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Dawn and Dusk - a My Little Pony Roleplay (Sign up and OOC thread)

Started by Mabbz, February 10, 2013, 10:00:48 AM

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HectorSmash

Nevermind that there is at least one other extremely weather-attuned pegasus in the group, as well as two more pegasi who are guards...

kingofmonkeys

not to mention my post just went completely ignored and railroaded  >:(

Quote from: Minako on February 22, 2007, 04:43:31 PM
I'll be under your bed!! So watch out! I poke!
#15 to the new world

Mabbz

Oh bloody hell. Forget the ponies, I'm gonna need counseling after this! How has a nice RP about pretty pastel ponies turned into this?!

Everypony else will wake before they get burnt thanks to the screams, but it'll take an agility test to get out of a burning test occupied by two ponies without getting singed.

Quote from: kingofmonkeys on February 18, 2015, 12:55:53 AM
so.. you just ignored my post and cut ahead? i had something i wanted to do  :-\ thanks a lot man
I'm sorry. I thought you were just making idle conversation. I would have told Waaaghpower to wait if I'd known you had something specific in mind.

Quote from: HectorSmash on February 18, 2015, 01:00:11 AM
Nevermind that there is at least one other extremely weather-attuned pegasus in the group, as well as two more pegasi who are guards...
What is the relevance the presence of pegasi? It's past 1am here, so I think I may have missed something.

kingofmonkeys

well I did otherwise I wouldn't have ended with a post that was an active question to the group just waiting for some-pony to answer... I had some stuff I wanted to do before going to sleep and now it's kind of moot...  :(

Quote from: Minako on February 22, 2007, 04:43:31 PM
I'll be under your bed!! So watch out! I poke!
#15 to the new world

HectorSmash

Quote from: Mabbz on February 18, 2015, 01:09:04 AM
What is the relevance the presence of pegasi? It's past 1am here, so I think I may have missed something.

Pegasi are attuned to weather; presumably, that would include air currents, smoke, and flame.

More importantly, they're also able to perceive screaming!

HectorSmash

Post up.

Contrary to popular belief, an aggressive throat-slashing is not nearly as fatal as media makes it out to be. Mind you, an experienced individual would know that the killer cut is way back there in the neck, but with emergency medical care it's quite survivable.

That being said, one EMT can't do all this alone, and especially not without supplies. Cynder, Plumber, Pale, Hazy, and even the guards' actions will determine how successful this can be.

kingofmonkeys

OK so to be clear I had been actively waiting for the last few days for someone to respond to my post having checked  for responses regularly. Could you please make sure we're ready before moving on with something drastic in the future. Now I feel rather left out in the cold because it just seems like from my end it was just ignored completely to advance something else.  I guess I'll just eat the loss of what I had planned since there's really not going to be an opportunity for it in the future given what has happened now.

Quote from: Minako on February 22, 2007, 04:43:31 PM
I'll be under your bed!! So watch out! I poke!
#15 to the new world

Waaaghpower

So much ponies! I can't even!

Okay, Imma try and respond to all of this in big chunks based on what is being talked about, since I don't want to respond to each individual post but I do want to respond to everything said.

To Mabbz, talking about how dark everything has gotten: Originally I was going to try and set up a dense but extremely powerful lightning storm right above everypony camping, but I thought that would have been too easy for somepony to notice (Since, as HectorSmash pointed out, we do have quite a few Pegasi in the group,) and not reliable enough for mayhem.


On the subject of throat-cutting: It's true that it's not always fatal, but I rolled quite high on the 'How successful am I' roll and he would have been bleeding out for at least a minute by the time Backlash gets to him. It was the high roll that made me post he was dead right away, if the roll implied that I had only injured him, I would have stabbed him again. And if that hadn't worked, I would have stabbed him AGAIN. He's dead, Jim.


On the subject of Pegasi: I... still don't see how it's relevant, seeing as you woke up right after the tent fires started and you heard the screams. Being a Pegasus wouldn't have woken you up any sooner than


Lastly, on the subject of Plumber and skipping him: Again, I'm sorry about that, but I thought you were just making chit-chat, and I did make sure that everyone had seen your post and had time to respond to what you said. As a chain of events:
I said I was going to post (relating to what ended up happening, the attempted seduction or murder of Cloudy.)
After a few hours, you said you were going to post, and did so.
I didn't post, because I had nothing to say about snacking on oats. (And because I was feeling lazy.)
A day later, I said I was going to post that evening.
Narric posted in the group thread.
HectorSmash posted in the group thread.
Around two days after you posted, I posted in the thread having skipped to the night since nobody was doing anything.

I'll admit I rushed things a little bit since I was eager to get to the scene I had been setting up since we started talking about making camp, but considering the circumstances I don't feel guilty about it.

Also, unless your planned events would have exposed Nightmare Sky or very drastically changed the sleeping arrangements, I see absolutely no reason why we couldn't rewind and play it out. Since my scene with Cloudy really only involved two characters and wouldn't be changed much by what happened earlier, there shouldn't be any conflicts.
Super Mario 3D World is The. Best. Thing.

kingofmonkeys

"I'll post at some point this evening. Mabbz, I have a feeling this'll be a back and forth for at least a few posts, since I don't want to totally control the guard I'm talking to."

does not translate into I'm going to post something that assumes and forces actions on behalf of other players. None of your posts implied that you where going to move forward in such a fashion. I was waiting for someone to respond since I was under the apparently incorrect assumption that it was going to be responded to and I would be able to continue with what I wanted to do. Given that I never said Plumber was going to bed or ready for bed I really think you rushed a bit much. By the time I get home from work when you do decide to post you've steamrolled so fast that I'm sitting out in the cold in terms of what I had planned [edit] and yes by the way it is kind of a big deal since what i intended to do is no longer an option even if it hadn't changed sleeping arrangements.

Quote from: Minako on February 22, 2007, 04:43:31 PM
I'll be under your bed!! So watch out! I poke!
#15 to the new world

HectorSmash

I hate to bring things like this into a game, but I feel the need to do so now.

First, you are not the GM. Neither am I. Ultimate decisions are left to Mabbz' discretion; that's why I never post the results of my actions as though they were a foregone conclusion.

Second, as a real medical student, I can assure you that using a pocket knife to kill a horse would not do the job anywhere near fast enough to fit this narrative. Furthermore, Thunder is not a trained killer, and would have no idea how to go about such a vile thing. Backlash, on the other hand, is actually a medic, and has the knowledge (if not the immediate supplies, although she is also a naturalist of some capability) necessary to care for gruesome field injuries.

Third, since I'm getting everything out here, this is a game for all of us. It's Mabbz' game, yes, but if we're going to start leaving people behind without consulting anyone else first, I may as well put up a post right now saying that everything ended happily ever after without any input from anyone else. I'm not going to, because I like to think I'm a very thoughtful and methodical player, but it would be equally valid as taking the reins yourself, as a not-GM.

Of course, all of this is overridden by one thing I'm keeping in mind: this game was never intended to be this dark. The few deaths that happened, even as 'enemy' deaths, were severely damaging to the characters and, as I'm seeing now, ultimately catastrophic to the game world as a whole. They served their purpose as outliers, as brutal warnings to the characters to stray from their violent ways and seek peaceful resolutions. Thankfully, we were able to accomplish that for the remainder of the game, until now. I had thought that the constant comments on how dark things were getting, as well as certain GM actions to maintain the tone of the game, would be enough to get the message across to everyone that this is not Fallout: Equestria. But if it is...

I am going to fight you, and anyone else, tooth and nail to keep this game as light as possible. I did not join a Warhammer 40k roleplay. If that's what it becomes, I am out.

Waaaghpower

KingofMonkeys: I am sorry, I didn't mean to bowl all over what you were planning, but as I said: I hadn't realized you were planning anything, and when I moved things along Mabbz went with it. I had given relatively little indication that I was going to move things along (Besides asking about sleeping arrangements, who was going to be on guard, who I would be sleeping with,) but you had given absolutely no indication that you wanted to do anything of note besides a bit of character interaction to fill time. We've moved the story along and assumed basic things (Like tired characters going to sleep,) in the past, so I didn't see why we shouldn't here.

May I ask what you were planning to do? I can't say that it would or wouldn't have been important if you don't tell anyone anything about what you had been trying to do, and without any indications from you about what it was, all I can really say is conjecture which isn't much use. (Though I'm surprised that you hadn't brought up something so important either in this thread or to Mabbz in a PM.)


HectorSmash: On the subject of the throat wound, it wasn't a pocket knife, it was a hunting knife or a combat knife, the kind that military guard horses would carry around to use if they got into a fight. I don't know where you got 'Pocket knife' specifically, since it's been referred to as a dagger. (And Mabbz said it was heavy enough to conk a guard over the head and knock him out.)


I see your point about this being a group game, but I had thought I was consulting with Mabbz whenever I did anything. Asking what rolls to make, checking so I would know where everyone and everything was before I did things, but there's only so much I can and will do before the game comes to a grinding halt because I or anyone else has to ask so many questions that nothing ever gets accomplished. Mabbz never said stop, never said I couldn't do anything, never said I shouldn't do anything. (He did give an option for a less violent route, but that was it.) After I posted and said that the guard was dead, he didn't complain. Obviously we'll need to see what Mabbz actually says about this, but up until now I've consulted with him or left the option for corrections.


As for things getting dark... Sorry about that. When I roleplay, while I'll do what I think will be more entertaining or better for the story if it's in character, I do try and keep things in character whenever I can. It didn't seem right that Thunder would take near-rape, being lied to by the ponies she had trusted, finding out that she was a murderer and it had been kept from her for days, etc. very easily, and so I had her break down and seek forgiveness from the Princess. When that ended up making her into an evil Princess, I had her act like an evil Princess, but I still tried to avoid actually killing anyone. (If I had beaten Backlash I would have tied her up, if everything had gone according to plan with Cloudy I would have tied him up, etc.) Bad luck changed the course of things, but the growing darkness has been more of a step-by-step thing that I haven't been specifically trying to do. I personally don't mind a little darkness in a story, so I made no real effort to steer away from it, and since most of Mabbz's comments had been lighthearted exasperation or incredulity rather than annoyance or frustration, and I hadn't seen much of anyone really complaining about it, I never considered it as a problem so much as a mere story element. Even so, torching the camp was about as dark as I wanted to get. (I didn't want to sneak into tents and start killing everyone, and since fire is relatively survivable in movies and roleplays and such, though injuring and frightening, I thought it would be a fair compromise.)

Thank you for explicitly stating that you don't want things to get dark. From now on, I'll try and steer away from that.



(I'm not going to post anymore until Mabbz gets back in the discussion, since as you said he is GM. Final call is his, these are just things from my perspective.
Super Mario 3D World is The. Best. Thing.

HectorSmash

I've been complaining about it for a while.

Quote from: HectorSmash on January 09, 2015, 04:25:25 AM
Have I mentioned I hate intra-party conflict and general discontent/sadness/unease? Feels like my stomach's trying to turn itself inside-out...

I've been battling physical pain from stress related to the general bad feels in this game ever since the whole Nightmare Sky thing started. It's not really something to write home about, but it's worth mentioning that I don't really like to play a game that makes me feel like shit.

I just didn't raise a fuss about it because it was never -enough- to raise a fuss about. It's that eternal tale of the straw that breaks the camel's back, where I see a trend progressing slowly, slowly, but never quickly enough to justify really raising my voice about.

Waaaghpower

Quote from: HectorSmash on February 18, 2015, 05:40:00 AM
Quote from: HectorSmash on January 09, 2015, 04:25:25 AM
Have I mentioned I hate intra-party conflict and general discontent/sadness/unease? Feels like my stomach's trying to turn itself inside-out...

I've been battling physical pain from stress related to the general bad feels in this game ever since the whole Nightmare Sky thing started. It's not really something to write home about, but it's worth mentioning that I don't really like to play a game that makes me feel like shit.

Ooookay I don't know how I missed that. I am sorry about that, then. (I see the post was edited, is it possible that you only added that comment in the edit? I don't often read logs of conversations so if I thought I had already read what you said I may have missed the comment if it was added later. Not that this matters, I'm just curious about the mystery, since I'm surprised I don't remember reading that.) (And no, this doesn't count as me posting anymore until Mabbz gets back. I mean, I am posting anymore, but it doesn't count.)
Super Mario 3D World is The. Best. Thing.

Narric

Ooh, fire :P

With Cynders affinity with Fire, would it be possible for him to "Lift" the flames off the ponies, and disperse it safely?

Mabbz

In regards to skipping Plumber:
Mistakes were made, but they were honest mistakes, and apologies have also been forthcoming. I see no reason to continue any argument on the subject. Methods of rectifying the situation will be discussed below.

In regards to the cutting of throats:
I'm going to have to side with Hector here. Partly because he has actual medical knowledge, but mostly because in hindsight if Cloudy dies then I fully expect the whole party to dissolve. I probably should have suggested knocking him out in the first place, rather than suggesting pickpocketing, but I did not fully consider the consequences of that action.

In regards to the fire:
Being a Pegasus would not wake you up any sooner. Cynder can magic the fire away, with a Magic test with a +3 cutie mark modifier. I will say that I wasn't aware of what Nightmare Sky planned with the oil when Waaaghpower asked about it, but honestly I didn't even think about it at the time, so that was probably my fault. Had I thought that through properly, I probably would have said there was no oil to be found.

In regards to the grim darkness of the roleplay:
In hindsight, I shouldn't have given you weapons at all back at the start (except possibly some kind of dessert). In retrospect, I could and should have done more to keep the tone lighter, such as disallowing the attempted murder of Cloudy, but I never did through a combination of shortsightedness and an unwillingness to remove freedom of choice. I have no desire to railroad, and forcing a villianous sociopathic character to take a more moral choice just to enforce the tone isn't something I have any desire to do.

I will say that while I'm not happy with the direction this has taken, I am a Warhammer 40,000 player so I can't say it bothers me that much either. What does bother me is the feelings of my players. The problem that I am quickly coming to realise is that it may not be possible to keep everyone happy, especially now that I turned Thunder into a villian. All in all this, my first roleplay as GM, has gone quite badly wrong in a variety of ways. I promise that if I do any more RPs in the future, I will do my best to learn from this experience and make the RP more enjoyable for all concerned.

How to proceed:
The way I see it, we have three options to proceed so far. If you can see any others, please share them.

1) Continues the game from here, using the rulings I have made above. I will attempt to be stricter regarding the tone, and I aak you all to do the same.

2) Retcon back to Plumber's post, partly for his benefit and partly so that we don't have to deal with the blood and fire situation we have now. Lamp oil will no longer be available and the fact that rolls will need to be re-done should be sufficient to make KOing Cloudy into a better option (one strength roll rather than two agility rolls)

3) End it. I can attempt to write the rest of the story myself, making the ending as happy as possible, and maybe then I could try running a new campaign, one that will turn out better than this one (although I had been planning on running a 40k campaign next).

Disclaimer:
While some of what I wrote above may sound like it, I am not saying this campaign has been a failure. I am not going through another phase of thinking that I am a terrible GM, as I know that all mistakes I have made are honest ones and that I have been trying my best. So don't worry about me.

Also, any perceived bias towards or against any characters or player in this post is purely unintended. The same goes for if you feel I have glossed over any of your concerns.

Final thought:
In hindsight, I should have made this post into a letter to Celestia.