TRPG General Chat

eimyr

14:25

@UristMcDorf Is that a space opera game based on the works of Stanislaw Lem?

@UristMcDorf How can I be a part of that?

Urist McDorf

Sadly, it's not.

eimyr

It's called Lem.

Why?

Urist McDorf

It's just named in honour of him because he's my favourite author and we struggled with the naming of the macguffin substance of the game.

eimyr

I see.

Urist McDorf

Settled on lem and decided to name the game after it as well.

So it's memorable.

eimyr

14:26

Also, it's a video game, and not an RPG.

Urist McDorf

Yep.

eimyr

Sadface.

Urist McDorf

Aw. Sorry to make you sad.

eimyr

No, really.

You have genuinely made me sad, because that would be a great idea for a space RPG.

Not necessarily an opera, just a game about paranoia and trust and in space

I'd playtest it for you.

Urist McDorf

Well

I have a solution for your sadness

Could make a Fiasco playset.

BESW

14:29

"Stanisław Herman Lem (12 September 1921 – 27 March 2006) was a Polish writer of science fiction, philosophy, and satire, and a trained physician." ...does Wikipedia often need to clarify that someone's an untrained physician?

Urist McDorf

I dunno.

eimyr

Oops.

Urist McDorf

In fact, the white hole (I think that was the one) playset is exactly about that

Paranoia and trust (mostly the former) in space

fiascoplaysets.com/home/white-hole

eimyr

But Fiasco is a game of failure through poor urge control.

This is not exactly what Lem's books are about\

Urist McDorf

Well yeah but you mentioned "a game about paranoia and trust and in space".

As for Lem... well, Traveller maybe?

BESW

14:33

Hmmm. Andromeda: Epic Space Opera in an Alien Galaxy.

eimyr

@UristMcDorf No, you mentioned that. On the first page of your document.

Urist McDorf

That too.

Okay I'm confused a bit.

As to the expectations and sadness and such

eimyr

So I looked at your document, saw the tagline and were enthused about a fancy new game you're working on. Then I realised it's not a tabletop RPG.

BESW

Andromeda's a World of Fate about the last remnants of humanity arriving in the Andromeda galaxy on a generation worldship fraught with internal politicking and divisive factions, and facing a galaxy of aliens locked in their own cold war.

Urist McDorf

Alright. Sorry about the disappointment I've inadvertently caused.

eimyr

14:36

I don't think that game would be a great fit for Fate.

BESW

I haven't tried it, or even read all of it.

Looks like they hacked it pretty aggressively though.

There's a whole separate point-accumulation subsystem for agendas.

Anyway. I said I was going to sleep 40 minutes ago and haven't.

Let's try again.

eimyr

@UristMcDorf So perhaps I could taslk you into changing your game's scope...?

Maybe you could nevertheless go ahead and write an RPG?

Urist McDorf

That seems unlikely, considering 1) that's a completely different beast 2) I love the original inspiration and I want it done right in the same medium 3) I dunno what interesting mechanics to implement 4) I don't have the time atm anyway

I might do it as a supplement eventually?

eimyr

supplement to Fiasco? boo

Urist McDorf

No, I mean if the videogame does get anywhere I might make a small supplemental RPG thingie for it

eimyr

14:47

ahh

Urist McDorf

A boardgame is more likely though.

eimyr

[googles: "How to sabotage video game production"]

Urist McDorf

:|

eimyr

I'm just kidding.

Don't be discouraged.

Urist McDorf

I won't.

Hopefully.

Just a lot of stuff swampin me currently.

eimyr

14:54

You'll be fine. What stage is your development at?

Urist McDorf

Very early. It's a big project, we got stuck with multiplayer and enthusiasm dwindled a bit. I need funding, but before we go to KS or Patreon we need something to show, and we don't have that yet.

Even the doc is very unfinished due to the enthusiasm thing.

eimyr

riiight

so how many people you have?

any prior gamedev experience?

Urist McDorf

Two, me and a programmer. So that's why I didn't really want to mention it (due to the whole "probably hopeless") but I got carried away. We do have some experience though.

eimyr

so you're more of a designer?

Urist McDorf

I'm both a game designer and a programmer, but mostly the former, yes.

eimyr

15:01

what's your framework?

I'm not sure if you're assigning any priority to tasks

Urist McDorf

Unreal Engine 4. We are assigning priority to tasks, internally. "Figuring out the netcode" is priority number 1 currently.

eimyr

it looks very sane, I have to say

Urist McDorf

Thank you.

eimyr

I'm just wondering whether you got your curve under your resources, but that's something only you know.

Urist McDorf

I tried to make it readable (even to people without SS13 knowledge) and comprehensive.

eimyr

15:04

Oh, I didn't look at the design doc much, but peeked at trello

Urist McDorf

As far as I could.

Ah

I guess the timestamps tell the tale of it being currently frozen :)

eimyr

what's your MVP?

Urist McDorf

Netcode for the server and client, support for up to 16 players on a server, the basics of the traitor gamemode and scoring, atmospheric system, damage system, basic map, a bunch of objects that tie into those systems. I think that's about it? Can't recall atm.

eimyr

holy shit

that's an ambitious list

Urist McDorf

Well, the gamedev experience we've had is with an already existing project, so that might've influenced the decision-making on that.

eimyr

15:12

do you mind sharing your previous project?

Urist McDorf

Well, we've worked on Space Station 13 (which is a cesspool and is questionable experience mostly; still gave some insight into development) and I'm currently part of a team working on Syrian Warfare which releases in like 5 days

The former team is... the less said, the better

The latter is pretty experienced, though, they've released a bunch of games over the past decade

So I'm learning

eimyr

15:26

Good.

That Syrian Warfare thing looks like it could be a success.

Urist McDorf

It will, hopefully!

nitsua60

18:13

@UristMcDorf The modification @Miniman suggests gives higher expected damage whenever target's AC is less than 16+(your attack bonus)-(your expected damage). In my experience it's generally a boost, though not too huge, but it does greatly increase the "swinginess". Sometimes a few misses in a row, then a pair of enormous hits, &c.

Urist McDorf

Swinginess is bad overall, imo

I'd take a 100% chance to deal 5 damage over a 50% chance to deal 10 damage in almost any case.

nitsua60

Ah... but what about 100% to do 5 vs. 50% to do 12? Or 60% to do 10 vs 40% to do 16?

Because that's what's generally at play against level-appropriate ACs under the -5 to-hit/+10 damage calculation.

(Never mind against lower ACs, where it's 100% to do 10 vs. 75% to do 20.)

Urist McDorf

First case, probably the former anyway (unless the enemy is in the sweet spot of 11 or 12 hp or it all teeters on that last round anyway). In the second case, probably the latter.

Third case, the latter too.

I was just saying that sans other conditions, I'd take reliable damage over unreliable if the average was the same.

nitsua60

Sure. Luckily for my sharpshooter, the average is nowhere near the same =)

CTWind

There are subtle versions of that, too. Eldritch blast (ignoring invocations) vs firebolt: blast is more consistent by being spread out, but what about situations, say, where you get advantage on a single attack like from Help? Advantage on the "all eggs in one basket" inconsistent spell is a much bigger deal than one shot of Blast.

Urist McDorf

18:26

Sure, I agree with that.

But I'd consider a weapon that always forces me to take the penalty is a bad weapon.

BlackVegetable

Unless you stand to be one-shot after a single turn. Then the chance of one-shotting your opponent means a chance at survival.

But I don't know what game we're even discussing.

Urist McDorf

Fun to use sometimes, maybe, but overall not something I'd pick if I had to pick ONE option.

CTWind

(mildly silly example because rarely does someone have to choose between firebolt and unmodified blast, plus blast has a better damage type so it's not quite apples to oranges)

nitsua60

@UristMcDorf what penalty? If you're talking about the -5/+10, I think it's incorrect to call that a penalty.

Urist McDorf

Well, okay, the tradeoff

Wait.

Ahem

ACTUALLY!

Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack’s damage.

>you can choose to take a -5 penalty

Karelzarath

18:33

It is a penalty to attack rolls, yes.

Overall, it's more of an exchange. So you're both right!

nitsua60

Tradeoff's a good term for it. Especially as it comes with the connotation that the trade may be net-beneficial or net-detrimental, depending on circumstances.
And peace rules the chat once again!
=D

Karelzarath

Cue the fluffy bunnies and rainbows.

nitsua60

Karelzarath

19:03

Exactly!

The Oracle

20:57

0

Q: What is the delete comment policy?

I've just noticed several of my comments are gone and I didn't delete them. I don't comment lightly - it's generally looking for clarification from a question or response, or to point out issues in response. I will delete my own comments once I think the issue is resolved, but many are deleted, p...

BESW

21:11

R.I.P. Loren Wiseman - Gaming Pioneer, Co-Creator of 'Traveller RPG' http://ow.ly/63Lh509AodL

Tweeted by ICV2 on February 16, 2017 at 8:00 AM

DForck42

someone shared a link to a website that showed how to determine a population of a country and how to divvy up that population

it was based off of france/paris

anyone know what that link was?

CTWind

www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/demog.htm is usually what I see around population discussions. Alongside the donjon site's generator based off of its formulae.

donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/demographics

DForck42

@CTWind yes, thank you!

BESW

22:23

Gardens of Bomarzo

The Sacro Bosco ("Sacred Grove"), colloquially called Park of the Monsters (Parco dei Mostri in Italian), also named Garden of Bomarzo, is a Manieristic monumental complex located in Bomarzo, in the province of Viterbo, in northern Lazio, Italy. The garden was created during the 16th century. The garden is situated in a woods, located in a valley bottom, beneath the castle of Orsini, and populated by sculptures, and small buildings, located among the natural vegetation. == History == The park's name stems from the many larger-than-life sculptures, some sculpted in the bedrock, which populate this...

trogdor

noooooooooooooope

XD

Karelzarath

I survived the Gygax-era adventures. No way I'm LARPing through them.

nitsua60

23:08

@TheOracle do it.

Axoren

23:20

In 5e, how do spells work? I'm having a hard time finding the answers in the atrocity that is the reference docs.

When you cast a spell on someone, do you know if it succeeds or fails? Do they know if they succeeded or failed against a spell on them?

If it's not a quick answer, I'll chuck it onto the main page, was hoping for a quick response if anyone knew off-hand.

Miniman

Sorr of.

The rules say that spells are noticeable if they have noticeable effects.

We've got a few questions about it already.

Axoren

I asked it here if you feel like giving a full answer, @Miniman http://rpg.stackexchange.com/q/95025/14873
If you know which duplicates to link, please do.

I couldn't find exactly the questions I was looking for, so I'm not sure if it's different enough

Miniman

No dupes that I'm aware of - all of the existing ones I remember are much more specific.

"Do you notice [specific spell] being cast on you" sort of thing.

BESW

@Miniman The first rule of tautology club is the first rule of tautology club?

Axoren

Alright, thanks. I'll wait for someone to fill in those blanks. My party and I are going to be in a combat with a LOT of mages, and we're trying to dispatch most of the encounter stealthily.

Anaphory

23:51

@BESW If this is your first night at TAUTOLOGY CLUB, you HAVE never been at TAUTOLOGY CLUB at night before.

4

BESW

[slowclap]

nitsua60

@Anaphory At our school "the second rule of tautology club is or is not the first rule of tautology club."

Karelzarath

Man, SevenSidedDie is a beast. I'm impressed.

nitsua60

@Karelzarath Context? Not that I disagree, even in the void....

@Karelzarath Oh, perhaps it's the Minecraft question? And the rapidity of his closure? 3 min

Karelzarath

@Axoren's question. Answered and closed in 13 minutes.

That one's easier because it's a non-question.

Anaphory

23:57

@nitsua60 I noticed it coming into the news feed already [on hold]

Axoren

@Karelzarath I'm actually kind of disappointed that my questions don't have answers in the source text, but I'm glad someone pointed me to SOMETHING. I couldn't find any similar question with the search feature. Always resulted in 0 results.

nitsua60

Yeah, search can be quirky.

Karelzarath

@nitsua60 You're moving the team to Alburquerkie?

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