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Since we are coming down from the holiday week this is just a quick check in. First, we're still playing this game! Second, I don't know where TheCog is, so I am assuming and hoping that they are away for the holidays or sick or something and have not yet had time to post. Once they have had a chance to do so we can continue with the next round of palette picks.
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Dec 3, 2015 02:53
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:04 |
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At this point I'm going to say that TheCog probably has disappeared, since they haven't contacted me on IRC at all or sent me a PM or anything. Such is the way of things! It is up to everybody to determine if any of TheCog's additions thus far will be taken into consideration moving forward, but for now everybody can post more palette picks. In the interests of moving forward, I will pass so that we go to the next phase after everybody else figures out if they want more ingredients to work with.
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Dec 13, 2015 09:10
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I am skipping my turn as well. The palette looks good to me. I could take or leave TheCog's only contribution to the palette, which is this: TheCog posted:Yes: transhumanism. That is the idea that the consciousness can transcend the body and be stored and used in a different body. Maybe it's via hard drives, maybe there's a ritual that lets you move a consciousness to a different body, whatever the mechanics, it involves a pardgrim shift in how society handles a lot of things
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Dec 13, 2015 09:28
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I think it's mostly implied that transhumanism will be a part of the whole rigamarole, so I'm fine with crossing it out.
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Dec 13, 2015 09:51
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Removing transhumanism as a major point is fine by me. In fact, I'm pretty happy with the palette as it is, and might have passed last round, if I'd known it was possible. I am ready to move forward.
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Dec 14, 2015 01:13
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I'm cool with the removal and moving on as well.
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Dec 15, 2015 05:38
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0.4 - First Pass At this point, interaction with each other and providing feedback about things that are being created is now restricted. I went on at length about this in the OP, but now it is the time that it now enters play. To open the game of Microscope, each player will add a Period or Event. A Period is placed between any two adjacent Periods. When creating this, give it a short description. This is a grand summary of what happens during this time or what things are like. Describe how it is different from other Periods around it as appropriate. Afterwards, specify the tone of the period: Light or Dark. Explain how the tone fits your description. You're never wrong for specifying a tone, but you will need to justify your choice to other players. An Event is placed in an existing Period. If there are already other Events in the Period, determine if this comes before or after one of them, chronologically. Then, describe the Event. Tell the other players what happens. Your description should be specific enough that the other players have a clear picture of what physically takes place. Make sure to include both the start and the outcome of the event. Then, like with a Period, determine the tone (light or dark) and justify your choice to other players. How do I know what goes where? Is there somewhere I can see what's already on the table? I thought about a variety of ways to present the information and since I'm in the mood to try something new but not too new, I will be collecting the information to a Google Slides setup. This should be pretty readable and I can link things up. If it doesn't work, the tried and true method of a Google Spreadsheet, which worked perfectly fine. As long as you're clear about when something happens, I can figure it out. Right now, you can see it, but not edit it: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NZ-ryUoF1M7l4wHYEf6MmcMLkLRVvA-Q4R_S6G7z3zE/edit?usp=sharing Okay, so what do I do right now?
For this First Pass, this will be order: Turn 0.4a: jigokuman's turn Turn 0.4b: aldantefax's turn Turn 0.4c: paradoxGentleman's turn Turn 0.4d: saberwulf's turn
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Dec 16, 2015 02:57
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This is a period that goes somewhere between the bookends, obviously. The economy goes through a boom and bust cycle that leads to resource hoarding, which results in making contact with frontier colonies difficult at best. Tone: Dark Obviously economic booms can be great for some, but overall, this sort of instability leads to problems overall. I think this fits in with magical corporations bit and could generate some interesting scenes and events, both light and dark.
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Dec 16, 2015 05:36
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I will make an Event under this new period. It is at the beginning of it closer to when the boom starts: New magically-forged materials allow for more oxygen to be carried in spacefaring vessels for longer travel. (Light) With longer range space flight becoming more capable, people have renewed interest in going out to space with the intention of settling. Thanks to the new oxygen containers, even large pleasure ships are viable, traveling gracefully through space.
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Dec 16, 2015 08:28
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I have some questions! Questions are acceptable as opposed with meddling in other people's turns, if I remember the Microscope manual correctly. -Why does the hogging of resources make communication with colonies difficult? Please forgive my ignorance if it is something obvious. -What are these materials that help to store oxygen? We might as well define them more clearly. In the meantime I will create an Event in the starting period. -A number of energy-generating spirits, under the guide of Great Mother of Glory and Light, spirit of a nuclear power plant, blackmail the Chinese governement into expanding greatly their worship. (Dark) This is one of the symptoms of the end approaching. The spirits know they can get away with this, because humans are estremely dependent on energy and their resources are stretched too thin to bring their magical might to bear against them. I chose China because there is an animist tradition that originated there and it felt appropriate. I cannot edit the doc from mobile though.
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Dec 16, 2015 08:55
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I am also largely ignorant of how this all works. I should re-read the rules, but I was intentionally leaving things vague and thinking either I or someone else could come along and define things more clearly with events or scenes. The resource isn't specifically defined. It could be a certain type of spirit or mana used as fuel. The boom might have been so big and fast it wasn't documented properly, and organizing a civilization that spans light years would be a real headache, or be beneath the attention of pampered government officials. These are just possibilities, though.
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Dec 16, 2015 10:12
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On questions and Period creation - it doesn't have to be specific, but at the same time, it doesn't have to be extremely vague either. What matters is relevancy - if there's something in a given Period that warrants further analysis, it is usually worthy of creating an Event to explore it. That said, asking for clarification is fine, and both paradoxGentleman and jigokuman have the right of it. Also, the materials (multiple) are magically infused chambers that allow for air compression and decompression, allowing air to be stored in a dense solid form (hyperdense magical air crystals/pills/etc?) and then later dissolved and expanded by interacting with magic. Thus, an oxygen tank could hold several days' worth of breathable air but only after it has been converted through some unspecified magical process to regular oxygen.
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Dec 16, 2015 20:52
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One extra clarification - only I have access to edit the doc I linked in my previous post, so I will be adding to it as we continue play.
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Dec 16, 2015 20:52
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Making an event in the starting period. -The Great Red Elder, a gargantuan magic tree, is ignited with a devastating spell, filling the atmosphere with acrid smoke and falling ash as it burns for years. (Dark)
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Dec 22, 2015 21:46
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Good! I'll be updating tomorrow with moving onto the game proper and we'll open it up with a scene. Sit tight!
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Dec 23, 2015 08:38
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Congratulations, everybody! As of this moment, we are now completed with the setup for Microscope (thanks to the holidays, it took quite awhile to get it done in PBP!) Moving forward we will use the posted turn order in the second post of this thread. If you're unsure of where things lie, then I will slowly (or whenever someone reminds me) be updating both the Google stuff as linked earlier, and also providing permalinks to jump to specific things in the thread. Up first in turn 1 is me, and I am the LENS for this turn. Thinking on what I'd like to set the FOCUS as, I would like to specify The Great Red Elder, the magic tree that was mentioned in an Event in the starting Period. This means that following this, all Events, Periods, and Scenes must have some type of connection to the Great Red Elder for this current round of play, until it is paradoxGentleman's turn to change the FOCUS. To take it a step further, I will also open Turn 1 with a Scene. I will also whip up a handy template that you can use for when you need to open a new Scene down the line: Turn 1a. Scene - The Razing of the Elder Question - What was the true purpose of the spell that lit Great Red Elder aflame? Setting the Stage (p 30) - When does this Scene happen? -- This takes place immediately after Great Red Elder tree has been ignited. - Review Established facts -- The tree is already burning; the spell has already happened. -- We know that because this happens in the starting Period, this is an era when the planet is becoming uninhabitable. - Where does this Scene take place? What just happened, and what's next? -- This takes place deep in one of the very few remaining natural havens of Earth, now simply called JUNGLE, at the base of the Great Red Elder tree. Choosing Characters (p 31) Required (max 2): - Emeritus Kain, the caster of the spell. - General Alisa Rhodes, who arrives on scene immediately after the spell has been cast. Banned (max 2): - Assassins, as nobody is currently attempting to kill E. Kain or General Rhodes. * At this point, each player, starting with paradoxGentleman, picks a character to play in the scene. Then, in the turn order, each other player picks a character. The player creating the scene picks last. Reveal Thoughts (p 32) - Each character, in the same order as above, reveals one thought about the upcoming scene. This can reveal what the character is going to do or highlight something that they expect to happen. - This serves as a hint for other players about where you want the scene to go. Do not reveal thoughts that answer the Question - you can hint or stack the deck, but cannot give a definite answer. - Thoughts also don't have to be 100% accurate - it can be something your character thinks or believes. - If the thoughts are of another player's character, that character decides if that's true and can reveal it in play or when they reveal their thoughts. Once all of the above has been completed, we play out the scene mostly freeform until we find the answer to the question from the perspective of the character selected. This also allows people to shape the world by describing it through the eyes of the character, or introduce secondary or minor characters as needed. As soon as the question is answered, play immediately stops. There are a few more rules covering Scenes that I encourage players to look at starting from page 33 onward along with examples of play. --- paradoxGentleman, your turn to pick a character. saberwulf picks after you. Note that the Required characters must be played by someone, so if they are not picked by the time it gets to jigokuman, then he will need to pick one of the required characters and I will have to pick the other one.
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Dec 29, 2015 07:18
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I will pick General Alisa.
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Dec 29, 2015 13:25
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For this scene I'll create Endanna Sequoi, high priestess and head caretaker of the Great Red Elder. She is inside the tree when it ignites.
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Dec 30, 2015 09:10
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I suppose I'll take up the mantle of Emeritus Kain and hit the books before the scene begins!
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Dec 30, 2015 15:05
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I shall pick Juchen Sequoi, the adjunct and assistant to Endanna and the only other caretaker of the Great Red Elder. He is with Emeritus Kain as the spell completes. --- At this point, we can now do the Reveal Thoughts portion, again starting with paradoxGentleman. This reveals intent or expectation - see my previous post for more information.
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Jan 2, 2016 23:19
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Sorry I am late, had a series of family things in the holidays. The General is in a state of barely repressed fury. She can scarcely believe that someone would stoop to this, even in these desperate times, but now her duty is to remain calm and gather help.
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Jan 5, 2016 23:37
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Endanna is in the throes of furious anger and terrible agony as she feels the Elder's pain through her soulbond. She needs to find what or who caused this, and fast.
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Jan 10, 2016 14:26
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The loyalty of Emeritus Kain will not be questioned. What must be done must be done.
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Jan 10, 2016 23:45
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Juchen is pondering how everything even came down to casting the spell. Crushed by the outcome, he knows he also needs to help Endanna lest the situation gets worse.
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Jan 11, 2016 04:51
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:04 |
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We should be ready to finally start the scene! Thanks again for everybody's patience. Anybody can open the scene as they like. I'll give it a day or so and then I'll post to get the ball rolling if nobody else has yet.
aldantefax fucked around with this message at 04:55 on Jan 11, 2016 |
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Jan 11, 2016 04:53
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