Day 4: What RPG have you played most since 2016?

Day 4: What RPG have you played most since 2016?

This is actually a reasonably hard question. The answer is, probably, Urban Shadows.

I've got a near weekly game of it, that we've been doing for most of 2017. My open gaming Thursdays also sometimes sees US, though less in-depth and usually one-shots or three shots. There may also be an online game of it, though I'm not yet in a scene so who knows.

Urban Shadows, is pbta urban fantasy. You play as vampires, fae, mages, and regular people aware of the supernatural and having to deal with it. It's much more political than a regular pbta game, setting the machinations of The City up.

In the big near weekly game, I was playing an Oracle Nun named Sister Maria Olivia. She was eaten by the vampie, while their mutual friend the werewolf watched in horror, unable to do anything. We're still dealing with the fallout from that, and now I'm playing a pawn store owner and dealer in the arcane who is iun way over his head.

It's a pretty fantastic game. Won an Ennie and everything.

Code words

Code words

"Cosmopolitan", "Coastal Elite", "Liberal"

They mean "Jewish". It's a code word for antisemitism.

Note: I am not jewish. If anyone who is would like to tell me I'm wrong, please do so!

#RPGaDay Day 3: How do you find out about new games?

#RPGaDay Day 3: How do you find out about new games?

Three ways:
1. Cons. I'm doing two cons a year, Dreamation and Camp Nerdly. Between those two, I pick up some neat stuff to bring back home.

2. Game nights. I've got a weekly open essentially one-shot group and, when it works well, folks bring cool games I've never heard of.

3. The obvious: G+.

Possible moves for a game that has no name.

Possible moves for a game that has no name. This game takes place on a far future commercial spaceship that takes weeks to go between star systems.

There's a crew! In my head, this is a dozen plus the PCs, but that may change. I may well wind up with, you know, playbooks, that alter the size of the crew. But for now, basic moves.

When you research a person, roll with Sharp. On a 10+, ask 3. On a 7-9, ask 2. On a 6-, ask 1 and they learn about you. Questions:
-- What do they most need?
-- What is holding them back from greatness?
-- How do I get them to _______?
-- What is their greatest strength?

When you negotiate a fair deal, roll +Cool. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 2. On a 6-, choose 1:
-- Everyone agrees the deal is fair. Gain +1 forward to your next dealing with them.
-- They sweeten the pot, and you gain +1 kilocredit.
-- You bring back something for the ship, increase a surplus by one.
-- You do not attract unwanted attention.

When you gaze into the stars, tell the MC your quandary and roll +Void. On a 10+, your introspection yields clear results: take +1 forward. On a 7-9, the visions are muddled, scary, indistinct.

When you use your social standing to help someone else, roll +Standing. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, just 1, and you are exposed:
-- If they were rolling, you increase their roll by a success tier.
-- You gain +1 Camaraderie with them.
-- The tale spreads through the ship, and you can take one surplus, or erase one need.

When you stand in defense of someone, roll +Hard. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, just 2:
-- The violence ends, and you prevent anyone else from getting hurt.
-- The violence ends, and you don't get hurt.
-- The violence ends, and you can say what happens next.

When you bring a problem to a expert, they know how to solve it. Roll +Camaraderie. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9, choose 2:
-- You take +1 camaraderie with them.
-- They get +1 camaraderie with you.
-- They solve it personally.
-- They explain it to you. Mark XP.

Camaraderie: I'll probably rename this, as this is what The Watch calls their Hx mechanic. Similarly, it goes 0 to 3. Instead of spending it, you use it to ask people for help.

Surplus & Needs: Blatantly stolen from Legacy. The ship is going to have things it has a lot of, and things it needs. I think hard moves will activate the missing things.

Kilocredits: Like barter. 1 kilocredits can buy: a fancy night in the above decks for one, a night in the below decks for the crew, a fancy set of civvies, shipsuits and phones for a small crew, any normal piece of equipment.

#RPGADay2017 What game I wish was published?

#RPGADay2017 What game I wish was published?

A combination of my two things: Monsterhearts and IN SPACE.

Which means: The Long Orbit by Rachel E.S. Walton.

#rpgaday2017 What published RPG do you wish you were playing?

#rpgaday2017 What published RPG do you wish you were playing?

Let's go with ... Legacy.

I'm reading the second edition now, and really enjoying it. I adore the idea of families, and of having first options that are not violence. And of knowing where you fit in the world, and being able to see how to make it better.

It counts as published if the kickstarter is ongoing, right?

Over the last week, at least five of you have sent me this:

Over the last week, at least five of you have sent me this:
http://ncase.me/trust/

This was a good introduction to game theory, and I'm glad so many people both enjoyed it and thought of me.

Most of this was covered by Axelrod's experiments in the 70s. Which, if you haven't read? You really should. There are some fantastic moments as folks try to experiment with different strategies.

The mistake option in this is interested, but just as interesting is you cannot always tell if someone is actually cooperating or defecting -- that is, the real world is nuanced, and often what appears as a PD is not.

For one thing, to really be a PD you need simultaneous decision making. If I can have information about your action before it affects me, then this isn't really a PD. While a lot of the results still apply, it's a different formalism.

In any event, the PD game also ignores such notions as ought. This game makes that error in the very beginning, where it asks what you ought to do: cheat or cooperate. And, well, by one perspective you ought to cooperate because to do otherwise is immoral/bad/wrong.

That doesn't mean it is in your interest! Self-interest and ought are unrelated. (mostly).

Ignoring that difference is one we do to our own peril. These games are really designed for when morality is off the table and irrelevant -- such as the cold war.

Anyway, game was fun. Ask if you've got questions, and I'll try to either answer or -- more likely -- direct to research.
http://ncase.me/trust/?utm_content=buffer33b46&utm_medium=social&utm_source=plus.google.com&utm_campaign=buffer