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Messages - Zenguy

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1
brainstorming & development / Re: dedicated hack forums
« on: August 23, 2015, 12:01:23 AM »
Hi Vincent,

Can you please create a hack forum for Beyond: Adventures in Hazardous Space.

Thanks, Michael D
Please ignore this request, as Beyond has been put aside in favor of Steampunk World which now has its own G+ community.
Thanks

2
brainstorming & development / Steampunk World alpha 0.80
« on: August 17, 2015, 07:12:56 PM »
Hi,

Steampunk World has been going though the mill of playtesting and rework, and I've been learning what the process of producing a game is really like. 

While many parts have proven sound, I don't think there's any part that hasn't been reworked or at least tweaked.  Concepts, playbooks and whole sections have been abandonned; major areas have had extensive overhauls (some of them several times) and there are others I still want to revisit.  The process is taking far longer than I expected, but the improvements are worth it and the game is finally starting to convey the flavor and style of play that I'd envisaged for it - what started as a Steampunk/Sci-fi cross over is finally turning into a true steampunk game. (It's also, much to my surprise, now got a following of nearly 100 people on Google+!!!)

Anyway, here's the link to the current basic moves and playbooks (va0.80/81): https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BzRDxotrnPmTfmNGWkxmSm4tSTlLNllFSEdjUS1IX3NtRDVqQmp4eE5aS3NPNklyOEFGdmM&usp=sharing

If you want to follow progress directly, the G+ community is at: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108439627279414945168

Would love to know what you think and any feedback, comments or suggestions you might have.

Meanwhile, it's back to playtesting, gathering feedback, writing, rewriting, revising, more playtesting, more feedback, more...

3
Oops, forgot to include the direct link.  Here it is: Steampunk World - playtest alpha vA0.60

4
Hi Wambly,

No problem, that will fine.  PM me if you want the Word text.

Michael D

5
Steampunk World - Alpha draft A0.60 for testing and critique

All feedback gratefully appreciated:
- What do you like?
- What don't you like
- What doesn't work as well as it should?
- What’s good enough? 
- What wants or needs to be better??

Please tell me what you think so we can make this even better :-)?
If you're on Google+, would love to have your input in the Steampunk World G+ community.

6
Just opened the Steampunk World community at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108439627279414945168

Still getting the draft of Steampunk World into a credible shape for critique and playtesting - will get that out as soon as I can.

7
@Wambly,
Glad you like it :-) 

I'll look how to change the layout to get the player into the action faster.

Regarding the GM principles - the standard is awesomely high here, so I'm honoured you think they have something to add.  At present the content is licensed for non-commercial sharing, without derivatives (i.e. you can't build a new product from it).  However, I'm happy for the GM principles to be used outside of the steampunk and sci-fi spaces I'm currently working on, provided the use includes clear attribution and links to Beyond and Steampunk World (just opened the Steampunk World community at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108439627279414945168 )
If that works for you, let me know.

@Kdtompos
Also glad you like it.
To resolve a misunderstanding: Beyond has not been abandoned, it's just simmering quietly on the back burner while I focus on Steampunk World.

8
Beyond (previously Adventures in Hazardous Space) is going to Steampunk!

Hi, here's the latest version (A1.71) of Beyond: Adventures in Hazardous Space (vA1.71)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzRDxotrnPmTT2dHRU9LT3dfeEk/view?usp=sharing
Everything has had work! Key changes are:
- new, more comprehensive setting creation
- new group and character story rules
- changes to Basic moves and several new Universal moves
- new 'assistant' mechanics
- 4 new classes, 1 new race, changes to all the existing classes and races
- lots of clarification and playtesting tweaks

There's some work on using ships and bases, more classes in he wings, however the biggest thing that's coming is Beyond is taking a sideways step into Steampunk!

My long term plan for Beyond had been to do sci-fi first then expand it into steampunk (I love both genres and the rules are designed with that in mind).  However with relatively empty sci-fi PbtA space suddenly filling with great games like The Sprawl and Uncharted Space, rather than thread on their toes, I've decided to flip things around and focus on steampunk. 

What you have here, therefore, is possibly the last sci-fi version of Beyond for a while (though I may roll out the ship/base rules and sci-fi versions of new classes just for the benefit of anyone who's using these rules).

As for Steampunking this, apart from needing a more steampunk name,  there's a bunch of flavor to change and social mechanics to add, new classes, revised races, etc.  (No, I won't just be putting gears on it!)

I would still love any feedback you may have on the sci-fi version.
And, if you're interested in joining the Steampunk journey I'd love to hear from you.

- Michael D

9
I'm holding off release of the next draft of Beyond until 21 March.  This is because Sean Gomes is running a Kickstarter for his Uncharted Worlds hack and I don't want to risk drawing any attention away from that while it's running.

If you haven't seen Sean's Kickstarter, check it out at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/278368114/uncharted-worlds-a-space-opera-roleplaying-game.

10
I think of Campbell's monomyth not as a track to follow, but as a rhythm which good stories flow through, each in their own unique way. 

Instead of "What's the next step?", the question becomes "What does the story need or want right now?" the answer to which is often something from the monomyth.
E.g: The characters are daunted by the obstacles in front of them => push a potential mentor across their path, or have an existing NPC drop some helpful advice into the conversation. 
E.g. The NPCs have been playing it straight for a while => might be time to throw a Trickster into the mix to stir things up.

NB: the answer may also be something much more mundane like giving richer descriptions, making sure everyone is playing the fiction not the rules, or weaving n a story thread that has been lying around.

The other thing that I find helpful sometimes is recognizing which phase of the monomyth the players are in and responding accordingly.

Can you build a game out of this - I'm not sure.  The monomyth is broadbrush meta-game stuff (e.g. Hollywood uses Campbell's work to critique and improve potential scripts, rather than write them from scratch), which makes it better suited to GM tools than player mechanics.

But if you can work out how to weave the monomyth into the character end mechanics of your game in a way that's fun to play...

11
Still a couple of days away from releasing the next draft - hopefully Thursday (if not will have to wait till next week).
Will probably put it up in a new thread as can't edit my first post in this one.

12
Uncharted Worlds / Uncharted Worlds on Kickstarter
« on: February 27, 2015, 12:43:51 AM »
Uncharted Worlds is now on Kickstarter and has raced past its funding target already!

Check it out/support it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/278368114/uncharted-worlds-a-space-opera-roleplaying-game

13
the nerve core / Uncharted Worlds on Kickstarter
« on: February 27, 2015, 12:39:59 AM »
Sean Gomes space opera hack, Uncharted Worlds, is now on Kickstarter and has raced past its funding target already.

If you're into some Apolcalypse powered space opera gaming check it out/support it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/278368114/uncharted-worlds-a-space-opera-roleplaying-game

14
brainstorming & development / Re: Beyond: Adventures in Hazardous Space
« on: February 26, 2015, 07:20:10 AM »
Great question, kdtompos.
(Sorry to take so long to get back on this - wasn't getting notified of replies, but hopefully that's sorted now.)

In the upcoming version (out in the next few days), instead of an injury reducing one of your Attributes, you can choose that it knocks out an (I)mplant instead (provided it fits the fiction, of course).  There are advantages to putting that extra hardware in your body after all. :-)
- (P)ossession (moves) can be loaned to others; can be disabled or lost
- (I)mplants can be 'injured' instead of you; can be disabled but not lost
- (N)Natural moves cannot be disabled or lost?

Wow, just realised the last version released here was A1.33.
Just knocking the final edges off A1.60 atm. Major improvements to setting creation; character personal story added (replaces the earlier shadows place holder); all classes and races have had work, and most if not all moves; new Soldier class; new Plant race; Harm track reworked; lots of playtesting tweaks.

p.s. Great to see that Sean Gomes has got his Uncharted Worlds out on Kickstarter.  If you haven't already, check it out/support it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/278368114/uncharted-worlds-a-space-opera-roleplaying-game

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brainstorming & development / Re: Beyond: Adventures in Hazardous Space
« on: February 06, 2015, 04:22:57 AM »
I like your clear and direct writing style and would like to see more Tools to generate settings and Adventures.
Working on that (just been a bit busy with the rest of RL).

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