Horror MUX - Discussion

surreality · Dec 9, 2018, 2:00 PM

Seconding @Goldfish completely. This one was really wow -- and the first two were also spectacular.

Definitely a good time to pop in!

surreality · Dec 9, 2018, 3:14 PM

As a quick reference, this is the list of spots currently available:

http://horrormu.com/index.php/Archetypes

12 currently, which is a great range of options.

Goldfish · Dec 10, 2018, 7:36 PM

I'll add a little something that was of mild concern to me before I jumped in at story one: Isle of Dread. World building. I asked myself if I cared if the worlds were underdeveloped in this proposed cycle of stories. I decided I cared more about the character ideas and moved on along.

And then Prosperity's Price happened. The island was fun, short and experimental. I had personal RL issues during Aliens and Sci-Fi isn't my genre. The combo made for bad decisions and a bad time but it's on me. Not on the game. I was glad to move to a new setting. Historical at that!

Oh lord, Prosperity exists. It's as well formed and built in my mind as a game I've been playing for years. My character (The Confidant as archetype), is as real and bound to me as much as any character I have ever played. He and I are so twisted that horror and tragedy within the story have affected me in RL which, of course, speaks to my own insanity but it speaks to the world that has been built by The Director and the other PCs.

My boy has friends, family, loves, dreams and all of those things are crumbling before his eyes in slow motion and by the time any scene is over I need a day or two to disengage. Tears have been shed. It's been a very intense experience and I am happy to say I haven't had any OOC drama to make things worse or more intense as drama bleeds in. No no no. This is my fault. I aimed for a different exploration of the Archetype and just made myself sad.

It's awesome. We, as the characters, feel a little bit like soldiers in the trenches. Just holding it together until it's over for better or worse. Praying for the best and expecting the worse. Let's not go into characters with TB that are doomed no matter what.

It's been stunning but I am so, so, so ready for Slasher that holds the promise of being lighter and funnier. That said, I don't expect the world to be any less vivid or the characters to pack less punch. It'll just be different.

Thanks for coming to my TedRP talk.

surreality · Dec 10, 2018, 9:27 PM

Seconding this; the western has been the land of all the crying, because the story is incredibly wow. Also, all the everyone crying and cracking jokes together OOC and laughing at the same time, because the people are just as wow and epic.

So much with the crying, though, oh my lawd. The good sort of 'if this was a movie everyone would have gasped right there at once out loud in the theater' moments are very much a thing. The group cheers, yep, those, too.

Cannot praise the game enough. Really just can't.

Botulism · Dec 17, 2018, 5:07 AM

We begin a more in-depth look at the Eager Beaver Lodge with brochure material about the lodge in general.

Nestled deep in the Oregon woods is Beaver Lake, where a small, man-made island is home to Eager Beaver Lodge. A bridge connects the wooded island to the mainland, and the nearest town is over 80 miles away, making it the ideal vacation spot to get away from the world and enjoy nature at its most beautiful.

The lake offers swimming, boating and fishing opportunities, there are hiking trails through the woods of the island, and the lodge offers a full-service restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining. An indoor pool makes swimming enjoyable year-round, and a separate converted boathouse building gives discerning guests a more private experience. Enjoy the best of the majestic Oregon wetlands at the Eager Beaver - we're eager to serve you!

Over forty acres of forest island surrounds Eager Beaver Lodge, filled with hiking trails and ancient trees wider than a Winnebago. A gently sloping lawn leads down from the main lodge to the beach, where canoes, kayaks and other small boats await. A majestic gazebo is a wedding favorite, and all around are picnic tables and benches for a delightful picnic or romantic moonlight dinner.

If hiking is your thing, there are several trails that weave through the woods, with gorgeous brooks and waterfalls along the way. Take in the breath-taking views from all over the island and maybe find a private little beach of your own.

The lake is full of fun year round for fishing, but swimming in the Summer can't be beat. Have a party with a bonfire late into the night and refresh in the cool waters of Beaver Lake. We can even cater your event by the water with a full-service bar!

The main lodge is centered on a massive fireplace and big bay windows that give a stunning view as you get warm by the fire. Two floors of rustic, luxurious rooms keep you nice and cozy, and our indoor and outdoor dining offers even more views of beautiful Oregon at its finest.

This area, surrounded by high chain-link fence, is off limits to guests for their own safety. Long ago condemned after a terrible accident, we advise our guests to obey the signs that surround it and keep to the public areas of the grounds.

Botulism · Jan 16, 2019, 10:51 AM

The following archetypes/players have not been on or active in RP lately, and I need to know if they plan to return or not. If not, no reason needed, it's fine! Just need to have them played or opened back up.

The Athlete
The Dabbler
The Healer
The Hunter
The Idealist
The Lover
The Rebel
The Scientist
The Survivor
The Vigilante

Thanks!

Botulism · Feb 13, 2019, 9:38 PM

Slasher is wrapping up in the next week or two, bringing Season 4 to a close. It's been a blast of unexpected feels, tons of tropes and all the bad decisions in the world.

Up next for Season 5? Carnival of Wonders!

I'm really happy with how this story has turned out! I was honestly pretty nervous about trying to follow Prosperity's Price and how heavy and moving that story was, especially with with something that's essentially 80s shlock, but it's actually been huge fun. I'm finally finding my groove, I think, and I don't think I've ever run so many scenes in such a short period of time in my life.

Thank you to all the AMAZING people who let me entertain them, and the crazy few who help me run the whole thing, doing all the paperwork so I can just tell stories. This is by far the most rewarding and enjoyable experience I've ever had on a MU in my 24 years in the hobby.

Thank you all SO MUCH!

surreality · Feb 13, 2019, 10:52 PM

Carnival of Wonders is legitimately the best story concept I have ever seen for a MUX. It's the kind of thing I have wished more or less forever was a full time MUX!

If folks are on the fence about peeking in, this would be a grand time, especially if you're keen on mythology, myth-making, and similar. The general concept is a mashup of Carnivale and American Gods. Yeah, y'all read that right. @Botulism is seriously underselling herself here on how amazing this one is, (and she is for coming up with it, because goddamn).

If your inner story geek just got a case of the vapors? Definitely pop in!

ZombieGenesis · Feb 14, 2019, 12:36 AM

I say every season I'm gonna give it a try but I'm gonna push myself to make it happen this time.

Caryatid · Feb 14, 2019, 2:18 AM

Dear god I would play the hell out of that setting if I could. I'd play the hell out of that MUSH. What a great concept for stories.

Livia · Feb 14, 2019, 2:27 AM

@Caryatid You should then!

Caryatid · Feb 14, 2019, 6:42 AM

@Livia I really can't right now. But I hope there are people aplenty who'll play the hell out of it for me!

Derp · Feb 14, 2019, 7:01 AM

So for those of us just tuning in, a couple of questions:

From my understanding, players have certain Archtypes that they manifest in specific ways in the game, correct? Do players design these, or does staff assign them? Are they limited in number? I.e., can new players join in the middle of a season, and can they play something of their creation with staff approval, or is this more of a roster system? Is it first come, first served, or are there certain spots left reserved for new players?

Botulism · Feb 14, 2019, 7:13 AM

@Derp said in Horror MUX - Discussion:

So for those of us just tuning in, a couple of questions:

From my understanding, players have certain Archetypes that they manifest in specific ways in the game, correct?

Correct. You choose an Archetype, then play different roles based on it over the different stories.

Do players design these, or does staff assign them? Are they limited in number?

You pick from what's available. There's a master list of Archetypes, and as they come open they're made available for a new player.

I.e., can new players join in the middle of a season, and can they play something of their creation with staff approval, or is this more of a roster system? Is it first come, first served, or are there certain spots left reserved for new players?

You can join in during the first half of a story. After the half-way point, new roles aren't brought in. Your role in each story varies - in some stories I pre-write them to fill needs. In other stories, I work with you to make it. And sometimes I let you do whatever, as long as it fits the Archetype.

The master list of Archetypes is fixed and finite, so when we're full, we're full. There's ALWAYS turnover, though.

surreality · Feb 14, 2019, 8:53 AM

@Derp It's kinda a roster in that there's a list of specific archetypes people can use, and only one of that archetype at a time is in play.

Each new person to play it is playing a totally new iteration/incarnation of that archetype, however, so you're not coming in and picking up a specific character that has been played before with a history or connections you need to maintain or keep track of in any way.

Goldfish · Feb 14, 2019, 2:57 PM

@surreality I can cosign this.

I don't think it's a surprise to say that each recycled archetype's player brought something different and interesting to their version of the Archetype, not to mention that the story shapes the archetype as well.

I play The Confidant and I've been around since Season 1. He's been everything from and EMT to a Sheriff and Psychologist to a Model turned Film Student. The Carnival has him as probably a Knife Thrower, in addition to the Blind Norse god Hodr. All the stories have taken place in a different time period too. Again, my 2018 EMT is very different than my 1900s Sheriff's Deputy.

I like to think that I've maintained a thread of similarities through each story that is unique to me as a player. For instance, I choose a male to play a Confidant, which I see as a nurturing role. Men aren't commonly cast as nurturers so that by itself has been fun, especially in the historical settings when men were men and here's the Confidant, listening to your problems and giving you that hug you totes need.

I figure if The Confidant can be pried from my hands, someone else is going to have a totally different approach to him.

Botulism · Feb 15, 2019, 11:53 AM

So I think I killed about a quarter of the PCs tonight - mine included. That's probably an exaggeration, but not by much. Oh the joys of a game where you can blow shit up and everyone enjoys it instead of losing their shit.

Goldfish · Feb 15, 2019, 1:39 PM

They wept a river of tears too, from my knowledge. I don't know what kinda magic @Botulism has, but it's always gut shots when people die or get maimed.

But...they don't stop playing. So, it's sad but you still have your beloved baby and all is well.

Sarc · Feb 15, 2019, 7:03 PM

There was much sobbing. People dying in other people's arms, dragging the remaining folks out of a burning building, etc. IT WAS GREAT. \o/

Hbgjjnngddvhil · Feb 16, 2019, 11:27 AM

Dying in this game has been some of the most fun I've ever had. Knowing you'll come back in the Facility makes it okay to fling yourself into the stupidest of situations. Last night I dueled a miniboss, and in what was a bizarre string of lucky rolls, did not get hit once. I REALLY EASILY could have got gibbed! And I would have been okay with that, because I would have gone out epic, shiny and chrome.