Best posts made by Lotherio

@Cadi said in Historical Mu* - Looking for interested Staff:

Okay, I admit after reading all your rules about how to handle it (quick bans, specific channels, enforcing OOC behavior beyond the typical 'no harassment') why specifically do you want this time in history? Current time is heavily charged with the same debate your characters may be having IC, which allows for a lot of easy OOC/IC mixing.

So is there a specific reason you picked this era or is it just your own interest of this time?

Admittedly, I probably won't join the game since I am Arab from a Muslim family and I can just imagine the shit fest that can explode. Now I am not saying no one can handle this, I am just saying that you will only need one or two people to set people off.

Eh, it doesn't matter what I say, you do what you want to have fun. If it doesn't work out, no harm no foul, right? Its just a game. Have fun and I wish you the best of luck!

I've stated my interest. The start of the Kingdom of Asturias is rife with politics and political games, no one is going forward without politics, without alliances, the bread and butter of an L&L game. And it hasn't been done to death. Do we need another war of the roses or the hundred years war? How many fantasy/alt settings have been based on this? Game of Thrones; though I am of the belief the basis of the story is inverse Arthurian tale with hundred years war used to add depth, ... the king (potential king) is the cheater this time and takes a mistress, a bastard is born of this (John Snow) - opposite of Geun and Lance, its Rheagar and Lyanna (no spoilers, HBO confirmed it, but so many fans already believed it anyways, its not shocker of a spoiler).

I respect your decision not to play. I would also value your input as an Arab Muslim in all honesty, but yes one or two people can easily make a shit storm out of an ant hill and wouldn't want to be responsible for making you feel uncomfortable.

@Cupcake said in Historical MUSHes:

female Indian medical doctor

Susan "Bright Eyes" La Flesche Picotte

Yes, the term Bright Eyes was appropriated by a white band that included @ghost's favorite Omaha personality.

Clone; Dark Empire storyline in the comics. It ties Kylo to his grandfather, he gets to defeat Palpatine for good, ending the cloning process. Helps with the name, Rise of Skywalker, he gets the tie to his lineage, ends up good'ish.

@Sunny said in Historical Mu* - Looking for interested Staff:

Am I understanding correctly that it will be against the rules to have anything more negative than mild intolerance as IC thoughts and opinions? Or did I misunderstand?

Specifically, using religion as a springboard for say mass murder, rape, or genocide will not be tolerated.

Intolerance will come up in RP, we are only asking if there is a target to this and it makes them uncomfortable that it not be played out or remain a focus of RP. We are not after the 'they are not us, we must eradicate them!' We don't want any 'you dirty RELGION' or 'because you are x you are unclean'.

We are suggesting such is not the norm, both sides have doctrine for tolerance (love your neighbors, Muhammad treaty with Abrahamic Religions such as his treaty with Judaism); that should be the norm, any intolerance should be the minority. The focus of individuals of either side should be establishing bloodlines and control in the area through politics, alliances, the courts on either side. One staff brought up the idea of an Iberian Richelieu which could be interesting (but again, could just as easily step on toes, or just rankle depending on the player), but the idea of political dominance would have to come from their heritage to say Visigoth lineage and familial obligations and not the church itself.

@faraday said in Historical MUSHes:

At what point are we no longer playing any semblance of history and just playing costume dress-up with modern sensibilities?

This may be the heart of it, at what point does verisimilitude vanish for the individual (various points certainly).

Another example cause it works for me; I keep thinking a 50s cafe racer joint would be fun to play in. But maybe I'm only seeing the costume dress up side? Greased hair, kids biker gangs versus outlaw 1%'ers vs police chases and all; rum runners on the side even, souping up their pre-NASCAR cars by mixing and matching the best parts to get the most out of the pedal.

But I also know, everyone holds up the 50s as a golden era and looks at crime stats without considering that domestic and hate crimes were not reported as much. There was more hate than acknowledged by simple crime stats that were collected due to how the data was collected even, it was a big era of civil rights movement.

The suggestion @Ghost hinted at, period-piece vs historical, might help a little, but I think more folks would simply eye roll at playing on a period-piece game, wondering how much history was thrown out the window even (is that 50s cafe racer place going to involve the main motorcycle person jumping the shark on skiis at some point?).

Or (double post sorry)

Rey: I think I hear something up ahead

Palpatine feint: I'm not dead yet ...

Holy Grail scene ensues, with Kylo taking money to clobber the nearly dead Palpatine over the head.

The reconquista didn't become religious until 9th century Christian documents labelled it and while some talk of murder, rape, and genocide in the 8th century, other historians argue that the religious inference by Christians was propoganda by the church and church States to incur sympathy and support (financial and military) for the efforts. Similar to British celts and human sacrifice, which may have existed but is considered by some to be Roman propoganda to paint pagans as non human and thus easy to call an enemy more than common practice.

Wikipedia on the early medieval Spain situation:

Nevertheless, the difference between Christian and Muslim kingdoms in early medieval Spain was not seen at the time as anything like the clear-cut opposition that later emerged. Both Christian and Muslim rulers fought amongst themselves. Alliances between Muslims and Christians were not uncommon.<ref name=CambridgeMedieval/> Blurring distinctions even further were the mercenaries from both sides who simply fought for whoever paid the most. The period is looked back upon today as one of relative religious tolerance.<ref>María Rosa Menocal, ''The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain'', Back Bay Books, 2003, ISBN 0316168718, and see [[Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain]].</ref>

Nothing here about hatred and intolerance being key to the start of the Reconquista, or the birth of the Kingdom of Asturias, and this is a basis of our game. Groups squabbling among themselves, allying across religious borders ( or lack thereof), even fighting their own faith as mercenary units for prize. Certainly other historians can disagree.

If religion is the only excuse one can find to squabble, it's a sad day. If using the above reference, from cited sources, ruins ones fun of the third decade of the seventh cebtury because it's less about religious differences and more about fighting for resources and opposing taxes (the taking of resources) and personal agendas, then yes, it is all flowers and daisies.

As noted in the other history thread, pedantic once again paints the picture for why many avoid historical mu*s.

@krmbm @bear_necessities Whaaat? I totally thought you two knew each other from here after (or even before) Calaveras. Kudos on what you two are both doing now by the by! I don't play much, but what RP I do get in on is on your joint.

See, they started putting flammable thinner in the paint, this is what happens when you try to skimp like that.

And someone said: Repaint, and Thin no More.

@Lithium I respect your opinion, and it has a high value. I've done plenty of fantasy based on real world in Mu*s, helped form/make/contribute to a few along the way. I'm just looking more at history as I'm over the expectance of magic in any fantasy setting. I don't know, just me. Fantasy based on real world anything is just seeming more and more bland. Some folks realize the reference and try to go that way (oh hey, the Northmen of the Trinitate Church are like Crusaders and the extra long named Dynasty of the south is so close to Caliphates and Muslim Dynasties ... I'm going to recreate plot based on something that happened in the real world based on this new knowledge). Others miss the mark and play what they want regardless of theme (people misreprestining ethnic cultures/religions isn't specific to history, just it is more recognizably offensive I believe).

@Cadi said in Historical Mu* - Looking for interested Staff:

Nah, it can definitely be done I think. However, it works better for eras where there is a lot of visual/written information (movies, shows, books, cartoons, comics, whichever.) And with a culture that people are partially aware of without needing to research much. It also helps to have clear ideas of how every day life was lived back then.

This I agree with. Only feeling regularly recognizable stuff is a bit overdone to me is all.

If you listen to most of the post, the argument isn't with the fact that it's a history MU*, its with the which era you've picked. Its a contentious era, not very well known except for real history buffs who like Spanish or Moor history, during a time not many are interested in (although to Middle Easterners we love this era due to it being the big expansion of Islam and Arab culture.)

This I strongly agree with, I am interested in the culture due to the expansion, the broadening of knowledge that spreads from this expansion and the look by historians that the expansion comes with tolerance and acceptance of the cultures and ethnic groups where these dynasties expand. Literally its a continuation of many cultures of the region from before this, from the Khanate system and those administrations that came after it. Including Alexander the Great borrowing from those models for his expansion. The conquered were not subjugated so much as included and indoctrinated into the system, allowing them to continue with a way of life they already new and even encouraging some to join with them. This is a very strong interest of mine.

@Roz Fair enough, it was civil, not dogpiling. It was like one sided rhetoric continuing to build on the same side without any rhetorical counterpoints offered. It being insensitive had a fair point, I can sympathize and also see it being insensitive by some assumptions made on behalf of staff in the pile of one sided rhetoric that seemed to be gaining momentum.

@Ghost I'll see you and raise. IF you want to complain about bad management over the past 20+ years, try being an Oilers fan. Management keys have moved around and changed enough hands, so to speak, its more like a curse and doesn't matter who's at the helm even. I don't know, folks thought when Pocklington was done (forced to sale) it was good, but should we be mad that Edmonton enforced whatever clause it was that kept the team in Edmonton until like 2004 or whatever (the reason he couldn't sell to another buyer in another city, despite all his threats to do so).

@Gilette said in Coral Springs:

@surreality

I've been looking for a superhero game with a small, coherent theme for a while now. CS might scratch that itch. I'll have to see what I can draft up. What's the theme like with stranger than human characters - magical beings, aliens, robots, that sort of thing?

All are welcome, we've seen a little of it all . Honestly from the creativity of players. A few magical beings have shown up, mystical races on earth, from other dimensions, one or two entities in host bodies. One alien that did space plot back on August, a galactic civil war going out there that's great for prp and char development. There may be one robot that I can think of, I'd have to check specifics of the character as they could be converting to cyborg to robot ( or wishful thinking on my part). A ghost currently with some fun classic references to like ghost busters and such. One was a skeleton, could take off the flesh suit and so skeleton things (a lot of fun potential with this one).

We're sort of Sky High, but not a ridiculous. One person reckoned the game to Percy Jackson, light enough with some fun with the genre not too dark. I like to think it's very light Teenagers From Outer Space, you can have fun just assume the faculty show up at just the wrong time to give out detentions.

I think it comes down to sparkle vs snowflake. Enough unique to shine occasionally, run done background plot for development with, and help others with their stories and such is all good in my book.

Stranger than human

@SG said in GMs: Typical Player/GM Bad Habits:

@Pyrephox said in GMs: Typical Player/GM Bad Habits:

No-selling character skills and abilities. I don't want or expect a single PC ability to be an instant win button on any scenario, but the times when GMs have shut down or bent over backwards to decide a character's extremely relevant skills/abilities Just Don't Work because they didn't think about them when building the challenge is kinda silly.

OMG this is so frustrating. My current TT GM does this. Like 5e, rolling above 15 is supposed to be good for many things, but he constantly only gives good info for spots or history checks with 20+. Ugh.

Unless its the bid war/ability auction during CG for Amber diceless RPG?

And now we come to strength, the most important stat in the game. If you don't want to be bested by your friends, I mean opponents, clearly you need to a good strength ... Really Joe, you're going to let Bill outbid you, that clearly means if you too met in the forest an he has it out for you, Bill will beat you hands down, that's how important strength is.

20 minutes later

And now we come to willpower, clearly the most important stat in the game...

@Ghost That's close to mine, I'm torn between the never-hads and the been-a-whiles for hoisting the cup. Bruins are only there cause of my daughter for I'd be good seeing them get it. I'm still listening to games (yeah, more on, I could watch, but I've a habit of internet radio'ing the games, must be old age setting in, I can listen to games instead of watching).

@Vorpal said in Coral Springs:

.... iiiiiiiiinterestink!

I'll take that as a ... compliment.

Similar or borrowed ideas are welcome too, but i think even those are pretty original in presentation on Coral Springs.

It has the benefit here, original theme, no one needs to worry about Superman or Ironman coming on to steal the show. Staff aren't limiting them to be 'less' than the paragons of various cannon. Every is on pretty even footing.

Its not for everyone, but FS3 helps with this. Then again, supers, usually most systems aren't 'the best', we all have our favorites I'm sure. We've limited the combat focus to four action skills (physical, energy, psychic, and mystic). Actual things like strength level and such can be taken in Bg skills and we have some charts to follow in building on the wiki. But in combat, you pick two of the four, they represent combination attack/defense because eight skills with an attack and defense in each is too clunky and feels outside the spirit of FS3 simplicity. You can't defend against two types, you get friends and teammates for that. No mavericks, no completely immune to everything types. You just define how your actions skills work; physical could be super strength brick, it could be martial artists, or weapon master, it could be magnetokenitic using steel beams to hit someone. Energy could be eyes, red plasma from chest, ray guns, radiation bombs, whatever. Everyone can use two, and suffer against the other two. its not the typical bricks are just weak to psychic, they may be weak to mystic and energy. And everyone starts off in the same range of skills, the folks who have been on for a while have only raised action skills by maybe 1 so far, so even footing.

Thus was had the great ball/butt/undie discussion of 2019. And me with no bleach for my eyeballs cause I poured it down a drain.

@jennkryst

One of the draws for using MU to host games is, or was, its versatility. And yet, it is now the biggest downside?

The new places are a good progressive step, but I'm not sure this potential downside will ever make Mu's comparable to other forms of RP and collaborative story telling, no matter how many times we say its our preferred form/format.

@SquirrelTalk Not sure what we're disagreeing about, I was only noting other social mediums have RP happening right now, even live and persistent. They can include dice through applications that can be installed into them. I'm more interested in collaborative story telling too.

@Three-Eyed-Crow I don't know, Neal McDonough seems to have a role he's made for?

Can't speak for Jim Carrey. I sort of like Neal's work since he was on the one season show about the aircraft carrier during some apocalyptic event. Though the uniform could use an ironing - oh wait, I see the issue, US Army, its ironed enough I suppose.

@Ganymede said in Sexuality: IC and OOC:

@Auspice said in Sexuality: IC and OOC:

...found the backing but not the crumb. It's like goddamn Narnia in there.

Not the time to bring up Spar Oom but crickies a lonely goat man in the closet talking to kids about magical journeys someone dial CPS.