22 replies to this topic

[Rellik San]

You guys feel about GM run games with th involvement of random chance in order to challenge not only your creative, but your problem solving skills?

What would be the general response to that kind of game?

[AFC.]

That sounds pretty interesting. Like surprise challenges?

[Rellik San]

Something like that.

[Sarcastic_Guy]

I'm not quite sure what you mean precisely. If you're just talking about random chance as in task resolution / conflict resolution through die roll or random chance, that sounds like it's pretty standard to me. (and something that I think we could use here)

if you mean like, the dice determines the situation that you deal with... I'm not so sure about. I mean, that can work but coherence becomes a bit of an issue if the table you draw the challenges from are not regulated well.

[Rellik San]

I'm not quite sure what you mean precisely. If you're just talking about random chance as in task resolution / conflict resolution through die roll or random chance, that sounds like it's pretty standard to me. (and something that I think we could use here)

if you mean like, the dice determines the situation that you deal with... I'm not so sure about. I mean, that can work but coherence becomes a bit of an issue if the table you draw the challenges from are not regulated well.

Standard table top style stat rolling is what I meant by random chance.

I'd like to do a test game, using some minimal rules and a building point system, I'll throw one together, then what I'd suggest is both being table top experienced we co-gm it, to keep it fast moving as a test bed for possible future games.

[Sarcastic_Guy]

sure thing. If the rest of the board here is cool with that arrangement, I'll give it a go.

I suggest though, that in order to keep the amount of posts required to a minimum, we come up with some kind of compel mechanic that basically allows players to "power play" another character but in a very controlled and limited fashion.

that's what I was shooting for when I was writing my little blurb in the other thread. That way, most of the game will revolve around trying to work the "aspects" or narrative elements into the action to get the bonuses.

I would also think we should probably stay away from doing actual skill numbers and all that since the more stats we gotta keep track of, the more number crunching and the slower the game can get.

[AFC.]

I'd be be like..

Ha mothafucka! Now you gotta do this!

[Rellik San]

Well what I was thinking is maybe a self regulating stat line, so Physical, Mental and Spiritual.... and you have a modifier table to look against.

So they have to roll under their stat, the task is fairly difficult (hacking a computer) they look up its a +3 to the dice result, they see if they can do it. Its simple and easy enough that most things can be done without GM involvement so long as they are willing to have some common sense about it.
As for skills thats easy to do without much number crunching, if untrained in the skill you add +1 to the die result as an automatic penalty.

I like the idea of basic power play too. Say keep it to simple actions, that can not directly endanger that character?

Or we could abolish the stat system altogether for now, and do as you suggested and have a narrative points system instead, it's something more used to what the people here are used to doing so it shouldn't be too hard for them to slip into a self regulate. All we'd have to do is read the posts and make sure people are being honest with how they react.

[Sarcastic_Guy]

well, like I said, it needs to be highly controlled. i.e. if you are to force a character to perform an action, you would have to tag their narrative elements correctly and then you'd probably have to expend your own resources to do so. That way, doing so carries a cost and so you have to be careful how you go about doing it. the motivation here is not so much that it gives you the power to control other people's characters, but so that in case that player goes AWOL, we can keep the story moving.

[Rellik San]

So if I recall if you tag your ability for a bonus, you lose a point, if you tag it for a penalty you gain a point. Points can be spent at any time, if two or more people want to spend points, the person with the highest spend writes that narrative segment.

Thats the simplest way of putting it right?

[Sarcastic_Guy]

well, the way I was thinking about was using the Wushu:Open approach mixed with some fate hack ideas.

basically this is how it works.

every character has "aspects", and "plot points". Aspects are whatever you write that describes your character. And whenever in a situation that arises, you can tag the ability by spending plot points on it. this gives you a bonus to the conflict resolution roll. You can, of course, tag another person's aspects, but then you still have to spend points to tag that ability. And the point you just spent goes right to the person you just tagged.

When it comes to overcoming GM obstacles, we declare a conflict number that they have to beat. You tag your aspects, spend your points, add a rolled die to the end result, and that's your result. When it comes to inter player conflicts, we create guidelines that allow players to calculate the respective conflict number.

the more you want them to do, the higher the number. If you FAIL at that roll, you have failed to effect the other player and the other player gets to write out how it failed. To meet this role, you can tag your own aspects, obviously, but you can also tag the opposing player's aspects too.

[Rellik San]

Sounds good to me, as the limited points is a serious incentive not to play god with other peoples characters whilst still allowing absent players the chance to be part of the story.

[finality]

forumotion.com actually have the mechanics for rpgs built into the site, with a dice roll function, character sheets, etc. I suggest you check out one that does rpgs for ideas.

http://www.forumotion.com/

[Josh Joshson]

It's scary I understood most of that. I haven't played tabletop games for about 8 years now. :/

[ ᠎]

It is a good idea, but be prepared for multiple noobs to quit once they realize they can't Godmod themselves out of any situation.

[Sarcastic_Guy]

well, the thing is, in these games, failure doesn't always mean death. It does mean you kind of have to acknowledge that there are limitations to your character, since you are failing at something.

anyway, what you see here are the first draft rules. I still need to refine them so they work with play by post better.

[ ᠎]

well, the thing is, in these games, failure doesn't always mean death. It does mean you kind of have to acknowledge that there are limitations to your character, since you are failing at something.

anyway, what you see here are the first draft rules. I still need to refine them so they work with play by post better.

Yes, but I don't think that failing at anything in an RP will fly too well with most of these people.

It seems like on this site, the point of RPing is not to have a realistic roleplay, its simply to be the superhero/villain/god you've always wanted to be.

"THEN HE WENT IN AND KILLED A BUNCH OF THOSE AGENTS. IT WAS EASY. HE SNARLED AND SCOWLED AND SMOKED A FAG. FUCK YEAH"

[Sarcastic_Guy]

in that case, I fail to see the downside of our system, since it means we'll be losing essentially dead weight anyways.

[Rellik San]

Yes, but I don't think that failing at anything in an RP will fly too well with most of these people.

It seems like on this site, the point of RPing is not to have a realistic roleplay, its simply to be the superhero/villain/god you've always wanted to be.

"THEN HE WENT IN AND KILLED A BUNCH OF THOSE AGENTS. IT WAS EASY. HE SNARLED AND SCOWLED AND SMOKED A FAG. FUCK YEAH"

Yeah I'm still struggling with that.

The characters want equal treatment and acceptance, that is their goal, yet they regularly never question mass murdering a bunch of guys doing their jobs.

[Sarcastic_Guy]

Just like in any game, if you carry the consequences to it's logical conclusion, your players generally DO wise up. Having said that, characterization issues are not stuff that can be fixed via system focus, but usually starts as a player issue. A lot of players will often feel entitlement because of the characters are supposedly more powerful than most of the peons in game. You get this even in experienced gamer circles where people will treat NPCs, even ones in much higher stations, as second class citizens and basically treat them like glorified servants.

again, why a GM is actually needed here, because a lot of the players here just don't consider the responses to these actions into their posts. The checks and balances are totally not there and for me it ruins the suspension of disbelief for me.