Query

[sixsh0t]

1. What theme has you always wanted to have MUSHized and why?

I'll start: I always wanted a Warcraft-themed MUSH to be able to play a highly accessible, highly popular, high-fantasy type of theme. I've never had a cool High Fantasy experience.

Now -- you go.

Comments

[popes]

Castlevania.

[sixsh0t]

Interesting choice. I remember Scorpio really being into Castlevania years ago.

[unclejam]

I'd like an old World of Darkness MUSH that was managed in such a way that it was comparable in "stupid" to M3 or SRT on a bad day, rather than the default for most of those games, which is to say "much worse." I would also like this game to either be thoughtfully managed or constructed in such a way that I'm one of the guys with the Generation dots instead of a nubcake. Ideally it would also have some degree of thematic constraints in the various spheres which, in my experience and when not super strict, tends to guide people towards making 'interesting characters' rather than 'bearers of a certain thing.'

[sixsh0t]

Yeah, I never was able to play in -- 20 someodd years -- at an enjoyable WoD game. For that matter, I also always really wanted a cool Shadowrun type of MUSH (something super cyberpunky/Deus Ex-like) but anything in that arena was always a huge circle-J of what I can only presume were superpowered staff alts.

The WoD one is interesting because I think so much of that comes down to understanding the table top rules -- which is hard to implement. Maybe just taking theme and doing it with a more traditional csys would solve some of it; also an issue I always had with comic games. I always wanted one with a coded csys and not M&M and/or RP'd combat.

[unclejam]

Since I have to reboot my dsl modem I'll write you a lengthy reply

[sixsh0t]

"...to say "MY CHARACTER INVENTED WIRELESS NETWORKING. NETRUNNING IS NOW OBSOLETE. TEAR DOWN YOUR SYSTEMS AND CODE UP NEW ONES, WITH MY STUFF.""

I hear that -- but I guess I don't know if it'd be any different from the super scientists on say, Crucible City, or the know-it-all/Doctors/MechaInventors/PlotMagicians we have on an M3 or SRT-type of game. I mean, how many times have the same brain collective solved all our alien problems on SRT or M3?

Actually now that I think about it, the Super Scientists on Crucible City were the worst form of power gamer I can recall. You got all this IC plot power because you could invent your way into any plot and save the world via brains, but you also had a Power-set that let you come up with precisely what you needed to maximize Villain XYZ's weaknesses in a combat scenario. Super Scientists suck.

How do you balance science nerds?! I feel like they should all have to be Llloyds who would break if they ever got in a combat situation.

(off topic)

[theantitexan]

The one I run, ho ho ho.

How I'd do SRT today, knowing what I know after four years, is a topic in and of itself. I'll spare you.

The one I considered with a Ogre Battle, Suikoden, and Final Fantasy Tactics mash-up. The first two both have games where rebellions defeat an evil empire, with the second games dealing with consequences thereof. I doubt I'd ever run it because... SRT?

[sixsh0t]

Why not just change SRT into how you'd want to do it????

I mean, I know people fear change but my theory is that is the net result is ultimately better -- they'll cope, in the long term.

[theantitexan]

Short answer: I am, actually, doing systematic changes to make it how I think works best (by I, mean "staff and I," it's a group thing).

The long answer is that I meant if I did it over, I would have made some different thematic choices. We'd have probably started in the One Year War; Katharon/Orb wouldn't have existed yet and would have been formed later as a response to events occurring. That kind of thing.

It's a fun thought exercise for me, but it's largely a pointless one -- it's things I know because I did this once -- and I sure as hell am never restarting the game (since, overall, I'm quite happy with it).

There are changes that I'd do from the start which are being implemented, but it's the ones that are possible.

[sixsh0t]

I hear that -- the OYW would have been awesome to play out with all the theme integration happening in real time. Also, it would have put some true player-to-player straight up IC conflict in the player characters RP history rather than alluded to in backgrounds and shit (which strengthens everything).

Alas.

I presume at the time the thought was the 4-factions would be a better breeding ground than doing a Transformers-esque two faction system? Plus, most people would probably have wanted to be in the EFA and not a Space Nazi...

[allegroconmolto]

Mechwarrior (there are plenty of BattleTech games, but none have RP)