Posts made by Bobotron

@Groth
People have preferred codebases. I prefer Penn because I'm more familiar with the features and more of Penn's stuff is muscle memory for me (sticking a + in front of channels, though that's not required anymore). There's also a lot of people who won't touch other codebases even as a player (OH GOD THIS IS NOT MUX! is a common thing I have heard before), so... transparency I guess? Or a call to the people who like that codebase and might like the theme, so they're aware of what version of stuff they need/want/are comfortable with.

@Tempest
That's more where things like covens (groups of like-minded vampires) come in, but you bring up an interesting point for me to ponder on, so than you!

Theoretically, a vampire could shun their house and try to get adopted into another, though that's rare (like a Peregrinus getting adopted), or just say 'Fuck you and your couch' and diassociate themselves (which would then be reason for political strife and potential expulsion and reduction to Peregrinus/houseless caste). Most of the 'political affiliation' is meant to be the jockeying for position in the hierarchy of the Republic of Blood in general, while most houses will have their own internal politics (like House Claudius and the recent spiritual spreading from Roman deity worship to other deity worship in newer vampires in the past hundred years causing some internal political strife).

@Thenomain

You called?

(Also good luck!)

@Tempest
The plan is:

• The houses are roughly aligned with each other, insofar as a night predator can be. Conflict within is not frowned upon, though there are laws against murder without reason, etc. ala Roman law. A document of laws is being prepped.
• Each House typically, if they have a large enough population, has a central 'gathering place' maintained by the House itself.
• Within the house, interaction is very much familial ties ala Roman house hierarchy, as loose or as tight as needed based on the character. John Q Aurelius and Mary M Aurelia may hate the hell out of each other, while John Q Aurelius and Henrietta J Aurelia may love each other like brother and sister. The strongest familial lines are in the lines of descent and broods within the lineages (like, John Q and Taylor G and Nathan F are a brood; they are all turned by Silas J, and may have a father/child or patron/student relationship.
• The Houses typically would want to put on a unified front, mostly because presenting 'weakness' to the supernaturals that aren't vampires is a bad game plan.

@Ominous
No, I was actually not aware of that RPG as a thing until I'd decided on a name for this a long time ago. Houses of the Blood represents a core aspect of what the game is: vampire houses in old Roman familial style, and vampires call themselves 'in the Blood' or 'of the Blood'. Thus, Houses of the Blood.

I'm sure this will cause some confusion somewhere, but I'm too far in to really change it midway through.

@Rook
Movement aside, everything else is just 'effects' to put into play, insofar as code is concerned. Cover mechanics, reduced armor, increased/decreased anything...

@Rook
Thank you. I'm hopeful it'll work out nicely.

Relatedly, my 'let's write some damn news files!' music for the game.

https://youtu.be/iGUz9x2E9sU
https://youtu.be/VfqPlhyxmAU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59MA0vIOC44&t=63s

@Tempest
It's one thing I've learned from trying to do elders -- and have them actually BE Elders -- in Vampire LARP. In one 40 person LARP I ran, we did that exact thing (without the Advantage points though) and it worked like a charm. They had their breadth and power, but they were a 'slow gain' because of the frontload of XP.

And on that note.

The Advantages also tie into how we're handling 'age applications' for things that would be equivalent to playing an Elder on a standard WoD MUSH. Right now it's something I'm running numbers on, but one of the planned Advantages is based on your age. What the advantage does is front-loads some extra XP above the baselines and XP floor, but the character is treated as being in XP debt; so they can spend it all, or bank some of it, but they ain't earning any more til that first loan has been paid back.

@Tempest
You hit it pretty much dead on, though some of the wording has changed (the intent was for vampires that are X years old to automatically get the Patrician status, as it's assumed that they would have been a steady pillar of the Republic of the Night, and anyone younger can win the status by doing awesome shit before they hit that 250 mark).

Generally, characters will start as Plebians, unless they specifically app in as a Peregrinus (this is like apping a Caitiff on a WoD game for comparison, a vampire with no House affiliation because they can't prove their lineage). Pariah is not really a good option for 'start as this,' as it's a form of exile/punishment for lawbreaking.

There are Advantages (limited benefits) that can be taken to start out as a Patrician (one is based on age, there's another that's a little cheaper that gives you Patrician status for doing something epic for the Republic, like single-handledly destroying a powerful Traitor or holding the line in a war against the Therians, gives you both a 'cool RP thing' as well as the status traits), but you can only have a specific number of Advantages, and so you'd be giving up on other potentially cool stuff to start with Patrician status.

@Tinuviel
Aha, I see why it went over my meds-addled head. Carry on then.

On the note of automated user interfaces, my experience with other codebases also points to their stuff ending up with some design cues from the codebase. I've never been on a MUCK that used MUSH-alike commands, for example. So some of it is also codebase differences.

@Tinuviel

Sorry, I thought we were talking about Bloodlines in some manner... I am still sick and medicated, please forgive me.

@Coin

I saw these on a public google docs, along with draggable tokens. If i can find the link I'll post it here.

@Tinuviel

... wrong thread?

@Tempest
I have a rough schematic for all the powers, though only about five of them are completely laid out. I need to go through and actually build the templates, to steal a phrase from someone else. At this point, assuming I don't switch out to 'build your own' it's a matter of coming up with... interesting things to fill in the blanks. Interesting things and then testing. For damage-dealing powers, right now trying to determine 'damage ratings' for them.

I have things going on. The ones that are completely done are Mobility, Aesthesia, Intensity, Terrify and Glamour.

@Tempest
That's my primary concern of allowing them being playable; you hit EVERY point in my brain that makes me against the idea. As much as I'd love to have some sort of PC antagonist faction in play, all of that is a concern. Also, the concept of spilling the beans on their plot and OOC outing and such.

Servii will have access to powers, yes. They'll have lesser access (right now they can't purchase past the Intermediate level, but they are not limited otherwise). Their benefits are extra Downtime Actions due to having daytime access. This is subject to change.

Right now that's where I'm waffling. I have some powers built. Some aren't. The other option is the old standard of 'build your own powers', which are able to be more customized, but then I have to get into starting combat totals, all kinda junk I don't wanna do no more.

@Tempest
That's actually pretty boss. Would be super useful for any D&D-based game, or anything that wants non-abstracted distances and movement.

@Chet
Oh wow, long time. This is Luna/Rock/etc. as noted in my play list. Good days, those times were.

@Chet
Now I wonder who you are/were at M3, being an old alum from there myself.

ETA: Something on topic: I was a big fan of some of the additions that 2k5 did to their combat system, like offensive/neutral/defensive stances, giving some choices to how the character approaches a fight (and it's one thing I'm shunting into HotB's combat system).

@Tempest
Regarding the traitor houses, I'm still on the fence. I'm leaning towards allowing it, and having it be done in the method of infiltration, with them hiding among the six Houses of the Blood. Basically an integrated antagonist faction (and I have... plot... that i really don't want to throw out that ties into the antagonists), who play like normal PCs but have a different responsibility. Like a Sabbat infiltrator or a Brood infiltrator or something like that, for those that are familiar with WoD.

'Raw' humans are, currently, not set to be playable. A servus is like Renfield or a ghoul from WoD; a human that's been warped and changed by vampiric blood and exposure, existing in a half-vampire state. Playing a human on what I'm hoping is a politically-active vampire game (being based on Roman society, there's a LOT that I'm going to be talking about as far as politics and largesse and such) is something that would dilute the theme to me. If someone can present me a good reason other than 'I want to be terrorized/scouted/fucked by a vampire' I'm all ears.

Regarding the power branches, one of my goals is options, and you're right there. I'm hoping to give each power, especially at Master level, some good utility, and foster both cooperation and well as jealousy ICly. I'm sure it'll become 'GOD WHY DIDN'T YOU BUY KILLZOR IT IS THE BEST' but... I can hope.