TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The Game-Master discussion thread

Go To

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#151: May 25th 2012 at 9:16:37 AM

Yeah, was thinking something like that ;P

In unrelated news, I'm thinking long term that my next campaign is going to be a mecha game. But I want to develop the system from the ground up (if by vulturing other various game systems on the market). Been floating some ideas back and forth about leveling and shit.

edited 25th May '12 9:17:23 AM by TheyCallMeTomu

Xiphoniii Cheeky son of a.... from Florida Since: Aug, 2009
Cheeky son of a....
#152: May 25th 2012 at 9:34:27 AM

...I'd almost be willing to go with your gm-style if it were to be a good mech system. That sounds like a good idea. Seriously, I have yet to find a good mech system.

(Not that it's a bad G Ming style, just not usually my cup of tea)

:smug:
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#153: May 25th 2012 at 9:36:50 AM

Well, if I ran the campaign I'm thinking of, it's a LOT more Sandboxy than I customarily use.

Anyway, I'm trying to think of a good level differential system. Dn D Next has been touting the idea that monster stats don't change (ala, an orc isn't a standard at one level and a minion at another), but instead, the primary means of advancement is HP. I'm trying to figure out a way to scale damage resistance and HP and damage so that this kind of model actually works-so an enemy that might be about 1/5 of a PC in difficulty at one level is worth 1/25 of a PC in difficulty level at another level. But there's so many variables to consider... hmmm...

Xiphoniii Cheeky son of a.... from Florida Since: Aug, 2009
Cheeky son of a....
#154: May 25th 2012 at 9:40:49 AM

If it's a mech game, would you be using the classic "Shoot various body parts to affect combat effectiveness?"

:smug:
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#155: May 25th 2012 at 9:53:08 AM

Haven't decided, but probably not as a called shot system. I tend to find that called shot systems just mean everyone always goes for a headshot. I tend to be much more concerned about game balance and narrative than I am about verisimilitude, and blowing off a mech's hands has the tendency to render said mech inoperable, which is kind of a no-no for a player to suddenly have nothing to do.

The system, if I go ahead and develop it, will have rules for both more Super Robot Style, and for more basic low techy robots-with the P Cs piloting various styles of Super Robots, and NP Cs having a combination of the two.

Current idea is a throwback to previous campaigns where there are four types of "Drives" (aka Mechs-I won't go into too much detail here):

Ultimate Drives: Powered by good ol' science. Or Super-science. Fusion engines with 100% efficiency, with frames made out of good old steel and Unobtanium. Uses body slot rules.

Infinity Drives: Powered by a burning spirit, these drives are literal living entities, though they lack a will (hence the need for pilots). Consider it driving your own giant monster, essentially. Think Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, if Gurren Lagann was made of flesh. Main advantage here is regeneration.

Void Drives: Powered by an empty spirit, these drives are unliving entities-essentially, building sized vampires. Paradoxically, void drives are powered by entropy itself. They're created by placing a void drive core into an Infinity Drive's Frame, thus corrupting it. Main advantage here is disintegration, which tends to reconstitute the drive's form.

Omega Drives: Powered by the force of will. How is this different from a burning spirit? Beats the !%^& out of me. I wrote this shit back when I didn't consider "ki" and "psionics" to be the same thing. If Infinity drives are the "soul" I guess you would call Omega Drives the mind? Whatever. The point is, Omega Drives are kind of like Personas (See: Persona3 or Persona4 or-you get the idea); they're projections of the user's psyche, taking the form of liquid metal constructs. Unlike other Drives, they have no physical substance except when the pilot calls upon them (though an "unattended" Drive Core still has a physical substance). Still reworking the specs of these.

A lot of this is a throwback to earlier campaigns. I really like the four drive cores model, but I'm not sure if it really works out-it was derived to be of cosmic significance, but I've since mostly moved away from that cosmic model for my campaigns. More to the point, most people in mecha games would want to play Ultimate Drives, and having nothing but ultimate drives running around ruins symmetry, which rather defeats the purpose altogether.

I won't be running this for (hopefully) a half a year or more. I say hopefully because I only run one campaign at a time, and if I started running this, it'd be because TGD (my current Dn D game) collapsed.

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#156: May 25th 2012 at 10:36:25 AM

Sounds like a good concept so far, though it needs some refining.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#157: May 25th 2012 at 10:53:32 AM

Howso? Or do you just mean "the specifics"

As I mentioned earlier (I think) I want to have "level" be more a factor of resistance to damage, rather than attack bonus versus evasion (though I'll probably involve some of that as well). Right now, my main mechanics concept is "Maneuver" which is a stat that gets factored into a lot of things. Maneuver doesn't affect whether you can hit or be hit (except for triggered powers and abilities that specifically reference it), but it does affect your ability to out-maneuver enemies to avoid being caught in a melee or something.

Still toying with ideas in my head.

Lanceleoghauni Cyborg Helmsman from Z or R Twice Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: In my bunk
#158: May 25th 2012 at 11:21:39 AM

I'm running a homebrewed mash up of Spell Jammer and Path Finder and have just gotten to the point where I end up winging like, 60-80% of everything because the game is designed to run on Rule of Cool and Crazy Awesome.

Is that a bad thing?

"Coffee! Coffeecoffeecoffee! Coffee! Not as strong as Meth-amphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!"
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#159: May 25th 2012 at 11:27:26 AM

Not if that's what everyone (yourself included) is happy with.

One reason I tend to make set-piece battles that are complicated and unique is because I believe that I enjoy them more, but a lot of the time, easy throw-away "Not really much anything complex about this" battles can be just as fun.

Lanceleoghauni Cyborg Helmsman from Z or R Twice Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: In my bunk
#160: May 25th 2012 at 11:31:50 AM

well, I usually have the big set-piece parts of the session ironed out. but the middling details tend to change a lot because my players are clever, even if they don't realize it. or they miss a hook (it happens, on occasion) the stuff in between I usually just make up on the fly because I tend to have no idea how they plan to circumvent things.

"Coffee! Coffeecoffeecoffee! Coffee! Not as strong as Meth-amphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!"
Ironeye Cutmaster-san from SoCal Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Falling within your bell curve
Cutmaster-san
#161: May 25th 2012 at 12:06:06 PM

Wait, we're clever?

I...can't actually imagine saying that with a straight face, actually, since I'm aware of how clever some of the party members can be. I did GM a year-long game for the rest of you all, after all.

I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be than me.
Lanceleoghauni Cyborg Helmsman from Z or R Twice Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: In my bunk
#162: May 25th 2012 at 12:40:51 PM

like I said, usually accidentally.

hmmmm.

"Coffee! Coffeecoffeecoffee! Coffee! Not as strong as Meth-amphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!"
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#163: May 25th 2012 at 12:59:40 PM

Howso? Or do you just mean "the specifics"

As I mentioned earlier (I think) I want to have "level" be more a factor of resistance to damage, rather than attack bonus versus evasion (though I'll probably involve some of that as well). Right now, my main mechanics concept is "Maneuver" which is a stat that gets factored into a lot of things. Maneuver doesn't affect whether you can hit or be hit (except for triggered powers and abilities that specifically reference it), but it does affect your ability to out-maneuver enemies to avoid being caught in a melee or something.

Still toying with ideas in my head.

All nice and dandy, but I was wondering more about actual roleplaying. I am especially wondering if players have to sacrifice mecha combat ability if they want to be functional when outside the cockpit.

Personally, I'm in favour of saying that they don't have to. Someone who is a capable pilot should also be a threat when caught in a brawl without his mech. This isn't very realistic, but it evades the problem of making a character completely useless when caught in a situation that doesn't play to their strength.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#164: May 25th 2012 at 3:25:50 PM

I have two possibilities regarding out of mecha mechanics:

1.) Entirely freeform.

2.) Not freeform, but everyone is pretty weak.

This isn't Xenogears or Xenosaga (despite that there are some pretty clear influences from both on the system) where P Cs are superhuman in their own right, so the idea is that you don't want to get into a firefight because it's potentially lethal even with basic mooks. If you've seen my Modern dX work (http://moderndx.wikidot.com), I'd likely have some of the same influences, but again, I don't expect PC capability out of mechs to be that important.

That being said, there's an obvious overlap between Mech Types and character types. Ultimate Drive pilots tend to be badasses with guns, and quite possibly cyborgs. Infinity drive pilots are more likely to be ki using martial artist types-like I said, burning spirit-or mutants (not X-men style, but rather "Human and <Insert creature here> DNA" types). Void drive pilots are likely to be corruption be daaaaaaarkness or something-after all, it's a machine that's powered by leeching your life force. And Omega Drive pilots of course are psychics. But the actual real combat ability that comes from these powers is probably sub comic-book level. It wouldn't be the emphasis of the campaign.

THAT BEING SAID, I'm likely to have "Pilot Talents" as a character customization system that transfers to mecha bonuses. However, I should note that the majority of a mech's improvement comes from the mech, not the pilot-this is a "Super Robots vs Normal Robots" game, so while the pilot certainly matters (and more importantly, the pilot is directly proportional to how super the robot is), it's more about the capabilities of the mech itself.

Right now, the model is that Ultimate Drives level up with installed gear, whereas the other three drives level up with the character. I'm not sure how to balance that except as coincidence though.

edited 25th May '12 3:29:41 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#165: May 25th 2012 at 3:56:38 PM

Should I start up a separate thread for this? Might be worth it.

Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#166: May 25th 2012 at 3:59:44 PM

Sure, go ahead. Liking what I hear so far, could use some more actual feedback in it's own topic.

IraTheSquire Since: Apr, 2010
#167: May 25th 2012 at 8:04:58 PM

@ the orgy thing: given him one that he wouldn't want. I once give an orgy to my P Cs and it turns out that they are lust spirits draining their life force (complete with transformations and everything). And I give a player an Unwanted Harem at the same time.

edited 25th May '12 8:06:16 PM by IraTheSquire

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#168: May 25th 2012 at 8:12:24 PM

Reminder: This is a G.I.R.L. we're talking about.

But, to be serious, this is supposed to be a meaningful sidequest. Everyone gets a character defining level up thingydoo as a result, so it can't just be something comical that doesn't tie things together after all.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#169: May 28th 2012 at 5:02:40 PM

You know, I find that I've become spoiled by the speed of my own gameplay. I've got it to the point where I can reliably get through two encounters in 2 to 3 hours-which is super fast for online play in my experience. But what this means is that if I try and join someone else's game and it's significantly slower, I end up getting really annoyed.

It's a serious problem.

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#170: May 28th 2012 at 7:47:57 PM

[up] Our DM gets annoyed too, even though he's one of the worse causes of it (the worst being our fighter, whose combat options are almost always limited to A) Hit it with my sword or B) Hit it by throwing my sword). I have done my best to encourage the rest of the group to have their actions looked up ahead of time, to avoid the constant reaching for the iPad with the books on it.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#171: May 28th 2012 at 7:50:21 PM

I have a friend who uses maptools even while off-line. I can just imagine R Ping as a LAN party, just for the macros.

IraTheSquire Since: Apr, 2010
#172: May 28th 2012 at 7:56:36 PM

[up][up]Now that I'm reading Exalted and skimming through GURPS, I always wonder if that problem gets amplified by systems where characters have over 9000 skills that they can use at any one time.

BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#173: May 29th 2012 at 8:03:42 PM

[up] I'm sure it only gets worse the more options you have, but some people seem totally oblivious when their turns come around, even when they have obviously been paying attention. Our GM's issue IMO stems from him printing out monster stat blocks in tiny print and not thoroughly reading them ahead of time; I can't speak for our fighter (other than to be glad he's not playing a wizard!)

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#174: May 29th 2012 at 11:23:57 PM

So, one of the most important plot wise PNP Cs in my current game, TGD, is a apparently uninteresting. Has "I don't care about these people" syndrome should seem-well, at least to one of my players (who I am increasingly thinking is impossible to please). To quote, "many characters in anime have personalities that would be extremely unappealing in real life."

Some people refuse to play to the genre.

Her favorite character is the narrator.

edited 29th May '12 11:26:17 PM by TheyCallMeTomu

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#175: May 31st 2012 at 2:25:16 PM

Speaking of which, because I'm a nice guy and try and appease people when they're unhappy, I asked "Well okay, how can I make this NPC more interesting." I've heard a lot of complaints, but no real suggestions on how to change things.

I should really just stop listening to this person...


Total posts: 298
Top