[K5pbem] My Thoughts On Restarting the K5 PBEM

Tue Nov 22 06:09:43 CST 2005

On Nov 21, 2005, at 7:39 PM, Alex Fauth wrote:

>>> For this reason, I do think we should have an unwritten  
>>> understanding that one particular city - such as Hong Kong -  is  
>>> the main focus of our stories. This does not mean that all  
>>> characters have to be there  - after all, the Neo York Zero Zone  
>>> was the focus previously, yet we also had characters in downtown  
>>> Neo York, Hong Kong, and Mega-Tokyo at various times - but it  
>>> does mean that if someone decides to make a character who is not  
>>> primarily based in Hong Kong, he needs to be aware that it may be  
>>> harder for his character to regularly interact with the other  
>>> characters, and that he may find himself writing more solo  
>>> stories as a result. Which is just fine, if that's what he wants,  
>>> of course.
>>
>> Of course.
>
> I like this. It would be good to see a bit more of other cities,  
> and that's a great reason for people to use, or even be based in  
> them. But a focal point is likely to be the best option. Can we all  
> agree on Hong Kong for this?

It seems we have. So, Hong Kong will be the central location for the  
new game.

>>>> 2) We need to determine a play style. How often do turns occur?  
>>>> Do we need or want character sheets? How do we determine  
>>>> interactions and plots? Is there a Game Master? If so, who? And  
>>>> what will the GM do?
>>>
>>> I wouldn't mind if the turns were just a bit longer than they  
>>> used to be; maybe a week or two more. I sometimes used to feel a  
>>> bit rushed at the end of a turn. I think we can determine  
>>> interactions and plots by e-mailing each other and posting  
>>> notices as needed to the mailing list. That's mostly what we did  
>>> before (at least up until the Jinsei invasion of the Zone) and it  
>>> worked out well then.
>>
>> Yes it did. And 6 weeks sounds good for a turn. That's 1.5 months  
>> per turn and about 8 turns a year.
>
> Just for bookkeeping, it's probably best if we re-start the turn  
> count, and have "new" stories listed on a separate page, or at  
> least a seperate section of the page.

A good idea.

>
>>> Personally, I intend to write a character sheet even if it is not  
>>> it is required, if only for my own use. If I were GM, I think I'd  
>>> want a character sheet for every character, even if just as a  
>>> reference for consistency, even if game mechanics almost never  
>>> actually are made use of in the PBEM. Of course, if a player is  
>>> unfamiliar with the Hero System, he need only write a thorough  
>>> description of what his character is and can do, and I'm sure  
>>> someone here can make a Hero System character sheet from that in  
>>> short order. But in the end, it's your call, Mike. If you don't  
>>> think you need one, then don't require one.
>>
>> I'd like one, if only in the interests of comparison to known  
>> characters.
>
> Shoudl we make it a standard, then? All PCs get a character sheet -  
> whether by the player or another mmember of the game - for the GM's  
> reference?

Yes. Also, we should consider updating older PCs if needed.

>>>> At the very least, as the guy who created the world and am still  
>>>> developing it, I should have some sort of authority to accept/ 
>>>> decline PCs, NPCs, technology, and plots. People should (I hope)  
>>>> come to me to ask about in-game concepts for people, places, and  
>>>> things, and I can say either 'yay' or 'nay,' depending.
>>>
>>> I agree. You also should have the right to review all submitted  
>>> stories and tell players if there is anythign inapproriate or  
>>> inaccurate to the world that needs correcting. Beyond that, the  
>>> GM probably doesn't need to do a whole lot more than pick a DiTL  
>>> theme and minor duties like that, so if you're prepared to do the  
>>> stuff you mentioned above anyway, I think you may as well be GM.  
>>> If necessary, you could ask someone else to be co-GM to help take  
>>> up some of the burden.
>
> If we're going with the more player-driven idea of earlier posts,  
> then the GM's burden would be a lot lighter. Generally, I don't see  
> the GM (Mike, most likely) having to do any more than a basic read- 
> over and occaisional review of submissions. Mike, are you good for  
> that?

Sounds good to me.

>>>> 3) We need to determine what parts, if any, of the website need  
>>>> an overhaul. The game introduction needs work, if only to  
>>>> reflect the new play style. If this is done, I need to know what  
>>>> it should say, or someone out there could type up new data for  
>>>> me to enter.
>>>
>>> I'm sure several us would be willing to point out areas that need  
>>> revamping and work on different parts of it, if you ask us to.
>>
>> Okay. I am asking. What needs to be done?
>
> Reorganisation, mostly. Backgroudn infor and characters established  
> are good, it's just a matter of sorting things. I think the major  
> change to consider is if we need to divide such background info  
> into categories for the old and new game, and if so, how to divide  
> them. It would be useful if we could, if only to make things les...  
> cluttered, I guess, for what is basically a fresh start. Also, do  
> we want to make PC's charcter sheets available to the public and  
> other players for comparison? It might help in the seemingly  
> inevitable event of a versus story or similar, or at least so  
> people can find PCs with complememnting skills for missions and such.

Reorganization is a good idea. Anyone else have comments on that?

What about character sheets online? I know at one point it was  
thought to be a "bad" idea, as it might spark resentment ('so-and-so  
is built on more points than me!'), but on the other hand, we are  
building to concept, not to a set point total.

>
>>>> 4) We need to create a message board. Dustin can help with this,  
>>>> and I think it would be a good place to discuss plot concepts  
>>>> and the like.
>>>
>>> I agree, although this mailing list can carry most of the burden  
>>> until a proper message board can go up. BTW, you could always  
>>> just start a Yahoo Group for that; it's pretty much a mailing  
>>> list/message board in one.
>
> A message board woudl definitely help overall. I see it as being  
> largely devoted to story ideas and development, althought there  
> should definitely be a subset - probably the first section to go up  
> - for constant ideas on gameplay, site layout and so forth. It  
> would help if we could get that up soon, and move this discussion  
> there.

Okay. We need to contact Dustin on this.

>>>> 5) We need to overhaul the PC/NPC section. Remove the PCs who  
>>>> are not being used, enter new PCs, and do the same for the  
>>>> People, Places, and Things entries. Players should make an  
>>>> attempt to send me short descriptions of characters they've  
>>>> created so others can read about and use them.
>>>
>>> Actually, I'm thinking that most of the Places and Things should  
>>> probably stay; it's likely that someone will want to use some of  
>>> them again at some point. Same with the NPC's, wherever they are  
>>> located. I agree we need to prune away all the old PC's that are  
>>> no longer in use, and I think we need to expand the list of Hong  
>>> Kong based NPC's.
>>
>> At the very least, I'd like to clean up said sections.
>
> Places and things could stay, although it could do with  
> reorganisation once more. Re-organisiation is the key here. I think  
> the site could benefit from reorganising and subdividing pages -  
> for example, the characters page should only list active PCs on the  
> front page, and include inactive and retired PCS as a subpage along  
> with the NPC categories.

Good suggestions. I'll start laying this out over the next few days.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Surbrook
susano at guisarme . net http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/index.html

Elric: "Not long since, I counted myself without comrades.  Now, I  
have many.  For that reason alone I will fight beside them!"
Erekose: "That is, perhaps, the best of reasons."

"Elric: Sailor on the Seas of Fate", Michael Moorcock