OOC Discussion

[ffilz]

I really struggling to stay engaged with this campaign, it might be better for the campaign for me to drop out. I do enjoy Bushido despite not really having really very little exposure to the genre through media, but it does leave me often struggling with how to react to things. Add to that some frustration with the mechanics at times.

[jemmus]

I completely understand. I think the feudal Japan setting of the game can be a challenge for players who aren't very familiar with the history. And this game's not moving along very quickly. What do you other guys think? Do you want to keep at it, or should we just let it go? It won't hurt my feelings people would rather move on. I'd probably see if people are interested in another game. Maybe something Conan Hyborian Age or Game of Thrones themed.

[Rex]

I am with ffilz on this. For pretty much the same reasons although I can add the slow posting rate is probably not helping either. Your descriptions are very evocative and obvious knowledge of the setting and time period is very impressive. I would be up for a Conan Hyborian Age or Game of Thrones themed game. If you go the Hyborian route I strongly recommend the Hyperboria RPG, currently my favorite D&D based system. The game of thrones could be interesting depending on approach.

[jemmus]

Thanks for the recommendation. If a GOT game, I was thinking of A Song of Fire and Ice. But I'm still only part-way through a video about the game mechanics. The game is no longer for sale, by the way. The publisher released a generic version with no GOT IP content.

[Grognardsw]

I’m still interested, and like the narrative depth. I don’t mind the crunchiness of the rules, which I’m not familiar with, because I just say what I’d like to do and rely on the rule/roll being told to me. In that sense, I’m more story than rules. I knew it was a slow post game going in, though I wouldn’t mind fast forwarding to the heist. That involves hand-waving a lot of guard rolls and such; which I know is counter to the celebration of Bushido rule lore and dice play. If you do a Hyborean/GoT game I may be interested. To differentiate from the typical game, I’d recommend players play leaders and a country. The leader for individual play and politicking. Perhaps supporting character - champion generals, court wizard. The country for regional conflicts or wars (in some simplified war game mechanic). But I digress. A tempest in a teacup awaits.

[jemmus]

I see Bushido having been designed as a tactical miniatures game with a feudal Japan cultural simulator overlaying it. I really love the game design, and I think we really had a lot of fun with it with the former set of PCs. It sure did take us a long time to figure out and hash out the crunchy parts, though. We can continue the game with any PCs who want to stick around. We could figure out a way to fast forward to the heist. The hardcore kami of Bushido would probably forgive me for that. Over time....

A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIF?) is specifically designed for setting up a GOT house and caught in the intrigue of Westeros. PCs have buy points to spend on rank (leadership level) within the house vs. the D&D-like attributes. There's an Intrigue attribute, and Intrigue confrontations are treated much like regular physical combat battles are. But I think making decisions according to informational GM posts would be key toward getting into a particular dice rolling Intrigue contest.

There's an old style Play by Postage Mail Hyborian Age game called Hyborian War. It has a players-run forum called The Road of Kings. Each player plays the king or chief of one of the kingdoms or chiefdoms of the Hyborian Age. It's been going on for years, with your orders due by the last day of this month, across multiple simultaneous ongoing games. Unfortunately, when I found out about, I didn't have the time. (The pace was just too fast! )I'd guess that there's a lot of behind the scenes email diplomacy and snookery going on between mailings to HQ. Every Cimmerian, Pict barbarian, Zimbabwean warlord, Zingaran buccaneer, Nemedian knight, prince and temple slave of Turan, and dark priest of Set in Stygia wants to sit on the throne. Of the most powerful of the Hyborian nations--Aquilonia!

Or, which may be equally hard or harder-- to sit on the Iron Throne. And keep your head connected to your shoulders, before and after. And do the same for your house-- rule or be ruled. "I bend the knee, Your Grace."

[ffilz]

Something to really consider for old school games is to reduce repeated rolls. Burning Wheel has "Let it Ride" that says that if the conditions have not substantially changed for a skill application, to keep the result of the last roll and not roll again. I have applied that to my old school games, maybe not in the strict way Burning Wheel advises, but giving serious consideration to not requiring repeated rolls for the same thing. If we used that, unless the situation changes that puts the check points at higher alert, or we pass a check point that has a higher alert status, we would not need to re-roll all the time. That would help speed the travel and remove the feeling like we are going to get caught eventually.

But I definitely also get bogged down with "what is an in-genre way to respond to this?" Up front advice might be helpful.

I'm not giving up, but I am definitely struggling.

[Marullus]

If you're enjoying running it, I'll continue at slow pace.

I'm not up for learning a new system (I've already learned Bushido, but Hyboria RPG would be out for me). Game of Thrones would be cool - I learned Song of Ice and Fire before, or either setting could be cool in Worlds Without Number.

The most important thing I would say to help the game is to ensure a significant point of decision in each major post... especially in PbP. Your cultural descriptions are really cool, but fast-forwarding to the next-thing-that-matters is really important in a slow-pace PbP game. This includes not only "let it ride" (we passed the obstacle of the guards, bump to next scene) but also ensuring the whole mindset switches from real-time to narrative pacing. Just jump to the next action.

[Rex]

Some good points about PbP. Just skipping some things we wouldn't at the table can make it move along at a better pace (note I didn't say faster). If everyone wants to keep going I am more than willing to keep at it.

Marullus, not pushing for it at all but Hyperborea is really just D&D 1e with some Holmes Basic mixed in, the rest is all just flavor to make it fit Hyperborian Sword & Sorcery settings. If you are familiar with any OD&D through 2e D&D you wouldn't be learning a new system.

[jemmus]

Thanks for the discussion and the insights, all of us. Currently, Minoru and Kaida at the shrine have to make some decisions. Jinsei and Fuma at the river don't, they're not having public encounters.

The checkpoints passes are potentially hazardous, (and in PBP, kind of onerous), but they're not the only option for the PCs (other than maybe Kaida). There's bypassing them using ninjutsu, or going from roof to wall to roof, etc., using the jumping and leaping rules or karumijutsu. I feel like we're not using all of the tactical abilities available to PCs from their character sheets. (With the exception of Kaida, who used her strong hensu-jutsu ability well to infiltrate and map the merchant's mansion). It's understandable, because two players don't know the mechanics of Bushido, and weren't expected to do ever do that. And this is a ninja stealth and deception-oriented game. (In modern RPG theory parlance, an Exploration-Puzzle Solving game, rather than an Exploration-Combat-Puzzle Solving game). We did very well during the encounter with the oni on the mountain ridge. But got bogged down when we entered the city, and the heist got thrown off by dice rolls (only) by the ninja waiting to move in from outside the mansion. Which meant waiting another day, and getting by in the city undercover until another nightfall.

The shrine is has been quiet place for that, and the gambling den that was encountered has been another. The New Year's holiday in four days might be another-- but it would require remaining undercover and undetected for those days. With people's (and guards') attention decreasing incrementally, and the incoming and outgoing traffic through checkpoints incrementally increasing along the way.

Anyway, I think I bogged us down by basing things on giving the players too much background information that their PCs would need to operate as "underground criminal operatives" operating within a police state, which by decision and dice rolls they have already penetrated.

Staying in a travelers' inn is a fourth option. If you have the coin.

[Marullus]

Understanding the intended theme also helps, of course. It is totally valid to have a "can you fake it at risk today" scene and rolls, but having succeeded at the checkpoints I agree we should move forward to the heist again.

I will let Minaru take the spotlight at this moment, Kaida already stating she'll meditate quietly (and commune with the Kami in the Kariyuko) until the priests decide to act.

Besides that Kaida isn't going to leap rooftops yet, I know I was discounting that for the others, too - I presumed that had to happen after dark?

[jemmus]

Minoru is up for a post, but Frank has honestly and helpfully said that he's struggling to stay engaged with the game. So I'll go ahead and do a GM post and we'll see what happens with this specialized stealth-intensive game, with its hardcore crunchy OSR rules mechanics, and highly culturally-specific setting (12th century Japan).

[jemmus]

Six weeks of deadline-driven projects are done. Sorry for the absence and delays. It does seem like a plan by the PCs is firming up. GM post upcoming. Happy Easter, those who celebrate it!

[Rex]

Happy Easter Everyone!

[jemmus]

Happy Easter all!

[Grognardsw]

The central building of the shinden zukuri is the place for entertaining guests indoors. Here is where tea is served and meals are taken. And it is where the owner displays his expensive works of art. It's the natural place where the merchant Tanaka Jiro would show off his fine tea vessel. Perhaps on a shelf on a wall. Or perhaps in a tea set box with other cups, the brazier and kettle for boiling water, and other implements for brewing and whisking frothy green tea.

I know the bedroom closet is the leading location. But I forget, had Kaida seen the central area when she was in there? If so, did it have displays of vessels?

[Marullus]

Yes, the room was dim because they are cheap with candles. But she peered into them with darkvision and didn't see teacups.