Where it come to RPOL, I have the strangest habit of adopting strays. I've GM'd several games that were abandoned in one way or another, but never started one from scratch.

First up, thanks for the offer Ryan :)

1). Have you tried PMing Elswin lately?  I’d prefer to move over guilt free with his blessing.  I’d also want to see what a few other PCs close to Tiff are doing…

2). Soft reboot sounds wise… and good for new players.  Maybe there could be a ‘previously thread’ to summarise past interactions?

3). Not going to lie, I’d love some plot.  Some of us have been driving things on our own and that’s worked well.

4). As long as any system is fairly simple, has a Ko before death feature, doesn’t require multiple rolls per turn, and is all available in a game notice… I wouldn’t mind its presence.

5). Would you let players run a second character?  Would you accept plot requests from players?  And would the game be Mature rating at least?  Random questions  :)

1. Not recently. If Elswin hasn't even logged in, a direct message won't go anywhere.

2. Sure!

5. Yes, but one teacher and one student per player, I think. (I might revise that after further consideration, though.) Players can definitely make suggestions. And the game would probably be rated M.

1. I'd want to give it a little longer and maybe chat with Elswin first
2. Sounds great!
3. if we wait longer and contact Elswin maybe GM is just too stressful and they'll hand over the plot stuff to you? That's probably just wishful thinking though, X). Sounds great long as your willing to take suggestions, work with players on it so theres personal plot stuff, and stick with the original intention of the game. [e.i ASASPAR and all that good stuff]
4.As long as it is the promised very simple and not an actual system
5. Are you a nice GM? sorry have to ask cause I've had enough run-ins with scary GMs and y=usually they're pretty honest about that kind of thing.

Just three more thoughts:

Yes, lets give a bit of time, but an rMail often gets more attention than a simple post.  I have been grabbed at games for not posting with rMails.

Ryan strikes me as a good guy.  Yes, both Lille and I can be flaky but we both like him.  Nastiness pops up in characters.

I agree on the extra character thing.  I find more than one to be a handful, but that's me.  As for the mature thing, I think that may be a given.  We cannot be adult as we have 'underage characters,' but I'm good with that.  In this game fading to black is fine, but the mature thing fits as there might be violence and such in here.

I just want to chime in on this as well. I made a character and was supposed to join as a teacher, but it took some time for it to be accepted so I didn't realise for a long time that I had been added. When I noticed I wrote to the GM and explained that I wanted to play, but make a new character instead since time had passed and the ideas I had weren't as exciting anymore. Elswin said that he was keeping this game on the back burner because of IRL stuff, so I'm not sure what is going on but I think Elswin has his reasons.

That being said, I still want to play so if Elswin doesn't come back and I can't pitch my new character I would love to join the potential reboot, if you'll have me :)

Ryan is a nice GM. He's the GM in another game I play in.

Aww, shucks.  :)

I'm pretty accommodating as a GM, but sometimes my evil streak shows. Mostly that's in plotting, not in direct interactions, though.

Alan, you're more than welcome to come along for the ride. I didn't know you were actually here. (Sometimes people join games and then never show up to play, for one reason or another.) You must be really patient to have just hung out like that.

I have sent the GM an rMail. We'll have to see where that gets us.

Of course, this stuff all happens while I'm out for a bit!

But, I think it's good that it's happened.

First, I want to say, I am aware that the current Elswin is the game's second GM.  And that's always a tough position to be in, taking over from a previous GM.   My hat's off to him for at least making the effort, so the game didn't close.

But, it's always been pretty apparent to me that his heart just wasn't in it.  Which I get.  I tend not to run games myself, and burned out pretty early the few times I tried it.  So I am not casting any stones here.

Yes, this game has suffered from lack of much of a plot, or anything to do other than hold ongoing conversations.    I went ape a bit in Group 3, because after months here, I wanted to do something beside just chat.    Not that I don't really enjoy the dialogs with the rest of you, but c'mon, once in a while, something else is nice.

Ryan, if you think you really want to do this, I'd be happy to try your version of it.  Even a little consistent GMing would make for an improvement, in my book.

Every year or two, someone on RPOL launches a game like this: a school for superhumans, largely (or entirely) freeform. And it always — always! — dies for lack of GM involvement. And every time, I think "I can do better."

Well, it's time to put my money where my mouth is. If Elswin shows up and wants me as co-GM, that's great. If he wants to hand the game over to me entirely, also great. But if I need to lead a quiet little exodus and start over elsewhere, so be it. I'm not going to let a good group of players just wither on the vine this time.

Yeah, I know of two active school games that have been going a long time, and neither is freeform (though the socializing/hangout threads basically are). It's a shame, I love the genre but clearly it's very rough to run and sustain. :(

Elswin will always get my appreciation for running the game :)

Let’s see what happens.

I've sent Elswin an rMail, for those of you who requested/required it.

Mine too.

Taking over when it was collapsing was great

Yes, props to Elswin!

Whatever happens I'm just eager to start playing with y'all :)

Sorry for being scarce in posts; work just hasn't been a kind master, lately.   But I'm going to be getting caught up today & over the weekend, and things should be relatively normal next week, whether that's here or in Ryan's Elswin Mark III.

You know, perhaps the current GM would join us as a player if Ryan takes the ball, or become the assistant GM, which would be less time/pressure.   These games are flexible, no doubt something cool could be arranged, that works for all concerned.

The current Elswin would be more than welcome, but I suspect we may have seen the last of our wayward GM. I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but I don't think we're likely to see Elswin II again.

Right now, I guess the question becomes 'How long do we wait?'

A week?  I wasn't here for the last absence. And does that mean we have to have a whole new game (albeit, picking up from here)?

If Elswin doesn't return, then yeah, I'll need to launch a new game and "recruit" all of you.

A week, ten to twelve days, sometime like that.   I'd give him a bit more time yet.

But would also point out it isn't like this game would be locked in a vault.  It'll still be here, unless the current GM ever decides to close it.  And if he does come back, it would be possible to return, copy/pasting key stuff from the second game back over here, with then joint GMing between him and Ryan, which is more or less what was agreed to, I think.

All true.

If Elswin does not return by, uh... let's say the 27th... I will launch the replacement game. (That's my birthday, by some small coincidence.) That would be one full month since Elswin's last login.

If you remember the history Elswin stepped up heroically and took this game over when it was dying. Right now they are in a tough place I think. My strong suspicion is that they would be delighted for Ryan to take over that role and go back to just playing again :) And if not it's all good.

I think we have a plan going forward. Sounds great to me.

Yeah, it's hard to keep a game going after taking it over from someone else! Kudos to Elswin II for keeping it up as long as they did.

Well, this bodes well for the future, I'd say!   We'll wish Els 2 good things, and hope he comes back as a player, co-GM, or some hybrid thereof.

This is a pretty self-sufficient group, we've proven that, so Ryan should be able to have fun too, without getting stretched too thin.



Oh, so you're not a Leo, you're a Scorpio.  You get to enjoy your cake, and then a few days later scarf down some halloween candy.