Tad Williams' Message Board

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies -- 'God damn it, you've got to be kind.'
-    Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007

Welcome to the message board for tadwilliams.com. All comments are welcome, whether kudos or brickbats. However, please bear in mind that Tad would like this to be a friendly, civil message board, at least in the relations between users. We reserve the right to remove postings, or even ban postings, from anyone who crosses the boundary of reasonable taste. Basically, you can argue vigorously with someone, but watch your language, okay? We have a lot of young readers as well as grown-ups, so please show them some respect.

But the main requirement here is: have fun.


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#126 2004-06-04 00:00:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37875
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Too bad I haven't got the time for it. I'd have loved to join.

Yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#127 2004-07-07 05:38:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

@Mike, I've done the online thing before and co-ordinating people to all be togetehr at the same time tends to be an excersize in frustration. Hoping to convincing my local group to switch to Shadowrun on a regular absis would be kinda cool. Thinking I'll just use the template characters to start off with to ease them into the concepts of the game. One of the best things they ever did for their games was the template characetrs to get into the spirit of the game. Makes jumping in and going really easy.


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#128 2004-07-07 07:24:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

I *AM* An evil GM and stick by my Title...8)

I run a regular star Wars game that has been going for well over a year now with the number of players varying from 2 to the current 5. One of the oldest two characetrs is a Droid that was built along the lines of the ABC warriors from the Judge Dread Movie, but was a construction Robot, also the Droid is close to 5000 years old having gone through long periods of what it thought was
a series of long powered-down times. Was at one point re-programmed a an assassin droid and killed his former master.
This eventually lead to him developing a split-personality in-game and being the first droid to ever require a droid pyschologist.
End result being his secondary personality got downloaded into a new shape-shifting Body and started calling itself "Ransoon".
Meantime during the course of the game they came across the main torso of another droid of his type that was being used as a refrigeration unit for three cylinders of super nano-bots that eventually got loose. One cylinders worth was wiped out quickly, one vanished and one infected the characters ship, albeit slowly. Later they run across a ruined hulk ship of alien design and unleash the third cylinder on it which they quickly set about rebuilidign in their own design.
Later the Droid, X-09 rebuilt the extra torso as a spare body for himself and named it X-10. X-10 and Ransoon dissapeared for awhile, reappeared later in the story to return with their original starship.
They had also met another Droid named Bob that had been designed as a "World Domination Engineer", a vry egotistical and super-intelligent Droid. Bob has since gotten a fancy over-haul on his body and is a bizzare, shiny gold in color complete with a gold cape/toga thing (Ok so he has no taste...).
The party has since learned that possibly Bob and another are behind a new Villainous organization they have gotten involved with called the "Trion" basically Cybernetically-enhanced clones built in trios that work together in perfect synchronization.
Now I've a great final scene for the Campaign where they face off with Bob and Ransoon the shapeshifter who have building a time-portal for whatever nefarious purposes. In the course of the fight X-09 (Now called MT-1) and Ransoon engage in combat an slowly merge together into one unit. Meantime X-10 has been set up as an refrigerator for the three super nano-cylinders that Bob and Ransoon re-made. In the further course of the fight X-10 tackles the combination MT-1/Ransoon through the time portal...sending them back in time 5000+ years...re-starting the whole cycle...hee I love doing timers to characters. But that will pretty much be the end of the campaign. Should be fun!


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#129 2004-07-07 09:08:00

wildmagiclady
Pilgrim
From: Dallas, Texas
Registered: 2001-06-22
Posts: 22856
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Hhhhmmmmm...

?


"Life may not be the party we hoped for.. but while we're here, we might as well DANCE!" Anon

 

#130 2004-07-07 09:20:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Basically it means I'm being a bastich, but it insures the game will have a good ending!


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#131 2004-07-07 09:25:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Hmmm. Sounds evil enough. Not enough suffering for the PCs, though. ;)

As to the Amber game I'm running (a system based on Roger Zelazny's books), most of the players will be off on their own and the game itself is diceless, so all I have to do is find people who are online and pester them by asking enigmatic questions and then sending them an email about what is going on.

A rule of thumb for the GM is if the player says, "I love my character, but I can't stand the suffering they're going through!" that means the GM is doing a good job. :)


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#132 2004-07-07 09:51:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Oh theres a LOT more stuff I've been evil to them throughout the game, too much stuff to easily list. I think I've destroyed at least 4 ships out from under them. Planning on having them captured by slavers at some point thanks to the newest player whose wok as a mole in the party because an evil crimelord is holding his ife and possibly his daughter as hostage.


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#133 2004-07-07 10:27:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Just think of what you can do to a naive demigod whom is incredibly hard to kill. Pain is easy, death is hard.  >-)


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#134 2004-07-07 11:41:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

No gods, this is Star Wars....I have the force and Jedi and Dark Jedi to play with...8)


Was driving back from lunch today and though of a very nasty trap for Shadowrun corporations. Basically put three monowires placed equidistant around a rotating core. Set-em up like sprinklers so when someone triggers them off, a field of the things, each at different heights pop-up and start twirling at high speed...the first pass take out their legs the the following passes slowly turn them into sushi as the drop in stages...


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#135 2004-07-07 13:03:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

PC soup! Yum!


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#136 2004-07-07 13:21:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Yep...I think that one of the nastiest NPC villains I came up with was a Guy who was a Physical Adept, Ambidextrous and wielded Dual Monowhips....eek...carving some PC's there...8)


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#137 2004-07-07 15:39:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Well, you see, I don't strive to kill my characters, I only throw them into impossible situations and say "Go!"

Losing limbs and other not-quite-vital organs is fine, but I want them to use the same character to get out of everything. Players slowly grow to love their characters, but then I start layering on the difficulties, making each situation more and more impossible...

Hehe.
*evils*


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#138 2004-07-07 16:05:00

footle
Pilgrim
From: London, England
Registered: 2001-06-12
Posts: 3164
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Videogames:
Singstar PS2.

Just bought a modded xbox so any number of emulators / roms / games.

Spiderman 2.
Chronicles of Riddick.
Mashed.


"The classic Mail headline which begins 'Is this the Most Evil/Depraved/Shocking...?' can almost always be answered 'actually, no'." - Andrew Marr

 

#139 2004-07-07 16:07:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Hmmm....

Could I post a draft of the work I've done on my videogame here? Just a text file explaining what I think should happen in the game, not an actual game. But a game nonetheless, and an... interesting one, to say the least.


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#140 2004-07-08 07:13:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Well I had him in their to counter-act the 300 Kharma Physical Adept character....have to challenge the players somehow.

Just pulled out my notes for the last Shadowmarch Camapign I WAS going to run, but never did...was going to call it "Gnomes of Zurich" and all the characters were goign to be working for Zurich-Orbital Banl doing Investigation missions against various corporations. Money wouldn't really be the objective of the game and the characetrs would be pretty powerful by comparison to most of what they will be facing. Theres some other plot details as the game expands, but not to be revealed until the game is in full swing.
Course I'm thinking of statring with a street-level game and have the characetrs at some point get caught and arrested, then given the chance at freedom via workin for Z-O. Lots of fun....8)


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#141 2004-07-08 13:42:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37875
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

I should get you in touch with my brother. He loves to be an evil DM too (D&D). He just told me about this adventure where a dwarf decided to rest in the desert and how he described in detail how said dwarf was roasting in his armour. :)

yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#142 2004-07-12 22:21:00

Firsfron of Ronchester
Mantis
From: Ronchester
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 9186
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

I've been a GM for a lot of years. It was a big, big adjustment to playing just a regular guy (PC). I really prefer being a GM. And, yes, sometimes it's fun being getting really evil on players. ;)

 

#143 2004-07-13 06:10:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

yes it tis, but I also like really strange plot twists and convulusions. Though many of my convolutions tend to be accidental, a result of me looking back though notes and going, "Hrm I forgot about that incident/character, how can it fit it back into the current storyline?"
End up with stuff like a 7th Sea game I was running where one of the player characters and his NPC wife had a child that somehow turned out to be the Queen of Avalon who was older than them! The looks on the player's face, the slack-jawed, open-mouthed shock on his face just MADE my gaming career.
Or if I plan stuff I end up with a Player character with a lot of wierd quirks who doesn't realize until about halfway into the game that she's actually a superiorily-crafted flesh golem and ends up getting an amulet that gives her a 'heart' that makes it almsot impossible to detect her as a construct and a few other things.
From that particular game I've learned that pre-genning the characters background for the purposes of the story makes for some good role-playing and story development. Unfortunately having one the Major character move away amd forcing the game to an early conclusion sucks, so next time I'll have no central character....8)


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#144 2004-07-13 06:19:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Discovered new Roomie is a coniseeur of Console RPG and was kind enough to loan me his collection to paw through, started playing Lunar: Silver Star Story last night...whee!


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#145 2004-07-13 09:05:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

I prefer the final fantasy series... But then, I'm biased. Play number 7 if you haven't, Ren. The villain in that game, Sephiroth, is the greatest villain I have ever seen, period. He even convinces the main hero to serve him as a slave for a short period of time.

He's my hero :)


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#146 2004-07-13 09:15:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

BTW, I'm more of a console coniseeur in general, being a fan of every type of game, as long as it is good. :D


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#147 2004-07-13 09:24:00

Ren
Pilgrim
From: Austin, Tx
Registered: 2001-07-29
Posts: 14961

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

yes 7 was the best of the series.
But I'm more of a fan of Xenogears and Xeno Saga. Xenogears had the BEST storyline ever...8)


"You know, if you ate more comfort food you'd probably kill less people"
- Hurley, Lost

 

#148 2004-07-13 09:57:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

I play d X nosaga, but I hav n't b  n abl  to g t ahold of a copy of X nog ars.

*pouts*


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

#149 2004-07-13 11:44:00

Sahi
Mantis
From: Assendelft (the Netherlands)
Registered: 2001-06-04
Posts: 37875
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Blegh, Spellforce has a tendency to unexpectedly crash on me. The first time it happened after Ivo called me on ICQ and the game was forced to the background, but yesterday it happened without any reason whatsoever. And it isn't just the game that crashes, for some reason my 'puter decides to reboot!

Yalahii.


"I'm a much nicer person online" - Aan'Allein

First member of the Shadowmarch Council of Sages, Official Quiller's Mint Historian
You may call me the Porcupine Lady, or if you are feeling generous the Erinaceous One.

 

#150 2004-07-13 13:12:00

The Microphone
Pilgrim
From: The End of Time
Registered: 2002-02-25
Posts: 3958
Website

Re: Renfield's Game Lab

Sahi wrote:

Blegh, Spellforce has a tendency to unexpectedly crash on me. The first time it happened after Ivo called me on ICQ and the game was forced to the background, but yesterday it happened without any reason whatsoever. And it isn't just the game that crashes, for some reason my 'puter decides to reboot!

Yalahii.

Sounds lik I problm I had with my vido card a whil back. My nVidia Gforc 4 didn't hav currnt-nough drivrs, so it would routinly crash and usually th computr would follow with a rboot. I dunno if this is you problm (or if you can vn undrstand m ;) ), but you might want to look into it, my Porcupin Qun.


For a dollar you could find a girl of every possible design,
But you couldn't find a decent man, or a word spoken kind.

~Rum Brave, Murder By Death

Microphobe's Art Space || The Downwright's Arena

 

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