Posts made by mietze

That article makes me very sad. It's reflective of my own experience in tabletop and at conventions (one of the reasons why once I got into MUSHing I didn't look back). I hope the author is my age, but I can believe the LEO's reactions as well, to be honest, though I kind of hoped that they'd gotten a little better too. I have seen the misogynistic hatred and rape threats directed at females with opinions on games or fandom first hand--when they were directed at one of my children. (She's no longer that interested in game design or writing, and part of me is full of rage over that, and another more guilty part is fucking relieved.)

I'm sure people reject that things are "that bad" and "oh it's just the bad apples". I've met a lot of great people male and female in the TT/Con world, but you know--the rotten apples are virulently rotten, and I don't think that they're taken as seriously as they should be (I'd like to hope this is changing). But in my experience this article isn't far off the mark.

Every time I think about trying to get a FS game opened, which I dearly love, I'm reminded of how much old bygone crap I'd have to wade though. (Hell it was bad enough ON Star Crusade with people still complaining at each other from some other FS game they'd played with each other like...at least 5 years earlier?) I mean that is par for the course (I remember the same exact thing happening on all the Shadowrun games) but I'm an old cranky bitch now and I think it would be too tempting to engage a 5 strikes you're out policy for using who was an asshat to you on some other game as a reason why it's okay for you to be a dick now. Everyone does that now and then, but jesus.

Notoriously aggressive/demanding as well.

I might also suggest (only from my observations of the last werewolf sphere I was in) that you consider maybe an additional WW ST, and maybe as packs develop/take territories, you might want to consider some territory/pack based scenes too. Vampire has the advantage of being supportive of people interacting with each other a lot, either as adversaries or as allies, you have multigroup membership (clan and cov) automatically. Werewolf is so pack based, even by design, sometimes there's not a whole lot of "general" stuff that's really going to draw people in. (Depends on the people too maybe). I think it really could be valuable to divvy up kinds of stories too. Spirit threats? Existential threats? Ect.

I guess I do fully support being prepared for the horde to arrive, though many games are doing that a little better than the many months of getting caught flat footed. If you're truly pulling of 2-4 staff run scenes a month for the vampire sphere, I do think you may have a sizeable chunk of people filtering in, because that's definitely different. With one PC per player though, I'm thinking you might be able to ask cov STs to cover 2 each or something though.

I guess it depends on the goal. Do you /want/ to make resources scarce? Is the goal that PCs really can't just do whatever they want large of small at any time they want to without either a lot of non-PC resources or a bunch of PCs to feed from? (In the example given above, I'd say that part of playing a gangrel that goes balls to the wall over everything and also is going to pick fights--in other words, an awesome one--is actually riding the edge of risking torpor if he really does lose his frenzy roll or decide to go after the Daeva. I know I would +nom/recc/whatever the crap out of that person who did that. I'd still consider that them playing their PC, even if they didn't get to pull off everything they wanted without a hitch.) Or do you not want to make players choose or PCs take on risks like that solely due to mechanics? I don't think there's a right/wrong answer there, it just depends on your goals.

I am a wuss, but...broken toes suck.

This may be my bitch-fu speaking but in the last 6 months in particular there are a whole /hell/ of a lot of players playing on games that they never stop bitching about on chan, privately, here, whatever--all the while saying there's no where else to play.

I've found that most people with some ooc encouragement and knowledge that even if they don't know you/you don't know them that you're wanting to share the stage are far more common than people think. But too many people exclude/don't bother to get to know strangers or are afraid of taking that first step because of course everyone else must be selfish unless they're a friend, and when you come into it with that viewpoint, that's exactly what you're going to get most times.

I hate those too, to be honest. I think at least the person should be offered a backscene or SOMETHING, or require that it be a scene as an option for the player, even if they can't realistically do anything about it.

But there is something terrible about spending 6 hours in a scene only to oh oops you failed that roll, sorry, while almost no one reacts and the ST is even doing lame posing. I've seen that happen to several people, it makes me sad every single time.

Most (not all) of the "involuntary" PC death I've seen (barring PvP) has been very boring and anticlimatic.

Why?

Because most of the time, it happens at the end of a 4-6 hour slog into the wee hours where by that time both the ST and the players in the scene are half assing it with 1-2 sentence posing every 20 minutes because that's all their fried brains can handle.

I think if you're going to get all excited about involuntary death for DANGER! and EXCITEMENT! and SUPERIORITY!! Then honestly? It's up to that staffer (usually it's a staffer) to provide a exciting and superior experience for all involved. Kick out the dragging their asses players. Keep it moving. Repsond! Be proactively respectful of everyone's time so that when/if someone dies it's not at the absolute most lame-ass period of the night where even the ST isn't delivering their best.

I'm good with making players bring it! But IME, it is not actually the players that tend to make these things so that people want to chew their own legs off to escape--but a lack of respect for time, follow through, and a willingess to boot deadweight.

Also in the source books for FS there's no real social sanction for fucking whomever you want to (unless your an Avestite I suppose?), as long as you marry who Big Momma/Daddy tells you to, there's forced divorces, a whole house of aliens/humans who can't usually procreate so when they marry they have to choose a fuckbuddy that can knock them up/be knocked up.

I've seen more magical babies and emphasis on pregnancy in WoD (especially for some bizarre reason oWoD) than anywhere else. So I gotta say, I'm with the others that are kind of wondering where this is going.

I mean, look. On ANY mush that's got a tight theme you are going to have people who really don't care to get involved in it that much, they're just there to simper/maybe someone they know dragged them/maybe they want the novelty of the setting sort of even if they never plan on darkening the grid for public RP. Usually these people don't scream and whine and moan about play they're not getting. So as long as they're meeting minimum standards, if you have a player who just wants to parade around with her pregnancy belly and bubble butt or whatever, or the guy who wants to just get laid in his starship (assuming these are not in short supply/taking up resources that another player can't get) vs. a RP room, then really--they harm none. I think sometimes we hyperventilate too much about those people.

Now, if PreggoFantasyGrrl also demands to be captain of the guard war leader and lead the troops into battle in a sexist society and she's bearing a major House's future heir? THAT is a problem that you probably should swat down. Or if Capt. Colin Forsecs wants to be head of the starshippers guild but can't be assed to get out of his bunk to run any events/plots get his people what they need? Also a problem. But you can deal with that shit by having clear expectations + as other people have mentioned non genitalia-centric things for people to do. But it's not /really/ a fucking problem.

I don't remember a lot of fantasy babies on SC, either. I mean there were people who had children (mostly offscreen) but they were heirs or somesuch. I guess I must have seen a very different slice of things though. I definitely think there was a lot of fucking going on, but I don't recall it being a huge emphasis in game play. I only had one ICly slutty PC though, who got surprisingly little action in that area. Custodius didn't care for my RP I don't think, so maybe that's why?

I totally agree though that putting in penalities for things that you know are inevitable (like TS) are not worth the time and distract from concentrating on the other hard lines you want to take a stand on. Like if there IS societal pressure against being seen as the kingdom's bicycle, then maybe instead of whining on bb1 or shaking your finger, just dock people status points or give them rumor crises they have to spend time/effort on to restore. (not like plots, just mechanical stuff, I think the other problem is if you give it too much attention). And have lots of positives and goodies for the behaviors/IC actions you DO wan to see.

So today was my state's precinct (neighborhood) caucus to decide the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party. For the first time, standing room only 30 minutes before it was called into session. Enormous turnout for all ages, including teens and twentysomethings. Lively, strong debate, but it ended with handshakes and goodwill and support. It was nice to see people discussing as people rather than shit flinging rabid monkeys. And I got elected as a delegate for my candidate to move on to the district/county caucus. (Similar process there, and then some go on to the state and maybe national). It was nice. I'm still worried over all, but today...respect and actual dialog won.

Like, their PC has relationships with 13 other pcs? Or they create a bunch of alts to get involved with someone else's 1 PC?

I don't know that you could call L&L marriage simulating "free love". Aren't they usually rather the opposite of that?