Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Demonic Spoon]

Use five divine power to improve the breeding rate of the Integrators.

[Spiderking50]

(Complex race -8, giant -2, hivemind -0, -enchanting song -3, permanent mental integration -5, multiple breathing stystems -2, moon bonus +2 = 18.) (Ten powerful followers were created.)

Don't I get some sort of bonus from my spheres? Just trying to work out how this all works.

You got your hivemind bonus. That's from your mind sphere. If they were made of water or shot water, or did something besides live in water then you might get something from your water sphere. Not particularly no. Spheres are mostly for flavor and define what themes your god will gravitate toward. They will sometimes earn you bonuses (maybe but probably not), but there is no clear and scientific way to do that. There's no real line as to what exactly falls within a sphere and how much less that should make something cost.

If everyone had a cost reduction on their specific sphere for all things relating to that sphere, it would be like we are just playing the game but everyone has a cost reduction for what they're doing.

So not really, you wouldn't get a cost reduction for creating an aquatic creature because of your water sphere, because then I'd have to give everyone a discount for their sphere, which would be silly because if everything is discounted then nothing really is.

I don't get a mind discount for the mind powers like the mind melding thing? Or heck, creating intelligent life?

The reason I thought I might get a discount for aquatic animals is you mentioned something about me getting a discount from my water sphere for creating the retconned seaweed stuff, but seems to have been retconned as well when I checked that post again.

You seem to be overcorrecting and making spheres meaningless tbh. Like for example, if I wanted to make a creatures that created water, would I get a sphere discount for that?

I'm not sure they really should have a huge game play effect. You're right, I am still working out the rules and you wouldn't get a bonus for that.

If you got a water bonus on your water guys, then Deny gets a clockwork bonus on his clock guys, DAPARROT gets a bird bonus on his bird guys, endlessblaze gets a fire bonus on his fire guys, and everyone does exactly what they are doing but get a +2 cost reduction on their actions. That then makes actions super cheap and then there's less strategic value in saving DP. It would not change the game in any way except make my life harder because I have to figure out what exactly fits in every sphere. I would have to figure out if things that drink water fall into the water sphere or if all creatures that move fall into the movement sphere.

As far as I can tell, there's no reason to give a permanent bonus for sphere actions because everyone is operating within their spheres because that's what their gods do. You all made them with stories because thats how you wanted to play them.

 I could impose penalties for doing actions that are outside of your sphere (like a fire god creating fish) and that would have the same effect as rewarding the spheres, but it will happen very infrequently (the inverse frequency of the rewards system actually). That would be a lot simpler and wouldn't have to be a big deal every time someone took an action. And it would make spheres matter from a gameplay aspect.

[Demonic Spoon]

(Complex race -8, giant -2, hivemind -0, -enchanting song -3, permanent mental integration -5, multiple breathing stystems -2, moon bonus +2 = 18.) (Ten powerful followers were created.)

Don't I get some sort of bonus from my spheres? Just trying to work out how this all works.

You got your hivemind bonus. That's from your mind sphere. If they were made of water or shot water, or did something besides live in water then you might get something from your water sphere. Not particularly no. Spheres are mostly for flavor and define what themes your god will gravitate toward. They will sometimes earn you bonuses (maybe but probably not), but there is no clear and scientific way to do that. There's no real line as to what exactly falls within a sphere and how much less that should make something cost.

If everyone had a cost reduction on their specific sphere for all things relating to that sphere, it would be like we are just playing the game but everyone has a cost reduction for what they're doing.

So not really, you wouldn't get a cost reduction for creating an aquatic creature because of your water sphere, because then I'd have to give everyone a discount for their sphere, which would be silly because if everything is discounted then nothing really is.

I don't get a mind discount for the mind powers like the mind melding thing? Or heck, creating intelligent life?

The reason I thought I might get a discount for aquatic animals is you mentioned something about me getting a discount from my water sphere for creating the retconned seaweed stuff, but seems to have been retconned as well when I checked that post again.

You seem to be overcorrecting and making spheres meaningless tbh. Like for example, if I wanted to make a creatures that created water, would I get a sphere discount for that?

I'm not sure they really should have a huge game play effect. You're right, I am still working out the rules and you wouldn't get a bonus for that.

If you got a water bonus on your water guys, then Deny gets a clockwork bonus on his clock guys, DAPARROT gets a bird bonus on his bird guys, endlessblaze gets a fire bonus on his fire guys, and everyone does exactly what they are doing but get a +2 cost reduction on their actions. That then makes actions super cheap and then there's less strategic value in saving DP. It would not change the game in any way except make my life harder because I have to figure out what exactly fits in every sphere. I would have to figure out if things that drink water fall into the water sphere or if all creatures that move fall into the movement sphere.

As far as I can tell, there's no reason to give a permanent bonus for sphere actions because everyone is operating within their spheres because that's what their gods do. You all made them with stories because thats how you wanted to play them.

 I could impose penalties for doing actions that are outside of your sphere (like a fire god creating fish) and that would have the same effect as rewarding the spheres, but it will happen very infrequently (the inverse frequency of the rewards system actually). That would be a lot simpler and wouldn't have to be a big deal every time someone took an action. And it would make spheres matter from a gameplay aspect.

If you have spheres only be fluff that's extremely frustrating for me. A fish god should have an easier time making fish. A fire god should have an easier time making fire. If you don't give some sort of incentive for us to act within our spheres, there's no gaurentee that we'll continue doing so. I might make mindless clockwork automatons to kill all life for example, because they don't have minds, and as such don't trigger my "minds other than my own" neuroses, and they'd be much cheaper to make than my integrators. In short, you're encouraging me to act in character while ignoring my spheres, which seems to indicate a broken system.

[Spiderking50]

The system is not broken. You simply want more out of it than is reasonable. You very well could do that because this is a game and you're allowed creativity. I'm sorry you find it frustrating.

If I were to implement a system where you're rewarded for playing like you designed your god then it would not be retroactive and I would have to increase the cost of every single other action to compensate.

Sorry I did not design this system to make you play within your spheres. It never occurred to me that someone would not want to play as the god they made or within the sphere they selected themself. I guess that one is on me.

[Spiderking50]

End of Turn 3


The state of the world (End of 3 / beginning of turn 4)
1.   Mountains, barren
2.   Microbial life
3.   Glaciers,
3.1 Snow Children, sulfur geysers, purple bacteria
4.   Barren,
5.   Barren
6.   Barren
7.   Barren
8.   Barren
9.   Barren
10.   Lake, poisonous fish, seaweed, lake coral
11.   Barren
12.   Barren
13.   Microbial life, lichen, and moss
14.   Fire trees
15.   Barren
16.   Barren
17.   Barren
18.    Microlife, small plants, forge trees, ANDs, (Previously unnumbered region)
19.   Barren
20.   Barren
21.   Islands, bacteria, grass, grasshoppers and chickens
22.   Barren
23.   Barren
24.   Barren
Water
1.   Microscopic life, Integrators
2.   Microscopic life,
3.   Microscopic life
4.   Microscopic life
Sky
1.   Lightning Bacteria, Arismits
2.   Lightning Bacteria, Arismits

Stats:

Name: The Blind Worm, the Devouring Maw
Stats: 6 DP, 2 WP, 9 IP

Through divine action your followers have reproduced incredibly quickly. (+3 followers naturally and 5 followers through DP)

Name: Valvatorez
Stats:  18 DP, 1 WP, 10 IP

Added geysers to region 3 and bacteria to geysers. You have created a subregion within region 3. Region 3.1 is a geyser field. You gain one WP from your snow children. They don't seem to worship you much.

Name: Arim
Stats: 12 DP, 0 WP, 10 IP

No change

Name: Toras
Stats: 10 DP, 0 WP, 9 IP

No change

Vornfar
Stats: 18 DP, 0 WP, 10 IP

Still no answer on your too early turn three move. So no change.


Sollia
Stats: 17 DP, 0 WP, 10 IP

No change since fixing post.

Sullag
Stats: 9 DP, 0WP, 10 IP

You create chickens and grasshoppers on the islands. The flock begins. (-2 for grasshoppers and 3 for chickens)

Name: Ignis
Stats: 5 DP, 0 WP, 8 IP

You create a cluster of fire trees. (-2 for complex plant, -2 for mana eater, -1 for fruit)

These numbers include your points for next turn.

Beginning of Turn 3
The storms pass without doing any damage to any areas. No gods or worshipers were injured. The sky is blank and dark. No moons or celestial objects shine down upon you.

Sorry for the lack of fluff on tonight turn post. It's 2:40 am here. I may go back and add some fluff in the morning.

Please post the area you are in when you take your turn. Its hard to keep track of all of you at the same time. So please just include it in your post. (I couldn't really do much with storms because I wasn't sure who was in the storm areas. So you all lucked out this time).

In addition, if there is enough public support for a an increase in sphere mechanics, I'll tweek my numbers. Please PM me your yes or no vote. Or if you don't want to vote, message me that too so I'm not waiting on it.

Turn 4. Ready, set, go.

[Demonic Spoon]

Spoiler: Sphere Stuff (click to show/hide)

The system is not broken.

Subjective. 

You simply want more out of it than is reasonable. You very well could do that because this is a game and you're allowed creativity. I'm sorry you find it frustrating.

No, I want spheres to mean something. If spheres are meaningless, then either don't include them in the character sheet, or mention that they're just fluff, since initially you indicated that they had a mechanical effect. I'm not saying we can only take actions within our spheres, I could very well make the omnicidal automatons, but it should be harder than doing something water or mind-related.

If I were to implement a system where you're rewarded for playing like you designed your god then it would not be retroactive and I would have to increase the cost of every single other action to compensate.

No? You could just lower our DP income.

Sorry I did not design this system to make you play within your spheres. It never occurred to me that someone would not want to play as the god they made or within the sphere they selected themself. I guess that one is on me.

I want to play as the god I made. I assumed that my god would have an easier time doing water and mind related things (since you said so), and those are his chief two concerns, and as  such I chose those spheres accordingly. As such, he would focus on doing water things and mind things. However, as the saying goes, creating is harder than destroying, so rather than making water and integrating minds, he's probably going to destroying land and killing non-joined minds now instead, since that's easier without the incentive of sphere bonuses.

With the personality I gave him, he's very rarely going to do mind and water related stuff in the future and instead making flying doomrobots who shoot lasers, destroying land and killing stuff. Because that's a more efficient way to achieve his goals. This isn't bad necessarily, but its somewhat disappointing.

[Spiderking50]

Multi-sphereing is allowed. You can have several if you want, but may receive less power in an action that only relates to one of your spheres (when compared to the power level you would have if all your divinity was focused on that sphere.) This won't always be the case, so don't let that deter you.

Spheres relate to your power. Doing actions/magic that are the opposite of your power will be incredibly difficult. Likewise, actions relating to your sphere will be easier (cost less or have greater effect). They don't have a hard numerical effect, it just loosely changes how you will be doing things. So, the answer is they provide flavor and some gameplay.

Flavor and some gameplay. Yes I said they can  have some effect. But no I do not want to say that you will always get a particular effect every time. Unless the players agree that is the system they want to play under.

You could have a permanent but significantly reduced effect instead.

It's not subjective. It is not the system you want, that does not mean that it is broken. It still provides a fun game to play and if you dislike this game so much, then you do need to play it.

I included them because they can have some arbitrary game effects (Namely your special abilities, which was as far as the meaning of spheres was going to go). Once again, your opinion and not fact. I think they should be included in the character sheet. The mechanical effect was the special abilities. Sorry you assumed that they meant more than that.

I don't plan on lowering DP income. That would slow the game down and make it harder for people to really get creative.

There is actually zero reason why you cannot play as if your sphere meant something. Everyone else is roleplaying their god without needing to be rewarded for roleplaying their god. That being said, play your god however you want. If you do not like the system because you assumed it meant more than it did, then you
don't have to play or you may start up a similar game with your desired and not "broken" system. I'm sorry you aren't enjoying the game and that this game is this frustrating for you. I never expected someone to be so exasperated by a slightly bumpy forum game.

[Demonic Spoon]

Multi-sphereing is allowed. You can have several if you want, but may receive less power in an action that only relates to one of your spheres (when compared to the power level you would have if all your divinity was focused on that sphere.) This won't always be the case, so don't let that deter you.

Spheres relate to your power. Doing actions/magic that are the opposite of your power will be incredibly difficult. Likewise, actions relating to your sphere will be easier (cost less or have greater effect). They don't have a hard numerical effect, it just loosely changes how you will be doing things. So, the answer is they provide flavor and some gameplay.

Flavor and some gameplay. Yes I said they can  have some effect. But no I do not want to say that you will always get a particular effect every time. Unless the players agree that is the system they want to play under.

That's fine.

You could have a permanent but significantly reduced effect instead.

That's also fine.

It's not subjective. It is not the system you want.

Hence I perceive it as broken. Thus its subjective for me.

It still provides a fun game to play and if you dislike this game so much, then you do need to play it.

First, please don't say ever say this again. It lowers the level of discussion, and quite frankly doesn't accomplish anything except making you look like a dick. No one is forcing me to play the game, I am doing it for my own enjoyment, and if I'm not enjoying it I wouldn't be playing. I'm quite aware I can stop at any time and all you saying something like that managed to do is spoil the somewhat good mood I had this morning, so thanks for that. I had to very deliberately step away from this discussion for a couple of hours to calm down because otherwise I might have said some things I shouldn't have.

If you want to stop discussion about a certain subject then just say so, rather than going "if you don't like it then don't play!"

Second, I don't dislike the game, I am quibbling about a minor aspect of the game. Tone isn't always perfectly transmitted through text and I apologize if I came across stronger than I intended.

I don't plan on lowering DP income. That would slow the game down and make it harder for people to really get creative.

Functionally, lowering DP income and raising the price of most of most of the stuff would have near the same result, but once again that's fine.

There is actually zero reason why you cannot play as if your sphere meant something. Everyone else is roleplaying their god without needing to be rewarded for roleplaying their god.

I am roleplaying. Which is why I have a problem that the mechanics don't reflect the roleplaying. It's not about being "rewarded" it's about how the rules mean that the roleplaying isn't in sync with the reality of how the world actually works.

I'm sorry you aren't enjoying the game and that this game is this frustrating for you. I never expected someone to be so exasperated by a slightly bumpy forum game.

Once again, I am enjoying the game, or I wouldn't be playing. That doesn't mean I can't also get exasperated by certain elements of it.

[endlessblaze]

"yes.....this should help...now then"

raise a dark tower, (think a tower made of raw demonite in terraria. glows with a dark light, looks amazing at night)

[DAPARROT]

Create gallimimus http://dinopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Gallimimus but make them territorial(will not share territory with same gender)so that their population stays in check

[Rolepgeek]

As the Sun danced across the Sky, so did the Burning Queen dance upon the land. And as she danced, embers flew from her fingertips and sleeves, scattering across the ground. Where they touched life, they smoldered with change, becoming seeds and eggs. Where they touched rock, they burned, and the ground burned beneath them as they were smothered by the earth. Where they touched sea, they were extinguished, and the merest specks of dust, bearing a hidden flame within them, were washed out to the deep ocean.

The seeds grew, becoming brilliant and lush. The tall grasses, amber and gold and all the colors of flame, waved in the wind like fields of flame. Sungrass, it would be called, and when it overgrew, the Sun would dry it out, and set it ablaze. And the ashes would let the new seeds grow in their wake.

The eggs hatched, tiny creatures of oh so many sorts crawling and hopping in it's wake. The Sundancer wished for her partner; she longed to create dancers like her, who could hear the Sun calling to them and run in it's wake. She was not the one meant to create these things, these foundations for the dance and the song.  That was His job. Why had he left her?

((Darn it I missed the moon))

Create Grass
Create Insects of various types

[Spiderking50]

I am very tired of being told that my system is broken. I have put in a lot of work to design it an feel personally attacked as this is the second time a minor game play issue has caused friction. I tried to be considerate about the last one, and will do so again. I hate to reward bad behavior, but Demonic Spoons has a fairly good point (despite conveying it in a less than ideal way). As a result I will adjust my numbers, the moon cycle, the monster system, and the champion system to better include spheres without waiting for votes. Which is fine, as it could make the game more rewarding to play for some players, but shouldn't have a huge impact on the way things are going now. I'll work to improve these today depending how Fathers day with my family goes.

I wanted to change champions anyhow, as I'd like them to be more like Iituem's Pawn game. Its just a little different because not everyone has humans (or a race yet) and so personalities can't be randomly assigned (there aren't may comedic golems, for example).  I just have to figure that out. Perhaps I should have had everyone start with a race, but its a little late for that now.

[Demonic Spoon]

Even as around me my meagre extensions called out their frail songs, through their eyes I saw the water around me. The gentle caressing currents comforted me, but there was a strange shining light above, so bright. With curiosity I swam up to investigate this strange brightness from above, moving faster and faster, water around sliding around me as I surged forth.

And then the comforting embrace of the water vanished. I screamed, as a sudden lack of wetness attacked me, horrible dry desiccating my skin and suffocating me. I fled back into the water, slowly recovering as wetness soothed and healed my parched skin, even as my mind churned with the need to remove this horrible new dryness that had appeared. All would become water! Drops of ichor drifted down from the surface where I had faced assault of dry, I focused my will upon them, and where they sank into the sand great coral reefs sprang up.

Use 4 Divine Power and 2 Ichor to create the Waterheart in Water Region 1. A great coral reef that constantly spews out water created from nothing.

Use 2 Divine Power to create Manavore Plankton, tiny creatures that feed on ambient mana, and seaweed in Water Region 1.

Use 2 WP to make one of the Integrators a Mage Champion.

I am in Water Region 1

Through divine action your followers have reproduced incredibly quickly. (+3 followers naturally and 5 followers through DP)

So the DP gave me a once-off bonus? I was hoping for something more permanent, but this is fine too. Is it possible to use DP to gain an permanent increase reproduction rate of my creatures?

Name: Valvatorez
Stats:  18 DP, 1 WP, 10 IP

Added geysers to region 3 and bacteria to geysers. You have created a subregion within region 3. Region 3.1 is a geyser field. You gain one WP from your snow children. They don't seem to worship you much.

His DP is messed up. Not only did geysers and bacteria not cost any DP, his DP income is higher than the 5 the rest of us seem to be getting (He was at 12, is now our 18, in other words, he got +6)

I am very tired of being told that my system is broken.

Understandable. If I get too annoying you are allowed to tell me to just drop the topic.

I have put in a lot of work to design it an feel personally attacked as this is the second time a minor game play issue has caused friction. I tried to be considerate about the last one, and will do so again. I hate to reward bad behavior, but Demonic Spoons has a fairly good point (despite conveying it in a less than ideal way).

I didn't mean it as a personal attack. Changing rules mid-play can be annoying though. I don't so much have a problem with the game design, as with the game design changing mid-flow, pulling the rug out from under me.

Everything else is mostly comments trying to point out problems and thus bring improvement. I give feedback because I care.

I wanted to change champions anyhow, as I'd like them to be more like Iituem's Pawn game. Its just a little different because not everyone has humans (or a race yet) and so personalities can't be randomly assigned (there aren't may comedic golems, for example).  I just have to figure that out. Perhaps I should have had everyone start with a race, but its a little late for that now.

A sort of deadpan or sarcastic golem can be plenty humorous. In any case, every god is likely to make their own race at one point or another so that's probably not a problem.

[TheLordofHouseRiley]

Vornfar Turn 4:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Vornfar growls with impatience at how slow his creation comes along and how slow it has taken for the hunt to begin. He began to claw at the shores of the lake and to roar. From where his claws drug across a ground grasses and food bearing shrubs began to sprout up. Prey animals in there multitudes began to spill forth from vornfar's jaws. As well as his first land based hunters (coyotes, foxes, and other small lupine predators). But still this was not enough Vornfar was not pleased for his hunters were so weak so he focused his energy into creating a predator that could hunt on both land and sea as well as face down the many threats of this barren world. He molded from the earth the Great Scorpions a species of giant scorpion which while having traditional breathing apparatus also has small gills allowing it to survive underwater as well. The creatures venom caused not death but paralysis and a most potent form of paralysis at that.

Simplified Turn

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Create shoreline ecosystem including small and medium sized prey animals (rabbits, deer, etc....) and smaller predators (coyotes, foxes, etc.....) Then he creates his first apex predators basically ( http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/ark.gamepedia.com/d/d2/Scorpion.jpg ) with the addition of gills as well as a slow metabolism allowing them to cross the barren stretches of world with little worry of starvation.

Current Region

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Region 10

[Spiderking50]

Hmm i'm not sure on the Valvatorez thing. I thought he had 17 spent 4 last turn and then got 5 this turn. Giving him 18. I could be mucked up somewhere.

I have tweaked with the numbers a little bit. I can make spheres more important without decreasing DP costs. Its just going to make nonsphere/mundane actions a little bit more costly. Acts like raising a mountain, creating a river, or acts of creation that aren't directly spherical may cost a tiny bit more to keep the value of DP high and useful. (Its a good thing I kept my econ textbook from last semester).

Champions and monsters should really come into the forefront on either turn 5 or six. (I originally planned on 5, but am adding spheres to monsters and working on champions creation. I was going to make them totally random, but then I don't want players to have wasted a ton of WP on a champion who is lazy or cowardly. I think I'm going to make their personalities randomized, but allow players to spend more WP to pick from lists. So if they have 4 random personality traits it would cost 1 to make the champion a champion, and then an extra WP can be spent to choose from a short list of random traits with each one costing one). This cost would compound with the faith/obedience cost. 

So to make a champion it would cost 1 WP (to start) + X WP (for amount of personality controlled) + Y WP for level of obedience/faith/dowhatyousay.

That way champions are semi-customizable, but still have an element of being semi-random NPCs. Plus you can better customize the amount you want to spend. If you just want a person to generally muck about in your honor you could spend one and just get a rando. Or you could guide their personality and their faith for a cost. There is some risk and reward going on in there as well.

What do you think of that system? Does that sound good? I want to get that really fleshed out before its a big mechanic.