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15:36, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

OOC Discussion.

Posted by GM LoonyLadleFor group 0
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 47 posts
Thu 14 Jul 2022
at 06:37
  • msg #119

Re: OOC Discussion

As I said in PMs I'm not likely to change something that has worked very well for me in the past. If it starts causing problems we can discuss what needs to be changed then.
Susan Miller
player, 52 posts
Thu 14 Jul 2022
at 06:40
  • msg #120

Re: OOC Discussion

No problem

Just remove me from the game.

Thanks for letting me join. I enjoyed the character creation and the discussions about the web comic which I wouldn't have met otherwise

I won't play a game where the characters get in game rewards for doing stupid things. I hope the rest of you enjoy the game. Have fun everyone
Alice Parnell
player, 12 posts
Thu 14 Jul 2022
at 10:37
  • msg #121

Re: OOC Discussion

In game rewards for doing stupid things..?

Uh... you mean in game rewards for overcoming your character's inherent difficulties and restrictions, right?
Susan Miller
player, 53 posts
Thu 14 Jul 2022
at 11:05
  • msg #122

Re: OOC Discussion

The stupid thing. Consider the following situations

Character A
* Looses some power when in water
* has children
* is impetuous

How does the GM reward him when
* he deliberatly fights on a bridge
* brings the children to a fight scene
* leaps in before the others despite the others telling him not to... again and again and again

Answer the GM gives him xp after xp. The only xp you get in this game will be for this kind of riddiculous behavior

There are a hundred... a thousand similar scenarios

Alternative xp strategies include
* for succeeding in goals
* for overcoming difficulties
* for good RPing

Still if you like it go with it

Enjoy the game
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 48 posts
Thu 14 Jul 2022
at 12:30
  • msg #123

Re: OOC Discussion

Susan has now been removed from the game per her request. So that current and potential future players can understand my logic, I wish to address some of the final issues she raised before leaving.

Best as I can tell from the nonsense she gave me in her PMs, she seemed to think that complications reduce player agency by compelling them to take suboptimal ("stupid") actions, as if roleplaying is a game of chess or something. When I tried to tell her this she accused me of "character assassination" so, y'know, maybe I wasn't understanding what she was saying. The gist of it was that she thought complications were bad things and could not understand why anyone might willingly want to do the bad thing that holds their character back.

As for her parting message...

Susan Miller:
Consider the following situations

Character A
* Looses some power when in water
* has children
* is impetuous

How does the GM reward him when
* he deliberatly fights on a bridge
* brings the children to a fight scene
* leaps in before the others despite the others telling him not to... again and again and again

Answer the GM gives him xp after xp. The only xp you get in this game will be for this kind of riddiculous behavior


Right, let's take this in order shall we?

he deliberatly fights on a bridge:
Fighting on a bridge does not invoke the complication. If I wanted to, I could do the following:

What I'd Say:
"Hey Firebro, the villain is looking at your fiery powers and is considering smashing the bridge to extinguish you! Does he go through with it? As usual, there's a CP and HP in it if you say yes!"


The player can choose to accept the complication, causing a sudden reversal of fortune that he has to rapidly adapt to in order to save the say! If he doesn't think it's worth it, he can say no, and the villain will contrive some excuse for why it will not work.



brings the children to a fight scene:
Bad example. A hero has no reason to do this. Solving a problem that you created for yourself is not heroic; it's reckless, and therefore not worth any reward.

More likely scenario: Olivia is called in by the Hero Association to deal with a threat, but there is no babysitter available on short notice!

What I'd Say:
"Hey Olivia, your usual babysitter isn't answering her phone. Do you show up late to the fight in order to quickly take the kids somewhere they will be safe, or do you leave them alone and hope for the best?"


If she shows up late, guess what? Character point! If she leaves her kids defenseless and agrees that they got kidnapped during the melee? Character point! If she is so distracted with worry about their being home alone and messes up something the party was relying on her to do well? Character point!



leaps in before the others despite the others telling him not to... again and again and again:
Last scenario I said that recklessly engineering your own problems just to overcome them isn't heroic. But what if recklessness is itself a trait of your hero?

This is a difficult scenario because a reckless character like this isn't just making things hard for themselves but the entire group. I would only allow such a complication for a player I have prior experience with and trust the judgement of, and even then I would carefully work with the player privately to make sure it is not being overdone.

What I'd Say:
"During your stakeout to figure out where the evil drugs are coming from, you see some mooks carrying a wiggling canvas bag just large enough to hold a person. It looks like they're planning to test the drugs on him! Justice Man, your unwillingness to let innocents come to harm burns inside you, screaming at you to rescue the poor soul even if it tips off the Evil Dark Alliance of Badness! Do you give in?"


This obviously is not something that can be done often, or else Justice Man will stop getting invited to missions! If he is a well designed character he will have many other complications so that he will not miss it too much when he has to pass up his reckless trait.


As you can see, Complications are always opt-in and only give rewards if they are in service to the adventure!

Susan Miller:
Alternative xp strategies include
* for succeeding in goals

Some complications are goals! That's why every character needs a Motivation Complication. The book even says so!

quote:
* for overcoming difficulties

Difficulties? You mean like... complications???

quote:
* for good RPing

Ahhh, the elusive holy grail of writing. What is good roleplaying? What definitive criteria defines roleplaying that is good? Is it consistently writing lines that make players laugh? Well that wouldn't be fair to the people playing serious characters! Making people cry, or think? Some people aren't easily moved to tears, and some people don't want to think about nuanced scientific or social issues in their pretend elf game. What if someone is feeling a little out of the game because of personal issues so they keep posting but in a low energy "sorry for the short post, don't want to hold up the game" way, and then when they get back they're behind on experience? Is it fair to punish a player for having a Bad Brain Week? What if one player just isn't a very good writer, but their presence provides amazing plot hooks and emotional anchoring for the rest of the party? What if they're just not native English speakers?

No way, I am not prepared to make subjective judgements of this magnitude. No matter how impartial I try to be someone is going to feel like someone else is being favored and that is not a good feeling.
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 49 posts
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 06:35
  • msg #124

Re: OOC Discussion

Okay, I think I am finally starting to come out of the slump I have been in for the last month. I am HORRIBLY SORRY about how slow this game has been to start.

I found a replacement for Susan, we're just working out some details before they are formally added. My understanding is that they are a gravity-bending skate punk who got their powers from doing a half-pipe in a decommissioned nuclear reactor, so they're basically a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle without the turtle part.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:35, Tue 19 July 2022.
Rodrigo Duma
player, 1 post
Matter Thrasher
D-8, P-8, F-8, T-8
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 11:36
  • msg #125

Re: OOC Discussion

In reply to GM LoonyLadle (msg # 124):

I really don't want to get sued by said Turtle people...and I more alter matter than control gravity, but otherwise that is a very accurate description.

Thanks for having me, everyone!
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 50 posts
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 11:45
  • msg #126

Re: OOC Discussion

Your character concept is completely silly and that is why it is great. =P
Rodrigo Duma
player, 2 posts
Matter Thrasher
D-8, P-8, F-8, T-8
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 11:49
  • msg #127

Re: OOC Discussion

In reply to GM LoonyLadle (msg # 126):

Thank you.

I based it on the DC character Firestorm, which I thought was pretty cool as he could remake things by changing the arrangement of atoms.
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 51 posts
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 11:52
  • msg #128

Re: OOC Discussion

I have no idea who that is~!

So, to make it so I have to rewrite as little as possible, how about Rodrigo conveniently show up to save the powerless rising actress NPC Susan from the dread Shootster? There'll probably be at least one more exchange of The Talks(tm) before we get to battle order, to give me more time to finalize everyone's sheets.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:53, Tue 19 July 2022.
Rodrigo Duma
player, 3 posts
Matter Thrasher
D-8, P-8, F-8, T-8
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 12:15
  • msg #129

Re: OOC Discussion

In reply to GM LoonyLadle (msg # 128):

Sounds good! Let me know if there is anything I need to fix on my sheet. It should be clear, but i can also show my math if needed.
Alice Parnell
player, 13 posts
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 13:53
  • msg #130

Re: OOC Discussion

Heyla, Rodrigo. Welcome to the game.
Rodrigo Duma
player, 5 posts
Matter Thrasher
D-8, P-8, F-8, T-8
Tue 19 Jul 2022
at 13:56
  • msg #131

Re: OOC Discussion

In reply to Alice Parnell (msg # 130):

Thank you!

:)
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 52 posts
Thu 28 Jul 2022
at 16:49
  • msg #132

Re: OOC Discussion

I will finish character validation and get the game moving at a more acceptable pace within the next three days. No more excuses or apologies. I will do this!

If I am unable to do this, I will shelve the game until I am able to do my damn job.

Fingers crossed!
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 54 posts
Sun 31 Jul 2022
at 15:49
  • msg #133

Re: OOC Discussion

I just realized I never explained that I take the initiative mod directly rather than rolling. I think this better serves the needs of the PbP environment, especially given my "all actors declare their actions at the start of the round" thing I've got going on.

I'll hear other viewpoints however, if you have them!
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 55 posts
Thu 4 Aug 2022
at 16:59
  • msg #134

Re: OOC Discussion

Waiting on Alice, Leroy, and Olivia!
Leroy Heavy
player, 10 posts
Thu 4 Aug 2022
at 20:26
  • msg #135

Re: OOC Discussion

Literally posting right now.
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 56 posts
Tue 6 Sep 2022
at 21:05
  • msg #136

Re: OOC Discussion

More apologies go here. You know the drill. I can only make so many before they start sounding insincere.

I am committing to getting a post out within 36 hours. Additionally, I am going to be altering my PbP workflow going forward such that I write a response paragraph to every post as I receive them, not all at once. With luck, this'll convince my dumb ADHD monkey brain that I am doing five simple easy tasks and not one big hard one. I am committing to making one post a week, starting now. Even dumb ADHD monkey brains should be able to handle that.

I don't mind if you nag me to post occasionally. In fact, I wish you would do it more. It reminds me that you care, and that I'm disappointing people when I decide to fuck off and watch cartoons instead. I am giving you full and open invitation to nag me, unrecindable, taking effect immediately.

If I am going to keep to this new goal, I'll also need you to be on the ball with weekly posts too. If I feel like the game is dragging waiting for one player to get their post in, I'll do my best to act for them rather than risking getting myself stuck in a rut again. Ya'll're great so I don't expect this to be a problem, I just want it on record.

Okay! Enough faffing, time to do my bloody job!
Rodrigo Duma
player, 7 posts
Matter Thrasher
D-8, P-8, F-8, T-8
Tue 6 Sep 2022
at 21:47
  • msg #137

Re: OOC Discussion

Ummm...nagging...nagging...ummm...

Ah! Got it!

How dare you have a real life! Dont you know providing entertainment to people you may have never met in person is much more important!?

:P

Hehehe
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 57 posts
Tue 6 Sep 2022
at 22:13
  • msg #138

Re: OOC Discussion

What's a real life? o.o
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 58 posts
Thu 8 Sep 2022
at 03:48
  • msg #139

Re: OOC Discussion

I'm posting what I've got so some of you can get started on replies. I'll do Alice and Olivia tomorrow.
Leroy Heavy
player, 12 posts
Thu 8 Sep 2022
at 17:14
  • msg #140

Re: OOC Discussion

A quick note when you back to edit in for Alice and Olivia...

Just take the <b> in front of Telsa Cow Horn Cannon and put it infront of the first <Rose> to fix the formatting.
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 60 posts
Thu 8 Sep 2022
at 19:37
  • msg #141

Re: OOC Discussion

Whoopsie-doodle~!

Also I've officially decided Rose for hostiles and Periwinkle for friendlies going forward. Unless they are Very Important Named NPCs.
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 62 posts
Tue 13 Sep 2022
at 12:16
  • msg #142

Re: OOC Discussion

Reminder that I'd really like to be able to write posts for you by tomorrow in order to stick with my "at least one post a week" resolution, but I need something to respond to first!
GM LoonyLadle
GM, 63 posts
Sat 15 Oct 2022
at 11:01
  • msg #143

Re: OOC Discussion

Alright, I think it's well past time I admit to myself what everyone else already knows.

I'm too damn ADHD to run a PbP game effectively, and it isn't fair to all of you to keep you up in the air for a month or more for every single post in what is obviously and unavoidably supposed to be a combat-heavy game. I am hereby declaring this game a dud. I hope that you enjoyed writing while it lasted.

But that isn't the end of the tale!

I'm a much better livetext GM than a PbP GM, and I think this premise can go far in an environment that better operates according to my strnegths. That's why I am considering rebooting OPIE on Roll20. Realtime, but still text-based, no voice or camera skills or equipment required. I've had a Pokemon campaign going on Roll20 for almost four years now, so I know I'm good for it!

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, let me know what days and times are good for you. I plan to run sessions weekly, preferably in mid-afternoon Eastern Time. I hope to hear from you~!

Other than that, consider this your one-week heads-up before the game is closed down. It was nice being your GM for the few posts I actually wrote for you!
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:02, Sat 15 Oct 2022.
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