5e - why you think it sucks, and why you're wrong

[PrinceofNothing]

See? See how obnoxious that sounds, to end posts like that? Just cringey, man.

Far less obnoxious and embarrassing then the rest of your post, I assure you. I am going to avoid engaging with you on the forum since some people seem to enjoy your company and I see no reason why that should be hindered. If you want to try again with another topic, I'll sail around it no problem. But this situation is just going to repeat itself until you sort yourself out.

 

[The Heretic]

We could always share adventure ideas and stuff instead

But...but...why would we want to do THAT?

 

[Grützi]

But...but...why would we want to do THAT?

Hell if I know ... must have something to do with this thingy called "fun" that most people associate with our hobby.
Maybe it's time for another contest?

 

[The1True]

We could always share adventure ideas and stuff instead

Man, I miss doing that. I really do.

 

[gandalf_scion]

Adventuring Idea:

Another cohort of young people recently abandoned their apprenticeships to join that secretive cult at city center. Why does the Lord Mayor allow this? Why do none return? What’s going on beyond those cyclopean doors? Perhaps it’s time for an obscure group of “expendables” to infiltrate that fane.

 

[squeen]

...it seems as though some are fond of my uphill struggles in these times, and some members *cough squeen cough* have certainly made a good platform out of it.

Busy moving the kids out of dorms the weekend...and I missed all this!?

But...but hey, wait...what-d'-I-do?

(*sigh*) Times of Peace are so short-lived.

 

[The1True]

Maybe it's time for another contest?

Dude. Maybe it's time to help finish the monster you started over at GameTheoryCoop!

 

[squeen]

Man, I miss doing that. I really do.

A few points:

1) This forum has going for it that a broad bunch of gamers, across multiple editions, visit it. In that sense, it's less of an echo chamber than most places. I value that diversity of thought.

2) Most of yours & DP's design work (The CoOp stuff) was moved off-forum. That put a damper on things.

3) Posting of actual content is slow, and seems to garner very few responses. Truly, things got super quiet until Beoric dragged out the ADDICT (anti) 1e stuff and the edition-wars returned. Suddenly, BAM! everyone started posting again (which is good). I think people like (or it's easier) to talk about the game more than the specifics of play---the latter being more work, and possibly feels like talking about someone's children---interesting primarily to the parents.

4) Grutzi wins all the contents. He's unbeatable.

EDIT:
5) I liked the crazy stuff at the end of Prince's posts.

 

[squeen]

Adventuring Idea:

Another cohort of young people recently abandoned their apprenticeships to join that secretive cult at city center. Why does the Lord Mayor allow this? Why do none return? What’s going on beyond those cyclopean doors? Perhaps it’s time for an obscure group of “expendables” to infiltrate that fane.

I'll bite --- but should be in it's own thread?

 

[squeen]

Another (timely?) stray thought...

As a teenager/youth I had no trouble "fitting in" with the main-stream kids. I looked "normal", dressed "normal", played sports a bit, could tell situationally appropriate jokes, etc.

But the kids I always sought out as friends were the ones who didn't. Before the early 2000's faux "geek sheik" that associated brains = technology = $$money$$ = popular so that the majority started wearing a public "smarty-pants suit" and loudy proclaimed their "geekiness". True geeks were the folks who were low in the social peeking order because they were bad at cultural assimilation. They "stood out" and couldn't help it. ... Awkward communication skills. Oblivious to social norms. Not something they could turn on/off.

But I just found those people --- with off-the-wall ideas, hyper-active intellect, too-mature tastes, outsider mentality, enthusiasm too fiery to ever pull off "cool" --- WAY more interesting. I'm fairly boring, but I sponged of their intelligence and drive.

But here's the rub. You can't expect those same folk not to be quirky. You can't expect them to behave or think like you. You can't even expect them to conform to social norms of communication. You can't even expect them to be good at servicing their end of a friendship! (Ever watch Cumberbatch's brilliant Sherlock?). You have to take the irritating with the genius --- cherish the bizarre (never shame it!) --- or else seek out different companions in life.

The catch is "normal" folk don't ooze "interesting". They keep it locked up.

...and they don't get goofy about D&D.

Even on the internet.

So pick your poison.
...
Food for thought.

 

[Pseudoephedrine]

3) Posting of actual content is slow, and seems to garner very few responses. Truly, things got super quiet until Beoric dragged out the ADDICT (anti) 1e stuff and the edition-wars returned. Suddenly, BAM! everyone started posting again (which is good). I think people like (or it's easier) to talk about the game more than the specifics of play---the latter being more work, and possibly feels like talking about someone's children---interesting primarily to the parents.

I think there are too many subforums here, layered too deeply. I can't actually find half the forums without actively hunting them out. Some of the subforums should probably just be threads.

 

[EOTB]

3) Posting of actual content is slow, and seems to garner very few responses. Truly, things got super quiet until Beoric dragged out the ADDICT (anti) 1e stuff and the edition-wars returned. Suddenly, BAM! everyone started posting again (which is good). I think people like (or it's easier) to talk about the game more than the specifics of play---the latter being more work, and possibly feels like talking about someone's children---interesting primarily to the parents.

It gets back to time. There's talking about ideas and there's an adventure review board. One is shooting the shit, the other is an afternoon. I don't have many free afternoons.

That's not to discourage in-depth adventure posting. But I won't be able to go in-depth in response. The thing with the edition-warring stuff is: it doesn't take any time at all. These aren't hot or fresh takes. I can respond to that in 5 minutes or less. Original ideas aren't comparable.

 

[EOTB]

Adventuring Idea:

Another cohort of young people recently abandoned their apprenticeships to join that secretive cult at city center. Why does the Lord Mayor allow this? Why do none return? What’s going on beyond those cyclopean doors? Perhaps it’s time for an obscure group of “expendables” to infiltrate that fane.

Maybe they do return and they just aren't recognized

 

[Beoric]

2) Most of yours & DP's design work (The CoOp stuff) was moved off-forum. That put a damper on things.

3) Posting of actual content is slow, and seems to garner very few responses. Truly, things got super quiet until Beoric dragged out the ADDICT (anti) 1e stuff and the edition-wars returned. Suddenly, BAM! everyone started posting again (which is good). I think people like (or it's easier) to talk about the game more than the specifics of play---the latter being more work, and possibly feels like talking about someone's children---interesting primarily to the parents.

Yeah, I didn't mean to start an outright war with that. Although I couldn't resist that post when I found the resources, I'm really more interested in comparative mechanics, not edition bashing. But its hard to have those discussions without people getting a bit emotional about it.

WRT collaboration on content, I think it is tough when you have a number of different design preferences. The Co-op stuff wasn't the sort of module I would run, so I couldn't get excited about contributing. And I'm not sure anyone is interested in the sort of serious and earnest content that I prefer. That, and I find the forums to be a terrible collaboration tool, especially if they are not being project managed in some way.

 

[Beoric]

Adventuring Idea:

Another cohort of young people recently abandoned their apprenticeships to join that secretive cult at city center. Why does the Lord Mayor allow this? Why do none return? What’s going on beyond those cyclopean doors? Perhaps it’s time for an obscure group of “expendables” to infiltrate that fane.

The Lord Mayor allows it because the cult helps to finance the activities that keep him as Lord Mayor. If this is not a democracy, they finance the bribes and swanky parties that keep him in favour with the king, and those who have the ear of the king. Because the Lord Mayor's estate is secretly destitute, squandered by his father, and burdened with the cost of addressing his siblings' scandals and indiscretions. And the cult leader knows this, and knows his family's secrets, and could ruin him at any time.

 

[gandalf_scion]

Wow! Thanks for the great feedback on the "secretive cult" Adventuring Idea.

What say ye of these hooks?

• An agent of the church approaches players in secret with an offer. If they will infiltrate the cult and report back on its structure and purpose the church will provide them with all manner healing for the rest of their lives at no cost. But they must tell no one of this benefit or that the church retained them.
• A madame, angry over the loss of still more talent, offers a secret deal. If the players can recover her most precious dancer, Soira Sorcha, the madame will reward them with connections in high places. But they must tell no one of this arrangement.

 

[Beoric]

Hmm. What kind of cult is it? Is it brand new, or derived from an existing established religion?

For hooks, how about rumours of local businesses closing down because they are donating their worldly goods to the cult; the cult's coffers must be spilling over by now! And one of the central relics of the cult is large cup carved from a single ruby!

There could be hooks associated with the local established religions, but they depend on what type of cult it is.

 

[squeen]

How about EOTB's idea taken to an extreme. The people come back, but they are shape-shifting creatures from the outer void....body snatchers-style. They are slowly taking over key positions in the city and if not stopped here, with spread from villiage to city to kingdom. No one can be trusted--even in your own party.

 

[Beoric]

How about EOTB's idea taken to an extreme. The people come back, but they are shape-shifting creatures from the outer void....body snathers-style. They are slowly taking over key positions in the city and if not stopped here, with spread from villiage to city to kingdom. No one can be trusted--even in your own party.

Ok, but how does it present itself to the world? And what does it do to attract its followers? The apprentices and others are leaving their positions, so presumably they are not body-snatched or they would stay out in the world, so what is the attraction for them?

 

[Pseudoephedrine]

Flip it around so that outside of local figures like the Lord Mayor, most of the power players in the region are body-snatched interdimensional whatever, and the cult is the only major source of knowledge about this. Young people can partly see through the aliens' disguises, whereas older people can't, and the young apprentices etc. who have had the bleak truth revealed are going to it for comfort. The Lord Mayor will refuse to believe this if the PCs do discover it, the madame is one of Them.