I have been binging when I can on episodes of Mysteries of the Abandoned on MAX. Lots of really cool places in the world.
Of course, I can watch re-runs of She-Ra on Netflix and The Owl House on Disney+. Nimona is an extraordinary movie. And, yes, The Last of Us is astounding.
@ZombieGenesis said in Is MU* RP slanted towards player success?:
The system is just a tool. How useful it is comes down to the players. There are a number of ways that a player can achieve a goal and, in the end, I think the ultimate goal is "to have fun." The problem is there is a large number of players out there who are concerned solely with their own fun. They give very little consideration to how someone else may be enjoying a scene.
This. I was recently involved in a Pathfinder game with some friends that I get along real well with. I never felt part of the group, though, because I don't really like the min-max, class-based sort of way they interpreted the system.
@faraday said in Is MU* RP slanted towards player success?:
FS3 combat was designed to provide some 'gritty' combat simulations of large scale battles, but it is deliberately slanted towards PC heroics.
I think what you mean to say is that FS3 was designed with awesomeness in mind and that is why it is awesome in what it does because it is awesome.
@faraday said in MU* Mystery RP:
All of the above, at times, but mostly it's that you know the narrator has some kind of overarching story vision--you just don't know what that is.
Personally, I think this is what separates a role-playing game from an improv session, and it is a matter of expectations.
When I sit down to play D&D, I'm generally expecting to react to the narrative meaningfully. When I step on a stage, I'm generally expecting to generate my own narrative within the confines of the space and the openings provided by others. And when I role-play on a MU*, I'm expecting something in between.
I prefer the first example, but I realize it's hard to come by.
@Misadventure said in MU* Mystery RP:
My example is waaaay back when Peverel had a Duchess(?) be poisoned despite the players efforts. And I am not sure the players really had a chance to learn about the poison or the plot before hand. Assuming they did, the players missed all of it.
I don't mean to be curt, but so what? You can do everything right and still fail. Life is full of events which cannot be prevented.
On that same game, if you will recall, I had an entire plot derailed because of a lucky shot to the BBEG's face. So what? I pivoted.
I am all for player agency, but players also need to realize that, in a good story, you cannot control all of the narrative.
I prefer it when the Storyteller acts like a storyteller.
Start with the narrative:
"The door between you and what lies behind is locked. What will you do?"
Then discuss the options:
"Can I pick the lock?"
"Sure."
"Hm. I'm not really good at it. Can I bash the door down?"
"You can try. Go ahead and roll a Strength check."
rolls
"Okay, you succeed."
Then, back to the narrative:
"You apply force where necessary with the two-handed axe at your disposal. The door can't dodge. Eventually, you break it into splinters, and are able to walk into the darkened room that was behind it."
And so on.
I don't think it needs to get any more complicated than that.
@Misadventure said in MU* Mystery RP:
- There is a specific set of clues and information to reveal a specific "solution"
- Player brainstorming is used to formulate the "solution" behind the scenes
Does one approach appeal more when you are a player vs a staffer/ST?
I think the important issue is the purpose of the mystery.
If the mystery is to advance the plot, then I prefer there to be one or two "solutions" that will aid in moving the plot forward. If the mystery is not essential to the plot, then I prefer letting the players come up with a plan, so that I can save my brainpower for something else.
@Macha said in 2023: Dead Celebs pt 2, Electric Boogaloo.:
She was too suck to be serving anymore, but making that money, yo.
It wasn't the money. It was the position.
Pride is definitely one of my favorite sins.
I realize she was a trailblazer, but, jfc, thank god that woman wasn't gonna leave on her own.
@Misadventure said in Nightlife RPG vs CoD:
It is also possible to hijack a system like CoD to catch the different feel off another setting. I dont mean lets play The Originals as if they existed in the WoD, rather use the CoD stats and resolution mechanisms, and use Merits or Powers to track the abilities from the desired setting.
I believe that CoD was made to do this, but I also find it hard to remove CoD from the material it was meant to handle. Morality checks, for example, don't really come into play in a Mass Effect setting.
I like FS3 and Faraday's code because it can crunch through combat quickly. If I had my beans together, I'd finally learn to set up a game through Ares, write up my files, and start that Mass Effect game I've always wanted to.
Unfortunately, I'm old. Life interferes. And as much as I want to immerse myself in a world that is constant and ever-changing, I just don't have the time. I'm not happy with it, but, for the moment, I am content.
@Ghost said in WoD Competence Dice?:
Having said that, the game as a while suggests that there shouldn't be a dice roll required for anything 'rote', such as opening doors, making coffee, figuring out how to use a vending machine, and even safely driving a car from one point to the next.
This.
A GM shouldn't require a roll of someone unless a task is complex, the knowledge is not commonly available, or the character is under stress.
@ZombieGenesis said in In-Game Systems vs Web Sheets:
So I'm just curious, how important are in-game systems to you as a player? Would you be turned off from a game with a theme that interests you because it uses a web-hosted PDF sheet? Why is that?
I like it when I can access all the information I need from a single window. If I have to use something available elsewhere, it is just a tiny jarring for me. This isn't to say I won't do it, but it's just a preference: us old farts are used to fully-integrated games.
... he's doing really well, already eating, drinking, and pooping.
Yep, he's a cat.
I still play.
RPing is easy to do when you're a desk jockey. I'm more of a desk jockey than ever these days, and folks are much more tolerant of work interruptions too. So, I tend to RP, when I RP, during the work day.
In the evenings? I maybe RP one or two nights a week, and even then I restrict myself to between 2100 and 2359. I watch sports highlights and TV while I'm doing it.
I actually spend far more time on landscaping projects, watching movies with my kids, and karaoking.
I think Cyberpunk will get interest based on its name, but I think that a rules-lite game would be easier to operate.
@LittleLizard said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:
I can always check, I know i dont have Aflac but there might be a safety net I've missed. Thank you for the advice!
No problem. I'm guessing based on your comments that you live in Washington, and so you get 12 weeks of PFML. Since that's a state benefit, you also may have FMLA leave, which is another 12 weeks. So, I'm guessing you've taken 24 weeks off, which would put you around the 6-month mark for leave.
STD benefits usually last for up to 6 months. After that, you may qualify for LTD. If you have a life insurance policy, a lot of such insurers offer STD and LTD benefits for you and, if you're an employer, the business.
@Macha said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:
Which will clearly have to be my first work email of the morning. Because it's not okay to just ignore a medical accommodation like that. It's not.
What exactly is the medical accommodation you are seeking? Their response time could be contingent on that.
@LittleLizard said in Real World Peeves, Disgruntlement, and Irks.:
I needed this time to recover. I needed the rest. But it's too costly amd now I need to look at canceling my remaining specialist appointments..
Any chance that you have short-term disability that may kick in? Some employers have that coverage to make sure your absence doesn't hurt it financially, but the policy may extend to cover a portion of your lost income briefly.
I won't be, but I know people I know are going to drag me into it.
