New Apocalypse World Campaign, Toronto Ontario

Thanks, Erik!

I really enjoyed that moment, too: it was a fun way to apply the rules to create an unusual and bizarre situation. Given the way the move works, it still leaves room for many different outcomes in the future: for instance, if I roll failures in the next few attempts to use the move, from the "audience perspective", we could say that it's not something the Quarantine Messiah is capable of doing at all, but was just some kind of weird coincidence. Lots of different ways to interpret what happened there!

Some other stuff, vaguely organized:

1. The list of questions is excellent! If I were writing it, I would love to add something to your list: what was the deal with the protest/resistance movement during the Apocalypse itself (as hinted at during one of our "flashbacks" to the Quarantine's memory)?

I'm also really curious to see how Bloodhound perceives what happened to him. Did he see "the other side" while he was dead? How does he see the Quarantine's intervention into his... soul?

Is he talking to Newton's people (or whoever is taking care of him)? How are the people of Fort Scott reacting? (Heck, maybe Newton and her people want to keep it quiet for some reason, and then they wouldn't be reacting at all, but if it gets out *and* it was being kept quiet, it'll have a very different impact later...)

2. The "wonky" use of moves, in my opinion, could become an issue in the future. I'm just pointing it out: if you like the way you're running the game, then please continue doing so. But, in my opinion, we're applying some of the basic moves a little too freely.

For example, remember the scene where Widow was talking to Newton (session 2), and wanted to touch her? You had her roll to "seize [the moment] by force". I think that's interpreting it way too loosely: the design of the move is such that it should only be used in situations where actual violence is being perpetrated by both sides. Otherwise, it just doesn't make sense: we have to narrate in harm retroactively instead of it coming from the fiction we're creating.

Likewise for some use of the "reading" moves (for instance, when the Savvyhead was trying to examine the equipment in the space station or whatever the Quarantine's space vehicle is). "Reading a person" is designed to take place in conversations; "reading a charged situation" means feeling out a situation where there is a potential threat of violence of something similar between people.

There are a lot of things happening in Apocalypse World that are, simply, not moves. I think we have gamer instincts that say, "It feels like we should be rolling something right now..." But the AW rules are often silent in those situations: I think stretching them to try take the place of, say, perception rolls could lead us astray a bit. (I'm thinking of an instance where we had a character roll to read a charged situation because they were lost in the storm, for example.)

None of these were game-breakers, but I feel they're kinda... wonky! We'll get further if we talk about this in person, though, so feel free to hit me up for that next time.

(Have you read John Harper's post about how "seize by force" is like a peripheral move? I agree with that.)

3. Erik has been assembling this amazing "atlas" or scrapbook of maps, notes, and various photos and drawings of our Apocalypse World, and it's AMAZING. We've got it open at the table, it's all scrawled in pen, and it feels like we have a book right there at the table that's a window into this fictional world, like a traveller's diary or something like that.

That's really cool! I was tempted to pick it up and just read through the whole thing, except I didn't want to be rude.

Similarly, Erik's made this huge map out of the "first session" worksheet (with the scarcities in a circle and all that stuff), and instead of doing the typical "GM" thing and hiding it behind a screen we just have it out on the table. There's a cool effect on play, where we can look at the notes and not only get an insight into the MC's prep, but also reminders of what this world is like, since the characters know more about it than we do: a sort of snapshot. Nice!

I'm going to move this thread down to the Apocalypse World forum. Don't be startled!

It takes a little bit of retraining, but when you feel the "we should roll dice now" feeling, and no one has made a move, the MC should glance at HIS list of moves. One of them will be perfect. The act of pulling the move from a list usually fulfills the same creative need in that moment that rolling dice would - "this is real and fair."

I'm going to move this thread down to the Apocalypse World forum. Don't be startled!

It takes a little bit of retraining, but when you feel the "we should roll dice now" feeling, and no one has made a move, the MC should glance at HIS list of moves. One of them will be perfect. The act of pulling the move from a list usually fulfills the same creative need in that moment that rolling dice would - "this is real and fair."

Yes.

I was getting that vague "time to roll dice" feeling.  But my intervention is not diced: it takes the forms of the MC moves.  So I should make one of MY moves, not prompt the players for moves when they might not feel like making any of the central or peripheral moves.  When getting edgy, announce future badness or off-screen badness ... do not pressure players into making inappropriate or fuzzily established moves.

Similarly, Erik's made this huge map out of the "first session" worksheet (with the scarcities in a circle and all that stuff), and instead of doing the typical "GM" thing and hiding it behind a screen we just have it out on the table. There's a cool effect on play, where we can look at the notes and not only get an insight into the MC's prep, but also reminders of what this world is like, since the characters know more about it than we do: a sort of snapshot.

That is just me doing a riff on the standard issue 1st session sheet.  I couldn't fit all of my scrawl onto it.  What you guys don't see are some of my Threat Countdowns.

Erik has been assembling this amazing "atlas" or scrapbook of maps, notes, and various photos and drawings of our Apocalypse World, and it's AMAZING. We've got it open at the table, it's all scrawled in pen, and it feels like we have a book right there at the table that's a window into this fictional world, like a traveller's diary or something like that.

The rules demand a certain kind of prep: daydream apocalyptic images.  I daydream by looking at Google and other images.  This is me just externalizing the game prep in a way that can inform the players.  The images say more about what is going on in my head than a short phrase or sentence could.  AW prep demands a kind of unconscious engagement and that can be communicated non-discursively.

1. The list of questions is excellent! If I were writing it, I would love to add something to your list: what was the deal with the protest/resistance movement during the Apocalypse itself (as hinted at during one of our "flashbacks" to the Quarantine's memory)?

The list of questions is, again, standard prep and the rules imply that that list is to be written down and crossed off on the 1st session sheet.  Having those questions visible is something I interpreted as a rule -- a lot like setting up the character web on the back of the Sorcerer character sheet.  There are some statements and relationships between statements that must be inscribed on paper and committed to, referred to, updated, or corrected.  These are rules that are conducive to certain types of interactions between the players.  They aren't just "hey, here's a neat tip for GM organization."

Terms to Describe Apocalypse (based on revelations so far)
* Fascism
* Space satellites
* psychic power
* mini nuclear generators
* what was resistance to the Administration like in the early days of the unfolding Apocalypse?

Questions Answered to My Satisfaction
* will Newton give ammo?
* what is Hagar's prophecy?
* what is the storm?
* will scavenger dudes return? (they did, you wasted them and stole an ATV)

Questions Still Open
* how did a digi-cam survive?
* what will Putrid's revenge be?
* what is the disease?
* how do the Pumps/petro work?
* how is the storm linked to the Psychic Maelstrom?
* where do basic food staples (grain, sugar, salt, pepper, cooking oil, fundamental proteins, coffee) come from?
* what are the effects of the drug that Flare has been feeding to Big Dog's pack?
* where did Flare get the drug?
* how Bloodhound perceives what happened to him (the resurrection)

Great insights, Erik! Very cool.

And I'm with Vincent on the moves: I think it'll make for a more interesting game than trying to shoehorn moves into spots where they don't *quite* fit.

Paul: hold me to the commitments I make here.

I need to do some more RULES prep, which is why I asked folks to post their characters.  I want to make sure I know how everyone's moves and gear work.

And to get back to the basics.  


(I tend to get caught up in improvised fiction and dialogue and lose concreteness and let mechanics slip)

The game is a lot like Poison'd: we resolve actions that take place in the presence of immediate violence. (Or charged with sexuality in Seductions, or the struggle for scarce resources in Barter).  Much can be done with MC moves, but the context should be immediate harm.

Seize by Force
- the design of the move is such that it should only be used in situations where actual violence is being perpetrated by both sides.

Reading a Person:
- takes place in a conversation or other action
> (the negotiation between Q and BD worked, the Savvyhead thing didn't)

Reading a Sitch:
- means reading a situation charged with violence
> (now, when the Savvyhead tried to probe the dust and saw misleading lights, that was a custom moved related to interacting with the Storm in its Dust aspect, but the rolling in the space station was a mis-application)
 read a charged situation because they were lost in the storm, for example.)


(Have you read John Harper's post about how "seize by force" is like a peripheral move? I agree with that.)
> maybe it's time to write down his "walk through the fire or something" move!
> "Going aggro is for when you care what your enemy does, and seizing by force is for when you care what your enemy has."  This seems to work for me.  Thoughts, Paul?

Erik,

I'm down with all that! Vincent's quote from the book (in your last paragraph) is good, too, although it's not 100% fool-proof: for example, if I want you to *give me* something you have, that's probably go aggro, too, even though you might say in that case that I "care what my enemy has".

I'm trying to remember (but can't find) a nice breakdown someone else posted somewhere. It's for what happens when you act violently against someone, like hitting or shooting them. I don't remember it exactly, but here's my interpretation:

* If you catch them completely by surprise (from behind, say), you just do it. The response is the MC move to inflict harm, except you're inflicting your harm on the target. (Here's a good post about it: http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=1946.msg11500#msg11500.)

* If you've got the momentum, you're springing this on your target from a position of advantage or surprise, but they see you coming early enough they'd have a chance to get the fuck out of the way, if they're fast enough, then it's go aggro.

* If they're ready for you, like guns/knives/fists out and they're just as ready to use violence as you are (like a standoff or straight-up battle), then it's seize by force. But, like, you gotta be pretty crazy or desperate to do that, right? Because you're gonna get hurt, maybe killed.

Another good example: they're ready for you, not surprised at all, but not willing or able to use violence against you in return? Sounds like go aggro.

Hopefully Vincent will correct me if I'm wrong anywhere in there, of course.

My friend John ("jenskot") described his favourite way to do AW combat as being like "a shooter videogame": you read the situation to get your bearings, act under fire to get into a position to have the drop on someone, then go aggro to see if you can pull it off, and repeat until you're done!

So if I want to take out a gang holding my cousin hostage, I don’t want to just run out there guns blazing using Seize by Force. Even if I roll amazing, I’m likely going to be hurt bad (I can minimize how hurt but likely still hurt, I am after all shooting at an entire gang with no cover). Instead I want to Go Aggro if I can to take out a gang member or two to start to even the odds (making the Gang smaller which means something mechanically). I can’t just Go Aggro by rolling and if I want to position myself to be able to Go Aggro, I may need to Act Under Fire to get there. But if I describe myself fictionally in a position to roll Read A Situation, I can give myself bonuses to my Act Under Fire roll which can set me up for Going Aggro like finding out which target is most vulnerable to me and even scoping out an exit if I fail and need to run. The game feels like I’m playing Metal Gear Solid, sneaking around and kicking ass!

Ok, my character: (let me know if you need any more details)

Name - Unknown (name tag was scratched out on the pod), called "Messiah Quarantine" by Widow

Look - Male, faded orange jumpsuit, young face (currently very scruffy), lost eyes, rangy body

(I figure he's not actually all that young. But certainly *looks* incredibly young, not only because he's got an innocent look, but also because Apocalypse Worlders must show age much more than people did in his time!)

Stats
Cool +2 (Highlighted)
Hard +1
Hot   0
Sharp +1
Weird +1 (permanently highlighted, because he was "overcome" by the psychic maelstrom when emerging from stasis)

Hx
Big Dog +2
Widow -1
Ethan -1

Harm
Currently at 6:00 (2-harm from electrocution)

Moves
Disciplined Engagement (can choose to inflict less harm)
Eager to Know ("when you go to someone for advice..." move)
Inspiring (If another PC rolls+Hx to help the Quarantine, they mark experience)
Healing Touch (from Angel playbook)

Gear
Currently an M16 (or similar) assault rifle, and the ATV. Also has a set of military body armor back in the ship/station/stasis thing. (We really need a name for this, huh?)

Stasis
* Recently emerged from here.
* Stasis contains what I think is my family, and
* is securely hidden.
* Specialist JACKSON, TAMMY H. is missing: her pod is empty. Was she the one who dug the tunnel to the surface?

Developed in play:
* My daughter, Lucy, may be the dead body in one of the pods.
* At least some of the armoury is missing, looks like it's been pillaged.

Unlocked facilities:
* Psi-isolation rig. Looks like a black chrome sarcophagus, standing vertically. Isolates contents from the psychic maelstrom and can keep a person in stasis. (Interesting implications here: how and *why* was this thing designed and built? What for? Why did someone think it would be needed or useful?)

[It currently contains Widow, note. But I tried to give you a potential "out" for framing future scenes by letting slip that "it" might decide to release a person if certain (unspecified) conditions are met. Use that as you like!]

Past
What we know so far:
* The first sign of the world ending was the storms.
* The apocalypse was gradual.
* I lost my daughter, Lucy, in the apocalypse.
* I believe I am somehow responsible for the apocalypse.
* I remember betraying my friends during the Protest Times to the Administration, a memory I'm very ashamed of.

Of course, this is AW, so there are no status quos and all that: but that's a current snapshot.

(The Quarantine also has a kind of vulnerability/romance/loneliness sort of sex move/special, note.)

Name: Ethan Cullen

Look: Male, Vintage Wear + Tech, Expressive Face, Squinty Eyes

HX: Widow -2
Messiah Quarantine +1
Big Dog +2 (uncomplicated, but problematic, potentially)

Gear and Barter: Vintage Cowboy fashionings
Submachine Gun

Cool +1
Hard +1
Hot -1
Sharp 0
Weird +2

Moves:
Things Speak
Bonefeel
Oftener right

Workspace:
Garage
Junkyard of Raw Materials
Horse: Cash

Rode North from Wyoming [long ride dude] when things got rough [nature of roughness?] found an abandoned dump & set up shop.  Rides patrol at dawn & dusk.

Sequence of Events from Last Session

1. Protagonists in little tavern
* Big Dog throws out challenge: You want my help Quarantine? Kill and behead the Militia man slipping drugs to my gang!
* Ethan wants to get to know about Dwellers and their strange cult
* Quarantine trying to negotiate a position with anyone

2. NPCs Have Needs Too
* Quarantine approached by Militia head: hearing that Q is a trader from the Pumps (a petroleum reserve, and Q has fibbed a cover story to get into hardhold), asks Q to accompany Militia on a bit of agribusiness, by way of setting up some kind of exchange.
* Joe's Girl, a medic working for the hardhold's holder, Newton, asks Ethan for assistance in getting a heart/lung assisting machine working again.
* Bloodhound is out of the hospital, 2 bikers are in withdrawal from the drug, and Big Dog has to whip them into shape.  Decides to scout out newcomers.

3. Quarantine
* Militia's boss, Gnarly, eager to work with him.  Offers him a room where he can shave and get ready to help with the planting of smillet (a soy-millet gengineering experiment Q. remembers from around the time of the collapse).
* Q is creepily spied on.
* Q joins Dustwich and Fuse in packing up for the planting run.  Fuse tosses a few vials of something -- the addictive drug -- into the ATV.
* Q makes some headway in befriending Dustwich.  Turns out that her brother, Fuse, was called Joe before picking up a gun in the Militia and taking a new name.  Joe's Girl was his girl before she decamped and gave up a subservient role in the Militia for the greater freedom of working with Newton.
* Before departing, Q. has a tense encounter with Newton.  Q. lays it out that he has had an encounter with the Brainer Widow: and turns his actual resurrection of Bloodhound inside out.  Newton is given the impression that Bloodhound used mindfuckery to resurrect himself.  Thus, Q. covers himself against anyone further accusing him of being the messiah worshiped by the Dwellers AND creates some hassle for Big Dog and his gang.  Newton starts to trust Q a little more.

Sequence of Events from Last Session II

4.  Big Dog
* Tired of his fellows getting corrupted by the twisted priorities of Fort Scott's inhabitants, BD and his bikers hit the road.
* BD's long-stated aim has been to scout the incoming new tribe, and test their strength
* A lucky roll gets them out of an ambush (the raider's custom move).  BD plans an ambush but then hits them full on.  Good rolls and a few demolition packs get the barricade blown up, a few of his guys get caught in his blast, and the dudes collapse in retreat.

5.  Ethan
* Intrudes on a ceremony for Rum, the defacto head of the abject Dwellers.
* She threw herself into the fire prevention efforts in last session's game, whipped into some religious frenzy.
* As the Dwellers prepare to place her in the rendering tanks (tip of the hat to Dune there), Ethan reads a thing -- Rum's dead body.  He experiences her great sadness and disappointment at being unable to better the lot of her people.  A trip to the maelstrom has Ethan aware of a vision that the Dwellers have shared -- a woman with a child wandering the desert, looking at the place where the Quarantine's pod is buried.  The woman turns to the visionaries and says "He is not here, he has risen."  The Dwellers erupt into a frenzy of glossolalia.
* Ethan has a deal with Joe's Girl.  She has promised to sneak him into Newton's place to check out some of her medical gear.  In conversation it becomes apparent that J'sG is not at all happy with Newton's greed.  She intimates that she wants out of the constraints of Fort Scott society.  It is clear that she admires Ethan's independence on his ranch.  The two ride off together with plans to fix the medical device.  And very likely get busy.

The storm makes a sudden return.  Ethan will be free of it, Big Dog gets ready, and the Militia and Quarantine stand to get a whuppin'.

Very fun.

I will be bringing in the optional battle moves and some of the stealth moves.
 
Hagar's tribe will probably change the custom move for their bike gang to reflect the whoopin' that Big Dog gave them.
 
Big Dog: sorry that we can't develop the antagonism between you and Widow.  Don't worry, the Widow will be back.  But I like the challenges you are throwing in the face of every other Apocalyptoid. [To Peter: The character interactions are about THAT, not about whipping out dice every time character agendas clash]. [To Peter: Making the Quarantine do something to earn a place in your estimation is just what this game requires]. Big Dog: Making the Quaranting do something to earn a place in your estimation is just what you will need to survive in Apocalypse World!

Right on.

What are some of Jensnot's pieces of advice for PC/NPC triangles again?