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Covok posted:Got any tips. This is turning into quite a bit of work. Though, it's worth noting, that I never plan so any planing is more than I'm used to. That and I made 6 pregens for players with story so that ended up being quite a bit of work. I just think of a concept I think would make an interesting story, figure out how it starts, what I want the climax scene to be like, and which sorts of characters would and would not work well with it. I almost always have some sort of character creation restrictions in place. Nothing too constraining, but it helps keep things on track in the long run. The middle scenes I write are very fluid. I'll usually make a rough outline of how things would ideally go, but individual scenes don't really get plotted out like in LBBP.
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May 31, 2016 21:15
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To me, a lot of Tenra Bansho Zero's plots should stem directly from their Fates. It's really about where the Fates lead the characters; when I ran it, I had vague notions of what the region was like, who was at war with who and where that might go. I didn't actually develop a plot until the players wrote their Fates down, which I looked at and then did their Zero Acts, and by the time I'd done those I had a rough sketch of the plot. Let Fates and the Emotion Matrix be your guide. Unless you're writing all the Fates in advance, it's just not a programmed scenario kind of game.
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Jun 1, 2016 00:31
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Alien Rope Burn posted:To me, a lot of Tenra Bansho Zero's plots should stem directly from their Fates. It's really about where the Fates lead the characters; when I ran it, I had vague notions of what the region was like, who was at war with who and where that might go. I didn't actually develop a plot until the players wrote their Fates down, which I looked at and then did their Zero Acts, and by the time I'd done those I had a rough sketch of the plot. I can't agree with this. While you do have to account for players' Fates and Emotion Matrix rolls when writing a scenario, there's a lot to be said for having at leas a rough plot written out in advance. This is exactly what Destinies are for: to help direct the players and nudge them in the direction you want the story to go. This is how I ran my first two scenarios, and they both turned out better for the forethought. That said, I'm definitely a GM who does better with a lot of planning than improv, so it probably just comes down to personal style and playing to your strengths, but calling TBZ "not a programmed scenario kind of game" isn't accurate to me.
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Jun 1, 2016 05:42
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One of the best twists that came from a TBZ scenario I ran (Which isn't complete, hoping none of my players read this) was when the randomly generated name of my arch-villain matched up with the randomly chosen name of my Kijin/unseated lord/amateur psychopath. All of a sudden I had a familial name link to work with that turned a simple grudge into real vendetta. You've got to play who you've got and interweave your players.
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Jun 1, 2016 05:52
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I've run three TBZ campaigns so far, and I'm the type of GM who likes to do just a little bit of planning and then improvise from there. Here's a few observations: TBZ works best when it jumps from scene to scene. This is not a game about rolling your stealth skill 13 times as you infiltrate a castle and get past each individual guard. This is a game about rolling your stealth once and then skipping ahead to a cool scene that makes sense for what you rolled. I liked setting up scenes between two PCs just talking about stuff when I needed some time to think about where to take the game next. Something simple like getting two players in a scene where they just talk about their fighting styles, or one character stumbling upon another character writing a letter to their family, etc. Just some quick scenes where the players can work on their character relationships a bit. Give everyone cool names. Make the fights interesting by giving the bad guys some personality, even if they're fodder who exist only to die to some sick ninjitsu techniques. And then get one of those bad guys to come back as a kijin at some point, of course. And some wise words from the designer, Junichi Inoue: quote:There is absolutely no reason to be concerned with how correctly Japanese your experience is. Leave that stuff to academics. You just have to have an interest in Japanese culture. That’s the most important thing. It’s all about having fun, and keeping your (and the players’) interest going. That’s far more important than being concerned with whether or not there are cheeseburgers in Tenra.
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Jun 1, 2016 07:12
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Well now I wanna see someone use TBZ to play Ninja Burger. 
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Jun 1, 2016 07:14
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I remember someone ran a short-lived TBZ campaign here and one of the characters was an all american ninja. One of the things that is definitely cannon in my TBZ games is that beer comes in cans.
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Jun 1, 2016 07:17
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CHaKKaWaKka posted:One of the things that is definitely cannon in my TBZ games is that beer comes in cans.
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Jun 1, 2016 08:33
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Because of the scene-based structure, TBZ synergises really nicely with the 'come up with a bunch of free-floating scenes that could happen, and then drop them in when appropriate' school of GM prep. The GM decides what scenes are happening and when, so you can skip the whole step where you decide whether it's appropriate and where you try to guide them to a scene you've already come up with. Railroading gets a bad name in RPGs, but remember that TBZ really is the "5 act kabuki play: the game" RPG and give the strict scene structure a go.
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Jun 1, 2016 13:35
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Oh that's another thing. Don't feel beholden to making the scenario 5 acts if your story can't sustain it.
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Jun 1, 2016 16:57
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mikeycp posted:Oh that's another thing. Don't feel beholden to making the scenario 5 acts if your story can't sustain it. Definitely. If you want a shorter scenario, three acts (plus the Zero Act) works perfectly well.
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Jun 1, 2016 19:17
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Yeah. As long as you have that Zero Act you're all good!
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Jun 1, 2016 20:20
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Alien Rope Burn posted:Any word on what's going on with Mononoke Koyake for Golden Sky Stories? Now that Fantasy Friends is done (and references it), it seems to be a popular question in other threads.
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Jun 1, 2016 21:33
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Ewen Cluney posted:I should really check in here more often, but my editor finally got me the revised manuscript and I sent Mononoke Koyake off to Clay Gardner for layout. In theory he's going to start on it today, so it'll be going out to GSS backers basically whenever the turnaround for a 50-or-so-page book is done, hopefully within a week or so. Then the GSS Kickstarter will finally be done and we can move onto other projects. This is the best news I've had all week!
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Jun 1, 2016 21:35
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Ewen Cluney posted:I should really check in here more often, but my editor finally got me the revised manuscript and I sent Mononoke Koyake off to Clay Gardner for layout. In theory he's going to start on it today, so it'll be going out to GSS backers basically whenever the turnaround for a 50-or-so-page book is done, hopefully within a week or so. Then the GSS Kickstarter will finally be done and we can move onto other projects. That's awesome. I just started checking this thread again yesterday because I was curious about the progress of Mononoke Koyake, so I'm glad to hear that it's close to being finished. I hope your future projects go well, too, both GSS-related (I'm definitely backing the one for the other two books when that happens) and not.
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Jun 1, 2016 22:56
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What I want to know about is Shinobigami. It's been a while since we've heard about even the rough draft of the rules.
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Jun 2, 2016 00:32
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mikeycp posted:What I want to know about is Shinobigami. It's been a while since we've heard about even the rough draft of the rules. Actually, the rough draft was sent to backers on may 3rd! Although they're calling it the Pre-Alpha Pre-Draft, and the email mentioned the real draft should be out in 4-6 weeks(from when the email was sent)
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Jun 2, 2016 04:54
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CHaKKaWaKka posted:Actually, the rough draft was sent to backers on may 3rd! Although they're calling it the Pre-Alpha Pre-Draft, and the email mentioned the real draft should be out in 4-6 weeks(from when the email was sent) I'm not sure how I missed that. Thanks!
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Jun 2, 2016 05:03
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Maleketh posted:I can't agree with this. While you do have to account for players' Fates and Emotion Matrix rolls when writing a scenario, there's a lot to be said for having at leas a rough plot written out in advance. This is exactly what Destinies are for: to help direct the players and nudge them in the direction you want the story to go. Well, I prefer to take a player's Zero Act and Fates heavily into account in making Destinies. And Destinies are just another Fate anyway, so they're ultimately under the players' control after being assigned as it is.
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Jun 2, 2016 05:51
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I generally write the Zero Act around the destiny since I'm going to be assigning it at the end of it anyway. And the other fates are usually generic enough that they don't really need writing around.
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Jun 2, 2016 06:00
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Alien Rope Burn posted:And Destinies are just another Fate anyway, so they're ultimately under the players' control after being assigned as it is. Except Destinies can't be rewritten or removed without GM permission. That gives the GM a significantly greater level of control over them. Also: mikeycp posted:I generally write the Zero Act around the destiny since I'm going to be assigning it at the end of it anyway. And the other fates are usually generic enough that they don't really need writing around. This is how I do things too.
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Jun 2, 2016 12:34
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On the question of preplanning Destinies versus writing them after seeing how the Zero Act pans out, I think both approaches have their merits. But I think it's absolutely important that the Destiny take the character into accord, and the Zero Act can provide addition information about the character. It's unfortunate that the one TBZ game I was in ended after the Zero Act, but the Zero Act opened with my doll mecha pilot getting her mission briefing from the Priest in charge. Throughout the whole thing, he treated her like nothing more than a doll, an object... and she quietly was obedient. I don't remember exactly what it was, but the Destiny that emerged from raised the question of whether her subservient relationship to the Priesthood would continue. Or at least it was connected to that. I don't know if it was preplanned or not, but I really liked that destiny.
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Jun 2, 2016 15:05
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So I'm starting a Double Cross campaign because this game will allow me to run the Parasite Eve RPG I've wanted to for years (my players are really excited to battle 'uppity organelles'), but I wasn't sure where else to ask a couple rules questions and this seemed like the thread for it. When you're Combining powers, the limitation is just 'same target' and 'same timing', right? Can you combine powers from two different syndromes? And if so, how does that interact with Concentrate? Also, if you have Concentrate, can you use it on a physical attack with a weapon created from a syndrome or does it only trigger if you're using an actual attack power? This is important for their Brahm-Stoker/Exile The Thing But A Nice Young Lady character.
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Jun 6, 2016 14:52
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When combining, the limitation is Same Target, Same timing, and (With some exceptions) same skill: If the power lists its skill as "Syndrome" at least one of the powers you combo it with has to be a power of the same syndrome, but that doesn't mean you can't combo it with other powers; powers with 'syndrome' just can't be used on their own. For example, look at the Speeding Bullet example character, who combos Concentrate: Angel Halo, with an angel halo power, a neumann power, and a morpheus power; a combo that can only be used when she's created a weapon with Hundred guns first, which I think answers your other question. You'd have to create the weapon first, then use concentrate and attack, but since concentrate -can't- be used by itself, you'd need at least one attack power to combo it with.
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Jun 6, 2016 15:09
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Thanks, I must've missed the way Same Skill and Syndrome interacted.
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Jun 6, 2016 15:40
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In preparation for a Double Cross game I'm running on roll20, I threw together a DC dice roller script for use with the site. Set it up, type "!r 20 0 8" into the chat box, and: So if anyone else is running DC on Roll20, go ahead and steal that. Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Jun 17, 2016 |
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Jun 17, 2016 15:30
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Double Cross is really goddamn fun so far. I'm so glad it got translated. I really like their solution to the possibility of rocket tag being every PC having a self-rez.
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Jun 25, 2016 17:31
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Double Cross plays in a very specific way, but it's a way that is quite fun. I think my biggest complaint is that every player needs to understand what all their abilities do and most importantly, how they combine, which requires inhaling a lot of jargon and math and isn't obvious from the start, or else they end up disappointed.
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Jun 25, 2016 20:14
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I tried to like Double Cross, but I just couldn't manage to. It was too crunchy for me to feel like I could make my story how I wanted to, rather than how DX wanted me to, and the translation was off/unclear enough to where I wasn't ever completely sure if we were playing the right way. And yeah, too much reliance on every player needing to know the system pretty darn well, which would probably never happen with my group. 
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Jun 25, 2016 21:52
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I bought double cross after reading some of the reviews here and I admit the system didn't get much love from me, loved the setting and the ideas however...just the mechanics were a bit too dry and dense to easily digest. But, I don't regret the purchase...the non-mechanical material was easily worth the price of a pdf and it wasn't too difficult to flay the game and drape the bloody skin over a system that more suited my needs.
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Jun 26, 2016 10:27
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Really? I dumped the setting like, instantly because I thought it was dumb as hell but the system is perfect for finally having something that fits a Parasite Eve RPG (which, I know, also dumb as hell). I like the complete break between fluff and rules where you're free to fill in plenty but the actual rules definition of your abilities is concisely and clearly described.
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Jun 26, 2016 14:26
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Did they update the text significantly since it came out? Because clear and concise are two words I definitely wouldn't describe those mechanics as at that point.
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Jun 26, 2016 17:20
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Oh, no, the translation is still broken. But what I meant is that there's no big fluff mixed in with the mechanical description of what a power does, etc. Once you know the game's terms and format, it's easy to see what a power does and how to combine it.
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Jun 26, 2016 17:30
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My favorite character in a DX game was a lazy fashionista who was a pure-bram, and used Red Servant to do all the work for her. She never lifted her finger to do anything. She also started with like, 44 encroachment, which was pretty intimidating for me.
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Jun 26, 2016 18:22
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Night10194 posted:Really? I dumped the setting like, instantly because I thought it was dumb as hell but the system is perfect for finally having something that fits a Parasite Eve RPG (which, I know, also dumb as hell). I like the complete break between fluff and rules where you're free to fill in plenty but the actual rules definition of your abilities is concisely and clearly described. I'll admit the setting is a bit goofy in places, but it's generally interesting and unusual. More than the specific setting (city N, the UGN, etc) I found the fluff concepts (the Renegade Virus, the Syndromes, etc) very interesting. Of course, one thing I couldn't help notice...the plot of Double Cross could almost be taken as a direct prequel to Generator Rex. It may help that the system I used for the conversion kicks up the power level and unkillability of Overeds quite a bit while also trying to make it suitable for more long-term play, in order to make it more of a struggle against the temptation of power and the effects of corruption.
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Jun 26, 2016 21:07
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Well, I mean, it's more a matter of which flavor of silly, considering I'm using it to write about what my players termed 'uppity organelles'. I'm not saying it's bad, just that the second I saw the system I was like 'Yes this is time for body horror superpowers and ridiculous psuedoscience.'
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Jun 26, 2016 21:13
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I wish I'd gotten more of a chance to play ROBO VIGILANTE, the Purestrain Morpheus who dumped basically all his starting points into Morph Vehicle so he could make a giant robot with his brain.
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Jun 28, 2016 11:44
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My first experience was as a Yakuza who had the ability to summon infinity guns and turn them into plasma pistols that shattered and rebuilt themselves from the force of his shots. I got to turn a forklift into a flaming, mono-molecular-bladed ride and go Staplefahrer Klaus on some motherfuckers. It was great. Also, if you're Guarding with a sword and shield or something, do you get the Guard stat for both items?
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Jun 29, 2016 19:42
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I really wish I enjoyed playing the game as much as I did making insane power combos.
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Jun 29, 2016 19:45
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Night10194 posted:My first experience was as a Yakuza who had the ability to summon infinity guns and turn them into plasma pistols that shattered and rebuilt themselves from the force of his shots. I got to turn a forklift into a flaming, mono-molecular-bladed ride and go Staplefahrer Klaus on some motherfuckers. It was great. When you're doing two weapons you use the highest stat for each category, unless you've got a power like multi-weapon that lets you combine them. So you'd use the sword's attack power and the shield's guard, for example.
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Jun 29, 2016 20:50
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