Posts made by Phase Face

THIS iteration of the generic ZombieGenesis game is going just swimmingly, clearly.

@gremlinsarevil It is (and HorrorMU), too; I'm just really specifically into reality TV, so 'kinda like that, but about THIS' is the result.

A seasonal game in which the characters are reality TV show contestants. Each 'season' of the game would be a new show with new competitors, gimmicks, et cetera: one might involve roughing it on an island like Survivor, while another might be a competition between professional food stylists, and another still might focus on interpersonal dynamics the way that Big Brother and the Circle do; there'd even be room for something like a televised death game a la Squid Game. Characters would probably be archetypes that are fashioned into contestants for each season, similar to HorrorMU, since breaking people down into their base archetypes and editing them into whatever role suits the story is a key part of the genre.

I think there's probably room to incorporate a metasetting/plot for players to engage with as a way to develop their characters on a more permanent basis, but it's not something I've put a ton of thought into beyond poking why on Earth people might be consigned to the distinctly uncomfortable fate of having to live through being a series of contestants in a series of reality TV shows. If not FS3, a barebones system oriented towards narrative play would be the way to go, I think; either way, cheating would absolutely be a mechanically supported tactic.

@prototart said in Dead Celebrities 2021 Edition:

@wretched said in Dead Celebrities 2021 Edition:

Paul Mooney

there’s a reason he vanished the last couple of years and it’s not dementia

https://rollingout.com/2019/08/28/richard-pryors-widow-backs-claims-that-paul-mooney-raped-richard-pryor-jr/

damn, and here i thought he was a complicated like because of the race stuff and borderline conspiracy theory peddling.

The Magicians (5 Seasons; Netflix) has ruined me for the forseeable future by making me crave emotionally resonant Mage RP. It's a little rough in places - and certainly isn't a faithful adaptation of Lev Grossman's series of the same name - but overall, I found it a deeply enjoyable experience. Like any good fantasy media, it uses its supernatural settings (a graduate school for people born with the gift of magic; an Earth that's full of magic and magical beings just beneath the surface; Narnia, but extremely fucked up) to facilitate stories about relatable human ideas (about relationships, depression, surviving trauma, growing up, sexuality...), and while its characters start off as pretty clear, trope-filled archetypes, they develop in ways that lend them all a significant degree of depth and interest.

Would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy content, with the significant caveat that the first couple season in particular do include references to/instances of sexual assault which are fairly major plot points; that element of the show was perhaps my least favorite by far, but it's something that diminishes as time goes on.

Hello!

Periodically, I'm struck by a desire to try making my own MU*, figuring that the only way to be sure I've got a shot at seeing some of the kinds of things I'd like to see in games is to do it myself. I'm in another of those periods, and - like a fool - I'd really like to give it a shot this time, if only to try and exorcise myself of it.

There's a small problem (besides a lack of server space, coding knowledge, and admin team), however: while I've played enough MU*s to have an idea of what goes into constructing one, it's tough for me to break those elements down into some sort of coherent plan of attack due to just how many there are, which makes it tough to do anything at all, as - absent a plan - I'm liable to just kind of flit wherever my attention takes me.

So I want to beseech the MUS community for advice with a question: What are the things one needs to think about, conceive, construct, and so forth to get a solidly functional game off the ground? I don't mean things like 'a server', or 'a codebase', the truly technical details; I more mean 'what kinds of policies do I need to think about?' 'What considerations should I be making WRT to grid design?' That kind of thing.

For reference, what I'm thinking of would involve existing properties with feature characters. I don't think I'm looking to include coded combat or significant coded secondary systems, though that's admittedly in no small part because I've not had any solid inspiration for any. Right now, at least, I would probably just use AresMUSH for the convenient web portal and relatively accessible entry barrier.

Thank you in advance! And, I suppose, apologies, as well, if this is entirely too vague/broad of a question to be useful.

i'm just REALLY hoping that they bring mercedes martinez in for real-real, because they are kind of lacking in veterans who aren't halfway out the door due to hollywood/being super banged up. they're also a little soft on credible heels without that same caveat, though that won't be a big deal in the short term if nyla wins (i really, really hope nyla wins).

my wish list is, like, mercedes, nicole savoy, and big swole from the battle royale; any of rosemary, tessa blanchard, and jordynne grace from impact; rescuing io shirai/kairi sane/asuka/shayna baszler/piper niven from wwe.

This year was my first time watching NJPW's G1 Climax (or, really, getting into NJPW period), and it was incredible.

Twenty (okay, like nineteen, if we're being totally honest; Bad Luck Fale is firmly, solidly 'fine') top-flight wrestlers; a round robin format; and an opportunity for talented individuals to showcase ther talents in singles match-ups, which - thanks to the company's tag-heavy undercards, are not overly common - made for a summer of entertaining watching that, along with some forays into AEW and GCW (Game Changer Wrestling-- think 'ECW, ver. 2019'), made the desperate, gasping flailing that the WWE has been engaging in lately look even sillier than it otherwise might have.

Jon Moxley (fka Dean Ambrose) in particular had an amazing run through the tournament, in which he demonstrated a ton of stylistic flexibility without forgetting the high-energy brawling that that made him who he is to begin with. He's been absolutely killing it since leaving the WWE, and here in particular he seemed rejuvenated, as if he was having the time of his life-- even when one of his matches immediately descended into goofy shenanigans involving DVD sales and turnbuckle fights.

I'm excited for what comes next with New Japan, especially since it's 'a junior heavyweight tournament featuring, among others, the(/a?) former Sin Cara/Mistico, who can, in fact, work if he's not mired in the WWE system'.

@ZombieGenesis My experience has been that having a staff that's willing to say 'no' to things that are clearly out of bounds for what's reasonable for a given character is enough to prevent cases like what you're describing. Harley 'has' taken a punch from Superman and not died, but Harley is pretty obviously not actually a brick on the level of a Kryptonian, and any charstaff would be well within their rights to just say 'no' and let the player process that as they will.

There's nothing wrong with using a system of some kind - whether it's loose and informal, like the numerical benchmarks HeroMUX used, or an actual game system like M&M or FASERIP - but I would disagree that it's the only way to manage players wanting to push characters in these ways. There are definitely players who will make problems of themselves when faced with those kinds of limits, but - like you point out - this can and will happen with numbers, too-- and numbers introduce a risk of 'power creep' over time, if the staff isn't careful about maintaining consistent standards.

This can get trickier when trying to compare characters who genuinely are in a similar niche and at a similar level of power, of course. Thor, in the last ~decade or so, has pretty regularly been written at a level of power that'd be at home with a Kryptonian character; should he be as strong/invulnerable/etc as Superman on a MUSH? Should he be slightly weaker because he's a powerful weather manipulator on top of the strength? Do you account for the fact that there's no real Kryptonite equivalent for him? That kind of thing.

(For the record: I would probably lean towards 'yeah, whatever; he has other flaws, and at the end of the day, there can always be something that disadvantages, distracts, or otherwise prevents him from being some kind of nuisance in the course of play, even if it's just a really fuckin' big robot. Also, if he's a dick about it, nobody will play with him, same as any other character.)

There will always be some people who try to push the envelope, codified system or no. I feel like you would have to take the extra step of having a system and also taking away players' ability to set the numbers in that system to have a real shot at curbing it (though, even then, they'll probably ask). That said, though, most players I have dealt with - and my experience is definitely not deep or expansive, but it's what I've got to run on - will just take a 'no' and revise accordingly. I did dozens of apps on HeroMUX and can count the number of players who really dug in and gave me shit about being asked to tune their stuff to be more reasonable on a hand.

@Auspice @Alamias

During my last stint of charstaffing, I had a 20-something Damian Wayne cross my desk who insisted on having pretty broad sorcery abilities, enhanced physical capabilities, and either full or partial control of the League of Assassins following a dip in the Lazarus Pit.

@Ganymede said in Empire State Heroes Mush:

I’m still lost as to why any of the above matters, regarding power levels.

On a game which seems to be based on traits and consent, how are power levels material in everyday RP?

I did apps on cape games for a few years, total, and I found less and less of a reason to sweat this stuff overmuch as time went on. There's definite value to characters having limits, and weaknesses, and (in the case of OCs) capabilities that aren't too wildly expansive relative to what else is in the world, but past that...?

It's all consent. It's all driven by collaboration; it's a bit baffling to me.

@Saulot All In was my first time seeing Penta or Fenix, and seconded: they're fucking great! I reaaaally need to go get caught up on Lucha Underground; I missed the boat due to not having El Rey when it first started up.

I've been slowly digging into NJPW after watching a bunch of Botchamanias and All In reignited my interest in chasing non-WWE content. The free matches on NJPW World have been great so far, and Jericho/Omega was, shocker, fantastic! Still need to get into the Omega/Okada series, but that's kind of a hefty committment.

Also very much on the Kofitrain, WWE-wise, but I have been hurt by WWE enough times by now that I'm only expecting so much to come of his push. NXT is still great, at least, though I'm wondering where it'll go if the current set of call-ups are going to be phased out soon; they've got a lot of strong women, but the men's side seems kind of rough beyond TUE and Dream right now.

@bad-at-lurking said in A (Mildly Complete) List of Current Games:

(Maybe with a bathroom for the TS.)

Given that Multiverse Crisis is listed under non-IP: do you consider games that mix characters and themes from multiple properties to then not be IP-based? There are a few on the list(Dream Chasers, Mythara, and Match of the Millennium) that are based primarily on a mix of content from various media(video game RPGs/anime; urban fantasy TV/books; video fighting games, respectively), but I'm not sure if their being listed the way they are is intentional or not.

Also, CoMUX and United Heroes are a bit broader than the Marvel Universe: both are built around combining content from Marvel, DC, and other comic book publishers into a roughly cohesive whole, versus games like Mutant Genesis and Gods and Monsters, which are entirely focused on singular comic book universes.

Thank you for the hard work in organizing this list! Having a collection of functional games is a great resource.

@jennkryst said in Looking for a MU or Two:

Need more details on what qualifies as anime and what doesn't.

Ditto-- Match of the Millennium MUCK(http://motm.kicks-ass.net/) is going strong(and in the very beginning stages of a months long plot, even). Given that it's based in great part on Japanese fighting games, however, I don't know if it passes the 'not-Anime' test for your personal tastes or not.

Either way, though, have a plug, just in case!

Big time.

@tnp FWIW, I saw the following on their wiki's (Character) Guidelines page, under Canon:

... We don't care if you make a bisexual Batman or make Deathstroke a patron of the arts, as long as the character is still recognizable by other players and, more importantly, has an excited, story-driven player behind it.