Posts made by Lotherio

@misterboring said in Something Completely Different:

Things have been almost totally inactive since the "fire" started. I don't know how much more simmered down it could get without just turning the server off.

It has been quiet, yes, but then 70% of the new threads since relate to the 'fire', someone's leaving because of, someone's trying to be funny snarky at Gany because of, or saying they don't get it something because of. Like, lets talk about games or something. I'm just saying from the outside, it doesn't all look good despite how many voices there might seem on the one side.

@saosmash said in Something Completely Different:

You can't bully someone who is in authority over you.

I'd disagree, again, the last admin they ran off was bullied. They not only left MSB, they left MU*'ing all together.

Clique (noun): a small group of people, with shared interests or other features in common, who spend time together and do not readily allow others to join them.

Exactly, a number of the banned and others do talk on discord. The discord as pointed out in other threads is by invite only. Curious?

ETA: Again as I said above, this is the perception to neutral parties. At the stake of whatever reputation I may have had, I'm saying its not looking good from a third party perspective (realizing some folks I respect, included you, will not like what I'm saying). I pointed out I Derp is not a friend, we've disagreed, they've argued often enough with Gany. But this does look like a dog pile.

I don't know my reputation and if it has any worth. I've been pretty silent this last year and have greatly reduced the amount of time I actually RP in Mu* format. That said, from my perspective I just see this as continuous dog piling on Admin like somethings going to change. The will of the people looks like an attempted bullying of the few. from my perspective.

I disagree with @Derp's sentiments often enough, I don't like everything I've seen from them. @Ganymede's doesn't agree either, we've all seen them go back and forth themselves in disagreement (those of us reading all the threads have seen them quip at each other). I respect Gany's decision to bring in a voice of opposition to moderate in fairness (akin to presidents bringing in bi-partisan folks to their cabinets for broader voice).

Some of the banned folks I know, some I only know from here.

What I see is the attempted voice to shut down the mod's decisions in what has the appearance of several cliques trying to get their way; again I know some of the folks banned and I know its not a self aware clique just the appearance of such. In all honestly, some of this group this is the exact same group that got a prior admin ousted (I don't recall if they stepped down or if it was discussed with other admin to quill the dog pile). I know that person completely left the Mu* part of their RP hobby after that a few years back. I know they're doing good now avoiding the Mu* world.

However, agree/disagree with someone, it was a dog pile then and it is an attempted dog pile now and it gives the perception of a clique, and I mean it in a negative connotation. I don't like what Derp says half the time, but I don't see them maliciously going after folks to have them banned or using their 'authority' for some undo persuasion or favors or something else untoward. I respect the current bans (possibly temporary) to get a hand on the initial dumpster fire, and I see the continued support for the banned group as just throwing fuel into the fire but serving little other purpose aside from making the fire bigger.

I respect the decisions made by moderators leading up to this point. I respect what Gany has said, they'll review it when @mietze returns for some clarity. Gany has been nothing but honest from all I have seen. But this continued pouring of gasoline into the dumpster fire is really painting more of this impression of the clique. I see people speaking up against it in quiet voices worried of being banned (in posts that seem nothing like the initial posts and do not warrant banning) -- but they've already said they'd review it. I still see some of the initial bans as part of the problem that drove a prior moderator out of this aspect (Mu*ing) of the hobby, and it has the perception doing the same again.

I trust Gany to do as they said, review when things simmer down. Can we get there without more gas going into the fire?

@macha That he has, and he'd of been good in some action flick as John's dad, they look like it. He's been in a lot of things I like, ever since Remo Williams (for me).

Well, no more chances for the Fred Ward /John Bernthal movie matchup.

@betternow said in Good TV:

@lotherio said in Good TV:

Outer Range - no clue where its going but the vibe of modern ranch horror (or sci fi?) is pretty good.

A good set up for a modern ranch mu-slice of life/small player base. Two large ranches battling over land/etc, one has money/resources, the other is a more established family in the valley/area. Various dramas ensue between the families.

It's very Yellowstone meets Twin Peaks. I'm enjoying it thus far.

Funny as I was catching up on the recent episodes, Twin Peaks came to mind too. About the time Autum went into the dive bar and talked to Perry, that was a very Twin Peaks moment, has me hopeful it goes more that way.

I am reserved that it won't fully make it to Twin Peaks (no end in sight and rabbit hole kept getting deeper, until fans complained and they made the movie to reveal the murderer) - it has a Lost (and every 'mystery' series since) vibe. It'll be explained.

***NSFW content***

Outer Range - no clue where its going but the vibe of modern ranch horror (or sci fi?) is pretty good.

A good set up for a modern ranch mu-slice of life/small player base. Two large ranches battling over land/etc, one has money/resources, the other is a more established family in the valley/area. Various dramas ensue between the families.

For what its worth - if someone can make up a PC with a plot hook/quirk/secret/assorted past, etc - they can make a one-shot NPC with a secret that becomes a 'plot'. Instead of everyone is bored at the bar and a drunk NPC starts a fight, why not the drunk NPC that lost their wedding ring down at the lake where the players go muck about to find the ring, or the old NPC that needs that thing in their foreclosed house. Its the same as the Prince that lost their sword to the orcs or the old wizard that needs that spell component from the deep dark dungeon, just perspective. The latter seems more involved plot, but a quick NPC with a quirk is all that is needed. A secret from those who enjoy DM'ing/GM'ing on the fly, put out a random mystery and you'll get inspired by what the players contrive is the real mystery. Run with it like they solved it when really they gave you all the answers. Modify it like they were on the right path but there was a twist they missed if you're inspire to do just that. The only thing that is needed is a curious msyterty to solve.

@faraday said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

The fact is that running plots means opening yourself up to a fair bit of stress and drama,

And potential criticism. That may fall under drama but wanted to be more specific.

@faraday said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

@pyrephox said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

you'd have to have staff who are willing to be realistic about the number of people they can handle

I mean... given that it takes an entire writer's room to generate that level of plotting for 6-10 characters on a weekly basis, I'm thinking the number of players a small staff can support is going to be pretty darn tiny. Well below the minimum threshold required to sustain a MUSH.

I think what you'd need is just a MU community willing to support each other - letting others take turns with the spotlight, running NPCs, all with the expectation that when it's your turn, they'll do the same for you.

Yeah, it's a pipe dream, but it'd be nice.

I'd be on board with this, but I'd like to see it as a community site where player can join and contribute to public themes/stories or players can do other story ideas. Like Gateway and other social places where folks could have separate spaces (or grids in the old days, a quota to make a grid for their 'mini mu*'). So if I'm feeling space cowboy for a month, I can run a few stories in Space Trucking Wranglers spaces, players can join with a generic sheet and play along. Then if Fred is feeling Vampire Vikings in York (860s near the beginning of Danelaw), we can change sheets to play that game. I did play around once in old FS3 to have it switch char sheets by area to do something similar but never went anywhere with it. But a community where folks could contribute to giant world projects where contributes continually add content, or folks can run smaller stuff in personal worlds for players that want to play along. Just rambling again.

ETA: I did look at doing this with a simpler system too, PACE diceless RPG. Which is cool quick little sytem. Folks take two traits to describe their character - like Angry Biker. The assign a point total to each from a pool of 7, Angry (3) Biker (4). If in the adventure they are in a situation the can use either one, they use that number. Example: A door is locked (rating 2), the Angry Biker wants to get mad and kick it down (Angry 3 beats door 2). But then there was the +/- bank, if door was 4, they could take counters to break it but with so many -'s they take a failure.

@bear_necessities said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

@il-volpe I think those games tend to be hard to run for longer than a few months, just because you have so many different factions and not enough people willing to tell stories for them. And then if you stick to one trope (like General Hospital or Chicago Med) then you end up telling the same stories over and over eventually.

It's not really hard to build a game like that, it's just difficult to keep people engaged and buying into the concept. Those types of games just too easily turn into sandbox mode, IMO.

If it stuck to one thing and kept going, it'd be like any other show and jump the shark pretty quick. Like Grey's Anatomy, how many mass causality tragic events can occur in Seattle - Last week a tidal wave crashed an entire cruise ship, now two planes full of vacationers crashed into one of the interns houses.

I think folks have expectation that things need to keep happening on that scale, bigger and bigger. Myself, I could have fun doing like hotshots (the really good wild fire firefighters) but only doing occasionally fire fighting and the rest slice of life drama, whereas others would expect new bigger fires or something. I did start doing a serial once on City of Hope with a few mortal folks where we'd do a fire every couple of weeks. A forest fire one week, every does their WoD drama or whatever, then a warehouse fire a couple weeks later, then a house fire, etc.

More like a small play group I guess. I'm just rambling now.

@arkandel said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

Which original TV series would actually make for a good MU*? How would you set it up?

I'm conflicted on this and probably outside the norm. Something from a series I feel would be too involved. If I didn't watch all 5 seasons, I would be lost as a new player or feel out of sorts trying to get involved. I still remember folks harping on someone here for saying Lego in a Battlestar Galactica game - basically making fun of someone wanting to have fun and not using a theme appropriate equivalent. I'm already not so interested in canon theme games.

If I picked one it would be one without much lore that could be added onto. I'd like to see something like the Protector. Mortal bloodline person can use magic items to fight off immortals. Sort of like WoD but not western themed or poorly depicted other culture. The immortals in there are sort of like Jann (genie). The series is set up for one guy to fight them with a network of loyalist mortals that support the fight with resources and such. It could be broadened to more fighters with items fighting immortal Jann trying to destroy the world basically.

Then again, if someone altered it to make it more playable as a Mu* some folks would dislike it for deviation from the canon - like the lego thing. People be picky, makes me veer away from something codified in another sources canon (movie/tv series/book).

Are we taking about a new lead star wars or pretty much a lot of the current/prior star wars mu*s?

@runescryer @BetterNow Just making sure. Yeah, that's similar, the frigate I was pondering for the syndicate crew gone rogue/anti-empire was a munificent-class frigate (used by separatists mostly in Clone Wars, it has enough hangers for several shuttles and a couple squadrons of fighters as well).

I think both or a combination could work too. Keep empire out, the Mandalorian/Boba Fett era could work too as the Empire recedes (its what, 7 years after RotJ?). Could be a singular system and its struggles with remnants of the Empire still trying to maintain a hold. Could be some criminal elements that don't work together but are in uneasy truce to get the yoke off so to speak. I like bothseries, I also like Solo, its showing there is plenty of room in SW to have SW feel without being Luke's wingman, a Jedi, or having missions onto the Death Star before its blown up.

One planet/setting could be good but I think it needs some ships in some context. Even Mando/Boba Fett have their various ships that make it into the story, from Mando loosing his and then making the modified Naboo fighter to Boba piloting the Slave One practically into the Sarlacc pit. Something to easily zip off for PrP that doesn't affect meta and gives liberation to some story tellers.

Course its still wishful thinking just thoughts.

@runescryer said in MUs That We Would Love To Make (But Won't):

Star Wars: Fury of Haldren- Classic D6 Star Wars, set 10 BBY (Same time frame as Solo and Rebels), focusing on the crew of the Alliance Frigate 'Fury of Haldren' as they fight to free their home sector from the Empire.

I mentioned Star Wars but more like Rogue Squadron/Solo'ish last page in the thread (a month+ ago); but rogue syndicate/former gangsters/mercs/bounty hunters/etc. like the group solo meets at the end of Solo. Just curious for those of us not well versed in the EU, is the Fury of Haldren something those more versed would or should know? Does this imply any other context or is that a random name and idea to fight in a random sector against the Empire?

@runescryer Its also good to see they have a home for the netflix Marvel series on Disney+, TV-MA and all.

@arkandel He did age well, sad to seem them getting older. Reminds me of George Takei's old joke about the new enterprise obviously had a gym and the old one was lacking, when talking about Shatner and Stewart.

@ganymede said in Good or New Movies Review:

Pixar is really hitting hard with its films.

They're hitting hard with their SparksShorts too.

@ganymede I liked Domee Shi's short too, I can't wait to see more of her work.

William Hurt, pick any of the many articles.