Magicians Game

Auspice

A good way to add the thematic risk of magic is to allow 'pushing past your boundaries', ie, trying to cast magic that you're only so-so familiar with. But at higher difficulties (or perhaps adding power to your spell), and where if you fail you've accepted the consequence by trying. This gets around the really terrible mechanic of random dice destroying your character when she's trying to light a candle, while still allowing a sense of danger and risk if you really want to go the extra mile.

I will likely do something along these lines (great way of looking at it), using FS3's 'embarrassing failure' result level as sort of a botched roll.

Misadventure

@il-volpe said in Magicians Game:

Sure it does. The goal is for your team to take more squares than the opposing team, and it would be better strategy to snatch away any squares that you thought were in their wheelhouse, while leaving to the last those that you felt pretty sure they'd have a tough time taking anyway.

I was wrapped up in the way players of The Game might say avoid an athletic competition with someone who is an obvious athlete, going to something that both the candidates aren't good at (the ultimate version of this being one hand Dragon poker), but you are right. I wonder if the scoring is more than binary, meaning if you do a bad job of solving a square, its not as good as a masterful solution. That would change the value of going after squares that your opposition is stronger at.

Auspice

@Misadventure said in Magicians Game:

@il-volpe said in Magicians Game:

Sure it does. The goal is for your team to take more squares than the opposing team, and it would be better strategy to snatch away any squares that you thought were in their wheelhouse, while leaving to the last those that you felt pretty sure they'd have a tough time taking anyway.

I was wrapped up in the way players of The Game might say avoid an athletic competition with someone who is an obvious athlete, going to something that both the candidates aren't good at (the ultimate version of this being one hand Dragon poker), but you are right. I wonder if the scoring is more than binary, meaning if you do a bad job of solving a square, its not as good as a masterful solution. That would change the value of going after squares that your opposition is stronger at.

So I read the books a few years ago (I will probably re-read as part of this project; right now I'm enjoying the show), but I feel like that was implied in the vague details given about Welters. That how you solve a square is as important as claiming it.

It would also explain why (in the show), performing well at Welters for possible mentors was so important.

Wizz

@Arkandel said in Magicians Game:

One of the really hard parts to convey in a game - because they are not difficult but hard - is just how dangerous magic was in the Magicians' universe.

Magic fucked you up. One slip and you were fucked. Entire classes had been known to disappear - and that's while they were getting tutored in prestigious schools, not picking up tricks by street wizards.

In games that ain't gonna happen because, well, risk.

Quentin ends the first book with (SPOILERS?? I GUESS????????) magical wooden prostheses and white hair, so it's not like you can't make risk interesting in this universe, it doesn't have to be straight-up death to be tense or entertaining.

Arkandel

@Wizz I propose we lift any (book) spoiler restrictions from this thread if we'll discuss it here. The Magician's Land has been out since 2014.

Misadventure

No way. Season 2 isn't even on Netflix yet.

Arkandel

@Misadventure The series really strays from the books a lot.

More to the point: Playing on the MUSH will need to invariably refer to rules of magic, creature types, etc not mentioned in the TV series. There's no way to tip-toe around this without castrating the theme.

Always IMHO, of course.

Misadventure

-_-

I'm not done with the books yet.

However, I will yield to whatever Auspice most benefits from, as long as my characters get a free +1 to negotiations skill.

Auspice

I will say that while there will be similar themes to the books, I'm not following their plotline. It'd be difficult to, anyway.

But as someone who has read the books... the show does deviate, quite a bit, story-wise. Mechanics-wise, however, I feel they complement one another.

I am OK with spoilers in the thread and can always edit the original post as a warning if people feel it may be necessary.

Coin

@Auspice said in Magicians Game:

I will say that while there will be similar themes to the books, I'm not following their plotline. It'd be difficult to, anyway.

But as someone who has read the books... the show does deviate, quite a bit, story-wise. Mechanics-wise, however, I feel they complement one another.

I am OK with spoilers in the thread and can always edit the original post as a warning if people feel it may be necessary.

"This game ocurs in one particular, hidden, alternate timeline in which Jane got all of the protagonists to not come to Brakebills at all. Let's see what happened!"

Zz

@Coin And now she's left with these shits... slim pickings.

Actually - the game centered pre-show could be interesting. The ones that didn't 'quite work out as expected' gives you potentially cool play options.

I am excited for however @Auspice rolls.

Misadventure

As a side project I could see some fun in actually playing the protagonists, but each sequence is just the first year and how it fails.

lavit2099

I am excited about this concept and hope something comes of it. Sign me up for your news letter, good sir and/or madam!

Auspice

I do intend to make this happen. Unfortunately, at this very moment, there's a few things working against me:

Full-time job
School that sometimes feels like a full-time job
Chronic migraines

Once one of the above lets up, I'll probably start working on documentation (theme, how it'll work with the new FS3 system, etc.).

Auspice

As my other post re: wiki may have hinted, I am slowly starting to make this happen. I am picking away at things as I have inspiration. There's obviously no set timeframe.

However, I had a spark of inspiration and got my initial metaplot outlined today. I'm pretty excited about it.

Lithium

@Auspice What code base are you using? I can help with some code possibly to help make this happen.

Auspice

@Lithium said in Magicians Game:

@Auspice What code base are you using? I can help with some code possibly to help make this happen.

Gonna go with AresMUSH once @faraday is ready for me to play with her baby.

Lithium

@Auspice Ahh well can't help with that one, don't know the language yet. Wish I could help.

Auspice

@Lithium said in Magicians Game:

@Auspice Ahh well can't help with that one, don't know the language yet. Wish I could help.

How are you with descing? >.>

This doesn't just go for Lithium- I could use some help with the grid. Specifically if anyone's read the books more recently than I (it's been over two years) and recalls layouts/locations around Brakebills that could help me put the grid, descs, etc. together.

Lithium

I am good with desc'ing, but, I've never read the books. Only watched the series. I can also code at work, because nobody cares if I code at work... but if I was writing descriptions and it came up on QA it'd be different.