@Kanye-Qwest Nothing about the Ever Victorious Army is funny!
Best posts made by Arkandel
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RE: Wheel of Time MU(SH|X)
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RE: Rusalka's Bad Idea: Single(ish) Sphere oWoD
@Jennkryst said in Rusalka's Bad Idea: Single(ish) Sphere oWoD:
@Bobotron Fallen World added Werewolf, but was fairly active with just Mage. Because there was PLOT. Also: story xp and rewarding people being active, more than just normal xp.
I think that's the key above all else.
Look, there's a tendency here to think success in a CoD MU* somehow has something to do with selecting the right city, or the right spheres, or maybe just slap the right wiki on it. And I mean all those things play into it, sure... they are still pretty important parts of the puzzle.
But what matters more than everything else put together is that people can log on and have shit to do. If you don't have shit to do, you won't be sticking around for long, which creates a catch-22 as the next person to come along doesn't find you waiting there, so they don't stick around either.
I know it's tempting for staff to just come up with the perfect fusion of cinematic, fanfic and grimdark elements, put them into their dankest prose and flesh out this awesome, brooding mindscape they've been hoping to find in a game forever and then sit back and watch it all play out... but it doesn't end well when done like that. It fizzles, almost entirely due to the reasons described above.
Game-runners need to accommodate plot, to get it happening somehow. If it means that for the first several weeks they're the ones doing that, too, on top of their other responsibilities then so be it... if it means bribing good players to come along and shoulder some of that burden either through PrP or just on-grid RP then that's probably even better... but it needs to happen one way or the other, or the MU* won't go far.
With most games I don't care - some are obviously just put online because their owner knows how to install a stock CoD base and has $5/month to spare for the hosting. But it's frustrating to see sometimes projects I can recognise have had real creativity and passion put in them fail just because their staff is overwhelmed for the first weeks trying to come up with equipment lists or similar distractions as they become disillusioned at seeing their playerbase dwindle; but they made the equipment lists! Look, all sorts of vehicles are on it, along with how many dots of Resources it takes to afford them!
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RE: Rosters: To PB or Not To PB?
Personally I find it liberating if someone else has picked my character's PB. I don't really care too much, and I feel kinda awkward if I happen to pick a contemporary/popular person to base a PC's looks on.
This way someone else could get judged for the shirtless picture!
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RE: My Adventures in Explaining the Stress of Staffing (To a non-Geek)
You're right @Coin. As a hobby we are disconnected from each other in many ways but that same distance gives us some advantages; for instance the barrier to entry for MUSHing is very low. You can play the game on truly ancient hardware just as well as anyone else. You can play even if you're suffering from health issues or are disabled, as long as you can still type. And with some effort you can create entire worlds, taking anything from the pages of a book, the small/big screen or just your imagination and giving it a chance to become an immersive interactive environment shared with other people. That's pretty special.
We might be a tiny dying niche but where else could we get to do what we do?
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RE: Hosting on a phone
When I said I really wanted to MU* properly on a phone this is not what I meant, dammit.
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RE: Rosters: To PB or Not To PB?
@bananerz said in Rosters: To PB or Not To PB?:
I'm guilty of all the above. I'm going to change. No more.
I used to use artwork for PBs. I was told that was weird.
It's all weird, dammit. Why is that hard to grasp?
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RE: Eliminating social stats
@Gingerlily said in Eliminating social stats:
I understand where you are coming from here, but I think it is the sort of viewpoint that requires reflection.
Let's reflect then!
Yes, there are players who write far better than others, who can make convincing arguments and recruit allies regardless of what is on their sheet. There are also players who are newer to the hobby, who are translating in their heads from a language other than English, etc. If we decide that they don't get to rp a beautiful, charming woman who can flirt her way out of a problem, that's kind of elitist.
Elitism is part of the hobby though. It is a hobby, and it does require some skill to play; there is an unfairness in that some are just better gifted than others, I agree, but that comes with the territory. You can have a room full of aspiring writers, all of whom are working just as hard, but some are just more talented than the rest; or a team of basketball players who are busting their asses, but some are just more athletic, can jump higher or are just taller (and it's an old coaching adage - you can't teach height).
I can't tell you what makes a great roleplayer great. It's not just writing skill and it's definitely not language alone. There's no rote to follow - I've seen people who throw a thesaurus' worth of synonyms in every pose and the poses are still not that great. But I do know one when I see them.
Such a player will be more popular than another who isn't as skilled and that's just just how it is; it doesn't make a difference if their character has low social stats or that they are played properly, because even if they roleplay a Nosferatu whose nose has fallen off and can't open their mouths without making a blunder they are still more fun to hang around than someone else with Socialize 5 and Striking Looks. At least I know who I'd want my character to be buddies or hook up with or whatever.
On a language based medium we can decide that we only want to be affected by great writing, and that those without the same command of the language can't play with us. Whether or not that sits well with a game designer or a game's players is up to them, but own it.
I think I just did, but of course others' mileage may vary. I'd be interested in hearing from them. Notice however I never said I wouldn't play with people who can't roleplay as well - generally I'd play with anyone. But I don't shy away from admitting roleplaying skill matters socially way more than stats do, and that (for me) expecting it to be otherwise because of the system is a failure on behalf of the system.
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Project X
I couldn't think of a more dramatic title for the thread at short notice.
Anyway, I'm doing a web-based MU-related project of my own. For now it's in early stages of coding, and there's so much to do from scratch it's going to be a while before I have enough pieces for something to be ran [i]on[/i] it - but it is actually moving. There's a world people can log onto, rooms to walk around, and the next step is elevated privileges and a +job system.
Here's where you come in, maybe. There are two things I'm looking for at this stage.
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Very much so, someone who's good at making things look pretty. I'm not a web designer and I'm too focused on functionality now, not presentation or UI - but someone has to. If you might be that someone, let me know.
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Eventually I'll want to run an actual game to showcase these features. Do you have a cool pitch? The only requirements at this stage is that it can't be too niche, it won't be a sex game, and that I'd rather keep the mechanics light - everything else, including theme (original or inspired by a table-top RPG) is up for grabs.
Let me know, thanks.
P.S. Any suggestions for hosting would be welcome. For now I'm running everything on my own Linux box, but that's not a long-term solution. I'd want something that gives me an ssh shell, PHP/MySQL and access to cron.
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RE: Plot session duration
@valkyrie said in Plot session duration:
For example, a simple 3 or 2 pose rule if there is no action can help keep things moving.
Yeah, that's a good idea. I use 1PR in my own plots; if someone else has posed since your last one, you're good to go. There should be no bottlenecks if it can be helped.
I tend to like to run around 3 hours or so at the most. So I will plan the scene, and the action around this accordingly.
That's around where my limit is, both as a runner and a participant. I could do more but... well, I don't want to. However I'm not sure yet that's a personal preference or something somewhat universal.
P.S. One bit of advice that most people will overlook, and not apply is the fact that a PrP/Scene/Event/Plot does not need to begin in the setup phases. You can start players right in the action and skip 1-3 hours of 'setup' RP where everyone is getting to the scene, or preparing etc.
I think though if you do that, it needs to be announced since it's not everyone's cup of tea. For example even with my combat monsters I wouldn't join a scene that starts with an +init roll and ends when then last orc is killed. It sounds really boring - to me.
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RE: World Building: What are the essentials?
@surreality said in World Building: What are the essentials?:
As a player, what information do you want and need about a game world to effectively play the game (ex: be able to formulate a character you feel fits the world and knows what the characters should know about it)?
My first question when I come across a new game is to know what it's about, and if it interests me. That information needs to be right there, smacking me in the face; if you are going to run a swashbuckling pirate game then tell me. Don't leave any room for doubt, I don't want to have to read between the lines to figure out if it's a tactical simulation, a sex game or whatever else. Be explicit.
Then I love it when there's an 101 after that - don't just toss walls of text in my face since, at this point, I don't know yet if I want to invest so much time. Just ease me into it, give me the basics, tell me what the environment is like in general (is it historically accurate? pure fantasy? is there magic?) and some tidbits about the political/social status of the time so I can already start pre-thinking about cool concepts I can play.
This is the stage you're getting me excited about your game.
As a player, what kind of information do you find gets in your way more than it helps you accomplish this?
If you still have my attention now I want to see if it's actually worth diving into... start giving me some meat. Organization here is key - break it down! A history section to know what the world is like, a few systems entries to know how mechanics work, if there are classes, what the factions are. Categorization here for me is key so I can pursue what I'm curious about at my own pace without having to cherry-pick through the 18 pages of prose you wrote that night you were feelin' it in order to find what I'm looking for.
Is it important to you, as a player, to have information available that distinguishes 'what locals would know' vs. 'what out of towners/new arrivals' would know?
To me it is, but I'm weird about information. And it's not just locals, it's... I need to know if the metaplot is common knowledge for example. If I'm applying for an vampire would he know the Gangrel Prince who vanished was in truth Malkavian since you mention it in the helpfiles? Is it known the Sabbat have been trying to infliltrate the Camarilla for the ten years? Seperating OOC from IC knowledge somehow comes in very handy for me.
If you're a new arrival, what kind of information is useful to you about your character's original culture? (This is more relevant in original settings than modern 'real world' setting games for obvious reasons.)
I suppose it'd be nice to have points of view. If my englishman is coming to this New World town how much has he heard about the weird shit that's been going on there? As a local what's the average perception of fresh fish coming in? Do we like Irishmen or do we hate these buggers around these parts? Have there been racial tensions or are people more or less united since there's a bigger threat around?
Does it help to have information about what misconceptions, rumors, etc. from your character's original culture's perspective about the game's setting?
The tough part there usually is keeping them up to date and current. It also does little good to have strange rumors about what's really going on if as soon as characters get into any scene they get the stock IC welcoming package telling them everything about the werewolf attacking the city and exactly how to kill one.
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RE: Alternative Formats to MU
@faraday said in Alternative Formats to MU:
What I object to is expecting people to learn all these game-specific +-commands with crazy syntaxes.
I really think once people play a web-only game done even half right and see the advantages they could have and have been missing all this time they will never be able to play a telnet-based version again. It will ruin that experience.
For example what I had in mind for a GM was to let them create a 'room' in advance or even on the fly; give them different terrain icons they can interject into grid squares, allowing for the visuals of combat to be complete clear to the players, and for ranged powers (including hitting people under cover) and movement rates to be handled automatically. Just point and click, zero need for memorization.
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RE: Plot session duration
@lotherio Also, to bring it back into the context of 'how long should scenes last for', violence is very time efficient. I can stab anyone in the face very believably within seconds no matter who they are, but it could look completely implausible to change the Duke's mind about something huge within the time it takes for a PrP to run.
Hell, introducing NPCs can take a long time. I can produce an Elder y'all can stab to death very easily when all you have to know about her is that she means to drink your blood otherwise, but it would take considerably more for a party to expose her weaknesses and fears then to figure out a way to exploit them in any way that doesn't seem completely unrealistic or over-simplified.
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RE: Which canon property/setting would be good for a MU* ?
It's almost as if both genders want to have their buddies around when they fight evil
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RE: Alternative Formats to MU
@tat said in Alternative Formats to MU:
@arkandel said in Alternative Formats to MU:
For example what I had in mind for a GM was to let them create a 'room' in advance or even on the fly; give them different terrain icons they can interject into grid squares, allowing for the visuals of combat to be complete clear to the players, and for ranged powers (including hitting people under cover) and movement rates to be handled automatically. Just point and click, zero need for memorization.
This is a SUPER interesting idea! We're been using Google Draw for years to have interactive maps during messy combat scenes so people can reflect where they are and see where enemies are. Imagine having that integrated into the ACTUAL game.
I had most of it done... I was just looking for a free library of terrain icons at the time. It's not even that hard at that stage.
The 'killer features' a web interface unlocks are very interesting. But the amount of work needing done upfront is... discouraging. I have no idea how @faraday pulled Ares off, it was a massive project. I'm used to working in teams, since tackling this on requires too much of an investment (for me).
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RE: Development Thread: Sacred Seed
@pyrephox said in Development Thread: Sacred Seed:
More seriously - @Cobaltasaurus does good design work, comes up with interesting settings and is willing to take risks on games that aren't a sure bet to get fifty log-ins a night. Sometimes that means that they don't catch on (and I hate every single one of you for not playing on the angel game, because I fucking loved that game), but MOST games don't catch on, or they have a brief honeymoon period and fall off into obscurity. That's just how the hobby goes.
More importantly (I think) no one knows if a project they're in love and want to do today will feel the same way months later when it comes to fruition, and any game worth a damn will require at least a few weeks before it's anywhere near a playable form.
That's before player buy-in and truly the main difference (again, to me) between running a MUSH and a table-top campaign. For the latter if I can imagine it I'm more than halfway there; I can make shit up on the fly, but as long as it's in my head I can get it out to a group of players, and if I tire of it or those players don't take to it the way I thought, or it's not as fun in reality as I imagined it... small loss. I can have a different idea the next day that I could put in front of a group the next night.
If no one but the most single-minded, obsessive, super determined workhorses made MU* we'd barely have any to complain about here.
But anyway, let's get back on topic to developing this one.
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RE: How much plot do people want?
The TV show model should still be applicable here. On TV their formula is one-third long meta-arcs, two thirds shorter duration stuff, so that regular viewers have something to look forward to but newcomers get the chance to be hooked into the day to day events.
Just like TV MU* have a lot of flakes around who'll come to a few scenes then drop off, or who'll start super active and then you never see them again. Plot series which last months are dangerous, you might be investing in something that will never have a payoff because by the time you get to do your big reveal there's no one around any more who saw it getting set up.
I advise chaining shorter arcs into bigger ones. Don't force feed plot to your players, let them come to you; give them things to do on a regular basis, arouse their curiosity and offer them chances to buy into your metaplot. Once they care then sure, you can engage them further since they might get proactive which is great and what you actually want, but you can't count on it.
What you ultimately want on a new, unproven game is for your players to never look around and go 'well, shit, there's nothing happening around here'. That's the main goal; you want to keep them around before it becomes a catch-22 situation, so feed them regularly to keep those jerks coming back for more and then you might even be able to do a bait and switch - voila! There was metaplot happening all along and you didn't even know! Mwah-hah-hah.
But yeah, don't start with the big bad world-is-ending stuff. It'll become the stuff of bar RP on week two, and trite old topic by week three.
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RE: Alternative Formats to MU
@rook said in Alternative Formats to MU:
@Roz
Oh, don't get me wrong. I certainly don't think that you're making things up. I just think that MUSH is a niche, always has been. I have talked to lots of gamers that have never touched a MUD, and those are far more prolific than MUSHes.It is and it isn't. There are hurdles we'll never realistically make appealable to the general public per se; for example many people just don't want to read long texts. Others are poor typists and don't like to type let alone write stuff for a long time. That's fine - no game is for everyone, right?
But we can definitely lower the freakin' bar to entry here - a lot. It's completely unnecessary to expose a newbie who doesn't even know if they are actually interested in 'roleplaying' (which to them might mean anything at all, from weirdo LARPer in parks to people dancing on Lakeshire mailboxes in WoW) to the mental gymnastics involved in creating a character using a command line, especially since it's quite likely nothing in their entire lives has forced them to use a command line before. They see a black screen, a prompt to type "+help" for help which... what does that do? And then they're on their own.
I don't think it's about intelligence. Yes, you do need to be somewhat smart to MUSH but I see no reason why perfectly clever folks might have just looked at the stuff above and gone "nah, why bother" and kept going.
We need to give them a carrot before we crack out the whip, people!
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RE: Player buy-in
@kay Basically let's say you want to run a MUSH where a secret government agency is slaughtering all Vampires, and with their depleted numbers the rest are trying to survive, forge alliances with Wolves, anything.
Instead your players don't seem to give a shit what you want. They date each other, treat this agency like just another monster, and basically ignore the nuances and details you thought would be cool to run an otherwise 'typical' Vamp sphere.
In that case they aren't buying in.
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RE: How much plot do people want?
@Misadventure said in How much plot do people want?:
I like plot, but I like subsequent consequences even more. A plot is fodder for scenes. Results are fodder for thinking and getting in tune with the actual goals of the game.
If I run a plot and the characters don't refer to it outside of the PrP then it's a failure as far as I'm concerned. I don't care what else worked, that's the true benchmark.
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RE: Muxify broken?
I have made the change @Roz, whose sole responsibility this and all similar javascript issues now are, recommended.
As it was working for me even prior to this someone please test and thank me, not @Roz, if it works.