Alternate Timeline

[Luther]

Right now I am actually leaning towards keeping the game on next week - so don't book anything up yet.  

I have kind of a crazy way to abbreviate this game - it will be real wacky, but might be neat if it works - I would never do this with a full game.  Basically, I am thinking about chopping 7 sessions out of the middle of my original timeline and replacing it with 2 one-shot games.  

For the one-shots I will probably pre-gen chars with some player input, and I would want to play for a long stretch 7-8 hrs on some weekend day.  If people have to miss one or the other one-shot, it shouldn't matter too much.  

It'll be sort of kooky - kind of a montage to cover what would have been covered in those 7 sessions, and then the game will pick back up on the other end.  Basically - this is effectively the second "intro" game and I am in a hurry to rush it along so we can get to the real McCoy (which will be the third game) - but I don't want to create inconsistencies or leave out valuable content in my wish to rush.

I am guessing (and it has to be guessing, because PCs can be so creative about derailing my plans - which is why I love them so) that that would leave us with about 8 sessions left in this game.  Then we can move on to a game that is a hair less deterministic because we will be done with our "prequels" (more accurately "intros") and ready for the real game I want to run.

I want to get feedback on this before I make changes - I know a lot of you are having fun with your chars and have put a lot of work into them, and 8 more sessions with them may not seem like much - but remember that things that happen in one of these archs can have repurcussions in others - I think people will be pleased with how these chars impact the rest of the game.  Also - know that the next game is predicted to last 2 years or more - so you want have the same issue with the next game.

[Derrick Heyoka]

 I like the current game, if the next is going to last like two years, do we really wanna rush another 8 sessions?  I dunno I'm kewl with whatever though.....................

[Luther]

OK - so that was one no vote, and nobody else has responded.  Good lord the boards have been dead the last couple of days.  Anyone else have an opinion they would like to share with the class?

[Rainee]

you're the boss =)

[Luther]

Well yeah - their is a "Master" in "Game Master" but it is all about having fun in the end.  If more people feel like Shmoo that they love their chars and would like to spend more time with them before moving to the next installment - then I will do as Hollywood does and bend to the will of my consumer.

[Derrick Heyoka]

Well... I'm enjoying my character.  I'm a little worried that if I play him for too long I might catch some of his stupid, but hey I can swing 8-10 more games I'm sure...

[Louisa Ming]

Wait, let me get this clear.

It's the difference between 8 sessions to go (w/ 2 of them being very long session) versus 13 sessions to go?

[Louisa Ming]

And I'm enjoying my character too. I can't stand playing bitches for very long, and it was only because this was a "shorter" game that I thought I could do it (without getting to the point where I hate myself), so having this opportunity has been fun!

[Derrick Heyoka]

I'd misunderstood, I thought he was saying the "long" alternative was the eight sessions.  If cutting the game "short" is still eight sessions, I'm kewl with either option I s'pose.  

[Luther]

OK - so I am going to try to do this through a mix of e-mail play, board use, and mixed sized games.  This will cover approximately 1 week game time.  As you continue down the road to the Black Fortress (I won't give it a name for Mark's sake - but yeah, everyone else knows what it is called, and like me, can neither spell or pronounce it), you will occassionally end up somewhere else (lot of leeway there - vague on purpose) for a time with some of your brethren.  You will still be attending class in the day time.  Basically:

1) I will use the board to post info about your school assignments and how they shift throughout the week.  If you have any roleplaying you wish to do with instructors or classmates, we can do so through e-mail or on the boards.

2) If you want to talk to everyone about stuff, use the Beginnings Board but put IC in parens after the subject so that everyone knows that it is IC.  If you want NPCs to respond as well, mark it IC-NPC.  You will be able to talk to anyone and everyone both in the real world (actually in that case limited to the contents of Pod 1,3,4 or classmates) and in the other world (all pods) while walking on the road.  This IS LIVE, so unlike the Augusta boards, talking to someone on the boards does not preclude them getting pissed and frying you, picking your brain, etc, etc.  If dice need be rolled, we will probably get together.

3) If you have actions to perform in the real world (like building radios), we will need to get together and handle them.

4) I will post news items as they continue - and I will announce when we have moved forward in time.  All actions will be linear - so if your session occurs before someone else, then it occurs before someone else, and you can discuss to your heart's content once you rejoin them on the road.

5) The actual sessions will occur with 1-3 players and any number of NPCs.  I am going to schedule them based on convenience.  Every one will have 1 solo, and 4 games total.  Occassionally something will happen that is just sort of trippy and fucked-up but doesn't represent a serious opportunity to roleplay.  For these I will summarize via e-mail and get a general reaction.

6) I am guessing this style of play will last 2 months or a little more.  I know that means the volume of games go down for everyone but me, but I am hoping that the small group sizes makes up for that and gives you more of a starring role for a time.

Anyone have any issues or concerns with this?

[Brak Zanagin]

Sounds like an interesting way of running things.

[Louisa Ming]

Sorry I didn't see this message before. Things make more sense now. I'm game. (Heh.)

Any particular time we'll be scheduling?  I can generally keep Tues - Thurs free.