Best posts made by skew

@Pyrephox said:

(I actually have a whole plot worked up for this one that I've never gotten to run.)

We are going to make a big effort to enable non-staff story tellers. That's one of the reasons why we're gathering this list, so we have ideas we can have people pull from and run. I've found there's a fair number of people willing to run things, just not having an idea ready when they're inspired.

@tragedyjones is also working on a storyteller role, which will give some of the meager "tools" we have available to those that are interested in storytelling regularly (but are not staffers). I won't say more on it, cause I don't know any more!

And for everyone else, thank you! This is great stuff, keep it coming.

Oh, also! 2E has added "down and dirty" spell casting. Basically, for "minor" effects (determined by the ST) in any given arcana, you can just roll Gnosis + Arcana, with a possible modifier given by the ST, to use whatever magic. Super handy in a lot of ways!

@RnMissionRun said in AnomJobs - Trouble With Installation:

If it was me doing it and I absolutely had to have MUX (or at least, a MUX-like), I'd be running MUXcore on Rhost with all of the MUX compatibility settings enabled, with the Rhost version of Jobs.

I mean, sure? But this is the equivalent of someone asking for help on Windows you answering "Get a Mac". Porting code over to Rhost is a serious time commitment and big PITA. Yes, I know, because I ported over Thenomain's core WOD suite.

Not trying to harp on you specifically, just trying to point out the frustration of asking "How can I do X?" and getting told "It's super easy, just don't do what you're doing at all". If folks in the community feel "MUX is dead", then I think we should just tell people that directly.

@Ghost Yeah someone else can run that one. I have my limits. >.<

If anyone out there is interested, Amorrachius and I (Infestissumam) will be STing two final scenes to send BITN off and provide a bit of closure to the stories here.

The first event will be tomorrow, Thursday (7/28) at 9pm est.

The second event will be Saturday (7/30) at 8pm est.

Feel free to join us!

Just a quick explanation... Potato reads each incoming block of text. If you have "contains" selected, it will reach the incoming block and search for a given pattern/word/whatever. It processes everything the exact same - poses, channel, pages, etc - so you need you need to set up a new event for each type of thing.

Change that up just a little to make it " pages: " with the space on the end, and make sure the Case? flag is checked. There's still a chance that stuff will be pushed into the spawn window incorrectly, but it's a smaller chance.

You'll also want to create a second, similar event, that's set to "From afar," so that it will capture the paged emotes.

For channels, you can do <*> * and it will capture all channels that have < > or << >>. If you need, you can do [*] * as well.

I had set all my stuff to spawn, but frankly I did not like it, so I removed it. Nothing wrong with Potato, just wasn't what I was looking for.

@Ganymede said:

No one ever likes my ideas.

That's true.

@tragedyjones & @Pyrephox: I think I might set a goal for 18 months out to get a C:tL game going. Depending, of course, on how long BITN lasts. I don't think the story needs to go more than 18 months, in truth.

Issue is, my read of the entire C:tL story seems at odds with a lot of other peoples. I like my "waking" life to be an underground resistance spy thriller, not unlike D:tD or The Matrix or some such. I like my Hedge to be fantastical and whimsical, yet wholly deadly. I believe part of the fun of playing Changeling is the balance between those two worlds. The juxtaposition of gritty, realpolitik against a dire battle for your life against dragons. I love the idea that, by day, I might play a garage mechanic who is also serving as a dead drop for a team battling against the loyalists that occupy a city, and by night, I put on a suit of armor and charge into a sea of hobs to slaughter them and defend a village.

I kind of lost my point. But that's what I want!

@Apos said in Bump In The Night: A Chronicles of Darkness MUX:

It might make an interesting topic since I suspect that a lot of us use the term in different ways. For me, I think of a sandbox as when stories can exist in complete isolation, and things that could reasonably effect other characters on the grid don't even if their characters would know/react to it. Not necessarily a bad thing at all, just a different style.

We actually had a bit of a hooplah about this. More than one. We expressly did not want people to play in a vacuum, yet also wanted people to run stories of their choosing. Sort of conflicting ideas, at times. We also wanted to make sure players could play stories they wanted to play, and didn't necessarily have to be part of the meta-plot. I think, in the end, we erred a little far to the "let people be", and the result was people feeling disengaged. Though, honestly, I've fretted a lot over how to keep players engaged, to allow them to feel consequences and feel like their actions are affecting the story, without forcing them to do things they don't enjoy. I don't really have an answer.

That said, I tend to agree with your definition, and don't find BITN to fit. See the players that left because they couldn't run things in their vacuum, or the people who strongly disagreed with the rules we had that your story had to fit into the broader game.

I just tested... just to clarify, if I do ansi(xx xx xx,Test) it'll not work. If I do asni(<hex>, test) it'll come through just fine.

Windows 10, latest version. Potato, latest version.

It was meeeee that brought up that post @Thenomain was talking about. It was on reddit. I don't know where it went but... The topic was "what type of NPC villain are you sick of seeing?" and the answer was, taking the responses as a whole, "everything". People are sick of NPCs that are obvious, NPCs that trick them, NPCs that are too tough, NPCs that are too weak. Etc etc etc. I then got into a discussion with Thenomain about the nature of characters and concepts in RPGs. Are we, as a community, becoming jaded? Are we sick of seeing the same story told over and over? The conclusion to our discussion was, in brief, that we will never get sick of seeing something well.

It doesn't matter the trope, it doesn't matter the character. If it's played well, it can be fun. Of course, a big part of "played well", in my book, is building a character that well-rounded and whole, or, alternately, a character that is one-dimensional but well used. The getaway driver that @Anonymous wrote could be a very good one-dimensional character, used sparingly, or a character who you think is one dimensional, until you really get to know them.

So, all that said, I think I'll let my bitter realism show, and say the first concept I'd like to see is a well-concept that's actually played well. How about a Invictus Knight that's actually honorable? That actually lives the words he speaks? It still blows me away when I find one of those. Or maybe a tough guy that will actually fight anyone that challenges him (I'm looking at you, Gangrels). Maybe an underling that actually behaves like one, without resorting to being pure furniture? Ghouls, in particular, but also anyone that's new/weak/lowly in an organization falls into this. There is a way you can have a personality and enjoy playing the character without resorting to be mouthy and starting fights all the time.

Less cynically, the soothsayer fortune teller diviner types are always fun for me, especially when they can work their "magic" without actually having to roll dice. I played on one game where a guy would use a power, then ask a few questions OOC, and use it to create a fortune/reading for people. Really awesome, and generated a lot of good RP! This could fit well with @Rick-Sanchez's original suggestion.

@Kanye-Qwest No. TJ did put Amora in charge of "most things", but he was always involved. Or, well, we did have like two weeks where he was MIA, but we had some warning for that, it was RL stuff, he left a means through which we could contact him. Even as Amora took over most of the leadership stuff, TJ was there there, still chatting with us, still giving ideas, still weighing in. He was also still logging in, just about daily.

It wasn't until the very end (say, two weeks ago?) that TJ was really not involved, and that was after we had already started the talk about shutting the game down (via plot).

And then, of course, BITN is his game. It was his brain child and it was paid for out of his pocket. When he made Amora "head staff", he clearly said he was maintaining the control to do exactly what he chose to do. So, long answer, but still "No, TJ was never uninvolved."

@Collective - Windows 10. Right click, run as administrator. I had issues with it saving files, and telling me it was when it wasn't. Was just rights issues, and run as administrator fixed it.

I've seen it go well, I've seen it go miserably. Overall, there's been enough miserable that I have grown wary of OOC couples who RP on the same guy.

@SG mentioned (oh so eloquently) one partner telling the other what's what, OOC. I've seen that happen more than once, albeit not in such an overt situation. I've seen @GangOfDolls' situation, as well. And like @Coin just said, it's not limited to OOC couples, but I do think I've seen it happen a little more overtly when it is OOC couples.

So, in all, I guess I'm slightly skeptical about OOC couples, and definitely more skeptical when their IC opinions come to be suddenly aligned.

I also can't stand the OOC angst, anger, snide comments, etc, that I've seen an OCC/RL partner pull, when the other partner's IC persona is flirted with!

And just to clarify a further, @surreality did offer to take over paying for BITN, which TJ decided he didn't want. (And, best I can tell, this had nothing to do with surr in particular, and was a general desire to see the game end.) Afaik, surr was simply offering to take over paying for it, if that was the reason behind closing it. Oh, and, also, she wanted her pretty wiki to stay up and available to the public.

Starting about a year ago, I started working on developing a story for a MU. The goal was to make something in the Chronicles of Darkness setting, liking using Changeling. Since then, I've ditched the CofD and Changeling stuff, and started working on my own unique world. Most of the development up until this point has been the cosmology and ancient history of the world, with the goal of setting the "live" story in this developed world.

Now, I am not saying I'm making a MU. This could end up a table top game, a story, or anything else. But it could also end up a MU! I'm tickled with the idea of learning real (as in, not MUSHcode) coding with a real project.

So, I wanted to ask you all what seemed like a more exciting setting (and potentially a more enjoyable MU). Note that both of these settings would be unique - I am surely borrowing from a lot of stuff, but they will be mostly original, and the RPG system to back them would likely be original, too.

Setting 1: The Cyber/Steam Punk Low Fantasy World (like Final Fantasy VII)
A blend between low fantasy and various cyber/steam punk elements, ala Final Fantasy VII. There would be guns powered by strange forces no one really understands, and they would be rare and expensive. Swords (and the like) would be the most common means of defense. Magic would be rare and prized, and most of the "science" of the world would be studying the magic left behind by a race of Angels that has left the world.

• Pros:
• Modernish technology in some places: crystals that can send brief messages, trains that run on mystical energy, a lot of freedom to have anything be "in theme"
• A very fictional world is easier to free from common misconceptions, biases, etc.
• I love Final Fantasy VII.
• Cons:
• A LOT of writing, and no real-world equivalent to lean on.
• Possibly low appeal, as people tend to enjoy stuff they're already comfortable in?

Setting 2: Steam Punk Magic 1890s St. Petersburg, Russia. (Disney's Anastasia meets Studio Ghibli's Castle In The Sky and yes some Penny Dreadful blended in.)
Turn of the century tech meets magic and steam punk tech. This setting isn't too far from the above, the major difference I see is in how common "technology" is, and how the life of the average person is different. There'd be fewer swords and horses, more guns and the beginnings of cars. As above, magic would exist, but would be rare and prized. There would still be left-behinds from an ancient race of angels that influence society - though modern tech would be replacing angel artifacts (Ex: Why use this ridiculously expensive communication crystal when you can send an electric telegraph?).

• Pros:
• Real world examples to lean on and more media examples to draw upon.
• Turn-of-the-century is when (imho) modern tech really came into it's own. People wouldn't need to be guessing what type of ink and pens existed, what type of paint could be used, sterilization was a thing, etc.
• Who hasn't watched Anastasia like 7 times in 7 days and went 'that'd be an awesome setting for a MUSH'?! (I have a 4 y/o daughter okay)
• Cons:
• Might be even harder to erase assumptions, biases, etc, that people bring in from RL knowledge.
• I might have to deal with: "yes, that existed at the time but no it doesn't exist here" and "no, please do not phonetically type out a Russian accent" and I might go insane.
• Isn't a fantasy setting, isn't a modern setting. People seem to prefer one or the other, and this might miss both groups entirely.

So, thanks for everyone who actually read all that! I thought I could add a poll but it says I can't, so I'll just link one: https://goo.gl/forms/Dxz4GuLufgTce36g2

Or reply, and let me know your thoughts. Add to my list of pros and cons. Tell me about the one time you played on a MU* with a similar setting and it sucked. Whatever you want!

@BobGoblin said:

So there's the set up. Here's the questions.

How long is it appropriate to wait on Sam before shrugging and moving on?
Is it acceptable to develop Birgid's story and if it results in Sam's Partner getting killed because of his inaction that is acceptable?
At what point does it become an issue on the wider game scale that Sam Spade, the main protagonist isn't making the time to scene with others who need him their story lines because he's involved with his own circle only?
As an Admin, how do you address this?
As a Player, how would you address this?

1. As a general rule, I'd give it at least a week. If the player were not actively logging in, two weeks might be kind.
2. I think you and Sam's Partner (Miles?) ought to try to loop Sam in that, at the very least, you two have something planned. Again, if he doesn't respond in a week, then go for it.
3. I hate to suggest something bad, but is Sam ignoring you, or the community? If a player is in a position of power/authority/importance, I think they ought to respond to everyone, but if it's a specific player, it might be an issue that needs to be dealt with more personally. If, in general, your powerful person (main protag, leader, etc) isn't making time for others, then I would probably want staff to intervene.
4. A conversation, of course. Figure out what Sam wants, what he's doing, where his time is. If it comes right down to Sam not wanting to play out the story that his position entails, I (as staff) would try to work out a way for him to vacate this position gracefully.
5. I have been in this position as a player far more than staff, so this is a little easier for me. I would attempt to contact (as above). I would contact staff. And then, finally, if neither produced results, I'd move my own story forward without this main person. If Sam is not shunning just me, but a big chunk of the community, then there's a good chance that others will follow your lead.

I've played the waiting game on MUs a lot. It's painful, I know. I think, on whole, my experience is that those players that need time will ask for it and work with you. Those players that are simply uninterested will not. It might be a little harsh, but I expect people to respect my time just as I respect theirs. We all miss RP dates, we all have days we don't feel it, but it's just not that hard to say "Hey, I can't do tonight".

@icanbeyourmuse After a careful assessment of the current MU culture we decided in a very well thought out move that we'd prefer not to use guests, instead preferring people to log in as characters, so that they might interact with us as equals! (aka I don't know how to turn guests on, and forgot about it until now.)

@wildbaboons said in Which setting do you like better?:

@skew said in Which setting do you like better?:

Who hasn't watched Anastasia like 7 times in 7 days and went 'that'd be an awesome setting for a MUSH'?! (I have a 4 y/o daughter okay)

I admittedly have never thought this when watching the movie (though i haven't done a 1/day marathan for a week). Does make me consider a re-watch to try and see what you saw for potential.

I think it's just the time setting. There are grand galas and balls (which everyone seems to love). There's magic undertones. There's built in conflict. There's a story being played out that's stepping in and out of the "meta plot" - mostly in the form of some grifters getting sucked into a story of magic and evil and all this stuff.

That said, I think I'm realizing my two settings are "early 1800s" vs "late 1800s". Final Fantasy VI might be a better analog for Setting 1 (which, btw, wikipedia describes as steampunk @coin ).

I'm wary of the term "prized and rare" from a game design perspective though. The old "everyone is a Jedi or no one is" conundrum.

I had my doubts, but having played on a game like Arx, I think the key thing is that no one really gets powers that are not tied directly to the story and fairly controlled. Granted @Apos has said there's intents to get more of this stuff coded, I still think it's always going to be highly restricted and tied to story.

I would aim for less "these 5 people are mages" and more "anyone with access to this ritual that's willing to pay months worth of resources can do this one thing", with a blend of "a few people can do a few small things".

@Arkandel said:

@Pondscum said:

If he's actively logging in on other characters, and even RPing on his Sam character, he's being willfully rude and ignorant

Other than the fact he said 'okay, let's rp sometime' (which it sounds like it wasn't exactly offered enthusiastically but which can still be misleading) I don't think he's being rude or ignorant.

No matter what you are never obligated to play with one specific person. Remember, we have no reason to think he's inactive - the OP said he's playing the character with other people. Maybe he doesn't like Brigid's character or maybe he doesn't like Brigid's player but he's not doing anything wrong here other than not communicating more clearly.
...

Yeahno.

If you accept a position of power in the game, if you take on a lead role in a staff-run plot, if you make yourself integral to the continuation of the game, you are accepting the obligation to work with other PCs. If you don't work with other PCs, I'd expect you to be removed from said position, as a staffer and as a player.

Example: On Requiem for Kingsmouth (a WoD vampire game, for those unfamiliar), you were required to present yourself to your clan head, or your covenant rep, or to the prince. Meeting with the prince was very difficult on account of how busy the prince was (which isn't to say the prince was refusing anyone, simply would have to schedule a meeting out some two weeks). If you had no covenant, you were left with a clan head (and that was common). If the clan head (priscus) does not set aside time to RP with these people who he or she has already agreed to meet with, then dude's gotta go.

We are all here completely voluntary. We're not obligated to do any single thing except for what we've decided to be obligated to do. Don't want to have to RP with anyone? Don't sign up to be a leader. Don't want to RP with a specific person? Talk to staff. Agreeing to do something then not doing it is rude.

@Thenomain said in Welcome to Fallen World MUX!:

@skew

... Goddammit, do I have to do everything around here?

Yes.