tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83382775636246304992024-03-18T19:39:28.366-07:00The Hardboiled GMshoe's OfficeDan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-39420947736087357572014-02-21T19:10:00.003-08:002014-02-21T19:27:55.520-08:00[Q&A] Diane Sauer (Legends and Lies)[20:01] <+DianeSauer> My name is Diane Sauer, long, long time gamer, in fact been gaming since around 1980.<br />
[20:03] <+DianeSauer> I've played all sorts of games, starting off with many years of D&D, board games, card games and a role playing system I co-wrote and played for over ten years<br />
[20:03] <+DianeSauer> My game is called Legends and Lies.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[20:03] <+DianeSauer> Legends and Lies is a card game where each player takes on the role of a cryptozoologist who mounts various expeditions to prove the likes of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, The Jersey Devil, etc.<br />
[20:04] <+DianeSauer> Now, each cryptozoologist does not really like seeing any other cryptozoologist be more successful than they are so, what better way to discredit them than to leak wild stories to the Tabloid press.<br />
[20:05] <+DianeSauer> While a card game, it was definitely done in the spirit of the Eon game Hoax! Though that depends a lot on the group playing it.<br />
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[20:06] <+DianeSauer> Many play it as a straight card game though others, like my group, like to embellish as we play.<br />
[20:06] <+DianeSauer> DONE<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> Thanks, Diane!<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> Can you describe how gameplay works?<br />
[20:07] <+DianeSauer> The game is a type of melding/rummy game with lots of twists.<br />
[20:08] <+DianeSauer> 2-3 players and a 4 player partnership game.<br />
[20:08] <+DianeSauer> There are Expedition cards that you use to help prove the various creatures.<br />
[20:09] <+Capricious> Thank you for making this game, Diane. It should appeal to the inner cryptozoologist in us all. Serious question: Are you using OneBookShelf's new print-on-demand card printing service for this game, or going traditional print, or a mix of both? Not-so-serious question: Have you considered doing an "Honest Politician" card as a possible target for sightings/tabloid speculation?<br />
[20:09] <+DianeSauer> Also, there are Anomaly cards, that you are limited to one per turn, that do various things.<br />
[20:09] <+DianeSauer> The have names like Fish Falls, ESP, Proof!<br />
[20:10] <+DianeSauer> Oh and of course Hoax!<br />
[20:10] <+DianeSauer> We are printing the card in the US via Gamecrafters.<br />
[20:11] <+DianeSauer> I have toyed with other themes that I will be looking at down the road and like the political suggestion!<br />
[20:12] <+DianeSauer> DONE (I think)<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> Are aliens among the creatures you might seek out?<br />
[20:14] <+DianeSauer> Yes, in fact there is a shutout rule involving them. If you can prove aliens exist and are the person that goes out. The aliens land and appoint you Earth ambassador causing none of your opponents to score.<br />
[20:15] <+DianeSauer> They will be very jealous and bitter.<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> Heh. Clever. :)<br />
[20:15] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> How do you establish proof?<br />
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[20:17] <+DianeSauer> Well, by mounting expeditions (melding) of the various creatures. The creatures that have lots of sightings and believers like Big/Yeti have more cards in the deck while known hoaxes like Piltdown man have few.<br />
[20:18] <+DianeSauer> Also, there a Anomaly cards called Proof! for each of the easier to prove creatures<br />
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[20:19] <+BlasterKyubey210> So let's see this in action for a bit<br />
[20:19] <+DianeSauer> They are only for that creature for instance Bigfoot/Yeti has a footprint cast, Jersey Devil has a Broken Horn, etcs.<br />
[20:19] <+DianeSauer> Also<br />
[20:20] <+DianeSauer> There is a wild Proof! card called...Blurry Photo....<br />
[20:20] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:20] <+Capricious> Can you please tell us a little about the history of the game, how it came to be (development history), and perhaps why you chose this subject for a card game?<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> Do the monsters pose any sort of threat as you seek them out?<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[20:22] <+DianeSauer> To see the game in action, there is my boring husband explaining the rules :;) Also there is a longer video of me playing though a hand.<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> (Which reminds me: Please feel free to post any relevant links! :) )<br />
[20:22] <+DianeSauer> I started on the game in around 2000-2001<br />
[20:24] <+DianeSauer> I created a crappy Power point version and started playing and testing and coming up with angles to tie the theme to the game. I feel that's critical and I was super please with myself when I came up with the idea to use the discard as the Tabloid press.<br />
[20:24] <+Capricious> It's appropriate! :)<br />
[20:25] <+DianeSauer> I have been a fan of cryptozoology, aliens, strange phenomenon going back to In Search of with Leonard Nimoy and the movie "Chariots of the Gods"<br />
[20:26] <+DianeSauer> The monsters do not cause any threat, it's the other cryptozoologists you need to watch out for!<br />
[20:26] <+DianeSauer> I think I got them all DONE<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> How do you win the game?<br />
[20:28] <+DianeSauer> In the 2-3 player game the first to 100 points wins...4 player partners game it's first team to 150 wins.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> And do you gain points by proving creatures exist?<br />
[20:29] <+DianeSauer> You keep playing and scoring hands till someone crosses the point threshold. Usually 30 mins to and hours.<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> Sounds like a pretty fast-paced game.<br />
[20:31] <+DianeSauer> Yes, anything less than ten points ON THE TABLE and the create is not proven. If it reaches 10, it's considered prove and the points for that creature doubles.<br />
[20:31] <+DianeSauer> The reason I say on the table is<br />
[20:32] <+DianeSauer> That no matter who plays them, they count towards proving the creature, So, you don't want to get stuck with cards, but you also don't want to help others too much. It''s a balancing act.<br />
[20:33] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:33] <+Capricious> In the Kickstarter ((Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1919693711/legends-and-lies-a-unique-card-game-for-2-4-player)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1919693711/legends-and-lies-a-unique-card-game-for-2-4-player), there are two stretch goals for mini-expansions. Can you please give us a summary of these? I'm curious what the Skeptic marker does! And do you have plans for more expansions past these, if that's not giving too much away! ;)<br />
[20:34] <+DianeSauer> The Skeptic, which we are like $200 from unlocking, so I think is a safe bet to happen, adds a new role to the game.<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> I find that hard to believe.<br />
[20:34] <+BrentNewhall> *snrk*<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> (I was wondering if you were awake, Brent. ;) )<br />
[20:35] <+Capricious> ./Fish Falls on Dan<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> :D<br />
[20:35] <+DianeSauer> Each player takes a turn as the Skeptic (and gets the coolo marker) and during that hand rather than try and proven anything, they get points for discrediting the cryptozoologists.<br />
[20:35] <+BrentNewhall> (I'm in the middle of some evening projects, so checking in and out, so to speak.)<br />
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[20:36] <+DianeSauer> If the Skeptic manages to prevent all creatures from being proven (and doubling) his score doubles instead.<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> (Howdy, Serami!)<br />
[20:37] <+DianeSauer> Mysterious Locations, gives each player/team a home base of sorts that grants them some type of bonus or power.<br />
[20:38] <+DianeSauer> Oh, I almost forgot<br />
[20:38] <+DianeSauer> The Skeptic expansion allows for a non-partnership four player game too.<br />
[20:39] <+DianeSauer> As for futures, for sure though not ready with those just yet.<br />
[20:39] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> Can you give an example of a Mysterious Location?<br />
[20:39] <+BrentNewhall> What is the Kickstarter specifically funding?<br />
[20:40] <+DianeSauer> Sure, Bermuda Triangle, Area 51, 112 Ocean Ave. Amittyville NY<br />
[20:40] <+DianeSauer> Did you want an example of what they do?<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> 112 Ocean Ave.?<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> And sure!<br />
[20:41] <+DianeSauer> Heard of the Amittyville Horror?<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> (Oh, that was the... yeah.)<br />
[20:43] <+DianeSauer> For example, The Lost City of Atlantis adds point to all the water based creatures you have in play. Feegee Mermaid, Loch Ness Monster and Giant Squid, "Wait, Diane there is no Giant Squid in the game"<br />
[20:43] <+DianeSauer> It's in The Skeptic expansion.<br />
[20:44] <+DianeSauer> That's some insider info :)<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> Ooooo!<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:44] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> (I've got a follow-up, but I'll wait until you answer Brent's question first.)<br />
[20:45] <+DianeSauer> Can you repeat it please<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> [20:39] <+BrentNewhall> What is the Kickstarter specifically funding?<br />
[20:45] <+DianeSauer> I must have missed it<br />
[20:45] <+BrentNewhall> (As in: What is it paying for, specifically? Always curious to see cost breakdowns. :-) )<br />
[20:46] <+DianeSauer> The printing of the game. The arts been paid for and I did not factor that into the cost as I feel that's something that I hopefully will eventually recover long term with future sales.<br />
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[20:47] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)<br />
[20:48] <+DianeSauer> So, the printing of rules, cards, box, markers, shipping, KS and Amazon fees and other stuff I may be forgetting at the moment. That's most of it though I think.<br />
[20:48] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:49] <+DianeSauer> Shrink wrapping...forgot that<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> You mentioned a player having creatures in play. What does that mean, exactly?<br />
[20:50] <+DianeSauer> Expeditions you have melded in front of you along with any associated Anomaly cards.<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> And how do Anomaly cards work? How does Fish Fall affect the game, for example?<br />
[20:51] <+DianeSauer> You also can layoff on other players Expeditions, though you have to weigh how much you are helping them.<br />
[20:52] <+DianeSauer> Anomaly cards are only one per turn. Fish Falls specifically, allows you to discard 1,2 or 3 cards and draw that many from the Unknown. A great way to bury other players expeditions!<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> And balance the scales, so to speak?<br />
[20:53] <+DianeSauer> There are several types of Anomaly cards.<br />
[20:53] <+Capricious> (groan)<br />
[20:53] <+DianeSauer> Yes...there are ways to get things out of the Tabloids too<br />
[20:55] <+DianeSauer> Basically 0 point Anomaly cards are used and go into Tabloids and anything with points stays in front of you.<br />
[20:55] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
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[20:56] <~Dan> Are supernatural creatures like ghosts among the monsters?<br />
[20:57] <+DianeSauer> No, the supernatural stuff is in the Anomaly cards.<br />
[20:57] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:57] <+DianeSauer> Like ESP and Resurrection.<br />
[20:58] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> Hmm... Not really being a card game guy, I confess that I'm having trouble coming up with more questions. Is there something we haven't covered so far that you'd like to bring up?<br />
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[21:00] <~Dan> (Howdy, Jetrauben!)<br />
[21:00] <+Jetrauben> Hiya all!<br />
[21:01] <+BrentNewhall> Do you write about any sort of role-playing-style "embellishments" in the rules?<br />
[21:01] <+DianeSauer> I think you covered most of the bases with it and there is more info on the KS and on the Shoot Again Games Facebook page and website.<br />
[21:03] <+DianeSauer> Very minor, but very apparent in play for example, we like sometimes making up a story that is going in to the Tabloids when you put a creature in there like "I had Bigfoot's Baby!"<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> :)<br />
[21:04] <+DianeSauer> Also, we like mocking the other player's expeditions when we Hoax! (Deatbed Confession) them.<br />
[21:04] <+DianeSauer> Looking forward to using the new Hoax!<br />
[21:04] <+DianeSauer> Government Coverup!<br />
[21:05] <+DianeSauer> Another insider bit there.....<br />
[21:05] <+DianeSauer> Done<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[21:06] <+DianeSauer> I just want to say thank you for having me here and giving me a chance to talk about Legends and Lies. I very much appreciate it!<br />
[21:07] <~Dan> You're very welcome! And I should apologize: Ordinarily, our sessions are 2 hours, but I really am kinda tapped out on questions. *sheepish*<br />
[21:07] <+DianeSauer> If there are any questions people think of later, just hit me up on the facbook page or comment on the KS.<br />
[21:07] <+Capricious> Thanks Diane!<br />
[21:08] <+DianeSauer> Oh, that's perfectly OK, I'm old and fading...past my bed time! :)<br />
[21:08] <~Dan> Yes, thanks very much!<br />
[21:08] <~Dan> If you can hang on just a sec, I'll get you the link to the chat log. :)<br />
[21:08] <+DianeSauer> Thank you again all and goodnight!Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-63972120943602314482014-02-20T19:15:00.000-08:002014-02-20T19:16:02.166-08:00[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<br />
[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<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> Thanks, Eloy!<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> I'll start us off. What can you tell us about the system?<br />
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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<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
[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.<br />
[19:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, yeah, that's the core system.<br />
[19:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)<br />
[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.<br />
[19:10] <+xyphoid_> so the game has no attributes?<br />
[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<br />
[19:10] <+xyphoid_> (death to attributes)<br />
[19:10] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> hehehehee.<br />
[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<br />
[19:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> Hmm. I think I can live with that. You mentioned having a character sheet posted?<br />
[19:11] <+Bigby> Are the various superpowers all pre-made in a pick list, or do you have a system for "building" powers?<br />
[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<br />
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[19:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Bigby - both<br />
[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.<br />
[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.<br />
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I'm going to quote one example I provided in the Kickstarter updates, to further explain what I mean.<br />
[19:14] <~Dan> Please do!<br />
[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.<br />
[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.<br />
[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.<br />
[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.<br />
[19:14] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)<br />
[19:15] <~Dan> I believe I saw a list of the powers... Do you happen to have that handy?<br />
[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<br />
[19:15] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> there are 54 powers, each with anywhere from 7 to 12 Augments<br />
[19:16] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> And you can buy powers from outside your DNA strain for a higher cost, correct?<br />
[19:17] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> They cost the same build wise, but require addition Juice (power points) when activating the power.<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> Ah, I see.<br />
[19:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Those grouped together by Strain are simply what you are most likely to develop based on your DNA<br />
[19:18] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> but there are times when mutations happen and you go outside of that.<br />
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[19:18] <~Dan> And characters are limited to three powers, IIRC?<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> (Howdy, DrNate!<br />
[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<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> )<br />
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Correct, AMPs max out at 3 powers, which really makes you choice of power extra important<br />
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> this game defies the logic of "<br />
[19:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> "Well, I'll just take a little invulnerability just in case"<br />
[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<br />
[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.<br />
[19:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it is a different kind of game, though<br />
[19:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> (done)<br />
[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?<br />
[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.<br />
[19:22] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Starting characters usually can't go beyond Level 5 without GM approval.<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> How does a bonus differ from a level?<br />
[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.<br />
[19:23] <+Leviathan> Why have half of the scale locked behind a GM permission door?<br />
[19:24] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> So, someone with Might 4 and Behemoth 6, would have a +16 to to Might<br />
[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.<br />
[19:26] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - A bonus is added to a Level and has no limit, whereas the Skills are limited to Level 10<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> Hmmm... So what would be the difference between Might 8 and Might 4/Behemoth 2?<br />
[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<br />
[19:27] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> which would then need to be explained through your character concept<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> Ah, I see.<br />
[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<br />
[19:28] <~Dan> Right, gotcha.<br />
[19:29] <+Leviathan> How many points of powers do you start with?<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> Sticking with super-strength as a benchmark, how powerful can starting PCs be compared to, say, various Marvel superheroes?<br />
[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.<br />
[19:29] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> you begin with 6 power levels<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> How much lifting power are we talking about?<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> (Sorry -- I was weaned on MSH and still recall the lifting capacities of signature characters. :) )<br />
[19:31] <&Silverlion> Heh<br />
[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<br />
[19:31] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> so, let's say you went Might 5 and Behemoth 6 (spending all your power levels for it)<br />
[19:31] <&Silverlion> So how strong is tha tlikely to be?<br />
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[19:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> right... i'm doing math. ;-P<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> So are we talking car-lifting? Bus-lifting? Battleship-lifting?<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> Sorry! *lets you do the math* :)<br />
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[19:32] <~Dan> (wb, Teylen!)<br />
[19:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the easy easy answer is "a lot", but i'm trying to give you a number<br />
[19:33] <~Dan> Appreciated. :)<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> It may seem silly, but this sort of thing gives me a better idea of the scale of the setting. :)<br />
[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.<br />
[19:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Behemoth 6 makes that a +22<br />
[19:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> no probelm<br />
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> At 22 you can basically uproot a lamppost and start fighting with.<br />
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it<br />
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> without a check<br />
[19:36] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> if you decide to make a check, thus make your Strength even higher, you can fight with cars and whatnot.<br />
[19:37] <~Dan> Hmm... So probably somewhere around... Luke Cage, maybe.<br />
[19:37] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> probably slightly more powerful than him. 30 is "Throw a Yacht"<br />
[19:37] <+Leviathan> Ok, so we're more talking street level supers here. Not demi-gods and the Hulk.<br />
[19:37] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> not demi-gods, not cosmics, not the hulk.<br />
[19:37] <~Dan> Well, that was just a starting character example, Leviathan.<br />
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[19:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and you are right there Dan.<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> (Howdy, Songtress!)<br />
[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.<br />
[19:38] <+Songtress> (Howdy) OMG its Eloy!<br />
[19:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Hey Songtress!<br />
[19:39] <+Songtress> Sorry 3EG is like... amazing. so what's going on this evening?<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Seems a bit higher than street level, though, I'd think.<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Songtress: A Q&A about his forthcoming superhero game, AMP: Year One.<br />
[19:39] <+Leviathan> Yeah, sounds like maybe Spider-Man level stuff.<br />
[19:40] <+Songtress> OOOH! I do find Amp to be interesting :)<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> At least. Maybe even the Thing, if you're talking about chucking yachts.<br />
[19:40] <&Silverlion> Spider-Man can officially lift 10 tons.<br />
[19:40] <&Silverlion> At least now--back in the day it was closer to 5..<br />
[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<br />
[19:41] <+Bigby> Spidey got up to 30 tons but they knocked him back to 10 with the wish ret-con<br />
[19:41] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> also, Behemoth has an Augment specifically for boosting Lifting power when you spend Juice.<br />
[19:42] <+Leviathan> That is amazing that you know that off the top of your head, Silver.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> He was also weaned on MSH. :)<br />
[19:43] <+technoshaman> hello<br />
[19:43] <&Silverlion> <--Also does a lot of research on supers. A LOT<br />
[19:43] <+technoshaman> awake from a nap :P<br />
[19:43] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yo technoshaman<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> So who are the antagonists in the setting, Eloy?<br />
[19:44] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Antagonists are largely (and legitimately) other AMPs.<br />
[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.<br />
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[19:45] <~Dan> (Sorry, Eloy -- forgot to change the topic line.)<br />
[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.<br />
[19:45] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> There are 8 different loyalties, each one cuing a certain type of reaction<br />
[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?<br />
[19:46] <+Bigby> Could you give us some examples of other Augments for Behemoth for some examples of customizing/focusing the powers?<br />
[19:46] <&Silverlion> What's the default mechanic tha tpowers SKILL+SKILL<br />
[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<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> Are they still unknown to the general public at the start of play?<br />
[19:48] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - Correct<br />
[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<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> How much of a "Gilligan's Island" premise is that?<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> i.e., violating the premise = game over<br />
[19:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Silverlion - 1d20 + Skill + skill is the mechanic. It's called the DGS-Combo<br />
[19:51] <&Silverlion> Cool.<br />
[19:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @Dan - How do you mean?<br />
[19:51] <+Leviathan> Good question, Dan.<br />
[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.<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> So, is the secrecy of AMPs a vital part of the setting?<br />
[19:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it is a vital part of AMP: Year One, but there's a reason why it's Year One<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
[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?<br />
[19:54] <+DrNate> Where do we get Amp: Year one?<br />
[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)<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> Yeah, that could be bad... Any thoughts on the subject, Eloy?<br />
[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<br />
[19:56] * ~Dan nods<br />
[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<br />
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[19:57] <~Dan> (Howdy, Sigh!)<br />
[19:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Actually, Silverlion, we are definitely not going to hide anything, but there will be events that change everything.<br />
[19:57] <&Silverlion> That's fine, I guess, metaplot is common.<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> What settings (from gaming, movies, literature, etc.) would you compare AMP to?<br />
[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<br />
[19:58] <+Songtress> So this is game with Metaplot?<br />
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[19:58] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)<br />
[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.<br />
[20:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> AMP: Year One is a lot of Heroes, Alphas, Misfits (if you wanted to go more comical)<br />
[20:00] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Movies-wise, it's akin to Wanted or Push, which I loved<br />
[20:00] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Or basically the X-Men in any medium. lol<br />
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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?<br />
[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?<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest62! You can set your name with the /nick command. :) )<br />
[20:02] <~Dan> (I realize you may not be able to say much about Year Two. Feel free to speak in generalities. :) )<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
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[20:03] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)<br />
[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.<br />
[20:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and criminal activity in general<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> Interesting. Are the Changelings more powerful as a result of their mutations?<br />
[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"<br />
[20:05] <+Bigby> Changlings sound like X-Men/Marvel's Morlocks.<br />
[20:05] <+Bigby> Do they hide in the sewers?<br />
[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.<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> Yucky.<br />
[20:06] <+Songtress> Harsh so most AMPs die?<br />
[20:06] <+DrNate> Like Wild Cards, I get it<br />
[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.<br />
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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.<br />
[20:08] <+Bigby> That's more or less how the mutant Strong Guy died.<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> Huh. I didn't know he died.<br />
[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<br />
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[20:08] <+DrNate> Isn't he king of Hades now?<br />
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Strong Guy died? I didn't know that either. lol<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, KurtWiegel!)<br />
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Hey KurtWiedgel!<br />
[20:08] <+KurtWiegel> Hey al<br />
[20:08] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> without the d<br />
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> with the l<br />
[20:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> @DrNate - of course he is. lol<br />
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> Thanks Bigby for reminding me of this.<br />
[20:09] <&Silverlion> Hey Kurt!<br />
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> Hey Sil<br />
[20:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thanks for coming Kurt<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> So can you say anything about the "Weirdness Factor", Eloy?<br />
[20:09] <+KurtWiegel> Hey Eloy.<br />
[20:10] <+Songtress> Its Kurt Wiegel!<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> (Oh, for those unaware, this is Kurt Wiegel, host of the exemplary YouTube series "Game Geeks".)<br />
[20:10] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Yo<br />
[20:10] <+Bigby> Way to interrupt everything Kurt :p<br />
[20:10] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry. Hangs head<br />
[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<br />
[20:11] <+KurtWiegel> I loved Strong Guy<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> Well, let me clarify: I'm talking about strangeness beyond the AMPs themselves.<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
[20:13] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry I'm late: does this use the Dynamic d20/DGS or the pip system?<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
[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<br />
[20:15] <+KurtWiegel> Got it<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> Is each Year a self-contained game?<br />
[20:16] <+KurtWiegel> Was Abberrant an inspiration for this yearly set-up?<br />
[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<br />
[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.<br />
[20:18] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> um... short answer... yes?<br />
[20:18] <+KurtWiegel> Great answer, thanks Eloy.<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> Hmmm... Depending upon how things develop, I could see that being problematic, Eloy.<br />
[20:19] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> what?<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> Each year will feature a major change to the setting, correct?<br />
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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<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Kinetic!)<br />
[20:20] <&Silverlion> Are then any gadgeteer options?<br />
[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.<br />
[20:20] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Year Two is where gadgeteers get introduced.<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> Yeah, see, like that. "Oh, I was waiting for gadgeteers!"<br />
[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.)<br />
[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<br />
[20:22] <+DrNate> It is a controversial decision, any time a game designer decides to spread the basics around<br />
[20:23] * ~Dan nods<br />
[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)<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> Can you say roughly how much Year Two and Year Three will cost compared to Year One?<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> Very true.<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> Eloy: *nod* It makes perfect sense. I hope it works out well for you. :)<br />
[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)?<br />
[20:26] <+DrNate> It may not be very basic, but tell all the Batman and Green Lantern fans that<br />
[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.<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> Oh, sure. That gives me a good idea, though.<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> A good idea of what things will cost, relatively speaking, I mean.<br />
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> And again, sorry to be late but what kinds of directed themed games can you talk about?<br />
[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<br />
[20:28] <&Silverlion> Good good :D<br />
[20:29] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I don't think I get your question Kurt, sorry<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> (He's clearly drunk, Eloy. Just smile and nod.)<br />
[20:30] <+KurtWiegel> The direction and experience. I get the "world building" of the supers- but are there specific themes the game explores?<br />
[20:30] <+DrNate> How do you feel about AMP's success on Kickstarter?<br />
[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?<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
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[20:32] <~Dan> (Howdy, Jetrauben!)<br />
[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.<br />
[20:32] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> thanks for the pause. I'm catching up<br />
[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*<br />
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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<br />
[20:35] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> um.. yeah (done)<br />
[20:35] <+Bigby> I guess I meant the idea of introducing more/new powers or abilities in general.<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> Ah! See, that would be an example of non-AMP "weirdness". Interesting.<br />
[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.<br />
[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.<br />
[20:36] <+Jetrauben> (*waves*<br />
[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<br />
[20:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> actually, went ahead and fixed it right now. lol<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:38] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> i'm a fast typer<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> Can you give us an overview of how combat works?<br />
[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<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> (The 10th Strain sounds like a horror movie.)<br />
[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?<br />
[20:40] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> maybe it will be.<br />
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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.<br />
[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<br />
[20:42] <~Dan> How is damage figured?<br />
[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.<br />
[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<br />
[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.<br />
[20:46] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> and that you aren't necessarily a Hero just because you made one heroic choice.<br />
[20:46] <+Abstruse> (Crap, KNEW I was forgetting something...)<br />
[20:47] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Even mechanically, the game takes powers in a different direction than most other supers RPGs<br />
[20:48] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> so, um, yeah... I'll stop rambling now.<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> Heh. :)<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Did you see my damage question?<br />
[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<br />
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> or weapons<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> (Ah, n/m. )<br />
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yeah, i didn't miss the question. lol<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:49] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> i was just on a rant and I couldn't stop myself. But I eventually did. lol<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> Looking at the character sheet, I'm not seeing obvious skill combos for combat. Can you give me some examples?<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> And no worries, Eloy. And it wasn't a rant. More of a monologue. :)<br />
[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)<br />
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[20:51] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> However, let's say you want to fight with an improvised weapon, that's Fighting + Crafts<br />
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> grappling is Fighting + Might<br />
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Dodging is Fighting + Speed<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> What about Fighting with, say, a sword?<br />
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Fighting + Deception would be to perform a feint or distractionary thing.<br />
[20:52] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> so things like that<br />
[20:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> that's included in Fighting<br />
[20:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Fighting is fighting close combat, fist or sword<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> So Fighting x 1.5, unless you're doing something special?<br />
[20:53] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> right<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> Gotcha.<br />
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> also, weapons usually give you some kind of bonus based on its handling, weight and hwatnot<br />
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> whatnot<br />
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[20:54] <+xyphoid_> so there's an incentive to do more interesting things to get two skills involved?<br />
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I believe a sword give +2 to attacks and +1 to blocks, for instance<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> As an aside, this puts me in mind of some of Cynthia Celeste Miller's older games.<br />
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[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I like CCM,<br />
[20:54] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> She's an awesome lady.<br />
[20:54] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> I own Slasher Flick, but that's about it.<br />
[20:55] <+xyphoid_> fighting + history for the Princess Bride sword duel<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> I know Tomorrow Knights is a skills-only system.<br />
[20:55] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Finding new combos or combos that work for your character is highly encouraged, actually.<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> Do weapons add to damage as well?<br />
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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<br />
[20:56] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> yep. In that example, Swords add +2 damage.<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> I have to say, this system sounds really slick.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> (Okay, so that wasn't a question.)<br />
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> why thank you sir<br />
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> hehehehe<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> I have to say, this system sounds really slick, you know?<br />
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> it's actually 10pm my time... were we going longer than 2 hours?<br />
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> hahahahah!<br />
[20:57] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> silly<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> :)<br />
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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?<br />
[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.<br />
[20:58] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> gotcha<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> That said, is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?<br />
[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?<br />
[20:58] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Um, you certainly could.<br />
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[20:59] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)<br />
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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.<br />
[20:59] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> ouch, my math is dumb right now<br />
[21:00] <+Bigby> oo, what are Gifts? I think I missed that part.<br />
[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<br />
[21:02] <+Bigby> So talents that are beyond skills that anyone can have but not powers in and of themselves?<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> I was wondering if you were going to include OCD. I kept checking over. And over. And over. And over...<br />
[21:02] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> right<br />
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[21:02] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Guest62!)<br />
[21:03] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> um, Right.. to both of you<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> Heh. :)<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> Following up on Bigby's question: could a mundane character be enough of a badass to keep up with AMPs?<br />
[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<br />
[21:04] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> that's just not something AMP: Year One was built to do.<br />
[21:05] * ~Dan nods<br />
[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.<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> When we were chatting previously, you mentioned the powers you'd use for a Batman type, I believe?<br />
[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.<br />
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[21:08] <+DrNate> Please don't take it as too rough a question<br />
[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.<br />
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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?<br />
[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.<br />
[21:09] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> the rest of my games have been around the mark, if not before the mark.<br />
[21:09] <~Dan> Eloy's a real pro, in my experience.<br />
[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.<br />
[21:10] <~Dan> See? Pro!<br />
[21:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thanks, Dan!<br />
[21:11] <~Dan> :)<br />
[21:11] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Um, yeah, so I'm going to have to logoff sadly. Getting the evil eye from the wife. lol<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> No problem, Eloy! Can you hang on just a minute while I post the log to get you the link?<br />
[21:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> sure then!<br />
[21:12] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> thing<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> Cool! Just a sec...<br />
[21:13] <+Bigby> I posted a Kickstarter specific question in the comment section over there (didn't want to derail the conversation here).<br />
[21:13] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> no prob. I'll go over there and answer it with a DM<br />
[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. :)<br />
[21:13] <+EloyLasanta-3EG> Thank you very much for having me DanDan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-33326528082378550952014-02-20T14:05:00.001-08:002014-02-20T14:05:08.020-08:00[Q&A] Chris Birch, Jay Little, & Gunnar Roxen (Mutant Chronicles 3rd edition)[14:02] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Hi I'm Chris Birch the founder of Modiphius, and one of the design team on Mutant Chronicles 3rd Edition<br />
[14:03] <%KingYnnen_JayLittle> I'm Jay Little, lead designer for WFRP 3rd Edition, Star Wars Roleplay: Edge of the Empire, X-Wing Miniatures, and a slew of other games<br />
[14:03] <%KingYnnen_JayLittle> And glad to be onboard with Chris and folks to be lead designer for Mutant Chronicles 3rd Edition<br />
[14:03] <%KingYnnen_JayLittle> (done)<br />
[14:03] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
[14:04] <%GunnarRoxen> Hi I am Gunnar Roxen sci-fi noir novelist and line manager and writer for Mutant Chronicles. Also a Swede and fan since the original release :D<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>[14:04] <%GunnarRoxen> (done)<br />
[14:04] <~Dan> Thanks, guys!<br />
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[14:04] <%KingYnnen_JayLittle> that wasn't so bad! are we done now?<br />
[14:04] <~Dan> Before we really get the questions rolling, perhaps you should give us a quick overview of what Mutant Chronicles is about?<br />
[14:04] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Bastian!)<br />
[14:05] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Mutant Chronicles is a massive gaming property from the 90's - comics, novels, boardgames, video games, miniatures wargame, movie...<br />
[14:06] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> There were 2 editions of the rpg and we're re-booting it to a 3rd edition - drawing on some of the best bits of the old game - like lifepath generation but bringing it very much in to the 21st century<br />
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[14:07] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the story is a 25th century dieselpunk sci-fi - corporate ruled humanity fighting back against the invasion of the Dark Legion<br />
[14:07] <%KingYnnen_JayLittle> dieselpunk, quasi-dystopian, corporate greed, tampering in dark twisted things man was not meant to know<br />
[14:07] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the corruption of the Dark Symmetry, meanwhile corporations happily stab each other in the back<br />
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[14:08] <~Dan> (wb, Sil!)<br />
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[14:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, RocketLunatic!)<br />
[14:08] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> they called it techno-fantasy in the 90's and we're keeping that crazy exaggerated over the top vibe with the cinematic approach we're taking. The guns are big, the shoulder pads bigger<br />
[14:08] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
[14:09] <~Dan> Thanks, Chris!<br />
[14:09] <~Dan> Okay! Let's open the floor to questions!<br />
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[14:09] <+maxmahem> So school me on the base mechanic.<br />
[14:09] <~Dan> I'll go ahead and throw one out there: I'm told that this edition will actually prominently feature mutants?<br />
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[14:10] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Jay?<br />
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[14:10] <+Cymruvoodoo> (got booted by a page refresh, darn IRC webclient)<br />
[14:10] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> chris'll tackle the mutant question<br />
[14:10] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the original Mutant game by Target Games in the 90's was like Gamma World in Sweden<br />
[14:10] <&Silverlion> Tell os us Mutant!<br />
[14:11] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (then i'll chime in with the mechanics)<br />
[14:11] <&Silverlion> (Mutants! rather)<br />
[14:11] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Mutant Chronicles was their mass market game and took 'Target Games in to space with a big epic sci-fi fantasy game<br />
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[14:11] <+GenoFoxx> (oh no, shoulder pads.....Liefeld's disease it's mutated and spreading)<br />
[14:11] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> it wasn't really connected, but there is the sense of creatures and people mutating on Earth in the original Dark Eden. But it was never a major part of the setting<br />
[14:11] <+Ruskendrul> Could you shortly go throu the Corps like Bauhaus, Capital, the familiar ones and the "new"(?) like Whitestar?<br />
[14:12] <~Dan> (Question pause after Ruskendrul's question.)<br />
[14:12] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> So we have now looked at the backstory, developed a major plot that ties mutation in to the grande story behind the whole of Mutant Chronicles<br />
[14:13] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> mutations will be appearing in very minor ways in the Dark Symmetry Era, then more so in the Dark Legion (2nd Dark Legion War) era, players will be able to select characters with mutations but run the risk of being mistaken as heretics<br />
[14:13] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
[14:13] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> okay, the Core Mechanic...<br />
[14:14] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> Mutant Chronicles 3rd Edition uses d20s to determine success or failure of actions<br />
[14:14] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> the basic game "unit" is The Skill Test<br />
[14:14] <&Silverlion> Multiple d20's?<br />
[14:14] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> each skill is associated with an attribute, such as Acrobatics being associated with Agility<br />
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[14:15] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> adding your ranks of expertise (training) with a skill to your base attribute establishes your Target Number (TN)<br />
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[14:15] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> for standard skill tests, a player rolls 2d20 and attempts to roll equal to or less than the TN to generate successes<br />
[14:16] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> that's the main, underlying mechanic... other bits and pieces interact with this or modify it slightly<br />
[14:16] <&Silverlion> Roll under? on 2d20? Ouch. How does that work without being wiffy?<br />
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[14:16] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> we're balancing the attribute ratings and expertise ranks to find a good success rate... rolling 2d20 already opens the mechanic up to greater granularity<br />
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[14:17] <~Dan> (Howdy, Brian!)<br />
[14:17] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> for a basic skill test, there are a number of possible outcomes, not just pass/fail, but also magnitude and complication<br />
[14:17] <+Cymruvoodoo> Hang on, TN on 2d20? It'll give you a niiiiiice big bell curve, sure, but that's going to generate some large basic numbers<br />
[14:17] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> you do not add, you compare<br />
[14:17] <+BigVanTsu> The D20 are not added up<br />
[14:18] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> sorry, i'm so used to how we use it i forgot to contextualize it<br />
[14:18] <~Dan> No problem. Example, maybe?<br />
[14:18] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> so, roll 2d20, compare each die individually to the TN<br />
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[14:18] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> Mitch Hunter is going to jump across a narrow chasm while running from a terrifying Ezoghoul<br />
[14:18] <+Pixel_Kitty> sorta like dice pool games<br />
[14:18] <+Pixel_Kitty> just tiny pools<br />
[14:18] <&Silverlion> Do both have to pass?<br />
[14:19] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> Mitch Hunter has Agility 8 and Acrobatics 2, so he needs to roll 10 or less on his d20s<br />
[14:19] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> he rolls 2d20 and gets (5, 14). He generates one success on the skill test.<br />
[14:19] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> More difficult tasks (like a wider chasm) increases the difficulty rating of a skill test<br />
[14:20] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> the difficulty rating indicates the minimum number of successes required to pass the test<br />
[14:20] <+Bastian> So basically 3 possible outcomes?<br />
[14:20] <+Bastian> 0, 1 or 2 successes<br />
[14:20] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> so if Mitch Hunter is trying to jump across a wide chasm, it may be Difficulty 2 -- meaning he needs to generate 2 successes to pass!<br />
[14:20] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> hehe... there's more to it than that, Bastian...<br />
[14:21] <~Dan> So there are only 2 levels of difficulty?<br />
[14:21] <~Dan> (Or maybe you're about to address that... :) )<br />
[14:21] <&Silverlion> That sounds very whiffy...having to roll under, and get successes. It means essentially Two "TN's"<br />
[14:21] <+Pixel_Kitty> (going to work, brb)<br />
[14:22] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> It's the same TN on both d20<br />
[14:22] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> other factors can increase the number of successes generated, change the character's TN for success, or modify the difficulty<br />
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[14:22] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Gryffen88!)<br />
[14:22] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> correct, the TN for a test is the threshold each d20 is compared to when determining if successes are generated<br />
[14:22] <+Ruskendrul> So. Roll D20's, compare to TN and count success - easy<br />
[14:22] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> now, there is more to it than that, but it would be harder to contextualize without more info<br />
[14:23] <+Age_Past_Jeff> so how does the rolling mechanic you use produce different outcomes then a typical d20 system? thanks!<br />
[14:23] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> for example, characters have ways to generate additional successes, and some skill training improves the quality of rolls<br />
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[14:23] <~Dan> (After Age_Past_Jeff's question, let's cover the question about the corps. Then we can come back to the system if you like.)<br />
[14:24] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> in most cases, an average character attempting a difficult task will have an opportunity to generate 10+ possible outcomes based on quality, quantity, and other factors<br />
[14:24] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (done for now - let's get to some other cool stuff)<br />
[14:24] <%GunnarRoxen> I'm going to field the questions on the corporations as I am leading the background writing in addition to writing Imperial, Luna, Freelancers and Luna PD.<br />
[14:24] <%GunnarRoxen> though I will leave White Star to Chris as they are his creation :)<br />
[14:25] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> After you Gunnar!<br />
[14:25] <%GunnarRoxen> the universe of Mutant Chronicles is dominated by a handful of giant corporations: Capitol, Bauhaus, Imperial, Mishima,Cybertronic and White Star<br />
[14:25] <%GunnarRoxen> each has their own strongly defined character<br />
[14:26] <%GunnarRoxen> and they reflect this on their holdings, personnel and operations across the solar system<br />
[14:26] <%GunnarRoxen> for instance Imperial is a coalition of antagonist Clans with a largley British cultural accent<br />
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[14:26] <%GunnarRoxen> while Capitol is the epitome of Amerrican capitalism - big, powerful and confident<br />
[14:26] <+Bastian> (just like great britain itself :P)<br />
[14:27] <%GunnarRoxen> they have their fingers in everything and everyone and don't really get along<br />
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[14:27] <%GunnarRoxen> so they formed the Cartel to "mediate" and also created Luna PD as a joint police force on the massive city on the partially terrorformed Luna<br />
[14:28] <%GunnarRoxen> I can go into details about the corps but it might be a good moment for chris to introduce White Star who are new to 3rd ed MC<br />
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[14:29] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> ok so Whitestar are the remnants of the Russian people's and survivors of the explosion of the Chinese terraforming ship<br />
[14:29] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> They look down on the richer Russian families that left with Bauhaus, if you know anything about the Russian people is they will never, ever, ever, ever give up their motherland<br />
[14:30] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Wyseguy and vendoor!)<br />
[14:30] <+vendoor> hello dan again :)<br />
[14:30] <~Dan> (Oh, right -- welcome back, that is. :) )<br />
[14:30] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the remnants of state and military and the people went down in to old bunkers, built new ones, took over old Bauhaus facilities and endured as they have done so many times before.<br />
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[14:31] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> A new power arose within, the Tsarina, led her people through tragedy after tragedy until they emerged powerful and united from the bunker doors in to the screaming nuclear winter that raged outside.<br />
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[14:33] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> her people will die for without question shouting Tsa Tsariny (Fight For the Tsarina!) as they charge in to battle - over the heads of the common soldiers come spinning the hussars,<br />
[14:33] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the hussars (working title) are cast from the bunkers doors when they come of age, must kill and survive for 7 days and nights outside with the great creatures that hunt the wastes, returning with two great bones that will be made in to their infamous bone swords<br />
[14:35] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> they leap over the heads of the soldiers, competing to be amongst the most dangerous fore, meanwhile the Last Legion man the old defences, giving up their names, their position to live out in the wilderness in the ancient fortresses as a first line of defence against the tribes and creatures that would assail them<br />
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[14:35] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Whitestar will play a pivotal role in the storyline - adding to it, not changing<br />
[14:35] <~Dan> Very cool. :)<br />
[14:35] <%GunnarRoxen> Whitestar are very exciting for me as a fan-turned-writer as they fill a void that I always felt was there in the original edition and they add to the whole. Their interactions with the other corporations are ... interesting :D<br />
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[14:36] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the corporations - the heroes will have to win them over, then perhaps they'll come to the aid of humanity when it's most needed - descending in their vast creaking battle barges on the legion itself to win glory for the Tsarina<br />
[14:36] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> fans are in for a real treat, we've got some amazing writers working on this stuff -- Chris mentioned several a few days ago on Kickstarter...<br />
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[14:37] <%GunnarRoxen> all of the corporations are getting some love in the new edition with more about each which allows us to include fan faves like Imperial Conquistadors with whole new elements<br />
[14:37] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yes the wonderful Jason Marker will be writing up Whitestar - his daughters are named are Russian WW2 female fighter pilots<br />
[14:37] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> John Dunn, Jason Marker, Dave Allen, Clive Oldfield, Gunnar here... and a host of other talented writers<br />
[14:37] <+Pixel_Kitty> (boop beep, I return. are questions open)<br />
[14:38] <~Dan> (They are! Although... are you guys caught up?)<br />
[14:38] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Mischa Thomas is writing Dark Legion - he wrote the Cold & Dark RPG and is Swedish and knows the story inside out<br />
[14:38] <%GunnarRoxen> Each of the corporations and other factions has information on the different setting periods of the 3rd ed from the exciting emergence of the dark symmetry through to the original dark legion time period and beyond<br />
[14:38] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
[14:38] <%GunnarRoxen> (done)<br />
[14:38] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (done)<br />
[14:38] <~Dan> I have a two-part question: Can you describe the levels of technology and magic at play in the setting?<br />
[14:39] <+Pixel_Kitty> If i can, gonna get the one i typed out before i left in.<br />
[14:39] <+Pixel_Kitty> Can the dark soul be "good". I didn't want to bring up 40k but i have to (and i pray it's the only time it gets brought up). in older fluff the chaos gods had good aspects to them, just that generally that's ignored by writers for wacky god things. Does the dark soul have some moral (continues)<br />
[14:39] <+Pixel_Kitty> or good aspects for people to latch on to? Villain games are fun, but some folksdon't quite like them if you're goin' pure evil. Is there anything to it other than enslavement or subjugation of humanity? Does it have a real design or character to itself?<br />
[14:39] <%GunnarRoxen> i'll take that. The Dark symmetry period is set during the apex of technology when mankind has risen to the levels of the pre-exodus from earth<br />
[14:39] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[14:39] * +Pixel_Kitty slinks back into the corner and waits<br />
[14:40] <%GunnarRoxen> but technology quickly becomes a liability as the Dark Symmetry takes hold and by the time of the Dark Legion period it is full-on Dieselpunk<br />
[14:40] <%GunnarRoxen> with a mend-and-make-do attitude<br />
[14:40] <%GunnarRoxen> and a distrust of cuting edge technology - which makes Cybertronic and their high tech even more suspicious<br />
[14:41] <%GunnarRoxen> technology is dangerous but vital - and as the setting evolves people realise that they have to make stark choices about what to use and what to scrap<br />
[14:42] <%GunnarRoxen> i'll hand over to chris for the 'magic' discussion :)<br />
[14:42] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (which also has some mechanical repercussions)<br />
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[14:42] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Dark Soul is a vast malevolent force, trapped outside our universe and time, forced to let relatively week physical manifestations of itself lead it's armies, though even those manifestations compete against each other<br />
[14:43] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Legion are feeding on the fear and terror caused by the Dark Symmetry, the appearance of one of their dark ships in orbit, streaking with thunder and leaving a trail of burning fire through the atmosphere before crashing it to the earth with earthquakes for hundreds of miles around is designed to bring terror to the population<br />
[14:44] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (terror achieved!)<br />
[14:44] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> when the Dark Legion invade it is just another way to heighten that<br />
[14:44] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> they might easily be able to destroy us but for some key plots<br />
[14:45] <%GunnarRoxen> in the initial adventure I wrote you get to see the evolution of an initial dark symmetry attack on Luna - they are not static and things are a bit murkier than simple good/bad choices<br />
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[14:45] <+locutus> i think the question is a bit, is there some reason for humans (PC's possibly) to want to be in league with the Dark Symmetry, other then being cackling mad evil cultists?<br />
[14:46] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> So there is no 'good' side, perhaps a very alien 'different' side to the Dark Soul - something akin to the Cthulhu Mythos where we are simply in the way, something to be played with and crushed, for the Apostles themselves we are more a threat so it's a good thing the full power of the Dark Soul can't be brought to bear<br />
[14:46] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> you might not know you are in league<br />
[14:47] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> you're a rebel (like in Ukraine) for example, fighting against corporate oppression<br />
[14:47] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> you're a criminal just trying to feed his family<br />
[14:47] <~Dan> But I seem to remember there being "good" wizards in earlier editions?<br />
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[14:47] <%GunnarRoxen> Chris nailed it there - it is more of a gradual slope and the rules themselves really tie in close thematically to that<br />
[14:47] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> you've been blackmailed by the woman you met<br />
[14:47] <%GunnarRoxen> Dan - you might be thinking of the Brotherhood?<br />
[14:47] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> your company is going bankrupt but an investor offers help ...<br />
[14:47] <~Dan> Probably so.<br />
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[14:48] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Brotherhood are the 'wizards' of the setting, with "the Arts" that let them fight back against the dark powers 'the dark gifts' of the legion<br />
[14:48] <%GunnarRoxen> though even in their case it would be a bit simplistic to label them "good"<br />
[14:48] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> It was never explained where this power came from - but will be in 3rd Ed<br />
[14:49] <~Dan> How "flashy" are the Arts?<br />
[14:49] <+Guest54> I hope it's not midiclorians...<br />
[14:49] <~Dan> (Oh, you can set your name with the /nick command, Guest54. :) )<br />
[14:49] <+GenoFoxx> laters<br />
[14:50] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> exactly - they are as much a huge, seemingly uncaring unwieldy force working to unite the corporations and fight the heretics, they'll make many mistakes in their quest<br />
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[14:50] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> haha no midiclorians<br />
[14:50] <+Guest54> Please!!!<br />
[14:50] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> dammit... gotta' go re-write something real quick...<br />
[14:50] * ~Dan snickers<br />
[14:50] <%GunnarRoxen> i think the Brotherhood are more akin to seeing themselves as surgeons and doctors for humanity....<br />
[14:50] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (note to self: edit out midiclorians)<br />
[14:51] <%GunnarRoxen> :D<br />
[14:51] <+Pixel_Kitty> So if you're knowingly working for the dark soul you're just out and out superevil?<br />
[14:51] <~Dan> But are they also fireballs-and-lightning-bolt types? Or are they more subtle?<br />
[14:51] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> And they're faced with a huge task, everything seems lost so they must be ruthless in their actions to save humanity<br />
[14:51] <+Ruskendrul> Thanks for the White Star info, really like Russia gets some love aswell. Also nice to hear about the Dark Soul. I have another core mechanic related question. How about actions. Is it a fixed numer per battle-round or is it based on some attribute?<br />
[14:52] <+Bastian> Are they more like the medieval Catholic church? The original version was heavily based on that, will that remain?<br />
[14:52] <+Cymruvoodoo> I, for one, think we haven't heard nearly enough about Whitestar - Are they based out of Earth? How did they get off? What do they contribute in terms of economic production?<br />
[14:52] <%GunnarRoxen> Pixel: you might not know you are working for the dark soul, you might work for it for the right reasons in the wrong way. There are many options byeond being just a cackling heretic<br />
[14:52] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[14:52] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Dark Legion have a lot of flashy stuff, and the way it actually works from a storyline perspective is very cool, the Brotherhood are not quite so flashy but that may change later in the storyline as certain events/things happen<br />
[14:53] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> i can shed a bit of light on the combat / actions question<br />
[14:53] <+Guest54> I missed Whitestar... But I always thought Russia was kind of mixed within Bauhaus.<br />
[14:53] <%GunnarRoxen> Bastian: in the Dark Legion setting that is what they are like, but in the earlier Dark Symmetry time you get to see how they start and how they evolve<br />
[14:53] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Whitestar are based in massive bunker and tunnel complexes in old Russia<br />
[14:53] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Only the rich russian families left with Bauhaus<br />
[14:54] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> they become vital to the great war later on, they are a focus of the mutations storyline, being exposed to the earths nuclear winter and the effects of the exploded terraforming ship that flooded the earth with terraforming agents<br />
[14:54] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
[14:54] <+Guest54> Thanks.<br />
[14:54] <%GunnarRoxen> (done)<br />
[14:54] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> so let's look at combat<br />
[14:55] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> combat is based on rounds, and during each round, each character (both player and GM-controlled) get to act<br />
[14:55] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> on a character's turn, he has a lot of options available.<br />
[14:55] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> there are several different types of "actions" a character can perform: Free, Chained, Standard, and Response<br />
[14:56] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> a character can perform any number of Free actions in a round, but cannot perform the same Free action more than once<br />
[14:56] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> each character gets one standard action, which is the basic combat building block -- attacks, for example, are standard actions<br />
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[14:57] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, MIcke!)<br />
[14:57] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> response actions occur when it is *not* your turn - such as attempting to dodge an incoming ranged attack<br />
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[14:57] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> MC3 introduces a new type of action, the Chained Action<br />
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[14:58] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> a Chained Action is performed as part of a combo with other actions.<br />
[14:58] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (ahem, can be performed as a combo - it's optional)<br />
[14:58] <+Cymruvoodoo> (stupid browser) Is there a limit on the number of response actions you may take per round? Per turn? Does it count against any of your other action options?<br />
[14:58] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> for example, AIM is a Chained Action instead of a Standard Action<br />
[14:59] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> when you perform the Aim action, you can chain a Ranged Attack to create a combo<br />
[15:00] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> that's the simplest example... Aiming is cool, but not cool enough to be your entire turn<br />
[15:00] <~Dan> Is this synonymous with a "multi-action"?<br />
[15:00] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> essentially chaining actions together allows you to perform a sequence of actions ... they allow you to accomplish more on your turn, but they have a cost involved<br />
[15:01] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> special talents and abilities allow for different types of chained combos. it's a way to really open up the playbook and allow for a variety of different options to players...<br />
[15:01] <+Pixel_Kitty> (my thing was if you could know you were doing and not be coerced into it and not be cackling heretic. Be complicit without the shield of ignorance and not be evil. argh. ignore it, i've lingered on this bit too long.)<br />
[15:01] <+Pixel_Kitty> that's kinda cool<br />
[15:01] <~Dan> So, "I kick open the door and hose down the room with auto-fire", for example?<br />
[15:01] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> correct.<br />
[15:02] <~Dan> Very cool. And very appropriate, given the cinematic flair you're going for.<br />
[15:02] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> now you could just kick down the door and not fire this turn, if you wanted to -- then your attack next turn would not have a "combo" cost<br />
[15:02] <~Dan> Right.<br />
[15:02] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> but if you want to do both, which is definitely more exciting, you create a combo and pay its associated cost<br />
[15:02] * ~Dan nods<br />
[15:02] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Pixel_Kitty - you might be convinced you'll have a great role in a 'new order'<br />
[15:03] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> also, PCs have access to several resources that allow them to Do Cool Stuff (tm)<br />
[15:03] <~Dan> Can you give us an overview of the antagonists, both in terms of the Dark Legion and of hostile flora and fauna (the latter of which I don't believe earlier editions covered)?<br />
[15:03] <~Dan> (When you're done, of course, Jay.)<br />
[15:03] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> so that's a good high-level look at combat (done)<br />
[15:03] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> lol<br />
[15:03] <~Dan> :)<br />
[15:04] <+Cymruvoodoo> I hope you're not, Jay - I would like to know what a "combo cost" is and whether it affects you on the combo round or, as I think you suggested, the round after?<br />
[15:04] <+Ruskendrul> Cool, looking forward to the combat now!<br />
[15:04] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Dark Legion are controlled by five Apostles, physical manifestations of the Dark Soul<br />
[15:05] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (i can come back to that later Cymruvoodoo)<br />
[15:05] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> they all have their own forces, they use the Dark Symmetry differently to affect our world, and they each have their own 'flavour' of heretic cults<br />
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[15:06] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the cults operate differently - this was never brought out before - so Algeroth's cult are about blowing things up, killing people, whilst another will be about infecting things, spreading disease, or more cover seduction, blackmail etc<br />
[15:07] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Each apostles creatures are being developed further to be much more unusual and different - not just a pile of screaming things with guns but they'll each have unique tactics and the apostles will use different strategies<br />
[15:08] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> this will flavour the campaigns and adventures and monster stats will come with brief descriptions of how to play them<br />
[15:08] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
[15:08] <%GunnarRoxen> in the earlier editions Algeroth (Dark Lord of Technology) got most of the focus, but this time around all of the original Dark Apostles are getting some attention. Mischa Thomas who has a beautifully dark mind is writing much of their setting material<br />
[15:08] <%GunnarRoxen> (done)<br />
[15:08] <~Dan> What about flora and fauna on the various planets?<br />
[15:08] <+Ruskendrul> Cool, and a good initiative - many times I see monsters and I ask myself as a GM "What does this creature do in the world?"<br />
[15:09] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> and we've created lots of new entities that emerge during the Dark Symmetry era like the Malignant, the Cable Marionette, the Castigator.....<br />
[15:09] <%GunnarRoxen> one of my writing tasks is to properly look at the effects of terrrorforming and what kind of environments that creates<br />
[15:10] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> so that period before the Dark Legion invasion is full of occult investigations as machine turns literally on man<br />
[15:10] <%GunnarRoxen> the Dark Symmetry takes existing flora and fauna and infects it... twisting it into new things that are dark reflections of their original selve<br />
[15:10] <~Dan> Is that the source of the giant creatures the hussars kill to make their bone weapons?<br />
[15:11] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> one of them Dan, there's a lot of truly fearsome things prowling the icy wastes<br />
[15:11] <+Lassekk> is the rpg system in some way compatible with the Warzone game?<br />
[15:11] <~Dan> What is the source of such creatures on Earth?<br />
[15:11] <+Pixel_Kitty> I know conversion was a goal<br />
[15:12] <+Pixel_Kitty> So your rpg characters could go into warzone and vice versa or something.<br />
[15:12] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yes there will be conversion rules to Warzone to take your characters on to the battlefield, well have rpg stats for everything in the warzone universe though<br />
[15:12] <+Lassekk> ok! cool :)<br />
[15:12] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> but if you use the hero creation system in warzone you'll be able to convert too<br />
[15:13] <%GunnarRoxen> i've done a lot of work in the past (for various reasons!) on geo-engineering and planetary terroforming so hopefully all the creatures and environments should be plausible given the addition of the dark symmetry and the techno-fantasy nature of the game<br />
[15:13] <+Guest54> In the original edition, I found it funny that Algeroth's followers got more "magic" options than Ilian's. Weapons, I can understand, magic?<br />
[15:13] <+Ruskendrul> Got a twoheaded question. What is Character creation like and how is progression after that?. (Is it experience points and then "buy yourself better" or is it "learn by doing"? if that makes sense to you) Most of my players are more into Roleplaying and prefer rich backstory and interesting creations/progression rather then following kits/archetypes (level :)<br />
[15:14] <+Bastian> Well that is because Algeroth was fully developped, Illian was a work in progress<br />
[15:14] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> plus the Earth is flooded with massive amounts of terraforming agents when the chinese terraforming ship exploded on the ground, and combined with the extreme nuclear radiation AND something else....brings about the fearsom mutations<br />
[15:14] <%GunnarRoxen> Guest54: yes, that was true - Algeroth is Dark Apostle of Technology and his new writeup will reflect that with more of the "magical" type abilities for Ilian, Semai etc<br />
[15:14] <~Dan> Ah, gotcha. That's what I was wondering, Chris.<br />
[15:15] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> I'll answer a bit on Chargen (Jay can fill in a little more detail maybe)<br />
[15:15] <~Dan> Speaking of giant monsters, how does the system handle superhuman ability scores, like the strength of a giant monster?<br />
[15:15] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> We're recreating the cool life path character generation system but much more embellished with deep storyline info<br />
[15:15] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> but you'll also be able to points buy what you want<br />
[15:15] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[15:15] <+Pixel_Kitty> Ruskendrul: the difference between something like only war where you buy things and traveller where to get more skills you have to devote(lengthy in traveler) time and training?<br />
[15:16] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> you'll be making a number of interesting decisions during character creation that are more than "what number do I put where?"<br />
[15:16] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> In Achtung! Cthulhu we had these cool tables to discover something strange about your background, not with a game effect but a great roleplaying hook, we'll expand on that as well as obvious career events that give you bonuses but the'yll be wrapped around actual interested events<br />
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[15:17] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (done)<br />
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[15:17] <+Cymruvoodoo> How much is this "lifepath" system going to look like the DH/RT/OW character generation system?<br />
[15:17] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> (always think of something else)<br />
[15:18] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> i can't go into too much more detail on character creation, i'm afraid. it is still under development, but a key design goal is Decisions With Consequences<br />
[15:18] <%GunnarRoxen> all of our writers are keen on further developing the lifepath system and have already come up with lots of new ideas to add to some of the classics<br />
[15:18] <+Bastian> And will character creation be diversified in the corp books? Like the core book has generic rules, and the corp books more specific?<br />
[15:18] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> so they'll be more on that later :-)<br />
[15:18] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> I designed the Origin System for Rogue Trader. It's a game system I'm really fond of.<br />
[15:19] <+Ruskendrul> Pixel_Kitty: Yeah - I always felt strange about a system that gives you blob-exp for an adventure and you get to use them to raise "Donkey-Handling" althou you never where close a donkey in the adventure. If I use a shovel, I want to be better at an shovel :)<br />
[15:19] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yes corps books will provide more specific chargen info and new rolles<br />
[15:19] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> so between my fondness of the Origin System and the MC lifepath options, character creation is really going to be creating character, not just making a set of stats<br />
[15:20] <%GunnarRoxen> each corp book is quite a bit longer than the originals which gives us space to really go to town :)<br />
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[15:20] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (done re: chargen)<br />
[15:20] <&Silverlion> Hit Locations in?<br />
[15:20] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> definitely! we've got the dice to prove it! (Kickstarter pledge reward)<br />
[15:20] <+Cymruvoodoo> What are the basic elements of a character profile?<br />
[15:21] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yes nice looking Q-Workshop Hit Location dice by Michal Cross!<br />
[15:21] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> i'll touch on character profile slightly<br />
[15:22] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> each character is defined by the familiar eight attributes (agility, awareness, coordination, intelligence, mental strength, personality, physique, strength)<br />
[15:23] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> there are a number of General skills a character can train, as well as some Advanced skills which offer specialization within a General skill<br />
[15:23] <+Ruskendrul> *hoping the skills are not to few*<br />
[15:23] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> characters track physical wounds by hit location, as well as mental wounds from fear, insanity, or Really Bad Things Happening<br />
[15:24] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> how many is too few? or too many? :) that's one thing the playtester's feedback is invaluable<br />
[15:24] <~Dan> Well, can you give us an idea of how general weapon skills are, for example?<br />
[15:25] <+Ruskendrul> less then 20 is to few, 20 to 40 I'd say :)<br />
[15:25] <%GunnarRoxen> as a writer not involved too much in the system side of things i am really impressed by how much testing the MC system is getting<br />
[15:25] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yes there's been about 400 groups<br />
[15:25] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> characters can also learn talents, which are special abilities that may offer ways to generate more successes or perform special actions<br />
[15:25] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> from my side the Skill list has been improved from the last 2.1 Alpha test - makes a lot more sense now<br />
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[15:26] <~Dan> (Howdy, Leviathan!)<br />
[15:26] <+Leviathan> Yo.<br />
[15:26] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> writer John Dunn has done an excellent job defining and refining the role of skills in the system<br />
[15:27] <~Dan> JayLittle_Ynnen: Would those special abilities be used to reflect, say, superhuman strength?<br />
[15:27] <+Bastian> i guess the new playtest will give us a chance to see.<br />
[15:27] <&Silverlion> Bakc to mechanics: You don't find someone jumping a ravine having only a 25% chance too low (score: 10, Two dice rolled, two dice needed for success..)<br />
[15:28] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> that's one possibility, dan -- though superhuman strength could manifest in a number of ways, from damage to resilience to successes generated with certain tests, etc<br />
[15:28] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> Silverlion - those are just actions performed in a vacuum. there is a lot more going on in the MC universe...<br />
[15:29] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> I can tease slightly two elements that influence player agency and character success -- Chronicle Points and The Dark Symmetry Pool<br />
[15:29] <&Silverlion> Ah. See that's helpful..:D<br />
[15:29] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> as mentioned earlier, the default skill test is 2d20, compare each die against a TN<br />
[15:30] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Silverlion also typically a normal difficulty would be 1, in Jay's example it's extra wide, or he's being chased hence needing two successes<br />
[15:30] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> but there are ways a player can earn additional dice for skill tests! so perhaps Mitch Hunter is trying to jump across a Challenging D3 chasm - he needs three successes!!!<br />
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[15:30] <~Dan> (Howdy, Max_Rolecon!)<br />
[15:31] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> thankfully, there are lots of options for Mitch Hunter... here are some buzzwords... Focus & Momentum as well as Chronicle Points & The Dark Symmetry Pool<br />
[15:31] * %GunnarRoxen whispers "I love the Dark Symmetry pool..."<br />
[15:32] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> a fairly typical task could actually generate 0 to 4 successes on just 2d20 thanks to some of those buzzwords<br />
[15:32] <+Cymruvoodoo> Are they really called "buzzwords?"<br />
[15:32] <~Dan> Let me guess... The Dark Symmetry Pool is drawing on the Dark Side of the Force, which is an easier path to power, but with a cost? :)<br />
[15:32] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> no<br />
[15:32] <+Max_Rolecon> Howdy.<br />
[15:32] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> that's just the hype machine... me :)<br />
[15:33] * %GunnarRoxen waves at Max_Rolecon<br />
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[15:33] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> many of these player resources are still being balanced, so i don't want to go into too much detail and risk misrepresenting something that may change during playtests<br />
[15:34] <+Max_Rolecon> Will you please publish the book in Russia? ;)<br />
[15:34] <~Dan> Sure, no problem.<br />
[15:34] <~Dan> Yes, Max is a genuine Russian. Max, when you read the log of this chat, I think you will be pleased with the new White Star corp. :)<br />
[15:34] <+Max_Rolecon> Huh?<br />
[15:35] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> the takeaway message from my blurb about actions is this: Players have a lot of options and choices to let their characters do Really Cool Stuff<br />
[15:35] <~Dan> Max_Rolecon: It's a new Russian-based megacorp in the setting. :)<br />
[15:35] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> My wife is Belarussian so I think there's a good chance we'll be embracing the Motherland with the glorious Mutant Chronicles world :-)<br />
[15:35] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (done... for now)<br />
[15:35] <+Max_Rolecon> Chris is also here!<br />
[15:35] <~Dan> How does dieselpunk space travel work, and how much of a role will space combat play?<br />
[15:36] <+Max_Rolecon> Come to our russian convention in Moscow!<br />
[15:36] <+Ruskendrul> I might have missed the answer in the wall of text, but is progression more "level" like or "you get better at what you do"? :)<br />
[15:36] <+Max_Rolecon> Or send your wife (:<br />
[15:36] <+Pixel_Kitty> White star's a megacorp? I thought it'd just be an earth based russian thing a little like the dark eden tribes? I missed the white star stuff on the way to work<br />
[15:36] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Atlichna :-)<br />
[15:36] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (only skill training has levels -- characters do not)<br />
[15:37] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Dan - we start with near future ships that rapidly get hacked apart - AI systems replaced with banks of comptography machines (old electronic calculators)<br />
[15:37] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> diesel engines, older safer methods of propulsion that take much longer<br />
[15:37] <+Max_Rolecon> L<br />
[15:37] <+Max_Rolecon> Lamp computers?<br />
[15:37] <+Ruskendrul> Thanks! :)<br />
[15:37] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> so there's a period of downgrading as systems become less trustworthy<br />
[15:38] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> anything with a logic gate can be corrupted<br />
[15:38] <%GunnarRoxen> also making use of vessels that are in cyclical orbits between planets<br />
[15:38] <~Dan> How can a diesel engine get a ship into space?<br />
[15:38] <+Pixel_Kitty> What is a logic gate?<br />
[15:38] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> until eventually you get 'new gear' being produced which has a more obvious 1950's styling to it, turbines, thrumming diesel engines, lots of redundancy<br />
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[15:39] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> i guess think of ships turning more into space going submarines<br />
[15:39] <+Max_Rolecon> And lots of chrome and hairgel<br />
[15:39] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> lots of people replacing automation<br />
[15:39] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> crowded, sweaty<br />
[15:39] <%GunnarRoxen> Pixel_Kitty: logic gate = microtransistors<br />
[15:40] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> yeah max loads of hair gel!<br />
[15:40] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> i'd say it's more battered chrome and bent metal<br />
[15:40] <%GunnarRoxen> all the hair gel<br />
[15:40] <%GunnarRoxen> with cheap welds<br />
[15:40] <~Dan> What (if anything) can these spacecraft be armed with, and how do they hold up against Dark Legion spacecraft?<br />
[15:40] <+Max_Rolecon> Heh<br />
[15:40] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> until things settle down they'll be a lot of ships looking like they've been hacked apart and rebuilt quickly - desperately to keep things working<br />
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[15:41] <+Pixel_Kitty> So anything like the dumb modern computer is a threat<br />
[15:41] <+Pixel_Kitty> ?<br />
[15:41] <+Max_Rolecon> Are there mechs or battlesuits of some kind available to players?<br />
[15:41] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> yes<br />
[15:41] <+Bastian> Actually, using a diesel engine in space isn't really far fetched. You'd just need a completely sealed engine department and power transfers. The engineers might live a very unhealthy life though.<br />
[15:41] <+Max_Rolecon> If yes, how rare are they?<br />
[15:41] <+Cymruvoodoo> I was assuming a lot of this was diesel-electric<br />
[15:42] <%GunnarRoxen> diesel-eectric and a mix of older fusion and fission drives<br />
[15:42] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the battlesuits will be in the second dark legion era when cybertronic make certain advances available, but other corporations also have some tricks up their sleeves<br />
[15:42] <%GunnarRoxen> the submarine analogy is apt<br />
[15:42] <+Max_Rolecon> Allright!<br />
[15:42] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> but imagine they'd be horrendously expensive<br />
[15:42] <+Pixel_Kitty> Like bauhaus' armoured hussars<br />
[15:43] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> the Brotherhood decree the destruction of 'thinking machines' finally after years of Dark Symmetry corruption<br />
[15:43] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> people think it's viral attacks to start with<br />
[15:44] <+Pixel_Kitty> So no personal computation devices or pda things or the like, then?<br />
[15:44] <+locutus> Bastian: diesel in space? i hope you bring a oxygen tank about as big as your fuel tank :)<br />
[15:44] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> it's also mysteriously not everwhere so many people cling to their old tech in the hope it won't go wrong, let alone as some have been heard to say, actually hurt you<br />
[15:44] <%GunnarRoxen> Pixel_Kitty: if you are with Cybertronic in the 2nd time period, then definitely yes<br />
[15:45] <%GunnarRoxen> well something approximating a PDA :)<br />
[15:45] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> No Pixel_Kitty but they do have AI's in the beginning, so many things we use PDA's for now might be superfluous<br />
[15:45] <+Max_Rolecon> Are russians bad ass is the White star to be feared?<br />
[15:45] <+Bastian> locutus, about a third really<br />
[15:45] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> later on again things change somewhat<br />
[15:45] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yeah Whitestar hate the people who abandoned the homeworld<br />
[15:46] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> they'll be a lot of tension and conflict early on<br />
[15:46] <+Max_Rolecon> Whats their shtic?<br />
[15:46] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> it might be a while (and the players will be heavily involved) before there's even talk of the mutual enemy<br />
[15:47] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> They want to reclaim the Motherland, keep their people safe, Earth belongs to them now<br />
[15:47] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Tsarina has a grander vision but that will be revealed in time<br />
[15:47] <~Dan> What was the answer about armed spacecraft? :)<br />
[15:48] <+Max_Rolecon> T<br />
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[15:48] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> lots of guns, really really big guns ;-)<br />
[15:48] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[15:48] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> seriously weapons that don't need computer systems<br />
[15:49] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> projectiles, mostly<br />
[15:49] <~Dan> What do Dark Legion ships use?<br />
[15:49] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> but we're yet to start on the ship side of things so i'll leave it at that<br />
[15:49] <+Pixel_Kitty> So cybertronic brings about the symmetry proof micro-transistor. How do you even run a bureaucracy with old school cogitation devices?<br />
[15:49] <+Max_Rolecon> Do you plan to release separate adventures/plot campaigns?<br />
[15:50] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> The Dark Legion can do some twisted stuff with ships - we have some images in for approval which will show more in time<br />
[15:50] <~Dan> Cool.<br />
[15:50] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Pixel_kitty watch Brazil ;-)<br />
[15:50] <+Guest54> Cybernet is still on??<br />
[15:50] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> we're bringing back the abacus!<br />
[15:50] <+Pixel_Kitty> i watched brazil when i was ten, it melted my brain<br />
[15:50] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> great film - Britain ran a global empire with barely telegraph tech<br />
[15:51] <+Ruskendrul> Ancient Rome had no problem without computers ;)<br />
[15:51] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> just takes lots of people and lots of organisation<br />
[15:51] <%GunnarRoxen> britain ran an empire with people called Computers<br />
[15:51] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> yep<br />
[15:51] <+Max_Rolecon> Brazil still scares me<br />
[15:51] <%GunnarRoxen> being a Computer scares me<br />
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[15:51] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> think of all those electronic calculators and ticker tape machines<br />
[15:51] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Cybertronic have a solid backstory now<br />
[15:51] <~Dan> In the time we have left -- and please note that you guys are more than welcome to continue answering questions after "regular time" is up -- is there anything you'd like to cover that we haven't discussed?<br />
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[15:51] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> and reason why they can do what they can do<br />
[15:52] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Jay?<br />
[15:52] <+Max_Rolecon> Manned ballistic missiles?<br />
[15:52] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Gunnar?<br />
[15:52] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Lol maybe<br />
[15:52] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Max - there's 3 massive campaigns planned - about 248 pages each<br />
[15:52] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> tough call... i think people will appreciate how the system is streamlined to let players jump right into the action, but offers a lot of depth and detail for the players who want that extra level of immersion<br />
[15:52] <+Pixel_Kitty> Is it less silly than the old implication of sticking meaty brain bits in their computers which feels too much like the servitor solution, Chris?<br />
[15:53] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Dave Allen (The Enemy Within) is writing the first one with Clive Oldfield<br />
[15:53] <~Dan> Wow!<br />
[15:53] <+Max_Rolecon> Oh wow!<br />
[15:53] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Plus who remember the Venusian Apocalypse Campaign???<br />
[15:53] <%GunnarRoxen> me! :D<br />
[15:53] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> i've worked with Dave and Clive for years... that campaign is going to kick ass<br />
[15:53] <+Bastian> lol that's a while back :P<br />
[15:53] <+Guest54> Me!<br />
[15:54] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> So we're bringing that back - re-written, reengineered....AND with Episode 4....<br />
[15:54] <+Bastian> Should still have it here somewhere<br />
[15:54] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Peter Bergting was originally drawing art for it at the end<br />
[15:54] <+Guest54> Groovy!<br />
[15:55] <+Guest54> Was there a lot of unpublished material from the original edition?<br />
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[15:55] <+Max_Rolecon> I really dig the heavy metall style.<br />
[15:55] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Not really<br />
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[15:55] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> there's lot of material in the old magazines we will be looking at to se what makes sense to bring back<br />
[15:56] <+Guest54> I remember reading that Target was about to publish a city supplement, about Bauhaus capital city.<br />
[15:56] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> There will be a 248 page campaign for the Dark Symmetry era, a 248 page campaign for the Dark Legion era and a 248 page campaign for the Dark Eden setting<br />
[15:56] <%GunnarRoxen> I would add that there are many great things in the pipeline for Mutant Chronicles, some of which will only be revealed in time and yes... there really is a plan and it is cool (an no i won't tell you). And because I am in charge of continuity I want to blend the best of the original game with the amazing new ideas for this edition<br />
[15:57] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Guest54 - funnily enough Peter Bergting has the art for the city ;-)<br />
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[15:57] <+Leviathan> Big news. Would you classify this as a Mutant Chronicles sequel or a Mutant Chronicles reboot?<br />
[15:57] <%GunnarRoxen> Mutant Chronicles was a real inspiration for me when it first came out and I get a real buzz from working on this new version.<br />
[15:57] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> yes<br />
[15:58] <%GunnarRoxen> yes<br />
[15:58] <+maxmahem> Who do you have lined up for art?<br />
[15:58] <%GunnarRoxen> :D<br />
[15:58] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> it's very much the re-boot and we're not 'changing' the story, we're simply filling in the gaps, fleshing it out, answering stuff that was left hanging<br />
[15:58] <+Guest54> I hope we see that art published... soon!<br />
[15:58] <+Leviathan> What is an example of a gap you're wanting to fill?<br />
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[15:58] <%GunnarRoxen> for this reboot one of my jobs is to thread the old into the new without having annoying retcons :)<br />
[15:58] <%GunnarRoxen> Whitestar or Luna PD<br />
[15:58] <+Max_Rolecon> So it's like Exalted 2nd ed.? ;)<br />
[15:58] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Jeff Porter is doing character concepts - if you saw Vance Ryder the Luna PD detective its his and he's drawing the Tsarina and other whitestar people now<br />
[15:59] <%GunnarRoxen> Whitestar didn't exist previously and Luna PD never got much attention<br />
[15:59] <+Max_Rolecon> Double his pay!<br />
[15:59] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Johan Fredriksson (Cold and Dark) is just starting on art<br />
[15:59] <+Max_Rolecon> Tsarina demands the glory!<br />
[15:59] <%GunnarRoxen> another example is all the other Apostles other than Algeroth as some (Demnogonis for instance) were barely explored<br />
[15:59] * +Pixel_Kitty waits till after the final notes to ask the brainbits question again.<br />
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[15:59] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> also, don't forget to check out the Kickstarter campaign: (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/mutant-chronicles-3rd-ed-rpg?ref=live)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/mutant-chronicles-3rd-ed-rpg?ref=live<br />
[15:59] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Christian Quinot<br />
[15:59] <%GunnarRoxen> yes, do check it out ^^^^<br />
[16:00] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> there is a TON of great info there, too, about upcoming content, design plans, and materials unlocked along the way<br />
[16:00] <+Max_Rolecon> I throw money at the screen but nothing happens!<br />
[16:00] <%GunnarRoxen> and Chris loves answering your questions on the kickstarter (does he sleep????)<br />
[16:00] <~Dan> I need to head out momentarily, so if you guys don't mind, I'll go ahead and log the Q&A here. Again, you're entirely welcome to hang out and/or answer questions as long as you'd like.<br />
[16:00] <~Dan> And thank you all again for taking the time to join us! :)<br />
[16:01] <+Guest54> I remember Matt Forbeck being in the original edition.<br />
[16:01] <%GunnarRoxen> i need to go crash out - was up writing Imperial stuff until 5:30am this morning - I just couldn't stop :D<br />
[16:01] <+Leviathan> Dan the Man comes through with another great QA.<br />
[16:01] * ~Dan blushes<br />
[16:01] <%GunnarRoxen> thanks Dan<br />
[16:01] <+Age_Past_Jeff> <clap clap clap><br />
[16:01] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> thanks guys been fun<br />
[16:01] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> I haven't slept much these past few weeks. Too many cool ideas!<br />
[16:01] <~Dan> You're welcome!<br />
[16:01] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> thanks for hosting, Dan - and thank you to all the fans for coming and supporting the Q&A!<br />
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[16:02] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> Yes please come and ask more in the Kickstarter comments if you like<br />
[16:02] <~Dan> And please feel free to stop by any time, by the way! Game authors are always welcome!<br />
[16:02] <+Guest54> Thanks to everyone!<br />
[16:02] <%GunnarRoxen> yes! hope to see you all on the kickstarter, at conventions or demo sessions!<br />
[16:02] <+TheNabster> What did I miss<br />
[16:02] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> UK Expo, Gen Con are big dates on the diary<br />
[16:02] <+Guest54> And I already pledged! Do you??? :)<br />
[16:02] <+TheNabster> Does it have classes?<br />
[16:02] <~Dan> (As is everyone else, for that matter. :) )<br />
[16:02] <+Pixel_Kitty> this was cool to see. who's sticking around a bit afterwards?<br />
[16:02] * +Pixel_Kitty pledged at the beginning~<br />
[16:02] <+Cymruvoodoo> I'll be here for a bit. Still... digesting information.<br />
[16:02] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> i can stick around for a wee bit more<br />
[16:02] <%GunnarRoxen> thanks Pixel_Kitty!<br />
[16:02] <~Dan> Oh, and maybe you guys should link to the Kickstarter before I log the chat? :)<br />
[16:03] <%GunnarRoxen> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/mutant-chronicles-3rd-ed-rpg)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/mutant-chronicles-3rd-ed-rpg<br />
[16:03] <%ChrisBirchModiphius> i'm working on some cool new Add Ons' but will keep the window open for a bit<br />
[16:03] <%JayLittle_Ynnen> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/mutant-chronicles-3rd-ed-rpg?ref=live)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/mutant-chronicles-3rd-ed-rpg?ref=live<br />
[16:03] <~Dan> Thanks!Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-3048185083768207332014-02-18T19:01:00.000-08:002014-02-18T19:01:15.384-08:00[Q&A] K. David Ladage (Arcanum)[19:02] <+KDLadage> Hi. My name is K. David Ladage. I am just this guy, ya know?<br />
[19:02] <+KDLadage> I am a role-playing from way back (started with Red Box D&D back in 1978-1979).<br />
[19:02] <+KDLadage> I have played a lot of RPGs over the years. My favorites were the ones that kep things relatively simple -- Classic Traveller being a good one.<br />
[19:03] <+KDLadage> Back in the mid 1980s, after the whole 'steam tunnels' thing in Michigan, I had my life turned upside down as my mother decided that all that RPG stuff was the devil's work.<br />
[19:03] <+KDLadage> That was when, while at my local book store, I noticed this cool game with a black cover and a giant red pentagram on the cover. My first thought was 'gotta get me a copy of that.'<br />
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[19:04] <~Dan> (Howdy, egyptian!)<br />
[19:04] <+KDLadage> The Arcanum (second edition) was a great little game. But after time, I migrated over into other 'more serious' games. GURPS became my game of choice for many, many years.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:05] <+KDLadage> A while back, with the passing og E. Gary Gygax, I pulled out some of my old D&D books and ran a short campaign in the 'Keep on the Borderlands' module. A lot of fun -- all in tribute to a giant.<br />
[19:05] <&Editor> I thank my mother a lot for not giving into that scare--despite her beliefs. :D<br />
[19:06] <+KDLadage> After that, I started thinking about what I wanted in a role playing game. I started returning to my roots. I spent some time playing Basic D&D (BECMI) and the like. Amazing, actually, how much was there -- how much freedom that has been stripped from a lot of the later games, including the latest incarnations of D&D.<br />
[19:06] <+KDLadage> Anyway, I was toying about with different games when came upon a copy of the Arcanum again. It was like a flood of memories coming back.<br />
[19:07] <&Editor> (Yay! BECMI!)<br />
[19:08] <+KDLadage> I did some research and contacted Steve Sechi. We spoke for a while... and worked out a deal for me to buy the Arcanum. I own the rights to all three major editions -- text and artwork. I do not, however,own the rights to the two follow-on books.<br />
[19:08] <+KDLadage> The three books that make up the old Atlantean Trilogy were Arcanum, Bestiary, and Lexicon. Bestiary and Lexicon had been sold some time before I got in touch with Steve.<br />
[19:09] <+KDLadage> I contacted the owner of that material (you guys have had him as a guest recently) and we spoke.<br />
[19:09] <+KDLadage> I have to say... I have spoken to this man exactly one time... possibly the nicest single human being I have come in contact with.<br />
[19:09] <+KDLadage> We decided that our boundary was simple -- it does not exist.<br />
[19:10] <+KDLadage> He is free to do with the setting what he wants. Anything that appears in those two books he can use, even if they are included in the Arcanum.<br />
[19:10] <+KDLadage> The opposite is also true. I am free to do what I want with Arcanum... and where that overlaps Atlantis... so be it.<br />
[19:11] <+KDLadage> I looked over the Arcanum and decided to take it beyond Atlantis. I wanted it to be much easier to use it as a 'settingless' system. Make it applicable across many forms of role playing.<br />
[19:11] <&Editor> Jerry Grayson is awesome.<br />
[19:11] <+KDLadage> So Atlantis is being stripped from the core rules (and yes, Jerry is amazing).<br />
[19:12] <+KDLadage> Atlantis will exist in the first Appendix as a 'this is how the first incarnations were handled' -- but references to it as a rule are removed from the main text.<br />
[19:12] <+KDLadage> After I had some outlines, thoughts, and internal guidance... I started a Kickstarter. That was... humbling.<br />
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[19:13] <+KDLadage> I wanted to get help with the costs of getting a ISBN and the like. What I got was a $6100 response to a $500 problem. :)<br />
[19:14] <+KDLadage> A lot of people, it would seem, recall with fondness this quirky little game. A game that could not (at times) decide if it was a full RPG system, or a set of optional rules for AD&D.<br />
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[19:15] <+KDLadage> The Arcanum has some (major) flaws. Some of which are artifacts of this split-personality; others are artifacts of an age pre-Desktop Publishing.<br />
[19:15] <+KDLadage> But it has heart, and an internal beauty that I smile at daily as I tear through the text getting it ready.<br />
[19:15] <+KDLadage> And that, is my story of how I cam to own a piece of RPG history.<br />
[19:15] <+KDLadage> (done)<br />
[19:15] <~Dan> Thanks, KDLadage!<br />
[19:15] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!<br />
[19:16] <+xyphoid_> man, I remember reading a review of these books in white dwarf in 198x<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> Before I forget, would you like to link to the Kickstarter?<br />
[19:16] <+KDLadage> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/159628170/the-arcanum-30th-anniversary-edition)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/159628170/the-arcanum-30th-anniversary-edition<br />
[19:16] <+KDLadage> Also...<br />
[19:16] <&Editor> Are you doing your own system?<br />
[19:17] <+KDLadage> http:\\(Link: http://www.zila-games.com)www.zila-games.com<br />
[19:17] <&Editor> I wish I'd known earlier I'd have Kickstarted it--well, if it happaned at the right time :D<br />
[19:17] <+KDLadage> For the 3th Anniversary... this is the system presented in the first three editions. It is cleaned up, polished, corrected in places, fleshed out where it needs to be... but at its heart, it remains the same system.<br />
[19:18] <+KDLadage> 30th... sorry -- fant fingering a lot right now.<br />
[19:18] <+KDLadage> :)<br />
[19:18] <+KDLadage> fat fingering.<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> Can you describe the system?<br />
[19:18] <+KDLadage> dang.<br />
[19:18] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> (Also, do you happen to have a character sheet we can see?)<br />
[19:18] <+KDLadage> Arcanum is, like a lot of games from the 80s, a direct descendant of D&D.<br />
[19:19] <+KDLadage> Although this simple line comes with far more baggage than it likely fair.<br />
[19:19] <+KDLadage> Arcanum has eight attributes, which are not randomly assigned. You have a pool of points to spend on attributes.<br />
[19:19] <+KDLadage> There are non-human races, each with strength and weaknesses... these set attribute maxima.<br />
[19:20] <+KDLadage> Each race comes with a set of special skills and abilities.<br />
[19:20] <+KDLadage> There are 32 professions (classes). This is where Arcanum diverged the most from its ancestry.<br />
[19:20] <&Editor> Martial Artist! Alchemist! :D<br />
[19:21] <+KDLadage> Way back before D&D3e, Arcanum had a unified experience point table -- a table for single classed professions (which concentrate on a single area), and one for dual-classed professions (which generalize into two fields of study).<br />
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[19:22] <+KDLadage> Yes -- Martial Arts, Alchemy... and a magic system that could make your head swim if you were too stuck on the paradigms of D&D.<br />
[19:22] <+KDLadage> With nine schools of magic, and a level of detail assigned to Alchemy that had never been seen... Arcanum has (IMVHO) never been equaled in this area.<br />
[19:23] <+KDLadage> Combat and saves used a simple Roll 1d20, 11+ is a success mechanic.... an early attempt at a 'universal task resolution system'.<br />
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[19:23] <+KDLadage> Most skills, however, use a d% -- with the number of levels you have acquired since gaining the skill being the defining factor.<br />
[19:24] <+KDLadage> One of the mosr interesting concepts is this:<br />
[19:24] <+KDLadage> (most)<br />
[19:24] <+KDLadage> Skills... if your profession does not offer it, you can buy it with your experience points.<br />
[19:24] <+KDLadage> Special Abilities... most of those can be purchased as well.<br />
[19:25] <+KDLadage> Spells... with a few exceptions, any spell not in your school can still be learned.<br />
[19:25] <+KDLadage> The biggest barriers to spells are the Divine-Black Magic wall. Divine magic is granted by Higher Powers; Black Magic is granted by Lower Powers. And neither the two shall meet.<br />
[19:26] <+KDLadage> Other than this, only a few spells in each of the schools is restricted. And most of those to preserve flavor. For example:<br />
[19:27] <+KDLadage> If you want the best healing spells, Divine Magic is where those are located. Most of the other schools have some healing capabilities... but the prime healing spells of Divine Magic are limited to the Practitioners of Divine Magic.<br />
[19:27] <+KDLadage> If you want the spells that keep kids awake at night, looking under their beds... go with Black Magic. That is one scary school of magic. They have 1st and 2nd level *permanent* curses.<br />
[19:27] <+KDLadage> (done)<br />
[19:28] <~Dan> What's the thinking behind the separate resolutions ystems for combat/saves and skills?<br />
[19:28] <+KDLadage> The idea of a universal task resolution system was not common at the time Arcanum came out. Traveller had one, for example, but that was about it.<br />
[19:28] <+KDLadage> Basic D&D had:<br />
[19:28] <+KDLadage> d20 roll high<br />
[19:28] <+KDLadage> d20 roll low<br />
[19:29] <+KDLadage> 2d6 roll high<br />
[19:29] <+KDLadage> 1d6 roll low<br />
[19:29] <+KDLadage> d% roll low<br />
[19:29] <&Editor> You didn't choose to improve upon it..?<br />
[19:29] <+KDLadage> Each used at different times.<br />
[19:29] <+KDLadage> Arcanum consolidated this into d20 roll high, and d% roll low. Done.<br />
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[19:30] <~Dan> Did you see my question about a character sheet?<br />
[19:30] <+KDLadage> As far as this edition, my goal has been to make the best Arcanum possible. To remove d%, or treat all rolls as d% would alienate some and make this a different game.<br />
[19:30] <+KDLadage> (Character Sheet -- yes, I will dig one out here in a bit)<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> (Ah! No problem.)<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> How do attributes and skills relate?<br />
[19:30] <+KDLadage> What I have done is strengthen the wall that defines what uses d20 and what uses d%.<br />
[19:31] <&Editor> Makes some sense.<br />
[19:31] <+KDLadage> In the older editions, there were a set of charts that showed the (often divergent) relationship between attribtutes and combat/save modifiers, and percent/skill modifiers.<br />
[19:32] <+KDLadage> Again, I keep this intact, but unify the tables into a single logical progression that should make running the game much easier.<br />
[19:33] <+KDLadage> If a roll is d20 based, then it is a combat (to-hit) roll, a saving throw, or a 'common ability' anyone can attempt.<br />
[19:33] <+KDLadage> If a roll is d% based, it is a skill which improves with training.<br />
[19:33] <+KDLadage> Attribute scores of 11-14 are all considered human average range and have no modifiers.<br />
[19:34] <+KDLadage> Below 11, you have penalties; above 14 you have bonuses.<br />
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[19:34] <+Randy> hello<br />
[19:34] <+KDLadage> The scale is fairly simple.<br />
[19:35] <+KDLadage> 15-16 = +1<br />
[19:35] <+KDLadage> 17 and higher is +1 per point above<br />
[19:35] <+KDLadage> thus 25 = +10<br />
[19:35] <+KDLadage> same going down.<br />
[19:36] <+KDLadage> Percent starts at a measly +/-1% and works its way up to +/-5% per point at the upper/lower end.<br />
[19:36] <+KDLadage> This is scale -- simple as it is -- I pained over for a while as I poured over the original tables.<br />
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[19:36] <+KDLadage> Remember -- my goal is to honor the original as much as I can.<br />
[19:36] <+KDLadage> (done)<br />
[19:37] <~Dan> What's the human attribute range?<br />
[19:37] <+KDLadage> 11-14 is normal. Because of the way the original game handled attributes (100 points to divide into 8 scores), a score of 12 was median. The scale was, originally, of kilter a bit.<br />
[19:38] <+KDLadage> I evened out the upper and lower ends a bit. But in the end, the scale is certainly in keeping with the original.<br />
[19:38] <+KDLadage> The biggest change in in the percent modifiers.<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Well, I meant in terms of the human minimum and maximum.<br />
[19:39] <+KDLadage> Where the original had modifiers that were all over the map, I wanted to consolidate these into a unified whole.<br />
[19:39] <+KDLadage> Ah...<br />
[19:39] <+KDLadage> The game has always capped attributes at a minimum of 6 for player characters. NPCs can go below this.<br />
[19:41] <+KDLadage> Humans are limited to 18 as their upper score. Each race has its own upper limits in each attribute. Elves, for example, have a maximum 19 for Dexterity and Perception. Nethermen have a maximum of 14 for Charisma.<br />
[19:41] <+KDLadage> The system tops out at 25.<br />
[19:41] <+KDLadage> Make sense?<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> It does.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Speaking of which, what are the races?<br />
[19:42] <+KDLadage> As I dove through the rules, I considered for a while changing things like the attribute scales and the like.<br />
[19:42] <+KDLadage> In the end, I think that is best left to a 4th edition, or something along those lines.<br />
[19:42] <+KDLadage> Races...<br />
[19:42] <+KDLadage> Good question. :)<br />
[19:43] <+KDLadage> Humans, of course.<br />
[19:43] <+KDLadage> Aesir (giant-men)<br />
[19:43] <+KDLadage> Andamen (animal-man hybrids)<br />
[19:43] <+KDLadage> Dwarves<br />
[19:43] <+KDLadage> Elves<br />
[19:44] <+KDLadage> Nethermen (brutish goblinoid barbarians)<br />
[19:44] <+KDLadage> Zephyr (hawk-men)<br />
[19:44] <+KDLadage> In the original, there was one other race. That race became the core of the Talislanta games and setting... as a result, this was the one (small) portion of the rules that did not become mine when I purchased the system.<br />
[19:45] <+KDLadage> Anyone recall the last one?<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> Which race was that? I remember reading about that...<br />
[19:45] <+KDLadage> Druas.<br />
[19:46] <+KDLadage> The Druas were a dark-elf (drow) like race. The original text even states they came from a mysterious land called Talislanta.<br />
[19:46] <+KDLadage> I think the links to Drow were dropped, given the years and years Talislanta had the tag-line: "Still No Elves!"<br />
[19:46] <+KDLadage> (done)<br />
[19:47] <~Dan> Heh. Yeah. Don't get me started on that... :)<br />
[19:47] <+Bigby> Do races other than human have any sort of balance where while Attribute X can be higher than human Attribute Y has a lower cap? Or are Elves simply better than humans and Nethermen worse, as far as Attributes go?<br />
[19:47] <&Editor> Yeah Druas..:D<br />
[19:48] <+KDLadage> Other races have some-higher, some-lower trait maxima. They are all limited severely in what professions they can take on where Humans can be anything.<br />
[19:48] * &Editor pokes Dan at the "Still no Elves" thing :D<br />
[19:48] * ~Dan snickers<br />
[19:48] <+KDLadage> Humans have... well, like a lot of games from that time, a tough time of it.<br />
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[19:49] <~Dan> I have a bit of a problem with systems that express racial variances in terms of maximum scores rather than attribute bumps.<br />
[19:49] <+KDLadage> But if you look carefully at the system... the idea of any class is nothing to sneeze at. Granted, once you have your character... the fact that he or she cannot be a class you are not in anyway, is of little consequence.<br />
[19:49] <~Dan> Insofar as there's no differenece in the racial averages.<br />
[19:50] <+KDLadage> I have some ideas on how to make humans a bit more versatile... but I need to test them first. Humans *will* have an advantage beyond this when the game is released.<br />
[19:50] <+KDLadage> With the point-buy system... no, Humans and non-humans are the same... which exacerbates the human condition.<br />
[19:50] <+KDLadage> Like I said... not sure how just yet... but I will address this.<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> Well, let me make sure we're speaking the same language, here...<br />
[19:51] <+KDLadage> For example, one thing I am testing right now is the idea that humans can gain skills/spells outside their professions cheaper than other races.<br />
[19:51] <+KDLadage> Sure.<br />
[19:51] <+KDLadage> If I understand you:<br />
[19:51] <+KDLadage> Given that the attributes are point buy, and...<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> If you just adjust the maxima, then a member of a given species only stands out if he buys up to the highest levels.<br />
[19:52] <+KDLadage> All players (regardless of race) have the same number of points, and...<br />
[19:52] <+KDLadage> Unless you hit maxima, there is no difference.<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> Whereas if you provided a bonus, every member of a species would be getting a representative bump. The average Elf would be more agile than the average Human.<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> Right.<br />
[19:53] <+KDLadage> Right. Elves are not *more agile* than humans, in general. In Arcanum, they simply have the potential to be more agile than a human can be.<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> Fair enough.<br />
[19:54] <+KDLadage> Now... elves get a +1 bonus to dexterity saves. This means when rolling dexterity-based, non-skill (d%) rolls, they are better in general. But their score will not reflect that outright.<br />
[19:54] <+KDLadage> Also...<br />
[19:55] <+KDLadage> There is a rule from the original that states that when you assign an attribute the maximum at character creation...<br />
[19:55] <+KDLadage> You need to roll a d%. There is a 90% chance you are not quite that high... and will be assigned the score one point less.<br />
[19:56] <+KDLadage> Taking the maximum is a risk.<br />
[19:56] <+KDLadage> (done)<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> Can you describe the magic system?<br />
[19:57] <+KDLadage> Yes I can.<br />
[19:57] <+KDLadage> Next question?<br />
[19:57] <+KDLadage> ;)<br />
[19:57] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:57] <+KDLadage> here goes.<br />
[19:57] <+KDLadage> The magic system is divided into nine schools. Each approaches magic in a unique way.<br />
[19:57] <+KDLadage> Mysticism focuses ki to bend reality.<br />
[19:58] <+KDLadage> Astrology looks to the stars and calls upon things like the Law of Equivalences.<br />
[19:59] <+KDLadage> Black Magic is, like I said, a bit scary. Some of the things they do in there -- like Graven Images -- feels like voodoo, rather than Divine Magic with the serial numbers scraped off.<br />
[19:59] <+KDLadage> Elemental Magic (the stuff you associate with druids) is fire, earth, water, air, animals, and plants, oh my!<br />
[20:00] <+KDLadage> Perhaps my favorite is Enchantment. The summoning spells of Divine, Elemental, and Black Magic simply do not work the same way that the Conjuration spells work. The illusions are treated as a true mind-rape at times. It is amazing how simple shifts give a lot of flavor in those schools.<br />
[20:02] <+KDLadage> Where most summoning spells need a circle of protection and a thaumaturgic triangle to work, conjuration creates things out of thin air. Where a summoned creature may leave or attack you... the conjured animal will disintegrate into nothingness when the spell's duration is over... unless you are a high level Enchanter...<br />
[20:02] <+KDLadage> High Level Enchanters will cast spells that make their conjurations permanent... or their illusions permanent.<br />
[20:02] <+KDLadage> And illusions... wow.<br />
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[20:03] <+KDLadage> Suppose you fail to disbelieve an illusory bridge -- you get a save when you would come into contact with the object (had it been real). You will begin to walk across this bridge, seeing yourself as you walk across it. Feeling the hard and knotted wood under your fingers...<br />
[20:04] <+KDLadage> All the while, you are falling to the river below.<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> Wow. That's creepy.<br />
[20:04] <+KDLadage> Meanwhile, your friends are watching and all they see is you, as you see yourself -- walking along the bridge. Until you hit the water and reality comes rushing in...<br />
[20:04] <+KDLadage> It is.<br />
[20:05] <+KDLadage> This is how Steve and his team viewed illusions back then. I am doing all I can to preserve that -- because it is creepy, and so very cool.<br />
[20:05] <+KDLadage> For layout -- I have all of the schools together except the last two levels of Mysticism, and Sorcery. Those will get completed tonight and tomorrow.<br />
[20:06] <+KDLadage> I have some work to go back into Chapter 2 and finish.<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> How does spellcasting work mechanically?<br />
[20:06] <+KDLadage> Then it is on to the last two segments of the main book, and sending my raw text from Book 2 to Beth and Wade for editing.<br />
[20:07] <+KDLadage> The original makes a huge point about this not being cast-and-forget.<br />
[20:07] <+KDLadage> A caster can cast 2 spells per day, plus 1 spell per day per level of ability.<br />
[20:07] <+KDLadage> So a 3rd level spell-caster can cast 5 spells per day.<br />
[20:07] <+KDLadage> The level of the spell is not an issue. Those 5 spells can all be 1st level spells, 2nd level spells, etc.<br />
[20:08] <+KDLadage> Casters all know the 1st level spells of their chosen profession.<br />
[20:08] <+KDLadage> they have to seek out and learn the higher level spells.<br />
[20:08] <+KDLadage> Level I spells can be cast by any caster.<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> Is there a roll involved in spellcasting?<br />
[20:08] <+KDLadage> Level II spells can be cast by a caster of 3rd level of ability or higher<br />
[20:09] <+KDLadage> Level III spells can be cast by a caster of 5th level of ability of higher<br />
[20:09] <+KDLadage> and so on.<br />
[20:09] <+KDLadage> Spells take (unless otherwise noted) one full combat round to cast (one minute).<br />
[20:09] <&Editor> You kept long combat rounds?<br />
[20:09] <+KDLadage> The exception is Level I spells which take less than a full combat round, and so can be cast in combat relatively easilly.<br />
[20:10] <+KDLadage> The time rules in Arcanum are an artifact of the time. But they work, for the most part.<br />
[20:11] <+KDLadage> Keep in mind, the rules state quite clearly that a combat round is treated as one minute -- but that is a convention, and has little to do with reality. It is a way of allowing the Game Master to establish time limits (e.g., you have ten minutes to stop the spell from going off!).<br />
[20:11] <+KDLadage> The fact that this means 10 combat rounds is of little consequence other than to establish a standard from which to work.<br />
[20:12] <+KDLadage> If/when I do a 4th edition, combat rounds will likely be 5 or 10 seconds. But for this anniversary edition, keeping the one-minute-round seemed best.<br />
[20:12] <+KDLadage> In the original text, spells were... well, a writing mess.<br />
[20:13] <+KDLadage> Some spells had no listed duration or range.<br />
[20:13] <+KDLadage> Each school seemed to be written by a different author.<br />
[20:13] <+KDLadage> I have done a lot of work to clarify and clean this up.<br />
[20:13] <+KDLadage> All spells have a duration listed.<br />
[20:13] <+KDLadage> They all have a range and an area of impact.<br />
[20:14] <+KDLadage> They are all standardized in format to make reading them a lot easier.<br />
[20:14] <+KDLadage> If I could claim one 'worst flaw' of the original text, it would be layout.<br />
[20:14] <+KDLadage> The wall of text many pages turned into was frightening.<br />
[20:14] <+KDLadage> I hope I have done a better job.<br />
[20:15] <+KDLadage> perhaps you guys can invite me back sometime and tell me how I did. :)<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> You're always welcome, Q&A or no. :)<br />
[20:15] <+KDLadage> (kids calling -- be back in 30 seconds)<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> (No problem!)<br />
[20:16] <+KDLadage> (back)<br />
[20:16] <+KDLadage> I have an 8 and 10 year old addicted to Minecraft. :)<br />
[20:16] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[20:17] <+KDLadage> Anyone that has attempted to do a relatively large, relatively technical book in layout has my respect.<br />
[20:17] <+KDLadage> Each time you encounter something new that starts to become a pattern, you have to figure out how to handle it...<br />
[20:18] <+KDLadage> Then you have to go back through each segment of the book you had already done -- where that something was rare and did not appear to need standardization, and fix it.<br />
[20:18] <+KDLadage> Same thing for wording and phrasing.<br />
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[20:19] <+KDLadage> You want to make sure there are little or no problems caused by your own wording... consistency is key.<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> So I know this is a systemless product, but any system creates the physics of the setting. That being the case, what kind of implied setting would you say Arcanum presents?<br />
[20:19] <+KDLadage> The setting implied is, as you might know, forefront on my mind.<br />
[20:21] <+KDLadage> The old Atlantis setting was a hodge-podge. Want to run a diplomatic campaign? Set it here. Want to run a 'into the wilds' campaign? Set it here. Want to run a {type} campaing? Put it on {continent}.<br />
[20:21] <+KDLadage> Steve did a great job.<br />
[20:21] <+KDLadage> Jerry took this and created something I think is special.<br />
[20:21] <+KDLadage> I recommend you all get a copy of this book. It is great stuff.<br />
[20:21] <+KDLadage> Now.. I have a new setting I am putting together.<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> For Arcanum?<br />
[20:22] <+KDLadage> Book 2, thanks to the backers, will include a new, original setting. This setting is called IRONSEED.<br />
[20:23] <+KDLadage> The initial cartography is coming soon. My artist will have it to me soon. It will get posted on the zila-games website.<br />
[20:23] <&Editor> What will Ironseed be like?<br />
[20:23] <+KDLadage> The setting is not so much a mish-mash with this sort of stuff here, and that sort of stuff there.<br />
[20:24] <+KDLadage> It is more of a homogeneous setting. I am taking every element of the rules and asking myself: if this is how the world works, how does the world respond?<br />
[20:24] <+KDLadage> Has anyone here ever read the WILD CARDS books by George R R Martin and co.?<br />
[20:24] <+DrNate> sure<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> I have.<br />
[20:24] <+KDLadage> They asked themselves: if the world gained super-powers in 1946, how would it change?<br />
[20:25] <+DrNate> I liked them as a teen, I think I outgrew some of the things that the writers thought were cool<br />
[20:25] <+KDLadage> that is the process I am going through.<br />
[20:25] <+KDLadage> Sure...<br />
[20:25] <+DrNate> Super Pimp, for example<br />
[20:25] <+KDLadage> Some of the things in the books were in-jokes that distracted (can you say New York Pitching coach?)<br />
[20:26] <+KDLadage> Right.<br />
[20:26] <+KDLadage> But the idea is a solid one.<br />
[20:26] <+KDLadage> Start with the assumption that everything in the book is real, and not particularly uncommon.<br />
[20:26] <+DrNate> Sure. The concept and most of the execution was good stuff<br />
[20:26] <+KDLadage> This makes things tough.<br />
[20:27] <+KDLadage> Even though I am not going to give away too much about IRONSEED here, just know it starts with that process.<br />
[20:27] <+KDLadage> Ironseed is the last of the 'Iron Cities' -- these were cities designed to withstand major-magical and powerful-flying-beasty attacks.<br />
[20:28] <+KDLadage> Magical influences exist everywhere -- some of it looks like technology. Some of it renders what we call high-tech obsolete.<br />
[20:29] <+KDLadage> Other elements... remain positively backward because the only way to deal with it is a spell that is level V or higher...<br />
[20:30] <+KDLadage> I assume withing the setting that most people are of 1st to 3rd level of ability, an they become more rare as you go up.<br />
[20:30] <+KDLadage> I want it to feel classic 'fantasy' with a bit of logic behind it.<br />
[20:31] <+KDLadage> (done)<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> How extensive is the bestiary, and what's the ratio of, say, familiar-to-freaky?<br />
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[20:32] <+KDLadage> I am about 30% through the writing for that part of Book 2. If the creature is brought up (even tangentially) in the main text, it was added in. So a lot of demons, devils, nature spirits, shadows... a lot of standard animals.<br />
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[20:33] <+KDLadage> I am drawing inspiration from some unusual sources -- such as Fastasy Wargaming -- another old book from the 80s.<br />
[20:33] <+KDLadage> Most of it is not what I would call 'freaky.'<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> Mostly fantasy standards, then?<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Orcs, giants, trolls, dragons?<br />
[20:34] <+KDLadage> I hope I do not miss any classic favorites, but yes... I want to make sure the standards are in there.<br />
[20:34] <+KDLadage> If there is enough interest... a second Bestiary with the freaky stuff could come later.<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Sort of a folio containing fiends...?<br />
[20:35] <+KDLadage> Yes... all of those and a host of undead (a lot of undead are in the core text, after all).<br />
[20:35] <+KDLadage> Dragons of various sorts.<br />
[20:35] <+KDLadage> But I do include some guidelines for customizing monsters.<br />
[20:35] <+KDLadage> I am still amazed when I think back to the Fiend Folio of AD&D.<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> Yeah. :)<br />
[20:36] <+KDLadage> The first time I read the Skeletal Warrior.... and the first time I used it and scared the bejesus out of my game group.<br />
[20:36] <+KDLadage> Nothing like telling a 15th level Cleric his turning of the skeleton failed.<br />
[20:36] <+KDLadage> hehe<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> That book really loved it some skeletons.<br />
[20:37] <+KDLadage> Oh yes.<br />
[20:37] <+KDLadage> And frogs.<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> Heh. :)<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> So how gritty/cinematic would you say Arcanum is?<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> About the same as D&D, maybe?<br />
[20:38] <+KDLadage> Like I said, though, back to the bestiary. I give you the core stuff (lions and tigers and bears, oh my) and the guidelines to make them anything you want.<br />
[20:38] <+KDLadage> Arcanum is more gritty overall.<br />
[20:39] <+KDLadage> Combat is positively deadly. You start with more hit points (Con score as opposed to a die type). You gain 1, 2, or 3 points per level after that until you get to level 12. Then it is 1 hit point per level for everyone.<br />
[20:40] <+KDLadage> A typical combatant's to-hit bonus is also his or her damage bonus. So the guy with the +7 to hit is dealing 1d8+7 damage with his sword before strength is taken into account.<br />
[20:41] <+KDLadage> When you reach 0 or fewer hit points, the Game Judge (Game Master) rolls to see if you are going to die or recover in 1d4 minutes. You don't know. It can be a stress-filled few minutes while you race to get the healer nearby...<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> And what determines the to-hit bonus?<br />
[20:41] <+KDLadage> All professions are given one of three ranks of combat training: untrained, skilled, or highly-trained.<br />
[20:42] <+KDLadage> Untrained get no combat bonuses at all. they can buy them as a skill (Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Specialization)... but as a default, they do not get to-hit bonuses.<br />
[20:42] <+KDLadage> This is the whole of the spell-casting classes.<br />
[20:43] <+KDLadage> Skilled professions get a +1 combat bonus every 3 levels of ability. So, levels 3-5 = +1; levels 6-8 = +2; and so on.<br />
[20:44] <+KDLadage> Highly-trained professions get a +1 combat bonus every 2 levels of ability. So, levels 2-3 = +1; levels 4-5 = +2; and so on.<br />
[20:44] <+KDLadage> Also, skilled and highly trained warriors start getting additional attacks per combat round.<br />
[20:45] <+KDLadage> A level 20 warrior, for example, has +10 to hit, +10 damage, and 3 attacks per round.<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> Hmm. Sounds like you've helped mitigate the D&D-ism of magicians totally outclassing warriors at higher levels.<br />
[20:45] <+KDLadage> Add in the 'tactics' available in the combat system, and you get a lot of options.<br />
[20:47] <+KDLadage> The system starts with that mitigated to a degree (i.e., no combat bonuses for the Wizard). The skills (warriors can take the same weapon multiple times to get higher bonuses) and the combat tactics...<br />
[20:47] <+KDLadage> in the end, a warrior has as many choices to make as the spell-caster.<br />
[20:47] <+Jetrauben> I return from workday!<br />
[20:47] <+KDLadage> (30 seconds please)<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> Cool.<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> (No problem, KDLadage!)<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> (Welcome home, Jetrauben! Q&A in progress! :) )<br />
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[20:50] <+KDLadage> (back -- boys off to bed)<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> (Welcome back!)<br />
[20:51] <+KDLadage> Its been a while. Place seems different. ;)<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> So when we get down to 10 minutes left in "regular time", I like to turn things over to the guest to mention anything that we haven't brought up so far.<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> (*chuckles re: different* :) )<br />
[20:51] <+KDLadage> Ah. That time already?<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> Yup! :)<br />
[20:51] <+KDLadage> OK...<br />
[20:51] <+KDLadage> Here is what I have told a few backers:<br />
[20:52] <+KDLadage> If you are looking for a modern RPG with none of the quirks that made the 1980s era of the hobby what it was... you need to look somewhere else.<br />
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[20:53] <+KDLadage> If you are looking for a word-for-word verbatum reprint of the old 1980s era Arcanum... you need to look somewhere else.<br />
[20:53] <+Jetrauben> (Oh, sorry)<br />
[20:53] <+KDLadage> This is Arcanum in name, Arcanum in spirit, and Arcanum in feel. It is cleaned-up, re-organized, corrected, and expanded. I have optional rules to address some issues in the base rules.<br />
[20:54] <+KDLadage> I have diagrams for those that want to use the spells on a map or with miniatures.<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> (No problem, Jetrauben!)<br />
[20:54] <+KDLadage> But at its heart... this is Arcanum.<br />
[20:55] <+KDLadage> If I were back in 1983, knowing what I know now about RPGs... if I were there and I could be with Bard Games and tell them about things like Mutants and Masterminds, 13th Age, GURPS 4th Edition, and so on...<br />
[20:55] <+KDLadage> I might have tried to convince them to do things differently.<br />
[20:56] <+KDLadage> I might have told them to consolodate further and make a single, universal task resolution system.<br />
[20:56] <+KDLadage> I might have told them to eliminate attributes that result in modifiers, and use the modifier as the attribute -- something you can do with a universal task resolution system.<br />
[20:56] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:57] <+KDLadage> But that game would have been far more technical and far less flavorful than the one that is presented from that era.<br />
[20:57] <+KDLadage> And I am glad.<br />
[20:57] <+KDLadage> We do not get here without going through that time.<br />
[20:57] <+KDLadage> I want to honor a great game. I want to make it the best version *of what it is* I can make.<br />
[20:58] <+KDLadage> I want to have Steve write me when it is all over and tell me thanks.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:58] <+KDLadage> If I can do that... then this has been a trip worth taking.<br />
[20:58] <+KDLadage> That's about it.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> Very cool.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> As mentioned, you're welcome to hang out with us as long as you like, but I'll go ahead and log the official chat there.<br />
[20:59] <+KDLadage> Anything else? Otherwise, I have two boys who want me to say prayers with them. :)<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> Thanks very much for coming by! I'll have the link for you in a few moments.<br />
[20:59] <+KDLadage> Sweet.Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-42457172995890908702014-02-13T19:01:00.001-08:002014-02-13T19:02:15.524-08:00[Q&A] Daniel Torres (Eoris Essence)[19:08] <+Daniel_Eoris> Hey Guys this is Nicolás and Daniel, creators of Eoris Essence<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:09] <+Daniel_Eoris> This is an incredibly short summary of the backstory for the rpg: Eons after the creation of the universe, and after the rise and development of innumerable species and cultures, the Great Spirit descends upon the very heart of creation, the cradle of life: Eoris. This planet bears the universe’s name and lays in the farthest reaches of the cosmos where reali<br />
[19:09] <+Daniel_Eoris> turns to dream. Eoris is the birthplace of the first mortal creatures, the mecca of civilisation, and the sanctuary of the ‘Sil’, angels of creation and direct descendents of God's mortal lineage.<br />
[19:09] <+Daniel_Eoris> A few years after her arrival, God unconsciously proclaims her wish to die, a call only her angels can sense.<br />
[19:09] <+Daniel_Eoris> This event marks the beginning of a new war, one that confronts the mighty empires of the mortals that strictly oppose the destruction of the Great Spirit against the ‘Last Spirits’, celestial creatures that descended from the heavens to fulfil the celestial mandate.<br />
[19:10] <+Daniel_Eoris> In this war, the nature of our devotion to God opposes our need to live. What is more important... God or her creation?<br />
[19:10] <+Daniel_Eoris> "Done"<br />
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[19:11] <~Dan> Wow. Deep stuff! :)<br />
[19:11] <+Bigby> So are you actually directly fighting for or against god in this setting, or is this just background?<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> Thanks, Daniel_Eoris! Any questions to start us off?<br />
[19:12] <+Daniel_Eoris> ITo answer Bigby, you may or may not, but the world around is making a choice.<br />
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[19:13] <+Daniel_Eoris> It's up to you to folow through, move aside, or go against the current of your species, clan, culture, family etc. and decide on your own.<br />
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[19:13] <+GenoFoxx> so is this fantasy, sci-fi, or science fantasy?<br />
[19:14] <+Daniel_Eoris> By the way, I think one of the best ways to see what the world is about is to see the website. (Link: http://www.essencerpg.com)www.essencerpg.com<br />
[19:14] <&Silverlion> What is the system like?<br />
[19:15] <+Daniel_Eoris> Spiritual Science fantasy<br />
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[19:16] <&Silverlion> What do you mean by "Spiritual?"<br />
[19:16] <+Daniel_Eoris> which is to say, once you read the books you understand that very world you in habit is composed of vibrating waves, and that these emerge from a single being: God.<br />
[19:16] <+Daniel_Eoris> All science on the world is based on the principle of being capable of changing the way vibrations (waves) flow. Thus altering the world.<br />
[19:17] <+Daniel_Eoris> So, every aspect of science is also an aspect of spiritual connection to the source of everything.<br />
[19:18] <+Bigby> So is there a magic system "or weird science equivalent" based on altering those vibrations?<br />
[19:18] <+Daniel_Eoris> When you decide to choose to either protect or kill God, you also choose what to make of the world. End its unlimited nature for the sake of your own existence or prevent god from dying and act agaisnt the very nature of the world.<br />
[19:19] <+Daniel_Eoris> Yes Bigby. It is easily understood as the means to alter the Wave of Existence<br />
[19:19] <+Daniel_Eoris> it is called Saeia or "thought of all nature"<br />
[19:19] <+Daniel_Eoris> And it is understood by the people as a science, not magic<br />
[19:19] <+Daniel_Eoris> more or less like what happens whe i use my laptop.<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> So how advanced is technology in the setting?<br />
[19:20] <+Daniel_Eoris> In essence... absolutely. At least at the beginning. Because of the capacity to bend the world as is, Saeia has given divine control of the world to the people of Eoris. the main Planet.<br />
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[19:21] <+GenoFoxx> so is it 'magic' that's based on scientific princilples or science so advanced it's basically 'magic'?<br />
[19:22] <+Daniel_Eoris> Well, its never magic, because there is a perfectly "reasonable explanation". The people understand it is a science, some even devote their lñives to the sutdy of this science. But of course, to those who do not understand it, it is magic.<br />
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[19:23] <+Daniel_Eoris> Nevertheless, it is so old and so immersed in the cultures, it is a technology that has slowly moved to the background of "human" activity.<br />
[19:24] <+Daniel_Eoris> While it has the capacity to do many things, the people of some cultures decide to carry out certain special tasks for themselves.<br />
[19:24] <+Daniel_Eoris> For example, taking care of animals, cultivating, building dressing etc.<br />
[19:25] <+Daniel_Eoris> so you see a lot of diverse uses of the tech.<br />
[19:26] <+Daniel_Eoris> But you also see a lot of craftsmanship on this world.<br />
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[19:27] <+Daniel_Eoris> In most cases you see artisenal works that use Saeia. a beautiful blend of the old and the new.<br />
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[19:28] <~Dan> So what sort of transporation is available?<br />
[19:29] <+Daniel_Eoris> From conventional animal use, to space faring fleets of multi terrain vehicles<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> Huh. That's pretty impressive.<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> Are the tech levels different for different species?<br />
[19:30] <+GenoFoxx> oooooooh<br />
[19:31] <+Daniel_Eoris> well yes, but they are all based on the same principle of wave bending. which is also a way to relate to the world on a personal level.<br />
[19:31] <+Daniel_Eoris> Every time you use this tech, you are communicating with the wave of Existence, the thing that makes all, and changing it. It is like<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> So the creation of technology is a spiritual act?<br />
[19:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> the connection a farmer has to the soil he uses to plant crops, but a bit more transcendental.<br />
[19:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> it is<br />
[19:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> a very spiritual act.<br />
[19:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> for everyone<br />
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[19:34] <~Dan> (Howdy, JoeGenero!)<br />
[19:34] <+Daniel_Eoris> Hello<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> (Joe is one of your fellow game authors. :) )<br />
[19:35] <+DrNate> How do we buy this game?<br />
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[19:36] <+Daniel_Eoris> it is on amazon! But y¡ou may want to visist the website (Link: http://www.essencerpg.co,)www.essencerpg.co, and click on the buy button which will take you to the amazon store.<br />
[19:37] <+Daniel_Eoris> It's nice to meet you joe!<br />
[19:37] <+Daniel_Eoris> sorry the site is (Link: http://www.essencerpg.com)www.essencerpg.com<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> What races are playable in the game?<br />
[19:39] <+DrNate> Well, it IS pretty<br />
[19:39] <+Daniel_Eoris> thank you! It is also quite heavy. 3 kilos<br />
[19:40] <+Daniel_Eoris> In fact it had a lot mofre info but we had to remove some to make the books a bit smaller.<br />
[19:40] <&Silverlion> What is the mechanical system like?<br />
[19:40] <+Daniel_Eoris> you roll dice pools with d20s<br />
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[19:41] <&Silverlion> Roll under? Roll high?<br />
[19:41] <&Silverlion> Beat a TN?<br />
[19:41] <+Daniel_Eoris> one of the d20s is the essence die which determines special things like critical hits or botches,<br />
[19:41] <+Daniel_Eoris> you beat a TN but your stats modify this TN<br />
[19:41] <&Silverlion> Cool<br />
[19:41] <+Daniel_Eoris> so if you are a huge beast your TNH for strength is lower (easier)<br />
[19:41] <+Daniel_Eoris> this allowed us to create the Primordial Clay or customs species creator.<br />
[19:42] <+Daniel_Eoris> You can create any species you like either for play or to create enemies<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> Would these be species native to Eoris, or aliens?<br />
[19:43] <+Daniel_Eoris> Combat may be fast and furious, so to speak, in the sense that Players and Narrator alike are constantly engaged on the events given the high mortality and injury rate of combat. Nevertheless, Character has many (no really, many) options to get out of tight spots, immediate defeat, or hard situations.<br />
[19:43] <+Daniel_Eoris> Nevertheless, Character has many (no really, many) options to get out of tight spots, immediate defeat, or hard situations.<br />
[19:44] <+Daniel_Eoris> The Parry action allows Characters that have already been hit to sacrifice their next Turn by attempting to block an attack that was already successful. This generates tense moments of swashbuckling slash exchanges that really generate intense and fun situations.<br />
[19:44] <+Daniel_Eoris> If you couple that with the Transcendences (special actions), character may skip the initiative order and act immediately, act two times in a Turn (thus parrying and counter-acting immediately, use powerful spells while attacking etc.<br />
[19:44] <+Daniel_Eoris> This later one may be used, for example, to power one’s own weapon with a surging veil of fire and then attack all in a single Turn.<br />
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[19:45] <+Daniel_Eoris> Well, any species you create in your own version of Eoris would be a part of your world.<br />
[19:45] <+Daniel_Eoris> This caters into another aspect of the Cosmological order of things<br />
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[19:45] <+Daniel_Eoris> Eoris means = the dream of the Universal Consciousness.<br />
[19:46] <+Daniel_Eoris> In this scenario, there is not only one absolute reality, but many. At least many that exist as part of the Wvae of Existence.<br />
[19:47] <+Daniel_Eoris> The other things is that this books are not about a planet. But an entire world. That is the entire cosmos and its many aspects. That is why the setting is so long. 224 pages.<br />
[19:47] <+Daniel_Eoris> The thing is that the main events, if one wishes to partake on them, happen of the main planet<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> So to rephrase, are there any species that exist by default?<br />
[19:48] <+Daniel_Eoris> Oh, yeah<br />
[19:48] <+Daniel_Eoris> we have 13 species yo may choose from<br />
[19:49] <~Dan> How exotic are they?<br />
[19:50] <+Daniel_Eoris> well, you have the traditional human like Eorisien<br />
[19:50] <+Daniel_Eoris> you also have the minute Silthen, small, furry, deep voiced, Saeia wielders.<br />
[19:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> the Baarin, giant, horne bearing humanoids<br />
[19:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> the Evlien, which are cuadruped, so they can't use weapons, but are a weapon themselves<br />
[19:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> the Enlil, enormous horned bear like creatures.<br />
[19:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> But the thing is that Eoris es actually three games in one.<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> How so?<br />
[19:52] <+Daniel_Eoris> You know how vampire, werewolf and hunter are three separate games in the same universe, right?<br />
[19:52] <+Daniel_Eoris> Well, in Eoris we would have, Xylen =beings like you and me.<br />
[19:53] <+Daniel_Eoris> Sil = Spirits with free will that bear some of the ten divien aspects of God.<br />
[19:53] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:53] <+Daniel_Eoris> And Kalei = Spirits that serve an ubber-consciousness that rules over all of them and that reflect God's unconscious will.<br />
[19:54] <+Daniel_Eoris> so you have the rules for the three<br />
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[19:54] <+Daniel_Eoris> which are quite different from each other<br />
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[19:55] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest10!)<br />
[19:55] <+Guest10> Oof, I must have missed the Eoris chat<br />
[19:55] <+Daniel_Eoris> we are on it!<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> Nope, in progress. :)<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> You can set your name with the /nick command, if you like. :)<br />
[19:56] <+Guest10> Oh, I don't see a chat history... ok, let me try setting a name<br />
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[19:57] <+Daniel_Eoris> Please visit the site to get a better idea of what Eoris is. (Link: http://www.essencerpg.com)www.essencerpg.com<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> Welcome to #rpgnet, soundchaser! :)<br />
[19:57] <+Daniel_Eoris> Hey soundchaser!<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> This sounds like a very high-concept game. Do you think that poses any difficulties for you?<br />
[20:01] <+Daniel_Eoris> well, we think its a game that requires patience. It can be daunting if do not take your tiem to read and understand the setting. Howeve, you can start playing quickly if you start with the basics and only moce on to the more complex stuff once you feel comfortable.<br />
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[20:01] <+Daniel_Eoris> That being said, this is a game designed for people who love creating their own adventures, cultures and world concepts.<br />
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[20:02] <+Daniel_Eoris> It allows a lot of free space to imagine, but it does give you a vast and deep setting where to pour deeper emotions once you get the hang of it. So it is not a game you get bored off quickly.<br />
[20:03] <+Daniel_Eoris> The illustrative nature and why we put so much effort to the visuals, also contemplated the fact that the world is indeed deep and the questions it poses are profound and important.<br />
[20:04] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> Do you include a bestiary, and if so, how extensive is it?<br />
[20:05] <+Daniel_Eoris> we include a similar thing. It is not a bestiary, but a series of antagonistic organisations, with the jey or fundamental aspects of its members. In this way the narrator not only has an idea of what type of antagonists exist, but also their ideologies and cultures<br />
[20:06] <+Daniel_Eoris> to us, what is important about an antagonist if not how it looks or acts, but what it thinks and feels.<br />
[20:06] <+Daniel_Eoris> having said that, we did add the primordial clay which is very easy to use and allows the creation of anything<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> Hmm... So do you offer any ideas of the kinds of creatures that exist?<br />
[20:09] <+Daniel_Eoris> yes, for the antagonist groups. But the idea is to have some of those thing sin expansions rather than in the books which are massive.<br />
[20:10] <+Daniel_Eoris> Also, all the main character species are antagonistic. Those are the main species. Protagonic and antagonic.<br />
[20:10] <+soundchaser> Can you speak of the mechanics?<br />
[20:11] <+Daniel_Eoris> sure. its a succes based system that uses d20s, The TN varies according to character traits.<br />
[20:11] <+Daniel_Eoris> So if you are a huge beast you have a lot of strength so, in order to calculate a dice pool for an action you do the following<br />
[20:12] <+Daniel_Eoris> take the atribute, add the relevant skill and see if the character has any attribute or skill TN modifiers.<br />
[20:12] <+Daniel_Eoris> roll the dice<br />
[20:12] <+Daniel_Eoris> amngst your dice pool one die is special. The Essence die. It is used to determine special things like botches and critical hits<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> (brb -- please continue)<br />
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[20:13] <+Daniel_Eoris> Characters have alternate options during comabt to skip turns, combine actions and perform special maneouvers that are improvised and created by the player<br />
[20:16] <+Daniel_Eoris> :)<br />
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[20:17] <~Dan> What (if any) games do you consider inspirations for Eoris Essence?<br />
[20:17] <+Daniel_Eoris> well. most are video games and there is one trpg<br />
[20:17] <+Daniel_Eoris> planescape<br />
[20:17] <+Daniel_Eoris> amazing game<br />
[20:18] <+Daniel_Eoris> video games would have to be xenogears and shadow of the colossus<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Interesting... I'm somewhat surprised at the latter.<br />
[20:20] <+Daniel_Eoris> how so?<br />
[20:21] <+Daniel_Eoris> have you ever visited south america? it's just like SOC, and I hope, Eoris<br />
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[20:22] <~Dan> Ah, more for the visuals? I was just going to say that a game about fighting giant monsters seems like an odd inspiration for a game without monsters by default. :)<br />
[20:22] <+Daniel_Eoris> such a beautfil game about what you are willing to do for what you love<br />
[20:22] <+Daniel_Eoris> one of the key theems in eoris<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> Okay, that does make sense.<br />
[20:23] <+Daniel_Eoris> Well, the term monster is not really relevant in eoris. But the Kalei are quite incredible and estructive. And sometimes huge!<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> When you say "not relevant", do you mean that non-sapient creatures aren't a major factor?<br />
[20:24] <+Daniel_Eoris> oh no! they are!!!<br />
[20:24] <+Daniel_Eoris> just, they are not considered monsters<br />
[20:25] <+Daniel_Eoris> monsters are inherently evil<br />
[20:25] <+Daniel_Eoris> there is no evil in this world.<br />
[20:25] <+Daniel_Eoris> :)<br />
[20:25] <+DrNate> Okay I'm back. is it still okay to ask questions?<br />
[20:25] <+Daniel_Eoris> please<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> Definitely, DrNate!<br />
[20:25] <+DrNate> If they have been answered, just LMK and I will check out the transcript<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> Daniel_Eoris: Well, when I say "monster", I just mean "a big, scary thing that might kill you". :)<br />
[20:26] <+Daniel_Eoris> oh right! oh no, then yeah hahaha<br />
[20:26] <+Daniel_Eoris> I was just being technical<br />
[20:26] <+DrNate> What is the core mechanic here?<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> (I'll PM you on that, DrNate.)<br />
[20:27] <+Daniel_Eoris> dice pools, d20s, tn varies according to traits = attribute + skill (check TN modifiers)<br />
[20:27] <+Daniel_Eoris> Characters have alternate options during comabt to skip turns, combine actions and perform special maneouvers that are improvised and created by the player<br />
[20:27] <+DrNate> Pool of d20's? That's interesting. I have seen dice pools, but usually not of 20s<br />
[20:27] <+Daniel_Eoris> :D<br />
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[20:28] <+DrNate> I see the core book on Amazon, now what kind of supplements are you thinking of?<br />
[20:28] <+Daniel_Eoris> it looks very nice and works amazing<br />
[20:28] <+Daniel_Eoris> its has a lot of options and if you consider the essence die, then its even better<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> (Oh, n/m -- Daniel_Eoris took care of it. :) )<br />
[20:28] <+soundchaser> How central is combat? Do players/GMs have the option to swing their way over to dramatic sorts of roleplaying?<br />
[20:29] <+Daniel_Eoris> you get the cool things of rolling the d20 on D&D, but the nice sense of having power by rolling a lot of dice you have in whitewolf<br />
[20:29] <+DrNate> Thinking of creating I mean<br />
[20:30] <+Daniel_Eoris> Soundchaser, combat can be central, but it all depends of the story and the characters. You may avoid comabt through "social events" which are equally important and "powerful".<br />
[20:30] <+DrNate> Pools of dice are great. It is what drew me to Yet Another Star Wars Game, WHen I already Have Three<br />
[20:31] <+DrNate> What aspect of the game or the core rulebook, are you most proud of?<br />
[20:31] <+Daniel_Eoris> DrNate, well, we have a lot of ideas and we have a lot of nice new illustrations. We are, at the moment working on some future projects, expansions and stuff. Saldy, I can't reallly tell you. I don't want to create expectations on projects that may change in time.<br />
[20:31] <+soundchaser> cool... my group loves the "story" approach, even diceless as a whole evening if things go that way and still immersive and intense<br />
[20:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> The setting and the compelling ideas behind it<br />
[20:32] <+soundchaser> How fragile are characters? It seems character generation is a little involved, so I wonder how survivability works<br />
[20:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> although the system took us years to deisgn and test.<br />
[20:32] <+Daniel_Eoris> Sounds like you and us have a lot in common soundchaser! :)<br />
[20:33] <+Daniel_Eoris> CHaracters can be very fragile, or very tough, depending on what you want. Character creation gives you a lot of options. When I say a lot, I mean a lot!<br />
[20:33] <+Daniel_Eoris> trully<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> Good point, soundchaser. The character sheet does look a bit intimidating. Speaking of which, can you link us to that?<br />
[20:33] <+DrNate> I'm opposite you guys. I want tough odds and the thrill of an occasional rattle.<br />
[20:34] <+Daniel_Eoris> In general terms however, a conventional being of the world, does not survive a straitgh sowrd slash to the body. So character may be very "realistic" but move unto the fantastical easily, even at character creation<br />
[20:34] <+DrNate> I like the look of the character sheet. It is informative but also stylish, artistic, I can't think of the word<br />
[20:34] <+Daniel_Eoris> it is important to notice that species vary in power<br />
[20:35] <+Daniel_Eoris> and that the narrator and the players must come to terms before even starting to create characters.<br />
[20:36] <+Daniel_Eoris> DrNate, The character sheets took us a looong time to design. We actually have more than one design. a simple one and a more complex which has everything you will ever want. Even tha page numbers where to find data you may nned<br />
[20:36] <+Daniel_Eoris> thank you<br />
[20:36] <+DrNate> Asthetic, that's the word I am thinking od<br />
[20:36] <+Daniel_Eoris> or awesome<br />
[20:36] <+Daniel_Eoris> :P<br />
[20:37] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[20:37] <+DrNate> Meanwhile, how much metaplot do you have in your mind? Do you know how the world (universe, etc) ends?<br />
[20:38] <+Daniel_Eoris> oh yes!! Well, not ends, but we do have the story moving into much more complex and interesting historical events.<br />
[20:38] <+Daniel_Eoris> These books are just the beginning<br />
[20:38] <+Daniel_Eoris> and by the way, they are limited editions<br />
[20:39] <+DrNate> I mean, you never have to share it (or overshare like Original WoD) for fear of cutting off the creativity of parties, I was just wondering<br />
[20:40] <+Daniel_Eoris> true, and many things will be left open. players are suppossed to make the game their own.<br />
[20:40] <+Daniel_Eoris> Each group of players have really different and unique experiences.<br />
[20:41] <+Daniel_Eoris> We have seen some wonderful interpretations of our world. Things we had not even thought of, but that worked great for the group that was playing.<br />
[20:42] <+DrNate> Does that feel nice, seeing other groups grow and expand your world completely out of your control?<br />
[20:42] <+Daniel_Eoris> it is absolutely amazing. It made the entire experience and effort worth it.<br />
[20:43] <+Daniel_Eoris> we believe roleplying should be a profoundly creative experience. besides, its only fair its what we did with everyone elses game anyway<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:43] <+Daniel_Eoris> :D<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> What is magic like in the setting? You mentioned spells, right?<br />
[20:44] <+Daniel_Eoris> well, there is no magic.<br />
[20:44] <+Daniel_Eoris> but there is the equivalent<br />
[20:44] <+Daniel_Eoris> the capacity to alter the Wave of existence.<br />
[20:45] <+Daniel_Eoris> SO you can do anything that the Wave of Existence allows.<br />
[20:45] <+DrNate> What other RPGs do you like?<br />
[20:45] <+Daniel_Eoris> manipulating the fabric of reality and bending the limits of it is part of the exploration of this science<br />
[20:46] <+Daniel_Eoris> we loved planscape,<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> What sorts of limits are there to such manipulation?<br />
[20:46] <+Daniel_Eoris> but we really always played our own games. We studied many and loved the ideas behind them, like: shadorun, vampier, exalted, D&D (obviously).<br />
[20:47] <+Daniel_Eoris> well dan, it depends on the character level. At first the limits are basicaly this. It has to happen in nature.<br />
[20:47] <+Daniel_Eoris> As you move up you start to break the limits of reality.<br />
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[20:48] <+DrNate> How many pages is this book?<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> (Howdy, Hastur!)<br />
[20:49] <+Daniel_Eoris> 428 + some useless things like credts and stuff<br />
[20:49] <+Hastur> (Hello again Dan. )<br />
[20:49] <&Silverlion> Has anyone had any problems with the spiritual element.<br />
[20:49] <+Daniel_Eoris> hey!<br />
[20:49] <+Daniel_Eoris> So far I am unaware.<br />
[20:49] <+Daniel_Eoris> but Surely,<br />
[20:50] <+Daniel_Eoris> An aunt would not rad the book because it speaks of the death of GOd.<br />
[20:50] <+DrNate> Was she a big roleplayer?<br />
[20:50] <+Daniel_Eoris> i meant read, not rad<br />
[20:50] <+Daniel_Eoris> hahaha<br />
[20:50] <+Daniel_Eoris> oh no.<br />
[20:50] <+DrNate> I am an uncle and I like to think I am a big role-player<br />
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[20:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> true, but here in colombia roleplaying is really obscure<br />
[20:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> i mean, it is not common<br />
[20:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> and kinda new<br />
[20:51] <+DrNate> really? Do you know what games are big in columbia?<br />
[20:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> well, the ones I listed<br />
[20:51] <+Daniel_Eoris> and the same one as in the states. But I really think everyone plays their own worlds and systems here.<br />
[20:52] <+Daniel_Eoris> most people will just make their world and system. when you meet a crew you meet a new game<br />
[20:52] <+DrNate> nice<br />
[20:52] <+Daniel_Eoris> :)<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> In the time we have left in the official Q&A, is there anything you'd like to bring up that we haven't covered, Daniel_Eoris?<br />
[20:53] <+DrNate> What do you think you'd be doing with life if you weren't making an RPG?<br />
[20:55] <+Daniel_Eoris> well, I just wish everyone could see what eoris is for themselves. It took us many years to put this thing together, and there is no way to give you even a small glimmer of what it is and what it means to us.<br />
[20:55] <+Daniel_Eoris> Everyone here reading, please visit the site, download the free adventure, give tia try and make a choice.<br />
[20:56] <+Daniel_Eoris> :D<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:56] <+Daniel_Eoris> for those who forgot, the site is (Link: http://www.essencerpg.com)www.essencerpg.com<br />
[20:56] <+Daniel_Eoris> thank you very much for this opportunity<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> Absolutely, Daniel!<br />
[20:58] <+Bigby> Not sure if you are aware, but Amazon shows only one copy available.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> And as I mentioned earlier, please feel free to visit with us longer, if you have the time and inclination. :)<br />
[20:58] <+Daniel_Eoris> I hope you have a wonderful Birthday!<br />
[20:58] <+Daniel_Eoris> I will.<br />
[20:58] <+Daniel_Eoris> thank you guys<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> It's been great, thanks. :)<br />
[20:58] <+Daniel_Eoris> :)<br />
[20:59] <+Daniel_Eoris> best wishes to allDan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-4129870673118588912014-02-10T19:02:00.003-08:002014-02-10T19:05:07.498-08:00[Q&A] Brent Newhall (The Whispering Road)[19:05] <+BrentNewhall> Hello, everyone! I'm Brent P. Newhall, the designer of The Whispering Road<br />
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[19:05] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, WrongNumber!)<br />
[19:05] <~Dan> (Howdy, Andrew!)<br />
[19:05] <+FASA-Andrew> (Hey Dan. Did the server burp or something?)<br />
[19:05] <+BrentNewhall> The Whispering Road is currently in its final days of a Kickstarter.<br />
[19:06] <+BrentNewhall> The game's designed to evoke the kinds of stories told by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.<br />
[19:06] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:06] <~Dan> (Andrew: Probably.)<br />
[19:06] <~Dan> Thanks, Brent!<br />
[19:06] <~Dan> Any questions to start us off?<br />
[19:07] <+FASA-Andrew> What's the mechanic like? Sorry if you already covered that, I missed the intro.<br />
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[19:07] <+BrentNewhall> The core mechanic involves the characters' "traits" and "needs."<br />
[19:08] <+BrentNewhall> Each character has 5-7 traits, which are simple descriptors like "Amazing Durability" and "Words of Wisdom"<br />
[19:08] <+BrentNewhall> Each player also gives his or her character a burning need: something the character wants, but is hampered by another character.<br />
[19:09] <+BrentNewhall> (E.g., "I want to keep my younger sister safe, but she's constantly wandering off and getting into trouble.")<br />
[19:09] <+BrentNewhall> Every conflict has to involve at least one of the PCs' needs.<br />
[19:09] <+BrentNewhall> Players then tap traits in exchange for dice.<br />
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[19:10] <+Hastur> ...and I'm back.<br />
[19:10] <+BrentNewhall> Traits can have a tag (relational, physical, or intellectual), and if that tag matches the scene, the player gets a d8; otherwise they get a d6.<br />
[19:10] <+Abstruse> (I'm here...was doing taxes)<br />
[19:10] <~Dan> (wb, Hastur!)<br />
[19:10] <+BrentNewhall> Everyone rolls dice; dice that roll 5 or higher satisfy the need that the players were trying to satisfy.<br />
[19:11] <+BrentNewhall> A conflict can involve multiple characters' needs, and they can (indeed, are mechanically encouraged to) bid traits to help other characters' needs.<br />
[19:11] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:11] <+BrentNewhall> Sorry for the long response, but that's a major chunk of the system. :-)<br />
[19:11] <&Silverlion> What if there are cross needs in play?<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> No problem, Brent. It's your "show". :)<br />
[19:12] <+GenoFoxx> so we can avoid 'grave of the fireflies' depressing?<br />
[19:12] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: That's actually common! Each PC decides how those traits are used.<br />
[19:12] <+BrentNewhall> You can use on trait to try to satisfy your own need and another to try to satisfy someone else.<br />
[19:12] <+BrentNewhall> And, of course, that may or may not work. :-)<br />
[19:12] <+FASA-Andrew> I could see needs being in conflict as a means of driving interpersonal roleplay<br />
[19:12] <&Silverlion> Well I was wondering about the needs being opposing..<br />
[19:12] <+BrentNewhall> GenoFoxx: Definitely! :-) Though I just played in a surprisingly dark game of Whispering Road yesterday.<br />
[19:13] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: Good question!<br />
[19:13] <+BrentNewhall> Needs rarely oppose in a way that prevents the story from moving forward.<br />
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[19:14] <+BrentNewhall> For example, the character above might have a little sister, whose need is "I want to prove that I can take care of myself, but my older sister won't let me play."<br />
[19:14] <+BrentNewhall> If both needs are met, the older might see that the younger actually *is* safe in this situation.<br />
[19:14] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:14] <+FASA-Andrew> If opposing needs stall the session, you've got players not cooperating with each other, at least in any game system I've played before<br />
[19:14] <+GenoFoxx> how flexible to different genre's is the system? ...can I do Miyazaki in SPAAAAAACe!!<br />
[19:15] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Exactly!<br />
[19:15] <+BrentNewhall> GenoFoxx: Great question! There's nothing in the system tying you to a particular genre.<br />
[19:15] <+BrentNewhall> The mechanics are more about how characters are growing personally and how they interact with each other, as well as the overall story structure.<br />
[19:16] <+BrentNewhall> I should explain that: the game provides a 5-act story structure, inspired by the Hero's Journey.<br />
[19:16] <&Silverlion> Sounds like it is very much designed for "trust" based games.<br />
[19:16] <+BrentNewhall> There's a prologue, followed by Entering a New World, Facing Antagonists, Discovering Allies, the Ordeal, and Resolving the Conflict. There's then a short epilogue.<br />
[19:16] <&Silverlion> That is where the players and gm must give trust to one another to play out something cool.<br />
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[19:17] <+BrentNewhall> It's written so that those phases can all be completely metaphorical. The "new world" may simply be a vacation home, or a new grade in school.<br />
[19:18] <+BrentNewhall> The traits--there are 30 of them--are simply terms with short descriptors, so it's easy to add setting-specific ones if you so choose.<br />
[19:18] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: Yeah, though I think that if the players and GMs don't give trust to each other, well, that's not a group I want to write games for. :-)<br />
[19:18] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:19] * &Silverlion tends to agree, but was verifying :D<br />
[19:19] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: Totally understood and appreciated. :-)<br />
[19:19] <+BrentNewhall> Lemme mention a few other pieces: each character also has an archetype (like a class), as well as "good karma" and "bad karma" which start at 0<br />
[19:19] <~Dan> So how does the game handle issues of scale?<br />
[19:19] <&Silverlion> Are there any features that make this fee; uniquely Miyazaki in style?<br />
[19:20] <&Silverlion> feel*<br />
[19:20] <+Bigby> Did the Q&A start at 7 (the header says 8) or is the guest just here early?<br />
[19:20] <+BrentNewhall> The archetype is more Hero's Journey: you're an ordinary person, special person, mentor, or rascal.<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> (And yes, I know that we've discussed some of this before. :) )<br />
[19:20] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Heh.<br />
[19:20] <+BrentNewhall> Well, scale isn't really an issue, as it's all about how the characters satisfy their needs.<br />
[19:20] <+FASA-Andrew> Have you got scenarios based on Miyazaki / Ghibli works? Or would the licensing fees preclude that?<br />
[19:21] <+FASA-Andrew> I would think scale would be a non-issue i you're going for a Miyazaki feel, as the focus always remains tightly on the main characters.<br />
[19:21] <+BrentNewhall> Think of it like the river god in Spirited Away: Chihiro can't "win" that in any reasonable way. But she satisfies her character's need, to learn how to be a better person.<br />
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[19:22] <~Dan> (Howdy, Rasyr!)<br />
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[19:23] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: I wrote all the traits with Miyazaki heroes and heroines in mind: Amazing Durability (Pazu), Animal Companion (Nausicaa), Calm in the Storm (Ashitaka), Fiercely Protective (Satsuki), Power of Flight (Kiki).<br />
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[19:23] <~Dan> So are NPCs totally stat-free?<br />
[19:24] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Great question: NPCs are stat-free, though you can build an ally which gets 2 traits that anyone in the group can tap.<br />
[19:24] <+BlasterKyubey210> Ah fun<br />
[19:24] <+BrentNewhall> As FASA-Andrew said, the focus is tightly on the PCs and what they're trying to do.<br />
[19:24] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:25] <+BrentNewhall> (Feel free to ask questions as I'm typing, BTW; I think I can mostly keep up.)<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> So nothing can make what they're attempting any more or less difficult beyond whether or not they're trying to fulfill a need?<br />
[19:25] <+DrNate> Is this the game from kickstarter?<br />
[19:25] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Exactly. There is one twist to that, though...<br />
[19:25] <+BrentNewhall> At the end of each Act, you can only untap two of your traits.<br />
[19:26] <+BrentNewhall> The game's built so that your traits will tend to dry up over the 5 acts, and at the end, you'll only have 1 or 2 untapped.<br />
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[19:26] <+BlasterKyubey210> Timing is everything thus<br />
[19:26] <+BrentNewhall> So there's always a question of how much you want to risk on any given conflict.<br />
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[19:26] <+BrentNewhall> BlasterKyubey210: Right, exactly!<br />
[19:26] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: Yep<br />
[19:26] <+BrentNewhall> Heh, I should probably link to the Kickstarter, shouldn't it? (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brentnewhall/the-whispering-road-a-miyazaki-inspired-tabletop-r)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brentnewhall/the-whispering-road-a-miyazaki-inspired-tabletop-r<br />
[19:27] <+DrNate> Can I have the link? I don't know how much money I can spare until someone hires me, but maybe<br />
[19:27] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: It's $5 for the PDF and $20 for the softcover, each 8x8" and about 25 pages.<br />
[19:27] <+BrentNewhall> USD<br />
[19:27] <+BrentNewhall> Plus extra PDF stuff that will drop along the way.<br />
[19:28] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:28] <+BrentNewhall> (If I've missed any questions, feel free to ask them again.)<br />
[19:28] <+DrNate> How does it feel to have beaten your goal by like 1000%?<br />
[19:28] <+BrentNewhall> Ha! Awesome and scary. :-)<br />
[19:29] <+BrentNewhall> I have 400 print orders to fulfill now. :-)<br />
[19:29] <+DrNate> So many people have so much faith in you just based on what you have presented so far<br />
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[19:29] <+DrNate> Why 8"x8"?<br />
[19:29] <+BrentNewhall> Actually, funny story there:<br />
[19:30] <+BrentNewhall> Rob Donoghue (of Evil Hat) emailed me a few days after the Kickstarter launched and gave me a bunch of great advice.<br />
[19:30] <+BrentNewhall> He advised that I *not* go crazy on stretch goals and keep the Kickstarter really simple.<br />
[19:30] <+BrentNewhall> I've really wanted to pile on cool printed stuff, like cards and glossy posters and such, but I've kept it simple.<br />
[19:30] <+BrentNewhall> And that's one of the bigger selling points now. People appreciate that I'm not risking the whole game.<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> Does the game include any sample settings?<br />
[19:32] <+DrNate> for the best. stretch goals like that cold slow things down<br />
[19:32] <+BrentNewhall> 8"x8" for a couple of reasons: it's less expensive to ship, it's an unusual form factor, it's the same size as two RPGs I love and were inspirations (Do: Pilgrim of the Flying Temple and Mouse Guard), and it's actually easier to slip into a backpack or otherwise take with you without getting all creased.<br />
[19:32] <+Lassek> shoveled over $5 .__.<br />
[19:32] <+DrNate> I noticed his backers just went up one<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> (That's what you get for being up late, Lassek. :) )<br />
[19:32] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: No sample settings in the rule book, though one of the stretch goals is for an extra PDF where I describe half a dozen sample settings.<br />
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[19:32] <+BrentNewhall> I'm a little gun shy about putting sample settings in the book itself.<br />
[19:33] <+BrentNewhall> People have a tendency to see whatever's written in the book as "official" settings, and will tend to only play games in those settings.<br />
[19:33] <+BrentNewhall> I want folks to really collaborate on world building--indeed, the first few pages of rules are all about collaborative world-building.<br />
[19:34] <+DrNate> I'm doing the $20 as so;on as I figure out how<br />
[19:34] <+BrentNewhall> As in, part of the game is to define the world.<br />
[19:34] <+BrentNewhall> Lassek: Thanks! :-D<br />
[19:34] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: Much appreciated.<br />
[19:34] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:34] <+DrNate> what, no more stretch goals?<br />
[19:34] <+DrNate> where's the 15k stretch goal?<br />
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[19:35] <+BrentNewhall> Oh, the $15K stretch goal is for a video game, to be released on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. In July.<br />
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[19:35] <~Dan> BrentNewhall: I feel the need to ask a Devil's advocate-type question that I fear may sound snarky. I apologize in advance and assure you that such is not my intent.<br />
[19:35] <+BrentNewhall> ;-D<br />
[19:35] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Go for it.<br />
[19:35] <+DrNate> You should have included a $1M stretch goal. I suspect you might have made it<br />
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[19:35] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: Ha!<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> Okay, so... given the simplicity of the system and the lack of a setting, what would you say your customers are buying?<br />
[19:36] <+BrentNewhall> Fabulous question.<br />
[19:36] <+DrNate> AfterDan I have a blast of 3-5 tough questions too, since he opened the doors for it<br />
[19:36] <+BrentNewhall> The Kickstarter is actually paying for art, professional layout and editing, and printing and shipping.<br />
[19:37] <+BrentNewhall> In fact, the original $1,000 goal *only* paid for art, printing, and shipping.<br />
[19:38] <+BrentNewhall> With more money, I'm able to add more polish to the product, and indeed, I may now be able to go with an even higher-quality publisher/printer.<br />
[19:38] <+BrentNewhall> I'm a firm believer that Kickstarter shouldn't be used as a pre-order system.<br />
[19:38] <+BrentNewhall> So this is going to make a really nice product, which I just couldn't afford myself.<br />
[19:39] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Want to jump in with your questions before I follow up, DrNate?<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> Okay then! :)<br />
[19:41] <+BrentNewhall> heh<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> What takes up the majority of the pagecount?<br />
[19:41] <+BrentNewhall> It'll be about 50% rules, 30% art, and 20% sample characters and play sample.<br />
[19:42] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Hmm... So what are some of the permutations of the rules beyond what you've described?<br />
[19:42] <+DrNate> How many pages?<br />
[19:43] <+DrNate> How will it play with a GM and a single player?<br />
[19:43] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: About 25 pages.<br />
[19:43] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Can you expound on that question a bit?<br />
[19:43] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: That's a great question that gets into another aspect of the game: there's no GM.<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> Ah... Okay, that makes more sense. I missed how small the game is.<br />
[19:44] <+BrentNewhall> There are two player roles, Navigator and Driver, that do much of what's needed for GMing.<br />
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[19:44] <~Dan> I was assuming there had to be much more to the rules.<br />
[19:44] <+BrentNewhall> I ran a 2-player game of Whispering Road a couple of months ago that might have been my favorite play of the system.<br />
[19:45] <+BrentNewhall> It lets 2 players collaborate and bounce off each other, and both of them can play heroes, while they're also keeping the story moving forward.<br />
[19:45] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Yeah, this is more of a story game.<br />
[19:45] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[19:46] <+BrentNewhall> Indeed, the 5-act structure normally takes 1-2 sessions, though the game's designs so that you can ignore that and play for as long as you want.<br />
[19:46] <+BrentNewhall> 'designed<br />
[19:46] <+DrNate> I agree with you wholeheartedly that kickstarter shouldn't be used as a pre-order system, because would be publishers can't be trusted! You know who you are, people I'm givingthe evil eye to!<br />
[19:47] <~Dan> Can you give a quick example of how play works without a GM?<br />
[19:47] <+DrNate> What happens after the 5 act structure? Make new characters and setting? or Make a sequel with the same characters?<br />
[19:47] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Okay, let's pretend you and I are playing.<br />
[19:48] <+BrentNewhall> We'll say you're the Driver, which means you're responsible for ensuring that we're always challenged in some way.<br />
[19:49] <+BrentNewhall> I'm the Navigator, which means I'm keeping the current Act in mind and figuring out the nature of conflicts.<br />
[19:49] <+BrentNewhall> (Each act has its own set of questions that should be addressed at some point in that Act. Those questions are what the Navigator is keeping in mind.)<br />
[19:50] <+DrNate> The questions are pre-determined by the rules or someone come up with them as they go?<br />
[19:50] <+BrentNewhall> We're students at a magical academy, and after exploring, we've fallen through a portal into a jungle world.<br />
[19:50] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: The questions are written in the rules, though they're flexible. They're there as guides to the Act's place in the story.<br />
[19:51] <+BrentNewhall> So we're in Act 1, The New World. The questions for this Act are: "How is the new world different from the normal world? How does the new world operate? What are its rules?"<br />
[19:51] <+BrentNewhall> So I'd probably ask, "OK, so we're in this jungle world. What makes it different?"<br />
[19:51] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Go ahead and come up with something. :-)<br />
[19:52] <+BrentNewhall> "I mean, it's a jungle world, but we've seen jungles."<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> Um... All of the plants are intelligent.<br />
[19:52] <+BrentNewhall> Nice!<br />
[19:52] <+DrNate> Also blue<br />
[19:53] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: Ooooh, I like that.<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> Why are they sad?<br />
[19:53] <+BrentNewhall> So, do you think they're friendly or antagonistic?<br />
[19:53] <+BrentNewhall> Ooooh! Maybe I'll ask them.<br />
[19:53] <+FASA-Andrew> What trait will you tap to talk to the plants?<br />
[19:53] <+BrentNewhall> I walk up to one of them and say, "Hello, trees! You look sad."<br />
[19:53] <+DrNate> probably some are jerks.<br />
[19:54] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: That's a great point; let's define these characters' needs.<br />
[19:54] <+BrentNewhall> Let's say I'm a shy kid who wants to make friends, but my best friend is always the first to talk.<br />
[19:55] <+BrentNewhall> And Dan wants to show that he's the smartest kid in school (which he is), but being around me makes him look weird.<br />
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[19:55] <~Dan> (Howdy, newsalor!)<br />
[19:55] <+BrentNewhall> Now, Dan could just start talking as the trees. He's the Driver, so he's the one making sure that we're never far away from conflict.<br />
[19:56] <+BrentNewhall> So it's up to him to decide what the trees do. Similarly, for me as the Navigator, if Dan's trying something I'm figuring out how to make that answer the Act's questions.<br />
[19:56] <+BrentNewhall> Does that make sense?<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> I think so, yup.<br />
[19:57] <+BrentNewhall> So we might not have a conflict just yet, or we could decide that our needs are really in jeopardy.<br />
[19:57] <+BrentNewhall> This might be raising another question: why would you ever need to roll?<br />
[19:58] <+BrentNewhall> Lemme explain that. :-)<br />
[19:58] <+BrentNewhall> When you tap traits to satisfy your own needs, the result of your roll is added to your "bad karma" total.<br />
[19:58] <+BrentNewhall> When you tap traits to help satisfy someone else's need, the result of your roll is added to your "good karma" total.<br />
[19:59] <+BrentNewhall> At the end of the game, if your bad karma outweighs your good karma, you cannot leave the new world and return home.<br />
[19:59] <+BrentNewhall> There's a range of results depending on the difference in karma.<br />
[19:59] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[20:00] <+BrentNewhall> DrNate: To answer your question: Well, the 5-act structure mimics a movie. At the end of that, your characters return home (or are stuck in the new world).<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> How long does a typical session last?<br />
[20:00] <+BrentNewhall> So it's designed more for that sequel approach for long-form play. A lot like, say, the Magic Tree House series.<br />
[20:01] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: With a completely new set of players, it can run as long as 6 hours (so, 2 sessions). I'm used to the rules, and I frequently run a shortened 3-act game in 2 hours.<br />
[20:02] <+BrentNewhall> Each act ends after each character's need has been involved in at least one conflict in that act. But you don't have to move on to the next act at that point.<br />
[20:02] <+FASA-Andrew> Heh. Our Earthdawn campaign runs in 8 hour sessions every other week, so we could rip through a game of Whispering Road in one session.<br />
[20:03] <+FASA-Andrew> Who tracks whether the needs have been involved i the act, the Navigator or the Driver?<br />
[20:03] <+BrentNewhall> So if you're deep into some plot, you can keep going in the same act for as long as you want.<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> Do you think the game is suitable for long-term play?<br />
[20:03] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Ha! Yeah, one of the goals was to keep this quick enough that the average group can at least get in most of a game in one session.<br />
[20:03] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: That's a Navigator job, yeah.<br />
[20:04] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: I think it'd work nicely for long-form play, but that's not a primary design goal.<br />
[20:05] <+BrentNewhall> I think it'd be great to mimic those great kids' book series, where the characters are basically the same, but might have different needs or slightly different traits each time.<br />
[20:06] <+FASA-Andrew> I could see doing Narnia, or the Three Investigators, or the Hardy Boys...<br />
[20:06] <+BrentNewhall> The game definitely works if the heroes are all friends, and the New World is just camp, or a trip to the mountains, or whatever.<br />
[20:06] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Totally!<br />
[20:06] <+BrentNewhall> The New World can be a friend coming to the players with a mystery.<br />
[20:07] <+xyphoid_> Famous Five time<br />
[20:07] <+FASA-Andrew> It would be good to see a couple of Miyazaki-inspired settings in a supplement. Whisper of the Heart, for example - you could show how the story breaks down into the five acts, and the traits and needs of the main characters.<br />
[20:07] <+BrentNewhall> Ah, yeah, so that was an earlier question I missed. My apologies.<br />
[20:07] <+BrentNewhall> I'm leery of talking about Ghibli films directly, because of licensing issues.<br />
[20:08] <+BrentNewhall> That said, it's a great idea, and I might put something like that on the web page as a form of criticism/analysis rather than a game supplement.<br />
[20:09] <+BrentNewhall> Interestingly, I found this flexibility with one of my earlier games, DROP, which also uses a 5-act story structure, in that case to tell a story of survival horror.<br />
[20:09] <+BrentNewhall> science fiction survival horror, specifically.<br />
[20:09] <+BrentNewhall> When I playtested it, I found groups immediately stretching it to do, for example, one game in the Firefly universe.<br />
[20:09] <+FASA-Andrew> Are you planning on putting out a pregenerated story, with the acts laid out and pregen characters, as a demo maybe?<br />
[20:10] <+Canageek> "Hey dude! I just sloshed six tons of yak diarrhea and radioactive byproducts all over your front yard!"<br />
[20:10] <+Canageek> "WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME YOU *** ****** ****#ing ****?!?!"<br />
[20:10] <+Canageek> "Hrmph. I have to say, I am greatly bothered by your most unscholarly criticism of my work."<br />
[20:10] <+Canageek> From (Link: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?716392-FATAL-RPG-Interview-(audio)-with-Primary-Contributor/)http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?716392-FATAL-RPG-Interview-(audio)-with-Primary-Contributor/<br />
[20:10] <+BrentNewhall> Canageek: Um, sorry, I don't follow.<br />
[20:10] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Good question! The rule set will come with 4 sample characters and a play sample that'll include the players going through the prologue and the first act.<br />
[20:10] <+Canageek> BrentNewhall: one of the people who wrote FATAL was annoyed the critisisms of it were not "scholarly"<br />
[20:11] <+MonkofLords> ....Is the Q&A over?<br />
[20:11] <+Canageek> Oh shoot, I didn't releaize there was an interivew<br />
[20:11] <+Canageek> Very sorry<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> (No, it is not. :) )<br />
[20:11] <+BrentNewhall> heh, NP. Just confused there for a second. :-)<br />
[20:11] <+Canageek> (Flees to #RPGNET2, so sorry)<br />
[20:12] <+BrentNewhall> I've also copied the rules for each act onto its own page.<br />
[20:12] <+BrentNewhall> So the Navigator can open the book to the page for Act 1, and have all the questions, rules, and such for Act 1 right there.<br />
[20:12] <+FASA-Andrew> That's a good idea. Players can then copy the pages so that the Navigator and Driver can both have the rules for the act in front of them.<br />
[20:12] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Exactly!<br />
[20:13] <+BrentNewhall> I hate flipping between rule book pages during play. :-)<br />
[20:13] <+BrentNewhall> And especially for a game of this size, one can easily condense things down.<br />
[20:15] <+BrentNewhall> (done)<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> What are your thoughts on the interchangeability (if that's a word) of traditional RPGs and storygames?<br />
[20:16] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Hmmmm. Can you unpack that?<br />
[20:16] * ~Dan thinks of how best to phrase the question...<br />
[20:16] <+BrentNewhall> I don't think traditional RPGs and storygames can be swapped 1-for-1, if that's what you mean. :-)<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> Well... Some people seem to be of the opinion that they are synonymous, period, end of story. Others draw a bright line between the two. (more)<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> Me, I see it as a question of the degree to which someone would be disappointed if you told them that you were going to run an RPG and presented a storygame, for example.<br />
[20:18] <+BrentNewhall> BTW, can also talk about some of the other games I've released: DROP, Dungeon Raiders (OD&D in 4 pages), Dungeon Delvers (OSR game on one page), Steel & Flame (Barbarians of Lemuria crossed with Fudge), and some of my other, weirder games in development.<br />
[20:18] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: Hmmmmmm.<br />
[20:18] <+BrentNewhall> Excellent question.<br />
[20:18] <+BrentNewhall> On the one hand, I think you can tell a great story within just about any system.<br />
[20:19] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:19] <+BrentNewhall> On the other hand, I think each system supports and encourages certain behaviors with its choice of mechanics, stats, and rules.<br />
[20:20] <+BrentNewhall> And that can go to extremes. I wouldn't want to run a dungeon delve with Everyone Is John, Dread, or Houses of the Blooded.<br />
[20:21] <+BrentNewhall> I do think the term "storygame" provides a useful distinction from traditional RPGs.<br />
[20:21] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> I greatly admire that point of view, to be honest.<br />
[20:21] <+BrentNewhall> Traditional RPGs try to cover a lot of ground with their mechanics, while storygames tend to focus on very specific genres and effects.<br />
[20:21] <+FASA-Andrew> I've seen an upsurge in storygame type systems in the last few years, which as a storyteller makes me very happy<br />
[20:22] <+BrentNewhall> Thanks. I think they're basically two ends of the same spectrum.<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> Yeah, I see them as different but related activities.<br />
[20:22] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Yeah, there are a lot of them now. And I'm seeing more of them at cons, too.<br />
[20:23] <+BrentNewhall> That's one of the coolest developments, to me. I don't ever expect story games to overtake cons, but it's great to see a significant percentage of a con's game roster filled with story games, and that have players.<br />
[20:23] <+FASA-Andrew> I like that Whispering Road is focused on the character's needs as the driving force, rather than accumulating XPs<br />
[20:23] <+BrentNewhall> errr, I don't ever expect story games to overwhelm cons.<br />
[20:24] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Thanks! Yeah, and that came out of my thinking about Ghibli films.<br />
[20:24] <+xyphoid_> they've totally overwhelmed the cons around here just because they generally have way less mechanical prereqs<br />
[20:24] <+BrentNewhall> Kiki doesn't become a more powerful witch.<br />
[20:25] <+FASA-Andrew> DO you talk about the types of stories? Kiki, for example, is a Loss and Recovery story, where the main character loses her self confidence and then regains it<br />
[20:25] <+BrentNewhall> And increased power is only interesting if it's matched with more interesting threats (see the original Star Wars trilogy).<br />
[20:25] <&Silverlion> Sounds like an awesome game :D<br />
[20:26] <+FASA-Andrew> I think "themes" is the word I was looking for there<br />
[20:26] <+BrentNewhall> (Luke becomes more powerful, and suddenly he's not facing storm troopers, he's facing Darth Vader. Then he's facing his *father*.)<br />
[20:26] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Good idea! I don't, actually, and that's also partly because I don't want to give the players too many ideas, in a way.<br />
[20:27] <+BrentNewhall> I've found really awesome stories evolve when players have just enough structure to spark their imaginations.<br />
[20:28] <+BrentNewhall> I fear if I give them 5 story themes, they'll sit down and subconsciously decide "Okay, we're going to re-tell this movie"<br />
[20:28] <+BrentNewhall> That may be unfounded, though. :-)<br />
[20:28] <+FASA-Andrew> Yeah, a certain amount of example play and suggested themes might be useful guidance<br />
[20:29] <+BrentNewhall> DROP was a single double-sided page, so I had no space to push people in any direction. :-)<br />
[20:29] <+FASA-Andrew> Also pointing out that fantasy elements aren't required - Kiki has the whole Witch thing going, and Totoro has the spirit world, but Whisper of the Heart has no fantasy element at all<br />
[20:29] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: Thanks!<br />
[20:29] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Right, totally.<br />
[20:30] <+FASA-Andrew> Sorry, that wasn't actually a question, was it...<br />
[20:30] <+BrentNewhall> Porco Rosso has no fantasy besides Porco's face.<br />
[20:30] <+BrentNewhall> Heck, look at Poppy Hill.<br />
[20:30] <+BrentNewhall> Though that's more shoujo high school romance, of course. :-)<br />
[20:31] <+FASA-Andrew> What would you say Porco's driving need was?<br />
[20:31] <+BrentNewhall> (Which is another game I'm developing, actually: a game to mimic high school angst and romance.)<br />
[20:31] <+FASA-Andrew> (oooer, Koko Wa Greenwood storygame)<br />
[20:32] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: To live on his own terms, I think.<br />
[20:32] <+BrentNewhall> One thing I try to remind players is that their need may not be achievable. :-D<br />
[20:33] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: I need to read/watch Greenwood.<br />
[20:33] <+BrentNewhall> Any other questions?<br />
[20:34] <+BrentNewhall> Lemme ask you all a question, then. :-)<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Would you like to say a bit about your other projects?<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Oh, go ahead! :)<br />
[20:34] <+BrentNewhall> What's your favorite mechanic that drives a specific role-playing behavior?<br />
[20:35] <+FASA-Andrew> Oh. Wow. Greenwood is one of my all time favorites. "I need to get through my first year at school, despite my older brother being the school doctor and having married the woman I was in love with"<br />
[20:35] <+BrentNewhall> That is, something that encourages you or another player to play out your characters' personality.<br />
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[20:35] <~Dan> Drama Points in Buffy and related games, and similar mechanics in other games.<br />
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[20:36] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Oooooh, interesting.<br />
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[20:36] <+BrentNewhall> While y'all are formulating that, I'll answer Dan's question. :-)<br />
[20:37] <+BrentNewhall> I have several other RPGs in development (plus board and card games).<br />
[20:38] <+BrentNewhall> Blood Rites is a dark fantasy game of savagery and blood magic. The players are all naked "savages" living in small villages in the jungle, and are found to be able to cast blood magic, which freaks out the villagers. You're all ejected and have to survive in a wilderness full of dinosaurs and man-eating plants, while learning a magic system that *requires*<br />
[20:38] <+BrentNewhall> blood (your own or an innocent's).<br />
[20:39] <+BrentNewhall> That one's Fudge-based.<br />
[20:39] <+BrentNewhall> Dance of the Leash is a game of nobles in a decadent court. Each noble has a leashed god that they can call upon at will, and their stats reflect their position at court.<br />
[20:40] <+BrentNewhall> A Fantastic Journey to Mars is very much a story game, not unlike Whispering Road, but in the Jules Verne mold of Victorian adventurers.<br />
[20:41] <+BrentNewhall> High School Hearts is the previously mentioned game of high school drama. You bid playing cards to represent conflict, and both suits and point values indicate how relationships change.<br />
[20:41] <+BrentNewhall> (The first playtest of that was SO MUCH FUN.)<br />
[20:41] <+BrentNewhall> (And brought up REALLY bittersweet memories in all of us.) ;-)<br />
[20:42] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:42] <+BrentNewhall> And Serial Experiment Jump is my most experimental game: a diceless game of time travel, where you trade in tokens to gain control over a scene.<br />
[20:43] <+BrentNewhall> Blood Rites is my "strong reaction against this one thing in D&D" heartbreaker, and Serial Experiment Jump is my Amber heartbreaker. :-)<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:44] <+BrentNewhall> Have I sufficiently driven everyone away?<br />
[20:44] <+Yog_Sothoth> Yes<br />
[20:45] <+FASA-Andrew> heh<br />
[20:45] <+BrentNewhall> Apparently. :-)<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> You mentioned DROP. What is that?<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> (Don't just be a name DROPper.<br />
[20:45] <+BrentNewhall> Dan: So DROP is a very simple story game of survival horror.<br />
[20:45] <+Yog_Sothoth> What do you all think of the academic study of the pen and paper rpg world?<br />
[20:45] <+BrentNewhall> The players are all crewmembers on a starship that arrives at a planet in trouble, and must drop to the surface, explore some large structure, then run like hell.<br />
[20:46] <+BrentNewhall> It's divided into five phases, and in each phase you choose an Unknown from a list. These are mysterious story elements you will all introduce during this phase.<br />
[20:47] <+BrentNewhall> So you start with the Preparation phase, where the players are all deciding on characters and such. Unknown might be the planet you arrive at, the exact nature of the ship you're on, something about the crew, or something about the emergency call.<br />
[20:48] <+BrentNewhall> As each player goes around and introduces his/her character, someone has to introduce this Unknown ("I'm getting a weird distress signal...but it's only repeating two words: GO AWAY")<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Huh. Cool.<br />
[20:49] <+BrentNewhall> Each player gets one scene in each phase, at the end of which the player rolls a die. If it rolls <= the current phase's number, the next player adds "but..." and a complication to that player's scene.<br />
[20:50] <+BrentNewhall> So in the first phase, you get full control if you roll 2-6. At subsequent phases, there are increasing odds that the next player gets to complicate your scene.<br />
[20:50] <+BrentNewhall> And each phase has its own Unknowns. By the end it's pretty obvious what the Big Scary Problem is, and everyone can play it out to the conclusion.<br />
[20:50] <+BrentNewhall> A full game takes about 2 hours.<br />
[20:51] <+BrentNewhall> Well, 2-3<br />
[20:51] <+BrentNewhall> It's a fun time-filler if you don't get a full roster of players one night.<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> Sounds that way.<br />
[20:52] <+BrentNewhall> Oh, and it's pay-what-you want on DriveThru. (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/116107/Drop)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/116107/Drop<br />
[20:52] <+BrentNewhall> Before we wrap up, I'll plug my other major tabletop product: the OSR Handbook.<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Please do!<br />
[20:53] <+BrentNewhall> It's a guide to about 2 dozen D&D retroclones, OSR systems, and other such old-school games.<br />
[20:54] <+BrentNewhall> It describes each system in brief, and tells you how many classes races are included, number of pages in the main rules, number of monsters statted out, what the PCs stats are, and the basic mechanics.<br />
[20:54] <+BrentNewhall> Also price, and advice for DMs and advice for players.<br />
[20:55] <&Silverlion> Is it free?<br />
[20:55] <+BrentNewhall> I've also been lucky enough to score interviews with several of the games' designers: Kirin Robinson of Old School Hack, James Raggi of Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Jason Morningstar of Dungeon Squad, and others.<br />
[20:56] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: Nope, that one's $5. :-)<br />
[20:56] <+BrentNewhall> Oh, and I also stat out the same 5 characters in each system.<br />
[20:56] <+BrentNewhall> That's part of why I charge for it; I put a lot of time into that book. :-)<br />
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[20:57] <+BrentNewhall> I have a new edition coming out in the next few months with a few more systems (1 Pot, Blueholme, and a few others). Whenever you buy, you get all future editions for free.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Very nice!<br />
[20:57] <+BrentNewhall> Thanks! Any other questions?<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> None here!<br />
[20:58] <+BrentNewhall> Well thanks very much for the chance to do this! It's been a pleasure.<br />
[20:58] <+FASA-Andrew> Brent- - thanks so very much for your time and for putting up with my commentary and lack of actual questions :) I look forward to seeing Whispering Road and wish you terrific success with it.<br />
[20:58] <+BrentNewhall> I'll still be awake for a while and will continue to hang out for a bit.<br />
[20:58] <+BrentNewhall> FASA-Andrew: Thanks very much for your questions and ideas!<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> Thank you, Brent! I'll have the log posted shortly and will give you the link!<br />
[20:59] <+BrentNewhall> Awesome, thanks!Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-7642547679585723142014-02-07T20:07:00.001-08:002014-02-07T20:07:34.817-08:00[Q&A] Timothy Brannan (Strange Brew, Ghosts of Albion, Gaslight)[20:01] <+TimBrannan> Hello everyone my name is Tim Brannan and I am the author of Ghosts of Albion, The Witch and Eldritch Witchery.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>[20:01] <+TimBrannan> I worked on Buffy, a short lived Anita Blake RPG<br />
[20:01] <+newsalor> o/<br />
[20:01] <+TimBrannan> and I have a new Kickstarter out now for Pathfinder<br />
[20:01] <+TimBrannan> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962794554/strange-brew-the-ultimate-witch-and-warlock?ref=card)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962794554/strange-brew-the-ultimate-witch-and-warlock?ref=card<br />
[20:02] <+KurtWiegel> Anita Blake rpg?<br />
[20:02] <+TimBrannan> Strange Brew is a collection of pretty much everything I have been doing for the last 13 years into a giant tome.<br />
[20:02] <+TimBrannan> (over)<br />
[20:02] <+TimBrannan> yeah...<br />
[20:02] <+technoshaman> hello<br />
[20:02] <~Dan> (I think he was being silly. :) )<br />
[20:02] <&Silverlion> ..I wouldn't touch that with a wereleopard....:D<br />
[20:02] <+TimBrannan> I only recently have been allowed to talk about it<br />
[20:02] <+TimBrannan> lol<br />
[20:03] <+Bigby> Yo<br />
[20:03] <+TimBrannan> it was fun to do<br />
[20:03] <+KurtWiegel> who was doing it?<br />
[20:03] <+TimBrannan> honesty I don't recall<br />
[20:03] <+TimBrannan> I know they don't exist anymore<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> Oh, you were serious, re: Anita Blake?<br />
[20:04] <+TimBrannan> yeah<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> Huh.<br />
[20:04] <+TimBrannan> i just started re-reading some of the books<br />
[20:04] <+KurtWiegel> Angel+Under Your Skin....<br />
[20:04] <+TimBrannan> i am going to reuse the material I did in other places.<br />
[20:04] <+TimBrannan> one of which is the work I am doing on Gaslight<br />
[20:05] <+Bigby> What exactly is Gaslight?<br />
[20:05] <+TimBrannan> I saw that Jonathan Thompson was here talking about it a bit ago<br />
[20:05] <+TQuid> You're also Silver Branch Games, right? Or am I thinking of another Tim?<br />
[20:05] <+TimBrannan> it is an OGL and Savage Wolrds Victorian game<br />
[20:05] <+TimBrannan> yeah that isn't me.<br />
[20:06] <+TQuid> D'oh! Sorry<br />
[20:06] <+TimBrannan> no worries<br />
[20:06] <&Silverlion> That's Tim Gray, I believe<br />
[20:07] <+TimBrannan> But yeah Gaslight is fun. It is letting me some crazy stuff that would not work in Ghosts of Albion<br />
[20:07] <+KurtWiegel> Such as?<br />
[20:07] <+TimBrannan> like Atlantis and Darwin writing a monster book<br />
[20:07] <+TimBrannan> Hollow Earth<br />
[20:08] <+TimBrannan> just some really out there stuff<br />
[20:08] <+TimBrannan> giving me a chance to try out some things I wanted to do for ghosts that didn't fit Chris and Amber's world<br />
[20:09] <+etaoinshrdlu> (are we in the middle of a Q&A session?)<br />
[20:09] <+TimBrannan> yes. ;)<br />
[20:09] <+TimBrannan> (that was my answer)<br />
[20:09] <+TimBrannan> but if anyone has questions, I am open to about everything<br />
[20:09] <+Bigby> Sounds cool. Your GoA games were always fun at GenCon. I'd be interested to see what you come up with in a more open setting.<br />
[20:10] <+KurtWiegel> Bigby! Thanls for the heads up.<br />
[20:10] <+etaoinshrdlu> (sorry for disturbing the Q&A, I just wasn't 100% sure)<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> (No worries, eta!)<br />
[20:10] <+TimBrannan> well I guess Gaslight is the closest. It's not mine per se, but I am free to abuse it as I like.<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> (Oh, and #rpgnet2 is open for regular chat.)<br />
[20:10] <+Geek2theRight> Have you done or are you going to do anything for either Fate or Cortex +?<br />
[20:10] <+TimBrannan> hmm<br />
[20:11] <+TimBrannan> I have this idea for fate<br />
[20:11] <+TimBrannan> if you know nothing else about me you know I am crazy for witches and magic and all that<br />
[20:11] *** AWOLJoe1 is now known as AWOLJoe<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> (Howdy, AWOLJoe!)<br />
[20:11] <+Geek2theRight> Yeah, I saw a theme. lol<br />
[20:12] <+TimBrannan> I have been tinkering with Fate on some I have been calling Ordinary World<br />
[20:12] <+AWOLJoe> (Hello!)<br />
[20:12] <+TimBrannan> hello!<br />
[20:13] <+TimBrannan> it's modern supernatural (cause NO one is doing that) but I want it to be something more along the line of supernaturals living in the normal world<br />
[20:13] <+TimBrannan> and less about world ending horrors<br />
[20:13] <+TimBrannan> so less Buffy and more Being Human.<br />
[20:14] <+TimBrannan> but it still a long way away at the moment<br />
[20:14] <+Geek2theRight> Cool!<br />
[20:14] <+TimBrannan> it's a total vanity project<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> What can you tell us about the scope of Strange Brew?<br />
[20:14] <+TimBrannan> not expecting it to sell but something that could be fun.<br />
[20:15] <+TimBrannan> Ah strange Brew.<br />
[20:15] <&Silverlion> So ...like the Garret Files, or SPI, or what have you?<br />
[20:15] <+TimBrannan> ok so this a Pathfinder book<br />
[20:15] <+TimBrannan> a long time ago I did a d20 book on witches. and so did a lot of people (Green ronin, Mongoose, Citizen games)<br />
[20:15] <+TimBrannan> I wanted to update it to the new Pathfinder witch<br />
[20:16] <&Silverlion> Cool.<br />
[20:16] <+TimBrannan> I was talking to Chistina Stiles and she wanted to update the old Citizen Games Way of the Witch (which I loved)<br />
[20:16] <&Silverlion> How is it different between the original and this version?<br />
[20:17] <+TimBrannan> once we combined our work and I added in all the notes of 10 years of playing 3.x I ended up with 500 pages<br />
[20:17] <+TimBrannan> 512 i think<br />
[20:17] <+TimBrannan> so there are some significant changes to what was my witch.<br />
[20:18] <+TimBrannan> I am keeping the Pathfinder witch as is, makes it easier, but adding a "divine" or WIS based witch<br />
[20:18] <+TimBrannan> and a warlock class<br />
[20:18] *** AFKJonathan is now known as BPIJonathan<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> (Howdy, BPIJonathan!)<br />
[20:18] <+TimBrannan> I redid all the feats, skills and multiclass paths<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> (Tim, do you know Jonathan, publisher of the CineUni game Eldritch Skies?)<br />
[20:19] <+BPIJonathan> (Sorry for being late, had family stuff and just got finished)<br />
[20:19] <+TimBrannan> of course!<br />
[20:19] <+BPIJonathan> (Yes he does, if you remember I introduced yall a few days ago :D )<br />
[20:19] <+TimBrannan> love Eldritch Skies!<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> (Oh. Duh.)<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> (Sorry. Long week.)<br />
[20:19] <+TimBrannan> yeah<br />
[20:19] <+Geek2theRight> CineUni still exists???<br />
[20:20] <+TimBrannan> ah! that hurts.<br />
[20:20] <&Silverlion> Yes it does...<br />
[20:20] <+TimBrannan> but also fair....<br />
[20:20] <+TimBrannan> so I guess the big question is what does Strange Brew have?<br />
[20:21] <+TimBrannan> well at the moment I think I am at close to 1000 spells<br />
[20:21] <+TimBrannan> there are a bunch of new hooks for witch-like characters<br />
[20:21] <+TimBrannan> and a bunch of prestige classes<br />
[20:22] <+TimBrannan> it gives me the chance to "fix" things that I did wrong with my d20 witch and add things to the Pathfinder witch that are missing<br />
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[20:22] <~Dan> (Howdy, jtbullet!)<br />
[20:22] <+TimBrannan> for example, I don't like how covens are done in Pathfinder<br />
[20:23] <+TimBrannan> hello!<br />
[20:23] <+jtbullet> hi dan<br />
[20:23] <+jtbullet> pathfnder cover hater...greetings<br />
[20:23] <+BPIJonathan> I think this is a neat book. I hope it makes it. I plan on using a bit of its OGC in one of our upcoming books if it does, if it doesnt I am just going to hire Tim to work. :D<br />
[20:23] <+TimBrannan> well it will be all 100% open<br />
[20:23] <+TimBrannan> I am be one for openness<br />
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[20:24] <~Dan> Howdy, QtGames!<br />
[20:24] <+TimBrannan> I was talking earlier about Gaslight. How it lets me do all the crazy stuff I couldn't do in Ghosts of Albion<br />
[20:25] <+BPIJonathan> Sorry I missed that.<br />
[20:25] <+BPIJonathan> Was with the fam.<br />
[20:25] <+QtGames> Hi Dan. :)<br />
[20:26] <+TimBrannan> true, but Amber was much nicer to have diner with than Jonathon! ;)<br />
[20:26] <+BPIJonathan> I would chose to have dinner with Amber over me any day :D<br />
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[20:26] <+TimBrannan> I was able to treat her to very first Chicago style deep dish pizza.<br />
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[20:27] <+TimBrannan> that's gotta be worth something<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, TimShorts!)<br />
[20:27] <+TimBrannan> Hi tim!<br />
[20:27] <&Silverlion> That's cool.<br />
[20:27] <+KurtWiegel> Tim: if you had to bolt a magic system onto Cortex (say to improve the underrated Demon Hunters) how would you do it?<br />
[20:27] <&Silverlion> <--also a Tim<br />
[20:28] <+TimBrannan> Love the question Kurt<br />
[20:28] <+TimBrannan> I have been playing with Cortex's magic system for a while.<br />
[20:28] <+TimBrannan> I haven't quite found something I like.<br />
[20:29] <+TimBrannan> At the risk of sounding narcissistic I am partial to Ghosts of Albion's system<br />
[20:29] <+KurtWiegel> Demon Hunters+Supernatural have some great stuff, but it needs a decent magic system. Thought you'd be the one to ask<br />
[20:29] <+TimBrannan> and I tried that<br />
[20:29] <+TimBrannan> and broke everything<br />
[20:29] <+KurtWiegel> GoAs magic system is the best free form system Ive seen<br />
[20:29] <+TimBrannan> thanks!<br />
[20:29] <&Silverlion> I have not read GoA, what's cool about it?<br />
[20:29] <+TimBrannan> It is good, but there is a power difference between Cortex and Unisystem<br />
[20:30] <+TimBrannan> your base Unisystem character is still more powerful than your base Cortex character<br />
[20:30] <+TimBrannan> Ghost of Albion is "Victorian buffy" to put it simple Silverlion<br />
[20:30] <+Geek2theRight> Like the older Cortex games? I don't recall an actual magic system in the newer stuff.<br />
[20:31] <&Silverlion> Yeah, I've heard that, but I was wondering about the magic system :D<br />
[20:31] <+TimBrannan> yes<br />
[20:31] <+TimBrannan> ah<br />
[20:31] <+TimBrannan> well the magic system is a simple skill one<br />
[20:31] <+TimBrannan> but the idea is your magic quality needs to be higher than the spell level you want to cast<br />
[20:32] <+TimBrannan> so the nice side effect is if you want make up a magic effect then your GM sets a power level to it and you know what your roll needs to be<br />
[20:32] <+TimBrannan> so like Mage, but only 1 d10<br />
[20:33] <+TimBrannan> i tried to bolt on the Magic system from Witch Girls Adventures onto Cortex and Savage Worlds<br />
[20:33] <+KurtWiegel> I can imagine it didn't work for either<br />
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[20:33] <+TimBrannan> it was a fun experiment, but ultimately more complicated than it needed to be<br />
[20:34] <+KurtWiegel> I think the closest you'd get to SW would be to use the Super Sorcerer power from Necessary evil<br />
[20:34] <+TimBrannan> WGA is not a bad game and the author Malcom Harris is a good guy, but there is some funky rules in that thing<br />
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[20:35] <+BPIJonathan> I ended up giving away my copy of WGA to a friends daughter.<br />
[20:35] <+TimBrannan> I would love to take something more like the Magic power from Mutants & Masterminds for Cortex / SW, but I would need to play a lot more to get the right feel<br />
[20:36] <+KurtWiegel> I get too lazy and just do it in unisystem.<br />
[20:36] <+TimBrannan> I mentioned earlier I have been playing so much D&D and OSR games of late I am rusty as all heck on these others<br />
[20:36] <+TimBrannan> I am partial to Unisystem and honestly the best magic system is the one in WitchCraft<br />
[20:36] <+KurtWiegel> So any hints on how you'd update GoA to the modern setting?<br />
[20:37] <+TimBrannan> Well GoA has 16 skills, Angel has 18. No big deal right? well it does make a difference when spending those skill points<br />
[20:37] <+TimBrannan> so I'd keep the 16 skills of GoA, but *maybe* add a computers skill.<br />
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[20:38] <+TimBrannan> I'd use all the rules from Angel<br />
[20:38] * &jcfiala waves.<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> (Howdy, jcfiala!)<br />
[20:38] <+TimBrannan> thematically, well no idea how Protectors would work in the modern age<br />
[20:38] <+TimBrannan> I would grab the Chosen One from Army of Darkness<br />
[20:39] <+TimBrannan> run it pretty much like I do now and grab a copy of WitchCraft to fill in the blanks<br />
[20:39] <+KurtWiegel> I was thinking that the Protectors have been overwhelmed with the expansion of humanity and the world. Maybe one for each major city?<br />
[20:40] <+TimBrannan> when we did our "Chicago" game we kept Protectors to a city or metro area<br />
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[20:40] <+TimBrannan> there were Protectors of Chicago<br />
[20:41] <+KurtWiegel> So LA, San Fransisco, New York, New Orleans etc.<br />
[20:41] <+TimBrannan> one that looked like Laura Vandervoot.<br />
[20:41] <+TimBrannan> yeah, certainly New York<br />
[20:41] <+TimBrannan> we never really planned it out outside of Chicago<br />
[20:41] <+TimBrannan> we mixed in bits of Dresden Files and World of Darkness<br />
[20:42] <+TimBrannan> I was working (at my day job) with Kraig Blackwelder<br />
[20:42] <+KurtWiegel> I'm trying to de-dresden my UF games: been there, done that well, time to move on.<br />
[20:42] <+jtbullet> they should all look like laura<br />
[20:42] <+TimBrannan> he worked for White Wolf at the time and did their Chicago book<br />
[20:42] <&Silverlion> UF?<br />
[20:42] <+KurtWiegel> Urban Fantasy<br />
[20:42] <+TimBrannan> yup<br />
[20:43] <+TimBrannan> i wish I did more with the Dresden files game<br />
[20:43] <+TimBrannan> my kids though didn't take to it<br />
[20:43] <+KurtWiegel> The Dresden Game is great.<br />
[20:43] <+TimBrannan> yeah<br />
[20:43] <&Silverlion> Ag.<br />
[20:43] <+KurtWiegel> It takes some work. Id like to see what they do with Dresden Accellerated<br />
[20:43] <+TimBrannan> They do like the Doctor Who AITAS game as well.<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> Which was strongly inspired by CineUni.<br />
[20:44] <&Silverlion> My friends found the magic "too punishings" but I don't know. I played and didn't see the problem.<br />
[20:44] <+KurtWiegel> UNIT+Primeval makes me drool<br />
[20:44] <+BPIJonathan> I like the AITAS game too... keep buying stuff for it :/<br />
[20:44] <&Silverlion> Hehe.<br />
[20:44] <+TimBrannan> yeah. I have Conspiracy X for all that!<br />
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[20:44] <+KurtWiegel> Con X is good, but something there doesn't sit right with me for some reason.<br />
[20:44] <+TimBrannan> FIRST I have to survive getting Strange Brew out.<br />
[20:44] <&Silverlion> Any other rule systems you are working on or with?<br />
[20:45] <+TimBrannan> Pathfinder for Stange Brew. OSR stuff. d20/SW for Gaslight<br />
[20:45] <+BPIJonathan> Other than d20OGL and SW for Gaslight, and CiniUni for GoA, when does he have time? :P<br />
[20:45] <+TimBrannan> I'd love to do something with Fate.<br />
[20:46] <+TimBrannan> I still enjoy playing all my OSR stuff too.<br />
[20:46] <+TimBrannan> I just put out The Witch and Eldritch Witchery (for Spellcraft & Swordpaly)<br />
[20:47] <+TimBrannan> that was a lot fun<br />
[20:47] <+TimBrannan> but honestly I play about anything and everything<br />
[20:48] <+TimBrannan> have not found a SciFi game I really love though. Even after 30 years of searching<br />
[20:48] <+QtGames> Congrats on those two, btw<br />
[20:48] <+KurtWiegel> Olympics: did the women all look like Santas Harem?<br />
[20:48] <+TimBrannan> thanks! they are doing quite well<br />
[20:48] <&Silverlion> Always cool<br />
[20:48] <+TimBrannan> hahaha!<br />
[20:48] <+TimBrannan> i just looked up to see that<br />
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[20:49] <+TimBrannan> what else would you all like to know?<br />
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[20:49] <+TimBrannan> I pretty much post everything to my blog or facebook<br />
[20:49] <+KurtWiegel> How did you land in doing Ghosts of Albion?<br />
[20:49] <+TimBrannan> well stalking mostly<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Kind of a random question, but what was the thinking behind the attribute cap of 9?<br />
[20:50] <+TimBrannan> I had been talking to Christopher Golden, the author of the BBC web series<br />
[20:50] <+BPIJonathan> I am hoping to get around to post my notes to Tims Blog about playing Gaslight with GoA<br />
[20:50] <+TimBrannan> (dan get to that in a sec)<br />
[20:50] <+TimBrannan> and we were chatting about his vampire book that he had out at the time<br />
[20:51] <+TimBrannan> I wanted to make it into a game using WitchCraft<br />
[20:51] <+BPIJonathan> (many a license is gained by RPG companies by "stalking" :D )<br />
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[20:51] <+TimBrannan> Chris instead wanted to do Ghosts<br />
[20:51] <+TimBrannan> Eden didn't want to use WitchCraft, they wanted Buffy.<br />
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[20:52] <+TimBrannan> so I worked out a new system for everyone and spent a lot of time on the phone with chris and Amber Benson.<br />
[20:52] <+TimBrannan> Amber was very pleased with the idea that Tamara from Ghosts was in the same system as Buffy.<br />
[20:53] <+TimBrannan> Any yes, William and Tamara are completely Willow and Tara.<br />
[20:53] <+KurtWiegel> But siblings- ew. Game of Magical thrones?<br />
[20:53] <+KurtWiegel> I kid, I kid<br />
[20:53] <+TimBrannan> well<br />
[20:53] <+TimBrannan> reincarnated soulmates<br />
[20:53] <+TimBrannan> ;)<br />
[20:54] <+TimBrannan> the cap of 9 in unisystem<br />
[20:54] <+TimBrannan> mathmatically anything higher than 9 results in automatic 2 or more success levels.<br />
[20:54] <+TimBrannan> it just gets silly at that point<br />
[20:55] <+TimBrannan> esp with the human max at 5<br />
[20:55] <+TimBrannan> but working with Chris and Amber was great<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> So you think it should have been implemented in Buffy and Angel as well? (I know the latter has at least one archetype with a strength of 10, for example.)<br />
[20:56] <+TimBrannan> I knew I had gone past "fan boy" and into "co worker" when I called up Amber's cell to tell her her great idea broke my game.<br />
[20:56] <+TimBrannan> Buffy and Angel were designed with more heroics in mind<br />
[20:56] <+TimBrannan> punching a god for example<br />
[20:56] <+KurtWiegel> The magic system for GoA bolts on perfectly to Angel though.<br />
[20:56] <+TimBrannan> Personally I use them in Buffy/Angel/Army of Darkness<br />
[20:57] <+KurtWiegel> The legends of the "Cartoon mage" resonate forever in my games<br />
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[20:57] <+TimBrannan> I do allow Magic of 10 in some games.<br />
[20:57] <+KurtWiegel> Army of Darkness is vastly underrated<br />
[20:57] <+TimBrannan> it is.<br />
[20:57] <+TimBrannan> my own character from Buffy was Tara. Tara as she is in the Magic Box book is basically my character sheet from the playtests<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest76!)<br />
[20:58] <+BPIJonathan> I love the AoD game<br />
[20:58] <+TimBrannan> in my games she got up to Magic 10 and was just "sick" as my Director at the time called her<br />
[20:58] <+TimBrannan> or Sorcery in the Buffy game<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> I love the fact that GoA fixed what I call the "Summon Kittens" flaw in Buffy/Angel.<br />
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[20:59] <+KurtWiegel> Summon kittens?<br />
[20:59] <+TimBrannan> got me?<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> Yes. In Angel/Buffy, all spells are equally draining, whether you're casting "Summon Kittens" or "End World".<br />
[20:59] <+TimBrannan> right right<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> GoA addresses that.<br />
[20:59] <+TimBrannan> well Ghosts is more magic focused.<br />
[20:59] <&Silverlion> Summon Kittends could be "End World"!<br />
[21:00] <+TimBrannan> can't have the stars down for the count and let those vampires and ghosts take all the credit!<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> (brb)<br />
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[21:00] <+TimBrannan> though Kurt I believe your vampire did exactly that<br />
[21:01] <+TimBrannan> now if we could figure out a way to add Eldritch Skies in to the mix...<br />
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[21:01] <+Jetrauben> I LIVE AGAIN<br />
[21:02] <+TimBrannan> what else would we like to talk about.<br />
[21:02] <+TimBrannan> hello!<br />
[21:02] <+KurtWiegel> Yeah. I loved Nigel<br />
[21:02] <&Silverlion> Skies of Eldritch Albion?<br />
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[21:02] <+TimBrannan> Nigel is a great character<br />
[21:02] <+BPIJonathan> ES is coming out in SW flavor for those that are not partial to Uni.<br />
[21:02] <+JoshuaMeadows> Elritch Skies of Albion Darkness?<br />
[21:03] <+TimBrannan> 1000 year old vampire with a taste for the finer things in life.<br />
[21:03] <&Silverlion> No the Dark Eldritch Skies of Albion's Armageddon?<br />
[21:03] <+TimBrannan> Protectors in SPAAAAACE!<br />
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[21:03] <+BPIJonathan> So Tim... tell us about Darwins Guide ?<br />
[21:03] <+KurtWiegel> I had an obscene amount of fun with him. "Oh. Its not Glamour. Its just...theater."<br />
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[21:04] <+TimBrannan> Darwins Guide<br />
[21:04] <+TimBrannan> man I love this book<br />
[21:04] <&Silverlion> What is Darwin's Guidde?<br />
[21:04] <+TimBrannan> I have always been a fan of Darwin, the man for years.<br />
[21:04] <+TimBrannan> Darwin's Guide is the "monster book" for Gaslight<br />
[21:05] <+TimBrannan> so Darwin kept all these notebooks<br />
[21:05] <+TimBrannan> A, B, C.... and so on<br />
[21:05] <+BPIJonathan> Officially "Darwin's Guide to Creatures, Mythical and Mundane"<br />
[21:05] <+TimBrannan> notebook E became roughly On the Origins of Species<br />
[21:05] <+TimBrannan> he worked up to H<br />
[21:05] <+TimBrannan> Darwin's Guide is all the stuff he could fit into the others. Notebook X<br />
[21:06] <+TimBrannan> so the Loch Ness Monster<br />
[21:06] <+TimBrannan> Orcs<br />
[21:06] <+TimBrannan> Dinosaurs and Elementals<br />
[21:06] <&Silverlion> I see, cool.<br />
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[21:06] <+TimBrannan> I tried to write about Supernatural creatures as if a naturalist would have seen them<br />
[21:07] <~Dan> A supernaturalist?<br />
[21:07] <&Silverlion> How does he explain their supernatural stuff?<br />
[21:07] <+TimBrannan> that turned out to be the biggest challenge<br />
[21:07] <+TimBrannan> We. I used a lot of the science of the time.<br />
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[21:08] <+TimBrannan> So AEther theory and and Vril<br />
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[21:08] <+TimBrannan> lots of things that even Darwin would have dismissed but were in vogue at the time<br />
[21:09] <+TimBrannan> orcs for example are akin to lower primates<br />
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[21:09] <+TimBrannan> some fae are forms of insects<br />
[21:10] <+TimBrannan> I left plenty of room for magic, but wanted to explain things as if there were only natural processes.<br />
[21:10] <+TimBrannan> that was a lot harder than I thought<br />
[21:10] <+JoshuaMeadows> So choose a similar animal form, and add some psuedo-science for an explanation then?<br />
[21:10] <+TimBrannan> I spend a lot of time saying "it's magic!" and this time I couldn't<br />
[21:10] <+TimBrannan> sometimes<br />
[21:10] <~Dan> Do you have a link handy to Gaslight, by the way?<br />
[21:11] <+TimBrannan> i can get one<br />
[21:11] <+TimBrannan> (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/116477/Gaslight-Victorian-Fantasy-2nd-Edition-%28OGL-Edition%29?affiliate_id=10748)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/116477/Gaslight-Victorian-Fantasy-2nd-Edition-%28OGL-Edition%29?affiliate_id=10748<br />
[21:11] <+TimBrannan> for the d20 one<br />
[21:12] <+TimBrannan> now I did assume that there were other forms of life<br />
[21:12] <+TimBrannan> elementals were akin to Genius Loci<br />
[21:12] <+TimBrannan> something given animating life<br />
[21:13] <+TimBrannan> and other times I used Darwin's own tactic of admiting I didn't know how they worked, like the undead<br />
[21:13] <+TimBrannan> but in the end I am pleased where it ended up<br />
[21:14] <+TimBrannan> I liked doing all the research for it<br />
[21:14] <+TimBrannan> Darwin was an interesting guy. Sort of the last person that wanted to be famous for anything<br />
[21:15] <+TimBrannan> I also worked on a couple of the Challenger's Guides for Gaslight<br />
[21:15] <+TimBrannan> I mentioned those at the start. Atlantis and the Hollow Earth<br />
[21:15] <+TimBrannan> that was also a lot fun.<br />
[21:16] <+QtGames> I bet. :)<br />
[21:16] <+TimBrannan> I dug into all the weird documentaries I watched in the 70s about Atlantis and underground UFOs<br />
[21:16] <+TimBrannan> basically all my games are in one way or another a way of bringing back stuff I read or watched in the 70s<br />
[21:17] <+BPIJonathan> Challenger's Notebooks :P<br />
[21:17] <+TimBrannan> Notebooks.<br />
[21:17] <~Dan> The supernatural is out in the open in Gaslight, right?<br />
[21:17] <+TimBrannan> Are you all familiar with the character Professor Challenger?<br />
[21:18] <+TimBrannan> no it is hidden, like Ghosts of Albion<br />
[21:18] <+BPIJonathan> Its not technically hidden, its just not widely out there. There are schools that teach magic.<br />
[21:18] <+TimBrannan> I played a magic in the open game before, Victoriana and it was fun, but there are things I like doing that requires the muggles to be ignorant<br />
[21:19] <+TimBrannan> yeah I usually play it hidden.<br />
[21:19] <+TimBrannan> habit<br />
[21:20] <+TimBrannan> well I think that might do it. unless there are some more questions?<br />
[21:20] <+Bigby> Professor Challenger from Lost World and The Poison Belt?<br />
[21:20] <+JoshuaMeadows> So I see that you have both a Savage Wolrds and an OGL version. Did you do the theme (fluff) writing and then add in the rules, or was it written with one system in mind and then converted?<br />
[21:20] <+TimBrannan> Bigby, the same!<br />
[21:21] <+Bigby> Love the character.<br />
[21:21] <+TimBrannan> JoshuaMeadows that is how I do it, but I am the monkey for hire here! Jonathon would be better to anwser<br />
[21:21] <+TimBrannan> he was a great character to play around with<br />
[21:21] <+TimBrannan> and I am a huge ACD fan<br />
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[21:22] <+TimBrannan> hello!<br />
[21:22] <+BPIJonathan> It was written with one system in mind and then converted. Though the SW version got a facelift awhile ago approaching it a little differently... trying to keep the spirit of the system in mind but write it with SW in mind.<br />
[21:22] <+BPIJonathan> system = setting<br />
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[21:23] <+TimBrannan> i tend to think in Unisystem or d20 and then convert<br />
[21:23] <~Dan> Any chance of Unisystem Gaslight?<br />
[21:23] * +JoshuaMeadows loves Unisystem<br />
[21:23] <+BPIJonathan> None what so ever.<br />
[21:23] <+TimBrannan> with Darwin's guide the fluff had to come first<br />
[21:23] <+TimBrannan> yeah....<br />
[21:23] <~Dan> Awwwww. :(<br />
[21:23] <+TimBrannan> i know<br />
[21:24] <+TimBrannan> the unisystem license is not a cheap one<br />
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[21:24] <+BPIJonathan> And when ours expires that will be it for our unisystem products, we will move on to something else.<br />
[21:24] <&Silverlion> That's really a shame.<br />
[21:24] <+JoshuaMeadows> Ouch.<br />
[21:24] <+TimBrannan> plus there is already a good victorian game for unisystem!<br />
[21:25] <&Silverlion> What about Vortex? DWAITAS?<br />
[21:25] <+TimBrannan> Savage Worlds is the biggest kid on the block after d20<br />
[21:25] <+BPIJonathan> Our license there is very specific, we have Sherwood on the docket for Vortex, and in layout we have a pulp game that needs a name.<br />
[21:25] <+TimBrannan> and they are both simple enough<br />
[21:26] <+JoshuaMeadows> (Shane Hensley is also a really cool fellow.)<br />
[21:26] <&Silverlion> What kind of pulp game? Classic, Shadow? Space Opera?<br />
[21:26] <+TimBrannan> i mean most SW stuff can convert to Unisystem easy<br />
[21:26] <+BPIJonathan> A little closer to classic than say.... Rocket AGe<br />
[21:26] <&Silverlion> So Operator X and Doc Savage?<br />
[21:26] <+BPIJonathan> Yes.<br />
[21:27] <+BPIJonathan> Both of which could be created in our game.<br />
[21:27] <&Silverlion> Cool.<br />
[21:27] <+TimBrannan> nice<br />
[21:27] <+Caylin> +++++++++<br />
[21:27] <+TimBrannan> Pulp Age is not something I am that familiar with.<br />
[21:27] <&Silverlion> Science, Mystery, and Magic!<br />
[21:27] <+KurtWiegel> Interesting SW is such a big player in the market. I'm glad to do it.<br />
[21:27] <+KurtWiegel> To see it. To see it.<br />
[21:27] <+KurtWiegel> darned olympics<br />
[21:27] <+TimBrannan> haha<br />
[21:28] <&Silverlion> Yeah. I've read a lot of pulp.<br />
[21:28] <&Silverlion> and modern interpetations<br />
[21:28] <+TimBrannan> my son loves SW more than Unisystem<br />
[21:28] <+TimBrannan> i am so hurt<br />
[21:28] <~Dan> How do you reconcile magic being both secretive and wildly flashy in GoA?<br />
[21:28] <+BPIJonathan> We did Doc and his crew in hopes that we could get license to include them in the core book, but Conde Nast is hard to work with.<br />
[21:28] <+TimBrannan> part of the idea is that magic polices itself<br />
[21:29] <+TimBrannan> if you get too flashy the Protectors pay you a visit<br />
[21:29] <&Silverlion> Shame that.<br />
[21:29] <&Silverlion> Masks, Mystery and Magic! :D<br />
[21:29] * &Silverlion is throwing out random names<br />
[21:30] <+BPIJonathan> Yeah, we were just going to stat them and put them in the book, without any information about their world and just the basic information on them.<br />
[21:30] <+TimBrannan> now it is my personal belief that Pulp age stuff is where Savage Worlds shines<br />
[21:30] <+BPIJonathan> And they wont let us even put them up for free.<br />
[21:30] <&Silverlion> Then again, I've the oddest names superhero game out there..:D<br />
[21:31] <+TimBrannan> that two fisted square jawed hero seem to fit SW well<br />
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[21:31] <+BPIJonathan> SL: Is it called ... Bob?<br />
[21:31] <&Silverlion> No. :D<br />
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[21:31] <+TimBrannan> Jonathan that reminds me, I have a good pulpy super villain for you.<br />
[21:32] <+BPIJonathan> Its one of the reasons I think SW works well with Gaslight.<br />
[21:32] <+TimBrannan> one sec all, sounds like I need to referee at the Xbox.<br />
[21:32] <+BPIJonathan> TB: You have my email. :D<br />
[21:32] <&Silverlion> Tales to Amaze! The RPG<br />
[21:32] <+TimBrannan> back<br />
[21:33] <+TimBrannan> no blood so no need for me to interfere.<br />
[21:33] <+BPIJonathan> Dont have that whole referee the game systems in my house... I only have one child. :/<br />
[21:33] <&Silverlion> I wrote "Hearts & Souls: Superhero RPG."<br />
[21:33] <+KurtWiegel> Good night all. Thanks Tim. Keep up the great work<br />
[21:34] <+TimBrannan> two boys and one of them has a friend over<br />
[21:34] <+TimBrannan> Minecraft issues<br />
[21:34] <~Dan> How much leeway did you have in fleshing out GoA? Do all of the supernatural powers appear at some point, for example?<br />
[21:34] <+QtGames> Glad there was no blood. ;)<br />
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[21:34] <+TimBrannan> Dan, I was given a lot of free reign<br />
[21:35] <+Bigby> Kind of jumping back to the former topic of Strange Brew. Our group doesn't really play Pathfinder much. Is there anything in the book for us or is it all pretty much exclusively useful to the one system?<br />
[21:35] <+TimBrannan> more so than on any other licensed project I have done<br />
[21:35] <&Silverlion> Cool!<br />
[21:35] <+TimBrannan> it is Pathfinder/3.x rules<br />
[21:35] <+MonkofLords> Huzzah!<br />
[21:35] <+TimBrannan> but there should be something there for most games.<br />
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[21:36] <+TimBrannan> you could "down shift" it to older forms of D&D easy<br />
[21:36] <~Dan> Howdy, Capricious!<br />
[21:36] <&Silverlion> So it would be useful for my Basic D&D game?<br />
[21:36] <+TimBrannan> plenty of spells, magic items and the like<br />
[21:36] <+TimBrannan> Bigby, what do you play?<br />
[21:37] <+TimBrannan> Silverlion I would grab my book The Witch instead.<br />
[21:37] <+Capricious> Hey Dan, All<br />
[21:37] <+TimBrannan> (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/107132/The-Witch%3A-A-sourcebook-for-Basic-Edition-fantasy-games?affiliate_id=10748)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/107132/The-Witch%3A-A-sourcebook-for-Basic-Edition-fantasy-games?affiliate_id=10748<br />
[21:37] <+Bigby> CinUni, SW, Fate, Cortex, CoC.<br />
[21:37] <+TimBrannan> all my faves<br />
[21:37] <+Bigby> I'm fond of Hero and Sixcess Core, but still need to convert my group.<br />
[21:37] <+TimBrannan> i would love to say "yes go get it!!" but it is pretty solidly d20<br />
[21:38] <+Bigby> I know at least one guy in our group is into Pathfinder. Maybe I'll pick it up and insist on playing a witch if he ever finally runs it. :P<br />
[21:38] <+TimBrannan> here is the kickstarter again<br />
[21:38] <+TimBrannan> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962794554/strange-brew-the-ultimate-witch-and-warlock)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/962794554/strange-brew-the-ultimate-witch-and-warlock<br />
[21:39] <+TimBrannan> if you can't or don't need to get it, spread it around.<br />
[21:39] <+TimBrannan> the amount we need is high, but like I said it is a huge book. so art, printing and edits...<br />
[21:40] <+TimBrannan> i really could use the signal boost on it. I am not sure where Pathfinder players hang out<br />
[21:41] <+TimBrannan> i do have a secret cheat sheet on how to use all these witch spells in Ghosts of Albion<br />
[21:41] <+TimBrannan> I could put that up on my blog someday<br />
[21:42] <+JoshuaMeadows> Bulletinboards at Paizo was a good place for some product discussion when I used to play D&D.<br />
[21:42] <+TimBrannan> cool<br />
[21:42] <+TimBrannan> I have a thread up there now.<br />
[21:43] <+Capricious> Paizo bulletinboards are definitely a good place to prowl and hex.<br />
[21:43] <+TimBrannan> nice<br />
[21:43] <+Capricious> Tim, it might have been mentioned already, but the link to your blog post at:<br />
[21:43] <+Capricious> (Link: http://www.landwatch.com/Tyler-County-West-Virginia-House-for-sale/pid/200469309)http://www.landwatch.com/Tyler-County-West-Virginia-House-for-sale/pid/200469309<br />
[21:43] <+TimBrannan> see that is our biggest problem right now<br />
[21:43] <+Capricious> Not that sorry.<br />
[21:43] <+Capricious> (Link: http://misfit-studios.com/blog/uncategorized/witchy-wonders-examining-witches-d20-era/)http://misfit-studios.com/blog/uncategorized/witchy-wonders-examining-witches-d20-era/<br />
[21:43] <+TimBrannan> so many really good games!<br />
[21:44] <+TimBrannan> yup that is my thread<br />
[21:44] <+Capricious> (been land hunting ... Dan, please feel free to remove that)<br />
[21:44] <+TimBrannan> i mean seriously. who here was playing in the 80s?<br />
[21:44] * ~Dan raises hand<br />
[21:44] <+Capricious> The link doesn't work on the Kickstarter Update #2<br />
[21:44] <+BPIJonathan> I<br />
[21:44] <+TimBrannan> where I grew up we had D&D and CoC<br />
[21:44] <+TimBrannan> I played Chill.<br />
[21:45] <+Capricious> Pacesetter or Mayfair version, Tim?<br />
[21:45] <+TimBrannan> and there was this group of "freaks" that played Traveller. (seriously lasers?) ;)<br />
[21:45] <+TimBrannan> BOTH<br />
[21:45] <+Capricious> :)<br />
[21:45] <+TimBrannan> but Pacesetter to start<br />
[21:45] <+TimBrannan> my Chill came in a box<br />
[21:45] <+TimBrannan> but that was it<br />
[21:46] <+TimBrannan> and I lived in a decent place for games, Southern Illinois<br />
[21:46] <+TimBrannan> now we have so many choices and so many of them are so good.<br />
[21:46] <+TimBrannan> that people are not fractionalized, they are overwhelmed.<br />
[21:47] * +JoshuaMeadows only started in the 90s<br />
[21:47] <+TimBrannan> I started in 79<br />
[21:47] <+TimBrannan> Holmes Basic<br />
[21:48] <+TimBrannan> so it's difficult for a new game to get into the market<br />
[21:48] <+TimBrannan> not that there isn't people. there is. not that they don't have money. they do. they just already have 200 games and can only play 2.<br />
[21:48] <~Dan> So what fundamentally separates witches from other spellcasters?<br />
[21:49] <+TimBrannan> ok so Wizards learn magic. how to use it<br />
[21:49] <+TimBrannan> how to shape it<br />
[21:49] <+TimBrannan> Witches are granted power for a price<br />
[21:49] <+TimBrannan> Warlocks on the other hand "take" power from those sources<br />
[21:50] <+TimBrannan> clerics are also granted powers, but they have to serve and work for them<br />
[21:50] <+TimBrannan> their relationship is better understood.<br />
[21:50] <+TimBrannan> i usually have it that witchcraft was the first form of magic in my game worlds<br />
[21:50] <&Silverlion> I started in 83...<br />
[21:51] <+Capricious> Tim, is there a section on witch familiars and their special relationships with their mistresses/masters?<br />
[21:52] <+TimBrannan> yes. quite a lot of familiars and what powers they can grant their witches<br />
[21:52] <+JoshuaMeadows> Do the Witches powers wax and wane with things like lunar events?<br />
[21:52] <+TimBrannan> also a section on why familiars are not pets. or pokemon<br />
[21:52] <+TimBrannan> i have that in there as an alternate rule<br />
[21:52] <+TimBrannan> i can say this. I like it myself, but players hate it<br />
[21:53] <+TimBrannan> but players want that boost in magic and not the minuses.<br />
[21:54] <+TimBrannan> i try to cover all types of witches and things they can do.<br />
[21:55] <+Capricious> Of course, with great power comes great risk. When dealing with pacts, "munchkin" takes on a new meaning. "You broke your pact? Oh dear. <munch> <burp>"<br />
[21:55] <+TimBrannan> so the Baba Yagas, Circes, even to the Pipers, Pheobes and Paiges.<br />
[21:56] <+TimBrannan> well we are at 2 hours now.<br />
[21:56] <+Capricious> How far back, historically (analogous), do you go back in the book?<br />
[21:56] <~Dan> Is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up, TimBrannan?<br />
[21:56] <+TimBrannan> history of the witch?<br />
[21:56] <+TimBrannan> hmm<br />
[21:57] <+TimBrannan> I talk about Classical witches, which are some of the first spellcasters<br />
[21:57] <+Capricious> Yes. For example, could I run a game set in the dark ages?<br />
[21:57] <+TimBrannan> oh yes<br />
[21:57] <+TimBrannan> it's a Pathfinder book, so anything "D&D" llike<br />
[21:57] <+Capricious> Or even as far back as Ancient Greece or Rome?<br />
[21:58] <+Capricious> Circe, for instance.<br />
[21:58] <+TimBrannan> yes<br />
[21:58] <+TimBrannan> easy<br />
[21:58] <+Capricious> Excellent<br />
[21:58] <+Capricious> Thanks Tim.<br />
[21:58] <+TimBrannan> my pleasure<br />
[21:58] <+TimBrannan> well I want to thank Dan for having me here<br />
[21:59] <+TimBrannan> and everyone here for having me too!<br />
[21:59] <~Dan> Absolutely, Tim!<br />
[21:59] <+Bigby> Nice to see you again.<br />
[21:59] <+JoshuaMeadows> Thanks, Tim.<br />
[21:59] <~Dan> I'll go ahead and log the chat there, but please feel free to hang out as long as you'd like!<br />
[21:59] <+TimBrannan> i'll have to pop my head back in to chat!<br />
[21:59] <+Bigby> Any chance you're going to GenCon this year?<br />
[21:59] <+TimBrannan> i am going!<br />
[21:59] <+Bigby> Running anything?<br />
[22:00] <+TimBrannan> ill have the details up on my blog<br />
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[22:00] <+TimBrannan> (Link: http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/)http://timbrannan.blogspot.com/<br />
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[22:00] <~Dan> Cool! I'll see you tehre, Tim!<br />
[22:00] <~Dan> there<br />
[22:00] <+QtGames> Thanks, Tim!<br />
[22:00] <+TimBrannan> thanks all!<br />
[22:00] <+BPIJonathan> I have plans to be around too.<br />
[22:00] <+Capricious> Thanks again, Tim!<br />
[22:00] <+TimBrannan> going to run. gotta check on the kidlets<br />
[22:00] <+Bigby> Cool. Your games Kurt and I were in were some of the better ones my first couple of years at GenCon<br />
[22:00] <+TimBrannan> thanks!<br />
[22:00] <+Bigby> Catch ya around.<br />
[22:00] <+TimBrannan> I appreciate that<br />
[22:01] <~Dan> Have a good evening, Tim! I'll get you the link shortly.<br />
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[22:01] *** TimBrannan has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC ClientDan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-91584800264238539422014-02-06T19:03:00.000-08:002014-02-07T12:54:14.851-08:00[Q&A] Andrew Ragland (1879)[19:04] <+FASA-Andrew> My name is Andrew Ragland. I'm the line developer for 1879, from FASA Games Inc. 1879 includes both a roleplaying game and a miniatures wargame. While the two can be played separately, they're designed to interlock.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:04] <+FASA-Andrew> You can use the minis wargame for mass combat scenes in the roleplaying game, and the roleplaying game as an adjunct or framing story for the wargame.<br />
[19:05] <+xyphoid_> Is this related to Space 1889?<br />
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[19:05] <~Dan> (Please hold questions during the intro.)<br />
[19:05] <+FASA-Andrew> We're describing the game world as steamweird, as it's not traditional steampunk (if there is such a thing). Using the dials metaphor, we have a STeampunk dial, a Pulp Adventure dial, and a Weirdness dial, and we're setting them all at 6.<br />
[19:06] <+FASA-Andrew> 1879 takes place in an alternate history, where Prince Albert survived the coach crash due to Queen Victoria putting the royal treasury behind his treatment, offering vast sums and titles to anyone who could save her beloved husband.<br />
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[19:06] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Sir_Wombat! The Q&A is just getting started.)<br />
[19:07] <+FASA-Andrew> British technology takes a giant leap forward as a result. 25 years after the Crystal Exhibition, the Silver Exhibition opens. Professor Oswald Grosvenor, who history now regards as the first Weird Scientist, performs an experiment "to open a window in the world and show men the angels".<br />
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[19:07] <~Dan> (Howdy, Seht!)<br />
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[19:08] <+FASA-Andrew> What Grosvenor actually does is to open a portal to another planet. This world, known in memorial to the Professor as the Grosvenor World, is habitable, and is quickly colonized by the ever expanding British Empire.<br />
[19:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)<br />
[19:08] <+FASA-Andrew> The Brits run into the locals, the Saurids, who look suspiciously familiar to Earthdawn players :). This goes passably well, the Brits having learned some lessons from their contact with the Native Americans in the past.<br />
[19:09] <+FASA-Andrew> Then the Brits run into the Samsut, descendents of the Babylonians and Akkadians, who crossed into the Grosvenor World (the Gruv) thousands of years ago. The Samsut have Weird Science technology that lets them treat life as a form of energy.<br />
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[19:09] <+FASA-Andrew> The Samsut raise their deceased low-caste workers with batteries and control modules, producing technological zombies that they use as front line troops and workers. This offends the British so much that a war starts.<br />
[19:10] <+FASA-Andrew> From there, the game gets rolling. Players of the wargame can pit the Brits against the Samsut, the Samsut against the Saurids, and soon the Prussians wil enter the field and complicate things even more.<br />
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[19:11] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, nickwedig! The Q&A is just getting started.)<br />
[19:11] <+FASA-Andrew> Players of the roleplaying game can adventure in the Gruv or on Earth, playing adventurers, explorers, spies, soldiers, or a sort of steampunk shadowrunner we're calling the Dodgers.<br />
[19:12] <+FASA-Andrew> We're using the Universal 18 ruleset for the wargame, and the CoreStep mechanic for the roleplaying game, derived from the Earthdawn Step System. Characters from 1879 should be able to transit to the ED world with very little mechanical adjustment.<br />
[19:12] <+FASA-Andrew> (done)<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Thanks, Andrew!<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Any questions to start us off...?<br />
[19:13] <+Kylarus> Are we looking to see any offshoots of the East Empire Trading Company?<br />
[19:13] <+Kylarus> Or any similar merchant organizations as power-players?<br />
[19:13] <+Lassek> how are Prussians treated in the setting?<br />
[19:13] <+BrentNewhall> How much education (if any) do you include for players not familiar with that era of history?<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:14] <+FASA-Andrew> The East India Company got nationalized, when its charter was revoked during the rebellion that formed the Raj. However, great mercantile interests certainly do exist, which is why the Dodgers exist. With merchant empires arising, someone must do the work that requires plausible deniability.<br />
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[19:15] <+FASA-Andrew> The Prussians developed into a sort fo anthill socialism, following von Bismarck's meetings with Lassalle, who survives his duel with the Wallachian count. The Prussians willhave advances in eletricity, but be behind the British in steam technology. Their military will operate like clockwork, with Prussian precision taken to its ultimate extreme.<br />
[19:16] <+FASA-Andrew> We're doing a lot of education in the course of the Players and GMs Guides. We explain the course of history, and provide a lot of background material on the alt-history Victorian era, from dress styles to language to the Gentlemen's Code.<br />
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[19:17] *** Topic on #rpgnet is: #rpgnet welcomes Andrew Ragland (1879) 02/06/2014 7:00 p.m. CST! || Q&A schedule: (Link: http://tinyurl.com/rpgnetschedule)http://tinyurl.com/rpgnetschedule || Q&A logs: (Link: http://gmshoe.blogspot.com)http://gmshoe.blogspot.com<br />
[19:17] *** Topic set by Dan (Yesterday at 12:46 PM)<br />
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[19:18] <~Dan> (Did I miss anything?)<br />
[19:18] <+Kylarus> You mentioned Prussia getting more heavily in Electricity while GB has Steam. How does Prussia utilize their new power in relation to a very 'mechanical' society?<br />
[19:18] <+FASA_Bogie> Think we're ready for more questions<br />
[19:19] <+FASA-Andrew> The medical world is still trying to catch up. With the Boojums, you've got four new races whose anatomy and body chemistry has to be learned. Whups! Forgot to talk about them. If you're familiar with Shadowrun, you'll recognize the elves, darves, orks, and trolls, although we're calling the orks "snarks" as a Carroll reference.<br />
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[19:20] <+FASA-Andrew> Medical science is advancing fast post Gruv portal, and starting to incorporate some Weird Science and magic along the way. The Queen's emphasis on medical research continues to be an important drive in British science.<br />
[19:20] <+BrentNewhall> How powerful do weapons get? And how weird do they get?<br />
[19:20] <+BrentNewhall> (oops, sorry; thought you were done)<br />
[19:20] <+FASA-Andrew> We're also looking at powered prosthetics, new drugs made from the Gruv world plants, and other medical advances.<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> Magic exists in the setting?<br />
[19:21] <+FASA-Andrew> Prussia's mastery of electricity shows up in the S-bahn railway in Berlin, their adoption of alternating current, their fielding of lightning rifles, and their use of peizoelectric crystals in their all important clocks. We'll be exploring this a good deal more in the Prussian Forcebook for the minis game, which Steve Perrin is working on, and in the Prussian<br />
[19:21] <+FASA-Andrew> Sourcebook for the roleplaying game.<br />
[19:22] <+RKBrumbelow> So with the British, Prussians and Samsut we have Steam, Electricity and LIfe as power sources do the Saurids bring anything to the table?<br />
[19:22] <+FASA-Andrew> The weaponry gets pretty strange. The Samsut have railguns, ranging from pistol sized up to city defense emplacements. The Prussians have lightning rifles. We're giving the Brits gyrojet ammunition. There's going to be some other Weird Science one-off stuff that will seriously blow minds. If you read the Line Developer's blog at fasagames.com, there's a four<br />
[19:23] <+FASA-Andrew> part fiction piece currently running, that will show off one of those in a scene - don't remember when it posts but by the end of this month.<br />
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[19:24] <~Dan> (wb, StevePerrin!)<br />
[19:24] <+FASA-Andrew> Magic does exist in the setting. That's under the Weirdness dial. Basically, this is the same world as Earthdawn. Someone will ask about Shadowrun - I shuld address that now. Shadowrun is being handled quite well by the folks at Catalyst. We at FASA have no interest in pulling back their license. So we're redoing our timeline and cosmology.<br />
[19:24] <+Kylarus> So, difference between timelines in each of the C&C Red Alert games?<br />
[19:24] <+FASA-Andrew> In the new FASA timeline, Shadowrun doesn't happen. Instead, the Gruv portal opens to a higher magic world in 1878. Magic leaks across, and magic returns to Earth far too soon, upsetting everything.<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> Interesting... That leads to my followup question: How "weird" is Earth aside from Weird Science?<br />
[19:25] <+FASA-Andrew> Magic will be low level, not at Earthdawn levels. We have Mages, Priests, Shamans, and Weird Scientists, all doing some pretty odd stuff, but the Earth folks are still just starting to figure out how it works. The Saurids have shamans that have been doing magic for hundreds of years, and the Samsut are well versed<br />
[19:26] <+FASA-Andrew> in Weird Science (but they don't allow spell use, as it causes problems with their technology).<br />
[19:26] <+FASA-Andrew> I don't know the C&C Red Alert games. sorry.<br />
[19:27] <+FASA-Andrew> Earth has diverged more and more since the survival of Albert. Some of it is alternate history, like Lassalle surviving and Prussia going socialist. Some of it is technological, like the British advances in steam technology. Some of it --<br />
[19:27] <+FASA_Bogie> re: Red Alert - yes something like that :)<br />
[19:27] <+Kylarus> Thanks Bogie<br />
[19:27] <+StevePerrin> The C&C games were similar technology, different histories. In 1879, technology just goes off in another direction entirely.<br />
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[19:28] <+FASA-Andrew> well. There's the Uluru Zone in Australia. Nobody really knows what's going on in there. If you're half or more Aborigine, you can go in, but nobody who goes in is seen again. If you're of European descent, you can't go in there. Atempts to use airships to ooverfly the ZOne and find out what's going on have failed. Could be big mojo. Nobody knows.<br />
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[19:28] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Nahor!)<br />
[19:28] <+Nahor> HI.<br />
[19:29] <+GenoFoxx> so do the Prussians have electrocraft airships and the Brit's Steam powered airships?<br />
[19:29] <+FASA-Andrew> We're trying to keep the dials down to 6, like I said. There's some technological advance, but all within the realm of possibility. There's some weirdness, but it doesn't take over the setting. There's some pulp flavor, but the heroes aren't guaranteed to vanquish the bad guys.<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> Are there dinosaurs? :)<br />
[19:30] <+StevePerrin> Of course.<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> Excellent. Where? :)<br />
[19:30] <+Kylarus> How will the divergent time lines impact the birth/existence/actions of famous people from during that time?<br />
[19:30] <+FASA-Andrew> The Prussians are wrking on electric airships, but the batteries are still too heavy. Everybody uses microsteam powered Giffards, designed by the Confederacy. They're not zeppelins - they're flexible gasbags, no rigid structure, with an underslung gondola<br />
[19:30] <+StevePerrin> If they were born before 1860, they are definitely there. Things get weird after that.<br />
[19:31] <+FASA-Andrew> The dinosaurs show up in the Gruv almost immediately. The Saurids ride theropods and pterosaurs. There's a cute little insectivore called the Josisaur that the farmers domesticate and use for pest control.<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> Heh. That is cool. :)<br />
[19:31] <+Ashcat> "Are there dinosaurs?" "Of course." Best Q/A so far.<br />
[19:31] <+StevePerrin> However we also have giant insectoids and Pleistocene mammals (if I have that era right.)<br />
[19:31] <+Nahor> Sorry, I'm late, so forgive me if this has been asked already: How overtly will this game be tied to the Earthdawn game and then Earthfell? Additionally, and this is more game specific, how much of a balance is there between RPG and Miniature gaming is there? And finally will there be a kickstarter?<br />
[19:32] <+FASA-Andrew> The divergent timeline affects a lot of famous people. We're looking at what the most likely option would be in the divergent world. Nikola Tesla, for example, is working for the Prussian government. When he ambled away his tuition money, the goverment stepped in and told him, we will pay your tuition, you will stay in school, and you will work for the<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Ashcat! :) )<br />
[19:32] <+StevePerrin> Definite ties to Earthdawn.<br />
[19:32] <+FASA-Andrew> government to pay the debt. He's the genius behind the Berlin S-bahn. Tesla will never go to America in our timeline, never meet Edison, which changes the course of electricity in the Union.<br />
[19:33] <+FASA-Andrew> There are giant insectoids, yes, the Concamerata. They're not true insects. We've looked at biological explanations that would allow them to breathe and move at their size, and done some work to make them more believable.<br />
[19:34] <+FASA-Andrew> There are also some giant mammals, like the Golden Sloth. We're dropping in creatures from a variety of eras, which will be explained to some extent, although that's a Deep Mystery.<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> FASA-Andrew: I know that TORG dealt with the giant insect issue in the Living Land in some way.<br />
[19:34] <+FASA-Andrew> We're deliberately leaving some things unexplained, as Deep Mysteries, so that the gamemaster can make up their own explanations and have room to develop the game world for their own campaign. We're also leaving room for future game world development for ourselves.<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> Are there supernatural creatures on Earth or the Gruv?<br />
[19:35] <+StevePerrin> As in vampires and such?<br />
[19:35] <+FASA-Andrew> 1879 is directly tied to Earthdawn and Earthfell. It's the world in between the two. There's planned to be a careful balance between the RPG and the Minis, with the two product lines written to work together as expansion systems for each other. Yes, there will be a Kickstarter, but it's going to be a couple of months. We have to get the ED KS closed out and<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> Sure, vampires, and fantasy monsters.<br />
[19:36] <+Nahor> ty<br />
[19:36] <+FASA-Andrew> the post kS work done for that lien before we try to roll out the 1879 KS. We've also got some things we're looking at doing differently with our next KS, but I can't talk about that much sorry.<br />
[19:36] <+FASA-Andrew> There are no vampires in 1879.<br />
[19:36] <+FASA-Andrew> There are supernatural creatures, astral entities, invae, gremlins, and some other annoyances.<br />
[19:36] <+Nahor> how about some wolfmen? :)<br />
[19:37] <+StevePerrin> The Samsut kind of take the place of vampires?<br />
[19:37] <+StevePerrin> Oops, should not have been a question mark.<br />
[19:37] <+Ashcat> The Samsut seem to be described more like necromancers<br />
[19:37] <+FASA-Andrew> We're going or a somewhat different flavor. There's some evidence that an ancient race used the Gruv for bioweapons research a very lon time ago, so there's some creatures out there that aren't really possible to have evolved naturally. Big nasty things with far too much armor and teeth and claws and such.<br />
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[19:37] <+Nahor> I know Jack the Ripper was closer to the close of the century, but will you be incorporating anything that really taps the consciousness like the white chapel murders?<br />
[19:38] <+StevePerrin> The may be a new explanation for those.<br />
[19:38] <+FASA-Andrew> The Samsut are another culture. They're not necessarily the bad guys. We're going to have a Samsut Sourcebook (which Nick Wedig, hiya, is working on), in which there will be rules for playing Samsut characters.<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> So are the supernatural creatures more spiritual in nature rather than physical creatures (dragons, for example)?<br />
[19:38] <+FASA-Andrew> Theyr'e nt bad people. They just have a ver different view on life and its value.<br />
[19:39] <+Ashcat> So... enlightened necromancers<br />
[19:39] <+FASA-Andrew> The supernatural in 1879 is to some extent derived from the supernatural in Earthdawn. Same world, after all. There may eventually be dragons, there will be ghosts and spirits and such.<br />
[19:40] <+RKBrumbelow> 1860 onward was a time of enormous change in the attitudes of differences and equality between sexes. Can you go into some of the ways you have addressed the male female dichotomy in 1879?<br />
[19:40] <+StevePerrin> Think of it as a lot of stuff sleeping, and suddenly something is prompting them to wake up.<br />
[19:40] <+FASA-Andrew> We're looking at a lot of significant events in the era, not just Jack but some others. Ever hear of Spring Heeled Jack? Maybe he was a deranged Weird Scientist...<br />
[19:40] <+Nahor> Will 1879's timeline kind of better explain and tell us how long ago Earthdawn was? I know over the years the time has anywhere been from 18,000 years to 47,000 years ago. Will there maybe be some "archeological finds" that serve as nuggets cluing us to the past?<br />
[19:40] <+Nahor> Nope, not heard of Spring heeled Jack. :)<br />
[19:41] * ~Dan has. :)<br />
[19:41] <+FASA-Andrew> Gender Parity is something we;ve given a lot of thought to. We've come up with multiple explanations as to why women have acheived equality with men in our game world. In Britain, it was partly due to the medical research issue - a female doctor cured Albert the younger of a critial illness, and the Queen created a scolarship for women to study medicine in<br />
[19:42] <+Ashcat> He was an imp, I tell you. A fiend!<br />
[19:42] <+FASA-Andrew> gratitude for her son being saved. In the Union and Confederacy, the War of Secession killed so many men that the women took over, not a matriarchy, but a matter of acknowledging who was running the factories and the economy and such.<br />
[19:42] <+FASA-Andrew> Can I get a question pause please?<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Oh, sorry!<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[19:44] <+FASA-Andrew> In Prussia, the gender issue ceased to have meaning once Prussian Socialism took hold. Gender is not considered as a job qualification unless reproductive safety is involved. With the Ottoman Empire resurging, and holding the caliphate, Islamic tradition does not adopt the Wahhabi cultural restrictions on women, and sticks to the Q'uran, which says that women<br />
[19:45] <+FASA-Andrew> may hold property, run businesses, and generally be the equals of men. I've delved into this in some detail in a blog post on fasagames.com if you;d like to know more about the issue.<br />
[19:46] <+RKBrumbelow> The FASA 1979 Developers blog may be found at: (Link: http://www.fasagames.com/blog/?category=1879)http://www.fasagames.com/blog/?category=1879<br />
[19:46] <+nickwedig> The Samsut have their own reasons for gender equality, as well, based on centuries old traditions and history.<br />
[19:46] <+RKBrumbelow> err 1879<br />
[19:46] <+FASA-Andrew> We're not nailing down exactly when the Ae of Legend for ED was, in terms of 1879, but we will have some indications. The Worlds are about 6000 years long, if I recall correctly. The Sixth World was supposed to begin in 2012, which puts the end of the Age of Legend around 4000 BCE.<br />
[19:46] <+FASA-Andrew> Nick: Exactly. Would you like to discuss that a bit?<br />
[19:47] <+Kasbak> 5,200 years between worlds IIRC<br />
[19:47] <+FASA-Andrew> We're going to have some in game argument about Earth's magical past, and some wild theories flying around, but this is going to be a Deep Mystery, with room left for GMs to modify and invent as appropriate for their campaign.<br />
[19:47] <+FASA-Andrew> (done)<br />
[19:47] <+FASA-Andrew> Have I answered all the questions thus far to people's satisfaction?<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> I certainly think so. :)<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> (Questions may resume!)<br />
[19:49] <~Dan> To what degree with the game cover Earth?<br />
[19:49] <+FASA-Andrew> As an aside, Weird Science is handled mechanically as Enchanting, which is why Weird Science devices can't be made by people who aren't Weird Scientists. In game, Weird Science is not considered magic, but fringe science, gadgetry built by oddballs who somehow manage to make it work.<br />
[19:49] <+nickwedig> Centuries ago, the Samsut nearly destroyed themselves in a great war over the life manipulation technology. The war only came to an end when the individual city-states agreed to a compromise called the Balance, which governed the use of life manipulation.<br />
[19:50] <+FASA-Andrew> The source material will explore both the Gruv and Earth, initially focusing more on the New World than the Old. We'll be doing sourcebooks on the nations of Earth, though, as well as sourcebooks on the Samsut, the Saurids, and other aspects of the Gruv.<br />
[19:50] <+StevePerrin> Earth is mostly background to start with, but more and more about Earth will intrude as we go along and many adventures/sourcebooks will mostly be about Earth.<br />
[19:51] <+FASA-Andrew> What Steve said :)<br />
[19:51] <+RKBrumbelow> You have described religion getting its "teeth back" with the opening between the worlds occurring. Can you go more into detail as to the way it is being handled in game?<br />
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[19:51] <+nickwedig> But the king or Ur refused to join the compromise, and the queen of Ur led a secret coup to take him out and join the peace. She then declared that the city maintain gender parity henceforth, and would only give military aid to other cities that did likewise.<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Taffer_!)<br />
[19:52] <+StevePerrin> As usual, we are handling religion very gingerly.<br />
[19:52] <+FASA-Andrew> Priests will be able to do more than just pray :). They'll be able to heal by laying on hands, cast out evil spirits, and all the classic stuff that priests have done or claimed to do or been said to do over the centuries. We're not going to adress the reality of their faith or any sort of underlying truth.<br />
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[19:53] <+FASA-Andrew> Priests include followers of any organized religion, from Christianity to Hinduism.<br />
[19:53] <+RKBrumbelow> So there is a resurgence in low level miracles across all lines then?<br />
[19:54] <+StevePerrin> Of course, the fact that any devout priest/whatever of any religion can do essentially the same things is a statement in and of itself.<br />
[19:54] <+FASA-Andrew> Yes, priests of all faiths will be able to perform miracles to some extent. Whether they're doing it themselves, or their deity or divine power is reaching through them, or whatever, is a question we're not going to answer.<br />
[19:55] <+RKBrumbelow> How are you treating animals in the game. Previously some had access to extraordinary companions, now however things seem more prosaic. How does this affect animal companions?<br />
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[19:55] <+FASA-Andrew> The Saurids have Shamans, who can speak with ancestral spirits and do some pretty amazing things themselves. We're drawing an artificial line between Priests and Shamans basically between the followers of an organized faith and the people who work wit the natural world and its spiritual essence.<br />
[19:56] <+FASA-Andrew> Animal companions will be still important. We're actually extending that mechanic to mounts. If you roleplay an equestrian, such as an Aristocrat or cavalry Military Officer, you'll be required to make Equestrian rolls to take care of your mount, and deal with it. Mounts will have minds of their own, as will any other animal companion.<br />
[19:57] <+FASA-Andrew> We're also including rules for spooking, and for other issues dealing with mounts having their own ideas as to what ought to be happening. Some of the more heavily magical abilities, like Blood Share, from Earthdawn, will not be included in 1879, but there will still be Animal Training, Animal Bond, and a host of others.<br />
[19:57] <+RKBrumbelow> Even a garnickey?<br />
[19:58] <+StevePerrin> Garnickeys have their own minds. They just have trouble finding them sometimes.<br />
[19:58] <~Dan> What are they?<br />
[19:58] <+FASA-Andrew> If you can make the Test to get through to a garnickey, you'll be doing better than most players :). I'd think about giving your character a bonus to Interaction tests just for beign able to handle such a recalcitrant animal.<br />
[19:58] <+StevePerrin> Essentially ankylosaurs.<br />
[19:59] <+FASA-Andrew> Some animals stood well back when brains were handed out. Garnickeys failed to queue up at all.<br />
[19:59] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:59] <+FASA-Andrew> The name comes from lower class slang, and is pronounced Gar! Nickey! Basically meaning "Dear God, that's a stupid beast!"<br />
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[20:01] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest91!)<br />
[20:01] <+FASA-Andrew> We're having a lot of fun with the Bestiary. It's all written in character by a long-suffering naturalist, Lady Jennings, who would much rather be tending roses in a garden in England than dealing with the Gruv, but Science Must Be Done. Christianne Benedict is doing the artwork for the creatures entries.<br />
[20:01] <+StevePerrin> Will European conflicts slop over into the Gruv?<br />
[20:02] <+FASA-Andrew> Steve: Very much so. Once the Brits start letting the other nations through the Portal, and they really couldn't say no without starting a war over the new world's resources, old enmities and grudges will surface in the new world.<br />
[20:02] <+Nahor> When can we expect the first book to be released? Is it also going to be Digest size, any color plates within, or just black and white?<br />
[20:02] <+FASA-Andrew> We're also going to see at least one renegade Confederate unit causing trouble for the Union in the Gruv.<br />
[20:03] <+StevePerrin> For instance, the Franco-Prussian war still happened in 1870, and there is a lot of resentment still there.<br />
[20:03] <+FASA-Andrew> Nahor: We're planning for a Gencon release. The interiors will be black and white, and the book will probably be digest sized, although that's still under discussion. Color plates will depend o how the Kickstarter goes.<br />
[20:03] <+Nahor> k<br />
[20:03] <+FASA-Andrew> Heh. yeah, the Prussians handed the French their collective hind ends, and the French are still smarting over that.<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> Excellent. I'm bringing my wife to GenCon, and she loves steampunk. :)<br />
[20:04] <+RKBrumbelow> So humans exist in multiple cultures in game plus the Boojums, How about the Saurids? Are they monolithic or are there various groups players will be able to draw from and interact with.<br />
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[20:04] <+FASA-Andrew> The Saurids are not a monolithic culture. We've carefully avoided that fantasy trope. There are three major cultures in the Gruv, the Patriarchs, the Matriarchs, and the Egalitarians, with tribal cultural differences within those three major factions.<br />
[20:05] <+StevePerrin> The Samsut cities have centuries of conflict to draw on for resentment and possible revenge. For most of the time it is something of a game, but European savagery may infect them<br />
[20:05] <+FASA-Andrew> The Patriarch tribes divide into nomadic and land-based agricultural, down in the lowlands of the Gruv. The Matriarchs are generally found in the northern mountains. The Egalitarians mostly occupy the western forest. Each culture has its own religion, its own traditions, and its own way of looking at thins.<br />
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[20:06] <+FASA-MarkStout> Hello folks<br />
[20:06] <+FASA-Andrew> The idea here is to have a highly diverse game world with a lot of story possibilities, not only in physical conflict but in social as well.<br />
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[20:07] <+FASA-Andrew> We're including some material designed specifically for social conflict, such as the Aristocrat character Concept. We've also got the Tribal Warrior, the Soldier, and the Cowboy variant known as the utlaw for those of you who want to kick some serious tuchus.<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, FASA-MarkStout!)<br />
[20:07] <+FASA-Andrew> heyo Mark<br />
[20:07] <+FASA-MarkStout> Hi Andrew<br />
[20:08] <+FASA-Andrew> Wow, FASA takeover :)<br />
[20:08] <+FASA-Andrew> (done)<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> Earthdawn has a bit of a learning curve associated with it. Have you addressed that issue in 1879?<br />
[20:09] <+FASA-Andrew> The minis, by the way, are being produced by Ral Partha Europe. I've posted a few photos of them on the FASA FB and G+ pages. They're =sweet=<br />
[20:09] <+FASA-MarkStout> Here for any system specific questions about the wargame system, Universal 18. FYI<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> (Feel free to post any links you like, by the way, FASA-Andrew.)<br />
[20:09] <+RKBrumbelow> How stable is the rift between worlds, are there any dangers crossing over and is that addressed in game? Further how many rifts are there and if there are multiple do they interact with each other?<br />
[20:09] <+FASA-MarkStout> I second Andrew on the minis, the proofs look fantastic<br />
[20:09] <+StevePerrin> As befits a less powerful magical environment, 1879 is a bit simpler and more basic.<br />
[20:10] <+FASA-Andrew> The learning curve is less than it used to be. Earthdawn Fourth Edition has addressed some of that. 1879 is using the CoreStep mechanic, derived from the work done for ED4. There's still going to be a bit of a learning curve, but you have that with any mechanic tha you haven't played before. Even FATE has a learning curve :).<br />
[20:10] <+StevePerrin> Having recently played a FATE game, I would say it has an intense learning curve for people used to crunchy mechanics.<br />
[20:11] <+FASA-Andrew> The portal is relatively stable, but the passage is dangerous, Travel through it means exposure to the continuum between worlds, even with the iron tunnel the Brits built through it. It's risky. It's always going to be.<br />
[20:11] <+FASA-Andrew> There have been at least two portals - the current British one and the old Samsut one that led from Babylon to the Gruv, closed some three thousand years ago. There's more material about portals in the GM's Guide.<br />
[20:12] <+StevePerrin> So far, there is only the one "rift" in existence at this time.<br />
[20:12] <+FASA-Andrew> Well, only one that the Earth folks know about :)<br />
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[20:12] <+RKBrumbelow> StevePerrin :including inside of cows?<br />
[20:13] <+Kasbak> Travel through the portal is another one of the places to dial up some of the weird factor.<br />
[20:13] <+Kylarus> Does that leave the possibility for another 'rift' in Africa?<br />
[20:13] <+Kylarus> Or even Australia?<br />
[20:13] <+FASA-Andrew> That leaves the possibility for Portals anywhere the campaign wants to put them :)<br />
[20:13] <+StevePerrin> I've always wondered about Ayers Rock.<br />
[20:13] <+Kylarus> Fair enough<br />
[20:13] <+FASA-Andrew> We're leaving the Portals to some extent as a Deep Mystery, so that the GM can play with them.<br />
[20:14] <+FASA-Andrew> There wasn't a rift inside the cow. The cow exploded because it walked into a portal carrying an Anunnaki artifact.<br />
[20:14] <+StevePerrin> Traveling through the Rabbit Hole can have incredible effects. One definitely changed the course of European History in the early 1900s.<br />
[20:15] <+FASA-Andrew> Ayers Rock is at the center of the Uluru Zone, which I talked about earlier. There's something major going on there, but we're saving that for a future sourcebook or adventure :)<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> Do the Horrors play any role in 1879?<br />
[20:16] <+StevePerrin> No. That's one reason why magic is simpler.<br />
[20:16] <+FASA-Andrew> (Link: http://www.fasagames.com/blog/?post_id=39&title=1879-line-developers-blog-entry-#7:-cow-pe-diem)http://www.fasagames.com/blog/?post_id=39&title=1879-line-developers-blog-entry-#7:-cow-pe-diem<br />
[20:16] <+FASA-Andrew> The Horrors may eventually be seen, but not in the initial game. That comes wit the tie-in to Earthfell.<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> And what is Earthfell, again?<br />
[20:17] <+FASA-Andrew> Essentially, 1879 takes the place in the timeline where Shadowrun used to be, starting much earlier in history of course, but the events of the 1879 product line preclude the events in Shadowrun, which is no longer a part of the FASA cosmology.<br />
[20:17] <+FASA-Andrew> Earthfell is another product line, still in development so I can't talk about it much.<br />
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[20:17] <+RKBrumbelow> If I want to put players into large scale encounters how suited is the miniature side for such and how difficult will the transition be for PCs to both affect and effect large scale situations using miniature rules?<br />
[20:18] <+FASA-Andrew> Basically, the timeline goes Earthdawn -> 1879 -> Earthfell<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> Ah, I see.<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> (Howdy, Silverlion!)<br />
[20:19] <+FASA-Andrew> Robert: We'll have a conversion table for CoreStep <-> U18 so that you can drop your player characters into the middle of a battle. Essentially, you use the U18 minis rules for the large scale combat, to play it out, and the RPG to play out individual character actions.<br />
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[20:19] <+FASA-Andrew> Like I said earlier, Catalyst is doing great things with Shadowrun, and FASA is not interested in pulling back the license. We're developing a new timeline instead.<br />
[20:21] <+FASA-Andrew> We're focusing on Earthdawn 4E right now, and 1879, and Fading Suns under license from Holistic. Once we have those product lines out and well established, then we'll be putting effort into some other new stuff.<br />
[20:21] <&Silverlion> What is Earthfell?<br />
[20:22] <+FASA-Andrew> Silverlion: You joined right after I talked about that :) It's another product line, a game that takes place after the 1879 era.<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> (He said he couldn't talk about that just before... yeah. :) )<br />
[20:22] <+FASA-Andrew> In the revised FASA cosmology, Shadowrun doesn't exist. We go from Earthdawn to 1879 to Earthfell.<br />
[20:23] <&Silverlion> I see.<br />
[20:23] <~Dan> I take it from your earlier statements that the South won the Civil War, or that it's still going on?<br />
[20:23] <+FASA-Andrew> You won't see Earthfell this year. Hang in there, it's coming, but we want to make sure we stay focused on the ED4 and 1879 lines for now.<br />
[20:24] <+RKBrumbelow> So is 1879 taking the place of the rumoured Earthdusk?<br />
[20:24] <+StevePerrin> The Civil War ended in an armistice because the South banned slavery and the Brits and French came in on their side.<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> Ah, I see.<br />
[20:24] <+FASA-Andrew> The Civil War ended in 1866, with an armistice. After Jefferson Davis died of a stroke, Alexander Stephens led the struggling Confederacy to do away with slavery, which won the Confederacy multiple new allies and did away with the Union's major cause for the War.<br />
[20:24] <+FASA-Andrew> Earthdusk - no. 1879 takes the place of Shadowrun.<br />
[20:24] <+Kasbak> Not so much a peaceful end as it just sort of ground to a halt.<br />
[20:25] <+StevePerrin> Exactly<br />
[20:25] <+FASA-Andrew> Yeah, pretty much. The Confederacy still exists, but it's a much different South than in our world.<br />
[20:25] <+FASA-Andrew> The Confederates were the ones who made the Giffard airship practical.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> What's the tech level like in the Confederacy and the Union?<br />
[20:26] <+StevePerrin> And they also perfected the submarine.<br />
[20:26] <+FASA-Andrew> Don't forget Brazil. The Brazilians were itching to get into the War after the Union sailed into a Brazilian port and took a Confederate ship that was at dock.<br />
[20:26] <+FASA-Andrew> The Confederacy has a higher tech level than the agricultural South o our world in the post war period. They survive partly by manufacturing war materiel.<br />
[20:27] <+FASA-Andrew> The Union is exhausted, still trying to recover and manage a much larger territory geographically speaking.<br />
[20:27] <+GenoFoxx> Americans perfect the 'wolf-pack'<br />
[20:27] <+FASA-Andrew> The tech level in both is a bit higher than our world, the steampunk dial being turned up to 6.<br />
[20:27] <+FASA-Andrew> Well, not the wolf pack so much as the harpoon torpedo<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> Are the Indian nations more powerful with the return of magic?<br />
[20:27] <+FASA-Andrew> The Hunley was successful i our game world<br />
[20:28] <+FASA-Andrew> We'll be addressing the issue of the Indian nations in the Americas sourcebook.DOn't want to give it all away tonight :)<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> Bah. Tell all! :)<br />
[20:28] <+RKBrumbelow> if Earthdawn is 2nd world, Earthdusk is 6th World and Earthfell is 8th world, what world is 1879? Or had the cosmology/ timeline changed to throw that previous model out the window?<br />
[20:28] <+FASA-Andrew> There is no Earthdusk.<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> Only Zool.<br />
[20:29] <+FASA-Andrew> Earthdawn is the Fourth World. 1879 is the 5th world leading into the 6th. Earthfell is the late 6th.<br />
[20:29] <+RKBrumbelow> Dan :: Is there Gozer?<br />
[20:29] <+GenoFoxx> and numenera is the 9th<br />
[20:29] <+FASA-Andrew> The cosmology has changed a bit, yes. The opening of the Rabbit Hole (the portal thatleads to the Gruv) set everything out of whack.<br />
[20:29] <+GenoFoxx> sorry<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> RKBrumbelow: :D<br />
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[20:30] <+FASA-Andrew> What I will say about the American West is that it's going to be quite a bit different.<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> Cool.<br />
[20:31] <+FASA-Andrew> If nothing else, Deseret got re-established. With a Mormon theocracy out where Utah would have been, the West is going to require some readjustment.<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> But a happier place!<br />
[20:31] <+FASA-Andrew> We're going to avoid redoing Dogs in the Vineyard, but the Desereti will have some major influence.<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> The Mormon, the merrier.<br />
[20:31] <+StevePerrin> Also. there was no Zulu war in SouthAfrica. The Zulus are British allies.<br />
[20:31] <+FASA-Andrew> If nothing else, Deseret has the copper mines.<br />
[20:32] <+FASA-Andrew> Oh yeah. It's better to have the Zulus on your side of the battlefield. No less terrifying, but better.<br />
[20:32] <+Kasbak> The Zulus are another source of gender equality. You simply do not tell a Zulu woman she cannot do a particular job.<br />
[20:32] <+RKBrumbelow> It sounds as though you all have done a substantial amount of work with the world building. I for one am excited to see it play out.<br />
[20:32] <+Kylarus> same here<br />
[20:32] <+FASA-Andrew> Cetshwayo gets beheaded by his brother during the Zulu civil war, and never takes the throne<br />
[20:32] <+RKBrumbelow> Kasbak :: not more than once anyway<br />
[20:33] <+FASA-Andrew> Isandlwana still happens but it's a rogue action by a rebellious prince, not the Zulu Nation itself attacking<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> So is there a chance for another world to be introduced, or is 1879 strictly Earth/Gruv?<br />
[20:33] <+FASA-Andrew> Blog post on Isandlwana goes up on 2/18/14<br />
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[20:33] <+RKBrumbelow> (Link: http://www.fasagames.com/blog/?category=1879)http://www.fasagames.com/blog/?category=1879<br />
[20:33] <+FASA-Andrew> We've got two worlds already. Once we et those both thoroughly documented, then we'll think about others. There will, however, be crossovers.<br />
[20:34] <+FASA-Andrew> Thanks Robert<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Oh? Interesting.<br />
[20:34] <+Ashcat> Crossovers?<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> (Howdy, LW!)<br />
[20:34] <+FASA-Andrew> Ever hear of Demonworld?<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> The name sounds vaguely familiar... A fantasy game, isn't it?<br />
[20:34] <+RKBrumbelow> FASA-Andrew :: every tiem I visited my inlaws<br />
[20:34] <+FASA-Andrew> heh<br />
[20:34] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[20:35] <+FASA-Andrew> Yes, Demonworld is a fantasy wargame from Germany. FASA has the English language rights for it. We're bringing out a roleplaying game for Demonworld, same basic premise as 1879, paired minis / rpg product line.<br />
[20:35] <+RKBrumbelow> Sweet<br />
[20:36] <+RKBrumbelow> Is FASA-Andrew doing the art for it?<br />
[20:36] <+StevePerrin> And strangely, there is one race that is strangely similar to those in the other world.<br />
[20:36] <+FASA-Andrew> How'd you like to take a high fantasy army from a world plagued by demons up against an army of Weird Science using Akkadians with technological undead that can't be turned by a priest and anti-gravity sky chariots?<br />
[20:36] <+FASA-Andrew> Me/ Art? Heh. I can't draw stick people.<br />
[20:36] <+FASA-Andrew> Oh yeah, we do love our lizard folk at FASA<br />
[20:37] <+FASA-Andrew> Which hints at the question earlier about other portals<br />
[20:37] <+FASA-Andrew> which is to some extent explained in the 1879 GM's Guide, but left to the GM as to how to implement it (if at all)<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> Oh, yes! Demonworld is the setting in which dwarves can live on rocks, right?<br />
[20:38] <+FASA-Andrew> Here's some pics of the 1879 minis on G+: (Link: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/108679603359401766945/photos/108679603359401766945/albums/5972910629964394673)https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/108679603359401766945/photos/108679603359401766945/albums/5972910629964394673<br />
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[20:39] <+FASA-Andrew> Dan: Yeah, kind of like that. Demonworld's dwarves are more like the German fairy tale kobolds, people of the Earth, than the traditional Lord of the Rings dwarves<br />
[20:39] <+FASA-Andrew> What have I not addressed?<br />
[20:39] <+RKBrumbelow> Is there an intrinsic velocity to fundamental magic? Meaning how fast will someone's non 'natural' powers take to develop on a new world as the power from their own bleeds over? Or is magic ubiquitous enough that this would not be a problem?<br />
[20:39] <+Nahor> Since Ral Partha is doing the minis, will they be the metal kind you paint and do up yourself, or will there be a release of pre-painted plastic/rubber minis like TSR/WOTC has done in the past?<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> I did see Demonworld on your website, but I didn't see that you're doing an RPG. I thought it was just going to be an English-language version of the wargame. Cool.<br />
[20:40] <+FASA-Andrew> That's a complicated one, Robert. Let's say this: Having power does not grant control over it. If someone gave you a Maserati, it would take you a while to learn to drive it safely at high speeds.<br />
[20:40] <+FASA-Andrew> Nahor: They're metal, with metal bases.<br />
[20:41] <+FASA-Andrew> We're thinking about doing a supplement to the 1879 minis game on priming and painting, a sort of newbie's guide to minis.<br />
[20:41] <+StevePerrin> Initially, all a Victorian magician has is the magic rituals he has been using unsuccessfully until 1877.<br />
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[20:42] <+FASA-Andrew> Some new magical traditions also appear. The Galvanic Order, for example, is the result of Victoria scientists examining what they consider to be a previously unknown natural force.<br />
[20:42] <+Nahor> Will Crowley and all the victorian occultists be pulled into play in 1879? I know Gaiman used a few in the Sandman as did Hellblazer. I always found it cool.<br />
[20:43] <+StevePerrin> They are, of course, available to the GM.<br />
[20:43] <+FASA-Andrew> Nahor: We're already pulling in Helena Blavatsky. Some of the occultists associated with the Victorian era are a bit later than our period just yet. We will be advancing the gamemetaplot year by year just like FASA has done with Earthdawn.<br />
[20:43] <+FASA-Andrew> We'll be adding more historical figures to the timeline and the game as they become available.<br />
[20:43] <+Nahor> cool. :) Any mention of hte Boor wars too since IIRC that is about that time period too, might be after.<br />
[20:44] <+FASA-Andrew> Some historical figures will not be available due to changes in the timeline.<br />
[20:44] <+Nahor> Breaker Morant is one of my fav films. ;)<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> When it comes to Big Bads, Earthdawn has the Horrors. Is there any objectively eeeeeevil force at play in 1879, or is it all morally gray?<br />
[20:44] <+Nahor> Makes sense<br />
[20:44] <+FASA-Andrew> Nahor: Oh yeah. The Boer Wars are just months away when the game begins. The Transvaal and the Orange Republic are both powderkegs just waiting for a spark.<br />
[20:44] <+StevePerrin> Boer wars are 20 years in the future. Of course, the Brits and Boers were not on the best of terms in 1879, either.<br />
[20:45] <+FASA-Andrew> Dan: There's nothing right off that is Absolutely Evil. Even the invae, from Earthdawn, aren't evil, they're just hungry.<br />
[20:45] <+Nahor> Sweet. It's a great period since a lot of colonial turmoil in africa was going on.<br />
[20:45] <+FASA-Andrew> Yeah, we're looking at touching off the Boer Wars maybe a little early, since the Zulus became a protectorate of the British Empire<br />
[20:45] <+StevePerrin> And the colonial conflicts are going to be very different with the Brit concentration onthe Gruv.<br />
[20:46] <+Nahor> @Steve there were 2 boer wars one in 1880-1881 and then 1899-1902. :)<br />
[20:46] <+Nahor> Cool.<br />
[20:46] <+FASA-Andrew> There's some very nasty people out there, and we've got a Secret Order Bent On World Domination<br />
[20:46] <+FASA-Andrew> because the Pulp dial is set at 6, and we have to have a mustache twirler in there somewhere<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> Excellent. :)<br />
[20:46] <+RKBrumbelow> I think this has been answered previously, but what is the scale of the miniatures again?<br />
[20:47] <+FASA-Andrew> If I recall correctly, they're 54mm. Mark or Steve, can you keep me honest here?<br />
[20:48] <+FASA-Andrew> Sorry, I'm more of a world builder than a minis guy myself, and I have people on my team that know a lot more about minis than I do<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> Do any real-world technologies like the water-cooled machinegun show up earlier in 1879, or is it all Weird Science?<br />
[20:48] <+FASA-Andrew> Dan: The Gatling and a few others do show up. They're not widel adopted as of 1879 because of military policy and technological issues<br />
[20:49] <+FASA-Andrew> Water cooled guns are touchy, cantankerous things to try and carry into a new world and a hostile environment<br />
[20:49] <+FASA-MarkStout> They are 15mm scale<br />
[20:49] <+FASA-MarkStout> 18mm technically<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Well, the Gatling was already around by then, IIRC. Are they steam Gatlings by 1879?<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Or electric?<br />
[20:49] <+RKBrumbelow> "Heroic 15mm" ? ;)<br />
[20:49] <+FASA-Andrew> Weird Science is the exception rather than the rule for the Earth folks. The Samsut use Weird Science as their primary technology because of their past.<br />
[20:49] <+StevePerrin> Doctrine is mostly still that if you give soldiers rapid firing weapons they will waste ammunition.<br />
[20:50] <+FASA-Andrew> You'll be seeing steam powered and electrically powered heavy guns both, actually. But what Steve said - military policy fought against automatic weaponry<br />
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[20:50] <~Dan> (Howdy, Catseye!)<br />
[20:50] <+FASA-Andrew> The Brits in our game world are more about making every shot count than spraying the enemy down<br />
[20:50] <+StevePerrin> This is very true, actually. However, the plus side of getting a lot of metal out there eventually persuaded the Powers That Be that wasting ammunition was OK<br />
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[20:50] <+Catseye> hi<br />
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[20:51] <+FASA-Andrew> And then we have the Molecrab Gun. It comes with a bolt gun that's used for securing the main piece.<br />
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[20:51] <~Dan> Are there massive dreadnought battleships?<br />
[20:51] <+StevePerrin> Only on Earth. Hard to fit a dreadnaught through the Rabbit Hole.<br />
[20:51] <+FASA-Andrew> There are massive battleships on Earth. There are no battleships on the Gruv, yet.<br />
[20:52] <+FASA-Andrew> Also, deep water sailing on the Gruv is problematic. The aquatic Saurids regard it as a territorial violation.<br />
[20:52] <+StevePerrin> And of course the dreadnaught was actually an early 1900s development.<br />
[20:52] <+FASA-Andrew> Let me drop one bit here, as we're getting close to the our.<br />
[20:52] <+FASA-Andrew> Hour.<br />
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[20:52] <+StevePerrin> It's OK Andrew, once you get enough Saurids interested in sailor suits there won't be any problem...<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Sure. In fact, I was just about to ask you if there's anything you'd like to cover that we haven't already.<br />
[20:53] <+FASA-Andrew> The Ottoman Empire will have a similar place in our game world that Japan had in the post WWII period in this world - good at taking other people's ideas, improving them, and putting them together in new ways.<br />
[20:54] <+FASA-Andrew> When the Ottoman sourcebook comes out, you'll see what happens when the Ottomans take British micro steam technology, put it together with Prussian electrical power, and throw in some ex-Confederate engineers. What they came up with halted the Cossacks.<br />
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[20:54] <+FASA-Andrew> And that, once it's out, should satisfy the people who want to see steampunk on the large scale.<br />
[20:55] <+FASA-Andrew> Yeah, problem being with putting Saurids in the navy is that the land dwelling Saurids and the aquatics aren't on the best of terms...<br />
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[20:55] <+FASA-Andrew> The land dwelling Saurids stick to the shallower waters when crossing the Straits of Darwin between the Grosvenor Land and their own continent.<br />
[20:56] <+FASA-Andrew> Any last questions before the formal Q&A ends?<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Can you recap the scope of the bestiary? You've mentioned dinosaurs, giant insects, mammalian megafauna, and weird creations of the past, right?<br />
[20:57] <+StevePerrin> Lots of plant monsters<br />
[20:57] <+FASA-Andrew> The Bestiary chapter right now has 47 creatures in it.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Not too shabby.<br />
[20:57] <+RKBrumbelow> Cushaws?<br />
[20:58] <+FASA-Andrew> What Steve said. We're making the plants more dangerous than the animals, and the day more dangerous than the night, which totally messes with human instinct.s<br />
[20:58] <+FASA-Andrew> Heh. No cushaws yet. I may have to work in a joke about them.<br />
[20:58] <+RKBrumbelow> Cushaws have 'tude' you taught me that<br />
[20:58] <+FASA-Andrew> There's also some stuff in the Bestiary that Lady Jennings threw up her hands over and said "No Acceptable Taxonomy"<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> Anyone else want to get a question "on the record" before I log the chat? :)<br />
[20:59] <+RKBrumbelow> I would like to thank Andrew, the FASA enclave and RPG.net for getting all this together<br />
[20:59] <+FASA-Andrew> There is some evidecne that someone, long ago, may have been using the Gruv as an area for biological weapons development...<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> (As I mentioned, you guys are more than welcome to continue to hang out with us. :) )<br />
[20:59] <+Nahor> Thank you!<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> (Well, technically, RPG.net had nothing to do with this. #rpgnet is a separate animal these days. But thanks! :) )<br />
[20:59] <+FASA-Andrew> and with that, thank you all for attending, and I hope that my team and I have been at least mildly entertaining<br />
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[20:59] <~Dan> And yes, you guys have been great!<br />
[20:59] <+Kylarus> Thanks for the info!<br />
[20:59] <+StevePerrin> I think I smell dinner (I'm on the West Coast). Bye all.<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> Bye, Steve!<br />
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[21:00] <+FASA-Andrew> Thank you to Steve Perrin, Mark Stout, Nick Wedig, Brad Decker, and Todd Bogenrief especially<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Andrew, I'll go log the chat and get you the link.<br />
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[21:00] <~Dan> And all of you who showed up for the Q&A, I hope you'll stick around and hang out with us in the future!<br />
[21:00] <+Kasbak> Not a problem Andrew, happy to help where ever possible.<br />
[21:00] <+FASA-Andrew> Thansk Dan. I'll post the link on FASA's G+, FB, and Twitter accounts in the morning<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-58550872622188830682014-02-04T19:15:00.002-08:002014-02-07T12:54:31.166-08:00[Q&A] Jarrett Crippen, a.k.a. The Defuser from "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" Season 2[19:10] <+Defuser> I am Jarrett Crippen, also known as The Defuser, from Stan Lee's "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" reality show.<br />
[19:11] <+Defuser> I'm also the founder of SCARE for a CURE, a multifaceted charity that puts on an extreme haunted (rpg style) adventure and also a full on event each spring called Quest Night<br />
[19:12] <+Defuser> oh...and I'm a 21 yr veteran of the Austin Police Dept., been a detective for about 13 yrs. Im an interview and interrogation specialist.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:12] <+Defuser> done!<br />
[19:12] <+Defuser> I think<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Thanks, Jarret!<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions. I'll start with one of my own...<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Let's start with the basics: Can you tell us a bit about what led to you getting on "Superhero"?<br />
[19:13] <+Defuser> I've always been a comicbook geek, I have about 12,000 in my collection. When a buddy of mine saw season 1 of WWTBASH he insisted I audition. After much discussion, I did.<br />
[19:14] <+Defuser> done<br />
[19:14] <~Dan> How did your fellow officers react?<br />
[19:15] <+Defuser> At first, it was pretty negative...as a lot of cops can be jerks. and there was a lot of razzing, even from my friends. But once it got around that I was preparing an entire superhero like "DARE" campaign, they slacked off a bit. Then, once I actually got on the show, it got a little quieter.<br />
[19:16] <+Defuser> Once I won, and made good on my promise to create a program around it, all but the biggest jerks shut up. My program was called "Being a Hero in your Community"<br />
[19:16] <+Defuser> done<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> Very cool. :)<br />
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[19:17] *** Topic on #rpgnet is: #rpgnet welcomes Jarret "The Defuser" Crippen 02/04/2013 7:00 p.m. CST! || Q&A schedule: (Link: http://tinyurl.com/rpgnetschedule)http://tinyurl.com/rpgnetschedule || Q&A logs: (Link: http://gmshoe.blogspot.com)http://gmshoe.blogspot.com<br />
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[19:17] <~Dan> Whoops. Sorry about that.<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> (Howdy, Sil!)<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> How do you balance your work as a detective with the con circuit and so forth?<br />
[19:18] <+Defuser> It's not easy. But I've been lucky that my chain of command recognizes the support I give the community. I burn a lot of my "vacation" time to do what I do.<br />
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[19:18] <+Defuser> Cons, SCARE, APD, family, etc...<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> (Howdy, Serami!)<br />
[19:19] <~Dan> Now, did you get involved with SCARE after winning "Superhero"?<br />
[19:20] <+Defuser> I've always been that odd neighborhood guy who over does it during Christmas and Halloween. I founded SCARE in 2005 after my "home haunt" was so big, they had to shut down my subdivision.<br />
[19:20] <+Geek2theRight> They what???<br />
[19:20] <+Defuser> Since the first year of SCARE and WWTBASH coincided, it helped to promote both adventures.<br />
[19:21] <+Defuser> Traffic for my home haunt was so bad, they had to hire constables to direct traffic<br />
[19:21] <+GenoFoxx> how has being the subject of a comic book been?<br />
[19:21] <+Defuser> And they diverted people away<br />
[19:21] <+Geek2theRight> Oh, okay. That makes more sense. lol<br />
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[19:22] <+GenoFoxx> and how many issues are there?<br />
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[19:22] <~Dan> (Welcome, Henghyoke, and wb, jtbullet!)<br />
[19:22] <+Defuser> For a comic geek to get his own professional done comic, it was pretty freaking amazing...<br />
[19:22] <&Silverlion> (Missed the start..so lurking)<br />
[19:22] <+Defuser> Just one issue. :-(<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> (Sil: I'll copy/paste.)<br />
[19:23] <+Defuser> There are several FAN spawned issues out there, some are pretty good.<br />
[19:23] <+Defuser> But copyright prevents us from going further<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> How do you feel about "Lightning Strikes", and have you had any other movie offers?<br />
[19:24] <&Silverlion> Awesome to hear, I like your charity.<br />
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[19:25] <+Defuser> LOL! LS was pretty damn fun. I got to live in Bulgaria for a month and spend most days with Kevin Sorbo. Super nice guy. The entire experience was amazing. They treated me like a real actor. And yes, I've had 2 other offers, but due to my day job, I had to decline. Even with the support I have, being gone for 6 weeks is a bit much.<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> Hey, that's cool that you got the offers!<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> Can you say anything about those, or is there an NDA involved?<br />
[19:26] <+Defuser> Ya, one was from the same director as LS, the other was from one of the producers from WWTBASH who was doing a medium budget film.<br />
[19:27] <+Defuser> In the first one, I would have costarred with Luke Perry! Hehehehe...<br />
[19:27] <&Silverlion> How was your experience with the the Who wants to be a superhero TV show?<br />
[19:27] <+Defuser> WWTBASH was a mixed bag...<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> I confess that I only saw a bit of LS, but from what I saw, you did a great job. :) And I think you definitely got a better deal than poor Feedback did...<br />
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[19:28] <+Defuser> While the overall experience was worth it, there were times where I wanted to punch people in the face. What you saw on TV what NOT what we experienced. The editing was WAY over the top.<br />
[19:28] <+Defuser> Much was complete fiction.<br />
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[19:28] <~Dan> Can you give an example of the fiction?<br />
[19:29] <+Defuser> Sure...<br />
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[19:29] <+Defuser> In Ep2, they took footage from a conversation I had with Whipsnap and an argument that Ms. Limelight had with Mr. Mitzva and made it look like she was yelling at me and I was mocking her back.<br />
[19:30] <+Defuser> In fact Whipsnap and I were joking around..it was a mess.<br />
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[19:30] <~Dan> Wow. O.o<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> That's pretty sleazy.<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> I imagine that's pretty common in reality shows, though.<br />
[19:30] <&Editor> Ugh. Reality TV<br />
[19:31] <+Defuser> There were challenges that some heroes completely failed or even refused to do, but they made it look like they won or at least finished the challenge so it was more of a even race<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> Man... That had to have been maddening to watch after the fact.<br />
[19:31] <+Defuser> The NDA/Contract actually stated: "The producers and directors of the "show" will intentionally misrepresent you, your actions and your behaviors"<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> Dang...<br />
[19:32] <+Defuser> Ya!<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> Well, at least they told you beforehand, I guess...<br />
[19:32] <+Defuser> The night before, when we were already there in LA<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> Oh. Heh.<br />
[19:33] <+Defuser> You've already committed...<br />
[19:33] <~Dan> Um... Well, better late than never...? :)<br />
[19:33] <+Defuser> But it did lead me to meet one of my heroes, Stan Lee.<br />
[19:33] <~Dan> Yes, that was my next question: How much interaction did you actually have with the Man?<br />
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[19:34] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!(<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> )<br />
[19:34] <+Defuser> During the show, virtually none. But since about 2010 I see and work with Stan about once a month.<br />
[19:34] <+Defuser> I do a majority of his public speaking/con/Q&A moderating<br />
[19:35] <+Defuser> He's actually pretty deaf. I mean, he IS 91 years old!<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> Is that any kind of formal arrangement?<br />
[19:37] <+Defuser> No, but it's nice that he requests me when we are at shows together.<br />
[19:37] <~Dan> Very cool. :)<br />
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[19:37] <+Defuser> And he invites me to his con; Comikazee Con in LA<br />
[19:37] <~Dan> Does Feedback make it to that as well?<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> (Feedback being the season 1 winner, for those unfamiliar with the show.)<br />
[19:38] <+Defuser> He did this past year, because we organized a WWTBASH reunion, but Matt gave up doing Cons back in 2009<br />
[19:38] <+Defuser> Matt is Feedback<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Really? That's a shame. I met him at GenCon years ago. He was a remarkably cool guy. Very humble.<br />
[19:39] <+Defuser> We did GenCon 2008 together, it was pretty awesome<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Speaking of which, will you be at GenCon this year?<br />
[19:40] <+Defuser> unfortunately no. During that time I'm need deep in preparing for SCARE for a CURE.<br />
[19:40] <+Defuser> I've love to go again...<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> Well, darn. I was looking forward to talking to you in person again. We met in Dallas at... Wizard World, I think it was?<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> Along with my wife, Lisa.<br />
[19:40] <+Defuser> I was honored in 2008 to be an official DM for the Tower of Gygax in celebration of Gary's life and D&D co-creation<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> Oh, that's quite an honor!<br />
[19:41] <+Defuser> I know!<br />
[19:41] <+Defuser> 24 hours of old school D&D<br />
[19:41] <+Defuser> It was pretty damn cool. Exhausting...but damn cool<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> I'll bet!<br />
[19:42] <+Defuser> Got to DM with Keith Baker who created Ebboron setting<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Keith... I need to get him in here for a Q&A....<br />
[19:42] <+Defuser> Damn nice guy<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Speaking of gaming, you mentioned an RPG aspect to SCARE?<br />
[19:42] <+Defuser> Lived here in Austin for a while then moved back to Seattle or Portland I believe.<br />
[19:43] <+Defuser> Oh yes.<br />
[19:43] <+Defuser> SCARE itself is unlike any other haunt. You go through in a team, interact, solve puzzles, climb, crawl, evade...<br />
[19:43] <&Editor> So what's your favorite game?<br />
[19:43] <+Defuser> You come out covered head to toe in bloody goo!<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> That sounds awesome. :)<br />
[19:44] <+Defuser> Quest night is even more rpg like. It IS an rpg in ever sense of the word. You are place in the physical environment<br />
[19:45] <+Defuser> *Fave game....hmmmm.. right now, XCOM or Skyrim. Of all time, probably Baldur's Gate 2<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> What about tabletop RPGs?<br />
[19:45] <+Defuser> D&D 2.5<br />
[19:46] <+Defuser> Some old school Traveller<br />
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[19:46] <~Dan> Interesting... What RPG was your intro to the hobby?<br />
[19:47] <&Editor> Awesome<br />
[19:47] <+Defuser> D&D Basic Set circa 1983<br />
[19:47] <+Defuser> I still have the dice!<br />
[19:48] <+Defuser> Can't forget GURPS/Champions too!<br />
[19:48] <+Defuser> haven't played that in years.<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> Hey, cool! I wish I did. Unfortunately, I fell prey to the Satanic Panic.<br />
[19:48] <+Defuser> I'm old<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> Speaking of Champions, is that your go-to superhero RPG?<br />
[19:49] <+Defuser> Not for many years. I totally got into City of Heroes, online rpg, obsessively so.<br />
[19:49] <+Defuser> It was bad.<br />
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[19:49] <&Editor> <--City of Heroes fan<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> (wb, jtbullet!)<br />
[19:50] <+Defuser> Champion server!<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> Actually, Eden Studios, makers of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG, had a City of Heroes RPG in the works for a while. Fell through, sadly.<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> I played a game of it at... GenCon '05, I think.<br />
[19:50] <+Defuser> Heard about that...ya, bummer.<br />
[19:51] <+Defuser> Card game too from somewhere...<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> Was there? I didn't hear about that. Not very surprising, though -- I'm not much of a card game guy.<br />
[19:51] <&Editor> I had alts everywhere...Virtue and Freedom first, but Champion, I had one or three<br />
[19:51] <+Defuser> My son was into them so I was trying to find common gaming ground.<br />
[19:51] <+Defuser> :-)<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> Heh. Very cool. :)<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> (Man... How many kids can say that their dad's a superhero? :) )<br />
[19:52] <+Defuser> And a big dork!<br />
[19:52] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:53] <+Defuser> My mom used to say I was the biggest (literal) nerd in my highschool<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> Do any of your fellow officers share any of your interests, or is there a bright line drawn between work life and hobby life?<br />
[19:53] <+Defuser> My buddies played football, I was on the chess team. LOL!<br />
[19:53] <+Defuser> Oh sure!<br />
[19:53] * ~Dan imagines this enormous guy hunched over a chess board... :D<br />
[19:53] <+Defuser> Tons of cops play RPGs, video games, comics, etc...<br />
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[19:54] <~Dan> I suppose that's true. I actually had a cop in one of my RPG groups, as it happens.<br />
[19:54] <+Defuser> We even have a D&D group going from multiple local agencies...6 years running.<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> I'll be darned. That's pretty cool. :)<br />
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[19:54] <~Dan> (Howdy, Ettin!)<br />
[19:55] <+Defuser> It almost fell apart when the 4th ed rules came out<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> I recall that the cop in our group invariably played a gung-ho type... Is there any sort of trend like that you can see in your cop-based RPG groups?<br />
[19:58] <+Defuser> Most cops I know play bad guys, or a rogue type. I LOVE to play the hard core Paladin. Totally over the top goodness<br />
[19:58] <+Defuser> when I say badguy, I mean a Wolverine mentality. Break all the rules type of hero.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Heh. Venting a bit of steam, are they? :)<br />
[20:00] <+Defuser> Ya...pretty funny.<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> And yeah, having seen you as the Defuser, I bet you play a mean (figuratively speaking) paladin. :)<br />
[20:00] <+Defuser> Like I said, over the top holier than thow!<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> :)<br />
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[20:01] <~Dan> Is that a running theme with your characters? Or do you play a variety of character types?<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> (You seem like the Big Damn Hero type. :) )<br />
[20:02] <+Defuser> A variety. Usually whatever is needed. But to give an example, I never enjoyed playing City of Villians, or playing a real bad guy in any game. Just not my nature. I've tried.<br />
[20:03] <+Defuser> For a while, I played a Cleric that wouldn't heal you unless you promised him a favor, ala Godfather style.<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> Yeah, same here. I have a hard time even pulling off an anti-hero.<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> Heh. That's kinda funny. I like that. :)<br />
[20:03] <&Editor> My "main" villain was basically a hero on the wrong side of the tracks--swapped sides as soon as possible (since they didn't have stalkers blue side)<br />
[20:04] <+Defuser> My main villain was Lil Buni Foofoo<br />
[20:04] * ~Dan laughs<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> What was his(?) story?<br />
[20:06] <+Defuser> He was a BRUTE, but didn't want to be. He just wanted to own a flower shop.<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> Heh. Sounds like Hightower from "Police Academy". :D<br />
[20:07] <+Defuser> Exactly! 2 points!<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> Go me!!<br />
[20:08] * ~Dan high-fives the Defuser!<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> So let's go back to SCARE and Quest Night for a moment... Can you describe the "rules" for them a bit?<br />
[20:10] <+Defuser> Quest night is the more interesting...<br />
[20:11] <+Defuser> We have built a 80,000 sq ft adventure. Takes about 2 hours to get through<br />
[20:11] <+Defuser> You either bring, or we put you in a party of 5 or 6. Preferably 6. you can pick Warrior, Mage, Rogue or Cleric, we outfit you with specific equipement for your class<br />
[20:12] * +Jetrauben ponders<br />
[20:12] <+Defuser> You then go through "training" Combat is via large custom built 8' dice tables and giant foam D20's and D6'd<br />
[20:13] <+Defuser> once you are comfortable with our combat system, which is very similar to 1st edition D&D but VERY dumbed down, you are off into the adventure.<br />
[20:13] <+Defuser> You are physically IN the adventure in every way...buildings, swamps, creeks, tunnels,<br />
[20:14] <+Defuser> The only "not real" is combat. If there is a puzzle, the ceiling might really be dropping on you. The treasure chest might explode in a poison gas (last year a guy vomited)<br />
[20:15] <+Defuser> We make it as REAL as we possibly can. Similar to TRUE DUNGEON but even more so. You have to climb, crawl, slide, swing, dodge...<br />
[20:16] <+Defuser> You can learn more at (Link: http://www.scareforacure.org/QN/qn.html)http://www.scareforacure.org/QN/qn.html<br />
[20:16] <+Defuser> It's all to raise money for charity. You can buy magic tokens, healing potions, etc...<br />
[20:16] <+Defuser> done<br />
[20:16] <~Dan> Huh. That's an interesting idea...<br />
[20:17] <+GenoFoxx> heh, if you can dodge dragonfire.....you can dodge a ball<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> I mean, the whole thing is an interesting idea, but buying "magic" goods with the profits going to charity. Cool.<br />
[20:17] <+Defuser> I created it with the iphone app model in mind. Most "powerups" are 1$<br />
[20:18] <+Defuser> The most expensive thing is a Resurrection scroll 10$<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> So does the action "pause" for dice-rolling to resolve combat?<br />
[20:19] <+Defuser> Yes, the monsters will jump out at you and then the GM hits a flood light, over the hidden gaming table and yells: COMBAT! The mobs line up at one end of the table and the players the other. It is a fast and furious type of combat with much mockery on each side.<br />
[20:19] <+Defuser> My actors get awards for the most creative deaths.<br />
[20:19] <+Defuser> when the mobs are slain, the last one drops a small canvas pouch on the table with is their treasure. Gold pieces, magic tokens, etc...<br />
[20:20] <+Defuser> They can spend their money in game at specific points, or it can be saved and transferred, with all equipment and belongings to the following seasons adventure.<br />
[20:21] <+Defuser> We only had one real injury last year when a guy got spooked, spun around and ran straight into a Mindflayer who was sneaking up behind the group.<br />
[20:21] <+Defuser> Bloodied his nose...not bad<br />
[20:21] <+Defuser> But it felt very REAL!<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> For a run-in with a mindflayer? Yeah, he got off easy. :)<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> How do you resolve spellcasting?<br />
[20:22] <+Defuser> When a group takes too long at combat, the Mindflayer sneaks up and steals hit points.<br />
[20:22] <+Defuser> Very proud of our magic system.<br />
[20:23] <+Defuser> 12 spells. Each mage gets to start lvl 1 with 2 spells, and then gets one more spell at each level. OR....can buy as many spells as he wants. Very basic spells, Flame, Crush, Lockpick, Light, Strength<br />
[20:24] <+Defuser> The mage gets a spell book, and draws out a card like representation of the spell, then "plays" the spell. The GM returns it after combat is resolved.<br />
[20:25] <+Defuser> The GM has a computer tablet, with a digital sound board. This creates some awesome sounds when players attack, cast a spell, roll a 1, etc...<br />
[20:25] <+Defuser> done<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> Impressive!<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> Is there any allowance for the abilities of the character as opposed to the player? For example, do Rogues get any perks when "lockpicking" or the like?<br />
[20:28] <+Defuser> Only rogues can lockpick as an ability. using the ability is 100% successful. The whole event is timed by each station. There is always something chasing you to keep you moving.<br />
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[20:29] <+Defuser> Each class has a special ability. Clerics have 2. It was my way of "beefing" them up to make them more appealing<br />
[20:30] <+Defuser> A cleric can either heal, attack with mace or, cast DIVINE GRACE which allows one player, once per combat, to "do-over"<br />
[20:30] <+Defuser> done<br />
[20:31] <+Defuser> hehehe...this is very physical too. A lot of gamers get winded...<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> I'll bet. :)<br />
[20:31] <+Defuser> But they come back for more!<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> How does SCARE differ, rules-wise?<br />
[20:31] <+Defuser> total immersion for 2 hours.<br />
[20:32] <+Defuser> SCARE is an extreme haunted adventure...<br />
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[20:33] <~Dan> (Howdy, BPIJonathan!)<br />
[20:33] <+Defuser> Groups of 5 or 6 enter together, get the story from in-game NPC's and then off they go. The big difference is that SCARE is scarier, more elaborate FX, takes about 45 min-hour. You get covered in blood and gore.<br />
[20:33] <+BPIJonathan> (I just remembered the chat, figured I would catch the end)<br />
[20:33] <+Defuser> We don't use blood for QN because a lot of folks wear their Renn style garb.<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Yeah, that could get ugly.<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Literally.<br />
[20:34] <+GenoFoxx> QN?<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> (Quest Night.)<br />
[20:34] <+Defuser> In SCARE, it's pretty linear, go here, open this, find key, unlock door, talk to npc, get clue, use clue to stop the ritual, escape alive.<br />
[20:34] <+Bigby> Is SCARE also RPG style, or is it more a straight up haunted house?<br />
[20:35] <+Defuser> A mix of both.<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> (brb -- please continue)<br />
[20:35] <+Defuser> In SCARE you do have to actually interact with npc's, interview, find clues, etc...<br />
[20:35] <+Defuser> We usually have a win/lose scenario for both events.<br />
[20:37] <+Defuser> (Link: http://www.scareforacure.org/QN/faq.html)http://www.scareforacure.org/QN/faq.html for info on Quest Night<br />
[20:37] <+Defuser> (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZhHPIzwPHw)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZhHPIzwPHw for last years into video<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> (back)<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> Does SCARE feature combat as well?<br />
[20:38] <+Defuser> No.<br />
[20:39] <+Defuser> Nor does SCARE create or track any stats. Quest Night does. Stats, gold and equipment carry over to the next year/adventure<br />
[20:39] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> I'm assuming that both are totally different each year?<br />
[20:39] <+Defuser> Most SCARE customers are usually just extreme haunters. Quest Night players are RPGers.<br />
[20:40] <+Defuser> Yes, totally different. But QN adventures are linked, meaning they are all part of an ongoing story. This year is Hunt for the Lich King.<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> Oh, that's a nice touch.<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> Can you give us some idea of the logistics that go into putting these events on?<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> I know from following you on FB that it's quite an undertaking.<br />
[20:41] <+Defuser> Last year was episode 1, Glory & Gold where they found, and fought the lich king, but only banished him. This year they track him down again to do battle and hopefully kill him.<br />
[20:42] <+Defuser> Logistics...<br />
[20:42] <+Defuser> SCARE: 1500 volunteers, 26 managers, 10 acres, 2 month BUILD, 12 night RUNS, $30,000 budget<br />
[20:43] <+Defuser> SCARE and QN both are 100% volunteer organizations. No one gets paid but our charities. The Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas.<br />
[20:43] <+Defuser> SCARE: each nights cast is about 100 actors and 25 support/backstage/tech staff<br />
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[20:44] <+Defuser> Quest Night: 100 volunteers, 50 actors, 15+ support/backstage/tech staff, $5000 budget 3 week BUILD, 2 weekend RUN nights<br />
[20:45] <+Defuser> I put in about 2000 hrs per year. My managers put in at least 1000.<br />
[20:45] <+Defuser> done<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> Wow. That's a bigger undertaking than I thought!<br />
[20:46] <+Defuser> To date, we've given over $100,000 to charity<br />
[20:46] <+Defuser> And mentored over 200 young people<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> How long did it take you to get these events organized initially?<br />
[20:46] <+Defuser> We have training programs; makeup, special fx, acting, etc...<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> And congratulations on that impressive total!<br />
[20:47] <+Defuser> I started planning in Jan of 2006, we started in spring of 2007.<br />
[20:47] <+Defuser> Now...we don't ever stop planning. There is no "off" season anymore<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> Yeah, I don't see how there could be.<br />
[20:47] <+Defuser> Gotta get my game on!<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:48] <+Defuser> I retire in 2 years, I want to do Quest Night twice per year, at least.<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> Have you given any thought to organizing offshoots of either event in other cities?<br />
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[20:49] <+Defuser> Don't see how we could. You have to have someone willing to donate so much time and effort, for NO pay.<br />
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[20:49] <~Dan> Very true.<br />
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[20:49] <~Dan> (wb, Wondy!)<br />
[20:50] <+Defuser> About time to feed my dog...(or so he says...) :-)<br />
[20:51] <+Defuser> I appreciate the opportunity to talk about SCARE and Quest Night!<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> No problem! I was about to mention that you're welcome to hang out with us as long as you like, but sounds like your dog as thoughts on the matter. :)<br />
[20:51] <+Defuser> He's staring at me. And he weights 180 pounds...<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> You're very welcome! Let me just add that you are always welcome to hang out with us, whether to discuss your projects or just to hang out. :)<br />
[20:52] <+Defuser> If anyone has any questions about SCARE or QN please just look me up on Facebook!<br />
[20:52] <+Defuser> Thanks Dan and team! Keep gaming alive!<br />
[20:52] <+technoshaman> hi all<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> Will do! Have a great evening!<br />
[20:52] <+Defuser> Bring on those next generations!<br />
[20:52] <+Defuser> Night all! :-)Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-8568172674166599642014-01-31T20:33:00.001-08:002014-02-07T12:55:17.853-08:00[Q&A] Bob Whitely (Cosmothea)[20:04] <+Bob> Hi all, my name is Bob Whitely. I formed QT Games LLC to publish creative projects, including my Cosmothea Blended-Genre Roleplaying Game, the Cosmoverse Campaign Setting, novels, anthologies, as well as a few board and card games, of which I’ve made many over the years.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[20:04] <+sync> Abstruse: Oh brill thanks mate......that helps a lot :)<br />
[20:04] <+Bob> As for Cosmothea, it is multi-genre rpg (or blended-genre as I prefer to call it, since I feel it is more applicable). The game uses multiple resolution systems (2D10, 1D20 and a diceless system I devised), skill-based actions, including combat and social conflict systems.<br />
[20:04] <+Bob> It is designed for heavy customization of race and career paths, provides an unusual and rich power system (1 system for all types of power/magic) and layers of optional complexity. I’m working on our 5th major overhaul.<br />
[20:05] <+Bob> The game is playable while under construction and some parts are still under heavy construction, so when I answer questions about it, I’m always coming from the standpoint of where I’m heading, not just what has been set in stone as of this moment. (done)<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> Thanks, Bob!<br />
[20:05] <+Abstruse> When you say multiple resolution systems, what do you mean exactly?<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> Any questions to start us off?<br />
[20:05] <+Bob> It's a pleasure to be here.<br />
[20:05] <+Bob> I'll take Abstruse...<br />
[20:06] <+Yog_Sothoth> Did you feel it was necessary to spell out the genres it uses specifically? Why or why not?<br />
[20:06] <+Abstruse> ("That's what she said!")<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> (Those sound like they'll take a bit of answering, so we'll have a question pause there.)<br />
[20:06] <+Abstruse> (I feel dirty making that joke...)<br />
[20:06] <+Bob> By multiple resolution systems, I mean that you can play using diceless, 2D10 or 1D20. Done<br />
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[20:07] <+Bob> Well, I think people sometimes dwell too much on the definitions of genres.<br />
[20:08] <+Bob> Some might call Cosmothea a Science Fantasy game, but that really does not accurately describe it.<br />
[20:09] <+Bob> There isn't just one world or one system, but the Cosmoverse is a vast area with single genre worlds (like LOTR), though that's more rare, and mult-genre worlds (like a civilization over here that's a colony from another world and uber high tech and a hidden civilization on another side of the same world that is magic/fantasy, and then worlds where they all<br />
[20:09] <+Bob> live together. Done.<br />
[20:09] <+Abstruse> Bob: So is it three different systems in one book, or can I mix-and-match between a group? Or does it vary based on situation? Because 2d10 has a bell curve while 1d20 doesn't and diceless...well...doesn't actually chart....<br />
[20:10] <+Bob> Yes, you can mix and match the dice on the fly if the GM allows. If you are using 2D10, you might switch to 1D20 to increase your odds of a critical, but that also increases your odds of a fumble. I like the cinematic feel of crits and fumbles.<br />
[20:11] <+Abstruse> Interesting...so would you consider the setting a "kitchen sink" setting, like say Rifts or TORG?<br />
[20:11] <+Bob> Still experimenting with the diceless version and really like it so far, but not sure yet on switching. One player could use diceless while another uses dice with no problems at all, but I'm not sure you could cleanly switch between dice and diceless as cleanly.<br />
[20:11] <+sync> I thought I read that some actions can effect other worlds....How do you work out the mechanics of that in the game.......Not sure if I asked that correctly but I hope you get my meaning<br />
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[20:12] <+Bob> Probably wouldn't allow dice and cards to be swapped as there are nuances between them that might be more abusable, but certainly between encounters you probably could just fine. WIP.<br />
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[20:12] <+technoshaman> hello<br />
[20:13] <+Bob> Um... Kitchen sink... Hm ...<br />
[20:13] <+technoshaman> Jesse Eisenberg has been set to star as Lex Luthor!?!?<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> (tech: Q&A in progress. :) )<br />
[20:13] <+Abstruse> (Q&A going on technoshaman...go to #rpgnet2 for general chat ^)^)<br />
[20:13] <+Bob> It does include a lot of stuff, but it isn't a generic game nor generic setting. There are certain things I intentionally left out or handle a certain way. It's not like Rifts, though I'm sure you could simulate something like Rifts without a problem.<br />
[20:13] <+Abstruse> (^_^)<br />
[20:14] <+Bob> Did I miss any Q's?<br />
[20:14] <+Abstruse> (I think sync had one...)<br />
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[20:15] <+Bob> The setting's current date is 3057 AD. It's far future stuff, though there's a lot of post apoc and lots of problems. It's a dying universe. Major problems. Gods are scared. Dimensions have been ripped away.<br />
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[20:16] <+Bob> While there is super advanced tech, those who were the most advanced, isolated themselves from the rest of the universe due to... problems, so there's a lot of tech that only a certain number of people can fix.<br />
[20:16] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[20:16] <+Bob> Sorry, sync?<br />
[20:16] <+Bob> Ah, I see it!<br />
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[20:17] <+Bob> Recently in a game, some characters accidentally sent a powerful artifact through a gateway that is going to cause all kinds of problems on another world.<br />
[20:18] <+Bob> You can come across an ancient high tech machine on a world that's a terraformer, for example and it might cause problems. There's lots of powerful tech laying around. Lots of bad things going on that any character can get in the middle of.<br />
[20:18] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[20:18] <+Warp9> You say Cosmothea is not like Rifts, yet it seems like Rifts is pretty close to Cosmothea in some ways. Both are non-generic, blended genre, class/level based systems. What do you see as the major differences between the games?<br />
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[20:19] <+Bob> Some characters at one point stumbled upon a trapped god and set him free, not knowing what was really going on. That caused lots of interesting things. The campaign is pretty epic, but lots of normal dungeon adventuring goes on too, and space exploration. Done.<br />
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[20:19] <+Bob> Hi Warp9!<br />
[20:20] <+Warp9> Hi :-)<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> (Howdy, Schadmobile!)<br />
[20:20] <+Bob> Very different settings. Every setting may have some similarities, of course.<br />
[20:21] <+Bob> Extremely different settings IMO, but yeah, there are other non generic games out there that cover quite a bit of stuff, of course. Fall of Man for example.<br />
[20:21] <+Bob> Done<br />
[20:22] <+Bob> Oh, sorry. Just noticed the tail end of your Q.<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> So do levels of technology and magic vary more between dimensions, or between worlds in the same dimensions?<br />
[20:23] <+Abstruse> Is this game currently out or are you prepping a Kickstarter? Hard to tell sometimes with indie games ^_^;;<br />
[20:23] <+Bob> Rifts has very different mechanics for everything from what I can tell, including their power escalation. too many differences to count. Done.<br />
[20:24] <+Bob> Dan: Levels of technology vary wildly on many worlds, though worlds that are aligned with particular galactic kingdoms are closer and more stable due to trading and development.<br />
[20:24] <+Bob> That goes on to some degree on other dimensions as well, though there are many gods controlling some of the dimensions and their tech levels and societies tend to be more similar in level. Done.<br />
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[20:25] <+MonkofLords> Hello!<br />
[20:25] <+Bob> Hi MonkofLords!<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)<br />
[20:25] <+Abstruse> (BTW, as a reporter I have to report...Arthur Rankin Jr. has passed away. He was the Rankin part of Rankin-Bass that brought us the original Hobbit cartoon amongst many holiday specials)<br />
[20:26] <+Bob> :(<br />
[20:26] <+MonkofLords> (that's a shame)<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> Actually, in answering Abstruse's question, perhaps you'd like to link to and discuss your current Kickstarter?<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> (Awwww. :( )<br />
[20:27] <+Abstruse> (1924 - 2014...so he led a full life with an amazing legacy.)<br />
[20:27] <+Bob> Sorry to hear about Arthur.<br />
[20:27] <+Bob> Um...<br />
[20:28] <+Bob> I have a Kickstarter going. In fact, it's over in less than 53 hours. (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qtgames/arcane-synthesis-a-blended-genre-anthology-cosmoth?ref=live)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qtgames/arcane-synthesis-a-blended-genre-anthology-cosmoth?ref=live<br />
[20:29] <+Yog_Sothoth> That is a shame<br />
[20:29] <+Bob> It is for an anthology set in the Cosmoverse (my campaign setting) 2 books. The funding goal is for the first.<br />
[20:29] <+Bob> 8 tales blending magic, mystery, advanced technology, exploration, superheroes & horror, set within the vast, blended-genre Cosmoverse.<br />
[20:29] <+Bob> done<br />
[20:29] <+Abstruse> (Sorry to interrupt with bad news. If you want to talk about the legacy of Rankin-Bass, you can join #rpgnet2 if you like)<br />
[20:30] <+sync> is the game actually available at this time ?<br />
[20:30] <+Bob> Thanks, Abstruse, and I am sorry about that situation, of course.<br />
[20:30] <+Abstruse> What's the magic system like in your game?<br />
[20:31] <+Bob> The game is available to play online (I'm rebooting a playtest in a week or so - as soon as the Kickstarter is behind me and I've had a full night's sleep). For those in Las Vegas, it's also available for face2face. Done.<br />
[20:32] <+Bob> Great Question, Abstruse. (Link: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1CLE0bes_OGQsIe7apvNww)http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1CLE0bes_OGQsIe7apvNww<br />
[20:32] <+Bob> That link will take you to 3 videos. 2 are on the magic system. It's probably the game's most unique aspect I suppose.<br />
[20:32] <+Abstruse> Can you give us a Cliff's Notes?<br />
[20:33] <+Bob> But I can go into a bit of detail here (dueling is still under construction) As I said earlier, I think, I'm on the 5th major iteration, so some things are changing and have been changed, since the last version.<br />
[20:33] <+Abstruse> I mean Vancian (D&D), Mana Points (Many anime games), Drain (Shadowrun)?<br />
[20:33] <+Bob> yep Abstruse.<br />
[20:34] <+Bob> I've never liked Vancian. It has some things in common with a mana point system.<br />
[20:35] <+Bob> You have a pool of power points and can spend them on spells/enchantments or miracles depending on your path. Every spell ranges from 1st level to 10th, even resurrection and teleporation. All of 'em. And there are simple and complex versions of every power.<br />
[20:35] <+Bob> Complex spells are simply a more aggressive version of a simple spell. They are harder to cast, are more powerful, but on a fumble, carry a more significant cost potential.<br />
[20:36] <+Bob> There is something called Entropy. It's basically magic static, like on your TV set. it is disruptive to spellcasting. So you have to do things to avoid it. Entropy most commonly appears when you are using much metal around a spell.<br />
[20:37] <+Abstruse> Do you have anything like "at will" spells? Like little cantrips and spells that don't do much more damage than normal weapon attacks that can be used over and over with no additional cost?<br />
[20:37] <+Bob> Like if you were in a metal cage trying to cast spells to escape, you'd have a hard time due to all the entropy. I could go on. There's a LOT to the system. There's also dueling, which is kind of like another magic system of sorts.<br />
[20:37] <+Yog_Sothoth> This may be an obtuse question but, what do you think the constant generation of new roleplaying games and campaign settings is for?<br />
[20:38] <+Bob> I have something called Maki. You can store that in your body (regular magic - quinitessence - is too dangerous to store in your body. There are no wands or spell books, though you could make them. Magic is poisonous.<br />
[20:39] <+Bob> Using Maki, you can do various simple tricks, minor spells/enchantments/miracles/super powers. They all use the same system.<br />
[20:39] <+Bob> You can use maki all day long.<br />
[20:40] <+Bob> I'm pretty excited about dueling and the concept of power templates too (the videos really help as this whole power system is quite unlike other games).<br />
[20:40] <+sync> how easy is the game for a complete beginner to get into ?<br />
[20:40] <+Bob> But let's see now, Yog_Sothoth. Reading yours...<br />
[20:41] <+Bob> Yog, I would rather discuss that question another time if it's all the same to you. It's not really related to Cosmothea directly. I will say that when I started designing Cosmothea and the Cosmoverse, there were very few RPG's on the market.<br />
[20:42] <+Bob> We're talking almost 35 years.<br />
[20:42] <+Bob> sync's Q..<br />
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[20:43] <+HalG> Your Kickstarter is fiction, can you tell us more about that project?<br />
[20:43] <+Bob> I'd say that if you've never played an RPG it is not currently as approachable as it is about the same complexity as, say Pathfinder. I do have planned some easier character creation systems (I have a few already). but will be reviewing all that.<br />
[20:44] <+Bob> I'd love to, Hal. We have 8 stories in the works (Ed Greenwood, Allen Farr, Steven Schend, Robert Duran, Lee Hammock, Joseph Stirling and I'll be writing 2).<br />
[20:45] <+Bob> The focus of Arcane Synthesis: A Blended-Genre Anthology is to spotlight different worlds, cultures, races and concepts of the Cosmoverse.<br />
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[20:46] <+Bob> So, there's a very wide selection of stories, each will be around 10-12,000 words each on average.<br />
[20:46] <+Bob> Some will be longer and one or two might be a tad shorter.<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> (Oh, hey, HalG! Didn't see you over there. :) )<br />
[20:46] <+HalG> Are they all connected, or distinct and separate?<br />
[20:46] <+HalG> Hi Dam, ya I am a ninja!<br />
[20:46] <+HalG> grrr Dan<br />
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[20:46] <+Bob> We've got some really great rewards including art prints by Jason Rainville, including an alternate cover variation that's Kickstarter Exclusive and the same for one of the art prints.<br />
[20:47] <+Bob> The second anthology, Divine Synthesis includes Darrin Drader, Ed Greenwood and Steven Schend and others, and focuses on the dying universe - the godstorm that is wiping out dimensions and that's ruining my perfectly good universe.<br />
[20:48] <+Bob> It is a Stretch Goal. There's lots of cool things going on, but not much time left to get on board: (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qtgames/arcane-synthesis-a-blended-genre-anthology-cosmoth?ref=live)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qtgames/arcane-synthesis-a-blended-genre-anthology-cosmoth?ref=live done.<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Do the gods have equal influence regardless of world and dimension, or does it vary based on, say, levels of magic?<br />
[20:49] <+HalG> I have worked with (and still working with) a few of your authors and love their work so I am excited!<br />
[20:49] <+Bob> If people want to mess with me or just have some fun, there's even a short story that's separate from the book, called Dead By Dawn, that's worth looking into. :)<br />
[20:50] <+Bob> Great question, Dan!<br />
[20:50] * ~Dan bows<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> That's why I get the big bucks.<br />
[20:50] <+Bob> The gods are currently in scramble for survival mode. :)<br />
[20:51] <+Bob> See, every dimension has things called nodes or power nodes ... there's other names, but they keep the dimension stable and if you can control a node, you gain god-level power from it.<br />
[20:51] <+sync> I think you missed one of HalG 's questions I was going to ask as well ...... Are the stories all connected, or distinct and separate?<br />
[20:51] <+Bob> So the gods try to control these nodes.<br />
[20:51] <+Bob> Oops, sorry. backing up for a moment!<br />
[20:52] <+Bob> Um, no, the stories are not connected, save that you might see 2 of them take place in the same galactic kingdom. In some cases there could be some indirect overlap, and Steven Schend's story is continued into our next 2 anthologies.<br />
[20:52] <+Bob> Divine Synthesis is likely going to have some overlap, but most of what's going on in Arcane Synthesis will not.<br />
[20:53] <+Bob> Anything else I missed before going on to the gods?<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> (That sounds like you're dying.)<br />
[20:53] <+sync> LOL !!<br />
[20:53] <+Bob> Oh, heh!<br />
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[20:54] <+Bob> Um... any other Q's before I discuss not dying, but the gods?!<br />
[20:54] <+Bob> K. Here goes...<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> (Howdy, schadenfreude!)<br />
[20:54] <+Bob> last chance?<br />
[20:54] <+Bob> Hi schadenfreude!<br />
[20:54] <+schadenfreude> Hi, Bob!<br />
[20:54] <+schadenfreude> and Dan<br />
[20:55] <+Bob> Ok, there used to be many, many more dimensions than there are now. A major storyline in the Cosmoverse (there are several storylines running in the background affecting everything in the universe, though not always noticably by most)<br />
[20:56] <+Bob> anyway, the storyline is called the GodStorm. It was a major event that started the Cosmoverse to die. It started absorbing nodes, weakening and collapsing dimensions. Many gods died and as far as anyone knows, can't reform and come back.<br />
[20:57] <+Bob> It is still out there and resurfaces at times, screwing with the way things work. it's created some magic dead zones, if you encounter it out in space, it can mess with your navigational controls, shut you down or worse.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> schadenfreude: We're talking to Bob Whitely about his blended-genre fiction and game setting, the Cosmoverse.<br />
[20:57] <+Bob> It's got the gods scared and now many of the gods have had to live closer to other gods (and gods they don't like) at times as they scramble to control surviving power nodes.<br />
[20:57] <+Bob> :)<br />
[20:57] <+Bob> I'll stop there for Q's.<br />
[20:57] <+Bob> Done<br />
[20:58] <+schadenfreude> Is it Carl Sagan's Cosmoverse?<br />
[20:58] <+Bob> I've written much about it all and will write tons more, so I could go on all night. Didn't know he had one too. Mine is almost 35 years old.<br />
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[20:59] <+Bob> I don't think he uses that term.<br />
[20:59] <+schadenfreude> I couldn't resist the pun, sorry.<br />
[20:59] <+Bob> :)<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> Bob: But to clarify, since nodes exist everywhere, gods (and their associated supernatural powers) exist even in otherwise non-supernatural worlds/dimensions?<br />
[21:00] <+sync> Bob I bet that was tough keeping up :)<br />
[21:01] <+Bob> Dan: Yes. Definitely. The gods live in both Mortalis (what we would call our universe in the real world) and in other dimensions. And lately, they are much more aggressive about walking the worlds of mortals, where once a High Council of the Gods would have stopped that.<br />
[21:02] <+Bob> There's also the Architects, which are a group of god-like AI that are very influential, though less visible than the gods, usually. Done.<br />
[21:02] <+sync> Bob you are now at $5878 with 52 hours to go.....Any help appreciated ..check it out (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qtgames/arcane-synthesis-a-blended-genre-anthology-cosmoth/comments)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qtgames/arcane-synthesis-a-blended-genre-anthology-cosmoth/comments<br />
[21:03] <+Bob> Thanks, sync. That's awesome!<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> If metal disrupts magic, how do you have high magic/high tech settings?<br />
[21:04] <+Bob> We have so many projects in the works and waiting on funding, and getting this Kickstarter off the ground is just the first step. We're just getting warmed up. Just need to get past this funding thing!<br />
[21:04] <+Bob> Great question, Dan!<br />
[21:04] * ~Dan bows :)<br />
[21:05] <+Bob> One of the videos touches on that topic, but essentially, you have to either limit how much metal you are using (a mage in metal armor has penalties to perform magic, for example)<br />
[21:06] <+Bob> You can use other materials (there's plenty out there) for your car, if you want to do a driveby spell or whatever. There's even organic vessels. Lots of options.<br />
[21:06] <+Bob> Done. Next Q. reading...<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> Do you have a character sheet you could link us to?<br />
[21:07] <+Bob> Metal does not make it impossible to use magic, just makes errors come easier (penalties to spellcasting skill checks) and fumbles sometimes more disastrous as nasty things can happen when entropy is about!<br />
[21:08] <+sync> does this mean the person wearing armour will be more protected because of the armour...but is worse off using a spell ?<br />
[21:08] <+Bob> Um... I don't, yet, but perhaps in a bit I could show one. Just remember that the game is still under construction, so things can change. Also I'm considering another version of the character sheet. This one includes some options you don't have to use.<br />
[21:09] <+Bob> sync: Yes, unless they learn how to push away Entropy, which is a talent one can buy in the game. The better you are at the talent, the more entropy you can dismiss.<br />
[21:09] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[21:10] <+Bob> The game allows for heavy customization. Lots of options on how to do things. You can make any sort of character for any genre your group wants to play in, including a blending of genres (superhero in a primitive magic or post apocalyptic setting, street mage working for a megacorp, whatever), so long as you don’t leave the setting’s themes.<br />
[21:10] <~Dan> (Captain Caveman!)<br />
[21:10] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[21:10] <+Bob> Heh.<br />
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[21:11] <~Dan> Speaking of superheros, how do their powers work differently from magic? And are there any other power sources in the setting, like psionics, miracles, and mutations?<br />
[21:11] <+Bob> A plumber that uses magic to unclog the drains. There's a lot you can do. But you can't do everything. I love the magic system too much to provide another. So magic works in 1 way, though there's tons of customization in it, and there's also dueling, which is quite different as well.<br />
[21:11] <+sync> that must be so difficult to work out the formulas for all the spells and defences<br />
[21:13] <+Bob> There are talents. These are not the same thing as spells. I suppose you could say they are like feats in D&D/Pathfinder. There are no psionics, no, though a monster could have a psi talent, but no psionic system. there are, however, plenty of psi powers, so that's covered. Yes, there are other powers and mutations, but they are more like talents<br />
[21:13] <+Bob> and templates (not power templates like you use to store magic so you don't contract the Withering and start to die), but templates like D&D and other games have.<br />
[21:14] <+Bob> As for how their powers work differently...<br />
[21:14] <+Bob> If you wanted to create a Doctor Strange character, you would not need to make a superhero. He's just a mage. He may be a superhero in theme, but not mechanically.<br />
[21:14] * ~Dan nods<br />
[21:15] <+Bob> If you wanted to make the Human Torch, or anything else, you would theme the spells to look like what he does. You can make modifications galore to theme things. And there are special talents available only to superheroes that are more "superhero" themed.<br />
[21:16] <+sync> don't do a spiderman superhero...the film was rubbish....you could see the strings :)<br />
[21:16] <+Bob> Every level a character can purchase racial talents, career talents, universal talents (these are open to everyone). It allows for lots of tweaks. And there are also growth plateaus where you can make more significant tweaks to get exactly what you want.<br />
[21:16] <+Bob> Done<br />
[21:17] <+Bob> :)<br />
[21:17] <+Bob> Sync: let's see now... formulas?<br />
[21:18] <+Bob> The powers are very simple and customizations are very easy. The power system is my favorite part of the game hands down.<br />
[21:18] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[21:18] <+Bob> Should I go into dueling or what would you guys like to know about?<br />
[21:19] <~Dan> Did you see my question about a character sheet?<br />
[21:19] <+Bob> I have a card game I'd like to make about dueling as the magic system lends itself well to a card game.<br />
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[21:19] <~Dan> (Howdy, TQuid!)<br />
[21:19] <+TQuid> Evening, folks<br />
[21:19] <+Bob> Ah, yes. I answered - I'll be preparing a link in the background. Take a bit. :)<br />
[21:20] <~Dan> Ah! Sorry, missed that. Sure, tell us about dueling. :)<br />
[21:20] <+sync> how about a top trumps card game ...have you thought along those lines ?<br />
[21:20] <+Bob> K. Does everyone know what templates are yet? Because they are crucial to magic dueling.<br />
[21:21] <~Dan> I'm not sure what the word means in this context.<br />
[21:21] <+Bob> top trumps? More info please?<br />
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[21:22] <+Bob> Again, my videos are very helpful on all this, but quintessence (the state magic must be in to cast spells) can't be contained in the body, because it's poisonous. It causes the Withering.<br />
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[21:22] <+Bob> So, a long time ago, mages ditched things like spell books and stopped storing magic in their bodies. they created a structure called a power template (lots of names - arcane, divine, Nexus forge...)<br />
[21:23] <+Bob> and they store the magic in those repositories. They also store their notes, so to speak, runes, everything needed to shape magic.<br />
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[21:24] <+Bob> The templates are very sturdy and float beside the mage. They can control them using another state of magic that they can store safely in their bodies - maki I mentioned earlier.<br />
[21:24] <+Bob> A mage can assault another mage's template, do all kinds of crazy things to it, or try.<br />
[21:24] <~Dan> Hmm... Sounds a bit like spell matrices in Earthdawn.<br />
[21:25] <+sync> Top Trumps is quite a craze in the uk...lots of cards with the art and specs of the characters...you both have the same set shuffled....each person looks and uses the highest specs...IE...Gandolf magic 80% Player 2 may say ..Hobbit speed 90% he wins the card<br />
[21:25] <+Bob> Mage's that are any good, can manifest guardians to protect his/her template and even manifest champions to fly off and assault an enemy's guardians or template.<br />
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[21:26] <+Bob> sync: Ah, I see, well I've designed a few card games and have some ideas for this one, but I want to make sure it models the magic system well and is also fun, of course.<br />
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[21:26] <&Therion> Allo Gemini<br />
[21:26] <+Gemini> hello, Therion<br />
[21:26] <+Gemini> Of Belial's Brood?<br />
[21:27] <+Bob> Never played Earthdawn, though one of my authors, Allen Farr, is having a book published for it, likely later this year.<br />
[21:27] <~Dan> (Howdy, Gemini!)<br />
[21:27] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[21:27] <+Bob> Hi Gemini!<br />
[21:28] <~Dan> As a practical matter, how do you make an RPG that covers multiple entire universes?<br />
[21:29] <+Bob> Just a few minutes on the character sheet (just bear in mind I may be doing a different one for starting players and may make changes since the game is in another revamp)<br />
[21:29] <~Dan> (No worries. I was mainly hoping to see the attributes, skills, etc.)<br />
[21:30] <+Bob> Heh. It's not easy, but then I'm not trying to make a generic RPG like GURPS to cover every concept. I'm not interested in every concept, just what is part of the Cosmoverse. (although that is a lot - there's even mechs).<br />
[21:30] <+Bob> There is only 1 universe, however. My time travel does not create parallel universes.<br />
[21:30] <~Dan> Well, for example, how do you decide what races to include?<br />
[21:30] <~Dan> Multiple dimensions, sorry.<br />
[21:31] <+Bob> But of course I do have several dimensions, but then other games do too. Lord willing, I'll eventually cover a good amount with source books, if I get funding<br />
[21:31] <+Bob> You can't publish anything like this all at once.<br />
[21:32] * ~Dan nods<br />
[21:32] <+Bob> Our publication schedule is: Foundation (core rule book), Encounters (our first creature book), Gear (our first gear book), Mind Shroud (a book that's 1 of 3 for a big adventure/setting), then we'll work our way out from there, but first we are trying to build a fan base with the anthologies.<br />
[21:32] <~Dan> Are there some races that are spread out across the universe to a degree that it makes sense to cover them first?<br />
[21:33] <+Bob> If we can't build a larger fan base, we might as well skip publishing RPG's. We're an unknown, but we're not new on the block, just don't have enough to fund yet.<br />
[21:34] <~Dan> (In other words, I'm assuming that you wouldn't make a PC race that exists on only one continent on one planet in the universe.)<br />
[21:35] <+Bob> Ever since 1979, the Cosmoverse has had tons of stargates, so races moved all over the place. There are a number of playable races in Foundation. I plan to make many of the critters in every Encounters book playable as well.<br />
[21:35] <+Bob> In fact, the game used to be called Stargate, back in the early 80's. Then the Stargate franchise appeared, so we changed our name. races get around, and so do languages.<br />
[21:35] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[21:36] <+Bob> Ok, uploading a character sheet now...<br />
[21:37] <+Bob> (Link: http://qtgames.com/resources/images/Cosmothea_character_sheet.jpg)http://qtgames.com/resources/images/Cosmothea_character_sheet.jpg<br />
[21:37] <+Bob> Hm...<br />
[21:37] <+Bob> (Link: http://qtgames.com/resources/images/Cosmothea_character_sheet.jpg)http://qtgames.com/resources/images/Cosmothea_character_sheet.jpg<br />
[21:37] <+Bob> Is anyone seeing a link?<br />
[21:38] <+Bob> It isn't displaying normally for some odd reason on my end.<br />
[21:38] <+Bob> The link works though<br />
[21:38] <~Dan> I can see it.<br />
[21:38] <+Bob> Oh good. :) It's just showing up as an icon here. I see you can click it.<br />
[21:38] <+sync> link works here..black box with cross but as you say it works<br />
[21:38] <+Bob> :)<br />
[21:40] <+sync> wow that's a lot of customisation you can do there<br />
[21:40] <+Bob> Boons are kind of like action points or Hero points. There's tons you can do with them, including alter storyline elements, not just numerical bonuses.<br />
[21:40] <+Bob> Some of the stuff on that sheet is optional, but I like playing with it all. Some might want simpler. As I said before, there are layers of complexity.<br />
[21:42] <~Dan> I believe we discussed this previously, but for the benefit of log readers: What is the attribute scale?<br />
[21:42] <+Bob> Many concepts are pretty simple. For example, Personal Growth. I don't dole out experience points like pathfinder or D&D, but each significant event that you do, as well as quests and personal goals, can reward personal growth points. When you get 8, you level up.<br />
[21:42] <+sync> Bob its been a great night with loads of new info but its 3:41 here in the uk and im struggling to stay awake......I will have to leave b4 I fall off the chair....cya tomorrow<br />
[21:42] <+HalG> I need to go but ya all need to back the anthology so I can add it to my collection please :-) Night all.<br />
[21:43] <+Bob> The scale default is 0 and maxes out at 9 with some races going higher on certain attributes. You can penalize yourself and go below zero also. The attribute is the modifier to skill checks.<br />
[21:43] <~Dan> Bye, Hal!<br />
[21:43] <+Bob> Thanks Hal, on all fronts. Take care my friend!<br />
[21:43] <+HalG> Take care my peeps!<br />
[21:43] <~Dan> Sleep well, sync!<br />
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[21:43] <+Bob> sync: Wow, so sorry to keep you up. But thanks for everything! Nite!<br />
[21:43] <+sync> Bump !!! Hits floor :( cya guys<br />
[21:44] <+sync> na its been great :)<br />
[21:44] <+Bob> Ouch! Have a good sleep!<br />
[21:44] <+Bob> glad to hear. :)<br />
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[21:44] <+Bob> What next?<br />
[21:44] <~Dan> What are some of the races? Are the fantasy "usual suspects" there, for example?<br />
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[21:45] <+Bob> I wanted to make sure to include many of the fantasy races, though I always put a spin on them. Gnomes are quite different than D&D gnomes, for example. I actually trimmed many races out of the core rulebook - it was getting too big.<br />
[21:46] <+Bob> I have axcii, draeva, dwarves, elves, gnomes, humans, klatu, nehi, orynii, sygman, taager and xeelotians as the "main" races. Players will also be able to use many, many others as characters from Encounters books.<br />
[21:47] <~Dan> What did you say is the race of the augmented character pictured on your KS page?<br />
[21:47] <+Bob> draeva wear an artificial body that's really quite odd in some ways. They were a dying race that the taager rescued. Most died before the taager transferred the survivors into new bodies. There was this high tech amusement park where they had mechanical bodies in storage. Some of them were<br />
[21:48] <+Bob> celebrities, president look-alikes, etc. and they were donated to the government as storage vessels. More modern draeva use nano living metal bodies when they can get 'em<br />
[21:48] <+Bob> the xeelotians are a rocky-like race in appearance. Most of these races appear in my videos.<br />
[21:49] <+Bob> The axcii are cat-like, but were not an evolutionary thing. the gnomes used to be extremely high tech, but were cursed and lost all knowledge of their advanced tech. Even so, they are quite talented.<br />
[21:50] <+Bob> The klatu and taager are quite unusual in many ways that will reveal themselves in storylines, mostly it is non visible. but the klatu are magical humanoids that have some power over propabilities.<br />
[21:50] <+Bob> The nehi are a tiny race known for being great builders.<br />
[21:51] <+Bob> The orynii are just... well they are just totally wild, small race. Robert Duran will introduce them in his story, Wisdom of the Shell (again, if we can get funding!)<br />
[21:51] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[21:51] <+Bob> They are my favorite race with tons of fun potential. They live inside mobile shells, but I won't deny that they are odd and look a bit like little green men or green babies, sort of.<br />
[21:52] <~Dan> (You do know that Nehi is the name of a soda, right? :) )<br />
[21:52] <+Bob> The sygman are a bit like the borg, though they are into organics more so than the borg. Implants, attachments, etc. They are obsessed with self perfection, so one might cut off a perfectly good leg to put on one they think might work better.<br />
[21:53] <+Bob> I know that they retroactively came after my invention, heh<br />
[21:53] <+Bob> They were called nehi as an insult a mockery at first. People saw that they were roughly knee high in height and called them that forever. They have their own names for themselves and those that make fun of them,heh.<br />
[21:54] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[21:54] <+Bob> The taager have extremely efficient brains and can learn lots of different skills and make inventions on the fly and such. Think MacGuyver or however you spell that old show.<br />
[21:55] <+Bob> Done.<br />
[21:55] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[21:55] <+Bob> I have some really great art for all of them (again on one or more of the 3 videos!)<br />
[21:55] <~Dan> So it appears, based on the character sheet, that skills are fairly broad (e.g., Combat: Melee). Is that correct?<br />
[21:56] <+Bob> Anyone that becomes a playtester (we start up again in a couple weeks roughly), will gain access to the core rulebooks (WIP) and if they stick around for a full adventure and provide some feedback, I'll make sure they get credit when this thing flies.<br />
[21:57] <+Bob> If you have Combat skill, you can do melee and ranged combat with any weapons that you are trained how to use.<br />
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[21:58] <+Bob> My skills cover a number of topics in many cases (such as athletics). Combat, spellcasting, everything is a skill check. However I have something called Positive and Negative environments that's pretty interesting. You don't always need to make a skill check for a skill, and if you are in a negative environment, it's harder to do your skill checks.<br />
[21:58] <+Bob> Done.<br />
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[21:59] <+Bob> My health system works interestingly as well.<br />
[22:00] <+Bob> Things that you really can't get that good at (resisting poison, disease, poison, etc.) use a trait called Life Points. You can die of Life Points without any injuries from combat.<br />
[22:00] <+Bob> Battle Points include your level and talents and include stamina and things like that. That number can get quite high and you can take on various conditions.<br />
[22:01] <+Bob> Life Points don't go up unless your Constitution goes up. So, you might be more nervous around a poisonous snake or a disease belching demon, than something with a sword.<br />
[22:01] <+Bob> Done<br />
[22:02] <+Bob> I see the time is up. I'm happy to stick around for a little while, if it is desirable. Not trying to be bullyish. Whatever you guys want to do.<br />
[22:03] <~Dan> Let's see... As always, you're welcome to continue to hang out with us and field questions, but as we're at the end of "regular time", I always like to ask if there's anything we haven't covered that you'd like to discuss.<br />
[22:03] <~Dan> (And yes, it's certainly desirable. :) )<br />
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[22:04] <+Bob> Well, I sure appreciate the floor to be able to discuss Cosmothea, the Cosmoverse, etc.. It is very kind of you. There are lots of other angles to the game, such as the faith system, and the setting, etc. but I'm very open.<br />
[22:05] <+Warp9> Many (most) games are set inside larger universes, many with multiple universes/dimensions, but, in most cases, there is a tighter focus on the specific setting of the game. As I understand it, your game covers the whole universe and multiple dimensions. What was the main reason for this approach?<br />
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[22:05] <~Dan> (wb, TQuid!)<br />
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[22:07] <+Bob> Well, our Mind Shroud 3 book adventure/setting is part of the Cosmoverse and will be a single place that new players can, and may well want to focus on. In fact, I'm thinking that some will never want to leave that small corner of the Cosmoverse, but like other game companies, I'll be putting out one setting book at a time.<br />
[22:07] <~Dan> (wb, Seht!<br />
[22:07] <~Dan> )<br />
[22:08] <+Bob> The thing is, you need to understand the basics of how a universe works (and I have overarching storylines), so it really is just one setting, though some GM's will stick to one world or another, depending on what they want to do.<br />
[22:08] <+Seht> (odd keyboard issues, had to reboot!)<br />
[22:08] <~Dan> By the way, what is the difference between the Cosmoverse and Cosmothea?<br />
[22:08] <+Bob> It just made sense to me. You create outward, then move inward and go into more detail.<br />
[22:09] <+Bob> The Cosmoverse was actually coined by Steven Schend as I was talking with him about needing a better way to distinguish the setting from the system.<br />
[22:09] <+Bob> Cosmothea was coined as it is the name most people call one of the most important dimensions in the Cosmoverse setting. So Cosmothea is just the name of the game now.<br />
[22:09] <+Bob> The game engine.<br />
[22:10] <~Dan> Ah, I see.<br />
[22:10] <+Bob> So, you may still find some places where the name Cosmothea is used that refers to the setting, but it's now officially called the Cosmoverse to keep it easy to identify.<br />
[22:10] <~Dan> Sorry if I got that mixed up in promoting the Q&A!<br />
[22:11] <+Bob> Interestingly, it never really came up until recently. My gaming groups always knew what I was talking about. But the two are married. Designed for each other.<br />
[22:11] <+Bob> Oh no. That is not at all a problem!<br />
[22:11] <+Bob> I don't care if someone uses one term or another.<br />
[22:11] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[22:11] <+Bob> So long as I understand what they are asking.<br />
[22:12] <~Dan> You mentioned a faith system?<br />
[22:13] <+Bob> Ah yes. I created a new system for Cosmothea 4.0 and it's under review for 5.0, but I don't think there will be many changes. Everyone has a faith rank, even if they are not playing a holy adept, paragon or whatever (those are 2 religious paths).<br />
[22:13] <+Bob> when you perform significant actions according to your faith and goes down when you perform significant actions opposing your faith.<br />
[22:13] <+Bob> You can invest ranks, performing miracles, whether you are a holy adept or not. Once invested, you don’t lose those ranks, but you don’t get ‘em back till next level.<br />
[22:14] <+Bob> Also, certain items and events require a certain rank. Like a particular holy item may not be useable unless your rank is high enough.<br />
[22:14] <+Bob> Your faith rank can affect your ability to heal and you can heal people of like faith easier and more effectively than those of no faith or opposed faith.<br />
[22:14] <~Dan> That makes sense.<br />
[22:14] <~Dan> re: using holy items, I mean.<br />
[22:15] <+Bob> It worked out well in Cosmothea 4.0, in our playtests so far, which is why it won't go through many changes in 5.0. So, if you are just some warrior or whatever and you are religious and have been doing good deeds or whatever to get your faith rank to say 3, you would be able to invest your faith and do a power level 3 miracle. That sort of thing.<br />
[22:15] <+Bob> There are other ways to use faith as well,.<br />
[22:15] <+Bob> Dan: So you mean it doesn't make sense in other ways, heh?<br />
[22:16] <~Dan> Does the potency of faith fluctuate with location like the power of magic?<br />
[22:16] <~Dan> Bob: Well, no. I just meant that that bit is particularly clever. :)<br />
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[22:16] <+Bob> Faith is an optional system. I also have an optional Moral compass system that includes taint, and some monsters and items reek with taint.<br />
[22:16] <+Snoof> 'lo all<br />
[22:16] <+Bob> I was just kiddin' :)<br />
[22:16] <~Dan> I knwo. :)<br />
[22:16] <~Dan> know<br />
[22:17] <+Bob> heh<br />
[22:17] <~Dan> (Howdy, Snoof!)<br />
[22:17] <~Dan> It looks like you have an alignment system as well?<br />
[22:17] <+Bob> The Moral Compass is an optional system and is as close as I get to an alignment system.<br />
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[22:17] <+Bob> In a nutshell, you have a compass and you start the game with points in good or evil, law or chaos. The closer to “0” you are, the more neutral or indifferent you are. The<br />
[22:18] <+Bob> closer to “0” you are, the more neutral or indifferent you are.<br />
[22:18] <+Bob> The higher, the more aligned to that point of the compass. Done.<br />
[22:18] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[22:19] <+Bob> So, if you had Good/Evil 0 and Law/Chaos 0, that would be as close as you can get to neutral/indifferent.<br />
[22:19] <+Bob> Also, it's much easier to be evil in the Cosmoverse, than good, as in the real world.<br />
[22:20] <~Dan> Did you see my question about the power of faith as it relates to location?<br />
[22:20] <+Bob> For example, it takes 2 significant good acts to remove the blemish on your soul that 1 evil act caused. So significant evil act causes you to lose a point. 2 significant good acts to gain a point.<br />
[22:20] <~Dan> Ah, the temptations of the Dark Side of the Force.<br />
[22:21] <+Bob> Players therefore can pretty easily control it by watching how they act. And I have an optional voting system, so it's not player v GM, but there are times where there is an anonymous voting on whether something should be considered 'significant'<br />
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[22:22] <+Bob> I've never had a problem yet with it. But it's an optional system. We actually had a super exciting adventure awhile back became really nervous about their characters and were constantly checking to see what time it was because they were walking through a seriously evil tainted region and didn't want to get tainted.<br />
[22:22] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Guest77!)<br />
[22:22] <+Bob> Lots of potential there, if played maturely.<br />
[22:22] <+Bob> But then all games dissolve if you don't.<br />
[22:23] * ~Dan nods<br />
[22:23] <~Dan> Does your system have any sort of "Fate Point" mechanic?<br />
[22:24] <+Bob> The closest thing would have to be the Boon System. Every level you get 4 boons plus 1 super boon. You can use them for tons of stuff. All the stuff you hear about in games like Pathfinder, and also various reality changing things<br />
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[22:25] <~Dan> (Howdy, jtbullet!)<br />
[22:25] <+jtbullet> heydan<br />
[22:25] <+jtbullet> hows thinga<br />
[22:25] <+jtbullet> things<br />
[22:25] <+Bob> Like you meet some guy in a bar and you can't spend a Boon to suddenly retroactively claim something like you're his brother, but you can claim to have seen him before and other small changes to the storyline.<br />
[22:25] <+Bob> Heya jtbullet!<br />
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[22:26] <~Dan> Going well, thanks. Discussing Bob Whitely's "Cosmoverse" setting. :)<br />
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[22:26] <+Bob> I'm really excited about the diceless system as well, but I'm afraid I have to take off in 5 minutes. We still haven't had dinner yet and my wife is starting to eyeball me (friendly currently, but that could change!)<br />
[22:26] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[22:27] <+Bob> :)<br />
[22:27] <~Dan> No worries, Bob. We'll go ahead and wrap things up for logging purposes.<br />
[22:27] <~Dan> Thanks again for coming by, and, as you know, you're always welcome to hang out with us. :)<br />
[22:27] <~Dan> Oh, would you like to link to the QT Games site?<br />
[22:27] <+Warp9> It has been nice to see you around Bob, and cool to hear more about your game. :-)<br />
[22:29] <+Bob> Thanks so much for the invite, Dan. And thanks all for your time and questions/comments!<br />
[22:29] <+maxmahem> Blog post is up: (Link: http://maxmahem.net/wp/star-wars-edge-of-the-empire-die-probabilities/)http://maxmahem.net/wp/star-wars-edge-of-the-empire-die-probabilities/<br />
[22:29] <~Dan> Absolutely!<br />
[22:30] <+Bob> One more time and I hope I'm not being annoying, but my lifelong dream (phase 1 anyway), is 73% funded and only $2122 away from becoming a reality. Spread the word please. Thanks!<br />
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[22:30] <+Bob> Ah, glad to see the post up, Maxmahem. Thanks again, Dan, all! See you tomorrow or the next. Take care and have a great weekend!<br />
[22:30] <~Dan> You too!Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-88756356740208007492014-01-30T19:07:00.001-08:002014-02-07T12:55:34.273-08:00[Q&A] Doug Herring, Ken Shannon, Warren Bailey, Hal Greenberg (Fall of Man)[19:12] <+HalGreenberg> Hi guys, I was "chosen" to go first<br />
[19:13] <+HalGreenberg> I have worked in design and at direction for RPG's for a bit over 10 years<br />
[19:13] <+HalGreenberg> grrr art<br />
[19:13] <+HalGreenberg> I helped run Thunderhead Games, Mystic Eye Games and now Samurai Sheepdog<br />
[19:14] <+HalGreenberg> I have worked with Troll Lords, Bastion Press and recently started a line of fiction with RPG tie ins called The Awakened-it is an anthology of 16 great stories<br />
[19:15] <+HalGreenberg> I will talk about Fall of Man (FoM) after the rest introduce themselves-done.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:16] <+Dougmysticeye> Ok, I will go next.<br />
[19:16] <+Dougmysticeye> I, like Hal, have been working with RPGs and games for over 10 years. I co-founded Mystic Eye Games and now Sam Sheep.<br />
[19:17] <+Dougmysticeye> I write, design rules, do artwork, layout, and a lot of the biz related items.<br />
[19:18] <+Dougmysticeye> I have worked on at least 20 RPG titles over the years as well as short stories for magazines and recently was one of the authors in Hal's the Awakened- done<br />
[19:19] <+BPIJonathan> What is the back story for Fall of Man?<br />
[19:19] <+Ken> Howdy, I’ve been working with Hal and Doug since the Mystic Eye and Thunderhead days.<br />
[19:19] <+Ken> I’ve headed a number of books such as Guilds and Adventurers, Pantheons and Pagan Faiths as well as dabbled at editing. Since we’ve started Fall of Man, in ancient times (2002ish) I’ve been one of the principle content writers/designers.<br />
[19:21] <+Ken> Now a days I’m back in it with the crew at Samurai Sheepdog and am writing for RPGs, working with Hal on the Awakening and designing boardgames. -done<br />
[19:21] <+HalGreenberg> We will answer the back story question after Warren.<br />
[19:21] <+BPIJonathan> (sorry)<br />
[19:21] <+HalGreenberg> It is all good, we are very laid back.<br />
[19:21] <+HalGreenberg> :-)<br />
[19:21] <~Dan> As are we. :)<br />
[19:21] <+SSDWarren> Hi. I have been a role player for about 20 years. I started working on the creative side with Hal, Doug and Ken through Thunderhead Games and then Mystic Eye, helping write Bluffside among other things. Joined back up with them when they launched Samurai Sheepdog, helping relaunch Bluffside for Castles & Crusades.<br />
[19:22] <+SSDWarren> I now split my time between those two projects...Bluffside and now Fall of Man.<br />
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[19:23] <+SSDWarren> done<br />
[19:23] <+HalGreenberg> Let me say we will answer questions on any of our projects during this chat, so do not be shy.<br />
[19:23] <~Dan> Thanks, guys!<br />
[19:23] <+Ken> Bring them on!<br />
[19:23] <~Dan> Want to go ahead and cover BPIJonathan's question first? :)<br />
[19:23] <+Dougmysticeye> OK, on to the first question we had- backstory<br />
[19:23] <+HalGreenberg> Ken since you really started FoM give the back story.<br />
[19:23] <+HalGreenberg> and Doug<br />
[19:24] <+Dougmysticeye> So, long, long ago (circa 2002 or so) we put a d20 setting to print called The Hunt: Rise of Evil<br />
[19:25] <+Dougmysticeye> The world in that setting was known as Gothos, a world creative by a powerful being as a home for the supernatural creatures of Earth as earth became more fact/ science based.<br />
[19:25] <+Dougmysticeye> Things were not perfect though, and the being that created Gothos fell into a deep slumber due to the power it took to create a world.<br />
[19:26] <+Dougmysticeye> In doing so, the being, known as Midnar filtered all of the dreams and Nightmares into manifestations that became real.<br />
[19:27] <+Dougmysticeye> Thousands of years later (there is a lot more backstory but I will skip some) the earth is about to be destroyed, which would in turn destroy Gothos, which resided in another dimension.<br />
[19:27] <+Dougmysticeye> The Being, Midnar could save only one world so he combined the two and a new Earth was born. The world of Fall of Man.<br />
[19:27] <+Dougmysticeye> Ken, want to step in?<br />
[19:27] <+Ken> Sure<br />
[19:28] <~Dan> (You guys need a baton or something.)<br />
[19:28] <+QTGames> :)<br />
[19:28] <+Dougmysticeye> :)\<br />
[19:29] <+Ken> Mindar had to literally merge the worlds. And did so perhaps just a bit “too late.” Most of the world was decimated by a meteor, know to some as Satan’s maul.<br />
[19:29] <+Ken> And parts of Gothos were materialized to "glue" the world back together again.<br />
[19:29] <+Dougmysticeye> ( a little homage to Lucifer's Hammer:) )<br />
[19:30] <+Ken> Now magic in in our world.<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> (Nice!)<br />
[19:30] <+Ken> And the real and imagined. Both good and bad must find a way forward.<br />
[19:31] <+Ken> -done (for now, could go on about that part for days).<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> So what is the tech level of the setting?<br />
[19:32] <+QTGames> That's a very interesting method of merging the whole thing. Lots of neat creativity going here. :)<br />
[19:33] <+Dougmysticeye> Tech level is set about 60 years from now so not too much more advanced but everything is in ruin. The tech is there but not the power, and the knowledge is slipping away.<br />
[19:33] <+TBear> Clearly you have put a lot of work into the back story, and it sounds pretty cool. But how tied into the game mechanics and play is that backstory? Could it be played with an alternate backstory?<br />
[19:33] <+Dougmysticeye> Tech and Magic have a resistance to one another as well. If one is a heavy tech user, magic could go wrong, and visa versa.<br />
[19:33] <+QTGames> I assume it's only getting harder and harder to find parts for things, since it sounds like there's no factories going. So repairing is harder?<br />
[19:34] <+Dougmysticeye> Right, finding people to make bullets is golden, though they are out there.<br />
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[19:34] <+QTGames> Cool.<br />
[19:35] <+Dougmysticeye> The backstory and rules were driven in synch with each other. Ken likes to talk about the crunch, right Ken!!!<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> How long after the merging of Earth and Gothos does the setting take place?<br />
[19:35] <+Ken> Yes<br />
[19:35] <+Ken> 60 years Dan.<br />
[19:35] <+Ken> to the question on alternate backstory, heck yes!<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> Oh... I thought the merge happened 60 years from today.<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> So it's not a futuristic setting?<br />
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[19:36] <+HalGreenberg> Both Dan<br />
[19:36] <+QTGames> How much political control, if any, is going on? Is it gang-controlled, small city states, some governments feebly trying to hold on in one area, chaos in the next, or?<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> Oh! So it's 120 years in the future, you mean?<br />
[19:36] <+Ken> More to the question onalternate backstory, we designed the game to work as a "big pile of crunch" as well as a story<br />
[19:36] <+HalGreenberg> 60 years in the future and 30 years after the comet<br />
[19:37] <~Dan> Gotcha.<br />
[19:37] <+TBear> Excellent.<br />
[19:37] <+Ken> so we are exploring possiblenew abilities, gritty combat, how some real world ideas would act (such as faith) when a bit of magic comes back.<br />
[19:38] <+Ken> But the game can easily stand as a post apoc with any backstory. Indeed I would guess a VERY large percentage of people would like to move their current players from, say pathfinder, into FOM and then go back later.<br />
[19:38] <+QTGames> Very cool!<br />
[19:38] <+Dougmysticeye> Government has collapsed. Small settlements, city states, gang lands, all exist in the setting as it is.<br />
[19:38] <+TBear> Well, then on to the crunch: What sort of system do you use in the game? You mentioned pathfinder, is it compatible?<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> Do I remember correctly that Pathfinder is the base system, with other systems provided via PDF?<br />
[19:38] <+Ken> Not all of the world's glue need come from gothos (or any of it). And moving to an alternate method for the world destruction and recreation are there for the taking. (done).<br />
[19:39] <+SSDWarren> Picture the TV show Jeremiah or the movie The Book of Eli. Those types of settlements.<br />
[19:39] <+HalGreenberg> Correct Dan<br />
[19:39] <+QTGames> Excellent.<br />
[19:39] <+HalGreenberg> Pathfinder with PDF's for 13th Age, FATE and Castles &Crusades.<br />
[19:39] <&Silverlion> You use a lot of words to describe the setting...what do those mean to you?<br />
[19:39] <+Dougmysticeye> It is "based" in Pathfinder (originally 3.5) but we have redone combat to be more suited for such as setting.<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> Is magic of the usual D&D Vancian sort, or something new?<br />
[19:40] <+HalGreenberg> We have specialists in each to make sure it flows well.<br />
[19:40] <+Dougmysticeye> D&D 3.5 that is.<br />
[19:40] <+TBear> What sort of classes are available, native to the setting, as opposed to ported over from Pathfinder?<br />
[19:40] <+Ken> And the "extra" crunch, say for combat for example, are designed to be overlays<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> (Question pause)<br />
[19:40] <+QTGames> How is combat more gritty, I recall you mentioning that? Easier to die, or?<br />
[19:41] <+Dougmysticeye> All of the classes are reimagined for the setting though you could add the base ones in.<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> (Pause after QTGames's question, that is.)<br />
[19:41] <+Ken> so if your used to pathfinder, the game will add (as much of the GM wants) the alternate rules. But we have lots of new classes and even our races are... well bent.<br />
[19:41] <+Ken> Combat uses a wound based system which is designed to have "mid term" effects.<br />
[19:42] <+Dougmysticeye> Since we built combat and other core mechanics to supplement or replace rules we built the classes and races from the ground up as well.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Interesting.<br />
[19:42] <+Ken> your damage effects will last perhaps over a few encounters, but in general there is magical healing so in time you can back to full up. No 9th level quadripalegics.<br />
[19:43] <+Yog_Sothoth> I want to see a post apoc with a strong government someday<br />
[19:43] <+Dougmysticeye> Unless you want one of course.<br />
[19:43] <+Ken> The combat system can also be "turned up" if the GM wants it to move from gritty heroic to. Ack real world if desired.<br />
[19:44] <+Dougmysticeye> Yog- communities have a special challenge if you are using the setting as is.<br />
[19:44] <+Dougmysticeye> There is a saying in the new Earth..."beware the dreams of Children."<br />
[19:45] <+Dougmysticeye> Things people dream or have nightmares about might just manifest in some way so congregating large groups can be dangerous over time.<br />
[19:45] <+Ken> We believe very much that long term game play is critical to the fun. we are talking about level based RPGing for the most part. So we worked very hard to give it a feel, but not "darn it another double natural 20 against me? how many eye shots can there be per combat?<br />
[19:45] <+Ken> its not Harn or rolemaster. :)<br />
[19:45] <+QTGames> That saying "beware the dreams of Children" is very compelling!<br />
[19:46] <+QTGames> Reminds me of a book I have planned, heh. Not the same, but anyway... neat!<br />
[19:46] <+Ken> We have a 20 line short story which brings the beware the children point home.<br />
[19:47] <+QTGames> Cool!<br />
[19:47] <+Ken> (on the combat info - done.<br />
[19:47] <+Dougmysticeye> Thanks... Children have the wildest imagination and the strongest belief in mystical things. Their nightmares are the most terrible when they come.<br />
[19:48] <+Dougmysticeye> Did we get to the questions so far?<br />
[19:48] <+Dougmysticeye> We could get more specific about classes and races?<br />
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[19:48] <~Dan> I'd like to hear that, Doug.<br />
[19:48] <+Ken> As to magic.<br />
[19:48] <+QTGames> Me too.<br />
[19:49] <~Dan> (Oh, but yes, my magic question!)<br />
[19:49] <+Ken> Magic is demonstrated in a number of ways. First the pathfinder 3.5 method exists for arcanists and many world clerics.<br />
[19:50] <+Ken> Where a more subtle fate "unseen" mechanics are used for Priest of the one god.<br />
[19:51] <+Dougmysticeye> There is a natural conflict between the returning many gods of the old Pantheons and the one God of Earth.<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> Nice dynamic there.<br />
[19:51] <+HalGreenberg> Also Silverlion, we could use clarification on your question, can you rephrase it please.<br />
[19:52] <+Ken> Finally, there are dreamwalkers, people (like say children dreaming) who manifest their thoughts as reality. Afterall Gothos was based on dreams and now it is part of the "real world."<br />
[19:52] <&Silverlion> You use this big long desciption to describe the setting..."gothic, horror, fantasy.."<br />
[19:53] <&Silverlion> So I was wondering how this setting, according to you fulfills those aspects/your interpretation of them?<br />
[19:53] <+Ken> So you have a blend of classic Vancian, point buy, and refresh/daily based magic systems. - done.<br />
[19:54] <+Dougmysticeye> Oh, OK, I can get that. Gothos was a gothic fantasy world (architecture, cultures, etc) and the horror element stems from terrible nightmares becoming manifest. Now, I am not saying "Jason" will spring to life but there might be a terrible, supernatural killer that spawns from a nightmare and haunts a town.<br />
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[19:55] <+QTGames> Did the Old Pantheons ever cross the threshold between worlds prior to the merging - during the 1000 years or? And at launch, is the One God still sleeping?<br />
[19:55] <+Dougmysticeye> You could have a team that specializes in hunting the terrors in the night for instance.<br />
[19:56] <+Dougmysticeye> Yes QT- The being Midnar, saved the old gods from diminishing and fading away.<br />
[19:56] <+QTGames> Sounds very interesting. What benefit does one have for hunting the terrors, aside from being rid of them. Is there any other benefit?<br />
[19:56] <+Dougmysticeye> He took them to Gothos to thrive as the One god, and science took over Earth<br />
[19:56] <+QTGames> Ah, I see. Thanks.<br />
[19:57] <&Silverlion> What about Christian/Modern faiths? Since it is still earth?<br />
[19:58] <+Ken> I'll get the modern faiths question when Doug is done.<br />
[19:58] <+Dougmysticeye> Done<br />
[19:58] <+Ken> Ok first regarding hunting horror.<br />
[19:59] <+Ken> yes there are things you can obtain (besides classical toys). Dreamwalkers might get "new ideas" for their manifestations, you might gain favor with a god or gods, and the most common is the classical plot rewards.<br />
[19:59] <+Ken> -done on that<br />
[19:59] <+Ken> Ok to modern faiths.<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> (Plus, horrors are part of this nutritious breakfast!)<br />
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[20:01] <+HalGreenberg> We put the BOO in Boo-Berry cereal<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> :D<br />
[20:01] <+Ken> First, we the game designers feel real world faiths should be treated with respect. The story is presented so the GM can choose what the force behind the "one God" is. If your uncomfortable with your RL God being part of the game, whose to say where that power is coming from.<br />
[20:02] <+Ken> But a huge conflict set in the game is that between faith in an unseen god vs. one who can manifest magic (the many gods of Gothos).<br />
[20:02] <~Dan> (Howdy, Delgrim!)<br />
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[20:02] <~Dan> (Howdy, AlarenPhone! That nick is a good call!)<br />
[20:02] <+Delgrim> Hi Dan & others =)<br />
[20:02] <+Ken> To accurately reflect that, we have used a bit of the system from Pantheons and Pagan faiths favor system. Everyone can gain favor, both with the One God and the many gods.<br />
[20:03] <+QTGames> I appreciate your treating faiths with respect.<br />
[20:03] <+AlarenPhone> (golfclap)<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> (Delgrim: Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat, etc., etc. :) )<br />
[20:03] <+Ken> When you aslk for help from the many gods you might get a spell like effect, but with the One God, and especially if your a priest of the God. Your favor and daily abilities are subtle.<br />
[20:04] <+Ken> So for example you might pray "dear lord get me out of here before the building collapses.<br />
[20:04] <+Ken> If you have faith with the one god, that favor grants you additional dice to your check. So in the game world it is not seen, but you are actually altering fate.<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> Cool.<br />
[20:05] <+Ken> Same thing for when your wounded, perhaps raw chance made it hit somewhere a bit less critical.<br />
[20:05] <+Ken> Perhaps he literally shields you (DR).<br />
[20:05] <+QTGames> I definitely like the One God concept (those that know me well, would say, "Of course", but is there a benefit to favoring the One God above the many equal, would you say, in benefit?<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> DR, you say? Does the system use damage reduction rather than AC?<br />
[20:06] <+Ken> The armaments of God actually exist in game effect. But it all is unseen.<br />
[20:06] <+QTGames> I'm liking the sound of the way you are handling that. Faith in RPG's is an important element to me, since it is a part of real life often overlooked.<br />
[20:06] <+Ken> So do you go with what is obviously real (many gods flashy magic) or with something you can't (faith in the One God).<br />
[20:07] <+Ken> I mean to a Christian, there are lots of "risen" people who died in the apoc but are some how "half alive/undead. but free willed.<br />
[20:07] <+AlarenPhone> that sounds very much like The Coldfire Trilogy<br />
[20:07] <+Dougmysticeye> (The risen are a race sub category)<br />
[20:07] <+Ken> Was satan's maul the rapture and this hell on earth? Its an example oif how we are trying to make the game able to go very adult if the GM wants to.<br />
[20:08] <+Ken> and explore RL or Fantasy based cocepts. Of course you don't have to use them, but they are there. -done.<br />
[20:08] <+Dougmysticeye> Who wrote the Coldfire Trilogy?<br />
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[20:09] <+AlarenPhone> C.S. Friedman<br />
[20:09] <+Dougmysticeye> Cool, I want to check that out.<br />
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[20:09] <~Dan> (wb, BPIJonathan!)<br />
[20:10] <+BPIJonathan> (Im an idiot, closed the wrong window)<br />
[20:10] <+Dougmysticeye> Heheh<br />
[20:10] <+HalGreenberg> Been there...<br />
[20:10] <+HalGreenberg> and I think we are caught up.<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> Did you guys see my question re: DR/AC?<br />
[20:10] <&Silverlion> Coldfire Trilogy is awesome....<br />
[20:10] <+Dougmysticeye> Ken, you want that one too?<br />
[20:11] <+TBear> So the horrors, what sort of things might we expect to see? In the other chat, I mentioned in fun the big marshmellow guy from Ghostbusters, is that sort of thing possible?<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> (And actually, before we go too much farther, we probably should address the races and classes.)<br />
[20:11] <+Dougmysticeye> Tbear- that is actually possible if you, the GM want that. It can be imagined.<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
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[20:12] <+Ken> Note that as you cross systems, some things can change. Ac is used to hit, and DR is used to decrease the intensity (damage in pathfinder, wound intensity if your using the girt combat system, etc). -done.<br />
[20:12] <+Dougmysticeye> We did some creature books for The Hunt: Rise of Evil based on Nightmares and Dreams called....uhm...Nightmares and Dreams 1 & 2.<br />
[20:13] <+BPIJonathan> What kind of access is there to other worlds? Are there portals, is crossing over common?<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> So armor has both AC and DR components in Fall of Man?<br />
[20:14] <+Dougmysticeye> AC= reflexes/ speed DR= Armor using the grit combat.<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> Awesome.<br />
[20:14] * ~Dan moves a little further on board. :)<br />
[20:15] <+Dougmysticeye> Great question Jonathan- One of the adventures I imagined was crossing over to what was left of Gothos, or entering the shattered dreamworld inbetween.<br />
[20:16] <+QTGames> So there is something left of Gothos and it is possible to adventure there. Good.<br />
[20:16] <+Dougmysticeye> There are definitely remnants of portals but how often they are found is up to the GM.<br />
[20:17] <+Ken> Yes portals are key. We want GM's to have the ability to play wholey in FoM or bring people in (and out" from other campaigns if they want.<br />
[20:17] <+Dougmysticeye> How much fantasy do you want in your post apoc stuff, and visa versa<br />
[20:17] <+BPIJonathan> So I would be able to take a party from whatever world I am running and cross over via canon (I know I can take it without it)<br />
[20:17] <+BPIJonathan> (I see the question was answered before I hit enter)<br />
[20:17] <+Ken> correct<br />
[20:17] <+QTGames> I'm all about blended-genre, so I'm happy to have plenty of fantasy, tech, etc.<br />
[20:18] <+SSDWarren> The power unleashed with "the merge" was enormous. So there probably are portals or gateways to other worlds.<br />
[20:18] <+SSDWarren> Up to the GM.<br />
[20:18] <+BPIJonathan> (Has a campaign hes currently running that has blended tech, thought FoM would mesh with it nicely. I backed it nearly from the first day)<br />
[20:18] <+Dougmysticeye> Those same portals allowed the fantasy type races back to Earth as well.<br />
[20:18] <+Ken> We realize Post apoc fantasy gothic horror is a niche. LOL.<br />
[20:19] <+Ken> so we want GM's to take what they want. And we want a good blend of crunch to change things up and story to draw people in.<br />
[20:19] <+QTGames> ;)<br />
[20:19] <+BPIJonathan> I love this setting and I want to see it succeed.<br />
[20:20] <+Dougmysticeye> +1 Ken, this is one of the reasons we roped in folks like Ed Greenwood, so we could flesh out some of those story elements even more.<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> So! Classes and races? ;)<br />
[20:20] <+Dougmysticeye> Me to Jonathan:)<br />
[20:20] <+HalGreenberg> I think Ken is working on it<br />
[20:20] <+Ken> Yes.<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Oh... sorry. :)<br />
[20:21] <+HalGreenberg> Its Ok, I think 11 of each so typing<br />
[20:21] * ~Dan quits capering from foot to foot impatiently, much like a spider monkey might.<br />
[20:21] <+QTGames> I want it to succeed as well. Looks cool and I'm excited for you guys!<br />
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[20:21] <+BPIJonathan> (HI TwentySix, Q&A in progress)<br />
[20:21] <+Dougmysticeye> While Ken is typing I did put up a little bit on our barter and trade system in a video. It also highlights two classes that are tied to barter, trade and scavenging.<br />
[20:21] <+HalGreenberg> We can take another ? as Ken is working.<br />
[20:22] <+BPIJonathan> So tell me about those fox guys<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> Sure. What was the bleeding edge of tech, pre-merge?<br />
[20:22] <+Dougmysticeye> Canites?<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> (In areas like transporation, weaponry, medicine, etc.)<br />
[20:22] <+BPIJonathan> Yes, thats them. All I remembered was the cool pictures.<br />
[20:23] <+Dougmysticeye> So the fox guys were the dream manifestation of "mans best friend" and was the only purely original race on Gothos as they sprung from the good dreams of us on Earth.<br />
[20:23] <+Dougmysticeye> They are very cool. The Samurai Sheepdog that is our logo is a good example!!!<br />
[20:23] <+QTGames> So you can play a dream-manifested race?<br />
[20:23] <+BPIJonathan> Very cool. Thats what I am looking forward to the most, being able to play one of those.<br />
[20:24] <+Dougmysticeye> They have come back to Earth and are a lot of fun to play.<br />
[20:24] <+QTGames> I bet!<br />
[20:25] <+HalGreenberg> Yes Bob, you can have an elven race who uses tech etc...<br />
[20:25] <+Dougmysticeye> Trackers, hunters, and fiercely loyal to friends and allies.<br />
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[20:25] <+Ken> Ok so there is just a tremendous amount of info for the 11 different classes and races. So I'll start with races and see how it goes.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)<br />
[20:25] <+HalGreenberg> The dwarf wielding a shotgun on the cover makes me smile every time.<br />
[20:25] <+Dougmysticeye> Bob, that is an interesting part of our "conflict dynamic" too. Magic vs tech<br />
[20:25] <+QTGames> Yay, Hal!<br />
[20:25] <+WonderRat> (Howdy<br />
[20:26] <+Ken> First, there are those who are wholly fantastical. The elves, gnomes, dwarves and other races of Gothos or other realms have all suffered through the transition. The anger of losing their own home and the new physical deterioration and mutations of their own bodies consumes many of these new Earth inhabitants<br />
[20:26] <+QTGames> Yes, love that stuff, as evidenced by my previous nearly 35 years worth of obsessing over my own setting, heh. Glad yours is getting out there!<br />
[20:27] <+BPIJonathan> What about the importation of other races, say from Paizo's ARG?<br />
[20:27] <+BPIJonathan> (Advanced Race Guide)<br />
[20:28] <+HalGreenberg> Jonathan, with minor tweaking and GM approval it should not be an issue.<br />
[20:28] <+Ken> some races deteriorate as they level, but we introduce race levels as well. Be more Elf!<br />
[20:28] <+Ken> We also have templates to apply such as risen and mutant.<br />
[20:29] <+Ken> So to Jonathan's question these can be applied to races from other sources and still get their FOM on.<br />
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[20:29] <~Dan> (Howdy, schadenfreude!)<br />
[20:29] <+BPIJonathan> Awesome<br />
[20:29] <+QTGames> So, what does risen have like undead stats? That sort of thing?<br />
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[20:29] <+Ken> We want the races to be familiar but with a post apoc twist.<br />
[20:29] <+Ken> As an example QT, yes.<br />
[20:29] <+QTGames> Sounds good.<br />
[20:29] <+QTGames> ah.<br />
[20:30] <+Dougmysticeye> Oooh...I love the gnomes Ken, talk about "The Bent".<br />
[20:30] <+Ken> and if they take more risen "levels" they become more undead like. Heck, perhaps your DM will let you bring back a dead character from earlier in the campaign as a risen.<br />
[20:30] <+BPIJonathan> Risen is a template?<br />
[20:30] <+Ken> or your draconian guy has come here and is now mutating.<br />
[20:31] <+QTGames> How are you handling mutations?<br />
[20:31] <+Ken> Of course not all of the twists are bad. for examples the halflings tend to influence the luck of those around them just by being, etc.<br />
[20:32] <+Ken> Mutations come in 3 groupings. Powers (racial based), feats, and "adds" where the GM places them on you (perhaps as a quest "reward".<br />
[20:32] <+Ken> As mutations can be big to small, so can their effects.<br />
[20:32] <+QTGames> I see. Thanks.<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> Are these magic-based mutations? And how "gonzo" do they get?<br />
[20:34] <+Ken> Risen (also known as reborn) are presented as both a race and as a template. Mutants are similar.<br />
[20:34] <+Ken> Mutations tend to stay more in the post apoc side of things then Anime.<br />
[20:35] <+Dougmysticeye> as designed they do not get too gonzo Dan. I never liked Monty Hall games much (dating myself and as RPGer there).<br />
[20:35] <+Ken> and of course start subtle.<br />
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[20:36] <+Ken> As for classes. We have a mix of truly new (dreamwalkers, asphalt samurai, One God Priests, mechanists, Gifted and new takes on the old; arcanists, wasteland barbarians, soldiers, savangers, etc.<br />
[20:37] <+QTGames> So, how are the rules for things like salvaging? I assume you have something like that for all the ruins out there.<br />
[20:37] <+QTGames> Sorry, I was jumping past current discussion. :(<br />
[20:37] <+QTGames> I like the class names!<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> And on a related note, how advanced did tech get before the merge?<br />
[20:38] <+Dougmysticeye> We have something called "super tech" that will be extremely rare, like a laser weapon, or power armor suit. also hard to keep running.<br />
[20:39] <+QTGames> Since we're on tech for the moment, what if someone finds a partially damaged or disassembled gun, can they repair it normally, without magic, or?<br />
[20:39] <+Dougmysticeye> Imagine tech as it would be in about 15-20 years from now.<br />
[20:40] <+QTGames> The mechanists?<br />
[20:40] <+Ken> They (and perhaps some gnomes/dwarves) would be best to do so yes.<br />
[20:40] <+QTGames> Ah. Thanks.<br />
[20:41] <+Dougmysticeye> So, this ties in to another system. The Mechanist, who builds stuff and uses it, needs parts. Parts can be bartered, Scavengers are good at finding parts as well.<br />
[20:41] <+QTGames> So, the tech isn't so much more advanced than we have, but getting that stuff to work without factories, limited access to parts and such, would make all that stuff more rare. Higher end treasure stuff.<br />
[20:41] <+SSDWarren> Also, think about how great a find it would be to discover a library that has books intact. Especially ones focused on repair or building. It would be like gold in a fantasy world.<br />
[20:41] <+Dougmysticeye> Right- The longer out you run your campaign the harder it will be to power higher tech items.<br />
[20:42] <~Dan> Are there robots?<br />
[20:42] <+QTGames> Man, I love post apoc. Always have!<br />
[20:42] <+Ken> Yes. But the game is placed far enough in the future that some "high tech (i.e stuff not yet made in RL) could be brought in by the GM.<br />
[20:42] <+QTGames> And some higher tech could enter thru a portal, I assume, if the GM wanted it in the game.<br />
[20:43] <+Ken> The current book does not specifically go into robots.<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> On a related note, is there a bestiary, and if so, how extensive?<br />
[20:43] <+Dougmysticeye> Absolutely, tech could eek through a portal. Or a robot could as well but I do not imagine many robots as they will fall apart eventually.<br />
[20:43] <+Ken> But drones, powered armor (such as the current Talos program by Darpa) certainly would be there. Great quest rewards.<br />
[20:43] <+QTGames> Cool.<br />
[20:44] <+SSDWarren> the drawback to those things would of course be...how do you power them?<br />
[20:44] <+Dougmysticeye> and keep them powered.<br />
[20:44] <+SSDWarren> Ultimately up to the GM how mush things have improved in 30 years. Is there limited power in areas? Small communities with generators?<br />
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[20:45] <~Dan> (Howdy, Andy/Guest7076!)<br />
[20:45] <+QTGames> I hope there's some generators. You need cool stuff for some people to live in near luxury (like gang lords), while decent folk are out in the cold, lookin' for a reason to try and take it, heh!<br />
[20:46] <+SSDWarren> Exactly.<br />
[20:46] <+SSDWarren> The "power brokers" in the world would have access to things like generators, clean water, decent food, etc<br />
[20:46] <+Dougmysticeye> Well, there is a mutant red dragon who lives in a high rise and runs a mad max style car/ motorcycle gang. He lives well enough!<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> This is a fairly specific question, but it sounds like skills would be a must in this setting. How do you handle the lack of skills in Castles & Crusades?<br />
[20:47] <+QTGames> Dougmysticeye, I'm gettin' misty-eyed! Dan asked about a bestiary...<br />
[20:47] <+Dougmysticeye> There will be a section of the book dedicated to beasties.<br />
[20:47] <+BPIJonathan> Are you sure you are not "mystic eyed? there Doug?<br />
[20:47] <+BPIJonathan> :)<br />
[20:48] <+Dougmysticeye> Heheh<br />
[20:48] <+QTGames> heh!<br />
[20:48] <+Dougmysticeye> We are also going to adopt and put out the Nightmares & Dreams critters along with the normal array of modern and fantasy monsters/creatures.<br />
[20:49] <+Dougmysticeye> The C&C question is a great one and we are actually still in debate about how to handle that. We have some ideas but have not locked that down.<br />
[20:50] <+QTGames> What's the size of this book?<br />
[20:50] <+Dougmysticeye> We also have some good people resources to help with that conversion.<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> Dougmysticeye: Personally, I would add skills.<br />
[20:50] <+HalGreenberg> Dan, the same way we handled converting Bluffside for C&C, we have Peter S who is comfortable with the setting and C&C and will be lead on that.<br />
[20:50] <+Dougmysticeye> The Bluffside conversion went really well.<br />
[20:50] <+Dougmysticeye> Bluffside was originally for 3.5<br />
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[20:51] <+Dougmysticeye> Book size....currently over 300 pages!!!<br />
[20:51] <+HalGreenberg> with new races, classes and tons of NP's and it ended up real solid<br />
[20:51] <+HalGreenberg> NPC's<br />
[20:51] <+SSDWarren> yes it did.<br />
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[20:51] <~Dan> Sounds like it!<br />
[20:51] <+Ken> And will have a story by Richard Lee Byers in it as well.<br />
[20:52] <+QTGames> I'd think it would have to be easily over 300 pages. I ended up moving my critters to another book.<br />
[20:52] <+QTGames> Very cool!<br />
[20:52] <+Dougmysticeye> Not to let the cat out of the bag but if we can manage to hidden goal there is a novella from said writer that is possible.<br />
[20:52] <+Dougmysticeye> Meant to say "hit" a hidden goal.<br />
[20:52] * *The_Cat* leaves the bag<br />
[20:53] <+SSDWarren> There are a lot of really cool things planned for Fall of Man.<br />
[20:53] <+QTGames> Nice. :)<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Are you at liberty to discuss any of them, Warren?<br />
[20:53] <+QTGames> What sort of release schedule do you have planned?<br />
[20:54] <+HalGreenberg> Be right back the corporate mascot is demanding a walk.<br />
[20:54] <+Dougmysticeye> All depends on if we fund this time or have to take another run at the Kickstarter QT! We have a big goal but it will be worth it.<br />
[20:55] <+SSDWarren> :)<br />
[20:55] <+SSDWarren> Yea...what Doug said.<br />
[20:55] <+QTGames> I understand perhaps better than you know!<br />
[20:55] <+QTGames> I wish you guys all the best with it and will be following along. :)<br />
[20:55] <+Dougmysticeye> Heck, we just added a fully printed supplement book to those that get the limited edition called Player's advantage: Rogue<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> You mentioned FATE as one of the conversions. That seems like a bit of a non sequitur. What was the thinking there?<br />
[20:56] <+Dougmysticeye> Thanks, we knew we had a long hall to get to goal.<br />
[20:56] <+Dougmysticeye> Dan everything we do for FOM is with the thought of flexibility in mind.<br />
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[20:56] <~Dan> (Howdy, Capricious!)<br />
[20:57] <+QTGames> I wasn't judging success, just sayin' I know funding is a factor.<br />
[20:57] <+Dougmysticeye> The rules can be added or removed, you can play races from other setting and have it make sense.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Well, I mean, what made you pick FATE as the only non-D&D-based system?<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> (Not to say that it's a bad choice. Just curious.)<br />
[20:57] <+Dougmysticeye> The same goes for the rules systems.<br />
[20:57] <+Dougmysticeye> Fate, 13th age, C&C.<br />
[20:58] <+Dougmysticeye> They all have a strong fan base and this gives them a new, different setting that is adaptable.<br />
[20:58] <+Dougmysticeye> And....we like those systems.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> Fair enough. :)<br />
[20:58] <+QTGames> Did you find conversion for one system much harder than another? Fate is quite different, as Dan pointed out.<br />
[20:58] <+BPIJonathan> Seems like sound and solid reasons to me<br />
[20:58] <+Dougmysticeye> Yes actually<br />
[20:59] <+Dougmysticeye> We dropped Savage Worlds conversion because we were struggling with it and our sample work was not coming out the way we wanted it too.<br />
[20:59] <+QTGames> Yes, I agree that helps the bottom line - having multiple system compatibility.<br />
[20:59] <+Dougmysticeye> As a for instance.<br />
[20:59] <+QTGames> It's a ton of work though, and you already have a big system to put together.<br />
[21:00] <+Ken> It is a good amount of work. I'm on board with that statement.<br />
[21:00] <+Dougmysticeye> The good news there is that FOM was 90% written when we started the KS project less some pending Pathfinder conversions.<br />
[21:01] <+Dougmysticeye> makes the conversions a little easier.<br />
[21:01] <+QTGames> Good to hear.<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> As I mentioned, you guys are welcome to hang out with us as long as you like. That said, since it's the end of "regular" time, is there anything that we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?<br />
[21:02] <+Dougmysticeye> YES, got pledge!<br />
[21:02] <+Dougmysticeye> This is a big project and we really want to see it come to life.<br />
[21:02] <+SSDWarren> wow...two hours flies by doesn't it?<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> (Oh, and feel free to post links!)<br />
[21:02] <+SSDWarren> (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2033407677/fall-of-man-a-post-apocalyptic-gothic-horror-fanta)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2033407677/fall-of-man-a-post-apocalyptic-gothic-horror-fanta<br />
[21:02] <+QTGames> Yes, we want to see it blossom as well!<br />
[21:02] * ~Dan nods!<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> Also, I'll just mention that I'm a reviewer as well as a Q&A host. :)<br />
[21:03] <+Ken> And hit the facebook page if you'd like: (Link: https://www.facebook.com/fallofmanrpg)https://www.facebook.com/fallofmanrpg<br />
[21:03] <+Ken> Thanks for having us!<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> Absolutely!<br />
[21:04] <+HalGreenberg> Back, and no worries Dan if you see something you want to review of ours, just drop me an email.<br />
[21:04] <+QTGames> Thanks a bunch, all!<br />
[21:04] <+Dougmysticeye> Dan- we would be happy to share if you don't mind seeing some fairly raw (meaning yet to be fully edited) material.<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> I shall do so!<br />
[21:04] <+HalGreenberg> You guys were great, thanks!<br />
[21:04] <+Dougmysticeye> Thanks everyone<br />
[21:04] <+QTGames> :)<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> Dougmysticeye: Actually, I'm pretty backed up, so it would probably make more sense to wait for the finished product.<br />
[21:04] <+BPIJonathan> Thanks for coming guys<br />
[21:04] <+BPIJonathan> I would read it, no review needed :D<br />
[21:04] <+Dougmysticeye> Thank you for hosting us. We appreciate it a great deal<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> If you guys can hang out for a bit here, I'll get you the link to the log.<br />
[21:05] <+SSDWarren> Yes...Thank You<br />
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Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-61905195739215713942014-01-27T19:14:00.004-08:002014-02-07T12:56:06.386-08:00[Q&A] Richard Iorio II (Colonial Gothic 2e)[19:03] <+RichardIorio> My name is Richard Iorio, I run Rogue Games, which publishes Colonial Gothic. Colonial Gothic is a supernatural historical roleplaying game, set during the American Revolution.<br />
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[19:04] <+RichardIorio> The game is set in a period that is ripe for adventure and plots. In short the game uses the history they never taught us in school. (done)<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest84! Please set your name with the /nick command. :) )<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> Thanks, Richard!<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question?<br />
[19:05] <+TBear> If you would, how much of the game's action focuses on the history, and how much on the supernatural aspects of the setting?<br />
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[19:05] <+RichardIorio> Thanks TBear. As much, or as little as you want. The game allows you to run it as a pure historical, or as a supernatural game.<br />
[19:06] <+RichardIorio> What I, and the other writer do, is find the areas of history that make the most sense to inject some horror and supernatural.<br />
[19:06] <+Jetrauben_Mobile> What were some major thematic influences?<br />
[19:06] <+RichardIorio> Events happen as we know them. So you will never have George Washington become a Vampire. (done)<br />
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[19:07] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Gusty737!)<br />
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[19:07] <~Dan> (Howdy, Abstruse!)<br />
[19:07] <+Abstruse> (Sorry, was cooking)<br />
[19:07] <+Abstruse> (Can someone copy/paste what I've missed? Or at least the intro?)<br />
[19:08] <+RichardIorio> Thematic influences would be movies such as The Patriot, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Dracula, maybe Pirates of the Caribbean if you wanted to go in that direction. (done)<br />
[19:08] <+BrentNewhall> What were the challenges of educating the player about that historical period?<br />
[19:08] <+RichardIorio> Good question BrentNewhall.<br />
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[19:09] <+RichardIorio> What I have to remember is that the gamer might not know as much as I know. A lot of research goes into each book, and the reason is too make sure the history is right.<br />
[19:09] <+RichardIorio> I always assume that the reader and gamer needs to know what is going on. So in the Rulebook a lot of pages are spent bringing the gamer up to speed about the history<br />
[19:10] <+RichardIorio> I would say a good 50% of the book is background and guidance about the history.<br />
[19:10] <+Abstruse> Forgive me if this has been asked...Are you using an original system, or licensing another?<br />
[19:10] <+RichardIorio> Outside of the Rulebook, all the other releases take the approach of show, not tell. By that we give you the history, and show you how we used it.<br />
[19:11] <+RichardIorio> Plus you will find list of references in all the books, if you choose to read more. (done)<br />
[19:11] <+RichardIorio> Abstruse, it uses a original system.<br />
[19:11] <+Abstruse> Can you give the basics of the mechanics?<br />
[19:11] <+RichardIorio> It uses 2d12, and you must roll under a Target Number to see if you succeed.<br />
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[19:12] <+RichardIorio> Every action, regardless of whether your character is firing a musket, or intimidating a merchant, is handled the same way: roll the two d12s (2d12), and if the result is equal to or less than the given Target Number (or TN), the action succeeds. Simple as that! (done)<br />
[19:12] <&Silverlion> What stat range does it use, as that seems rather challenging for a roll under system.<br />
[19:13] <+GenoFoxx> have you watched 'Sleep Hollow' and will it influence future supplements?<br />
[19:13] <+RichardIorio> Stats range from 2 to 24. The Target Number is a number based on relevant abilities and skills, plus or minus any modifiers. For example, if your character wants to throw a tomahawk, and has a Nimble Ability of 6 and Throw skill 8, your TN is 14. Thus, rolling 2d12 and getting a result of 14 or less is a success, while rolling higher 15 or higher is a failure<br />
[19:14] <+RichardIorio> (done)<br />
[19:15] <+RichardIorio> I watched Sleepy Hollow GenoFoxx, but did not keep up on it. One of the reasons is that I am putting the finishing touches on the third part of the Flames of Freedom campaign, which is going to take part on Hudson.<br />
[19:15] <+RichardIorio> The Tappen Zee to be exact. I wanted to avoid any comparisons. (done)<br />
[19:15] <+Gusty737> So I've got a question. One my favorite aspects of the setting is that fact that paranormal events are tied to the locations were they originated. One example in Massachusetts i<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> How would you describe the feel of the game? How "swashbuckly" is it, how gritty, etc.?<br />
[19:16] <&Le_Squide> Why did you decide to go with d12s?<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:17] <+RichardIorio> Gusty737, one of the main goals of the game was to try to stay as close as I can to the history and the period. When Graeme Davis came onboard to serve as the Line Developer, we made sure this is always kept in mind<br />
[19:18] <+RichardIorio> If you are going to do history, you have to make sure you get it right, or as close to right as you can. (done)<br />
[19:18] <+Gusty737> I've heard of is called the "bridgewater triangle". How do you handle locations that my have gained legends at a latter date?<br />
[19:19] <+RichardIorio> Le_Squide, I went with d12 because I like the die. Some think I am crazy, but that is why, (done)\<br />
[19:19] <~Dan> (Nice poem. :) )<br />
[19:19] <+Gusty737> in your history i mean.<br />
[19:19] <&Silverlion> What''s the average on 2d12?<br />
[19:19] <+RichardIorio> Dan, the feel of the game depends on the type of game you want to run. I run it gritty. The game can handle swashbuckling, or it can handle gritty. (done)<br />
[19:20] <+RichardIorio> Gusty737, the cut off for the setting Graeme and I set is 1812. If it makes sense, we move it in. Graeme moved the New Jersey Devil into the game because the monster felt right. It is a judgement call.<br />
[19:21] <+RichardIorio> I really try to keep things as close to 1776/1777 as I can. (done)<br />
[19:22] <+RichardIorio> Average of 2d12? Baseline stat is 7, that is considered an average person. I have not done an extensive probability test on 2d12. (done)<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> What is magic like in the game?<br />
[19:22] <+Abstruse> Silverlion: Bell curve centering on 12.5 I believe. 1:144 of getting a 2 or 24.<br />
[19:23] <+RichardIorio> The magic takes the standpoint of a colonist. Thus the spells are grounded in the period. Magic is what you find in a period grimoire. The spells are powerful, because magic for the colonists was viewed as powerful<br />
[19:23] <+RichardIorio> Magic has a price. It will take your Sanity, the more you use it.<br />
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[19:24] <&Silverlion> Looks like it Abstruse.<br />
[19:24] <+RichardIorio> Spells range from simple thinks like producing fire, to dangerous things like curses. (done)<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> Do you distinguish between, say, witchcraft and shamanism?<br />
[19:24] <&Silverlion> Did you cover in legend the colony of Roanoke? (early for the setting, but say important myth)<br />
[19:24] <+BrentNewhall> Silverlion: Odds on 2d12: (Link: http://anydice.com/program/6)http://anydice.com/program/6<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:25] <&Silverlion> Brent: Yeah I just looked.<br />
[19:26] <+RichardIorio> What I did with magic was give you the rules, and allow you to define it as you want. If you want to create a shaman, the rules and spells remain the same. For witchcraft, we went into detail about in a supplement called The Grimoire.<br />
[19:26] <+Gusty737> Is their a plan to include such foreign aid in the revolutionary war as Tadeusz Kościuszko or French Sympathizers working with Benjamin Franklin?<br />
[19:26] <+RichardIorio> In the Rulebook, you are given Magic and Alchemy. These are the two facets that define a lot of the periods historical occult.<br />
[19:26] <+RichardIorio> (done)<br />
[19:27] <+RichardIorio> Roanoke? There is something coming dealing with that …….. :) (done)<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> :)<br />
[19:27] <+Velvet> Is the magic you're describing influenced at all by Orson Scott Card's Tales of Alvin Maker series? It sounds flavored a bit that way, but it might be coincidence.<br />
[19:28] <+RichardIorio> Gusty737, one of the big things Graeme and I want to do is expand the view. We started with the New France book, and there are plans to start pulling in other regions. (dan)<br />
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[19:29] <+RichardIorio> Velvet, I have never ready any of Card's works, so it is a coincidence. I really studies period grimoires, and used that as the basis of everything. (done)<br />
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[19:31] <~Dan> What sorts of grimoires did you reference, out of curiousity?<br />
[19:32] <+Gusty737> Another question, Kościuszko is a polish soldier that meet and made friends with Thomas Jefferson. Are either man's enlightenment philosophies going to be discussed?<br />
[19:33] <&Silverlion> Is George Washington able to jump a river in a single bound, like old folktales..?<br />
[19:33] <+RichardIorio> Le Grand Grimoire, Compendium Heptarchiae Mysticae, Flagellum Daemonum; Fstis Daemonum, The Marrow of Alchemy to name a few (done)<br />
[19:33] <+Gusty737> That both shared that philosophy.<br />
[19:33] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:34] <+Gusty737> The question is more about how the enlightenment is handled in your setting.<br />
[19:34] <+RichardIorio> Gusty737, I have no plans as of yet. If a project calls for it, sure. Looking at the releases in the works, nothing covering him yet. Heck I want to get to Swamp Fox, but I have not had the chance too yet. (done)<br />
[19:35] <+RichardIorio> Silverlion, no, George Washington is how the history shows him. He is mentioned, but he has not been used as a NPC. (done)<br />
[19:35] <&Silverlion> Darn...<br />
[19:36] <+Abstruse> Do you have any historical figures as supernatural beings? Other than the more obvious ones like Vlad Tepes/Dracula.<br />
[19:36] <+RichardIorio> Gusty737, the Enlightenment is handled as a movement that is slowly taking humankind out of the roots of myth. It is obscuring the magic and the myths, and unless it can be proven mathematically, then it does not exist.<br />
[19:37] <+BPIJonathan> (Sorry I am late, was Dan's fault)<br />
[19:37] <+RichardIorio> You have this conflict between the new and the old. (done)<br />
[19:37] * +BPIJonathan waves to Richard.<br />
[19:38] <+RichardIorio> Abstruse, no, there are no historical figures as supernatural beings. However, maybe some have some magical *cough* Jeffereson *cough* or Alchemical *cough* Franklin *cough* connections. (done)<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Speaking of which, are their any "weird science" aspects to the setting?<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Or does that fall under alchemy?<br />
[19:40] <+Velvet> What's your favorite little gimmick in the setting, so far?<br />
[19:40] <+RichardIorio> Alchemy would be weird science, Dan, but right now Alchemy has a more "fantastical" chemistry feel too it. (done)<br />
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[19:41] <+RichardIorio> My favorite little gimmick Velvet would be how Sanity is used through out the game. Sanity Ebbs and Flows, and with it, you fuel magic. You can also have it simply decay, and eventually turn your character crazy.<br />
[19:42] <+RichardIorio> Sanity gives the player the choice of should they use it, and slowly sink into insanity, or hold it and use it as a bulwark when facing a monster. (done)<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Is there no benevolent magic? I'd think shamanism wouldn't be as sanity-blasting as Western occultism.<br />
[19:42] <+BPIJonathan> Oooh, Crazy Magic Users FTW<br />
[19:43] <+RichardIorio> Dan, you have two types of spells, Common and Arcane. Common are simple little tricks. Arcane will break your mind. :) (done)<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> Ah, I see. Very nice.<br />
[19:43] <+RichardIorio> BPIJonathan, oh yes. There are a few crazy mages running around my game.<br />
[19:44] <+RichardIorio> Dan, the thing with magic is that it can be helpful, but it is seductive<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> (Oh, and you only really need to give us a "(done)" after a question pause, unless you just want to emphasize the end of an answer. :) )<br />
[19:44] <+RichardIorio> sorry. :)<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> No worries. Some guests are big "(done)" fans. :)<br />
[19:45] <+RichardIorio> The more your character uses it, the more they will want to know more. The more they know, the more they use. The more they use, the more the grip to sanity slips away<br />
[19:45] <+BPIJonathan> (Dan is distracting my layout guy with a chat, so he shouldnt be bothering him and let him get through the chat :) )<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> What role, if any, does faith play in the game?<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> ( BPIJonathan :p )<br />
[19:45] <&Le_Squide> Do you have a good example of a Common and an Arcane spell to demonstrate the differences?<br />
[19:46] <+Velvet> Is it possible to be both a fairly formidable mage, and useful in other ways? Say, a mage who likes to keep his/her sanity. Would they be able to remain relevant without going completely nuts?<br />
[19:46] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:46] <+RichardIorio> As much, or as little as you want it. In the first edition there was a mechanic for it, but it never really worked. I pulled it out for second edition, and will return to it at a later date.<br />
[19:46] <+RichardIorio> A common spell would be Reveal. You cast the spell and anything hidden is show.<br />
[19:46] <+Gusty737> A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (the novel) is one of my favorite books on the interplay of "ancient" magic and "modern" science. Did you give an thought to this dynamic when writing Colonial Gothic 2e?<br />
[19:47] <~Dan> (Please hold questions during a question pause, Gusty737. Thanks! :) )<br />
[19:47] <+RichardIorio> A Arcane Spell would be Rainmaking. Once you cast it a storm appears<br />
[19:48] <+RichardIorio> Velvet, if you stick to common spells, your character will be fine. They will be useful and they will not go crazy. If you choose to be an alchemist, then they will be very helpful. It is only when you work with Arcane magic, that the risk of sanity lost happens<br />
[19:49] <+RichardIorio> With Alchemy you can brew Elixirs, and the like and loose no sanity in the process<br />
[19:49] <+RichardIorio> As for the dynamic between magic and science, this is hinted at right now.<br />
[19:50] <+RichardIorio> You are seeing this come into play in the Flames of Freedom campaign, and this is shown with the schism taking place between the Freemasons.<br />
[19:51] <+RichardIorio> Plus, if you look at how Alchemy is handled, you see is more science then "magic"<br />
[19:51] <+RichardIorio> As the Revolution plays out, you will see this split take a much large role.<br />
[19:51] <+RichardIorio> whew. (done)<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> By default, how open is magic and the supernatural? And if it's hidden, given the potential of Arcane magic, what keeps it that way?<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> (Oh, and I think you missed my questoin about faith in the setting. :) )<br />
[19:54] <+RichardIorio> For the most part Dan, magic is seen as a myth and superstition that Rural colonists think is "real". The Enlightenment is slowly seeing more and more people not believing in the legends and magic<br />
[19:54] <+RichardIorio> I answered your Faith question :) Here it is again: As much, or as little as you want it. In the first edition there was a mechanic for it, but it never really worked. I pulled it out for second edition, and will return to it at a later date.<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> Ah... Don't know how I missed that. Thanks. :)<br />
[19:55] <+RichardIorio> You're very welcome. :)<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> I'm curious, though: If magic is so powerful and obvious, why would people find it rational to quit believing in it?<br />
[19:55] <+BPIJonathan> (Oh, I thought that was the answer for the question " Is there no benevolent magic? " I guess I missed it too)<br />
[19:56] <+RichardIorio> Very few people practice magic, and if you encounter it, there are always ways to explain it away<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> Seems like you'd run into the problem that the "Realm of Reason" had in Ars Magica.<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> Ah... so no lobbing fireballs and lightning bolts?<br />
[19:57] <+RichardIorio> The background of the game, is that as the urban centers have grown, more and more the rural is being pushed away.<br />
[19:57] <+RichardIorio> No no fireballs and the like. All the spells are things you could easily explain away.<br />
[19:57] <+RichardIorio> The one thing I did not want was elf wizards flinging lightning bolts<br />
[19:58] <+RichardIorio> With the research I did, a lot of the historical spells was about trigging an effect. You wanted to have something happen that would aid you, or harm someone<br />
[19:58] <+RichardIorio> This is the type of magic you find in Colonial Gothic.<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> It sounds like the setting skews heavily toward European supernatural elements. What part to Amerindian beliefs and American folklore play?<br />
[20:00] <+RichardIorio> Have not gotten to it yet. The base game takes the colonist view point<br />
[20:01] <+RichardIorio> I do have plans for American Indians and I am still in the middle of research<br />
[20:01] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:01] <+RichardIorio> it takes about 6 to 8 months of research before I write a book for Colonial Gothic<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> Impressive!<br />
[20:02] <+RichardIorio> I have only one chance to get it right, so I make sure I do. My belief is that if you are going to work with history and tweak it, you better know it first, so that you do not break it<br />
[20:02] <+BPIJonathan> Maybe for someone that doesnt do 6-8 months of research :D<br />
[20:03] <+RichardIorio> The American Indian book has been worked on, and when I think I'm ready I will know. :)<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[20:03] <+RichardIorio> The upcoming Lost Colony book that Jennifer Brozek wrote, she did a lot of research on it.<br />
[20:03] <+RichardIorio> That is one reason we do not spew out books, research. :)<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> You mentioned that the game can handle swashbuckling as well as horror. Are there any "dials" involved that you can turn to skew the game one way or the other?<br />
[20:05] <+Gusty737> Still a question about Colonial Gothic Setting but more about the 12 degrees system in general. Is SS&S designed to have any interplay with CG or where the 2 conceived as separate settings?<br />
[20:06] <+RichardIorio> The "dials" are how you raise or lower the TN. If you want more success, you as the GM can lower TNs to make things "easier" and allow for more over the top actions.<br />
[20:06] <+RichardIorio> The only similarity Shadow, Sword & Spell and Colonial Gothic has in the mechanic.Each games does what it does. SS&S is designed for humanistic pulp fantasy. CG is horror.<br />
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[20:07] <+RichardIorio> Now, they share the same rules, so it is very easy to port things between the two. If you want guns in SS&S, you can port them over from CG.<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> (Howdy, Jetrauben!)<br />
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[20:09] <~Dan> Speaking of guns, how useful are they in the game, generally speaking?<br />
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[20:09] <+RichardIorio> You do not want to get hit by one. :)<br />
[20:10] <+Gusty737> Cthulhu Mythos crossover is what i was referring to not the mechanics. SS&S seems to have more "meat" in it depiction of the mythos.<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)<br />
[20:11] <+WonderRat> (howdy, Dan<br />
[20:11] <+RichardIorio> Guns can quickly end a fight with most normal threats. Just hope you do not run into a werewolf.<br />
[20:11] <+RichardIorio> Cthulhu, Gusty737, is something we have slowly been layering in.<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> Do you deal with their relative inaccuracy at the time?<br />
[20:13] <+RichardIorio> No. Because CG is not mean to be a historical simulation. Plus, I am not someone who has a lot of experience with blackpowder. I have fired some, but I am not that historically versed<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> Fair enough.<br />
[20:15] <+RichardIorio> I decided guns would be the one area I would make no one happy.<br />
[20:15] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[20:15] <+RichardIorio> Some of the game's fans are really well versed in the period's firearms. The emails I get, man, they take it seriously<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> I'll bet. :)<br />
[20:15] <+BPIJonathan> Besides, this is a game...so it doesnt have to be 100% accurate for me. :)<br />
[20:16] <+RichardIorio> I try my best, but at the end of the day, its' a game about horror. Your screwed even if I got the guns perfect. :)<br />
[20:16] <+RichardIorio> So try BPIJonathan. So true. :)<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> Is there a "Big Bad" behind the supernatural in the setting, or some kind of unified source?<br />
[20:17] <+RichardIorio> Yes and no. There is this little group known as the Mandoag….<br />
[20:18] <+RichardIorio> And a Sir Richard Southwell…<br />
[20:18] <+RichardIorio> They play a role, and this role has been the main plot of Flames of Freedom.<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> Hmm... That ties into another question: To what degree do the horror and war elements intertwine?<br />
[20:21] <+RichardIorio> As much, or as little as you want them too<br />
[20:21] <+RichardIorio> Remember, as I mentioned, history happens the way we know it does.<br />
[20:21] <+RichardIorio> However, if there is a way to inject the magic and horror into the history, I do.<br />
[20:22] <+RichardIorio> In Boston Besieged, the first part of Flames of Freedom, you find out how the fog appeared that allowed Washington and the Continental Army to place the cannons that broke the siege<br />
[20:23] <+RichardIorio> For this, it made sense to use a little "magic" to explain the sudden appearance of the fog. The fog is a real historical event, so this was used<br />
[20:23] <+RichardIorio> As the GM if you want it to be more of a crossover, I give you guidelines in the Rulebook how to do it. Heck, if you want to have Washington be killed, I explain how to use Alt History<br />
[20:24] <+RichardIorio> At the end of the day, the game is your game. I give you the tools you need, you can use them the way you want too<br />
[20:24] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:25] <+Gusty737> New York is a very diverse state. What aspects of that diversity will you be primarily focusing on in Shadows over the Hudson?<br />
[20:25] <+RichardIorio> Sometimes, when I give that answer, people think I am being purposely vague, but I am not<br />
[20:26] <+RichardIorio> Shadows over the Hudson takes place at the Neutral Ground. The area in and around Tarrytown, where you had the Skinners and Cowboys running rough shod<br />
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[20:27] <+RichardIorio> The adventure's actions take place in Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, the Neutral Ground and Peeskill<br />
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[20:27] <+RichardIorio> You are going to have to deal with conflicting groups, as well as the events that spun out of The Philadelphia Affair<br />
[20:28] <+RichardIorio> Part of the delay with Shadows was getting all the facts straight.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> Is there any default assumption as to who the PCs are?<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> (As far as soldiers vs. civilians, etc.)<br />
[20:31] <+RichardIorio> No. Backgrounds in the game allow for solider or civilian. You can be a militia or ex solider. You can be a urban colonist, to a frontier colonist. Native born, or Tribe Adopted.<br />
[20:31] <+Gusty737> Since I'm not a history expert what modern borough does the neutral ground correspond to? I'm assuming Manhattan.<br />
[20:31] <+RichardIorio> Freed Slave or Former Indentured Servant. Basically, what type of character do you want to play.<br />
[20:32] <+RichardIorio> Neutral Ground is the area around Tarrytown New York, specifically the Tappen Zee<br />
[20:33] <+RichardIorio> Around northern Westchester County<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> Have you given any thought to expanding the scope of the game chronologically, either backwards or forwards in history?<br />
[20:37] <+RichardIorio> Yes. Lost Colony (out next month) starts in 1607. I am looking at something next year that will cover 1600's as well. The latest I will go is 1814.<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> Jean Lafitte totally should dabble in magic. :)<br />
[20:38] <+RichardIorio> The reason is that I subscribe to the theory that the War of 1812 was just a continuation of the American Revolution. At the end of it, you have the recognition of the US as the US<br />
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[20:39] <+RichardIorio> Well, Jefferson did rebuild Monticello at least 20 times. Plus he has a lot of book in his library. Who know what he was trying to keep at bay…. ;-)<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> :D<br />
[20:40] <+BPIJonathan> (How can you call that a victory when the US only won one major battle and that was after the war was over?)<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> (brb)<br />
[20:40] <+BPIJonathan> (:P)<br />
[20:41] <+RichardIorio> Well, do the British still claim us as a Colony? ;-)<br />
[20:41] <+BPIJonathan> (sorry, channeling an old professor :D )<br />
[20:42] <+RichardIorio> No worries. I will just work slower on your projects. :P<br />
[20:42] <+BPIJonathan> You know, people that live in Chicago are just awesome :D<br />
[20:43] <+Gusty737> Could Time Travel be a thing in Colonial Gothic? Would it be a secret part of the occult world?<br />
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[20:44] <+RichardIorio> If you wanted to make it a part of it, sure.<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> (back, sorry)<br />
[20:45] <+Yog_Sothoth> Will we ever see a sourcebook for the Dutch?<br />
[20:45] <+RichardIorio> If I get a good proposal for one, yes. :)<br />
[20:45] <+Gusty737> What about future shock? I noticed you mentioned Rip van Winkle in the gazetteer.<br />
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[20:45] <&Silverlion> ModernDay supplement for the Sleepy Hollow TV show?<br />
[20:46] <+RichardIorio> That is something that is on the agenda. When we cover something like Rip van Winkle, you will know. :)<br />
[20:46] <+Gusty737> the legend at least<br />
[20:47] <+RichardIorio> Modern Day, no plans as of now. I have plans for something, but not the present day. I have enough on plate between Colonial Gothic and Shadow, Sword & Spell right now.<br />
[20:47] <+RichardIorio> Sleepy Hollow, the legend, was covered in a PDF release, and it is going to be part of the third part of Flames of Freedom<br />
[20:48] <+RichardIorio> There is a monster, The Headless, in the Rulebook<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> How extensive is the bestiary, speaking of which?<br />
[20:49] <+RichardIorio> In the rulebook, it covers such things as animals, classic monsters like vampires, ghouls, as well and native creatures like Honochenokeh<br />
[20:50] <+RichardIorio> The Bestiary we released in October has more creatures from legend, as well as Lovecraftian, and the like<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> Oh? Interesting! I didn't see that one.<br />
[20:50] <+RichardIorio> Here's the link: (Link: http://rogue-games.net/games/Colonial-Gothic/Colonial-Gothic/bestiary.html)http://rogue-games.net/games/Colonial-Gothic/Colonial-Gothic/bestiary.html<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> Very cool!<br />
[20:52] * +BPIJonathan still needs to get hold of these :D<br />
[20:52] <+RichardIorio> Graeme pushed me to do that book. There are some really cool things in there<br />
[20:52] <+BPIJonathan> I have PDFs, but want print. :D<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> Looks like it. :)<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Looks like we have about 10 minutes left in "regular time". Is there anything we haven't covered already that you'd like to mention, Richard?<br />
[20:54] <+RichardIorio> Well, let me first say thank you Dan for inviting me too this. I enjoyed it. It's nice to be able to talk about the game.<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> Absolutely. :)<br />
[20:55] <+RichardIorio> Secondly, things slowed down a little the past year while I dealt with getting healthy mentally, it feels good to be back at work on the game. There are some very cool things in the work<br />
[20:55] <+Gusty737> True20 Colonial Gothic was released a couple years in collaboration with Gun Metal Games. How much of that included your ideas & how much is going in the perilous journey's series?<br />
[20:56] <+RichardIorio> The True20 version was a straight up conversion. They took the game, and converted it to True20. It is as close to me as it can be.<br />
[20:56] <+RichardIorio> Perilous Journey is its' own thing. The only rule they had was don't break history. :)<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> Perilous Journey?<br />
[20:57] <+RichardIorio> (Link: http://www.rpgnow.com/product/124891/Perilous-Journey-%231-Portsmouth-%5BColonial-Gothic%5D)http://www.rpgnow.com/product/124891/Perilous-Journey-%231-Portsmouth-%5BColonial-Gothic%5D<br />
[20:58] <+RichardIorio> Mystical Throne Entertainment licensed the game and they are releasing a 14-part campaign series.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> Very nice.<br />
[20:59] <+RichardIorio> They approached me last year, and I said yes.<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> That should be flattering.<br />
[20:59] <+RichardIorio> It was, and like everything, I was surprised.<br />
[21:00] <+RichardIorio> I mean, designing games tends to be a lonely thing. Sometimes you do not know what you design is being liked. They came to me with the idea, I liked it, and said sure. Easy as that.<br />
[21:00] <+RichardIorio> I like what they have planned for this. They keep me in the loop, and I read over everything, but they have the freedom to create the campaign in the way they want.<br />
[21:01] <+RichardIorio> It is a very easy working relationship.<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> What new types of magic does it feature?<br />
[21:03] <+RichardIorio> New spells and alchemy<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> Really? The promo text says there are "two new types" of magic.<br />
[21:04] <+RichardIorio> I am pulling it up now. Hold one for one second<br />
[21:04] <+Gusty737> Herbalism & Voodoo.<br />
[21:04] <+Gusty737> sorry.<br />
[21:04] <+RichardIorio> No, thanks.<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Ah, cool.<br />
[21:05] <+RichardIorio> Everything blends together after awhile. :\<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> I'm sure. :)<br />
[21:05] <+BPIJonathan> (I heard that Steve Jackson once said "Why should I remember whats in the book, I wrote it down so I didnt have to remember it." to someone when they asked him about something in a GURPS book. True or not, I have always loved that)<br />
[21:05] <+Gusty737> and cursed pirate treasure (spoiler-free!)<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> So what else do you have planned, for Colonial Gothic or otherwise?<br />
[21:06] <+RichardIorio> I like that quote, true or not.<br />
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[21:07] <+RichardIorio> Lost Colony is out next month. May see's the release of The Landlord's Daughter (a stand alone adventure). This fall sees the release of Shadows over the Hudson.<br />
[21:07] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)<br />
[21:08] <+RichardIorio> Next year will see a few more things, but those three are the big three. Jennifer Brozek (author of Locations and Lost Colony) is working on something as well for next year.<br />
[21:08] <+Velvet> (*waves at Monk, then continues lurking and listening*)<br />
[21:08] <+BPIJonathan> I like her work<br />
[21:08] <+Gusty737> February means mid-month right? or is it the end of the month?<br />
[21:08] <+RichardIorio> I do to, BPUJonathan. I love working with her.<br />
[21:09] <+RichardIorio> Lost Colony is being looked over (its' laid out) and the preorder should go live first week of February. It will be out mid-February.<br />
[21:09] <+RichardIorio> I am waiting on one map for Lost Colony, and then it is done.<br />
[21:10] <~Dan> Oh, before I log the chat, want to provide the readers with any relevant links?<br />
[21:10] * &Silverlion pokes our guest. :D<br />
[21:10] <+RichardIorio> It is a very nice book, and it is one the Graeme Davis went crazy for when the draft came in.<br />
[21:11] <+RichardIorio> Sure. Colonial Gothic: (Link: http://rogue-games.net/games/Colonial-Gothic/)http://rogue-games.net/games/Colonial-Gothic/<br />
[21:11] <&Silverlion> Richard: I sent you a PM..nothing big. Just if you can see it...<br />
[21:11] <+RichardIorio> This gives you all the background for the game.<br />
[21:11] <+RichardIorio> Lost Colony: (Link: http://rogue-games.net/games/Colonial-Gothic/Colonial-Gothic/colonialgothiclost.html)http://rogue-games.net/games/Colonial-Gothic/Colonial-Gothic/colonialgothiclost.html<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> Thanks, Richard! And thanks again for coming by! :)<br />
[21:12] <+RichardIorio> If you want to know more about Shadow, Sword & Spell (Link: http://rogue-games.net/games/SSS/)http://rogue-games.net/games/SSS/<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> Please feel free to hang out as long as you like. If you don't mind, though, I'll go ahead and log the chat here.<br />
[21:12] <+RichardIorio> Thanks Dan, I enjoyed it. I will not be a stranger. :)<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> Excellent. You are always welcome. :)Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-34024635719798400792014-01-26T18:53:00.001-08:002014-02-07T12:56:19.452-08:00[Review] Swords of Cydoria<b style="font-size: xx-large;">Introduction</b><br />
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The name’s Davenport. I review games.
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So the other day I'm walkin' to the office when a beaked purple four-armed gorilla comes ridin' up on a dinosaur.
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Yeah.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
He tells me all about this <b>Basic Roleplaying</b> game he wants me to review by the name of <b>Swords of Cydoria</b>. He says it's got airships, rayguns, swashbuckling, psychics, super-gadgets, kung fu, aliens… and, yeah, four-armed mutant gorillas and dinosaurs.
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(At least, that's what I <i>think</i> he said. Turns out beaked gorillas got <i>lousy</i> diction.)
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Anyway, all that stuff sounded right up my alley, so I says I'll do it.
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Not that I was gonna argue about it anyway. Oh, I ain't afraid of any four-armed mutant gorilla, mind you. But the dinosaur was double-parked.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Substance</b></span>
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<a href="http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=6719"><b>Swords of Cydoria</b></a> is a Chaosium <a href="http://catalog.chaosium.com/index.php?cPath=55">monograph</a> for use with <a href="http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=6561"><b>Basic Roleplaying ("BRP")</b></a>. It presents a setting that asks what might happen if a seeming world of swords and sorcery made undeniable but limited alien contact. (There's a lot more to it than that, of course.) The answer is that it depends upon how close you are to that point of contact. As a result, the setting can resemble everything from Conan to Buck Rogers, with the average sitting somewhere around John Carter.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter One: Introduction</b></span>
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This chapter provides a broad-brush description of the planet Uruta and the continent of Markania, a sort of savage pulp wonderland of vast deserts, swamps, volcanoes, jungles, and floating mountains, all filled with sand squids, giant bugs, dinosaurs, four-armed mutant apes, and who knows what else.
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The city-states of Cydoria form the hub of civilization. Twelve years before the time of the game, a War of Unification took place over Cydoria between the cruel Vrildarian Empire and the Coalition of Timan, each backed by an alien race -- the Rhakadians and the Phanosians, respectively -- and provided with high technology for the struggle. (The mysterious energy field surrounding Uruta known as the Oudh prevents an outright alien invasion.) The Phanosians suddenly abandoned the Coalition, and the Empire was victorious.
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Now the Empire jealously guards access to technology. Propeller-driven areo-ships may ply the skies, but woe betide the commoner caught with a laser pistol…
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Of course, with such an expansive and multifaceted setting, the question arises as to what the player characters do. The chapter offers multiple compelling suggestions, including artifact hunting, running an areo-ship for hire, courtly politics, law-defying technology, rebellion against the Empire, and survival in Markania's savage frontier.
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The chapter concludes with a very welcome glossary of terms.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Two: Creating a Character</b></span>
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Character creation in <b>Swords of Cydoria</b> follows the same basic setup found in other <b>BRP</b>-based games. What makes <b>Swords of Cydoria</b> stand out are its twenty-six cultures and nine new races. The former include militaristic hawk-riders, high-tech movers and shakers, cavemen, amazons, inbred mutants, and self-mutilating snake-worshipping freaks, along with rough analogs of some real-world cultures with interesting twists (e.g., the Viking types live inland and ride elephant-sized musk oxen).
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The races:
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<ul>
<li><b>Capridian:</b> Philosophical antelope/goat men.</li>
<li><b>Cyberdroids:</b> Robotic warriors and explorers.</li>
<li><b>Deru:</b> Subterranean frog-like creatures.</li>
<li><b>Daka:</b> Fierce desert-dwelling lizardmen.</li>
<li><b>Phanosian:</b> Undercover alien spies, identical to humans, working against the Empire.</li>
<li><b>Xoogs:</b> Genetically-engineered former slave races.</li>
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<li><b>Brux:</b> Huge, ogre-like labrorers.</li>
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<li><b>Jinx:</b> Small, smart, sneaky, goblin-like humanoids.</li>
<li><b>Orix:</b> Orc-like humanoids bred for combat.</li>
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It's an excellent selection that goes a long way to making the setting feel alive.
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The chapter also includes a list of available professions. Most are from the <b>BRP</b> rulebook, retooled for the setting, with some new ones in the mix as well. Among the latter are the Biomancer, who creates potions that produce temporary mutations, and the Jedi-like Guardian of Adhara, who defends the helpless with the powers of Ta’oudh <i>(see below)</i>.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Three: Equipment and Technology</b></span>
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Far more than a simple equipment list -- although the chapter includes a prodigious one -- this section examines the effects of technology on society and the legal efforts to control these effects, along with the quirks of technology particular to the setting. (Uruta has no fossil fuels, for example, and the height of native military technology prior to alien contact was the air rifle.)
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The chapter paints a vivid picture of a society making a jump from late Middle Ages/early Renaissance to scifi levels of technology, albeit in a harshly-regulated fashion. In the Cydorian city-states, broadcast energy transmitters allow for such luxuries as electric cars, air conditioning, and modern kitchen appliances; however, while commoners may partake of such things, they may not personally own them and must rent them from the nobility. Adventurers may well fight with a sword in one hand and a plasma pistol in the other in true sword-and-planet fashion, but getting caught without a permit for that pistol and you'll be fighting one-handed. Meanwhile, away from the cities and their broadcast energy towers, life remains harsh and primitive outside of a few alien outposts and bits of clandestine technology. Appropriately, the chapter includes rules for forging documentation.
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A highlight of the chapter is the section describing aero-ships: craft held aloft by anti-gravity and driven by electric-powered propellers, looking very much like <a href="http://forgottenflix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/War-Rocket-Ajax.jpg">War Rocket Ajax</a> of <i>Flash Gordon</i> fame.
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One of the stranger aspects of the chapter -- and, indeed, of the setting -- is the use of the Repair skill to produce super powered gadgets, with provided examples such as flight packs, invisibility cloaks, and healing ray projectors. Such devices seemingly and inexplicably leapfrog the capabilities of even the most advanced alien technology. An earlier draft of the rules included wizard-like "thaumaturges" who could bind the spirits known as Aya into devices to replicate the arcane technology of the ancient gods known as the Sdara Vatra, which would have made a lot more sense in this respect. What does make sense are the included rules for modifying existing technology.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Four: Powers</b></span>
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Aside from the aforementioned super powered gadgetry, four other sources of superhuman power exist within the setting: fate, biomancy, psi-magic, and Ta'oudh.
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(In actuality, mutations exist as well and are intrinsic in certain species, animals, and at least one human culture. Especially given the fact that certain whole regions are noted for producing mutations, I see no reason why such powers shouldn't be available to any character.)
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<b>Fate</b>
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Many games have some variation on the "Fate Point" concept, so the rules for spending power points to manipulate fate in <b>Swords of Cydoria</b> in order to reduce damage, re-roll, use Luck instead of a skill, shift up the result of a die roll, cause maximum damage on a hit, or assume partial narrative control are not unique by any means. No, what makes this ability interesting in this particular game is that it exists within the setting rather than as a meta-game mechanic and that it is only available to specific races, and even then only to members of those races who take no other powers.
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<b>Biomancy</b>
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As previously mentioned, biomancers create potions that induce temporary mutations (five minutes by default). Given the relatively low power of mutations in <b>BRP</b>, I'm not sure that the ability to gain one for a mere five minutes is all that impressive, but I like the power in concept, at least.
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<b>Psi-Magic</b>
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"Psi-magic" abilities are simply <b>BRP</b> psychic powers. I really dislike the term "psi-magic", because it implies the knowledge of (1) psychic powers and (2) other forms of magic, neither of which makes any sense in this setting.
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The game does include two new psychic powers: Divination, which involves consulting with the spirits known as Aya to benefit from their vast knowledge, and Bind Aya, which binds these beings into "Aya stones" in order to consult with them at will.
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For my own game (which, sadly, never got off the ground), I decided to make the written-out thaumaturges masters of the Bind Aya ability, using it to create their remarkable gadgets.
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<b>Ta'oudh</b>
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The powers of the mystical martial art known as Ta'oudh consist of reskinned sorcery spells from the <b>BRP</b> rulebook and works surprisingly well in this regard, replicating various personal augmentations, flashy chi blasts, mystic healing, wuxia leaps, and so on. The only
minor issue that came up during character creation was a bit of mild disappointment that Ta'oudh's Jedi-like practitioners do not have access to "Jedi mind tricks", that being the province of psychic powers.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Five: The History of Cydoria</b></span>
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This chapter might best be understood as the <i>known</i> history of the setting, starting with the origin of the Nazarians -- something akin to the setting's ancient Atlanteans -- and moving forward though the first contact with aliens on to the present day.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Six: The World of Uruta</b></span>
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Since the other continents get only passing mention, this is really a gazetteer of Markania, not Uruta. That said, the chapter does a stellar job of taking GMs on a tour of the setting. The only real problem is that the place has so many terribly cool locations, you may well have a hard time deciding where to start.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Seven: The Society of Cydoria</b></span>
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Here the game covers the organization of Cydorian society, from the government and nobility down to the commoner. Along the way, the chapter covers the pivotal role the introduction of alien technology has had on society and describes (but doesn't stat out) the key players in the Imperial Court.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Eight: Secret Societies</b></span>
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The setting features all manner of shadowy organizations, and this chapter details a dozen of them.
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Countering the evil Empire as detailed in the previous chapter is the Demetrian Resistance, an underground rebel force that is all that remains of the Coalition of Timan.
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Given the harsh restrictions on technology, the description of the Black Market was a must. On the other end of the spectrum, the chapter describes the guilds of the Octavium, the almost monastic order devoted to various forms of engineering with the blessing of the Empire. Then there are the Techno-Heretics, independent operators dedicated to breaking the Octavium's technological monopoly and stripping away the fear and superstition associated with applied science.
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The section delves into the secrets and history of the Jedi-like Guardians of Adhara as well as the ninja-like Katari assassins guild.
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And what would a sword-and-planet game with aero-ships be without aero-ship pirates? That's where the Pirates of Dazumi come in, led by their enigmatic masked queen, Shadowfox.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Nine: Alien Worlds and Cultures</b></span>
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While space travel exists in the setting, it really isn't a feature of the game. That being the case, I was pleased to see that the author nevertheless provides a tour of the setting's solar system. This includes worlds that are homes to multiple cultures and environments along with massive space independent space cities. This information may not get a lot of use, but it does add to the setting's already strong verisimilitude.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Ten: Allies and Opponents</b></span>
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I love a good bestiary, and <b>Swords of Cydoria</b> delivers.
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The chapter begins by statting out human NPCs of all sorts, doing so with excellent breadth and depth. (As an example of the latter, the section offers the basic stats for a barbarian warrior, then features equipment and weapon skills specific to multiple barbarian cultures.)
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Next come the non-human NPCs. Here the chapter covers both those previously set out as PC-worthy and ones far more savage and/or exotic. Among the latter: insect-men, hawk-men, intelligent octopi and rats, feral Xoogs (that nicely fill the ogre/troll, orc, and goblin niches), and my personal favorites, the four-armed mutant gorillas.
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Then there are the monsters. The Urutan spins on assorted giant-sized animals predominate, including giant bears, beetles, wasps, gila monsters, dragonflies, spiders, crabs, snakes, musk oxen, and even hagfish and maggots <i>(shudder)</i>. Dinosaurs are present but unstatted, the chapter referring readers to the stats in the <b>BRP</b> core rulebook. The facts behind the mysterious Aya spirits appear here, as do details on the immortal mutated kaiju-like monstrosities known as the teraxes.
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Finally, the chapter details some of the environmental hazards adventurers may face, such as toxic rain, dangerous flora, glowing radioactive fog, wild gravity fluctuations, and the psychic phenomena known as shadow zones that produce the setting's equivalents of both ghosts and zombies.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Eleven: Gamemaster's Guide</b></span>
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<br />
Here the game first returns to the campaign premises described in Chapter One, fleshing them out and offering multiple potential plot hooks for each.
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After discussing the themes and genres present in <b>Swords of Cydoria</b> -- of which there are many -- the chapter delves into the true history of the Sdara Vatra, which is to say, the true history of the setting. It's quite an impressive tale that explains most (but not <i>quite</i> all) of the setting's weirdness in terms of a combination of hard scifi and "sufficiently advanced" technology. It's definitely not reading material for the players, and it might even turn off some GMs who prefer more mystical explanations for a pulpy world like this, but it's great work that caps off the full scope of the setting.
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The chapter then covers the various ways PCs may be rewarded for their efforts, be it wealth, power, or even artifacts.
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And speaking of artifacts, they get an in-depth look here as well. With their mysterious workings, occult-like methods of activation, and astounding powers, these are the true "magic items" of the setting. Among the items of direct use to adventurers -- disintegration spears, force field belts, flying discs, healing shrouds, sun blades (a.k.a. lightsabers) and so forth -- are explanations of the Oudh itself and the Gate Keys that allow highly limited access through it, which in turn explains so much about the setting as a whole: the lack of an alien invasion, the lack of radio communication, the presence of psychic powers, and, indeed, the presence of all sorts of other strangeness that the GM may want to add.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Chapter Twelve: The City in the Mirage</b></span>
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This is the game's introductory adventure, and it's a great one. At its heart, it's a good old-fashioned wilderness trek to a dungeon crawl through the haunted ruins of a lost civilization, albeit one written in such a way as to accomodate any of the suggested campaign premises presented earlier. Far from being one of those halfhearted introductory adventures that give you the barest taste of the game, here the players will have ample opportunity for interaction with many fully-statted NPCs, monster-bashing, exploration, and puzzle-solving. I daresay that even if you never pick up the game again after running this adventure, it would be worth the price of admission.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Style</b></span>
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<br />
As mentioned previously, <b>Swords of Cydoria</b> is a monograph, meaning that one person handled everything: writing, art, layout, the works. That being the case, this game leaves me mildly stunned. Not only does this book look professional from cover to cover, with amazingly good art and text that's highly readable and almost totally typo free, but it also looks like a professional <b>Chaosium</b> book. If you'd told me that this was some kind of oddball supplement to, say, <b>Stormbringer</b>, I wouldn't have batted an eye.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Conclusion</b></span>
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<br />
It says a lot about this book that I've had to put some thought into who should <i>not</i> buy it. Obviously, those averse to <b>BRP</b> should avoid it, since it does rely on the <b>BRP</b> core rules. Of those who have or would be willing to buy <b>BRP</b>, those uninterested in pulp/sword-and-planet adventure should probably stay away as well.
<br />
<br />
But I think that fans of pulp, scifi, swords-and-sorcery, wuxia, superheroics, and even the Wild West will all find something to love about <b>Swords of Cydoria</b>. I really can't recommend this book highly enough.Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-595470112198449262014-01-23T20:11:00.003-08:002014-02-07T12:56:37.782-08:00[Q&A] ALL-STAR Q&A!![19:08] <~Dan> Okay, folks! I'm going to start the discussion and open the floor to questions in the audience room!<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:08] *** jcombos is now known as Jeff<br />
[19:08] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> LOL! No way Jonathan. :)<br />
[19:08] *** Bane2 has joined #rpgnet-allstars<br />
[19:08] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> people have been banned?<br />
[19:08] * +BenRogers <-- banned by RPGnet (yet I still advertised with them, go figure)<br />
[19:09] <+LeeGarvin> Yay! Structure!<br />
[19:09] *** Jeff is now known as JeffCombos<br />
[19:09] <+Jamie> I've never been banned but I was certainly chased away fearing tarring and feathering.<br />
[19:09] * +ToddDowning is shocked.<br />
[19:09] <+TimKirk> I've never been banned.<br />
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[19:09] * +Tim_Dugger sits back to watch Dan's experiment of "Attempting to herd cats"<br />
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[19:09] <+JasonMHardy> I'd have to participate more to have a chance to be banned.<br />
[19:09] <+JamesSutton> Hrm. The Jason/Shane/Tim to other First Name ratio seems skewed.<br />
[19:09] <+TimKirk> Then again I'm about offensive as a mild pumpkin pie.<br />
[19:09] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I wouldn't avoid anyone. :D<br />
[19:09] <@Abstruse> Our first question: <Yog_Sothoth> How is everyone today?<br />
[19:09] <+LynneH> I was barred from a pub once for laughing too much when I found out the Landlord was a Morris Dancer<br />
[19:09] <+JasonMHardy> Jasons own the internet. Change your name now, avoid the rush.<br />
[19:09] <+BenRogers> I'm fantastic! :)<br />
[19:09] <+LeeGarvin> I was banned on UseNet, in the LongLongago, in the BeforeTime.<br />
[19:09] <+JMThompson_BPI> Ive never been banned either. Of course I keep from saying what I really think.<br />
[19:09] <+Ken_Spencer> Cold for the most part.<br />
[19:09] <+JasonLBlair> I'm doing well!<br />
[19:09] <+JasonHolmgren> I'm still high from Further Confusion, where we sold out of our latest game, MYRIAD SONG. =D<br />
[19:09] <+BrentNewhall> Yeah, I don't really participate at rpg.net because of the level of toxicity.<br />
[19:09] <+ToddDowning> Crazed and busy with things.<br />
[19:09] <+RafaelChandler> I'm not allowed to go back to the Wendy's on Maple Drive, but I'm pretty sure that's not my fault.<br />
[19:09] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm doing great now. :)<br />
[19:10] <+ian_stewart> I've... Never been banned from anywhere, to my knowledge.<br />
[19:10] <+JasonMHardy> Doin' pretty well.<br />
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[19:10] <+NathanRMaher> I'm amazing.<br />
[19:10] <+TimKirk> I'm alright. Just chilling. Working on writing stuff as I can<br />
[19:10] <+margaretweis> My books have been banned!<br />
[19:10] <+LynneH> Not too bad, thank you Darryl - bit sleepy ;)<br />
[19:10] <+TGlennBane> Pretty happy, just got a load of World of Pulp books in.<br />
[19:10] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> I'm in Ohio - it's not even 0 degrees, but excited to be here.<br />
[19:10] <+Rpgpundit> Ben, I'll take this moment to mention that I'm currently writing up the review for your game. So there you have it folks, self-declared occultist RPGPundit will soon be posting a review of overtly-Christian Sixcess Core. Stay tuned and check out my blog. therpgpundit.blogspot.com<br />
[19:10] <+JMThompson_BPI> Im doing well, though it is snowing ... really weird weather we are having. Yesterday it was 60 degrees F<br />
[19:10] <+Jamie> My daughter's school caught fire yesterday, but other than that I'm fine.<br />
[19:10] <+TRA-Preston> Would be better if DriveThru would hurry up.<br />
[19:10] <+DavidFChapman> Sleepy, it's 1am in the UK!! And finding it hard to type with a cat sat on me!<br />
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[19:10] <+JasonLBlair> You're not allowed to do that in the chili, Rafael. You know that.<br />
[19:10] <@Abstruse> (By the way, the name in <Brackets> will be the name of the person who asked the question)<br />
[19:10] <+TimKirk> Not good, is everyon ok Jamie?<br />
[19:10] <+RafaelChandler> True story, one of my video games was banned in North Korea and Kim Jong-Il threatened my team with death.<br />
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[19:10] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Chili? Who's got chili? ;)<br />
[19:10] *** Dan sets mode +v GeorgeVasilakos<br />
[19:10] <+Jamie> Yeah, no one was hurt.<br />
[19:10] <~Dan> Welcome, George!<br />
[19:10] <+TimKirk> I ate mine already Cinthia...<br />
[19:11] <+ian_stewart> It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.<br />
[19:11] <+TimKirk> Cynthia.<br />
[19:11] <+JamesSutton> Yay Ohio! And the answer to the question? 42.<br />
[19:11] <+TimKirk> Whee<br />
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[19:11] <+Jamie> Hey George (and everyone else).<br />
[19:11] <+ToddDowning> 'Sup George?<br />
[19:11] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Holy cow, Jamie. :(<br />
[19:11] <+JasonMHardy> @Rafael: Get Rodman to work it all out for you.<br />
[19:11] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> RafaelChandler: which game?<br />
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[19:11] <+LynneH> I feel your pain, David ;)<br />
[19:11] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Hello all<br />
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[19:11] <+TRA-Preston> Rafael that sounds like a compliment really.<br />
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[19:11] <+RafaelChandler> Ghost Recon 2 -- "This may be just a game to them now, but a war will not be a game for them later. In war, they will only face miserable defeat and gruesome deaths.”<br />
[19:11] <+TimKirk> Allo GeorgeVasilakos<br />
[19:11] <+Tim_Dugger> howdy George<br />
[19:11] <+DavidFChapman> Hi George!!<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> Question from Yog-Sothoth: "How much do you feel the political climate of the 10's has influenced your design process?"<br />
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[19:11] * +BenRogers Our "overtly Christian" book is being reviewed by an occultist! Hot damn! (Should I mention it was laid out by a lesbian atheist?)<br />
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[19:11] *** Dan sets mode +v APKlosky<br />
[19:12] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Sorry Im late... would be like Eden Studios if I wasnt late :P<br />
[19:12] <+Rpgpundit> Margaret Weis, since I've got you here, and with my interest in religion, I thought I'd pose a question: I know of Tracy Hickman's Mormon faith; are you also LDS?<br />
[19:12] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Dan, is Yog's question for everyone or someone in particular?<br />
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[19:12] <+BenRogers> Dan, no influence other than the shitty economy....<br />
[19:12] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Was that question for all of us, or for just one person?<br />
[19:12] <+Tim_Dugger> Response to Yog-Sothoth -- none at all, I try to avoid politics on general principle...<br />
[19:12] <+JMThompson_BPI> Not really at all for me, its not a factor in our design. Since we tend to stick to Historical/Alt history and Alt. Future material.<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Everyone, sorry, Shane.<br />
[19:12] <+LynneH> Does Yog-Sothoth blast our Sanity if we don;t give him an answer he likes? :)<br />
[19:12] <+ChrisRutkowsky> My reply would be "not one iota"<br />
[19:12] <+Rpgpundit> And if not, was there any issue with the underlying Mormon themes in Dragonlance?<br />
[19:12] <+TimKirk> I'm not influenced much by politics, mostly because I try and right stuff with a lot of optimism (even if dark and brooding)<br />
[19:12] <+margaretweis> No, I'm currently undecided.<br />
[19:12] <+ToddDowning> None.<br />
[19:12] <+JasonHolmgren> @Yog-Sothoth: our games have always been inclusive to lots of different people. It's a testament to how neutral our language is by how no one's noticed. :D<br />
[19:12] <+TimKirk> write *facepalms*<br />
[19:12] <+JasonLBlair> RE: Politics: None at all.<br />
[19:13] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> For me, the political climate hasn't influenced my game design. Given that we focus entirely on genre emulation, it puts me in a very different mindset. I have to concern myself with the political climate of the time period of the genre we're seeking to emulate.<br />
[19:13] <+RafaelChandler> To answer the question -- my upcoming game, Lacerations of the Slain Priestess, is a modern-day dungeon crawl where you attack office buildings, kill CEOs, and take their money.<br />
[19:13] <+ian_stewart> Well, in my case, it kind of made me feel less reserved about openly non heterosexual pairings, even if my personal leanings are pretty boring.<br />
[19:13] <+JasonMHardy> Hmmm … good question. Shadowrun has always been better at reflecting the present than predicting the future, so I'd say we can't help put have the present seep into the setting.<br />
[19:13] <+TGlennBane> It has not. I have always been an idie publisher. I am not that concerned with pop-polotics. I just produce what I like and hopefully other people will too.<br />
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[19:13] <+TRA-Preston> Yog-Sothoth Well my setting has a civil war happening in just a few years, so I guess I'd say it inflenced it alot<br />
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[19:13] <+LeeGarvin> Actually, Yog, it was a huge part of a game I wrote a few years ago and sold, but has never been published. I have bought the rights back, and hopefully can re-tool it someday soon.<br />
[19:13] <+JasonHolmgren> I would like to make a more politically-themed game. I don't know if anyone remembers our "Covert Action" project that fizzed in the mid 2000s.<br />
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[19:13] <@Abstruse> Please try to keep the language family friendly, ladies and gentlemen.<br />
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[19:13] <+Ken_Spencer> On political climate: with Rocket Age I have tried to stress the effects of colonialism, as well as highlight the problems with occupying foreign nations. LGBT issues are also being introduced and explored. <done><br />
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[19:13] <+Jamie> I think how we feel about issues affects stuff we write about ... but honestly I can't say the card games and RPGs have been delightfully free of political influence.<br />
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[19:13] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Rpgpundit: I'm actually an episcopal priest if you share an interest in religion. All my seminary education helped greatly for finding citations to all the mythological aspects to my game.<br />
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[19:14] <+Jamie> Culture and language have had a big effect on me, however, and slipped into a card game I'm announcing in the next few months.<br />
[19:14] <+BrentNewhall> Zeke_ClockworkDominion: Cool!<br />
[19:14] <+Rpgpundit> Sorry Zeke, which games are those? Your username doesn't immediately register to me<br />
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[19:14] <+NathanRMaher> To Yog-Sothoth - The political climate hasn't influenced our current design. I like to look back as opposed to forward for games.<br />
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[19:14] <+JMThompson_BPI> Though I will admit that we are all influenced by our upbringing and personal beliefs, so I am sure some of that seeps in now and again.<br />
[19:14] *** Abstruse sets mode +v Andyhopp<br />
[19:14] <+TimKirk> Oh wait--there is a kind of politics I try and include. One of equality of gender, race, culture, faith, and so on.<br />
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[19:14] *** Dan sets mode +v DavidFChapman<br />
[19:14] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> The political climate doesn't affect us much at all, but political events and priorities do. I'm spearheading a new DELTA GREEN roleplaying game. That's about federal agents and counterterrorism operators investigating cosmic horrors and getting in way over their heads. Daily controversies from the NSA and US special operations practices are gold.<br />
[19:14] <+TGlennBane> Of course Rotwang City is set in the Great Depression with the explosion of radio sciences. There are a lot of similarities to present day economic turbulance plus internet explosion.<br />
[19:14] <+ToddDowning> Good point, Tim. I would echo that as well.<br />
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[19:15] <+margaretweis> Can't escape politics in Firefly.<br />
[19:15] <+Jamie> Oh there you are, Andy.<br />
[19:15] <+DavidFChapman> Sorry, logged myself out there for a moment...<br />
[19:15] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Rotwang City sounds right up my alley.<br />
[19:15] <+Rpgpundit> Politics in the RPG hobby are always amusing; it seems that all the leftists tend to think I'm a right-wing monster, and right-wingers tend to accuse me of being a liberal hippie.<br />
[19:15] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Rpgpundit: I'm pretty new to the industry. we just kickstarted our first game Clockwork:Dominion. It did really well, and has a bit of buzz, I guess. It's pretty humbling.<br />
[19:15] <+TimKirk> Can't wait to see it myself Zeke.<br />
[19:15] <+BrentNewhall> Zeke_ClockworkDominion: Best of luck!<br />
[19:15] <+BenRogers> Pundit, as a Libertarian, I mock both the left and the right. ;)<br />
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[19:15] <@Abstruse> QUESTION from Jojo-the-monkey everybody: I'm curious what kind of jobs you all have, jobs that pay the bills that is<br />
[19:15] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Rpgpundit: I get the same reaction actually.<br />
[19:15] <+margaretweis> i write books<br />
[19:15] <+Jamie> ANNOUNCEMENT: I stole Andy Hopp's hotel bartender for his convention and now I'm going to marry her.<br />
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[19:15] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> BrentNewhall: thanks.<br />
[19:16] <+Jamie> And I'm not sorry.<br />
[19:16] <+Rpgpundit> Good stuff, Zeke. If its not a storygame, you should come talk about it on theRPGsite! we have the best signal-to-noise ratio. If it is a storygame, you can talk about it too, we have a forum for that.<br />
[19:16] <+RafaelChandler> I write video games, Jojo. Worked for Sony, Warner Brothers, Ubisoft, etc.<br />
[19:16] <+JasonHolmgren> @Jojo-the-monkey , that's two questions. I'm a teacher. That doesn't pay the bills. ;)<br />
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[19:16] <+LynneH> I try to avoid politics, if possible, unless it's critical for a setting<br />
[19:16] <+BenRogers> I am a Product Manager for New Software Development and I sell knives, swords and the occasional firearm at gun shows most weekends.<br />
[19:16] <+JasonMHardy> I'm a full-time RPG guy.<br />
[19:16] <+BenRogers> So, I'm a software maker and a weapon dealer. :)<br />
[19:16] <+BrentNewhall> I work for Amazon.<br />
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[19:16] <+JMThompson_BPI> Im a teacher. And Jason is right... doesnt really pay the bills, but its a good job :D<br />
[19:16] <+JasonLBlair> I'm an in-house writer at Volition, the designers of the Saints Row series. Most recently I wrote for Saints Row IV.<br />
[19:16] <+DavidFChapman> @Jojothemonkey - boring day job working in a shop selling DVDs and t-shirts.<br />
[19:16] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> And Ben's a full-on merc. I've hired him to bring enemies to me. He's great! ;)<br />
[19:16] <+Rpgpundit> I was amused by the confused reactions of certain pseudo-activists who hate me on principle when I published the first RPG I know of to feature a transgendered character on the cover.<br />
[19:16] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Eden Studios pays my bills - so does my game store I own.<br />
[19:16] <+TimKirk> I...am technically disabled. I am trying the work thing, but the system here (in Texas) isn't designed to help me one whit.<br />
[19:16] <+ToddDowning> Freelance/contract graphic design, illustration, layout. I also book a fair amount of voiceover work for the Seattle market.<br />
[19:16] <+ChrisRutkowsky> I teach History<br />
[19:17] <+Ken_Spencer> Re: Jobs I am a stay at home dad and a part time educator. The wife pays the bills and my income covers emergencies and if all goes well luxuries.<br />
[19:17] <+PEGShane> I'm a full-timer. I was an Exec Producer in video games for a few years but greatly prefer this.<br />
[19:17] <+ian_stewart> Right now? The New Horizon RPG is my job. I have a lot of trouble holding down a regular job, having aspergers makes interactions with others kind of tricky.<br />
[19:17] <@Abstruse> I work in Software QA, if anyone cares...<br />
[19:17] <+Tim_Dugger> @JoJo -- I actually work from home - for a 3rd party company contracted to provie support for iOS devices (i.e. I work for KellyConnect doing telephone tech support for Apple products)<br />
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[19:17] <+LynneH> Jojo - I'm a full-time freelance games writer & educator<br />
[19:17] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I do Spectrum Games full time.<br />
[19:17] <+Jamie> Me, I do the games and writing thing and help manage the office building my company is located in on the side, along with doing their website and tech work.<br />
[19:17] <+TGlennBane> I am a freelance graphic designer/illustrator. I also work in security.<br />
[19:17] <+JeffCombos> With Hollow Earth Expedition, you're playing heroes in a time period that was not pleasant to women and minorities. So I ended up shifting the game into an alternate history where those things were less prevalent. That way the game would resonate with our more modern sensibilities.<br />
[19:17] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) Jojo-the-monkey, I work for the banking industry and perform loan modifications on FHA mortgages. My wife just went part-time to dedicate more time to her self-employed business as a costume designer.<br />
[19:17] <+BenRogers> CCM! Chill on the merc stuff! NSA is still hounding my ass... Oh, wait, I'm American... that's true of all of us...<br />
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[19:17] <+LeeGarvin> Jojo, I'm recently resigned from a retail management job, and I'm living off of my savings while I try to build my brand (although recent medical expenses may cause that build-up time to be truncated).<br />
[19:17] * +TRA-Preston is having trouble reading everything, and is surprised Dan and Abstruse can keep up.<br />
[19:17] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> LOL @ Ben<br />
[19:17] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> As I said, I'm actually an Episcopal Priest. The other guys on my game are teachers, and a property organizer.<br />
[19:17] <+Rpgpundit> Jojo: I'm a wizard.<br />
[19:17] <+BenRogers> CCM, you need to mention your band and your deathmetal tours. :)<br />
[19:17] <+JamesSutton> I work in ecom merce integration for HSNi.<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> Question: <Taurevanime> Question: What are you doing to get new people, especially those of a younger age into RPGs and table top gaming in general?<br />
[19:17] <@Abstruse> TRA-Preston: I'm used to it. I read fast and I used to work data entry so I type pretty fast.<br />
[19:18] <+BrettMBernstein> Precis Intermedia is my full-time lover :)<br />
[19:18] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Yes, I'm the drummer for Eminent Remains.<br />
[19:18] <+PEGShane> Making games that aren't so damn complicated. ;)<br />
[19:18] <+TimKirk> Teach them, Taurevanime. Teach them. The big thing you have to do is welcome in an audience and be willing to teach them the games you play, or want to.<br />
[19:18] <+JMThompson_BPI> I got new younger gamers the old fashion way....I got married and had a child :D<br />
[19:18] <+BrentNewhall> Great question! The game I just Kickstarted, The Whispering Road, was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki movies and uses that aesthetic as a way to draw in younger players and those who aren't traditionally role-players.<br />
[19:18] <+JasonHolmgren> @Taurevanime , there's still a big audience for tabletop games, but a modern designer has to compete with computers and other media. I'll echo PEGShane that the games need to be less complex and more accessible.<br />
[19:18] <+LynneH> Good answer PEGShane!<br />
[19:18] <+ChrisRutkowsky> I have been thinking about a "Gifted Youngsters Edition" of BASH! for a while, since the original BASH! was conceived as a game for kids<br />
[19:18] <+Jamie> My focus with my company has been to produce games with really easy entry points. Card games that you can learn quickly and RPG rules that can be taught in ten minutes.<br />
[19:18] <+ian_stewart> I've been giving away sandwich bags of cocaine as door prizes when we do play tests. ...Well, pizza. That's like cocaine for most players.<br />
[19:19] <+BrentNewhall> It's also ideal for the anime crowd.<br />
[19:19] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Simpler games - but I also grab people at cons and sit down with them to play. A little invitation goes a long way.<br />
[19:19] <+RafaelChandler> @Taurevanime -- None of the people in my gaming group (7 of them) played RPGs before they started hanging out with me. I've converted quite a few people in my time.<br />
[19:19] <+BenRogers> We're producing a "school year calendar" with all the gaming and gaming-related cons listed and handing it out for free at all the conventions we attend to encourage people to participate in the gaming world.<br />
[19:19] <+JasonMHardy> Tarevanime: We hope video games like Shadowrun Returns and Shadowrun Online will help with that, especially as we tie them together. We also have a beginner box set coming soon that should make it easier for people to learn how to play.<br />
[19:19] <+TimKirk> I've taught more newbies than I care to mention with superhero games. I even started a D&D game for a friend's sons. He's a gamer but he asked me to run them, because he knows I'm good at what I do.<br />
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[19:19] <+JasonHolmgren> Oh, and more diverse subject matter would be nice, too. I'd really like to hear from Margaret Weis on that one, since her company aggressively licenses IPs.<br />
[19:19] <+Tim_Dugger> Echoing PEGShane -- keeping my game as simple as I can, and as affordable...<br />
[19:19] <+Jamie> I'm also playing with new media ... videos that introduce game ideas and fun tie-ins.<br />
[19:19] <+Ken_Spencer> Re; New People into the Hobby: I run my playtests at the FLGS, Legends Games and Hobby, and we are working on getting an open rpg day going there. Mostly I try to provide a welcoming environment in a public venue.<br />
[19:19] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> We published a game called "Monsters and Other Childish Things" that got a great response from kids. It's been run tons of times in schools and at cons for families. It's really fun to see newcomers get thrilled to making stuff up and rolling dice.<br />
[19:19] <+TGlennBane> I do events at local gaming shops and support local sci-fi and fantasy book clubs. I openly invite people with families to participate in my game at events.<br />
[19:19] <+ToddDowning> 1PG line - rules so easy you can play with a head wound.<br />
[19:19] <+LynneH> Currently trying to help new local businesses set up game nights and mini-cons to get new people in through the doors<br />
[19:19] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Good question Taurevanime... as a game store owner - the #1 thing I see is older gamers who want to get their kids into RPG gaming. There are not alot of "INTRO"-level games out there - that is why we are Eden Studios are working on a new RPG designed for kids called ADventure Maximus.<br />
[19:19] <+JMThompson_BPI> Half of my current group is made up of gamers between 18 and 25, the other half are all over 35<br />
[19:19] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) Taurevanime - Outside of advertising, the game that I'm designing is aimed specifcally at a younger group. Simple rules, undead characters, playing cards. The idea of the game, like I had when I was younger,is aimed to education (sneakily) and be amazingly fun.<br />
[19:19] <+DavidFChapman> Yeah, we're working on a Starter set for Doctor Who that'll be super easy for instant pick up and learn.<br />
[19:19] <+BenRogers> We're also encouraging college and high school students to freelance for us.<br />
[19:19] <+Rpgpundit> Taurevanime: The honest answer? No small press publisher can do much about that. Much less an individual rpg writer. Only individual gaming groups can do that, by reaching out to younger players; and of course Wizards or Paizo can do that because they have the money for it.<br />
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[19:19] <+ian_stewart> Part of our strategy is going to be a lot of useful server software, such as character creation, loot generation and other automation.<br />
[19:20] <@Abstruse> <FlipperBuzzbomb> Q for the panel: Is the contraction of brick and mortar (or what seems like contraction to me) and the seeming ease of electronic and print-to-order distribution a good thing for your work, or something that can be a struggle?<br />
[19:20] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Taurevanime: We try to pay extra close attention to the introductory chapter of our RPGs, making sure that they are good for helping new folks out. We've also been offering a whole chapter dedicated to player advice. This seems to help, according to the feedback we've gotten.<br />
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[19:20] <+margaretweis> I think the game store owner does the heavy lifting in the area of bringing young people into the industry.<br />
[19:20] <+andyhopp> Hello friends. Sorry i'm late<br />
[19:20] <+GeorgeVasilakos> but the problem with making an intro level game is getting it INTO the hands of the parents that will buy it for the kids<br />
[19:20] <@Abstruse> <FlipperBuzzbomb> Q for the panel: Is the contraction of brick and mortar (or what seems like contraction to me) and the seeming ease of electronic and print-to-order distribution a good thing for your work, or something that can be a struggle?<br />
[19:20] <+JasonMHardy> CynthiaCelesteMiller is right that player and game master advice is a good idea.<br />
[19:20] <+TGlennBane> Later this year, Scaldcrow Games's demo groups Crow Crew and Crow Kids will both be getting a launch.<br />
[19:20] <+TimKirk> Struggle. Let's be honest, your brick and mortar stores are built upon things like Magic, Pathfinder, and Warhammer.<br />
[19:20] <+Jamie> Bought time you got here, Andy. Nikki is shaking her head in disapproval.<br />
[19:20] <@Abstruse> (Yeah, not trying the color thing again...)<br />
[19:20] * +JasonMHardy shuns andyhopp for being criminally late.<br />
[19:20] <+JasonLBlair> I don't do anything when it comes to marketing or outreach but I design my games to be accessible and try to write them from a teaching the game perspective.<br />
[19:20] <+GeorgeVasilakos> so any publisher can make a great game, but getting it to the end user is the problem.<br />
[19:20] <+BrentNewhall> The rise of digital and POD is good for me, as I couldn't afford to get into the brick-and-mortar side.<br />
[19:20] <+JasonHolmgren> @Flipperbuzzbomb - the contraction of brick-and-mortar is regrettable. GAMA needs to do more to help small business, and something needs to be done about Diamond/Alliance's customer-unfriendly tactics.<br />
[19:20] <+LeeGarvin> The main thing I think we can do to bring new players in is to support your FLGS, Run demos, tournaments, events, clinics, anything that can get fresh eyeballs on games.<br />
[19:21] <+JMThompson_BPI> I will second Arc Dreams' Monsters... I love the game and I think its a great introductory game.<br />
[19:21] <+BenRogers> Contraction of brick and mortar stores is a crying shame. It's a game changer for the industry.<br />
[19:21] <+andyhopp> I'll give myself a wedgie in shame<br />
[19:21] <+TimKirk> The electronic media is great for me, however.<br />
[19:21] <+Tim_Dugger> for smaller publishers -- the internet is a very helpful venue<br />
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[19:21] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> @ FlipperBuzzbomb - I'm not sure we'd have been able to afford to make our game if it weren't for POD. Frankly, Kickstarter played a big role too.<br />
[19:21] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> POD has been a real life saver for Spectrum.<br />
[19:21] <+RafaelChandler> The contraction of brick and mortar hasn't affected me; PDF and POD make it possible for me to publish my RPG work.<br />
[19:21] <+JasonMHardy> Tough question, FlipperBuzzbomb. There are good points to the ease of electronic publishing, in that lots of people can experiment and get things out, but brick-and-mortar stores are an important part of the hobby.<br />
[19:21] <+Rpgpundit> brick and mortar game stores are increasingly irrelevant. that's just reality. Its up to the hobby to adapt to that.<br />
[19:21] <+ian_stewart> I know people who own B&M locations, but printers are a royal pain in the butt. Online sales have always been easiest for me.<br />
[19:21] <+margaretweis> Return of book stores to the malls would help.<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> QUESTION: <ErrantShade> General question: As game designers, how has crowdsourcing effected your industry for better and worse?<br />
[19:22] <+JeffCombos> I sell books electronically and through brick and mortar stores, so any way I can get my games to customers is good for me. But it's a lot harder to make money through distribution unless you have volume and that can make it a problem for a lot of small publishers.<br />
[19:22] <+TGlennBane> It opened up the industryy for a lot of creative voices that may not have been in a position to pursue game design and fiction, otherwise.<br />
[19:22] <+JasonMHardy> The stores are gathering points, outreach areas, and places people can browse.<br />
[19:22] <+TimKirk> I love my brick and mortar places..by the way<br />
[19:22] <+Jamie> I went full-time in the game industry 2001 and things have been in a constant state of flux. I think game stores have a very important role to play but the new ways to get games (and even create them) are additional opportunities for both publishers and gamers.<br />
[19:22] <+LeeGarvin> E-publishing is great, but it's a bit insular: only folks who already know about it are going to see it. To grow the hobby, you've got to get people in real life to see your stuff.<br />
[19:22] <+BenRogers> Margaret, malls surviving would help!<br />
[19:22] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) FlipperBuzzbomb - it depends, I enjoy going to brick and motar stores to purchase my books but I find as an independent game designer that there is a lot of risk having them house product on your own tab because if something is stolen then you're out while online sales there is little to no risk.<br />
[19:22] <+ChrisRutkowsky> If it weren't for Rpgnow and similar sites, I never would have gotten a product into a brick and mortar store. That said, I support FLGS whenever I can. If you buy a hardcopy from an FLGS you get a PDF.<br />
[19:22] <+Ken_Spencer> The loss of brick and mortar is lamentable, but to go forward as a hobby and industry we need to find alternate means of getting not just product, but knowledge about what role-playing is out to a wider audience.<br />
[19:22] <+BrettMBernstein> The majority of my business is PDF, with print items and retailer support secondary. That's how it's been from the beginning.<br />
[19:22] <+JMThompson_BPI> It has allowed me to publish games that otherwise would have never gotten out the door. Its been a handy tool.<br />
[19:22] <+JasonLBlair> I was able to publish STREETS OF BEDLAM thanks to the Kickstarter run. Well that and @PEGShane trusting me not to pee in his pool.<br />
[19:22] <+TimKirk> Crowdfunding is a HUGE thing. Its very awesome because I've seen it turn games that might get some people few sales into profitable things. (I've not used it yet, with that caveat.)<br />
[19:22] <+Rpgpundit> errantshade: I haven't done a kickstarter for a game of my own, however I have worked as a Consultant for Raiders of R'lyeh, which ran a very successful kickstarter last year. On the whole, its one step toward the future of not just RPGs but the book industry in general.<br />
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[19:22] <+BrentNewhall> Crowdsourcing allows for certain things that just can't be boostrapped. My Kickstarter funded a batch of high-quality art for the rule book, for example.<br />
[19:23] <+Tim_Dugger> personally, I have stayed away from crowdsourcing, mostly because I am of the opinion that I will not make any promises that I cannot keep, and I am not going to ask folks for money for somehting that I haven't written yet<br />
[19:23] <+Jamie> I think retail in general is changing, but our industry and audience are on the high side of the tech curve so it's ahead of the more mainstream products.<br />
[19:23] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> @ ErrantShade - Kickstarter IS the reason our game was made. We actually had no idea how well received we would be until our Kickstarter exploded. Without that initial money, we'd never have survived.<br />
[19:23] <+JasonMHardy> ErrantShade: Crowdsourcing is great for gathering information, getting good feedback, and building communities. It can be over-relied on, though, for design, IMO.<br />
[19:23] <+TRA-Preston> ErrantShade I think crowdsourcing has allow a ton of new games to be made (especially mine), and the greater variety can only be a good thing.<br />
[19:23] <+BrentNewhall> (arg, crowdfunding)<br />
[19:23] <+JasonHolmgren> @Errantshade, if you mean 'crowd-sourcing' as in 'large crowds writing and producing content', while it has proven that it floats all boats higher (with things like d20)... as a creator, it bothers me when people are exploited to create content for free.<br />
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[19:23] <+Jamie> Amazon is already trying to read our minds and predict our behavior to pre-ship anticipated future-orders.<br />
[19:23] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) ErrantShade - I couldn't have been successful without crowd funding. I'm sure like the novel it is making it easier for ideas to get out there, time will tell how it will influence the gaming industry. I for one am greatful and blown away by people's charitable donations.<br />
[19:23] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> ErrantShade: Crowd sourcing has done for RPGs what POD had done shortly before. It opened up a lot of doors for those looking to produce high-quality products without breaking their own bank account into tiny pieces. Huge, huge deal.<br />
[19:23] <+JeffCombos> Crowdsourcing has been a boon for the industry, I think, as it has allowed creators to get their games directly to customers. But the problem is that there are a lot of Kickstarter projects now, and it is becoming increasingly hard to get mindshare for new games.<br />
[19:23] <+PEGShane> Kickstarter has been great from a *marketing* point of view. There is no central source anywhere on the web for people to find out where our products exist. KS isn't that either, but it's a HUGE audience who can find out about your products. And of course *it* wouldn't be successful without the rise of social media (FB in particular).<br />
[19:23] <+JasonLBlair> Kickstarter also allowed me to put out a third big book for LITTLE FEARS NIGHTMARE EDITION. So, in my little world, it's helped a lot.<br />
[19:23] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Crowdfunding allows us to get the books made. But you have to be careful about pissing off retailers. Crowdfunding is good for front end sales but your longevity will be with retailer support.<br />
[19:23] <+LynneH> Crowdsourcing has meant that Achtung! Cthulhu is amazingly pretty and full colour (and has way more books than we ever expected)<br />
[19:23] <+TGlennBane> Kickstarter allowed me to gain some exposure, and financial backing from new sources.<br />
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[19:23] <+Peregrine> Hi guys, just arrived, what did I miss and am I in the right place? :)<br />
[19:23] <+BrettMBernstein> I am not a fan of crowd funding. I prefer to produce materials without being beholden to investors.<br />
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[19:24] <+JasonHolmgren> Some publishers have dozens of people write tens of thousands of words on spec, and then cherry pick the 'acceptable' ones, and it's led to some terrible product and some people doing a lot of work while others reap the rewards.<br />
[19:24] <+LynneH> Is that you Andy?<br />
[19:24] <+TGlennBane> I produced five products this year thanks to Kickstarter.<br />
[19:24] <+JasonHolmgren> If you mean 'crowd-funding' ... crowdfunding is awesome. =D<br />
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[19:24] <+BrentNewhall> I do worry that crowdfunding has created a new expectation that indie books have to look as good as traditional published books.<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> Peregrine: You are! Abstruse and I are bringing in questions from the audience. :)<br />
[19:24] <+Peregrine> It is me Lynne :)<br />
[19:24] <+LeeGarvin> Love me some KickStarter.<br />
[19:24] <+ToddDowning> I'm with Brett. If at all possible, I like to avoid crowdfunding, but it can be a useful tool in certain circumstances.<br />
[19:24] <+LynneH> Morning, Gorgeous :)<br />
[19:24] <+DavidFChapman> Hi Peregrine - is that you Andy P? Howdy!!<br />
[19:24] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <xyphoid_> Question: how can the RPG industry tap into all those, particularly young, people who are doing freeform forum/tumblr/online roleplaying and are totally divorced from using books and dice?<br />
[19:24] <+JamesSutton> It has been interesting to see evolution with POD and ebooks over the last decade, something that I didn't expect to evolve as quickly as it did when I set up RedBrick in 2003. Certainly, it has allowed for easier and more profitable publishing for small publishers -- easier and less risky. But the impact on brick-and-mortar isn't a phenomenon that is limited to the RPG space...<br />
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[19:24] <+Peregrine> Hi Dave too!<br />
[19:25] <+Jamie> Crowdfunding represents huge opportunities both in terms of funding and marketing ... but there is a price to pay.<br />
[19:25] <+ChrisRutkowsky> I was really impressed with how well Awesome Powers did. I kind of kick myself for not using Kickstarter for Honor + Intrigue when it was first released<br />
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[19:25] <+TGlennBane> Crowd Funding puts indie producers in touch with investors. It is a good thing.<br />
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[19:25] <+BrentNewhall> I'm unsure that freeform gamers *need* help from us. They're gaming just fine.<br />
[19:25] <+TimKirk> Well. With that, its a matter of presence Xyphoid, getting materials to people who might try them, the adopters, and creator lynchpins. It isn't easy thing to do, but it is possible.<br />
[19:25] <+ian_stewart> There are a lot of people who play entirely diceless out there. And I can't help but imagine some of these people are interested in the worlds we create as much as any of the other content.<br />
[19:25] <+JasonHolmgren> @xyphoid_ , ages ago you used to TSR market to people that their games were 'imagination'. A modern RPG should encourage people to be creative and to set up how it avoids the stagnation you often see in Mary-Sue type online RP, how it has risks and rewards.<br />
[19:25] <+BrentNewhall> I don't know that they "need" to use books and dice.<br />
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[19:26] <+Rpgpundit> xyphoid: In all likelihood, they can't. Those young people are already doing what they want. They're REAL "storygamers", whose goal isn't to play in an emulated world so much as to create a story, and they don't feel they need rules to do that at all. So if they get into the RPG hobby it won't be "because" of their collaborative fan-fiction rp-writing or w<br />
[19:26] <+TimKirk> and of course what Brent said<br />
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[19:26] <+Rpgpundit> *whatever<br />
[19:26] <+ChrisRutkowsky> I agree with Brent. If people are playing without rules, why would they want rules?<br />
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[19:26] <+JasonMHardy> xyphoid: By giving them something useful that they haven't generated themselves. So if there are needs for a well-developed setting, or coherent stats, or something, go there. But as Brent said, if they're doing fine, they might not need anything.<br />
[19:26] <+Rpgpundit> Precisely.<br />
[19:26] <+TRA-Preston> xyphoid The forum RP-ers don't really need much, probably just the setting and some interesting characters.<br />
[19:26] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> xyphoid: That's a tricky one. In my experience, those who do freeform online RP'ing gravitate toward systems that are either extremely strict or really rules-lite. So perhaps moving systems into one of those directions could help persuade them to delve into tabletop RPGs.<br />
[19:26] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) xyphoid - I think online rpg through forums are a completely separate beast. I crave the social interaction between friends present at the game table than playing play by post or MMOs. I think it's about what flavor of gaming you prefer. It's a social change that must take place, one tells another and eventually lures them into the grp<br />
[19:26] <+Jamie> I think you use the new and social media as a way to make tabletop gaming seem fun. And some of that is already happening.<br />
[19:27] <+JasonMHardy> Tech can be pointed to as different ways of playing, though, and some tools could facilitate a broader reach for dice-and-paper games. Or new ways of playing in existing settings.<br />
[19:27] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> By taking RPGs and demonstrating how fun they can be online might also help.<br />
[19:27] <+Ken_Spencer> Offer freeform players settings that entrance them and draw them in. I think that goal also works for more traditional role-players as well.<br />
[19:27] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> I'm not sure anything can replace face-to-face gaming. Gary Gygax actually spoke unkindly about WoW and other games because of their lack of personal face-to-face interaction. It's my whole reason for gaming, really.<br />
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[19:27] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> If you want to reach out to people who are freeform gaming, you need to offer them something that's going to make their experience even more awesome. Sadly I'm not in that medium these days so I have no idea what that would be. But I encourage them to keep doing it.<br />
[19:27] <+BrentNewhall> I'd like to see traditional games learn a few things from freeform games, like collaborative world-building and expectation settings (as we've already seen glimmers of in games like Microscope and Our Last Best Hope).<br />
[19:28] <+NathanRMaher> +points to Gary Gygax<br />
[19:28] * +JasonHolmgren nods to Cynthia. "We've seen a rise in youtube videos, such as Wil Wheaton's Tabletop and some other shows, which I think helps a lot."<br />
[19:28] <+LeeGarvin> There are a growing number of folks posting YouTube videos of gaming sessions: I think that will help alot.<br />
[19:28] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> agreed about Wil Wheaton.<br />
[19:28] <+GeorgeVasilakos> All gamers will find new ways to 'play' their games.<br />
[19:28] <+Peregrine> I'd argue we all board game as well as role play, what not just add freeforming etc to the club we're all part of. That way we all leanr new stuff for each discipline<br />
[19:28] <+TimKirk> Which is a good thing, in my opinion George. Let them make it their own.<br />
[19:28] <+Tim_Dugger> The idea is to make games accessible to the new methods of play...<br />
[19:28] <+BrentNewhall> Amen, Peregrine!<br />
[19:28] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <Starr> Q for anyone; How does one break into the gaming industry? Either by designing one's own game being hired by an existing company, I have a particular interest in writing if that makes a difference<br />
[19:29] <+JasonMHardy> And the fact that people are playing is more important than insuring that they are playing in a certain way, I think.<br />
[19:29] <+DavidFChapman> Yeah, definitely TableTop - though without Wil's budget and presentation a lot of the Youtube videos look a bit like the one from the IT Crowd...<br />
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[19:29] <+BrentNewhall> Make something and put it out there.<br />
[19:29] <+Jamie> These days the barrier of entry is lower than ever.<br />
[19:29] <@Abstruse> By the way, there's an episode of Gamer's Tavern on this topic at (Link: http://gamerstavern.org/?p=140)http://gamerstavern.org/?p=140 with host Ross Watson and guests Sam Stewart and Sean Patrick Fannon<br />
[19:29] <+Peregrine> Loooong question! :)<br />
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[19:29] <+Rpgpundit> oh I think freeformer might also like tabletop rpgs, its just not BECAUSE they like freeforming.<br />
[19:29] <+TGlennBane> Any way you can my friend.<br />
[19:29] <+BrentNewhall> (And be aware that that almost certainly won't be the game that makes you famous....) ;-)<br />
[19:29] <+TimKirk> Starr: A great deal depends on who you are, where you are, and who you know. I tried for years to freelance, but the publishers (tiny) kept being unable to publish my work because of various issues. So I got my own fingers in gear and wrote my stuff.<br />
[19:29] <+ToddDowning> What Brent said. Make something and get it in front of people.<br />
[19:29] <+Rpgpundit> Starr: First, you start a controversial blog where you piss off absolutely everyone. Step 3, profit!<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Quick aside: If anyone in the room is a game author guest who does not have voice, please PM me.)<br />
[19:29] <+Peregrine> I think you can do both, whatever you do just write and do something with it. That way more door will open<br />
[19:29] <+JasonHolmgren> @Starr, the short answer is that 'writers write'. While you can write for an existing game company, anyone now can make their own game and publish it, for only a few hundred dollars. Make your game, and then sell it!<br />
[19:30] <+TRA-Preston> Starr That is a good question. I just jumped in with my kickstarter, made a few contacts, and hope that can get me started<br />
[19:30] <+ian_stewart> That, Starr, is the million dollar question.<br />
[19:30] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Break in? I started by getting some stock artwork, and laying out the original BASH! in MS word. I taught myself how to do photoshop enough to color the cover.<br />
[19:30] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) Starr - Sometimes you just need to produce content and gather a following or build something everyone wants to be a part of. By being in this chat you have a lot of people you can reach out to and make a name for yourself. Won't be long for you I'm sure.<br />
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[19:30] <+JasonMHardy> Starr: It depends on what you want to do. If you want mainly to write and not focus on design as much, then freelancing might be the answer, because you do not want to underestimate the effort the design portion takes.<br />
[19:30] <+BenRogers> Writers write. Artists draw/paint. Create your own world. Write for others. Get involved. We post continuously that we're looking for freelancers and we get 2-3 in a six month period of time who can do the most important job: actually produce *something*<br />
[19:30] <+Jamie> In the old days you needed to hook up with an existing company, and that's still an option. Run events, offer to help with a company whose games you enjoy, try freelancing with them, and work your way in.<br />
[19:30] <+JasonLBlair> The barrier of entry is incredibly low. Write/design your own thing. Put it out there.<br />
[19:30] <@Abstruse> Peregrine: Yeah, that's why I linked the podcast episode (aside from shameless self-promotion). It's almost two hours of advice on how to get into the industry the hard way.<br />
[19:30] <+LynneH> If you're sending in your CV to a gaming company, make sure that the spelling is good - first impressions really count!<br />
[19:30] <+Ken_Spencer> I started by writing a column for rpg.net, and then went to conventions and jsut talked to people, handed out business cards, and made contacts with those who wanted to give me the time.<br />
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[19:30] <+ChrisRutkowsky> And there was at the time a $40 start-up fee to do RPGnow. No idea what it is now, or if it still costs money<br />
[19:30] <+LeeGarvin> Yeah, the barrier to entry isn't nearly as rigid as it was when I and a bunch of my elder coleagues got in.<br />
[19:30] <+Jamie> OR you can write and design your own stuff and self-publish.<br />
[19:30] <+GeorgeVasilakos> how to break into the gaming industry: get hired by an existing company. If that doesn't work - you can always try it yourself. But be warned.... its a lot of work<br />
[19:30] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Breaking in: Play TONS of games. Make stuff up and share it with people. Pay attention to how they respond. If TONS of people love it, you're on to something. Keep working on it. Always remember you are new at it. I mean always. Like, when you've been doing it full-time for ten years, remind yourself you have plenty to learn. And keep learning.<br />
[19:30] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> @Starr - my company is just my old college gaming group. We just put our decades of experience together and refused to stop writing until we made a game that let us do everything we always wanted to and didn't do the things we found frustrating. If you love gaming - you probably have something to say to the industry in some way or another.<br />
[19:30] <+NathanRMaher> Starr - that or just talk to Dan, he knows everyone. :P<br />
[19:30] <+JasonMHardy> But hone your writing by working on it every day, and drop a line to various people and ask what you have to do to freelance for them.<br />
[19:30] <+BrentNewhall> ChrisRutkowsky: It's free now, wonderfully.<br />
[19:30] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Dan is kind of awesome.<br />
[19:31] <+DavidFChapman> Well, Starr - I covered a lot of that in my blog ((Link: http://www.autocratik.com)www.autocratik.com) but I owe it all to GeorgeVasilakos and Alex Jurkat at Eden for giving me a chance.<br />
[19:31] <+TGlennBane> You need dedication, just as in anything, a willingness to ask for help when you need it, and hold your ground when you have to.<br />
[19:31] <+JMThompson_BPI> Not "kind of" about it Zeke<br />
[19:31] * ~Dan blushes<br />
[19:31] <@Abstruse> My biggest advice is networking. Go to conventions and meet people. Be cool, don't stalk anyone, but introduce yourself and chat with them. Contacts are how this business works from what I've seen.<br />
[19:31] <+ToddDowning> Don't expect to make a living wage at it when you start (and even several years in).<br />
[19:31] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> There are so many "right ways" to break into the industry and the amount of ways seem to grow every year. When I was first attempting to break in (late '80s), it was difficult. You either had to be able to afford to self-publish or convince existing companies to hire you. And neither approach was easy. Now, with the advent of PDFs, POD and crowd funding, almo<br />
[19:31] <+TimKirk> I'd like to point out "Play tons of games' is very impoartant. I have witness a LOT of people who stumble upon mechanical things that have already been done and think its "new."<br />
[19:31] <+andyhopp> Go to cons and meet people who do what you want to do.<br />
[19:31] <+JasonMHardy> Networking is important. I've hired a number of freelancers from meeting them at conventions.<br />
[19:31] <+LynneH> Darryl is right - talk to people<br />
[19:31] <+BrettMBernstein> I think the simplest advice is to just be creative, do some research into publishing, make a plan, and don't give up.<br />
[19:31] <+GeorgeVasilakos> DaveChapman is an awesome example on how to get into the industry :)<br />
[19:31] <+JMThompson_BPI> Though I am taking applications for a stalker at conventions. Everyone has one except me :D<br />
[19:31] <+PEGShane> Develop your ability to hold your liquor. That's what worked for me. ;)<br />
[19:31] <+TimKirk> SO being experiences and familiar with a lot of things makes an impact.<br />
[19:31] <+JasonMHardy> TimKirk is correct about playing games. Knowing what's out there helps.<br />
[19:31] <+Ken_Spencer> Be prepared for rejection, even once you get that first chance to send in a writing sample.<br />
[19:31] <+Tim_Dugger> Starr -- I got my start basically because wrote a polite but nasty email about something I thought a company was doing wrong. I was incorrect, but it got me noticed by the company, and after some back and forth, I made a suggestion, followed up with some actually laying out my suggestion and sending him bits -- basically showed that I was not only giving suggestions but also actually ready...<br />
[19:31] <+Tim_Dugger> ...to work implementing them<br />
[19:31] <+Jamie> Shane: And be an expert leg-wrestler.<br />
[19:32] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Brent that's great. I remember how great it felt to make that $40 back so my wife wouldn't be angry!<br />
[19:32] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I agree that networking is crucial.<br />
[19:32] <+Rpgpundit> Or, challenge someone about how their forum sucks. Have them give the nearly-dead forum to you, and turn it into the third biggest independent forum in the hobby. Then you'll be asked to Consult on D&D Next.<br />
[19:32] <+JeffCombos> Breaking in: Make something. It could me something of your own creation or you could make a cool add-on or adventure for a game you know and love. Then get it out there in front of people. Doing work and doing good work will get you the attention to be able to do something official and for money.<br />
[19:32] <+LynneH> I'll be your stalker Jonathan<br />
[19:32] <+BrentNewhall> ChrisRutkowsky: Ha!<br />
[19:32] <+BenRogers> If you want to break into writing games - send me an email and hit a deadline.<br />
[19:32] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Is there a sign up sheet for stalkers?<br />
[19:32] <+JMThompson_BPI> Woo hoo Lynn, but how does your hubby feel about that?<br />
[19:32] <+Peregrine> You should also consider why you want to do it. The old 'do you want to write or 'be a writer' thing.<br />
[19:32] <+JasonLBlair> Networking is a must for the long game. And the most important part of networking is focusing more on building friendships than getting jobs.<br />
[19:32] <+LeeGarvin> PEGShane, I find that a two-fisted grip works best for me: I almost never drop my liquor.<br />
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[19:32] <+Rpgpundit> good point, peregrine!<br />
[19:32] <+JasonMHardy> BenRogers made a good point--hit any deadline you are given!<br />
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[19:32] <+TGlennBane> My first year, I went to conventions on both coasts. Asked as many people as I could, "What mistake did you make that you wish people in the business had worned you about?" I found a strong response to that question.<br />
[19:32] * +BrentNewhall points furiously to BenRogers<br />
[19:32] <+JeffCombos> +1 Peregrine.<br />
[19:33] <+TimKirk> I write, because its something I cannot help but do.<br />
[19:33] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> agreed.<br />
[19:33] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Zero_Refresh> General question: Do you think the popularity of recent indie rpg's like Monsterhearts and Fiasco among the boardgaming community will shake up the indie rpg design scene previously associated with communities like the Forge?<br />
[19:33] <+JMThompson_BPI> +1 to Time<br />
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[19:33] <+JMThompson_BPI> to Tim too<br />
[19:33] <+BenRogers> I get lots of people telling me they want to write. I give out lots of specs. I give out lots of offers. I get very few people who actually respond in a timely fashion or hit a deadline I give them. When they do, *I TAKE NOTICE*<br />
[19:34] <+Rpgpundit> Zero_refresh: no. The Forge is dead, their theories have proven to be a catastrophic failure. Now most of the ex-forgie pseudo-intellectuals are spending their time trying to subvert the OSR or wailing about 'social justice'.<br />
[19:34] <+JMThompson_BPI> Nothing worse than a writer that cant spell :(<br />
[19:34] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) Zero_Refresh - yes! I hope it turns it on its head and indie games get super popular! I'm just saying it because... well you know.<br />
[19:34] * +JMThompson_BPI seems to be having a bit of trouble with that tonight<br />
[19:34] <+TimKirk> Zero Refresh: I hope so. Seriously. I hope so. I want more people out there creating more things and getting more notice, and like many communities the Forge became a sadly insular mess with no new blood, and thus no new inspirations or challenges.<br />
[19:34] <+ToddDowning> Sorry to jet, but I am called to dinner and family time. Cheers all!<br />
[19:34] <+JasonMHardy> Zero_Refresh: No "will" about it--I think it already has.<br />
[19:34] <+LynneH> Be honest as well - if you can't do something, tell people, don't just vanish<br />
[19:34] <+BrettMBernstein> I don't know about a shake up in the indie design scene, but since game design is ever-evolving, it will certainly change.<br />
[19:34] <+JeffCombos> Anyone that wants to write for me has to do three things: Fill word count, take direction, and hit a deadline. Two of those are good, but not going to cut it with me.<br />
[19:34] <+Peregrine> Actually, if you look at the numbers we are ALL Indie games designers<br />
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[19:34] <@Abstruse> Question for Margaret Weis: <Khar> margaretweis: Were you serious about your books being banned? Which ones and where?<br />
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[19:34] <+Jamie> I think that we had such dominance of ONE GAME (3E/d20/Pathfinder) the pendulum has swung the other way and people are more open than ever in trying interesting and experimental games. And the Internet has created more and more ways to spread the word.<br />
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[19:35] <+LeeGarvin> Zero_Refresh, Absolutely! The incredible design work that's been coming out of the indy scene has made me feel really insecure about what I used to think were some pretty clever mechanics. It's forcing everyone to up their game.<br />
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[19:35] <+BrettMBernstein> Take it easy, Todd.<br />
[19:35] <+TimKirk> Indeed Jamie.<br />
[19:35] <+Rpgpundit> Nathan: indie games ARE superpopular. Look at LotFP, Arrows of Indra, Stars without number, etc. etc. Its just not the 'indie' certain hipster pseudo-intellectuals wanted to have win the hobby<br />
[19:35] <+JasonHolmgren> @Zero_Refresh: No. Because FORGE may be indie, but it doesn't overlap with the Fiasco market. Games in new genres are awesome and we need more of those. FORGE is more like FATE, d20, et al. which are more concerned with mechanics over expression.<br />
[19:35] <+GeorgeVasilakos> In my experience - games like Fiasco are for people who want to dabble into RPGs but do not want to get bogged down with game mechanics/crunch. In my gamestore I see this a LOT.<br />
[19:35] <+BrentNewhall> The market will only grow more fragmented, boardgaming adoption or no.<br />
[19:35] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Zero_Refresh: The Indie RPG scene needs to constantly change and evolve in order to keep up and maintain interest. And the indie RPG popularity among board gamers may help with that somewhat. I sure hope so, because whenever there's a shift, it generates excitement and excitement generates innovation... and that can only be good for the industry and the hobby<br />
[19:36] * +BenRogers agrees with Cynthia<br />
[19:36] <+TGlennBane> I agree with CynthiaCelesteMiller.<br />
[19:36] <+Peregrine> Once gamers are gamers the work is done and they can all enjoy all the hobby has to offer. The trick is showing more people how to game, which is why Tabletop is so brilliant<br />
[19:36] <+Rpgpundit> The best innovation the hobby has seen in the past 20 years has come from the Old School Renaissance, ironically. The rest was just wankery.<br />
[19:36] * +JasonHolmgren nods to George and Cynthia.<br />
[19:36] <+TimKirk> Ditto with Cynthia.<br />
[19:36] <+Jamie> I leave innovating new mechanics to people much smarter than me. My RPG designs are almost all frankengames cobbled together based on my preferred playstyle and the experience I want the players to have.<br />
[19:36] * +Tim_Dugger agees with CCM as well<br />
[19:36] <+RafaelChandler> @JasonHolmgren - Are you referring to the Forge? The website where people used to post about indie games?<br />
[19:36] <+TimKirk> Oh, and as a back to the writing thing--Write what you want, for you.<br />
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[19:37] <+RafaelChandler> Yeah, Cynthia nailed it. The *World games and Fiasco are selling well, and they're being played, and that's terrific. If they cross-pollinate with the board game scene, so much the better.<br />
[19:37] <+JasonHolmgren> @Rafael, if it's what i'm thinking of, it's a lot of talk about mechanics. At least that's the links people send me.<br />
[19:37] * +ChrisRutkowsky agrees with TimKirk<br />
[19:37] <+TimKirk> Even if you write for others, always write what YOU want out of a game.<br />
[19:37] <+Rpgpundit> timkirk: I do agree with that sentiment. But don't try to then pretend your game is something its not.<br />
[19:37] <+JasonMHardy> Following up on TimKirk -- and then find a game/publisher whose style matches what you want to do.<br />
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[19:37] <+JMThompson_BPI> Agreed Tim, I publish/write those games I want to see on the market. I am just lucky that other people are interested in them as well.<br />
[19:37] <+NathanRMaher> Sometimes all it takes is for 1 person to like your writing and suddenly so too do their 15000 followers.<br />
[19:37] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> TimKirk nailed it. Write the games for yourself and the rest will follow suit.<br />
[19:37] <+BenRogers> ...unless you write something like FATAL.<br />
[19:38] <+Jamie> *shudder*<br />
[19:38] <+Rpgpundit> lol<br />
[19:38] <+Tim_Dugger> ugh<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> QUESTION: <ErrantShade> General Question: What piece of work are each of you all most proud to have created, or have been a part of creating?<br />
[19:38] <+JasonHolmgren> People talk about the fully-realized games first, and the venues second. It's Gone Home and Hotline Miami that are on the 'Best Indie Video Games' lists, not Unity and GameMaker.<br />
[19:38] <+Peregrine> Fatal got mentioned, everyone has to take a drink<br />
[19:38] * +DavidFChapman tries not to laugh out loud and wake the wife...<br />
[19:38] <+JasonMHardy> If what you want to do is something like FATAL, it's better for all concerned that we find that out sooner rather than later.<br />
[19:38] <+BrettMBernstein> NathanRMaher makes a good point. If someone with lots of RPG creed likes your game, so could tons of other people.<br />
[19:38] * +JMThompson_BPI is probably the only one that has no personal experience with FATAL<br />
[19:38] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> FATAL? I just lost 200 Sanity Points, sir. And I don't have many to spare. ;)<br />
[19:38] <+BrentNewhall> My mind doesn't work like that, unfortunately. I'm proud of everything I've done in different ways.<br />
[19:38] <@Abstruse> I don't know about game design, but promoting my podcast has been a pain in the rear. It's really hard to get the word out when there's a lot of competition out there in the same market. You just have to keep making something you're proud of and, eventually, you'll find an audience if it's good.<br />
[19:38] <+LeeGarvin> Yeah, Cynthia is right: if YOU aren't excited by your work, how can anyone else be?<br />
[19:38] * +LynneH is trying to type quietly so she doesn't wake her husband<br />
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[19:38] <+JeffCombos> What I love about the RPG industry is that games on it are part of a spectrum from rules-light storygames to hardcore crunch. So there can be a game out there for anyone. But once you get someone onto the spectrum, they'll be more willing to try someone on one end or the other. So anything that gets people into RPGs I see as a potential win for all of us.<br />
[19:38] <+Rpgpundit> errantshade: Its a very tough call; I'm equally proud of my two latest games: Arrows of Indra and Lords of Olympus.<br />
[19:38] <+TGlennBane> Worlds of Pulp: Rotwang City.<br />
[19:38] <+JasonLBlair> AMONG THE MISSING for Little Fears Nightmare Edition.<br />
[19:38] <+GeorgeVasilakos> tough question EarrantShade....<br />
[19:38] <+Tim_Dugger> published work? Novus, my current game (all work, then my unpublished Rolemaster revision)<br />
[19:38] <+BenRogers> I haven't created the work I'm most proud of, yet -- ask me at Gen Con 2014 when we're showcasing Extraordinary Voyages and I'll answer more effectively. :)<br />
[19:38] <+JamesSutton> Earthdawn Classic<br />
[19:38] <+ChrisRutkowsky> BASH! and Honor + Intrigue. If I had to choose only one, it would be BASH!, but I do love Honor + Intrigue<br />
[19:39] <+JasonMHardy> ErrantShade: Shadowrun, Fifth Edition.<br />
[19:39] <+TRA-Preston> ErrantShade The Robotic Age, available on DriveThruRPG any day now. Also, its my first project so...<br />
[19:39] <+Jamie> I'll flip the question and mention the one I'm most ashamed of: Sundered Reachers - d20 game sourcebook from Fast Forward Entertainment. I want to buy up the remaining copies and burn them in a metal trashcan.<br />
[19:39] <+TimKirk> ErrantShade: High Valor. Seriously it was the game I wanted to write for years, and I finally got it write. I love Hearts & Souls, but I was out there writing without any idea of how to do it; entirely on my own. H&S2E? Now that will be a work of art, or terrible, I can't decide which :D<br />
[19:39] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) ErrantShade - I'm prodest of my current work Spooks! Welcome to the Great Beyond it's been an enlightening experience, humbling, and amazingly fun. I can't wait for it to be finished.<br />
[19:39] <+JasonHolmgren> @ErrantShade, I love all my children. ^.^ But I'm really excited about MYRIAD SONG, because it reaches out to new markets, and I got to work with some of my idols, and we got to push ourselves to do something different.<br />
[19:39] <+Rpgpundit> It remains to be seen just how proud I will be about my involvement with 5e D&D.<br />
[19:39] <+Peregrine> Usually I get excited by other people's work!<br />
[19:39] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Proudest: The Unspeakable Oath issue 18. It was the first new issue in about 10 years. The new Delta Green RPG will probably take pride of place this summer.<br />
[19:39] <+PEGShane> Deadlands<br />
[19:39] <+Ken_Spencer> Rocket Age is by far the project I am the most proud of, though my work for Steve Jackson and Chaosium (aside from my first published adventure) are dear to me. Northlands Saga was fun, but I have learned so much since then I would do it differently.<br />
[19:39] <+RafaelChandler> @ErrantShade -- I'm very happy about Pandemonio. It was originally published 12 years ago as Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium, and the third edition (for which I changed the name) is a monster. About 600 pages, and quite vile. Put a lot of work into it over the years, and the reviews have been terrific. Sales have been great. Pandemonio's my baby.<br />
[19:39] <+GeorgeVasilakos> of course Shane ;p<br />
[19:39] <+JasonMHardy> Jamie: Were you freelancing for Fast Forward too? Wonder if we worked on any of the same projects …<br />
[19:39] <+Jamie> One small title that I'm kinda proud of from way back when ... The SnarfQuest RPG Worldbook. I wanted to keep it playable, balanced D&D 3E but still offer the kind of humor from Larry Elmore's comic.<br />
[19:39] <+LynneH> ErrantShade - I'm very proud of Cogs, Cakes & Swordsticks because it's something that seems to be doing what I set out for it to do. I'm also very proud of the Achtung! Cthulhu Investigator's and Keeper's Guides<br />
[19:39] * +TimKirk hearts Rocket Age<br />
[19:39] <+DavidFChapman> Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space, though I did love working on Conspiracy X 2.0 - I'm hoping WILD will be my proudest achievement...<br />
[19:40] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Asking what my favorite game of mine is, is like asking which is your favorite child. LOL!<br />
[19:40] * +JMThompson_BPI hearts RA too.<br />
[19:40] <+NathanRMaher> Cogs, Cakes and Swordsticks that's a fun name.<br />
[19:40] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> If I *had* to choose... nope, I can't do it.<br />
[19:40] <+JMThompson_BPI> And CCSS is a fun game :D<br />
[19:40] <+RafaelChandler> Though I'm also pretty happy with my OSRIC monster manual, Teratic Tome... Dunno, it's tough to choose.<br />
[19:40] <+JMThompson_BPI> I cant choose any... I love them all.<br />
[19:40] <+BrettMBernstein> Treasure Awaits!, genreDiversion, Lords of Olympus, Disposable Heroes, and the new Disposable Tilescapes. OK, lots more.<br />
[19:40] <+LeeGarvin> Tales From The Floating Vagabond has always been my favorite child, but I am also extremely proud of the work I did on the Indiana Jones book Magic & Mysticism: The Dark Continent.<br />
[19:40] <+ChrisRutkowsky> CythiaCelesteMiller I know, I was imagining holding two kids over a cliff, and you can only save one...<br />
[19:40] <+Peregrine> I was proud of Victoriana, just making it happen was a win, but really pumped to be part of Doctor Who and Firefly<br />
[19:40] <+BenRogers> Cynthia, Admit it, you love killing people with SlasherFlick. ;)<br />
[19:40] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Righto, Chris,<br />
[19:40] <+TimKirk> Hehe.<br />
[19:41] <+Jamie> JasonMHardy: I shared an office with them, worked on some products, and did a bunch of work that never even came out when things imploded.<br />
[19:41] * +PEGShane Loves Lee's Tales of the Floating Vagabond :)<br />
[19:41] <@Abstruse> <Vrond> When planning a new product line, what factors do you use in making the decision to create your own RPG system versus licensing an existing one?<br />
[19:41] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Id have to say the upcoming Adventure Maximus - since I entered the hobby market making games for gamers - but now we will release a game for our kids.... creating a new generation of gamers. Very proud of this product.<br />
[19:41] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Gah! I just can't dodge a question though. Cartoon Action Hour is my answer.<br />
[19:41] <+Rpgpundit> I was amused at sneaking in an initiative system modeled after B/X/C/M/I D&D into Doctor Who<br />
[19:41] <+Peregrine> That depends on what systems you have available<br />
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[19:41] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Depends on which would be better for what I want to make<br />
[19:41] <+Rpgpundit> and then hearing people praise it as brilliant "indie" design.<br />
[19:41] <+BenRogers> We're currently only supporting out house system - Sixcess. So, it's a pretty easy decision for us.<br />
[19:41] <+Peregrine> Its always easier to use a system you know works, but only if it really works for the game in question<br />
[19:41] <+JMThompson_BPI> I love the Vortex system, has to be one of my favorite game systems over the last few years.<br />
[19:41] <+LeeGarvin> Thanks, PEGShane (I'm starting a DL Noir campaign with my group, btw)<br />
[19:41] <+JasonHolmgren> @Vrond, never license someone else's RPG. Either go OGL or make your own.<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Dan> What other game designer in this room has influenced your work, and how?<br />
[19:42] <+JasonMHardy> Vrond: Basically, whether the increased profile and sales the license might bring you is worth the cost and hassle the license will bring.<br />
[19:42] <+Tim_Dugger> I am of the opinion that the system should come second to the setting....<br />
[19:42] <+LynneH> I think you have to look at what's right for the feel of the game, as well<br />
[19:42] <+ChrisRutkowsky> I was going to make my own swashbuckling system... then decided to license BoL to make Honor + Intrigue because I thought ti did what I wanted it to do<br />
[19:42] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Due to our focus on genre emulation, each of our RPGs has to be its own system, though I do borrow aspects from my other games when applicable.<br />
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[19:42] <+JasonLBlair> With STREETS OF BEDLAM, it was partially that Savage Worlds did what I wanted the game to do and I saw a gap in the SW offerings.<br />
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[19:42] <+Jamie> I love the idea of creating custom games for everything, but in the end I like having a flexible game system that can be adjusted as needed for different stories.<br />
[19:42] <+BenRogers> Shane and Cynthia Celeste Miller have influenced me the most - of the people in this room.<br />
[19:42] <+TGlennBane> I am loyal to my own brand: Bare Bones Beyond.<br />
[19:42] <+Rpgpundit> Dan: In this room? Hard to say.<br />
[19:42] <+TimKirk> Vrond: I honestly look for something that will fit, mechanically, my idea. If I can find something, and I can license it cheaply enough, or free, I'll use it. I've got an upcoming project for FATE called SMITE! For example, but mostly I write my own games for their own systems, because I can build what fits far more powerfully than applying something that doesn't.<br />
[19:42] <+Rpgpundit> brb<br />
[19:42] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) Vrond - Liscensing is something I'll never do. Making your own game gives you more control and has better profit margins that is... if you can convince other people that it's amazing. However, I've never liscensed.<br />
[19:42] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> @ErrantShade - not even a book, but I'm most proud of our games "Non linear initiative system" that runs more like storytelling. It took 38 iterations and 5 years to write. I'd hug it if I could.<br />
[19:42] <+JMThompson_BPI> If the people in this room.... DavidFChapman<br />
[19:43] <+JMThompson_BPI> *of<br />
[19:43] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Well, guys, I have enjoyed this, but I have to head off. Have fun storming the castle!<br />
[19:43] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> My influences are: Jeff Grubb, Mike Pondsmith, Tom Filsinger, Shane Hensley and Greg Costikyan (sp?).<br />
[19:43] <+Peregrine> Too many to count<br />
[19:43] <+LynneH> Someone gave me a great piece of advice when i was designing Fallen - don;t just create a new system for the sake of it if there's one out there already that does what you need it to do<br />
[19:43] <+LeeGarvin> PEGShane's Deadlands was a huge influence on a lot of my more recent work, and Margaret Weis taught us how to do epics.<br />
[19:43] <+JasonMHardy> CynthiaCelesteMiller has influenced me because she has done some Shadowrun writing and is generally worth listening to.<br />
[19:43] <+JasonHolmgren> @Dan , Chapman's edition of Dr.WHO is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. And boop, looks like we lost Margaret Weis, whose recent licensed RPGs have been really good at realizing how to do TV-style episodic RP.<br />
[19:43] * +DavidFChapman blushes...<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> Bye, Chris!<br />
[19:43] <+TimKirk> Later Chris.<br />
[19:43] <+Tim_Dugger> in this room, George, of course, Jamie, Margerat, Shane, and a few others<br />
[19:43] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Awwww, thanks, Ben. :)<br />
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[19:43] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Thank you too, Jason. :)<br />
[19:43] <+JasonMHardy> andyhopp has influenced me with his creativity, energy, and insistence on being entertaining whenever possible.<br />
[19:43] <+NathanRMaher> (Spooks! wttgb) Dan - Preston Poland influenced me not to put androids into Spooks! Welcome to the Great Beyond. But... people are asking :) Vampire Tesla could make one.<br />
[19:44] <+Jamie> I'm hugely influenced by the TSR gang back during the AD&D 2nd Edition crowd as I was as big of a TSR fanboy as I could have been back in the day.<br />
[19:44] <+PEGShane> Second Andy Hopp. *Genius*<br />
[19:44] <+JasonHolmgren> Did anyone here write for DYING EARTH? That's another fave.<br />
[19:44] <+TRA-Preston> Ha<br />
[19:44] <+Ken_Spencer> Margaret Weis and Ken Hite both influenced me, though they likley do not recall talking to me at GenCon several years ago about getting into the industry. Of course as Rocket Age is a Vortex System game, Chapman has been a huge influence.<br />
[19:44] <+LynneH> I wrote for Dying Earth!<br />
[19:44] <+JasonLBlair> PEGShane and GeorgeVasilakos for their support early on in my career.<br />
[19:44] <+Jamie> Zeb Cook and Jeff Grubb are two I have to pick in a big way, but it would take forever to list my influences.<br />
[19:44] <+JasonMHardy> Margaret Weis influenced how I think about setting.<br />
[19:44] <+JMThompson_BPI> Of course there is not a single designer in this room that I would even hesitate to buy a book from<br />
[19:44] <+DavidFChapman> I'm taking screen grabs of this to print out and frame for the many moments when I have major, major doubts in writing and game design...<br />
[19:44] <+BrettMBernstein> PEGShane and Tim_Dugger definitely gave me inspiration in system and character mechanics.<br />
[19:44] <+JasonHolmgren> Not in this room, I'd also like to thank Aaron Allson, George MacDonald, and Tom Moldvay.<br />
[19:44] <+NathanRMaher> ...or maybe Vampire Tesla is a cyborg and isn't telling anyone. Darn you Preston!<br />
[19:45] <+TimKirk> Infleunces: S.John Ross, C.J. Carella, Bill Coffin, Jeff Grubb, Cynthia Celeste Miller, and about a million other people.<br />
[19:45] <+TGlennBane> Whoops, I missed the question: I have been influenced the most by Shane.<br />
[19:45] <+BrentNewhall> Margaret Weis's Marvel system opened my eyes to some very cool dice mechanics and approaches to characters.<br />
[19:45] * +Tim_Dugger blushes<br />
[19:45] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> @Dan: Choosing people in this room, I'd have to go with margaretweis. I have a similar story to Ken, she probably doesn't remember encouraging me in a GenCon conversation, but it moved me to write.<br />
[19:45] <+TimKirk> Bleh. Typing.<br />
[19:45] <+LeeGarvin> TORG was a revalation, as far as I'm concerned. It showed that "I hit it" is not the only thing you can do.<br />
[19:45] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> You're too kind, Tim. :)<br />
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[19:45] <+Jamie> Tracy Hickman at worldbuilding in a big way.<br />
[19:45] <+JamesSutton> PEGShane, professionally and personally.<br />
[19:45] <+Peregrine> I'd add Cam Banks and the Team behind Cortex plus<br />
[19:45] <+JMThompson_BPI> I still run TORG.<br />
[19:45] <+PEGShane> Second what LeeGarvin said about TORG. :)<br />
[19:45] <+TimKirk> Tracy Hickman is awesome. I once talked ot him online for a while. Very nice gentleman.<br />
[19:45] <+TRA-Preston> Nathan, do I hear a crossover!<br />
[19:45] <+BenRogers> Wait... I may be an ignorant fool.... Is there a TORG designer in this room?<br />
[19:45] <+DavidFChapman> Agreed with GeorgeVasilakos for his support, and CJ Carella (wasn't he supposed to be here?)<br />
[19:45] <+NathanRMaher> Hey, if the funds are there why not?<br />
[19:46] <~Dan> (No word from CJ, unfortunately. :( )<br />
[19:46] <+JMThompson_BPI> Im currently running a Dragonlance campaign based entirely on a conversation I had with Tracey Hickman.<br />
[19:46] <+PEGShane> I wrote several books for it but wasn't part of its original creation.<br />
[19:46] <@Abstruse> QUESTION (From me this time...) What would you say is the biggest hurdle in the modern gaming market for a product? Both for new and established brands.<br />
[19:46] <+TGlennBane> TORG was like nothing else.<br />
[19:46] <+Peregrine> I suppose more than most this industry is 'standing on the shoulders of giants' because we all play the games we all make too<br />
[19:46] <+Rpgpundit> Back; had to pick up supper. One of the advantages of living in south america is that you can get home delivery of home-made Gnocchi Bolognaise for $6<br />
[19:46] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> To be totally honest, virtually everyone I've dealt with since joining the industry has influenced me in one way or another. Great, talented folks.<br />
[19:46] <+Jamie> I ran TORG for a few years, so fair enough.<br />
[19:46] <+PEGShane> Getting the word out.<br />
[19:46] <+BenRogers> Shane, well, then you'd have hit my "people who have influenced me in this room" list again. ;)<br />
[19:46] <+ian_stewart> Making yourself seen, definitely.<br />
[19:46] <+JasonHolmgren> @Abstruse: Getting into stores.<br />
[19:46] <+JeffCombos> I get inspired by lots of different things and lots of different people doing great work. But as much as I'm ashamed to admit it, I'm also inspired by someone doing poor work. It hits me in the gut and makes me say "I can do better than this" or "If they'd only done *this* it might<br />
[19:46] <+Jamie> What Shane said.<br />
[19:46] <+GeorgeVasilakos> getting it into players hands<br />
[19:46] <+JeffCombos> word better."<br />
[19:46] <+TimKirk> Biggest hurdle? Getting people to notice my wee games...<br />
[19:46] <+LynneH> Letting people know you're there<br />
[19:46] <+JasonMHardy> What PEGShane said. Visibility is hard.<br />
[19:46] <+TGlennBane> Marketing. Marketing. Marketing.<br />
[19:46] <+JamesSutton> Cynthia, true that.<br />
[19:47] <+Jamie> Right now everyone is screaming at the top of their lungs at the same time. Hard to stand out against all the background noise.<br />
[19:47] <+Ken_Spencer> Marketing, getting heard over the general signal noise.<br />
[19:47] <+JMThompson_BPI> AFK<br />
[19:47] <+JasonLBlair> Visibility.<br />
[19:47] <+Tim_Dugger> biggest hurdle is getting folks to try something new...<br />
[19:47] <+Peregrine> Standing out among the array of great stuff<br />
[19:47] <+JasonMHardy> And then what everyone else said, too. There seems to be a trend …<br />
[19:47] <+BrettMBernstein> I agree with TimKirk: getting noticed.<br />
[19:47] <+Jamie> Pretty consistent answer I'd say. :-)<br />
[19:47] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> The biggest hurdle, in my opinion, is the sheer volume of other games on the market these days. Getting your stuff noticed can be daunting.<br />
[19:47] <+NathanRMaher> Abstruse - critics. We all know gamers are intelligent, fun but also critical. I'm critical. Your critical. I just have to be sure not to cry at the first "I hate it."<br />
[19:47] <+TRA-Preston> Abstruse Gettng noticed. I think i've seen 3 or 4 new fantasy rpgs come out last year. They might be good but at a glance I can't tell them apart.<br />
[19:47] <+TimKirk> It doesn't help that I was born with the superpower "Don't notice me.." heh.<br />
[19:47] <+JasonHolmgren> GAMA does nothing to help indies, and the monopoly of Diamond/Alliance has often refused to even distribute indie games, and they've been doing it for decades.<br />
[19:47] <+BrettMBernstein> I think CynthiaCelesteMiller nailed it.<br />
[19:47] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Yeah. Finding enough people to get passionate about it. There are lots and lots of really amazing games out there already. You need to find your niche and keep expanding it.<br />
[19:47] <@Abstruse> NathanRMaher: You know I review games for Ain't It Cool News, right? :p Not all of us are jerks, I promise.<br />
[19:48] <+BenRogers> I think if I knew the answer to that more people would know about our games....<br />
[19:48] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> @Abstruse: I have to side with TimKirk, the biggest hurdle for us is exposure.<br />
[19:48] <+Tim_Dugger> too many folks get set in what they like to play and often don't realize that they can have fun playing in other styles, so if it isn't what they are used to it can be hard to get them to try (too many times, they end up thinking you are attacking what they like when that is not true)<br />
[19:48] <+JamesSutton> Differentiation. What makes your <fantasy/sci-fi/modern/superhero/small furry creature from Alpha Centauri> game stand out from other <same genre> games?<br />
[19:48] <+Jamie> JasonHolmgren: I'm on the GAMA board, and we're working on addressing those issues so that we can help new publishers as well as we do new game stores.<br />
[19:48] <+Rpgpundit> i've had no hurdles. I succeed at everything I do, much to my critics' chagrin.<br />
[19:48] <+BrentNewhall> I agree with Tim_Dugger that it's more getting people to try something new.<br />
[19:48] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Ben: You've done a great job making Sixcess noticed.<br />
[19:48] <+JasonMHardy> JasonHolmgren makes a good point about distributorship. That's a part of getting noticed is getting enough eyes on a game so distributors want it, but that's really tough to do without distribution. Catch-22.<br />
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[19:48] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Abstruse: Anytime you want to review a new RPG, you just let me know. :)<br />
[19:48] <+TimKirk> Heck, I've been to a con--one of the other biggest hurdles is getting people to notice anything that isn't D&D/Pathfinder<br />
[19:48] <+NathanRMaher> Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way Abstruse. :D I'll throw you on my list though for press release.<br />
[19:48] <+DavidFChapman> I'm sat in my pyjamas so I too have a problem with exposure...<br />
[19:48] <+GeorgeVasilakos> #2 hurdle is PDF theft - Im sorry but the theft of our PDFs and books is a HUGE problem in the modern market.<br />
[19:48] <+BenRogers> Cynthia, you're too kind. Thank you. :)<br />
[19:48] <+BrentNewhall> There are so many groups running D&D/Pathfinder or Star Wars every week for years.<br />
[19:48] <+TGlennBane> I found a GAMA useful for exposing me to what I was up against and the panels at GAMA are useful.<br />
[19:49] <+LeeGarvin> Promotion has always been a huge pain for me.<br />
[19:49] <+Rpgpundit> I have a 100% review rate. My reviews are posted on my blog and on theRPGsite, where they are read by thousands.<br />
[19:49] <+JeffCombos> Visibility is the biggest hurdle. I published Hollow Earth Expedition almost 8 years ago, have supported the line with additional books and material, won some awards for it, and ran successful Kickstarters to expand it further, and yet, at every convention I meet tons of people who've never heard of it before. Heck RPGPundit still has no idea who I am. :)<br />
[19:49] <+JasonHolmgren> @Jamie, I wish you the best of luck, and if things change, drop us a line, since we resigned from GAMA years ago, in public protest. :/ No offense.<br />
[19:49] <+Jamie> Including a publisher's handbook that we'll have out this year and we have an entrepreneurial booth program at our shows.<br />
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[19:49] <@Abstruse> (My press contact email address is theabstruseone@gmail.com if anyone wants to add me to press release lists, BTW).<br />
[19:49] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: how much help have you had marketing Sixcess from your church?<br />
[19:49] <@Abstruse> <ErrantShade> General Question: There is an ever increasing demand for digital mobile tie-ins for RPGs and Board Games, however those platforms almost always require a race to the bottom pricing structure, which encourages quantity over quality. Is a shift to digital inevitable? And would you rather see a gamer reading your art on Scribd, or not at all?<br />
[19:49] <+Jamie> No offense taken. We've been working on making GAMA a real trade organization for all levels of the industry. One little step at a time.<br />
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[19:50] <+JMThompson_BPI> Back<br />
[19:50] <+Rpgpundit> Sorry, Jeff. You should come post on theRPGsite. Its a great environment for RPG designers. Unlike certain other fora.<br />
[19:50] <+TimKirk> That would be awesome Jamie!<br />
[19:50] <+BenRogers> Pundit, the Christian response to Sixcess has been "YOU'RE EVIL! JUST LIKE D&D! YOU'RE GOING TO HELLL!" They even told us that "six sided dice are evil because six is satan's number". I weep for the faith I call my own.<br />
[19:50] <+JasonHolmgren> @ErrantShade, you're really seeing a squeeze that removes the middle, where games are either really cheap/digital, or they're really expensive, quality Euro-game affairs in the $60USD+ range.<br />
[19:50] <+TimKirk> Ben:I'm so sorry. I'd lend you my mom if I could--Devout baptist, and not gamer, but she's defended my gaming for years.<br />
[19:51] <+BrentNewhall> BenRogers: Ugh. Whereas most of my gamers are Christians....<br />
[19:51] <+Jamie> And @JasonHolmgren said it.<br />
[19:51] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: so the people manning your tables at cons etc. are not from your church/faith community?<br />
[19:51] <+JMThompson_BPI> Mine too Tim<br />
[19:51] <+JasonMHardy> ErrantShade: You have to be careful about pricing. People will always want it lower, and I sympathize with them, because I want things I buy to be cheap, too. But you can't let that put you into a space where you are selling yourself out of business.<br />
[19:51] <+NathanRMaher> ErrantShade - one market at a time for this guy. I'd love to do digital mobile tie-ins but that may be in the not so distant future.<br />
[19:51] <+Peregrine> Digital is more of a problem for retailers I think than for designers. Lower prices can mean more people actually buying your stuff. But I thin kmost gamers still like having a book in their hand<br />
[19:51] <+JasonHolmgren> Take a look at Cheapass games, where their $7-10 range of stuff disappeared, and now KILL DR. LUCKY is only available in a $60 Euro-deluxe set.<br />
[19:51] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> As long as someone is reading or playing my game, the format matters not. I'd rather it be on Scribd than unavailable at all. I know that sounds silly, but there it is. I'm an entertainer at heart.<br />
[19:51] <+RafaelChandler> @ErrantShade -- Digital works for me. If someone wants to stick one of my PDFs on a tablet, that's great.<br />
[19:51] <+TimKirk> My mom is like an old west gunslinger of Baptist!<br />
[19:51] <+BrentNewhall> My enemy is not price but invisibility.<br />
[19:51] <+DavidFChapman> @errantShade - I'd been pondering the idea of bringing out rulebooks as Apps - like the awesome Harry Potter Film Wizardry - the pages are animated, you can embed videos and stuff, but Apps are harder to pirate than a PDF... anyone else considered this?<br />
[19:51] <+LynneH> ErrantShade - there's a fascinating article somewhere about pricing for e-books. Oddly, people will take free and $2.99, but price something at $1.99 and they get suspicious!<br />
[19:51] <+BenRogers> Pundit, Heaven's, no. LOL I don't even attend Church (I consider modern churches to be apostate.) In fact, the only three people in our group that I know are Christians are me, Ren and Scott.<br />
[19:52] <+Rpgpundit> Living in the only secular country in south america, most of my gaming group is agnostic or atheist<br />
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[19:52] <+NathanRMaher> I do have a friend working on a mobile/web character generator. We'll see where that goes...<br />
[19:52] <@Abstruse> For those here late, if you would like to join the audience channel to ask a question, type /j #rpgnet-audience If you need to set your nick, you can do so by typing /nick NewNameHere<br />
[19:52] <+JasonMHardy> Other parts of the question: Digital will grow, but I think people are seeing that there are some things digital does well, other things print does well. So I think print isn't going away.<br />
[19:52] <+Rpgpundit> none are churgoers<br />
[19:52] <+Jamie> I think the eBook version of RPGs will continue to rise as that becomes a more standard way to use and reference books. Yet board games are specialty items that work at high price points.<br />
[19:52] <+JasonHolmgren> Shout out to Shane who influenced our early pricing. Originally, we wanted to market our books pretty cheap and entry level at $15-20.... and our experience showed that people don't buy those in the volumen to make them affordable.<br />
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[19:52] <+Rpgpundit> *churchgoers<br />
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[19:52] <+TimKirk> Tablets are HUGE HUGE things that are shaping future gaming.<br />
[19:52] <+JasonHolmgren> That's why, for example, you saw the D&D product line go from inexpensive $20 splatbooks to $40+ giant hardcovers.<br />
[19:52] <+Tim_Dugger> I have actually posted a copy of a beta of my game on scribd, and I have it fully available in HTML (across many many pages) on my website. Thus, I supply ways to get it free (but it takes work), I then created 3 different PDFs, each with differnt levels of content (game content is equal) and functionality and priced them accordingly<br />
[19:52] *** Dan sets mode +v JayLittle<br />
[19:52] <+TimKirk> Cheap computers that are easy to use and hold.<br />
[19:52] <+BrentNewhall> Amen to TimKirk.<br />
[19:53] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> BenRogers: I've preached sermons on D&D that were well received. I even preached a sermon on one of margaretweis 's books. That being said, I also grew up with most people telling me that D&D would make me worship the devil.<br />
[19:53] <+JamesSutton> Tablets have accelerated the move to a digital market, for sure.<br />
[19:53] <+JeffCombos> @RPGPundit: I'm just teasing you. I used to post on your site when HEX first came out and got some good support there.<br />
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[19:53] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: thank you for your answer. So how did you get such a huge level of on-the-ground participation, ie. 10 tables at cons, etc. when your game was barely heard of yet?<br />
[19:53] <+JasonMHardy> And the final part: It's a difficult question. I think people sharing things and parts of your game can be a good way to get eyes to your games and eventually generate paying customers. But there are also people who will use Scribd to avoid paying for something.<br />
[19:53] <+BenRogers> Pundit, At the last Gen Con events, the only "churchgoer" that I know of was Scott and his wife. Most of my most avid fanbase is Jewish, in fact. Oddly enough.<br />
[19:53] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Our PDFs have sold more since the rise of the tablet.<br />
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[19:53] <+JasonMHardy> So I'm ambivalent, but I think at least some sharing and Creative Commons-type licensing can help a game.<br />
[19:53] <+TimKirk> I can't believe I was even pirated. I was like "What? Really?"<br />
[19:54] <+BenRogers> Pundit, I did give the GMs a fairly sweet package of swag... ;) But seriously, they just love the game and wanted to support us.<br />
[19:54] <+LynneH> My lovely hubby got the iPad version of Forbidden island to test it out. We enjoyed it so much, we bought the physical versions of that and Forbidden Desert, so digital can be a good lead-in<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Jojo-the-monkey> Could each of the guests perhaps mention their probably best-known game so that the audience may know who everybody is?<br />
[19:54] <+TimKirk> I think you may be right Jason.<br />
[19:54] * +JasonHolmgren nods to Cynthia. "Digital is alwasy going to be here as a market, and gamers have shown that they like the rapid indexing features."<br />
[19:54] <+Peregrine> All my impulse purchases are pdf, and I buy a lot on impulse<br />
[19:54] * +BenRogers Promised Sands<br />
[19:54] <+RafaelChandler> Okay, gang, it's been awesome. Day job beckons, and I must go!<br />
[19:54] <+JasonLBlair> My best known release is probably still the original LITTLE FEARS.<br />
[19:54] <+BrentNewhall> When somebody develops a multimedia format that lets us publish something more like a web app, watch out.<br />
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[19:54] <+Jamie> I have a well-known game?<br />
[19:54] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: well damn. I'll have to edit my review then, I was sure this was an evangelizing effort by a group, rather than an individual. But I'll take you at your word<br />
[19:54] <+Peregrine> Victoriana, Hellcats and Hockeysticks<br />
[19:54] <+Ken_Spencer> Rocket Age from Cubicle 7<br />
[19:54] <+JasonMHardy> Bye RafaelChandler!<br />
[19:54] <+JMThompson_BPI> Gaslight Victorian Fantasy or Eldritch Skies<br />
[19:54] * +LynneH Cogs, Cakes & Swordsticks; Achtung! Cthulhu<br />
[19:54] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Conspiracy X - All Flesh Must Be Eaten - Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG<br />
[19:54] <+JayLittle> Star Wars Edge of the Empire / Age of Rebellion RPGs<br />
[19:54] <+NathanRMaher> Jojo-the-monkey (is that a monkey island reference?) Spooks! Welcome to the Great Beyond; Secrets of the CitySpire; Rubberband Lazer<br />
[19:54] <+TimKirk> Jojo: I've got all of two games out, mind you I've got other works out there for other companies. High Valor, and Hearts & Souls. Are mine.<br />
[19:54] <+JMThompson_BPI> Jamie, he said best known... not well known :D<br />
[19:54] <+PEGShane> Savage Worlds, Deadlands<br />
[19:54] <+JamesSutton> I think there is a tool maturity gap that has still to be traversed, though it's happening quickly. That is, the authoring tools that make it as easy to create an interactive electronic product as it is to make a PDF.<br />
[19:54] <+Tim_Dugger> I used to work for Mjolnir, LLC (dba Iron Crown Enterprises) and my first work was HARP (High Adventure Role Playing), my most recent work is Novus<br />
[19:55] <+DavidFChapman> @jojo-the-monkey - probably best known for Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space, and Conspiracy X 2.0<br />
[19:55] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Spectrum's most popular game is Cartoon Action Hour (currently on its third edition). Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul is a close second.<br />
[19:55] <+TimKirk> (With More coming)<br />
[19:55] <+JasonMHardy> Anything Shadowrun from the past four years or so.<br />
[19:55] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Delta Green.<br />
[19:55] * +JasonHolmgren is the creator of IRONCLAW, the anthropomorphic fantasy game. He's worked on ALBEDO, USAGI, NOGGLE STONES, and MYRIAD SONG.... but you're most likely to know his work in KNIGHTS OF THE DINNER TABLE.<br />
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[19:55] <+ian_stewart> The New Horizon RPG is my only work to date. If you've heard of it, cool. If you bought it... Hold on to it, you'll be able to trade in first and the second eddition for something better.<br />
[19:55] <+BenRogers> Pundit, you can check with Cynthia Celeste Miller. She traveled with us and shared a booth with us at Gen Con. She's a lesbian atheist. She's also a dear friend and advisor.<br />
[19:55] <+BrentNewhall> Well, I just launched the Kickstarter for The Whispering Road, which is already 350% funded. My biggest seller so far has been the OSR Handbook, a non-fiction look at several dozen OSR systems.<br />
[19:55] <+Rpgpundit> Jojo: I'm more famous for being the RPGPundit than anything else, but: Lords of Olympus, Arrows of Indra, Gnomemurdered, Forward to Adventure! Also, controversial D&D Next Consultant<br />
[19:55] <+TimKirk> Jason: I need a new Jadeclaw with rules darn it :D<br />
[19:55] <+JeffCombos> @Jojo: My best known game is Hollow Earth Expedition, but I've also worked on Wraith, Scion, and a few video games, including Quantum Break, which is a combination video game/live TV show coming out from Microsoft.<br />
[19:55] <+TGlennBane> The Dark Fantasy of Sundrah, Bare Bones Multiverse, Bare Bones Beyond.<br />
[19:55] <+TRA-Preston> Jojo-the-money: I am Preston Poland, my first game The Robotic Age is about androids and cyborgs fighting with laser swords and plasma cannons. It will be out as soon as DriveThruRPG approves it.<br />
[19:55] <+LeeGarvin> Jojo, My best known game would have to be Tales From The Floating Vagabond. (less well known, but a lot of fun, was "Punch My Brother in the Back of the Head").<br />
[19:55] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Thankee, Ben. :)<br />
[19:56] <+BrettMBernstein> Precis Intermedia: Lords of Olympus, Treasure Awaits! EarthAD, HardNova, Coyote Trail, Two-Fisted Tales, Warcosm, Shatterzone, et al.<br />
[19:56] <+JamesSutton> Earthdawn Classic/Third Edition (though I don't do that any more), Fading Suns (which I don't do any more), Blue Planet (which i do now)<br />
[19:56] <@Abstruse> I write the Ain't It Cool News Tabletop column and I'm the owner and on-air engineer of the Gamer's Tavern podcast. I'm also a frequent participant in Q&As which is why Dan drafted me.<br />
[19:56] <+Rpgpundit> Lee: Tales was awesome!!<br />
[19:56] <+Jamie> Some stuff I did was here: (Link: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/36182.Jamie_Chambers)http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/36182.Jamie_Chambers<br />
[19:56] * +Zeke_ClockworkDominion Clockwork: Dominion (formerly Clockwork: Empire)<br />
[19:56] <+Jamie> And you're awesome, Abstruse!<br />
[19:56] *** Dan sets mode +v Kenneth_Hite<br />
[19:56] <+BrentNewhall> JeffCombos: My first local con game was a session of HEX, which I still have fond and vivid memories of.<br />
[19:56] <+Peregrine> I've got to find this red text button, I am a chat noob! :)<br />
[19:56] <@Abstruse> Jamie: Thank you.<br />
[19:56] <+Jamie> There you are, Ken!<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> (Sorry, Kenneth! Didn't see you come in!)<br />
[19:57] <@Abstruse> Peregrine: It's /me<br />
[19:57] * ~Dan has been a bit busy...<br />
[19:57] <+Rpgpundit> I also own theRPGsite.com and I added the term "Swine" to the hobby lexicon (as well as a few others, like lawncrapper and pseudo-activist)<br />
[19:57] <+LynneH> Andy, it's the "/me burble" thing<br />
[19:57] * +Peregrine Ah!<br />
[19:57] <+LeeGarvin> <blush><br />
[19:57] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <Yog_Sothoth> Q: A way that the video game industry is getting around piracy is by offering microtransactions for just about anything in their game worlds. Would this model work in pen and paper gaming? Why or why not?<br />
[19:57] <+Kenneth_Hite> Here I am! Best known for "being Kenneth Hite" as RPGPundit says.<br />
[19:57] <+GeorgeVasilakos> hi Ken!<br />
[19:58] <+JeffCombos> @BrentHewhall: That's awesome!<br />
[19:58] <+Jamie> Microtransactions are also ruining parts of video gaming.<br />
[19:58] <+JMThompson_BPI> Allo Ken. Now the party can start :D<br />
[19:58] <+Kenneth_Hite> Trail of Cthulhu, GURPS Infinite Worlds, Star Trek, Day After Ragnarok, Night's Black Agents, etc.<br />
[19:58] <@Abstruse> For the record, this is something that d-Infinity started this past summer, selling OGL content as microtransactions per feat/class/magic item/monster/etc.<br />
[19:58] <+Jamie> I think the way to combat piracy is price and convenience.<br />
[19:58] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> I think we're seeing something of the microtransaction thing. There are tons of $1 PDFs and things you can get.<br />
[19:58] <+JayLittle> microtransactions are just one of many "gacha principles" being applied to gaming more and more often -- they are symptoms of a bigger issue, not the issue itself<br />
[19:58] <+Peregrine> We kind of already do. You buy a corebook and then have to fork out for many supplement<br />
[19:58] <+Rpgpundit> Yog: I don't think it would. The way to get around "piracy" (*wrong term, its FILESHARING) is not to bother. You adapt to it by getting money-up-front in your efforts; and recognizing that filesharing has never been proven to actually impact profits<br />
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[19:58] <+JasonHolmgren> @Yog_Sothoth, gamers will always pirate games. I'm not sure how micro-transactions can really help ($1 for 10 more page of rules?) ... There's been a lot of success in 'pay what you want' for some people, which could work.<br />
[19:58] <+BenRogers> I think the best way to stay ahead of the piracy in the industry is to ... stay ahead of it. Don't try to sit back on your laurels and earn royalties from years ago - produce new stuff and make your old stuff obsolete.<br />
[19:58] <+TRA-Preston> Yog_Sothoth so like 99cents for a new magic sword? $2 for a new class?<br />
[19:58] <+JasonMHardy> I haven't thought about making micro transactions work in pen-and-paper mainly because I don't like the way they work in video games. Giving advantages to whoever shells out the most makes me itch.<br />
[19:59] <+NathanRMaher> Yog_Sothoth No idea. I am creating playing cards and small digital tradable brochures. We'll see where it goes. Pirates aren't always bad people, they may just not have the funds to purchase. I've "pirated" a few things but gone back and purchased it when I had the funds. I love books. I can't help it.<br />
[19:59] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> Yog_Sothoth: I think White Wolf came up with microtransactions a long time ago with their $10 sourcebooks. We've gotten away from that to a market full of $60 hardbacks... but maybe it's time to go back.<br />
[19:59] <+Rpgpundit> (massive summer storm about to hit here, btw, so a slight chance I may get cut off if hte power goes out in The Abbey)<br />
[19:59] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Yog_Sothoth: We're kind of experimenting with something like that with CAH:S3. We're offering a ton of mini-expansions to expand upon the game. Not exactly the same thing, mind you, but still in the ballpark.<br />
[19:59] <+JasonHolmgren> Getting back to the bath-tub curve, crowd-funding has shown that the best price for games is either 'really low' or 'really high with lots and lots of extras'.<br />
[19:59] <+JamesSutton> Yog_Sothoth, I think we see that kinda of micro-transaction on sites like OneBookShelf, where publishers produce small, inexpensive documents for various games.<br />
[19:59] <+Tim_Dugger> Yog-- I don't think it would work, not in the way you are thinking. Basically once an rpg product is out, it is out. For video games, you are eseentially limiting content until further payment, but that is after install, so doing a new install does not give you that new content again...<br />
[19:59] <+Peregrine> Piracy is a big question. But I think making it easier to buy legitimate stuff helps. After all, many pirates are never going to buy your stuff anyway<br />
[19:59] <+ian_stewart> Microtransactions are something I'm taking a hard look at. They're not exactly something that's especially liked in the gaming industry.<br />
[19:59] <+Jamie> When the Gamma World boxed set came out for the D&D4E game system, they did a thing with booster packs for new mutations.<br />
[19:59] <+JeffCombos> +1 BenRogers<br />
[19:59] <+Jamie> And I don't think it worked out.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Jadomonkey> Question: How is the health of the industry compared to 10 years ago?<br />
[19:59] <@Abstruse> Also, I know Catalyst Game Labs had some success during the 4th Edition era of Shadowrun selling smaller 20-30 page PDFs for dirt cheap, as well as their Missions adventures. Not sure if you'd count that as "microtransactions".<br />
[19:59] <+TimKirk> I don't charge all that much to begin with..;:D<br />
[19:59] <+JMThompson_BPI> No, cause I got tired of buying boosters... only get a lot of stuff I already had.<br />
[19:59] <+Jamie> Depends on how you measure health.<br />
[19:59] <+BrentNewhall> It's quite possible to make microtransactions work; you just need a highly divisible system. Most indie games are small enough to make that difficult.<br />
[20:00] <+JasonHolmgren> @Jadomonkey, worse, but we're still alive. =D<br />
[20:00] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> But yeah, microtransactions won't stop piracy. Fighting piracy is less useful than making sure your books that get pirated are good enough to convert people who encounter them into die hard fans. Once they start loving you for your work, they don't mind paying to support it.<br />
[20:00] <+JayLittle> thriving, stronger, more diverse, and filled with a new generation of designers who grew up on a different generation of games than their forebears<br />
[20:00] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: FtA! was pirated almost as soon as it came out; it was my first RPG, I think 6 years ago now? I'm still getting royalties off it.<br />
[20:00] <+BenRogers> It's improving. However, it's being attacked from all sides and is hampered by a flagging economy overall.<br />
[20:00] <+Peregrine> That question really depends on how you define Health and Industry<br />
[20:00] <+Tim_Dugger> more diverse now, which is a good thing, but the economy is much worse, so sales are harder since there is less disposable income<br />
[20:00] <+Kenneth_Hite> Microtransactions are only going to be viable if there's an ongoing online platform to play. Otherwise, you're just charging booster-pack prices for DLC or writing cheap splatbooks.<br />
[20:00] <+JasonMHardy> Jadomonkey -- Gaming overall is stronger, RPG is -- not so much.<br />
[20:00] <+BrettMBernstein> I'm not sure I would apply the term "health" to the injury, rather the state of its adaptation.<br />
[20:00] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> The industry is in an interesting place due to the influx of new companies. To me, though, this is a good thing. Profits have been up for Spectrum Games the last 3 years or so.<br />
[20:00] <+TGlennBane> The Bare Bones system was inspired by "B" Movies and Pulp, so micro genres and cross-overs is exactly what we are after.<br />
[20:01] <+BenRogers> Tabletop games are doing great - but it's mostly the boardgames that seem to be growing.<br />
[20:01] <+TimKirk> I think thats a complex issue, the hobby is strong, the industry? I've no idea beyond my little part of it--but with D&D pushing back in a crazy way with premium books, and reprints, and old books as PDF's, with new works coming out, I think we're seeing some nostalgia return, and some people who are just inspired by life.<br />
[20:01] <+Jamie> I think the ease of RPG publishing has split the audience into increasingly smaller fragments.<br />
[20:01] <+JasonMHardy> Abstruse: Yeah, the PDF line has been useful, but I'm not sure how comparable it is to micro transactions.<br />
[20:01] <@Abstruse> Just a reminder for the audience, if you would like to join the audience channel to ask a question, type /j #rpgnet-audience and don't forget to set your username with /nick NewNameHere<br />
[20:01] <+TimKirk> changes to come back to gaming.<br />
[20:01] <+Tim_Dugger> 10 years ago, it was hard to find anything under the crush of d20 (remember, 3.5 came out 10 years ago, and killed half the new publishers that had cropped up as well)<br />
[20:01] <+JasonHolmgren> RPGs are part of the entertainment budget. Cell phone apps and video-games have eaten into that budget. Fortunately, the RPG industry has been quick to respond, with digital-downloads and such.<br />
[20:01] <+Peregrine> I don't think anyone really has the figures, especially as the industry has changed so much<br />
[20:01] <+Rpgpundit> Jadomonkey: the INDUSTRY (as opposed to the hobby) is not in great state just now. 10 years ago we had a strong and successful edition of D&D. Today we're in transition from the worst edition ever (in commercial terms, as well as intellectual, having failed due to adopting stupid theories). The health of D&D is largely the health of the "industry".<br />
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[20:01] <+Kenneth_Hite> Jadomonkey -- we've hit the bottom of the canyon, and are either dead-cat bouncing or climbing a little way back up the rocks. Ask us again next year after D&D NEXT has come out and we see its sales numbers.<br />
[20:01] <+JeffCombos> Microtransactions are a different animal. And while they may work in video games, traditional games are resistant to them--to put it mildly. As someone else pointed out, the boxed set of Gama World is a good example. In an industry where we want players to only be limited by their imagination, microtransactions limit them by their pocketbook, which sucks.<br />
[20:01] <+JamesSutton> For microtransactions, it's possible that could still be coming. As I noted earlier, the tools need to be there to make that kind of authoring easier. For example, the cheap core rulebook that runs on your tablet and allows you to unlock the classes you want to play for 99 cents each (and adds that content to your tablet). Just off the top of my head...<br />
[20:02] <+Rpgpundit> Now, the "hobby", including small press RPGs, are doing better than ever.<br />
[20:02] <+TRA-Preston> I think an RPG focused version of TableTop would probably help books just as much as TableTop helped board games.<br />
[20:02] <+NathanRMaher> 4th Edition D&D was just awful. Totally awful.<br />
[20:02] <+Jamie> Well I'd say Pathfinder is doing pretty well ...<br />
[20:02] <+TRA-Preston> NathanRMaher +1<br />
[20:02] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Health of the Industry: There are LESS game stores now than 10 years ago - but with PDF and direct sales - publishers can "make more" by selling less - as for the general health of the industry as a whole - sales in all product categories are at its all time high.<br />
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[20:02] <+JMThompson_BPI> The economy plays a big part in that too.<br />
[20:02] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Yeah, D20 had a bit of a stranglehold for small press games back 10-12 years ago. I was always getting "When are you doing a D20 version of Cartoon Action Hour?" question back then.<br />
[20:02] <+Peregrine> Yet we also have Gen-Con saying its numbers are growing hugely<br />
[20:02] <+JasonHolmgren> The sales are lower, but the overhead is lower, too.<br />
[20:02] <+TimKirk> I'm sot glad you braves your way through that Cynthia.<br />
[20:02] <@Abstruse> NathanRMaher: Some of us liked 4th Edition D&D for what it was, so be nice :p<br />
[20:02] <+Jamie> Origins might sell out the hall soon this year as well. (Spoiler Alert)<br />
[20:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Thanks, Tim. :)<br />
[20:03] <+Tim_Dugger> JamesSutton -- that COULD be done by building a custom app for your game, but that is what it would require, so that the app displayed the content, that it was not part of a regular PDF<br />
[20:03] <+Rpgpundit> I predicted it when 4e came out. In a blog entry I stated, "by adopting concepts from GNS and making D&D focused on only one thing, your only result will be to lose 2/3rds of your customer base. And that's EXACTLY what happened.<br />
[20:03] <+Peregrine> Reatailers have certainly been hit but there are more rpg companies, having said that fewer people working with gaming as their sole income<br />
[20:03] <+JMThompson_BPI> Think it has or GenCon already, I recall begin told something about a waiting list.<br />
[20:03] <+Jamie> I liked 4th Edition as a game for what it was, but it obviously did not accomplish its goals as a product line.<br />
[20:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I liked D&D 4E... but I'm primarily a miniatures gamer, so...<br />
[20:03] <+BrentNewhall> 4E D&D is my favorite edition.<br />
[20:03] <+JasonHolmgren> Ten years ago, it would've been almost unthinkable for an indie to release a full color book. Today, it's the norm.<br />
[20:03] <+Rpgpundit> abtruse: I'm not talking about whether you liked it or not, I'm talking about how it did commercially.<br />
[20:03] * +JMThompson_BPI liked D&D4e too, but liked 3e better.<br />
[20:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> It was like Deluxe HeroQuest.:)<br />
[20:03] <+TimKirk> I tried 4E, it didn't click with me or my players, so we went and played something else.<br />
[20:03] <+NathanRMaher> Yea, Abstruse, a good gaming friend of mine swears by it but I miss Skills and Powers 2nd edition and 3.5 was good but couldn't hop the transition.<br />
[20:04] <+GeorgeVasilakos> ....thats because the cost to produce RPG product has lowered.<br />
[20:04] <+BenRogers> When we can bring the Millenium Falcon's holographic chess technology to RPGs and miniatures gaming, we may be able to bridge the gap between the videogamers and the tabletop gamers. :)<br />
[20:04] <+JayLittle> if a solid digital tabletop would have been released to support 4E as was first hinted at by 3E marketing materials, i think 4E would have been a huge success<br />
[20:04] <@Abstruse> NathanRMaher: Everyone has their opinion. As long as people are gaming and having fun with the game they're playing, who is anyone else to judge? Unless, you know, that game's FATAL or something...<br />
[20:04] * +Tim_Dugger steps away from the budding "edition war"<br />
[20:04] <+Peregrine> I really like 4E, but if I'd been playing 3rd I'd have not been able to upgrade and keep my campaign going. I think that was the main problem<br />
[20:04] <+Rpgpundit> Jason: surely that speaks more to the health of our enormous technological advancement, though<br />
[20:04] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'd be all over that, Ben. :)<br />
[20:04] <+TimKirk> I'm one of the few who played a LOT of 2E...AD&D, not just "read" but played<br />
[20:04] <+JamesSutton> Tim_Dugger -- Indeed. But I was thinking more of the next generation of authoring tools and that includes PDF authoring. That could be years away, however.<br />
[20:05] <+BrentNewhall> I'm waiting for the successor to PDF.<br />
[20:05] <+Rpgpundit> Jesus, its a typhoon here!<br />
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[20:05] <+JMThompson_BPI> I still have an active 2e game going TK.<br />
[20:05] <+Rpgpundit> Nice though, its been 40C all week<br />
[20:05] <+Jamie> AD&D 2E? Um, that was the heart of my gaming life.<br />
[20:05] <+JamesSutton> BrentNewhall -- Exactly.<br />
[20:05] * +JasonHolmgren nods to James. "authoring tools are cheaper and better than ever."<br />
[20:05] <+JayLittle> yeah, what's going to be the DVD -> Blu-Ray upgrade for RPG delivery?<br />
[20:05] <+BenRogers> Pundit, it's 0 here in St. Louis. Snow on the ground, I'm wrapped in a blanket enjoying my laptop's heat...<br />
[20:05] <+TimKirk> Awesome Jonathon, If I hadn't moved, and gotten divorces, well I might still be running my newish Dark Sun game<br />
[20:05] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <FlipperBuzzbomb> In a physical store, I could window shop, pick up a book, leaf through it if the owner was amenable. In electronic/POD marketplaces, all I have is the blurb that they put next to the coverart thumbnail. Advice on how to winnow the wheat from the chaff in an e-reader world to find new cool things?<br />
[20:05] <+Ken_Spencer> AD&D 2e is D&D to me, everything after has lured me in and then turned me away.<br />
[20:05] <+JayLittle> -40 wind chill here in the Twin Cities!<br />
[20:05] <+NathanRMaher> Abstruse - I humbly agree. Just saying though, no Ravenloft in 4th edition. What was with that? I couldn't get many people interested in Ravenloft but gesh... Darksun was ressurrected kinda which 4th edition did. Good things do come from 4th ed I guess.<br />
[20:05] <+Rpgpundit> ben: 0C, I presume? not 0 American?<br />
[20:06] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Most digital markets allow you to look through excerpts.<br />
[20:06] <+Peregrine> Visit a games shop and buy some stuff there! :)<br />
[20:06] <+BrentNewhall> You have to look for reviews.<br />
[20:06] <+Jamie> Good question: If someone figures that out lemme know.<br />
[20:06] <+JamesSutton> Flipper, simple. Buy everything from everyone here and ignore the rest.<br />
[20:06] <+BenRogers> For Sixcess, we put out a "Quickstart" that is a stripped down version of the game for a free download. We even include characters and an adventure for you to try it out.<br />
[20:06] <+Rpgpundit> flipperbuzzbom: the way you do this now is you go to forums like theRPGsite.com and ask about the games.<br />
[20:06] <+BrentNewhall> Or what JamesSutton said.<br />
[20:06] <+TimKirk> Flibberbuzzbomb: Lots of awesome previews. LOTS AND LOTS of awesome previews. You can get two huge previews of High Valor which explains a major chunk of the rules. So "not just a blurb."<br />
[20:06] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> To be fair, DriveThru/RPGnow allows for PDF and Flash previews, so you can "browse".<br />
[20:06] <+JasonLBlair> Any good digital marketplace should offer some sort of preview as well. It's up to the publishers to take advantage of that.<br />
[20:06] <+Tim_Dugger> FlipperBuzzBomb -- I posted my entire core game on my website -- I did it across many, many many pages (making printing it out difficult), but it *does* allow for viewing it prior to purchase<br />
[20:06] <+JasonHolmgren> @FlipperBuzzbomb - look for PDF previews of games. DriveThruRPG offers a 'quick preview' of a dozen pages or so. And many games, like mine, offer $zero 'previews' of their books for you to peruse. Start with those.<br />
[20:06] <+Jamie> I think social networking and seeing recommendations / reviews of people with similar taste it'll help you.<br />
[20:06] <+NathanRMaher> FlipperBuzzbomb I try to allow a large review of the book. You got to know what you are buying.<br />
[20:06] <+BenRogers> Pundit, 0F - about -20C<br />
[20:07] <+TGlennBane> Talk to people, get involved in chat rooms, gaming clubs, even contact the company directly. Most of us enjoy talking about what we produce.<br />
[20:07] <+JasonLBlair> Far too many "previews" are just the Table of Contents.<br />
[20:07] <+Ken_Spencer> Reviews, and especially review numbers. You have to keep an eye out for that one negative review that is poorly written and illogical.<br />
[20:07] <+LeeGarvin> FlipperBuzzBomb, Is that you, Paul?<br />
[20:07] <+Kenneth_Hite> FlipperBuzzbomb Same way you do on Netflix streaming; by creator, by subject matter, by whether the cover is lame.<br />
[20:07] <+Peregrine> The good thing with RPGs is that if even just the basic idea is interesting to you, then the book will prove useful. Most gamers will rewrite and adapt the games they buy anyway to some degree.<br />
[20:07] * +JasonHolmgren nods to Jason. "At consumer request, I expanded my previews quite a bit."<br />
[20:07] <+JayLittle> netflix analogy is a good one<br />
[20:07] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: The Wench is currently in Canada, where its -40C. I'll take +40C anyday.<br />
[20:07] <+JMThompson_BPI> Thats because they dont actually set up the preview they let the computer do it (been guilty of that myself a time or two)<br />
[20:07] <+JasonMHardy> Yeah, echo what people have said about previews--either on DriveThru or on the publisher's site, you can usually find stuff.<br />
[20:07] <+LynneH> I wrote the entire first chapter of Cogs, Cakes & Swordsticks so that it could be put out as a free introductory game<br />
[20:07] <+TimKirk> Indeed. GOOD previews, not just TOC's or Indices, but you know a good Index is worth its page count<br />
[20:07] <+JeffCombos> +1 JasonLBlair. Too many people do themselve a disservice by not making sure their preview covers actual content.<br />
[20:07] <+JasonMHardy> And keep an ear to the ground through forums, social media, and chats like this to see what people are talking about.<br />
[20:08] <@Abstruse> Rpgpundit: I'm in Texas. You've never experienced +40C in 100% humidity if you can say that with a straight face.<br />
[20:08] <+DavidFChapman> LynneH - that is particularly genius!<br />
[20:08] <+ian_stewart> I think it's very important to have a digital sample of a product that is primarily seen in a digital medium. Essential, even.<br />
[20:08] <+LynneH> Why thank you, David ;)<br />
[20:08] <+Rpgpundit> abtruse: uruguay regularly has 100% humidity in the summer.<br />
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[20:08] <+Tim_Dugger> I went with the "penny paint sale" analogy (from Happy days), where the game itself can be gotten for free, but then the extras (like art, or having it all in one document, or an index, are extras to charge for)<br />
[20:08] <+JasonHolmgren> Admittedly, my previews concentrate on character creation rules, and then basic rules, so that way a GM can hand the PDFs out for quick-start of games. Then it's dual purpose.<br />
[20:08] <+NathanRMaher> Google alerts is great to finding out what people are saying... that or obsessivly google your game. I don't know anyone who does that. ;)<br />
[20:08] <+JeffCombos> +1 TimKirk<br />
[20:08] <+TimKirk> I had one review that was flat out wrong, and misunderstood a rule completely. Alas, I couldn't get it corrected. So *shrugs*<br />
[20:08] <+BenRogers> The Sixcess Quickstart (our free preview) enjoys a brisk download rate and quite a few purchases are made because people have a chance to try it out.<br />
[20:08] <+JamesSutton> +1 TimKirk<br />
[20:08] <+Rpgpundit> theRPGsite has an incredible "Reviews" Subforum and features the two best reviewers in the hobby: me and Dan.<br />
[20:09] * ~Dan blushes<br />
[20:09] <+JasonMHardy> Ooo, speaking of quick-start rules--use Free RPG Day! Get whatever people are giving out!<br />
[20:09] <+JayLittle> if your customers communicate primarily digitally (social media, email, whatever) then you need to make sure you offer a solid preview product tailored to their experience -- because that's how they're going to share it<br />
[20:09] <+Rpgpundit> plus tons of good reviews from other people too.<br />
[20:09] <+JasonHolmgren> Some games have a lot of luck with the 'pay what you want' method. I understand Eclipse Phase released their entire game under Creative Commons?<br />
[20:09] <+Tim_Dugger> Dan... when were you getting around to doing that review?<br />
[20:09] <+Tim_Dugger> heheh<br />
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[20:09] <+Kenneth_Hite> Trying to correct inaccurate reviews is, as they say, like wrestling with a pig. You get muddy and you entertain the pig.<br />
[20:09] * +DavidFChapman - BRB<br />
[20:09] <+Rpgpundit> Incidentally, if any of you here are looking to get your game reviewed where it will be read by thousands of people, please send me a PM.<br />
[20:09] <+LynneH> Yes, Cogs got a few preview unhappy reviews because a short version was uploaded by mistake. As soon as we realsied, we rectified the problem, but I don;t know if you can contact people to let them know :(<br />
[20:09] <+JasonLBlair> Alright, folks, I have to run. Have a great time!<br />
[20:09] <+Jamie> Afraid I can't stay any longer.<br />
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[20:10] <+Jamie> Thanks for having me.<br />
[20:10] <+JayLittle> later Jason<br />
[20:10] <+Jamie> G'night!!!<br />
[20:10] <+LynneH> Bye guys!<br />
[20:10] <+TimKirk> Later Jason<br />
[20:10] <+NathanRMaher> Thanks you two!<br />
[20:10] <+Peregrine> Bye guys!<br />
[20:10] <+JasonMHardy> Later leaving people!<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> Bye, Jason, Jamie!<br />
[20:10] <+BrettMBernstein> Good night, Jason.<br />
[20:10] <+Kenneth_Hite> Bye J, J.<br />
[20:10] <+JamesSutton> G'night!<br />
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[20:10] <+Ken_Spencer> By Jason!<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> And welcome, Eloy!<br />
[20:10] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Bye, Jason!<br />
[20:10] <+TGlennBane> Goodnight Jason.<br />
[20:10] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Hi, Eloy!<br />
[20:10] <+ShaneIveyofArcDream> Time's up for me too. Thanks for hosting, Dan.<br />
[20:10] <+Zeke_ClockworkDominion> I must step out as well. Good night all.<br />
[20:10] <+TRA-Preston> Hey Eloy<br />
[20:10] <+TimKirk> Night Shane.<br />
[20:10] <@Abstruse> <Jadomonkey> Question: What's the biggest limitation of .pdfs for your products? Where would you like to see electronic products go?<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> Bye, Shane, Zeke!<br />
[20:10] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night Shane, Hey Eloy<br />
[20:10] <+LynneH> Night Shane<br />
[20:10] <+JeffCombos> @JasonMHardy: I was a big supporter of Free RPG Day for a while, but it's expensive to print material, doesn't always turn into actual sales, and people complain about not getting everything they should. I had boxes of material from previous years returned to me years later, actually, because "they forgot it."<br />
[20:10] <+BrettMBernstein> Then good night to everyone who is leaving :)<br />
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[20:11] <+TGlennBane> Goodnight Shane.<br />
[20:11] <+Eloy-3EG> Yo Preston and Dan and JMThompson!<br />
[20:11] <+Eloy-3EG> This is already off the chain.<br />
[20:11] <+TimKirk> Jadomonkey: The software itself. Adobe is not very good, at what its supposed to be good at...<br />
[20:11] <+Rpgpundit> jadomonkey: I love pdfs. I think they have very few limitations. Until we get holo-books or something like that, they're cool.<br />
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[20:11] <+JasonMHardy> JeffCombos: Ouch. That is a pain, and it would be good to take away some of the threshold so more people could participate.<br />
[20:11] <+JayLittle> licensing can be a real pain when it comes to offering content electronically<br />
[20:11] <+Rpgpundit> Where Eloy is, morlocks cannot be far behind.<br />
[20:11] <+BrettMBernstein> I miss Acrobat 4. It was fast and reliable. Acrobat now sucks.<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Guest94> Q: What genres do you think are missing in today's RPG landscape?<br />
[20:11] <+Eloy-3EG> Agreed<br />
[20:11] <+TimKirk> Indeed Brett. Indeed.<br />
[20:11] <+NathanRMaher> Jadomonkey - you can't touch it, you can't smell it, you can't magically open the rulebook to the page that holds the key to your arguement against the rules lawyer, you can't put it on your shelf and impress your friends.<br />
[20:11] <+JasonHolmgren> @Jadomonkey, our products tend to be art oriented, with long form comics as narrative elements, which I don't feel translate very well in PDF form.<br />
[20:11] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm pretty happy with the PDF format as well.<br />
[20:11] <+BrentNewhall> .pdfs don't allow us to embed audio or video. They're not accessible for those with vision disabilities. They have no interactivity, like embedded dice rollers or character sheet generators.<br />
[20:12] <+Peregrine> I think we're covered most of them<br />
[20:12] <+Kenneth_Hite> In re PDFs: what Rpgpundit said. Can't beat ubiquity.<br />
[20:12] <+Peregrine> We might have ot invent some new ones<br />
[20:12] <+JamesSutton> Jadomonkey: Singularly, a way to update content dynamically, instead of the republish/redownload/replace mode.<br />
[20:12] <+JasonMHardy> BrentNewhall made a good list. They can also be slow to use.<br />
[20:12] <+ian_stewart> Acrobat could be a little fancier. Embedding audio and video, as mentioned before, would bring this sort of product an entirely new dimension.<br />
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[20:12] <+JayLittle> there are plenty of genre-agnostic rules systems that allow for play in virtually any desired thematic setting -- i don't think anything's been "missed" per se<br />
[20:12] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Id prefer to see instead of a static PDF - a more interactive - flash based website RPG book instead. With handheld tech growing - innovative designers can make this happen<br />
[20:12] <+JasonHolmgren> @Guest94 - The biggest, under-served genre is 'modern day thriller'. Every year, lots of movies and video games come out that deal with modern-day action-adventure, but almost no RPGs do.<br />
[20:12] <+TimKirk> Guest94: Hrms. Good question. Lovecraftian Post-Apocalypse (mind you Lovecraft's corpse is pretty well used up.) In general though more stuff thats out and out fun, willing to take a few risks, and make us play.<br />
[20:12] <+TRA-Preston> Guest94 if I can think of one, I'll probably make a game around it. I made Robotic Age because of the lack of robot-related sci fi<br />
[20:12] <+BenRogers> I think the comedy genre is somewhat missing. The games have "funny moments" but aren't focused on comedy. Everything is very serious.<br />
[20:12] <+Rpgpundit> Guest94: that's a tough one. I think there are some interesting things that could be done; but there's really games of all kinds of genres. I think mainly, there's some genres that are still under-developed. Police/detective Crime rpgs, for example.<br />
[20:13] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> What genres do you think are missing in today's RPG landscape? I'm still trying to emulate the odd ones. Like Retrostar will cover 1070s-era sci-fi TV shows exclusively. Stuff like Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Space 1999, etc.<br />
[20:13] <+NathanRMaher> Guest94 - Quick easy to play, victorian undead genres.<br />
[20:13] <+BrentNewhall> JasonMHardy: Yeah, OTOH, I think Fiasco's swallowed up much of that genre.<br />
[20:13] <+JMThompson_BPI> Lovecraftian Science Fiction? Oh wait, got that covered :D<br />
[20:13] <+Ken_Spencer> I tend to not think along 'what genre is missing' and just start with a setting and go from there.<br />
[20:13] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> 1970s-era, I meant.<br />
[20:13] <+Kenneth_Hite> You mean "besides Night's Black Agents" right JasonHolmgren? :^)<br />
[20:13] <+BrentNewhall> I don't think genres are missing. People play what they like, and the big ones are popular because people are playing them.<br />
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[20:13] <+NathanRMaher> I miss Monkey Island and Loom TM video games, I think they would translate well into tabletop gaming genres.<br />
[20:13] <+BrentNewhall> Folks really love Star Wars.<br />
[20:13] <+TimKirk> There are whole new genres being created (or sub-genres) every day..<br />
[20:14] * +JasonHolmgren just looks at Tim. "Seriously? The Lovecraft genre is glutted, with Laundry, CthulhuPunk, Eso-terrorists, maybe Eclipse Phase... It's like zombies."<br />
[20:14] <+Rpgpundit> For historical fantasy, there's still enormous ground to be covered. Particularly when you get into something other than medieval europe. But even within medieval europe!<br />
[20:14] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I have so many ideas for an RPG that emulates film noir.<br />
[20:14] <+JMThompson_BPI> I dont really decide what the genre is, just like Ken mentioned.... I kind of just figure out a setting I like and want to write and go from there.<br />
[20:14] <+LynneH> I think that, thanks to the indie game market, there's pretty much something out there covering everything - somewhere...<br />
[20:14] <+TimKirk> Jason: But nothing post-apocalyptic...<br />
[20:14] <+Kenneth_Hite> Guest94: Romance. Besides Emily Care Boss and It's Complicated, there's almost nothing there.<br />
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[20:14] <+TimKirk> Romance needs some love.<br />
[20:14] <+Peregrine> I'd argue Smallville filled that gap pretty well<br />
[20:14] <+TGlennBane> Style, more than genre is unique. Concentrate on the quality of the genre you choose.<br />
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[20:14] <+Rpgpundit> Kenneth: Even with that, there's still nothing that's an actual RPG.<br />
[20:14] <+JasonHolmgren> I love modern day action-adventure, and here we come with DELTA GREEN which is another Lovecraftian one. Granted, it's great lovecraftian, but it's still a Cthluhu game first.<br />
[20:15] <+JeffCombos> The best place for growth are genres that people don't know they want yet. And genre mashups are a good place to look for that. Firefly wasn't a thing, until sci-fi and western were thrown together and now people bandy it about as if it were it's own genre.<br />
[20:15] <+BrentNewhall> Ooooh. Yes. Romance. (I have a romance RPG in the works, actually....)<br />
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[20:15] <+JMThompson_BPI> What about anime games, those quite often have a romance theme.<br />
[20:15] <+TimKirk> Get to it Brent!<br />
[20:15] <+JamesSutton> I think most genres are covered, it's finding the differentiation that's the k icker.<br />
[20:15] * +BrentNewhall stealthily moves that game up on the schedule.<br />
[20:15] <+JasonHolmgren> +Tim, Eclipse Phase is post-apocalypse and has aliens that drive you insane. It's also pretty popular.<br />
[20:15] <+BenRogers> Is a Romance RPG like the Sims, but with dice?<br />
[20:15] <+Peregrine> You see, now next year will be full of Romance RPGS!<br />
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[20:15] <+TimKirk> I want to see that gives tools (not rules) for romantic relationships and stories in games.<br />
[20:15] <+Eloy-3EG> Oh man, a Romance RPG would be amazing<br />
[20:15] <+JasonHolmgren> I'd echo JM that 'anime games', such as shonen-themed games, would be a great addition to the libraries.<br />
[20:15] <+Rpgpundit> I think though, that a lot of the genres that aren't covered are very tiny "niche" genres. I seriously doubt that tomorrow the "romance" genre will become gigantic. The reason these have few games is because they're not popular genres and never will be.<br />
[20:16] <+JMThompson_BPI> Write Eloy... do it Little Mermaid style. :D<br />
[20:16] <+DavidFChapman> Yeah, missed the boat with the Romance RPGs when there wasn't an Official Twilight RPG<br />
[20:16] <+Kenneth_Hite> Romance is the biggest-selling genre in the world, by an order of magnitude.<br />
[20:16] <+Tim_Dugger> and if there are Romance, then there must also be the "Anti Romance"<br />
[20:16] <+NathanRMaher> DavidFChapman - thankfully...<br />
[20:16] <+JasonHolmgren> Why did NOBODY make a game about young-wizards-school?<br />
[20:16] <+LeeGarvin> I'd like to see a way to effectively do an MGM Musical-style game.<br />
[20:16] <+Rpgpundit> Kenneth: for NOVELS, yes. But for RPGs? Unlikely.<br />
[20:16] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Someone should just make a SIMS RPG - then you can make sourcebooks for whatever genre you want ;p<br />
[20:16] <+JasonHolmgren> That boat saled.<br />
[20:16] <+BenRogers> There just aren't enough "My Little Brony" RPGs... (My slacking attempt at humor...)<br />
[20:16] <+JasonHolmgren> Er, sailed.<br />
[20:16] <+Peregrine> Again, I'd say Smallville nailed the romance rpg, but sadly seemed to pass unnoticed<br />
[20:16] <+TimKirk> Jason: I don't consider it much of a P-A game by most readings of P-A, because its got super transhumanism stuff. Not about survival, struggle, its about glitz...its a neat idea, but ot the same, it was just an idea anyway.<br />
[20:16] <+Kenneth_Hite> JasonHolmgren Matt Forbeck did.<br />
[20:16] <+BrentNewhall> JasonMHardy: Check out "Magicians", the Korean-themed RPG. :-)<br />
[20:16] <+TRA-Preston> JasonHolmgren there is litterally a game out there called Little Wizards<br />
[20:16] <+JamesSutton> Fifty Shades of Grey: the RPG?<br />
[20:16] <+TimKirk> Ben: An untapped market.<br />
[20:16] <@Abstruse> <Yog_Sothoth> Q for all: Have you ever considered releasing Youtube videos of a game session for your products?<br />
[20:17] <+BenRogers> Yes, but no one wants to see me on video.<br />
[20:17] <+Eloy-3EG> Nothing Romantic about Fifty Shades of Grey<br />
[20:17] <+BenRogers> No one.<br />
[20:17] <+Kenneth_Hite> Rpgpundit If "viable genre" only means "genre there are already RPGs for" then there are by definition no new genres.<br />
[20:17] <+JMThompson_BPI> Considered it, but no one wants to see me.<br />
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[20:17] <+JasonHolmgren> @Yog_Sothoth, my people look worse than Ben Rogers. :D<br />
[20:17] <+BrentNewhall> I release YouTube videos for almost all my games. I actually do a regular Saturday game.<br />
[20:17] <+Tim_Dugger> JamesSutton -- didn't FATAL cover that one? <shudder><br />
[20:17] <+Rpgpundit> Yog: I have not and don't think I would. Game sessions tend to be notoriously boring if you're not actually playing in them.<br />
[20:17] <+TGlennBane> Yes, in fact I will be releasing some youtube tutorials later this year.<br />
[20:17] <+ian_stewart> Oh, hell yes. Video tutorials are one of the best uses the Youtube medium has to offer.<br />
[20:17] <+BrettMBernstein> JasonHolmgren, nice one.<br />
[20:17] <+GeorgeVasilakos> I should release the video we had to make for FOX showing people playing a roleplaying game when we pitched the Buffy RPG to the licensing people... lol<br />
[20:17] <+Peregrine> I'm not sure that would help, for the same reasons I won't let people watch a game. you only realyl get it if oyu play, even if you just sit with a character sheet in front of you<br />
[20:17] <+TRA-Preston> Yog_Sothoth the one video I did put out already had someone mention my lisp. Not sure I need a speaking role agian.<br />
[20:17] <+NathanRMaher> Yog_Sothoth - Yes! and I will need a camera and people who aren't poised towards gett "off topic" and making bad adult references in a PG 13 game. Lots of editing to happen I'm sure.<br />
[20:17] <+LeeGarvin> Yog, I attempted to do just that for some TF2V playtests, but we had tech problems (I'm bad at technology.).<br />
[20:17] <+JasonHolmgren> We have done streaming tools, but that show our board and our minis instead of our faces.<br />
[20:17] <+Rpgpundit> For Arrows of Indra, Bedrock Games released instead an awesome video featuring some of the art with traditional Raga music in the background.<br />
[20:17] <+JasonMHardy> Yog_Sothoth: Yeah. I have someone bugging me to do that. Just want to figure out how to avoid the problem Rpgpundit mentions, that such sessions are not always fun for outsiders to watch.<br />
[20:17] <+DavidFChapman> I would, but I'd worry that it'd look like the webseries Moss did in the IT Crowd...<br />
[20:17] <+TimKirk> Yog_Sothoth: Yeah, I have. Just hasn't been technically feasible yet (don't have a good video camera, and no, no tablet counts.)<br />
[20:17] <+JasonHolmgren> Some of those were loaded to youtube.<br />
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[20:17] <+JayLittle> works great for a boardgame with a consistent ruleset and expected play pattern -- but rule zero, gm/player fiat, and costumization are cornerstones of RPGs, so it's hard to create a video that is truly representative<br />
[20:18] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm soooo not photogenic. But I wouldn't mind having someone else on screen, playing/running our games.<br />
[20:18] <+JamesSutton> Tim_Dugger -- I think FATAL went beyond that genre ...<br />
[20:18] <+Ken_Spencer> My playtesters have suggested it, but we would have to edit out so much side chatter, table talk, and nonsense. BEsides, Jon Hodgson does an excellent job of making videos to promote Cubicle 7 products.<br />
[20:18] <+BenRogers> Didn't they try to make a sensual/sexual RPG back in 2003? And didn't it crash and burn?<br />
[20:18] <+Kenneth_Hite> Yog_Sothoth Always happy to link to them when they happen, but video production is yet another giant skill set/time suck publishers don't have.<br />
[20:18] <+BrentNewhall> One important element: I limit my sessions to 2 hours, so there's minimal side chatter.<br />
[20:18] *** #rpgnet-allstars No such nick/channel<br />
[20:18] *** INVITE Not enough parameters<br />
[20:18] *** Brad_Elliot No such nick/channel<br />
[20:18] <+BrentNewhall> I do it all via Google+ Hangouts, so I don't need a crew.<br />
[20:18] <+JasonMHardy> BenRogers: Are you talking Book of Erotic Fantasy or Blue Rose?<br />
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[20:19] <+Rpgpundit> I would be amused if someone did a "sensual" rpg only to have the Pseudoactivists go nuts about 'rape culture'.<br />
[20:19] <+Tim_Dugger> BenRogers: you mean the "Book of Erotic Fantasy"? <another shudder><br />
[20:19] <@Abstruse> QUESTION: <JoshuaMeadows> All Stars Q: Have you considered selling your digital products with a gaming group license instead of a per user license?<br />
[20:19] <+JMThompson_BPI> Would have to be BoEF, cause Blue Rose was just awesome :D<br />
[20:19] <+BenRogers> I honestly don't remember the name. I just remember the booth at Gen Con with the ladies in scanty clothing and how surprised they were that none of the "huge male demographic" was ignoring them.<br />
[20:19] <+Rpgpundit> joshua: I'm not a publisher, so I wont comment on that one.<br />
[20:19] <+BrentNewhall> My games aren't really licensed. If only the GM buys the PDF, then explains it to the group, that's fine by me.<br />
[20:19] <+PEGShane> We do that with our Player's Guides.<br />
[20:19] <+Eloy-3EG> I assumed everything already had a group license. We all know people buy the PDF and make copies for their friends.<br />
[20:19] <+NathanRMaher> BenRogers: Book of Erotic Fantasy? I don't have that book, stop making accusations. Not what I anticipated. I really wanted racial-cross breeding rules. Didn't get it. Very dissapointed.<br />
[20:19] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> That's an interesting idea. :)<br />
[20:19] <+BenRogers> They didn't realize the "huge male demographic" was also "incredibly socially inept".<br />
[20:19] <+TimKirk> JoshuaMeadows: No, then again I fully expect my books to be shared in play. I'm also pretty willing to give permission IF explictly asked.<br />
[20:20] <+ian_stewart> I have thought about that very notion, yes. But considering DRM is the devil, it would be hard to enforce.<br />
[20:20] <+JasonHolmgren> @JoshuaMeadows, that's an interesting idea. Currently, I know of no e-publisher that offers that. The idea that you could buy, say, five copies to gift four of them away is an excellent one.<br />
[20:20] <+Rpgpundit> Oh yea, I also coined the phrase "magic deer" and "venisonocracy". Those aren't in use so much since BR folded though.<br />
[20:20] <+Tim_Dugger> JoshuaMeadows: I actually expect PDFs purchased by one person to be shared with his gaming group, just like physical books are.<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Really? I thought I coined "venisonocracy". :D<br />
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[20:20] <+BrettMBernstein> <JoshuaMeadows>, Yes. I actually coded that into my website years ago, but didn't get enough interest.<br />
[20:20] *** Dan sets mode +v Brad_Elliott<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Welcome, Brad_Elliott!<br />
[20:20] <+LeeGarvin> JoshuaMeadows: That's a very interesting idea, but I think it would necessitate an increase in price, just out of self-defense.<br />
[20:20] <+JasonMHardy> JoshuaMeadows: I can't remember if stuff sold through our shop has DRM applied or not. I'll check, because it's a decent idea.<br />
[20:20] <+Rpgpundit> Dan, you might have, but then I went and coined it first.<br />
[20:20] <+Brad_Elliott> Made it!<br />
[20:20] <+NathanRMaher> I expect people who purchase 1 pdf to share it with all their friends and then maybe they can pool funds together to buy books.<br />
[20:20] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
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[20:21] <+TimKirk> Nathan: I hope for that too. Enjoy it? Buy more!<br />
[20:21] * +JasonHolmgren hughs at Brett. "That's interesting to know."<br />
[20:21] <+BrettMBernstein> However, I don't have a problem with a group using a PDF if just one person buys it.<br />
[20:21] <+JeffCombos> If someone buys a a physical book they can already share it DRM-free with anyone. So I'm comfortable doing the same with digital content as well.<br />
[20:21] <+Rpgpundit> Let's face it Dan, when the average rpg guy hears that term, its not Dan Davenport they think of.<br />
[20:21] <+BenRogers> We're actually producing out next settings with a primary book and a free "player's handbook" version that has no watermark - so the GM can print off as many copies as he likes for his players.<br />
[20:21] <+JasonHolmgren> We also release our books DRM free. We trust our users.<br />
[20:21] <+Brad_Elliott> Hey, Jason & Jeff - first time in a while! :)<br />
[20:21] <+Rpgpundit> DRM sucks<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> Sadly, my greatest contribution to gaming lore may be having coined the phrase "giant mutant fire clams and flying grizzlies with laserbeam eyes" to describe World of Synnibarr. :D<br />
[20:21] <+ian_stewart> I'm with Brett, a group sharign resources is nothing new.<br />
[20:21] <+Peregrine> I don't think you can offer the same comparisons with books and pdfs, they are far too different to legislate the same way<br />
[20:21] <+JMThompson_BPI> Ive been known to buy extra copies and give them away to my gaming group.<br />
[20:22] <+TimKirk> I have too...<br />
[20:22] <+JeffCombos> Hiya Brad!<br />
[20:22] <+GeorgeVasilakos> gaming groups already share<br />
[20:22] <+NathanRMaher> I think the idea about pdf sharing is realizing YES you want money but realistically, it'll be in 10 peoples hands before you know it. What's a couple mega bytes between friends?<br />
[20:22] <+Rpgpundit> Seriously, RPG publishers have to stop fearing filesharing. I personally judge how popular my game really is by whether its actually being fileshared or not.<br />
[20:22] <+BenRogers> ....I don't want to talk about the term that Dan coined for my first product.....<br />
[20:22] <+Tim_Dugger> DRM -- too easily broken, and only annoys your honest customers -- so I don't mess with it...<br />
[20:22] <+TimKirk> Half the games my frieds own I think came from me trying to get to play them...rathert than GM them all the time.<br />
[20:22] <+Brad_Elliott> Dan - you could be Darren MacLennan, whose great contribution will probably reviews of FATAL and Wraethu...<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> BenRogers: Heh. Yeah, probably a good idea. :)<br />
[20:22] <+JasonHolmgren> @Rpgpundit, we don't fear file-sharing. We fear not being able to pay our talent. ;)<br />
[20:22] <+TimKirk> friends*<br />
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[20:23] <+NathanRMaher> I think I would be very excited to see something I wrote file shared. I'd say to myself, and probably to my wife 5 or 6 times, "They like it that much not to pay for it? That's awesome!"<br />
[20:23] <+Rpgpundit> jason: I don't think filesharing affects you bottom line.<br />
[20:23] <+JMThompson_BPI> Are you sure you didnt mean "fiends" TK?<br />
[20:23] <+TimKirk> No.<br />
[20:23] <+BenRogers> We actually have a message to those who "steal" our game in the front of the book - we thank them for valuing it enough to steal it so they can play it. :)<br />
[20:23] <+TimKirk> I'm not sure..:D<br />
[20:23] <+TGlennBane> Thanks for having me on Dan. I enjoyed panelling with eberyone. I have to run. Good bye for now.<br />
[20:23] <+Peregrine> We should be trusting our customers, but the customers should recognise the publishers need their cash to survive too if they want them to make more books. PDFs arn't that expensive after all<br />
[20:23] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Darren and Sartin's revciew of FATAL was epic. 30+ pages long, if I recall correctly. :)<br />
[20:23] <+Tim_Dugger> ciao Glen<br />
[20:23] <+Tim_Dugger> Glenn*<br />
[20:23] <+Rpgpundit> Exactly. Small Press in particular runs on goodwill. Though more and more, it will run on goodwill via crowdfunding.<br />
[20:23] <+LynneH> Night, Glen<br />
[20:23] <~Dan> Bye, Glenn!<br />
[20:23] <+Brad_Elliott> Hey, another person I know from in person (besides Dan, of course) Hi, Cynthia!<br />
[20:24] <+JeffCombos> +1 RPGPundit. I want people to pay for my game, but if they want it badly enough to pirate it, it's a good bet they're going to play it.<br />
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[20:24] <+TimKirk> "Dear people: I like to eat a hamburger now and then, please buy my game if you like it so I can eat..a hamburger.."<br />
[20:24] <@Abstruse> In a related QUESTION: <FlipperBuzzbomb> Comment for the panel: I like owning physical books (far easier to flip pages to find what I want). I hate that after I burn significant money on a high quality book, I still have to (relative) money on a digital copy (so I can have one on the table for players and one for my reference). Thoughts/comments on 'free with physical purchase' ebook<br />
[20:24] <@Abstruse> distro?<br />
[20:24] <+ian_stewart> These nine lizards don't feed themselves, so I want to make life as simple as possible for anyone willing to purchase a product from me.<br />
[20:24] <+LynneH> You know it's early when the dawn chorus kicks off outside your window...<br />
[20:24] <+BrentNewhall> I've watched filesharing gut another industry, so I'm not convinced it's having no impact on the RPG industry.<br />
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[20:24] <+Rpgpundit> Which basically eliminates the question of filesharing altogether, because profit is being made up-front.<br />
[20:24] <+JasonHolmgren> @Rpgpundit, there's a video currently on youtube of IRONCLAW, where the reviewers show screen-shots from a bootlegged version of the game, so I don't know if they're reviewing our game or the bad bootleg that's out there. I'm not sure how that affects our bottomline.<br />
[20:24] <+TimKirk> I'll give anyone who buys a print a PDF. Period.<br />
[20:24] <+JMThompson_BPI> We offer free pdfs to every purchase of a printed book.<br />
[20:24] <+JayLittle> After you watch a movie in a theater, are you upset you also have to spend money on a DVD?<br />
[20:24] <+Peregrine> Most companies hand out a free pdf with each hardcopy, I know Cubicle 7 certainly does<br />
[20:24] <+Kenneth_Hite> FlipperBuzzbomb Pelgrane, at least, offers free PDFs with physical book purchases.<br />
[20:25] <+Eloy-3EG> Free PDF with print purchase just makes sense. done and done.<br />
[20:25] <+BenRogers> I'm right there with FlipperBuzzBomb - however, not all of my business partners are on board with that idea. I've been urging us to go to PDF free with print copy - but we currently sit at $1 for it.<br />
[20:25] <+ian_stewart> Flipper, you read my mind. A very similar model ahs worked well for Marvel Comics.<br />
[20:25] <+NathanRMaher> FlipperBuzzBomb - That's a great question. Might be something for me to consider when putting everything together. Makes sense to me.<br />
[20:25] <+Brad_Elliott> I would at this point were I to publish again, I think.<br />
[20:25] <+DavidFChapman> I really like the "free PDF with physical purchase" thing. Great idea. Especially when your rulebook weighs a metric ton.<br />
[20:25] <+Rpgpundit> bootlegging, actual piracy, where someone is taking your work and SELLING it, that's something different.<br />
[20:25] <+LynneH> Modiphius certainly does free pdfs with hard copies<br />
[20:25] <+Brad_Elliott> PDF with purchase, that is.<br />
[20:25] <+JasonHolmgren> @Flipperbuzzbomb, DriveThruRPG requires us to charge extra for PDF+book, but they let us price it at just $1 more than just-book. I can't speak for other sellers. I think you're right, you should get the PDF with the book.<br />
[20:25] <+TRA-Preston> FlipperBuzzbomb Print+PDF is the only way things should be. A lot of people will justify pirating the PDF because they purchased the phyiscal book anyways. ...not that I've ever done that...<br />
[20:25] <+LeeGarvin> I think free pdfs with hardcopy is perfectly reasonable business model.<br />
[20:25] <+Peregrine> Its mainly becasue plenty of pdf buyers might buy the book later, but few people wit hthe book will buy the pdf later so you may as well hand one over<br />
[20:26] <+BenRogers> Basically, my personal mindset is that if the price of the PDF exceeds $15, then I want a physical copy - and a free (or $1 cheap) PDF with it.<br />
[20:26] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> It's a very good idea indeed.<br />
[20:26] <+Tim_Dugger> FlipperBuzzbomb: I have 3 diifferent versions of my game in PDF (the game content is identical, the PDF features are not). I offer the least expensive one as a freebie for purchasing the print version on RPGNow, and the other two can be purchased at half normal cost<br />
[20:26] <+JeffCombos> @FlipperBuzzbomb: I looked into that a couple years ago, and the biggest issue is getting the unique download codes into the book. If you put the PDF on a disk, that's fine, but it encourages sharing it. Going the code route is better, but you have to make it unique and you have to keep it safe.<br />
[20:26] <+JasonMHardy> I think getting PDFs with print purchase is a good thing.<br />
[20:26] <+Rpgpundit> Lords of Olympus includes the PDF with the book purchase. Arrows of Indra sadly doesn't because the publisher of that game (Bedrock) isn't able to do so.<br />
[20:26] <+BrettMBernstein> All my physical books come with free PDFs when ordered directly. I don't charge more to get both. Plus, I offer the PDF at a base price, and then let you just pay the difference to get the physical book. Also, I'll give you a PDF if you purchased the physical book elsewhere.<br />
[20:26] <+NathanRMaher> Maybe a coupon from Drive Thru RPG $1 off when purchasing Hard Cover and PDF<br />
[20:26] <+Eloy-3EG> I actually found that I have sold more by giving the PDF away with a print purchase than I did before, so I'd never go back to the original model.<br />
[20:26] <+BenRogers> And I like to apply that mindset to our products - but I don't hold the purse-strings and I'm beholden to others.<br />
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[20:26] <+JMThompson_BPI> I think C7 is one of the few companies that I have bought a book in PDF and then gone back and bought the print at full price.<br />
[20:27] <+JMThompson_BPI> Just because I am in a hurry to get copies of the book :D<br />
[20:27] <@Abstruse> Just a reminder for the audience, if you would like to join the audience channel to ask a question, type /j #rpgnet-audience and don't forget to set your username with /nick NewNameHere<br />
[20:27] <+JamesSutton> I think it's a great idea, but when dealing with licensed properties, sometimes you can't (as noted by others, sometimes as a publisher you don't get to set all of the rules).<br />
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[20:28] <+JayLittle> a good example of a licensing requirement - Star Wars roleplaying products<br />
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[20:28] * +BenRogers has a question for the audience: Art is expensive. That's what drives the price of our products, mostly. Would you prefer RPGs with fewer images if you could get them cheaper? Or do the pictures help spur your creativity?<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> QUESTION: <nick> Is hybridization with Board Game / Card Game mechanics healthy or detrimental to the future of the hobby?<br />
[20:28] <+GeorgeVasilakos> healthy<br />
[20:28] <+BrentNewhall> Healthy.<br />
[20:28] <+Brad_Elliott> I'm afraid that's very true... though I've been fortunate in the past with licensing agreements.<br />
[20:28] <+Andrew_Peregrine> If it works, any new idea is worth a look<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> (BenRogers: The audience doesn't have voice in here. ;) )<br />
[20:28] <+JMThompson_BPI> Also for awhile there I think C7 had to quit selling TOR pdfs<br />
[20:28] <+JasonMHardy> Healthy. If people are playing, it's good.<br />
[20:28] <+BenRogers> Depends on the board/card game and the RPG.<br />
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[20:29] <+JayLittle> hah! having been accused of "boardgamifying" roleplaying games to death -- i think there are a lot of hobby gaming ideas that can apply to any aspect of gaming.<br />
[20:29] <+Andrew_Peregrine> We're selling pdfs for TOR now, that issue has been sorted I beleive<br />
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[20:29] <+JasonHolmgren> @nick , mostly unhealthy. For example, Warhammer Fantasy RPG went from a lauded 2nd edition to a 3rd eidtion that not only costs $100USD, but only permits FOUR PLAYERS.<br />
[20:29] <+TimKirk> Nick: That depends a lot on the game, honestly. I think it can be healthy but you have to be careful, I've seen card mechanics for resolutons where the mechanic for resolving actions draw attention on themselves over the "playing the person.." and that's detrimental<br />
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[20:29] <+DavidFChapman> I do like some of the card/board mechanics.<br />
[20:29] <+NathanRMaher> Nick - I'm doing that right now! I think its fun and amazing. Just think of games like Cards Against Humanity that skyrocketed in popularity. People love card games because its simple and everyone recognizes what they are. I think it would be great in a game. *cough* Spooks!<br />
[20:29] <+LeeGarvin> BTW, folks, FlipperBuzzBomb is the name of a PC in one of my earliest playtests of Tales. I'm pretty sure that one of my players is sitting in here with us. (His character is one of the very few to have everbeen barred from the Floating Vagabond.)<br />
[20:29] <+Rpgpundit> nick: if you mean things like WFRP 3e and the recent Star Wars travesty, unhealthy for the hobby itself. Though no doubt profitable for the companies in question or they'd stop doing it. But those games barely qualify as RPGs anymore.<br />
[20:29] <+BrettMBernstein> I think the hybridization is a good bridge between RPG and boardgames, so that it taps into both markets, but it also limited both markets.<br />
[20:29] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think WH£ got unfairly charged with being a board game<br />
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[20:29] <+LynneH> Again, we're back to making sure that the mechanic fits the game and isn't just a sales or jumping on the bandwaggon gimmick<br />
[20:29] <+JMThompson_BPI> I did say I think for awhile I thought yall had stopped selling them. I knew they were currently available... I keep buying the dang things :D<br />
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[20:30] <+JayLittle> interesting -- have those who are referencing WFRP or Star Wars RPG played either system?<br />
[20:30] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think actually things are gonig the other way with board games taking on more role-playing concepts<br />
[20:30] <+Ken_Spencer> For me, both as a writer and a consumer, mechanics are always secondary to setting. New ideas are good, but not at the expense of other aspects of a product.<br />
[20:30] <+BenRogers> Audience members who want to answer my question: ben at harshrealities.org<br />
[20:30] <+NathanRMaher> Magic the Gathering was a huge love of mine, untill I realized I couldn't compete with people who had healthier salaries.<br />
[20:30] <+Brad_Elliott> I'm with LynneH on this front - can work, but it should be carefully done.<br />
[20:30] <+JasonHolmgren> Some games might work with special props, and it's nice if they include those props in the box. (Another shout out to Dr. Who!) But earlier we talked about RPGs being geared more towards realms of imagination, and more pieces means more gamery-ness and less improv.<br />
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[20:30] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Regarding the hybridization issue, I don't see it as good OR bad... it just *is*. Mechanics are mechanics and if they further the goal of the game, it's all good.<br />
[20:30] <+BrentNewhall> (I've also asked BenRogers's question in #rpgnet-audience if folks want to look at responses there.)<br />
[20:30] <+Tim_Dugger> +1 LynneH<br />
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[20:31] <+Eloy-3EG> Bringing in any elements that make games more fun is healthy.<br />
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[20:31] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I played WFRP in all the editions and thought 3 was fine. If you like the new Star Wars its the same concept and no one seems to be calling that a board game :) But what kept us playing WFRP 3 was the adventures were excellent<br />
[20:31] <+LeeGarvin> Ben, I've always felt that no art is better than bad art, and artists deserve to get paid. Which sometimes means that a book is delayed, but that's the price of doing business.<br />
[20:31] <+BenRogers> I tend to go the opposite way with boardgames and RPGs. Boardgames are very "locked down" when it comes to what you can do - I've brought RPG rules into boardgames to make the boardgames more enjoyable.<br />
[20:31] <+NathanRMaher> I think the marvel superheros game with cards was a lot of fun.<br />
[20:31] <+JayLittle> i think done properly, it can make a game more accessible to a wider potential audience<br />
[20:31] <+JamesSutton> +1 LynneH<br />
[20:31] <+JasonHolmgren> As for art... a lot of RPG art is 'farmed' (that is, going through Deviantart or whatnot and just buying random pictures) or otherwise lacks cohesive direction. With our games, we've always had very hands-on art direction and made the books a cohesive whole, and I can say that it has helped our sales and our players.<br />
[20:32] <+JasonMHardy> "Done properly" is an important term. Some things are done poorly, but that does not necessarily invalidate and entire concept.<br />
[20:32] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Absolutly <Lynne H><br />
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[20:32] <+Kenneth_Hite> +1 CynthiaCelesteMiller<br />
[20:32] <+JasonHolmgren> A game like MARVEL SAGA can work with props, especially if it's harmonious from the ground up. But silliness like GAMMA WORLD 4th didn't do anyone any favors.<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Dan> On the flipside of the coin, I pretty much only play online these days (via IRC, to be specific). Do you see a need for tabletop RPGs to help facilitate that sort of gaming?<br />
[20:32] <+TimKirk> Indeed Jason.<br />
[20:32] <+JayLittle> Marvel SAGA with the cards might be my favorite way a theme is expressed in a roleplaying game -- those mechanics with the cardplay did a wonderful job delivering a super hero feel for the game.<br />
[20:32] <+Brad_Elliott> +1 JasonHolmgren<br />
[20:33] <+Rpgpundit> "boardgaming" an RPG reduces emulation by getting people thinking more and more about their little tokens and game pieces. Its specifically anti-emulative, and therefore harmful to the RPG experience as it reduces capacity for Immersion.<br />
[20:33] <+DavidFChapman> In answer to BenRogers question, I do like some good art - it's a big selling point for me as a consumer. Numenera caught my eye initially because of the art and graphic design, so it worked just getting me to look at the game to begin with (then you read who did it and you're sold!)<br />
[20:33] <+JasonHolmgren> @Dan, I'm shocked that there are people who say they can play DOTA2 or WOW, but they can't play a tabletop game.<br />
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[20:33] <+TimKirk> Dan: Yes, I think more games need to realize that certain mechanics don't work except in person and need to make sure a game is playable in a variety of interactions: FTF, PBP, IRC, Hangouts, and more.<br />
[20:33] <@Abstruse> Dan: Yes. I can't get my gaming table to look up from their stupid smartphones and play the friggin' game, so if I can force them to have an app open that relates to the game instead of Candy Crush, I'm all for it.<br />
[20:33] <+GeorgeVasilakos> thats bewcause they do not know how to socially interact with people not at a computer<br />
[20:33] <+Andrew_Peregrine> If people are playing games in a new way, we should be looking at helping them do that. LARP managed to grow pretty well on its own without any industry help though<br />
[20:33] <+TRA-Preston> Dan Everything online is the way the future is going<br />
[20:33] <+TimKirk> As to Marvel Saga: Its one of my groups second favorite supers game.<br />
[20:33] <+Rpgpundit> Dan: I think that people who play via G+ hangouts etc are adapting the tech available to the games; so there's little need to do it the other way around.<br />
[20:33] <+JasonMHardy> Dan -- I think options are good. The more tools people have to help them play, the better. So I think having tools to facilitate internet gaming is a good thing.<br />
[20:34] <+NathanRMaher> Dan - Some people are just more "visual" than they are "imaginative". I think people enjoy having physical representations and maps and the like to make the game more enjoyable. Some add music... I like hanging out with people and watching them react to my funny voices and antics.<br />
[20:34] <+JasonHolmgren> there's already been talk about making games simpler and more accessible, and that's a good thing. Games that REQUIRE boards, such as D&D4, won't be very playable on IRC. It's good to see D&D5 and the like reaching out to abstract play.<br />
[20:34] <+JasonMHardy> I don't want to replace face-to-face--just add other options.<br />
[20:34] <+JeffCombos> The more ways people can play your game (online, in person, etc.) the more people are likely to play your game. But aside from providing rules and such for online play, it's an expensive format to create for unless you're sure you can make money off it.<br />
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[20:34] <+TRA-Preston> G+ Hangouts, Obsidian Portal, Roll20 are all great ways gaming is being taken online<br />
[20:34] <+Rpgpundit> anyways, dan, my condolences. Speaking as someone with 3 separate gaming groups and dozens of real life players right now.<br />
[20:34] <+JMThompson_BPI> I have no electronics at the table....except where its needed because of medical reasons (ie I allow a player his laptop because he cant see the text and has to zoom in the book)<br />
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[20:34] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I think most tabletop RPGs function perfectly for online gaming as is. However, I do see more and more games moving toward mechanics that embrace Skype/whatever gaming mnore fully in the future.<br />
[20:34] <+Kenneth_Hite> Dan: I think virtual tabletop spaces are improving faster than anything a game publisher could do to accelerate that. Our job is just to stay as accessible to that kind of play as we can.<br />
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[20:34] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think the social aspect of gaming is the big draw. But you hear of a lot of groups that get split up and can only game together via the web<br />
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[20:34] <+BrentNewhall> +1 Kenneth_Hite<br />
[20:34] <+Tim_Dugger> regardless of the medium of play, the "tabletop" games are there to provide structure and rules that help shape the game. Those rules can be adjusted or supplemented, but having them as a core is always a good starting place<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> Rpgpundit: Actually? I really enjoy playing online. I enjoy in-person, too, but I love hanging out with my online friends.<br />
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[20:35] <+TimKirk> I've found Obsidian Portals recent (to me) upgrades as something that is helping my online play a lot..so GOOD stuff.<br />
[20:35] <+JamesSutton> +1 Kenneth_Hite<br />
[20:35] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Agreed, Kenneth.<br />
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[20:35] <+Rpgpundit> Dan: I know, I know, lots of people say they prefer it. I have one guy who plays in my DCC game, who hadn't played in an in-person game in years.<br />
[20:35] <+TRA-Preston> I just wish I could get my real life players onto Obsidian Portal.<br />
[20:35] <+Brad_Elliott> +1 KennethHite<br />
[20:35] <+Tim_Dugger> +1 Kenneth_Hite<br />
[20:35] <+Rpgpundit> but I just can't get into it for the life of me.<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> QUESTION: <yammahoper> QUESTION: what is the best untapped license out there?<br />
[20:36] <+GeorgeVasilakos> heh<br />
[20:36] <+ian_stewart> Teletubbies.<br />
[20:36] <+JayLittle> Harry Potter<br />
[20:36] <+BrentNewhall> Yeah, Harry Potter<br />
[20:36] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> My Little Pony?<br />
[20:36] <+BrettMBernstein> A decent Star Trek RPG<br />
[20:36] <+Andrew_Peregrine> +1 Harry Potter<br />
[20:36] <+Kenneth_Hite> Yammahoper Magic: the Gathering<br />
[20:36] <+JayLittle> my kids -- and the kids of almost all my peers -- would go as ape for it as the adults<br />
[20:36] <+LeeGarvin> Get Smart<br />
[20:36] <+BrentNewhall> Though I'd like to take a crack at Dune.<br />
[20:36] <+Tim_Dugger> personally, I don't like licenses, as they place restrictions on what you can and cannot do<br />
[20:36] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I'd love to do the Terminator<br />
[20:36] <+JasonMHardy> Tough to give an answer other than Harry Potter.<br />
[20:36] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm going with Magic: tG.<br />
[20:36] <+LynneH> The one that no-one realises until someone else does it and it's a smash ;)<br />
[20:36] <+Ken_Spencer> Honorverse<br />
[20:36] <+Eloy-3EG> Little Rascals?<br />
[20:36] <+Brad_Elliott> Phineas & Ferb! (not seriously, but I do like that show...)<br />
[20:36] <+NathanRMaher> Hi, my name is Nathan, and I haven't played table top roleplaying games since 2009 and I've been in the heavest withdrawal of my life. I don't know how much more I can take :/<br />
[20:36] <+Kenneth_Hite> Yammahoper And of course Harry Potter.<br />
[20:36] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> But why hasn't anyone done a Sons of Anarchy RPG, dammit? :)<br />
[20:37] <+JayLittle> +1 Phineas & Ferb<br />
[20:37] <+Rpgpundit> yammahopper: its kind of the wrong question. The point isn't whether a license has been done before or not but HOW its done. I'm tempted to say "Game of Thrones". Because if WoTC did Game of Thrones and used a decent adaptation of D&D for it, it would be really huge.<br />
[20:37] <+DavidFChapman> Harry Potter. I would do the game for free, give the proceeds to JRK's charity, just for the chance of writing that.<br />
[20:37] <+BrentNewhall> That or Downton Abbey.<br />
[20:37] <@Abstruse> Avatar: The Last Airbender or the Codex Alera for me. So much potential in either one for an RPG.<br />
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[20:37] <+TimKirk> I've no idea. Licenses are a tricky business, and I'm more interested in my own creations than trying to do stuff like that--beyond an old game I'm trying to ressurrect, or Thundarr! Darn it!<br />
[20:37] <+Rpgpundit> Never mind that there were two GoT games before.<br />
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[20:37] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Fantasy: Magic: the Gatheringarry Potter, Star Trek<br />
[20:37] <+JasonHolmgren> +yammahoper: Neopets.<br />
[20:37] <+GeorgeVasilakos> oops<br />
[20:37] <+JeffCombos> Breaking Bad. And the best part is you can use the extra bits around the house to *actually cook meth!*<br />
[20:37] <+BenRogers> I have a voice again! (Thanks Dan!)<br />
[20:37] <+NathanRMaher> Loom TM RPG from Lucas Arts/Disney. Would be amazing.<br />
[20:37] <+JayLittle> Avatar: The Last Airbender, done right, could be the coolest game Evar<br />
[20:37] <+JasonMHardy> Though I have to say I'm a little too buried in the license I'm working on to think about other ones.<br />
[20:37] <+JasonHolmgren> Why Hasbro/WotC never made a d20 neopets is beyond me.<br />
[20:37] <+Ken_Spencer> +1 Thundarr!<br />
[20:37] <+JMThompson_BPI> I only go for the licenses i personally want to do, which may or may not be popular to others.<br />
[20:37] <+LeeGarvin> Ooh! Land of the Lost!<br />
[20:37] <+TRA-Preston> Magic the Gathering would make a really interesting rpg<br />
[20:37] <+BenRogers> +1 Thundarr!<br />
[20:37] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Fantasy genre: Magic the gathering, Modern Setting: Harry Potter, SciFi setting: Star Trek<br />
[20:38] <+Brad_Elliott> +1 LeeGarvin<br />
[20:38] <+JamesSutton> Harry Potter<br />
[20:38] <+JMThompson_BPI> If they can make a movie they can make an RPG :D<br />
[20:38] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Original properties do much better (Vampire, Shadowrun etc) but licences are a good way to get new gamers into the fold and introduce people to something they already know<br />
[20:38] <@Abstruse> JasonHolmgren: They tried thrice. Corporate politics happened, according to the rumor.<br />
[20:38] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Thundarr was my main reason for designing Cartoon Action Hour. Just sayin'. :)<br />
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[20:38] <+JeffCombos> +1 JayLittle: Avatar could be very cool if done right.<br />
[20:38] <+Brad_Elliott> Agreed, JeffCombos.<br />
[20:38] <+JayLittle> That was from Abstruse - can't believe I hadn't thought of it earlier myself!<br />
[20:38] <+NathanRMaher> I wonder if you could make an RPG that relies on searching for public domain images and slapping them down in the middle of a story and having the storyteller have to incorporate it.<br />
[20:39] <+DavidFChapman> James Bond...<br />
[20:39] <+TimKirk> My friends adapt stuff for me...in their home games, they've done Naruto, Soul Eater and Avatar with my systems (I wasn't a player in any of them.)<br />
[20:39] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Thats really the key I think, its not the licence but how you make the game that really makes it do well. We've seen plenty of failed licences that didn't reflect the setting properly<br />
[20:39] <+JasonHolmgren> I'm giving away corporate strategy here, but my company made IRONCLAW because 'furry games' were an under-served market. If Hasbro had ever made d20 Neopets, they would have cornered that market at more, and it would've cost them almost nothing since they own both d20 and Neopets.<br />
[20:39] <+Andrew_Peregrine> +1 James Bond too!<br />
[20:39] <+LynneH> In that case, looks like we're looking at something with kittens and porn NathanRMaher :)<br />
[20:39] <+BrentNewhall> Oh man, Soul Eater. *Yes.*<br />
[20:39] <+Rpgpundit> I'm trying to get the license for the official "Freemasonry: the RPG" from the United Grand Lodge of England. Problem is even if I do get it, I won't be able to tell any of you about it.<br />
[20:39] <+Brad_Elliott> Nathan - We could call it 'Wastelands of Damnation' and make a mint! Oh, nuts, somebody beat us to it.<br />
[20:39] <+TimKirk> A licensed Transformers game might be cool.<br />
[20:39] <+Andrew_Peregrine> We could call it Facebook LynneH<br />
[20:40] <+BrettMBernstein> Rpgpundit, good one.<br />
[20:40] <+Tim_Dugger> Rpgpundit: ROFL<br />
[20:40] <+NathanRMaher> LynneH yes... but how should stats be served?<br />
[20:40] <+BrentNewhall> I'm surprised there aren't more licensed anime RPGs, come to that. Bleach, Naruto, One Piece.<br />
[20:40] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <ErrantShade> General question: Is it acceptable and reasonable during conventions for publishers to demand their published materials be sold only by them? Abstruse: I believe the question is about some publishers forbidding vendors from selling their products at the con, like local comic stores with a booth and the like.<br />
[20:40] <+JayLittle> Why would I want fewer people selling my product than more? The more venues offering it, the greater chances someone will buy / play / have / use / enjoy it<br />
[20:40] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Its only a problem if the vendor is undercutting them! :)<br />
[20:40] <+Kenneth_Hite> ErrantShade I know it's standard practice at some cons, so it must be acceptable. I don't know how reasonable it is.<br />
[20:41] <+TimKirk> Errantshade: What? No. If they have my books, that money gets back to me (unlikely many vendors would have them, but still.)<br />
[20:41] <+BrettMBernstein> I think the more people selling your product at a con, the better. I don't see any of my stuff getting over-saturated :)<br />
[20:41] <+JMThompson_BPI> Brent, thats because costs are generally prohibitive.<br />
[20:41] <+BenRogers> If any of your other publishers and retailers have a desire to sell Sixcess Core at Gen Con, please send me a note and I'll set you up! :D<br />
[20:41] <+Tim_Dugger> No, some folks at conventions are retailers, so they should be able to sell as well, however, it should be reasonable to expect that said retailers NOT undercut the publisher..<br />
[20:41] <+BrentNewhall> JMThompson_BPI: Ah, yeah, good point. Good ol' Japanese licensing costs.<br />
[20:41] <+NathanRMaher> Abstruse I think they just want to ensure their brand is being properly represented. Some people may think they are part of the company.<br />
[20:41] <+ian_stewart> Unless they tried to undercut me, I'd never hastle the other vendors.<br />
[20:41] <+JasonHolmgren> @Errantshade, Origins and GenCon have an enforceable policy that a publisher can refuse to let other vendors, at the show, sell their products. ... In practice, it's pretty silly to enforce that. :D<br />
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[20:41] <+DavidFChapman> I don't get to conventions... :(<br />
[20:41] <+Andrew_Peregrine> We've never had a problem with retailers at a con selling Cubicle 7 stuff<br />
[20:41] <+JasonMHardy> ErrantShade: Seems over the top to me to object to other people selling your books. I think I'd only have a problem if they were selling books they stole from our booth …<br />
[20:41] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> It's all about visibility, in my opinion. I want as much exposure as possible for our games. Therefore, the more vendors selling them, the happier I am.<br />
[20:41] <+GeorgeVasilakos> we let everone who vends at a convention sell our product<br />
[20:42] <+Andrew_Peregrine> One of the many reasons people come to cons is to meet the designers anyway, which will bring them to the publishers stand<br />
[20:42] <+Rpgpundit> man, those were excellent gnocci!<br />
[20:42] <+Tim_Dugger> besides, you tick off the vendor, and the won't carry your stuff anymore...<br />
[20:42] <+Tim_Dugger> hehe<br />
[20:42] <+Rpgpundit> Currently Smoking: Mastro de Paja Bent Billiard + Rattray's Marlin Flake<br />
[20:42] <~Dan> QUESTION: <xyphoid_> q: around here, the fastest-growing slot at rpg conventions by far is parlour-style larps - is that a growth space for hte industry? the designers don't seem to overlap<br />
[20:42] <+JasonHolmgren> Seriously, anyone in publishing should've already made their money by wholesaling to other vendors in the first place. Enforcing the 'only we can sell it' is just to raise the margins, and attending conventions should be a visibility exercise, yes.<br />
[20:43] <+JeffCombos> The more places your products are in a convention, the more visibility you have. But I generally run a special deal or offer something extra for sales at my booth so people will generally but from me.<br />
[20:43] <+ian_stewart> Well, need to fetch the wife from work. It's been fun, though!<br />
[20:43] <+GeorgeVasilakos> I have RPG proposals on my computer for Bladerunner, Record of Lodoss Wars, and James Bond.... all three genre products I think the industry would really tap into.<br />
[20:43] <+Rpgpundit> bah, too many publisher/industry questions, let's have some controversy!<br />
[20:43] <+TimKirk> Xyphoid: Possibly, if I ever had an idea for one, I'd write it.<br />
[20:43] <+LynneH> Bye Ian!<br />
[20:43] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Depends how big your LARP areas are! I'd suggest it might also be a logistical issue<br />
[20:43] <+BenRogers> "Parlour-style LARPs"? O_o Huh. I never woulda thunkit. *shrug* I don't have anything to support that, but I encourage anyone who's into it to enjoy themselves! :)<br />
[20:43] <+ian_stewart> Adios!<br />
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[20:43] <+LynneH> How well do LARP rules sell?<br />
[20:43] <+JMThompson_BPI> Wasnt there a Lodoss War RPG already?<br />
[20:43] <+TimKirk> Ooh Record of Lodoss Wars, D&D by Japan.<br />
[20:44] <+TimKirk> Yeah, in Japan.<br />
[20:44] <+GeorgeVasilakos> not in the US<br />
[20:44] <+JasonMHardy> Xyphoid: I don't know if LARPs are ever going to be a huge growth space, but I think that sort of thing is good to encourage. We've been adapting some LARP rules, and also talking to some people who run LARP events, though, to help people play that way.<br />
[20:44] <+NathanRMaher> Xyphoid - I don't think adding LARP to games is bad. I've had fun with it in the past. I'll be adding LARP rules to my game - simple rules for a simple game ^_^<br />
[20:44] <+Rpgpundit> There was a Lodoss War RPG: It was called the D&D Rules Cyclopedia<br />
[20:44] <+JasonHolmgren> @xyphoid_, I'd have to say that Fiasco has shown that style of gaming is pretty popular. I'd suggest that parlour-style has limited genres. It's way easier to pretend to be humans, or vampires, or investigators... than, say, to pretend to be aliens or ogres or other combat-heavy RPGs.<br />
[20:44] <+TRA-Preston> Do you need LARP rules? I haven't participated in a LARP before but I didn't think it was a rule heavy kind of atmosphere<br />
[20:44] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> What are "parlour style" LARPS? How do they differ from regular LARPS?<br />
[20:44] <+LynneH> We do a lot of LARP, and we tend to go to tabletop for things we can't LARP<br />
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[20:44] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Adding LARP rules is tricky. Being a good RPG designer does not make you a good LARP designer and vice versa<br />
[20:44] <+LynneH> (All as part of the same campaign)<br />
[20:45] <+BrettMBernstein> My Active Exploits Diceless RPG has LARP rules built in. It's old now, but had a number of people using it to LARP. I don't know about know. So I can see a definite area to grow there.<br />
[20:45] <+BenRogers> I was at a con once where the Vampire LARP had a cops called on them... Funny story. I'll happily relate it over a drink at a con if anyone is interested. :)<br />
[20:45] <+JasonHolmgren> @Cynthia, I think it means smaller-scale games, with 4-6 players... as opposed to the 20 or more than can show up to Camarilla-style LARPs.<br />
[20:45] <+BrentNewhall> (Parlour LARPs are self-contained one-shots that generally focus on interpersonal character dynamics.)<br />
[20:45] <+Rpgpundit> Sixcess Core may or may not be a great game; but it is certainly a good book to roll flake tobacco on.<br />
[20:45] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation.<br />
[20:45] <+TimKirk> Sort of like "How to host a Murdery Mystery"<br />
[20:45] <+Andrew_Peregrine> More towards the Nordic LARP end then?<br />
[20:45] <+JasonHolmgren> Like 'How to Host a Murder'?<br />
[20:45] <+JeffCombos> My Ubiquity rules were initially designed to cover LARPs as well. I had this crazy idea that you could sit down to play or stand up and LARP smoothly. But in the end, it was better to focus on doing one thing than trying to add something core gamers might not want.<br />
[20:45] <+BenRogers> Pundit, I actually enjoy using Sixcess to hold my hookah. ;)<br />
[20:46] <+Tim_Dugger> @TimKirk -- that also popped to mind as a perfect example of a "self contained LARP"<br />
[20:46] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Running Slasher Flick for Ben and his crew while they had the hookah out is an experience every GM should have. :)<br />
[20:46] <+NathanRMaher> TRA-Preston I think you need a substitute for die rolls and a means not to look up rules. I remember my first Vampire game, people encouraged me to buy the rule book but I was chastised by everyone for leaving the book out for a breach of the masquerade. I was so confused.<br />
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[20:47] <+BenRogers> Cynthia, that was fun! I just wish we'd finished earlier and enjoyed the game more. :) That was the night before Gen Con 2013. Such fun! :)<br />
[20:47] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> We were all so very worn out. :)<br />
[20:47] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Most LARPers seem to write their own systems anyway, so I'm not sure they really need us to put a system in for them :)<br />
[20:47] <+JasonHolmgren> LARPs need to provide structure and moderation-of-conflict. Otherwise, you can fall into a cops-and-robbers situation of 'Bang i shot you!' / 'No, you missed', etc.<br />
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[20:48] <+BrentNewhall> None of my players are comfortable with LARPing. I'm not sure what to think or do about that.<br />
[20:48] <+NathanRMaher> JasonHolmgren you forget my force field. Bullets richocette!<br />
[20:48] <+DavidFChapman> My next game is about dreamsharing, so I guess a LARP of it would be a room full of people asleep...<br />
[20:48] *** Dan sets mode +v BradElliott<br />
[20:48] <+LynneH> You can't go far wrong with rock, paper, scissors and everyone having one thing they're the best at ;)<br />
[20:48] * +JasonHolmgren arghs, killed by ricochet. x.x<br />
[20:48] <+NathanRMaher> richochet spelling of doom<br />
[20:48] <+JMThompson_BPI> I only did a LARP once, back in 1995....didnt really care for it personally, but I can see the appeal for many.<br />
[20:49] <+JasonHolmgren> @Brent, it's just a different style of roleplaying. Some people like the gambling risk that comes with dice, of pushing your character further.<br />
[20:49] <+JamesSutton> That Rick O'Shea ... he gets around.<br />
[20:49] <+TimKirk> I larped a bit. My sister was a HUGe Camarilla person locally, but it didn't stick with me.<br />
[20:49] <+NathanRMaher> Wait... Richocette is a combination of a ricochet and a machette.<br />
[20:49] <+BrentNewhall> JasonHolmgren: Yeah, true.<br />
[20:49] <+BenRogers> Pundit, you're a tobacco aficionado, do you only smoke cigar leaf? Or do you also enjoy the flavored shisha for hookahs?<br />
[20:49] <+BradElliott> I hear you, JMThompson. I actually played in some of the earlier Mind's Eye Vamp games down in North San Diego.<br />
[20:49] <+Tim_Dugger> HOly Bouncing Blades, Batman!<br />
[20:49] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I love the speed of LARP, you have to think on your feet a lot more<br />
[20:49] <+JasonHolmgren> LARP is more concerned with your role. It's why LARP adapts very easily to role-centric games like Vampire, and not so well to goal-centric games like D&D.<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Yog_Sothoth> Q: Who is one designer you wished was still designing pen and paper games?<br />
[20:49] <+DavidFChapman> Then again, if I hadn't been in the Camarilla, I'd have never met Andy P and Angus, and if I hadn't known Angus, I doubt there would be a Doctor Who RPG...<br />
[20:49] <+LynneH> Couldn't get away with the Camarilla stuff, but we've been part of a home-brew LARP campaign for nearly 2 decades now<br />
[20:49] <+BrentNewhall> I'd like to see tabletop games that bridge the gap with LARPing, moving more into that performance arena. I think Fiasco points in that direction.<br />
[20:50] <+BenRogers> Gary Gygax<br />
[20:50] <+BradElliott> Rich Dansky, for one.<br />
[20:50] <+PEGShane> Jeff Grubb<br />
[20:50] <+JasonMHardy> Yog_Sothoth: Nigel Findley.<br />
[20:50] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Back atcha DavidFChapman :)<br />
[20:50] <+TimKirk> Jeff Grubb<br />
[20:50] <+NathanRMaher> +1 BenRogers<br />
[20:50] <+Ken_Spencer> +1 Gygax<br />
[20:50] <+BradElliott> Yeah, more Nigel Findley would be good, if only we could.<br />
[20:50] <+JayLittle> Jeff Grubb<br />
[20:50] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Jeff Grubb, for sure. And I wish Rick Swan was still active in the industry. I miss his wit.<br />
[20:50] <+JasonHolmgren> Aaron Allston.<br />
[20:50] <+DavidFChapman> CJ Carella<br />
[20:50] <@Abstruse> Nigel Findley was a master.<br />
[20:50] <+JayLittle> heck, anyone from the Marvel FASERIP days<br />
[20:50] <+TimKirk> Indeed.<br />
[20:50] <+Tim_Dugger> Stephen Sechi<br />
[20:50] <+BenRogers> Who was the one who did the original Shadowrun? Tom Dowd! Him!<br />
[20:50] <+BrettMBernstein> Greg Costikyan<br />
[20:50] <+GeorgeVasilakos> CJ Carella<br />
[20:50] <+BradElliott> Ray Winninger...<br />
[20:50] <+LeeGarvin> +1 Nigel Findley. Taken much too soon.<br />
[20:50] <+Andrew_Peregrine> +1 CJ<br />
[20:51] <+BrettMBernstein> Yes, Ray Winninger<br />
[20:51] <+BrentNewhall> Professor Barker.<br />
[20:51] <+NathanRMaher> Bruce Nesmith<br />
[20:51] <+JamesSutton> Nigel Findley<br />
[20:51] <+JasonMHardy> BenRogers: Tom Dowd teaches gaming now, so his thoughts are still out there (though it's more video gaming).<br />
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[20:51] <+Kenneth_Hite> Greg Stafford.<br />
[20:51] *** Dan sets mode +v SeanPatrickFannon<br />
[20:51] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Hello, sorry I'm late<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> Welcom, Sean!<br />
[20:51] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: I do sometimes smoke cigar leaf. I had a hookah years ago but got rid of it, too much work.<br />
[20:51] <+BradElliott> JasonMHardy - no coincidence when so many gaming folks ended up in the various MMO and other video game companies...<br />
[20:51] <+LynneH> Morning Sean<br />
[20:51] <+BrentNewhall> Hey, Sean!<br />
[20:51] <+BradElliott> Howdy, Sean!<br />
[20:51] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Hey there, Sean!<br />
[20:51] <+DavidFChapman> Greg Costikyan... man, the encouraging rejection letter of my Ghostbusters RPG scenario back in the 80's kept me trying to get into the industry...<br />
[20:51] <+Kenneth_Hite> +1 Costikyan.<br />
[20:51] <+Tim_Dugger> make him stand in the corner for being late, Dan<br />
[20:52] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Hi Sean<br />
[20:52] <+BenRogers> Tom Dowd inspired me. I'd like to meet him one day.<br />
[20:52] <+Eloy-3EG> yo Sean!<br />
[20:52] <+Rpgpundit> Yog sothoth: Erick Wujcik. :(<br />
[20:52] <+BradElliott> John Tynes!<br />
[20:52] <+Kenneth_Hite> Hey Sean!<br />
[20:52] <+LeeGarvin> Hi Sean!<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> QUESTION: <JoshuaMeadows> Q: What has been your most memorable learning experience in the rpg industry?<br />
[20:52] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Can't I sit in the corner? Standing ain't so good for these old bones. ;-)<br />
[20:52] <+Rpgpundit> Without a doubt the single biggest influence on me as an RPG designer, and as a game master.<br />
[20:52] <+BenRogers> Pundit, Hookahs are a lot of work, I agree. Probably what keeps me from using it too much and saves my lungs! LOL<br />
[20:52] <+JMThompson_BPI> +1 rpgpundit<br />
[20:52] <+NathanRMaher> I remember at the age of 12 sending a manuscript to TSR for a novel idea and getting a rather lengthy response... now no one responds :/<br />
[20:52] <@Abstruse> Sean!<br />
[20:52] <+Kenneth_Hite> JoshuaMeadows: designing two Star Trek RPGs back to back.<br />
[20:53] <+BradElliott> To the question? Working GenCon - all the hundreds of hours of demos. Dealing with gamers from all over, and having a great time.<br />
[20:53] <+GeorgeVasilakos> working at Last Unicorn Games/Decipher<br />
[20:53] <+BenRogers> Okay, is Margaret Weis still here? I'm not sure if I can tell you my most memorable moment if she is....<br />
[20:53] <+Andrew_Peregrine> The slow realisation that being a gamer for many years had taught me nothing at all about the games industry! :)<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> She's not.<br />
[20:53] <+BenRogers> Okay, so here's the tale...<br />
[20:53] <+JayLittle> receiving my first death threat -- it showed me people take their games very seriously, for good or ill<br />
[20:53] <+LeeGarvin> Joshua, Getting fired from my dream job.<br />
[20:53] <+Tim_Dugger> releasing HARP only to have new players find things that playtesters had missed for many months<br />
[20:53] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Trying - and failing - to run the first game company I was in charge of. Obsidian Studios. I learned so much from that!<br />
[20:53] <+JasonMHardy> JoshuaMeadows: Tough to choose. Cons, SR5, and the Catalyst difficulties of 2010 taught me a lot.<br />
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[20:53] <+Rpgpundit> Joshua: I guess working on Forward to Adventure, my first RPG. It forced me to refine a lot of my thinking. Plus I realized that I was already well known enough that I could write and other people would be interested in doing the publishing part for me.<br />
[20:53] <+BradElliott> Being told that I was someone's 'Nemesis' at my first GenCon.<br />
[20:53] <+NathanRMaher> JoshuaMeadows - The power of Crowd Funding is a very humbling experience and the power of what a single person can do to inspire hundreds.<br />
[20:53] <+LynneH> The Achtung! Cthulu Kickstarter - quite a learning curve<br />
[20:53] <+JasonHolmgren> @JoshuaMeadows, you mean, a moment I can say in polite company? ... I'll say it was when Kevin Seimbieda came by our table and told us he liked our book. =D<br />
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[20:54] <+Eloy-3EG> I've been doing the RPG thing by myself for long enough to know that you should totally not do it by yourself if you can help it.<br />
[20:54] <+DavidFChapman> Emailing the Department of Homeland Security for info for Conspiracy X 2.0...<br />
[20:54] <+TimKirk> Learning that game designers were just people like me, and their rules were not anymore set in stone than my own..i.e learning that I could fix broken rules (and I don't mean house rulling for fun, but things that weren't working as intended)<br />
[20:54] <+Rpgpundit> Jay little: I've gotten those. Someone wished me cancer last year.<br />
[20:54] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Victoriana 2nd Edition, everything was a struggle, it was as if fate didn't want us to do it! :)<br />
[20:54] <+BradElliott> Being present when Andrew Greenberg told a couple of very rude LARPers, "See if I ever design you another RPG for you again!"<br />
[20:54] <+BenRogers> I am not a D&D gamer. Never was. No experience with D&D. No clue who the people are in D&D. (I've learned more over the years.) When I first met Margaret, I didn't know who she was. There I was in a crowd of fanboys and I said "Margaret who?" as I shook her hand.<br />
[20:54] <+BrettMBernstein> A number of computer crashes tested my mettle. Yes, you can rebuild and rewrite. It's not the end of the world.<br />
[20:54] <+JasonMHardy> Andrew_Peregrine: I know how projects like that feel!<br />
[20:54] <+JeffCombos> Every day I'm learning something new about games, the industry, and running a small game company. And usually that learning comes on the heals of fixing something I've cocked up beyond words.<br />
[20:54] <+JamesSutton> @JayLittle, RPGPundit: Seriously?<br />
[20:54] <+JMThompson_BPI> Ive not yet been threatened, but did get bad reviews from someone I fired off a project. Thats about as bad as its gotten.<br />
[20:54] <+JayLittle> i even got a death threat while i was in the hospital, recovering from my second heart attack<br />
[20:55] <+BradElliott> Oh - Meeting Steve Darlington. :)<br />
[20:55] <+JayLittle> i have received 14 death threats<br />
[20:55] <+JamesSutton> I thought my experience was nasty.<br />
[20:55] <+GeorgeVasilakos> oO<br />
[20:55] <+Ken_Spencer> When my first work came back from Pyramid magazine with the direction to make it less academic, dealing with that first honest critique was very important.<br />
[20:55] <+Rpgpundit> James: yes, seriously.<br />
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[20:55] <+SeanPatrickFannon> My time at GAMA and at DriveThruRPG were also extraordinarily educational experiences<br />
[20:55] <+LeeGarvin> Jay, yikes!<br />
[20:55] <+JamesSutton> Just...wow<br />
[20:55] <+BrentNewhall> Holy guacamole, Jay!<br />
[20:55] <+BrentNewhall> :-(<br />
[20:55] <+LynneH> Blimey...<br />
[20:55] <+BradElliott> Yeah, Sean - GAMA is very educational.<br />
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[20:55] <+BradElliott> Dang, Jay...<br />
[20:55] <+TimKirk> Poor Jay.<br />
[20:55] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Most memorable learning experience? Hmmm. There have been so many. To pull a valuable one out of think air, I'll say that it was my initial fear of people hating my work when I was on the verge of releasing my first game. I was petrified! Then, a friend told me that it didn't matter as long as I was happy with the game. It was a great lesson.<br />
[20:55] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Am I doing something wrong that I've not had my life threatened?<br />
[20:55] * +TimKirk hugs Jay for good measure.<br />
[20:55] <+JasonMHardy> That's a lot of threats. There are people who wish I were dead, but I don't think they've directly threatened to make that happen.<br />
[20:56] <@Abstruse> JayLittle: What for, if I may ask?<br />
[20:56] <+JayLittle> 11 of the 14 were for my work on Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition -- people are *very* passionate about their favorite games.<br />
[20:56] <+Rpgpundit> Fortunately my recent physical shows me in perfect health in spite of my heavy smoking, eating whatever I want, ignoring all notions of diet or exercise, staying up most nights, and generally being as hedonistic as all f----<br />
[20:56] <+NathanRMaher> JayLittle if you work on an RPG about dead people and you get death threats on it, does that count as a double negative?<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> (Not that I'm an industry person, but I'd answer "Phil Brucato telling me I single-handedly almost destroyed his game." :) )<br />
[20:56] <+JasonMHardy> SeanPatrickFannon: I'M TOTALLY GOING TO TAKE YOU OUT!<br />
[20:56] <+JasonMHardy> There you go. You're important now.<br />
[20:56] <+BradElliott> I haven't either, Sean. Had somebody write me a nastygram in the form of a 'game review' once, but that hardly counts.<br />
[20:56] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Thank you, @JasonMHardy<br />
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[20:56] <@Abstruse> JasonMHardy: Well I'm just glad you didn't read my Shadowrun 2050 review then :p<br />
[20:56] <+BenRogers> Dan, to be fair, you can be a tad harsh with your reviews sometimes. ;)<br />
[20:56] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I do feel more relevant now<br />
[20:56] <+JasonMHardy> I'm here to help.<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> <.<<br />
[20:57] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I had a death threat because of the music my band plays (death metal).<br />
[20:57] <+JasonMHardy> Who says I didn't, Abstruse?<br />
[20:57] <+Rpgpundit> In fact, just a sec.. Jay, I didn't send you a death threat, did I? Just checking...<br />
[20:57] <+SeanPatrickFannon> <-- trying to remember all his old chat commands, and failing<br />
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[20:57] <+PEGShane> I've only received death threats when working at video game companies. They also took pictures of my children from Facebook and said nasty things about them as well.<br />
[20:57] <+GeorgeVasilakos> oO<br />
[20:57] <+BradElliott> Dang, Shane. That SUCKS><br />
[20:57] <+BenRogers> Cynthia, don't you actually sing -- or *growl* -- death threats while you play? ;)<br />
[20:57] <+BrentNewhall> This chat has been my most memorable learning experience so far, I think.<br />
[20:57] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Jaybus, Shane!<br />
[20:57] <+JayLittle> i don't think so... after a while, they stopped scaring the hell out of me<br />
[20:57] <+JMThompson_BPI> I dont really go looking for reviews of my products anymore. They usually just drive my blood pressure up while I wonder if the reviewer actually read the book.<br />
[20:57] <+LeeGarvin> Shane, Jeez!<br />
[20:57] <+NathanRMaher> PEGShane funny you say that, I always tell people that their pictures of their children on facebook are targets. Very scary stuff.<br />
[20:57] <+BenRogers> Shane, that's ... not ... right... :(<br />
[20:58] <+JeffCombos> PEGShane: That's terrible!<br />
[20:58] <+BrentNewhall> Ugh.<br />
[20:58] <+JasonMHardy> Yeah, anything involving family is soooo far over the line.<br />
[20:58] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Haha! No. I'm a terrible vocalist. I keep my yap shut and play drums. :)<br />
[20:58] <+PEGShane> I try not to let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. It's hard some days.<br />
[20:58] <@Abstruse> SeanPatrickFannon: /me is the action command, if that's what you were looking for.<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> QUESTION: <JoshuaMeadows> Q: What mistake have you made that you wish you could go back and change?<br />
[20:58] <+BradElliott> I agree with you, Nathan. One of my oldest friends never allows his child's picture on FB for that very reason.<br />
[20:58] <+Rpgpundit> I revel in it. In the contempt, the bile, the delicious delicious tears of impotent rage. It means I'm winning.<br />
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[20:58] <+TimKirk> Its sad that one bad review hurts more than the tons of good ones make up for.<br />
[20:58] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Annoucning unfinished product<br />
[20:58] <+JasonHolmgren> @JoshuaMeadows: ALL OF THEM.<br />
[20:58] <+Tim_Dugger> never got a death threat, but did have a group (which included the brother in law of the owner of the IP the company I worked for managed) spend about 2 years trying to destroy all credibility I had with that game<br />
[20:58] <+Andrew_Peregrine> It is such a shame that while most gamers are amazing people, a few make you weep for humanity.<br />
[20:58] <+JamesSutton> My most memorable learning experience(s)? Meeting game designers that made games I've GM'd for decades (literally) and being able to sit down and compare notes and work out that they all made mistakes sometimes, got things right sometimes, and generally had gone through all the things I was going through. And realizing that it's part of the growth process.<br />
[20:58] <+BenRogers> Dan, you know mine. I'd go back to that meeting and tell them all "NO! I don't care how 'realistic' you want this world! That won't work!"<br />
[20:59] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[20:59] <+JayLittle> i've been able to learn from a lot of my mistakes, and i still ended up here -- which is a pretty good place... so i don't think i'd change anything<br />
[20:59] <+SeanPatrickFannon> @JoshuaMeadows - Any time I let fans and customers down, I regret it.<br />
[20:59] <+JasonHolmgren> But since I can't, then you go forward and do it better the second time.<br />
[20:59] <+TimKirk> Being unable to make H&S1E the game it should have been at the time, because of "life." It still is an awesome game, IMHO, but it needed more of "me" in it.<br />
[20:59] <+BradElliott> Hah, that's easy. When I didn't catch an Indesign Error before final upload of the WotG Companion and the whole print run was ruined.<br />
[20:59] <+Ken_Spencer> There are a couple of companies I have worked with who made big promises, used up a ton of my time, and then refused to pay out. They still have my words, and one day I will get them back.<br />
[20:59] <+LeeGarvin> Angered the Powers That Be at Avalon Hill, and got removed from their GenCon crew.<br />
[20:59] <+NathanRMaher> I'm probably going to get death threats from the Edison family... Thomas Edison is not a Ghoul!<br />
[20:59] <+JasonMHardy> JoshuaMeadows: There were some hasty and ill-informed forum posts I made that I should not have. And also, all the rest of the mistakes I have made.<br />
[20:59] <+JayLittle> TimKirk is 10000% right... no matter how many positive, glowing reviews something receives, it's those few negative ones that haunt me<br />
[21:00] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I suspect we're all learned something from forums one way or another! :)<br />
[21:00] <+Eloy-3EG> You know the crazy thing about telling people where you think you faltered is that they usually haven't picked up on. "Oh, I hope you like the casserole, but I may have put too much salt" is the easiest way to get an "Aw, it tastes fine", but they might have said it tasted "Awesome" had you said nothing.<br />
[21:00] <+BrettMBernstein> I would change how I dealt with some people. My people skills have grown immensely.<br />
[21:00] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Regarding mistakes, I've made plenty of them, but I'm glad that I did, because otherwise, I wouldn't have learned anything from them.<br />
[21:00] <+Tim_Dugger> my biggest mistake -- not getting a written contract for HARP (ROOKIE mistake), and while I trusted the guy who became my boss, his losing the license lost any chance of my ever getting paid for it...<br />
[21:00] <+DavidFChapman> @JoshuaMeadows - I took a back seat from RPGs for a bit because I thought I should do something else (which was a really stupid idea). Big mistake.<br />
[21:00] <+BradElliott> +1 CynthiaCelesteMiller<br />
[21:00] * +JasonHolmgren nodnods to Cynthia.<br />
[21:00] * +SeanPatrickFannon thinks back on more than a few unintentionally hurt feelings<br />
[21:00] <+BenRogers> LeeGarvin, that sounds like a story! Let's have a drink at Gen Con and swap stories... I'll tell you how I started a pen-pal relationship with Gary Gygax by telling him I was once his worst enemy and you tell me about Avalon Hill. :)<br />
[21:01] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Oh, wow, almost forgot - I nearly lost Shaintar forever through an idiotic agreement<br />
[21:01] <+NathanRMaher> Well gang I need to bow out and eat something before hibernating in front of a TV and waking for my day job. It's been great!<br />
[21:01] <+LeeGarvin> Ben, it is a tale of much woe.<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> Thanks, Nathan! Take care!<br />
[21:01] <+TimKirk> Later Nathan.<br />
[21:01] <+LynneH> Night, Nathan<br />
[21:01] <+JMThompson_BPI> Later Nathan<br />
[21:01] <+BenRogers> Lee, mine is more humorous. The drinks should even it all out. ;)<br />
[21:01] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Take care!<br />
[21:01] <+NathanRMaher> It was great to meet everyone!<br />
[21:01] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Had the man I nearly lost it to not decided to have a "Grinch's Heart Grew" moment, I'd have never gotten it back<br />
[21:01] <+BradElliott> Bye, Nathan!<br />
[21:01] <+NathanRMaher> :D<br />
[21:01] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Bye, Nathan.<br />
[21:01] <+BrentNewhall> +1 CynthiaCelesteMiller<br />
[21:01] <+JamesSutton> Joshua: Mistake? Mistakes... Probably the way I handled some people situations and hard decisions that lead me to where I am now. Having said that, they lead me to where I am now. Which is the happiest I have been in a very long time. But I regret how I handled things.<br />
[21:01] <+Ken_Spencer> One more, waiting until I was thrity-five to start writing role-playing games.<br />
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[21:01] <+BenRogers> SeanPatrickFannon. I didn't realize you were in here. Hey! :)<br />
[21:01] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Night, Nathan<br />
[21:02] <+LeeGarvin> Ben, you're on.<br />
[21:02] * +SeanPatrickFannon humbly bows to Ben Rogers<br />
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[21:02] <+BrentNewhall> "I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!"<br />
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[21:02] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I am, truly, honored to be in on this. Thanks to Dan for setting it up<br />
[21:02] <+JamesSutton> Also, I regret the decision to not fly to Mordor and drop the ring into Mount Doom. Stupid jewelry...<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> Thanks for being here, Sean!<br />
[21:02] <+Rpgpundit> I've made a lot of mistakes in how I've GMed games over the years, but that's how I've gone on to learn. That's the problem with systems that basically remove GM-autonomy to the point he can't be a "bad GM", it means you'll never have good GMs.<br />
[21:03] <+JMThompson_BPI> Why does Sean get green text? Im jealous<br />
[21:03] <+GeorgeVasilakos> hhhmmm<br />
[21:03] <+Rpgpundit> You should be honored, Sean!<br />
[21:03] <+GeorgeVasilakos> color<br />
[21:03] <@Abstruse> JamesSutton: Eh, the Nazgul would've just hopped on the Fell Beasts and taken you out of the sky...<br />
[21:03] <+BradElliott> Ah, JamesSutton - so it's YOUR fault we all sweat our lives away in the Great Satanic Mills of Mordor?<br />
[21:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Yes indeed, Sean. Three cheers for Dan Davenport, king of kings!<br />
[21:03] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Huzzah!<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> Awwwww... :D<br />
[21:03] <+BradElliott> Thanks, Dan! Wish I'd made it sooner.<br />
[21:03] <+SeanPatrickFannon> That's the first thing I figured out in the command thing below, JM<br />
[21:03] <+JamesSutton> You should thank me for helping get rid of the Hobbit problem.<br />
[21:03] <+LynneH> Yes, Dan is a sweetie :)<br />
[21:03] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I'm picking purple!<br />
[21:03] <+Rpgpundit> Yes, well done Davenport.<br />
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[21:04] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Hobbit problem? I thought it was the dang Tribbles again?<br />
[21:04] <+TimKirk> Dan is awesome.<br />
[21:04] <+LynneH> You can pick purple?<br />
[21:04] <+BrentNewhall> Yeah, this has been a fantastic chat.<br />
[21:04] <+JasonMHardy> Yes, thanks to Dan for setting this up and letting me be a part of it!<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> Hey, you guys give me the chance to hang out with my gaming heroes. It's hardly a chore for me. :)<br />
[21:04] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Its mine now<br />
[21:04] <+TimKirk> You can do a lot of colors<br />
[21:04] <+GeorgeVasilakos> heh<br />
[21:04] <+JeffCombos> Thanks, Dan. It's been a great chat!<br />
[21:04] <+LynneH> Oh yes, the colours button<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> Just a reminder that we have another hour to go for those willing and able!<br />
[21:04] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> @Dan: Awwwww, shucks. *hugs*<br />
[21:04] <+SeanPatrickFannon> So let me throw a question out there, then...<br />
[21:04] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <JoshuaMeadows> Q: Design Question? Do you do a lot of math design in your mechanics, or do you just try something out and tweak it later.<br />
[21:04] <+LynneH> Argh, that's going to make my eyes bleed at this time of the morning<br />
[21:04] <+Ken_Spencer> Why didn't I notice this earlier!<br />
[21:04] <+JasonHolmgren> I think I can do 30.<br />
[21:04] <+BenRogers> Pundit, I would *love* for you to come to Gen Con and run some Sixcess. :) Any chance you can make it? :)<br />
[21:04] <+JamesSutton> Mine was the voice that convinced the NZ government to issue the great Hobbit cull, leading to the financing of The Hobbit movies.<br />
[21:04] <+LeeGarvin> Well, folks, there's only so much my medications can do. I'm fading faster than an albino's tan. Time to say good night.<br />
[21:04] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Tablets - a fad, or the wave of the gaming table future?<br />
[21:05] <+JMThompson_BPI> So I guess you had an extra spot Dan, or I wouldnt be here :D<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Sleep well, Lee! I'm glad you're doing better!<br />
[21:05] <+TimKirk> I try a lot of things out, see if it works, if it doesn't and I think it should I goto math.<br />
[21:05] <+JasonHolmgren> @JoshuaMeadows, you cannot release a modern RPG without doing all the math. The modern internet will punish you.<br />
[21:05] <+Rpgpundit> I'll probably be here until long after that. I notice, though, having snuck onto the Audience section, that you're skipping some of the more juicy controversial questions.<br />
[21:05] <+JamesSutton> Think one would get some thanks from that "Sir" Peter Jackson? Sheesh...<br />
[21:05] <+BenRogers> Sean, they're here to stay until we get the implants in our eyes...<br />
[21:05] <+JeffCombos> I'm out also. I still have a lot of editing to do tonight.<br />
[21:05] <+Eloy-3EG> Write it up, Tweak it. Rewrite, tweak. Rewrite, tweak. Rewrite, tweak. Rewrite, tweak. Rewrite, tweak. Until it feel right.<br />
[21:05] <+TRA-Preston> JoshuaMeadows I try something that sounds fun first, then later go back to tweak the math of it<br />
[21:05] <+Rpgpundit> Maybe we'll have to do a "blue" performance after-hours.<br />
[21:05] <+BenRogers> ...sometime in 2015.<br />
[21:05] <+BrentNewhall> I try something and tweak it later, but I've developed a decent eye for mechanics that are badly imbalanced.<br />
[21:05] <+LynneH> Night, Lee<br />
[21:05] <+Andrew_Peregrine> If a system requires too much maths I tend to try and figure out something else :)<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Bye, Jeff! Have a good one!<br />
[21:05] <+JayLittle> i am a math nut for boardgames, but not quite as much for RPGs ... and you gotta' start somewhere, so mock it up and give it a whirl<br />
[21:05] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Math schmath! Seriously, I only worry about the math once I nail down the overall mechanics.<br />
[21:05] <+GeorgeVasilakos> design it first - then playtest it to work the kinks out<br />
[21:05] <+JeffCombos> Good night all!<br />
[21:05] <@Abstruse> SeanPatrickFannon: As a tech guy, they're not going anywhere. Designers need to start looping at app developers to integrate them fully at the table rather than being a distraction.<br />
[21:05] <+JasonHolmgren> All of our RPGs are tested to destruction, to 0.5% certainty. Then we hide the math from you.<br />
[21:05] <+JasonMHardy> JoshuaMeadows: Both. I think having a good spine of math is important, but it's also important to try out the math and then tweak it. And sometimes I do it backwards--find something that feels right, then design math for it.<br />
[21:05] <+LynneH> I'm rubbish at maths, so I try to come up with something and test it, then tweak<br />
[21:05] <+Eloy-3EG> Bye Jeff!<br />
[21:05] <+Rpgpundit> Joshua: I try to avoid math as much as possible; instead I have a very good playtester who does the hard work in that area for me.<br />
[21:05] <+JMThompson_BPI> Im a liberal arts major, so I try to stay away from math rpgs :D<br />
[21:05] <+DavidFChapman> I did a lot of math working-out for WILD, while trying to create the system. But I think it's going to be the playtesting that really refines what works...<br />
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[21:06] <+JasonHolmgren> did I mention I was the creator of JOE GENERO, the comic strip where we made fun of bad math in RPGs? =D<br />
[21:06] <+LynneH> Night, Jeff<br />
[21:06] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night Jeff<br />
[21:06] <+JayLittle> for me, the biggest math issue is this: "how often should an average character with average skills succeed at an average task?"<br />
[21:06] <+Kenneth_Hite> JoshuaMeadows: Not a big fan of math-heavy systems, so I usually interpolate and let it go. Helps that I'm seldom designing the core engine by myself.<br />
[21:06] <+JayLittle> later jeff<br />
[21:06] <+TimKirk> Playtest is a BIG thing.<br />
[21:06] <+BradElliott> Ah yes, Jason Holmgren in the wild! :) I liked Joe Genero... he was always fun.<br />
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[21:06] <+Ken_Spencer> I playtest a lot, and one of my playtesters is a math hobbyist (really math is his main hobby). He points out things for me, such as the continue lizard monkey problem with the Boon Companion trait.<br />
[21:06] <+BrettMBernstein> JayLittle, yes.<br />
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[21:06] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I go for applying the basic stuff at the center, then intuit the hell out of it.<br />
[21:06] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Platesting is the real test. Even if you test all the probability, that won't tell you how fun it is to play or what results the players expect or enjoy<br />
[21:06] <+Tim_Dugger> JoshuaMeadows: For some things, I do out the math (spreadsheets are my friend), but for other things, I often go by feel initially and then go from there.<br />
[21:06] <+BrentNewhall> Is playtesting the most important task in game design?<br />
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[21:07] <+SeanPatrickFannon> *Then* I hand it over to my rocket scientist buddies and have them math it to death<br />
[21:07] <+BradElliott> It's certainly a BIG one, BrentNewhall.<br />
[21:07] <+Eloy-3EG> playtesting is uber-importante.<br />
[21:07] <+Rpgpundit> No. Good design in the first place is the most important task.<br />
[21:07] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> In my opinion, playtesting is probably the most important step.<br />
[21:07] <+TimKirk> Huge.<br />
[21:07] <+JMThompson_BPI> I think so, it all looks good on paper. Playtesting is where you get to see if it looks good in practice.. Well in theory anyway.<br />
[21:07] <+LynneH> It's very important - just because you think you know how something works doesn't mean it does<br />
[21:07] <+JasonHolmgren> @BrentNewhall, playtesting is the most important task in game design.<br />
[21:07] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Playtesting is one of the most overlooked aspects.<br />
[21:07] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Or at least almost the most important step.<br />
[21:07] <+Rpgpundit> Playtesting is for tweaking the rough edges<br />
[21:07] <+Andrew_Peregrine> What makes it tricky is that its all important. You skimp on one bit and it always shows<br />
[21:07] <+BradElliott> Your design can be as good or as beautiful as you like, then shatter into a thousand pieces in a playtest.<br />
[21:07] <+Ken_Spencer> Playtesting is key, it shows which ideas were only good to you and not to others. It also picks up your mistakes, like the aforementioned infinite lizard monkeys issue.<br />
[21:07] <@Abstruse> Since it's come up, here's another QUESTION: <Yog_Sothoth> Q: Tell us about your most awful playtest session and what you did to recover from it?<br />
[21:07] <+Kenneth_Hite> SeanPatrickFannon Tablets are here to stay. We're just waiting for app design to be cheap or easy enough that us humanities nerds can do it.<br />
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[21:08] <+BenRogers> +1 Kenneth Hite<br />
[21:08] <+Rpgpundit> Of course, maybe the difference is that the games I make tend to be orthodox in design, and not trying some faddish new mechanics; so in a sense, they've already been playtested for decades<br />
[21:08] <+JasonHolmgren> Why should YOU play a game that the DESIGNERS didn't even play? :P<br />
[21:08] <+SeanPatrickFannon> @Kenneth_Hite - I could not agree with you more, sir.<br />
[21:08] <+JamesSutton> +1 Kenneth Hite<br />
[21:08] <+JMThompson_BPI> Just once I would like a different member of my gaming group run the game we are playtesting.<br />
[21:08] <+BradElliott> +1JasonHolmgren<br />
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[21:09] <+BrentNewhall> JasonHolmgren: The designers didn't have time; they were choosing the right font!<br />
[21:09] <+JMThompson_BPI> Oh yes. I wont let a game out that I havent played myself. If I am going to publish it, then I am going to play it.<br />
[21:09] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I've never had an "awful" playtest - they've always pointed out exactly what needed to be seen<br />
[21:09] <+DavidFChapman> SeanPatrickFannon - yeah, I briefly mentioned earlier, I'd love to see rulebooks done as interactive Apps, like the Harry Potter Film Wizardry book is an App. Videos embedded, examples of play, animated things, and hard to pirate.<br />
[21:09] <+GeorgeVasilakos> First draft of the City of Heroes RPG - came in - sent it toplaytesters - they HATED it - then hired CJ Carella to redo it from scratch. Only to get the project lost in the separation of Cryptic Studios and NCsoft :s<br />
[21:09] <+Andrew_Peregrine> My worst was a game of Angel, not becasue of the game but becasue we expected different things from the setting. I wanted to run a detective game, my players seemed to want to smash things with their superpowers. In the end we played something else sadly.<br />
[21:09] <+JasonMHardy> Yog_Sothoth: We were trying a kind of action point system for Shadowrun 5 combat, which had a lot of interesting possibilities including flattening the difference between fast and slow characters and adding cool defense options [cont'd]<br />
[21:09] <+Rpgpundit> Its one of the great things the OSR has taught (but which extends beyond the OSR too): You don't need to be "gimmicky" or try to reinvent the wheel in order to be innovative. Real Innovation starts from using what is already established to work, and putting a new spin on it.<br />
[21:09] <+JayLittle> playtesting rpgs is a tricky task -- a great GM can make any system sing... so it's important to establish good guidelines on what you're looking to get out of playtesting<br />
[21:09] <+LynneH> I've been really lucky with playtest sessions for my games. But we're playtested other people's games that haven't gone well<br />
[21:09] <+BradElliott> Ouch, GeorgeVasilakos<br />
[21:09] <+TRA-Preston> GeorgeVasilakos I always wondered what happened with that<br />
[21:09] <+Ken_Spencer> When I was working on Bokors and Broadsides (soon to be renamed before Chaosium releases it) I designed an intricate and detailed age of sail combat system. I confused and bored the players to no end, and frustrated myself because to me it was fun, yet to them it was paperwork.<br />
[21:09] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> The most disastrous playtest session I ever had was for an early version of Macabre Tales. We had 6 players and it was a nightmare from start to finish. I was so glad when it was over, but I learned a lot from it. It showed me that the system would work best for 1-3 players and was one reason I focused on the "1 player - 1 GM" setup.<br />
[21:09] <+JasonHolmgren> @GeorgeVasilakos, the tabletop City of Heroes was one the games I looked forward to. I'm sorry to hear that.<br />
[21:10] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Some of th eworst playtests are actually more useful as they've shown you the flaws you need to fix<br />
[21:10] <+JasonMHardy> But playtests, both internal and external, showed it was making combat slow down to a crawl, and the last thing I wanted to do with Shadowrun combat is slow it down. So a painful play test and subsequent reports showed my that system was not to be.<br />
[21:10] <+DavidFChapman> What CJ did with City of Heroes was awesome, George. Real shame it never saw light of day.<br />
[21:10] <+GeorgeVasilakos> One copy exists. Its on my shelf. heh.<br />
[21:10] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Of course, to be fair, until very, *very* recently, all my design work has been for existing systems.<br />
[21:10] <+TimKirk> I have playtested many a games for myself and others. I remember M&M2E and its "FEATman.." which I thought was terrible<br />
[21:10] <+BradElliott> Andrew_Peregrine speaks the truth found out that one the hard way, back in the day of WotG.<br />
[21:10] <+JasonHolmgren> Bit of a tangent -- the best gaming advice you will ever read: (Link: http://www.chimeramag.com/features/tenpoints.html)http://www.chimeramag.com/features/tenpoints.html<br />
[21:10] <+SeanPatrickFannon> And *that*, my friends, is what we call a "teaser."<br />
[21:10] <+GeorgeVasilakos> I think its more rare than the Dune RPG<br />
[21:11] * +SeanPatrickFannon whistles tunelessly, looking up at the ceiling.<br />
[21:11] <+JMThompson_BPI> I know in one case I had to rewrite the way magic worked in a fantasy game because it failed in playtest. OMG was it a spectacular failure though.<br />
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[21:11] * +BrentNewhall leans forward.<br />
[21:11] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I would possibly kill for the Dune supplements<br />
[21:11] * +JMThompson_BPI has two copies of the DUNE RPG<br />
[21:11] * +LynneH has the Dune RPG. Somewhere.<br />
[21:11] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I'm one of only two people I know who actually played the Dune RPG. It was damn good<br />
[21:12] <+BenRogers> I don't so much want to own the Dune RPG as to read it to see how they handled various things from the book.<br />
[21:12] <+BrentNewhall> Ditto BenRogers<br />
[21:12] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 JMThompson_BPI . That's how it's done -- you play it, and if it works, hooray. And if it doesn't, you rewrite it.<br />
[21:12] <+Rpgpundit> brb<br />
[21:12] <+Tim_Dugger> hm.. my worst playtest failure came up in an RM game, where a profession I created -- thought it would be fun/versatile, turned out to be too powerful... and kinda ruined things a bit<br />
[21:12] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I loved that two or more people could play a Mentat and have very different characters<br />
[21:12] <+JasonHolmgren> Seriously, you gamers are PAYING us to tell YOU how to play MAKE-BELIEVE. It's our responsibility as game designers to figure out what make-believes work and what doesn't... otherwise, you're paying us for stuff you could've done yourself.<br />
[21:12] <+JMThompson_BPI> Andrew: Up until recently I had a semi regular game of Dune going... half the group got deployed. So now we are playing something else.<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Dan> I know how some of you will answer this, but do you prefer to create a system with a specific setting in mind?<br />
[21:13] <+TimKirk> Indeeed Jason, well said.<br />
[21:13] <+Andrew_Peregrine> JMThompson thankyou! I am not alone! :)<br />
[21:13] <+BradElliott> +1JasonHolmgren<br />
[21:13] <+JasonHolmgren> @Dan, there is no such thing as the setting-independent system. The rules will, by their nature, enforce some setting decisions over others.<br />
[21:13] <+SeanPatrickFannon> +1 Jason<br />
[21:13] <+JMThompson_BPI> I always start working on system with setting in mind. I want the system to fit the setting. So even if the system is an established one I will rewrite it to make it reflect the setting<br />
[21:13] <+BrentNewhall> No preference. Some settings sing in a well-established rule system. Others cry out for their own rules.<br />
[21:13] <+TimKirk> Yes, Dan, I do. I prefer custom systems for settings. However, if a system works well enough and is flecible enough, it might suit other settings I dream up as well.<br />
[21:14] <+TRA-Preston> Dan Settings and Systems, in my opinion, have to be in harmony with each other. If a system is too generic you wont feel like you are actually playing in the Setting<br />
[21:14] <+JamesSutton> +1 BrentNewhall<br />
[21:14] <+TimKirk> flexible*<br />
[21:14] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I start with setting, then figure out who the characters might be, then start thinknig about system.<br />
[21:14] <+JasonMHardy> Dan: Yes. How I'm trying to make the setting feel will play a role in the rules. At least that's my experience so far.<br />
[21:14] <+JayLittle> a few times i've had a mechanic i wanted to find a theme to use, but by and large, there's a setting established and then mechanics are designed to best express that setting.<br />
[21:14] <+BradElliott> Rules encourage behavior. Therefore, your rules should encourage not just behavior in your fictional world, but give you feel of how that world works.<br />
[21:14] <+BenRogers> I consider a system to be totally agnostic of setting -- except where setting specific elements need a system for resolution. Bladedancers in ElfWood need a system to identify how they use blades in their dancing - but, truly, any system could do it.<br />
[21:14] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Although sometimes a system you read will give you an idea for a game that would work really well with it<br />
[21:14] <+LynneH> I'm with TRA-Preston - setting and system can't be fighting each other, or the whole thing falls flat<br />
[21:14] <+JasonHolmgren> There are some systems that are more *flexible* than others, such as d20 or World of Darkness, or Savage Worlds, but you will have to pick some rules that will make certain things more likely. And in this quest to simplify, you will have to keep ONLY the rules that are appropriate.<br />
[21:14] <+Tim_Dugger> Dan: any game will have some built in assumptions to them... however, if doing a game for a specific setting, I am a firm believer that the rules SHOULD be bent to the setting, never the other way<br />
[21:14] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I am more about *genre* orientation, rather than specific setting.<br />
[21:14] <+DavidFChapman> @Dan Doctor Who was created (systemwise) to try to reflect what happens in the show (talking down a fight, guns being lethal). The system I'm working on for WILD needs to be pretty "you can use it anywhere for anything" so it's less setting specific<br />
[21:14] <+Ken_Spencer> I am not a big fan of doing system work and prefer to take a setting and find a system that can be modified to work. I just hope that Dave Chapman doesn't mind what Rocket Age did with the Vortex system.<br />
[21:14] <+Kenneth_Hite> Dan, I prefer to create settings and adapt them to systems that have a pre-existing audience. If the setting is well built, it can be played in any decent system.<br />
[21:15] <+Rpgpundit> Back!<br />
[21:15] <~Dan> wb, Pundit!<br />
[21:15] <+DavidFChapman> @Ken_Spencer - as long as it works, go for it!!!<br />
[21:15] <+JasonHolmgren> More shout-outs for Dr.Who! It's fantastic for simulating Dr. Who! Not so much for dungeon crawling. =D<br />
[21:15] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Not to bring up our genre emulation approach yet again, but each game is designed using whatever "reality" exists within the genre we're emulating. For example, in Slasher Flick, we had to make people *want* to have their characters do stupid things like go into the woods alone. On the opposite end, with Capes, Cowls and Villains Foul, we had to base (cont.).<br />
[21:15] <+Eloy-3EG> system and setting MUST match.<br />
[21:15] <+JMThompson_BPI> I was using vortex to run fantasy for awhile.<br />
[21:15] <+Rpgpundit> Dan: yes, generally I create system to match the setting.<br />
[21:15] <+BenRogers> Kenneth Hite, you said it more concisely than I did - totally agree.<br />
[21:15] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> every mechanic on the reality presented in superhero comics.<br />
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[21:16] <+BradElliott> Kenneth_Hite: Well said, and also reflected in the increasing number of games that when Kickstarted, get multiple implementations in various rulesets, a la FATE and so on.<br />
[21:16] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 cynthia, totally.<br />
[21:16] <~Dan> On a related note...<br />
[21:16] <~Dan> QUESTION: <xyphoid_> q: what's your favourite weird or innovative mechanic from a game you didn't write<br />
[21:16] <@Abstruse> (Crap, was 2 seconds from posting that one myself...)<br />
[21:16] <+BrentNewhall> Dread's Jenga tower.<br />
[21:16] <+SeanPatrickFannon> My plans for my *Modern Gods* supers setting (my "what I would have done with the Champions Universe" setting) will ultimately be expressed in multiple supers rules<br />
[21:16] <+JasonMHardy> BrentNewhall: Good call. That's a cool one.<br />
[21:16] <+Kenneth_Hite> If the setting then turns out to need some special rules to enhance specific feel, it's easy enough to write those rules in SW, FATE, BRP, OSR, etc etc etc<br />
[21:16] <+DavidFChapman> Alas Vegas' TAROT card resolution.<br />
[21:16] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Using goals and relationships as statistics in Smallville<br />
[21:16] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Our dominoes from Macabre Tales was a fun thing.<br />
[21:17] <+BenRogers> Ken, you wrote a modern horror book a decade ago... Unearthed Arcana? Was that it?<br />
[21:17] <+Rpgpundit> those are all terrible.<br />
[21:17] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Oh, crud. I just realized you said from games we DIDN'T write. Doh!<br />
[21:17] <+JayLittle> the One Roll Engine, suit trumping in Marvel SAGA, and Everway's use of Tarot.<br />
[21:17] <+LynneH> When our LARP GM replaced the beads in a bag mechanic with tiny cupcakes in different coloured casings...<br />
[21:17] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[21:17] <+JasonHolmgren> @xyphoid , ugh, there's so many. I love Dr.Who's mechanic of using Story Points for weird powers and gadgets. It's the first game that incentivizes building NORMAL people.<br />
[21:17] <+JamesSutton> Everyway<br />
[21:17] <+JamesSutton> Everway, I mean<br />
[21:17] <+Kenneth_Hite> xyphoid_ Everything in Fiasco.<br />
[21:17] <+Rpgpundit> The only really innovative mechanic in the history of RPGs was Erick Wujcik creating a functional diceless system.<br />
[21:17] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'd have to say I love the DIS in Sixcess! Cool stuff!<br />
[21:17] <+SeanPatrickFannon> The entire scaling system (APs) from the original DC Heroes - still one of the most magnificent designs ever<br />
[21:17] <+JamesSutton> Ooooh yes, Amber<br />
[21:18] <+BradElliott> The card mechanic in TORG, from long ago. Loved that - so flexible and useful.<br />
[21:18] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Doctor Who throwing away hit points and wounds by taking damage directly on statistics. Genius DavidFChapman<br />
[21:18] <+Ken_Spencer> Not weird, but right now I am reading Trail of Cthulhu, and the way abilities, especially investigative abilities, greatly interests me, and I'm not a systems guy.<br />
[21:18] <+TRA-Preston> xyphoid there is a rule in Unhallowed Metropolis for cooking grenades. You have to make a willpower roll in order to do it, otherwise you throw it early.<br />
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[21:18] <+JMThompson_BPI> Thats funny, Im reading Trail of Cthulhu right now too.<br />
[21:18] <+BenRogers> <Kenneth Hite> Did you write Unearthed Arcana? And did it use a "psychosis" mechanic to determine how nutsoid a character was becoming?<br />
[21:18] <+Rpgpundit> andrew: seriously? You know that was borrowed from Traveller, right?<br />
[21:18] <+SeanPatrickFannon> My choice counts more as innovative than weird, true<br />
[21:18] <+Tim_Dugger> potion miscability table -- original AD&D -- one of my all-time favorites!<br />
[21:18] <+BradElliott> I'm also learning GUMSHOE in Night's Black Agents... definitely innovative.<br />
[21:18] <+Kenneth_Hite> BenRogers Nope. A decade ago I was writing GURPS Horror and Star Trek.<br />
[21:18] <+DavidFChapman> Thanks guys - Andrew_Peregrine and JasonHolmgren<br />
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[21:18] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Ah yes, i suppose it was<br />
[21:19] <+BradElliott> Tim Dugger: KABOOM! <oops with potions><br />
[21:19] <+Tim_Dugger> BenRogers: Ken wrote "Nightmares of Mine" for RM.... very very good book!!<br />
[21:19] <+BenRogers> <Kenneth Hite> I thought you wrote that. Hrm. Anyway, I really liked it.<br />
[21:19] <+DavidFChapman> You say borrowed, I say "homage"...<br />
[21:19] <+Rpgpundit> Tim: Potion miscibility was great; but I sure wish that there had been MORE stuff like that in the original AD&D. Its an area where the OSR has contributed a lot.<br />
[21:19] <+LynneH> Nice to see you channeling RTD there, David :)<br />
[21:19] <+BenRogers> Cynthia, thanks for your plug for the DIS. :) I just like the players to have a little unexpected control that the GM has to juggle. :) Makes it fun for me, as a GM.<br />
[21:19] <+TimKirk> Marvel Saga: Cards/Trumping/Edge. Beyond that, I'm not sure.<br />
[21:19] <+Rpgpundit> borrowed is homage. Nothing wrong with borrowing.<br />
[21:20] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I remember thinking I'd been amazing with Victoriana making you roll combat as an opposed test between fighters rather than they hit you hit. Then I played Pendragon again and realised where it had come from!<br />
[21:20] * +Ken_Spencer taking the dog out, be back in a few<br />
[21:20] <+JasonHolmgren> Immature designers borrow. Mature designers steal. =D<br />
[21:20] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Gotta bio - BRB<br />
[21:20] <+BradElliott> Just be sure to leave your knife, Jason. :)<br />
[21:20] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I also dug Castle Falkenstein's use of cards.<br />
[21:20] <+Kenneth_Hite> Arcana Unearthed was 2004, but that was Monte.<br />
[21:20] <+DavidFChapman> Good to see something rubbed off from RTD... though I only met him for about 2 minutes...<br />
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[21:20] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I also loved Judge Dredd's system of all your skills being your attributes. Very swift character gen!<br />
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[21:21] <+TimKirk> I love Dr. Who's Initiative...by the way.<br />
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[21:21] <+BenRogers> Not Unearthed Arcana.... Something "UA" that was modern horror... Had "pornomancy" in it...<br />
[21:21] <+Andrew_Peregrine> 2 minutes more than I've had Dave! :)<br />
[21:21] <+JasonHolmgren> Unknown Armies = UA.<br />
[21:21] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Unknown Armies<br />
[21:21] <+BenRogers> That's it!<br />
[21:21] <+BenRogers> Unknown Armies!<br />
[21:21] <+Rpgpundit> timkirk: I love Dr.Who's initiative too. It comes from RC D&D><br />
[21:21] <+Kenneth_Hite> Unknown Armies. I wrote little tiny bits in the corners; Greg Stolze designed the rules engine.<br />
[21:21] <+BradElliott> UA - seriously good writing from John Tynes, there. Loved that.<br />
[21:21] <+BenRogers> That game had a wicked cool psychosis system that I really wanted to steal cart-blanche. :)<br />
[21:22] <+TimKirk> Yeah. Just like Traveller has the "stats take damage" thing...<br />
[21:22] <+BradElliott> And Kenneth Hite, of course! (Credit where credit is due.)<br />
[21:22] <+JamesSutton> For innovative, probably the RuneQuest Resistance Table.<br />
[21:22] <+Kenneth_Hite> BradElliott Credit is pretty much mostly due to Greg and John.<br />
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[21:22] <+JMThompson_BPI> Ive been reading Nazi Occult and using it as reference for an upcoming game.<br />
[21:22] <+JasonHolmgren> new World of Darkness has a number of innovations, such as the Vice/Virtue/Willpower system, and the much-maligned Morality system.<br />
[21:22] <+TimKirk> It's amazing how many GOOD mechanics are out there.<br />
[21:22] <+Rpgpundit> Tim: well, David can say what he likes about the damage thing, but Initiative was originally my idea. I was a playtester on Dr.Who, and I was the one who suggested that initiative system, and I was directly thinking of adapting the RC D&D initiative when I suggested it.<br />
[21:22] <+JayLittle> Innovative I'll also give a nod to Ars Magica for having wizards & accompanying characters as well as grogs<br />
[21:22] <@Abstruse> QUESTION <Jadomonkey> Question: Do you play games by the letter of the rules or do you do a lot of houseruling?<br />
[21:22] <+BradElliott> Fair enough, Ken. :) I loved the love-letter it was to Tim Powers' work.<br />
[21:23] <+Andrew_Peregrine> We've all had over 30 years to develop/steal the best ideas! :)<br />
[21:23] <+BenRogers> "Rules are made to be broken."<br />
[21:23] <+GeorgeVasilakos> houseruling<br />
[21:23] <+JMThompson_BPI> Not that its relevant to the question :D<br />
[21:23] <+Tim_Dugger> I am a tinker at heart, I am always coming up with options or trying new things out, simply to see if they work or not...<br />
[21:23] <+Rpgpundit> Andrew: precisely. Every single one of us stands on the shoulders of giants.<br />
[21:23] <+JMThompson_BPI> Depends on the game. I play DW as is, but I houserule Pathfinder.<br />
[21:23] <+Eloy-3EG> + BenRogers<br />
[21:23] <+JayLittle> i don't think i've ever played a game as written. but i wouldn't call how i run houserules... just going with the flow and excessive use of Rule Zero<br />
[21:23] <+BradElliott> I think everybody does a bit of 'adjustment' to a given ruleset to fit your own preferences.<br />
[21:23] <+JasonHolmgren> @Jadomonkey, I'm a formalist at heart, and I prefer to play according to the book. ... But then I prefer games that aren't 400 pages long and that have formalized everything.<br />
[21:23] <+Rpgpundit> Very few modern ideas are new, and hardly any of the new ones are good.<br />
[21:23] <+Kenneth_Hite> Jadomonkey Depends on the game. Most games get house-ruled at my table eventually, but some (like DOGS IN THE VINEYARD) don't.<br />
[21:23] <+BenRogers> I want people to come away from my gaming table talking about what a *BLAST* they had - even if I slaughtered them - if the rules get in the way ... BOOOM!<br />
[21:23] <+TRA-Preston> Jadomonkey One or two things always get houseruled, no matter what I play. Ussually its how much EXP is given out (ussually its way too little)<br />
[21:23] <+LynneH> House rules - unless we're playtesting. At that point, you have to do it by the book or you're not helping the designer at all<br />
[21:23] <+DavidFChapman> Yeah, a lot of great stuff came out of playtest for Dr Who.<br />
[21:23] <+Andrew_Peregrine> There will always be a few tweaks to make the game fit your group, but I prefer to stick to the rules unless they just don't work.<br />
[21:23] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I tend to run *all* RPGs "loosey-goosey", even the ones I design. I'm a "story-first" kind of GM and I like to keep things moving swiftly.<br />
[21:23] <+Rpgpundit> Jado: Lots of houseruling here.<br />
[21:23] <+TimKirk> Jadomonkey: I play by the rules, unless something isn't working as intended, or I can see a faster way to get the same results. Except with magic, if the game is good but magic sucks, I'm going to make new magic systems.<br />
[21:24] <+BenRogers> +1 Cynthia<br />
[21:24] <+JasonMHardy> Jadomonkey: I play by the letter of the rules long enough to try to learn the intent and make sure I understand what is supposed to be happening. At that point, a house rule or two tends to creep in. Sooner with RPGs than with board games.<br />
[21:24] <+BradElliott> I'm actually quite fond of a lot of the newest games - I like seeing new ideas on how to implement game-modeling.<br />
[21:24] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Shadowrun is the only exception, actually. I play it pretty much "as written".<br />
[21:24] <+TimKirk> That isn't to say I'm "strict" I'm pretty much like Cynthia up there, using the rules lightly when needed.<br />
[21:24] <+BrentNewhall> I tend to move into straight collaborative storytelling. In my last game, we didn't roll dice for the last half of the gaming session.<br />
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[21:24] <+Kenneth_Hite> JMThompson_BPI Glad to hear it!<br />
[21:24] <+JMThompson_BPI> I dont do a lot with the rules anyway Cynthia... they only come up if they are needed.<br />
[21:24] * @Abstruse high gives CynthiaCelesteMiller for stealing his answer verbatim.<br />
[21:24] <+JamesSutton> By the rules usually, but handwavium or inventium where necessary.<br />
[21:24] <+JasonHolmgren> There's way, way too many games out there with rules in them that no one ever uses, or that never should be used. While people may praise Gary Gygax as a gamer, his rulebooks are bloated with stuff even he never intended to use.<br />
[21:24] <+Rpgpundit> David: Indeed. But I remember driving the C7 guys nuts.<br />
[21:24] <@Abstruse> Errr...high fives...<br />
[21:24] <+BradElliott> Rules are a tool - use them as you will.<br />
[21:25] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I usually houserule ot simplify. I told my Dragonlance group that attacks of oppotunity and all the layers of D&D sub rules were gone on my watch :)<br />
[21:25] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I stole someone's answer? LOL!<br />
[21:25] <+BenRogers> Abstruse, oddly enough, I read it right without your correction. :)<br />
[21:25] <+Ken_Spencer> My playtesters often get on me for playing too fast and loose with my own rules.<br />
[21:25] <@Abstruse> BenRogers: I'm fluent in typoese, so I have the same problem editing sometimes.<br />
[21:25] <+BradElliott> Well, in playtest, you have to USE a rule to actually test it, so....<br />
[21:25] <+Rpgpundit> Jason: there's lots of stuff I put in my games that I never intend to use but I put them there because OTHERS might want to use them. I think Gygax did the same.<br />
[21:25] <+BrentNewhall> My own games I play test pretty straight.<br />
[21:25] <+Rpgpundit> That's not a problem, that's good design.<br />
[21:25] <+TimKirk> If rules don't work for me, I get new rules. Usually, completely new systems--rather than houseruling.<br />
[21:25] <+Rpgpundit> Tight strict rules design is stupid.<br />
[21:25] <+BenRogers> I rely heavily on some friends who are "rules lawyers" to playtest because I tend to "go with the flow" and make the story more important.<br />
[21:25] <+PEGShane> I have to run folks--but thanks for having me! It was a blast participating and reading all your awesome responses. :)<br />
[21:26] <+TimKirk> Later Shane!<br />
[21:26] <~Dan> Thanks for being here, Shane!<br />
[21:26] <+JMThompson_BPI> Later Shane<br />
[21:26] <+LynneH> Night, Shane<br />
[21:26] <~Dan> Don't be a stranger!<br />
[21:26] <+JasonHolmgren> @Rpgpundit, I can't agree that's a good philosophy. If the DESIGNERS don't use the rule, why should you expect the players to use it? Better to default on Rule Zero.<br />
[21:26] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Later, Shane.<br />
[21:26] <+Tim_Dugger> ciao Shane<br />
[21:26] <+Ken_Spencer> Bye Shane<br />
[21:26] <+BenRogers> Later, Shane. enjoy that warm weather in AZ!<br />
[21:26] <+JasonMHardy> Night Shane!<br />
[21:26] <+Eloy-3EG> Gotta duck out. It's been real. Later<br />
[21:26] <+PEGShane> (And I like to play by the rules because I'm usually *learning* from all you folks.) :)<br />
[21:26] <+BradElliott> BenRogers - that's good playtesting. You have to have people who are absolutely rigorous - or to use JasonHolmgren's term, 'formalist' to truly put your system through its paces. Or so I think. :)<br />
[21:26] <+Andrew_Peregrine> In their positive mode rules lawyers are a great help. One of my D&D players is great at pointing out the effects of me ignoring any rule but never complains when I do<br />
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[21:26] <+LynneH> Bye, Eloy!<br />
[21:26] <~Dan> Bye, Eloy!<br />
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[21:27] <+BradElliott> See you, Shane & Eloy!<br />
[21:27] <+Andrew_Peregrine> bye<br />
[21:27] <+BenRogers> Brad, abso-effin-lutely.<br />
[21:27] <+JMThompson_BPI> Bye eloy<br />
[21:27] <+Ken_Spencer> Bye Eloy<br />
[21:27] <+Tim_Dugger> bye eloy<br />
[21:27] <+Rpgpundit> Jason: Because there's tons of stuff that may be very fun for a particular group to use. The Kitchen Sink, or a Toolkit type rules-set is going to give GMs more options, rather than Rule-by-Game-Designer telling them that they have to play exactly the way the designer intended it.<br />
[21:27] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Have a good one, Eloy!<br />
[21:27] <+Kenneth_Hite> Night Shane!<br />
[21:27] <+JasonHolmgren> I prefer the term 'formalist' over 'rules lawyer', because a rules-lawyer will only state the rules that HELP their case, and they omit the ones that HURT them.<br />
[21:27] <+JamesSutton> G'night Shane and Eloy!<br />
[21:27] <+JMThompson_BPI> I guess it really depends on the game, how familiar I am with it. Houserules are bound to come up at some point because no designer can anticipate every situation.<br />
[21:27] <+JasonMHardy> Later Eloy!<br />
[21:27] <+BradElliott> +1 JasonHolmgren<br />
[21:27] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I'm staying in the hopes of outlasting the other Brits! Plus there is still booze in the kitchen<br />
[21:27] <~Dan> You are hardcore, Andrew.<br />
[21:28] <+LynneH> Right, peregrine, is that a challenge? ;)<br />
[21:28] <+BradElliott> I had like two formalists in my original work through of the Weapons of the Gods rules - routinely would tear apart stuff, or point out when things were missing.<br />
[21:28] <+BrettMBernstein> To me, the rules are simply a guide. Use them to start and then when you understand why they exist, adapt them to your needs.<br />
[21:28] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I've got a day off tommorrow LynneH, you cannot defeat me! :)<br />
[21:28] <+TimKirk> MSH is my most heavily house ruled game. Most of those rules are from Magazine's in Dragon, but a few were my own.<br />
[21:28] <+JamesSutton> Oh boy, see what you've started now Andrew?<br />
[21:28] <+Kenneth_Hite> Who runs out of booze? That's like running out of rice. Or water.<br />
[21:28] <+JMThompson_BPI> I have some really good Tequila about 2ft from me, I will share :D<br />
[21:28] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Hey, I'm munching on Fun Dip right now, so I'm all set for another 30 minutes or so. :)<br />
[21:28] <+Rpgpundit> The Pundit will bury you all.<br />
[21:28] <+DavidFChapman> You may well win, Andy, I've got a shop (well, 2 shops) to open in about 5 hours, and need sleep!<br />
[21:28] <+LynneH> Botheration - I have books to edit... I suspect you may triumph<br />
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[21:28] <+JasonHolmgren> @TimKirk, MSH is very much a house-ruling game. =D But mad props to Jeff Grubb, for showing how that could be fun, and appropriate for the superhero setting.<br />
[21:28] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> +1 to Tim. I houserule the heck out of MSH.<br />
[21:28] <+Tim_Dugger> I like flexible rules, a base mechanic that can be adapted to a variety of situations -- makes it easier that way, I think.. hehe<br />
[21:29] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Theatre lifestyle wins again!<br />
[21:29] <+TimKirk> Indeed. Jason.<br />
[21:29] <@Abstruse> Kenneth_Hite: Heavy drinkers living in Texas in one of the few times during the decade it freezes and who didn't stop at the liquor store on the way home from work like he planned :/<br />
[21:29] <+BradElliott> I absolutely loved MSH FASERIP back in the day - quoted for truth, JasonHolmgren.<br />
[21:29] <+Rpgpundit> Unless the storm takes me down.<br />
[21:29] <+JasonHolmgren> MSH is a good starting point, because it has provisions for failure, success, and screamingly-good success, all vaugely defined. 'When in doubt, roll and shout' and see what happens.<br />
[21:29] <+JMThompson_BPI> I was hoping the schools here would be closed tomorrow. I have some editing I need to get finished this weekend, plus I have my D&D 40th game to run on Saturday. :-)<br />
[21:30] <+JasonHolmgren> Compare this to Gamma World 3rd edition, with its mind-melting rainbow-chart of something like NINE different degrees of success. Oops.<br />
[21:30] <+Rpgpundit> biggest one of the year so far. And I've never seen storms like we have here (not quite cyclones or typhoons or whatever, but damn close).<br />
[21:30] * +JMThompson_BPI lives in NW Louisiana<br />
[21:30] <+Rpgpundit> I do most of my work on the astral plane, so hours become kind of relative<br />
[21:30] <+LynneH> How is the Icec Age going over there in America?<br />
[21:30] <+Rpgpundit> Audience, I demand more questions damn it<br />
[21:30] * +BenRogers saw a mammoth today.<br />
[21:30] <+Kenneth_Hite> Abstruse In Chicago, we learn early to have enough liquor to last all winter.<br />
[21:30] <+TimKirk> I'm working on Spectra, it has ugh slightly more colors--I think. "No and, No, yes, but, yes, yes, and.." as color results.<br />
[21:31] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> It's clear weather here in Kansas. So far.<br />
[21:31] <+BradElliott> LynneH - I seem to be in an island of mild-ish weather here in the Pacific Northwest - counting my blessings.<br />
[21:31] <+Tim_Dugger> my cats started knocking on the door earlier, wanting to be let in...<br />
[21:31] <@Abstruse> Kenneth_Hite: Never been a problem before now. My bourbon supplies are dangerously low, but I've got vodka reserves.<br />
[21:31] <+TRA-Preston> I'm in Arizona, so if i talk about how nice its been I'll probably be murdered by everyone else<br />
[21:31] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Jetrauben> Question: What is your personal opinion of refluffing?<br />
[21:31] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> We had some nasty weather a couple or three weeks ago though.<br />
[21:31] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Back - I miss anything anyone needs from me?<br />
[21:31] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Refluffing?<br />
[21:31] <+JMThompson_BPI> refluffing?<br />
[21:31] <+BradElliott> Refluffing? New one on me. Sounds like a term from porn.<br />
[21:31] <+LynneH> What's refluffing?<br />
[21:31] <+Tim_Dugger> refluffing?<br />
[21:31] <+TRA-Preston> Refluffing? Like Retconning?<br />
[21:31] <+Andrew_Peregrine> ??? too<br />
[21:31] <+BenRogers> ....um.... the only "fluffing" I'm aware of doesn't take place in RPGs....<br />
[21:31] <+Ken_Spencer> The worst part of this long cold winter is that the dog and boy are not getting enough outside wide them down time.<br />
[21:31] <+TimKirk> It means reskinning something.<br />
[21:31] <+JasonMHardy> Jetrauben: It's a sign your fluffier is not doing an adequate job.<br />
[21:32] <~Dan> <@Abstruse> Basically taking something in the rules and changing the "fluff" part to use it as something else.<br />
[21:32] <+Rpgpundit> I think if we're talking about fluffing, Zak S. would have to answer that one. The rest of us aren't qualified.<br />
[21:32] <+JasonHolmgren> Oh!<br />
[21:32] <+BradElliott> Thank you, Dan!<br />
[21:32] <+TimKirk> I reskin stuff all the time. I used one of my games for Star Wars, so in a way it had refluffing going on..<br />
[21:32] <+BrentNewhall> So, reskinning an orc as a tough pirate?<br />
[21:32] <+DavidFChapman> I'm going to have to call it a night. The pesky day job requires I sleep. I just wanted to say how awesome this has been - I'm honoured and humbled to be in such company, and it's been amazing to chat with you. I rarely get to conventions so never get to meet other cool designers. Thank you all.<br />
[21:32] <+BradElliott> Never heard that one before.<br />
[21:32] <+TimKirk> I've done that too.<br />
[21:32] <+Kenneth_Hite> Jetrauben I've written half a dozen GURPS books. Reskinning is the whole point of what I write.<br />
[21:32] <+BenRogers> Like, chancing "Combat Reflexes" to "Trained Combatant" and re-writing the description?<br />
[21:32] <+JasonHolmgren> Well, as I said earlier, rules endorse a certain setting. I'm all for people applying their own fluff to stuff -- heck, GURPS, FATE, et al. depend on it. ... But only if it's appropriate.<br />
[21:32] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night David, glad you were here.<br />
[21:32] <+Rpgpundit> Cheers, David.<br />
[21:33] <+JamesSutton> G'night David!<br />
[21:33] <+JasonMHardy> I don't think it's an absolute good or bad. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it won't.<br />
[21:33] <+LynneH> Good night, David - hopefully I'll get to meet you in person sometime soon<br />
[21:33] <~Dan> You're welcome, Dave! Please come by any time!<br />
[21:33] <+Ken_Spencer> Night Dave<br />
[21:33] <+BradElliott> Good night, David!<br />
[21:33] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm all about player/GM creativity. I've had people use Cartoon Action Hour for all manner of things (including the TV show Dallas). I'm all for it!<br />
[21:33] <+JasonMHardy> Night David!<br />
[21:33] <+JasonHolmgren> For example, I'd think a straight d20 adaptation of Dr.WHO would be terrible.<br />
[21:33] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Night Dave! I claim a bitter victory :)<br />
[21:33] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I think they mean like taking the original Amber Diceless and doing that new thing with it<br />
[21:33] <+Kenneth_Hite> Night, David.<br />
[21:33] <+BradElliott> I'd have to agree, JasonHolmgren. The mechanics would enforce certain behaviors in-game.<br />
[21:33] <+TimKirk> I once used a single creature (stats0 to represent Storm Trooper squads in a game..so...<br />
[21:33] <+Rpgpundit> I only come to this chat when I get invited to an interview, but I do enjoy it. I appreciate that this place exists so that others may soak in my wisdom.<br />
[21:33] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Or my aforementioned reference to DC Heroes, which was refluffed into something with the word Blood in it.<br />
[21:33] <+BenRogers> We talked about "re-skinning" Sixcess for particular settings. Calling Willpower "Sand" in a western-themed setting, for instance. We shelved the idea.<br />
[21:33] <+Tim_Dugger> if appropriate, I don't see it as a problem<br />
[21:34] <+DavidFChapman> Cheers all. Please find my social media outlets (Facebook/Twitter/etc) on (Link: http://www.autocratik.com)www.autocratik.com and keep in touch!!! G'night!<br />
[21:34] <+LynneH> I'm hoping to reskin the Cogs rules with a different setting, once old tentacle-chops has done with me<br />
[21:34] <+JMThompson_BPI> Sean, I like to pretend that doesnt exist :D<br />
[21:34] <+Ken_Spencer> If the system works for the new setting, go right ahead, but the d20 boom should ahve taught us the dangers of hammer and pick to make the two match.<br />
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[21:34] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I must admit one of my most loathed terms is 'Crunch' and 'Fluff'. It implies setting is unimportant and more complex rules somehow give you 'more game'. Growl<br />
[21:34] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Yeah, I am with you somewhat there, @Andrew, but when in Rome...<br />
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[21:34] <+BradElliott> Nice observation on the framing of the terms, Andrew_Peregrine. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.<br />
[21:34] <@Abstruse> To define terms, refluffing or reskinning is when you take the core mechanics for something and change the fluff to re-use it in a different context. Like keeping the core stats for a goblin, but instead calling it an ewok. Or doing so with an entire rules system, so Shadowrun becomes Outlaw Star with no changes to mechanics.<br />
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[21:35] <+Rpgpundit> Well, I ran my famous Legion campaign by reskinning D20 Star Wars Revised. It worked quite well. Of course, at that time ICONS didn't exist yet.<br />
[21:35] <+BenRogers> When I hear "crunch" I think "difficult terrain" and "fluff" makes me think of "a soft, comfy bed". I like the term "purple text" for descriptive writing, though. :)<br />
[21:35] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Oh yes, that ship has sailed without a doubt. But I still go Grrr<br />
[21:35] <+BradElliott> What, so this is 'Call the rabbit a smeerp'?<br />
[21:35] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 Andrew. When designing, I'll refer to 'formal' for stuff that has rules and numbers, and 'informal' for the more creative, right-brained stuff.<br />
[21:35] <+Kenneth_Hite> That said, most people (and certainly most publishers) pay me specifically for my own unique brand of fluff, so I'm not sure why you'd buy a book by me and change it to a book by someone else.<br />
[21:35] <+JasonMHardy> I'm with Andrew_Peregrine. I'm not fond of the term, but as SeanPatrickFannon says, sometimes you use it so people know what you're talking about. But I'll say grrr with Andrew.<br />
[21:35] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: If fluff makes you think of a comfy bed, you're clearly very innocent.<br />
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[21:36] <+LynneH> Can people please stop talking about comfy beds, please? Its 3.35am over here ;)<br />
[21:36] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Yog_Sothoth> Q: If you weren't designing pen and paper games for a living, what would you be doing?<br />
[21:36] <+Tim_Dugger> I use "rules" and "flavor text"<br />
[21:36] <+BenRogers> Pundit, well. ;) I was keeping it "family friendly" since I said "sh!tty weather" earlier and got called down for it. ;)<br />
[21:36] <+JMThompson_BPI> Teaching.<br />
[21:36] <+Rpgpundit> I don't quite make a living on RPGs alone, though its becoming a bigger part of my income each year.<br />
[21:36] <+BradElliott> Uh... there are people who design pen and paper games for a living?!<br />
[21:36] <+JasonMHardy> BenRogers: I don't know if I'd use "purple text" for flavor text, because I don't want to encourage some genre writers to overwrite any more than they already do.<br />
[21:36] <+Kenneth_Hite> Yog_Sothoth Writing in a different, perhaps better-compensated but less fun, field.<br />
[21:36] <+TimKirk> Yog Sothoth: I would be writing novels, which I do as well just slowly.<br />
[21:36] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Designing miniatures games. LOL! No, I'd probably go whole-hog as a freelance graphic designer.<br />
[21:36] <+BrettMBernstein> Got to go. Thanks everyone. Good job, Dan and Abstruse.<br />
[21:36] <+BenRogers> I don't design games for a living. I design them because I *LOVE* them.<br />
[21:36] <+Ken_Spencer> I would probably still be an archaeological field tech, and never see my wife and kid.<br />
[21:36] <+TimKirk> Heh with Brad..not much of a living, anyway<br />
[21:36] <+Andrew_Peregrine> My real job is as a lighting technician in the theatre<br />
[21:36] <~Dan> Bye, Brett! Have a good one!<br />
[21:36] <+Tim_Dugger> telephonic tech support of teleohones....... oh, wait, that IS what I do for a living....<br />
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[21:37] <+LynneH> Tricky, seeing as I gave up research science to become a teacher, then gave up being a teacher to become a games designer...<br />
[21:37] <+JasonMHardy> Writing _something_. It's about all I can do.<br />
[21:37] <+LynneH> Night, Brett<br />
[21:37] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Later, Brett.<br />
[21:37] <+BradElliott> TimKirk - I tried it myself, as some may recall - and like you, yeah, 'Not much of a living' described it well. But that's another story.<br />
[21:37] <+Ken_Spencer> Bye Brett<br />
[21:37] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Illustrating<br />
[21:37] <+JasonMHardy> By Brett.<br />
[21:37] <+JamesSutton> G'night Brett!<br />
[21:37] <+JasonHolmgren> @Yog_Sothoth, I'd be doing art direction on something else. =D<br />
[21:37] <+BradElliott> Bye, Brett!<br />
[21:37] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I've done just about every job you might think of, or at least something related to it, while pursuing this.<br />
[21:37] <+Andrew_Peregrine> bye<br />
[21:37] <+Kenneth_Hite> Night Brett.<br />
[21:37] <+JMThompson_BPI> I want to go into the field.<br />
[21:37] <+Tim_Dugger> nigth Brett<br />
[21:37] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night Brett<br />
[21:38] <+JMThompson_BPI> Well said Ben<br />
[21:38] <+SeanPatrickFannon> But I think if I'd not decided to plunge into the RPG industry, I'd be a very frustrated old hack still trying to make it as a writer/director in Hollywood. That was my original post-West Point plan<br />
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[21:38] <+BradElliott> I think I prefer JasonHolmgren's terms - formal and informal - because there aren't any judgement-framings built into those terms.<br />
[21:38] <+TimKirk> I might be illustrating too, if I could improve my art...l<br />
[21:38] <+BenRogers> I don't write games (or, lately, organizing freelancers to write games) because I get paid for it. I have a day job (two, actually). I write games because I love the creative outlet and I can't imagine doing anything else.<br />
[21:38] <+SeanPatrickFannon> After I discovered being a Military Academy graduated officer was off target<br />
[21:38] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> +1 Ben<br />
[21:39] <+Kenneth_Hite> BradElliott I'm not sure why we need more words besides "rules" and "setting".<br />
[21:39] <+Tim_Dugger> I use "rules" and "flavor text"<br />
[21:39] <+Ken_Spencer> +1 Kenneth Hite I'm not sure why we need more words besides "rules" and "setting".<br />
[21:39] <+BradElliott> <laughs> You're right, Kenneth_Hite! Overlook the basic terms for fancier ones.<br />
[21:39] <~Dan> A quick note before anyone else leaves: Please let me know (1) if you've enjoyed this, (2) if you think it would be worth doing again, and (3) if you have any suggestions to improve it. :)<br />
[21:39] <+BradElliott> +1 Kenneth_Hite<br />
[21:39] <+JMThompson_BPI> 1) Yes, 2) Yes, 3) No<br />
[21:39] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Going full time as a games writer was an old dream. But I realised recently that as a freelancer I get all the good bits but none of the bad ones. Going full time I'd have to write for things I wasn't especially keen on and do production work I'd rather not :)<br />
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[21:40] <+JasonHolmgren> @Ken, because you can have informal rules. For example, if a lord outranks a peasant, that's still a rule, just not one that means you have to roll dice.<br />
[21:40] <+Ken_Spencer> 1) I have enjoyed this. 2) Yes, do it again. 3) No<br />
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[21:40] <+BrentNewhall> (1) yes (2) yes (3) can't think of anything<br />
[21:40] <+Tim_Dugger> 1) yes 2) yes 3) practice herding cats more often....<br />
[21:40] <+GeorgeVasilakos> 1. Yes 2. Yes. 3. No<br />
[21:40] <+LynneH> Dan - 1) yes, 2) I would like to think so and 3) not in the early hours of the morning :)<br />
[21:40] <+Andrew_Peregrine> +1 on the above!<br />
[21:40] <@Abstruse> QUESTION: <JoshuaMeadows> Q: What is your favourite genre to write for?<br />
[21:40] <~Dan> LynneH: *chuckle*<br />
[21:40] <+TRA-Preston> 1) was fun 2) yes 3) don't listen to the uk people, the time was fine :)<br />
[21:40] <+JasonHolmgren> (1) Thanks for the opportunity! (2) Of course, and (3) you'd have to ask the audience. =D<br />
[21:40] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> 1) I have enjoyed this chat immensely. 2) Absolutely! 3) It's been pretty darn perfect.<br />
[21:40] <+TimKirk> Yes, Yes, No.<br />
[21:40] <+Kenneth_Hite> 1) sure, 2) maybe not for three hours on a weekend, and 3) see 2)<br />
[21:40] <+JMThompson_BPI> I think herding cats would be easier than dealing with the likes of us :D<br />
[21:40] <+Rpgpundit> I'm enjoying it. I'd do it again. I'd like more hardball questions.<br />
[21:41] <+JasonMHardy> 1) Enjoyed it; 2) Would do it again; 3) Only thing I can think of is maybe solicit questions in advance so that the questions for the next one don't repeat the ones here. Other than that, it was great!<br />
[21:41] <+TimKirk> I think its been immense fun, dealing with chaos and babbling.<br />
[21:41] <+Tim_Dugger> JoshuaMeadows: fantasy (quasi-medieval)<br />
[21:41] <+BenRogers> 1) Really enjoyed it. 2) Would love to do it again. 3) At first I was going to suggest fewer participants - but I really like the way the chatter mingles with the questions and answers.<br />
[21:41] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I'd suggest maybe having people grouped by country (say, all the Brits together), although I work best on New York time<br />
[21:41] <+JMThompson_BPI> Favorite genre to write: Alternate history.<br />
[21:41] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Happy to come back, maybe a them for next time around<br />
[21:41] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Favorite genre, eh? Probably horror, either slasher-based or Lovecraftian.<br />
[21:41] <+Kenneth_Hite> Like RPGpundit I'd like to have seen more questions, and more questions about design than biz stuff.<br />
[21:41] <+Ken_Spencer> Pulp, its wide open and more a mode or style than a single genre, but I love high action and adventure.<br />
[21:41] <@Abstruse> JMThompson_BPI: I have two cats and I run a podcast where we schedule game designers weekly to record. The cats are by far easier :p<br />
[21:41] <+BradElliott> 1) Enjoyed it 2) would do it again 3) definitely has to finish his current project to have more to say rather than just talk about my old stuff!<br />
[21:41] <+BrentNewhall> Mecha, the subject of my first system.<br />
[21:41] <+JamesSutton> 1) Yes 2) Yes 3) No<br />
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[21:41] <+Rpgpundit> Joshua: I actually have trouble sticking to one genre. There are some genres I know I'd be no good at doing; but on the other hand even though I know there is demand for me doing supplements to some of my games I often find myself distracted by the next genre I want to approach.<br />
[21:41] <+LynneH> It's easier to say the ones I'm not so comfortable writing for - hard sci-fi and rules-heavy systems<br />
[21:41] <+Kenneth_Hite> JoshuaMeadows Cthulhu Mythos horror. But you knew that.<br />
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[21:42] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Supers and Fantasy here. The two things I'm most known for, for a reason I guess<br />
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[21:42] <+BenRogers> Sci-fantasy with a blend of horror. Mingle Star Wars and Cthulhu and I'd be in a happy place.<br />
[21:42] <+JMThompson_BPI> Ken: I am shocked and amazed :D<br />
[21:42] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I've tended to write a lot of Victorian/Steampunk but anything a little different is good for me.<br />
[21:42] <+JasonMHardy> I love fantasy first, and have strong affection for noir. Hence me being where I am.<br />
[21:42] <+JasonHolmgren> @JoshuaMeadows: I'd go with historical, because I love research.<br />
[21:42] <+BradElliott> Genre? I love to take genres and try to create coherent settings out of them, like I did with WotG. May have to do it again sometime. :)<br />
[21:42] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm with you on the "noir" thing, Jason! LOVE that stuff!<br />
[21:42] <+SeanPatrickFannon> By the way, in case anyone's paying attention, I am actually designing a new superhero genre rules system from the ground up. There, my first public announcement of it.<br />
[21:42] <+BradElliott> Done with Wuxia, but love many others.<br />
[21:42] <+JMThompson_BPI> Jason: I figure its the best place to use my degree :D<br />
[21:42] <@Abstruse> SeanPatrickFannon: Second :p<br />
[21:43] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Swashbuckling was a particular favourite for me too. God I miss 7th Sea<br />
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[21:43] <+Rpgpundit> Sean: how is it going to be different from ICONS?<br />
[21:43] <+BradElliott> Keep us posted, SeanPatrickFannon?<br />
[21:43] <+TimKirk> My favorite genre is superheroes, then fantasy, sci fi, westerns, horror, wuxia fantasy, space opera, and more tied for second.<br />
[21:43] <+JasonHolmgren> I thought 7th Sea was still in print/<br />
[21:43] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Awesome, Sean! That excites me!<br />
[21:43] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Anyone interested in following along, ping me on FB and I will add you to the Secret FB Page for it. It's called "Handfuls of Dice."<br />
[21:43] <+BradElliott> Noir is awesome.<br />
[21:44] <+Andrew_Peregrine> You can still get it, but they arn't making more. So I don't get to write for it anymore :( Although I did do a lot of post publication pdfs<br />
[21:44] <+JMThompson_BPI> I love superhero games too,but have never written one... maybe this game of Seans will give me the opportunity :D<br />
[21:44] <+Rpgpundit> Brett's gone now, but Dark Streets is one of the best Noir RPGs ever.<br />
[21:44] <@Abstruse> Sean teased a little about it when he was on my podcast (Link: http://gamerstavern.org/?p=140)http://gamerstavern.org/?p=140<br />
[21:44] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Not going to spam the chat here about it, but lets just say I am taking some Old School "fun stuff" and adding in some New School design ideas.<br />
[21:44] <+BenRogers> Andrew Peregrine: 7th Sea was an influence in making ElfWood - our swashbuckling fantasy setting.<br />
[21:44] * +JMThompson_BPI is sad that Abstruse has never invited him on his show :(<br />
[21:44] <+SeanPatrickFannon> @Abstruse, I abandoned that path. This is all-new<br />
[21:44] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Its still my favourite game of all time.<br />
[21:45] <@Abstruse> JMThompson_BPI: I'm working my way through my rolodex! We're scheduling over a month out at this point, give me time :(<br />
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[21:45] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I'm sold, Sean. Totally sold.<br />
[21:45] * +LynneH imagines Andrew as a pirate<br />
[21:45] <~Dan> QUESTION: <Jadomonkey> If there's time for anymore questions: Are there any systems/mechanics that really rub you the wrong way?<br />
[21:45] <@Abstruse> SeanPatrickFannon: Ah. Well, if you want to know what Sean WAS working on, listen to my podcast ^_^;;<br />
[21:45] <+SeanPatrickFannon> (BTW, the roll-keep ideas from L5R and 7th Sea are something I am stealing)<br />
[21:45] <+Rpgpundit> I've got lots of time for questions<br />
[21:45] <+BenRogers> I don't like anything that uses a single die for resolution.<br />
[21:45] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Huzzah SeanPatrickFannon<br />
[21:45] <+TimKirk> Yes. A few games do.<br />
[21:46] <+JasonHolmgren> @Jadomonkey, I dunno if I can answer that with so many other designers in the room. *:)<br />
[21:46] <+JasonMHardy> Jadomonkey: THAC0<br />
[21:46] <+LynneH> Anything system where the rules do their utmost to get in the way of storytelling<br />
[21:46] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Anything that uses % dice<br />
[21:46] <+TRA-Preston> JadoMonkey I really hate the magic systems in anything D&D or D&D related<br />
[21:46] <+Rpgpundit> Jado:Ignoring Storygames, which aren't RPGs, within the RPG boundaries I don't care at all for point-buy character creation, or most dice-pool systems.<br />
[21:46] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I've always hated that, for not entirely rational reasons<br />
[21:46] <+BradElliott> I'm off. Great time, everybody! Dan - hope you do more of these.<br />
[21:46] <+BrentNewhall> There are no bad mechanics, only bad applications of mechanics.<br />
[21:46] <+Tim_Dugger> Jadomonkey: I would have to say alignment rules that force your character to act in certain ways...<br />
[21:46] <~Dan> I think I may, Brad!<br />
[21:46] <+JasonHolmgren> I don't like game systems that endorse inappropriate behavior.<br />
[21:46] <~Dan> Thanks for coming!<br />
[21:46] <+Andrew_Peregrine> The mechanic I loathe is 'unspend hero/fate/karma points become your experience points. It encourages you to avoid doing amazing things so you can get a better character.<br />
[21:46] <+LynneH> Night, Brad<br />
[21:46] <+JamesSutton> G'night Brad!<br />
[21:46] <+TimKirk> No murderhobos for Jason<br />
[21:46] <+JasonHolmgren> If any of you have Knights of the dinner table #1, there's a story that Jolly adapted from a rant I told him once. It's genius.<br />
[21:46] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Amen to that, Andrew<br />
[21:46] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> There are systems and mechanics that aren't for me, but none that annoy me.<br />
[21:46] <+Tim_Dugger> +1 JasonHolmgren<br />
[21:47] <+BradElliott> Thank you one and all.<br />
[21:47] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Night Brad<br />
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[21:47] <+Ken_Spencer> Zero to hero arcs. I don't have time for that much investment to get the character I want. Awesome and competent now, not in three years of play time.<br />
[21:47] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 Andrew -- it was a karma point story! :D<br />
[21:47] <+Rpgpundit> I don't agree, Brent: there are definitely mechanics that are worse than others.<br />
[21:47] <+Kenneth_Hite> Jadomonkey: Table lookups as conflict resolution.<br />
[21:47] <~Dan> Hmmm... So if I do more of these, the next question becomes: How often?<br />
[21:47] <+TimKirk> I don't mind tables, as long as its quick (MSH)<br />
[21:47] <+Rpgpundit> For starters, any mechanic who's probabilities are flawed.<br />
[21:47] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Once a month would be about right, or maybe once a quarter if that's too much<br />
[21:47] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Maybe every 3-6 months.<br />
[21:47] <+JMThompson_BPI> how often?<br />
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[21:47] <+TimKirk> 3-6 months is good.<br />
[21:47] <+Kenneth_Hite> Night, Brad!<br />
[21:47] <+TRA-Preston> 6 months i think, don't want them too often or they will lose their magic<br />
[21:48] <+JasonMHardy> I would say quarterly.<br />
[21:48] <+Andrew_Peregrine> 3-6 sounds a good call<br />
[21:48] <+Ken_Spencer> Quarterly would be best.<br />
[21:48] <+JasonHolmgren> 6 to 12 months, I'd say. Keep up the individual authors!<br />
[21:48] <@Abstruse> Dan: Quarterly. Rare enough they're still special, but often enough that people who can't make it don't feel too put out.<br />
[21:48] <+LynneH> Every couple of months. Quarterly is a good suggestion, though<br />
[21:48] <+JamesSutton> Quarterly<br />
[21:48] <~Dan> Yeah... Quarterly sounds good.<br />
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[21:48] <+BenRogers> NIGHTLY! ... Oh, wait...<br />
[21:48] <+Rpgpundit> For example, where someone with 1 rank in a skill actually has a better chance of success than someone with 4 ranks, because of some kind of funky dice-pool thing<br />
[21:48] <+JasonHolmgren> I'd worry we'd use all our good material. =D<br />
[21:48] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> LOL @ Ben<br />
[21:48] <+JMThompson_BPI> I probably missed a question, but yes... thats good :D<br />
[21:48] <+SeanPatrickFannon> @Jadomokey, straight percentile driven games always look at little *too* mathy to me, it's just a thing<br />
[21:48] <+JMThompson_BPI> Oh these things LOL<br />
[21:49] <+Kenneth_Hite> TimKirk I memorized MSH, so I don't count that. :^)<br />
[21:49] <+JasonHolmgren> I don't like games where people confuse quality with quantity.<br />
[21:49] <@Abstruse> And for the record, you guys are always welcome to come to #RPGnet and just hang out with fans. We're a friendly bunch and the conversations are always fun.<br />
[21:49] <+JasonHolmgren> For example, d20's skill rank system.<br />
[21:49] <+BenRogers> (Based on Pundit's preferences, I think his Sixcess review is going to *slaughter* us...) ;)<br />
[21:49] <+TimKirk> Indeed.<br />
[21:49] <~Dan> What Abstruse said. We love having game designers hang out with us. :)<br />
[21:49] <+Tim_Dugger> Dan is trying to collect us all<br />
[21:49] <+Tim_Dugger> we are like pokemon to him<br />
[21:49] <+JasonHolmgren> For YEARS, when I would ask, 'do you have Move silently skill', one player woud respond 'yes', even though we were 15th level and they had 1 rank in it. To them, they 'had it'.<br />
[21:49] <+TimKirk> They always make me look tiny :D<br />
[21:49] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Mechanics that try to cover too much, like Armour class in D&D. Making an 14th level fighter in leather armour easier to land a blow on than a 3rd level fighter in platemail.<br />
[21:49] <+Rpgpundit> Ben: I have to say that unfortunately, you picked the worst of all possible worlds in Sixcess: Dice pools with both variable difficulty AND counting successes.<br />
[21:49] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> I really need to find the time to chat more often.<br />
[21:50] <+JasonHolmgren> There's lots of games with meaningless numbers out there.<br />
[21:50] <+LynneH> Baggsy Naughty Squirtle<br />
[21:50] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Not hard - we are still a fairly small crowd of people. Not many insane enough to do this for even half-a-living. :-D<br />
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[21:50] <+JMThompson_BPI> Mine tell me exactly what the rank in the skill is , and we work according.<br />
[21:50] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Rpgpundit - You are going to *despise* "Handfuls of Dice. Heh.<br />
[21:50] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I want the Snorlax<br />
[21:50] <+JasonMHardy> Oh, and alignment. Can't recall ever seeing that done right.<br />
[21:50] <+GeorgeVasilakos> i gotta get going myself - anyone have any questions for me before I leave?<br />
[21:51] <+JasonHolmgren> @JMThompson_BPI, your players know math. An RPG should be friendly. Otherwise, you're reducing your pool to 'only people good at math'.<br />
[21:51] <+LynneH> Night, George<br />
[21:51] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Okay, yeah, I'm with you on alignment, Jason. I've always seen it as pointless and stifling.<br />
[21:51] <+JamesSutton> G'night George<br />
[21:51] <~Dan> None here, George! Thanks for coming by!<br />
[21:51] <+TimKirk> Goodnight George!<br />
[21:51] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Hey, GeorgeVasilakos, I got one - how's it hangin'?<br />
[21:51] <@Abstruse> I loathe roll-under. It's counter to everything fun about gaming. I never want to look down at the die and say, "Yes! I rolled a one!!"<br />
[21:51] <+Tim_Dugger> night George<br />
[21:51] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think alignment can work, as long as it is used as a convenient hanger for morality rather than a cast iron set of beliefs<br />
[21:51] <+SeanPatrickFannon> ;-) Good seeing you, George<br />
[21:51] <+GeorgeVasilakos> heh<br />
[21:51] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Bye, George!<br />
[21:51] <+Ken_Spencer> See you George!<br />
[21:51] <+Rpgpundit> Sean: I would guess just from the name I wouldn't care for it. "Despise" might be strong. The real test of a supers rpg is the Batman v. Superman dilemma.<br />
[21:51] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Bye George!<br />
[21:51] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 Abstruse. Roll-under has largely disappeared for that reason.<br />
[21:51] <+TimKirk> Andrew: That's where I am.<br />
[21:52] <@Abstruse> QUESTION: <Abstruse> Where do you see the industry going and how do you think it will change in the next few years?<br />
[21:52] <+JMThompson_BPI> I guess the definition of "friendly" means different things to different people. Which is not bad at all.<br />
[21:52] <+JasonHolmgren> @Abstruse: simpler and faster.<br />
[21:52] <+Rpgpundit> You guys should see how I did alignment in Arrows of Indra; there are ways to make it extremely relevant and interesting, rather than stifling.<br />
[21:52] <+BrentNewhall> More fragmented.<br />
[21:52] <+LynneH> If we knew that, we could all be millionaires in a few years time ;)<br />
[21:52] <+Kenneth_Hite> Night, George!<br />
[21:52] <+TimKirk> Lots of more electronics, lots of smaller games/fandoms<br />
[21:52] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Rpgpundit - then you might well fall in love with HoD, because that's one of the prime design goals, to make that work.<br />
[21:52] <+LynneH> Well, maybe not millionaires...<br />
[21:52] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I'd hate to predict, but it will definatly change.<br />
[21:52] <+TRA-Preston> I think I need to leave and get some food. It was lots of fun everybody.<br />
[21:52] <+Rpgpundit> abtruse: It depends mainly on whether D&D Next ends up being successful or not; which in turn depends largely on just how much Mike Mearls listens to me.<br />
[21:53] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Lots more crowndfunding and digital experimentations, is what I foresee.<br />
[21:53] <+LynneH> Night, TRA<br />
[21:53] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think digial media will grow but we will still be making books.<br />
[21:53] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night Preston<br />
[21:53] <~Dan> Bye, Preston! Have a good one!<br />
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[21:53] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Night LynneH ! Hopefully catch you soon!<br />
[21:53] <+JamesSutton> G'night Sean, Lynne!<br />
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[21:53] <+LynneH> I'm not going anywhere<br />
[21:53] <+JasonHolmgren> There will always be a market for 'grognard' games with math in three-orders-of-magnitude, but the more successful games will be the ones that have strong appeal.<br />
[21:53] <+Ken_Spencer> We may have to get used to living in a world where there is no front runner game, and a mad scramble for audience amongst the smaller IPs.<br />
[21:53] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Abstruse - Lots of small operations, fan-driven houses, creator-owned awesomeness, and more integration with tech tools while still hewing close to the tabletop gathering<br />
[21:53] <+GeorgeVasilakos> We will see lots of newer product - incorporating more things into the 'game' - like tech and toys. The 'standard' RPG needs something more tangible to bring in the new boardgamers that have given the hobby new blood.<br />
[21:53] <+JMThompson_BPI> I dont seen the end of the printed book in my lifetime.<br />
[21:53] <+Tim_Dugger> the general trend, over the last 10 years or so has been towards smaller (which can sometimes mean simpler) games, I think that trend is leveling out, but it can always go in either direction (especially for outliers...)<br />
[21:53] <+JasonMHardy> I think growth is possible, but it needs to be based on showing what's good about RPGs and finding tools to amplify that.<br />
[21:53] <+TimKirk> Indeed.<br />
[21:54] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Ah, LynneH, thats me not reading properly!<br />
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[21:54] <+JamesSutton> My bad....<br />
[21:54] <+LynneH> Dammit, man, you threw down the gauntlet!<br />
[21:54] <+Kenneth_Hite> +1 SeanPatrickFannon modulo D&D NEXT performance, of course.<br />
[21:54] <+JasonHolmgren> I'll echo LynneH's statement that we don't really know. For example, a My Little Pony game would STILL sell a gazillion copies, even it had 500 pages of rules like Dresden Files.<br />
[21:54] <+Rpgpundit> If D&D fails to return to its natural place as the Vanguard of the industry, its going to go very badly for the Industry as a whole. Of course, as I said before, hobby and industry are two different things.<br />
[21:54] <+JasonMHardy> I would be more specific, except I'm not smart enough.<br />
[21:54] <+JamesSutton> Hi Lynne!<br />
[21:54] <+Kenneth_Hite> Night LynneH<br />
[21:54] <+GeorgeVasilakos> Print will be the way to get the people in initially then keep them coming back with PDFs<br />
[21:54] <+JamesSutton> Great you are still here!<br />
[21:54] <+JamesSutton> :)<br />
[21:54] <+TimKirk> Night LynneH<br />
[21:54] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think we need to find a way to expose more people ot gaming rather than trying to sell to the already converted<br />
[21:54] <+Kenneth_Hite> I blame Andrew.<br />
[21:54] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Rpgpundit, cannot agree with you at all there<br />
[21:55] <@Abstruse> Related, do you think that the exposure through shows like Wil Wheaton's Tabletop, the Community D&D episode, the Penny Arcade Acquisitions Incorporated games, Brian Posehn's Nerd Poker podcast, etc. growing the hobby?<br />
[21:55] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I shall still win, possibly<br />
[21:55] <+LynneH> Ken, it's always good to blame Andrew<br />
[21:55] <+JMThompson_BPI> I think licensed properties can help with that, but maybe not to the levels we need.<br />
[21:55] <+Rpgpundit> about what, Sean?<br />
[21:55] <@Abstruse> Or is it just preaching to the choir?<br />
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[21:55] <+GeorgeVasilakos> yes it grows the hobby - i see it every day in my game store<br />
[21:55] <+JasonHolmgren> @Andrew, the way to expose people more is to make the games more accessible and friendly. Again, i'll repeat that I hear people who are perfectly willing to wrap their brains around byzantine MMOs who are 'afraid' of tabletop RPGs. Something is wrong, there.<br />
[21:55] * +Andrew_Peregrine cries in a corner<br />
[21:55] <+Andrew_Peregrine> :)<br />
[21:55] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Between Pathfinder and Everybody Else, I don't see any Great and Terrible Flushing for us, even if Next doesn't sing to the heavens<br />
[21:55] <+Tim_Dugger> Andrew_Peregrine: you are getting sleepy... your eyelids are getting heavy....<br />
[21:55] <+JamesSutton> It's uncommon knowledge that Andrew, when read backwards, spells culpable.<br />
[21:55] <+JMThompson_BPI> Paizo is fairly strong in their market.<br />
[21:56] *** Dan sets mode +v BenRogers<br />
[21:56] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Things like that create exposure for games and it's hard for me *not* to thgink that it's helping the industry in significant ways.<br />
[21:56] <+JasonMHardy> Abstruse: I think there's some growth possibilities there. Not huge, but such things build more positive perceptions, which doesn't hurt.<br />
[21:56] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I think people just need the oppotunity to play them. More gaming clubs perhaps or an industry wide effort to advertise in mainstream media. Perhaps conventions designed to introduce new people<br />
[21:56] <+Rpgpundit> Jason: I may be wrong but even very byzantine MMOs don't require you read 3 260-page rulebooks just to start playing.<br />
[21:56] <+GeorgeVasilakos> nite all!<br />
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[21:56] <+LynneH> I've been invited to run game demos at a local craft fair just to try and reach a different audience<br />
[21:56] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 RPGpundit. Hence, 'simpler and faster'. =D<br />
[21:56] <+Andrew_Peregrine> LOl<br />
[21:57] <+BrentNewhall> I'll make a wild prediction: online video gaming (via Google+ Hangouts and such) will see a huge surge, as it becomes a way for those MMO gamers to play tabletop RPGs.<br />
[21:57] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night George<br />
[21:57] <+Rpgpundit> The problem is the hobby has for a long time rewarded the fanatic: the obsessive collector of pretty books, the obsessive rules-devourer who uses the rules to "char-op".<br />
[21:57] <+BenRogers> Lynne: Craft fairs? Hmmm... I'd be interested in knowing how that goes....<br />
[21:57] <+LynneH> Night, George<br />
[21:57] <+LynneH> Me, too, Ben, which is why I can't say no ;)<br />
[21:57] <+BenRogers> We ran Sixcess with a 75 year old grandma who had never gamed before in her life. She picked it up in about 30 minutes and had a blast.<br />
[21:57] <+JasonHolmgren> +1 BrentNewhall, I'd second that. I've yet to see a good 3rd party tool for RPGs. The few that stand up tallest have a strong d20 bias.<br />
[21:57] <+BrentNewhall> Yeah, I'll be trying to run RPGs and board games at a local Maker Faire.<br />
[21:58] <+Andrew_Peregrine> We wondered about doing 'gothcentric' games like Vampire at Whitby. I also remember LynneH doing Cogs at a Steampunk weekend<br />
[21:58] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I *want* online tabletops to be awesome, but I can never seem to find the time myself to get into them as I wish to. I also greatly covet my "at the table" time with people here in my "gaming pub."<br />
[21:58] <+BrentNewhall> JasonHolmgren: Let me demo Hangouts with DiceStream and the Hangout Toolbox for you some time. :-)<br />
[21:58] <+LynneH> I did do Cogs at a Steampunk weekend. In fact, there's now a gaming stream at said weekend<br />
[21:58] <+TimKirk> We need custo soundboards for gaming tablets.<br />
[21:58] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I did hear a good idea of using the 'tupperware party' model. You have someone come over to run a game for you for the evening and they have copies of the books you can buy should you want to<br />
[21:59] <+JMThompson_BPI> Im the same way Sean, I have 3-4 games going on a month at the table.<br />
[21:59] <+Andrew_Peregrine> LynneH thats excellent. I keep meaning to revisit asylum but never quite get organised<br />
[21:59] <@Abstruse> One last question from me...What is your favorite thing about working in the tabletop gaming industry?<br />
[21:59] <+Ken_Spencer> Andrew Great idea, gaming party night.<br />
[21:59] <+LynneH> Interesting idea<br />
[21:59] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I've also been concerned about the inconsistency of the technology to deliver a stable experience. Too much dependency on the networks not dropping people or otherwise futzing the experience up<br />
[21:59] <+Rpgpundit> Abtruse: Revenge.<br />
[21:59] <+LynneH> Abstruse - the people<br />
[21:59] <+JasonMHardy> That my job is writing stuff for games.<br />
[21:59] <+BrentNewhall> Intelligent people engaged in reasoned debate.<br />
[22:00] <+JasonHolmgren> @Abstruse -- it's working with my idols, like Carl Critchlow, Matt Howarth, David Lillie... =D<br />
[22:00] <+JMThompson_BPI> My favorite thing is getting to meet all the people that I had been fans of my entire life and now getting to be a peer with them.<br />
[22:00] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I beleive it was Laura Skarka's idea but I'll take credit :)<br />
[22:00] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I don't have to wear pants when I go to work.<br />
[22:00] <+Kenneth_Hite> Abstruse: Pants optional.<br />
[22:00] <+LynneH> I've had the pleasure of meeting and working with some wonderful, gifted, and amazing people because of the industry<br />
[22:00] <@Abstruse> Kenneth_Hite: TMI, dude. TMI.<br />
[22:00] <+TimKirk> Hopefully better internet will be something in the states---other countries have it already. Which should help with the dropped stuff<br />
[22:00] <+SeanPatrickFannon> Kenneth_Hite - jinx!<br />
[22:00] <+JMThompson_BPI> Well the whole pants optional thing is pretty cool :D<br />
[22:00] <+Andrew_Peregrine> I love seeing what other people have done with my stuff, how they've taken something and run with it<br />
[22:00] * +LynneH tries not to laugh at Americans using the word "pants"<br />
[22:01] <+JasonHolmgren> Trousers optional. ;)<br />
[22:01] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Its also pretty damn awesome to get to write something and be part of one of our favourite games<br />
[22:01] <+Ken_Spencer> The people I work with, colleagues who I barely know being friendly and helpful, and the fans. Plus, I get to do something I love and someone pays me to do it. A rare thing in life.<br />
[22:01] <+Kenneth_Hite> Abstruse: Okay -- I'm measurably contributing to people's fun. Beats mapping insurance networks, which is what I was doing before.<br />
[22:01] <+SeanPatrickFannon> I am mightily charged up by the excitement and joy others get from what I've given them to play with. That is a high nothing else can touch<br />
[22:01] <+JMThompson_BPI> We cant help it if you British have done funny things to our language :D<br />
[22:01] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Thats fighting talk!<br />
[22:01] <+Kenneth_Hite> Also, getting paid to type the word "Romulan" was pretty neat.<br />
[22:01] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> My favorite thing is the camaraderie among designers/publishers. So, yeah, it's the people. Plus, the notion of taking *nothing* (a blank page) and turning it into a game for others to enjoy is an amazing rush.<br />
[22:01] <+BrentNewhall> Ha<br />
[22:01] <+SeanPatrickFannon> "I've got your book on my shelf, and I really love it!" Yeah, that's manna.<br />
[22:02] <+LynneH> Our version of suspenders is better than yours ;)<br />
[22:02] <+Andrew_Peregrine> +1 Kenneth_Hite and I'll raise you 'TARDIS' :)<br />
[22:02] <+TimKirk> My favorite thing is writing. So..;D<br />
[22:02] * +SeanPatrickFannon is currently not wearing pants, as it turns out.<br />
[22:02] <+Andrew_Peregrine> +1 LynneH<br />
[22:02] <+Kenneth_Hite> Lookit that -- it's 10:01 Central. Time for me to go pester the cat. Thanks for having me, all.<br />
[22:02] <+JamesSutton> o.O<br />
[22:02] <+JasonHolmgren> okay, when people are taking off their pants, that's a cue for me to leave.<br />
[22:02] <~Dan> Thanks for coming, Kenneth!<br />
[22:02] <+JMThompson_BPI> LAter Ken. Have a good one.<br />
[22:02] <+SeanPatrickFannon> And on that note!<br />
[22:02] <+LynneH> Night, Ken - a pleasure, as always<br />
[22:02] <+JasonHolmgren> thanks for the chat, everyone.<br />
[22:02] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Bye Ken!<br />
[22:02] <+JasonMHardy> I'm wearing three pairs of pants, just to help make things average out okay.<br />
[22:02] <+Ken_Spencer> Night Kenneth<br />
[22:02] <+SeanPatrickFannon> It was great, as always, Ken!<br />
[22:02] <+TimKirk> Goodnight all!<br />
[22:03] <+Rpgpundit> Quitters.<br />
[22:03] <+TimKirk> Who are leaving...<br />
[22:03] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Hey I just got back an you guys are still on!<br />
[22:03] <+JMThompson_BPI> I think I have a book on my shelf by nearly everyone that was in here tonight.<br />
[22:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Later, Ken.<br />
[22:03] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Not sleepy yet LynneH?<br />
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[22:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Well, gang, it's been fun, but I really need to get off the computer for a while, as I'm recovering from being ill and I'm feeling a bit drained. Thanks for inviting me to this amazing shindig. It's very humbling. :)<br />
[22:03] <+LynneH> Nice try, Andrew_Peregrine<br />
[22:03] <~Dan> Thanks for coming, Cynthia! :)<br />
[22:03] <+BenRogers> Cynthia, talk to you tomorrow?<br />
[22:03] <+TimKirk> Stay Well Cynthia<br />
[22:03] <+Andrew_Peregrine> :)<br />
[22:03] <+SeanPatrickFannon> As it turns out, I need to go as well - still some things to handle across the many boards I have in play, so to speak.<br />
[22:03] <+JMThompson_BPI> Night Cynthia, hope you recover well.<br />
[22:03] <+Ken_Spencer> Bye Cynthia, feel better soon.<br />
[22:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Absolutely, Ben. :)<br />
[22:03] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Bye Cynthia!<br />
[22:03] <+JamesSutton> G'night Cynthia. Get well soon.<br />
[22:03] <+LynneH> Night Cynthia. I hope you feel better soon<br />
[22:03] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Bye Cynthia<br />
[22:03] <+BenRogers> Nighters, my friend.<br />
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[22:03] <~Dan> Actually, I need to wrap things up on my end, but I'll have the log posted shortly!<br />
[22:03] <+CynthiaCelesteMiller> Thanks, all. 'Night!<br />
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[22:04] <~Dan> Please feel free to stay and chat as long as you like, here or in #rpgnet!<br />
[22:04] <+SeanPatrickFannon> So I shall also bid my Good Nights, and remind you all - if you are interested in following along with the Handfuls of Dice development, let me know!<br />
[22:04] <+JasonMHardy> Later Cynthia! Good chatting with you!<br />
[22:04] <+Andrew_Peregrine> But Dan, if you leave Lynne and I draw!<br />
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[22:04] <+LynneH> Night, Sean<br />
[22:04] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[22:04] <+ChrisRutkowsky> Okay then, glad I made it back to say goodbye to folks then!<br />
[22:04] <+Tim_Dugger> Sean -- have already pinged you on FB<br />
[22:04] <+Andrew_Peregrine> Night Sean too<br />
[22:04] <+JamesSutton> G'night Sean!<br />
[22:04] <+BrentNewhall> Great chat, Dan! Well done!<br />
[22:04] <@Abstruse> I'd like to thank you all for joining us tonight. I didn't realize I'd be working until I joined the room, so thank you all for making it so easy on me, both guests and attendees.<br />
[22:04] <+Rpgpundit> So who's staying for the Afterhours?<br />
[22:04] <+LynneH> the Brits - it's traditional ;)<br />
[22:05] <~Dan> Yes, thank you VERY much for your help, Abstruse.<br />
[22:05] <+Rpgpundit> When we can cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war<br />
[22:05] <+Andrew_Peregrine> So the party is moving into the kitchen?<br />
[22:05] <+JMThompson_BPI> I can stay for a bit longer, but I have to go warp minds in the morning and try to teach them to think.<br />
[22:05] <+BrentNewhall> I'll keep the chat window open; I have laundry in the machine.<br />
[22:05] <+JamesSutton> Or the basement.<br />
[22:05] <~Dan> Kurt was going to help but couldn't make it.<br />
[22:05] <+LynneH> Thank you for having us, Dan, Abstruse<br />
[22:05] * +SeanPatrickFannon staggers over to the bar, right next to his desk, for more nummy booz-ahol<br />
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[22:05] * +Tim_Dugger reaches for the nectar of the gods.... Mountain Dew...<br />
[22:05] <@Abstruse> Dan: I would've said no if I wasn't honored for the opportunity. Thanks for "asking" me :p<br />
[22:05] <+Ken_Spencer> Its late for me. Time to read the boy a bed time story. Thanks for having me along with so many people whose body of work is much greater than mine.<br />
[22:06] <+JamesSutton> I love the way everyone "disintegrates" when they leave chat.<br />
[22:06] <+LynneH> Night, Ken<br />
[22:06] * +BenRogers sips peppermint tea, sweetened with stevia, over ice -- out of a mason jar. :)<br />
[22:06] <~Dan> Abstruse: Certainly. :)Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-46837143797061795502014-01-21T19:48:00.002-08:002014-02-07T12:56:54.101-08:00[Q&A] Jerry D. Grayson (Atlantis: the Second Age)[19:11] <+Jerry> Im Jerry D Grayson. Ive been publishing RPGs since 2002 starting with GODSEND Agenda<br />
[19:11] <+Jerry> Since then Ive published HELLAS: Worlds or sun and stone and ATLANSTIS<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:12] <+Jerry> Im a Taurus<br />
[19:12] <+Jerry> Done<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Thanks, Jerry!<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question?<br />
[19:12] <+GenoFoxx> Hurray for HELLAS!!<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Not exactly a question, but thanks. :)<br />
[19:12] <&Le_Squide> Who the heck do you license the Omni system from, anyway?<br />
[19:13] <&Silverlion> Jerry: Why did you cut down the races from the original material, and spin an established line into a slightly different direction?<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:14] <&Silverlion> <--really likes the new Atlantis, but knows people will be curious<br />
[19:14] <+Jerry> I Scott Agnew owns the Omni system<br />
[19:14] <+Jerry> I own the Omega system...kinda like McDonals and Mac Dowells<br />
[19:14] <+JamesGillen> Ah<br />
[19:14] <+Jerry> SMS own the system used for Talislant aand Scott gave it a name and repackaged it<br />
[19:15] *** Silverlion is now known as Editor<br />
[19:15] <+JamesGillen> So what are the differences?<br />
[19:15] <&Le_Squide> Is Hellas the Omni system or the omega system at this point?<br />
[19:15] <+Jerry> Each iteration is a bit different. If you want Omni talk to Scott<br />
[19:15] <+Jerry> HELLAS is Omegas<br />
[19:15] <+Jerry> Now for the races<br />
[19:16] <+Jerry> I cut most out because I wanted to narrow the focus of the game<br />
[19:16] <+Jerry> I also wanted to jetison the Tolkeine stuff in favor of a more exotic feel<br />
[19:17] <+Jerry> I also got rid of a ton of classes and trimmed that down to 16<br />
[19:17] <+Jerry> Done<br />
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[19:18] <~Dan> Jerry: Did you see JamesGillen's question about the differences between Omni and Omega?<br />
[19:18] <+Jerry> Oops no<br />
[19:18] <+JamesGillen> heh<br />
[19:18] <+Jerry> The big differences<br />
[19:18] <+Jerry> Hero Points<br />
[19:18] <+Jerry> The disadvantage system<br />
[19:19] <+Jerry> Scaling<br />
[19:19] <+Jerry> Charcter creation<br />
[19:19] <+Jerry> Examples that use the name Tyrone Biggums<br />
[19:19] <&Editor> Do you see any advantages in the jettisoning? Besides being something like that?<br />
[19:20] <+Jerry> no derived attributes so CR and MR are free to be purchased as you see fit<br />
[19:20] <+Jerry> Of the races?<br />
[19:20] <+Jerry> I see a better defined game<br />
[19:21] <+Jerry> A lot of games try and cater to everyone and manage to not be very good games. I think Ive managed to make a game that focuses or directs play into a certain style of play<br />
[19:21] <+Jerry> or at least thats my goal<br />
[19:22] <+JamesGillen> what is that style?<br />
[19:22] <&Editor> Do you feel the added complexity of magic is worthwhile for its return?<br />
[19:22] <+Jerry> Getting rid of a lot of the races and classes upset a lot of people. Thats cool because I cant please everyone and thats not my goal. I want to make a game that stinks of Jerry's version of ATLANTIS<br />
[19:23] <+Jerry> BTW, here is a coupon ofr the game (Link: http://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=77972)http://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=77972<br />
[19:23] <+Jerry> Downlaod it tonight, it goes bye bye wednesday<br />
[19:23] <+Jerry> DONE<br />
[19:23] <~Dan> Let's back up a bit. For those unfamiliar, can you give us a high-level overview of the setting?<br />
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[19:24] <+Jerry> It’s a sword and sorcery RPG set in the antediluvian prehistory of version of our earth<br />
[19:25] <+Jerry> More sword and sorcery and less Tolkien. Its flavored for Conan and Elric and less Lord of the Rings<br />
[19:25] <+nick3> Is it one of those settings with Elves and Dwarves in all but name ?<br />
[19:25] <+Jerry> Done<br />
[19:26] <+Jerry> Nope<br />
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[19:26] <+Jerry> It has very defined races that are very Non-European in flavor<br />
[19:26] <+Jerry> Done?<br />
[19:27] <+Jerry> I take that back...<br />
[19:27] <+Jerry> I want t talk about races a bit more<br />
[19:27] <&Editor> Isn't Elric an elf by another name/<br />
[19:27] <+nick3> sorry, thought I was handing you an easy bridge to explain your vision further .<br />
[19:28] <+Jerry> Nope, He's Melnibonean. It like saying A Kappa is an Asain Goblin<br />
[19:28] <+Jerry> Asian, sorry<br />
[19:29] <+Jerry> If Elf means any ancient and learned race then I guess but it a lot different<br />
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[19:29] <~Dan> (Well, technically, we learn in one of the Corum books that Melniboneans and their cross-dimensional kin are called "elves" on Earth. :) )<br />
[19:29] <&Editor> Most people usually don't agree, from my recent research. But I'm not a fan of such broad "elf" definitions<br />
[19:29] <+Jerry> Ive heard Vulcans compared to elves as we know them in RPGs but ther arent<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (But that's neither here nor there.)<br />
[19:29] <+JamesGillen> One could make the comparison but it's not totally accurate<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Welcome, Wayward1! Here for the Q&A?)<br />
[19:29] <+Wayward1> yes<br />
[19:30] <+Jerry> Also there is a lot of baggage tied to elves in RPGs that isnt there in mythology<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> (In progress! The floor's open to questions!)<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> Jerry: Would you like to give an overview of the Omega system?<br />
[19:30] <+Jerry> There are expectations in RPGs tied to those "classic" races<br />
[19:30] <+Jerry> Sure<br />
[19:31] <+Jerry> Omega has its roots in the early version of the Talislanta RPG, second ed I think.<br />
[19:32] <+Jerry> 1D20 rolled and you try to get an 11 or better for a full success. 6-10 ia a partiial and a 1-5 is a failure<br />
[19:33] <+Jerry> 20+ is a crit . Skill +attribute modify the roll<br />
[19:33] <+Jerry> The roll is futhre modified by the Degree of Difficulty (DoD) set by the GM<br />
[19:34] <+Jerry> A roll may have a DoD of -8 to climb a wall but a hero may have a +10 to complet ethe task<br />
[19:34] <+Jerry> This means he has a +2 to his roll.<br />
[19:35] <+Jerry> The game runs on intent so its easy to navigate with intent<br />
[19:35] <+JamesGillen> What's that mean?<br />
[19:36] <+Jerry> If my intent was to swing across a building using a flag pole the GM can decde the modifire and what happens if he fails or gets a partial<br />
[19:36] <+GenoFoxx> what is Atlantis as a fantasy setting that would appeal to a diehard science-fiction gamer?<br />
[19:36] <+Jerry> Laser swords<br />
[19:37] <+Wayward1> What are the long term plans for Atlantis...books, apps, other games (board)<br />
[19:37] <+GenoFoxx> :o<br />
[19:37] <+Jerry> Intent helps players narrow in on what they actually want to do<br />
[19:37] <&Editor> Do you own Atlantis outright, or just the rights?<br />
[19:37] <+BPIJonathan> Can you give us an actual play type example?<br />
[19:37] <+Jerry> I own it.<br />
[19:38] <+Jerry> BPIJon give me an example as if you are a player<br />
[19:38] <+Jerry> Ill run you through it<br />
[19:39] <+Jerry> Then Ill answer Geno in depth and then Wayward<br />
[19:39] <+BPIJonathan> Im a loveable rogue and I need to steal the jewels out of a house to save the party... how would this work.<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> (Oh... and question pause.)<br />
[19:41] <+Jerry> Lets unpackage what youre doing. First you want to sneak into the house past the sleeping mastiff at the front door. You may try stealth or your animal handling. Stealth the slink past. Your intent is not to be seen. If you succedd you get past unnoticed. If you get a partial you sneak past with a minor trouble<br />
[19:41] <+Jerry> You may get past but the dog wakes and start to bark<br />
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[19:42] <+Jerry> If you use animal handling your intent may be to keep the dogs quiet and treat you as a friend.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> (Howdy, Songtress!)<br />
[19:43] <+Jerry> If you fail you are seen or the dogs may know the deal and attack. Thats a pretty simple example<br />
[19:44] <+Jerry> Intent helps a lot when figuring critical fails, critical success and partials in the game<br />
[19:44] <+Jerry> done<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> (I've got a follow-up question regarding criticals, but I'll let you catch up first, Jerry>)<br />
[19:44] <+Jerry> Now on to Geno's question...what does this offer the scifi crowd?<br />
[19:45] <+Jerry> Ask it now before Im fumble through the next question :)<br />
[19:46] <~Dan> Oh... Well, one issue I've had with Omni is that if you don't have a positive modifier, it's impossible to crit, and if you don't have a negative modifier, it's impossible to fumble. Is that still true with Omega?<br />
[19:46] <+Songtress> (Aww I've missed much fof the awesome Atlantis stuff, even though I'd love to get the game i was curious about the world)<br />
[19:46] <+Jerry> Hero Points!!!<br />
[19:46] <+Bigby> Hero Points let you fumble if you don't have a negative modifier?<br />
[19:47] <~Dan> (We haven't gone that in-depth into the setting, Songtress.)<br />
[19:47] <~Dan> Jerry: Ah, gotcha.<br />
[19:47] <+Jerry> Hero Points allow you to modify the roll. If the adversary gives you a DoD-20 to hit and you only have a skill of +8 chances are you will fail the roll<br />
[19:47] <+Jerry> Hero Points allow you to modify the roll by +2 for each point spent<br />
[19:48] <+Jerry> Hero Points are tied to the amount of Renown you have so the more famouse you are the more Hero Points you can spend.<br />
[19:48] <+Jerry> The more you spend the more Renown you get nbecause youve just done the impossible<br />
[19:48] <+Jerry> Its a feedback loop<br />
[19:49] <+Jerry> Th game is built to drive you forward into doing great deeds<br />
[19:49] <+Jerry> Not Good deeds<br />
[19:49] <+Jerry> But great deeds...you arent a good guy ina four color sense but the greater your name the more you can do<br />
[19:50] <+Jerry> It helps make the heros and players more proactive in the game environment<br />
[19:50] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:50] <+Jerry> Done<br />
[19:50] <+Jerry> now, where was I?<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> Geno's scifi question, I think.<br />
[19:51] <+Jerry> Oh yeah, laser swords<br />
[19:52] <&Editor> I so would right a hard SF game for Omega if I could...hrms..<br />
[19:52] <+GenoFoxx> keep your 'fantasy' away from my lightsabers :D<br />
[19:52] <+Jerry> If youre looking for scifi fantasy I suggest taking a look at HELLAS. Atlantis is very fantasy with a few twist tied to its history and past<br />
[19:52] <+Jerry> There are Vrill swords, gas pistols, and Vril lances and cannons, but they are from the past age and are verry rare<br />
[19:53] <+JamesGillen> So if HELLAS is now Omega, are those rules going to be redone?<br />
[19:53] <&Editor> Hellas is AWESOME. By the way. I've got 1E nand 2E.<br />
[19:53] <+Jerry> Thank you<br />
[19:53] <+GenoFoxx> so do I<br />
[19:53] <+Jerry> What ma appeal to you is the service weve paid to the diffrent races of ATLANTIS<br />
[19:53] <&Editor> (I traded for 2E because I had two copies of 1E, 3 if you cound the first one I got..)<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> (Just a reminder that Wayward1 has a question out there as well. :) )<br />
[19:54] <+Bigby> I am not familiar with the setting. Is the old Vrill stuff super advanced tech from some ancient race or magi-tech or something else altogether?<br />
[19:54] <+Jerry> Each provides and diffrent flavor to the game that helps build and reinforces the genre and thems Im shooting for<br />
[19:54] <+Jerry> Vril is geomantic energy that can be harnesed and used by artificers or magic users<br />
[19:55] <+Bigby> So Magi-Tech?<br />
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[19:56] <+Jerry> Ley lines, World rivers, etc= Vril energy. It was the go juice of the ancient world and used for almost everything. A rogue Atlantean prince made a WMD and blew up the world<br />
[19:56] <+GenoFoxx> so the HELLAS Atlanteans aren't related to this 'Atlantis'?<br />
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[19:56] <+Jerry> HELLAS and ATLANTIS have no connections except a few names<br />
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[19:56] <+GenoFoxx> :(<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Psychman, TKTuttle! Atlantis Q&A in progress!)<br />
[19:57] <+TKTuttle> Hellooo!<br />
[19:57] <+Jerry> Kinda magic tech I guess<br />
[19:57] <+Psychman> Yeah, what have I missed? Will it be posted up anywhere?<br />
[19:57] <+Jerry> but tech gives it the wrong flavor<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> The log will be posted on my blog, the link to which is in the chat topic. :)<br />
[19:57] <+Jerry> We sang Janes Addiction songs<br />
[19:57] <&Editor> It will be posted...yah, Dan got it :D<br />
[19:58] <+Jerry> Ok, what was the next question? What are the publishing plans?<br />
[19:58] <+Psychman> cheers<br />
[19:58] <~Dan> Jerry: Yup!<br />
[19:58] <~Dan> (Oh, also, #rpgnet2 is open for general chat.)<br />
[19:59] <+Jerry> 3 Core Books. Core book, the Geographica, and then the monster book.<br />
[20:00] <+Wayward1> thx<br />
[20:00] <+Jerry> Followed by the Action Deck (a card deck), a monster Deck, a set of adventures, and small players pack book, and a few city books.<br />
[20:00] <+Wayward1> nice<br />
[20:00] <+Songtress> " Actually I am curious will there be a physical book/ PDF combo available for purchase?<br />
[20:00] <&Editor> Will you add back in Martial Artists?<br />
[20:00] <&Editor> What about my question on magic? :D<br />
[20:00] <+Jerry> through IPR<br />
[20:00] <+Jerry> Im sorry editor. What was the question?<br />
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[20:01] <+Jerry> (Link: http://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=77972)http://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=77972 free PDFs for you songtress and anyone who want it<br />
[20:01] <&Editor> Were the changes (from Hellas to Atlantis) in magic, worth the added complexity?<br />
[20:02] <+Jerry> The added complexity? Im not sure what you mean. We added a lot more content because its more of a focus in ATLANTIS but its the same basic system<br />
[20:03] <+Jerry> In ATLANTIS all magic is the unshaped dreams of teh elder gods<br />
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[20:03] <+Songtress> Thank you Jerry<br />
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[20:03] <+TKTuttle> Will there be a starter adventure in the Core Book?<br />
[20:03] <+Jerry> Using it corrupts you and everyone fears a magic user<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Guest00, Guest43! You can set your names with the /nick command.)<br />
[20:04] <&Editor> Well I meant the various aspected elements...and such<br />
[20:04] <+Jerry> No happy magic users just walking around. When you use magic you reek of it..sometimes literally<br />
[20:04] <+Jerry> Ahh the element and the Atman<br />
[20:04] <&Editor> Not even shamans? Who talk to spirits?<br />
[20:05] <+Jerry> If you use magic you are in someone trafficing with the unknown and deeply troubled dreams of elder gods.<br />
[20:05] <+JamesGillen> Heavy.<br />
[20:06] <+Jerry> In the cosmology of ATLANTIS the world is formed from the fevered dreams of the elder gods. Every so often the god awake and realize that the world is covered in escaped dreams (us) and set about exterminating the vermin. that kicks off an epoch and teh world changes<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> Let's say I really dig the rules tweaks found in the Omega version of Atlantis but like the race options in the Omni version. How hard would it be to import the latter into the former?<br />
[20:07] <+Bigby> So are magic users mostly villains in the setting? If you want to play a magic user will you eventually go evil and have to retire the character? Or is there a way to walk that fine line in an extended campaign without you being the one special magic user that isn't evil?<br />
[20:07] <+Jerry> You would have to modify all the races so they arent run over by the races in the game<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> The races are more powerful in Omega, you mean?<br />
[20:08] <+Jerry> Bigby no. You will be tainted by the magic<br />
[20:08] <+Jerry> Think of magic users are being a bit off or creepy. long nails, sallow skin, sunken eyes<br />
[20:08] <+Jerry> babies crying, milk curdling<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> Dogs and cats, living together, mass hysteria!<br />
[20:09] <+Jerry> You can do good but it has a cost<br />
[20:09] <+Jerry> Dan races are very diffrent in the new version.<br />
[20:10] <+Jerry> They arent just a few modifiers here and there. they are very diffrent and have diffrent abilities and drawbacks<br />
[20:10] <+Jerry> also, nothing is balanced. I hate balance<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> So it would take a lot of effort?<br />
[20:11] <+Jerry> I shouldnt say I hate balance but ....no I think I do hat balance<br />
[20:12] <+Jerry> Nope, but it would take some time trying to figure out what the races do that makes them interesting<br />
[20:13] <+Jerry> done<br />
[20:13] * ~Dan nods<br />
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[20:14] <~Dan> I'm curious to hear your thoughts about nonhuman PCs in a swords and sorcery setting. With the exception of Elric/Corum -- who were deliberately created to be exceptions -- swords and sorcery seems to be a very humanocentric subgenre.<br />
[20:14] <+Jerry> It is<br />
[20:15] <+Jerry> The 7 races were a great compromise that I wanted to make work<br />
[20:16] <+Jerry> You should see some of the early drafs of the game<br />
[20:16] <+Songtress> Are the races only human? (the snatch from the Geographica made it seem like there were dozens more?<br />
[20:17] <+Jerry> I knew I wanted to seperate the Atlanteans and the humans, Nethermen are stolne from the movie Fire and Ice, Lemurians needed to be in there because of the other Theosophy elements I crammed in there<br />
[20:17] <+GenoFoxx> g'night<br />
[20:17] <+Songtress> Fire & Ice was a good movi (rotoscope!)<br />
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[20:17] <+Jerry> Yep I love Frenzetta<br />
[20:17] <&Editor> I hate rotoscoping<br />
[20:18] <+Jerry> Jinn are my elder race created out of the elder gods dreams...half formed being s of smoke and fire<br />
[20:19] <+Jerry> Ahl At Rab are my serpent men and the Andamen are my beastman army. Cant have a beast war without beast men<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> (And may the beastman win!)<br />
[20:21] <+Jerry> oops, done<br />
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[20:22] <~Dan> I know you're not a balance guy, but would you say that the Lemurians are relatively overpowered?<br />
[20:22] <+Jerry> No more question huh? that was easy!<br />
[20:22] <+Jerry> now on to the fun stuff...<br />
[20:23] <+Jerry> The game is full of easter eggs involving music, comics, and B movies<br />
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[20:24] <+Jerry> Just like in HELLAS Ive thrown a ton of song references in there and few in homage to Mr. T<br />
[20:24] <&Editor> Are there plans for other races elsewhere? A far east?<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> (Howdy, Abstruse!)<br />
[20:25] <+Abstruse> (Of course, the one Tuesday I'm not recording, I completely space on the Q&A!!)<br />
[20:25] <+Jerry> Nope. There are 5 Root Races. for the game<br />
[20:25] <+Jerry> Actualy I have a question<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> (Jerry, this is Abstruse, podcaster and RPG columnist for Ain't It Cool News. :) )<br />
[20:26] <+Jerry> Do you actually need more than 13 diffrent player races in the game? and if so why?<br />
[20:26] <+Jerry> Hello Abstruse<br />
[20:27] <+Abstruse> Jerry: Depends on the game. Some settings and some systems require it, but most don't and it leads to system bloat.<br />
[20:27] <+Jerry> like a cup of Metamusil<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> Not necessarily, but I kinda dig the gonzo approach to races that the last edition took. I'd love to have elves and dwarves in elf-y and dwarf-y environments along with advanced ape-men in their jungles and so forth.<br />
[20:28] <+JamesGillen> Metamucil is more of a flushing agent, isn't it?<br />
[20:28] <+JamesGillen> Oh yeah and why are the Lemurians apes?<br />
[20:28] <+Jerry> Unfortunately thats not the game I wrote. I get it but its not what I'm trying to do.<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> Oh, sure, I get that, Jerry.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> I'm not slamming your approach by any means.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> Although I will say this:<br />
[20:29] <+Jerry> I may be just that its an expectation of the genre but it could be so much more than D&D knock offs<br />
[20:29] <+Jerry> Dont get my wrong I love me some D&D but there is room for so many other takes on the genre<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> I think that if I were going the S&S route? I'd have those races you kept but would have them as the non-PC "Other".<br />
[20:30] <+Jerry> Its like music where veryone wants classic rock and gets wiered out when you put on a ska album<br />
[20:30] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:30] <+Jerry> Ahh, so you would have just humans and everything eles as other?<br />
[20:31] <+Abstruse> Who doesn't like ska?!<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> Yeah, I think so. See, I get why you cut out the Tolkien stuff...<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> ...but having a mixed party of mer-folk and ape-men and so forth doesn't really feel S&S to me, either.<br />
[20:31] <+Jerry> I can assure you that when you start playing the game you wont miss the elves. In fact they will look silly standing next to the other races<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> It feels like it's own, potentially cool, thing, but not quite S&S.<br />
[20:32] <+Jerry> Thats fair<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> So... I guess for me, personally, it's all-in or just humans. :)<br />
[20:33] <+Jerry> Think of the new ATLANTIS like a Jumbalaya and standard D&D fantasy as a steak and potatoes dinner<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> That said, I'm definitely giving the game a look and will reserve judgment.<br />
[20:33] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:33] <+Abstruse> (As a cajun, you have piqued my interested)<br />
[20:33] <+Jerry> I wanted to make a game that cant be mistaken for anything other than what it is.<br />
[20:33] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> An admirable goal.<br />
[20:34] <+Jerry> When I wrote HELLAS a few people asked if they could play Star Wars with it and I replied I hope not.<br />
[20:34] <+JamesGillen> HA<br />
[20:34] <+Jerry> I wanted you to play HELLAS with HELLAS<br />
[20:34] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> I get annoyed when I hear people saying that Game X can do "anything".<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> No. No, it cannot. I don't care what game it is.<br />
[20:35] <&Editor> I like Hellas better than Star Wars these days.<br />
[20:35] <+Jerry> If people want to take and port ATALNTIS I kinda hope they either give up because teh system is so ingrained in the setting that its too much trouble and just play a Pathfinder game<br />
[20:36] <+Jerry> I want people to play TALANTIS and know they are playing ATLANTIS, not another fantasy game based on their old D&D campainge<br />
[20:36] <+BPIJonathan> Im thinking I was getting Atlantis to play, well Atlantis<br />
[20:36] <+Jerry> I hope so<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> Oh, Jerry, would you like to mention a bit about how religion works in this edition? I think that's rather cool.<br />
[20:37] <+BPIJonathan> (Frankly if I am going to go through all the trouble to convert it to another system, I might as well write something new for that system)<br />
[20:37] <+Jerry> NOW, this may turn some people off but Im not making the game for them. Im making it who want to play something a bit diffrent . There is soul in this game<br />
[20:37] <+Jerry> Amen<br />
[20:38] <+Jerry> Now I will say that I do what I do in my niche because its a small niche and I cant compete with the big boys on their level<br />
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[20:38] <+Jerry> Im a garage band of publishers<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> (Howdy, Pony_Knight!)<br />
[20:38] <+Songtress> What Niche is that Jerry?<br />
[20:38] <+Jerry> the catfish of publihers<br />
[20:38] <+BPIJonathan> I feel that I am right there sharing space with you Jerry :D<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> Hey, I'm in the South, buddy. Catfish is awesome. :)<br />
[20:39] <+JamesGillen> Competing with the 'big boys' is self-defeating in any case.<br />
[20:39] <+Jerry> If you look at all my games they are kind of skewed. I didnt do a four color supers game with GODSEND Agenda<br />
[20:39] <+BPIJonathan> Amen Dan<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> (Another cool game, btw. :) )<br />
[20:40] <+Jerry> I love catfish dont get me wrong. But when you watch TV it isnt high on the list of great fish<br />
[20:40] <+Jerry> HELLAS wasnt Traveler style scifi<br />
[20:40] <+Jerry> and ATLANTIS isnt standard fantasy. In my estimation I will sell 1-1500 copies and that its<br />
[20:40] <+Guest30> I have a question. But if it's not easily answerable we can gloss over it.<br />
[20:40] <+Jerry> shoot<br />
[20:41] <+Guest30> I remember an email a while back where you talked about people asking for refunds. I didn't want one but figured that it had to do with another reboot (maybe reprint?) of the Atlantis on Kickstarter. Did that (the other reboot by ZiLa Games) significantly impact the your project?<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> Fire away, Guest30! (And you can set your name with the /nick command. :) )<br />
[20:41] <+Jerry> Zila and I arent competeing. We both own a peice of the pie and we are doing very diffrent things. I look forward to getting Arcanum when it comes out<br />
[20:42] <+Jerry> Some people on my KS felt I did a bait and switch on them. I feel I gave them more than what was orginally offered<br />
[20:43] <+Guest30> But you own the rights to the original IP? Did you greenlight ZiL'as project then?<br />
[20:43] <+Jerry> As always on the internet , they were having a kneejerk reaction and soon calmed down<br />
[20:43] <+Guest30> In terms of material, you went far beyond what you promised. No question.<br />
[20:44] <+Jerry> Bard Games made 3 books. The Arcanum, The Lexicon, and the Bestiry<br />
[20:45] <+Jerry> Zila owns the Arcanum and I own the other two. I own the game world and the monsters and Zila owns the basic game without the expansion. He contacted me to see what we should do and I suggested we do whatever we wanted to do because mine would be diffrent from his<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> That's very cool of you, Jerry.<br />
[20:45] <+JamesGillen> This doesn't look very much like the Bard Games one, that's for sure.<br />
[20:46] <+Jerry> I think the pools big enough for everyone to swim in and I should contact him to offer some help on the Graphic Design of his book ...not that he needs it but its what I do<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> On a related note, your Atlantis book is gorgeous.<br />
[20:47] <+Jerry> I hope the proofs in the pudding<br />
[20:47] <+BPIJonathan> Speaking of which, I really need to finish skinning this catfish Im working on :D<br />
[20:47] <+Jerry> Thank you. I hired a lot of talented artist and had a vision<br />
[20:47] <&Editor> Very pretty, I wish I could afford him..and artists..:D<br />
[20:48] <+Jerry> hehe<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> You mentioned "classes"... Are those literal D&D-style classes, or more like professions?<br />
[20:49] <+Jerry> more of a profession<br />
[20:49] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:49] <+Jerry> The gameisnt level based in the D&D sense<br />
[20:49] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:49] <+Jerry> You advance with Renown<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> Oh, and did you answer that religion question? If so, I missed it.<br />
[20:50] <+Jerry> The more Renown you have the more powerful you become<br />
[20:50] <+BPIJonathan> Are Hellas and Atlantis the same system (I dont have either one, and I may have missed this earlier)<br />
[20:50] <+Jerry> What religion question?<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> About how religion works in Atlantis -- the bennies priests get and so forth.<br />
[20:51] <+Jerry> BPIJon they use the same basic core system but HELLAS is my Legion of Superheroes and ATLANTIS is my Conan<br />
[20:51] <+Jerry> Religion, right!<br />
[20:51] <+Jerry> holy men are divorsed from magic<br />
[20:51] <+Jerry> There are no clerics in ATLANTIS<br />
[20:52] <+Songtress> oh that's interesting.<br />
[20:52] <+Jerry> peoplewho have the ear of the gods can beg for divine favors and depending on the god and how he feels about you he may give it to you<br />
[20:52] <&Le_Squide> If my players understand Hellas, will Atlantis be about the same, system-wise?<br />
[20:52] <+Jerry> Yes Le_Squide<br />
[20:52] <+Songtress> If Holy Men are Divorced from Magic (as I assume its because of the 'tainting effect) how does one up their favor with teir deity?<br />
[20:52] <+Abstruse> How does healing work in the system then?<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[20:53] <+Jerry> If I need extra Hero Points for an endevor I pray and offer sacrifice<br />
[20:53] <+Jerry> If Im succesful I get a sum of Hero Points to use. If I want to rain fire down on a village I can<br />
[20:54] <+Jerry> The diffrence is that Magic is something that anyone can learn and use at a cost. Its quick and open ended<br />
[20:54] <+Jerry> Divine favor is narrow nd slow<br />
[20:54] <+Jerry> A magic user can cast a spell to fly or turn invisble<br />
[20:55] <+Jerry> a holy man needs to ask a god for that and it may take 15 minutes and cost a lot of Hero Points<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> Someone on a forum thread mentioned getting +10 to Strength from an earth god so long as the character's touching the ground, for example?<br />
[20:55] <+Jerry> Divine favor is way more powerful but slower to use and much narrower in focus<br />
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[20:56] <+Jerry> In ATLANTIS all the gods are just shattred reflections of the Demiurge called Olodumare<br />
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[20:56] <+Jerry> When Olo was shatered aspects of his reflections where caught in the peices that fell to earth<br />
[20:57] <+Jerry> That way you can have 2 gods of the sky that are diffrent but have the same domnions<br />
[20:57] <+Jerry> They are both reflections of the orginal at diffrent angles<br />
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[20:57] <~Dan> This being S&S, I'm assuming that there are wicked cults. What do they worship? The Elder Gods? Fragments of the Demiurge? Demons?<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, JohnK!)<br />
[20:57] <+Jerry> This allows for diffrent pantheons of gods with very few rules for it<br />
[20:58] <+Jerry> Ba'al and Set where helps of Olodumare. They killed him and chopped him up<br />
[20:58] <+Jerry> Ba'al was the destroyer and could not create but he could pervert<br />
[20:58] <+JohnK> Thanks, Dan. Good to be here. :)<br />
[20:59] <+Jerry> Set was cunning and could create and made the Annunaki or the Nagaas they are called<br />
[20:59] <+Guest30> I actually haven't looked to closely at the PDF I have as a backer but a comparison springs to mind. How close, in terms of non-standard, or not commonly used fantasy tropes is the Atlantis 2nd Edition to Earthdawn?<br />
[20:59] <+Songtress> Are all the different Panteons named in the book or are players allowe some leway?<br />
[20:59] <+Jerry> The shattered peices of Olodumare (known as Orixa) cast both Ba'al and Set out and sent them packing<br />
[21:00] <+Jerry> All cults can trace their origins back to the two helpers Set and Ba'al<br />
[21:00] <+JohnK> Hey, Jerry... How u doing tonight? Hope it's warmer where you are.<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Gotcha.<br />
[21:01] <+JohnK> My first question is about the sword & sorcery feel of the game. What is your vision of sword & sorcery for the ATLANTIS game?<br />
[21:01] <+Jerry> Earthdawn is a lot diffrent, cool but diffrent. ATLANTIS builds on S&S fantasy mixed with Theosophy and a lot of Savage Sword of Conan comics:)<br />
[21:02] <+Jerry> I want the game to be about the personal drives of the hero (as embodied in their Atman)<br />
[21:02] <+Jerry> You arent just a dude with a sword but a driven hero with a purpose<br />
[21:03] <+Jerry> You have two choices in ATLANTIS- Drive toward your destiny with a fire in your belly or die in obscurity with nothing attached to your name. no good work done<br />
[21:03] <+Songtress> Pcs do not make their own destiny?<br />
[21:03] <+Jerry> And the game is very anti robot so you wont find Skynet here<br />
[21:04] <+JohnK> LOL! Glad to hear it. :)<br />
[21:04] <+Jerry> Yes you drive towards your destiny as defined by your Atman (soul)<br />
[21:04] <+Jerry> There are 6 elements that make up a soul in Atlantis<br />
[21:05] <+Jerry> Earth wind, fire water, void, and Emperyean<br />
[21:05] <+Jerry> This in game terms are you Hero Points<br />
[21:05] <+Jerry> Hero Points can be used for any roll in the game but diffrent Atman can get a little extra off out of it<br />
[21:06] <+JohnK> One of the things I really like in ATLANTIS is how the Pantheons are written up. While there are a few in the main rulebook, are there plans to write up other Pantheons in the Geographica? Or in some other product/supplement/pdf down the line?<br />
[21:06] <+Jerry> If you have 2 Hero Points in Earth and 3 in Air that defines yu as stoic or lyal (earth) who is a good talker (air)<br />
[21:07] <+Jerry> Yes, there may be a book of just gods at some point<br />
[21:07] <+JohnK> Will the Geographica sections address the Pantheons of the various places around the Antediluvian world?<br />
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[21:08] <&Silverlion> Whee..<br />
[21:08] <+Jerry> Nope, but I did throw in a section on the diffrent planst to be found there . I also threw in the secret location of the Skynet base so you can attack it<br />
[21:09] <~Dan> How different in content and tone will the new bestiary be from that of the last edition?<br />
[21:09] <+JohnK> Shame, as I was hoping for a basic listing of some of the gods in the various areas. Still, I understand with the size limitation of the book and the sheer amount of material to be in it.<br />
[21:10] <+Jerry> for the gods that is a lot of ground to cover and you have to remeber - page count =$$$$<br />
[21:11] <+Jerry> The new beast book is almost done. Its written using the monster creation system in the book. It also focuseson making the monsters non generic<br />
[21:11] <+JohnK> Yep, I know how that stuff works with producing rpgs and all. Sounds like a book about the deities/demons/Elder Gods might be a good idea. :)<br />
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[21:13] <+JohnK> What can u tell us about the mythological influences in the book? The previous edition had the Talislantan influence as well as a very European influence. How does this version of ATLANTIS compare in that regard?<br />
[21:13] <+Jerry> The monster book isnt full of generic beast that can roam one end of the world to another. when you are in Europa you will encounter Eropan creres<br />
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[21:13] <+Jerry> my keyboard batteries are dying , YIKES!<br />
[21:14] <+Jerry> Like with the other books I want the monster book to feel like its tailor made for ATLANTIS<br />
[21:14] * ~Dan nods<br />
[21:14] <~Dan> (Oh, and I realize that we're in "overtime", so just let me know if you need to run, Jerry.)<br />
[21:15] <+Jerry> Lots of cultural monsters that are not the standard Western European myths<br />
[21:15] <+Jerry> Ok, in a bit unless Ive exhuasted all teh questions<br />
[21:16] <+TKTuttle> Will there be a starter adventure in the Core Book?<br />
[21:16] <+JohnK> I've got just one more. One of the things my players always say is that while the game world is neat and all, what do the player characters *do* in the game world? How would u answer that?<br />
[21:16] <&Silverlion> (Link: https://perils-of-ocean-point.obsidianportal.com/maps/50374)https://perils-of-ocean-point.obsidianportal.com/maps/50374<br />
[21:16] <~Dan> (Oh, and do you want to repost that link to the freebie, Jerry?)<br />
[21:16] <&Silverlion> Oops ignore...sorry<br />
[21:16] <+Jerry> Sadly there was no room. There will be one on website soon. Im spinning a lot of plates<br />
[21:16] <&Silverlion> Yeah yeah..:D<br />
[21:17] <+Bigby> How important do you feel the companion book is (Geographica?) to getting a feel for the setting? And when will it be available?<br />
[21:17] <+Jerry> sure (Link: http://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=77972)http://www.rpgnow.com/browse.php?discount=77972 get it while its hot. the link goes dead wednesday<br />
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[21:17] <+Jerry> Geographica is the middle book that ties the 3 core books together. Its the egg in the cake<br />
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[21:18] <+Jerry> You dodnt need it and can make thing sup as you go but its cool to have around to know what all that stuff on the map means<br />
[21:19] <~Dan> Is it all flavor text, re: Geographica?<br />
[21:19] <+Jerry> Almost all falvor except for all the Flora stuff in the book<br />
[21:19] <+Jerry> and a few other things<br />
[21:20] <+Jerry> Do you need it? NO. Will you want it? YES<br />
[21:20] * ~Dan nods<br />
[21:20] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[21:20] <+Bigby> So it's the real meat of the setting. Cool.<br />
[21:21] <+Jerry> Players Handbook , the GM guid and the Monster Manual needed Grey Hawk to make it awesome for me<br />
[21:21] <+Jerry> There are over 150+ plot hooks in the book<br />
[21:21] <~Dan> Nice!<br />
[21:22] <+Jerry> each region has its own them and hooks so there are a ton of things that make it worth the $975 price tag<br />
[21:22] <~Dan> O.o<br />
[21:22] <+Bigby> That's a little rich for me...<br />
[21:22] <+Jerry> each book is gold leaved and wrapped in Truffles<br />
[21:22] <+Bigby> lol<br />
[21:22] <~Dan> Heh. :)<br />
[21:23] <+Jerry> Prince does the soundtrack<br />
[21:23] <+Songtress> so the pages are edible ..<br />
[21:23] <+JamesGillen> hey!<br />
[21:24] <+Jerry> Yeah the book is made by hand by an Iron Chef<br />
[21:25] <+JohnK> I assume this was asked earlier tonight: Is there any word on when the main book will be out in the hardcover?<br />
[21:25] <~Dan> Oh, before I forget: Is there anything you'd like to mention that we haven't covered, Jerry?<br />
[21:25] <+Yog_Sothoth> I thnk you mean truffle covered.<br />
[21:25] <+Bigby> So when will it be available?<br />
[21:26] <+Jerry> The book is on its way. Shipping to me as we speak. I wish I had a little red line that hit spot as Raiders music plays<br />
[21:27] <+Jerry> the PDF is availabe now, the book will be soon after those rascals in Austrailia get their KS copies<br />
[21:28] <+Jerry> When it hits the shelves there will be a few other surpises I want to unveil.<br />
[21:28] <+Songtress> will it have a PoD from Drivethru or is going to be purely aviable from your publisher Jerry?<br />
[21:28] <+Jerry> Its too much book for POD.<br />
[21:28] <+Bigby> I meant Geographica. Is it on RPGNow and I just missed it?<br />
[21:28] <+JohnK> Ooh, I like surprises! :)<br />
[21:29] <+Jerry> The phyical book will look so much better than a POD version that I cant do it. I respect the book too much<br />
[21:29] <+Jerry> No Geographica is on my harddrive in my home and at work (dont tell my boss)<br />
[21:29] <+JohnK> Is the book being printed by the same folks who did the HELLAS books for you?<br />
[21:29] <+Jerry> The same who did the revised printing yes<br />
[21:30] <+Songtress> Of course I didn't know whether there would be a way to get it..<br />
[21:30] <+JohnK> That is good news! That book was really solid in construction and feel.<br />
[21:31] <+Jerry> You will be able to get the books through IPR, Amazon, and a limited Chronicles City I think<br />
[21:31] <~Dan> Oh, you're working with Angus?<br />
[21:31] <+Jerry> Im always doing dodgey deals with people<br />
[21:31] <+JohnK> LOL!<br />
[21:31] <+Jerry> no, Angus is woking with ME!<br />
[21:31] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[21:31] <+Jerry> hehe<br />
[21:31] <&Silverlion> Whee<br />
[21:32] <+Jerry> but yeah, Angus and I go way back. He stole his look from me<br />
[21:32] * ~Dan laughs<br />
[21:32] <+Bigby> Well, back to work.<br />
[21:32] <+Bigby> Night all.<br />
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[21:32] <+Jerry> cya<br />
[21:32] <+JohnK> Silverlion, what was the link you mentioned up above? (I always come into these things late.)<br />
[21:33] <&Silverlion> No, it was from my game in the other room, ignore it--a map of Ocean Point for my H&S (supers) game<br />
[21:33] <+JohnK> Ah, okay, thanks for that. I got confused by that one. :)<br />
[21:34] <+BPIJonathan> Nothing to see here, move along.. :D<br />
[21:34] <&Silverlion> Sorry my bad...trying to run agame and pester Jerry because I like Jerry and OMEGA stuff<br />
[21:34] <+JohnK> Jerry, will there be a Starter Kit sort of pdf, the way there was for HELLAS?<br />
[21:34] <+Jerry> and I like you Tim<br />
[21:34] <+BPIJonathan> I was here to learn about Atlantis and to procrastinate... :D<br />
[21:35] <+Jerry> Imnot sure if I will do that.<br />
[21:35] <+Jerry> Its a good idea to do but I suffre from a ailment called Lazy<br />
[21:35] <+BPIJonathan> Jerry, I keep trying to teach game books to write themselves and call me when they are done so I can review their work. They are lazy and never listen, even showed them how<br />
[21:36] <+JohnK> In that case, any convention type scenarios (or a starter scenario) with pre-gens?<br />
[21:36] <+Jerry> I know right?<br />
[21:36] <&Silverlion> I want an adventure. Maybe I should write one...<br />
[21:36] <&Silverlion> Mind you I'm doing a humanocentric S&S game using HV's system so :D at some point<br />
[21:36] <~Dan> Do you have any future plans for Omega that you can discuss?<br />
[21:37] <+JohnK> BPIJonathan, if the game books wrote themselves, that would put you guys and gals out of business.<br />
[21:37] <+Jerry> the adventures will be along soon. Stuff like that is very hard to do when its a one man band. At the moment Im doing layout on Geographica, writing bits of the Monster book, and trying to get stuff put together for the core so I can send out everything<br />
[21:37] <+Jerry> Bussines...Ha!<br />
[21:37] <+BPIJonathan> Maybe, but I think they can be taught eventually :D<br />
[21:37] <+JohnK> I'll be running a couple of home-grown ATLANTIS scenarios at the local Ottawa convention, CanGames, here in mid-May. Currently writing them.<br />
[21:38] <+Jerry> Thats good and probaly better than what I will come up with<br />
[21:38] <+Jerry> Im just a simple country doctor<br />
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[21:39] <+JohnK> Dangerous, BPIJonathan, if the games start getting sentient. Jasper Fforde and the world of fiction troubles, you know. ;)<br />
[21:39] <+Jerry> like Skynet...not on my watch<br />
[21:39] <+JohnK> I knew that you were juggling a lot right now, Jerry, but had hopes. Will Doug or Kieran be doing any adventure writing for the book?<br />
[21:39] <+BPIJonathan> I think they already are, since they never seem to want to cooperate :D<br />
[21:39] <+JohnK> Err, rather the game.<br />
[21:40] <+JohnK> I thought that was gamers, Jonathan, not the games themselves! LOL<br />
[21:40] <+Jerry> The 3 of us will be writing adventures . The idea is that its all basedon the 13 month calender of the Atlanteans<br />
[21:40] <+Jerry> But thats way in the future<br />
[21:41] <+JohnK> Well, that sounds like a cool concept. That means 13 adventures, one per month on the calendar! <g><br />
[21:41] <+Jerry> Wow its getting late and I have Attack on Titan episodes to watch. Ok guys I have to get going. Use the link before tomorrow and thank you all for the kind words. Be good to one another and do great works that help make the world a better place.<br />
[21:41] <+JohnK> Oh, that reminds me... are you still doing the Action Decks?<br />
[21:42] <+Jerry> Yes, worked on them today<br />
[21:42] <+JohnK> Excellent. Night, Jerry. :)<br />
[21:42] <~Dan> Thanks for coming by, Jerry!<br />
[21:42] <~Dan> I'll have the log posted shortly and will email you the link!<br />
[21:42] <+Jerry> Anyway, chow mein guys. Thanks!<br />
[21:42] <~Dan> Bye, Jerry!<br />
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Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-56681604140589623552014-01-16T19:38:00.000-08:002014-02-07T12:57:22.881-08:00[Q&A] Matt Sanchez (Ryuutama)[19:03] <+MattSanchez> My name is Matt Sanchez, I currently live in Atlanta with my wife and 2 baby boys. In my sparse free time, I translate Japanese RPGs, play board games, RPGS, and video games, etc., your typical nerd.<br />
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[19:04] <+MattSanchez> I lived in Japan for about 5 years, during which time I fell in love with Japanese RPGs and sort of fell into translating them. Eventually I felt that I wanted to share my work, and here I am!<br />
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[19:05] <+MattSanchez> Ryuutama is a game of "natural fantasy", a world with dragons, magic, and lots of natural wonders and beauty.<br />
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[19:06] <+MattSanchez> Players play "normal" people, my partner Andy Kitkowski likes to say that you play the "NPCs that your PCs would meet in a town in any other RPG!"<br />
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[19:07] <+MattSanchez> In this world, everybody goes on a journey at least once in their life, it's just like a world-wide custom. Everyone is given time off from their work for this; it's expected from everyone, even if their journey only consists of going a couple towns away.<br />
[19:07] <+MattSanchez> So journeying and the natural world are a huge part of the game, more so than combat and killing stuff.<br />
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[19:08] <+MattSanchez> The GM also controls a character, a "dragon person" called the Ryuujin that sort of follows the party around, making a travelogue of the party's adventure and using special abilities to either help or hinder the party in a way that makes the game fun for the whole group.<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> (For those just arriving, Q&A with Matt Sanchez is in progress! Please hold your questions until Matt finishes his intro with a "(done)".)<br />
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[19:09] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> Thanks, Matt!<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!<br />
[19:09] <+Saturnine> The Japanese version of Ryuutama is approximately 170 pages long. How many pages do you expect the English version to be? (Will the English core book have additional material that the Japanese version did not?)<br />
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[19:10] <~Dan> (Please watch for and observe question pauses.)<br />
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[19:10] <+Vancho1> Matt, sometimes I find it hard to gather my friends for a game session. How feasible is it to run a game of Ryuutama over the internet?<br />
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[19:10] <+Kaimonkey> How do the differences between Asian and Western culture effect the games they produce?<br />
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[19:10] <~Dan> (Question pause! Please hold your questions until we get another "(done)" from Matt. Thanks!)<br />
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[19:11] <+MattSanchez> Oh man, good questions!<br />
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[19:13] <+MattSanchez> RE: Length: In the Kickstarter campaign, we said 200+ pages, I think it will be around that big. There is definitely going to be new content in the books. For example, the Japanese book only has 1 type of herb per typography, but we're going to add more to that. There is also some errata, some stuff we're going to touch up,<br />
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[19:14] <+MattSanchez> and probably at least one extra scenario that wasn't in the Japanese book. There's also a "chef" sub-class for the artisan that I am going to try to get in there.<br />
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[19:14] <+MattSanchez> There is tons of new material that will be appearing as supplements as well, such as airships, that don't appear in any of the Japanese supplements.<br />
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[19:15] <+MattSanchez> RE: Internet gaming: Ryuutama works very well over the internet. I myself have been running a game of RT over Google Hangouts, and I've been very happy with the results.<br />
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[19:15] <+MattSanchez> You can watch my games on my YouTube channel, and I think they're linked in the Kickstarter comments, too.<br />
[19:16] <+MattSanchez> I also have a lot of trouble getting friends together, so right now Hangouts is the only way for me to get my RPG fix!<br />
[19:16] <+MattSanchez> Roll20 is great because you can use maps and make random lists, it's really versatile. I also make a lot of use of the Google Drive app in Hangouts as well.<br />
[19:17] <+MattSanchez> There are a lot of resources for using Hangouts for gaming, and you can hop in the Ryuutama G+ Community for maps and stuff that you can use as well.<br />
[19:18] <+MattSanchez> RE: Asian/Western gaming: Wow, this is something that I can talk about for a long time!<br />
[19:18] <+MattSanchez> (I'm going to discuss Japanese gaming here instead of "Asian," because that's the only experience I have)<br />
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[19:20] <+MattSanchez> One important aspect of Japanese culture is that most (many? don't want to paint too wide a stroke) Japanese are non-confrontational. This makes GMing really easy!<br />
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[19:22] <+MattSanchez> In my experience, there are fewer rules-lawyers in Japan, and players are extremely eager to follow along whatever story the GM wants to tell.<br />
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[19:23] <+MattSanchez> In fact, in a large portion of games, the GM will come to the game with a scenario written down, the entire night's action already laid out and ready to go.<br />
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[19:24] <+MattSanchez> Another way that Japanese gaming differs from the west is the "structure" of gaming itself. It's extremely difficult and culturally unusual to bring large groups of friends to your house every week to game.<br />
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[19:25] <+MattSanchez> Instead, younger players would play as a club at school. As people grow up, they often keep these circles and rent out rooms at community centres or other public places where they can get a room for 4-6 hours at a time.<br />
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[19:25] <+MattSanchez> I've heard quite a few stories of groups in Tokyo renting karaoke rooms for gaming because those are cheaper than renting a room at the local community centre!<br />
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[19:27] <+MattSanchez> There are also monthly "conventions" which are like groups of people (20-200, depending on the "convention") that get together to play games, and these are usually monthly events.<br />
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[19:28] <+MattSanchez> At these conventions, you never know for sure what you're going to play until the GMs are decided by vote, so long-running campaigns are unusual. This leads to lots of one-shots... which means that most modern Japanese games are geared for running exactly this style of game.<br />
[19:28] <+MattSanchez> If you've played Tenra Bansho, you'll notice that the scenarios are always 3-act structures with a set beginning, middle and climax. This is so that the game will come to a satisfying conclusion in 4 hours, which fits the "convention" play perfectly.<br />
[19:29] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[19:29] <+Guest44> I'm wondering if a magic-type character could have an affinity for all seasons, but limited or closed-off access to incantation spells in exchange. Would this be feasible for a PC?<br />
[19:29] <+NekoIncardine> With the number of expansions that have been stretch-goal'd in over the course of the Kickstarter campaign, and possible other ideas you may or may not have come up with, how long do you expect post-release support to continue once the English book is out?<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Questions can resume!)<br />
[19:29] <+Relborn> First of all Japan sounds like rpg heaven to me as you are describing it. I noticed someone talking about cards representing the weather and locations for RT. Are they planned for a supplement too or are you expecting them to be created as some fan work?<br />
[19:29] <+Majeh> As you and andy have mentioned, the translations of the other supplements/scenario expansions (the japanese and french versions) are in the works after release of the main book. Is their a specific order your planning on following or will it be based on demand?<br />
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[19:29] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
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[19:31] <+MattSanchez> RE: Magic type character: Hmm. That'd be up to your GM. By the normal rules, the most a character can have access to is 2 seasons, and that's if a magic type character chose magic type again as they levelled up. If a player really wanted, I could imagine a long voyage to a strange place to learn new magic though...<br />
[19:31] <+MattSanchez> But there are so many useful incantation spells, I'm not sure if I would want to give those up, personally!<br />
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[19:32] <+MattSanchez> RE: Expansions: We talked a lot about the expansions we've got in mind now, but we're not done yet. There are still some stuff that we have planned that we haven't even announced yet, such as "Goblin Ball," a traditional sport played by Neko Goblins!<br />
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[19:34] <+MattSanchez> Once we're done with the expansions, though, we are planning on supporting Ryuutama for a while, maybe through a magazine or something, I'm not sure quite yet. But there's lots of stuff we want to do, and it won't fit in 3 supplements, and we don't want to just put the game out there and leave it.<br />
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[19:34] <+MattSanchez> We love these games and we want to make sure that they get all the respect they deserve, which means that we're going to keep supporting them as long as we can!<br />
[19:35] <+MattSanchez> As for order of expansions; we're going to be releasing the translation of the Japanese supplements, roughly in order that they came out in Japan.<br />
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[19:35] <+BlasterKyubey210> Roughly in order? Is there a few simutanious releases that might complicate things?<br />
[19:35] <+MattSanchez> That means that the first supplement is going to have wagon and sailship rules with some other cool random tables and whatnot. This is already mostly translated.<br />
[19:36] <+MattSanchez> By "roughly in order," I mean that some of the stuff that appeared in the 2nd supplement is going to appear in the 1st supplement instead!<br />
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[19:36] <+MattSanchez> Also, some things that appeared only in Japanese RPG magazines might be put into the supplements as well, it depends on how big they get.<br />
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[19:37] <+MattSanchez> After that, we'll get to the new stuff, probably with magazine bits here and there.<br />
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[19:38] <+MattSanchez> RE: Weather cards: Okada-san (the original designer) made those cards for playing his game at conventions, so they're already made, for the most part.<br />
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[19:39] <+MattSanchez> We haven't decided exactly what we want to do, but we're leaning towards releasing them all as a PDF and also have them available at Game Crafter or something for anyone who wants a printed set.<br />
[19:39] <+MattSanchez> As I recall, those were something we wanted to have available to anyone to print out.<br />
[19:39] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[19:40] <+Majeh> on a side note: it was mentioned that Nekogoblins became a playable race in one of the supplements. Were there other unique races to ryuutama, or rules for creating new races in case gms have a special world planned?<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> (Questions may resume!)<br />
[19:40] <+Arraxis> What has your experience been like with the Ryuujin and their different types? Black Ryuujin sound like they could lead to quite a dark game!<br />
[19:40] <+Jadomonkey> What are your plans for allowing third party game material as supplements, etc.?<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> Matt, can you go over the core mechanic?<br />
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[19:41] <+Bigby> Along with Majeh's question, how adaptable is the game for running it in different worlds.<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
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[19:43] <+MattSanchez> RE: Core Mechanic: Characters have 4 basic stats, each of which is represented by a die "size," sort of similar to Savage Worlds. So a character might have, for example, a Strength of d4 or d12. When rolling a skill check, the GM will tell the player which 2 stats to roll on. Many skills will also determine which stats to use.<br />
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[19:44] <+MattSanchez> So for example, if a bard is running away from a rabid chihuahua, he'd have to roll Strength + Dexterity, so maybe d4+d8. Double-ones are fumbles (which net you Fumble Points that you can use to get a bonus to a later roll)<br />
[19:44] <+MattSanchez> Max results on both dice (or double 6s) are criticals.<br />
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[19:46] <+MattSanchez> RE: New races: Gobroaches, anthropomorphic cockroaches, were also made into a playable race, I believe. There aren't any rules as of yet for making new races, that's not something that we've talked about.<br />
[19:46] <+MattSanchez> But I suppose it couldn't hurt to put some notes in one of the supplements for that!<br />
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[19:47] <+MattSanchez> RE: Ryuujin: Yeah, each Ryuujin is totally geared toward a specific play style. In the campaign I've been running online, I've sort of been bending the rules and swapping Ryuujin out, just to have the experience of running a game with each of them.<br />
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[19:48] <+Majeh> (one ryuujin gets tired of watching and clocks out, next one clocks in)<br />
[19:48] <+MattSanchez> The Black Ryuujin absolutely was the darkest one; I used the artefact that allowed me as the GM to kill off any NPC I wanted.<br />
[19:49] <+MattSanchez> Actually since the Black Ryuujin seems the least likely to fit the rest of the game thematically, I've been thinking a lot about Black Ryuujin scenarios.<br />
[19:49] <+MattSanchez> Actually there are a lot of ways that the Black Ryuujin fits this game rather well, with dark and introspective scenarios and encounters.<br />
[19:50] <+Jadomonkey> Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro.<br />
[19:50] <+MattSanchez> I'm excited about some of the scenarios that we'll be bringing out to showcase how the Black Ryuujin can be used to great effect.<br />
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[19:51] <+MattSanchez> As for the others; Red Ryuujin lend the game a "normal" RPG feeling, with killing and looting. Blue Ryuujin are for "drama" scenarios, and of course Green Ryuujin are sort of the "normal" scenarios that are the easiest to run with Ryuutama.<br />
[19:52] <+MattSanchez> RE: Fan supplements: We want to be completely supportive of fan supplements!<br />
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[19:52] <+MattSanchez> We have talked to Okada-san, and he's super excited to have fans put out their own work. We're going to work on a very open and simple license for fans that want to produce and distribute their work.<br />
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[19:53] <+MattSanchez> Right now we have quite a bit of great stuff that fans have been making for the game in our Google+ Community.<br />
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[19:54] <+MattSanchez> RE: Different worlds: The game doesn't have a predetermined world, it's actually totally open for the GMs and players to come together to create together.<br />
[19:55] <+MattSanchez> In that sense, it's totally open to different worlds and flavors!<br />
[19:55] <+MattSanchez> It wouldn't take much work to migrate the setting to another time or genre, either.<br />
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[19:57] <+Majeh> (was thinking it would be amusing to convert it to star wars type setting)<br />
[19:57] <+MattSanchez> For example, I have a crazy idea in my head for a Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne skin for the game, but we'll see how far I get on that in the near future!<br />
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[19:57] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, absolutely.<br />
[19:57] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> (Questions may resume!)<br />
[19:57] <+Guest44> In regards to the four kinds of Ryuujin, I was reminded of the four dragons in the console-RPG series "Lunar" as I read about them. Was the series an influence for Okada-san to any degree?<br />
[19:58] <~Dan> I know combat is relatively rare in the game, but how dangerous is it?<br />
[19:58] <+Jadomonkey> Seriously? Nocturne?<br />
[19:58] <+Majeh> In an interesting wording on the Black ryujinn dagger artifact power. If the world has ryujinn watching npcs, would the dagger affect them or would they be "protected" fromit?<br />
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[19:59] <+BlasterKyubey210> I dunno Jado, but the Megami Tensei setting in general is an interesting choice<br />
[19:59] <+Arraxis> Are you planning on releasing a PDF with your own scenarios? How many do you think you'll make?<br />
[20:00] <+GMH> Does this "gobroaches" have anything to do with cockroach girl the manga/character? (just curious)<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[20:01] <+MattSanchez> RE: Lunar: I can't speak for Okada-san, but I know that he's a big fan of fantasy and old school RPGs!<br />
[20:01] <+Guest44> I still love Silver Star Story and Eternal Blue myself, after all these years. ^^<br />
[20:02] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, that game blew my mind when I was younger, in my Sega CD days! haha<br />
[20:03] <+MattSanchez> RE: Combat: The combat system is relatively simple, but it can be pretty brutal.<br />
[20:03] <+BlasterKyubey210> Still, honestly, Ryuutama might be on my list, thinking of well, Total Drama Cross Zone, focusing on the Black and Red Ryujinn stuff<br />
[20:03] <+BlasterKyubey210> At least primary<br />
[20:03] <+MattSanchez> The real danger, though, is when you're having a bad day of travel, knocking your HP to half or less, then getting into battle!<br />
[20:04] <+MattSanchez> It's actually just about as common to die from the elements as it is to be killed by a monster, I think.<br />
[20:04] <+Majeh> (yep nasty cold only to be done in by a walking egg)<br />
[20:04] <+MattSanchez> RE: Nocturne ~Maniax~ Collector's Edition: Yes, Nocturne! Best RPG ever made<br />
[20:06] <+MattSanchez> RE: Black Dragon's Dagger: It's up to the GM!<br />
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[20:06] <+MattSanchez> But as the GM, I'd probably say that it's the Black Ryuujin's job to make the PCs as life miserable as possible..<br />
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[20:07] <+MattSanchez> RE: Scenarios: Yes, we're definitely going to be putting out scenarios in PDF form. I'm hoping in the future to release them periodically, but we haven't nailed anything down yet.<br />
[20:07] <+MattSanchez> I'm looking forward to the scenarios created by the fans, as well!<br />
[20:08] <+MattSanchez> Re: Gobroaches: Sorry, I'm not familiar with cockroach girl! From the sound of that, I don't think that's a show I could stomach...<br />
[20:08] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[20:08] <+Vancho1> What do you think is a good way to introduce players who are used to the traditional 'hack n' slash' type of RPG to Ryuutama? Most of the people I know are used to stuff like DnD 4e, which is really encounter-focused.<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> How common are monsters in the setting, and does the core rulebook feature a bestiary?<br />
[20:08] <+GMH> (sorry, that was my stupid question of the day, lol.)<br />
[20:09] <+Guest44> *Is mulling over a campaign influenced by the Wild Arms series...*<br />
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[20:10] <+ChaosModifier> What has been your favorite part of the kickstarter/translation process?<br />
[20:10] <+Arraxis> So the elements can actually kill players, and not just weaken them?<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
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[20:11] <+MattSanchez> RE: Converting hack 'n slash players: This is really going to depend on your group and their enthusiasm. If your murderhobo group isn't going to be cooperative and kills the little girl with flowers for her sick mom, you're going to have problems!<br />
[20:11] <+Majeh> (heh murderhobo)<br />
[20:11] <+MattSanchez> But hopefully you've talked to your players and they're going to go along with it with an open mind!<br />
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[20:12] <+MattSanchez> When I first run a scenario for these types of players, it usually features a simple trek to the next town with a couple of low key encounters (meeting someone, helping someone in need, or finding themselves in a bad situation on the road)<br />
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[20:12] <+Vancho1> (They're not quite that bad....)<br />
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[20:13] <+MattSanchez> but I also give them the chance to let their Hunter (these groups always have hunters, it seems!) track down some prey to sell in the next town, and give the players a chance to fight a random monster.<br />
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[20:14] <+MattSanchez> But I try not to let that be the focus of that particular scenario. Usually by the 3rd or 4th scenario, though, I'll have a big baddy show up for some variety.<br />
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[20:15] <+MattSanchez> RE: Monsters: They're pretty common. PCs are travelling through the wilderness, so you never know exactly what you're going to run into! They're not all out for blood, though, so savvy players should be able to either run away or avoid combat somehow.<br />
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[20:15] <+MattSanchez> Of course, that depends on the taste of the GM and the group.<br />
[20:16] <+BlasterKyubey210> Indeed, standard Hack and Slash is one thing<br />
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[20:16] <+BlasterKyubey210> Soul Sacrifice-style brawls are another!<br />
[20:16] <+MattSanchez> A typical Red Ryuujin scenario is for the group to go out and hunt a particular monster that has been terrorising a town.<br />
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[20:17] <+MattSanchez> In fact, Ryuutama can be used to play a Monster Hunter campaign very well. Okada-san told me about a group that was using Ryuutama for just such a campaign... and when they got into combat they put down their pencils...<br />
[20:17] <+MattSanchez> and picked up their PSPs and played Monster Hunter!<br />
[20:18] <+BlasterKyubey210> Pfft<br />
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[20:18] <+MattSanchez> There is a pretty wide bestiary in the book, too, and there'll be more monsters for sea and air when we get to those supplements.<br />
[20:18] <+BlasterKyubey210> I was thinking of Soul Sacrifice since it's the most recent<br />
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[20:19] <+MattSanchez> RE: Best part of translating: This has been such a wild ride, I don't even know yet! I have a feeling that it'll be once the books are in the player's hands, haha.<br />
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[20:20] <+MattSanchez> But while working on this, I've made new friends, met designers, and learned a lot about the RPG creation process. It's been pretty great.<br />
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[20:21] <+MattSanchez> RE: Deadly elements: Yeah, absolutely.<br />
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[20:22] <+MattSanchez> I've had players fumble a roll in the rain, catching a cold, who were then unable to sleep well through the night, and be in really bad shape the rest of the trip. That session was really tense for that player and led to some good RP.<br />
[20:22] <+MattSanchez> If the group ventures out into terrain they're not ready for, it could lead to a TPK.<br />
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[20:23] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[20:23] <+Majeh> with backpacks (and other big containers), since they have their own size container. do all the sizes put into the containers add up to weigh down the player (carrying capacity with size of backpack + combined size of whats in it), or does it lessen it?<br />
[20:23] <+Arraxis> Sounds like Lord of the Rings where they tried to climb the snowy mountains and almost all died :D<br />
[20:23] <+BlasterKyubey210> That's a bit reckless but<br />
[20:24] <+Vancho1> How well would exotic environments be modeled? Would they have to be added through expansions?<br />
[20:24] <+Majeh> ( you would die if you went through the himilayas with only 3 days worth and food and got lost in the blizzards)<br />
[20:24] <+bmarkslash7> What about Ryuutama attracted you to it and made you want to translate it?<br />
[20:24] <+Vancho1> Say I wanted to take my players to a geologically/geothermally active region.<br />
[20:24] <+Vancho1> Or a volcano.<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> (question pause after Vancho1)<br />
[20:24] <+Vancho1> Or something else entirely! Space!<br />
[20:25] <+Arraxis> Do you have any personal quibbles with Ryuutama?<br />
[20:26] <+MattSanchez> RE: Containers: Weight and encumbrance is counted by "size," and only what the characters themselves are carrying. So if they're carrying a size 3 backpack, then that's what they're carrying, even if the backpack itself is carrying 10x size 1 resin figures!<br />
[20:27] <+MattSanchez> In effect, this means that backpacks and other containers allow characters to carry more with them.<br />
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[20:28] <+MattSanchez> RE: Lord of the Rings: Yes, exactly! From what I've heard, the recent Lord of the Rings RPG has some traveling mechanics that are somewhat similar to Ryuutama.. or maybe they're similar only in that they exist? I'm not sure, I haven't read it<br />
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[20:29] <+MattSanchez> RE: Exotic environments: It'd be extremely easy to do! There's a chart with terrain types and the difficulty number that they are assigned.<br />
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[20:29] <+MattSanchez> I think there's already a volcanic area in the chart, for example.<br />
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[20:30] <+MattSanchez> So you can look at the chart, think to yourself, "Hmm, Space is quite a bit tougher than a volcano. Let's say... difficulty of 18." and be done.<br />
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[20:31] <+MattSanchez> That being said, we're going to provide topography charts for sea and air environments, too, and they'll include some fantastic locales.<br />
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[20:31] <+MattSanchez> RE: What drew me to Ryuutama: The art, I think. And once I read it, the simplicity and overall... feeling, I guess. The Japanese word is fuuinki.<br />
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[20:32] <+MattSanchez> Before I was able to read the book, I already knew that I wanted to play it!<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> You went to Fuuinki Town?<br />
[20:32] <+MattSanchez> lol<br />
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[20:32] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> (Questions may resume!)<br />
[20:32] <+Majeh> In the rough translation with the mentioning of animal companions. You have pack animals (for carrying gear), riding animal (for easier movement), and pets. Would any of these animals be involved in combat or is that the gms' call? (The old dnd joke of cat vs villager)<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> How do you make dealing with nature exciting?<br />
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[20:34] <+Arraxis> Is there anything in Ryuutama that, if you were the designer of the game, that you would change because you feel it detracts in some way?<br />
[20:35] <+GMH> Do plan on having just a physical core book and digital supplements, or are there plans for physically publishing the supplements?<br />
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[20:35] <+Saturnine> Adding onto the last question you answered, What is it that you enjoy most about Ryuutama? Is it the lack of "murderhobo" mentality, or is there another aspect that you look forward to every time you play?<br />
[20:36] <+Jadomonkey> What's your favorite item quality?<br />
[20:36] <+GMH> (for me, i'm hoping that ryuutama reduces the 'murderhobo mentality'...or more specifically, the powergamer mentality)<br />
[20:36] <+Majeh> (heh murderhobo, new favorite description)<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
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[20:37] <+Jadomonkey> (No kidding, 'murderhobo' is my new favorite word.)<br />
[20:37] <+MattSanchez> RE: Personal quibbles/things I'd change: Sorry, I missed it before. Hmm, that's something I'm going to mull over and get back to in a few minutes. I guess the short answer is that I wouldn't design an "old school" game with traditional stats, etc.<br />
[20:37] <+Arraxis> (One of my friends ran a game of Ryuutama and said someone still tried to murderhobo it up. He resolves next time to be more strict.))<br />
[20:37] <+MattSanchez> But that doesn't mean I'd be able to come with anything better =)<br />
[20:37] <+GMH> (homicidal kleptomaniac, the true alignment of all D&D player-characters.)<br />
[20:38] <+Majeh> (thats chaotic stupid GMH)<br />
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[20:38] <+Jadomonkey> (ninja'd by Majeh)<br />
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[20:40] <+MattSanchez> RE: Pets in combat: In RAW, any animals are not involved in combat as I recall. That doesn't mean the GM can't use them as targets for theft when players run away! I know that wagons can be used for defense in battle, but that's a little different.<br />
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[20:41] <+MattSanchez> RE: Making nature exciting: The way I approach it is to have two aspects of nature come to the forefront: wonder and tension.<br />
[20:41] <+MattSanchez> For example, a cave full of mushrooms glowing in various colours with a strange ecosystem for the players to explore if they want.<br />
[20:42] <+MattSanchez> Or curtains of rain that doesn't seem to end and you can't find your way out of the steelwood forest as the feral sounds of nature are getting closer and closer.<br />
[20:43] <+MattSanchez> I think that in real life, there are so many incredible wonders of nature, there is no end to the stuff that GMs can have pop up in a scenario!<br />
[20:44] <+MattSanchez> GMH: Printing the supplements: Probably not a printed version of the supplements. But we're going to allow the PDFs to be printed at a print shop or wherever you'd like to take it.<br />
[20:45] <+GMH> (fair enough; i wouldn't expect publishing them physically to be economical unless this were enormously successful.)<br />
[20:45] <+GMH> (thanks!)<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> (BRB)<br />
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[20:46] <+GMH> ("cave full of mushrooms glowing" <-- and now i'm thinking of importing terraria-like elements, haha)<br />
[20:46] <+MattSanchez> RE: What I like about Ryuutama: Yeah, I think it's the exploration part that I dig. Like, that feeling of uncovering another hex when starting up a game of Civ V, or that feeling of turning that corner in a dungeon (right before being set upon by orcs)<br />
[20:47] <+Vancho1> (I guess the easy addition of environments would help with the exploration aspect.)<br />
[20:47] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, totally that Terraria feeling. When I started playing Skyrim, I was totally thinking, wow this is a great Ryuutama game! Well, except that random people are breaking their knees or attacking me for no reason.<br />
[20:48] <+Arraxis> (Clearly the healer must gather all the mushrooms to use as herbs!)<br />
[20:48] <+GMH> (:D)<br />
[20:48] <+Majeh> (red ryuujin is skyrim, bandits and such)<br />
[20:48] <+MattSanchez> Yeah! But every time he grabs one, a light goes out... and they lose their way...<br />
[20:48] <+MattSanchez> Totally!<br />
[20:48] <+Arraxis> (It's OK, being lost is an adventure in and of itself!)<br />
[20:48] <+MattSanchez> RE: Item quality: I think my favourite is "cute"!<br />
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[20:49] <+Relborn> does "cute" have any rules effects?<br />
[20:49] <+MattSanchez> I mean, what does it mean to have a "cute" sword? Does it just have a bow on the hilt?<br />
[20:49] <+Jadomonkey> (*shiver* I just imagined a game world where NPCs are constantly having their kneecaps spontaneously shatter...)<br />
[20:49] <+MattSanchez> "Cute" makes items cost a little more, that's about it.<br />
[20:49] <+GMH> Is Ryuutama more geared toward single-session campaigns or longer-term campaigns?<br />
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[20:50] <+Arraxis> (A cute and smelly sword would clearly have some sort of incense thingie on the hilt)<br />
[20:50] <+Vancho1> (Maybe the cute sword has no angles above 90 degrees.)<br />
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[20:50] <+GMH> (LOL)<br />
[20:50] <+Majeh> well there is appearance aspects to some qualities so it could do something in role play aspects<br />
[20:50] <+MattSanchez> When a player buys something with a modifier, I always try to ask them what it looks like, that is always fun.<br />
[20:50] <+Majeh> like who wants to talk to a guy that wears old smelly clothes<br />
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[20:50] <+Jadomonkey> (I'm imagining a really over-powering lilac perfume.)<br />
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[20:51] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, totally, these modifiers can be pretty important.<br />
[20:51] <+Guest440> Old smelly clothes might be the norm outside of nobility depending on the world though. So that's something to consider.<br />
[20:51] <+Arraxis> (I'm imagining applying that to a bow now, and the arrows shoot perfume arrows)<br />
[20:51] <+MattSanchez> haha! You can shoot water arrows in Thief, so I think that means it's possible...<br />
[20:51] <+MattSanchez> As for something I'd change in the original game:<br />
[20:52] <+Jadomonkey> (it might not have mechanical importance, but if a player chooses a quality, that's a flag for the GM to know they want it to be important in-game somehow.)<br />
[20:52] <+MattSanchez> The book doesn't put it out there how exactly to make traveling checks exciting. A new GM might run the game and be like, "Ok, roll your direction check. Ok, you're lost. Now roll your movement. Ok. Good. We'll... nothing happens. Roll camp."<br />
[20:53] <+MattSanchez> And one thing I want to make sure we do is put some guidance in the book, to help new GMs make these rolls exciting and get some tension and excitement in the traveling aspects of the game.<br />
[20:53] <+GMH> (Jadomonkey: well actually that could be way for a GM to force mechanically-minded players to be more flavor-minded)<br />
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[20:53] <+Majeh> (the book does rely a bit on gm creativity)<br />
[20:53] <+MattSanchez> Jadomoney: yes, absolutely<br />
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[20:54] <+Arraxis> (Ahh, yeah, it's important for a game to show how to make things exciting, even if it gives the tools to do so.)<br />
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[20:54] <+MattSanchez> We've gotten some great feedback from fans that have been playing the game for a while, and we are going to try to get some ideas from a bunch of people on how to run the game well.<br />
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[20:54] <+GMH> ("I talk to the guy wearing old smelly clothes" "but he's wearing old, smelly clothes!" "well i go talk to him anyway" "roll a will save to not be put off by the old smelly clothes")<br />
[20:55] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[20:55] <+Jadomonkey> (Right, you could also say those qualities raise unintentional flags. Like, you chose 'cute' so now that's a fair factor to play on.)<br />
[20:55] <+GMH> Is Ryuutama more geared toward single-session campaigns or longer-term campaigns?<br />
[20:55] <+Arraxis> At the start of the game, players give themselves a personal item that isn't mechanically important, but is purely sentimental. Do you have any interesting stories to tell about these?<br />
[20:55] <+MattSanchez> haha yeah, now those little girls won't stop following you, asking silly questions...<br />
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[20:56] <+Vancho1> "Where did you get that Cute Battle-Axe of Demon Slaying, mister?"<br />
[20:56] <+Jadomonkey> Will supplements add more candy store crunch like extra qualities, monsters, etc? Or are they more fluff-centric?<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[20:56] <+GMH> ([21:56:03] <Vancho1> "Where did you get that Cute Battle-Axe of Demon Slaying, mister?" <-- future gamer right there)<br />
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[20:57] <+MattSanchez> RE: Session #s: Campaign, definitely. The more sessions a Ryuujin plays, the stronger they are and the more options they gain for interacting with the party.<br />
[20:57] <+Jadomonkey> ((You look at the news stand and notice yourself on the cover of Nekogoblin Beat, posing with your cute ax))<br />
[20:57] <+MattSanchez> That said, it's probably best run as a series of one shots!<br />
[20:57] <+MattSanchez> lol<br />
[20:58] <+Majeh> (damn ryuujin paperazzi)<br />
[20:58] <+Arraxis> (Finally, a reason for TV shows to actually say that DMs can have levels! I think Malcolm in the Middle mentioned a dungeon master being level 52 or something... lol)<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> (Quick note: We're coming up on 9:00 Central; however, as noted, you are absolutely welcome to stay and continue taking questions, Matt!)<br />
[20:59] <+MattSanchez> RE: Personal items: That's a good question. Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind immediately, I'll keep mulling this one over.<br />
[20:59] <+MattSanchez> (I'm still good for a bit more! maybe one more round of Qs after this one.)<br />
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[21:00] <+Majeh> (well there was that scenario of the green dragon and the tall plant with a nekogolbin fishing away someones item)<br />
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[21:00] <+MattSanchez> RE: Supplement crunch: Oh, definitely crunch! There are new qualities, new monsters, lots of random tables.<br />
[21:01] <+Arraxis> <3 for random tables!<br />
[21:01] <+Jadomonkey> <3, indeed!<br />
[21:01] <+GMH> (suddenly I'm thinking of the plot of Strain as a journey plot)<br />
[21:01] <+MattSanchez> Yes, one of the scenarios I run most often for new players is a scenario where a NekoGoblin steals a PC's personal item. But usually the reaction is the same, they just get mad and chase the thief, haha.<br />
[21:01] <+GMH> (Sara seeking out her brother)<br />
[21:02] <+MattSanchez> Man, I know there has been some interesting scenes involving personal items, but they just don't come to mind right now.<br />
[21:03] <+Arraxis> I know that feeling :D<br />
[21:03] <+MattSanchez> But I do usually use those as an indicator as to what the player wants to see in an upcoming scenario.<br />
[21:03] <+MattSanchez> (done)<br />
[21:03] <+Vancho1> You'll probably remember ten minutes after you finish answering questions.<br />
[21:03] <+Saturnine> What is your favorite type of character to play as when you're not GMing? (Hunter, Healer, etc)<br />
[21:03] <+MattSanchez> haha yeah, that's usually how it works<br />
[21:04] <+GMH> ("they just get mad and chase the thief" <-- between this and my thinking of Strain, I will comment that you haven't had a sufficiently depressed player-character yet :P)<br />
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[21:05] <+Jadomonkey> Are people who don't like the idea of nekogoblins actually soulless monsters or are they just broken on some fundamental level and more worthy of pity?<br />
[21:05] <+Arraxis> What's next for you after Ryuutama and its many supplements?<br />
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[21:06] <+BlasterKyubey210> Strain?<br />
[21:06] <+BlasterKyubey210> Time out a bit, what's that about<br />
[21:06] <+BlasterKyubey210> or does it refer to something else and I'm missing something<br />
[21:07] <+Majeh> (strain is an anime blasterkyubey210)<br />
[21:07] <+BlasterKyubey210> (Ah, something didn't click)<br />
[21:07] <+Majeh> (check hulu its on there<br />
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[21:08] <+MattSanchez> RE: My favorite type of character: My very first DnD character was an Artificer, so I'd probably be an Artisan of some sort. I love having the option of making things! That's usually the archetype I go for when making a character for long-term play.<br />
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[21:09] <+Arraxis> How does world creation work? I know that it is done with all the players, but not too much more than that. Is it completely fine for someone to say something like "Oh, this city builds robot people, and by the way, my character is also one, and is going on a journey of discovery."?<br />
[21:09] <+MattSanchez> RE: Nekogoblin haters: They are probably deserving of some sort of pity or help... but I can't bring myself to do it. I just don't want anything to do with them!!!<br />
[21:10] <+Arraxis> Nekogoblins too cute<br />
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[21:10] <+Majeh> to the haters or the nekogoblins?<br />
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[21:10] <+MattSanchez> RE: After Ryuutama: Oh man! After Ryuutama! We've got Shinobigami after this. I won't say much more than that right now but I am extremely excited about it.<br />
[21:10] <+MattSanchez> The haters!<br />
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[21:11] <+Arraxis> That's the one-shot ninja game, right?<br />
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[21:11] <+MattSanchez> Yes!<br />
[21:11] <+MadC> Sounds good<br />
[21:11] <+MattSanchez> RE: World creation: There's a worksheet that the group can use to create the world, and then later each town before they start the next journey.<br />
[21:12] <+Arraxis> I think I read a playthrough of that, and it looked quite fun with the conflict between players due to emotions and missions :D<br />
[21:12] <+Majeh> heard there was going to be a english version in 2014<br />
[21:12] <+Saturnine> (Side note... I'm on Kotodama Heavy Industry's webpage right now with my mouse hovering over the button to buy Tenra Bansho Zero... convince me to buy it. Go!)<br />
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[21:12] * +Arraxis will be backing the KS for that if there is one<br />
[21:13] <+MattSanchez> It's a group effort, so if someone brought up a robot factory city, the whole group should be happy with it. We had a "steam punk"-ish town with tesla coils, but we had a discussion about how we want to keep the tech "low"<br />
[21:13] <+MattSanchez> and that ended up working for us.<br />
[21:13] <+BPIJonathan> I own TBZ, I love it.<br />
[21:13] <+Arraxis> Makes sense :D<br />
[21:13] <+MattSanchez> RE: Tenra Bansho Zero: Hyper kinetic Asian action theatre<br />
[21:13] <+Arraxis> Which has several varieties of robot people, actually... lol<br />
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[21:13] <+MattSanchez> If you don't own it now, you're missing out!<br />
[21:13] <+MattSanchez> haha yeah<br />
[21:14] <+MattSanchez> There's SO MUCh to TBZ that blows my mind<br />
[21:14] <+Saturnine> That is the most insane description I've ever heard for a game<br />
[21:14] <+Saturnine> lol<br />
[21:14] * +GMH bought a used copy of BESM 2.0 recently<br />
[21:14] <+Guest440> Will that world/town creation worksheet be available to copy in the rulebook also? Or just in a printable version from the website?<br />
[21:14] <+MattSanchez> So many awesome character types to mix and match, so many options, so many ways to play, so many things in the world to explore<br />
[21:15] <+Saturnine> Alright, you got me :D<br />
[21:15] <+MattSanchez> Andy is still working on lots of great stuff for TBZ, too, like a Persona-esque supplement that I'll be helping out on<br />
[21:15] <+Iridium> Oof. Not sleepy all of a sudden. =/<br />
[21:15] <+MattSanchez> But as for world/town creation: Yes, that'll be in the core book.<br />
[21:15] <+Arraxis> Mmhmm, I'm really excited about that one. Especially since it's turning into something really big after he got an author on board.<br />
[21:16] <+MattSanchez> It's a pretty important part of the game, so we'll be putting more guidance for world creation in there, too.<br />
[21:16] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, so far it's looking super great! I love Persona, so I can't wait to start working on some scenarios for it.<br />
[21:17] <+Arraxis> Same :D. Looking forward to that!<br />
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[21:17] <+Arraxis> Sounds like you're adding a lot of stuff to Ryuutama for the English audience.<br />
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[21:18] <+Arraxis> Sort of like a quality-of-life patch :D<br />
[21:18] <+Majeh> I cant wait for the french classes for ryuutama<br />
[21:18] <+Saturnine> Sorry I sorta took this off topic, and this has already been addressed, I'm sure... what was the final word on the hardcover and dust sleeve/battle mat?<br />
[21:18] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, and I hope that the fans in turn do the same =) There's a lot that we can do with the game, so I hope it explodes!<br />
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[21:19] <+GMH> How did there end up being a French version that had bonus material not in the original Japanese version? Or did it just get tacked on before the French release?<br />
[21:19] <+MattSanchez> We're going to go with hardcover, no dust sleeve. In the end, the sleeve just wasn't working out, and I think the book would be higher quality without it.<br />
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[21:20] <+Saturnine> Sounds good to me<br />
[21:20] <+MattSanchez> Jerome Larre did some great work on new scenarios and whatnot for the French version<br />
[21:20] <+Jadomonkey> You can make a dust sleeve out of a paper bag and draw stars on it.<br />
[21:22] <+MattSanchez> The Spanish version is going to have the same stuff as the English version, and we're sharing what we have with Jerome, too, to make it a totally international Ryuutama Coalition<br />
[21:22] <+Saturnine> (I'm actually not a fan of dust sleeves :( I always rip them by accident)<br />
[21:22] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, we figure that groups can either print out their own or have them printed at Game Crafter (we'll have that up for people to order)<br />
[21:23] <+Jadomonkey> (Well, just in case: (Link: http://youtu.be/5ytpQZinpgQ)http://youtu.be/5ytpQZinpgQ<br />
[21:23] <+Arraxis> How are Okada-san and Mizusaka-san taking the Western reception of Ryuutama?<br />
[21:23] <+MattSanchez> Yeah, same here, hardcovers with slip covers sort of aggravate me!<br />
[21:23] <+MattSanchez> They are super excited!<br />
[21:23] <+MattSanchez> I haven't spoken to Mizusaka-san about all the work she's going to have, though, haha. I'll have to ask Andy about how she's taking it.<br />
[21:24] <+Arraxis> Haha, yeah, sorry Mizusaka-san :D<br />
[21:24] <+Saturnine> How involved with the process is Okada-san? Or has he essentially entrusted you with the reigns?<br />
[21:24] <+Jadomonkey> Lol, how many pictures will she be doing?<br />
[21:24] <+Guest44> Depends on what the slip cover's made of. I've got a Limited Ed. of Exalted 1st Ed. that has a cover, but it's pretty thick.<br />
[21:24] * +Arraxis can't wait for Exalted 3E<br />
[21:25] <+MattSanchez> This is Okada-san's baby, so we're keeping him in the loop at all times. We're making sure that he's happy with any changes or any choices that we make.<br />
[21:25] <+Guest44> I bought a bunch of 1st Ed. Exalted books after a one-shot, and never got to play it again before 2nd Ed, came out. XD ^^;<br />
[21:25] <+Jerome> (M. Okada is extremely supportive and nice person to work with)<br />
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[21:25] <+Saturnine> Ok, so communication is very open then.<br />
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[21:25] <+Arraxis> Never actually played... I just love the setting :D<br />
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[21:25] <+Guest44> Same here. I still read the books for ideas. ^^<br />
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[21:26] <+Arraxis> What kind of discussions have you had with him in regards to additions and/or modifications?<br />
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[21:28] <+MattSanchez> We run stuff by him, like airships, etc. to make sure that we're not taking the game in a direction he didn't intend. He talked to us about some aspects of the 2nd supplement that he wasn't totally happy with and whatnot.<br />
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[21:29] <+Saturnine> Does he have any plans for additional content for RT?<br />
[21:29] <+Guest44> RE: French Ryuutama PC classes -- the Navigator sounds really interesting, so I'm curious what the class skills will be like.<br />
[21:30] <+Saturnine> Will he personally be creating more stuff to release I guess is my question<br />
[21:30] <+Majeh> actually the naviigator is in the 1st supplement book<br />
[21:30] <+Arraxis> Have you ever run a game for Okada-san?<br />
[21:30] <+MattSanchez> He'll be helping us out here and there, such as extra herbs for the herb tables, etc.<br />
[21:31] <+MattSanchez> But I won't speculate on upcoming things...!!!!!!!!<br />
[21:31] <+Saturnine> I didn't hear a "no"... lol<br />
[21:31] <+Jadomonkey> (Mention of extra herbs for herb table made me drool a bit.)<br />
[21:31] <+Guest44> Gotta keep us wondering if there's more, after all. ^^<br />
[21:31] <+MattSanchez> I've never run a game for Okada-san, but I'm looking forward to gaming with him in the future!<br />
[21:31] <+Majeh> it needs a "yellow submarine"<br />
[21:31] <+MattSanchez> haha<br />
[21:32] <+Arraxis> Cute, ugly, submarine<br />
[21:32] <+MattSanchez> Ok, I think that's about all I've got for now<br />
[21:32] <+MattSanchez> I should probably go check on my wife and kids!<br />
[21:32] <+Jadomonkey> You've been in session with him running, yes? Anything crazy to share?<br />
[21:32] <+Jadomonkey> aww<br />
[21:32] <+Arraxis> Thank you for answering these questions!<br />
[21:33] <+Jadomonkey> thanks for your time. :D<br />
[21:33] <+Saturnine> Thank you!<br />
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[21:33] <+Runaris> Thanks you!<br />
[21:33] <+MattSanchez> Thank you everyone for your time!<br />
[21:33] <+Vancho1> Yeah, thanks for being here.<br />
[21:33] <~Dan> Thaniks for coming by, Mat!<br />
[21:33] <+MattSanchez> You had some great questions.<br />
[21:33] <+Guest44> "The yellow color is completely coincidental." -- (silly EarthBound reference. XD )<br />
[21:33] <+Guest44> Thanks, Matt! ^^<br />
[21:33] <~Dan> I'll have the log up shortly and will send you the link.<br />
[21:33] <+MattSanchez> Awesome, thank yoU!<br />
[21:33] <+MadC> Thanks"<br />
[21:33] <+Runaris> I'd play an Earthbound Ryuutama.<br />
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[21:33] <+Guest44> Me too. ^^<br />
[21:33] <+MattSanchez> And anyone can come by the Google+ Ryuutama Community with any further questions!<br />
[21:33] <~Dan> And I hope all of you who showed up tonight will feel welcome to hand out with us any time!<br />
[21:34] <+Runaris> I know someone's running a Ryuutama game using Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.<br />
[21:34] <+GMH> thanks for the interview, matt!<br />
[21:34] <+Arraxis> A friend of mine ran Tenra Bansho Zero as BlazBlue :D<br />
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[21:34] <+MattSanchez> Thanks again everyone, good night!<br />
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Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-3714936748787154132014-01-13T19:04:00.000-08:002014-02-07T12:58:14.092-08:00[Q&A] Josh Harrison (Earthdawn 4th edition)[19:05] <+JoshHarrison> Hi everybody, I'm Josh Harrison, line developer for Earthdawn 4th Edition.<br />
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[19:05] <+JoshHarrison> I've been playing RPGs... for a very long time (my first game was the red box D&D). I've been playing Earthdawn just about since it came out.<br />
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[19:06] <+Nahor> Hi Josh!<br />
[19:06] <+JoshHarrison> I contributed to Second Editon, the RedBrick Classic Edition, and now I'm working on 4th. Earthdawn is a fantasy RPG, kind of a hopeful post apocalypic high-fantasy with tinges of lovecraftian nasty.<br />
[19:06] <+Jetrauben> Hello Josh!<br />
[19:07] <+JoshHarrison> It's set about a hundred years after the Scourge, when creatures from the depths of astral space called the Horrors crossed into the world and caused all sorts of pain and destruction.<br />
[19:07] <+JoshHarrison> Players take the role of heroes, helping uncover the lost mysteris of the past, and building a new future.<br />
[19:08] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[19:08] <+Dan> Thanks, Josh!<br />
[19:08] <+Dan> The floor is open to questions!<br />
[19:08] <+Dan> I'll start with a basic one: Can you give us an overview of what's new?<br />
[19:09] <+etherial> Could you tell us more about the other developers and their experience with Earthdawn?<br />
[19:09] <+Psychman> My first is - after the blogs and forum discussions, what are your plans for Durability?<br />
[19:09] <+Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
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[19:10] <+Nahor> Hi, I've been playing/collecting ED since being introduced to it in 1998. I've become very passionate about the game since then and am very happy it's still alive. So, first thanks for continuing with the license and coming out with new materials.<br />
[19:10] <+Dan> (Welcome, Flowswithdrek!)<br />
[19:10] <+JoshHarrison> Dan: A few things. Like with many new editons there will be some polish and tweaking. The core dice sytem will be largely be unchanged.<br />
[19:11] <+JoshHarrison> We're going through a lot of the mechanics, trying to simplify and make things more accessible to new players.<br />
[19:11] <+JoshHarrison> Third Edition is good, and looks pretty, but can read like a tech manual at times.<br />
[19:11] <+Nahor> My question relates to how you, and FASA Games will garner new players to this IP? I'm all for retaining the old fanbase, but truly, I'd like to know how the game will expand the player base in light of the trends within this industry.<br />
[19:11] <+JoshHarrison> Probably the biggest thing I am excited about is advancing the timeline, which hasn't happened in many years.<br />
[19:12] <&Silverlion> Will there be any chance for a freeform or semi-freeform magic system ?<br />
[19:12] <+Dan> (Question pause, Nahor, Silverlion! :) )<br />
[19:12] <&Silverlion> ((Kay. Oops missed it, as my dog was needing attention.))<br />
[19:12] <+RafaelMeyer> Are you going to change the thread weaving powers and what a thread weaving can do?<br />
[19:13] <+JoshHarrison> etherial: ED2 was with Living Room Games, a group of eager fans that got a license and tried to pick up after FASA closed up shop. They released a few supplements, but I think it got to be too much ofa job, and they eventually closed up.<br />
[19:13] <+Dan> (Everyone, please hold your questions during the question pause. Thanks! :) )<br />
[19:14] <+JoshHarrison> RedBrick did "Classic" which was originally intended as a compilation of the ED1 material into as many collected tomes as possible. There was some rules stuff that went into that, but it was largely a "here's where things were at the end of the FASA tenure"<br />
[19:14] <+etherial> Sorry, Josh, I meant "who is on your team working on ED4?"<br />
[19:14] <+JoshHarrison> ED3 was the follow-up to Classic, introducing a more flexible Discipline system, and produced some new material (Kratas, Cathay books).<br />
[19:15] <+JoshHarrison> To put it mildly, there was a bit of a problem a couple of years ago, and ED3 for various reasons has been shelved. There was a "Revised" edition that only saw a player's guide and a reprint adventure/<br />
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[19:16] <+JoshHarrison> So when I took over after GenCon last year, the decision had to be made to either go with a new edition or try and resurrect/maintin the fallow revised line.<br />
[19:16] <+JoshHarrison> We opted to go with a new edition.<br />
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[19:17] <+JoshHarrison> Psychman: At this point, nothing is finally decided for Durability. I have been following the debate, and I can appreciate the position that many fans of the game have.<br />
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[19:18] <+Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Panda!)<br />
[19:18] <+Telarus> :waves:<br />
[19:18] * +AndrewRagland waves to TelarusKSC<br />
[19:19] <+Psychman> Fair enough, relieved to hear its still being considered.<br />
[19:19] <+JoshHarrison> It's being talked about, and there is certainly the possibility of a hybrid or optional rule allowing "classic" Durability to be in ED4.<br />
[19:19] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[19:19] <+Dan> (Questions may resume!)<br />
[19:19] <+Armitage> Are there any plans to add new spells in 4th edition?<br />
[19:19] <+Abstruse> As a reporter, I have to ask the elephant in the room question...have you talked to Catalyst Game Labs to coordinate and re-link the Earthdawn and Shadowrun worlds?<br />
[19:19] <+JoshHarrison> Well... let me get to some of the other questions...<br />
[19:20] <+Dan> (Oh, sorry! Question re-pause.)<br />
[19:20] <+Telarus> I liked the Kickstarter video Josh. I see your have other questions, so I'll hold off a bit (& decompress from work, lol)<br />
[19:21] <+JoshHarrison> Nahor: One of the things we are looking at with regard to expanding the player base is actually getting books back in print that could be in local game stores (as opposed to the POD that has been the rule since RedBrick took over)<br />
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[19:21] <+JoshHarrison> We're looking at getting a "demo team" kind of thng to help spread the word in local areas, with swag and the like to get people to bring the game to their local stores.<br />
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[19:22] <+JoshHarrison> Silverlion: With regard to freeform magic, probably nothing like you have in, say, Mage or Ars Magica, but we are definately looking at ways of making spellcasting more dynamic<br />
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[19:23] <+JoshHarrison> One idea being worked on (probably not in the core guides, but likely for the companion or advanced rulebook) is allowing casters to weave additional threads to boost the default aspects of the spells.<br />
[19:24] <+JoshHarrison> Etherial: Oh, I misunderstood your question. A couple f the people I have working on ED4 with me are Morgan Weeks (of Panda Gaming Grove) and R.S. Tilton<br />
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[19:25] <+JoshHarrison> RafaelMeyer: As of right now, we aren't looking at anyting beyond the normal stuff that thread weaving could do before.<br />
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[19:25] <+Dan> (Howdy, Rasyr!)<br />
[19:25] * +Rasyr waves<br />
[19:26] <+JoshHarrison> Armitage: There is the possibility of new spells in 4e. In fact, spells in general are getting a pretty hefty look to try and bring a bit more differentiation and flavor to the different casting Disciplines.<br />
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[19:27] <+Nahor> Will you link threadweaving to circle like you are durability/karma? It almost seems logical in a way; although, I see the merit, especially for casters, to keep it as a talent. If not, I'd almost want to see threadweaving get a more active role. It seems like it takes a back seat as it's 4th circle for most disciplines until a thread item or group pattern is<br />
[19:27] <+Nahor> formed<br />
[19:27] <+JoshHarrison> Nothing specific at the moment that is actually "new" but many of the familiar spells ay be getting a facelift. That is something I'll be talking about ina future developer post once theost have gotten a bit more work.<br />
[19:27] <+JoshHarrison> Abstruse: As of right now, there is nothing in store for any kind of ED/SR crossover. That's always been kind of a mixed bag... some people loved it, some hated it.<br />
[19:27] <+etherial> Are people sending private messages to Josh? It looks like he's answering questions I haven't seen.<br />
[19:28] <+Dan> No, he's just trying to catch up. :)<br />
[19:28] <+JoshHarrison> Nahor: As of right now, Thread Weaving is going to remain a traditional talent.<br />
[19:28] <+JoshHarrison> (done) I think I'm caught up...<br />
[19:29] <+Dan> (Questions can resume!)<br />
[19:29] <+etherial> What parts of Barsaive are you most looking forward to exploring?<br />
[19:29] <+Abstruse> JoshHarrison: If you want, I can introduce you to some of the SR guys at CGL. Virtually, I mean...<br />
[19:30] <+Nahor> Will you be expanding the kickstarter rewards? I noticed a mighty jump from 150.00 to 1200. Also what stretch goals (should you reach 10k) are you thinking of?.<br />
[19:31] <+RafaelMeyer> And what are the stretching goals?<br />
[19:31] <+JoshHarrison> Etherial: I'm looking forward to exploring areas that haven't really seen much more than a cursory look. Travar is going to be cool. I'm really looking forward to exploring (and expanding) the role of Questors in the game<br />
[19:31] <&Silverlion> Awesome I'm glad to hear of some stuff...<br />
[19:31] <+Telarus> Yay, expanded Questor content :)<br />
[19:31] <+JoshHarrison> Getting into more detail for Iopos and the Denairastas<br />
[19:32] <+JoshHarrison> Looking at ramifications from the Second Theran War.<br />
[19:32] <+Gerrik_Vors> Any chance of getting Mini's or some new adventures to help busy GMs?<br />
[19:32] <+Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:33] <+DocSmiley> I noted that you're combining talents to make them less redundant. What approach are you taking to talent knacks? Personally I loved them but thought the selections of them were somewhat limited (especially for certain disciplines)<br />
[19:33] <+JoshHarrison> Nahor: As far as stretch goals, funding art/production costs for the next books in the pipe (Travar, ED Companion, Elven Nations, Questors). As far as expanding the rewards... I'm not so sure. The top tier was a kind of a "hey, if a group wants to chip in that much, what can we do?"<br />
[19:33] <+Dan> (Question pause, DocSmiley. Please hold questions until you see a "(done)" from Josh. Thanks! :) )<br />
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[19:34] <+JoshHarrison> Gerrik: New adventures, yeah. I think that while ED has largely been a game that has allowed GMs to do their own thing, there is an unserved market there for "adventure path" type stuff<br />
[19:35] <+JoshHarrison> That wasn't something that was part of the market back in the ED1 days. But tmes have changed, and PDF/Electronic can make adventures a bit more profitable.<br />
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[19:36] <+Dan> (Welcome, Guest11! Please set your name using the /nick command. Thanks!)<br />
[19:36] <+JoshHarrison> DocSmiley: I'll be honest, talent knacks are something that I've been holding off on looking at. I've never been crazy about them, and don't tend to see them used at my table.<br />
[19:37] <+JoshHarrison> That said, I understand they are a legacy, and I would like to find a place and purpose for them that doesn't feel kind of tacked on.<br />
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[19:38] <+JoshHarrison> RThey will probably not make an appearance in the core books, likely for the companion<br />
[19:38] <+JoshHarrison> Oh, and to get back to Minis: since FASAGames has a close relationship with Ral Partha Europe, and we have a number of tabltop minis games, we're looking at getting miniatres back out.<br />
[19:39] <+Telarus> Oh, Josh, any thoughts on mass-combat or rules to speed combat with many characters who have essentially the same statblock? (Something I run into often at mid->high circles, so I made my own houseruels.)<br />
[19:39] <+JoshHarrison> 3D printing and maker bot tech has made that an interesting place to explort<br />
[19:39] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[19:39] <+Psychman> Any chance of re-exploring classic adventures and locations eg Parlainth, for those of us who missed them 1st time around?<br />
[19:39] <+Dan> (Questions can resume!)<br />
[19:40] <+Abstruse> Where did the FASA Games name come from? Did you buy the original Trademark or did it expire?<br />
[19:40] <+Abstruse> Because I notice you've got the classic FASA Corporation logo on your Kickstarter<br />
[19:40] <+Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[19:40] <+etherial> How much bog could a bog gob gob if a bog gob could gob bog?<br />
[19:40] <+JoshHarrison> Psychman: Yes. We will probably be looking at some classic stuff -- I wold love to do a "Parlainth Revisited". By the same token, I want to avoid the "reprint" problem that was a big part of the Classic/ED3 era.<br />
[19:41] <+JoshHarrison> We won't see a rehashed Throal book right away, but places that didn't see an ED3 reprint? Those are more on the table.<br />
[19:43] <+Psychman> I look at Moon Design's early stuff, reprinting & updating classic material - the kind of thing that could be farmed out to a fan-run associated company - if such a thing exists.<br />
[19:43] <+JoshHarrison> Abstruse: FASA Games is headed up by Ross Babcock, one of the original founders of FASA Corp along with Jordan Wiseman (sp?). FASA Corp still exists. I'm not 100% clear on the coprorate relationship, but it isn't just a case of us "buying a defunct name to try and get goodwill" as some people have suggested.<br />
[19:43] <+Abstruse> Wiesman<br />
[19:44] <+Abstruse> Weisman, sorry.<br />
[19:44] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[19:44] <+Dan> (Questions can resume!)<br />
[19:44] <+Armitage> Earthfell seems to be a new IP for Fasa Games, will it be related to Earthdawn in some capacity?<br />
[19:44] <+Roth> modules be like old Ed modules or going more towards D&D style?<br />
[19:44] <+Nahor> Will you consider making an anniversary edition of the book seeing ED has passed its 20th but maybe for the 25th? Yes I'm assuming you and this game will still be going strong in 4 years. :) Catalyst made a great SR anniversary color book.<br />
[19:44] <+Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
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[19:45] <+JoshHarrison> Armitage: Yes, though for the time being Earthfell is on hold. No concrete plans are in place for when that line will move forward.<br />
[19:46] <+JoshHarrison> I don't know very much about it, to be honest.<br />
[19:46] <+AndrewRagland> We'd like to leave questions about Earthfell for another session, if you don't mind.<br />
[19:47] <+Armitage> Sure thing, sorry for the trouble<br />
[19:48] <+JoshHarrison> Roth: Modules.... like prepared adventures. I'm not sure what D&D has been doing -- haven't really looked at D&D since the 3.5 days. I would like to see more than a simple adventure.<br />
[19:48] <+JoshHarrison> One of the ideas being talked about is having a kind of "setting book" that perhaps has a story arc outlined in it, kind of like the individual sections of the old Prelude to War Epic?<br />
[19:49] <+JoshHarrison> Using the adventure to outline and explore a particular area in more depth, or offer examples of the kind of stuff that can be done there.<br />
[19:49] <+Dan> Something like Call of Cthulhu's "Return to Dunwich"?<br />
[19:50] <+Dan> (As in, a sort of sandbox with a story weaving through it?)<br />
[19:50] <+JoshHarrison> Yeah, kind of.<br />
[19:50] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[19:50] <+Dan> (Questions can resume!)<br />
[19:50] <+Abstruse> How much are you focusing on the metaplot for the new edition?<br />
[19:50] <+Telarus> Have you considered game-aids like cards or Talent quick-reference sheets? Would you be comfortable posting limited content from the old-out-of-print books on the website, in order to remove them from core-book word-counts? (I think this may be attractive to gamers, especially things like Vasdjenas' (sp?) creature descriptions.)<br />
[19:50] <+Psychman> Another blog item that got very mixed reactions - dropping armour-defeating hits in favor of increased effects. there were concerns low damage disciplines would be disadvaged, particularly vs high armour creatures. How do you respond to that concern?<br />
[19:51] <+Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[19:51] <+Telarus> (sry about earlier, didn't note this was being moderated)<br />
[19:51] <+Dan> (No problem, Telarus!)<br />
[19:52] <+JoshHarrison> Abstruse: I'm not sure about what extent we'll be "focusing" on metaplot. There are a lot of things that will change in the wake of the timeline advancement, and I think there will be a lot of area to explore.<br />
[19:52] <+JoshHarrison> That said, I would like to see the story of Barsaive and its people move forward.<br />
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[19:53] <+JoshHarrison> Metaplot is a touchy thing.... some people like following the story, some people don't like it intruding on their personal games.<br />
[19:53] <+JoshHarrison> It's a tough balance.<br />
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[19:54] <+JoshHarrison> Telarus: Game aids are a possibility -- not something we have looked at really hard just yet, but who knows? Out of print stuff... if we dn't have a place for it in the core, could potentially see some use online.<br />
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[19:55] <&Silverlion> Nice hard tokens/cardboard tokens might be nice.<br />
[19:56] <+JoshHarrison> Psychman: The armor defeating hit thing is an interesting questions. I totally get the thrill of getting a good roll and ignoring armor. That's a great feeling -- like exploding your dice.<br />
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[19:56] <+Telarus> Who wouldn't read a Dragon's blog about the tasty flora and fauna of Barsaive, eh? (Scribbles note about "Iron Chef Barsaive" in one of the next few games.)<br />
[19:56] <+JoshHarrison> But outside of that for the most part, the success levels were not something that saw a *lot* of use outside of particular things.<br />
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[19:57] <+Abstruse> (Let me know if you need help with that Telarus)<br />
[19:57] <+Dan> (Welcome, Guest97! Please set your name with the /nick command. :) )<br />
[19:57] <+Dan> (And welcome, MorganWeeks!)<br />
[19:58] <+JoshHarrison> If we are going to simplify (and expand) the calculation of success levels, is there a way we could take advantage of that to make the levels that don't typically see much use a bit more intertesting?<br />
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[19:58] <+JoshHarrison> The discussion that has gone on around this idea has been good, and we're looking at alternate implementations outside the simple "straight bonus".<br />
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[19:59] <+Dan> Personally, I prefer to see success levels have a direct impact.<br />
[19:59] <+Telarus> Yeah. The lookup time just didn't reward gameplay w/ the table, mostly in combat I found. I used the SL table quite a bit in freeform narrative.<br />
[19:59] <+JoshHarrison> The tough thing is trying to balance cutting a certain amount of complexity in one place, wihtout adding a whole other level in another.<br />
[19:59] <+JoshHarrison> The +5 success thing is pretty easy to figure, and maps pretty well to the original success progression.<br />
[20:00] <+Psychman> RuneQuest 6 does some interesting things with varying success levels, at least in combat, with special effects. Could be worth looking at?<br />
[20:00] <+JoshHarrison> The +2 bonus per success... multiples of 2 are easy to figure on the fly. Not quite as easy to do with +3 per or +4 per, if you see what I mean?<br />
[20:01] <+Nahor> ED1 and 2 had two source books and a little GM thing, for lack of a better word. What calls for the need to split the content into a Player's and GM's book as well as a Companion? What will be in the companion? (Also I love knacks, they really help flesh out an already fleshy discipline)<br />
[20:01] <+AndrewRagland> If you don't mind me interjecting?<br />
[20:02] <+Dan> Please do!<br />
[20:02] <+JoshHarrison> That is probably the one asepct of ED4 design that is seeing the most examination. How do the staking of bonuses with talents like Spot Armor Flaw, or other stuff like that, change the end result of success levels on the primary attack?<br />
[20:02] <+JoshHarrison> Please, Andrew<br />
[20:02] <+JoshHarrison> (I'll get to your question next, Nahor)<br />
[20:03] <+Nahor> thanks. :)<br />
[20:03] <+Flowswithdrek> Do you realise the Earthdawn Kickstarter is almost 1/3 funded already :)<br />
[20:04] <+JoshHarrison> Really? AWESOME<br />
[20:04] <&Silverlion> I've a question: Do you think you'll cut back on some of the silly "visual" elements of some powers (I recall the Archer's putting what crosshairs? mark on their target being rather absurd.).<br />
[20:04] <+Telarus> :)<br />
[20:04] <+JoshHarrison> I've been busy typing haven't looked<br />
[20:04] <+Dan> Well done, JoshHarrison!<br />
[20:04] <+AndrewRagland> I'm the line developer for 1879, which uses the CoreStep mechanic, derived from Earthdawn. We're using the successes model to control what the skills accomplish. For example, you need one success to get access to an analytical engine, but two to get it to run code that's not in its base instruction set, and three or more to get it to run code that's contrary<br />
[20:04] <+AndrewRagland> to its normal function<br />
[20:05] <+Dan> A steampunk game, I take it?<br />
[20:05] <+Telarus> Andrew, are you also using the +5/SL?<br />
[20:05] <+AndrewRagland> Yes, kind of steampunk, but with a FASA flavor<br />
[20:05] <+Jetrauben> Well done, Josh!<br />
[20:05] <+Telarus> I like to think of 1879 as Science!punk.<br />
[20:06] <+Dan> Cool! Please feel free to schedule a Q&A for that whenever you see fit. :)<br />
[20:06] <+AndrewRagland> Telarus: Yes, we're using the +5 SL model. Every 5 points past the Target Number is an extra success. I don't want to hijack Josh's chat here - just wanted to illustrate how the +5 SL model could work.<br />
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[20:07] <+JoshHarrison> Nahor: The ED1 and ED2 books were rather light on the setting. My goal for the GM book is to give a bit more setting (updated to the new timeline status quo) and have a lot more advice and tricks for running the game<br />
[20:07] <+Psychman> Maybe go with the +5/SL but offer different things to spend the levels on, so damage would be one, or spend 2 levels for "armour-defeating". Something on those lines?<br />
[20:08] <+JoshHarrison> Believe me, I have heard the cries of GMs in the wilderness to make things easier on them.<br />
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[20:09] <+Nahor> awesome. that sounds great<br />
[20:09] <+JoshHarrison> I think I'm caught up.<br />
[20:09] <+JoshHarrison> so (done)<br />
[20:09] <+Nahor> will all the creature/spell/etc creation rules be in the gm's guide? That was always fun, but a task, in ED1<br />
[20:09] <+Henghyoke> Josh, are the new ED rulebooks going to be US Letter or Digest size? And color or black and white? (Will we finally see a full color Earthdawn?)<br />
[20:09] <+etherial> What's your favorite Earthdawn race?<br />
[20:09] <+Roth> Concerns low damage disciplines would be disadvantaged, particularly vs high armor creatures?<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
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[20:10] <+Snoof> Afternoon all.<br />
[20:11] <+JoshHarrison> Nahor: I don't know at this point if creature/spell/etc creation rules will be in the GM Core. Possibly. I've never been super happy with any edition's iteration of them.<br />
[20:11] <+JoshHarrison> If we can come up with something good and usable, and there's room, it will be there.<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> (Howdy, Snoof! Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat! :) )<br />
[20:12] <+Nahor> Cool. As long as they come in at some point. While semi-difficult it is fun and for players especially to create spells for higher circles it was great craic.<br />
[20:12] <+JoshHarrison> Henghyoke: The books are currently slated to be digest sized (like the Revised Edition). Black and white.<br />
[20:13] <+JoshHarrison> Maybe see a full-color edition, if we end up being successful enough (the rate the kickstarter is going, may end up being more a possibility than I thought!)<br />
[20:13] <+JoshHarrison> Etherial: My favorite race.... if you held a gun to my head, I would have to say t'skrang. Love me some vivacious lizard men!<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:14] <+JoshHarrison> But I like all of them to one extent or another. Earthdawn really dida good job of putting an interesting twist on even the "stock" elves, dwarves, etc.<br />
[20:15] * ~Dan agrees<br />
[20:15] <+Nahor> yeah they did.<br />
[20:15] <+Abstruse> *cough*IEs*cough*<br />
[20:15] <+JoshHarrison> Roth: I've heard the concerns, and that is something that testing is looking at. We're hoping that support Disciplines (non combat primary) will have ways of contributing.<br />
[20:15] <+Abstruse> Sorry, had some metaplot stuck in my throat<br />
[20:15] <+Telarus> [Races] Agreed. Everyone I've introduced to ED says so.<br />
[20:16] <+ToddBogenrief> Don't worry, when the books are ready to go to the printer I'm going to sneak in and give Windlings +5 steps to everything. :)<br />
[20:16] <+JoshHarrison> But with the changes in mind for how armor works in relation to the new bonus mechanic.... having super-high armor ratings is not necessarily a requirement.<br />
[20:17] <+JoshHarrison> It's being looked at.<br />
[20:17] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[20:17] <+Telarus> (Dan, will the Earthdawn 4E Q&A Chatlog be available anywhere? If possible, a link should go on the Kickstarter page...)<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> (Telarus: Yup. You can see a link to my blog in the topic line.)<br />
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[20:18] <+Roth> Any reason for digest size?<br />
[20:18] <+etherial> Onyx Path (the current producer of classic World of Darkness games) releases the .pdf of their Kickstarter books to the backers for proofreading and general obsessiveness. Any chance we'd see something similar for ED4?<br />
[20:18] <+Psychman> Tell us something new that's being introduced - a spell, a talent, anything. Not a adjustment or rebalancing, something completely new.<br />
[20:19] <+JoshHarrison> Roth: It's what we're working with? That's a layout question.<br />
[20:19] <+Telarus> (Thanks) Josh, do you consider Earthdawn to fall in the OSR game-space? Would that be a crowd to attract with later products (Somethings that says "This is how you do hexcrawls in Earthdawn"?)<br />
[20:20] <+Roth> I haven't seen any 3eR books, don't know how thick they are, seems like a lot of information for the size.<br />
[20:20] <+JoshHarrison> Etherial: It is a possibility. It depends on how quickly we get the books done. If there is time to get it out there for a once-over, we'll definitely keep it in mind.<br />
[20:21] <+JoshHarrison> I have a deadline to meet so that we can get editing/layout/printing done for the summer.<br />
[20:22] <+ToddBogenrief> re: Digest Size - as the guy in charge of final production, we've kind of inherited that size from our other projects and have received good feedback on it so far for the products released using it. Not saying things won't change in the future but we do want to stay consistent along a product line.<br />
[20:22] <+Flowswithdrek> What are your thoughts on the new Earthdawn Logo? I agree it might have needed updated, but I still prefer the old one to the new one<br />
[20:22] <+JoshHarrison> Psychman: Something new? Beastmaster talent: Enhance Animal Companion. This allows a Beastmaster to give bonuses to the stats of an animal companion without resorting to blood magic.<br />
[20:22] <&Silverlion> Anythought Re: Silly visual effects above?<br />
[20:22] <+etherial> Amazon.com lists EDR as 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches<br />
[20:23] <+JoshHarrison> This allows an animal companion to continue to contribute and have its stats scale along with the rest of the group.<br />
[20:23] <+etherial> That's not new! We saw that last week!<br />
[20:23] <+JoshHarrison> Heh.<br />
[20:23] <+Psychman> Too true etherial!<br />
[20:24] <+ToddBogenrief> 6.14 x 9.21 - the other number will depend on how many pages Josh gives us. :)<br />
[20:24] <+THAC0> haha man earthdawn<br />
[20:24] <+THAC0> I remember that game<br />
[20:24] <+Psychman> Try again, Josh, mate. :-)<br />
[20:24] <+JoshHarrison> Put me on the spot... I'll come back to that one if anything pops to mind.<br />
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[20:24] <~Dan> I'm a sucker for a good bestiary and was impressed with Earthdawn's in previous editions. Will you keep up that tradition in 4e?<br />
[20:24] <+THAC0> Isn't that the game with the lizard things that had the tail attack?<br />
[20:25] <+Psychman> sure thing, we're patient. :-)<br />
[20:25] <+JoshHarrison> (Can we get a question pause, Dan?_<br />
[20:25] <+Nahor> Will sections of the books be written in character like the ED1 books. Creatures of Barsaive is the perfect example and it and the Adept's Way book are basically what got me so damned hooked into ED. I've never read a RPG where you were getting the POV of characters in the world. This made it alive. To put it simply: I want that!<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> (Oh, certainly, sorry.)<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[20:26] <+JoshHarrison> Silverlion: I kind of *like* the "silly" visual effects. I think they add a bit of flavor and "magic" to the game. The extent to which an individual group plays that up (or down) is largely a matter of taste.<br />
[20:27] <+RafaelMeyer> I agree, content like hte ones on adept way and Denizens are welcome, but please, DON'T CUT AND PASTE THE OLD TEXTS<br />
[20:27] <+AndrewRagland> Nahor: The POV thing has been made FASA standard. You'll see that in our other new properties as they emerge.<br />
[20:28] <+Nahor> As Cartman says, "Super Sweet."<br />
[20:28] <+JoshHarrison> Dan (and Nahor): I really like the in-person stuff. I certainly hope to continue that. I think that "Creatures" and "Horrors" from ED1 are probably the most enjoyable "monster manuals" to read.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> True, but I was thinking specifically in terms of scope, not style.<br />
[20:29] <+Psychman> There's more than a few other games that have used the same approach since - WFRP, MRQ...<br />
[20:29] <+JoshHarrison> I am hoping to cut back on the amount of the "reprinted" text. For example, there is no plan to include the old Adept's Way Discipline write-ups in the Companion<br />
[20:30] <+JoshHarrison> There is a dearth of good mid-challenge creatures in Earthdawn. I would love to see a new bestiary that brings in some new critters for that C6-C10 range.<br />
[20:30] <+JoshHarrison> Nothing specific in the pipe right this moment, but it is on the radar.<br />
[20:31] <+JoshHarrison> I don't think I've missed any questions.... so (done)<br />
[20:31] <+RafaelMeyer> And how about the actualized map with the sextant like the first ed had?<br />
[20:31] <+Abstruse> As much as I love the Earthdawn world (probably because I'm the world's biggest Shadowrun fanboy), I've never gotten into it much because the system seemed so obtuse. Are you addressing that in the new edition?<br />
[20:33] <+JoshHarrison> RafaelMeyer: I love the map from the ED1 Barsaive Boxed set (I had mine laminated and it's just out of reach of my desk here). I always felt the sextant, while flavorful, was unnecessarily fiddly.<br />
[20:33] <+etherial> Do you plan to continue your development blog indefinitely?<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[20:33] <+JoshHarrison> I think the intention was to have it used to put stuff from later products, but it didn't really see use.<br />
[20:33] <+RafaelMeyer> it helped me to get the riding and walking time distances<br />
[20:33] <+JoshHarrison> Yeah, I just use a ruler. :)<br />
[20:34] <+Abstruse> I tend to use string I've marked on for overland maps. Sort of a flexible ruler...<br />
[20:34] <+RafaelMeyer> rulers don't give the climbing time measures, but it is okay<br />
[20:35] <+JoshHarrison> Abstruse: One of my goals for ED4 is to try and make the game a bit easier to pick up. I want to have clearer examples of play.<br />
[20:35] <+Abstruse> JoshHarrison: But you're staying with the same basic system, just overhauling it? Or are you starting from scratch?<br />
[20:35] <+JoshHarrison> Same basic system. Still the "Step System"<br />
[20:36] <+JoshHarrison> I think it's a shame that ED tends to be a game that needs to be taught by somebody who knows it, as opposed to one that can be picked up and "grokked".<br />
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[20:37] <+JoshHarrison> So I'm looking at that -- I have a lot of experience introducing people to the game.<br />
[20:37] <+AndrewRagland> the Master of the Hall of Records has arrived<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Merrox!)<br />
[20:38] <+JoshHarrison> Etherial: As long as I have stuff to post, I will probably continue the blog. I may slack off a little bit once we get ED4 out the door later this year, but I think I can find things to talk about.<br />
[20:38] <+JoshHarrison> (done)<br />
[20:38] <+Nahor> While I see the merit of forgoing reprinting old material in an effort to publish new material and push forward the metaplot, how will you reconcile not providing details on key places, characters, organizations, etc. that have been previously written about? I'm thinking more for new to the game customers.<br />
[20:38] <+Roth> Any plans to add more 'styles' to certain creatures, like Cave Troll Shamans or Ogre Magi?<br />
[20:38] <+Gerrik_Vors> Will we get sewn binding books instead of the cut and glue perfect bound that will fall apart after many hours of gaming? (Like the 3rd edition books instead of the revised books.)<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> Are you sticking with all of the same races and disciplines?<br />
[20:38] <+Telarus> Oh, I had a question about how Earthdawn relates to the new "OSR" movement (if you have an opinion)? Not sure if you were familiar with the term, so it may have slipped by you.<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> (Question pause!)<br />
[20:38] <+etherial> Telarus, can you explain it a little?<br />
[20:39] <+JoshHarrison> Oh right, Telarus. I'll get you first.<br />
[20:39] <+Abstruse> (BTW, you're over $4000 now on your Kickstarter already)<br />
[20:39] <+AndrewRagland> (Yep, we're watching the ticker :) )<br />
[20:40] <+Telarus> "Old School Renaissance" is a social-media event, where many people all developed parallel versions of Gygax's material (the first few with open licences, like Osric).<br />
[20:40] <+JoshHarrison> I'm not super familiar with the borders of the "OSR" movement. If I understand it correctly, there may be some overlap there? One of the descriptions of Earthdawn I've always kind of gotten a kick out of is "D&D Done ight"<br />
[20:40] <+JoshHarrison> er... "Done Right"<br />
[20:40] <+etherial> :)<br />
[20:42] <+JoshHarrison> Earthdawn was, in some ways, a '90s response to AD&D2. I can see a bit of the "old school" thinking in that, but Earthdawn adds on a lot of rich setting development that doesn't tyicaly show up in OSR stuff?<br />
[20:42] <+Telarus> Same. Many of the OSR games, like Adventurer, Conqueror, King, try to stick to the gygaxian game cycle of "dungeon crawl until you can buy your self a castle at 9th level, then hexcrawl or wargame between dungeons"<br />
[20:42] <+JoshHarrison> I don't know. That's an interesting question that I've not really thought about.<br />
[20:42] <+Telarus> Others like Lamentations of the Flame Princess embrace all out weird very similar to Earthdawn.<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> I think OSR games all stick to some variant of D&D rules, though.<br />
[20:43] <&Silverlion> Well, some of them do James Bond, or other old games.<br />
[20:43] <+JoshHarrison> Nahor: That is something we are looking at making sure is part of the GM Guide, which is going to be a bit more setting heavy.<br />
[20:43] <+Nahor> Cool thanks. Quick follow up: What is the difference between the 125 and 150 dollar tiers on the KS? They look identical to me, but my eyes/reading comprehension could be going. :)<br />
[20:44] <+Telarus> I think it's an possible audience of people, but they like things like "Random Encounter Tables" that ED just _almost_ supports. ;) I'd like to let the next question come up.<br />
[20:44] <+JoshHarrison> They are identical -- the lower price one is a limited "early bird" special that gets you a discount<br />
[20:44] <+Nahor> ahh<br />
[20:45] <+Telarus> <Roth>: Any plans to add more 'styles' to certain creatures, like Cave Troll Shamans or Ogre Magi?<br />
[20:45] <+JoshHarrison> Where was I.... Roth: I think there is space for that kind of thing. I recall an adventure (in the old Throal Adventures, I think?) that I think had a Cave Troll Eleentalist?<br />
[20:46] <+JoshHarrison> I think there is definitely some design space there. Not really explored much in earlier editions.<br />
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[20:47] <+JoshHarrison> Gerrik: The book binding thing is another production question, not really sure where we will end up with that when all is said and done.<br />
[20:47] <+JoshHarrison> Dan: Same races and Disciplines, yes.<br />
[20:47] <+JoshHarrison> Have I missed anything?<br />
[20:48] <+JoshHarrison> Don't think so. (done)<br />
[20:48] <+Gerrik_Vors> Will we see any more of the Savage Worlds books? I love the port for players to enjoy the world with rules they know, but wish it was a "Plot Point" book and would love to see one released some day.<br />
[20:48] <+etherial> What is your favorite Discipline and why?<br />
[20:48] <+ToddBogenrief> Book binding - The plan right now is for perfect-bound books.<br />
[20:48] <+Armitage> Will you be adding additional disciplines in the player's guide originally released in supplements like the Horror Stalker?<br />
[20:50] <+JoshHarrison> Gerrik: No plans right now for more Savage Worlds books. The response to that was... mixed, and I am not really up on Savage Worlds.<br />
[20:50] <+JoshHarrison> However, the "plot point" idea is one we are looking at for ED4 adventure arcs/supplements<br />
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[20:51] <+Roth> Haven't really looked, but is your timeline different from LRG timeline?<br />
[20:51] <+Nahor> It's 5 years advanced. LRG was basically Prelude to War, then they advance to the war and right after.<br />
[20:52] <+JoshHarrison> Etherial: That's like asking me to choose a favorite child. Top choices are... Swordmaster and Troubadour. Why? I have a flair for the dramatic, and both of those suit that well.<br />
[20:53] <+JoshHarrison> Armitage: Right now, there are not plans to put the Horror Stalker (or Shaman, or any of the racial Disciplines) into the player's guide. There are already 15 Disciplines in there... it's crowded enough!<br />
[20:53] <+JoshHarrison> Horror Stalker might be one that sees an early web supplement, though<br />
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[20:54] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest83! Please set your name with the /nick command. :) )<br />
[20:54] <+JoshHarrison> Roth: There will be some similarities between the events of the War as set out by LRG in "Barsaive at War" and the version we're putting together, but that is largely because we're both going off the same general outline, and the situation as it was was laid out up through the ED1 story.<br />
[20:56] <+JoshHarrison> Big difference (not revealed before now!) is that Vivane will be heavily damaged, but rather than being a city of new undead (and possibly a kind of Parlainth-lite), it will have the tables turned with the members of the resistance in charge of things,<br />
[20:56] <+JoshHarrison> and the kind of all too human darkness that can result when the oppressed suddenly find themselves in a position of power.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Two quick notes, Josh...<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> (1) In the time we have left in "regular time", is there anything you'd like to bring up that we haven't discussed?<br />
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[20:57] <~Dan> (2) Before I forget: on 1/23, we're having an "All-Star Q&A". You're welcome to participate. :)<br />
[20:58] <+Nahor> Is LouP's or any of the past talent that were intimately involved with the game of any version having their brains picked? I can see how this could be beneficial, but I also can see how going it alone could be good too.<br />
[20:59] <+Flowswithdrek> Ok folks its 3am here - got to go - good luck with the kickstarter<br />
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[20:59] <+JoshHarrison> (1) I am thrilled (and a touch daunted) to be doing this, and I appreciate that the concerns people are bringing up are largely driven by a love for the game. Believe me, I know where you are coming from. I appreciate and welcome feedback -- I can't guarantee that i will be able to satisfy everybody's concerns (that's impossible), but I will listen as long as<br />
[20:59] <+JoshHarrison> you are constructive and polite.<br />
[21:00] <+Nahor> Thank you for this Q&A and KS initiative.<br />
[21:00] <+AndrewRagland> (If you'd like to send us feedback, the e-mail address is contact@fasagames.com)<br />
[21:00] <+Armitage> Thank you for your time Josh and congrats for the kickstarter campaign! Looking forward to 4th ED!<br />
[21:00] <+JoshHarrison> Thank you all for taking part!<br />
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[21:00] <+JoshHarrison> Here's a link to the KS for those that missed it earler: (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/783548120/earthdawn-4th-edition)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/783548120/earthdawn-4th-edition<br />
[21:01] <+JoshHarrison> We're almost halfway there already!<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> Glad to hear it! :)<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> As I mentioned earlier, please feel free to hang out with us as long as you like, Josh! I'll go ahead and log the chat here, though, if you're good with that.<br />
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Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-51429760205292657752014-01-07T19:04:00.000-08:002014-02-07T12:58:06.693-08:00[Q&A] Michael O. Varhola (Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting)[19:08] <+MichaelVarhola> My name is Michael O. Varhola and I have been designing games most of my life and professionally contributing to the game industry since the early 1990s.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:09] <+MichaelVarhola> In 2002 I founded game company Skirmisher Publishing LLC, (Link: http://www.skirmisher.com/,)http://www.skirmisher.com/, initially as a publisher of d20 products.<br />
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[19:10] <+MichaelVarhola> Since then, we have expanded our portfolio, and now focus primarily on system agnostic supplements, such as our "Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting" and our "City Builder" and "Castle Builder" franchises.<br />
[19:11] <+MichaelVarhola> We also co-publish and help run the multi-platform d-Infinity game supplement, online magazine, and weekly webcast; (Link: http://d-infinity.net/)http://d-infinity.net/<br />
[19:12] <+MichaelVarhola> That is probably plenty to start with!<br />
[19:12] <+MichaelVarhola> So, (done"<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Thanks, Michael!<br />
[19:12] <+MichaelVarhola> (done)<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question?<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Actually, let's start with the basics...<br />
[19:12] <+Abstruse> (Sorry, my name is Darryl and I write the tabletop gaming column for Ain't It Cool News and produce the podcast Gamer's Tavern with host Ross Watson)<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> Can you give us a general overview of Swords of Kos? What sort of setting is it?<br />
[19:13] <&Silverlion> What is unique about the setting?<br />
[19:14] <+Abstruse> Oh, d-Infinity! How's the a la cart OGL store going?<br />
[19:15] <+MichaelVarhola> SoK is what Gary Gygax used to call a "traditional fantasy campaign setting" when he and I were working on projects together. So, on the one hand it is a setting that is deliberately compatible with almost any fantasy, ancient, dark ages, or medieval campaign someone might be running.<br />
[19:15] <+MichaelVarhola> A number of things make it unique.<br />
[19:15] <+MichaelVarhola> Or at least exceptional.<br />
[19:16] <+MichaelVarhola> One is that it is set in an ahistorical version of our own earth, the history of which begins to diverge from about 150 B.C. onward, which gives us a lot of nice history, geography, mythology, and geography to tap into.<br />
[19:17] <+MichaelVarhola> A lot of campaign setting fall flat in one or more of those areas, e.g., because designers fall back on words the sound cool, not actual research, legwork, empirical observation, etc.<br />
[19:18] <+MichaelVarhola> We have found that using the real world characteristics as a starting point immeasurably increases the depth and realism of the setting.<br />
[19:19] <+MichaelVarhola> Also, even though the setting is centered on the eastern Mediterranean/Aegean, it is not a Classical age setting, and is much more dark ages.<br />
[19:19] <+MichaelVarhola> It is also more swords-and-sorcery than high fantasy.<br />
[19:19] <+MichaelVarhola> The main literary influences on it are Fritz Lieber, Robert E. Howard, Jack Vance, and the like.<br />
[19:20] <+MichaelVarhola> Re. earlier question from Abstruse, the Bookforge project is moving right along! That is probably a subject for a show in and of itself.<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> It seems like the way magic works is one of the key differences between swords & sorcery and high fantasy. How do you handle that issue in a system-agnostic product?<br />
[19:20] <&Silverlion> So it builds from Earth History from the Bronze Age?<br />
[19:21] <+Abstruse> Do you have iron and steel? What's the general technology level? You said it diverts, but does it advance from there and if so, how long?<br />
[19:21] <+MichaelVarhola> If you had to put our Kos calendar in real world terms it would be about A.D. 600.<br />
[19:21] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes, there is actually a lot of "lost" relatively high technology.<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:22] <&Silverlion> What cultures are there?<br />
[19:22] <+MichaelVarhola> Part of the back story is that the Minoan culture centered on Crete, etc., was not destroyed by the detonation of the Theran volcano in 1700 B.C.<br />
[19:23] <+MichaelVarhola> So, Minoan culture thrived, established almost worldwide trade, prevented Roman domination of the Med, etc.<br />
[19:23] <+MichaelVarhola> until 100 years before the campaign setting.<br />
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[19:23] <+MichaelVarhola> Then, Thera exploded about 10 times worse than it did in real life<br />
[19:24] <+GenoFoxx> So 'Atlantis' never fell?<br />
[19:24] <+GenoFoxx> oops<br />
[19:24] <+MichaelVarhola> tilted the Earth on its axis, reawakened magic, drove the old races up from their depths, etc.<br />
[19:24] <+GenoFoxx> so a supervolcano is the cause for magic<br />
[19:25] <+MichaelVarhola> No, Atlantis never fell, and we place it in the Atlantic, like Plato did, and associate it with the Azores.<br />
[19:26] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, a supervolcano is the catalyst for global change. It does not create magic, it just causes enough changes that already existent magic -- of the sort we read about in ancient texts -- was reawakened and strengthened.<br />
[19:27] <+GenoFoxx> so a megascale mana-bomb<br />
[19:28] <+MichaelVarhola> Or maybe not. Some people believe that the eruption was just a sign of the Titanomachy, the war between the gods and the Titans, and that is the real root of the changes. That is just the back story and it does not really matter that the exact truth is. The net result is, in fact a world conforming to the characteristics of a fantasy campaign setting<br />
[19:28] <+MichaelVarhola> existence of which was the point of the drill for us.<br />
[19:29] <+MichaelVarhola> So, we created a mythology that could support that.<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> So where were the fantasy species before the volcano?<br />
[19:29] <+MichaelVarhola> Just as all mythologies more or less support the worldviews of their believers.<br />
[19:29] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes, there were fantasy races.<br />
[19:30] <+MichaelVarhola> Dwarves, Elves, etc., all of whom had begun to recede into ancient forests, subterranean vaults, etc.<br />
[19:30] <+MichaelVarhola> Giants, Orcs, Ogres, are all believed to be "Titan spawn" and created during the war with the gods.<br />
[19:31] <&Silverlion> So, how does tose things differ between folklore, D&D style stuff, and the like?<br />
[19:31] <+MichaelVarhola> i.e., what we used to call Giant class humanoids in the old days.<br />
[19:32] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, the biggest difference between those things and folklore is that the latter is colorful but can be inaccurate and contradictory.<br />
[19:33] <+MichaelVarhola> Fortunately, we are talking about a setting designed for games which have rules, and these are the "reality" of the world and trump and transcend tales, etc.<br />
[19:33] <+MichaelVarhola> Are there any questions I missed?<br />
[19:34] <+MichaelVarhola> Sorry, not ignoring any!<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> I don't think so. Anyone?<br />
[19:34] <+MichaelVarhola> Just addressing them as I see them.<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> You're doing just fine. :)<br />
[19:34] <+MichaelVarhola> Someone had asked about cultures.<br />
[19:34] <+Abstruse> Did you mention the technology level?<br />
[19:34] <+Abstruse> I asked like four questions at once like a jerk ^_^;;<br />
[19:34] <+MichaelVarhola> LOL<br />
[19:34] <+MichaelVarhola> OK, cultures first ...<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> (Oh, I'm not sure if you answered my question about magic, either.)<br />
[19:35] <+MichaelVarhola> A composite culture that is basically Hellenic human and developed over the century following the Great Cataclysm is the default culture, and Greek is the Common tongue.<br />
[19:37] <+MichaelVarhola> Beyond that there are Romans, Anatolians (which is evil human culture with a Goblinoid influence), Greek peoples like Spartans and Athenians, Mesopotamians, etc., plus non-human cultures and states.<br />
[19:38] <+MichaelVarhola> e.g., real-world Sicily is the Grand Redoubt of Trinacria, dominated by Fire Giants.<br />
[19:38] <+MichaelVarhola> Re. technology<br />
[19:38] <+MichaelVarhola> Simple answer<br />
[19:38] <+MichaelVarhola> and I think that is relevant and important<br />
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[19:39] <+MichaelVarhola> is that if it is in the PHB or other default manual for your game then it is available here.<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> (Howdy, Schadmobile!)<br />
[19:40] <+Bigby> Do the non-human races like Elves and Dwarves each have their own monolithic culture, or do they have differences based on location and the cultures of the other races near them?<br />
[19:40] <+Abstruse> So you go all the way up to early rennaissance? Rapiers and full plate armor and black powder?<br />
[19:40] <+MichaelVarhola> Prior to the cataclysm, the Minoans had developed dirigible airships, advanced alchemical and mechanical weapons, etc. So, these things can still be found in the ruins, replicated at great expense, etc.<br />
[19:41] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes, that is right.<br />
[19:41] <+GenoFoxx> ((Romans with airships?))<br />
[19:41] <+MichaelVarhola> We see rapiers as Elven weapons but, as with a number of other things, that is back story.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> (GenoFoxx: Yes, piloted by very strict gnomes.)<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> (When you fly with them, you have to obey the Roman gnome air rules.)<br />
[19:42] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, the Romans were a rump power prior to the cataclysm and the Minoans controlled the high technology. So, the campaign setting at 100 years after the cataclysm is right on the cusp of regaining things like airships, which can influence a lot of adventures.<br />
[19:43] <+Abstruse> So the plot device handwave is different technologies that shouldn't exist coming from the magical races? Please don't take that as an insult, it's exactly what I was hoping for!<br />
[19:43] <+MichaelVarhola> And I am not a big fan personally of black powder weapons. So, they exist on a micro level (i.e., for some adventurers with the right classes and training), but are not used extensively on the battlefield.<br />
[19:44] <+MichaelVarhola> They are boutique weapons.<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> Seems like there wouldn't be much of a call for their use, since black powder weapons were best used en masse.<br />
[19:45] <+MichaelVarhola> No, technology does not come primarily from the magical races, but we do treat Gnomes as having particular skill with fine things like clockwork and Dwarves as being adept with metallurgy, etc.<br />
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[19:45] <+MichaelVarhola> Right, exactly Dan!<br />
[19:45] <&Silverlion> So very traditional. Cool.<br />
[19:45] <+Abstruse> Are you focusing on the Mediteranian area for now, or do you talk about Asia, India, the New World, etc. as well?<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> (The gnome ariship thing was just the setup for a bad pun, Abstruse. :) )<br />
[19:45] <+MichaelVarhola> And one Dwarf with a blunderbuss is not a game changer.<br />
[19:46] <+Jetrauben> A logical question<br />
[19:46] <+Abstruse> (I meant rapiers being elvish weapons as the jumping off point for that idea)<br />
[19:46] <+Jetrauben> Why include blackpowder weapons at all, per se?<br />
[19:46] <+Jetrauben> Since they're well-known to be largely inferior to bows for much of their early history, outside of the institutional advantage of being incredibly easy to use (and risky, and disposable)?<br />
[19:46] <+Jetrauben> Is it just to provide players who want the feel with a suitable item?<br />
[19:48] <+MichaelVarhola> Mostly it is because we like to include things like explosives, rockets, etc., and it is hard to justify the existence of those things without theoretical black powder weapons.<br />
[19:48] <+MichaelVarhola> But they actually never turn up in my own game.<br />
[19:48] <+Abstruse> Cannons worked pretty well compared to arrows...<br />
[19:48] <+Jetrauben> Fair enough, although greek fire might have suited well for that sort of thing<br />
[19:49] <+Jetrauben> Sorry, didn't mean to keep the tangent going<br />
[19:49] <+MichaelVarhola> Rockets are the direction weapons like that went in our world, along with Greek/alchemist's fire, repeating crossbows, etc.<br />
[19:49] <+Jetrauben> So hwacha-style...things?<br />
[19:49] * +Jetrauben may be spelling it wrong :(<br />
[19:50] <+MichaelVarhola> Hmm? What is it?<br />
[19:50] <+Jetrauben> A sort of early multi-rocket array<br />
[19:50] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes, that sort of thing.<br />
[19:50] <+BlasterKyubey210> Basically, a Chinese experimental weapon<br />
[19:50] <+MichaelVarhola> But, as it has to all be hand made, it is subject to failure, expensive, etc.<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> Oh... Need me to repeat my magic question, Michael?<br />
[19:51] <+BlasterKyubey210> Not the most accuate but if you want to scare them off or make a mess of their ranks...<br />
[19:51] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes<br />
[19:51] <+MichaelVarhola> Dan<br />
[19:51] <+MichaelVarhola> please repeat it<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> Okay. So often, the difference between swords & sorcery and high fantasy comes down to the way magic works. How do you handle that issue in a system-agnostic book?<br />
[19:52] <+MichaelVarhola> One way is through the sorts of adventures and goals we present for players, the storylines we create, etc.<br />
[19:53] <+MichaelVarhola> In our swords-and-sorcery milieu, for example, the characters are not trying to save the world<br />
[19:53] <+MichaelVarhola> they are trying to pay the rent<br />
[19:53] <+MichaelVarhola> survive<br />
[19:53] <+MichaelVarhola> Establish some little domain<br />
[19:53] <+MichaelVarhola> etc.<br />
[19:54] <+MichaelVarhola> So, at upper levels characters will certainly have more powerful spells<br />
[19:54] <+MichaelVarhola> and these can influence the setting<br />
[19:54] <+MichaelVarhola> but this has more of a Lankhmar than a Middle Earth feel to it.<br />
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[19:54] <+MichaelVarhola> We also provide relatively low magic in adventures<br />
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[19:55] <~Dan> How do you provide magic at all, lacking a system?<br />
[19:55] <+MichaelVarhola> So, for example, in a recent 6th level adventure for five characters the magic haul was a Flaming Greatsword +1, Wings of Flying, and one other permanent thing, plus a bunch of potions and scrolls.<br />
[19:56] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, no one is lacking a system<br />
[19:56] <+MichaelVarhola> We have just created the setting so that people can use the system they want IF they are going to be using it for gaming.<br />
[19:57] <+MichaelVarhola> The campaign setting materials are also the Bible/canon for the associated "Swords of Kos Shared World Fiction Project"<br />
[19:58] <+MichaelVarhola> Having that available for interested authors motivated us as much as making it available for gaming.<br />
[19:58] <+MichaelVarhola> We now post one chapter a week of fiction related to the Kos setting to d-Infinity, (Link: http://d-infinity.net/)http://d-infinity.net/<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Hmm...I'm a bit confused. If there's no system assumption, what does a "6th level adventure" even mean?<br />
[19:59] <+MichaelVarhola> and have two published books, the novel "Swords of Kos" Necropolis" and the multi-author anthology "Swords of Kos: Hekaton"<br />
[19:59] <+MichaelVarhola> A 6th level adventure means that I use the OGL rules and my adventures are set in the Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting.<br />
[20:00] <+MichaelVarhola> Once the systemless setting is entirely available we will also publish system specific stuff for it.<br />
[20:01] <+MichaelVarhola> For OGL, Pathfinder, and whatever follows for D&D and has a license, among other things.<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> Is it fair to say that the setting is designed with certain D&D-isms in mind?<br />
[20:01] <+Bigby> What about things that don't follow D&D?<br />
[20:01] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes<br />
[20:01] <+MichaelVarhola> It was designed with a lot of D&Disms in mind.<br />
[20:02] <+Bigby> Is there a pretty big drop off in usefulness if you are playing something that doesn't stick with D&D/D20's basic assumptions?<br />
[20:02] <+MichaelVarhola> But we nonetheless decided that we did not want it to be a D&D-specific setting.<br />
[20:02] <+MichaelVarhola> No, I don't think there is a drop off in usefulness.<br />
[20:03] <+MichaelVarhola> In the volume titled "Lands Beyond Kos," for example, we describe 16 nations and nine regions; (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/123987/Lands-Beyond-Kos-%28Swords-of-Kos-Fantasy-Campaign-Setting%29)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/123987/Lands-Beyond-Kos-%28Swords-of-Kos-Fantasy-Campaign-Setting%29<br />
[20:03] <+MichaelVarhola> These can be used to provide color individually in any setting for an undefined area or together as part of the campaign setting.<br />
[20:04] <+MichaelVarhola> But there is nothing in them that is specific to any game system. They would be as useful for Runequest as for D&D.<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> But aren't the creatures mentioned D&D-specific, like fire giants?<br />
[20:05] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, yes and no.<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> (Not trying to sound antagonistic, btw. Just clarifying.)<br />
[20:05] <+MichaelVarhola> No, not at all<br />
[20:06] <+MichaelVarhola> Giants exist in a lot of mythologies. The Norse epics and the Bible predate D&D.<br />
[20:06] <+MichaelVarhola> We say "Fire Giant" for the race of big people that live on a volcanic island.<br />
[20:06] <+MichaelVarhola> If you play D&D, you drop in a Fire Giant out of the book.<br />
[20:07] <+MichaelVarhola> If you play something else, you drop in or stat something else.<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> Fair enough.<br />
[20:07] <+MichaelVarhola> If your game insists that Giant cannot really exist, when the characters get to Sicily they won't find any there.<br />
[20:08] <+MichaelVarhola> We were tempted to make the setting system specific, but decided that would put the system ahead of the world we wanted to present.<br />
[20:08] <+MichaelVarhola> They system will coexist with and sometimes trump the world and story in system-specific products.<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> That's true. The system is the physics of the setting.<br />
[20:09] <+MichaelVarhola> The currently available volumes, BTW, are the afore-mentioned "Lands Beyond Kos," "Kos City," at (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/123585/Kos-City-%28Swords-of-Kos-Fantasy-Campaign-Setting%29)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/123585/Kos-City-%28Swords-of-Kos-Fantasy-Campaign-Setting%29<br />
[20:09] <+MichaelVarhola> and a set of minis, (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/124255/Heroes-and-Monsters-of-the-Necropolis-%28Cardstock-CharactersTM-Swords-of-Kos-Fantasy-Campaign-Setting%29)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/124255/Heroes-and-Monsters-of-the-Necropolis-%28Cardstock-CharactersTM-Swords-of-Kos-Fantasy-Campaign-Setting%29<br />
[20:10] <+MichaelVarhola> We will be releasing "Kos Island" within the next week or so<br />
[20:10] <+MichaelVarhola> and following with volumes "Lives of Kos," "World of Kos," and a set of encounter tables.<br />
[20:10] <+MichaelVarhola> Then, we will compile them into a single book.<br />
[20:10] <+Bigby> So is Kos City the "core" book?<br />
[20:11] <+MichaelVarhola> Yes, that would probably be fair to say.<br />
[20:11] <+MichaelVarhola> But once all of the volumes are done they will become chapters in a single Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting.<br />
[20:12] <+MichaelVarhola> We just saw no reason to sit on completed, ready-to-go material while other stuff was still waiting for art, maps, etc.<br />
[20:12] <+Bigby> So are Hekaton and Necropolis adventures? Or just random locations in the world?<br />
[20:12] <+MichaelVarhola> I need to break for five to give medicine to two cats. Please bear with me and I will be right back!<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> No problem. I need to step away for a moment myself. brb!<br />
[20:13] *** Dan is now known as Dan-brb<br />
[20:17] *** Dan-brb is now known as Dan<br />
[20:18] <+MichaelVarhola> Back!<br />
[20:18] <+MichaelVarhola> Thanks for bearing with me.<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> No problem!<br />
[20:19] <+MichaelVarhola> "Necropolis" is a novel.<br />
[20:19] <+MichaelVarhola> (Link: http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/102196?affiliate_id=79547)http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/102196?affiliate_id=79547<br />
[20:20] <+MichaelVarhola> "Return to the Necropolis" is its sequel, which is appearing in serialized form at d-Infinity Online<br />
[20:20] <+MichaelVarhola> (Link: http://d-infinity.net/fiction/return-necropolis-prologue)http://d-infinity.net/fiction/return-necropolis-prologue<br />
[20:21] <+MichaelVarhola> The title necropolis is an area described in the book we are releasing this week, "Kos" island.<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> What (if any) assumptions do you make about PC-allowable races in the setting?<br />
[20:21] <+MichaelVarhola> We assume that standard D&D races are acceptable; Humans, Half-Orcs, Elves, etc.<br />
[20:22] <+MichaelVarhola> But if a system or GM did not want to allow one of those that would be fine.<br />
[20:22] <+MichaelVarhola> But they are all described as being part of the world.<br />
[20:22] <+MichaelVarhola> So, that is not a system-specific detail for us, but it is a setting-specific one.<br />
[20:23] <+BlasterKyubey210> Indeed<br />
[20:24] <+MichaelVarhola> But there is no value to a setting that does not tell what people inhabit it, of course.<br />
[20:25] <+MichaelVarhola> Suffice it to say, I enjoy talking about this campaign setting, which represents a phenomenal amount of research, reading, writing, editing, layout and design, etc. It is a great work and we are very proud of it.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> How do you think the presence of nonhuman races affects the swords & sorcery aspect of the setting?<br />
[20:25] <+MichaelVarhola> That is an interesting question ...<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> (Insofar as humans-only seems to be a common element of swords & sorcery, I mean.)<br />
[20:26] <+MichaelVarhola> In that many non-Human races have their origins in subterranean or other irregular areas, I think it helps the setting.<br />
[20:27] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:27] <+MichaelVarhola> Part of what we try to do is examine the characteristics of non-Human peoples, who even in games get peripheral treatment a lot of the time.<br />
[20:27] <+MichaelVarhola> To us, a Dwarf is not a short stout Human, it is something else.<br />
[20:28] <+MichaelVarhola> e.g., our Dwarves are partially geophagous<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> They eat rocks?<br />
[20:28] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, real humans rely on a certain amount of mineral nutrition<br />
[20:29] <+MichaelVarhola> Our Dwarves just have, and can withstand, a lot more.<br />
[20:29] <+MichaelVarhola> So, they don't eat rocks. But they might be able to cook with mineral oil that would be unpalatable or toxic to humans.<br />
[20:30] <+MichaelVarhola> We examine that in the Kos story "The Dinner Party" in d-Infinity Vol. #5<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> Huh... Cool.<br />
[20:30] <+MichaelVarhola> (Link: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/116379/d-Infinity-Volume-%235-Full-Circle?term=d-infinity+5)http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/116379/d-Infinity-Volume-%235-Full-Circle?term=d-infinity+5<br />
[20:31] <+MichaelVarhola> I would, by the way, be glad to send some free stuff to anyone who is participating in the show tonight;<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> Are there any interesting tweaks to your Elves as well?<br />
[20:31] <+MichaelVarhola> probably a copy of "Kos City" would be a good bet.<br />
[20:32] <+MichaelVarhola> Anyone who would like one can just email me at varhola@varhola.com, and/or send a friend request on Facebook to Michael O. Varhola and message me there.<br />
[20:33] <+MichaelVarhola> We have got some interesting characteristics associated with Elves that are described in some of the volumes/chapters<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> That's very kind of you, Michael! Thanks!<br />
[20:33] <+MichaelVarhola> e.g., there are a lot of Elves in the nation-state of Amazonia<br />
[20:33] <+MichaelVarhola> a lot of females of all races<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> (I must be losing my mind. I first read that as "Elves in the nation-state of Arizona".)<br />
[20:34] <+MichaelVarhola> And Elves are more likely to worship their own versions of the Gods and Titans and thereby bridge the divide between the opposed camps of Humans.<br />
[20:34] <+BlasterKyubey210> (No you haven't... this isn't Dark Sun Dan)<br />
[20:34] <&Silverlion> Well where else would they hide from the Gnomes of Zurich?<br />
[20:34] <+MichaelVarhola> Wait, wait ...<br />
[20:35] <+MichaelVarhola> We do, in fact, have Gnomes Zueri<br />
[20:35] <+MichaelVarhola> of Zueri<br />
[20:35] <+MichaelVarhola> aka, Zurich<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> Heh. Cool. :)<br />
[20:35] <+BlasterKyubey210> Whomp-wah<br />
[20:35] <+BlasterKyubey210> But yes Dan, you haven't lost your head, and why Arizona, this isn't Dark Sun, that state's mostly Desert<br />
[20:35] <+MichaelVarhola> That is one of the 16 states described in "Lands Beyond Kos"<br />
[20:36] <+MichaelVarhola> And if anyone would prefer that to "Kos City" they should just let me know when they email or message me; glad to send either.<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> How much of an impact do gods have on the setting?<br />
[20:37] <+MichaelVarhola> Religion has a big direct impact on the setting<br />
[20:37] <+Bigby> I asked earlier when culture was being discussed but it got lost in the shuffle. Do the non-human races have monolithic cultures or are they pretty well integrated into the world with various cultures?<br />
[20:38] <+MichaelVarhola> But the gods themselves much less so; granting spells and other boons is their biggest direct impact.<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> Ah... so they're objectively real?<br />
[20:39] <+MichaelVarhola> Re. non-humans, there are going to be racial characteristics that apply to all or most of the members, but the local culture will have an impact on them.<br />
[20:39] <+MichaelVarhola> Re gods, there is nothing in the setting to prove there are or are not objectively real.<br />
[20:39] <+MichaelVarhola> I personally assume there are,<br />
[20:39] <+MichaelVarhola> But there is nothing dictating this has to be the case.<br />
[20:40] <+MichaelVarhola> Re. non-humans, for example, Gnomes in Zueri control the armed forces, run the government, etc.<br />
[20:41] <+MichaelVarhola> Their demeanor is going to be very different from that of the Gnome merchants, alchemists, and bankers who live in urbanized, Human dominated areas<br />
[20:41] <+MichaelVarhola> or from those who live in isolated burrows in wilds lands.<br />
[20:42] <+MichaelVarhola> In the setting, the gods can be read as metaphor, pure mythology, etc.<br />
[20:42] <~Dan> How common are monsters in the setting, and how much of an impact do they have? For example, is a dragon a threat to an entire city?<br />
[20:43] <+Bigby> Cool. I know I personally much prefer that to the alternative (elves in every corner of the continent are exactly the same though humans in kingdoms 50 miles apart are drastically different has never really sat well with me).<br />
[20:43] <+MichaelVarhola> But to me it is much more satisfying to have them operating behind the scenes and to be actually real, if still weakened, distant, and recovering from their cosmic battle with the Titans.<br />
[20:43] <+MichaelVarhola> Dragons exist but they are very rare.<br />
[20:44] <+BlasterKyubey210> How unlikely, as in "have to REALLY go out of your way to find one on purpose"?<br />
[20:44] <+MichaelVarhola> We use a lot of chimerical monsters, creatures created, warped, and "mutated" by the cataclysm.<br />
[20:44] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, one of our adventure hooks in "Kos Island" is about a dragon people have possibly spotted off the coast.<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> So there aren't many (pardon the oxymoron) naturally occuring magic creatures?<br />
[20:45] <+MichaelVarhola> And if someone really wants to sail to a tiny ruin-filled island to the south they may find a dragon there.<br />
[20:46] <+MichaelVarhola> Well, as noted previously, a lot of the magical races had receded into the shadows prior to the cataclysm.<br />
[20:46] <+MichaelVarhola> So, after its occurrence a lot were reawoken, some were created, etc.<br />
[20:47] <+MichaelVarhola> The net effect being: There is a plausible back story for accommodating just about any monsters you want.<br />
[20:47] <~Dan> Cool.<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> How common are powerful magicians?<br />
[20:48] <+MichaelVarhola> I tend toward lots of humanoid monsters, along with giant vermin, dire creatures, etc., and every other session or throw in something else.<br />
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[20:50] <+MichaelVarhola> Depend what you mean by powerful; the most powerful in Kos itself will likely be 12th-16th level and you would have to go to the Magocracy of Mesopotamia to find more powerful ones.<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> Do you see spells like Wish being available?<br />
[20:52] <+MichaelVarhola> Sure, absolutely.<br />
[20:53] <+MichaelVarhola> We have designed this setting to provide a colorful, interesting, multi-dimensional backdrop to the games people want to run.<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> So... could the setting be called "high magic swords & sorcery"?<br />
[20:54] <+MichaelVarhola> So, I personally prefer low magic, infrequent powerful magical monsters, etc., but there is nothing in the system to preclude and many things to encourage these things for the storyteller who wants to include them.<br />
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[20:54] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Baelor!)<br />
[20:54] <+MichaelVarhola> So, my Anatolian units might not include trained Hydras, the symbol of the Tetrarchy of Anatolia, but someone else's might.<br />
[20:55] <+MichaelVarhola> Welcome, Baelor!<br />
[20:55] <+Baelor> Hey Mike.<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> Ah, a friend of yours?<br />
[20:56] <+Baelor> Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I just saw your post and thought I would drop by.<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> No problem at all!<br />
[20:56] <+MichaelVarhola> He is a friend of mine, a contributor to d-Infinity, and a sculptor of. c. 300 miniatures. A friend to our industry, in fact.<br />
[20:56] <+MichaelVarhola> You are more than welcome!<br />
[20:56] <+Bigby> The more the merrier.<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> Cool! Nice to meet you, Baelor!<br />
[20:56] <+MichaelVarhola> People have been coming and going all night.<br />
[20:56] <+Baelor> And you, Dan.<br />
[20:57] <+MichaelVarhola> We are just talking about the characteristics of the Swords of Kos Fantasy Campaign Setting.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> MichaelVarhola: Just so you know, you're welcome to hang out here as long as you like, to discuss Kos further or just to hang out. A Q&A just means that you have the floor; authors are always welcome to discuss their products.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> That said, is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?<br />
[20:57] <+MichaelVarhola> OK, thanks!<br />
[20:58] <+MichaelVarhola> We have covered a lot and I don't want to beat it to death.<br />
[20:58] <+MichaelVarhola> Last things I would say are:<br />
[20:58] <+Baelor> Since I had no part in the creation of the setting itself, I feel I am free to say that it is a terrific blend of Howardian sword and sandal and the D&D esthetic, if you know what I mean.<br />
[20:58] <+MichaelVarhola> * Send me a friend request if you are so inclined.<br />
[20:59] <+MichaelVarhola> * Let me know if you would like a free copy of "Kos City" or "Lands Beyond Kos"<br />
[20:59] <+MichaelVarhola> *And read the fiction and bonus material that we post at d-Infinity Online<br />
[20:59] <+MichaelVarhola> (Link: http://d-infinity.net/)http://d-infinity.net/<br />
[21:00] <+MichaelVarhola> As noted, a lot of passion and hard work has gone into this setting, and I believe most people who try it out will love it.<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Thanks, Michael! I'll go ahead and log the Q&A here, but again, there's no need for you to rush off.<br />
[21:00] <+MichaelVarhola> And you are right about the REH influence Baelor.<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> I'll have the link for you shortly.<br />
[21:01] <+MichaelVarhola> Thanks for having me!<br />
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Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-21436418806064848802014-01-02T19:05:00.001-08:002014-02-07T12:58:32.568-08:00[Q&A] Paul Frack, Eric Politowski, James Kottan (Redemption)[19:06] <+PaulFrack> Hey everyone, this is Paul Frack, lead writer for Silent Spirit's Redemption, a military sci fi game of Tactics and Consequences, with me are Eric Politowski and James Kottan, my fellow writers on the project. Thanks for having us, Dan. (done)<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:06] <~Dan> Thanks, Paul!<br />
[19:06] <~Dan> The floor's now open to questions! I'll start with one of my own. What is the setting of Redemption?<br />
[19:07] <+TQuid> What was the inspiration to make you decide to do your own thing rather than settling down for a nice hot cup of Traveller or Star Wars or etc.?<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> (Those both may take some answering, so I'll call for a question pause there.)<br />
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[19:09] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)<br />
[19:09] <+PaulFrack> So, redemption takes place several centuries in the future, Humanity has unified in the aftermath of what's known as the Colonial War to form the Terran Sphere Confederacy, and for many years afterward, all is sweetness and light. But, this being an RPG, we can't have that, so at the current junction the Terran Sphere has been invaded by a until recently recl<br />
[19:10] <+PaulFrack> er, reclusive race.<br />
[19:10] <+Eric> Clarification while he goes more into the meta-plot: maybe not quite "all sweetness and light"; we were aiming for the Sphere being a good place to live, but not some kind of impossible utopia<br />
[19:11] <+PaulFrack> As the setting opens, the Terran Sphere has just won it's first military victory against the Shohan and there's an unsteady equilibrium in the war. That's where the players come in, of course.<br />
[19:11] <&Silverlion> What kind of system does it use?<br />
[19:11] <+Eric> But, also not the dystopian nightmare that happens in a lot of other Sci Fi settings.<br />
[19:13] <+PaulFrack> Now, as to why this and not Traveller or Star Wars: I wasn't finding something that scratched military sci fi itch. Redemption is supposed to be able to handle everything from a squad of Marines to a Fleet Combat.<br />
[19:13] <+PaulFrack> Potentially in the same "scene" even.<br />
[19:13] <+Eric> Silver - It's an original system. At its base, it's a 3-die Roll Under system. Target numbers are static, the dice are what change: 3d6 for Easy, 3d8 for Standard and 3d10 for Hard rolls<br />
[19:14] <+Eric> There are some interactions with Tags and Action Points that can positively affect your own dice, or negatively affect the opposition's<br />
[19:15] <+Eric> (done - unless you want more detail. ;) )<br />
[19:15] <+PaulFrack> (done as well, was letting Eric finish up.)<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> How common is life in general and sapient life in particular in your universe?<br />
[19:16] <&Silverlion> What kind of ways do you measure characters? Tags and Action points but what else?<br />
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[19:18] <+PaulFrack> Reasonably common, there are about 8 alien races detailed in the setting with the assumption that there are more (and the rules to create them on your own.)<br />
[19:19] <+Jim> non-sapient life is more common, found in every fifth star system or so<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> (Actually, to help answer Silverlion's question, do you have a character sheet posted online we could see?)<br />
[19:21] <+PaulFrack> Chiron, Kriak, Havenite, Hadiian, Mendicant, Sindiir, Abascian, Thral are all contemporaries of Humanity. The Shohan are survivors from the previous age and have been a space faring civilization for the last 10 milennia.<br />
[19:21] <+PaulFrack> Yes, actually. Give me a second.<br />
[19:21] <~Dan> (Speaking of which, feel free to post a link to your site for the benefit of those reading the log.)<br />
[19:22] <+Eric> (well, since you bring it up: (Link: http://www.silentspiritsgames.com)www.silentspiritsgames.com ;) )<br />
[19:22] <+TQuid> Dumb nitty-gritty question: is the game in PDF, and if so, does it have links? (E.g., being able to click an entry in the ToC to get to that page.)<br />
[19:22] <+PaulFrack> First, there's this thread over at RPG.net where I attempt to create Redemption characters from song lyrics: (Link: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?711203-Redemption-Rock-star-characters)http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?711203-Redemption-Rock-star-characters<br />
[19:23] <+Eric> TQuid - it'll be available in both PDF and hard copy when we finish it; currently, the rules beta is available in PDF format on our site<br />
[19:23] <&Silverlion> Psychic powers in the game?<br />
[19:24] <+GenoFoxx> more important (to me at least ;) ) any provisions for mecha?<br />
[19:24] <+PaulFrack> Second, here's the character sheet for one of the characters created for that thread: (Link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkpymQWjdulRdFhtT0daRmx6SW1TY2U0MGJwRUU4MVE&usp=sharing)https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkpymQWjdulRdFhtT0daRmx6SW1TY2U0MGJwRUU4MVE&usp=sharing<br />
[19:25] <+PaulFrack> @GenoFoxx: There's a comprehensive set of item creation rules. We're not taking it in the Mecha direction aside from a few specialized exceptions, but there's nothing stopping you from making your own!<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> Hmm... Interesting attributes.<br />
[19:25] <&Silverlion> Are the rules for spaceships/space combat the same as the core system or special?<br />
[19:25] <+Eric> Silver - Yes, Psionics do exist in our game. Humanity is actually the most psionically active race, one of their features is a free rank of the Tag.<br />
[19:25] <+PaulFrack> They follow the core of the combat system though there are a few special rules for things like missile swarms.<br />
[19:26] <+Eric> The four primary Psionic disciplines would be Telepathy, Energy Manipulation, Telekinesis and Clairvoyance<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> That's a nice twist, re: humans and psionics.<br />
[19:26] <+PaulFrack> @Dan: Heh, I was a psych minor in college, the stats follow Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.<br />
[19:27] <+Eric> We wanted Humans to be more than just the "generically flexible and potentially okay at everything" race, we wanted Humans to have a thing that they were good at<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> @PaulFrack: Do any of them represent brute strength? If not, how do you cover that?<br />
[19:27] <+PaulFrack> There are also a few additional psionic skills, but they're all option and subject to GM discretion.<br />
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[19:28] <~Dan> (Any of the stats, I mean.)<br />
[19:29] <+PaulFrack> Kinesthetic represents a character's ability to utilize their body to it's fullest. Having a particularly strong character would probably be the domain of a tag, something like "Big Bruiser" or the like.<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> Are tags freeform, then?<br />
[19:31] <+PaulFrack> They are. They occupy a similar design space to FATE's tags, although they have a slightly broader power set then many iterations of FATE. the guy with the "Big Bruiser" tag for instance could use that tag to switch his Unarmed Combat target number for Persuasion when he goes to intimidate some hapless mook.<br />
[19:32] <&Silverlion> When are hard copies coming?<br />
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[19:32] <+PaulFrack> Tags are also ranked and a stronger tag can offer greater benefits... or risks.<br />
[19:33] <+Jim> We hope to publish in September 2014<br />
[19:33] <&Silverlion> Cool. Birthday present for me..<br />
[19:34] <+Eric> A fellow September child, eh?<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> On a scale of 1-10, 1 being totally gritty and 10 being... I dunno... four-color comics, maybe?... How gritty/over the top is the system?<br />
[19:34] <+PaulFrack> <- throws confetti<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> (Oh, and howdy, DrNate! Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat!)<br />
[19:37] <+PaulFrack> Hm... I'd say it's fairly balanced. At it's base I'd put it at a 5. There's horrible things happening in and around the war, but the players also have the potential to change things for the better. There are also a few knobs that a GM and his players can tweak to move it up or down, maybe between a 4-6 depending on the table.<br />
[19:37] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> So no John Woo stuff, but maybe Ripley-levels of competence?<br />
[19:38] <&Silverlion> Yep Eric.<br />
[19:38] <+Eric> Well, that probably depends largely on how the GM chooses to portray certain things. There's a few things in the book that I'd say push it more towards the 3-4 than the 6-7 end of things...<br />
[19:39] <+PaulFrack> I'd say that's fair. A game set on the bridge of the latest Redemption class frigate is also going to play differently from one set on occupied Artemis III.<br />
[19:39] <+Eric> ...but, we gave the players a sandbox... not a box of broken glass. ;)<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> Speaking of which, is the game heavily oriented to PCs being in the military?<br />
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[19:41] <+Eric> In the same way that D&D is heavily oriented on a group of adventurers delving into dungeons, or Shadowrun focuses on .. well... being a criminal. That's the main design thrust, but by no means the only thing the system handles<br />
[19:41] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:42] <+PaulFrack> Over the course of playtesting, I think half the groups we've done have been military. the other half have been mercs, art thieves, passengers on an interplanetary train...<br />
[19:43] <&Silverlion> So its not hyperfocused, just fuocused.<br />
[19:43] <&Silverlion> focused.<br />
[19:43] <~Dan> How "realistic" is space combat? For that matter, what does space combat look like in the game? Acrobatic fighters? Dreadnoughts lobbing nukes from miles away?<br />
[19:43] <+PaulFrack> Right, We don't necessarily think you have to play Military, but we do want people to feel like the War is the final character in the game.<br />
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[19:46] <+PaulFrack> For space combat, I'd say we're roughly around Babylon 5 in terms of realism. There are light escorts, but not fighters per say and some limited stealth, but we've tried to make it more about the intersection of maneuver, gunnery and coordination (Space is 3d, so the intersection is 3 axis. ;).<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> On a related note, can you give us a general idea of technology in various walks of life (e.g., travel, medicine/cyber, personal weaponry, etc.)?<br />
[19:48] <+PaulFrack> If people want fighters, we know that's fun, and we've left the door open with some of the recent developments on the Terran Sphere side, but it's not where the game starts off, it's something we'd like the players to own if they want it. :)<br />
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[19:49] <&Silverlion> Any broad handles on the aliens you can share--ie "Honorable Lizard people?"<br />
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[19:50] <~Dan> Man down!<br />
[19:51] <+Xilanqui> "Sexy Blue Girls"<br />
[19:51] <+PaulFrack> Un momento.<br />
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[19:51] <~Dan> (wb, Eric!)<br />
[19:51] <+Eric> Back... seemed to have a connection issue there<br />
[19:51] <+Eric> did my answers on the military thing go through?<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> [19:41] <+Eric> In the same way that D&D is heavily oriented on a group of adventurers delving into dungeons, or Shadowrun focuses on .. well... being a criminal. That's the main design thrust, but by no means the only thing the system handles<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> That?<br />
[19:52] <+Eric> ahhh... yeah, there was a bit after that<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> Hmm... I'm afraid not, then. At least, that's the last thing I saw.<br />
[19:53] <+Eric> yeah, definite hiccup on the connection somewhere, then.<br />
[19:54] <+Eric> ...continuing... There are some seeds we put in the GM chapter for ideas to run campaigns centered in the non-military arena; Resistance caught behind Shohan lines, Refugees fleeing the conflict, scofflaws looking to profit, and the like<br />
[19:54] <+Jim> Well, the Thral are called "telekinetic rock-squids", the Hadiians are "a bunch of cancer-ridden necromancers", the Mendicants are "a slave civilization so mired in pollution they don't have a word for it".<br />
[19:54] <+PaulFrack> Alright, for technology I think someone mentioned Aliens, and I'd say in general Redemption is a less asthetically dark version of that kind of industrial future sense. There's flexible smart materials, and genetic engineering, but you're still dealing with a solid mechanical core to the technology.<br />
[19:55] <+PaulFrack> Except for the Shohan. Who get all the scary crazy god nanotech.<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> Necromancers? Is that a manifestation of psionics or technology, or something else?<br />
[19:55] <+PaulFrack> Yes. ;)<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> PaulFrack: So no personal energy weapons?<br />
[19:55] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:56] <+PaulFrack> You can totally have a laser or a plasma rifle (standard anti Shohan side arm as a matter of fact), but you're still going to be worrying about power levels or ammo for those.<br />
[19:57] <+PaulFrack> Or in the case of the plasma rifle, not setting the room on fire.<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> Ah... So a bit more space opera than Aliens, but definitely not Star Wars.<br />
[19:57] <&Silverlion> Ah. Cool.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Any powered armor or cybernetics?<br />
[19:59] <+PaulFrack> Yeah. Space Travel is generally easier than in Aliens (no cryosleep unless you're bored), and there's reliable FTL comms (which also consume measurable resources) and life sciences are a bit better (70 is the new 30).<br />
[19:59] <+Eric> Yes, and Yes, Dan.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> How common?<br />
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[20:00] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)<br />
[20:00] <&Silverlion> Cool.<br />
[20:01] <+Jim> cybernetics are broadly possible, but the only really common mod is a direct neural interface for brain-computer acess<br />
[20:02] <~Dan> Is there an in-setting reason why folks don't "cyber up"?<br />
[20:03] <+Eric> Powered Armour is reasonably "expensive", in so far as Wealth Rating is concerned, and it's also probably fairly restricted as far as access goes. Most of it is developed by the military, after all...<br />
[20:03] <+PaulFrack> Mostly, they don't feel the need to, the same way that most of us aren't taking illegal performance boosting steroids...<br />
[20:03] <+Eric> ...and much like the army today doesn't just let folks buy an M-1 Abrams, the common citizen of the Sphere isn't really allowed to just go pick up a suit of Kvacha-class armour from the corner store.<br />
[20:05] <+PaulFrack> People are more likely to get biomods that let them subsist on their planet's ecology, then the ChromeBASTER XRL.<br />
[20:05] <+PaulFrack> ChromeBASTER, so Badass it shot the L out of the name.<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> :D<br />
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[20:07] <~Dan> Does humanity have any allies against the Shohan?<br />
[20:07] <+PaulFrack> And so began the reign of Siverlion the Second.<br />
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[20:09] <&Silverlion> It is good to be the king.<br />
[20:10] <+PaulFrack> Well, the Thral are integrated members of the Terran Sphere, but many of the other races are terrified of going up against the Shohan, or happy to take advantage of the crisis.<br />
[20:10] <&Silverlion> So what's your favorite part of the game/setting?<br />
[20:11] <+PaulFrack> Of the major powers the Chirons are playing US to the Terran Sphere's Great Britain at the moment. Not quite in the war, but providing more assistance then a "neutral" party should.<br />
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[20:13] <+PaulFrack> Oh wow, it's hard to choose.... I like starship combat! I like interplay of all the factions that make up the Terran Sphere! I really, really, like places like Mars or Artemis III have developed in the Terran Sphere. I like... well, that would be spoilers, actually. :)<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> Heh. :)<br />
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[20:14] <+GenoFoxx> what happened?<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> Are the Shohan really Big Bads, or do they have a reasonable POV?<br />
[20:14] <+Eric> Yeah, trying to narrow down an answer for you, Silver... If I had to pick one, well, I'll always be a sucker for space battles<br />
[20:15] <+PaulFrack> From humanity's perspective they're the Big Bads and that's where we start off. We'll get into the Shohan's perspective though, don't you worry...<br />
[20:15] <+Jim> My favorite is the setting. We set out to create a full, consistent universe in which events and lives take place, rather than one bit such as mecha or starfighters taking center stage and the universe proceeding from there.<br />
[20:16] <+Eric> ...the search for the Shohan's motivation is pretty much the central question for the "main plot", as it were<br />
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[20:16] <~Dan> When it comes to planets, do you do the one-environment thing, or do you create multi-faceted worlds?<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> (Howdy, Duloth!)<br />
[20:17] <+PaulFrack> Death to single biome planets!!!<br />
[20:17] <+PaulFrack> I mean... We like to create multi faceted worlds.<br />
[20:17] <+Eric> seemingly up to the instant the war started, the Sphere had good relations with the Shohan - Cordial at least, if not fully amicable. they were always a bit... aloof, I suppose.<br />
[20:18] <+PaulFrack> Sorry, inner biology student twitching.<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> Maybe they're just Shohan'em who's boss?<br />
[20:18] <+Eric> ...I thought only PJ made puns that awful<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> Welcome to #rpgnet, Eric. :)<br />
[20:18] <+PaulFrack> Shohan are not as adept at dishing out the punishment as you are sir.<br />
[20:18] <&Silverlion> Welcome to Dan.<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> :D<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> I have a bit of a... reputation in that area.<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> So a big selling point of the game is its ability to handle all levels of conflict, correct?<br />
[20:20] <&Silverlion> What is the your chief inspirations for the game?<br />
[20:20] <+PaulFrack> Now, some have a theme. The mendicant home-moon for instance ranges from the Northern Ash Deserts to Smog infested Jungles, but their world is fairly hot, compared to other species's worlds.<br />
[20:21] <+Eric> @Dan - Yes, the scaling mechanic is one of the big features we wanted to emphasize in the system. There's 3 major Scales: Firefight, Battlefield and Space. We wanted to make sure the three scales could interact with each other without bogging down the system<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> Eric: How does that work?<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> In fact, how does the damage mechanic in general work?<br />
[20:23] <+PaulFrack> Hm, ok, so I started reading Military Sci Fi with Elizabeth Moon's work, but I'd say: David Weber, Babylon 5, the Lost Fleet series, the Risen Empire, John Scalzi, Homeworld, Freespace, David Drake and a few others I'm probably forgetting all went into the mix.<br />
[20:23] <+Eric> well, earlier I referenced that it's a roll-under mechanic; 3d6 for an Easy Roll, 3d8 for a Standard, and 3d10 for a Hard? at base, making an attack into another scale steps the difficulty of the roll up or down...<br />
[20:23] <+Eric> IE; making a Firefight level attack against a Battlefield scale opponent becomes a Hard roll, rather than a Standard<br />
[20:24] <+Eric> whereas firing a Battlefield scale attack into a Firefight is Easy, rather than Standard... also, it becomes Area Effect<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> Really? I'd think the chance to hit would go up with the scale rather than down.<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> Or is the chance to hit linked directly to damage?<br />
[20:25] <+PaulFrack> It's hit and do damage, rather than pinging against the armored hull. ;)<br />
[20:25] <+Eric> yeah, it's meant to reflect the ability to score a meaningful hit, not just hit the target<br />
[20:25] <+Eric> like, i'm sure it's easy to hit a tank with a handgun, but will the tank care?<br />
[20:26] <~Dan> Hmm... Well, that sort of mechanic always leads me to ask how you handle clumsy-but-powerful and accurate-but-weak attacks.<br />
[20:27] <+PaulFrack> That comes down to tags again. Want to boost your damage on an attack? burn the tag and add it's ranking to the damage multiplier. Want to do a lot of attacks? turn the tag into action points and spend them on extra attack rolls.<br />
[20:28] <+Eric> Additionally, if you're talking about inherent properties of items; gear can and often does have Tags as well, as well as possible skill modifiers for the operator<br />
[20:29] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> I see.<br />
[20:29] <+Eric> what that physically means about the item is up to you, our construction rules only handle the nuts and bolts, not the final aesthetic. like, a gun that comes with a Firearms skill bonus could just be a scope, or something more exotic<br />
[20:29] <+Eric> errr...Sidearms, rather...<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> Do you go into much detail regarding flora and fauna, and if so, how much of a threat do they pose to the typical (presumably military) character?<br />
[20:31] <+PaulFrack> Heh. We have an item template in the current beta rules called "Fluffy"...<br />
[20:33] <+PaulFrack> Mechanically, I'd say a fully kitted out Terran Sphere Marine is not going to have much trouble with the local fauna and flora, but other less well equipped characters might have a few issues though. Jim wrote most of the places with really interesting ecologies though...<br />
[20:33] <+Jim> Most of the wild life is left to GM discretion. Of those we do detail, only the largest are a mortal threat to people, and even those pose little threat to a fully armored marine<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Do any of them reach Battlefield scale?<br />
[20:35] <&Silverlion> Are there mechanics for morale? Since real animals tend to run away when hurt?<br />
[20:35] <+Jim> well, we do have a lobster analogue that gets up to 110 meters in length. I don't know if it would consider humans as worth fighting or eating though..<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> I now must find a way to name a character Lobster Analogue.<br />
[20:36] <+Eric> They already sound delicious<br />
[20:37] <&Silverlion> Sounds like a band name.<br />
[20:37] <+PaulFrack> That's something we'd tend to leave for GM to play out, but there Strength on Mass Combat units encompasses the unit's morale and fighting spirit.<br />
[20:37] <+Eric> ...Crab Shrapnel is already taken, as band names go. we totally called it<br />
[20:38] <+PaulFrack> I'm thinking a techno-electronica B-52s cover band.<br />
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[20:38] <+Eric> But, on a more serious answer to your question... No, we don't really have a "morale" stat for exotic fauna<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> How long would you say it takes to create a character?<br />
[20:40] <+PaulFrack> Hmmm... This is probably a biased answer, but in the Rock Star Characters thread, I got to the point where I was doing one an hour, from start to finish.<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> Not bad at all.<br />
[20:41] <+PaulFrack> And that's with some really hard concepts!<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> Are there any obvious professions? Any "package deals" or the like?<br />
[20:43] <+Eric> Not in the GURPS-style O.C.C. sense, no. We don't have character classes. The three of us collectively liked the more freeform character creation mechanics.<br />
[20:43] <+Jim> We encourage players to create their characters together, in order to promote party cohesiveness and avoid stepping on the toes of any specialty someone wants to claim<br />
[20:43] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> Do you offer any ready-for-play archetypes?<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> (brb)<br />
[20:45] <+PaulFrack> One thing that I do want to mention is that we have group tags and skills, abilities that reflect a shared background between the characters, and help form the group's foundation.<br />
[20:46] <+Eric> We'll have a good selection of sample characters in the final version of the book, yes, if that's what you mean by Archetypes<br />
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[20:47] <+PaulFrack> A group of marines for instance might have sidearms and tactics among their group skills to reflect to their shared military background along with a group tag like "So Much for Subtlety" to reflect their.... particular fighting style. ;)<br />
[20:47] <+PaulFrack> Then the characters can focus on want makes their individual marines different from ye olde bad asses.<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> (back)<br />
[20:48] <+PaulFrack> excuse me, bad affef.<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> It is (re: archetypes).<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> In the time we have left, is there anything you'd like to bring up that we haven't covered?<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> (And again, you're welcome to hang out with us as long as you like.)<br />
[20:52] <+PaulFrack> Well, I can't speak for the others, but my brain feels thoroughly picked clean. :)<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> Heh. My work here is done. ;)<br />
[20:52] <+Eric> I think you've hit on most of the major points... Unless you feel you'd like more detail on anything in particular?<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Any more questions, folks?<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> Well, then! I shall extend a couple of offers to our guests, then!<br />
[20:54] <&Silverlion> I think I've done mine :d<br />
[20:55] <+PaulFrack> dundunDUN<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> First of all, I do hope you guys will come by again soon and hang out with us. We love having game industry folks around. *waves to Silverlion*<br />
[20:56] <&Silverlion> Tiny tiny groove in the record of gaming..<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> And second... you are cordially invited to the All-Star Q&A on Thurs. 1/23. :)<br />
[20:56] <+PaulFrack> Heh. :) We're very junior as far as industry folk go.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> (Link: http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?712836-Q-amp-A-rpgnet-All-Star-Q-amp-A!-Chat-with-your-favorite-game-authors!)http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?712836-Q-amp-A-rpgnet-All-Star-Q-amp-A!-Chat-with-your-favorite-game-authors!<br />
[20:57] <+Eric> ...is it bad if i admit it feels pretty awesome to be referred to as "industry folks"?<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> I know it would make me feel awesome, so no. :)<br />
[20:58] <+PaulFrack> If I can make it I will be more than happy to come...<br />
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[20:58] <~Dan> Cool. It's an open invite.<br />
[21:00] <&Silverlion> I'm just invisible to everyone BUT Dan..:D So<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> So, shall we call the chat for logging purposes?<br />
[21:00] <+Eric> Your chair, your rules, mate.<br />
[21:00] <+PaulFrack> Last thing from us, I think: Redemption is in open beta, and we're going to start reviewing the rules as a prelude to getting things ready for publishing these next couple of months. If you're interested please check it out, we love feedback, good or bad! :)<br />
[21:01] <+PaulFrack> And there's the direct link: (Link: http://www.silentspiritsgames.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=5&Itemid=57)http://www.silentspiritsgames.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=5&Itemid=57<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> Thanks, Paul, Eric, and Jim for coming by and talking to us!<br />
[21:02] <+PaulFrack> No problem, thanks for having us!<br />
[21:02] <+Eric> Indeed, thanks much for the chat<br />
[21:02] <+Jim> And a good time was had by all.Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-45516946730914112672013-12-19T19:12:00.002-08:002014-02-07T14:49:43.976-08:00[Q&A] Jonathan M. Thompson (Crios)[19:06] <+JMThompson> Good evening/morning/etc to everyone. I am Jonathan M. Thompson, owner and director of Battlefield Press and one of the chief writers on our new game currently being kickstarted.<br />
[19:07] <+JMThompson> The world is a traditional fantasy world, only after an event known as the "god wars" magic has become unstable. In the years since the God Wars, magic has steadily waned and become unstable, giving rise in its place an industrial revolution and technologies that now do what magic once did, and at a cheaper cost.<br />
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[19:08] <+JMThompson> All of this doesn't come without a price, now that price is they are involved in a brutal world war. Crios is a fantasy campaign setting that mashes the fantasy genre with that of Earth's First World War. This will be a complete RPG based on the Renaissance Deluxe setting published by Cakebread & Walton.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:09] <+JMThompson> (done)<br />
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[19:09] <~Dan> Thanks, Jonathan!<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> Any questions to start us off?<br />
[19:09] <+Abstruse> Are you using a new system or a licensed/OGL one for the rules?<br />
[19:09] <+Mitchw> I have not read any of the Cakebread and Walton stuff, what is the basic system mechanic?<br />
[19:10] <+JMThompson> The Renaissance Deluxe system is a set of role-playing rules using the D100-based system first introduced in their Clockwork & Chivalry 2nd Edition.<br />
[19:10] <+JMThompson> So its compatible with other d100 based systems.<br />
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[19:10] <+Abstruse> (BTW, I didn't introduce myself...my name is Darryl Mott Jr. aka Abstruse and I write the tabletop gaming column for Ain't It Cool News and I'm the owner/producer/engineer of the Gamer's Tavern podcast)<br />
[19:11] <+Abstruse> So magic's still around in this setting?<br />
[19:11] <+Killyb> Mr. Thompson: what are your two favorite parts of your Crios setting that set it apart from other 'magitech' settings?<br />
[19:11] <+JMThompson> It does exist, but its unstable.<br />
[19:11] <+Abstruse> Define "unstable"...<br />
[19:13] <+JMThompson> The use of magic is dangerous in itself. Everytime a spellcaster does anything, they have a chance of something detrimental happening. Magic is "wild" for lack of a better term.<br />
[19:13] <+Mitchw> Is magic affected by the presence of tech?<br />
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[19:15] <+JMThompson> No, it isn't.... tech came about because magic proved to be unreliable and eventually they learned to curb its usage. There are ancient magical items still around or older casters, while they are still affected by the destabilizing presence they have a better shot at avoiding something negative happening.<br />
[19:16] <+Mitchw> WW I level, does that mean guns? Basic Tanks, etc.?<br />
[19:16] <+JMThompson> Yes, it means exactly that.<br />
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[19:17] <~Dan> What fantasy races are involved, and do they comprise entire nations of their own?<br />
[19:20] <+Abstruse> What's the adventuring paradigm? What do you have built into the setting that gets the PCs out the door and involved in the game world?<br />
[19:20] <+JMThompson> Some of them do, some of them don't... depends on the race really. Generally speaking Elves, Dwarves, Half-lings, Goblins, Kitsune, Dragons, Gnomes, Humans, all have their own country or countries, changelings, orcs, minotaurs do not.<br />
[19:21] <&Silverlion> Hrms.<br />
[19:21] <+Abstruse> Kitsune? Are these anthropomorphic fox-people or something else?<br />
[19:21] <+JMThompson> They are fox type people.<br />
[19:21] <&Silverlion> Are the Europastiches?<br />
[19:21] <+Mitchw> And do they have a Japanese based culture?<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> And what does the Kitsune say?<br />
[19:22] <+JMThompson> They have an Asian based culture, not strictly one distinct cultural influence.<br />
[19:22] <+JMThompson> The the heck out of my face before I eat you? :)<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> :)<br />
[19:23] <~Dan> What are Changelings in this context?<br />
[19:23] <+JMThompson> They are doppelgangers.<br />
[19:23] <+Mitchw> How close do the races and countries match to real world analogs?<br />
[19:24] <+JMThompson> They have no country of their own, instead preferring to conceal themselves, often hiring themselves out as mercenaries for stealth missions.<br />
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[19:24] <&Silverlion> So its very "D&D" versions of Changelings?<br />
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[19:25] <+JMThompson> There are some elements that were borrowed from real world counterparts. I have a particular area of expertise in the historical period<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, CParent! Here for the Q&A?)<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> How traditional are the standard fantasy races?<br />
[19:26] <&Silverlion> Is the world map ours? or another?<br />
[19:26] <+JMThompson> It was originally developed as a d20 Modern setting about the time the last d20 crash happened. So I have been sitting on some art and a half completed manuscript searching for something to do with it until this past GenCon. So it did retain some of its D&Disms<br />
[19:26] <+Mitchw> Do the rules cover vehicle (tank, plane, etc.) combat?<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:27] <+JMThompson> The world is another. It is not Earth, even though some of the material has some parallels.<br />
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[19:27] * +Abstruse hits Dan over the head with a pillow for the "What does the Kitsune say" line.<br />
[19:27] <+JMThompson> The rules do cover vehicle combat, wouldn't be much use as a military setting if it didn't.<br />
[19:27] <+Abstruse> (Sorry for the delay, my editor wanted to talk about the column.)<br />
[19:28] <~Dan> :D<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)<br />
[19:29] <+Mitchw> Do the various races have preferred tech? Dwarven Tankers, Elf Flying Aces, etc.?<br />
[19:30] <+JMThompson> Elves are natural born pilots, high reflexes, thin framed. Dwarves are mechanics and engineers, Orcs make natural infantry and Halflings are often sought after because they excel in the area of tactics<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> Are there monsters, and if so, how does their presence affect the setting?<br />
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[19:32] <~Dan> (Howdy, FaerieGodfather!)<br />
[19:32] <+FaerieGodfather> (hey, hey)<br />
[19:33] <+GenoFoxx> Sounds a bit like Escaflowne only without magictech mechs<br />
[19:33] <+JMThompson> There are monsters. They do things like attack shipping lanes (because they want to) or hide from approaching armies, or even sometimes can be convinced to join up. Each creature in our creature catalog will have some data on how they might react, but frankly its the GMs world and we will suggest but its up to them to determine the exact method.<br />
[19:34] <+JMThompson> GenoFoxx: Hi and you know, I can see the comparison. I know it wasn't a conscience influence, but it is a manga I really enjoy.<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> What is the source of the conflict?<br />
[19:35] <+JMThompson> What always causes a conflict, greedy neighbors and a power vacuum :)<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> Are there any obvious good guys/bad guys?<br />
[19:36] <+JMThompson> There are. The blurb I wrote for it reads "When the King of the Dwarven nation of Tharos suddenly dies without an heir. This is when the neighboring Goblin nation of Qual sees its opportunity to control the land it has coveted for years, an action which the other countries surrounding Tharos cannot, by treaty, tolerate. "<br />
[19:36] <+Abstruse> I'd like to know a little more about the rules system. Can you give me a cliff's notes version of how the rules work?<br />
[19:37] <+JMThompson> Its the child of Runequest and Call of Cthulhu. Basically Runequest -> Mongoose Runequest -<br />
[19:38] <+JMThompson> Open Quest -> Renaissance Deluxe<br />
[19:39] <+JMThompson> Skills are based on a d100 system, and you roll against your percentage vs difficulty to determine success.<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Did I miss the answer to Abstruse's question about the adventure paradigm?<br />
[19:39] <+JMThompson> I think I missed the question.<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> I think he was basically asking what "adventurers" do in the setting.<br />
[19:41] <+JMThompson> I look at adventures, as something of a combination of Lord of the Rings and Twilight 2000.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Huh. Interesting mix.<br />
[19:42] <+Mitchw> Is the war a 'popular war' where the people are behind it or just the governments war that the people tolerate because they have to?<br />
[19:43] <+JMThompson> In the current timeline the war has a following. Its a show for Faith, King and Country. Its still in the early stages, not gotten down to like when France had nearly exhausted its supply of eligible men in WW1.<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> Is there trench warfare?<br />
[19:45] <+Abstruse> The question was specifically about the "Adventuring paradigm". What is it that gets the PCs out the door and involved in the plot that's built into the system/setting?<br />
[19:45] <+JMThompson> There is trench warfare<br />
[19:46] <+Abstruse> (For example, Shadowrun's is "Mr. Johnson hires you to do a job", D&D's is "Monsters have treasure beyond imagining, we just need to kill them first", etc.)<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> Yeah... Is the assumption that the PCs are part of the military?<br />
[19:50] <+JMThompson> The characters are not necessarily part of the military, but would be helpful if they were all allied. That doesn't mean they have to play characters that are specifically linked to one side or the other.<br />
[19:50] <+CParent> I think the thing to remember is that this is a world setting where it can be all of the above. Jonathan will correct me if I am wrong, but the idea is that there are lots of options for the GM to fit the PCs into basically any type of scenario.<br />
[19:50] <+JMThompson> Right.<br />
[19:51] <+CParent> (I'm Craig who will be working with Jonathan on the project, by the way)<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> (Welcome, Craig!)<br />
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[19:51] <+CParent> (:))<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> Is the tech capped at WW1 levels, or are there any examples of "weird" and/or magical technology?<br />
[19:52] <+Abstruse> Is the world actively at war, or is it more of a cold war at this point?<br />
[19:53] <+JMThompson> The world is actively at war. The tech is generally WW1 technology, and there are no examples of "advanced tech" in the core rules. That doesn't rule out the future inclusion of such in scenarios.<br />
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[19:53] <+CParent> And like he said, it is early in the war which gives the GM some flexibility in adventure design.<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> Do any of the races have better-than-real-world-human technology? Do Dwarves have better tanks, etc.?<br />
[19:56] <+JMThompson> There is some of that, dwarves were the first to invent the automatic machine gun, the interrupter gear and so on. Dwarves are generally making the quickest advances.<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> Interrupter gear being the mechanism that allows machine guns to fire through propellers, IIRC?<br />
[19:57] <+JMThompson> Right.<br />
[19:58] <+JMThompson> Its job is to stop the propellers rotation for the quarter second it takes for the bullet to pass through the space between the blades<br />
[19:59] <+Abstruse> Interrupters work the other way round. They stop the stream of bullets when the propeller's in the way.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> So tech isn't higher than real-world WW1 tech, but are there any examples of race-specific technology? I'm thinking of weapons designed with Dwarven tunnels in mind, for example.<br />
[20:00] <+Abstruse> Stopping the propellers on an airplane in flight is pretty much universally a bad idea ^_^;;<br />
[20:00] * +Abstruse watched a lot of History Channel when they still talked about history...<br />
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[20:01] <+JMThompson> Yes... true. I had forgotten where I was for a second.<br />
[20:02] <+CParent> (You mean pawn shops and junk collectors aren't history!?)<br />
[20:02] <+Abstruse> (No, of course not. Everyone knows history is all about how aliens built everything because humans are stupid except the Mayans who predicted the end of the world!)<br />
[20:02] <+CParent> (HAH!)<br />
[20:03] <+JMThompson> (liked it better when it was the Hitler channel)<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> (Did you see my last question, Jonathan?)<br />
[20:05] <+JMThompson> There is no reason that cant be part of your version of the setting, we will lay the groundwork for things like that.<br />
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[20:06] <~Dan> Given its instability, how common is magic in the setting?<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, boneguard! Here for the Q&A?)<br />
[20:06] <+boneguard> Yes<br />
[20:07] <+JMThompson> There are still those that insist that its not going to hurt them. So, while there are spellcasters running around and even can be pcs, there wont be more than one in a group...if that (at least as we would run it).<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> (The floor's open to questions!)<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> How potentially powerful is magic?<br />
[20:10] <+Abstruse> And how dangerous?<br />
[20:11] <+JMThompson> Are you familiar with Wild Magic from D&D?<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> Nope.<br />
[20:11] <+Abstruse> Vaguely.<br />
[20:11] <+boneguard> Yes<br />
[20:12] <+Abstruse> Cast something, roll on a random table to see what you get.<br />
[20:12] <+boneguard> And magic can be weaker or more powerful then normal<br />
[20:12] <+JMThompson> And this happens every time a spellcaster casts a spell.<br />
[20:12] <+Abstruse> Sometimes your fireball comes out lightning, sometimes it blows up in your face, sometimes it hits like a Zippo lighter, sometimes it's a subtactical nuke.<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> Sounds a bit like hexes in Deadlands.<br />
[20:15] <+boneguard> ouch<br />
[20:15] <+JMThompson> That's the reason why they quit relying on it and only the brave and/or foolhardy take it on as a profession<br />
[20:15] <+Abstruse> That's what it was like in D&D anyway....<br />
[20:16] <+JMThompson> The idea remains the same.<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> So magic is unstable, but does that affect magic creatures?<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> Things like ghosts, demons, etc.?<br />
[20:18] <+JMThompson> They do not seem to be affected for some reason. Theory is that the closer that being is to being magical in nature, the more stable it becomes for them.<br />
[20:19] <+JMThompson> As Dragons do not seem to suffer any ill effects<br />
[20:19] <+boneguard> Not sure if it was covered (Can't see what was typed before I came in), but how advanced is technology? and do they have A combination of Tech and Magic?<br />
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[20:20] <+JMThompson> They do not have a combination , magic is too unstable for them to rely upon. Its straight up tech and they are WW1 level of technology.<br />
[20:23] <~Dan> Do gods have influence over the setting?<br />
[20:24] <+JMThompson> No, they exist... they have temples built to them, but they have no direct influence say like the Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> No miracles or the like?<br />
[20:26] <+JMThompson> No. years back in their history the races were created to be sport for the gods. They decided they didn't like this and made their own destinies.<br />
[20:26] <+JMThompson> There is not really anything ruling miracles out, but they would be uncommon.<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> You mentioned dragons having their own country. Do they use technology?<br />
[20:27] <+JMThompson> They don't typically, they can but when you are generally bullet resistant, breath fire and can fly all on your own...then why would you need it?<br />
[20:29] <+JMThompson> brb<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> Is it an entire nation of dragons, or are the dragons just in charge?<br />
[20:29] <+boneguard> Overall how many factions are there? A couple nations are mentioned in the Kickstarter, but obviously it's not the whole of it<br />
[20:33] <+JMThompson> Nation of dragons. There are five types, the head of each gets a vote and majority rules.<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> How powerful are individual dragons? Could you compare them to dragons in other settings?<br />
[20:34] <+JMThompson> There are about 25 country entries.<br />
[20:35] <+JMThompson> Dragons can range from small dragons to ancient ones (though the older ones don't tend to do much in the way of fighting abroad.<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> (Do they fight a guy instead?)<br />
[20:36] <+Abstruse> What are your dragons like?<br />
[20:36] <+boneguard> Kind of remind me of Earthdawn/Shadowrun Dragons<br />
[20:36] <+Abstruse> I mean are they more bestial or are they more like Shadowrun where the older they get, the more puppetmastery they are?<br />
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[20:37] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aeolius!)<br />
[20:37] <+Aeolius> evening all<br />
[20:37] <+JMThompson> They are not bestial, they have their own agenda in this war. Which may or may not be the same as their allies.<br />
[20:37] <+boneguard> (hi)<br />
[20:37] <+Abstruse> The 25 countries, is that all the countries on the planet? Or just on this continent?<br />
[20:38] <+Abstruse> Or is it just the big ones with smaller nationstates fluttering around?<br />
[20:38] <+JMThompson> Just on this continent, other continents will be flushed out in future sourcebooks.<br />
[20:38] <+JMThompson> We have a whole world to explore.... we start where the action is centralized and then fan out.<br />
[20:40] <+boneguard> Now the KS started strong, but now has been slow in the last week or so. What is the plan B, in case you don't get fully funded? (sorry if it has been asked before)<br />
[20:43] <+JMThompson> Plan B is to continue to work on it, and re-launch the kickstarter again in the future. Obviously without funding it will take longer to get ready. The project wont die, its survived this long and I forsee it being out eventually. Its too cool of a project (if I do say so myself) to just ignore it.<br />
[20:44] <+boneguard> I fully agree with you, ity's a great concept, and not enough RPG explore WWI era (or in this care WWI-like Era).<br />
[20:45] <+Abstruse> (Kickstarters tend to run on an inverse bell curve...there's a lot of interest the first few days when it launches and the last few days before it ends. Also, send me an email with a link to it abstruse@gamerstavern.org and I'll put it in my next Ain't It Cool News column.)<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> Is there any room for exploration in the setting, or is it all about the war?<br />
[20:45] <+CParent> That's why people should share the heck out of it! Help us get the word out. :)<br />
[20:46] <+JMThompson> My desire is to make this a stand alone game (which is why I picked renaissance) able to stand on its own where all you need is the one book, friends and dice and a night of fun and excitement.<br />
[20:46] <+JMThompson> There is room for exploration. there is still some terra incognita aroudn<br />
[20:47] <+JMThompson> *around<br />
[20:49] <+JMThompson> There are some fairly large (powerful) nations and some smaller ones that are drawn into it one way or another.<br />
[20:50] <+JMThompson> (Abstruse: You've got mail)<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> How common are zeppelins in the setting?<br />
[20:51] <+JMThompson> They exist, and make great targets for airplanes :D<br />
[20:51] <+JMThompson> They are common enough that the sight of one doesn't awe people<br />
[20:52] <+Abstruse> (Yes I do, thanks!)<br />
[20:52] <+Abstruse> Hydrogen or Helium?<br />
[20:53] <+JMThompson> It would be helium if it was Earth.<br />
[20:54] <+boneguard> Hydrogen would be more fun with Dragons around :P<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> Is naval tech equivalent to WW1 as well? Battleships and U-boats?<br />
[20:54] <+JMThompson> Yes.<br />
[20:55] <+GenoFoxx> any plans to progress the setting to WWII and beyond?<br />
[20:56] <+JMThompson> There are none at this time, but depending on the popularity of the setting that's not an impossibility.<br />
[20:57] <+JMThompson> Its something I would like to see happen<br />
[20:58] <+GenoFoxx> goblin-Franco<br />
[20:59] <+boneguard> I don't know WWI era tank and u-boat are cooler...but that just me<br />
[21:00] <+JMThompson> Then we will see where we are when the war ends :D<br />
[21:00] <+Abstruse> Does the war end?<br />
[21:00] <+JMThompson> Im sure it has to sometime.<br />
[21:01] <+Abstruse> Or does it just pause for a decade until some radical anarchist gets lucky when the Archduke's car breaks down as he's eating a sammich?<br />
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[21:03] <+JMThompson> I guess the answer to that question is really....that depends on how we decide the war goes. And I am looking at using some player feedback for directionality, though not going to be dependent on it.<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Is there anything we haven't covered about the game that you'd like to bring up, Jonathan?<br />
[21:06] <+JMThompson> I cant think of anything, can you Craig?<br />
[21:06] <+CParent> Not that I can see.<br />
[21:06] <+boneguard> It could go both way<br />
[21:07] <+boneguard> Drag for a long time like the 100 years war<br />
[21:07] <+JMThompson> Which had a lot of<br />
[21:07] <+JMThompson> "peace times" in that period too.<br />
[21:08] <+boneguard> I know, period of intense battle followed by a tense 'Detente' flaring into more intense battle<br />
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[21:09] <~Dan> I'll go ahead and log the discussion here if it's okay with you guys?<br />
[21:10] <+boneguard> yeah<br />
[21:10] <+JMThompson> That's ok with me<br />
[21:10] <~Dan> Thanks so much for coming by, Jonathan and Craig!<br />
[21:10] <+JMThompson> It was my pleasure. Oh KS link: (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1292093911/crios-role-playing-game/)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1292093911/crios-role-playing-game/<br />
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Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-87183894441241426452013-12-18T10:43:00.002-08:002014-02-07T14:49:57.073-08:00[Q&A] Ken Spencer (Rocket Age: Blood Red Mars)<div>
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<Ken_Spencer>: I am the lead writer and line developer for Cubicle 7's Rocket Age RPG. Our latest supplement is Blood Red Mars, a close look at Mars, Martians, and its role in the overarching setting of Rocket Age</div>
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<Ken_Spencer>: I am coming to you from the dedicated RPG room of our FLGS, Legends Family and Hobby Games. We just wrapped up a playtest session for one of the pdf episodes being developed to support Blood Red Mars.<br />
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<Abstruse>: (Make sure when you're finished with your into to give me a (Done) so I know when to open the floor.)<br />
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<Abstruse>: (or intro rather)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Okay, does anyone have any questions to start us off?<br />
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<technoshaman>: hi ken, my first question is are there any new professions that geared for the tribes of mars in Blodd Red Mars?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The Chanari have several two new occupations, the Chanari Seer and the Yellow -Red Flyer Pilot. There are several other occupational packages given in the organizations section as well.<br />
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<Abstruse>: Dan left me with a few questions to ask, and his first one was of course about any new races we might see. "What new character types and/or races are available?"<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The Chanari Seers are religious leaders, psychic, and considered insane by their fellows. The Yellow-Red Flyer Pilot uses a hang glider like construction to scout in the Western Highlands and attack from above. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: (Did you see my question from Dan?)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: No new species in Blood Red Mars, there are some new ones in Heroes of the Solar System (in nid-development). However, the Chanari get a whole chapter.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Blood Red Mars does introduce a new concept for Rocket Age, organizations. Each organization (and there are over a dozen in BRM) has a detailed description as well as a sample NPC, plot hooks, character hooks, and an occupational package.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: So what all are you adding to the game with this book? Just a quick overview and we can ask specific questions to elaborate...<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: First off, we have a gazetteer of Mars that expands on the information in the corebook. We look more closely at the various regions of Mars, the conflicts going on, and sites both mysterious and well known. Each new entry has a set of plot hooks and a sample NPC.<br />
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<Abstruse>: (Hello rayston, we've got a Q&A going on with Ken Spencer if you have any questions.)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Next, we move on to Organizations, which was a lot of un to write. This chapter includes expanded information on the ORder of the Sacred Hamaxe, Deutsche Marskorps, and 31st Seal. It also introduces the 1e Legion Martien, Society of Eternal Bliss, and Cilician Brotherhood, amongst others.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Chapter Five is all about the Chanari, their lifeways, diet, religion, and more. Chapter Six is flora and fauna, plenty of new animals and plants to eat PCs, complete with the usual plethora of story hooks. We end with an appendix featuring new traits, equipment, Ancient Martian Artifacts, and other assorted goodies.<br />
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<Silverlion>: Abstruse: Are you asking Dan's questions?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The book ends in a full length episode, "the Stolen Artifact" that is set in Emancipation. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: Ken: Why castes?<br />
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<Abstruse>: (As they come up in context...plus ones of my own.)<br />
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<Silverlion>: Cool.<br />
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<Abstruse>: Another one from Dan: "Can you give examples of new technology?"<br />
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<Silverlion>: Ken: Why so many "axe" happy races? (All of two )<Abstruse>: (Question Pause)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The castes on Mars are rigid and set social positons that are inherited. I wanted the Martian culture to be very old, and very set in stone. The coming of the Earthlings disrupts this, and introduces change into a system that knows little change. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: New tech: Modern or Ancient?<br />
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<Abstruse>: Dan didn't specify, but he's probably curious about both.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: As far as 'axe happy' species, which two? The Maduri are certainly violent, as the Venusians can be at times. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: New modenr tech is largely Chanari based. They have new weapons such as the fire lance (spear 'em and then set them on fire), flyers (the aforementioned gliders), silt raiders (Chanari pirate ships), and others. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: I'm curious about the ancient Martian artifacts myself...<br />
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<Silverlion>: Just thinking of the fact you've got Maduri/Order of the Hameaxe, and the Venusians as Axe wielders...<br />
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<technoshaman>: does this books explain more about the color-coded martians and the meaning behind the colors?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: As far as Ancient tech, one fine example is the auto loader the party was using tonight. It is a hovering cargo carrier with an anti-dust and dirt force field. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: What are the new details of the Order of the Hameaxe? Does it cover how they do things?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Ah, the Maduri, Hamaxe, and Venusians. I happen to like axes, they are a tool and a weapon. This fits well for the Venusians. As far as the Martians, an axe is a shock weapon, and also a terror weapon. (done)<br />
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<MonkofLords>: Oi Guest<br />
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<Silverlion>: Makes sense.<br />
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<Abstruse>: (Hello Guest06, we've got a Q&A going on with Ken Spencer over the new book for Rocket Age, Blood Red Mars. You can set your nick with the /nick command)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The color-coding of the Chanari tribes are part of their totemic symbology. BRM goes into detail about the different tribes, how they developed, and what makes them distinctive. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: Allo Guest06, you can set your name with /nick ala /Nick Bob if you want to be bob<br />
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<Silverlion>: Allo TwentySix<br />
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<Guest06>: Hi there, just here to watch the chat!<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: On the Order of the Sacred Hamaxe. We look at their history, the strucutre of a warband, and how they use psychic healing to dirve out demons (their view of mental illness). (done)<br />
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*** Guest06 is now known as EPHedge<br />
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<Silverlion>: Cool. Are there actual "demons" beyond that?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: About the axes, I think I had just finished up my work on Frog God Games' viking fantasy Northlands setting when I started Rocket Age. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: No actual demons (at least in the supernatural sense). However, Martian art depicts demons as large hairless ape men. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Another from Dan: How do the Martian troops manage to pose any threat to Earthling troops?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Numbers, radium rifles, pure ferocity. Imagine every battle as Rourke's Drift with RAY guns. Also, the Earthlings are more often than not acting in concert with their native allies. Finally, there are no petrochemicals on Mars. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: What can you tell us about Chanari Seers, and are there new psychic powers?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: There are two new psychic traits, Lucid Dreaming and PSychic Healing. The former is the ability to project a dream self, similar to astral projection but more powerful and somewhat unreliable.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Psychic healing can be used to heal mental Bad traits, though at some risk (and you still have to 'buy off' the trait). (done)<br />
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<technoshaman>: will there be maps of the train and trade routes of mars on the sorcebook?<br />
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<Silverlion>: Cool stuff.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Yes, the maps show some of the Chanari routes and ruined Ustalivs. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: How much detail do you go into on the various regions on Mars? I'm only vaguely familiar with the game, so I'm not sure how populated it is.<br />
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<Silverlion>: Any cool quirks you've written in the book that you'd like to share?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Seers commune with the spirits and also speak prophecy. They are supposed to be mentally unstable, and if a Seer is sane, they usually act mad in order to fit in. Seers are attended by the Speechless, mute servants who do all the grunt work.<br />
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<Abstruse>: (Question Pause)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The Speechless have their tongues cut out so that they may not repeat omens they are not supposed to. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: Cool.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: There is a lot of detail on the various nations and city-states spread across the gazetteer and organizations section. One of the quirks of Rocket Age is that each we include a large number of story hooks, just pull them out and you are ready to go!<br />
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<Silverlion>: Story hooks are very useful<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: As far as quirks, I had a lot of fun with the sample NPCs. One is based on a fellow who came to our booth at GenCon and was on the fence as far as Rocket Age. As we talked he decided to buy a copy, and another if I would put him in the book. I put him in BRM as a sample NPC (John Arcadian, Space Explorer in a Kilt) (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: What is your favorite part of the book?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Just as an aside, EPHedge is our elite playtester Jeremy Hedge. He ran several events for us at GenCon. Hi Hedge (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: (<--is an avid new fan of Rocket Age..so )<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: I should also mention that Brian Roe wrote the intro short fiction piece, "Pillars of Death". (done)<br />
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<EPHedge>: (<--is the reason for the War Walkers. Mecha FTW!)<br />
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<Abstruse>: How much detail do you go into on the various regions on Mars? I'm only vaguely familiar with the game, so I'm not sure how populated the planet is.<br />
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<Silverlion>: We lost him...<br />
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<Abstruse>: Looks like...I think he was having a connection issue...<br />
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<EPHedge>: Ok, I'm in the same room as Ken and he says he's still up.<br />
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<Abstruse>: Must be a netsplit then. Can you have him try disconnecting and reconnecting?<br />
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<EPHedge>: Nvrmnd, just realized he froze.<br />
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<Abstruse>: There we go! Welcome back, Ken!<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: I appear to have froze out without realizing it. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: It happens..welcome back<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Where were we? (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: From Dan: What can you tell us about the included adventure?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: "The Stolen Artifact" takes place in Emancipation. Our heros are hired or otherwise enticed to take part in the auction of an Ancient Martian artifact, a teleportation device. The episode starts at a night club, the Rocket Cat, and involves a chase through the city,<br />
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<Silverlion>: Does shooting begin quickly? Or yes chases..<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Five way struggle for the artifact, a firefight with Soviets (including a Venusian Soviet), and an auction in the sewers under the city. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Well you brought up the Soviets, so it seems a good time to ask this one from Dan: How much of a Cold War exists between the Axis powers and the other nations on Mars?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The shooting starts at the nightclub, right after the comedian warms up the crowd but before the Andrews Sisters take the stage. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: On Mars it is all hands turned against each other. The Axis powers are united (at least Italy and Germany are), but don't trust each other. The French, Americans, and British work together as needed, but aren't close allies. Even the US State Department is at odds with the MIlitary. Then there are the native factions, freebooters, and the Soviets. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: So are they balanced on a knife's edge from all-out war?<br />
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<Abstruse>: Or have things kind of settled into a situation where no one wants to see the balloon go up?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: All-out war is a possibility, but no one wants a Solar System wide conflict, so a lot of cloak and dagger as well as proxy conflicts. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: How much detail do you go into on the planet? Is it fully colonized or are they spread out?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Earthlings colonization is largely in the Kalond Canal Valley and G'hascar Triangle. The rest of the planet is in native hands or spotted with Earthling conquests. There is a lot of detail, but there are also areas left blank or glossed over that can be filled in at the table.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: One of my goals with Rocket Age has been to leave room for whatever style of game you want to use it for. There are areas to explore if that is your thing. You buy the game, I won;t tell you how to play it. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: So do you go into a lot of detail in any areas or just do an overview of everything?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The areas that are driving the overarching story of Mars are given the most detail. Areas covered in the corebook are given less detail, as I want BRM to offer more new information rather than rehashing existing locales.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: There is a sampling of all the major areas, and all the major Earthling and Native powers in play. The organizations, as large planet wide actors, are given a lot of detail as well, more in comparison to individual city-states.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Most of all, I wanted BRM to be fun to read, and thought provoking as well. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: So is there a land grab going on?<br />
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<Silverlion>: What do the martians do against Walkers?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: A big land grab, the Kalond Canal Valley Wars are over, but new wars are heating up. The various powers are trying to gain what they can while a relative peace still holds.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Native Martians against war walkers? Run and hide would be a good option. KNowing Maduri, try to pile on until it falls over. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: How many native Martian tribes are there?<br />
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<Silverlion>: Are there any Martian historical "secrets?" the book reveals?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: There are hundreds of Chanari tribes divided into a handful of cultural groups. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: No new secrets, though more on Martian ruins and religion is presented. The hypocrisy of the Orthodox Fellowship is underlined. For example, they claim dominion over all of Mars, and even maintain priests that 'serve' in cities that have never been converted. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Yay Dan!<br />
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<Dan>: (Just checking in, folks. All going well?)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: (A little slow)<br />
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<Dan>: (Ah. Well, if someone would be kind enough to email me the log thus far, I'll see what I can do! )<br />
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<Abstruse>: (That formatted weird, but it's on its way.)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Looks like there's a chapter on Flora and Fauna. How hostile is the environment on Mars?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Mars is conflict, and the natural world wants to eat you. its not as bad as Venus, being a desert there are far less animals around. Keep in mind that the most common riding animals is a carnivorous lizard, and that should give you an idea.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: We have black silt spiders, silt dragons, sand wallowers, and the desert well tree, a nasty plant that will drag you beneath the sands and drown you for fertilizer. That is if the explosive seed pods don't kill you first. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Feels odd asking one of Dan's questions now that he's here, but it fits: How large is the bestiary?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Eleven entreis form the Black Silt Spider to the Stigia Bird. Each with three story hooks and full stats. (done)<br />
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<Dan>: (Okay, caught up! I'll jump in in just a moment.)<br />
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<Abstruse>: Any teases you can give us to new stuff we haven't seen before out of them?<br />
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<Dan>: To what extent do you feel you were able to cover an entire planet in one sourcebook?<br />
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<Dan>: (Howdy, Killyb! Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat! )<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Teasers: Gaint flightless birds called Roayl Karn pull Silthuri war and processional chariots. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: It was not easy to cover a whole planet in one sourcebook. The word count was tight, and you have to stay in those bounds. Even so, I managed to wheedle a little more out, Blood Red Mars will be larger than other Rocket Age sourcebooks. (done)<br />
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<Dan>: Are there any new races and/or character types in BRM?<br />
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<Abstruse>: Do you take into account things like the lessened gravity and thinner atmosphere? Or has the planet been sort of terraformed or glossed over per the genre?<br />
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Abstruse feels more comfortable asking stupider questions now that Dan's here ^_^;;<br />
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Dan chuckles<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Mars is pretty much Earth like in gravity and atmosphere, a nod to the sci-fi of yesteryear. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: Always cool<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: As far as new character types and such, we covered it already. It all comes down to the organizations, each has a new occupational package, even the 31st Seal Terrorists. (done)<br />
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<Dan>: Have you introduced any new rules as a result of the focus on Mars?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: There are some new character traits, such as The Sand Gets Everywhere and Gone Native, as well as new equipment traits such as Brick and Crushing Wheels (done)<br />
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<Le_Squide>: What does The Sand Gets Everywhere do?<br />
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<Abstruse>: (Make me gag because it reminds me Episode II exists?"<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: The Sand Gets Everywhere allows you to take a penalty to a roll involving equipment in order to get a Story Point after the roll is resolved. There will be a similar one for the Venus book called Sodden. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: I know this is about Mars, but I was curious what Venus is like in the setting...<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Several of the desert related traits come from my experiences in archaeology in Colorado and Nevada. (done)<br />
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<Dan>: Jungles and dinosaurs!<br />
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<EPHedge>: And bugs. Stupid bugs...<br />
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<Silverlion>: Giant bugs?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: A little bit about Venus. The planets are themed to some extent, Venus is about attraction and desire, love of land, love of tribe, hunger for gold (done)<br />
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<Dan>: Hmm... Whereas the themes of Mars are...?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Mars is about conflict, native vs. foreigner, native vs. native, man vs. beast. There are religious and political struggles, battles of ideology, and economic war. The themes are not hard line, just general guides. (done)<br />
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<Abstruse>: So Venus is basically Vegas?<br />
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Dan chuckles<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Yes, Vegas with ape men and giant lizards<br />
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<Dan>: We've previously discussed the interesting mix of pulp and "real world" concerns in Rocket Age, and that seems particularly noteworthy on Mars. Do you have any thoughts on how that mix plays out?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: While all the planets have conflict, Mars is more military based. War is a constant factor, and differences between cultures tend to get settled by force. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: One of the concerns was the 31st Seal. Yes, they make great villains, but giving them an occupational package seemed to promote them to protagonists. As one of my players pointed out, he felt that the 31st Seal had a point, their culture was being destroyed.<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: I had to put a lot of thought into how to use them in the book, and ended up leaving the choice up to the players. If you want the 31st Seal as horrible villains setting of bombs and shooting up markets, go right ahead. If you want to play them, you have the tools you need to run the campaign you want.<br />
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Dan nods<br />
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<Abstruse>: The way you've been describing Mars, I'm getting a vibe of Colonial North America...back when Spain, France, England, and The Netherlands were trying to settle Native American lands...am I right and was that intentional?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: If this means you play a game about PC terrorists against Earhling troops in an occupied country, that is your call to make. In my mind the 31st Seal are evil, but I have tried to write them somewhere between the clear cut pulp villain and more modern grey scale morality. (done)<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: A better historical analogue would be the colonial conquests of Africa, the Indian Sub-contintet, and China. (done)<br />
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<Dan>: Do you see Rocket Age in general and Blood Red Mars in particular as... I dunno... "deconstructionist" pulp sci-fi?<br />
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<Abstruse>: I'm American. We have a bit of a tunnel vision when it comes to history<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: To a certain extent I no doubt bring some deconstructionist tendencies, but that is not my goal. I want to create a sci-fi setting in the pulp mode that is new and fresh, even if it is being built off of the foundations of the past. The setting has plenty of fun and action, and more than a little over the top pulp goodness, but in the end I want it to be<br />
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<Dan>: (cut off at "want it to be")<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Rocket Age, not a pastiche or attempt to reinvent the genre. In places I have inverted, subverted, and twisted the tropes of the genre, and in other turned them up to 11. I would like to think I ma starting something that will grow larger than myself. (done)<br />
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<Dan>: I can see that happening. The setting feels very organic.<br />
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<Dan>: As always, you're welcome to hang out with us as long as you like, but is there anything you'd like to mention that we haven't covered in the "regular" time we have left?<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Blood Red Mars is available in pdf form from Drivetrhurpg and RPGnow, preorders for pdf and hardcopy can be made through Cubicle 7, and we are hoping to have the hardcopy back from the printer in January. "Lost Cities of the Ancients", a free pdf episode is also available and set on Mars.<br />
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<Dan>: Thanks, Ken! And thanks again to Abstruse and Silverlion for filling in tonight!<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: There will be a lot of Rocket Age in the coming year. Heroes of the Solar System is in the middle of the development cycle, the Lure of Venus and Trail of the Scorpion are just beginning, and we have a line of pdf episodes in production. (done)<br />
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<Silverlion>: Rocket Age! Rocks<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Thanks for having me, I look forward to chatting again about Rocket Age!<br />
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<Dan>: You're always welcome, Ken!<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: One more thing, we live post our playtests on the Cubicle 7 Rocket Age forum. Look for us Monday and Thrusday from 6ish-9ish (gamers run on gamer time).<br />
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<Ken_Spencer>: Good night all, its time for a late supper for me.<br />
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<Dan>: Have a good evening, Ken!</div>
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<br />Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-21928073823238661122013-12-13T05:44:00.000-08:002014-02-07T12:59:23.747-08:00[Q&A] Kurt Wiegel (Game Geeks)[19:04] <+KurtWiegel> Hi all. I'm Kurt Wiegel, half of the Game Geeks production team. We're a YouTube based review show for RPGs. We've been at this for around 10 years (7 or so in YouTube) and just crested over 200 episodes.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>[19:04] <&Silverlion> Yay!<br />
[19:04] <+KurtWiegel> We do all kinds of RPGs (although many have accused me of being a Pinnacle Shill) and have a serious "no negative review" policy.<br />
[19:04] <+KurtWiegel> Love the hobby is out motto.<br />
[19:04] <+KurtWiegel> Done<br />
[19:05] <~Dan> Thanks, Kurt! The floor is open to questions!<br />
[19:05] <~Dan> Can you say a bit about how the "no negative review" policy works?<br />
[19:05] <+GenoFoxx> D&D 4th notwithstanding right?<br />
[19:05] <~Dan> Do you read something and tell the author whether you can honestly give a positive review?<br />
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[19:06] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)<br />
[19:06] <+MonkofLords> (Hello)<br />
[19:06] <~Dan> (Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for chat, etc., etc. :) )<br />
[19:06] <+KurtWiegel> If there is a book I don't like at all- and there are very few- I won't review it. The books are labors of love and life for the authors, and I don't want me being in a bad mood or not understanding what they were trying to do to hurt someones feelings or hurt their sales somehow.<br />
[19:07] <+KurtWiegel> Theres someone for everyone, and there are games that speak to everyone.<br />
[19:07] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:07] <&Silverlion> What is your favorite game that you've reviewed?<br />
[19:07] <+KurtWiegel> I usually don't need to fight for a good review: something is always good in there. I have had to say a few times that I couldn't review it, but I can usually passive aggressive my way out of it.<br />
[19:08] <+KurtWiegel> Silverlion: Hard question- difficult to choose between my children :) I think some of my favorite discoveries have been Savage Worlds and FATE.<br />
[19:09] <+KurtWiegel> The most commented on episode was the 2-part "I hate 4th ed" review that was me having a tantrum.<br />
[19:09] <+Bigby> Hi<br />
[19:09] <+KurtWiegel> I got tired of having people demand a negative review, some implying I wasn't capable of reading something that closely.<br />
[19:09] <+KurtWiegel> Hi Bigby.<br />
[19:10] <~Dan> You kind of just brought this up, but has the "no negative" policy ever caused you any credibility issues in people's minds?<br />
[19:10] <+KurtWiegel> Also- I really liked Hearts and Souls (not pandering to Silver Lion) because it was the first take on supers I'd ever seen that wouldn't degrade to "No, I can lift more).<br />
[19:10] <+KurtWiegel> Plus it was my first comped copy for a review, so it has a special spot in my soul.<br />
[19:10] <+KurtWiegel> done<br />
[19:11] <+GenoFoxx> what's your favorite science-fiction rpg?<br />
[19:11] <+KurtWiegel> Sci Fi: I can give you three: Bulldogs, Fading Suns and Lightspeed<br />
[19:11] <+GenoFoxx> (which you don't do enough reviews of)....hint hint<br />
[19:12] <+KurtWiegel> Bulldogs is Farscape if I've ever seen it, I love Fading Suns so much but I can't ever get something going for it and Lightspeed has the best "Kitchen sink" settings I've ever read. Never cared for Fusion, so I'm always half toying with it for conversions.<br />
[19:12] <+KurtWiegel> done<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> (Did you see my question, Kurt?)<br />
[19:13] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry Dan, no. Please repeat?<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> I asked whether your "no negative" policy has ever caused you any credibility issues in viewers' minds.<br />
[19:14] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry. Yes it has- I have a lot of people (and a few I've worked on the Ennies with) who don't think I'm a real reviewer because I'm like the Bob Ross of RPGs.<br />
[19:15] <+KurtWiegel> I understand their POV, but I don't like rampant negativity that pops up a lot in reviews- I love my hobby and I want to share that.<br />
[19:16] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:16] <&Silverlion> One of the reasons I try and break down things as explanations in my few past written reviews--I don't like being negative.<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> That can certainly be tricky.<br />
[19:16] <+xyphoid> so is this d&d4 review an actual negative review or not<br />
[19:16] <&Silverlion> Yeah it was Xyphoid...<br />
[19:16] <+Bigby> Now I'm picturing you with a Bob Ross afro...<br />
[19:16] <+KurtWiegel> My main question is "am I entertained in some way." That can be for almost anything, so I'm pretty easy. And most of the people who loge complaints are so negative anyway its toxic.<br />
[19:16] <+MonkofLords> It's an odd image<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> As I've mentioned before, Phil Brucato suggested that I was the cause of Deliria not getting distributed for 1-1/2 years.<br />
[19:17] <+KurtWiegel> I'm glad very few of my college pictures have made it into the internet. Its was there for a while.<br />
[19:18] <+KurtWiegel> The D&D review was a lot of melodrama based on a game that made changes I didn't care for.<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> Do you address whether a game doesn't appeal to you, personally? Or does that fall into the "negative" side?<br />
[19:18] <+xyphoid> do you regret that?<br />
[19:18] <+GenoFoxx> any plans for a 2300AD retrospective?<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:18] <+KurtWiegel> And I hate that any game (or author) has suffered.<br />
[19:20] <+KurtWiegel> There are a lot of games that don't appeal to me personally- I don't have the time or energy for rules-heavy things that require me to learn a bunch of rules and sub rules and then have to teach them to people (Spycraft 2.0, I'm looking at you).<br />
[19:20] <+KurtWiegel> I don't regret the D&D 4 review mainly because it got people off my back for the concept of negativity and it wasn't like I was going to hurt their sales at all.<br />
[19:20] <+KurtWiegel> Geno: Sorry- 2300AD?<br />
[19:21] <+GenoFoxx> once known as Traveller:2300<br />
[19:21] <&Silverlion> Its a shame, but I felt the Deleria review was honest...<br />
[19:21] <&Silverlion> Mongoose got the writes and added it to their other Traveler line<br />
[19:22] <+GenoFoxx> it was original produced by Games Designer Workshop, the same people who also did Traveller<br />
[19:22] <+KurtWiegel> Oh. Sorry. Traveller is a game that got by me by and large- sorta like Shadowrun and Exalted- so I can't say much about that. Hard Sci Fi is under represented but thats because I think real science stuff can be dull.<br />
[19:23] <+xyphoid> so if your audiene asked for another negative review, would you do that?<br />
[19:24] <+KurtWiegel> Xyphoid: not likely. I did it once, and I have a few more I could do (Everything is Dolphins for one) but I'm over that now.<br />
[19:24] <+KurtWiegel> Have I missed any?<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> What got you into reviewing, and how did you come up with the Game Geeks format?<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> (I don't think so.)<br />
[19:25] <&Silverlion> How much does each episode "cost" in resources?<br />
[19:26] <+Frankto> Hey, Kurt. I saw you've been at this for a while now, so here's a fairly unorthorox question for you. In the games you've reviewed so far, which game mechanics have you encountered you really like? By that I mean, quirks of a particular system that really work well or made you want to try it out.<br />
[19:26] <+KurtWiegel> Game Geeks existed for a few episodes before me. My producer Rob had filmed two other guys (Jon and Pete) doing other reviews in his game shop. I found it late one night while holding my daughter when she was sick to get her to sell. The first and only time I'd seen Call of Cthulhu on screen.<br />
[19:27] <+KurtWiegel> Here they are: (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7wBWNY_bdg)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7wBWNY_bdg<br />
[19:27] <+KurtWiegel> I came in a year or so later and did an episode with Pete on AFMBE- it was community access at the time.<br />
[19:28] <+KurtWiegel> We did regular eps for Public access for a few years, then Rob wanted to try YouTube (we were pretty well done by then) and it took off in a way I'd never considered.<br />
[19:29] <+KurtWiegel> The cost is minimal for me- I think it takes Rob a few hours to piece them together and insert the graphics- he has a harder job than I do- then he uploads them.<br />
[19:30] <+KurtWiegel> Its part of why we have so many long breaks: we booth have families, so putting time together can be rough.<br />
[19:30] <&Silverlion> Awesome<br />
[19:31] <+KurtWiegel> Frankto: Good question- I think FATEs aspects are really cool, and I see traces of FATE DNA popping up everywhere these days, and different applications of the Drama Point/Story Point are fun to see. I really like the escalating scale of Cortex (original) the most.<br />
[19:31] <+KurtWiegel> fone<br />
[19:31] <+KurtWiegel> done, dagnabbit<br />
[19:31] <~Dan> Do you need to answer the fone?<br />
[19:32] <+KurtWiegel> No- I just have fat fingers<br />
[19:32] <+CJCarella> Is there any upcoming game you're excited about? Anything good coming out in 2014?<br />
[19:32] <~Dan> :D<br />
[19:32] <+KurtWiegel> for 2014... well, I'm interested to see if beyond dgsrth<br />
[19:33] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry, my dog climbed in my lap- hold on.<br />
[19:33] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:33] <+Frankto> I can't deny that. FATE RPG aspects are probably one of the more clever pieces of game design I've encountered.<br />
[19:33] <+Frankto> It makes character (and world) design that much more interesting.<br />
[19:33] <+KurtWiegel> OK, He's about 100 pounds of loving fury, but not light.<br />
[19:33] <+CJCarella> ok, 'cause I just googled dgsrth and nothing came out. Well, other than porn.<br />
[19:33] * ~Dan laughs<br />
[19:34] <+KurtWiegel> What kind of pro- never mind. Don't want to know.<br />
[19:34] <+CJCarella> :D<br />
[19:35] <+KurtWiegel> I'm interested to see if White Wolf/Obsidian path can really come back or not. If D&D next will work or not (leaning towards no in my opinion) and if Beyond Human will see the light of day.<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> Agreed, re: Beyond Human.<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> Thom tells me he's done with it.<br />
[19:36] <+KurtWiegel> I'm lucky enough to be an Ennies judge, so I get most of the big releases.<br />
[19:36] <+CJCarella> Yeah, the playtest is over, not sure when it's going to be released.<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> He also says it features public domain superheroes like the Black Terror. Which is awesome.<br />
[19:36] <&Silverlion> I'm hoping D&D works....<br />
[19:36] <+KurtWiegel> I don't understand the publishing side of this hobby, so I'll never comment on it but it can be frustrating,<br />
[19:37] <+KurtWiegel> Tremulus from San Preston looks really interesting too, but I think I'll need to digest the book rather than the PDF- I'm a little old fashioned that way.<br />
[19:37] <+CJCarella> Yeah, tell me about it (the publishing side) - main reason I left the biz a few years back.<br />
[19:38] <+KurtWiegel> i could never do it myself.<br />
[19:38] <&Silverlion> Me too Kurt. Me too<br />
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[19:38] <&Silverlion> Very very very frustrating...<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> My attempts to get published have been... underwhelming.<br />
[19:39] <~Dan> Kurt, do you have any thoughts about the general "health" of the hobby?<br />
[19:39] <&egyptian> I will say though, that whatever success has been had in the realm of PDFs and eBooks, for me nothing replaces a flesh-and-blood book.<br />
[19:40] <+KurtWiegel> I agree. Much easier to show people what you did.<br />
[19:40] <&Silverlion> Dan: You could write for me :D *LOL*<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> :D<br />
[19:41] <+xyphoid> have you done a dungeon world review?<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> That's actually not a bad idea... :)<br />
[19:41] <+KurtWiegel> I think the health of the hobby is pretty good- sales go up and down, but there are more books published every year by more companies, more outlets like PDFs and other electronic media. I think its doing OK, but I don't need to make a living off of it.<br />
[19:41] <&Silverlion> Yeah. Making a living on it is rare...<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> Do you see Kickstarter as a big contributer to the hobby these days?<br />
[19:42] <+KurtWiegel> Dungeon World is on my pile, but its slightly tainted by the rampant and unnecessary foulness that was in apocalypse world, so I have trouble getting around that (Barbaren from Vagrant city games has some neat mechanics, but I can't get past crude for crude sakes sometimes).<br />
[19:43] <&Silverlion> YEah, see that's why I avoided Dungeon World, but I like it now...:D<br />
[19:44] <&Silverlion> Its not got the problems of AW....<br />
[19:44] <+KurtWiegel> Kickstarter has changed the face of game production in my opinion. Its the 500 pound gorilla that everyone must acknowledge now. I haven't backed a kickstarted project for a few reasons, but the big ones are (1) I don't have that much disposable income and (2) its like an MMO for me- once I start, I know I could never stop.<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> I hadn't heard about that, re: Apocalypse World. Pretty vulgar?<br />
[19:45] <+KurtWiegel> DW has some pretty slick mechanics.<br />
[19:45] <+KurtWiegel> AW isn't FATAL, but its not something I'd let my kids anywhere near.<br />
[19:45] <&Silverlion> I just hope people will come and support my kickstarter--I like a lot of technical video skills<br />
[19:45] <&Silverlion> Two words: Sex moves<br />
[19:46] <+KurtWiegel> Um... uh... DAN I NEED AN ADULT!<br />
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[19:46] <~Dan> Well, physically I suppose I qualify, at least...<br />
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[19:46] <&Silverlion> Anyway. Yeah. Dungeon World doesn't have that.<br />
[19:46] <&Silverlion> So are there any big games you want to review?<br />
[19:47] <+KurtWiegel> OK Silverlion-if you do a "how-to" Kama Sutra, I'll back it.<br />
[19:47] <+KurtWiegel> Sort of.<br />
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[19:47] <+MonkofLords> (Kama Sutra the RPG?)<br />
[19:47] <+KurtWiegel> For personal pride I'd like to review GURPS, mainly because I've never broken SJG for a copy of anything.<br />
[19:48] <+KurtWiegel> I'd love to do the RIFTS line, but I think theres so much there it'd take forever to digest.<br />
[19:48] <&Silverlion> Hehe.<br />
[19:48] <&Silverlion> Yeah Rifts is SO huge<br />
[19:48] <+KurtWiegel> Plus Palladium can be... prickly from what I understand.<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> Do you only review games for which you get review copies?<br />
[19:49] <+KurtWiegel> I'd love to see a FATE re-launced version of Seven Seas, but I'm dreaming,<br />
[19:49] <&Silverlion> That would be awesome.<br />
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[19:49] <~Dan> Howdy, KJ!<br />
[19:49] <+KurtWiegel> No, I review things I get for my library as well, but I tend towards doing comped copies sooner, mainly because I feel there is more of an obligation there.<br />
[19:49] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:49] <+KJ> Hey, how's it going folks?<br />
[19:50] <&Silverlion> Allo KJ<br />
[19:50] <&Silverlion> Kurt: Did I ever send you a copy of High Valor?<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> KJ: Going well, thanks! Tonight we're visiting with Kurt Wiegel of Game Geeks.<br />
[19:50] <+KurtWiegel> I don't think so....<br />
[19:50] <+KurtWiegel> Hi KJ<br />
[19:51] <&Silverlion> Well email me the mailing address...tim@silverlionstudios.com or silverlion@gmail.com and I'll send you one<br />
[19:51] <+KurtWiegel> Will do. Thanks.<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> Are there any sorts of mechanics in games that immediately turn you off, or at least strongly bias you against a game?<br />
[19:54] <+KurtWiegel> A few: I LOATHE games that require weird proprietary dice- those that can be used for one game and one alone. And that you need to buy more sets of to effectively play.<br />
[19:55] <+KurtWiegel> I know thats a weird thing to say for someone regularly rolls d10s, but it smacks of rampant money making to me.<br />
[19:56] <+KurtWiegel> Which set off "Enniesgate 2013" last summer too.<br />
[19:56] <~Dan> What was that about?<br />
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[19:57] <+KurtWiegel> Someone in the Ennies leaked "inside information" to a blogger who proceeded to make a really big deal about it. People dog piled on both sides and it blew up. Things I had said were mentioned twice- which doesn't bother me in the slightest- but a lot of people took that opportunity to<br />
[19:58] <+KurtWiegel> air out their grievances withe the process (and sour grapes about not getting nominated/voted in) and just be trolls. Some people in the envies took it personally and it was a pretty ugly scene for a few weeks.<br />
[19:59] <&Silverlion> One of the reasons my friends agreed not to try the new Star Wars.<br />
[19:59] <+KurtWiegel> We have some new... guidelines on what we can say publicly now, which are just statements of what should be common sense in my opinion.<br />
[19:59] <+KurtWiegel> It stops short of a gag order, but an NDA may be in places next year.<br />
[19:59] <+Bigby> The blogger actually made the claim that the only reason Star Wars didn't win something was that one judge hated it due to the dice and fought until it lost. Other judges in comment section pointed out that it wasn't true.<br />
[20:00] <+KurtWiegel> SilverLion: give that man a cigar.<br />
[20:00] <+Bigby> Not sure if the blogger was looking to cause trouble or if the judge leaking info was trying to cause trouble.<br />
[20:00] <&Silverlion> Hrms.Why I was resistant to Fudge and Fate...<br />
[20:00] <&Silverlion> But there is enough Fate out there now<br />
[20:01] <+KurtWiegel> I think the blogger was looking to stir the pot and get attention. And it worked, but I think it cost him some credibility.<br />
[20:01] <&Silverlion> Hrms. I don't recall that, but I was busy :D<br />
[20:01] <+KurtWiegel> FATE dice are an exception to my rule, and so are the HEX dice, but I was sent those.<br />
[20:02] <+KurtWiegel> The thing that bugged me was former judges who attacked the rest of us for what we "didn't do right." He was also friends with the head guy at the time, so it got weirdly personal in there.<br />
[20:02] <&Silverlion> Nice thing about Hex is the dice aren't needed<br />
[20:02] <+KurtWiegel> Absolutley.<br />
[20:03] <+KurtWiegel> but neither are FATE/FUDGE dice<br />
[20:03] <&egyptian> My issue with Star Wars's proprietary dice wasn't that the game used them, but that they could have been designed better. The symbols were pretty, but not intuitive. FATE dice instantly make sense to anybody.<br />
[20:03] <+KurtWiegel> I like the Starblazer d6-d6<br />
[20:04] <+KurtWiegel> Yeah- I think they'll submit the full game this year for the Ennies so we'll see what happens then.<br />
[20:05] <&Silverlion> Yeah Egyptian, my friend had that problem<br />
[20:06] <+KurtWiegel> I have one for everyone: whats your favorite music/soundtrack for gaming?<br />
[20:06] <&egyptian> Soundtrack from Dune (the 1984 movie)<br />
[20:06] <~Dan> Hmm. I like the Conan theme and the Escape from New York theme.<br />
[20:06] <&Silverlion> I use Two Steps from Hell soundtracks for some<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> Oh... and Vultan's Theme from "Flash Gordon".<br />
[20:07] <+KurtWiegel> Elliot Goldenthal's Final Fantasy Spirits within for me.<br />
[20:07] <+GenoFoxx> Gordon's ALIVE?<br />
[20:07] <~Dan> And you can't beat the Indiana Jones theme for pulpy traveling music.<br />
[20:08] <+KurtWiegel> DIIIIIIVE!!!<br />
[20:08] <+KurtWiegel> God you can't beat Brian Blessed's overacting.<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> I used Vultan's Theme for a HEX game featuring battling airships and rocket Nazis.<br />
[20:09] <&egyptian> I like the Dune soundtrack because it's space-y and atmospheric, but doesn't have a super-strong association to the source material. The Star Wars soundtracks are great, but who can play D&D with that playing in the background? All you can think of is Han dodging asteroids.<br />
[20:09] <+JP> egyptian, the orchestral stuff on Lynch's Dune is amazing<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> Oh, and how could I forget "O Fortuna"?<br />
[20:10] <+KurtWiegel> I like the Dune miniseries soundtrack myself for similar reasons. Summon the worms is my ringtone, alternating with TORCHWOOD<br />
[20:10] <+CJCarella> I'm a barbarian who doesn't play music while gaming - it's all words and rolling dice - maybe hum something if it's appropriate :)<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:10] <&Silverlion> I don't often use music but sometimes<br />
[20:10] <&egyptian> Shostakovich is also very good. Heavy parts, soft parts...<br />
[20:11] <+GenoFoxx> He is the Quisatch Haderach<br />
[20:11] <+KurtWiegel> I had a player a few years ago who was a gifted musician. He'd put together scores for each game he'd run for us. Brilliant stuff.<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> How often do you get to play, Kurt?<br />
[20:13] <+KurtWiegel> Weekly mostly. Once in a while we'll need to miss but its weekly. I'm very lucky that way.<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> What are you currently playing?<br />
[20:13] <+Bigby> Starting in January I will be running Tephra per Kurt's request.<br />
[20:14] <+KurtWiegel> Heh. Good question. Right now I'm doing horror one shots, then in the new year my players are...<br />
[20:15] <+Bigby> (unless he changed his mind...)<br />
[20:15] <+KurtWiegel> yep, thanks Bigby. He's doing Tephra (a really cool stamping fantasy game- I'll let him describe it), one is doing the CAMELOT-TRIGGER from FATE Worlds in Shadow and another is doing a Rise of the Guardians game.<br />
[20:15] <+Bigby> Who is running Camelot-Trigger?<br />
[20:15] <&Silverlion> Is Tephra the Steam punk game?<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> No need to describe it. It's sitting right here, and I did a Q&A with the author. :)<br />
[20:15] <+KurtWiegel> I'm very lucky my players are willing to do this.<br />
[20:16] <+Bigby> Silverlion, yup, that's the one.<br />
[20:16] <~Dan> I'm not familiar with Camelot-Trigger, though. What's that?<br />
[20:16] <+KurtWiegel> Jordan<br />
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[20:16] <&Silverlion> Arthuruan Mecha game...<br />
[20:17] <+KurtWiegel> Camelot trigger is a far-future mechs game in our solar system retelling the Arthurian myths through space knights and fantasy sic fi<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> So it has magic involved?<br />
[20:17] <+KurtWiegel> I'm angling to play Bedevere, Arthur's magnificent ba$tard<br />
[20:18] <+KurtWiegel> No magic really, unless the GM decides to weld some on. Discussions have pointed to he's going to do some really epic stuff.<br />
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[20:18] <~Dan> (Howdy, Squide!)<br />
[20:19] <&Le_Squide> (Hey Dan!)<br />
[20:19] <+KurtWiegel> Tephra is a lot of fun and very interesting.<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> The system seems a little complex.<br />
[20:20] <+KurtWiegel> Bigby broke it down well for is.<br />
[20:20] <+KurtWiegel> us.<br />
[20:20] <+Bigby> It's complexity is mostly front-loaded into character creation (which I took care of) due to all the "specialty" options.<br />
[20:20] <+KurtWiegel> I'll say it DESPERATELY needs some kind of bennie or drama point mechanic though.<br />
[20:21] <+Bigby> I'm currently having some issues with the publishers, but I'm running with it.<br />
[20:21] <+Bigby> I'll think about it.<br />
[20:21] <+KurtWiegel> Its your game.<br />
[20:21] <+KurtWiegel> What did people thing of Wolsung?<br />
[20:21] <+KurtWiegel> think. Dang it<br />
[20:21] <&Silverlion> People tried to suggest Tephra to me in Lubbock<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> I know something about the mechanics of Wolsung turned me off big-time. I forget the specifics.<br />
[20:22] <+KurtWiegel> It was a weird composite of cards and dice.<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> I don't think it was that...<br />
[20:23] <+Bigby> I was just reading a thread about whether or not Wolsung was racist. Actually kind of made me want to take a look at it just to form my own opinion...<br />
[20:23] <&Silverlion> I don't know. I'm looking forward to Clockwork Empire<br />
[20:23] <+Bigby> Me too!<br />
[20:23] <~Dan> That one looks pretty good.<br />
[20:23] <+KurtWiegel> Um. I never thought is it that way, but I'll look.<br />
[20:24] <~Dan> And the authors are great guys.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> (brb)<br />
[20:25] *** Dan is now known as Dan-brb<br />
[20:25] <+KurtWiegel> I'm hoping Tephra makes me understand Steampunk.<br />
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[20:25] * +Sigh waves to the room.<br />
[20:26] <+Bigby> I should run Widening Gyre for that Kurt, since it is actually Victorian ("traditional") steampunk.<br />
[20:26] <+Bigby> So, I know the big question really on everyone's mind. Kurt, who's your favorite player?<br />
[20:26] <+Bigby> :p<br />
[20:27] <+KurtWiegel> My favorite player- now or ever?<br />
[20:27] <&Silverlion> What's your favorite character?<br />
[20:27] <+KurtWiegel> Well, all I'll say is he's a Ginger....<br />
[20:27] <+Bigby> Oh ha ha.<br />
[20:27] <+KurtWiegel> That I played or has been played at my table?<br />
[20:27] *** Dan-brb is now known as Dan<br />
[20:28] <+Bigby> For everyone else our current group is two full gingers and a couple of day-walkers.<br />
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> To explain the joke- three of the four players at my table are redheads.<br />
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> Jinx- buy me a coke<br />
[20:28] <+GenoFoxx> where can I get a copy of Camelot-Trigger?<br />
[20:28] <+Bigby> Anyway, my question was a joke as well.<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> Ah. Heh. :)<br />
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> Its in FATE- Worlds in Shadow as one of the example worlds<br />
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> whats the jaywalker?<br />
[20:28] <+KurtWiegel> daywalker!<br />
[20:29] * ~Dan waves to Sigh!<br />
[20:29] <+KurtWiegel> Hi Sigh<br />
[20:29] <&Silverlion> Hi Sigh.<br />
[20:29] <+Bigby> I'll explain later Kurt...<br />
[20:30] <+Bigby> So, anyone have any real questions? I don't want to waste everyone's time.<br />
[20:30] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry- I'm easily distracted.<br />
[20:30] <~Dan> Kurt: Do you have a favorite genre?<br />
[20:31] <+KurtWiegel> Modern horror/magic. Urban fantasy<br />
[20:32] <+KurtWiegel> Part of the reason I love the unisystem games so much<br />
[20:32] <+CJCarella> :)<br />
[20:32] <+Bigby> We play a fair bit of Cinematic Unisystem using the 2d6 varient.<br />
[20:32] <&Silverlion> Yeah..cool<br />
[20:32] <+KurtWiegel> Sorry- I wasn't fishing there or anything there.<br />
[20:33] <+KurtWiegel> I like the triangular distribution the 2d6 mechanic gives.<br />
[20:33] <+KurtWiegel> I debated 3d6, but I thought that'd be too much work.<br />
[20:33] <+KurtWiegel> Question for the group- a game you should LOVE but theres something you jet can't get about it?<br />
[20:33] <+Bigby> You'll get 3d6 when I eventually run more Hero<br />
[20:33] <+DulothX> Too much work?<br />
[20:34] <+KurtWiegel> Mine: Smallvbille Cortex+<br />
[20:34] <~Dan> Hmm. Depends upon what you mean by "should" love.<br />
[20:35] <+KurtWiegel> 3d6+ 2 sets of numbers might slow down some of the gameplay<br />
[20:35] <+KurtWiegel> Seems like something that'd be right up your alley but doesn't sit right.<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> Hmm... That's a good question.<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> Well... I suppose Marvel Cortex+ in my case, insofar as I love Marvel, but I cannot abide the system.<br />
[20:36] <&Silverlion> Me either...<br />
[20:37] <+KurtWiegel> I really like Cortex Classic once one can get past the damage weirdness, but I just don't get +. And, making characters for Smallville is like designing the small Hadron collider<br />
[20:37] <~Dan> Same goes for Spirit of the Century, I suppose.<br />
[20:38] <&Silverlion> I like SOTC...:D<br />
[20:38] <+CJCarella> I mostly strip other games for parts and convert them to what I run, so I guess that's all of them :P<br />
[20:38] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[20:39] <+KurtWiegel> PREACH.<br />
[20:39] * ~Dan imagines CJ sitting in the middle of a junkyard of stripped-down games, tinkering like a mad inventor.<br />
[20:39] <&Silverlion> Lots of people do that.<br />
[20:39] <+CJCarella> Of course, I'm woefully behind in the current gaming state of the art - haven't bought a new game since last decade...<br />
[20:40] <+KurtWiegel> YEah, but the image is great.<br />
[20:40] <+CJCarella> Or maybe the decade before that.<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> Perhaps, but I do have it on good authority that you are, at least, gaming, CJ. ;)<br />
[20:40] <+Yalborap> Kurt: I'd suggest looking at the Leverage version of Cortex+, or the Hacker's Guide. I found the game a lot easier to parse with the generic version in the HG.<br />
[20:40] <+JP> I don't think implying gaming is like a technology, using "state of the art" is an applicable metaphor.<br />
[20:40] <+JP> IMHO<br />
[20:41] <+Yalborap> As for games I've found that didn't quite work...Exalted. Far, far, far, /far/ too crunchy.<br />
[20:41] <&Silverlion> Leverage is closer to original<br />
[20:41] <+KurtWiegel> oh yeah. Exalted is a framing nightmare of a game.<br />
[20:41] <+CJCarella> That depends on whether or not gaming has evolved from its beginnings, and whether or not it has continued to evolve.<br />
[20:42] <+CJCarella> I'd definitely say that's true on the first part of the statement, at least.<br />
[20:42] <&Silverlion> I still play Star Frontiers...so "new" isn't always better<br />
[20:43] <+Yalborap> I can't think of a single game I like that's older than 5 or 6 years old, and most of those are either for their setting or have since come out with a revised game that cleans it up.<br />
[20:43] <+CJCarella> When I went to some gaming forums to promote the Armageddon Girl/New Olympus Kickstater, I got a lot of "gaming has changed a lot since the 1990s" comments.<br />
[20:43] <+JP> I feel the only advance we have made is that we have rules now for how GMs play, instead of relying on "magical gamemastering skill" which could only be learned by watching.<br />
[20:43] <&Silverlion> JP: Indeed...tools.<br />
[20:44] <+KurtWiegel> I think a lot of games now are codifying things that decent GMs have been doing for years- like GUMSHOE.<br />
[20:44] <&Silverlion> I like tools.<br />
[20:44] <+CJCarella> Well, I think there's been a lot of significant changes from the original, wargaming bastard child that D&D originally was.<br />
[20:44] <+xyphoid> personally i love the advances we're seeing<br />
[20:44] <+KurtWiegel> I'm always learning on how to be a better GM. (Cue Bigby)<br />
[20:45] <+xyphoid> a lot of it's totally applicable to me running older games<br />
[20:45] <+Bigby> Huh, what?<br />
[20:45] <+Bigby> Kurt is the best GM I've had. He has made leaps and bounds since I first joined the group. :)<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> I guess the tech comparison is a bit tricky, insofar as it suggests advancements toward the "right" way to game.<br />
[20:46] <+KurtWiegel> Thanks Bigby. Your check is in the mail....<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> There have been changes and evolution going on, certainly.<br />
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[20:47] <+Bigby> Well, I've had some pretty bad GMs as well, lol<br />
[20:47] <+MonkofLords> Haven't we all?<br />
[20:47] <+xyphoid> yeah, people get offended at the terminology as if saying 'X is an advance' means that you're a worse person for running something without it<br />
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[20:47] <+CJCarella> Now, considering a lot of "obsolete" games still continue to outsell a good percentage of the more "evolved" games, I find the whole thing amusing.<br />
[20:47] <+JP> Bigby, well that is part of the broken culture propagated by D&D, as I see it.<br />
[20:47] <+JP> re: bad GMs<br />
[20:48] <+CJCarella> Which is why I'm using "state of the art" mostly tongue-in-cheek, but still have seen a lot of changes over time.<br />
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[20:49] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:49] <+Bigby> I've played fun D&D games (though not many) and I've had bad GMs run things not remotely similar to D&D. I hardly think it is fair to blame one game for the huge number of maladjusted people out there trying to GM.<br />
[20:49] <+JP> CJ, for sure. I was just making sure we didn't mean to imply some kind of technology comparison :)<br />
[20:49] <&Silverlion> I think the problem is that the Gm's role is social, highly social.<br />
[20:50] <+JP> Bigby, I think its reasonable to do so, since its a cultural icon not unlike say CoC. Not that I want to argue the point at length.<br />
[20:50] <+CJCarella> Tech-wise, it's still a bunch of people sitting on a table using polyhedral random-number generators, pencils and paper :D<br />
[20:50] <&Silverlion> and a lot of people don't realize that takes certain skills...heck I took storytelling classes (speech communication/education credit) and learned a lot.<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> I see it more akin to music, with branches going off in all directions. Or, more specifically, rock and roll, with the developments leading people to categorize some variations as not rock music anymore at all. :)<br />
[20:50] <+JP> Dan, that feels apt<br />
[20:51] <+CJCarella> although I guess now tablets and mobile devices are playing an increasing role.<br />
[20:51] <+CJCarella> yeah, music and RPGs are both creative endeavors.<br />
[20:51] <+xyphoid> yeah, my EP game had 3 laptops and 3 tablets at the table usually<br />
[20:51] <*Billy_Joel*> It's all rocks fall and everybody dies to me.<br />
[20:51] <+KurtWiegel> I use my tablets for music mainly, or if a picture needs to be seen quickly, but I'm about to loose it. Its very distracting for me.<br />
[20:51] <+JP> Nobody want to hear from the Innocent Man :P<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> I'd say technology has impacted my gaming powerfully, insofar as I only play via IRC these days. :)<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> And probably wouldn't be gaming at all otherwise.<br />
[20:52] <+JP> Kurt, I'm so thick into tech that it bores me. When I bring a tablet to gaming its mostly in power saving, even if my character sheet is a PDF on it :P<br />
[20:53] <+CJCarella> And you need both a good GM and good players - a good gaming group can make just about any system fun.<br />
[20:53] <+JP> IRC is kind of ancient by today's standards. I'm often surprised there is no clear modern replacement.<br />
[20:53] * +JP nods sagely to CJ<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> That's true. More than once, I've been very skeptical about a game only to have a great GM change my mind.<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> Tribe 8 comes immediately to mind.<br />
[20:54] <+Bigby> We have good players... Well, adequate players... Well, no one's killed anyone yet...<br />
[20:54] <&Bill> There is. Facebook, and Twitter, and Google+, and...<br />
[20:54] <+KurtWiegel> I have a really good group now- probably the best composite group I've ever had.<br />
[20:54] <+JP> That is one knock against convention play, since you have no control of who will be playing and such.<br />
[20:54] <+Serami> IRC? It still works because it's ubiquitous!<br />
[20:54] <+Serami> It's just like email - easy to set up, easy to use, easy to perpetuate<br />
[20:54] <&Bill> exactly.<br />
[20:54] <+JP> heh<br />
[20:54] <+Serami> If there's no clear need for an improvement there is rarely a market for an improvement to flourish!<br />
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[20:55] <+Serami> A modern model only works if there's enough impetus to overcome inertia~<br />
[20:55] <&Bill> No proprietary format preventing people from doing their own thing with it.<br />
[20:55] <+KurtWiegel> I'd like to add here that Dan's review of Demon Hunters and DH2 Dead Camper Lake got me into that entire series and the game. Best description of how the movie felt I've ever read (serious game tangented by a joke that was GOOD)<br />
[20:55] <+JP> Serami, support for simple univsersal standards like unicode and images? :P<br />
[20:55] <&Bill> And no proprietary format preventing people from doing _anything_ with it when (not if) the owners shut it down.<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> Thanks, Kurt! :)<br />
[20:55] <+xyphoid> irc has the real advantage that it looks like work<br />
[20:55] <&Bill> That too. :p<br />
[20:56] <+xyphoid> i have like 6 shells open at the moment, 5 are work, 1 is irssi<br />
[20:56] <+JP> shells? who does that these days. Windows! :P<br />
[20:56] <&Bill> ICQ had a group chat function, AIM did, yahoo chat did, etc.<br />
[20:56] <+KurtWiegel> I've just converted to all Mac.<br />
[20:56] <+JP> group chat isn't really IRC<br />
[20:57] <+KurtWiegel> Thats all I can contribute to a tech discussion.<br />
[20:57] <+xyphoid> google hangouts are pretty amazing for a game though<br />
[20:57] <+Serami> JP: Mibbit supports images! And a lot of clients support or use Unicode, though it leads to some disparity between what someone might type and what someone might see<br />
[20:57] <+JP> XMPP has come closest IMO with conference rooms<br />
[20:58] <+JP> Serami, Mibbit is the web-based IRC right?<br />
[20:59] <+KurtWiegel> CJ: whats your favorite part of the Witchcraft Armageddon setting?<br />
[20:59] <+JP> Kurt, don't worry, I won't hold that against you :)<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Quick note: While the official Q&A is over at the top of the hour, you're free to hang out with us and chat as long as you like, Kurt. :)<br />
[21:00] <+KurtWiegel> Thanks Dan. I may just.<br />
[21:00] <+KurtWiegel> This has been a lot of fun.<br />
[21:00] <+CJCarella> Well, I'm partial to the pagan deities myself.<br />
[21:00] <&Silverlion> Heh.<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Good! You should come by more often, Kurt. :)<br />
[21:01] <+CJCarella> And that I got to mix and match every darn urban fantasy element I could think of.<br />
[21:01] <+CJCarella> Although I wish I'd gotten to do Faerie stuff.<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> Yeah, that would have been cool.<br />
[21:01] <&Silverlion> That would have been cool<br />
[21:01] * ~Dan high-fives Sil. :)<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> The world of the dead stuff looked awesome as well.<br />
[21:02] <+KurtWiegel> I agree, but I'm almost Faeried out these days, with the Dresden emphasis. I'd have loved to see your POV CJ<br />
[21:02] <+Bigby> I'm one of those weird people who is getting tired of "fey" being in every fantasy/urban-fantasy setting.<br />
[21:02] <+CJCarella> I had some in Mystery Codex, but Eden cut it out for space reasons, and it didn't make it anywhere else.<br />
[21:02] <+Bigby> (I blame you Kurt.)<br />
[21:03] <+KurtWiegel> The book of Geburah is often in my "I found it" dreams.<br />
[21:03] <+MonkofLords> Srs<br />
[21:03] <+CJCarella> Well, this was many years ago, of course :)<br />
[21:03] <+KurtWiegel> I agree Bigby.<br />
[21:03] <+KurtWiegel> So... Spill CJ. Don't be a tease....<br />
[21:03] <+CJCarella> There's been a lot of Fey overload since then.<br />
[21:04] <+CJCarella> Well, there were a bunch of different Sidhe races, although the "dwarves" were going to be Neanderthals that had made it to the Fey realms and survived the great extinctions.<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> CJCarella: That's weird, CJ... The Everlasting's dwarves were Neanderthals as well.<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Which I thought was cool.<br />
[21:05] <&Silverlion> I'd have made them fey<br />
[21:05] <+KurtWiegel> I'm thinking of my next game being an extended WC/Armageddon game shaped like American Horror Story: each "season" would center on a different group of the supernatural- Wizards, then ghosts and necromancers, psychics and the Combine, angels and demons etc.<br />
[21:05] <+CJCarella> lol - not surprised.<br />
[21:06] <+CJCarella> (about other people using Neanderthals as dwarves)<br />
[21:06] <+KurtWiegel> Everything is Fey- next from the makers of Everything is Dolphins....<br />
[21:06] <+CJCarella> That sounds cool.<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> I wonder whatever happened to the guy who wrote The Everlasting... He's a cool guy.<br />
[21:07] <+CJCarella> concentrating on each subset of supernaturals, that is.<br />
[21:07] <&Silverlion> No idea<br />
[21:07] <+MonkofLords> Bored...<br />
[21:07] <+Sigh> Monk: Develop an under water adventure manual.<br />
[21:08] <+Bigby> Why would you want to use an adventure manual under water?<br />
[21:08] <+MonkofLords> Yeah, seems like a bad idea.<br />
[21:08] <+xyphoid> dolphins and dugongs<br />
[21:08] * +GenoFoxx golfclaps<br />
[21:09] <+MonkofLords> 1/10<br />
[21:09] <+KurtWiegel> Visionary studios website was last updated in 2008 but its still there.<br />
[21:09] <+Bigby> Sorry. It's one of those nights. I'm getting a bit punchy.<br />
[21:09] <+GenoFoxx> well where else would you use an underwater adventuring manual in a desert?<br />
[21:10] <&Silverlion> I need a website update<br />
[21:10] <~Dan> Actually, I always loved the fact that WitchCraft/Armageddon just went nuts with the various supernaturals. Focussing on one type seems to miss the point, IMO.<br />
[21:11] <+KurtWiegel> Underwater adventure manual- Blue Planet. Why did I mis that one?<br />
[21:11] <+Crazy-Cabal> Well Armageddon kind of blew the gates off the hinges.<br />
[21:11] <+KurtWiegel> Yeah, Leviathan will do that. And not bring cake.<br />
[21:12] <&Silverlion> I wish we could get a far future post-Armageddon resolutions Urban/Fantasy Sci fi game using Unisystem :D<br />
[21:12] <+CJCarella> No right way to play the setting - I'm going to be running an all-Atlantean game when my current game is over.<br />
[21:12] <+GenoFoxx> ah first edition Blue Planet that brings back memories<br />
[21:14] <~Dan> CJ: Did you mean for... what are the specially-bred Immortal warriors? Shetarri?<br />
[21:14] <+CJCarella> after the Leviathan thing was resolved (assuming it didn't end in "And Then Everyone Died") would probably be fairly Mad-Max like...<br />
[21:14] <+Sigh> SilverLion: Is that a general statement to let us know that you'll be making an up-date?<br />
[21:14] <+KurtWiegel> I was doing Farscape in my head the other day and I realized that Stark was a Necromancer.<br />
[21:15] <+CJCarella> Shetarri or something like that.<br />
[21:15] <+GenoFoxx> heh<br />
[21:15] <+GenoFoxx> wouldn't be more a spirit medium?<br />
[21:15] <~Dan> CJ: Did you mean for them to be some of the toughest critters in the setting?<br />
[21:16] <+CJCarella> They were meant to be pretty tanky, although in my games they usually faceplant fairly quickly,<br />
[21:16] <+GenoFoxx> sort of how the biosensor in Universal Century Gundam allows newtypes to talk to the departed<br />
[21:17] <~Dan> Really? In the game I ran, the Shetarri and the demon were the tag-team heavy hitters.<br />
[21:17] <+KurtWiegel> Spirit medium- thats the name. thanks.<br />
[21:18] <+GenoFoxx> and now I wonder if KurtWiegel has even watched Zeta Gundam<br />
[21:18] <+CJCarella> Depends on the point levels and the opposition, I guess. An Inheritor or Avatar should be able to run circles around a Shetarri, depending on what Aspects they picked up.<br />
[21:18] <~Dan> Although the Chow Yun Fat-like son of Hermes was pretty fun, too. :)<br />
[21:18] <+KurtWiegel> Was there ever any more backstory to what happened in Atlantis/Athal in the final days of the war?<br />
[21:18] <+MonkofLords> Gundam eh?<br />
[21:18] <+KurtWiegel> Never watched any Gundam, and minimal anime really.<br />
[21:18] <+MonkofLords> Best Gundam is G Gundam, obviously<br />
[21:18] <+GenoFoxx> :O<br />
[21:19] <+Yalborap> Monk is correct.<br />
[21:19] <+CJCarella> Some - Athal had entered a period of decay at the time, kinda like Melnibone on acid.<br />
[21:19] <+MonkofLords> Burning Finger forever<br />
[21:19] <+GenoFoxx> if you want your Dragonball Z mixed with mecha<br />
[21:19] <+MonkofLords> And terrible stereotypes<br />
[21:19] <+Yalborap> This hand of mine glows with an awesome power!<br />
[21:19] <+MonkofLords> Tequila Gundam forever<br />
[21:19] <+Yalborap> Terrible, amazing stereotypes.<br />
[21:19] *** Dan is now known as Dan-brb<br />
[21:19] <+Yalborap> WINDMILL GUNDAM. TEQUILA GUNDAM.<br />
[21:20] <+Yalborap> The American Gundam Maxter, which is a football player on a surfboard who turns into a boxer.<br />
[21:20] <+MonkofLords> Complete with Poncho, metal stache, and sombrero<br />
[21:20] <&Silverlion> Heh.<br />
[21:20] <+GenoFoxx> I'm more a traditional Gundam fanatic<br />
[21:21] <+KurtWiegel> when I was in college (before I read WC) I had this dream about the last days of atlantis and the story of the warriors who defended it, one betrayed them to the evil outer darkness and destroyed the civilization and then it took forever for the souls to be reborn again.<br />
[21:21] <+CJCarella> Nice.<br />
[21:21] <+KurtWiegel> I had massive deja vu when I read Armageddon<br />
[21:21] <+KurtWiegel> I tied it right into Highlander too, but that as my obsession at the time.<br />
[21:22] <+GenoFoxx> I thought Atlantis took off and headed for another galaxy in it's final days<br />
[21:22] <+MonkofLords> Yeah, no one likes G Gundam because it's good. But because it's AWFUL in the best way possible<br />
[21:22] <+GenoFoxx> oh wait that was Stargate Atlantis<br />
[21:22] <+MonkofLords> When the only not racist gundam is Russia, something is off<br />
[21:22] <+Yalborap> I think it's good.<br />
[21:23] <+Yalborap> Just...You know. /Really/ stereotyped.<br />
[21:23] <+Bigby> Well, I gotta get back to work.<br />
[21:23] <+MonkofLords> Compared to the others, the Russian Gundam was so...basic<br />
[21:23] <+CJCarella> Yeah - the Immortals were my take on Highlander, without the mandatory beheadings and the unmentionable second movie.<br />
[21:23] <+Bigby> See you guys around.<br />
[21:23] <+KurtWiegel> The only stargate I ever liked was Universe<br />
[21:23] <+GenoFoxx> :O<br />
[21:23] <+KurtWiegel> I liked the Immortals worked together instead of preyed on one another.<br />
[21:23] <+Bigby> And good time to leave considering Kurt's last comment...<br />
[21:23] <+Bigby> See ya.<br />
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[21:24] <+CJCarella> See ya Bigby.<br />
[21:24] <+KurtWiegel> Night Biogby. Don;t be a stranger<br />
[21:24] <+GenoFoxx> SGU mixing BSG with Stargate.....not a bad combo but not the best execution either<br />
[21:25] <+GenoFoxx> SGU was so depressing in comparison to the other two Stargate series<br />
[21:25] <+KurtWiegel> I got one last one for CJ before I go: what was the endgame for Armageddon?<br />
[21:26] <+CJCarella> I didn't write a definitive one - it was supposed to be character-driven.<br />
[21:26] <+KurtWiegel> OK, but in your mind?<br />
[21:26] <+KurtWiegel> Did you have an end?<br />
[21:26] <+CJCarella> I would have done a campaign book where the PCs would be central to the story.<br />
[21:26] <+CJCarella> In my mind, Leviathan gets defeated and humanity moves on to become Something Else.<br />
[21:27] <&Silverlion> Transcends things..<br />
[21:27] <+CJCarella> More or less.<br />
[21:27] <+KurtWiegel> Finds the creator?<br />
[21:28] <+CJCarella> It would have been more like humanity grows to become the creator.<br />
[21:28] <+KurtWiegel> Nice. Thanks CJ<br />
[21:29] <+CJCarella> But I'm a sucker for happy endings :)<br />
[21:29] <+CJCarella> And on that note, I bid you all good night. This was fun, great Q&A, Kurt.<br />
[21:29] <+KurtWiegel> And on that note night all. Thanks again: this was a great time.<br />
[21:29] <+KurtWiegel> Night all.<br />
[21:29] <+GenoFoxx> then has to fight the shadows and the Vorlons....oh wait Bablyon 5<br />
[21:29] <+KurtWiegel> Done<br />
[21:29] <+CJCarella> Night, y'all.<br />
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[21:29] <&Silverlion> Mogjt CK<br />
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[21:29] <&Silverlion> CJ<br />
[21:29] <+GenoFoxx> g'night<br />
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[21:39] <~Dan> Welcome to #rpgnet, GamerBoy!<br />
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[21:39] <+MonkofLords> yup<br />
[21:41] <&Silverlion> Anyway..<br />
[21:41] <+MonkofLords> How's life lion?<br />
[21:41] <+GenoFoxx> g'night everyone<br />
[21:41] <+Sigh> Good night, Geno!<br />
[21:42] <+MonkofLords> Night Foxx<br />
[21:42] <&Silverlion> Night Genofoxx.<br />
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[21:42] <&Silverlion> I'm here. Goodish mood again<br />
[21:42] <+MonkofLords> That's good<br />
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[21:44] <+Sigh> Time for me to hop off also...<br />
[21:44] <~Dan> Sleep well, Sigh!<br />
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[21:45] <+Sigh> Thank you very much, Dan.<br />
[21:45] <+MonkofLords> Oi Nick<br />
[21:45] <~Dan> Howdy, nick3!<br />
[21:45] <+nick3> hey everyone<br />
[21:45] <&Silverlion> Jey nick<br />
[21:45] <+MonkofLords> Sup?<br />
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[21:48] <+nick3> not much , doing some employment seeking stuff , and trying to figure how to trigger the War of Illusion story in Fallen London<br />
[21:48] <+MonkofLords> That game is helluva complex<br />
[21:50] <+nick3> It is which is kind of cool ,but I like to know how to trigger that story thread<br />
[21:51] <+MonkofLords> Yeah<br />
[21:53] <+xyphoid> nick3: you start it off in the flit<br />
[21:53] <+xyphoid> once you get to shadowy 85 or so a bunch of stuff with cats and bats shows up<br />
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[21:53] <+xyphoid> (i started it yesterday)<br />
[21:55] <+nick3> Thanks Xy<br />
[21:55] <+MonkofLords> Nice<br />
[21:57] <+Yalborap> Woo, another episode of the WIW log done.<br />
[21:58] <+BlasterKyubey210> wiw?<br />
[21:58] <+xyphoid> december has been great for fallen london, i will probably manage 100 in everything before the end<br />
[21:58] <+MonkofLords> WIW?<br />
[21:58] <+Snoof> Where I Watch.<br />
[21:58] <+BlasterKyubey210> oh<br />
[21:59] <+Snoof> Commentary/review of a TV series, usually.<br />
[22:00] <+MonkofLords> I see<br />
[22:00] <+Yalborap> What they said.<br />
[22:01] <&Silverlion> I don't have the patience to write a WIW<br />
[22:01] <&Silverlion> or WIR<br />
[22:01] <+Yalborap> I'm currently doing a lot of anime, with the latest one being the very long-titled Stella Women's Academy, High School Division Class C3. Which is basically like Girls und Panzer without the tanks.<br />
[22:01] <+Snoof> So it's just Girls?<br />
[22:01] <+Yalborap> Silver: I started doing them to learn patience and to stick with something.<br />
[22:01] <+Yalborap> With airsoft guns.<br />
[22:01] <+Yalborap> Playing survival games.<br />
[22:02] <~Dan> I'm out for the night. Bye, folks!<br />
[22:02] <&Silverlion> Night DanDan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-74372527759684208862013-11-26T19:23:00.001-08:002014-02-07T12:59:49.728-08:00[Q&A] Leonard Pimentel (Prowlers & Paragons)[19:03] <+LakeSideLen> Hi, I'm Len, and I'm a game designer.<br />
[19:03] <+Nestor> HI, Len!<br />
[19:03] <+LakeSideLen> <insert muted Hey Len from the crowd><br />
[19:03] *** Guest30 is now known as Keyes<br />
[19:04] <*the_crowd*> hey len<br />
[19:04] <+LakeSideLen> So, I wrote a supers game called Prowlers & Paragons, and dan was kind enough to invite me here to caht about it<br />
[19:04] <+LakeSideLen> chat even<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:04] <+LakeSideLen> with you typing, you're in for a treat<br />
[19:04] <~Dan> (Yes. This is not a caht house.)<br />
[19:04] <+LakeSideLen> my typing<br />
[19:04] <+LakeSideLen> heh<br />
[19:04] <+LakeSideLen> So, P&P is a rules light supers game<br />
[19:05] <+LakeSideLen> and the idea was to find a midpoint between a purely narrative game and a crunchy rules heavy game<br />
[19:06] <+LakeSideLen> so while your standard skill-check type rolls really determine who gets narrative control more than whether or not you succeed at an action<br />
[19:06] <+LakeSideLen> the combat portion of the show is a bit more concrete<br />
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[19:06] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)<br />
[19:06] <+LakeSideLen> but still wildly unrealistic<br />
[19:07] <+Nestor> :)<br />
[19:07] <+LakeSideLen> the game uses a pool of d6's, that explode on a 6, for all action resolution<br />
[19:07] <+LakeSideLen> and it uses pools of points akin to bennies, resolve for the heroes and Adversity for the GM<br />
[19:08] <+LakeSideLen> aaaaaaaaand scene! (done)<br />
[19:08] <~Dan> Thanks, Len!<br />
[19:08] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question, or shall I do the honors?<br />
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[19:08] <+Nestor> With a number of rules-light supers RPGs out there, what inspired you to create your own?<br />
[19:08] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aincumis!)<br />
[19:08] <+Keyes> What's the latest (ETA) on the print version?<br />
[19:08] <+LakeSideLen> Boredom.<br />
[19:08] <+LakeSideLen> I lost a bet<br />
[19:08] <+Nestor> :)<br />
[19:08] <+LakeSideLen> Madness<br />
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[19:09] <+LakeSideLen> In fact ...<br />
[19:09] <+LakeSideLen> Print version is about 8 weeks<br />
[19:09] <+LakeSideLen> back to the creation<br />
[19:09] <+LakeSideLen> In fact ...<br />
[19:09] <&Silverlion> All three?<br />
[19:10] <&Silverlion> Cool. Where will print be available?<br />
[19:10] <+LakeSideLen> I wanted to play a supers game that was semi-narrative but not totally narrative, and i couldn't find one.<br />
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[19:10] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest23! You can set your name with the /nick command. :) )<br />
[19:10] <~Dan> (PM to Nestor, btw.)<br />
[19:11] <+LakeSideLen> i started creating a 1005 purely narrative control game, one where your roll determined whether you or the GM got to control the narrative, but i realized quickly that such a game made the very concept of super powers all-but irrelevant<br />
[19:11] <+LakeSideLen> let's pretend that 1005 isn't there, shall we?<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> Agreed!<br />
[19:12] <+LakeSideLen> anyway, I ended up creating TNT (The Narrative Toolbox), a different game of ours, and one that I personally love<br />
[19:12] <+Nestor> That's been my issue with purely-narrative games, too.<br />
[19:12] <+LakeSideLen> the rules there are about narrative control and nothing more<br />
[19:12] <+LakeSideLen> works beautifully when that's what you want<br />
[19:12] <+Nestor> If I'm allowed a follow-up question, are there any other RPGs you're thinking of creating using TNT?<br />
[19:13] <+LakeSideLen> but when you play supers, when I play supers, i want something more. i want to know how strong I am, how fast I am, etc.<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> (Sure, Nestor! Fire away with questions unless you see me call for a question pause.)<br />
[19:13] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:13] <&Silverlion> (I understand I wrote something with a bit of substance)<br />
[19:14] <+LakeSideLen> So, I wanted a game taht had narrative control elements to it, but i wanted a bit more crunch and granularity than, say, the Margaret Weiss Marvel game 9which, to be clear, is UTTERLY BRILLIANT)<br />
[19:14] <+LakeSideLen> Thus, after getting the pure narrative game out of my system, i wrote P&P<br />
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[19:15] <+Nestor> MHR is a great game for combat. The roleplay side of it, though, I found somewhat lacking. I like P&P because it does address that aspect very well.<br />
[19:15] <&Silverlion> That's a good thing. IMHO<br />
[19:15] <+LakeSideLen> Thanks!<br />
[19:15] <+LakeSideLen> Sidenote: regarding TNT, we are still assessing the demand for supplements, and what direction to go wit them<br />
[19:16] <+Nestor> A setting!<br />
[19:16] <+LakeSideLen> I believe I have frightened everyone off ... ;)<br />
[19:16] <+Nestor> :)<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> Nope. Just listening. :)<br />
[19:16] <+LakeSideLen> (done)<br />
[19:16] <+MonkofLords> (So what is the approach to for powers? How abstract or strict are they? )<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> So let's start with the basics... Do you have a character sheet you could link us to?<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> (That sounds like an involved question, so I'll call for a question pause there.)<br />
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[19:18] <+LakeSideLen> Powers, like everything else, fall in the middle. We use "Blast" rather than "flame blast," "ice blast" on one side of the continuum, or "Damage (options: energy-based, ranged, charged, from hands)" on the other end of the continuum.<br />
[19:19] <+LakeSideLen> It's not a build your own powers system (which feels like homework to me), nor is every power option defined.<br />
[19:19] <+LakeSideLen> Does that answer your question, Monk?<br />
[19:19] <+MonkofLords> Yes, thank you.<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> To follow up on that... can you simulate different sorts of blasts?<br />
[19:20] <+LakeSideLen> I am a techno-moron, so not sure how to link the character sheet, but you can download it here (Link: http://www.lsgrpg.com/Downloads.html)http://www.lsgrpg.com/Downloads.html<br />
[19:20] <+Nestor> One thing I liked was that it didn't have a complex system of characteristics and skills that you use to calculate how well you do stuff.<br />
[19:21] <+LakeSideLen> Dan: yes.<br />
[19:21] <+Nestor> You have traits that diorectly define what things you can do and how well you can do them.<br />
[19:21] <+Keyes> (Link: http://www.lsgrpg.com/uploads/P_P_Hero_Sheet_Color.pdf)http://www.lsgrpg.com/uploads/P_P_Hero_Sheet_Color.pdf<br />
[19:21] <+LakeSideLen> Yo would use Blast<br />
[19:21] <+LakeSideLen> (thanks Keyes)<br />
[19:21] <+Keyes> n/p<br />
[19:21] <+LakeSideLen> and then you would define the kind of damage you inflict (edged, blunt, heat, Phyllis Diller, whatever)<br />
[19:22] <+Nestor> (Phyllis Diller? NOOOOO!) ;)<br />
[19:22] <+LakeSideLen> and then you can apply pros and cons (options) like area, homing, etc.<br />
[19:22] <+MonkofLords> (That's dangerous stuff)<br />
[19:22] <+LakeSideLen> In fact<br />
[19:23] <~Dan> I see you distinguish between Traits and Perks, but some of the Perks seem to be powers in and of themselves. Could you comment on that?<br />
[19:23] <+LakeSideLen> You can even use Blast to represent something like crazy archery skills<br />
[19:24] <+LakeSideLen> The distinction between traits and perks is the diffece between a light switch and a dimmer swicth.<br />
[19:24] <+LakeSideLen> traits have a rank in dice, while perks just ARE<br />
[19:24] <&Silverlion> What kind of scaling do you use?<br />
[19:24] <+LakeSideLen> You roll to attack with your blast, but not to breathe water, so we needed a distinction<br />
[19:25] <+LakeSideLen> i never look at the scale<br />
[19:25] <+LakeSideLen> Kidding!<br />
[19:25] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> You'll do well here, Len.<br />
[19:26] <+LakeSideLen> Let's look at lifting: 2d = 250 lbs, 3d= 500 lbs., 4d=1,000 lbs (human max),<br />
[19:26] <+LakeSideLen> progression continues: 1 ton, 2 tons, 5 tons, 10 tons, 25 tons, 50 tons, 100 tons, etc ....<br />
[19:27] <&Silverlion> I see.<br />
[19:27] <+LakeSideLen> Again, like everything else in the game, we wanted a mid-point granularity<br />
[19:27] <&Silverlion> What's the max dice rating?<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> (It's so sad that I recall the Marvel heroes that fit those benchmarks...)<br />
[19:27] <+Bigby> Do things other than lifting strength increase exponentially?<br />
[19:28] <+Nestor> (Who doesn't? ;) )<br />
[19:28] <+LakeSideLen> There is no max, but I would expect 10d cap for starting heroes<br />
[19:28] <&Silverlion> (That's not sad, sign of a good game)<br />
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[19:29] <+LakeSideLen> Beast, Spider Man, Rogue, Thing & Colossus at Monstrous (75), Thor<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Howdy, Abstruse!)<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> Len, meet Abstruse, RPG columnist for Ain't It Cool News. :)<br />
[19:29] <+LakeSideLen> sorry, distracted by almost getting my FASERIPed<br />
[19:29] <+LakeSideLen> Hi, Abstruse!<br />
[19:29] <+Nestor> (*rimshot*)<br />
[19:29] <+Abstruse> (Hello...sorry I'm late, not been a fun night)<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Sorry to hear that!)<br />
[19:30] <&Silverlion> Beast at In, Rogue at In Spider-Man at In... :D<br />
[19:30] <+LakeSideLen> Well, welcome<br />
[19:30] <+LakeSideLen> Bigby<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> Actually, could we backtrack a bit to the core mechanic? Can you give us an example of how it works?<br />
[19:31] <+LakeSideLen> regarding the scaling increase, it's a bit less concrete because what in supers-land is as concrete as lifting? Not much. Speed does follow a similar path.<br />
[19:32] <+LakeSideLen> Dan: Sure ... In fact ... Give me 1 moment .... Two mighty heroes, Citizen Soldier and Gatecrasher, are putting on an arm wrestling exhibition for charity. Both have a 10d Might, which is the trait that applies to this action.<br />
[19:32] <+Nestor> (I recognize this example... ;) )<br />
[19:32] <+LakeSideLen> Citizen Soldier doesn’t bother rolling and instead takes an automatic success for every 2 dice of Might, giving him a total of 5 successes. Gatecrasher, meanwhile, rolls all 10 dice and gets only 4 successes.<br />
[19:33] <+LakeSideLen> However, two of those successes are 6s. He rolls those two dice again and gets a 1 and a 6, granting him a fifth success and another roll. He rolls that 6 a third time and gets a 2, granting him a sixth and final success.<br />
[19:33] <+LakeSideLen> Gatecrasher winds up with a total of 6 successes! Because both characters are attempting the same action, the one who rolled more successes (Gatecrasher) is considered the actor. Subtracting Citizen Soldier’s 5 successes,<br />
[19:33] <+LakeSideLen> Gatecrasher ends up with 1 net success. Gatecrasher will get to describe the outcome of the arm wrestling competition, but Citizen Soldier will get to add an embellishment to the narration.<br />
[19:34] <~Dan> What determines a success on an individual die?<br />
[19:34] <+LakeSideLen> Evens<br />
[19:34] <+LakeSideLen> But if you prefer odds, go nuts<br />
[19:34] <+LakeSideLen> :)<br />
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[19:35] <~Dan> Well, then a 6 wouldn't be a success but would explode, which would be... well, odd. :)<br />
[19:35] <+Nestor> If using odds, I recommend making the 1 the explode number<br />
[19:35] <+LakeSideLen> Each die has 50/50 success/failure and 1 in 6 chance to explode<br />
[19:35] <+Nestor> (Beat me to it. :) )<br />
[19:35] <+LakeSideLen> Yep, 1's explode if you go odds<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> So I take it there are benchmarks for how much narrative control you get?<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> Based upon net successes, I mean?<br />
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[19:36] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest93!)<br />
[19:36] <+LakeSideLen> Did you know that's what the rules say when you read them in the eastern himisphere?<br />
[19:36] <+Abstruse> I think it'd be interesting to still have 6s explode...like getting a second chance.<br />
[19:36] <+LakeSideLen> hemisphere<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> (You can set your name with the /nick command.)<br />
[19:36] <+LakeSideLen> ...sigh ...<br />
[19:36] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[19:37] <+Nestor> (Hey, Len, you should mention the Quickstart Issue...)<br />
[19:37] <+LakeSideLen> re: narrative control: 2+ successes, you own it, 1 success means you control and the GM embellishes, 0 successes means the GM controls and you embellish, and negative successes means the GM owns it<br />
[19:38] <+LakeSideLen> Oh, thanks Nestor. yes, there's a free Quickstart Issue available that has, basically, ALL the rules.<br />
[19:38] <+Abstruse> Is character creation point-based?<br />
[19:38] <+Keyes> (Link: http://www.lsgrpg.com/uploads/ProwlersParagonsQuickstartIssuev1.1.pdf)http://www.lsgrpg.com/uploads/ProwlersParagonsQuickstartIssuev1.1.pdf<br />
[19:39] <+LakeSideLen> Yes, abstruse. Hero Dice based, in fact, but it's the same idea (someone get Keyes a cookie, on me)<br />
[19:39] * +Nestor throws cookie to Keyes<br />
[19:39] <+Abstruse> Hero Dice?<br />
[19:39] <+LakeSideLen> We went with hero dice just because stats are dice-based, so we though to use the same terminology.<br />
[19:39] <+Keyes> thanks :-)<br />
[19:40] <+LakeSideLen> I have a pool of 36 hero dice, i put 4 of them into an ability, that ability goes up by 4 dice<br />
[19:41] <+LakeSideLen> My vote was to call them Bamboozle Bits, but the cat shot me down.<br />
[19:41] <+LakeSideLen> Did I miss a question?<br />
[19:41] <+LakeSideLen> Oh<br />
[19:42] <+LakeSideLen> In combat, instead of vying for narrative control, every success = 1 point of damage<br />
[19:42] <+Abstruse> And everything's ability based?<br />
[19:42] <+Nestor> (Now I want to create a character with that as his name. :) )<br />
[19:42] <+Abstruse> Sorry if I'm retreading here, I was late to the party tonight ^_^;;<br />
[19:42] <+LakeSideLen> Or every 2 success = 1 round of effect (ensnare, stun, whatever)<br />
[19:43] <+LakeSideLen> No worries, Abstruse<br />
[19:43] <+LakeSideLen> Everything is ability (trait) based, but Might is a trait, Academics is a trait, and Blast is a trait.<br />
[19:44] <+LakeSideLen> If its not an on-or-off ability like Water Breathing, it's a trait<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> But I note that some traits are "everyman" traits?<br />
[19:45] <+LakeSideLen> All characters start out with 2d in all mundane traits 918 of them i think) which combine what you would think of as stats and skills<br />
[19:45] <+LakeSideLen> you can raise those, or you can buy super traits, like flight, Phyllis Diller resistance, etc.<br />
[19:45] * ~Dan laughs<br />
[19:45] <+Nestor> (18 is correct, sir)<br />
[19:46] <+LakeSideLen> Sorry, Abstruse, that's a call-back to an earlier gag<br />
[19:46] <~Dan> So you can have "super-skills"?<br />
[19:46] <+LakeSideLen> You want to have Academics at 12d, go nuts<br />
[19:47] <+Abstruse> Mad Scientist, baby!<br />
[19:47] <+LakeSideLen> but "super skills" are probably most useful in the context of skills that get opposed by others, things like Perception<br />
[19:48] <+LakeSideLen> that would be Technology, and at 12d technology, you can kit-bask on the fly like all get out during an adventure (there are rules for that)<br />
[19:48] <+Abstruse> At chargen, do they increase point-for-point? Like having Academics 5D and Might 5D costs the same as Academics 2D and Might 8D?<br />
[19:48] <+LakeSideLen> grrr, kit-bash<br />
[19:48] <~Dan> Now, going back to combat for a moment -- and yes, this is something we discussed pre-Q&A :) -- damage is front-loaded into the chance to hit, correct?<br />
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[19:48] <~Dan> (Howdy, Geek2theRight!)<br />
[19:48] <+LakeSideLen> Abstruse: yep, it's a flat cost system.<br />
[19:49] <+LakeSideLen> I wanted chargen to be simple<br />
[19:49] <+LakeSideLen> And there's no reason to penalize either the specialist or the jack of All traits<br />
[19:50] <+LakeSideLen> Dan:<br />
[19:50] <+LakeSideLen> Re: combat<br />
[19:50] <+LakeSideLen> Yes, accuracy and damage are lumped into one<br />
[19:51] <+LakeSideLen> You have 12d Blast (and eeek! if you do), you roll 12d to hit, and if you hit, you do 1 damage per net success<br />
[19:51] <+LakeSideLen> NOW<br />
[19:51] <~Dan> So how do you handle weak-but-accurate and clumsy-but-powerful attacks?<br />
[19:51] <+LakeSideLen> there are 2 options (cons, actuall)<br />
[19:51] <+LakeSideLen> that you can apply to change this<br />
[19:51] <+LakeSideLen> Inaccurate and Underpowered<br />
[19:52] <+LakeSideLen> first -- defenses work like attacks, combining defense and resistance<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> (That sounds like a movie title.)<br />
[19:52] <+LakeSideLen> so when you get attacked you either dodge or resist it (in other words, you defend either with your Athletics or your Toughness)<br />
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[19:53] <+LakeSideLen> Obviously, it's an abstraction<br />
[19:53] <+LakeSideLen> Oka<br />
[19:53] <+LakeSideLen> y<br />
[19:53] <+LakeSideLen> Oi my typing<br />
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[19:54] <~Dan> (wb, Sigh!)<br />
[19:54] <+LakeSideLen> so when you apply Inaccurate to a power, your rank is halved when someone uses Athletics to defend themselves against that attack<br />
[19:54] <+LakeSideLen> when you apply Underpowered to a power, your rank is halved when someone uses Toughness to defend themselves<br />
[19:55] <+LakeSideLen> that's how you create accurate put weak or strong but clumsy<br />
[19:55] <+LakeSideLen> however<br />
[19:55] <+LakeSideLen> I think that's an rpg thing and not a comics thing<br />
[19:55] <+LakeSideLen> which is why we made these things options rather than built them in by default<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> Mind if I follow up there?<br />
[19:56] <+LakeSideLen> in the comics, the guys who can fight, can fight!<br />
[19:56] <+LakeSideLen> one sec Dan<br />
[19:57] <+Abstruse> Trying to balance superheroes is always hard because they don't balance in the comics.<br />
[19:57] <+LakeSideLen> The blast visor guy not only has awesomely powerful eyebeams, but he can use them, same with the claw guy, and the big green strong guy is actually a darned good fighter ... it's rare that the distincts we worry about as gamers really impact comics<br />
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[19:58] <+LakeSideLen> exactly, Abstruse -- your rank in your attack power determines how much of a threat you are with that power, whether from accuracy, damage, both, whatever ...<br />
[19:58] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest66! You can set your name with the /nick command if you like. :) )<br />
[19:58] <+LakeSideLen> and if you really want to distinguish, you can<br />
[19:58] <+LakeSideLen> okay Dan, done<br />
[19:58] <+LakeSideLen> thanks<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> No problem!<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> So here's my thought re: Imprecise....<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Let's say we're talking the Hulk vs. Spidey.<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> When those two go at it, Spidey generally dodges all over the place.<br />
[20:00] <+LakeSideLen> my lawyer has noted that you named these characters, not I, but please continue<br />
[20:00] <+LakeSideLen> ;)<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> It's understood that if he gets tagged, he is in serious trouble. (And fair enough. Heh. :) )<br />
[20:00] <+Nestor> :)<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> But I would think that using Imprecise on the Hulk to simulate this, the effect would be that he'd do less damage to Spidey if he does manage to hit.<br />
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[20:02] <+Bigby> But Hulk shouldn't be Imprecise. When he and another Brick fight they consistently hit each other and he is far faster than a normal human.<br />
[20:02] <+Maelthra____> Hulk is pretty Imprecise in the comics though.<br />
[20:02] <+Bigby> Spidey is just using Dodge while another brick would use Resist. Right?<br />
[20:02] <+Bigby> Not for the last 20 years or so.<br />
[20:03] <+Maelthra____> He really still is. He does a lot when he hits, but the hitting happens less.<br />
[20:03] <+Maelthra____> anyway, that's off topic a bit I guess, so I won't derail further<br />
[20:03] <+Nestor> I think the point is that if you feel you want to model the character's power that way, the option is available, but it's not the default.<br />
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[20:04] <+LakeSideLen> Okay, so here's my take<br />
[20:05] <+LakeSideLen> First, even with Imprecise, Hulk would have a very good attack, especially since he would be all-out attacking<br />
[20:06] <+LakeSideLen> Way better than the best human fighter<br />
[20:06] <+LakeSideLen> No, as for the original comment, probably, Hulk would hit much less often and do less damage when he did hit, in terms of game mechanics<br />
[20:07] <+LakeSideLen> But remember the baseline is that the mechanics define the narrative<br />
[20:07] <+LakeSideLen> They do with skills, and they do with damage<br />
[20:08] <&Silverlion> I've always thought that he hits the area and that well causes problems, rather than the person directly<br />
[20:08] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:08] <+LakeSideLen> If Spidey takes 1 damage from the Hulk (oh no, I'm channeling Gygax!), maybe he got nicked, maybe he's fatiguing, maybe he rolled with the punch and shrugged of most of it 9he got suck-punched by a Herald of galactus once)<br />
[20:09] <+LakeSideLen> sucker punched<br />
[20:09] <+LakeSideLen> I need to hire atypist<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> (Firelord, IIRC.)<br />
[20:09] <+LakeSideLen> see??????<br />
[20:09] * ~Dan snickers<br />
[20:09] <+Nestor> ("suck-punched". Heh. :) )<br />
[20:09] <+LakeSideLen> I think I love you, Dan. Yes, it was Firelord<br />
[20:09] * ~Dan bows<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> Now, on a related note, how do you handle super-martial artist types who dish out damage through skill rather than brute force?<br />
[20:10] <+LakeSideLen> In the comics, we are so far from reality that the distinctions we make about accuracy vs damage and defense vs resistance get, well, silly.<br />
[20:10] <&Silverlion> Firelord. He was a Xan right?<br />
[20:10] <+LakeSideLen> <bows to Silverlion><br />
[20:11] <+Nestor> (Hah! Knew that one was coming! :) )<br />
[20:11] <&Silverlion> Xandar Yep. He was a Xan<br />
[20:11] <+LakeSideLen> Martial Artist = Strike power. That's your king-fu version of blast (or claws, or energy punch, or having little Phyllis Dillers on your hands, or whatever)<br />
[20:12] <+LakeSideLen> It works as an attack, and you can also use it as a defense against melee attacks<br />
[20:12] <+LakeSideLen> (done)<br />
[20:12] <+LakeSideLen> wiat<br />
[20:12] <+LakeSideLen> wait, even<br />
[20:12] <+LakeSideLen> :p<br />
[20:14] <+LakeSideLen> back to Spidey / Hulk: if it were more simulationist (i) Hilk would never hit spidey, (ii) if he ever did, Spidey would die instantly, and (iii) both people who trid to playtest taht fight would hunt me down and kill me if they urvibed the boredom of it<br />
[20:14] <+LakeSideLen> where's my editor??????<br />
[20:14] <+Nestor> (Just noticed, "king-fu". My list of silly powers to write up grows steadily. ;) )<br />
[20:15] <+LakeSideLen> LOL<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> I know it's a typo, but "urvibed" is a really cool word.<br />
[20:15] <+LakeSideLen> THAT, I can type<br />
[20:15] <+Maelthra____> I would think that would be a lot of fun, personally. Variety is fun.<br />
[20:16] <~Dan> To shift gears for a moment, does P&P have its own setting, explicit or implied?<br />
[20:16] <+LakeSideLen> Maelthra: It might be fun at first, but I really think that "roll, you missed. roll, you hit and did no damage. roll, you missed. roll, you hit and did no damage. rinse/repeat." would get real old, real fast.<br />
[20:16] <&Silverlion> Nah. He wouldn't die instantly. COmics don't work that way. He' brake all his ribs...and limp away<br />
[20:16] <+LakeSideLen> And like Silver noted, that's not how it works in the comics.<br />
[20:17] <&Silverlion> That does get hold, which is why you did something different.<br />
[20:17] <+Maelthra____> Only about as fast as the other way, really, and yeah, it does.<br />
[20:17] <+LakeSideLen> Hulk will connect with Spidey when the story requires it.<br />
[20:17] <+Maelthra____> Exactly<br />
[20:18] <+xyphoid> that would be a fun comic. hulk punches iron man who flies through three buildings. iron man suit lies there intact but leaking pulped tony stark milkshake<br />
[20:18] <&Silverlion> Moon KNight got hit by the Hulk..<br />
[20:18] <+LakeSideLen> We modeled narrative wiggle room, while not wanting to create the endless fight situation. I loved FASERIP, but I knew whenever i met a guy whose armor equalled or exceeded by damage, i was done. We didn't want that<br />
[20:18] <&Silverlion> and survived.<br />
[20:19] <+LakeSideLen> xyphoid: LMAO!<br />
[20:19] <+Nestor> xyphoid: not milkshake, chunky salsa. ;)<br />
[20:19] <+LakeSideLen> Re setting, no, we have none. There is one implied, in the examples and the recurring characters in the art, of course.<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Reminds me of "Worldbreaker" Hulk's fight with Wolverine. Hulk basically said, "I know I can't break your skull, but I sure can make your brain slam back and forth inside that indestructible shell it's in."<br />
[20:20] <+Nestor> (BTW, awesome art)<br />
[20:21] <&Silverlion> LakesideLen: People will find fault with that las.<br />
[20:21] <+LakeSideLen> But I don't know about putting out a setting. It almost feel, unnecessary<br />
[20:21] <~Dan> Would you say P&P leans more toward DC or Marvel? Neither?<br />
[20:21] <+LakeSideLen> Dan - 1 sec, Silver - huh?<br />
[20:21] <+Maelthra____> I prefer settingless systems, as my groups aleways end up being dissatisfied with them anyway.<br />
[20:22] <&Silverlion> They'f find problem with no setting. As much as I think epople should do their own...<br />
[20:22] <&Silverlion> people. The typing thing is infectious<br />
[20:22] <+Nestor> IMO, a setting is appealing (heck, it was my first request), but not critical. Offering it as a supplement is accpetable. M&M did it that way.<br />
[20:22] <+LakeSideLen> While waiting for Silver, Dan, i would like to think both.<br />
[20:22] <+Nestor> acceptable*<br />
[20:22] <+Nestor> Tell me about it. ;)<br />
[20:23] <~Dan> (brb -- please continue)<br />
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[20:23] <+LakeSideLen> Here is my idea on setting: leak it out as fluff within published adventures, rather than vomit it all out at once.<br />
[20:24] <+Nestor> I like that, as long as it stays consistent.<br />
[20:25] <+LakeSideLen> See, any setting we create will be a poor reflection, however creative, of the supers worlds we know and love. readers will inevitably see the connections, this is their FF, these are their x-man, this is their avengers, etc.<br />
[20:25] <&Silverlion> Yeah. Which is why I'm just going with it :D<br />
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[20:25] <+LakeSideLen> but when you leak out a little bit of setting, backstory, within the context of an adventure, then that specific aspect of your game world actually means something, it has teeth<br />
[20:26] <&Silverlion> Indeed.<br />
[20:26] <&Silverlion> I concur.<br />
[20:27] <+LakeSideLen> who cares if i call it SHIELD (well, i'm pretty sure Disney's lawyers will care, a lot, but for different reasons), CHESS (thank you Jeff Dee and Jack Herman), or something else ...<br />
[20:27] <+Nestor> I know I'd love me some backstories for some of the characters illustrated in the book. :)<br />
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[20:28] <+Nestor> (My favorite has always been UNTIL, United Nations Tribunal of International Law. :) )<br />
[20:28] <+LakeSideLen> but when that government agency that has its hand in the affairs of superheroes comes knocking on your door with a ... request (i.e., thinly-veiled threat that tells you this organization is now all it seems), suddenly the fact that the organization is named UMBRA will matter!<br />
[20:28] <&Silverlion> THUNDER Agends.<br />
[20:28] <&Silverlion> Agents<br />
[20:29] <+LakeSideLen> *not all it seems ... seriously, someone kill me<br />
[20:29] <+LakeSideLen> so that's my feeling about a setting<br />
[20:29] <+Nestor> In one very fun campaign, the government agency saddled with dealing with supers was the NSA. :D<br />
[20:29] *** Dan-brb is now known as Dan<br />
[20:30] <+Nestor> I like that, Len. I like that a lot. :)<br />
[20:30] <&Silverlion> I've got OSIRIS and WATCH<br />
[20:30] <+LakeSideLen> Thanks, Nestor!<br />
[20:30] <+LakeSideLen> Re Dan's question, I don't know that the rules lean either towards Marvel or DC<br />
[20:30] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> (Also, howdy, egyptian!)<br />
[20:31] <+LakeSideLen> To be, ubiquity of higher power levels is the only real distinction, and that's a function of campaign design, not systm<br />
[20:31] <+LakeSideLen> system, even ...<br />
[20:31] <+LakeSideLen> To me, ubiquity of higher power levels is the only real distinction, and that's a function of campaign design, not system<br />
[20:31] <+LakeSideLen> YAY!<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:32] <+LakeSideLen> :p<br />
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[20:32] <~Dan> When it comes to superhero games, I generally see two main approaches:<br />
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[20:32] <~Dan> (1) Here's what it would be like to have superpowers.<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> (2) Here's what it would be like to be in a comicbook.<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> Do you see that, Len, and if so, which approach do you take?<br />
[20:33] <+LakeSideLen> First, I fear my poor typing may have driven poor Abstruse to commit suicide.<br />
[20:33] <+LakeSideLen> And i feel bad about that<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> (Replace "to have superpowers" with "to be a superhero", if you like.)<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> As well you should.<br />
[20:33] <+LakeSideLen> Now on to your question<br />
[20:34] <+LakeSideLen> I can see how that could be your take on it, but i don't know that I necessarily see it the same way<br />
[20:34] <+LakeSideLen> how about this<br />
[20:35] <+LakeSideLen> (1) here is a set of rules to help simulate having super powers and using them to, well, to punch things if you really wanna know<br />
[20:37] <+LakeSideLen> (2) here is a game in which you collaborate with your friends to tell a story something like those told in comic books, sorta kinda<br />
[20:37] <+LakeSideLen> And i don't think P&P is really in either camp<br />
[20:37] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:38] <+LakeSideLen> It's too abstract and far from actual simulation of the real world (like comics) to really play what it would be like to have super powers<br />
[20:39] <+LakeSideLen> And while there's a lot of narrative control being thrown around, it's there on the ground, describing the outcome of this action or that, rather than from a thousand miles away ensuring that your narrative arc is completed<br />
[20:41] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:41] <+LakeSideLen> What I like to think is, and i think I've written this elsewhere ...,<br />
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[20:41] <~Dan> Do you feel that the narrative control factor is controlled enough that P&P doesn't qualify as a "storytelling game"?<br />
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[20:41] <~Dan> (Howdy, LW!)<br />
[20:42] <+LakeSideLen> Is that as a supers game, its an exercise in empowerment/wish-fulfillment that moves between being a hero and being the guy who designs on panel of the story<br />
[20:43] <+Nestor> If I may, I see it as the difference between talking about the character and /being/ the character.<br />
[20:43] <+LakeSideLen> It's actually close to make believe, like 5 year old childhood make believe, where you play the cowboy (you ARE the cowboy), but you also get to tell your friend how good a shot you are and he has to go along with it<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> Yeah. 1st person vs. 3rd person.<br />
[20:44] <+Nestor> My problem with story-telling games is that they tend to focus so much on the former that I don't get to be the latter.<br />
[20:44] <+LakeSideLen> I think P&P is a blend of both, like make-believe<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> Well, let me give you an example of what I mean, Len...<br />
[20:44] <+LakeSideLen> Sometimes you play, sometimes you direct, back and forth, like you did when you were 5<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> Let's say a PC is trying to bust down a door.<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> In a traditional RPG, the player would roll (or whatever) to see if his character succeeds in busting down the door.<br />
[20:45] <+LakeSideLen> poor door. but g'head<br />
[20:45] <~Dan> In a storytelling game, he'd roll to see if he gets to describe whether he busts down the door and what he finds on the other side.<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> (As I define the terms, granted.)<br />
[20:46] <~Dan> How much control can a player have in P&P?<br />
[20:46] <+LakeSideLen> Get ready for typos ... this one's a doozy<br />
[20:46] <+LakeSideLen> I won't answer that question<br />
[20:47] <+LakeSideLen> Maybe you read through the game<br />
[20:47] <+LakeSideLen> maybe you look at the examples,<br />
[20:47] <+LakeSideLen> maybe you note that the game seems to give you some control<br />
[20:48] <+LakeSideLen> but then combat seems to take it away from you<br />
[20:48] <+LakeSideLen> i never say explicitly how much control you have. the game merely gives you guidelines about how to exercise that control and how not to be a tool<br />
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[20:48] <+LakeSideLen> I want each group to run that how they want to run it. you won't break the game either way<br />
[20:49] <+LakeSideLen> yes, i run it a certain way. And the examples kind of point to that, as does the fact that the game isn't a complete narrative free-for-all like TNT, as does the more concrete combat system.<br />
[20:50] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> As I mentioned previously, you're welcome to chat with us as long as you like, but is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?<br />
[20:51] <+LakeSideLen> But you can play it with as loose or as tight a grip on the reigns as you wish<br />
[20:51] <+LakeSideLen> it doesn't impact the game. the only place that intentional vagueness might impact the game in an adverse manner would be in combat, and wouldn't you happen to know it, the combat rules are more concrete, with initiative and damage and health and such<br />
[20:52] <+LakeSideLen> almost like it was designed to be vague and let you play how you want ... hmmmmm ;o)<br />
[20:52] <+LakeSideLen> I think i should point out that i really do not have anything against Phyllis Diller<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Duly noted. :)<br />
[20:53] <+LakeSideLen> But otherwise, I'm good. If anyone has any questions, I'm happy to stay on<br />
[20:53] <+Nestor> SHe, on the other hand, will be catching up with you shortly. ;)<br />
[20:53] <+LakeSideLen> And anyone can email me at len@lsgrpg.com<br />
[20:54] <+Nestor> I have a question...<br />
[20:54] <+LakeSideLen> The Quickstart is free and has all the rules, so please, check it out if you're interested.<br />
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[20:55] <+LakeSideLen> Questions/ comments? praise? rebuke (wait, I'm not undead, just tired)<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> You have a question, Nestor?<br />
[20:56] <+Nestor> Hey, you know I'm already a convert, but I'll gladly supply the testimonial.<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> I'd be curious to know how the game handles gadgeteering and magic.<br />
[20:57] <+Nestor> I've been playing superhero RPGs since the 80's, and P&P is the first game I've come across that seems to get the balance of play vs. story right.<br />
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[20:58] <+Nestor> (Don't mind me, Dan. I was going to make a funny., but decided not to)<br />
[20:58] <~Dan> (Oh. :) )<br />
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[21:00] <+Bigby> I would add to Dan's gadget question. What about Power Armor characters, or characters whose shtick is based largely on a specific item or weapon that they might not have when out of costume?<br />
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[21:00] <+LakeSideLen> wow!<br />
[21:01] <&Silverlion> I'd be interested in what about out of costume stuff?<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> Netsplit.<br />
[21:01] <+LakeSideLen> what just happend? galactus?<br />
[21:01] <+Serah> Oh wow this is the first time I've seen a netsplit on rpgnet<br />
[21:01] <+Serah> Exciting!<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> It's sort of the Galactus of IRC, yes.<br />
[21:01] <+LakeSideLen> Feel my POWER!!!!<br />
[21:01] <+LakeSideLen> the internet got annoyed with my typing<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> :)<br />
[21:02] <+LakeSideLen> Silver: out of costume stuff?<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> Did you see my question re: gadgeteering and magic?<br />
[21:02] <+LakeSideLen> Powers have classes, with super power being the default. instead, however, it can be a magic power, or a technology power, etc. Just a different "class" of power, mostly fluff, unless you are dealing with powers that affect other powers (oh, hello Rogue)<br />
[21:02] <+LakeSideLen> gadgets, by the way, would be technology class, but would alos probably have the Item con, unless they were implanted om your body (like cyber arm)<br />
[21:02] <+LakeSideLen> The sample characters for the Quickstart have their power classes distinguished by color, but I later realized that leaves color-blind players out in the rain, so i need to do something about that<br />
[21:03] <+LakeSideLen> IN your body (like cyber arm) .. you don't want to know what om your body means. trust me<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> Is there some combination of flaws that could be used to simulate spellcasting?<br />
[21:04] <+LakeSideLen> Requirement<br />
[21:05] <+LakeSideLen> That about does it<br />
[21:05] <+LakeSideLen> maybe charges<br />
[21:05] * ~Dan nods<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> And I see you have an Omni-Power?<br />
[21:06] <+Nestor> (Well, it's time for this old codger to retire for the evening. TTFN!)<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> (Sleep well!)<br />
[21:06] <+LakeSideLen> Requirement: gestures, incantations, charges 6 per scene<br />
[21:06] <+LakeSideLen> how's that?<br />
[21:06] <+LakeSideLen> I'd make that worth -2d<br />
[21:06] <+LakeSideLen> MUNCHKIN<br />
[21:06] <+LakeSideLen> ;)<br />
[21:06] <+LakeSideLen> Not that those are cons, which are applied to powers<br />
[21:07] <+LakeSideLen> Night, Nestor!<br />
[21:07] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
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[21:08] <+LakeSideLen> yep, the do-anything power, expensive because you spend 1 resolve each time, but without that everyone took it just to have a just in case power<br />
[21:09] <~Dan> Would you like to say a bit about the scope of your adversary/bestiary section?<br />
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[21:10] <~Dan> (Howdy, Squide!)<br />
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[21:11] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aeolius!)<br />
[21:11] <+LakeSideLen> Erm ... it's ... big?<br />
[21:11] <+LakeSideLen> seriously, i hope there's enough there to chew on<br />
[21:11] <+LakeSideLen> We added lots of normal and not so normal mundanes<br />
[21:11] <+LakeSideLen> We felt obligated to create lots of animals mostly to support the Animal Forms power (look, we love Beast Boy, there, we said it)<br />
[21:11] <+LakeSideLen> And we wanted the archetype supers chapter to have all 36 hero dice characters so you could just grab one and us it as a hero when playing a pick up game or playing with a new player<br />
[21:11] <+Aeolius> evening, all<br />
[21:11] <+LakeSideLen> We are very big on the idea of reskinning a character, using the same stats for a variety of different enemies.<br />
[21:12] <+LakeSideLen> Hi, guys!<br />
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[21:13] <~Dan> Let's see... would you like to log the chat there, Len? Any other thoughts you want to make sure go into the log?<br />
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[21:16] <+LakeSideLen> I think we're good, my friend.<br />
[21:16] <+LakeSideLen> Thanks for the opportunity. it was fun.<br />
[21:16] <~Dan> Alrighty then! Thanks very much for visting with us, Len! And please come by any time! We love having game authors hang out with us. :)<br />
[21:16] <+LakeSideLen> Will do!<br />
[21:17] <~Dan> I'll email you the link to the log shortly!<br />
[21:18] <+LakeSideLen> Great.<br />
[21:18] <+LakeSideLen> Signing out. Night, anyone who's still around.<br />
[21:18] <~Dan> Good night!<br />
[21:18] <+Sigh> Night.<br />
[21:18] <+MonkofLords> Night<br />
[21:19] *** LakeSideLen has quit IRC: Disintegrated: (Link: http://www.mibbit.com)http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC ClientDan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-22850637858434536952013-11-25T19:12:00.000-08:002014-02-07T13:00:12.392-08:00[Q&A] Dan Cross (Eldritch)[19:04] <+EldritchMan> Ok, I am Dan Cross, a freelance author. My work includes several books with Troll Lord games, like Gary Gygax's World Builder (co-author), Insidiae (book of plots), fiction in the Crusader magazine, and development work on Lejendary Adventure RPG. Most recently, I co-authored the Eldritch RPG.<br />
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[19:05] <~Dan> (Howdy, Ximni!)<br />
[19:05] <+Abstruse> (Hello!)<br />
[19:05] <+EldritchMan> The Eldritch RPG was my own take on the fantasy RPG, written specifically to suit the play style of myself and Randy Petras, my co-author for the game.<br />
[19:06] <+EldritchMan> It is not a retro-clone (though I do like those too), nor is it D20. It is not entirely rules light, but aims to be "rules transparent".<br />
[19:06] <+EldritchMan> Basically, Eldritch Role Playing (or ERP) is a tabletop fantasy game with rules that focus on action & story, revised to include new material and the campaign setting of Ainerêve!<br />
[19:06] <+EldritchMan> done<br />
[19:06] <~Dan> Thanks, EldritchMan!<br />
[19:07] <~Dan> Would anyone like to start us off with a question?<br />
[19:07] <~Dan> Then I shall do the honors!<br />
[19:07] <~Dan> Can you describe the core mechanic?<br />
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[19:09] <+EldritchMan> The core mechanic is based on ascending dice ranks. Target numbers tend to be randomized, but the combat mechanic is a roll representing "potential harm" versus one of several defense scores. These scores are hitpoint pools.<br />
[19:11] <+EldritchMan> At it's most basic, it's as simple as it gets. If your skill is 1D4 in some skill, say Stealth, just roll that die. The opposing roll is either circumstantial or an opposing ability check.<br />
[19:11] <+EldritchMan> done for now<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> Hmm... Do you have a link to a character sheet?<br />
[19:12] <+EldritchMan> Yes: (Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/36zv5u2pjzxrlq3/ERP%20Character%20Sheet%20-%20RC4%20%281%29.pdf)https://www.dropbox.com/s/36zv5u2pjzxrlq3/ERP%20Character%20Sheet%20-%20RC4%20%281%29.pdf<br />
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[19:12] <~Dan> (wb, Sil!)<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> So I see that you don't distinguish between "skills" and "attributes", correct?<br />
[19:14] <+EldritchMan> An Ability represents either some broad-based skill or capacity<br />
[19:14] <+EldritchMan> Most games have a first tier of listed attributes. We don't do that. All abilities are listed together. The only derived scores are combat related<br />
[19:15] <~Dan> What is the scale for humans?<br />
[19:15] <+EldritchMan> Abilities central to the danger of adventuring, like "Melee Weapons", or "Endurance", "Willpower", etc. are considered primary only in that context.<br />
[19:15] <+EldritchMan> Human average begins at 1D4. Most abilities may be attempted at that level.<br />
[19:16] <+EldritchMan> Some are restricted from default use, requiring greater training, such as Arcanum<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> What's the human maximum? Or is there one?<br />
[19:17] <+EldritchMan> Well, at the basic tier of skill, rolling only one die, it ranges from pititful (1) to extreme (1D20).<br />
[19:17] <+EldritchMan> The jump from a 1D12 to a 1D20 is a big one, and reserved mainly for monsters.<br />
[19:18] <+EldritchMan> But for any base ability, one can specialize. So if you possess a rank in Melee Weapons of 1D8, you may Specialize in Swords at 1D6.<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> Is 1D20 a "hard cap" universally, or can the system handle higher scores?<br />
[19:18] <+EldritchMan> So you'd roll a 1D8+1D6 to swing any sword.<br />
[19:18] <~Dan> Ah, I see.<br />
[19:19] <+EldritchMan> Because each ability tree branches up to three dice deep, the maximum is 36 before modification.<br />
[19:19] <+EldritchMan> Base > Specialization > Mastery<br />
[19:19] <+EldritchMan> This allows for broad-base common abilities, but players and GMs can add as much fine detail as they wish. The book provides many examples, and descriptions of common usage.<br />
[19:20] <+EldritchMan> done<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> Would a Mastery be a specific kind of sword?<br />
[19:20] <~Dan> (In your previous example.)<br />
[19:21] <+EldritchMan> It would.<br />
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[19:22] <+EldritchMan> Since combat is such a big part of adventure RPGs<br />
[19:22] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)<br />
[19:22] <+EldritchMan> ...I'll explain this mechanic a bit more<br />
[19:22] <+EldritchMan> Most humanoid creatures have at minimum a D4 rank in Melee ability, because nearly anybody can pick up an object and swing it as a weapon, whether a tree branch or a heavy sword.<br />
[19:22] <+EldritchMan> higher rank in basic melee represents either increasing brute force or speed, or an admixture, the precise interpretation depending on the character concept or monster description. This is why there are no purely combat-oriented “strength” or “precision” ability scores in the game<br />
[19:22] <+EldritchMan> If a PC picks up a twohanded sword, he is strong enough to wield it. If the player makes his character a weakling who cannot wield a certain weapon, that is fine too. It may be that the PC prefers light, fast weapons, his Die-Ranks interpreted in terms of precision and finesse. Rules never trump character concepts.<br />
[19:22] <+EldritchMan> Specialization grants skill with an entire group of weaponry, allowing harm and initiative bonuses for specific types of weapons brought into play, and Mastery in single, specific weapons grants the warrior even greater damage potential and defensive capabilities.<br />
[19:22] <+EldritchMan> A higher Die-Rank in Specialization or Mastery represents increasing brute force, speed, precision, or some blending of the three. Use the Weapons table in the equipment section to help determine the breakdown of what defines a Specialization and Mastery.<br />
[19:23] <+EldritchMan> [done]<br />
[19:23] <~Dan> So here's my concern about "potential harm" mechanics...<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> It would seem to make clumsy-but-powerful attacks impossible to simulate.<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> To use an extreme example...<br />
[19:24] <+EldritchMan> shoot<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> ...let's say there's a huge boulder on a mountainside, just waiting for someone to give it a good nudge. It's got LOADS of potential to cause harm... but the chance of hitting something with it are relatively small.<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> How would you handle that in Eldritch?<br />
[19:25] <+EldritchMan> Does a giant push that boulder?<br />
[19:25] <+EldritchMan> Does an earthquake set it loose?<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> Well, let's be specific, then.<br />
[19:25] <+EldritchMan> Gotta determine why it is a threat first. ;-)<br />
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[19:26] <~Dan> A hero is waiting for a T-rex to wander by, at which point he's going to pry the boulder loose and send it rolling down the hill.<br />
[19:26] <+MonkofLords> Oi<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)<br />
[19:26] <+MonkofLords> (Oh, did I interrupt something? Apologies...)<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> (No problem, Monk! Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open as usual. :) )<br />
[19:28] <+EldritchMan> Mechanically, the hero would roll his Feat of Strength ability, to try and push that boulder down the hill. There's no need to set a percentage chance of hitting with such potential harm, because abstract HPs serve.<br />
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[19:28] <~Dan> (Howdy, Squide!)<br />
[19:29] <&Le_Squide> (Hey! Q&A on?)<br />
[19:29] <+EldritchMan> Heroes in Eldritch have various defense pools to choose from. Simple monsters, controlled by the GM, have one HP pool, representative of all the things we'd expect (which is to say, just about anything we please).<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Yup!)<br />
[19:29] <+EldritchMan> A T-Rex is not fast, and if the boulder was big enough, I'd rule the T-Rex was hit, depending on how well planned this was. Of course there's nothing in ERP preventing me from rolling percent dice, but I probably wouldn't bother with that.<br />
[19:30] <+EldritchMan> I'd assign a Potential-Harm effect to the boulder and roll that, subtracting it from the T-Rex HP total.<br />
[19:31] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:31] <+EldritchMan> Falling causes potential harm equal to 10 hit points for every 10’ fallen, and I might throw that in to if the rock was big enough (in addition to a roll of say 2D12 )<br />
[19:32] <+EldritchMan> [done]<br />
[19:33] <~Dan> How gritty would you say the system is?<br />
[19:33] <+EldritchMan> It is epic fantasy. Heroes are tough, and there is a lot of what some designers call "swing" in random outcomes.<br />
[19:35] <~Dan> So if you had to place it on a scale of 1-10, where 1 = totally gritty and 10 = totally cinematic?<br />
[19:35] <+EldritchMan> The lone badguy in ERP, unprotected by lots of minions, is probably not going to last long. Very large or unusual monsters will have greater HP, as expected, but for the most part, strength is in numbers.<br />
[19:35] <+EldritchMan> I'd put it on the scale of 8 or 9 toward cinematic, for certain. It can be made gritty and dangerous however, but simply changing how the defense pools are calculated, without reducing potential damage.<br />
[19:36] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:36] <~Dan> What is magic like from a system standpoint?<br />
[19:38] <+EldritchMan> Magic follows the same mechanic as all other ability checks. Arcanum > Power Source > School. So a elementalist would roll Arcanum > Primoridial > elemenalist school<br />
[19:38] <+EldritchMan> Or just Arcanum > Primoridal if no mastery possessed.<br />
[19:38] <+EldritchMan> The power sources are mystic, primordial, supernatural, and psychogenic.<br />
[19:39] <+EldritchMan> All spells are created from twelve master Effects, the building blocks if you will.<br />
[19:39] <+EldritchMan> The Effects common to all spells in the game are Augment, Conjure/Banish, Curse, Fortify, Harm, Influence, Obscure, Perceive, Protect, Restore, Transportation, and Transmute<br />
[19:40] <+EldritchMan> [done for now]<br />
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[19:41] <~Dan> What are the differences between the power sources?<br />
[19:42] <+EldritchMan> There's the obvious literary and semantic differences, but in terms of game mechanics, it affects what dice a magic user can roll to cast. That in part determines effect size.<br />
[19:42] <+EldritchMan> Spells of a certain school can only be understood and cast by one who understands the power source.<br />
[19:43] <+EldritchMan> Those considerations affect magic items, detecting, dispelling, and all other manner of manipulation and control.<br />
[19:43] <+EldritchMan> Any spell is made up of six components: the magic source (Specialization), the underlying magic effect (Effect), a specific school of magic (Mastery), the form or appearance of the effect (matter or energy), the range (single subject or area), and what the spell affects, whether a specific ability, Defense Pools, free will, physical form, and so on. Artificer<br />
[19:43] <+EldritchMan> is one example of a caster who would cast spells on objects<br />
[19:44] <+EldritchMan> Like the "Augment" effect, to create a temporary magic sword.<br />
[19:44] <+EldritchMan> just an example.<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> What does "psychogenic" mean?<br />
[19:44] <+EldritchMan> The Effects can cover just about any spell type you can imagine. Some have subeffects, more powerful with each rank possessed in the power source.<br />
[19:45] <+EldritchMan> Psychogenic is what is known as psionics in most games. Gary Gygax once told me that psionics refer to objects manipulated by by psychogenics, or objects which amplify such ability.<br />
[19:45] <+EldritchMan> Being a fan of Gary, I adopted that definition.<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> Heh. Cool. :)<br />
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[19:46] <~Dan> In setting terms, are psychogenics distinct from "true" magic?<br />
[19:48] <+EldritchMan> I once joked that Eldritch was designed by semantics. So, yes, it is distinct because it is a different power source. However, it is a branch of Arcanum, which in the context of the Eldritch world means pretty much any power source that is mysterious to the average human.<br />
[19:49] <+EldritchMan> done<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> So the various power sources are more distinct than just "different types of magic"?<br />
[19:50] <+EldritchMan> Yes, but to a large degree that is setting dependant.<br />
[19:51] <+EldritchMan> The basic mechanics are the same, which is by design. The narrative has a huge influence on how these power sources come into play. Mechanically, there many not be a huge difference between the evil wizard that drains ability with a Curse effect that manifests as a black enervation ray, and a psychogenic bad guy<br />
[19:51] <+EldritchMan> who does the same with a mind blast, sapping will<br />
[19:52] <+EldritchMan> But those powers will be very different in terms of NPC background, story, the kinds of objects used by both, and what kind of challenges heroes would face when dealing with such adversaries. A wizard would not be able to counter the attacks of a mentalist very easily,<br />
[19:52] <+EldritchMan> while he would could get into a counterspelling dual with another wizard<br />
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[19:53] * ~Dan nods<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> I like that.<br />
[19:53] <~Dan> (Howdy, Serami!)<br />
[19:53] <+EldritchMan> Also, different Effects can be mitigated by different Defense Pools<br />
[19:54] <+EldritchMan> For example, take the straight forward Harm Effect. A fireball cast by an elementalist...<br />
[19:55] <+EldritchMan> can be evaded if the character's speed allows him to escape the radius of effect.<br />
[19:56] <+EldritchMan> But a psychogenic mentalist master using the Influence Effect at a high rank (up to D12 for Power Source) could control the minds and bodies of enemies. This use is with opposed rolls<br />
[19:56] <+EldritchMan> done<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> Let's switch gears a bit... Is Eldritch tied to any one setting?<br />
[19:57] <+EldritchMan> It is in a way. Ainereve is a setting conceived to be a Rosetta Stone of settings.<br />
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[19:58] <+EldritchMan> It has detailed main areas of adventure, but the dreams of other populations serve to create settled lands, the outskirts of which lead to chaotic unsettled lands, where travel becomes more a matter of belief and expectation than distance.<br />
[19:59] <+EldritchMan> So travel between "worlds" is very, very easy, both in theme and in subgenre.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Are all of these worlds subgenres of fantasy?<br />
[20:00] <+EldritchMan> Generally, but only because I have not expanded the rules to accommodate other genres. My co-author, Randy Petras has expressed interest in doing so at some point.<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> Can you give some examples of how the various worlds differ?<br />
[20:01] <+EldritchMan> For those reading this, the Kickstarter gives an overview of the setting too: (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eldritch/eldritch-rpg-the-revised-edition)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eldritch/eldritch-rpg-the-revised-edition<br />
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[20:01] <~Dan> (Howdy, maxtmahem!)<br />
[20:02] <+EldritchMan> Yes, he two nations of Maedoen and Piusarmorum, and the vast and mysterious Forest of Meath between them. These are the main areas of adventure featured in Ainerêve, involving three unique lands: the Forest of Meath, a place defined by the Celtic mythology and its eventual transformation into Celtic Christianity; Piusarmorum, defined by Christianity during th<br />
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[20:03] <+EldritchMan> These are the main areas of adventure in the core rules. The difference between these and other dream worlds with populations coming from earth is that these people do not remember their ancestors or lives on earth<br />
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[20:05] <~Dan> (wb, EldritchMan!)<br />
[20:05] <+EldritchMan> sorry<br />
[20:05] <+EldritchMan> got booted<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> No problem. Your setting cut off at " Piusarmorum, defined by Christianity during th"<br />
[20:06] <+EldritchMan> So anyway, the ancestors of Maedoen and Piusarmorum were from earth. Humans crossed over centuries ago, mingled with the local creatures of Ainereve, and their cultures got warped into something no longer of earth.<br />
[20:07] <+EldritchMan> For example, Piusarmorum has some trappings that remind one of roman Christianity, but it was actually a demon that moved in to take over the job of representing their god. It was easy enough to convince the people to follow it as a cruel imposter...<br />
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[20:07] <~Dan> (wb, Squide!)<br />
[20:07] <+EldritchMan> And the sidhe have a heavy influence over the lands of Maedoen. Those who were druids in name on earth became very, very powerful in Maedoen.<br />
[20:08] <+EldritchMan> [done]<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> Are the sidhe the main source of nonhuman PC races?<br />
[20:10] <+EldritchMan> They predominate in Maedoen, but I wrote Eldritch to be at it's core a "generic" fantasy system, so the classic tropes will all be covered.<br />
[20:10] <+EldritchMan> There will be a monster section in the book, with classic monsters, though written to fit them into the context of the default setting<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> Elves/dwarves/halflings?<br />
[20:11] <+EldritchMan> Yes. All things ever dreamt, of course.<br />
[20:12] <+EldritchMan> But the classic FRPG races are represented.<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> Do they have any setting-specific twists?<br />
[20:14] <+EldritchMan> They are recognizable, rather than reinvented. When I think of a setting specific twist, I think of the cannibalistic halflings of Dark Sun, so I don't think I can claim that exactly. The races will make sense in the context of Ainereve's cosmology, history, and the realtionships between them and those humans that crossed over centuries ago into a realm where<br />
[20:14] <+EldritchMan> other people's minds only go when dreaming at night.<br />
[20:14] <+EldritchMan> I conceive of it (in D&D like terms) as if the Astral Plane merged with the prime material.<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> That's a cool concept.<br />
[20:15] <+EldritchMan> It's not put in those words though.I was inspired by Chronciles of Amber<br />
[20:15] <+EldritchMan> and Banestorm<br />
[20:15] <~Dan> So are there some more "out there" PC races as well?<br />
[20:15] <+EldritchMan> But Banestorm attempt to keep real world cultures intact, and I wanted to avoid that<br />
[20:16] <+EldritchMan> Oh yes, I'll give you an example.<br />
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[20:17] <+EldritchMan> There is a vast magical forest between the two warring nations, called the Forest of Meath<br />
[20:17] <+EldritchMan> In it are places called Fertile Glens, which are almost sentient.<br />
[20:17] <+EldritchMan> Magical and otherworldly creatures can sometimes overtake these glens, and shape them as their own<br />
[20:17] <+EldritchMan> they become pocket dimensions<br />
[20:18] <+EldritchMan> So, in one case, as from the text: "glen’s two secret names at its disposal, the demon began the process of changing it. The demon shaped the glen into a city of torture, a city of the perfect terrible imprisonment, that no agonizing soul could ever escape. Its walls rose high, and each individual that the demon captured was thrown within them, until it conta<br />
[20:18] <~Dan> (Cut off at "until it conta")<br />
[20:18] <+EldritchMan> A glen as one or more secret names, which allows a magical creature to impose its will over the landscape<br />
[20:18] <+EldritchMan> oh: "None know where it went, but more than a few suspect that the demon lives on, trapped within its own creation. So Dis was free, mastered by none but itself. But it had been changed. It was no longer a carefree glen of the fairy realms. The demon, though no longer master of the glen, had produced lasting effects.<br />
[20:19] <+EldritchMan> The city took pleasure in the cries of those within it. It held ill will for all mankind, wanting humans to suffer eternally and never perish. In short, Dis had become everything the demon had wanted of it, except controlled<br />
[20:19] <+EldritchMan> Dis is a sentient demon that I find interesting. Peter Schaefer did a great job following my guidelines to write the setting material<br />
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[20:20] <+EldritchMan> He has written for White Wolf as well as Wizards, so he was the perfect choice<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Cool. :)<br />
[20:21] <+EldritchMan> Last bit about Dis: "Dis, the city itself, is a strange sort of creature. It is both the city and a creative malevolence designed (by the demon who once ruled it) to run the city. It is not, as one might suspect, either omniscient or omnipotent within its bounds. Dis can enact various effects of great power within the city’s walls..."<br />
[20:21] <+EldritchMan> That's just one example.<br />
[20:21] <+EldritchMan> There are many strange places in the forest.<br />
[20:22] <+EldritchMan> (oh, yeah, are not all demons sentient? The fertile glens are not always, but always has a sort of consciousness to them)<br />
[20:22] <~Dan> Given your desire for the setting to touch all the fantasy bases, are there, to coin a phrase, dungeons and dragons? :)<br />
[20:24] <+EldritchMan> Oh yes. The primary abilities of Eldritch are focused on action, though narrative action is a design principle<br />
[20:24] <+EldritchMan> [done]<br />
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[20:25] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Eisenmann!)<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> Now, when you say "narrative", how do you see that manifesting in the system?<br />
[20:25] <+MonkofLords> (Huzzah)<br />
[20:26] <+EldritchMan> I'd agree with one who said that narrative is a part of all role-playing game systems, if the Game Masters choose to make it a focus. However, some game mechanics make it easier to have such a focus.<br />
[20:27] <+EldritchMan> The main example in eldritch is the combat system.<br />
[20:27] <~Dan> So do you see "narrative" being a degree of abstraction?<br />
[20:27] <+EldritchMan> Mechanics wise, yes.<br />
[20:28] <+EldritchMan> The more abstract the rules, the heavier the place of interpretation.<br />
[20:28] <~Dan> I ask because some see "narrative" as moving in the "storygame" direction. I don't get that sense from Eldritch, based on what you've told me.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> As in, it still seems "first person"/"full immersive"/whatever you want to call it.<br />
[20:30] <+EldritchMan> Right. I sat down to play Eldritch RPG with one who preferred LARPs and she said "this uses dice?" with obvious distain.<br />
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[20:30] <~Dan> wb!<br />
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[20:31] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aincumis!)<br />
[20:31] <+EldritchMan> ERP is gamist in that I love to use dice and encourage fine detail in character creation if so desired.<br />
[20:31] <+EldritchMan> But it is narrative in that it leans heavily toward the abstract for action scenes.<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> Well, let me be even more specific: To me, a game becomes more narrative as it begins to give narrative control to the players; i.e., becomes more "third person".<br />
[20:32] <+EldritchMan> It is not a simulationist system as I understand the term.<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> No, it certainly doesn't seem that way.<br />
[20:32] <+EldritchMan> Ah, I see. No, it does not give the players that sort of control.<br />
[20:32] <+EldritchMan> But it is focused on story outcomes more than tactical.<br />
[20:32] <~Dan> But along those lines, is there any "hero point" mechanic?<br />
[20:34] <+EldritchMan> The characters are powerful, they tend not to need such mechanics, but implementing such a thing would make a good optional rule.<br />
[20:35] <~Dan> To what degree to characters fall along traditional class lines?<br />
[20:35] <+EldritchMan> Only to the degree that players want to play characters that model themselves after those tropes.<br />
[20:35] <+EldritchMan> The ability list itself limits to within the fantasy genre in the broadest terms.<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> Is there anything in the system keeping players from playing an armored, sword-swinging wizard, for example?<br />
[20:36] <+EldritchMan> No, not at all.<br />
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[20:37] <+EldritchMan> My favorite battle mage example: Melee Weapons 1D12 > Swords 1D8 > (maybe mastery in Bastard Sword), then take Arcanum > Primordial > Elemenalist. Swing a sword, cast a lightning bolt.<br />
[20:38] <~Dan> What limits are there to magic? Is it a magic point system, for example?<br />
[20:38] <+EldritchMan> Those building blocks cost 2 character points per rank of the die, with the first tier free for basic unrestricted ability.<br />
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[20:38] <+EldritchMan> There are magic points, called essence in the revised edition.<br />
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[20:38] <~Dan> (Howdy, Schadmobile!)<br />
[20:39] <+EldritchMan> When those are exhausted, the arcanist can tap into his or her own Resilience Defense Pool (another 'passive' hitpoint pool, one of two. The other is Toughness)<br />
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[20:39] <+EldritchMan> (there are 'active' and 'passive' defense hitpoint pools in the action system, btw)<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> Can you give some idea of the scale of magic? Are we talking army-blasting wizard?<br />
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[20:40] <~Dan> wizards, rather<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> (Howdy, Canageek!)<br />
[20:41] <+Canageek> (Hey Dan; is it a Q&A?)<br />
[20:41] <+EldritchMan> A wizard could learn or create an area effect spell that could certainly blow away a good number of foes. For example, creating a blast like area using a Harm Effect. The Potential Harm of such a blast would match the wizard's own ability branch.<br />
[20:41] <~Dan> (Canageek: Yup! Eldritch. #rpgnet2 open for general chat!)<br />
[20:44] <+EldritchMan> So a wizard with Arcanum 1D10 > Mystic 1D6 could cast an area Effect spell that makes everybody fall asleep (using the Influence Effect)<br />
[20:44] <+EldritchMan> For area spells, the area-of-effect equals 5 × Max- Value of the relevant Power Source Specialization in diameter (add Mastery if applicable), with the point of origination at a distance of up to 10 × Max-Value of Power Source, in line of sight<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> Can you say a bit about the cosmology of the setting? You mentioned one realm with Celtic mythology moving toward Celtic Christianity... How literally do you mean that, for example?<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> (Sorry -- please continue)<br />
[20:45] <+EldritchMan> that's ok...just saying mages can do some serious damage in ERP. There are powerful effects possible, with simple mechanics are unified throughout the game mechanics.<br />
[20:45] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:45] <+EldritchMan> typo...ow.<br />
[20:45] <+EldritchMan> Anyway, the cosmology:<br />
[20:46] <+EldritchMan> Inhabitants come to Ainerêve from two places: dreams and beliefs, and Earth. The first is more common, as Victorian-age children dream a Jack-the-Ripper into existence or early American settlers have nightmares about the fiendish red Indians. Entire unsettled lands have been populated this way...<br />
[20:46] <+EldritchMan> though the inhabitants generally fade over time and disappear unless reinforced with belief. People from Earth occasionally travel to the dream world through a form of unknown magic. (This magic remains unknown because, despite this setting’s connection to Earth, games are intended to be played completely in Ainerêve.)<br />
[20:46] <+EldritchMan> Once there, most end up making their lives there and beginning a new society in whatever settled land they can find. Usually, people from Earth only find their way through to settled lands to which they are close – those based on beliefs similar to theirs...”<br />
[20:47] <+EldritchMan> That's the basic cosmology...which is not at all like a D&D Great Wheel, or totally separate or coterminous planes.<br />
[20:48] <+EldritchMan> I'll have to wrap it up in a min, get the kids to bed. ;-)<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> So is reality completely relative? Or are there gods that literally exist independently, for example?<br />
[20:49] <+EldritchMan> Reality is relative to the strength of belief, but there may be creatures, gods or other supernatual beings forgotten on earth that are strongly worshipped or feared in Ainerêve<br />
[20:50] <+EldritchMan> So while the dreams of mankind form the building blocks of various realities, the settled lands create realities independent<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> How would you describe the morality of the setting?<br />
[20:50] <+EldritchMan> "real" versus "unreal" is like evolution in Ainereve, at least in settled lands. A slow process. In unsettled lands, reality is more fluid and dangerous.<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> As in, do you see it as objective? Relative?<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> Good vs. Evil?<br />
[20:52] <+EldritchMan> There are hints of real world religions and myths from our own earth, but I wanted to distance the setting material from those. Thus, Good versus Evil, yes...but not dependent on an actual earth religion's viewpoint<br />
[20:52] <+EldritchMan> There is more grey area. There are no strict alignments<br />
[20:52] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:52] <~Dan> But there's room for Big Damn Heroes?<br />
[20:53] <+EldritchMan> you mean damned heroes? Anti-heroes? Or just really big damn heroes?<br />
[20:53] <+EldritchMan> lol<br />
[20:53] <~Dan> Heh. Sorry -- a term from Firefly that I like. I mean true-blue, big time heroes.<br />
[20:54] <+EldritchMan> Yes, Eldritch heroes feel strong. There is an optional level system, which helps with development milestones, but it is not always keyed to combat power.<br />
[20:55] <+Bigby> Sorry if this was mentioned earlier and I missed it. How is char gen handled? Is it a point buy system or something else?<br />
[20:55] <~Dan> Well, I don't mean combat power, really -- I mean characters who are true heroes rather than self-involved types.<br />
[20:55] <+EldritchMan> It's a device for GMs and players, should they want structured advancement. You can just use the character point system too, which is part of the whole, and works pretty much on its own, especially if doing one-shot games<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> Like, in some settings, a paladin would fit right in. In others, he'd look like a deluded buffoon.<br />
[20:56] <+EldritchMan> Oh, yeah, these characters are adventurers. The whole game pushes that direction. Kill monsters, get treasure, become more powerful, have fun. The basics. I want a story focus, fast play, and all, but not "the narrative" trumping the game<br />
[20:56] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:57] <+EldritchMan> A paladin would fit in, but whether he was a deluded buffoon would depend on whether the player wanted him to be such<br />
[20:57] <+EldritchMan> Oh, and no battle grid.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Oh, and no, Bigby, that hasn't been covered. Have time to touch on that, EldritchMan?<br />
[20:57] <+EldritchMan> No minis required.<br />
[20:57] <+EldritchMan> Character gen is point buy.<br />
[20:57] <+EldritchMan> You start with 40 points. Each die-rank is 2 points.<br />
[20:58] <+EldritchMan> But 1D4 rank is free in many abilities because anybody can, say, swing a sword.<br />
[20:58] <+EldritchMan> So getting a 1D8 in Ranged Weapons would cost 4 points.<br />
[20:58] <+Bigby> Sort of "everyman skills". Cool.<br />
[20:58] <+EldritchMan> But Arcanum of the same rank would be 6 points.<br />
[20:59] <+EldritchMan> Because it is restricted to those who were taught the secrets.<br />
[20:59] <+EldritchMan> I have time for a few more questions. My kids are not killing each other and they have off this week for the holiday.<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Well, let me ask you this: Is there anything we haven't covered that you'd like to bring up?<br />
[21:00] <+EldritchMan> [done]<br />
[21:00] <+EldritchMan> Yeah, making a quick monster is super simple.<br />
[21:00] <~Dan> Oh? That's always handy.<br />
[21:01] <+EldritchMan> Goblin: Threat dice: Choose 1D8. Bam, you have hitpoints. 8 points. Potential Harm 1-8. Armor is 1D6 for leather (random damage reduction simulating various vulnerability of armor). Resilience is half of the HP, so 4 in this case.<br />
[21:01] <+EldritchMan> So Goblin: 1D8 / 8 HP / 4 RS (resilience vesus magic, etc), 1D6 armor. Considered "fodder"<br />
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[21:02] <~Dan> So you'd use 1D8 for all abilities?<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aldante_Fax!)<br />
[21:02] <+EldritchMan> A chief might be 2D10 (assume specialization with bludgeons), 20 HP / 10 RS / 1D8 chain armor.<br />
[21:03] <+EldritchMan> No. A basic gate gard 1D4 potential-harm (regardless of weapon...he is a pansy) / 4 HP / 2 RS / no armor.<br />
[21:03] <+EldritchMan> Easy easy easy.<br />
[21:03] <+EldritchMan> An extraordinary creature might have a threat rating of 3D20, modified for size or magical nature to increase HP, with extra attacks or special abilities.<br />
[21:04] <+EldritchMan> It can get really nasty that way, but throwing together quick monsters from your head is easy.<br />
[21:04] <+EldritchMan> I will have a monster section with flavor, and specific examples.<br />
[21:04] <~Dan> Is the threat rating just for combat, or is it akin to the monster rating in Tunnels & Trolls?<br />
[21:05] <+EldritchMan> Mainly for combat. If basic abilities come into play, then the GM can set them up, starting at 1D4, and if a full-fledged NPC is desired, just use a full character sheet.<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Cool.<br />
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[21:06] <+EldritchMan> any other questions?<br />
[21:06] <+EldritchMan> If not, I'll say goodnight.<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> I think I'm good. Thanks for coming by, and please stop by any time!<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> I'll have the log posted shortly and will send you the link.<br />
[21:07] <+EldritchMan> thank you<br />
[21:07] <~Dan> Have a great evening!Dan Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08831098522068867382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8338277563624630499.post-65561805807896990482013-11-21T19:22:00.003-08:002014-02-07T13:00:36.221-08:00[Q&A] Ben Rogers (ElfWood)[19:05] <+BenRogers> Firstly, I want to thank Dan for asking me back to #rpgnet. I'm Ben Rogers. I'm the Product Manager for Harsh Realities, LLC and I work with an amazing team of people to produce fun games.<br />
[19:05] <~Dan> (You're quite welcome! :) )<br />
[19:06] <+BenRogers> Our most recent offering is ElfWood. We're about to kickstart it. (In fact, we're just waiting for Kickstarter's approval to proceed.<br />
<a name='more'></a>[19:07] <+BenRogers> ElfWood is a dark fantasy, set in a lush world with some underlying, shadowy portents. It is a world where the elven culture is dominant and the struggles between elves and dwarg (dwarves) are based on fundmental differences that go beyond culture.<br />
[19:07] <+BenRogers> Elves incorporate trees into their lifecycle - born from the fruit and destined to produce a tree upon their death, they are *part* of the forest.<br />
[19:08] <+BenRogers> Dwarg, on the other hand, have no females in their species, they literally "spring from the earth". These fundamental differences in the very nature of these creatures fuels their misunderstandings of each other culturally and philosophcially.<br />
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[19:08] <+BenRogers> There's a lot more.. But that's the basis to start with.<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> (done? :) )<br />
[19:09] <+BenRogers> Oh, and I should tell you that occasionally my router needs to be reset and I might disappear for a couple minutes. I will be back if that happens! :)<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> (Oh, n/m. :) )<br />
[19:09] <+BenRogers> Yes, /done<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> Thanks, Ben!<br />
[19:09] <~Dan> Before we get started with questions, I should mention that Abstruse, RPG columnist for Ain't It Cool News, is here. :)<br />
[19:10] <+BenRogers> Very cool. Hello, Abstruse. :)<br />
[19:10] <+Abstruse> Hello! So are dwarg the typical fantasy-archetype miners?<br />
[19:10] <+BenRogers> Basically, yes. They mine. They love the earth. They carve out massive underground features. The earth is their wife/mother and they do all that they can to beautify her -- but only so they can see the beauty.<br />
[19:11] <+BenRogers> And they covet her wealth - minerals. /done<br />
[19:11] <~Dan> And they have firearms and steam technology as well, IIRC?<br />
[19:11] <+BenRogers> ElfWood is world light on metal - and the Dwarg have cornered the market.<br />
[19:11] <+Abstruse> So they have forges then...do they use wood to fuel them?<br />
[19:12] <+Abstruse> I'm seeing a big point for tension there..."You cut down my great-grandfather to make a bracelet?!"<br />
[19:12] <+BenRogers> Yes. They started with machines to help them carve into the rock. They use firearms (also earth minerals, when you think about it). They lean toward coal -- but have no compunction about burning wood.<br />
[19:12] <~Dan> Do they use magic?<br />
[19:13] <+BenRogers> I should also point out that the orcs are born when an elf is slain violently and his body left "untended". The tree that grows from that body is twisted and thorny and orcs are produced from the nuts of that tree.<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> So orcs in the setting are totally nuts?<br />
[19:13] <+BenRogers> There is nothing that prevents a dwarg from using either shard magic, blood magic or shadow magic. And they like to blend tech and magic together.<br />
[19:13] <+BenRogers> *tosses Dan a Strike die*<br />
[19:13] <~Dan> :D<br />
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[19:14] <+Bigby> I'm somewhat familiar with the setting, but could you touch on the differences in magic styles?<br />
[19:14] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ!)<br />
[19:14] <+BenRogers> We also call the "dwarg" because they are "not quite dwarves" and on day while discussing them, the word slipped out and has been a staple ever since.<br />
[19:15] <+BenRogers> Bigby, by all means: Shard magic is subtle and is light, requiring little training to use, but not really able to do great feats.<br />
[19:15] <+Abstruse> "Strike die" makes me want to take a step back and ask about the system the game uses. Can you give an overview?<br />
[19:15] <+BenRogers> Blood magic is what fuels what you would commonly think of as magery or wizardly type of effects.<br />
[19:15] <+xyphoid> so who are the PCs<br />
[19:15] <+BenRogers> And Shadow magic is dark, twisted, powerful and uses nefarious and evil sources for its power -- and always exacts a cost on the user and those who are touched by it.<br />
[19:16] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:16] <+BenRogers> Abstuse, sure. The mechanic is a D6 based dice-pool system. Attribute + Skill provide the pool. A "luck die" or "karma die" or whatever you want to call it can be earned for various actions and it's called a "strike die".<br />
[19:16] <+BenRogers> I often award them for humor. :)<br />
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[19:17] <+BenRogers> They can be added to any pool but once used, they are used up. We also have a rule called "three strikes and your out"., No matter how many strike dice you have, you may burn no more than 3 at a time.<br />
[19:17] <+BenRogers> and if you burn 3 in one roll, you empty your pool.<br />
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[19:17] <+BenRogers> I'm, /done<br />
[19:17] <+BenRogers> Ohhh...<br />
[19:17] <~Dan> (Howdy, AWOLJoe!)<br />
[19:17] <+BenRogers> Xyphoid asked about PCs....<br />
[19:18] <+BenRogers> So, who plays in this world... the history of the world has brought two powerful cultures to a clashing point - elves and dwarg.<br />
[19:19] <+BenRogers> Although there are dwarg merchants in the cities on the coasts of the elven lands of Vyridia, they are hardly "allies".<br />
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[19:21] <+Ben> Well...<br />
[19:21] <~Dan> (wb, Ben!)<br />
[19:21] <+Ben> That was fun.<br />
[19:21] <+Ben> How much made it through before my son decided to reset my router unannounced?<br />
[19:21] <+ChrisFitzgerald> There are also various additional races available for PCs<br />
[19:21] <+Ben> *sigh*<br />
[19:22] <+Ben> The point I was trying to make about characters is that where there are conflicts and friction, there are opportunities and interesting happenings.<br />
[19:22] <+Ben> And that gives rise to many different types of characters that can be played.<br />
[19:22] <+Geek2theRight> "they are hardly allies."<br />
[19:23] <+Ben> Whether exploring, trading, spying, pirating, information gathering or just earning a living! There are a myriad of things for PCs to do in the world.<br />
[19:24] <+Ben> Would a listing of character types we use at convention games help answer the question? or have I answered it? /done<br />
[19:24] <~Dan> That might be helpful.<br />
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[19:24] <+Ben> Let me get my list...<br />
[19:25] <+Bigby> Perhaps touching on the other races as well. Like those weird ones, what were they called again? Humans?<br />
[19:25] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Ben do you think it would be helpful to talk about some of the other races?<br />
[19:25] <+Ben> Vyrden Mage, Sanguine Dark Mage, Stygian Military, M'raak Mercenary, Human Shipwright, Dwarg Merchant, Human Highwayman, Kague Slayer...<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> I think Ben should discuss the races.<br />
[19:25] <~Dan> (I hate being left out.)<br />
[19:25] <+ChrisFitzgerald> lol<br />
[19:25] <+Ben> Races... :)<br />
[19:25] <+Ben> Okay Since it's so unanimously asked for! :)<br />
[19:25] <+Geek2theRight> Well, you gave a list of things true of almost every setting ever. I think what we want to know is what's so compelling about this setting specifically.<br />
[19:26] <~Dan> (Question pause.)<br />
[19:26] <+Ben> Elves -- obviously -- three types: Vyrden (forest), Stygian (dark) and Sanguine (blood). Dwarg. Humans (3 of 13 different tribes are presented), Kague (ratlings), Taurim (bisonmen), Drey (nasty little flying dudes), Windsormen (wooden men)<br />
[19:27] <+Ben> Geek2theRight, One of the most compelling things are the differences in thinking between the races. While a lot of settings handwave why elves and dwarves don't get along, for instance, we delved into more deeply.<br />
[19:27] <~Dan> Bisonmen. Nice.<br />
[19:28] <+Ben> We crafted deep, cultural, philosophical, worldview differences between. These differences are fundamental to who they are.<br />
[19:28] <+Ben> It's one thing to grow up in a society of "families" -- but how different if your entire society has no understanding of "parental relationships"?<br />
[19:28] <+xyphoid> So would you mix elves and dwarves in a group?<br />
[19:29] <~Dan> (Question pause, xyphoid. :) )<br />
[19:29] <+Ben> What about a society where you don't have females -- at all?<br />
[19:29] <+Ben> So these differences are extremely fundamental to who these people are. They aren't "tall humans with pointy ears" or "short humans with beards" -- they are different on every level.<br />
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[19:29] <+Ben> Then we extrapolated out those differences into their cultures and their way of life. And that's something we really haven't seen done in other settings before.<br />
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[19:30] <+ChrisFitzgerald> to answer Xyphoid, yes<br />
[19:30] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords! Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat. :) )<br />
[19:30] <+Ben> Compelling reasons? I can only answer why I felt compelled to write it -- because I got tired of the same old, same old, same old fantasy worlds with a slightly different skin and a few different characteristics.<br />
[19:31] <+Ben> And we wrote a world with significant differences between the peoples.<br />
[19:32] <+Ben> Xyphoid, yes, you can have different races in the same group. It doesn't mean they'll get along. Nor does it mean they'll be at each other's throats. I traveled the middle east extensively in the early 2000s.<br />
[19:32] <+Ben> I was invited into many people's homes who *hated* my country.<br />
[19:32] <+Alaren> are the other races, and their interactions with elves, dwargs, and one another, given the same detail that the elf/dwarg cultural clash is given?<br />
[19:32] <+Ben> They told me repeatedly, "You are not your country. You are a man that we like. We don't lke what your country does."<br />
[19:32] <+Ben> Alaren, In a word, yes.<br />
[19:32] <+Ben> Now, some history....<br />
[19:33] <+Ben> The elves fought a huge civil war that established the Vyrden as rulers and the Stygian as "second class citizens".<br />
[19:33] <+Bigby> Members of two warring races working together is a pretty common fantasy trope. So Dwargs, Elves, Humans, and even Kague could be in the same party.<br />
[19:33] <+Ben> The humans were devastated with a "blight" -- a plague -- that reduced their numbers and shattere their ability to reproduce.<br />
[19:33] <+Ben> This same "magical virus" also creaged the Kague.<br />
[19:34] <+Ben> Each of the races has special treatment. However, the Elves do have significant focus.<br />
[19:34] <+Ben> The humans are probably the next most detailed. /done<br />
[19:35] <+Abstruse> (I think Ross is rubbing off on me...) What's the adventuring paradigm of the game? What motivation does the game provide for the PCs to go out in the world?<br />
[19:35] <+Ben> Abstruse, there are, of course, a lot of variables to that, but we focus the world on the coasts, on the ships, on the trade, on the points of contact between the cultures.<br />
[19:35] <+Ben> We think this creates the most interesting places to start.<br />
[19:36] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Pirates!<br />
[19:36] <+Ben> The world is composed of a large sea with a smallish continent and many large strings of archipeligos.<br />
[19:36] <+Ben> ElfWood has a very strong nautical/pirate influence.<br />
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[19:37] <+Ben> So, what motivation? Everything from "I need to rescue my gold from the hold of that ship captain over there..." to "I want to see what's on the other side of the horizon"<br />
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[19:37] <~Dan> (Someone's having connection problems...)<br />
[19:37] <+Ben> There are prophecies, rumors, legends and a lot of people moving from place to place bringing these "adventure seeds" to the players. /done<br />
[19:38] <~Dan> Are there any Big Bads that are capable of uniting the Elves and Dwargs?<br />
[19:38] <+ChrisFitzgerald> I think Elfwood plays really well to exploration, political and cultural intrigue, and mystic prophecy style quests.<br />
[19:38] <+Ben> We really try to avoid any "metagaming" but there are "things happening in the world" that we leave open to the GMs to explore.<br />
[19:39] <+Ben> One of them is the "great war" that looms on the horizon between the Elves and Dwarg. Another is the "thinning" of the "veil" between Lakates (the world of ElfWood) and the Shadowrealm.<br />
[19:40] <+Ben> There are a lot of "big bads" in this world. Not the least of which are the shadow creatures that caused the seas to become acidic. (They are called the "Scalding Seas".)/done<br />
[19:40] <~Dan> Are there any rampaging enemies of both the Elves and the Dwarg? Would the Orcs qualify? Are there hordes of Goblins? Trolls?<br />
[19:41] <+Ben> There are goblins. There are trolls. There are other "things" that just want to suck all the life out of anything they encounter. We even have Zombies, courtesy of John Goff. :)<br />
[19:41] <~Dan> (Just don't let him introduce trains.)<br />
[19:42] <+Ben> The Orcs and Trolls are "cultivated" - literally - into a fighting force by the Dwarg.<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> (A little Deadlands humor, there...)<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Really? That's an interesting twist.<br />
[19:42] <+Ben> now, if you remember what I said about where an Orc comes from -- the body of an elf slain in violence -- then where would the great orcthorn forests that the dwarg use to cultivate their shocktroops come from?<br />
[19:42] <~Dan> Battlefields.<br />
[19:43] <+ChrisFitzgerald> or careful and brutal experimentation...<br />
[19:43] <+Ben> All the while, the elves -- who covet the power and control that their great shipping empires provide them -- are willing to chop down their Mother Trees (essentially cutting off their connection tot heir ancestors)....<br />
[19:44] <+Ben> ....and use the ElfWood to build the ships that can traverse the Scalding Seas without rotting to pieces. And the ships can come alive.<br />
[19:44] <~Dan> So you're saying that Elves are some bad mother choppers.<br />
[19:44] <+Ben> Yes, indeed.<br />
[19:44] <+ChrisFitzgerald> rotfl<br />
[19:45] <+Ben> The lifecycle of the trees are such that in the early years they grow great numbers of Vyrden fruit and in their waning years they produce great numbers of Stygian root-pods...<br />
[19:45] <~Dan> So are all the seas of the Scalding sort? And if so, are they lifeless?<br />
[19:45] <+Ben> ...but the Vyrden keep the populations of the Stygian in check by chopping down the great trees, making ships out of them, and then starting the development of completely new Mother Tree cities every few hundred years.<br />
[19:45] <+ChrisFitzgerald> scalding, yes - lifeless, no<br />
[19:45] <+Ben> Exactly.<br />
[19:46] <+Ben> The life has "adapted" to a much more harsh environment -- it is much more badass.<br />
[19:46] <+ChrisFitzgerald> all of the seas are deadly, acidic and caustic<br />
[19:46] <+ChrisFitzgerald> but there are still freshwater streams, rivers and lakes<br />
[19:46] <+Ben> And the live in those acidic, caustic seas seeks any "cheap, easy meal" it can find.<br />
[19:47] <+Ben> ...like sailors.<br />
[19:47] <+Bigby> If I recall some humans have adapted to the Scalding Seas much better than the elves have.<br />
[19:47] <+ChrisFitzgerald> yes indeed<br />
[19:47] <~Dan> Hmmm... So the Elves have their living ships that can survive the Scalding Seas, and the Dwarg have ironclads, IIRC?<br />
[19:47] <+Ben> The humans live on driftcolonies and have adapted to live *with* the seas.<br />
[19:48] <+Ben> Yes. Dwarg use iron-clads and a ceramic/glass hull system. Wood on the scalding seas is like wax to a flame...<br />
[19:48] <+ChrisFitzgerald> the dwarg actually use forms of ceramic and glass in addition to metals<br />
[19:49] <+Ben> Dwarg also use firearms, cannon, etc. Where the elves use ballista, catapult, trebuchet. However, imagine a ballista bolt that hits and delivers a magical payload.<br />
[19:49] <~Dan> So... do humans have ships?<br />
[19:50] <+ChrisFitzgerald> One of those points of contrast Ben was talking about before shows up in the technology vs. magic approach of dwarg to elves. Neither culture has n exclusive use of one or the other, but the trend is definitely reminiscent of the industrial revolution.<br />
[19:50] <+Ben> Humans have ships, yes -- but made of the bounty of the seas. They also have tamed many of the creatures, so they ride dolphins, orca, etc.<br />
[19:50] <~Dan> How are they able to ride something that's swimming in acid?<br />
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[19:51] <+Ben> One of the human driftcolonies is made from the giant shell of a massive sea turtle. And they have rafts made from the shells of smaller turtles. They weave sharkskin and have cultivated means of producing various protections from the acidic waters.<br />
[19:51] <+ChrisFitzgerald> by wearing suits made of the inner intestinal lining of deep sea creatures harvested from the seas<br />
[19:51] <+ChrisFitzgerald> For the humans, think 'scavenger tech'<br />
[19:51] <+Ben> "acidic" not "acid". Humans have adapted and have a trait called "scalded" that allows them to ignore the effects of the seas.<br />
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[19:52] <+Ben> Imagine something akin to battery acid.<br />
[19:52] <+Ben> It scalds the skin. Rots the clothing. Eats away at things.<br />
[19:52] <~Dan> So what would a pirate ship be?<br />
[19:52] <+Ben> But, your flesh won't be melted off your bones from contact.<br />
[19:53] <+ChrisFitzgerald> I think a good comparison for the humans is to think of the Fremen from Dune - adapted nomadic bad-asses.<br />
[19:53] <+Ben> Wooden ships last "a few years" -- so a starting pirate might have a smallish ship that they can take out of the water when not in active use.<br />
[19:53] <+Ben> they might acquire some ElfWood, or steal some of the Dwarg tech -- or have a conglmeration of all of it.<br />
[19:54] <~Dan> But the sad fact of the matter is that all of the Humans are on acid.<br />
[19:54] <+Ben> Chris, that's a good comparison, since they were modeled after the Hebrews in the middle east and our humans are based on a hebrew motif, as well.<br />
[19:54] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Thanks Ben<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> (Sorry. I'm in a goofy mood this evening. :) )<br />
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[19:55] <+Ben> Only one in 10 human females can reproduce. And the ones who can't are called "nomen". The ones who can? Well, they are "protected" since they represent the survivability of the race.<br />
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[19:55] <+Ben> "this" evening? O_o<br />
[19:55] <+Ben> ;)<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> How would you describe the "median" tech level of the setting, insofar as there is such a thing?<br />
[19:55] <~Dan> (Fair cop, Ben. ;) )<br />
[19:56] <+Ben> It's essentially "renaissance" level technology. But, a lot of things are made with "ironwood" that we used metal for in our world. Vyridia is light on mineral wealth. And they eschew mining. As the dominant culture, this carries over most of the world.<br />
[19:57] <+Abstruse> So what are lifespans like? Dwarg, Orcs, and Elves all reproduce asexually and oddly, while humans can't reproduce at our normal rates.<br />
[19:57] <+Ben> The arrival of the huge metal ships of the Dwarg is almost an affront in itself.<br />
[19:57] <~Dan> So firearms are made from wood?<br />
[19:57] <+Ben> Another bone of contention between the Elves and Dwarg. /done<br />
[19:57] <+ChrisFitzgerald> I'd say the technology is early victorian, right on the verge of total technological revolution<br />
[19:57] <+Ben> The barrels aren't. But, most everything else.<br />
[19:57] <+Ben> And some barrels might be wooden. But, that would be most for pneumatic weapons.<br />
[19:58] <+Abstruse> I think they made a wooden cannon on Mythbusters.<br />
[19:58] <~Dan> Early Victorian? Hmmm... Pepperbox revolvers?<br />
[19:58] <+Ben> Also, sap -- hardened -- is also a major player in the world.<br />
[19:58] <+Bigby> A technological revolution that may not come if the world descends into total war...<br />
[19:58] <+Ben> Knives, arrowheads - even "walking stones" -- are made from it.<br />
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[19:58] <+Ben> Dan, abso-elven-lutely!<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Really? Cool!<br />
[19:59] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Abstruse - dwarg and elven lifespans tend to be long, humans, taurim and kague tend to be shorter.<br />
[19:59] <+Bigby> I like the sap armor. Has to be custom made though.<br />
[19:59] <+Ben> One of our Gen Con characters carries a double-barrel, flint-lock "hand cannon".<br />
[19:59] <+Bigby> I played her.<br />
[19:59] <~Dan> Heh. :)<br />
[19:59] <+Ben> Sap is such a universally cool element.<br />
[19:59] <+Bigby> She also had a number of throwing knives.<br />
[20:00] <~Dan> I know you said that Elven ships don't use cannons, but do Elves use firearms?<br />
[20:00] <+Ben> It can be made into thin sheets, woven, hardened into blades, made into blocks and bricks, no need for concrete and it all grows on trees.<br />
[20:00] <+Ben> As a culture, no. Individuals? Abso-elven-lutely!<br />
[20:01] <+Ben> The elves also delve into primitive "genetic engineering" and have created the half-elf race -- have human, half elf. They generate magic power -- but can't use it.<br />
[20:01] <+Abstruse> How big is the world in terms of population and landmass?<br />
[20:01] <+Ben> They are used as "batteries" for the "horde mages" that tap them for power.<br />
[20:01] <~Dan> So the Elves are the Matrix machines.<br />
[20:02] <+Ben> Abstruse, we focus on about 1/4 of a planet the size of earth. Half of the norther hemisphere. Rough equivalent of Europe, North America and the Atlantic -- with a huge landmass in the middle.<br />
[20:02] <+Ben> As far as population... 100 - 200 million worldwide.<br />
[20:03] <+Ben> Dan, not sure what you mean?<br />
[20:03] <+Abstruse> Is that the only landmass on the planet? I know you mentioned a large ocean.<br />
[20:03] <~Dan> Well, in terms of using an entire race as batteries.<br />
[20:04] <+Ben> Imagine Earth. Plop a continent with a bunch of islands in the middle of the atlantic. That's Vyridia. "Europe" is where the Dwarg are. "Africa" is where the Kague are. "North America" is where the Taurim are from.<br />
[20:04] <+Ben> We haven't expanded into any of hte other territories ... yet. ;) /done<br />
[20:04] <+Ben> Dan, got it! :)<br />
[20:04] <~Dan> :)<br />
[20:05] <+Ben> Sort of yes. The Horde Mages are the machines of the Matrix.<br />
[20:05] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:05] <~Dan> How prevalent are monsters in the setting?<br />
[20:06] <+Ben> Everything from "nasty little things that wander through the woods" to "massive terrokon that are building gateways into the shadowrealm". Prevalent.<br />
[20:06] <+Ben> Many legends of oddities at sea, as well.<br />
[20:06] <+Ben> Lots of room for any kind of "horror" elements that any GM would want to include. And we supply a good mix of things ourselves. /done<br />
[20:06] <+ChrisFitzgerald> not to mention the really freaky stuff coming out of the Shadowrealm<br />
[20:06] <+Ben> Chris, bingo.<br />
[20:07] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Void krakens - shiver...<br />
[20:07] <+Ben> We used Cthulhu mythos as a basis for a lot of our thoughts on the Shadowrealm. Aside from the primary author, the shadowrealm stuff is also being written by Sean Preston and Cynthia Miller -- both avid cthulhu afficianados.<br />
[20:08] <+Ben> Oh, and /done<br />
[20:08] <+Ben> :)<br />
[20:08] <+Ben> Do you know Sean Preston and Cynthia Miller?<br />
[20:08] <~Dan> Well, I certainly know the latter. :)<br />
[20:09] <+Ben> Sean wrote "tremulus" -- a Cthulhu mythos game. And Cynthia Miller wrote "Macabre Tales" -- also a Cthulhu mythos game.<br />
[20:09] <~Dan> Assuming her middle name is Celeste. :)<br />
[20:09] <+Ben> Indeed. the one and the same. :)<br />
[20:09] <+Ben> Eddy Webb, of White Wolf writing fame, is writing up our Kague and Taurim.<br />
[20:10] <~Dan> So are Shadowrealm creatures mindless horrors? Alien intelligences?<br />
[20:10] <+Ben> And Robin Laws is writing a lot of our legends of the sea.<br />
[20:10] <+ChrisFitzgerald> both Dan<br />
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[20:10] <+Ben> Dan, It's a good mix<br />
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[20:10] <+Ben> Some of them are simply mindless "I sense life and I kill it and suck it dry" and some are thoughtful, calculating, alien intelligences that like to offer their "services" in exchange for the souls of others that you bring to them.<br />
[20:11] <+Ben> Everything from innocuous little things that seduce you to massive, spiky, screetching things, to "demonic" entities that blight your soul. /done<br />
[20:11] <~Dan> Really? Robin Laws? Color me impressed!<br />
[20:11] <+Ben> Yes, Robin Laws is on board. I have his material in hand already, in fact.<br />
[20:12] <~Dan> Man... How'd you manage to snag that Living Legend? :)<br />
[20:12] <+Ben> Sheer luck. And timing.<br />
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[20:12] <+Ben> I happened to approach him when he had a break in his schedule and wanted to tackle something unique and different. I pitched ElfWood and he said, "Oooh, I like." :)<br />
[20:13] <+Ben> Well, maybe not those *exact* words... ;)<br />
[20:13] <~Dan> Awesome. :)<br />
[20:13] <+Ben> But, he liked what I suggested, he had time in his calender. /done<br />
[20:14] <~Dan> You might want to ping CJ Carella as well, if you have need. I have it on good authority that he's getting back into the gaming biz...<br />
[20:14] <+Ben> I am ever so grateful to have a luminary like Robin Laws on our writing team. ):<br />
[20:14] <+Ben> :)<br />
[20:14] <+Ben> That was not supposed to be a frown up there....<br />
[20:15] <+Ben> Interestingly, I talked to a couple of others -- names I am not going to drop, but let me tell you, your jaw would drop -- and they reluctantly begged off but asked me to pitch future ideas to them.<br />
[20:15] <+Ben> I have two that have asked me to talk to them this summer.<br />
[20:16] <~Dan> Very cool. And yeah, I can relate. I've had people's jaws drop when they see who I've had in here. They ask me how I got them. I say, "I... asked them?" :)<br />
[20:16] <~Dan> (Including Robin D. Laws, as it happens. :) )<br />
[20:16] <+Ben> Basically, that's it. I sent a request. They responded. We chatted a bit. They told me their schedule and expressed interest in something in the future (or, in Robin's case, he had time in his calendar).<br />
[20:17] <+Ben> It's like the beautiful woman in the club that goes home alone because no one has the courage to just ask her to dance.<br />
[20:17] <~Dan> So the setting seems fairly bleak. (Which makes sense, because, dark fantasy.) Is there room for Big Damn Heroes?<br />
[20:17] <+Ben> I think the bleak world makes it ripe for "big damn heroes" This world ain't gonna save itself!<br />
[20:18] <+Ben> I see ElfWood as Middlearth just before the great war. It's dark -- but the heroes are there.<br />
[20:18] <+Ben> It's Star Wars -- with the rebel alliance facing off against the *GALACTIC* empire. It is the time for big damn heroes!<br />
[20:19] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Yeah that was part of what excited me in the first place - the idea of heroes really standing out in contrast to the darkness of the world itself.<br />
[20:19] <~Dan> Well, I'd see the difference there as being the existence of "good" kingdoms waiting to be rallied in Middle-earth. The kingdoms of ElfWood seem fairly unpleasant. :)<br />
[20:19] <+Ben> I also like that the world looks so green and full of life -- hiding such dark, dismal, shadows.<br />
[20:20] <+Ben> Yes, but we haven't really talked about 10 of the 13 tribes of humans or the Taurim. :)<br />
[20:20] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Dan - agreed. That's part of what makes it so neat IMO.<br />
[20:20] <~Dan> Oh? Are they the "good guys", generally speaking?<br />
[20:20] <+Ben> Yes, the Elves are bleak. The Dwarg are oppressive. The Kague are downright ... not right! And the Drey are vicious.<br />
[20:21] <+Ben> The humans are not perfect -- but within them is the spark of salvation for this world.<br />
[20:21] <+Ben> And the Taurim are really "gentle giants" who provide the "backup".<br />
[20:21] <+Ben> Not saying you can't play a ravening, murderous Taurim. But that's not the stereotype.<br />
[20:22] <+Ben> We like to present every *individual* as able to make the choices for themselves. On an individual basis, no member of any race is *determined* to be dark. Those are personal choices.<br />
[20:22] <+Ben> And whether the choice is to enslave others through economic might or physical power -- that's still a personal choice to do that.<br />
[20:23] <+Ben> Even our Orcs have the "spark" of salvation within them.<br />
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[20:23] <+Ben> Basically, if a player can play the race, then we think there's "hope" for that race. (You'll note that the Trolls are *not* playable.) ;)<br />
[20:23] <+Ben> Oh, and /done<br />
[20:23] <&Silverlion> Always a good thing to have hope.<br />
[20:23] <+MonkofLords> Quite<br />
[20:24] <+Ben> Hope is what creates the light -- but the fact that you have to struggle to make that light shine provides the conflict that makes the world interesting.<br />
[20:24] <&Silverlion> Did y'all cover magic?<br />
[20:24] <+Ben> We discussed it briefly.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> A bit. Can you give a quick recap, Ben?<br />
[20:25] <&Silverlion> Darn it missed it.<br />
[20:25] <+Ben> There are three kinds: Shard (subtle), Blood (loud) and Shadowmagic (corrupting).<br />
[20:25] <&Silverlion> I can read it later...:D<br />
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[20:25] <~Dan> But you might have questions now. :)<br />
[20:25] <+Ben> The creation myth involves the "shards" that were spread around the world. Like dust.<br />
[20:25] <~Dan> (Howdy, Aincumis! Q&A in progress, #rpgnet2 open for general chat. :) )<br />
[20:25] <+Ben> Some of the shards "take root" in people or things -- and that gives them a lot more power, literally flowing through their veins (blood magic).<br />
[20:26] <+Ben> Others just have a touch of it (shard magic).<br />
[20:26] <+Ben> And others bargain for power with the denizens of the shadowlands and garner shadowmagic.<br />
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[20:27] <+Ben> Some races have embraced certain magics -- like the Sanguine (blood) elves embracing shadowmagic.<br />
[20:27] <+Ben> Others try to blend it with technology (dwarg).<br />
[20:27] <+Ben> There are also "miracles" -- the humans of the west (not the nomadic, sea-faring humans -- the 13th tribe) have a religion that provides them the use of miracles.<br />
[20:27] <&Silverlion> Seems disengenuous tgat Blood elves use shadow not blood :D<br />
[20:28] <+Ben> Some of the Taurim have access to it because of their close association./done<br />
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[20:28] <+Ben> They garnered their name not for their choice in magic -- but for their "fall" from the trees. They no longer reproduce with the trees, but "breed like animals" -- and the elves called them "Sanguine" (bloody) elves<br />
[20:29] <+ChrisFitzgerald> or 'Seedless'<br />
[20:29] <+Ben> Sanguine also embrace the sensuality of the flesh in other ways, and this sensuality is anathema to the stoic elven traditions.<br />
[20:29] <~Dan> Speaking of miracles... I read in the Sixcess core rules that all Sixcess worlds are monotheistic. How does that manifest in ElfWood?<br />
[20:30] <&Silverlion> Yeah, I know that much.<br />
[20:30] <+Ben> Sixcess provides rules and mechanics for playing monotheistic views, yes.<br />
[20:30] <+Ben> In ElfWood, there is a pantheon of *real* and *powerful* beings that are worshipped as gods.<br />
[20:31] <+Ben> However, there is one God -- called the Creator -- in ElfWood. And all "miracles" originate from the Creator. The power given from the pantheon is Shadowmagic.<br />
[20:31] <+Ben> Which hints strongly at their origin. /done<br />
[20:31] <~Dan> So all of the... pagan?... gods are ultimately demonic?<br />
[20:32] <+ChrisFitzgerald> I think a good comparison there is the mythology of the Silmarillion - there is an ultimate creator, who is somewhat lost to the depths of time, and then there are other beings that represent god-like archetypes but are really more like powerful agencies.<br />
[20:32] <+Ben> If you mean "pagan" in the sense of "gods of the people" -- then yes.<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> Interesting.<br />
[20:33] <+Ben> And,just because they are "from the shadow" doesn't mean they are ravening, slathering, ugly things bent on world domination.<br />
[20:33] <~Dan> Is that 13th tribe of Humans you mentioned the only group that worships the Creator?<br />
[20:33] <+Ben> Some of them are very kind, loving, peaceful, etc.<br />
[20:34] <+Ben> The 13th tribe were given "stewardship" over the great temple. They have been quietly maintaining it all these years and were spared the "blight" that reduced the rest of the humans to "non-productive" states.<br />
[20:34] <+Ben> They are, in a sense, the "salvation" of the human race -- physically and spiritually.<br />
[20:35] <+Ben> Using the same "comparing earth to Lakates" as before, the "great temple" is located in about "Mexico city".<br />
[20:36] <+Ben> I don't know of a way to share a map, so... I can only make allusions. /done<br />
[20:36] <~Dan> Are the Elf (Vrydan?) and Dwarg cultures monolithic empires?<br />
[20:37] <+Ben> The Dwarg are built on a fascist motif.<br />
[20:37] <+Ben> The Vyrden on a feudal/corporate motif.<br />
[20:37] <+Ben> The Dwarg are united and have a collectivist society.<br />
[20:37] <+Ben> The Vyrden have "tree-states" and siloed power.<br />
[20:38] <+Ben> In fact, it isn't until the Dwarg breach their lines and slaughter a Mother Tree that the Vyrden are able to set aside their rivalries and unite as a people (but that's in the future). ;)<br />
[20:38] <+Ben> It's hard to walk a line of a living story and not provide a meta-plot.<br />
[20:38] <+ChrisFitzgerald> One of the key features of Vyrden culture is that while it is the dominant one in Lakates, the civilization is also fragmented and divisive.<br />
[20:39] <+Ben> So, we try to tell the whole story -- and then set the game before a lot of the events occur --- and let the GM know where it's going so he can play it as he sees fit.<br />
[20:39] <~Dan> The dwarves of Glorantha, the Mostali, see themselves as part of a machine and see individualistic dwarves as "broken". Is there something similar at play here with the Dwarg?<br />
[20:40] <+Ben> We used a national socialist pattern to create the society fo the Dwarg. Their leader is even named "Aedolph".<br />
[20:40] <~Dan> Heh. Man. You're hardcore. :)<br />
[20:40] <+Ben> So, the state is everything to them and the individual is nothing -- yet strong individuals that achieve great things are honored and elevated to demi-god status.<br />
[20:41] <+Ben> There is also another thing at work with the Dwarg...<br />
[20:41] <+Ben> Recall that they are "of the earth".<br />
[20:41] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:41] <+Ben> When they come to Vyridia and establish a "trading presence" in some of the coastal cities, they also build their "temples/bathhouses".<br />
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[20:41] <~Dan> So... they have no souls...?<br />
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[20:42] <~Dan> (wb, Song- n/m.)<br />
[20:42] <+Ben> Thus, the Dwarg who arise from the Vyridian soil are ... different ... than those who arise from the "fatherland".<br />
[20:42] <+Ben> On the contrary, they have souls.<br />
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[20:43] <+Ben> And when the children of the soils of Vyridia are faced with a choice -- they are much less determined to blindly follow the guidance of the fatherland.<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> They do Nazi the point?<br />
[20:43] <+Ben> Oh, man, THAT was bad. *tosses a strike die*<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> :D<br />
[20:43] <+ChrisFitzgerald> oh wow Dan - you are in the zone tonight<br />
[20:43] * ~Dan bows<br />
[20:43] <~Dan> I live there, baby. ;)<br />
[20:44] <+ChrisFitzgerald> :-)<br />
[20:44] <+Ben> The real horror in all of this, however,is not the "nazi" dwarg. It's not the fragmented elves. It's not the seduction of the shadow.<br />
[20:44] <+Ben> ...it's the Kague.<br />
[20:44] <~Dan> The rat critters?<br />
[20:44] <+Ben> They breed like ... rats.<br />
[20:44] <+Ben> They eat anything ... like rats.<br />
[20:44] <+Xilanqui> Die Die Man-thing?<br />
[20:44] <+Ben> They are chaotic ... as rats.<br />
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[20:45] <+Ben> And the only thing that holds them back is their inability to unite.<br />
[20:45] <&Silverlion> I can see some problems...I suspect people will bring up.<br />
[20:45] <+Ben> ...but there are rumors that the Food Chain (their information network) and the Plague Rats (their assassin guild) are working under the guidance of a single, charistmatic and uniting individual.<br />
[20:46] <+Ben> And that "organization" and "unity" are forming amongst them.<br />
[20:46] <+Ben> Sliverlion, problems with the Kague?<br />
[20:47] <&Silverlion> If the nazi analogs aren't the worst bad guy. People are going to contstrue that your glorifying nazism.<br />
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[20:48] <&Silverlion> The fact that Jews were often treated like vermin in NAzi propagand and a race of vermin are "worse" than your nazi analogs? That may not fair well in certain circles.<br />
[20:48] <+Ben> I sincerely doubt it. Firstly, we never make any direct allusion to nazi-ism in any way. We only use the collectivist, statism motif of the german regime in the 1940s as a motif.<br />
[20:48] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest13!)<br />
[20:49] <&Silverlion> I hope no one draws that conclusion, but *shrugs* people are strange.<br />
[20:49] <+Ben> Secondly, just because something is evil does not make it "more good" simply because there is something even more evil.<br />
[20:49] <&Silverlion> True that.<br />
[20:49] <~Dan> I think Sil may have a point, although I do hope he's wrong.<br />
[20:49] <+Ben> And our dwarg never attempt genocide (except in their direct war against the elves).<br />
[20:50] <~Dan> Taking Offense(TM) has become a cottage industry all its own, it seems.<br />
[20:50] <+Ben> The Kague, however, want to *literally* eat everyone else.<br />
[20:50] <&Silverlion> Yeah. I hope I'm wrong too. Seriously. Its just a gut feeling I have.<br />
[20:50] * ~Dan nods<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> Oh -- so while, as always, you're welcome to chat as long as you like, we've about 10 minutes left in "regular time". Is there anything you'd like to bring up that we haven't covered?<br />
[20:51] <+Ben> Some people want to play "happy fun time" in the RPG sessions. And they're welcome to do so. Playing in one of our worlds and wanting "happy fun time" are probably anathema....<br />
[20:51] <~Dan> (And if not... Are there dragons?)<br />
[20:51] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Oh my goodness yes there are dragons.<br />
[20:51] <+Ben> Oh, there are "dragons". We have one called a "terrokon" that is ... deliciously nasty. :)<br />
[20:52] <+ChrisFitzgerald> But not your grand-dad's dragons.<br />
[20:52] <+Bigby> I didn't know the back story on the Kague before. I know one was a character in the GenCon sample characters. Are they going to remain a playable race?<br />
[20:52] <+Ben> He has a consort (a terrokir) and she tries to seduce *anyone* -- and he is *terribly* jealous. (And can't see through the fact that she's 100 times as large as a human and it's quite impossible.)<br />
[20:53] <+Bigby> And if so, what makes Trolls so bad that they will not be playable while the Kague that want to eat the whole world are?<br />
[20:53] <+Ben> Bigby, yes. They are playable. Because we believe that if it's playable, then it has a chance at redemption and just because it came from "evil" roots does not determine it to be "evil". :)<br />
[20:53] <+Bigby> So are trolls "monsters" not sentients?<br />
[20:54] <~Dan> So just because you're a Kague doesn't mean that you're a degeneRat?<br />
[20:54] <+Ben> Trolls are, essentially, a "dead end" gentetically. While the Kague have potential to be more than theyare.<br />
[20:54] <+Ben> Exactly, Dan.<br />
[20:54] <+Ben> Trolls are somewhat "predetermined" to be what they are. They are, essentially, walking fungus, after all. ;)<br />
[20:55] <+Ben> Bigby, trolls have "rudimentary" intelligence -- but are more monster than sentient. (Though they can think, talk, carry out orders, etc.)<br />
[20:55] <+Bigby> Got it.<br />
[20:55] <&Silverlion> Myrk...rabid meat puppets...<br />
[20:56] <+Ben> Rabid mushroom puppets. ;)<br />
[20:56] <+Ben> (And, we *might* make them playable in the future. We're still discussing just how much of a "dead end" they are.)<br />
[20:56] <~Dan> They're mushrooms?<br />
[20:56] <+Ben> They are, essentially, yes.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> Wow. 'Shrooms. Acid. Lots of drug imagery in this game!<br />
[20:57] <+Ben> They grow from a "mother stump" -- a giant mushroom-like thing. And they release "spores" -- especially when they are struck.<br />
[20:57] <+ChrisFitzgerald> There's a great piece of art for the book of a fungal troll bloom - one of my favorites.<br />
[20:57] <~Dan> That's pretty cool. :)<br />
[20:57] <+Ben> And the spores take root anywhere there is rotting vegetation and darkness.<br />
[20:58] <+Ben> There are three primary forms of trolls: Trollocs, trollkin and trolls.<br />
[20:58] <+Ben> And the are cannibalistic.<br />
[20:58] <+Ben> A troll would think nothing of grabbing a trolloc and eating it.<br />
[20:59] <+Ben> *considers* drug imagery?<br />
[20:59] <+Ben> Hmmmm...<br />
[20:59] <+Ben> That gives me an idea... ;)<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> (Again, goofy mood.)<br />
[20:59] <~Dan> (But whatever works! :) )<br />
[20:59] <+Ben> Hey, if LOTR can have "long bottom leaf" that seems to be likened to pot, why not? ;)<br />
[20:59] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Eflwood...or Elfweed?<br />
[21:00] <+Ben> LOL<br />
[21:00] <+Ben> I see a version of the game in the future for our "RashHilarities" spinoff... ;)<br />
[21:00] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[21:00] <+Ben> So, I'm curious...<br />
[21:01] <+Ben> All those names on the right. Are those people "watching"? Or not logged on?<br />
[21:01] <~Dan> We tend to have more than our share of lurkers who may or may not be paying attention.<br />
[21:01] <+Yalborap> We're here.<br />
[21:01] <+Dritz> I'm totally not paying attention<br />
[21:01] <+Ben> I was just curious. It's a pretty big list of folks. :)<br />
[21:02] <~Dan> Indeed. :)<br />
[21:02] <+Dritz> probably a lot of us have client setups that let us stay online 24/7 though :p<br />
[21:02] <+Ben> Dritz, I greatly appreciate your inattention. ;)<br />
[21:02] <&Silverlion> Most of them are undead and they logged in long ago, but now onlysit and stare at the blinking lights<br />
[21:02] * ~Dan chuckles<br />
[21:03] <+Ben> That gives me an idea for our FunkPunk minisetting! LOL<br />
[21:03] <&Silverlion> Alright, I'm going to read. Later all.<br />
[21:03] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Everything gives you an idea for something - that's what makes you such a good product manager!<br />
[21:03] <+ChrisFitzgerald> ;-)<br />
[21:03] <~Dan> Can you continue to hang out with us, or do you need to run, Ben?<br />
[21:03] <+Ben> Chris, you are far too kind.<br />
[21:04] <+Ben> However, my kids take the cake when they created super heroes who could shoot icecream and each flavor did somthing different....<br />
[21:04] <+Ben> I should go and spend time with my family. My wife thinks she cracked a rib a couple days ago and is currently sprawled on the bed...<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Fair enough. I shall have the chat logged and posted momentarily. :)<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> Sorry to hear about the wife, though. :<br />
[21:05] <~Dan> :(<br />
[21:05] <+Ben> Oh, last thing... If anyone is in Kansas City, we'll be at the KC Game Fair this weekend running 10 events.<br />
[21:05] <+Dritz> hunh, that'd actually be nearby me<br />
[21:05] <+Dritz> wasn't aware there was a game fair coming up<br />
[21:06] <+Ben> It's at the Hilton by the airport.<br />
[21:06] <~Dan> Oh, speaking of which, Ben: Feel free to organize online demo games in here if you like.<br />
[21:06] <+Ben> Ren will be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'll be there Saturday and Sunday.<br />
[21:06] <+Ben> Y'know, I was thinking about that... I wanted to try a Skype game, never done it before.<br />
[21:07] <+Ben> Dan, many thanks for inviting me to talk again. As always, I greatly enjoyed it and I was honored for you to spend time listening to my ravings. :)<br />
[21:07] <~Dan> Our pleasure. :)<br />
[21:08] <~Dan> Have a great evening!<br />
[21:08] <+Ben> And, Chris, did you introduce yourself?<br />
[21:08] <+Bigby> Good to see ya Ben.<br />
[21:08] <+Ben> Do they know who you are?<br />
[21:08] <~Dan> We do not!<br />
[21:08] <+MonkofLords> No idea!<br />
[21:08] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Nope, just the chatty weird guy.<br />
[21:08] <+ChrisFitzgerald> :-)<br />
[21:08] <~Dan> He's an enigma!<br />
[21:08] <+MonkofLords> Nifty<br />
[21:08] <+Ben> Chris has agreed to assist us in our endeavors with ElfWood. He has written a good chunk of it and accepted the role as "Line Developer". :)<br />
[21:09] <+ChrisFitzgerald> bows<br />
[21:09] <~Dan> Cool! Congrats, Chris!<br />
[21:09] <+Ben> Chris really impressed us with some of his suggestions early on. We met at Gen Con, we felt a "kinship" and it grew from there.<br />
[21:09] <~Dan> Chris, as Ben knows, game company folks are always welcome to hang out with us and discuss their products. Or just hang out. :)<br />
[21:09] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Thanks! It's been great fun and I'm looking forward to getting the completed product out there.<br />
[21:09] <~Dan> So please don't be a stranger!<br />
[21:10] <+MonkofLords> Gen-Con is the place<br />
[21:10] <+Ben> After awhile, we asked if he liked floggings and regular beatings while being dragged over hot coals. When he said, "only if I can pay you to do it!" we knew we found the right guy!<br />
[21:10] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Thanks Dan<br />
[21:11] <+Ben> In all seriousness, Chris has awesome ideas, great writing talent and can take the lead on ElfWood while we finish out Promised Sands and get Extraordinary Voyages out of her berth.<br />
[21:11] <+Bigby> Nice to meet you Chris<br />
[21:12] <+ChrisFitzgerald> [blushes]<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> Think you'll hang out with us in the future, Chris? :)<br />
[21:12] <+ChrisFitzgerald> Absolutely<br />
[21:12] <~Dan> Excellent. :)<br />
[21:12] <+Ben> And one last introduction, Bigby has helped us immeasurably with our errata for Sixcess Core. Of all our editors, he has found the most items needed update and our Sixcess Core 1.1 is soon to be released.<br />
[21:13] <~Dan> Bigby's a cool guy. :)<br />
[21:13] <+Bigby> Awe Shucks<br />
[21:13] <+Ben> He is a damned lunatic at finding all the things that we knew we had right and need fixing. ;)<br />
[21:14] <+Ben> Every time I see his email in my box,I have to look in the mirror and say, "I'm not a complete failure, I'm not a complete failure"... ;)<br />
[21:14] <+Bigby> I am a pain for small press games. There is one company that stopped answering my rules question emails...<br />
[21:14] <+Ben> (Which is the mark of a *GREAT* editor, btw!)<br />
[21:14] <~Dan> :)<br />
[21:14] <+Bigby> Just keep sending me stuff to proofread.<br />
[21:14] <+ChrisFitzgerald> On that note, my wife is also requesting my attention. It was a pleasure getting to chat with all of you - I look forward to more opportunities in the future!<br />
[21:14] <~Dan> Talk to you soon, Chris!<br />
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[21:14] <+Ben> Lastly....<br />
[21:15] <+Ben> Invasion of the Fourth Reich to be released in a couple weeks. Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales to be announced soon. ElfWood on Kickstarter as soon as they approve it.<br />
[21:15] <+Ben> And with that, my final thanks, Dan. Have a great night! :)<br />
[21:16] <+Bigby> IofFR is a fun little setting.<br />
[21:16] <~Dan> You too! :)<br />
[21:16] <+Bigby> Nazis always make good bad guys. Not sure how much else I'm allowed to say.<br />
[21:16] <+Ben> Say all you like, Bigby.<br />
[21:17] <+Ben> It's fun to shoot nazi invaders. ;)<br />
[21:17] <+Bigby> Especially when they are dimension hopping Nazis with gauss-tech!<br />
[21:18] <+Ben> Yeah... I remember the first time I introduced my gaming group to these guys. It was a lot of fun! :)<br />
[21:19] <+Ben> Okay, I'm scooting. :) Later, all. :)<br />
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