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00:57, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion.

Posted by GM BadCatManFor group 0
GM BadCatMan
GM, 247 posts
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 06:28
  • msg #274

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Axander
player, 142 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 06:37
  • msg #275

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Goodness. I couldn't really think of what to do, and was the last player to post so was hoping someone else would. I'm still trying to piece together what info I have into a decent answer to his question.

Also, did we ever actually get Toz Raz's name? I don't think we know what to call him in character. Need to do proper introductions once we aren't in the middle of assuming he's going to come after us again.

Of course if I know my Doctor Who script guidelines, as soon as we trust him he needs to die in some horrible way.

Anyhoo, could Tarys or Bluetooth do a thing? I am not thing doey at the moment.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:37, Thu 16 Feb 2017.
Stirix
player, 94 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 06:48
  • msg #276

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

No, as soon as we trust him it'll turn out that he's the big baddie all along. He's like Glitz.
GM BadCatMan
GM, 248 posts
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 06:59
  • msg #277

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Feel free to ask him his name, or assume it's already come up. It's surprising how many movies and series skip over bringing up character's names. I used to think I was just bad with names (well, I suppose I am).

We keep coming to a crashing halt and I'm not sure why. It used to be usually my fault, but lately I'm just waiting on PCs. Since it keeps happening in my games, it must still be my fault somehow. But I don't know what more I can do.

Since I've already got the option of erasing ex-PCs from time, temporarily or permanently, I should start assuming that if you stop posting, your characters vanish, and the world continues without you. :p
Axander
player, 143 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 07:06
  • msg #278

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Heh. I wouldn't say it's your fault in this game, either. It just feels like a thing happening with RPoL over the last few years. I've had over twelve games I've been in come to similar jumps and stops, whether they were waiting on me or each other or someone said "I'll post tomorrow" and was never heard from again, things like that. It's frustrating, but I think a regular level of poking may simply be the only solution.

I often think of doing pokes, but then decide against it for reasons.
Stirix
player, 95 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 07:17
  • msg #279

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Well, I sometimes feel like I don't know what to do But that could be I'm playing the wrong character. Maybe I should have gone for a timelord.

In my experience, with a few exceptions, long games are that way usually due to a fair bit of player turnover at first; until you settle down to a group that you mesh well with.

I had a 3.5 game that lasted a while; but there was a lot of player turnover until I got a group that worked well together.
Bluetooth
player, 74 posts
Rakshasa (tiger-folk)
Inexperienced Youth
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 21:45
  • msg #280

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Don't know why I missed posting this here... did in (almost) all my other games, but RL knocked me down (but I get up again...).


Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

Two weeks ago, Sunday night Jan 29, just after dinner, I suddenly developed a severe stomach pain--level 7. While I struggled with it for half an hour, figured it was probably food poisoning. It wasn't like any other stomach pain I'd ever experienced before. Then I wound up throwing up 4-5 times, though afterwards the pain level was only 5. An hour later, I threw up 2-3 more times and the pain level dropped to 3. And there it stayed. No more throwing up, and it didn't go away. I couldn't find any position where the pain was lesser, and it was too high to let me sleep. Finally called the EMTs about 1 a.m. and off to the ER I went.

A dose of femital (or something) dropped the pain to 1, and eventually it went completely away. However, the hospital continued to run its tests to try and determine the cause. I'm not convinced that they ever did. One doctor concurred that it might have been food poisoning, but the other doctor concluded that it was a problem with my gallbladder and recommended I have it removed. He scheduled laparoscopy surgery for Wednesday. If it went well, I'd be hope by Friday. Turned out it was in bad shape and required full abdominal surgery to remove it.

Let me tell you... in all those movies/shows when they talk about a painful wound to your abdomen, they aren't kidding! Every muscle in your chest and abdomen, and a few in your arms and legs, are all tied in together. So every deep breath, every burp, every hiccup, every yawn, every laugh, every cough causes excruciating pain! This is on top of the pain meds!

Every movement... sitting up, standing up, sitting down, laying down, stretching, reaching, bending... causes pain. One such movement at a time is usually okay, but then requires an hour of sitting still and getting over it.

Alas, the hospital's discharge procedure was rather inept on Sunday, and I wound up having to make a dozen such movements so that I could get my meds from the pharmacy before it closed. So after I got home and settled in, it took around 8 hours for the pain to subside.

It's slowly getting better, but will probably take another 3-4 weeks for the surgery to completely heal and the pain to completely go away.

Still around. Not sure how much posting I'll get to... have to reorganize the house a bit as I'm mostly fending for myself.

And while the pain is now mostly gone, so is my energy. Every little effort, including sitting in my desk chair (to type posts), requires about an hour of recovery. Mental energies have also been low, so I was having a hard time thinking about things in this game.

Anyway, I apologize for the absence and lack of word.


I've discovered over the years that even those who profess to like puzzle-solving in their RPGs are seldom able to actually solve them, no matter how 'simple' it seems to the GM.

For that reason, I try to include an NPC in the mix to feed the PCs (intravenously, if necessary) relevant clues. In this game, I'm particularly in the dark because I'm just not as steeped in Who lore as the rest of you seem. I have no trouble connecting one dot to another, but with Dr. Who, it always seems like there are 20 or 30 dots that have to be connected all at once. Afterwards, I maybe get half of them, and admire the cleverness, but I'm not Drax--lots of things go over my head.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:55, Thu 16 Feb 2017.
Stirix
player, 96 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Thu 16 Feb 2017
at 21:50
  • msg #281

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Take your time; get better soon.

As for your comments on who-lore - I don't think it's been an issue. I... know who-lore better than most, and the only thing who-loreish I've really noted was that the decipedes were almost certainly killed by Daleks. Toz Raz has similarities to some aliens, but I don't think his race is something that has been mentioned before.
Axander
player, 144 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Fri 17 Feb 2017
at 00:26
  • msg #282

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Hokey smokes, that's terrible! Yeah, do the recovering thing. We're a patient bunch here.

Tarys and I have gotten a PM with some special information based on a background element we have, but I feel like Axander would need another but of information to figure out how to put it to use. I'm pretty confident in my lore, and I'm pretty sure that isn't the issue here. Might just be missing snippets, or else the module was written assuming players are as good at solving mysteries as the show's writers. :P
Stirix
player, 97 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Fri 17 Feb 2017
at 00:30
  • msg #283

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

.... I argue the point that the show's writers are good at solving mysteries. Moffatt himself is reasonable; though it shows up more in Sherlock than Doctor Who; but I digress.
Axander
player, 145 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Fri 17 Feb 2017
at 01:34
  • msg #284

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Point is, they /wrote/ both the mysteries and the characters, so the characters have a much easier time solving them. RPGs do not have that same thing going for the players.
GM BadCatMan
GM, 249 posts
Fri 17 Feb 2017
at 07:29
  • msg #285

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

There isn't so much a puzzle here, more past events to uncover the truth of. It's less problem-solving, more investigation. With a little investigation, you can discover what's really going on and the plot-tokens needed to move on. Unfortunately, this module has a literal drip-feed of information: you have to wait for various buildings to defrost in order to explore them and discover something new before you can advance. Plus, a slow pace makes it hard for players and even GMs to remember plot-details.

As a reminder, you have the following areas to investigate:
  • Shelter (pyramid; all dead?): 0/5 (explored)
  • Computer Core (dome; a military command centre): 0/5 (explored)
  • Archive (ziggurat): 0/5 (half-explored)
  • "Not-Enemies Nest" (angular quarter): 2/7 (unexplored)
  • Weapons Depot (ziggurat): 0/7 (explored)
  • "Rocket Shaft" (deep well or pit): 0/10 (unexplored)
  • Temporal anomaly (not on the aliens' map): 3/10 (unexplored)

The so-called rocket shaft is open but no-one's noticed in the recent fuss. You might do more investigation of the Archive, where Tarys left the archaeologists. Tarys and Axander might guess that any weapon a Time Lord sent is bound to register as a temporal anomaly, so it could still be in there.


These decipedes, the Yag Haz, are a wholly new species created for this module. They've been tied in to the events of the Time War, obviously. Even in the Whoniverse, you can consider them to be very obscure.
Axander
player, 146 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Fri 17 Feb 2017
at 08:01
  • msg #286

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Man, this adventure woulda been Classic Who slow around a tabletop. No wonder it's hard to keep track of everything going on here on RPoL. Don't worry, boss. We'll get through it eventually. :D

(Seriously, I spent five years looking for a chance to play this character for longer than a scene. I am totally not dropping out on you until you delete this game. And then I may or may not badger you about opening it back up or something similar. I am determined.)

EDIT: Speaking of, I can't remember. Actually haven't for a while now, but now's a good chance to ask. Are we in our normal clothes, or heavy cold gear such as space parkas, or something hermetically sealed like spacesuits or something? I can't remember how we're dressed at all.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:10, Fri 17 Feb 2017.
Stirix
player, 98 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Tue 21 Feb 2017
at 10:20
  • msg #287

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Err, okay now.

I have a major, major, major interview on Friday, so don't expect any meaningful posts before then.

How major? 12 month contract; with a bank. Anyone who has had -anything- to do with data entry can tell you that financial institutions are pretty much where it's at for data entry and permanent work. I don't however have experience; but they don't care about banking experience for this job. But that means that though it's only for one year, in 12 months; if I can get this job; means I get to add to my CV '12 months working for one of the big 4 banks in Australia'.
Axander
player, 149 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Tue 21 Feb 2017
at 10:43
  • msg #288

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

That's fantastic! I hope it works out for you. We'll try not to have something immediately come up that requires Stirix's attention, of course. Doctor Who is an adventure series, not a sitcom. :P
GM BadCatMan
GM, 250 posts
Wed 22 Feb 2017
at 12:22
  • msg #289

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

I've never abandoned a game short of total loss of players, so don't worry about me giving up.

You're wearing heavy cold gear, basically space-age self-warming, insulated parkas, boots, trousers, beanies.

And good luck again with the interview. I imagine Stirix has disappeared into one of those gaps in time again. :)
Axander
player, 150 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Wed 22 Feb 2017
at 18:47
  • msg #290

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Hm. Any chance Axander could try Tarys's roll, using his encyclopedia as a bonus?
GM BadCatMan
GM, 252 posts
Wed 22 Feb 2017
at 23:36
  • msg #291

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

You may roll for yourself, yes.
Axander
player, 152 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Tue 28 Feb 2017
at 03:38
  • msg #292

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

I forgot to mention I was gone here, too. >_<

I was away for the weekend, and I am back now. I'll have a post up tomorrow. Not feeling up to it at the moment.
Stirix
player, 99 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Wed 8 Mar 2017
at 10:20
  • msg #293

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

So umm, apparently Telosian Cybermen will be in the next series. But dang.

Oh and I'm back.
Trace
player, 106 posts
Meddling Kid
Adept Engineer
Wed 8 Mar 2017
at 10:31
  • msg #294

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

I'm still her but I've lost track of where i am and both my laptop and tablet are in the shop for repairs at the moment.
Bluetooth
player, 78 posts
Rakshasa (tiger-folk)
Inexperienced Youth
Wed 8 Mar 2017
at 18:05
  • msg #295

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Hey, better your laptop and tablet than you! My computer died back at the end of 2015; had to get a new one. It's not as good, but gets the job done, since mostly all I use it for is gaming.
GM BadCatMan
GM, 257 posts
Thu 23 Mar 2017
at 02:54
  • msg #296

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Now we're getting some answers. :)

Stirix and Trace are waiting outside. If you'd like to join either Tarys or Axander and Bluetooth, just insert yourselves in the scene. If you have something else you'd like to try, just let me know.
Stirix
player, 100 posts
Ice Warrior Scientist
Sat 25 Mar 2017
at 00:09
  • msg #297

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Sorry; flat-out with study at the moment. I should be able to do something after the weekend, and more fully back next month.
Axander
player, 154 posts
Bookish Time Lord
Story Points: 10/9
Sat 25 Mar 2017
at 00:26
  • msg #298

Re: The Hourly Telepress: OOC Discussion

Hey boss, I plan on turning the room's danger against our friend, and was wondering if there would be a story point cost to that. In more used to doing that sort of thing in Fate, where I'd just invoke the room as an aspect. The idea is to keep him from firing too much because of... I believe the technical term is "explodey fiery things". Wanna hide behind big kaboomy toys.
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