[Universalis] The Third Time This Week

[CPXB]

I played a lot of Univeralis this week, hehe.  I think I blunted the worst of the cravings and the once a week game I have going will be sufficient for a while.

Tonight, with some friends, I showed Universalis around.  This time there were, well, really, too many people.  There was me, Josh, Adrienne, Pat, Lyz, John and Ellie.  Most games can't easily support this many people and Universalis proved no exception.  Furthermore, some of the players were a touch on the shy side, a problem worsened by the large number of players.  Adding to the problem there were two scene hogs: me and Ellie.  (I actually stopped playing about 2/3rds of the way through so others, particularly Pat and Lyz, would be able to get a word in edgewise.  However, Ellie did not show such discretion, alas, and had plenty of coins.)

Which definitely brings me to the problem with tonight's game (which, I should add, was still nevertheless fun): fast talking, fast thinking players have a huge edge.  If tonight's game was going to be more than a one-shot I would have discussed it with them all, but as it is that was unnecessary.  After this game, though, Adrienne pointed out that the way we've been playing in all these games doesn't give her enough time to think.  So for my Wednesday game I think we're going to introduce a rules gimmick that between scenes, at least, everyone has a couple of minutes to think about the new scene.  (I admit I've been the one rushing things.  I've been so jazzed to play that I just wanted to keep the intensity up.  Bad Chris!)  If its a problem for the Wednesday games in other ways, we'll work on it, too.  Since one of the other issues I was having was the raw speed of things, taking a couple of minutes between scenes might help with that, too.  We'll be able to think in the longer term rather than trying to resolve loose ends immediately because that's the only thing a person had time to think of.  We'll see.

Anyway, the tenets for tonight's game were:

1. Giant animals.  Josh has a thing for them or something, hehe.
2. Fantasy.
3. In a middle school.
4. Transforming school uniforms.
5. Animals are spirit companions.
6. Companions are not always attached to their student.
7. We're a sentai.
8. Companions are all magical in some way.
9. Animals must be summoned.
10. Spirit animals are our weapons.
11. Villians have taken over school district.
12. Villians are not the teachers.
13. Antagonists summon demons.
14. Demons are like spirit companions but are obviously demonic.
15. Ability to summon spirits and demons are traits that must be bought.
16. Villians trying to force the students to summon demons.
17. School is in Kyoto.
18. Adults can't summon.
19. Not girls producing hammers from nowhere to hit guys.  Those of you familiar with anime know why this was in place, hehe.
20. Middle school specializes in summoning.
21. Summoning requires vocalization.
22. The game is to be PG-rated.

The actual play was pretty good, despite some scene hogging, hehe.  It started with the principal of the school, Mr. Kenzo, talking to the PE teacher, Mr. Suzuki, about how they didn't like the influence of the Dark Council.  Mr. Suzuki said the students in his PE class -- particularly THOSE students -- wouldn't be taking kindly to demon summoning.

Then, boom, a student -- Akira Hibini -- is smashed through the wall into the office.  He has apparently been brawling with someone in the Dark Council.  Indeed, in comes Migumi who says that someone has shot a demon and it ruined a demon gun!  Outside is Toshio Takamura, one of the Dark Council and he calls out Akira to fight his demon tiger, Arjuna.  Akira leaps to the challenge, but Migumi uses her avatar -- as the spirit companions are called -- to intervene between Akira and Toshio.  (Akira's avatar is Aslan, a spirit lion with a mane of fire.  Migumi's avatar is a unicorn with a goring horn named Sweetpea.)  So a fight ensues, during which time we find that Arjuna regenerates as Sweetpea accidentally gores Arjuna, who heals it, while Arjuna and Aslan battle to an effective standstill . . . but Toshio hits Aslan with his Black Arrows of Spite and infect Aslan with a spirit poison giving Aslan the trait of Bloodthirsty.  It is revealed there is a plan of the Dark Council to turn the avatars into demons, though only the Council knows of it.

The next scene is when Akira confronts Mr. Suzuki in the corridor.  Akira is leaving and Suzuki tries to stop him, so they have a social confrontation.  Akira is a rebel who gets the crowd on his side, so he gets around the corner before Suzuki pulls him into a room to talk.  Akira has a bad attitude, and says that Suzuki is just jealous because Aslan used to be Suzuki's avatar but now that Suzuki is an adult he's been abandoned.  This is, of course, a brutal blow to Suzuki who warns Akira that the same fate awaits him, too.  Akira blows him off with an "I'm gonna be young forever" attitude.

The next scene is Mr. Yamaguchi, a district superintendant, talking to Toshio about how, by week's end Yamaguchi wants the avatars of those troublemakers dead!  Yoshio says he'll do it, but what are his true motivations?  After all, he's trying to turn Aslan.  No one knows.

The next, and last scene, is Migumi -- who is innocent and naive -- being led by Misty (a transfer student from America) and two extras in summoning a being that will bring peace to the school.  The problem is clearly students like Akira and Toshio who squabble and fight all the time.

Then enter five wrestling students who have already reserved the room.  Migumi and Misty say they won't leave and sit down to wait.  Then, bam, bursting into the room is an avatar, Yifans, who scatters the circle of girls, and her companion, Akane.  Akane thinks that Misty is up to no good.  Then, out of the ground a hole opens and smoke pours out.  Migumi cries about what is going on, about how that doesn't look peaceful at all!  Misty tells her that it is Akane's fault, because Akane interrupted the ritual.  Yifans pushes Misty up against the wall, and, well, whackiness ensues.  Migumi summons up Sweetpea and orders Sweetpea to attack Yifans, who nimbly dodges out of the way.  Misty takes out her hidden knife and tries to knife Akane, but the wrestlers notice this and get in the way!  But as Sweetpea attacks Yifans, Sweetpea slips and knocks Misty unconscious.  An overreacting Migumi tries to revive Misty but instead send her into cardiac arrest.  The extras go out to get help.  Help arrives in the form of Mr. Suzuki who has an ambulance sent for.  Akira arrives, having heard the commotion, and is all for letting the Misty die -- as he is cold hearted.  Pleading occurs and Misty is saved by the arriving paramedics.  Then we had to call it a night.

The really interesting part, for me, was the challenge that occurred.  One of the players wanted to introduce a rules gimmick that if you interrupt a scene you have to be start talking about it immediately; I had interrepted and was having trouble introducing a character because my brain was freezing thinking of Japanese names.   I challenged the rules gimmick as destructive to play.  People will often need a few moments in order to frame their thoughts, I argued, and it is a good idea to give it to them.  The interesting thing is that the player introducing the gimmick didn't want to go to bidding; I had indicated I'd bid as much as I could to prevent this gimmick from going into effect as I thought it was a really, really bad idea.  (I believe I was justified, too.  Later on in the same game when the player interrupted she often took time to frame her thoughts.  As an expert in extemporaneous and impromptu speeches I know this is normal.  Very few people can just fire off exposition without a few moments consideration.)  Perhaps the player thought she could just bully me into accepting the gimmick and didn't want to devote resources to it.  I can't say.  However, when a third player sided with me she backed down.  I thought it was interesting how the challenge played out.

However, in general, I think the game went slightly better (for me, at least) than Tuesday.   Several players didn't get to play very much, because of the large, loud group of us as well as some scene hogging going on.  However, at least Pat and Lyz liked the game; they were most intrigued with the prep phase when we made the setting.  I think its because during prep you have really discrete turns and time to think.  I assured them with a smaller and, uh, more polite group that the actual play is equally good, hehe.  Which is true in my experience.  In the future, I'm going to avoid large games like that.

[Bob McNamee]

One Gimmick you can add , if you are afraid of too much scene hogging, as it will ensure everyone gets a chance to speak, unless they pass.

Rules Gimmick: The only Interruptions allowed are to initiate Complications, and play continues with the Player who had narration at time of Interruption, until they pass.

(Thus play will always go around the table in a circle, without ever skipping anyone, unless they pass)

[edited for typos]

[CPXB]

The person who was really bad about the hogging won't be playing Universalis regularly, and I am aware of the problem so I doubt it'll be an issue.  But I'll keep the gimmick in mind in case I turn into nightmare gamer, hehe.

[Bob McNamee]

Alternately, you could allow folks to interrupt, but the "Current Player" status doesn't change over to the interuptor. They can add their stuff, but when they are done play reverts back to the "Current Player" automatically until they "pass".