[OOC] Worlds of Fire - Page 30

Talosian · 07-13-2012, 01:00 AM

Still here. Sorry I was gone for a bit.

Totem · 07-14-2012, 02:14 PM

I'm not sure if I've asked questions like this before, but I should have if I haven't. Let me start with a story:

The guy who introduced me to the idea of GURPS (though not to the game itself sadly; I discovered that several years later) mentioned one situation that he had been in during a game where he was trying to take out someone in a car. For whatever reason, the proposed method of doing this was: a bomb (Demolitions/ Explosives/ Armoury) wired up to an infra-red detonator which was then detonated by his character riding a motorbike (Drive) using the infra-red doohicky on a mobile phone (Computer Operation to program a suitable signal, plus a penalty on Drive for trying to manipulate the phone and the motorbike at the same time). I think it worked...

Anyway, the point here is that I got the impression that the whole thing was somewhat open ended. Now, obviously it's tricky to be that open ended when you're on PbP because it's harder to just chat and exchange ideas with the other players (well, it isn't, but it's harder to keep track of the whole thing when it starts to run into multiple pages and people start loosing track of what the actual idea is).

Basically, my question is what would people prefer on PbP? I'm mostly aiming this question at my current players, but I'm open for anyone who wants to put their bit in to do so. I can railroad things and just make it a series of directed encounters where you have little or no choice about where to go (basically a more extreme version of what is happening here, where the team leader is an NPC) or more open ended (where you would be given a situation with a clear goal defined and would need to sort out how to deal with it based on what you took the initiative to find out). That last one I sort of tried with the first part of Worlds of Fire (dealing with Chu'dam), and I've tried to keep it to a less severe kind of railroading since then...

Basically, I'm trying to streamline the style a bit here; I've been left waiting for players to respond with thoughts on how to proceed when they're just sitting around not planning on moving at all, and I've had thoughts about whether to keep Worlds of Fire going or to give it up and start up something else instead. So whether I'm using these thoughts for Worlds of Fire or a different game... I could do with some hints or actual thoughts and suggestions so that I can work out what to do next.

(I'm not intending to be nasty here, but it's kind of come to a head recently where I'm expecting players to take the opportunity to role play and do something creative with the skills that they spent points on, when they seem to be expecting me to provide the ideas for them. This is genuinely a question of style, rather than getting at people.)

ericthered · 07-14-2012, 03:55 PM

Honestly, we have a series of specialties, and right now combat is not one of them. Having an NPC direct combat is not a problem. In fact, in the current situation, we're along to provide manpower and to help if something unexpected comes up. When we have the prisoners, have lost the prisoners, or run into a situation combat can't handle, certainly give us the choices. PbP is great for role playing. Its not great for combat, and right now, directing combat isn't in character.

I think we're looking forward to solving mysteries, not defeating necromancers in combat.

Dorin Thorha · 07-14-2012, 04:34 PM

In my specific case, I think the problem is that I've build up Indi as a very reactionary personality. His modus operandi is to act as a trouble magnet, set things up favorably for his allies, and then dodge out at the last second through a combination of fast talking, fast thinking, and if needed fast running. In this situation he did exactly that, but got some unlucky rolls, so instead of a prisoner to interrogate he got a knife in his back. Now he's severely wounded, and doesn't really have any abilities that will be useful until the attacker reveals themselves. An invisible attacker in the woods at night would find it trivially easy to elude any attempt to find them with the resources at Indi's disposal, so really Indi has to wait until either the attacker makes another move and reveals their position or someone with paranormal detection abilities shows up.

Perhaps this is a time to call in a Serendipity chip and have the attacker slip up somehow.

Totem · 07-15-2012, 01:50 PM

(Pending replies from the other two)

So far the opinion seems to be for reduced combat and more mysteries to solve and maybe some more people stuff. The catch with mysteries is that it does rely on players looking for stuff and either:

Being clever
Making the rolls for the characters to be clever
The GM making the rolls for characters to be clever (in which case I might as well go to Plan B and write the whole thing up as a novel, which was something that I was considering at one time).

I'm reworking the next few bits of this section of Worlds of Fire (this might take a couple of days, or more) and I'll aim for less combat (you're not getting out of it entirely). This will require some working out on behalf of the players (in one of the three forms described above). I'll try to work out a decent balance here.

I'm still open to further ideas and thoughts on this (specifically from Lamech and Talosian).

Dorin Thorha · 07-17-2012, 03:09 PM

I gotta say, every time I see Lamech play I'm taking notes on how to deal with the nightmare that is dance-limited magery should one of my own players ever talk me into allowing it.

Lamech · 07-17-2012, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dorin Thorha

I gotta say, every time I see Lamech play I'm taking notes on how to deal with the nightmare that is dance-limited magery should one of my own players ever talk me into allowing it.

Its more of a problem in areas where magic is known. In a known magic world consider two mages, in the same situation.
Normal: You don't agree? *charm*
Dancer: You don't agree? *ch-* Hey I wasn't done casting yet!

Being discrete is hard. :(

Totem · 07-19-2012, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lamech

Its more of a problem in areas where magic is known. In a known magic world consider two mages, in the same situation.
Normal: You don't agree? *charm*
Dancer: You don't agree? *ch-* Hey I wasn't done casting yet!

Being discrete is hard. :(

Discrete is a problem. Timing isn't though; the two would take the same time to cast.

Minor point of scheduling: I'm going to be off the grid as of next Saturday (so possibly won't be posting as of Thursday evening), until the Thursday after (2nd). Anyone players with holidays or similar where they won't be able to post, please let me know so that I know why you've suddenly gone quiet.

ericthered · 07-25-2012, 11:53 AM

Could we get a rundown of where everyone is and what the site looks like? A estimation of numbers and distances would be good as well.

I also don't think any nukes are coming unless this is a larger group and compound than I thought.

Lamech · 07-25-2012, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Totem

Discrete is a problem. Timing isn't though; the two would take the same time to cast.

Yup, but you can't interrupt spell casting if you don't realize its happening.

07-13-2012, 01:00 AM	#291
Talosian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire Still here. Sorry I was gone for a bit.

07-14-2012, 02:14 PM	#292
Totem Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: The Western Harbour	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire I'm not sure if I've asked questions like this before, but I should have if I haven't. Let me start with a story: The guy who introduced me to the idea of GURPS (though not to the game itself sadly; I discovered that several years later) mentioned one situation that he had been in during a game where he was trying to take out someone in a car. For whatever reason, the proposed method of doing this was: a bomb (Demolitions/ Explosives/ Armoury) wired up to an infra-red detonator which was then detonated by his character riding a motorbike (Drive) using the infra-red doohicky on a mobile phone (Computer Operation to program a suitable signal, plus a penalty on Drive for trying to manipulate the phone and the motorbike at the same time). I think it worked... Anyway, the point here is that I got the impression that the whole thing was somewhat open ended. Now, obviously it's tricky to be that open ended when you're on PbP because it's harder to just chat and exchange ideas with the other players (well, it isn't, but it's harder to keep track of the whole thing when it starts to run into multiple pages and people start loosing track of what the actual idea is). Basically, my question is what would people prefer on PbP? I'm mostly aiming this question at my current players, but I'm open for anyone who wants to put their bit in to do so. I can railroad things and just make it a series of directed encounters where you have little or no choice about where to go (basically a more extreme version of what is happening here, where the team leader is an NPC) or more open ended (where you would be given a situation with a clear goal defined and would need to sort out how to deal with it based on what you took the initiative to find out). That last one I sort of tried with the first part of Worlds of Fire (dealing with Chu'dam), and I've tried to keep it to a less severe kind of railroading since then... Basically, I'm trying to streamline the style a bit here; I've been left waiting for players to respond with thoughts on how to proceed when they're just sitting around not planning on moving at all, and I've had thoughts about whether to keep Worlds of Fire going or to give it up and start up something else instead. So whether I'm using these thoughts for Worlds of Fire or a different game... I could do with some hints or actual thoughts and suggestions so that I can work out what to do next. (I'm not intending to be nasty here, but it's kind of come to a head recently where I'm expecting players to take the opportunity to role play and do something creative with the skills that they spent points on, when they seem to be expecting me to provide the ideas for them. This is genuinely a question of style, rather than getting at people.) __________________ "John Adams was a farmer. Abraham Lincoln was a small-town lawyer. Plato, Socrates were teachers. Jesus was a carpenter. To equate judgment and wisdom with occupation is at best... insulting."

07-14-2012, 03:55 PM	#293
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire Honestly, we have a series of specialties, and right now combat is not one of them. Having an NPC direct combat is not a problem. In fact, in the current situation, we're along to provide manpower and to help if something unexpected comes up. When we have the prisoners, have lost the prisoners, or run into a situation combat can't handle, certainly give us the choices. PbP is great for role playing. Its not great for combat, and right now, directing combat isn't in character. I think we're looking forward to solving mysteries, not defeating necromancers in combat.

07-14-2012, 04:34 PM	#294
Dorin Thorha Join Date: Oct 2009	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire In my specific case, I think the problem is that I've build up Indi as a very reactionary personality. His modus operandi is to act as a trouble magnet, set things up favorably for his allies, and then dodge out at the last second through a combination of fast talking, fast thinking, and if needed fast running. In this situation he did exactly that, but got some unlucky rolls, so instead of a prisoner to interrogate he got a knife in his back. Now he's severely wounded, and doesn't really have any abilities that will be useful until the attacker reveals themselves. An invisible attacker in the woods at night would find it trivially easy to elude any attempt to find them with the resources at Indi's disposal, so really Indi has to wait until either the attacker makes another move and reveals their position or someone with paranormal detection abilities shows up. Perhaps this is a time to call in a Serendipity chip and have the attacker slip up somehow. __________________ <><

07-15-2012, 01:50 PM	#295
Totem Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: The Western Harbour	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire (Pending replies from the other two) So far the opinion seems to be for reduced combat and more mysteries to solve and maybe some more people stuff. The catch with mysteries is that it does rely on players looking for stuff and either: Being clever Making the rolls for the characters to be clever The GM making the rolls for characters to be clever (in which case I might as well go to Plan B and write the whole thing up as a novel, which was something that I was considering at one time). I'm reworking the next few bits of this section of Worlds of Fire (this might take a couple of days, or more) and I'll aim for less combat (you're not getting out of it entirely). This will require some working out on behalf of the players (in one of the three forms described above). I'll try to work out a decent balance here. I'm still open to further ideas and thoughts on this (specifically from Lamech and Talosian). __________________ "John Adams was a farmer. Abraham Lincoln was a small-town lawyer. Plato, Socrates were teachers. Jesus was a carpenter. To equate judgment and wisdom with occupation is at best... insulting."

07-17-2012, 03:09 PM	#296
Dorin Thorha Join Date: Oct 2009	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire I gotta say, every time I see Lamech play I'm taking notes on how to deal with the nightmare that is dance-limited magery should one of my own players ever talk me into allowing it. __________________ <><

07-25-2012, 11:53 AM	#299
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Re: [OOC] Worlds of Fire Could we get a rundown of where everyone is and what the site looks like? A estimation of numbers and distances would be good as well. I also don't think any nukes are coming unless this is a larger group and compound than I thought.