An Update.
So. I was quite surprised, and dumbfounded by the generosity presented here. I'm not really sure what to say about it, other then just thank you. Uh. Well, an old friend of mine, and who is also working on their own mush based on Bleach the anime & magna, has kindly picked up server cost for Navitas. So we're back up. I've also picked up two more developers. One is in a work exchange, where I offer my tutelage in exchange for the work on the grid. The other, is also an apprentice, and hopeful full on staffer in time. I like teaching, I've been mu*ing for over 10 years, and I was never not staffing some place, so I'm quite happy to pass on what I've learned to others.
Now for the game. Well, the current goal is still an Open House, after Character Generation is done. Some of you may be asking, why this is taking a very long time. And, it is taking a long time. My game, is pretty large, and largely its just me working on all by myself. There some things where I've out right refused to work on myself. (And if you're curious why, I can go into it.)
But beyond the fact that its large, its also something I want to do really well. I can do a pretty general, average CG in a few hours and get every thing settled. But, thats not what I want for Navitas CG.
I have an expansive game, and its CG is also expansive. So my overall goal is to make CG as self explanatory, and self contained as possible. I dont want pending players having to muck through news files to figure out what things are, or what they want to do. Its a CG process that I dont see very often, but its what I think would be best for Navitas, and its also hard thing to do, which I like. I like the personal challenge, in both the design of it and its execution all the while trying to make it pretty.
So CG workflow goes something like this:
The Gist Room: This room would a TL;DR of the games theme and inspirations. Its meant to give a quick impression that is also catchy without having to go through news files to find it.
Race Room: So, we start with the Race Building. This is sorta pre configuration before character generation actually starts. My first hurdle with this room, was condensing a ~1300 word document to 15ish sentences under 80 characters in length, and I really need them to be about 39 characters in length, so that I can fit two per line.
I want characters to really make their own super natural creatures. And I've provided a series of neat Plug Ins to help structure this. The bitch here is that I cant just accept any ole creature. Its possible form these plug ins to just make an entirely over powered creature, or make a creature that un-themely, or something overtly offensive for the sake of being offensive, or just really fucking stupid. Though, I suppose the main reason why it must be approved, is because its a semi serious things to have your new creatures put into the game. As its not just your character. I want this creature to be larger then the character itself, and I want them to part of the Stock Races. I want to make NPC based on these things and make a whole thing with them.However, I gotta also offer a Stock Race selection too, for folks that just dont want to make their own thing, its also an easier quicker process if they pick a Stock Race too.
So yea. I had to condense this large document down into these snippet sentences to act as a selection screen. Then I have to take these sentences and manually format it into the room. The formatting isnt hard, it doesnt require a lot of skill, but it is time sink. I'm not done. Its really boring. I have few more screens like this for this room, in order for it to be done. Its where I'm out now. See, its not that I dont have the information for CG. Its presenting it to the pending players thats the issue.
Next we have the Stats, Cores, Actions and Alterations. This room is pretty generic. This is where you buy your Stats through a point buy.
Then I'm not sure. I have a couple ideas of where I want to go with this. See, Cores, are something akin to 'Skills'. They're used at the core of any Verb in the game system, but they arent restricted to just being One thing. So like you can have an Private Investigator Core, that can be an abstraction of various PI skills. Or Ninjustu can be both sneaking/stealth and combat skill. Its more or less things that your character is good at. But some things, which matter more so mechanically cant be grouped into just one skill. So, for instance, Magic is right now broken into lots of different Specializations. I'd imagine that Super Natural creature abilities will have to have a particular Core too. Part of the reason for this, is for passive balance. You increase your Cores with XP, so a vampire, if all their vampirary skills were lumped together into one skill would be 'cheaper' to level up then if they were all spread out, but it also lets players to Spec out differently too. I also dont have, and dont want a finite Core list. I will defiantly be having a Stock Core list, as they'll defiantly be lots of common Cores that folk want.
Now these Cores arent paid with a point buy system. You get to make your own, then set your Proficiency with that skill. This does require that players not being dicks. If you have, what I determine to be an annoying/excessive number of skills, they'll require substantive Character Background justification. The same thing for Core Proficiency levels as well. The higher you want your Proficiency to be, the more justification it'll need in your Character Background.
Actions are Combat Actions (CA). You get a serious of generic ones. Like Physical CA (abstraction hand to hand fighting), or Firearms CA, and then Dodge CA and Block CA. So, if you want some sorta spiffy CA to start with, or if your personally created Race has a spiffy ability that is best represented through a Combat Action. It'd go here. This bit might be a bit large too... As every CA that you want to be custom, would be something similar to a An Advancement Application thingy. As these new CA have to programmed into the combat system by staff. But those things are always a pita and buzz kill. I want players to have spiffy unique CA out of CG. So yea. No idea how to fix that... My current thought is to just have a name, and explain what it is does in a paragraph with some sorta grace period on the game for it to be adjusted as the Player has a better understanding of the game. I dont know if that'll be functional.
Alterations, are things that Alter yourself or CA in the combat system. These will be transformations that you might have from your personal or stock race. This has a similar issue with CA, as it does need something like a An Advancement Application thingy.
The Room after that is the Wealth and Personal Holding stuff. This room should go pretty smoothly. As these are just questions about your character spending habits, what not, for the behind the scene mechanics for the Economy System. You also get to set your Wealth Level. If you want to be Rich, I'm chill with that, BUT your wealth is not a resource for yours alone to exploitative or psedo cheat the game. Your wealth is own by the Game, and can be used by The Game without your consent or prior knowledge. The richer you are, the more this'll matter and it'll need a background justification.
As for Personal Holding. This is just a descriptive paragraph that your character owns. Staff will handle the set up for that mechanically. If you want/need anything unique/special that'll need more attention as it'll need to be explained and approved, as chances are it'll need to be handle as an IoP and subjected to the same rules as IoPs in general.
After that, is the Double Check Everything room. This is where you'll write your 2+ descriptions and see that double check everything then wait to be approved. Hopefully, I'll be able to get you approved pretty quickly. Unless you want lots of special stuff, then that'll take me a bit.
So yea. Now, beyond that, I've also changed how I wanted to tackle how to do CG. Back in July, I thought I needed the soft coded News System up and running first, and spent a fair amount of time and more false starts then I'd like to admit before I moved on with what I have now.
Also, would anyone wanna hang out on the mu*? There is stuff on there! But... I view making that stuff visable to players low priority. Though you'd be welcome to walk whatever part of the grid there is and yammer at me or at others.
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Topic: Navitas: The City Limits (A Mush in Development) (Read 34409 times)