@simplications who are you talking to? Are you talking generalities, or specifics?
What leads you to think that this or any other board/etc is devoted to outing predatory and destructive players? The Hog Pit wasn't designed for that purpose either. You can tell by how it's information is organized, its defining traits, and that very 100,000+ posts of content.
You've lost me.
Perhaps you could lay out exactly what you would do with your own forum?
If "witch hunt" is too sex based for ones taste, House Un-American Activites Committee may work.
Not sure if it's a stand out exemplar for people from the US, let alone anyone else.
@Warma-Sheen Oddly enough, people have gotten upset and even violent over "just a game" throughout history. Some are mad at the game itself and the outcomes in allows. Many are upset at the violation of social norms they attach to playing with other humans.
If one is mad that the King must move when in check, or that there is a death spiral in war games, one shouldn't play them.
If one can't communicate with other players, or stay well within the most common AND cooperative expectations of social interactions, one shouldn't be seeking them out. RL or in games.
Example: if you need to steal Thorpe's running shoes, maybe you shouldn't be near an Olympic running event.
I happened across Hollie McNish last year. She has books, but a lot of her work is available in snippets online.
She writes on being a mother, on expectations of being a woman, on her body and other personal topics.
I'm still trying to find a poem she did that as I remember it was basically a mother preparing her daughter the rough path to self supporting wisdom she had, and the daughter accepting it and pushing on. Sort of a hopeful generational progress thing.
In case I haven't been clear about it, the snark and righteousness I've seen here over the last decade have had a chilling effect on play, on game creation, on new players and old leaving contact with the whole of posters here (and now elsewhere as well), or the hobby.
For me, it's always been the people willing to be terrible because they are angry. It's like abusive addicts, you don't want to be near them when they go off again, and nothing positive they do can ever make up for it. They are no longer trustworthy.
@Taika ^^^What Ganymede said.^^^
I've been the gear staffer on a few places, and played a crafter where there were rules for doing at least two decades.
Gear is part of player character balance. Players have time, typically have all the money needed, and are driven.
I don't know what all limits gear on Arx, which has a strongly tiered gear/skill/resources setup, but players from there may have experiences and insights to share.
TL, DR: I don't think it's going to change. I also don't think it's exactly what people are saying it is.
@Kestrel Instead of tribes, perhaps social paradigms would be a better term. I personally prefer the term cluster, because it leaves whether anyone is closely linked out of it. And I see at least the two clusters being discussed.
The question for you becomes: what if people disagree with you and feel people were accountable enough?
I'm not satisfied with the accountability of actions here by non-staff, actions I find far more destructive than any administrative policing of a forum. Yet I manage. I even try to spot the tidbits I find engaging from anyone, even people I have argued with or would never trust as staff or a friend (unless they are on my never revisited blocked list).
@Solstice I agree with what Derp said, and it's not benefitting me one bit.
Am I a sycophant, or am I someone with their own opinion worthy of consideration as a human being?
The hidden playing of cards is a way to emulate predicting or reacting to your opponent's moves. It's referred to as yomi in some circles, so if anyone is looking for ways to get that feeling with something other than RAW Street Fighter, that term may help you find some inspiration.
You'll also find at least one martial arts fighting card game by the same name.
@il-volpe It's markers for the Deathrace 2022.
@devrex That falls under whatever direction the players are going in.
To use your example, I might ask you would set a difficulty or expertise level for success in a given direction, and if the players don't match it, the situation goes in another direction, perhaps a really bad one? In your mind, is it possible they aren't well-prepared, or just not up to a given route they choose?
Another way to look at the question is are you setting up tasks to resolve, whatever they are, or are you offering some prompts for them to enjoy RPing about?
As a ST/GM/plot runner etc, if you had to choose, would you say you have some requirements for success in mind to progress the action of scene, or would you say the scene setting etc is more to give the players a chance to show their characters in the situation. This can be about what you thought or designed the scene direction to be, or wherever the players are going in an unstructured scene or because they are a herd of cats?
Do you see it as likely being the same as a player in a scene?
@hobos Sorta not really related but -- in a low code environment, you can lay out a variety of tasks with the necessary skill levels/rolls needed. You can get pretty detailed with that (it's the game play structure of the coded systems so you are halfway to it).
Older survival TTRPGs had charts etc for finding parts and materials and jury rigging, creating, maintaining, repairing various vital technologies.
One could do the same for things like "find allies, create a coalition" etc.
It still could use some record keeping and story adjudication but the pieces can be created. Super clever folks can even make those bits into RP, as opposed to just mechanically satisfying a thirst for success/validation.
I'd suggest that having death in the stakes should require a social contract of make it interesting, or don't do it.
It may not be "realistic", but as these games are never a simulation, verisimilitude is the best you can aim for. As in, it feels right for the genre. Players characters are the cylinders that the story engine fires on, having someone taking those out is costly, and should be done in a way to mitigate that cost, or even transform it into a gain.
@runescryer I will require that you use the old Mercenary/High Guard/Scout/Merchant Prince to generate life events for plot arcs. Death/discharge optional.
@reimesu nah, that's exactly it. It's an elected, not bloodline position. Breha Organa is queen of Alderan, I assume for life or thereabouts.
I will say that if you ever so much as like an author on Facebook, you will get increasing offers for free books, free books on joining a newletter, or books for $.99. That's not a bad way to be exposed to fairly random things. I've even had it come around to authors I know, and who are fairly successful.
I grew up reading many of the "classics" and that included books recommended by Dragon Magazine (and others) as well as RPGs.
CJ Cherryh was a staple of mine, and I have I don't know how many series of hers left to try. It may come across as too dry (also as head trauma starvation theater).
I also dig the American Fabulists or whatever you call Tim Powers, James Blaylock et al.
@raeras How about if each has powers or abilities based on the song they are linked to? Take a cue from the magic styles in Unknown Armies, and songs accumulate magic based on content, and that magic can be expended in content matching ways.
It would probably have to have a lot to do with emotions and wisdom. Possibly ex-loves, lost pets and broken vehicles.
You could even get into alternate, dark or paradoxical reflections of songs as conflicting or contesting manifestations.
@hella Way more light hearted than the Mariners Revenge Song! Which runs through my head now and then.