Posts made by Ganymede

@WTFE

You know what sucks? Being Cantonese and allergic to beans and legumes.

I hate you so much sometimes.

@WTFE said in RL Anger:

Hence my referring to it as "tone deaf" instead of "being a fucking worthless piece of filth that would ASPIRE to be as lofty as dogshit".

If you want to put him on your Ignore list, that's fine. You've your reasons. But I hope you can agree with me that calling him Bane is unwarranted. Man, that's like calling someone VASpider: you reserve those curses for the people to whom they refer.

And sure, @Meg, we could have that debate some other place, some other time. But I guess my point was, and still is, that he mea-culpa'd out of the box.

Ghost isn't stupid, and he certainly did not come off as defensive until someone accused him of specifically targeting Cupcake. Frankly, if someone accused me of deliberately picking on someone when I honestly didn't mean to, even I would get a bit defensive. I'll own up to being my own kind of special.

@Auspice

Sorry to hear about your travails and bad news, and I wish I could help out.

@WTFE said in RL Anger:

We did?

Yes, we did. It's in the Random Bitching section. Something about how hyperbole is turning this place into the sort of shithole that we didn't want it to be. Maybe you didn't make the comment, but I certainly read one that came off as making this argument. Which is kind of reasonable, in my opinion.

I maintain that no one gets to say what someone is or is not offended by.

But Ghost really isn't the gibbering, grandiose waste of humanity that Bane was. And you, or anyone else, can call what he said as a non-apology. What he did do, however, is declare that he was going to back away and out, and he tried to do so ... or is trying, I don't know.

For the record, I didn't think he was making light of abuse.

@WTFE said in RL Anger:

Statements of intent, especially when they fly in the face of a trivial search on posting history, don't mean shit. At this point you're a hairsbreadth away from being Bane Mk. II not because of that one joke but because of a motherfucking HUGE HISTORY of posts that make you come across as, well, Bane Mk. II.

Didn't we just go over how hyperbole doesn't help?

I suppose that this is the RL Anger section, however.

@Auspice said in RL Anger:

So overall I'll be $75 'up' from where I have been.

Do you mean $75 up per week?

@Thenomain said in Swashbuckling and continued success:

If I create a major game system again, it will be a scene system, where a scene set is the room description, and when the scene moves locations the new setting information is posted for everyone there. This is halfway done for people who run big scenes already. A scene system would do much more, but the times I’ve used this before it got very good reception.

Might want to talk to @faraday about this. She's already built something like this, and it also uploads the scene to her game's wiki with a command. And, yes, the upload omits OOC stuff, pages, and whatever, keeping the rolls and the poses and emits.

@Lotherio said in New MUSH 'Game' Mechanics:

I’ll use an example to maybe help a little. Lets say its Vampire Politics setting, nearly the same concept as WoD. Clan 1 and Clan 2 want a certain parcel of land for their private use. New zoning laws have increased herd potentials here, or some misty artifact lures in gnomes who have the bestest blood ever, has happened. Both Clans intend to compete for it. So there is a big faction conflict here, some time limit is chosen (4 weeks), at the end of that time, the side with the most points spent on the goal wins. Each side now has to figure out: 1) How to get the most points to their clan from other players so each member can contribute; 2) How to convince other allies and groups to contribute as well if possible; 3) How to harangue the opposition to get them to not have points to contribute; or 4) Just give up cause too much work and they don’t want to play.

I'm going to focus here for just a second.

In real life, yes, you would worry about the location of territory. This is important. But we're in a virtual world when we MU*, so we can think outside of that. Further, territory is kind of ephemeral: even if the administrative staff at a school doesn't have physical boundaries for it, there is no doubt that their "territory" is the school office, where they reign supreme. But their authority only extends as there is a need for what they provide.

Similarly, politics is only necessary because of resource scarcity -- or need. If everyone had the ability to take care of everything they wanted to with their resources, there would be no logical need for conflict (even if there might be some sort of metaphysical or emotional need for conflict). So, everything, systemically boils down to resources.

The same goes for vampire politics. In oWoD, the Nosferatu have power despite having few territorial holdings because they have secrets and information. In the politics of truth, they reign supreme. But they may not have the sort of territory that we commonly associated with turf wars; in those situations, the Nosferatu may be at a disadvantage, but they have a resource everyone wants.

Enough preamble. Your questions.

(1) How do you get make it so each member can contribute?

Easy: allow everyone to have territory. Feasibly, a vampire cannot hold anything but a single block or two alone, but they could do that, and, maybe, there's something on that block that everyone needs. Example, a city that relies on a single power plant sitting in Mary Malkavian's block; don't get on her bad side, or she'll drop your entire power grid long enough to ruin your annual fundraiser at your art museum, Tilly Toreador.

(2) How to convince other allies and groups to contribute as well if possible?

Because sometimes holding your little territory isn't good enough. Maybe Mikey Malkavian decides to join Mary, and help her patrol her block or expand it. By contributing time and effort towards it, maybe he can improve its defenses, its amenities, etc. Or maybe Mary needs Gary Gangrel to tend to the mortal population in her area, so that they have enough resources to live and expand, thus keeping the "herd" together for Mary and her minions to feed on.

There are roles in every territory to be delegated.

(3) How to harangue the opposition?

If you want to encourage PvP conflict, then this should be a simple process that isn't so deleterious so as to make someone lose a massive amount of investment. For example, let's say that Tilly Toreador's art museum throws off a point of Art Influence every week, but she pisses off Victor Ventrue. Victor might take an action to "tap" the art museum, and cut off that flow for a week. Tilly doesn't lose the art museum, which she probably took a long time to build up, but it is useless as long as Victor taking actions to keep it under thumb.

(4) Just give up cause too much work and they don’t want to play.

It's impossible to force people to play when they are stressed. But maybe people don't want to play the political game, or maybe they just want to be like Mikey Malkavian, supporting others. Make sure your "Action Points" can be devoted to other things.

Just some thoughts here, really. Yeah, I've been thinking about this.

@Lotherio said in New MUSH 'Game' Mechanics:

So, basically, the simple heart of the system is, your character can do what it can do (period). Randomization is removed, the exchange is in asking that player RP some form of loss to net a gain (an extra step above your character can do what it can do by saying go take a loss). It comes down to honor system really. Everyone can lie and swap points with friends or at frivolous tea parties in exchange for the fight they have later with other players. Which goes right to the games that inspired my want for such a system, Diplomacy and Mafia.

I agree that this system would eliminate randomization, but it is dependent on an honor system. It can be easily broken.

A game like Diplomacy doesn't need an honor system because, well, it doesn't. Sure, there's no randomness in Diplomacy, but it is a game that rises and falls on the ability of people to convince others to do one thing or another. Although it is undoubtedly fair, Diplomacy favors the intelligent, cunning, and charismatic. (And it has been at least 20 years since I've fell out of the top 3 in any such game.)

I like a lot of what you're suggesting. In fact, this is what I was thinking about when considering my territory system. (Didn't we talk about it at some point too?) But I wouldn't want that system to replace the roleplaying system; I see it more as an add-on or mini-game.

Wouldn't mind seeing how the system works in practice.

@Apos said in Swashbuckling and continued success:

I think anything that's very episodic in feel has some issues translating to MUs, since it takes a lot of work to make an environment that can sustain itself between episodes that highlight the kind of high adventure vibe you want to capture.

BSG:U has a good way of doing this by moving the Dauntless (the ship from which the PC crew is based) from system to system. Faraday then posts a "setting post" to remind everyone of the crew's objectives at the system, and the general feel of being there.

@Thenomain

@Chet said in Swashbuckling and continued success:

I find for an epic feel, you need a system where you roll a basic unit number for every roll (I prefer 1d5), and you roll an extra die for each max roll (5), no matter how many 5s you get. This way, you never fail, but you can have increasingly epic successes. The matter is applying it.

This is the "Exploding Dice" mechanic, which I agree demonstrates epicness.

Which is why Earthdawn is a hellafun game.

@Seraphim73 said in New MUSH 'Game' Mechanics:

I think this has potential. I like the idea of having to take a loss to gain points.

There's also a substantial pitfall. Who polices what qualifies as a point-gaining loss?

@Misadventure

How dare you defy me?

@Taika

Before you set up your territory sheet, which I think is a fantastic idea, you may want to put to paper how you want to handle the territory system. That is, what do you want to see?

In our brief discussions on the site, I'm still not sure what you want to do. I've some ideas I think may be interesting.

To others: I'm working on bloodline write-ups. Two Clans down; three to go.

@Gingerlily said in What even is 'Metaplot'?:

Definitions are always exciting but specific examples are too. Tell me the metaplot of any game that you all remember from the golden age or a recent one or whichever.

"Metaplot" requires a story arc. If you haven't got one, there's really no metaplot, and you shouldn't worry about it.

"Metaplot" suggests that the game operators have a point to which they wish to see happen go. This was pretty clear with The Reach, but less clear on other games.

"Metaplot" relates to the idea that things which occur in the game have some material bearing on the world in which the game is set.

For me, a game with no "metaplot" is a sandbox, where people play because it's fun. On a game with a "metaplot," the people are playing within the confines of some story, and while the conclusion or the events therein aren't fully written it is known that the plots and events are leading somewhere that the players will hopefully be interested in.

In the World of Darkness, games like Werewolf and Mage need a metaplot. Vampire does not, as it can devolve into a political battle (which, like Facebook debates, may lead absolutely nowhere, and is often engaged in to pass the time rather than to make any cogent argument), but it helps.

Other games, like BSG:U have a known metaplot, and the enjoyment of playing is being able to immerse oneself in the setting and create your own story therein.

@Arkandel said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

That, and promoting body self issues through this crap. You don't need to be 11% body fat to be strong or healthy.

No, you don't, but many, many, many women don't work out to end up strong or healthy. Many, many, many women are convinced that they have to work out to look good, which, as you'll likely conclude, doesn't necessarily mean strong or healthy.

The same with men. Being big and buff or lean and lithe does not mean you're healthy -- or even as strong as you could be. Pro-wrestlers look really awesome, but most of them are rotting or broken on the inside (not emotionally).

Still, videos are good for form, and I think that, no matter what your gender is, find a trainer that you like to watch or listen to, and use them.

@Auspice said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

I took a new position within my company.
It doesn't pay any better. In fact, once I factor in commuting, I'll make less.
But it'll take me off a project that has been stressing me out and had me fighting outright quitting day after day (sometimes hour after hour).

I thought I did the right thing, because it'll have me working out of their local office. I'll meet people! I'll be doing something new!

But I haven't worked out of the house in 7 years.
I start on Tuesday and I'm so anxious about it that I'm sick.

If you are as charming and intelligent in person as you are online, the people in that office will be floored by you.

Here's cheering for your success from your BSG buddies! ^.^ ^.^. ^.^ Go Recon!

@Arkandel said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

The mismatch between good, informative, positive material between workout content created for men and women is outstanding. It was really unsettling when I realised the disparity recently.

I don't mean to sound condescending, but welcome to the wonderful world of gender inequity in North America.

Imagine if you're a young man who is learning too. Who are you going to follow? The slender, whip-like trainer, or the muscle-man? What's your ideal image? Will you be able to get to it?

Imagine if you're a young woman who is learning. The message is clearer: don't be big and strong; be slender and toned. And then walk into restaurants, where everything is PROTEIN and ERMAHGERD SUPERFOOD PROTEIN and EAT MEAT PUSSY ERMAHGERD PROTEIN.

It kind of sucks.

@bored said in The guy who coded Kishi Kaisei MUX [L5R]:

Honor and the particulars of Rokugani etiquette are easy things to get wrong and the setting can be pretty punishing when you do (and I even intentionally dialed it down by setting the game in a rowdy Crab port).

Dirty buggers, they go from port to port.