Horror MUX - Discussion

[Botulism]

We kick off our first story in two days!

The following Archetypes were claimed but haven't been around of late If they haven't by Sunday morning, I'm recycling them for a new player. If one of these is yours, just pop on and let me know you'll be around Friday.

The Analyst
The Architect
The Bravo
The Creepshow
The Crusader
The Defender
The Rogue
The Scientist
The Soldier
The Stoic
The Thrill-Seeker

We still have four Archetypes unclaimed! Join in now to be a part of opening day on Friday, July 13th!

[Botulism]

We currently have 8 archetypes open for players to claim. All but two have been IC in their current role, so they come as-is like a roster character, though a new player can tweak and customize a bit. Most of these RPed once or twice before we opened, or in the opening day or two, but haven't been back since. If you were playing one of these and got eaten by RL, let The Director know. Archetypes that are open are listed here:

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

We are almost two weeks (RL) into our first story. You can see what's gone on so far by checking out our current story page:

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

This really is a very different game than most are used to, and I welcome our players to come in and comment on their experiences.

[skew]

I've been totally impressed by how well this has worked so far. With some 10-20 actively RPing was night and the story decidedly collaborative, I have had no trouble finding RP, nor engaging in the story. After taking the weekend off and missing some big stuff, random players were more than happy to catch me up to speed.

Really, it's been a blast. And the feeling of being in this "together" has been truly wonderful. Every RL day, something new that we are all going through.

Would recommend.

[Botulism]

Thrill-Seeker, I'm around now! Come get your keys back.

[deadculture]

I think HorrorMUX essentially proves that it's possible to make an episodic game that is enjoyable throughout limited runs. A lot of concerns about making serial games were basically of the 'What if people get too attached to their characters' category, but let's be honest, as long as you have a sense of continuity you don't really need to be playing the same person for 3+ RL years. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next iterations of the game play out.

[Auspice]

Also, we have had our first PC death!

It is almost fitting it was The Penitent. It was very exciting. I stayed up too late. But I did not expect that KILL SCENE to hit my screen when it did.

There are a few people who have to be consulted today (due to being offline, but in range of the events) about how things might roll out for their characters, so there may be more deaths in the fallout.

Shit, meet fan.

But really, I am loving this concept. I've always wanted an episodic game where things can shift around. We have so many MU*s now that don't even make it a year because peoples' attention span doesn't last. I think this may be the perfect answer.

[deadculture]

@auspice I am still of the opinion that a fantasy game could be made along the same general lines, with each RL season being a different point of the timeline of the setting, even if it's a limited run.

Player actions affecting the setting and then you get to see how that happens quicker than the usual L&L feeling of provoked stasis.

That said, mad props to @Botulism for showing how a serial game can be done.

[faraday]

@deadculture said in Horror MUX:

I think HorrorMUX essentially proves that it's possible to make an episodic game that is enjoyable throughout limited runs.

TGG also proved it was possible over a decade ago. It's not everybody's cup of tea, but that's perfectly fine. As long as people are playing and having fun, that's what matters. Props to the game staff for trying something different though.

[deadculture]

@faraday TGG was based on war campaigns and the outcomes were already settled. It's an example towards the same thing, but not the best example. @EUBanana knows I love his games though.

[faraday]

@deadculture It's an example of an "episodic game that is enjoyable throughout limited runs", which is what you said, and people not being so attached to their characters they'd throw a tantrum when the episode is over. I'm not saying it's exactly equivalent. But even if it were, it still doesn't detract from this game being well put-together. ETA: I meant it as a good thing, that there's more of an audience for trying different things than many MUSHers think.

[bored]

While I like the premise of the game I think it needs to work on integrating all the archetypes, especially since you're tied to one forever and/or have no real control of what you play. There's a lot of focus on the proactive archetypes, ie the obvious leader, fighty or smarts types, or on roles more tied/specific to the scenario (ie the festival staff).

In the last couple events, these people had things to do while some others... just got to watch? Worse, them doing well (ie, building and maintaining defenses etc) directly leads to others having less to do (oh we're safe... hooray?). Safe = little to do, no danger, no GP, etc, so I find myself wanting those players to fail those rolls just so stuff can happen.

I don't think this is intentional but it seems like something to consider for the next round. Also that if you're giving people perks from GP (that might tie them even more to the theme), you may be creating a feedback loop of relevancy.

[skew]

@bored Can I ask who you play? Because I've seen some people who are nothing but concert-goers stepping up and doing big things. Likewise, I've seen some of the "important" types get to sit on their hands and do nothing at all. Conrad knowing what's going on doesn't REALLY give him more to do, when he's sat in the safe zone waiting to get word back.

But I definitely do understand your point. Stuck in a room where you can't do much is rarely a lot of fun, but I'd be happy to try to see what is possible for you (or the hypothetical you) to do.

I'm playing Addie aka The Adherent.

Also, you can switch to an open archetype between stories.

[Three-Eyed Crow]

I was curious how the 'you play the same archetype from interration to interration' thing worked, since one of the things I enjoyed about TGG was trying new personalities and roles from campaign to campaign. Might be the kind of thing that's too soon to comment on in the first 'story' though. Anyway, while I always dislike the idea that a game that's trying something different than the norm is the ONLY one who's ever done it, this is really interesting to me and I'll make a stab at apping now that more archetypes seem to have opened up.

[Botulism]

@three-eyed-crow I don't think we're the only ones at all - TGG is an inspiration. I know others have tried things in a similar way. All good!

[Auspice]

@bored

Additionally, as has been posted to the bboards:

You can submit a +request to give someone a Kudos for playing to their Archetype. This can be from any RP. Not just an event scene. The person you give a kudos to gets 3 GP and you get 1.

As for 'attendees' doing things... Andrew (Loner) is a rockstar who chipped in and did things. Same with Valerity (Perfectionist). They've used their SCs to do some of this. A lot of the stories are going to be 'pulling people out of their comfort zone.'

There was no combat last night (due to an attendee -- Jonas -- that got pulled into doing helpful things making a ridiculous roll), but Conrad had actually stepped out to try to take part in said combat because of how RP has gone. Much to his PC bodyguards consternation.

I mean, one of the classic horror movie tropes is the cheerleader being pushed to the point of having to take up arms and do the thing. I think Valerity is a great example of that with her shift into post-apoc gear and carrying around her table leg full of nails from diva.

---

@Three-Eyed-Crow

You get a new role each game. So while your sort of core 'archetype' might change, your role will differ and that may even come with a change of personality to an extent. I've been given some insight (I think Director has been excited for the next :D) to a couple of the roles for one of the next stories and I know one of the Archetypes is going to have a huge change in role from this one to that one. So I think that'll come with a pretty big shift in personality, too.

So not everyone who is 'lesser' or 'greater' (or feels as much) right now is going to be the same thing next time. What few roles I know of from that story, there's already at least one huge change in type of role for the Archetype.

[Three-Eyed Crow]

@botulism
Yeah that totally wasn't directed at you. Tho even the softer concept of 'seasons' where there are contained story campaigns and then you shift to another (with mostly the same characters) I've been on a handful of places that have done them to varying degrees of success/failure. I think there's more experimentation in smaller games than the not-so-vast masses see sometimes. This is a cool approach to it and its exciting to see it tried, tho.

[Auspice]

And I apologize if anything I said came across in a 'this is the first game.'

It's more that I've proposed (in brainstorming) to people a game idea or two that involved being episodic and got a lot of resistance and 'ugh no one would ever play that.'

So my statements were not intended as a 'this is the first,' but a: I'm glad there is a game (right now) doing this as proof that yes, it does work and it is fun.

[Auspice]

Double-post to add for visibility:

It's also posted on the site that you can play your SCs in any event and it will earn you GP. So even if your PC isn't a fighter, a lot of PCs have bodyguard / other types of SCs who would be fighter types... Start sending them out instead (I know Buffy did this on the first night, with Chad). You earn GP that way.

There's plenty of ways to still be involved and earn GP.

I'll also point out: the PC with the most GP on the game (check his +sheet) is Victor. He's not been in a single +event. It's all from kudos.

[bored]

@skew said in Horror MUX:

Likewise, I've seen some of the "important" types get to sit on their hands and do nothing at all. Conrad knowing what's going on doesn't REALLY give him more to do, when he's sat in the safe zone waiting to get word back.

Conrad has tons to do (to the 'I have people griefing me because I'm RPing with someone else instead of dealing with their request' level. I know his player very well.

Anyway, I'm not saying its universal or hard rule how this breaks down. But for instance, the prior (not last night's, but the night phase before that, so 2 rl days ago?) event had a lot of people in the Pavilion facing... 0 actual danger. This itself feels kinda contrary to the whole 'everyone must be IC if they can at night time, SUPAH DANGER OH NOES!' thing that's been pushed. Like I made efforts to be online for both those evenings... only to have literally nothing happen because I was in the safe zone.

And while certain less obvious archetypes got a lot of story, it's because their role was really tied into things. Buffy is 'just a concert goer' but also 'the streamer/instagram everything' chick so she's heavily involved in the whole 'getting word to the outside' subplot of the game (which also involves the computer people, see 'smart' archetypes above). I don't really see something similar I can engage with.

@Auspice The +request kudos thing is fine but I imagine people aren't going to heavily use it (compared to a normal +vote system) and it doesn't really solve Pavilion RP kind of being limited in and of itself. The people who are in 'dangerous' scenes get automatic GP just for being in them, plus (now) the chance to die gloriously for a lot more. I suspect Victor has all that GP because he was essentially the star of one of the longer PRPs (the prisoner thing, via his SC).

Also re the SCs... I think that whole 'everyone kill one of your SCs' thing kinda ruined that for me (maybe I stupidly picked the wrong one, but w/e). That was another thing that felt like a miss to me. If the Director needs people to have less SCs to get them killed faster they can maybe reduce how many we get next time? Or run some event we could all participate in where we'd really need to use them for survival. I lost mine without getting to do much with it.

Anyway, to be EXTREMELY clear, this is not 'oh this game is horrible' I just think its something to point out that there seems to be an engagement/usefulness/relevance gap across characters. I'm pretty much writing off this current story and would be happy to just get my character killed (so I dont feel guilty idling) and hope I get something better on round 2.

[Botulism]

@bored I actually agree with you. There's a learning curve for me in this, too, and a big thing I've learned in this first story is that every role needs a job. Yes, some attendees of the festival have found ways to be useful and needed and had more involvement as a result, but the majority haven't been as lucky. There have been event staff that are TOO busy, people with TOO much to do and too much control while others have little or even none. I take responsibility for that.

Going forward, all roles will come with a job of some sort, something that person does that makes them important. I'm also going to make Central Casting NPCs in charge of each area/aspect in some cases rather than PCs, not because the PCs in charge in this story are doing it wrong, but because it's putting too much pressure and focus on too few people. Having an NPC boss means if thee players disagree and rebel, they're rebelling on an NPC and not turning things into PvP.

There's other stuff, too, but as the person pulling the strings I wanted it known that I'm aware of the problem and addressing it. This first story has been FAR from perfect. I've viewed it as a proof-of-concept, a test-run. I'm learning a lot.