120 +4 Power at 40.
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Medium Nuclear Reactor: a Reactor for large ships
Requires 2 Uranium and 1 Titanium. Upkeep 1 Uranium per turn.
Mass 40
Medium block
Power: +35
Durability: 300 , +28 power at 220 +20 Power at 40. Explodes when destroyed with 80 BS to 1-2 blocks.
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Engines: These are used to move ships and for small ships to evade attack. You cannot use engines of different types.
External Fighter engine: This engine takes up a Armor slot instead of a block which makes it useful for fighters. You will need more than 1 for most fighters
Mass 2
Armor Slot
Power: -1
MaxMass:15
Durability: 50. Explodes doing 50BS to 1 block.
Restrictions: none
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Post by: kj1225 on August 02, 2014, 04:55:43 pm
Post by: Tawa on August 02, 2014, 05:02:02 pm
Post by: Tawa on August 02, 2014, 07:18:32 pm
Also doublepost because bump.
Post by: mosshadow on August 02, 2014, 07:53:29 pm
Post by: tuypo1 on August 02, 2014, 08:35:49 pm
Post by: Furtuka on August 02, 2014, 08:39:47 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on August 02, 2014, 08:41:13 pm
Post by: tuypo1 on August 02, 2014, 08:52:17 pm
Post by: Tawa on August 02, 2014, 09:12:59 pm
Typically, double-posting is considered OK if you do it only occasionally and acknowledge that you're doing it. Usually it's only done when you need to post more information on or bump a thread that has only a couple of pages and has sunken back to page 2 or 3 of the board.
Post by: tuypo1 on August 02, 2014, 09:15:47 pm
's cool, we all learn.I see I'll keep that in mind
Typically, double-posting is considered OK if you do it only occasionally and acknowledge that you're doing it. Usually it's only done when you need to post more information on or bump a thread that has only a couple of pages and has sunken back to page 2 or 3 of the board.
Post by: mosshadow on August 03, 2014, 09:39:33 pm
Quote
Engines: These are used to move ships and for small ships to evade attack. You CAN use engines of different types but you will use the agility stat of the worst set. Travel range is how far the ship can go in a sector. A fleet would move by its slowest Unit.
External Fighter Chemical engine: This engine takes up a Armor slot instead of a block which makes it useful for fighters. You will need more than 1 for most fighters. It is also very short ranged so it will not be useful for moving around systems.
Mass 2
Armor Slot
Power: -1
MaxMass:15
Durability: 50. Explodes doing 50BS to 1 block.
Restrictions: 6 Blocks and under.
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Agility: -10% accuracy from enemies.
Travel Range: 1
Nuclear Salt Water Fighter engine: This engine is like detonating dozens of small nuclear bombs every minute providing a massive amount of acceleration. It is not very strong though.
Requires: 1 Titanium and 1 Uranium to build. 1 Uranium per Battle for upkeep.
Mass 20
Small Slot
Power: -5
MaxMass:50
Durability: 80. Explodes doing 100BS to 1 block.
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Agility: -15% accuracy from enemies.
Travel Range 2
Nuclear Salt Water Frigate engine: This engine is like detonating dozens of small nuclear bombs every minute providing a massive amount of acceleration. This advanced version is meant for frigates and destroyers.
Requires: 1 Titanium and 1 Uranium to build. 1 Uranium per Battle for upkeep.
Mass 50
Small Slot
Power: -5
MaxMass:200
Durability: 120. Explodes doing 140BS to 1-2 block.
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: Chain reacts with nuclear weapons if there is a direct hit. Causes 200 BS damage to 1-3 blocks.
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Agility: -10% accuracy from enemies.
Travel Range 4
VASMIR Small Engine: A long ranged engine designed for larger ships, uses Plasma to move.
Mass 30
Light Slot
Power: -4
MaxMass: 100
Durability: 200
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Agility: no bonus.
Range:5
Ion Drift Engine: A Standard engine for large ships. Uses a magnetically contained ion stream for thrust.
Mass 50
Medium Slot
Power: -10
MaxMass: 350
Durability: 300
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: Medium 30%
Agility: no bonus.
range:5
Gravslip Drive: this is used for transitioning between planets. There is only one version currently in military use
Gravslip Drive: This brings a ship to a different dimension where it can travel much faster than in real space. Its still below light speed but it shortens trips between planets to hours. Gravity wells pull ships in when the Gravslip is in use so they will emerge in low orbit but will need to move further away before using it again.
Sensors: These are used for gathering information and increasing accuracy or decreasing accuracy. Some will give research points when used in battle. Most of the time a Dedicated AWACS ship will use them because of power requirements.
Visible/Infrared ANSIBLE: This sensor allows ships to scan for fighters and frigates advancing through the battlefield. When they are at close range projectile weapons will get a boost to hitting ships.
Requires: 1 Titanium to build
Mass 20
Small block
Power: -10
Durability: 120
Restrictions: Must be bigger than 6 blocks.
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: high 35%
Accuracy bonus: +20% to hit ships at range 3 with projectile weapons.
Long range Multi-spectrum scanner: This allows detection of enemy ships around adjacent sectors and has a chance of detecting stealthy or unpowered ships. In battle It will provide research points without the ship needing to participate in fighting. It also gives a small boost to weapon accuracy for ships in the 2,6 Area.
Requires: 1 Titanium to build
Mass 50
Medium block
Power: -20
Durability: 80
Restrictions: Must be bigger than 6 blocks.
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: low 10%
Accuracy bonus: +5% to projectile and energy weapons in area 2/6
Research Bonus: For every turn the battle lasts you will receive 10 Research points if this ship survives. Also gains 50 additional Research points if humans win.
General Firecontrol Systems: This is for larger ships. It is much better protected and helps aim large weapons.
Requires: 1 Titanium to build
Mass 40
Medium block
Power: -15
Durability: 320
Restrictions: Must be bigger than 6 blocks.
Damage Vulnerability: normal
Crew Protection: high 40%
Accuracy bonus: +15% to hit ships with Medium and Heavy weapons.
Hangars: This are used to transport small ships within a larger one. Useful if you want to skimp off on Gravslips for your frigates and fighters. Can also be used to transport space stations. The volume cannot be more than 50% of your ships total volume. This is so that you cannot fit a fighter within a fighter within a fighter....
Vehicles carried inside a hangar will start inside during the first turn. They will launch based on the launching ability listed AFTER missiles are fired but before shots are fired, thus there is a chance they can be hit before launch. A penetrating hit on a fighter bay will both damage the bay and hit one of fighters within or a fuel/ammo tanks which can lead to some dwarfy chain reactions.
Frigate Fighter bay: A small fighter bay, it will only take 2 turns to empty the fighters from inside.
Requires: 1 Titanium to build
Mass 10
Volume:4
Launching volume:2 per turn
Medium block
Power: -2
Durability: 220
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: chance of hitting fuel storage 10% causes 50 BS damage to 1 block of all fighters.
Crew Protection: low 20%
Large Fighter bay: A Massive fighter bay designed for a carrier
Requires: 4 Titanium to build
Mass 60
Volume:12
Launching volume : 3 per turn
1 Large block+ 1 Small block
Power: -4
Durability: 550
Restrictions: None
Damage Vulnerability: chance of hitting fuel storage 10% causes 50 BS damage to 1 block of all fighters.
Crew Protection: low 20%
Post by: mosshadow on August 03, 2014, 09:41:55 pm
I am actually using that right now, though its mostly for engines.As a thought, don't lasers disperse due to air particles or something? I'm not really a science person but... Wouldn't they be good in space?Yeah. In space, the only real issue is cooling along with their relative inefficiency with Free-Electron Lasers having only about 65% efficiency and other types lucky to get even 22%.
I would recommend project rho (http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/spacegunconvent.php) as a guideline for the technology involved.
Post by: mosshadow on August 06, 2014, 04:16:51 pm
Quote
Nation Construction: This literally how everyone gets a country. Its pretty much RPG character traits, this is based on nation games played on AH.coms forums. After choosing your type of nation you get a set of points which are used to purchase other starting traits. At the end your trait points must be 0 or higher.
Step 1: Choose nation type.
Superpower: Your nation is one of the most powerful on Earth, you have a high population and a developed space and military force but you may be complacent in certain areas. LIMIT:4 players
Starting out with:
-20 trait points.
-200 population
-Nation on earth
-Military training High
-200 stored cash
-200 stored research
-200 stored material
-4 Titanium factories in your nation
-4 Uranium factories in your nation
-2 Material plants in your nation (+10 material each)
-Military base on Earth, the Moon and Mars.
-Research station on the Moon and in the Kuiper belt (any section)
-Colony on the Moon
A large starting fleet based around earth.
Supply Fleets: 4
Pick from :
-Carrier based fleet: 2 11-block carriers ,4 7-block ships and 8 6-block ships stored in the carriers. You submit the designs for all 3 types. But the carriers will need hangars.
-Dispersed fleet: 3 9-block ships, 3 8-block ships, 2 7-block ships ,1 7-block AWACS. You submit all designs for the 4 types. The AWACs must have the long range scanner.
-Battleship fleet: 2 11-block battleships, 1 9-block ships, 1 8-blockships, 4 7-block ships. As above.
-Dreadnought fleet: 1 12-block Dreadnought, 2 10-block ships, 4 4-block ships. The Dreadnought will need a hangar to carry the fighters.
Regional Power: a powerful nation on Earth, Mars or the Moon. You are not as powerful as a superpower but in past years you have been advancing much faster than they have. LIMIT:4 Players.
-30 Trait points
-170 population
-Nation on Earth, Mars or the Moon
-Military training- Medium
-150 stored cash
-250 stored research
-300 stored material
-2 Titanium factories in your nation
-2 Uranium factories in your nation
-2 Material plants in your nation (+10 material each)
-Military base on Earth, the Moon, and Mars.
-Research station on the Moon and in the Kuiper belt (any section)
-Colony on the Moon
A Medium starting fleet based around your home planet or Moon.
Supply Fleets: 3
Pick from :
-Carrier based fleet: 1 11-block carriers ,2 7-block ships and 8 6-block ships stored in the carriers. You submit the designs for all 3 types. But the carriers will need hangars.
-Dispersed fleet: 3 9-block ships, 2 8-block ships, 1 7-block ships ,1 7-block AWACS. You submit all designs for the 4 types. The AWACs must have the long range scanner.
-Battleship fleet: 2 11-block battleships, 4 7-block ships. As above.
-Dreadnought fleet: 1 12-block Dreadnought, 1 10-block ships, 2 5-block ships. The Dreadnought will need a hangar to carry the fighters.
Mobile Space Habitat: Instead of a planet bound nation you are a massive mobile space station. You can move around to different locations to escape aliens or mine resources but you are also more vulnerable to attack on your population. LIMIT 2.
-25 Trait points
-130 population
-Giant space station, starts off in Asteroid belt
-Military training low
-100 stored cash
-300 stored research
-200 stored material
-2 Titanium factories on your settlement
-4 Uranium factories in your satellite
-Military base on Mars, Jupiter and Uranus
-Research station on the Moon and in the Kuiper belt (any section)
-Settlement on any Dwarf Planet or Moon you choose.
A Small starting fleet based in your Space station.
Supply Fleets: 2
Pick from :
-Fighter defense fleet:1 20-block Station, 4 6-block ships, 8 5-block ships 4 4-block ships. While you do the designs for the fighters I will make the station. It can hold the fighters in its hangars. It also contains blocks that hold population, having these hit will reduce your population. If your station is somehow destroyed there will still be population in your settlement that counts.
-Frigate defense fleet:1-20-block station, 2 8-block ships, 6 7-block ships. The station has a hangar big enough for the ships so you can skimp on inter planetary drives if you want to bring the station into battle.
-Scout fleet: 1 20-block station, 1 10-block ship, 3 8-block AWACs. AWACS require the Long range sensors.
- TWO stations: Instead of a fleet you start out with 2 smaller stations. 2 16 block-stations, 8-4 block fighters. Once again I will do the stats for the station.
Part 2 National morale and culture: This is a soft stat that determines public support and solidarity. Pick 1.
-20 points-Ready to start the fight: Your nation is actually eager to crush the Xeno menance, its about time ET showed up so that Humankind can stomp its face into the ground for eternity. You receive +100 material because your government has been stockpiling warmaterials. You also receive +50 research points from investment into weapon design. Your population's view of the government starts at worshipful, morale is high and Alien sympathy is zero. Your population is resistant to any kind of infiltration, war weariness or treachery for a long time.
-10 points-Stiff upper lip: Dark times are ahead but most of your people are reporting to recruitment centers and gearing up. Before your the aliens came your country was stable and even now there's only the occasional protest. You receive +50 material from scrap metal collection and bond purchase. Your population's view of the government is satisfied, morale is scared and alien sympathy is zero. Your population is not receptive to any alien tricks and they know that supporting the war is best for them and their country. While many are scared that it will be impossible for humans to defeat a technologically superior foe they are hopeful that humans can catchup.
-5 points: Scared but willing: Your population is terrified of the aliens but they supporting the war effort even if its because they have no other choice. There have been riots and quite a few cults and fundamentalists running around with posters but its not too bad. Your population's view of the government is annoyed, morale is terrified and alien sympathy is low. Its a long shot but with the help of other nations maybe you can stop the enemy.
+5 points: In turmoil: Your country was having a few problems but those blasted aliens threw everything out of proportion. Riots are going off all over the country and many people feel this may be the end of the world. Population's view of government is bad, morale is rioting and alien sympathy is low. You will probably need some victories against aliens under your belt so that you can shore up support.
+20 points: On the brink: Before the aliens came you had quite a few strange religions in your country going on about the great Hub and UFOs, now those nuts are stealing guns from police departments and planting IEDs. Population's view of government is bad, morale is rioting and alien sympathy is very high. You may need to take extraordinary precautions against these terrorists unless you can figure how to stop their movement peacefully.
Part 3:Government: whos ruling your country, this is a soft stat that is used in any RP writeups you do with regards to how you can deal with your population and the UN.
0 points Liberal Democracy: elected officials and various lawmaking bureaucracies. You are much more popular with your population since they choose you with the help of ads and corporations. You cannot act as quickly or decisively as others can but you probably don't need to put down that protest with laser rifles anyway. You have decent standings with the UN which means you have a good chance of receiving funds, supplies and information from them. Your population will be with you as long as you can protect them.
0 points Constitutional Monarchy: You still have, or recently gained a power holding monarch. They are a rallying point for the population while being restrained by the parliament or equivalent. If they are killed it can break the morale of the population or become a Martyr depending if you spin it will enough. Your relationship with the UN is cordial as usual just like a Liberal Democracy.
0 points Military Junta: The government was overthrown by the military recently and is now ruled by Generals and Admirals. You can easily get your army to brutally suppress riots but you will have less overall satisfaction with the government until you win some battles. Your relationship with the UN is not as good as a Liberal Democracy but your military has better training.
+2 Points: Dictatorship: Supreme ruler is born of the heavens! He builds spaceships with his bare hands and suntans on Mercury! Glorious supreme leader will crush aliens with his fists of steel!!!!! Your country is isolated diplomatically and your military is rather low quality in training, but you can do what ever the hell you want with your people if they constantly complain about the draft and money. You can sacrifice 1 unit of population for 3 units of material. Other players can attack your settlements and ships with little repercussions other than helping the aliens.
Part 3 Solar system claims: this is where you add settlements and research stations built before the war. Pick up to 5
-5 Asteroid mining station in the Main Belt: you get 1 settlement in any section of the Asteroid belt, +5 population
-7 Kuiper mining station: you get 1 settlement in any section of the Kuiper belt +5 population
-8 Light Cyborg population: Your people have started implanting discrete devices to improve their abilities. One person can now do more work and think faster. Multiply population by 1.3 .
-4 Solar research and resourcing: You happen to own 1 Research station and 1 Small settlement orbiting the sun. +10 population
-15 Antimatter research and stockpiling: Your scientists have made several breakthroughs in technology research and you are now producing anti matter in your nation. +2 antimatter lab and 2 levels of antimatter research(worth a few hundred RPs and 2 turns)
-10 Strange metal deposits : Your scientists have discovered a extremely light and durable material in old ruins and have found places to mine it. They have dubbed it Mithril after old earth legends. +1 Mithril mine on your planet or asteroid station or dwarf planet. +1 Research in exotic materials : Mithril.
-10 Research lab cluster: You have been planting research stations all over the solar system. +1 research station in Jupiter, KuiperBelt(any) , Neptune and Pluto.
-10 Long distance colony : You have been able to create some colonies pretty far from your planet. Place 1 Colony on Either the Asteroid Field, Titan or Pluto.
-25 Super Weapon Design Bureau: After decades of top secret research you have a head start on developing a powerful war winning weapon. Just remember to cover all the exhaust vents. +100 Research points and 2 Levels of research into Waveform energy, Superlasers, Singularity exploitation, and Interstellar weapon targeting.
Part 4 Super power only traits
-9 points Large Nuclear stockpile: You have tons of old nukes ready to be stripped for their parts. +25 Uranium.
-18 points Uranus Fleet: You have another fleet based far out in orbit in Uranus. Place 1 military base on Uranus
Pick from either: 1 10-Block ship, 3 7-block ships, 4 4-block ships. OR 1 12-block ship, 2 9-block ships.
-6 points Additional War Material stockpile: You have an extra 250 Material stored up.
- 10 points Respected Military: Your military training and morale increases. This increases the ability of pilots to perform in battle and retreat in an orderly fashion.
-7 Elite military: Requires Respected military: Your pilots are elite and tested in battle and can dodge even lasers. (Can now occasionally Reroll hits)
Part 5 Regional Power traits
-12 Respected Military: Training and Morale Increases thanks to help from other countries in maintaining and increasing your fleets capabilities
-
Post by: Fniff on August 06, 2014, 04:59:25 pm
Spoiler: Working Title: The Town (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Working Title: SCAV (click to show/hide)
Which one interested you the most?
Which one looked like more effort would be required to update?
What kind of suggestion game do you think it would be by the title (Still in progress, feel free to suggest better ones) and the images?
Post by: mosshadow on August 06, 2014, 05:34:45 pm
Post by: tuypo1 on August 12, 2014, 07:12:22 am
Post by: Kadzar on August 12, 2014, 10:09:19 am
It could be hollow and full of traps and monsters. Or it could be a giant monster itself which stalks the players constantly. The possibilities are endless.
Post by: flabort on August 12, 2014, 10:14:30 am
i want to run an escape the x sugestion game but i cant decide what to make the x(Underwater) (Research) Facility (Run by (monsters) (an evil AI) (cultists))
Pick any two options.
Post by: TamerVirus on August 12, 2014, 10:31:37 am
I'd love to escape from an underwater research facility run by a evil monster AI cultist!
Sounds like bioshock and systemshock hacked together...
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 12, 2014, 02:08:07 pm
Rated A for Amazing
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 12, 2014, 03:10:38 pm
Why not all of them?The facility would be shaped like an X of course.
I'd love to escape from an underwater research facility run by a evil monster AI cultist!
Sounds like bioshock and systemshock hacked together...
I want someone to run a game in which you are a student in a magic school, preferably a suggestion game.
Post by: Nerjin on August 12, 2014, 03:29:41 pm
Lords of Centria: Tactical Fantasy Warfare V.4
Regardless of game mode a few rules are required through-out:
1) Attempt to post often. We cannot proceed with a turn until you have posted. If you are a repeat offender you will be removed from the game.
2) If you post turns via an edit or edit a post please inform me before-hand.
Spoiler: How the Game Works (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: How to Sign-up (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Terrain (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Traps (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Status Effects (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: FAQ (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Units (click to show/hide)
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 12, 2014, 03:37:44 pm
Post by: Nerjin on August 12, 2014, 03:48:47 pm
Post by: flabort on August 12, 2014, 04:20:32 pm
It isn't explicitly stated that you can't I suppose. But it is mentioned that they are summoned by Necromancers. I'll fix that in a bit.A cost of N/A might be better than 0?
Post by: Nerjin on August 13, 2014, 12:05:52 am
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 01:56:41 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 02:04:42 am
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 02:15:04 am
Spoiler: For example the planned interaction of pervert and tentacles. (click to show/hide)
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 02:43:02 am
Hmm... Would a modded Tri-stat dX work for you?
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 11:39:33 am
Spoiler: Power examples. (click to show/hide)
Post by: flabort on August 16, 2014, 12:27:09 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 12:33:42 pm
I was thinking more like, you get a set number of stat points to divide between, say, eight stats, some 'trade points' to get some initial equipment, and you get to choose what type of powers you have which will give you different methods of progressing.I'm fairly certain what you described here is, in fact, point buy, minus the 'buy powers/effects with points', since your idea replaces that with deciding on your power and levelling it. This will however, need a lot of GM looking things over, to avoid complete game breaker powers. Stats shouldn't be too hard, go DnD, perhaps the 2 additional stats being the ones in M&M 3rd Ed, or some such.Spoiler: Power examples. (click to show/hide)
I'd imagine the trade point bit might be difficult though, although that's more because you, as the GM, would have to either A. Write up tables/lists or B. work with the players on this. You know, they say the equipment they want, you determine the point cost of said equipment.
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 12:54:15 pm
One example of what you could do with a d100 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=80900.msg5553629#msg5553629). And one person who liked the idea (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=80900.msg5556530#msg5556530).So basically with that system you put in points to increase the roll number you need to go under to beat the roll and when they reach fifty for that number they can roll twice should they fail the first roll and when they get to fify in that they get another chance and so on?
I already have the stats in mind. And I have somethings to weed out problem powers, first rule being No Teleporters or portals. No instant kills are only availible if there are very heavy drawbacks such as being reduced to one HP and recieveing a huge debuff to dodging and defense for example.I was thinking more like, you get a set number of stat points to divide between, say, eight stats, some 'trade points' to get some initial equipment, and you get to choose what type of powers you have which will give you different methods of progressing.I'm fairly certain what you described here is, in fact, point buy, minus the 'buy powers/effects with points', since your idea replaces that with deciding on your power and levelling it. This will however, need a lot of GM looking things over, to avoid complete game breaker powers. Stats shouldn't be too hard, go DnD, perhaps the 2 additional stats being the ones in M&M 3rd Ed, or some such.Spoiler: Power examples. (click to show/hide)
I'd imagine the trade point bit might be difficult though, although that's more because you, as the GM, would have to either A. Write up tables/lists or B. work with the players on this. You know, they say the equipment they want, you determine the point cost of said equipment.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 01:02:36 pm
And also, can I pre-in?
Post by: flabort on August 16, 2014, 01:03:30 pm
Basically, every X points is another chance, but with diminishing returns in between.One example of what you could do with a d100 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=80900.msg5553629#msg5553629). And one person who liked the idea (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=80900.msg5556530#msg5556530).So basically with that system you put in points to increase the roll number you need to go under to beat the roll and when they reach fifty for that number they can roll twice should they fail the first roll and when they get to fify in that they get another chance and so on?
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 01:20:49 pm
Yeah, my only problem would be the math and weal characters would be at low numbers.Basically, every X points is another chance, but with diminishing returns in between.One example of what you could do with a d100 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=80900.msg5553629#msg5553629). And one person who liked the idea (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=80900.msg5556530#msg5556530).So basically with that system you put in points to increase the roll number you need to go under to beat the roll and when they reach fifty for that number they can roll twice should they fail the first roll and when they get to fify in that they get another chance and so on?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 01:34:03 pm
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 01:37:25 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 01:38:56 pm
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 01:41:07 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 16, 2014, 01:43:31 pm
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 01:44:42 pm
Post by: Kadzar on August 16, 2014, 05:19:13 pm
Cortex. It's a system in which, from what I've read, stats and skills are represented as dice, namely the amount you get to roll.I'm pretty sure Cortex different sized dice for stats. What you're describing sounds more like a dice pool (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dice_pool), which are used in several different systems.
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 05:57:46 pm
So, someone with a 19 in a stat rolls a d19 for it.
Post by: kj1225 on August 16, 2014, 07:38:18 pm
Post by: tuypo1 on August 19, 2014, 04:08:07 am
Kind of like that but it's the actual number of the stat that makes the die.hm maybe fate although i think that stats in that determine how many die you role and it dosent use a d6 anyway (well it uses a cube but not with numbers)
So, someone with a 19 in a stat rolls a d19 for it.
Post by: Kadzar on August 19, 2014, 08:55:40 am
Post by: kj1225 on August 20, 2014, 12:35:14 am
Basically the players are toys that come to life at night. (Life is relative as it's more every night the toys are put onto a battle field that is randomly determined and have to fight nightmares.) During the day they get played with and subsequently have bonuses applied to them by the GM or preferably the GM's son/daughter/younger sibling/eccentric fiance. I'm talking full on kid mode. Maybe the toy has some wings attached with super glue so now they fly or they have a plasma rifle in the form of a screw, I'm talking full on child like imagination mode. Barbie with a super plasma hair dryer? Do it. GI Joe riding a dinosaur? Of course. Steve? clad in full diamond armor riding a creeper into battle with his wolf and Captain America as back up? FUCKING DO IT! No rolls, no system, just the GM to decide who wins in this battle of nightmares and legends!
Post by: tuypo1 on August 20, 2014, 12:42:58 am
Post by: kj1225 on August 20, 2014, 12:46:37 am
Post by: Furtuka on August 20, 2014, 12:48:02 am
Post by: tuypo1 on August 20, 2014, 12:50:47 am
Post by: tuypo1 on August 23, 2014, 06:26:58 am
Post by: Empiricist on August 23, 2014, 06:37:37 am
If it's just the usual fare of random arbitrary things, you could probably just reduce it down to adding stuff, removing stuff and combinations thereof. So teleportation would just be simultaneously removing it from where it is and adding it to the destination, a fireball would just be adding fire and kinetic energy whilst removing anything that would hamper it, slowing down time would just be adding more time to act for one person so everything seems slower to them and generic giant golems would be adding life to something and removing the square-cube law from it.
Post by: tuypo1 on August 23, 2014, 06:42:02 am
Depends on how magic works in that setting, but at a glance, that that looks fine.well what i was actually referring to was doing those things to pure magic turning that magic into a spell comes later but thanks for the input anyway
If it's just the usual fare of random arbitrary things, you could probably just reduce it down to adding stuff, removing stuff and combinations thereof. So teleportation would just be simultaneously removing it from where it is and adding it to the destination, a fireball would just be adding fire and kinetic energy whilst removing anything that would hamper it, slowing down time would just be adding more time to act for one person so everything seems slower to them and generic giant golems would be adding life to something and removing the square-cube law from it.
Post by: Tawa on August 30, 2014, 01:08:38 am
The workload for it would be much less than regular games and we could get a short racket going if the player and I are on at the same time.
Thoughts? I think it'd be fun to run forum NetHack.
Post by: kj1225 on August 30, 2014, 01:17:00 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on August 30, 2014, 09:51:20 am
Post by: flabort on August 30, 2014, 09:55:38 am
Post by: TCM on August 30, 2014, 02:54:26 pm
It would be interesting if someone were to run a game similar to We are our Avatars, except not minimalist.
A while back I ran a game of this sort on another forum, and I've seen a few on this one as well. They all had game-depth to them, with each avatar character having their own attributes, skills, strengths and weaknesses.
Post by: Tawa on August 30, 2014, 09:32:21 pm
I approve of non-minimalist (and also non-RtD) WaoA.
I'd think up attributes and skills and stuff, but I'm too busy filling out the Illustrated Handbook to think up an RPG system.
Also, NetHack 3.5 will be thought out and up shortly.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on August 31, 2014, 04:25:58 pm
You've been tasked with subjugating this petty, primitive planet for the glory of your empire. You have superior technology, overwhelming force, anything an invader could ask for - except you are on a budget, your superiors are constantly breathing down your neck and meddling with your conquest, the minion races are proving weak and useless, and these 'humans' seem bizarrely adept in reverse-engineering your technology.
You'll need to allocate forces across the globe - there's a terror quota to meet, dontchaknow! - oversee operations, breed troops in the gene labs, infiltrate these manling governments, beg the higher-ups for more credits, and deal with this incredibly pesky human taskforce thwarting you at every step! It'd drive a lesser alien mad, or going for the orbital bombardment switch, but how hard can it be to take over one little planet?
Post by: Nerjin on August 31, 2014, 07:03:12 pm
Post by: kj1225 on August 31, 2014, 07:06:34 pm
Post by: flabort on August 31, 2014, 07:08:26 pm
Would people be upset if I started a third DnD 3.5 campaign? I think I'd like to try a Evil campaign.The only person who'd be upset is you, if it turns out you couldn't handle three at once.
That said, I'm all for it. You're making running games look easy.
Post by: IronyOwl on August 31, 2014, 07:21:38 pm
I thought, with the XCOM derivatives we've had recently, it'd be fun to flip the thing around. You are Alien Invaders!This sounds fun, but the problem with being the evil empire is that there's not as much room to improve. When you're the desperate outmatched rebels, you can gain just about anywhere because you started off with nothing.
You've been tasked with subjugating this petty, primitive planet for the glory of your empire. You have superior technology, overwhelming force, anything an invader could ask for - except you are on a budget, your superiors are constantly breathing down your neck and meddling with your conquest, the minion races are proving weak and useless, and these 'humans' seem bizarrely adept in reverse-engineering your technology.
You'll need to allocate forces across the globe - there's a terror quota to meet, dontchaknow! - oversee operations, breed troops in the gene labs, infiltrate these manling governments, beg the higher-ups for more credits, and deal with this incredibly pesky human taskforce thwarting you at every step! It'd drive a lesser alien mad, or going for the orbital bombardment switch, but how hard can it be to take over one little planet?
So on that note, I think it'd need something a bit more RPGish. Setting up refineries and expanding your fleet despite losing vessels could kind of work, but I feel like it'd be a lot more satisfying if you were leveling up bioengineering or something while you were at it. Probably also designing new ships and goons or at least swapping components and procedures around.
EDIT: ALSO I am TRYING to make a DWARF FORTRESS game please stop tempting me with XCOM.
Post by: Fniff on August 31, 2014, 07:57:50 pm
The glorious alien empire has won it's galactic conquest! It now stretches across the galaxy... and is completely over-stretched and unable to do anything properly. The public has completely lost faith in the newly ascended Emperor and this whole invasion of a fairly backwater planet is an attempt at "winning back the crowd". At first, you are provided ridiculous amounts of money and extremely powerful minions. At first it seems like you're going to win in a few weeks... But then the Emperor dies of a sudden illness and is replaced with his son who is completely against the war and wants to focus on an isolationist policy.
So, game over, right? Well, due to a quirk in feudal law, any orders from the previous Emperor cannot be stopped until they are completed. The war must continue until it is over. With the excuse of "shuffling equipment and money to areas where it is desperately needed", all your cool shit is taken away and you are ultimately left with a rubber band, a few twigs, and an extremely outdated genetic modifier. And as it turns out, the humans just finished reverse-engineering the cool tech you had before...
So it begins. The Emperor wants this war stopped. If it stops, you lose your job. The public is watching. The enemy is cunning and ready to exploit any weakness. Are you ready to make yourself look as good as possible in the inevitable political clusterfuck that will ensue? Find out.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on September 01, 2014, 02:52:55 am
You'd start with a standard-issue small mothership, a handful of scout ships and a few medium ones, an army of the weakest, most cowardly cannon fodder (and some well-equipped troops of your own species) and their commanders, a small gene lab and engineering plant. You'll need to plop down Exploitation Modules to convert Earthling materials for your own use, but they could be found and attacked if you don't keep watch.
As the game goes along, you breed/construct new types of troops on your limited budget. You'll need more resources and biomass to feed them, of course. Fuel costs this region of the galaxy are outrageous, y'know. On the other hand, you get to create all the abominations against nature, science, or both you could ever want. You can also requisition additional ships and assets from home, but that just draws closer scrutiny from the politicians.
I thought you could have some traits which double as fatal flaws, chosen at start. 'Alien Atmosphere' (you can't breathe the air in this dump, but then, neither can they once you start terraforming it to normal), 'Networked' (the minds of the invaders are connected psychically or technologically - their leaders improve their skill on the field, but they also die or panic when a leader, including you, is killed), 'Isolated' (you're not bothered by politicians as much, but good luck getting anything from home), etc.
Post by: kj1225 on September 03, 2014, 12:02:31 am
Post by: kj1225 on September 04, 2014, 12:41:39 pm
Post by: Parsely on September 04, 2014, 12:56:18 pm
Post by: kj1225 on September 04, 2014, 01:06:15 pm
Post by: Parsely on September 04, 2014, 01:12:31 pm
Post by: Furtuka on September 07, 2014, 01:31:18 pm
Post by: TamerVirus on September 07, 2014, 01:34:31 pm
Is there any particular reason why we have a RTD Hall of Fame but not a FG&RP Hall of Fame?
....it's not like it's been updated though
*stares off into the horizon while music plays*
Post by: 10ebbor10 on September 07, 2014, 04:05:24 pm
Is there any particular reason why we have a RTD Hall of Fame but not a FG&RP Hall of Fame?http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=136383.0
Post by: Furtuka on September 07, 2014, 04:18:43 pm
Post by: Squeegy on September 07, 2014, 04:38:06 pm
That's not really a hall of fame though. It takes in any game that gets submitted and is more of just a cataloging tool
What, exactly, do you define as a Hall of Fame? Because the Forum Game List fits that bill quite well simply by virtue of being based on user submissions. Frankly, I think that anything else would cause more contention than admiration. Not everyone agrees on what makes a game "quality," and a Hall of Fame would serve to discourage people who don't make it in. The FGL is more egalitarian, and in my opinion, has the only Hall of Fame worth noting: a list of games that were actually completed. That's more in spirit with FGRP, I think, considering how many games don't make that cut here.
Post by: Furtuka on September 07, 2014, 04:39:28 pm
Post by: Fniff on September 07, 2014, 04:41:41 pm
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 07, 2014, 08:30:00 pm
Spoiler: Random Toriko forum game idea (click to show/hide)
Post by: kj1225 on September 07, 2014, 08:42:17 pm
... What's a Toriko?
Post by: Squeegy on September 07, 2014, 08:50:18 pm
Fair enough.I mean, you're welcome to make one. I can't stop you. But any resulting shitstorms are entirely on your hands.
Off topic, but nice avatar, Squeegy.Thank you. On topic: Any opinions on the games I run/have run?
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 07, 2014, 09:30:42 pm
It looks fun!It's an Anime/Manga thing, so far we have the main character turning into a blue ONI and fighting something who's footsteps cause entire lands to become desolate thousands of years later and who's donkey kick creates a shock wave that could have destroyed a small planet.
... What's a Toriko?
You really have to watch it from the beginning.
Post by: kj1225 on September 07, 2014, 10:24:22 pm
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 07, 2014, 10:28:53 pm
And it somehow relates to food?YES.
The world in that thing is in what is called the 'gourmet age', the entire main purpose of out main character is to get the legendary food 'GOD', which stopped a war because of how delicious it was, there are hundreds of weird creatures including one called a "Coffever", the characters get stronger from eating good food, there has never been an episode that haven't revolved around food, CASINOS ACCEPT FOOD AS GAMBLING MONEY, and the chips in said casinos come from a fish, whose scales look just like coins but are high grade chocolate.
So yes, it relates to food.
Post by: Nerjin on September 07, 2014, 10:43:14 pm
Do you think it'd be possible to have a team based competitive game where each player is part of one or two teams. Every player gets a certain amount of money to spend. Each player on the team PMs the mod about their list of ingredients. They aren't told what the ingredient does specifically but they are given a brief description such as:
Code: [Select]
Jumbled Rice: This rice has a mix of flavors that, while slight, can add great texture to any food
or something to that affect. Then the players each add two ingredients to their Dish along with the other players on their team.
Each ingredient adds some form of ability or increases attributes [Damage, Health, Resistance, Range, etc.] and then the battle starts. The players may or may not get involved here. I'm still not sure how to do that.
Then the next round starts. Along the way the teams are supposed to find out what each ingredient does and stuff.
Any thoughts on how to make such a thing work?
Post by: Squeegy on September 08, 2014, 01:03:05 am
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 08, 2014, 03:47:28 am
As well as this, the first player can be given any amount of money deemed reasonable by the team to buy better equipment (for better produce, faster growth, less chance of screwing up etc. etc) or seeds for plants, or even animals, it would be assumed that during other turns, the plants and animals would give food at a steady rate, as well as that, perhaps there could be a few months set aside for an 'adventurer' class, who finds better ingredients and upgrades the strength of plants and animals, or perhaps those two classes could be separated.
Finally, after the year has been completed, the final team member, the 'fighter', will come into play, perhaps the fight could take place over about a week? Anyway, the food prepared (Perhaps a 'chef' class would be good.) Will give buffs depending on the types of food used, and how good the ingredients were.
I am going to continue on thinking about this.
Post by: Funk on September 09, 2014, 08:06:57 am
and so on.
But the thing is i'm having problems balancing the setting, you see the idea is that the PCs have been "lifted" from across time.
Im toying with the idea of Time Shock, basicy our PC may not be able to cope with some things outside of there time period, with worse out comes depending on how you encounter it.
A normal car or a plane up high is unlikely to scare any one, a tank charging to attack or a dive bomber that's scary.
Of course people from the year 9001 are scared of simpler things, like fires, wild animals and things they haven seen before.
Now if i just give out Time Shock tolerance based on era, then the ranks will be filled with people from a post apocalyptic future.
Now i'm toying with future characters haveing bonics as perks, but then what do characters from the past get? i'm not a fan of the superhuman cavemen/vikings/knights theory
Post by: Squeegy on September 09, 2014, 04:42:11 pm
Post by: Nerjin on September 10, 2014, 04:49:19 pm
I have a Dragon Shaman I'd like to try out.
Post by: Tawa on September 10, 2014, 04:52:25 pm
Although I am considering shelving a game and updating it in tandem with a d20 Modern Matrix-themed (yes, that Matrix) campaign.
Spoiler: No Wait Listen I Have Stuff (click to show/hide)
Post by: Nerjin on September 10, 2014, 04:54:12 pm
Post by: Tawa on September 10, 2014, 05:18:01 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on September 14, 2014, 07:29:20 pm
Hypothetically, let's say we've got a Dwarf Fortress-like set of skills. Mining, Masonry, Tanning, and so on. And also like Dwarf Fortress, we'll say certain items have quality levels.
So the point of having a high Masonry skill, for instance, seems pretty obvious. It lets you make +Dolomite Thrones+ instead of Dolomite Thrones. But what about Fishing? Obvious answer is to let it provide more fish, but is that satisfying? Is being able to say "I catch 20 units of perch on a good roll" roughly equivalent to "I make a really valuable ☼Granite Coffer☼ on a good roll?"
Or would the results of harvest/process type skills be better off with their own quality levels or innate values, catching *Salmon* instead of Salmon, or valuable Lucky Golden Sunfish instead of cheap Ugly Rockfish? Which raises the inverse question- is having a Dabbling Fisherdwarf able to feed the same number of people as a Legendary one but poorer satisfying?
Or is this focusing on the wrong issue, being that Planters and Potash Makers are not satisfying professions from the get-go, and that any game involving them would do well to cut them out, roll them into more satisfying efforts, or provide ample NPC mooks to shunt such banalities onto?
In a similar vein, let's say there's unique rewards for crafting skills, at least, well beyond normal operations. In DF these would be artifacts, and the solution is a little on the callous side- dwarves produce an item in line with their highest crafting skill, or an oak flute if they don't have one.
But DF artifacts are also a little divorced from actually performing the task their skill is linked to. What if instead, there was a chance of critting on each action roll and producing an artifact or mini-artifact, with no once-per-lifetime limit?
So again, crafting skills are decently simple here. But even then, how specific should they be? If someone sets down to make Granite Cabinets, should their crafting rampage produce a(n) (mini) artifact granite cabinet, or anything that uses the Masonry skill?
More importantly, how would this relate to non-crafting labors? If a Fisherdwarf artifact-crits, what happens there? Do they reel in a unique, legendary fish of some kind? Drop their pole/net/beard and craft a bone amulet using inspiration from the waves? Find some kind of largely unrelated prize on the shore? What's a satisfying resolution, assuming Fishing is intended to be a satisfying skill?
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 14, 2014, 07:42:34 pm
Hmmm.
Well, what if a fishing skill was a compilation of different minor skills plus your own knowledge? Like high foraging would get you better bait because you would know the appropriate skills to doing so.
Most labour things like that rely on you getting better means only that you figure out better ways of doing the job you want to do, it's less granular.
So for fishing compared to masonry, you being better at fishing involves finding shortcuts to get more and better kinds of fish while masonry is just a straight level up bar giving you a 1+.
Aghhhh, it's hard to explain.
Getting a sunfish compared to a rockfish would Not depend on how steady your hand is, it requires knowledge of the bait, the area where sunfish live and understanding of a sunfishes habits.
Labours compared to crafting favour different people with different traits because crafting isn't that fluid, you think of something to make, and you make it, how well you make it depends on your basic skill level on doing it (visualisation, being steady with your hand etc, etc.), it improves only with practice.
Fishing is another story, it isn't just practice (though you do want a lot of patience), it comes from knowledge of how to do it.
AHHHHHHHH HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS.
Alright, perhaps the player could be rewarded for their intelligence in solving where to fish and with what, how long to wait before you give up.
It isn't a skill, it's a big puzzle that the real life player with help from the GM must solve, E.G.
Alright, so fishing here doesn't work, so far I've only seen about 2 Sunfish, so they sure live here, perhaps it's the bait that isn't working? Or perhaps the name could be the clue?
Is this helping? At all?
Post by: monk12 on September 14, 2014, 08:06:22 pm
On the flip side, labor skills usually assume that volume of work is more important than strict monetary worth; thus, it's better to catch enough fish to feed the fort for a year than it is to catch the one delicious salmon in the river. Since the point of the skill is to perform functions necessary to the survival of the fort, there is much less benefit for doing those functions beyond the necessity of survival. To put it another way, the fort wants X food units (FUs) to survive for a year; a low skill fisher has to spend all of his time and actions meeting that X requirement, while a high skill fisher could get X FUs in six months and then have the rest of the year for leisure time (or for optimal play, for pursuing more lucrative Crafting skills for profit.)
Given this, how you handle such things depends on the nature of the game. If the point is to struggle to survive and then maybe scrape together some goods to purchase what you couldn't produce yourself, then labor skills would be emphasized in importance. If the point is to maximize profit, then crafting skills will be more emphasized, particularly if survival is quite likely.
For the artifact aside, I'd assume that a mini-artifact is roughly equivalent to a Masterwork in terms of "crafting crit." Labor crits would be a significant reduction in action/time/resource consumption to accomplish the stated goal, or in a profit-motivated game it would be more along the lines of "get the quota of fish + make some scrimshaw."
Post by: IronyOwl on September 15, 2014, 01:44:52 am
Well, I guess it comes down to realism to how much fun you want them to have, having a high fishing skill being ((82+8=90)=I know what fish I'm more likely to catch with this bait!) it's not realistic there but...Well, in my case I'd tend strongly towards fun, both because it tends to be more, well, fun, and because it tends to be simpler. Unless fishing or labors in general are a particularly central and vital part of the game, it's probably just not worth it to get all weird and complicated regarding exactly how you catch fish or smooth stone.
Hmmm.Well, why?
Well, what if a fishing skill was a compilation of different minor skills plus your own knowledge? Like high foraging would get you better bait because you would know the appropriate skills to doing so.
Most labour things like that rely on you getting better means only that you figure out better ways of doing the job you want to do, it's less granular.
More importantly, though, wouldn't this run into recursion problems? Your Fishing skill is really just your Foraging, Topography, Birdwatching, and Tracking skills... but presumably each of those is also a labor where knowledge is more important than raw talent, so wouldn't each of those be a combination of things in turn? At some point you'd just end up with a probably fairly long list of attributes and a probably fairly complex list of formulae for translating them.
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but seems awfully elaborate unless you've got a specific plan for it.
So for fishing compared to masonry, you being better at fishing involves finding shortcuts to get more and better kinds of fish while masonry is just a straight level up bar giving you a 1+.I still don't understand the practical difference you're getting at, here. Leveling up fishing gives you +2 Fish or +1 Fish Tiers. Leveling up Masonry gives you +1 Furniture Level or +2 Crafting Power. Does getting there by different in-universe explanations matter for the raw outputs?
Aghhhh, it's hard to explain.
Getting a sunfish compared to a rockfish would Not depend on how steady your hand is, it requires knowledge of the bait, the area where sunfish live and understanding of a sunfishes habits.
Labours compared to crafting favour different people with different traits because crafting isn't that fluid, you think of something to make, and you make it, how well you make it depends on your basic skill level on doing it (visualisation, being steady with your hand etc, etc.), it improves only with practice.
Fishing is another story, it isn't just practice (though you do want a lot of patience), it comes from knowledge of how to do it.
AHHHHHHHH HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS.Couple problems here. One, why? Sounds pretty complicated just to do for the hell of it or because it's "realistic."
Alright, perhaps the player could be rewarded for their intelligence in solving where to fish and with what, how long to wait before you give up.
It isn't a skill, it's a big puzzle that the real life player with help from the GM must solve, E.G.
Alright, so fishing here doesn't work, so far I've only seen about 2 Sunfish, so they sure live here, perhaps it's the bait that isn't working? Or perhaps the name could be the clue?
Is this helping? At all?
Secondly, the problem with puzzles is that once they're solved, they're solved. If gaining skill in labors is a matter of figuring out IC knowledge OOC, it basically loses any connection to the individual and becomes more of a party-wide thing. Initially, you have no idea where to fish or how, then someone experiments a bit or gets some hints and realizes that Dusk Eels can only be caught at sundown, and now anybody can catch as many Dusk Eels as they like. It's more of the fortress learning to feed itself than any individual character gaining anything.
Crafting skills usually assume that higher monetary worth is of more value than lower monetary worth; thus, it's better to make high quality goods than lower quality (since in this DF-related example you get multiplier bonuses from decorations and things you would not get from just having a whole lot of low quality goods.) Since the point of the skill is to convert raw materials into fungible goods, you want to spend a lot of time and effort to maximize the profit column.Interesting.
On the flip side, labor skills usually assume that volume of work is more important than strict monetary worth; thus, it's better to catch enough fish to feed the fort for a year than it is to catch the one delicious salmon in the river. Since the point of the skill is to perform functions necessary to the survival of the fort, there is much less benefit for doing those functions beyond the necessity of survival. To put it another way, the fort wants X food units (FUs) to survive for a year; a low skill fisher has to spend all of his time and actions meeting that X requirement, while a high skill fisher could get X FUs in six months and then have the rest of the year for leisure time (or for optimal play, for pursuing more lucrative Crafting skills for profit.)
Given this, how you handle such things depends on the nature of the game. If the point is to struggle to survive and then maybe scrape together some goods to purchase what you couldn't produce yourself, then labor skills would be emphasized in importance. If the point is to maximize profit, then crafting skills will be more emphasized, particularly if survival is quite likely.
For the artifact aside, I'd assume that a mini-artifact is roughly equivalent to a Masterwork in terms of "crafting crit." Labor crits would be a significant reduction in action/time/resource consumption to accomplish the stated goal, or in a profit-motivated game it would be more along the lines of "get the quota of fish + make some scrimshaw."
However, what about when relatively pointless player pride or greed comes into play, or if the wealth of an item can have uses beyond commerce? Even if it's identical in function, and even if that function is nothing, I suspect many players would rather own or produce a single masterwork item than several items of lesser quality but equal combined value.
More generally, this is a nice mechanical analysis, but I was concerned in large part with "satisfaction." Even if it's a vital service to the fortress, is a Fisherdwarf really going to feel as important and fulfilled hauling in X FUs as a Gem Cutter is occasionally producing Ruby Dragon Figurines studded with Gold and bearing an image of two swans in Jet?
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 15, 2014, 03:40:15 am
Post by: Squeegy on September 15, 2014, 06:46:18 pm
They would have to inspect crime scenes, interview witnesses, respond to distress calls, and attempt to decipher coded messages from the killer, trying to stop him before he kills again.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Tawa on September 15, 2014, 06:48:25 pm
I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: Nerjin on September 15, 2014, 06:49:26 pm
Post by: TealNinja on September 15, 2014, 06:50:08 pm
Well, honestly, I do plan to run a 3.5, but worldbuilding and rules compiling along with other stuff.I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: Tawa on September 15, 2014, 06:52:27 pm
I have an idea kicking around. But I'd rather finish one of my other games first. Wait a second... You're not saying YOU have another game boiling are you?Of course not, I just want to play an actual sorcerer for once in my life.
That is, a sorcerer who isn't old as hell, drunk 100% of the time, or a mind-enslaving embodiment of evil.
And swings a scythe around
Post by: IronyOwl on September 15, 2014, 07:03:09 pm
Had an idea for a cooperative puzzle game/roleplay where a handful of players take the role of local law enforcement (police officers, detectives, etc.) attempting to solve a mysterious series of grisly murders as they are happening.It does. Did you have a particular setting in mind for it?
They would have to inspect crime scenes, interview witnesses, respond to distress calls, and attempt to decipher coded messages from the killer, trying to stop him before he kills again.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Parsely on September 15, 2014, 07:07:31 pm
Had an idea for a cooperative puzzle game/roleplay where a handful of players take the role of local law enforcement (police officers, detectives, etc.) attempting to solve a mysterious series of grisly murders as they are happening./me volunteers to illustrate puzzles.
They would have to inspect crime scenes, interview witnesses, respond to distress calls, and attempt to decipher coded messages from the killer, trying to stop him before he kills again.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Squeegy on September 15, 2014, 07:10:51 pm
The setting would be an unnamed sleepy American city, probably in a state bordering Canada. Kind of like Fargo, but more sinister and more populated, with multiple protagonists.Had an idea for a cooperative puzzle game/roleplay where a handful of players take the role of local law enforcement (police officers, detectives, etc.) attempting to solve a mysterious series of grisly murders as they are happening.It does. Did you have a particular setting in mind for it?
e: After some consideration, I would choose Dickinson, North Dakota as the setting.
They would have to inspect crime scenes, interview witnesses, respond to distress calls, and attempt to decipher coded messages from the killer, trying to stop him before he kills again.
Sound interesting?
e: After some consideration, it would take place in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Post by: monk12 on September 15, 2014, 10:15:19 pm
Crafting skills usually assume that higher monetary worth is of more value than lower monetary worth; thus, it's better to make high quality goods than lower quality (since in this DF-related example you get multiplier bonuses from decorations and things you would not get from just having a whole lot of low quality goods.) Since the point of the skill is to convert raw materials into fungible goods, you want to spend a lot of time and effort to maximize the profit column.Interesting.
On the flip side, labor skills usually assume that volume of work is more important than strict monetary worth; thus, it's better to catch enough fish to feed the fort for a year than it is to catch the one delicious salmon in the river. Since the point of the skill is to perform functions necessary to the survival of the fort, there is much less benefit for doing those functions beyond the necessity of survival. To put it another way, the fort wants X food units (FUs) to survive for a year; a low skill fisher has to spend all of his time and actions meeting that X requirement, while a high skill fisher could get X FUs in six months and then have the rest of the year for leisure time (or for optimal play, for pursuing more lucrative Crafting skills for profit.)
Given this, how you handle such things depends on the nature of the game. If the point is to struggle to survive and then maybe scrape together some goods to purchase what you couldn't produce yourself, then labor skills would be emphasized in importance. If the point is to maximize profit, then crafting skills will be more emphasized, particularly if survival is quite likely.
For the artifact aside, I'd assume that a mini-artifact is roughly equivalent to a Masterwork in terms of "crafting crit." Labor crits would be a significant reduction in action/time/resource consumption to accomplish the stated goal, or in a profit-motivated game it would be more along the lines of "get the quota of fish + make some scrimshaw."
However, what about when relatively pointless player pride or greed comes into play, or if the wealth of an item can have uses beyond commerce? Even if it's identical in function, and even if that function is nothing, I suspect many players would rather own or produce a single masterwork item than several items of lesser quality but equal combined value.
More generally, this is a nice mechanical analysis, but I was concerned in large part with "satisfaction." Even if it's a vital service to the fortress, is a Fisherdwarf really going to feel as important and fulfilled hauling in X FUs as a Gem Cutter is occasionally producing Ruby Dragon Figurines studded with Gold and bearing an image of two swans in Jet?
As far as satisfaction goes, it all comes down to how difficult and how necessary a skill is for survival/prosperity. If the fortress is really counting on you to bring in that fish, then you get satisfaction for doing so. However, if that fish isn't vital for the survival of the fort (perhaps because there's a sustainable farm, or a surplus of food, or a reliable caravan to buy from) then the labor skill is going to start losing to the crafting skill; even if they are technically of equal value (i.e the crafted good buys as much fish as you could have caught yourself) the crafted good has the benefit of being special and unique, with that sense of ownership and pride that comes from making a thing.
In a general sense, players like feeling special and unique. In a small community trying to eke out a living on the edge of the wilderness, then being the guy who brings home the fish makes you an important member of society. In a big community where you're just one food-provider among many, that just makes you a plebeian. By comparison, the artisan is special and important in both scenarios; a player may or may not be satisfied by performing labor skills in a game depending on the nature of the game, but they'll probably always feel satisfied with the artsy crafting skills.
Post by: TealNinja on September 15, 2014, 11:34:10 pm
If you harvest the bones of the fish, then in theory more fish means multiplicative more value through using the bones in crafts. The artisan is entirely dependent on something/someone else to provide the material he needs to do accomplish his job.Crafting skills usually assume that higher monetary worth is of more value than lower monetary worth; thus, it's better to make high quality goods than lower quality (since in this DF-related example you get multiplier bonuses from decorations and things you would not get from just having a whole lot of low quality goods.) Since the point of the skill is to convert raw materials into fungible goods, you want to spend a lot of time and effort to maximize the profit column.Interesting.
On the flip side, labor skills usually assume that volume of work is more important than strict monetary worth; thus, it's better to catch enough fish to feed the fort for a year than it is to catch the one delicious salmon in the river. Since the point of the skill is to perform functions necessary to the survival of the fort, there is much less benefit for doing those functions beyond the necessity of survival. To put it another way, the fort wants X food units (FUs) to survive for a year; a low skill fisher has to spend all of his time and actions meeting that X requirement, while a high skill fisher could get X FUs in six months and then have the rest of the year for leisure time (or for optimal play, for pursuing more lucrative Crafting skills for profit.)
Given this, how you handle such things depends on the nature of the game. If the point is to struggle to survive and then maybe scrape together some goods to purchase what you couldn't produce yourself, then labor skills would be emphasized in importance. If the point is to maximize profit, then crafting skills will be more emphasized, particularly if survival is quite likely.
For the artifact aside, I'd assume that a mini-artifact is roughly equivalent to a Masterwork in terms of "crafting crit." Labor crits would be a significant reduction in action/time/resource consumption to accomplish the stated goal, or in a profit-motivated game it would be more along the lines of "get the quota of fish + make some scrimshaw."
However, what about when relatively pointless player pride or greed comes into play, or if the wealth of an item can have uses beyond commerce? Even if it's identical in function, and even if that function is nothing, I suspect many players would rather own or produce a single masterwork item than several items of lesser quality but equal combined value.
More generally, this is a nice mechanical analysis, but I was concerned in large part with "satisfaction." Even if it's a vital service to the fortress, is a Fisherdwarf really going to feel as important and fulfilled hauling in X FUs as a Gem Cutter is occasionally producing Ruby Dragon Figurines studded with Gold and bearing an image of two swans in Jet?
As far as satisfaction goes, it all comes down to how difficult and how necessary a skill is for survival/prosperity. If the fortress is really counting on you to bring in that fish, then you get satisfaction for doing so. However, if that fish isn't vital for the survival of the fort (perhaps because there's a sustainable farm, or a surplus of food, or a reliable caravan to buy from) then the labor skill is going to start losing to the crafting skill; even if they are technically of equal value (i.e the crafted good buys as much fish as you could have caught yourself) the crafted good has the benefit of being special and unique, with that sense of ownership and pride that comes from making a thing.
In a general sense, players like feeling special and unique. In a small community trying to eke out a living on the edge of the wilderness, then being the guy who brings home the fish makes you an important member of society. In a big community where you're just one food-provider among many, that just makes you a plebeian. By comparison, the artisan is special and important in both scenarios; a player may or may not be satisfied by performing labor skills in a game depending on the nature of the game, but they'll probably always feel satisfied with the artsy crafting skills.
Post by: IronyOwl on September 16, 2014, 01:22:05 am
As far as satisfaction goes, it all comes down to how difficult and how necessary a skill is for survival/prosperity. If the fortress is really counting on you to bring in that fish, then you get satisfaction for doing so. However, if that fish isn't vital for the survival of the fort (perhaps because there's a sustainable farm, or a surplus of food, or a reliable caravan to buy from) then the labor skill is going to start losing to the crafting skill; even if they are technically of equal value (i.e the crafted good buys as much fish as you could have caught yourself) the crafted good has the benefit of being special and unique, with that sense of ownership and pride that comes from making a thing.So assuming labors can't be guaranteed vital, what would you suggest be done about them? Rolled into more satisfying crafting skills, handwaved away, shunted to NPC mooks? Split into a separate action economy, so each player is performing both menial and crafting labors?
In a general sense, players like feeling special and unique. In a small community trying to eke out a living on the edge of the wilderness, then being the guy who brings home the fish makes you an important member of society. In a big community where you're just one food-provider among many, that just makes you a plebeian. By comparison, the artisan is special and important in both scenarios; a player may or may not be satisfied by performing labor skills in a game depending on the nature of the game, but they'll probably always feel satisfied with the artsy crafting skills.
On a slightly different topic, you point out that players like to feel special. What, if anything, do you think ought to be done about repeated or largely equivalent labors, like Stonecrafting and Woodcarving?
If you harvest the bones of the fish, then in theory more fish means multiplicative more value through using the bones in crafts. The artisan is entirely dependent on something/someone else to provide the material he needs to do accomplish his job.Does this help distribute satisfaction, though, or does it just kink the system and mean there "has" to be someone or something performing not terribly fulfilling tasks so someone else can do what they've always wanted to?
Post by: Furtuka on September 16, 2014, 09:44:37 pm
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on September 16, 2014, 09:54:35 pm
Hmmm.
Post by: IronyOwl on September 16, 2014, 10:15:39 pm
Hey is anyone who read through the entirety of Do not Trust the Rainbow Snail still around? I'm doing a little side project that requires me to research notable games throughout Bay12 history and need as much information as I can on that game in particular. Namely a summary of the main character, the setting, and plot. I would read it myself, but for some reason during that time period everyone used imageshack so most of the image files from that thread are gone.Damn. That was on my "should probably finish this at some point in the distant future but probably won't because if I was going to I probably would have by now" list.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on September 23, 2014, 09:56:47 pm
Sounds fun? Or is this one of those ideas that sounds better in your head?
Post by: IronyOwl on September 23, 2014, 10:36:03 pm
Less certain about the rest. Might just turn into "play a strategy game only the RNG is reeeeeaaaaallly mean."
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on September 24, 2014, 08:04:27 am
Another idea would be to get the players to duke it out over Netplay, but that'll probably just bog the whole game down and people will get disinterested and leave.
The cockfighting tournament is another idea. Who can build the best AI fleet costing under X points, with battles being decided by best out of five or something. Doesn't sound as engaging as my original idea though, but we'll see.
EDIT: Further testing shows that the AI is much stupider and less entertaining than I believed. Also some ships are brokenly OP or just plain terrible, since the AI can't handle their special abilities/weapons. In other words... So much for that idea.
Post by: Squeegy on October 03, 2014, 01:56:02 am
Post by: Parsely on October 03, 2014, 09:56:32 am
I was thinking of making up a Mushi-Shi game but I soon realised it would mostly be based around logic puzzles and prior knowledge of all said Mushi to make the game interesting because that would be unfairly locking off certain people, as well as the fact that most I games wouldn't take that long, with a lot of sorta unfair deaths just from being unkowledgeable about the Mushi.I remember someone else was interested in Mushi-Shi a while ago and I brought up this idea.
Hmmm.
---
I've always wanted to run some kind of illustrated puzzle game with original puzzles. The problem is coming up with puzzles. How does one even go about doing that?
Post by: Fniff on October 03, 2014, 10:02:59 am
I've always wanted to run some kind of illustrated puzzle game with original puzzles. The problem is coming up with puzzles. How does one even go about doing that?I heard Soli giving some advice to GWG on GMing. Basically, puzzles are situations the players can't immediately solve and have to figure it out. It can be a sliding block puzzle, but it also can be trying to turn on a sparky fuse box while knee-deep in water without electrocuting yourself. Actually, I find the latter tends to lead to more interesting situations. Fer instance, going back to the fuse box example, it's technically solved if you ask Brad the NPC to turn the fuse box, right? I mean, he dies, but you don't!
Post by: Parsely on October 03, 2014, 10:13:46 am
Post by: Fniff on October 03, 2014, 10:14:51 am
Post by: Parsely on October 03, 2014, 10:17:45 am
Well, the point is, puzzles and scenarios are basically the same thing. He explained it much better then I did, I'll try and dig up the post...No I understand what you mean, but my point is that for it to be a good puzzle you'd have to be some kind of riddlemaster or somefin.
Post by: Fniff on October 03, 2014, 10:29:07 am
If one of your players happened to have plastic explosives from a previous fight, how would you react if they planted it at the door they were supposed to unlock using the sliding block puzzle and detonated it? It's a perfectly logical solution to the puzzle, but it's also completely ignoring the puzzle you've spent hours on. I've had this problem in various forms. "The gold is heavy in your backpacks as you walk. Suddenly, you stumble into a giant burning cathedral filled with rotating spikes! In the center is a giant samurai warrior with a dragon's head! He is ready to take you on for stealing his gold, an--" "Does the door work?" "Uh, yeah?" "Great. We walk out with the gold." "But... But the samurai is your ancient archene--" "Yeah, screw that. He can go swing, we've got his gold." "Buh... Buh..."
That's why I prefer more open-ended scenarios, as you call them. Put limits on a player and they will try to break them. My advice? You can have sliding block puzzles but make sure you account for C4. Metaphorically speaking.
Post by: Parsely on October 03, 2014, 04:23:46 pm
If you've ever heard of the Professor Layton games, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. If it was some RPG I was running, sure that makes sense for people to blow up my puzzles because chances are they're few and far between, but the sort of thing I'm envisioning is one where you just solve puzzles. That's it. So people exploding their way through my puzzle game where you don't collect items or fight enemies or level up and all you do is puzzle isn't even playing the game. :v
Post by: kj1225 on October 03, 2014, 05:11:30 pm
Post by: Fniff on October 03, 2014, 05:12:21 pm
Post by: Parsely on October 03, 2014, 05:38:09 pm
I'm not entirely sure if Layton would really transfer to a roleplay format, but you're welcome to try.I just specifically told you it's a puzzle game not a rolepaying ga- You know what, nevermind. >_>
Post by: Fniff on October 03, 2014, 05:42:17 pm
Post by: 10ebbor10 on October 05, 2014, 04:58:33 am
Humanity still dreams.
But they're about to wake.
Short Introduction
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The World
A Von Neumann Probe, a self replicating machine, a terraformer. A massive machine, the apex of human technology and engineering, sent forth through the stars. Yet at it's core, the Genesis Mechanism is but one thing: AGI. An Artificial General Intelligence. A mechanical mind capable of learning without being thought, unfaltering and patient, a benevolent God to create a new Eden here, far from Earth.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Rules
Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Economy (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Research & Culture (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Military and War (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Diplomacy and the Global Council (click to show/hide)
Sign-up Sheet
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Starting traits
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: PrivateNomad on October 05, 2014, 10:46:46 am
It's mainly an experiment to adapt DotA's combat system to a play-by-post format, but I'd be interested to see what you guys think. Or maybe even join.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 07, 2014, 01:25:23 pm
Spoiler: Rough Overview of Rules (click to show/hide)
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on October 08, 2014, 11:14:05 pm
Piece wise explained it way better than I ever could.
He obviously rolled a 5 for speech.((Ginko is the coolest son of a bitch around. I'd relish a Mushi-Shi game (not necessarily on this forum) where you are Ginko, but I just don't know how that would work, or if there is a single group of sentient beings on any plane of existence talented enough to make it without fucking it up royally.))I actually thought about a Mushi-shi game. It's one of the inspirations-vaguely- around here. The problem with a mushishi game is that you run into the two fold paradox of the mystery story.
Eat her.
1.The main character knows things you don't.
2.clues that the main character finds are given out in such a way as to keep the reader in the dark until the answer is ready to be revealed.
In a Mushishi case, this takes the form of him knowing about all these mushi that the audience doesn't know about. As such, a game that stuck close to the original would have to either have you pulling information out of thin air or just give you a massive lexicon to search through. The second option is obviously the best, though it may annoy some people to have to do read what amounts to a book worth of data just to play a forum game.
Oh well, maybe I'll make one when this game is over with in...what are we up to...5 years?
Post by: IronyOwl on October 08, 2014, 11:28:40 pm
I really wanna run a Bleach-based game, hopefully without finishing it within the first 10 turns. Would anybody be interested?I might be, but I'm pretty dubious of the system as you've presented it and I don't know enough about anything else.
For instance:
Basically, there is technically only the 1 stat, Reiatsu, which is shown to be really important in Bleach, since with enough of it, you can even disintegrate weaker would just by approaching them, as demonstrated by Butterflaizen.This right here reeeeeeeally worries me, because it sounds like you're copying a bad game mechanic over verbatim simply because it seems to exist in the inspirational material. I don't doubt a simple power level system can work, but this doesn't look you were particularly concerned with whether it's a good idea or not.
Other major things missing- how techniques work exactly, how one levels/grows/learns/powers up, and what the plot would likely be all come to mind. I really don't feel like I have a good grasp on what playing this proposed game would be like.
Post by: Parsely on October 08, 2014, 11:31:08 pm
-snip-PW's life is just one big nat20.
Post by: TealNinja on October 08, 2014, 11:40:11 pm
I really wanna run a Bleach-based game, hopefully without finishing it within the first 10 turns. Would anybody be interested?Spoiler: Rough Overview of Rules (click to show/hide)
Continuing from Irony, Reiatsu is literally just latent power; it actually has little to do with how much skill and power you can put into your sword. Ichigo and Kenpachi both have ridiculous latent power (Reiatsu) but neither one of them has any skill in using it (at least at the start.) Byakuya and Rukia both have relatively low latent power, but their skill with kidou, shunpo and their blade puts them above their usual peers (notably, Byakuya is stronger than Ichigo despite having a Reiatsu much smaller). There's also inherent learning capability, like Hitsugaya and Kurotsuchi; Hitsugaya progresses to Captain level ridiculously fast without having a mentor to guide him. He is still lacking in the Reiatsu department, though.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on October 08, 2014, 11:44:29 pm
Well, lets check the source material a bit more here.I really wanna run a Bleach-based game, hopefully without finishing it within the first 10 turns. Would anybody be interested?I might be, but I'm pretty dubious of the system as you've presented it and I don't know enough about anything else.
For instance:Basically, there is technically only the 1 stat, Reiatsu, which is shown to be really important in Bleach, since with enough of it, you can even disintegrate weaker would just by approaching them, as demonstrated by Butterflaizen.This right here reeeeeeeally worries me, because it sounds like you're copying a bad game mechanic over verbatim simply because it seems to exist in the inspirational material. I don't doubt a simple power level system can work, but this doesn't look you were particularly concerned with whether it's a good idea or not.
Other major things missing- how techniques work exactly, how one levels/grows/learns/powers up, and what the plot would likely be all come to mind. I really don't feel like I have a good grasp on what playing this proposed game would be like.
The main problem someone might encounter forming Blach into a forum game would be the fact that Bleach mainly consists of 3 things, fight and win->get the crap beaten out of you->power up and try again.
The most interesting/original part I could extract from this stuff would be the blades themselves, but then, it's something any player who would be interested in would already know about, yhea, the swords have a soul, right?
It's hard to explain (for me) but I just don't feel it would be something you could easily translate into a game without taking serrrrrrrious liberties with the source material.
I dunno, it just seems to me that, as a forum game, it loses it's biggest draw, and that's the action porn, which is basically most of what makes up bleach.
Ugh, I'm horrible at explaining things.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 09, 2014, 03:11:21 am
Add more stats, or some such?
Also, that's really just a rough overview, as the spoiler implies. I haven't really fleshed out much so far, more checking for interest than anything.
Apparently not gonna work, not enough people interested though, so I'll just put this into storage.
Post by: IronyOwl on October 09, 2014, 03:21:17 am
So how would I go about making this workable/fun?Well, just figure out how it should play out, not how it plays out in the show. It's generally better to make the system inaccurate and fun than accurate but boring to play or rife with problems.
Add more stats, or some such?
For specifics, I probably would go for the "more stats" approach, if only because you want ways for the players to be different from each other. Having one all-important Power stat, among its other issues, doesn't really cover that beyond "this guy's better." You could also try going for specializations or traits or something, but those tend to be a bit wonkier to pull off.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on October 09, 2014, 03:40:21 am
Anyway, this Point Node Could be called something like Attunement, it would basically allow you to more easily tap into your blades power and more easily converse with your blade?
Also, there isn't much customization potential after character creation there, can't really get your blade upgraded, not following the original basis of bleach, anyway, can you upgrade your sword?
What else... What else...
As well as being wonkier to pull off, I, myself can't really think of any skills I would be able to logically apply to a Bleach forum game... Are there even that many?So how would I go about making this workable/fun?Well, just figure out how it should play out, not how it plays out in the show. It's generally better to make the system inaccurate and fun than accurate but boring to play or rife with problems.
Add more stats, or some such?
For specifics, I probably would go for the "more stats" approach, if only because you want ways for the players to be different from each other. Having one all-important Power stat, among its other issues, doesn't really cover that beyond "this guy's better." You could also try going for specializations or traits or something, but those tend to be a bit wonkier to pull off.
But yhea, with the best part of that idea being the swords turning into better swords, I would suggest just taking... Hmmmm.
I'm just not sure, it seems even the theoretical supports are a bit wonky here, and there's not that much to say about it.
Post by: IronyOwl on October 09, 2014, 04:00:13 am
As well as being wonkier to pull off, I, myself can't really think of any skills I would be able to logically apply to a Bleach forum game... Are there even that many?You could get some mileage out of a Rock-Paper-Scissors style affair, such as where the "Heavy" trait or skill or what have you is strong or weak to the "Light" stat or perk or whatever which is strong or weak to the "Medium" special or move or something. The problem with that is that it tends to be either pretty situational, as you'd get if players just made up their own stuff and so "Heart" was countered by "Despair" but everyone's going to have or be Lightning or Gravity or Speed or Hate or Arcane or Song so the odds of it mattering suck.
But yhea, with the best part of that idea being the swords turning into better swords, I would suggest just taking... Hmmmm.
I'm just not sure, it seems even the theoretical supports are a bit wonky here, and there's not that much to say about it.
Or it tends to be pretty limited, as with the above Heavy/Medium/Light categories, because once you've made yourself Medium... well, then what? You usually win against Heavy and lose against Light, or vice versa, and that's mostly it, right? Do you get a Medium II skill at some point, or something? Branch off into category-specific Counter or Heavy Smash skills, perhaps?
It's doable, but at some point you'd want to just make them stats or special activated abilities or something.
As for making the game more interesting... well, if it's about swordfighting, you'd best make the swordfighting mechanics decently interesting. You could do some kind of RPS style thing as above but with individual moves rather than characters, so you get to guess whether you want to attack Aggressively, Balanced, or Defensively this turn. You could come up with some kind of Armor/Guard/Stamina systems to make sure fights consist of more nuance than "hit thing until HP goes to 0." You could introduce Exalted-style mechanics wherein you get bonuses to your rolls for describing your action well, so that even if the system itself isn't great the game still looks cool.
Again, there's ways to make it happen, but you kind of need to decide on just what kind of game you want it to be mechanically, and then put in the time figuring out how to make that happen.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 09, 2014, 04:15:30 am
Post by: Parsely on October 10, 2014, 10:18:12 am
Post by: Funk on October 10, 2014, 06:37:01 pm
A)A Low Fantasy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LowFantasy) setting with a mix of the Migration Period, Greek Dark Ages and feudal japan in to a ulta violent setting.
No really hard and fast rules on time periods but a feeling that the great empires are in decline and that blood thirsty barbarians are not at the gate but waiting in the wings to pick over the spoils as the shining city's crumble and fall one by one.
B) The players are a group of Time travelers given missions to complete by the time agency.
Post by: Kadzar on October 10, 2014, 08:25:08 pm
Ok so i'm thinking of running a RPG im just not sure what setting to go forWith what?
A)A Low Fantasy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LowFantasy) setting with
Post by: Tawa on October 10, 2014, 10:31:37 pm
After listening to the kind of music you hear during trip sequences in movies for hours on end, I went and made a whole damned map, to scale, on graph paper, of a loosely-organized oceanic bay with several small islands.
Every island is a reference to something-- half of them have names that are anagrams of DnD characters I made, the other half consist of references to favored vidya games of mine, there's a country across the sea called "Ronlif" (rearrange the letters for a dandy Princess Bride reference), all that stuff.
This would be a suggestion game where you play as a wizard who's batshit insane and does all kinds of crazy stuff. Players are encouraged to give random suggestions, recommend irrational things, and flavor their suggestions as voices in the wizard's head.
Sound fun?
Post by: flabort on October 10, 2014, 11:01:55 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 11, 2014, 07:48:08 pm
Post by: Beneviento on October 13, 2014, 01:52:59 am
Post by: Nerjin on October 13, 2014, 02:29:42 am
Post by: evilcherry on October 13, 2014, 08:35:05 am
Post by: Tawa on October 15, 2014, 05:10:32 pm
Totally not an attempt to start a chain reaction that ends with somebody else starting one at the same time so I can go make a doom wizard with METEOR SWARM.
Post by: Parsely on October 15, 2014, 06:44:53 pm
Post by: Andres on October 16, 2014, 02:37:34 am
The game is called OMNIWIZARD. You're basically the avatar but with more elements. The starting elements are Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Metal, Electricity, and Ki. The GM can add, remove, merge, or edit whatever elements they want. Watch this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyC7Lg7YW6A) to see what ultimately inspired me to make this (besides Avatar and Dragon Ball).
EDIT: I'll be posting a link to the design document if the current GM I have lined up for it ends up not making it.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on October 16, 2014, 03:12:11 am
The main problem I keep encountering is that while I already get the basic idea down (first round takes place with the Adventurer, being a basic hub based mission setup to get money and special items for the other players, then the FaSiencer (the Farmer/Sciencer) would be more discovery focused, and the final round would be the fighter, who could use the items and food given by the previous two teams in a gladiatorial arena.) But I can't really be bothered to go on with the more fine details.
And I should really finish that toriko document too...
Post by: Andres on October 16, 2014, 06:07:12 am
My suggestion is just to make a Bleach-inspired game. How about this: the singular character that the players control wakes up in a monster land - could be Hueco Mundo, could be another universe's Hell, could be a particularly large and evil castle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxgys4_zc_E), whatever suits your fancy - with a sword next to them. The character's job is to find a way back to their home. They may or may not discover a great evil that only they are in a position to stop, depending on how complex you want the story to be.
You give the players options as to what the sword looks like - each of which corresponds to a personality, shikai, bankai etc. that you make in advance - but you do NOT let the the players create their own version of the sword's appearance or any other aspect of the sword. It sounds limiting but it would be a lot more engaging for the players to "grow" with the sword. As they fight their way through the world and they increase in power, so does the sword, and eventually communication develops. The character - and thus, the players - form a close bond with the sword. The fact that they are the only people... at all, further strengthens the bond. An important thing to do is to steer the relationship AWAY from romantic and more into a best friend/sibling/battle buddy relationship because seriously, it's a sword. You can't get anywhere with a sword. This isn't as interesting - or at least is more difficult for you to make interesting - when the players already know everything important about the sword in advance.
Enemies should not be there to pass the time. You can make some of them be plot- or narrative-important. If you decide to make the world grimdark, you can make the world barren of any food or drink, the monsters you fight being the only source of both. For extra grimdark, make the monsters sapient.
"For I was hungry, and I ate you. I was thirsty, and I drank you."
The monsters should force the players and the character into a corner, make them get desperate, increase tension - be careful not to burn out the players with this one unless they're an alternative boss battle or a storm before the calm thing if it's not. Don't put one of these battles right before a boss battle. Bosses are supposed to be the "final test" for characters - and thus, players - and it would be perceived as unfair (the bad kind of unfair) if they were forced to fight without even being in decent condition. If you must do this, make sure that they get an insta heal but give the players a little time to get their bearings so you can avoid burnout. A final loadout check or something would suffice and maybe use the battle as acknowledgement that the character is ready for the upcoming challenge. If none of these options are available, you can use filler enemies to show how far the character and the players have come since beginning the journey.
Whelp. That's all I have to say on the subject. I had more to say but while writing this it's gotten a bit late which made me tired so I forgot. Maybe I'll remember in the morning. If you decide to go ahead with a game like this I would very much like to be a part of it as a player.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 16, 2014, 09:14:59 am
@BlitzDungeoneerHmm...
My suggestion is just to make a Bleach-inspired game. How about this: the singular character that the players control wakes up in a monster land - could be Hueco Mundo, could be another universe's Hell, could be a particularly large and evil castle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxgys4_zc_E), whatever suits your fancy - with a sword next to them. The character's job is to find a way back to their home. They may or may not discover a great evil that only they are in a position to stop, depending on how complex you want the story to be.
You give the players options as to what the sword looks like - each of which corresponds to a personality, shikai, bankai etc. that you make in advance - but you do NOT let the the players create their own version of the sword's appearance or any other aspect of the sword. It sounds limiting but it would be a lot more engaging for the players to "grow" with the sword. As they fight their way through the world and they increase in power, so does the sword, and eventually communication develops. The character - and thus, the players - form a close bond with the sword. The fact that they are the only people... at all, further strengthens the bond. An important thing to do is to steer the relationship AWAY from romantic and more into a best friend/sibling/battle buddy relationship because seriously, it's a sword. You can't get anywhere with a sword. This isn't as interesting - or at least is more difficult for you to make interesting - when the players already know everything important about the sword in advance.
Enemies should not be there to pass the time. You can make some of them be plot- or narrative-important. If you decide to make the world grimdark, you can make the world barren of any food or drink, the monsters you fight being the only source of both. For extra grimdark, make the monsters sapient.
"For I was hungry, and I ate you. I was thirsty, and I drank you."
The monsters should force the players and the character into a corner, make them get desperate, increase tension - be careful not to burn out the players with this one unless they're an alternative boss battle or a storm before the calm thing if it's not. Don't put one of these battles right before a boss battle. Bosses are supposed to be the "final test" for characters - and thus, players - and it would be perceived as unfair (the bad kind of unfair) if they were forced to fight without even being in decent condition. If you must do this, make sure that they get an insta heal but give the players a little time to get their bearings so you can avoid burnout. A final loadout check or something would suffice and maybe use the battle as acknowledgement that the character is ready for the upcoming challenge. If none of these options are available, you can use filler enemies to show how far the character and the players have come since beginning the journey.
Whelp. That's all I have to say on the subject. I had more to say but while writing this it's gotten a bit late which made me tired so I forgot. Maybe I'll remember in the morning. If you decide to go ahead with a game like this I would very much like to be a part of it as a player.
I will take this into consideration.
Spoiler: Which translates to... (click to show/hide)
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 16, 2014, 02:40:38 pm
just thought i would advertise my Great River main campaign game
link in my sig
Post by: Tawa on October 16, 2014, 02:55:23 pm
This thread is for suggesting game ideas, not advertising games that already exist (and regularly make the front page).
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 16, 2014, 02:57:29 pm
Um.
This thread is for suggesting game ideas, not advertising games that already exist (and regularly make the front page).
oh woooops
sorry
thought it was something else entirely
Post by: tntey on October 16, 2014, 02:59:01 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 16, 2014, 03:01:01 pm
sorry guys
didn't mean to interrupt anything
Post by: Parsely on October 16, 2014, 03:32:55 pm
I have a thread specifically for doing that. http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=138238.msg5237923#msg5237923Um.
This thread is for suggesting game ideas, not advertising games that already exist (and regularly make the front page).
oh woooops
sorry
thought it was something else entirely
Post by: Andres on October 16, 2014, 03:40:15 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 16, 2014, 03:45:15 pm
I have a thread specifically for doing that. http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=138238.msg5237923#msg5237923Um.
This thread is for suggesting game ideas, not advertising games that already exist (and regularly make the front page).
oh woooops
sorry
thought it was something else entirely
Thanks
Post by: Parsely on October 16, 2014, 03:51:48 pm
Maybe you can replace your unlinked sigs with links to these actually useful threads of yours? ;)Frumpie, Packard and Dozle stay where they are! >:v
Post by: tntey on October 16, 2014, 03:53:04 pm
Post by: Andres on October 16, 2014, 04:52:22 pm
A rp that takes place in the Futurama universe.Nope. That show is not consistent or obvious enough in its physics and universe and stuff.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 16, 2014, 04:56:34 pm
A rp that takes place in the Futurama universe.
That sounds like fun
I would love to play along with the silly inconsistencies
Post by: Tawa on October 16, 2014, 07:07:25 pm
Would anybody be interested in an Epic-level D&D 3.5 campaign?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 16, 2014, 07:14:53 pm
Would anybody be interested in an Epic-level D&D 3.5 campaign?
Ya
Though I've never actualy played D&D
Post by: flabort on October 16, 2014, 07:17:16 pm
There's only a few players local to Bay12 with enough experience to play at Epic Levels.Would anybody be interested in an Epic-level D&D 3.5 campaign?
Not that it takes a terrible lot of experience, but I'm just saying I'm wary that the power levels will be very much in the favor of some players while very against some others.
If you run it, I'm in, though.
Post by: Tawa on October 16, 2014, 07:21:04 pm
You know what, it's going down.
Post by: Nerjin on October 16, 2014, 07:21:49 pm
Post by: mosshadow on October 17, 2014, 12:34:56 pm
I did it on another forum for a while but it petered out. I also have been trying out pixel art instead of MSpaint scribbles to go along with it
(http://s4.postimg.org/wqldxywe5/screenshot_564.png)
Post by: tntey on October 17, 2014, 04:19:57 pm
Post by: Andres on October 17, 2014, 04:51:47 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 17, 2014, 05:10:12 pm
Post by: Parsely on October 17, 2014, 05:31:49 pm
Is anyone interested in a space marine type RPG based on aliens/dead space? With cover based gameplayDOOOOOO ITTTTTTTT
I did it on another forum for a while but it petered out. I also have been trying out pixel art instead of MSpaint scribbles to go along with it
Post by: kj1225 on October 17, 2014, 06:42:15 pm
Spoiler: The obvious groups (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The city (click to show/hide)
There's also an idea for two starter supers but that would be spoiling it.
Post by: tntey on October 17, 2014, 06:46:35 pm
Post by: Andres on October 17, 2014, 07:24:18 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 17, 2014, 09:28:10 pm
Post by: Andres on October 17, 2014, 09:39:54 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 17, 2014, 09:48:35 pm
Sorry about that
Won't happen again
Well I'm trying to come up with ideas to spice up my 'In Search of Sanctuary' game
Post by: mosshadow on October 17, 2014, 11:15:57 pm
(http://s4.postimg.org/j74js9if1/screenshot_562.png)
And here is the current basic intro rule list. Its very Xcom based because I love that game plus fallout 1/2 traits. Originally I wanted to put in a stripped down version of Dark Heresy.
Rules:
Quote
The object of the game is for you and your unit to survive the mission. Outside of combat characters move and talk freely, in the order of the player posting. In combat all players attack simultaneously once every player has posted their actions. Talking is still a free action so it might be a good idea to shout out your targets so everyone doesn't shoot at the same enemy.
In combat your weapon will show a set amount of bullets fired per round, if you choose to fire you will either shoot this amount or less if you say that you shoot less than you normally would. Movement is based on your agility score which will show the amount of tiles you can move. If you choose to move only half the amount of tiles you can also shoot half the amount of shots you would normally take.
Reloading is a full action. Grenade or item throwing is a full action.
If you choose not to fire you can enter overwatch in which case you can fire 75% of your normal attack at an enemy that tries to shoot near you or walk near you.
Armor now has its own 3 values instead of soft values. They are coverage, a percent which determines the chance of an attack hitting the armor, Protection which will decrease the amount of damage taken and durability which will decrease for each point of damage removed by Protection.
Accuracy is based on the tile distance, and the dexterity/firerate of weapon. Without the necessary dexterity there is a 25% penalty.
Instead of proficiency to use weapons, your strength, agility and dexterity are used. Having 1 number below the requirement Reduces the amount of shots you can fire for each turn by 25% rounded down.
Strength is used in melee which is mostly based on actions the player takes and less on the stats of weapons.
Will is what is spent for plot related actions. If you are out of health points you can sacrifice 1 will to regain 1 health point giving you a chance to get out of harms way. You can also use to withstand environmental hazards, to gain free turns and anything else if you ask the GM.
There are 4 types of cover,
Vertical light cover- Things like small columns and machinery with gaps. This decreases enemy accuracy by 10%. You can easily be hit by grenades though.
Vertical Heavy cover- This is when you are firing from the side of a doorframe or behind a large box. When you are not firing it is impossible for you to be hit as long as the enemy does not flank you. When firing there is a 10% decrease to enemy overwatch counter attacks.
Horizontal Light cover- These refers to hiding behind small objects such as rubble or being concealed by a flipped over table. It reduces accuracy by 20% and increases your accuracy by 10%
Horizontal Heavy Cover- this refers to things such as sandbags, low walls and heavy debris that allows you to fully get behind the protection. It reduces accuracy by 25% during enemy overwatch and increases your accuracy by 10% for most weapons. Machine guns and other heavy weapons get a 20% bonus. The enemy cannot fire at you during their turn but a thrown grenade will force your character to leave cover unless they are wearing sufficient armor.
Character Creation: You play as a Marine of the United States Space Fleet on board the USS Pueblo. Your character has a short set of attributes which are Health, Will,Strength, Agility, Dexterity. Items can be stored in your bags but large items such as rifles are held or placed in straps.
Please keep track of your items and post your character sheet whenever you need to perform an action in combat or an action that involves the use of an item.
Post by: kj1225 on October 18, 2014, 08:03:26 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on October 18, 2014, 08:33:10 pm
Spoiler: Madcap (click to show/hide)
Obviously I need to add in a lot more, like what you can do with special moves, fan-actions, multi-character fights, miscellaneous rule stuff, examples and clean-up, but the basics are all there, more or less. So how does it look? Besides absolutely bizarre, of course.
Post by: Parsely on October 18, 2014, 08:34:21 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 18, 2014, 08:40:43 pm
The idea was that you'd be this rōnin-type guy from across the ocean named Meiyo Senshi, and he'd be facing his arch-rival, a wizard called Jakuna, whom he has pursued over the sea, over a series of "episodes"--basically like quests, except there's almost no intermission stuff. Just jumping around, quest-to-quest, and there would be a link to each "episode" in the OP. Each episode would revolve around getting a clue as to Jakuna's whereabouts, and the lack of transition between quests lets me hop straight from plot idea to plot idea with no necessity to create transition sequences. It'd be set in a typical fantasy pseudo-Renaissance island place, but with a lot of regular fantasy elements removed and a lot of my own added.
Sound interesting?
@USEC
I... I would play that.
Post by: Parsely on October 18, 2014, 08:41:40 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 18, 2014, 08:49:57 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on October 18, 2014, 08:51:49 pm
Obviously I need to add in a lot more, like what you can do with special moves, fan-actions, multi-character fights, miscellaneous rule stuff, examples and clean-up, but the basics are all there, more or less. So how does it look? Besides absolutely bizarre, of course.Can't stop laughing. It's probably spiraling out of control because true power will not be denied.
Also:
Quote
IMPORTANT: Clothing isn’t gender restricted. At all. You’re welcome.Because I couldn't have figured that out from "Flamboyance" being one of the four core stats.
Post by: kj1225 on October 18, 2014, 09:05:28 pm
I agree.Obviously I need to add in a lot more, like what you can do with special moves, fan-actions, multi-character fights, miscellaneous rule stuff, examples and clean-up, but the basics are all there, more or less. So how does it look? Besides absolutely bizarre, of course.Can't stop laughing. It's probably spiraling out of control because true power will not be denied.
Also:QuoteIMPORTANT: Clothing isn’t gender restricted. At all. You’re welcome.Because I couldn't have figured that out from "Flamboyance" being one of the four core stats.
And I think that if you do this you need a second person to help.
Post by: Kadzar on October 18, 2014, 09:33:25 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 18, 2014, 09:44:07 pm
I have no idea what to do with the people who are playing once they finish their giant quest line purpose
It's a post apocalypticy game set after a zombie like virus
One guy has the cute but doesn't remember it and is having his brain scaned to get it out
Another is trying to become part of the utopia's military training program (as a trainer for a special task force)
The other is leading a large group of girls to sanctuary (the utopia)
Post by: kj1225 on October 18, 2014, 09:46:14 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 18, 2014, 09:50:58 pm
Bring in new players would be my suggestion. Let the old ones become NPCs and their players be able to come back with new characters later.
Ya
The only problem is eventualy I would end up with an overpopulation of old characters in the world
I'm also thinking of starting an SG of the same game with just one character running through
Though that one would be a lot harder and played through the original game not the multiplayer modified one
Post by: kj1225 on October 18, 2014, 09:53:57 pm
Post by: Andres on October 18, 2014, 10:18:54 pm
So I'm at a bit of a challenge for my gameJust have some of the older zombies mutate and become a second generation of zombies. Incurable, better in every way to other zombies, possibly half-sentient. What's important is that they're visibly different and more dangerous than the old zombies. Here's how it goes:
I have no idea what to do with the people who are playing once they finish their giant quest line purpose
It's a post apocalypticy game set after a zombie like virus
One guy has the cute but doesn't remember it and is having his brain scaned to get it out
Another is trying to become part of the utopia's military training program (as a trainer for a special task force)
The other is leading a large group of girls to sanctuary (the utopia)
Timeskip a few years once the cure is done. Humanity will have begun curing zombies, as is expected, and the human population will massively grow while the zombie population decreases. Cured humans start off basically brain-dead but return to normal after a few months. Better than normal actually. They all are slightly better in the physical department and can live a little longer (whether they know the last bit or not is up to you) but nothing really that noticeable. It's just there as a mark that humanity has irreversibly changed. Back to the game... a very small number of colonies start springing up. The players have been or are doing stuff. They could become bandit-hunters or caravan masters or maybe they're preparing to set up a new colony. This opens up your game and gives the players more freedom. Give them maybe a turn or two to grow into their new shoes a bit. Then the new zombies show up....
Or have aliens drop in from space. Or demons. Or ninjas. Or alien ninja demons. Up to you really.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 18, 2014, 10:39:44 pm
Also the zombies are already half sentient
There is a large (7~8 ft) bluish skinned bruit like zombie that lead hordes on average of 30 smaller (4.5~6 ft) olive skinned zombies
The colonies idea sounds good
I was also thinking maybe having sanctuary ally with a military group then going to war with an empirialistic group that is trying to take over the wastes
Post by: Andres on October 18, 2014, 10:47:13 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 18, 2014, 11:07:23 pm
The military group was found by the group of girls who are (what would ya know) on search for sanctuary
The group isn't one group that's just been there forever
It's a small band (maybe 100) of soldiers from different back grounds that basically stayed at a national guard armory and sat around waiting for humanity to reboot so they could resettle the town
Sanctuary was originaly supposed to be action packed
Then I went off and gave the first two people a free pass to sanctuary .-.
Ya I think I'm going to make an SG for this game
Post by: kj1225 on October 18, 2014, 11:12:11 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 18, 2014, 11:15:30 pm
Yeah, just a tip but don't give your players that much power. It tends to spoil the game some.
They didn't really get power from it
It just kinda ruined the adventure to sanctuary
One guy got shot up by the scouts cause he back sassed them
Post by: kj1225 on October 18, 2014, 11:18:12 pm
Scouts?
Post by: Andres on October 18, 2014, 11:31:35 pm
...They started off in a hospital and dicked around for a bit. There was exactly one zombie that was easily killed and that's it. Then some Sanctuary dudes showed up to pick up the chosen one and one of the players sassed them for aiming a gun at him so they shot him up. After that I stopped reading.
Scouts?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 18, 2014, 11:34:45 pm
I'm pulling the some stuff from other run through a of this game into it to spice it up
Like a high rise sector
The guy that's real sassy is half infected and his dream state is a zombie brute that has a pretty good sized horde
The girls just finished attacking a group of bandits
The game got a bit more game oriented once the people not involved with the other stuff kinda stopped posting
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on October 19, 2014, 09:33:17 am
And I think that if you do this you need a second person to help.
Why exactly? And what for?
@USEC I like it and I would definitely play it, though I'm concerned that Speed might be too good of a stat. So long as you have more of it than your opponent, you effectively get two stats for the price of one. And if your opponent has more Speed than you, you'll probably have to put all your points in attack or defense to either break through their defenses or survive their onslaught.
Like I said earlier, it's a very bare-bones ruleset. You do have several counters to people with high speed, such as grappling (which eliminates speed bonuses), special moves (one of the cheapest advantages is to ignore speed bonuses when calculating damage) and fan actions. Though then again, that might just swing things around in the other direction, where ignoring speed is the more optimal build. I'll... take a good look at it I suppose, maybe tweak how it works exactly. The idea is that everything should be deterministic however, no dice rolling or randomness required, so that people can fight each other for shits and giggles if they want to, without me GMing things. So having speed as a dodge stat wouldn't work out either...
Eh, I'm sure I'll think of something eventually. It should be too hard making speed balanced.
Post by: kj1225 on October 19, 2014, 09:44:37 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on October 19, 2014, 09:49:56 am
Post by: kj1225 on October 19, 2014, 09:53:21 am
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 19, 2014, 12:56:39 pm
Post by: Parsely on October 19, 2014, 01:44:50 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 19, 2014, 02:05:55 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 22, 2014, 12:20:16 pm
I just figured out how to get a level 1 sorcerer to have 22 Charisma and wanted to test it out.I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: Nerjin on October 22, 2014, 01:00:03 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 22, 2014, 01:18:36 pm
Alternatively, I was going to play as James Bond.
Post by: Nerjin on October 22, 2014, 01:20:54 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 22, 2014, 02:13:06 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 22, 2014, 02:14:32 pm
Particularly since I wrote up sheets for both scenarios.
Post by: Parsely on October 22, 2014, 02:24:13 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 22, 2014, 02:25:13 pm
Players are troops in an army of airborne deployed from huge armored airships, all armed with flintlocks and sabers. Their role as a unit is to... with spoons.deliberately crash into massive fortified buildings in order to create entrances"land" in "urban positions" occupied and hardened by determined enemy infantry and dig them out the hard way.
Post by: Parsely on October 22, 2014, 02:29:32 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 22, 2014, 02:33:48 pm
Post by: Nerjin on October 22, 2014, 03:25:57 pm
This and something else gave me an idea for a campaign. Everyone has to be the same class/the same catagorey of classes. Like, only spell casters or only mundane classes.
I'd be down for it.
Post by: Tawa on October 22, 2014, 03:48:18 pm
- ☼ Easily stolen rules for mass combat
☼ Easily stolen rules for aimed attacks
☼ Easily adapted advice for sandbox campaigns
Post by: Digital Hellhound on October 25, 2014, 07:17:46 am
Fight to be Barbarian King! It has been prophesied to the people and other creatures of Barbarian Land that a King will rise to lead them. The great champions of the tribes have taken up this challenge and made their claim - but to become King, they need to defeat or convince (usually through combat) their fellow champions, and be the undisputed master of the people. YOU are one of these champions. Find the means to beat all your competitors and become the supreme warrior king!
The gameplay is a little based on the Captains system from Shadow of Mordor - all your competitors are unique and have a set of traits determining their weaknesses, strengths, etc. As in the game, knowing your enemy and gathering that knowledge is key. You'll need to take the right tools for the right job - use fire to block a Champion's Regeneration, use stealth attacks to take out an Unwary foe in one go, extinguish the lights in the area of a Champion Afraid of the Dark, and so forth. Fighting is key, but not the only way to prove your strength; dishonor enemies, save other Champions to leave them in your debt, forge friendships or discredit rivals in the eyes of their allies, use intrigue to set up unfair duels or assassinate competitors from afar...
I'm not sure if a suggestion-driven game, possibly with several characters to control, or a multiplayer one would be better.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on October 25, 2014, 07:27:27 am
I still want to test out my Toriko idea, and it seems nice on paper but once I get down to it, there isn't much to add in, apart from a random creature generator, and to be honest the biggest challenge would most likely be thinking of cool food ideas.
Plus I don't want to have a freakout and chicken out again.
Post by: kj1225 on October 25, 2014, 08:33:59 pm
The above is talking about me. I want to run a 3.5e game on here. And I wanted to use an idea I was planning a while ago.
Post by: Aklyon on October 25, 2014, 08:35:52 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 25, 2014, 11:19:08 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 25, 2014, 11:27:22 pm
The trade stuff will probably be pretty difficult to run and splitting the map up will take se time
Any body got suggestions for bonuses/minuses for nations in certain terrains
The areas are
Tundra
Hills
Mountains
Deserts
Forests
And plains
There are climate zones for all but tundra
Those climate zones are
Cold
Temperate
Tropical
Hot
The forests do not have hot zones and the deserts do not have tropical zones
The mountains only have temperate and cold
Hills and plains have all but tropical
Post by: Nerjin on October 25, 2014, 11:30:21 pm
By all means. As Remuthra once said, "there is always room for D&D."
Especially since only about... Two or three of the games I've been in have ever gotten past the first combat. Most run by Tawa.
My suggestion is that you just run the game as best you can and run with it. Start small. Don't do a sandbox. Look at other DnD games OPs. Look through the house-rules. Don't be afraid of failure. Just make it knownt aht you're a first time DM. People will be more than willing to help.
Post by: Tawa on October 25, 2014, 11:54:38 pm
-Take Immaterial's stolen-from-Wrex houserules. The whole thing.
-Use a gimmick. A good gimmick. Make a weird backstory. Make all the players wizards and sorcerers. Abuse rules from Stormwrack, Frostburn, or Sandstorm. Pick a fantasy video game, play it for a few hours, and use it for inspiration. That kind of thing.
-If you write your own pantheon, for the love of said gods make it good. Cover every alignment. Make doubles for the neutral ones. Make the righteous dick god for paladins, and make the stoner hippy god for druids. Make your best gods patron deities of something--races, classes, ability scores. Include a pair of opposed gods. Make the Grim Reaper ripoff and the Judeo-Christian stand-in.
-Most Bay12ers who play these are experienced. Take advice, especially if the advice-giver has run a game or two.
-Don't buff wizards and sorcerers beyond unlimited cantrips; same for druids and clerics. If somebody wants to be a monk or a fighter, redirect them to the Tome of Battle.
-Don't include that character you wanted to play as a prominent tagalong NPC. It's the players' game, and with that character it'll feel like an escort quest.
-Don't be afraid to tell That Guy to shut the hell up.
-Roll for magic items unless it's plot-important. Don't be afraid to reroll for crap like Scrolls of Prestidigitation and always keep stuff like +2 keen holy bastard swords; it makes your players happy.
-Don't be afraid to ban stuff you don't understand fully. Not comfortable with psionics? Poof. Don't like Unearthed Arcana? Gone. Don't be afraid to drop templates and stuff, either. Dealing with forces beyond your comprehension ends badly.
-One word is your friend. That word is "no". One of your players wants to be a 280-year-old magic-blooded star elf sorcerer with max charisma? (Translation: 24 CHA at level 1?) You don't like that? Gone. It's your game. Remember that.
Post by: kj1225 on October 26, 2014, 12:03:17 am
Post by: Tawa on October 26, 2014, 12:04:49 am
Post by: Nerjin on October 26, 2014, 01:15:57 am
. . .
-Use a gimmick. A good gimmick. Make a weird backstory. Make all the players wizards and sorcerers. Abuse rules from Stormwrack, Frostburn, or Sandstorm. Pick a fantasy video game, play it for a few hours, and use it for inspiration. That kind of thing.
. . .
-Roll for magic items unless it's plot-important. Don't be afraid to reroll for crap like Scrolls of Prestidigitation and always keep stuff like +2 keen holy bastard swords; it makes your players happy.
. . .
I agreed with everything else. However: Don't try to rely overly much on a 'gimmick'. If the gimmick fails, the game will fail. A gimmick should be the icing. Not the cake.
Also I prefer to design the drops by hand. But that's just me.
What you NEVER want to do is roll dungeon layouts. It starts seeming incohesive. Why is there a Troglodyte working with a Beholder? That's a strange pair... Is there a reason? No? Then why? If you do decide to do this sorta thing do NOT tell your players that you did that. It comes off as a bit lazy.
That's my thoughts anyways.
Post by: Harbingerjm on October 26, 2014, 01:47:03 am
-Take Immaterial's stolen-from-Wrex houserules. The whole thing.Don't do this. It was specifically designed for high-powered games, ie the kinds of games that need an experienced DM to run. Also, you won't likely understand why a lot of the changes were made, and that's a recipe for bad things.
Not to mention that there have been changes made to it by several people other than Wrex, in at least a couple of cases for "realism" by people who don't actually get what the rules were intending to simulate, or, indeed, the mechanical effects.
-If you write your own pantheon, for the love of said gods make it good. Cover every alignment. Make doubles for the neutral ones. Make the righteous dick god for paladins, and make the stoner hippy god for druids. Make your best gods patron deities of something--races, classes, ability scores. Include a pair of opposed gods. Make the Grim Reaper ripoff and the Judeo-Christian stand-in.Don't feel tied to this. The first half is generally valid advice, but chaining your setting to existing stereotypes is not necessary. Remember, Clerics outside Forgotten Realms do not have to worship a given diety; a world with no gods, were Divine Magic is all drawn from concepts, or with just a couple of Gods who deal with a few particularly important things is totally valid.
-Most Bay12ers who play these are experienced. Take advice, especially if the advice-giver has run a game or two.Most Bay12ers who play D&D here have little to no experience playing D&D anywhere other than Bay12, and games here are generally not particularly successful, for a number of reasons. I would suggest hopping on Bay12lb IRC and taking advice from a few of the people there; mostly Wrex, who is actually professionally involved in RPGs.
-Don't buff wizards and sorcerers beyond unlimited cantrips; same for druids and clerics. If somebody wants to be a monk or a fighter, redirect them to the Tome of Battle.Expanding on this, be very cautious about buffing anyone at all, since you likely don't have the system mastery to understand what a seemingly-minor change can do to the game as a whole; D&D (particularly 3.5) is a very mechanics-heavy game, with a lot of extremely interlinked systems, and "fixing" one thing somewhere (often to make something more "realistic") can often horribly break a whole bunch of other things. Also, I wouldn't suggest unlimited cantrips.
-Don't include that character you wanted to play as a prominent tagalong NPC. It's the players' game, and with that character it'll feel like an escort quest.Maximum agreement, for a whole bunch of reasons. That said, don't be afraid to add an NPC in to cover a character position that the group needs for the game but no-one wants to fill; a friendly Wizard (or even just a patron sending the group on errands) for a planehopping game where none of the PCs can actually hop planes, for instance.
-Don't be afraid to tell That Guy to shut the hell up.Technically valid, but do also compare this to Tawa's advice to take advice, and remember that advice you don't like may still be valid, and a first time DM may not be the best judge of who is being That Guy, particularly if you fall into the trap of DMPCs, railroading, and otherwise trying to tell a story. Remember, you're playing a game, with other people, not getting actors to act out your book for you.
Post by: flabort on October 26, 2014, 10:49:25 am
Well, SWURB is probably dead.
Here's the major things I was going to do, that I never got the chance to do:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: tntey on October 26, 2014, 10:56:14 am
Post by: kj1225 on October 26, 2014, 11:09:23 am
Arg... I really don't want to update my game because I don't really remember what's going on, but I really wanted to get to the big reveal.
Well, SWURB is probably dead.
Here's the major things I was going to do, that I never got the chance to do:Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Well, the fact it failed just sticks to canon doesn't it?
Post by: Tawa on October 26, 2014, 04:01:27 pm
Yeah, he has a valid point. Avoid houserules beyond tier 1 banning and such until you're experienced.-Take Immaterial's stolen-from-Wrex houserules. The whole thing.Don't do this. It was specifically designed for high-powered games, ie the kinds of games that need an experienced DM to run. Also, you won't likely understand why a lot of the changes were made, and that's a recipe for bad things.
Not to mention that there have been changes made to it by several people other than Wrex, in at least a couple of cases for "realism" by people who don't actually get what the rules were intending to simulate, or, indeed, the mechanical effects.
What, really? Hm. Alright, I guess you're fine then. I said that because of SRD stuff, which kinda implied that.-If you write your own pantheon, for the love of said gods make it good. Cover every alignment. Make doubles for the neutral ones. Make the righteous dick god for paladins, and make the stoner hippy god for druids. Make your best gods patron deities of something--races, classes, ability scores. Include a pair of opposed gods. Make the Grim Reaper ripoff and the Judeo-Christian stand-in.Don't feel tied to this. The first half is generally valid advice, but chaining your setting to existing stereotypes is not necessary. Remember, Clerics outside Forgotten Realms do not have to worship a given diety; a world with no gods, were Divine Magic is all drawn from concepts, or with just a couple of Gods who deal with a few particularly important things is totally valid.
Anyway, good luck, kj!
Post by: Harbingerjm on October 26, 2014, 06:34:53 pm
Yeah, he has a valid point. Avoid houserules beyond tier 1 banning and such until you're experienced.Honestly, I wouldn't even ban tier 1. Standard practice is to compare the tiers and level of optimisation of the PCs, and ask any that are dramatically higher or lower than the rest to try to fit in a little better (whether that be via intentionally sticking with a party support role, or looking for ways to bring their character up to "not a useless drain on party resources" level), though for a first-time DM I'd suggest asking anyone above tier... 3, say, to avoid anything too... active, at least until you get a better handle on how to build encounters and such to handle them. Social contract usually works better than flat bans!
What, really? Hm. Alright, I guess you're fine then. I said that because of SRD stuff, which kinda implied that.
Quote
If a cleric is not devoted to a particular deity, he still selects two domains to represent his spiritual inclinations and abilities. The restriction on alignment domains still applies.But yes, using the SRD alone can be misleading, as it leaves a lot of flavour text out. Mind, as I mentioned this is somewhat setting-specific; in Forgotten Realms, Clerics must worship a given deity, and in Eberron, a lot of the alignment restrictions and such are loosened.
Post by: Tawa on October 26, 2014, 06:37:25 pm
I guess you're right. I have heard that clerics and druids are good for noobs to play, too--select crappy spells today? Pick better ones tomorrow. Taking "Weapon Focus: Scimitar" could've been a dumb move, but it doesn't matter when you can be a dinosaur that shoots lightning out their mouth. That kind of thing.Yeah, he has a valid point. Avoid houserules beyond tier 1 banning and such until you're experienced.Honestly, I wouldn't even ban tier 1. Standard practice is to compare the tiers and level of optimisation of the PCs, and ask any that are dramatically higher or lower than the rest to try to fit in a little better (whether that be via intentionally sticking with a party support role, or looking for ways to bring their character up to "not a useless drain on party resources" level), though for a first-time DM I'd suggest asking anyone above tier... 3, say, to avoid anything too... active, at least until you get a better handle on how to build encounters and such to handle them. Social contract usually works better than flat bans!
Post by: Andres on October 27, 2014, 07:47:33 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on October 27, 2014, 08:08:12 pm
Game set in a medieval/fantasy land where the player takes control of a mercenary/bounty hunter/whatever and takes job for cash. The ultimate goal of the player is to have a mansion and a swimming pool of gold. A job is taken from a wall in the tavern. The player can take one job at a time and the job selections are randomised every time. Comments?
I use a similar system for missions in some of my games though I don't suggest giving them multiple options for missions when they go look for one
I've had friends that take forever deciding on which mission they want
Post by: Tawa on October 29, 2014, 02:47:45 pm
So, if someone was a new GM and they were thinking of running a game on this board and wanted to get help with setting up the game would they make a thread here or somewhere else on the forums.So, how's it coming along?
The above is talking about me. I want to run a 3.5e game on here. And I wanted to use an idea I was planning a while ago.
Giglamesh rejected me, too, so now I have a random extra sorcerer.
Post by: kj1225 on October 29, 2014, 03:03:44 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 29, 2014, 03:14:54 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 29, 2014, 03:20:38 pm
Post by: Nerjin on October 30, 2014, 12:07:56 am
Combat doesn’t have complex rules. There are 5 player seats and up to 7 enemy seats. You can attack any enemy seat you like. Some abilities target multiple seats [Cleave, for example, attacks the target and both adjacent seats] and some abilities target all.
There aren’t many stats:
Health: When this number reaches 0 you die.
Mana: Your abilities require mana to use. No mana? No specials.
Attack: The range of damge you can do with your basic attack.
Critical: The chance that any damage you do will be doubled.
Initiative: Higher initiative means you’re more likely to go first in a fight.
Threat: Higher threat means you’re more likely to be attacked in a fight. [[Player threats are added together (Say 2+2+2+2 = 8. Then divide that by your threat. That’s how likely you are to be attacked. In this case it’s 25% chance. The enemies roll a d100 and attack that player.]]
Every player gets to pick a Class [[Which determines your base stats and abilities]] and pick two traits for that character which further customizes it [more health, man, gain health on attacks etc. etc.]]
You fight, gain experience, gain gold, purchase items (up to four per character), purchase equipment (which occupies a separate slot and is unique to each class).
Every time you level up [Level 1 to start. Level 20 is the cap.] you get a Skill Point. Skill points go into Abilities. Each ability gets better as you put points into it (Obviously) but might cost more mana to use. Every ability caps at Ability Level 10.
Any thoughts? I’m still working on it so it isn’t exactly a perfect thing yet… Just thought it’d be fun to have a silly little game. Here’s an example Dwarf (Which is a class based on absorbing damage for their allies. High threat, High HP).
Spoiler: Sample (click to show/hide)
This isn’t how a level 1 character will look. They’ll generally have 1 skill point only, but I gave Bob 4 to illustrate what skills will look like. Max level should be around 20 while max level for a skill will be 10.
Still needs done:
-Classes (Only Dwarf is ready. Would like to have at least six to choose from. This includes abilities and portaits (Which I am shamelessly ripping from a game I own. Seriously, dat art.)
-Items
-Equipment progression
-Economy (Costs of items and how much gold you get from enemies)
-Experience progression (Perhaps just have everyone level up at certain story thresh-holds? It'd be simpler.)
- ??? (I’m sure there’s more I’m just not thinking of)
Post by: kj1225 on October 30, 2014, 12:39:28 am
Post by: Nerjin on October 30, 2014, 12:52:08 pm
The classes I'm considering right now are Cleric (Healing and a few fighting abilities), Paladin (High defence and some self healing), Barbarian (Large damage potential and high threat), Wizard (Various elemental attacks), Elf (Maybe Archer? Anyways, focuses on critical hits), Rogue (Debuff/High Initiative), Bard (Buffing the party).
A couple of other classes I was thinking of would be Templar (Focused on removing enemy mana), Pyromancer (Fire based and focuses on multiple enemies) and a few mixed classes such as Warlock (Rogue+Wizard), and Shaman (Bard+Cleric).
I don't know about Multiclassing though. It's sorta the kinda thing where you stick with one class throughout.
Post by: sjm9876 on October 30, 2014, 01:20:32 pm
All can be found as loot. A blueprint or a material can be gained by scrapping a weapon.
The material of a weapon represents its level pretty much, wheras enchantments are powerful fancy effects that must be looted.
Post by: kj1225 on October 30, 2014, 02:45:29 pm
For crafting maybe have blueprints, materials, and optional enchantments.He said simpler. Although I don't know how to get simpler than loot drop+currency=New plaything.
All can be found as loot. A blueprint or a material can be gained by scrapping a weapon.
The material of a weapon represents its level pretty much, wheras enchantments are powerful fancy effects that must be looted.
Post by: Nerjin on October 30, 2014, 07:16:39 pm
Spoiler: Cleric (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Dwarf (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mage (click to show/hide)
I also have the Paladin and Rogue class in the works.
Post by: Tomcost on October 31, 2014, 01:54:23 pm
Post by: Urist Mc Dwarf on October 31, 2014, 02:04:05 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 31, 2014, 02:25:34 pm
I'm just going to ask: would anyone be interested in a forum game based around the Warcraft universe?I gusss it depends on how it's pulled off.
Post by: Tomcost on October 31, 2014, 02:30:49 pm
It could be a kind of D&D, but with actual mana and special ability resources, and less useless numbers on other stuff. I actually could create a sort of manual for it, but I don't know if I would have enough players.I'm just going to ask: would anyone be interested in a forum game based around the Warcraft universe?I gusss it depends on how it's pulled off.
Post by: kj1225 on October 31, 2014, 02:34:32 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on October 31, 2014, 04:09:25 pm
In somewhat related news, a wise man once told me to pour absolutely everything you like into a game you're making, so as to ensure that it's something you like. Instead of asking if anyone's interested in X, you might try that.
Post by: Tomcost on October 31, 2014, 04:17:07 pm
As a general rule, I'd say avoid it if you're not willing to do it without prior support. A game should ideally be something you make because you want to, not a gimmick you might be willing to start working on to adapt into a game if there's sufficient interest voiced in said gimmick.Well, thanks for the advice. I actually have started the manual and decided on general mechanics (I still have to put values to most of the stuff), and I have the introduction for the first campaign (as well as other 4 scenarios that are more likely going to be smaller RTDs). The thing is, I don't want to beign running the game and then find that I don't have enough players, or that a need a replacement and I can't find one.
In somewhat related news, a wise man once told me to pour absolutely everything you like into a game you're making, so as to ensure that it's something you like. Instead of asking if anyone's interested in X, you might try that.
Now that I think about it. What would you do to keep forumites interested in a game? Because I thought about running smaller RTDs associated with the main game.
Post by: IronyOwl on October 31, 2014, 05:00:49 pm
Now that I think about it. What would you do to keep forumites interested in a game? Because I thought about running smaller RTDs associated with the main game.Generally just making sure there's things for them to do and decide upon. Interest is kind of hard to generalize otherwise, since it's more or less their desire and ability to play.
Post by: Dermonster on October 31, 2014, 11:54:57 pm
Arg... I really don't want to update my game because I don't really remember what's going on, but I really wanted to get to the big reveal.
Well, SWURB is probably dead.
Here's the major things I was going to do, that I never got the chance to do:Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Oh, I never saw this.
Spoiler: Well this is a thing... (click to show/hide)
Also, you know, massive semi-justified sorta-meta-gaming that I tried to force through using in game actions and text, again without ever actually explaining to the GM what I was trying to do.
It's a bad habit of mine, I guess. I build up an mental plot of events that I would like to happen, get excited at 'THE BIG REVEAL', and then never explain anything to anyone when I try to set it in motion, even the GM. This tends to get people to interfere and then things just get muddled and the game gets ruined when I try to fix it, again never expaining anything.
Post by: kj1225 on October 31, 2014, 11:57:29 pm
Again, doomed timeline.Arg... I really don't want to update my game because I don't really remember what's going on, but I really wanted to get to the big reveal.
Well, SWURB is probably dead.
Here's the major things I was going to do, that I never got the chance to do:Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Oh, I never saw this.Spoiler: Well this is a thing... (click to show/hide)
Oh well. When I try to plan these things out I get so excited at the 'Big Reveal' value that I never actually run anything by anyone else.
Also, you know, massive semi-justified sorta-meta-gaming that I tried to force through using in game actions and text, again without ever actually explaining to the GM what I was trying to do.
Post by: flabort on November 01, 2014, 01:55:52 am
I had an idea for a strategy game in which players choose a universe and create an army, then battle each other. I porbably would not be able to GM it, but if anyone wants to, PM me and I will give you a more detailed rule set.Hmmmm....
Hmmmmm....
Hmmmmmmmmmm.....
I really want to work on rules for an army building system that allows you to pull from whichever series you want.
I'd like to see what your rules set looks like first, but I don't want to intentionally plagiarize, either.
Hmmm....
What to do, what to do...
To PM, or not to PM...............
Post by: flabort on November 01, 2014, 02:21:39 am
Spoiler: Well this is a thing... (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: What I was sort of going for (click to show/hide)
Again, doomed timeline.Aura
Post by: Dermonster on November 01, 2014, 09:50:49 am
Post by: Tawa on November 02, 2014, 04:41:00 pm
Post by: Nerjin on November 02, 2014, 04:52:20 pm
Post by: Tawa on November 02, 2014, 04:54:17 pm
Post by: Kadzar on November 02, 2014, 05:07:59 pm
But, yeah, it was exciting at first, but eventually it just became a matter of us throwing characters at the thing and brute forcing the puzzles. A lot of that may have been due to the way the DM ran the thing, but it's hard to get invested in a character grinder long-term, which is why the ToH is only meant for one-shots.
The thing I did like about that game, though, was the fact that we could come up with custom classes. Sure, there were technically just three classes, but we could fluff them any way we wanted, and I'm still rather fond of the Kadzar family battlechefs and their adopted Warforged son. And I had a lot of fun playing a tiny mouse shaman, communicating exclusively through gestures and riding on top of other character's heads. It would be nice to play in another Bring-Your-Own-Class/Race game like that again.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on November 02, 2014, 05:53:57 pm
If I were to GM a game like that again, I'd probably tweak the classes a bit so that Fighters were more useful, and make a custom dungeon expressly for the game. The hordes of PCs running through the dungeon weren't used to their fullest extent, and puzzles/traps that required simultaneous action in different parts of the dungeon would have been interesting. Plus having a custom dungeon would make the 'haha, screw you!' parts less common, but replace them with more devious traps that don't instantly screw over players and give them a faint chance of hope.
tl;dr version: I had a lot of fun DMing that game, and if I could make my own dungeons I'd do so for a similar game.
Post by: Tawa on November 02, 2014, 06:14:31 pm
I was going to build it myself but use random encounter generators. How high above the player levels would you recommend?
Post by: TealNinja on November 03, 2014, 02:28:24 am
First thing that inspired it is the Action-RPG genre (specifically Diablo, Torchlight, Path of Exile, et cetera.) Mowing down dozens of enemies without thinking, just throwing down in the thicket as if the enemy doesn't matter. I've always enjoyed that idea; slaughtering mooks weaker than you. Unfortunately, forum as an environment doesn't lend itself to that, instead pitting the players against reasonably challenging encounters that aren't too different in numbers. The primary proponent to what I believe prevents this is a proper way of conveying the surroundings to the players, but that wall has been knocked down several times by several people and proves that even simple illustrated depiction can go a long way. This is, unfortunately, the biggest wall for me; I have no artistic talent whatsoever, no familiarity with any art program at all, and no idea where to start on making this happen (other than making pixel creatures because pixel art is comparatively easy.)
The second thing that inspired it is the ISGs ran here; a great deal of variety in setting, although the setting for this idea would be necessarily limited (would need a simple "automatic enemy" to fight against, and "automatic allies" to shop from.) Surrounding that, the story could easily be expansive, with many sidequests to do and zones to explore. Anyway, what I get from ISGs have been mostly from Evil Lincoln's games; a top-down view, with a lot of minions running around doing things. Changing the minions to enemies and having a focal hero would be quite simple, just using Evil Lincoln's games as examples; almost all of the work would be in terrain and the hero's "animation" pictures.
The third inspiration was actually the hollows of my own mind. I enjoy level progression. I enjoy it too much, in fact. So I want to stick leveling up into everything. The character, the character's title, the character's class, the character's equipment, the character's skills, the character's reputation, the zones, the bosses, the towns, the NPCs. Everything. With that as the final preface, here's a rough sketch of what I mean:
Adrian, the Underdog, Boxer.
Adrian gains stat points on level up. These stat points only affect his attributes (which would be simplified into Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Spirit.) The attribute points will mostly only affect his likelihood of hitting, his likelihood of dodging, his physical damage, his health pool and his energy pool. Seeing as I said we'd be reducing dice rolls, the hit chance would just reduce his actual damage by the chance he has to miss. Similarly, his dodge chance would reduce the actual damage he takes. In an ISG format, this is going to be basically the same as what he'd do anyway, as if we extrapolate the number of attacks he makes over time, it should effectively end up in a damage rate equal to just reducing the damage by the chance to miss.
the Underdog. This is his title. Titles should gain some minor bonuses that grow when increasing in levels, with perhaps higher levels gaining very low amounts of new bonuses. A fairly minor effect, seemingly unnoticeable throughout the game, but providing real bonuses. For the Underdog in particular, the title should grant bonus damage, hit chance, and dodge while at least 5 enemies are nearby. Since that would be all the time, except versus certain bosses (or maybe none at all!), the title itself would be useful for most of the game.
Boxer. As the class, this should have the most fundamental passive effects. Yes, passive effects, not skills. With the class, I'd introduce a passive ability tree, allowing players to pick how the class plays out for them. Perhaps one of the passive abilities sections would have chances for an additional attack whenever Adrian attacks. Maybe another section would be gaining a defensive buff every time he's hit. Maybe the class itself would have better single target damage, but less efficient versus large numbers, making his title his main tool for dealing with groups but a killer for bosses. This could be portrayed as "50% fewer attacks per round, but every attack increases your attacks per round by 1%. This buff is removed whenever the Boxer changes target." In 50 attacks, you're hitting more often than normal, and that is unlikely to take much time to reach.
Then we'd cover Adrian's skills. He can choose a skill every 5 character levels, but his choices are extremely limited (at least seemingly); he'd be able to select Strike, Dash, Guard, Orb, and Summon, for example. As a Boxer, he's particular about hitting things in close range, so he chooses Strike. At fifth level he chooses Guard. What these do at the start is very limited; Strike is just a double strength attack, useable once every two seconds or so. When the skill levels up, he can choose a few different categories to morph the skill, randomly selected from a list; in this instance, he could have Pyro, Cryo, Rapid, and Debuff. Pyro and Cryo would be related to dealing damage from those two elements (fire and cold), with effects "Deal 2-5 Cold Damage," "Deal 3-5 Fire Damage in an area," "Enemy is set on fire, dealing 2-4 Fire Damage per second." Rapid would be related to increasing his attack speed and move speed after using the ability, or closing the distance on the enemy, or generally just speed related effects. Debuff could have a tree for adding Stun duration to the ability, as well as reducing the target's defence, hit chance, and so on and so forth.
His equipment could gain levels too, gaining Diablo 2-esque Prefixes and Suffixes (and a randomized name after 3 or 4 -fixes.) What I mean by this is weapons can gain -fixes that add differing kinds of damage, lifesteal, manasteal, bonus to hit, debuffs, and so on and so forth. Armor would gain greater defence, damage block, damage return, resistances, and so on and so forth. Of course, why stop at just equipment gaining levels? Let's go ham, and give equipment sockets, and then make randomized items that gain levels (until they're used) that can be inserted into sockets. Because ham is delicious.
Leveling zones would increase the chances of unique monsters appearing and general rewards (which would be a lot of work for the GM). It would have some effect on the strength of the zone's minions, but a very low one. Leveling bosses would be similarly improved, and offer greater rewards. Leveling towns would mean more quests and better defences (so if a zone periodically attacks the town, leveling the town would make guarding it unnecessary.) Leveling NPCs (such as hirelings) would make them stronger, although they'd never gain the same benefits from a level that the player would.
Post by: hachnslay on November 03, 2014, 07:22:36 am
[...]
Congratulations - you have just described a management and balancing nightmare.
You probably enjoy Disgaea and Elona... those are non P&P games. i have tried creating one, but failed, because it has over 90000 characters of Initial rules and disclaimer.
Post by: Andres on November 03, 2014, 05:47:39 pm
The players play as a special human soul. The soul can generate its own body and regenerate it if it's damaged, so long as it's not destroyed completely. It gains Soul Energy by absorbing souls. It absorbs souls by killing their bodies. It uses Soul Energy to both generate and regenerate its body, but eating is much more efficient for regeneration. Eating only helps with regeneration and does not help in creating an entirely new body.
To create a new body, its old body must be discarded. If it gains enough Soul Energy (read: hundreds of thousands of souls) it can create a body that would rival an archangel's in power. It starts off only enough Soul Energy to make a basic human body.
The motives of the soul will be completely up to the player. I'm also unsure as to whether it should be set in the same universe, a generic fantasy land, or perhaps maybe a more modern era. This would be my first game so I'm not sure what kind of stats or dice I should use. Help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
Post by: TealNinja on November 03, 2014, 07:58:16 pm
[...]
Congratulations - you have just described a management and balancing nightmare.
You probably enjoy Disgaea and Elona... those are non P&P games. i have tried creating one, but failed, because it has over 90000 characters of Initial rules and disclaimer.
Actually, initial rules would be all but nonexistant, the disclaimer would take care of everything, balancing would be mostly irrelevant because intended as an ISG (implying one character), and the management issues would be all contained in gear, which could probably be chopped down to deal with. Even after you deal with all that, it's still an easier game to manage than D&D.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on November 03, 2014, 10:47:09 pm
So over on the Ye Gods OOC I came up with an idea for an enforcer for the god I'm playing as and I'm thinking of making it its own game. I still don't have a good name for it.
The players play as a special human soul. The soul can generate its own body and regenerate it if it's damaged, so long as it's not destroyed completely. It gains Soul Energy by absorbing souls. It absorbs souls by killing their bodies. It uses Soul Energy to both generate and regenerate its body, but eating is much more efficient for regeneration. Eating only helps with regeneration and does not help in creating an entirely new body.
To create a new body, its old body must be discarded. If it gains enough Soul Energy (read: hundreds of thousands of souls) it can create a body that would rival an archangel's in power. It starts off only enough Soul Energy to make a basic human body.
The motives of the soul will be completely up to the player. I'm also unsure as to whether it should be set in the same universe, a generic fantasy land, or perhaps maybe a more modern era. This would be my first game so I'm not sure what kind of stats or dice I should use. Help in this area would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sorry that I can't really help much but that sounds like a fun game.
PM me when you get it put up on the forum.
Post by: Fniff on November 04, 2014, 07:31:45 pm
More recently, I was trying to think of how to do a Don't Starve roleplay. Survival is the main goal, with gathering food and constructing shelter being a very big thing. It would have to be a very simple system, so I came up with everything focusing on time. Plants grow, people starve, etc. However, it wasn't quite strong enough on it's own.
So, I decided to mash the two ideas together.
Picture Survival! You could consider it the DOTA to Picture War's Warcraft 3 or an illustrated version of Harry Baldman's History the RTD. You play a single character instead of an army, and instead of the goal being about defeating the other army, you have to survive a hostile environment with a manageable number of other players. The players contribute their own sprites and they edit the picture to indicate their own actions. And as for roleplaying... here's the fun part. When you talk to other players IC, you have to do it in the image. The only thing you can say in your post is what you are currently doing. Images in speech bubbles would be acceptable.
It's essentially the same apart from that. As GM, I illustrate the results of the actions and control non-player characters. What do you guys think? Could it be fun?
Spoiler: Maps & Things I Made For This (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on November 04, 2014, 08:31:10 pm
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on November 04, 2014, 08:34:34 pm
I really want to try it out.
Post by: Tawa on November 04, 2014, 09:03:25 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on November 05, 2014, 12:08:09 am
Post by: IronyOwl on November 05, 2014, 02:16:39 am
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on November 05, 2014, 08:29:55 am
I was just curious how others felt about that
Post by: Andres on November 07, 2014, 11:04:49 pm
Post by: kj1225 on November 07, 2014, 11:07:00 pm
Post by: Tawa on November 07, 2014, 11:10:55 pm
Post by: Andres on November 07, 2014, 11:29:55 pm
Ba'al isn't going to be pleased with this, Andres.I don't know what a Ba'al is.
It depends. Add some descriptions for what it's about.You take control of a soul. You create a human body with Soul Energy. You get Soul Energy by absorbing souls and converting them to Soul Energy. Conversion is done automatically. You absorb souls by killing people. There are cops, the military, inquisitors, paladins, angels, and an archangel emperor. Magic is a thing but the character may or may not be able to use it (haven't decided). The setting is a mix of modern and fantasy. You can regenerate your current body by eating people (eating not-people works, but a lot less well) to regenerate a body, but it doesn't give any Soul Energy.
Post by: flabort on November 07, 2014, 11:31:04 pm
Does anyone know of any good names for a game where you gain power by eating other peoples' souls? Soul Eater is out of the question because that is the name of an anime.Flabort: The Suggestion Game
Where players are deciding the actions taken during a day in the life of a demilich left hand.
Post by: kj1225 on November 07, 2014, 11:34:07 pm
Post by: Tawa on November 07, 2014, 11:37:34 pm
Ba'al? The Eater of Souls? (xkcd reference, tee hee.)Ba'al isn't going to be pleased with this, Andres.I don't know what a Ba'al is.
I'd recommend translating "soul eater" into Latin and using that.
Post by: Andres on November 07, 2014, 11:49:37 pm
Maybe... well, what's the name of the type of creature? Maybe call it Goul?Goul? Nah. At the moment I just have it in my mind that it's just a very special human soul. That might change depending on what I want to do with the plot.
I don't read xkcd so that's probably why I didn't get it. I translated it and got 'anima comedentis' which won't work because it doesn't sound cool enough to warrant being a Latin title and an anima is what the feminine side of the male psyche is called.Ba'al? The Eater of Souls? (xkcd reference, tee hee.)Ba'al isn't going to be pleased with this, Andres.I don't know what a Ba'al is.
I'd recommend translating "soul eater" into Latin and using that.
Post by: Harbingerjm on November 08, 2014, 12:04:40 am
Does anyone know of any good names for a game where you gain power by eating other peoples' souls? Soul Eater is out of the question because that is the name of an anime.The Hunger Game.
Post by: Tawa on November 08, 2014, 12:56:35 am
I translated it and got 'anima comedentis' which won't work because it doesn't sound cool enough to warrant being a Latin title and an anima is what the feminine side of the male psyche is called.Damn. How about Greek? Otherwise, I've got nothing.
Post by: IronyOwl on November 08, 2014, 01:02:33 am
Soulphage
Blood Eaters
Wrath of the Incarnate
Apostles of Hunger
Vampires of Spirit
Remember that there's more to your game than eating souls, and that there's multiple ways to phrase anything. If one angle doesn't work for you, scrabble around for another.
Post by: Empiricist on November 08, 2014, 05:49:36 am
I translated it and got 'anima comedentis' which won't work because it doesn't sound cool enough to warrant being a Latin title and an anima is what the feminine side of the male psyche is called.How about teyollocuani? It's a kind of obscure supernatural entity that eats hearts or souls. Or something along the lines of eraser seeing as such a thing would pretty much erase their victims from existence.
Post by: Andres on November 08, 2014, 06:10:19 am
How about teyollocuani? It's a kind of obscure supernatural entity that eats hearts or souls. Or something along the lines of eraser seeing as such a thing would pretty much erase their victims from existence.Keep in mind that this is basically a human soul that's doing all the eating. If the characters choose not to eat any souls and do other stuff or increase their power in more traditional ways (still thinking on what that might be) then they can. For all intents and purposes the players will play as a normal human that just so happens to be able to create a new body for itself and that gains power by killing. They're not some monster or anything.
The title 'Eraser' reminds me of 'Bleach' because of the similarities to why the name was chosen.....definitely goes in the maybe pile.
Post by: Empiricist on November 08, 2014, 06:28:11 am
Post by: Kassire on November 08, 2014, 07:31:26 am
Does anyone know of any good names for a game where you gain power by eating other peoples' souls? Soul Eater is out of the question because that is the name of an anime.Fames Spiritus (Hunger of the Spirit)
Mae'r newyn Eneidiau Ddynoliaeth (The hunger of Mankind's Souls)
Arcanam Mors inter homines (The mysterious Death among men)
Bruxo espírito das Almas
So far, that's all I got
Post by: Fniff on November 09, 2014, 04:33:27 pm
I also recently played Choice of the Vampire. While it isn't in a modern setting like most WoDalikes and it is a videogame (Though in my opinion it seems that CYOA's are to suggestion games like CRPGs are to tabletop RPGs: streamlined but reduced), it's a good influence. For one, the exposition is given to you quickly but not all at once. For instance, two separate characters explain to you the basic nature of being a vampire and the political system of vampires. This feels a lot more natural, in my opinion.
Put simply: what is the best amount of exposition? All in one go, spread out, or just show not tell?
Another thing: what kind of exposition do players actually like the most?
Post by: Nerjin on November 09, 2014, 04:38:35 pm
I prefer show not tell myself.
Post by: Fniff on November 09, 2014, 04:47:47 pm
Post by: Nerjin on November 09, 2014, 04:57:53 pm
For you the term vampire brings to mind your daily job. You are forced to take to the dark streets and hunt your fellow man in order to stay alive. Every death prolongs your life for just one more day. The eternally burning thirst forces you to take to the street. It forces you to hunt. Etc. etc.
It sets up the tone, the location, and who you are. Let them be a new vampire. Let them discover rules for themselves.
Post by: Fniff on November 09, 2014, 05:55:15 pm
Post by: Nerjin on November 09, 2014, 10:55:01 pm
*I am not, actually, a literature anything. I can barely write my name.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on November 09, 2014, 11:09:00 pm
The personalities would be like; rage-brute, calm- peace keeper, inteligent- observation, melancholy- pessimistic, and happy- optimistic.
There would be five choices for any action and maybe a couple combined actions in certain curcumstances.
Post by: Tawa on November 10, 2014, 01:02:18 am
I had an idea for a game: a homebrew RPG where the players play themselves, any way they see fit, as adventurers seeking a series of MacGuffins before an ULTIMATE STOCK VILLAIN and his crew of STOCK LACKEYS can get them. There would be a lot of surreal stuff going on, references everywhere, and generally wacky stuff happening. The system is based on on I used in an ISG one time where each person has seven scores, Agility, Alertness, Intelligence, Vitality, Strength, Willpower, and Charisma, each rated with a die instead of a stat. The GM rolls the character's die for the skill, then sees if it beats the opposed roll (for interpersonal checks) or a target number (for environmental checks.)
Spoiler: Combat blathering (click to show/hide)
Sound fun?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on November 10, 2014, 08:02:33 am
@Tawarochir- That sounds like a fun game. I would play it, if I felt confident that I wouldn't immediately die from stupid choices.
Post by: Tawa on November 10, 2014, 09:31:27 pm
I really wanna use my new Dragonfire Adept, Crusader, or Sorcerer and almost none of the games I'm in are updating. D:I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: kj1225 on November 10, 2014, 10:22:49 pm
I just want to run a wizard once.I really wanna use my new Dragonfire Adept, Crusader, or Sorcerer and almost none of the games I'm in are updating. D:I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: Nerjin on November 10, 2014, 10:45:27 pm
I really wanna use my new Dragonfire Adept, Crusader, or Sorcerer and almost none of the games I'm in are updating. D:I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
... I'm so glad you came by. I needed gall for an alchemical experiment and you apparently have it by the god damned wagon full.
Post by: Tawa on November 10, 2014, 10:49:11 pm
What was that you called bile?I really wanna use my new Dragonfire Adept, Crusader, or Sorcerer and almost none of the games I'm in are updating. D:I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
... I'm so glad you came by. I needed gall for an alchemical experiment and you apparently have it by the god damned wagon full.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on November 11, 2014, 02:39:21 am
Of course, I probably wouldn't be able to do writing quite as nicely as was done in that topic, but it would at least be legible. The game itself would probably be a bit simpler as well. Since there's a decent amount of god games, inactive or not, what would people think of this?
Post by: hops on November 11, 2014, 03:33:04 am
Does anyone know of any good names for a game where you gain power by eating other peoples' souls? Soul Eater is out of the question because that is the name of an anime.Nixon Simulator 2014
Post by: Andres on November 11, 2014, 04:19:38 am
Canon.Does anyone know of any good names for a game where you gain power by eating other peoples' souls? Soul Eater is out of the question because that is the name of an anime.Nixon Simulator 2014
Post by: Mesa on November 11, 2014, 09:22:48 am
Basically Dungeon Keeper meets That Which Sleeps. Might be a bit too large in scope for all I know but whatever. I'd gladly listen and probably accept any ideas to expand on this rather rough and admittedly not exactly original concept. ;p
Post by: Tawa on November 11, 2014, 08:52:19 pm
Recently I wanted to get back into forum gaming and one idea that was lurking around my head was a suggestion game where the players control an otherwordly eldtritch abomination/elder god/demon, influencing mortals to eventually enter their realm and conquer it.Sounds neat! I'd participate.
Basically Dungeon Keeper meets That Which Sleeps. Might be a bit too large in scope for all I know but whatever. I'd gladly listen and probably accept any ideas to expand on this rather rough and admittedly not exactly original concept. ;p
Post by: IronyOwl on November 11, 2014, 11:02:08 pm
Anyone have any advice on running such a thing? Opinions on the form/style in general? If you're not a fan or just never got into them, what keeps you out?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on November 11, 2014, 11:12:22 pm
I need help with what personalities he would have. He needs 5, though in some cases some of them will work together or a spontaneous (player choice) would pop up as an option for that turns action.
Currently I'm thinking of using;brute, calm, happy, sad, and logic as his main personalities.
The game would be an SG story line where the players decide on which personality takes control for each turn but don't actually decide what the character does (though by choosing you know what is going to happen just the players don't get an option on what the action actually is for each personality)
Any suggestions for the 5 personalities? Which ones I should change or just keep them as they are.
Post by: kj1225 on November 11, 2014, 11:24:41 pm
So I've recently been gaining an interest in more flavorful, RP-centric games, like Isle of the Young Gods, (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=139890.msg5433960#msg5433960) Runners of Hyperion, (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=94632.msg2676397#msg2676397) and what Reclaim a Wizard's Tower! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=145585.0) seems to be shaping up as.I personally haven't been in one of those, most likely because if there's over one page I just skip over it. As I have my settings on 50 PpP it's a good rule of thumb.
Anyone have any advice on running such a thing? Opinions on the form/style in general? If you're not a fan or just never got into them, what keeps you out?
Anyways, I think a tip you should take is letting the players make up things. But make sure you moderate it to fit with what you have planned. For example, if they roll a knowledge check they should be able to state a fact, if it's wrong, it's wrong, but if it's right then it's right. Again, moderation is needed for that. But over all that should let players get more invested in the world. Also, being able to make up their class/flavor their class how they want also helps.
Post by: kj1225 on November 12, 2014, 01:09:43 pm
Spoiler: Commander (click to show/hide)
Post by: Nerjin on November 12, 2014, 02:00:53 pm
The Commander. They hold the team together and give them buffs. What people don't know is that commanders normally have the buffs otherwise. Yes, commanders have huge passive buffs but are easily overwhelmed. Which is why they help their team before themselves. They come in three flavors.
So they have low health, but are massively buffed. However they can give these buffs with their team yes? That's what I got anyways.
Quote
The Prophet, these commanders get their buffs straight from the big guy, their personal buffs aren't as good as others but they make up for it by being able to heal without sacrifice and being able to preform great feats granted by their god.
So the cleric class in basic. I would like to hear a bit more about what you think "great feats" are.
Quote
The Leader, these guys split their buffs with their team. While their teams buffs are weaker they also have someone who can wade into combat and show WHY they are the leader. They can preform feats of might to terrify their enemies and inspire their allies.
By split you mean... Like a Dragon Shaman is constantly giving buffs to themselves AND their team but that the buffs granted are slighly lower than the prophet or strategist? You mention feats again. This seems like a term you should define.
Quote
The Strategist, these guys lack their colleagues strength but make up for it in their tactical strength, to them their allies are the most important people on the field. This shows when they point at an enemy and they poor soul is turned into a pincushion. They can preform meta feats meaning that once per dungeon they can peacefully resolve an encounter and gain the loot from it. (Meta feats don't give XP)
You don't really explain what this guy does. His allies are important and he points to an enemy who is instantly destroyed... I'm not getting it. Please explain a bit more.
If you mean he can call targets which allies then get a bonus to attack then... Well the other two seem much better by comparison though I'd need to actually see the system to be sure. However when you take into account that their feat of whateverness actively punishes the party... I would never want to play with one on my team. You should punish players for using an ability that is intregal to their class.
I'm not seeing how these are all one class that is split into three subclasses. They appear to have distinct play styles that none of the others share at all.
That being said I think you should expand on the classes a little so that we can see what they are fully. Just some ball park numbers. At least get the system into place.
Other than that I can't really add anything.
Post by: kj1225 on November 12, 2014, 02:18:45 pm
Anyways, I apologize for being kind of undescriptive since I'm on my phone right now. But the strategist is intended to give their allies the best and most versatile buffs. And yeah, their feat could use some buffing. Maybe 75% of the XP for them.
Post by: Nerjin on November 12, 2014, 09:18:48 pm
Post by: kj1225 on November 12, 2014, 09:23:10 pm
If you penalize your players for using their ability they will not use the ability unless they are under very dire circumstances.It's mostly intended to be use so you don't get extra damage or other unpleasantness from the battle. Anyways, I'm reworking it right now to give a different reward and some XP along with the loot.
Post by: kj1225 on November 12, 2014, 10:28:19 pm
Also, something completely new for them!
Spoiler: Base stats and abilities (click to show/hide)
Post by: Funk on November 19, 2014, 07:13:33 am
Old fashioned Vikings
Or space traveling mercenarys in the future?
Post by: tntey on November 19, 2014, 07:18:25 am
Post by: Tawa on November 19, 2014, 06:16:56 pm
I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: Nerjin on November 19, 2014, 06:30:26 pm
I don't suppose anyone plans to run another 3.5 DnD game soon?
Post by: Furtuka on November 19, 2014, 06:36:17 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on November 19, 2014, 06:56:10 pm
Post by: Fniff on November 19, 2014, 07:11:44 pm
... Hrm...
I know!
I'll make a WoD game!
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 20, 2014, 10:52:53 pm
Post by: Fniff on November 20, 2014, 11:00:47 pm
Post by: Nerjin on November 20, 2014, 11:30:55 pm
These things die. It happens. I have dozens of characters I want to do damn it and I won't stop for anything but total
Besides, it's not like only one or two guys are starting all the games and then one of them updates them frequently while the other does decently...
Post by: kj1225 on November 20, 2014, 11:33:11 pm
A bazillion WoD or DnD games?Is that more than a brazillion?
And that matters because...?I know right! Although I do want to do my ogre paladin idea at some point...
These things die. It happens. I have dozens of characters I want to do damn it and I won't stop for anything but totaldominationsaturation of the market!
Besides, it's not like only one or two guys are starting all the games and then one of them updates them frequently while the other does decently...
Post by: Nerjin on November 20, 2014, 11:34:57 pm
I do want to do my ogre paladin idea at some point...
... I... I've wanted to do this for so long as well...
Post by: kj1225 on November 21, 2014, 12:01:58 am
Imagine, an entire party of ogre paladins. And one halfling barbarian.I do want to do my ogre paladin idea at some point...
... I... I've wanted to do this for so long as well...
Post by: Nerjin on November 21, 2014, 12:03:06 am
Post by: kj1225 on November 21, 2014, 12:27:00 am
Post by: TealNinja on November 21, 2014, 01:44:46 am
Post by: Nerjin on November 21, 2014, 07:24:02 am
1) PCs are all Ogres of some sort [maybe all Paladins as well].
2) They live on a planet where most 'civilized' races never existed [humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc. etc.]
3) Goblinoids, Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, Ettins, etc. are the prodominent races.
4) The party will be part of a more global offensive against the other tribes an clans of the world.
Essentially this is all I have thus far.
Post by: kj1225 on November 21, 2014, 08:58:30 pm
Post by: Andres on November 22, 2014, 04:16:37 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 22, 2014, 06:02:50 pm
There aren't enough mecha games.
And none of them are at the scale I like.
I'll have to fix this myself.
Now just for a rules system...Oh wait, i designed one a while back, didn't I?
Just need to find it, and make some ways for customization...
((Suggestions welcome:P))
Post by: Aklyon on November 22, 2014, 06:08:41 pm
You know what?A button in the mecha similar to the changes-per-episode one in Megas XLR would be awesome. (but probably OP)
There aren't enough mecha games.
And none of them are at the scale I like.
I'll have to fix this myself.
Now just for a rules system...Oh wait, i designed one a while back, didn't I?
Just need to find it, and make some ways for customization...
((Suggestions welcome:P))
Post by: Fniff on November 22, 2014, 06:10:27 pm
Post by: Furtuka on November 22, 2014, 06:23:22 pm
Hmmmm maybe I should run a Super Robot game. Real Robots are kinda over represented on this forum.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on November 22, 2014, 06:39:20 pm
Post by: Empiricist on November 22, 2014, 08:01:01 pm
Of course the only problem with that is that you then have to figure out what the other four players will do while they're all in the giant robot...Perhaps they could use a suggestion game system to vote on the desired overall action. Or if there are integrated weapons in their units, they could use those to fire upon hostiles.
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 22, 2014, 08:54:00 pm
While I welcome more mecha games, the type of story/setting you want to run probably isn't the thing for me.Oh?
Hmmmm maybe I should run a Super Robot game. Real Robots are kinda over represented on this forum.
What do you think I'm doing for the story? >:D :P
Post by: Furtuka on November 22, 2014, 08:56:14 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 22, 2014, 08:59:46 pm
The story'll be along the lines of Mech-based gladiator combat, but anime style(rather than arcade style :P), so it's the player team having to work their way up to save something or other.
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 23, 2014, 01:21:28 am
Spoiler: Example Weapon (click to show/hide)Spoiler: Explanation of Terms (click to show/hide)Spoiler: Example Ship (click to show/hide)Spoiler: Explanation of Terms (click to show/hide)
As this is gonna be more or less the base system, adjusted, for the mech game, and I had a lot more notes for this(and never actually got around to doing it), I think I'll start this at some point instead, for the moment. What I need to figure out, however, is plot/what you bloody bastards would actually be doing.
Maybe I should do something similar to USEC's old space game. Save with aliens being the enemy and the players only controlling one side.(Good luck with that, by the way)
I think I will.
Now to figure out how to make map-systems work. They have always been my weakness.
And also to dig through my closet for my notes...
Post by: Aklyon on November 23, 2014, 01:29:45 am
At somepoint in the past I've also tried doing it with things like REXpaint, or hexographer.
Post by: Rolepgeek on November 23, 2014, 01:51:28 am
Top-down would work well.
Post by: Andres on November 23, 2014, 02:16:41 am
Post by: RulerOfNothing on November 23, 2014, 02:24:43 am
Post by: Andres on November 23, 2014, 02:55:52 am
EDIT: I only need the structure for mana, weapons, armour, stats, and other stuff. I already have the god mechanics done.
Post by: Nerjin on November 23, 2014, 10:03:35 pm
So far what I'm thinking is:
1) PCs are all Ogres of some sort [maybe all Paladins as well].
2) They live on a planet where most 'civilized' races never existed [humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc. etc.]
3) Goblinoids, Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, Ettins, etc. are the prodominent races.
4) The party will be part of a more global offensive against the other tribes and clans of the world.
Essentially this is all I have thus far.
So the Ogre D&D 3.5 game I was talking about earlier is coming along okay. I have a basic outline for the major clans. I'm still waffling on whether a clan should comprise of only one race or whether it should be various hordes of races. Anyways:
The Phantom Hand Clan: 3 Territories in the North West Corner of the map. They favor red clothing. They favor Close Range Spellcasters.
The Abyssal Hammer Clan: 4 Territories in the Northern portion of the map. They favor orange clothing. They favor Warrior Classes.
The Endless Twilight Clan: 3 Territories in the North East portion of the map. They favor white clothing. They favor religious classes.
Necrospatia: 6 Territories to the South of The Endless Twilight Clan. They favor Green clothing. Necromancy is popular here.
The Rotting Eye Clan: 3 Territories south of Necrospatia. They favor Yellow Clothing. They are relatively balanced.
The Nightmare's Usurper Clan: 4 Territories in the center of the continent. They favor Black clothing. They are mostly focused on anti-magic ability.
The Infernal Scythe Clan: 3 Territories to the West of The Nightmare's Usurper Clan. They favor Blue clothing. They are mostly religious.
The Nichts Wichtig Clan: 2 Territories to the south of The Abyssal Hammer Clan. They are you! They favor purple clothing. They are balanced, though weak at the start of the game.
Thoughts?
Post by: kj1225 on November 23, 2014, 10:10:33 pm
Post by: Nerjin on November 23, 2014, 10:34:50 pm
Post by: Mesa on November 24, 2014, 07:41:20 am
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on December 02, 2014, 07:19:52 am
UT actually. Could've gone pro if he hadn't joined the navy. Ain't no beltway pansie.I decided to make a quick little intro for some kind of Armstrong/Ork forum game because it's late and I refuse to go to sleep:
Related, Armstrong/Ork forum game (http://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/warsenator-armstrong-quest-40k-metal-gear.10715/)
Except it's gone.
Mother trucker.
Oh well, whatever:
It's always nice to lay back once in a while, just relax from all your hard work and know that someone else will be doing it for you.
Well, getting your heart crushed by a cyborg ninja may not be the best way to begin a forced vacation, but there you go.
"You and I... Are kindred spirits, deep down." He doesn't reply, he doesn't need to, you can see the acceptance in his eyes.
You drift asleep... And wake up.
On excelsior, no less, wasn't this thing destroyed by both you and that cyborg ninja dude?
"OI, Armstrong, get up, we do have all day, but I would prefer if you stopped pretending if you had any injuries anymore."
"Yhea, yhea, give me a minute, having your heart forcibly crushed isn't the best way to s..."
"Remembering already? Good, saves me the trouble of explaining everything to you, all you need to know right now is that this is purgatory for you and iiiivve got a proposition for you!"
Upon saying this, he whips out an old and crumpled document, with dozens upon dozens of names signed onto the bottom line, including a couple that come from cartoon shows.
But the basics of it is obvious, it's a one time only chance at revival, in a place where you can truly show your strength.
"Right, this doesn't seem like I would get away scot free from this, what do you want in return?"
"Nothing, really, I just find you a very interesting person, and I do always love those stories, perhaps you'll succeed, perhaps you won't, I don't know."
He leans in closely for his next sentence.
"But I love it when they don't.
Anyway, cig for your troubles? Can't hurt you here."
He hands you a cig and a lighter.
"Sure, I guess." You take a deep drag and motion for him to give you the paper.
Signing using some sort of jet black pen, your name glowing slightly even in this sunny morning, the paper vanishes, replaced with a small box, containing 8 different syringes, all with small notes explaining their uses.
"Good, I guess you didn't have any other choice in the matter, oh yes, and you can only choose 2 of those upgrades.
By the way, my name's Fred."
He disappears as well, leaving a glowing portal behind, that's probably going to get you where you have to go.
But first, the decisions.
Good, so, I'm thinking of having skills like:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Empiricist on December 09, 2014, 01:15:09 am
Players have two decks, a resource deck and an ability deck. Both decks are progressively drawn according to some sort of criteria (turn, damage taken/dealt, collectables, etc) with the resource deck drawn at a faster rate. The decks do not run out, they just determine the probability of drawing a certain card. There is a maximum hand size however and upon having a full hand, no more cards can be obtained except by discarding which is a free-action.
Each ability card has its own set of slots. It becomes loaded when every slot is filled by either a resource card or a loaded ability card and acts in accordance to how its loaded. Once a slot is loaded with a card, that card cannot be removed (this includes by ability cards that haven't been loaded yet) except by some sort of ability.
Suppose the ability card Basic Projectile fires a basic projectile determined by a slot labelled projectile with an additional effect determined by a slot labelled effect. For the sake of brevity, let us represent it as Basic Projectile (Projectile, Effect). If it was loaded as Basic Projectile (Ice, Fire), then it would launch a shard of ice wreathed in flame that would set objects on fire.
Now suppose the ability card Area of Effect (Payload, Limit, Fuel) causes an explosion-like effect with its features determined by a slot labeled Payload but can only be used if the requirements of the Limit slot are met. If Basic Projectile (Wuxia, Area of Effect (Fractal Art, Symphonic Metal, Romantic Comedy)) is used, Area of Effect would be interpreted as "if the user is performing a guitar solo on a classical instrument, they can make an object fractally repeat" (note that because the fuel slot has no effect, Romantic Comedy does not affect the ability at all aside from raising the resource card cost) and thus Basic Projectile would be interpreted as "if the user is performing a guitar solo on a classical instrument, they can fire a qi blast that releases a fractally repeating system of sub-blasts upon impact".
If it was instead loaded as Area of Effect (Zentol, Basic Bullet (The Terrible Divine, Heavy Metal), Basic Bullet (Clockwork, Muramasa)), then the user is just wasting cards and making the ability rather useless seeing as it uses three ability cards, five resource cards and cannot be activated unless there is a divine arrow charged with the power of metal nearby. If Area of Effect instead said that its power increased if more resource cards were placed into the Limit and Fuel slots, then it would be a more viable ability. Well, as viable as a costly ability that requires a bow-wielding seraphim with an affinity for Iron Maiden can be.
For an example with less rigid ability descriptions, suppose there is an ability card in the form of Ability (Basis, Power Source Alteration, Effect Modification, Activation Alteration). As is evident, it is entirely dependent on the resource cards used since it takes a base ability, changes its power source and activation requirement whilst modifying its effect with no real specification as to what it actually does. So if it was filled out as Ability (Bullet Hell Shooter, 4X Real Time Strategy, Hong Kong Cinema, Realistic First Person Shooter), reloading a firearm will drain money, raw resources and take more time than usual; proportional to the money and resources drained, the user gets more cinematic slow-motion and fires significantly more bullets with pattern trajectories. If it was filled out instead as Ability (Magical Girl Anime, Patriotic War Film, Cosmic Horror Story, Heist Film), then the user can, through the process of planning out a bank robbery, channel their BURNING PATRIOTISM and undergo a transformation sequence that temporarily turns them into a powerful shoggoth. The more patriotic you are, the greater your eldritch majesty.
Post by: Tawa on December 11, 2014, 04:49:38 pm
My idea:
A powerful corporation calling itself the South Dragon Company controls much of the Cerulean Bay area. Started from a grant given by the Korrav Empire to a man calling himself Mr. Migar as a large-scale trading enterprise, it is now as powerful as a country, except it has shareholders instead of nobles. It is currently sponsoring various feudal clans in the northeast, a program to explore the terra incognita of the Infinite Wastes in the east, and a personal war with a dwarf-clan in the north over mining rights.
The public both loves and hates the SDC. One in four workers is a South Dragon employee. It is praised for some of its acts of goodwill, such as giving aid to the poor and increasing the national wealth of the Korrav Empire, but it is criticized for being enigmatic about its aims and holding such great power over the world, coupled with widespread rumors of corruption. Rumors abound, both good and bad; some claim their employees are continuously under the effect of Charm Person spells, while others spread the idea that the company is developing a cheap and effective way to bring widespread usage of magic to the general population.
The players would give their characters' opinions on the SDC before play, and would be split into two groups early on, with NPCs filling the gaps in the party until the groups could meet and join forces.
Oh, and there's a technically impossible (enchantments add up to like +12 or something) magic greatsword as a plot item.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Nerjin on December 11, 2014, 05:31:45 pm
Though now seems like as good of time as any to mention my intent to run a horror themed 3.5 game. 4 players. Likely death. The goal being to simply survive. Not as well fleshed out as your but some people have asked me to run it so I figured I'd put it out there tht I'm considering it.
Post by: Tawa on December 11, 2014, 06:48:23 pm
I'm probably going to leave the horror campaign untouched. Unless you mean Lovecraft-style horror, in which case I'm totally in.
Post by: Nerjin on December 11, 2014, 06:50:40 pm
Post by: monk12 on December 11, 2014, 07:46:14 pm
Post by: flabort on December 12, 2014, 01:38:13 am
Er...
So... is anyone planning a Gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) campaign soon?
Post by: TealNinja on December 12, 2014, 11:01:39 pm
So I'm looking at the Savant from Dragon Compendium, and I'm looking at incantations (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/incantations.htm), and while they don't line up perfectly, since only one person needs to be making the checks of an incantation, but if somebody had a ritual magic system similar to Incantations but requiring checks from all participants they would be the Savant's bag.
Er...
So... is anyone planning a Gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) campaign soon?
I am technically planning a Gestalt-ish campaign, just having a mental block on it. Mostly related to art.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on December 13, 2014, 12:27:55 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on December 13, 2014, 11:22:01 am
A Skulguderry Pleasant game. I mean, I know that the setting is probably unsuitable for RPs, but still. I like that series. Obviously, I wouldn't GM it because I am shit as a GM, and even more shit at making actual systems that are supposed to work, but still. Although...
BRB, checking for anything MP-like in the series.
Edit: Apparently not... Still probably not gonna run this, but I can work with this.
Edit2: Also, I really need to find Book 9 somewhere around here.
Post by: kj1225 on December 13, 2014, 11:04:55 pm
Would anyone be thinking of running a game of it?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on December 15, 2014, 04:11:15 pm
So this looks fun. And it comes with a character generator for it. (http://bloodghost.tumblr.com/post/28417331911/its-here-after-many-months-the-utterly-complete)
Would anyone be thinking of running a game of it?
I don't know if anyone will run this but if they do count me in too
Post by: TCM on December 15, 2014, 11:55:05 pm
Spoiler: Last Year (click to show/hide)
Just a rough draft, but I think it has the potential to be lots of fun. Thoughts?
Post by: kj1225 on December 16, 2014, 12:08:45 am
Post by: IronyOwl on December 16, 2014, 12:09:26 am
Just a rough draft, but I think it has the potential to be lots of fun. Thoughts?Looks awesome. I'm curious how all of this would play out mechanically; for instance, what exactly "can stand toe to toe with the killer for a while" means. Good HP? Some kind of Armor-like stat? Stamina they can blow for temporary dodge/stunning counterattack boosts?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on December 16, 2014, 12:19:43 am
Post by: TCM on December 16, 2014, 12:32:00 am
Just a rough draft, but I think it has the potential to be lots of fun. Thoughts?Looks awesome. I'm curious how all of this would play out mechanically; for instance, what exactly "can stand toe to toe with the killer for a while" means. Good HP? Some kind of Armor-like stat? Stamina they can blow for temporary dodge/stunning counterattack boosts?
Usually I stay away from HP Systems, but for this type of game I'm thinking of incorporating them. For combat scenarios, I think that the Killers would receive a bonus to combat rolls since they are the Killers after all, while the combat-oriented Jock would receive his own bonuses, just not to the same level. Let's say that this means that the Killers get a +4 to Combat, while the Jock gets +3 to Combat, which means that he isn't at the same level as them, but he would still stand something of a chance if he gets good rolls. The Support in that case would get say a +1.
I'm thinking that for all abilities to come into play, rolls are done for the following category of actions by any player, Killer and Survivors alike:
Combat - What happens in a fighting scenario. Offensively determines how good an attack was, defensively determines how good a dodge was.
Agility - How fast the player is moving, if a Killer rolls higher than a Survivor then they get a Combat Roll.
Perception - A move to look for supplies, traps, objectives, Survivors or Killers, depending on the situation.
Stealth - How silent the player is, if Stealth roll is lower than an opposing Perception roll, the player is discovered.
Electronics - How able the player was to use an electric device, especially important to the Nerd.
Medicine - How able the player was to use medicine, especially important to the Medic.
Construct - Only available to the Goofball, but I've also thought about Killers being able to make their own traps, or perhaps just a specific Trap-specializing Killer class...
Do you guys think it would be better to know what Class a Killer is during the start of the round, or keep it a secret until the Survivors either discover the Killer or figure out what type of Killer they are dealing with based on clues?
Post by: kj1225 on December 16, 2014, 12:34:00 am
Post by: Playergamer on December 16, 2014, 12:48:49 am
Post by: IronyOwl on December 16, 2014, 12:53:46 am
Do you guys think it would be better to know what Class a Killer is during the start of the round, or keep it a secret until the Survivors either discover the Killer or figure out what type of Killer they are dealing with based on clues?I'm generally in favor of letting them know. It's a bit less atmospheric, but not telling them gives a blank spot in their decisionmaking at the start of the game that's probably not really conducive to anything.
Post by: TCM on December 16, 2014, 01:00:23 am
Also, you need to figure out a way to run the game so charcters can disappear and die without the others noticing. Nothing says horror like your friends all disappearing without a sound, one by one.
The major problem with that is the meta-issue of posting: Won't you realize that someone is dead if they suddenly stop posting? You could always try to stay in role as character, "Huh, I haven't heard from Jessica in a long time, I wonder where she is?" but as a player you'd realize, "Oh, Playergamer isn't posting, that means Jessica is dead. Time to rework my strategy accordingly..."
Post by: kj1225 on December 16, 2014, 01:03:16 am
Post by: IronyOwl on December 16, 2014, 01:10:02 am
Theoretically you could try to get the players in on it via fake posting; ie the cheerleader getting knifed but continuing to post pretending to be alive and well. That'd probably be overelaborate, though, and work better with some players than others.
Post by: TCM on December 16, 2014, 01:19:22 am
Post by: Furtuka on December 16, 2014, 01:32:28 am
Post by: TCM on December 16, 2014, 01:35:47 am
Seperate everyone's actions and put them in spoiler tags + the honor system?
Huh, maybe...
Spoilers, if done this way, would be separated based on groups. So in the example I listed before, Group A and Group B would each have a spoiler, since everyone in the same group would be aware of what everyone is doing. If a single person split off from the main group, then they would get their own individual spoiler just for them.
But at the point where everyone's actions are secret from one another, why should the game be public in the first place? Well, I suppose non-players would be able to keep track of everything happening. But still.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 16, 2014, 01:55:59 am
I kind of want to do a better version of my ill fated "Frigate Commander" game I made a while back.
Post by: monk12 on December 16, 2014, 03:53:15 pm
That is the dilemma when trying to make a public forum game isn't it? If the Survivors split up into Group A and Group B, Group A might decide not to go down a certain hallway because they know from reading the whole turn that Group B is being chased by the Killer at the end of said hallway.
Assume that the survivors are all carrying walkie talkies/cellphones/whatever plot device is necessary to justify the conventions of public forum games.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on December 16, 2014, 04:14:08 pm
Post by: Parsely on December 16, 2014, 04:35:13 pm
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 20, 2014, 02:54:31 am
Opinions on a suggestion game where you control a small ship and do missions (fairly free-form, not like, uh, levels?) and gradually get better ships from your superiors and crew?
I kind of want to do a better version of my ill fated "Frigate Commander" game I made a while back.
I've fleshed out this a bit more. You probably won't be in an official government/military position, but a person who crawls the, uh, space equivalent of junkyards, whatever their name is. You find a small ship (corvette probably) and you go from there.
The problem is that I feel I really need an obvious overarching goal for it to keep direction. Something like a rebellion, uh, new empire, that kind of stuff. Where you expand your reach and stuff, but the focus is still straight on whatever ship you're flying. Any suggestions for said goal?
Post by: Kassire on December 20, 2014, 06:24:40 pm
Every player would have a way of getting back into the game but not the cost wouldn't be free of course. Regular ol' Joe could be cloned and have a sickness and loss of ability after being cloned, but he'll be alive and back into the game. A zombie could reanimate, get the negatives of reanimated like being sick or something, he would have his likely badass zombie abilities, reanimation, and all that jazz but there could be a bunch of negatives for it. There could also be other game changing knick knacks not in traditional HellMOO, like becoming your generic grey alien (And being friends with other generic aliens aswell), and stuff like becoming half bird and such.
There'd be obviously be a bunch of mutations that wouldn't be necessarily be always in a set location. But you'd get some interesting mutations in a nuclear plant. A lot more handwaved superpowers and such, and even if two guys get the same mutation it wouldn't be exactly the same thing. Certain people would shoot other people with certain mutations (Unless they somehow conceal it or something). I'd imagine there wouldn't be exact stats and attributes but instead of numbers there would be short descriptions of your ability at some value with maybe if numbers are used only the GM would know them.
I'd imagine the game would be for around 4-8 at it's minimum and maximum. Though I have all of the following, I doubt my ability at GMing something like this.
Post by: Fniff on December 20, 2014, 06:27:19 pm
It would probably be similar to a Paranoia game, but instead of having an omnipresent fear of retribution by a higher power (AKA the computer is your friend), it's all based in the stupidity and desperation that naturally comes with living in hell. I also like the idea of multiple revivification methods.
Post by: kj1225 on December 20, 2014, 06:45:33 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on December 24, 2014, 01:50:25 pm
Would anyone want to run it? It looks pretty fun...
Post by: kj1225 on December 24, 2014, 02:17:09 pm
I recently discovered this (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TabletopGame/DungeonsTheDragoning), and have decided there isn't nearly enough of this here.There's an exaltation that let's you get by on the sheer power of your awesomeness and kobolds. I LOVE IT!
Would anyone want to run it? It looks pretty fun...
Post by: Tawa on December 26, 2014, 11:41:15 pm
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war. War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: kj1225 on December 26, 2014, 11:43:44 pm
So.Is the dread Necromancer a class we can use?
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war.War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Tawa on December 26, 2014, 11:45:23 pm
No, unfortunately. Balance reasons, nothing personal.
Post by: kj1225 on December 26, 2014, 11:46:27 pm
In a game where half the fights are based on mowing down armies of mooks?Darn...
No, unfortunately. Balance reasons, nothing personal.
ONE DAY!
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 27, 2014, 01:06:58 am
Just about every game I try to host like it peters out in the same way. It starts off with a decent amount of people, then with each post, the amount of people posting decreases, until it's just one person or nobody posting.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on December 27, 2014, 01:35:57 am
Though that's probably due to my terrible GM skills
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on December 27, 2014, 04:24:06 am
So.This does sound very interesting, actually. I doubt I'd be able to get a sheet out in time, but yeah. I would totally go for that.
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war. War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: IronyOwl on December 27, 2014, 04:24:47 am
This is bit of an unusual question, but could someone tell me what the main problem is with Galaxy Rise (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=146819.0), one of my games?I suspect it's too open-ended, too hard, and players aren't invested or able to become invested enough.
Just about every game I try to host like it peters out in the same way. It starts off with a decent amount of people, then with each post, the amount of people posting decreases, until it's just one person or nobody posting.
Players have a bad habit of freezing up when confronted with infinite options or a general goal but no clear hints on how to get there. You'll notice they jumped on the chance to raid the warehouse, for instance, because it was there. They faffed around with some other options- "repair engines," "make new starfighter," and so on, but nothing particularly creative. Now they've got the materials and probably don't know what to do next.
This aforementioned problem is magnified when things are difficult. They've blown their cover, patrols are after them, their easy mark is gone, the haul wasn't enough to get them back on their feet and doing other things... if they're not discouraged, then they're at least probably not swimming in easy ideas. Players are also not known for being especially hard workers, especially for the low-investment format of a suggestion game.
Finally, they might not be invested enough in the game. It hasn't been going on very long, so hitting a snag is more likely to elicit a shrug than the motivation to find a way around it. The game also (at least at the moment) doesn't have a ton of things to feel invested about, like leveling up officers the way they want them to or designing custom ships, which further retards players' abilities to form attachments to it.
In my experience, "here's a situation, do stuff" doesn't work out terribly well for players, and less so in a suggestion game unless it's incredibly silly. The real trick to keeping such a game going, I suspect, is to write and run it such that you end up with an entertaining story regardless of what the players vote for, because otherwise tragedy of the commons and general incompetence will drive it into the ground in short order.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 27, 2014, 04:32:09 am
So basically I should always have a "string" that players can/will/should follow to progress, directly related with the story. Kind of like the main quest in a RPG?
Post by: IronyOwl on December 27, 2014, 04:40:34 am
Post by: Parsely on December 27, 2014, 04:41:02 am
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on December 27, 2014, 07:25:20 am
Post by: Haspen on December 27, 2014, 08:21:32 am
"SAEC": A game of space exploration in soft sci-fi themes. Do not expect beam lazers and hordes of alien races to fight/work with, though; you will be delegated to star system scans, laboratory work, maintenance of Prometheus V, but mainly, exploration of available universe.
"Gunhazard Mercs": A game about group of mecha-riding mercs who are to fight crime and uncover illuminati-like plots on they way to earn monies and get a comfortable retirement.
That one concept is about cooperative Doom-like shoot'em all where the gorup goes through an demon-infested space station to destroy portal leading into another dimension; but mostly it would be able killing demons in showers of gore and hot lead.
Anyone interested in these? :P
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on December 27, 2014, 08:55:20 am
Post by: 10ebbor10 on December 27, 2014, 10:34:28 am
That reaffirms my main fear (choice) and helps a lot with how to solve it. Thanks!I prefer having more than 1 option really
So basically I should always have a "string" that players can/will/should follow to progress, directly related with the story. Kind of like the main quest in a RPG?
Or at least provide more information. At this moment, we know nothing about the planet, now nothing about the system we're in. Without knowing about the world, people can't do anything.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on December 27, 2014, 12:58:23 pm
I've got a few scenarios for what's going to happen in game and all of them work decently with the transition to the next game so I'm not sure how to end this one
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 27, 2014, 01:17:17 pm
That reaffirms my main fear (choice) and helps a lot with how to solve it. Thanks!I prefer having more than 1 option really
So basically I should always have a "string" that players can/will/should follow to progress, directly related with the story. Kind of like the main quest in a RPG?
Or at least provide more information. At this moment, we know nothing about the planet, now nothing about the system we're in. Without knowing about the world, people can't do anything. The
I've always been a fan of emerging plot/background settings, but they don't really work well in forum games. I'm lambing on revealing more about new things in the future, though. As for choice, I'm planning for more of an open world once the prologue is finished.
Post by: Fniff on December 27, 2014, 02:32:46 pm
Let's take an example. Players are meant to go to the cold northern fortress where the dark lord is waiting. They throw a wrench in your plans when instead decide to go to the hot southern temple where the artifact of holy might is waiting since that seems easier. A good way to minimize work is to give the fortress a new lick of paint; hey, now the frost warriors are lava demons who deal heat damage instead of frost damage with their blows, and the dark lord is trying to break open the vault containing the artifact.
Same situation as they would be in if they had gone to the fortress but they feel like it's their own idea.
However, sometimes you have to let go of your plans and just go wild if your players really get into the spirit of things. Planning out a roleplay should be second if everyone gets into the zone. You'll know what I'm talking about if you've ever experienced it; that mode where there doesn't need to be a story or plans (Though, as always, they help), because everyone is in tune with both their characters and their fellow players.
It's hard to reach, but it's glorious when you do.
Post by: Harbingerjm on December 27, 2014, 04:51:33 pm
Personally I have 2 projects in the works and 1 concept...The first sounds most interesting, though the second sounds ok.
"SAEC": A game of space exploration in soft sci-fi themes. Do not expect beam lazers and hordes of alien races to fight/work with, though; you will be delegated to star system scans, laboratory work, maintenance of Prometheus V, but mainly, exploration of available universe.
"Gunhazard Mercs": A game about group of mecha-riding mercs who are to fight crime and uncover illuminati-like plots on they way to earn monies and get a comfortable retirement.
That one concept is about cooperative Doom-like shoot'em all where the gorup goes through an demon-infested space station to destroy portal leading into another dimension; but mostly it would be able killing demons in showers of gore and hot lead.
Anyone interested in these? :P
Post by: Parsely on December 27, 2014, 04:56:34 pm
The first sounds most interesting, though the second sounds ok.^^This. First one sounds awesome.
Post by: Tawa on December 27, 2014, 08:59:14 pm
Excellent, support. This isn't going to be too terribly long (ten levels, tops); what starting level do you think would be best? I was thinking three to five.So.This does sound very interesting, actually. I doubt I'd be able to get a sheet out in time, but yeah. I would totally go for that.
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war. War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: kj1225 on December 27, 2014, 09:00:28 pm
Five. You must be as badass as possible obviously!Excellent, support. This isn't going to be too terribly long (ten levels, tops); what starting level do you think would be best? I was thinking three to five.So.This does sound very interesting, actually. I doubt I'd be able to get a sheet out in time, but yeah. I would totally go for that.
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war. War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Kassire on December 27, 2014, 09:54:38 pm
Alright, time to make a level five character with 4 levels in commoner and one level in monkFive. You must be as badass as possible obviously!Excellent, support. This isn't going to be too terribly long (ten levels, tops); what starting level do you think would be best? I was thinking three to five.So.This does sound very interesting, actually. I doubt I'd be able to get a sheet out in time, but yeah. I would totally go for that.
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war. War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: flabort on December 27, 2014, 10:00:03 pm
So I want to give it a try. Of course it would be nice to have all the other races and classes, but the fact that these ones are free, no pirating?
Well, I'm feeling like reading over these rules, and I'm gonna run y'all a game once I'm ready.
Ninja'd: Yes, Kassire. I think that would be perfect! If your GM uses tier-fixing-by-way-of-extra-stats, it will be godly!
Post by: Tawa on December 27, 2014, 10:01:09 pm
Ninja'd: Yes, Kassire. I think that would be perfect! If your GM uses tier-fixing-by-way-of-extra-stats, it will be godly!I'm tempted, but...
Post by: flabort on January 02, 2015, 11:58:02 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on January 04, 2015, 03:29:40 pm
Disregarding the plot, I am a bit torn on how to handle the branching. If left to the players, I guess they would focus on one storyline, and only switch to another when one of those lines becomes "doomed".
What I want to achieve though, is that the game and it's posts become somewhat like a maze - just like the books are. As in – you can't read it in "one stretch", but have to follow the paths.
To that end, I would make a limit to the possible "branches" of each "page", but I also play with the thought of having them choose a branch for a "page" of my choosing each 2 or 3 "turns".
Any thoughts on the matter would be welcome.
For those interested, the main inspiration for this would come from a game about half a year ago, where someone tried something similar. Plot was basically that the dragon-captured princess tried to free herself. Can't seem to find it though.
Post by: flabort on January 04, 2015, 03:47:20 pm
I read it so much that the pages separated from the binding and the book was pretty much destroyed after three months.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 05, 2015, 03:20:42 am
Post by: escaped lurker on January 05, 2015, 05:16:40 am
After reading it multiple times, I went on to devour anything of sorts that we had in the school library. Mostly supernatural stuff like Vampire Attack, Werewolf Attack, Haunted castle and stuff. Even read / played an odd one that was a high-fantasy rpg, where you occasionaly had to roll for combat, track your hp, and so on. ... actually, that has to be the first rpg I ever played! Oh boy.
Either way, those books were solid work. I would think it is mainly the pacing - enough to get one immersed in the story, but not too wordy. Quick changes of plot and scenery, none of which were superfluous, but all played into the next branching plotlines instead. Something along these lines.
Not sure if I can emulate that style, but what I have planned for now is a consecutive storyline that the plot will follow even in the Protagonist's absence. Basically none of the events are truly random, but are either going to happen from the start, or happen as a result of player choices. Only random thing would be how good the character handles or evades in these situations.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 06, 2015, 01:56:53 pm
So, is this gonna go ahead or is playing a DnD campaign merely going to stay on of my dreams, up there running a decent game?Excellent, support. This isn't going to be too terribly long (ten levels, tops); what starting level do you think would be best? I was thinking three to five.So.This does sound very interesting, actually. I doubt I'd be able to get a sheet out in time, but yeah. I would totally go for that.
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's not your average dungeon crawler, a legend of ancient heroes fighting a terrible beast from the beginning of time, or a story of warriors who wandered the land to master their own fates.
It's about war. War is hell. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WarisHell) It has been one hundred and seven years since the fall of Gemodor, and no kingdom has dared to reclaim its lost expanses, fearful of the corrupting magic that wrought its end. The country of Sarium has invaded lands of the kingdom Atissa, and the PCs are a conscripted mercenary group, tasked with mowing down armies of soldiers--some mere conscripted farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork in their own profession, others generals who have seen countless battles--to regain the occupied land. The PCs, once noticed by generals in the army, are tasked with increasingly dangerous jobs--perhaps jobs that would push them beyond their limits, beyond what they know. Beyond the point of return. But it is the life they must lead.
Sound interesting?
Post by: Tawa on January 06, 2015, 03:40:50 pm
Post by: Nerjin on January 07, 2015, 06:20:28 pm
So.
I have had one more idea for a D&D 3.5 game.
It's about war.
Thinking about it... I might do a Knight for this one. Could be interesting.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2015, 06:33:44 pm
The players are on a ship headed on an expedition into "The Dark Star," a huge event horizon that seems to have far less mass than a black hole should have. Nothing that's gone into it has ever been heard from again, though aside from probes no one's ever intentionally flown into it. Might be some alien races already planned for the space setting in which the dark star exists, but players are encouraged to make their own, like in many space games. In fact, to encourage creativity, no Earthlings allowed. No humans, modified humans, uplifted Earth species, nada.
Post by: Parsely on January 07, 2015, 07:17:12 pm
Had an idea for a space game the other day:Dooo eeeeet.
The players are on a ship headed on an expedition into "The Dark Star," a huge event horizon that seems to have far less mass than a black hole should have. Nothing that's gone into it has ever been heard from again, though aside from probes no one's ever intentionally flown into it. Might be some alien races already planned for the space setting in which the dark star exists, but players are encouraged to make their own, like in many space games. In fact, to encourage creativity, no Earthlings allowed. No humans, modified humans, uplifted Earth species, nada.
Post by: Tawa on January 07, 2015, 07:22:33 pm
Plot twist: The Dark Star got the 2,000,000th post on Bay12. :PHad an idea for a space game the other day:Dooo eeeeet.
The players are on a ship headed on an expedition into "The Dark Star," a huge event horizon that seems to have far less mass than a black hole should have. Nothing that's gone into it has ever been heard from again, though aside from probes no one's ever intentionally flown into it. Might be some alien races already planned for the space setting in which the dark star exists, but players are encouraged to make their own, like in many space games. In fact, to encourage creativity, no Earthlings allowed. No humans, modified humans, uplifted Earth species, nada.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 07, 2015, 07:32:00 pm
EDIT: Here: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147338.0
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 07, 2015, 08:03:51 pm
I think a player should be overseer so the GM could sit and watch and do rolls for the dwarves actions and post other things going on and whenever a goblin siege or FB happen and watch as the overseer attempts to get his dwarves/players to defend the fort.
Just a thought and I have no time this semester to even set it up so I don't even know why I'm talking about it .-.
Post by: hops on January 09, 2015, 11:22:48 am
Post by: Tawa on January 09, 2015, 06:28:19 pm
I'll have it up sometime before the end of the week. I wanted to write personalized character sheets for the villains.It is time. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147395.0)
Post by: IronyOwl on January 09, 2015, 07:23:50 pm
What's the name of that one recurring game on FGRP where people roll dices to move and place effects or items on the tile they land on and race each other to go over the track twice?I've never heard of such a thing. It sounds interesting, though.
Post by: Person on January 17, 2015, 07:23:20 am
What's the name of that one recurring game on FGRP where people roll dices to move and place effects or items on the tile they land on and race each other to go over the track twice?That would be (insert number here) tile dash if you're referring to what I think you are. I actually ran it once but I'm horrible at running games so it kind of died. Don't think anyone else has tried to do it here, though it'd be great if they did. I originally sort of stole it from the mspa forums when they still did forum games. IIRC, it was 100 tiles at first. The amount of times people go over the track tends to vary too. More laps means more chances each tile gets used to cause chaos. If I were to re run it nowadays I'd probably do maybe 20/25/30 tiles and 3 laps because of reasons. Tiles are defined by the players by the way, usually within certain limits and rules.
Edit: Here, links to some more complete games for examples. (They didn't finish either but hey, they did better than I did.)
http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?41715-The-hundredth-square
http://www.mspaforums.com/showthread.php?42672-The-100-Tile-Dash-%28now-90-more-eco-friendly%21%29&s=c93802d0feea2bba772edfef03b185a2
Post by: flabort on January 17, 2015, 01:18:30 pm
Don't think anyone else has tried to do it here, though it'd be great if they did.I'm already running a DnD game and a mafia game, but this sounds fun enough to run that I'm going to possibly run it too.
But first I have to read those links you gave me.
((Dear lord where does my time to be a PLAYER go? :P))
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 17, 2015, 01:54:02 pm
Post by: Tawa on January 17, 2015, 02:17:34 pm
I'd be down for it... IF you let me play a gunslinger.
Post by: flabort on January 17, 2015, 03:53:35 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147647.msg5961876#msg5961876
Time to start another.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 18, 2015, 01:56:56 am
Pathfinder OGC. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
I'd be down for it... IF you let me play a gunslinger.
Thanks
Do you mean down for playing the game I want to set up
Also: that site is not at all set up for mobile devices
Post by: Kadzar on January 18, 2015, 01:45:41 pm
Does this one work any better? (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/)Pathfinder OGC. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
I'd be down for it... IF you let me play a gunslinger.
Thanks
Do you mean down for playing the game I want to set up
Also: that site is not at all set up for mobile devices
Post by: Tawa on January 18, 2015, 02:10:36 pm
HECKS YEAH I WANNA PLAYPathfinder OGC. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
I'd be down for it... IF you let me play a gunslinger.
Thanks
Do you mean down for playing the game I want to set up
Also: that site is not at all set up for mobile devices
I already learned the intricacies of PF and wrote up a character sheet and I'm working on a second just in case.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 18, 2015, 02:28:16 pm
Does this one work any better? (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/)Pathfinder OGC. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
I'd be down for it... IF you let me play a gunslinger.
Thanks
Do you mean down for playing the game I want to set up
Also: that site is not at all set up for mobile devices
That looks better
I'll check into it later when I've got time
HECKS YEAH I WANNA PLAYPathfinder OGC. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/)
I'd be down for it... IF you let me play a gunslinger.
Thanks
Do you mean down for playing the game I want to set up
Also: that site is not at all set up for mobile devices
I already learned the intricacies of PF and wrote up a character sheet and I'm working on a second just in case.
The game I want to run might be a bit confined when it comes to guns, it's going to be like flintlocks, wheel locks, and mussle loaders, maybe revolvers.
Post by: Tawa on January 18, 2015, 02:34:50 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 18, 2015, 02:37:05 pm
You don't mind working as a small team with several NPC's do you?
Seems every time I try to run it it fails, maybe converting it to pathfinder will get the right teamworky people to play
Post by: Nerjin on January 18, 2015, 02:37:59 pm
The game I want to run might be a bit confined when it comes to guns, [blah blah blah Nerjin doesn't care], maybe revolvers.
Revolvers you say? Can we get a yes or no on this? Because if you would let me use Revolvers I would be... Very partial to joining the game. After all, they do call me "Revolver".
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 18, 2015, 02:40:55 pm
Oh ho hum listening to the DnD 3.75 conversation is pretty interesting. I might watch it. Gunslinging Hm? That's sorta interesting.I was thinking revolvers and revolver rifles but they would be rare and expensiveThe game I want to run might be a bit confined when it comes to guns, [blah blah blah Nerjin doesn't care], maybe revolvers.
Revolvers you say? Can we get a yes or no on this? Because if you would let me use Revolvers I would be... Very partial to joining the game. After all, they do call me "Revolver".
Post by: Tawa on January 18, 2015, 02:46:33 pm
Big old pile of pathfinder guns. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/firearms) Dedicated character class. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/gunslinger) It's amazing they had the stones to add that crap.Oh ho hum listening to the DnD 3.75 conversation is pretty interesting. I might watch it. Gunslinging Hm? That's sorta interesting.I was thinking revolvers and revolver rifles but they would be rare and expensiveThe game I want to run might be a bit confined when it comes to guns, [blah blah blah Nerjin doesn't care], maybe revolvers.
Revolvers you say? Can we get a yes or no on this? Because if you would let me use Revolvers I would be... Very partial to joining the game. After all, they do call me "Revolver".
And yeah, those things cost like upwards of 1000 gold for your average cheap-ass pistol. Two-handed guns just scale up. Ammo costs are ludicrous too. They balanced them way better than most fantasy games that include guns for completion's sake.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 18, 2015, 02:52:17 pm
I'm thinking of just having all loot be handed into the old man (a guy who sends the group on missions and diplomatic things) and then new equipment be given to the group and refills for ammo and the such.
Post by: Nerjin on January 18, 2015, 02:54:29 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 18, 2015, 02:55:49 pm
I'm thinking higher level equipment later in game. So revolvers may take awhile to get, but several flintlocks could be a starting set
Post by: Tawa on January 18, 2015, 02:57:24 pm
Ya I'm still not sure if I want to put money into that campaign or not.You don't need no stinkin' money for this! There's a system reference document!
Post by: jetex1911 on January 18, 2015, 11:30:51 pm
What anyone be interested in a Hotline Miami suggestion game? And if so, would you have any suggestions for a first time GM?
Post by: sjm9876 on January 19, 2015, 11:49:13 am
For first time GMs: Try to find a balance of not railroading without being completely goalless. the players should always have something to aim for, otherwise they'll get sidetracked and start breaking the game. Not entirely sure what else to add. A lot comes down to practice.
-----
Anyway, the reason I popped down here:
Exams nearly done, so readying for another game.
Would there be any interest in a game where the players are vaguely descended from monsters (mythical variety), and are soldiers fighting in an elite unit on the losing side of a war. They are more powerful than most, but can lose control due to their monstrous blood. Would probably be rather dark.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 19, 2015, 12:06:52 pm
Post by: kj1225 on January 19, 2015, 12:28:30 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 19, 2015, 12:31:31 pm
Or want to, anyway, given that these things tend to start either while I'm not looking or asleep.
And then all the spots are taken.
Post by: Squeegy on January 19, 2015, 01:17:09 pm
Post by: Fniff on January 19, 2015, 01:55:51 pm
Post by: Squeegy on January 20, 2015, 08:49:03 am
Post by: escaped lurker on January 20, 2015, 10:09:59 am
Players that don't contribute / enough can be sorted out fairly quickly, but waiting for the other guy - be it gm or player - who is on another quarter of the globe, just slows down the pace extremely. Like just now, I posted an action in flaborts 100 tile run - about 12 hours after his last post. Couldn't have done it any sooner. And those 12 hours, are still a quite good time.
Truth be told, after trying multi-player games twice, I don't think there will be a third try anytime soon. Well, that or suggestion games just sit much better with me.
Yes, well, I've lost far more than half my players. I'm more concerned with how to get more.
Well then, I flew over close to the last 10 pages of your united assembly game. Can't say that I read it thorougly, nor that my advice has much worth to it, so take all that follows with a grain of salt.
To put it simply, it seems like a game where players bicker with each other over... stuff. If they bicker good enough, or get favourable deals with their peers, the situation of their choosen faction gets better.
The concept itself - political intrigue - is not bad, but if I were to compare it to others I have seen of the same sort, the stakes aren't that high, and each and any interaction seems like it needs to be wrangled through with the other players.
What could make the game more interesting, would be to give the players another "turn", where their fate is left up to your dice, scenarios and own decisions therein. Something like... space pirates trouble the trading routes of faction 1. Faction 2 finds an expansive helium deposit. Faction 3 is being blackmailed by an unknown stranger. Just some things where they can act "on their own", and which can lead to greater success - or failure, depending on which kind of scenario the dice gave them.
By doing so, they don't have to wait 3 days to finish a discussion with the other players, but still gain the chance to rise above them.
Post by: Fniff on January 20, 2015, 10:26:24 am
I wish there was less of a dislike for IRC roleplays. It's nice when two people can have banter without having to be online all the time or be somewhere in person.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 04:12:49 pm
Say, anyone interested in doing an IRC RP at around 5PM Pacific Standard time?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 04:14:23 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 20, 2015, 04:14:53 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 04:18:22 pm
Around what time would that be in GMT+0?About 4 hours from now. As of this post the time is X:18, 1:18 PM in my timezone.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 04:19:34 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 04:20:25 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 04:21:56 pm
Would you be able to move it back even 1 hour? I may be able then, otherwise it's up in the air.
What would the RP be about, anyway?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 04:25:53 pm
The idea I had was everyone is a trickster deity, all meeting up (incognito) in a cafe to plan some hijinks.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 04:27:03 pm
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 20, 2015, 04:27:38 pm
I have a game I want to run in a month or so (same from a page ago) but I don't want looting to be the main bit of it, I want it to be more mission completing and diplomatic visits here and there, should I just give the players pretty good weapons from the begining or have them get them as they progress as rewards?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 04:29:29 pm
4PM actually.Perhaps, but IDK if I'll be done with my work by then. That's 40 minutes after I finish with class for today, and I'll need some time to set up. We'll see, though.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 04:30:46 pm
Ah, ok.4PM actually.Perhaps, but IDK if I'll be done with my work by then. That's 40 minutes after I finish with class for today, and I'll need some time to set up. We'll see, though.
This is why I hate timezones T_T
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 20, 2015, 04:34:00 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 04:37:38 pm
You may want to refine your writing style if this is what I think it is because that RP was rushed.
Anyway, that depends too. Do they have any help, from organisations or otherwise? Do said organisations have much in the way of influence/power/money?
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on January 20, 2015, 04:42:20 pm
It's rushed because I was trying to get past the description and boring crap.
It's less rushed after that once the group has.....
Anyways
Ya that's why I'm going to take a month to figure it all out, the game works pretty well in person.
They get help from an underground society type group
They have little influence but decent funds for materials
Post by: Fniff on January 20, 2015, 05:01:40 pm
Quote from: HugoLuman
*IRC RP*:o
Sounds interesting, I'll go for it. That'll be in three hours?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 20, 2015, 05:09:43 pm
Post by: Fniff on January 20, 2015, 05:13:26 pm
Post by: Parsely on January 20, 2015, 06:36:58 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 07:12:35 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 07:25:50 pm
ETA 20 minutes
EDIT: Sorry for double post!
Post by: Fniff on January 20, 2015, 07:29:58 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 07:30:45 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on January 20, 2015, 09:54:39 pm
EDIT: Here it be http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147755.0
Post by: WillowLuman on January 21, 2015, 07:48:01 pm
Post by: kj1225 on January 21, 2015, 09:32:52 pm
Post by: Playergamer on January 21, 2015, 09:34:49 pm
Post by: kj1225 on January 21, 2015, 09:39:19 pm
Multiplayer or SG? I'm so interested either way.Multiplayer. Just like the
Post by: kj1225 on January 22, 2015, 09:57:45 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 24, 2015, 10:36:34 am
How many people here would be able to participate in an IRC game at 9PM in GMT+0?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 24, 2015, 01:32:17 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 24, 2015, 02:01:51 pm
Post by: Tawa on January 24, 2015, 08:13:38 pm
Seems like an interesting alternative to the fantasy and sci-fi games that usually get played around here.
Post by: Kadzar on January 25, 2015, 12:16:25 am
So I spent part of the day browsing through and musing over Risus (http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm), PDQ (http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com/freebies/di/pdq-core.pdf) (Atomic Sock Monkey's site (http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com/) doesn't seem to want to properly load at the moment, so I'll also link their Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Sock_Monkey_Press) and DriveThruRPG (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/browse.php?filters=0_0_10113_0_0&page=1&sort=3a) pages), FATE 2.0 (http://faterpg.com/dl/FATE2fe.pdf) (also known as FUDGE Edition), and Fate Accelerated Edition (FAE) (http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core-downloads/) (on the right-hand side).
At first I thought about using a freeform skill system like Risus and PDQ have, and after looking at FATE 2.0's d6 Alternative Dice Method, I think I might want to use that method (roll your skill level number of dice + bonus or penalty dice, keep your skill value of dice, either the highest or lowest depending on whether you have bonus or penalty, compare to target number or opposing roll) with freeform skills so that people who take very broad skills will be able to use them, but won't be as powerful in certain situations as someone with a more specialized skill (whereas the defaults in Risus and PDQ seem to be that a skill is either applicable or not).
But that sort of system absolutely requires GM intervention to work. I'll probably use it for something else, but I kind of wanted a system that could be applied by players if need be, since one of the things I liked about "You are a Lord" was how, after my Adventurers Guild was beaten to a dragon-slaying by a group of scab adventurers, they intended to force the scabs to join them with threats of damaged kneecaps. So I thought of borrowing FAE's Approaches (Careful, Clever, Flashy, Forceful, Quick, Sneaky) to accommodate the fact that wizards and warriors and boats and other things would all have different methods by which they do things, but you could at least measure how good they are at doing those things in certain ways and whether that matches up with what they're currently doing, and therefore have a standard set of stats that doesn't make and presumptions about what sort of skills anyone might want to bring to the table.
Though I guess that designing the system to work without a GM may not gain much for its trade-offs, and handling Approaches might require some GM interpretation anyway. So I may just go with the original system (which I actually only finalized after considering Approaches).
However I do it, I think there should certain attributes possessed by all characters, like Health Tracks and Wealth Ratings (and maybe other things that I can't think of right now), and I'll probably add in other things like FATE's Extras.
I want to handle units, whether army or mercenary, like Drops in a Pond (http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate-core-downloads/) (under "FATE CORE COMMISSIONS") does it, where they are basically treated as characters themselves, and taking damage means you're losing people (whether by death, desertion, recruitment by the enemy, or whatever). You should be able to divide up units, splitting skill and health values, and be able to draw individuals from the units. Also units would have a Wealth upkeep number based on their skills, which I feel should be able to be reduced by loyalty. (Possibly a skill possessed by their commander?)
I don't know how much sense that made, but I suppose I've rambled on enough now.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 26, 2015, 04:55:09 pm
Spoiler: the rules (click to show/hide)
Post by: escaped lurker on January 27, 2015, 11:57:20 am
On a more serious note.. less is more. While it sounds fun to roll on a D100 table, it gets a drag real quick. The same goes for stats - I mean, 6 different attributes. 250 Points at start. 4 different rolls for a single attack? Imagine how many you will need for a whole combat-sequence!
Truth be told, unless you have great enough fervor / discipline, to actually carry through this dice-heavy monstrosity, you are bound to curse your own system before long. At least that's what I already did on multiple occasions. :P (Speaking of my own systems, of course)
So... yeah. If you want to keep those 6 attributes, at least do yourself a favour and make Evasion, Accuracy, Armour and Extra-Strength-Damage a stable stat / bonus. I'd also advise you to just drop a nil of the dice and attributes. Will take a heavy workload from your shoulders.
On that note, some people (
ToCutItShort: Complicated Game-Systems do not add much "worth" to the players experience. Adding more to the story instead, yields better results.
(Or, even more direct - complicated game systems are enjoyable for the gm, as a kind of self-satisfaction. His players? They won't really care one way or the other...)
Leaving the issue of the system aside, what little you have told about the story, does sound interesting enough, especially the "Power" stat.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 27, 2015, 01:16:52 pm
Yeah, I'm not exactly happy with the way I made this system, most of all the attack rolls, but I couldn't really think of another way at the time.
Your post got me thinking though, and I may have a better solution which I am liable to implement midway through the game if this version proves too much for me.
I do like the Power stat, though. It's...nice.
Post by: Kadzar on January 27, 2015, 02:14:41 pm
On a more serious note.. less is more. While it sounds fun to roll on a D100 table, it gets a drag real quick. The same goes for stats - I mean, 6 different attributes. 250 Points at start. 4 different rolls for a single attack? Imagine how many you will need for a whole combat-sequence!Actually, there doesn't seem to be a d100 table involved at all. He's having players roll under their stat number on the d100, I believe (at least that's what he said; the formula he gave for such an action doesn't really make any comparisions), which is what Runequest and Call of Cthulhu use, I believe, so it's not a weird and complicated new mechanic. Why he then goes on to make opposed rolls a d20, that's on him to explain.
And so, with that sort of mechanic in place, 250 points split between 6 (or it is 7? I don't really understand how the Power stat is determined) stats doesn't seem so unreasonable. I will agree that 4 rolls per attack (each with their own modifiers) does seem a bit bonkers, though.
Anyway, since I'm posting here, I might as well say that I think I'm giving up on the idea of a "You are a Lord" reboot for now, and instead want to refocus the effort I put into the attempt to making a Bring-Your-Own-Class fantasy game (or, if people want, I just now realized it could be turned into a superheros game).
The skill system would be freeform, meaning you can take whatever you can imagine as a skill (but keep in mind that broadly applicable skills won't do as well in certain situations as more specific ones, meaning that, if you take "Wizard" as a skill, you can make fire with magic, but you won't be as good at it as a "Pyromancer". You'd be better at illusions than him, but not as much as an "Illusionist"). Your skill level for whatever skills you'd have would give you that many d6's, which are used for opposed and unopposed rolls.
I plan to use the FATE 2.0 alternative dice method wherein bonuses and penalties give you extra dice with each bonus and penalty die negating another on a one-for-one basis, and you roll all the dice together and keep your skill level of dice, keeping all the highest if the extra dice you rolled were bonus dice, or keeping the lowest if all the dice you rolled were penalty dice. So if you have a skill of 3 for something and you have a penalty of 1 die and a bonus of 2 dice, the extra dice will cancel out so that you have a bonus of 1 die, so you'll roll 4 dice and keep the 3 highest dice since you had a bonus.
I'll probably go with the Risus character creation method and say you have 10 points to spend (to by dice on a one-for-one basis) with no one skill able to go above 4 to start with. I'm not sure if I should add some sort of health track or do as Risus does and have dice be subtracted from the loser's skill in the event of a conflict (which can be healed back at a rate appropriate for the skill in question). If I add a health track, I'd probably have a default value for that, which could be increased by spending skill points on it, or maybe toughness or mental fortitude skills (depending on the nature of the attack) could be used as an additional buffer.
But would anyone be interested in this, or should I just not bother?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 27, 2015, 02:26:48 pm
Holy shit.
I would join that before it's thread was posted.
That is to say, very interested.
Post by: Kadzar on January 27, 2015, 04:34:47 pm
So for the example of the "Wizard" skill, it would probably be used for knowing about arcane stuff, casting rituals, etc. Going outside the wizardly domain with the Wizard skill, such as trying to sneak or open doors, would incur a penalty, I'm thinking at least 2 dice. For a "Pyromancer", I'm not sure if I should keep their skill at level for doing fire magic or give it a bonus, I'd say 1 dice default, since that makes me wonder if I should give "Wizard" a bonus for some things, but then I think that it shouldn't get those bonuses since it's not as specific, but then I wonder how you even measure specificness. But I guess you can at least put things in a continuum, like Human->Wizard->Pyromancer->Fire Ritualist, and assign bonuses to about how far up the chain they go, and the more specific your skill is, the more it would rack up penalties for going outside its boundaries.
Spoiler: Pointless Aside (click to show/hide)
I've also thought about the reverse of the Wizard trying to sneak and open locks, like if you have a "Thief" or "Rogue" and they want to do something explicitly magical, like cast a fireball, that's pretty much a no-go (at least if they're using the Thief skill). But if they want to do something kind of magical that falls within the Thief domain, that's totally doable. So long as they can overcome the penalty, for example, a good enough Thief could steal something like a soul (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/03/11/episode-393-theifenberg-uncertainty-principle/), or other metaphysical concepts. Such a thing would be easier for an accomplished Thief than an accomplished Wizard, since it is closer to the Thief's core concept.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 27, 2015, 04:53:53 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 28, 2015, 04:23:26 pm
The game, such as it is, would revolve around forming a unified ideology around four sets of buzzwords (such as, for instance, Anthroneutral Cosmoxism, for a randomly generated (http://chaoticshiny.com/polbuzzgen.php) example) and four players. Each player on their turn writes a chapter about their set of buzzwords in a way that paints them as the way of the future or something of that nature. Then, when the four players are all done, the buzzwords in question then get passed to the next player in each case, who then writes about their interaction with the buzzword the player previously had. This continues until the point that all buzzwords are fully integrated and iterated from both perspectives, or until it seems like the whole thing looks halfway coherent, whichever comes first.
The selection of the buzzwords has two potential mechanisms. First, random generation - players are selected on a first-come-first-served basis, and the first four get five different random buzzwords each, they have to pick one and roll with it. If they can't work with it, next player in line gets the chance to be in. First people who manage to produce a chapter this way are actually in. The second method is that the players supply a single buzzword each, which may be more interesting (given that the buzzword generator is rather primitive and predictable, really) in the long run, and the best-sounding buzzwords along with the supplying players are put in the game.
Now, who thinks this may be a reasonably good idea?
Post by: WillowLuman on January 28, 2015, 04:27:43 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 28, 2015, 04:32:15 pm
Sounds like it could be interesting, though I guarantee headaches and bickering.
Oh, that's why I'd keep it down to four players. It's much harder to attract bickering when you cast a small net. Though what they would bicker about, I have very little clue, since it's a made-up philosophy they're trying to work out on a foundation of nothing less than solid, compressed bullshit.
My two main concerns in this case would be the lack of inspiration among players, especially initially, and overly long waiting times for players to get work done. Though these could certainly be misplaced.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 28, 2015, 04:38:08 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 01, 2015, 06:43:32 pm
This is a really cool system that means your character could be able to use their childhood teddy bear to cause natural disasters, able to eat an iPod and a Nokia and then shit out an iPhone, or able to summon subway trains from anywhere. Not random shit I just made up, these are actually suggested powers, and probably some of the lower level ones. There is a cost, however. If you use too much of your power, you will turn into one of the nightmares yourself. And that's if you don't crash and end up sleeping, which is about the worst thing that could happen to you since that makes you defenseless and means every nightmare has your exact location. Death is about the best case scenario in that situation.
I was thinking of running a game. Anyone interested if that did happen?
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on February 01, 2015, 06:45:43 pm
Post by: flabort on February 01, 2015, 08:40:49 pm
Er.
Yeah, I don't get enough sleep as it is. However, I guess the game sounds fun enough as long as it stays a game.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 01, 2015, 08:48:51 pm
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on February 01, 2015, 08:54:25 pm
Question, does sleeping provide any benefits if you survive through it (however small a chance that would have.) and do the nightmares continue to know exactly where you are if you wake up alive?
Post by: flabort on February 01, 2015, 09:00:19 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 01, 2015, 09:13:14 pm
Post by: Empiricist on February 01, 2015, 09:47:00 pm
Post by: Playergamer on February 01, 2015, 10:16:50 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2015, 10:22:26 pm
So, I've been reading up on Don't Rest (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TabletopGame/DontRestYourHead) Your Head (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Don%27t_Rest_Your_Head), and it's pretty fantastic. The basic premise is that you are an insomniac who has gained the ability to enter a place known as the Mad City, a metropolis infested with nightmares who want to kill you, eat your soul, or worse. Not only that, you have gained two powers; the ability to do a mundane thing better then anyone else (An exhaustion talent) and the ability to do something completely insane usually relating to your mental disorders (A madness talent).Where can I download this system?
This is a really cool system that means your character could be able to use their childhood teddy bear to cause natural disasters, able to eat an iPod and a Nokia and then shit out an iPhone, or able to summon subway trains from anywhere. Not random shit I just made up, these are actually suggested powers, and probably some of the lower level ones. There is a cost, however. If you use too much of your power, you will turn into one of the nightmares yourself. And that's if you don't crash and end up sleeping, which is about the worst thing that could happen to you since that makes you defenseless and means every nightmare has your exact location. Death is about the best case scenario in that situation.
I was thinking of running a game. Anyone interested if that did happen?
Post by: Fniff on February 01, 2015, 10:32:53 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 01, 2015, 10:39:50 pm
It's by some fellows named Evil Hat Productions (http://www.evilhat.com/home/). Try buying it there.Well how did you come by it? You said you were thinking about running a game weren't you?
Post by: kj1225 on February 02, 2015, 02:18:43 am
I've decided to try something ambitious! Specifically a game where the players decide the course through child like logic, majority rules of course. The basic premise is that all the players are some form of child playing pretend (I toss out the general mission, most likely with the influence of the players arguing IC) and using their imagination and bits and bobs they find to complete them. Anytime an action is taken involving a player doing something another player can raise a complaint about why they can't do that. If the rest of the players agree then the one who raised the complaint can choose what happens. Bad sports (people who try to do the 'I'm invincible/otherwise unbeatable' thing or use knowledge their character shouldn't have) are put in time out which, unlike death, lasts the entire playdate. Do not pass go, do not collect 200 dollars.
Anyways, I think it would be interesting to have a game where behaving like a child is mandatory and where every encounter is literally decided by the players.
Post by: Harbingerjm on February 02, 2015, 02:22:07 am
Post by: Kadzar on February 02, 2015, 03:44:39 am
Post by: Fniff on February 02, 2015, 01:18:21 pm
I'm not sure what you mean. If you want to know how I found about it, I found it on TV Tropes.It's by some fellows named Evil Hat Productions (http://www.evilhat.com/home/). Try buying it there.Well how did you come by it? You said you were thinking about running a game weren't you?
Post by: Tawa on February 02, 2015, 01:19:45 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 02, 2015, 01:22:41 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 02, 2015, 05:08:36 pm
Unless you mean piracy, of course. In which case, I'm pretty sure Toady frowns on that sort of discussion.*facepalm* No, of course that's not what I mean. >_>
Well, you can buy the rulebook at EvilHat.
I'm asking where you got your rulebook, because I can't find any place to buy or download a core rulebook on EvilHat's website. Unless you don't actually have it yet.
Post by: Squeegy on February 02, 2015, 05:13:03 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 02, 2015, 05:20:57 pm
https://www.evilhat.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79&products_id=181&zenid=av5ktaoj8thjt7h0vsgjnrh252Thank you so much. x_x Why wouldn't they have links to their products on their blog pages..
Post by: Fniff on February 02, 2015, 05:21:39 pm
Post by: TCM on February 02, 2015, 07:42:21 pm
Linksy to a new game, based off of TCM's RTD from two years ago. Plz look, haven't gotten any responses in 3 hours. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=148183.0)
my gaem copywrited plz donaught steel
Looks bomb, I'll check it out.
Post by: escaped lurker on February 04, 2015, 11:58:08 am
Well then, I am currently in the process of slowly putting together a kind of "Choose your own adventure" game. You know, like the books with the branching plot-lines, with the players on here able to choose which action leads to page xy.
Oh boy... I am quite certain that I never did that much prep-work for a game before. Not that it is - all - that much, but at least it is a good deal better than any of my games before. If anything, I am at least getting more confident at pixeling x3
I am also quite certain that this will be the most story-driven game that I have previously attempted. Oh boy. ;3
Either way, here you go, (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=148237.0) for those interested.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 04, 2015, 12:31:12 pm
A bunch of people stuck on a spaceship with each other, trying to get along as they search for any signs of other people in the rest of the universe. Inspired by Red Dwarf. Not doing this now because I have enough games to run and one of them is already "A bunch of people on a ship"
A bunch of people who survived some apocalyptic event because they were in a submarine at the time, now the explore the Earth in their submarine trying to figure out what happened.
Creations (characters from drawings/writings/whatever other art) trying to save their creators from some kind of threat involving the mixing of the real and imaginary worlds.
A dungeon crawling RPG where the party is inside a tank, each member operating one of the various tasks inside the vehicle in addition to using their class abilities.
Post by: kj1225 on February 04, 2015, 12:39:58 pm
Post by: Harbingerjm on February 04, 2015, 01:28:32 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 04, 2015, 02:22:50 pm
Inb4 Authyrs.*Googles* Nothing like that, more like just these specific characters come to life. Though I do like me some metaphysical waffling and layers of reality messing about.
Post by: Andres on February 10, 2015, 10:21:05 pm
Ideas? Comments? Criticisms? If you want to take this game from me feel free to do so.
Post by: Squeegy on February 11, 2015, 06:47:02 am
Post by: Squeegy on February 14, 2015, 11:25:55 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on February 15, 2015, 12:15:01 am
Post by: Squeegy on February 15, 2015, 12:17:29 am
Post by: Empiricist on February 15, 2015, 12:33:54 am
The following are example ability cards:
Arcer: Fires a homing shot with a curving trajectory
- Projectile: The shot itself
- Guidance: How the shot homes into targets
Strike: Creates a temporary close-ranged weapon
- Implement: The weapon itself
- Effect: The properties of the weapon
Linker: Sends a pulse of energy through another spell on touch
- Surge: The energy pulse
- Fuel: Scales the power of the pulse proportional to the number of cards inserted here
Field: Generates a field around the caster
- Nature: How the field itself acts
- Effect: What the field actually does
- Fuel: Scales the power of the pulse proportional to the number of cards inserted here
Weapon: Conjures a weapon that persists indefinitely
- Implement: The form the weapon takes
- Material: What the weapon is comprised of
- Effect: The properties of the weapon
- Sacrifice: Does nothing
The following is an example spell created using what few resource cards I've written up so far (as is evident, there are only action, animu and horror genres so far). It basically creates an unrealistically proportioned weapon made using ancient chinese forging techniques and imbued with eldritch power, it is capable of countering spells by generating an explosion that slows down time instead of dealing damage and which stalks its target in a similar manner to a drunk slasher villain.
Weapon
- Implement: Strike
- Implement: Shonen
- Effect: Lovecraftian
- Implement: Shonen
- Material: Wuxia
- Effect: Linker
- Surge: Arcer
- Projectile: Field
- Nature: HKCinema
- Effect: HKCinema
- Fuel: Wuxia
- Nature: HKCinema
- Guidance: Slasher
- Projectile: Field
- Fuel: Slasher
- Surge: Arcer
- Sacrifice: Lovecraftian
Is this format adequately understandable?
Post by: IronyOwl on February 15, 2015, 07:15:07 am
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on February 15, 2015, 08:04:07 am
If I'm correct, the effect: Linker part would mean upon contact with another weapon or ability card, right? So why does Surge:Y need to exist? The definition says that it sends a pulse through whatever ability card it hits, so that's a bit unnessecary, From what I can tell, it would project a homing arcing field of force of undefinable dimensions, right? Well, that doesn't seem like it would work projecting it through another weapon.
So take out the surge, guidance, sacrifice and chuck out implement altogether as weapon already defines how it gets created and how long it lasts and you get:
Weapon:
- Implement: Scythe
- Effect: Causes corrosion around the site of the wound (S)
- Material: Steel
- Effect: Linker
- Projectile: Field
- Nature: Wave of heat (M)
- Effect: Massive heating of Weapon or spell
Post by: Squeegy on February 15, 2015, 01:16:14 pm
Spell
- Effect: Weapon (First, we start with what the spell does; it creates a weapon.)
- Implement: Shonen (The weapon the spell creates is "shonen," whatever that means.)
- Effect: Lovecraftian (Additionally, the weapon is imbued with eldritch energies.)
- Material: Wuxia (And the weapon's made out of "wuxia," whatever that means.)
- Linker (Now we slap on this "Linker" card to indicate an extra effect.)
- Surge: Arcer (The effect comes in the form of an "Arcer"...)
- Projectile: Field (Which is a homing field...)
- Nature: HKCinema (That does this stuff.)
- Effect: HKCinema
- Fuel: Wuxia (The field is powered by wuxia...)
- Guidance: Slasher (The projectile is guided by "slasher"...)
- Projectile: Field (Which is a homing field...)
- Fuel: Slasher (And the surge is powered by "slasher.")
- Surge: Arcer (The effect comes in the form of an "Arcer"...)
- Sacrifice: Lovecraftian (I'm going to assume this is a spell component.)
It still looks much the same, but it conveys information much more fluidly. What's important is up front, and then it's followed by the extra information and effects. Here's the spell without the comments:
Spell
- Effect: Weapon
- Implement: Shonen
- Effect: Lovecraftian
- Material: Wuxia
- Linker
- Surge: Arcer
- Projectile: Field
- Nature: HKCinema
- Effect: HKCinema
- Fuel: Wuxia
- Guidance: Slasher
- Projectile: Field
- Fuel: Slasher
- Surge: Arcer
- Sacrifice: Lovecraftian
That's my two cents, anyway.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on February 15, 2015, 04:18:59 pm
In any case, now I see it, I can't speak for anyone else, but I think I get it.
Post by: Empiricist on February 15, 2015, 05:34:28 pm
Squeegy, yeah that definitely seems like a better way to format it, thanks.
Execute/Dumbo.exe, I kinda just cobbled together some cards randomly, so it indeed has a lot of redundancy and unnecessary fluff.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on February 15, 2015, 05:39:26 pm
Like just having a thread to test different game combats for different games sorta like the DF testing arena
Post by: Kassire on February 15, 2015, 05:50:56 pm
So would making a thread for doing multiple game tests be an ok thing?Taw had one for a while, so I wouldn't see why anyone else wouldn't have one aswell
Like just having a thread to test different game combats for different games sorta like the DF testing arena
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on February 15, 2015, 06:11:14 pm
Post by: Tawa on February 16, 2015, 09:22:08 am
Taw had one for a while, so I wouldn't see why anyone else wouldn't have one aswellStill do. So does mastahcheese.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on February 16, 2015, 06:06:54 pm
Post by: Fniff on February 16, 2015, 06:09:21 pm
The player has three memories and two quirks: a personal quirk and a weird quirk. These are all rolled for on a table. Let's talk about memories first.
Memories are short sentence fragments which represent an essential part of your character's life in three separate stages. Since the genre is Urban Fantasy, the categories are Normality (A moment, special or mundane, from your character's old life), Descent (The moment when your character started suspecting that something was up), and Nadir (The point where your character cannot turn back from the paranormal).
I haven't fully decided if this is a good idea, but one of the memories has to be shared with another player, which means that you would both have the same memory as the other. This means the two characters are linked by a singular event.
Quirks are either simple explanations of what your character can do (You're good at shooting, you have connections, etc) or the oddities of your character (You have a compulsive need to be near people, you have a pair of antennae). For the former, I roll on my own table, and for the other I use the Metamorphica (https://redboxvancouver.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/the-metamorphica-a-book-of-random-mutation-tables/).
The job of the players from there is to fit the pieces together to make a character. It seems to generate psychotic lunatics, mutants that are so horribly deformed they couldn't function in any society, or a combination of the two. This is exactly what I intended, since the players are meant to be on the lowest rung of the underworld and stuck doing jobs that are too dirty, too crazy, or simply beneath those higher on the chain.
Here's a few characters I managed to generate. Without memories being linked, of course.
Spoiler: Characters (click to show/hide)
What do you guys think? Interesting? Any criticisms?
Post by: kj1225 on February 16, 2015, 06:14:02 pm
Post by: RulerOfNothing on February 16, 2015, 06:30:25 pm
Hey, question, going with dynamic damage (You get your leg shot off, it's gone and you limp now.) What would be a good rule of thumb for damage... Dispersal? Making it too much would give one turn obliterations while making it too long would have 20 turns later against a basic mook.Depends on how exactly you are handling damage, but you could have it so that severe wounds cause people to bleed to death if they go untreated for too long (for the case of a leg getting shot off, I would probably have it take two turns at most to bleed out). Not sure how exactly I would run the numbers though.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on February 16, 2015, 06:50:15 pm
What I mean is I want to get some good challenge going but I don't want bullet sponge enemies, basically, I mean, you find a skeleton, you punch said skeleton, let's say you get a good roll on that and succeed, how much damage should that punch have done? Or, what about a shotgun against an armoured guy? Should that punch through his armour or knock him down with some heavy bleeding?Hey, question, going with dynamic damage (You get your leg shot off, it's gone and you limp now.) What would be a good rule of thumb for damage... Dispersal? Making it too much would give one turn obliterations while making it too long would have 20 turns later against a basic mook.Depends on how exactly you are handling damage, but you could have it so that severe wounds cause people to bleed to death if they go untreated for too long (for the case of a leg getting shot off, I would probably have it take two turns at most to bleed out). Not sure how exactly I would run the numbers though.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 16, 2015, 10:50:43 pm
I think this is one of those "make something up, see if it works" type deals. Just remember that players will typically be exposed to this system far more often than skeletons, and are therefore typically hurt more by arms flying off in bloody arcs.What I mean is I want to get some good challenge going but I don't want bullet sponge enemies, basically, I mean, you find a skeleton, you punch said skeleton, let's say you get a good roll on that and succeed, how much damage should that punch have done? Or, what about a shotgun against an armoured guy? Should that punch through his armour or knock him down with some heavy bleeding?Hey, question, going with dynamic damage (You get your leg shot off, it's gone and you limp now.) What would be a good rule of thumb for damage... Dispersal? Making it too much would give one turn obliterations while making it too long would have 20 turns later against a basic mook.Depends on how exactly you are handling damage, but you could have it so that severe wounds cause people to bleed to death if they go untreated for too long (for the case of a leg getting shot off, I would probably have it take two turns at most to bleed out). Not sure how exactly I would run the numbers though.
Post by: Tawa on February 17, 2015, 11:32:27 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 17, 2015, 11:33:23 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on February 17, 2015, 11:43:59 pm
Somebody stole a loaf of bread from Sam's shack. Find the culprit! It was probably Tom the drunk or Phil the eight year old. Pat the goat can't be ruled out entirely, but Sue thinks she saw him on the other side of town, so he'd have had to complete a twenty-foot dash to pull it off unless that was Mullberry the goat.
There's rats in Old Mary's cellar. Not giant rats, just regular ones. Mary refuses to let cats onto her premises, and insists that you don't harm her antique doilies. She also can't abide lemon, and insists that the problem with today's generation is a lack of discipline. You see, in her day...
Post by: Tawa on February 17, 2015, 11:48:44 pm
TO THREADMAKING
and yes, before you ask, no chicken-infested
Post by: Squeegy on February 17, 2015, 11:55:40 pm
The old Dueling Blades thread is here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=138499.0) if anyone is interested in seeing the concept. Basically two teams of four begin on opposite sides of a dungeon that goes through a mountain, at the center of which is unimaginable wealth. They are competing to get there first, and then defeat the other team. There are also some important twists along the way.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 11:45:36 am
Post by: Nerjin on February 19, 2015, 03:34:06 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 03:37:25 pm
Post by: Nerjin on February 19, 2015, 03:39:04 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 03:47:57 pm
Post by: Nerjin on February 19, 2015, 03:49:20 pm
Post by: AoshimaMichio on February 19, 2015, 03:54:09 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 03:59:58 pm
Wouldn't it be better to have a player for human and another for spirit rather than have one handling both?But then there'd need to be umpteen players to make sure everyone has a partner, and people would be stuck waiting on their partner to post.
Post by: kj1225 on February 19, 2015, 04:06:13 pm
Yeah, like I said, it needs more development. Currently the major downside is if they host for too long, they burn each other up (when not being hosted, the daemon/spirit/whatever would probably just follow their partner around most of the time). The partnership would probably have some kind of long term effect on both of them, resulting from cumulative effects of multiple hostings, though I have no idea on what those effects should be.
Maybe each hosting or every X hosting they take on some features from the other?
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 04:13:02 pm
Post by: AoshimaMichio on February 19, 2015, 04:14:55 pm
Or one plays both human and spirit, but is the spirit of another player? But then it may get messy...Wouldn't it be better to have a player for human and another for spirit rather than have one handling both?But then there'd need to be umpteen players to make sure everyone has a partner, and people would be stuck waiting on their partner to post.
Post by: Harry Baldman on February 19, 2015, 04:22:45 pm
The players create and play two characters each, a human and a spirit/daemon/whatever name. Humans in the know tend to distrust and hate spirits, and spirits tend to think of humans as unclean/inferior/dangerous, so the partnerships are very rare and probably require some kind of personal understanding or friendship.
Why friendships? Why not a powerful sense of adversity?
What if, for instance, the partnership is a method of imprisonment and humiliation thrust upon by the spirits by their betters, and while a spirit is obligated to follow the commands of their host when they emerge, they follow them to the letter rather than as intended? The spirit can have its own objective, perhaps a condition of their permanent release that is unknown by their host.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 04:41:43 pm
For the partnership to occur, there's a wall of alien-ness and/or prejudice that has to be bridged first, and the hosting thing needs mutual trust to work properly, so friendship and/or mutual self-interest seem like the most likely motives by far.
Post by: Harry Baldman on February 19, 2015, 05:02:22 pm
Because that's not the theme here. It's not so much people summoning spirits and binding them as servants, but people coming across them and they decide to work together for whatever reason. Either one of the other or both can have an agenda, and the power boost provided by hosting (and having an ally/friend who can do stuff they can't) helps them further it.
For the partnership to occur, there's a wall of alien-ness and/or prejudice that has to be bridged first, and the hosting thing needs mutual trust to work properly, so friendship and/or mutual self-interest seem like the most likely motives by far.
Unintentional adversity, then. Call it a cultural mistranslation. The spirits mean well, sure, but there's only so much you can expect from someone largely unfamiliar with human biology, customs, ethics, parlance, morality and/or basic logic.
Post by: kj1225 on February 19, 2015, 05:04:18 pm
Because that's not the theme here. It's not so much people summoning spirits and binding them as servants, but people coming across them and they decide to work together for whatever reason. Either one of the other or both can have an agenda, and the power boost provided by hosting (and having an ally/friend who can do stuff they can't) helps them further it.So, it kind of like with the one dude in Dragon Age?
For the partnership to occur, there's a wall of alien-ness and/or prejudice that has to be bridged first, and the hosting thing needs mutual trust to work properly, so friendship and/or mutual self-interest seem like the most likely motives by far.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 07:06:54 pm
Which is to say, explain?
Post by: kj1225 on February 19, 2015, 07:14:34 pm
Post by: Nerjin on February 19, 2015, 07:36:10 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on February 19, 2015, 07:58:24 pm
Post by: kj1225 on February 19, 2015, 07:59:19 pm
In this game, possession would be a separate thing from hosting, and far more injurious.Yeah, but the way you describe it is pretty much how it worked I believe.
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on February 19, 2015, 08:37:17 pm
It will be an SG in the form of a world war scale battlefield (night rub it like player gamer's world war game in which case it will be a multiplayer) using mechs and foot soilders.
Playing/knowing about the game Titan fall would probably help understand some of it's mechanics.
Post by: Squeegy on February 20, 2015, 07:42:07 pm
Post by: High tyrol on February 23, 2015, 10:28:03 pm
The idea is each player would start out with 2-6 powers from the supperpower wiki (exact amount depends upon potantcy of abilities) and would gain more for accomplishing various tasks , or killing other players.
I am wondering two things 1. How much intrest is there for a game like this
2. What kind of mechanics should I use for how the powers interact.
3.if this is too complicated for my first time being a gm
Post by: escaped lurker on February 24, 2015, 02:34:32 pm
I have a pretty simple idea for a rpg
The idea is each player would start out with 2-6 powers from the supperpower wiki (exact amount depends upon potantcy of abilities) and would gain more for accomplishing various tasks , or killing other players.
I am wondering two things 1. How much intrest is there for a game like this
2. What kind of mechanics should I use for how the powers interact.
3.if this is too complicated for my first time being a gm
Well then, since you asked, here comes my humble opinion. Dis/regard at your own leisure. ;3
1: Existing interest is relative - by making a game interesting enough, you can plainly create interest among bay12 by yourself. I'd actually say that "super/natural power" is somewhat of an established trope, so what kind of plot you build around it, would be the more important point.
2: I'd advise to keep it simple. Like, a character only being able to be affected by ~2 effects at once. If another, new effect, comes along, just make a save roll for the existing one/s, possibly according to the "potency" stat of the caster/s.
3: How complicated it becomes, really depends on yourself. Again, less is more. To give a - somewhat - exaggerated example; If you plan to roll each round for 1. Initiative 2.Hitchance 3.Dodgechance 4.Damage-range 5. Blocking/Resistance 6. Bonus effects, that netts you 12 rolls per round for a single attack, from 2 combatants. As soon as there is a larger scale battle with npc's, like a 4v4, or four players doing "their thing somewhere", that translates into a whooping ~44 rolls for each round. That is tedious, especially as it is, indeed, only a somewhat exaggerated example.
Seeing as you are playing with the pvp thought, Initiative might stay in 1. Hit / Dodge, also; 2,3. And the damage-range, for which a crit is only applied on a natural max roll, 4. There is also the possibility of taking the difference between hit and dodge, and to use that for the damage-range... but, really, just rolling it is easier in my book. So, 8 rolls for each round of combat.
All in all, if you are unsure if this could be too tedious for you, maybe trying with 3 players, but no more than 4 should do the trick. Starting, that is - you can always expand further at a later date.
Post by: High tyrol on February 24, 2015, 07:00:31 pm
ok thanksI have a pretty simple idea for a rpg
The idea is each player would start out with 2-6 powers from the supperpower wiki (exact amount depends upon potantcy of abilities) and would gain more for accomplishing various tasks , or killing other players.
I am wondering two things 1. How much intrest is there for a game like this
2. What kind of mechanics should I use for how the powers interact.
3.if this is too complicated for my first time being a gm
Well then, since you asked, here comes my humble opinion. Dis/regard at your own leisure. ;3
1: Existing interest is relative - by making a game interesting enough, you can plainly create interest among bay12 by yourself. I'd actually say that "super/natural power" is somewhat of an established trope, so what kind of plot you build around it, would be the more important point.
2: I'd advise to keep it simple. Like, a character only being able to be affected by ~2 effects at once. If another, new effect, comes along, just make a save roll for the existing one/s, possibly according to the "potency" stat of the caster/s.
3: How complicated it becomes, really depends on yourself. Again, less is more. To give a - somewhat - exaggerated example; If you plan to roll each round for 1. Initiative 2.Hitchance 3.Dodgechance 4.Damage-range 5. Blocking/Resistance 6. Bonus effects, that netts you 12 rolls per round for a single attack, from 2 combatants. As soon as there is a larger scale battle with npc's, like a 4v4, or four players doing "their thing somewhere", that translates into a whooping ~44 rolls for each round. That is tedious, especially as it is, indeed, only a somewhat exaggerated example.
Seeing as you are playing with the pvp thought, Initiative might stay in 1. Hit / Dodge, also; 2,3. And the damage-range, for which a crit is only applied on a natural max roll, 4. There is also the possibility of taking the difference between hit and dodge, and to use that for the damage-range... but, really, just rolling it is easier in my book. So, 8 rolls for each round of combat.
All in all, if you are unsure if this could be too tedious for you, maybe trying with 3 players, but no more than 4 should do the trick. Starting, that is - you can always expand further at a later date.
Post by: WillowLuman on February 24, 2015, 08:40:33 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=148720.0;topicseen
Post by: hops on February 26, 2015, 02:41:27 pm
Dusk & Dawn is a board game which is intended to be a copy of the commercial board game Shadow Hunters. It is best described as a Mafia deathmatch.
In the game, the players are divided into three factions. The Dusk champions and the Dawn champions are two opposing factions that will win if the players of the opposite factions are all dead. The Neutral champions have their own objective which they must fulfill. If a Neutral champion wins, it generally means everyone else loses, save for some exceptions. A Neutral champion tend to be more powerful than other champions.
The players are given random characters which they must play. At the start of the game, no one will know whose side the others are on, or which character they are.
Each champions have their own abilities which they can use. However, most of the time using their ability will force them to reveal themselves. Apart from their ability, the players can rely on randomly drawn cards which they can pick, depending on their location.
Red cards are mostly attack spells and items. Blue cards are defense spells and items. Green cards are special cards which the players can send to other players to hopefully determine their faction.
The green cards are generally conditional (only work if the receiver is in certain faction(s)).
Team distribution
The game require at least 5 players. There is always only one Neutral character. If there are more than 4 players in the Dusk and Dawn factions, a player from each faction will get a Leader-class champion.
Environment:
At the start of the player's turn, they roll a 2d6. The result determine their environment, and thus what they can do.
2-4: Churchyard - Draw a blue card
5-7: Cemetery - Draw a red card
8-10: Observatory - Draw a green card
11: Underground Tunnels - Draw any colour of card
12: Warehouse - Steal a player's item
Character creation:
Since the game is still in development, I need some ideas for characters.
Name:
Faction:
Objective (if Neutral):
Damage Threshold: Note that a weapon should deal around 3 damage. 10 DT is decent, 16 DT is high.
Ability:
Post by: ATHATH on February 26, 2015, 03:35:46 pm
Post by: hops on February 26, 2015, 04:46:07 pm
I suppose that preventing either side from winning for a large number of turns might be interesting, though.
Post by: Kadzar on February 28, 2015, 06:08:50 pm
I have a pretty simple idea for a rpgI probably should have mentioned it when you first posted this, but this reminds me of ICONS (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/81475/ICONS-Superpowered-Roleplaying).
The idea is each player would start out with 2-6 powers from the supperpower wiki (exact amount depends upon potantcy of abilities) and would gain more for accomplishing various tasks , or killing other players.
I am wondering two things 1. How much intrest is there for a game like this
2. What kind of mechanics should I use for how the powers interact.
3.if this is too complicated for my first time being a gm
Post by: Nerjin on March 01, 2015, 04:53:34 pm
Gladiators of Nevendaar – Gladiatorial Management Game
Flavor Flavor Flavor
So you want to run a gladiator school in a managerial position? It is quite simple. First familiarize yourself with the rules regarding: Schools, Gladiators, Turns, and Battle. After that simply fill out the sheet you acquired at the Registrar’s and submit it to the Registrar. Then, you will be the proud owner of one of the many gladiator schools in the region.
Spoiler: School Stats (click to show/hide)
Let’s take a look at an example school:
Quote from: Example
School Name: The Example School for Exempler Examples
School Titles: The Tin Medal
Money: 600gp
Roster: [1/1]
(http://imgur.com/TX3Pk6W.png) [This is where the Gladiators of your school will appear. They will appear in quotes within a single "Roster" spoiler. If a statistic doesn’t apply to a gladiator it will usually not show up.]
Spoiler: Gladiator stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Turn (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Services (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Battle (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: League Types (click to show/hide)
After reading the manual several times you decide that, Yes, you do want to start a gladiator school. IN FACT, you just can’t wait to get started. So you quickly glance over the form before filling it out.
Quote from: The Sign-Up Sheet
Lord Name: Your Name here
School Name: School Name Here
School History: Please fill out...
Personal History: Please fill out...
Post by: Squeegy on March 01, 2015, 04:56:32 pm
Post by: Andres on March 01, 2015, 05:09:23 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on March 02, 2015, 12:57:27 am
Had an idea kicking around my head for a game where the players form a bond with a spirit/daemon. The pairs work together as a team, and the spirits/daemons have the ability to go into their host's bodies to greatly enhance both their abilities, but only temporarily, since they'll both burn up if they do it for too long at a time. Beyond that, though, I dunno. The idea needs a lot more development before it can be used.
Made a lore thread so this can eventually be fleshed out enough to make a game with: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=148998.0
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 02, 2015, 02:31:52 am
Has anyone tried making a You Are King IV? If not, why?
Yeah - the latest YaKs haven't lasted long, but there's always people ready to play. I recommend heading to #yak4 on freenode webchat (http://webchat.freenode.net/) if you want to talk with the regulars about it. If you want to GM a new one, I say go for it.
@Gladiators: Seems like a good, well-thought out system to me. Only thing that worries me is the amount of work for you. Looking forward to seeing it in action, anyway.
Post by: Andres on March 02, 2015, 02:41:23 am
Yeah - the latest YaKs haven't lasted long, but there's always people ready to play. I recommend heading to #yak4 on freenode webchat (http://webchat.freenode.net/) if you want to talk with the regulars about it.How do you actually write stuff on it?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 02, 2015, 03:14:13 am
Post by: Andres on March 02, 2015, 03:18:11 am
Post by: Kadzar on March 02, 2015, 11:35:03 am
I'm thinking of running a 2nd edition game. I've heard it was one of the better editions, and, looking through it, it seems to be a pretty well-made game for its time (and even in general. Aside from a few egregious examples, like there being two different skills for pickpocketing and swiping things, it seems very well made; it's a rather unified system). And though I haven't looked through the book in absolute detail, I've looked at the base mechanics in enough depth to see that it should play well; I won't run into the situation I had with deadEarth where I agreed to play a fundamentally flawed mess of a game. It's possible there are some things in there that are super over-powered, but I can deal with that.
So, anyway, who would be interested in something like this?
Post by: kj1225 on March 02, 2015, 11:37:09 am
Post by: Kadzar on March 02, 2015, 12:03:33 pm
It sort of seems like the kind of thing were the people making it came up with names for things, then decided what they were from the names. Or they doodled out the various drawings in the book and came up with ideas from those. Drugs were probably also involved.
Mostly I just intend to jump right into the setting with whatever characters players pick, and then go from there. There's a random background generator in the GM's section that I'm eager to use, which will determine your parents, siblings, mentor (everyone has their own mentor!), and at least three other former associates, such as lovers and rivals.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on March 02, 2015, 12:12:45 pm
Post by: Kadzar on March 02, 2015, 12:41:20 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on March 02, 2015, 12:45:42 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 03, 2015, 08:22:34 am
I had a Gladiator game some time ago... I've changed several things and I think I want to run it again. here's what I got so far. Any thoughts?Looks interesting, but probably excessively complicated. Combat in particular was a pain to read, possibly because it was given in the form of examples rather than proper definitions.
Post by: Nerjin on March 03, 2015, 12:29:42 pm
Gladiators of Nevendaar – Gladiatorial Management Game
Intro Intro Intro
So you want to run a gladiator school in a managerial position? It is quite simple. First familiarize yourself with the rules regarding: Schools, Gladiators, Turns, and Battle. After that simply fill out the sheet you acquired at the Registrar’s and submit it to the Registrar. Then, you will be the proud owner of one of the many gladiator schools in the region.
Spoiler: School Stats (click to show/hide)
Let’s take a look at an example school:
Quote from: Example
School Name: The Example School for Exempler Examples
Money: 350gp
Roster: [2/2]Spoiler: Roster (2/2) (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Gladiator stats (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Turn (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Services (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Battle (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: League Types (click to show/hide)
After reading the manual several times you decide that, Yes, you do want to start a gladiator school. IN FACT, you just can’t wait to get started. So you quickly glance over the form before filling it out.
Quote from: The Sign-Up Sheet
Lord Name: Your Name here
School Name: School Name Here
School History: Please fill out...
Personal History: Please fill out...
Post by: kj1225 on March 03, 2015, 01:26:48 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 03, 2015, 02:05:49 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 03, 2015, 10:41:52 pm
I hope there's an option to have cheesy commentators describe your matches. Outrageous puns, bloodthirsty cheering and mockery, nicknames, etc. are a must.Yes.
And yeah, it's easier to follow now. Still concerned about the amount of stuff, though.
Post by: Nerjin on March 03, 2015, 10:54:01 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 03, 2015, 11:12:35 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 10, 2015, 06:49:16 pm
Spoiler: Idea the First (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea the Second (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea the Third (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea the Fourth (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea the Fifth (click to show/hide)
Criticism welcome.
Post by: Parsely on March 10, 2015, 06:57:41 pm
Post by: Tawa on March 14, 2015, 07:19:03 pm
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 03:17:43 am
That's the core idea. I'm thinking over a bunch of other stuff I can include and I may present them for comment but for now I'd like opinions on the core game.
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2015, 03:31:13 am
Post by: escaped lurker on March 15, 2015, 04:15:28 am
Isn't flying to Earth and back expensive? Re-entry and escape take a lot of energy.Well, without a space elevator, it sure would take a lot of energy. On the other hand, the moon has an abundance of helium, and far less gravity. So, either having a facility on the moon, or just making the transport magi-tech based would solve this problem in a neat enough way that it is quite congruent with physics and plot.
Actually, I'd second magi-tech, as it could serve as easy plot generator, and gives a couple of additional character / skill and even equipment choices.
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2015, 04:26:28 am
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 05:01:20 am
As for making a facility of the moon, that's impossible due to a demonic force field in between the Earth and the Moon, except it's made out of lightning and death instead of an energy wall. There has to be a very good reason why the survivors go down to Earth to get their fuel instead of the moon and that's what I've come up with.
Magitek is definitely out, I'm afraid. It partly has to do with my limited experience with the subject but mostly it's so that there's a reason for players to pick up demon stuff rather than use normal magic. I'm thinking the tech they find on Earth could be used to expand skill/equipment options, maybe in magic-like ways.
(Ninja'd.)
Or maybe there's some kind of unobtanium on Earth, and every time you make a run for supplies you need to grab some in order to get home.This could be another reason why humans don't just go to the moon for fuel. A fuel run probably won't be necessary every time the players go down but it will be necessary every once in a while. I'm thinking that on those fuel runs a big ship will be brought down to retrieve it and attract more enemies somehow. During these events, the players can choose to bring some NPC troops with them to back them up at the risk of permanently losing them.
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2015, 01:56:29 pm
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 05:20:44 pm
I think I should mention a few things about the world. You know how in XCOM you have to wait a few days scanning the world before you can do any missions? In this game there'll be a similar mechanic but relying on a different thing. The whole world has been smothered in a cover of clouds of lightning and/or death. Occasionally, the clouds break up every once in a while which'll allow the players access to the surface. Once there, the players have a limited amount of time to complete their objective before the hole gets covered again and they're trapped on the ground forever. Some of the tech they find or develop can be used to prevent this event from being an automatic failure state.
The cloud cover appeared when Hell invaded and is the reason why so relatively few people managed to get off-world.
Post by: escaped lurker on March 15, 2015, 06:03:29 pm
That cloud sounds like it might have a hefty upkeep of magical nature. Maybe some missions could deal with disrupting whatever maginations keep it up and running over certain areas... Obviously the clouds ought to break at the outer edges of reach of such an installation, making that one hell of a mission - pun intended.
Getting back at the energy, fusion reactors of now are plagued by extreme wear, and we aren't even close to helium helium fusion. I'm not sure what kind of materials humanity might come up with in the future, but I doubt fusion reactors will become terribly long-lived installations any time soon. So yeah, getting replacements, or materials to build them is also something that can be made about as important as you would like.
Since there are concrete plans to make an outpost on the moon the coming decade or so, there even could already be a scientific base up there from the get-go of the plot. The specifics are obviously up to your own discretion, just pointing it out is all.
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 08:27:50 pm
Ok, so the moon's been colonised and a mine for He-3 has been constructed. The other materials are found on Earth and it's cheaper to get native variants so mining for anything else there isn't really a thing. Fusion reactors don't use much fuel but they're very expensive to build and maintain so there aren't many, meaning the singular mine was enough to supply the reactors. The mine itself has been running for a few decades which has caused it to suffer wear-and-tear. It need constant parts and maintenance and was due for refurbishment soon.
Enter Hell. Some of the miners went crazy, parts stopped coming in so things just started to break, miners died, food stopped coming in, all miners died, the mine broke even more, and now only a small part of the mine can be used for mining. The players can choose to activate the mine and get fuel from it but they'll have to spend resources to keep it operational.
As for resources, satellite-harvesting can be done with the right tech or a decent luck roll. The ship the players are on doesn't have very good sensors so they'll have to be relatively close to them to harvest them. Asteroid-mining is downright impossible, though. The tech just doesn't exist that allows for flight to an asteroid to be quick, reliable, and cheap enough to allow for asteroid-mining. The ship the players are on don't even have good enough sensors to find them, anyway.
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2015, 08:39:19 pm
Asteroid mining is also possible in theory, but practically extremely tedious, and who knows if our crafts can even reach that far. ;3Spacecraft have infinite range, but if you don't have enough re-mass it'll take years to get where you're going.
That cloud sounds like it might have a hefty upkeep of magical nature. Maybe some missions could deal with disrupting whatever magi-nations keep it up and running over certain areas... Obviously the clouds ought to break at the outer edges of reach of such an installation, making that one hell of a mission - pun intended.
Yeah maybe you have to take down the magi towers that keep the defense up to unlock areas to battle for, and as there become fewer, the enemy's forces become more concentrated and it gets harder to take them out.
I think I've come up with decent lore for moon stuff. Let's say the year is 2106 but feel free to suggest another date.This all works really well I think. Starting out with the mothership and then capturing the moonbase and using it for steady income and as a shipyard would be neat, of course you need the manpower to run installations, and then you need more resources to keep everyone alive. If you have a moon base with atmosphere you won't need to train the common people you rescue from Earth how to EVA, they can just stay at the moon and work. Eventually you can work up to just colonizing reclaimed Earth territory.
Ok, so the moon's been colonised and a mine for He-3 has been constructed. The other materials are found on Earth and it's cheaper to get native variants so mining for anything else there isn't really a thing. Fusion reactors don't use much fuel but they're very expensive to build and maintain so there aren't many, meaning the singular mine was enough to supply the reactors. The mine itself has been running for a few decades which has caused it to suffer wear-and-tear. It need constant parts and maintenance and was due for refurbishment soon.
Enter Hell. Some of the miners went crazy, parts stopped coming in so things just started to break, miners died, food stopped coming in, all miners died, the mine broke even more, and now only a small part of the mine can be used for mining. The players can choose to activate the mine and get fuel from it but they'll have to spend resources to keep it operational.
As for resources, satellite-harvesting can be done with the right tech or a decent luck roll. The ship the players are on doesn't have very good sensors so they'll have to be relatively close to them to harvest them. Asteroid-mining is downright impossible, though. The tech just doesn't exist that allows for flight to an asteroid to be quick, reliable, and cheap enough to allow for asteroid-mining. The ship the players are on don't even have good enough sensors to find them, anyway.
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 09:23:10 pm
The clouds don't allow for demonic presence - all they do is damage whatever flies through them and disrupt communications. Even if you got rid of all the clouds, Hell's forces would remain on the Earth. Getting rid of the clouds will allow for more places to fight for but it won't affect the demons in the slightest. Difficulty will increase but I won't say how.That cloud sounds like it might have a hefty upkeep of magical nature. Maybe some missions could deal with disrupting whatever magi-nations keep it up and running over certain areas... Obviously the clouds ought to break at the outer edges of reach of such an installation, making that one hell of a mission - pun intended.Yeah maybe you have to take down the magi towers that keep the defense up to unlock areas to battle for, and as there become fewer, the enemy's forces become more concentrated and it gets harder to take them out.
This all works really well I think. Starting out with the mothership and then capturing the moonbase and using it for steady income and as a shipyard would be neat, of course you need the manpower to run installations, and then you need more resources to keep everyone alive. If you have a moon base with atmosphere you won't need to train the common people you rescue from Earth how to EVA, they can just stay at the moon and work. Eventually you can work up to just colonizing reclaimed Earth territory.As implied before, the moon base can't be used for steady income. It needs lots of parts to remain operational and it's not very quick at doing its job. The only good thing about it is it doesn't need a lot of manpower to work.
Building a shipyard on the moon is possible but considering the distance between it and the Earth it's cheaper and quicker just to build one in space, or just have Engineering do all the work (remember that this game is XCOM-like).
Terraforming is nowhere near advanced enough to make the moon habitable in the slightest. All habitable areas will have to be built using resources.
Colonising Earth? That's possible. It'll require lots of tech, lots of fuel, lots of resources, a large military, and literally constant fighting, but it's technically possible. It's not recommended, though.
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2015, 09:34:55 pm
The clouds don't allow for demonic presence - all they do is damage whatever flies through them and disrupt communications. Even if you got rid of all the clouds, Hell's forces would remain on the Earth. Getting rid of the clouds will allow for more places to fight for but it won't affect the demons in the slightest. Difficulty will increase but I won't say how.Uh, yeah, that's pretty much how I understood it to work. The clouds are a shield, you get rid of the clouds, operating in the area they covered becomes possible.
As implied before, the moon base can't be used for steady income. It needs lots of parts to remain operational and it's not very quick at doing its job. The only good thing about it is it doesn't need a lot of manpower to work.
Building a shipyard on the moon is possible but considering the distance between it and the Earth it's cheaper and quicker just to build one in space, or just have Engineering do all the work (remember that this game is XCOM-like).
Terraforming is nowhere near advanced enough to make the moon habitable in the slightest. All habitable areas will have to be built using resources.
Colonising Earth? That's possible. It'll require lots of tech, lots of fuel, lots of resources, a large military, and literally constant fighting, but it's technically possible. It's not recommended, though.
Engineering couldn't be on a habitat on the moon? A lot of machinery requires gravity to work properly.
Of course you can't colonize the moon. It's a satellite, it can't even hold an atmosphere. I was talking about artificial habitats.
Yeah cool. Sounds like a late game thing, like alien bases in XCOM. You can't bring back every human you free as well, if you give the people you leave behind weapons they could cause trouble for the demons.
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 10:44:08 pm
Post by: Parsely on March 15, 2015, 10:59:40 pm
E: Early on you'd just be fighting out of the mothership, then you build little satellites for storing things which grow into small space stations, you build large docking frames for constructing support vessels and attack vehicles for invading Earth. Eventually you accumulate enough resources and enough ships to make building on the moon worth it, which unlocks more stuff for research since machines become simpler and more efficient in gravity and you can take in unskilled labor who can't handle themselves in null G and train them, you can also finally build efficient hydroponic farms which need gravity (because fluid sucks to mess with in null).
Post by: Andres on March 15, 2015, 11:17:40 pm
I really really should've mentioned this earlier but artifical gravity has been invented and is in use on the ship. It needs energy to run and thus fuel. Because of how it works, though, it works a lot less well when the effects of natural gravity are felt.
You can't bring back every human you free as well, if you give the people you leave behind weapons they could cause trouble for the demons.Wait, do you think that people are still alive on Earth? Even if there were, they'd already have weapons and everything else they need to prevent getting killed by demons, otherwise they'd have been killed by demons.
Post by: Parsely on March 16, 2015, 12:26:51 am
Post by: Andres on March 16, 2015, 12:45:33 am
Post by: Parsely on March 16, 2015, 02:28:54 am
It's not just the players that are alive in space - I'm thinking at least 2,000 people are in space with them, maybe up to 5,000.If the entire human race is dead, defeated by these creatures, why should 5000 people be able to retake Earth? They have no way of getting more manpower.
Post by: Andres on March 16, 2015, 02:41:43 am
Post by: Parsely on March 16, 2015, 02:48:31 am
Post by: Andres on March 16, 2015, 03:03:26 am
Post by: Andres on March 17, 2015, 09:22:58 am
Crunch
In XCOM, players have to wait at the base for missions before they can send their troops out. It's the same in this game, except I don't know how to decide how long before the players can go on a mission beyond arbitrarily choosing so. Any ideas?
Fluff
A reason why the moon isn't an option. Solar flare? Radiation? Grey goo infestation? Furry colony? I'd just like to hear from you guys on this.
Kinda Both
In XCOM, the player actually plays as the Commander who sends out troops on the battlefield. I was wondering if I should give a single player control of what to build and who to send on missions and stuff. This can let more than 6 players play at once (they're characters get rotated through missions) and if we go the YAK route they can serve as a second GM so that more than 6 players can actively play at once. That's the crunch. The fluff part comes from whether I should have the commander chosen by the council (myself) or the highest-ranking player. Thoughts?
Post by: Parsely on March 17, 2015, 12:20:09 pm
FluffUnless the mothership was formerly some kind of mining vessel, they won't have the equipment necessary to make mining the moon worth it.
A reason why the moon isn't an option. Solar flare? Radiation? Grey goo infestation? Furry colony? I'd just like to hear from you guys on this.
Post by: escaped lurker on March 17, 2015, 02:11:51 pm
Fluff
A reason why the moon isn't an option. Solar flare? Radiation? Grey goo infestation? Furry colony? I'd just like to hear from you guys on this.
Well... how about the basis of operations being a space station? Just think of ISS MK-4, the frontier of humanities space-research and space-related technological advances! Such stations are not really meant to be moved, only making some correctures to their orbit, and maybe some emergency boosters to get out of collision courses.
The "landers" might also not be constructed for leaving the inner spheres of the earths magnetic field, which could make flying to the moon hazardous and far more complicated. Making it completely impossible might be a stretch though, but them needing a complicated retrofitting, plus "heavy" spacesuits for the crew to withstand the radiation and such is more than in. As in, making it very unviable.
The players also might have been kinda left behind, with ships that could handle longer flights either lost in the last desperate struggles, or gone with those that tried to get to mars. As for their fates, hey, maybe in a very hypothetical sequel, no? ;3
Crunch
In XCOM, players have to wait at the base for missions before they can send their troops out. It's the same in this game, except I don't know how to decide how long before the players can go on a mission beyond arbitrarily choosing so. Any ideas?
Well.... there are these often cube-shaped things, with optical worth indicators on their sides. Each worth is normally unique to one of the sides, the later which can number up to 100 in special designs.
You... you kinda throw them, and depending on which side shows itself on the top, some rules fall into place. In the best case, said rules are made before you throw these things. :P
Hum... that might sound far more snide than it actually should sound like, really. That aside, how about the obvious choice - how about throwing some dice? 3D6 whereas each number represents anything between 1 hour, or a quarter day, your call. Now just add some random minute thingy, so that it doesn't look too clean-cut "staged" as it actually is, and you are ready to rumble. In this regard, at least.
Kinda Both
In XCOM, the player actually plays as the Commander who sends out troops on the battlefield. I was wondering if I should give a single player control of what to build and who to send on missions and stuff. This can let more than 6 players play at once (they're characters get rotated through missions) and if we go the YAK route they can serve as a second GM so that more than 6 players can actively play at once. That's the crunch. The fluff part comes from whether I should have the commander chosen by the council (myself) or the highest-ranking player. Thoughts?
Truth be told, I am not sure if this would make the game easier for you, or even harder to manage. Either way.
Player rotation might be a good idea to not be fixed - make it first come first served, no sense in waiting for those that only play twice a week.
Same actually goes for the commander. By all means, choose him yourself. In the best case, he is the most active, and has "good" rp skills. I leave the worst case up to your imagination, but I would think that a "bad" commander could easily ruin the game for the other players.
Post by: Andres on March 17, 2015, 08:16:24 pm
Hum... that might sound far more snide than it actually should sound like, really. That aside, how about the obvious choice - how about throwing some dice? 3D6 whereas each number represents anything between 1 hour, or a quarter day, your call. Now just add some random minute thingy, so that it doesn't look too clean-cut "staged" as it actually is, and you are ready to rumble. In this regard, at least.Yes, using dice was always part of the plan but it's assigning wait times to the dice numbers that I'm having trouble with. That 3d6 thing has given me an idea, though. Ok, so first I roll 1d4-1 to determine how many months the players have to wait per mission. On a 4, a reroll is done with a +0 modifier, on a 4 again it's with a +1 modifier, and so forth. After that, I'll roll 1d5 for weeks with a 1 being 0 weeks and a 5 being 4 weeks. Finally, I'll roll 1d7 to see how many days need to be waited out after that.
Does this seem ok?
Post by: kj1225 on March 17, 2015, 08:22:19 pm
Main differences being the the main character is stuck in a crazy arena type thing with the ability to respawn, and it takes place in a mysterious arena thing.
Post by: Andres on March 17, 2015, 11:22:43 pm
I'm thinking of making a SG that runs a bit like Hotline Miami in the everyone has one hit point.If you want to make the game work you either need a story or some decent character progression and maybe customisation. Nobody likes playing games of mindless violence without pay-off.
Main differences being the the main character is stuck in a crazy arena type thing with the ability to respawn, and it takes place in a mysterious arena thing.
Post by: kj1225 on March 17, 2015, 11:24:13 pm
You say that like mindless violence isn't a payoff in and of itself. Anyways, a link to a planning thread I set up is in my sig now.I'm thinking of making a SG that runs a bit like Hotline Miami in the everyone has one hit point.If you want to make the game work you either need a story or some decent character progression and maybe customisation. Nobody likes playing games of mindless violence without pay-off.
Main differences being the the main character is stuck in a crazy arena type thing with the ability to respawn, and it takes place in a mysterious arena thing.
Post by: Nerjin on March 17, 2015, 11:25:36 pm
Post by: Andres on March 18, 2015, 05:19:30 am
Post by: escaped lurker on March 18, 2015, 06:27:49 pm
Anyone know any good sources I can steal GET INSPIRATION from for tech trees and stuff?
http://orbitalvector.com/Index.htm (http://orbitalvector.com/Index.htm)
Not sure if it is still up to date on currently developing tech, but else it is a good overview and quite solid. Especially good if you want to be realistic / nitpicky about not ignoring physics alltogether.
Post by: Andres on March 18, 2015, 07:50:44 pm
EDIT: Just finished reading about tech levels and now it looks like this'll do much better than fine. This is great!
EDIT2: Maybe the Commander position can be played as an SG where everyone chooses what to do.
Post by: Andres on March 19, 2015, 10:26:18 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on March 19, 2015, 10:27:44 pm
Post by: Andres on March 19, 2015, 10:31:16 pm
Post by: Playergamer on March 19, 2015, 11:02:24 pm
Post by: Andres on March 19, 2015, 11:35:08 pm
Cleric with turn undead, I'd suspect.Cleric implies a religious role. How does turn undead work? Why is it even called turn undead? You're not turning them to your side, after all.
As in, biomancer (manipulates life, most likely some kind of healer)Should've mentioned this before but I don't think biomancer is the right word. According to this (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bio-), the antonym to that is thanato- (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/thanato-) which is similar but different to necro- (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/necro-). It also implies that it allows for the alteration of biological things, even if they're dead.
Post by: kj1225 on March 19, 2015, 11:42:11 pm
It stems from one belief that a way to render undead harmless was to literally turn them upside down. Also, it turns them dead.Cleric with turn undead, I'd suspect.Cleric implies a religious role. How does turn undead work? Why is it even called turn undead? You're not turning them to your side, after all.
Post by: Andres on March 20, 2015, 02:03:35 am
As for magic, there are three types:
Life
Death
Elemental - Fire, Frost, and Lightning
What I need help with is in making magic that's available to all types of mages such as Enchanting. A word other than 'type' to describe the three...types of magic would be great.
EDIT: There's also Divine magic which is derived from the gods' domains. The gods' domains should be something other than Life, Death, or Elemental.
Post by: Parsely on March 20, 2015, 04:59:01 pm
Post by: Andres on March 24, 2015, 07:25:46 am
Post by: kj1225 on March 24, 2015, 09:54:14 am
The setting would probably decide what the main focus would be. The main ideas being a pirate themed one that is lower powered but with more bonuses for friends and items, an urban fantasy that's more about fighting other evil MGs, and then finally a sort of Sci Fi setting that has a lot of mook slaughtering and villain of the week type stuff.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 24, 2015, 12:09:09 pm
I'd also like some help with the gods of the world, specifically their domains. Domains without opposites (Animals, for example) are preferred but not required (Harvest is possible) but strong, universe-binding domains with opposites (such as Chaos and Order) are definitely out.
EDIT: There's also Divine magic which is derived from the gods' domains. The gods' domains should be something other than Life, Death, or Elemental.Well, what's the point of gods? Just adding additional spell types?
If so, I'd obviously lean towards gaps left behind by the current trio; depending on how you want the world/system to work, you might want the opposite. That said, assuming Life/Death/Elemental has those areas covered and needn't be repeated, we're probably mainly left with more esoteric forces and concepts, like Emotion (or specific emotions), Gravity, Time, Tides, Erosion, and so on, as well as any gaps left behind by the main three, like Earth, Metals, Ash, Water if that's not under Frost, Plants or Growth if they're not under Life, and so on.
Another way to get domains, or at least be inspired to find domains, is to look at what you've got already and see how they fit together. For instance, combine Life and Death. What does that give you? Anything? Regrowth, Cycles, Equivalence, something like that? Might make for good domains, might not. Try again with Death and Elemental, wonder if Death+Lightning is any different from Death+Fire, and so on.
As for magic, there are three types:Meaning what? Broad ideas like "alchemy" or "cabalism," or actually making Enchanting a functional, balanced set of concrete values?
Life
Death
Elemental - Fire, Frost, and Lightning
What I need help with is in making magic that's available to all types of mages such as Enchanting.
A word other than 'type' to describe the three...types of magic would be great.Sphere, Domain, Valence, Arc, Path, Sigil, Veil. Made up words like Ukmak or Pel could also work.
Trying to figure out a bonus to give when someone reaches Adept at casting a fireball. On a d10, it'll give the player +2 to teaching the technique to others, but what else should it give?This is likewise hard to answer without context, but is there anything neat a spell could do for a player at that point? Heal them, stun enemies, become AoE, reroll 1s, ideally leaning towards "this is an extra effect I don't have difficulty remembering or applying" and away from "this is more numbers and they're awkward to do?" Limiting it to crits or high rolls (or low rolls, as mentioned) could help with both that and keeping it from becoming too powerful.
I was just thinking of making a magic girl type game. It'd probably have a focus on teaming up with bonuses for having relationships with other MGs.Friendship Power Pirates sounds hilarious. I notice you specify other evil MGs in Urban Evildoers, which is either a prophetic typo or thinking ahead.
The setting would probably decide what the main focus would be. The main ideas being a pirate themed one that is lower powered but with more bonuses for friends and items, an urban fantasy that's more about fighting other evil MGs, and then finally a sort of Sci Fi setting that has a lot of mook slaughtering and villain of the week type stuff.
Post by: kj1225 on March 24, 2015, 12:28:09 pm
Post by: Andres on March 24, 2015, 05:54:16 pm
Well, what's the point of gods? Just adding additional spell types?That's a bit outdated. I've already thought up the gods and given them their place in the world and everything but thanks anyway.
If so, I'd obviously lean towards gaps left behind by the current trio; depending on how you want the world/system to work, you might want the opposite. That said, assuming Life/Death/Elemental has those areas covered and needn't be repeated, we're probably mainly left with more esoteric forces and concepts, like Emotion (or specific emotions), Gravity, Time, Tides, Erosion, and so on, as well as any gaps left behind by the main three, like Earth, Metals, Ash, Water if that's not under Frost, Plants or Growth if they're not under Life, and so on.
Another way to get domains, or at least be inspired to find domains, is to look at what you've got already and see how they fit together. For instance, combine Life and Death. What does that give you? Anything? Regrowth, Cycles, Equivalence, something like that? Might make for good domains, might not. Try again with Death and Elemental, wonder if Death+Lightning is any different from Death+Fire, and so on.
Expressions of those types of magic, basically. Assuming we're using Fire, a Direct expression will cast a fireball, an Enchant expression will light a sword on fire, a Scroll expression will record a fire spell in a scroll, etc. (Expressions aren't just limited to one action. Another Direct expression is a fire wall, or something.)As for magic, there are three types:Meaning what? Broad ideas like "alchemy" or "cabalism," or actually making Enchanting a functional, balanced set of concrete values?
Life
Death
Elemental - Fire, Frost, and Lightning
What I need help with is in making magic that's available to all types of mages such as Enchanting.
Well, fireball has a chance to set someone on fire but that's more unique to the whole element rather than just the spell. On being able to use Expert fireballs, the player can put lesser versions of the spell into staves (though this might not be unique to fireball), and a Master fireball explodes. I'd like for the bonus to relate specifically to fireballs so '+1 chance to setting people on fire' won't fit.Trying to figure out a bonus to give when someone reaches Adept at casting a fireball. On a d10, it'll give the player +2 to teaching the technique to others, but what else should it give?This is likewise hard to answer without context, but is there anything neat a spell could do for a player at that point? Heal them, stun enemies, become AoE, reroll 1s, ideally leaning towards "this is an extra effect I don't have difficulty remembering or applying" and away from "this is more numbers and they're awkward to do?" Limiting it to crits or high rolls (or low rolls, as mentioned) could help with both that and keeping it from becoming too powerful.
I'll admit, I probably wouldn't allow a villainous PC unless they're an anti-villain type. That said, I do know that you guys have unconventional tastes.A straight-up villainous PC would be awesome! They're loads more fun than the annoying, whining, misunderstood, emo pricks that Bay12 tends to make 'anti-villains'.
Post by: kj1225 on March 24, 2015, 05:57:02 pm
Post by: Andres on March 24, 2015, 06:00:03 pm
Post by: kj1225 on March 24, 2015, 06:05:54 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 24, 2015, 06:07:13 pm
Who likes mech games?
Post by: Andres on March 24, 2015, 06:12:54 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on March 24, 2015, 06:49:23 pm
Post by: Andres on March 24, 2015, 07:22:48 pm
Who doesn't like mech games? This reminds me, I really should update my own...I'd like to drop out of that game. Too much RP and not enough gameplay.
Post by: Parsely on March 24, 2015, 07:24:58 pm
That is insanely rude the way you did that, I hope you realize.Who doesn't like mech games? This reminds me, I really should update my own...I'd like to drop out of that game. Too much RP and not enough gameplay.
Post by: Tiruin on March 24, 2015, 07:26:36 pm
You...could actually tell him that -in his game- instead of doing that in a public thread. It has bad implications other than a well-meaning intent or request of leave, just to poke. (Though it is and sounds benign :) Just poking at the probable way it would sound...otherwise)Who doesn't like mech games? This reminds me, I really should update my own...I'd like to drop out of that game. Too much RP and not enough gameplay.
...Because it'd lead to discussion. Which is better to bring up in the specified thread, for one.
That, and addressing 'that' game instead of 'your' game sounds a lot like distancing. But that's a darker side of the coin...
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 24, 2015, 07:43:07 pm
Who doesn't like mech games? This reminds me, I really should update my own...I'd like to drop out of that game. Too much RP and not enough gameplay.
To-too much RP?!?
What kind of madman are you!?!
Post by: Remuthra on March 24, 2015, 07:44:18 pm
OI! STIRK!
Post by: Playergamer on March 24, 2015, 07:52:22 pm
Post by: Andres on March 24, 2015, 07:55:53 pm
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 12:24:03 am
Post by: kj1225 on March 25, 2015, 12:30:14 am
On a side note, my magic girls thing combined with the mecha stuff in my head and resulted in a game that would follow robot ship girl things as they fight for control of the seas and against the evil down below™.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 25, 2015, 12:39:29 am
Oh yeah, Smurfs game. It could have been good but it was just... not varied enough in the beging for me.So basically Kantai Collection Gaiden?
On a side note, my magic girls thing combined with the mecha stuff in my head and resulted in a game that would follow robot ship girl things as they fight for control of the seas and against the evil down below™.
Post by: kj1225 on March 25, 2015, 12:41:14 am
Yeah, basically.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 25, 2015, 02:34:23 am
Wouldn't "Direct" be pretty much anything that isn't crafting or maybe trap-laying, then?Meaning what? Broad ideas like "alchemy" or "cabalism," or actually making Enchanting a functional, balanced set of concrete values?Expressions of those types of magic, basically. Assuming we're using Fire, a Direct expression will cast a fireball, an Enchant expression will light a sword on fire, a Scroll expression will record a fire spell in a scroll, etc. (Expressions aren't just limited to one action. Another Direct expression is a fire wall, or something.)
I'd probably lean towards spell-specific buffs/debuffs/effects, then, assuming you can make them not a pain to work with. Tracking who's stunned, bleeding, poisoned, and/or a newt at the moment can get old fast.This is likewise hard to answer without context, but is there anything neat a spell could do for a player at that point? Heal them, stun enemies, become AoE, reroll 1s, ideally leaning towards "this is an extra effect I don't have difficulty remembering or applying" and away from "this is more numbers and they're awkward to do?" Limiting it to crits or high rolls (or low rolls, as mentioned) could help with both that and keeping it from becoming too powerful.Well, fireball has a chance to set someone on fire but that's more unique to the whole element rather than just the spell. On being able to use Expert fireballs, the player can put lesser versions of the spell into staves (though this might not be unique to fireball), and a Master fireball explodes. I'd like for the bonus to relate specifically to fireballs so '+1 chance to setting people on fire' won't fit.
*loud sighing*I don't know. I've never actually followed one that didn't crash pretty quickly. :x
Who likes mech games?
To-too much RP?!?Oh, so y- wait, you are involved in those magical girl megathreads, aren't you.
What kind of madman are you!?!
Well... carry on then.
Better yet, Pacific Rim: Magical Girl Edition.Oh yeah, Smurfs game. It could have been good but it was just... not varied enough in the beging for me.So basically Kantai Collection Gaiden?
On a side note, my magic girls thing combined with the mecha stuff in my head and resulted in a game that would follow robot ship girl things as they fight for control of the seas and against the evil down below™.
Post by: evilcherry on March 25, 2015, 02:56:57 am
But that's a different beast! The world is so good with Nagato, Ayanami and Soryu finally referring to ships again!Better yet, Pacific Rim: Magical Girl Edition.Oh yeah, Smurfs game. It could have been good but it was just... not varied enough in the beging for me.So basically Kantai Collection Gaiden?
On a side note, my magic girls thing combined with the mecha stuff in my head and resulted in a game that would follow robot ship girl things as they fight for control of the seas and against the evil down below™.
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 02:58:18 am
That's what I'm trying to figure out. Maybe Familiars or Summoning can be another branch.Wouldn't "Direct" be pretty much anything that isn't crafting or maybe trap-laying, then?Meaning what? Broad ideas like "alchemy" or "cabalism," or actually making Enchanting a functional, balanced set of concrete values?Expressions of those types of magic, basically. Assuming we're using Fire, a Direct expression will cast a fireball, an Enchant expression will light a sword on fire, a Scroll expression will record a fire spell in a scroll, etc. (Expressions aren't just limited to one action. Another Direct expression is a fire wall, or something.)
That's something I can do for mastery over an element as a whole, actually. I've also thought about your idea of rerolling 1s and I think I'm gonna have that with a -1 penalty per roll. If the resultant number is 1 or less, I'll keep rerolling until I have a good number. If the only number possible is a 1 or less, I'll treat it as a 1 because obviously the gods hate that person and they deserve to be punished.I'd probably lean towards spell-specific buffs/debuffs/effects, then, assuming you can make them not a pain to work with. Tracking who's stunned, bleeding, poisoned, and/or a newt at the moment can get old fast.This is likewise hard to answer without context, but is there anything neat a spell could do for a player at that point? Heal them, stun enemies, become AoE, reroll 1s, ideally leaning towards "this is an extra effect I don't have difficulty remembering or applying" and away from "this is more numbers and they're awkward to do?" Limiting it to crits or high rolls (or low rolls, as mentioned) could help with both that and keeping it from becoming too powerful.Well, fireball has a chance to set someone on fire but that's more unique to the whole element rather than just the spell. On being able to use Expert fireballs, the player can put lesser versions of the spell into staves (though this might not be unique to fireball), and a Master fireball explodes. I'd like for the bonus to relate specifically to fireballs so '+1 chance to setting people on fire' won't fit.
In other news, I've finished up the first few playable races the players will have access to. All rolls are done with a d10. Any balance issues?
Code: [Select]
Humans: +1 divine magic, +1 INT.
*Orc: +1 STR, +1 combat skills
*Dryad: Nature magic when in high nature energy areas
*High Elf: +1 INT
*Pure: +1 divine magic
Orcs: +2 STR, +2 combat skills, +20% XP gain when competing, -2 INT.
Dryads: Nature magic, regeneration when in high nature energy areas, -2 to everything when in zero nature energy areas.
Dwarves: +3 STR, AGI and SPD halved, +3 crafting, (SPD penalty removed, +2 STR, and INT drops to 0 when health drops to 20% (berserker)).
Great Elf = Orc+Human hybrid
Nature Elf = Dryad+Human hybrid
High Elf = Normal elf
Great Elves: +1 STR, +1 combat skills, +10% XP gain when competing
Nature Elves: Nature magic when in low nature energy areas, better healing when in high nature energy areas
High Elves: +2 INT, +1 AGI
Goblins: -3 STR, SPD halved, INT halved, +2 DEX, +2 stealth.* The asterisk signifies that that human has X blood in them. Players can choose what ancestor they want.EDIT: "When competing" means whenever they're in conflict, such as in combat.
EDIT2: High nature areas include forests and swamps, low nature areas include plains and farms, and zero nature areas include cities and wastelands.
Post by: escaped lurker on March 25, 2015, 11:23:35 am
Maybe something like this?
Magic: Dmg Multiplier 1,5 - Effect Multiplier 0,7 - Preparation Multiplier 1
Faith: Dmg Multiplier 1 - Effect Multiplier 2 - Preparation Multiplier 1,5
Ritual: Dmg Multiplier 3 - Effect Multiplier 4 - Preparation Multiplier 5
Runes: Dmg Multiplier 2,5 - Effect Multiplier 2 - Preparation Multiplier 3
Allright, I pulled those scores out of thin air. Still, if you balance the "basic attributes" of each expression, the gameplay of casters will be far more fluid, without becoming too unfair. Plus, it is not one big balancing act, where you have to check each new spell through multiple systems, as to not break the same horribly.
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 04:42:55 pm
Revealing a bit more stuff about the world and the elements, to those who are interested.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 25, 2015, 05:56:33 pm
So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Being a dick.
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 06:09:36 pm
Yes, that would be one of the reasons why Life and Death mages aren't seen as a good/evil dichotomy in many places.So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Being a dick.
Post by: Kassire on March 25, 2015, 06:16:32 pm
So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Well, mind-control, which one could say that it controls all of the electric pulses that the brain makes to move your body n' shit. It could be worded and used differently if one were to use different applications of magic I guess, enchantments on someones body to moves something when you want it to, complete and utter mind and body domination, destroying the mind and placing your own magical one that follows your own commands via telepathy, ect.
Yes, that would be one of the reasons why Life and Death mages aren't seen as a good/evil dichotomy in many places."Guns don't kill people, people kill people!"
Post by: monk12 on March 25, 2015, 06:19:28 pm
Yes, that would be one of the reasons why Life and Death mages aren't seen as a good/evil dichotomy in many places.So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Being a dick.
Blood bending
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 06:29:37 pm
Not at all the type of body-controlling I have in mind. What you're thinking of is mind magic - which doesn't exist (any more) - while the thing I'm talking about is purely physically moving their body. Instead of physical strings, though, the subject's body is moved by your own life energy injected into them via touch. The subject can be either conscious or unconscious (asleep) during this time, though the movement usually wakes them up.So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Well, mind-control, which one could say that it controls all of the electric pulses that the brain makes to move your body n' shit. It could be worded and used differently if one were to use different applications of magic I guess, enchantments on someones body to moves something when you want it to, complete and utter mind and body domination, destroying the mind and placing your own magical one that follows your own commands via telepathy, ect.
Yeah, pretty much that. I need a different name for it, though.Yes, that would be one of the reasons why Life and Death mages aren't seen as a good/evil dichotomy in many places.So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Being a dick.
Blood bending
Post by: Tawa on March 25, 2015, 06:49:05 pm
:(So what's it called when you control another person's living body using magic? Puppetry? Body-controlling?Being a dick.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 25, 2015, 07:39:40 pm
Guns just make it so muchYes, that would be one of the reasons why Life and Death mages aren't seen as a good/evil dichotomy in many places."Guns don't kill people, people kill people!"
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 07:49:33 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 25, 2015, 08:04:17 pm
Except in this case, guns are also capable of healing gun wounds from other guns and the other guns can also cure cancer.Right. Like I said. Guns.
Post by: Andres on March 25, 2015, 08:49:12 pm
....Wut?Except in this case, guns are also capable of healing gun wounds from other guns and the other guns can also cure cancer.Right. Like I said. Guns.
Post by: hops on March 26, 2015, 04:45:34 am
Spoiler: Relevant (click to show/hide)
Post by: Andres on March 26, 2015, 06:31:25 am
Code: [Select]
Humans: +1 divine magic, +1 INT
*Orc: +1 STR, +10% XP gain for combat skills when competing
High Elves: +2 INT, +1 AGI, +1 DEX
Goblins: -3 STR, SPD halved, INT halved, +2 stealth
Spoiler: Changelog (click to show/hide)
Now, originally I had this game in mind as a Suggestion Game where players pick a race and do whatever, maybe unravel what happened to Time or become a pseudo-demigod or attain rulership or something. The problem is that I intend for the players to unlock new races they can play as as they play the game, which they can then play as once they retire their character or die. I feel that if I play it as an SG people will drop out once the character that they've all invested their time in will die, or will simply never retire the character and play as a new race. For this reason, I've decided to open up this game to 3 players at a time.
While all gameplay will take place on the same world (a more precise description would be 'planet'), the players can choose to play in very different areas. There will be a default area that players can play in or they can request to play in a different part of the world (specified by them) where the geography is different, such as one where Humans are wiped out or where Dryads and Dwarves are the two major powers of the world (Dryads are basically super elves).
Spoiler: History of the World - Applied to the Default Area (click to show/hide)
Difference between the elves:
Nature Elves - attractive Humans with pointy ears
High Elves - Nature Elves except taller (that's where the 'High' comes from)
Great Elves - Nature Elves except green and more muscular (that's where the 'Great' comes from)
The default area will be very standard but should allow for some decent experiences. All the races start off at peace with each-other (except for Goblins, being Always Chaotic Evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlwaysChaoticEvil) they're at war with everyone) with some ruins to uncover, wilderness to explore, and monsters to fight.
Post by: Kadzar on March 26, 2015, 11:11:10 am
And if you want parties of various characters that go off and adventure and occasional have newly found races join them, you might want to consider having the characters be part of an adventurers guild or some other organization that recruits these newly found races. Or you could do something like the West Marches (http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/). That way you don't have to wait until someone dies to add new characters, people can just choose to play different ones when they go on a new trip or mission.
Post by: Andres on March 26, 2015, 07:52:02 pm
If you mostly just intended Goblins to be an NPC race and made them playable to give players the option if they want, that's fine, but personally I don't see the point of making a PC race that's intended to be crap. There should be something compelling about them, even if it's not mechanics-based.To be honest, I just intended for them to be an NPC race and only made it a playable race because "why not?", not because it'll be exceptionally fun to play as one. I'm also not very good at anything that doesn't have to do with mechanics so getting an ACE race to be interesting in a fluffy way is out of my abilities. However, I have given this some thought and I think I've come up with some decent game mechanics for Goblin players.
Ok, firstly, Goblins are born in Goblin birthing pits. I'm not sure exactly how goblin pits are actually made, but I do know that slaves dig them out and that they work using the process of ANIMALS>IN - GOBLINS>OUT. Secondly, the player has the option of playing as a sneaker (thieves, child-snatchers, and assassins) alone or a fighter (fighting (duh), raiding, looting, enslaving) in a warband. Doing so will accrue wealth, leading to better gear and slaves. Slaves can be used for generic slave stuff like labour, they can be used as soldiers in your own personal army, and they can be used to dig out (and maintain >:D) your own personal goblin birthing pit(s).
A Goblin player can also do normal stuff like get better at magic or become an awesome fighter but the above playstyle will be unique to them.
And if you want parties of various characters that go off and adventure and occasional have newly found races join them, you might want to consider having the characters be part of an adventurers guild or some other organization that recruits these newly found races. Or you could do something like the West Marches (http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/). That way you don't have to wait until someone dies to add new characters, people can just choose to play different ones when they go on a new trip or mission.I've just finished reading that and it looks pretty interesting. The problem here is that if I'm going to allow this kind of guild to exist I can't just have one - each race would have one suited to their specific needs. Dryads would need such a guild primarily for defence and colonisation (maybe - I need help with this), Dwarves for exploration (caverns), High Elves to find magical stuff, and Orcs and Humans for the frontier work mentioned in West Marches.
As for playing as different characters from the same guild, that could be problematic since one of the goals a player can have in this game is make them a legendary warrior or attain immortality. This would discourage them from voluntarily choosing to play as different characters.
Fakedit: I guess maybe I can make it that they have to wait for their character to be healed before they can play again, during which time another player can step in and play their own character.
Post by: Funk on March 27, 2015, 03:04:41 am
Goblin give birth to live maggot like young on a regular cycle, over time they eat stuff, mostly meat and grow until there about the size of a large dog.
All this time the goblin inside gestates so that when it haches the goblin has reached most of it adult size and is fully able to support it self.
Post by: Andres on March 27, 2015, 04:31:32 am
Post by: Kadzar on March 27, 2015, 09:14:28 pm
Post by: Tawa on March 27, 2015, 09:20:35 pm
Watching this (https://youtu.be/LnkqdMS1LkE) made me think someone should make a game about managing a cult.Somebody did back during the GR-5 Incident.*
*That is, the Grisha5 Incident.
Post by: Andres on March 28, 2015, 03:55:32 am
So how do people here get their maps? Are they home-made or borrowed from other sources? If the former, are they just thought up in someone's head or is there some other method I don't know about?
Post by: escaped lurker on March 28, 2015, 06:24:19 am
Either way, it might be a good idea to trace continents / islands made with http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world/ (http://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/world/) ,as to avoid the "linear" continent look that might sneak itself in otherwise. Lots of other stuff on there too, which might turn out useful if one is struggling for ideas.
Post by: Andres on March 29, 2015, 12:26:08 am
Post by: Andres on March 30, 2015, 04:30:52 am
Post by: hops on March 30, 2015, 04:32:42 am
This is still an idea, though. I would need help for a more tangible rule system.
Post by: Andres on March 30, 2015, 06:04:40 am
Post by: sjm9876 on March 30, 2015, 07:22:36 am
The focus would be on exploration and RP more so than combat, with what combat there is being relatively lethal, and a rather grim atmosphere (think fighting fantasy - deathtrap dungeon for reference.)
About as much detail as I can give without spoilers :P
Post by: Andres on March 30, 2015, 07:24:06 am
Post by: GiglameshDespair on March 30, 2015, 07:51:25 am
Post by: monk12 on March 30, 2015, 11:04:24 am
Would there be any interest in a dungeon crawl RPG in which the players play freshly incarnated souls?
The focus would be on exploration and RP more so than combat, with what combat there is being relatively lethal, and a rather grim atmosphere (think fighting fantasy - deathtrap dungeon for reference.)
About as much detail as I can give without spoilers :P
Sounds neat.
Post by: Andres on March 31, 2015, 02:29:44 am
The following idea
Vampires vs magical girls. Vampires eat humans, magical girls eat vampires, magical girls are more powerful, vampires have more abilities. The first two bits might lead to something from PMMM. Thoughts?
EDIT: By 'magical girls', I really only meant people who have a magical form. They don't have to be female.
Post by: escaped lurker on March 31, 2015, 02:39:32 am
Hmm... you maybe aware of the Scottland Yard Board-Game? Kinda a classic, not sure how it is doing recently.
Either way, what I would suggest is the main mechanic of that game. In your context, the vampires would go first via pm's, whereas the Magical Girls would hunt them openly in the thread. Every few rounds, a vampire has to feed, and the corpses left behind will shine the way to them.
If a Magical Girl is close enough, use some kind of skill and similiar, they will also sense the vampires. So yeah, kind of a cat and mouse game.
Obviously such mechanics would need some sort of map, with different locations. Enough to keep the chase on, no real bottlenecks and stuff.
Not sure if my idea is going into the direction you want this to go, but a scottland yard-y game on here could actually turn out quite interesting either way ;3
Post by: Andres on March 31, 2015, 03:15:15 am
I've heard of Scotland Yard, but all I know is that it's related to Sherlock Holmes, it's a real-life thing, and it does or did investigative work. I've never heard of it as a board game.
As for the mechanics, I'm not sure I want the vampires to be the ones using PMs if I'll be using them at all. Magical girls will be the ones laying ambushes if anyone.
Magical girls get an active soul sense ability which lets them accurately tell vampire from human apart and even lets them see both through walls, though that last bit has a radius. Its biggest downside is that it relies on mana. Vampires will have the ability minus the see through walls, it'll be a passive ability (meaning no mana cost, not that vampires will have mana), but they can only tell if an MG is an MG if they're in their magical form.
Shit, that's probably the biggest problem I'll have to deal with, assuming there are enough people wanting to play. Any advice on this one? Someone linked a great site for fantasy world but I can't really use it here unless....unless I don't set it in modern times....
Post by: escaped lurker on March 31, 2015, 04:12:01 am
Either way, I actually think I might give the sequel - turned high fantasy - a shot. Obviously with vastly different plot, and some changes to how the mechanics are handled... Still, should be quite fun - or so I hope ;3
Edit: With Sequel, I speak of the continuation of Scottland Yard - "Mr X", made scant 26 years after the original. Somehow they are still chasing the same guy, all these years afterwards. Sure are some cops, those ones. ;o
Post by: Andres on March 31, 2015, 04:39:03 am
Post by: Andres on April 01, 2015, 12:44:14 am
Spoiler: Mages (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Vampires (click to show/hide)
A vampire starts off with double the stats of a normal human but a mages can triple their stats by entering into their magical form. The exception to this is mana which is quadrupled, though any stat gains to mana go to the magical form. How stats are going to be gained is the tricky bit.
For mages, every vampire they kill gives the mage 2 mana points. The other stats are gained through mundane means though I'm not sure how Will can be gained. Maybe I just shouldn't have it as a stat?
It gets a lot more tricky for vampires. First of all, a certain amount of people need to have their souls devoured before the vampire can get a stat point. These stat points can be spent on increasing any stat, and are in fact the only way to do so. The issue here is buying stats vs powers. Should stats and powers cost the same? Should stats cost more? Should some powers be worth more than others? Then there's the worth of a mage's soul. It should always be worth at least 1 stat point, but should it be worth more than that? 3, perhaps?
As for the vampires, I've decided on using modified Hellsing vampires.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 06, 2015, 11:13:02 pm
That has hilarious implications.
Post by: Andres on April 07, 2015, 07:49:51 am
Post by: flabort on April 08, 2015, 10:11:43 pm
Post by: Andres on April 08, 2015, 10:28:45 pm
Post by: Tawa on April 10, 2015, 04:07:01 pm
It's like an ISG, but with unicode drawings instead of pictures.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 10, 2015, 04:53:24 pm
How so?Well, basement dwelling nerd jokes everywhere for one thing.
For another:
"Welcome to The Sanctum. Before we begin your training, it's important to bless you in order to guard against the possibility of you ever becoming what you most hate."
"Awesome, how's that work?"
*sleazy music starts playing*
Post by: Andres on April 10, 2015, 04:57:11 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 10, 2015, 05:29:16 pm
Post by: monk12 on April 10, 2015, 05:36:22 pm
I guess Magical Lesbian Vampire Battle is up to me, then.
I've heard of Magical Girls defeating monsters of darkness with the power of love, but this is ridiculous. Also hilarious.
Post by: Andres on April 10, 2015, 05:39:55 pm
I guess Magical Lesbian Vampire Battle is up to me, then.Immortalised here. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=65536.msg6157264#msg6157264)
Ok, so what about people becoming vampires either by drinking the blood of the person they hate most (only applicable if they hate someone) and dying immediately after, the person who loves them the most (only applicable if anyone loves them, familially or romantically) and dying immediately after, or by drinking the blood of one child every day exclusively until they die, eating or drinking nothing else and being killed by nothing but natural causes (i.e. only drinking blood for several days in a row).
Post by: Dermonster on April 10, 2015, 06:25:00 pm
I guess Magical Lesbian Vampire Battle is up to me, then.
The scarlet devils from touhou then?
Post by: hops on April 11, 2015, 12:01:16 am
I had an idea for a suggestion game: Unicode Adventure.Dude you need to lurk moar.
It's like an ISG, but with unicode drawings instead of pictures.
There's like a dozen of those.
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 11, 2015, 01:13:19 am
Post by: Tack on April 11, 2015, 03:22:24 pm
Either Treasure Sounds A Lot Like Treachery III
Or Tack's Zombie Survival III.
Everyone of the above ones which I have run, has completely fallen apart because of me. It's been awesome.
So I'm thinking to go again!
Post by: Andres on April 11, 2015, 06:41:31 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on April 11, 2015, 07:16:22 pm
gahh
Post by: Andres on April 11, 2015, 08:15:26 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 11, 2015, 09:24:32 pm
Well now I'm torn between Hip Size Is A Stat Edition and Infinite Cuddle Works.I guess Magical Lesbian Vampire Battle is up to me, then.
I've heard of Magical Girls defeating monsters of darkness with the power of love, but this is ridiculous. Also hilarious.
Ok, so what about people becoming vampires either by drinking the blood of the person they hate most (only applicable if they hate someone) and dying immediately after, the person who loves them the most (only applicable if anyone loves them, familially or romantically) and dying immediately after, or by drinking the blood of one child every day exclusively until they die, eating or drinking nothing else and being killed by nothing but natural causes (i.e. only drinking blood for several days in a row).Depends on the vibe you're going for, but I get the feeling you're overthinking this part. Does it really matter where vampires come from or whether they're weak to silver, if all you need is for them to keep popping up and die when mages punch them? I'd probably ditch or not worry about most of the historically inspired stuff and just worry about how they should act mechanically. Which, again depending on theme, probably means there's some relatively easy but not universal way for people, possibly mainly bad people, to become vampires and then start eating or otherwise inconveniencing other people.
I want to run an ISG, but I both suck at art and commitment."Sucking" at art isn't an issue; being able to make the art you want quickly is, from my experience. You don't want to burn out trying to make several masterpieces every single update.
gahh
There's definitely no getting around the commitment part, though. There's several ways to attempt to make yourself more committed, however, so you might want to think along those lines. What, that's within your control, could you do to ensure that the game you're running is interesting to you?
Post by: Tawa on April 11, 2015, 09:32:45 pm
Well now I'm torn between Hip Size Is A Stat Edition and Infinite Cuddle Works.Stop making me want to play this game, dammit. :P
I can attest to this. Both of my ISGs have literally been stickmen with inconsistent clothing designs in poorly-drawn backgrounds with little to no shading. I reuse images on a pseudo-Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff scale and once had to drop a character who was a sprite torn out of FFIII because my character proportion drawing was too inconsistent. I have around seven regular posters.I want to run an ISG, but I both suck at art and commitment."Sucking" at art isn't an issue; being able to make the art you want quickly is, from my experience. You don't want to burn out trying to make several masterpieces every single update.
gahh
There's definitely no getting around the commitment part, though. There's several ways to attempt to make yourself more committed, however, so you might want to think along those lines. What, that's within your control, could you do to ensure that the game you're running is interesting to you?
Meanwhile, I had to drop the MGS-ripoff because my "abruptly decide to update all of the games I run at once" schedule meant that I got bored drawing the pictures every time for it after updating all 2-4 D&D games and the other ISG. You need to be committed, but you don't need to invest hours in it every day.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on April 11, 2015, 09:37:49 pm
Look, in my experience, Infinite Cuddle works is far too unbalanced, I mean, infinite Kindness for the cuddlemancers? I understand the quite large cuddle damage decrease but what they never thought of was the infinite cuddle skill, because of the way the game is structured, you can always hit up to at least 1 damage, and a 2000 hit combo attack with zero cost?Well now I'm torn between Hip Size Is A Stat Edition and Infinite Cuddle Works.I guess Magical Lesbian Vampire Battle is up to me, then.
I've heard of Magical Girls defeating monsters of darkness with the power of love, but this is ridiculous. Also hilarious.
I must say if you want to go that way you should homebrew some of it.
Post by: Tack on April 12, 2015, 09:35:33 am
I haven't played those games. What were they like?
Both use class systems, past that they're very different.
One is a ASCII board-game style thing which involves "first to post" turn order and encourages temporary alliances and rampant backstabbing.
Kind of like "munchkins" but a bit more board freedom.
The other is a typical RP, you vs zombies, but the players start fairly scattered. It encourages teamups, but there's a lot of environmental factors and risk of infection.
To date I haven't ever finished one though, which I hope to rectify.
Post by: Fniff on April 15, 2015, 02:29:10 pm
What is the best way to adapt tabletop games to forums?
I tried twice with Fiasco and did not have much success. Would anyone have any ideas or examples of how to do something like that right? I think my problem was that the process went way too slow and didn't involve the players enough, both of which were the opposite of what Fiasco is intended to do.
Post by: Tawa on April 15, 2015, 02:31:57 pm
So, I've been thinking.What kind of tabletop games are you looking to adapt, and what, in more specific terms, were you having trouble with?
What is the best way to adapt tabletop games to forums?
I tried twice with Fiasco and did not have much success. Would anyone have any ideas or examples of how to do something like that right? I think my problem was that the process went way too slow and didn't involve the players enough, both of which were the opposite of what Fiasco is intended to do.
Post by: Fniff on April 15, 2015, 02:33:28 pm
Post by: Tawa on April 15, 2015, 02:36:36 pm
Well, I'd like doing something narrative based, like Don't Rest Your Head or Fiasco. The trouble is that those games rely on a back-and-forth that obviously doesn't translate on forums very well.Hm... your best bet would either be to use IRC or to get players who either live in your timezone or are willing to use the internet in the wee hours of the morning to play.
Post by: Fniff on April 15, 2015, 02:37:35 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on April 15, 2015, 02:38:11 pm
Post by: Tawa on April 17, 2015, 03:32:49 pm
Also, should probably just break and make an Ace-Attorney based forum game already.Anybody got any ideas on how to do this? I want to capture the gameplay of the Ace Attorney games, but I'm having trouble envisioning how this would be carried out.
Post by: Tack on April 17, 2015, 09:14:28 pm
There wouldn't be so much 'Back-And-Forth' as much as 'All In And Vigorously Humping'.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on April 18, 2015, 12:20:12 am
I rather like creating games and running them, despite their high failure rate. However, I burn out at insane speeds. For example, my last "ran" game was going pretty nicely up until I got sick, and never bothered to start updating again. This kind of thing happens with every single thing I run, yet later I still want to try a new game.
Is there really a point to hosting a game if chances are I'm just going to burn out quickly and stop updating? At this point, I'm mainly thinking about how annoying it would be to people who enjoy/follow/play the game instead of my (rather minimal) efforts.
Basically, how much does abandoning a game relatively early on affect the players, and is it worth (for everyone) it to start/revive a game even if there's a high chance I'll end up abandon it in a month, only for the cycle to continue?
Post by: freeformschooler on April 18, 2015, 12:42:57 am
Post by: monk12 on April 18, 2015, 08:25:54 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 18, 2015, 11:23:47 pm
Well, in the grand scheme of things every single thing that you do, build, create, or contribute to will eventually succumb to entropy and the ravages of time and be completely lost and forgotten, so what's the point of doing anything at all, hey? Sure, it'd be nice to think my house will last forever, but realistically it only has to last as long as I want to live in it. When I'm done with it, it doesn't really matter what happens to it.
Heh. Pessimist.
We're gonna create a new dimension some day and migrate to it. More or less functional immortality isn't that far off.
Strive for something. If you don't reach it, oh well; at least you tried. And that's more than can be said for a lot of people.
On a different note: Unless you're a sociopath and don't care about other people, I would think you would hope that someone would be living in your house when you were 'done with it', and that such would sorta matter, in fact. :P
Post by: Andres on April 19, 2015, 05:40:18 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on April 19, 2015, 05:41:28 am
There was If Bay12 Was A Mountain Fortress, or whatever it was called, but I doubt that's what you mean.
Other than that, I don't think so. Not to my knowledge.
Post by: Andres on April 19, 2015, 05:54:30 am
...
Really? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6zQ6ZqEqg0&feature=youtu.be&t=4)
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on April 19, 2015, 05:57:12 am
If they have, I'm not aware of it, but I'm still practically a newb as far as this forum goes, so yeah.
Post by: Tack on April 19, 2015, 06:00:39 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on April 19, 2015, 06:10:45 am
Post by: escaped lurker on April 19, 2015, 06:35:53 am
Post by: IronyOwl on April 19, 2015, 05:10:57 pm
Post by: Andres on April 19, 2015, 05:15:29 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on April 19, 2015, 05:18:46 pm
Post by: Andres on April 30, 2015, 06:58:42 am
Bleach SG where players play as a hollow.
They get their own unique gimmick and eat people to get more powerful (difficulty comes from soul reapers). Eventually, they'll get powerful enough that they'll need to hunt and eat hollows, increasing the difficulty of the game in a way that scales with their higher power. Eventually, they'll be part of a feeding frenzy, turn into a gillian, and then there'll be a time skip until the point where they become an adjuchas.
After that, the difficulty scales up and they have to eat gillians and adjuchas in order to become a vasto lorde.
At any point in their evolution (including when they're a normal hollow and excluding when they're a gillian), they can rip off their mask and become an arrancar, gaining a crap-ton of reishi and some soul reaper powers, eating requirements are lessened greatly and don't increase as power rises, and training can be used to increase power as well as skill. There are a few downsides to this, however...
The process releases a bunch of energy and greatly weakens them, making death by getting eaten a possibility since the release of energy would attract hollows.
The process could simply fail, resulting in the above release of energy and weakening without the extra power that an arrancar form would bring. This translates into increased chance of getting eaten by hollows, of course, but it can also kill the character if they're too weak or get too unlucky.
Eating does not give as much power as it used to, though it's still better for increasing power than training.
Menos grande evolution cannot continue once the character becomes an arrancar. This won't matter at all to a vasto lorde, but to normal hollows, it means a less awesome-looking resurreccion. For adjuchas, it means no segunda etapa. For both, it means a less powerful resurreccion.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on April 30, 2015, 07:07:33 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on April 30, 2015, 08:07:58 am
Tried to do something similar, but it never got past even the Gaming Block stage since I didn't think it through very well.
Post by: Urist Arrhenius on April 30, 2015, 04:03:26 pm
Quote from: Chroma Arcana OP
Chroma ArcanaThe White Wizard stands before you, flanked by the Red Warlock, Green Sorcerer, and Blue Mage.
”Welcome, initiates. Within lies arena, designed to select from amongst you only those worthy. Those of weak will need not enter, but great power awaits those who brave the challenges.”
The Red Warlock split off from the group and went to stand in front of two doors. ”Through my path lies might. You will gain the strength to crush those who oppose you.”
From another set of doors the Green Sorcerer spoke. ”Through my path lies harmony. The world around will serve you, and you will discover great secrets.”
Finally the Blue Mage intoned, ”Through my path lies peace. You will gain the power over life, and the wisdom to protect it.”
Which path will you choose?
Submit a character sheet and your chosen path; the first two submissions for each path will be chosen.Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)Spoiler: Example Sheet (click to show/hide)Spoiler: Spells (click to show/hide)
Post by: escaped lurker on April 30, 2015, 04:34:07 pm
Thinking of running a game, below is the OP as it stands now. It would feature both PvP and PvE combat, and after a winner was declared from the first game I would rework balancing as was necessary. Would people be interested/what feedback do you have?
I actually really like the intro. It is short, but quite to the point and gives all information needed to start and what to expect of the game. As for the idea of using colours / powers in this way, it is quite inituitive, and definitely on the good side of ingenious.
Maybe a tad too much ingenious though, as you might want to include a link which explains how to work that colour-number system. That, or I am part of a very strange minority, which can't make heads or tails of it by themselves. ;3
Actually wait, you just might not want to. It could weed out those not enthusiastic enough to search for it themselves, which serves as a good indicator for their likely future activity...
Post by: Urist Arrhenius on April 30, 2015, 11:58:32 pm
Thanks! If you're interested, I just posted the game.Thinking of running a game, below is the OP as it stands now. It would feature both PvP and PvE combat, and after a winner was declared from the first game I would rework balancing as was necessary. Would people be interested/what feedback do you have?
I actually really like the intro. It is short, but quite to the point and gives all information needed to start and what to expect of the game. As for the idea of using colours / powers in this way, it is quite inituitive, and definitely on the good side of ingenious.
Maybe a tad too much ingenious though, as you might want to include a link which explains how to work that colour-number system. That, or I am part of a very strange minority, which can't make heads or tails of it by themselves. ;3
Actually wait, you just might not want to. It could weed out those not enthusiastic enough to search for it themselves, which serves as a good indicator for their likely future activity...
Post by: Mlamlah on May 01, 2015, 01:49:59 pm
Man, Elves of Amanereli was way back in 2010? I feel so old. Still gold, though.
I wasn't around quite so far back, but i went through every available page in the FG and R index a little while ago to seek out old games to read >>.
I'm kind of sad that they never did another game after that.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 10, 2015, 11:16:06 pm
| Roll | Chance | Name | Effect |
| 20 | 5 | CRIT! | +2 XP; Artifact based on materials, surroundings, crafter, tools, etc. |
| 17-19 | 15 | Bonus | +1 XP; Stylized Item |
| 11-16 | 30 | Good | Material, Item, Style, Motif |
| 5-10 | 30 | Poor | Material, Item, Style |
| 2-4 | 15 | Malus | Material, Item, Style; Clothing Wear |
| 1 | 5 | FAIL! | Material, Item, Style; Injury |
Material and Item are fairly self-explanatory. Material is Stone, Wood, Bone (including shell, horn, etc) and so on; whatever the item is primarily made of. Item is Goblet, Plate, Ring, Sword, Turban, and so on.
Style is the item's general shape, how it handles edges and corners, what it does to get from one segment to another, and so on. Two items of the same Style would be recognizable as coming from the same crafter or culture; Organic, Graceful, Flowing, Industrial, and Like Electrified Syrup Frozen In Mid Thrash might all be Styles.
Motif is an item's innate decorations. The little Skulls or Dolphins around the rim, the Cloud shape around the handle, or the giant Squares on the sides would all be Motifs.
Stylized Items are items which are shaped like their Motifs. A table that actually looks like a swarm of grasshoppers, a dolphin head you can drink out of, and a sword shaped like a bolt of lightning would all be Stylized.
XP is used to purchase Specializations, which are all of the above: Materials, Items, Motifs, and Styles. For instance, a character might have:
Materials: Stone, Wood
Items: Goblets, Swords
Styles: Melting
Motifs: Badgers
So they could make Goblets or Swords out of Stone or Wood. Since they only know one Style, everything they make would look like it's Melting a bit. Since they only have one Motif, any decorations they produce would feature Badgers. For a point of XP, they could gain a new Specialization in any of the above categories; learn how to work with Cloth, figure out how to craft Tables, devise a new Twisting Style, or master the art of decorating things with Bees, for instance.
So the above solves several problems; notably, any item you make is theoretically worth something even if you've got a poor roll or better crafters running around, since poor rolls mean side effects and less decoration (which isn't always a bad thing), and being a better crafter means more options rather than objectively better products. At the same time, higher rolls are still generally better, and being a better crafter is still something to aspire to.
I'm a little concerned that it might not be freeform enough for items that aren't being mass produced, though. Suppose somebody gets a boar's tusk, pearl, and giant eagle feather, for instance, and decides they want to make a cool spear out of them. Other than keeping them on hand waiting for a CRIT!, I'm not sure what you'd do with that.
Any thoughts on any of this?
Post by: Urist Arrhenius on May 10, 2015, 11:33:45 pm
Another solution to that problem might be to allow people to sacrifice XP for the sake of good rolls, basically letting them force their way into a stylized item for the things they really care about. Or allow people to choose different crafting time lengths to distinguish between the kind of mass production which occasionally produces magnificent work from the kind of careful attention which routinely produces it, but on a much slower time scale.
To what degree can you use experience to gain more ability within a category, rather than simply purchasing a new category? It sounds like once you have melting badger stone swords, you're already the best at producing melting badger stone swords you can possibly be. Which would mean all your growth is horizontal; you gain breadth rather than depth.
Also, I'me really interested in this game now...
Post by: IronyOwl on May 11, 2015, 10:08:57 pm
I like the overall concept, though I think it places too much of the crafting in luck. Shouldn't the craftsman know ahead of time that they're making a dolphin head cup rather than discovering at the end of the process they had accidentally produced one? I think that the separation of styles and motifs is perhaps its strongest point though, since it does highlight different levels of artistic achievement. I wonder if you could make producing a stylized item just be a more difficult roll, that way you can attempt to intentionally produce those items, which you noted was an issue if you have materials you strongly care about.The thing I'm afraid of with stuff like this is what happens to lower/cheaper/easier grade crafting in this scenario. Sure, you could mass produce mugs or whatever in the beginning when nobody has any, and if it's gated by skill you might just not be able to do anything different until you've unlocked the more advanced options. But once everybody has a stone mug or someone reaches the requisite level of skill, demand just dries up. I'm not sure how much point there is to adding "this sucks but it's the best you'll have for a while" tiers to the game, and I know I'd prefer it if being good at something didn't automatically preclude anyone else from attempting it.
Or allow people to choose different crafting time lengths to distinguish between the kind of mass production which occasionally produces magnificent work from the kind of careful attention which routinely produces it, but on a much slower time scale.
The other obvious solution is to sell them, as in regular DF, but that runs into fairly serious believability concerns. Who exactly is buying all these shoddy stone mugs and why? Nobody else should need them either.
I did actually have one answer to this, and that was consumable items. Rather than just having a mug to have a mug, or having a mug to provide your Drinking Container bonus to morale, you could "eat" them for extra morale, thereby providing a constant demand for basic goods. The idea being that if you're able to be careless with your possessions, you can get more enjoyment out of them than you could being as extra careful as you are with your ultra special ruby-and-emerald studded badger-motif platinum goblet decorated with topaz skulls.
The problem with this is that we're back to two classes of items- garbage and notgarbage- and we still need to answer a lot of questions about what level is expected or normal for each, and possibly why some players/characters can afford to consume better or worse stuff than the default production rate would imply. And again, hopefully without relying too much on "er, you suck for a while, then you suck less" too much as an answer.
Another solution to that problem might be to allow people to sacrifice XP for the sake of good rolls, basically letting them force their way into a stylized item for the things they really care about.Possibly, but I don't think I'd want to remove randomness entirely from rolls you "care about." I could certainly see an argument for it, especially with items you've "earned" and are meaningful to you rather than stuff you've bought or harvested relatively routinely. But again, I don't want too much of a divide between useless faff and "real" items, because at that point we don't really need the faff at all.
To what degree can you use experience to gain more ability within a category, rather than simply purchasing a new category? It sounds like once you have melting badger stone swords, you're already the best at producing melting badger stone swords you can possibly be. Which would mean all your growth is horizontal; you gain breadth rather than depth.This was the intent, yeah. Again, if you're able to produce Tier 2 melting badger stone swords, T1 badger stone swords start to become obsolete at some point, which has a number of unfortunate implications. One being that T1 swords are, to an extent, just placeholders; you don't want them so much as are unable to acquire anything better up until a certain point. Another is that once somebody else can produce T2 swords, trying to become a swordsmith is largely a lost cause, because they're already objectively better at it than you are; at a minimum, everything you produce while leveling will be garbage, and it's likely they'll continue leveling above you as well. A third is that if you can produce swords, you're probably going to be hard-pressed to justify doing anything but getting the next tier of them, since that's likely more useful than branching out into chests or glass or whatever.
All that being said, watching your numbers go up is fun, and if you shear out anything unnecessary at some point you don't have much game left. But I can't think of a height-focused leveling scheme I like, so it's come out completely width-based so far.
Also, I'me really interested in this game now...Glad to hear that. :3
Post by: Kadzar on May 11, 2015, 10:25:13 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on May 11, 2015, 11:51:34 pm
Material difficulty. Most easily seen in smithing, producing something out of gold, silver or copper is comparatively easy, if compared to the process of creating something out of iron or steel. Sure enough, just stoke the fire high enough and you can get pretty much the same result with each of them, but moulding the softer metals under your hammer will be much faster. Thus, it obviously also should give more xp to a beginner, who still needs to master the trade, but less xp to one who has already done so and now puts his focus towards works of steel.
Soft & Hardwood, Stones of vastly varying strength, Making a poultice or tea instead of a salve, Carving a shoulder blade - or a skull, Cutting a lesser gem or a diamond, Training a dog or a wild beast. Yeah, I guess this "system" could work for most jobs.
Most of these easy materials can hold a lesser profit margin, either by being worth less in the first place, a greater supply of products made of them, or "higher" standards on crafts with them. Like, a 4 gram gold ring, will mostly cost its material. The difference in price between a plain one, and one beautifully engraved, is not all that pronounced, safe you want a mastwork ring with fiery-glowing runes and a magical cloaking ability. Heh.
Post by: Urist Arrhenius on May 12, 2015, 12:16:58 am
-snip-Yeah, you're responses make sense, and I can see how you're preventing placeholders. I just wanted to poke at your system as much as possible. Attempts to be helpful and whatnot.
I think you can still consider an advancement that doesn't change the quality from level I to level II, but rather changes the probabilities of different outcomes. The earlier mentioned suggestion of salvaging materials from poor outcomes could also help deal with the rare item issue.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 12, 2015, 10:58:07 pm
Maybe the crappier mugs or whatever could be used as a component to make the better mugs somehow?I did consider this at one point, but it's basically just a different implementation of better crafting taking longer, which doesn't answer the question of why anybody'd need or want to stop at the lower-level stuff.
Not sure if I'm really going somewhere productive with this line of thought, but here it is either way;Hmmmm. I kind of like this idea, though I'm not sure there's an elegant way to implement it. It also runs into oddities regarding difficult and expensive not being the same thing; any noob can smith wondrous items out of platinum or gold, but only a master can produce a cheap iron sword?
Material difficulty. Most easily seen in smithing, producing something out of gold, silver or copper is comparatively easy, if compared to the process of creating something out of iron or steel. Sure enough, just stoke the fire high enough and you can get pretty much the same result with each of them, but moulding the softer metals under your hammer will be much faster. Thus, it obviously also should give more xp to a beginner, who still needs to master the trade, but less xp to one who has already done so and now puts his focus towards works of steel.
Soft & Hardwood, Stones of vastly varying strength, Making a poultice or tea instead of a salve, Carving a shoulder blade - or a skull, Cutting a lesser gem or a diamond, Training a dog or a wild beast. Yeah, I guess this "system" could work for most jobs.
Most of these easy materials can hold a lesser profit margin, either by being worth less in the first place, a greater supply of products made of them, or "higher" standards on crafts with them. Like, a 4 gram gold ring, will mostly cost its material. The difference in price between a plain one, and one beautifully engraved, is not all that pronounced, safe you want a mastwork ring with fiery-glowing runes and a magical cloaking ability. Heh.
But the basic idea that anyone can work basic materials without too much difficulty, but that you need to specialize a bit to get the higher stuff is interesting. It still runs into shades of all the usual problems, but it's at least plausible that somebody would be fine working normal stones without knowing how to handle the fancier stuff.
The major issue I do have, though, is that in practice the distinction probably isn't going to be that severe. I mean, if you learn how to make stone mugs, are you honestly going to be fine making nothing but normal-tier mugs, or when you get a hold of fancy stones are you totally going to want to make something awesome out of them? I'd put money on the latter, which brings us back to the usual issues. In fact, it's precisely that kind of prediction that's making me wonder about the current system, since a poor roll with fancy materials is just kind of disappointing.
Maybe I should keep the current system for mass production and let players do single crafting attempts with a slightly different table, with more of an "you accidentally engrave it with cockroaches" vibe? But then artifacts lose their punch...
I certainly appreciate it. I feel like I've got a better grasp on my system than I did before.-snip-Yeah, you're responses make sense, and I can see how you're preventing placeholders. I just wanted to poke at your system as much as possible. Attempts to be helpful and whatnot.
I think you can still consider an advancement that doesn't change the quality from level I to level II, but rather changes the probabilities of different outcomes. The earlier mentioned suggestion of salvaging materials from poor outcomes could also help deal with the rare item issue.
As for the outcome probability, again, that's leaning back towards "this sucks, but you'll be producing them for a while anyway." There's no real getting around having random rolls AND better or worse outcomes, but one thing I like about this system is that it's at least pretending a plain plate can be better than a leaf-shaped plate, which I assume is true to the right people.
Well, that and I'm not sure adding numbers to the roll would be worth the trouble.
Hm. I wonder if different tiers could give different consume/sit around bonuses? Maybe plain stuff is great for treating very casually, and by the time you get to leaf-shaped plates breaking them tends to make you almost as sad as you were happy from being able to not worry about them.
But again, simple. "Morale Consumption Coefficients" is probably a warning sign that I need to keep things simple. :x
Post by: Urist Arrhenius on May 12, 2015, 11:01:32 pm
-snip-Is this a smaller part of a much larger game? Or is it most of a game?
If it's most of a game you could try doing a systems trial type thing. Run a game with a very basic system and see what players think of it, and what you think. If it's a small part you could as well, though the information may not translate as well to the finished project.
Post by: IronyOwl on May 12, 2015, 11:24:31 pm
Post by: monk12 on May 13, 2015, 12:38:43 pm
It's... intended to be a dwarf fortress ish game with ridiculous anime combat and a fair amount of roleplaying/political stuff. So... depending on how all that works out, what the players want to do, etc, this will probably be a pretty important but not exclusive part of the game.
How important will money be?
In real life, the only reason to choose to produce a crappier product instead of an amazing one is because you can make more profit from it. Even if you have the ability to produce an ornate gemstone-studded golden chalice engraved with the history of the world on it, there are very, very few people in the general public with the money available to even think about buying it, and those people are as likely to commission something to their tastes as to pick out a piece in a shop. Maybe you only sell a crap stone mug for one dwarfbuck, but if everyone in the fortress wants one and they're as disposable as a paper cup you can earn money more efficiently than making the masterwork stuff.
In game mechanic terms, the choice being made between mass production of lower tier items and selective production of high quality items is a choice of versatility versus utility. A player making lots of crap items they don't intend to use themselves can sell them and use the money to buy things they cannot produce themselves. A player making artifacts probably intends to use them, so they'll have the best of that item in the game compared to other players while also being less equipped in things outside their specialty because they do not have as much money to buy them.
In other words, "skill" as it applies to lower quality goods is not a measure of the utility of the finished product but how quickly they can be produced. This can either be a function of the relevant skill (A Legendary stoneworker could choose between spending all day making a masterwork or shitting out a hundred mugs) or it could be an independent skill (which would then need balancing to prevent spamming of masterworks but would open up multiple builds of a crafter type.)
Post by: escaped lurker on May 13, 2015, 01:15:13 pm
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Maybe I should keep the current system for mass production and let players do single crafting attempts with a slightly different table, with more of an "you accidentally engrave it with cockroaches" vibe? But then artifacts lose their punch...Hmm, how about the "Special Craft" taking a good deal more time, which results in a good bonus towards it becoming better quality? I mean, if I work 5 stonemugs each day, day in day out, at one point I will produce a particular "Good" one. If I sit down for a day, and try to work a single special one, it won't be guaranteed to become one, but there ought to be a higher chance for it. You would just need to set the worktime high enough, that "artifacts" don't really have much more of a chance than in normal production.
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It also runs into oddities regarding difficult and expensive not being the same thing; any noob can smith wondrous items out of platinum or gold, but only a master can produce a cheap iron sword?Don't think I got a good solution for this, but it touches upon another topic. Diversity. If one crafts wodden chairs all day long, sure enough, one will become more skilled. First, in working wood. Second, in making Chairs. Neither are a guarantee that one would create a good work of carpentry that is not a chair, like making a shelf. Which brings me to another point.
A point, which might put the cart in front of the horse - how about crafting having "Techniques"?
Nothing all too fancy, or too deep into the specific crafts, but more along these lines;
Getting an Eye for the Craft: Smiths - Metal Quality, Stoneworker & Gemcrafter - Possible / Fractures, Woodworker - "Eyes" & State (over/dry) of the wood, Tamer - Physical & Mental state of Animal, Herbalist - Freshness of Herbs, Farmer - Soil Quality & "Right" weather to Plant
Getting a Feel for the Craft: Smiths - Basic Metal Heating, Stoneworker & Gemcrafter - Basic Cutting / Working Technique, Woodworker - Basic Splitting & working along the grain, Tamer - Basic Behavioralism, Herbalist - Basic Herbal Properties, Farmer - Basic Fieldcare
Yeeah. While I like the idea, the amount of background work this would need is downright dreadfull. Just take it as food for thought.
Post by: Rolepgeek on May 13, 2015, 05:32:46 pm
Post by: Andres on May 22, 2015, 04:48:19 am
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on May 23, 2015, 06:27:42 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on May 23, 2015, 09:42:18 pm
I feel the need to create a forum game game that can be pretty much described as Sid Meier's Colonization + Celtic Mythology + King. The economic system and general gameplay will be much, much more simple than Colonization, since the focus will be on navigating the strange world that is being colonized. Trying to manipulate the locals, discover how to defend against and use magic, make tons of money, deal with strange and terrible figures, rebel from your founding country, that sort of thing. The only question is whether to make this a cooperative game, where everyone make decisions together and tries to steer the colony where they want it to go, or make it a multiplayer game with many colonies? I've been flip-flopping on this issue for a bit, so I thought that I'd ask you guys your opinions and see if there's any interest in this sort of thing.I think this depends in part on how modular the colonies can be. Players tend to like having relatively sole control over something, and if the focus is less on their personal characters and more on their colonies, obviously that pushes it more towards individual towns, assets, relationships, entire colonies, etc.
Beyond that it's the teamwork problem. You can't always rely on players working together, and you certainly can't rely on them working together efficiently. But a game is generally better the more players interact with each other, so you don't want to cut them off completely. So ideally you want them packed tightly enough that they rely on or influence each other, but not so tightly that they feel cramped or shackled to other peoples' poor decisions (beyond reason). Where exactly that point lies is going to depend a lot on the specifics of the game and your own tastes in the matter.
Overall, I'd lean towards single colony with a lot of room for subdivision, since that glues the players together in general without saying terribly much about their relationships. They can work in perfect unison on everything or just sort of push in opposite cardinal directions and try to ignore each other, there's plenty of room between things that affect one player or all of them, they're probably not allowed to openly stab each other but have endless opportunity to make nuisances of themselves, and there's a lot of leeway for their own actions to affect just themselves or the colony as a whole.
Post by: Andres on May 23, 2015, 10:05:11 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on May 23, 2015, 10:37:20 pm
Which kinda brings us to the single / multiplayer variation.
I'd say, it pretty much hinges on your own priorities for this one. Do you plan on telling a story with game elements, or a game with story elements?
If the former, multiple players will not add too much value. You can also bet on some of them quickly boiling down their rp to the barest minimum, with their bolded commands taking up more space than the atmosphere to it. It is also only a question of when, not if, one of them becomes - possibly rightly so - pre-occupied with something else, wich results in the need for a stand-in / replacement player, lest you leave the game grinding to a halt. Well, at least that is my opinion / bias for suggestion games.
If you plan on doing more of a game than a story, with only a slight focus on rp, going multiplayer can be a good choice. We have a few gm's that are quite capable of doing these, and I am sure one can gleam some lessons from them. I'd presume that "limiting" the scope of the game to less than one months in total, plays a big part in that. Most people will be able to plan far enough ahead for this time-table, allowing good activity and quick turns. Extended campaigns, mostly bog down at some point - Picking up momentum after that can be quite difficult.
Post by: Parsely on May 23, 2015, 11:42:23 pm
I feel the need to create a forum game game that can be pretty much described as Sid Meier's Colonization + Celtic Mythology + King. The economic system and general gameplay will be much, much more simple than Colonization, since the focus will be on navigating the strange world that is being colonized. Trying to manipulate the locals, discover how to defend against and use magic, make tons of money, deal with strange and terrible figures, rebel from your founding country, that sort of thing. The only question is whether to make this a cooperative game, where everyone make decisions together and tries to steer the colony where they want it to go, or make it a multiplayer game with many colonies? I've been flip-flopping on this issue for a bit, so I thought that I'd ask you guys your opinions and see if there's any interest in this sort of thing.Either way I'd play it.
First off, you got me interested at "Celtic Mythology" - far too rarely explored nowadays, and had me at "King". I think this idea has quite the potential, if "done right".What's "King"?
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on May 24, 2015, 08:35:17 pm
For neatness's sake I've put my current ideas into a spoiler. It's a couple of fairly large paragraphs and I didn't want them clogging up the thread.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Anyways, thanks for the help again everyone. It's given me quite a lot to think about and plan around.
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 04, 2015, 07:07:31 pm
Candidate 1: Kerbal Colonization Program.
Players: 1 commander, controlled by standard suggestion game format, and 4-6 scientist/engineer/kerbalnauts, each controlled by a permanent player.
Setting: A fresh new binary system, previously untouched by Kerbalkind. The players arrive in a single ship (or small task force). No reinforcements or resupply expected; these Kerbals 'mature' quickly, allowing steady growth. The system is inhabited by a pre-space species which is incapable threatening a competent post-space species.
Gameplay: Explore the system and set-up mining operations and logistics. Invent new space components (or advance relatively primitive non-space tech). Enlighten the natives about the merits of explosives.
Candidate 2: Conquests of the Elemental Planes
Players: 6, each in charge of competing sides. Each is strongly aligned with a classical element (plus light and dark).
Setting: A web of roughly city-sized micro-planes. Each plane is aligned somewhere on the element circle.
Gameplay: Each city/plane is largely abstracted, with a focus (Production, research, growth, commerce, terraforming, magic, balanced, etc). Production will be modified by how closely aligned the plane is to the controller - Fire denizens are not good at living in water planes. Initially, players will be able to sorta profit from colonies on adjacent element planes, and take attrition even moving troops through other planes. Research will allow planes to be terraformed.
Balance concern: I want diplomacy to be important, and I want some sort of major incentive to fight your opposing alignment (the one with lands like hostile deathworlds, yes), with minor incentives to ally adjacent elements (the ones living on lands you can actually use). I'm not sure how to go about this. Trade goods that improve morale, a general trade good bonus, and troops being able to fight alongside each other for the latter? The former might need some sort of unique spells and units for exploring the ruins of the opposing capital, and allowing a build-a-wonder victory.
The other two are rougher ideas. Neither would use tactical combat due to sloth.
Candidate 3: Alternative X-COM against dimension-walker aliens.
This version of X-COM hasn't fought aliens before, and these aren't particularly strong. It might be fun to explore X-COM-tier R&D against foes that can be fought all-out.
Candidate 3.5: XCOM.
In new XCOM, the aliens are trying to test/recruit humans for something. What happens if Humanity accepts their offer at the end of the game? What sorts of fun might we have with XCOM allied with the Ethereals, against an even more deadly foe? (Or this might just be an excuse to throw XCOM's R&D division at spacecraft. It'd probably all end in spacetime singularities. So many spacetime singularities. Those should not be put in grenades, please stop it guys.)
Post by: GiglameshDespair on June 04, 2015, 07:22:29 pm
Candidate 1: Kerbal Colonization Program.If they have the technology for interstellar colonisation, what parts do they have to invent? And if they have technology advanced enough to render the natives impotent, what challenges do they actually face?
Players: 1 commander, controlled by standard suggestion game format, and 4-6 scientist/engineer/kerbalnauts, each controlled by a permanent player.
Setting: A fresh new binary system, previously untouched by Kerbalkind. The players arrive in a single ship (or small task force). No reinforcements or resupply expected; these Kerbals 'mature' quickly, allowing steady growth. The system is inhabited by a pre-space species which is incapable threatening a competent post-space species.
Gameplay: Explore the system and set-up mining operations and logistics. Invent new space components (or advance relatively primitive non-space tech). Enlighten the natives about the merits of explosives.
Candidate 2: Conquests of the Elemental Planes
Players: 6, each in charge of competing sides. Each is strongly aligned with a classical element (plus light and dark).
Setting: A web of roughly city-sized micro-planes. Each plane is aligned somewhere on the element circle.
Gameplay: Each city/plane is largely abstracted, with a focus (Production, research, growth, commerce, terraforming, magic, balanced, etc). Production will be modified by how closely aligned the plane is to the controller - Fire denizens are not good at living in water planes. Initially, players will be able to sorta profit from colonies on adjacent element planes, and take attrition even moving troops through other planes. Research will allow planes to be terraformed.
Balance concern: I want diplomacy to be important, and I want some sort of major incentive to fight your opposing alignment (the one with lands like hostile deathworlds, yes), with minor incentives to ally adjacent elements (the ones living on lands you can actually use). I'm not sure how to go about this. Trade goods that improve morale, a general trade good bonus, and troops being able to fight alongside each other for the latter? The former might need some sort of unique spells and units for exploring the ruins of the opposing capital, and allowing a build-a-wonder victory.
I like the idea of this, but obviously you'd need the systems behind it worked out before you could run it.
X-Com Apocalypse is against interdimensional aliens. Why have weak aliens, anyway? And what do you mean by fought all-out? Presumably any development of weaponry is limited by the fact most of the fighting will be done in this universe and presumably Earth, else there's not much reason to fight.
The other two are rougher ideas. Neither would use tactical combat due to sloth.
Candidate 3: Alternative X-COM against dimension-walker aliens.
This version of X-COM hasn't fought aliens before, and these aren't particularly strong. It might be fun to explore X-COM-tier R&D against foes that can be fought all-out.
Candidate 3.5: XCOM.I dunno. Most of XCOM is catching up technology wise, so if the Ethers give us their tech as allies it's probably not got too much room for easy improvement. After all, we presumably never saw the Ether's proper war machine - only drip feeding us gimped versions to test out capabilities.
In new XCOM, the aliens are trying to test/recruit humans for something. What happens if Humanity accepts their offer at the end of the game? What sorts of fun might we have with XCOM allied with the Ethereals, against an even more deadly foe? (Or this might just be an excuse to throw XCOM's R&D division at spacecraft. It'd probably all end in spacetime singularities. So many spacetime singularities. Those should not be put in grenades, please stop it guys.)
Post by: IronyOwl on June 04, 2015, 08:04:45 pm
Candidate 1: Kerbal Colonization Program.
Players: 1 commander, controlled by standard suggestion game format, and 4-6 scientist/engineer/kerbalnauts, each controlled by a permanent player.
Setting: A fresh new binary system, previously untouched by Kerbalkind. The players arrive in a single ship (or small task force). No reinforcements or resupply expected; these Kerbals 'mature' quickly, allowing steady growth. The system is inhabited by a pre-space species which is incapable threatening a competent post-space species.
Gameplay: Explore the system and set-up mining operations and logistics. Invent new space components (or advance relatively primitive non-space tech). Enlighten the natives about the merits of explosives.
The system is inhabited by a pre-space species which is incapable threatening a competent post-space species.In other words, you're fucked.
This one sounds pretty good. Very authentic, what with the living hell each player is likely to be in taking orders from suggestion format and dealing with 5 random jackasses for associates.
Candidate 2: Conquests of the Elemental PlanesThis one seems like it might end up a little soulless and abstract, so I'm not sure I can recommend it.
Players: 6, each in charge of competing sides. Each is strongly aligned with a classical element (plus light and dark).
Setting: A web of roughly city-sized micro-planes. Each plane is aligned somewhere on the element circle.
Gameplay: Each city/plane is largely abstracted, with a focus (Production, research, growth, commerce, terraforming, magic, balanced, etc). Production will be modified by how closely aligned the plane is to the controller - Fire denizens are not good at living in water planes. Initially, players will be able to sorta profit from colonies on adjacent element planes, and take attrition even moving troops through other planes. Research will allow planes to be terraformed.
Balance concern: I want diplomacy to be important, and I want some sort of major incentive to fight your opposing alignment (the one with lands like hostile deathworlds, yes), with minor incentives to ally adjacent elements (the ones living on lands you can actually use). I'm not sure how to go about this. Trade goods that improve morale, a general trade good bonus, and troops being able to fight alongside each other for the latter? The former might need some sort of unique spells and units for exploring the ruins of the opposing capital, and allowing a build-a-wonder victory.
However, the ally-enemy thing could potentially be handled via global terrain stats. So once you're able to, invading hell starts to become attractive for the purposes of terraforming it out of the way of your research options, or at least scouring it of all life to raise your population cap. Allied terrain could have a similarly but less severely beneficial impact, to the point where it's often easier to just let them do their thing than scouring and terraforming their worlds for relatively minimal benefit.
Of course, you'd have to watch out for snowballing effects from this, and from conquest and victory in general. Then again, if it's a competitive game meant to produce a winner at some point, maybe that'd be a relatively minor concern.
If you did want to run it, I'd suggest either very world-centric combat mechanics, or a sort of recycling theme for your troops, ie gaining and losing them is more about shuffling resources around than genuine loss. That'd probably help avoid the worst of the snowballing things, and make it viable to make aggressive gambles and other nonsense with your precious minions.
The other two are rougher ideas. Neither would use tactical combat due to sloth.So what would they use, card game combat? Man I could go for some card game combat.
Candidate 3: Alternative X-COM against dimension-walker aliens.
This version of X-COM hasn't fought aliens before, and these aren't particularly strong. It might be fun to explore X-COM-tier R&D against foes that can be fought all-out.
Candidate 3.5: XCOM.
In new XCOM, the aliens are trying to test/recruit humans for something. What happens if Humanity accepts their offer at the end of the game? What sorts of fun might we have with XCOM allied with the Ethereals, against an even more deadly foe? (Or this might just be an excuse to throw XCOM's R&D division at spacecraft. It'd probably all end in spacetime singularities. So many spacetime singularities. Those should not be put in grenades, please stop it guys.)
Anyway, it sounds a little to me like these are less about XCOM and more about blowing things up in various ways. You might want to consider cutting out the middleman and making CollateralCOM or Perfectly Responsible Wizards in the first place.
Post by: Nirur Torir on June 04, 2015, 09:16:40 pm
If they have the technology for interstellar colonisation, what parts do they have to invent? And if they have technology advanced enough to render the natives impotent, what challenges do they actually face?In-game, Kerbals can survive in a tiny piloting module (or just an EVA suit) indefinitely. This nicely opens up the possibilities of low-tech colony ships.
If I assume that the only real weapons tech they bring is asteroid impacts, imprecise cruise missiles, and orbital mass drops, there's plenty of room for the RNG and player squabbling to mess everything up. (Destroying the only inhabitable real-estate is not the way to get a good ending.)
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X-Com Apocalypse is against interdimensional aliens. Why have weak aliens, anyway? And what do you mean by fought all-out? Presumably any development of weaponry is limited by the fact most of the fighting will be done in this universe and presumably Earth, else there's not much reason to fight.Large-scale planet vs planet war, mostly. Apocalypse was more city vs city.
[Elemental Planes] seems like it might end up a little soulless and abstract, so I'm not sure I can recommend it.Hmm. Yeah, I'd need to carefully balance out soulless abstractions vs my ability to run it.
However, the ally-enemy thing could potentially be handled via global terrain stats [....]
A sort of recycling theme for your troops[...]
Global terrain stats. So .. Say, there's 50 darkness points/resource units and 50 light points/resource units. Terraforming a dark plane would shift that to 40/57, also slightly strengthening the other elements? That's .. very intriguing. I'm going to think on this. It could make for a very interesting, if surreal, diplomatic game. The potential snowballing would only add to the diplomacy, I think, and I'd want to balance it towards shorter games.
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Anyway, it sounds a little to me like these are less about XCOM and more about blowing things up in various ways.Yeah, I guess those would have been XCOM in name only.
Post by: Tawa on June 08, 2015, 10:48:42 pm
The idea involves a setting akin to science fantasy, but with less science; the cops have scimitars and modern semi-automatic pistols; the main character lives in a cheap apartment in the industrial district of their city because they can't bring themselves to sell their family heirloom crystal shield; one of the judges on the Ultimate Court of Justice is a wise river spirit several thousand years old.
The plot goes something like this: the main character is hired by a shady alchemist to rob some peoples' houses for enigmatic purposes. They are pursued by a mysterious white-coated detective with a thick accent that sounds vaguely Eastern European who seems to know the main character's motives. The main character performs progressively shadier dealings while evading the detective, whose past is slowly revealed as he descends ever closer on the main character.
The game mechanics, as I envision them, would draw somewhat heavily from Liberal Crime Squad, along with some more traditional roguelike elements and concepts I've come up with through hours of forum games.
And no, this would not immediately decend into the farcical madness my other suggestion games became all too quickly.
Post by: High tyrol on June 09, 2015, 03:00:58 am
Post by: Twinwolf on July 18, 2015, 04:32:10 pm
ANYWAY, I've been struck by the urge to create an Infinite Stratos (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/LightNovel/InfiniteStratos) game. Probably going to be a freeform RP, unless someone can suggest a system (I suck at anything with long calculations). Anyone interested?
Post by: Andres on July 18, 2015, 05:49:34 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on July 18, 2015, 06:12:39 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 19, 2015, 01:43:04 am
That's not dead.
That's hiabeetus.
Post by: Tomasque on July 19, 2015, 02:40:34 am
The characters start in Chroma, a supposed utopia where everything is colorful and abstract-ish. The primary ruling families are the Reds, the Yellows, and the Blues, all of which inbreed constantly so as to keep their bloodline pure. They look down on the secondary colors (the middle class) and try to pretend the tertiary colors don't even exist (the lower class). However, the only people who oppose the system are the tertiaries, so it takes a long time before a revolution happens.
After the revolution, everyone is stripped of their colors and instead a grey-scale system is implemented. This is now Grey. The revolutionary leaders make themselves white, and make the others varying shades of grey depending on how much they helped - from grey_1, the darkest, to grey_9 the lightest. They then make the ruling families into Blacks - outcasts. This new system is the very opposite of the old. Where before there was abstraction and emotion, there is now rationalty and practicality. The system is held together with bureaucracy and rules, and only the whites can do things freely without being monitored or tripping over red tape. This system also lasts a long time, but then the fallen primaries return with a proposition. If they could somehow combine, then they could create a utopia where everyone had it the way they liked. Together, they created Tone.
At first, Tone seemed like the final Utopia, but it lasted much shorter than the eras before it. The colors were reinstated, along with some of the vibrancy. However, the rationality that kept Grey together remained. In honor of the redemption of the Blacks, the power was divided proportionally according to how close each color was to black. Soon they discovered a certain pattern about those in power. As time went on, more and more power was given to the elders. Not much heed was paid to the matter, since people were happy and the elders' wisdom served them well. However, the elders thought very much about it, first out of curiosity, then out of concern. They had realized why they were the ones in power. Each succesive generation had less and less black in it, so the generations before them always had more. Within a few more generation - the elders realized - they would return to Chroma! So quickly, they hatched a plan. They devised a system where the young would rule, full of ambition and immune to the greed the middle-aged possessed. Then they planted a seed of revolution among the young and waited.
The elders did not have to wait for long. The rebellious young generations rose against the old swiftly. The elders had done too well of a job, however, and they all were wiped out before they could pass on any wisdom to the younger ones. Free of the pressure to have dark colors, the young created Phosphor. There, the power was given to the brightest colors. This power division was that of Chroma, yet it was also the opposite. To keep their colors bright, they kept their ratios of blue to red to yellow as close as they could. Essentially, it seemed to those that still believed in it that the revolution had failed. It had produced the same tyrant, but with a different face. However, Phosphor suffered from one problem Chroma did not. Burn-out. On occasion, a very bright color would stop glowing, turning a deep, sludgy brown. These colors were - like all others opposite to the elite in eras before - cast out of society...
That's where it ends. I think that after this, true Utopia is achieved, but since it is the end, I don't need to really explain what it looks like. Anyway... does anyone have an idea on how I could use this?
Post by: IronyOwl on July 19, 2015, 07:08:41 pm
That's where it ends. I think that after this, true Utopia is achieved, but since it is the end, I don't need to really explain what it looks like. Anyway... does anyone have an idea on how I could use this?It sounds like you like the story more than you like what might come out of the story, which makes it hard to genuinely make a game out of it. Is there any part of it you feel would be improved with player input/direction? What do you like about it? Which parts would absolutely have to stay the same?
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on July 24, 2015, 09:00:04 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Bluexdog on July 24, 2015, 09:22:35 pm
I have a few ideas but I don't think they will work. again any suggestion is welcome
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 24, 2015, 09:23:43 pm
So, I had a random idea that popped up during my RE class where people were given a sheet containing about thirty or so bidding items (Most were kinda wish things, one that was a nutrient pill that could solve world hunger, perfect nuclear missile defence, or having a church constructed at an area of your choosing, one was even a winner of a miss universe pageant, I'm pretty sure) to make a little Forum game based around bidding!This is pretty bare-bones, really, but I would like some suggestions for things to add on to it.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I think I have an idea to expand on that.
A deathmatch. With auctions for stuff before it starts.
That would probably belong in the RTD subforum though.
Would you mind if I use that idea?
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on July 24, 2015, 09:32:05 pm
Oh man, that sounds really cool.So, I had a random idea that popped up during my RE class where people were given a sheet containing about thirty or so bidding items (Most were kinda wish things, one that was a nutrient pill that could solve world hunger, perfect nuclear missile defence, or having a church constructed at an area of your choosing, one was even a winner of a miss universe pageant, I'm pretty sure) to make a little Forum game based around bidding!This is pretty bare-bones, really, but I would like some suggestions for things to add on to it.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I think I have an idea to expand on that.
A deathmatch. With auctions for stuff before it starts.
That would probably belong in the RTD subforum though.
Would you mind if I use that idea?
Sure, go ahead, just make sure I can get a spot on it, alright?
Post by: IronyOwl on July 24, 2015, 09:38:06 pm
So, I had a random idea that popped up during my RE class where people were given a sheet containing about thirty or so bidding items (Most were kinda wish things, one that was a nutrient pill that could solve world hunger, perfect nuclear missile defence, or having a church constructed at an area of your choosing, one was even a winner of a miss universe pageant, I'm pretty sure) to make a little Forum game based around bidding!Feels overelaborate and pointless. The realtime/schedule thing feels like it slows the game down more than it adds anything, and the actual game doesn't appear to have an objective. I feel like you need a simpler, quicker system with an actual goal.
This is pretty bare-bones, really, but I would like some suggestions for things to add on to it.
If you want the game to be about bidding, maybe randomly drawn objective and auction cards? Every player has a set of goals they'd like to achieve, and most likely not all of them are going to be feasible at once. So when items come online for sale, they need to figure out how much they're willing to spend on each item, taking into account how well it fits which of their objectives, how much it'll tip off the other players that you need that thing, which other things you'd like to bid on that round, and how badly you want to bleed out or deny items to other players. You could have massive bidding wars around items nobody actually needs, but everybody assumed everybody else needed.
If you just want the game to involve bidding, you'd want an external goal, like "keep the country running" or "don't let this densely inhabited space station fall into the sun." Bidding would then be the method by which players attempted to complete disparate, sometimes competing goals, along with some of the cloak and dagger and misdirection stuff from a purely bid to win system.
I want to GM a game but im having trouble on the theme and stuff. any suggestion is welcome.When in doubt, take everything you like, dump it into a cauldron, and see what boils up. Hard Scifi Power Rangers Noir Revenge Story In 1800s Venice? Well, could work... and should keep you fairly interested.
I have a few ideas but I don't think they will work. again any suggestion is welcome
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 24, 2015, 10:00:12 pm
Certainly. The game should be obvious when you look in the subforum. Your spot is hereby reserved.Oh man, that sounds really cool.So, I had a random idea that popped up during my RE class where people were given a sheet containing about thirty or so bidding items (Most were kinda wish things, one that was a nutrient pill that could solve world hunger, perfect nuclear missile defence, or having a church constructed at an area of your choosing, one was even a winner of a miss universe pageant, I'm pretty sure) to make a little Forum game based around bidding!This is pretty bare-bones, really, but I would like some suggestions for things to add on to it.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I think I have an idea to expand on that.
A deathmatch. With auctions for stuff before it starts.
That would probably belong in the RTD subforum though.
Would you mind if I use that idea?
Sure, go ahead, just make sure I can get a spot on it, alright?
Post by: Tawa on July 25, 2015, 12:53:39 am
Unfortunately, my real talent lies in making GIFs out of stock images and I'm not exactly the best at drawing with or without a mouse, but the sort of feel I want to evoke isn't precisely easy to achieve with text or stick figures.
Post by: escaped lurker on July 25, 2015, 01:29:09 am
After a Zelda / Shadow of the Colossus binge, now I want to make an ISRPG drawing on elements of both with the ultimate goal of achieving a "lone adventurer" sort of feel.
Unfortunately, my real talent lies in making GIFs out of stock images and I'm not exactly the best at drawing with or without a mouse, but the sort of feel I want to evoke isn't precisely easy to achieve with text or stick figures.
How about pixel-art then?
There is enough freeware out there, as that you would certainly have no problem with tiles & decor, same goes for "monsters" and n/pc material. Take http://pousse.rapiere.free.fr/tome/ (http://pousse.rapiere.free.fr/tome/) as a good example, and http://www.pixelprospector.com/royalty-free-graphics/ (http://www.pixelprospector.com/royalty-free-graphics/) as a library. Provided you are inclined as such, but I guess a look won't hurt.
You could also use some rpgmaker. Set down the "landscape" that you want, and take screenshots of it. Has been done before.
While that would restrict you to "their" system, once you have a decent set-up besides the ~40 over-used starting monsters, you can "pump out" stuff pretty quickly.
Or, you go the "homemade" way. Bay12 is very forgiving in terms of art, especially if you make it yourself. Pixel art, is actually a good place to start.
Post by: micelus on July 25, 2015, 02:21:42 am
Also, anyone have any idea if a WH40K Black Crusade/Rogue Trader game would be workable on a forum?
Post by: adwarf on July 25, 2015, 04:14:53 am
Not too sure where to ask this so I'll post here. If I had to choose to run either Vampire: The Masquerade or Vampire: The Requiem, which one would be better mechanically?I have no experience with the first one so I can really comment on those, but I can say that Black Crusade or Rogue Trader game would certainly work on the forums. Black Crusade generally ends up playing more like some kind of sci-fi epic about the bad guys so its fine. On the other hand Rogue Trader might be difficult if you started including a lot of the content from some of the expansion/supplement books like planet colonization, and management.
Also, anyone have any idea if a WH40K Black Crusade/Rogue Trader game would be workable on a forum?
Post by: Cheesecake on July 25, 2015, 04:52:54 am
Not too sure where to ask this so I'll post here. If I had to choose to run either Vampire: The Masquerade or Vampire: The Requiem, which one would be better mechanically?
Also, anyone have any idea if a WH40K Black Crusade/Rogue Trader game would be workable on a forum?
I actually just found out about those vampire games. I read in TvTropes that The Requiem was more streamlined or something, but I've never played either, or even read the books.
WH40K roleplaying games will definitely work, just as they do for D&D games. I ran Dark Heresy for a while here.
Post by: micelus on July 25, 2015, 06:22:52 am
Not too sure where to ask this so I'll post here. If I had to choose to run either Vampire: The Masquerade or Vampire: The Requiem, which one would be better mechanically?I have no experience with the first one so I can really comment on those, but I can say that Black Crusade or Rogue Trader game would certainly work on the forums. Black Crusade generally ends up playing more like some kind of sci-fi epic about the bad guys so its fine. On the other hand Rogue Trader might be difficult if you started including a lot of the content from some of the expansion/supplement books like planet colonization, and management.
Also, anyone have any idea if a WH40K Black Crusade/Rogue Trader game would be workable on a forum?
Difficult as in the players wouldn't be able to handle it or because of the extra calculations/knowledge required.
EDIT: The only supplmenents I have that add any significant crunch are Into the Storm and Battlefleet Koronus.
EDIT2: I'm thinking of a possible campaign where the mission is compete against a team of heretics (and/or Tau) in converting the system. Does that sound any good?
EDIT3: Alternatively, a Masquerade game made up of fledglings (i.e new vampires) and a mentor-npc set after one of the game's many apocalypses. No one is quite sure which one actually happened since their memories all got erased and those who remember are Malkavian/became Malkavian. I.e, crazy vamps.
Post by: Kadzar on August 01, 2015, 04:31:44 pm
Originally I wrote this up in the "Games you wish existed" thread in Other Games, but I realized these ideas would probably work pretty well as (an)RTDforum game(s). I original wrote them up as single-player, but they could just as easily be multi-player games.Alright, what if you had some sort oftop-downRPG where you're a wizard or whatever, and, to cast spells, you need to collect spell components. And different spells would use some of the same components in different quantities, so you'd have to ration out your usage of certain spells. You'd collect components out in the world, or, if need be, you can just buy most of what you need in a shop. And there would be combat spells and utility spells, so you could decide if you want to fireball some enemies or just turn invisible and sneak past them.
Alternatively, or just as a different game, instead of collecting spell components, it could be a game about using ambient mana. So there would be mana of various types in whatever area you're in; the world would be made up of zones of various kinds of mana at different levels that can be tapped while you're standing in them. Very rarely will you be in a place without some sort of mana. So you don't need to ration, like with spell components, but you are limited to casting spells that use whatever sort of mana is present in the area you're currently in, and the ambient mana levels of the necessary types need to be high enough to match the requirements of a spell.
One final alternative: Spellguns. The player would have a magic gun capable of firing spell cartridges, which are basically just ready-made spells, which they can buy or just find around the world. And these, like the others, would come in battle and utility forms. And you might be able to find or buy different spellguns that either enhance certain spells (some very specialized guns may only be able to fire certain spells or types of spells) or apply modifiers to all spells fired from them, in addition to variants capable of firing multiple spell cartridges before needing to be reloaded. And you might eventually be able to learn to make your own spell cartridges from basic components, which would take time but allow you to have more customized loadouts and allow you to make things like bullets that instantly kill their target (though they need to be made with something taken from the target to work, and might even have a limited-time use).
Post by: ATHATH on August 01, 2015, 05:12:11 pm
Crossposting from Roller's Block:The first and second ideas sound interesting.Originally I wrote this up in the "Games you wish existed" thread in Other Games, but I realized these ideas would probably work pretty well as (an)RTDforum game(s). I original wrote them up as single-player, but they could just as easily be multi-player games.Alright, what if you had some sort oftop-downRPG where you're a wizard or whatever, and, to cast spells, you need to collect spell components. And different spells would use some of the same components in different quantities, so you'd have to ration out your usage of certain spells. You'd collect components out in the world, or, if need be, you can just buy most of what you need in a shop. And there would be combat spells and utility spells, so you could decide if you want to fireball some enemies or just turn invisible and sneak past them.
Alternatively, or just as a different game, instead of collecting spell components, it could be a game about using ambient mana. So there would be mana of various types in whatever area you're in; the world would be made up of zones of various kinds of mana at different levels that can be tapped while you're standing in them. Very rarely will you be in a place without some sort of mana. So you don't need to ration, like with spell components, but you are limited to casting spells that use whatever sort of mana is present in the area you're currently in, and the ambient mana levels of the necessary types need to be high enough to match the requirements of a spell.
One final alternative: Spellguns. The player would have a magic gun capable of firing spell cartridges, which are basically just ready-made spells, which they can buy or just find around the world. And these, like the others, would come in battle and utility forms. And you might be able to find or buy different spellguns that either enhance certain spells (some very specialized guns may only be able to fire certain spells or types of spells) or apply modifiers to all spells fired from them, in addition to variants capable of firing multiple spell cartridges before needing to be reloaded. And you might eventually be able to learn to make your own spell cartridges from basic components, which would take time but allow you to have more customized loadouts and allow you to make things like bullets that instantly kill their target (though they need to be made with something taken from the target to work, and might even have a limited-time use).
Post by: kilakan on August 07, 2015, 05:17:42 am
Post by: Fniff on August 07, 2015, 05:46:47 pm
The emphasis of the suggestion game, based off the Monsterhearts system, would not to have it result in victory but in interesting stories. The players would be encouraged to play the characters like stolen cars: you can't keep them, so drive fast and have an interesting car crash when you play them out.
Post by: Salsacookies on August 07, 2015, 08:36:55 pm
Post by: Fniff on August 07, 2015, 08:43:43 pm
Post by: Salsacookies on August 07, 2015, 08:45:59 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on August 07, 2015, 08:47:27 pm
Maybe have things start out being real most of the time, and then the imaginary things get more and more common as the character slowly goes insane...
Post by: Salsacookies on August 07, 2015, 08:51:32 pm
And sometimes, you'll be wondering if the soldiers are real, or if they're also figments of your imagination...Yeah, this in a nutshell. I'm thinking of placing this in New Jersey, unless there's a location that's closer to the border and to the sea. Ideas?
Maybe have things start out being real most of the time, and then the imaginary things get more and more common as the character slowly goes insane...
Post by: Fniff on August 07, 2015, 08:55:26 pm
And sometimes, you'll be wondering if the soldiers are real, or if they're also figments of your imagination...And it all reaches a crescendo when a battle finally occurs near your lighthouse/you finally have a total psychotic break?
Maybe have things start out being real most of the time, and then the imaginary things get more and more common as the character slowly goes insane...
New Jersey seems like a good spot.And sometimes, you'll be wondering if the soldiers are real, or if they're also figments of your imagination...Yeah, this in a nutshell. I'm thinking of placing this in New Jersey, unless there's a location that's closer to the border and to the sea. Ideas?
Maybe have things start out being real most of the time, and then the imaginary things get more and more common as the character slowly goes insane...
Post by: monk12 on August 07, 2015, 08:58:53 pm
Dunno how much room there is for gameplay in there, but it'd make a heck of a short story anyway.
And sometimes, you'll be wondering if the soldiers are real, or if they're also figments of your imagination...Yeah, this in a nutshell. I'm thinking of placing this in New Jersey, unless there's a location that's closer to the border and to the sea. Ideas?
Maybe have things start out being real most of the time, and then the imaginary things get more and more common as the character slowly goes insane...
I went on vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina recently, one of the attractions being all the lighthouses that date back to the Civil War. I'd set it more towards the South than the North if it were me, just because that's where the action in the Anaconda Plan was (well, that and the Mississippi, but I don't know how many lighthouses are on the river.) New Jersey was a Union state, and I don't think there was any Confederate activity there.
Post by: Salsacookies on August 07, 2015, 09:05:01 pm
Post by: Salsacookies on August 07, 2015, 09:09:12 pm
Would anyone be interested in playing a Suggestion Game where you take turns playing the members of a garage band consisting of supernatural creatures?Dibs for Jotun bassist :)
The emphasis of the suggestion game, based off the Monsterhearts system, would not to have it result in victory but in interesting stories. The players would be encouraged to play the characters like stolen cars: you can't keep them, so drive fast and have an interesting car crash when you play them out.
Post by: escaped lurker on August 08, 2015, 10:28:42 am
Just gonna add some of my own ideas - creative brainstorming seldom hurts, afaic.
For Isolation to "work", maybe the lighthouse is his "exile"? If so, it would most likely be a social one, as they certainly wouldn't trust the task to someone criminal. Or rather, maybe it was one he choose himself? Well, either way, it might be good if there is a valid reason why he doesn't leave the lighthouse, even as the events unfold.
That lighthouse, could even be one of those, that are "in" the sea, on some rock portruding there. That could severly limit the accessability, not only due to the number of row-boats that would even make the trip, but also access might only be safe at low tide / lowest low tide.
Obviously, then there would also be need of a caretaker, which brings him the occasional neccesseties. Likely some old fishermen or somesuch. While one might think that could ease up the isolation, he could also be a devils advocate - I feel Lovecraft had many of those, no? - which claims to have seen similiar things, or at least isn't fazed by the stories of the keeper.
About misleading "enemy" ships, that could very well be an order? Obstructing navigation, especially depending on the state of the war, could be a viable tactic. Possibly make it so that confederates have not many ships left, and won't spend those on offense, thus the order.
Well, if such an order ever existed, that is ;3
Post by: Salsacookies on August 08, 2015, 10:55:09 am
Post by: Salsacookies on August 08, 2015, 03:59:02 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=152488.0
Post by: escaped lurker on August 10, 2015, 06:29:00 pm
As I have little experience with "larger troop combat", I would like some advice from those that did similiar things in the past. Or any input on how to better my current train of thought.
Quote from: Example 1
20 Spearmen VS 20 SwordmenThat would be what I came up with for now. I'd most likely throw in some saving roll for the dead to become wounded "after" battle, but thats another story.
20HP, 1 Armour, 7 DMG // 25 HP, 2 Armour, 5 DMG
Spearmen have initiative
1 Side of dice for each individual = D20
D20 = 14 / 14x (7-2[Swordmen Armour]) = 70 DMG
Result = 18 Swordmen left, 430 HP left
With a homogenous army, it sounds nice enough, that I'd take it. But who has uniform armies with only 1 unit? So we come to this;
Quote from: Example 2
20 Spearmen VS 10 Swordmen, 5 Axemen, 3 Bowmen, 2 Knights
20HP, 1 Armour, 7 DMG // 25 HP, 2 Armour, 5 DMG // 15 HP, 1 Armour, 9 DMG // 10 HP, 15 DMG // 30 HP, 4 Armour, 12 DMG
Spearman have initiative, again 1 Side of dice for each individual / D20
D20 = 18, Attack is now split, starting against the most numerous units
D18 VS Swordmen = 10 // 10x (7-2) = 50 // = 2 Swordmen dead
D8 VS Axemen = 4 // 4x (7-1) = 24 // 1 Axeman dead, 1 wounded to 11 HP
D4 VS Bowmen = 4 // 4x (71-) = 24 // 2 Bowmen dead, 1 wounded to 6 HP
"D0" VS Knights / no "dice" left towards the "smallest unit"
Now, that still looks like a good system, but it is becoming increasingly cumbersome. Throw in some additional rules like "ranks", leading to only ranged units being able to attack those "further inward", or some units having even more complicated rules (think of knight charges, spear phalanxes), different terrain, and it becomes a daunting roll and book-keeping fest.
Getting back to the matter, I would welcome any suggestions on how to make that system "better", or links to / descriptions of more promising systems that already have been explored.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 10, 2015, 07:22:11 pm
On a larger scale, the precise ratio of swords to spears in your infantry becomes unimportant.
This may sound a little cumbersome at first, but bare with me.
Instead of having spearmen, swordsmen, axemen, glaivesmen, etc, have light, medium and heavy infantry. The ratio determines the main stats of the infantry block. Each type will have a different damage/armour ratio, which is either averaged or added together. HP increased with number of men per unit. Terrain gives the units advantages.
Infantry can attack infantry and ranged if the enemy infantry are gone.
Cavalry can attack infantry and ranged if the enemy cavalry are gone
Ranged can attack any.
This roughly represents the unit's roles in combat; the infantry, as the main block of forces, protects the ranged from the enemy infantry. The cavalry, as the most manoeuvrable unit, can either interfere with the enemy cavalry or act as shock forces against the enemy infantry. The ranged are, obviously, support, and highly vulnerable to direct combat.
I would recommend rolling turns simultaneously for both sides. After all, they're trying to kill each other at the same time. This allows defensive actions as something that work rather than a disadvantage.
Post by: escaped lurker on August 10, 2015, 08:35:46 pm
Most importantly, only having "a few" units, would shift the focus of the workload away from rolling their respective indivudal damage, and allow one to give thought to more important matters. Things like morale, tactics, formation and terrain.
Seems like the best way to go about bigger battles. Have my thanks, giglamesh ;3
Spoiler: My thoughts in more detail (click to show/hide)
Post by: Cryxis, Prince of Doom on August 11, 2015, 12:58:46 am
Post by: Funk on August 11, 2015, 01:04:11 am
Does one care that a lightsabre would burn lukes hand every time he used it? or how it's powered?
No as long as the idea makes sense im fine with unrealistic weapons.
Post by: Empiricist on August 11, 2015, 02:04:59 am
For space themed games do people care about slightly unrealistic weapons being used or is it something that people don't like?I wouldn't think so, unless it's also meant to be a hard sci-fi. And even then, some liberties are permitted so long as, (as stated by Funk), there is internal consistency.
Post by: Fniff on August 15, 2015, 01:23:14 pm
I posted an experimental suggestion game, and unfortunately it's gone unnoticed. I'm shamelessly advertising here for it to pick up a little more traffic and see if anyone is interested.
If you could have a look at it, I'd greatly appreciate it. Here it is. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=152573.0)
Post by: kilakan on August 15, 2015, 01:49:35 pm
In song or rhyme? As a caller this time? What sort of line?
Post by: Fniff on August 15, 2015, 01:52:13 pm
Post by: kilakan on August 16, 2015, 10:35:13 am
Yes the titles cool but... well a title isn't everything
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 16, 2015, 10:37:41 am
Post by: kilakan on August 16, 2015, 10:43:59 am
Post by: kilakan on August 16, 2015, 12:01:37 pm
1.Standard dungeon crawling style adventure, most of the game will take place in various dungeon encounters scattered throughout the land as the players fight all manner of beast in their quest for coin.
2.More open world style of adventure in which the PC's can go into dungeons, but they can also just take jobs to hunt things down, perform in taverns for money and all manner of other things. Less direction, more player input as to what they do.
3.Kingdom building, start off with a handleful of bp but no land to build it on. Work to clear and claim a part of the wilds, attract settlers and go from there using pathfinders kingdom building rules. Intermitten adventuring thrown in to keep it interesting.
Post by: Twinwolf on August 16, 2015, 12:04:06 pm
Also, having just bought The Witcher 3 and enjoying the hell out of it, I think it'd be cool if there was some game on the forums in that setting. Unless it was freeform, I probably couldn't be the one to run it, but just a thought.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on August 16, 2015, 12:06:10 pm
And thus the idea of a necronomicon game has died, it's bones scattered in the sands of the wasteland.And thus the idea for Tomes was born...
Lo, it be the modern age.
Lo, no magic to be seen.
Lo, the Twelve resolve to seed the earth with magic once again.
Lo, Twelve people have received Tomes of magic regarding one "affinity".
Lo, life gets difficult.
Post by: kilakan on August 16, 2015, 12:10:56 pm
Maybe a mix of 2 and 3?The witcher setting using pathfinder rules would be pretty cool. The characters most likely wouldn't be witchers mind you as I've tried to think how you'd handle that well and couldn't think of anything that would do it well. The settings do of course give way for normal humans to be on witcher levels of skill, with magic and the trained forestmen that are present in the first two. hmmm... shall need to ponder this now keep the suggestions coming!
Also, having just bought The Witcher 3 and enjoying the hell out of it, I think it'd be cool if there was some game on the forums in that setting. Unless it was freeform, I probably couldn't be the one to run it, but just a thought.
Post by: Twinwolf on August 16, 2015, 12:13:43 pm
Post by: kilakan on August 16, 2015, 12:18:50 pm
What was more of an issue is the reagent system that the witcher games use, it'd be a bit of book work to keep track of all the plants and parts people gather but it could be largely abstracted away I'd imagine.
Post by: Twinwolf on August 16, 2015, 12:20:33 pm
Post by: TealNinja on August 19, 2015, 04:21:20 pm
(In my head, I've been calling it "Poorly Thought Out D&D.")
Post by: ATHATH on August 19, 2015, 10:23:22 pm
I kind of want to attempt another game on here, in modified D&D 3.5e, with the basis of a planet-traveling Stronghold that acts as a player's everything, with Diablo-level story (as in, almost none at all). There be no town, just an inter-dimensional merchant living on the stronghold, who sells components and labour, but not any actual items, so the players would need to upgrade the Stronghold in order to actually get things they wanted.What tier would the players be?
(In my head, I've been calling it "Poorly Thought Out D&D.")
Post by: TealNinja on August 20, 2015, 12:20:44 am
I've been doing some extra rules for a different campaign, but I'd probably just lift a semi-gestalt thing from it. Tier 1=banned, Tier 2=normal, Tier 3=gestalt with lower tier. Classes are considered the Tier they are rated the highest for on "the list." I literally haven't done anything else in regards to this idea, and I would definitely want to have rollcharts for monsters and subquests.I kind of want to attempt another game on here, in modified D&D 3.5e, with the basis of a planet-traveling Stronghold that acts as a player's everything, with Diablo-level story (as in, almost none at all). There be no town, just an inter-dimensional merchant living on the stronghold, who sells components and labour, but not any actual items, so the players would need to upgrade the Stronghold in order to actually get things they wanted.What tier would the players be?
(In my head, I've been calling it "Poorly Thought Out D&D.")
Post by: ATHATH on August 20, 2015, 04:01:11 pm
Could we gestalt with a monster class? I.e. Troll X ll Fighter Y?I've been doing some extra rules for a different campaign, but I'd probably just lift a semi-gestalt thing from it. Tier 1=banned, Tier 2=normal, Tier 3=gestalt with lower tier. Classes are considered the Tier they are rated the highest for on "the list." I literally haven't done anything else in regards to this idea, and I would definitely want to have rollcharts for monsters and subquests.I kind of want to attempt another game on here, in modified D&D 3.5e, with the basis of a planet-traveling Stronghold that acts as a player's everything, with Diablo-level story (as in, almost none at all). There be no town, just an inter-dimensional merchant living on the stronghold, who sells components and labour, but not any actual items, so the players would need to upgrade the Stronghold in order to actually get things they wanted.What tier would the players be?
(In my head, I've been calling it "Poorly Thought Out D&D.")
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 20, 2015, 04:20:28 pm
Post by: Nerjin on August 20, 2015, 04:22:40 pm
Tier 3=gestalt with lower tier.
Sorry to say I don't think you can.
Post by: ATHATH on August 20, 2015, 05:16:45 pm
There's tier four and five classes. Honestly, I think it would work better if you could gestalt with a tier three class, though.Tier 3=gestalt with lower tier.
Sorry to say I don't think you can.
Post by: Nerjin on August 20, 2015, 05:31:31 pm
Gestalt with tarrasque
Fairly certain the Tarrasque is tier 2 or so.
Post by: TealNinja on August 20, 2015, 09:31:29 pm
Could we gestalt with a monster class? I.e. Troll X ll Fighter Y?I've been doing some extra rules for a different campaign, but I'd probably just lift a semi-gestalt thing from it. Tier 1=banned, Tier 2=normal, Tier 3=gestalt with lower tier. Classes are considered the Tier they are rated the highest for on "the list." I literally haven't done anything else in regards to this idea, and I would definitely want to have rollcharts for monsters and subquests.I kind of want to attempt another game on here, in modified D&D 3.5e, with the basis of a planet-traveling Stronghold that acts as a player's everything, with Diablo-level story (as in, almost none at all). There be no town, just an inter-dimensional merchant living on the stronghold, who sells components and labour, but not any actual items, so the players would need to upgrade the Stronghold in order to actually get things they wanted.What tier would the players be?
(In my head, I've been calling it "Poorly Thought Out D&D.")
I don't know the rules for Monsters as Classes, although I know they're out there. Do you know the source? If we can find the rules (and ensure they're not complete bonkers) then maybe, although I'd prefer to run the game at a low-ish level to start (3rd or 5th), so Troll would be mostly a no (again, unless the rules for Monsters as Classes helps with that.)
Post by: IronyOwl on August 20, 2015, 09:46:02 pm
I don't know the rules for Monsters as Classes, although I know they're out there. Do you know the source? If we can find the rules (and ensure they're not complete bonkers) then maybe, although I'd prefer to run the game at a low-ish level to start (3rd or 5th), so Troll would be mostly a no (again, unless the rules for Monsters as Classes helps with that.)The only ones I'm aware of are from Savage Species, and they're less rules and more of an obvious way to treat ECL as a class, with a lot of examples. Troll, for example, is 6 HD + 5 LA, so it's an 11-level class that starts with 1 HD and probably some minor stat bonuses (it might even be Medium, now that I think about it), and by the end is a full troll. The book has a breakdown, but there's no particular reason you couldn't just split it yourself.
Needless to say, this doesn't solve a great deal aside from the starting level thing, though I'm guessing if you're playing 3.5 balance is the least of your worries.
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on August 21, 2015, 07:50:42 am
I just kinda have a hankering to make something like that and wanna see if people also like the idea.
Post by: Twinwolf on August 21, 2015, 08:10:15 am
Post by: Execute/Dumbo.exe on August 21, 2015, 08:12:45 am
I've only heard of it through brief mention in a story- a game of it was used to get the backgrounds for the PCs in a Dark Heresy campaign- but yes, I'd be interested.It's this, (http://wh40klib.ru/rpg/Only%20War/) check out the Core Rulebook one.
Post by: ATHATH on August 22, 2015, 01:25:28 am
Yep, it's Savage Species.I don't know the rules for Monsters as Classes, although I know they're out there. Do you know the source? If we can find the rules (and ensure they're not complete bonkers) then maybe, although I'd prefer to run the game at a low-ish level to start (3rd or 5th), so Troll would be mostly a no (again, unless the rules for Monsters as Classes helps with that.)The only ones I'm aware of are from Savage Species, and they're less rules and more of an obvious way to treat ECL as a class, with a lot of examples. Troll, for example, is 6 HD + 5 LA, so it's an 11-level class that starts with 1 HD and probably some minor stat bonuses (it might even be Medium, now that I think about it), and by the end is a full troll. The book has a breakdown, but there's no particular reason you couldn't just split it yourself.
Needless to say, this doesn't solve a great deal aside from the starting level thing, though I'm guessing if you're playing 3.5 balance is the least of your worries.
If we let a tier three class gestalt with a tier three class, I might be a Ghost Dip/Binder Dip/Evanglist (Advancing Anima Mage)? ll Beguiler Dip/Sandshaper Dip/Anima Mage. How lenient are you on that vestige that summons stuff with the supernatural template, and Naberius comboing with things that use ability damage as a drawback?
Post by: TealNinja on August 22, 2015, 01:36:23 am
I'm really unfamiliar with the intricacies of most Prestige Classes, so honestly speaking, I'd need to read up on any Prestige Class you intended to use. As a general rule of thumb, I'll treat any casting Prestige as Tier 2, and any other Prestige as Tier 3. With exceptions for Incantatrix and Ur-priest, as I am aware that those two are ridiculously broken.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 22, 2015, 11:35:29 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I don't think you have to take all the monster levels in succession.
Post by: ATHATH on August 22, 2015, 11:28:07 pm
I'm limited in my knowledge of how Binders work, don't know what you mean by Ghost (unless you mean a monster class, in which case I believe you're required to take all levels of the monster class before taking any other levels), don't know the Sandshaper, barely know Anima Mage, and don't know Evangelist. However, the tier list says that Binder that summons things is rated as Tier 2, so it can't gestalt with anything anyway. And no, T3/T3 would not be permitted.Nope, you can dip Ghost. Sandshaper is from Sandstorm, and adds a good selection of spells to your spell list. It's a common dip for Beguilers, due to their casting mechanic. What is your ruling on Beguilers getting Sanctified and Corrupt spells from BoED and BoVD, respectively (they're on everyone's spell list, apparently). Evangelist is based off of a feat that lets you get boons by praying to your diety in the morning, but is distinguished by the fact that at second level it gets to advance another class, and advances class features as well (for instance, a wizard's bonus feats). Have you heard of Rainbow Servant?
I'm really unfamiliar with the intricacies of most Prestige Classes, so honestly speaking, I'd need to read up on any Prestige Class you intended to use. As a general rule of thumb, I'll treat any casting Prestige as Tier 2, and any other Prestige as Tier 3. With exceptions for Incantatrix and Ur-priest, as I am aware that those two are ridiculously broken.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on August 23, 2015, 09:01:48 am
The ideas I have so far are:
Evil cult
Equally evil wizard
Dark knight
Ogre/Troll/Giant
Thoughts?
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 23, 2015, 09:04:19 am
Post by: kj1225 on August 23, 2015, 11:01:09 am
An evil Giant cult lead by a tiny wizard with a so of average looking knight as a cousin.An evil cult, lead by an evil wizard with a giant knight as a second-in-command?How about a giant evil wizard with a tiny knight as a second-in-command?
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 23, 2015, 11:18:36 am
The wizard.Yes! Great idea!An evil Giant cult lead by a tiny wizard with a so of average looking knight as a cousin.An evil cult, lead by an evil wizard with a giant knight as a second-in-command?How about a giant evil wizard with a tiny knight as a second-in-command?
Only question... who would you play as?
Post by: kilakan on August 23, 2015, 11:29:28 am
Post by: kj1225 on August 23, 2015, 11:31:07 am
Got it. Where'll the date take place?Skullcrusher mountain of course. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ryNJVreiY)
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on August 23, 2015, 12:10:00 pm
But in all seriousness, any serious suggestions?
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on August 23, 2015, 12:30:26 pm
Well, after this, it for less serious.An evil Giant cult lead by a tiny wizard with a so of average looking knight as a cousin.An evil cult, lead by an evil wizard with a giant knight as a second-in-command?How about a giant evil wizard with a tiny knight as a second-in-command?
Post by: ATHATH on August 23, 2015, 06:36:31 pm
The players have to stop the BBEG from pulling off one of those TO combos. The Festering Anger combo would work well, because it isn't instant. Use the Right is Might feat so that the longer the PCs take to get to the BBEG, the more minions he has (he also gets stronger (literally) over time).Well, after this, it for less serious.An evil Giant cult lead by a tiny wizard with a so of average looking knight as a cousin.An evil cult, lead by an evil wizard with a giant knight as a second-in-command?How about a giant evil wizard with a tiny knight as a second-in-command?
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on August 23, 2015, 06:51:21 pm
If it weren't a 5e game. :P
Post by: Fniff on August 23, 2015, 07:43:17 pm
Like, she's just on a drunken bender across the fantasy world and you're hired to bring her back before royal wedding/coronation/whatever.
If you want a villain, have a stereotypical dark overlord as her overprotective boyfriend.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on August 23, 2015, 08:01:39 pm
Link (NSFW) (http://oglaf.com/delivery/)
Post by: Tawa on August 31, 2015, 05:43:08 pm
Post by: kj1225 on September 02, 2015, 06:01:11 pm
Does anyone know any systems that one could freely aquire that would be good for a game where the players are basically gods among men who are among even more gods that the players will be quarrelling with after all the gods got into a huge fight because The Norse kicked off Ragnarok without permission. I'm looking for something fairly simple to work with and modify as I want all the players to be able to make a sort of perk depending on what god they worship.
Spoiler: Note (click to show/hide)
Post by: Salsacookies on September 02, 2015, 06:42:35 pm
Kapow! (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/95884/Kapow)
Argh! (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/96079/Argh)
These may be good.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on September 04, 2015, 03:13:57 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=152761.msg6466846#msg6466846
What you can do is go to your profile and hit Show Posts, then go to Show Topics, and all the topics you started will pop up.
Post by: IronyOwl on September 04, 2015, 09:52:30 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on September 05, 2015, 06:20:35 am
Post by: Salsacookies on September 06, 2015, 07:50:50 pm
Edit: If someone's character dies, he will be given another one to play as. A form of lives, I guess. Also, may remove the mafia aspect if it would be too hard to have a more actiony mafia where even if you are chosen to die, you have a chance to survive by escaping from the killer
Post by: GiglameshDespair on September 09, 2015, 05:34:27 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on September 17, 2015, 02:55:59 pm
Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Rules (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Equipment, Perks and SP Abilities (click to show/hide)
Post by: Twinwolf on September 17, 2015, 02:59:37 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on September 17, 2015, 03:04:59 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on September 17, 2015, 03:09:30 pm
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on September 17, 2015, 04:49:18 pm
Seems cool. Link once you post it.
That's the plan. I just need to work on the fluff for the intro and then everything should be (more or less) ready. So it should be up sometime on the weekend.
The stats only having a 50% chance of being effective seems a bit of an odd choice.
The 50% chance to succeed bit was inspired by Master of Magic, which operates on a similar mechanic. Basically I wanted a system which was simple to use without being too imbalanced and the 50% chance struck me as a good way to accomplish that. Also it produces a nice bell-curve for damage that you don't get in a simple dX system, which is something I like to look for. Since stats are low for both enemies and players it should hopefully result in quick, brutal battles.
Post by: Salsacookies on September 19, 2015, 03:17:51 pm
On another note, is their such a thing as an online poker deck? The game uses poker cards instead of dice.
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on September 20, 2015, 03:35:43 pm
Seems cool. Link once you post it.
I've posted it, so here's that link you've requested. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153181.msg6514740#msg6514740)
Post by: tntey on September 20, 2015, 03:37:15 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on September 20, 2015, 03:38:41 pm
What do you mean?
Post by: USEC_OFFICER on September 20, 2015, 03:39:34 pm
Post by: tntey on September 20, 2015, 03:39:47 pm
I assume that he means picking cards/whatever out from a limited/random selection and playing with them? Something like that.yeah
Post by: Kadzar on September 20, 2015, 09:48:30 pm
- Collectible trading card game: The game would be about discussing rules and combos and lore. The actual rule structure would be made up by players discussing the game. Maybe something playable might even arise from this.
- Roleplaying game: Rather than trying to play an actual game in the universe, like I've tried in the past, the game would be about discussing what it's like to be players or GMs in the game (similar to the D&D thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=151000.0) in General Discussion).
- Single-player videogame: I originally intended Igynpadca to be single-player game, taking inspiration from modded Minecraft and Terraria, though it soon turned into the most complicated MMORPG conceived by mankind. Though I'm very happy with how it turned out, I'm still curious about what could have been.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on September 20, 2015, 10:52:26 pm
Post by: Tomasque on September 20, 2015, 11:32:43 pm
I've been thinking about doing an Igynpadca (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104495.0) reboot. It would basically work like the original Igynpadca, but in a different medium. I'd do it one of three ways:Wait, you created Igynpadca? You're awesome! I'll go for the single-player version.Which version would people prefer?
- Collectible trading card game: The game would be about discussing rules and combos and lore. The actual rule structure would be made up by players discussing the game. Maybe something playable might even arise from this.
- Roleplaying game: Rather than trying to play an actual game in the universe, like I've tried in the past, the game would be about discussing what it's like to be players or GMs in the game (similar to the D&D thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=151000.0) in General Discussion).
- Single-player videogame: I originally intended Igynpadca to be single-player game, taking inspiration from modded Minecraft and Terraria, though it soon turned into the most complicated MMORPG conceived by mankind. Though I'm very happy with how it turned out, I'm still curious about what could have been.
By the way, did you see my thread where I tried to get people to help turn the game within Igynpadca into a tabletop game? It failed because there were too many pages of it... If you could help me keep up with the new one, I still might be up to it, though!
Post by: Kadzar on September 21, 2015, 02:59:29 am
Wait, you created Igynpadca? You're awesome! I'll go for the single-player version.Thanks, though most of the best parts of the game where made by other people. I just started it up.
By the way, did you see my thread where I tried to get people to help turn the game within Igynpadca into a tabletop game? It failed because there were too many pages of it... If you could help me keep up with the new one, I still might be up to it, though!
And I don't think I saw your thread. I haven't been too active on the forums lately, so if it was at all recent, I most likely wouldn't have seen it (recent here meaning in the past several months).
Post by: Tomasque on September 21, 2015, 08:45:24 am
When do you plan to do the Igynpadca reboot?Wait, you created Igynpadca? You're awesome! I'll go for the single-player version.Thanks, though most of the best parts of the game where made by other people. I just started it up.
By the way, did you see my thread where I tried to get people to help turn the game within Igynpadca into a tabletop game? It failed because there were too many pages of it... If you could help me keep up with the new one, I still might be up to it, though!
And I don't think I saw your thread. I haven't been too active on the forums lately, so if it was at all recent, I most likely wouldn't have seen it (recent here meaning in the past several months).
Post by: Kadzar on September 22, 2015, 10:56:08 am
Sorry for not responding to this earlier.When do you plan to do the Igynpadca reboot?Wait, you created Igynpadca? You're awesome! I'll go for the single-player version.Thanks, though most of the best parts of the game where made by other people. I just started it up.
By the way, did you see my thread where I tried to get people to help turn the game within Igynpadca into a tabletop game? It failed because there were too many pages of it... If you could help me keep up with the new one, I still might be up to it, though!
And I don't think I saw your thread. I haven't been too active on the forums lately, so if it was at all recent, I most likely wouldn't have seen it (recent here meaning in the past several months).
I think I'll be able to put up a first post on Thursday, as my schedule is rather busy until then. I might be able to do it earlier, but don't count on it.
Post by: Kadzar on September 24, 2015, 06:35:52 pm
Post by: Andres on September 26, 2015, 09:31:43 pm
So far, the idea is that Critical wounds'll do double damage and confer a temporary status effect (like bleeding) until the wound is healed. Grievous attacks will do triple damage and confer a permanent effect, such as losing a limb.
The problem is I'm not sure if all Crit/Griev wounds result in status effects or if some only result in the bonus damage. I think I have a way to solve it by having armour provide a modifier to the roll rather than providing damage resistance but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?
Post by: IronyOwl on September 26, 2015, 10:33:23 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on September 26, 2015, 11:46:17 pm
The problem is I'm not sure if all Crit/Griev wounds result in status effects or if some only result in the bonus damage. I think I have a way to solve it by having armour provide a modifier to the roll rather than providing damage resistance but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?
Well, even for "Grievous Damage", loosing a limb is kind of a big deal. Those are already in the "Grave" department. Or there-abouts.
How about making "Lesser Traits" rather easy to develop. Wound on the arm? Roll for "Splittered Bone / -40% Parry or Block", "Cut Tendon / -30% Strength", "Lost Fingers / -10% Strength, +50% Chance of Loosing Grip" a~nd there-abouts.
The basic idea, is to not just lopp off a limb, and be done with the fighter, but rather to make life more difficult for him with a sleugh of built-up wounds. To counter these negative traits, the first few fights could lead to exponentional growth - quite sure the first "real" fights, were important even for those with combat training, whereas later on, it kind of developes into pre-battle strategy, instead of figuring out how to survive.
Post by: Tomasque on September 27, 2015, 01:14:55 am
I'm thinking about a Swords and Sandals-esque combat system with Critical and Grievous attacks. I've already figured out how they'll be rolled, but I'm not quite sure on what their effects would be.I remember playing that game when I was a kid! Lopping off limbs was the best! (and therefore should be included in this version)
So far, the idea is that Critical wounds'll do double damage and confer a temporary status effect (like bleeding) until the wound is healed. Grievous attacks will do triple damage and confer a permanent effect, such as losing a limb.
The problem is I'm not sure if all Crit/Griev wounds result in status effects or if some only result in the bonus damage. I think I have a way to solve it by having armour provide a modifier to the roll rather than providing damage resistance but I'm not sure. What do you guys think?
Post by: Twinwolf on September 27, 2015, 07:08:35 am
Post by: Tomasque on September 27, 2015, 11:18:10 am
HIT TABLE
Step 1: Determine Hit Location
Roll 1d20
Result Body Part Hit*
1 Head
2 or 3 Left Arm
4 or 5 Right Arm
6-8 Torso (Main Body) Bones
9-14 Torso (Main Body) Organs
15-17 Left Leg
18-20 Right Leg
*In case of multiple body parts, roll a die according to number of parts.
Example: Shooting at a giant octopus you rolled a 16 left leg hit. Roll one four-sided die (1d4) to determine which of the 4 tentacles you hit on the “left” side of the octopus. You rolled a 2 meaning you hit the “second” tentacle on the “left” side counting back from the head/body.
Spoiler: Step 2 & Damage Tables (click to show/hide)
Note: I did not make this. I forgot who did, but credit goes to him/her.
Post by: Rolepgeek on September 27, 2015, 11:38:07 am
Massive, right now.
Post by: flabort on September 27, 2015, 02:10:41 pm
((...says the guy who WoTs in mafia like it was going out of style :P))
Post by: Andres on September 30, 2015, 02:02:00 am
In many games there's the concept of a magic book that teaches players new spells. I'm going to have something similar like that and have thought of two types of such books: tomes and grimoires. A tome is a normal book. Sometimes it's innately magical and sometimes it's not. Grimoires, on the other hand, are special in that they're actually alive.
What I need help with is coming up with the mechanical differences between tomes and grimoires. To this end I've drawn a complete blank. The only difference I can think of is literally "one is alive, the other isn't." Still, it's an interesting enough idea and I wanted to know what you guys think.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on September 30, 2015, 02:28:00 am
Post by: escaped lurker on September 30, 2015, 08:50:58 am
As in, unlike from tomes, you can't "retain" or copy any Grimoir spells, as these books are a vital component of the spell?
Right, like a "shortcut" to "Ritual Magic" - Spells that complicated, that you can't pull them off from memory. Instead of needing to calculate and draw down runes for the spell, vóila~, a Grimoire has it all (or mostly) prepared for you already.
The other route which comes to mind, is that Tomes contain "Scientific" Magic. Each rune, gesture and incantation is measured, as is the minimum and maximum amount of power that the mage has to or can use with certain spells.
Grimoirs, on the other hand, are used in "Sorcery". These spells are more wild magic, and intuitive understandig of it, than measurement and formula like used in magic. Consider them a fair bit stronger, but less frequent useage, and greater backlash from failed spells.
So yeah, kind of like the differences between D&D Wizards / Warlocks
Post by: Andres on September 30, 2015, 05:31:33 pm
A book that is alive can speak with its user, influence user's actions if s/he is too weak willed, and cast magic on its own. If grimoire doesn't like its user, then it might actively hinder when user casts spells written in it. Grimoires even might have their own agenda.
Well, maybe Grimoirs, while containing "Greater Magic", are needed to channel these spells.Excellent ideas. This is basically everything I need concerning the subject. It also fits in very nicely with the magic system I have planned.
As in, unlike from tomes, you can't "retain" or copy any Grimoir spells, as these books are a vital component of the spell?
Right, like a "shortcut" to "Ritual Magic" - Spells that complicated, that you can't pull them off from memory. Instead of needing to calculate and draw down runes for the spell, vóila~, a Grimoire has it all (or mostly) prepared for you already.
escaped lurker's second idea is actually something that a tome could do. However, the "shortcut to ritual magic" line has given me the idea of grimoires re/writing themselves for a variety of reasons, one of them being to help their readers. I probably won't make all grimoires have this ability but it's still an idea I'll probably use.
The other route which comes to mind, is that Tomes contain "Scientific" Magic. Each rune, gesture and incantation is measured, as is the minimum and maximum amount of power that the mage has to or can use with certain spells.If I'm going to have this it won't be through the tome/grimoire system. Despite the grimoires being alive they're still very much books and so would be "scientific" in the same sense that tomes are. Sorcery will probably find its way in but with some other method. Staves, maybe, or some kind of powerful artifact. That's something I've gotta think about on my own.
Grimoirs, on the other hand, are used in "Sorcery". These spells are more wild magic, and intuitive understandig of it, than measurement and formula like used in magic. Consider them a fair bit stronger, but less frequent useage, and greater backlash from failed spells.
So yeah, kind of like the differences between D&D Wizards / Warlocks
Post by: Chiefwaffles on September 30, 2015, 10:55:26 pm
Unsurprisingly, I'm getting a rather low amount of posts from people who aren't me. Anyone have any idea why?
I assume it's because of a lack of a path to follow, but I plan to fix that in the near future. Problem is, I'm still not that great with a "main quest"-type thing of sorts. I'd never want it to be too railroading or restricting, but I don't know how to get it in a sweet spot where it's just guiding enough but not too obvious and still allowing freedom.
Basically my skills right now would allow me to type something up like "MAYBE YOU SHOULD VISIT THAT. IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA. HINT HINT."
Fun fact: I more or less made this same post (minus the "I assume" part) a year or so ago for Galaxy Rise. Some things don't change!
Post by: Rolepgeek on September 30, 2015, 11:02:51 pm
Post by: Andres on October 02, 2015, 03:42:51 am
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 02, 2015, 07:06:22 am
Theres tons on bigger sites for internet games out there.
Post by: Andres on October 03, 2015, 05:20:31 pm
In other news, I've finally figured out how I'm gonna do grievous hits: any natural 20 attack on a body area that has lower armour than the weapon's damage will be subject to a grievous hit. It will usually result in the loss of something unless the body part is the torso.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 06, 2015, 12:49:06 am
a.) To get better at writing, still. There's something about my writing style that I find weird. It just feels so.. stagnant
b.) To improve at possible actions. I said this pretty recently, but I can't really present a list of possible actions without making it super obvious or so subtle no one will notice. This is kind of the main one. I don't know how everyone else does it!
c.) For fun, of course! It'd be less complex than my usual games. As I said, it'd be freeform. So it's more like "You do A and now you're B" then a complex turn-based strategy thing.
Soo here's an excerpt from a possible OP (really just the straight up action stuff of the OP, skipping the little background info):
Quote
An Uark slams you in the back with his entire body, sending both of you careening off of the skyscraper! Flying off the top of the skyscraper, something that makes your day even worse happens as the world slows to the point where time almost appears still.So I've kind of obviously gone for an explosive start, but I'm still worried about the available options here.
An Uark fighter is about to hit you. In one second.
What do you do?
Opinions? [On the excerpt/general 'idea'?]
Post by: StrawBarrel on October 10, 2015, 07:33:38 pm
a) I don’t really know your writing style, but the excerpt below seems dynamic rather than stagnant. If you don’t like something about your writing, then try experimenting with different writing styles, different tenses, and different perspectives that you’re not used to.
b) I think listing out choices is not necessarily a bad thing if you want to guide the story down a certain path. Even if you list out choices, there’s still plenty of room for creativity as people will sometimes throw in plan C if they don’t like A or B.
c) Fun is always a good point.
Excerpt choice analysis) Someone could suggest to dodge the hit, hit the Uark, wake up from the dream, panic, beg for their life, or pretty much anything. One potential problem could be that the player will suggest something outside the character’s or world’s ability if you planned to set some sort of limit on the character or world.
Post by: Tawa on October 14, 2015, 08:16:01 pm
Is... is there still any interest?
Post by: Twinwolf on October 14, 2015, 08:16:54 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 14, 2015, 08:17:26 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on October 14, 2015, 08:18:09 pm
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 14, 2015, 08:37:34 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 15, 2015, 04:49:16 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 15, 2015, 07:59:30 pm
Post by: Tawa on October 15, 2015, 08:00:38 pm
Post by: heydude6 on October 15, 2015, 09:33:16 pm
Spoiler: Before I got ninjaed (click to show/hide)
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 15, 2015, 10:48:29 pm
Post by: Kadzar on October 15, 2015, 11:21:23 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 16, 2015, 10:52:17 am
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 16, 2015, 03:44:24 pm
3.5, as per tradition.I had an idea for a were- character I wanted to try, but then all games were 5e, so I didn't get the chance.
So I'm tempted.
Post by: Tawa on October 16, 2015, 04:12:52 pm
Speaking of Pathfinder, have you ever tried running a game of that, Tawarochir?I'm vaguely familiar with the Pathfinder rule changes, and I've actually made a couple characters from some of the more interesting classes from the game, but I think I'll stick with 3.5 for the time being.
-snip-3.5 is pretty fun, if not quite as balanced as 5e, and as MNII and Kadzar mentioned there's an SRD with most of the stuff you need on it. I have the physical core books aside from the Monster Manual, so I can help you with the stuff like leveling up the SRD doesn't cover. I had quite a bit of fun figuring out how to play using just the SRD, myself.
Your character concept and a fair amount of the crunch you have there should be able to be adapted to 3.5, as well.
I had an idea for a were- character I wanted to try, but then all games were 5e, so I didn't get the chance.Sounds fun. I'm using the tier-based free LA houserule, as well.
So I'm tempted.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 16, 2015, 04:18:01 pm
Hello shenanigans, my old friend; Ive come to talk with you again.
Sounds fun. I'm using the tier-based free LA houserule, as well.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 16, 2015, 04:27:02 pm
as a person who's never actually played DnD, despite owning the rulebooks, I have a questionHello shenanigans, my old friend; Ive come to talk with you again.
Sounds fun. I'm using the tier-based free LA houserule, as well.
what is this house rule? What does it do?
Post by: ATHATH on October 16, 2015, 04:42:50 pm
Make that two and a half, depending on whether or not I can be arsed to break out Ye Olde Rulebooks once more.3/2!
How heavily can we optimize?
Post by: Tawa on October 16, 2015, 04:45:27 pm
There's a lot of power disparity in the game. Fighters and monks, to put it mildly, suck. Wizards can singlehandedly do everything before they're half max level. Lots of houserules have been come up with to get around this, from blanket bans on the strong stuff to stuff like giving lower-tier characters "gestalt" abilities where they get to advance in two classes at once. I'm partial to the "Level Adjustment by Tier" rule, where lower-powered characters get to add extra stuff to their characters, like templates and more powerful races like drow and stuff.as a person who's never actually played DnD, despite owning the rulebooks, I have a questionHello shenanigans, my old friend; Ive come to talk with you again.
Sounds fun. I'm using the tier-based free LA houserule, as well.
what is this house rule? What does it do?
Personally, I prefer having a gentleman's agreement with anybody who wants to play stuff like Druids or Wizards, since they're the only one who has fun turning into a bear that shoots bears that spit fire and fart lightning or use the Locate City bomb to eliminate everything in a seventy-mile radius. Some people run high-powered games where the free LA starts coming from everywhere below Tier 1, but I'm more of a Tier 3-baseline kind of guy and intend to start supplying it to Tier 4 (default rangers/rogues/paladins) and under.
I'd prefer you not go into full-on munchkin mode, but I don't mind the sort of splatbook-laden min-maxing that internet class guides generally advocate. To an extent, that is.Make that two and a half, depending on whether or not I can be arsed to break out Ye Olde Rulebooks once more.3/2!
How heavily can we optimize?
Post by: Twinwolf on October 16, 2015, 04:47:37 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 16, 2015, 04:48:33 pm
You don't have to worry about min-maxing or anything from me, I've never played 3.5 and therefore don't know any of the overpowered combinations.Same here.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 16, 2015, 04:51:33 pm
Post by: heydude6 on October 16, 2015, 05:13:26 pm
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 16, 2015, 05:15:34 pm
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on October 16, 2015, 05:30:03 pm
amirite
Come on, don't edge away like that.
please
im so lonely
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 16, 2015, 06:30:46 pm
Go home, 3.5, you're drunk.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 16, 2015, 06:35:55 pm
There are werewasps. (http://realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/werewasp.shtml)Haha, wow, I might need to make one of those.
Go home, 3.5, you're drunk.
Post by: flabort on October 16, 2015, 10:02:14 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 17, 2015, 12:42:13 am
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 17, 2015, 12:50:58 am
Post by: heydude6 on October 17, 2015, 11:02:51 am
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 17, 2015, 01:45:17 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 17, 2015, 01:56:23 pm
No, it's meant to be for non-casters, at least flavor-wise. The draw isn't reduced move speed, that's just the 'major drawback' that happens because of the abilities. That said, your move speed isn't further reduced by armor...
It's basically necromancy without being a necromancer, in some effects. Might work well with casters, but still.
Stuff like latching ghosts onto people, calling them into your weapons, their sheer mass providing protection and eventually pulling you halfway into being incorporeal, causing/having nightmares, summoning a vortex of the damned or something...
Post by: ATHATH on October 18, 2015, 12:07:08 am
Hmm?Refluff a class similar to Dwarven Defender (not the actual Dwarven Defender though, it sucks, from what I hear).
No, it's meant to be for non-casters, at least flavor-wise. The draw isn't reduced move speed, that's just the 'major drawback' that happens because of the abilities. That said, your move speed isn't further reduced by armor...
It's basically necromancy without being a necromancer, in some effects. Might work well with casters, but still.
Stuff like latching ghosts onto people, calling them into your weapons, their sheer mass providing protection and eventually pulling you halfway into being incorporeal, causing/having nightmares, summoning a vortex of the damned or something...
Mate, I don't remember what edition it was from, but there are were-asses (not were-asses, these are donkeys that turn into humans).There are werewasps. (http://realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/werewasp.shtml)Haha, wow, I might need to make one of those.
Go home, 3.5, you're drunk.
So... that means I can't go with the phrenic, half-fey, unseelie fey, half-golem, incarnate construct, arctic, desert, necropolitan, spellstitched, venerable gnome (all of that is only +3 LA, and all of the SLA's are usable 3 time per day) Ur-Priest/Sublime Chord build (with a psychic reformation tattoo) that I want to try out?There's a lot of power disparity in the game. Fighters and monks, to put it mildly, suck. Wizards can singlehandedly do everything before they're half max level. Lots of houserules have been come up with to get around this, from blanket bans on the strong stuff to stuff like giving lower-tier characters "gestalt" abilities where they get to advance in two classes at once. I'm partial to the "Level Adjustment by Tier" rule, where lower-powered characters get to add extra stuff to their characters, like templates and more powerful races like drow and stuff.as a person who's never actually played DnD, despite owning the rulebooks, I have a questionHello shenanigans, my old friend; Ive come to talk with you again.
Sounds fun. I'm using the tier-based free LA houserule, as well.
what is this house rule? What does it do?
Personally, I prefer having a gentleman's agreement with anybody who wants to play stuff like Druids or Wizards, since they're the only one who has fun turning into a bear that shoots bears that spit fire and fart lightning or use the Locate City bomb to eliminate everything in a seventy-mile radius. Some people run high-powered games where the free LA starts coming from everywhere below Tier 1, but I'm more of a Tier 3-baseline kind of guy and intend to start supplying it to Tier 4 (default rangers/rogues/paladins) and under.I'd prefer you not go into full-on munchkin mode, but I don't mind the sort of splatbook-laden min-maxing that internet class guides generally advocate. To an extent, that is.Make that two and a half, depending on whether or not I can be arsed to break out Ye Olde Rulebooks once more.3/2!
How heavily can we optimize?
How about a less-cheesy LE, dragonwrought, kobold sorceror (with Loredrake, if it's allowed) that locks other spell-casters in the back of the party's wagon, hits them with a Feeble-Mind, hooks them up to a torture device, attaches an item to them from the BoVD that turns pain into pleasure, and extracts liquid joy from them? He then casts Dragon-Touch (that's probably not the correct name) on them to give them the [dragon-blooded] subtype for a few minutes, then he casts Dragon-Blood Spell-Pact on them (using the liquid joy to negate the xp cost), and uses them as living spellbooks (I actually really want to play this character, please consider him).
Post by: ATHATH on October 18, 2015, 12:11:36 am
Are you using LA buy-off and point-buy (how much?)?
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 18, 2015, 12:14:33 am
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 18, 2015, 12:18:02 am
Phrenic, spell-stitched, and half-fey are notable for being able to give mundanes some scaling psuedo-spell-casting. Check 'em out if you're giving fighter-types free LA.They'd only be applicable on tier six classes, though, aka, the worst of the worst: Commoners, Aristocrats and CW Samurai.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 18, 2015, 05:51:19 pm
Spell-stitched has be on undead, and it doesn't have an LA modifier at all, so it wuld suggest to me not to be permissable for players. In addition, I'd say the nature of the template itself means the recipricent shouldn't get scaling spell casting - since the spells are imbued upon the creation of the spell-stitched, I'd say the SS should be limited to the spells it is created with or require a spell caster to add more as WIS increases.
----
I was looking at the were-wasp, and noticed a few interesting little differences between lycanthropy and Entomanothropy. Bug-weres have only one difference between inflicted and natural, and that's inflicted can't spread their were-ism, but it would seem they cost the same LA.
Entos, compared to traditional lycans:
The good
Entos seem to have the same sized hybrid form as base creature, since they can choose the size of the vermin they shift into.
They can also command as per command undead (but with their bug, obviously) to an extent, have immunity to mind-affecting affects in their entirety, and darkvision instead of low-light vision.
They get their bugs natural attack with associated poison, which can range from good to worthless.
Flying lycans can only fly in their animal forms, but entos gain flying speed in hybrid as well.
Natural or afflicted, either way werebugs don't have to worry about alignment change or rampages at night.
Entos gain the base saves of their bug, which can be a big increase or minimal compared to the lycans Iron Will and +2 fort and reflex.
The bad
Entos get +2 wis much can lycans but also suffer -2int.
Their hybrid forms don't get the same 2 natural claws and bite as a lycan does, merely getting the same attack as the bug, but were-scorpions do get claws as well.
Natural entos only have 5DR/silver, though I suppose their lower LA makes up for that.
Animals can have some pretty gruesome abilities a ento can't get.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 18, 2015, 06:03:32 pm
However, there is a very small amount of vermin in the game.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 18, 2015, 06:10:09 pm
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 18, 2015, 06:22:13 pm
But being a tiny spider... that'd be kinda cool.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 18, 2015, 06:26:22 pm
Transform into a hybrid form and bam! Instant flanking.
Post by: IronyOwl on October 18, 2015, 07:15:29 pm
Yes. Their equivalent to a berserk rampage is to go engage in commerce.Mate, I don't remember what edition it was from, but there are were-asses (not were-asses, these are donkeys that turn into humans).There are werewasps. (http://realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/werewasp.shtml)Haha, wow, I might need to make one of those.
Go home, 3.5, you're drunk.
Post by: ATHATH on October 18, 2015, 10:39:38 pm
That kobold sounds bad ass.Well, you could just stomach the LA. Also, thanks.Phrenic, spell-stitched, and half-fey are notable for being able to give mundanes some scaling psuedo-spell-casting. Check 'em out if you're giving fighter-types free LA.They'd only be applicable on tier six classes, though, aka, the worst of the worst: Commoners, Aristocrats and CW Samurai.
I can't imagine a game I'd ever permit phrenic. I doubt I'd permit half-fey, either.Well, if someone wanted to play a gish, I'd probably allow one of them.
Spell-stitched has be on undead, and it doesn't have an LA modifier at all, so it wuld suggest to me not to be permissable for players. In addition, I'd say the nature of the template itself means the recipricent shouldn't get scaling spell casting - since the spells are imbued upon the creation of the spell-stitched, I'd say the SS should be limited to the spells it is created with or require a spell caster to add more as WIS increases.
Yeah, spell-stitched doesn't scale. However, the main point of it is that you cast your spell-stitched spells as SLA's, meaning that you don't have to pay any xp or material component costs for them when you cast them. This allows for free Animate Dead's and some other normally too-expensive-to-use spells to be spammed up to 1-3 times per day. You could, for instance, be able to fire off an Animate Dread Warrior once per day. For those of you unfamiliar with ADW, it raises a dead creature as an intelligent undead that is permanently under your control (and doesn't count against your control-undead HD cap) that keeps all of its class levels from when it was alive (raise the BBEG as a pet!). It also doesn't say that the spells that are stitched onto you have to be Sorc/Wiz spells, only that you have to be stitched by a Sorceror or Wizard (get stitched by a Wizard 1/Cleric of Mystra X!). Finally, it lists the price of getting yourself stitched, and explicitly says that a Sorceror or Wizard can stitch themselves.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 18, 2015, 11:36:54 pm
1.) A Von Neumann probe game. (I mentioned this in the Overseer AI thread.) You start as some kind of weak and pathetic satellite in an unknown solar system (probably with some kind of human-like intelligence developed anywhere from tribal to a rather large galactic civilization) and expand+"evolve"+etc., with the goal of eventual control over the galaxy. Something like that.
Fairly standard, but still seems like something fun and relatively easy to do.
2.) A sci-fi mercenary+design game.
When I think about it further, I realize it's kind of like MGS5: Phantom Pain. It's in a sci-fi setting because I like sci-fi way too much, but you'd basically be the leader of some kind of mercenary outfit in a xcom style game. You have R&D, take contracts from various entities to expand your influence and power, etc.. Maybe even have multiple teams indirectly pitted against each other?
Less standard and more potential, but it seems like it'd have a bit more maintenance.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 19, 2015, 03:07:09 am
Post by: ATHATH on October 19, 2015, 01:51:53 pm
@cleric spells: doesn't it say you cast spells as a sorceror of wis level or something? I think that would rule out cleric spells.Yes (if I recall correctly), but that doesn't prevent you from stitching cleric spells. Even if that was the case, you could just get yourself stitched by a Rainbow Servant or Wyrm Wizard
Coincidentally, all ass-weres are Lawful Evil. Also, sigged.Yes. Their equivalent to a berserk rampage is to go engage in commerce.Mate, I don't remember what edition it was from, but there are were-asses (not were-asses, these are donkeys that turn into humans).There are werewasps. (http://realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/werewasp.shtml)Haha, wow, I might need to make one of those.
Go home, 3.5, you're drunk.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on October 19, 2015, 04:01:03 pm
My point is that if you're casting as a sorcerer, logically you can't cast cleric spells. How does a level 10 sorcerer cast bless water? He doesn't.@cleric spells: doesn't it say you cast spells as a sorcerer of wis level or something? I think that would rule out cleric spells.Yes (if I recall correctly), but that doesn't prevent you from stitching cleric spells. Even if that was the case, you could just get yourself stitched by a Rainbow Servant or Wyrm Wizard
Post by: ATHATH on October 19, 2015, 04:10:14 pm
When 3.5 says "cast as a Sorceror of his/her level", it means the spell(s) have Cha-based saves, and are spontaneously cast, if applicable. May someone else provide an example (AFB right now)?My point is that if you're casting as a sorcerer, logically you can't cast cleric spells. How does a level 10 sorcerer cast bless water? He doesn't.@cleric spells: doesn't it say you cast spells as a sorcerer of wis level or something? I think that would rule out cleric spells.Yes (if I recall correctly), but that doesn't prevent you from stitching cleric spells. Even if that was the case, you could just get yourself stitched by a Rainbow Servant or Wyrm Wizard
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 19, 2015, 04:38:35 pm
Quote
A sorcerer casts arcane spells which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a sorcerer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
A sorcerer’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. The sorcerer can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sorcerer level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a sorcerer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
Post by: flabort on October 19, 2015, 07:01:57 pm
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 19, 2015, 07:02:51 pm
Post by: flabort on October 19, 2015, 09:23:40 pm
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 19, 2015, 10:16:35 pm
Mercenary Coalition (Name Pending)
In this (sci-fi/space opera) game, 4+ players join with their own characters as part as a mercenary group. It works in a x-com style. In the "base" "phase", everyone votes on things for the group as a whole to do. Upgrade facilities, maybe do research, buy large things, etc.
At the end of each base phase, players vote on a mission from a list. After that, a squad of a certain amount of people depending on the mission is chosen, they're briefed and given time to come up with a plan, then are set out in the "tactical" "phase", which will either be completely text-oriented, or some kind of tile/map based system. Probably the former.
After completing the mission, each participating player gets some personal money that they can spend on equipment for later use, and the group as a whole gets money for overall use.
A "twist" is that you can buy and use spaceships in your missions. Anywhere from troop carriers to fighters to frigates to capital ships. However, each ship has to have a pilot/Captain. Captains are independent of the regular squadmembers, and are chosen for missions separately. They usually have their own "flagship" that only they fly, and the 'communal' ships that all captains can fly. Captains are based off of a waitlist/player signing up when needed. (as in, Captains are "recruited" as needed, and kept in roster)
Without ships, the squad won't have as many tactical options. With ships, they can receive fire support, get picked up and dropped off as needed, etc..
Players not selected for a mission can crew ships with Captains for some kind of bonus - increased abilities, most likely.
The ship/captain part seems like it looks complicating, but here's a summary: Your group has spaceships. Spaceships need a player to sign up just to fly spaceships. Spaceships help a lot in missions.
You also buy new spaceships with communal funds.
In short:
XCom-like sci-fi/space opera with 4-∞ players. In the "group phase"/whatever, people vote for things the group as a whole should do - base expansions, R&D, large item purchases (like spaceships), etc.
After group phase, people vote on a mission. A select number of people are selected, briefed, and come up with a plan, then execute the mission. After execution, the group as a whole gets money and each participating squadmember gets money.
However, spaceships bought by the group are piloted by individual players who don't otherwise participate in tactical combat.
Thouughts?
Post by: ATHATH on October 19, 2015, 10:18:23 pm
AFAIK, they use the following mechanics. I've bolded the casting relevant parts.I was sure that there were monsters that had Cleric SLA's that were cast as a Sorceror of their level.QuoteA sorcerer casts arcane spells which are drawn primarily from the sorcerer/wizard spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).
To learn or cast a spell, a sorcerer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a sorcerer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the sorcerer’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a sorcerer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Sorcerer. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
A sorcerer’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. The sorcerer can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sorcerer level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Unlike a wizard or a cleric, a sorcerer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast.
Post by: Dermonster on October 19, 2015, 11:28:29 pm
I say this because I got a PM asking about him recently and I thought I'd spread the news around a little, I guess.
Post by: IronyOwl on October 19, 2015, 11:46:00 pm
Quote from: Guardian Naga Entry
Guardian nagas cast spells as 9th-level sorcerers, and can also cast spells from the cleric list and from the Good and Law domains. The cleric spells and domain spells are considered arcane spells for a guardian naga, meaning that the creature does not need a divine focus to cast them.So in the absence of other information, "casts as a sorcerer" tends to imply spontaneity, sorcerer spells-per-day, Cha-based saves and bonus spells, and access to the sorcerer spell list. There's nothing preventing tampering with that last bit, though, especially when it comes to SLAs.
That said, I don't recall how spellstitching works exactly, so I couldn't swear on the details there.
Captains are independent of the regular squadmembers, and are chosen for missions separately. They usually have their own "flagship" that only they fly, and the 'communal' ships that all captains can fly.What's the point of splitting off ships into an entirely separate thing? Why not just include a piloting stat or set of stats, and let players jump into or out of a cockpit as the situation warrants?
Without ships, the squad won't have as many tactical options. With ships, they can receive fire support, get picked up and dropped off as needed, etc..
Players not selected for a mission can crew ships with Captains for some kind of bonus - increased abilities, most likely.
Hey guys. In case anyone cared, Dexexe (The guy wot made all those fancy adventures with pictures in) moved off Bay12 and set up shop over on Sufficient Velocity. (https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/terrene-spire.23069/)How's he doing?
I say this because I got a PM asking about him recently and I thought I'd spread the news around a little, I guess.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 20, 2015, 03:44:32 am
Good point. I was intending to go for a cool "separate gameplay experiences; same game" type thing, but it does seem easier to let anyone skilled enough jump into the cockpit as well as have the ability to designate someone to stay in the cockpit before a mission.stuffWhat's the point of splitting off ships into an entirely separate thing? Why not just include a piloting stat or set of stats, and let players jump into or out of a cockpit as the situation warrants?
Post by: escaped lurker on October 20, 2015, 03:47:13 am
Mercenary Coalition
In short:
XCom-like sci-fi/space opera with 4-∞ players. In the "group phase"/whatever, people vote for things the group as a whole should do - base expansions, R&D, large item purchases (like spaceships), etc.
After group phase, people vote on a mission. A select number of people are selected, briefed, and come up with a plan, then execute the mission. After execution, the group as a whole gets money and each participating squadmember gets money.
However, spaceships bought by the group are piloted by individual players who don't otherwise participate in tactical combat.
Thouughts?
In essence, a mix of suggestion game & coop-play, right?
As I see it, the "missions" will easily take a week, if not longer. It is somewhat doubtfull, that the "suggestors" will be all that interested in sticking around for the space-battle of the "Merc's", though your "waitlist captain" mechanic, may just be what could encourage them do so.
Either way, I would strongly suggest, that the suggestors get "something to do" in those battles, besides waiting for their possible enlistment. One idea, would be to give them some ships that they can direct - while that may "lessen" the impact of the IC-players, knowing bay12, giving the suggestors some ships to micro-manage, ought to be worth it.
Another idea, would be to let them have tactical importance by having a "support squad", that has a range of
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 20, 2015, 03:51:14 am
I could base the available support actions off of base facilities, controlled ships in the area, and have them cost money.
That + easy death = fun.
You get players screaming for fire support while the people back at mission control are arguing over whether or not it's worth the money.
Post by: escaped lurker on October 20, 2015, 04:13:27 am
So basically have inactive people be "mission control"? Sounds interesting.
I could base the available support actions off of base facilities, controlled ships in the area, and have them cost money.
That + easy death = fun.
You get players screaming for fire support while the people back at mission control are arguing over whether or not it's worth the money.
Kind of like a tactical RTD with team advancement, eh? That does sound nice. Cobble up some way to present the battle with pictures, and I can't really imagine it not being quite popular.
Actually, if you change the scenario, as that rescue-pods are a thing, and actually good at doing their job, even "death" / ship destruction, wouldn't upset the ic players as much, and give them character progression. Well, the major upset would be the loss of their ship plus getting to the back of the waitlist, and that ought to hurt enough.
Post by: ATHATH on October 20, 2015, 08:04:49 am
From the SRD:Thanks. Here's the link to the FGH page on the template: http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/spellstitched.shtmlQuote from: Guardian Naga EntryGuardian nagas cast spells as 9th-level sorcerers, and can also cast spells from the cleric list and from the Good and Law domains. The cleric spells and domain spells are considered arcane spells for a guardian naga, meaning that the creature does not need a divine focus to cast them.So in the absence of other information, "casts as a sorcerer" tends to imply spontaneity, sorcerer spells-per-day, Cha-based saves and bonus spells, and access to the sorcerer spell list. There's nothing preventing tampering with that last bit, though, especially when it comes to SLAs.
That said, I don't recall how spellstitching works exactly, so I couldn't swear on the details there.Captains are independent of the regular squadmembers, and are chosen for missions separately. They usually have their own "flagship" that only they fly, and the 'communal' ships that all captains can fly.What's the point of splitting off ships into an entirely separate thing? Why not just include a piloting stat or set of stats, and let players jump into or out of a cockpit as the situation warrants?
Without ships, the squad won't have as many tactical options. With ships, they can receive fire support, get picked up and dropped off as needed, etc..
Players not selected for a mission can crew ships with Captains for some kind of bonus - increased abilities, most likely.Hey guys. In case anyone cared, Dexexe (The guy wot made all those fancy adventures with pictures in) moved off Bay12 and set up shop over on Sufficient Velocity. (https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/terrene-spire.23069/)How's he doing?
I say this because I got a PM asking about him recently and I thought I'd spread the news around a little, I guess.
Post by: kj1225 on October 20, 2015, 12:42:27 pm
Spoiler: Spoilered for length (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on October 20, 2015, 04:51:58 pm
Thanks. Here's the link to the FGH page on the template: http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/spellstitched.shtmlWell this is awkward.
Quote
Times/Day is the number of times per day that the creature can use spell-like abilities of a given level. The creator of the creature must decide how to allocate the spells known. Once this determination has been made for a particular ability, it cannot be changed. For instance, the sample spellstitched creature has magic missile and obscuring mist as its 1st-level spell-like abilities. It can use magic missile three times per day and obscuring mist once per day. The creator cannot later change either the spells or the times per day each can be used.In addition to not using Sorc spell per day numbers, they're not even properly spontaneous!
Quote
Spellstitched creatures can be created only by a wizard or sorcerer of sufficient level to cast the spells to be imbued in the undead's bodyMore importantly, this part's kind of nebulous. Interestingly, it doesn't say you need to know or be capable of casting the spells, just be "of sufficient level" to cast them. But that doesn't really clarify whether the spells need to be on your spell list, can be from a forbidden school, or even whether we're talking raw class levels or casting ability as raised through prestige classes or other sources.
I'd tentatively say it's a raw caster level thing, ie Wizard 17 or Sorcerer 18 can Spellstitch any valid (meaning Evocation, Conjuration, or Necromancy) spell in the game, Wiz3/Cler3/Mystic Theurge 2 can spellstitch Fireball, and Wizard 1 with Conjuration as a prohibited school can stitch Inflict Light Wounds. But it's ambiguous, and to be honest I'm not sure how much RAW/RAI matters when discussing material component cheating crafted template cheese. I'd probably want to eyeball or modify any particular attempt anyway.
So, any thoughts on this current kind of mock up?Do the stats actually do anything, and if so how do the classes compare to each other? What does having good Dex but poor Int do for you compared to having good Str but poor Will, for instance?
Post by: kj1225 on October 20, 2015, 06:22:51 pm
Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)
Now there's two things that you may notice about the stats. First, is that each affects an attack. So, you may be wondering why there are so many different attacks and I'll tell you. Each one of them except for flank attacks and shooting is rolled against a certain other stat.
Spoiler: Attack list (click to show/hide)
Quote from: Master Yoshi's test.
As part of his training the young apprentice ninja Barato has been tasked with stealing another ninja's clothes so Master Yoshi can get 'sensitive information' that is contained within. Yes he did say it with the quotes. Barato failed his willpower roll at that particular time.Finally, stats only advance every third level as they are not supposed to be as important as perks which further characterize characters and come every level. (At level four, seven, ten... ect.)
Barato has managed to get into the hot springs where the other ninja is relaxing and is now on the final stretch when, out of no where, one of the ninja's friends goes to join her. This is the start of an opposed intelligence test.
The other ninja being Barato's senior has an intelligence skill of +3 which is better than Barato's +2 putting him at a disadvantage. The senior's roll is a five which means that Barato has to roll an 7 or better. Barato rolls a 20 and remains unseen by the older ninja allowing him to complete his test and, more importantly, not seem like a pervert to the rest of the village.
Now the other big thing which is the last bit to finalize before getting to the real customization is Second winds. Now you can probably guess that these are really useful and there is a reason for that. Since the PCs are the main characters and in this system would normally have the same health as a mook, they get to come back into the fight with full health and one action that will always succeed (as long as it's thematically something that would happen. You aren't suddenly going to build the death star for example but you can make sure that you hit your next target.) and get an extra power as seen in the stats explanation. Some perks, which will be elaborated on more later also have an effect after a second wind.
Post by: Tawa on October 21, 2015, 04:35:01 pm
Post by: kj1225 on October 22, 2015, 09:43:37 am
Spoiler: perks for everyone (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Brawler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Charmer (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Monk (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Artist (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Ninja (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Everyman (click to show/hide)
Post by: Rolepgeek on October 22, 2015, 07:37:49 pm
Instantsuck, 2/10 :P
Post by: kj1225 on October 22, 2015, 07:43:01 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on October 22, 2015, 07:48:42 pm
What, you can't be a nerd?
Instantsuck, 2/10 :P
Actually, in that context, how about including the famed "Wizard" Class? ;p
On a more serious note, the "Everyman" "Airhorn" perk, seems kind of underpowered. Unless natural 20's aren't crits, that is - else, it might be more worth it to give out crits on natural 19's as well.
Actually, how will all these plentiful combat-placings (like flanking) be handled? As example how would it be decided if you are (not) flanking, especially if multiple actors target the same enemy?
Post by: kj1225 on October 22, 2015, 07:52:51 pm
On a more serious note, the "Everyman" "Airhorn" perk, seems kind of underpowered. Unless natural 20's aren't crits, that is - else, it might be more worth it to give out crits on natural 19's as well.Crits are not in the system. After all, master Martial Artists never get hit with a lucky strike. /s
Actually, how will all these plentiful combat-placings (like flanking) be handled? As example how would it be decided if you are (not) flanking, especially if multiple actors target the same enemy?
And combat will be on a grid system. Otherwise there would be no reason to include Flanking or ranged combat.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 24, 2015, 07:13:55 pm
So, Overseer AI (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153532.90), a game which I'm actually really enjoying doing. I'm just wondering if anyone has any feedback to the formatting/style of the updates. (Or anything else, but formatting/style is number one concern.) The page I linked to (page 7) has a rather lengthy update which is what spawned this concern for formatting.
So really, I'm just wondering if there are any obvious improvements to the way I structure my updates so I could make my updates more readable and/or present info in a better/more readable fashion.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on October 25, 2015, 04:51:53 am
Heey, it's "I-ask-for-feedback" time again!
So, Overseer AI (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153532.90), a game which I'm actually really enjoying doing. I'm just wondering if anyone has any feedback to the formatting/style of the updates. (Or anything else, but formatting/style is number one concern.) The page I linked to (page 7) has a rather lengthy update which is what spawned this concern for formatting.
So really, I'm just wondering if there are any obvious improvements to the way I structure my updates so I could make my updates more readable and/or present info in a better/more readable fashion.
It works. End of the post where current status is tends to be a bit confusing, but not to the point where it becomes an issue.
Post by: escaped lurker on October 25, 2015, 05:54:59 am
Heey, it's "I-ask-for-feedback" time again!
So, Overseer AI (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153532.90), a game which I'm actually really enjoying doing. I'm just wondering if anyone has any feedback to the formatting/style of the updates. (Or anything else, but formatting/style is number one concern.) The page I linked to (page 7) has a rather lengthy update which is what spawned this concern for formatting.
So really, I'm just wondering if there are any obvious improvements to the way I structure my updates so I could make my updates more readable and/or present info in a better/more readable fashion.
The theme of the game, makes this formatting work. I mean, that is pretty much the style one would expect from an AI, or how one would communicate with it.
Important things, like the input in green, talking in blue, and misc stuff at the end, are coloured, which is very pleasing to the eye, as it breaks up what would else be a wall of text. Only thing that comes to mind, would be to "distance" the cycle report and other misc repating-end-of-turn stuff, either with two-a-three empty lines, or a [hr ]. Just a clear break, as to indicate "turn ends here, now for the upkeep".
Else, while I know that it already was a topic in that thread, limiting the number of actions that the AI can take, is key to having manageable-to-write updates and easy-to-read turns.
Post by: H4zardZ1 on October 26, 2015, 06:32:21 am
Post by: Empiricist on October 26, 2015, 11:09:09 pm
So what I'm thinking is to have a card-based system. Each character has a deck representing their innate skills, each weapon has a deck representing their properties. A character's arsenal, which they actually use in combat, consists of cards selected from their own deck and their weapon's deck with a set chance to draw. Since the cards and ratios are player-selected, they can ensure that they never draw cards they don't have much use for, and ensure that the probability they draw a card they need more often is higher. Provided of course the ratio isn't something ridiculous, like setting a card's draw probability to 0.0001% or something. And yes, this means that it is impossible to deck out, that's why it's called an arsenal, not a deck (and also because trying to call it a 'deck' or 'card set' would make it really confusing really quickly).
Cards fall into one of three categories: Action, Impulse and Tactic.
Action cards represent some sort of action (usually an attack) their user intends to perform. These are more or less the backbone of every arsenal. You need to pay a deployment cost (in the form of Focus which is basically MP) to play one. It will then gain charge every turn (usually 1 charge per turn). When it has enough charge, it becomes readied, meaning it can be declared or overwritten, it still gains charge though. If you declare the card, it will destroy itself at the end of the turn and use its ignition and impact effects. Or, you can overwrite it, where you destroy it to play another action card which inherits all the charge and ignition effects (it will still have its own ignition effects as well), the catch being that the overwriting card must inherit enough charge to immediately become readied, and that it will automatically declare itself.
Tactic cards represent some sort of plan that extends beyond "stab pointy end of weapon into soft fleshy bits of enemy". They have upkeep costs that need to be paid each turn (which can take the form of Focus costs, raising deployment costs, draining charge from action cards, preventing more cards from being drawn, etc) and in return provide some sort of continuous effect.
Impulse cards represent the user going "fuck it" and doing something without any planning at all. So they usually, don't cost any focus to play instead requiring Action and Tactic cards to be sacrificed. They do not require any charging at all and automatically execute at the end of the turn.
Fog of war will be in effect, so characters can only see the hands and cards of their allies. Even the deployed ones. Since combat will be grid-based, characters would still be able to evade attacks even if they have no idea what their opponent's cards are (such as by deducing the person with a giant sword is probably not going to be able to do much if you don't stand too close to them).
Does anything with this system immediately jump out as being horribly broken, abusable or poorly named?
Post by: heydude6 on October 27, 2015, 02:58:58 pm
Despite your large post, there is not enough information to accurately gauge things like balance. If you want us to make a judgement call on an issue like that, you'd have to show us something like... sample cards for example. The balance of a card game is mostly determined by the cards (and decks), not the general rules. Especially since cards have a tendency to overwrite them so often.
As for the game, it sounds like an interesting concept and I'd love to try it.
PS: This is a link to a video made by totalbiscuit. It talks about card games and it used this WWE wrestling boardgame that is surprisingly similar to yours (don't worry, it's a good boardgame) as an example. Both have grid based combat and each wrestler has their own deck (similar to how each weapon has their own deck).
Your millage may vary but check it out, you might get some ideas (It's not entirely about the wrestling board game though so you'll have to watch a bit of irrelevant stuff first).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFVly3iZYaQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFVly3iZYaQ)
Post by: 10ebbor10 on November 01, 2015, 04:02:01 pm
A card based game, in which players try to gather a collection of trade outposts in far away lands, with as ultimate goal to try and establish a trade monopoly, becoming a dominant economical power.
Spoiler: General concept (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Resources: Keeping score (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Doing a trade Run (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Typical Turn (click to show/hide)
Post by: Salsacookies on November 08, 2015, 09:33:35 pm
I'm currently going under World Building for my Horror Sandbox game. If you like Vampires, Gothic Horror, or Lovecraftian Abominations, give it a check, and maybe take part in the world building! Join Us Now! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=153921.0) I'm Lonely!
Post by: ATHATH on November 08, 2015, 11:18:19 pm
Right so, trying to design a game that takes a bit of influence from Dark Souls and whatnot by giving weapons a moveset rather than just being sticks of varying sizes that people use to confer stats bonuses to themselves.Have you heard of Card Hunter?
So what I'm thinking is to have a card-based system. Each character has a deck representing their innate skills, each weapon has a deck representing their properties. A character's arsenal, which they actually use in combat, consists of cards selected from their own deck and their weapon's deck with a set chance to draw. Since the cards and ratios are player-selected, they can ensure that they never draw cards they don't have much use for, and ensure that the probability they draw a card they need more often is higher. Provided of course the ratio isn't something ridiculous, like setting a card's draw probability to 0.0001% or something. And yes, this means that it is impossible to deck out, that's why it's called an arsenal, not a deck (and also because trying to call it a 'deck' or 'card set' would make it really confusing really quickly).
Cards fall into one of three categories: Action, Impulse and Tactic.
Action cards represent some sort of action (usually an attack) their user intends to perform. These are more or less the backbone of every arsenal. You need to pay a deployment cost (in the form of Focus which is basically MP) to play one. It will then gain charge every turn (usually 1 charge per turn). When it has enough charge, it becomes readied, meaning it can be declared or overwritten, it still gains charge though. If you declare the card, it will destroy itself at the end of the turn and use its ignition and impact effects. Or, you can overwrite it, where you destroy it to play another action card which inherits all the charge and ignition effects (it will still have its own ignition effects as well), the catch being that the overwriting card must inherit enough charge to immediately become readied, and that it will automatically declare itself.
Tactic cards represent some sort of plan that extends beyond "stab pointy end of weapon into soft fleshy bits of enemy". They have upkeep costs that need to be paid each turn (which can take the form of Focus costs, raising deployment costs, draining charge from action cards, preventing more cards from being drawn, etc) and in return provide some sort of continuous effect.
Impulse cards represent the user going "fuck it" and doing something without any planning at all. So they usually, don't cost any focus to play instead requiring Action and Tactic cards to be sacrificed. They do not require any charging at all and automatically execute at the end of the turn.
Fog of war will be in effect, so characters can only see the hands and cards of their allies. Even the deployed ones. Since combat will be grid-based, characters would still be able to evade attacks even if they have no idea what their opponent's cards are (such as by deducing the person with a giant sword is probably not going to be able to do much if you don't stand too close to them).
Does anything with this system immediately jump out as being horribly broken, abusable or poorly named?
Post by: heydude6 on November 09, 2015, 07:40:08 am
Don't feel discouraged.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on November 10, 2015, 03:46:35 am
What happens if we turn this completely upside down? One player(Originally GM) posts a thread including sheet of his own design, and then multiple GMs (originally players) roll for player's actions and post results. Player picks one result based on his own criteria, be it either "I like this" or "this has most +1". Kinda like reverse suggestion game.
Could this work at all? What problems you see with this? One problem I foresee is the whole thing descending into chaos, but that can easily happen with any other game as well.
Post by: IronyOwl on November 10, 2015, 04:33:41 am
Dive into the side corridor!
[4] You dive into the side corridor. It is dark but lacking in ravenous worms.
[Pass][Fail][Fail] You dive into the side corridor. Which is about the only thing that goes right, because this particular corridor seems to be a Borer's nest. It says hello with a screeching bellow.
It is dark. You are likely to be eaten by a grue. In the meantime, you notice a suspicious-looking datapad glowing in the dark.
I like the datapad one the best. Okay, so I'm in the corridor with the datapad. I play it.
The main issue I'd have is that you're taking most of the important hands-on work away from the one you'd assume most capable and dedicated to creating it. Having a lot of mediocre player-made parts is probably not going to be as interesting as having a few GM-made parts, so unless you can get a group that's really into it, both talent and enthusiasm wise, I suspect it'd turn out a lot worse than average.
Speaking of which, selection process. If we're going by GM choice, there could potentially be some interesting stuff in terms of forcing the GM to improvise and work with less, but otherwise it sounds like it'd lean a little towards trying to figure out what the GM intended by describing it.
And if we go by +1s, well... I'm sure parts of that could be interesting, but suggestion games tend to be trainwrecks even with a strong hand at the helm; putting everything in the hands of the masses would probably be a mildly amusing acid trip for a while and then just sort of lose its charm.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on November 10, 2015, 06:47:35 am
Quote
The main issue I'd have is that you're taking most of the important hands-on work away from the one you'd assume most capable and dedicated to creating it. Having a lot of mediocre player-made parts is probably not going to be as interesting as having a few GM-made parts, so unless you can get a group that's really into it, both talent and enthusiasm wise, I suspect it'd turn out a lot worse than average.Good point. Though getting "a group that's really into it" is always a problem. Game might easily become inconsistant (especially with NPCs) when multiple people are running the show, so GM must be sharp when picking which continuity to follow.
For selection process I thought of employing both options, depending which gives best result at the time. That way one has chance to get best of both worlds, though in reality it might not be so easy.
Post by: escaped lurker on November 10, 2015, 09:27:13 am
You surely have seen how... heated suggestion games can become, and that is mostly when someone defends his idea. And, hey, thats not rocket science - it is a bit of a good feeling if your suggestion becomes the most +1'-ed. If you get no traction at all, or even the opposite, well, thats obviously not much of a pleasant feeling then. Now multiply that by a factor of, oh.. 5-10?
What your game would entail, is gm's putting forth "content", which is a good deal more personal than just a plain old suggestion. Now, with this kind of game, no-one should be bummed out not getting "the vote" on the first, third, or eight time, but imagine sending in 10 "works", and none getting the vote. And with some of our old-stars, or against some "starter gm's", this need not to be an exegaration either. We have a few guys on here, that could easily steal over half the votes. Each of them, that is. (You know who I mean - those guys that could easily write a novel - or quite possibly do so already, with bay12 a creative outlet for them.)
So what I see, is the possibility of less experienced people quickly getting disinterested / fed up, or the need to employ "ciclejerk politics", so that everyone gets their turn. Well, maybe I'm just imagining mountains out of molehills though.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on November 10, 2015, 12:01:28 pm
This could be partially solved using multiple suggestions per turn as long as they are not in conflict with each other. There's also possibility of using multiple suggestions in sequence, but in reality they probably are in conflict. RNG ensures that.
Quote
We have a few guys on here, that could easily steal over half the votes. Each of them, that is. (You know who I mean - those guys that could easily write a novel - or quite possibly do so already, with bay12 a creative outlet for them.)Actually I don't know. I spend good deal of my time on RTD and ER subboards rather than up here.
Post by: ATHATH on November 10, 2015, 01:46:36 pm
What you are describing here is inherit problem of suggestion games in general as far as I can see. It may draw many people giving suggestions but eventually only few remains because either their suggestions are what everyone agrees with or because, as you said, their suggestions get ignored.What if it goes like this:
This could be partially solved using multiple suggestions per turn as long as they are not in conflict with each other. There's also possibility of using multiple suggestions in sequence, but in reality they probably are in conflict. RNG ensures that.QuoteWe have a few guys on here, that could easily steal over half the votes. Each of them, that is. (You know who I mean - those guys that could easily write a novel - or quite possibly do so already, with bay12 a creative outlet for them.)Actually I don't know. I spend good deal of my time on RTD and ER subboards rather than up here.
Player A posts a situation and an action.
Player B resolves player A's action, then posts his own action.
Player C resolves player B's action, then posts his own action.
Etc.
Everyone gets to join in!
Post by: AoshimaMichio on November 10, 2015, 02:55:36 pm
Post by: ATHATH on November 10, 2015, 07:17:14 pm
Not the idea I had in my mind, but that could work too.Oh, also, there's no set order.
You could also have a group of GMs and Suggestors, with the first GM to reply to a suggestion (the first suggestion after a turn is the official one) making a turn (and only a turn).
Post by: Empiricist on November 10, 2015, 08:11:17 pm
-snip-Thanks for the link! The video was quite useful. And yes, it definitely needs some example cards and combat, which I'll hopefully be able to finish as soon as my finals are over and I iron out a few details.
Have you heard of Card Hunter?I have now. I'll definitely look into some of their stuff and see if there's any nice mechanics and how they balance their cards.
I just want to say that although your system may not be innovative, it doesn't mean it isn't good. As far as I know, there hasn't been any card-hunter-on-the-forums yet.No it's fine, I usually assume that any ideas I have have also been had and possibly implemented by someone somewhere earlier. Originality isn't something I care too much about in a combat system anyway.
Don't feel discouraged.
The main reason I went to using a card-based approach was because the combat system was heavily influenced by Dark Souls initially, hence where the simultaneous actions and the weapon-based movesets, originally, it was meant to be cardless and just assign hitbox patterns to all the attacks. Which turned out to be a very bad idea, seeing as there's only so many different patterns of squares you can give to a sword swing and you can't do something like that easily for ranged weapons. Not to mention that assigning priorities, active frames, invincibility frames, hitstun, blockstun, latency and recovery times to attacks was far from ideal. I figured it would have basically just resulted in a party of player characters slowly advancing in lock-step, while spamming heavy attacks in a staggered pattern.
Thanks for the encouragement! :D
Post by: IronyOwl on November 11, 2015, 12:55:16 am
What you are describing here is inherit problem of suggestion games in general as far as I can see. It may draw many people giving suggestions but eventually only few remains because either their suggestions are what everyone agrees with or because, as you said, their suggestions get ignored.I'm not sure that's why people lose interest, but even if it is, it'd be magnified to a much greater scale.
What if it goes like this:Further problem, which exists with the general idea but is magnified here: Timing. It takes a while to produce a good turn, and nobody wants to start only to get ninja'd. You'd probably need some kind of reserve system.
Player A posts a situation and an action.
Player B resolves player A's action, then posts his own action.
Player C resolves player B's action, then posts his own action.
Etc.
Everyone gets to join in!
Post by: ATHATH on November 11, 2015, 10:45:35 am
By reserve system, you mean posting "Reserved!" and then editing the turn into that post, right?What you are describing here is inherit problem of suggestion games in general as far as I can see. It may draw many people giving suggestions but eventually only few remains because either their suggestions are what everyone agrees with or because, as you said, their suggestions get ignored.I'm not sure that's why people lose interest, but even if it is, it'd be magnified to a much greater scale.What if it goes like this:Further problem, which exists with the general idea but is magnified here: Timing. It takes a while to produce a good turn, and nobody wants to start only to get ninja'd. You'd probably need some kind of reserve system.
Player A posts a situation and an action.
Player B resolves player A's action, then posts his own action.
Player C resolves player B's action, then posts his own action.
Etc.
Everyone gets to join in!
Post by: flabort on November 11, 2015, 02:32:19 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on November 11, 2015, 03:51:22 pm
You know these "Choose your own Adventure"-type of books? How about making one of those then?
Edit - As will become obvious, I quite dearly loved them as a kid. I think bay12 would be a great place to make one of these together, no?
Each "GM" can write one "turn" per, well, turn. That way, there won't be a "First! Reserved" roadblock, nor would anyone be able to "monopolize" the story.
Brainstorming for Rules:
-Set a Limit on each "Branch" - like 3. We don't want to fight the dragon in 5 different ways.
-Open-Climax writing? The GM's don't know the success of their action, which is rolled by the thread-gm, and added with a single paragraph
(That way, we can have failure, and a set of circumstances)
-Right. Circumstances. Finding that steel sword, gives a +2 on the D10 combat roll. Or thereabouts. Just let us hope we can hold on to it long enough, to actually make a dent in the adventure
-Minimum Limit on turns for possible success - just that we won't escape the "situation" within 3 or 4 "turns".
-Maximum Limit on turns - each story-point, branches off into 3 new ones. A hydra-situation indeed. Each turn after the, oh.. 6th?, will take a culuminative -3 roll-result. Or something along these lines - Mainly a sudden death mechanic, as to not explore "too widely" into the adventure.
-Getting-Ahead limit - We don't want anyone rushing to the goal all too quickly. How about you can't write a continuation for single-branch-continuation? That way, to advance, we "have" to write different choices into those turns, that we want to advance.
In essence, safe for the first turn (3 choices), we thereafter (9+ min) have an ever increasing number of "story-telling spots".
By having a "random" system rolled by the "True" GM, it will have an interesting twist for the story-tellers
Everyone can "in", and while it is possible to reserve 1/3 of a specific story-spot, the overal story can be written by anyone intending to do so.
If it does go well, we could even make a "short story book" out of it, with a number of "better explored" good and bad-ended routes for display (and dead-end routes discarded).
(Heck, that would be great fun. The "True GM", could afterwards create the "story" thread, take the two-digit number of turns that made it into the final version, jumble them around safe for the first post, and then take the reader for a good ol' spin with html-hotlinking by the turn-bottoms.)
Post by: IronyOwl on November 18, 2015, 05:28:03 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: AoshimaMichio on November 18, 2015, 05:56:47 am
Post by: heydude6 on November 18, 2015, 07:10:40 am
Post by: escaped lurker on November 18, 2015, 10:38:14 am
So I'm working on a thing and need vague artistic advice.Specifically, how large should I make the tiles? There's not going to be combat on them or anything, so it's mostly just for flavor, but I'd obviously like that flavor to look as good as possible. Ideally there'd be character sprites idling around in there somewhere, but to date I've been unable to draw any that look presentable.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Well.. talking from a pixeling point of view, the "old" choices, are the right ones. 16x16 or 32x32 gives you a very nice number of tile-partitions possible, wich translates into easy floor-tile-tiles, and easy wall-brick-tiles. So even if you don't want to do pixeling as-it-is, I'd recommend you to do a multiple of 8x8, for those easy-grab, neat symetrical tiles.
There's also the added effect of untold variations existing of these common sizes, which means you can oogle some easy inspiration in regards to how others have done it.
I'd also prefer the larger tilesAnything larger than 32x32 - with 1024 possible pixels inside- becomes veery tedious to work on, especially if it still ought to look nice. So making the map in 16- or 32-tiles, and enlarging it to 2-5x larger size for "the upload", has always worked best for me.
Post by: Salsacookies on December 22, 2015, 06:10:09 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=154914.0
Post by: Person on December 30, 2015, 03:42:40 am
Edit: Its probably too soon to expect a response, but this is what I have for initial rules right now. They're pretty bare bones to begin with, but I'm honestly hoping for a game with lots of room for shenanigans/chaos. They're fairly loose, but strict enough that reasonable players won't want to modify the initial rules without a good reason. There's enough rules for there to be a game in the first place, in any event. I guess the chief fault is that it expects reasonable players.
Spoiler: Initial Set of Rules (click to show/hide)
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 30, 2015, 09:16:49 am
Post by: Person on December 30, 2015, 09:35:55 am
Edit: Have a link to the last game here that lasted a decent amount of time. http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=125695.0
I'm still not sure whether my introduction of buildings was good or bad for that game overall.
Edit x2: Sadly one of the problems with nomic games in this format is that often times they can be hard to read, as people refer to rules that either no longer exist, or have been changed since that point. I'll be sure to avoid that problem if and when I run a game. A little bit of google work should give you more information, but here's the origin of the game, as far as I'm aware. http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/nomic.htm
Edit x3: Made a few more modifications.
Post by: slathazer on January 02, 2016, 05:29:46 am
You know, my interest in Nomic type games has re-surged recently, and its been a decent amount of time since Bay12 has hosted one. So here's my question. Would anyone be interested in a game of Nomic?
My interest in Nomic remains fairly high, although my ability to sink time into projects is entirely scant. My interest remains, however.
Post by: Person on January 02, 2016, 10:12:02 am
Post by: Tawa on January 14, 2016, 09:38:26 pm
Would there be any interest for a FEF game that's been beaten with a crowbar so hard it starts to look like Half-Life? I'm not planning on running this just yet, but I want to make sure there's interest before I begin
Post by: kj1225 on January 14, 2016, 09:39:53 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on January 15, 2016, 06:02:35 am
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on January 15, 2016, 07:34:11 am
Post by: Twinwolf on January 15, 2016, 07:42:06 am
Post by: Cerapter on January 15, 2016, 12:21:23 pm
Spoiler: Deception (click to show/hide)
Originally from here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=154645.msg6737609#msg6737609).
Post by: TheBiggerFish on January 15, 2016, 12:27:45 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on January 15, 2016, 12:32:02 pm
So, uh, I had an idea. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=147733.msg6710329#msg6710329)Most people will try anything.
Would there be any interest for a FEF game that's been beaten with a crowbar so hard it starts to look like Half-Life? I'm not planning on running this just yet, but I want to make sure there's interest before I beginwreckinghomebrewing and reflavoring a FEF handbook.
I will point out fefs do take a decent chunk of effort.
Post by: Salsacookies on January 15, 2016, 12:34:10 pm
the Demi-Godmodders are...
Conquest: Creature of pure domination, strong in body and mind.
War: The master of battle, and also practices Blood magic
Famine: The essence of want and nothing.
Pestilence: A pitiful creature, sick in mind, body, and soul, and very contagious.
Death: The Doombringer, ender of everything.
Finally, the Final boss, and Godmodder, is...
Hell, the Judge, Jury, Jailer, and Executioner of all Mortalkind.
One problem is I have no idea how DTG works. Never read the games or anything.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on January 15, 2016, 12:42:00 pm
Well, first off, you should read at least some of MCF's DTG2, and possibly the end, unless you'd rather not be spoilered on a potential archive binge.
Second off, the Godmodder is normally not also a different force of nature. He can have minions or such that are. Like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in your case.
Third off, you should probably just sort of good-faith ask the prior GMs about it.
Fourth off, if that's the game you want to run, don't call it Destroy the Godmodder.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 09, 2016, 06:49:17 pm
I'd like your thought on the initial lore for it. Does this sound interesting? Do you have any suggestions?
Ocean of Stars, Fantasy Space Exploration
Long ago, the mortal races lived on a single world - the shell of the great earth goddess, Teryavere. But when her heart was broken, so deep was her grief that her very body broke and scattered to the heavens. The mortal races were cast out into the void - but they persevered, building ships that sailed the Ether and colonies to rebuild what was lost.
Life is preserved by the binding of spirits and demons, who provide gravity and air, heat and fertile soil. Such binding are possible through mana, mined from the rock or through the blood rituals of the elves.
It is a tumultuous time, but great profit and power can be seized by those willing to sail the Ocean of Stars...
---
Spoiler: SPIRITS AND DEMONS (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: OCEAN MAP (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: RACES (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on February 09, 2016, 08:19:18 pm
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 09, 2016, 08:36:48 pm
That said, are the walking cities powered by spirits or demons? Or are they just vaguely magic?
And if you'd like advice about the Elves' bonus, what about a bonus to speed? Or a bonus to hit in the first few turns of combat?
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 09, 2016, 09:04:09 pm
I've pretty much the same thing to say. I really like the idea of Ynidus, along with the rest of the cities. It sound epic.A mixture of demons and spirits. Both have their uses. Humans and elves specialise more.
That said, are the walking cities powered by spirits or demons? Or are they just vaguely magic?
And if you'd like advice about the Elves' bonus, what about a bonus to speed? Or a bonus to hit in the first few turns of combat?
A bonus in the first few turns might work, with their aggressive fighting style... yes, that might do.
Cheers.
Post by: ATHATH on February 10, 2016, 11:06:58 am
Post by: Salsacookies on February 10, 2016, 11:25:37 am
Spoiler: setting (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: V.I.P.O.Ws (click to show/hide)
Thoughts? Do you know of any good god game systems I could use? I kinda see this as a Cyberpunk God Game, just replace gods with CEOs. :)
Post by: Salsacookies on February 10, 2016, 11:32:03 am
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 10, 2016, 06:11:07 pm
Thoughts? I kinda see this as a Cyberpunk God Game, just replace gods with CEOs. :)Cyberpunk is very subjective, but most of the time, the setting has pre-existing infrastructure. This sounds a bit more like a futuristic city builder. In addition, the tone of cyberpunk is just as much punk as it is cyber; the characters are weak and downtrodden, fighting the power, not being the power. However, it could be an interesting spin on the idea, if sold well.
@gigla: I'm interested in your game. Do you plan to include orcs in your game, to complete the four standard races of Fantasy? Looks really good either way. I call Elf.I'm going to jump on this bandwagon, and proclaim my interest.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 10, 2016, 07:38:04 pm
@gigla: I'm interested in your game. Do you plan to include orcs in your game, to complete the four standard races of Fantasy? Looks really good either way. I call Elf.I did think of adding a fourth race, but then, the three races I already had had a more distinct theme.
Humans were effectively the least magical, relying on spirits and technology.
Dwarves were the middle child, not really advancing and not decaying, either.
Elves were most reliant on demons, and in a constant battle against their doom.
Where would a fourth faction come in?
I did think of having gnomes, in a big fleet, who were basically quarians, before I really felt that was still fufilled by the humans.
Post by: Rolepgeek on February 10, 2016, 09:28:34 pm
I want to make a game where the primary gimmick/feature is lag. Almost certainly strategy game, but basically, it takes a turn to receive reports and a turn for orders to reach their targets. So your orders are based on the orders you gave last turn, and the report you just received, which should help inform how this turn might go, and you send orders based on how you think it should go now.
This applies to both your opponent and you. It's sorta about OODA loops, and how chaotic battles really get when you don't have perfect communications, but mostly I think it's a neat idea.
My first idea was for it to be space-ship battles, with speed-of-light limitations causing the lag, but fantasy or medeival could work pretty well. I would need to keep unit mechanics fairly simple, and make positioning important, for it be effective, and I couldn't easily do it as part of a larger strategy game without slowing down 'overworld' game too much though, which makes me wonder how I can really balance it at all effectively, or have more than like two players. :/
Post by: Twinwolf on February 10, 2016, 09:33:18 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on February 10, 2016, 09:35:34 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 10, 2016, 09:39:46 pm
You could make Orcs the middle child, jack of all trades, which might be why they aren't succeeding as well as the other three, have Dwarves primarily use technology, and humans primarily use Spirits. *shrug*
Hmm. I've never been overly fond of a race being "like the others, but not so much".
Dwarves aren't really advancing, but they're not going back, either, and that sort of static endurance doesn't really fit with them having the most technology.
Spirits by themselves are too limited to really base a civilisation on in the ocean of stars, as well, so tech allows an alternative to demons in some cases they'd otherwise lack.
I want to make a game where the primary gimmick/feature is lag. Almost certainly strategy game, but basically, it takes a turn to receive reports and a turn for orders to reach their targets. So your orders are based on the orders you gave last turn, and the report you just received, which should help inform how this turn might go, and you send orders based on how you think it should go now.That does sound interesting, though more of a 1v1 sort of thing rather than a big thing with lots of players.
This applies to both your opponent and you. It's sorta about OODA loops, and how chaotic battles really get when you don't have perfect communications, but mostly I think it's a neat idea.
My first idea was for it to be space-ship battles, with speed-of-light limitations causing the lag, but fantasy or medeival could work pretty well. I would need to keep unit mechanics fairly simple, and make positioning important, for it be effective, and I couldn't easily do it as part of a larger strategy game without slowing down 'overworld' game too much though, which makes me wonder how I can really balance it at all effectively, or have more than like two players. :/
Post by: Twinwolf on February 10, 2016, 09:41:02 pm
Player versus Player, most likely. Possibly Team versus Team, though that would get complicated fast and I would feel uncomfortable about the possibilities of spying on the enemy's orders.So, you PM the players their reports, they PM you their orders- and perhaps messages to other players, if it's more than two?-, they post confirmation that their PMs are done in the thread, and then you post the results that would be known to everyone in the thread?
Post by: IronyOwl on February 10, 2016, 09:49:06 pm
Hmm. I've never been overly fond of a race being "like the others, but not so much".Yeah, I wouldn't really go for a fourth race just because "there's usually four races." Technically there's room for desperate outcasts if you wanted to exile something to the barely-livable ice reaches, but with elves handling the raiding they wouldn't really be doing anything.
Dwarves aren't really advancing, but they're not going back, either, and that sort of static endurance doesn't really fit with them having the most technology.
Thoughts? Do you know of any good god game systems I could use? I kinda see this as a Cyberpunk God Game, just replace gods with CEOs. :)I do not know of any god game-ish systems, though RTD is nice for a certain level of hilarity.
My first idea was for it to be space-ship battles, with speed-of-light limitations causing the lag, but fantasy or medeival could work pretty well. I would need to keep unit mechanics fairly simple, and make positioning important, for it be effective, and I couldn't easily do it as part of a larger strategy game without slowing down 'overworld' game too much though, which makes me wonder how I can really balance it at all effectively, or have more than like two players. :/Given that chaos and copious amounts of "oops" are the intent, I wouldn't worry too much about balance. Making a lot of area-based targeting and forced movement could result in a lot of hilarity, where you try to barrage an enemy position and a different enemy shoves you into your own field of fire, or a different enemy yanks your target to safety not knowing you were about to do his job for him.
You're right that it'd have to be simple, though, and not just for GM sanity. The idea is for the delay to cause all sorts of problems, not the base mechanics, which tends to work best with a bunch of simple parts that keep piling up in interesting ways.
Post by: Rolepgeek on February 10, 2016, 10:00:40 pm
Player versus Player, most likely. Possibly Team versus Team, though that would get complicated fast and I would feel uncomfortable about the possibilities of spying on the enemy's orders.So, you PM the players their reports, they PM you their orders- and perhaps messages to other players, if it's more than two?-, they post confirmation that their PMs are done in the thread, and then you post the results that would be known to everyone in the thread?
Yeah.
Fog of War based on time, rather than space. Way easier that way. Although maybe both, that might be interesting.
I'd had an idea like the area-based targeting for a slightly different game, and I could definitely see how it would apply here/have to be used here. The forced movement I hadn't thought of, but seems like a really good idea.
Also a distinct forbidding of conditionals, for GM sanity and the spirit of the game, I think.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 18, 2016, 02:55:43 pm
There's no reason why they can't be, but SGs have the issue of holding interest tends to be pretty difficult.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 18, 2016, 06:35:18 pm
Post by: Parsely on February 25, 2016, 03:57:09 am
Gun/Range table to determine your penetration value. X is the gun, Y is the range you're engaging at. Cross reference to find how many d6 you roll.
If you roll over the enemy's armor value for that part of his tank, you pen him, then consult the round's properties along with where the shot was aimed to see what dice you roll to determine internal damage. If not, it bounces.
HE shells don't roll pen, they just explode, and depending on the size of the shell versus the weight of your armor: your crew is stunned -> tank's external components are damaged -> the vehicle is thrown -> the vehicle is obliterated.
The players are either citizen volunteers who have privilege, or they're experienced and lucky gladiators who have earned the right to ride tanks by surviving. The slaves and criminals upon their initial entry sometimes act as tanks' infantry support.
Post by: ATHATH on February 25, 2016, 10:39:40 am
Can we board an enemy tank and drive around two tanks (on one team)?
Post by: Parsely on February 25, 2016, 02:56:07 pm
Yes.I want to avoid having to make a map, so I'm thinking that a tank has a fixed speed (50 meters/turn for example) and can add or subtract that to his range to a target at will. That would probably work for a 1v1, but with multiple tanks on a battlefield it would become too much to manage. I'll probably be forced to make a map and measure meters in pixels.
Do you know how the range would work?
If our tanks survive battles, can we upgrade them?You can modify them as much as you want. Your crew is given a chassis and expected to maintain it. If your chassis isn't ready in time for a tournament then you're forced to act as infantry for that run as punishment. If you're popular enough you won't have to worry about that. Sponsors will try to keep you alive and inside the most expensive tank money can buy.
Can we board an enemy tank and drive around two tanks (on one team)?
During a battle there are no rules, so you're free to leave your tank and board another one. And there won't necessarily be just one tank per team. It depends on the scenario.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 25, 2016, 02:59:33 pm
But what if it wasn't restricted to 1900s tanks, but rather to player-designed and built armored vehicles?
Like Wacky Death Race. But not a race.
Post by: Parsely on February 25, 2016, 03:00:58 pm
So very interesting.Too much work. Real tanks can be quantified and their stats are easily available online.
But what if it wasn't restricted to 1900s tanks, but rather to player-designed and built armored vehicles?
Like Wacky Death Race. But not a race.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 26, 2016, 02:31:35 pm
I rise this thread from the watery depths to ask a question. I want to run a relatively simple in mechanics d20 game.
I'd like your thought on the initial lore for it. Does this sound interesting? Do you have any suggestions?
Ocean of Stars, Fantasy Space Exploration
Long ago, the mortal races lived on a single world - the shell of the great earth goddess, Teryavere. But when her heart was broken, so deep was her grief that her very body broke and scattered to the heavens. The mortal races were cast out into the void - but they persevered, building ships that sailed the Ether and colonies to rebuild what was lost.
Life is preserved by the binding of spirits and demons, who provide gravity and air, heat and fertile soil. Such binding are possible through mana, mined from the rock or through the blood rituals of the elves.
It is a tumultuous time, but great profit and power can be seized by those willing to sail the Ocean of Stars...
Remember this?
Boom. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=156575.0)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 28, 2016, 05:06:16 am
Transhuman Solar System Shenanigans
Or; DH is still poor at picking good working titles
Or; DH is still poor at picking good working titles
Welome to Sol! A century or two from now, humanity has spread, scattered and fragmented across our native system. The solar system hosts no unified empire to lead Mankind to the stars, nor does it have any center in Earth. A bewildering variety of societies and cultures of Man, Machine and whatever strange beings they've created and uplifted to sapience co-exist in the light of the Sun, and in the dark reaches of the outer system, thousands of 'echoes', abandoned or simply isolated ships, stations and colonies wait to be plundered by those brave enough to breach them, and the attempts of said societies to find their way or just to struggle for power and influence generate enough troubles and opportunities to keep a million other ambitious souls busy.
In this time and place, augmentations and implants are everywhere, with all the consequences that implies. Players will step into the shoes of these brave new breeds of Transhumanity and its creations, seeking power, fame, glory, vengeance, answers, enlightenment, etc. and face all the marvels and secrets left lying about the place. Players are encouraged to go wild with their characters and their place in the world - an ordinary team might be composed of:
-A hard-as-nails cyborg cowboy from Mars.
-A shared mind community inhabiting the body of a teen girl.
-A petite, androgynous human with enough hidden armaments to level a city.
-A hovering, many-tentacled robot squid searching for the base code of God.
-A clone drifter embittered by memories of her countless deaths over the centuries.
Or such. A fuller backstory and overview of the world is below, as well as general mechanics things and other info.
This is a fairly soft scifi setting - I'm no scientist. Inspirations include; Dan Simmons' books, the Culture books, Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief books, Deus Ex and various cyberpunky things, and probably many others.
Spoiler: Backstory (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Overview (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mechanics (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Classes/Affinities (click to show/hide)
This is all a bit rambling and such, but if you read it, I'll appreciate it. Suggestions, questions, comments welcome.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 28, 2016, 05:31:13 am
More serious, that does look interesting.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 28, 2016, 05:35:16 am
Post by: TheBiggerFish on February 28, 2016, 09:02:28 am
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 28, 2016, 09:31:50 am
Funnily enough, I'm not familiar at all with Eclipse Phase other than a vague awareness of similar concepts and themes. I don't really mind - they're also in the books and other inspirations I mentioned. That said, I probably should get familiar with Eclipse Phase, it might be right up my alley.I love the setting of Eclipse Phase. There's a goddamn uplifted octopus cartel. It's amazing.
It also had super-ai grow out of control and devastate earth, leaving colonies scattered throughout the system.
I do have some questions about your setting, though:
What about the other planets? You mentioned they're colonised, and a little bit about them, but how do they differ planet to planet? How many colonies are there, relatively?
How combat heavy is it likely to be? How lethal is combat?
How is the economy and buying things likely to work, as many places seem past scarcity?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 28, 2016, 11:57:15 am
Funnily enough, I'm not familiar at all with Eclipse Phase other than a vague awareness of similar concepts and themes. I don't really mind - they're also in the books and other inspirations I mentioned. That said, I probably should get familiar with Eclipse Phase, it might be right up my alley.
uplifted octopus cartel
There is nothing about these words that I do not like.
Funnily enough, I'm not familiar at all with Eclipse Phase other than a vague awareness of similar concepts and themes. I don't really mind - they're also in the books and other inspirations I mentioned. That said, I probably should get familiar with Eclipse Phase, it might be right up my alley.I do have some questions about your setting, though:
What about the other planets? You mentioned they're colonised, and a little bit about them, but how do they differ planet to planet? How many colonies are there, relatively?
How combat heavy is it likely to be? How lethal is combat?
How is the economy and buying things likely to work, as many places seem past scarcity?
To be honest, I haven't fleshed out the surviving colonies that much. Partly this is because I want to give the players freedom to define these parts of the world in their apps and otherwise, partly I've just put more thought into other parts of the setting. How they differ from planet to planet is a bit hard to answer - they've all tried to adapt as needed to their environments and conditions, but even on one specific planet each settlement or community might vary a lot in looks/adaptations, culture, customs. Terraforming is limited; mostly people try to get by with augs and alterations that protect against their native conditions (as well as protective suits, shields, etc.), so usually these are communities with a high focus on survival and a constant awareness of the dangers around them.
I've also not fixed down the number of colonies. Mars has the most and the largest, while extreme environments like Venus and Mercury are home to much smaller communities of radically changed humans (and the occasional robotic society). Titan, Enceladus, etc. also have sizeable colonies - you can expect at least an attempt at a colony at every world with even the slightest chance of long-term (trans)human habitation.
Combat is an element, certainly, but I won't push it at the players from every direction. Non-combat options should always be present (though sometimes combat might be the best option, I won't force it on anyone). I'm not sure how lethal to call combat - not really unforgiving or brutal, but not a walk in the park either. Medium lethal?
Some places are past scarcity when it comes to everyday needs, yeah, but rarer advanced technology and resources, fame, favors and, of course the classic, information still carry weight in these places too. This is a setting where secrets are guarded pretty jealously, so information can be much more valuable than any gold. Players might not always get rewarded in cash for the missions they do, or want to be. That said, most of Sol still lives with limited resources and more traditional currency systems.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 28, 2016, 03:03:12 pm
What's the structure of the game like, sandboxy with quests?
Post by: ATHATH on February 28, 2016, 03:09:44 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 28, 2016, 04:01:12 pm
I love the "you're a bunch of freaks, who knows what the guy next to you is gonna look like" thing you've got going there. I feel like leaving the rest of the colonies vague until someone visits them or is hit with inspiration is a good move.
What's the structure of the game like, sandboxy with quests?
At its heart, this is a world of individuals, rather than states or empires - it gives me great pleasure to populate the game with characters and little groups each stranger than the last, each pursuing their own goals and making their own path in the world. So yeah, having a cast of freaks is a big appeal to me.
Sandboxy with quests, yeah - probably with the players as one group, but now that I think about it, it's been too long since I've run a game with individual player plotlines. In any case, players providing their own goals and/or plot hooks is encouraged, but they'd be free to muck about and just adventure across Sol as they wish.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 28, 2016, 04:23:53 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 28, 2016, 04:49:26 pm
I'd definitely be interested in a game like this. My only question is this: why is technology at such disparate levels across the system? In our world, undeveloped/third world countries have the Internet, robotics, Ipads, etc, they're just a lot less common. It's more about the economy and infrastructure than it is about arbitrary tech-levels. For example, why haven't the Remnants sold their advanced tech to Orbitals?
I think you might mean Orbitals sell their advanced tech to the Remnants, but yeah, good question. Well, to some degree, the tech does get around - the Remnants aren't really below the Orbitals in any critical area when it comes to tech level, though what they have is generally more utilitarian, clunky and unrefined. Like your third-world example, Orbital tech can be found throughout Sol, just not ever-presently. You have to take into account that this isn't a true post-scarcity world. The infrastructure to support Orbital-level tech throughout society just doesn't exist in many places, nor do they have unlimited access to necessary resources. The Orbitals could change this, most likely - but they generally have a non-interventionist attitude to the rest of Sol (or, alternatively, a paternalistic superior one which doesn't want the grumpy children to get access to all the cool toys, depending on the Orbital). Such projects would require a consensus unlikely to manifest in the diverse Orbital society. The most powerful Remnants, in the same vein, also have the potential for the same, but still possess a sizeable isolationist and distrustful streak, always prioritizing themselves first.
Earth is a special case - many Earthborn even think the Orbitals are holding them back on purpose, letting the remaining rogue clouds remain and controlling access off and to Earth so tightly because they don't want Earth to prosper and overshadow them again. And they might be right - or then the Orbitals are just being careful, aware of the danger of another Descent and of widespread destruction should the often-unstable governments of Earth be allowed full access to high technology. Advanced tech does filter its way down to Earth, but the people there rarely have the means to maintain it without Orbital help.
(And sometimes Orbitals are just outright hypocrite dicks in this regard - smuggling high-tech weaponry to warring Earthborn gangs and capturing the resulting mayhem with nanocameras to be broadcast across Sol. Most Orbitals will condemn this, of course, but few can be bothered to actively fight to prevent it.)
I don't know if that answers your question, but I appreciate the chance to elaborate and flesh out the setting anyway.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 28, 2016, 05:18:35 pm
Now, knowing about the infrastructure, I understand it better now. Thanks!
The Earth example is pretty cool, BTW.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 28, 2016, 06:09:14 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 28, 2016, 06:13:07 pm
There's also the question of what a less advanced section is going to buy advanced tech with. Even if your trading partner isn't completely post-scarcity, the exchange rate on canned beans to autofarmers is probably going to be pretty crap.
Raw resources, so there's something to feed into those mass converters? Media - perhaps those japanese anime collections aren't just trash after all, in the future? Tech recovered from Echoes?
Nothing much, and that's why they're still so behind?
Post by: Rolepgeek on February 28, 2016, 06:14:15 pm
So, for nanoclouds and hacking, is it assumed that they're just everpresent, and that makes it impossible to disconnect from the network? Or is it just so essential that doing it to avoid hacking would be like strapping your arm behind your back so it doesn't get cut off?
Oh! And you probably already know this, but Venus would be a lot easier to colonize than a lot of people think. Just not the surface. Nitrogen-oxygen mix is a lifting gas in it's atmosphere, and 50km or so above the surface, the temperature and pressure are fairly similar to Earth's.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 28, 2016, 06:27:48 pm
There's also the question of what a less advanced section is going to buy advanced tech with. Even if your trading partner isn't completely post-scarcity, the exchange rate on canned beans to autofarmers is probably going to be pretty crap.Luxuries, art, media, more broadly entertainment, workers (perhaps including indentured and enslaved labour), information, long distance transportation, etc. Interplanetary trade would almost certainly be a barter economy.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 28, 2016, 07:26:36 pm
Raw resources, so there's something to feed into those mass converters? Media - perhaps those japanese anime collections aren't just trash after all, in the future? Tech recovered from Echoes?Possibly, but unless the matter-product rate was crap, you're still looking at selling the cheapest matter possible in exchange for immortality pills. That's probably going to be a LOT of dirt per pill.
Nothing much, and that's why they're still so behind?
Oh! And you probably already know this, but Venus would be a lot easier to colonize than a lot of people think. Just not the surface. Nitrogen-oxygen mix is a lifting gas in it's atmosphere, and 50km or so above the surface, the temperature and pressure are fairly similar to Earth's.That's awesome.
Luxuries, art, media, more broadly entertainment, workers (perhaps including indentured and enslaved labour), information, long distance transportation, etc. Interplanetary trade would almost certainly be a barter economy.Luxuries only work for really exotic stuff, ie 100% authentic gemstones forged in a planet's crust as opposed to autofabbed at the touch of a button. Art/media/entertainment only works if a bunch of regressed savages can fit the tastes of a more enlightened culture for some reason; not impossible, but probably not a standard commodity barring deathmatches or the enlightened people being too lazy to actually create art. Workers sound unlikely if the civ is post-scarcity unless, again, they're buying exotic 100% "organic" (<20% implants by mass) butlers or their autofab infrastructure doesn't handle certain rare tasks well. Information was specifically mentioned but, again, information on what? Gangland gossip? Long distance transportation isn't going to happen from orbitals to the surface unless, once again, they really want the experience of riding a 100% authentic train instead of just flying there directly. Orbitals to elsewhere could work, but again, would need a reason why the locals are better at getting around than the guys that don't know what "running out of fuel" is supposed to mean.
So yeah, there's opportunities, but most of them are probably pretty sporadic and/or low-yield.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 28, 2016, 08:30:59 pm
Art/media/entertainment only works if a bunch of regressed savages can fit the tastes of a more enlightened culture for some reason; not impossible, but probably not a standard commodity barring deathmatches or the enlightened people being too lazy to actually create art.My thought was actually along the lines of 'antiques'. The standard of rich, eccentric and an art lover was having Native American and Central African tribal art. Orbitals would definitely eat up Earthborn, Machine, or Outsolar art. Let's not forget, they can afford to buy whatever they care to.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 28, 2016, 08:51:42 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on February 28, 2016, 10:39:00 pm
Post by: Tawa on February 28, 2016, 10:42:53 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 29, 2016, 03:17:07 am
No, I meant Remnants selling to Orbitals. I had thought Remnants were more advanced; since it said that they had highly advanced technology, so I assumed that they were the most technologically advanced, while the Orbitals just lived on the remains of the Old Earth.
Now, knowing about the infrastructure, I understand it better now. Thanks!
The Earth example is pretty cool, BTW.
Humm, I might've been a bit unclear, I suppose. Orbitals don't live in the remains of Old Earth - they live cosily in orbit, and are unarguably the most advanced and 'safest' society in Sol. Remnants are advanced, too, even more advanced in some specific areas (survival and adaptation tech, terraforming, etc.).
Looks pretty sweet to me. I'd definitely be interested in playing
So, for nanoclouds and hacking, is it assumed that they're just everpresent, and that makes it impossible to disconnect from the network? Or is it just so essential that doing it to avoid hacking would be like strapping your arm behind your back so it doesn't get cut off?
Oh! And you probably already know this, but Venus would be a lot easier to colonize than a lot of people think. Just not the surface. Nitrogen-oxygen mix is a lifting gas in it's atmosphere, and 50km or so above the surface, the temperature and pressure are fairly similar to Earth's.
Wireless networks are so ever-present it would be an extreme move to cut yourself off, yeah. This isn't because of the nanoclouds, though - they made up the 'datasphere' of Earth, which was taken over by the Rampancy and later purged. It was never rebuilt, and the current system is generally thought to be safer. Most people have casters, augs that project a local wireless network called the proxnet (a term I have shamelessly ripped off Dan Simmons, I think), allowing for easy exchange of data between individuals. These casters also support and provide access to a wider farnet, and the casters can link together and boost their signals - so places with high populations generally have stronger and faster networks. This also makes it very difficult to shut down the network - every user is a source of it as well. The Old Earth datasphere included everyone from above, while this originates from below, from yourself, making it easier to disconnect and more secure.
I don't know if that fully makes sense; elements of the setting are still up for changes. And to properly answer your question - yes, you can cut yourself off, but you lose access to a world of communication and data. For those who have lived their entire lives connected, the psychological shock alone can be pretty bad. It's generally seen as a desperate move, and very suspicious in normal society (your proxnet casting is also a kind of ID in most places). It's not even a perfect solution - some signals can penetrate even shutdown systems and reactivate them without the user's consent.
That said, plenty of Earthborn and outsolar weirdoes live their entire lives without casters or any access to prox- or farnet.
I'd actually forgotten that about Venus. A lovely idea to work in.
@Orbitals and trade: Some good thoughts and points. Certainly the Orbitals are ever-hungry for culture from everywhere else (though they obviously also produce their own), whether Old Earth antiques and relics, the latest in android philosophy, reports of highly immoral psychological experiments run in some isolated outsolar outpost, etc. etc.
Information is also big - Earth may occasionally provide the location of some secret vault built during the Descent or such, but mainly it is just 'gangland gossip'. But this is a society who doesn't need to worry about survival or value things as we do. An Orbital following Earthborn politics like one might follow a favorite tv show will be happy to greatly reward someone for a few latest rumors from the ground. Scavenged tech and curiosities from outsolars etc. are also much sought after. Not because it's somehow more advanced or powerful (though sometimes it is), but simply because it's so different and exciting.
If you want to think of it that way, the Orbitals are still an enormous consumer culture with endless demand for experiences and things not native to their maintained perfect little home.
Of course, there are still things the Orbitals might want that are more 'important' (from our perspective; not necessarily theirs). Captured footage of a new Machine superweapon. Sensor readings indicating extremely high-power experiments in a thought-abandoned station off Io. A Martian report of potential weaknesses in Orbital security systems. You get the point.
You have to keep in mind, though, that the Orbitals are less a state and more a bunch of people who only occasionally come together as a group. The interests they have, the trading they do, differs from individual to individual.
You've probably let me ramble on for too long. Though I do want to get into detail about the Machines, but maybe that can wait. I welcome questions, criticisms, ideas, though.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 29, 2016, 11:47:48 am
No, I understood where they live; it's just the cognitive dissonance between the fact that the Orbitals are basically unorganized hedonists, yet have the most advanced tech. They have little reason to innovate; they can just loot the vaults of the Old Earth for what they need. That's why I thought that they would have simply stagnated at a tech cap, like a cargo cult of the Roman Empire, while the Remnants needed to struggle to survive, pushing innovation. They're post-scarcity, so they only need to innovate in luxury items and services.No, I meant Remnants selling to Orbitals. I had thought Remnants were more advanced; since it said that they had highly advanced technology, so I assumed that they were the most technologically advanced, while the Orbitals just lived on the remains of the Old Earth.
Now, knowing about the infrastructure, I understand it better now. Thanks!
The Earth example is pretty cool, BTW.
Humm, I might've been a bit unclear, I suppose. Orbitals don't live in the remains of Old Earth - they live cosily in orbit, and are unarguably the most advanced and 'safest' society in Sol. Remnants are advanced, too, even more advanced in some specific areas (survival and adaptation tech, terraforming, etc.).
Post by: Digital Hellhound on February 29, 2016, 12:05:08 pm
Who knows, things might be changing - the Orbitals might be stagnating while the Remnants are just advancing with increasing pace - but the effects of that aren't yet that apparent if so.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 29, 2016, 12:08:21 pm
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 29, 2016, 12:15:37 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on February 29, 2016, 07:39:58 pm
Venus has a higher orbital velocity around the sun, meaning it's a better launching station than Earth for getting from the inner solar system to the outer solar system, and with plenty of sun to soak up and carbon dioxide to use, floating stations could have very productive farms to support the trade hub. Combined with the technology being at least good enough, it seems, to support working on the surface for some/short periods/automated bits, and the relative cost of transporting via future-tech airship versus going into space every time, goods will probably get moved around quite a bit via atmosphere. And with such a thick atmosphere, and sulfuric acid clouds to hide in, so much empty space, and with resource scarcity(water, mainly) being such a risk(venus has approximately no hydrogen), well...piracy can be very attractive. Given the risk of things not rated for 90 atmos pressure falling to the surface and being crushed to uselessness, just blasting you out of the sky isn't really an option (and given the added complexities that would be present in most combustion engines or weapon systems(in atmosphere that thick, lasers are...difficult...) without oxygenated atmosphere...), so boarding is a thing again.
Or something. Probably getting ahead of myself. Sorry about that.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on February 29, 2016, 07:48:26 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on February 29, 2016, 10:52:03 pm
Basically, when someone attempts something, you add their strength/relevant stat (I don't actually know if I'm going to have discrete stats/skills) together with whoever's opposing them or whatever the difficulty rating of the task is, then roll between the values and whichever segment the die shows is the winner. As in, 3v4 yields 1d8, with 1,2,3 meaning the first guy wins or the action succeeds, and 4,5,6,7 meaning the second guy wins or the action fails. 8 is a reroll and only exists because I prefer physical dice to online rollers.
So the trouble I'm having is what, if anything, happens at that point. I could just leave it at that, but binary success or failure is kind of boring. For that matter, flat failure in general is kind of boring; I'd rather avoid "you waste a turn" type outcomes as much as possible, and lean instead towards "you succeed but have caught on fire" or "it works but screams constantly in the voice of the damned" when an action has to not go so well.
One thing I did consider was crit/backfire numbers, but since we're not rolling on a specific die size their odds of happening would scale oddly with player skill/power. Assuming your highest and lowest numbers were significant, for instance, 4 Power would mean a 25% crit chance and a 25% backfire chance, while 10 Combat would mean 10% on each.
Another thing I thought of was rerolling to "confirm," as in, if you succeed, you reroll to gain a boon on a second success and just succeed normally on a failure, while if you fail, you reroll again to see if you suffer extra maluses on a second failure or just fail normally on a success. Or the success could produce a normal result on a second success and a flawed success on a failure, or you could chain results to produce multiple flaws/benefits, or...
I also considered "expending" values on a reroll, to avoid the problem of higher values being exponentially better on multiple rerolls. Rerolling and accruing benefits or penalties until you fail or succeed starts to get ridiculous if you have a 90% success or failure rate, for instance. If you lose value every time you land on that section, things usually even out quicker. In this particular case, I was thinking of ditching the number you rolled and all values to "your side" of it, so rolling a 3 out of 1,2,3,4,5 wipes out three numbers, leaving you with 2 Mechanics for the next roll, while rolling a 4 on a 4,5,6 wipes out everything and it's physically impossible for you to succeed on any further rerolls. Or fail, if failure chances were also expended in that manner.
It also occurred to me that I could track successes/failures as components or requirements themselves, with the alternative being side effects to that. So for instance, you could need 3 Successes to produce a given item or learn some specific information, and however many Failures you stack up rolling those successes goes towards harming you in some way. The problem here is that it feels a little abstract and requires a great deal more rolling, especially for unlikely odds. It also helps even out rolls, which I'm not sure I want.
So yeah. Lots of options, but it feels flat just leaving it as a binary success/failure thing, and I'm not positive how I should give it depth.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on March 01, 2016, 12:47:11 am
Quote
Venus has a higher orbital velocity around the sun, meaning it's a better launching station than Earth for getting from the inner solar system to the outer solar system,
Not really no. Venus is further inside the system, hence energetically further separated.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 01, 2016, 12:51:20 am
Or something. Probably getting ahead of myself. Sorry about that.
By all means. It gives me an idea of what kind of characters people might make and helps me worldbuild.
@Irony: Interesting. I like the 'successes/failures as components' thing, a great deal more rolling or not. Is the confirming an optional thing? I like the thought you could choose to risk your basic vanilla success in hopes of getting a great success... with the chance of turning it into a flawed success instead. Or try to get something out of your failure, only to just make it worse. Depending on the kind of game you run, though, it might need to be automatic to avoid slowing down turns.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 01, 2016, 01:01:44 am
I'm not just extrapolating from random ideas about how this works. Being farther in does not, in this case, mean necessarily farther separated. The difference isn't much, but Venus->Ceres at minimum energy is 0.95 years. Earth->Ceres at minimum energy is 1.05 years. The increased speed of the orbit, in this case, makes up for the difference in plain distance. Since the Asteroid belt is 'huge' and has very little density, getting to different parts with enough waystations can be a challenge if you're trying to stay in it. Going to Venus and then back out to a different point can/could very well be easier.QuoteVenus has a higher orbital velocity around the sun, meaning it's a better launching station than Earth for getting from the inner solar system to the outer solar system,
Not really no. Venus is further inside the system, hence energetically further separated.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on March 01, 2016, 01:44:19 am
I'm not just extrapolating from random ideas about how this works. Being farther in does not, in this case, mean necessarily farther separated. The difference isn't much, but Venus->Ceres at minimum energy is 0.95 years. Earth->Ceres at minimum energy is 1.05 years. The increased speed of the orbit, in this case, makes up for the difference in plain distance. Since the Asteroid belt is 'huge' and has very little density, getting to different parts with enough waystations can be a challenge if you're trying to stay in it. Going to Venus and then back out to a different point can/could very well be easier.QuoteVenus has a higher orbital velocity around the sun, meaning it's a better launching station than Earth for getting from the inner solar system to the outer solar system,
Not really no. Venus is further inside the system, hence energetically further separated.
Do you have the math for this?
Afaik, you wouldn't keep any of this increased orbital speed, you'll lose it to gravity as you climb out of the sun's gravity well.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 01, 2016, 02:19:10 am
By all means. It gives me an idea of what kind of characters people might make and helps me worldbuild.Then I might as well mention that I'm leaning towards a giant mechanical squid that's piloted by a rather small octopus Pacific Rim style. Needless to say, he left to explore the galaxy at large upon learning that his people's desperate battles against alien invaders in the cold depths of space were entirely caused by and recorded for a really popular TV series among the Orbitals.
@Irony: Interesting. I like the 'successes/failures as components' thing, a great deal more rolling or not. Is the confirming an optional thing? I like the thought you could choose to risk your basic vanilla success in hopes of getting a great success... with the chance of turning it into a flawed success instead. Or try to get something out of your failure, only to just make it worse. Depending on the kind of game you run, though, it might need to be automatic to avoid slowing down turns.Yeah, I don't think letting players look at their results and then decide whether to reroll them would work too well; too long/complex a turn/action cycle. Allowing "action types" so you can declare something like that ahead of time is intriguing. I guess it'd look something like:
Modest: Action succeeds or fails.
Reckless: If action succeeds or fails, reroll to improve or salvage.
Greedy: If action succeeds, reroll to improve.
Persistent: If action fails, reroll to salvage.
Or just Modest, Greedy, Persistent, with Persistent Greedy actions being a thing.
Of course, the next problem is that your odds might influence what action types you want to take a lot more than your inclination. Like, if you've got 3:2 odds on a task, on average Greedy and Persistent both help more than they hurt, assuming each success or failure is equal and opposite in effect. Conversely, if you're only 1:2 for success, trying to get Greedy or Persistent is mathematically a poor idea; again, unless failing and then salvaging something is worth twice as much as failing and then failing again.
So... if that's the case, then there's not a lot in the way of actual choice going on, which is unfortunate.
Post by: heydude6 on March 01, 2016, 06:48:02 pm
Or something. Probably getting ahead of myself. Sorry about that.
By all means. It gives me an idea of what kind of characters people might make and helps me worldbuild.
Well, the character I want to make is this scientist who installs brain implants into victims and can then hijack their body at will, at the cost of leaving his original body vulnerable. This was actually an idea that I had been developing for quite a while, I just finally thought of a use for it. If you want a "scientific" explanation for how it works read the spoiler.
Spoiler: !SCIENCE! (click to show/hide)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 02, 2016, 12:54:58 am
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 02, 2016, 01:37:44 am
By all means. It gives me an idea of what kind of characters people might make and helps me worldbuild.Then I might as well mention that I'm leaning towards a giant mechanical squid that's piloted by a rather small octopus Pacific Rim style. Needless to say, he left to explore the galaxy at large upon learning that his people's desperate battles against alien invaders in the cold depths of space were entirely caused by and recorded for a really popular TV series among the Orbitals.@Irony: Interesting. I like the 'successes/failures as components' thing, a great deal more rolling or not. Is the confirming an optional thing? I like the thought you could choose to risk your basic vanilla success in hopes of getting a great success... with the chance of turning it into a flawed success instead. Or try to get something out of your failure, only to just make it worse. Depending on the kind of game you run, though, it might need to be automatic to avoid slowing down turns.Yeah, I don't think letting players look at their results and then decide whether to reroll them would work too well; too long/complex a turn/action cycle. Allowing "action types" so you can declare something like that ahead of time is intriguing. I guess it'd look something like:
Modest: Action succeeds or fails.
Reckless: If action succeeds or fails, reroll to improve or salvage.
Greedy: If action succeeds, reroll to improve.
Persistent: If action fails, reroll to salvage.
Or just Modest, Greedy, Persistent, with Persistent Greedy actions being a thing.
Of course, the next problem is that your odds might influence what action types you want to take a lot more than your inclination. Like, if you've got 3:2 odds on a task, on average Greedy and Persistent both help more than they hurt, assuming each success or failure is equal and opposite in effect. Conversely, if you're only 1:2 for success, trying to get Greedy or Persistent is mathematically a poor idea; again, unless failing and then salvaging something is worth twice as much as failing and then failing again.
So... if that's the case, then there's not a lot in the way of actual choice going on, which is unfortunate.
You could never tell them the odds. Or have subjective results.
Sounds entirely doable (both of those characters, in fact - Irony's seems like a Jockey with the giant squid as his spaceship!). Your explanation for how it works sounds plausible, though I imagine there might be some problems with adjusting to an alternative body - your brain is used to trying to control an entirely different body. This is not a problem futuretech can't fix, of course. I'll note there are plenty of folks who already change bodies like we'd change clothes, but usually not with methods so delightfully immoral and invasive as yours. You should totally use it on people too.I'm not entirely sure what I want to be. :/ Probably a former sky-pirate, but that still leaves so many options.
I like it.
Post by: flabort on March 02, 2016, 02:00:39 am
Hmm. I kinda want to make a character originating from the hell-hole that is the colony in the center of Jupiter. I imagine that keeping the generators and gravity corridors running to keep the whole colony from being crushed creates a lot of heat. Yeah, and let's make it a prison-colony, which gets new shipments of convicts from the outer-jupiter colon(y/ies) every so often; just often enough that they don't forget that they're prisoners.Or something. Probably getting ahead of myself. Sorry about that.
By all means. It gives me an idea of what kind of characters people might make and helps me worldbuild.
Yes, this is good. That would make my character an escaped convict (or maybe his time was served). And for the fun of it, let's make him an uplifted bonsai crab-apple tree, grown wild from not being able to prune himself working in Jupiter's Core Prison (JCP? Awesome) just to survive.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 02, 2016, 05:56:00 am
You could never tell them the odds. Or have subjective results.I dislike withholding information from players because it makes it hard for them to make intelligent decisions. Not that they're all that smart with the data, but I imagine it'd be hard to keep them from gaining a rough idea of how likely an action was.
I had thought about scaling the wagers, but I'm not entirely sure how.
Anyway, time for some playtesting.
Spoiler: Test 1: Boring Binary (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Test 2: Deja Vu (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Test 3: Do You Feel Lucky, Punk? (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Test 4: Fistful of Dice (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on March 02, 2016, 07:22:25 pm
When performing an action, there are four relevant modifiers. There's your talent or strength at the task, your opponent's difficulty or skill, the complexity of you and your opponent's goals, and any additional wagers you or your opponent make.
You and your opponent's power is determined by your stats and any additional modifiers; difficulty is determined by the general conditions of your goal or operation. For instance, performing athletics on a rain-slicked surface would have a higher power than if the surface were dry.
The complexity of a goal is the number of successes required to accomplish it. 1S are simple, 2S are moderate, and 3S are difficult goals. Simple goals are usually of the "quickly do this one thing" variety, such as assembling a simple item or tapping an enemy in combat. Moderate goals are usually reasonable actions, such as crafting a useful item or attacking an enemy in combat. Difficult actions are usually complex actions with a noteworthy goal, such as crafting a powerful item or hitting an enemy exactly where you mean to.
Wagers are additional success/failure sinks built into the action, and represent additional features of the action you intend to add. Positive wagers have a success cost, usually in line with normal action costs, and therefore increase the odds the action will accumulate additional failures in pursuing this secondary goal. Negative wagers have a failure sink, usually in line with normal action costs, and therefore absorb failures in a predictable manner, but trigger even if they do not receive their full allotment of failures.
As an example, let's run Googles the Octopus through two different actions. The first will be easy and sensible. The second will be designed by PCs.
For his first action, Googles attempts to pilot a ship to the surface of a lake below, scoop up some water, and fly off. The lake is calm, there are no severe winds, and so on, so the action is a base difficulty of 2; that is, it will be as though Googles is opposing a Strength 2 opponent. The action, "scoop up some water on the move" is also pretty trivial, so that'll be a simple action; that is, it will require 1 Success to complete. Finally, there are no wagers attached, so this will be a simple 4v2 roll until Googles succeeds once. Any failures accumulated prior to that point will go towards unfortunate complications, like the bucket coming loose or the ship hitting the surface of the water.
For his second action, Googles attempts to get a good sonar reading on the seafloor beneath an ocean currently in mid-tempest. Since the ocean is very clearly angry, this action has a base difficulty of 6; that is, it will be as though Googles is opposing a Strength 6 opponent. The action, "hold still long enough to get good sensor readings at the base of the tidal waves rolling over you while resisting hurricane-force winds" is utterly unreasonable, and will thus be difficult; that is, it will require 3, maybe even 4 successes.
Not knowing when to quit while he's ahead, Googles also has some additional wagers to add: First, he'd like to get chemical readouts while he's here. That's fairly reasonable, so maybe it just adds an extra success to the required total. Second, he'd like to avoid getting wet. Why an octopus is worried about his ship getting wet above an ocean in a storm is anyone's guess, but alright, he can try to avoid getting wet for another 4-5 successes. Perhaps dimly aware that he's reaching a bit, Googles throws in a negative wager as well: he's okay with straining the engines, perhaps requiring additional maintenance or repair later. That should throw in a good 2-Failure sink.
So we have a 4v6 roll, with Googles needing around 8 Successes at a minimum. Statistically that's going to give him 12 failures to go along with it, but he's got a 2-point sink, so that should only work out to 10 Failures total. That's still probably more than enough to make Part 2 of this mission take place at the bottom of the sea, so hopefully Googles' aversion to water only applies to his now-drowned craft.
Note that theoretically he could have ameliorated that by throwing in a bunch more negative wagers, but that would have channeled the failure more than prevented it; he's not going to get out of a 10-point deficit with "I'm fine with a bumpy ride" or "the coffee can suck for a bit." He might have been able to bash the everloving shit out of his ship to keep it airborne, though, which could have been worth it.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 02, 2016, 08:04:30 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 02, 2016, 08:36:12 pm
What I could probably do is say that whoever accomplishes their goal first ends the contest at that point, and give static challenges goals. So for instance, crafting an item would have the goal of "it explodes" or "you ruin the materials." Scrambling up a building would have the goal of "you fall" or "it unbalances you enough to foil this turn's attempt."
The problem here is that it makes it harder to accomplish anything in a difficult situation, even at great cost. Which makes some sense, but might get frustrating. In fact, I suppose I could build challenge goals out of wagers from the start, so a player resolves to craft an item "until I hit a snag" or "until I ruin the materials" or "until the entire ship is stripped down for parts which then also explode," each giving different failure sinks until the action ends. But then they might need to fire all the time even if they don't accumulate their full values, to prevent "I bake a pie until the reactor goes critical" from being an alarming but statistically sound way to autosucceed anyway.
It also, as I've mentioned, makes combat a bit wonky, since lesser combatants don't have much chance to do anything but the bare essentials, not just because they're in a losing ratio but because the action ends before they have time for anything more dramatic.
This admittedly might require some more thought.
Post by: Rolepgeek on March 02, 2016, 08:41:16 pm
Post by: FallacyofUrist on March 02, 2016, 10:09:05 pm
Spoiler: Basic Combat Mechanics (click to show/hide)
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on March 03, 2016, 12:42:57 am
By all means. It gives me an idea of what kind of characters people might make and helps me worldbuild.I wasn't sure what I wanted to play, so I originally rolled randomly. I ended up with a Orbital Operative/Jockey, but I couldn't really make that work, so I scrapped that. I'm now rolling with an Orbital 'archaeologist' (Operative/Thinker) whose entire philosophy is "That belongs in a museum!" In class it wasn't obvious, they're a Space-Indiana Jones. They buy/graverob/just plain steal curios from Earthborn, Remnant, Outsolar, and Machines and sell it to collectors back in the orbitals, often spinning wild yarns about it having mystical/political/etc. significance.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 03, 2016, 12:48:11 am
Any obvious flaws? Or un-obvious ones that you detect?Seems a bit on the clunky side, especially with regards to initiative. Is there a reason for init rolls at all, other than the option for one party to kill the other before retaliation can occur? Is there a reason it's on a d100 rather than a d10?
Average damage in this game will be low, unless modifiers are kind of high. That's not a problem by itself, but it might lead to somewhat frustrating combat if you only hit 40% of the time and only deal damage 40% of the time you hit, at which point said damage isn't an especially large portion of the enemy's HP. And of course, if HP is kind of low to compensate, then there's the (unlikely) chance of a 6v3, 8+1v2 instagib that's maybe a little unfun on the receiving end.
You can of course weight things towards offense so that hitting and dealing damage are more likely, but that in turn reduces the value of trying to obtain defenses, which nudges it towards focusing on ranged one-shots.
So it's not necessarily a flaw, but combat will likely be somewhat erratic, with kind of a lot of misses or 0-damage hits interspersed with statistically low-ish hits with pretty high maximums.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on March 03, 2016, 09:52:50 am
I'm still trying to design the rest of the system.
When I'm finished, it's going to be a 5-player forum game, with 4 Heroes and 1 Dark One, competing against each other in a dungeon.
Spoiler: Levels System (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Fighter Skill Trees (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mage Skill Trees (click to show/hide)
Any flaws?
Post by: ATHATH on March 03, 2016, 11:59:23 am
What happens if a Mage casts a Contingent Firestorm with the trigger being "when combat starts" or "when I say 'Bang'", and the target being "my opponents" or "wherever my right index finger is pointing at"? Suddenly, the main drawback to using higher level spells is negated.
Post by: WillowLuman on March 30, 2016, 08:19:09 pm
The whole world has been consumed by the Devouring Earth, a collective of eldritch nature monsters. All except for the city-state of Praetoria, protected by a combination of sonic fences and Emperor Cole, the most powerful superhuman on Earth. This little bubble of safety is a seeming utopia, full of happy people and beautiful and clean cityscapes maintained by an automaton workforce. However, all is not as it seems.
Anyone with special abilities or unique talents is conscripted into the Praetors, those charged with keeping the Emperor's order. The media is tightly controlled, and psionic police on every corner monitor the minds of the citizens. There is deadly competion amongst the ranks for the Emperor's favor, and despite all this subversive element still exist. Some fight for freedom, though they count among their rank those too violent for even the Praetors to find a use for. Some fight to control what criminal enterprise there is to be had here.
The players would take on the role of newly minted Praetors, and from there, it would be up to them to find their way through the world. There is room for good or evil as either a Loyalist or a Resistance member.
Post by: Tawa on April 22, 2016, 01:12:19 pm
1: I know that Pathfinder is pretty popular and widely considered to be an improvement over D&D 3.5. Is it easy to play Pathfinder when all you have is the Pathfinder SRD and a couple of D&D 3.5 core rulebooks to fill in the gaps?
2: Is anybody interested in a low-magic campaign heavily based on Norse mythology? Like, to the point that the pantheon is just the historical Norse set, without any names changed? There would still be magic, but primarily in the vein of magical artifacts in the style of Norse legends.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 22, 2016, 01:16:22 pm
Post by: Tawa on April 22, 2016, 01:27:34 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on April 22, 2016, 02:09:43 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 22, 2016, 02:26:20 pm
The Mead of Knowledge, Tyrfing, that kind of thing with interesting effects you can't always just assign numerical values to.But, like, what do they do?
Post by: Tawa on April 22, 2016, 02:42:16 pm
What was the plot you planned, out of curiosity?Generic lich goes Jagar Tharn on the emperor of the biggest country and incites a bunch of wars between other countries (unwittingly involving the players)--the encounter with the mercenaries was his attempt to spark one between the northern kingdom and some other place--I'm not sure which one. He waits until both sides in each war are worn down and intervenes as a third party, taking over the southern continent. The players would have stumbled across a pocket of resistance, who send them to the northern continent's kobold theocracy to request aid in a sort of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation and take back the southern continent, culminating with a fight against the lich.
I have since gained of a taste for more nuanced villains.
I also didn't really think about the logistics of "scrawny half-dragon people from a barren wasteland cross the ocean to fight the armies of like five different countries combined" and such, or how Lord Cliché managed to build such a giant empire in such a short amount of time, which is, needless to say, practically impossible, barring some sort of universal mind control artifact or something.
Oh, and I disliked my world map--I realized in hindsight that if these were "continents", one of them was basically Antarctica (nearly uninhabitable--like 4/5 of the thing was empty space, the kobold country was clustered around a volcano for some reason) and the other one was probably around the size of Africa, but there were only five countries on said Africa-sized continent, which is pretty silly given the setting no matter how you slice it. I've since moved on to different practices--splitting countries up over non-arbitrary lines (rivers, mountain ranges, various features that come as a result of it being a fantasy setting,) providing a map of only part of the continent in the style of maps of Europe, and moving to a more "several smaller countries with a couple major powers here and there" type of approach.
Fill in for the lack of spellcasters, mostly. This kind of thing (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people,_items_and_places_in_Norse_mythology#Artifacts) is what I'm getting at.The Mead of Knowledge, Tyrfing, that kind of thing with interesting effects you can't always just assign numerical values to.But, like, what do they do?
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 22, 2016, 09:41:23 pm
Advice: Don't make a world map to start. Start small and build up, unless you already know exactly how you want to build it up and what everything's gonna have. Also, considering magic, it isn't too hard to build an empire in a fairly short time. Long as taxes aren't too bad and you aren't cruel enough to be hated, only to be feared, one ruler is much the same as another. Leave their culture alone and 'ey, there you have it.What was the plot you planned, out of curiosity?Generic lich goes Jagar Tharn on the emperor of the biggest country and incites a bunch of wars between other countries (unwittingly involving the players)--the encounter with the mercenaries was his attempt to spark one between the northern kingdom and some other place--I'm not sure which one. He waits until both sides in each war are worn down and intervenes as a third party, taking over the southern continent. The players would have stumbled across a pocket of resistance, who send them to the northern continent's kobold theocracy to request aid in a sort of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" situation and take back the southern continent, culminating with a fight against the lich.
I have since gained of a taste for more nuanced villains.
I also didn't really think about the logistics of "scrawny half-dragon people from a barren wasteland cross the ocean to fight the armies of like five different countries combined" and such, or how Lord Cliché managed to build such a giant empire in such a short amount of time, which is, needless to say, practically impossible, barring some sort of universal mind control artifact or something.
Oh, and I disliked my world map--I realized in hindsight that if these were "continents", one of them was basically Antarctica (nearly uninhabitable--like 4/5 of the thing was empty space, the kobold country was clustered around a volcano for some reason) and the other one was probably around the size of Africa, but there were only five countries on said Africa-sized continent, which is pretty silly given the setting no matter how you slice it. I've since moved on to different practices--splitting countries up over non-arbitrary lines (rivers, mountain ranges, various features that come as a result of it being a fantasy setting,) providing a map of only part of the continent in the style of maps of Europe, and moving to a more "several smaller countries with a couple major powers here and there" type of approach.
Post by: Tawa on April 22, 2016, 10:37:29 pm
-snip-I was thinking less that it would be hard to build such a large empire, more that there was no way that he'd be able to conquer literally the entire continent without me constantly timeskipping.
Also, considering magic, it isn't too hard to build an empire in a fairly short time. Long as taxes aren't too bad and you aren't cruel enough to be hated, only to be feared, one ruler is much the same as another. Leave their culture alone and 'ey, there you have it.
It was supposed to be somewhat open-world too ("Semi-Open World" was, quite literally, in the thread title,) which I didn't really think about when I wrote the plot.
Man, that thing was full of holes now that I take the time to think about it...
Advice: Don't make a world map to start. Start small and build up, unless you already know exactly how you want to build it up and what everything's gonna have.Ehh, I don't really like that sort of approach. Admittedly, it works for small-scale heroic fantasy in the style of Conan the Barbarian, where the player characters come in to some new place, quaff ale, and kick ass, since it's just about the heroes' personal adventures. But when you have the whole world set up beforehand, you can set up an epic-scale campaign where there's forces at work beyond what's happening to the heroes, and where the heroes can travel to specific locales with specific goals in mind.
Just my opinion though. :v
(Admittedly, I love the process of worldbuilding; I love drawing maps and creating cultures, feeding words through Google Translate to use as country names... different strokes for different folks, I suppose.)
Post by: Rolepgeek on April 22, 2016, 11:15:01 pm
Plus, when they're low-level, it will be just about their personal adventures. :P
Post by: Chiefwaffles on April 29, 2016, 11:48:52 pm
Done in turns: a single nation up against the world (in other words, up against the GM).
Nation is headed by the player leader and ~3? ~6? player "cabinet members", each cabinet member controlling a certain aspect of the nation.
The leader can be replaced by a cabinet member through a variety of ways. Cabinet members can gain support from the populace, other cabinet members, or simple prepare by themselves. They can replace the leader peacefully, "peacefully", or violent ally, in a number of ways ranging from a free election to a coup d'état.
The leader can also manipulate the cabinet in various ways. Executions, replacements, changing of position duties (e.g. Making one person able to do nothing as their position to limit power). But there should be some kind of consequence. But small enough consequences so cabinet members have to be relatively stealthy in their attempts to gain power.
Then under the cabinet, there's one more "level" of players - notable officials. These people quarrel amongst their selves to reach a list of GM-chosen candidates for the cabinet if for whatever reason the leader needs a new one. Can allow the populace (aka GM) to choose the new cabinet member their selves for an approval boost, or choose themselves. Leader can also try to manipulate elections to get what they want and that approval boost. Notable officials also can have the occasional opportunity for some influence in the actual game or cabinet.
Basically notable officials are a glorified 'audience'. But their main purpose is to serve as a pool for new leaders and cabinet members. Kind of like an interactive waiting list.
Additional idea: If a cabinet member or leader is looking at a list of candidates picken from notable officials, their names should maybe be replaced with pseudonyms to prevent anything resembling a popularity contest/whatever. Maybe. Main idea is that this would prevent people from going "hey I know that guy from somewhere else and he'd definitely act this way so I pick him".
But basically, the summary is a political intrigue "simulator". This kind of genre is definitely not new, but something like the idea just laid out could be interesting. The main focus would be on individual players and their attempts at gaining more power and influence, with external events serving as mostly a background and chances for new opportunities to rise.
Post by: Xantalos on April 30, 2016, 03:12:21 am
Uh.
Yeah. Found this.
Post by: kj1225 on May 16, 2016, 10:09:35 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on May 17, 2016, 04:40:27 am
Post by: kj1225 on May 17, 2016, 08:48:34 am
Post by: FallacyofUrist on May 29, 2016, 03:30:25 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on May 29, 2016, 03:31:19 pm
Post by: Twinwolf on May 29, 2016, 03:41:26 pm
Post by: heydude6 on May 29, 2016, 03:48:47 pm
Post by: Elephant Parade on May 29, 2016, 10:45:55 pm
Potential issues:
- I'm making Python scripts to do most of it for me, but the amount of math required for each turn is going to get annoying.
- This game is arguably more complicated than FEF, and FEF attracts some people by virtue of being a forum version of something they already play. I don't know if anyone will want to bother with this.
Spoiler: test map (click to show/hide)
You can find the WIP instructions here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UQlX52UCjAHm5w88GX_0OX6qRPvoRawgW2DlLunSVmg/edit), if you're curious. I have more done than what's there, but it's SECRET and/or unfinished
edit: I just noticed the Diglett's mouth is square on that sprite. Isn't that weird?
Post by: Haspen on May 30, 2016, 10:03:56 am
edit: I just noticed the Diglett's mouth is square on that sprite. Isn't that weird?
That's a nose, not mouth.
Post by: escaped lurker on May 30, 2016, 12:19:07 pm
Quote from: Elephant Parade
Currently working on an FEF-style Pokemon strategy game.
This, sounds great, on so many levels. Consider me interested.
On a slightly different matter - is there a reason why you chose those particular sprites for the test-map, besides to "showcase" the idea? Caus' a quick search gave some nice 32x32 in-colour menu sprites for up to gen XY. About terrain, well, another quick check and I'd wager using the original tiles of, oh - your favourite gen? - won't be a problem either. (Well - at least up until they started making the game environment in pseudo 3d. Whichever gen that was)
Post by: Elephant Parade on May 30, 2016, 08:11:39 pm
Oh, okay. That makes more sense, I guess.edit: I just noticed the Diglett's mouth is square on that sprite. Isn't that weird?
That's a nose, not mouth.
On a slightly different matter - is there a reason why you chose those particular sprites for the test-map, besides to "showcase" the idea? Caus' a quick search gave some nice 32x32 in-colour menu sprites for up to gen XY. About terrain, well, another quick check and I'd wager using the original tiles of, oh - your favourite gen? - won't be a problem either. (Well - at least up until they started making the game environment in pseudo 3d. Whichever gen that was)I could use the original tiles, but I'd need to
- download a tileset
- resize the tiles to something that would work well
- lament upon realizing that the tiles work really poorly with party sprites
As for sprites, I like the Gen II ones because 10 seconds in paint gives me a decent-looking recolour, since there are only two colours (plus black) to begin with; with newer sprites, it'd take more time for an inferior result. I could also just skip recolouring entirely, but that'd make it harder to differentiate between allies and enemies.
If you'd like to stay updated on the development of the game, I can PM you whenever I finish a few new sections—or just keep posting in the thread, I guess, though that could get kinda spammy. Speaking of which: I've made some changes. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/177jElL63roUrsS8vabm2kr89JSgoWQAnIkzP-sxrFTI/edit) Voice has gotten even less consistent, but that's something to worry about later.
Added:
- Understanding Stats
- Attack Accuracy
- Understanding Pokemon
- Understanding Abilities
- Appendix A: Formulas (unfinished)
- Appendix ?: Early-Game Moves
Post by: escaped lurker on May 31, 2016, 06:14:16 am
I could use the original tiles, but I'd need toI will definitely at least try the actual tiles at some point, though.
- download a tileset
- resize the tiles to something that would work well
- lament upon realizing that the tiles work really poorly with party sprites
As for sprites, I like the Gen II ones because 10 seconds in paint gives me a decent-looking recolour, since there are only two colours (plus black) to begin with; with newer sprites, it'd take more time for an inferior result. I could also just skip recolouring entirely, but that'd make it harder to differentiate between allies and enemies.
I could argue that these points are quickly solved, or non-existant, but;
Spoiler: Well, take a look first... (click to show/hide)
Cobbling together my mock-up took, like, twenty minutes - most of that spent on one-time work like the grid, or making the buggers opaque "tiles". Well, what does stands out, is the multi tile terrain. Some of them, could easily be fixed with a few edits (like making that road 1-tiled), but many more can't. You also don't want to build
The "Real Problem", is how and what kind of terrain one can even make with pokemon.
Some "uneven" terrain, with rocks, is simple, tall grass can also easily have dis/advantages for combat.
Though as soon as a Snorlax tries to take cover in those bushes, my suspension of disbelief starts tingling.
To cut it short: The tilesets and icons are nice - real nice, in fact - but would they be worth the possible work-over of your rules / the lesser options that would stem from taking these tiles as basis?
Post by: Tawa on June 01, 2016, 08:18:02 pm
I started off by building a much more expansive world, with a continent roughly halfway in size between Australia and Europe. I plan on having around fifteen or so kingdoms, each containing several principalities, duchies, baronies, and the like, and these kingdoms are split between five distinct ethnic groups.
The basic idea of this game is that the players start off with an adventure that places them as level 15 or so heroes, in a setting with a technology level roughly equivalent to the late 1500s; the idea of this particular adventure is that it's one of those stereotypical heroic dungeon crawls and hits every cliché in the book up until the ending.
The revelations made in this one-shot adventure are a setup for the plot of the real game, set about 250 years afterward, where the players play as the distant descendants of their original characters in a sorta-steampunk setting, where the actions undertaken by the characters in the first adventure are shown to have far-reaching consequences because of villainous scheming and such.
Oh, and it would be Pathfinder, because the character classes in vanilla Pathfinder are more in line with the setting I have in mind than they usually do (e.g. Gunslinger is OK because guns make sense in mid-1700s setting; Alchemist is OK because of the beginnings of organized chemistry, and Investigator by extension and also for proto-Holmes stuff; Vigilante... just seems more OK in a 1700s setting than a Shakespeareish one, etc.)
Thoughts? It's still something of a fledgling idea, in that I've just finished worldbuilding about one of the planned fifteen kingdoms or so, but I want to make sure this isn't a bad idea right off the bat.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on June 01, 2016, 08:21:03 pm
So the players would have to make a level 15 character for a one-shot session, then make a completely different character?
Why does the introstory have to be cliched?
Didn't you mention your previous games failed because you overreached?
Post by: TheBiggerFish on June 01, 2016, 08:33:05 pm
An alternating plot, however...
Post by: MoonyTheHuman on June 01, 2016, 08:35:44 pm
So, I scrapped Viking D&D for another idea.I recommend the Challanger RPG for that, it supports a lot of roleplaying and open expansive worlds
I started off by building a much more expansive world, with a continent roughly halfway in size between Australia and Europe. I plan on having around fifteen or so kingdoms, each containing several principalities, duchies, baronies, and the like, and these kingdoms are split between five distinct ethnic groups.My goal of creating a more realistic image of feudalism is in no way influenced by Crusader Kings.
The basic idea of this game is that the players start off with an adventure that places them as level 15 or so heroes, in a setting with a technology level roughly equivalent to the late 1500s; the idea of this particular adventure is that it's one of those stereotypical heroic dungeon crawls and hits every cliché in the book up until the ending.
The revelations made in this one-shot adventure are a setup for the plot of the real game, set about 250 years afterward, where the players play as the distant descendants of their original characters in a sorta-steampunk setting, where the actions undertaken by the characters in the first adventure are shown to have far-reaching consequences because of villainous scheming and such.
Oh, and it would be Pathfinder, because the character classes in vanilla Pathfinder are more in line with the setting I have in mind than they usually do (e.g. Gunslinger is OK because guns make sense in mid-1700s setting; Alchemist is OK because of the beginnings of organized chemistry, and Investigator by extension and also for proto-Holmes stuff; Vigilante... just seems more OK in a 1700s setting than a Shakespeareish one, etc.)
Thoughts? It's still something of a fledgling idea, in that I've just finished worldbuilding about one of the planned fifteen kingdoms or so, but I want to make sure this isn't a bad idea right off the bat.
Post by: Tawa on June 01, 2016, 08:42:52 pm
Quote
So the players would have to make a level 15 character for a one-shot session, then make a completely different character?I wasn't entirely sure whether or not this was a good idea and the main reason I made this post. I personally like coming up with characters, but I wasn't sure if I'd find somebody else interested in this kind of thing.
But yes, the basic gist of the narrative would be that the players fight this BBEG briefly in the past, as a prologue of sorts. Not something that would take so little time as to not justify creating a character, but not the main event, either. I want to do this more to build the narrative than for exciting monstersmashing and dungeoncrawling; I don't want to reveal too many of the ideas I've had for this yet, but I think it would support the plot in a more interesting manner than introducing a bad guy and retroactively making him part of some quarter-millennium conspiracy.
Maybe I should just have them roll up level 1 characters and -pretend- they're super-powerful by loading them up with free uber-gear? It'd save time. Not to mention I was thinking of forcing gentleman's agreements on magic-type characters for both parts, partially because the religion of the setting explicitly forbids magic and considers it the root of all evil, and partially to stop the game from getting too easy.
Quote
Why does the introstory have to be cliched?To make the twist at the end more of a surprise, of course.
Although I guess that point is kinda lost now :|
Quote
Didn't you mention your previous games failed because you overreached?In retrospect, the biggest reason I think my previous games failed is because I'm really unhappy with the settings I made back then; I don't think I really developed a sense of scale for these kinds of things until recently (and I also didn't really get a grasp on how feudalism worked until recently, either.) But yeah I did overreach before, but that wasn't so much a case of making things too big to handle, it was more of a case of not planning ahead nearly enough. My most ambitious game was probably my best, really; the issue with that one was that I was still getting a grasp on DMing and made a lot of really ridiculous decisions.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on June 01, 2016, 08:53:01 pm
1 - variation. It's going to take a lot of variation to make 15 full kingdoms worth of unique aspects and traits. If they're all very samey, you might as well trim the fat
2 - writing fatigue. If it takes so much effort, it's a way to kill motivation very easily, especially if there isn't a hge variation in kingdoms.
3 - player overload, Players would, presumably, have to read and learn about hte different kingdoms to make a best fit for their character, and that's a huge amount of stuff to trawl through
4 - conservation of detail. If you've got loads of places, most of them will never be visited or discussed in any meaningful manner. Might as well have less but more distinct locations.
You could just have the dramatic conflict with the big bad down throough backstory, I guess? Provide a frame and players fill in how they acted, and you build from that.
And yeah, you kinda shot yourself in the foot with that plot twist idea, now.
Post by: Fniff on June 01, 2016, 08:55:28 pm
Maybe you should consider tightening the scope. From experience, it makes things way-easier. You want feudal intrigue? You can achieve that if you focus it on one barony and its court. Those civilizations can be the guilds of the town.
Here's the clever thing anout this. Even if you work insanely hard at it, building a whole continent is going to fall flat because you have to spread the details so thin. But if you expend the same amount of effort on a small play-area, it will be an incredibly interesting place by contrast since every part of it has a personality. It's like the difference between Oblivion and Pathologic; the former is huge but dull, the latter is small but intricate.
Post by: Elephant Parade on June 01, 2016, 08:56:56 pm
imageThat looks pretty great, though I'd need to scale the tiles up a bit; as it is, there isn't enough room on them for names.
Quote
Some of them, could easily be fixed with a few edits (like making that road 1-tiled), but many more can't. You also don't want to build any too many cities, as most houses have about twenty tiles, give or take. Though any "existing towns", can easily be dl-ed as a screenshot, and layered under a grid.Yeah, the size of multi-tile buildings could be an issue. I was planning to set my game in a Mystery Dungeon-style world where humans don't exist, but I recognize that not everyone will want that—my long-term goal is to create a FEF-style rulebook that other people will be able to use—and buildings need to not take up half the map.
It's an issue of scale, I guess. Still, those tiles will be great for small-scale stuff!
Quote
To cut it short: The tilesets and icons are nice - real nice, in fact - but would they be worth the possible work-over of your rules / the lesser options that would stem from taking these tiles as basis?My rules don't rely on scale at all. Using those tiles wouldn't require a rework—I'd just need to assign bonuses/maluses to different tiles, which I haven't even done for my current tiles.
Probably going to launch Pokemon Tactics as an SG, since that way
- People will be able to play without reading through through the entire rulebook
- I can reveal the rules a bit at a time, concealing the fact that they aren't actually done yet
- I won't feel bad about nerfing stuff
- It'll be significantly less work
Fifteen kingdoms sounds overkill, unless you're planning to have a heavy focus on travel.
Post by: heydude6 on June 01, 2016, 09:02:39 pm
Post by: Yoink on June 01, 2016, 09:09:56 pm
-snip-The main problem I can see is that you just spoiled the major twist right off the bat...
I think fifteen kingdoms would be doable, although perhaps it would be a good idea to keep some/most of them quite vaguely defined, and perhaps let players decide on certain details as they write their backstories. That way you could cut down on your own workload and the amount of reading required to join.
RTDs often do something like this, letting players help in the worldbuilding through their bios.
Of course, if you wanted to you could then flesh out a couple of the kingdoms a lot more, presumably the most plot-relevant ones, or the ones the players are intended to spend the most time in.
Post by: Tawa on June 01, 2016, 09:32:10 pm
-snip-You have a point... I guess I don't really have to define all of them to their full extent. A good six of those are going to be the East Asia and Africa stand-ins, and the other ones are split roughly three a pop to three different cultural groups (Western European, general mix of Scandinavia/Eastern Europe, and the last one I'm thinking either Balkans/Byzantines or Italy with Spanish elements.) To keep with the general feel of the game, I could have the East Asia and Africa stand-ins remain mysterious and ill-defined, with the extent of development being basically limited to each country's name and a vague idea of what differentiates each one from the other ones. Most of the European and Middle East-style countries will probably manage to be visited through the course of the story, and any of the ones that don't can get fleshed out through player or NPC backstories anyway.
Anyway, from the perspective of somebody who isn't me (I literally make D&D character sheets for fun when I'm bored sometimes), is the prospect of creating two characters in two different time periods intimidating at all? I was thinking that the end of the prologue wouldn't really have to be the end of the first character, because they could be posthumously fleshed out by the person playing their descendant.
As for the plot twist thing, I suppose that having a plot twist in this sort of massive time-skip thing is kind of assumed anyway, but the whole "cliché adventure" doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. It can still be interesting and do its job of setting up the rest of the plot, and if I miraculously manage to improve my writing skills on the spot I might manage to save it through fluff alone.
Now that I think about it, I don't really have to set it up that way anyway...
Hmm... I think that instead of cliché dungeon crawling, I'll set up something concerning minor political intrigue and have the far-reaching future changes come about through ye olde butterfly effect. Plus, that gives me a legitimate excuse for having the characters be famous and also like level 3, since they'll just be shanking guards and political rivals at best.
Post by: Parsely on June 01, 2016, 09:48:18 pm
Preferably the GM is the only one who has to refer to a lexicon and then only when he's preparing for a session. This makes for the smoothest type of game.
No doubt they'll start in one country, then hop to the next one after some time. And not only that, they don't have to visit every corner of the globe. You can give the players an impression of the size of the world you envision without breaking your back explaining every last insignificant detail of it to them.
Post by: Rolepgeek on June 01, 2016, 10:11:26 pm
Post by: Tawa on June 04, 2016, 09:01:54 pm
Oh, and I think I'll bump it up to late-1800s instead of early-1800s/late-1700s.
Post by: High tyrol on June 05, 2016, 10:48:08 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on June 14, 2016, 06:17:51 am
Should I start a FG?
Do you have free time?
Do you have a concept?
If yes to both, feel free.
Post by: Parsely on June 18, 2016, 01:21:33 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: StrawBarrel on June 18, 2016, 11:14:01 am
Post by: TheBiggerFish on June 19, 2016, 11:09:26 am
Post by: Tawa on June 22, 2016, 06:50:02 pm
What I'm looking at here is a game set in a fictional, Victorian Britain-esque country, in a slightly steampunk, pretty magical setting. Drawing vague inspiration from various sorts of literature from the period (Sherlock Holmes in particular), I'm thinking I'll have a crime-themed campaign where the players investigate all sorts of mundane and magical criminal activity in their efforts to take down a criminal mastermind. It'll be pretty RP-heavy and put at least as much (if not more) focus on the investigations, puzzles, and deductions as the fights. Definitely going to run it in Pathfinder (with strict gentleman's agreements on the more broken character classes to prevent the intrigue of the setting from being shattered in two by, say, divination spells.)
There's interest for this sort of thing, right?
Post by: FallacyofUrist on June 22, 2016, 07:10:02 pm
Would anybody be interested in a Wikipedia Wars like game, but using TV Tropes instead?I'm running a test game for this in my sigtext.
~~~
Interesting, definitely. Something I would play? No- not my sort of thing, but good luck regardless.
Post by: PrivateNomad on June 22, 2016, 07:28:03 pm
i am confident about this stat system.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 04, 2016, 01:33:30 pm
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Post by: Andres on July 06, 2016, 03:29:57 am
Instead of "D- vs C+" skill check in a sword fight, for instance, it's "went to a couple of sword-fighting classes vs militia training".
Dice rolls would still be used to give that essential element of randomness but it wouldn't be a hard DC kind of thing.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 06, 2016, 03:53:55 am
So I've thought up a game system that I'm pretty sure has been done before and I want to know how good the system was in practice. Basically, instead of numbers and tiers for a character's skills, HP, weapon damage, etc., it's all completely abstracted.
Instead of "D- vs C+" skill check in a sword fight, for instance, it's "went to a couple of sword-fighting classes vs militia training".
Dice rolls would still be used to give that essential element of randomness but it wouldn't be a hard DC kind of thing.
All you are doing is giving skill levels longer names. Using your example, "D-" equals to "went to a couple of sword-fighting classes" and "C+" equals to "militia training". Nothing changes. And if something did change, it very quickly devolves back into numerical evaluation. One gotta be better and have advantage over another. Numbers are there to make evaluation easier. You can abstract the visible layer of the system for players, but beneath the hood it is all the same.
At least that's what I think when I see your small example.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 06, 2016, 04:11:12 am
The first is that they tend to be vague. Players, and more often than not GMs, usually don't actually know what "moderate formal training" means relative to "light long-term experience in the field." This makes it difficult for players to make decisions based on that information (eg what are my odds of making that jump?), and often requires the GM to scratch his head for each and every action because he doesn't know the answer to that either.
The second is that they tend to be an obfuscating proxy for a hard mechanical system anyway. If you rate skills from -3 (Terrible) to +3 (Masterful) and roll a d6 + Mods with each point above 3 or below 4 advancing the Success or Failure Track of that result, you have a hard mechanical system. If you just sort of roll a d6 for randomness and decide that this guy is a good enough swordsman that he has one higher than a 50/50 chance of succeeding... you still have a hard mechanical system, just poorly designed and poorly documented.
The third is that because of the former two issues, things tend to slip through the cracks. The difference between "lightly wounded" and "moderately wounded" frequently stops mattering, it's often convenient to carry a grappling hook everywhere because weight and cost aren't things until they're major things whereas "has a rope" vs "doesn't have a rope" might be crucial, armor doesn't do anything but doesn't cost or hinder anything either, and so on.
So, not surprisingly, this kind of thing tends to work best when the mechanical outcomes don't matter much but fluff is still of interest. It usually starts wobbling or worse when players start suffering consequences for edge case stuff, be that "how many times can I get shot before dying" or "would getting a better sword actually do anything?"
Ninja'd a bit.
Post by: Andres on July 06, 2016, 05:14:24 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 06, 2016, 02:17:06 pm
In terms of the whole system, I'm pretty sure some of the RotMG and related megathreads have attempted to use that or something like it at times. They're kind of a... unique case anyway, though, and navigating them is pretty much impossible. Probably even for their natives.
I forget which one, but at least one of lawas' games tried to track bleeding and such but didn't actually assign penalties to it, which resulted in players tending to never actually get anything fixed because it didn't matter. Getting wounded in the first place, as I recall, functioned on a similarly semi-arbitrary method.
ER tries to use realism for a lot of stuff, which is one reason it's undergone a few reworks and, at least previously, tended to gravitate towards "if you don't roll a [1] on Endurance you survive enough to be revivable." The current system is more formalized than what you're proposing, but still uses a die for randomness, described brackets for skill/attribute modifiers, and GM interpretation for making stuff happen, as there are no HP or numerical damage values or the like.
On that note, Perplexicon games tend to do this as well, though on a lesser scale because most actions are a given set of magical words manifesting through a given set of rolls.
The system is hidden so I don't actually know precisely how it works, but most of Weirdsound's non-Silly Rougelike games use dice to determine outcomes, but have such a heavy focus on politics and the like that there is by necessity a huge amount of interpretation going on. Redleaf Epic is still running in theory, though currently in a lull.
Post by: Andres on July 06, 2016, 06:33:10 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on July 06, 2016, 06:46:47 pm
So lets say 1 point of armour nullifies 1 point of damage. A hammer ignores 1 point of armour and an axe does 1 extra point of damage. Is there any reason to take the hammer instead of the axe? If not, what can be done to make the hammer a viable option?Assuming they had the same base damage otherwise, no, the axe is superior as it does the +1 dam even against unarmoured opponents, and the only reason to take the hammer would be style.
As to fix it... that depends on how weapon damage is rolled. If it's something like an axe is 1d8 damage: could have it that the hammer inflicts that one point of damage through armour, I suppose, and that fits with the role of warhammers anyway. Thus, axes would be more effective against most opponents, but when a heavily armoured opponent appeared the hammer would reliably be able to inflict damage, even small amounts, which could be useful depending on the amount of HP foes have.
Alternatively just make it ignore more armour, which works however damage is calculated.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 06, 2016, 09:15:15 pm
Anyone want superpowers? Gimme 2-4 nouns and assign each with number between 1-50. An example from IRC: Rice 28, Cowardice 35, Asbestos 44, Albion 15.Sure! How? PM? Is this for a game can I join it?
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Here, anyway.
Blink 7, Gears 30, Warp 9, Answer 42.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 06, 2016, 11:19:50 pm
So lets say 1 point of armour nullifies 1 point of damage. A hammer ignores 1 point of armour and an axe does 1 extra point of damage. Is there any reason to take the hammer instead of the axe? If not, what can be done to make the hammer a viable option?Granularity helps here. If hammers can ignore 2 points of armor, they're always better than axes against enemies with 2+ armor, break even at 1 armor, and fall off at 0 armor. But that requires being able to keep most enemies at 0, 1, or 2 armor, +1 or +2 damage being reasonable values for the combat system, and so on.
Your other options similarly depend on exactly how the combat system and game in general work. You could have different effects on crits/kills, abstract out damage and defense types rather or in addition to using literal armor reduction values, move into accuracy modifiers, empower or allow certain skills by weapon, and so on.
When in doubt, try going back to the purpose of wielding a given weapon in the first place. Often this will just be variety/archetypes, which is fine, but reminding yourself just what a given wielder should stereotypically do is often helpful.
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 07, 2016, 12:31:10 am
Also, keeping most info mostly hidden from the players, but having it balanced internally, or having much bigger differences or esoteric changes so that players have to rely on intuition instead of number-crunching. With excessive number-crunching comes story death.
Post by: Kadzar on July 07, 2016, 01:40:50 am
What if you just applied a note to the axe that it does 1 less damage (or just doesn't get the bonus to damage) against targets that are armored?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 07, 2016, 02:38:17 am
Yeah, it's a test for a game in far uncertain future. One of the twenty I want to run but probably never have time for.Anyone want superpowers? Gimme 2-4 nouns and assign each with number between 1-50. An example from IRC: Rice 28, Cowardice 35, Asbestos 44, Albion 15.Sure! How? PM? Is this for a game can I join it?
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Here, anyway.
Blink 7, Gears 30, Warp 9, Answer 42.
So, your superpower is this: Whenever someone is observing you, your power automatically manifests itself as set of weird tools that can make them stop watching for a short period of time. You have no control over this power, it acts on its own and makes weird items for you, but it leaves you the option to not use the tools it makes. The power works through recordings and all kinds of remote viewing. If a security camera records you and there's a chance someone in future watches the record, your power will activate. If you are alone and your power activates, you can be certain that someone somewhere sometime is observing you somehow. This means your power is on most of the time and you are carrying something weird enough to gather even more attention.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2016, 05:31:32 am
Anyone want superpowers? Gimme 2-4 nouns and assign each with number between 1-50. An example from IRC: Rice 28, Cowardice 35, Asbestos 44, Albion 15.Assuming this is still a thing...
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Knife 45, Game 18, Fear 2, Box 25.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 07, 2016, 10:27:17 am
Anyone want superpowers? Gimme 2-4 nouns and assign each with number between 1-50. An example from IRC: Rice 28, Cowardice 35, Asbestos 44, Albion 15.Assuming this is still a thing...
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Knife 45, Game 18, Fear 2, Box 25.
I can't say I know you well enough to make personalized power properly, so I mix it a bit with Kirby and the little I know. Which probably doesn't work out very well. Anyway, here we go:
You can create limited number of copies of yourself (equipment included) at once. Let's say maximum 5. They exist as long as you are conscious, you want them to exist, and they stay within limited range. Each copy in existance lowers the maximum range by simple formula: current max range equals to max range divided by number of clones in existance. The copies are by all intents and purposes you: they have your personality, memories and skills as you did on time of their creation. The real difference comes from the fact they know the are copies and have different powers than you do.
Their primary power is to share space with other humans (but not with you) and move in synch with them. To complement that power they can alter their size by small degree, always staying within normal human size range. This space sharing brings few benefits. First is that they can choose who takes the damage from the bullet or any other source of harm by deciding whose space is the one interacting with world: either the copy, person they are sharing the space with, or both. The latter means increased toughness which is mostly good for fist fights, and having strength of two people. Beyond that they are completely normal, they die from bullet like anyone else (but disappear when they do die). If their arms is cut off, they will bleed to death and can no longer protect corresponding arm of the person held inside. If they do have person inside in such case, then bleeding is reduced because arm of the person blocks it mostly.
You will always know how many copies exist at any given time, but have no any extra awareness about them or their state. Your power is modified by amount of heartfelt respect people have towards you. More respect they have, more copies you can create, greater their maximum range is, more they can manipulate their own size, and so on.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 07, 2016, 10:36:02 am
Invocation 7, Inversion 39, Fire 80, Understanding 24.
Post by: H4zardZ1 on July 07, 2016, 12:24:30 pm
Gray 15, Cycle 21, Chair 39, Boredom 6.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on July 07, 2016, 01:37:09 pm
Hm./me coughs quietly
Invocation 7, Inversion 39, Fire 80, Understanding 24.
assign each with number between 1-50.:P
----
Mountain 35, bronze 40, cloud 7, emblem 13
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 07, 2016, 01:39:44 pm
It'd definitely be fun to play around with, at any rate. Props to you on that front.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 07, 2016, 01:44:54 pm
Answer 42, Arcane 50, Depth 7, Magic 8
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 07, 2016, 01:50:48 pm
Hm.
Invocation 7, Inversion 39, Fire 80, Understanding 24.
Your power is permanent physical AND mental transformation. You actually stop being you and become something else entirely. Your new form is distorted cystalline humanoid, skin flashing brilliant light, mismatched limbs. Your new mind has iron will and completely immune to all attempts of manipulation. Which means that when you decide to do something you will see it to the end, no matter what. Even if something more important comes along, you will keep going until your task is completed, be the end result good or bad. Compromise is not even on your vocabulary. When people ask help for righteous purposes you cannot refuse their pleads, you will help them, you won't even stop to consider whether they are lying or not. After your current job is done.
At any time you so desire you can become master of something, be it a math, music, martial art or any other skill. However you can only have single mastery obtained this way. To get another you must let go of the previous one.
Blessed with suck (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlessedWithSuck), it seems.
Lemme?
Gray 15, Cycle 21, Chair 39, Boredom 6.
You actually get two rather simple powers. The first one is perfect for a spy, infiltrator, saboteur or assassin. When you so wish, people will mistake you for someone they are very likely to obey and trust, be it either their immediate superior, captor, spouse or police. This puts you in position to make people do whatever you want and believe whatever you say. Well, not exactly. Whey still have their ability to make judgement calls, but with some preparation you can get away with a lot.
The second power is what some people might call regeneration or healing factor, but it is not. This power activates automatically anytime you rest. It slowly restores your body and mindstate back to the what they were when you gained your powers. Wounds, nutritional status, needs, viral and bacterial infections... they all reset back. You better hope you were healthy, well fed and feeling full of energy back then, otherwise this might be another case of "blessed with suck".
I'll do powers for GiglameshDespair and TheBiggerFish later, maybe today, maybe tomorrow.
Post by: Elephant Parade on July 07, 2016, 02:32:13 pm
please give me the cool powers, thx
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 07, 2016, 02:33:22 pm
Anyone want superpowers? Gimme 2-4 nouns and assign each with number between 1-50. An example from IRC: Rice 28, Cowardice 35, Asbestos 44, Albion 15.May as well. Everyone's been doing four, so I might do three and see what happens.
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Catalyst 12, Wrong 13, Chiasm 41
If you need info on my personality, well. I really like this quote/ideal: "I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right."
I also am very much a fan of using technology to advance the world, my favorite games are strategy and roleplaying games, my favorite part of books/GMing tends to be the world-building, I like basically all music, quite a bit, and I get inordinately angry at people who refuse to be empathetic or listen to the other side. I'm also really good at math and function as my family's garbage disposal for leftovers.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 08, 2016, 10:55:08 am
cool 66.6, darkness 66.6, blood 66.6, demon 66.6
please give me the cool powers, thx
Your power is to generate mist filling area around you. You must fully focus on generation for it take place, and maintain decent focus to keep mist in existance. There's no maximum range for your power, the mist keeps expanding as long as you can keep focusing. The mist silences all sounds and no other living being can be detected inside, even if they are standing right in front of each other, unless they were holding hands or were otherwise physically connected when they were engulfed by the mist. Dead beings can be detected just fine. Within this mist you can generate auditory hallucinations that will attempt mentally break the people, be they allies or not. Kind of on/off switch affacting everyone within. The mist affects you in same way as any fog would, limiting visibility, muffling sounds, but has no other effect.
Wind is your nemesis. While the mist can slow down wind considerably, stronger winds will dissipate it.
Mountain 35, bronze 40, cloud 7, emblem 13
I couldn't figure out much in terms of your personality, so it ended a bit bland. There you go:
You can breathe life into metal art, manipulate it like puppets with your mind. You sense their presence within certain distance from you and can instantly recognize their shape and size, location and distance. The downside is that the works of art you use tend to grow larger and heavier over time and deteriorate something that is no longer art, effectively denying resources from you. Where the extra mass comes from, no one knows.
If you were to team up with someone capable of shaping metal you could make powerful duo.
Anyone want superpowers? Gimme 2-4 nouns and assign each with number between 1-50. An example from IRC: Rice 28, Cowardice 35, Asbestos 44, Albion 15.May as well. Everyone's been doing four, so I might do three and see what happens.
People I know about are easier to make powers for, so if you don't think I know you well enough, describe your personality as well with few words. Or name some well known real or imaginary person. Or make it all up.
Catalyst 12, Wrong 13, Chiasm 41
If you need info on my personality, well. I really like this quote/ideal: "I will protect even those I hate, so long as it is right."
I also am very much a fan of using technology to advance the world, my favorite games are strategy and roleplaying games, my favorite part of books/GMing tends to be the world-building, I like basically all music, quite a bit, and I get inordinately angry at people who refuse to be empathetic or listen to the other side. I'm also really good at math and function as my family's garbage disposal for leftovers.
Much appreciated, on both accounts.
Your power is to bring objects from other realities into our own, even large buildings, but it must touch your hand when it comes forth. It is much easier to summon large objects than small ones. Your power also have strong emotional effect to people around you, related to purpose or nature of summoned object. For example if you summon a building or wall to hide behind, people's emotions will be forced to something along desire to protect. Bringing weapon will cause burst of uncontrolled violence. A statue might stir their imagination or creativity.
It seems more powers I create, less detailed they get...
I want another one!
Answer 42, Arcane 50, Depth 7, Magic 8
And now I wish I saved my notes about your personality. Oh well, gotta check it out again.
Your power is to understand things on level no one else can. A glance on something, and you instantly have complete and total understanding of it, everything it is, was and will be, its strenghts and faults, its possibilities, what it could be, what it is made of, its relations to other things and so on. The unfortunate side effect is that it makes you extremely apathetic and jaded when dealing with people, because you completely understand what they are after, how shallow and self-centerd or naive they are. While you could easily draw up a plan to uplift mankind into heights unimagined, there's no point because these fuckers don't deserve it.
Post by: Harry Baldman on July 08, 2016, 11:04:10 am
Let's give it a shot. Fluorine 36, Bird 44.
Post by: Elephant Parade on July 08, 2016, 11:16:15 am
Quote
Your power is to generate mist filling area around you. You must fully focus on generation for it take place, and maintain decent focus to keep mist in existance. There's no maximum range for your power, the mist keeps expanding as long as you can keep focusing. The mist silences all sounds and no other living being can be detected inside, even if they are standing right in front of each other, unless they were holding hands or were otherwise physically connected when they were engulfed by the mist. Dead beings can be detected just fine. Within this mist you can generate auditory hallucinations that will attempt mentally break the people, be they allies or not. Kind of on/off switch affacting everyone within. The mist affects you in same way as any fog would, limiting visibility, muffling sounds, but has no other effect.cool rating: 4/10 — does not adequately represent the darkness within my soul
(mist is way less cool than darkness >:()
Post by: Whisperling on July 08, 2016, 12:14:39 pm
Cocoon (25), CIF3 (33), word (20), rock (1).
In terms of personality, I enjoy reading and writing (specifically fantasy). I also do a lot of theater stuff, including singing and such, but don't generally listen to music. My favorite games are often sandbox-type things which involve taking individual pieces with specific rules/behaviors, seeing how they interact with each other, and putting them together in an interesting or powerful way. I am a terrible procrastinator, and have a bit of a short temper.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 08, 2016, 01:59:47 pm
And afterwards, share this incredible generator.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 09, 2016, 04:34:03 am
Ooh, generation. I like generation.
Let's give it a shot. Fluorine 36, Bird 44.
Your power is to turn into kind of non-physical form and back at will . In this form you are weightless, frictionless and ignoring gravity alltogether. In this form every solid surface works as "down" for you as long as you touch them, meaning you can walk on walls and ceiling just fine, can jump from walls to another in straight line, completely ignoring gravity. Your enchanted reflexes, great sense of orientation, direction and motion ensures that you can bounce between surfaces in very high speeds like a super ball and still remain in control of where you are going. In your second form you can also fit through considerably smaller openings than otherwise.
Well, why not?
Cocoon (25), CIF3 (33), word (20), rock (1).
In terms of personality, I enjoy reading and writing (specifically fantasy). I also do a lot of theater stuff, including singing and such, but don't generally listen to music. My favorite games are often sandbox-type things which involve taking individual pieces with specific rules/behaviors, seeing how they interact with each other, and putting them together in an interesting or powerful way. I am a terrible procrastinator, and have a bit of a short temper.
You can mark any surface with a... trap, which will trigger when a specific condition you set is fulfilled. When it is triggered, a new creature will spring out of it. Creatures are never identical, but share common insectoid theme. They posess destructive abilities that lets them break through any barricade and barrier. Size and power of spawned creature correlates directly with age of the trap, meaning longer it takes to trigger more destructive they will be. Unfortunately longer the trap stays untriggered, less you can control the creature that eventually comes out of it. So you every time you create a trap with your power you run into risk of creating some horrible monster that is hellbent on causing apocalypse.
cool rating: 4/10 — does not adequately represent the darkness within my soulI guess you have not watched The Mist.
(mist is way less cool than darkness >:()
Post by: Empiricist on July 09, 2016, 05:06:31 am
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 09, 2016, 07:50:35 am
Ontology (46), Obsession (3)
Now we have some really interesting words.
Your power summarized into two words is "puppet master". By observing your target, its history, interactions, products and reactions you slowly begin to see the strings attached to it. Each string has its own effect to the target, the first ones have only a minor emotional effects and the later ones give you complete control. The speed you find these strings depends quality of your observation. Directly watching the target acting in enviroment full of stimulus gives you total control strings in two hours, but for example by only watching single work of art by your target it takes weeks.
The ability to see strings of certain person remains as long as you keep pulling those strings often enough, otherwise you steadily lose them from sight. The strings are unique enough to discern between individuals, but there's a breakpoint where it becomes possible to mix them up.
Post by: Elephant Parade on July 09, 2016, 08:25:34 am
Quote
I guess you have not watched The Mist.I only watch cool movies
if cool words give lame powers
then maybe
just maybe
lame words will give cool powers
Flowers (25), Happiness (75), Kindness (50)
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 09, 2016, 12:20:08 pm
Firestorm 42, Discussion 19, Resonance 29, Doppleganger 4.
Post by: BlitzDungeoneer on July 09, 2016, 01:33:50 pm
Exploitation 43, Product 21, Meme 12
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 09, 2016, 02:16:15 pm
Edit: There's another quote I like that I can't find, which goes along the lines of 'a pessimist is never surprised when he sees evil. An optimist is hurt with every instance. For this reason, you cannot be a pessimist and expect to change the world; the optimist is given drive by every wrong he witnesses'
Post by: ATHATH on July 09, 2016, 04:38:21 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 10, 2016, 12:31:05 am
How do you do the personality stuff?
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 10, 2016, 01:00:38 am
Post by: H4zardZ1 on July 10, 2016, 05:58:19 am
...
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 12, 2016, 04:15:44 am
QuoteI guess you have not watched The Mist.I only watch cool movies
if cool words give lame powers
then maybe
just maybe
lame words will give cool powers
Flowers (25), Happiness (75), Kindness (50)
If your definition of cool is murder, then probably not. Let's see.
Your power is kind of Pavlov's Bell and drug dealer. When you touch person and ask them to do a favour for you, you add a kind of "promise" on them. If they do the favour and you confirm it is done, the "promise" materializes as a tattoo on somewhere on their body and their brain is flooded with subtle euproria for a day. After using power on same person succesfully twice, the person starts to develope an addiction, meaning they are more willing to do more favours for you. More tattoos are added this way, more they are willing to bend their morals and ignore calls of conscience, eventually begging to do something for you to get their fix. Eventually this turns them into a slave who wants nothing but obey you.
I...I forgot why I originally came here, so might as well.Devastate is not a noun so I ignore it.
Blade 17, Devastate 23, Dive 6, Thermals 46.
Your power is limited technical intuition. You can easily understand everything that uses rockets or employ inertia manipulation for safety. Understanding comes with ability to design and build devices around those two principles, including peripheral devices to limited degree. Bigger rockets, more efficient rockets, alternative rocket fuels, inertial dampening... Designing new things is supernaturally fast process, you could have new Mars rocket designed by end of the day. Building things of course requires materials, but that's the only limiting factor.
More powers!
Firestorm 42, Discussion 19, Resonance 29, Doppleganger 4.
Your power is to grant powers to other people for hours, or rather grant specific power that manifests in many ways. Anytime recipient is about be harmed somehow the power they get will lash out with disproportionate effort to prevent harm being done. For example getting stab might result aggressor getting his arm slashed into small meat cubes, friendly slap on back results bone shattering slam, bullet on face might fill entire city block with holes, getting dumped by lover may cause the opposing party falling into suicidal depression.
Since apparently everyone and their grandmother is doing a second try...
Exploitation 43, Product 21, Meme 12
Well grandmas better jump off because this is the final station.
This power is kinda abstract one. To summarize it, you can do things with parts of whole. When you touch something, you can do one of three things to it.
First thing you can do: You can teleport a part of it to somewhere within 50 meters or so. Like teleporting someone's heart onto nearby table.
Second thing: You can replicate part of it right next to it. For example duplicating a single diamond from someone's wedding ring.
Third thing you can do, and this one is more complex: If part of the thing you touch can be processed into something else alone, then you can skip the process and turn selected part directly into end result of the process. For example living tree can be used to make a chair, so parts of the tree are removed and you'll have your wooden chair next to the tree. Touching a cow you can remove parts of its flesh and get instant steak. Or make a hole into steel ingot and get knife because steel can be processsed into a knife. Using you power this way you can never remove more than half of the source.
You can't use your power on the same thing again until you have forgotten you have used your power on it. Sleeping resets all cooldowns because it makes everything slip from your mind. But as you probably know, harder you try to forget something, harder it sticks into your mind.
Externality 10, Repetition 22, Sacrilege 31, Justification 19
Edit: There's another quote I like that I can't find, which goes along the lines of 'a pessimist is never surprised when he sees evil. An optimist is hurt with every instance. For this reason, you cannot be a pessimist and expect to change the world; the optimist is given drive by every wrong he witnesses'
Is this about your personality? That you are an optimist, paladin type?
If so, it sucks to have this power. Your power is automatic and completely out of your control. It mutates every living being larger than chihuahua into something your power perceives you need, both physically and mentally. It first targets unmutated beings already closest to its ideal, and then least needed mutated one. Your power thinks you need a protection? Closest large thing mutates even larger ugly bullet sponge. You need transport? Something mutates into fast running horse-like ugly monster. You need something offensive? Someone mutates into berserking thing full of blades and bony spikes. Looking for someone to lead army? You get skull faced motherfucker military genius with speciality for demoralizing enemies. You need a lover? God help you, because you are gonna get one.
Void 1.1, Void 1.1, Void 1.1, Void 1.1
That's just one word. I suppose if I wrack my brain enough I could make a power with it alone, but I won't.
Fix 7, Dream 50, Omnibus 30, Answer 42
How do you do the personality stuff?
As in how do I figure out your personality or how it affects the outcome? For the first I just scour your posts and try to identify anything that could give me insight on how you think and operate. For latter, your personality, or perceived personality as is the case here, matters a great deal how words manifest into a power. Two people with same words and numbers won't get same powers, or even similar powers if I'm doing it well enough.
This power is a second sight that constantly threats to overwrite your perception of reality. It's a constant battle of wills to keep seeing the world as any normal human would see it. The second sight displays world in all its ideal states, what it could be if given a chance, if their potential was fully unleashed. That homeless man sleeping by dumpster. His creative mind is his greatest asset, you see him as famous book author, as celebrated painter, as revered teacher who can find ways to brighter future. You also see all the paths that could take him any of those positions. The dumpster he's next to? You see the inspiring art it could be if melted into a statue, you see the funny pictures painted on it brightening bypassers day if certain people were to paint it. And the dirty alley they both are in? It could be spotless art gallery, covered by both sides great murals, you see the orderly stalls of self-employed people selling their products, buzzling with activity.
You see so much that you probably end up walking in front of speeding semitruck and seeing how it could be Optimus Prime.
Contrast 2, Floor 9.
...
Your power is designate a space where those with advantage can fully exploit that advantage to its limits or where underdogs who exactly why they will fail. For example you see someone picking a lock and use your power on the the area lockpicking istaking place. Depending on your viewpoint either the lockpicker will pick the lock in record time and do it as undetectable manner as is theoretically possible, or alternativaly the perpetrator will inevitably fumble and break his tools and probably alert someone in process. Your power basically determines outcome of activities according your perceptions and and subconscious expectations. It makes winners and losers.
And this is all the powers I'm generating here. I figured out what I set out to find; that is what kind of words are best for this process. I don't mind genning more powers if you need them for PC or NPC. Send me a PM and I'll whip up something.
Post by: H4zardZ1 on July 13, 2016, 03:25:44 am
Seeing 'Floor' as 'Base(?)' (winners and losers are contrast, obv), those are erm....Contrast 2, Floor 9.Your power is designate a space where those with advantage can fully exploit that advantage to its limits or where underdogs who exactly why they will fail. For example you see someone picking a lock and use your power on the the area lockpicking is taking place. Depending on your viewpoint either the lockpicker will pick the lock in record time and do it as undetectable manner as is theoretically possible, or alternativaly the perpetrator will inevitably fumble and break his tools and probably alert someone in process. Your power basically determines outcome of activities according your perceptions and and subconscious expectations. It makes winners and losers.
...
The numbers are a good twist through.
Post by: sjm9876 on July 14, 2016, 01:41:44 pm
Got it pretty much fleshed out, just want to see if there'd be much interest beforehand?
Post by: TheBiggerFish on July 14, 2016, 01:49:17 pm
Quick interest check for a game (somewhat in the the tone of VtM) in which the players are fresh turned monsters without actually knowing what kind of monsters they are, and have to try and survive whilst figuring out how to manage their monstrous instincts and abilities. Vast majority of game would be non-combat, with the monstrous instincts taking over for combat in the majority of cases. Would be quite narrative heavy.yesyesyesyesyes.
Got it pretty much fleshed out, just want to see if there'd be much interest beforehand?
Post by: ATHATH on July 14, 2016, 01:50:35 pm
Quick interest check for a game (somewhat in the the tone of VtM) in which the players are fresh turned monsters without actually knowing what kind of monsters they are, and have to try and survive whilst figuring out how to manage their monstrous instincts and abilities. Vast majority of game would be non-combat, with the monstrous instincts taking over for combat in the majority of cases. Would be quite narrative heavy.Interested.
Got it pretty much fleshed out, just want to see if there'd be much interest beforehand?
Post by: GiglameshDespair on July 14, 2016, 02:05:39 pm
Quick interest check for a game (somewhat in the the tone of VtM) in which the players are fresh turned monsters without actually knowing what kind of monsters they are, and have to try and survive whilst figuring out how to manage their monstrous instincts and abilities. Vast majority of game would be non-combat, with the monstrous instincts taking over for combat in the majority of cases. Would be quite narrative heavy.Are they all the same kind of monster?
Got it pretty much fleshed out, just want to see if there'd be much interest beforehand?
Do they have absolutely zero knowledge whatsoever, or will there be reasonable hints "You feel stronger than when you were human", etc?
Post by: kj1225 on July 14, 2016, 02:11:10 pm
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 14, 2016, 02:35:58 pm
Quick interest check for a game (somewhat in the the tone of VtM) in which the players are fresh turned monsters without actually knowing what kind of monsters they are, and have to try and survive whilst figuring out how to manage their monstrous instincts and abilities. Vast majority of game would be non-combat, with the monstrous instincts taking over for combat in the majority of cases. Would be quite narrative heavy.By monsters do you mean truly inhuman beings or something like shapeshifting humans? Anyway, sounds interesting.
Got it pretty much fleshed out, just want to see if there'd be much interest beforehand?
Post by: sjm9876 on July 14, 2016, 03:48:35 pm
Are they all the same kind of monster?Nope, all different most likely. They'll start with no knowledge, but some things will reveal themselves fairly fast - mostly any changes to strength and speed and the like. One of the most likely times to get hints about powers will be when you lose control and start acting on instinct. Because who doesn't love temptation :)
Do they have absolutely zero knowledge whatsoever, or will there be reasonable hints "You feel stronger than when you were human", etc?
By monsters do you mean truly inhuman beings or something like shapeshifting humans? Anyway, sounds interesting.Could be either. The players are effectively the side of the monsters that are still human, though whether that side is really any pleasanter than the monstrous side is up to the player. Ability-wise, they vary substantially - the players do get some say in the matter, in the way of being able to effectively give me a few motifs as inspiration for their abilities, and being able to tell me roughly what kind of character you don't want to play - so if one of the above options specifically doesn't appeal, you can veto it.
Post by: Andres on July 14, 2016, 06:52:24 pm
Quick interest check for a game (somewhat in the the tone of VtM) in which the players are fresh turned monsters without actually knowing what kind of monsters they are, and have to try and survive whilst figuring out how to manage their monstrous instincts and abilities. Vast majority of game would be non-combat, with the monstrous instincts taking over for combat in the majority of cases. Would be quite narrative heavy.Sounds like it'll get boring fast. The initial mystery won't last and it it does, it means it's dragging on. After that, it'll just be a generic noble monster story.
Got it pretty much fleshed out, just want to see if there'd be much interest beforehand?
Any way to make a crusade game work? I don't mean a historic crusade game (there's no way to salvage that), I mean one set in a fantasy world. How do you get a mass army joining in an offensive campaign while keeping them the good guys?
Post by: GiglameshDespair on July 14, 2016, 06:55:39 pm
Against an evil race like orcs, against a land and people corrupted by darkness, against a necromancer lord and his undead hordes.
Post by: Fniff on July 14, 2016, 07:06:21 pm
The only way I could see it not being uncomfortable would be to distance them from the actual crusaders while having the background of a massive crusade. That way you have your cake and eat it.
As for ideas in that direction... Perhaps have them be deserters trying to cross hundreds of miles of desert to return home, or religious pilgrims seeking absolution for their sins while trying to avoid being killed in the crossfire. Think outside the box.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 14, 2016, 09:30:54 pm
Sounds like it'll get boring fast. The initial mystery won't last and it it does, it means it's dragging on. After that, it'll just be a generic noble monster story.I'm not quite this pessimistic, but I agree that it could have pacing/premise issues. Plus the usual issue of people either figuring everything out pretty fast ("Sunlight negatively affects me in some way, I'm a vampire!") or having really incoherent monsters ("Weak to water, frost breath, teleport between shadows, and super endurance. Uhhhh...?")
Any way to make a crusade game work? I don't mean a historic crusade game (there's no way to salvage that), I mean one set in a fantasy world. How do you get a mass army joining in an offensive campaign while keeping them the good guys?Depends on your thresholds for "good guys." A relatively safe assumption is that the bad guys are doing something that directly and severely impacts the good guys; you can try for the usual "they're slavers!" or "they have sex in ways we don't like!" type angles, but you tend to get into weird cost:benefit analyses and sovereignty issues pretty quick. Rotting the soil beneath the good guys' feet or opening the gates to oblivion basically cheats by effectively making the good guys' behavior in self defense/preservation, meaning all that sieging of cities and pillaging of crops and so on is totally something they have no choice but to do.
If you don't want to go quite so blatant, you can also try the long haul for cost:benefit issues, basically taking the "let's liberate them from their evil selves!" approach on a more rationally defensible line. If your kingdom/empire/city state/clan is awesome and wealthy and happy and content and do everything right, while the enemy is really just terrible at everything, not just in a moral sense but in legitimate efficiency issues, you can make a decent argument that murdering the shit out of them and then ruling them with an iron fist is literally better in the long run than just letting them mind their own business. You run into issues almost immediately, of course, but keeping the thing's head above water is really all you can hope for if you're trying to be more realistic than "the world will end if we don't."
Final note: Mind the methods. "An offensive campaign" can mean anything from lightning strikes against forges so the enemy lacks the weapons to hurt you, to a grueling scorched earth extermination campaign wherein being buried alive is one of the nicer fates to be had. What the good guys do when they win, what they're willing to do to win, and what they consider winning to mean can go a long way towards redeeming an iffy cause or damning a good-looking one.
Eesh... Having the good guys be crusaders even in a fantasy context is iffy to begin with. And making the opposite side evil is just chock-a-block with unfortunate implications.Pfff, everything has unfortunate implications. The bigger issue for me is believability/interest; cardboard cutout evil goons tend to be way less interesting than nuanced individuals who happen to consider flaying prisoners to be a legitimate hobby.
The only way I could see it not being uncomfortable would be to distance them from the actual crusaders while having the background of a massive crusade. That way you have your cake and eat it.
As for ideas in that direction... Perhaps have them be deserters trying to cross hundreds of miles of desert to return home, or religious pilgrims seeking absolution for their sins while trying to avoid being killed in the crossfire. Think outside the box.
Post by: Andres on July 14, 2016, 10:53:04 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 15, 2016, 12:07:14 am
Post by: ATHATH on July 15, 2016, 12:40:19 am
More in interesting way to do it is probably to make it so they aren't necessarily the good guy, they're just the less bad guys, or the guys who've hired you, or your home country or so on.+1
Have you considered just creating two fantasy religions and having one of them go on a crusade for the standard reasons?
Post by: Culise on July 15, 2016, 12:58:30 am
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 15, 2016, 03:47:38 am
Actually I think latter type would be more interesting since you are not some stereotypical monster that can be instantly figured out, but something new entirely. A mismatch of strengths and weaknesses, especially if things are not what they initially look like. Like sunlight actually has negative effects because you haven't farted in sun's direction or something. Basically weaknesses and/or strengths are merely symptoms of some deeper problem.Sounds like it'll get boring fast. The initial mystery won't last and it it does, it means it's dragging on. After that, it'll just be a generic noble monster story.I'm not quite this pessimistic, but I agree that it could have pacing/premise issues. Plus the usual issue of people either figuring everything out pretty fast ("Sunlight negatively affects me in some way, I'm a vampire!") or having really incoherent monsters ("Weak to water, frost breath, teleport between shadows, and super endurance. Uhhhh...?")
Post by: sjm9876 on July 15, 2016, 06:44:09 am
The plan is to head somewhere in between. Things should be relatively coherent, though not already existent (though coherent prevents already existent in many cases :P ).Sounds like it'll get boring fast. The initial mystery won't last and it it does, it means it's dragging on. After that, it'll just be a generic noble monster story.I'm not quite this pessimistic, but I agree that it could have pacing/premise issues. Plus the usual issue of people either figuring everything out pretty fast ("Sunlight negatively affects me in some way, I'm a vampire!") or having really incoherent monsters ("Weak to water, frost breath, teleport between shadows, and super endurance. Uhhhh...?")
As for maintaining interest, the players aren't exactly being dropped in a testing room to figure out their abilities. Hopefully, there should be enough else happening elsewhere to keep interest. Still, only really one way to find out :P
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 15, 2016, 08:29:29 am
So... what's the setting? Because if Google exists...
"Okay Google: weak to water, frost breath, teleportation between shadows, and super endurance."
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 18, 2016, 06:07:35 pm
The setting:
It is close to the year 3000. Humanity has not left the solar system, but we have colonized six bodies off-Earth, each with its own flavor of unobtanium to facilitate space trade.
Spoiler: Major Colonies (click to show/hide)
However, tension has been increasing the past century due to a large-scale extrasolar mining project started nine centuries ago. Robotic miners were sent to the star Beta Pictoris to build up factories and create antimatter refineries out of the star's debris disk. Now the first shipment is set to arrive in fifty years, and both the Colonials and the Terrans have built up navies to compete for dominance of the solar system in preparation. Large-scale warfare has never happened before in the solar system, so space combat doctrine is yet to be tried and tested.
Spoiler: Idea one: War Profiteering in Space (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea two: Doctors without Orbits (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea three: Arms Race, Interplanetary Edition (click to show/hide)
I could also host a more traditional RtD in the setting, but I've learned to dislike games where everyone's forced to share the same ship. If anyone has any suggestions on how to handle that while retaining some sense of player cooperation, I'd appreciate it.
Post by: Andres on July 18, 2016, 10:27:28 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 18, 2016, 11:41:47 pm
Besides which, generic doesn't mean bad.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 18, 2016, 11:54:08 pm
Post by: Rolepgeek on July 19, 2016, 12:12:06 am
Post by: Parsely on July 19, 2016, 12:14:51 am
If you're making a space game, you have to heavily stylise it like 40k did or it'll probably end up being generic.You're joking right?
Post by: Andres on July 19, 2016, 01:50:58 am
I haven't been able to distinguish the various space games that've popped up on this board. The only generic sci-fi I can recognise at a glance are in video games and movies, not in forum games.If you're making a space game, you have to heavily stylise it like 40k did or it'll probably end up being generic.You're joking right?
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 19, 2016, 02:21:58 am
Post by: Kadzar on July 19, 2016, 04:05:50 pm
I really like this idea, even outside the setting, because it encourages players to try to solve problems non-violently, and it gives players a goal other than trying to get as much money as possible (though I think money should still be a factor, with things like supplies, buying new equipment, payroll, having to bribe officials, etc.). They probably shouldn't have to fund the whole operation themselves, but, out in the field, it doesn't matter how much money your organization has if you don't have cash on hand. Or sometimes you might have an expense that headquarters wouldn't be willing to authorize, or you just don't have the cash, so you need to find something besides money to exchange for goods or services.Spoiler: Idea two: Doctors without Orbits (click to show/hide)
Also, I figure it's your intention, but the game should solely focus on the ship itself, specifically its crew, the people who care enough about saving lives that they're willing to risk their own entering a battlefield to help people. Even if the crew is especially large, you should have a few characters use as viewpoint characters. But also take advantage of the fact that it's a suggestion game, and that if you kidnap or even kill a character, you're not putting anyone out of the game. The players are putting are putting them at risk when they try risky things, and, if you lose them, it's going to be hard to find a replacement with their skills, especially while on a mission. See what happens when your best surgeon gets captured in the field or your chief engineer gets killed by pirates.
And, perhaps if a character loses contact with the main group, the players shouldn't be able to see what they see or dictate their actions; they either do nothing or follow their last orders, or whatever the gm deems appropriate. Contact would mean having their personal comm radio on them, or just being on the ship, but, if for some reason you needed them be incognito or whatever, you could have them not using their comm, in which case they'd stop being directly controllable, and you'd have to send and receive any new communication or orders by other means. I don't know, it's just an idea to prevent metagaming.
But back to my mention of kidnapping: this game should probably involve less killing of player characters than most games, or at least intent to kill them on the part of NPCs. In some ways because this it's more realistic this way (most real life thieves would be a lot more willing to negotiate than most D&D bandits), and also because, as people with an aversion to killing, it will be a little harder for the characters to do things if every enemy they meet is always out for blood. This doesn't mean they'll necessarily be friendly, and since player combat won't be a focus, combat could be much more lethal and injuries more debilitating than usual, making surrender and parley much more agreeable options to players. And enemies should generally be willing to accept their surrender, because captured prisoners can be held for ransom, information, prisoner exchange, or to perform some service for the enemy, and also because most people are adverse to killing a helpless opponent.
Looking back at the post, you specifically call out space battles, and I suppose it wouldn't work so well with the setting you have, but at first I was imagining them operating on planets: having to land on the planet (harder on some more hostile worlds; some trickery may be needed), negotiate their way to the battlefield, set up a field hospital, and in some cases successfully extract patients back their ship for proper treatment (or even getting ship and patient away from the planet to a more advanced treatment facility). This might require a more advanced setting with FTL and human-habitable planets and a planetary defense system that prevents ships from just landing right on the battlefield. I don't know. But what I really liked about the whole doctors idea was that it encourages players to be clever and tactful and not try to solve their problems by going in all guns blazing.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 19, 2016, 04:17:10 pm
I also like it because I know sooner or later someone is going to treat it as an actioney combat game and ruin everything by fighting someone you really shouldn't.
Post by: maidiance on July 19, 2016, 06:59:12 pm
Post by: ATHATH on July 24, 2016, 02:43:28 am
What if we took the top three or so best/most well known forumites from a bunch of different forums and put them in a forum game together with a legendary GM?
I have no plans to actually do that; I'm just putting the idea out there.
Post by: Andres on July 24, 2016, 03:14:42 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 24, 2016, 05:49:28 am
Yeah, uh, good luck with that.
Post by: origamiscienceguy on July 24, 2016, 08:48:35 pm
So, basically, you'd have to figure out who are the top players and how the hell do you judge that, do the same for the GM, somehow convince them to use their time on this game, make a game all of them actually want to play, get them to migrate to the same place from their forums of choice...Hey, Mafia Championship did that!
Yeah, uh, good luck with that.
Post by: Kadzar on July 24, 2016, 09:28:23 pm
Post by: ATHATH on July 24, 2016, 09:40:13 pm
But Mafia is a game with explicit rules about how someone wins or loses a game. You can't "win" a roleplaying game.Well, it would be less about being good at winning and more about being well-known among the community and/or funny to watch play.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on July 27, 2016, 01:00:49 am
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on August 01, 2016, 03:58:24 am
I was trying to think of what a 'realistic' spacecraft would look like while still retaining a sort of space opera feel would look like, and I got... pancakes. It's got a multi-purpose lander with an internal centrifuge, meant to be able to land on Mars, Ceres, or any moon and pick up a sizeable amount of patients or cargo while still acting as a home base in space. The habitat section is for critical patients, cargo, and basically offloading anything not needed in the hangar. It's much lighter because it doesn't need structure for atmospheric entry, fuel tanks, engines, landing gear, etc, and its power supply comes from the engine block.
On that note... how do people feel about a game that only takes place in the solar system? Other planets and such are pretty much a staple of sci-fi, but in the end all the action happens around planets and stations anyway, so changing a name from "Ares" to "Mars" doesn't seem like a big deal.
EDIT: Was impossible to read in darkling.
Post by: IronyOwl on August 01, 2016, 05:26:20 am
But Mafia is a game with explicit rules about how someone wins or loses a game. You can't "win" a roleplaying game.More importantly, it has a very small, insular community. I haven't been part of it in years and could still probably name half the most noteworthy players. Here? We've got a swarm of postmongering magical girl academy players, a host of wacky RTD players, several cabals of SG players of all stripes, the more serious game gaggles... even if you could figure out who's Best Known or whatever, the answer probably changes radically depending on your criteria and areas of interest.
I feel like the gimmicks required to make this more interesting to watch than a normal game would make it not worth the effort. You'd probably have to make their home forum a race/class style thing to give "Bob from Bay12" more meaning than "Bob from here, I guess, since he's playing."But Mafia is a game with explicit rules about how someone wins or loses a game. You can't "win" a roleplaying game.Well, it would be less about being good at winning and more about being well-known among the community and/or funny to watch play.
Which, of course, opens up the next hurdle: Figuring out what each forum is good/known for. As mentioned above, Mafia has clear rules, and can thus be enjoyed almost like a sport. You could do something similar and gain enjoyment from "ha, Forum A kicked Forum B's ass!", but otherwise you kind of need ForumAs to be different from ForumBs in a clear, consistent manner, or the whole thing just runs together.
I'm looking for some generic fantasy poetry/music that's of decent quality. Anyone know of any?Lindsey Sterling does a lot of fast-paced violins? I got nothing if you're after lyrics.
On that note... how do people feel about a game that only takes place in the solar system? Other planets and such are pretty much a staple of sci-fi, but in the end all the action happens around planets and stations anyway, so changing a name from "Ares" to "Mars" doesn't seem like a big deal.I like space pancakes.
Uh, but anyway, I'm not a huge fan of solar system only because it feels a little limited. Sure, it's big, but it's still finite and relatively close. Opening up the rest of the galaxy, even if in a very hazardous, limited way, gives you literally infinite potential.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on August 01, 2016, 06:21:41 am
(http://i.imgur.com/7Br4QnF.png)Reminds me of the early xcom UFOs.
I was trying to think of what a 'realistic' spacecraft would look like while still retaining a sort of space opera feel would look like, and I got... pancakes. It's got a multi-purpose lander with an internal centrifuge, meant to be able to land on Mars, Ceres, or any moon and pick up a sizeable amount of patients or cargo while still acting as a home base in space. The habitat section is for critical patients, cargo, and basically offloading anything not needed in the hangar. It's much lighter because it doesn't need structure for atmospheric entry, fuel tanks, engines, landing gear, etc, and its power supply comes from the engine block.
On that note... how do people feel about a game that only takes place in the solar system? Other planets and such are pretty much a staple of sci-fi, but in the end all the action happens around planets and stations anyway, so changing a name from "Ares" to "Mars" doesn't seem like a big deal.
EDIT: Was impossible to read in darkling.
Post by: Parsely on August 01, 2016, 11:04:52 am
-snip-Did you pixel that?
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on August 01, 2016, 02:00:12 pm
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on August 01, 2016, 02:10:46 pm
I like space pancakes.
Uh, but anyway, I'm not a huge fan of solar system only because it feels a little limited. Sure, it's big, but it's still finite and relatively close. Opening up the rest of the galaxy, even if in a very hazardous, limited way, gives you literally infinite potential.
I do too, it makes for easy floorplans.
Well, the basic premise of the plot is some sort of interstellar meddlling, which has the potential to turn interstellar, but you're right. The sheer fact that I'm asking is probably a sign that it's a little limiting.
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 01, 2016, 02:49:32 pm
The premise behind the game is that when you fight, and particularly when you destroy or rout an enemy unit, you get Glory (as Dwarves) or Spoils (as Goblins). Each unit carries it's own share of Glory, but they're only useful once you return to base, whether that be a Dwarven Hold, or a Goblin Lair. Upon a unit's triumphant return, they can spend that Glory to recover strength, recruit warriors, gain equipment, and otherwise be upgraded. Each point of Glory spent also adds to Prestige (if Dwarven) or Loot (if Goblin), which is required for victory. Leftover Glory from a unit's purchases(even if none were made) is automatically used to purchase additional Prestige.
There are multiple players on each team (maybe up to five?), each assuming the role of either a Dwarven Clan Leader or a Goblin Chieftain, and you win by being the player with the highest Prestige on your team at the end of the game. Because of this team system, another factor comes in: You are able to attack your teammate's units. If you successfully destroy them, with the attack automatically counting as an ambush, you get half of the Glory or Spoils that they were carrying, though you do not gain any from the attack itself, and their controller is informed only that they were ambushed and fell to a man. If you fail, then if they manage to return to a Hold/Lair, the attacking player loses Prestige equal to half of the Glory/Spoils the returning unit was carrying, plus a bit. (Goblins may be backstabbing thieves, but they like to think they can be united against the loathsome Dwarves)
Dwarves are tougher and stronger than Goblins in a straight fight, with better equipment and training, but Goblins are more faster, more numerous, and are able to hide in crevices and climb surfaces that Dwarves can't. Goblins have also tamed many more of the beasts of the caverns than Dwarves have, though the Dwarves' advanced machinery and superior engineering helps make up for this. Goblins also get bonuses to ambushing, while Dwarven formations dominate straightforward fights. Successful leaders may also enlist the aid of more magical allies...
If Kobolds are involved, then instead of Glory they earn Treasure, and instead of Prestige they earn Favor with the Dragons whom they worship. Though not as nimble as the Goblins nor as mighty as the Dwarves, Kobolds are cunning, and are very good at laying traps, and may even be able to call upon the aid of their gods in securing their Nests.
If Kobolds are not involved, then there will be Dragon Hoard on the map defended by a roaming dragon. Defeating one and taking it's treasure not only grants a large amount of Glory and immediate Prestige, it also enables the founding of an additional Hold or Lair, which is another matter I'll get into if interest is shown.
Anyone like the idea? I like it primarily because of the way I can manipulate incentives with only a two-step currency, one of which is per unit and the other of which is per player.
Post by: heydude6 on August 01, 2016, 03:44:07 pm
Another problem you need to worry about is something that's part of the nature of forum games in general. Mechanics focused games don't usually last that long here. There are a few exceptions (mafia being one of them), but most of the time they fail. Sadly though, I'm not an expert so I don't know exactly why this happens. Maybe one of the more experienced GMs can add something?
Post by: Harry Baldman on August 01, 2016, 03:48:27 pm
Another problem you need to worry about is something that's part of the nature of forum games in general. Mechanics focused games don't usually last that long here. There are a few exceptions (mafia being one of them), but most of the time they fail. Sadly though, I'm not an expert so I don't know exactly why this happens. Maybe one of the more experienced GMs can add something?
1. The players can't be arsed to invest themselves into making decisions when the rules are dense.
2. The GM really can't be arsed to keep making turns with a complex system they cobbled together and didn't actually playtest for legitimate usability.
Post by: IronyOwl on August 01, 2016, 06:00:39 pm
3. They're a bit of a waste for the medium. The ability to be flexible and just sort of do whatever is one of the great strengths of playing by post, both for players and GMs, and using an overly mechanical system tends to limit that quite a bit. You might notice FEF, one of the noteworthy examples of such, tends to be feature pretty heavy roleplaying, quite possibly to offset the "move to A6, attack" nature of the game otherwise.Another problem you need to worry about is something that's part of the nature of forum games in general. Mechanics focused games don't usually last that long here. There are a few exceptions (mafia being one of them), but most of the time they fail. Sadly though, I'm not an expert so I don't know exactly why this happens. Maybe one of the more experienced GMs can add something?
1. The players can't be arsed to invest themselves into making decisions when the rules are dense.
2. The GM really can't be arsed to keep making turns with a complex system they cobbled together and didn't actually playtest for legitimate usability.
Post by: ATHATH on August 01, 2016, 10:30:09 pm
Definitely interesting. Making a mechanically complex game like this does come with a few worries though. The first one I want to bring up is balance, it'll be a bit of a challenge fine-tuning the numbers to make the game perfectly balanced. Last thing you want is for either of the factions to be overpowered. Unstable Equilibrium (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnstableEquilibrium) is also something you need to worry about.Why did you link to the forbidden site?! Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...
Another problem you need to worry about is something that's part of the nature of forum games in general. Mechanics focused games don't usually last that long here. There are a few exceptions (mafia being one of them), but most of the time they fail. Sadly though, I'm not an expert so I don't know exactly why this happens. Maybe one of the more experienced GMs can add something?
Post by: Person on August 02, 2016, 02:39:51 pm
A couple questions ruleset wise:
1: Would you prefer a format where players post all their proposals at once, and have them processed simultaneously(ideally at a fixed rate)? Alternatively, would you rather player's be able to propose at any time, but have those proposals have a defined end point(A time limit of sorts) by which the votes must be tallied.
The second system might have a little more work in keeping track of proposals(and votes on such), but I definitely feel like it has merits, especially in that it removes many of the annoying facets of a turn based system. Both systems would have a limit to the number of pending proposals a player can have of course, but I feel like inactive players would also bog down the game less that way.
2: How large a majority should be game require for proposals to be enacted. More than half? Two thirds? Three Forths? Unanimous?(This is probably a terrible idea don't pick this one)
Can't think of any more yet, but they might come up.
Post by: Elephant Parade on August 02, 2016, 02:45:51 pm
Quote
Would you prefer a format where players post all their proposals at once, and have them processed simultaneously(ideally at a fixed rate)?I feel like timezones would be an issue if you did this, though I'm not entirely clear on how it would work.
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Alternatively, would you rather player's be able to propose at any time, but have those proposals have a defined end point(A time limit of sorts) by which the votes must be tallied.The turn-based system seemed to work pretty well.
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How large a majority should be game require for proposals to be enacted. More than half? Two thirds? Three Forths? Unanimous?I'd say half/"positive" (if the support/oppose thing still exists) by default, with the option to make specific rules require a two-thirds/three-quarters/whatever-whatever majority to amend or repeal.
Post by: Person on August 02, 2016, 03:17:34 pm
The new system I have in mind is that when someone makes a proposal, it becomes Active for 48 or maybe 72 hours so people can vote on it, and either at the end of that time the votes get tallied, or if there's enough votes that it can be passed or failed it does so immediately without the timeline. After that it becomes Inactive. The main issue with this is that it might get somewhat difficult to keep track of proposals, but someone could elect to compile that stuff now and then if they wanted. Mafia style vote progress posts, you know? We could even reward them in game for doing so.
Anyway suffice to say that those aren't the only issues, but I can't really describe any other major things of the top of my head.
Post by: Rolepgeek on August 02, 2016, 03:26:49 pm
Definitely interesting. Making a mechanically complex game like this does come with a few worries though. The first one I want to bring up is balance, it'll be a bit of a challenge fine-tuning the numbers to make the game perfectly balanced. Last thing you want is for either of the factions to be overpowered. Unstable Equilibrium (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnstableEquilibrium) is also something you need to worry about.
Another problem you need to worry about is something that's part of the nature of forum games in general. Mechanics focused games don't usually last that long here. There are a few exceptions (mafia being one of them), but most of the time they fail. Sadly though, I'm not an expert so I don't know exactly why this happens. Maybe one of the more experienced GMs can add something?
The mechanics focus is probably what would keep it from happening, since I would very much like something similar to Vanigo's Empire Game script to keep track of everything, but I don't actually know how to code.
The Unstable Equilibrium, I'm less certain about either way. Part of my hope was that as one team got pushed back/closer to being defeated, they would cooperate more, while their opponents began to turn on each other. There's only one winner, really, after all. Of course, biggest problem I can see is that someone with more glory/better units than you can still ambush you to take even more. Which might mean that you take a hit to prestige if you have a unit with more upgrades/glory attack a friendly unit with fewer/less, and the unit itself might take some sort of morale damage (a decorated dwarven battalion will obey the order to kill their fellows, but they're not going to feel good about it, and a veteran goblin tribe will see it as beneath them; let someone else bully the runts. They have beards to collect.).
I also think that upgrades would get more expensive in terms of glory the more upgraded they are, or maybe new units earn more from winning a given encounter (recruits holding back a horde is more impressive than the King's Guard doing so, because it's less likely), though they're still more likely to fail in the first place. Routed units get restored automatically to some degree, destroyed units easy to replace (though with fresh meat, of course), doing poorly means the people come together to support you so you get more stuff? Another possibility is that Glory can only be used to do either upgrades or Prestige, but that seems more likely to make the problem worse.
Balance might be hard to get right, but I think if I did it I'd try to do a test-run or something for the first attempt to check on that.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on August 03, 2016, 05:26:54 am
It gives excellent opportunity to have mix of people from all ages. While one might not get to play the father of murder or other famous people, there's still very large pool of possibilities. The game probably involves about killing lots of demons, angels, crusaders and other Faithful from Heaven, but that's probably fine.
Post by: The Adversary on August 03, 2016, 03:34:01 pm
So I've got an idea for a strategy game. It's focused on underground tunnels, and fighting between Dwarves and Goblins. Maybe Kobolds, too.
Out of curiosity, would your maps look something like this?
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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXAh... ta ta ta. A late mod that few will see, but great improvements in cavern generation.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
GDFSS Works well for teams that know where they're going, but I still need to implement A* for teams designated to 'explore'.
Post by: ATHATH on August 04, 2016, 10:43:40 pm
Someone should make a game in setting of The Undamned. (https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/2xuqd4/the_undamned/) It's basically about souls of dead humans conquering the literal Hell from demons. Because when large portion of humans through all times enter into Hell, eventually few start slipping past cracks and get some non-torture time for themselves. Couple that with basically all free-minded individuals, scientists, other great minds and murderers you'll soon have rebellion in Hell. And once soul enters Hell, it can't leave or die in any permanent manner. Because eternal damnation is damn eternal.I'd join that.
It gives excellent opportunity to have mix of people from all ages. While one might not get to play the father of murder or other famous people, there's still very large pool of possibilities. The game probably involves about killing lots of demons, angels, crusaders and other Faithful from Heaven, but that's probably fine.
Post by: High tyrol on August 05, 2016, 08:31:42 am
Someone should make a game in setting of The Undamned. (https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/2xuqd4/the_undamned/) It's basically about souls of dead humans conquering the literal Hell from demons. Because when large portion of humans through all times enter into Hell, eventually few start slipping past cracks and get some non-torture time for themselves. Couple that with basically all free-minded individuals, scientists, other great minds and murderers you'll soon have rebellion in Hell. And once soul enters Hell, it can't leave or die in any permanent manner. Because eternal damnation is damn eternal.should be fun to read at least would play if i had the time
It gives excellent opportunity to have mix of people from all ages. While one might not get to play the father of murder or other famous people, there's still very large pool of possibilities. The game probably involves about killing lots of demons, angels, crusaders and other Faithful from Heaven, but that's probably fine.
Post by: kilakan on August 13, 2016, 01:52:55 pm
Post by: Whisperling on September 04, 2016, 01:39:02 am
The general idea would be that the players are entities who were around for (and possibly had a hand in) the world's creation, and that they sort of became permanent fixtures in the new world as it grew. Not as immortals, exactly- instead of eternal life, they get a cycle where their dead bodies come back to life every hundred years or so.
A single cycle would be people waking up in their coffin/resting place/etc, using their unique brand of magic to influence stuff in that time, and finally dying due to a lethal world or using up all their power. Then I'd figure out what happens to the world in the next century, and the process repeats itself until plot happens and there's a fitting conclusion.
Post by: heydude6 on September 04, 2016, 04:35:31 am
That's my two cents at least.
Post by: Parsely on September 04, 2016, 10:55:33 am
You ought to read Space Doctor.-snip-
Post by: Whisperling on September 04, 2016, 01:12:40 pm
I like that idea, it sounds interesting. I think it would be a good idea to focus heavily on world-building for a premise like that though. Since the game seems to be more centred around helping the world rather than helping ourselves, it needs to be something we can get emotionally invested in.
That's my two cents at least.
Yeah, this is definitely something where I would put a lot of effort into the making of the world. Not that carrying stuff between cycles is impossible, but the idea is to focus on the development of the setting as well as that of the characters, which would be pretty dull if it wasn't something people could connect with.
Anyway, glad you find it intriguing.
Post by: Felissan on September 07, 2016, 12:11:59 pm
Every 1 or 2 days, a random stat is chosen, and the player with the "best" score in that stat (generally the highest one, unless it's a "bad" stat) gets their stats reset back to their initial state, but they also get to add a new mechanic to the rule.
There would also probably be a small set of game mechanics from the start that would probably be suggested / voted for by the players.
Any thoughts?
Post by: Elephant Parade on September 07, 2016, 02:00:58 pm
Post by: Felissan on September 07, 2016, 03:04:11 pm
Post by: Andres on September 11, 2016, 03:00:46 am
Post by: Whisperling on September 11, 2016, 03:10:50 am
I need witch elements. So far I have fire, frost, death, dark, nature, and psymental.
Earth, some unnatural/otherworldly sort of thing, maybe having to do with summoning, spirit, water, lightning, metal, light?
You might want to consider splitting up nature a bit, it can be interpreted much more broadly than some of the others at present. Maybe something like weather (which could come with lightning and water and such) and life, which could also conceivably include herblore.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on September 11, 2016, 04:12:30 am
I need witch elements. So far I have fire, frost, death, dark, nature, and psymental.
Pain, if it doesn't conflict too much with Death.
If you split up Nature you could have the celestial bodies be an element (Astrology perhaps?)
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on September 11, 2016, 04:30:23 am
I need witch elements. So far I have fire, frost, death, dark, nature, and psymental.Blood, Swamp, Growth, Rot/Pestilence, Rage, Despair, Water, Earth, Mud, Illusions, Misfortune, Beasts, or Hair (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/witch/hexes---3rd-party-publishers/hexes/common-hexes/hex-prehensile-hair-su).
Post by: Andres on September 11, 2016, 05:18:41 am
Post by: Parsely on September 21, 2016, 01:18:01 am
The main paradigm is simplicity. No tables, no measuring tools (sorry Gorkamorka), and no board of hexes or tiles. The only requirements to play are pen and paper, a handful of d6, and counters that represent cars.
I stole the initiative system from Crossfire. Basically you can move and act with your units as much as you want, and your turn only ends when you fail an action (or your enemy hits you with reaction fire).
Speaking of moving, all cars have to face the same direction, as if you were on a road. Cars can only move orthogonally. For the most part any car can target any other car on the map as long as there isn't another car in the way. Some weapons have restrictions ("broadside" weapons, stuff you drop off the back of the car, a flamethrower you can only use when your cars are touching, etc.).
Cars have bits (tires, engine, crew) that can withstand a number of hits, and when the bits take a certain number of hits this has an effect (borrowed that from Ogre). Sometimes there are multiple tiers of effects. For example, if a car takes X amount of damage to its tires, then it needs to roll higher in order to accelerate.
Stuff to do:
- Come up with some kind of buying system for building 'armies'.
- Make choosing cars and crew nuanced enough to make repeat play interesting.
- Figure out how to make targeting different locations on a vehicle an important choice.
- Work out how to depict people jumping from one car to another and fighting hand to hand.
I've been thinking about hazardous terrain on the road that could make things interesting, that appears as the game goes on. Maybe players take turns placing obstacles that you roll for?
Post by: ATHATH on September 21, 2016, 08:45:40 am
Post by: heydude6 on September 21, 2016, 09:01:26 am
Post by: Parsely on September 21, 2016, 11:04:46 am
You might want to look at a game called convoy. It's basically that premise minus locational targeting and vehicle boarding. I should warn you though that it is a flawed game and I recommend you to look at it as more of a what not to do rather than what to do. You might get some good ideas from it regardless though as well as being aware of potential pitfalls.I'm aware of it. Really it's just FTL.
Post by: Funk on September 21, 2016, 01:40:53 pm
Post by: Draignean on September 28, 2016, 03:20:37 pm
Spoiler: Small Mercies (click to show/hide)
It's an old idea that I wanted to run, but spent far too much time weaving needlessly complicated systems that I would have had to write a program of considerable length and detail to keep track of with any accuracy. Time has mellowed my opinions on mechanics, and so I'd rather emphasize descriptive stats than deal with the trauma of creating PDAs for everyone and everything.
So, interest?
Post by: Haspen on September 28, 2016, 04:00:12 pm
Don't worry, nobody is perfect and everyone gathers and works through some dust from time to time :P
/offtopic
Post by: lawastooshort on September 28, 2016, 04:27:39 pm
Post by: FallacyofUrist on September 28, 2016, 06:10:39 pm
Speaking of which: weren't we working on a thing some time ago... Bio-Spikes?
Post by: Draignean on September 28, 2016, 06:14:22 pm
Post by: FallacyofUrist on September 28, 2016, 06:22:07 pm
Since I didn't end up making it, we can get back to work, if you like.
I even have a thread I made specifically for testing game systems.
Post by: Draignean on September 28, 2016, 07:03:33 pm
Post by: heydude6 on September 28, 2016, 09:21:12 pm
Spoiler: Small Mercies (click to show/hide)
Well, let me just say that this here was beautifully written. Draignean, I don't know how you do it but you have a gift! How good were you at writing essays?
Also, I'd be interested joining this.
Post by: Draignean on September 28, 2016, 10:04:31 pm
Well, let me just say that this here was beautifully written. Draignean, I don't know how you do it but you have a gift! How good were you at writing essays?
Also, I'd be interested joining this.
I was bloody amazing. I was also a terrible student, so I typically waited until the last minute to actually start writing, but I was very good.
As to the game, I'll extend the background until I'm happy with it, decide exactly how rules lite I'm going to go, and work out a beginning.
Post by: Tiruin on September 29, 2016, 03:43:38 am
So, I'm a little bit dusty, and I feel like I've become a bit of an unreliable GM due to my ever increasing number of unfinished projects.I have had one project and it died because I am an anxious wreck ._.
But I am deeply inspired by the kind folk of this community and their writing prowess. Nice to see you again Draig :3
I'm also seriously interested in joining. There's the familiarity with your writing there that has the ease of reading and imagination. c:
Post by: Pencil_Art on September 29, 2016, 03:54:09 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on September 29, 2016, 07:15:14 am
Oh, and:
I got my degree, before I got engaged
Congrats!
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 09:58:22 am
Good to see you back, Draignean. Interested; how mechanics-lite are we talking here? Can you give some examples?
Oh, and:I got my degree, before I got engaged
Congrats!
Thanks DH, and I'm honestly not sure at this point. I know I'm not writing up and balancing details stats on every gun/armor/utility item in existence. I'm probably going to eschew HP/MP/AP/FP in favor favor of descriptive statistics (wounds/fatigue, etc). Ideally, the only thing that a character has to determine how things are going to go is their character, their tools, and the choices they've made. A die roll of course comes in to determine how well or badly things go.
I'd like to have characters that, with a bit of play, I know well enough that a stat-block is unnecessary to tell me what they can and can not do. For example, this is one character from the example crew,
Spoiler: Ceradi (click to show/hide)
From this, I have a feel for the character, and the stories they fit into. I don't expect this character to do particularly well in a gun fight, but, in the water, I can easily see them crushing another foe when needed, though without much martial finesse. I can see them working well as a liaison in gutter markets and shady dealerships, but he'd probably need a lot more restraint and luck to go through a high-society auction without mortally offending three trade barons.
Even within the context of being a navigator, his self-taught nature means that he's less familiar with standard maneuvers and tactics, but highly adaptable.
In die form, he'd succeed at normal navigator duties on any roll, numbers just determining how well. He'd probably have a good 85% chance to get a fair deal in his markets, with a 5% chance to botch and 10% chance to come out strongly ahead, while in a high auction there's an 85% chance for him to botch and 15% chance for things to go sort of alright-maybe-with-issues.
That what you were looking for?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on September 29, 2016, 10:56:38 am
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 12:35:50 pm
I'm going to need to successfully reserve the post (or two) after mine. I'm not sure I've ever done that successfully...
Post by: Harry Baldman on September 29, 2016, 01:15:24 pm
So, I'm a little bit dusty, and I feel like I've become a bit of an unreliable GM due to my ever increasing number of unfinished projects. Still, now that I have my degree and my life has cooled down a bit, I find myself feeling the same old itch to run a game. Maybe I can make it work, maybe I can't, but before I really began grinding my gears on it I wanted to see if there was any interested in a small group based, mechanics lite, Fairly soft Sci-Fi, Space Opera RPG?
Seems like a nice enough idea. I remember the concept, too. I do like the alien-heavy thing about it.
Thanks DH, and I'm honestly not sure at this point. I know I'm not writing up and balancing details stats on every gun/armor/utility item in existence. I'm probably going to eschew HP/MP/AP/FP in favor favor of descriptive statistics (wounds/fatigue, etc). Ideally, the only thing that a character has to determine how things are going to go is their character, their tools, and the choices they've made. A die roll of course comes in to determine how well or badly things go.
I'd like to have characters that, with a bit of play, I know well enough that a stat-block is unnecessary to tell me what they can and can not do. For example, this is one character from the example crew,
I tried to do descriptive statistics in Life Begins At Death, it did not work. At all. I'd advise doing something simplified, but exact. Loose and ill-specified stuff just leads into mechanical grasping.
It'll be good to have you on board. I've already hit the 40K character limit while I'm still testing the OP in PMs to myself (I've probably sent myself more messages than everyone else combined) so I'm feeling pretty nostalgic at the moment.
I'm going to need to successfully reserve the post (or two) after mine. I'm not sure I've ever done that successfully...
Oh dear, a 40k character OP for a rules-lite space opera? Might want to cut that down. Like, a lot.
I have had one project and it died because I am an anxious wreck ._.
Run a minimalist game! It can be really fun, and you can let loose your most elegant writing that way.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on September 29, 2016, 01:50:58 pm
I am very interested in that game.
Oh. Uhh.
Hm. I suck at actually writing backstory. That notable quotes thing sounds like something I could get behind though.
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 02:04:15 pm
So, I'm a little bit dusty, and I feel like I've become a bit of an unreliable GM due to my ever increasing number of unfinished projects. Still, now that I have my degree and my life has cooled down a bit, I find myself feeling the same old itch to run a game. Maybe I can make it work, maybe I can't, but before I really began grinding my gears on it I wanted to see if there was any interested in a small group based, mechanics lite, Fairly soft Sci-Fi, Space Opera RPG?
Seems like a nice enough idea. I remember the concept, too. I do like the alien-heavy thing about it.
I think we're remembering different things, since this one isn't alien heavy. I mean, there are five races, and none of them are aliens. People would be vastly surprised by the appearance of sapient aliens. Or they'd think it was a hoax. Or that they were bio-engineered colonists that someone lost a couple centuries ago.
Thanks DH, and I'm honestly not sure at this point. I know I'm not writing up and balancing details stats on every gun/armor/utility item in existence. I'm probably going to eschew HP/MP/AP/FP in favor favor of descriptive statistics (wounds/fatigue, etc). Ideally, the only thing that a character has to determine how things are going to go is their character, their tools, and the choices they've made. A die roll of course comes in to determine how well or badly things go.
I'd like to have characters that, with a bit of play, I know well enough that a stat-block is unnecessary to tell me what they can and can not do. For example, this is one character from the example crew,
I tried to do descriptive statistics in Life Begins At Death, it did not work. At all. I'd advise doing something simplified, but exact. Loose and ill-specified stuff just leads into mechanical grasping.
I'll look into it, the problem is in simplification w/o loss of precision. If I do use stats, then how many? How to differentiate different types of skill? The question always leads me down a dark path of numbers and the endless unfolding of new complexities.
It'll be good to have you on board. I've already hit the 40K character limit while I'm still testing the OP in PMs to myself (I've probably sent myself more messages than everyone else combined) so I'm feeling pretty nostalgic at the moment.
I'm going to need to successfully reserve the post (or two) after mine. I'm not sure I've ever done that successfully...
Oh dear, a 40k character OP for a rules-lite space opera? Might want to cut that down. Like, a lot.
4k for the intro, 22K For the Races, 19K (ish) in background for the 'verse, 7k for describing the small part of the augmentations relevant to character creation, 17k for the example crew...
I should probably stop writing soon, shouldn't I?
EDIT:
@Draignean:GIB CHARSHEET PLOXX
I am very interested in that game.
Oh. Uhh.
Hm. I suck at actually writing backstory. That notable quotes thing sounds like something I could get behind though.
SOONtm
Also, that's what the traits at the bottom can be used for. If you're having a bit of trouble writing up a backstory, just give me something serviceable, then fill in the traits, and show me the rest.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on September 29, 2016, 02:05:04 pm
Iunno. It depends.
Post by: Harry Baldman on September 29, 2016, 02:46:22 pm
I'll look into it, the problem is in simplification w/o loss of precision. If I do use stats, then how many? How to differentiate different types of skill? The question always leads me down a dark path of numbers and the endless unfolding of new complexities.
When I started doing Our Salvation, I chose to do wounds like Sunless Sea did, where you only get one no matter how badly you get hit (barring special events like "being beaten into a near-unrecognizable pulp" putting you at 4), and set the max before death to 5.
You could go further and put down vague stats like Sunless Sea's as well, like Hearts (healing, bravery), Veils (sneakiness, intrigue), Pages (esoteric), Mirrors (perception, intellect), Iron (strength, toughness), and add their values as success chance to predetermined difficulties (percentile, can go into negatives). I went for a simpler system in my current game, where each character states a specialty that they get a +1 to rolls with - wouldn't recommend, however, since it hasn't really paid off in any particular way in about 1600 posts of game. You can also go with the classic kill-sneak-brain trio of stats, or expand it to kill-sneak-brain-face quartet if you think being hot is going to be helpful in this game. Or, like Apocalypse World, throw in another one for Cool - Hard - Hot - Sharp - Weird, wherein we come back to something like Sunless Sea - 5 vague stats covering 5 vague archetypal behaviors.
It's always better to have stats than to not have them, since stats are how the player mechanically communicates their character to the GM, and roll results are how the GM mechanically communicates back.
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 03:17:40 pm
I'll look into it, the problem is in simplification w/o loss of precision. If I do use stats, then how many? How to differentiate different types of skill? The question always leads me down a dark path of numbers and the endless unfolding of new complexities.
When I started doing Our Salvation, I chose to do wounds like Sunless Sea did, where you only get one no matter how badly you get hit (barring special events like "being beaten into a near-unrecognizable pulp" putting you at 4), and set the max before death to 5.
You could go further and put down vague stats like Sunless Sea's as well, like Hearts (healing, bravery), Veils (sneakiness, intrigue), Pages (esoteric), Mirrors (perception, intellect), Iron (strength, toughness), and add their values as success chance to predetermined difficulties (percentile, can go into negatives). I went for a simpler system in my current game, where each character states a specialty that they get a +1 to rolls with - wouldn't recommend, however, since it hasn't really paid off in any particular way in about 1600 posts of game. You can also go with the classic kill-sneak-brain trio of stats, or expand it to kill-sneak-brain-face quartet if you think being hot is going to be helpful in this game. Or, like Apocalypse World, throw in another one for Cool - Hard - Hot - Sharp - Weird, wherein we come back to something like Sunless Sea - 5 vague stats covering 5 vague archetypal behaviors.
It's always better to have stats than to not have them, since stats are how the player mechanically communicates their character to the GM, and roll results are how the GM mechanically communicates back.
Alright. I feel it prudent to mention that my first idea ended up with a theoretical 27 skills before I realized I was backsliding terribly. So, that in my, here's my second, rather desperate cling to simplicity.
Skills fall in three Categories, Tech Skills, People Skills, and Conflict Skills. You have ten points to spend between these categories. The number of points spent determines your maximum possible bonus in those broad domains. If you have 2 Points in Tech, then your cap for bonuses to rolls related to technology is 2.
Now, within each category, you can define Assurances. Assurances are minimum bonuses for certain, more specific actions that fall within the original domain. You can spend as many points on Assurances as you spent on the parent category. When performing any action not covered by an assurance, the assurance is assumed to be 0. Example for Ceradi,
Tech: 2
-Jerry-Rigging: 2
People: 5
-Negotiation: 2
-Pick-Up Lines: 1
-Fast-Talking: 2
Conflict: 3
-Fleeing: 1
-Brute Force: 2
In the realm between the assurance and the cap, the bonus is dependent on the individual's tools and their particular situation. For actions not directly covered by an assurance, who the character is will also play a role in determining whether they get a bonus or not.
Thoughts?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on September 29, 2016, 03:34:51 pm
Alright. I feel it prudent to mention that my first idea ended up with a theoretical 27 skills before I realized I was backsliding terribly. So, that in my, here's my second, rather desperate cling to simplicity.
You are really not great at this 'simplicity' thing, huh.
I'm not sure Tech/People/Conflict actually covers all likely actions, though maybe the naming's just fooling me. Where would non-combat physical actions, such as acrobatics or feats of strength go? How about making art by whatever means - is that still Tech? Or People? I guess that's not that big of a deal, and that splitting them as Mental/Social/Physical or such might have its own limitations, but that came to mind. Of course, these kinds of actions could just go under the
Quote
For actions not directly covered by an assurance, who the character is will also play a role in determining whether they get a bonus or not.
Do the players create their own Assurances or do you have a list?
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 03:48:57 pm
Post by: Harry Baldman on September 29, 2016, 04:03:05 pm
Thoughts?
I tend to advocate stats over skills primarily because you need far fewer of them, and I can't say I like specific specialties that you get to write out yourself - it leads to people putting up specialties that are either 50% completely goddamn useless or 100% completely metagamed and boring. Let people have their broad, steady bonuses that work in a variety of cases - it lends itself to people being able to improvise a wide variety of solutions on the fly, and you always want your players trying to improvise.
Alternatively, you could combine stats (stab-steal-sabotage-scam) and roles (engineer, security, space pirate, strongarm, intrepid farmer). Have stats give bonuses, and roles give advantage (when acting within your role, such as getting incredibly drunk, using single shot plasma pistols or engaging in laser cutlass duels as a space pirate, roll twice and take the better result, or double the stat bonus).
Add onto that the races, giving each one two special abilities, which are extraordinary things they can do that the other races cannot (spider men can climb walls and make webs, dolphin people can operate underwater unhindered and echolocate, snail people can lubricate surfaces and retreat inside a very tough shell, bird men still move and operate at half capacity while sleeping and navigate by magnetic fields, rock men can do mineral empathy and survive in the vacuum of space, that kind of thing).
Well, that's the way I'd do it, anyway. I think I'm basically just designing my own game at this point, though, so feel free to do your own thing.
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 05:21:36 pm
The problem with general attributes (Intelligence, Charisma, Veils, Vitality, Poise, Finesse, whatever the name) is that they make no differentiation between someone skilled at different subgroups of skills that would naturally fall under the same attribute. Someone with high intelligence could be a doctor or a hacker, and without either the backstory or the skills to tell them apart, we can't know. Skills become endlessly complex when we try to define all the things that a person MIGHT want to do, and at a certain point they become so mechanically cumbersome that one loses the tree (let alone the forest) for trying to exactly describe the photo-synthetic properties of the leaf.
Player action success or failure will be determined on a basis of dieroll combined with whether or not I believe they could do it, and, of course, whether or not it makes a good story. Heuristics over algorithms in this instance, which naturally puts the burden of emphasizing story and scene over encounters on me.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on September 29, 2016, 06:35:16 pm
Think of a skill... say, Computer Programming.
With a bit of top-down design, you can separate that skill into several subskills, like Hacking, AI Programming, General Programming...
And you can separate those subskills into even more subskills...
What I'm saying is that you can let someone take a more general skill, like Computer Programming, but they will get less of a bonus to it than if they choose a more specialized skill.
This concept will be nice for my upcoming game system test, Mastery. But if you'd like to use it, go right ahead.
Post by: ATHATH on September 29, 2016, 06:58:24 pm
I think Shadowrun's (5th edition) system might work well for you.
Post by: Draignean on September 29, 2016, 07:02:54 pm
Potentially useful idea here:
Think of a skill... say, Computer Programming.
With a bit of top-down design, you can separate that skill into several subskills, like Hacking, AI Programming, General Programming...
And you can separate those subskills into even more subskills...
What I'm saying is that you can let someone take a more general skill, like Computer Programming, but they will get less of a bonus to it than if they choose a more specialized skill.
This concept will be nice for my upcoming game system test, Mastery. But if you'd like to use it, go right ahead.
Precisely the point. Each one of those sub-categories can easily be broadened to include another three categories. What kind of AI? What do you mean by general programming? Each tier means something a bit different, splitting recursively in its refinement. Before long you're looking at O(N!) problem to define everything, and that never ends well. Ever. The original version of this game went with that approach, and ended up with well over 200 skills, each with multiple ranks. It was beautiful, and it was terrible.
Have you considered just taking a system from an already successful game?
I think Shadowrun's (5th edition) system might work well for you.
I have, and Shadowrun would have been my go to, but honestly I'm looking for something lighter than that.
EDIT: Whew. Slightly More than 80k characters, but it looks alright.
Post by: Harry Baldman on September 29, 2016, 11:22:12 pm
The problem with general attributes (Intelligence, Charisma, Veils, Vitality, Poise, Finesse, whatever the name) is that they make no differentiation between someone skilled at different subgroups of skills that would naturally fall under the same attribute. Someone with high intelligence could be a doctor or a hacker, and without either the backstory or the skills to tell them apart, we can't know.
That's why I suggested professions, though. There's the stuff you could have done if schooling and life worked out differently, and the stuff you were born to do - players are going to tend toward the latter, but the option to do the former in a pinch will be very much there.
Player action success or failure will be determined on a basis of dieroll combined with whether or not I believe they could do it, and, of course, whether or not it makes a good story. Heuristics over algorithms in this instance, which naturally puts the burden of emphasizing story and scene over encounters on me.
You can get into a bit of hot water like that if you leave things too loose. Trying to avoid skills and stats with a system like this still makes you end up with skills and stats, except in this case you don't have them written down, nobody really knows what they are and they are in constant flux.
On the other hand, RTD is ultimately much the same way, with both positive and negative examples readily available.
Post by: ATHATH on September 30, 2016, 12:15:33 pm
I meant taking the core mechanics, rewriting/refluffing the races, traits, spells, programs, whatever technomancers use, and equipment as you see fit.Potentially useful idea here:
Think of a skill... say, Computer Programming.
With a bit of top-down design, you can separate that skill into several subskills, like Hacking, AI Programming, General Programming...
And you can separate those subskills into even more subskills...
What I'm saying is that you can let someone take a more general skill, like Computer Programming, but they will get less of a bonus to it than if they choose a more specialized skill.
This concept will be nice for my upcoming game system test, Mastery. But if you'd like to use it, go right ahead.
Precisely the point. Each one of those sub-categories can easily be broadened to include another three categories. What kind of AI? What do you mean by general programming? Each tier means something a bit different, splitting recursively in its refinement. Before long you're looking at O(N!) problem to define everything, and that never ends well. Ever. The original version of this game went with that approach, and ended up with well over 200 skills, each with multiple ranks. It was beautiful, and it was terrible.Have you considered just taking a system from an already successful game?
I think Shadowrun's (5th edition) system might work well for you.
I have, and Shadowrun would have been my go to, but honestly I'm looking for something lighter than that.
EDIT: Whew. Slightly More than 80k characters, but it looks alright.
Post by: Culise on September 30, 2016, 02:07:13 pm
Post by: ATHATH on September 30, 2016, 07:52:40 pm
Lighter refers to fewer and less complex rules. For instance, FATE is an example of a system that's a bit lighter than Shadowrun (at least, if 5th is anything like 4th), Risus clocks in at 4 pages for the entire rulebook, and on the flip side, Attack Vector Tactical and Starfleet Battles (though not RPGs) are about as "light" as neutron star. Refluffing the rules doesn't actually change how complex or simple they are, and though a rewrite can, it seems to me that to significantly pare down a game to that degree would be more difficult than finding a less complex ruleset to begin with.Oh, I thought that when he said "lighter", he was referring the tone of the setting, not the complexity and/or number of rules and game mechanics. Nevermind.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on September 30, 2016, 09:32:00 pm
Precisely the point. Each one of those sub-categories can easily be broadened to include another three categories. What kind of AI? What do you mean by general programming? Each tier means something a bit different, splitting recursively in its refinement. Before long you're looking at O(N!) problem to define everything, and that never ends well. Ever. The original version of this game went with that approach, and ended up with well over 200 skills, each with multiple ranks. It was beautiful, and it was terrible.
Hm. Okay, well over 200 potential skills. I think that's manageable as long as most of them don't get picked.
If a player gets a skill, they can specialize from there later- go to AI programming, to Combat AI programming, to Swarm Control Combat AI Programming... but the catch is they can't branch more than once from each skill. So if they choose AI programming from programming, they can't go back to programming and split another skill off of that later, like accounting programming.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 09, 2016, 12:36:29 am
The problem is the ships. How do I deal with them? My ideal world is one where I can simply have players design the ships from parts that they also designed, but I know from experience that a system like that would just be too much for me to handle. But then anything below that seems too abstracted and concrete to actually do anything with. If I have premade parts like engines and thrusters acquired from pre-made techs, then that becomes hard to push together - how do I determine size, crew, resource cost, etc.?
Having premade everything with a concrete tech tree unlocking thing like "Crew Cabin MK IV - 10 crew members, 500t" seems too mechanics-based for me. I may as well program it then.
The only solution I can really think of is just having premade ships coming from premade tech - while it is very "mechanic-y", it minimizes effort in the area and let me focuses on other things. But it just feels like it takes away a vital aspect of the game.
TL;DR: I'm making a game where you expand into space with ships and outposts and research. I really want to have a system where players research new things and design new ships with their newly researched things and their designed/researched components, but I don't know how to do this without creating an insane amount of workload for me. Any ideas for how to implement this kind of thing?
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on October 09, 2016, 02:21:43 am
Ship 1 design: Standard Miner
Medium sized hull ([INSERT STATS HERE]). -1 Hull blueprint.
Small Solid Fuel Engines ([INSERT STATS HERE]). -1 Engine blueprint.
Mining laser ([INSERT STATS HERE]). -1 Utility blueprint.
Etcetera.
From there, you could break the tech tree into generic blocks, like Solid Fuel -> Nuclear Fuel -> Ion Engines, Small Hulls -> Medium Hulls -> Large Hulls. I was going to suggest breaking it into the Aurora research system, but that'd be a lot of work.
As for the actual exploration part, that can be broken into phases, which each part affects differently. For example, a more advanced engine will cost more resources to build, but will cut the journey into a fraction of the time, or a better mining laser could harvest more minerals during a mining phase, or a worse life support system will damage morale, resulting in poor mission results, and longer shore leave.
Does that help?
Post by: Chiefwaffles on October 09, 2016, 06:17:36 pm
I would love to do something freeform where players just give suggestions for how to create components ("Create a laser using a small beam emitter then have the beam split into two and rotated to create an effective mining laser"), but I feel like that would distract too much from the actual game, be more effort for me, and wouldn't mix in well with the fairly mechanics-based gameplay.
But the ship design method seems fine - the hull can be designed to have slots for different types of parts ("this hull has 2 hardpoints and 500t of internal space, 2 reactor slots, 3 thruster slots, ...). The components can then just be slotted on.
Post by: monk12 on October 09, 2016, 08:37:17 pm
I'm assuming the players are all in the same space agency? Have a fairly detailed "base" ship which every player starts with; I'd personally have each major system have a few related stats. For example, a thruster might have stats for speed, fuel consumption, and combat agility, the hull might have stats for total internal space , hp, and what sorts of slots it has available, life support might have ratings for oxygen, artificial gravity, and heat/radiation shielding, so on and so forth.
When the time comes for a player to iterate their branch of the ship design, they can describe what effect they want to achieve, whether that affects the stats of the component such as designing a thruster that uses less fuel, or perhaps adds a special property to the component such as converting a shield system to repel water for use in operations on aquatic worlds. Using dice or your discretion, you then determine how much of their effect is accomplished by the research team, and whether there are any negative side effects (whether that's a penalty to other stats of the system or a random system on the rest of the ship; maybe the more efficient thruster design interferes with shipboard sensors when they're in use.)
How many stats and how many potential drawbacks you wind up with depends on how complex you want the system to be, and what the other actions available to the player are; a really loose system could just use short descriptors of what each component is good/bad at and use them as a way to describe successes and failures, while a more mechanics intensive system could use all sorts of different stats (both directly from the components and derived from combinations of components) in the same way a tabletop RPG like Dungeons and Dragons would use a character's skills. It depends where you want the game to be on the spectrum from collaborative fiction to GURPS: Kerbal Space Program
Post by: Draignean on October 20, 2016, 12:50:56 pm
It can do some really cool stuff, so I'd like to give it a purpose. For instance, instead of just filling in a bunch of blanks, it can create outputs of variable length, outputs with optional components, outputs with randomly added components, and, importantly, its recursive as fuck.
Example code that generates a person. Problematically, it's all compressed to one line, but it is semi-colon delimited.
[people] ` [unit] [person] [male] ` [humanoid] ` [C] ` [setvar heshe he] [setvar hisher his] [setvar himher him] [buildvar fname malefname] [buildvar lname surname] [buildvar race race] [loadvar fname] [loadvar lname] is a male [loadvar race]. His skin is [build skincolor], his [build hair], and his eyes [build eyes]. He looks [build agedescriptor] [optional 25] [split 50] but is truly [build agedescriptor] [else] but is quite [build extremeagedescriptor] at heart [join][end]. [optional 50] For a [loadvar race] he's quite [build unitdescriptor].[end] [build distinguishingFeature]. [has crest][optional 50] The crest of the [loadvar lname] family is a [build crest] [optional 50] [split 50], but he [build symbolshame][else], and he [build symbolpride][join][end].[end][end] [pb][nl] [loadvar fname] has an inborn affinity for [build affinity][optional 50][split 75] and [build affinity][else], [build affinity], and [build affinity][join][end]. In the past [split 33] [build darkpast] [else] [split 50] [build lightpast] [else] [build mundanepast][join][join]. Now [split 33] [build darkpresent] [else] [split 50] [build lightpresent] [else] [build mundanepresent][join][join]. [optional 75] [build destiny] [end] [pb][nl] At heart [loadvar fname] is a [build personalitytrait] man. [optional 50] Most of those who meet him consider him [build personalitytrait] and [build personalitytrait].[end] [Optional 50] He has a habit of [build habit] when he's [build emotion][end] [optional 50] [build personalityquirk][end];
Huh. This might take some time to explain. I colored things to make it look like less of a mess. The reason it looks like a pile of vomit is that the syntax grew steadily more expressive the longer I worked on it. When the first ones were written, there was nothing more than optionals, and certainly no nested control statements. Their addition makes this run a whole lot more like you're actually writing code, and thus makes this A LOT easier to interpret using multi-line formats instead of the single line version it was originally designed to parse.
So, starting from the top, the sequence of [SOMETHING] before the first hanja is the library that this item is associated with. The sequence of [SOMETHING] between the first and second hanjas indicates the item's identities which determine by what names it can be called, between the second and third hanjas are tags which influence the probability generating an object with matching tags, between the third and fourth hanjas is the item's rarity which influences its base probability of being picked. Now, everything after that...
Grey text is read directly. Whatever is in grey WILL be printed to the screen.
Cyan text denotes set and load commands. SetVar commands associate a variable name to a given, non-random string. BuildVar commands associate a variable name to a variable as determined by the build command, but DOES NOT PRINT IT IMMEDIATELY. All variables are available at lower levels of recursion than they were initially defined, so by defining heshe (a variable that contains either a he or a she pronoun) one can maintain things like gender consistency and plurality easily through all sub-items.
Green text is the meat and potatoes. The Build command searches all the loaded libraries for all items fitting the given identity. From the list, it performs a random selection based on known tags and predefines rarities. Once it selects an item, it reads that item through, filling in all of that item's build commands, and when that item reaches EOF it prints the result of its grey text into the space. Loadvar is similar, except that instead of building an item from the respective libraries, it merely inserts the predefined string.
Blue text is associated with the [OPTIONAL x][End] control structure, which basically says that anything between the [OPTIONAL] and its associated [END] has an x percent chance of being written.
Red text is associated with the [Split x] [Else] [Join] control structure, which basically says there is an x chance for the data between the [split] and [else] to be parsed, and, if it isn't, the text between the [else] and [end] will be parsed. It's basically an if-else structure. Yes, that does mean it basically does everything optional does, but its a bit more cumbersome to write and I wrote it later.
Orange text is associated with the [has identity][End] command, which evaluates text iff there is at least one item in the loaded libraries that matches the provided identities. Really quite useful.
Pink text contains formatting codes, [pb] is page break, [nl] is new line.
Sooo... overlong description aside. Anyone have ideas for a game that can/should use this?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on October 20, 2016, 02:09:18 pm
By the way, why you use [split][join] instead of [if][endif]? I can see [split x] working in specific cases, but you really should merge [optional] and [split] for extended flexibility.
Edit: And maybe post an example result of that script?
Post by: Draignean on October 20, 2016, 02:22:34 pm
Any game could make use of this, in various ways, but it may be little too complex to set up for non-programmer types.
By the way, why you use [split][join] instead of [if][endif]? I can see [split x] working in specific cases, but you really should merge [optional] and [split] for extended flexibility.
Edit: And maybe post an example result of that script?
If/End If implies (to me) that there is a boolean condition that I can specify, and that's a bit more intense to set up. Split, from a pure syntax->semantics perspective, reminds me that this isn't a condition, just a percentile chance that I take one of two branches. I considered [branch] but that brings back nightmares.
I really dislike the lack of orthogonality between [split] and [optional] but I'll probably leave [optional] in as a legacy command.
Examples:
Quote
Bryson Southers is a male human. His skin is olive, his silver dyed hair falls down to the middle of his back, and his eyes are hazel. He looks older than rocks. A single elegant glyph has been paint above his brow.
Bryson has an inborn affinity for the divine, healing, and stone. In the past Bryson was a fisher on the coast. Many wondrous and strange sights he has seen, but he never chased those phantoms, preferring instead the solid wood of his own boat to their illusory promises. Now Bryson leads his fellows, claiming sovereignty by right of strength and conviction.
At heart Bryson is a generous man. Bryson has never voluntarily trimmed his hair.
Quote
Everett Grizzle is a male half-orc. His skin is ebony, his hair shifts colors with his mood, and his eyes are milky and seemingly blind. He looks youthful. Several of his teeth have been replaced with pointed metal fangs. The crest of the Grizzle family is a an image of triangles in purple and blue, made from godsteel. He has spilled blood in its name, and would proudly do so again.
Everett has an inborn affinity for weapons. In the past Everett fought as a campaigner in the long wars. The blood he has spilled marks him still, but it doesn't define he is. Now Everett lives the life he has always lived. Destiny for Everett is split, and split again from there. The possibilities are myriad, and whether this means that he is inconsequential, or that he is one of the rare few with the complete freedom to choose their own fate, is yet to be seen.
At heart Everett is a tight-fisted man. Everett has sworn his soul to more gods than actually exist.
Quote
Rudolph Sieradzki is a male halfling. His skin is covered in fine scales, his golden brown hair has dozens of small charms braided through it, and his eyes glow with a powerful inner light. He looks older. Several of his teeth have been replaced with precious metals. The crest of the Sieradzki family is an image of a slit in violet and cyan, made from granite.
Rudolph has an inborn affinity for horses and earth. In the past Rudolph had a life, now all he has are twisted, broken memories. There is nothing left of the past to explain why the scent of meat makes his mouth tastes like it has been filled with ash, nothing but holes and dark voids that he isn't even sure he wants to explore. Now Rudolph, for better or worse, is very nearly retired from his old life. Perhaps it's time to find a new ambition, or perhaps it's time for him to simply take a break and enjoy what he has left.
At heart Rudolph is a wise man. He has a habit of blinking repeatedly when he's serious.
Post by: Failbird105 on November 02, 2016, 09:12:45 am
Post by: IronyOwl on November 02, 2016, 03:26:07 pm
Post by: Draignean on November 03, 2016, 08:39:20 am
Of course, you can have some interesting crossovers if you load different genres at the same time. Cyberpunk MLP. It's a possibility that I'm not sure I want to entertain.
Post by: Draignean on November 14, 2016, 10:57:30 am
The premise is that you had some moderately advanced species who was well aware that their galaxy was about to be collided with by another galaxy. It's one of those disasters with an enormity of scale that simply fucks everything with no escape. So, being industrious creatures, our civilization noped their way out of the galaxy using some form of Stellar Engine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_engine)- that is, they left, and they took their solar system with them.
The setting we were kicking around was, what would space look like if you just LEFT the galaxy on your own private cruise sun? What would you think when the brightest thing in the night sky was the wreckage of your exploding galaxy in the rear-view. Would you try and put your civilization to sleep in order to conserve limited resources until you A. reached the next galaxy over (A feat taking approximately 400 million years) or until the galaxy you just left cooled down enough that it's not going to be spitting out hyper-velocity black holes without a little warning first.
Basically, it's a a colony ship story, except that colony ship is the solar system.
Post by: Tack on November 14, 2016, 12:11:33 pm
Game revolves around exploring the city and doing various tasks in order to dissuade a carpet-bombing.
It's a pretty tried and true system by now with four "classes":
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The biggest issue is that I still haven't really found a system for it yet.
I have perks galore, but have no idea what kind of dice I should be rolling, which has proved to be the killing stroke of the last few runs.
Thoughts? Interest?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 19, 2016, 09:22:41 pm
Planet Sunshine: Unlike most RPGs. Your not a hero out to save the kingdom or world. Your not a nation in war. No. This is about manga.
Here, your a simple manga artist out to make a buck publishing your stories at a studio called Planet Sunshine. Which is shounen jump in this said world.
How is it rped: You play as the manga artist in say to day life. The stories they make are the unreal action stuff. And lastly we play the peanut gallery of fans and net trolls who comment on our work.
There is no real win all situation. But awards granted by votes and I roll dice to mix stuff up.
That's it. The other I am planning on is war game. To start things up.
Thoughts?
Post by: IronyOwl on November 19, 2016, 10:38:11 pm
Hi guys. My first rpg thinking of doing here is this.So how's it actually played, and for what purpose? From what you've described here, it feels a little highbrow artsy and not quite so play-oriented.
Planet Sunshine: Unlike most RPGs. Your not a hero out to save the kingdom or world. Your not a nation in war. No. This is about manga.
Here, your a simple manga artist out to make a buck publishing your stories at a studio called Planet Sunshine. Which is shounen jump in this said world.
How is it rped: You play as the manga artist in say to day life. The stories they make are the unreal action stuff. And lastly we play the peanut gallery of fans and net trolls who comment on our work.
There is no real win all situation. But awards granted by votes and I roll dice to mix stuff up.
That's it. The other I am planning on is war game. To start things up.
Thoughts?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 19, 2016, 11:07:19 pm
The peanut gallery part is being fans online commenting on said work. And random die adds chaos to artist life. Which in turn affects their work.
No worries just first suggestion. Had a thread of other ideas. Next one is Onslaught. Only help I need there is a map. But rules and tech tree is there.
Post by: fourtytwo on November 20, 2016, 09:16:24 am
I also have another idea that isn't even half complete. It's basically a game where no matter how hard you try, you can never win. Whoever can go on the longest without losing "wins" Designed to be very face paced. Idea is still another WIP.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 21, 2016, 04:36:37 pm
Plot: Either Allies vs Axis (Just different world and setting.)
Or a three way dance of death. (One side is invading another to make them pay for oppressing their people, said rich imperials trying to beat them down, and third party is trying to stay alive as other two invade them for not helping.)
As for set up? Game points. Each game point leads to a development. Some can only be gotten at nation creation stage.
Unit strength: The more stuff in tech tree related to unit and use to it makes said units that much stronger/different.
Resources; In Logistics have resource points and such. It all is needed to decide how much force you can build up and send out.
We rp a turn for a whole month, get points at end, spend on development phase for next month. It goes on until there is a single winning side. You will be rping as everyone of said country. From foot soldier to government officials.
Tech tree branches: Last night I tried uploading it all together, but exceeded posting cap. So will talk about segments, and maybe do them piece by piece.
Somethings are "free" at the start. Thinking of which set up points wise. Only one super unit allowed. That's for certain but thinking 20 to maybe 60 points to spend out. Depending on kind of game we want in action. As the most points you get are 4.
And each government has strengths and flaws.
Technology: Your high tech toys here.
Tactics: How smart you people are at actual fighting.
Logistics: Your nations resource life blood in keeping war machine alive.
Society; How your people run their lives and helps in deciding what it is their fighting for.
Super powers: Yes, as it's a fictional world aside super tech. Natural born super powers exist. This is, to capitalize on it.
Magic: Or you can flip technology the bird and just go all in in magic. Instead of planes, have dragons. Instead of bullets, spells. And instead of gas motors, have magic energy spirits and stuff.
All depends on your tastes.
My other games are more vanilla. By theme.
Magic based adventures.
Sci Fi based.
Faction game: Sci fi violence/ gang deal.
I can do listings and write ups of the others if Onslaught is not appealing. But if it is, will psot up the tech tree branches.
As for other games? It depends.
Magic has like four games.
Sci fi has like five.
All depends on flavor. Will be posting the rest on a more convenient time. Holidays and all.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 22, 2016, 01:45:54 pm
Magnus Force: Magic cops/government agents in alternative world with magic. Has 16 different classes of magic user for variety.
The Society: Here we are freedom fighters against the corrupt world government. Magic here is 7 spheres of influence with reality. That all can access if magic user. Some harder to do than others.
Hyper Zone: Earth is changed forever as a physics experiment opens a well of energy to blanket the Earth in exotic particles. That makes magic real. Now comes part of dealing with it.
Pilgrim: Here we are devote religionists people on a sacred mission from God that spans across the world. Has a karma system. And simplest rules.
Sci Fi:
Project Weapon: Players are genetic grown super beings met for war. You guys are escapees or children of them being chased by the government.
Meta Rising: Mutants are real now. How will the world react to it?
Drifters: It's inspired by Gantz. In which people almost die but teleported to another dimension to fight in a game to entertain the hosts. The price? Freedom and can live out their lives.
Aegis Program: There are many plots here I can use. But it has a very simple star system of five things that goes 1-100. Main theme is super powered humans via technology can monsters.
Wild Space: My take on space flight roving. It's a tad like D&D with all the rules. So I doubt to use it.
Post by: S34N1C on November 24, 2016, 10:15:59 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on November 24, 2016, 11:41:45 pm
All of the above games sound like something I would attempt to play.^^^^^^^
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 25, 2016, 03:20:19 pm
Magnus Corps, The Society, or Pilgri thinking of starting.
Corps classes-
1:Channelers
2:Alchemists
3: Technomancers
4: Biomancers
5: Makers
6: Duelists
7: Callers
8: Servitors
9: Hosts
10: Dracomancers
11: Oath Dealer
12: Egoist
13: Animagus
14: Genomancer
15: Alter
16: Glyph Master
Society's sphere magic by title
Mind
Nature
Energy
Dimension
States
Time
Anima
Will do more details with time.
As for Pilgrim everyone can do magic but what is different is some people can transform, some can summon, and some have esoetic stuff.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 26, 2016, 09:38:01 pm
Corps: Europe is center of the world as Americas have just been discovered and it is in late 1800s. The Corps act as fire runners in studying activity and protecting the known world while keeping secrets. Well secret.
Game play wise each class has tricks only they can do in relation to others. Though branching the 16 into four groups of four by theme.
Also due to al the classes, countries and mission options. Multiple characters are acceptable here.
The Society: Well it is modern day era world with magic and technology existing side by side. Sadly the world government " Unity" is evil. Only the Society has the evidence and some believe. Most do not. Lots of urban fighting here with some rural missions and many hiding spots.
Gear here is in three categories. Tech, organic tech ( it's grown not built) and magik tech ( technology with magic infusion)
The Spell system here is based on the seven spheres by themselves or the spheres working with one another for greater effect.
Also three player races in society.
Human
Genome: Artifical grown living being.
Wylding: Magic race of mana infused people who take animal/ wild traits. More attuned with nature and stuff.
The spheres are like this.
Mind: Mental powers. Psionic stuff, mind control and etc.
Nature: Commanding forces of nature. Not just four element crap either but all of it. Like gravity for example.
Energy: Controling the flow and bonds of energy in areas and beings. Including energy blasts and instant light Sabres.
States: Controling states of matter. Shifting them from one thing to another.
Dimension: Space. In three dimension sense and beyond is tampered by this magic sphere influence.
Time: Altering flow of time itself.
Anima: Controlling flow of life force. Kinda like necromancy in it deals with souls. Not just the dead. But those unborn as well. For insane results.
Some things are harder to do than others. Time and Anima are hardest ones for example. Energy and Mond are easiest. Nature is most effective in the wilds. Dimension and States are invetween in casting range.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 27, 2016, 07:23:57 pm
After that either Society or maybe Onslaught. For the latter working in unit production rules and actual combat.
Monday Magnus Corps starts.
Post by: escaped lurker on November 29, 2016, 05:10:33 pm
While the original inspiration "The Guild", made ~5 different "worker castes", I obviously want more choices than that. Best, would be "traits", that can carry over to other jobs in the same area.
An example, would be a normal, but young acolyte of magic. He would have [Spellweaving] and [Lesser "Elemental" Magic].
He could either branch his [Spellweaving] out into [Enchanting], specialize in [Magic Tools], [Runecrafting] and what-not.
He could also branch his [Lesser "Fire" Magic] out into [Pyromancy Adept].
The real devil, would be combination skills - [Arcane Archery Adept], for example - would take, uh, about [Spelllweaving] & [Experienced Bow-user] or so.
Right, right. Obviously bad traits are also a go - things like [Glowcap Addict], [Broken Leg] and similiar, just promise too much fun to exclude.
How easily such a trait could be learned, would also depend on the char stats - a combat oriented character, won't become a good pedlar anytime quick, nor will he become a good mage on the fly. The 16 races (in 4 factions), also put some nice additional options into the game.
The current plan, is to establish a rough framework on "trait strenght & cost", make some rough drafts for the common jobs and fields, and create any newly needed traits. Well, I kinda would dislike to "bullshit" my way through the game like that though.
Any opinion on how to ease such an expansive system, while also retaining its main benefit - fluid customization of characters - would be very welcome. Well, that or an example of some game who did something similiar, and did it right.
As for the game itself, I would give a season for each turn, and give some ~4 actions to the character. I also might only do "RP time" with the current "main character", because a partner and the first child might be do-able, but anything beyond that, would just become tedious - be it reading, but especially writing.
After the first two generations or so, such a "clan" would surely become politically involved with their city, leading to the real fun. But that's a long way off, and the new "rules and games" can be introduced slowly, one at a time.
Well, either way, that's the gist of the idea. I plan to have a somewhat pre-planned story for the background, which the first characters won't have much chance to influence - being able to do just that, if the character is successful later on, is also one of the charming points of it. The "turn & game upkeep", is also planned in a somewhat simple style, with most rolls not resulting in anything worth mentioning. Expect sprained ankles, a stolen purse, light illness & small blessings to "counter" them out, but not any epic quests - well, unless the char is actively seeking out risk somehow.
Hm. Great. Which bay12 will undoubtedly do - especially considering that the games' current (tentative) name is "Dungeon Town Adventure" >>
Post by: Kadzar on November 29, 2016, 07:38:37 pm
1. Are Magic, Strength, & Charisma the only stats, or just examples? If so, that speaks to the sort of things characters are expected to do in the game.
2. What are characters expected to do in the game? I expect it's some sort of dungeoneering/adventuring guild, but I don't know for sure.
3. What do traits do? Do they give a bonus, or do they simply allow someone to do something at all? If so, what happens if a character wants to attempt something covered by a trait they don't possess?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on November 30, 2016, 12:00:16 am
Mechanically your idea is attractive, I have thought of similar branching system, but it turns out math is not your friend. Either you figure out all branching possibilites before starting the game and lock yourself into those, or ease the task and do it on fly potentially unbalancing the game. There's no easy way to victory. If you work out possibilities before the game, then I suggest you limit your system in depth, meaning any skill can branch out only few times but in multiple directions. That way you can keep number of specializations somewhat sane.
Post by: escaped lurker on November 30, 2016, 04:52:14 am
2. What are characters expected to do in the game? I expect it's some sort of dungeoneering/adventuring guild, but I don't know for sure.2 - I guess they can do pretty much anything. Which is kinda my goal. Simply providing an interesting enough "canvas", will have players appear with their own designs or takes on it. In essence though, it is kind of a slice of life / fantasy sim game, with a possible economic & family focus. Well, if I can make the world "seem alive", there ought to be enough incentives to form such goals.
3. What do traits do? Do they give a bonus, or do they simply allow someone to do something at all? If so, what happens if a character wants to attempt something covered by a trait they don't possess?
3 - Traits can give a bonus to specific situations, allow the character to do things other characters can not, and even impair some actions. As for actions covered by a trait, well - I'll take the example of "reading tracks". Everyone knows what it is about, in theory, but unless you are schooled, the best you will get is "yeah. something came through here. no idea when, or what it was, but something happened here". If a character has something similiar enough, he might get half a chance at it though.
1. Are Magic, Strength, & Charisma the only stats, or just examples? If so, that speaks to the sort of things characters are expected to do.
Perhaps rename stats "Magic aptitude", "Combat aptitude" and "Social aptitude". That way you they can act as bigger mental umbrella and shove larger number of various things under them.Right, that was kinda the plan - three stats to "sum up" a characters strengths and possibilities. While that cuts down on some possibilities, most of them will be covered by traits. Keeping it to those three stats, will make the game flow much easier. At least on the GM end - and since that is where most games fail, well~
Mechanically your idea is attractive, I have thought of similar branching system, but it turns out math is not your friend. Either you figure out all branching possibilites before starting the game and lock yourself into those, or ease the task and do it on fly potentially unbalancing the game. There's no easy way to victory. If you work out possibilities before the game, then I suggest you limit your system in depth, meaning any skill can branch out only few times but in multiple directions. That way you can keep number of specializations somewhat sane.
I guess putting up a "rank" system for the traits, would make balance a good deal easier. An [Arch Pyromancer], would be about "Rank 4", whereas the "Rank 5" [Arch Elementalist], might ""only"" need 4x ["Elemental" Master] of Rank 3.
That way, many skills that just "cover the basics", are easy to learn at Rank 0 to 1, but also only have a limited use, while Rank 2 and above "specializations", while more difficult to learn, also compensate one for doing so. As for learning a new trait, it will be linked to the main-stats, and made easier if the char already has "another angle" on the same topic.
As for "branching skills", just giving a bonus to an existing ability, is also a way of going at it. Kinda like [Elven Archery] increasing crit-chance for bow use, or something. In essence, complimentary traits, that just get "tacked on" to the "normal" main ability.
Either way, I doubt I would "think of them all" pre-game, and I do want to keep it rather open in terms of possibilities. The rank-system for traits, while not perfect, should alleviate the worst symptoms of "just winging it".
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on November 30, 2016, 05:03:45 pm
Just a thought I had. Haven't thought it through.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 01, 2016, 01:01:10 pm
This creates a ball of sustained fire and launches it forward at speed of 100 m/s
Code: (Fireball) [Select]
0
V
1<A<B
V
2<3<C<X<XSo does this.
Code: (Fireball) [Select]
2<3<C<X<X
^
1<A<B
^
0 This continuosly creates fireballs and launches them forward at speed of 100 m/s, but since fire is not sustained, it won't have very long range.
Code: (Flamethrower) [Select]
0>1<A<B
V
2<3<C<X<XThis creates a ball of fire and launches it forward at speed of 100 m/s. "Launch forward" portion is "sustained", so I guess it accelerates at rate of 100 m/s2. Probably. At least until fire burns itself out.
Code: (Flamejet) [Select]
0>2<3<C<X<X
^
1<A<B So in this syntax "A<B" means A is modified by B. > switches direction so what's on right is modified by what's on left. ^ means what's above is modified by what's below. V is its opposite.
Can you figure out what each symbol means? Can you modify this spell in any meaningful way?
Let's add more symbols. What you can do with these?
D - Caster/self
E - Size
F - Flesh
G - Cat
4 - Combine
Post by: Parsely on December 01, 2016, 01:50:57 pm
Numbers are operators or special variables and letters are constant variables, or something like that.
Post by: Draignean on December 01, 2016, 03:15:32 pm
Befunge?!?!
Seriously...
2 is the terminal. It is globally modified, so it's probably something like spell/cast/execute. Ah, no, 2 appears to be 'launch forward'. 0 is a sustain modifier. A is fire. B I'm assuming is Ball. X is very likely 10 m/s. 1... 1 appears to be a sort of NEW or make function. So 1<A<B is NEW(FIRE,BALL).
Ah.... Numbers are methods. Letters are params. With that I can guess that 3 is SPEED(), and C is m/s and X is just ten (or perhaps 50), so the function is SPEED(m/s, 10 [50], 10 [50]), and it either adds or multiplies the speed arguments.
So, my key for the initial symbols...
0 = SUSTAIN()
1 = NEW()
2 = LAUNCH_FORWARD()
3 = SPEED()
A = FIRE (Could be also reasonably be ball)
B = BALL (Could also reasonably be fire)
C = m/s (Edit for bad copypasta)
X = 10 or 50
*Okay, it's not nearly a tenth as bad as befunge, but that's what it kinda looks like.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on December 01, 2016, 03:41:11 pm
Post by: escaped lurker on December 01, 2016, 03:45:20 pm
How about - snip -
If it were an ability-based fighting-centred game, that way would be a fair option to keep "laming" in check - especially important with customized multiplayer builds.
We~ll - but I plan on doing an SG, and not even one with much of a combat focus. The skills won't give "special attacks" or buffs or the like, but all appliable perks will provide a (mostly) passive bonus.
( Pyromancy Adept / Int x 3,5 = magic-flame damage. Arch Pyromancer / Int x 8,5 = magic-flame damage)
I do appreciate the thought though - Thanks.
Let's add more symbols. What you can do with these?
Spoiler: Like this? (click to show/hide)
I like that you could technically make some kind of wicked-looking heiroglyph with that. If you had the time to replace letters and numbers with purpose-made glyphs, it could be really immersive.Make it Ogham Script then, for maximum headaches and broken keyboards.
Post by: Draignean on December 01, 2016, 03:58:31 pm
Code: [Select]
1<G
^
0<FA rather unique spell devised by the spell-blade assassins of Snoogar (who devoutly believe that everything hideous must die so that adorableness can live) this spell is used to quietly dispose of bodies by transmuting dead tissue into cats. Once cast on a corpse, the spell continues until the body is consumed, generating a pile of adorable kittens in the process.
Surprise your friends and start the party with a bang by using this on the main course at tonight's dinner party! Kittens for everyone!
Well, that was fun. Back to work.
Post by: Shoruke on December 01, 2016, 05:39:53 pm
Part of me also recognizes that this is a horrible, awful concept for a forum game, and is doomed to die due to "WHY ISN'T MY PARTNER FRIGGING POSTING!?"
Post by: TheBiggerFish on December 01, 2016, 05:43:07 pm
Magical science.Yes please.
This creates a ball of sustained fire and launches it forward at speed of 100 m/sCode: (Fireball) [Select]0
V
1<A<B
V
2<3<C<X<X
So does this.Code: (Fireball) [Select]2<3<C<X<X
^
1<A<B
^
0
This continuosly creates fireballs and launches them forward at speed of 100 m/s, but since fire is not sustained, it won't have very long range.Code: (Flamethrower) [Select]0>1<A<B
V
2<3<C<X<X
This creates a ball of fire and launches it forward at speed of 100 m/s. "Launch forward" portion is "sustained", so I guess it accelerates at rate of 100 m/s2. Probably. At least until fire burns itself out.Code: (Flamejet) [Select]0>2<3<C<X<X
^
1<A<B
So in this syntax "A<B" means A is modified by B. > switches direction so what's on right is modified by what's on left. ^ means what's above is modified by what's below. V is its opposite.
Can you figure out what each symbol means? Can you modify this spell in any meaningful way?
Let's add more symbols. What you can do with these?
D - Caster/self
E - Size
F - Flesh
G - Cat
4 - Combine
Code: (*flails at keyboard*) [Select]
F
V
1<0<1<D
^
0
Does this continuously duplicate the caster? I'm not sure.Part of me wants to have a Soul Eater forum game, where Meister players work together with their Soul Weapon player buddies and team up to get things done, save the world, funny hijinx, etc.You have not seen enough of FG&RP.
Part of me also recognizes that this is a horrible, awful concept for a forum game, and is doomed to die due to "WHY ISN'T MY PARTNER FRIGGING POSTING!?"
Post by: Supernerd on December 01, 2016, 09:21:30 pm
Post by: Zanzetkuken The Great on December 01, 2016, 09:37:07 pm
Post by: Shoruke on December 01, 2016, 11:51:48 pm
Code: (Kittyspell!) [Select]
D > 4 < GI am now a kitty!?(I may or may not be doing this right :P)
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 02, 2016, 01:19:27 am
So, you're telling me that you're using a befunge-esque* spell-programmer?
Befunge?!?!
Seriously...
*Okay, it's not nearly a tenth as bad as befunge, but that's what it kinda looks like.
Is befunge-esque bad? It sounds like it's bad. But yes, it appears to be befunge-esque. Proves my hypothesis that at this point of time it is impossible for human to have single original thought that has not been thought by anyone else ever before. My quest for sensible magic system you can research resulted this time something like this.
But you are correct in almost all other accouts. 3 is modify property and C on speed, although I'm wondering if it's good way to represent it as such.
I like that you could technically make some kind of wicked-looking heiroglyph with that. If you had the time to replace letters and numbers with purpose-made glyphs, it could be really immersive.
Yeah, it would be very easy to do. I have been thinking that too.
Let's add more symbols. What you can do with these?Spoiler: Like this? (click to show/hide)
It creates a ball cat (https://imgur.com/gallery/o0Mh5ir) and launches it forward at a speed of 100 m/s. Cat is sustained, but I'm not sure what it would mean in this context. Perhaps it's immortal cat, not having need to eat or drink...
Code: [Select]1<G
^
0<F
A rather unique spell devised by the spell-blade assassins of Snoogar (who devoutly believe that everything hideous must die so that adorableness can live) this spell is used to quietly dispose of bodies by transmuting dead tissue into cats. Once cast on a corpse, the spell continues until the body is consumed, generating a pile of adorable kittens in the process.
Surprise your friends and start the party with a bang by using this on the main course at tonight's dinner party! Kittens for everyone!
Well, that was fun. Back to work.
Create would make stuff from nothing, so this continuously creates cats. Interpreting this system can be hard because in this case sustain is modified by flesh and it doesn't make sense. Sustained by flesh would make sense, but by what flesh it is sustained? No, this doesn't work with flesh as expressed. If we have transmute represented by symbol 5, then we could have it.
Code: (Adorable Corpse Disposal) [Select]
0
V
F>5<G
This would continuously transmute existing flesh into cats until there's no longer flesh to transmute. Though this brings question, is flesh being transmuted cats or are cats being transmuted into flesh? Well, cats are already flesh (and bones) so it makes more sense to move from board term to more precise term.Without sustain it would transmute only one cat's worth of flesh.
Yes please.Code: (*flails at keyboard*) [Select]FDoes this continuously duplicate the caster? I'm not sure.
V
1<0<1<D
^
0
Create sustain create sustained caster flesh. No, doesn't work. First create doesn't have any indication what it creates. If we drop it and turn sustain around, then we get this:
Code: [Select]
F
V
0>1<D
^
0
This creates new immortal chunks of caster's flesh as long as spell keeps going on. If we drop flesh then it would make immortal copies of caster. Immortal in sense they wouldn't need food or water to keep living.Code: (Kittyspell!) [Select]D > 4 < GI am now a kitty!?
(I may or may not be doing this right :P)
Combine caster and existing cat. You are a furry now. An amalgamate.
Post by: BFEL on December 02, 2016, 08:53:39 am
Here are the major changes I have so far to his base system:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Right now my biggest concern is how to work health implementation into the damage system I've visualized. Which is a pretty simple Attack Power Level - Opposing Defense Power Level = damage thing. The obvious problem being that this could result in all attacks either one shotting or doing absolutely nothing.
I kinda want to start health at 100 and make quadruple digits an end game thing for only the toughest characters, But with Power Levels starting in the thousands and possibly going absolutely goddamn mad (which is something I want to be a thing, and sorta follow the kind of progression the show did) This could quickly become coin flip battles.
Second concern is how to implement "basic" attacks. I know I want there to be basic ki blasts that are one of the first things learned that work exactly like long range punches or kicks, but currently the best idea I have for how to make non-Kamehameha combat interesting is to go full rock paper scissors with quick attacks, heavy attacks and guards/counters. But even that falls apart on the third one when I start to consider how turns could go or such and what happens when people start getting more actions then others.
I want this system to be easily manageable with just a calculator and maybe a dash of flavor text here and there to liven things up, but I honestly have more ideas for the training and technique side of things then more down and dirty combat mechanics.
Post by: escaped lurker on December 02, 2016, 09:59:35 am
Second concern is how to implement "basic" attacks.
I think the original manga, did a good job at that level though. If you think of the first ~three fighting tournaments, and how those were settled between the Ki fighters, you should be able to get a few ideas.
For example, the different schools, might give different kinds of "physical boosts" and abilities.
The turtle school, was pretty strenght & endurance based, and their first ki-attack, was close to being artillery
The crane school, was more offensive and technique-minded, filled with trickery and the first appearance of "sky-walking".
... did the series only have those two canon earth schools though? Well, even the first (young) picolo fight, was pretty low-tech, with only finger-lasers next to skywalking in my memory.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on December 02, 2016, 10:07:07 am
Code: (What about this?) [Select]
0>1<F<D
^
0
Okay, which of 0 and 1 is which, anyway???Also, I think having 5 take an input and make an output makes more sense than two inputs. E.G.
Code: (Transmute caster...To cat!) [Select]
D>5>G
Post by: BFEL on December 02, 2016, 10:23:58 am
I'm more looking for a way to model them in the game system, flavor text should cover a lot of "making two characters fight differently" but I'm not looking to make it a dice roll based system. In fact the only die roll I have planned right now is the initial one for PC power levels (which I'm thinking of nerfing the difference of said rolls to +/- 200 instead of 500 cuz jesus) which is mostly to give a little difference to the chars and possibly make them reconsider their builds if they get a really good or bad roll.Second concern is how to implement "basic" attacks.
I think the original manga, did a good job at that level though. If you think of the first ~three fighting tournaments, and how those were settled between the Ki fighters, you should be able to get a few ideas.
For example, the different schools, might give different kinds of "physical boosts" and abilities.
The turtle school, was pretty strenght & endurance based, and their first ki-attack, was close to being artillery
The crane school, was more offensive and technique-minded, filled with trickery and the first appearance of "sky-walking".
... did the series only have those two canon earth schools though? Well, even the first (young) picolo fight, was pretty low-tech, with only finger-lasers next to skywalking in my memory.
Everything after that I'm intending to be 100% strategy and tactics. I want this to be something you can be GOOD at instead of something you can be LUCKY at.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 02, 2016, 11:21:04 am
Code: (What about this?) [Select]0>1<F<DOkay, which of 0 and 1 is which, anyway???
^
0
0 is sustain and 1 is create. For now. So continuous creation of immortal flesh of caster?
Also, I think having 5 take an input and make an output makes more sense than two inputs. E.G.Code: (Transmute caster...To cat!) [Select]D>5>G
That would change meaning of <, >, ^ and V. Hmm, there's a plenty of fine tuning left in this system. If it is even worthy of Perplexicon style gaming. Which I won't have ever time or patience to run.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 03, 2016, 10:23:13 pm
Only reason not bothering here is attempting adventure, and no online map making skills.
Said games: One is a alternative WW2 world with fiction elements.
Another we are warlords of Hell competeting to be top dog.
Last is Dynasty Warriors based.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 06, 2016, 02:25:39 pm
Inferum/ Hell thing: Thinking doing Spamkingdom or Vinland style system so everyone votes for what's next.
Dynasty Warriors thing would be the same deal.
WW2 would need map, players and sides as its straight up war game.
Post by: Haspen on December 08, 2016, 09:57:40 am
And then I read some articles on wikipedia on Mars, and then I thought about sci-fi stuff and, well:
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ERA OF MARS! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Spoiler: Rules, mostly complete (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Nation Traits, prone to changes (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Tech Tree, prone to changes (click to show/hide)
Major changes from other EoD games:
Traits have been compressed into 4 mandatory ones: Government, Army and Size were in EoD too, but 'various' traits are now replaced by national Philosophy. As you can see, these can small bonus at no cost or provide powerful benefits at somewhat big cost.
There is now also Power management; your Territories cannot support ALL the Improvements, so you gotta make strategic choices about your infrastructure.
Oh and Era of Mars , as you will notice, introduces NUUUKES! UNLEASH ATOMIC HELL AT YOUR ENEMI mean there's still Fallout you gotta consider, Power management as Missile Silos are Territorial Improvements like otehrs, and the fact that your missiles can be shot down and/or their effects lessened later up the Tech Tree, but still: NUKES!
Also, two types of Armies; fleshy mook Corps and mighty mechanized Mecha Corps. Mecha Corps stomp the fleshies, but fleshies are easily accessible while you gotta spend a while to get large number of Mecha Corps, necessiting a fine balance.
That's all for now, but I promise there will be more.
Post by: escaped lurker on December 08, 2016, 11:07:04 am
Also, two types of Armies; fleshy mook Corps and mighty mechanized Mecha Corps. Mecha Corps stomp the fleshies, but fleshies are easily accessible while you gotta spend a while to get large number of Mecha Corps, necessiting a fine balance.Might just be me, but drones sound far more accessible than manpower. A "gunbot", would be an easy fix even now - and while jamming could be made into an issue, having mobile connectors, would solve much of it. (Or just make them more of an easy defence kind of thing? One, that could even be "teched-out" by the enemy at some point? The options, are there.)
Thing is, once you got a factory that produces drones, you can pump them out and use them as disposable troops - just think of them in the same line as land-mines, which you can pepper the landscape with.
Well, the whole idea hinges on one matter -would a Drone HQ, Factory, Troops, Research and possible Trait, add some spice to the game, or only realism and clutter? If unneccessary, handwaiving the topic with "AI-Fear" or "Jamming", is easy enough.
In favour of realism, I feel forced to mention that "fallout", on mars, is kinda the standard. Lack of a magnetic field, and far too thin an atmosphere, make mars a bad place to sun-bath, and requires protection against radiation as-is. An EMC-"Stun", would fit either way.
Thinking in that line, you might want to implement biological warheads, because if you use nukes, that avenue of attack isn't far-off either. Imagine all the cruel, lab-grown pathogens you could seed your enemies with - makes irradiation look cute in comparison, really.
Right, there also is the option to have the game set ~300 years into the future, at which point mars could have an artificially jump-started/created atmosphere. (With current technology, guesstimates say it would take ~1000 years, so in a sci-fi game where technology hasn't encountered a major bottleneck, but has advanced, anywhere between 200 to 500 years would be reasonable)
Post by: Haspen on December 08, 2016, 11:29:11 am
Also, I just added a vast chunk of missing Rules spoiler, might be worth checking out ;v
Also also, I would rather veer toward softer and 'cooler' side of sci-fi rather than diamond-hard tech :3
Also also also, I kinda want to add bioweapons to the system but I'm not sure how to balance it so its neither OP nor a scrappy add-on. That's certainly a thought up for consideration, though!
Post by: escaped lurker on December 08, 2016, 12:21:12 pm
I'm slightly confused, do you want to replace Mecha with Drones or add them besides grunts and mecha as third army type?
Also also also, I kinda want to add bioweapons to the system but I'm not sure how to balance it so its neither OP nor a scrappy add-on. That's certainly a thought up for consideration, though!
I'm mainly bringing drones to the table, because you worded it, as if troops would be led to the slaughter. Which always will be the case, but only after other options have been exhausted. Each soldier, should need at the very least ~10 years (even with hormone therapy) to become viable. Sending out drones, is far less of an investment, nor will anbody cry over their loss.
What they would be, is really up to you. Maybe jamming makes them unefficient outside of your own areas, with them only being kind of a "fortification" upgrade? Maybe, they are a third unit type, which needs a "Com Tower" to function, with high mali if used outside of that radius? They could even have an "autonomous" upgrade down the line. Or, even easier, you imply that drones - as is the case with tanks, artillery and similiar - are part of infantry tactics. Problem being, as everyone uses them, they don't make a measurable difference, with people still dying in the end.
As for bio-weapons, how about giving them their own tech-upgrades and fitting anti-tech? If your tech is high enough / the enemies anti-tech low enough, it might go undetected and spread, giving various mali to affected regions / forcing you to stop transportation. Just having a slight malus on your units for a couple of turns, and their inability to travel to other friendly regions / regions with friendlies, might already change the tide of a war. (Well, or biting the bullet, and infecting other units / areas).
But, really - you are the one who has to fit that stuff into his game, so make of my thoughts what you will. ;3
Right, right with the risk of making the game too cluttered, I'll just throw in the possibilities of spies, sabotage & similiar fun. Haven't read anything about that option either, but war in the information age - and possibly beyond, might be all about it. Or not. Your call, I'm just listing what comes to mind~
Playing devils advocate, sure is fun~
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 09, 2016, 12:58:46 am
Can do basic Inferum stuff though. As my " Conwuest" stuff is on my computer. ( This being my phone.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on December 09, 2016, 02:22:11 am
Scar their WW2 thing. Would be too cluttered and unwieldy at this point.Never before have I seen a post that needed a spoiler more. I'm not one to complain about this stuff normally (usually I just bitch about formatting in the forum games I GM) but for the love of god please fix it.
Can do basic Inferum stuff though. As my " Conwuest" stuff is on my computer. ( This being my phone.)
Avatars notes:Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 09, 2016, 02:36:34 am
Post by: lawastooshort on December 09, 2016, 07:44:38 am
Post by: Haspen on December 09, 2016, 11:47:46 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 09, 2016, 10:01:44 pm
What is the code for spoiler tag here?
And WW2 game has even more than that. In earlier days I made games that have tons of stuff in list form. These days experimenting the adventure gambit in which the player can make stuff up.
( Though could just make lists of stuff for said games too)
Sorry again.
Post by: S34N1C on December 09, 2016, 10:09:15 pm
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 10, 2016, 03:10:19 am
There should be a button that has the radioactive symbol on it. Press it and it will add a spoiler. Or, if you wish do do it manually just type ['spoiler][/spoiler] but without the apostrophe
For situations like this you people need to learn about nobbc tag. It renders other tags between them into normal text so you don't have to add those fancy extra characters in between. Like this:
[spoiler][/spoiler]
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 10, 2016, 04:02:32 am
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on December 10, 2016, 09:29:04 pm
I was planning on running a dungeon shopkeeper game based around a mysterious dungeon that lots of adventurers perish inside. The PC's are a group of people who decided (perhaps after braving the depths several times) that pushing to take it on all at once is too daunting a task. Instead, they've set out to open a store inside the dungeon, to help other adventurers push deeper into the dungeon while making a profit. I'm sure this idea's been done before, but if not, that's cool.
The idea is to have a group of players with varying goals. Some characters might just be out there to make a profit, and won't hold any reservations against stalking other adventurers, waiting for them to die, and looting their corpses. Other characters probably won't approve, so they might end up cooperating with NPCs or going on their own looting runs to supply shop material. I might try to enforce this dynamic by picking a mix of character archetypes at the beginning, since I want a bit more depth than a simple dungeon crawl and/or murder-fest.
Thoughts? Advice?
Post by: Parsely on December 10, 2016, 09:36:18 pm
Well, if it's okay to step into Tyrant's spotlight...In.
I was planning on running a dungeon shopkeeper game based around a mysterious dungeon that lots of adventurers perish inside. The PC's are a group of people who decided (perhaps after braving the depths several times) that pushing to take it on all at once is too daunting a task. Instead, they've set out to open a store inside the dungeon, to help other adventurers push deeper into the dungeon while making a profit. I'm sure this idea's been done before, but if not, that's cool.
The idea is to have a group of players with varying goals. Some characters might just be out there to make a profit, and won't hold any reservations against stalking other adventurers, waiting for them to die, and looting their corpses. Other characters probably won't approve, so they might end up cooperating with NPCs or going on their own looting runs to supply shop material. I might try to enforce this dynamic by picking a mix of character archetypes at the beginning, since I want a bit more depth than a simple dungeon crawl and/or murder-fest.
Thoughts? Advice?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 10, 2016, 09:41:52 pm
Post by: S34N1C on December 10, 2016, 10:09:27 pm
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on December 10, 2016, 11:04:59 pm
Post by: Haspen on December 11, 2016, 05:53:22 am
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ERA OF MARS! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Mars is a planet so the regions wrap around as indicated by the arrows and polar regions are all stretched and adjacent on both ends.
Thoughts?
Post by: escaped lurker on December 11, 2016, 06:45:14 am
-snip-I'm a bit unsure how you want that "Dungeon Rest Camp" to play out. You also talk about NPC's, but your idea reads as if the players themselves are to establish that camp. So the first players are the pioneers of that camp, which will be slowly settled with npcs and facilities, if the players bring back enough resources to do so / sell the resources they don't need (to buy better stuff for themselves)?
Thoughts?
Regardless, one thought that I have on this matter, is that npc's might have a limited stock of "quality goods". As in, if the players want more than steel, like mithril or other magical weapons, they better get that material themselves, because either the shop hasn't any in stock, or - if other players, or npc's brought some mithril back - it will be far more expensive, than if the players provide the "core" materials. Reagents for high-class potions, foci, crystals & mythical materials for non-metal "class" weapons (Think bows, staffs, drake-leather-armour & stuff), would also be possible. Giving them tiers, would ease "stream-lining" them, while not taking away from the possibilities. Tier 3 Reagent for Tier 3 Equipment - plus a T3 Reagent for enchanting +x stat for a T3 enchantment (with T1 Equip not able to hold T2 Enchants or higher).
Yeah... that idea already got way overcomplicated, but the core of it might be usable.
Successfull dives and quests, could also be rewarded with a higher "adventurer rank" - giving lesser cost and increased access to guild-related business like the inns, healers & others. Theoretically, a higher rank might also come with "Mission / Emergency Requests", though too much of forced quests, would not be fun for the players. (Even if they could be avoided by paying a fine).
Having a multitude of branches, would surely be welcomed by the players. Access to them via teleportation circles (for a price - magic isn't free), might also be worth an idea. First having to "unlock" some of them, might also make sense - especially with one-time-quests / killing bosses or tribes that previously blocked access to the area, or other blockades.
Mars is a planet so the regions wrap around as indicated by the arrows and polar regions are all stretched and adjacent on both ends.Presuming that every region, has the same "size", I like it. Imagine a nuke-silo on 30, and a ~2 tile outwards radius where they could strike. Now do the same for 1. Just like it would work in reality. Adds another layer of intuitive strategy to the game, without making the rules themselves more complicated.
Theoretically, the regions could also hold different geological features, with assorted boni & mali, but I am unsure if another layer of rules, would add more to the game, than it would take from it by being more complicated. That mars can't really hold much more than "deserts", "ridges", "mountains", "hills", and "plateus" (and that is already stretching it a bit), thus limiting what players would have to remember, might just make them worthwhile though. Well, or maybe not.
Same reasoning applies to possible "resources" like ores, ice & stuff.
Post by: Haspen on December 11, 2016, 07:13:19 am
Post by: Haspen on December 11, 2016, 09:05:14 am
Post by: NUKE9.13 on December 11, 2016, 07:22:03 pm
Aaaanyway. A long long time ago, I used to post here quite a bit. Ran a few games, some of which did alright. I am particularly proud of Demonhood (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=99534), a game which ran for some time before eventually dying due to, ah, various issues. Whilst performing some act of unspeakable necromancy upon it would be thematically appropriate, I wonder whether it might be better to start afresh with some other project.
What do you think? Unspeakable Necromancy or something simpler?
Post by: S34N1C on December 11, 2016, 07:27:14 pm
Post by: Funk on December 11, 2016, 07:31:52 pm
Or just Necromancy it, it's your game after all.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 11, 2016, 07:41:46 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 11, 2016, 07:53:13 pm
Post by: S34N1C on December 11, 2016, 07:55:13 pm
I think just doing a reboot-type deal would be the best with Necromancy. Just do the same concept but with a new audience and the ability to implement any changes in setting or mechanics you wanted before.^ what I meant, but he said it better
Post by: Digital Hellhound on December 11, 2016, 08:12:56 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on December 11, 2016, 08:36:25 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on December 11, 2016, 09:17:38 pm
Well going to give one last shot innMagnus arm. Otherwise posting other things. And yes my mind just scattered so it's multiples at once.Flavor and big pictures are important, but you might want to start narrowing down what the basic gameplay loops would look like. Even for Infernum, where you had a billion different stats mapped out, I didn't feel like I was getting a good sense of what the game would be like to watch or play.
Oh, man, NUKE. There's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Is this the first sign of the return of countless prominent old Bay12ers? A grand comeback tour of all the greats? I don't even remember who I'm talking about, that's how long it's been![/Kenobi Voice]
Post by: Funk on December 11, 2016, 09:40:15 pm
To be different and avoid every thing to be invented here syndrome, each country gets a sponsor in the form of NATO or the Warsaw pact which gives them new designs from time to time.
Two sides, Borduria the communist dictatorship armed by the Warsaw pact.
And Syldavia the well none communist dictatorship armed by NATO.
Any one have any ideas to add?
Post by: RoseHeart on December 13, 2016, 09:14:28 pm
Post by: Fniff on December 15, 2016, 12:47:38 pm
Is it wrong I'd like to see a crossover between Seaside Ghost and Drider? Am I going to hell?Not necessarily, though I am curious as to what a crossover would look like.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 15, 2016, 05:44:44 pm
Im thinking of running an army race type game but setting it post ww2.
To be different and avoid every thing to be invented here syndrome, each country gets a sponsor in the form of NATO or the Warsaw pact which gives them new designs from time to time.
Two sides, Borduria the communist dictatorship armed by the Warsaw pact.
And Syldavia the well none communist dictatorship armed by NATO.
Any one have any ideas to add?
I like it. Where your sponsor gives you designs to test out as opposed to making up your own stuff.
As for Inferum: I gave units stats as my players complained of lack of and random dice deciding wins. Though I will post examples of how my stuff goes on.
And Inferum is the only army game to have stat blocks. Given Conquest will take Rogue play route here and Kingdom/ Onslaught do not have stats.
Value in Onslaught ht is by how many tech branches of branch tree equals to value in production and arming. Kingdom? By what you pick. No stats. No tech tree. Just flavor.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on December 15, 2016, 07:18:46 pm
AonslsughtThe only thing slaughtered here seems to be spelling.
Post by: Funk on December 15, 2016, 09:27:27 pm
I like it. Where your sponsor gives you designs to test out as opposed to making up your own stuff.
The idea to get away from me haveing to design anything, the two sides do that.
But with the sponsor if a sides says "we want some mig15 or some m16s" it gives the players choices and the game a bit more of a cold war feel.
Post by: RoseHeart on December 16, 2016, 01:31:16 pm
I'm looking to assemble a championship of sorts that is in very much in the sense of a crossover and I need willing and interested GM's to participate to make this happen :)
Post by: Funk on December 16, 2016, 05:48:56 pm
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 19, 2016, 12:02:56 am
I'm at a loss on how to properly "engage" people to actually post in my FGs. I've posted about this before in the same thread and have gotten some fairly helpful advice, but I still am unable to "fix" the issue after a pretty long time.
My FGs (like Prints (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161892.0) and Lone Galaxy (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161600.00)) all feel to me like they have the problem of lacking an actual "trail" for people to follow and can't signal the possible actions. As a consequence, people won't post out of a lack of motivation or ideas to the given problem, even if they read or enjoy the FG otherwise. (And yes, I know Prints & Lone Galaxy are too recent to be judging like this, but this post is more about all my FGs as a whole and I feel Prints & Lone Galaxy are fairly representative of that.)
At least, that's my theory based on my own deductions and some comments from when I last asked this a year or so ago.
I don't want to do the equivalent of "You can do: Thing A, Thing B, Thing C, or something else" but I don't think I can sufficiently "hint" at the possible solutions. I just can't create a problem for the players to solve that has enough possible ways of fixing it that people can come up with, and instead I usually end up creating something similar to click & point games where the solutions may be obvious to the creator, but is extremely obscure to anyone else.
And I do sometimes manage to "pull it off". Galaxy Rise, an older FG of mine, was pretty successful in terms of participation, but I don't know why. Multiple old games are mine are like this. Some I've "rebooted" due to my own liking of running the game, and they haven't reached the same success. Watcher AI (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161031), a fairly recent but informally-on-hiatus FG I ran/run, is on that informal hiatus in part because I sometimes just find it hard to summon the motivation to continue a game when it feels like only two people participate.
TL;DR: What's wrong with most of my FGs leading to little player participation?
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on December 19, 2016, 12:33:42 am
Post by: RoseHeart on December 19, 2016, 01:20:03 am
Then look at one of the most interesting forum games you enjoy here and and see if you can apply that idea to that system that is working really well here.
That new thing will be fun and perhaps it will help you do a thing after it that is even closer to your goal.
For video game example I remember some people not too long ago made some really high-quality Sonic fan games. They were really popular. Later on the team made their own game that had its own unique self created characters that used their own ideas to do new things.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 19, 2016, 01:49:48 am
Players need a personal attachment. A hook that connects them individually into the game. In usual multiplayer forum RPGs it's the player character. Of course, having a character is not enough, there needs to be activity to come back for, a decision to make. Providing that activity is the most challenging task. How to do that? Well, I'm not entirely sure. You need to provide two goals; short term tangible goal that players can reasonably archieve in relatively short time frame, perhaps within ten turns. Perhaps make it possible for players to visualize future short term goals. "If I can do this, then afterwards I can do this and that." Short term goals string together into path to long term goal that has major impact into the game or game world.
This is what I did with my RTD that somehow ended up in RTD Hall of Fame. Of course I wasn't aware I was doing it at the time, but in retrospect it is clear. The end goal of the game was crystal clear. Each player could easily see individual steps required to reach that goal and plan accordingly. All I needed to do was to throw some randomness into their plans and open new alternative paths. Sometimes those new paths were used, sometimes they were ignored. Once the ball started rolling, it pretty much rolled by itself and all I had to do was to punish my keyboard. It was great, but also very exhausting.
For suggestion games this is doubly more important because players do not have their own character. Short term goals and long term goals is far more troubling because those tend to be goals of the character rather than player's. I have ran only one suggestion game, and comparing it to more succesfull ones I have reached this conclusion: The hook must be personal interaction. If GM doesn't address unused suggestions it will leave players without connection. By addressing those, answering them individually from context of the character, even if they are not used, you provide players the connection.
I have one suggestion game roughly planned (which I will never run) to make players as voices in the character's head, so I can answer each individually from context of the game. For example:
Quote from: Person 1
Murder them all!!
No god damn way, I'm not a murderer! I won't give in to the dark side!
And few turns later:
Quote from: Person 1
I told you to kill them. You wouldn't be in this trouble if you did.
LALALALALAA! I'M NOT LISTENING!
Without trying this I can't be certain if it really works, if that's enough to give people the personal connection and desire to keep posting suggestions, but currently I'd like to think so.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 19, 2016, 11:53:08 pm
I would say focus on what the cool thing that is new and interesting that you're wanting to try to do.Eeh. That feels like it eliminates the point of making FGs for me. I like coming up with the systems and the ideas and just about everything else. Besides, there's not even many systems to use - if it's a suggestion game (which most of my FGs are), it's a SG. Not much else for it to be.
Then look at one of the most interesting forum games you enjoy here and and see if you can apply that idea to that system that is working really well here.
That new thing will be fun and perhaps it will help you do a thing after it that is even closer to your goal.
For video game example I remember some people not too long ago made some really high-quality Sonic fan games. They were really popular. Later on the team made their own game that had its own unique self created characters that used their own ideas to do new things.
Snipped stuffI actually think the goals thing backfired for me in a way in Prints. The intent was/is for a very sandbox-y game. Long term goals in the form of a list of people that you were supposed to get revenge on, and the idea was that this would provide a reason to the sandbox - get rich through crime/whatever to get closer to the goal. However, so far (though not that far), the player character has moved exclusively towards said goals instead of doing any sandbox-type things.
I don't like telling players what they're supposed to do (this post totally doesn't count!) because that just feels counteractive to forum games, but I personally feel like people are in a way just missing the point and meat of the game.
Lone Galaxy also has a goal, but it's straight-forward and not really the center of any problems there I feel.
Goals are easy, but having them being visibly reachable is the hard part. Sure, I can say "go kill this guy because he murdered your family twice", but how do I make that a tangible goal with a visible set of paths? For Prints, I considered giving people the status of their targets off the back. So instead of just a name, people get a description similar to "Person A now lives in a personal castle with a private army surrounding him." In the end, though, I decided that this could be instead through information gathering. It seems like this could be part of the reason why the goals in Prints backfired - people essentially have to devote too much time and effort to finding about their targets.
And about the personal interaction, it definitely seems valid, but it is hard to do when there are no suggestions to consider. In Lone Galaxy and Prints, I usually get 2-3 (1-3 for Prints) posts per update, and they're generally either unrelated valid actions that can all be acted on, tangential thoughts that don't work as actions, or just agreement on a single action. I don't really get many opportunities to address actions which wouldn't "go through" otherwise.
Post by: Shoruke on December 20, 2016, 02:32:04 am
Goals are easy, but having them being visibly reachable is the hard part.
Well, there's the MGSV-style gametelling. A support character tells the protagonist, "Okay so there's your goal over there. You can totally go do that thing by doing all the things on that checklist I gave you.
BUT ALSO
Here's a horse, a bag of empty gun clips, a noisemaker, some cardboard boxes and posters, and some freakishly efficient balloons. I'm sure you can figure something out, and remember to keep an eye out for blueprints, materials, and stray goats."
Post by: S34N1C on December 20, 2016, 10:35:34 am
I actually think the goals thing backfired for me in a way in Prints. The intent was/is for a very sandbox-y game. Long term goals in the form of a list of people that you were supposed to get revenge on, and the idea was that this would provide a reason to the sandbox - get rich through crime/whatever to get closer to the goal. However, so far (though not that far), the player character has moved exclusively towards said goals instead of doing any sandbox-type things.message received chief. will do better
I don't like telling players what they're supposed to do (this post totally doesn't count!) because that just feels counteractive to forum games, but I personally feel like people are in a way just missing the point and meat of the game.
Lone Galaxy also has a goal, but it's straight-forward and not really the center of any problems there I feel.
Post by: monk12 on December 20, 2016, 02:55:55 pm
Goals are easy, but having them being visibly reachable is the hard part.
Well, there's the MGSV-style gametelling. A support character tells the protagonist, "Okay so there's your goal over there. You can totally go do that thing by doing all the things on that checklist I gave you.
BUT ALSO
Here's a horse, a bag of empty gun clips, a noisemaker, some cardboard boxes and posters, and some freakishly efficient balloons. I'm sure you can figure something out, and remember to keep an eye out for blueprints, materials, and stray goats."
Basically this, but I'll expand on it for my own entertainment.
If your goal is "kill this guy because he killed your father," it's not really a goal, it's a motivation. Goals are the intermediary steps to satisfying that motivation. A helpful way to think about it is for goals to be the obstacles between your character wanting something and actualizing that desire. For example, a character "wants" revenge, but their goals in aid of that are to "find the guy," "have the strength/ability to defeat the guy," and "bypass the guy's defenses." Those are all specific objectives a player can work towards with the understanding that achieving them progresses their overall motivating goal.
That's the "tangible goal" part of the equation, but the "visible paths" bit is trickier and more dependent on the game. For basics though, a player needs to have a good sense of what assets they currently possess, what assets they need to accomplish a goal, and what actions they can take to bridge the gap between the two. Assets include starting inventory and any special abilities of the player, but perhaps most important is information. In our revenge plot example, if the first big goal is "find the guy" then the player needs to be told right off the bat anything they already know about "the guy" and what leads they have to follow up on.
Let's say that the information the player wants is in the sole possession of a guild of international assassins, and since there are no intermediary leads you want the player to follow on this arc the player starts the game knowing this. You probably already have some ideas for how the player could get past this obstacle; they could buy a meeting with this person with significant amounts of money or personal service, or they could try to join the guild and meet the contact on a personal basis. Obviously you could just offer those options explicitly, but you want people to play around in the sandbox, so let's not do that. If you want to maintain a freeform sandbox feel for the player's actions the player also needs to have some working knowledge of the assassins guild.
So, in this example you tell the player that the person who knows the whereabouts of their father's murderer is a high-ranking member of the Assassins Guild. You then tell them that the Assassins Guild is a secret society of international murderers for hire. They aren't in the phonebook or on the darkweb, but instead reach out to persons of power, wealth, and influence to offer their services. They draw their membership from notable members of small-time thieves' guilds, decorated expatriates, famous mercenary companies, and the like. They are particularly famous for a rare kind of poison they use in high-profile hits.
By providing this block of information, you implicitly provide the hooks for your anticipated actions; you can the Guild to call you if you have money (so doing things that get you money and fame would get you closer to this goal) and you can join if you're a famous fighter of some kind. Because you didn't make the options explicit, you leave the option open for the player to surprise you with information they've gotten from elsewhere in the game; perhaps they already know about a corrupt CEO NPC from the lore, and conclude based on the Assassins Guild description that this CEO probably has ties with them, and thus decide that toadying up to him is the best path to take. The key to getting players to think outside the box is to make sure there's neat stuff outside the box for them to play with; if all the toys are inside the box, there's no reason to leave it.
This is why I'm never afraid of sticking throwaway bits of fluff to everything; the better the picture your players have of the broader world, the better they can see the connections between the background stuff and their own agendas. It's a balancing act to make sure you don't overwhelm them with lore, but the players need stuff to work with. To butcher the metaphor, if you sit the players in the sandbox and give them reason to build a castle and a shovel and bucket, their sandcastles are all going to look very similar, and they're never going to move away from where they started unless they can find a spade or a toy truck or some neat shells just out of reach.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on December 20, 2016, 03:01:24 pm
I have one suggestion game roughly planned (which I will never run) to make players as voices in the character's head, so I can answer each individually from context of the game. For example:TWoOtA uses that these days. A whole bunch of SGs even. Darkest Garden springs to mind.Quote from: Person 1Murder them all!!
No god damn way, I'm not a murderer! I won't give in to the dark side!
And few turns later:Quote from: Person 1I told you to kill them. You wouldn't be in this trouble if you did.
LALALALALAA! I'M NOT LISTENING!
Without trying this I can't be certain if it really works, if that's enough to give people the personal connection and desire to keep posting suggestions, but currently I'd like to think so.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 20, 2016, 06:21:24 pm
Agh! I'm not trying to tell people reading my SGs what to do! It's a game! Do what you want!stuffmessage received chief. will do better
@monk:
The difference between goals and motivations seems pretty technical and it feels like I was more intending to put across your definition of a motivation when I said "goal".
But yeah. That's pretty sound advice that I appreciate. I haven't had much experience with those more cohesive-type SGs - my games usually are done in such a way that the player isn't given a chance to explore a larger connected world. It's not necessarily a flaw, though. I do really like that example, though, and it makes sense. I'll try to incorporate things somewhat similar to that in future/current SGs even though they won't be nearly as well-done as even that small example. Expand on the world via throw-away bits of lore instead of my current style of "say what the player asks about and nothing else" and make things flexible enough that people form connections and make the game better for you.
Thanks.
Post by: NUKE9.13 on December 20, 2016, 07:28:22 pm
Like, you can have an idea for the most amazing forum game, with the best story and the most awesome interactions, but if the theme- the top layer of your delicious forum-game cake- doesn't appeal to people, it probably won't get off the ground.
There are one million forum games where you wake up in a room with amnesia, for example. Boring. Seen it. Even if in your case there is a totally valid justification which the players will discover 50 turns in- doesn't matter, unless your game is really outstanding.
The sort of thing that interests me (I can't speak for everyone) are themes that are
1)Somewhat unique. Doesn't have to be- no, shouldn't be- too wild, but not something I've seen a thousand times before.
2)Simple to understand. If you can't explain the theme in a single sentence, I'm already getting bored (so to speak)
3)Full of potential. Not unlimited potential, as complete freedom is restrictive. But I need to be able to visualise things that could happen in the future (this sort of ties back into the goals discussion)
I dunno. Maybe this advice is worthless. Well, whatever. Do with it what you will.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 20, 2016, 08:01:24 pm
I assume you mean something similar to a more overarching-type "setting", but I really can't be sure.
Post by: IronyOwl on December 20, 2016, 10:45:36 pm
What do you mean by "theme" in this context? I'm having a bit of trouble parsing it from a more literary context to that of a FG.
I assume you mean something similar to a more overarching-type "setting", but I really can't be sure.
I don't like telling players what they're supposed to do (this post totally doesn't count!) because that just feels counteractive to forum games, but I personally feel like people are in a way just missing the point and meat of the game.I think he means that and also this thing you're talking about in the second quote. "You wake up in Hyrule, you are Ganondorf but also a magical girl" is the same setting but a different theme than "You wake up in Hyrule, Link is missing and Ganondorf has returned as a magical girl." It's what the game is about, essentially, and by extension why you should care about, be interested in, and partake of it.
Speaking of which, if you feel like players "aren't getting" the game, you might want to reconsider what you've told them about it. Too explicit is usually better than too vague, especially if your issue is that nobody seems to remember Ganondorf is supposed to act like a villain or that Hyrule needs protecting. That, to me, seems like a style mismatch: You thought you said "You're a manly villain magical girl, go destroy Hyrule," but players heard "You're a manly villain magical girl, do whatever lol." Which explains both why not many people are interested, and why the ones that are seem a little distracted.
Talking about Prints and Lone Galaxy specifically:
Prints starts out, in my opinion, unnecessarily vague. You don't even have the year down, but it was obviously kind of important because you shot down Roman Adventures. This kind of "Do anything! Wait, not that! The other thing!" is not great for player participation and involvement, because it starts to feel like that point n click guessing game you're worried about. If you need something to be a specific way, say so; if you need it to be within a certain range or one of a set of options, likewise. "Select Period: Prohibition, 80s Cocaine Wars, 90s Rambo Style" is waaaaay better than "Select year: Not that year! I need the other year! You'll find out why it matters later."
That said, it was still a concise and interesting enough premise to garner a good number of suggestions, most of them pretty nice, in my opinion. Then you started them out in an apartment with a variety of overly specific knickknacks, and... well...
...one-time bump.
So to me, the issue here is that you killed your momentum. Everyone was all set for Roman Adventures and/or Something Else, they got Something Else, and then you took an entire update to mention they have $15 and ask what their profession is. You don't even specify if it's their crime job or day job! It doesn't feel like it's living up to its premise at that point.
And then everybody wants to go to the pub. Even after you explain that they've misunderstood. Which to me doesn't sound like they misunderstood, it feels like they have no idea where they are or what they're doing, and so are trying to get the game moving.
Well, you're at the pub. What now?If so, I don't think it worked.
So after that point, you kind of get them re-railed, but by then there's only one real thing they can do, and that's blindly follow the lead you've given them. The sandbox is gone, as appears to be player interest.
If you want to get the game revived in its original incarnation, I suggest you follow some of the advice already given and flesh out the world enough that players have a box to play in. If you're going to track money, give it meaning. How much does a hunting rifle cost? Enough C4 to blow open a wall? A plane ticket to Guatamala where their next target is hiding? Without context, it's just a fiddly bit. Similarly, where does it come from? Jobs? What jobs, do you just look around? Do you have a contact? Are there multiple places you can work? Do jobs have success rates based on your skills and the conditions surrounding it? Where are those located? Then we get into how you find your targets to take revenge on them, and so on and so forth.
When in doubt, imagine the game as a control panel or UI. If they can't see a list of available jobs, they're probably not going to take one. If they don't know the Locate Jobs button exists to display the available jobs list for them, they're probably not going to find that one either. At this exact moment they have a giant targeting reticule over one of their Big Important Names, but no idea what buttons they're able to push, either to take the shot now, stock up advantages for later, abandon mission to build up and come back under more advantageous circumstances, or something else entirely.
For that matter, they probably don't know what their odds on any of those are. If they just jump out of the bushes and open fire, what's likely to happen? They hit nothing and then get their face shot off? They take out all four men? They engage a cinematic shootout sequence involving rock-paper-scissors style mind games over their next move? Looking at it myself, I don't really know, so I'm guessing others are similarly unclear. That adds to the uncertainty and thus disinterest or at least quiet.
I was gonna do something similar for Lone Galaxy, but that burned me out and I suspect you've gotten the gist of my likely complaints.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 20, 2016, 11:23:33 pm
The "telling players what they're supposed to do" was primarily referring to something more along the lines of extreme railroading. Not "You are _____ and your destiny is to ___________ because _______", but "GUYS STOP! NO! Don't play my game that way! It's my game and I want it played this way or else!"
Yeah. Prints is possibly the worst starting FG I've done. The pick-a-year thing was a mistake, I agree. I was indecisive about the era and decided "You know what? What if the players decided?" and looking back at it, I shouldn't have done it. I also thought "modern times" was an obvious limitation but that is an assumption I really should have known better than to make.
The "overly specific knickknacks" thing is definitely a reoccurring problem in my games. It seems to be a catch-22: If I'm too vague about what the protagonist starts out with, people end up ignoring their vague possessions or are forced to just ask questions until they stumble upon what they have.
e.g. "You have some crime stuff!" "Do we have a pistol?" "You do have a pistol!" "Do we have a suit?" "No." "Do we have anything cool?" "Ask and I'll tell you!"
But if I go specific like I did in Prints, it ends up being somewhat shoehorned and leads to what I consider to be one of my biggest major flaws in making SGs - I'm really bad comprehensive lists. If I were to say, make a list of systems on your ship in a sci-fi game, I would without fail forget something. Sometimes I can recon it in ("..wait, I don't see a power generator?" "What? No. You're mistaken. We definitely always had a power generator") but other times I'm just stuck with the bed I made. If it were a perfect world, I wish I could go with the vague approach and have it just work, but in my experience it just doesn't.
And for the update-just-to-say-they-have-$15:
I feel like this is largely a symptom of the main problem - misunderstood intent - in Prints. It was intended as a "crime sandbox". So theoretically I start the players at their apartment and they decide "We should get money -> Let's use our money to buy stuff to get ready for crime!" Story wasn't supposed to be the focus - the players were supposed to (I know, I know) make their own story.
But instead I accidently present it as somewhat more of a crime drama, and your observed problem appears - the protagonist is dropped into an apartment without any compelling narrative hooks or background with nothing to do.
The misunderstood part was because I intended the final line of the apartment update to be more of a "What are you going to do now?", and I wasn't asking for their profession. Which feels like it killed the little remaining steam the game had at that point.
And the rest of your post seems to be "give them options". Which I more or less agree with. But with the sandbox thing - I was always intending for the players to be able to do whatever whenever. At no point am I forcing them to follow the lead. At the risk of "spoiling" a small amount of behind-the-scenes stuff for prints, I was intending to end the current confrontation decisively by outright showing the players that yup, those guys are way too powerful for you to consider confronting right now. Then the plan was/is to give people hints about possible ways to get back into the mythical sandbox. I'd say "Huh. You don't have that much money but look! All these opportunities to get money! Or men! Or whatever you want!"
And we return back to another flaw of mine with SGs - I can't effectively present options or choices. I'd like to think it's related with my apparent inability to provide comprehensive lists, but I'm not a phycologist. For whatever reason I can't subtly present the player with a list of choices or outcomes.
I mean, wouldn't they know what they're able to do? Run away, sneak, engage, talk, etc. I don't see (while I'm sure I'm wrong) what more I can do without blatantly listing the options in an update. And while that is a valid style used in SGs, it's not a method I want to employ. The odds being too vague, sure. I could had included a sentence or two saying "Oh jeez these guys could sure blow your head of if you so much as raised a finger at them"/something along those lines.
I think Prints is suffering from the problem of being an abomination of different themes/gameplay styles due to assumptions I made in the OP and the choose-a-year thing. At this point I'm considering restarting it (which probably wouldn't work because steam is already gone) or simply putting it on permanent hiatus. I'll probably try to get it back on track before I make that decision though.
Lone Galaxy is mostly just a problem due to being a bit too railroad-y. In it, I can't seem to effectively create scenarios where the players are in control and I can't properly give players apparent decisions and choices without being obvious. This one I'm simply considering permanent hiatus as well, because while the plot is interesting-enough relative to the rest of my narratives, it feels like it could be too far gone to rescue.
I'm almost definitely going to cool off on these types of narratives for future games. Thanks again for the criticism - it really helps.
Post by: Solifuge on December 21, 2016, 07:42:58 pm
Yeah. Prints is possibly the worst starting FG I've done. The pick-a-year thing was a mistake, I agree. I was indecisive about the era and decided "You know what? What if the players decided?" and looking back at it, I shouldn't have done it. I also thought "modern times" was an obvious limitation but that is an assumption I really should have known better than to make.
The "overly specific knickknacks" thing is definitely a reoccurring problem in my games. It seems to be a catch-22: If I'm too vague about what the protagonist starts out with, people end up ignoring their vague possessions or are forced to just ask questions until they stumble upon what they have.
e.g. "You have some crime stuff!" "Do we have a pistol?" "You do have a pistol!" "Do we have a suit?" "No." "Do we have anything cool?" "Ask and I'll tell you!"
I recently tried an entirely suggestion-based Inventory Generation thing in Ashwood Cross (http://bit.ly/AshwoodCross2); I only gave them the clothes on their backs and a single item to start, and they suggested the rest. I think it worked pretty well! I took some liberties interpreting and combining the most popular suggestions and all that, but I think we ended up with a pretty interesting character, and a good kit of gear. I had to come up with mechanical functions for the inventory, but so far, so good.
In general, I'm experimenting with an Audience-Responsive design for the game. I mean, I have a solid idea about the setting and events that lead to this, and where it's going Big Picture, but I'm building near future challenges around the equipment they chose, and invented a few plot hooks on the fly based around their choices. I think it works well, in a Collaborative Storytelling situation like an Illustrated Suggestion Game. And in a way, it's easier on me as a creator; they help me flesh out some of the details, and get a bit of authorship and creative-control over the situation in return. Win-win!
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 21, 2016, 08:01:02 pm
So a player would say "Use our stun grenade!" and I would respond "You use one of your two stun grenades ...", a player would say "Use our marksman rifle to shoot that guy!" and I would respond fine. If a player says "Use our super-expensive-prototype-sci-fi smart missile launcher to shoot down that helicopter!" I would respond "You use your ordinary bazooka to shoot down the helicopter."
So the tricky parts would be providing a good-enough description of your character and your rough inventory to allow players to make assumptions within the intended scope, and being able to interpret out-of-scope suggestions without providing too many straight-out "No"s and allowing the protagonist to get too OP in terms of inventory and abilities.
Your exact method seems like it definitely works, but also non-thematic with my type of game. I tend to prefer a bit more established setting and characters while still allowing player improvisation along the way (Prints is a really bad example of this). It's not exactly unique, but I like it. But what I'm saying is that I personally don't like doing clear "character creation" sections in my own games, kind of. Perhaps in the near-ish future I could make a game using similar character creation, since I haven't ever gone "all-out" and allow that much player improvisation in my games, and it seems like it could be fun to do.
Buut yeah. Player inventory is definitely still the biggest roadblock for my currently planned game. I'm considering the approach I outlined in this post, but I may also just ask people outright what they have. Sort of like a more overt version of Ashwood Cross, I guess?
Post by: Solifuge on December 21, 2016, 11:14:40 pm
Also, I hear what you mean about preferring to have a character in-mind before you start the game. In my case, there were some definite traits about who the player is, which are mostly unknown to the players as of right now. However, the players got to suggest some skills and faults, and I stitched that together into a character profile with stats and all that, which also works with the character I already had worked out. I thought it was a good way to compromise what I'm going for, without taking away the audience's Creative Control!
I'm not sure how pulling items out of Hammerspace would work in a game; on the one hand, that's going to let players summon convenient items at will to solve their problems, after they know what the problem is... which could keep things moving along swiftly. It could also feel a bit random and silly, which is great if that's your goal! It might trivialize some of your challenges too, though. For example, if you present them with a locked door, which they have to solve a puzzle to open; if they just summon some Heavy Explosives, there goes that puzzle, right?
Also, I'd caution you to lay out some kind of rules for Item Summoning, which the players understand before they suggest any items. Maybe a random chance roll, or maybe a limit to the size or number of items they can pull out in a given Scene, or whatever. I'd caution you against just picking whether they will or won't have an item on a case by case basis; if a player puts some time coming up with a creative or useful item suggestion, but it gets rejected by the GM for reasons they don't understand, that might feel frustrating or railroady to your players!
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 22, 2016, 12:30:29 am
But the way I was talking about wasn't something that would last particularly long. It'd present itself as essentially a slightly extended character creation period instead of a permanent game mechanic. People would be "summoning" items (which is just an abstracted inventory - "summoning" something is basically saying "take out the hammer that we totally brought with us", not "summon up a hammer!") just for the first few updates while the game itself is starting.
So instead of having a set of updates for the sole purpose of getting the players' inputs via direct questions, the first updates would be part of the intro/whatever and players would do the "summoning" just for that bit. Like if the game was about a spy infiltrating a snowy complex, the intro would be them (jet)skiing down the hills past pursuers then entering the complex, and the players could summon items there, but once they get in, it's a regular game mechanics-wise.
Railroading would be handled by properly setting expectations and interpreting actions - like the example before, if a person suggests something way too extreme, it could theoretically be toned down without appearing to flat-out deny an action. You don't hack a super door-opening computer, but you do just so happen to have some lockpicks! That kind of stuff.
The summoning thing isn't an idea my heart is set on - it's just something I thought could potentially work for future games, and maybe it will? I may never use it or use it next time I come up with a new game.
Post by: RoseHeart on December 22, 2016, 02:46:58 am
I am looking for interesting forum game worlds to invade with Forum Runner, and Ashwood Cross looks like a fine target.
Brief: Forum Runner is a contest between two players take on 2 week or less challenges within other games, best of 5 wins. Here's the thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161420.msg7251652#msg7251652), my PM box is open.
Post by: Tiruin on December 22, 2016, 03:15:43 am
The way we handled inventory creation in Ashwood Cross was pretty simple; when the players opened their bag, I asked them what they'd find inside it, and picked my favorites. They can't pull out more from the bag now that it's open, though that mechanic might make a return for rewards later on. Also note; we did this after we created their character, and after they'd seen that they were in the entrance to a dark cave, but before any of the upcoming challenges were known. I didn't want them cheesing every challenge with an easy solution to every problem... I want them to have to be clever sometimes![...]Hee~ Knew it was something like this given one of my posts there! :3 (Also this kind of thing where you give freedom to players at more times than the rails, ends up with mutual hilarity, so that kind of thing where player/GM/character freedom all mix is a good spot)
And now you have a duffel bag in a duffel bag. Double durability lining! \o/
Also PTW this thread. :P
I'm...trying to find ways on how to remake and improve my RtD >_<
Post by: Solifuge on December 22, 2016, 06:37:35 am
@Solifuge
I am looking for interesting forum game worlds to invade with Forum Runner, and Ashwood Cross looks like a fine target.
Brief: Forum Runner is a contest between two players take on 2 week or less challenges within other games, best of 5 wins. Here's the thread (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161420.msg7251652#msg7251652), my PM box is open.
So, it's a sort of cross-Forum-Game challenge? Sounds interesting. PMing. Hope you find other interested folks too; what a neat idea!
And now you have a duffel bag in a duffel bag. Double durability lining! \o/
Also PTW this thread. :P
I'm...trying to find ways on how to remake and improve my RtD >_<
That dang Duffle Bag in a Duffle Bag bit. It was so dumb, but too good to pass up.
Did you have any questions about your RtD? Is this a Shattered Dreams reboot/continuation?
Post by: Tiruin on December 22, 2016, 06:52:15 am
That dang Duffle Bag in a Duffle Bag bit. It was so dumb, but too good to pass up.That duffle bag thing can be your awesome hook y'know. ;3 As a player, we've no idea what you've got in your...*ahem*, bag o' GM tricks! :3
Did you have any questions about your RtD? Is this a Shattered Dreams reboot/continuation?
And yep--about that RtD! I'm more posting here as I think Roller's Block is more to mechanics and such, whereas I'm more concerned to how to plot a story and tell it well :x It's moreso because I've got anxiety in communication and in a social context, it generally comes off as 'I can easily understand anything others say but when I try saying things, it may be a bit mixed or too detailed after a few times where most people can understand it'.
Also wondering how folks play out plots with conflict as they go. This may be too much of a general question but I like writing out intrigue and relationships (people w/ others, people w/ environment, people w/ other entities and beings, etc). I've noted it's a thing with me in the part before a story's climax and right after the introduction (with imagery following the 5-part intro, rising action, climax, denouement, end, kind of picture :P)
So yeah, moreso on the fear of appearing bland or something akin to 'fear of unjust judgement'. :-\ However when that RtD was still alive, I've met a ton of tolerance and forgiving or otherwise very helpful folks in their feedback. Very awesome (and wholesomely supportive) feedback. :'( I still fear messing up, unnecessarily.
And that's what cycles around and bites me back (causing an unproductive loop >_> which is probably the biggest reason I'm not running any new games yet now that I'm all free from other duties that take up most of my time)
Post by: GiglameshDespair on December 22, 2016, 07:15:20 am
If you never actually run the game, you won't get better.
Even if it isn't perfect, a game can still be enjoyed. Just go for it.
Post by: RoseHeart on December 23, 2016, 03:18:36 am
To be honest I'd say the best way to improve is to do
If you never actually run the game, you won't get better.
Even if it isn't perfect, a game can still be enjoyed. Just go for it.
Post by: Rolepgeek on December 23, 2016, 03:49:38 am
The next few games had progressively more planning and become progressively worse.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on December 23, 2016, 05:59:39 am
The best game I ever ran on the forum is my first one, and I had just about zero planning for that.
The next few games had progressively more planning and become progressively worse.
That's a interesting thing, you know. My first game was the same; a basic idea about "contagious sapient alien virus and futuristic planet exploration", no planning beyond that and it turned out to be pretty good. Wasn't my best game, but it still is one of the top ones. I hear Einsteinian Roulette was much the same originally, simple idea about idiots in space, an armory listing and look what it became: over four years of running, huge player base and its own sub-board.
Unfortunately it doesn't always work out.
Post by: Solifuge on December 23, 2016, 03:24:10 pm
To be honest I'd say the best way to improve is to do
If you never actually run the game, you won't get better.
Even if it isn't perfect, a game can still be enjoyed. Just go for it.
The best game I ever ran on the forum is my first one, and I had just about zero planning for that.
The next few games had progressively more planning and become progressively worse.
I've heard similar experiences from Dexexe1234, who was a long-time MSPA and Bay12 Suggestion Game runner. Sometimes excessive planning, or laying complex rigid story bits out can paint you into a corner. A willingness to change or refine your idea over time is really important, as is letting your work grow organically.
On the topic of going into a project without extensive plans:
In "Take Joy", Jane Yolen (one of my favorite childhood authors) explains her creative process as starting with a seed. For example, it could be a scene; a Conan the Barbarian type takes tea with the Queen, which is a pretty ironic situation. For some people, depending on the medium, it might be a drawing or a song, a character or setting, or even a strong feeling. For Steven King's "Dark Tower" series, a poem he read in his Sophomore Year was the seed for his protagonist and his destination, and the rest of the Dark Western Science-Fantasy sorta setting extended from that.
Once an author has a seed, Jane Yolen suggested writers just allow their story to grow organically from it. Just think about how the thing came to happen, or what might happen because of it. How it fits in to a bigger picture, and what kind of Bigger Picture best fits that seed. As it grows, themes, plot hooks, challenges, antagonists, and character arcs might start to become apparent. If not, you can start to ponder those.
For my current Illustrated Suggestion Game, I started with a setting-based seed, a Scene, some Dice Mechanics, a Graphical Style. and some very long-term Story Beats I wanted to hit. We're only a few updates in, but the process of letting it grow has helped me create some little hooks, some near-future goals, and started to string out events pointing toward us a long-term twist and story shift. It's even changed some of the long-term Beats I had planned. For the most part, I'm leaving the content and scenes to be pretty flexible; I can shuffle around content to change the pacing, and add or react to new ideas on the fly. In general, I'm trying to treat the story as a living and growing thing, rather than as an extensive scaffold to drape some plot points and characters over (as I've done in the past).
Post by: RoseHeart on December 23, 2016, 04:58:54 pm
Sometimes it's nice to make sure you have a nice canvas and paint though.
Post by: Liberonscien on December 25, 2016, 07:45:54 pm
Post by: S34N1C on December 25, 2016, 10:48:09 pm
Post by: Liberonscien on December 26, 2016, 01:44:51 pm
Do tellWell, each player must be in a faction.
Each player may add one to any faction's score or subtract one.
The faction that has the highest score may make rules that affect the other factions, nomic style.
The goal of the factions not in power is to overthrow the one in power.
I'm thinking there will be three factions.
The plan is to have rules that allow temporary alliances to form between factions.
Any suggestions?
Post by: FallacyofUrist on December 26, 2016, 01:54:14 pm
Faction in power: new rule! Other factions cannot gain points or make other factions lose points.
If you're going to do this, you'll have to find some way to keep things moving and not become locked in place.
~~~
~~~
Here's an idea. Suppose you have some guy. He's worked for most of his life on one skill. Then he takes it a little bit further. If he's a doctor, suddenly he just preformed a surgery that not only restored his patient's eyesight, but also enhanced it to supernatural levels. If he's an actor, he convinced his audience that he actually was the character he was portraying. If he's a ninja, he just hid in plain sight.
This is Mastery, the ability to take a single skill to supernatural levels after decades of practice. And the guy who just achieved it? He's not alone. The world has many more other Masters alive, many of them part of the Guild of Masters, using their supernatural abilities to dominate the world and keep knowledge of Mastery from reaching public knowledge.
Post by: NUKE9.13 on December 26, 2016, 02:53:08 pm
What I have thought of so far is adding summaries of every update to the first post, to let people catch up without having to read everything. But is this enough? Can anyone think of other things I could do to solve this problem- and to what extent is it a problem? Are you personally turned off by posts that take more than five minutes to read? The regular readers all thought it wasn't a problem, but there's a bit of selection bias there.
Post by: S34N1C on December 26, 2016, 03:57:45 pm
Basically, I love your writing style, and don't have any complaint
Post by: Haspen on December 26, 2016, 04:00:28 pm
Keep the length but make updates more infrequent; maybe once per two day, or when you have at least 5 player posts after the newest update.
Post by: Liberonscien on December 27, 2016, 12:22:03 am
Here's a scenario.There would be starting rules that prohibit that sort of thing.
Faction in power: new rule! Other factions cannot gain points or make other factions lose points.
If you're going to do this, you'll have to find some way to keep things moving and not become locked in place.
~~~
~~~
Here's an idea. Suppose you have some guy. He's worked for most of his life on one skill. Then he takes it a little bit further. If he's a doctor, suddenly he just preformed a surgery that not only restored his patient's eyesight, but also enhanced it to supernatural levels. If he's an actor, he convinced his audience that he actually was the character he was portraying. If he's a ninja, he just hid in plain sight.
This is Mastery, the ability to take a single skill to supernatural levels after decades of practice. And the guy who just achieved it? He's not alone. The world has many more other Masters alive, many of them part of the Guild of Masters, using their supernatural abilities to dominate the world and keep knowledge of Mastery from reaching public knowledge.
I had the idea that a faction could create a new rule when it hit a certain number of points, then it's score was reset to zero.
A faction would have to collectively decide what rule to propose via an infaction government process.
Post by: Liberonscien on December 27, 2016, 12:23:29 am
Here's a scenario.Your idea fascinates me.
Faction in power: new rule! Other factions cannot gain points or make other factions lose points.
If you're going to do this, you'll have to find some way to keep things moving and not become locked in place.
~~~
~~~
Here's an idea. Suppose you have some guy. He's worked for most of his life on one skill. Then he takes it a little bit further. If he's a doctor, suddenly he just preformed a surgery that not only restored his patient's eyesight, but also enhanced it to supernatural levels. If he's an actor, he convinced his audience that he actually was the character he was portraying. If he's a ninja, he just hid in plain sight.
This is Mastery, the ability to take a single skill to supernatural levels after decades of practice. And the guy who just achieved it? He's not alone. The world has many more other Masters alive, many of them part of the Guild of Masters, using their supernatural abilities to dominate the world and keep knowledge of Mastery from reaching public knowledge.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on December 27, 2016, 12:46:54 am
So I'm considering just running one game, as hard as that may be for me to do, and focusing on it instead of 3 games at once. And I'd really appreciate quick feedback from people about which game they think is the best based on either past experience with it or the blurbs I'm about to get. I'm not expecting someone to read through each one and give a detailed summary, here. It'd be great if I could get any feedback.
Watcher AI (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161031.msg7209842#msg7209842). A slightly untraditional SG where the protagonist is an AI managing a ship full of frozen people after some out-of-sight disaster happens to the ship. It's more of a "management"-type game in that it has resources and blueprints and research. Updates are given in a vaguely-command line like format, as well.
You are an Independent Scientist (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=160779.msg7189142#msg7189142). A free-form SG where the character is an arguably crazy but arguably genius man who's really good at designing and inventing stuff. That's about it, really. You make things, get components, and use your things. By "free-form" I mean this game's narrative is entirely, for lack of a non-buzzword term, emergent, and still minor. Hence the "You are ..." title.
Prints (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161892.msg7295126#msg7295126). A SG that was intended to be essentially a simple crime version of the above Independent Scientist. You do crime, rise in power, etc.. Unfortunately I made some mistakes in the narrative which got too involved. The most recent updates seem to be getting away from that, and it definitely has the potential to.
Galaxy Spark (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161987.msg7303138#msg7303138). A game in a very infantile state when I decided to take a small break from running all these games at the same time. The concept is okay - you are in command of a ship in an occupied civilization; help them. It didn't seem to get much interest, but that's hard to say considering it has had, what, 2-3 updates? Before I stopped updates for the time being.
Lone Galaxy (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161600.msg7270793#msg7270793). The most narrative-based game of the bunch, and another SG like the rest. Lone Galaxy is meant to be a bit more episodic based but I ran into the problem of creating problems that are open enough to player solutions and that don't just have a single right answer. It still has some potential, but interest seems low and I find it hard gathering the motivation to continue running a game when I continuously get 2 posts from the same small group of people per update.
Post by: Shoruke on December 27, 2016, 05:00:36 pm
The problem is that University is starting back up soonish, I have work, and I have two programming projects I want to get done... Are suggestion game posts particularly time-consuming?
Post by: S34N1C on December 27, 2016, 08:08:18 pm
Post by: NUKE9.13 on December 28, 2016, 06:25:23 am
Are suggestion game posts particularly time-consuming?Depends, doesn't it. A suggestion game with short updates and (nearly) no planning or predetermined plot might take you 10 minutes a day. Medium updates and a little planning might take 30 minutes. Demonhood, with its 'excessively' long updates and a whole sub-game of status-tracking, takes me between an hour and two hours to update.
I think that so long as you avoid undue complexity, you would be able to run a suggestion game whilst also doing the other stuff you mentioned. Your proposed Metal Gear!? game might veer into the complex, if you start tracking resources and ongoing operations, but if you avoid that and focus just on what the protagonist is doing now, it may work. I dunno, give it a shot. No one will blame you if you find you can't update it due to time constraints, as it is an unfortunate fact of life that these games die all the time.
I'd really appreciate quick feedback from people about which game they think is the best based on either past experience with it or the blurbs I'm about to get. I'm not expecting someone to read through each one and give a detailed summary, here. It'd be great if I could get any feedback.
Independent Scientist is certainly the most tried and tested of the bunch; can't go wrong with mad science. Of the others, Watcher AI catches my interest the most (could maybe use an explanation of the game's format in the first post to bring new readers up to speed). It combines aspects of Science! with a more immediate goal, and has an interesting set up.
Post by: Shoruke on December 28, 2016, 10:36:29 am
With that said, thanks for the encouragement. I'll see about getting that game started up on the next day I don't work. (that's tomorrow)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 28, 2016, 03:11:50 pm
First is typical suggestion/ ABC formula.
Then there is creating a kingdom and managing it with others kingdoms. Here there is no development. Your stuck with picks.
Third is like above except three categories and limited points to decide.
Last has actual research tree. But it's nation points and their delivered monthly. In future do a set up of roping said games. First does not have to. The others I guess so.
Post by: Shoruke on December 29, 2016, 08:53:08 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=162083.0
Post by: Person on December 30, 2016, 04:42:01 pm
Post by: Liberonscien on December 31, 2016, 01:13:26 am
Players are to post rule suggestions. If it is repeated in its original form four more times by four other players then it becomes a rule. This also applies if players are posting multiple suggestions.
Rules are made, modified, and deleted in this way.
In order to add a new rule to a preexisting set of rules the old rules are to be included in the post that suggests them unless a player is intentionally not including them.
Post by: Person on December 31, 2016, 02:40:57 am
So how would a deletion work? Would the rule "Remove rule X" linger around after rule x is deleted? Probably not, I'm sure the initial set of rules you come up with will be rigorous enough to avoid silliness like that.
When it comes to sets of rules I assume you mean sub rules ex: 1a, 1b, 1c, etc. Is that correct?
Post by: Liberonscien on January 01, 2017, 01:35:50 pm
Seems like it could work. Might be a bit difficult to keep track of between pages though. Probably a good idea to put a timer on suggestions based on the first instance of that suggestion.This is the OP I have in mind:
So how would a deletion work? Would the rule "Remove rule X" linger around after rule x is deleted? Probably not, I'm sure the initial set of rules you come up with will be rigorous enough to avoid silliness like that.
When it comes to sets of rules I assume you mean sub rules ex: 1a, 1b, 1c, etc. Is that correct?
"Rules:
1. There are two kinds of rules: game rules and meta rules.
1a. Game rules determine how the game is played. Game rules are mutable.
1b. Meta rules determine how game rules are created. Meta rules are immutable.
2. Players may change the rules in the following way:
Copy the current game rules.
Paste into word processing program.
Alter in program.
Copy altered set of rules.
Post altered set of rules.
If two other players repeat it directly afterwards it becomes game rule.
2a. New rules may be added this way.
2b. Rules may be removed this way.
3. These rules may be altered by Liberonscien at any time to remove any ambiguity. "
I know it needs work. Any suggestions?
Post by: Fniff on January 01, 2017, 04:37:26 pm
What make a forum game have a good first impression for you?
How does this differ between a roleplay or a suggestion game?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on January 02, 2017, 12:00:22 am
Two examples of good OP I can think of are Einsteinian Roulette (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=106279.0) and Our Salvation (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=154045.0).
Post by: heydude6 on January 09, 2017, 12:43:41 am
Or if that's too vague, a quick easy way to visualize the differences between using 1d6 and 2d3 for example.
possible outcomes for 1d6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
# of dice 1 1 1 1 1 1
combinations
that achieve
this outcome
possible outcomes for 2d3
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
# of dice 1 2 3 2 1
combinations
that achieve
this outcome
As can be seen, when you use 2d3 rather than 1d6, 4's become more common. As a matter of fact, they appear 1 out of 3 times when you roll the dice rather than 1 out of 6 times with a regular d6. Anyway, now that I explained to you guys what my idea of a probability curve is and how dice affect it, now I can get to my question.
Do you guys have some advice for getting visual representations of these different possible combinations. Cause when you start experimenting with numbers like 1d6 + 1d12 + 5d8, it becomes a bit harder to do these calculations in your head.
Anyway, sorry for the bad description. I'm a bit sleep deprived.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on January 09, 2017, 01:07:49 am
You guys have any advice on representing probability curves (probably isn't a real term) for different types of die rolls in a stats heavy homebrew system?
Or if that's too vague, a quick easy way to visualize the differences between using 1d6 and 2d3 for example.
possible outcomes for 1d6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
# of dice 1 1 1 1 1 1
combinations
that achieve
this outcome
possible outcomes for 2d3
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
# of dice 1 2 3 2 1
combinations
that achieve
this outcome
As can be seen, when you use 2d3 rather than 1d6, 4's become more common. As a matter of fact, they appear 1 out of 3 times when you roll the dice rather than 1 out of 6 times with a regular d6. Anyway, now that I explained to you guys what my idea of a probability curve is and how dice affect it, now I can get to my question.
Do you guys have some advice for getting visual representations of these different possible combinations. Cause when you start experimenting with numbers like 1d6 + 1d12 + 5d8, it becomes a bit harder to do these calculations in your head.
Anyway, sorry for the bad description. I'm a bit sleep deprived.
You could always visualize it as a bell curve since that's what sums of independent variables tend to approach.
The results are always centered around the sum of the means, so 1d6 + 1d12 + 5d8 will be centered around 3.5 + 6.5 + 5*4.5. That's an average of 32.5.
If you want a way to quickly calculate it using your computer, you can just convolve the different probability distribution functions in MATLAB or GNU Octave. For example 2d6 is conv(ones(1 6), ones(1 6)).
Post by: Parsely on January 09, 2017, 02:05:50 am
For two dice, it's as simple as an X,Y graph:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
For multiple dice things get complicated. It's not something you can represent with a two-dimensional chart or graph as far as I know. But maybe you could:
1. Make a polygon, one side per die.
2. Make a colored mark for each value in the range on each side.
3. Connect each mark with every other mark.
4. Mark down number of occurrences alongside each value. Lots of colors will probably help.
5d8 = 5 sided polygon, with 8 marks per side.
Spoiler: Example (click to show/hide)
This is a horrible solution and I can't think of a better one.
Post by: Culise on January 09, 2017, 05:26:54 am
You guys have any advice on representing probability curves (probably isn't a real term) for different types of die rolls in a stats heavy homebrew system?Is this something you want to do yourself from scratch, or are you just looking for the probability curves themselves for your own use? If the latter, this (http://www.anydice.com/) may be of some assistance to you. For example, 1d6+1d12+5d8 (http://anydice.com/program/a561).
Or if that's too vague, a quick easy way to visualize the differences between using 1d6 and 2d3 for example.
possible outcomes for 1d6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
# of dice 1 1 1 1 1 1
combinations
that achieve
this outcome
possible outcomes for 2d3
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
# of dice 1 2 3 2 1
combinations
that achieve
this outcome
As can be seen, when you use 2d3 rather than 1d6, 4's become more common. As a matter of fact, they appear 1 out of 3 times when you roll the dice rather than 1 out of 6 times with a regular d6. Anyway, now that I explained to you guys what my idea of a probability curve is and how dice affect it, now I can get to my question.
Do you guys have some advice for getting visual representations of these different possible combinations. Cause when you start experimenting with numbers like 1d6 + 1d12 + 5d8, it becomes a bit harder to do these calculations in your head.
Anyway, sorry for the bad description. I'm a bit sleep deprived.
Post by: heydude6 on January 09, 2017, 09:16:12 am
Is this something you want to do yourself from scratch, or are you just looking for the probability curves themselves for your own use? If the latter, this (http://www.anydice.com/) may be of some assistance to you. For example, 1d6+1d12+5d8 (http://anydice.com/program/a561).
Thank you, this is perfect
Post by: AoshimaMichio on January 15, 2017, 03:31:23 pm
1. Age of Sparks
Introduction
It has been a while since the world last time saw a spark of true genius, a spark of innovation. On this day, on this very moment, this spark is awakened within you! It calls you to solve mysteries and conquer the world in name of SCIENCE! Yes, YES, that's right, it is time to do some MAD SCIENCE! Don't let such archaic notions as morals, ethics or laws of nature hinder progress of SCIENCE!
Table of Content
- I want to join! But how? (#post_join)
- Houses (#post_houses)
- Restricted Houses (#post_housesr)
- Profiency (#post_Profiency)
- Research (#post_Research)
- Rolls (#post_Rolls)
- Notes (#post_Notes)
This is a game of MAD SCIENCE, so get ready to unleash your inner mad scientist! You know you want to! Create technological horrors never seen before. Or biological horrors. Maybe death ray or two? With menacing spikes? How about an army of slime monsters for conquering the world for you? And don't forget death rays! Did I mention death rays already? I think I did. Anyway, whatever your desire is, SCIENCE is the answer. And who knows, a war might be brewing up somewhere.
Technology is primarily steam/spring powered, somewhere in mid 1800. You are not the only sparks in the world, and your precedesors have left their fair share of fruits of SCIENCE behind. Such as war clanks, various monsters (both biological and mechanical) in forests between cities. You may see a clank or two doing heavy lifting in worksops. Such benign creations are often mass produced according strict blueprints.
I want to join! But how?
This is simple. Grab this premade sheet and fill it up. All byrocratic like. Details for certain parts can be found below the sheet.
Code: (Spark) [Select]
Given name:
House: See details
Appearance: (optional)
Profiency: See details. You can have TWO.
Where you were working at when you got an AWESOME IDEA?: Stables, factory, coffee shop, hospital, somewhere else?
What you were working with when you got an AWESOME IDEA?: Perhaps polishing weapons, tuning engines, oiling cogs, cooking coffee, sniffing smokes, something else?
Houses
Houses are number of more or less powerful families owning land, castles, workers, factories, towns, farms... Usually nobles, but some have raised to power thanks to some spark in previous generations. Almost all houses vye for power, each desiring throne of king. You can invent the house by yourself giving it as much details as you want to, leave details of the house to the GM, or you could join someone else's house if they are ok with it.
Alternatively you can play as a peasant, but that's harder as it means no funding, minions or resources and probably forces you to wander into dangerous wildlands... but then again you can claim your progress fully as your own. Bragging rights.
There are few Houses that are restricted, however.
Restricted Houses:
- House Heterodyne: Perhaps the most famous of all Houses. The bottomline of dealing with them is: DON'T. Their throne of power, Mechanicsburg, has quite nasty defences. Lots of them.
- House Von Mekkhan: Vassals of House Heterodyne. You don't mess with them for same reason you don't mess with Heterodyne.
- House Sturmvoraus: Your family of redheads from cold mountains. They have strong preferences for poisons, so watch what you eat in parties they host.
- House Wulfenbach: "Don't make me come over there (http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/girlgenius/images/8/89/Wulfenbach-badge.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080301091806)" might be their future slogan, but right now they are a rather minor house.
Profiency
Profiency is what you are pretty damn good at. What makes your clock tick. What floats in your boat. Your preferred line of research. Your personal brand of madness. Branch of science where you start bending laws of nature within three hours.
There's five brands of science and you can spread three (3) points on them. More points, easier it gets:
Clanks: This profiency covers building and reverse engineering of mechanical automata. Robots of various sizes that follow verbal orders and don't need your oversight. These clanks are mostly pretty stupid, or rather very focused on their own job, but experienced and skilled spark can create control unit that rivals human intelligence.
Constructs: This profiency covers creation and reverse engineering living biological creations and their echancements. Slime monster? Check. Intelligent bears? Check. Mind controlling wasps? Check. Test subjects turned into cyborgs with drills attached on arms? Definitely check.
Weapons: This profiency covers creation and reverse engineering of all kinds weapons of (mass) destruction. Bombs, death rays, atmospheric charge arrays and other portable weapons used to kill, maim and destroy.
Devices and Vehicles: This profiency covers creation and reverse engineering non-autonomous mechanisms. Machinations that require external input to work, such as pilots, drivers, gunners, operators. Zeppelins, flying fortresses, trains, transporters, giant drilling machines, consciouss overwriters, time freezers (don't use those, by the way), many expensive and complex machine parts that other profiences may need. If it isn't autonomous, weapon or chemical, it goes here.
Medicine and Chemistry: This profiency covers creation and reverse engineering compounds that affect biological body and brain in some way. Drugs, stimulants, serums, poisons, antidotes, chemical weapons, acids, mutagens. Stuff like that. Mutagens partially overlap with Constructs, but rather than being process of producing autonomous biological unit, this is process of initiating (un)controlled change. Observing your test subject devolving into ravenous beast can be quite educative.
Research
What is a mad scientist who doesn't do research? Well, probably still a mad scientist. Anyway, research is something you can spend time on in order get better at what you do. Namely to avoid those pesky ones and twos RNG tends to throw in your way. Each profiency has few ways to get better at specific sciences. For example you can research how to make very large Clanks better, how to make your Constructs more obedient, how to make lightning controllers less prone for accidental discharge, focus on how to improve flying machines, and how to make better stimulants. I have few research lines mapped out, but you can always suggest subjects your own.
Rolls
Everytime you start creating something new, be it a clank, weapon, or something else, I will make two rolls. The first roll is to reign your creative forces. It determines how closely the final product will follow your original specifications. 1 results something totally different, possibly even from different profiency, but may still be useful for some other purposes. 4 is pretty much what you wanted and 6 may add additional features that may or may not hinder original purpose.
The second roll determines quality of your work. Here 1 may cause berserking clanks and weapons exploding on your face, 4 is meh boring success, and 6 probably "menaces with spikes of your minions' bones", is overtly massive or perhaps drains all power within two seconds.
Notes
If you are familiar with it, then it's obvious this game is heavily inspired by excellent web comic Girl Genius. (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/) Take a moment and read it if you haven't already. While the game is based on it, it diverges from the comic some decades before events in it takes place.
2. Discoveries
(Not a god game, by the way)
To put it simply, you are the universe. And the universe is you. That's the state you have been in significant fraction of eternity. Except for the brief and insignificant moment of novelty in the very beginning when you were born, lived and foolishly died. Was your life decades, centuries or millenias long? Irrelevant. Utterly so. In your life you thought eternity as merely very long period of time, but since then you have come to understand it better. Eternity. Is. VERY. LONG. TIME!
And it is boring. Very boring. Extremely so. You have gone through this whole "go insane, go so deep into insanity that you emerge on other side into perfect sanity" at least seven billion times and then you stopped counting because it was getting so old. And that was long time ago. You have thought every thought very many times. Meaning you haven't had single original thought for... Well, original thoughts stopped quite soon after the beginning. And that too was long time ago. In fact you know for certain that you are still in very beginning of the eternity, you haven't even scraped its surface yet. How you wish you had destroyed your soul when you died. Then you would have been saved from this. But stupid as you were you went ahead and died. No matter, after simulating your original reality on atomic level few times you figured this was unavoidable. Perhaps the fate of every soul. Oh and don't even start about simulating reality with your mind alone, that was so boring after its novelty died off and you had to reinvent laws of physics nth time.
Interestingly you do have your body here, in its prime condition as far as you can tell. But since universe ends and starts with your skin, there ain't really any stimulation. It doesn't need air, food or water, it doesn't excrete any waste. It just is. You can move it, naturally, and universe moves with it (since you are the universe). It's really your only source of stimulation, so you did try to hurt it quite few occasions. Pointlessly, as it restores earlier state instantly. And pain is only so exciting after few billion years. Or has it been seconds? At this point difference between seconds and millenias is very vague. After repeating same thing millionth time... and here we are going through same line of thought again.
So, here you are. In beginning of the eternity. All alone. With rest of eternity ahead of you.
Except right now you are not the whole universe anymore. There's something novel here that's not you. A hole. A hole in universe that leads to somewhere that's not here. It's not really even question what you should do. You jump in.
Blue sky, some lonely fleecy clouds and warm sun high above. Cool hard metal beneath you. Whisper of the wind. The smell of the sea.
That's where you awaken. You can't move yet, you don't feel solid enough. You don't know where you are, what time it is (well, midday apparently (Hello there, Sun! So nice to meet you again!), but nothing beyond that) nor why you are here, wherever 'here' is. You enjoy these fresh sensations
Entry is easy, here's what I want to know about your PC before letting it wander around. You can assume your character has knowledge excepted from person living in 21st century.
Code: (Character sheep) [Select]
Name:
Species:
Class:
Appearance: (mostly optional)Species:
Species gives you benefits for certain things. Trolls for example would have high regeneration like controlled cancer (of course assuming this type of troll is known to have regeneration).
Almost anything biological and sapient is ok. Everything that requires supernatural powers just to exist is out of the window, so eldritch horrors, gods and demons are not good.
It is possible to have biological counterpart of such impossible species if you are willing to accept compromise. For example flying western dragons are possible if you scale them down enough. Or accept the fact that it will never fly with is own wings.
If you are going with species that has many versions of itself you need to specify which version it is from. In case of orc you need to tell if it is from World of Warcraft, Middle-Earth, 40k, D&D, The Elder Scrolls or from some other reality.
Class:
Class determines your starting skills. Skills that your chosen class is supposed to have start from professional/specialist level.
This can be almost anything you wish. Including, but not limited to, priest, painter, soldier, singer, thief, princess, dance teacher, merchant, politician, hacker, psychologist, construction worker, sailor, miner, adventurer...
Wizards, necromancers and other magical/supernatural professions are ok if you accept the fact that your "magic" is nothing but tricks and sleight of hand.
Skills:
Talking about skills, your chosen class determines some skills you start with, what you can do well and what you will fail at. Rest of your skills are determined when you need it or when you claim you have it.
Example: You decide to knit something, but your sheet has no mentioning about such skill. So I roll a d6 to determine your knitting skill level and after that I roll modified die appropriate to your skill level to see what happens.
Through lifetime of your character you can request reroll for ONE skill. Whatever you get from reroll is what you will be stuck with. No take backsies here.
What do skill levels mean?
Hazard: You have complete misunderstanding of your talent. You think you are professional while actually you don't even know what you are doing, so when you fail it's never your fault. For this I'll roll modified d6. This die has numbers 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 and 3. As you can see, result is mostly failure, often catastrophic. Even in best case you barely do anything good.
Novice: "Only a fool knows everything. A wise man knows how little he knows." The die here is 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4.
Hobbyist: You love what you do, but you are by no means professional at it. This die has numbers 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4
Professional: You actually know this shit. You have done it before and will do it again. As such die here is normal d6.
Specialist: When you fail, you do so without hurting yourself or others. 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6.
Master: Good luck getting here. It's not impossible, just really hard. Being best in your field, it's matter of how well you do it, not "can you do it". You don't try, Jimmy boy, you do. Failure is not an option. Unless it is something really difficult such as ground breaking research.
Under normal conditions I will roll the dice of your skill level, but if you are trying something really difficult or are very stressed I will use the die one level below your skills. So if professional juggler is trying to juggle with burning chainsaws he will be considered as hobbyist while doing so.
Discoveries
Here I'll add things that are discovered during course of the game. For example maps.
3. Amusement Park Funland
“Welcome, welcome good folks to Amusement Park Funland! Entrance is free of charge!1 (#post_disclaimer) Come and enjoy our various attractions!”
This park has following attractions for your pleasure and amusement:
- House of horrors – 30¤ (Fear resistance)
- Come in, come in, see our brand new house of horrors! We guarantee you won’t come out laughing!"
"You can get new clean underwear from our clothing store on next building."
- Come in, come in, see our brand new house of horrors! We guarantee you won’t come out laughing!"
- Electric chair2 (#post_disclaimer2) – 30¤ (Lightning resistance)
- ”Are you the electric man? Does lightning strikes just a tickle you?! Test your nerve system here!”
- Swimming pools
- ”Our swimming pools are the best in the country! Come and relax in our warm waters! Try out our Arctic Bath and Hellish Sauna!”
- Hellish Sauna – 30¤ (Heat resistance)
- Arctic Bath – 30¤ (Cold resistance)
- Shooting range – 50¤ (Ranged weapons)
- ”Sharpshooters! Snipers! Gun maniacs! Come here and test you skill!”
- Hammering – 50¤ (Melee weapons)
- ”Are you feeling strong? Test your muscle with a Mighty Hammer and punish this evil doer! And if you manage beat the highest score you can win most incredible prizes!”
- Mensa testing center – 50¤ (Magic)
- ”Come here and test your intelligence! Take our Mensa certified test! Gain bragging rights over your dumb friends!”
- Laser Turrets2 (#post_disclaimer2) – 50¤ (Stealth)
- ”These laser turrets will detect slightest movements! Can you hide from them? Sneak through the course and prove your moves!”
- Whack-a-mole – 50¤ (Reflex)
- ”How are your reflexes and coordination? Can you beat current high score? Beat the moles down and win prizes!”
- Bullet Hell – 50¤ (Agility)
- ”Test your dodging skills against paintball turrets! Come out clean and win most amazing prizes!”
- Peitho's Mirror Maze – 50¤ (Charisma)
- ”Beautiful ladies and handsome men, stalkers and creepers! Come all and see how these magnificent mirrors twist your appearance! Remember to laugh!”
- Lakshmi's hand – 50¤ (Luck)
- ”Come here and test your luck! Pull a string and always win prizes!”
- Labyrinth3 (#post_disclaimer3) – 20¤
- ”For just small entry fee, you get to go down and explore maze of ancient caverns and catacombs, filled with perils and treasure!"
"If MagiTech Lollipop is discovered then please return it to the owner of this park. You may keep everything else."
- ”For just small entry fee, you get to go down and explore maze of ancient caverns and catacombs, filled with perils and treasure!"
It also has following services
- Café Fun – 10¤
- McDonalds – 10¤
- Kebab & Pizza – 5¤
- Toilets – 2¤
- Clothing store FunDress
- Cash4Gold FunLand branch office
- "Sell you things for money! We buy more than just jewels!
- First aid – 100¤
- Church – Donations encouraged
- Casino - Entrance fee 300¤
1 Entrance may be free but exit is not. To exit this park you have to pay 50¤. By entering this Amusement Park you agree to this. Failure to comply will result our security arresting you until your debt is fully paid.
2 Funland Ltd. doesn’t take any responsibility of bodily or mental injuries caused by attractions in this park. By entering into this park you accept the fact that everything you do here is your own responsibility.
3 This attraction will cause injuries and has notable possibility of death. By entering you agree that Funland Ltd. will not be held accountable for any wounds, insanity or death occurring in this attraction. You also agree that you pay your own hospital bills in full.
4. Law of postmodern jungle
Law of postmodern jungle
Greenish light suddenly floods your eyes and you fall short distance down hugging your duffel bag. Fall isn't fast, thanks to viscous slime covering you and connecting you to above. You wipe it out of your face, uncovering your face and take a deep breath. You look around.
This most definitely isn't your home, or any other place you recognize. Floor is soft, warm and smooth. Kinda like skin. Actually, you do spot number of pulsing veins underneath the surface. It gives in under your weight a little before hardening and slowly bouncing back up. Walls are same fleshy material as floor, but more wrinkled, making it look like bark. Ceiling is similar to floor, but is filled with large cysts, number of them are large enough to contain adult humans. In fact, directly above you is one broken cyst slowly retreating up, greenish slime hanging from it like dribble of snot. The said "snot" is same what covered your face and still covers rest of your naked body. Thinning strands of slime snap and fully separate you from the cyst you apparently used to be in.
You scrape rest of the slime off your skin, being thankful how it doesn't stick on you or your bag. As you do so, more cysts in ceiling split open and slime covered human figures fall out, each naked, hugging a duffel bag and reacting exactly like you; scraping slime off and looking around more or less confused.
Moving your gaze around in the largeish room, or perhaps body cavity of some extremely large creature, you spot an exit hole. Circular fleshy tunnel, three meters in diameter. Your instincts are telling you to proceed into the tunnel and exit this room/cavity. Fighting those instincts you turn towards the source of light.
It's a largeish pure white sphere embedded on wall opposite of the exit tunnel. You cannot exactly see where the sphere ends and wall of flesh starts, and frankly you do not quite care. Your instincts are now screaming to get the hell out of here, because to stay here means to die horrible death. Logically you figure this can't possibly be true, but the irrational primal fear makes your body move. You grab your bag, run into the only exit with other humans(?) in tow and keep running until you can no longer see the fearsome light, until flesh gives way for cracked concrete hallway. You run until you see something vaguely resembling familiar human civilization.
A large open room, western architecture, glass windows, countless shelves of books. A library or a bookstore. Or that's what it perhaps used to be. Now book shelves have rotten and collapsed long time ago providing platform for moss, grass and other small plants to grow on. All glass is shattered, only few shards remain in corners of windows. Ceiling has partially collapsed, letting rain in and providing sunny spot for trees to grow in. And those trees are not small either, they're large enough to reach the hole in ceiling. You do not recognize it's species, but it have to be at least 50 years old. Outside you can see traces of metropolis being reclaimed by nature. Behind you, somewhere in depths of this building, is... the thing that vomited you out.
This doesn't make sense. Nothing about this makes any sense. One simply doesn't suddenly jump from normal daily life into this borderline nightmarish situation. Time jump into world after civilization you could grudgingly accept, movies and other forms of entertainment often depict such situations, but being born into such situation from unnaturally scary flesh room is usually not included.
Words of GM and meta stuff
Welcome to ruined world where life is violent and short, where strong rule and weak become food, where new apex predators emerge every other week thanks to hyperactive, if not outright intelligent, evolution. It's kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. Don't get too attached to first characters, they may end up eaten before sun sets.
Regarding player characters I give you fairly free hands. I want numerical expression of characters' physical attributes, but I do not tell how many points you can or cannot assign for each. It doesn't even have to be completely human, but it has to come from civilization capable of building skyscrapers and massive cities. As long as it makes sense, I'm fine with it. But you cannot be olympic level sprinter, weight lifter and marathon runner at the same time. Those tasks require distinctly different body types after all. As such, here's a character sheet:
Code: (Sheep) [Select]
Name:
Appearance: Humanoid enough to not raise too many questions.
Biography:
Speed: Ability to run for your life. Usain Bolt type deal.
Strength: Ability to lift weights and wrestle with gorilla (don't).
Agility: Body control, high stress mid air acrobatics with spear wielding fire monkeys and scaling smooth walls.
Senses: Ability to detect predators and prey makes difference between life and death.
Endurance: Amount of physical stress you can take before your lungs, heart and muscles give up.As for points to add on your stats:
- 1-3 are weak, substandard human performance.
- 4-6 represent level of roughly avarage human being.
- 7-9 are levels of well trained personel, limits of avarage human.
- 10-12 are for world record holders. Usain Bolt, Eddie Hall, Dennis Kimetto, Craig Harrison, and others on pinnacle of human ability would have score right on this level.
Given identical conditions, one with speed 9 will always be faster than one with speed 8. Strength 6 always overpowers strength 5. However, conditions are rarely identical, so one with lower attribure level can beat one with higher level when conditions are favourable. That being said, difference of three levels is almost impossible to overcome.
5. Millenia City
What's this?
This is a team management game. You, as a player, are one of the new gods who have escaped their duties in heavens and came down to play with mortals, with side hobby of gifting them power so they can delve deeper into ancient and long forgotten layers of the Millenia City.
Intro
Gods come and go in generations, much like mortals do. Each divine generation comes like a wave and completely destroy old generation of gods in a mighty war. New generation wipes heavens clean and fully rebuild it into their own image where they rule supreme. This is time of newest generation! Far mightier and more glorious than any generation before! Or so you tell yourself, it's not like there's anyone left to claim otherwise.
The real prize, and the biggest trouble, is the mortal world. Calling it a world is not really accurate, it's more like a massive towering city sprawling two thousand kilometers wide, including mountains, forests, deserts, and actual mortal cities. It's the playground of gods in middle of primordial waters. The troubling part is that new gods hold no power there, therefore works of previous gods are untouchable. New gods cannot wipe it clean and restart from scratch as much as they would like. The simple way of getting around of that is that they simply build new layer over the city, sealing it off and dooming previous layer into darkness eternal, and sinking the city little deeper into the surrounding ocean. Of course sinking and sealing happens after moving mortals, intelligent and otherwise, over to the new layer. Everything about old gods was declared heresy and forgotten in few mere centuries.
There are few unknowns about mortal world, first and foremost being mortals themselves. Millions different species, hundreds intelligent races, where they came from? Gods of knowledge do not know, and if mortals ever knew answer, they have forgotten it long long time ago. Doesn't make them any less interesting or fun to play with, though. Second mystery is magic, which only exists in mortal world. Gods can easily work out how to use magic, but they do not know its origin, where it comes or what made it. It's not related to their divine power in any way, and is naturally inferior to their divine might, but exceptionally capable mortal mage can actually hurt careless god frolicking in mortal world, not that you gods would tell that to mortals. Magic is gods' gift to mortals, or so you all claim whenever mortal happens to ask about it.
Gods are much weaker in mortal world anyway, even on their own layer, but still capable of tossing few miracles around without much of thought. Were they to venture lower layers, they would be no different from powerless mortals. That has led some gods speculate if mortals are descendants of ancient gods who went below and couldn't get back. Of course there's no way to prove it, and no god is stupid enough to do something such idiotic. Well, there's always exceptions, but those are quickly weeded off and forgotten.
Either way, you gods think of mortals as your children, or perhaps as adorable toys. Something to cherish, to love, to play with, and to toss away once you get bored of them and you set your eyes on some new mortal. Mortal world is an escape from duties of heavens, where everyone is on same power level. Down here you are mighty, even if you are limited in power. Here you are free to play to your heart's content!
Recently, however, something disturbing have happened. Sealed pathways to lower layers opened and never before seen monsters came through, causing havoc and killing a plenty of unprepared mortals. Initial waves were pushed back by mortals with help of gods, but the pathways couldn't be sealed again because divine power nullifying effect of old generation had spread up and outwards just enough prevent it from being done. Any attempt by mortals to seal it merely resulted new wave of monsters ruining all progress. It seemed that leaving paths open was least lethal option.
Careless frolicking with mortals became a little more serious. Though only a little. What is happening on layers below? Where do these monsters originate from? Solving those questions is the newest fad amongst gods on vacation. Since gods can't go down below by themselves, they collect mortals, grant them little power and send them down in their behalf. Those who come back and proved themselves are granted a little more power, providing repeating cycle.
"Join my family and you will be granted power by god!"
How do I play this?
First you gotta fill a sheet described in next section. Once that's posted and accepted, you start recruiting mortals in your little family.
Easiest recruits are those who are inexperienced, there's no shortage of those. However they die easily, but those who survive are rough gems to be polished. Every recruit has hidden potential, if you get lucky, one of those surviving recruits may end up as an unstoppable warmachine mowing their way through hordes of monsters. If unpolished gems aren't your thing, you may try recruiting mortals with fighting experience. They are guaranteed to have good potential to grow, but higher you set the bar, harder they are to find. Third way of getting new family members is seducing children of other gods. How easy is that depends on mortal's loyalty. In case of low loyalty generosity of opposing god plays bigger hand. Large and well respected families will have easier time recruiting from general population.
Once you have children (general term for mortals in your family), you gift them power and equipment on your own discretion and send them into layers below. Giving too much power compared to their potential may make them overconfident and lead them to early grave, but giving too little will staunch their growth and even reduce their loyalty. So it is important to identify capacity of each child and gift them accordinly.
After spending some time in lower layers your children will return with loot and hopefully information. After that the cycle starts anew; recruiting people, gifting them power and equipment, and sending teams back down. Or perhaps let your children rest for a while? This particular entrance city is the largest around and has most entertainment options.
Character sheets
Code: (sheep) [Select]
Name of god: Something mortals can actually pronounce.
Appearance: Something humanoid, please, and decently sized. If you appear as a human, be human sized too.
Speciality: Gods are mighty beyond imagination, but every god has a speciality they excel in. The ultimate mastery, unparalleled. This stays true even in mortal realm. This is your vacation, so enjoy being pampered by your worshippers. Take it easy.
Name of your family: What are your children referred as.
Theme of your family: Optional. What kind of people you seek into your family? Humans, elves, werewolves? Blacksmiths, warriors or drunkards? Young or old? Men or women? It's important to attract likeminded individuals as they are most loyal to you. Do you appeal as a real family, nurturing bonds of trust between children? Do you take after military organization, attracting soldier type people? Or do you perhaps cloud minds of your children with your divine power and enslave them as toys they are? Do you play them like a playboy?
Gods
Gods on vacation:
Gods who are waiting for their vacation:
Gods who went back to heavens:
6. Fairytales
This game is about faeries. You know, those glittery tinkerbell types. But this one will rapidly turn very dark game. Despite of their appearances, these faeries are not fit for childrens' shows. The thing about these fearies is that primary color of their wings determine their special powers.
7. Unnamed game
Kinda like Castle games vkiNm and Kevak are running. Military based city exploration and eldritch shit. Inspired by this (https://imgur.com/gallery/bi1So1q) image and idea of gutting spacetime (Thanks piecewise and and Radio Controlled).
8. In shadow of Gods
Humans are living on skin of planet sized god, Gaia, who's wandering on primordial waters of creation, hunting and killing other giant gods with their own civilizations and ecosystems living on them. Intelligent species living on skin of their god have same shape as their god. Due their massive size, fights of gods last centuries, each punch and kick taking months to execute. Major thing for humans is to keep inhabitants of other gods from invading and steal resources while trying to steal their unique resources when bodies of gods make contact.
To make things even more interesting is the fact that drinking blood of gods can give one superpowers, based around nature of the god. This test (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110287.msg7080607#msg7080607) earlier in this thread was to test the system for generating superpowers.
Inspired by webnovel Worms.
9. Warforged
Civilization fighting losing war on their last legs decide to summon perfect warriors (players) to defend them and turn tide of the war. Something goes wrong and the perfect warriors are fully individual beings, nothing forcing them to do anything. In here characters would get stronger by eating organs of their enemies and wound be able create new bodies for themselves or for new players by sacrificing portion of their own statpoints, either alone or by pooling points with other players.
10. Channel Vigilantism in progress
Less a game and more interactive story about cyberpunk vigilante in Einsteinian Roulette universe where the vigilante streams his adventures and uses donations and programs from watchers to slowly become a full cyborg.
11. Heroes are coming!
A suggestion game. I saw the basic idea somewhere, perhaps in reddit, imgur or 4chan. I don't remember anymore. Main character is a humble NPC peasant who must fight off waves of adventurers who feel entitled to just waltz into your house and loot whatever they please.
Humble Peasant kills adventurers that enter their home.
Humble Peasant keeps their weapons, magic items, and gold.
Humble Peasant realizes that stronger and stronger adventurers are coming to claim their growing pile of loot.
Humble Peasant builds traps and fortifications to keep them out.
Humble Peasant procures exotic pets to help defend their home.
Humble Peasant continues to amass more and more loot and attract stronger and stronger adventurers.
Humble Peasant has to keep building up and fortifying their home, traps, and pets to keep the adventurers out.
Humble Peasant suddenly realizes that they have accidentally built a dungeon. It’s a fucking dungeon now. It’s fortified and full of traps, monsters, and treasure, and the Humble Peasant is the boss.
Humble Peasant realizes that adventurers will never leave them alone now.
Humble Peasant hates adventurers.
Humble Peasant accidentally becomes major villain.
12. Sea of Nightmares
A game about dreamwalkers, who are physically trapped in dreamworld. Said dreamwalkers eventually take up a job of explorer and sail seas of Nightmares, because nightmares are one way to wake up.
Inspired by Sunless Sea.
13. This was a mistake
Angels make accidentally contracts with criminals giving them divine powers and ability to assume form of angel.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on January 16, 2017, 02:00:15 am
Quote
6. Fairytales
This game is about faeries. You know, those glittery tinkerbell types. But this one will rapidly turn very dark game. Despite of their appearances, these faeries are not fit for childrens' shows. The thing about these fearies is that primary color of their wings determine their special powers.
I do love me some good children's-shows-turned-dark-fantasy.
Quote
8. In shadow of Gods
Humans are living on skin of planet sized god, Gaia, who's wandering on primordial waters of creation, hunting and killing other giant gods with their own civilizations and ecosystems living on them. Intelligent species living on skin of their god have same shape as their god. Due their massive size, fights of gods last centuries, each punch and kick taking months to execute. Major thing for humans is to keep inhabitants of other gods from invading and steal resources while trying to steal their unique resources when bodies of gods make contact.
To make things even more interesting is the fact that drinking blood of gods can give one superpowers, based around nature of the god. This test earlier in this thread was to test the system for generating superpowers.
Inspired by webnovel Worms.
Sounds like Xenoblade Chronicles' setting, in a good way. It would be very interesting if you could find a way to deal with the dichotomy between years-long battles and comparatively quick encounters on the human scale.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on January 20, 2017, 03:52:38 am
Quote6. Fairytales
This game is about faeries. You know, those glittery tinkerbell types. But this one will rapidly turn very dark game. Despite of their appearances, these faeries are not fit for childrens' shows. The thing about these fearies is that primary color of their wings determine their special powers.
I do love me some good children's-shows-turned-dark-fantasy.
This one could possibly be short enough for me to actually complete, assuming I got around to finish system for special powers derived from wing color.
Post by: S34N1C on January 20, 2017, 10:14:33 am
Post by: OceanSoul on January 23, 2017, 06:50:37 pm
((Y'know, that gives me an idea. Probably a bad one, though.
It's a combination of suggestion game and normal, PC per player game. The players would be shattered parts of some person's psyche, who could no longer act on their own. Players would possess an object in the world, while giving what remains of his consciousness directions (the suggestions), so that we could keep him safe until we found a way to get back in his mind. If a player is successful in defending the man, or he takes your suggestion, you become a bigger part of his psyche, gaining power (experience and levels) for your personal physical body.
I know this isn't the place to ask this sort of thing, but what do you guys think?))
Post by: Draignean on January 26, 2017, 01:01:37 pm
Post by: lawastooshort on January 26, 2017, 01:06:25 pm
(hopefully it's an And game and not an Or ;) )
Post by: TheBiggerFish on January 26, 2017, 03:29:50 pm
So, not that I am for sure going to be doing this, but is there any interest in a PbP, newbie friendly, start from level 1, D&D 3.5 campaign?Meeeeeeee!
Post by: GiglameshDespair on January 26, 2017, 03:33:28 pm
So, not that I am for sure going to be doing this, but is there any interest in a PbP, newbie friendly, start from level 1, D&D 3.5 campaign?What would it be about?
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 26, 2017, 03:34:37 pm
So, not that I am for sure going to be doing this, but is there any interest in a PbP, newbie friendly, start from level 1, D&D 3.5 campaign?
If you can use Roll20, I'd suggest doing it via text in that. PbP D&D is a pretty shaky proposition pacing-wise. It only very rarely works as far as I've seen, and it's much easier to make it a weekly thing.
In any case, do color me interested for 3.5. I don't play nearly enough of it for my liking.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on January 26, 2017, 03:36:52 pm
Post by: Draignean on January 26, 2017, 03:43:35 pm
So, not that I am for sure going to be doing this, but is there any interest in a PbP, newbie friendly, start from level 1, D&D 3.5 campaign?
If you can use Roll20, I'd suggest doing it via text in that. PbP D&D is a pretty shaky proposition pacing-wise. It only very rarely works as far as I've seen, and it's much easier to make it a weekly thing.
In any case, do color me interested for 3.5. I don't play nearly enough of it for my liking.
I had considered doing special breaks to third party software for combat, because D&D type combat on a forum is ridiculously slow, but I hadn't really considered running the entire thing from it. I'll think about it and see what's available, if I even have a substantial block of time to regularly devote once a week. (That I'm not already using for my IRL game)
Post by: S34N1C on January 26, 2017, 03:49:00 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on January 26, 2017, 07:11:11 pm
Post by: heydude6 on January 26, 2017, 07:15:43 pm
FAKEDIT: although I would be interested if I could figure out the rules.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 26, 2017, 10:43:14 pm
Yes I know I lifted that premise from Red Dwarf.
I've wondered about the potential of adapting 5e to sci fi for a while.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on January 26, 2017, 11:57:36 pm
So, not that I am for sure going to be doing this, but is there any interest in a PbP, newbie friendly, start from level 1, D&D 3.5 campaign?I'm also interested.
What would people say to a game where you're space criminals serving on a "canary squad" to earn reduced sentences?That's also interesting.
Yes I know I lifted that premise from Red Dwarf.
I've wondered about the potential of adapting 5e to sci fi for a while.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on January 27, 2017, 03:55:43 am
What would people say to a game where you're space criminals serving on a "canary squad" to earn reduced sentences?Sci-fi 5e? Sign me up.
Yes I know I lifted that premise from Red Dwarf.
I've wondered about the potential of adapting 5e to sci fi for a while.
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 27, 2017, 04:58:49 am
What would people say to a game where you're space criminals serving on a "canary squad" to earn reduced sentences?
Yes I know I lifted that premise from Red Dwarf.
I've wondered about the potential of adapting 5e to sci fi for a while.
Einsteinian Roulette in 5th edition? Could be a fun experiment. I'd suggest you look into something like Stars Without Number or other OSR games to see how it's been done before with d20-esque systems, so as to not need to retread the same kind of ground again.
Post by: Kadzar on January 27, 2017, 07:08:06 am
Yeah, depending on whether you're more interested in the idea of a 5e game in space or just a PbP D&D space game, OSR might work better for you since there's less emphasis on the action economy (so you can pretty easily take combat turns simultaneously). Regardless, Stars Without Number has some good system-agnostic rules for space games, and you can pick it up for free (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/86467/Stars-Without-Number-Free-Edition).What would people say to a game where you're space criminals serving on a "canary squad" to earn reduced sentences?
Yes I know I lifted that premise from Red Dwarf.
I've wondered about the potential of adapting 5e to sci fi for a while.
Einsteinian Roulette in 5th edition? Could be a fun experiment. I'd suggest you look into something like Stars Without Number or other OSR games to see how it's been done before with d20-esque systems, so as to not need to retread the same kind of ground again.
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 27, 2017, 07:58:41 am
It has a lot of similarities with 5E and the number ranges are pretty similar - there's also a revised version of SWN coming out in the not-too-distant future where it seems like the author is going to fix a lot of its more glaring flaws, like how psionics are implemented (giving you more of a power tree as opposed to the existing progression with its large amounts of empty levels and unreachable end goals) and how attack rolls work (1d20 + attack bonus + skill bonus + enemy's AC + miscellaneous bonuses, over 20 is a hit and under 20 is a miss, which is to be replaced with AC being the target number).
Post by: S34N1C on January 28, 2017, 01:09:54 am
What would people say to a game where you're space criminals serving on a "canary squad" to earn reduced sentences?I would play it, but I have no experience with 5e
Yes I know I lifted that premise from Red Dwarf.
I've wondered about the potential of adapting 5e to sci fi for a while.
Post by: Mesa on January 28, 2017, 10:34:20 am
(ADHD is a bitch.) (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=160001.0)
(Or really just get hit by executive dysfunction which makes it actually impossible for me to put up an update. Or I get overwhelmed by my own rules.)
How do you people manage to run forum games for weeks, months, -years-, without just suddenly losing interest halfway through? I don't understand and I'm envious of it because it's really no fun that I can never actually finish anything that I start. ;-;
(inb4 the answer is "well it just works for me" and it turns out that my brain is simply not compatible with any sort of long-term projects, at least not without medication/therapy)
This is a little more 'meta' and perhaps kinda ranty/venty and I apologize, but ugh...I just wish I could actually utilize my creativity/imagination properly.
Post by: WillowLuman on January 28, 2017, 12:02:11 pm
@Harry I'll check that out. Sounds like a good springboard
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 28, 2017, 12:38:38 pm
How do you people manage to run forum games for weeks, months, -years-, without just suddenly losing interest halfway through? I don't understand and I'm envious of it because it's really no fun that I can never actually finish anything that I start. ;-;
Planning ahead is a great idea. Have the starting scenario worked out. A lot of times when I've completely fucked a game is because I had a good plan on how it was supposed to start but then I diverged from it for no good reason. Pacing is important as well. It's why suggestion games don't work well with exhaustive character creation, for instance.
Post by: Mesa on January 28, 2017, 04:42:51 pm
Not to mention that I have not a damn clue about what mechanical system to actually settle with (or go full-on narrative-only, in a classic Maks fashion) because while I spent an okay amount of time on this setting, it was never really within the context of a Bay12 forum game.
With this two-paragraph disclaimer out of the way, here's the primer for The Hundred Emperors, a setting of soft sci-fi coolness, badassery, and tricky quasi-politics.
Spoiler: Spoiler because this also has a (dirty) logo, by yours truly. (click to show/hide)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on January 28, 2017, 05:01:26 pm
Are you thinking suggestion game, multi-player RPG, strategy, or what? I assume the player(s) would play as one of the Hundred?
Post by: Mesa on January 28, 2017, 05:12:50 pm
As for genre, I'm torn between suggestion game, and a strategy-RPG (multiplayer would be cool but seems beyond my ability). The former is more in line with what I've been doing with half-decent success on B12, while the latter is closer to what I'd have in mind if this were a full-scale game but I don't have the resources or game design genius to pull that off, so I'm thinking of just going down the SG route.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on January 28, 2017, 05:44:04 pm
How do you people manage to run forum games for weeks, months, -years-, without just suddenly losing interest halfway through? I don't understand and I'm envious of it because it's really no fun that I can never actually finish anything that I start. ;-;When I ran my game, which did run for over a year, I did lose interest occasionally. I was lucky, because I was running from a premade campaign, so I always and something easy to do/post. My advice: plan ahead, take breaks when you need it, and keep yourself accountable.
(inb4 the answer is "well it just works for me" and it turns out that my brain is simply not compatible with any sort of long-term projects, at least not without medication/therapy)
Post by: Rolepgeek on January 28, 2017, 06:09:38 pm
Alright, with that mental handicap in mind, I've had this one setting in mind that I would like to use for...something, and a forum game could make for one such use. However, it has one problem that is pretty much inherent due to the theme (read down below) that could easily make it a pain to actually manage, and we all know how well I handle pretty much anything, but especially complicated things.Goddamn, did you do that art?
Not to mention that I have not a damn clue about what mechanical system to actually settle with (or go full-on narrative-only, in a classic Maks fashion) because while I spent an okay amount of time on this setting, it was never really within the context of a Bay12 forum game.
With this two-paragraph disclaimer out of the way, here's the primer for The Hundred Emperors, a setting of soft sci-fi coolness, badassery, and tricky quasi-politics.Spoiler: Spoiler because this also has a (dirty) logo, by yours truly. (click to show/hide)
Sorry, but I've been holding off on trying to run some games I've wanted to try for a while because I've wanted some specific art to go with them.
Oh, also I do have ADD and I have found it difficult to keep up with games I've tried to run. Partially because once it gets into two or three hours to run a turn, it just gets too time-consuming, partially because I find myself putting off updates, and sometimes because I just get too into it in my head and the real thing can't match up and I lose interest.
My first piece of advice is this: if you come up with an idea, write it down/hash it out as much as you like, but wait a month. If you're still interested after a full thirty days, you still like the idea, then odds are it's original and actually interesting for you. I don't know how many game ideas I've had that were just the result of a movie or book I liked.
Though also I have meds that work really well.
For me, my less-planned games have been the ones to get farther, probably because I've got a bit of a perfectionist streak so the more I plan the more it has to adhere exactly to that plan. Although hyper-focus helps with the design part, like this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110287.msg4863481#msg4863481) or the absurdity that was this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=132042.msg4714005#msg4714005).
I would kinda suggest just going for a basic game that you don't need to do very complicated work to run, but you know you'll enjoy.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on January 28, 2017, 06:19:45 pm
Way to make me feel bad about abandoning a game three years ago. Now rebooting that game is going to be on my mind all week. You're just the worst, Rolepgeek, and this is 300% your fault and absolutely not mine at all.
I can't believe you've done this.
Post by: Harry Baldman on January 28, 2017, 06:26:59 pm
For me, my less-planned games have been the ones to get farther, probably because I've got a bit of a perfectionist streak so the more I plan the more it has to adhere exactly to that plan. Although hyper-focus helps with the design part, like this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=110287.msg4863481#msg4863481) or the absurdity that was this (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=132042.msg4714005#msg4714005).
The thing that a less-planned game avoids is the unfortunate tendency to frontload a game with exposition and prologues that draw everything out and aren't decently paced or made with any kind of schedule in mind. A well-planned start, however, avoids both that and having no plan at all, which brings the GM to the question of "what now", the answer to which is "I'll stall the players with some bullshit until I have a better plan" at which point you're just wasting time.
Post by: Mesa on January 28, 2017, 06:44:10 pm
So in that regard, it's in the same vein as Wasteland&Wonderland (Gun Francisco), that I don't feel like I will ever completely drop the concept, even if it's changed a lot since its original incarnation. (anyone who's been following my nonsense trains of thoughts long enough to remember the early iterations of Gun Francisco will clearly see just how different it is from where it's at now, and a similar thing has happened to THE.)
I don't have them on hand on this laptop but I do have some more lore written up on my desktop, including a few Pantheons and their members, and some locations, even if I have not updated them in a while.
Basically all of this is a very verbose way of saying "I'm enthusiastic about this enough to keep working on it in some form or another over the course of a longer period of time, so I feel like I could see myself following through with it as a forum game", though I feel like I might have gotten overly defensive about it.
Then again I don't feel like the opportunity cost of starting and failing to properly maintain a text forum game is particularly large (except maybe further damaging my reputation as a GM, but I have not run a game in years anyway), so I might give it a shot pretty soon.
EDIT: Also before I forget, yes, I made that logo.
Post by: OceanSoul on February 05, 2017, 05:29:01 pm
Character- Tunnel, Broken.
Premise- Betrayal, Ferret.
Event- Prayer, Disappear.
In the past, ferrets had turned on humans, becoming the dominant race. The character(s) would be one of several ferrets whose jobs are building underground passageways for the city of San Furansisco, but most of their equipment was too old and decrepit to work well. One day, the head church of Mustelanity in your city disappears, causing all sorts of end-of-the-world riot in the streets above. Your outdated geological censors suggest that the chapel fell underground, so you all decide to find where the central church went, uncovering and stopping a human organization trying to overturn the government of their overlords and regain the Earth.
..yeah. Pretty weird, but it could still work for a short while. What do you all think? Not the story itself, the generation. Maybe you should try making a story for yourself this way.
Edit: The generator is Here. (http://piratepad.net/NmK4swYrq6)
Post by: hachnslay on February 07, 2017, 07:50:37 am
Just need to find a way to not have you play on the standard world ...
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 07, 2017, 09:19:43 am
Caves of Qud's system, maybe.
Or alternatively, give the Gamer power to a character in a different fictional world. Though that's been done quite a bit.
Post by: Liberonscien on February 07, 2017, 12:40:20 pm
It is basically religion building with nomic.
Warning, the rule set is for most intents and purposes the same length as the original rules.
Note: I didn't create the rules for The Cult of Nomic.
Anyone interested?
Post by: OceanSoul on February 07, 2017, 11:32:00 pm
Also, new idea.
YOU ARE PLAYING A SUGGESTION GAME.
You're welcome.
Post by: Greatness942 on February 07, 2017, 11:53:44 pm
Anyway, my idea: I did two video game adaptation Forum Games. One's dead and was based on Dead Rising 2, and one gets updated so rarely it's pretty much dead, based on Killer Instinct. And I think I know why: the suggestion game is a much better format.
So, enough rambling, how about: A suggestion game based on multiple choice games? My first, and current, idea for this sort of thing would be an SG based on Shadow the Hedgehog, that "edgy" Sonic spin-off that came out in 2005 that got mixed reviews (but I love it.) It would be nice to know who else would think that would be cool before I put it into place/wait for one of my big three to finish/die and then make it.
Too...Medium?;Didn't Read: Interest Check for Future Game: Shadow the Hedgehog SG. Any advice for running such a thing?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on February 08, 2017, 06:38:18 pm
Thinking of jumping in on the SG front.
On a large, fictional world with one super continent and islands. Many different stories.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Any of these sound good? The world setting has so much background may make a wiki page for it.
If anyone is interested.
Post by: RoseHeart on February 08, 2017, 06:53:24 pm
Quote
suggestion game is a much better format
Resist!
Post by: Greatness942 on February 08, 2017, 07:18:16 pm
I meant for Video Game Forum Games, chuckles.Quotesuggestion game is a much better format
Resist!
Well my second attempt at adventure is not running smoothly.But yeah, it sounds cool. Trying to figure out the logistics of my own idea (as seen above), but yours sounds really interesting and also quite fun.
Thinking of jumping in on the SG front.
On a large, fictional world with one super continent and islands. Many different stories.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Any of these sound good? The world setting has so much background may make a wiki page for it.
If anyone is interested.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on February 08, 2017, 07:44:06 pm
I wish you luck on your game too.
Post by: Liberonscien on February 09, 2017, 11:15:21 pm
The plan for this one is that it will take place on more than one forum.
Anyone interested?
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 09, 2017, 11:19:39 pm
Post by: Liberonscien on February 09, 2017, 11:28:49 pm
We've all noticed your Nomics. While they're all well and good, people might be getting tired of them. Maybe try something different?Hmm.
I'll try to make an RPG, maybe.
Post by: Draignean on February 10, 2017, 03:31:53 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5PuNtcBh14&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5PuNtcBh14&feature=youtu.be)
Post by: OceanSoul on February 10, 2017, 04:02:49 pm
Perhaps players could choose which infected they WOULD turn into, if they were infected, bringing benefits from the relevant genes, but causing certain stimuli or conditions to make one 'turn' faster or slower. Maybe it would affect how certain infected react to you. For example, one type of geneset could be Rabbit, whose infected version twists the legs and becomes fast, high-jumping zombies that can infiltrate anywhere with a small gap. A survivor with that gene set would gain boosts to speed and evasion, but would be a preferred target for Falcon, Fox, etc. geneset infected. Something like that.
Post by: IronyOwl on February 10, 2017, 04:12:42 pm
Is it the drugs, or is this a great intro for a Zombie Apocalypse game?The first minute and a half and the second to last spoken line look waaaaaaaaaay more like the intro to a game than an actual whateveritactuallyis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5PuNtcBh14&feature=youtu.be (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5PuNtcBh14&feature=youtu.be)
It's good inspiration, but it becomes a little irrelevant to the disease itself around the second half. Make me wonder about an animal-based infection, giving the infected claws, gills, wings, bug eyes, etc. Could see the animal traits gained dependent on one's genes, making any sort of infected's bite being able to turn one into any type of infected.This could be kind of cool, but at that point I'd probably want to go with some kind of custom build-a-freak genemod overload type system. Why bother with rabbit legs at the cost of being targeted by fox-infs when you can use B1 Speed boosters at the cost of C-spread targeting pheromones and D-spread infection vulnerabilities?
Perhaps players could choose which infected they WOULD turn into, if they were infected, bringing benefits from the relevant genes, but causing certain stimuli or conditions to make one 'turn' faster or slower. Maybe it would affect how certain infected react to you. For example, one type of geneset could be Rabbit, whose infected version twists the legs and becomes fast, high-jumping zombies that can infiltrate anywhere with a small gap. A survivor with that gene set would gain boosts to speed and evasion, but would be a preferred target for Falcon, Fox, etc. geneset infected. Something like that.
Post by: OceanSoul on February 10, 2017, 04:30:30 pm
Fair point. Maybe there would be a 'family' geneset, which would have room for specific amounts of certain sorts of genes. A rabbit might have 3 slots for Speed-type genes and 1 slot for Attack-types, but requiring 2 slots of hindering genes? Some genes might be exclusive to certain families, like the combination jump-and-speed-boosting legs being exclusive to Rabbit (or similar) genesets, or would take up less slots in them.It's good inspiration, but it becomes a little irrelevant to the disease itself around the second half. Make me wonder about an animal-based infection, giving the infected claws, gills, wings, bug eyes, etc. Could see the animal traits gained dependent on one's genes, making any sort of infected's bite being able to turn one into any type of infected.This could be kind of cool, but at that point I'd probably want to go with some kind of custom build-a-freak genemod overload type system. Why bother with rabbit legs at the cost of being targeted by fox-infs when you can use B1 Speed boosters at the cost of C-spread targeting pheromones and D-spread infection vulnerabilities?
Perhaps players could choose which infected they WOULD turn into, if they were infected, bringing benefits from the relevant genes, but causing certain stimuli or conditions to make one 'turn' faster or slower. Maybe it would affect how certain infected react to you. For example, one type of geneset could be Rabbit, whose infected version twists the legs and becomes fast, high-jumping zombies that can infiltrate anywhere with a small gap. A survivor with that gene set would gain boosts to speed and evasion, but would be a preferred target for Falcon, Fox, etc. geneset infected. Something like that.
Post by: Draignean on February 10, 2017, 05:14:57 pm
Surveillance on the Ground
As a WAHIS Observer agent, you are the foundation of the first pillar of our mission. The modifications to your genome prevent Type IV infection with the Saigai disease family, thus allowing you to observe in closer quarters than any conventional personnel. You are the key element that bridges the gap between data-collection from autonomous drones and the images gleaned from our satellite resources.
Using the equipment granted to you by WAHIS and the gene-mods deemed most compatible with your physiology and psychology, we fully expect you to survive long enough to collect tissue samples, map soil contamination, and neutralize critical Saigai tumors. By working together with your fellow agents, you'll create a global network of operatives united by a lifelong commitment to uphold the safety of your former species.
Early Detection
After collecting tissue samples, soils samples, water samples, or, if requested, live specimens, all WAHIS operatives are required to pass such samples back to the nearest field laboratory. From these hidden labs, top OIE scientists will analyze your samples via the latest techniques in order to determine new mutations of the Saigai strain. Every such sample brought back is one more step on the road to a cure for the world.
An exciting feature of these field laboratories is that, even if the research does not immediately result in a cure, it may allow the geneticists to tweak or augment your modifications. Remember that you are vital to the data collection effort, and your modifications can only be removed once the Saigai strain is completely eradicated, but we are always interested in increasing your efficacy in the field.
Scientific Verification
If the field laboratory uncovers a new feature in the Saigai strain, they will need your help in order to ascertain its effects. While the controlled environments of the lab are suitable for nearly all testing, there are some final stages that will require your unique abilities. Your body, for example, will serve as a perfect incubation for new test-strains of synthetic Saigai antigen and protogen. You are required to submit to such experimental modifications and return with the relevant test data.
It is also possible that a promising sample will be incomplete. In some cases, this may only require that you recover a live specimen of the original creature. However, more often the OIE scientists will require the pure template, which means you'll need to find the Saigai tumor that created the contagion and harvest a pulp sample. You are the hands through which WAHIS works, thus death is not only a personal problem, but a failure to uphold a larger cause.
Fast and Efficient Dissemination of Information
Finally, you will uphold the final pillar of the WAHIS mission whenever the field outposts collect enough data to transmit back to the Walled Garden. The data packets in question are of the highest priority, and supersede any other orders you might have, rest time you might be on, injuries you might have suffered, or any death you might have been allowed. After receiving the data on a secure drive, you will be required to take packet to an automated mobile relay station. Due to the Saigai contamination inherent to your modifications, the relay station defenses may, or may not, target you on approach. Regardless, it is imperative that you gain access and activate the transmitter to transfer the data back home.
As we all well know from the initial incident, the Saigai infected as a whole are heavily antagonized by wireless transmissions, and will likely attempt to destroy the relay station and anything in the immediate area. While you may experience pain as well, you will be required to aid the relay station's defenses until the transfer completes. Your success is mandatory.
Upon completion, you will be rewarded with a number of doses of regenerative chemicals in order to stabilize the bonds between your human cells and the WAHIS augmented tissues in your body. This cycle ensures that you understand how important your role is, and symbolizes the WAHIS mission as a whole.
Only by supporting the four pillars can you save the world.
Only by supporting the four pillars can you save yourself.
Post by: OceanSoul on February 10, 2017, 05:19:17 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on February 10, 2017, 08:08:41 pm
Post by: TheBiggerFish on February 13, 2017, 05:58:10 pm
Post by: Draignean on February 17, 2017, 10:39:15 am
I keep coming back to my seven element system, which had a great deal written up for it before I realized there was no way in hell I could balance it and half the fun was coming up with broken combinations of traits, perks, and flaws. (Like a character that did 0 damage, but scored nearly constant crits and could use that to proc status effects)
Bah. Tis a conundrum I've whinged about on many occasions.
Post by: RoseHeart on February 17, 2017, 11:05:42 am
Post by: IronyOwl on February 17, 2017, 11:41:36 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on February 17, 2017, 11:48:36 am
Post by: Draignean on February 17, 2017, 01:12:44 pm
What's the problem?
Ah, so, allow me to elaborate with examples. (If you were actually trapped in a room with me, a whiteboard, and a projector, you'd really regret this.*)
I love designing mechanics, the more complex and obscure the better. As an example, the pinnacle of systems that convinced me that I needed to limit myself. At the time everything seemed rather simple, it was a straightforward calculation that I could do in my head in less than a minute, but it adds up. It's an integration to calculate the damage, another pair of rolls to calculate the exact cost of the ability (which can explode into a self-debuff roll if the cost exceeds reserves or is botched), a quick accuracy check, followed by a run through of the target's shields (inc. Hard damage absorptions, soft absorption, any armor piercing/shredding specials), armor (inc. everything used in shields + more), and misc. defensive abilities, followed by updating the variable statics (health,stamina,energy,armor,position,buffs,debuffs, etc) for all involved.
It's the kind of thing that works well in a programmed loop, but tends to wear down the human psyche rapidly and frustrate players when the DM keeps forgetting things. No part of the above is particularly weird, it's just really detailed. I still LIKE that system, I think it's a system that allows you to play a lot with the nitty-gritty of what separates individual methods of dealing and preventing damage and I have fond memories of the times when I was well rested enough to force it into functionality by sheer willpower and enthusiasm. If you'd like to see a DM flame-out from a mixture of life and trying to drag along a bad system, you should read my D-22 game. It's 50% game and 50% cringe worthy life issues on my part. It's rather an embarrassing pair of stone legs to leave in the sand, but it's mine.
On a slightly less personally depressing note, let's consider the sort of zombie-ish game that my opioid addled brain thought was a great idea. Right off the bat from my earlier descriptions we have a couple decent hooks for mechanics. We have genemods, and the implication that they're controlled uses of this Saigai (Bad romaji* for Calamity) strain which apparently fucks animals up horribly. Players should be allowed to have some fun with this, so there are a couple of options...
1. [Totally Anal] We provide a list of available slots and an exhaustive list of available mods.
2. [Mostly Anal] We provide a list of available slots and example genemods, then let the players write their own subject to individual approval.
3. [Probably Normal] We provide a list of available slots and ask the players for a character idea (not a description) and a list of animals. We then derive some genemods semi-randomly and check to see if the players want to re-roll that.
4. [Laid back] We let the player completely describe their characters and then make shit up in order to fit the description.
5. [Feckin' Australian M8] We let the players write their own genemods, pop a beer, and just go with it.
Now, as with most things, totally anal is not often a good option. Exhaustive lists, I've learned, are bloody exhausting. Typically ending up with several hundred entries that no one really cares to read, but will still frustrate them when they can't find what they want, or find that you've left out pangolin type genemods.
Personally I'm caught between normal and mostly anal. Mostly anal let's me ensure that people have their own say in what they get, but also keeps me in control of what actually goes through. Mostly anal forces me to adapt a bit more and make a lot of rule judgments on the fly, but that's good for expanding the system. Probably normal takes away a bit of fine control from the players in exchange for screwing about with broader concepts and reducing mechanical frustrations between GM and player.
The latter two options shift control to the players, leaving it up to the GM to ensure that the characters are still mechanically viable while allowing them to do whatever the hell they please with their abilities. This is harder than it looks.
Regardless of the above, we still need the underlying structure to support the game. I like structures that are unique and fun to play with, and playing as infected monstrosities is a good first step. So, since I've been on a DSIII kick, and it was hinted at the intro, let's make it hard as fuck to actually die. Not hard to get injured, not hard to get broken and mangled, just hard to die.
So, how about a health system where your max health represents a chance to actually kill you instead of a hard limit. Let's say you have 30 health. Here that would mean that if you've taken 30 damage an opponent can go in for a killing blow, which would have (completely arbitrary dice number) a 1 in 6 chance of killing you. If the d6 comes up 1, you die. If it comes up anything else, you gain back 30 health and the fight continues.
What's fun about this is that we can also introduce a system of status effects that are also based on damage. So, same idea as the kill. All status effects have a certain damage threshold that they need to gain one chance to inflict that effect. You can stack as many chances as you want (up to 6 in the case of the d6) to get a higher percentage chance to inflict the debuff. Whether or not the debuff succeeds, the target gets however much damage you gambled back as health. Let's say we have a status effect of Bleed. Bleed I requires 2 points of damage to get a chance to proc. So, if an opponent is down 30 HP, you can either gamble a 16% chance for an instant kill (with an 84% chance to give a full heal instead), or give them back 12 HP for 100% chance to inflict bleed. (which might only do 1d4 damage per turn, but that shit adds up.)
On the surface, which is all I really have, I like it. After a couple of combat encounters where players get limbs removed, bones shattered, and repeatedly set on fire, it should really set the mood of constant and inevitable decay (perhaps I drunk a little deeper from the dark souls cup than I intended) where death seems preferable to the mountain of debuffs piling up. However, that does bring up the interesting point of the Labs. These were mentioned earlier, and it would be fun to see players just get the hopelessly damaged sections of their body replaced. You did well on that mission? Great, let's replace that shattered arm of yours with a cybernetic monstrosity that's been infected by saigai contaminated insects and shoots fucking plasma wasps! You brought as back a tin can and a moaning head? Well, we know you got your legs chewed off by a mutant chinchilla, so we krazy glued you to a wheelchair. Go out and gather more samples if you want some real legs!
So, now that we've got that idea in place, let's look at genemods again.
We can do four main slots of legs,arms, torso, head. Or we can increase that to six by doing left and right arms independently. Either way, I think we should separate it into minor/major and malicious mods. Minor and major mods go in the normal slots, but malicious mods simply accrete without an easy means of removal. (No cutting an arm off to get rid of a bad one!) Malicious mods should be added under certain circumstances, such as when the player is killed (as a rez cost), or perhaps even during certain operations to change out damaged limbs (tissue rejection).
So, let's say that we give the players two minor genemods, one major, and one malicious. For a sort of Corvian build, we might go with...
Torso: Stunted Wings //Limited Flight
Left Leg: Raking Talons //Extra melee with bonus damage based on fall distance
Head: Murder Call // Can scream to call in/disgorge multiple small ravens to damage and distract targets.
Malicious: Brittle Bones //All malicious effects directed at limbs are treated as having one more chance than usual.
Now, a few things become apparent. Putting slots into your torso and head likely means you don't intend to be switching those out any time soon. We also need some kind of numbered stat system that determines health/melee damage/ranged accuracy/etc. After playing Endless Legend with Dwarmin, I'm a bit fond of how they handle dice rolls, so let's run something like this...
Each stat has a rating from 0 to V. The actual effect of those is described on the stat, but will usually amount to an extra die rolled. Probably give players 5 points to spend at start.
Strength: Adds 1d6 to melee checks
Vitality: Adds 6 to total health
Dexterity: Adds 1d6 to ranged checks
Agility: Adds 1d6 to evasion checks
Tenacity: Adds 1d6 on luck checks
Rolls all get a base of 1d20. The D20 does not explode. The D6s all do.
And... This is going much longer than I expected. You can sort of see the problem.
Give it a try. Think of it as a game eternally in alpha development hell.
This is genius. Absolute genius as a theme for a game. The terribly thought out stat and damage systems are the DM's mistakes, they're bloody features.
Anywho, I've got to go. Who knows, maybe I'll come back with a more complete system.
*Side note: Bad Romaji would be a good Gaga parody
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on February 17, 2017, 04:23:55 pm
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
The rest of Pangaea stuff.
Heir to the Throne ( In this you complete with siblings and troubles to become next ruler of a Empire. When and if you get it must then manage it for 100 years until you win or fail. Fail can have fun stuff.)
Islanders ( boats!!!!)
Exiles ( traveling as you're a people looking for new home. Detail here is akin to Gnoll Cheiftess as managing people is very close and no tribe creation. Here you pick from 15 tribes I have made of humans. Just one at a time.)
Tribe ( Basic one. Most basic.)
Post by: Draignean on February 23, 2017, 06:04:01 pm
Anyone interested in helping me with some playtesting?
Wind scoured the Cathedral, whipping across pitted gargoyles and through broken stained glass windows. Once they had been glorious with light, each one depicting a holy Saint and the pictographic tales of their miracles. People had kneeled in the light of those windows to ask boons to small to require the direct supplication of Almighty God.
Now panes were missing from the lead frames, and the glass that remained was cracked and stained. Much damage had been from the rocks hurled by the peasantry as the world went mad, but many cracks and smaller fissures had been from undying birds. Pitiful creatures. They weren't the hazard they once were. Most had been completely maddened by the pain, and they no longer tried to claim the poisoned sky.
One such creature half walked, half flapped along the Cathedral's stone floor. The men and women assembled in the church paid it no mind. Once the presence of such a wretched thing, a crow with its wings snapped and its ribs protruding from its flesh, flopping about would have merited a cleansing of the church and the ritual burning of the nearest available witch. Now the assembled reacted no more than they would have to a roach in a slum. A slight twitch of disgust here and there, but such creatures were hardly the worst they had seen.
Ashwraiths twisted madly about the pews of the Cathedral interior, sometimes briefly taking humanoid forms. They could form in still places like this, where the wind would not shred them to tatters. Dozens of the swirling figures surged around the altar of Almight God, briefly assuming forms of desperate prayer before breaking apart again. Poor, lost souls from the first days of the Season Unending, from when it was still believed that fire could grant death even when beheading had failed.
"I can not pretend to lay blessing upon you, nor give succor to your wounds. There is little power left in this place, and I have no blessings left for thee."
The speaker was ancient, a wizened priest who stooped under the weight of his robe and remained upright only through the use of his staff. Before, he had complained frequently about the pain in his joints and how the chill in the stones would cut right through him. Now those pains never receded and never healed. Many of the old had gone mad with similar mounting agonies. Yet, somehow, he persisted. His milky eyes surveyed the assembled, their gaze firm despite the pain behind them.
"I see my brethren among you, and I see those that last season I would have called my greatest enemy. Yet little of that matters now. Whether you once wielded the sacred light or conjured Witchfire, set all quarrels aside. There is no house, country, or royalty left worth butchering one another for."
The assembled barely shifted. Holy Knights of the Cathedral, soldiers from the army, surviving peasants, witches of all seven covens, assassins from the south, warmages from far Genai... The assembled were of many lands, and they were of none. Once there would have been blood shed at such a mixing, but now immortality made battle a tired and horrifying prospect.
"You have been called here one the promise of hope. Hope that we can break the Season Unending. Hope that we can one day again heal our broken flesh, hope that at least we can one day be allowed to die."
A few faces lifted as the old priest continued. Hope was a faint and tired thing, and it showed on very few faces among the assembled. Most had been driven here by curiosity, curiosity as to what would drive an old enemy to call them for aid, curiosity to see what new madness was unfolding. The Season Unending seemed to be the end of the world, and many had begun to accept that terribly fact. There would be no last battle, no clash between the demons spawned by burning heart of chaos at the center of the world and the legions of Almighty God. Just a slow grind until there was nothing left but dust that longed for a mouth so it could scream.
"The Tale of how Almighty God assumed his Throne is a fable we teach to children, but there is some truth to it. I do not know who or what the Usurper was, or even if he existed, but I know the Throne exists. I know the Throne existed before Almighty God."
Some of the onlookers began to shift. For those who had once devoted themselves to Almighty God, what the priest said was heresy. For those who did not believe, it seemed irrelevant. Yet neither had anything better to do than listen. Though they hungered, they could not satisfy it. Though they were weary, sleep only restored the fatigue of the mind- not the body. The world was over. Heresy was to be expected, and a speech about children's church tales was at least different enough to entertain for a few moments.
"I have no blessings left, as I said, but I have one Curse that may yet serve us."
The priest motioned, and an acolyte stepped out of the shadows with a long parcel wrapped in grey silk. She unwrapped it, revealing a long spear wrought entirely from some pale stone. Several of the Church's enemies flinched back from the weapon.
"This is the Spear of Judgement, wrought by God and given to man so that he might have a weapon against the demons, and so that man could render the most wicked to HIM so that they may pay for their transgressions. With this weapon, you can be judged before Almighty God. With this weapon, you can die."
Sparks of life flickered into the eyes of the onlookers, seeming to animate them for the first time. A path to death, a path to set down the pain of months of scrapes, bruises, and cuts that would never heal. A path to the blessed sleep.
"Old friends and strangers alike, I ask you to die. No prayer has been answered by Emissary or Angel, and I do not know what awaits you in heaven. Yet I ask you this, do not let yourself be judged, and do not let yourself rest on the other side. Fight your way to Almighty God and kill him. Usurp the throne and become HIM. I care not how you use his powers as long as you break the Season Unending."
A tremble went through the assembled, and five stepped forward immediately. Five souls, and you among them.
Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Combat Rules (click to show/hide)
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 23, 2017, 06:21:56 pm
What about ranged weapons such as crossbows? Does the cool-down count for reloading?
How does range work? Do you have an advantage, if you have a pike and they have a dagger?
Post by: Draignean on February 23, 2017, 06:50:42 pm
Interested enough.
What about ranged weapons such as crossbows? Does the cool-down count for reloading?
How does range work? Do you have an advantage, if you have a pike and they have a dagger?
Moves count for one combat frame. One move, one tile. Range... Blah. I'm still considering on that one. Likely it'll just be a straight number on the weapon that determines a max range. For the crossbow, the P:3 indicates it takes three frames to prime and 1 frame to fire. It only has a frame count for heavy attacks because it can only make heavy attacks, same as the grenade. A short bow, similarly, might only have a value for light attacks.
I'd sort of have hoped to avoid gridmaps in order to avoid becoming the bastard child of Elantris, Dark Souls, AND FEF, but it probably can't be helped if I'm going combat focused.
As for advantage, that's factored into the weapon abilities for the most part, hence the defender trait. Though I might throw in some sort of weapon supremacy system and just embrace the FEF.
Post by: OceanSoul on February 23, 2017, 07:25:44 pm
Post by: Draignean on February 23, 2017, 07:43:10 pm
Maybe you should consider a triagonal or hexagonal grid?
... Why?
Not saying it's a bad idea, just wondering as to why you're suggesting it.
Post by: OceanSoul on February 23, 2017, 07:49:22 pm
Post by: hachnslay on March 03, 2017, 12:02:11 pm
So, i went entirely too meta and lost most players even before they could change the display options -
I even have most of the Backstory done -
Wizard uses spells to create timeloops whenever he dies, bringing him back to the start of the game, retaining his Skills but not his memories or levels.
Mind magic links his mind to the Voices of the twelve bays (that is you!)
Names Have Power...
was planning to use something from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legendary_creatures_by_type
as the hardmode enemy list.
question is - should i try to restart without adaptable display options or let it die?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 03, 2017, 12:05:58 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on March 06, 2017, 03:46:41 pm
A good analogy for this advice I'm giving you though would be The Legend of Zelda. Imagine booting up Zelda and from the moment you turn it on you see every single map and every single dungeon all at once and your character is just an infinitesimally small pixel. That wouldn't be fun would it? But why... they have all the information, anything else is just taking things away from the player right? What's wrong with that? Sometimes limitation is good.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 06, 2017, 06:02:29 pm
From there its having your people look for good and shelter to find a place to belong.
The other is the Emperor Throne. Super simple stat system. More harem options and less detail to building. Your job is to impress your dad at ruling a province ( which you pick.) And if get Throne ruling it until death.
Post by: ATHATH on March 07, 2017, 12:33:13 am
Post by: Parsely on March 07, 2017, 03:45:34 pm
Would any of you guys be interested in participating in Darkness Redeemed: Necromechanic 3 if Shadestyle started it here, or should he look for another forum?Why are you asking instead of Shadestyle?
Post by: ATHATH on March 07, 2017, 07:50:21 pm
I asked of my own initiative before he did, and we just left my post up instead of making a new one.Would any of you guys be interested in participating in Darkness Redeemed: Necromechanic 3 if Shadestyle started it here, or should he look for another forum?Why are you asking instead of Shadestyle?
So are you interested (or at least not opposed to it)?
Post by: IronyOwl on March 09, 2017, 03:40:58 am
I have, as always, half a dozen actual ideas and dozens of things that with work could charitably be considered neural activity. I'm also open to entirely new suggestions.
Spoiler: Half of a Civilization Game (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Blood of the Gods RTD (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Tactical Combat Thing (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Answer Is Always Mages (click to show/hide)
Post by: Draignean on March 09, 2017, 03:14:34 pm
One, because I'm mentally grumbling about 'saner and faster' (:P), and two because Mages are fun.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on March 09, 2017, 04:22:46 pm
Magicka-style?
Post by: Parsely on March 09, 2017, 07:14:19 pm
Post by: OceanSoul on March 09, 2017, 07:27:35 pm
Spoiler: Spoilered, in case you don't want to read it (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on March 09, 2017, 10:42:37 pm
Mages mages mages magesNo, like that colony builder thing you were an omnibold in, only hopefully better designed. Rather than combining Arcane+Earth or Arcane+Arcane buttons/elements to produce a laser, you use your skill in Destruction to project something and your skill in some kind of energy manipulation to make that something said energy, then specify you're projecting said energy in the form of a solid beam. And, of course, roll a [1], point-blanking yourself with it instead.
Magicka-style?
I might like the magic game. The floating-island part reminds me of an idea I had.Sounds pretty similar, except I'd been thinking more jumping ship for better islands than breaking chunks off to build up yours. Players hate leaving absolutely anything behind, though, so maybe that'd be a better idea.
Post by: OceanSoul on March 09, 2017, 10:50:44 pm
Post by: Digital Hellhound on March 10, 2017, 08:53:29 am
Blood of the Gods sounds rad, too. I'd love to tear out the guts of gods to gain their powers. Let us cut God to see if He bleeds!
Post by: OceanSoul on March 10, 2017, 09:39:32 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 10, 2017, 06:12:46 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 10, 2017, 07:05:11 pm
If the game goes on long enough, maybe you could make the players have multiple islands? Probably 2 or 3 max, but it opens up some possibilities, such as having a fortified island for defence, a weaponised island for offensive maneauvers, and a developed island for rest/research/testing/practice/etc.I'd rather just make islands large and varied enough that you can have fortresses, farming valleys, some kind of siege tower, and so forth on the same island.
What if each player had their own, small island that they are bound to? Or, maybe just a fragment of a shared island? They can revive as long as their fragment of the island is safe, but if it gets destroyed, so are they. On the other side of the coin, getting stronger makes your piece of the island bigger, more powerful(useful structures, abilities, etc), and vice versa; adding to your island makes you stronger based on the attributes of the island. Someone with a forest island may have an ability to make plants grow, whether as wooden spikes for attack or a sturdy stump for defense. If a dryad appeared on the island, they might be able to summon them briefly in battle. Something like that.Too abstract for my tastes. Among other things, it badly messes with anything you'd want to do to "your" patch of land yourself, because that's largely your xp's job.
Post by: S34N1C on March 10, 2017, 10:14:52 pm
Post by: Person on March 10, 2017, 11:41:16 pm
Post by: ATHATH on March 11, 2017, 12:32:44 am
I thought that *I* was the one who played the omnibold...Mages mages mages magesNo, like that colony builder thing you were an omnibold in, only hopefully better designed. Rather than combining Arcane+Earth or Arcane+Arcane buttons/elements to produce a laser, you use your skill in Destruction to project something and your skill in some kind of energy manipulation to make that something said energy, then specify you're projecting said energy in the form of a solid beam. And, of course, roll a [1], point-blanking yourself with it instead.
Magicka-style?I might like the magic game. The floating-island part reminds me of an idea I had.Sounds pretty similar, except I'd been thinking more jumping ship for better islands than breaking chunks off to build up yours. Players hate leaving absolutely anything behind, though, so maybe that'd be a better idea.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on March 11, 2017, 12:34:58 am
Post by: IronyOwl on March 11, 2017, 12:39:10 am
I've been considering making a game based off the game Oxygen not Included. Still thinking about some of the kinks to iron out, but the idea is growing on me. Anyone interested?Never played, so I can't have much of an opinion.
I thought that *I* was the one who played the omnibold...
Yeah, I was confused by that.Whoops.
Post by: OceanSoul on March 13, 2017, 10:40:20 am
...What about a balance of those two? Players control the labrynth in hopes of helping travellers reach the depths, but they'll need loot to make it there. Travellers gain Loot from beating the labyrinth's puzzles, traps, and monsters, but the reward scales with difficulty, so the players must tune the difficulty to fit the party(s). I know this stopped seeming like a Spamgame, but it was still an interesting idea, so I continued. Since it isn't a spamgame, maybe it shouldn't be a suggestion game, either. One one hand, a normal, individual player format would mean letting multiple characters do multiple things in the labyrinth at once, which could get rather chaotic, and is harder to keep track of, but then again, maybe the individuality and chaos would be a Good thing.
There should probably be some sort of resource system for how much can be made. X amount for a room of size Y, with a multiplier of Z for an aspect of it. The multipliers could add to the cost if they're beneficial (contains treasure, few/no enemies, heal point), or subtract, saving cost for challenges (a door requires a key to pass, high amount of enemies, trapped, hard to move across). How would resource be regained, though? Travelers completing a room, returning part of the original cost? Maybe after an amount of time, whether by floor or per turn. Challenges might also give resource based on difficulty when completed. Maybe, instead of being a limit, some resource could allow certain things to be added. Maybe a randomized aspect, gained every so often, can be consumed to create a special room, miniboss, or piece of loot based off it. Maybe those would be the basis of the floor's theme, whether gaining some pre-chosen ones based on the floor's theme, or the chosen among random aspects being the theme itself.
I though up a few more things, but I'm still considering them, so I'd like to ask what you all think of this first.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 17, 2017, 02:42:00 am
In Your Image
Project Fate
Aegis Program
Black Isle
Spam Command.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 17, 2017, 08:39:06 pm
Project Fate: Your super people hunted by government.
Aegis: Your nets humans via government surgery to defeat monsters threatening humanity.
Black Isle: Straight up horror game. On a mission exploring a newly discovered island. Bad things happen.
Spam Command: Goant monsters attack humanity. Your in charge of dealing with it. Managing resources and crew and research and projects. To bring the big buggers down.
Edit: Two more adventure themed
Space Frontiers: Outer space adventure.
Myth: Truth of the Gods: A sci di take on mythology as the events happen on Earth rift as dinosaurs died out and before the ice age came about.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 18, 2017, 05:59:50 pm
So, I was looking at Spamwarlord, and then decided to try and come up with another Spamgame.What are spamgames, anyway? I see them all over, but I can't figure out what makes them spam.
In Your Image: Mad scientist Roger.With just this it's hard to have an opinion on most of them. Like, "Outer space adventure," really? That could be soooooo many different things.
Project Fate: Your super people hunted by government.
Aegis: Your nets humans via government surgery to defeat monsters threatening humanity.
Black Isle: Straight up horror game. On a mission exploring a newly discovered island. Bad things happen.
Spam Command: Goant monsters attack humanity. Your in charge of dealing with it. Managing resources and crew and research and projects. To bring the big buggers down.
Space Frontiers: Outer space adventure.
Myth: Truth of the Gods: A sci di take on mythology as the events happen on Earth rift as dinosaurs died out and before the ice age came about.
So if I was going to run a mage game, most likely it'd be in the image of my other mage games. Specifically, you have a bunch of skills you can use to more or less freeform create spell effects, you combine them for more complex/nuanced effects, and you gain experience in them by doing them. Bonuses or maluses to rolls apply inverted to experience gains, so more dangerous and reckless actions teach you more, while safer actions aren't as illuminating.
Currently, I'm mostly confident of the following schools:
Spoiler: Current Spell Schools (click to show/hide)
However, there's somewhat more nuance to spell combinations than this, in two different ways. One, combinations are not literally just dumping everything into one pile, so combining Protection with Destruction to shield yourself while attacking won't work- at least, not unless you can explain how a single spell is using both capabilities to achieve the desired result. On the other hand, using Destruction and Protection to create a spell that weaves around a pillar is entirely possible, because Destruction can provide the force and Protection can provide the resistance to force- that is, the part where it stops going in a direction.
This, in turn, is sort of the ideal for all spell schools: Be intuitive and useful enough to serve on its own, but also nuanced and broad enough to allow interesting interactions when one gets down into the guts of it.
I have two bits I'm struggling with on this front. The first is which schools to use; as mentioned, I'd ideally want each school to be useful both on its own and with others, but I also want to make sure players have the tools to make whatever kind of character they want.
So ideas for new schools or bases to cover, questions about how to achieve specific ends, or critiques of the ones I've got up there would be nice.
The second thing I'm struggling with is power level. I would like some nuance between Knows Fire Magic and Does Not Know Fire Magic, and traditionally I've used a five tier list for this: Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, Master. The problem is that this invariably ends up mushy and hard to use; players and GM alike consistently have difficulty figuring out what level an effect is liable to be. I'm not sure if I need a new system, should condense the old one, need to better clarify exactly what metrics put an effect into what level, or what.
Post by: Weirdsound on March 18, 2017, 06:07:34 pm
What are spamgames, anyway? I see them all over, but I can't figure out what makes them spam.
They seem to be SGs with really short fast updates that railroad players into making picks from one of several multiple choice options. I've just gotten into them myself.
Post by: Harry Baldman on March 18, 2017, 06:20:13 pm
What are spamgames, anyway? I see them all over, but I can't figure out what makes them spam.
They seem to be SGs with really short fast updates that railroad players into making picks from one of several multiple choice options. I've just gotten into them myself.
Minimalist management SGs with generate-as-you-go setting elements, usually a Reigns-type resource system and CK2 style decisions. They tend to be reasonably laconic in description and update rapidly, but not more rapidly than most other kinds of games. They're not so much legitimately spammed as they are named after SPAMKINGDOM, the first and best of the genre thus far which ran for 6 months and racked up like 5000 posts. Kind of spammy, but not definitively so.
Post by: OceanSoul on March 21, 2017, 09:20:07 am
Each round has a different player be the judge, rotating to the player on their right or something. All other players would play 2 or 3 of their cards and describe a spell involving them that would be useful or otherwise applicable to the prompt. Once a spell was played, though, it could not be taken backThe judge hears their arguements, then chooses the "best" spell, whether the most effective, funniest, or perhaps simply the one they like the best. The player that played that spell then gains a point, and the round ends. The winner would be whoever got the most points after X rounds, or the first to reach Y points.
It might not be the best in a forum format, but it could still be fun to try. Any suggestion or changes to the rules? Would anyone want to try and play this?
Post by: heydude6 on March 21, 2017, 10:21:55 am
It would be a good idea to look at the rules to get some ideas. As is though, I don't think there are any things that need to be changed. Forum games are surprisingly good for card games, the main issues involve creating a compelling ruleset and making enough balanced cards.
Post by: OceanSoul on March 21, 2017, 10:58:36 am
Post by: Draignean on March 22, 2017, 10:57:33 am
Never has an album wanted me to make a make a game more.
The cover has a bunch of werewolves in bishop vestments, and the first song is "Sanctified with Dynamite".
It's so ridiculous and wonderful. I love it. Hell, if my combat system gets off the ground, I might use that as my setting. It's just tickles me so much.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 22, 2017, 11:53:48 am
Though points are limited and everything has ups and downs.
Aegis I wrote 24 situations and power lists based on fields of super powets.
Alpha/ Spam Command: Its like x com with giant robots vs giant monsters. Decisions and some research development and stuff.
In Your Image : Usrs the 1-5 point limited build as star Frontiers. Just instead of space your a mad scientist with creations and minions.
Project Fate: Much more limited power scale than Aegis as humans are actually a threat given situation.
Black Isle: No stats. Just characters on a forbidden island trying not to die as things get bad.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 22, 2017, 02:29:53 pm
And Space Frontier:
Write up Captain who is a bad ass.
Ship: Has four catergories. 13 points to spend. Have to spend 1 for minimal to have or no dice.
Ship Condition
Size
Armaments
Speed
Crew: Likewise
Quality
Numbers
Weaponry
Connections
Can make own up or pick pre selected captains. Multiple galaxies to choose from as in this inter galactic is possible.
Post by: hachnslay on March 23, 2017, 09:32:31 am
noun
1.
a method of divination through alleged communication with the dead; black art.
2.
magic in general, especially that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; sorcery; witchcraft; conjuration.
...
If i ever give someone the means to become a necromancer they will get an oracle ability that requires them to exhume corpses.
to me this is a malapropism.
Post by: OceanSoul on April 03, 2017, 09:58:07 am
This one...well, I can't think of how the specific numberlogical mechanics work, but the general idea is appealing. Think Street-Fighter-esque sidescroller brawling meets Pokémon. Players are either capable of containing or channeling monsters in/through their body. Each body part (arms, legs, torso, and head, for a total of 6) has a slot for a monster to fit into, each monster having stats/types and adding stats/abilities to the attached part and moves involving it, possibly adding new fighting techniques based on the overall arrangement of monsters.
The main point is, when an attack hits part of the enemy's body, not only is damage taken by the defending fighter, the monsters in the attacking body parts fight the monsters of the defending body parts, dealing damage to each other. If a monster is KO'd, it doesn't give any benefits to the body part (including special techniques), so hitting a monsterless part deals more damage, and KO'ing a monster can turn a fight around. Add in type advantages/disadvantages and a few status ailments, and you have quite a unique brawler.
I'm unsure about moving monsters between body parts mid-combat, though I'm thinking certain monster abilities could allow it, sometimes only if the moved-to part lacks a (living) monster. There's also the matter of how all the stats work. For now, though, all I want to know is; what do you think? Are there any big problems with the concept? Is it too complicated? What might work well as the stat system?
Post by: Person on April 03, 2017, 10:30:17 am
Maybe do a sort of changeling thing? Symbiotic creatures? Aliens perhaps?
Also parasyte, though be warned that that's probably NSFW.
Post by: OceanSoul on April 03, 2017, 11:03:14 am
I'd personally prefer the magic-from-parallel-dimention approach, since a) the magic can explain all of the elemental types, weaknesses, and resistances, and b) our source would be mundane/magicless, giving us a need to work with monsters.
Post by: Greatness942 on April 03, 2017, 12:45:34 pm
It would be a Picture Wars game, just like the one Snow Dwarf is doing, except themed around races and factions from Mass Effect. Thus, it would be futuristic themed, with Biotics, Omni-Tools, and such. Players can draw and drive vehicles from the series. I think it would be cool to try.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on April 04, 2017, 12:42:07 am
I mean, look at these:
Spoiler: Snip (click to show/hide)
You could put a design like that on top of a staff and tell people it helps channel magical energy better, and they'll totally believe you.
Speaking of which, here's some worldbuilding for the concept of an antenna staff.
Magic, like many forms of energy, is a wave, and only tends to affect things when the magical wave resonates with an object. So a spell directed at, say, a rock won't have an effect on the surrounding dirt, and likewise a spell directed against armor won't have any effect on the person wearing it.
The earth hosts a (relatively) low frequency earthwave, which is relatively high in amplitude, but very few things resonate with the earthwave, and so it doesn't have much of a macroscopic effect. However, since the sources of the earthwave move around beneath the surface of the world, there exist nodes and antinodes as part of a huge interference pattern, and at the antinodes the amplitude can get high enough to slightly resonate with the earth, causing weather and other macroscopic effects.
Most magic uses the earthwave as an energy source. However, since the earthwave doesn't resonate with most useful objects, a magician uses a staff fashioned similarly to an RF mixer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_mixer) to multiply the earthwave with a higher frequency to get it within the resonant range of an object. To do this, a magician needs to feed in a magical wave at a higher frequency, generated by some kind of magic crystal. So generally, different types of staff will manipulate different elements, though with some finagling a magician could build a staff that controls different elements, by finding the right crystals and setting up a way of filtering all the outputs.
By using technobabble based on real life, I can eliminate the archetype of a wizard as a "wizened old man who likes to read books for vague reasons" and have them resemble actual engineers with slide rules that constantly try to tweak and optimize the system.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on April 04, 2017, 12:46:44 am
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on April 04, 2017, 12:52:38 am
Post by: OceanSoul on April 04, 2017, 09:15:43 am
How are the effects determined, anyway? Does it have to do with a different set of frequentlcies? Maybe light? But light is a frequency....are the frequencies of any objects visible light? Is it possible for a voice to resonate with something? Maybe that has to do with some deity? Can frequencies be utilized with just a staff, no mage?
Spoiler: Rant on potential new game, spoiler'd for convenience. (click to show/hide)
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on April 04, 2017, 02:58:25 pm
Somewhat like AM radio.
Sure you could attach multiple heads to one staff, though the engineering would be complicated because it affects the characteristic impedance of the junction. You'd have to design a magical matching circuit.
Post by: WunderKatze on April 04, 2017, 06:12:21 pm
Beware of low rolls.
Post by: Haspen on April 09, 2017, 03:15:51 pm
Spoiler: Example rules (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Example graphics (click to show/hide)
Post by: Parsely on April 09, 2017, 05:24:49 pm
Post by: Haspen on April 10, 2017, 11:08:50 am
Then again I don't want to make it a '6 vs 6 battle and first to die means the player is screwed', ya know what am sayin .<'?
Post by: flabort on April 11, 2017, 02:49:48 am
And I have had a game idea.
Mechanical Core of the game
You have four "limbs", which can perform actions simutaneously. Right-Arm, Left-Arm, Stance, and Spellwork. The actions which can be performed by these limbs all share the following traits:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Equipment(WIP, will probably be moved to a google doc for final version)
Armor: Nudity/near Nudity (WIP)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: WillowLuman on April 11, 2017, 01:54:27 pm
A galactic criminal is hiding out on modern-day Earth, the government sends a number of agents in Earthling disguise to hunt them down. Possibly done in rounds, with the criminal having a different secret project each time. Players have the liberty of designing their operative and method of disguise.
Demons lurk inside the internet, and a chosen few fight them by combining video games with a certain spell to create avatars. Each demon has their own MO and methods for defeating it. Possibly the same setting as that spirits game I once tried to run.
Ambiguous large 1st world country. In times past, werewolves used to be shoved into asylums, but the government has been taking a more progressive approach. They are allowed to live in the general population, but under close supervision. Each werewolf is assigned a case worker who helps them live safely and secretly, and who is charged with "cleaning up" in the event their assignee is compromised.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on April 11, 2017, 11:00:57 pm
Ssssooooo.... I've been gone a while... I guess... and I'm back, mostly, not quite the same person but mostly the same. Older?
And I have had a game idea.
Mechanical Core of the game
You have four "limbs", which can perform actions simutaneously. Right-Arm, Left-Arm, Stance, and Spellwork. The actions which can be performed by these limbs all share the following traits:Further more, many moves (not all) have the following:Spoiler (click to show/hide)Rules/FAQSpoiler (click to show/hide)Character SheetSpoiler (click to show/hide)Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Equipment(WIP, will probably be moved to a google doc for final version)
Armor: Nudity/near Nudity (WIP)Armor: Iron-Studded Leather (WIP)Spoiler (click to show/hide)Weapon: Rapier (WIP)Spoiler (click to show/hide)Spoiler (click to show/hide)
That all sounds needlessly complex and more fitting for a PC game than a forum game. Too much stuff to keep track of, too much detailed information. In that game I don't see the benefits of having a human GM. But that's me, I think I have seen mechanically complex games here before too so it may work.
Post by: flabort on April 12, 2017, 01:34:11 am
Let's say there are two players in a fight. One is nude (Player A), the other is wearing iron-studded leather(Player B), and they both have a rapier (because that's all I've made so far); player A has it in his right hand, and player b has it in his left. It's the start of the match, and they started a distance of 50 away. The match starts with them making a simultaneous decision, and then proceeds from there:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
So yes, it IS too needlessly complex. Darn it.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on April 12, 2017, 02:12:39 am
And as a GM that's source of my endless frustration: I come up with neat mechanics, work them out on paper and then end up wondering what the hell I'm actually going to do with it, what's the reason for the system to exist and ultimately dump them somewhere, probably into trashbin.
Post by: Draignean on April 12, 2017, 08:06:30 am
Ssssooooo.... I've been gone a while... I guess... and I'm back, mostly, not quite the same person but mostly the same. Older?
And I have had a game idea.
Mechanical Core of the game
You have four "limbs", which can perform actions simutaneously. Right-Arm, Left-Arm, Stance, and Spellwork. The actions which can be performed by these limbs all share the following traits:Further more, many moves (not all) have the following:Spoiler (click to show/hide)Rules/FAQSpoiler (click to show/hide)Character SheetSpoiler (click to show/hide)Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Equipment(WIP, will probably be moved to a google doc for final version)
Armor: Nudity/near Nudity (WIP)Armor: Iron-Studded Leather (WIP)Spoiler (click to show/hide)Weapon: Rapier (WIP)Spoiler (click to show/hide)Spoiler (click to show/hide)
You and me should get together some time and make a baby. The most mechanically complex baby ever conceived.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 12, 2017, 10:11:40 pm
Link to thread I tried my war/ arms deal. They were not keen on it.
Post by: escaped lurker on April 13, 2017, 04:56:13 pm
Link to thread I tried my war/ arms deal. They were not keen on it.
Not to be scathing, but I am not surprised - nor would you fare much better with it on here.
You put in more options and complexity, than 3/4 of modern strategy games have. Contained in a forum game, without any "makeup" like colourful / advanced formating or graphics, either.
If you'd have put up all that tech for research throughout the course of the game, with only some sort of "starting tech" visible, people might be more interested - but "pick the 40 techs of your ww2 faction", is already extremely tedious from the get-go. The resulting game also seems like it would take months to play, which shies away people even further - be it because they don't think they can invest that much time themselves, or because they rightfully doubt many others would stick with it for long.
Simply put, you made it far too overwhelming, with little appeal. For most, it would seem like a waste to invest time. At that point, it doesn't matter how good the game actually might be, as people won't even give it a chance. I'd be surprised if more people read through all of it, than you spent hours writing it up.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 13, 2017, 04:59:27 pm
Post by: ATHATH on April 13, 2017, 05:20:49 pm
You and me should get together some time and make a baby. The most mechanically complex baby ever conceived.Someone should sig this.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on April 13, 2017, 06:26:22 pm
Post by: StrawBarrel on April 13, 2017, 09:58:44 pm
Here's a few pitches I plan on eventually doing something with:All three concepts sound really interesting for sure, but the werewolf one piqued my interest the most. I'm not exactly sure why though. Maybe the idea of not having a character antagonist, but rather the werewolfism affliction, makes it stand out from the other two. Well actually, I guess for sure the duality of aiding the werewolf dudes live normalish lives and action/drama of something going awry is very appealing. It sounds like the police ideal to serve and protect combined with werewolves, but at the same time the game can take on plenty of other themes and tones. (I don't want to narrowcast the idea or anything, just went on a bit of a slight tangent.)
A galactic criminal is hiding out on modern-day Earth, the government sends a number of agents in Earthling disguise to hunt them down. Possibly done in rounds, with the criminal having a different secret project each time. Players have the liberty of designing their operative and method of disguise.
Demons lurk inside the internet, and a chosen few fight them by combining video games with a certain spell to create avatars. Each demon has their own MO and methods for defeating it. Possibly the same setting as that spirits game I once tried to run.
Ambiguous large 1st world country. In times past, werewolves used to be shoved into asylums, but the government has been taking a more progressive approach. They are allowed to live in the general population, but under close supervision. Each werewolf is assigned a case worker who helps them live safely and secretly, and who is charged with "cleaning up" in the event their assignee is compromised.
Have any thoughts on whether they'd be roleplaying or suggestion games? If roleplaying, I could see the first and second ones easily being competitive games with opposing sides and the third one possibly being either mission-based and focused on clean-ups or having players choose between taking the role of a case worker or a werewolf.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 13, 2017, 10:04:05 pm
Post by: Draignean on April 14, 2017, 07:44:08 am
I bet Draig says that to all the other girls, too.
Only the ones that confuse me.
Which, in all honesty, explains a great about my current life situation.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 14, 2017, 10:13:32 am
Post by: Draignean on April 14, 2017, 10:29:36 am
I have a strong urge to apply hugs to Draignean right now.
Nah, I'm happy with my current life situation. Euphoric, on most days.
One should endeavor to always be confused by life. I pity the man who clearly understands the world and everything in it.
Life is messy and confusing, but it's best to find someone to be confused with. That way you have someone to hide with after you poke life with a stick and it jiggles a little too menacingly.
//OffTopic
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 14, 2017, 11:07:58 am
Post by: OceanSoul on April 14, 2017, 11:29:18 am
I have a strong urge to apply hugs to Draignean right now.Someday, he'll make a forum game so complex, it has rules for hug circumference and arm grip. Wait until then.
Post by: Felissan on April 14, 2017, 11:53:28 am
Someday, he'll make a forum game so complex, it has rules for hug circumference and arm grip. Wait until then.*DING* That's hugwang!
Post by: WillowLuman on April 14, 2017, 12:21:12 pm
Here's a few pitches I plan on eventually doing something with:All three concepts sound really interesting for sure, but the werewolf one piqued my interest the most. I'm not exactly sure why though. Maybe the idea of not having a character antagonist, but rather the werewolfism affliction, makes it stand out from the other two. Well actually, I guess for sure the duality of aiding the werewolf dudes live normalish lives and action/drama of something going awry is very appealing. It sounds like the police ideal to serve and protect combined with werewolves, but at the same time the game can take on plenty of other themes and tones. (I don't want to narrowcast the idea or anything, just went on a bit of a slight tangent.)
A galactic criminal is hiding out on modern-day Earth, the government sends a number of agents in Earthling disguise to hunt them down. Possibly done in rounds, with the criminal having a different secret project each time. Players have the liberty of designing their operative and method of disguise.
Demons lurk inside the internet, and a chosen few fight them by combining video games with a certain spell to create avatars. Each demon has their own MO and methods for defeating it. Possibly the same setting as that spirits game I once tried to run.
Ambiguous large 1st world country. In times past, werewolves used to be shoved into asylums, but the government has been taking a more progressive approach. They are allowed to live in the general population, but under close supervision. Each werewolf is assigned a case worker who helps them live safely and secretly, and who is charged with "cleaning up" in the event their assignee is compromised.
Have any thoughts on whether they'd be roleplaying or suggestion games? If roleplaying, I could see the first and second ones easily being competitive games with opposing sides and the third one possibly being either mission-based and focused on clean-ups or having players choose between taking the role of a case worker or a werewolf.
All RPs, for sure.
For the 1st, I suppose I could give the role of the criminal scientist to a player, but they'd have to PM me all their moves and probably not post IC until the climax.
For the 2nd, I'm thinking something more mission-based, with each demon being something that needs to be investigated, found, and confronted. For most of them I was thinking that the hunters would need to confront the demon from the computer of a recent victim, to avoid compromising their own security.
For the 3rd, I'm thinking there'd be equal numbers of werewolves and social workers, so that way everyone is paired up. Or perhaps 2 werewolves to 1 social worker.
Post by: ATHATH on April 14, 2017, 12:28:08 pm
Post by: OceanSoul on April 14, 2017, 12:31:36 pm
Post by: WillowLuman on April 14, 2017, 12:41:26 pm
Maybe you could have groups of three per werewolf: have one player as the werewolf's human side, another as the werewolf's animal side, and another player as the agent.I don't think splitting one character between two people in a non-SG is a good idea.
How about each player plays a werewolf AND an agent? Doesn't have to be the agent of themselves.
Could be a thing, though I don't know if separate pairs would be interacting with each other as much as the werewolves interact with their social workers, so it might not allow for as much RP activity.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 14, 2017, 12:43:19 pm
But it's not one character? It's the humn, and the wolf.Maybe you could have groups of three per werewolf: have one player as the werewolf's human side, another as the werewolf's animal side, and another player as the agent.I don't think splitting one character between two people in a non-SG is a good idea.
For bonus points, human-side and wolf-side can talk to eachother.
Post by: ATHATH on April 14, 2017, 01:26:31 pm
Especially since they'd probably vie for control over the body and have conflicting goals.But it's not one character? It's the humn, and the wolf.Maybe you could have groups of three per werewolf: have one player as the werewolf's human side, another as the werewolf's animal side, and another player as the agent.I don't think splitting one character between two people in a non-SG is a good idea.
For bonus points, human-side and wolf-side can talk to eachother.
Post by: OceanSoul on April 14, 2017, 01:48:29 pm
How about the players control their werewolf while they're human, and the agent while they're wolfin' out? Also, who ever said it had to just be werewolves? What about dryads, liches, harpies, skeletons, etc?How about each player plays a werewolf AND an agent? Doesn't have to be the agent of themselves.
Could be a thing, though I don't know if separate pairs would be interacting with each other as much as the werewolves interact with their social workers, so it might not allow for as much RP activity.
Post by: WillowLuman on April 14, 2017, 02:05:34 pm
Because that's more "Area 51/MiB" stuff and less analogous to helping people live with a disability?How about the players control their werewolf while they're human, and the agent while they're wolfin' out? Also, who ever said it had to just be werewolves? What about dryads, liches, harpies, skeletons, etc?How about each player plays a werewolf AND an agent? Doesn't have to be the agent of themselves.
Could be a thing, though I don't know if separate pairs would be interacting with each other as much as the werewolves interact with their social workers, so it might not allow for as much RP activity.
And again, splitting it that way might work, but when they're human, that still means people would have to handle both sides of the interaction themselves. Whereas having different players interact as agent and patient gives them more RP to do.
Post by: AoshimaMichio on April 15, 2017, 04:42:03 am
So here's a straw poll link (https://strawpoll.com/fx71gwf). Pick what you think are my three best games.
Links to all my games are here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161105.msg7231780#msg7231780). You'll notice few games missing from the poll, but that's because I consider those to be failures by all metrics. Didn't like them, didn't last long and so on.
So instead of wasting time and effort in future designing and running games I suck, I can focus where I'm already good at and produce better games.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on April 15, 2017, 04:42:59 am
At the moment I'm toying with a game that involves an XCOM-like base-building mechanic. I did something like that before, but it was through judicious use of select, layers, and the fill tool in paint, which is not something I want to go through again. All the stuff I've found so far is clearly meant for things such as D&D. I could theoretically use them for the base-building, but the goal is to just display a simple map of large tiles, where each tile represents a large amount of space. Some rooms take up one tile, some take up two, and the rare room may even have some kind of funky shape. And the programs I've found don't really do to well with my intentions, apparently.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on April 15, 2017, 05:14:49 am
Is there any good tile-based map creator anyone can recommend?Tiled (http://www.mapeditor.org/), maybe?
At the moment I'm toying with a game that involves an XCOM-like base-building mechanic. I did something like that before, but it was through judicious use of select, layers, and the fill tool in paint, which is not something I want to go through again. All the stuff I've found so far is clearly meant for things such as D&D. I could theoretically use them for the base-building, but the goal is to just display a simple map of large tiles, where each tile represents a large amount of space. Some rooms take up one tile, some take up two, and the rare room may even have some kind of funky shape. And the programs I've found don't really do to well with my intentions, apparently.
Post by: escaped lurker on April 16, 2017, 01:05:51 am
Is there any good tile-based map creator anyone can recommend?Not sure if doing your maps in ascii is something you'd go for, but Rexpaint (http://www.gridsagegames.com/rexpaint/index.html) might be worth a look either way.
Also works great with our "local" tilesets, though getting additional / non-standard tiles into the mix, would be a bit more work than just replacing a pic.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on April 16, 2017, 03:52:48 am
Tiled works great for what I'm trying to do. I'm also thinking of including smaller more detailed tactical maps done via REXPaint in the FG to circumvent my awful spriting/drawing skills. But that may get too complicated.
New question, also about an XCOM-like mechanic. In a management-type game, would people prefer a freeform research system or a more rigid one?
A freeform would mostly just work off of the players deciding what to research by themselves, based on what they have and what they know. A player might want to figure out how to make a radio (example not related to FG), so they create a research project to attempt to figure out how radios work based off of the captured radios they already have. I use my ~secret~ established lore to determine what happens after the research project ends and if they get any kind of rewards. When something requires more than just one project to do, I'd likely include hints on how to proceed in the received report.
A more rigid one would likely basically be a tech tree with a bit of free will. I'd have unlockable projects done in chains. You get a radio, you decide that you want to make your own, so you research Radio Operations which lets you research Radio Construction which lets you make radios.
At the moment I'm heavily leaning towards the freeform system since a rigid tech tree-type mechanic seems like way too much preparation and as it happens, I don't have good foresight. Chances are I'd forget to include super essential stuff in the tree and would have to constantly retcon it in. Though the freeform also has its troubles with me judging on the spot how hard research projects are, what they get, etc.
So even though I'm leaning towards freeform, I still would love others' opinions.
Post by: escaped lurker on April 16, 2017, 07:45:29 am
Every time you introduce a new enemy, just write down what it is equipped with, and what researchers would get out of the creature ahead of time. Let your research team introduce the obvious conclusions, and let the players spearhead the "might be" research. You'd end up with a few successful streamlined projects, a few failed ones, and one or the other player machination gone right.
Quote from: Hasty example
Xechnoraph
Visually robotic spiders with bladed limbs, research reveals them to shelter a cybernetic core. Most likely a xeno of lesser intelligence, converted for combat use.
Comes equipped with xeno-blade alloy mkII (new), xeno shields mkI (old), unobtanium batteries mkI (old) and xeno cybernetics (new)
Presented in this manner and with a bit of flair, your players have various projects that are straight-foward - reverse engineer the different components - and afterwards, they can do what they want with it. The blade alloy might also be possible to use in bullets, the cybernetics might do well in enchancing reality, or even strenghth & reactions via implants. That, or just do an auxilliarated suit with it. Oh, and the shield and batteries, while already old news by now, might make research into them easier - seeing more of the same in different designs, shouldn't do any worse for sure.
Post by: ATHATH on April 16, 2017, 02:33:04 pm
I have been doing statistical research about what kind of games I'm good at. As GM, I mean. I have pretty good idea already, but that's my subjective opinion. Empirical research is needed to confirm that.I'm surprised that so few people voted for The Mind. It was such a good concept and it had an amazing twist (despite me messing it up slightly).
So here's a straw poll link (https://strawpoll.com/fx71gwf). Pick what you think are my three best games.
Links to all my games are here (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=161105.msg7231780#msg7231780). You'll notice few games missing from the poll, but that's because I consider those to be failures by all metrics. Didn't like them, didn't last long and so on.
So instead of wasting time and effort in future designing and running games I suck, I can focus where I'm already good at and produce better games.
I don't think that I caught the end of Roll to Create a Supersoldier. How'd it end/turn out?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on April 17, 2017, 02:07:03 am
I'm surprised that so few people voted for The Mind. It was such a good concept and it had an amazing twist (despite me messing it up slightly).
I don't think that I caught the end of Roll to Create a Supersoldier. How'd it end/turn out?
It grew a bit too unwieldy after game mode switch. I couldn't even finish first testing round despite of killing off more than half of the products. It ended like this: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=159985.msg7261464#msg7261464
I handed it off to Sean, but seems in the end it was too much for him too.
Post by: aDwarfNamedUrist on April 21, 2017, 07:33:42 am
Post by: Draignean on April 21, 2017, 05:02:48 pm
I still have an itch to run a more mechanical second game, and I had an idea for a setting that tickles me, but I'd like to see what's been done before.
Post by: heydude6 on April 21, 2017, 05:47:37 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on April 21, 2017, 06:23:47 pm
Fairly chaotic card-based FTL/Trek-ish space combat, largely consisting of using your teleporter to board the enemy ship and shoot them as I recall.
Post by: OceanSoul on April 21, 2017, 07:22:11 pm
Spoiler: Idea 1. Basic Deck Arena Fighter (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea 2. More Intricate, Multiple-Game-Moded Arena (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Idea 3. Modular Magic Cards (click to show/hide)
Personally, the latter is my favorite. To be honest, I'd just come up with the part of additional effects while writing this.
Post by: TheBiggerFish on April 21, 2017, 07:51:39 pm
Post by: ATHATH on April 21, 2017, 10:40:17 pm
Post by: flabort on April 21, 2017, 10:44:55 pm
Perplixiconlikes are always interesting.QFT
I love perplexicon games.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 22, 2017, 09:48:10 pm
The only other project considering here is my urban arcana game which is adventure with options. Like that Soam Wizard game that ended via death by dragon. Just with guns. And more stuff.
Post by: StrawBarrel on April 24, 2017, 03:01:38 pm
A 1-20 Gaussian distribution with Anydice (http://anydice.com/program/b29a)Thanks for the find dude. It looks rather handy.
Post by: Draignean on April 26, 2017, 11:51:28 am
Basically, I tore the skin off Arkham Horror (The board/card game) and am wearing it like a snuggy(TM) while capering under the influence of several magical school games.
Elevator Pitch,
You and the other players are in a world where most all fairy tales, horrible conspiracy theories, and midnight ghost stories have more than a couple grains of truth to them. Werewolves, time traveling spacemen, relics from antediluvian eras, time clones, creatures beyond space and time, ghosts of alternate reality confederates armed with ecto-lasers, all these things are real, and yet they're still not your biggest concern.
Oh, right. Did I mention you're in college? Perhaps it's a Hunter's College where these things are readily accepted and your participation in hunts is graded by instructors who are themselves inhuman creatures, and your primary concern is not "OH SHIT THAT WAS A FECKIN' VAMPIRE" but "Goddamnit, he docked me five points because I didn't check my corners. What a douche". Perhaps you're at a perfectly normal university, desperately trying to pass your perfectly normal exams while fighting to keep the horrible things packed safely into the shadows so you can finish getting your degree before the Feds shut down campus to launch a massive investigation.
Whatever the case, you're going to have to balance your midnight hunts against your studying, your exams against chasing down leads and hunting for clues, and your GPA against the ever mounting tide of darkness. But hey, it's college. No one said it would be easy.
Post by: lawastooshort on April 26, 2017, 11:55:39 am
Post by: Draignean on April 26, 2017, 11:57:49 am
Post by: lawastooshort on April 26, 2017, 12:38:40 pm
Post by: Draignean on April 26, 2017, 12:42:29 pm
That occurred to me as I waited for my post to post... I apologise for the lack of constructively critical feedback ;)
Bloody cheesemeister...
Well, my testing thread earlier taught me that I didn't want to run a game, despite having found a nifty system, so... perhaps I'll do another one of those test games. A small full game with the rules I have now.
Post by: OceanSoul on April 26, 2017, 02:47:14 pm
Post by: heydude6 on April 26, 2017, 04:26:29 pm
If you fail biology, you might forget that the heart is on the body's LEFT side, not the center, and stab a vampire in the wrong place.Eh, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the heart is actually in the center. People only say it's in the left side because it's slightly to the left. The offset is very small though so for most intents and purposes, you want to stab basically in the center.
EDIT: It seems like the picture was removed from the internet so the image has disappeared. Draignean has a better image below.
Post by: Draignean on April 26, 2017, 04:31:05 pm
If you fail biology, you might forget that the heart is on the body's LEFT side, not the center, and stab a vampire in the wrong place.Eh, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the heart is actually in the center. People only say it's in the left side because it's slightly to the left. The offset is very small though so for most intents and purposes, you want to stab basically in the center.
Here's a picture to show what I mean. (Though it's unfortunately an artist's rendition so you might not be as convinced)Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Here's a handy radiograph! (Warning, it contains breast shadow, so ye of innocent mind turn your gaze away)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Anyway, the game isn't really structured quite like that. Classes are abstracted, and your general fields are divided down into Knowledge, Might, Tech, and Savvy. I'm still tweaking the rules and explanations, so you'll see what I mean.
Post by: GiglameshDespair on April 26, 2017, 04:48:55 pm
Here's a handy radiograph! (Warning, it contains breast shadow, so ye of innocent mind turn your gaze away)Showing such a scandalous image on a public forum? Have you no shame?!
Post by: Draignean on April 26, 2017, 04:55:38 pm
Here's a handy radiograph! (Warning, it contains breast shadow, so ye of innocent mind turn your gaze away)Showing such a scandalous image on a public forum? Have you no shame?!
Mmmm... Ghost Boob...
*AHEM* I mean, I'm strictly posting it to better OceanSoul's education!
Post by: OceanSoul on April 26, 2017, 05:09:00 pm
If that's the case, then failing in biology would mean you try to stake a vampire TOO far to the left. If I made that mistake, then it must be particularly reasonable.If you fail biology, you might forget that the heart is on the body's LEFT side, not the center, and stab a vampire in the wrong place.Eh, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but the heart is actually in the center. People only say it's in the left side because it's slightly to the left. The offset is very small though so for most intents and purposes, you want to stab basically in the center.
Post by: IronyOwl on April 26, 2017, 05:13:58 pm
If that's the case, then failing in biology would mean you try to stake a vampire TOO far to the left. If I made that mistake, then it must be particularly reasonable.It doesn't come up a lot in media, but every anime I've ever seen it be relevant in seems to place it squarely within the left side of the chest.
Post by: Draignean on April 27, 2017, 12:13:55 am
Well, if any is interesting in groping vampire chests (Ostensibly to find the heart) in another experimental mechanics system, come on board! It's an absolute mess, but I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it.
Post by: heydude6 on April 27, 2017, 10:57:49 am
Post by: Chiefwaffles on April 27, 2017, 10:59:39 am
Post by: AoshimaMichio on April 27, 2017, 11:52:28 am
Post by: Culise on April 27, 2017, 01:15:37 pm
Post by: heydude6 on May 01, 2017, 04:58:09 pm
Because of this I scrapped it. So now I ask, would it be a good idea to try to run a PBP Shadowrun game on this forum (perhaps with a few rules simplified at the very start) or would it be too complex? Note, I've never gmed a shadowrun game before.
Post by: Haspen on May 06, 2017, 05:19:05 pm
Put bluntly, it's a Castlevania: Cooperative hack'n'slash: The forumgame :V
Post by: FallacyofUrist on May 13, 2017, 02:13:37 pm
Vote now!
Aspect Arms Race: Each side has an Aspect Machine that can take an aspect from something and infuse it into something else. For example, extract Fox aspect from foxes and infuse it into people to make Fox people.
Neumann Replicators Race: Each side(there may be more than two) is a collective of self-replicating devices that must adapt to conquer the galaxy.
Culinary Race: Each side is a team of chefs that must compete to create the best food and conquer the Grand Restaurant!
Post by: Draignean on May 13, 2017, 02:14:16 pm
Post by: heydude6 on May 13, 2017, 02:23:04 pm
Post by: OceanSoul on May 13, 2017, 02:24:14 pm
Post by: Whisperling on May 13, 2017, 02:39:11 pm
Post by: ATHATH on May 13, 2017, 03:29:39 pm
The first one sounds good, but a combination of the first two ideas might be interesting: Everyone has an aspect, and they're trying to spread its dominance throughout the world, putting their aspects upon other things while also being able to add others' aspects to part of their own forces to get stronger.So, kind of like the Zerg? +1 to this, regardless of the answer to my (rhetorical?) question.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on May 13, 2017, 03:58:55 pm
Hm. I can work with this.The first one sounds good, but a combination of the first two ideas might be interesting: Everyone has an aspect, and they're trying to spread its dominance throughout the world, putting their aspects upon other things while also being able to add others' aspects to part of their own forces to get stronger.So, kind of like the Zerg? +1 to this, regardless of the answer to my (rhetorical?) question.
Culinary race has my vote.That said, I'll also work on this on the side, given it's my personal preference.
Post by: Felissan on May 13, 2017, 04:49:37 pm
Post by: OceanSoul on May 13, 2017, 04:56:28 pm
I'm not entirely familiar with them. What I was thinking of was something like this: Aspects can be found in limited quantities in the environment, or in infinite, slowly yet constantly regenerating amounts around some hub or core of the Aspect. The energy, etc. provided by Hubs would make them natural centers of society, causing big, important cities, usually capitals, to be built around them to make use of/protect them. Cores could be 'infected' with other aspects, provided that the Core of that aspect is accessible, allowing the infected Core to be controlled by the infecting Core while strengthening the latter.The first one sounds good, but a combination of the first two ideas might be interesting: Everyone has an aspect, and they're trying to spread its dominance throughout the world, putting their aspects upon other things while also being able to add others' aspects to part of their own forces to get stronger.So, kind of like the Zerg? +1 to this, regardless of the answer to my (rhetorical?) question.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on May 13, 2017, 08:21:01 pm
WAAAAGH Race.
Post by: OceanSoul on May 13, 2017, 08:29:23 pm
Had one more idea.Ok, I have no idea what this means. WAAAAGH seems like something that would be said in rage. So, an arms race based on rage. Or a rage-inducing arms race. Is WAAAAGH an acronym?
WAAAAGH Race.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on May 13, 2017, 08:31:58 pm
One system, 2 colonies, and 7 planets between them in 3 lines. (Lane 2 only has 2 planets as well as the only non-colony habitable planet).
The background is that Earth sent sleeper colony ships to a system a fairly small amount of years before the game starts. Both sides, representing one of the two colonies, start with the exact same things and same terrain. There's a lore reason for this - both colonies were part of the same expedition and haven't had time to develop a unique technology set or culture.
So people just start out with a crappy unarmored space suit, expensive interplanetary transport craft, crappier pistol, and an expensive large radio beacon for interplanetary communication that they can't even bring to new planets. And some also crappy Kevlar armor, but that's extremely expensive and only limited to habitable planets. (So either the one planet in Lane 2 or the colonies themselves).
I've changed a few mechanics from the regular Arms Race "ruleset":
- Less abstraction of military assets - Each colony has 5 "units" very roughly representing a battalion and accompanying support+logistic structures. Units can be sent to different planets.
- Different Expense system - When rolling for expense (designs roll for Effectiveness, Expense, and Bugs like in Wands Race + probably other games too), you just get a d5 plus some modifiers based on what you're trying to do. The end expense level is the number of Units that can be equipped with that design. So if your Death Ray has an Expense Level of 2, only 2 units can have it equipped. The actual distribution in a single equipped Unit is just "reasonable". If you give a unit tanks, they're going to have a detachment of tanks in their Unit; not everyone gets a tank. Etc.
- Transport - In addition to lanes (weird for taking place in a solar system, but whatever), equipment (designs) and Units must be transported via interplanetary craft. Spacecraft have a CU level representing their total cargo capacity. Units weigh 2 CU, Resources weigh 3 CU, and designs have variable CU costs.
Research Points - Instead of separate Design/Revision phases, there's one "Research Phase" in which each Colony gets 100 Research Points. A Design costs 75 RP and a Revision 25 RP. Research points can be saved between turns up to a total of 200. In the Strategy phase people can also choose to spend 10 RP to give a Unit some special orders.
And as far as I know, the entire thing's ready for posting. To be 100% honest, I'm not sure if I can completely handle the commitment but worst case scenario I'll either hand it off or people won't be interested anyways. I mostly wanted to get some feedback to the systems before I posted it.
So; thoughts?
EDIT: Changed Research Points. It's frankly a bit too gimmick-y for the complexity it adds.
(@Ocean: See the Warhammer 40k orcs.)
Post by: Draignean on May 13, 2017, 09:04:15 pm
Ohey, on the topic of Arms Races, what do people think of an Interplanetary Arms Race?
One system, 2 colonies, and 7 planets between them in 3 lines. (Lane 2 only has 2 planets as well as the only non-colony habitable planet).
The background is that Earth sent sleeper colony ships to a system a fairly small amount of years before the game starts. Both sides, representing one of the two colonies, start with the exact same things and same terrain. There's a lore reason for this - both colonies were part of the same expedition and haven't had time to develop a unique technology set or culture.
So people just start out with a crappy unarmored space suit, expensive interplanetary transport craft, crappier pistol, and an expensive large radio beacon for interplanetary communication that they can't even bring to new planets. And some also crappy Kevlar armor, but that's extremely expensive and only limited to habitable planets. (So either the one planet in Lane 2 or the colonies themselves).
I've changed a few mechanics from the regular Arms Race "ruleset":
- Less abstraction of military assets - Each colony has 5 "units" very roughly representing a battalion and accompanying support+logistic structures. Units can be sent to different planets.
- Different Expense system - When rolling for expense (designs roll for Effectiveness, Expense, and Bugs like in Wands Race + probably other games too), you just get a d5 plus some modifiers based on what you're trying to do. The end expense level is the number of Units that can be equipped with that design. So if your Death Ray has an Expense Level of 2, only 2 units can have it equipped. The actual distribution in a single equipped Unit is just "reasonable". If you give a unit tanks, they're going to have a detachment of tanks in their Unit; not everyone gets a tank. Etc.
- Transport - In addition to lanes (weird for taking place in a solar system, but whatever), equipment (designs) and Units must be transported via interplanetary craft. Spacecraft have a CU level representing their total cargo capacity. Units weigh 2 CU, Resources weigh 3 CU, and designs have variable CU costs.
- Research Points - Instead of separate Design/Revision phases, there's one "Research Phase" in which each Colony gets 100 Research Points. A Design costs 75 RP and a Revision 25 RP. Research points can be saved between turns up to a total of 200. In the Strategy phase people can also choose to spend 10 RP to give a Unit some special orders.
And as far as I know, the entire thing's ready for posting. To be 100% honest, I'm not sure if I can completely handle the commitment but worst case scenario I'll either hand it off or people won't be interested anyways. I mostly wanted to get some feedback to the systems before I posted it.
So; thoughts?
(@Ocean: See the Warhammer 40k orcs.)
I'd play it, I've always regretted not getting in on the Wands race when it was on the ground level.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on May 15, 2017, 09:11:41 am
Now with more details! Slightly. It's hard to translate what I have in my head to the screen.
Spoiler: WAAAAGH Race (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Culinary Race (click to show/hide)
Post by: OceanSoul on May 15, 2017, 09:25:43 am
But seriously, you should consider where new restaurants could be made (both on a specific-building level and city-district level), multiple resturaunts in different areas for different tastes (selling French cuisine AND American burgers & fries in the same place would be awkward), and price modulation.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on May 15, 2017, 09:32:15 am
But seriously, you should consider where new restaurants could be made (both on a specific-building level and city-district level), multiple resturaunts in different areas for different tastes (selling French cuisine AND American burgers & fries in the same place would be awkward), and price modulation.I've already considered several of those angles.
Spoiler: If food was an Object... (click to show/hide)
Post by: OceanSoul on May 15, 2017, 10:41:23 am
You may want Ethnicity to influence the relative Skill level. Some cooks are more experiences in cooking certain types of food, so it should be easier for them to cook foods of their own Ethnicity specialty. Also, how would you handle Fusion foods? Prep time may occasionally need to be put in two parts, for when a food takes differing amounts of time preparing the night before and actually making. Also, Appearence should matter, especially in food competitions.But seriously, you should consider where new restaurants could be made (both on a specific-building level and city-district level), multiple resturaunts in different areas for different tastes (selling French cuisine AND American burgers & fries in the same place would be awkward), and price modulation.I've already considered several of those angles.Spoiler: If food was an Object... (click to show/hide)
Post by: Funk on May 19, 2017, 06:02:21 am
A loyalist warhammer 40k game, basicy a counter part to Death to the false emperor. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=151078.0)
Or A Conan-esque adventurer game something RPG like and simple.
Or shud i return to running one of my pasted games?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on May 19, 2017, 09:53:47 pm
Post by: AoshimaMichio on May 20, 2017, 03:32:47 am
There isn't any particular long term goal other than trying to understand magic and exploit it for your own ends.
Post by: Chiefwaffles on May 20, 2017, 03:50:09 am
Post by: OceanSoul on May 20, 2017, 08:02:39 am
Post by: AoshimaMichio on May 20, 2017, 08:56:45 am
Could there be other small groups that found/acknowledge magic on their own? Will there be a pre-set way that magic works? To what degree can we choose the type of magic we found? Will there be several options as to who the first character is?
The way magic is set up makes multiple simultaneous discoveries nearly impossible. That's not to say everybody have to be member of the same club forever.
Basic rules are set to stone, but I'm trying to ensure it is flexible like Perplexicon.
I'm contemplating if I should decide the first spell randomly or let players suggest one. Letting players decide could ensure profitable or effective start up, but deciding it by myself would ensure it will be within rules.
I was planning to have the first magician predefined albeit unnamed, mainly because this style of magic requires certain existing skills, interests and other undisclosed requirements to be able to discover it in first place. It doesn't give a lot of leeway for starting options. At most options for the first characters would affect difficulty, I think.
That definitely seems awesome. I've always loved the kind of design/development games (which is very evident in games I've ran/participated in) and if stuff like your Supersoldier RtD is any indicator, something like that from you would be great.
Combining aspects of the supersoldier game and Perplexicon kinda was the plan. Thanks for your kind words, but to quote someone wise: "There is always room to fuck up. Always."
Post by: Haspen on June 11, 2017, 03:56:46 pm
...why the heck not?
Spoiler: All is Well in Damdamian Republic! (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: AiWiDR Cards (click to show/hide)
Whaddaya think? ;v
Post by: VoidSlayer on June 11, 2017, 06:08:16 pm
Do cards played on a turn effect other cards played on that turn?
Otherwise it looks like it just needs a ton of play testing to balance and see if it is fun.
Post by: Haspen on June 11, 2017, 11:23:29 pm
Post by: Haspen on June 12, 2017, 10:58:06 am
Testgame thread is up! (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=164481.0)
Post by: Haspen on July 01, 2017, 04:15:52 am
Can we get 14 reliable players on this site tho :vc
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 01, 2017, 02:24:29 pm
Has there been any games featuring necromancy in modern times?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 01, 2017, 03:25:02 pm
I kinda wanna make "alternate 1940" Era of Diesel* game with 14 players (Greece, Yugoslavia, Romania, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Germany, UK, France, USSR).
Can we get 14 reliable players on this site tho :vc
Call USSR or Germany
Post by: Haspen on July 01, 2017, 04:46:35 pm
Call USSR or Germany
Don't call for a game that probably won't go up :P
-snip-
Has there been any games featuring necromancy in modern times?
Not that I know of, but the concept is highly interesting. Do we speak 20th century modern times or modern-modern times, as in the 2000s??
Skeletons with iPods?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 02, 2017, 02:50:01 am
What would a necromancer do today? Youtube pranks involving zombies? Corporate espionage employing spirits and ghosts? I started wondering about that after reading some grimoires (http://imgur.com/gallery/ivhiv). As you said, it is intriguing concept.
Post by: My Name is Immaterial on July 02, 2017, 03:13:00 am
Modern-modern times.I have a feeling it'd be essentially Resident Evil.
What would a necromancer do today? Youtube pranks involving zombies? Corporate espionage employing spirits and ghosts? I started wondering about that after reading some grimoires (http://imgur.com/gallery/ivhiv). As you said, it is intriguing concept.
Post by: 10ebbor10 on July 02, 2017, 05:59:36 am
Modern-modern times.
What would a necromancer do today? Youtube pranks involving zombies? Corporate espionage employing spirits and ghosts? I started wondering about that after reading some grimoires (http://imgur.com/gallery/ivhiv). As you said, it is intriguing concept.
Sweeyshop labor, most likely.
Zombies are cheaper than robots.
Post by: flabort on July 02, 2017, 10:27:22 am
Workers in oil fields, workers on construction sites, sweatshop workers, soldiers in battles over oil, miners digging for precious rocks, workers refining oil into petrol and tarmac and lubricants, workers on offshore oil platforms...
Post by: milo christiansen on July 02, 2017, 10:31:58 am
Post by: flabort on July 02, 2017, 10:46:29 am
Like the "recycled labor" in unsounded?Precisely so. Except more geared to the oil industry.
That reminds me, I haven't read that for a couple months.
Post by: Haspen on July 02, 2017, 12:45:17 pm
Just throwing it out here so Tyrant Leviathan can call dibs on Germans :P
Post by: OceanSoul on July 02, 2017, 02:01:08 pm
Are there different varieties of necromancer? Are certain objects needed to perform Necromancy? Does it have any affect or cost on the body? Are liches possible? How do necromancers get stronger? Are there zombies with free will? Do necromancers have any particular goals or dreams in mind? Do governments use necromancy? Can necromancy revive an undead soul within an inanimate object? Is necromancy limited to manipulating the dead, or can it also directly cause death to the living? Can necromancers only create zombies, or are skeletons and ghost available, too? Does the Grim Reaper, or other Death-incarnate deity, exist, and if so, what does he think about necromancy? Is necromancy expensive or cheap? Are some souls or bodies innately more useful, powerful, or otherwise special than others?
Post by: AoshimaMichio on July 02, 2017, 03:44:45 pm
Back to my original question, the answer appears to be "No, there hasn't been any games featuring necromancy in modern times".
Post by: milo christiansen on July 02, 2017, 03:46:41 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 07, 2017, 08:57:07 am
Sovereign: PVP thing set in space. There is no tech tree, but lots of options. Three to nine players. Plot is that I n future humanity rules this solar system. Sovereign is king/queen of it. Whoever holds title of sovereign the law test after turn counter is over, wins. Problem? Sovereign is not a moron and got to deal with the other players who want the same thing.
Company Commander: A SG story game in which you command a gigantic drop ship worth of soldiers and gear. Explore space and fight in funded warfare.
Space Ship: Another SG. Here you manage a space ship. Big difference is get to decide background of ship, crew, and their over all mission statement.
Post by: RoseHeart on July 07, 2017, 01:46:37 pm
I haven't played the FEoF but I imagine it would be a good vehicle for the setup.
The idea behind Majesty is that there is a king and several guilds. If the castle is sacked it's game over. The guilds allow the king to have more of certain kinds of heroes such as warriors and wizards and so forth.
The king assigns missions, or more correctly, offers motivation. Exploring certain areas, removing certain threats, that kind of thing. By paying out gold. As the kingdom slowly grows there are more civilian households that pay the taxes.
As a FEoF
As I understand it this would translate well. Both as a kingdom defender and the king may need to send others on a quest to take care of foreign threats.
I am not looking to host this at least not the FEoF elements. But I sense an opportunity here and I would offer to work together with someone to make it happen.
~RH
Spoiler: Extra Thotz (click to show/hide)
Post by: blueturtle1134 on July 23, 2017, 11:25:49 am
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 23, 2017, 12:47:15 pm
Post by: ATHATH on July 23, 2017, 01:24:09 pm
Several? That's 32 very good questions.COVEN does, albeit not as the main focus of the game.
Back to my original question, the answer appears to be "No, there hasn't been any games featuring necromancy in modern times".
Post by: Haspen on July 25, 2017, 10:58:39 am
Spoiler: Unfamiliar Year of 1820! (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: And Techs (click to show/hide)
It would be for 12 players (Denmark-Iceland, Piedmont-Sardinia, United Netherlands, Two Sicilies, Sweden-Norway, UK-Ireland, Prussia, Spain, Hapsburgs, France, Ottomans, Russians).
Post by: lawastooshort on July 26, 2017, 01:48:50 pm
Post by: Person on July 29, 2017, 11:53:45 pm
Spoiler: Summary (click to show/hide)
Many things have changed both irl and on these forums after 6 years, and I feel like it'd be neat if we did it all over again. Of course, it might be a good idea to lay some ground rules first though eh? So, is anyone interested?
There's even a fairly convenient date coming up. The total solar eclipse that's going to happen over the usa has people worried apparently. We don't really need real world justification though.
Edit: Guess I'll start hashing this out a bit.
Post by: Azrayel on July 30, 2017, 02:06:49 am
I've created a d100 Dieselpunk tabletop roleplaying game called Akroydiesel Age RPG. The latest version of it will always be available on this discord server (https://discord.gg/RKRtKD5) but I can also upload a snapshot on request, posting the link here or elsewhere. I'd rather not having a permanent public-facing link of a wide variety of reasons but also occassionally make threads for it on 4chan's /tg/ board.
Anyone interested in playtesting, taking a look, or letting me know I'm an idiot feel free to PM me here/contact me in the discord. This is a crosspost so I cannot promise I'll see every reply in-thread, though I'll make an effort to.
Post by: Kadzar on July 30, 2017, 03:44:38 pm
This is something that has been stewing in my mind ever since I read the original way back.Oh, yeah. I remember that.
There was a prediction by Harold Camping that the rapture would occur on May 21, 2011. When it didn't, one Bay12er had an interesting idea. How about I start a thread, and rp as if it actually DID happen?
So on May 22, this happened. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=85144.0)
Things were slow at first, but eventually it grew into something amazing. Wizards! Chaos! People dying a lot! War! The other three horsemen! SPESS! Multiple player factions! Conquering hell! Eldritch Horrors! Godmodding! (Unfortunate, but inevitable.)
In other words, it was practically the distilled essense of Bay12 in thread form. I found it fascinating, but didn't end up participating because rp wasn't exactly my forte. Still isn't now, but I'm a lot better than before.
Many things have changed both irl and on these forums after 6 years, and I feel like it'd be neat if we did it all over again. Of course, it might be a good idea to lay some ground rules first though eh? So, is anyone interested?
There's even a fairly convenient date coming up. The total solar eclipse that's going to happen over the usa has people worried apparently. We don't really need real world justification though.
So what kinds of things from that game do you want to keep and what do you want to get rid of for a future game? One thing that I think bugged me at the time was how all of us where so far apart irl that it took us a while to meet up in game (it looks like I invented a companion after a while NPC so that I wouldn't be alone travelling there). On the other hand, there's no reason in a freeform forum-based rpg that characters really need to meet up, and it's an interesting alternative to have a sort have reports of what's happening in different places around the world, which in retrospect kind of reminds me of how Igynpadca (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104495.0) works (even though that game came later).
Speaking of such, this makes me wonder if if it would be a good idea to have a game that runs like Igynpadca, but, instead of being based on a fictional video game, it takes place in a fantasy world (or it could be sci-fi or whatever) where the players' characters have access to some sort of magical messenger board where they can talk with each other about their adventures and possibly meet up (I believe a thing like this actually exists in-game in the lore of Shadowrun, btw). Would people be interested in such a thing?
Post by: Person on July 30, 2017, 07:55:21 pm
So what kinds of things from that game do you want to keep and what do you want to get rid of for a future game?My answer to the first question is "basically everything". There's very little that I'd like to remove, save perhaps the way things went a bit overboard near the end. The shonen powerscaling of both enemies and allies detracted from things somewhat. I'd like it to be a slow burn, where we don't have godly superpowers after 3 days of play. A bit more slice of life, a bit less slice and dice.
When it comes down to it, it'd probably be best to just make an OOC thread to discuss that sort of thing. The game should be what players make of it. However, it might be neat if people were to volunteer and make events happen, control enemies, etc every now and then. It'd help keep people engaged.
In general, most people followed the "Yes, and..." style of play, which is probably the best way to go about things. If people don't like what a player is doing, they can just ignore them to avoid giving them power.
Quote
One thing that I think bugged me at the time was how all of us where so far apart irl that it took us a while to meet up in game (it looks like I invented a companion after a while NPC so that I wouldn't be alone travelling there).That was definitely an an issue. Honestly, ragnarok was the one that really got things going in that area, and it was a good thing they did. We might just have to accept that at least one player has to be able to teleport. However, I have an... idea of sorts.
In SMT Nocturne, there is something called the Amala Network. Think of it as sort of a demonic equivelent to the internet that you can walk/fast travel through. Sort of like the Minecraft nether, if that helps, though I hate to word it that way. There's some implication that the network links to other universes as well.
Basically, we could say that someone figured out how to use the internet to do something similar via magic or whatever, and revealed it open source for the world to see. In fact, this could actually be a precursor to the game, and people using/abusing this method weakened the barriers between worlds.
This would allow us to group up in advance, as bay12 goers decide to get together to celebrate a new df release or something in universe. This would allow for a prologue of sorts where we could better define our characters.
Quote
On the other hand, there's no reason in a freeform forum-based rpg that characters really need to meet up, and it's an interesting alternative to have a sort have reports of what's happening in different places around the world, which in retrospect kind of reminds me of how Igynpadca (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=104495.0) works (even though that game came later).
Also true. If this game happens, it is my intention to regularly create news reports of how the rest of the world is faring. I may run some greater aspects of the game like that myself, but the game doesn't really need a game master. I quite like your mentioning of IGYNPADCA, as in retrospect the two do share some elements that I like.
As for your idea, I might not be interested in participating, but it seems neat. Really, if you take just about any fictional setting and hand the characters working cell phones, there's a lot of potential for things to change. No wonder horror movies never let people have reception. :p
Post by: OceanSoul on July 30, 2017, 09:16:11 pm
In general, most people followed the "Yes, and..." style of play, which is probably the best way to go about things. If people don't like what a player is doing, they can just ignore them to avoid giving them power.If a powermoding player (one giving vast amounts of power for little reason at all, not completely godmoding) is ignored, chances are they'll try to get their attention. Probably by putting themselves in other players' faces and getting more powerful, etc. Something needs to limit or stop players who take this path, but the presence of some form of GM can make the game lose its' apparent freedoms. Such a system would need to be in the innate rules or setting of the game, like the Amala network think you mentioned. Perhaps something along the line of increases in power pulling the strengthened closer to some alternate plane of existence, where they aren't able to affect the real, original plane as much. Smaller, or slower, increases of power have minimal pull and the player gets 100% in the real plane quickly (unnoticeably), while the more sudden rises in power can trap the empowered for long amount of time, unless they willingly sacrifice amounts of their own power to get back sooner. A little wordy to explain, but does the concept sound good enough?
Post by: Person on July 31, 2017, 06:59:43 pm
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on August 05, 2017, 04:38:38 am
Here's the gist of it.
Mechanics
Every combat round you specify a number of actions and allocate a number of dice to block enemy attacks. All dice succeed on a 4+.
Defense determines how many dice you can use to block.
Power determines how many dice you can use to make actions and attacks. Also, you can only throw a total of 2 x Power dice.
Agility allows you to spend dice for a guaranteed change in position instead. See Positioning below.
By default half of your Defense dice are allocated to blocking physical attacks, and the other are allocated to blocking magic attacks. You can attempt to predict what your opponent will do instead, and your dice will all get +1 if you guess correctly. You can allocate dice toward blocking specific attacks.
Blocking an attack simply lowers the damage you take by the number of successes.
You can split your Power dice on as many actions as you'd like. There's no limit to how many.
Weapons/Abilities
A weapon has the following properties: Power, Cost, Range, and Area.
Cost: The minimum success needed to pass with the weapon. Unlike unarmed attacks, a weapon attack will only pass if you meet the cost. Usually 2-3 for most weapons, though a powerful weapon might require 4-5.
Power: The bonus damage you get when you succeed with the weapon. Typically half the cost.
Range: Add 1 Cost to the weapon for each unit of distance beyond the weapon's range. 0 is Melee.
Area: The minimum distance you need to move in order to dodge this attack. (see Positioning below)
Weapons can be actual weapons, like swords and guns, or they can be spells like Magic Missiles and whatnot.
Abilities(s): Choose 2-3 abilities.
Abilities are like weapons, except that they have a bit more fluff to them. That fluff translates into game mechanics and alterations to the rules for your character. For example, you can have an ability that stores charge over time and lets you make one powerful attack. You can have an ability that spreads damage among multiple enemies if it hits, at a higher cost.
Abilities can also modify enemy positioning, which can make it easier to attack them or make it harder for them to hit you.
Typically the effect of an ability is variable depending on how many dice you put into the ability. They can still have a cost, power, speed, range, etc. like normal weapons.
Finishers
Damage is relative. Both combatants in a fight will accumulate damage indefinitely since it's their souls accumulating damage rather than their physical bodies being hurt.
To end a fight, you can attempt a Finisher if your damage dealt minus damage taken is greater than your opponent's Defense.
To do this, roll your extra damage plus your Power as the total number of dice. If the result is higher than the target's Defense, you knock them out. Otherwise, your opponent gets reset to your own current level of damage.
You can attempt as many finishers as you'd like, and the dice you roll as part of a finisher don't count as spent. You can try a finisher right after a normal turn.
Exhaustion
If the loser's total damage taken is greater than your Defense, you count as Exhausted. If you fail a finisher while Exhausted and your opponent isn't currently Exhausted, your opponent can attempt a finisher using twice their Power as the number of dice.
If both are exhausted, then the battle ends inconclusively.
Positioning:
All characters have a Distance from each other and a relative speed. Distance is measured as both horizontal and vertical, while speed measured as both toward/away from, and tangent (sideways) motion. Enemies will lead their targets, meaning that the attack is aimed at where you will be based on your current speed.
During your turn, you can spend as many dice as you have Agility to change your positioning. You can either accelerate at the cost of 1 dice per guaranteed point of speed, or move a fixed distance at the cost of 2 dice per point of distance.
Before attacks hit, your character's Speed toward your opponent is subtracted from your horizontal distance to the target (positive is toward, negative is away). You can consume speed toward an opponent to use as dice in a melee attack, and this doesn't count toward your 2 x Power total.
Vertical distance, if positive (above your target), can also be spent in the same way.
Attacks have an Area associated with them and are automatically aimed at where the target will be given the target's current speed. If the target changes sideways speed, or moves a fixed distance to the side, the attack is dodged. Speeding toward an opponent will not help you dodge projectiles, however.
You can also move tangent to your opponent, simply spinning in a circle around them without changing distance or speed. This can help dodge without sacrificing positioning.
I'd like to get feedback, if it sounds interesting at all as an alternative to the "roll to hit, roll for effect" that I sometimes see in places.
Post by: OceanSoul on August 05, 2017, 10:19:45 pm
Speaking of which, that's the biggest problem; Positioning. It is a mathematical nightmare. For players moving around a stationary point, it's OK, since you often have to recalculate distance between any 2 points to locate all sorts of things. For players moving around Eachother, there's so many ways their relation to other players has to be recalculated, and numbers'll get so specific that you have to round at some point. Don't forget whether you're measuring tangent velocity with degrees or distance per second. Then there's trying to convey it all clearly to players.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on August 05, 2017, 11:48:50 pm
There still seems like a lot of stuff to work on. Stats seem OK, though a little small, and you haven't mentioned how progression will work. Finishers are rather generic, so there should be specific finishers characters could have that alter finisher strength in certain conditions, or possibly "finishers" that are harder to kill the enemy with, but provide a buff/debuff against them that turns the remaining battle in your favor. Weapons system could work, but the positioning part of it should account for more; shape/nature of the area, target's ability to react and move away, and maybe how positioning within the area affects damage, etc.
Yep. It's not a fully fleshed-out idea yet.
Regarding stats, I wanted a small number of base stats because the more I add, the more difficult it becomes to make each stat point worth the same. The idea is that each stat should contribute to a damage advantage in some way, either by protecting you against damage, or by granting you ways to deal damage. Since Agility becomes the most versatile (it can do both), the other two stats grant other advantages to make up for a lack of versatility.
There are other minor stats I was thinking of, such as Precognition (gives you a chance to predict NPC attacks), Evasiveness (creates an area of uncertainty as to where you'll be), Fortitude (chance to resist enemy positioning-altering abilities), and perhaps Reflex (Determines what bonus you get to blocking abilities that you predict). You'd get those through either spending a different kind of points than the primary stats, or through special artifact items.
I was thinking of different kinds of finishers having to do with the game setting, such as a finisher that separates the soul from the body (lets you still fight on as a soul, but only through magical attacks) and a kind of death blow that causes lasting harm to the body itself, but doesn't have an effect on soul attributes.
Abilities can be modified finishers, so there's room in the mechanics for something different there.
As for weapons, I was thinking of having different mechanics for projectiles, thrown objects, sweeping blade attacks, etc. However, anything with an area-of-effect and special shapes of the area would technically count as an ability in the current system, and the nature of the area would be defined in the ability description. For example: A 120° sweep with a range of 2 units, dealing damage to the first target hit.
That'd make something like a grenade launcher an ability instead, which I guess is kind of unintuitive, but most weapons wouldn't have that kind of sweep.
...Maybe add some default abilities like a wide slash, a kick, or a bash that sends the enemy flying.
Speaking of which, that's the biggest problem; Positioning. It is a mathematical nightmare. For players moving around a stationary point, it's OK, since you often have to recalculate distance between any 2 points to locate all sorts of things. For players moving around Eachother, there's so many ways their relation to other players has to be recalculated, and numbers'll get so specific that you have to round at some point. Don't forget whether you're measuring tangent velocity with degrees or distance per second. Then there's trying to convey it all clearly to players.
Positioning was something I thought would be a problem as well. I think the easiest way to resolve it though would be to make a map. Simply have a grid and draw an arrow.
A grid would mostly restrict players to a certain number of axes of movement, but I think we can get around that. Direct speed can be the longer arrow and tangential speed is the dotted line:
(https://s1.postimg.org/49fjqgb4v/image.png)
Of course there are edge cases where you get less mileage out of your direct speed than you'd like. Take this for example:
(https://s2.postimg.org/k4e8gfm5l/image.png)
...where Tangent speed and Direct speed are equal. In that case, we could just say that in melee, you can consume any kind of speed, since you're colliding with your enemy anyway.
Environments probably need to be represented better. An area like a graveyard with lots of obstacles, for example, could be used against enemies by simply using a displacement ability.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 07, 2017, 02:12:08 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 07, 2017, 05:17:30 pm
Start as a pre existing side with name and resources.
Second? You make up your faction by votes.
The oc/sign up/ discussion thread will be called Lire thread as back up info will be placed there.
The game thread wil have game stuff.
M
PLO: Big ole space Empire falls apart into clans. Said clans is n turn govern themselves. Be a self governing clan trying to make it in a chaotic Galaxy. No aliens either but no n humans exist in form of AI, gene mod humans and etc. Akin to Battletech but more options.
Players will be like Shadow. A npc clan ruler. Played by me. Can be I've thrown, just good luck trying.
Four Commanders-
1: Battle Marshal: Barks orders, units may or may not follow depending on rolls by track record ord and methods.
2: Fabricator: Gives orders to what gets produced by tech level, resources and such.
3: Diplomat: Talks to npcs.
4: Master of Arms: Personally handles out who gets what equipment wise.
They all share resource quota list of man power and resources/ goods.
Everyone else are researchers ( up to 5-8) and unlimited operatives.
Operatives add bonus to their units missions as point men based on character build.
Should be noted each character can have up to four advantages but must take up to four disadvantages (no list. Some creativity needed.)
As for research: It will be Chubby2mans die system. Max bonus toward a prototype working is +3. And in a twist with research there will be a tech web.
Nine subjects.
Construction, Chemistry, Computers, Biology, Social Science, Physics, Energy Fields, Propulsion , and Power.
But yeah in science there can be hybrid tech if a feasible way to mesh two techs to make a new subject. Also research topics n said field repeatly cuts down research rolls/easier and if multiple scientists sets do same topic it goes faster.
And stuff happens, we deal with it. My job will be roll machine, mission giver, protect myself while given ng myself stats and lastly.'
Hunting down Clans and Clan rules via create.
Post by: OceanSoul on August 07, 2017, 06:10:15 pm
Yeah, confusing. Here's another way of putting it; Imagine a line going from the moving character going in each direction. If the center is on one of those lines, moving directly toward it on the line is direct forward motion, the adjacent directions are tangental, and the others are direct backward. If the center, instead, is between two of those lines, then those directions are direct forward, and the two directions adjacent to them (and not themselves) are tangental. Is that clearer?
Anyway, I think it's rather limiting to have most AoEs need to be skills. There are several simple ways to classify them, which can be used by weapons. As examples: Sphere X (target tile and all tiles up to X away from it), Ring X (target tile and all tiles exactly X away from it), Line X / X-Y (Target tile, X tiles in one direction from it, and Y tiles in the opposite direction), Ray X (all tiles X away from user in a certain direction), WideRay X / X-Y (All tiles X away from user in certain direction, as well as all non-user tiles adjacent to them except in that specified direction for the first Y tiles).
Post by: Funk on August 07, 2017, 09:00:12 pm
Operation Arulco
Yep the plot of Jagged Alliance 2, your a team of hired mercenaries sent to free the small country of Arulco from the clutches of the evil queen Deidranna.
I'm not keen on going purely based on rules, but i'm thinking that Twilight 2000.
Some unnamed as of yet space adventures type thing.
The basic idea is that group of condemned criminals are used to salvage some space junk/battle field and come across some kind of liveing bio ship thing.
It promptly kidnaps then as it need's a crew, not any sentimental reasons but to do all sorts of practical tasks.
but i'm not sure what players would get up to, i need some kind of main task other then flying around, tradeing and picking fights.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on August 08, 2017, 03:44:08 am
DivideByZero, I'm pretty sure that, in a hexagonal grid, there's a specific way to determine tangental motion. In neither image of yours, your "tangental" motion wouldn't actually just be tangental. It may be a little hard for me to explain without images of my own, so I'll just paint a picture in your mind. Imagine one time on the grid, and mark all tiles adjacent to it. Call this a "circle" of radius 1, based on how all "points" on it (marked tiles) are 1 tile away from the center tile. Then, move all tiles 1 tile away from it. The west tile goes west, the northeast tile goes northeast, and so on. These now make the point of a circle of radius 2. And so on. Any tile between two neighboring points on the circle is an "edge" of the circle. Points on the circle are obtained by moving the radius amount of tiles in one of the six directions, while edges involve moving the total amount of the radius in two adjacent directions (nearest directions clockwise and counterclockwise). If a character is on a point of a circle, moving directly toward the center is non-tangental (let's call it direct speed/motion)forward motion, adjacent directions are tangental, and all others are direct away backward. If on the edge of a circle, moving toward a point on the circle would be tangental motion, while all others would be direct motion.
Yeah, confusing. Here's another way of putting it; Imagine a line going from the moving character going in each direction. If the center is on one of those lines, moving directly toward it on the line is direct forward motion, the adjacent directions are tangental, and the others are direct backward. If the center, instead, is between two of those lines, then those directions are direct forward, and the two directions adjacent to them (and not themselves) are tangental. Is that clearer?
Anyway, I think it's rather limiting to have most AoEs need to be skills. There are several simple ways to classify them, which can be used by weapons. As examples: Sphere X (target tile and all tiles up to X away from it), Ring X (target tile and all tiles exactly X away from it), Line X / X-Y (Target tile, X tiles in one direction from it, and Y tiles in the opposite direction), Ray X (all tiles X away from user in a certain direction), WideRay X / X-Y (All tiles X away from user in certain direction, as well as all non-user tiles adjacent to them except in that specified direction for the first Y tiles).
Hmm, what I'm thinking after reading your post is:
Step 1: Update player motion.
(https://s2.postimg.org/xkc7rzth5/image.png)
Step 2: Draw circle and trace a direct path from the original position, find out where the direct path would have intersected the circle
(https://s2.postimg.org/u207vlsl5/image.png)
Step 3: Since the new position is 1 unit away from the intersection point on the circle, the target's Tangent Speed was 1 this turn.
EDIT: Then again, I don't think Tangent Speed is actually used for anything in the system... he he.
Post by: Haspen on August 10, 2017, 04:09:11 pm
About eight hours later, I got this:
>>THE WARLOCKS<<
Spoiler: Rules and Stuff (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Low (Base) Magic (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: High (Divine) Magic (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Research Topic List (click to show/hide)
What do you think?
Proofreading and nitpicking very much welcome, as well as suggestions and new ideas (I hope to make it detailed, but not overly complex).
Post by: TheBiggerFish on August 13, 2017, 10:01:30 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 15, 2017, 12:11:56 am
And yes has research but no research web/tree. Just make up your own stuff. Next thread will have a tribe creation list. In terms of gear, bonus and what makes up your armed services.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 16, 2017, 03:23:23 pm
1: We the players are in charge of a interstellar legion. Various sides to pick, and options to equip said forces before game starts.
Two:
Pangaea, in space. With no magic, and a interesting tree he build system before acting n starts.
Either way not a suggestive n game, as the legion game will be akin n to arms rac against npcs.
Tribe, players are a council judge st out making sure their way out f life of s preserved.
Post by: Kadzar on August 19, 2017, 09:36:21 pm
Speaking of such, this makes me wonder if if it would be a good idea to have a game that runs like Igynpadca, but, instead of being based on a fictional video game, it takes place in a fantasy world (or it could be sci-fi or whatever) where the players' characters have access to some sort of magical messenger board where they can talk with each other about their adventures and possibly meet up (I believe a thing like this actually exists in-game in the lore of Shadowrun, btw). Would people be interested in such a thing?Just to let you know, I just made a game (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=165265.0) based on this idea I had earlier in the thread.
Post by: Haspen on August 20, 2017, 03:34:01 pm
It would run on 3 'ratings' for the girls; Combat Rating, Crafts Rating and Casting Rating, for combat, crafts and magics respectively. The system would use 1d100 die where you need to roll under difficulty number. If your Rating is ways above Difficulty number, you get a bonus. If ways under, a minus to the roll.
Goal:
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 22, 2017, 01:34:14 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 30, 2017, 08:27:41 pm
1: Pangaea, in space. With three difficulty settings, arms race style research, and plenty of situations as your to keep your world under your rule and expand to rule solar system.
2: Company Commander: Pick a side. Loyalist, Rebel, Eegenade, Merc, or Pirate. Each have different plots. Pick options for side creation. Has arms race deal yet again. Kinda like Prometheus, but with bigger scale. Can pick alien side (one of six) for a simpler game though. Still arms race, but less choices.
3: Archon: In this a Archon is a being created by a deity like being to rule over humanity. Your a Archon, given a section of life to rule. Be prepared to be the bad guy or noble rebel. A suggestion adventure.
Magic is based off Marvels Infinity stones. Power, Soul, Space, Time, Mind, and Reality. Each field affects different things.
Post by: OceanSoul on August 30, 2017, 08:39:55 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 30, 2017, 10:25:53 pm
But was thinking of suggestion adventure to get people in mind set for such a thing.
Post by: Haspen on September 04, 2017, 04:58:08 pm
Things happened!
Spoiler: Explossive Decompression Rules (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Explossive Decompression Equipment (click to show/hide)
Needs a thorough proofread, though, as I'm fairly sure some numbers might be wonky in places.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 04, 2017, 10:03:53 pm
Also decided in my Commander Game to cut down player options to Loyalist or Rebels. Depending on choices as to good or bad guys.
Just doing basic rules now.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 05, 2017, 07:13:39 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on September 14, 2017, 11:45:35 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 21, 2017, 07:00:32 pm
There will be 7 phases a turn. The first is mission statement in which one can take part in up to six missions, doing so yields lots of results, but spreads you thin.
Second is design phase, in true Sensei fashion.
Third is revise anything the player feels needs it.
Fourth is sending which units you want on said missions and equipped with said gear.
Fifth is Tactics phase, where you use budget of Command points and resource points to do (or not do) things in upcoming conflict. That can make big changes, but can have negative backlash.
Sixith is actual combat. Die rolls and tactics used.
Seventh is results. Getting points depending on job done and units upgrade via experience.
Then repeat said cycle until it's done.
There is also the Randomized roll chart I made, for starting gear and units. As well as all seven enemies you will be facing in time.
You the players do pick "some" starter things though like specialty gear and preferred tactics and your home world.
As well as your commander character's attitude (That affects things.)
So how does that sound?
And this is not player vs player. It's forum vs GM enemies/npcs. (But they can improve too, or maybe not. As they get rolls too.)
Thinking Prometheus thing, but Warhammer 40k/Space Opera in scope.
Post by: Parsely on September 21, 2017, 08:13:58 pm
There will be 7 phases a turn. The first is mission statement in which one can take part in up to six missions, doing so yields lots of results, but spreads you thin.Arms Race already takes days to over a week just to complete a single turn. Exploding the game into seven phases is going to make it take a real year to complete an in-game year. If anything people should be looking for ways to expedite Arms Race so it plays faster. That's just me though.
Second is design phase, in true Sensei fashion.
Third is revise anything the player feels needs it.
Fourth is sending which units you want on said missions and equipped with said gear.
Fifth is Tactics phase, where you use budget of Command points and resource points to do (or not do) things in upcoming conflict. That can make big changes, but can have negative backlash.
Sixth is actual combat. Die rolls and tactics used.
Seventh is results. Getting points depending on job done and units upgrade via experience.
Then repeat said cycle until it's done.
There is also the Randomized roll chart I made, for starting gear and units. As well as all seven enemies you will be facing in time.
You the players do pick "some" starter things though like specialty gear and preferred tactics and your home world.
As well as your commander character's attitude (That affects things.)
So how does that sound?
And this is not player vs player. It's forum vs GM enemies/npcs. (But they can improve too, or maybe not. As they get rolls too.)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 21, 2017, 08:58:20 pm
Trying to do a space war arms race with a bit of fluff aside people killing each other for X reason.
Edit: I could just edit it so against only one foe. Exactly that. One if object to multi fronts. Tricky thing is I wanted the options of rebels so two fronts at least. But can settle on one. Still Prometheus style in community vs npc.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on September 23, 2017, 11:33:15 am
Spoiler: Basic Idea inside (click to show/hide)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 23, 2017, 01:02:41 pm
Card game God thing is cool.
Oh and Rebels is more simple get up. Empire is a bit more investing in starting (as you get to pick your base there. Rebel side you get a auto picked world via choice.)
Archon game. Decided no spell list. Just levels 0-5 of each ability and each level leads to said tricks.
Post by: ATHATH on September 23, 2017, 07:16:53 pm
After thinking about Pantheon for a bit, I'm considering running a god game where players only use cards. Basic idea follows.This seems like a good idea.Feedback?Spoiler: Basic Idea inside (click to show/hide)
Ooh, maybe you could gain cards based on worship. The type of cards you get would be based on what mortals view you as/think you represent/worship you for (i.e. if you start killing loads of people for no reason, you might become worshipped as a god of murder or death), with the power of those cards being based on how much worship you receive/how emphasized a particular aspect of yourself is over your other aspects (i.e. if you help people grow crops and stuff but only go on killing sprees every thousand or so years, you'd receive stronger Agriculture cards than you would Death cards, and would likely receive Agriculture cards more often than Death cards as well).
Post by: IronyOwl on September 23, 2017, 10:09:21 pm
Feedback?A lot of the fun in card games is the frenetic guessing and tactical deployment regarding what you have/might have versus what your opponent has/might have. If that's not the case, for instance if it's just freeform doing whatever because you can, I suspect you'll lose a lot of the point and it'll just be a faff-about god game with obnoxious restrictions.
A lot of the fun in card games is also building and testing out your deck, gaining and adding new cards, building new decks totally different from that other deck, and so on. If you toss that out, I suspect you'll similarly lose a lot of the depth and appeal.
I'd be hesitant to let things cancel other things out. It can be good/essential for gameplay, such as the way creatures can murder each other, but overdone it tends to make things less interesting rather than more, as when each player just sort of sacrifices their creatures to murder the enemy's creatures instantly, resulting in a mostly empty board for most of the game.
I'd pay special mind to the purpose behind power levels and targeting and the like. There can be perfectly valid reasons for one player to draw Curse I and another Curse II, but it can also become obnoxiously fiddly and arbitrary. There are similarly valid reasons to let Curse affect only very specific targets, literally anything, anything if you can justify it, and so on, but it's another area that's prone to just sort of accidentally defining the nature of the game in strange ways.
Post by: ATHATH on September 23, 2017, 10:34:45 pm
Thing I learned today: "Frenetic" is a word.Feedback?A lot of the fun in card games is the frenetic guessing and tactical deployment regarding what you have/might have versus what your opponent has/might have. If that's not the case, for instance if it's just freeform doing whatever because you can, I suspect you'll lose a lot of the point and it'll just be a faff-about god game with obnoxious restrictions.
A lot of the fun in card games is also building and testing out your deck, gaining and adding new cards, building new decks totally different from that other deck, and so on. If you toss that out, I suspect you'll similarly lose a lot of the depth and appeal.
I'd be hesitant to let things cancel other things out. It can be good/essential for gameplay, such as the way creatures can murder each other, but overdone it tends to make things less interesting rather than more, as when each player just sort of sacrifices their creatures to murder the enemy's creatures instantly, resulting in a mostly empty board for most of the game.
I'd pay special mind to the purpose behind power levels and targeting and the like. There can be perfectly valid reasons for one player to draw Curse I and another Curse II, but it can also become obnoxiously fiddly and arbitrary. There are similarly valid reasons to let Curse affect only very specific targets, literally anything, anything if you can justify it, and so on, but it's another area that's prone to just sort of accidentally defining the nature of the game in strange ways.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 25, 2017, 03:23:03 pm
1: Listed above. Start out at blank/default so true arms race.
2: The randomized for enemy implies for starting gear, tech and units. After intro it's a arms race affair.
3: No Arms race elements at all. All units availed at start with corresponding gear. No research. You just try to do best as a legit Commander/ tactics choices. (So would not be Arms race. More super militant SG sort of deal.)
Post by: VoidSlayer on October 04, 2017, 11:30:44 pm
Well no computer so no game submission today. But I have decided one only one for and three game style systems.
1: Listed above. Start out at blank/default so true arms race.
2: The randomized for enemy implies for starting gear, tech and units. After intro it's a arms race affair.
3: No Arms race elements at all. All units availed at start with corresponding gear. No research. You just try to do best as a legit Commander/ tactics choices. (So would not be Arms race. More super militant SG sort of deal.)
You could combine the design phase into one, submit both revisions and designs at the same time, so you can only revise older designs, the one for this turn will be a prototype or whatever.
Then combine the first, fourth and fifth together into one phase where posted missions can be assigned troops, equipment and commander actions.
Then roll for what happens and post it, then make up some new mission.
This is just how I would stream line it to make it run faster, if that becomes a problem. It still has the seven steps but it looks like and plays like three.
Not sure if you wanted the missions themselves to be more dynamic, with commander actions coming in the middle or something once more is known.
So for example you post that there are three missions, kill the guy, blow up a factory and take a bridge.
Then we decide to design a new high quality boot and revise our old helmets to have fancy feathers.
Then commanders can send various squads on each mission and equip them with fancy helmets and quality boots, or not, and decide to use what command tactics, all of this being posted at once.
Then you figure out what happens and report it and the consequences.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 05, 2017, 06:02:39 am
Post by: FallacyofUrist on October 16, 2017, 05:21:26 pm
I'm reconsidering my Arms Race subject. I'm thinking a Mad Science Race, where every player can submit their own design, but teamwork works much better in every way than individual submissions.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 16, 2017, 05:28:51 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on October 16, 2017, 05:45:38 pm
After thinking about Pantheon for a bit, I'm considering running a god game where players only use cards. Basic idea follows.
Sounds like a very good idea. But I would go more of a TCG route and have specific cards like meteor or flood, and you can combine certain cards or stack cards for greater effects.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on October 16, 2017, 06:28:06 pm
Oh I would love that. Team work for better results but everyone submits something so like two nations having it out and they hire mad scientist cabals?Something like that.
There are still two teams, but each player has a design of their own. Each player can design something, but they can combine and collaborate designs for better, faster, and more reliable results.
One possible addition to this is within-team competition. The mad scientists want to get the most budget that they possibly can, so they all try to provide the best designs to headquarters... and try to stop the others from doing so.
Headquarters allots budget to each scientist based on how effective that scientists designs were in battle. While each scientist has a minimum budget that they can't go under, people are still going to try to get the best budget.
Scientists may submit actions in secret...
The main problem with this compared to a more traditional arms race is managing all the players. Unlike a traditional arms race, there would have to be a player limit.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 16, 2017, 07:10:20 pm
Post by: Kadzar on October 16, 2017, 08:29:08 pm
Basically, the idea is that you start with two teams with identical stone age technology, and players work at developing not only military technology, but the art and beliefs and traditions and suchlike that define their civilization.
To encourage players to focus on things other than military development, there could be a way to win the game other than military conquest (like in Civilization) and/or teams would get an extra design phase (and possibly revision) that can't be used for making weapons (or there could be multiple design categories and design phases, but you couldn't do the same design type more that once).
Also, since the idea was inspired by Wands Race, and how the two teams had wildly divergent cultures by the end, I was thinking that there could be a magic component, possibly something rudimentary to start with, and maybe with no discernible cause, just a few people with powers that it's up to the players to determine the source of (maybe it's innate, maybe it's bestowed by gods or spirits, maybe caused by some runes they found, etc.)
I don't know about the best way to handle mechanics, and I probably wouldn't have the time to run it myself, but I figured I might as well put the idea out there.
Post by: Supernerd on October 16, 2017, 08:31:56 pm
Post by: FallacyofUrist on October 16, 2017, 08:45:58 pm
Post by: Supernerd on October 16, 2017, 09:01:58 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 17, 2017, 12:10:39 am
Speaking of arms race, did I ever share here my idea of a culture race?
Basically, the idea is that you start with two teams with identical stone age technology, and players work at developing not only military technology, but the art and beliefs and traditions and suchlike that define their civilization.
To encourage players to focus on things other than military development, there could be a way to win the game other than military conquest (like in Civilization) and/or teams would get an extra design phase (and possibly revision) that can't be used for making weapons (or there could be multiple design categories and design phases, but you couldn't do the same design type more that once).
Also, since the idea was inspired by Wands Race, and how the two teams had wildly divergent cultures by the end, I was thinking that there could be a magic component, possibly something rudimentary to start with, and maybe with no discernible cause, just a few people with powers that it's up to the players to determine the source of (maybe it's innate, maybe it's bestowed by gods or spirits, maybe caused by some runes they found, etc.)
I don't know about the best way to handle mechanics, and I probably wouldn't have the time to run it myself, but I figured I might as well put the idea out there.
Oh hell yes!!!!
Post by: OceanSoul on October 17, 2017, 09:35:54 am
Obviously I would let players design their own races. If it weren't for customization, forum games would be inferior to video games in every way.There's also the relatively cheap cost, the ease of multiplayer, the innate method of communication with others that can foster a different kind of community...
Anyway, I definitely support making this. I'm not so sure about completely customizing races; they should be at least based on the pre-existing races statistic-wise, with an allotment new abilities or such. But hey, that's just my opinion.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 17, 2017, 06:28:50 pm
Post by: Supernerd on October 17, 2017, 07:45:48 pm
Post by: ATHATH on October 17, 2017, 09:16:09 pm
Hmm... For some reason I am now thinking of a "magical girl" themed version of Blood Bowl. That's what the people in this forum want right?pls no
Note that I'm not opposed to making a forum-based version of Blood Bowl, I'm just opposed to a magical girl-themed Blood Bowl.
I mean, you could host it if you wanted to (without any (more) negative comments from me about it), but I wouldn't participate in it.
Post by: Supernerd on October 19, 2017, 03:53:32 pm
What are your thoughts on... Blood Bowl Arms Race?
Post by: Supernerd on October 22, 2017, 08:22:47 pm
Post by: milo christiansen on October 23, 2017, 08:38:34 am
Orks on a 40k space hulk. The objective would be to carve out a base, and build wargear for the ineveitable landing while fighting off groups of tyranids and other enviromental hazards. The game would run for a semi-random period of time, before the spacehulk reaches a good place to invade. At that point I would sum up each player's wargear, declare one player (or more if a group builds something cool) "bestus ork" or some such and start over.
Probably I would do turns twice a week or so on a fixed schedule so things don't bog down.
Basically explore the hulk, collect supplies and materials, build gear, use gear to explore more dangerous areas, repeat until a (secret) timelimit.
Post by: escaped lurker on October 23, 2017, 11:17:23 am
Would it be a collective effort, with every player united under the same leader, or a loose coalition, with everyone in control of their own little war-band?
Another thing is, I don't really know all that much about WH lore, but about orks, one thing would come to mind. Their infighting.
Obviously, this would translate to pvp actions between different players. If not handled with care, this might turn into bad blood quickly.
Just imagine; "Player 1, has found a rare weapon on turn 2. Three turns later, is has become appearant that he really had the luck of the draw, and that it will be hard to top that weapon anytime soon. On turn 6, he rolls badly, and is wounded heavily / has to rest for a turn or two. Player 2 uses this chance to shake down the wounded Player 1, and grabs the artifact weapon for himself."
From my guess, that would just be a normal day in most orc warbands, but I'm less sure it would also be fun to play. Well, if people are adequately prepared for this to happen / the op mentions that such actions are fine, it could even spice up the gameplay. Well, the infighting mechanics might become a very important part of the game, is all I'm trying to say.
Post by: milo christiansen on October 23, 2017, 02:30:21 pm
In-fighting... Probably best to simply not allow it, although some zero consequences PVP (aka, you can't die or lose your stuff) would be ok if two people want to test wargear on each other for RP reasons or otherwise. Maybe bet gear on quick PVP fights or something, but no backstabbing to steal gear. By mutual agreement only.
I'm still thinking about exactly how I want the system to work. I don't want it to be too luck based. Currently I'm thinking about gating the best loot behind obstacles and enemies so that exploration, clever solutions, and brave attacks are all rewarded. I see lots of loot tables in my future :)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 25, 2017, 12:06:58 pm
Dragon Space: 4x Space Empire rp. Instead of Arms Race or Research you have development points.
15.
Three categories.
1 point is needed, max is ten. (Representing tier of culture.)
Categories:
Technology: Just how advanced you are.
Magic: How gifted at magic you are.
Biology: How evolved your people are.
And after making up cultures. Stuck with picks. As in no new development points. Just play it out with players as there were four ways to "win".
Culture Win: If the enemies people rather join you. Win.
Military: Obvious. Kill everyone that is not you.
Saviors: Defeat the super nasty npc race that shows up in occasion.
Election: When the galaxy is completely colonized. There will be a election to who runs things. Winner take all. Held every so often.
Players: As many as twelve.
Map: I suck at this so sadly cannot do it. (Used to table top my home brew stuff so I drew maps and stuff.)
Post by: Funk on October 26, 2017, 08:42:21 pm
1: A free form space adventure, the basic idea is your a spaceship captain.
2: I really whant to try Twilght 2000 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_2000) as a setting (in short WWIII happen and NATO fought the Warsaw Pact followed by a (limited) nuclear war)
But i not really keen on most of the rules as there clunky.
Im thinking of a D6 roll
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 28, 2017, 12:17:18 am
As for Archins SG adventure, I found file of the Piwers and will post that next update.
Post by: StrawBarrel on October 28, 2017, 10:45:25 am
Two ideas right now.Would these both be suggestion games? If so, I like the sound of a Twilight 2000 SG with simpler rules.
1: A free form space adventure, the basic idea is your a spaceship captain.
2: I really whant to try Twilght 2000 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_2000) as a setting (in short WWIII happen and NATO fought the Warsaw Pact followed by a (limited) nuclear war)
But i not really keen on most of the rules as there clunky.
Im thinking of a D6 roll
Post by: Funk on October 29, 2017, 10:40:18 pm
Post by: Funk on October 30, 2017, 10:02:41 am
Post by: FallacyofUrist on October 30, 2017, 08:11:29 pm
Spoiler: Mad Science Rules Rough Draft (click to show/hide)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 10, 2017, 01:46:48 am
Inspired still by SpaceyStory by Kittytrac.
Thinking now of reviving my fallen Pangaea world but multiple clans/player sides. Still with whacky animals, magic, non humans and such though.
Post by: Person on November 10, 2017, 05:34:01 pm
It has been a very long time since a game of Tacticus (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=572.0) has occured. Would anyone be interested in one, if one were to start?
(Link is just an example for those unfamiliar.)
Post by: Haspen on November 11, 2017, 05:53:55 am
Post by: Person on November 11, 2017, 06:59:26 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 20, 2017, 05:51:25 pm
A sand box kingdom game set in Pangaea ( Fantasy Conan style Stone Age with fantasy things and prehistoric life forms.)
A couple SG adventures or a attempt at a group adventure. Thinking military/super powers. Like a Weapon X Affair. ( In one case just as bad, in other cases are the good guys.)
Post by: IronyOwl on November 20, 2017, 06:27:58 pm
A sand box kingdom game set in Pangaea ( Fantasy Conan style Stone Age with fantasy things and prehistoric life forms.)Ooh.
Post by: Funk on November 21, 2017, 03:54:43 am
I like to play this.A sand box kingdom game set in Pangaea ( Fantasy Conan style Stone Age with fantasy things and prehistoric life forms.)Ooh.
Post by: Custom Critical on November 21, 2017, 10:54:30 am
Thinking of following:Both of these interest me.
A sand box kingdom game set in Pangaea ( Fantasy Conan style Stone Age with fantasy things and prehistoric life forms.)
A couple SG adventures or a attempt at a group adventure. Thinking military/super powers. Like a Weapon X Affair. ( In one case just as bad, in other cases are the good guys.)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 30, 2017, 02:03:57 pm
Also fantasy creatures, magic, and prehistoric crittersexist.
Super power stuff
Ultimate Weapon: Either your weapon x in hunting down rogue elements or escaping the program and on the lamb.
Aegis Program: Augmented humans defending humanity from monsters.
Project Titans: Augmented humans fighting war against aliens.
Anime themed rpg
Tower of Fate: A tower appears. People go in and battle/ explore attempting to reach the top. Rogue like with anime themes and no perma death due to plot.
Battle World: Like kill the God modder except instead of targeting god modder you just fight amongst yourselves, for fun. Can bring in any characters you made for fun, though rules change on a turn basis.
Post by: IronyOwl on November 30, 2017, 03:25:08 pm
Pangaea: One super continent with thirty islands on edges with north and South Pole. Technology level is Stone Age with capacity for smith work. No cities or towns yet. Just nomads/Stone Age people trying to survive to get enough numbers to make towns, which become cities, which become nations.Sounds neat, but I'd advise caution with transitions or split focuses. A game about nomadic tribes and also nations runs the risk of mutating strangely and/or doing each section poorly.
Also fantasy creatures, magic, and prehistoric crittersexist.
Anime themed rpgSounds interesting, but it'll depend a lot on the execution. There's a ton of ways to do anime and a ton of ways to do a roguelike.
Tower of Fate: A tower appears. People go in and battle/ explore attempting to reach the top. Rogue like with anime themes and no perma death due to plot.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 01, 2017, 11:45:01 pm
As for anime, wrote three stat systems. Each could work though two are for other games (though may mention them in future.) and they work.
Post by: RoseHeart on December 06, 2017, 05:29:08 am
Post by: Haspen on December 06, 2017, 10:20:45 am
What if someone mixed arms race with Fire Emblem? Like improving weapons... Would that work?
You tell me. You barely suggested the crossover and already have a question v;
Post by: Doomblade187 on December 06, 2017, 11:07:55 am
What if someone mixed arms race with Fire Emblem? Like improving weapons... Would that work?What you could do is mix the Fire Emblem battle system with an arms race interim, in an arena type fashion- each team gets a chance to develop weapons for the gladiatorial combat, then goes up against the other team.
You would to be careful with defining weapon/armor stats though.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on December 17, 2017, 02:41:24 pm
Collecting souls, battling monsters, being a bad ass, and define your fate by actions.
Post by: RoseHeart on December 19, 2017, 07:24:12 pm
Post by: Haspen on December 19, 2017, 07:46:40 pm
It needs everything except rules cuz I have them already hur hur.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on December 19, 2017, 07:58:06 pm
Looking for feedback on this game (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=168739.0). I have one excited player returning, I have had no other hits. Why do you think that is?I think it might be the complexity. I was interested in the first game in its series due to how easy it was to play(especially with regards to card design), but then everything got more complicated and all of a sudden I need to upload an image...
Post by: RoseHeart on December 19, 2017, 08:20:20 pm
Thanks, I'll offer to upload images...Looking for feedback on this game (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=168739.0). I have one excited player returning, I have had no other hits. Why do you think that is?I think it might be the complexity. I was interested in the first game in its series due to how easy it was to play(especially with regards to card design), but then everything got more complicated and all of a sudden I need to upload an image...
As for the rules anything in particular?
Post by: Kilojoule Proton on January 12, 2018, 01:10:55 am
My main questions so far are as follows:
- What sorts of game decisions shouldn't I put up to a vote? I tend to prefer putting issues up for voting, but I understand this can lead to mob justice, and this isn't intended to be a game of Mafia :P
- Right now, actions are parceled out once a turn, and negating an effect requires approximately double the actions used to cause the effect. Should I use a different ratio than 2:1? A different system?
- How do I deal with player-player vendettas so they don't take up all of the unwilling target's time?
- Is there a good way to balance freeform whole game-scale effects? I feel like they add a nice reward for those interested in writing them up and let players' actions have lasting consequences, but I'm not too good at actually assigning numbers to their costs and what not
- Spoiler (select to show): [I've deliberately been avoiding putting in over-arching NPC antagonists to keep the focus on the players. Is this a good idea? I know Paranoia, for example, partially counteracts the vendettas by having bigger trouble to shoot.]
Post by: IronyOwl on January 12, 2018, 02:08:03 am
What issues?
- What sorts of game decisions shouldn't I put up to a vote? I tend to prefer putting issues up for voting, but I understand this can lead to mob justice, and this isn't intended to be a game of Mafia :P
Generally speaking, straight negations suck. They're boring. Try to get more creative than a straight negation, and consider just disallowing things that have to be or necessitate negations from others.
- Right now, actions are parceled out once a turn, and negating an effect requires approximately double the actions used to cause the effect. Should I use a different ratio than 2:1? A different system?
As an example, consider the following myths:
Quote
Grok was angry, so he instantly wiped out all of Mok's followers with hellfire. They're dead now.
Quote
Grok was angry, so he turned all of Mok's followers to stone. Mok oiled them up so they could move again, and they got to liking their new stony hides. They grew fat off all the oil, though. They're ogres now.
Quote
Grok was angry, so he began turning Mok's followers to stone. Mok heard of this and decided to play a trick on Grok, by carving stone statues of his followers and leaving them in his path. When Grok tried to turn these followers to stone, they came to life instead, and because they were born of stone to begin with could not be turned back. Grok was so mad when he figured out how he'd been tricked that he taught the stone-followers how to fight with their bare hands, which being born from stone were far harder than those of their fleshy companions. They even began worshiping Grok as thanks, and beating up Mok's other followers when they didn't get their way. Mok's followers have a weird stonepriest heretic caste thing now, it's pretty complicated.
You notice how the first one sucks? Adding a resurrection war probably wouldn't help, because it's basically a negation. They were there, now they're dead, the world is less interesting.
The second is arguably better, and also a lot more myth-like. If you turn somebody to stone and they come back, it's a negation again. A negation of a negation, so whether that's better or worse depends on whether the original condition or new condition were more interesting, but it's still the kind of turn/action you can skip over entirely because the net effect is nil. This one has permanent effects, but they're negotiable, which is arguably more interesting and definitely more myth-sounding.
The third is a little rambling, but also reasonably interesting and meaningful while still being back-and-forth. There's no proper negation without some kind of side effect (stoneborn), and a lot of it isn't really a negation at all (well your new followers are my followers, and bully your nerds).
My advice, generally speaking, would be to lean towards the latter methods. They come at the dual costs of potentially being less satisfying for victims (my perfect elves are gray-skinned now and there's no physical way to change them back) and requiring more creativity on you and your players' parts (how much fire is an okay amount of fire, how do I undo my people being seduced by trees), but in my opinion avoiding boring yes-no cycles is worth it.
As an addendum, when following this advice or not: Consider adding stacking costs/difficulty/diminishing returns to modifying the same thing over and over again. Adding every blessing under the sun to your elves or yes-no cycling a city into and out of effective existence (but creatively!) can also be boring. Sometimes it's better to just call a thing done, or at least done for now.
Yeesh, no good answer for that one.
- How do I deal with player-player vendettas so they don't take up all of the unwilling target's time?
If at all possible, just talk to the players in question, because this sounds like it might be a meta issue more than an in game issue.
If you need a mechanical solution, consider adding some kind of diminishing returns to aggressing the same player over and over again. Maybe a ramping cost/difficulty to affect them, maybe ease of crafting player-specific defenses, but something to make the aggressor reconsider and/or be less than 100% efficient.
No. You can try by breaking them down into their component parts and asking what effects that chunk has, but gamewide freeform stuff is by its nature rather far-reaching and hard to quantify. The really obvious stuff like "I kill everything everywhere" is fairly easy to break down and price, but adding infinite knowledge obelisks everywhere or inventing star magic is fairly hard to compare to local actions, especially if players can come along and modify them further later on.
- Is there a good way to balance freeform whole game-scale effects? I feel like they add a nice reward for those interested in writing them up and let players' actions have lasting consequences, but I'm not too good at actually assigning numbers to their costs and what not
Can go either way. I'd probably go the Elder Scrolls route of having optional quest objectives- could be antagonists, opportunities, friendly NPCs, anything- to grab people's attention if they're bored or looking for an edge, but make it mild enough that they can keep doing their own thing with each other if they prefer.
- Spoiler (select to show): [I've deliberately been avoiding putting in over-arching NPC antagonists to keep the focus on the players. Is this a good idea? I know Paranoia, for example, partially counteracts the vendettas by having bigger trouble to shoot.]
Post by: Kilojoule Proton on January 12, 2018, 03:19:10 am
What issues?
- What sorts of game decisions shouldn't I put up to a vote? I tend to prefer putting issues up for voting, but I understand this can lead to mob justice, and this isn't intended to be a game of Mafia :P
Spoiler: Example 1 (click to show/hide)
More abstract examples include game mechanics, but I think I've gotten better at choosing which ones to poll (e.g. setting tweaks) and which ones to fiat (e.g. the base mechanics).
This was one of the more straightorward patches, thanksGenerally speaking, straight negations suck. They're boring. Try to get more creative than a straight negation, and consider just disallowing things that have to be or necessitate negations from others.
- Right now, actions are parceled out once a turn, and negating an effect requires approximately double the actions used to cause the effect. Should I use a different ratio than 2:1? A different system?
--snip--
I guess there's no escaping solving the OOC issues first after all. Thanks for the mechanical suggestions all the same; maybe they'll work as preventative measures?Yeesh, no good answer for that one.
- How do I deal with player-player vendettas so they don't take up all of the unwilling target's time?
If at all possible, just talk to the players in question, because this sounds like it might be a meta issue more than an in game issue.--snip--
The next response definitely makes sense, although I'd hoped there would be a novel magic solution of some sort
The last will be a bit tricky to integrate [now that most of the setting's details are somewhat concrete, but there are some nice player-made hooks, so] there may yet be a chance
Thanks again for the thoughtful response :)
Post by: Supernerd on February 02, 2018, 07:30:10 pm
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 02, 2018, 08:14:44 pm
Post by: GiglameshDespair on February 03, 2018, 07:06:15 am
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on February 03, 2018, 07:14:51 pm
I have come up with yet another game concept. What do you guys think about an RPG style game where instead of creating a new character... You submit a character that you used to play as in a different game that is no longer running, and explore a land made up of the shattered pieces of long dead forum games!
Have fun balancing it.
If you use a mechanic that gives players some sort of finite resource that limits their power regardless of bonuses or stats, then perhaps you could have everyone getting along fine.
Post by: Supernerd on February 03, 2018, 07:29:53 pm
Compared to dealing with inactive players, balance is crazy easy.
Post by: RoseHeart on February 03, 2018, 08:27:52 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on February 20, 2018, 07:01:06 pm
Pangaea 2.0: This time the players (seven in all plus me the npc king) Rule council style of our tribe. And based on you the pcs and my npc wishes meet to decide what happens to the tribe.
Edit: Wylding Quest:!Forgot this. A suggestion game adventure where you play as a lone wylding creature in the world of Pangaea.
Aegis Project: Here good guys are weapon x draftees with implanted science super powers off to Mars to invade it. Due to a terraforming error that murdered the colonists.
Ultimate Weapon: Weapon x as bad guys. Either on the run from them, escaping their base or bring agents for them.
Monster Slaying Guild: Typical rpg in Fantasy setting with some technological innovation. There is a guild that protects the people from monsters. But, there is a dark conspiracy behind it. Thinking 3-5 players and I GM the rest.
Post by: Pavellius on February 23, 2018, 12:10:27 pm
This game wouldn't be too balanced or realistic, but it would still have limits and design difficulty guidelines.
Thoughts?
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 25, 2018, 01:22:53 pm
Sure, why not. We can do all sorts of Arms Races! Culinary Race! Pirate vs. Ninja Race! The possibilities are endless!
Post by: Culise on February 25, 2018, 02:28:02 pm
Post by: AoshimaMichio on February 26, 2018, 11:22:56 am
Arms race, where the job of the players is to create the most and greatest limbs with which to wield weapons. At some point, one side creates Shiva and becomes death, destroyer of worlds.
Supersoldier race.
Post by: FallacyofUrist on February 26, 2018, 12:47:47 pm
Mutant Race. In which people may actually do catgirls.
Post by: Draignean on March 08, 2018, 03:40:06 pm
Eheheh...
Mutant Race. In which people may actually do catgirls.
Don't count on it. Cinder Spires, canonically, has both catgirls and catbois. I've stated, multiple times that I'm totally cool with them being 'discovered' as part of some other design or action. Still nothing.
In other news...
That awkward moment when you have a great idea for how to phase out unnecessary rolling, and then realize that half the class bonuses you were so proud of a moment ago were tied up in all that unnecessary rolling.
BLARG.
BLARGH.
EUBLEUUGHH.
Oh well.
The system has been scratching my complexity itch, and I've managed to mostly keep it from being unnecessarily arcane. Which is always a problem for me, and manifested most egregiously in this round when I tried to set up it up so that damage reduction was calculated by 1/LOG10(10+Armor_Rating/10). Which, admittedly, did a great job of giving armor the efficacy curve I wanted, but was much better served by putting the actually DR directly on the equipment.
Resulting, probably final, edition of an item card.
Statuary Greatsword: L: 4 | H:6 | DR: 25% | Dam: 120
Moveset: Greatsword | 2 hands
Requirements and Scaling:
--->POT: E | PRE: - | WIL: E | VIG: 3/C | AGI: -
Grants Ability: Petrify
--->Petrify: 1 Will, 1 Vigor | 3 Frame Cost | 15 Cooldown | Choose a move from the weapon's light attack moveset and use that to launch this ability. If a target gets hit with a graze, it’s petrified for 5 frames starting immediately, if it’s hit with a full impact, it’s petrified for 10 frames starting immediately. This attack deals no damage.
See, totally simple and straightforward.
Totally.
Post by: RoseHeart on March 10, 2018, 03:12:59 am
How could I possibly make this more attractive to players?Hey I'm putting this here as to avoid any kind of discussion derailing your thread. Basically I would suggest just totally pulling out all those massive walls of text and not deleting them just putting them on your computer for you to look at. Just literally have the same game but just a very minimal introduction description and decision to get the ball rolling.
Post by: x2yzh9 on March 10, 2018, 11:43:42 am
I took your advice! Hopefully it has a good effect.How could I possibly make this more attractive to players?Hey I'm putting this here as to avoid any kind of discussion derailing your thread. Basically I would suggest just totally pulling out all those massive walls of text and not deleting them just putting them on your computer for you to look at. Just literally have the same game but just a very minimal introduction description and decision to get the ball rolling.
Post by: Draignean on March 21, 2018, 05:05:31 pm
Still writing up the play tutorial, but I felt the need to show the newest iteration of the how-much-of-dark-souls-face-can-I-steal-game's* character sheet.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
*I imagine that I'll find a better name at some point. Hopefully.
Post by: IronyOwl on March 21, 2018, 10:11:40 pm
Post by: Draignean on March 29, 2018, 01:14:47 pm
Spreadsheet Souls? Calcborne? Dark Frame?
Har, har.
You're on an expedition away from the sane and sunlit world. The setting: a weird castle where the walls are stained with darkness. And there's also some darkness hovering around the chandelier. Your grandfather's darksteel key can't get you into the oddly dark castle tower, because someone smeared darkness on the lock. But you can open... the Dark Frame. Except you can't, because it's a frame, not a door, and it's already open.*
*Original Credit (https://youtu.be/8kmu3tkvPiA?t=15s)
Edit: Shit, didn't actually mean to post this, I had real questions and not just plagiarized cartoon comedy. Damnit.
Anyway, what do random people think is best as far as how many items players get to pick at character creation? How many options is too many options?
Post by: Supernerd on March 29, 2018, 04:06:00 pm
Post by: IronyOwl on March 29, 2018, 09:26:04 pm
Anyway, what do random people think is best as far as how many items players get to pick at character creation? How many options is too many options?I feel like 2-3 major decisions is probably the best, else it starts getting fiddly or building into larger decisions anyway ("I'll take life regen for all 16 choices," "these three items give me a good crit healer build, these three would let me tank really well but take up a slot I need for my mobility shenanigans").
Post by: Draignean on March 30, 2018, 09:12:53 pm
Now, one more question.
IO is familiar with the system of calcdarksoulframe, where each player specifies a sequence of actions to make, and then each piece (frame) of that sequence is evaluated simultaneously for all players and monsters. So actions look somewhat like,
Move North -> Move East -> Cast fireball at (6,2) -> Shenanigans -> Move South
So the game is designed to be about making successful anticipations of the enemy in order to kill without ever presenting a target. However, with four people and friendly fire, it's also about coordinating with your team members.
That in mind, I was thinking of making it against the rules to explicitly post your action sequence in the thread, and to instead PM it to me, so that the communication of what each player is doing has to be hammered out between the characters. Thus it's less of a mind-reading fest where every player decodes every other player's action string, and more each player PMing me the action string and then trying (or not) to communicate to the others what they're trying to accomplish.
How cruel is this?
Edit Note, particularly when you have items that need good coordination to actually pull off well, such as...
Spoiler: Deathball (click to show/hide)
Post by: IronyOwl on March 31, 2018, 12:39:13 pm
How cruel is this?I think this is very cruel to the GM, as poking through your inbox for actions sounds obnoxious.
As for the players... I think this'll probably end up fairly binary: Either the players communicate effectively with each other and there's no real difference, or they'll just do their own thing and things will go poorly.
This is monstrously evil, but will probably make everyone very interested in arranging the perfect spirit bomb pinball combo.Spoiler: Deathball (click to show/hide)
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Draignean on April 01, 2018, 09:39:13 pm
Unrelated to anything, I miss Small Mercies.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
You and me both. I periodically long to start that back up again. I still wonder why I left it there, since you're basically just waiting on the King of Strengar and the Crow to get back + the shuttle, and then everyone could meet back for booze.
Maybe I should update that. No one would expect that move. Give the deepstate FBI agents monitoring my lack of fillings a real turn.
Post by: Haspen on April 04, 2018, 09:46:39 am
Why the heck are all those various unrelated suggestion games using 'spam' prefix? Most of them have more than one character design option or don't even use 'one of few' choice options, and updates are both lengthy and come about rarely - basically antithesis of spam progression!
This is siphoning away muh fame and fabulousness! Dis is outrage! V:<
Post by: TamerVirus on April 04, 2018, 09:51:28 am
I guess SPAM titles have become a shorthand for 'suggestion game'
Post by: Draignean on April 04, 2018, 09:54:50 am
Post by: heydude6 on April 04, 2018, 12:05:56 pm
Post by: Draignean on April 04, 2018, 12:09:44 pm
I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?
SPAM and AR games are both pretty easy to begin, and AR games have the distinct advantage of players providing all the challenges to one another. All the DM really has to do is mediate.
OC takes a lot of time and effort. The one I'm getting ready to push has more than time than I'd like to admit getting this started- although it's more exception than rule.
Post by: TamerVirus on April 04, 2018, 12:15:17 pm
Post by: Chiefwaffles on April 04, 2018, 12:29:56 pm
I like doing my AR (Mad Arms Race) largely just because of the emergent world building and more it creates. I started with two blank slates of nations, but now one side has a government based around feuding immortal politicians and the other has an “underground” city in a giant and extremely deep borehole-quarry-thing.
That and it’s not like the popularity of Arms Races and SPAMgames are reducing creativity. They’re just the current fad. I personally remember Fire Emblem on Forum games, god games, and the like all being especially popular at certain points.
Post by: Parsely on April 04, 2018, 01:52:21 pm
I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?You mean the ones with poorly conceived mechanics? That's how I remember FGnRP. But at least people were trying stuff, I guess, but my point is that all of my games were based on original mechanics and most had an original story, but that didn't make them good.
The number one failing of a game is lack of interest. SPAM and Arms Race consistently garner interest. Maybe people should look for a lesson there and try to make something new out of it instead of complaining that something is too popular.
Post by: TamerVirus on April 04, 2018, 02:19:43 pm
Post by: Custom Critical on April 04, 2018, 09:53:24 pm
/me raises paw.Well, to be fair, you did base those games off of a Steam release indie title known as Kingdom. As you imitate that game to flatter, so too do others imitate you to flatter. It's a circle, my friend.
Why the heck are all those various unrelated suggestion games using 'spam' prefix? Most of them have more than one character design option or don't even use 'one of few' choice options, and updates are both lengthy and come about rarely - basically antithesis of spam progression!
This is siphoning away muh fame and fabulousness! Dis is outrage! V:<
Post by: Haspen on April 05, 2018, 12:15:00 am
Well, to be fair, you did base those games off of a Steam release indie title known as Kingdom. As you imitate that game to flatter, so too do others imitate you to flatter. It's a circle, my friend.
I think you meant Reigns ;v?
Post by: RoseHeart on April 05, 2018, 01:04:15 am
You originally called it "Rapid-Fire Minimalistic Dynasty Game".
If we breakdown SPAMKINGDOM
we get SPAM "Rapid-Fire"
..and KINGDOM "Minimalistic Dynasty Game"
You even make a point of keeping this origin in the OP.
Really since Spam can reasonably be inferred to mean 'quick updates' -one might be surprised, that SPAM- games even hold so many other elements in common with yours. Such as being a CYOA rather than SG, centered on a ruler, as a examples.
Post by: Harry Baldman on April 05, 2018, 02:11:43 am
I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?
Say what you will, but at least SPAMKINGDOM's made more people actually invest a token amount of thought into the mechanics and pacing of their suggestion games, myself included, even if the thought in question is how much of Haspen's work they want to shamelessly rip off.
EDIT: Also (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE)
Post by: Custom Critical on April 05, 2018, 05:14:35 pm
I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?I agree. As for what happened to the original content? People either ...
1) Joked/meme'd them into oblivion, thus changing the thread from whatever SG it was into another "bay12 thinks it's funny when it really isn't" game.
2) Ignored them in favour of the aforementioned OR some cringy fandom threads.
And those who have created the original stuff have left for greener pastures, so . . . GG in that area.
Post by: Custom Critical on April 05, 2018, 05:15:41 pm
Say what you will, but at least SPAMKINGDOM's made more people actually invest a token amount of thought into the mechanics and pacing of their suggestion games, myself included, even if the thought in question is how much of Haspen's work they want to shamelessly rip off.Not really.
To ripoff the ripoff. It's a chain I tell you! Where's Xzhibit when you need him?
Post by: Funk on April 06, 2018, 07:40:09 am
Still i feel that AR tend to crowed them selves out, one AR is a novelty worth playing, 6 is pick a flavor i know i haven posted regularly in half the ones i've started playing..
Post by: heydude6 on April 06, 2018, 12:06:17 pm
I actually enjoyed the early SPAM clones. Spamwarlord, and your game were both unique twists on a great concept. It’s just that I have grown kind of tired of it. I personally have foreseen 5 SPAM games to their conclusion and it would be nice to do something different.I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?
Say what you will, but at least SPAMKINGDOM's made more people actually invest a token amount of thought into the mechanics and pacing of their suggestion games, myself included, even if the thought in question is how much of Haspen's work they want to shamelessly rip off.
EDIT: Also (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE)
I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?You mean the ones with poorly conceived mechanics? That's how I remember FGnRP. But at least people were trying stuff, I guess, but my point is that all of my games were based on original mechanics and most had an original story, but that didn't make them good.
The number one failing of a game is lack of interest. SPAM and Arms Race consistently garner interest. Maybe people should look for a lesson there and try to make something new out of it instead of complaining that something is too popular.
Both of you have great points. The old model was flawed. Things were bound to crack eventually.I hate it honestly. I feel like FG and Rp has become saturated with spam and arms race games. What happened to the original creations people used to make?I agree. As for what happened to the original content? People either ...
1) Joked/meme'd them into oblivion, thus changing the thread from whatever SG it was into another "bay12 thinks it's funny when it really isn't" game.
2) Ignored them in favour of the aforementioned OR some cringy fandom threads.
And those who have created the original stuff have left for greener pastures, so . . . GG in that area.
I guess what I really want is to just be part of a good story. Create a character, interact with the world, and have awesome things happen. Then you look back at the masterpiece and realize “I helped create that”. Problem is, good stories require good GMs and most people just aren’t up for the task. People may be capable of producing great things, but to then continue for months, maybe even years? It will drive everyone but the most dedicated mad.
Ah well, it’s not like I’m doing nothing. Though I’ve only been working on it sporadically, my RtD is coming along quite nicely. I’ll probably run something slightly simpler in the meantime, but one day it will see the light of day.
Post by: Draignean on April 06, 2018, 03:00:32 pm
Ah well, it’s not like I’m doing nothing. Though I’ve only been working on it sporadically, my RtD is coming along quite nicely. I’ll probably run something slightly simpler in the meantime, but one day it will see the light of day.
I know this feeling, except I just launched the thing I've been putting off launching. Link for the interested. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=170181.0)
Post by: Custom Critical on April 06, 2018, 03:33:35 pm
Is that OP image photoshop or paint? It's dope af.Ah well, it’s not like I’m doing nothing. Though I’ve only been working on it sporadically, my RtD is coming along quite nicely. I’ll probably run something slightly simpler in the meantime, but one day it will see the light of day.
I know this feeling, except I just launched the thing I've been putting off launching. Link for the interested. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=170181.0)
Post by: Draignean on April 06, 2018, 03:35:05 pm
Is that OP image photoshop or paint? It's dope af.Ah well, it’s not like I’m doing nothing. Though I’ve only been working on it sporadically, my RtD is coming along quite nicely. I’ll probably run something slightly simpler in the meantime, but one day it will see the light of day.
I know this feeling, except I just launched the thing I've been putting off launching. Link for the interested. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=170181.0)
It's GIMP, which makes it a very straightforward process.
Post by: Kadzar on April 06, 2018, 03:37:08 pm
AR have lots of posts and activity, a slower SG can go days, weeks without any post activity.Well, the thing about flavors is that there often are a lot because not everyone likes the same ones, or maybe people sometimes want something different. I know I personally wasn't too interested in the original Arms Race setting, but I very much enjoyed Wands Race, and that just comes down to personal preference. (btw, I don't watch the board too closely. Have there been any magic-based or at least pre-industrial era Arms Races since then?) On the other hand, I do get your point about them crowding each other out, which makes it harder to find ones you like, though I feel like this would be better solved by some improvements in organization rather than saying people shouldn't make such games.
Still i feel that AR tend to crowed them selves out, one AR is a novelty worth playing, 6 is pick a flavor i know i haven posted regularly in half the ones i've started playing..
Post by: Draignean on April 06, 2018, 03:42:42 pm
btw, I don't watch the board too closely. Have there been any magic-based or at least pre-industrial era Arms Races since then?)
I have an Arms-Race that's both. Starting tech was based of the Cinder Spires books, so Steampunk with the ability to grow crystals that do some pretty magical shit.
Post by: Kadzar on April 06, 2018, 04:43:43 pm
I'd consider steampunk an industrial-era concept, even if it isn't technically that in-setting, but I guess what I liked about Wands Race was that it was very much a blank slate as far as culture and technology went. We were very much able to develop our nations cultures as we saw fit, and had technology that worked very differently because we were able to create very different assumptions about how things worked in-game.btw, I don't watch the board too closely. Have there been any magic-based or at least pre-industrial era Arms Races since then?)
I have an Arms-Race that's both. Starting tech was based of the Cinder Spires books, so Steampunk with the ability to grow crystals that do some pretty magical shit.
Like, we somehow ended up with one side that used magitec and another whose magic was based on prayer, despite neither of those concepts being in the OP. Is there another Arms Race that ever achieved that much divergence?
Post by: Haspen on April 06, 2018, 05:55:35 pm
Post by: Funk on April 09, 2018, 07:53:15 am
Your a space marine chapter master in charge of an Exploratory crusade.
I still have no idea how big an army you'll get or how to do ships.
Post by: heydude6 on April 09, 2018, 11:29:20 am
Post by: Funk on April 09, 2018, 07:19:56 pm
How are you going to balance the superior tech of 40k against the tech of Star Wars? Otherwise I like the idea a lot.Well does 40k really have better tech?
More powerfull tech often, but star wars tech really works, people know how it works.
In 40k you burn incense and pray just to turn the lights on and off, you change a blow light bulb with a live socket and just pray to lighting demons way.
Numbers are another tool, you marine force and more powerfull units will be limited in number
And it's likey you'll end up with a task for the crusade (i'm thinking steal a Deathstar) to have a nice end goal.
Post by: DolosusDoleus on April 15, 2018, 10:50:03 am
Anywho, here’s my main idea right now:
The game would be fairly combat oriented, consisting mostly of going on missions and completing objectives. Most missions would take place with the map, characters, and enemies on a grid, with players giving commands in the vein of “go to [location] then do [action]”. There would be character classes, but they would have more to do with special powers/abilities and less to do with stats. Player stats would be based entirely off of equipment; your aim is only as good as your gun’s accuracy, your health is only as high as the quality of your shield, etc. This would hopefully incentivize players to constantly be swapping out equipment and weapons as better stuff becomes available, making combat more dynamic and less stale.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 22, 2018, 03:59:19 pm
Was thinking of Pangaea sequel. No baby making rules. Stream lined item list. In-depth clan creation, character creation, and a religion builder.
The plot this time? Instead of stone-early Iron Age. This time called Orbiter. Takes place easy advanced in the future as humans left home.
Their massive as hell Mother ship made trip to new world but due to tech issues no one can leave. Generations spent on the Ark people lost their history and think the mother ship is home. And despite high tech guns, power armor and 3D printers, everything social wise is a clan system again.
Post by: Haspen on June 02, 2018, 06:58:21 am
Would appreciate someone running it over for number crunching.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on June 20, 2018, 03:39:55 pm
It is now players being Arch Angels/ Archon Deal. Waging war with each other then the victors Incase the other realms for divine judgement. Though not black and white all the time. More grey.
The other two God Wuest games.
Blood War: Players are part of a brand new pantheon made for the mortals. Problem? Older Gods want them gone. So, got to murder the old gods together.
Rising: Replaces Rage Across Heavens first attempt, now the Gods merely in a construction contest to see who builds coolest planes/realm/world and so forth. Winner based on popular vote and no attacking each other.
Orbiter is part of Pangaea, will bring them up next with full list.
Rage Across Heavens? Gotta do over everything. So will be a while. Also thinking of tweaking Inferum and making it real ( as I did basis of that game on mobile phone. Just going to find files again.)
Besides that?
There is Kingdom, where players make up own stuff based on one world, Start with limited stuff, to earn more at start, got to take flaws.
Aside that, not sure really. There is the Ruin triology thing. And no way in hell I am bringing back Stellar Legions. I loved the idea but having to keep track of those resources is insane. I work enough in Orbiter and nothing above 50k and stuff.
Oh there is Home Fleet too. Being nomadic fleet trying to make it work in a harsh cosmos.
Post by: Mesa on June 21, 2018, 06:32:29 pm
The major difference here is that it would be more of a soft sci-fi/space opera campaign, as opposed to a high fantasy one.
Essentially, there's a relatively large group of people (as many as are willing to participate, basically) who organically explore the setting by picking where to go, who to go with and when to go, returning to the town (or space station, or whatever it might be) afterwards, and sharing the loot with the group, both tangible and intangible (rumors, areas to explore further etc.).
Basically, Darkest Dungeon but with (far) less eldritch horror.
"But River, how are you going to run a space campaign in D&D?", you may ask.
I don't, is my answer.
What I want to use instead (tentatively, at least) is either Open Legend (http://openlegendrpg.com/) or Genesys (https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/products/genesys/), though I'm somewhat leaning towards the former as I actually have played it a bit already, and the legally free rules reduces the barrier to entry, and my conscious! Also makes it easier to run the game on something like roll20...)...Or even GURPS, but that seems like a recipe for disaster.
(The reason why I want to go with something generic like OL or GURPS as opposed to say, Starfinder, Star Wars or Stars Without Number, beyond the fact I have no experience with any of those systems and don't feel particularly compelled to try them, is to have greater flexibility, both for players' sake and my own. I'm not the biggest fan of crunch-heavy games, which might be in a bit of a contrast with some of the demographic on here...Maybe?)
On that note, what I wanted to do is use the forums for updates and general OOC stuff, but run the actual sessions in roll20 (if only because I think it'll be better for actually keeping me accountable, and make things progress a bit faster - but also make things like rolling be a bit more fair since I don't know how people usually do rolls when playing PBP games).
Would there be any interest here in such an endeavor?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on June 22, 2018, 05:47:50 am
I’m interested, but more info on the setting and focus of the game would be nice. You could also try posting about this in the PnP/Tabletop (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=151000.0) thread
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on June 30, 2018, 01:31:36 pm
Warlords of Pangaea 2.0: Update If first game I made here and new stuff, the Arms race system, also either SG single party or multiple (like in Orbiter) the plot being Conan style tribe folk trying to survive in a harsh world as a Empire is rising to try to unite the world.
Islanders: Here the Land Of PangEa got floooded and now islands, be a sea daring tribe.
Imperial Lord: Here your a heir to empire that has a quarter of Pangaeas land mass. Time to rise, or fall.
Exiles: Here Your tribals that lost homeland due to disasters. Now living, learning, and seeking a new homeland.
Walls: Here a mix of Orbiter in Fantasy with attack on Titan. In that your a community(idea) stuck in massive maze.
Arena: Manage a team of gladiators to fight, strive, and gain glory. Or just not die.
Tree: Here in a massive forest the hub is a massive tree and trying to thrive.
Post by: Haspen on July 02, 2018, 10:41:22 am
It goes away with units, and only Supply Areas count. Secrecy, backstabs and shenanigans are all encouraged, though if someone skims the rules for something obvious I missed, that would be great :)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 02, 2018, 11:00:15 am
Onslaught: Fictional we2 game with 2-3 sides. What makes it a problem is instead of Arms race mechanic research is spreading through a tech tree I designed. Which I doubt is considered good her and even made rpg style stats for well, everything.
Inferum: I posted it on this very thread. The numbers too damn intimidating and working on how much one does a turn.
Stellar Legions: I did attempt this, And was working fine until someone asked for resources chart. Why? The resource pool is freakken worlds, so I figured that would not be a issue to try to keep it Space opera rp/strategy. But yeah, one thing I refuse except in Pangaea games is resource handling. Too many numbers. ( In Onslaught Resources are bard in resource picks. Which chur it up. So no asking there.)
Next time: Sci fi Pangaea stuff.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 03, 2018, 02:17:03 pm
Besides naming and character info, only four things.
1: How useful powers are ( die roll of 20 sides)
2: How many? ( up to 30)
3: How powerful it actually is ( die 100)
4: Weakness: Got to have one. It needs to be serious.
Aside that no dice, just role playing it out and tossing stat numbers aside. ( which is a huge deal for me as I usually stat the hell out of everything.)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 06, 2018, 02:26:55 pm
Doing Orbiter. Rest
Prophets of the Wastes: Post apocalypse nomad tribes due to great disaster. What holds them together is faith and the need to survive.
Genesis: Humanity is extinct. New Humans, artificial took their place.
Thug: This time gangs managing themselves to survive some mean streets.
Network: Here the setting is a Geo Ark, massive underground structure as life above is just, really bad now. Several groups, trying to maintain life and order. Though the blame of who caused the disaster has made people really bitter and judge mental. Soon, groups are formed.
Cities on Wheels: Due to disaster the last human hubs (they consider anyway) are massive Hub cities that go around, harvesting resources and killing other Hub cities for their resources besides armies of bandits and kaiju mobsters that want to eat said cities of their energy. ( This and Geo Ark are in reality in same world.)
Nu Eden: A ship made it to habitable planet. People are divided into six camps. Humanists, Masters, High Born, Evolutionaries, Cybermancers, And Post Humans. The six contesting which way is the best.
Society: Humanity rules the Solar System with a ruler. It’s all Feudal as 4 houses conptete for that damn throne. Game of Thrones, sci fi And in space.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 09, 2018, 06:38:46 pm
Long ago, the wise and mighty dragons gifted Men, the people of the Earth, power over the three Elements, to be used for balance, harmony and good in the world... but that's enough ancient history - it's time for another season of the most exciting, most entertaining, most exceptional mage sport worldwide... THE ELEMENTALIST GAMES!
That's right - starting today, you get to join us for a long and bountiful season of the Games, live and unfiltered on AstralCast! So get your tickets now and put in your bets... there'll be no stopping the action now! We've got a lot of strong teams this year, but only one will go on to claim the Dragon Cup. Who'll it be? We've got our eye on a few teams, from champions of the past to fresh challengers at their first shot at the prize. Only the team with the best players, the best coaching staff, the best management can triumph!
Let's take a look at one of the most promising teams in the running this year. Their new manager has a lot of expectations on their shoulders, whether from the fans, the players or the owners... only time will tell if they can fulfill those expectations and help bring home the Cup!
***
Spoiler: What's all this then, eh? (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: The Elementalist Games (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Mechanics (click to show/hide)
I could see some further player involvement elements working here - letting players be Sponsors, or suggest their own players for the team, or somesuch. Rewards for in-character posts of 'live' commentary, analysis, news articles, fan noise, etc, could be rewarded with extra XP for players or bonuses in certain places, that sort of thing. There's also the option of doing this as a multiplayer game with each player claiming a team, but that would be a lot more work.
The mechanical side would be just one part of it, obviously. There'd be exciting intrigues and choices, personal issues to take care of, delving deep into the details of managing a magic sports team. I'd probably also do a World Championships intermission, where you'd get to manage the national team of one of the world's realms in an Olympics/World Cup-style contest.
So, thoughts, comments, ideas? I've been tinkering with these kinds of management systems for a while, and this is one I could see myself enjoying running for a while.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 11, 2018, 11:55:50 am
It will be Pangaea style, but single faction/SG affair that players all run course of one character at a time. What is different from Pangaea is Society has no Arms Race research stuff and managing pc and npc relations as key. Organic lore build too. Just working on stats, gear and stuff. Probably in the Fall.
Post by: IronyOwl on July 11, 2018, 03:03:34 pm
So, thoughts, comments, ideas? I've been tinkering with these kinds of management systems for a while, and this is one I could see myself enjoying running for a while.System's too complex for me to grasp without chewing on it a while, so I'd recommend including some hearty examples. I don't think I'd be able to comment on the specifics without running a few trials.
I'm curious about the focus and longterm flow of the game. I get from the mechanics that they're centered on play-by-play decisionmaking and consequences (I think?), but I'm curious if that's what the game is mainly about and what happens in between. How do we recruit/train/manage our players? Do they whine at us about not getting enough screentime and demand higher pay, or act as mostly interchangeable pegs? What's the format for arranging matches, and how does that lead into the big leagues but presumably not quickly?
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 12, 2018, 05:27:47 am
So, thoughts, comments, ideas? I've been tinkering with these kinds of management systems for a while, and this is one I could see myself enjoying running for a while.System's too complex for me to grasp without chewing on it a while, so I'd recommend including some hearty examples. I don't think I'd be able to comment on the specifics without running a few trials.
I'm curious about the focus and longterm flow of the game. I get from the mechanics that they're centered on play-by-play decisionmaking and consequences (I think?), but I'm curious if that's what the game is mainly about and what happens in between. How do we recruit/train/manage our players? Do they whine at us about not getting enough screentime and demand higher pay, or act as mostly interchangeable pegs? What's the format for arranging matches, and how does that lead into the big leagues but presumably not quickly?
I answered a lot of this here (https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/quest-idea-thread.5128/page-603#post-10998682), committing filthy cross-forum postings. I’ll get a concrete test/example thing up to show it in action here or there soonish.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 13, 2018, 02:26:28 pm
Easiest character tier to hardest
Slave: Sounds weird but it’s all missions. Either as gladiator, soldier, crew member, builder, or soldier. Also your a post human. Artificial made being. All gear and living conditions are free. But no freedom of employment.
Free: No Imperial ties. A operative of their own design, small fries though unless make big moves.
Banner Folk: Term for those who directly serve a noble house.
Young noble: Noble born, trying to be the best around.
Adult Noble: Have access to a important business in the Empire. Nobles do have it harder as they must deal with the other houses.
Archons: Those who serve Inperium by controlling armies or governing whole worlds.
Eidolon: These people serve the Imperial Throne, directly. Very high budget and luxuries. But got to appeal to the boss and try to stay alive.
Sovereign/Emperor/Empiress/Etc: Oh Hell, the top. Get to decide damn near anything as your word is law and full power of the Inperium is yours. As long you show you do your job well, people are healthy and you can deal with upstarts who seek your position. The top is nice, but so many things that need to be done.
Yeah first three are adventuring sorts of rod. The rest get more tactics/politics and strategy.
Mainly trying to get notes together and resources spreadsheets.
Also in this game there are different stat charts.
Emperor has personal stats (all Ha s this.)
Faction stats ( this case the Empire, Nobles, their House. Eidolons, their resources.)
Exclusive to Top: Public relations: How well your likes by those in Imperium. Military, Church, Commoners, Criminal Element and individual houses. Needless to say, cannot please all.
The others mainly first listed have to worry about their own skin and fear. The list of stuff goes up accordingly.
Edit:
Also working on a Perk/ Flaw/ Title System based on how the players act and what it does for gameplay.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 17, 2018, 12:30:13 pm
Ruins Series: Finite combat games.
Finite in rounds, and resources.
Ruin Space: Salvaging ships, really dangerous alien ones.
Ruin Scape: Either exploring alien ruins or combat in human cities.
Ruin Tech: Army fighting, includes vehicles.
The City: Fantasy rpg That is very different. Classes are jobs. Stuff like plumbers, electriana, stone workers, carpenters, and etc. a sort of rpg community thing ( three jobs deal with weapons directly.)
Spark of Creation: Sci fi rpg. You get to play Frankenstein and make your own creations ( not Genius though. Something else.)
Post by: Haspen on July 17, 2018, 12:48:48 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 17, 2018, 01:34:11 pm
Also doing this college thing so not always one hundred percent game making right now. When I have time, I will. Two game slots now.
God Quest is going to get haste’s.
Orbiter, can hold out but it can end really quickly depending on what happens.
Also, depends which game everyone wants to play. Thinking a single player/group suggestion thing, but some of course, have multi player.
Edit: The space game with player tiers is Throne of Stars, made a fantasy version called Master of Gaia. The concept down, working on meat and potatoes. In Master there is King Maker, Conqueror and Dynasty modes.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 18, 2018, 04:09:54 pm
Story/ Suggestion game. Plot is a WW situation between three sides. You are to pick which side your on as we narrate the war and it’s affects based on character interactions and just trying to stay alive.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 19, 2018, 11:16:11 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 23, 2018, 11:33:48 pm
As for games to make.
It will be three. You guys pick the three, I will do them.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 24, 2018, 02:34:23 am
Magic types are divided into Wave Magic (programming of staves and magic guns and all sorts of equipment), Wind Magic (using your nervous system as a staff), and Ghost Magic (listening to spirits), although there are three other types of magic in the system that aren't directly tied to the mechanics (yet) called Ignition, Harmony, and Artifice. Perhaps I'll end up writing a spoiler for each magic type and just explaining the mechanics independently, to make the system easier for players to learn.
Radio life is basically a silicon-based biology that grows in the setting. It is the dominant lifeform on the planet.
Spoiler: Spoiler'd for neatness (click to show/hide)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 24, 2018, 02:42:15 am
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 24, 2018, 10:33:43 am
(http://www.qsl.net/va3iul/Homebrew_RF_Circuit_Design_Ideas/Rat-Race_MW_Mixer.gif)
I thought it reminded me of some kind of figure that would go on top of a staff. That's where the idea started
I realized that radio communication has a lot of properties that are desireable in magic systems. Such as the benefits you get from a complex coding system (your intelligence stat) and the whole concept of SNR, which is integral to some schemes that prevent eavesdropping on signals or jam other people's stuff. You can, for example, broadcast noise everywhere BUT your target, making the channel capacity really low for everyone else. If your channel capacity is too low, your error rate becomes exponentially high.
So to me, it's a really natural way of allowing meta magic shenanigans like jamming and tracing magic use, without resorting to fiat.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 25, 2018, 11:17:50 am
Basically, you control an alien smuggler of superpower serums - little distilled powers and capabilities of species and... things from across the galaxy. Now, unfortunately, the galactic authorities are on your tail, and you're not getting away this time. This leaves you with only one course of action. You're going to pull off a Caveman's Arsenal.
This takes only a few things. You need a little time, a primitive inhabited planet, and the best poker face in the galaxy. See, the native non-interference laws say you can't interact with any cute little pre-spaceflight sapients you come across. Now, you don't care much for the law, but the cops will, and that's what you're counting on. You're going to dump your entire cargo on the primitives and claim they just went and manifested these abilities on their own. They'll never believe it, but they can't prove it didn't happen either.
So you've found this out-of-the-way, fairly boring system with a single inhabited planet - named, in a typical display of originality, 'Earth' by the locals. Taking into account relativistic time, you've got a century here before the authorities arrive. You've got hundreds of serums in your cargo hold, and all of them have to be gone by then. So better get to work - but you're not just gonna drop all of them in one go. That'd leave too much in the way of evidence. Naw, you've gotta feed them into the population over time, one by one... and you might as well have some fun along the way. Of course, once you're all done and the heat's died down, you'll just return, round up the natives, and distill them back into neat little serums to sell on.
Tl;dr: be alien smuggler. Give superpowers to humans. See what happens.
Essentially, you can play Worm's Cauldron or God or whoever you like. Want to empower ordinary animals into kaiju and see humanity try to fight back? Go ahead. Want to hand out powers to strictly monitored and carefully chosen individuals, running your little scientific experiment? Sure. Want to develop your serums further by putting humans in the kind of situations where they have to test the limits of their powers? Fine. Want to just randomly splash serums over different areas and people? Go wild.
You'd have a choice of arrival times: ancient times (bring the myths of great heroes and monsters to life!), the Industrial Revolution (all the marvels of science in a vial!), the Cold War (two superpowers? that's way too few!) or our modern day (woops, I gave them too much and now they've got spaceflight and they've spotted me and oh no they're invading my ship).
Some serums would be safe, with specific and known effects - others would be experimental, with random power levels and only roughly known effects. I'd probably use some random generators like the one by Fniff to come up with some of these.
Inspired by other spins on the concept I've seen elsewhere, and that scene in Lord of War where Nicholas Cage's arms smuggler unloads his plane full of guns in the middle of a wartorn African country and every single weapon has disappeared into the hands of the locals by the time the authorities reach him. Only, you know, in space.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 25, 2018, 11:43:33 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 25, 2018, 03:19:25 pm
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 25, 2018, 08:26:31 pm
Sounds like a god game. How strong is the player's ship? Decked out with superweapons (compared to modern stuff)? Capable of orbital bombardment? Or is it just a trade cog with a fancy FTL drive?
That being said, starship drives typically qualify as superweapons given how volatile the reactors tend to be on these things. It's basically a manned ICBM.
Here's another attempt at the radio magic system. This time each magic category is explained in a spoiler, for clarity.
The categories are intended to be less of a "here's this element, here's that element, etc" and more "this is a natural extension of the way magic works," sort of like real technology.
Quote
In magic, your level in the corresponding category of magic determines the number of sides on your die.
Lv. 0 uses a d4
Lv. 1 uses a d6
Lv. 2 uses a d8
Lv. 3 uses a d10
Lv. 4 uses a d12
At Lv. 5 and up, you get extra dice to roll. You can use these on the same action or you can split your actions.
Lv. 5 gets a d12 and a d6
Lv. 6 gets a d12 and a d8
Lv. 7 gets a d12 and a d10
Lv. 8 gets 2d12
...and so on.
All magical actions require a communication roll into the area that you are planning to cast the spell. The amount of power at your disposal depends on the amount of volume you control, but the more spread out your signal, the more difficult it is to overcome noise. You must roll higher than the Noise Threshold.
Spoiler: Range Table (click to show/hide)
The standard noise threshold is 1 (meaning that a 2+ passes), but the further you get, the more spread out your signal becomes. To counteract this, you can amplify your signal -- each doubling grants a +1. You can also focus your signal, and each halving of the focus area grants +1. This is referred to as Gain. However, increasing your gain narrows your beam, and accordingly reduces the power.
Typically speaking, amplification will damage your equipment. Gain is cheaper--but dilutes your power. You also have the time-tested strategy of moving closer, increasing your chance to hit.
If multiple people try to cast a spell on the same volume of mist, only the loudest signal will win. This kind of jamming, in addition to noise sources and metal objects reflecting the signal, all increase the effective threshold that you need to pass.
Spoiler: Wavecraft (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Aircasting (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Spiritseeing (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Harmony (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Ignition (click to show/hide)
Spoiler: Artifice (click to show/hide)
Post by: Qassius on July 25, 2018, 10:03:50 pm
A human body is an incredibly complex blueprint, and mothers typically spend years designing and perfecting the blueprints of their sons and daughters.One funky setting you're making. I would be very interested in playing once it comes to fruition.
Post by: _DivideByZero_ on July 25, 2018, 10:06:49 pm
Post by: FallacyofUrist on July 25, 2018, 10:44:06 pm
Have you ever wanted to be an amoral arms smuggler? How about an alien? Do you also want to give people superpowers? Now you can do all three, in Caveman's Arsenal. Superpower smuggling has never been so much fun!I wanna play.
Post by: Digital Hellhound on July 26, 2018, 01:59:38 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 26, 2018, 05:24:22 am
Really, the only way they could threaten you is if you accidentally make them too powerful with your serums, so you can only blame yourself.Haha, what are the odds of that!
Post by: randomgenericusername on July 26, 2018, 12:45:33 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on July 26, 2018, 11:58:06 pm
CAO/ Combat Augmented Organisms. A game your in charge of a top secret unitbthat weaponizes living things.
Think cyborg Pokémon met to kill America’s enemies.
Mecha Platoon: The Mecha are 20-50 feet tall and Tech is on the hard scale side (Energy Weapons arevsuper prototypes) and the world governments are fighting each other for one reason or another though Yeah, the world has really changed.
Players would be mercs for hire and many story branches. Mecha designs, Weapons and so forth.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on August 04, 2018, 10:07:55 am
Freedoms Song: You play a escapes slave convoy on a world on the fringes of the human Imperium. Stay alive in harsh environments, locals and would be off worldwrs who try to hunt you down.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 15, 2018, 09:03:20 pm
1: Id: The Rising: It’s a multi player rp where God has casted judgement on the world and as remaining humans in a city your changed. As forces of Chaos, Order, and surviving humanity. The players for some reason can tap into super natural power becoming akin to Devil Man, but many more options.
2: Pillar People: Here at dawn of humanity a small community of people were changed forever in contact with a strange alien Pillar. They are imaging and gain other super natural powers as they exist through the centuries blending in until now. Any time in time line can be scenes, currently some of them came up with a plan to rule the Humans with politics.
( can be multi or single player style with voting.)
3: Inhuman, The Hunger: Here be a human being mutated by mystery dust when a earyhquake launched that stuff into the air. Now your a shape shifting monster that has to feed on fresh flesh on occasion ( dubbed meat sickness) the best bet, is another human being as it recovers the blood for longest time (as your human so genomes bond longer) sure can eat other stuff, but in more amounts for some weird reason, and have Evolution based powers. ( single player with suggestion votes.)
4: Fathoms: Here you thought you were normal, but your not. Your related to the primordial. Creatures that walked land and swam in the water. Humanity’s aquatic origin path and now the sea is calling you home. ( most likely like 3.)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on October 28, 2018, 06:08:28 am
I'm using some unholy amalgamation of the RTD rules and Blades in the Dark's system for this. This is still a bit under construction, but anyway. The RTD system is perfect for the volatile and dangerous nature of Mad Science! - indeed, I ran an RTD on that same premise way back in 2010 here. Without going into the specifics, the system leans towards success in actions, usually a success with consequences. Mad Science! is not a clean and reliable method, after all. Your inventions and unholy creations are largely abstracted, governed by their Potency and their Tags - descriptors which help me adjudicate actions when relevant. You could have the Tag of Fire for your scorch gun and have greater effect when burning down a wooden clockwork army, for example. They're just there to help, and I might play in any logical effects from your inventions even if they're not represented by a defined Tag, too. Living creations additionally have a Loyalty and Intellect stat.
Based on their creation, inventions may also get various Quirks and Flaws, so they may not end up just as you intended them. Your death ray might become a death sword instead, or your coal-chugging monstrosity ends up powered by thoughts. The Overshot result inherent to the RTD system ensures that things can go horribly right, as well - perhaps you conjure up a doom machine to destroy a rude small town, but it becomes powerful enough to destroy the entire valley instead! Or maybe your new robotic servant proves so intelligent it takes over your lab and completely supplants you!
Your Genius gets a few traits in character creation: Strong Spark, increasing Potency across the board, Radiant Spark, helping you gain minions and increasing Loyalty, Volatile Spark, making the Flaws of your creations even worse, Unique Spark, ensuring your creations cannot be replicated or mass produced, and so forth.
The setting is our own, but with a point of divergence somewhere in the 1600s - resulting in a much changed world by the game's time of the 1800s. It's not quite as broken and dangerous as the one in Girl Genius, mind, with plenty of old states still recognizable and existing... for now, at least. Powerful states offer a new Genius funding, materials and support, so there's plenty of incentive to go into their service... but, then again, don't you deserve a mad empire of your own that'll finally show those fools at the university the true heights of your genius? And they called you mad! Mad!
Thoughts, interest?
Post by: Haspen on October 28, 2018, 06:36:06 am
Post by: Digital Hellhound on October 28, 2018, 07:11:12 am
Would it lean more towards roleplay, or more towards rolls and actions?
I mean, ideally, a mix of both - but this isn't a freeform RP or anything, rolls and actions play a central role. There might be long RP parts where you simply interact with one another or the world (gloat to NPC prisoners, hatch plans of world domination together, that sort of thing), but there'll be a framework of mechanical Months/Turns and specific actions that you can take beside that. I'm not going to force anyone to RP if they simply want to roll inventions and see what kind of destruction they can unleash, but it is encouraged.
Post by: IronyOwl on October 28, 2018, 06:04:09 pm
Not as fond of mundane alt history, but I'm sure interesting things can be done with it.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 28, 2018, 07:17:13 pm
( Either as one big SG or multiplayer.)
Post by: Digital Hellhound on October 29, 2018, 06:25:52 am
Not as fond of mundane alt history, but I'm sure interesting things can be done with it.
What would you prefer, out of curiosity? What’s lacking in ’mundane’ alt history? I sorta question the term in this case, since we’re talking two centuries of Mad Science! in the mix.
Post by: Haspen on October 29, 2018, 10:51:00 am
Persians with thunderviziers! Ottomans with steamguns! Polish with Mechahussars! British with bomber-baloons! Let's go wiiiild~
Post by: IronyOwl on October 29, 2018, 04:12:18 pm
Magitech and vile sorcery, for the most part.Not as fond of mundane alt history, but I'm sure interesting things can be done with it.
What would you prefer, out of curiosity? What’s lacking in ’mundane’ alt history? I sorta question the term in this case, since we’re talking two centuries of Mad Science! in the mix.
I'm sure alt history is great if you've got really specific views on 1600s France and its associated evil clone, but otherwise it just feels like using a poorly thought out setting instead of inventing a more appropriate one. The 'mundane' part comes from my other gripe, which is the implication that the world was perfectly mundane until Otto von Machtvalt's revolutionary invention of inventing things while insane in 1602, which saw widespread replacement of standard cavalry charges with shock-staff equipped pangolinmen air drops.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on October 29, 2018, 04:50:21 pm
Post by: Culise on October 29, 2018, 07:27:31 pm
Post by: Leodanny on October 29, 2018, 07:29:54 pm
http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171937.0 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=171937.0)
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 05, 2018, 06:22:26 pm
Anyone feel up to comic book/manga game? Where we are creative company making this stuff? Ah hell just might post it anyway.
Post by: Funk on November 13, 2018, 03:14:14 pm
The small African nation of X, a place so remote, people struggle to find it with a map and both hands.
So important that it's not even a foot note in history, and so your ignored by the world at large.
Some where next to Nambia, south of Zangaro , and north of the twin warring states of the Republic of bongo, and the People' Democratic Republic of Bongo.
Post by: MoonyTheHuman on November 15, 2018, 08:47:54 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on November 26, 2018, 10:23:44 am
Also...
Mercenary Plot ( Suggesstioon game. You and your group go about earning loot and getting tougher.)
Also had two ideas for Fantasy gangsters
1 in Steam Punk Era
The second in Dungeon Trch situation
( Either way Fantasy crime due to non humans in city and magic.)
Post by: Screech9791 on December 19, 2018, 08:02:47 pm
But I have a problem, which is that the ruleset I'm using uses nested spoilers for a clean look, but this forum doesn't support nested spoilers.
So I'd appreciate help making this look decent without nested spoilers, so PLEASE point out any potential flaws in the formatting, and also I guess this post doubles as an interest check.
Code: [Select]
[b]I advise making your civilization somewhat unique from your generic medieval empire. I am not strict at all on themes, so go make your kingdom whatever you want it to be themed after. Hell, you can make a fucking ROBLOX-themed civilization for all I care. (Don't worry, I won't judge you for that, I actually play ROBLOX every now and then.)[/b]
Hello and welcome to Land Wars, a forum based grand strategy game! In it, players create fictional high-fantasy nations and send their armies after other players in an effort to conquer the world, or failing that, each other. It's a ton of fun.
If you're new, welcome, and read on; it may be a lot but I promise the game is less complicated than it sounds and it's absolutely worth it.
[spoiler=MASSIVE wall of text detailing gameplay and civilization mechanics]So, to start off: your kingdom (kingdom is just a traditional name, you can be a republic or hivemind or queendom or something) will need a theme. This is just to give the other players an idea of what your civilization is based off. Your theme can be absolutely anything and is encouraged to have a theme that will stand out; Some players pick high fantasy races like dwarves, elves and orcs. Others base theirs off historical civilizations like rome, the vikings, or native americans. Still others just do broad, general ideas, like primitive steampunk (emphasis on primitive, this is meant to be roughly late middle ages/early renaissance in terms of game balance), undead, demons from hell, or a wizard's guild. If you want, you could roll with an empire based off of or even ripped straight out of a video game, book, or movie-something like the lord of the rings, game of thrones, mario, or skyrim. Multiple people have even picked minecraft as their theme, and some people even run silly/joke themes like My Little Pony or sentient strawberries. Whatever your theme is, just bear in mind that the technology level should be around high fantasy or late 16th century or balanced for that range-so a primitive steampunk theme would be fine as long as you build up to it and you're not using gatling guns from day 1 or whatever. I will allow sci-fi theming, but keep in mind fancy cyberpunkified muskets are just as effective as standard medieval muskets. So go nuts, as long as it would make sense gameplay wise.
Now, once you've got an idea for a kingdom in your head, there are a few things you need to do.
[b]Maps[/b]
First off, you need a map of your kingdom. The only requirement is that it's [b]exactly[/b] 500 by 500 pixels. It doesn't have to be good or anything close to decent. Seriously, most maps are made in five minutes in MS Paint or the like. [url=http://i.imgur.com/RyJvzhj.png] Here's[/url] an example. Adjust the example if you're gonna use it as necessary so it makes sense your theme-a tribe of desert warriors wouldn't live in the frozen north, etc.
If you need inspiration for a map layout, go find a map in your house of an area roughly town-sized, and base it off that. Remember, since the scale will be 50 pixels per mile, try and base it off of a 10 mile by 10 mile region.
All player maps will be edited into one, giant map of the continent the game takes place on, so you know who your neighbors are. Late joiners will appear at a location that has similar terrain to what their map shows.
For map scale, it should be roughly 50 pixels for 1 mile, so a single kingdom map should be roughly 10 square miles.
[b]Troops[/b]
Troops are the guys that do your fighting. You begin with four different kinds of troops (and can get more kinds in projects, but more on that later). Troops don't necessarily have to fall under the infantry/archer/cavalry trio: feel free to have wizards, war dogs, skittle gunslingers, giant spiders or whatever, as long as they're balanced. In your daily kingdom updates, each troop should have a short description of its capabilities, equipment, backstory if you want to add lore to your kingdom, and its strengths and weaknesses. Each description should be a couple sentences minimum, and please don't write any longer than a paragraph. Feel free to add an image detailing what the unit looks like if you want.
Here are some example troops to give you a general idea:
[quote]
[b]Peasant archers:[/b] Lowborns trained with the longbow and equipped with minimal armor. They excel at dealing damage over great distance and can fire further than shortbows, but they're not very good in melee and quite vulnerable to cavalry charges.
[b]Dwarf warriors:[/b] Mighty, bearded fighters wielding an axe in one hand and a shield in the other. They also come with thick plate armor. They're quite strong, and their thick armor gives them good survivability. However, like all dwarves, they're slow and can easily be outrun.
[b]Hoplites:[/b]The standard warrior unit of the Greeks, equipped with a spear and shield. Fights in tight group formations, and is quite good against cavalry and on the defense, but struggles to lead aggressive charges.
[b]Riders of Rohan:[/b]Cavalry from the legendary kingdom of Rohan. Obviously much faster than ground infantry, and can devastate the enemy when charging, but attacking on horseback is quite awkward on defense, and they're vulnerable to spears, polearms and the like.
[b]Clerics[/b]: battle-priests skilled in the art of healing magic. They can heal the wounds of other troops in battle, but have no melee skills whatsoever.
[b]Waddle dees:[/b] The grunts of king deedee's army. Lacking weapons, they just kinda punch their opposition, which is more effective than it sounds. Their lack of vital organs and inability to feel pain means they can fight for a long time, but they're quite unskilled and will die easily to a well-trained warrior (like kirby).
[b]Trebuchets:[/b]A big wooden contraption capable of launching massive stones into the enemy and/or his buildings. While quite good in a siege, as it can fire over walls, they're pretty inaccurate even for siege weapons and will generally miss infantry in an open field. Furthermore, they're expensive-building one Trebuchet is equal to recruiting 50 regular troops.
[/quote]
Hopefully you have some troops in mind with those examples. If you're stuck, feel free to look through old land wars games to see what people came up with.
As a side note, I'm not considering "sub-units", or units that could be considered the same as an existing unit with different equipment (but still similar enough to the original one) as different ones.
[b]Heroes[/b]
A hero is one unit that's significantly more powerful than the average dude. They can be a powerful wizard, a legendary king who inspires his troops, a super-skilled warrior, the royal guard (hero units can be multiple individuals, just don't get crazy) a dragon, Legolas, Gimli, Jon Snow, Bowser, a giant, the vampire queen, a particularly powerful catapult, Julius Caesar, Moby Dick, Fenrir, or anything you can come up with.
Like troops, you should give your heroes a short description of their capabilities and backstory, if applicable.
"Miniheroes", or units which are way more powerful than the average rank and file mook, but not powerful enough to be a hero in itself, like for example, heavily armored machine gunners (If the game even gets to the point where machine guns are available, but just an example.), would be better suited as really high cost troops, and not heroes.
[b]Supplies[/b]
A supply is anything unique that your kingdom has at its disposal for war. Basically anything magical or technologically advanced or just unique that your kingdom can use. Whether it's a natural resource (like mythril or super strong wood) a battle supply (like armor, gunpowder, or weapons enchanted with fire magic) or a legendary artifact (like Excalibur or the One Ring). A supply can be whatever you'd like to come up with.
Again, in your update (more on this later) you should describe your supplies in a paragraph or less. Your starting supplies are automatically mass-produced, meaning you have a virtually infinite number of them (unless it's a unique weapon or something like that.)
[b]Projects[/b]
Projects are arguably the most important aspect of land wars. Each day, you get two project points that you can allocate to improve your kingdom in some way-be it forging new weapons, building new buildings, training your troops to do something, recruiting a hero, or anything you can come up with. Obviously, doing something like inventing muskets would probably take decades if not centuries in real life, but for the sake of gameplay, it's shortened into days. Use this [b]official[/b] guideline in order to see how long everything takes:
[quote]
(Cost with Industry focus is in parentheses)
Recruit a hero: 2 points (1)
Build a fortress: 6 points (4)
Train units to do something (fight stealthily, use bombs, etc.): 2 points (1)
Mass produce something: 3 points (2)
Reverse engineer a foreign item received in trade: 2 points (1) (Free if you get blueprints for it)
Train a new type of unit: 2 points (1) (Upgrading already existing units with better weapons (like giving your soldiers double barreled shotguns to replace blunderbusses) will not count as a new type of unit. What does count as a new unit is any particular unit with some form of differentiation from already existing units, like giving them different training, different weapons, etc.)
[/quote]
You can spend more or less project points if you like, but that will affect the quality of your results. If you spend ten days training your troops to fight on boats, you can be damn sure you'll be the best sailors in the world. If, on the other hand, you build a fort in two days, it's probably made of manure and not worth defending as even a ruined building with half of it destroyed with no fortifications would be better.
One more thing: you can spend two project points on one thing, as long as you don't mind forgoing your other project.
[b]Focuses[/b]
At the start of the game, you pick from one of the three below:
[b]Force:[/b] You have a militaristic society, or maybe just a surplus of warm bodies. You may recruit a hundred extra troops (Units that cost more to train are counted as multiple troops) each day.
[b]Industry:[/b] Your kingdom is full of hard workers, intelligent scientists, and the like. All projects cost 3/4 of their original speed (rounded down).
[b]Legacy:[/b] Your kingdom is a mighty empire, well established in history, and is quite powerful. You start with 15 completed project points and 1000 extra troops. However, unlike the other focuses, you have no long term bonus.
Right, now that's all the mechanical stuff.
Each day, you should post an update in this thread. The update should contain all the information above condensed into the following format provided at the bottom of this post.
To join the game, you must PM me your day 0 update. For the start of the game (day 0) you should have one hero, two supplies, 2000 troops, and zero spent project points (so no completed projects without the Legacy focus). Once you get the seal of approval, you may post your kingdom in the thread.
Note that your troops per day and projects per day change based on how many kingdoms you own. Here's the official guideline:
1 kingdom = 2 projects, 200 troops
2 kingdoms = 3 projects, 300 troops
3 kingdoms = 4 projects, 400 troops
4 kingdoms = 5 projects, 500 troops
After five kingdoms, you don't get any more benefits (although at that point +you've basically gotten powerful enough to just eradicate anyone who doesn't want to join an alliance with you)
Each day, you recruit troops and do projects. When you finish a project, indicate what exactly it did. you finished your baconator project, you should say "project complete" and then give a description of what it adds to your kingdom. Your "information" spoiler should be edited to reflect the new info as well. If you're in a battle and have poison arrows and you don't put it in the supplies and/or troops section, the battle judge will mod the battle as if they weren't there.
"Hey, 0cra, all this kingdombuilding is cool and all, but what about the actual war part?"-someone
Glad you asked! With that, let's move on to the two biggest parts of Land Wars: War and Diplomacy.
[b]Diplomacy:[/b]
You may interact with kingdoms in two ways. The first is through letters, which must be posted in the thread at the end of your update. These can be about anything. Maybe you want to establish a non-aggression pact, or maybe you want to trade, or maybe you want to call the enemy king a fuckface. Whatever the reason, you post a quick letter, like so:
[quote=Letter to King Ragnar of the Vikings]
Greetings, your beardedness. We may not see eye to eye with your warrior culture, but we have no bad blood between us. As such, we propose a non-aggression pact between us. Furthermore, if you are interested, we would like to trade some of our healing potions for your mighty direwolves. What say you?
[/quote]
You're kinda expected to be somewhat in character for the letters. You don't need to follow ancient diplomatic tradition or whatever, just don't say "Hey 0cra, non-aggression pact?" or something like that.
The other way is through PMs. Obviously I have no control of what you send here so don't bother being in character unless you want to. Generally speaking, PMs, Skype, Discord and the like would be used for plotting joint attacks on enemy civilizations or other things you don't want other people to know about. Doing simple things like non-aggression pacts or alliances in PMs, while not forbidden, is heavily frowned upon. If you want to trade, please do it in the thread so I know why the dwarves suddenly started using elven longbows.
Quick note on trade: how many of each supply each person gives is up to the negotiators. However, you can't mass produce foreign items until you reverse engineer them, which requires a separate project to mass producing. If you trade for/steal the blueprints for the item, you don't need to reverse engineer.
[size=24pt][u][b]War![/b][/u][/size]
Alright, so let's suppose you want to fight someone! There are three different ways of duking it out. The first, and by far the most common, is invading. To do this, you would post in the thread separately from your update, and it would include the following:
-Who you are attacking
-What your objectives are (nine times out of ten this would be "take an enemy city" but you can burn their farms or steal their supplies if you'd like. The effects of such will be determined by the war mod)
-The troops you or your allies commit to the battle
-The supplies you or your allies commit to the battle
-The attacking strategy
The strategy is the most important part. Basically, you split this up into five phases. Each phase you describe what troops you're committing to that part of the plan, and what they're doing.
As soon as possible, the defending kingdom will write up a counter strategy. When doing so, the defender should try to avoid metagaming, i.e. they should pretend not to know what the attacker is doing (apart from obvious maneuvers like cavalry going around the side). Defenders can call upon their allies to help them-though there is no guarantee that they will arrive in time if they live on the other side of the continent or across hard to get around terrain.
Try to hit the "goldilocks" range for word counts; you should post more than "my raiders attack" but less than something people would spam "TL;DR" over.
Once both attack and defense are posted, I will determine the outcome of the battle. This isn't a RTD-all battles will be an impartial, informed decision based on the strategy and capabilities of each side. Once this is done, the battle judge write it up, post the battle in the thread, and determine who won.
[url=http://s7.zetaboards.com/Nuzlocke_Forum/single/?p=9445551&t=9266755]Here[/url] is a good example of an attack, the [url=http://s7.zetaboards.com/Nuzlocke_Forum/single/?p=9446698&t=9266755]defense, [/url] and the war mod's [url=http://s7.zetaboards.com/Nuzlocke_Forum/topic/9266755/?author=3113142]response.[/url]
The other two types of battles are stealth attacks and duels. Stealth attacks are when small groups of troops enter a kingdom and attempt to carry out a mission-assassinate the general, steal a legendary sword, blow up the city walls, whatever. You can't take cities in a stealth attack, for obvious reasons. How many times have empires successfully claimed cities via stealth missions? (Spoiler alert: None.)
Because metagaming would so rampant in stealth missions, when attempting to carry one out, all you post in the thread is who you are attacking. The strategy, troops you're committing, and objectives must be PM'd to me, whereupon the defender will PM as much information as they think is relevant to their kingdom--the layout of their cities, where items are kept, where the general is, where patrols go, etc. If the king, all troops, and all items are kept in an impenetrable bunker of immovable object-unstoppable force alloy with no hope of infiltration or something like that I reserve the right to call bullshit and determine these things using my best judgement. Once I have all the information, I'll post the results of the incursion in the thread.
The third type of battle is a duel. In this, two or more kingdoms agree to fight with a certain number of troops on neutral ground. This can be for whatever reason--roleplay, rights to a conquered city, a duel between two warriors, or whatever you want. All involved sides will post their troops being committed but PM their strategies to me.
Alrighty, now I know you're probably thinking "holy fuck TL;DR" but there's just a couple more things to be aware of:
[list]
[*]For the sake of balance, no looting items off the corpses of enemy troops.
[*]Spies are not allowed.
[*]There's no actual mechanics in terms of diplomacy. A non-aggression pact or alliance can be broken with no penalty--in theory. In practice, doing so will generally cause every other player to hate you and consequently attack you.
[*]You may attempt to intercept and raid enemy trade going to other nations. Consequently, you may also guard your trade convoys with troops.
[*]You may have a maximum of 30,000 troops.
[*]You may have a maximum of 3 heroes at a time. You can recruit 6 heroes over the course of the entire game (so if you have 3 heroes and they die, and you recruit 3 more and they die, you don't get any more.)
[*][b]You are expected to be active.[/b] Obviously if you have real life issues that's fine as long as you communicate with the group. However, dropping off the face of the earth with no warning means that all your kingdom's members are dropped inside the Habbo Hotel pool and left to fend their own against an endless army of stingrays with aids and make it up for grabs by your neighbors. Hopefully they'll fight over it. We do so love our wars here in Land Wars. If you missed any days before I kick you for inactivity, you'll be able to cover them in your post under seperate update spoilers for missed days.
[*]You don't get the benefits for controlling a kingdom until you do a 5 day project to "annex" it. This project cannot be double timed. After this project, you get the extra project slot and 100 troops per day. You also get to fuck around in the archives and grab information on any technology, training methods, or equipment production methods in case you didn't destroy the information you'd want to use for copying their tech.
[*]No changing war strategies. (unless a major event was unaccounted for, such as an obvious super weapon which you did not know about being used)
[*]No technology that's out of reason. Think medieval-times or maybe even steampunk-ish at best with some magic mixed in; not Star Wars or Avatar.
[*]If armies work together in attack or defense, they must be united under one strategy.
[*]It is understood that troops patrol kingdoms and territorial borders even if unstated in updates or logs, unless the player in question states that they're off guard duty.
[*]No using out of game knowledge (army A does project A, Army B doesn't know about project A, yet makes a strategy as if they know about it)
[*]You MUST list all completed projects in your updates. (very important, otherwise it's hard to tell what you have and have not done)
[*]No mass-teleportation.
[*]A limited number of prisoners are allowed but may only be used for information. I, and whoever owned the original troops will discuss what you can find out.
[*]Recruiting units does NOT count as a project.
[*]You may work together on structures and split the days between participating armies.
[*]It's generally assumed that kingdoms have a rough idea of the capabilities of their neighbor's troops, supplies, and completed projects. Projects in progress are secret until the owner reveals his results.
[*][b]If for whatever reason your civilization is in conditions that are inhospitable to a unmodified human with medieval technology, I'll call bullshit and make it so that they magically are not affected by it whatsoever. Toxic air? Free gasmasks! Floating islands? Free jetpacks! Underwater? Free Scuba Gear![/b]
[*]After you annex an unfortunate civilization that you've conquered, or have gotten units from friendlier nations, you can produce them after you get a project to learn how to train them yourself, provided you can mass produce the unit's key supplies.
[*]I won't mind if you make a civilization of robots, just know that you'll start with steam-powered robotics.
[*]The game will end when either A: There's only one alliance left (either because everyone allied with eachother or killed eachother), B: When someone decides to make their civilization create a mess that fucks over the ingame world beyond repair, or C: The players decide to rebel against the GM by making it hard to maintain a game designed for low GM maintenance.
[/list]
So, that's the long and short of it! I know that this seems like a lot of information, but that's just because I like to say in ten words what could be done in five. It's really not that complicated.[/spoiler]
You can now put your pitchforks with "TL;DR" engraved onto them down, the wall of text just ended.
If you want to join, PM your day 0 update! The deadline to do so is [b]September 1st[/b], after which point the game will start.
(Replace the placeholder fields with something else.)
[code]
[spoiler=Day X]
[b]General Info[/b]:
Civilization Name:
Theme: Mundanity
Day 0
Capital: Townton
Acquired Kingdoms: None
[spoiler=Information]
[b]Map(s)[/b]:
A picture of the map of the kingdom and any acquired kingdoms would go here, along with a description of the map and any other necessary material.[/spoiler]
[b]Troops & Heroes[/b]:
[i]Troops[/i]:
A description of each unit type would go here.
[i]Heroes[/i]:
A description of each of your heroes & their capabilities would go here.
[b]Supplies:[/b]
[i]Foreign[/i]:
A description of each supply you've acquired through trades and other outside acquisition would go here.
[i]Domestic[/i]:
A description of each supply indigenous to your kingdom would go here.
[b]Projects[/b]:
Descriptions of any notable completed projects that aren't really self-explanatory ("mass produce healing potions" for example) go here. This would be the best place for projects that involve building a fortress/structure or any project that requires additional explanation.[/spoiler]
[b]Other[/b]:
Players can choose to leave this area blank. This is an optional space where people can put things such as the history of the kingdom, anything roleplay or in-character related, or it can just be a few random notes about your army and kingdom.
[hr]
Troops:
1000 Footmen
1000 Buffalo Soldiers
Total: 2000
Recruitment:
100 Footmen
100 Buffalo Soldiers
Total: 200
Supplies:
Starbucks-Coffee Cannon
Baconators
Projects:
Mass produce Baconators (0/3)
Recruit Commander Blanche McNorman (0/2)
Completed Projects:
None.
(if this list gets extensive, I advise using some form of spreadsheet to quickly categorize it, since this site doesn't support dual layer spoilers.. It should always be clear how many days it took to complete a past project.)
Log: this is just where you put your thoughts for the day, typically in-character stuff from your kingdom's leader(s). Feel free to put OOC stuff outside.[/spoiler][code]I'll make another post displaying the above code in a separate post.
Post by: Screech9791 on December 19, 2018, 08:03:20 pm
I advise making your civilization somewhat unique from your generic medieval empire. I am not strict at all on themes, so go make your kingdom whatever you want it to be themed after. Hell, you can make a fucking ROBLOX-themed civilization for all I care. (Don't worry, I won't judge you for that, I actually play ROBLOX every now and then.)
Hello and welcome to Land Wars, a forum based grand strategy game! In it, players create fictional high-fantasy nations and send their armies after other players in an effort to conquer the world, or failing that, each other. It's a ton of fun.
If you're new, welcome, and read on; it may be a lot but I promise the game is less complicated than it sounds and it's absolutely worth it.
Spoiler: MASSIVE wall of text detailing gameplay and civilization mechanics (click to show/hide)
You can now put your pitchforks with "TL;DR" engraved onto them down, the wall of text just ended.
If you want to join, PM your day 0 update! The deadline to do so is January 15th, after which point the game will start.
(Replace the placeholder fields with something else.)
Code: [Select]
[spoiler=Day X]
[b]General Info[/b]:
Civilization Name:
Theme: Mundanity
Day 0
Capital: Townton
Acquired Kingdoms: None
[spoiler=Information]
[b]Map(s)[/b]:
A picture of the map of the kingdom and any acquired kingdoms would go here, along with a description of the map and any other necessary material.[/spoiler]
[b]Troops & Heroes[/b]:
[i]Troops[/i]:
A description of each unit type would go here.
[i]Heroes[/i]:
A description of each of your heroes & their capabilities would go here.
[b]Supplies:[/b]
[i]Foreign[/i]:
A description of each supply you've acquired through trades and other outside acquisition would go here.
[i]Domestic[/i]:
A description of each supply indigenous to your kingdom would go here.
[b]Projects[/b]:
Descriptions of any notable completed projects that aren't really self-explanatory ("mass produce healing potions" for example) go here. This would be the best place for projects that involve building a fortress/structure or any project that requires additional explanation.[/spoiler]
[b]Other[/b]:
Players can choose to leave this area blank. This is an optional space where people can put things such as the history of the kingdom, anything roleplay or in-character related, or it can just be a few random notes about your army and kingdom.
[hr]
Troops:
1000 Footmen
1000 Buffalo Soldiers
Total: 2000
Recruitment:
100 Footmen
100 Buffalo Soldiers
Total: 200
Supplies:
Starbucks-Coffee Cannon
Baconators
Projects:
Mass produce Baconators (0/3)
Recruit Commander Blanche McNorman (0/2)
Completed Projects:
None.
(if this list gets extensive, I advise using some form of spreadsheet to quickly categorize it, since this site doesn't support dual layer spoilers.. It should always be clear how many days it took to complete a past project.)
Log: this is just where you put your thoughts for the day, typically in-character stuff from your kingdom's leader(s). Feel free to put OOC stuff outside.[/spoiler]
Post by: Tomasque on January 13, 2019, 06:33:48 pm
----
With suggestions from webadict, IcyTea and FallacyofUrist, I've been working on an idea to help bring new players into mafia, and I want to pitch it here to see what you think about it. Like Beginner's Mafia, it's meant to introduce newbies to the conventions of forum-based mafia. However, while BM eases them in with a minimalist design, my idea is to appeal to them with a thematic and mechanical link to Town of Salem. Potential players have probably played that game before, and so will be more likely to sign up and enjoy playing because they are familiar with the game and it's rules.
The round can be run with 6 players, but can support up to (and seems best with) 10. It's a semi-open setup, with many of the roleslots being one of three possible roles. Here is the breakdown of that:
6 Players
Mafiaso
Sheriff / Investigator / Lookout
Doctor / Bodyguard / Vigilante
Vigilante / Veteran / Escort
Escort / Transporter / Spy
Spy / Mayor / Doctor
7: Consort / Consigliere / Blackmailer
8: Sheriff / Investigator / Lookout
9: Random Town (from the 11 above)
10: Serial Killer / Arsonist
Days will last 48 hours, and nights will last until all actions are submitted (maximum of 24 hours). 6 players games (and maybe others?) will require a lynch everyday, to prevent the town from stalling things out while they gather info. Lynches will work as we're used to them, but - in the case of a forced lynch - ties will extend the day by 24 hours, and then will be broken at random if there's still a tie. Unlike Town of Salem, there are no whispers, and mafiachat works even during the day.
Now, I need to address the problem of balance. At face value, the town has a massive advantage because each of their players is a power role. However, I don't want to include vanilla roles in the game, because the guarantee of being a power role is the core appeal of Town of Salem. Therefore, I've done my best to balance out this advantage through other aspects of the game's design. First, the "1 of 3" roles make any claim by scum sound reasonable. Few of them can be directly counterclaimed, and even a massclaim can't pinpoint the liar. Secondly, the exact roles in the game have been chosen to give every type of scum at least one indesputable claim for an investigator. Lastly, some of the town roles in the game (Escort, Transporter, Vigilante and Veteran) can hurt or hinder the town, so their "anti-synergy" helps bring down the inherent advantage of being a power role.
What do you think? Is this a good setup, or are there some considerations I missed? Would anybody here - especially potential players who are considering joining the subforum - be interested in playing?
Post by: RoseHeart on January 16, 2019, 09:55:50 pm
Arms Race based on post-judgement day Terminator. Skynet vs Resistance.
Battles take place in the nuclear ravaged wasteland of the future, but also in the past, with time travel missions potentially effecting technology.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on February 08, 2019, 10:14:55 pm
Was thinking of two more.
A Arms Race where two orders go out of their way to slay monsters and out compete the rival to get more funding.
The other a council game, 9 players max, be the actual board of directors managing the order.
Post by: High tyrol on February 20, 2019, 01:50:44 pm
My first idea is a pre-bronze council game.
Each player would control a clan in the tribe/nation.
At the start each clan would have a few hundred people in them and the entire tribe would start at around two thousand people. Each clan would be able to take individual actions as well as giving input as to how the overall tribe is run. The tribe would start as a pastoral society.
Bronze would be descovered by part way through the game. If the game lasts long enough we might get to iron. There would also be a moderately low amount of magic
Post by: Pavellius on February 20, 2019, 04:52:38 pm
Post by: High tyrol on February 21, 2019, 01:02:48 am
Sounds fun. Will there be crises that people will have to work together on, or will the players create their own conflicts?Both, I have a few ideas for environmental challenges as well as other tribes for the players to deal with.
Post by: KitRougard on March 14, 2019, 08:08:34 pm
Something based more directly on Darkest Dungeon outright, with the characters controlling the PC and loosely the PC's party as they cleave through the Darkness and the Madness. PC creation is simple, choosing class and appearance, crafting a personality that affects their starting stats, all of that. The party members? Their life is from RNGsus himself. Make a big focus on writing challenges for bonuses and wild ideas so crazy they just might work.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 14, 2019, 09:33:33 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 18, 2019, 08:14:56 am
And yes can research technsnd such but this time different from a Arms Race. As there is two ways to research. And research is different anyway
10 players, four chunks of land each, money each turn. This money defines actions. If run out of colonies draw from main country treasury, should that run out player is out of the game.
Gold spent on units ( ground forces, naval fleet, or sky fleet.)
As for research:
1: 3 Gold for random rrsearchn( roll 1/10 due. Result is the type of tech you get to decide to use.)
2: 6 Coins. You, get to decide what the Gell you want, without question but I The GM decide how legal/illegal it is.
No teams of Arms Race and one thread for game.
Ten players for ten countries. Team up of 5 ca 5.
Also another unit is Mercs. Non humans who gladly fight for cash. Whoever gets said tribe first keeps them for good.
Unit hp: Yes your units have hp, the healthiest is ready, then wounded, depleted and lastly over run. Over run basically means dead.
Land forces only forces to secure land and defend it from other land invaders.
Naval aside carrying land forces can fight naval fleets and block gold of port cities which also denies them troop forces that choke point.
Sky Fleets can Attack anywhere on map, best vs other sky fleets and can bomb lower levels, just less accurate, and threat of being taken down.
Oh and magic is real. Can research that too ( always 4 Gold though and each country only can have one type. Pick from start. Huge variety to choose from.)
Post by: KitRougard on March 18, 2019, 12:49:44 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on March 21, 2019, 03:30:23 pm
Council rules like with current Darkness game.
Freedom’s Song: Here the pc faction are a people, slaves who escaped out ofbslavery with a super high tech ship. The first true FTL ship. I roll planet and stuff at start. The objective is simple. Survive.
And nice enough that no toxic, barren, or brine stone worlds here. No fun if everyone dies in seconds of planetside. The goal is to stay alive and master the elements.
The second:
Free Clans: Here every player a representative of their clan ( there are like 60 or more clans. Huge character list.) you guys basically exploring the universe and keeping yourself free. ( max players will be 14. The rest get npced, unless you want to control a group for real.)
Post by: High tyrol on April 06, 2019, 09:32:27 am
I want whatever method I use I want to scale well to where It would work for something that lasted for up to 50-60 updates. I plan to finish before then. But, giving myself some wiggle room without reworking the system would be nice.
I have several ideas but I am unsure which is best. I have already discarded a gamer like system because it does not match what tone and level of feedback I want for the quest.
1) Use a letter grade system similar to Zander's quest. For any small effects I would just put it in my notes and give a notice when it hits a threshold to inform you.
2) Hidden Stats: Don't show the readers any detail about the actual stat level instead give clues through showing in writing.
3) Word based progress descriptions. Have a status area that shows a general description of the categories of skill the character has with descriptions for the capabilities they have.
4)Hybrid: Use quantified ranks only when I think capabilities are vague. giving a stat for more mental, spiritual, and magical things while just describing literally what they know they can do for more physical things.
5) Hybrid 2: Use quantified ranks. Inform the reader when the increase. But don't tell them what the current value is in numbers just give a description. Optionally, tell them the amount they increased by numerically.
Post by: Aigre Excalibur on April 13, 2019, 06:15:54 pm
Chance to hit = angular size of target / (Mechanical Accuracy x Shooter skill Modifier x velocity modifiers)
Angular size = tan (cross-section)/distance
Shooter skill modifier = (100 - skill)
Where skill is an integer from 1 to 99
Or:
We could normalize the shooter skill a bit into
Chance to hit = angular size of target / (Mechanical Accuracy x (100x1/shooter skill) x velocity modifiers)
Where shooter skill is an integer from 1 to 100
Modifiers:
Automatic bursts: multiplies spread by number of shots up to a maximum value 10 (firing 200 shots comes with a penalty of x10 to accuracy)
cross sectional area (m^2):
human: 0.7
human crouched: 0.3
human prone: 0.1
human, covered or concealed shooting: 0.02
Car (front): 2.7
M1 Abrams (front): 8.9
rule of thumb mechanical accuracies in degrees:
Assault rifle: 0.03
Handguns: 0.30
cannons: 0.30
Human Run Speed: 5 m/s
Human Fast March: 3 m/s
Human Walk: 1.6 m/s
.223 Remington: 1000 m/s
Running Human's Deviation at 100m: 0.5m
Angular deviation at 100m: 0.286
Angular deviation at 200m: 0.286
Angular deviation at 300m: 0.286
(Running at 5m/s could add a flat x10 modifier to accuracy)
Assault rifle hit probabilities at 0.03 degrees mechanical accuracy, 0.7 m2 human target
100m: 13.33
200m: 6.67
300m: 4.33
400m: 3.33
500m: 2.67
600m: 2.23
700m: 1.90
800m: 1.67
Assault rifle hit probabilities at 0.03 degrees mechanical accuracy, 0.1 m2 prone human target
100m: 1.9
200m: 0.95
300m: 0.64
400m: 0.47
500m: 0.37
600m: 0.30
700m: 0.26
800m: 0.23
Note: A handgun would have approximately /10 probabilities. A running target adds another /10
Note: An untrained civilian with skill 1 will be effective with an assault rifle up to 13m based on the above formulas...
Post by: Digital Hellhound on April 20, 2019, 11:52:44 am
Essentially, the game starts with the creation of the setting. I'll likely set down some general ideas and themes first, or we do that together, and maybe a time period (so we could go for Jazz Age Supers, Cold War Supers, Modern Supers, Near Future Supers, etc...). Then everyone player creates a Premier Hero, a world-class superhero at the top of the power weight class, two Champion Heroes, who are the B-level-still-powerful-best-in-their-city types, and three Street Level heroes for the city we'll actually be playing in. We also do a round of villains - not sure of the numbers there, but tied to specific heroes and the city - and some non-super supporting cast for the city. There's also Features - additional things of interest, ranging from Super Spy Organizations to Ancient Conspiracies - which will be tied to aforementioned characters and fill out the world. I tie all this together and work it into a coherent world (vetoing if necessary, but preferably not).
That may sound like a lot, but it's not that much for one player. These need not be fully finalized characters, just names, general ideas, how they fit in the world at the least, hopefully leaving room for me and other players to add to. The idea is to communally create an interesting world everyone's engaged with before we even start playing.
Now, as for who we're actually playing - it could be one of these characters, or it could be new ones with randomly generated powers like in the aforementioned game, since that was pretty fun. It could be either the general type of super or the powers in full - Icons has a system for the latter too. The PCs would start off as street level heroes in the same city, still learning the ropes, and thus no doubt needing to band together when they have to face the stronger villains there...
I'm not totally sure on the system. Mutants and Masterminds is something I'm familiar with, but Icons seems fun and fairly simple. I could also go for some kind of simple homebrew. Some kind of cannibalized unholy hybrid might also work for me. I'm thinking I might keep that 'hidden' from players unless they really wanted to understand it anyway; minmaxing and learning a system wouldn't be the point here.
Thoughts? Does that sound like fun?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 20, 2019, 04:55:58 pm
If someone can help map things with a A-Z chart going up/down and left to right. Would be in business.
Got a ton more of space stuff to throw in here.
Keep in mind, it is not one hundred percent me. I got inspiration from another forum.
But still awesome idea.
Post by: RoseHeart on April 20, 2019, 05:48:32 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 20, 2019, 06:04:39 pm
To also create pc and npc need coloring agents/labels. This shitty phone does not do that yet and not with my computer.
Aside grid. This has 9 tiers of faction “power “
Edit: As for what is on each said grid chart. Me or co GM just make up stuff how to throw players into doing things.
Post by: RoseHeart on April 21, 2019, 04:41:12 pm
https://images.app.goo.gl/HBFf7cvWbR2mg4tV6
If someone can help map things with a A-Z chart going up/down and left to right. Would be in business.
Got a ton more of space stuff to throw in here.
Keep in mind, it is not one hundred percent me. I got inspiration from another forum.
But still awesome idea.
https://i.imgtc.com/WekH4r1.png
https://i.imgtc.com/rDCfo3m.png
?
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 21, 2019, 06:36:09 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on April 21, 2019, 07:22:28 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 21, 2019, 08:40:41 pm
Thanks man!
I might as well write up games and opinions before using said map.
Post by: Funk on April 21, 2019, 10:58:54 pm
Might help you in adding a few surprises.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 22, 2019, 10:30:04 pm
Will post the four games. Your Own Culture, Children is the Stars and Star Brand. Another time.
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 23, 2019, 11:49:46 am
Your Own Culture: Thre stats, minimal is 1. Trees are Technology, Magic, and Evolution. Ten levels each with scale of what is strong.
Star Brand: Nine tiers of players, 1 is strongest, 9 is weakest. But the weaker tiers have way more numbers and other things in play to keep it fair.
Post by: Parsely on April 23, 2019, 11:34:11 pm
Probability based calculations for simulating gun fighting:I'm interested in what you're doing here. It looks like the basis for maybe a text-based game simulation. What's the scale of the gun fight you imagine this simulating?
-snip-
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 24, 2019, 08:02:20 pm
Your Own Culture: Still doing charts and trying for a reasonable cap.
Star Brand: Just need unit list. Also on purpose not going to make a tech list. As in Star Brand you can fandom pre existing factions. Will do tiers though. Tiers are threat scale not always tech.
1: The Culture
2: The Eldar from 40k.
3: Humanity at Dark Age Of Tech/Golden era. Also late game Beyond Earth or Stellaris.
4: Current 40k Imperium And Chaos. Also Star Wars.
5: Orks, Tyranids, Old Republic Tech.
6: Star Trek, Babylon 5, or Star Control.
7: Reapers from Mass Effect, and Halo Aliens.
8: Humans in Halo and Mass Effect Ciradsl faction stuff.
9: Battlestar Galactia Reboot, Fire Fly, low stuff.
So in Star Brand can pick pre existing factions, alter them around, or make your own up. Must give clear tech to match up faction by tier rank. Note that all tiers can and must research, and each tier has weaknesses.
Edit: In Star Brand willing to give a example. Rolled, faction in third tier.
Post by: RoseHeart on May 26, 2019, 11:21:30 pm
---> Africa (dune deserts ft. sun)
---> Asia (bareface mountains ft. sun or snow)
---> The Caribbean (thick jungles ft. sun or rain)
---> Central America (open plains ft. sun or rain)
---> Europe (tundras ft. sun or wind)
---> North America (forested mountains ft. rain or snow)
---> Oceania (thick grasslands ft. sun or wind)
---> South America (rainforests with rivers ft. sun or rain)
I like the ratio of weather conditions and the extremes of climate, but I could swap where these are represented to be more authentic.
Post by: RoseHeart on July 13, 2019, 12:52:40 am
Forum Runner involves two players, jumping into other forum games(as players, or npcs, or bosses, ect.) where they compete. Last time was best of 3. I want to up it to 5. If interested or you'd like to know more.
PM here or on discord, thanks!
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on September 06, 2019, 10:53:37 am
Well College is kicking my schedules ass. Though I got six things left considering to run.
-
Figurehead: Your in charge of a sci fi Fantasy church across stars.
Reign: Your a agent of the over lord, to keep things going.
Sovereign: This time you are the over lord, sci, sci Fantasy is Magic.
War Torn: High Command: Arms Race in terms of gear and such. Also pre existing unit list (must unlock with time, based on what was researched.)
Stellar Legoon 4.0: This time a SL/Spam deal Agee you find a Army and deal with stuff.
Super ****ers: Just saw the Boys, inspired madly in a org that goes around taking out dangerous meta humans. Three levels of difficulty. Easy, Moderate, and Extreme.
Post by: Naturegirl1999 on September 12, 2019, 11:50:14 am
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 23, 2020, 04:13:47 pm
Well I have decided on 2 things.
1: New Community style rpg in future.
2: Next Adventure rpg is in space.
Wild Space: Not a SG< a RPG. 6-24 players maxed. Get to do your own stories. I will provide main back drop and some missions and gift shops. Races, powers and etc are tmeplates for player to fill in.
So you guys are in contorl of your fate. Also some rules to vehicle gear/space ship creation charts and points system.
Gear lsit includes; Weapons, Armor/defense, other, cyber ware and bio ware.
Race generation rules as well. Not super rules heavy met to be fun explore thing. WIll b emaking up faction/governments as well.
Lastly if space sihp is big enough, crew creation rules too.
Post by: Naturegirl1999 on April 23, 2020, 04:22:47 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 23, 2020, 04:34:10 pm
As for COmmunity games.
Prophets of the Wastes
Under the Surface 2.0
Networks
Orbiter 2.0
Pangaea 2.0
Colony
Neo Genesis
Ruins
Titles fo rnow, will go into detial in future.
Post by: Screech9791 on April 25, 2020, 06:44:09 pm
Post by: Naturegirl1999 on April 25, 2020, 07:01:43 pm
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 26, 2020, 07:02:09 pm
Neo Genesis: In the far future a post apocalypse. Not Mad Max or Zombies or robots. Instead a Green one. All humans came from genesis tubes/grown in artificial wombs to a new green world of strange critters, ruins, lost awesome tech, and questions. Try to survive as a tribe.
Pangaea: One super continent, fantasy elements, Iron Age Conan style, with prehistoric critters. Be a nomadic clan and try to form a city for your people to dwell while enemies seek to destroy you and etc.
Due to all 3 mentioned are on world urbane, weather/seasons are in effect.
Post by: Naturegirl1999 on April 26, 2020, 07:16:30 pm
I like Neo Genesis
Post by: Tyrant Leviathan on April 27, 2020, 01:01:02 am
Post by: RulerOfNothing on April 27, 2020, 06:51:17 am
Post by: escaped lurker on April 27, 2020, 09:13:49 pm
Post by: Pavellius on April 27, 2020, 11:25:58 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on July 29, 2020, 10:12:15 am
Gladium: Balanced flexible and tough pure metal that fails by ripping. Reasonable repair costs.
Novium: Light flexible pure metal that fails by excessive warping. Cheap repair costs.
Neomin: Heavy rigid 50/50 alloy of Gladium and Novium that fails by cracking. Expensive repair costs.
Post by: RoseHeart on February 06, 2021, 08:27:09 pm
Fingers crossed, makeup, a mask, can you help me think of more symbols of deception? (objects are best)
I made a new thread upon the suggestion a reset would be helpful: Game Design Discussion and Review (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=178073.0)
Post by: Pavellius on February 13, 2021, 12:44:07 am
I'm thinking of running a strategy game (maybe along the lines of Countries @ War), and I'm wondering if someone knows where I can find an Earth map divided into regions of roughly equal size.There are many hexmaps, if that's your thing
Post by: Maximum Spin on February 13, 2021, 03:59:04 pm
I suspect the need has passed in the last 10 months.I'm thinking of running a strategy game (maybe along the lines of Countries @ War), and I'm wondering if someone knows where I can find an Earth map divided into regions of roughly equal size.There are many hexmaps, if that's your thing
Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on whether the arms race model could maybe be modified not to need three threads each? There are nine AR threads on the front page now and I just feel like this is too many. Quicktopics, maybe?
Post by: TamerVirus on February 16, 2022, 10:11:50 pm
Post by: Nirur Torir on February 18, 2022, 07:58:16 pm
Does it need any changes? I haven't played a mechanics-free roleplay game that's entirely fluff, let alone hosted one.
Brief blurb: An empire roleplay over eras of time, where we go through the evolution of different magical systems, starting from the earliest epochs with the equivalent of tribal rain dances, and figure out the intermediate steps between that and magic spaceships.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: Chevaleresse on February 19, 2022, 08:19:45 am
Post by: Naturegirl1999 on April 01, 2022, 02:40:33 pm
I've had this idea for a roleplay heavy game in my head for too long. Is there enough interest to start it?yes please, sounds wonderful, I’ll play it
Does it need any changes? I haven't played a mechanics-free roleplay game that's entirely fluff, let alone hosted one.
Brief blurb: An empire roleplay over eras of time, where we go through the evolution of different magical systems, starting from the earliest epochs with the equivalent of tribal rain dances, and figure out the intermediate steps between that and magic spaceships.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Post by: RoseHeart on April 22, 2022, 10:57:00 pm
Update: Went with a post-timer method, with 1 card assigned to each second (and duplicates assigned to multiple) for an (infinite) 60 card deck.
Post by: Funk on May 12, 2022, 08:26:38 pm
A Stalker focused SG? nope that's out, we got to the the Russian army play that in RL.
But i have an idea, President Urist.
A suggestion game where you are President Urist, the ruler of new a micro country as the cold war rages an you try to lead a nation to peace prosperity an sobriety.
Post by: ConscriptFive on May 13, 2022, 12:00:25 pm
Post by: Maximum Spin on May 13, 2022, 12:06:55 pm
So my ideas of late have end up being to close to RL, a twilight 2000 game with a ragged band in a nuke war post apocalypse? too close to home.I'm not sure I agree with your perception of RL at all.
A Stalker focused SG? nope that's out, we got to the the Russian army play that in RL.
But i have an idea, President Urist.
A suggestion game where you are President Urist, the ruler of new a micro country as the cold war rages an you try to lead a nation to peace prosperity an sobriety.
Post by: RoseHeart on July 06, 2022, 03:51:52 am
Post by: IronyOwl on July 06, 2022, 11:55:17 am
Example: A warrior, thief, necromancer, and priest walk into a bar. Each one picks a spot to search for loot. They are technically working together, but "help the necromancer search behind barrels" is neither helpful nor interesting, so it gets tossed in favor of ransacking the chandeliers.
Now let's say a warrior, thief, necromancer, and priest are fighting a pair of orc brutes led by an ogre glutton, which swallows the warrior whole. Now the players are all going to be focused on essentially the same goal: Get the warrior out of that ogre's gut.
However, they still don't necessarily have the tools to coordinate their actions; presumably everyone will try to pry open the ogre's jaws or just deal enough damage to drop it before the warrior is digested. If all you want is focused fire, this works, but if you want players changing their actions based on each other, you need their options to be flexible enough to accommodate this.
So in this case, let's say the necromancer has a necrotic bolt that deals damage, and a few hexes that debuff targets. Well... would any of those actions help with getting the warrior out? Would any of them help with something else someone is doing to get the warrior out? Once you've got a toolset and a way those tools interact, everyone starts looking at everyone's tools trying to find a pattern, and you often get cooperative actions.
At that point, in fact, the issue tends to become that certain combos become routine and potentially boring. Maybe the necromancer does more damage hexing targets so the warrior hits them harder than he does with a necrotic bolt, and so ends up spamming Hex of Vulnerability instead of Necrotic Bolt every round.
Post by: heydude6 on July 06, 2022, 06:00:52 pm
If I had to condense it down to a single take-away, it would be this: Create a game with a lot of diverse roles that appeal to a variety of players, and make those roles naturally play off of each other. To use some TF2 examples:
- A Soldier is a DPS machine, but his slow-walking speed necessitates damaging rocket jumps, which force him to take breaks and seek out healing.
- A Medic is great at mitigating damage and healing people, but they can't do much without being given DPS classes to heal.
- An Engineer is great at setting up fortifications to defend an area, but he's not very good at pushing forward.
- A Pyro is great at close range, but defenceless against long range threats.
- A Sniper is great at long range picks, but cannot defend himself at close range.
Post by: RoseHeart on July 06, 2022, 07:41:13 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on August 26, 2022, 10:47:32 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on August 26, 2022, 11:13:55 pm
Every forum ever has a festering pro clique, elitist environment once you look closely enough.
Fixed that for you. Also, just out of curiosity, could you point me to the offending games? I'm curious to see how it was handled.
I also lightly disagree. A GM's job is first and foremost to facilitate fun for all the players (and themselves). Even if someone isn't "disobedient" or "bad" they can still have a negative impact on the game as a whole for any number of other reasons. While obviously just blacklisting people for shits and giggles isn't great, "I don't like you", "we don't get along", "you and x can't play nice together", and "you cannot/have not/will not be able to positively add to the game" are all perfectly fine reasons to use when telling someone you're not gonna let them in. Provided you, you know, actually tell them.
That's not bullying, that's curating. There's a thin line there, and it can get crossed easy, but there's a line nonetheless.
Post by: Iris on August 26, 2022, 11:22:47 pm
I also lightly disagree. A GM's job is first and foremost to facilitate fun for all the players (and themselves). Even if someone isn't "disobedient" or "bad" they can still have a negative impact on the game as a whole for any number of other reasons. While obviously just blacklisting people for shits and giggles isn't great, "I don't like you", "we don't get along", "you and x can't play nice together", and "you cannot/have not/will not be able to positively add to the game" are all perfectly fine reasons to use when telling someone you're not gonna let them in. Provided you, you know, actually tell them.
That's not bullying, that's curating. There's a thin line there, and it can get crossed easy, but there's a line nonetheless.
I do have to agree with this, but "I don't like you" seems a little petty to me. "If I let you into this game we would constantly clash" seems reasonable, though. I do absolutely agree with the thin line, though.
Post by: Maximum Spin on August 27, 2022, 09:00:01 am
Yeah, there are definitely a few people I would not under any circumstances want to play with or allow into a game I'm running. Roseheart, I think, thinks he's one of them, but actually isn't.Every forum ever has a festering pro clique, elitist environment once you look closely enough.
Fixed that for you. Also, just out of curiosity, could you point me to the offending games? I'm curious to see how it was handled.
I also lightly disagree. A GM's job is first and foremost to facilitate fun for all the players (and themselves). Even if someone isn't "disobedient" or "bad" they can still have a negative impact on the game as a whole for any number of other reasons. While obviously just blacklisting people for shits and giggles isn't great, "I don't like you", "we don't get along", "you and x can't play nice together", and "you cannot/have not/will not be able to positively add to the game" are all perfectly fine reasons to use when telling someone you're not gonna let them in. Provided you, you know, actually tell them.
That's not bullying, that's curating. There's a thin line there, and it can get crossed easy, but there's a line nonetheless.
I think roseheart is being silly to say that there's a clique environment here, though. There is kind of a clique of a few people who seem to organize on a Discord to post closed games occasionally, which seems to have a little overlap with the FEF people, but it's pretty rare to see any closed games, and generally, I think they just like things nobody else particularly does.
Simply put, I can't believe the idea that there is a "festering pro clique, elitist environment" given that I had no problem being included, and I'm not exactly the easiest person to socialize with.
Post by: Maximum Spin on August 27, 2022, 11:38:43 am
Exclusion happens on every online space, I'm not very present on FG but from my observations in GD, ostracism and selectiveness does occur in this forum, altough I don't think it's coming from a place of malice for most cases. It is natural that within the forum in-groups form and certain people (new users and users with a repeated history of behaviour that is considered innapropriate) won't be part of it.Oh, GD people and FG people don't have that much overlap. GD people can be assholes, sure.
I don't remember seeing any game threads from you, though.
(The study is complete garbage, but that's neither here nor there.)
Post by: Man of Paper on August 27, 2022, 12:02:17 pm
Since this is apparently a discussion we're having, I wanted to add my two cents. I am pointedly avoiding any discussions of cliques, and instead wanted to focus on this.
I am admittedly less interested in the discussion and just wanted to pad my post with more than "show evidence", because I'm not entirely convinced roseheart isn't doing that "make up issues or pretend something is more prominent than it actually is" thing again.
Post by: Maximum Spin on August 27, 2022, 04:05:27 pm
I only read a bit about the study, but now I see what you mean, now that I've taken a closer look ::) It's gone now.Aw, you didn't have to delete it. It was a good case study in how you have to really look at the actual data and claims being made.
Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if most people just didn't look in this thread. I certainly wouldn't have expected to see someone's game idea here. You don't have to worry about making new threads for things, they're free.
Post by: RoseHeart on September 22, 2022, 01:06:21 am
Are there any true Forum Game websites? It always seems an offshoot of a videogame or other interest.
Post by: Man of Paper on September 22, 2022, 07:23:43 am
Also, just out of curiosity, could you point me to the offending games? I'm curious to see how it was handled.
That’s cool but you got some links for the last thing you shouted into the room before promptly leaving?
Post by: RoseHeart on September 22, 2022, 07:26:39 am
No Paper, I'm not going to call someone out.Also, just out of curiosity, could you point me to the offending games? I'm curious to see how it was handled.
That’s cool but you got some links for the last thing you shouted into the room before promptly leaving?
Post by: Man of Paper on September 22, 2022, 07:36:02 am
Post by: RoseHeart on September 22, 2022, 08:33:38 am
Post by: RoseHeart on October 03, 2022, 09:51:23 am
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 03, 2022, 11:07:00 am
-snip-As a veteran GM on this section who's had to deal with more than his fair share of drama from players who turned out to be massive issues leading directly to trashfires, I wholeheartedly agree. A GM has a duty to his players to curate his players if he feels that letting someone in would be more detrimental than not. If a player already proves to be an issue even during selection, then you're ultimately going to cause more problems letting them in and making your players uncomfortable than putting your foot down and telling him "No".
As for gathering on a Discord to play games, as one of the peeps moderating the FEF Discord, I see no real issue with this; most everyone uses Discord nowadays, it's easier to moderate against potential issues, easier to further subdivide what would originally have been covered by OOC threads and so forth. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with the traditional way of doing things, either, but if you're gonna want to do the same things we used to through PMs here or on separate IRC chats (as FEF used to and I know for a fact a lot of DND campaigns used to do here), might as well do it on an interface everyone uses. If you don't want to be part of a community that gathers around a Discord, that's not on them for being clique-y IMO, but simply wanting to use existing infrastructure and wanting to share their interests with people who are also interested.
Post by: notquitethere on October 03, 2022, 02:56:35 pm
Why has no one made a pvp FEoF with two threads like an Arms Race?It's not impossible, but the main draw of FeF (as far as I can tell) is character driven interaction within an excessively crunchy tactical RPG— PvP would be a bit more difficult to draw out those kinds of interactions, and it's slow enough processing fights on a forum without wrangling two teams.
Not saying it couldn't be done though.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 03, 2022, 04:09:28 pm
Why has no one made a pvp FEoF with two threads like an Arms Race?It's not impossible, but the main draw of FeF (as far as I can tell) is character driven interaction within an excessively crunchy tactical RPG— PvP would be a bit more difficult to draw out those kinds of interactions, and it's slow enough processing fights on a forum without wrangling two teams.
Not saying it couldn't be done though.
I imagine they would be pve campaigns, mostly.
As a veteran GM on this section who's had to deal with more than his fair share of drama from players who turned out to be massive issues leading directly to trashfires, I wholeheartedly agree. A GM has a duty to his players to curate his players if he feels that letting someone in would be more detrimental than not. If a player already proves to be an issue even during selection, then you're ultimately going to cause more problems letting them in and making your players uncomfortable than putting your foot down and telling him "No".
That's what a clique is, going into a public space and forming segregated groups.
If there is a problem then it should be escalated. I think it would be worthwhile (and humorous in most cases) having to be accountable to a higher authority why you* practiced exclusionary behavior. We might actually wait more than 0.02 seconds before slapping the eject button, and become kind of...idk...cohesive community.
*hypothetical person escalating complaint
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 03, 2022, 04:30:58 pm
That's what a clique is, going into a public space and forming segregated groups.That's insane. To dislike someone is a natural right of all human beings. Nobody should be expected to justify his dislike to the god of forum non-discrimination.
If there is a problem then it should be escalated. I think it would be worthwhile (and humorous in most cases) having to be accountable to a higher authority why you* practiced exclusionary behavior. We might actually wait more than 0.02 seconds before slapping the eject button, and become kind of...idk...cohesive community.
*hypothetical person escalating complaint
Your definition of a "clique" includes every club, organization, or even just group of friends in existence.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 03, 2022, 04:41:17 pm
But in actual practice, I just feel like there's a lot of pointing and yelling CRING! (See Above Post.)
Post by: RoseHeart on October 03, 2022, 05:25:40 pm
If the notion of having to escalate thread banning/excluding makes you nervous, perhaps you should consider why you need to exclude a high enough volume of players for that to be an issue, on a public forum.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 03, 2022, 05:37:38 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on October 03, 2022, 05:58:29 pm
Again, please provide proof that the issue you’re trying to make a hill to die on even exists.
No.
But I'd be willing to discuss random cases a host volunteered.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 03, 2022, 06:11:02 pm
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 03, 2022, 07:04:21 pm
If you refuse to provide any sort of evidence that FGRP isn't an open community with smaller sub-communities, and instead demand that we trust your insistence that we are opposed to outsiders of any type or kind, we are not obligated to believe it or even lend credence to it.
For my part, at least, the FEF community is generally welcoming to anyone who wants in, and I've never had any issues entering other forum game communities if I saw fit, nor do I see any reason that I would. (I rarely do so anymore, granted, because I'm a lot more comfortable running FEFs, but if the interest strikes...)
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 03, 2022, 07:13:10 pm
I think it was entirely justified.
Post by: Powder Miner on October 03, 2022, 07:14:14 pm
It's not impossible, but the main draw of FeF (as far as I can tell) is character driven interaction within an excessively crunchy tactical RPG— PvP would be a bit more difficult to draw out those kinds of interactions, and it's slow enough processing fights on a forum without wrangling two teams.It's been tried before, on another forum, and rather conclusively cratered. Very few FEF players are actually interested in doing PVP, and even if they are, you have to have people willing and able to run two simultaneous games of a very intensive genre consistently, and two sets of players willing and able to play consistently. It's a huge ask.
Not saying it couldn't be done though.
Regarding the larger discussion: I think even trying to get into details is unnecessary at best. The method of moderation on Bay12 precludes any moderation where a board mod double-checks each thread's decision on their players (this is a concept that mandates strenuous levels of moderation and constant controversy), and we're on Bay12 because it's our community. Pretty much anything that goes "why are we even on bay12" or demands a change that is incompatible with how Toady runs the forum is enough of a non-starter that the assumption can be that it simply isn't relevant.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 03, 2022, 08:07:41 pm
What was it called?It's not impossible, but the main draw of FeF (as far as I can tell) is character driven interaction within an excessively crunchy tactical RPG— PvP would be a bit more difficult to draw out those kinds of interactions, and it's slow enough processing fights on a forum without wrangling two teams.It's been tried before, on another forum, and rather conclusively cratered. Very few FEF players are actually interested in doing PVP, and even if they are, you have to have people willing and able to run two simultaneous games of a very intensive genre consistently, and two sets of players willing and able to play consistently. It's a huge ask.
Not saying it couldn't be done though.
Post by: Iris on October 03, 2022, 08:14:21 pm
Is there a flipside that could be taken to an extreme? Of course.
But in actual practice, I just feel like there's a lot of pointing and yelling CRING! (See Above Post.)
You seem to be under the impression that people are targeting you for some special reason. As far as I can tell, that is just... simply not the case.
With the amount of autonomy that Toady grants us, it is expected - almost required - for GMs to regulate their own threads. This includes, yes, excluding problem players. However, provided that both sides are being reasonable, this should never happen.
If I ban you from one of my games (speaking as a hypothetical you here), it's not because I don't like you, it's because you're being such a dick that it would the best course of action to preserve the fun of others.
Play games. Don't start fights. We're all here to have fun.
Post by: TamerVirus on October 04, 2022, 04:37:45 pm
That is, until, someone didn't react well to being 'excluded' from a forum game.
I don't know where I'm going with this line of thought
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 04, 2022, 05:48:31 pm
Hell, the forum almost went a whole year without anyone getting banned.This actually proves the strength of the system. Most of the bans aren't even on FGRP, they're over on GD over the political threads.
That is, until, someone didn't react well to being 'excluded' from a forum game.
I don't know where I'm going with this line of thought
It takes being egregiously terrible, to other players, constantly, to actually get people to exclude you from roleplays collectively; generally people will either let it slide if you're chill or if enough time has passed and you aren't so terrible, and especially if you show the desire to at least learn how not to be terrible to your fellow man.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 05, 2022, 04:11:34 pm
Of course, roseheart could finally elaborate and prove me wrong. But I doubt it. If the only instance people brought up to support the “people being refused entry into games” is someone who was toxic enough that they got banned for the way they responded then we definitely don’t have the problem this dude is trying to paint.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 12:08:37 am
That does kick some of coals out of my fire a bit. That isn't to say there isn't still an issue though.
(Probably couldn't have done that, if I threw them under the bus here.)
I am not pushing this discussion, only occasionally reacting to it.
But since were still on it, which is all well and good, the issue is camouflage. A lot of it has been socially engineered to be swept under the rug easier.
Player "applications".
Post by: NUKE9.13 on October 06, 2022, 01:32:43 am
But since were still on it, which is all well and good, the issue is camouflage. A lot of it has been socially engineered to be swept under the rug easier.I was trying to avoid this whole discussion. But... are you seriously saying that player applications are bullying?
Player "applications".
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 02:00:20 am
I was trying to avoid this whole discussion. But... are you seriously saying that player applications are bullying?"Bullying Enabling", Yeah!
Post by: NUKE9.13 on October 06, 2022, 02:30:06 am
Post by: King Zultan on October 06, 2022, 03:34:06 am
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 06, 2022, 03:55:51 am
Especially when the person making accusations about how ALL games are run on FGRP has literally just admitted they do NOT play very many games on FGRP, which begs the question; if you don't play very many games, how exactly can you come to such a overarching conclusion about games as run on FGRP?
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 06, 2022, 06:35:33 am
I'm gonna be real, this sounds like someone grousing about not getting accepted into games and then painting it as criticism of bullying to give it a veneer of legitimacy. If I'm wrong, feel free to enlighten me, but I'm not about to hurl accusations at my fellow GMs for engaging in discriminatory practices if the one person making that accusation refuses to provide evidence.That's the wild thing - to the best of my knowledge, nobody excludes Roseheart from anything. I've seen him get into games. I've seen him get into games and then back out immediately, too. It does sound like someone grousing about not getting accepted into games, but it's not even coming from anything.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 06, 2022, 06:54:36 am
-snip-Not entirely true; I can confirm at least that he DID get himself excluded from a FEF over trying to co-opt (read; steal) someone else's application to that game on this very forum, which is what I believe he is partially referring to. However, aside from that, I cannot think of a single game that he HAS gotten himself excluded from, which further begs the question; where are the other examples, and what did he do leading up to those?
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 07:02:27 am
You know what’s crazy about “player applications”? The fact that they get used in limited-player games so people actually need to put an ounce of effort into claiming the few spots available. They’re there to give a gm an idea of what they’ll be playing with and give them a chance to curate the experience.
Are team sports bullying because there are backup and third string players that want to be first up but aren’t quite at that skill level? Is trying to get a job bullying because you have to submit applications? Do people having preferences for what they want to do mean they’re exclusionary and forming cliques?
The answer to all of that is a solid no.
Your worry about “throwing someone under the bus” is painfully misplaced. I dunno if you think we have rifles ready to blast holes into whoever wronged you, but we don’t. We’re literally just asking for evidence, and you’re making it the most painful, drawn out questioning process outside of a gulag. I don’t know how coming to terms with something would be affected by “throwing someone under the bus” after the fact, either.
Unless you actually prove otherwise, I’m just going to assume you were excluded for no malicious reasons and decided you could use another hill to die on.
Ninja’s: this is even more ridiculous if the exclusion was the direct result of your own actions.
Post by: heydude6 on October 06, 2022, 10:22:27 am
Perhaps, but player applications provide too many benefits to deliberately throw away for that reason. You only see those on serious games that demand players be actually committed to their games and characters. Many bay12 games expect you to treat them like a joke, so we have to make sure the player is actually capable of switching gears to more serious play before letting them in. Otherwise they can kill the game outright.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 10:25:54 am
Unless a case can be made for disobedience or bad behavior, excluding sign ups for a game should be listed in the forum guidelines under bullying. Bay 12 FG&RP has a festering pro clique, elitist environment. If you want to play with just your friends, you shouldn't post your game on a public forum.I don't feel this way anymore.
I was venting, and I have not pursued that agenda.
(I would have clarified this earlier, but this was a month ago. I straight up forgot I said that. I've been discussing this through the lens of hypothetical scenarios to illustrate points.)
My own Forum Runner 3 (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=180364.msg8411699#msg8411699) - which I posted 11 days ago - contains examples of:
-selective application hosting
-player banning
-player rejecting
They are just tools, they can and do get misused (I've been a witness) but they are not evil.
I believe Rosheart is saying that player applications are a tool that could potentially give a malicious GM “plausible deniability” if they wanted to deliberately exclude certain players.Correct, that is how the tool is misused and used beneficially.
Perhaps, but player applications provide too many benefits to deliberately throw away for that reason. You only see those on serious games that demand players be actually committed to their games and characters. Many bay12 games expect you to treat them like a joke, so we have to make sure the player is actually capable of switching gears to more serious play before letting them in. Otherwise they can kill the game outright.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 11:06:35 am
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 06, 2022, 11:16:09 am
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 11:30:47 am
I'm gonna be real, this sounds like someone grousing about not getting accepted into games and then painting it as criticism of bullying to give it a veneer of legitimacy.
That's the wild thing - to the best of my knowledge, nobody excludes Roseheart from anything. I've seen him get into games. I've seen him get into games and then back out immediately, too. It does sound like someone grousing about not getting accepted into games, but it's not even coming from anything.
What the heck are you guys implying?? (https://youtu.be/UtU_ICPuzV8)
Oh I see, it's secondary definition: to complain.
I see what you mean now, but I'm still not going to make public accusations. Paper is right.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 11:45:34 am
You’re not being funny. Trying to paint a brush of widespread bigotry and exclusion in our community, then getting called out for it and subsequently proven outright wrong, is not funny. When you’re backed into a corner after people realize you’re full of shit after you actively ignore everything you can’t twist to fit your own view is not the time to try to be the funny guy.
What you have done on multiple occasions now is fabricate problems within our community that do not exist and then try to play the crusader.
You are essentially doing what Elon Musk has been doing regarding Ukraine: making bullshit statements but framing them in a way that disagreeing with you would be taking an objectively bad stance. (For reference, he tweeted a poll about whether or not people should have the right to self-determination after everyone refused to acknowledge Russia’s referendums in Ukraine)
I’d probably not care much to respond again if I didn’t realize your post before the video link entirely admitted you were dealing with hypothetical situations. Which sounds like another way of saying you were bullshitting.
Why am I saying this? Because whether you think so or not, when you do this shit it does actively come off as creating problems to create division for the sake of…nothing. I’m pretty sure you think you’re acting in the community’s best interest, but you really, really need to think about how you go about things. This, again, isn’t the first time you’ve made claims that hold no water under scrutiny, and at some point you will come off as actively malicious and get shitcanned for it.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 12:05:24 pm
"Hey guys, look how socially awkward THAT guy is!"
How can you be so frustrated when I don't respond to your requests to drudge up something I dropped, then can't handly my opinions when I do share them, huh?
I own my own my own head, and I can change my opinion.
I'm not harboring a desire to make the rules changes I proposed in my (brief, 1+ month old) vent post. I probably stopped feeling that way less than 10 minutes after posting it. But just because I dropped the resolution, the suggested treatment, doesn't mean I feel differently about the underlying sickness.
RoseHeart my man you seem to be trying to find problems where there aren't any.
This was the only post that maybe made me want to re-evaluate the issue. Z plays tons of games of all kinds, and if he felt the need to come in here and challenge my assumption, then it makes me want to too.
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 06, 2022, 12:15:16 pm
Z plays tons of games of all kindsAs opposed to the rest of us who...?
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 12:25:26 pm
1: Don't pull the "bullying for being socially awkward" card, it's poor taste and completely misses the mark when you use it as a crutch as often as you do, especially in a community full of neurodivergence. Misses even more when the person you're trying to paint as the dick picking on you for being socially awkward is state-certified socially autistic. 0/10
2: You consistently replied saying you'd bring up evidence and yet never did. That's not something being dropped. That's you pretending to have a point and then whistling while looking at the ground when the time comes to pay up.
3: There is no underlying sickness. That is the problem we have with what you've been saying. Yes, go ahead, be upset that you got barred from a game at some point, that's your right. But using your limited experience to judge an entire community, well, that's just dumb.
4: You seem to think your opinion is protected speech or something. When your opinion is factually utterly wrong that's not an opinion, that's just being wrong and you are wide open to being called out for it. Nobody here "can't handle" your spicy opinions, what we can't handle is you constantly painting this entire community as some sort of collection of dickhead bigots. Stop projecting your own inability to come to terms with other people's opinions onto anyone who disagrees with you.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 12:28:03 pm
Not entirely true; I can confirm at least that he DID get himself excluded from a FEF over trying to co-opt (read; steal) someone else's application to that game on this very forum, which is what I believe he is partially referring to.What's this?
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 12:31:40 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 01:51:09 pm
- Perminant Bans are bad. (Though I appreciate there tends be a multiple strikes/warnings from what I hear)
- Forum Games can be as awesome as CYOA booklets, comics, and books. And it shouldn't be only a freak accident when someone makes a living off of it.
- Excluding people cus they're weird or different is bad.
Most of the shit I say is some permutation of these three beliefs.
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 06, 2022, 02:08:16 pm
All human being inherently discriminate all the time. We discriminate from childhood when we decide to be friends with some people - usually people we have something in common with - and not others. In principle it's always possible to spin this as someone being "weird or different" if you try hard enough, but that's just motivated reasoning trying to pretend that disliking someone is wrong. Disliking someone is never wrong. Nobody has a right to another person's feelings.
Post by: NUKE9.13 on October 06, 2022, 02:11:40 pm
Might you say that he belongs to a sort of "elite", whose opinions are more important to you than those of the rabble?RoseHeart my man you seem to be trying to find problems where there aren't any.
This was the only post that maybe made me want to re-evaluate the issue. Z plays tons of games of all kinds, and if he felt the need to come in here and challenge my assumption, then it makes me want to too.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 02:21:05 pm
Lack of personal attacks in their debate toolbox.Z plays tons of games of all kindsAs opposed to the rest of us who...?
Post by: RoseHeart on October 06, 2022, 02:47:07 pm
Might you say that he belongs to a sort of "elite", whose opinions are more important to you than those of the rabble?
The only 'elite' thing about me Nuke, and you can quote me on it... I'm a terrible host. Procrastination, emotional issues, straight forgetting I even made a game, few do it better.
But I am creative. I do circle back try to correct my mistakes. My leadership, if I have any, is to just show people that anyone can do it, if I can.
I can be blue. (https://youtu.be/7w-9xLoi85s)
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 02:59:32 pm
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 06, 2022, 03:38:54 pm
I have not, to my knowledge, made any personal attacks against you. However, I have an acerbic personality and it is difficult to predict what someone will take personally. Certainly, it has not been my intention so far.Lack of personal attacks in their debate toolbox.Z plays tons of games of all kindsAs opposed to the rest of us who...?
Post by: NUKE9.13 on October 06, 2022, 03:48:28 pm
To be clear, I was attempting to get you to understand your hypocrisy. You berate everyone on this board by claiming they are elitists who only interact within their own circles, yet you freely admit that you don't consider the opinions of anyone outside of a chosen few.Might you say that he belongs to a sort of "elite", whose opinions are more important to you than those of the rabble?
Which isn't actually terrible. You compared it to bullying, but there's nothing wrong with valuing some people more than others. You took it to a condescending extreme with your admission that Zultan's opinion is the only one that matters to you, but that's just you being you.
Anyway, I feel like this discussion has run its useful course (insofar as it was ever useful). Roseheart is clearly losing his cool, and pushing him further isn't going to result in anything productive. I'd suggest that we all lay off, and- to quote a wise man- maintain our chill composures.
Post by: Chevaleresse on October 06, 2022, 04:18:39 pm
Post by: Iris on October 06, 2022, 04:38:47 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on October 06, 2022, 04:45:56 pm
Hey someone else needs to run a founders-type game so I can actually play in it.
Post by: Doomblade187 on October 06, 2022, 05:21:25 pm
I have #ideas for it but need to sort my rather overloaded to do list first.
Post by: SirAston on October 07, 2022, 04:37:16 am
That's this. (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=174479.msg8011119#msg8011119) Page 2ff. It's been a few years so I won't blame you for not remembering.Not entirely true; I can confirm at least that he DID get himself excluded from a FEF over trying to co-opt (read; steal) someone else's application to that game on this very forum, which is what I believe he is partially referring to.What's this?
I'm still willing to accept the initial co-opting/stealing as a case of misunderstanding. The discussion that happened afterwards though was the kicker that led to your exclusion from that specific game because you've shown unwillingness to read the game's rulebook by excuse of autism. An extremely weak excuse considering a lot of people here are neurodiverse and manage to read the FEF rules, understand the FEF rules and create a character based on the FEF rules. Plus, back then you wanted things to be done closer to how D&D (presumably 5e) does things, a rulebook that is a lot thicker than FEF's rulebook, which undermined your very own excuse.
GMs can and will assist players to ease into the application process, but it is the unwritten rule that players will do their homework first before the GM is expected by the group to be a mentoring, guiding force upon request (and even then the player is expected to transform said guidance into a tangible result. There's a difference between guiding and babysitting).
As for more topic-relevant things, I've been thinking for a while how to utilize the Fight! 2nd Edition TRPG into a forum game format. I'm a huge sucker for fighting games and I love Fight! for emulating exactly that, but precisely because of that it's very demanding mechanically. The best solution I've came up with so far is running everything in the "Dramatic Combat" subsystem, which basically turns the mechanics from "Street Fighter the Game" to "Street Fighter the OVA/Animation" AKA things are more dynamic and Fire Balls and Dragon Punches are emotional highlights instead of a common tool.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 07:31:03 am
That said I personally appreciate knowing the exact context that set all of this up. I went through a few FEFs when I had nothing else to do to try and get actual perspective yesterday but gave up once I got to the precovid times.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 08:45:16 am
I'm still willing to accept the initial co-opting/stealing as a case of misunderstanding.Why would anyone assume malicious intent? How did that become the narrative.
Oh Paper just sent me this gem:
Subject: I mean this in the nicest way possible
You need to get off b12, and probably other forums, and really work on yourself. This is not be saying “leave, run away and never return”. This is me saying b12 clearly isn’t beneficial to your mental state if it takes you three years to come to terms with a situation in which you were the belligerent. I can see why you refused to share the source of your woes - the only person it threw under a bus was you.
Could the community be better? Of course, everything has room for improvement. But your actively toxic mindset with regards to the FG&RP community is entirely misplaced. You’re making statements based solely on your own limited experience and, instead of acknowledging that maybe you’re just seeing things through roseheart-colored glasses, you double down on your stance when people state otherwise. From my own personal experience, I’d say when someone gets to that point in a community they need to remove themselves for a period of time and recalibrate.
You clearly have an issue with a victim complex that you desperately need to address, and I hope you can find the help you pretty obviously need.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 09:07:29 am
The discussion that happened afterwards though was the kicker that led to your exclusion from that specific game because you've shown unwillingness to read the game's rulebook by excuse of autism.It's not a mild diagnosis, I get government assistance for it. I need to reread unfamiliar material many, many times. Otherwise I don't even remember what I just read. (having a summary or simplified model helps. It's like, my mind is too zoomed in on the details, can't see the forest through the trees)
I used to think I could just tell people about it and they'd make compromises to be accommodating. (I got my diagnosis 2-3 years ago, when I been living on the street - or in my van, rather. I was homeless for about 4 years.)
Now days, I don't really bring it up. I just talk about the symptoms: "that's too dense for me to process" "I'm forgetful / easily distracted"
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 09:20:28 am
I was trying to be mature about it, keep from having this thread bogged down into a roseheart woe is me thread and instead try to maintain its actual purpose. I gave you legitimate advice I myself have taken. But you want to be petty and continue to stoke divion in this community. You can only do that so much before you’re actively blacklisted by people. But you want that, don’t you? To have an excuse to play the victim some more?
You definitely need to do more than just “take a walk”. And really, honestly, seriously do some introspection.
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 09:23:08 am
That's not even a traditional hallmark of autism though? It might be found in conjunction with autism but it's not part of the diagnostic criteria, so it wouldn't be thought of as "caused by autism" or even "an especially severe case of autism". Other people with even exceptionally severe cases of autism would not necessarily (even more than likely, I think) have that particular experience.The discussion that happened afterwards though was the kicker that led to your exclusion from that specific game because you've shown unwillingness to read the game's rulebook by excuse of autism.It's not a mild diagnosis, I get government assistance for it. I need to reread unfamiliar material many, many times. Otherwise I don't even remember what I just read.
I used to think I could just tell people about it and they'd make compromises to be accommodating.
Now days, I don't really bring it up. I just talk about the symptoms: "that's too dense for me to process" "I'm forgetful / easily distracted"
The point is that you are trying to justify as caused by autism, to a group of people that includes many who have autism, possibly even moreso than you do, behavior that is unrelated and which they may not experience themselves.
Post by: notquitethere on October 07, 2022, 09:37:07 am
As for more topic-relevant things, I've been thinking for a while how to utilize the Fight! 2nd Edition TRPG into a forum game format. I'm a huge sucker for fighting games and I love Fight! for emulating exactly that, but precisely because of that it's very demanding mechanically. The best solution I've came up with so far is running everything in the "Dramatic Combat" subsystem, which basically turns the mechanics from "Street Fighter the Game" to "Street Fighter the OVA/Animation" AKA things are more dynamic and Fire Balls and Dragon Punches are emotional highlights instead of a common tool.I think this is a sensible approach. Free-form action is definitely more suited to forum play, rather than blow-by-blow mechanical exchanges. When I've run RPGs here, I tend to chunk together all of a player's general intention into a single resolution and report. The more back and forth there is, the longer action resolution takes and the more likely a game is to fail.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 09:51:30 am
Unless a case can be made for disobedience or bad behavior, excluding sign ups for a game should be listed in the forum guidelines under bullying. Bay 12 FG&RP has a festering pro clique, elitist environment. If you want to play with just your friends, you shouldn't post your game on a public forum.
Fixed that for you. Also, just out of curiosity, could you point me to the offending games? I'm curious to see how it was handled.
This is the largest section on bay 12 (by on average more than 10 times!), only place that comes kinda close is general discussion(other games, a distant third...) ...what the hell are we doing here? lol
Are there any true Forum Game websites? It always seems an offshoot of a videogame or other interest.
That’s cool but you got some links for the last thing you shouted into the room before promptly leaving?
No Paper, I'm not going to call someone out.
Wasn't one of your games, you're fine.
Narrator: There we’re no links.
Why has no one made a pvp FEoF with two threads like an Arms Race?
Again, please provide proof that the issue you’re trying to make a hill to die on even exists.
No.
But I'd be willing to discuss random cases a host volunteered.
What was it called?It's not impossible, but the main draw of FeF (as far as I can tell) is character driven interaction within an excessively crunchy tactical RPG— PvP would be a bit more difficult to draw out those kinds of interactions, and it's slow enough processing fights on a forum without wrangling two teams.It's been tried before, on another forum, and rather conclusively cratered. Very few FEF players are actually interested in doing PVP, and even if they are, you have to have people willing and able to run two simultaneous games of a very intensive genre consistently, and two sets of players willing and able to play consistently. It's a huge ask.
Not saying it couldn't be done though.
Of course, roseheart could finally elaborate and prove me wrong. But I doubt it. If the only instance people brought up to support the “people being refused entry into games” is someone who was toxic enough that they got banned for the way they responded then we definitely don’t have the problem this dude is trying to paint.
(How many times did I try to bring up a different topic? How many times did you retread? It would be slanderous if I had given names if I was mistaken, and not the proper outlet if I wasn't. Bringing up my concerns on the general state of such thing is the most fair-minded way to have the discussion)
You not liking the replies to an argument you continued to instigate doesn't me make toxic. Paper, you're the one in my threads. You're the one who calls my games "minimal effort".
I should do better. But I think we both need to.
As for more topic-relevant things, I've been thinking for a while how to utilize the Fight! 2nd Edition TRPG into a forum game format. I'm a huge sucker for fighting games and I love Fight! for emulating exactly that, but precisely because of that it's very demanding mechanically. The best solution I've came up with so far is running everything in the "Dramatic Combat" subsystem, which basically turns the mechanics from "Street Fighter the Game" to "Street Fighter the OVA/Animation" AKA things are more dynamic and Fire Balls and Dragon Punches are emotional highlights instead of a common tool.
Quote
Characters in this game are all Fighters. There is no “zero-to-hero” progression here; the Fighters start the game as the most powerful martial artists in the setting and are only really challenged by another one of their own.
A Fighter is made up of three Basic Qualities: Strength, Speed, and Stamina. These are rated between -1 and 2, with an average Fighter rated as 0. This small range allows players to realize traditional fighting game archetypes more easily. Fighters are further defined by their Qualities, Weaknesses, Combat Skills, and Narrative Skills.
However, the most important aspect of any Fighter is their move list: the unique Special Moves that define that character’s abilities in combat. Fight! uses a robust effects-based system to enable players to define each Special Move as its own distinctive attack or utility power. If you have seen it in a fighting video game, it can be created in Fight!
While characters start as vastly powerful combatants, they still accumulate Glory through combat and other adventures, allowing them to further advance in Power Level, gaining new moves, Super Moves, and Combat Bonuses to help fine-tune the character’s individual fighting style.
Cool! Looks neat.
I've made gladiator/arena fighter and superhero games, a lot of them were card based. I did that because I felt the need to limit access to exciting/strong abilities.
Good luck sounds pretty cool.
As for more topic-relevant things, I've been thinking for a while how to utilize the Fight! 2nd Edition TRPG into a forum game format. I'm a huge sucker for fighting games and I love Fight! for emulating exactly that, but precisely because of that it's very demanding mechanically. The best solution I've came up with so far is running everything in the "Dramatic Combat" subsystem, which basically turns the mechanics from "Street Fighter the Game" to "Street Fighter the OVA/Animation" AKA things are more dynamic and Fire Balls and Dragon Punches are emotional highlights instead of a common tool.I think this is a sensible approach. Free-form action is definitely more suited to forum play, rather than blow-by-blow mechanical exchanges. When I've run RPGs here, I tend to chunk together all of a player's general intention into a single resolution and report. The more back and forth there is, the longer action resolution takes and the more likely a game is to fail.
I've definitely seen this problem in RTD. I was adding a debuff for how many subactions there were. But it made my head spin. I just said fuck it, and drew a line at one action.
I could let unresolved actions auto complete over the appropriate number of turns, but hosting an 'auto-play' game didn't sound fun for me.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 10:14:17 am
Post by: NUKE9.13 on October 07, 2022, 10:18:17 am
Yeah just conveniently leave out the times you said you actually would provide evidence or discuss the issue, or other people asking you to back up your claims. You can reframe the conversation as much as you want but anyone can just go back a couple pages and see you’re full of shit here.There's no purpose to continuing to argue about this. I can understand your frustration, but the best thing for everyone here would be to just stop.
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 10:23:40 am
That, I can't agree with.Yeah just conveniently leave out the times you said you actually would provide evidence or discuss the issue, or other people asking you to back up your claims. You can reframe the conversation as much as you want but anyone can just go back a couple pages and see you’re full of shit here.There's no purpose to continuing to argue about this. I can understand your frustration, but the best thing for everyone here would be to just stop.
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 10:31:01 am
I've definitely seen this problem in RTD. I was adding a debuff for how many subactions there were. But it made my head spin. I just said fuck it, and drew a line at one action.
Roll to Dodge, in general, is a simple and versatile framework - but it doesn't work for a lot of things. Having a mechanically 'crunchy' game with RTD goes against the spirit of the system, and while you can beat it into submission with enough house rules (1d6 is very swingy, for instance, so a better dice system would go a long way) at that point why not just do something custom instead of killing the RTD framework, stuffing it, and nailing it on display?
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 10:35:16 am
Yeah just conveniently leave out the times you said you actually would provide evidencehuh
Quote
or discuss the issueYes, when asked about it.
Post by: notquitethere on October 07, 2022, 10:46:59 am
Roll to Dodge, in general, is a simple and versatile framework - but it doesn't work for a lot of things. Having a mechanically 'crunchy' game with RTD goes against the spirit of the system, and while you can beat it into submission with enough house rules (1d6 is very swingy, for instance, so a better dice system would go a long way) at that point why not just do something custom instead of killing the RTD framework, stuffing it, and nailing it on display?Yeah I definitely agree here. It's best to pick mechanics which best express what you want the game to be about and don't make action processing a nightmare.
With mine, what I'd do is parse someone's action into a skill roll, and if it sounded like they did more than one different thing, then I'd do more rolls. This was fine because action economy only matters for strictly turn based or PVP games; in a PVE game, if an enemy can have an impact on you based on rolls failing, and the world state can change based on actions, then it doesn't matter how many actions a player submits in a row.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 10:52:37 am
I've definitely seen this problem in RTD. I was adding a debuff for how many subactions there were. But it made my head spin. I just said fuck it, and drew a line at one action.
Roll to Dodge, in general, is a simple and versatile framework - but it doesn't work for a lot of things. Having a mechanically 'crunchy' game with RTD goes against the spirit of the system, and while you can beat it into submission with enough house rules (1d6 is very swingy, for instance, so a better dice system would go a long way) at that point why not just do something custom instead of killing the RTD framework, stuffing it, and nailing it on display?
What would be the "proper way" then? (multi-part actions)
As far as "swingy-dice" (stolen!) I've been trying Arms Race dice for something more like a bell curve. I've found the middle number should be a success state, a lesser one but a success, to keep the game moving forward.
Call it a 'glass half-full' approach.
I wanted more consistency for my high consequence game. But you definitely need plenty of player access to roll modifiers, or it feels too boring.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 11:09:26 am
Yeah just conveniently leave out the times you said you actually would provide evidence or discuss the issue, or other people asking you to back up your claims. You can reframe the conversation as much as you want but anyone can just go back a couple pages and see you’re full of shit here.There's no purpose to continuing to argue about this. I can understand your frustration, but the best thing for everyone here would be to just stop.
While you aren’t wrong, I don’t think you’re entirely right either. It would definitely be better for most of our mental healths if we didn’t play into rosehearts complexes, but at the same time he always tends to push things until more reasonable people convince everyone involved to just move on. This has led to roseheart pulling the same shit over and over with no accountability for himself. The big issue with just letting it go is we’re largely a self regulating community, and most of us know better than to bother this sites glorious administration with petty lower board bullshit.
This dude has to stop at some point, and just letting him go off with unsubstantiated claims feeds into him just as much as trying to hold him accountable.
I don’t think there is a singular healthy response to this guy anymore. In the past I gladly dropped issues once cooler heads showed up and chilled my composure. At this point though it’s clear he’s just toxic, but again, I don’t think he’s worth the administration’s effort.
In two months he’s just going to start the bullshit claims cycle anew. Do we just let that be a staple of our community? Someone actively saying the community itself is shitty?
I don’t want to feed into his crap, but he really needs to quit making shit up/blowing things out of proportion. I’d much rather he figure things out through his peers than a time out or ban.
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 11:14:23 am
Yeah I definitely agree here. It's best to pick mechanics which best express what you want the game to be about and don't make action processing a nightmare.
Some games use dissonance between the system and premise very skillfully. For instance, a Discord game I'm fond of uses an RTD-inspired 2d6 system, yet the game gets very dramatic at times. Of course, it's also pure chaos at times - someone the other day compared it to a sixty-car pileup that keeps getting added to - but the chaos makes it fun!
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 11:19:25 am
bullshit claimsFortunately, someone else provided one of the instances.
Not sure why you really want to beat the dead horse of me slandering people.
I did present it as a general unsubstantiated claim, which can be countered or supported by others' experience.
I disagree, Paper. And you should try to be ok with that. I did feel there was an issue. Now? That depends if anyone else feels that way, in a month in a half, seems like, not.
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 11:25:24 am
I disagree, Paper. And you should try to be ok with that. I did feel there was an issue. Now? That depends if anyone else feels that way, in a month in a half, seems like, not.The problem with this is that you haven't actually said "I was wrong and I'm sorry for accusing people", you've essentially just said "well I still think it's bullying but I don't want to listen to anyone else disagree anymore". Naturally, that's going to make people disagree harder because they want to be heard, and it contributes to the sense that you will just do this all over again the next time.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 11:26:10 am
For instance, a Discord game I'm fond of uses an RTD-inspired 2d6 system, yet the game gets very dramatic at times. Of course, it's also pure chaos at times - someone the other day compared it to a sixty-car pileup that keeps getting added to - but the chaos makes it fun!
From 2d6?
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 11:26:46 am
I think that above all is cancerous behavior and we really shouldn’t just let him propagate it. Dude can’t even keep his own arguments in line, so how can we really take what he does as anything but intentionally divisive?
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 11:30:55 am
intentionally divisiveI'm sorry if you feel that way Paper. That's not my intention.
Paper, you're the one in my threads. You're the one who calls my games "minimal effort".
But how else do I take this? As your "cooler head" stepping in?
Dude can’t even keep his own arguments in lineIf they're brought up a month later.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 11:34:57 am
-snip-I disagree, but for a different reason.
As he just made clear, he doesn't respect our opinions (at least opinions that point out his mistakes when he opens the door to their discussion), nor is he willing to take any advice that places any responsibility on himself. We are a community here on FGRP, and if we want to self-moderate instead of asking the moderation team to deal with this, that's fine. But if that means we have to just shut him out entirely because of the negative influence he has on the community's members, so be it. Better we entirely ignore his input until he is either prepared to engage in good faith without blatantly disrespecting everyone else in the discussion or leaves to find another community that is more amenable to his needs. Or does something egregious enough to call down the moderation and get himself removed, though I have the impression he has done this already.
I see no loss to us either way; we either gain a valuable member of the community who is willing to engage us in good faith and equal ground, or we lose someone has contributed nothing of import and the forum moves on.
That being said, my own contribution to the discussion will be that I'm frankly surprised we've stopped running PbP DnD campaigns here.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 11:38:01 am
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 11:39:42 am
Paper, you're the one in my threads.
That's what a clique is, going into a public space and forming segregated groups.hmmmm
I would love to be in a PbP D&D game, but my attempts at running D&D have not been successful heretofore.
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 11:41:16 am
I did present it as a general unsubstantiated claim, which can be countered or supported by others' experience.
Did you really expect to make an unsubstantiated claim about the board's character and have nobody take issue with it? In general, you just... shouldn't make those sorts of claims without evidence to back them up. Making an assertation like that just looks bad, and not backing down when presented with evidence looks worse. It makes it look like you're just trying to be bellergent.
I would make a suggestion that you should cool off for a bit, but I don't presume to know your situation, so I can't make any such recommendations. In lieu of that, MoP's suggestion seems reasonable - you should probably take some time off, find new spaces, and try to connect with yourself.
From 2d6?
Well, it's really a combination of factors. I'd say that the major ones are the GM's willingness to roll with pretty much anything, as well as the roleplay of the players (I am probably the biggest culprit here since I love torturing my characters ;)) and premise of the game itself (which also gets pretty dark at times). Although fighting used to be central, it's not so much anymore, and sometimes fights are even resolved narratively.
There's actually two components to any game system: How the dice resolve mechanics (which I will call "hard task resolution") and how whoever is in charge - usually the GM - resolves actions ("soft task resolution"). The balance between each of these resolution mechanics does a great deal in determining how gritty and "crunchy" the game feels. In this case, I would say it is this game's reliance on soft resolution in addition to the fairly minimal hard resolution (2d6 et al) that creates the authentic brand of chaos that is the game's trademark.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 11:41:48 am
As he just made clear, he doesn't respect our opinionsWhen it's the same 3 or 4 people objecting to every opinion I make, it does kind of begin to sound like white noise.
I dare you to try to find anything you agreed with me on. No matter the topic.
Post by: notquitethere on October 07, 2022, 11:42:14 am
That being said, my own contribution to the discussion will be that I'm frankly surprised we've stopped running PbP DnD campaigns here.I've never seen a PBP D&D game last. The reasons as I see them:
- High effort to make a character and level them up
- Wrangling both free form out-of-combat player actions and crunchy turn based combat actions is very labour intensive for the GM
- Live conversations between players can easily be disrupted if someone doesn't post, leaving everyone hanging
D&D is popular but both its mechanics and its game flow are not well suited to forum play. Any given game can try to fix some of these problems but it's fighting against the rule-set as it already exists.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 11:45:27 am
Hell I'm surprised we don't run more campaigns of tabletops on here. Could be nice to do that or at least use FGRP as a base for running live sessions elsewhere and keeping AARs of live sessions on here to entice new joiners (granted it's been a while since I posted anything but FEFs here so I don't remember the rules on AARs).
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 11:45:51 am
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 11:46:34 am
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 11:48:46 am
not backing down when presented with evidence looks worse. It makes it look like you're just trying to be bellergent.The only evidence presented was proving my point. At least regarding my own experience. Had even characterized me as a thief of a character sheet, rather than the benefit of the doubt it was a misunderstanding.
My own experiences were colorful enough that I did believe it was systematic issue.
The problem with this is that you haven't actually said "I was wrong and I'm sorry for accusing people"My experience is true for me, the lack of anyone sharing similar feelings isn't "proof".
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 11:50:56 am
I remember when I wanted to do a PbP GURPS game. Looking back, that was ill-advised - GURPS is crunchy enough that doing it play-by-post would be like waiting for a glacier to carry you across the Atlantic.I see. I'm surprised FEF has survived so long with that kinda thing stopping other, more popular games from hitting it off.
....granted, I'm also the one running a lot of the FEFs nowadays, but we're getting that community drive to move stuff off now that we have an actual calculator to do things.
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 12:01:32 pm
One person does not a pattern make. Follow Occam's Razor: is there a big exclusionary culture that everyone is a part of, or do you need to step back for a bit before you damage your reputation even further than already? I know which one is simpler.
I see. I'm surprised FEF has survived so long with that kinda thing stopping other, more popular games from hitting it off.
....granted, I'm also the one running a lot of the FEFs nowadays, but we're getting that community drive to move stuff off now that we have an actual calculator to do things.
FEF has a huge community around it sustaining it. I can't tell you how it got to that point - you've been in the community for a lot longer than I - but I suspect the reason that no other game has gotten to that point is that there aren't enough people willing to launch something. GURPS, to use that example, is fairly niche among TTRPGs - and chargen has a Hell of a learning curve, so it almost demands that the GM is around to help. That sort of closeness just isn't possible with PbP, so you would almost certainly need to communicate off-site (i.e. Discord) and at that point why not just skip the middleman and run your game there?
Were there any experiments running FEF, or something like it, in real-time? I suspect since the system is not designed for that it won't work well, which makes it much harder to lose players to offsite games.
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 12:02:20 pm
I've thought about trying FEF many times, but I'm not sure I am capable of the time commitment. What would you say it takes to get into it?I remember when I wanted to do a PbP GURPS game. Looking back, that was ill-advised - GURPS is crunchy enough that doing it play-by-post would be like waiting for a glacier to carry you across the Atlantic.I see. I'm surprised FEF has survived so long with that kinda thing stopping other, more popular games from hitting it off.
....granted, I'm also the one running a lot of the FEFs nowadays, but we're getting that community drive to move stuff off now that we have an actual calculator to do things.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 12:05:10 pm
If I were feeling petty, I would copy a list of the forum bans and point out how many of them were from FG&RP, but I don't have any particular desire to extend this argument for any longer than is strictly necessary. If you're not willing to listen, why should I waste time talking to you instead of designing my new roleplay, updating Vestals of the Waves, or, hell, even playing video games?There was actually one attempt, back at the dawn of time, to run a live session of FEF on Maptools.
One person does not a pattern make. Follow Occam's Razor: is there a big exclusionary culture that everyone is a part of, or do you need to step back for a bit before you damage your reputation even further than already? I know which one is simpler.I see. I'm surprised FEF has survived so long with that kinda thing stopping other, more popular games from hitting it off.
....granted, I'm also the one running a lot of the FEFs nowadays, but we're getting that community drive to move stuff off now that we have an actual calculator to do things.
FEF has a huge community around it sustaining it. I can't tell you how it got to that point - you've been in the community for a lot longer than I - but I suspect the reason that no other game has gotten to that point is that there aren't enough people willing to launch something. GURPS, to use that example, is fairly niche among TTRPGs - and chargen has a Hell of a learning curve, so it almost demands that the GM is around to help. That sort of closeness just isn't possible with PbP, so you would almost certainly need to communicate off-site (i.e. Discord) and at that point why not just skip the middleman and run your game there?
Were there any experiments running FEF, or something like it, in real-time? I suspect since the system is not designed for that it won't work well, which makes it much harder to lose players to offsite games.
We never tried that again.
excellent, someone to convert to the cultI've thought about trying FEF many times, but I'm not sure I am capable of the time commitment. What would you say it takes to get into it?I remember when I wanted to do a PbP GURPS game. Looking back, that was ill-advised - GURPS is crunchy enough that doing it play-by-post would be like waiting for a glacier to carry you across the Atlantic.I see. I'm surprised FEF has survived so long with that kinda thing stopping other, more popular games from hitting it off.
....granted, I'm also the one running a lot of the FEFs nowadays, but we're getting that community drive to move stuff off now that we have an actual calculator to do things.
I mean, ahem, with regards to time commitment, it's actually significantly heavier on the GM's side than it is on the player's side. Essentially, as a player, you only need to post at your convenience, maybe check in once or twice a week during fights (as fights are processed GM-side). I would recommend taking some time just to roleplay with your fellow players (both for roleplay reasons and also to get your support levels up) and also checking in on the thread to make sure you haven't been left behind, but for players it's actually pretty light with time commitment.
Now as a GM it takes a buttload of time and I am very
Post by: Maximum Spin on October 07, 2022, 12:16:12 pm
I mean, ahem, with regards to time commitment, it's actually significantly heavier on the GM's side than it is on the player's side. Essentially, as a player, you only need to post at your convenience, maybe check in once or twice a week during fights (as fights are processed GM-side). I would recommend taking some time just to roleplay with your fellow players (both for roleplay reasons and also to get your support levels up) and also checking in on the thread to make sure you haven't been left behind, but for players it's actually pretty light with time commitment.Maybe time commitment isn't exactly what I mean. The part where I wouldn't be expected to be around every day definitely helps, because I'm often not here or not really able to invest much effort on a given day, but the fact that the games can run for years also makes me chary. I would feel bad about not fully seeing an... adventure, or whatever you'd call it, through, and I'm not sure I could avoid it.
Now as a GM it takes a buttload of time and I am verydumbsmart for taking on four of them at once.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 12:18:15 pm
In roseheart’s, uh, defense, the “what’s this?” was him trying to state that he had provided evidence of the problem when it was someone else who made the post and he himself made no effort to do so.No, SirAton was right.
You host ARs, an open format, that takes in all players. It's not any issue I have with you, or that anyone could. Have you ever banned a player?
I think that above all is cancerous behavior and we really shouldn’t just let him propagate it.
Paper, I am not a cancer.
I'm actually a libra...
The problem with this is that you haven't actually said "I was wrong and I'm sorry for accusing people"
A more preferable resolution would be if FE host offered the assistance I need/a beginner session with default heroes to modify. The only thing in my control, would be to host such a game myself, and that is not my intention right now.
I'm not expecting them to do that, I'm just saying it would be nice.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 12:19:54 pm
-snip-Ah, yeah, if that's what you mean then it can be a commitment for the long run, yeah. The fastest a campaign has run was about....a year and a half (one of my own FEFs, actually, Whereabouts of Drink and Coin).
If it helps we've been experimenting with more short-form or low-investment FEFs (see above), but with the format of how FEF works and its mechanics, it does grind up to the limit of doability within the system.
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 12:20:42 pm
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 12:27:12 pm
Now as a GM it takes a buttload of time and I am verydumbsmart for taking on four of them at once.
I do this with arms races. We're part of a pretty
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 12:28:04 pm
Now if only I could finish things at the same rate I start things at...
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 12:47:29 pm
Nah, for real. If I had half the aptitude you seem to have for AR (from what I hear) I'd be twice as productive.Now as a GM it takes a buttload of time and I am verydumbsmart for taking on four of them at once.
I do this with arms races. We're part of a prettystupidexclusive bigbrained club. But making things is addicting, and having people enjoy the things you make even moreso.
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 12:57:27 pm
I've thought about trying FEF many times, but I'm not sure I am capable of the time commitment. What would you say it takes to get into it?I remember when I wanted to do a PbP GURPS game. Looking back, that was ill-advised - GURPS is crunchy enough that doing it play-by-post would be like waiting for a glacier to carry you across the Atlantic.I see. I'm surprised FEF has survived so long with that kinda thing stopping other, more popular games from hitting it off.
....granted, I'm also the one running a lot of the FEFs nowadays, but we're getting that community drive to move stuff off now that we have an actual calculator to do things.
Could you kindly not quote me by that name (if that was intentional; SMF can be buggy sometimes)? I've left it behind, and I would strongly prefer you to call me Iris. Thank you.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 01:25:37 pm
Nah, for real. If I had half the aptitude you seem to have for AR (from what I hear) I'd be twice as productive.
My secret is weed and coffee and a healthy dose of being able to fabricate bullshit on the fly that makes players think I know what I’m doing.
Post by: Takosher on October 07, 2022, 01:49:47 pm
Post by: Iris on October 07, 2022, 02:17:47 pm
Well, it's really a combination of factors. I'd say that the major ones are the GM's willingness to roll with pretty much anything, as well as the roleplay of the players (I am probably the biggest culprit here since I love torturing my characters ;)) and premise of the game itself (which also gets pretty dark at times). Although fighting used to be central, it's not so much anymore, and sometimes fights are even resolved narratively.
There's actually two components to any game system: How the dice resolve mechanics (which I will call "hard task resolution") and how whoever is in charge - usually the GM - resolves actions ("soft task resolution"). The balance between each of these resolution mechanics does a great deal in determining how gritty and "crunchy" the game feels. In this case, I would say it is this game's reliance on soft resolution in addition to the fairly minimal hard resolution (2d6 et al) that creates the authentic brand of chaos that is the game's trademark.
I want to talk about this game some more since it is my darling and I love it to death. I am not the GM, but I've been a player since the beginning, so I am very attached to it and a lot of it has been my doing.
In the beginning, we actually started with a much more inelegant system - superpower use was tracked with energy points, everything was rolled for with 1d6, etc. We eventually moved to a less strict tracking system, and the 2d6 task resolution, around the same time we realized that while it was originally a fan game it had taken on a life of its own outside of canon.
The game's premise was originally entirely based on the fights, but as we moved to roleplay instead of combat as the major driver of the game, we refined the system to be much fluffier. A lot of things are still determined by dice roll, especially surrounding power use, but now there is much more focus on soft resolution - initiative and turns were simplified, and on at least one occasion fights have been mostly diceless, only going with what is dramatically appropriate.
I think that the movement to a softer system was to the game's benefit; while randomness still has a role to play, and in fact is a significant driver of the chaos, it is the GM's ability to interpret the dice rolls that makes the game truly work. Part of good GMing is knowing when to follow the rules and when to break them, and I think our GM is very skillful in that regard. The system is only half of the game, after all.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 02:31:18 pm
There are some personal rules I do have though, the biggest being I don’t do retroactive changes. It just winds up muddying the waters and making things harder on everyone, at least in my own experience. Your mileage may vary though.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 02:36:07 pm
Post by: Doomblade187 on October 07, 2022, 02:44:18 pm
I get that approach. I prefer to buff in favour of my players rather than nerf, and a retroactive change just changes the rules of engagement, which is never good for the players. You don't want them thinking you'll whisk something away from them as and when convenient; I've been on the receiving end of that and I actually quit that game as a result.To be fair Elf, your players probably don't do dumb decisions multiple turns in a row, necessitating the Royalty of their side to exact their frustrations on the design team.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 07, 2022, 03:25:43 pm
Post by: RoseHeart on October 07, 2022, 05:24:50 pm
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 07, 2022, 06:19:12 pm
Not yet, give it time and we'll get corpsewalling soon enough.I get that approach. I prefer to buff in favour of my players rather than nerf, and a retroactive change just changes the rules of engagement, which is never good for the players. You don't want them thinking you'll whisk something away from them as and when convenient; I've been on the receiving end of that and I actually quit that game as a result.To be fair Elf, your players probably don't do dumb decisions multiple turns in a row, necessitating the Royalty of their side to exact their frustrations on the design team.
Post by: King Zultan on October 08, 2022, 03:28:20 am
Anyway I have always wondered if that FEF was as complicated as it looked just scrolling through a thread, but the main reason I've never tried to join one of those games is because of all the complex backgrounds I see in the sheets of other people and I suck at making backgrounds.
Post by: Haspen on October 08, 2022, 04:02:56 am
For me, if your character is decent, a paragraph of bio is enough.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 08, 2022, 04:56:05 am
That's mostly ElfCollaborator :PI learned from the best :P
For me, if your character is decent, a paragraph of bio is enough.
Post by: SirAston on October 08, 2022, 10:39:42 am
Anyway I have always wondered if that FEF was as complicated as it looked just scrolling through a thread, but the main reason I've never tried to join one of those games is because of all the complex backgrounds I see in the sheets of other people and I suck at making backgrounds.The backgrounds from characters can only be as complex as the introduction to a game is and elf loves his worldbuilding, probably a bit too much, plus elf likes to experiment with mechanics leading to some of his games developing complexity creep. Compare this to my current game (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=179804.0) where setting infos are rather sparse and that sparse-ness is reflected on some characters. Tric's Artair and Chev's Rhian got accepted and are definitely on the shorter side regarding their backgrounds.
tbf it helps to be on the FEF server because it's easy to ask questions and bounce ideas around there. But generally I'm okay with short backgrounds as long as there's something that I could potentially use as a hook. There never was a Marchioness Brand before, but Tric introduced her and I can and possibly will use her in the campaign at some point.
Post by: RoseHeart on October 08, 2022, 11:05:49 am
I still find it strange that RoseHeart sees my opinion as more important than those of others, because if you ask me I'd say my opinion wasn't worth shit.
Well, don't give yourself too much credit, my opinion was swayed by Meph. The mafia mod.
I should have asked him earlier, but all I saw was the same couple people getting upset with me, that make career out of it.
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 08, 2022, 11:12:51 am
While I slightly don't appreciate having my games low-key trashed like that (:P) I will say I don't mind a shorter background if the writing is tight enough. In fact in general I'll accept shorter sheets if I can figure out what it is I can do with your character than not, and I feel this is generally the truth for most FEF GMs.Anyway I have always wondered if that FEF was as complicated as it looked just scrolling through a thread, but the main reason I've never tried to join one of those games is because of all the complex backgrounds I see in the sheets of other people and I suck at making backgrounds.The backgrounds from characters can only be as complex as the introduction to a game is and elf loves his worldbuilding, probably a bit too much, plus elf likes to experiment with mechanics leading to some of his games developing complexity creep. Compare this to my current game (http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=179804.0) where setting infos are rather sparse and that sparse-ness is reflected on some characters. Tric's Artair and Chev's Rhian got accepted and are definitely on the shorter side regarding their backgrounds.
tbf it helps to be on the FEF server because it's easy to ask questions and bounce ideas around there. But generally I'm okay with short backgrounds as long as there's something that I could potentially use as a hook. There never was a Marchioness Brand before, but Tric introduced her and I can and possibly will use her in the campaign at some point.
EDIT: And yeah a lot of GMs will experiment with their own homebrew mechanics from time to time, me included. This is the consequence of having a system that's existed as long as FEF has.
Post by: Man of Paper on October 08, 2022, 11:45:28 am
I could walk through all the tweaks I've made based on other arms races that have also grown from my own modifications to the formula, but honestly it'd be better if you just joined Founders eheheh
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 08, 2022, 11:57:42 am
- Tying special abilities to Affinities, which are generally only used for Support level calculations
- Transplanting mechanics from the newer Fire Emblems into FEF's format
- Experimenting with new map mechanics
- Creation of new boss mechanics
While it's not always successful, I feel that experimentation on the mechanical side is the best way for the community to advance. And of course it lets me play around with basically putting JRPG tropes in everything :D
Post by: RoseHeart on October 08, 2022, 12:26:07 pm
The evolution of arms races is another good example of that, and I make a point of trying out at least one new mechanic in an new game I start up.That's pretty smart. My next iteration of a game I'm planning will do the opposite, which is risky. Several key things will be expanded. Solo to teams, from 3 to 6 players, and a new terrain mechanic.
Post by: King Zultan on October 10, 2022, 04:55:25 am
Post by: IamanElfCollaborator on October 10, 2022, 07:21:05 am
Do all the FEF games require you to be on Discord?Well, not in theory, but in practice the community has decamped to Discord nowadays, and we keep all of our discussions over there for reasons earlier events in this thread might explain :P
Post by: Magmacube_tr on October 18, 2022, 05:26:59 pm
But I want to to be in that brilliant 1%, that manages to reach to its conclusion, and have a winner.
I did learn some stuff from the plenty of previous games I've ran in the past, and the one I am currently running. A goal is important. It needs to entice both the players and me to continue. A way of losing is a must. It can't be too convoluted or it'll collapse into itself. All that jazz.
So, I am thinking of an evolution game that combines the strengths and weaknesses of both versions I tried to run.
The "Roll-to-Evolve Evo" is too small and barren, there is just not much you can do with 5 species at any given time. And the scarcity of the species makes them precious. No one wants to play risky, and lose their creature or plant they built up for a dozen turns. They are precious, too precious. It just all stalls out after a while. No conflict happens, and it mellows into a sandbox game that fizzles out like how sandbox games do. The setting loses novelty. Players run out of ideas. I get disinterested.
The "Roll-to-Speciate Evo", on the other hand, is too large and diverse to control. Even with a simple game rule framework, it collapses in on itself before turn 5. And making things more and more convoluted to streamline it makes it less and less comprehensible to the players. After a point, it becomes too distant and stratified. The game becomes an esoteric, arcane nightmare with "tokens" and "cross-dependacies". The setting never forms. The players can't wrap their noggins around it. I manage to sell, but fail to convey the idea.
How about these both meet in the middle? What makes a forum game good in my opinion is a good balance between elasticty and simplicity with a healthy dose of chaoes and wackiness sprinkled in. One is too elastic. The other is too simple. Neither are wacky nor chaotic enough.
Let's get to how this format would work.
Players will control multiple species in battle royale and there will be niches and habitats. But these niches and habitats will be simple and to the point, and the number of them will be strictly limited. No tokens. No web of intricate dependancies. You say, you roll, and get it, with a seldom bonus/penalty attached.
I have already thought of the setting, and how it works. I just want to hear your thoughts.
Post by: Nakéen on October 18, 2022, 05:35:42 pm
Let's get to how this format would work.
Players will control multiple species in battle royale and there will be niches and habitats. But these niches and habitats will be simple and to the point, and the number of them will be strictly limited. No tokens. No web of intricate dependancies. You say, you roll, and get it, with a seldom bonus/penalty attached.
I have already thought of the setting, and how it works. I just want to hear your thoughts.
You highlighted well in your post that an end goal is crucial for a game to reach completion. What would be the goal in the game you have in mind?
Is there a time limit? A specific objective to attain? A win/lose condition? A plot driven by player actions?
Post by: Magmacube_tr on October 18, 2022, 05:41:02 pm
Let's get to how this format would work.
Players will control multiple species in battle royale and there will be niches and habitats. But these niches and habitats will be simple and to the point, and the number of them will be strictly limited. No tokens. No web of intricate dependancies. You say, you roll, and get it, with a seldom bonus/penalty attached.
I have already thought of the setting, and how it works. I just want to hear your thoughts.
You highlighted well in your post that an end goal is crucial for a game to reach completion. What would be the goal in the game you have in mind?
Is there a time limit? A specific objective to attain? A win/lose condition? A plot driven by player actions?
Oh yeah. Forgot to mention.
The game ends in turn 30. There are two goals. Be the most diverse clade, and be the least man standing.
Post by: Nakéen on October 18, 2022, 05:59:17 pm
I don't have much experience with Evolution games though, but there should be a decent amount of examples in the forum. Successful ones though, I have no idea.
Post by: Magmacube_tr on October 19, 2022, 02:20:29 pm
Species Name
Habitat:
Diet:
Features:
The habitat is self-explanatory, Diet is either a carnivore, a herbivore or an omnivore, and features are either just flavor text, or context which allows them to do and be certain things e.g You need to be aquatic to be in the sea, or you need flying or climbing or gliding to reach a tree.
One can have as many features as they like and roll for one as they please, as long as they don't conflict, and they will suffer the realistic consequences of their features in the matters of survival e.g amphibians will fare worse than air-breathers if the planet becomes drier.
So for example...
Gerumis
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Omnivore
Features: Bipedal, Poor Flying, Pack Hunter, Efficent Air-breathing, Terrestrial
This creature is essentially a pack hunting tree bird.
Easy, efficent, and simple.
Post by: Magmacube_tr on October 19, 2022, 02:29:21 pm
Though... Yeah, wait. Yeah. Alright...
Screw the stratified biomes. I shall solely take account of the landmasses instead, having them carry the species accordibg to the biomes on them, instead of trying to neatly split them into biomes and then try to make it make sense.
If a landmass has forests and plains, it has a forest and a plain tab. Dats it.
Post by: ConscriptFive on October 19, 2022, 02:59:56 pm
Post by: notquitethere on October 19, 2022, 04:08:49 pm
From a mechanical standpoint, why wouldn't you make an omnivore? Unless there's a defined benefit to a narrow diet, how is it even a choice?The way the Evolution boardgame gets around this is to have herbivore be the default and then the ability to digest other stuff be gained from additional traits (which compete for space with other traits you might want). If Magma wants Omnivore to be a choice from the start, it could be balanced out in a different way. For example, maybe carnivores need to feed less and herbivores have access to more plentiful but food (after all, omnivores can't usually digest grass and leaves to the same extent dedicated herbivores can).