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Dialect is a game about language and how it dies. if you haven't heard of it before, the most notable parallels are to other world creation/improv games like Downfall, Microscope or even Fiasco. The focus of the game is, of course, that you are creating a language together and it is this language that shapes both your characters and the way that you communicate with each other. As an example, my own play of this game was focused on a gang of grave-robbing thieves, and by the end of the game, the language had evolved enough that, to a person entering the room without prior knowledge of how the game had evolved, it would be impossible for them to understand what we were saying. Although the larger narrative of the game is largely, the story of your own personal character and the relationships they build throughout the game will be distinct, but the game doesn't focus on it as much as it focuses on the collaborative language-building, which makes it interesting and unique in my view. The game is played through the use of several decks of cards that help to facilitate play and give a more structured approach than the likes of Downfall, Fiasco or Microscope. These help you to find what terms need to be defined in the language, what your characters will be within the story and the aftermath of your character. Overall I like the use of cards because they really help the conversation to keep going, with the only issue being that it might make the game a tad repetitive in the long run. The game usually pans out as follows: Setup:
Once setup is complete, you then proceed to the main gameplay portion of the game: Gameplay:
Once everyone has had a chance to define a word, a age transition occurs, which usually details how the isolation is meeting its end. The transition after the first age is over will allow you to choose between two narrative paths, but once one is chosen, it will remain the same narrative path for the entirety of the game. During age transitions it is also necessary to evolve one of the aspects and explain why and how it has evolved. Once the third age is over, you have a final transition that explains the aftermath of the Isolation and every player gets to explain how their own, personal character either managed to survive (or not) the collapse of the isolation. The final rule is that at any time, you can discard a card to create a new variant of an existing word: this variant can be either something that you absolutely feel should be defined, or just a variation of a previously created word that is used in a different context. Since you draw a new card, you can also use variants to get rid of cards that you don't like. Variants do not constitute a turn in of themselves and do not cause a conversation to take place. I am currently looking for 3 to 5 players for this. I will not be playing myself. Knowledge of the rules/cards is not necessary and I will be explaining the core concept. PDF copies are available for 10 dollars if you are interested in reading the rules yourself (which I do recommend). To sign up, express interest and also let me know which one of the following backdrops you are interested in (I am currently only going to use the core backdrops rather than the guest backdrops created as part of the kickstarter campaign): The Outpost: A story of the first Martian settlers and continued survival on the Red Planet after communication with Earth has been cut off. The Compound: A story of a group of people that have decided to cut themselves off from the rest of the world within their own remote compound, set in 1982. Sing the Earth Electric: A misfit group of machines have been left behind on an abandoned Earth for a final mission. The Thieves' Cant: A group of thieves in the 19th century have created a language in order to communicate within their group without outsiders being none the wiser. Isolation Backdrop: The Outpost Name: Aspera Aspects: -"We are an international mission from now hostile countries": You are all capable, but were always considered expendable. - "Dust is everywhere": The dust from the planet gets into everything and is an omnipresent danger, but maybe it hides something further? - "Proprietary Technology": Everything on the planet is owned by corporations that sponsored the mission and thus not everyone has access to everything. Community Questions: For whom is life hardest here? I have gotta say it's The Widowed. There were those persuaded to come on the trip with the promise that their spouses and families would be included with future waves. They even were made a specific point in the propaganda as humanity "building for the future" with this whole Mars boondoggle. Now they seem sullen and lost from the Corporate Reps down the the Scrubbers. If you were talking about jobs our debris control technicians(the aforementioned "Scrubbers") have to be it. They log the most hours worked with double shifts every dust storm if they are lucky and often enough in between too. They also have to suit up and go outside more than anyone and get the blame or the angry call when dust gets in anything.Which is always. What type of structures do we live in? Are there places for communal gatherings? The living structures are a series of domes. Burrowing into the ground would have been more protective against radiation but would also have been more expensive so that didn't happen. The domes are somewhat golden-colored in Earth's light, being as reflective as possible to keep the soft meaty humans inside safe. Beneath that is a layer of aerogel concrete, the only substance light enough and strong enough to make the shapes required without immense internal supports. There are very few windows, again for shielding reasons, and indoor light is nearly entirely artificial. The specific shading of the lighting varies by area, and is supposed to reduce stress. The domes are nestled fairly closely together and connected by (usually) short breezeways. There were deliberately some very nicely designed plaza-type gathering areas--not parks, exactly, but places decorated with tile and a few plants, with benches and small walkways. These are under threat now due to increased needs of production if supplies are not coming. The settlement was intended to be "long-term temporary" and there are points where expansions could be built if materials were available. Living areas for non-leadership personnel are dorm-style, two to a living space. Couples are able to live together. There are no children on Mars. What internal threat looms over us? No one has clearance to all parts of the Isolation. So there might be a bathroom next to your research lab but if it was built by a different country than yours, you're going to have to walk across base. Or find a friend to swipe you in. I'd like to think that there are, like, literal swipe cards or something for granting access. That seems hilariously low tech for this kind of mission and super bureaucratic. To go into greater detail as to why this is a "looming threat" rather than a mere inconvenience -- we run the risk of a major problem (a fire, a malfunction, some kind of airlock break) being visible but inaccessible to the people that need to get to it or could get to it the fastest. How did communications break down? Which one of our Aspects played a role in this? They did it to us. We had some idea of what was going on on earth from the news broadcasts that were part of the general transmission to Mars, and advance warning from some kind soul at mission control that things were going "case rust" and that "a compromise had been made", and then there was complete blackout. It took some time to piece together the truth from fragmented, often-encrypted communication log backups. As it turns out, the companies responsible for each part of our comms forcibly overruled our authority over every section of the system one after the other, silencing and deafening us in one terrible swoop. Some compromise, huh? They kept their technology safe from their rivals - good for them. Oh, and "case rust"? That means no more resupply for the foreseeable future. It turns out that preparations for this were... limited. Not to a 'lifeboats on the Titanic' degree, but still, we're in for a rough time. And that's with the advance warning from whoever it was. How do we produce basic necessities of life? We had a set amount of soil and vegetables from Earth. Potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, algae, and carrots are our mainstays. No meat unless you count the crickets, which help process plant matter and take almost none of the water supply. Speaking of which, the original plan to have enough to tide us over until the next colonists came with drills to tap into the underground veins of water. But since that may never happen, we zealously monitor water use and recycle every last drop of liquid, even sweat. Our moisture condenser is not powerful enough to draw much from the atmosphere, but we've managed over months to build up a very small emergency reserve. As for oxygen, our cold plasma processing units provide us with enough to sustain our community with sufficient oxygen and a healthy reserve. But the CPPUs are delicate and require regular calibration and maintenance. Given the brouhaha with security levels and door locks, it's not easy scheduling teams that have just the right mixture of clearance, keycards, and technical knowhow to stick to the recommended maintenance schedules. Players UnCO3: Common Name: Ana Hernandez A.k.a.: "Doctor" Role: Deputy Head of Debris Control, otherwise known as Second Scrubber-in-Command, otherwise known as the highest-ranking person in Aspera who actually goes outside on a regular basis. I oversee and participate in clearing operations around the colony. This was supposed to be temporary, but with everything that's happened... We are an international mission from now hostile countries: I have to hand it to everyone on the mission, somehow we avoid going for each other's throats like our home countries, even if there's some residual favouritism from before we even launched over who's assigned which duties and privileges. There's this one guy from NASA who's always complaining about unauthorised dust getting into his grow beds - we both have PhDs, so why am I stuck out here air-hosing satellite dishes while you're inside, running experiments? Well, maybe I shouldn't be so bitter. Research is what you make of it, and I've got some potentially fascinating leads out here - far more interesting than "will these plants grow properly under Martian solar irradiation". Just you wait. Then maybe, maybe, I'll let you work on my project. Dust is Everywhere: The dust is bad, and the blame we catch whenever anything goes wrong is worse, but really, it might be a blessing in disguise. My crew and I, we've seen things out there, in the deep dust, things, shapes, forms, that can't just be down to chance. I don't have any hard evidence yet, but hell, I'm working on figuring this out every second I have free. We just need more cameras... and better cameras, ones whose lenses don't get scratched to hell in your average dust storm. And, well, if I'm wrong and there's nothing to see here, at least I tried, and maybe I found something interesting, but not groundbreaking. At least I pushed the boundaries, unlike that green-fingered rear end in a top hat-- Proprietary Technology: My hand's connected to the nozzle (Stellar Electrics), The nozzle's connected to the air hose (NASA Inc.), The hose is connected to the compressor (Sinovec International Concerns), The compressor's connected to the air pump (Everyready Industries), The air pump's connected to the power grid (ESA), and as if that wasn't a bad enough idea It's all connected to the Martian Internet of Things (Coloni) for diagnostic, feedback, and automated control purposes So there are half a dozen potential points for technical failure in every routine cleaning operation. My job is half actually leading the cleaning and half scheduling people with the right clearances so that we can even clean in the first place. And even if we do, who's to say it won't run into problems with our inscrutable IoT variant and get locked out of our own gear anyway? ibntumart: Common Name: Dr. Josefa Torres AKA Pepa (acquaintances), Pepita (actual friends, or behind her back as an insult), Maestra or Profesora (also insult) Role: Colony Administrator. Dr. Torres (and she does expect to be addressed as either Dr. or Administrator Torres, thank you very much, she earned it) is basically the non-elected governor of the colony. She has authority to implement and oversee policy, the right to declare emergencies and deputize peacekeepers, and override access for most of the colony's systems. In theory. She is aware that anyone who got this role was an exercise in compromise, i.e., find the least offensive person to all nations involved, regardless of competence, but she is zealous in trying to prove her worth. Perhaps overzealous, some might say, especially given the current situation. We are an international mission from now hostile countries: "The colony is an exercise in the ability for many nations to work together in a harmonious vision for mankind. And I am the living examplar for the colony, for I alone was selected by the UN committee and not an appointee or employee of a particular nation or corporate interest. If I am hard on others, then it is because I want them to see their true potential and inspire them to greatness." Dust is Everywhere: "This is the essence of our colony's struggle: a vast red wasteland, yet when you look closely, it's just little bits of sand. Mere grains that are no true obstacle when you see it from the right perspective. Every speck of Martian dust that is cleared away is a reminder that we have power over the red sands, that we need only work on each small challenge at a time. And then we will look back and realize we have tamed a desert, grain by grain, just like that." Proprietary Technology: "Goddamn idiots! How can I run a colony when half the time my access codes don't work and the other half, I have to mix and match between three or four different company or national authorization rubrics? I know I could keep everything and everyone in order if I could just get full control of the systems again." JamezBfod: Name: Richard Wang AKA: "Joker" , "Yes I know what is short for Richard." Role: "Senior Executive of Waste (Excrement) Reclaimation. SEWER duty. AKA Lord of the Crap. You think a stiff is gonna work a gig like this?" We are an international mission from now hostile countries: "I know the resource wars are starting and I feel for you guys, but I know two things: Number one: There is a whole extra planet right here for taking if they can pull their heads out long enough to see it. And Number Two: Everybody poops." Dust is Everywhere: "What I really want to know is how does the dust end up in my underwear? I know the Scrubbers are doing a great job given our situation[c'mon everyone lets give our guys in red a hand here!] but my tighty whiteys end up pink by the end of the day and feeling like a rock tumbler!" Proprietary Technology: "I really don't get why the corporate representatives are still protecting their secrets. They left you here to die too! Man what I wouldn't give for a handful of basement dwelling supernerds right now. Hack an Iphone and patch us back into Earth so I can send the C.E.O. and board members of each of the megacorps A PICTURE OF MY MARS-SAND-CHAFED rear end!" Tyrannosaurus: Name: Ofisa Fa'asavalu AKA: Elder Ofisa Role: Head of Hydroponics and Agriculture. "H&A" for short. He likes to call his job: "crops and cooking." And he loves his job. He takes pride in it. He's good at it. But with all the recent, troubling developments on Earth and within the Isolation itself, Ofisa has felt a stirring call towards a second, more important position -- the saving of souls. Like so many other scientists, he'd been an atheist for years. But something about the vast, open expanse of space... the untamed, untouched wildness of the Red Planet... the hatred on Earth... the fear on Mars... it stirred an awakening in his heart. So he has (unofficially*) founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Mars Aspera Mission. It is the first ever off-Earth religious movement. It meets every Sunday and all are welcome. Attendance is both robust and... somewhat questionable. It's hard to say who are true believers and who are just, well, bored. It's not like there's a lot to do in terms of entertainment, after all. We are an international mission from now hostile countries: "When I was a boy, my father once told me that he didn't want me to grow up to me like him. He wanted me to be better. We are children of Earth but we are no longer of Earth. Perhaps this is our opportunity to better?" Dust is Everywhere: "Christ went into the desert for 40 days and he came out just fine. He was alone. And he was facing the devil. Here we are, wringing our hands and worrying about a little dust... Are we not better prepared in our mission? Are we not more excellently equipped? Are we not together as one? We are the best Earth had to send. We were chosen. To doubt our own abilities, our own worthiness, our collective competence, is to show a disturbing lack of faith. Not just in God above but, more importantly, in ourselves. We are better than that." Proprietary Technology: "There's something to be said here about 'giving unto Caeser' but... I really wish I had a bible. There are greater things to be concerned about than what another has." *until contact can be made with the headquarters in Salt Lake, any Mars branch of the church is technically unofficial Link to the Glossary Tekopo fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Jan 7, 2019 |
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Dec 28, 2018 01:13
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The Outpost
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Dec 28, 2018 01:23
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Very curious to see this in action, so I'm in. My vote is also The Outpost.
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Dec 28, 2018 02:25
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Am curious, probably curious enough to read the rules. Vote Sing the Earth Electric but The Outpost would be second
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Dec 28, 2018 04:25
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I really want Sing the Earth Electric but I guess it's The Outpost this time around.
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Dec 28, 2018 05:11
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I'd prefer Sings the Earth but would happily do the Outpost, as well.
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Dec 28, 2018 05:44
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Yes please! Yes! Please! The Outpost, s'il vous plait.
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Dec 28, 2018 06:20
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Glossary VEES n. Honorific. From the word "visa." Generally meaning: a person who is capable, dependable, skillful, hardworking. One who can "open doors." A leader. There is very little that separates members of the isolation in terms of qualifications. Everyone is an expert in their field. Everyone has a doctorate degree. Everyone is accomplished and published. Department heads were chosen politically, on Earth, with a myriad of national and corporate interests all vying for influence over the decision. So while official titles remain on paper, true leadership has emerged more organically. As has the new word for it.
PROPER n. A friend of convenience, with whom a bond is formed for the sake of gaining access to particular proprietary technologies, usually on a tit-for-tat basis. Sometimes mutual propers become true friends; in other cases, an unbalanced relationship forms. The term was originally used by technicians in survival-critical departments as a form of buddy system to ensure that they could access the full range of hardware and software required to do their jobs, and has since spread and mutated into its current, more informal meaning.
Tekopo fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Jan 14, 2019 |
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Dec 28, 2018 10:09
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Alright, let's get started. Our players will be UnCO3, ibntumart, occamsnailfile, JamezBfod and Tyrannosaurus. Sorry KhediveRex, hopefully I can run another game depending on how this one goes. The first thing we need to do is create the Isolation. I've decided to go for the Outpost since it was the second choice for a lot of people. The backdrop description is as follows: Two thousand brave souls, we departed Earth in the year 2045 as part of the first Martian expeditionary outpost. When we first left, we were told there would be more to follow, but in reality there never were. Over the five years that we've been on Mars, communications have broken down, and it has been years since we've heard from Earth. Like it or not, the Red Planet is now home. We will show these barren, hostile wastes what we're truly made of, and what it means to do more than survive.. We now need to create the three aspects that define the Isolation. The rulebook states the following in terms of aspect generation: Make it Big: if there is something that is fundamental to the Isolation, make it an aspect. Since the aspects act as the genesis of language, if you make an aspect related to something relatively unimportant to the Isolation, it won't see much use as the seed of the language of the Isolation. Make it Clear: Make sure that everyone understands what is meant by a particular aspect. Avoid trying to create something too esoteric or something that can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. Make it Bite: Make sure that the aspect is something that within the Isolation, people care about. Two of the aspects will be decided by questions. The last aspect will be a freeform one. Aspect Generation Questions We Are Chosen: What brought us all together for the mission? The Red Planet: What about the planet defines daily life? The Outpost is actually used as the gameplay example, so the example aspects are "We are running away from the past", "Martian Sandstorms" and "Space Freight Truckers". I can provide more examples from the book if you require them.
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Dec 28, 2018 10:23
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I take it this phase is a communal brainstorm session and we'll come to a consensus at the end... so here are my initial ideas. For the We Are Chosen aspect, I'll throw out "We are capable yet expendable." The idea is we're not the top-tier research astrophysicists, cutting-edge surgeons, best astronauts, etc., but we're well-trained and can perform our professional duties competently, if not innovatively. I think something to do with conservation and recycling would work with the {b]The Red Planet[/b] aspect. Something like "Waste nothing because we'll never get new supplies." For the freeform aspect, what about the idea of working around computers and robotics that we don't have full admin access to? Not sure how to word that one.
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Dec 28, 2018 10:40
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ibntumart posted:I take it this phase is a communal brainstorm session and we'll come to a consensus at the end... so here are my initial ideas.
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Dec 28, 2018 11:09
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ibntumart posted:I take it this phase is a communal brainstorm session and we'll come to a consensus at the end... so here are my initial ideas. So I'm going to suggest "Home thinks we're irrelevant at best, corrupted at worst" or something like it for the freeform aspect.
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Dec 28, 2018 12:02
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UnCO3 posted:Building on your idea for We Are Chosen, what if the mission was partly a propaganda display of international cooperation between rival axes of power, so they didn't send their very best because they needed them on/around earth? Then a new cold war started anyway, and we were cut off by both sides because we're inconvenient, self-sustaining, and possibly influenced by enemy ideology. Oh, I like that. A committee that just needs to get the most politically palatable team out the door and into the rocket in the way that will least piss everyone's government off. And then the political situation blew up into a massive cold war anyway.
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Dec 28, 2018 12:22
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I like the colony-by-committee aspect, that means the colonists probably assume others are spies as well, not that there's anything to report back to now but, are those old rivalries dead? And was everyone who wanted to be involved really represented equally? For The Red Planet I will suggest Dust: it gets into everything, all the time, it colors and stains everything various shades of red, it comes in varieties from near-pebbles to super-fine micrograins that foul electronics. Sometimes people think they see shapes in blowing dust storms, but surely that's just imagination. This could play into the proposed aspect of not having full access to all systems which I would offer naming Proprietary Technology as even on Mars, corporate entities try to protect "intellectual property."
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Dec 28, 2018 19:07
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Yeah that's a great idea. And it gives a good reason for our isolation.
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Dec 28, 2018 20:45
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So to summarise the options that you guys have proposed: We Are Chosen: "We are international mission from now hostile countries": You are all capable, but were always considered expendable. Red Planet: "Waste nothing because we'll never get new supplies.": You can't waste anything, since what you currently have is all that you are ever going to get. OR "Dust is everywhere": The dust from the planet gets into everything and is an omnipresent danger, but maybe it hides something further? Freeform "Home thinks we're irrelevant at best, corrupted at worst" : I think personally this ties in a little bit too much with the International Mission Aspect. OR "Proprietary Technology": Everything on the planet is owned by corporations that sponsored the mission and thus not everyone has access to everything. Let me know if you think something is missing. I'll be waiting to hear from JamezBfod before proceeding, as well as getting a consensus on what Aspects are actually chosen. Tekopo fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Dec 28, 2018 |
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Dec 28, 2018 22:16
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Free form pitch: We are true believers of the mission. We are extremely idealistic.
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Dec 29, 2018 01:10
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I am on board with the We Are Chosen aspect. I can see this playing into language choices. You want to express something, but maybe in a noncommittal or ambivalent way, or code doubt/menace/trust somehow while maintaining deniability. I like both Red Planet aspects, but incline toward the "Dust is everywhere" aspect. There surely are many words for dust and the problems it creates that can come up. You'd need shorthand rather than long descriptions of, .e.g., "a fine recently deposited coat of particularly sharp dust" everytime it happened. I really like the "Proprietary technology" Freeform aspect. I imagine this will be the source of new curses as well as actually practical words. Though the idealistic aspect would play against the We Are Chosen aspect in potentially interesting ways.
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Dec 29, 2018 01:17
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"We are international mission from now hostile countries": This is pretty good and a fair explanation of why we were cut off. I could easily see some Pidgin arising from the international aspects. Red Planet: "Waste nothing because we'll never get new supplies.": You can't waste anything, since what you currently have is all that you are ever going to get. OR "Dust is everywhere": The dust from the planet gets into everything and is an omnipresent danger, but maybe it hides something further? I would rather Dust is Everywhere because I'd like to think we had some NASA 3D printers or something(proprietary) where we could expand the colony for the incoming waves that will never come. If we'll never get new supplies then this whole thing is a race against a slow death in the hopes that Earth gets it together and sends help. Which could also be fun and I would roll with if the group so desired. Freeform quote:I think personally this ties in a little bit too much with the International Mission Aspect. Proprietary Technology: Hack the Planet. Or trade with the John Deere faction for food. I dig it.
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Dec 29, 2018 16:51
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We are international mission from now hostile countries Dust is Everywhere Idealistic I think these are my favorites so far.
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Dec 29, 2018 18:59
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Alright, please get your final votes in now so that we can proceed to the next phase: I’ll assume that Tyrranosaurus and JamezBfod have voted, but let me know if you change your mind
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Dec 29, 2018 20:48
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Tyrannosaurus posted:We are international mission from now hostile countries
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Dec 29, 2018 21:16
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Here’s my vote: We are international mission from now hostile countries Dust is Everywhere Proprietary Technology
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Dec 30, 2018 00:09
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Looks like occamsnailfile has the tiebreaker vote on the free form aspect! The other two are confirmed as International Mission and Dust is Everywhere.
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Dec 30, 2018 00:22
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Gosh, I hate being the tiebreaker. But I like Proprietary Technology I think for the dramatic hooks I feel it could offer.
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Dec 30, 2018 19:47
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Alright, now that the Aspects are set, we proceed with the Community Questions. Each of you will be asked a single question which will expand the backstory and current status of the Isolation. Ideally you should be the only person that expands on any given question. Remember to tie them in with your Aspects if you can. Some of the questions were answered partially when you created the Aspects, but you can always provide extra details/depth. UnCO3: How did communications break down? Which one of our Aspects played a role in this? ibntumart: How do we produce basic necessities of life? occamsnailfile: What type of structures do we live in? Are there places for communal gatherings? JamezBfod: For whom is life hardest here? Tyrannosaurus: What internal threat looms over us? EDIT: Also you don't need to answer them in the above sequence, just go ahead with your answer when you can.
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Dec 30, 2018 19:58
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Additionally, also communally come up with a name for the Isolation as well!
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Dec 30, 2018 22:12
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quote:JamezBfod: For whom is life hardest here? I want to call the communications breakdown simply "Silence". I have gotta say it's The Widowed. There were those persuaded to come on the trip with the promise that their spouses and families would be included with future waves. They even were made a specific point in the propaganda as humanity "building for the future" with this whole Mars boondoggle. Now they seem sullen and lost from the Corporate Reps down the the Scrubbers. If you were talking about jobs our debris control technicians(the aforementioned "Scrubbers") have to be it. They log the most hours worked with double shifts every dust storm if they are lucky and often enough in between too. They also have to suit up and go outside more than anyone and get the blame or the angry call when dust gets in anything.Which is always.
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Dec 30, 2018 23:09
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Just to clear it up, by naming your Isolation I mean to just name what the community is called.
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Dec 30, 2018 23:20
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Tekopo posted:
The living structures are a series of domes. Burrowing into the ground would have been more protective against radiation but would also have been more expensive so that didn't happen. The domes are somewhat golden-colored in Earth's light, being as reflective as possible to keep the soft meaty humans inside safe. Beneath that is a layer of aerogel concrete, the only substance light enough and strong enough to make the shapes required without immense internal supports. There are very few windows, again for shielding reasons, and indoor light is nearly entirely artificial. The specific shading of the lighting varies by area, and is supposed to reduce stress. The domes are nestled fairly closely together and connected by (usually) short breezeways. There were deliberately some very nicely designed plaza-type gathering areas--not parks, exactly, but places decorated with tile and a few plants, with benches and small walkways. These are under threat now due to increased needs of production if supplies are not coming. The settlement was intended to be "long-term temporary" and there are points where expansions could be built if materials were available. Living areas for non-leadership personnel are dorm-style, two to a living space. Couples are able to live together. There are no children on Mars.
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Dec 30, 2018 23:54
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Tekopo posted:Just to clear it up, by naming your Isolation I mean to just name what the community is called. Disney's Martian Adventure™
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Dec 31, 2018 07:08
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Tekopo posted:Additionally, also communally come up with a name for the Isolation as well! Aspera. Per aspera ad astra. Through hardship to the stars. I could see that phrase being tossed around a ton pre-mission, being painted on the sides of things, engraved into notebooks, etc etc
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Dec 31, 2018 15:57
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Tekopo posted:Tyrannosaurus: What internal threat looms over us? I'm going to tie this back into the international mission from now hostile countries bit. So... Security levels and door locks. No one has clearance to all parts of the Isolation. So there might be a bathroom next to your research lab but if it was built by a different country than yours, you're going to have to walk across base. Or find a friend to swipe you in. I'd like to think that there are, like, literal swipe cards or something for granting access. That seems hilariously low tech for this kind of mission and super bureaucratic. Edit: to go into greater detail as to why this is a "looming threat" rather than a mere inconvenience -- we run the risk of a major problem (a fire, a malfunction, some kind of airlock break) being visible but unaccessible to the people that need to get to it or could get to it the fastest Tyrannosaurus fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Dec 31, 2018 |
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Dec 31, 2018 16:04
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Tekopo posted:UnCO3: How did communications break down? Which one of our Aspects played a role in this? We had some idea of what was going on on earth from the news broadcasts that were part of the general transmission to Mars, and advance warning from some kind soul at mission control that things were going "case rust" and that "a compromise had been made", and then there was complete blackout. It took some time to piece together the truth from fragmented, often-encrypted communication log backups. As it turns out, the companies responsible for each part of our comms forcibly overruled our authority over every section of the system one after the other, silencing and deafening us in one terrible swoop. Some compromise, huh? They kept their technology safe from their rivals - good for them. Oh, and "case rust"? That means no more resupply for the foreseeable future. It turns out that preparations for this were... limited. Not to a 'lifeboats on the Titanic' degree, but still, we're in for a rough time. And that's with the advance warning from whoever it was.
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Dec 31, 2018 19:44
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Tyrannosaurus posted:Aspera. I like this one, and the Latin adds a hopeful sort of pomposity that would inevitably accompany a mission like this.
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Dec 31, 2018 20:38
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Tekopo posted:ibntumart: How do we produce basic necessities of life? We had a set amount of soil and vegetables from Earth. Potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, algae, and carrots are our mainstays. No meat unless you count the crickets, which help process plant matter and take almost none of the water supply. Speaking of which, the original plan to have enough to tide us over until the next colonists came with drills to tap into the underground veins of water. But since that may never happen, we zealously monitor water use and recycle every last drop of liquid, even sweat. Our moisture condenser is not powerful enough to draw much from the atmosphere, but we've managed over months to build up a very small emergency reserve. As for oxygen, our cold plasma processing units provide us with enough to sustain our community with sufficient oxygen and a healthy reserve. But the CPPUs are delicate and require regular calibration and maintenance. Given the brouhaha with security levels and door locks, it's not easy scheduling teams that have just the right mixture of clearance, keycards, and technical knowhow to stick to the recommended maintenance schedules. Tekopo posted:Just to clear it up, by naming your Isolation I mean to just name what the community is called. Glomming onto Aspera. I like it.
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Jan 2, 2019 08:49
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Alright, welcome to Aspera everyone. Now that we have finished creating the Isolation, we now proceed to the creation of your unique characters. I will soon send you all by PM (you all have platinum as far as I can see) three Archetype cards. You are to pick one of the archetypes and then introduce your character. Please provide the full text of your archetype card and then provide the following information: - Your Common Name: This is what most people know you by, either your given name or a name you adopted later on. - What Only Some Call You By: This is a word or phrase that only some people in the Isolation know you by. Examples are a nickname, an honorific, a special title or a name you'd rather forget. - What Your Role In The Isolation Is: This is largely tied to the archetype you choose, but you will need to provide further information beyond what is provided in the card. Try to make it big and important: it should be something that makes you a big presence within the Isolation. - How Are You Tied To The Aspects: The archetypes will specify how you are tied to the Aspects. So, for example, if the Archetype tells you that you fear one of the Aspects, you need to explain why you fear it. If your character identifies with a particular Aspect, explain how and why they identify with it. Tying yourself to the Aspects will help you determine the journey of your character through the game and how he is tied to the language of the Isolation. if you have any questions, let me know. Feel free to start your introduction as soon as you want. Also, I would also encourage you to create relationships between your characters at this stage and feel free to tie your own character creation with the one of a previous player. Tekopo fucked around with this message at 12:01 on Jan 2, 2019 |
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Jan 2, 2019 11:24
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You should all have your archetypes, let me know if you are missing them or something looks weird. Please bear in mind the following: When the archetype says that you identify with an aspect, it means that a part of your character's personality and identity is tied to that particular Aspect. Also, bear in mind that the Archetypes aren't meant to be taken as literal job descriptions, but are instead a reflection of the role that you take within the community. They can be tied to your job, but don't necessarily have to. One of the examples given within the rulebook is that one player chose the ORACLE archetype: the role for that particular character was as a weather watcher/predictor. EDIT: Also, feel free to provide a picture as well if you want. Tekopo fucked around with this message at 12:08 on Jan 2, 2019 |
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Jan 2, 2019 11:58
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quote:EXPLORER A.k.a.: "Doctor" Role: Deputy Head of Debris Control, otherwise known as Second Scrubber-in-Command, otherwise known as the highest-ranking person in Aspera who actually goes outside on a regular basis. I oversee and participate in clearing operations around the colony. This was supposed to be temporary, but with everything that's happened... We are an international mission from now hostile countries: I have to hand it to everyone on the mission, somehow we avoid going for each other's throats like our home countries, even if there's some residual favouritism from before we even launched over who's assigned which duties and privileges. There's this one guy from NASA who's always complaining about unauthorised dust getting into his grow beds - we both have PhDs, so why am I stuck out here air-hosing satellite dishes while you're inside, running experiments? Well, maybe I shouldn't be so bitter. Research is what you make of it, and I've got some potentially fascinating leads out here - far more interesting than "will these plants grow properly under Martian solar irradiation". Just you wait. Then maybe, maybe, I'll let you work on my project. Dust is Everywhere: The dust is bad, and the blame we catch whenever anything goes wrong is worse, but really, it might be a blessing in disguise. My crew and I, we've seen things out there, in the deep dust, things, shapes, forms, that can't just be down to chance. I don't have any hard evidence yet, but hell, I'm working on figuring this out every second I have free. We just need more cameras... and better cameras, ones whose lenses don't get scratched to hell in your average dust storm. And, well, if I'm wrong and there's nothing to see here, at least I tried, and maybe I found something interesting, but not groundbreaking. At least I pushed the boundaries, unlike that green-fingered rear end in a top hat-- Proprietary Technology: My hand's connected to the nozzle (Stellar Electrics), The nozzle's connected to the air hose (NASA Inc.), The hose is connected to the compressor (Sinovec International Concerns), The compressor's connected to the air pump (Everyready Industries), The air pump's connected to the power grid (ESA), and as if that wasn't a bad enough idea It's all connected to the Martian Internet of Things (Coloni) for diagnostic, feedback, and automated control purposes So there are half a dozen potential points for technical failure in every routine cleaning operation. My job is half actually leading the cleaning and half scheduling people with the right clearances so that we can even clean in the first place. And even if we do, who's to say it won't run into problems with our inscrutable IoT variant and get locked out of our own gear anyway? UnCO3 fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Jan 7, 2019 |
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Jan 2, 2019 12:32
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 20:46 |
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Also, I've added a channel for this game on my discord server.
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Jan 2, 2019 12:52
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