[Q&A] Eloy Lasanta (AMP: Year One)

[19:01] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I'm Eloy Lasanta of Third Eye Games. Our previous games have been Apocalypse Prevention, Inc., Wu Xing: The Ninja Crusade, Part-Time Gods, Mermaid Adventures and Camp Myth: The RPG, as well as sourcebooks and expansions for most of those
[19:02] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> We are bringing out our latest game AMP: Year One via kickstarter (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga
[19:02] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it's our take on a modern supers game, where you all play people are the first of their kind, suddenly developing myerstious superpowers.
[19:03] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the setting itself features many dangers and conspiracies, many of which feel familiar but strike a different chord than what you may come to expect
[19:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)
[19:04] <~Dan> Thanks, Eloy!
[19:04] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!
[19:04] <~Dan> I'll start us off. What can you tell us about the system?
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[19:06] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> There's a lot to be said for the system. AMP: Year One uses the new DGS-Combo specifically designed to make this particular game awesome. It involves combining two skills to accomplish your tasks, instead of an Attribute and Skill which is more typical
[19:07] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, for instance, if you were attempting to confuse someone with technobabble that you may not even actually know, you'd make a Deception + Technology check.
[19:07] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> just like all of my traditional games, every check boils down to a single 1d20, so that's the only die you need for the whole game
[19:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the system is also streamlined to make your powers work just like Skills most of the time. So, if your are attempting to use Healing to mend someone's wounds, you make a Healing + Medicine check. Always combining two.
[19:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, yeah, that's the core system.
[19:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)
[19:08] <~Dan> Hmm... Do some of the skills serve the same function as attributes in other games? I'm thinking of strength in particular.
[19:10] <+xyphoid_> so the game has no attributes?
[19:10] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> There is a Might Skill that you can use to boost your strength. It's the skill used whenever attempting to use strength to accomplish a task. So, if attempting to flex your muscles to make a foe back down, you'd use Might + Intimidation, for instance
[19:10] <+xyphoid_> (death to attributes)
[19:10] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> hehehehee.
[19:10] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Correct, no Attributes. Don't get me wrong, I like attributes. When designing AMP: Year One, though, they just didn't fit
[19:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)
[19:11] <~Dan> Hmm. I think I can live with that. You mentioned having a character sheet posted?
[19:11] <+Bigby> Are the various superpowers all pre-made in a pick list, or do you have a system for "building" powers?
[19:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yep, posted the update yesterday (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga/posts/753103)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga/posts/753103
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[19:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Bigby - both
[19:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the way powers are structured in AMP: Year One is you pick your power and you gain a Core Ability granted by that power.
[19:13] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Then, as you become more proficient in that power, you gain additional options to customize the power, thus personalizing it to your character's use of it.
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I'm going to quote one example I provided in the Kickstarter updates, to further explain what I mean.
[19:14] <~Dan> Please do!
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> If I have Authority (the power to mind control) and so do you, what truly separates us as AMPs besides the level of the power we have? The answer is which Augments we choose.
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> You may choose to go with a more aggressive stance on the power and choose the Mind Break Augment that gives your target a penalty to resist, and the Many Minds Augment to affect more than one person at a time.
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Whereas I might go the more subtle route and choose Telepathic to be able to beam my commands into my target’s mind without speaking and then Implant Command, which allows to delay a command to go off at a later time.
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Both of us have Authority, but we use it in completely different ways. Authority actually has 12 available Augments, so we could have gone on a lot of other paths as well.
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)
[19:15] <~Dan> I believe I saw a list of the powers... Do you happen to have that handy?
[19:15] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yep (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga/posts/740919)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga/posts/740919
[19:15] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> there are 54 powers, each with anywhere from 7 to 12 Augments
[19:16] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)
[19:16] <~Dan> And you can buy powers from outside your DNA strain for a higher cost, correct?
[19:17] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> They cost the same build wise, but require addition Juice (power points) when activating the power.
[19:17] <~Dan> Ah, I see.
[19:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Those grouped together by Strain are simply what you are most likely to develop based on your DNA
[19:18] * ~Dan nods
[19:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> but there are times when mutations happen and you go outside of that.
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[19:18] <~Dan> And characters are limited to three powers, IIRC?
[19:18] <~Dan> (Howdy, DrNate!
[19:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Many of the examples I've shown on the kickstarter so far have all had a Secondary power from a different Strain to show the versatility of the concepts
[19:18] <~Dan> )
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Correct, AMPs max out at 3 powers, which really makes you choice of power extra important
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> this game defies the logic of "
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> "Well, I'll just take a little invulnerability just in case"
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> if you take Invulnerability, it'd cause you want your character to focus on that and get more and more invulnerable
[19:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> From the playtesters that came from supers RPGs that were more toolkits and just build whatever you want, it took a while to break that habit, but in the end, they all really loved AMP: Year One.
[19:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it is a different kind of game, though
[19:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)
[19:21] <~Dan> Now, looking at the character sheet, I see that skills go up to 10. Is that a hard universal cap, and if so, how does the Behemoth power work, for example?
[19:22] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, yes, Level 10 is the cap. a Level 10 means you are pretty much perfect from a humans standpoint. Having Knowledge 10, means you are likely known as the smatters person in the state or nation, while having Performance 10 probably means you are an international star. Powers can then be used to enhance further with bonuses, but Level 10 is the limit.
[19:22] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Starting characters usually can't go beyond Level 5 without GM approval.
[19:22] <~Dan> How does a bonus differ from a level?
[19:23] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> using Behemoth, it gives you a +2 bonus to Might checks per power level, but doesn't affect your actual Skill level.
[19:23] <+Leviathan> Why have half of the scale locked behind a GM permission door?
[19:24] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, someone with Might 4 and Behemoth 6, would have a +16 to to Might
[19:25] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Leviathan - Mostly to balance the characters out and promote well balanced AMPs. Of course, you can throw that out entirely, but the games suggests certain caps based on where you want the characters to start.
[19:26] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - A bonus is added to a Level and has no limit, whereas the Skills are limited to Level 10
[19:26] <~Dan> Hmmm... So what would be the difference between Might 8 and Might 4/Behemoth 2?
[19:27] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> nothing Mechanically, except noting the previous suggested caps, starting with Might 8 means you were likely one of the strongest people in the world before gaining your powers
[19:27] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> which would then need to be explained through your character concept
[19:27] <~Dan> Ah, I see.
[19:28] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> but obviously, someone with Behemoth has the ability to surpass someone with just pure Might with practice in using their powers
[19:28] <~Dan> Right, gotcha.
[19:29] <+Leviathan> How many points of powers do you start with?
[19:29] <~Dan> Sticking with super-strength as a benchmark, how powerful can starting PCs be compared to, say, various Marvel superheroes?
[19:29] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Going back to the fact that bonuses aren't necessarily limited. A character who takes Behemoth for super strength and then also takes Sizing to grow larger, thus gaining more bonus to Might, they can be pretty damn strong.
[19:29] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> you begin with 6 power levels
[19:30] <~Dan> How much lifting power are we talking about?
[19:30] <~Dan> (Sorry -- I was weaned on MSH and still recall the lifting capacities of signature characters. :) )
[19:31] <&Silverlion> Heh
[19:31] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it all depends on your combination of powers, i'd say. Behemoth is the best way if you're going for our lifting. There's also an Augment that allows you to increase your lifting even further if you choose to select that
[19:31] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> so, let's say you went Might 5 and Behemoth 6 (spending all your power levels for it)
[19:31] <&Silverlion> So how strong is tha tlikely to be?
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[19:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> right... i'm doing math. ;-P
[19:32] <~Dan> So are we talking car-lifting? Bus-lifting? Battleship-lifting?
[19:32] <~Dan> Sorry! *lets you do the math* :)
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[19:32] <~Dan> (wb, Teylen!)
[19:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the easy easy answer is "a lot", but i'm trying to give you a number
[19:33] <~Dan> Appreciated. :)
[19:35] <~Dan> It may seem silly, but this sort of thing gives me a better idea of the scale of the setting. :)
[19:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, starting with Might 5 and lets say you bumped Athletics to 5 as well, which is the other skill for lifting. That gives you +10.
[19:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Behemoth 6 makes that a +22
[19:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> no probelm
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> At 22 you can basically uproot a lamppost and start fighting with.
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> without a check
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> if you decide to make a check, thus make your Strength even higher, you can fight with cars and whatnot.
[19:37] <~Dan> Hmm... So probably somewhere around... Luke Cage, maybe.
[19:37] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> probably slightly more powerful than him. 30 is "Throw a Yacht"
[19:37] <+Leviathan> Ok, so we're more talking street level supers here. Not demi-gods and the Hulk.
[19:37] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> not demi-gods, not cosmics, not the hulk.
[19:37] <~Dan> Well, that was just a starting character example, Leviathan.
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[19:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and you are right there Dan.
[19:38] <~Dan> (Howdy, Songtress!)
[19:38] <+Leviathan> I was extrapolating out the scale. Seems like even with Behemoth 10 and Might 10 and Athletics 10, you will not be throwing an aircraft carrier or punching a comet out of orbit.
[19:38] <+Songtress> (Howdy) OMG its Eloy!
[19:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Hey Songtress!
[19:39] <+Songtress> Sorry  3EG is like... amazing. so what's going on this evening?
[19:39] <~Dan> Seems a bit higher than street level, though, I'd think.
[19:39] <~Dan> Songtress: A Q&A about his forthcoming superhero game, AMP: Year One.
[19:39] <+Leviathan> Yeah, sounds like maybe Spider-Man level stuff.
[19:40] <+Songtress> OOOH! I do find Amp to be interesting :)
[19:40] <~Dan> At least. Maybe even the Thing, if you're talking about chucking yachts.
[19:40] <&Silverlion> Spider-Man can officially lift 10 tons.
[19:40] <&Silverlion> At least now--back in the day it was closer to 5..
[19:41] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Then again, Leviathan, if you have Behemoth 10, Sizing (Growth) 7 and let's say a Chimera 4 link with a gorilla, then you're working with even more. so, again, it's about power choice and placement
[19:41] <+Bigby> Spidey got up to 30 tons but they knocked him back to 10 with the wish ret-con
[19:41] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> also, Behemoth has an Augment specifically for boosting Lifting power when you spend Juice.
[19:42] <+Leviathan> That is amazing that you know that off the top of your head, Silver.
[19:42] <~Dan> He was also weaned on MSH. :)
[19:43] <+technoshaman> hello
[19:43] <&Silverlion> <--Also does a lot of research on supers. A LOT
[19:43] <+technoshaman> awake from a nap :P
[19:43] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yo technoshaman
[19:43] <~Dan> So who are the antagonists in the setting, Eloy?
[19:44] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Antagonists are largely (and legitimately) other AMPs.
[19:44] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> though, there is not a "I'm a hero, so who are the villains for me to fight" feel to the game.
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[19:45] <~Dan> (Sorry, Eloy -- forgot to change the topic line.)
[19:45] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> every AMP is an individual and has specific Loyalties that they cling to. So, technically, your enemies are whoever threatens your Loyalties.
[19:45] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> There are 8 different loyalties, each one cuing a certain type of reaction
[19:46] <~Dan> I notice that your posted sample character has an alias. How common is that in the setting? Do AMPs tend to think of themselves as superheroes?
[19:46] <+Bigby> Could you give us some examples of other Augments for Behemoth for some examples of customizing/focusing the powers?
[19:46] <&Silverlion> What's the default mechanic tha tpowers SKILL+SKILL
[19:47] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - They aren't superheroes, no. AMPs are kind of an underground thing for a long period in the setting and they actually go by handles to identify themselves as such, versus who they are (or were) in their normal life
[19:48] <~Dan> Are they still unknown to the general public at the start of play?
[19:48] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - Correct
[19:50] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Bigby - Other Augments for Behemoth include boosting Jump distance by a LOT, making yourself tougher, creating knockdown effects with your attacks, smashing the ground to make a shockwave. stuff like that
[19:50] <~Dan> How much of a "Gilligan's Island" premise is that?
[19:50] <~Dan> i.e., violating the premise = game over
[19:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Silverlion - 1d20 + Skill + skill is the mechanic. It's called the DGS-Combo
[19:51] <&Silverlion> Cool.
[19:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - How do you mean?
[19:51] <+Leviathan> Good question, Dan.
[19:52] <~Dan> Well, in TV show terms, some shows have a premise that can never change without ending the show. Like the castaways getting rescued from Gilligan's Island.
[19:52] <~Dan> So, is the secrecy of AMPs a vital part of the setting?
[19:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it is a vital part of AMP: Year One, but there's a reason why it's Year One
[19:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> we are telling a specific story with this game and each corresponding book that comes out will build on top of the one before it.
[19:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> In Year One, AMPs start to become more known at about the November mark. those were tried to reveal themselves before then so missing or are simply explained away or ignored
[19:54] <~Dan> Hmm. So how is that enforced? What do you do if a Behemoth type gets on live TV, says "Hey, y'all, watch THIS..." and lifts a bus?
[19:54] <+DrNate> Where do we get Amp: Year one?
[19:54] <&Silverlion> Please. For the love of all that gaming finds holy DO NOT HIDE an important setting element in the later books that changes everything (ala Brave New World)
[19:56] <~Dan> Yeah, that could be bad... Any thoughts on the subject, Eloy?
[19:56] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - it's not enforced, but remember being an AMP became a hidden movement or AMPs finding other AMPs and telling them "Yo, look, you probably don't want to go around doing that, cause I heard about someone that did and he disappeared the next day". then, of course, it becomes like Telephone, where every iteration is worse than the next
[19:56] * ~Dan nods
[19:56] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> AMP: Year One is currently on Kickstarter - (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eloylasanta/amp-year-one-a-modern-supers-rpg-from-third-eye-ga
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[19:57] <~Dan> (Howdy, Sigh!)
[19:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Actually, Silverlion, we are definitely not going to hide anything, but there will be events that change everything.
[19:57] <&Silverlion> That's fine, I guess, metaplot is common.
[19:57] <~Dan> What settings (from gaming, movies, literature, etc.) would you compare AMP to?
[19:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> AMP: Year Two is going to be different than AMP: Year One, because it will introduce new things that did not exist in the one before it
[19:58] <+Songtress> So this is game with Metaplot?
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[19:58] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)
[19:59] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I would say there is somewhat of a Metaplot, yes. We are attempting to tell a certain story with this kind of game, which I think is key for AMP: Year One to exist beside other supers RPG heavy-hitters.
[20:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> AMP: Year One is a lot of Heroes, Alphas, Misfits (if you wanted to go more comical)
[20:00] * ~Dan nods
[20:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Movies-wise, it's akin to Wanted or Push, which I loved
[20:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Or basically the X-Men in any medium. lol
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[20:01] <~Dan> Heh. Well, the X-men face an awful lot of weirdness. Is there any weirdness in AMP: Year One other than AMPs, and if not, will that change in later years?
[20:01] <+Bigby> So will year two change the game's mechanics or add more Powers or Augments, or just be a significant change in the setting?
[20:01] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest62! You can set your name with the /nick command. :) )
[20:02] <~Dan> (I realize you may not be able to say much about Year Two. Feel free to speak in generalities. :) )
[20:02] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> In year one, it's mostly other AMP organizations. They are all secretive about themselves, so many of them are operating without each other even knowing about it. We have the Seekers of Enlightenment who are scientifically based, going around and sharing knowledge with other AMPs and teaching others how to use their powers.
[20:03] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> We have the Changelings, who are kind of a collection of disenfranchised AMPs and those who may have mutated to the point of no longer looking human
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[20:03] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)
[20:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Typhoon is lead by a single AMP who uses her powers to take control of much of the countries drug trade.
[20:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and criminal activity in general
[20:04] <~Dan> Interesting. Are the Changelings more powerful as a result of their mutations?
[20:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and then later on in the year, as humans start to notice what's going on around them, you have the United Human Front, who wage kind of a shadow war against the AMPs, even talking some AMPs into hunting their own kind "for the good of humanity"
[20:05] <+Bigby> Changlings sound like X-Men/Marvel's Morlocks.
[20:05] <+Bigby> Do they hide in the sewers?
[20:05] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Actually no... most AMPs simply die from their mutations. One particular character in the actual story had Behemoth and then began mutating so much that his muscles grow big enough to crush his bones and collapse all his organs.
[20:06] <~Dan> Yucky.
[20:06] <+Songtress> Harsh so most AMPs die?
[20:06] <+DrNate> Like Wild Cards, I get it
[20:06] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the Changelings are kind of like the Morlocks too. Some of them hid win sewers, but most hide out in abandoned buildings and whatnot.
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[20:06] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Yes, a LOT of AMPs die. It's kind of one of the things of the setting.
[20:08] <+Bigby> That's more or less how the mutant Strong Guy died.
[20:08] <~Dan> Huh. I didn't know he died.
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> to give you a glimpse into the future, Mutations start to play a bigger role in Year Two as more experimentation allows them to use their mutations to their advantage. There's just not enough knowledge about it in Year One, so most of them die
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[20:08] <+DrNate> Isn't he king of Hades now?
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Strong Guy died? I didn't know that either. lol
[20:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, KurtWiegel!)
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Hey KurtWiedgel!
[20:08] <+KurtWiegel> Hey al
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> without the d
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> with the l
[20:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @DrNate - of course he is. lol
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> Thanks Bigby for reminding me of this.
[20:09] <&Silverlion> Hey Kurt!
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> Hey Sil
[20:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thanks for coming Kurt
[20:09] <~Dan> So can you say anything about the "Weirdness Factor", Eloy?
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> Hey Eloy.
[20:10] <+Songtress> Its Kurt Wiegel!
[20:10] <~Dan> (Oh, for those unaware, this is Kurt Wiegel, host of the exemplary YouTube series "Game Geeks".)
[20:10] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Yo
[20:10] <+Bigby> Way to interrupt everything Kurt :p
[20:10] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry. Hangs head
[20:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Weirdness factor? Hmmmm... you can get pretty weird with just about any game and AMP: Year One is no different. Kind of depends on what direction take with your character
[20:11] <+KurtWiegel> I loved Strong Guy
[20:12] <~Dan> Well, let me clarify: I'm talking about strangeness beyond the AMPs themselves.
[20:12] <~Dan> For example, Wild Cards is a one-source supers setting as well... but it also exists in a galaxy full of aliens.
[20:13] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I created a little kid named Lost Boy who had Teleportation, but took the Emotionally Linked and Weak-Willed Drawbacks. So, he was basically teleported anytime he got scared, which was a lot. lol
[20:13] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry I'm late: does this use the Dynamic d20/DGS or the pip system?
[20:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> The Weirdness Factor is toned down for AMP: Year One. It's firmly rooted in the real world without aliens and whatnot.
[20:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> there's no telling what will come as the series progresses, however. We have Year Two and most of Year Three outlined, and it gets very interesting
[20:15] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Kurt - AMP: Year One uses the new DGS-Combo. Similar to previous DGS games, but combined two skills instead of attribute + skill, which promotes flexibility and makes the system created for the powers more streamlined
[20:15] <+KurtWiegel> Got it
[20:15] <~Dan> Is each Year a self-contained game?
[20:16] <+KurtWiegel> Was Abberrant an inspiration for this yearly set-up?
[20:16] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - No, but each year builds on top of the book before it, both progressing the storyline and adding additional abilities/powers
[20:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I took inspiration from a lot of different supers RPGs, actually. Aberrant was a big one, as was Marvel Heroic, M&M and Champions. Aberrant specifically though had a short Timeline in the beginning of the book, whereas AMP: Year One pieces it out more and really delves into the nitty-gritty of what such a thing would really feel like.
[20:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> um... short answer... yes?
[20:18] <+KurtWiegel> Great answer, thanks Eloy.
[20:19] <~Dan> Hmmm... Depending upon how things develop, I could see that being problematic, Eloy.
[20:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> what?
[20:19] <~Dan> Each year will feature a major change to the setting, correct?
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[20:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yes. each book is themed and chronicles the next year in what it means to be an AMP
[20:19] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Kinetic!)
[20:20] <&Silverlion> Are then any gadgeteer options?
[20:20] <~Dan> Right. So... I can see someone not being interested in Year One but, say, liking what you introduce in Year Three... but then having to buy two other books in order to play.
[20:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Year Two is where gadgeteers get introduced.
[20:21] <~Dan> Yeah, see, like that. "Oh, I was waiting for gadgeteers!"
[20:22] <~Dan> (Mind you, I'm not slamming your concept here. That I like. I'm just thinking out loud from a marketing standpoint.)
[20:22] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> There's a logical progression to the game. the core rules are in AMP: Year One regardless. If they wanted to just get Year One and then wait until Year Three, for instance, that's their right, but they'll miss awesome stuff in Year Two, including storyline that they'll miss if they jump right to 3. Of course, if they don't care about that, that's their peroga
[20:22] <+DrNate> It is a controversial decision, any time a game designer decides to spread the basics around
[20:23] * ~Dan nods
[20:23] <&Silverlion> Yeah. That was one of my many problems with BNW (the other was releasing two books at the same time with power packages split between them I.e player options in two books)
[20:24] <~Dan> Can you say roughly how much Year Two and Year Three will cost compared to Year One?
[20:25] <+DrNate> It doesn't always backfire, either. Before it came out, the nWoD (rules in one book, and then splats in separate books) was a super controversial decision.
[20:25] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> In my mind, gadgeteering isn't a basic. It would be if AMP: Year One was a grab bag of powers, build your own and go for it, like how a lot of other supers RPGs are. Instead, though, AMP: Year One has been painstakingly designed to deliver a certain kind of game with a logical progression through the story which adds new options per book
[20:25] <~Dan> Very true.
[20:26] <~Dan> Eloy: *nod* It makes perfect sense. I hope it works out well for you. :)
[20:26] <+Bigby> So will Gageteering and other new powers be related to existing powers or at least pre-existing DNA strains (or whatever they were called)?
[20:26] <+DrNate> It may not be very basic, but tell all the Batman and Green Lantern fans that
[20:26] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> As they will be sourcebook, they won't be as expensive as the corebook. they will likely sell for $20, just like sourcebooks for my other games, but I can't say for 100% until the book is fully written.
[20:27] <~Dan> Oh, sure. That gives me a good idea, though.
[20:27] <~Dan> A good idea of what things will cost, relatively speaking, I mean.
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> And again, sorry to be late but what kinds of directed themed games can you talk about?
[20:28] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @DrNate - True there. Like i said, it just depends on what kind of game you want. We're confident about AMP: Year One and the direction and experience the game delivers
[20:28] <&Silverlion> Good good :D
[20:29] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I don't think I get your question Kurt, sorry
[20:30] <~Dan> (He's clearly drunk, Eloy. Just smile and nod.)
[20:30] <+KurtWiegel> The direction and experience. I get the "world building" of the supers- but are there specific themes the game explores?
[20:30] <+DrNate> How do you feel about AMP's success on Kickstarter?
[20:31] <+Bigby> So will Gageteering and other new powers be related to/dependent upon existing powers or at least pre-existing DNA strains (or whatever they were called), or just brand new options?
[20:31] <~Dan> (Question pause.)
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[20:32] <~Dan> (Howdy, Jetrauben!)
[20:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Kurt - Ah, the major theme of the first book is Discovery. It's not enough to say "people have powers", it takes on you a journey of being someone new to powers, finding (and often battling) with others in the same predicament and then exploring what that means to the setting for your characters.
[20:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> thanks for the pause. I'm catching up
[20:33] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I'm super buzzed about the success. It climbed faster than any of my previous Kickstarters and we're only about halfway through, so I'm confident we'll be able to hit all of the major stretch goals we have planned as well *crosses fingers*
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[20:34] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Bigby - We're working on developing the gadgeteering idea right now, as a matter of fact. It actually comes up in the setting as humans attempt to compete with these new beings they've never seen before. So, there will be regular people using them, as well as AMPs (probably those with Brainiac and Technopathy) who can use them very well too
[20:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> um.. yeah (done)
[20:35] <+Bigby> I guess I meant the idea of introducing more/new powers or abilities in general.
[20:35] <~Dan> Ah! See, that would be an example of non-AMP "weirdness". Interesting.
[20:36] <+DrNate> Not a question, just a suggestion to improve your kickstarter: Under stretch Goals, the $15,000 and $18,000 descriptions are exactly the same.
[20:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Right, there will be more powers to the existing Strains, but gadgeteering isn't one of those. it'll be it's own separate thing.
[20:36] <+Jetrauben> (*waves*
[20:37] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thanks, DrNate. I made that change today as a matter of fact, but I guess it didn't save right. I'll fix that right after this, as a matter of fact. good looking out
[20:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> actually, went ahead and fixed it right now. lol
[20:38] <~Dan> :)
[20:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> i'm a fast typer
[20:38] <~Dan> Can you give us an overview of how combat works?
[20:39] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I'm also playing with the idea of introducing some sort of elusive 10th Strain, but i haven't figured out what I want to do with it yet. lol
[20:40] <~Dan> (The 10th Strain sounds like a horror movie.)
[20:40] <+DrNate> What makes this game different from every other one out there? What is the big selling point that you can use to sell it to buyers or GMs can use to sell it to players?
[20:40] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> maybe it will be.
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[20:41] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Combat works pretty simply. Initiative works the same as other DGS games. When it's your turn, you figure out what you want to do and what Skills you need to do that task and then the defender picks the Skills they want to defend with. You both roll and compare, ties go to the defender. Apply damage/effects. Next person's turn.
[20:42] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Combat flows nicely, due to the integration of the powers into the Skillsets, making them just one more option you have at your disposal
[20:42] <~Dan> How is damage figured?
[20:44] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @DrNate - What makes AMP: Year One different? Well, most supers RPGs out there are simple supers toolboxes, mostly so that you can recreate your favorites and just use the system to facilitate playing your fave 4-color heroes.
[20:45] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> AMP:Year One is not a generic supers game - it's a themed supers game; it has a cohesive, developing story behind it that unfolds as the game continues. It gives you a different experience when playing a supers game, one that is more akin to Heroes and early X-men, where you are a person struggling with your power
[20:46] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the tagline that has come up for AMP: Year One is "No Heroes, No Villians, Just Hard Choices", because that's what the game becomes from the moment you pick it up. It's a exploration of the choices one has to make.
[20:46] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and that you aren't necessarily a Hero just because you made one heroic choice.
[20:46] <+Abstruse> (Crap, KNEW I was forgetting something...)
[20:47] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Even mechanically, the game takes powers in a different direction than most other supers RPGs
[20:48] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> so, um, yeah... I'll stop rambling now.
[20:48] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[20:49] <~Dan> Did you see my damage question?
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - Damage is flat based on the action you take, your Boost (how much better you roll than your opponent) and what powers you have connected to your attack
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> or weapons
[20:49] <~Dan> (Ah, n/m. )
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yeah, i didn't miss the question. lol
[20:49] <~Dan> :)
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> i was just on a rant and I couldn't stop myself. But I eventually did. lol
[20:50] <~Dan> Looking at the character sheet, I'm not seeing obvious skill combos for combat. Can you give me some examples?
[20:50] <~Dan> And no worries, Eloy. And it wasn't a rant. More of a monologue. :)
[20:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Most of the time, it's Fighting for Close Combat and Markmanship for Ranged. (If you don't have a secondary skill to use, you use the Primary skill at 1.5, by the way)
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[20:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> However, let's say you want to fight with an improvised weapon, that's Fighting + Crafts
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> grappling is Fighting + Might
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Dodging is Fighting + Speed
[20:52] <~Dan> What about Fighting with, say, a sword?
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Fighting + Deception would be to perform a feint or distractionary thing.
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> so things like that
[20:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> that's included in Fighting
[20:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Fighting is fighting close combat, fist or sword
[20:53] <~Dan> So Fighting x 1.5, unless you're doing something special?
[20:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> right
[20:54] <~Dan> Gotcha.
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> also, weapons usually give you some kind of bonus based on its handling, weight and hwatnot
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> whatnot
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[20:54] <+xyphoid_> so there's an incentive to do more interesting things to get two skills involved?
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I believe a sword give +2 to attacks and +1 to blocks, for instance
[20:54] <~Dan> As an aside, this puts me in mind of some of Cynthia Celeste Miller's older games.
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[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I like CCM,
[20:54] * ~Dan nods
[20:54] <~Dan> She's an awesome lady.
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I own Slasher Flick, but that's about it.
[20:55] <+xyphoid_> fighting + history for the Princess Bride sword duel
[20:55] <~Dan> I know Tomorrow Knights is a skills-only system.
[20:55] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Finding new combos or combos that work for your character is highly encouraged, actually.
[20:55] <~Dan> Do weapons add to damage as well?
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[20:55] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> The system is flexible so if you come up with a way you can use out-of-the-box skills together, you are totally encouraged to do so
[20:56] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yep. In that example, Swords add +2 damage.
[20:56] <~Dan> I have to say, this system sounds really slick.
[20:57] <~Dan> (Okay, so that wasn't a question.)
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> why thank you sir
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> hehehehe
[20:57] <~Dan> I have to say, this system sounds really slick, you know?
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it's actually 10pm my time... were we going longer than 2 hours?
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> hahahahah!
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> silly
[20:57] <~Dan> :)
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[20:58] <+Bigby> This might not fit the meta-narrative of the setting, but will it be possible to play non-powered individuals if someone had the inclination?
[20:58] <~Dan> Well, that's entirely up to you, Eloy. We're wrapping up "official" time, but authors are always welcome to hang out as long as they like, whether to field more questions or just to chat.
[20:58] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> gotcha
[20:58] <~Dan> That said, is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?
[20:58] <+Bigby> The "trained normal" who is just a really amazing martial artist or the weapons master who can shoot better than Annie Oakley but has no actual powers?
[20:58] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Um, you certainly could.
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[20:59] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)
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[20:59] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Power Levels are worth a certain number of Bonus Points. You could always just give them (6 x 3) 24 additional BP to spend on Gifts, Skills, Etc.
[20:59] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> ouch, my math is dumb right now
[21:00] <+Bigby> oo, what are Gifts?  I think I missed that part.
[21:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Gifts and Drawbacks are used to personalize your character. Those are things like Directional Sense, Leadership, An old War Wound or OCD, etc
[21:02] <+Bigby> So talents that are beyond skills that anyone can have but not powers in and of themselves?
[21:02] <~Dan> I was wondering if you were going to include OCD. I kept checking over. And over. And over. And over...
[21:02] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> right
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[21:02] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Guest62!)
[21:03] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> um, Right.. to both of you
[21:03] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[21:04] <~Dan> Following up on Bigby's question: could a mundane character be enough of a badass to keep up with AMPs?
[21:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> probably not. The game is very AMP-Centric. They'd have more Gifts and possibly be more skilled, but would lack a lot of the crazy powers needed to be as badass
[21:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> that's just not something AMP: Year One was built to do.
[21:05] * ~Dan nods
[21:06] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I honestly hadn't even checked to see if that would work out, but my guess would be that it kinda of wouldn't.
[21:06] <~Dan> When we were chatting previously, you mentioned the powers you'd use for a Batman type, I believe?
[21:07] <+Bigby> And that's fine.  It obviously isn't what the setting is about.  I was just thinking about using the system for different settings and such and "trained normals" is a comic book standard I always check for.
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[21:08] <+DrNate> Please don't take it as too rough a question
[21:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Yeah, a batman-type character Powers-wise, take Brainiac so you have the intelligence and the ability to build enhanced items, then take some Killer Instinct to enhance your Fighting Skill (which you should obviously pump a lot into along with Stealth). And then buy Wealth up to Level 5 and dress in black.
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[21:08] <+DrNate> You have had 7 successful kickstarters, how "on the money" with expected delivery dates on those previous ones?
[21:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Depends on the project. Part-Time Gods was kind of off, cause I had never done a big kickstarter with extras and all that stuff before.
[21:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the rest of my games have been around the mark, if not before the mark.
[21:09] <~Dan> Eloy's a real pro, in my experience.
[21:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> beauty about AMP: Year One is that I've anticipated all of these thing and built in a little extra time in case I hit any snags.
[21:10] <~Dan> See? Pro!
[21:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thanks, Dan!
[21:11] <~Dan> :)
[21:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Um, yeah, so I'm going to have to logoff sadly. Getting the evil eye from the wife. lol
[21:12] <~Dan> No problem, Eloy! Can you hang on just a minute while I post the log to get you the link?
[21:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> sure then!
[21:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> thing
[21:12] <~Dan> Cool! Just a sec...
[21:13] <+Bigby> I posted a Kickstarter specific question in the comment section over there (didn't want to derail the conversation here).
[21:13] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> no prob. I'll go over there and answer it with a DM
[21:13] <~Dan> Oh, and before I log the chat, let me just say thank you for coming by and talking to us about AMP! I'm really looking forward to it. :)
[21:13] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thank you very much for having me Dan