This is a stall world, one you put the player in for a short time span to give you a bit of time to think.  When I saw Tomas liked Asimov, it seemed an obvious choice to use this setting.

Its inspired by the Asimovian Three Laws Robot Murder Mystery Stories, and Arsenic and Old Lace, and a bit of horror movies.

What do you think?  Of stall worlds? Of this particular one?

Also, I've considered making an Asimovian Robot inspired world of my own, a sellable one, in which people have chaperone robots and moral observer robots.  Its springs from two tendencies in modern culture...transparency (in this future it comes to politicians first who get watched 24/7 to keep them from corruption), and also from self-help books.  The robots act as recorders and moral advisors (with the consumer able to choose which moral system his robot uses), and while it is not coercive, at least in most situations, it is a serious matter of status.

It brings about a world in which people can 'objectively compare' their moral worth.

There are two sets of laws.  One is the Human Laws, and the other is the Robot Laws (which apply to Humans...a certain minimum code of behaviour is enforced by the Robot Code...like 'no murder', and this enforcement is very effective because the billions of robots enforce it.  But the other 'no cheescake' only deducts points from your 'moral worth' status counter, and in fact, the robot can be told to shut up about it, but it will still count).

I see it as a world which is not evil, nor good, but just another world with its own balance.

One side point...law enforcement types are always pressing to extend the Robot Code and civil libertarians are always fighting back.  But as time goes on, the code expands, partially because gov't always expands, and partially because the people, at least in large matters are becoming more well behaved....aka murder is very rare.

And then I think to have this crazy woman miner in a Chaperone Bot World....

PT

This is definatly a situational stall world. I think if you place Misty, myself or Jesse here, we are suspicious enough to know she didn't accidently stay outside, that she was murdered. That woman was crazy with a Capital C, and there would be no way, I'd let her feed me or step outside the door. I would venture to say, that I would probably use a mind read on her, and if I got it or not, I still wouldn't like her chances staying alive.

For Tomas, was a perfect stall world :D

I figured out what was going on waaaay too late, but it's not like it really matters.

Well I learned playing Hackmaster, that being paranoid is only crazy in the one time out of 10 it's on the level. I'll take paranoid everytime :D

What's Hackmaster?

And Tomas, you need to get some type of major lockpick action going.  It could be a blaster pistol, a wad of explosives, or a knock spell, but you need a way of getting into and out of places.

Thinking about it... I probably would have drunk the coffee.

It's easier said than done :P

I hate coffee, so it would have been a poisoning attempt in the first place :P

Hackmaster is the real sucessor to 1st and 2nd Edition AD&D, talking to the National and Wurld champion here ;D

This might help.  Then again, it might not.

http://www.kenzerco.com/

Well, he will have a chance, not as easy or widespread as the Tower of Rhodes which was uber-magical (up there with Lakraine, Northgate City, and the Cafe of Revelation for insane levels of magic) to learn some serious magic in Timwrath.

And Jhiaxus, crazy would have been more than willing to poison you with your beverage of choice.  She offered Tomas several choices.

And one trick that I try to do with stall worlds is have two lethal traps in it, one more obvious, and one on the surprising side.

Now, I did run this world, not as a stall world so much, and the same thing happened, but the character was a professional electrician so he got out his toolchest....

And in ways its to Tomas' credit that he didn't see the trap...we tend to see the dangers in others that are in us.  Which is why when I met my vampire hunter dop in the world Mal is currently in, I laced my fingers above my head, and made it very clear, I was not reaching for a weapon.

PT who is not back on line

Aha!  I couldn't find the Gaming Output article about Contingency Worlds, etc. that you talked about in the other Post Ludum thread, but your above comment gives me a clue.

Are stall worlds to give the player a bit of time to think about what has happened and what will happen, and appreciate the longer and more richly detailed worlds more?  Or are they to give the GM a bit of time to think where to send the verser next?  Or both?

Maybe you should make an FAQ thread, so I can cut and paste all these goodies for future generations... :)

Asimov's Robot universe is a fun setting.  But if you're going to put poor Tomas in such a no-win scenario, the least you could do is let Elijah Baley show up at the end, and assure him before he dies that he'll get to the bottom of this murder, and see that justice is done...  :D