Kharaa and the Shashnimyn
Wurmspawn
Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 19Members
Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 19Members
<div class="IPBDescription">More species engaged in an unwilling war.</div><i>She is aware.
Her mind is a small point of light in a vast dark universe. Her singular existence is frightening.
In the distance, she can feel a vague presence. It is approaching. It is large, warm, comforting.
But what if it will destroy her?
The presence is quickly upon her. It is huge. Its warm brightness pulsates rhythmically.
She can see many tiny lights rapidly orbiting the giant pulsating sphere. They are just like her.
Are they trapped? She is suddenly afraid. The giant sphere continues to near her.
Overwhelming power is felt as she is pulled near.
Stop. A calm wave washes over her. This is the Mother, the other lights are her sisters.
The Mother has given her life, gave up a part of her eternal warmth so that she could exist.
The Mother has traveled through the darkness to find this footing, now she must protect it.</i>
---
"Sir, I don't know what we can do about this Sector. Too many outposts have fallen to an unknown scourge. At this point I don't think there is a chance to re-establish communication."
"So you think they're dead then?"
"Well, the only signals we've received have been automated life support failure beacons."
"Any escape pods showing on the wide angle scans?"
"Negatory..."
"Well, keep the scans up with any spare energy we have. Deploy a pod and put in a request for a Destroyer."
A long-range scout pod is launched from the technorganic structure. The tiny oval looks like a seed firing as the solar fronds unfurl in the planetary sunrise.
---
<!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> <b>Game Overview</b>
This is a Collaborative Narrative describing the story between these two races first contacts. The Kharaa are a plague of symbiotic organisms that claim space with savage ferocity. The Shashnimyn are a race of mystical adventurers, seeking new planets to colonize.
It will be Rules Light, the emphasis is more on creating a story than rolling out battles. Battles between these species will of course be fought, but I hope for them to be negotiated.
[color=red]O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> <b>General Rules</b>
Kharaa hivespeak is in <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>italics</i><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->. Actions are surrounded by <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->*asterisks*<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> Orange is out of character speaking. <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:#009900--><span style="color:#009900"><!--/coloro--> Greens <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->are <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:#33FF33--><span style="color:#33FF33"><!--/coloro-->Kharaa<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> homeworld. White is the <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:white--><span style="color:white"><!--/coloro-->Shashnimyn High Council<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->. Any other formatting suggestions?
The characters acting in a post must be clearly identified in the script or separately.
<b>eg.</b> My packmates and squeeze into the nearest vent system.
<b>vs</b>
We inspect the next vent opening with caution <Squad A>
NPC control is allowed provided they stay in character. PCs are the property of their owners. Therefore you cannot make each other say things but you can make other PCs do reasonable things:
<b>eg.</b> I take point and Khan, Kara & Kirin approach the edges of the shadows. Then I burst into the light ready to engage.
<b>vs</b>
Josh says "I think the beans at lunch were too much" and stinks up his containment suit.
Controlling other characters is meant to move the action forward quicker, but if you are in doubt, ask. Story control of this magnitude can also be used to advance the plot.
<b>eg.</b> As the last surviving Shashnimyn are cornered in the outpost an embryonic hive has awakened in the Destroyer that just...
Players may take control of NPCs as well as their PCs as long as they play in character. Characters inactive more than a week can be put on standby by other players. No one can kill your character but yourself. If you put yourself into a jeopardizing situation with no hope of survival, expect to die. <b>eg.</b> you blink into a room with 8 Shashnimyn in full battle gear.
Combat and action involving opposing intentions is resolved by negotiation. The first player can say what their actions to initiate the situation are and the second player can respond with what they think would happen, and back again till a scenario is agreed upon. The goal is not to beat each other up as much as make a fun and gripping story that makes sense. If there is an unresolvable disagreement the <a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd" target="_blank">d20 modern</a> system will be used for universality. I welcome the inclusion of rules already native to this forum also ~: )
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--><b>Background</b>
By this point you may be wondering who the Shashnimyn are. Well, they are a race that uses magic (theoretical physics and entropy modulation) and organic technology. I have written many, many pages on their background and would be happy to invite you to the encyclopedia wiki (email me: wurmspawn (a) h0t m il c0m).
To briefly summarize:
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They don't like Fire, it is a symbol of evil and corruption to them. Possibly because their homeplanet is undersiege by Demons.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They use crystals as energy sources (and weapons)
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Space weapons are similar to an animé battle; missiles and lasers mostly (think Zentraedi)
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They are for the most part peaceful, but have fierce inter-tribal competition. This is formalized into a tournament type ruleset, but deaths still occur.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Their Native planet will not be attacked by the Kharaa in this adventure
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They use STL transportation
Kharaa and Shashnimyn are more evenly matched. The Shashnimyn are very powerful compared to a human, being capable to bend and fortify their body with magic and can upgrade to bionic enhancements. However, due to the organic nature of their ship, they are very susceptible to a Kharaa infestation. The Kharaa are able to multiply to greater number.
Kharaa characters could be heroes then, and have hivemates that they control. However, I welcome input on the balance cause I want to make this something which is fun for you. If you wanna see more Kharaa in a battle scene, write them in.
<b>Creating a Character</b>
Kharaa - you start as a skulk in a ship that has nearly been conquered. You are learning about the Shashnimyn and hunting down the last survivors.
Shashnimyn - you can either be escaping from an infested ship/station or landing in one that has already been completely captured.
<b>---
Kharaa</b>
Kharaa players have two subcharacters that they can play:
-a spirit on the homeworld
-a respawnable copy that is birthed by the hives.
The respawnable copy can die as many times as it takes to deplete the hive of it's resources. This is a pooled resource between all Kharaa characters in the encounter. The point values will all be NS equivalent for simplicity.
The goal of a kharaa player is to grow hives. Each Shashnimyn station can house 1-3 hives depending on its size. Kharaa spread by spore so these occurrences can occur randomly within the spread of the spore's cloud. Ships that pass through this cloud may also face infection. The Kharaa game starts with one full hive on one of the first outposts to be infected, a small freighter.
Territory conquered by Kharaa players translates into point they can use to upgrade their body or respawn. The net point gain at the end of an encounter is copied over to their homeworld spirit. These points can be used to bid on story events. Points can be destroyed by the pesky Shashnimyn who still resist.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<i>I dropped again from the womb into the cradle of infestation. My sinews stretched once and I quickly assume the posture to morph to Fade. I don't know what these creatures are, but gunning three of us down will not go unanswered.</i><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->
---
Kharaa players have two subcharacters that they can play:
-a spirit on the homeworld
-a respawnable copy that is birthed by the hives.
The respawnable copy can die as many times as it takes to deplete the hive of it's resources. This is a pooled resource between all Kharaa characters in the encounter. The point values will all be NS equivalent for simplicity.
The goal of a kharaa player is to grow hives. Each Shashnimyn station can house 1-3 hives depending on its size. Kharaa spread by spore so these occurrences can occur randomly within the spread of the spore's cloud. Ships that pass through this cloud may also face infection. The Kharaa game starts with one full hive on one of the first outposts to be infected, a small freighter.
Territory conquered by Kharaa players translates into point they can use to upgrade their body or respawn. The net point gain at the end of an encounter is copied over to their homeworld spirit. These points can be used to bid on story events.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<!--coloro:white--><span style="color:white"><!--/coloro-->""...Based upon initial assessments of this area, we have biohazard that is fatal. A team of healers, warriors, engineers and magichitecs have been deployed. Full containment gear is mandatory upon exposure to ship. Bioscanning pods will be equipped to the ship and automatons will be provided...""<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Shashnimyn point values will be calculated as the story necessitates them. This means use your judgement for what seems reasonable and we will figure it out. Shashnimyn characters should be given a way out of death unless they self-sacrifice or do something all other players vote was foolishly deserving. For a rough guideline a Shashnimyn is twice as strong as a Marine and can use magic comparable to a Street Fighter character or more.
I will award Shashnimyn characters points for good role-playing, clever plans, interesting action, success, thematic text and character development. These points can be used to bid for upgrades and create story events.
(If someone wants to link me to a stats resource for NS I'd appreciate it)<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Her mind is a small point of light in a vast dark universe. Her singular existence is frightening.
In the distance, she can feel a vague presence. It is approaching. It is large, warm, comforting.
But what if it will destroy her?
The presence is quickly upon her. It is huge. Its warm brightness pulsates rhythmically.
She can see many tiny lights rapidly orbiting the giant pulsating sphere. They are just like her.
Are they trapped? She is suddenly afraid. The giant sphere continues to near her.
Overwhelming power is felt as she is pulled near.
Stop. A calm wave washes over her. This is the Mother, the other lights are her sisters.
The Mother has given her life, gave up a part of her eternal warmth so that she could exist.
The Mother has traveled through the darkness to find this footing, now she must protect it.</i>
---
"Sir, I don't know what we can do about this Sector. Too many outposts have fallen to an unknown scourge. At this point I don't think there is a chance to re-establish communication."
"So you think they're dead then?"
"Well, the only signals we've received have been automated life support failure beacons."
"Any escape pods showing on the wide angle scans?"
"Negatory..."
"Well, keep the scans up with any spare energy we have. Deploy a pod and put in a request for a Destroyer."
A long-range scout pod is launched from the technorganic structure. The tiny oval looks like a seed firing as the solar fronds unfurl in the planetary sunrise.
---
<!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> <b>Game Overview</b>
This is a Collaborative Narrative describing the story between these two races first contacts. The Kharaa are a plague of symbiotic organisms that claim space with savage ferocity. The Shashnimyn are a race of mystical adventurers, seeking new planets to colonize.
It will be Rules Light, the emphasis is more on creating a story than rolling out battles. Battles between these species will of course be fought, but I hope for them to be negotiated.
[color=red]O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> <b>General Rules</b>
Kharaa hivespeak is in <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>italics</i><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->. Actions are surrounded by <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->*asterisks*<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> Orange is out of character speaking. <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:#009900--><span style="color:#009900"><!--/coloro--> Greens <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->are <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:#33FF33--><span style="color:#33FF33"><!--/coloro-->Kharaa<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--> homeworld. White is the <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:white--><span style="color:white"><!--/coloro-->Shashnimyn High Council<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->. Any other formatting suggestions?
The characters acting in a post must be clearly identified in the script or separately.
<b>eg.</b> My packmates and squeeze into the nearest vent system.
<b>vs</b>
We inspect the next vent opening with caution <Squad A>
NPC control is allowed provided they stay in character. PCs are the property of their owners. Therefore you cannot make each other say things but you can make other PCs do reasonable things:
<b>eg.</b> I take point and Khan, Kara & Kirin approach the edges of the shadows. Then I burst into the light ready to engage.
<b>vs</b>
Josh says "I think the beans at lunch were too much" and stinks up his containment suit.
Controlling other characters is meant to move the action forward quicker, but if you are in doubt, ask. Story control of this magnitude can also be used to advance the plot.
<b>eg.</b> As the last surviving Shashnimyn are cornered in the outpost an embryonic hive has awakened in the Destroyer that just...
Players may take control of NPCs as well as their PCs as long as they play in character. Characters inactive more than a week can be put on standby by other players. No one can kill your character but yourself. If you put yourself into a jeopardizing situation with no hope of survival, expect to die. <b>eg.</b> you blink into a room with 8 Shashnimyn in full battle gear.
Combat and action involving opposing intentions is resolved by negotiation. The first player can say what their actions to initiate the situation are and the second player can respond with what they think would happen, and back again till a scenario is agreed upon. The goal is not to beat each other up as much as make a fun and gripping story that makes sense. If there is an unresolvable disagreement the <a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd" target="_blank">d20 modern</a> system will be used for universality. I welcome the inclusion of rules already native to this forum also ~: )
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--><b>Background</b>
By this point you may be wondering who the Shashnimyn are. Well, they are a race that uses magic (theoretical physics and entropy modulation) and organic technology. I have written many, many pages on their background and would be happy to invite you to the encyclopedia wiki (email me: wurmspawn (a) h0t m il c0m).
To briefly summarize:
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They don't like Fire, it is a symbol of evil and corruption to them. Possibly because their homeplanet is undersiege by Demons.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They use crystals as energy sources (and weapons)
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Space weapons are similar to an animé battle; missiles and lasers mostly (think Zentraedi)
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They are for the most part peaceful, but have fierce inter-tribal competition. This is formalized into a tournament type ruleset, but deaths still occur.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Their Native planet will not be attacked by the Kharaa in this adventure
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->They use STL transportation
Kharaa and Shashnimyn are more evenly matched. The Shashnimyn are very powerful compared to a human, being capable to bend and fortify their body with magic and can upgrade to bionic enhancements. However, due to the organic nature of their ship, they are very susceptible to a Kharaa infestation. The Kharaa are able to multiply to greater number.
Kharaa characters could be heroes then, and have hivemates that they control. However, I welcome input on the balance cause I want to make this something which is fun for you. If you wanna see more Kharaa in a battle scene, write them in.
<b>Creating a Character</b>
Kharaa - you start as a skulk in a ship that has nearly been conquered. You are learning about the Shashnimyn and hunting down the last survivors.
Shashnimyn - you can either be escaping from an infested ship/station or landing in one that has already been completely captured.
<b>---
Kharaa</b>
Kharaa players have two subcharacters that they can play:
-a spirit on the homeworld
-a respawnable copy that is birthed by the hives.
The respawnable copy can die as many times as it takes to deplete the hive of it's resources. This is a pooled resource between all Kharaa characters in the encounter. The point values will all be NS equivalent for simplicity.
The goal of a kharaa player is to grow hives. Each Shashnimyn station can house 1-3 hives depending on its size. Kharaa spread by spore so these occurrences can occur randomly within the spread of the spore's cloud. Ships that pass through this cloud may also face infection. The Kharaa game starts with one full hive on one of the first outposts to be infected, a small freighter.
Territory conquered by Kharaa players translates into point they can use to upgrade their body or respawn. The net point gain at the end of an encounter is copied over to their homeworld spirit. These points can be used to bid on story events. Points can be destroyed by the pesky Shashnimyn who still resist.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<i>I dropped again from the womb into the cradle of infestation. My sinews stretched once and I quickly assume the posture to morph to Fade. I don't know what these creatures are, but gunning three of us down will not go unanswered.</i><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->
---
Kharaa players have two subcharacters that they can play:
-a spirit on the homeworld
-a respawnable copy that is birthed by the hives.
The respawnable copy can die as many times as it takes to deplete the hive of it's resources. This is a pooled resource between all Kharaa characters in the encounter. The point values will all be NS equivalent for simplicity.
The goal of a kharaa player is to grow hives. Each Shashnimyn station can house 1-3 hives depending on its size. Kharaa spread by spore so these occurrences can occur randomly within the spread of the spore's cloud. Ships that pass through this cloud may also face infection. The Kharaa game starts with one full hive on one of the first outposts to be infected, a small freighter.
Territory conquered by Kharaa players translates into point they can use to upgrade their body or respawn. The net point gain at the end of an encounter is copied over to their homeworld spirit. These points can be used to bid on story events.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<!--coloro:white--><span style="color:white"><!--/coloro-->""...Based upon initial assessments of this area, we have biohazard that is fatal. A team of healers, warriors, engineers and magichitecs have been deployed. Full containment gear is mandatory upon exposure to ship. Bioscanning pods will be equipped to the ship and automatons will be provided...""<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Shashnimyn point values will be calculated as the story necessitates them. This means use your judgement for what seems reasonable and we will figure it out. Shashnimyn characters should be given a way out of death unless they self-sacrifice or do something all other players vote was foolishly deserving. For a rough guideline a Shashnimyn is twice as strong as a Marine and can use magic comparable to a Street Fighter character or more.
I will award Shashnimyn characters points for good role-playing, clever plans, interesting action, success, thematic text and character development. These points can be used to bid for upgrades and create story events.
(If someone wants to link me to a stats resource for NS I'd appreciate it)<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Comments
How do you play this game? Is it on the fourms like TWG or an actual program? Is it a game anyway?
Here is a link that you may find helpful discussing the Narrative aspects of play: <a href="http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/7/" target="_blank">http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/7/</a>
*** Unfortunately, it's kinda theory heavy and may not be the best example so I'll try to replace it with a better one when I return. ***
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro-->O<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro--><b>How to Play</b>
There are a few basic options to begin depending upon what you have in mind. You can either describe your character and the situations or storylines you see them in, or you can describe the type of play/adventure you are interested in and I'll create something accordingly.
Since <b>collaborative</b> is a keyword, I'd like for all players interested in playing to have a say in what sort of adventure they'd like to share.
I have ambitions to build tools for gaming eventually, but am more interested in exploring story lines at this point to convert to open-ended 'choose your own adventure' style web sites<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Some of them have apparently went to <a href="http://z6.invisionfree.com/Xect" target="_blank">this forum</a> but a lot of those people have also disappeared from that forum as well.
People from those forums apparently went to <a href="http://www.specialist-games.com/inquisitor/forum_b/default.asp" target="_blank">this forum</a>.
I like the Idea, but I think it would be hard roleplaying a race/culture we know nothing about or roleplaying bacterial hive mind of the kaharra...
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Well that could be part of the fun! The Shashnimyn are a diverse race, so any sort of subculture that would be fun to play is possible. Also, I think we all have a pretty good understanding of what the Kharaa do. Roleplaying the hive mind and it's offspring shouldn't be too to expand on that. For example:<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<i>The tendrils of infestation spread out from the first hive. Upon reaching an atmospheric duct they quickly expand under favourable moisture conditions. Within minutes sporophytes are popping, sending the precursors to further infestation throughout the ship.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->Would this game be easier to approach if there was a clear storyline idea for the first adventure? Lemme know what I can do to make this approachable. It sounds like it might be useful to talk a bit more pregame before starting. I'd rather not rush into things and instead build something that is more likely to last (so hopefully you can join <i>Theslan</i>!)
<i>Chocolate</i>, that sounds like it could be a fun character idea to build on. Go for it if you want.
I am happy to answer any specific or general questions about the Shashnimyn. I'll try to keep my answers concise though. I've got more ideas about them than you probably want to hear, heh ~: )<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
I've never actually done any role-playing on web forums, but I used to be heavily into FFRP on IRC (Austnet, Dalnet, Darkmyst), and that was really relaxed... Apart from the usual IRC etiquette, we only had two rules there:
1) No auto-hitting. Saying "I stab Bob in the chest" isn't allowed... You'd have to say something like "I thrust my dagger towards Bob's chest", and it would be up to Bob to take the hit or avoid it somehow (Adjust those for /me notation, of course)
2) No power-gaming. No one is invincible. It's no fun if you're just superior to everyone in every way (Exceptions are made for when someone's running an organized plot). No one likes a character that can't get hurt... Takes all of the suspense out of things.
Of course, this was never an actual "game"... There was no objective other than to have fun, so people weren't trying to "win"
1) edit your first post so that you cover EXACTLY what you want to do. If it is FFRP or a game, say so. If there are rules, list em out. Either give people a little more background or flat out state that all of you will be creating the world as you go. All the things like that
2) once you have this post set up, go advertise in Off Topic. People who are not in TWG rarely check this forum <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<i>Chocolate</i>, that sounds like it could be a fun character idea to build on. Go for it if you want.
I am happy to answer any specific or general questions about the Shashnimyn. I'll try to keep my answers concise though. I've got more ideas about them than you probably want to hear, heh ~: )<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yay! I got my character!
I got a question, are humans allowed or is it just aliens. If just aliens, I'm a gorge... (the teams best asset <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />).
<!--quoteo(post=1621474:date=Apr 17 2007, 10:08 AM:name=Thansal)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Thansal @ Apr 17 2007, 10:08 AM) [snapback]1621474[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec--> Heya, I have absolutely no interest in online RPing, however I would suggest 2 things for yah:
1) edit your first post so that you cover EXACTLY what you want to do. If it is FFRP or a game, say so. If there are rules, list em out. Either give people a little more background or flat out state that all of you will be creating the world as you go. All the things like that
2) once you have this post set up, go advertise in Off Topic. People who are not in TWG rarely check this forum <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
1. I think its a FFRP, and rules are nice. <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=4947040179062680576&showtopic=44379" target="_blank">These</a> rules from a long dead post are good rules to start with I guess.
2. Yup, highly recommend it. I used to never be here before I started with TWG.
Hmm, this looks like it could be interesting... What exactly are you going for, here? Freeform role-playing, or an actual "game"? From the way you described it, it looked like FFRP, but the mention of d20 kinda threw me.
I've never actually done any role-playing on web forums, but I used to be heavily into FFRP on IRC (Austnet, Dalnet, Darkmyst), and that was really relaxed... Apart from the usual IRC etiquette, we only had two rules there:
1) No auto-hitting. Saying "I stab Bob in the chest" isn't allowed... You'd have to say something like "I thrust my dagger towards Bob's chest", and it would be up to Bob to take the hit or avoid it somehow (Adjust those for /me notation, of course)
2) No power-gaming. No one is invincible. It's no fun if you're just superior to everyone in every way (Exceptions are made for when someone's running an organized plot). No one likes a character that can't get hurt... Takes all of the suspense out of things.
Of course, this was never an actual "game"... There was no objective other than to have fun, so people weren't trying to "win"
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->It is primarily free-form RPG but I figured d20 maybe used as a back up if we couldn't reach negotiation over a crucial point in the narrative. I'd prefer us to approach encounters such as "Well, we strengthened our forces in this area so it makes sense if you've overrun those others..." rather than having to resort to nit-pikcy arguments of what would probably happen. But I was also thinking of having expendable points to drive the story. So... I guess it's free form to the point of having any rules people agree upon as useful ~; )
I have outlined more in the first post the playing style a bit more. I am the type of GM who loves to wing it while keeping broad story in mind so I don't want to spend the whole time writing the system. I will gladly answer questions of course.
Xentor, those sound like good rules to go by. But, I'd like to allow a degree of autohitting to speed up combat.
Combat can be though of as a sum of all damage dealt by the opposing units in the tactical situation. So, a certain number of Skulks are going to be able to bite a certain amount of damage per second. Shashnimyn individuals will also have damage dealt rates. The tactical situation that opposing groups meet in determines who gets splattered or forced to retreat first.
Sound complicated? Think of it in game terms, Skulks awaiting in ambush in a shadowy fan room will have an advantage over the unsuspecting Shashnimyn, but will probably all be killed or forced off unless they greatly out number them. However, the amount of damage dealt by those Skulks is greater than what they can recharge before their next encounter.
And power gaming is not fun I agree. But an Onos will still be awesome and can kill Shashnimyn. Shashnimyn also have a biosuit class which is better than Heavy Marine Armour.
Thank you for the advice <i>Thansal</i> ~: )
First post is edited and a posting will be made in OT once people in here think it's clear enough to start.
<!--quoteo(post=1621556:date=Apr 17 2007, 04:10 PM:name=Chocolate)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Chocolate @ Apr 17 2007, 04:10 PM) [snapback]1621556[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Yay! I got my character!
I got a question, are humans allowed or is it just aliens. If just aliens, I'm a gorge... (the teams best asset <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />).
1. I think its a FFRP, and rules are nice. <a href="http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/index.php?s=4947040179062680576&showtopic=44379" target="_blank">These</a> rules from a long dead post are good rules to start with I guess.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
No humans in this game. I have a very specific time line that the humans are to follow in the Shashnimyn Universe. The TSA and this game may be parallel universes for all intents and purposes.
Those are good rules to consider, but I don't like the use of colour. I feel that having each character different serves more for ego than it does in legibility. I've presented a proposal of colours and grammar styles in the first post,
e.g. the orange that I've been using for Out of Character (OOC)
but it's freeform, so do whatever makes sense to you. Unless it hurts my eyes, and then I'll make these faces at you<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
Xentor, those sound like good rules to go by. But, I'd like to allow a degree of autohitting to speed up combat.
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Well, the no-autohitting rule is meant for other players, not for NPCs. So if I'm sneaking down a corridor, I could describe a nameless skulk leaping at me from the shadows and getting vanquished, but if I got into a fight with another player, I couldn't just say something like:
<i>Xentor hears movement, and sees Chocolate leaping out of the shadows towards him. Without hesitation, he fires a perfectly-aimed shot into the skulk's head, killing him instantly</i>
Stuff like that would be no fun at all, and that's what the no-autohitting rule is meant to prevent. Something like this would be more interesting (and fun):
<i>Xentor hears movement, and sees Chocolate leaping out of the shadows towards him. Without hesitation, he leaps to the left, letting off five well-aimed pistol rounds towards the skulk before landing in a roll.</i>
See, the character doesn't sacrifice any "coolness," but it's fair to both sides. At this point, Chocolate would have the option of taking the hits and dying, taking some of the hits, or avoiding/dodging them altogether. He might take a grazing shot to the back and leap into a vent to retreat, or he might squirm in mid-air to avoid them, matrix-style, and come at me again... All depends on his character.
The only problem is when everyone refuses to get hit, but that's where the no-powergaming rule comes into play, and it's up to the GM to take control, read through the fight, and decide what happens next (GM is technically exempt from both rules, but it's usually better if he just makes the environment "attack" the player instead of saying "you're dead"... A support beam could collapse or something).
Now I'm late for work... Bleh.
(Using "..." to signify alternating posts)
<i>Xentor moves quietly down the ravaged corridor, keeping his rifle at his shoulder and peering carefully into every crevice and ventilation duct as he passes them. His progress is slow, but his footsteps are nearly silent and made even more difficult to hear by the hissing steam vents.</i>
...
<i>Chocolate creeps through the vents, the voice of the hive speaking in his mind. He smells something alien, but can't quite tell where it is. It seems to be stronger to the east, so he turns at the next junction and makes his way towards the scent of food.</i>
...
<i>Xentor pauses for a moment, responding to a voice over his comm link, his voice a faint whisper.</i>
"Roger, comm. No sign of hostiles here. Making my way towards the forward deck."
...
<i>Chocolate stops, perking up his ears. The sounds are meaningless, but it was definitely one of the humans! He breaks into a sprint, seeing a point of light at the end of the duct. With a ravenous screech, he leaps out of the vent, claws extended as he flies towards Xentor's throat.</i>
...
<i>Xentor shifts his eyes towards the vent as he hears the clicking of the skulk's foosteps on metal. That's all the warning he needs to hit the deck just as the little alien goes screeching over his head.</i>
"Contact!" he yells into his comm link.
<i>As he goes down, he rolls to the right, onto his back, bringing the rifle up to bear. Without time to properly aim, he sends three rounds towards where he thinks the skulk will land.</i>
...
<i>Chocolate flies past the human, using all four legs like springs to bounce off the wall and land neatly in the middle of the corridor. The bullets whizz by him harmlessly, plunking into the metal as he turns to and leaps again.</i>
...
<i>Xentor follows the skulk with the barrel of his rifle, sitting up and firing four more rounds just as it lands on the floor. He tries to get his feet under him, but only has time to duck to the side to let it fly past him again.</i>
...
<i>Chocolate winces as one of the bullets slams into hits shoulder, but that only slows him down slightly. As the human dodges aside, he extends one of his claws in mid-air, trying to slash him as he flies by.</i>
...
<i>Xentor yells in pain, the claw cutting into his right upper arm. He gets to his feet as the alien passes, and starts spraying the corridor with bullets, trying to hit the little monster.</i>
"Die, alien! Eat lead!"
...
<i>Chocolate sees he has lost the element of surprise, but isn't that worried. His wound will heal, and the human has nowhere to run. As he lands lightly on the metal floor, he turns momentarily towards the marine to spit a parasite before leaping into the vent, to safety.</i>
...
<i>Xentor slaps a hand to his neck at what feels like a sudden bee sting. His finger comes off the trigger, his target no longer in sight. He looks at his fingers and sees a couple drops of blood, then checks his slashed arm and is relieved to see that the claw didn't cut very deeply. Slowing his breathing, he slaps another magazine into his rifle and keys his comm unit.</i>
"I've got one skulk in the ventilation system, heading towards the shuttle bay." He glances at a spotty trail of yellowish-green fluid leading into the duct. "I hit him, but I don't know how badly." A pause as he listens to the voice on the other end.
"No, I'm still mobile. Just have a medkit waiting when I get back to..."
<i>He trails off as he suddenly hears the clicking of footsteps. A lot of footsteps. His eyes open wide, and he puts a hand to the "bee sting" in his neck, and the realization hits him.</i>
"Situation hostile! Need backup! The little ******* tagged me! I've got multiple aliens incoming!"
...
And so on... Ok, that was fun...
Anyway, you see how it works. You don't choose whether you hit the other guy, only whether he hits you. Sure, someone can just refuse to take hits, but that's no fun, and too much of it is considered powergaming if it doesn't make sense in the situation. Only problem is that everything is a bit slow on the forums, and that little battle was 11 posts and could last a few days if people aren't active enough.
And now my lunch hour is over, so I'll shut up.
I'm the little evil skulk who parasites the marines.... Its a wonder why I don't eat myself <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
<!--quoteo(post=1622698:date=Apr 23 2007, 10:46 PM:name=Wurmspawn)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wurmspawn @ Apr 23 2007, 10:46 PM) [snapback]1622698[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
No humans in this game. I have a very specific time line that the humans are to follow in the Shashnimyn Universe. The TSA and this game may be parallel universes for all intents and purposes.
Those are good rules to consider, but I don't like the use of colour. I feel that having each character different serves more for ego than it does in legibility. I've presented a proposal of colours and grammar styles in the first post,
e.g. the orange that I've been using for Out of Character (OOC)
but it's freeform, so do whatever makes sense to you. Unless it hurts my eyes, and then I'll make these faces at you
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ok, thanks
----
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" /> faces make me sad <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
Allowing a degree of autohitting could really speed up the play. Here's what I propose:
1. The first hit in an action sequence can be a freebie, doing a reasonable amount of damage given reasonable situations.
-An ambush can allow players to knock down the opposition a notch before they can respond, making an autohit logical.
-A lone Gorge isn't going to engage a pack of Shashnimyn in combat, you cannot place other PCs in such an unreasonable situation, though an NPC Gorge might be caught unaware.
-The first hits can NEVER kill the other player. If they are severely wounded and running away, your action can be to initiate a combat, but can do no damage.
2. Responding to an autohit or combat action, the player has two major options:
Fight or Flight.
-If the player responds to engage, combat is on! and then play it out as you like.
-If the player runs away to regroup, call for back up, or whatever else that advances the story but doesn't start combat, the attacker should play along with that storyline or back off.
3. Story points (earned like experience points (XP)) can be expended to undo (or increase) damage dealt to a character. Lets start with a conversion of 1 story point to 10 HP for now. This expenditure should be accompanied by story text. Again, this cannot be done in unreasonable situations to prevent autokilling and power-hungry munchkins.
<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->eg. *Mindara falls to the floor after being hit by the Fade's projectile. Less hurt than expected, she notices her amulet magically exploded and deflected the damage. Thankful for the thoughtful gift now destroyed, she rises and prepares an energy bolt for when the Fade next appears.* <used 4 story points><!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->
My reasons for wanting options like these is because even you mentioned that an 11 post battle could span days. More elaborate pursuits and combats could take even longer in this manner. In my experience, most of the games that fall through are due to time constraints; hard to organize meet ups, or players that are crucial to the next phase of the adventure tied up by deadlines. I don't know what level of commitment all the players are willing to have and I don't want to exclude the creative and excited simply because of real life demands.
<!--quoteo(post=1622748:date=Apr 24 2007, 06:00 AM:name=Xentor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xentor @ Apr 24 2007, 06:00 AM) [snapback]1622748[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
Well, the no-autohitting rule is meant for other players, not for NPCs. So if I'm sneaking down a corridor, I could describe a nameless skulk leaping at me from the shadows and getting vanquished,
.
.
.
Stuff like that would be no fun at all, and that's what the no-autohitting rule is meant to prevent. Something like this would be more interesting (and fun):
<i>Xentor hears movement, and sees Chocolate leaping out of the shadows towards him. Without hesitation, he leaps to the left, letting off five well-aimed pistol rounds towards the skulk before landing in a roll.</i><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is the type of good narration that I think should be encouraged. This is more about making a story together than just seeing how many skulks you can waste, which is the goal when playing together right? I love talking about gaming experiences where something really unique and fun happens like: "remember when we were stuck in the biosphere containment jungles and we could hardly tell which ones the skulks were until we torched the place but barely made it out before the airlocks closed?" rather than "remember that time in Rifts when we were hunting bison with megadamage pistols and kill the entire herd of 132 in 35 seconds?"
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->See, the character doesn't sacrifice any "coolness," but it's fair to both sides. At this point, Chocolate would have the option of taking the hits and dying, taking some of the hits, or avoiding/dodging them altogether. He might take a grazing shot to the back and leap into a vent to retreat, or he might squirm in mid-air to avoid them, matrix-style, and come at me again... All depends on his character.
The only problem is when everyone refuses to get hit, but that's where the no-powergaming rule comes into play, and it's up to the GM to take control, read through the fight, and decide what happens next (GM is technically exempt from both rules, but it's usually better if he just makes the environment "attack" the player instead of saying "you're dead"... A support beam could collapse or something).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The autohit rules I've presented above need not be always used. I agree with you that there is a lot of coolness in giving the other player the option to respond. But I just fear getting bogged down with incremental posts. I'd like to try it with autohitting and if we find that players are constantly abusing story points to address this, then we can find another solution. I'd like for the scope of this campaign to be epic, like space epic, with multiple stations and ships having things happen... but I guess we'll see what everyone's into, and I am all for starting in familiar posting-style territory ~: )
Below I've edited your piece into what I think could be posted by players alternating using the proposed autohit rules. Also, a Shashnimyn (you can use myn for short) is pretty similar to humans except for their magical abilities. They don't have medkits as much as stim potions, healing rituals and use meditate to regenerate.
<!--quoteo(post=1622783:date=Apr 24 2007, 11:42 AM:name=Xentor)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xentor @ Apr 24 2007, 11:42 AM) [snapback]1622783[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
(Using "..." to signify alternating posts)
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->1.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <i>Xentor moves quietly down the ravaged corridor, keeping his rifle at his shoulder and peering carefully into every crevice and ventilation duct as he passes them. His progress is slow, but his footsteps are nearly silent and made even more difficult to hear by the hissing steam vents.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->2. <!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Chocolate creeps through the vents, the voice of the hive speaking in his mind. He smells something alien, but can't quite tell where it is. It seems to be stronger to the east, so he turns at the next junction and makes his way towards the scent of food.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->3.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--> <i>Xentor pauses for a moment, responding to a voice over his comm link, his voice a faint whisper.</i>
"Roger, comm. No sign of hostiles here. Making my way towards the forward deck."
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->4.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Chocolate stops, perking up his ears. The sounds are meaningless, but it was definitely one of the humans! He breaks into a sprint, seeing a point of light at the end of the duct. With a ravenous screech, he leaps out of the vent, claws extended as he flies towards Xentor's throat.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->5.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Xentor shifts his eyes towards the vent as he hears the clicking of the skulk's foosteps on metal. That's all the warning he needs to hit the deck just as the little alien goes screeching over his head.</i>
"Contact!" he yells into his comm link.
<i>As he goes down, he rolls to the right, onto his back, bringing the rifle up to bear. Without time to properly aim, he sends three rounds towards where he thinks the skulk will land.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->6.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Chocolate flies past the human, using all four legs like springs to bounce off the wall and land neatly in the middle of the corridor. The bullets whizz by him harmlessly, plunking into the metal as he turns to and leaps again.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->7.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Xentor follows the skulk with the barrel of his rifle, sitting up and firing four more rounds just as it lands on the floor. He tries to get his feet under him, but only has time to duck to the side to let it fly past him again.</i>
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->8.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Chocolate winces as one of the bullets slams into hits shoulder, but that only slows him down slightly.
</i>...
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->8b.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>As the human dodges aside, he extends one of his claws in mid-air, trying to slash him as he flies by.</i>
<damage to Chocolate = 5 HP>
...
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->9.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Xentor yells in pain, the claw cutting into his right upper arm. He gets to his feet as the alien passes, and starts spraying the corridor with bullets, trying to hit the little monster.</i>
"Die, alien! Eat lead!"
<damage to Xentor = 10 HP>
...
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->10.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Chocolate sees he has lost the element of surprise, but isn't that worried. His wound will heal, and the human has nowhere to run. As he lands lightly on the metal floor, he turns momentarily towards the marine to spit a parasite before leaping into the vent, to safety.</i>
<damage query>
...
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->11.<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--><i>Xentor slaps a hand to his neck at what feels like a sudden bee sting. His finger comes off the trigger, his target no longer in sight. He looks at his fingers and sees a couple drops of blood, then checks his slashed arm and is relieved to see that the claw didn't cut very deeply. Slowing his breathing, he slaps another magazine into his rifle and keys his comm unit.</i>
"I've got one skulk in the ventilation system, heading towards the shuttle bay." He glances at a spotty trail of yellowish-green fluid leading into the duct. "I hit him, but I don't know how badly." A pause as he listens to the voice on the other end.
"No, I'm still mobile. Just have a medkit waiting when I get back to..."
<i>He trails off as he suddenly hears the clicking of footsteps. A lot of footsteps. His eyes open wide, and he puts a hand to the "bee sting" in his neck, and the realization hits him.</i>
"Situation hostile! Need backup! The little ******* tagged me! I've got multiple aliens incoming!"
<damage to Xentor = 1 HP>
...
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So essentially, posts 1 through 8 could be make as one by Xentor to set the scene. 8b Chocolate accepts the combat and retaliates. Combat continues for 9 by Xentor and then Chocolate decides to withdraw at 10 for story but leaves an end open for Xentor. Xentor accepts the story and gets hit by the parasite and the excitement continues. If Chocolate had refused the action sequence after it started, his player wouldn't be much worse off than when he started, and the story would already have this extra sequence in it.
What does everyone think? Is it time to post in OT to find more interested players?
I'm thinking a good way to start might be the Kharaa side as player run: explore and leave mysterious or curious openings for me to jump in.
And the Shashnimyn side I could start out with three NPCs that fill basic archetypes and some sacrificial NPCs that can be played by any players when they are comfortable with how Shashnimyn would act. Which essentially is no different from any other dangerous expeditionary force really.
and btw <i>Chocolate</i>, I have no intention of making you sad. You already scored a big point when you chose my favourite Kharaa ~: )<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
Hmm, I'm not sure about this... I mean, it's not all about the combat... It's about being able to control YOUR character. If I suddenly start putting words and thoughts into another player's mouth/head, then I'm depriving them of control, and that's really not fair. I understand why you want to do it this way, but I think it would really detract from the game if anyone else could just snatch your character up, stick him in combat, and start putting holes in him, when you might have been about to do something entirely different.
I mean, in this particular example, if I posted all of 1-8 on my own, I would essentially be forcing Chocolate to CHOOSE to go down that particular path, and to CHOOSE to attack me. Maybe his character was more interested in something else, and had no intention of ambushing a marine by himself.
Also, thinking of it all in terms of HP just seems kinda... Well... Kinda like a dice game. Whole reason I used to do freeform was because I never liked the whole concept of hit points and damage points and armor classes and thac0 and such, when it's supposed to be about imagination... This could be a cool game, but if you're going that route, I think I'll step aside.
Hmm, I'm not sure about this... I mean, it's not all about the combat... It's about being able to control YOUR character. If I suddenly start putting words and thoughts into another player's mouth/head, then I'm depriving them of control, and that's really not fair. I understand why you want to do it this way, but I think it would really detract from the game if anyone else could just snatch your character up, stick him in combat, and start putting holes in him, when you might have been about to do something entirely different.
.
.
.
Maybe his character was more interested in something else, and had no intention of ambushing a marine by himself.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--coloro:orange--><span style="color:orange"><!--/coloro-->You make a good point that it is not fair to merely snatch another player from whatever storyline they had in mind. Perhaps this then: Since the Kharaa travel in much greater numbers than the myn, any Kharaa player can quickly adopt one of the same evomorph (skulk, gorge, lerk, fade, onos) anywhere in the level if they want. That way, if they weren't doing anything and they liked that story idea, they could immediately write themselves into it.
So autohit cannot work as it is to shorten combat. And it seems likely that you <i>Xentor</i> do not necessairly want to shorten combat. However, I'd like the option of being able to skip through combat encounters quickly to have a strategic element in the game. NS is all about territorial control right? And these two races are at arms with each other also: the infestation is creeping in and the myn are trying to contain it from spreading. So, the main competitive device in the story becomes who can negotiate the capture a particular spaceship/outpost. There's a presumably infinite number of ships along this infected border, so any story idea can be explored.
I guess the main mechanic I'm after here is that objectives can be chosen by either team and then they try to create a story to capture them. So perhaps on a ship the Shashnimyn choose to capture a biomedical unit and establish an impervious observation station. But the Kharaa team could have its objective for the ship would be to spoil the observation setup and chase them with the biomedical unit. Or a trap that the myn have to get out of with the biomedical unit and kill declare how many Shashnimyn they want as the extra myn on the away team. ~; )
"Ooh, is that the new kid?"
"Yeah, has anyone told him about the crunch ranking?"
*the kid overhears* "What's the crunch ranking?"
"Sorry kid, you are too low ranking to survive this mission?"
"It's inevitable?"
"Yeah, unless they write something cool to make you secondary character status."
"lol j/k" *crunch!*
A mechanism that I've discussed for streamlining combat sequences is having players declare multiple actions in a sequence and then deciding how the combination of the opposing actions would determine an encounter.
For a typical battle the outcome could be sort of like a sum of
O declared:
-range attacks,
-hand to hand,
--bashing, throwing
-spell effects
O locational:
-modifiers for position and environment,
--parasites, amount of vents, cover, friendly ground
-active defenses
--defense towers, shield generators
-spell effects
I guess this could even be resolved through pms to the GM/storyteller of the battle plans by both sides, then present them and we choose the outcome of the encounter by consensus. Naturally this is a streamlining technique that only need be used when the involved players choose to accept it.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Also, thinking of it all in terms of HP just seems kinda... Well... Kinda like a dice game. Whole reason I used to do freeform was because I never liked the whole concept of hit points and damage points and armor classes and thac0 and such, when it's supposed to be about imagination... This could be a cool game, but if you're going that route, I think I'll step aside.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The hit points thing is a concept that I am familiar with for dealing with certain things quickly. You can be sure I'm not willing to accept rules that alienate people. I hope that everyone can play the style that they want together, or create their own niches to interact in. But maybe I'm not understanding you clearly <i>Xentor</i>. Could you explain more about how story plots evolve from your experience of posting in RPGs?<!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->
If you get this started, I'll just watch for a while... I can always join in later if it looks fun.
And yay! I picked Wurmspawn's favourite lifeform! That makes me very <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
PS: In my last post I doubt I made any sense <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />.