Posts made by mietze

I am run down as fuck, and can feel my system fighting something off. Thus far I'm winning, but I still feel like crap on a cracker.

@Pyrephox yep. I try to cut large scenes and also scenes with newbie players that need a lot of help code wise or one or two notoriously needy/particular players a lot of slack when it comes to GMs trying to storytell.

And I think everyone has bad days too. If however there are a few times where I feel like I have been passed over consistently I just do not sign up for stuff with that person anymore. Either they are annoyed by my playstyle but do not feel they can decline my participation, or there are issues with attentiveness/being scattered that just do not work for me, or I know at that point I will just worry about it being the first thing so I wont enjoy future interactions because if that worry--does not matter and I do not hold it against them. Sometimes the fit just isn't great, and it does not mean bad or incompetent intent.

Honestly I think both public and private acknowledgement by the ST can go a long way. When I think of STed scenes in the last few years that have left me feeling kind of down it's usually been because what I wrote or even rolls made as requested were completely ignored/unacknowledged.

OTOH once a scene gets to be larger than a certain tipping point it is deceptively easy to do that. Sometimes even before if you are dealing with a very page-y person or demanding player and miss what others are doing. I have been fortunate that people have felt comfortable pinging me when I have messed that up as a ST without fearing i would either rage at them or dissolve into falling on my sword (the two reasons i think primarily of when i think of when I do and do not speak up).

I think that having communication and turn taking ground rules helps a lot. Some people do that naturally, others do better with some external organization.

Also, why are people pushing that anyone who wants elevation wants it because they don't like their liege or because the player just wants a new title for their sheet?

That seems pretty unnecessarily hostile an assumption.

I'll use Tessere for an example. In the background/history that was /written/ for the house, they'd been demoted generations ago, and the family has been trying to claw its way back for 200 years, as a generational goal that people have more or less been building upon.

Maybe other houses do not have that written so plainly onto their house entry that anyone can read, but I do think it is not out of the realm of possibility that sort of thing factors into genuine IC interest and goals. Maybe some do (since people rarely seem to read the entries for even their own houses and what they do historically/produce, ect, much less anyone else's entries).

And the truth of the matter is, that NOT every noble house is going to be a Great House. Ever. I mean, I'm sorry. But that is really part of the mindset that can be really disheartening.

Are there some people that really are going to charge for that now that they know it's within the scope of possibilities for the game, yes.

Are there some people who are going to charge hard and expect EVERYTHING to change for them and magical oodles of increased goodies, plot, and importance to other PCs once they get the new title--and then they're going to be disappointed when it doesn't bring that? Yeah, I think probably!

But do the majority of even PC houses want it, no they don't. There are many that are never going to rise above what they are for a variety of factors (interest, being able to stay populated by PCs, ect). It does take work. Not every org is going to have people who are equipped and willing/able to do that work, and while I suppose it is possible for someone to stockpile all on their lonesome, it will take awhile.

@saosmash It's been a while, but a distinctly remember a very clear staff directive that liege lords were NOT obligated to interfere in things on their vassal's behalf. Maybe I'm just misremembering though.

I think this is just going to be one of those things that until the systems catch up (like domain) people are just going to have to OOCly deal with as far as maybe new people will catch up to them (at least momentarily) in IC house stats. If staff does make domain something that is more dynamic, I feel pretty sorry for them in many ways, because my experience is when you implement dynamic systems into a game where they weren't there before, you have to deal with a lot of angst when people have to maintain power. I'm not sure how that will fit in the "no harm/no foul" for amount of activity/sharing that's expected on the game that /does/ help a great deal with not only rewarding people who are on the most or have the most ooc know how, ect. But I'm betting they're discussing it and are sensitive to that as well.

@saosmash Well in that case, I dunno, yet another thing that a higher rank PC doesn't have to worry about. If your people are advancing, presumably they'll have even more troops that they can be obligated to muster for you, or resources, ect, and you still are not obligated in return.

I'm with Sunny on this one.

There are many many more NPC houses than PC houses.

Liege lords are under absolutely no obligation to provide their vassal houses with any plot or personal interaction, and many (frankly) do not. If a house moves from barony/county to county/march, they don't switch liege lords and in theory the liege lord should probaby receive more income off of them as well, to reflect the enrichment of those lands, ect. Could be easily negotiated during the process of discussion. This kind of protects higher level nobles more than it harms, so I don't understand the OOC animosity towards it--you're not required to ever do anything for the folks under you ICly unless you feel like it (kudos to the people that do!), and your position as a <whatever level you are> is safe regardless of what you do/n't do ICly or OOCly barring getting excommunicated or going to war.

It's a little disheartening how oocly snide many people are publically EVERY time there's an elevation. I've rarely heard the first thing be congratulations, or even if it is, there is immediately passive aggressive or aggressive commentary about it. Even carving out a barony or raising a county takes sacrifice and work and saving up.

And I think because there's not a real lot of pressure put on the higher ups to need to collect more $$, resources, from those underneath them (again, I understand and appreciate the thought behind this, to not penalize people who can't be 24/7 active), there's often not a lot of incentives give either to give your treasure/time up the chain.

I think that a lot of people get very stressed when they think that someone getting something closer to what they have because they think that it will mean more competition, but the way things work now I'm not sure that is a founded worry.

From what I have seen, plot giving out rarely seems to happen MORE with higher ranking PCs, they're no more or less likely to be given stuff from staff. They really don't seem privy to more special goodies. People think raising their social rank/title will open doors to more specialized plot or people will suddenly want to talk to them more, but honestly I'm not sure that it really does. Nobody is required to come to the defense of a vassal (in fact there are reasons given where that would not be the case at all). I assume that no vassals are ironclad required to respond to their liege's banner call (though that's rather disappointing if that's the case, maybe that's not true and I've just read into things incorrectly).

I think the only way to keep people down, which seems to be the desired outcome here?, is to have a more dynamic system where you can LOSE status as well, if you are not continually investing--but I don't know if even some of the same people who really dislike how "easy" it is to get elevated would appreciate having to keep fighting for what they have. So taken all together, I don't really care if people can continue to improve/enrich their lands and status. Eventually a system will go in for domains, and we'll have to see how it shakes out. But when you have a system that doesn't require anything to maintain the status quo of one's rank and status but does allow for growth potential, it seems pretty logical that yes, there are going to be climbers.

I still do not think it's "most" people even doing this though. People seem to freak out about every single one, but even looking at all the houses on the game, it's a pretty small number for the amount of time and resources that can just be stockpiled since there's not much else to spend them on.

I just wish people were a little less snarky about it towards the people who work towards elevation.

I think the only way you can have a cohesive, compelling setting is to be relatively rigorous in your enforcement of it. Including removing PCs that do not comply, standards before and after CG, ect.

I think the reason why it does not happen so much in big tent games is because the more spheres (especially the non mainline ones) you have and the more specialized rules you have the less likely you are to have all your staff be able to implement rules for setting and character standards across the board.

I kind of think that making a massively multisphere game with no population caps means that you are agreeing to sacrifice some degree of cohesive setting and consistent standards of characters and storytelling eventually. I'm sure there are teams that can sustain it for a little while. But you cannot expect everything from every game. I think players (and staffers too) need to cut the big box game staff a little slack in this regard, especially on places that allow for every player to have tons of alts, meaning the volume of PCs is high.

If you want to prioritize player freedom that's great, but that also comes with costs. And it's definitely a truism that people tend to want what they want with NO sacrificing anything else.

I think many games really have the intent for dynamic personal storytelling, but as is mentioned frequently even finding enough prp runners and STs that will stay active and also willing to run for most everyone is a challenge. Especially on a huge take all comers game with multiple specialized rulesets. So while I support the effort to do so I hope people will actually be willing to help the staff on the game towards that rather than stand in the corner with arms crossed waiting for someone to come to them and prove it will be different this time.

@tek

@Derp it's more like a soupy gruel yep. You can vary the broth level for texture. It keeps for a while in the fridge and thickens considerably.

Crockpot congee

My kids eat this for breakfast or request as often as chicken soup or matzo balls when sick.

Put 1 cup rinsed short grain rice (sushi rice works well) in large crockpot, add 1t of neutral flavored oil and toss to coat grains. Add 10 cups of your favorite broth. Cook 8 hours or overnight on low. Before serving stir, bump up to high and cook for 30 mins, salt to taste.

I usually have a variety of stuff prepped sp that people and top their bowls as they please. Our family favorites: chopped leftover meat, sliced green onions, fresh herbs, hardboiled egg, drizzle of sesame oil/sriracha/soy sauce, shredded carrots, fried onions, bacon. I often crack an uncooked egg in mine if it is piping hot.

This is how I make my sticky black rice with mango. fistbump tek, was just about to say that is my favorite!

Bring to boil 3 cups of water, a pinch of salt and 1 cup black rice in a saucepan, and then immediately cover, switch heat to low and cook for 45 mins. Some fancy rice cookers like mine do an okay job but I like stovetop better for this. Stir in 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (it wont be the whole can, reserve it for later) and another pinch of salt. Bring to boil on high and then reduce that to low and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (you want it to thicken and the rice to get to your preferred level of chewiness). Remove from heat, serve warm or room temp with fresh mango sliced on top and the remaining coconut milk drizzled on top.

There are more solid preps but my family likes this softer pudding one best.

I think my issue with warn (though I love that too) is that it implies that it's okay to continue on in the play as long as you accept there might be consequences. What happens when the +warn is issued by a PC that is a vastly different social or stat power level and both know it? (Or think they know it?)

I think warn works best for IC consequence potential, but redcarding is less about that and more about ooc comfort about graphic content or subject matter.

It might, but personally I think the coded tool sends a message that staff supports it and will take things seriously when they need to be.

A policy is easy to write. Many times these policies are written (often unintentionally but not always) in a way that implies that if you go to staff it is because you've failed at adulting and if the MUST involved themselves in your inability to be big boys and girls then here is how that will roll out. Or frankly, staff gives that impression.

That could happen with a coded tool too. But there was effort expended up front to make it available, which sends a stronger message.

Or maybe it wouldn't. Will have to see how it plays out in places willing to give it a try. Though I suspect on a game where staff is friendly to the notion that sometimes they will need to sort out something like this, and will do do without begrudging it that the people who abuse it either way will not stay around because they'll be caught out and it's not a friendly environment for them.

I had a really shitty day today. From finding out as soon as I got to work that a (very distant) colleague stabbed and killed his wife and two small children before killing himself over the weekend (I didn't know him so it feels weird to be upset about it but i am) to dealing with stupid ass gross troll at lunch to now dealing with a meltdown from my psychotic ass mother because you know, I totally suck and ruined her life (in other words she and my dad are fighting about something so she is targeting me as per usual). Pls send virtual daiquiris. It's been a fucking crazy hot noodle day.

Not a hard call. Permanent ban is now in place.

My apologies, when I am at work it is harder for me to see stuff like that. More information in the temp ban thread.