Posts made by Bobotron

@arkandel

Oh, I'm sure. I just find it funny in the face of Justice League coming up, and bad reviews coming out.

@admiral
Uh, thanks? Not sure what to read from that.

@SunnyJ
Hi! To answer your questions...

1. I am working on those; I was not going to go into great detail, but it's built around what things an area would offer. Right now, my 'beta' version offers a particular bonus in an Asset: an Influence bonus appropriate to the area (own territory in a ritzy area? You are treated as having Society Influence if you don't already, or you get a bonus if you do); a Contact appropriate to the area; or an Ally from the area. Territory also factors into your Blood Bank, granting some free noms in addition to any of your Vessels or Downtime used to hunt.

2. Blood is important, and does have some limitations. I went through a couple of different setups before I decided to do three things with blood: 1. have a system in place for Downtime hunting that, if characters use it, represents 'passive hunting off-screen' a vampire does, to inhibit minutiae, 2. have options such as Vessels (people/things you can reliably feed on) to get reliable, instant blood, and 3. allow for instant hunting, handling it in a general 'overfeeding' concept, rather than 'this space has 18 blood to eat'. I can/will link the Blood wiki file once I'm done with the last revisions.

3. We are not using WoD, so Willpower isn't a spendable stat. It is one of the four core Attributes, alongside Physical, Social and Mental (Willpower represents more metaphysical force of will, mental resistance and capability to 'push through').

4. The only 'Minor Template' is a Servus, a human who has been given vampire blood and exists in a state of half-vampirism. They are a viable option, there's a file being written based on the origins of the Servii (they are a following of Roman slave methodology) in order to prevent/temper some of the stuff that goes on with ghouls, as Roman slave rules and laws were pretty complex. Otherwise, just vampires and servii are playable.

5. There will be NPCs. I have stable of 'core' NPCs representing vampire city leadership, a few major humans and some of the 'leadership' of the other supernaturals like the therians and Bygones that are in the city. Right now, they will be staff run, though I'm debating the concept of treating the vampire leadership in a 'roster' fashion, with concepts of having them be responsible to push the game and overseen by staff in a bit heavier method.

6. There will be options for non-combat characters. There are non-combat powers, there are buffs and debuffs for non-combat in mental and social powers. I plan for plot to give a lot of angles, as I really enjoy running mystery/investigation plots. I'm fiddling with a bid-based 'social combat system' where, instead of just rolling stats, you have points to 'bid' on social 'maneuvers' for lack of a better term, acting and counteracting and essentially making social dynamics into a 'bidding to get what you want/counterbidding to angle away from what the aggressor wants' angle, with strategy behind it, based on the social stat and skills.

7. I don't see why you can't play an assassin. There's a couple of Houses you could do that with, but House Gaius is your best bet. ETA: I looked at your clip. Probably not the most appropriate variable, but a vampire assassin would be as viable as the setup/background was written for them).

8. I'm cribbing heavily from the MET Vampire the Masquerade system for our prestation. Recognition and Status aren't just number dots, but are 'titles' or recognition in descriptive words (Noble, Acclaimed, Courteous, etc.) that have social effects when used appropriately. There will be a file written on proper etiquette and using Status appropriately; it'll be coded to a point (like someone giving someone else a Warned Negative Trait), or expending your Loyal Status to immediately offset a Warned, for example), but there are some things that I can't code (like, one of the Status Traits boils down to 'The bearer of this Status can't be publicly (IE: in gathering) be accused of lying; doing so immediately imposes Warned on the accuser.' and you can't really code that) I'm hoping to 'lead by example' with play on that.

9. Loot box? Clarify?

10. They can be both. The default setting is a decadent society based on the height of Rome's decadence, crumbling in places while being held up by their own social intrigues and etiquette. Many areas of vampire society may also be beset from outside forces, including Traitor House vampires trying to destroy the society and the vampire lineages. I can't really say much about 'posting naked servii pictures on poster boards at gathering places,' other than 'Well, the current NPC leader wouldn't really go for that stuff...' People can be bikers and such, but I'm hoping to have a good amount of things for people to do other than 'be killy badasses'. Because, all vampires can do that if they try.

@Arkandel
That's a good question. I feel like it could stand out because of the things I'm writing and planning, including...

• From a code standpoint, as much automation as I'm planning/have written. Where a lot of games have issues with 'RAW vs. RAI', a lot of the 'OMG YOU CHEATED!' stuff is pushed by the wayside when the code is automated and does heavy lifting.
• A game that tries to put a focus on a cooperative play experience; while this will never be perfect, I hope to push an example of 'cooperative non-consent' play, and have written some pretty extensive files on some of my desires for things like IC actions and such.
• A game that is not just a Sandbox by Night game. I plan on having some ongoing 'meta plot' that will be there, and will be explored in staff-run stuff (and bits given out to be run by players or tie into PrPs if they like), and hopefully not be too invasive to people doing their own thing as well. And I, personally, am totally open to pitches and PrPs that can affect the world in major ways. I have always been a 'Yes, and...' or 'Yes, but...' storyteller.
• Lastly, not being WoD. I'm trying to angle with some of the WoD defaults (supernatural mystery, fighty fighty, political intrigue) and add some things that don't get done on the normal WoD game. Focusing on single 'sphere' in WoD terms, and trying to present a viable political angle is one thing I am hoping will draw individuals. And having code and a staff mindset to support that (though not in the intensity of, say, RfK, because that is untenagle) is a bit step for it.

I would hope people would love it for the setting and story and opportunities; I feel like what I'm writing/have written as far as backdrop and setting, while playing on vampire tropes and admittedly being set up in a 'people familiar with VtM or VtR can look and go 'Okay, yeah, I get this...', I want to push beyond that, and give prospective players some meat to play with. Want to go kill werewolves with my Superstrength and Superspeed powers? That's totally viable. You might run into other, unintended things (I mean, I wouldn't want to fight the equivalent of The Crow, but it could happen.) Want to investigate spooky mysteries? Totally up for that (and this is one thing I really love running). Want to play Lords and Ladies? There's room for that too. It may LOOK, to many, like there's some overreaching there... but I feel like, once I get done, and I get more 'deep' info ready to go, I can drum up some staff help. Because that's my one stumbling block right now... it's just me.

Long time since an update. A number of things came up, including a bout of 'Why am I doing this again?' Finished up the LARP I was running though, so I don't have that eating up most of my development time.

So...

• I lost some things due to DB corruption. I lost a large chunk of my NYC build. Which I think, became better in the long run. I have moved back to a west coast original city, mid-California, with a number of opportunities and what I hope will be fun features to play with. The build is done, with about... 8 main hangouts, six House centers, an Arena and a couple of other things.
• Stat system is done. I'm rejiggering a thing with supernatural powers.
• Working on taking the long form of the history file and paring it down as better bullet points for the main file, with a link to the expanded one.
• Decided to not allow the Traitors to be playable; too much potential would be squandered.
• Combat System is being tinkered with, will need playtesting once I get things done.

Overall, still working. Anyone have any questions, thoughts, etc.?

Huh.

Direct reference to Wonder Woman on Legends of Tomorrow. Only a couple of weeks after a direct Bruce Wayne callout, by name, on Arrow. And a callout to Smallville/Post-Flashpoint Superman by referencing Chloe on Supergirl.

I wonder what this means for the DC TV Universe.

@auspice

@thenomain

I'm sure it'll be like the Beckett's Jyhad Diary updates. It wasn't previews really, it was status updates on movement through the dev process, and advertisements to go buy other OPP products.

@rnmissionrun
I would think so; their advertisement uses the same formatting as that game and the not-Secret Circle game.

@arkandel
OPP will still push the book out, the Kickstarter itself is for deluxe editions and any stetch/additional stuff. 50k is for things like deluxe art, hardcover, gloss paper and junk.

@auspice
Wow, that's cheap. BSN did $400 to make your PC a 'canon NPC' in MET Changeling when they were doing 'pre-Kickstarter' stuff.

@arkandel

This is extremely true. Which is why I think any type of IC bigotry should be 'bought in' by everyone involved and extremely clear. Or not at all.

@kanye-qwest

Conversely, if someone is playing an IC bigot, you (the general you) shouldn't go insane OOC when it happens to your character. IC is IC is IC is not OOC. But a huge cross-section of the MU* world can't understand that. Like, at all.

@fei-dawen

Kinnikuman the MUSH?

@deadculture

... 35 XP is HUGE in 2e though... 35 is okay in 1e though.

One thing you could also do is up the general competency. I love the new MET for that. New MET, your dots are much different, and you have a different spread. You start with one skill at 4 dots, two at 3 dots, three at 2 dots and four at 1 dot, then you have 30 XP on top of that. XP is generally incremental though, so it doesn't 'stretch' as far as 30 would in 2e.

It provides what I feel is a good level of competency and spread, and you don't have as many min-max options so you get things a bit more organic (someone can min max, sure, but it's more difficult to do s0). At least that's how it feels to me.

So I was going to write up my city from the Masquerade MUSH that didn't pan out for Storyteller's Vault.

Only to find out that they do not allow fictional cities to be written/sold for Storyteller's Vault. And that it came up during a facebook discussion but hasn't been added to the guidelines yet.

How fucking asinine.

Plus I can't even find the original discussion where they talk about it to see the why of it.

@wolfs
That's part of Volund's code, but you also have to have SQL setups on the same host as your MU*, just an FYI.

@wolfs
Volund's Code won't have any of their subsystems. It'll have all of Volund's MU* basics, but stuff like their scrounging, combat, etc. would not go with it.

@arkandel
True. I just really liked the bit more serious angle to the Ragnarok event in the comics, and the more serious angle to Planet Hulk as well. I was pleased. Cate Blanchett plays an epic villain, I have loved seeing her as evil since she was Lady Tremaine in Cinderella. Not that it was bad; I laughed my ass off and enjoyed it immensely. I just was expecting something slightly different.

@arkandel

See, I wanted there to be a bit more 'serious' to the Ragnarok portion. I feel like they shoehorned in Planet Hulk storyline... but overall I enjoyed it.

@auspice
I'm hoping Dibny can make things a little more palatable. I'm enjoying it, but I'm not expecting more out of it than 'A meta shows up, there's some drama, the meta does stuff with powers, Team Flash does something to counter meta powers'. Dibny could add a nice comedic element if they keep his comic personality intact.

@lithium

I mean, a teen Blue Lantern of Earth would be spiffy.