Please, continue.  :^)

There is nothing more to say!

In reply to Falco (msg # 2):


Interesting, please tell me more.

Must be time for drunk charades and escapades....

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 4):

Any group need an orphan wizard whose group combined with another that he can't join? His owner already has a character in the group.

Third level.

In reply to Birahu the Black (msg # 5):

Can you hold your own while drinking?  What are your feeling about dancing and general festivities?

In reply to Cugel Winterbreath (msg # 6):

Dancing and festivities are wonderful. The women can get me drunk and take advantage of me!

I am in the mega dungeon, it has been a fun haul....

In reply to Birahu the Black (msg # 7):

Mega dungeon is fun!  (Currently not in it)
Not sure how you'd fair but we currently don't have a MU in our group 9.  if you are not that strong, we have enough muscle to protect you.

OR

We could "pump, you up"  (Insert old SNL Hans & Franz accents)

In reply to Stone Pegason (msg # 9):

Halfway through 3rd level. My first character here, Tern D'Ghuul, is in the main dungeon and has been there from the beginning. e's just about 5th level I think. The party Birahu was with, is joining them.

I've got Birahu covered, thanks.   :^)

Crosshairs dead on him..?

Staked out, covered in honey, atop an ant hill?

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 13):

How did you know?!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

In reply to Birahu the Black (msg # 14):

I love it here!

DM gave it away with the keyword covered, and that little "bee" stinger up thing he did at the end.....

02:25, Yesterday: Birahu the Black rolled 5 using 2d4+2.  mm.

What the heck! You're already in combat????

Sure BtB versus the ants.....

Clever man ate part of the honey and used the burst of energy to free one arm....

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 18):

Carrion Crawler,

That darn paralysis ability sucks....

I cannot remember if half elves are immune, or is it just elves.....

A halfling walks into the tavern, well, almost walks under the door.  He is really short, but his daggers look sharp.  He flips a silver piece in his hands as if he wasn't even paying attention to it, it just kept flipping into the air, as if on its own.  He deftly flips it onto the bar and it lands on its edge.  "Ale, please"

Nice post, but this is OOC so you might not get much in response!

Didn't see a place to put it.

We can pretend the DM is away and we're having one of our tavern meetups...but the last couple never really took off......

Welcome to the game, Sebastian. Gang Green dues can be paid in full, or deferred with only a modest interest charge appended to them. Please see Errol, the one-eyed rat god gnome about payment options.

Meanwhile, the pretty spinning silver coin disappears, despite the proximity of a gnome with an eye patch. It's always work, work, work, for the treasurer of the most infamous "adventurer's" guild in Nemrac.

Welcome Sebastian!

In a quiet, but certain voice, Sebastian says, "If'n you are wanting to lose that hand, you can keep the coin, otherwise, replace it and you buy the next round!"

In reply to Sebastian (msg # 27):

Greetings, waiting to be assigned to a group, or you group 0? ;-)

Just stretching my legs whilst I wait.

Updating all tomorrow night (when it's Thursday here).

Welcome Sebastian!

You can't fool me nasty little hobbit, alleged halfling....you are a Took!!!!

Sorry, all, updating Friday during the day.

Errol shrugs and lies. "It'll grow back. The other one did when the dragon ate it."

Sorry gang, but Friday turned into Saturday on me.

Clearly you mean Thursday turned into Saturday!

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 36):

Shit happens.

Saturday, Sunday, it is all just a matter of time zones.

In reply to Nadya (msg # 38):

Heck, ts nearly Sunday here ;)

All good though. I value Jeff’s health and sanity.

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 39):

Which continues to make a difference in my health and sanity. We're patient Jeff.

Jeff's health has not been 100% of late. I have tests scheduled for later this week - it hurts to move much so I've been sleeping a lot more than usual the last few days and those migraines I get have been vicious this weekend. If I can, I'll update every group tomorrow.

Those new players we have - we're just waiting on a couple more to roll up their characters and we'll get started.

There's no stress. Take your time. You do an excellent job!

Yes! Definitely take your time and take care of yourself!!

Jeff, check E-Bay for robot bodies...  just kidding.  Pain sucks, I do know, so rest and hopefully those tests will tell you how to deal with it.

In reply to Tyrian (msg # 44):

Kidneys? My roommate has Diabetes and kidney disease, with the kidneys, he's always tired and in pain if he tries to walk, back, legs, he just aches! We'll pray for you!

In reply to Tern D'Guul (msg # 45):



 No, but thank you. My problem is due in part to my blindness, I have, among other things to much fluid pressure  going in, and it results in constant pain.     Periodically I have to go in and have my MD stick in a needle and drain out some of the fluid so it doesn't damage my tear ducts.

Sleep is entirely not overrated. Welcome to the game Sebastian, and any other newbs.

Your fees for joining the adventurers guild...sorry, Adventurers Guild...are due to Gang Green by the end of the week. Do not be late.

Your fee for enjoying my presence is due immediately.

Well if payment equals enjoyment, you'll be the one handing over coin, based on current evidence. :)

 Death to fees and taxes!

Or is that death, fees and taxes...

Doesn't matter.

Is it:
Eats shoots and leaves
Or eats, shoots, and leaves

Sounds like a hookup :)

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 51):



 Keep this up and I'll die laughing.

It's death-fees and taxes.

I thought it was death and Texas.

Jeff and Texans perhaps?

Nothing is certain in life except Death and Taxes. And a traffic light changing yellow just at that precise microsecond where you have to decide to brake or gun it.

In reply to Errol One-Eye (msg # 57):

A pearl of wisdom from the king!

Oh dear Tern are you okay?  I think you might have taken a blow to the head, that's delayed concussion talk.


Sorry about that Errol, I'm sure he didn't really mean anything by it.

I'm still looking for this 'pearl' I dropped. So unlike me.

In reply to Beelo Bigfoot (msg # 54):


 This is a good way to tell me I need to add joke disclaimers’, without   telling me I need to add them. Well done.

Yes the pearl of course, not rat-boys dump stat.

In reply to Hauraki (msg # 62):

1 dump, 2 dumps, or three dumps a day? ;-)

Don't eat the yellow snow....

The second fastest animal in the world is the dogs in Greenland... because the trees are so far apart.

The level of discourse in this game is really going down the toilet!

And to think, I originally came here for the high brow humor!  ;)

I do want to remind everyone that this is a General game - that means no four-letter epithets from some of you, please. I don't want to get in trouble from the mods here.

Should I not have said “elves?”  Or was it some other 4-letter epi-thingy?

:^D   Devlin will fit in nicely here, especially since he's only 3'10"....     ;^)


In honor of the new players entering and rolling up characters as we speak, Skullwhomper Ales all 'round!

sniff,   sniff, . . what's that smell?

In reply to Tern D'Guul (msg # 70):

Devlin looks a little embarrassed and makes an effort to whistle innocently.

Hey veterans, I haven't brought this up since 2020....

Your DM lives just outside of the birthplace of AD&D - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, USA. I love that this game has folks from all over the world playing in it. The folks in the game that have told me here in Group 0 where they're from come from all over the States, Canada, the UK, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, although I know a few more locations shared in private. Anybody else care to tell the group where you're from? Don't feel as though you have to, though. If you'd like to tell me privately so I know what time zones we're dealing with, that's okay, too, but you don't have to do that, either.

I say this because unlike some games where the players can each cram in three or four posts a day with their DM in the same country or time zone, this game needs a 24-hour turnaround just so everyone can see and respond to any new posts. That plus I still think it's cool when someone tells me they're from Serbia, Germany, Brazil, etc. If I knew how to pin every player's location to a virtual map (assuming I knew them all) I think it would look really cool.

In reply to DMJSC (msg # 72):

I find it interesting where everyone is from, too.

Grew up in Frankin WI...went to Gencon in the 90's.
Now in Phoenix, AZ, USA.

In reply to Stone Pegason (msg # 73):

Tern d'Guul, Birahu the Black, and Mitsubishi are from Shippensburg, PA

As a child I lived in upstate NY.  Moved to massachusetts and have lived all over the eastern half of the state.  Currently live near the MA/NH border.

Imre and Coale live just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Grew up as a military brat so was all over, but longest stay was in Germany (Ramstein) but I currently reside in the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, AZ) on the west side.

In reply to Lu Qui-He (msg # 77):

I served 2.5 years in Germany in the army in the early 80's. Quirnheim and Babenhausen.

I lived in 10 US States, born in Virginia but call Florida home.  Also lived in the Azores and am retired near Brisbane, Australia.

People ask where I am from and after 30 moves, I just tell them planet Earth. Been around it, very few places I wouldn't go again, given the chance.

In reply to Lu Qui-He (msg # 77):

Sorry you are on the West side.  ;)

Im on the east side.

Spent most of my adult life between Japan and other countries.  Currently I'm in the Eastern Time zone but will return to Japan in August.

Was born in NY, just north of the city.

Currently living outside of DC.

East coast Australia :)

Wellington, New Zealand.

Eastern Iowa represent! Grew up in Dubuque on the Mississippi River. Been living in the Cedar Rapids area for most of my life, though. One of my favorite places that I have lived, was the three years I spent in Fort Drum, NY while I was in the US Army. Ready to defend the homeland in case Imre and his friends decided to invade. Sneaky Canucks.

Born in Hull, UK
Currently living in Perth, Australia

Hi everyone.  I've come over from 3.5, really excited to try the old school 1e AD&D.  I played 2e AD&D once, but only briefly.  I've been on rpol for a long time, but it's been a while since I've been on here.

I noticed Adhmad Ciuin is using a portrait of Catherine Isabelle I submitted a long time ago.  I bet no one can guess the movie it's from though.

On the Corner?

Lol, you actually got it... dang.  Have you seen it?

No, but I love a good puzzle. It was her fringe :)

It's pretty good, you should check it out.  It's about street culture, homelessness, drugs, and prostitution.

Welcome aboard Eithne!  I hope you enjoy the flavour of early D&D.

I'm looking forward to it, although sadly one element I was looking forward to isn't being used;  the weapon effects on particular types of armor.  But, I guess it's not that big of a deal.  I'll probably use it next time I run a game, even though it won't be AD&D.

There are some problems with those weapon vs armor charts. There are a couple of blogs that have gone into it, Delta's D&D Hotspot was one of them (link below). They based the numbers off of some charts in Chainmail, but got some of the numbers inverted. Handle with care.

http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/...weapon-vs-armor.html

That's interesting to note.  I think for a lot of things, like how much space items take up, it's a little pointless to get bogged down meticulously calculating everything.  The same could be said for the weapons vs armor values.  I think it's more suited to a video game where the calculation is done for you instantaneously.  Roleplaying needs to be fluid, and not bogged down with overly complicated rules.  As a general rule I go with common sense.  So in future games I'll definitely be factoring in armor vs weapon types, but I'll rely more on common sense than meticulous data.  Some trial and error will probably be necessary.  I do feel like play by post allows for a little more meticulous calculation than actual in-person tabletop.

I will admit in my tabletop days we never used armour adjustments or weapon speeds, for that very reason.  Just too much complication for what we perceived to be very little benefit.  Expediency overruled any devotion to absolute realism.

Usually, but when this game first started I had a young man who was obviously an avid video game player. He kept trying to carry a 12' pole arm into a cave with a 5' ceiling.... We tried to explain, but I finally solved the problem by 'giving' him a Sword +1. He finally quit trying to bring the pole arm into places it wouldn't fit.  :^)  He was fine after that (and technically, he was fine before that, except for that one issue).

Have you guys seen Goblin Slayer?  I feel like that's the most fitting portrayal of D&D in any show/movie/comic I've seen.  There's scenes of someone with a longsword getting caught on the cave's stalactites and falling out of his hand.  Another character looses his sword in a monster and runs away, then later has to go back and retrieve it.  But, he can't afford another sword and doesn't know how to get it or what to do.  He asks another adventurer who suggests using a club, and the guy's able to retrieve his sword.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:36, Thu 26 Jan 2023.

In reply to Eithne (msg # 87):

Hey there! I heard my name called. That's awesome to get that extra history.

... and WELCOME!!

In reply to Adhmad Ciuin (msg # 99):

Hello, I'm just glad to see my old portraits in use.  I've submitted quite a few over the years, and in groups of this size it's rare not to see one of mine on someone.  :D

Although in recent years my submissions have gone ignored unfortunately.

In reply to Eithne (msg # 100):

The movie her portrait is from looks like it would be a good one to watch, but not seeing it in any streaming places. I may have to go to my local video store (yes, there still are some around where I live!!) and see if there is a DVD somewhere.

Is it kinda like "Panic in Needle Park" and movies like that?

In reply to Eithne (msg # 100):



 The Administrator isn't accepting new pictures, because of mostly working on code for the new version of RPOL.  I've heard from a player of another game that there are also some issues with the main RPOL website that make adding new ones difficult, but take this last with some salt, since  I don't know how true it is.

I was listening for something else and came across the information.

I've only submitted a small number of portraits over the years, but it's kind of cool to see someone using one you submitted. Although in one game I'm in right now, the GM used a pic I submitted for an NPC, and it kinda throws me off a bit since I'd used it for a character a long time ago. I keep thinking that the NPC's posts are mine!

Tonight we just passed 53,000 posts. Go us!

Yeah, it's a pretty obscure movie.  I have a DVD copy, though I can't remember where I got it.  I definitely had to hunt for it.

I haven't seen Panic in Needle Park, so can't say.  It's definitely got a huge indie film vibe, and it's a bit gritty.  Maybe a little similar to Christiane F, and if you haven't seen that, that's a must see.

Catherine Isabelle also did another movie with a very similar style and feel to it, Show Me (2004).

Testament to your longevity and consistency! Long may it continue :)

Norwich, UK.

I remember the days of submitting portraits. I can’t recall every one I submitted but remember submitting the one used by Alexi Brambleson.

Worst time to have a heart attack?  When you are playing charades.

(Heard that from a stand up bard)

Nice

In reply to Gilbert Fuego (msg # 107):

Hey! That would be me!! I do really like that face. It was very evocative when I picked it.

I'm from Canada btw.

As an FYI I will be gone most of next week on vacation.

In reply to Lu Qui-He (msg # 112):

If you were female, would you be called Lu Qui-Ho? :D

Easy now....

NO way it would be Lu Qui-She!!

 I'm absolutely certain that two different players for this game are engaged in nearly identical tasks at this moment in time.

Seeking prices for things.

Not sure what you're talking about, Tyrian. Everything is free with a good enough roll.

In reply to Errol One-Eye (msg # 117):

Some people say the best things in life are for free,
But you can give that to the birds and the bees,
Money, that's what I want.
Money that's what I want.
That's what I waaaaaant, oh baby yeah, that's what I want.

If you roll higher than 10 on a roll of 20, you can hear me snapping my fingers.
If you guessed I'm still on hold, you'd be correct.

Can't beat that Barrett Strong!

In reply to Imre Rillsong (msg # 119):

"True Troubadour,  very true.
Now, play me a toon  if you please, for we shall soon dance upon a breeze,  and I want to be two more steps to dancing on the moon ere this night is through"
 - Draconess Xerena  Xetaphon to the troubadour Lellin, Five roads and three gates. Philip Newcastle, 1812

All DMs are busy due to high call volume. Your call is important to us. Please continue to hold for the next available DM. Thank you." Random 80's song elevator music.

I think someone has been sliding into my DMs!!!!

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 122):



I'd say its the consequence of new players.  RTJs eat up time.
And then there are the plates to be juggled, up to  eighty now I think... possibly eighty-five. Very hard on the wrists.

In reply to Tyrian (msg # 123):


 Tyrian.

Go change your bio  right now.
Go. do. it.
Not a mage indeed.

I thought it was a type-o.....


I am not a mage it was a mere chant.

Your adventuring party is very important to me. I will update all groups Sunday (tomorrow for me). In the meantime, here is some light music....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...ab_channel=EscapeOne

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 125):


 I know the player.

I know what he's doing.

I know him well enough to tease him about it.

Your post was still funny though.

Reminds me of the new magic wand that allows illusionist to make copies of themselves. The iMage, I think it's called.

That the one from Apple Magic?

In reply to Ardana Valaromra (msg # 127):



I have no, I repeat, no idea to what you speak Ma'am.

No idea what so ever. That is my official response. For the record. I mean that now.

<exit stage right,  while bing chased  by a bear.

This is exactly my response when  people used  to come ask me questions like they thought I knew....answers or something

"I do not know what I ever did or said to make you think that  I have any idea of how or what about anything, but let me assure you I know nothing at all about anything, but if it will make you feel better, you can ask."

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 131):

The truth here is that Ardana knows what I'm doing with my character, and I know that she knows.  Its the whole, reluctant mage archetype.  Tyrian read his dead mother's books on magic, and that's how he knows how to be a mage, but he doesn't really feel like a mage, just because he can cast a few spells.

Eventually he'll gain greater understanding and the 'Merchant, not a mage' tag will change.  The teasing/ counter teasing though is sort of a requirement though.

I hail from the eastern coast of Scotland, born and bred, lived here all my days.

I have been once to Canada, and four times to the US of A. I've loved it every single time.

I'm also a huge fan of North American sports, specifically football (mostly), baseball and hockey (never been big on basketball). As a NY Giants fan I'll be hugely disappointed when the Eagles win the SuperBowl, which they surely will.

I was a big hockey fun until 2006.  I'm from Ottawa and for me that was peak NHL.  Around that point a new owner bought the NHL and I didn't like the changes he made.  I also found the reffing was getting worse in terms of favoring teams with more money.  So I stopped following it.

I just went to a Drum & Bass show this weekend and saw Mampi Swift.  That man is an abosulte legend from the UK, and in my opinion one of the best DJs in the world.  He absolutely destroyed the dance floor for three straight hours, and after the show he said he could have gone for another 2 hours.  They were really down to earth humble people, hung around and chatted with us after the show.  We stayed in a hotel in Toronto for the weekend.  It's the only Canadian city he visited.  He didn't do a big tour or anything, just came to Toronto and then flew back to the UK.  I'm back home now, but I made a few of my recent posts from the hotel.  :P

One of the best shows I've ever been to in my life.  It was so wild.  At one point the MC came down into the crowd and danced with us while still spitting bars on a wireless mic.

Updating all groups tomorrow.

In reply to Eithne (msg # 134):

I was a big NHL fan from 1976 when I found the Canadiens until about 2000. The Golden Skate, Bobby Hull passed away the other day, he was 82. My heroes are pretty much gone, LeFleur is dead.

I can't recall anything from 1976 other than a memory of my gran changing my nappy....

I remember the Bicentennial and being in a Fife and Drum Corp in 1976.  And then, 1977 when Star Wars came out, my first PG movie, and when AD&D came out, although I don't think I started playing until closer to 1979.

I don't remember it. But mom swore it was true.   In '74 when my brother was being born, three year old me didn't feel like I was getting enough attention in the hospital, and took off all my clothes and ran down the hallways with my grandpa chasing me.

Didn't start DnD until '86

In reply to Goruug (msg # 139):

I started playing AD&D in 1981, 2 years after I graduated from high school.

So, can someone tell me where the checkbox is for Experience for redoing an apartment units street to building connection to put in a wheelchair ramp, and having to redo part of the blasted foundation?
The thing you don't want to discover at eight in the evening when you are about to pour  in the wheelchair base.  Frank swore in three different languages.   We stopped at one to let the foundation we redid settle, then we had to do two controlled fires to do the ramp, but its done.   I can scratch off that modification from the list, but man, I never want to have to have a job like that one again.

I don't remember anything before 1977. Probably because I didn't exist.

In reply to Rystro Drakken (msg # 142):

My oldest memory is the Kennedy Assassination in Dallas, JFK's funeral.

Started playing with my brothers in late 70/early 80 time frame. Being military brats didn't have consistent friends otherwise.

I watched the moon landing but was a little young to remember it.  I do remember when Nixon resigned and where I was at the time.

You were in teh actual studio?!? (I'm kidding!)

I started playing D&D in either 1980 or '81, loved it from the beginning.

I think we have stated a couple of  times that there is a massive  collection of grognards overall here and in this particular area.

I  was surprised how many are actually older than I am.

I am "middle aged" or 50 however you take that.

A surprising number started in box or 1st edition.  I started 1st...

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 147):

Been playing 41 - 42 years. I'm almost 62. My roommate started in 1976-7.

Boxed edition for me, in 1979. When elves and dwarves were proper classes, not races!  LOL

And Eithne and Tern, you'll have to put up with a Maple Leafs fan here...

In reply to Imre Rillsong (msg # 149):

No problem, I love Canadian hockey, just root for Montreal.

Root for Montreal?  On purpose?

In reply to Rend Beardface (msg # 151):

Yup, their last Cup was 1993, one long ass drought!

Another reason you're my drinking buddy!  :D

Try rooting for the Canucks... *facepalm*

In reply to Amalric (msg # 154):

I've never seen several of the teams, I stopped watching hockey about 15 years ago.+

Hockey story: Winter 1989, I'm at Fort Drum and West Point's hockey team visits a nearby D3 school. Fort Drum loads about 50 soldiers on a bus and takes us to the game. The local school had about 400 fans and a pep band located right behind the soldier section. Every few minutes, the pep band would play the "Go Team Name" thing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivK16nRGxgI). The local response was, hm, let's say half hearted. I start to nudge the guys close to me. "Next time they play it, we call out 'Go Army!'" Sure enough, they play it, about 10 soldiers shout 'Go Army!' and we nearly out shout the locals. The band feels a challenge and plays it again just a minute later. Now all 50 of us are shouting 'Go Army!' We're the only ones you can hear. The band tries one more time at the beginning of the second period, no dice. That's our song now. They never play it the rest of the night despite our challenges.

Army lost the game, btw.

In my late thirties, I'm starting to get used to being the old man in the group.  Now I feel like a kid again.  I was also pretty late to the D&D party.  I started with 3.5 around 2008.  I play a lot of other tabletop roleplaying games, but I only roleplayed off and on sporadically over the years.  My first roleplaying experience was freeform starwars roleplaying in 2001.

Bless you child! ;-) At about 62, I'm old here, but I know plenty of players here older!

As long as we're sharing, I started playing in about 1980, and I, too, have a great picture of lil' 'ol me in front of the TV during the first moon landing. Saw Disney films like No Deposit, No Return before I saw Star Wars. Got a hand-me-down PHB in '80, and I was hooked.

In reply to Errol One-Eye (msg # 156):

That's a great hockey story.

In reply to Tern D'Guul (msg # 158):

That's awesome!  I've never played in a game with so many elders.  The last serious attempt at roleplaying I made was a Vampire the Masquerade game last year that I participated in for about a month.

Only 65, and I still feel young... except when I am awake.

I still feel young to myself, but when I see how immature some people are then I feel a little old.  As I get older it feels more challenging to go back and play a younger character, and think about how to limit my characters' knowledge and ability.  Writing can be a fascinating intellectual exercise.

In reply to Eithne (msg # 162):

I used to enjoy creative writing as an outlet and a way to think through the world.  I'm 43 now and between the military and the way I've been taught to write for business I'm far more structured and less creative than I used to be.

Being awake is seriously overrated.

AGREED!!!

I live in Australia, and rooting means something completely different ;)

I hate to ask what your team is as the answer may lead to tension.  However, I will acknowledge that a mutual disdain for the Habs is a perfectly reasonable basis for a friendship.  :D

Brizzy here, Lionel.

Let it be noted, all yee watching Gods, the elf and the dwarf be alike in thoughts in this matter.   I've not followed the sport since I went blind, but used to be a big fan when I was younger.

What he said and what you said are slightly different Lionel, but you know that.

I could wax on about Aussie's bringing the tone of the conversation down (down under?) but then I imagine it could quickly break down to sheep jokes and it wouldn't be long before I'd have to mention the underarm incident.

I had to bring it up, it's the 42nd year anniversary today, I remember watching that on the TV...........we haven't forgotten.

I imagine it'll only be us southern hemisphere types understanding the guts of this post now. :o)

In reply to Hauraki (msg # 170):



 Possibly, but someone made a comment about something related to a television show in another game, and it took me two hours to track down its meaning. This is also the same game where I had to explain the whole fish slapping joke, and some of the players are English. So, who knows.

Also, I've made no comments related to blind humor, wait, they'll occur at some point, because I make fun of myself often, or hyper-specific to Japanese or Korean cultures, yet.

Yes, I've had to research comments made here too.

Stuff happens.

I can only imagine the joy you must feel when people make a joke and tell you that you didn't see that coming.

I just saw a post by a friend (who's a few years younger than me), saying he was trying to be cool with his students, talking about a Miley Cyrus song...and his students had no idea who that is. She's "old music now" as he said.

I've recently been on a Traveling Wilburys kick, so it's not like I've got more recent tunes to recommend to him!

In reply to Wehostan, son of Bardolf (msg # 173):

I listen to 60's and 70's! ;-)

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 172):



I say that too. It also came out of my mouth the first time I got stabbed in high-school. I did grab the kid's wrist though, so he only got the one stab. I have very strong legs,  as I squat over four-hundred strong legs, you don't want to be kicked by me. He was.

More than once. After the third time that happened, people left me alone. We had a kind of bad gang problem there.

Trevor Chappell, wasn't it? Can't recall if I saw it at the time, but I certainly know of the infamy that followed. Cricket is the only sport in which I follow England, as Scotland didn't have a team in my youth and I loved the game.

First time I got cut on my arm was my brother who stuck a knife on me, and thought I was serious when I said "Go ahead".....He has always been an idiot....

I remember watching that game. It was a mistake to bowl it underarm, not so much because it was bad sportsmanship but because there was no need. Brian Mckechnie never hit a six in his life ;)

Last time the underarm incident came up OOC, I had to Google it. But at least this USAer knows what you're talking about.

+Some strange sport named after a bug? Cricket? Never made sense to me.

Actually a local sport involving mobs of commoners to hunt down and kill rust monsters, the "cricket" bats were actually for swatting rust monster......obviously cricket sounds better and it is easier to get them to play if they think it is a "game".........

I've got a lot of respect for Cricket, even though I don't watch it very often.  It's way more interesting than Baseball.  Not that there's anything wrong with Baseball.

I haven't watched Cricket since... last night.  My wife is a huge fan.

It certainly is very popular globally.  Certainly way more popular than Baseball, Basketball, or American Football.

More Aussies watch Gridiron (American Football) than Americans watching cricket.

In reply to Sebastian (msg # 185):

I've never seen a Cricket match even televised in the US in more than 60 years. Can't watch it or know anything about it if it isn't shown.

But do you really want to watch television when you can just watch games online without all the commercials, and without being restricted by the TV schedule?

I'll watch shows online, but I've never watched TV beyond the occasional program when I'm with someone else.  Even as a kid my parents didn't let us watch TV, but made us go outside and play.

Some of my Indian coworkers tried to teach me cricket once. I never did understand it. I much preferred their game of Kabaddi. Great sport for someone who grew up playing line backer and knows circular breathing.

Never heard of it, kinda looks like they're playing some form of tag.

Never understood football either.....all those people upset over twenty-five cents......."Get the quarterback!"

As a linebacker, I was simply trying to make change from the 2 bits.

In reply to Errol One-Eye (msg # 191):

Tom Brady retired on Wednesday! I watch football during the season and I watch the news. I haven't watched a TV program in 4 or 5 years.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:14, Fri 03 Feb 2023.

Updating all tomorrow (Saturday). Those of you who have already crossed the date line may continue bludgeoning a deceased equine about how it's already Saturday - you'll just have to wait.   ;^)

OMG, it's already halfway through saturday....

Where's my fix!

#justkiddingjeff

Okay, that made me chuckle - fortunately my family is used to me laughing at you folks's antics....    :^D

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 194):

Sooooo, the rest of us will get the update like 12-hours before you . . . so the treasure will all be gone before you even get the post!!

I mean, hypothetically.

Not likely. Jeff usually posts between 8am and 11am for me. I’m usually wide awake and active at that time :)

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 197):

An,  but it will be 8-11 pm the prior day for me, so 12 hours before you see it.  Timezones what?  ;)

Dear DM, if you just say Tomorrow, since your blind players can't hear the stamp on posts, they'll never know when that Tomorrow is for sure.

On the long list of things Tyrian's player informed us all of when training us on RPOL this was one of the first.  You also now know who to thank, or curse, or both for the five of us blind people running around on RPOL.

Yes, I typed 'running' on purpose, because the mental image of blind people running is funny.

Like the Hellen Keller Driving School? ;-) I couldn't imagine it myself

In reply to Ardana Valaromra (msg # 199):

It doesn't matter because tomorrow never comes and odds are good that the update won't come until Sunday anyway, especially for the Kiwis and Aussies.  :)

There are some excellent blind sprinters out there.  They make even a natural sprinter like Devlin look slow!

I'm curious about how the screen readers work with RPOL, since there is a lot of meta-text associated with each post. How does it easily identify the meat of the posts? Does it read out all the data beneath each author's name? Player, # of posts, their bio tags, the date & time? PM, Rmail, Info links? Post title? Message number?

Or does it somehow just give you the author's name and the post content?

Out of curiosity, as blind people, do you have people tell you where your food in on the plate using a clock?  My grandma had severe macular degeneration, and used a white cane.  As a kid, I remember my dad saying "your peas are at 3 o'clock, and the potatoes are at 6 o'clock and the roast beef is at 10 o'clock".  Maybe because that's because she was once sighted?

And her wardrobe was all white shirts with leisure suit solid colored tops and bottoms. (it was the 70s) so she didn't have to worry about mismatching clothes.

In reply to Devlin, son of Dovlin (msg # 201):



 We have problems running in straight lines, I'm not just speaking from personal experience here, although I've been told that we once sighted folks do a bit worse than those that have been blind for a long time.  They probably have figured out ways to check for this. Ask Tyrians player about it.

I was fully sighted up until seven years ago, then lost it in the line of duty, drug bust, so I've not been blind long enough to deal with the running weave, so the joke was kind of more against myself.

Just saying.

In reply to Ardana Valaromra (msg # 204):

They run with a guide runner.  Pretty impressive, actually.

In reply to Goruug (msg # 203):



Yes, because a clock is round and my plate is round, and clock directions are easy to understand. People have done it for Tyrian's player too, and I'm sure he's got a list of other reasons for why its done, but for me, its just easy to get an idea where things are on the plate.

If you've got blind questions PM him, if he doesn't have the answers he'll find them for you  real quick.

In reply to Goruug (msg # 203):



Some folks when they go blind do that. Some sighted folks do that... kind of  guilty  of that myself. There are little tricks though that can help you match up clothes though,  Tyrian's player has these little clips that are in different shape that he uses to match up his clothes, and know what goes with what.

Ugh. Vicious migraine tonight. Updating tomorrow instead (Sunday).

Clock face directions are used a lot.  Even things like the universal pattern from martial arts are often expressed in the clock face, very common in dojos around the world...

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 209):



1. This is partly   why its used for us blind folks.
2. The clock face, complete with hands and all is one of the single most common instructional guides around the world with blind children, even if all evidence suggests that the individual will never interact with a clock again, its considered important for instruction.  When I came back to the United States,  this was the first thing I got asked about in my educational assessment, before the IQ test, and social skills tests, and everything else.

Anyone care for some horse jerky?

Flogged it a few days ago and left it in the Perth sun since :D

Hope you're all well. Just super bored as business is slow :(

Any of our Aussie based players need, or know of someone needing a mortgage?

Sorry, Lionel - it turned into a two-day migraine. 3:15 am early Monday morning now, but I'm finally feeling much better.

All good :) no pressure to update, just thought you would be tickled at least :)

Always did wonder what happened to that horse with no name.... Now I know.   ;^)

Oh would I love slow and boardum right about now.

I totally misread that as 'montage'. But a montage would be much more fun!

I did the same with my horse a week or so back, but instead of jerky, I got popsicles. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth,_New_York)

The horse belongs to Montague or is it Capulet?

What am I missing with the Perth reference? I live a handful of miles from the Scottish version, which I occasionally enjoy driving past (as did twice on Saturday), not to.

I live in Perth Australia

That’s OK, Lionel, we still like you.

That's nice :)

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 220):

Do you know Charlie Perth?

In reply to Wehostan, son of Bardolf (msg # 202):


Ardana  and I went back and forth on who should answer. The issue is, frankly, it depends. It depends on what functions are active with the Screen-reader, and what commands you press to get it reading, and if you do anything extra, because you can, while its reading.

The 'because you can' needs to be read in the 'but wait there's more'    sounding voice.

The default version goes like this:
Game thread title
Game thread number, which is stupidly long, and incredibly meaningless, since part of it is related to stuff not related to the Graphical User Interface, and part deals with the fact that just as individual threads can move around in a game, the game threads move about iwithin RPOL to some degree, at least from a code standpoint.
This brings me to, you guessed it, the thread title, "Group Zero" the screen-reader says.
Then we have a number for that, which again, lower-wear and not part of the GUI, and again, useless.
Then we have name of poster, post number, but no time, then  the tag for the player the DM gave, "player", then the tags you guys gave yourselves, then   the image tag four or five blasted times, and then the PM, R-mail, rolls, yadda  yadda, all given the deeper voice, because they are commands too.  Then whatever you actually typed, with certain voices changes, if you did all caps, which we'll possibly kill you for, since it does increase the volume, for reasons that are incredibly stupid, or deeper and louder if you did all caps and bold, in which case we will begin thinking of killing you, just to bring you back to kill you again, and maybe groan to determine if we need to quote you, to determine if there's text color for the all caps, bold message that we want to kill you over.

Hint, hint, if you haven't figured out, all caps, bold text  is  a really bad idea to be posting in.  Its probably the only thing that will get me to complain over.  Murdering my character would be less annoying then you posting, or worse still R-Mailing me a paragraph or more in all caps and bold.

Can't wait for my first full caps post and subsequent death threat :)

I kinda wonder how things would sound with alternating words with caps, bold and normal script. Could be almost see saw like, lol.

In reply to Tyrian (msg # 224):

Wow, that is something to remember. I don't usually use all caps, except for a key word now and then. I'll be sure to avoid all caps plus bold in the future.

Thanks for the run-down. That really shows your dedication to the game!

Just what was thinking as I was reading through.  It's taking the desire to game to a higher level.  Hauraki occasionally All caps bold scripts when he's shouting in battle, mostly to taunt an enemy, but you're not in his group which is good, because although as far as I am aware it has never helped him achieve anything, it just has to be done.

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 225):

 I had a feeling that was going to be the response.

In reply to Wehostan, son of Bardolf (msg # 227):



 A single word, is not so bad.  Let's say, which is default, the volume is set at 32, which is basic conversational level.  a single six to seven letter word would have it  at only 35, which is still at conversational level. The thing is every letter after that its getting louder, and louder.  Now, if you are like me, and used to this on the internet, then you keep it lower than 32, and you keep a Hot Key, so you can quickly pull up the screen-reader program and lower that volume quick like.  Yes, I've been in games where I've had to do this, repeatedly. I've gotten R-Mails, in all caps.   I have no idea who thought setting this as part of the screen-reader system thought this was a good idea, but its not.     I was in one game a year ago, where I knew one person would shoot in batttle, and sometimes out of it. He'd type at the beginning of his post Battle, and that would be my cue, whether in battle or not, there would be an all caps post coming up, and respond accordingly.

In reply to Tyrian (msg # 230):

Well now I am just going to announce Battle! every once-in-a-while.  :)  It will be just like watching the movie Michael with John Travolta!

Now you've done it Nadya. I need to go get some pie. And cookie aftershave.

Thank you for your patience - Game On!

In reply to Errol One-Eye (msg # 232):

Try not to lose too many feathers.  :D

 That was also the game where one player typed everything in  all caps too. Even  her rolls. The character was female, don't know about the player.         I can't imagine what trying to listen to her posts with  earbuds would have been like.

All Caps? Why?


Dm edit: He just asked you not to do that. Please don't again.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:11, Thu 09 Feb 2023.

So, the reader will use increased volume for capital letters only? You think they were thinking it's emphasis purposes or something? And does it do it for the entire word starting with a capital letter or the whole word in caps? Does it read the styled text codes as well (like the color of the text)? Or is it smart enough to ignore that behind-the-scenes stuff?

LOL

 If it starts with a capital letter, then there will be some slight emphasis for the first letter, and the first letter only. Just as it comes to a complete stop with periods, pauses with commas and semicolons, colons, and wilts    with questions. The pauses for the punctuation are held for proper English.   While it does read Bold  automatically, for Italics, there is a key command for that, as well as for font type, but these don't speak unless you type in a key command.  Strike through is more influenced by website coding, although the same general key command will tell you that for standard word documents. It does not do color.    I do mean that in absolute terms. The only way I can get that here, is to reply with quote and get that info.   It doesn't give background color either.  Links if not in an image are classified as links, and there are commands to list the links.

So if someone types in all caps is it just loud?

In reply to Eithne (msg # 240):


Yes, yes, oh lord yes.

I wear earbuds, so its right in my ear.  I've gotten fast about hitting the hot keys to lower the volume, because otherwise, the audience is now deaf.  When Ardana mentioned the game with someone that did everything in all caps, she wasn't kidding.  The player did that, even after we asked the player not to.  First game on this site I left.   We were all in the same party, so while the winged elf gave us warning with battle, the only warning we had for that one was, oh great a post.

Only escape was to eject.

People I think sometimes don't believe us, but its happened enough times on the internet that it does make me a little angry.    I mean, wouldn't you get angry if someone was screaming in your ear?

 The bold all caps would be deeper and loader, than the normal,  the bold would be deeper, but not  much louder, and the normal would be normal.

If you wanted to do emphasis without the risk of killing my ears, you could just do bold.   I don't know how it treats subscript.  I'll try it some time and find out if it whispers for that, which would also be under the heading, what bright idea made you think to code the screen-reader that way.

If I missed anyone, just repost, or PM me.

In reply to Tyrian (msg # 243):

As you aren't in my game, and this thread is the only place we interact, you didn't miss me. I don't do all caps too often though, only for emphasis, which would be one or two words only. If you are ever in my games, just remind me. I'm old as heck.

I suppose I'm guilty of it, too, from time to time. My name is in all caps on every post I make. How does that come across and also abbreviations like dmg and phb that are usually in all caps?

for our blind folks, i'm trying to not yell my name at them with every single post - I want to see what this does.

Hey Tyrian or Ardana, did that make a difference?
This message was last updated by the GM at 19:41, Thu 09 Feb 2023.

For your pleasure.

Normal
^Superscript
Normal
_Subscript
Normal
Small
Normal
Large
Normal
Small caps

I double checked this, both with and without headphones. It doesn't start to get uncomfortable for headphones until after the seventh letter.  Its not as bad if you don't have head phones. For that you can go for short sentences, like if "you don't understand" was in all caps." You probably might want to turn down the volume at understand.  Ocassional times it comes up I have let it go by without saying things.  When you have players doing it every three/ four posts  for whole sentences then it starts to get annoying just a little. When you have paragraphs, or multiple paragraphs, then its kind of like, hulk time.   I've kind of made a big deal of it, because lately I've had to leave games over it.   To be specific, four so far, and right now this is the only game I'm in on this site, because people have a tendency to say its no big deal, so, I may have harped on this just a little more than I should have here, as a consequence.  Its not been a problem here, so far, and I really, really, don't want it to be.

In reply to Tyrian (msg # 249):

I think it is a big deal, so I'm glad you brought it up. It's something I would never have even considered if you guys hadn't mentioned it.

It treats everything as normal, but the subscript, which it does, because someone is trying to be cute, whisper.  When programmers are funny.

My husband is actually laughing.

He is not, thank the universe, a programmer.

In fact listening to it, I wouldn't honestly notice any difference for a lot of it.    The weard part, is that when I do superscript in a word document, it does tell me that if I hit the write key command.  Let me post this, and check my notes for internet key commands and try and find out if I can tell with the right one.

Hold on.

No, don't literally hold on, just, well you know.

 When checking for fonts using web commands a number of the fonts sound the same size, when my husband tells me there is some visual difference.  Large doesn't sound any different than normal.   So if large, is actually large, then maybe go for that for emphasis?

Tyrian,  put your ear to this when you get out of that   lots of fowl language place in Atlanta where the Fates have placed you at this time.

For the folks at home, it involves someone screwing up at the Fed level and thus causing problems for his shelter.   He is in Atlanta, which frankly, if you've ever driven in Atlanta, you know you want to leave  Atlanta as quickly as possible.  Its not quite as bad as Chicago, but close.  If you have no idea what I'm talking bout, think the worst place you've ever driven, and that'll probably work for our purposes.

Right, game on.

Updating every group Friday, as I wasn't in front of my desktop today (no desktop, no dungeons). Right now it's late Thursday night, for reference.

In reply to Ardana Valaromra (msg # 252):


 I'm still there, but I have wireless, for the moment.

Most of my magical powers, I mean blindmaster powers, I mean commands, don't give me much more than what you got.

Large doesn't actually seem to be any larger than normal from my end, although if you do a control alt 'f' you can hear the superscript is indeed superscript, even though its an HTML command like the rest, part of the mess, da dee da... I'll stop now.

Yes, the whisper text is whisper text, because it seemed like a good idea to someone, at some point.

And you sighted folks just heard two blind folks discuss a piece of the universe as heard through talking sharks.   Java Acquisition  With Speech  is the full name of the program we use, but Freedom  Scientific just calls it jaws, its in all caps, but not in all caps, because you all have imaginations, or else you wouldn't be here.   Yes, I'm sleep deprived, and now I'm off to fill out several hundred pages of paperwork.

If I still, knock on wood,  have wireless at about midnight EST, then I'll be back, because I'll either be finished or too tired to function.

_{thanks for explaining all of that. it really makes a difference, and I shall be using subscript for all my transactions with you moving forward ;)}

Any of our Aussies and Kiwis online right now? I'm up late after a migraine, just relaxing and listening to Holst's The Planets.

I am up, but watching sports, listening to a YouTube video and playing games.  Always like multitasking.

Right now I'm not at my desktop, so no games. I'm using my new Chromebook that a buddy bought me so that when we play ad&d over zoom I don't have to use my phone. Why not use the desktop, you ask? Well when I bought it years ago, I figured I'd never need a mic or a webcam, so the desktop doesn't have them. I'm not crawling over, under, and through a bunch of wires back there just to find where to plug them in. My phone would sometimes die before the game ended so he bought me what I'm using tonight. It's cool, and I told him he shouldn't have, but he said I deserved it for keeping our 'home' game together even after we couldn't all get together anymore.

Nice to have friends like that.  I have a nice gaming laptop, so speed and power.  I play a lot of live games, but more 5e.  Tuesday nights, (my Wed. morning) I play in a live-stream game (on YouTube) called Dungeons and Dad Jokes.  The previous episodes are out there and I think we are taking this week off for Valentine's Day, but check us out some day.  It is good play and a lot of bad jokes.

I will do that. Is Dungeons and Dad Jokes 5e?

Yes.  My DIL is the DM.  She is good at storylines.  I am playing a Druid who, by all appearances is more of a rogue.

Anyone else across the world from me free to type back and forth right now?

Sounds very cool.  :^)

In reply to Falco (msg # 259):

Sounds like the games that I DM

Jeff, I'm sorry, I got into a marathon session of Hogwarts Legacy. Just going out now for dinner otherwise I would happily help you.

It is a blast.  https://www.youtube.com/@DnDJ

Who will claim post 54,000?

Me?

Lucked out there. 54,000xp bonus to the luck guy? ;)

Aren't you hoping....

Another Skullwhomper Ale for Lionel!

I’ll offer a laurel, and hardy handshake!

Another Mel Brooks fan?  Lovely.

Good morning to you, Nadya! Or is it good evening?

And top of the morning to you!

The classical music has run its course, and I am now listening to an Apple Music playlist I made called Dio and Dickinson. Those from the unwashed masses who don't know those two names should PM me if they want into the cool kids' club.  ;)

I’m 46 and have a love for deadmau5, interspersed with 90s indie, Brit pop and rock from all eras.

I doubt dio and Dickinson is in that eclectic mix, but I did listen to some one hit wonders like star trekkin just recently :) I’m a sucker for those jokey type songs

Bruce Dickinson fronted the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden and Ronnie James Dio fronted whatever band he wanted to because he was just that good. His 70's and 80's library is full of heavy metal classics. Between the two singers there are a plethora of heavy metal goodies.

Dio has rocked for a long, long time. But now it's time for him to pass the torch!

Listing all the genres I listen to would take too long.  Just got back from a drum and bass show last night.

In reply to Eithne (msg # 278):

Stand up Bass, or electric?

It's typically electric...from the electronic side of things. It is a subgenre of EDM (Electronic Dance Music).

I don't listen to a ton of electronic music, but when I think of bass, I think of Lorn...it is looooow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxg4C365LbQ

The entire package is awesome. The sound and the vid.

That video was...  interesting... unsettling... thought provoking....

In reply to Goruug (msg # 281):

...then my work here is done. Let me know if you want more of those, as I do indeed have a collection.

Let's just say people in the Drum and Bass scene don't generally like Dubstep.  I personally don't mind a little dubstep, but I don't listen to it often.  I think this Current Value track has a somewhat similar feel to Lorn after the buildup, only heavier and with tons of funky sounds.  And the video is pretty awesome too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bChDftBFEo

Have to say, not really my kind of music.  But thanks for the chance to check it out!

yeah, umm. not my style, either.

This is more what I usually listen to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6__C8A1w00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqTZFqScPDs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqR1cjuPXUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciD0hJCw4L4

Yeah, I have learned not to post many music links over the years. As a former music teacher, I taught my students to judge for themselves what they liked, pointed out the difference between good and bad performances, Autotune vs. no Autotune, and so forth. But whether you like this one or not, you have to agree that it's a classic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-YBDTqX_ZU

In reply to DMJSC (msg # 286):

I always liked that tune. Most of the music I listen to is 1930's up to about 1985, generally 60's and 70's. Jazz, Blues, Motown, Pop, Heavy Metal, Old Country from the 50's, 60's and 70's. I also like classical and Big Band. I will not listen to Rap or Hip-hop, it disgusts me.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:08, Sat 11 Feb 2023.

In reply to Tern D'Guul (msg # 287):

I have about the same tastes, but I will listen to some Rap / Hip-Hop (my daughter did dance and they do a lot of Hip-Hop) but it has to be good wholesome songs not the trash that most of it is.

Very Catholic about music, agreed, killing and raping and such is the most disgusting thing and is not music, it's hate.

I read the word jazz there and so now I'm listening to (imo) the late, great Jimmy Smith on the b3 organ. Like other earlier musicians, he never really passed the torch - he just busted through the gates so others could follow.

I'll step down off my soapbox now.

I agree with you Jeff and damn I walked right into that one.  :o)

The only thing I believe a discussion about music will reveal is that we're all pretty different, whilst being the same.

I'm not so hard on rap any more, it's an expression of the environment in which it is made, and sadly for some people that is their reality.  If you can't relate, it's probably not a bad thing.  I believe I learnt that from the movie 8 mile.

As I always say, I'm the only normal one. The rest of you are weird.

so dmjsc what would be the going price of my own personal dragon complete with saddle?


Said with a completely straight face.

How about a Giant space hamster?

You know, since horses aren't allowed, a gal wants to know if she can go for other alternative forms of transport.

*seriousness has left the castle*

In reply to Ardana Valaromra (msg # 293):

I have a llama named Temperance that I’ve been dragging around since character creation.

I’ve asked about plate barding and attack llama training, but I was rebuffed :(

C'mon Byron, be serious!  I mean, maybe if you had an alpaca, or a vicuna.  But a llama?  :D

Another reason to come to the Eastern side......

yup, Horses are real here.

Eh-ehm…that’s Brother Byron, if you please.  I hate to be old-fashioned, but I am a stickler for propriety.

You don't hate to be old fashioned Brother B, you love it.  Yes I know Brother B and BB are also off limits, it won't happen again, well not in the IC thread anyway brother. :o)


Ahem, when I looked weird up in the dictionary this is what I got.
/portraits/m/mfd137.jpg
This message was last edited by the player at 03:55, Sun 12 Feb 2023.

There is no such thing as normal. It is just society trying to get you to conform to what they can manipulate best.

In reply to Eleri Greensun (msg # 300):

My dad had schizophrenia. Trust me, its not just what society finds easiest to control.       I’m not sure who the dealers where more afraid of, the possibility that he was off his meds, or mom, who was a ex-Vietnam nurse.   I’ll never forget the night she was home for a drive by and started shooting back.  Bangers abandoned the car in the middle of the street.    She ended up treating one of them when she came  on shift, they say she was slapping him with one hand, while she was stitching him up with the other. The anesthetists laughed himself horse.

Man those were crazy times.

Detroit, the land of Robocop, only that film didn’t tell half of it.

The phrasing suggests that some one has done it. :D

In reply to Tithenmirwen Tinuron (msg # 302):

My wife is schitzo-effective bi-polar. It's a bitch to deal with sometimes.

Weird. I looked up 'normal' and saw the same thing. Did you try looking up gullible? It's been removed from the dictionary altogether.

Updating tomorrow (Monday).

In reply to DMJSC (msg # 290):

Oh my God, The Jimmy Smith Trio was, AWESOME The best damn organist I ever heard! I thought Jimmy was still alive, when did he pass away?

2005. He'd be almost a hundred by now.

Late to the party but I grew up a heavy metal fan. My first single was by The Scorpions (Lovedrive), my first album was AC/DC's Highway to Hell, my first gig was Motorhead.

I'll listen to pretty much anything these days, but loud guitars still make me smile.

I am going to try to learn to play the ukelele starting in March....

Probably no one should ever be forced to listen.

If you've paid attention to the post count, you might notice that I just deleted about 1700 useless posts from folks who aren't even here anymore.


Solomon, don't sweat the uke. We are definitely not all Jake Shimabukuro....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gaWuadgL3g


When I was still teaching music, and he was touring the mainland, he came to our school and gave a concert. Awesome.

Another 1800 old posts gone.

And another 500.

In reply to Solomon Silverstream (msg # 309):

Uke is fun, Sol. Besides, all instruments sound terrible while someone is learning how to play.

Sometimes I wonder if there's a superuser in our midst. Products of your imagination AND this game both show new posts but new posts are not here.

I know we have common players so maybe I'll be told who it is :D

In reply to Lionel Lizardbane (msg # 314):

When I was in elementary school, 55 years ago, I tried unsuccessfully to learn to play Tuba! Very bad experience.

I used to play the euphonium to an excellent level until I found that taking it to school on my bicycle was next to impossible

I rode a big yellow bus!

In reply to DMJSC (msg # 310):

Ha!  I only wanted to learn to play closing time, and some of the numerous other songs that only require 4 chords!!!!

In reply to DMJSC (msg # 311):



I heard thousands of post  scream out in terror, which were suddenly silenced.
cue the overly dramatic face shown right before commercial break.

*Walks in*
*Grabs a mug of ale*
*downs it in one long swallow*

I finally arrived home from Atlanta and have at last resolved a mess that a government idiot started.  I never, ever, ever, want to have to go through that entire process ever again.

Make me wrestle a dragon, or something, but not have to go through all that.

I had a thought a while back. That happens occasionally.

You may know that I offer my long-term players the opportunity to add a second character to the game, usually to boost the numbers of a lower-level party that is shrinking due to Real Life. However, in certain groups half of the group that was newer players all dropped, leaving one or even zero new folks and a group of veterans' alts playing together. That does give veteran folks who wouldn't play together in their main groups the chance to play together, which isn't all bad. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I've been wondering if that makes their low-level alts redundant. A few vets have retired their lower-level alts over the years, but not that many.

What do you folks think?

I make sure never to think, but you could always ask for people who have the time available to bring more characters to the fore.

In reply to DMJSC (msg # 321):

If people play the character they want, does it really matter? Sometimes it's nice to mix it up a bit.

What about a buy back reward for the redundant characters?

Say, if you retire a low level character you got to 3rd level or something, you can retire him and apply his earned XP to another character?

I thought about that, but if too many people took advantage of that, as I was saying, certain groups might fall apart.

Maybe tiering?  Have adventures for levels one to maybe 3 or 4, then adventures for higher groups.  Like west marches in 5e.  Works really nicely to keep people who are lower level from going up against a beholder, and people who are higher level from wasting time with rats.

I brought in my alt a while back. Due to circumstances beyond my ken, he's now almost the same level as my main!

I retired my low level's because RL got in the way, though I liked their development.  Whilst I had them, it gave me a chance to play a different class in a group of players that eventually turned out to be mostly the same group of reliable players, all playing different characters.  It wasn't a bad thing though it can get a little stagnant.

We do get to know each others style, and though I usually don't try to figure out who is playing which character because I'm not overly bothered, its good to know no one is going to pull out of an adventure half way through.

Maybe 2nd characters should be thought of as spare insurance type characters and they can be used to plug the gaps in higher level parties if and when they are needed as time passes.  Death can happen.

A question I ponder is whether you have found less 'new' new players and more old new players over the years or is it about the same or too hard to tell?

I have the assumption (which might be wrong) that new players are more likely to head towards 5th edition given it is current.

(I'm not wanting to discuss the pros and cons of different editions here, it doesn't matter.)

I do wonder at times if the purpose of your original intent with the game to allow new players to have a go, is still as relevant as it was when you first started given the many different editions that are now available on rpol?  Perhaps that banner is carried by newer editions where the initials EGG doesn't mean a thing.

Currently there are 78 characters about the most there's ever been, but how many players?

If I made an alt, she would be different than my original.
Second, what matters most to me is the  RP aspect. I know that's not for everyone, but I'm not everyone, I'm me.   So if the RP was drying up on my main, I'd retire that, and go with my alt, and vice versa, although I'd probably seek different groups if that happened on either character.

Don't overthink this response.

Hauraki, there are 44 players and yours truly as DM.

Thats an impressive total, more than I thought there would be.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:13, Sun 26 Feb 2023.

I enjoy the opportunity playing an alt (here and in the OA side) for a few reasons.

1) you get to play something different
2) you almost always have something to post when you log in, seeing the little red light makes me happy.

As Lionel said, it's amazing how quickly the new alt can catch up with the original character in level. (which makes it harder to find groups with attrition)

I know Jeff did once try and map out average XP over time, to see how long it takes characters to get to certain levels.  I know there are other players here who are going on well over a decade.

---

Not an edition debate, I play 5e FtF, and it is a completely different feel/style to the game.  It's much more video game to me.

Running a game this size is a lot of work. When I hear a DM ask these sorts of questions, I wonder if he's asking to reduce workload. If that's the case, I'll gladly retire a character. If not, I'm enjoying playing both regardless of the party-mates.

Thanks, Errol, but it's not about reducing workload - I guess I just got a little discouraged a little while back. I put out a Wanted Players ad for new fighters and clerics - out of 10 RTJs only 5 stuck it out through chargen and the first month of play. The rest bailed for one reason or another. Worst percentages of RTJ bailout I've had here.

As long as you folks are happy, I'm happy.  :^)

It can be a bit intimidating to join a game this size.  I wonder if there is something we could do to assure new players there is not a huge learning curve?  The world is not complex, and you don't need to read pages and pages of background.  It really is like a dozen games inside one game.  There isn't as much IC interaction as there once was with groups forming and reforming.  When you make a new character and join you're really joining a small game with just a couple other players.

What about having characters fighting to the death in an arena match?  Reduce the setting’s Alt population and fill the Barrel of Inky Blackness at the same time?  Efficient.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:39, Sun 26 Feb 2023.

Well I am only happy if you are happy.  :D

I am currently happy with one PC in each "side" of the game so to speak. and their progress in terms of level has been working out well....

In real life games many times the high level adventurer would gain a "follower" and the "lord" would retire at high level and the new PC would be ready to go at about level 2....

Tern and Birahu are doing great, Mitsubishi is still learning how honor works and tagging along with a team that is doing great deeds! I'm just thankful I'm here!

My alt was retired a few years ago, though some of his companions (main characters) are still very much going. Level-wise he was about the same as me, although a very different pesona (you might be glad to hear). I was sorry to see him go but honestly haven't missed him, one PC is enough.

As for this 'thinking' lark, you'll have to explain it to me...

In reply to Amalric (msg # 340):

Speaking as a person who has two characters this is probably going to  be an unpopular opinion.
Just make the campaigns harder and characters will start dying.  That will thin the herd and if it doesn't then they deserve to live on another day. Then their memories will go into legend and tales of fallen comrads will be sung and spoken for years.

If the goal is to reduce the number of PCs, then group J's soon-to-be TPK will be a help! Whose idea was it to lead us into this death pit?

You must have purchased one of Gang Green's patented Never Fail Treasure Maps. They never fail to transfer your treasure to our pockets.

Doesn't help that the dice roller thinks a d20 should never get above 10.

Wait...they go above 10?

Well, it was a rumor I heard.  Mind you, I have never seen it.

In reply to Sebastian (msg # 346):

For every 20 I get, I get 20 1's

If I may direct your attention to the dice roller, Gott M'Deesix has just rolled himself an 18/99 Strength! Second only to Melnick Stonefist, Mr. 18/00 himself from days past.

So it's not always a bad dice roller....   ;^)

Not only that he also rolled quite well for this stats overall...18, 17, 16, 14, 14, 11.