Author Topic: AP Podcast - City on the River  (Read 16837 times)

Offline computerking

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #60 on: December 09, 2011, 07:59:28 PM »
Oh, and the name of story two was revealed, Die Another Day.
Pretty good. Too bad he didn't slip a little magic flavor into that title. I was fond of "The Spy who Hexed Me" Aspect as soon as it was mentioned. Perhaps we need some more Bond-inspired Aspect ideas... (BTW, Scry Another Day Could have been good...)

How about:
Never say NeverNever Again
For Third Eyes Only
License to Spell
Spellflinger
The man with the Golden Wand
OldenSpy
Quantum of Solstice
Fomori Never Die
From the Outer Gates with Love
I'm the ComputerKing, I can Do Anything...
Into the Dark, A Podcast dedicated to Villainy
www.savethevillain.com

PS: %^#@ Orbius. This may or may not be relevant to the discussion, but whatever.

Offline mremann

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #61 on: December 12, 2011, 06:37:48 PM »
Ok, a mega upload of episodes today. Both parts of Episode 4 and 5 of Know Your Enemy. As

Kiero has already said the next story is entitled Die Another Day which will be running in the new year.

Pretty good. Too bad he didn't slip a little magic flavor into that title. I was fond of "The Spy who Hexed Me" Aspect as soon as it was mentioned. Perhaps we need some more Bond-inspired Aspect ideas... (BTW, Scry Another Day Could have been good...)

How about:
Never say NeverNever Again
For Third Eyes Only
License to Spell
Spellflinger
The man with the Golden Wand
OldenSpy
Quantum of Solstice
Fomori Never Die
From the Outer Gates with Love

Chris said a similar thing at the end of the Podcast  :D

I've chosen to go with song titles for the names of the various stories, so while it would be fun to come up with chessy James Bond titles, it would break the naming convention... ok I might do it in the future, but not for the next story... maybe...  ;D
« Last Edit: December 12, 2011, 08:20:57 PM by mremann »

Offline Adin

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #62 on: December 13, 2011, 03:27:48 AM »
I love the podcast so far, both the plot and the table in general. 

Unfortunately it seems that episode 5 part 2 cuts out just before the ten minute mark and goes silent for the remaining time.  I'm unsure whether it is just for me, or if there was a flaw in the processing/recording process.

Offline mremann

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #63 on: December 13, 2011, 11:36:09 AM »
Ok... not sure what happened but you are right, will try and fix the recording ASAP.

edit: should be working now
« Last Edit: December 13, 2011, 12:16:24 PM by mremann »

Offline Kiero

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #64 on: December 15, 2011, 12:33:59 AM »
Listened to both parts of Episode 4 and the first of Episode 5 now. On the latter, we were definitely digressing a lot more than usual, though I'm as guilty as anyone else of that, starting out with a report from home.

Episode 5 is quite combat-heavy, being the culmination of the story and all that. Lots of mechanics being used, if anyone is interested in that sort of thing, though obviously you can't see the zone maps.

Offline mremann

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #65 on: January 22, 2012, 04:23:37 PM »
Hi and welcome back guys!

Episode 1 – Part 1 of Die Another Day is now live.

Offline CottbusFiles

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #66 on: January 22, 2012, 04:50:45 PM »
woho! thank you. I was really waiting for you to post you next episode and was a bit worried you would podfade
Trouble Aspect : The nazis are trying to kill me
                       I have a phoenix inside of me
                       Nothing goes like i want it to

Offline mremann

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #67 on: January 23, 2012, 10:39:03 AM »
Nah, first we had the holiday break, then one of the players was ill so that meant we had to miss another week.

Offline mremann

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #68 on: January 23, 2012, 03:00:05 PM »
Die Another Day – Episode 1 – Part is now live.

During the recording of the this second part of the episode the group was involved in a in depth discussion of rules, stemming from the fight between J.B. and the Spectres. I was able to record most of the discussion and have included it as part of the podcast, for those who wish to skip ahead, game resumes at 13:36.

Offline computerking

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #69 on: January 23, 2012, 03:43:08 PM »
Just getting to listen to Die Another Day Pt 1, Glad you're back, and I still prefer hearing all the extras
(click to show/hide)
. Great job so far!
I'm the ComputerKing, I can Do Anything...
Into the Dark, A Podcast dedicated to Villainy
www.savethevillain.com

PS: %^#@ Orbius. This may or may not be relevant to the discussion, but whatever.

Offline CottbusFiles

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #70 on: January 23, 2012, 08:54:21 PM »
Hey again. Interesting discussion you had in episode 2. I think one of the problems you have is that your GM maybe doesn't compell enough.

For the situation with J.B. you could have started with a scene compell of Freelance Security Consultant and have her check out a neighborhood for her client. It just happens that this is a dangerous neighborhood. You could than have compeled her Chosen of the Dolydd Dwr Aspect to ask her wether she wants to fight them like her patron would want (fatepoint) or run away (costing a fatepoint).

You could also have had compelled Faris high concept to make him stuck in customs while Oliver get's to J.B. on time. Without the compel Faris could have been with him.

From what i have seen there aren't enough compels in your session for my taste. It is great that some player compel themselves willingly but it is also a JOB of the GM. I think it is even written in the book that it's your obligation.
In this episode we had like 1 hour without a compel, 15 minutes without one should be a limit.

This is different from traditional RPGs i know that but it is the strengh of the system.

For you players, try to shake the story and the flow up with Fatepoint delcarations like "i find this guys lare" or "my contacts tip me off that there have been cultist seen at this and this place"
Try to really use the tools the system gives you and not just the bites your GM throws you.

It is still a really entertaining podcast and i really much enjoy it. The fact that Orriana uses a bow is just added awesome.
 
Trouble Aspect : The nazis are trying to kill me
                       I have a phoenix inside of me
                       Nothing goes like i want it to

Offline Kiero

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #71 on: January 23, 2012, 09:30:27 PM »
The number of Compels and volume of FPs cycling through the economy really is a matter of taste for each table. There's five players and we tend to follow along a vague plot, so unless everyone tries to hog the limelight with their self-Compels, the opportunities for them are more limited.

Not only that, this was our first session back in six weeks, we were all a bit rusty. Listen back to previous sessions which had a much more active movement going on.

In any case, a game where the only thing that really matters is your number of FPs (which is what happens with high volume economies) doesn't really appeal to me. They should be a relatively limited resource to apply when and where it really matters, not a basic currency necessary for every action your character engages in.

Offline CottbusFiles

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #72 on: January 23, 2012, 09:43:16 PM »
sure sure,

it's just my opinion that a high flow of fate points creates more interesting and dynamic storys. If they are not flowing than they don't function as good as a pacing mechanic and aspects loose A LOT of their power i think. If you "surrender" your game to aspects, compells and fate points you can get a lof extra oomph out of the system i think.
Right now i'm thinking about it in the same lines as the Checks in the GMs turn. You actually want to kick yourself in your mousenuts and make stuff harder for you because you get so much reward from it. Aspects and Compells behave the same way i think.

I was actually thinking about the box on page 100.
Trouble Aspect : The nazis are trying to kill me
                       I have a phoenix inside of me
                       Nothing goes like i want it to

Offline Kiero

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #73 on: January 23, 2012, 10:00:11 PM »
sure sure,

it's just my opinion that a high flow of fate points creates more interesting and dynamic storys. If they are not flowing than they don't function as good as a pacing mechanic and aspects loose A LOT of their power i think. If you "surrender" your game to aspects, compells and fate points you can get a lof extra oomph out of the system i think.
Right now i'm thinking about it in the same lines as the Checks in the GMs turn. You actually want to kick yourself in your mousenuts and make stuff harder for you because you get so much reward from it. Aspects and Compells behave the same way i think.

I was actually thinking about the box on page 100.

That "ooomph" comes at the expense of basically every other element of the system. With lower volume economies, each element can do what it is intended to do without interference. With high volume economies, Aspects override everything else, since as long as you've got FPs to burn, you can throw them at anything. Having a Skill at Great (+4) is meaningless if you can just find two relevant Aspects (character, scene, Theme, whatever) to pump a Skill you don't even have on your sheet for the single task that matters.

Aspects are not the entirety, or even bulk of FATE, frankly a game where they are sounds rather dull to me.

Offline CottbusFiles

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Re: AP Podcast - City on the River
« Reply #74 on: January 23, 2012, 11:36:59 PM »
That "ooomph" comes at the expense of basically every other element of the system. With lower volume economies, each element can do what it is intended to do without interference. With high volume economies, Aspects override everything else, since as long as you've got FPs to burn, you can throw them at anything. Having a Skill at Great (+4) is meaningless if you can just find two relevant Aspects (character, scene, Theme, whatever) to pump a Skill you don't even have on your sheet for the single task that matters.

Aspects are not the entirety, or even bulk of FATE, frankly a game where they are sounds rather dull to me.

FATE Points are not a central important aspect of the FATE-System?

About skills using importants:
Let's J.B. knows she will have to spend some time in the wilderness alone but she doesn't have any survival. She spends a day reading the PAthfinder outdoor guidebook and puts a "read up on the topic" aspect on her and later tags that and invokes her choosen of the ghaleb duwr aspect to reach her obstalce of 4. That shows you exactly how she does it.  You have an in-game reason why she made the roll. Someone with a 4 in survival would have been able to just save those FPs. I don't see the problem there. The imersion is not broken and everyone is happy. Spend FPs generate more story. It's cooler to remember that one time when the red court killed your wife to fuel your strike with anger. To use his limb leg to trick him into your feint and then hit him with The Blade of Love for a loooot of damage rather say, i attack him with my sword.

The rulebook says. Aspects are the most important attribues of your character. It says who your character IS. If you don't base your story around them you are robbing the players of a valueable ressource and of cool.
The ghosts attacked J.B. because someone send them to get her BECAUSE she is the chosen of the earth spirit. This is a compel. Her live got harder because of WHO she is. If she doesn't get a FP for that you are cheating her of a ressource. There are only so much slots for aspect and then to not get rewared for them is bad.
The trouble aspects aren't there for fun, there are there to create trouble for the PCs. If they are not involved in the story then why have them? The story should be about the characters right? Aspects are about characters so use them, they are an excelent tool.

A game without a lot of Fate-points is a more gritty game, at the same time it has a lot less conflict (compels generate conflict and drama and suspense). When you compel a lot you have more drama and the PCs have the ability to shine, to be heros and defend opponents that are bigger than they are. The whole bookseries is about harry getting kicked around a lot so that he can succeed in the end. the game should emulate that and it does perfectly if you use it.

It also takes a lot of work from the GM because he doesn't have to have the whole plot ready. just a startscene and a good idea on how to compel the shit out of the players.

But that is just me coming from a Burning Wheel high and applying a lot of the ideas to this system - mainly to use it as it is written and the tools it gives me to the fullest. I still really enjoy your podcast and in some part i feel terrible for telling you "how you should run your game" - i don't want to do that. I just saw that one of your players had problems and that you generally have a low ammount of fate points and wanted to help with this problem.

Trouble Aspect : The nazis are trying to kill me
                       I have a phoenix inside of me
                       Nothing goes like i want it to