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synodiporia_ooc2017-05-11 01:57 pm
powersthatbe) wrote in synodiporia_ooc2017-05-11 01:57 pm
MAY STATE OF THE GAME
I. Jaunt Vote Results/Walkabout Voting
Our next jaunt will be Showtime, by a considerable margin. The other two proposed jaunts made strong enough showings to come back up in the voting pool at a later date; keep an eye out for them the next time we feel in need of a game-wide vacation.
Walkabout options for June/July are the following, all on a 1:1 OOC time ratio:
Ivory Tower: Field Trip: Postapocalyptic scholars attending a conference near an irradiated city find there's more to worry about than academic politics when local warlords make trouble. It may be time to test how much mightier than the sword the pen can be…
Escape from Junkworld: Shopping Trip: The motley inter-species band of Gehenna survivors keeping up their outpost on a distant moon are doing fairly well for themselves overall, but in need of a supply run to a nearby planet. Between hastily and poorly repaired outriders and the constant threat of officials from any number of civilised worlds bearing down on them, the mission isn’t without its risks.
Lightside/Darkside: November: As the elves of January gradually ease up the quarantine that’s kept their population segregated for so long, they also begin repairing the overland roads to the rest of the Federation of Hel - and their relations with their neighboring cities. A delegation from the nearby city of November is here to find out just what January’s been up to, these last centuries, and whether they’re ready to rejoin the Federation’s governing council.
Walkabout voting will close Thursday, May 18th, at 11:59PM CST, to give us a chance to put it together. As usual, votes are weighted so that first choices count for two votes and second choices count for one.
II. Jaunt Disconnect
Discussion of jaunt disconnect problems reared its head again during this jaunt, and we’d really like to organize that discussion in a central place, the better to get as much input as possible and see if we can figure out how best to help prevent the problem, especially on jaunts that don’t also feature a walkabout.
Suggestions have included making better use of diverse setting locations, or making it clear that some locations are only available for characters to Be From and will not be used as active parts of the jaunt setting. In this regard, the mods feel Code of Dishonor was perhaps the biggest success (three distinct regions, each with its own agendas and plots still woven into the greater whole), though no jaunt has been without its issues somewhere along the line.
We’re open to feedback of all sorts, both about problems players are having engaging with jaunts and potential solutions to those problems.
III. OOC Tensions and Character Bleed
As noted the other day, this jaunt has seen quite a bit of IC and OOC tension, as well as an unusually high number of player complaints. (The high number of complaints in no way makes these complaints less valid; every complaint brought to us merited and got an immediate mod response. Please, absolutely let us know when you see a problem.) We’d like to take a moment to remind you all that you’re perfectly allowed to take a step back for a day or two if you need to, even on a jaunt with as high of stakes as this one.
We’ve also learned a few lessons regarding the presentation of high-stakes jaunts, and will do our best to help prevent the tension from ratcheting up so quickly for the next one. If there’s anything else we as mods can do to help defuse these situations in the future, please let us know.
IV. Liminal Energy Skills
Recently, Riddick & Matthew, through some clever combinations of skills, have uncovered a portion of the Liminal Skill tree lost since before Moebius - Liminal Energy skills. Four new skills are presented here, and more can be developed - we strongly encourage characters to find clever, subversive ways to explore the possibilities of the network, Liminal Space, & the Travelers’ own pasts, & are always eager to consult any curious player looking to develop something like this.
LIMINAL ENERGY
By breaking down the matter of Liminal Space, create enough energy to power or recharge any one battery-operated device, appliance which would use a standard wall socket, or comparable machine. Usable once per day.
Prerequisites: Liminal Manipulation II.
LIMINAL GENERATOR
In any created room, create functional electrical wiring and active electrical power systems which can power or charge any devices in that space, up to 2kW/hour per level of Room Creation you possess (an average American home uses roughly 1.5kW/h on average). Without this skill, lights and appliances in Created Rooms are powered, but are powered by being part of the room - i.e., a lamp that is unplugged in a created room cannot be replaced with a different appliance, as it is powered by the creator’s understanding of how the room ought to be, not by measurable electric current.
Prerequisites: Room Creation I, Liminal Energy.
LIMINAL SHOCK
Once per day, produce a contact-based electrical shock less than or equal to two milli-amps per Liminal Skill. A ten milli-amp shock is extremely painful; between ten and twenty causes paralysis from contact, seventy-five causes unconsciousness and temporary cessation of breathing, and between one hundred and two hundred is fatal (a Traveler with every Liminal skill on every tree could only produce a shock this severe by using Liminal Power to double the effect of the skill).
Prerequisites: Liminal Energy, Liminal Bubble, Liminal Power.
EXTRALIMINAL TAP
Access the liminal energy you have access to to power systems or devices outside Liminal Space. Effectively, you can now plug devices into one or more outlet-portals to power them remotely.
Prerequisites: Liminal Energy, Intraliminal Skills, Object Portal.
V. New Business/Questions & Concerns
If you have something to discuss which doesn’t fall under the above headers, let us know here!
Our next jaunt will be Showtime, by a considerable margin. The other two proposed jaunts made strong enough showings to come back up in the voting pool at a later date; keep an eye out for them the next time we feel in need of a game-wide vacation.
Walkabout options for June/July are the following, all on a 1:1 OOC time ratio:
Ivory Tower: Field Trip: Postapocalyptic scholars attending a conference near an irradiated city find there's more to worry about than academic politics when local warlords make trouble. It may be time to test how much mightier than the sword the pen can be…
Escape from Junkworld: Shopping Trip: The motley inter-species band of Gehenna survivors keeping up their outpost on a distant moon are doing fairly well for themselves overall, but in need of a supply run to a nearby planet. Between hastily and poorly repaired outriders and the constant threat of officials from any number of civilised worlds bearing down on them, the mission isn’t without its risks.
Lightside/Darkside: November: As the elves of January gradually ease up the quarantine that’s kept their population segregated for so long, they also begin repairing the overland roads to the rest of the Federation of Hel - and their relations with their neighboring cities. A delegation from the nearby city of November is here to find out just what January’s been up to, these last centuries, and whether they’re ready to rejoin the Federation’s governing council.
Walkabout voting will close Thursday, May 18th, at 11:59PM CST, to give us a chance to put it together. As usual, votes are weighted so that first choices count for two votes and second choices count for one.
Poll #18353 June/July Walkabot
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 26
What is your first choice Walkabout for June/July?
View Answers
Ivory Tower: Field Trip
5 (19.2%)
Escape from Junkworld: Shopping Trip
15 (57.7%)
Lightside/Darkside: November
6 (23.1%)
What is your second choice Walkabout for June/July?
View Answers
Ivory Tower: Field Trip
8 (30.8%)
Escape from Junkworld: Shopping Trip
7 (26.9%)
Lightside/Darkside: November
11 (42.3%)
II. Jaunt Disconnect
Discussion of jaunt disconnect problems reared its head again during this jaunt, and we’d really like to organize that discussion in a central place, the better to get as much input as possible and see if we can figure out how best to help prevent the problem, especially on jaunts that don’t also feature a walkabout.
Suggestions have included making better use of diverse setting locations, or making it clear that some locations are only available for characters to Be From and will not be used as active parts of the jaunt setting. In this regard, the mods feel Code of Dishonor was perhaps the biggest success (three distinct regions, each with its own agendas and plots still woven into the greater whole), though no jaunt has been without its issues somewhere along the line.
We’re open to feedback of all sorts, both about problems players are having engaging with jaunts and potential solutions to those problems.
III. OOC Tensions and Character Bleed
As noted the other day, this jaunt has seen quite a bit of IC and OOC tension, as well as an unusually high number of player complaints. (The high number of complaints in no way makes these complaints less valid; every complaint brought to us merited and got an immediate mod response. Please, absolutely let us know when you see a problem.) We’d like to take a moment to remind you all that you’re perfectly allowed to take a step back for a day or two if you need to, even on a jaunt with as high of stakes as this one.
We’ve also learned a few lessons regarding the presentation of high-stakes jaunts, and will do our best to help prevent the tension from ratcheting up so quickly for the next one. If there’s anything else we as mods can do to help defuse these situations in the future, please let us know.
IV. Liminal Energy Skills
Recently, Riddick & Matthew, through some clever combinations of skills, have uncovered a portion of the Liminal Skill tree lost since before Moebius - Liminal Energy skills. Four new skills are presented here, and more can be developed - we strongly encourage characters to find clever, subversive ways to explore the possibilities of the network, Liminal Space, & the Travelers’ own pasts, & are always eager to consult any curious player looking to develop something like this.
LIMINAL ENERGY
By breaking down the matter of Liminal Space, create enough energy to power or recharge any one battery-operated device, appliance which would use a standard wall socket, or comparable machine. Usable once per day.
Prerequisites: Liminal Manipulation II.
LIMINAL GENERATOR
In any created room, create functional electrical wiring and active electrical power systems which can power or charge any devices in that space, up to 2kW/hour per level of Room Creation you possess (an average American home uses roughly 1.5kW/h on average). Without this skill, lights and appliances in Created Rooms are powered, but are powered by being part of the room - i.e., a lamp that is unplugged in a created room cannot be replaced with a different appliance, as it is powered by the creator’s understanding of how the room ought to be, not by measurable electric current.
Prerequisites: Room Creation I, Liminal Energy.
LIMINAL SHOCK
Once per day, produce a contact-based electrical shock less than or equal to two milli-amps per Liminal Skill. A ten milli-amp shock is extremely painful; between ten and twenty causes paralysis from contact, seventy-five causes unconsciousness and temporary cessation of breathing, and between one hundred and two hundred is fatal (a Traveler with every Liminal skill on every tree could only produce a shock this severe by using Liminal Power to double the effect of the skill).
Prerequisites: Liminal Energy, Liminal Bubble, Liminal Power.
EXTRALIMINAL TAP
Access the liminal energy you have access to to power systems or devices outside Liminal Space. Effectively, you can now plug devices into one or more outlet-portals to power them remotely.
Prerequisites: Liminal Energy, Intraliminal Skills, Object Portal.
V. New Business/Questions & Concerns
If you have something to discuss which doesn’t fall under the above headers, let us know here!
Re: III. OOC Tensions and Character Bleed
- This has been the first Jaunt where the Travellers have had had a marked (heh) interest in the actual specific outcome of the Jaunt - whether that's anti-Tower or pro-Chariot. (While the 'anti-Tower' sentiment's fairly common, there are members of the Chariot crew with a lot riding on their patron's success... and they do tend towards explosive personalities... making post-Jaunt fallout on a personal level potentially complicated.)
- There is a tendency among Travellers to end up using ... rather dramatic means to solve a Jaunt. Looking back at these two's Phase Two Jaunts, they're two of the most notable cases of 'stuff on fire' in the game, but not the only ones. As such, it has almost seemed like ... It's been easy to feel like "yeah, we're doomed from the offset", or that one mistake's going to screw things up. Two very volatile Arcana.
It's also hard sometimes to balance the line of... conflict can be interesting/challenging, but causing trouble in the Jaunt can easily spiral out of control.
- Even without the Arcana conflict as such, the whole fact that this Jaunt's about taking sides with gods and will have a huge effect on the world adds plenty of tension too.
- As such, it's also felt like stepping back or doing something less stressful is ignoring the plot, ignoring the metaplot, and generally a ticket to a bad outcome... and this has also been a case where the effect on the metaplot and eventual game outcome's a potentially dramatic one.