[Game Theory] Through the looking glass-

The following is an idea that came to me after reading through Telecanter's Receding Rules site, as an aggregate of his posts, rather than any single one in particular.


* As one advances a character, one usually grows attached to that character. When Bad Things happen to that character, but these BTs are recoverable-from, or drive the character on to new directions, this is seen as a Good Thing. But, when Very Bad Things (like non-recoverable death, or loss of Paladinhood, etc) occur, these takes the jam out of the doughnut and is UnFun. Tragic, poetic, but UnFun nonetheless.

+

^ As one advances one's character, one learns more valuable information about the environment (village, subterranean complex, city-state, region, continent, etc.), and this Fact-Map become more valuable as more dots are connected. When a character loses a connection (allies turn to enemies, opportunities sour, locations are destroyed or gain new leadership, etc.), this is a Not Good Thing (not as bad as a Bad Thing, but not as good as a Good Thing). It makes certain resources (info, stuff, spells, etc.) less useful, and may add a vacuum-like effect that time in playing was a waste, etc. 'Suckage' is perhaps an appropriate term.

---[Looking Glass]---

@ When a character dies, they re-start in some other location, perhaps far, far away, with all of their gear and spells/etc. No Boon Suckage, no Data Suckage, just a new grid to explore. In time, and perhaps enough deaths, the character finds a link to a previous 'Dot' on their grid. Jackpot! Their experience (as a character logging Game World Hours) is not lost, their gear and abilities still function, and now, however tangentially, the map has become a little 'smaller' and less obscure.

===[Incorporation with Parties]===

If the above is done on a small-enough scale (city or 'dungeon-level'-sized), it can actually speed-up the exploration process, while still presenting a challenge to the players.
--If a character left a personal glyph where they 'awoke' and then marked each course they chose with their 'x' on the walls, etc., then other party members could find these and trace their way through the same steps. If caches were left by separated characters for their parties to find, and vice-versa, the resource-management aspect of the game is maintained if altered in an expanding-contracting manner, and the 'scouts' can play an important role in being able to act as tactical detachments (happening upon the 'enemy' from a more advantageous angle or being able to whittle the foes' rear-elements to reduce their effectiveness as the PC follows them to the Party, etc.)

Granted, this sort of thing would perhaps best function on a locale-based scale, and would diffuse the Linear Effectiveness of the Party, but if the group is quick on the uptake, the resulting 'Blip-Factor' could present some entirely unique possibilities for both individual character glory, as well as the afore-mentioned Party Boons.
--Fey glades, Eldritch ruins, Dimensional cities, Mad mazes, etc., are likely the best usage for traditional Party-centric games. But, for one-player games, this sort of play mechanism may prove useful throughout the entire run of the 'campaign'.

[Playtest Campaign][Gaming][Life] All good things...?-

A bias against Delver's/CiCi's player has become so pronounced that I am thinking of dropping the game.

The LGS owner (now without competetors, as the other LGS has closed for business) and Tybalt's player both acted in a very immature and inappropriate manner that both hurt me in my heart, as well as making me not want to run for them any longer, --at the expense of my SO (Tybalt's player's sister), and Delver's/CiCi's player.
--On top of that, due to scheduling conflicts, there don't appear to be any sessions for the rest of September.

I am also in a conflict over this weekend's C&C game.
--I would prefer to play today, but someone else cannot make it. Sunday is bad for another player, and Monday I would be in conflict with my SO's final session of her mini-'campaign'.

But, the real grey cloud is that my father is in hospice, unconscious, and has been estimated at having roughly two months left.
--The more-local sister is coming down tonight, and leaving Monday night.

What happens next determines whether or not we need to move in with my eldest sister in Boston, MA., or eke out a living here-- if that is even possible.
--You see, without my father's SS/income, the mortgage payments exceed our ability to pay, unless we can get a refinancing deal.
---Boston has many advantages in that we would be living with family we feel comfortable with, in a large Victorian, atop a hill. But, I would have to shed my firearms; and, would make things much more difficult to find employment in my field.

So, things are kind of...gritty, here.

How much further 'til I level-up?
--> soft smile <

District 9-

I only have good things to say about this film
--Please, do yourself a favour and see it.

[Gaming] What to do when unprepared for a session?-

Tim Shorts of Gothridge Manor posted THIS.

Here was my response:
---
One Stargate Atlantis episode
One MASH episode
One Survivorman / Man v. Wild episode

Place episodes in a bag filled with loose particulate crunch (Falling damage, Poison Saves, Trap Avoidance, Fire or Drowning Hazards, Overland Movement/Evasion, etc,) and shake thoroughly until evenly coated.
--Remove from bag and place in sandbox.

Smoke lightly with aromatic herb

10-15 minutes later, place notes on a single sheet of lined paper, while allowing sketch to cool on graph or hex paper.

Serve while still warm.

Serves up to party of 20.

Enjoy :D


* Stargate Atlantis, MASH, and Wilderness Survival episodes may be freely exchanged with episodes, chapters, or scenes from any other preferred cut of entertainment.
---

I'll be doing much the same, as I've had a rough week, and not much time to work on the Isle of the Slavers.
--I have the map drawn and scanned, but my USB network configuration won't allow me to use the WACOM tablet and the external hard drive at the same time, so I have been unable to modify/enhance/colourise the map.
---I have printed out the summary of last week's session to hand my players as a reminder, and I plan on finishing out Round 5's combat In Medias Res before answering any questions.

[Gaming] **New** MUTANT SCAVENGERS... Auto Supplement-

Crafty Sean Wills, inspired by James Maliszewski, has produced the Wheelspins in the Wasteland supplement for Mutant Scavengers of the Ruined Earth!.

[RPG] Last Call for Players' Manual Suggestions-

While I am planning out the revised Players' Manual for Urutsk: World of Mystery, I thought I would give you folks another chance to provide input on what you want to see, and in the basic order it ought to appear.

As it stands, I am reworking the distribution of the background material (keeping the initial description in front, but pushing the timeline after the rules); unifying the Character Generation process (while still maintaining the Point-Design system as optional); and making certain that explanations appear in their proper and logical spots (the effects of a Sever result appearing in Combat, rather than in the weapons section, for instance). Die Rolling Conventions; Basics of RolePlaying (perhaps three pages); Glossary.
--Is there anything else I ought to know/do?

Currently, I have eight really wonderful line drawings from Peter, and I've hired him to produce about three times more than that number. I am concerned that, due to his immense popularity in the field, the whole body of work won't make it on time for my layout schedule, and there will need to be some sort of concession:
1). I wait longer than I had hoped,
2). I produce an art-light version and then re-release it once all of the art is in.
--Thoughts on that?

After my initial good reviews of Mutant Scavengers..., I am thinking about producing an UWoM-centric version as a quick-play version of the rules for pick-up/one-off games, and releasing this separately and before the PM goes 'live' for .pdf and PoD sales.
--Thoughts?

Anything else?

[Gaming] MUTANT SCAVENGERS of the RUINED EARTH!-

I was slightly derailed by a need to write a Gamma-style variant of Nicolas Dessaux' Searchers of the Unknown 1-page micro-game.

Mine is entitled MUTANT SCAVENGERS of the RUINED EARTH!, and was equally inspired by Sean 'bite the bulette' Wills' Scavengers & Spacewrecks extension of SotU.
--In fact, I think that playing a combined game of S&S and MSotRE! only increases the fun-factor.

One could easily argue that Sean's CYBORG SAMURAI ARE GO! extension is the prequel to both S&S and mine, timeline-wise. Or, perhaps the new home of humanity, Light City, is on another planet, and the occasional Spacewreck Scavenger team beams down to the Ruined Earth to salvage old-world tech, and bring home bio-samples from its mutant population.
--A ship full of Flying Brains would be truly terrifying without a mutant Psycher to lend a hand. :D

Let me know what you think of MSotRE! :)