Best posts made by Thisnameistaken

@thebird said:

@Luna
My inlaws live in Utah, so I've been over that way before. Need to go to California someday, but good grief, it's expenssive to go out there. Vegas is pretty fun if you like the heat!
I do not like warm weather, so definitely looking forward to curling up in a chair on the bay with a good book and a drawing or two. 60-some degree weather. So ready.

There's always Washington. A fraction of the heat, lots of casinos. And rain. And going into casinos to escape the rain. And losing all your money and ending up sleeping in the rain. And worshiping the rain by mingling your tears with it as you cry yourself to sleep in a gutter somewhere with the oversized slugs and sentient mold.

Still better than Vegas' heat.

People who stand too close to you in the checkout line, or who push their carts into your personal space while you're trying to pay. Stand back, I'm not done yet.

I approve of this. Hopefully it can horrify the 'breeding for the wrong reasons' crowd until re-thinking their choice. It should also include Diaper Changing, Toddler Years, and Teenage Angst expansions. There could be an Easter egg where you lose energy for showing baby pictures to co-workers.

I hate large scenes. That said, I've been forced to attend, even run, quite a few of them due to various IC reasons. There are a few things I've learned that may or may not be helpful.

• Create a concept that isn't dependent on large scenes. If you, like myself, dislike them, avoid mush-wide positions of power and the like, as you will be required to attempt so many functions.

• If it's a info drop get what you have to say out as quick as possible. Those interested will seek you out, even after you leave. Make the first couple poses count.

• Do something unexpected. Don't take over the scene but don't be afraid to shake it up a bit. Those are the scenes that will be remembered, and will find RP later (but be prepared to stick around a bit to deal with repercussions or questions).

• Don't be afraid to talk to those running the scene. If you talk to them ahead of time, you can likely get in what you need before it turns into a social/bar-fest. In PrPs, you can determine if you want to be there or not and there are often opportunities for behind-the-scenes activity if you can't make/can't handle the scene.

• Ask about pose order. Is it three pose rule? After the set, who's posing? I've seen scenes delay and hour because no one knows who's posing next that first round. Don't be afraid to ask or suggest something.

I don't know how many of these are actually helpful, but suck at big scenes, myself, and therefore feel the pain. These things have helped, however loosely related.

Original Witcher's on sale on Steam for 1.49 and Witcher 3's 30 bucks off until Dec 1.

American Mutt. Dad's side has been over here since the colonies and comes from English/Irish/German stock. Mom's side is Polish, or maybe Russian (my grandfather's birth certificate is questionable at best). That said, my family never really embraced any particular heritage, other than American.

1. It moves along. There is nothing more frustrating than waiting an hour between poses because each player is taking 20 minutes to pose. If players are too preoccupied to pay attention to the prp, they should not join the prp. If it's the STer taking an hour, then perhaps it's time for a new STer.

2. Players engage the plot (are proactive in exploring, trying things, interacting with others). None of that player hanging in the background not posing until something happens where they can be a badass (or up and DCing/leaving if they don't get a chance to show off).

3. Smaller. After 4-5 people, things start to get too chaotic to focus on properly. A 16 person combat scene is a nightmare waiting to happen.

4. STer versatility. I've been known to catch STers off guard at times (Sorry about your gryphon @arkandel). I've been caught off guard by players, myself. The bests prps are when the STer, be it myself or others, can roll with it, even play off of it.

5. It doesn't have to be combat. Combat can be fun but most of the time it slams a scene to a halt as dice are thrown (or maybe doesn't even start for an hour because someone wants to cast 10 powers before the scene even /starts/). The best plots I've seen have been ones that focus on other obstacles (puzzles, non-traditional combat such swarms Ihateswarms, social aspects, mental aspects, characters weaknesses or backgrounds being played on, etc) rather than just 'oh hey, it's another monster, let's attack it'.

I can think of a lot more, but those are some of the biggies for me.

@Insomnia I personally like the updates. I've found a couple of cool games through this thread, and I try to post when I see a super good deal. I love games.

EDIT to avoid double-posting. It could be kind of fun to have a thread dedicated to new games, not just games that are on sale or free, but games that haven't been released yet that look promising. I've seen a few projects other places that make me eager for their release, so could be cool to trade, find those new games other people might not have heard of.

I've lived as the minority in one country and the majority in another. I've come to the conclusion that people are people no matter where you go. Someone's always going to hate you for something you can't control, but there's always going to be good folks out there who don't care and judge you who for who you are.

@Roz said:

We give a small XP bonus for players who run a plot. This is because running plots is difficult, requires a lot more work and time than regular RP, and have a significant benefit to the game. In my head I don't think of it as an incentive more as just a present for doing a nice thing for the game, but practically it's certainly an incentive.

This, right here.

If you like zombie games, and typing games, and cheesy b-rated movies, try The Typing of The Dead. The game with all the expansions is on sale on Steam for about 6 bucks right now. It is pretty hilarious.

I know it's not one of those trendy new games or a MMO but, hell, we MUSH, so typing must be fun.

I like this.

http://fallout.bethsoft.com/

Please let it be.

(This will be moved to RL Pet Peeves if Bethseda is just jerking us around.)

I'll be a lab rat. I might actually learn something.

Sometimes little things make a big difference, like RPing a scene where your character becomes annoyed/grumpy/irritated/whatever, mentioning OOCly that you're not trying to be a jerk, and having the other person reply that they completely understand because blah, blah, and blah, which were the exact reasons your character acted the way he/she did.

Some people get it.

Zork.

I got in a conversation with a friend today and they had never heard of Zork before. I grew up with it and, looking back, I realize it's not only the grandfather of RPGs, but also of MUDs, which later led to MUXs/MUSHs.

I am glad I was eaten by a grue. Repeatedly.

I gave the game a second chance because @Tempest does have a point and I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. I was pleasantly surprised.

Once approved, I was able to find a scene right away (hell, it was larger than I would have liked). I've seen others asking for RP on the public channel. Folks seems friendly and willing to answer questions. Most importantly, the RP quality is, from my brief experience, excellent.

I figured since I complained here, I should follow up. The wait to be approved was discouraging, but once that was handled, the experience has been a pretty good one. I think it's worth a try.

User experience may, obviously, vary.

@Luna said:

I've often felt unwanted. The worst thing though is 'I love RPing with you, but so and so hates you and will get super dramatic about it so I can't' Ph cool. Bad behavior rewarded. Awesome.

This is when you walk away. The moment a person lets someone else dictate who they may or may not RP with is the moment when I'm out. That speaks of crazy on an OOC level.

I haven't owned a scale in a decade. My belt tells me what I need to know. I think people worry too much about the numbers and gloss over the actual fitness, and that's what leads to things like anorexia, steroid abuse, and a ton of other disorders/addictions. Healthy doesn't have an exact size.

That said, I kinda agree about the thin being 'bad' these days. It's been that way for men for a long time (don't be the scrawny guy or you must be a geek/academic/nerd/whatever) but I'm seeing a different strain of that directed towards women these days. Namely, the 'if you're skinny, you're a snob/hater/fat-shamer/etc'.

Fact is, people need /something/ to complain about and, in some cases, to take the blame off of themselves. If it's not race, it's size. If it's not size, it's going to be something else.

People need to stop being so.... /people/.

@Wizz Slowly but surely. Grid's halfway desced. Basic code is up and just working our way through chargen and the like (thank you @GentlemanJack for the help!). Had a glitch with the wiki but hoping to have that up in the next week or so. We're loosely aiming for July but we haven't set an official date yet. Soon! I'll be updating here as soon as the wiki's up and running.

Atomic Highway looks interesting, I'll have to take a look at it. I do love me some post-apoc gameage.

I'm hoping this is the correct place to post this. It's not really an advertisement but a request for input. Feel free to yell at me or move it if you need to.

So, I recently took a little break from MUing and now the itch is back and I'm feeling fresh-faced and inspired. At one point, I was working on a post-apocalyptic MU which never got off the ground due to some code complications. I've decided to have another go at it, with a slightly altered setting and some new game mechanics ideas. None of this is set in stone. I simply want to get a feel for whether or not there would be any interest in the game I am envisioning and perhaps get some input about things I should tweak.

Ok, first, a bit about theme

Basically, the game is set just months after a zombie outbreak. The world is still in turmoil. Very few people understand what is really going on. There's confusion and horror in the air. Survivors are just beginning to encounter one another. Settlements are unstable and temporary. Death is a constant threat and scavenged resources are the currency of the world.

What are my goals?

I want a zombie game that takes place just after the outbreak, so no one's certain of anyone's intentions and the zombies themselves are still a very big threat. Where no settlement is permanent and violence could erupt at any moment, with the zombies or between settlements. Where alliances can be made and just as easily broken, where members of a settlement don't always see eye to eye, where betrayal exists and there's a fuzzy line between heroism and cruelty.

I want a game that mixes casual RP with extreme danger, the requires forging alliances and also sometimes breaking them, where even the landscape of the grid changes over time depending on the players' actions.

The game would be World of Darkness, using GMC rules (but not so much the theme), with some minor modifications such as new merits fitting to the theme. All characters would be mortal, although I am contemplating allowing low level psychics (perhaps one dot allowed at Cg and working up from there). This is one of the points I'm still debating.

Ok, moving on to the technical bits.

• Grid - The grid will be composed of 7 zones. Each of the four settlements will have their own grid space, as well as three neutral zones. The neutral zones consist of one PvE danger zone (a ST may choose to begin an impromptu PrP in this zone), one potential-PvP-ish danger zone (players may go head to head with each other - but be warned the effect this may have on the relationship between your respective settlements!), one casual neutral zone (where people may RP, interact, without fear of imminent danger or death - the place where friendship and alliances are made). These zones may be expanded but for now I'm keeping it small and simple.

• Settlements - There are four settlements. As the game progresses, old settlements will be destroyed and new settlements will be formed. How, you ask? Each season (every three months), a settlement will be destroyed. Members of that settlement may choose to rebuild or disband. If rebuilding, they use their Resources (see below) and get to vote on what sort of location/settlement they would like. The list for which settlement will be destroyed which season is created pre-game (for the life of the game) so that there is no question of favoritism. Because of this, there will only ever be four settlements at one time. Starting settlements will be:

  The Prison - Highly defendable but rather bleak. Bonus to Structure, penalty to Comfort (see Resources below).
  The Town - It's almost like old times. Bonus to Comfort, penalty to Power.
  Military Outpost - The last remnants of the military. Bonus to Power, penalty to Health.
  The Farm - Laying low and hoping for the best. Bonus to Health, penalty to Structure.

• Resources - There are a total of nine Resources. Each settlement will begin with one dot in each Resource except their bonus (they will receive two dots) and their penalty (they will receive 0 dots), so that all settlements begin with 10 dots dispersed. At the beginning of each month, ever member of a settlement by choose to spend their Resource merit dots towards Settlement Resources at the rate of 1 to 1 dots. Settlements may also gain Settlement Resources through approved PrPs. Settlement Resources include:

  Building (materials) - Wood, metal, nails, etc. +1 to building new structures.
  Building (tools) - Hammers, shovels, limited power tools (available to those who have Technology (power), etc. +1 to building new structures.
  Food (supplies) - Scavenged, stolen, otherwise acquired food. Settlement uses 1 Food (supplies) Resource each month for every 5 members.
  Food (sources) - Gardens, livestock, etc. Provides nothing for it's current month but will provide Food (supplies) 3 for each dot the following month.
  Technology (power) - Allows the use of lights and some electronics. Level of Technology (power) determines how much energy is created (each dot can sustain 5 people in comfort).
  Technology (communication) - Allows for the use of communications devices. Requires Technology (power) of 1 and allows players to use radios, communicating with up to dots/players at a time (this can be used during scenes or for investigation but be careful - it's not telepathy and the squawk of a radio can give you away, not to mention they aren't always guaranteed to work).
  Armory (weapons) - Weapons. Each dot allows for an additional weapon in the Armory that can be used by any member. Uncommon weapons may require a plot to obtain.
  Armory (ammunition) - Allows the use of guns. Each dot will provide 20 rounds per month. Use them wisely.
  Medical - Medicine, equipment. Reduced healing times, emergency health boosts.

• Settlement Resource Stats - The amount of Settlement Resources a settlement has determines their stats in settlement conflicts (because both diplomacy and warfare are options). It goes something like this:

  Attack (Power) - Armory (weapons) + Armory (ammunition)
  Defense (Structure) - Building (materials) + Building (tools)
  Health - Food (supplies) + Food (sources) + Medical

• Policies - Basic stuff. I'm debating alts because I'm not sure if it'd cause conflict in the settlements or inspire RP and could use some advice there. XP, I'm thinking 1 experience a week, with the option of beats/aspirations (with a 1 experience per week cap), as well as ST bonuses, which I'll address below. 18 and up. Keep graphic sexual RP to private areas. Utilize a FTB policy when graphic violence may occur. I'm still typing these up but it's general common sense. I'll hit a couple of them, however:

  Plot and Incentive XP - Participation will grant 1 beat. The STer will get 2 beats. After that, it's the Exceptional RP bonus. Players can recommend other players, or staff. Staff can recommend players. If approved, player or ST can acquire an extra beat for the scene. I'd like to also extend this to Exceptional Staffing, meaning a build/admin/job staffer who is polite and prompt can also get get a recommendation to use on one of their characters. Each recommendation would be approved to prevent abuse.

  Harassment - None. 3 warnings at most. No warnings require for particularly grievous offenses (which are thankfully rare). This includes staff. IC douchebaggery is fine but none of us have time for that crap OOC.

I know there's a lot of tweaking that needs to be done. This is a general idea and I left a lot out. What I want to know is whether or not anyone is interested in such a game. That said, I'm always willing to listen to advice and constructive criticism as well, so don't be shy. Just remember, rough draft! Just brainstorming here. So, yay or nay?

Edit: I need to adjust things a bit. Comfort was originally going to apply as a bonus but I need to re-write that. I did edit for the settlement stats to make more sense otherwise.