As I mentioned before, you're probably dead-on with this. I've not seen so much of this kind of thing myself, probably because I've roleplayed mostly with you people in MMOs. Anyways, a well-written an thorough first article.
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The Seed Roleplaying Community » Posts by Kryigerof
As I mentioned before, you're probably dead-on with this. I've not seen so much of this kind of thing myself, probably because I've roleplayed mostly with you people in MMOs. Anyways, a well-written an thorough first article.
Our Seed: The Second Chance text RPG, modelled after traditional pen and paper techniques to some extent is working out very well though.
... and is always welcoming new players, by the way (I'm the GM).
We won't play 29.8. We will play 5.9.
I decided not to optimize the games to different weeks because the other campaign might move again during the summer pretty easily.
Other names:
Per
Oma
Marco (dead)
Mirca
This has been updated.
There are new ring descriptions.
Name: The Jorian Reformist Party
Formed: 12.11.97
Organization: Hierarchical
Leadership: One leader (elected)
Status: Active
The Jorian Reformist Party continues the thousend year trandition (pun intended) of the original movement formed during the 2nd decade of The Technocracy. For those unfamiliar with the history, the Jorian Reformists acted as an important opposition force to the political leadership of The Technocracy. They saw the stagnation inherent in the hedonistic lifestyle of The Technocracy, and struggled to drive humanity to take its place in the universe. The Seed program was one of their greatest successes.
The Da Vinci branch strives to finish what they started by adapting the base values described in the Jorian Manifesto.
Members:
Thrayn - leader
((5 members altogether))
Name: The Revolution
Formed: 14.2.103
Organization: Informal
Leadership: One leader (permanent)
Status: Active
The current political situation in the Tower is abhorrent! A few powerful ringleaders control the both the people and the property with no legal authority. They say they work for the good of the Tower, but it's their own power - and the increasing of it - they're truly concerned about. Even worse, the entire infrastructure is controlled by the whim of a few self-appointed administrators - TSR!
The only way to make a true change is for the people to unite - to see the rottenness of the system and act on it. To bring true justice and freedom to the Tower! Our ring is small but we have many supporters all around the Tower! Join us in our fight if you share our dream!
Members:
Zing - leader (dead)
Ivan - handler
((8 members altogether))
Name: The Bay Control Unit
Formed: 8.12.102
Organization: Hierarchical
Leadership: One leader (permanent)
Status: Active
We keep the loading bays in Labspace operational. Join us if you know the area.
Members:
Quanto - leader
((5 members altogether))
Name: The Tubelift Central Collective
Formed: 5.10.102
Organization: Hierarchical
Leadership: One leader (elected)
Status: Active
The Tubelift Central Collective is one of the several damage-control teams, formed after the disbanding of The Collective. We used to be a single ring, but we split up when evident problems in the old equalitarian ways arose. The Tubelift Central Collective works in the Tubelift Central area.
The Tubelift Central Collective follows a revised version of the equalitarian practices of the old Collective. We use one leader, chosen through a vote in an election held twice a year. This has resulted in greater efficiency without compromising our basic equalitarian values.
The Tubelift Central Collective is currently recruiting.
Members:
Barbaros - leader
Dirk - member
Bala - member
((20 members altogether))
Name: The Shaft Collective
Formed: 5.10.102
Organization: Equalitarian
Leadership: Democratic
Status: Active
The Shaft Collective is one of the several damage-control teams, following the principles of The Collective. We used to be a single ring, but we split up when it became evident we couldn't organize ourselves without resorting to a hierarchy. The Shaft Collective works in the Shaft area.
The Collectives are damage-control teams working in an equalitarian manner, without hierarchical leadership. We are not anarchists like Society of Free Colonists - we respect group decicions and take binding votes on a regular basis. We've found this way of working combines efficiency with creativity.
The Shaft Collective is currently recruiting.
Members:
Manny - leader
((12 members altogether))
Name: The Canyon A Collective
Formed: 5.10.102
Organization: Equalitarian
Leadership: Democratic
Status: Active
The Canyon A Collective is one of the several damage-control teams, following the principles of The Collective. We used to be a single ring, but we split up when it became evident we couldn't organize ourselves without resulting to a hierarchy. The Canyon A Collective works in the Canyon A area.
The Collectives are damage-control teams working in an equalitarian manner, without hierarchical leadership. We are not anarchists like Society of Free Colonists - we respect group decicions and take binding votes on a regular basis. We've found this way of working combines efficiency with creativity.
The Canyon A Collective is currently at optimal size, so we're not recruiting.
Members:
Aava - leader
((19 members altogether))
Name: The Recspace Collective
Formed: 5.10.102
Organization: Equalitarian
Leadership: Democratic
Status: Extinct
The Recspace Collective is one of the several damage-control teams, following the principles of The Collective. We used to be a single ring, but we split up when it became evident we couldn't organize ourselves without resulting to a hierarchy. The Recspace Collective works in the Recspace area.
The Collectives are damage-control teams working in an equalitarian manner, without hierarchical leadership. We are not anarchists like Society of Free Colonists - we respect group decicions and take binding votes on a regular basis. We've found this way of working combines efficiency with creativity.
The Recspace Collective is currently recruiting.
Members:
Shali - leader (dead)
((0 members altogether))
Name: The Council of Elders
Formed: 13.2.101
Organization: Equalitarian
Leadership: Democratic
Status: Active
The Council of Elders was formed in February 302, to guide the younger colonists as they get familiar with life in the Tower. We consist merely of the last remaining First Colonists, so we do not recruit new members. Please don't hesitate to contact us, however, if you need advice in a major decicion or important task.
Members:
Eleanora - leader
Renato - handler
Deetta - handler
Hanita (dead)
Miamang (dead)
Sinnai
((6 members altogether))
Name: Da Vincians
Formed: 5.1.101
Organization: Organic
Leadership: Council (elected)
Status: Active
The Da Vincians are the first ring created by the second generation of colonists. As such, we have experience on the Tower matched only by the First Colonists. We're an all-out ring, but lately our members have exceeded particularly in the areas of Structural Engineering and Neurosurgery. If you wish to work with experts of several disciplines, in a ring of long traditions, contact one of us.
Members:
Kasti - leader
Wacko - handler
((19 members altogether))
Current Situation
On August 17th 104 the project has the following people, tools and resources:
Sinuhe: Statistics 4
28 workers: all have Structural Engineering 3; 9 have Structural Engineering 5
(11 of the workers come from Tower Engineering Society, the rest from various smaller rings)
500 hours of Simulator time to use at any time you choose
4 Power Jacks provided by Tower Engineering Society
1/4 of the needed spare parts from The Association of Scholars
1/4 of the needed spare parts from various donators
There's been new stuff in the subforums for some time. Check it out.
Power Jack
Much like the ordinary jack (the thing you lift your car with as you change your tire), but way more powerful. Built from the best alloys and using the most effective power systems, the Force Jack can lift hundreds of tons and still be carried easily in one hand.
((The following is an unfinished version))
Labspace
The problem:
The structures on Labspace are under far more stress than they're designed for, due to a shift of balance caused by the big rock hitting the Tower. The added stress has concentrated especially around Ringlab Beta, and many of its vital systems are located in dangerous spots. A particularly powerful towerquake might collapse many of those structures, rendering Ringlab Beta underpowered and possibly causing a life-support failure. The damages would, due to stronger overall structures, probably be limited to Ringlab Beta and possibly other areas in Labspace.
Solution 1: Strengthen the structures in Ringlab Beta
Required Tasks:
1. Design and simulate.
You need to do complex strength calculations in a simulator environment. You also need to do design the process of moving from the current situation to the enhanced one in such a way that the structures are never weakened too much.
Size: 1500 man hours
Leader skills:
- Tower Engineering 3
- Statistics 1 to help optimize the simulated tests
Worker skills:
- Structural Engineering 3 to help with the simulations
Number of workers: 3
Tools needed:
- Simulator (500 hours)
Resources needed: none
2. Do the work on the structures x5
You need to work very carefully on this, using the correct practices to make sure the stress levels never get too high. Otherwise you might face a collapse.
Size: 3000 man hours
Leader skills:
- Tower Engineering 3
- Safety Engineering 3
Worker skills:
- Structural Engineering 5
Number of workers: 10 - 20
Tools needed: Power Jacks (for everyone)
Resources needed: spare parts
3. Do the work on the power and life support systems x3
You need to reorganize some of the power and life-support systems to fit with the new structural designs.
Size: 1500 man hours
Leader skills:
- Plasma Conduits 1 to make simple modifications to the main energy conduits
- Superconductors 1
- Safety Engineering 2
Worker skills:
- Power 3
- Structural Engineering 2
Number of workers: 10 - 20
Tools needed: own tools
Resources needed: spare parts
Each Project is divided into Tasks. Each Task has the following attributes:
1. Size (measured in man hours)
2. Leader skills required
3. Worker skills required
4. Number of workers (a range in format min - max)
5. Tools needed by the whole group or each worker (measured in average AP cost)
6. Resources needed (used up during the task, measured in average AP cost)
Each Task has one or more leaders. Each of the listed Leader skills needs to be possessed by at least one of the leaders. If there are more than one leader, it might cause trouble.
In addition to leaders there are workers. Every worker needs to have the required Worker skills. If the leaders have these skills, they count as workers.
There may be factors (x2, x3 etc) next to the task name. That means several similar tasks must be completed. If they're completed in a series they may use the same tools and workers, but if they're done at the same time, they all need their own.
The leaders must be present at all times when work is beind done.
???? AP is considered to be worth approximately 1 man hour of work.
Each worker can put 20 hours of work into a project each day (if they do nothing else). Thus the time taken by the Task can by calculated by:
duration in days = size / workers / 20
Date:17.8.104
Sender:Bahar - Da Vinci Collaboration
Greetings, fellow colonists!
It's time for another Panel Discussion, in The Garden 31.8.104. The topic of the discussion is this time: "Tower History: Separating Fact from Gossip". Our panelists will talk about the times before the emergence of the younger generation, when The First Colonists were the only inhabitants of The Tower. We all have heard many stories of those legendary times, but what was it that really transpired?
To inform you, we've invited the following panelists: Sebastian of The Horizon and Sinnai of The Council of Elders who actually were there. Zesiro of The Association of Scholars, for his extensive knowledge of Anthropology in general.
As always, anyone is welcome to listen to the discussion and ask any questions they like!
Bahar - Da Vinci Collaboration
Bahar
Date:12.8.105
Sender:McGregor - Tower Engineering Society
Hello, friends!
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the workload put on your shoulders every day? Depressed by the uncertainties of the future? Annoyed by your workmates pouring their frustrations on you?
Don't worry, the old techniques are the answer to all troubles of the mind. McGregor's famous Intimacy Therapies are free for anyone. You can bring your own partner or get one arranged by me. If you're lucky (and female) you might even get treated by the master himself.
Just give me a call or meet me at my appartment!
Your dear friend McGregor
The next session will be held on July 22nd, not July 15th.
Sebastian and the Corrosion Crisis
There is a theory about the First Colonists. They say TAU didn't pick their DNA at random, but instead selected the most potent genomes in the gene banks to enhance the chances for the tower to succeed in this fragile time.
Sebastian, some say, was chosen for his ability to comprehend complex patterns easily. While most of us can handle only nine to eleven chunks of information at any one time, he could handle more than a hundred. This made him ideal for organizing joint efforts and finding inconsistencies in complex patterns. He may not have had as extensive a knowledge as Lely, or as creative a mind as Felman, but if something was out of place in the Tower, he was likely to be the one to notice it.
Some of Sebastian's opponents say this is the reason he strives to control the colony - that this creates a love for order, an urge to see everything fall into place nicely, in the flawless harmony he sees in his mind's eye. Few can seriously deny the benefits his capabilities have brought to the Tower.
There was a malfunction in 53 AA. A toxic and corrosive substance started to pollute the air everywhere in The Canyon all the sudden. It killed two people and brought ten into the hospital, forcing everyone to wear protective masks. It also corroded the electronical circuits, endangering the flow of information in the Tower.
It wasn't immediately clear how this gas ended up in the air, but the amounts were growing steadily. It would take only a few days before TAU itself would be in disarray. Realizing this, Sebastian called for a joint action, backed up by the other five of The First Patch. Understanding the urgency of the situation, most of the other colonist groups agreed. They quickly formed an orderly effort, with damage-control teams checking out different locations for damages and date, scientists exploring different scenarios in order to determine the cause, and Sebastian in the middle of it, coordinating and watching the progress of every branch of the project simultaniously.
The project was a success. It turned out that the gas was a side product of several distillation processes involved in converting raw biomatter into usable amino-acids and hydrocarbons. It had ended up in The Canyon through a leaky heat distribution system. The cause for the malfunction in the distillation processes was an impurity in the raw biomatter used. That was tracked down into the Lower Cluster, where the impurities were introduced into one of the biomatter tanks by an under-powered waste removal system: The piping that transported the waste refining bacteria from the biomatter tank to the waste tank was underpowered, causing the matter to flow both ways. The underpowering was caused by faulty power settings on a nearby control circuit.
The entire Tower celebrated after the problem had been fixed and the remaining toxics cleaned up. Even though Sebastian himself was eager to thank everyone for taking part in a cooperated effort, no one could deny that it was Sebastian's leadership that had brought the crisis to an end so quickly.
This was in no way the only coordinated effort where Sebastian was in the center of it all, but it was a prime example of the power of cooperation. Usually, it would be a chore, even for Sebastian, to get even half of the Tower to agree on something - people then weren't so different from us after all.
I'd like to note that the current list of possible rules is more or less a list of (somewhat processed) thoughts I've had. Not all may be implemented to begin with and some may be dropped or significantly altered during testing. It's still more like a notepad than the beginning of an actual rulebook.
True. I just wanted to bring up concept-driven design (and repeatedly refer to it to the point of annoyance) because I feel too many new game developers start by coming up with a variety of different things and try to squeeze them into their game without stopping to think what it is exactly they want to achieve. This was very much the case with our previous project (we were talking about how to best model armor types while we were still deciding about the game world). Even though I myself found the "describe your concept with one or two sentences" exersize in Multimedia Writing difficult and frustrating, it was definately worth doing. But true, it's worth scetching and brainstorming before you make this concept.
It would also be relevant to metallic armor and weapons rusting in rain if not cared for properly. Also getting frostbite / sunburn if not dressed properly. (Finally an RPG where you can't go around all year in your chainmail bikini!) Naturally there will be combat effects as well, from various kinds of weather.
Makes sense, but if the effects are only a few here and there, it's worth considering if it's worth it to make a weather model.
In most games the cycle is purely visual. I intend to have it affect your ability to see and the activity of animals and NPCs.
This would help the problem somewhat, true.
Talking with your group will definitely be possible. Meaningful random encounters will need some GM power to at least set them up, but they would be nice too.
Unless travelling is really a very rare event, the GMs will never have the resources to make every trip interesting. It'd have to be generated in some repeated way.
On link death there would be some rudimentary logic on what to do - if near enough to an apartment or a paid-for inn room, the character would automatically go there. If in the wilderness, he would camp. Uncampable places could exist if they logically fit there, haunted ruins or some such.
This will not work well with permadeath. Even if this rudimentary logic always manages to find the safest possible action to take (which running all the way through a dungeon alone won't be), the player will still call it "death due to disconnect" if the character dies. (Of course, any way of handling combat that prevents cowardly logouts will be problematic in this way. It's permadeath that makes this a major issue.)
Possibly both. Since this is not a sci-fi environment, it doesn't make sense to learn about building houses while you cook.
I usually consider time-based training just an abstraction of what the character has been learning lately. It doesn't have to match exactly what happens in-game to still make enough sense.
Degradation would be sufficiently slow that you would not notice it for the skills that you use at least semi-regularly. It's intended to encourage skill specialization and discourage every player trying to do everything by himself.
You might not notice it but the effect will still be there and it will take away just as much of your work, whether you use it semi-regularly or not (assuming degradation/day is the same no matter what you do).
By saying "always avoid death 100%" I assume you mean the game (or rather GMs) should give give choices in the plot that allow players to choose an easier path, and not that players should always be able to get alive from every situation they got themselves into.
Getting forward in life means different risks for different people. I might have a one in ten thousand chance of getting into a car accident during my daily trip to work - a fireman might have a one in then chance of getting injured during a difficult rescue mission. In a "free" MMO world, what actually is getting forward? A mercenary's life has considerably more risks than a cook's.
I mean if they never make the conscius choice to add risk to their game, they should be in no danger, ever. And they should still be able to have a full experience. Taking a risky job can be considered such a choice, but there should be enough variety of jobs with no danger.
The problem, usually, is that to get XP you have to constantly do dangerous things. Well, you can always keep doing things below your level and gain XP much slower, but still there's always the chance you run into that wolf with the adjective before its name that you can't yet handle. The chance of running into this "dire bastardly badass wolf" is usually way greater than the chance of getting into said car accident, which is why most games need stupid resurrection systems just to keep their players from giving up the game.
I agree though, that too easy permadeath (or too easy death at all, for that matter) is going to cause frustration. Whatever I finally decide on this though, I want to discourage players from just trying things to see if they're too strong, or engaging some boss a dozen times until the dice finally roll in their favor.
The problem often is that if you don't have a great OOC knowledge of, say, the different monster types, it's often difficult to assess, without trial and error, if you're high-level enough to kill the wolf with the bigger adjective than the ones you killed before. In real-life it's difficult too, but at least you have a life-long experience of living in the world to help you. (And if you do die you won't be able to complain to the developers about it. Unless God exists, in which case His life probably sucks.)
The Seed Roleplaying Community » Posts by Kryigerof
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