A question for the group

[Brian]

It's been a while since I asked, but the game's format keeps changing, and I'd like to check in and find out.

How am I doing?  I think I'm losing some of your interest, and that this current arc may not be as much fun for some of you as I'd hoped ... I'd like if you can tell me what you don't like about how the game is working, so we can try and fix it and make it fun again.

And if I'm doing okay, I'd kinda like to know that, too. ;)

[Dracos]

Well, I'm having fun, though I'd kinda like to play out a bit more of battles then just 'go in, whack a jotun or two, battle is over!  Victoly!'.  Might be realisitic, but you know, some balance with the 'We need 40 men to take this thing down' would be fun.  I try and go for the more descriptive battles so the waves of dice really sort of toss me a bit.  I'd almost like not seeing them in the course of battle, having them just rolled secretly and focusing more on the well, role playing of it rather than 'My fourteen axemen rolled 14#3d6'.

As far as the game format, yeah, we're a little scattered, but I'm fine with that.  It is how it goes with message board games.  To keep running smoothly there is a constant splitting into small groups and then remerging.  I don't really see a problen, though I imagine you are having a ton of work keeping up all the npcs for us to interact with.

hum, only thought I really have at the moment is I'd sort of like to see the commanders of the storm riders have more personality.  Save really Erik and Roger I don't think any of them have even spoken a word to me.  It's a touch unnerving.  I know you don't want to have them just draw out the scenario for me, and that the setup is designed so they'll pretty much go with what I say, but even if it's bad ideas, grunts, requests for more important roles, it's more interesting having a bit of discussion and well, atmosphere of living folks around.

Dracos
Unimportant whine: "Gin is beating me at the kill count!"

[Rezantis]

You know, Drac said pretty much everything I was going to say - the battles are fun, but I agree with what he said in that I'd like to see more of it . . . I understand when we've got 30,000 to 5,000 that we're just not going to see much, but say, when there's 250 to 40, you'd expect even more work to be done. ;)

I do agree about the personality thing, too.  Overall it's got a great deal of atmosphere, it's just the stormriders NPCs most notably.  I admit I bring it on myself by describing what I do instead of using dialogue, I should change that.

Anyway, I'm having a lot of fun overall.  Take said comments on board as you will, but either way I'm enjoying myself. :)

[Brian]

Okay.  What you guys asked of me is, at least for me, going to be hard.

I can manage giving personality to the Storm-riders (which I had previously neglected, because I wasn't certain if you wanted to approach it more from the RP or tactical view).  This will take me a bit of time to set up, and I need to make a freaking crib-sheet anyway, since doing otherwise isn't helping me.  :p  Trying to keep this stuff straight in my head....

As far as the combat goes, I do know I kept it rather vague, but I'm leery of sessions (like Bjorn's battle) where there's a lot of non-player dice-going around.  My personal feeling is that this takes the game away from the player, and leaves it all with the GM -- and I can have fun, sure, but I feel awkward, like I'm inviting you to a party, and then doing all the fun stuff alone.  If you guys actually want to see more dice being thrown around with regards to how your specific groups of soldiers are faring, then I can put some time into a more intensive tactical model for us to run future skirmishes and battles through.

That sound reasonable?

[Rezantis]

Nah. I didn't mean so much change the battles like that, exactly (at least not for me), it just seemed a little impersonal how I'd be faced with an ogre, kill it, and then wander off-screen. ;)  It'd be cooler if we ourselves played through a little more, and we could react to things that were happening, but maybe if you rolled a lot of the archery/rally/footman effectiveness dice in secret - at least once it's out of our hands.  That way we're sorta mixed in that we're in the middle of it, and while we can sorta see some results we aren't really sure in a mathematical way just how well we're doing, or whatnot.  I reckon that'd help atmosphere a tad.

A more intensive tactical model is not necessary, in my eyes. That's what Warcraft 3 is for. ^^

[Brian]

Oh, good ... now you won't be aware of how badly you're routed until the Dreadmarch sweeps down on you like a tide of angry death. :3

[Rezantis]

Well, you can tell us that the army is running away. We'd probably notice that. Probably. :)

"Hey, guys? GUYS? Where'd you all go? This isn't funny, guys!"

[Bjorn]

There are only two problems I'd mention, both of which I think we've talked about before.

The first is that sometimes there are these post exchanges where things go back and forth with nothing much happening.  I think this is probably more my fault than yours, since all I have to do is put an OOC note saying, "have nothing to do unless something special happens," or the like.

The second is that sometimes I feel like the NPCs are overly passive.  I understand this is because you're trying to keep from railroading me as a player, but especially given the social status of the character I'm playing, it ends up feeling weird.  IC, I should be getting pushed around a lot, I think.  Trying to work out ways to work around that -- or dealing with not being able to -- is part of the fun of being in this situation.  If I think I'm being railroaded as a player, I promise to let you know. ;)

Beyond that, not much to say.  Other than, of course, I wanna neato sword!

[Brian]

Okay, I'll try and keep that in mind, then.  Though, given that we're now in a military situation,your character IS going to be respected....

[Dracos]

I didn't read the above dice exchange but...

Last battle =good.

I enjoyed it.  None of this "24 people roll dice." stuff.  More heroic based stuff and feelings of intense fighting.  I liked that.

Dracos