Adventure! RPG: Heroes of Our Time - Table Talk: Game Status

[Alex Craft]

Well, I haven't been able to get in touch with Winston's player, so I suppose we'll have to count that as another one out, for the time being. That means there's five of you left. This isn't in and of itself a problem - I can run the game with five, no problem. And, actually, I had a possible player contact me a little while back, so I'll also see if he's still around/interested.

However, this looks to be a good time to bring up the more pervasive issue ... the game's been slowing down steadily since the first couple of episodes, and I personally get the impression that we're kind of running on fumes at the moment. I'm sure I'm not the only one with that idea. \c:

So, here we are. What's wrong? The game took a displeasing turn at some point? Changing personal situations? My periods of inactivity killed the momentum? Talk to me, and I'll see what I can do.

And, with that out, do you all actually want to continue the game? I can do anything from continuing as is, to altering the format of the game, to starting a new game, to calling it done.

[Dr. Mystery]

Well, I'd put a little of the blame on all of it. Personally, I like playing, and I certainly wouldn't mind continuing if everybody else will, but I've been pretty busy lately, and this episode is a little murky about what I should do next. Your periods of inactivity don't help matters a whole lot, as eventually, we stop checking up as you stop updating. I dunno...what does everybody else think?

[Andrew Murphy]

I'm all for continuing play either with the game as is or a re-boot. I think the biggest problem has been the longish down-time periods in postings both from players and GMs alike, you can't get into a game when there's only a single post per month from the GM and only another 3-4 lines per character per month. That's just my opinion, I think if we were to re-boot (at least partially) and put more effort into regular postings all around that game will run better.

[Surya Lanadhra]

Winston's player has been busy with finals and holiday work in his defence.

I'm as happy continuing as rebooting or starting a new game. I even have a couple of ideas for the latter:

A modern game where Michael Donighal didn't become Divis Mal and where the Inspiration continued. (I like the idea of cross-matching Knacks to concept, not type of Inspired).

Or a game set in India, based on Hindu mythology and focusing on the racial tensions between the Raj and the natives. Radha would fit well there.

I am good at coming up with ideas for games. I am just crap at running them. Give me an ST who's willing to take my characters and concepts, and I'm happy.

[Blaine]

Not sure, not sure. The delays in posting due to real life are no doubt impacting (not that I'm blaming anyone, that's why it's called real life ). The current story is a bit murky to me too in all honesty. Moving forward to the Aberrant timeline, with attachments to this one (acting as mentors of the new characters for example) and playing maybe a mix of Novas (perhaps with less Nova Points) and Inspired maybe could be interesting.

Restarting could be fun, I have a concept for a Russian Stalwart.

For this game though to continue we would need a serious injection of commitment from all involved I think, which might not be possible for a little bit depending on real life.

[Alex Craft]

Quote:

Winston's player has been busy with finals and holiday work in his defence.

I'm not counting him out entirely - I know he's been around more-or-less recently from his posting record, so this could just be bad timing. I just haven't been able to reach him yet.

Bear in mind that, to a certain extent, I will have to continue to have periods of inactivity - for the time being, I'm cursed with a very irregular schedule. However, I can probably keep those down to one or two week periods, and I should be able to post more frequently the rest of the time. At least once a week, and I'd try to do more.

In the current game, things would/will fall out as the characters leave the town (or stay in the town, as the case may be). Indeed, now that plans have been made to that effect, it would be possible for me to summarize the current business of going about town and just kick into the rest of the plot.

Then, the 'what do we do now' question would become fairly clear - it's just a matter of actually getting things in motion, when we seem to be stalled out.

Since a reboot seems to be a fairly well-accepted option thus far:

Quote:

A modern game where Michael Donighal didn't become Divis Mal and where the Inspiration continued ...

If we do an Adventure reboot, this is much what I was thinking about. (Not coincidentally, either ... I took a look at Clay Zorbo's old character sheet and decided I could make a pretty decent game of it.)

I wouldn't be going into the Aberrant timeline (with or without Adventure rules), since I'm really a little burned out on Abby, and since I like the cannon-lite setting of Adventure. It wouldn't be much of a trial to extend the A! setting into the real world present.

Though I doubt it would be as popular a suggestion (but I'm just guessing), I could also do a Trinity game ... I've always thought that was an underused setting, and it'd be fun to do a hard sci-fi game. If you don't have Trinity, that's not much of an issue (as with Adventure, I'd be making it accessible to those who don't own).

And, also, I can simply cut the legs off of this game entirely, move off site, and start a new game (pulp, or supers, or whatever this group would be interested in) which has nothing to do with the Trinity Universe. *shrug* I've done plenty of homebrews before, and I still have plenty of ideas for such.

[Surya Lanadhra]

No Trinity. It doesn't appeal one bit to me.

I have another two suggestions - Cold War or a United Nations superteam like StormWatch before Ellis got his hands on it.

We could use the Adventure or Aberrant system for either.

I must admit I'd like to see a high-powered game if we run my modern-day Adventure game with cross Knacks as the Inspiration seems to become more... equal. Mind you, we need to be reasonable with themes - a psychomorph/Mesmerist might well have Sex Symbol or Dramatic Entrance in addition to Command Voice if he/she is an Inspired with heightened charisma and manipulation, but the same character with Powerlifter would be very unlikely... Without a damn good explanation like uber-training or something.

Just my suggestions.

[Alex Craft]

Well, I think the game options I'd be interested in running at this point are as follows. I could add a sci fi option if there is any interest.

• Adventure: the Roaring Twenties

You know this one, obviously. The projected metaplot here begins to turn away from a simple episodic format and concern itself with the shadow organizations and conspiracies of the world. You'll the just-now-introduced Marduk Werkbund, the Contedorri and the Order of Murder, and similar organizations.

The game will also become more character driven, dealing with things like the unknown enemy of the Rakozi family, the party or parties responsible for the deaths of many of King's past associates (Radha's parents, Guillaume Lefevre, and others), as well as old chestnuts like Dr. Ziegfried.

The intended theme revolves around the decline of the world into depression and another World War, coupled with the need to liberate the world from the conspiracies that control it ... or, perhaps, to bring order to the declining world by becoming such an organization.

• Adventure: Heroes of Our Time

Modern era Adventure. After the twenties, the Hammersmith effect gradually died down, and the rate of Inspirations decreased (but didn't quite die off). However, the Age of Inspiration still kick-started human evolution, both by making certain genes more desirable and by causing those with latent superhuman traits to associate with each other (and pair off).

Now, a second Age of Inspiration is coming to the fore as the children and grandchildren of the original generation join with non-bloodline Inspired and the survivors of the original Age. Superscience, superhumans, and stunning feats of skill are once again becoming almost commonplace, and the world is changing to suit.

Here, the theme is the resurrection of hope ... giving the world a taste of the unbridled optimism of the original Age of Inspiration, which has died out over the course of the intervening 80 years. This is a 'change the world' game, with the PCs helping to shape the future of the world. Think of it as an early-on-the-timeline Project Utopia game, if that helps.

(And yes, it probably would be fairly high-powered, but don't ask me to quote a number of transformation points right now.)

• Generations of Winter

A modern supers game. During the Cold War, the Soviet government created a number of 'prototype' supersoldiers, but the projects never really took off before the end of the Soviet Union. Now, the superhumans are scattered to the winds, but a handful of them have been drawn together to investigate a series of murders in their midst.

This would probably be a story of two alternating parts ... the present, in which a group of aging (for the most part) superhumans with unreliable powers are trying to locate and protect their former comrades, and flashbacks to the past, in which they were the most elite of the land - shining stars who expected to one day bring a better, more egalitarian society to the world.

Here, the theme is personal - it is about a group of individuals proving (if only to themselves) that they truly are the heroes they were originally meant to be. It is a low power game (about what you'd get with 10 or 15 nova points), but that's out of context ... you'd also be pretty much the only people around with powers of any kind. I'm not sure what system I would use.

• Untitled Supers RPG

Another modern supers game, set in a 'classic' supers world something like the DC Universe in flavor. Here, the characters are gathered by a third party to combat a huge, looming threat ... the Furies, a sentient, super-powered virus that seeks to subsume into itself all life.

Guided by a new mentor - the transcended ghost of a 1930's cop - the heroes set out across worlds, times, and dimensions in a grand attempt to sterilize the Furies' presence from the universe.

This is a classic supers game, but not exactly four-color. The mood is shadowy and a bit spooky, and the realism should be fairly high. The PCs need not follow suit, but much of the setting will tend more toward the supernatural than the super-scientific.

And it is high-powered (maybe the equivalent of 50 to 100 nova points), with an epic campaign arc going out to other planets, other dimensions, and the distant future. It starts on Earth, and it probably ends on Earth, but the material in between could go anywhere.

[Dr. Zero]

Id be interested in joining if you are interested in taking another player... I admit, Im mostly interested in an Adventure game, in its classical format. I like the Noir and Pulpy styles.

[Tekk One]

I if you are taking in new player's I would also like see about joining in. I like the pulp style, but I would be interested in the high powered one as well

[Andrew Murphy]

I'm most interested in the first 2 options, I really enjoy this character and I don't think I've quite had my fill yet. If we do decide to start a new game however I will be interested though I think I would prefer using the Adventure rules to the Abberant rules to keep the pulpy feel of the game.

[Blaine]

I like the first and the fourth options. The fourth option appeals to the fact that I've never been able to play in a full on supers game. I like the first because I've already got a developed charactr for it, or am alternate in mind.

[Alex Craft]

With a new game, of whatever type, I'll be opening to new players, as well as old.

[Blaine]

Considering that I just saw X-men3 and with Superman Reruns coming soon, I'm leaning heavily on a Supers game now that I think of it.

[Brigitte Lefevre]

I would be interested in the first 2 options. I still have Brigitte written up and I have ideas for other Inspired spanning from Adventure! era to modern day.

[Surya Lanadhra]

I'm easy with anything chosen. I just tossed out some ideas.

[Stormwarden]

The first two appeal to me (Count Janos) as well. Even unto the modern era, the Count would do quite well.

[Dr. Mystery]

Well, I'd prefer to stick with the pulpy style, but I wouldn't be opposed to a straight-out supers game. Would prefer not to do a trinity game, even though I do have the book, got it from you.

[Alex Craft]

Nobody's interested in the third option? (c: I'm not surprised ... I've pitched that several times in the past.

Could I get a first and second choice from each of the present players? It sounds like one of the first two options is leading, but I'm not sure which one.

[Andrew Murphy]

I'm kind of partial to this character so I'm voting for #1 but I can certainly create a descendant of Jameson for the modern times if we play the second.

[Blaine]

My first choice is 1 and then 4.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

Option Two, followed by Option One. After all, Janos could still be around in the Modern Era.

[Alex Craft]

Janos and Radha both. The stalwarts get it easy, don't they?

[Erin 'Stellar' Donovan]

Oops.

[Brigitte Lefevre]

#2 and then #1.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

I've also done some thinking about some stories of Janos in WWII, so there is some impetus for Option 2 there as well.

[Alex Craft]

Doc Mystery reports that he doesn't have a strong preference, so Radha can either push the vote over to option one (I'm only considering current players at the moment), or pick option two as first choice and kick it back to him for the split vote.

[Surya Lanadhra]

I'm going for Option 2 because I got bored one day and created Regan McLachlan as an Inspired.

I know, I'm a complete and utter geek.

[Andrew Murphy]

Looks like its up to the Doc ... no pressure

[Alex Craft]

He's gone for the modern game, and I am neutral on the matter. So, we'll transition over into that.

I'll think things over and make a proper announcement about character creation, new players, setting, and all that jazz, but here's key points for you to chew on right this moment:

• The game will begin in 2010. No significant events will occur in the intervening period, but it lets me put things a bit in the future and separate us all a bit from real world politics. (c:

• The world is much like the real world, history-wise.

• Characters will have no set inspiration 'type,' so you can mix and match knacks between heroic, psychic, and dynamic. Beginning characters will be to some degree more powerful than the core rules beginning character.

• I will be willing to discuss custom knacks, and I will look at third party knacks (from eon online or whatever).

• All cannon and all events/organizations/etc from Roaring Twenties will be considered cannon.

• Ah ... I can't think of anything else off the top of my head, but here's some stuff I've said on the topic, for consideration regarding game direction and mood and such. A proper game thumbnail will be upcoming, once I know what's what.

,,

Quote:

you get play a group of extraordinary people trying to turn the real world (with all its doomsaying future talk, from ozone depletion and global warming to the war on terrorism) into a world in which people once again look forward to the years to come, and in which they are confident that their children really will live in a better tomorrow

that kind of art deco business, where everyone was trying to imitate the future because everyone had a good feel about it

and the twenties, pre-Depression thing, where everyone was convinced that the new explorations and the new technologies were a sign that humanity was now capable of accomplishing anything, and where the horrors of WWI had convinced everyone that war had become so inhuman that it would never happen again

> so, we're going to fix the world?

yes

> who are we up against?

i don't know. evildoers? i only just came up with the idea last week

[Joshua 'Halo' North]

::Peaks head in door::

Will you be accepting new players?

[Alex Craft]

Yes - a few. I'm unclear on the details at the moment, but it is safe to say that some number of new players will be added.

And a note on the mechanics of Inspiration. There're, I guess, about four different types you can look at here:

• The first is the Inspired who's been around since the first Age of Inspiration. There, you'd either have to have the appropriate knacks (Optimized Metabolism) or access to longevity drugs. Or you're very old.

• The second is an Inspired who just happened to become Inspired sometime after the end of the Age. There are precious few of these, since the effects of the Hammersmith experiment had faded a great deal, reducing the likelihood of this happening.

• Then there's the new guard Inspired. You have some genetic predisposition toward Inspiration, having one or more ancestor who was Inspired in the original Age. Thus, though it is difficult for people to achieve Inspiration in this day and age, your predisposition gets you there anyway.

• And then the last type, which is pretty much the same as the third type. The difference is that you were born Inspired, which may or may not have been obvious from early on, depending on your talents. These two types (three and four) are probably the most common.

[Andrew Murphy]

Sounds like fun, I'll be out of town for the next 4 days but I will try and get you a character background and outline before I leave to reserve my spot!

[Blaine]

Sounds good, count me in please.

[Tekk One]

Let me know if I can get in on this as well.

[jameson (ST)]

Alex, I tried to PM you but your inbox is full. I'll try again this evening or tomorrow.

[Regan McLachlan]

I'll submit Regan McLachlan, as she is presented in the AU fiction I did for Singularity.

[Count Janos Rakozi]

So, can I still be playing Janos? If so, when can we talk about what has been happening to him in the interveneing near-century?

[Blaine]

If anyone is interested, I have a concept of a bodyguard/manservant character that might be ideal for a scientist or dilletante character. Let me know if anyone is interested.

[Alex Craft]

Quote:

Alex, I tried to PM you but your inbox is full.

I'll get to shoveling it out.

All current players have spots reserved - nothing to fear about that. I'm thinking in terms of two or three new players, but I may bump that up if I see a big enough pile of excellent characters. New players' characters will be picked based on quality and team makeup, not any kind of 'first come, first served' business.

Also, I'm going to institute open character creation, for the most part. We'll mess with actual stats through PM, but work on character concepts and history in public threads. I'll set up a thread for that in a couple of minutes.