Posts made by mietze

Looks great! Can't wait to check it out.

Thanks for putting Hemlock Grove on my radar. I am enjoying it!

It's broader than a statement made by one person though. There are many times that I have seen people shot down on games for making ugh another <something> why don't people made something else that we don't have any of? When in fact to do so means that those folks are cut off from a lot of play/focus currently unless they "make their own fun." That is a fun challenge to some, but very intimidating to others. And thus my original statement that diversity is okay/desirably if it makes you feel good (and it does to many of us), but usually there is a reason for the imbalance that should be looked at. Maybe it's not a big deal (and then who cares if a sphere is mostly X for awhile) but if it is, the reasons should be assessed/dealt with as well as a cap.

I would love to see more of it Coin, and I enjoy incorporating spirits into play and plot.

But. I have seen this be a pretty huge barrier to people. It makes me sad regarding Werewolf because it's so vital to the theme. But for whatever reason it can be a barrier. And not every st will feel comfortable asking a staffer for a walk through when they can just do a kill this thing or find this thing.

That's why I'm not sure banning a class of PC gets you more activities in other areas. It may give you more pcs of the desired type (who then hang out and do social) but it doesn't usually solve the problem of why there is an imbalance in the first place.

I love the ephemeral stuff, personally. And I like incorporating it. WW is fun because it's so essential.

Yep, but I would say that probably anywhere there are far more people who are comfortable with an off the cuff hunt and combat scene than they would be for a spirit negotation one. For whatever reason, IME the ephemeral stuff seems to add another barrier. I didn't say it was impossible, just that if you are going to cap easy entry PCs (eliminating rahu or combat types) because you want to diversify your sphere and don't have a good chunk of available people comfy with running spirit negotation or fetish creating/gathering scenes, then that's not really going to help get an /active/ diverse sphere.

Or you will see them (most of my PCs are built around social) but they will be often be relegated to spectator only status unless they choose to make their own stuff or are willing to oocly do a lot of asking/muscling in. I don't think most people, especially those without a great deal of social capital (I consider myself has having had a lot of this on most of the games I've played the last few years--I tend to stay around awhile, in general I am well liked/thought of fondly, in general I have a good rep for sharing and interacting beyond just good friends, contributing OOCly, ect), relish the thought of that kind of uphill IC /and/ OOC battle for relevancy.

It is a hard thing to do sometimes, even if you do have the advantage listed above.

Werewolf in particular--I mean, yes, it's pack focused, but I'm starting to feel like it's also pretty staff intensive. If you're not a warrior, but instead are more dealing with spirit negotiation, or diplomacy, or other things--how often is that available to do off the cuff? Mediums often faced this too from a M/M+ standpoint. Even with the open STs, a lot of people are intimidated by ephemerals/ghosts/spirits, it's another level of complexity that a lot of people don't want to take on unless they're into it also.

Do I like that sort of shit? Yes. But I do totally understand and acknowledge that a lot of people don't want to deal with it. I think that's why you don't see too many people moving in those directions. They're too dependent on a minority category of RP that can often intimidate STs.

As lordbelh says, you get in a sphere what is going on. How many active plots and RP that's available beyond small group clusters are there where non-combat roles are able to be truly active and contributing? How many PrPs/STs are running things beyond "You find a thing, now kill it, good adventurer?"

If the only thing going on is pure social (parties, relationship drama stuff, ect---and no, I do not denigrate those at all, it is a valid kind of thing to be going on and enjoyable too) and then whatever scenes a few sts can think to throw at people they don't know well or for their own small group, IME the default is "fight something". Also, combat skills/+sheets are fun for a lot of people because they represent something that others in general are not going to "I opt out, you potential rapist!" on.

What is the point of diversity? Are there actual things going on in the sphere where the absence of non-combat people is holding things back or detonating plot, ect? Or is it just a feel good +census? This isn't a snarky question (I know the latter is important to many people, and again, not knocking that want). But if you want people to take on roles and RP that isn't supported by other players or staff, then that's a losing battle.

I believe Elfbian Mafia comes from the original Shadowrun Seattle MUX. Where a sizable chunk of the Ancients street gang (all Elf) were lesbians, played mostly by guys, for a time.

Later it morphed into the Ancients and the Yakuza fucking each other (not in the rival racist hatred mongering way, but like, PIV way), which was kind of OOCly hilarious.

Just goes to show you that it's not only WoD where people will break every single thematic thing whatsoever to just get it on.

This would have been in early-to-mid 90s. Yeah, told you I was old.

I think it depends a little on your personality.

I find that I personally feel more motivated and have more fun with a very specific training goal in mind. I suspect that some of the total CF freaks may be motivated by the internal and external competition. (That doesn't motivate me, but I do understand the appeal--I have just never been high enough of a level to really compete to be honest, if I was that it is totally possible I'd feel differently!

For me accountability helps, in addition to having a specific, time sensitive goal. That's why I like the group personal training a little bit better than something like crossfit (though in a small place I could see some of that same accountability there, but I personally did not experience that at the place I went).

I never have been and never will be a hop on the treadmill/stationary bike/crosstrainer for 40 minutes 3x a week person. I can make myself do it in a pinch but it won't last. I suppose the rest of my life is so fucking routine oriented, when that is not my personality at all, that I rebel against that and so it's super easy for me to just go on my merry way slipped out of my routine. But. If I have the deadline of a tri or other event on my calendar, with a specific time goal or completion goal in mind, it makes me have more motivation. On the off season I often struggle to keep up my running routine if I don't have an event even though I like running and it's my chill out/zone out time.

Right now I'm dealing with some health issues plus the complication of toddler again (I really got into shape and very fit before I had my oopsie baby, when my other kids were older elementary and my time was not curtailed by many complications. Now it is once more a production to get out the door and settled and back, so having that layer of "I paid extra for this group/there are 3 other women and they'll notice if I'm not there/I will enjoy hanging out with them and have fun once I get there" does help.

I wish I was someone who did not need to play these games with myself to get things done, but...I do. I just need goals, simple, time sensitive, and measurable to be motivated. It's like that in fitness, housewife/work stuff, as well as immensely helpful in my business.

Now that I think about it, I'm kind of happier with that in MUSHdom too. Maybe thats why I /like/ aspirations and things like beatsheets. Bleah, that must be annoying.

You should definitely go take a look see. And yeah, that is one of the reasons I am sticking to my trainer. This time around I am coming from a much less forgiving place, health wise.

I think the religion thing can be tough. Exercise and fitness can very much become like that (as can anything, I suppose). But just because one guy is inconsiderate (I think being on close quarters when you choose to not take care of your hygiene) and can't shut up about his hobby doesn't mean everyone will be like that. But fitness people can be rather culty. Seen that over and over again. With a side helping of high horse.

If he was super fragrant I wonder if he was doing keto diet too. It used to be all about paleo, but I have heard keto is the newish rage (seems like that potentially wouldn't be wise for crossfitters though). Sometimes people doing the keto diet reek like whoa with breath and BO if their body chemistry just right for that.

This is going to be an annoying answer, but:

Go visit the place and see what you think of the dynamic when you get there. It really varies from place to place. The community can be awesome if it's the right fit.

I shopped around a bit when I did it. I noticed some pretty glaring differences between boxes. Especially depending on the caveats you have. (Fat? Female? Scheduling? Old? Level of fitness?) An excellent coach will be able to help you modify appropriately. There should be an assessment involved so they can realistically advise you, and listen to your concerns, if any. I've been out of it for over 2 years at this point, so I would again shop around, to be honest since I'm definitely at a different level of fitness than I was.

I had a great experience, but I know people personally who sustained really bad injuries elsewhere. To be fair, this has also been my experience with personal training. (Which I think Crossfit membership is pretty equivalent to in $$)--the experience is so very very dependent on the coach/PT/environment and interplay between you and that.

With that price differential, as long as you are not going to have to sign a year long contract, I would be tempted to meet with a personal trainer every other week (this would be slightly more expensive total than just doing crossfit, depending on the going rate in your area), or see if the gym offers small group personal training (with just 2-4 people per group it's sometimes more comfortable than a 1 on 1 session and is often less than half the cost), if you like one of the trainers there. So there may be other options than just by yourself at the gym or Crossfit.

That's the decision I've recently come to; I'm hooking up again for small group sessions with my favorite, excellent personal trainer for the next 6 weeks while also shopping around at some boxes (there's now like double the number). I don't know that I am at the level of fitness where I'd be comfortable otherwise (a different situation from where I was a couple of years ago).

I am a huge fan of the Fading Suns world. And thus would be happy to discuss or potentially help (my time is somewhat limited though).

Cherry pie and whipped cream for breakfast.

Sigh. When my kids run down the aerosol in the fun squirty whipped cream can spending too much time trying to shoot it in to their mouths. No super artificially fluffy stuff for me.

@Bobotron said:

Semi-related, is there ANYWHERE other than the intertubes to reliably get gothic clothing? I have been roped into going full industrial-goth for Halloween with some friends (I am too proud of my beard to go goth loli like my one friend is doing), and I need a place to get stuff. I was more meaning general stores (I don't think anyone that's on MSB is anywhere less than about 3 hours from me, as I'm in Lexington, KY).

Unfortunately it's probably a little too close to Halloween for this to be a super likely thing, but have you hit the thrift stores in your area? Eldest kiddo has found some really good stuff there that she's altered a bit to suit (she's 13 so she does not have mad sewing skills, but has painted/did minor things).

I hate having to watch history repeat itself in pretty dark patterns. It really sucks that there are so many things in life that you have to just shut up and let people do what they're going to do, and hope that maybe you can be there to help pick up the pieces afterwards. The generational affects of neglect and abuse can be really fucking tough and most of the time with anyone but yourself, there's absolutely nothing, /nothing/ you can do until they're ready. I hate that shit.

I don't think procrastination can be cured so much as worked through. For me the only the only thing that helps is discipline of putting time in, even if I'm not thrilled with the results.

For writing, it's shrugging off the inner editor and just writing for a block of time, and worrying about editing later. For housework it's telling the voice of my mother inside my head to STFU bitch, and just put the time in. When I chaired a nonprofit organization (which no one who truly knows me would have believed me to be capable of in a million years, especially the one I inherited which was so fucking noncompliant as far as legal requirements it was terrifying, and because of Reasons it needed to be cleaned up right away and that got dropped in my lap) I had to force myself to dedicate 6 hours a week, timed and organized, to work on stuff from the time the timer went on until the signal and then just walk away from it, as long as it wasn't something like finishing a web form or something like that). When I wanted to improve my pottery skillz, I had to learn to be okay with once I fucked something up instead of trying to rescue or screeching internally to just cut it off, put it on the to be wedged pile, and immediately keep going with the next lump, until class was over.

I wasted a lot of time thinking that I needed to be in the right mindset at the right time in order for something to be worth doing. For me and my very distracted/procrastinating personality that will not come unless I just start on it and keep going (preferably in some sort of routine, though my routines seldom look like other people's). It's not sexy, but it's the only thing that gets me through projects and improves my skills.

I don't know, with the people I choose to rp with on a regular basis, they all are already doing that (portraying flaws). Maybe because I don't find RP that fun with perfectly perfect PCs, so I don't end up playing with them much outside of ginormous scenes.

It can be a bit of a balance though. My ideal is someone who has a PC with flaws, who RPs them, but who is /also/ capable of give and take and noticing/playing off others' flaws too. Because there are some people who are so in love with their broken PC that sometimes they become very self centered as far as needing that to be the focus of all scenes you have with them. (The If Only People Bothered to Unwrap My Awesome PC but Instead They're Bothering Me With Their Own Stuff people--I bet everyone has experienced that too.)

I don't know if you need a flag for that, so much as just observe. You'll learn a lot about what people are capable of handling and if they'll be fun by seeing their reactions to /others/ in a scene, how they handle others' reactions, and how they respond to your flaws or showing weakness (To me, arrogance, rudeness. ect is a weakness too, I'm not talking about Somebody Rescue Me here. )

Someone who can give and take frailty/flaw/danger is awesome. Someone who only wants you to be the audience for their character development usually ends up being boring/a lot of work.