Wait...how is that right?
Anyway. One friend in the community asked me my opinion on, what is essentially, party tactics during a game. In specific he asked me for "Your feelings on groups going out, balanced group with the whole tank/healer/dps types or just bring whatever is around due to town having healers and such that tend to stick around."
Well to begin with, keep in mind that this is subjective, I'm usually the player that supplies back up. I'm not usually the front line. I'm usually the backline or someone who does their job either way before the advance or well after the advance. My Mekhet was the one using Astral Projection to gather information and form profiles of other players before major actions was taken, my Tinker is in the back line making sure there are at least three exits other than the one he's facing with a back against a wall. I like tactics, I like information gathering and ways of assuring I won't be ganked in the night.
That being said, in special regards to Dystopia Rising, you're playing a game based on the concept of You Work With What You Have. Somedays you'll have a group with a medic, a soldier, a sniper, a brawler with enough Iron Rations from a cook to keep you going for hours. Other days, you're stuck with a bunch of Publicans and a Clown that won't shut the fuck up. The idea is what the hell do you do with this?
Well to begin with, keep in mind that this is subjective, I'm usually the player that supplies back up. I'm not usually the front line. I'm usually the backline or someone who does their job either way before the advance or well after the advance. My Mekhet was the one using Astral Projection to gather information and form profiles of other players before major actions was taken, my Tinker is in the back line making sure there are at least three exits other than the one he's facing with a back against a wall. I like tactics, I like information gathering and ways of assuring I won't be ganked in the night.
That being said, in special regards to Dystopia Rising, you're playing a game based on the concept of You Work With What You Have. Somedays you'll have a group with a medic, a soldier, a sniper, a brawler with enough Iron Rations from a cook to keep you going for hours. Other days, you're stuck with a bunch of Publicans and a Clown that won't shut the fuck up. The idea is what the hell do you do with this?
A few friends of mine joined the game a few months back as a 7 man team. I've not heard of this before, and I knew that as new players they were walking in with a sizable advantage. We talked about Professions that were essential for being a good team. I told them you needed a Medic and a Cook. They asked me why a Cook. They were one of a few that could restore Mind Points. I said that the first thing you need to do, before you do anything is network to get the people you don't already have. Barter, trade, talk, network. Sell the professions you do have to acquire the ones you don't. Tactics begins before a fight is even conceived of.
Yes, I've read Sun Tzu. Personally, I prefer Musashi myself, why do you ask?
Of course, there are also situations where the good 'ol "For Frodo" approach takes precedence. By 'For Frodo'...oh hell, if you don't know what I mean then you're reading the wrong blog, and it's nicer sounding than "LEEROY" fucking "JENKINS" Okay? One giant rush towards the enemy head on in a decisive fight. That has it's own place.
Yes, I've read Sun Tzu. Personally, I prefer Musashi myself, why do you ask?
Of course, there are also situations where the good 'ol "For Frodo" approach takes precedence. By 'For Frodo'...oh hell, if you don't know what I mean then you're reading the wrong blog, and it's nicer sounding than "LEEROY" fucking "JENKINS" Okay? One giant rush towards the enemy head on in a decisive fight. That has it's own place.
Of course, this brings to question in character/out of character lines bleed in. I'm of the mind that most planning should be done In Character. This is easier in an immersive LARP like Dystopia, because you ARE in character during game at all times and planning in between games is not looked kindly upon. It's a bit harder when you're doing salon style and scenes can be done online and in between games during the month. This leads to a lot of "Okay, this is happening, call this player, that player, those two players and we'll be covered." There tends to build a lot more clique like mentality that is just players calling on their friends than characters calling on their allies. It kills the feeling of Role Playing, and is in fact one of my major issues with Salon/Theater vs. Immersive. But I digress.
I should reiterate that despite my being a right brained creative writer who knows everything and forgets all of it, I do appreciate and like logistics. If you want a job done right, do it right. As a storyteller I love it when players come to me with a plan, because it usually A) gives me a chance to see if I've planned it thoroughly enough and B) make sure that what I do have planned is adequate as a challenge. There was one incident during Requiem where I was in charge of any and all plots that revolved around Ascension Church in New York City. A series of Sin Eating Vampires had started poaching from the regular blood drinkers, and the Sin Eaters had proven to be a problem. The Invictus in the area banned together and send me a report telling me their plans and goals. From the preparations to the aftermath, beautifully thought out and beautifully handled. I knew their resources were more than efficient than the information I was given the church. I wrote up a pretty decent mediated fiat where I narrated the proceedings and tied it off very nice and sweet, using their plans and my plans to get an outcome in a story.
Also, it's probably why I was/am such a big fan of EVE online. You can do anything in that game from merchant to miner to police to pirate. You need to plan ahead and plan accordingly to keep up and to help your comrades in their actions. I worked with a mining group in game, and we had all marked out all of the asteroid belts that were deserted saturday nights. We would map them out, and make runs through them, effectively emptying out entire star systems of minerals and ore. Collect, parse, give a cut to allegiances who protected us, then we'd transport the materials to systems where there was a high demand for the materials to make the most money. We'd go in (I was one of the freight pilots) with enough support to make attacks unfeasible and we'd usually come off with about 20 million ISK (game currency) a night a piece for about 12 or so players. It was work, it was planned, and it was fun because it worked and we were making it better than if we were doing it alone.
As I write all of this, I have such the urge to do write up now of The Book of Five Rings as it would have been written in a universe like Dystopia Rising. To write a tome on strategy as one from that world would see it. I did something similar for Jedi when I wrote a Discourse on the Seven Forms of Lightsaber Combat (I shit you not), and I'd love to do it again.
To close in summation, tactics are a good thing in gaming. But there is a line somewhere that separates when it's part of the role play and when it's part of trying to play the game. Working things out as your character would is part of the role play, and should always be applauded. Trying to set stuff up to win as a player is anathema to the spirit of most LARPs being played.
Later,
C
Much love to Sean and Peter for setting the subject and tone of this blog. I appreciate it, guys. If you have any other topics, or wished to discuss more. Please comment. I'd hate to think I'm talking to myself any more than I already am. - C
I should reiterate that despite my being a right brained creative writer who knows everything and forgets all of it, I do appreciate and like logistics. If you want a job done right, do it right. As a storyteller I love it when players come to me with a plan, because it usually A) gives me a chance to see if I've planned it thoroughly enough and B) make sure that what I do have planned is adequate as a challenge. There was one incident during Requiem where I was in charge of any and all plots that revolved around Ascension Church in New York City. A series of Sin Eating Vampires had started poaching from the regular blood drinkers, and the Sin Eaters had proven to be a problem. The Invictus in the area banned together and send me a report telling me their plans and goals. From the preparations to the aftermath, beautifully thought out and beautifully handled. I knew their resources were more than efficient than the information I was given the church. I wrote up a pretty decent mediated fiat where I narrated the proceedings and tied it off very nice and sweet, using their plans and my plans to get an outcome in a story.
Also, it's probably why I was/am such a big fan of EVE online. You can do anything in that game from merchant to miner to police to pirate. You need to plan ahead and plan accordingly to keep up and to help your comrades in their actions. I worked with a mining group in game, and we had all marked out all of the asteroid belts that were deserted saturday nights. We would map them out, and make runs through them, effectively emptying out entire star systems of minerals and ore. Collect, parse, give a cut to allegiances who protected us, then we'd transport the materials to systems where there was a high demand for the materials to make the most money. We'd go in (I was one of the freight pilots) with enough support to make attacks unfeasible and we'd usually come off with about 20 million ISK (game currency) a night a piece for about 12 or so players. It was work, it was planned, and it was fun because it worked and we were making it better than if we were doing it alone.
As I write all of this, I have such the urge to do write up now of The Book of Five Rings as it would have been written in a universe like Dystopia Rising. To write a tome on strategy as one from that world would see it. I did something similar for Jedi when I wrote a Discourse on the Seven Forms of Lightsaber Combat (I shit you not), and I'd love to do it again.
To close in summation, tactics are a good thing in gaming. But there is a line somewhere that separates when it's part of the role play and when it's part of trying to play the game. Working things out as your character would is part of the role play, and should always be applauded. Trying to set stuff up to win as a player is anathema to the spirit of most LARPs being played.
Later,
C
Much love to Sean and Peter for setting the subject and tone of this blog. I appreciate it, guys. If you have any other topics, or wished to discuss more. Please comment. I'd hate to think I'm talking to myself any more than I already am. - C
