Apocalypse World OOC

[WritesNaughtyStories]

Gather here, and pick at the corpse of a world you never knew.

So, first big question, what does this ruined civilization look like? Are we content with the remains of a giant urban complex?

One thing we have determined is that we DON'T want a resource management game. That's kind of hard in a post apocalyptic setting. There's gas and guns, but we can eliminate counting shit like food and bullets. However, going to get that stuff is fun.

One thing I thought we knew was no zombie apocalypse, but it seems that might be back on the table, so here's what we're gonna do:

Everyone, PM me the one thing that will make it a game you do not want to play and a thing or two you'd really like to see in the setting.

Once I have the answers, I'll post the responses here anonymously, and we'll see what we can work out.

[Chiyako]

I should be more clear on the resource management part I brought up. I'm totally cool with it. It is however a bigger burden on the MC. And the game I had been in with that had us keeping track of each individual item, and the MC having some control over declaring if we found stuff while out and scavenging. I actually am perfectly fine with that myself, and was fine with keeping tabs on my own items. It is actually fun doing a system like that, where every resource is a choice you have to make. The only issue I had was that it places a larger burden on the MC, and I think it might have been part of why that game ended up failing. I just didn't want to see that happening here. If everyone did want something like that then I'd be quite happy with it too, there are just risks that come along with it.

As for other non-PM stuff that we are discussing, I really like the idea of a giant urban complex. In a post-apocalypse setting that means that it can get overgrown or collapse in places, allowing for different sorts of biomes to a certain degree (a park might overgrow into a huge urban concrete forest which has become a literal forest, for example). But something like that, especially if streets are still densely packed with ruins (depending on what the apocalypse looked like) could make things like driving more difficult, thus making it more difficult if someone wanted to be a driver, or wanted more vehicles in the setting.

I do think scarcity should definitely be a big factor. Depending on the results of the apocalypse, and the type, and the period of time since society fell, will determine what that scarcity is.

But for now I'll wait and see the results of the PMs and go off to send my own.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

I’ll think about what answer give for that privately, though that was one of the things I was left thinking too much about in Cortex.  I’m not sure if there is anything I feel I absolutely do or do not want.

Adding to what has been discussed here, so far, yeah, I’m happy with urban idea.

As for resource management/inventories and such, it was one of those things I’ve had a degree of curiosity in.  Wondered what it would be like back when I was reading those books for various systems I had as a kid.  Though I’ve never actually experienced it beyond video games that at do least part of the work for you, at least automatically updating the lists.  I don’t want to force it on someone it would be too much for them, but if everyone was up for it, I’d be openminded to including tit.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

I'm not going to count bullets, but know that a miss may very well result in, "the firing pin clicks hollowly into an empty chamber."

Food will be enough to sustain you - I don't want to count days until you starve, but unless you make an effort, you will be hungry and scraping by on worm meal and rain water filtered through what's left of a T-shirt.

Meds are always scarce, the Angel (if we have one) will need supplies.

Misses will be the kind of trigger I use to tick down supply clocks.

[DreamsnThings]

Im just tossing a quick post to say i have seen this and i think ill lock skinner if no one else is leaning there

[WritesNaughtyStories]

Okay, @DreamsnThings, what's this Skinner's name and what is the beauty they bring to this crumbled urban blight?

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

After that last post on the general thread, will probably lean towards one of the other two I was thinking about besides driver, but wait a little more to see other people’s ideas on characters and the setting before making the final choice.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

There's no need to wait - there's no "ideal party" to build. PbtA doesn't really work that way, it's very fiction forward and player driven, a lot of this is going to be the players telling me what happens, so there's no "best fit for the party" in the same way that many games work. If you just want to wait to get some idea of who your character will be interacting with and what might look cool on screen, it's fine - but the story works without a meat shield, healer, DPS type or anything. 

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

That part is good to know.  The two are still difficult to choose from (in a good way), both having things I like.  So not going to decide right away (leaning a little towards the Brainer at the moment, but not enough to commit to it yet).  Will have to consider other details too.  Regardless of choice, some questions still up in the air.  Especially still up in the air on the character’s gender.  Do tend to play women more than men, could be the case here, but still considering it.

[DreamsnThings]

18 hours ago, WritesNaughtyStories said:

Okay, @DreamsnThings, what's this Skinner's name and what is the beauty they bring to this crumbled urban blight?

well im still iffy on the name, but jasmine is what im liking right now. theme wise, rather than lean into a stripper or a prostitute I liked the idea of cooking you mentioned when talking about what a skinner could be. so im thinking of playing a chef, or the closest thing to a chef you can imagine in a broken world... and since there's a supernatural element to both the class and the world im thinking it could be interesting to lean into that and say she sometimes just... has ingredients that she logically should not have access to... be that a specific type of meat when the camp (or whatever the group is) only has access to radroach meat or something, or a vegetable in pristine condition that has not been seen for years... there's something of the supernatural there but its not anything mechanically significant... im wanting to lean into the idea that food and water are a mans most basic need, so making them good makes for happy men.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Alright.  Been wrestling with this for a while.  I'm semi-committed to the Brainer.  I figure it is still early enough that it is not impossible to change my mind.  But unless I say otherwise before we reach that point, figure that is what I am going with.  Of course some of the details, like gender, are still being considered.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

I have not gotten many PMs regarding what people want from this game.

What I have heard is "no magic" "not D&D" and "gritty". All of that is basically what Apocalypse World does by default. The psychic maelstrom is kind of magic, but it's really just an augury - it shows you things, reveals hints and clues. It doesn't create much in the way of direct effect that isn't specifically called out in a move. How the Brainer's mental influence works is probably tied to the maelstrom, but that's about it for magic.

As for D&D, you all aren't going to be hacking down hordes of orcs or tracking down huge piles of treasure. A few cans of potatoes, a stash of edible mushrooms and some fresh meat are going to be about the extent of your "loot" that's no bullets and fuel. 

The world is dirty, crumbling and broken. You probably can't fix more of it than you can touch at any moment.

The cast, so far, seems to be Skinner, Brainer and Gunlugger - that's fine, but if anyone else is interested, speak up!

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

I’m happy with the group we have so far, people I have experience writing with.  Did see the invitation was still open to others.  Not against that, but was curious on how this works, especially if we do get more, being the first time with a proper game system.  Are all the characters going to be in a group most/all of the time, and if so how big can the group reasonably get?

[WritesNaughtyStories]

8 would probably be the maximum. The game is very narrative - unless there's a specific move involved or an important NPC decision at stake, what the players say is truth.

 

[WritesNaughtyStories]

It looks like we're ready to get to work on characters. We need to start with our Hx, I have no real preference who answers first or in what order - we can let this flow as a natural conversation. Ask one Hx question at a time, when it is answered, the person who did NOT answer the question asks the next question (remember to describe yourself by name, look and what we might know about you). 

Does that make any sense to everyone? of so:

Jasmine, the Skinner - would you start us off be describing yourself and asking an Hx question, please?

Once we have Hx figured out, we'll work on where in this urban grave we actually are and who is here with us, okay?

 

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

This part should be fun.  Will put a last bit of thought into my character’s gender, since it might or might not have an influence on answers.

[WritesNaughtyStories]

As we start working on characters,  I'm struck by the interest in anthro and kemonomimi characters. In order to accommodate that is it possible that only animals survived the fall? Something like the animated film Rock & Rule, maybe?

Not the magic or demon summoning, but the kind of look of the characters?

Another thought might be that with the fall have the mutants from the rad-wastes between the mega cities made their way into the arcologies?

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

Would not be the first team of all non-humans some of us made.  Though a bit different with the entire world being non-human.  I'm not against it, but more detail I have to consider for the Brainer.

[Chiyako]

I'd be cool with the first idea. Might shift me more towards Gun-Lugger options in that case (unless I can figure out a way to write off my Faceless idea), but I'd be fine with that.

I think in either scenario having an invasion of wasteland mutants into the more 'civilized' areas might be a neat thing to explore. It would breed plenty of conflict for the story.

[DreamsnThings]

20 hours ago, WritesNaughtyStories said:

Jasmine, the Skinner - would you start us off be describing yourself and asking an Hx question, please?

what are the possible Hx questions exactly?

anyways, jasmine is an oddball by the standards of the apocalypse, everyone seems so angry, dirty, and... grungy... meanwhile jasmine has an odd air about her, seeming somewhat of a cleanfreak by the rest of the worlds standards. often wearing clean, brightly colored clothes, typically dresses, that seem right out of the photos of before things turned sour. in terms of her actual appearance she has long straight black hair thats well maintained despite the conditions around her. white skin that never seems to tan or burn, almost like a porcelain dolls. she's curvey to an extent but not quite a bombshell when its comes to her figure, she has a great, fit butt and a pair of C cup breasts. whats odd is whenever she is cooking it always feels like more than the sum of its parts... almost unnaturally so.

since im going to take a shot in the dark at what an hx question... "is", ill ask someone to describe an event that shaped who they are today? am I doing this right?

17 hours ago, WritesNaughtyStories said:

As we start working on characters,  I'm struck by the interest in anthro and kemonomimi characters. In order to accommodate that is it possible that only animals survived the fall? Something like the animated film Rock & Rule, maybe?

... I can also make that work, i just wish i read that before i typed up my descriptor XD

[IsabellaRose]

It sounds like you need a Battlebabe.

...or a Hardholder or Maestro'd, either of which should work if you're playing in the ruins of an arcology.

[Chiyako]

I believe you can find the Hx questions in your playbook. For the Skinner it is at the end of the playbook and reads:

• Which one of you is my friend? For that character, write Hx+2.

• Which one of you is my lover? For that character, write Hx+1.

• Which one of you is in love with me? For that character, write Hx-1.

At the end, choose one of the characters with the highest Hx on your sheet. Ask that player which of your stats is most interesting, and highlight it.

At least I think that is what is being referenced.

Edited February 3 by Chiyako

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

1 minute ago, IsabellaRose said:

It sounds like you need a Battlebabe.

...or a Hardholder or Maestro'd, either of which should work if you're playing in the ruins of an arcology.

Warning was at least thinking about doing a Battlebabe when she last posted in the General OOC.  Not sure if she was sticking to that.

[IsabellaRose]

Honestly, the Hardholder sounds more interesting. I'd be all in on the Maestro'd except their sex move is to do something "instead of" sex, and, well... it's me, and we're here. There's gotta be sex.

[SataiRolePlayingGuy]

2 minutes ago, IsabellaRose said:

Honestly, the Hardholder sounds more interesting. I'd be all in on the Maestro'd except their sex move is to do something "instead of" sex, and, well... it's me, and we're here. There's gotta be sex.

That one had tempted me a little but wasn’t sure how it would play out.  The weird won out for me.