Current events
This page is for discussion of stuff related to the game coming up this week, no matter when that actually is. For instance, we can all assume Nate isnt coming for some lame reason and that Ed is sick of pizza and is bringing teriyaki or some other crap. They can post something here if that happens to be untrue.
Contents
Schedule
Date...........game................Location..........(Advanced attendance)
4/17/09.....Supers.........Ben's Condo.........
4/24/09.....nada.........Ben's Condo.........Dieter, Ed, Matt Absent
5/01/09.....OAAAAA.........Ben's Condo.........Ed absent
5/08/09.....OAAAAA.........Ben's Condo.........
5/15/09.....OAAAAA.........Ben's Condo.........
5/22/09.....OAAAAA.........Ben's Condo.........Matt absent
5/29/09.....OAAAAA.........Ben's Condo.........
6/05/09.....XXX.........Canceled
6/12/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........Ed absent, Dieter SIFF @ 9:30
6/19/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........Ed likely absent
6/26/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........Matt absent, getting married
7/03/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........
7/10/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........
7/17/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........Ed absent
7/24/09.....???.........Ben's Condo.........
Attendance and Food Preference
Are we playing this week? It looks like we are staring down two absences again.
--Gdaze 08:11, 9 June 2009 (MST) I can do something, Matt? Last minute cancelation?
--Matts 13:18, 9 June 2009 (MST)I was planning on attending. What are you saying?
--Gdaze Well we only got 3 people...
Edmiao you should play, i want the xp.
BEN: I'll happily GM with 2, I was having withdrawals last week, I just want to know that people are on board, because if we aren't playing I want to make plans.
--Dieter the Bold 16:40, 9 June 2009 (MST) If people want to skip magic and go straight into gaming, I can promise to be there at 7pm or earlier and play until 8:30ish. 'Til 9 if I can borrow a car to drive to Seattle Center. Unfortunately I won't get back until 11:30 or so. Longer with buses. Still, I am totally down to jump in and go.
--Matts 16:42, 9 June 2009 (MST)I'd like to know sooner rather than later.
--Dieter the Bold 17:36, 9 June 2009 (MST) What's to discuss? We'll have 3 + Ben at 7pm or earlier and then go down to 2 at about 8:30, back up to 3 around midnight (if people are still going strong).
--Matts Sounds good, see y'alls there!
--Gdaze 12:00, 10 June 2009 (MST) Just so ye'll know I'm gonna be leaving early, most likely around 10ish. But still down for playing, we all still good then?
Edmiao gabe, you are such a major major major putz.
--Gdaze -- Phff, least I'll be there!
--Dieter the Bold 15:25, 10 June 2009 (MST) We wanna get some Mama's? Or do our own dinners since it's a little helter-skelter? Can Brandon get the car and come over to play with some Pudge?
--Brandon 17:33, 10 June 2009 (MST) It's a possibility that I can come by for Magic and a bit of gaming, but you shouldn't count on it. The possibility is contingent on me finishing a paper in time to submit it for publication before gaming (it has to be in Friday) and on the house being ready for guests (Kate's brother flies in at 11ish Friday night).
--Gdaze 14:33, 11 June 2009 (MST) MATT! Bring my comics tomorrow, and I'll bring yours.
So are we starting gaming at 6? Or 7?
BEN: 6, ideally.
--Dieter the Bold 11:19, 12 June 2009 (MST) I'll be there at 6, then.
--Brandon 17:10, 12 June 2009 (MST) I'm sure no one cares, but I won't be stopping by tonight. Paper is done, cleaning is not. Lame for reals.
Quote(s) of the week
Elemental: (to police chief, who thanked them for their good work) That certainly isn't going to help Viho's colossal ego. (or something like that...)
CyberJesus: I'm so sick and tired of this bullshit Thomas Kinkaid police state!
Ashbury: I grow plants that may or may not be used for pharmaceutical purposes
Ed/Aefra: "I use Seduction on the baby"
"Galen, you're wearing a dress." "Yes, but I still look better in it than in you do in your clothes."
Ranting and Raving
--Gdaze 08:10, 9 June 2009 (MST) MAYBE WE SHOULD MAKE IT SO ONLY THOSE WHO LOG CAN POST?
Edmiao seems like some bot has our number. It's so sad that there are bad people in the world.
--Gdaze 09:12, 9 June 2009 (MST) It is unfortunate that the rest of the world can not uphold the same high moral standards that I myself practice.
JASON: All of these posts are from logged in users. Its a lot more difficult to stop bots who actually create users, but I have done some research and hopefully I can get some better security measures implemented this week.
--Dieter the Bold 11:08, 9 June 2009 (MST) Can we just delete members who aren't us and then close registration?
JASON: Closing registration doesnt make sense, what about when new people come around in our groups? I will probably be instituting a policy that requires filling in one of those silly 'what is this text' boxes, that will stop them.
--Dieter the Bold 13:36, 9 June 2009 (MST) Could we register everyone who might join up now, and then make a couple spare ones? Or is the text box really easy and effective?
--Matts 14:20, 11 June 2009 (MST)Applicable to more than just our sci-fi game: Rogue Trader Preview on Free RPG Day!
--Gdaze -- Yes, I had this book in mind, didn't think it came out until August though. Sweet.
--Matts 14:58, 11 June 2009 (MST)The description sounds like a sweet nectar!
--Gdaze 15:25, 11 June 2009 (MST) Yeah... it would really fit with this game well, but... it doesn't come out until Sept... Kinda a long way off.
Mass Effect
--Matts 09:19, 9 June 2009 (MST)Hey, can we throw out the end-of-game twist in terms of where the mass effect relays and the citadel come from? It'd be nice to have them be all mysterious.
--Gdaze 09:34, 9 June 2009 (MST) I have yet to beat the game, but sure. I'm guessing the citadel is actually a Reaper? I should be beating the game this weekend since my dudes are so powerful I just chew up everyone anyway.
--Dieter the Bold 11:14, 9 June 2009 (MST) You're close, Gabe. The Citadel is indeed more than meets they eye!!! And I'm totally down with it all being much more mysterious. Actually, it just hit me that I would be hugely excited about this if the we were all Artifact Traders/Hunters doing something similar to the game. We come across some pimp artifact and are suddenly tracking a millennia old trail across the galaxy. Exploring strange new worlds, killing new and exotic lifeforms, and uncovering terrible secrets best left undisturbed. That would be awesome.
Oh, does anyone have a spare copy of WH40k RP book for us to look at? If we do play on Friday, could you bring it, Gabe? I'd like to show up before my movie and look it over to get an idea about characters.
JASON: If you guys are gonna play on a ship, I have an extra map of a ship that is RAD. Its like 24x30 and fully outfitted with hexes. Ben has seen it, I think you guys would get good use out of it.
--Gdaze 11:56, 9 June 2009 (MST) Sounds like a pretty pimp'in map. And I'm not watching that video until I beat the game! Well it seems people what a kinda... Tomb Raider in space or whatever, so yay! Gives me much more to work with.
I DO have a spare book, but it is with Lew who I will be seeing this Sunday. I shall ask him to bring it back.
--Gdaze 12:59, 9 June 2009 (MST) Alright, we will do artifact hunters. Seems most people are down with this one. Some coniderations... how legal are all of you? There are a number of planets that have a no landing rule but are ripe with ancient ruins. I'm assuming the characters run their own biz as well and don't work for one of the corps.
PLAYERS! Start thinking up a name for your "practice".
--Dieter the Bold 14:03, 9 June 2009 (MST) The video is actually a rickroll to the Transformers cartoon theme song. You know? 'More than meets the eye'? Yeah, I went there. I figure we'll go with our usual lax opinion of legal rules: Follow them when forced to, violate them with varying degrees of sensitivity when not. I'd prefer to run our own business, and I'm betting backgrounds will run from semi-sketchy to sorta-legit. I'd like to steal from Bablyon 5 and go with "IPX", "Interplanetary Expeditions". 'Digging up the past for a better future.'
--Gdaze 14:26, 9 June 2009 (MST) Thinking about it now... yeah, you guys will have to do fairly illegal things. RPin out getting dig permits would be pretty bland.
Edmiao if we do artifact hunters, i have a character named Aedil who wants to make a re-emergence. just kidding. i think. also could borrow a rules book.
BEN: I don't want to be on the same team as a guy who signed his people up to fight alongside the space-nazis and singlehandedly allowed them to take over half of the Gemini. Just saying. is there a point to coming up with a character concept? with classes I imagine things are kind of restrictive in terms of what sort of "role" a character can have.
--Gdaze-- Classes in 40k are actually fairly customizable. Almost all have two, and up to three, different paths they can follow. Plus with the other book I have it has these kinda classes you can take that basically replace a whole section of your level up tree. On top of this you can basically RP it out and ask the GM for a chance to buy a skill you normally wouldn't be able to. It should be noted that while skills and talents are priced anywhere from 100-300, it is stats that end up costing a lot. Like from 250 up to 1750. Players will most likely start with 1000-1200 exp, to get things started. I'd like it if there was at least one human.
Edmiao a one sentence description of what a Krogan is would be good...and the other races
--Gdaze-- Go to the wiki. There is your one sentence. But really I'd read up on all the races on the wiki. Krogan are kinda like killer turtles.
Edmiao dibs on being Krogan. my character will be named Raphael. wait...didn't i already have a Raphael in space? shit!
--Dieter the Bold 16:54, 9 June 2009 (MST) Crap, was getting two races mixed up. Never mind.
--Matts - I'll probably play a human assassin or scum, depending on my characteristic rolls.
--Gdaze - You can assign whatever stats to wherever, assuming they are equal roles.
--Gdaze 12:03, 10 June 2009 (MST) Just want to point this out, what Dieter said above will most likely be the feel of the game, "We come across some pimp artifact and are suddenly tracking a millennia old trail across the galaxy. Exploring strange new worlds, killing new and exotic lifeforms, and uncovering terrible secrets best left undisturbed. That would be awesome."
That cool?
--Matts 12:12, 10 June 2009 (MST)Sounds fun!
--Gdaze 12:26, 10 June 2009 (MST) Also after playing a bit more, I think I will keep that general knowledge about the relays in-tact... it does not mean it is true. And there are certainly people who don't believe it.
Edmiao groovey. please describe the group hook in detail. seems like we would all have been together for a while.
--Dieter the Bold 15:33, 10 June 2009 (MST) Houzaboot we steal a page from Ben's Cyberpunk campaign? We were all crewing a ship for some corporation when [THE EVENT] happened. We suddenly find ourselves with the ship but on our own. This could be because the corporation suddenly ceased to exist (went out of business, hostile action, bought out, etc.), or because we made a big find that we didn't want to share (and either just gave 'em all the finger, or faked our deaths, or made our first illegal sale of what we found and used the proceeds to buy ourselves out along with our ship). This gives us background together for the last X years, gives us pre-established roles we're all comfortable with. And, we have the same enemies (barring personal touches during character creation). I also promise that I won't simply run off and die (like in Ben's Cyberpunk). Thoughts?
Oh, I'm thinking of playing a Jack-of-All-Trades grease-monkey character. Nothing high-level, but can pretty much fix anything and do the nasty jobs that others wouldn't like.
--Gdaze-- Would you alll be opposed to a name like Attic (or Basement) Finds? Or something like that because you always use the excuse "We found it in our basement!" I actually don't care, just thought that would be neat and kinda in a ways shows just what kinda business you run. Sounds find Dieter, that you work well, but I'd like it if the company just went out of business. Even better yet, how about if it was a university?
--Dieter the Bold 17:28, 10 June 2009 (MST) Simply went out of business is fine. Are we still working for the University? Why did we leave with a ship if we aren't working for them anymore? Attic/Basement seems a little provincial to me. It would fit if we were running ye' olde' Human curio shop in some quiet section of the Citadel, but if we wanted to be taken a little more seriously, we'd probably need a grander title and tagline. Plus something that's a little more universal (as attic or basement could be unknown concepts to other alien races). Attic/Basement Finds is good if we're a small-time operation without plans for bigger things.
--Dieter the Bold 09:21, 11 June 2009 (MST)
Business names:
Hyades Import/Export Co.
Milky Way Excavations
Interplanetary Expeditions
"Name/Location" _________ (Import Export Co., Antiquities, Excavations, Expeditions)
Slogans:
Wonders from across Space and Time
Creating Opportunities from Ruins
Bringing the Past to Life
Antiquities from the farthest star
Relics of the forgotten past
--Gdaze -- Whatever happened, your ship is your ship. It does not belong to anyone else, you came up with some legal reasons or something. I'll leave it up to you if you all like.
--Matts 10:15, 11 June 2009 (MST)First: The ship is equally owned by all players. Second, I'm going to use the phrase "import/export" all the time. Third, I like the name Hyades Import/Export Co. I like the idea of having a storefront in the Citadel that can be run by NPCs when we're out doing things.
--Gdaze 10:28, 11 June 2009 (MST) Ah yes, thank you Matt I meant to put that in to, it is everyone's ship. Having a storefront in the Citadel is just fine and dandy. Most likely in something like the Wards.
--Dieter the Bold 11:22, 11 June 2009 (MST) A fun hook might be to have the ship partially owned by the bank. So we have some driving reason to get things done in order to pay it off.
--Gdaze 11:54, 11 June 2009 (MST) Your ship is going to pretty much be a piece of junk, upgrading it should be some amount of drive. For the most part this game is not going to invovle some NPC telling the players what to do. That said, I ask that you make character who when faced with an ancient evil, care enough about it to stop it. For some, that means making a big profit as well. Characters with no drive, or who don't care about their friends, don't make them. After all, defeating ancient evil, or whatever, as I just said can make some major money.
--Gdaze 13:21, 11 June 2009 (MST) I thought I should put what will be in the game. There will be gun fights, there will be sneaking, there will be tricky piloting required, there will data discs to crack, there will be ancient and lost civs, there will be trickery. Just letting you all know to help with character concepts. I should metion though that "pilot" really isn't an arch-type that will blend well with this game. Sure it will be nice to have someone who CAN pilot a ship, but doesn't need to be the only thing they can do.
--Dieter the Bold 14:25, 11 June 2009 (MST) NSP17A-Fizzak is rarin' to go. Will there be a WH40k book available tomorrow? Edit: Good call Matt, I'm thinking Tech Priest (never having seen the class).
--Matts 14:07, 11 June 2009 (MST)I'll clarify: I'm thinking about either Scum, Adept, or Assassin careers. I think it'll depend on how the dice roll.
--Gdaze-- I'm testing something out by NOT signing in...
There is a very interesting alt. class for adepts Matt. It makes them far more social and aware in nobal circles and stuff like that.
Other RPG or Non-RPG or Monthly Board Gaming Day gaming Events
--Dieter the Bold 12:59, 4 June 2009 (MST) Awesome fun with BSG: The Boardgame last night. Frakking Toasters managed to get us right before the end. I'm down for Twilight Imperium Friday night.
Edmiao been playing that downloadable Titan, thanks jason. it's pretty cool, and speeds up the gameplay considerably.
Weekly Magic Whining/Complaining/Smack Talking
--Brandon 15:53, 10 June 2009 (MST) Check out the upcoming rules changes that are coming out with the release of the next basic set. Most of them are perfectly innocuous. For example, the "in-play zone" is now called "the battlefield." Whatever. But some things are substantial, ranging from getting rid of mana burn to the fact that combat damage no longer uses the stack. I quote Ben in saying "super lame".
GABE: Uh... Hmm. Makes combat a lot faster, but also seems a bit boring to me.
Edmiao I hated hated hated that combad damage used the stack. it made no sense that you could assign damage, then unsummon a creature, whose now invisible fist smacks you in the face. creatures must finish combat to do damage, this is a good thing, more like it used to be and makes more sense. also like the lifelink modification. not sure exactly what the ordering of the blockers for damage is all about, but it seems ok. mana burn was a stupid rule anyway, just cus it was there from the beginning doesn't make it a good rule, and it impacted the game almost never, like they say.
--Brandon 16:59, 10 June 2009 (MST) I agree with you about the counterintuitiveness of the unsummon scenario, but I think that combat damage using the stack opened up a lot of strategic space that was interesting and fun, so overall I thought it was advantageous. I totally agree with you about lifelink (I thought the stacking was always dumb), and am pretty ambivalent about mana burn. I would lean slightly the other way on it, because even though it almost never impacted the game, sometimes it did in interesting ways, which I saw as a plus. The ordering of blockers stuff, though, which is a result of removing the damage from the stack rule, has some negative consequences. Check out this article by Zvi Mowshowitz (a pro player) for a good run down of the implications.
EDIT: As one quick example, I'm pretty sure that regeneration is now even weirder than before, because you can't regenerate in response to damage, but rather have to regenerate in advance of damage being dealt, which means that you might be led to regenerate in scenarios where the creature wouldn't even be taking damage. For example:
Ed attacks with Mogg Fanatic.
Gabe blocks with Drudge Skeletons.
Ed: "Fast effects?"
Gabe: "I regenerate Drudge Skeletons."
Ed: "In response, I sac Mogg Fanatic to do one damage to you."
Gabe: "Fuck you and the cat you rode in on!"
Maybe it's a corner case, but I think it shows off some of the possible weirdness.
BEN: I like your arguments, Ed. I agree with Brandon that some "strategic space" has been closed, but you are probably right that it won't have any dramatic effects and that it does get things more in line with logic. Of course, there are plenty of other areas that remain super complex in this game, so I think their stated goal of 'make it easy on the n00bs' is not really met. But I find your arguments comforting...
--Matts 17:45, 10 June 2009 (MST)I just think that if they're out to make things easier they should take a good long look at all of those abilities they just special-cased: lifelink, and especially deathtouch and regeneration.
More than likely we'll just see less of those types of abilities as time goes on, but yeesh.
Next step in Of Amor, Armor, and Alchemy
Current OAAAA XP: 75 base + 292 XP
Plans to save Danny-Girl from the dragon
Fight the dragon, kill it
Lyra told us where to find the freezing Tears of _____ so we can put out the dragon's breath, right before she extinguished the eternal forge flame in our temple (bitch) by sucking its soul out like a vampire. She will help us fight the dragon. In return we agreed to let her strike the killing blow IF we successfully obtain the Tears. Other allies could also be enlisted in the fight.
Deal with the dragon
Give the dragon something he wants more than Danny. Say the Ruby shield or freeing Iximion.
Dragon vs Dragon
Free Iximion, tell him Oryxis is getting up in his magic shit and doens't he want to kick the shit out of Oryxix for learning magic?
--Gdaze 22:08, 11 June 2009 (MST) Is that exp current? Seems this is how much I had from last time?
Edmiao it is now.
--Gdaze-- Well crap, now I'm 15 weaker, weaker I say!