Best posts made by Botulism

So it's looking like this will end up being a small TT-ish game. I think it's proving to be abit TOO wide-open for people.

Ah well. Still having fun with friends.

Our newest ad! Alien: Mutation starts Thursday, Aug 9.

HorrorMU.com: 1880
http://horrormu.com/index.php/Main_Page

Horror MUX is a game of mortal horror set in a variety of rotating settings and themes, using different versions of the same characters, called Archetypes, and with an underlying connection running throughout.

We employ a modified version of the Slasher Flick system which emphasizes personal horror and cinematic narrative over stats and combat, and this very simple game system is explained here on the wiki. There is no need to purchase any books.

This game is intended for mature players.

We are about to begin our second story - Alien: Mutation. This story takes place in the ALIEN universe, in the year 2149, set after the events of the first Alien film and the Alien: Isolation game, and before the events of the second film, Aliens. Don't have any idea what that means? Not to worry!

In simple terms, it's a post-FTL (Faster Than Light) travel universe, where man has begun to explore and settle systems light-years away. MegaCorps are the true power and the Colonial Marshals are the police force and peace keepers of the times.

Colonies are being built in many systems, mostly by Weyland-Yutani, known for its atmospheric processors, sophisticated synthetic-person technology, and military technology. Seegson produces more rudimentary androids called Working Joes, semi-autonomous robots that lack the sentience of W-Y synthetics, though it is still a leader in communications and computer mainframes.

Penumbra is the primary fuel producer, heavily invested in mining, refining, and fusion technologies. They are also a force in manufacturing civilian goods such as clothing and luxury items, with the Tenochtitlan Station Promenade essentially being the biggest mall in space. Their creation of the Eclipse Resort and Casino marks their bold first step into creating a new space tourism industry, offering luxury resort and spa accommodations. The game will start in several locations, but threads will merge and the majority will take place on Tenochtitlan Station, primarily in the mid-levels of the station.

In closing, think of a mashup between Alien and Dawn of the Dead, being hunted by a Xenomorph(s?) in the largest space mall ever made. Who can resist that?

I held a Workshop on the game system for players to get a feel of how things work. Posting the log below!

http://lovecraftma.com/index.php/Workshop_1

Caretaker (Hiwa), Martyr (Taylor), and Coward (Tiffany), if you're around we hope you return soon! Second Story starts tomorrow and unplayed Archetypes will be recycled after 7 days if not in play. Hope to see you soon!

@surreality It was fun! People seemed to think it was a great way to learn a new system.

@zombiegenesis I run stuff as early as 2pm PST until I go to work at 7pm.

@ixokai Yay! I'm really glad you're enjoying the game. I'm having fun telling stories and freaking people out.

If Toby and Claire see this (or if any of you know them!), I REALLY need them for a scene on Wednesday. BB 8/10 explains. Thanks!

@skew Awesome! Glad you're having fun!

@saulot
I'm on at those times, so they CAN be quite active, even for plot. There's decent RP to be had at night, US.

Season One is a wrap! We used our first season to iron out the rough spots of the game system, develop the game world and give it depth, and create a solid core of PCs at Lovecraft High School.

As we head into Season Two, I've brought on additional story Staff to take over the high school part of the game - IT, Silent Hill, and Evil Dead will be running stories and school-related events to keep things moving forward in our most active part of the game. That frees me up, along with new story Staffer Hellraiser, to focus on the university and adults who remember.

If you've been holding off on joining the game because playing a high school kid has zero appeal, I totally understand. This is your chance to make a college student or adult who remembers and get your mortal horror fix. Character creation takes literally minutes and is extremely simple. I approve most characters in a hour or so, tops. No one has gone more than 24 hours.

We already have a handful of college students approved, and with my being freed up to focus on THEM, this is the perfect time to join. With quick chargen, guaranteed plots open to all, and a cinematic RPG system where characters can really die in any Kill Scene, you won't find anything like it out there. Come join us!

Here's a synopsis/teaser of the Miskatonic University Season Two story:

Season Two: The Old Ways

Miskatonic University has a long and rich history, and a good deal of dark secrets. When students start going missing, it causes concern, but the story one student tells after returning is stranger than anyone can imagine. Is there really a cult on campus? Are there horrific creatures living in the sea beside the island? And what do the two have to do with each other? THE SHAPE OF WATER this certainly is not! This story is geared towards university students and adults who remember.

@zombiegenesis

There's still a few weeks of Alien left. I figure the Western will start early October.

My work schedule transition is mostly done now, and I'm back running scenes again. If you had idled as things slowed down when my schedule ate me, now's a good time to check back in. The plot is starting to move again!

No apology needed. Except from @bored for not being more interested/motivated because he's awesome when he can/does play.

Season 6: Project Icarus

In 2231, an anomaly in space was identified - an asteroid that is slowing down the closer it gets to KV-273, a black hole. Initially discovered on a deep space scan for precious Rare Earths, the asteroid was found to contain the largest concentration ever found anywhere in our galaxy. Scientists mapped its trajectory in preparation for an expedition and found it heading directly at KV-273 at staggering speed. Frustration set in as they wrestled with the physics of getting to it before it gets too close to the singularity, but then something truly impossible happened: it slowed down.

At its current rate of decline, it will come to a full stop before crossing the event horizon, something that simply should not be happening. They have dubbed this asteroid Icarus.

Having determined that Icarus is stable and has a strong gravity well, a series of probes were sent, followed by a manned mission in 2244. What initially started as a mining mission has become much bigger as the secrets behind Icarus' existence could rewrite physics as humanity knows it. That first manned mission ended in disaster as the small crew fell victim to some sort of mania. Penumbra Corp, the megacorp behind the Icarus Project, are convinced that they have isolated the cause of that madness and solved a number of other issues the first mission struggled with, and have launched a second mission.

You're set to enter the Icarus gravity well and awaken from stasis in 2249.

This story is best described as EVENT HORIZON, THE THING and AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS thrown in a blender. Claustrophobic, sanity-breaking horror awaits.

@tempest said in Spirit Lake - Discussion:

@botulism said in Spirit Lake - Discussion:

We have a hard cap, too - it's simply about recognizing what you can capably handle. I'd rather have a smaller game with jobs getting done and plots moving forward than a huge game where half get left out. That's not exclusive for the sake of being exclusive, it's about knowing how many players I can keep entertained.

I am...

A) Not sure how this is relevant.

I was agreeing that having a limit on how many players isn't about elitism, but being able to actually run a game and keep your sanity.

B) Somehow not surprised you got 12 upvotes from the people that populate this board.

Uh. Thanks?

Do you have a "hard cap, but oh you guys who are already on the game can all make alts?"

Nope! You get one PC. Period. You can play a limited number of supporting roles, but they are weak and squishy and meant to be meat for the grinder,

@gangofdolls said in Spirit Lake - Discussion:

So wait, if your PC dies your option is to play a background extra? SRs in other games tend to be NPC+ entities that basically concierge for PCs. Is that what happens here too?

No idea about here. Was only speaking about Horror MU*.

Season 7: Bonds of Blood starts August 6th!

Set in Spring of 1994, Bonds of Blood is a Vampire story in the mold of Lost Boys and Salem's Lot. It takes place in 90's Spring Break mecca Lake Havasu City, AZ., where the old London Bridge was moved in the late 60's. It's a tourist trap town on the Colorado River built around the Bridge and a kitschy English Village next to/under it. While it's a fun place to visit - and MTV does for Spring Break each year - it's like any other small town to grow up in - slow and boring. A bit odd, but normal for most of the year.

PCs this story can be High School Seniors (18), or adults (18+). There are five families to choose from, and each has extended family options. Each age group and each Family have certain Perks and Quirks tailored just to them.

Read Family (faction) pages and pick your family. Contact The Director with your ideas.![alt text]

@Ghost You've ALMOST unretired a few times now. XD

@gryphter

@gryphter said in Things I've Learned Running Horror Mu:

I think there is another factor at play here too, not to be overlooked. Whether it's the luck of the draw or the result of the game's community and policies, the players make this model work by taking their moment in the sun, then getting out of the way for the next person to shine. Kudos to the community of players who embraced experimentation and learned to put each other into the spotlight. That's a very real magic!

This.

It works as WELL as it does because the players are happy taking turns in the spotlight. They support each other and give them room to shine. No one HAS to be the star of every story.

I can't take credit for that. That's all them.

@Derp I completely own both of the main points in Cons. I need to go through a lot of the basic, meta-level wiki and revise it as things have changed and evolved over time and trial/error. Sometimes these changes never made it to the wiki.

The second point is actually unique to this story. Every story so far has started with a general promise of 'the first X weeks are safe' and you can all get your feet wet and settle in. This story, for the first time so far, I Blew Shit Up (TM) on Day One. Everyone came an inch from dying the first scene. It was a blast, and gave the story a feel of being tossed in at the deep end that's done great things for the IC dread and tension, but yeah. I get how a new player would feel quickly overwhelmed.

I'm sorry that happened to you.