There are actually some neat complexities that will help with those low percentages but I didn’t want to introduce too many options at once. Like failures and successes don’t necessarily cancel out. If you really want to succeed use a CP to get a success and then let me turn all the failures into risk. And if you can explain it you can use your successes to cancel someone else’s failures. Things like that. I figure with the shock of the situation it makes sense to leave all that confusing stuff off until you finish this act. Right now just worry about your percentages, gestalt levels, difficulty dice, and tools. That is honestly a lot as it is. I am thinking of how to make it much easier to reference and just making a simple post with it.

Quick question,  is there anywhere that we can all hide if I throw something to create a distraction or is it just going to give us away?

In this situation if you successfully throw it for a distraction it will help your group sneak. If you fail it will let them know where you are. But either way the noise will likely attract more to the area eventually.

Sorry about the long delay.

Still getting a feel for a new GM and system. With that roll being below my 42 throw, does that mean that I could consider that a success and that I could have written in the result of my roll, how it shattered the glass of the display and made a loud crash for example?

In reply to Julius Black (msg # 64):

Absolutely. You got 2 degrees of success, which will make a big difference for the stealth difficulty for the group. That actually drops stealth down to a straight percentile roll.

So you can edit your entry if you want to include the shattered glass description. I’d say also include them wandering off in the direction.

Message updated!

Re: Stealth
Since we do this as a group we don’t resolve until everyone has tried sneaking or doing some other action (which leaves Max and Julius). Successes can be used to help others succeed. While Simon failed his roll, he could use a CP to get a success. And if anyone else can explain it, which seems pretty easy in this instance, someone else can spent a CP to give him a success.

Re: Successes
Yeah they do not explain it well at all. Examples in the books and else where show what they mean -19 to -10 =  1 failure, 9 to -1 = 0 successes, 0 to 10 = 1 success, 11 to 20 = 2 successes, 21 to 30 = 3 successes, etc. Failures are full 10, successes are just 10 with a minimum of 1 because 0 is a thing. Their explanation sucks but I still like the system.

I've been reading the book, and I can say while the system is not that bad, the way they go about explaining it (including the graphics) is atrocious.

It's a shame, it has some nice ideas for sure (even if it feels a bit to board-gamey at times).

Very board gamey. They have player place mats with quick reference. Chits for successes, failures, and Competence Points. And cards for equipment and loot.

I don't mind visual aids, to be honest. I find they really help people focus and minimize what I call "negative time"- time lost in repeating information, because of information loss and assumptions ("I attack him"-"Oh he was dead last round" etc), even the most basic thing of "when is my turn/is the previous player finished". This is something I realized after playing a lot of board games, and how much of that transfers to RPGs as well, and of course the whole triangle of action-outcome-feedback that feeds back to action from UI/UX design that is so (un)surprisingly relevant to games as well. That's why I always prefer playing with minis or at least maps, it sooo cuts down on the whole "theater of the mind" shenanigans of who is where and 2d3 needless questions before each player's turn.

It's just that reading the books they really overdid the whole "icons instead of text", and at some points it's too much (like write 7 and the symbol for Degrees of Difference, don't make me count the little white arrows in blue circles XD)

...damn, ranting again XD

I am traveling today and will not be able to get a post up. Feel free to roll stealth for me if it will move things along.

So I rolled for you and you legit saved the day. 5 degrees of success!

You have all earned your first “experience points”. They can be saved to become gestalt levels to advance your character (250 for 1 level). They can be used for looting (every 10 equals an extra pick, and yes they can be pooled if all parties agree). They can be used for extra competence points for 1 mission, but it’s pretty expensive. And lastly, they can be spent to use Formations. Think of Formation as special limited time marching order that gives certain bonuses or allow you to spend successes and CP in special ways.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:35, Thu 02 May.

How many picks do we get?

Ugh, that is my bad. I had meant to include that. As a group you got 0 picks but every CP or 10 survival points gives you an extra. If you had proper time to search the area instead of just looking quickly you would have gotten more picks for free even with failing rolls.

What else is survival points used for, out of curiousity?

I said it just above. They can be used for loot or activating special marching orders that give tactical bonuses. They can be used for extra Competence Points, but that doesn’t seem worth it. But the most major use is saving them to raise Attributes, Abilities, and Skills. It takes 250 survival points to do that.

I am sorry. I missed that the first time around. Totally my fault.
250, huh? Well I hope we don't die quick.

There are a number of things in an adventure that earn survival points. Left over Competence Points, doing supply runs, spending time sorting out the clues, clearing an area, and finishing the adventure. First example: you finish this adventure in one piece that is 600 total or 150 each. Second example: you find a large grocery store and spend hours scouring for things of value that are still in decent shape 160 total.

On a different note. I am working on the game wiki to make information much easier to look up and access. What do all of you think should be explained better? What question do you have?

I'm halfway through the pocket guide and on kits right now.

Man, it's literally so complicated, I can't even. It has video game mentality with none of the utility of a GUI. Something to explain the depletion points and stuff would be great. Honestly, every time you explain something I get it, but reading straight from the book, I just can't even, and the last two years I've read dozens of RPG books so that says a lot.

Also, side note... it's so weird in some places, like that you can haul an abstract "Resource" like a black box from a site and loot stuff there, instead of choosing what to carry on the spot (which you can do, but still... so weird).

Yes, for some reason it is very Schrödinger’s. Loot doesn’t exist until you observe it lol

I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a very peculiar take. It feels almost like a board game, where you pick up "Resource" cubes, and then use that to play specific cards.

It's a very interesting experiment, I want to see how it feels and plays out.

Hello, I will be on vacation from tomorrow until Sunday, so I can post on Monday!

Will try to post my action today though

And yes the head is attached by more than skin but it definitely doesn’t look that way.

Not long enough to be a hiatus, but I will be gone for the weekend.