Away Thread

[Sierra]

Bwaaaaah. I should've called this in advance, but after walking around D.C. all day I'm not in any condition to be gaming until 2:30 in the morning. Crashing after making this post. I encourage you guys to proceed without me given that we're already missing next week.

It should be easy to put Noriko in robo-mode since we paused mid-combat (and since, well, robot girl). Just make an effort to zap Kawazam/Cthulhu while he's in the drink. I only used that attack once last session, so she should have four shots left (though the last one deactivates her, so really three unless we're totally desperate). This is assuming you guys don't decide to bail, of course, which would be understandable (although personally I'll hate having to find him again).

[Dracos]

I'm gonna totally suggest bailing.  IC, I'm nearly dry.  Iddy is dry.  Nobody has hit him hard.  We're relatively unwounded so far but simply not in a good state to take him on, but in a great state to run.

And frankly, given his previous electric affinity I wouldn't be surprised if the result of zap is 'what that tingled'.

OOC, dune has already given the 'btw, I kinda didn't expect you to take this route' sign, so I don't see any reason to headbutt hard against a wall that's a little too rough.

[Anastasia]

Going to be late.

[Zephyrus]

Well. It's official. This game is definitely cursed.

Guys, some serious IRL stuff has come up. I won't be able to play on Looming for the foreseeable future and I'm unsure as to whether or not you'll see me on IRC too often. After the 9th of June, you may not see me for a long time.

Just to forestall any questions, this is a really sensitive topic and I'd rather not talk about it.

I'm sorry to do this to you guys. You're a really stellar group of people to game with.

And just in case I don't get to tell each one of you this on IRC:

I've loved playing with you guys for the past couple of years. We've had our ups and downs but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Here's hoping that we'll be able to game soon, though I wouldn't hold my breath. Happy trails, gentlemen.

[Anastasia]

Okay, assuming no reversal of fortune for Zeph, we're down a player. What do you guys want to do now? We can continue if you like with some patchwork  or call it and throw our hands into the air about this game's luck. What do you all think?

Edit: If you need time to think before you reply, by all means. Cid does and so I do, frankly.

[Iron Dragoon]

I'm for continuing the game.

[Dracos]

So, the callous mathematical side replies first:
We're down a player, but we just added a player not 1 month previous.  If the game was runnable with 3 before, it should be runnable with three now.  We have some plot threads to tweak, but we could really handwave Jin's brother taking Jin along with him to deal with another threat to the north (to great regret of all of us who want him here, but hey, family sometimes comes first).  This would provide a writeout that would allow us to proceed and allow Jin to come back if at some point he's able to.

The less callous side (which seems about self-centered):

I'd like the game to continue.  I understand there's been some pain with missed sessions over some of the year and losing a player can be really demotivating (and sucks for Zeph not getting to play).  I understand that for a while it seems like it's the game that least interests Ko, but well, that and its luck is one of many reasons I've been trying to kick it up a notch for the game. Side effect is I'm a fair bit more invested in 'hey, can we not just toss the game out'.    I dunno how Cid feels on it, but I'm certain Iddy is willing to toss in a good gaming rush which doesn't involve phoning it in.

I feel overall, we could easily turn the game into something that's not cursed.  Iddy is good at making the times and as I understand is done with his international travel of the last couple weeks.  I'm done with pretty much all travel for the next six months, and also done with house hunting/moving that was a big complication.  Cid has generally been reliable, missing only a couple of sessions in the whole run.  I don't feel that we're ripping out a keystone of the game by having Zeph unable to make it.

Conclusion:
Dracos always talks too damn much.

[Anastasia]

It's not disinterest; I'm incredibly weary and frustrated of circumstances inhibiting this game.  It's felt like Looming's been a magnet for stupid shit and bad luck since day 1, and you know what? It grates on me.

[Dracos]

That was harsh of me.  I apologize.  And yeah, I understand, it grates. :(

[Anastasia]

That was harsh of me.  I apologize.  And yeah, I understand, it grates. :(

It's cool. That's just annoyance speaking. Anyway, waiting for Cid to post. This is totally not a subtle clubbing. Oh no. I wouldn't dream of it.

[Sierra]

You're right. That's not a subtle clubbing at all!

Anyway, I'm amenable to continuing, though I admit to some second thoughts. I'll let others assess how relevant these are:

-Picking up these hours in the middle of the week again proven more difficult than expected.
-I'm in a lot of games right now and accordingly a lot of days of the week are spoken for--possibly more than I'd like. This is obviously my fault for starting to run one while playing in three, but nevertheless, it's a thing which is there.
-Missed sessions. Not really anyone's fault, but it is another thing which is there and in the way. I can't really feel invested in a game without that sense of momentum; not the first game where that's been a problem, and it's a killer. It's fixable, at least, always assuming we stop missing sessions.

Just things to factor in. Not against keeping it running if that's the GM/group consensus.

[Dracos]

mmm.

1)The middle of the week hours are vastly more reliable for me generally.  Given its a work day, it generally can't conflict with any random unscheduled friend stuff.  We're kind of opposites there, I guess.  The mid-week stuff is way easier on me and way harder on you.

2)Yeah, Sympathy, but I'd be sad if one of the two games I play in died.  That's real tough though, four games a week is a pretty busy schedule.

3)For me, the big 'session missers' for the last while has been house stuff and travel.  I've no travel plans for the rest of the year and I'm moved.  So I can at least say its gonna be very unlikely for me to miss a session for the future-ward look.  Can't state truthfully on others, but I think that Iddy's travel around the world time has also finished for the nearby future as well.

[Dracos]

Hey Ko, are we having awesome gaming tomorrow?  Please vote Yes.

[Anastasia]

-Picking up these hours in the middle of the week again proven more difficult than expected.

Fair enough. I can relate; I find DMing after work much more difficult than DMing in the afternoon. My best focus is earlier in the day, plus at night I'm used to doing other things.

-I'm in a lot of games right now and accordingly a lot of days of the week are spoken for--possibly more than I'd like. This is obviously my fault for starting to run one while playing in three, but nevertheless, it's a thing which is there.

Yeah, I thought your schedule was getting crazy.

-Missed sessions. Not really anyone's fault, but it is another thing which is there and in the way. I can't really feel invested in a game without that sense of momentum; not the first game where that's been a problem, and it's a killer. It's fixable, at least, always assuming we stop missing sessions.

Agreed. The lack of momentum and disruption of gameflow has done lots of damage on my side, too.

Related question - Iddy, you've mentioned to me that your access may be spotty for awhile. How's that shaping up?

[Iron Dragoon]

Well, I don't have internet in my room here, but I have it in the office. Thanks to my 'roommates' I'm waking up at 5 am every morning, regardless if I want to or not, so I'll have been awake for multiple hours on game days anyway.

The work load here is pretty light (as in almost none at all), so I should have uninterrupted game time for the most part.

The only thing I want to point out is that I'll be here for.. Five or six weeks. Then I'll likely be somewhere else. Though I can't see my availability changing all that much, except to allow travel.

All in all, I'm solid to continue barring anything major springing up out of the ground on me.