Wiki Actual Play

[Bob McNamee]

Just a note to folks who might be interested in the Universalis Arena Wiki-based game.

We've moved into 'World building' phase, creating a few components prior to scene play.

From the looks of things, standard Scene play should be starting in a few days.

New players are always welcome.

So far the Tenets have a game set in an alternate, fairly modern, earth. Certain world Tenets (low Iron level/low magic possible)have led to an earth quite different from our world.
Other than a Tenet related to investigative journalism, exactly what conflicts and stories will develop is quite open. Therefore we are seeing Tenet hints of friction in odd places, like between New Zealand/Australia, and the Azteks/European Panama.

Come on by!
http://www.anvilwerks.com/index.php/TUA/TheUniversalisArena

[hix]

Therefore we are seeing Tenet hints of friction in odd places, like between New Zealand/Australia, and the Azteks/European Panama

The game's definitely developing potential for some long-term plot lines and international tensions.

Some new players may be hesitant about committing to that. One use for the “Investigative Journalism” tenet is to provide a framework for creating a Sub-plot.

New players can create some free locations, then send a journalist off with a single purpose: exploring 'your' part of the world. That means you can tell a story with a shorter duration and closure; and at the same time create new sections of the world to be expanded later.

Looking forward to kick-off,
Steve.

[Bob McNamee]

True Steve!

For me, one of the appeals of the game this time was the general idea/decision that much of this game will be exploring and building this world, as opposed to driving a main plot to a strong story end.

That makes it especially suited to adding characters in progress, since there's going to be a whole lot of grey areas setting-wise with the changes from our base earth. Those setting changes will drive an even larger range of situations.

So its all good for more players!

And for me!

[Christopher Weeks]

I believe that I've just opened the first scene of the game (inefficiently dumping 12/25 Coins to do so).  I've also created a master scene timeline and added a scene-tracking convention to the location and character index pages.

Hop on over to http://www.anvilwerks.com/index.php/TUA/RitualSlayingPart2 to add to the action or see how things shape up.

Chris

[Christopher Weeks]

Hopefully our players, and Mike in particular, will notice this over here.

What are we doing with scene dating?  When I started that first scene, I dated it the day that it was in real life because it seemed like as good a date as any.  Mike started a scene just a bit ago and dated it two days later (today's date).  Mike, did you intend for SurreptitiousMeeting to take place two in-game days later?

Chris

[Mike Holmes]

What are we doing with scene dating?  When I started that first scene, I dated it the day that it was in real life because it seemed like as good a date as any.  Mike started a scene just a bit ago and dated it two days later (today's date).  Mike, did you intend for SurreptitiousMeeting to take place two in-game days later?

Whops, no I didn't. I thought that was the real date. Still trying to wrap my head aroung the time tracking thing. I'll edit that next time I post, or somebody else can do it if they get to it before I do. I meant for it to be concurrent with the other scene.

Mike

[Valamir]

Since this has moved to actual play stuff rather than set-up and troubleshooting stuff I split it off from the older thread.

Please keep updateing this one.  A few running actual play blurbs might help attract interest to the wiki.

[Christopher Weeks]

By Forge convention, is it appropriate to post actual play stuff here and also in Actual Play?

We've hit our first closed scene!  In which three players find that:

Ghanan Momeztli, a detective for the Aztec Bureau of Crime, arrives at the scene of a grizzly murder on the altar of Choatlitico.  Huemac, the high priest, greets Ghanan and discusses the ritual implications and is generally cooperative.  The local Mayagna cops cordon the crime scene and keep out press and onlooker alike.

Drop on by http://www.anvilwerks.com/index.php/TUA/RitualSlayingPart2 to read the detailed account and check out any of the other three scenes that are open as I write this.

Chris

[Mike Holmes]

The Forge policy is that whatever the moderators of the Game Forums think is kosher is kosher. Which means that either place is OK here. I'm actually pretty ambivalent on the subject.

Neat update.

Mike

[Valamir]

I guess from a kosher perspective, one should keep posts in Actual Play to actual issues of play.  Either highlighting a problem, or demonstrating a solution, or providing an example of something.  

Simple summaries of events and promo pieces would be out of place in Actual Play...but are fine and encouraged here.

So I'd suggest, keeping the periodic updates here.  And then on occassions where there is really something that seems particularly sublime throw it up on Actual Play.

Another good topic for Actual Play would be after this game goes on for a while sharing the various "tricks of the trade" you've learned about how to make an online campaign function.  The kinds of considerations you took for the medium.  The strengths and weakness of Wiki as a gaming tool, etc.

[Christopher Weeks]

In another scene, we just had a very low-end Complication with a 3-die vs. 2-die pool.  We tied, one party got an edge die and ended up losing 1-0, but rolling a 9 on the edge die.  So the winner (me, incidentally) received one Coin while the 'loser' received eleven!  Interesting and weird.

Chris

[Valamir]

Heh...rare...but intentional.

The Edge die is a mechanic that I think is too complicated, and is on the list of potential rules to be axed.  But I do so love the occassional result that you just described.

Hope you made that 1 Coin count...

[Bob McNamee]

Heh, things are going well over in the Universalis Arena game.
http://www.anvilwerks.com/index.php/TUA/TheUniversalisArena
We still would like to get even more players involved.

Its running pretty nice so far, with about 4 scenes running concurrently most of the time.

We've also been getting very good input from multiple players... so the story load is distributed!

We had some question over the use of an optional rule
http://universalis.actionroll.com/multiple_targets.htm
for multiple target Complications...

I'm going to post over in Actual Play about it. Plus hopefully attract some more interest.

[Edit: That thread is here...
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?p=95269#95269]

[Bob McNamee]

Another Pointless update...

Bob is currently penniless...

at least until a Complication resolves and/or I close my scene... or other scenes close! Or new complications involve those I control!

Yea!  But I love making stuff for others to play with!

[Mike Holmes]

Oop, sorry, been off for the holidays. I'll have to get back to it soon! :-)

Mike