TRPG General Chat

Adeptus

02:22

ugh I hate badly written old ASP web applications. It's like they've made it as complicated as possible on purpose

BESW

I assume ASP = A Shoddy Product.

Adeptus

Technically no, but kind of yes

Active Server Pages

Active Server Pages (ASP), later known as Classic ASP or ASP Classic, is Microsoft's first server-side script engine for dynamically generated web pages. ASP.NET, first released in January 2002, has superseded ASP. == History == Initially released as an add-on to Internet Information Services (IIS) via the Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack (ca. 1996), it is included as a free component of Windows Server (since the initial release of Windows 2000 Server). There have been three versions of ASP, each introduced with different versions of IIS: ASP 1.0 was released on December 1996 as part of IIS 3.0 ASP 2...

nitsua60

04:11

@Miniman you around?

Miniman

@nitsua60 I've always considered myself a square.

trogdor

he is always here,... waiting, watching

XD

nitsua60

(I thought that was trogdor...)

(crap! he heard me!)

trogdor

@nitsua60 bwahahahahaha

you will never escape your fear,.. or mild annoyance, whichever it is

nitsua60

@Miniman am I crazy, or would it be worth having a mainsite question along the lines of "where do players find all the official rules for 5e?" Where the answer would be something like "PHB+errata+sage advice compendium(+SA tweets?)"

perhaps a CW, with a little description of what each is and where to find it?

Miniman

04:15

@nitsua60 Ah, but then you have to ask: "How do you define official?" - and the question ends up answering itself.

nitsua60

Well, let's go with "Jeremy-rules"

Since that's what the publisher defines as the official ruleset.

Miniman

I can certainly see it being useful, and I can't see any reason it would be off-topic.

nitsua60

I was answering this trivial question, which I realized was only trivial if one even knows that SA exists.

I probably played for a decade before stumbling across that.

(My card/comic shop got a handful of Dragons in about once a year, and they flew off the shelves right-quick. Mostly for the art, I think.) I think I ever got my hands on three through the nineties.

@Miniman I might throw it up there and ask for a CW-ification, much like my "what races are there?" question.

trogdor

@nitsua60 of course they did, the store could not contain them for long

Miniman

@trogdor Ba-dum tish.

nitsua60

04:19

@trogdor well-played, good sir.

trogdor

you made it too easy

Adeptus

trogdor

hehehehe

BESW

06:40

I think I need to do something to get back in the "GMs can make up whatever they want" mode.

Bubblegumshoe has some places where players are in charge of the worldbuilding, but the plot, mystery, and most of the NPCs are totally mine even if it bumps up into the PCs' worlds quite intimately, and I'm not supposed to consult with the players on most of it because that'd ruin the mystery.

After several years of slowly easing into a Fate-like mindset for GMing, I think I have authoritative whiplash.

SevenSidedDie

07:28

@BESW I get the same thing from running Dungeon/Apocalypse World. The habits and reflexes for a different division of creative canvas fade.

I'm on a GMing break (kid's summer break is a mental sink), but when I get back to it my plan to renew those muscles is to run something premade for a short bit, either my own premade thing or someone else's. Likely someone else's, due to aforementioned mental sink + neglected material prep muscles making that much prep of my own unlikely…

Fibericon

@BESW Fate does have a habit of influencing the way we look at RPGs in general. I'm the GM who has binders full of NPCs, complete with personality profiles and written dialog for certain circumstances. That's not a thing you can really do in Fate. You're lucky if you even know who one of the NPCs will be going in.

BESW

@Fibericon I was that guy for many years.

Fibericon

07:45

People have said that my writing was probably the high point of my GMing, so I'm not super keen on giving that up.

BESW

I found that trying new modes of RPG really stretched my abilities. It was only when I settled into one particular mode for a really long time that I lost some of my stretchiness.

Another stumbling block, I think, is that back in the day I always had at least one confidant that I brainstormed with. These days almost everyone who'd fill that role is in my game.

BESW

08:23

That's what I made the Spoil-Lair for, but it's not helping quite like it used to.

Fibericon

08:33

Having a beta does help, particularly if they have a sufficiently different style. The last thing you need is an echo.

BESW

09:51

Warhammer lore question: which faction best embodies a philosophy of ruthless survival at the expense of others?

Miniman

@BESW 40k, or regular?

BESW

Umm. Probably 40k, though if regular has something much better suited, that's cool too.

Miniman

@BESW Well, in 40k, literally all of them. I don't know much about regular.

BESW

@Miniman Is there one that's most, though?

Miniman

@BESW It's tricky - they all behave the same way, but have different philosophies behind it.

BESW

09:55

Hmm.

Miniman

If I had to pick one, probably Tyranids.

eimyr

If you look at it from an animalistic perspective it's Tyranids.

But keep in mind that all 40k is heavily influenced by the ideas of survival through egoism and conflict

Miniman

The only problem is, nids are big enough and ugly enough that it's not a case of "survival" so much as "extermination of all other races by means of consumption".

eimyr

I can tell you which do NOT embody this concept: Tau wants to create a perfect world empire of niceness etc.

Necrons just want to kill stuff.

Chaos has a recognisable agenda, which is something unusual in this setting.

Doomed Mind

I feel Eldar will do what it takes, but then again they look into the future...

Orcs just want to fight

I feel the human empire might be the best example, as the path is consciously taken to avoid extinction (even though their faction is probably the largest)

I mean, they exterminate whole planets just to deny the enemy foothold

Anaphory

10:44

I did a genius (or not…) thing again and booked a plane for date A and all my mind thought it was for date B. Luckily, date B is tomorrow and date A the day after, I have not committed to anything over there tomorrow and it just gives me a day more here and I have mostly packed already.

Ooofh, could have been a lot worse.

Doomed Mind

11:14

Close one I guess

@Anaphory where are you going then?

Anaphory

AMS→BHX for a weekend of Empire LARP

Better this way round than the other!

eimyr

11:29

@Anaphory hey, so as weekend in Birmingham, huh?

sounds cool

Anaphory

In Silverstone, technically, spitting (and, unfortunately, hearing) distance from the race course.

eimyr

cool

Not a fan of LARP and not in the area but sounds fun.

Anaphory

I think “LARP” is a very broad term, and among the ton of different games there would be a styles and games you would enjoy and those you wouldn't. Just like with table top. But yes, I'm looking very much forward to some mad scholarly inquiries.

And to meeting a lot of good friends.

eimyr

11:51

I don't like the idea of a physical LARP with manual weapon operation and mock battles. I think this is just a bit too far. I do like investigation/intrigue kinds, where you mostly walk and talk.

@nitsua60 [wave]

trogdor

12:19

I don't particularly enjoy the idea of physical LARP too much either

it's fine for those who like it, but I certainly would not enjoy it myself

Anaphory

I haven't been in the battles for probably a good year now, but I do like that they happen around me for the emotionality they provide, for not knowing whether certain people will come back.

trogdor

it seems like it could be a thrilling kind of thing, to be sure, just not the kind I would enjoy

@Anaphory why do you put it that way specifically?

do a lot of people often just decide not to come back to it?

eimyr

I assume @anaphory speaks of characters

trogdor

12:34

ah

Anaphory

Oh, yes.

trogdor

that would make sense then

that in itself isn't so different from some tabletop groups

though of course there are the distinct differences

besides that

Anaphory

I mean, this is a big fest LARP built around a focus on a politics and resource game (battles are in some sense one of those resources, in addition to providing those who desire it with the physicality-based fun that's in there) and if it wasn't for the people who got me into it and the new people I got to know through it, I would probably look for something else, but by now I have a social life there, and a lot of curiosity left for the metaphysics of the setting.

trogdor

I do personally enjoy role playing as a character who is not,.. me

but I also prefer being able to keep it low key when I feel like it

which is most of the time

LARP, at least under my minimal understanding of it, does not allow that to the degree that tabletop roleplaying does

though I can certainly understand why some people might find it more exciting and fun and engaging

eimyr

I think I'd enjoy a scifi LARP of some sort as a one-shot, a one off experience.

trogdor

12:47

mm, I don't think I would really enjoy it in any form

but I admit being sort of an edge case as it were

I don't like too much of the kind of attention that role playing by itself garners

coupling it with actually acting out physical actions along with it would frankly embarrass me

Anaphory

I can see that.

nitsua60

@eimyr hiya

So... I rarely vote to delete anything, but when your post starts with "I just wanted to comment but don't have enough points yet..."

@Miniman this colloquy has me crafting the "where are the rulez?" question I mentioned last night.

eimyr

13:12

OK, so I totally want to play a character that is a robot, but tries to pass for a human and is incredibly conspicuous about it. Not to mention the clunky robotic body, the robot would completely miss the point and not exhibit any humanlike features all the while informing others he does.

Jun 29 at 5:37, by Magician

Fellow Human would be a great concept aspect for an NPC.

I'm thinking scenes like (in robotic voice) "Hello fellow human. I have a non-unique personal identifier that is in fact very common among us humans - it's Mohammed Chang. I experience pleasure caused by meeting you."

nitsua60

"Aren't you... a robot?" "computing... computing... computing... No. Cannot harm human, must protect self, computing..." [Human backs away slowly]

eimyr

during combat
"Activate offensive measures!" [rocket compartment shoots Macross-style barrage] "Ignore that."

after receiving a hit
"Structural integrity compromised. Must protect flesh and present vulnerable mental condition for the next four to twelve weeks."

I think one of the aspects should be Programmed to be human

Anaphory

Ignore the ethernet cable, I'm just good with computers.

eimyr

13:30

Caught in the act of making a DVD-R copy of his programming "Gasp. I exhibit emotional distress. Explain the purpose of interrupting my activities of sexual nature or leave."

Anaphory

No I do not run on combustion it is just that vegetable oil and ethanol are my favourite categories of food and I have never acquired the taste for anything else

eimyr

"If you're not a robot, why do you have a weapon for an arm?" "Fellow human, of course this is not an XM-101 Modular Autocannon. Note that I do not comment on incompatibilities in your own physique."

nitsua60

14:12

VtC unclear

eimyr

@nitsua60 It is unclear but at the same time a very necessary question.

nitsua60

yeah--I hope we can help OP present the two or three actionable ones I see in there.

And we've a surprising dearth of questions from the perspective of one anxious about joining a group/activity.

eimyr

I think VietCong can only discourage the Anonymous poster from seeking further guidance here

good job getting all the comments though

surprising?

Miniman

> And we've a surprising dearth of questions from the perspective of one anxious about joining a group/activity.

I really hope you see the irony here.

eimyr

this is a stack pertaining to one of the most escapist pastimes in existence, a hobby stereotypically and practically attractive people troubled by various social and mental struggles

It's not really surprising.

nitsua60

14:20

My hope is that VtC, both preceded by and followed by actual help/conversation, is actually more helpful. I wrote the comment when I saw some votes accruing, because I'd have hated OP to get the closure without any explanation.

(But now, three comments in and no response, I feel like I should be holding my tongue so as not to overbear.)

Miniman

And we've a surprising dearth of ones anxious about joining a group/activity joining this group/activity.

nitsua60

@Miniman I meant "surprising" as in "I know we've got a disproportionate share of socially anxious people, and we've got anonymity, so I'd have expected at least a couple of the 15K questions touch on that."

But yes, in hindsight, that's perhaps a foolish observation/statement =)

Miniman

@nitsua60 I know, but I'm compelled to point out irony, because I'm ~~made of magnetic material~~ completely human.

nitsua60

@Miniman And we're ~~finally winning a decades-long campaign to rescue the word "ironic" from Alanis Morrissette fans~~ bored?

Miniman

@nitsua60 Yep, I ~~had to look that one up~~ have been reading webcomics an awful lot today.

nitsua60

14:26

@Miniman Whereas I'm ~~tasked with ridiculous scutwork that my boss thinks takes weeks, because that's how long it takes them, but which I've scripted to finish in minutes~~ underloaded.

eimyr

Can we get the querent there some much-needed rep so the "come to chat" comment is not followed by "talk to the hand, peasant" one?

nitsua60

@eimyr I threw a +1 for exactly that reason.

eimyr

moar still needed

Miniman

@eimyr One move upvote needed to push them over the line.

eimyr

keep it coming people

nitsua60

14:28

@eimyr do you know that [chat] (when used in a comment) automagically links this room?

eimyr

nope

now I do

nitsua60

The others include [tour] and [help] and [meta], I believe.

eimyr

I see

is there a [besw] ?

I think there should be.

nitsua60

@eimyr No, there are four.

eimyr

right

btw did Martin get back to you, @nitsua60?

nitsua60

14:31

@eimyr not that I've seen, but I'm just back in the office after a week out and haven't combed through my daily spam reports--I wouldn't be surprised if something from a (relative) stranger ended up in there.

eimyr

did I send you his email?

I think I did...

nitsua60

@eimyr yup. FN.LN, it looks like.

whoops! It looks like I didn't send him anything--I guess I was expecting him to poke me with questions? I'll drop him a line tonight.

eimyr

yeah, he doesn't have yours

nitsua60

@eimyr ahh, okay.

Zachiel

17:29

...

Running a Play By Forum is a hellish experience

nitsua60

@Zachiel What particular troubles are you having?

Zachiel

Yesterday, 9:30PM, me and a player talked about what she could do in her action. She decided, I gave her the results and told her to post. Then, knowing what would have happened, I decide the action of another player. I had to go so I said to the second player "when the first posts, you can post too."
Now, 7:30 PM, nobody posted yet.

I don't want to go to the first player and say "hurry up, everybody is waiting for you"

It doesn't feel nice

@nitsua60 And now everybody on the game is online so we could progress quite a bit - if only she had posted.

And the player who's next is going to go to work in a few minutes, so if those two don't post, the whole thing will lag one whole day

nitsua60

hmm... sounds not-fun

what's the group expectation on frequency of posting?

Zachiel

"as often as it happens"

Currently, it is not happening very often.

Since I want to get what they want to do in order to have them roll before they post, this is going to be very slow altready.

But you know, it's D&D. It's "I try to disarm a trap with less than 1/3 of my action" and then depending on what happens things might change.

Doomed Mind

@Zachiel i know that feeling. I have been GMing for a couple of years, like 10-12 years ago...

I mean, forum RPGs

nitsua60

17:40

@Zachiel hmm, sounds like a nightmare for asynchronous communication =\

Zachiel

@nitsua60 I have them all on Skype if that matters

So at least it is asynchronous but not as slow as site mail

Anaphory

Is your group a classical dungeon delving party or similar? Mostly in the same place, interacting with similar things?

nitsua60

@Zachiel ahh... I hear "play by forum" and assumed there wasn't a setup of "we'll all be on at the same time."

Zachiel

18:11

@nitsua60 It just happens sometimes.

@Anaphory Precisely.

nitsua60

19:07

Why, again, can't we place a bounty on a meta answer?

Anaphory

19:25

In Fate terms, how would you describe a character stating a fact, immediately followed by an explicit or implicit “What could possibly go wrong?”, while the player grins at the GM? Like Blue is doing in the current Gunnerkrigg comic?

nitsua60

19:38

@Anaphory little help with slang? What's "swotting"?

Anaphory

@nitsua60 Where does that word turn up? The internetz sez it's “to study diligently in detail” or something like that.

nitsua60

@Anaphory It's on, like, comic fifteen of Gunnerkrigg. It appears I'm about seventeen hundred behind you =\

Anaphory

I don't think I caught it way back when I was reading that. I'm not a careful reader, and the context there it was enough to assume it's “doing something on your own that you can reasonably do in a study hall.”

That kind of thing is also how I would describe the last observation in a recent Real Science Adventure

Anaphory

20:34

Tie from a “Create Advantage”, maybe? With a boost that is essentially, “Everything is fine for now”?

But it feels more like a player-initiated action, like a fish for compels.

Zachiel

22:17

First death on my Fourthcore play by forum, on turn two and in the most unthinkable place.

Shalvenay

22:42

what's a good "all about gnolls" reference link? the 3.5e SRD's is kinda lame lore-wise. (this is for an Anatomically Correct Gnolls question over on WB.SE)

BESW

@Shalvenay [squint] Is this a hyena thing?

Shalvenay

@BESW hyenas evolving into a sentient bipedal race yes :)

BESW

'cause Ursula Vernon did a good take on what that might look like in terms of gender dimorphism turning into cultural traits.

Shalvenay

@BESW linky or ref? :) s/b interesting material

BESW

It's in Digger.

Ben

23:27

Quick - what do you call a non-RP gamer? I was thinking "muggle" but that doesn't really work.

Miniman

@Ben Videogamer?

BESW

@Shalvenay It's difficult to dig out the lore bits; they're kinda scattered throughout. In terms of their biology influencing their culture, they're an aggressively matriarchal society and children are super valued because childbirth is so traumatic--if a firstborn child survives, they're considered blessed.

Miniman

@Ben Alternatively, Missing Out.

Ben

Let me rephrase that - a non-"RP Gamer"; as in someone who does not play role playing games, not a gamer that does not role play haha

@Miniman Also accurate, however not exactly the term I was looking for haha

Miniman

@Ben So, why not videogamer? Or do you want to include boardgames here as well?

Wargames, cardgames...

Shalvenay

23:33

hey there @Ben

@BESW yeah -- we'll see how things turn out on WB

BESW

Today in "oh, my fingers are in the wrong place on the keyboard," we have Nartuak.

Ben

@Miniman the conversation is D&D based, and I'm explaining the mechanics of spellcasting to someone who is oblivious to the whole RP system. The phrase "someone who doesn't play RP" works - but I was hoping there might be a single-word term for it (i.e. "muggle" is to non-magical people in the HP universe)

@Shalvenay hey. How you been?

Shalvenay

@Ben doing alright here, as for you? sure has been a while

Miniman

@Ben Yeah, I got nothing.

Ben

@Shalvenay Yeah it has been. I've been super busy with work and study lately. It just keeps coming! :S

Miniman

23:41

@Ben Still finding time for gaming?

Ben

@Miniman Once a week, if that. Once my studies clear up (which will hopefully be soon) I'll have a bit more spare time :)

Miniman

@Ben Nice. Did you find a new campaign for that dead character?

Shalvenay

@Ben how soon is that do yo uthink?

Ben

@Miniman No, not yet unfortunately. My group are playing Numenera atm

Miniman

@Ben Ah, how are you finding it?

Ben

23:46

@Shalvenay A couple months. September is the expected finish time, but if I apply myself to it I may be able to get it done a bit quicker.

Shalvenay

@Ben ah, cool.

Ben

@Miniman Good! I'm really enjoying the different mechanics in the game. I'm playing a Cyborg Glaive named Dunn

I think his main trait is while he's not very effective at hitting things (I have had 3 straight fights where I haven't hit anything), he is very effective at distracting a larger portion of the enemy/enemies, and just soaking up the damage.

Shalvenay

@Ben sounds like we should be good come then :)

I'm going to give Traveller a short shot with nitsua over the next month or so I think

as I'm actually going through a RP drought atm

the 2e campaign I was in packed up a while back as the DM fell ill, both of the 3.5e campaigns packed up a while ago as well (although one of the DMs for that is working on a 5e campaign/world, it'll take him some time), and wax's 5e campaign has been quite intermittent

Transcript for