Posts made by Ganymede

@Coin said in Game Stagnancy and Activity:

Anyone who runs a PRP usually has to submit something to staff at least after the fact--a log, whatever--and you can put up, in the newsletter, that x or y happened, and if anyone wants to investigate that, contact [person] (be it staff or the prp runner). That not only generates more plot-based rp, it might also lead to people going and roleplaying with other players who were involved.

True, if the PRP were something that was kept confidential. If the results were published, I think the player's investigation should start with the PCs involved, which generates its own RP without staff work. That said, if a PRP were kept confidential, perhaps staff could implement an "investigation" scheme within its political system framework.

@Tez said in Game Stagnancy and Activity:

Those kinds of impacts at the end are definitely what helps. How do you make them felt?

You advertise the successes and failures on the game.

There it is -- memorialized. You managed to make it out with the prisoners, but Sergeant Jayne is dead and Private Courtois is so badly injured that he's on-planet, recovering. Or, you screwed up, and Sergeant Ingvar is in the sickbay on life support.

The problem with many World of Darkness games I've been on recently is the lack of information. You connect each day, and you see nothing about what's happening on the Grid, even if you did do something. That's not necessarily discouraging, but it enforces the opinion that nothing you do will shape the game. On the flipside, when the smallest mission gets disclosed, success or failure, there are stakes involved, even if it's just your PC's reputation. That's BSG:U, where the pilots count their kills and the marines count their blessings.

It sounds simple, and I think it is. When I was running the Denver by Night Changeling Sphere almost 15 years ago, I tried to put out a weekly newsletter on the Board about local events, out-of-county rumors, and so forth. It got the players engaged, even if the rumors were false or the news misleading.

@Tez said in Game Stagnancy and Activity:

1. Give your players the ability to affect the world. Endorse it. Facilitate it.
2. Have a tight theme, so that whatever your players want to do will fit in to your vision.

What do you think is the best way to achieve 1 and 2? They seem gently contradictory.

@DownWithOPP summarizes @faraday's method, and I think it's pretty solid.

Start with 2. On a World of Darkness Vampire game, a tight theme could be "political machine" or "Strix infestation." The players will then know generally what sort of plots staff will run or would like to see. On a Mass Effect game, the players could be on Omega during the Cerberus takeover. On a D&D game, the game could be set around protecting a particular realm from invaders from another kingdom. This differs from the sandbox approach of "this is the Grid, play in it, and make your own drama."

Then, move to 1. Like BSG:U, you could have modules/plots that mesh with how staff is playing through the metaplot. On the Mass Effect game I mentioned, staff could run a general campaign of "Cerberus is in the lower levels taking over the power plants," and encourage players to play out skirmishes in Omega's underbelly and mines. Particular events like protecting a plant against invasion could be run by staff or players.

If 1 is going well, the game will self-sustain.

In another thread, I discussed my views on risk, and here they are: "let the players decide if their characters die." This seems counter-intuitive to the idea of "risk," but it isn't so where there are set objectives to meet or satisfy. If the players lose those skirmishes, it could have an effect on the metaplot: if Cerberus takes the plants or the Cylons crush a scouting patrol, that could negatively effect the campaign, just as success in both encounters may improve the players' situation. And advertise those successes and failures equally, to let the players know that this ain't no cakewalk.

@HelloProject said in Game Stagnancy and Activity:

I know that this might sound like I'm pulling shit out of my ass ...

No, you're pretty dead on.

1. Give your players the ability to affect the world. Endorse it. Facilitate it.
2. Have a tight theme, so that whatever your players want to do will fit in to your vision.
3. Keep the grid small.

Not too toot it too frequently, but BSG:U has this down-pat. My squad nearly got totally fucked up a few hours ago in a player-run plot. The combat code is unforgiving. And we all had a blast, even though one of us nearly died a horrible death.

@TNP said in Lords and Ladies Game:

It's the longest foreplay in the world leading to what will undoubtedly be the best hatesex in history.

@kitteh

Hit me up there. I play Daithi.

@Rook said in Game Stagnancy and Activity:

So, what are people's thoughts to keeping players out of private rooms and on-grid and on-theme? This was touched on in a few other threads, even today. How do you encourage public RP, how have you seen it encouraged and rewarded?

On BSG:U, players that run battle/mission scenes for other players get Luck points. I think.

Otherwise, we RP because we like each other. I think.

@Kanye-Qwest said in Lords and Ladies Game:

because frankly you are kind of a boring nemesis.

@Lisse24 said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Going to add to this because I have PCOS and I know a few others here have mentioned the same thing. Research has tied weight-lifting to positive responses in PCOS patients, while cardio did not. If I'm remembering the studies correctly, weight lifting affects the insulin response in insulin resistant patients through some mechanism that is odd because your endocrine system is complicated, yo.

I think the research is inconclusive regarding the cardio v. strength training debate, as it applies to PCOS.

My anecdotal experience (I don't have PCOS) suggests that both are a good idea. Cardio, regardless of whether it will help you actually lose weight, does benefit your cardio-vascular system, allowing you to train for longer. Strength training is always beneficial, for the reasons mentioned.

My experience in strength training (for most of my adult life) tells me that low-rep / high-weight is fine if you're a practiced lifter, but not safe if you're just starting out. I'd start with circuit training, then mix that with bodyweight training, before hitting the bars and dumbs hard. Form is everything, and the best way to learn form is with a machine, and then practice it with high-rep / low-weight exercises.

@Nightshade said in Health and Wealth and GrownUp Stuff:

Just the fact that you didn't tell me to eat less, move more, is help enough.

For me, dieting really is the next step. I lift quite a bit, and I move quite a bit, for my age.

Mind, trying to get myself back into swimming shape is a painful, frustrating experience. Went from 30 X 50 on 1:30 intervals to 10 x 100 on 3:00, and nearly vomited in the pool today.

Fuck.

There were days when I did 25 x 100 on 2:00. But I was in my 20s.

Fuck.

@Thenomain said in Dead Celebrities: 2017 Edition:

This scene probably made Babylon 5 one of the best, if not the best, sci-fi series of all time.

This scene takes the cake.

@Thenomain said in Guilty Pleasures:

Feeling guilty for enjoying your mom is more apropos.

I feel more guilty for not enjoying her, seeing as how everyone else has to some degree.

@mietze said in Guilty Pleasures:

Also zit popping YouTube videos.

My partner loves these too, and I think they are foul. She's studying to be a PA now, and already has a sort-of-offer from a dermatologist's office.

Fuck.

@Ghost said in RL Anger:

You have standards, don't you? If you eat filet mignon then doesn't your four legged baby deserve just as much?

I only have sex with extremely hot women, but I don't really give a fuck what they think about me.

@Tyche said in RL Anger:

Why do you pay to have this done? I've always bathed and cut my dogs' nails myself.

I'm guessing it's because her greyhound is a greyhound. They are the skittish type.

I have a cat. He gets IAMS food for indoor cats with hairball issues. I never give him any treats. I clean his litterbox out once a week. I took off his front claws. I'm not home or I'm taking care of the kids 14 hours a day, and then I am out or sleeping for the rest. I maybe spend 5 hours a week with him.

He crawls up when I'm RPing or watching Netflix/Hulu right next to me, and if I'm not paying attention he will lick my hand until I pet him. He knows I don't like him on the bed, so he never jumps on it.

He lets me hug him. He purrs when I let him up on my shoulder or tummy.

My cat loves me, despite the fact that others have the gall to say I treat him awful because I buy store-bought food, don't spend 4 hours a day with him, and don't clean out his box every day.

Like, fuck you.

Fuck you.

I got my cat from a shelter when he was a kitten and very sick. He loves me.

Animal snobs can fuck right off.

@Thenomain

Thanks for that information, Dogberry.

My kids are 4 now.

@HelloProject

Find something else that can pay the big bucks, or learn to get motivated.

@Coin said in Date Thenomain:

Inception overestimates how interesting its premise is by assuming everyone is going to view it and react to it the way someone who is not versed in science fiction or fantasy of speculative fiction will.

Just about everything from Christopher Nolan seems to overestimate the interest in its premise.

Except for Batman. Always be Batman.

@Seraphim73 said in Game System (RPG) development:

Your table is a little fascinating to me, comparing skills and then not rolling the difference or not allowing both sides to roll. Very much not what I'm used to, but kind of fascinating. I think that at first it will result in a lot of referencing the table, but after some practice, it could be a pretty dang quick system.

Thank you. You hit on one thing I wanted to do: make a dang quick system. The other thing is making a system where there's a lot of variation. If you want a feel as to how this goes, I drew a lot of inspiration from Blood Bowl, which is, again, simple and quick to pick up.

Combat is a little more involved and delicate. Like Blood Bowl, you need to time your team's attacks to make them most effective. E.g., Asari Adepts can use Pull to bring enemies into close range, where your Krogan Brute can mudstomp them into next year. Another e.g., a Turian Tactician can shift his squadmates' position in Order, so that they can get the jump on and attack the opponents before they can act. There's cover, and Status effects, and combat shouldn't take too long to get through.

If anyone wants a full copy of the v.4 draft, just PM me. I'm working on the Political System right now, which will include social combat.