Dark Metal - Still Up
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We're still around, but real change has happened. There is a lot of DM hate out there and to be completely frank, I've given a lot of thought about whether or not I should post this. I have a thick skin and can handle the heat, so don't hold back if you have something brutal to say.
Preamble aside, let's see if I can draw anyone into the positives.
I have been on-again/off-again as a player and staff on Dark Metal for about 20 years. It was my first game and now my only game. What's changed? I'm glad you asked. There are a couple of very important bits that I hope will appeal to new and old players.
First, and perhaps most important: Player Agency. Dark Metal staff has adopted a hands off approach to ALL but the most unpleasant of issues. Harassment and other rule-breaking will be handled by staff. The gameplay, however, now belongs to the players. Gone are the days of approval for this or that special thing. You play the game how you want. This is achieved using troupe-style play. Collect some friends, designate one or more to act as storyteller. Those folks will handle approvals, etc. for your group. Tell the stories YOU want to tell using only the input from staff that YOU want. Troupes and individual players are free to intermingle with other troupes as desired. I hope I explained that well enough, but will be more than happy to elucidate as required.
Staff has changed. There are a few core staff members handling most things. Sphere staff is no longer required. See above. We support troupes, individual requests, and code as needed.
All of you previously-banned players? Clean slate, folks. We want everyone to give US a chance, so we will give YOU a chance.
This is NOT a reboot. For potential returning players, if your old PC is still there, play away. If it is not, you are free to remake at the power level you remember.
One last thing. NWoD support, with its own associated grid: the New York, New Jersey, Boston metroplex, is underway with several character types being playable now. These PCs are not free to mix with classic WoD PCs due to different game systems/balancing (or lack-thereof).
Anyway, we're still here and asking for a look-over. We're very open to discussion regarding the new systems in place. We want to make Dark Metal fun again. We can only do that with your help.
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Strange, I always thought Dark Metal was a battletech mush for some reason.
I do like your new policy for supporting player run troupes, though.
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Interesting.
I knew Darkmetal has had an difficult rep over the years, but when I was playing (and we're talking the 90s here) it was fun regardless of any issues. Maybe I had better luck side-stepping that sort of thing back then than I do now -- but the game size probably helped. I'd really like to see how the new approach works, since it incorporates a lot of things people seem to have been discussing here, and seeing it in practice would be pretty awesome.
I'd definitely be willing to check it out if time opens up. I owe a (finally!) completed chargen already elsewhere (damn you, real life taking actual time in my old age), but if that and current stuff allows...
...my memories of the place tended to be good ones. It sounds like it would be worth a real shot.
(Totally not just saying this because I miss the Tzimisce like crazy, swear.)
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How many troupes are active? I was one of the folks on DM til the switch over to the troupe thing and it seemed like the only real active one was vampire. It that still the case?
Or have others started up?
Also I give a thumbs up to adding the NWoD content. -
There is currently only a Requiem troupe playing. Ideally, I'd like to see more active troupes. That's partially the reason for this post. The player base is low. It has been since the changes started going into place. I feel like we're in a good place to introduce these changes to a wider audience.
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DM will always hold a special place in my heart. Joined when I first started mushing in 91, played my first WoD character, and got my first kudos from staff for resolution/handling of a PK scene. Why would I know that I just walked into the Sabbat hangout?! It was a bar!
Anyway, got out of there with my life (and the guy that rushed to kill me got to live because I didn't drop the lighter), and I found out just how PK-weary the staff were at the time. Hell, I was just having fun with the story, I was fascinated. I got hooked.
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@rook Very similar to my first experience. Though MetSec got me. Still loved it.
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I actually PKed someone that attacked me my first night on DM. It was wild, still the only PK I have done in my mushing career.
For it's rep which in many ways was deserved it was a lot of fun, and even with the worst staff it was usually very easy to avoid them and have fun. -
I just melt-glued the vamp's boot soles to the floor, then threw a bottle of Everclear at them. Stood there with the lighter. He backed down, I flipped the lighter closed.
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We intended Darkmetal to be a nonsense, bullshit game. It fulfilled its role admirably, and while everyone hated it everyone still played there because it was working as designed.
Then Durthorin's player took over and it became a bullshit nonsense game that wouldn't admit to it.
Whatever DM is turning into, it's cool that it sounds like staff is willing to guide instead of insist. Go for it.
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@thenomain I appreciate that.
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@thenomain brings up some very good points that I wanted to expand on, but was unable to from my phone without going insane--so I waited until I was on a computer.
Yes, DM was originally created as a nonsense, bullshit game. And it was a WHOLE lot of the fun to play even though the frustration level and general anxiety was a bit on the high side most of the time. People kept coming back for more. /I/ kept coming back for more.
Part of this troupe support: I would LOVE it if someone started a troupe that kept the same feel and play of the old days. A lot of people really enjoyed that. I would absolutely play in that sort of troupe.
On the other hand, DM's setting was very inspirational to me back in the day and from time to time I, personally, wanted to play in something more insular, away from the controlled chaos of a 'nonsense bullshit' game. I did get some of that, back in the day. I got more even after the change of ownership--but that turnover was very rocky and there were certainly a lot of bugs to iron out.
I feel like troupe style will support both styles very well. Normally, I wouldn't advocate a statement like 'Hey, we can make everyone happy', but after some initial testing, I really think we can come very close to that mark.
For the uninitiated, Dark Metal is a classic World of Darkness game that generally supports the later editions of the game with its code and is set in a cyberpunk future where supernaturals were discovered to be real and that knowledge caused the downfall of civilization as we knew it in an event known as The Fall. In the aftermath of this, mega-corporations--the new government--have declared paranormal beings to be illegal, a status crime punishable by execution. The classic WoD setting is the Los Angeles and Tijuana Metroplex Area (LATMA). It has a rich and lengthy in-game history dating back over two decades of play.
We are now, however, also offering for support for a NWoD/GMC hybrid game set in the New York, New Jersey, Boston Metroplex (NewBos). This game is playable at the same address/port as the classic WoD game. Our current offerings for NWoD (and this is growing every couple of weeks) are: Mortals, Ghouls, Vampires, Changelings, and Aliens (from Mirrors: Infinite Macabre).
There are NO house-rules in effect for either version of the game; those will be left to the individual storytellers running the different troupes.
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I've gone through the chargen process here and am officially on the grid now. While I haven't gotten down to actually playing yet, I can say that my impressions are so far very positive. Staff's been friendly, accommodating, and useful in terms of getting me through the process of developing my concept and making something appropriate for the setting.
Also liking the idea of the troupe thing, though I wasn't sure I would at first. It seems like a good pre-built way to get people down and playing in a relatively small timeframe.
It's worth taking a look.
