(and realistically, the plot doesn't move forward because we all have ST requests logged and have been sitting there but not really inched forward yet)

(Moose is busy)


lurkbait - Today at 10:33 AM
Yeah that's the actual issue is that he's been busy and stressed

heck we've BOTH been busy and stressed so, as far as douments etc go ive been trying to avoid them just cause i have a full time job and everything

though i may be dropping a day, since im literally getting hives from stress now


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:34 AM
Heh. Yeah. I was like... "I'm not maintaining some damn log. I've got no problems knowing what my mission objectives are and we turned the ST requests into the log." Court, Dru, and James all came up with that idea. Just put everyones task in the ST request for both the ST's and Us.

Serves as our out of game log.

But like, another doc? Fuck that. I've got like a day job, a kid, 2 other side jobs, a divorce. Nope. Nada.

lol, so I hear you on stress.

well, granted I'm not really stressed, just... time is a commodity.


lurkbait - Today at 10:35 AM
I suggested a doc cause it would actually help keep everyone up to date. it's just the having it in an easily availible area/one area

and yeah time constraints, etc


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:36 AM
I think the ST requests log is one that works well.

"Here are the scenes we need."


lurkbait - Today at 10:36 AM
Ehhhhhhhhh people dont look at that for guidance really


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:36 AM
Because really, at this point, we are just stuck because we need those scenes.

Well, let's just start telling people to


lurkbait - Today at 10:37 AM
I mean i'll give you that


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:37 AM
We did really good the first time

when we asked out of game everyone to log something they were doing

and everyone did

so I think we can get there


lurkbait - Today at 10:38 AM
I have like, no direction in terms of info gathering
Like I asked if the Malk Primogen would have anything and James said no
and you already know how I feel about how useless the Malk stuff is because James is still like, focused on it being too obscure and mystical when it's like 'bruh i'm literally worthless if you keep doing this'

But I dont know how to bring it up without sounding pushy


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:39 AM
Just play off the fact you are Niko the immortal and go beat people up.



Also, I did try and drop you a hint that maybe you should try some eyes of chaos? Maybe it might help? But I also don't want you to just have Nikolas be a one-trick-pony


lurkbait - Today at 10:39 AM
He's not gonna beat people up omg


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:39 AM
I mean, even walking around Elysium and aura precepting people or using telepathy to see what people are up to is something you can do


lurkbait - Today at 10:40 AM
his humanity is too high for that

well Moose warned against that tbh

said that people might know


CrankyBolt - Today at 10:53 AM
Yeah, they might now. But seriously, what's the point of having powers and being the protagonist of the story if you never use them.

One of the biggest things I think I notice with Chris is that I'm ALWAYS using my powers, even when it's risky. I did it at Elysium once and got away with it. Yeah I had to do stealth rolls, yeah I was nervous about it. But no risk, no reward. You can't take a bunch of vampires on their word alone that they are being honest :3

But Moose warns against things all the time, and not everything always will work out. But if you are cautious with your character, it doesn''t matter what you can do or can't do. You might as well sit on the bench and enjoy the view from the sidelines. (This is my attempt to be a pep talk here. Nikolas is an amazing intel gather. He's got mask and he's got auspex and dementation. You should be rockin' this mission but you gotta like...go actually use your powers on people.)


lurkbait - Today at 11:06 AM
Yeah the other issue is like you said, time. That's honestly my biggest problem and unfortunatel it's an ooc thing. He's busy and stressed, I'm busy and stressed. hell I have to be REALLY CAREFUL to even use my phone at work because our call floor has a strict no phone policy (though everyone does it) so when I get home, i'm already tired from work too. Add on head injuries, my slew of medical issues and there's a reason this game was supposed to be low key

But yeah I do wanna use him I just never get the opportunity for the aformentioned reasons. Also I do feel like, i don't know the loopholes, I barely remember dice rolls because I am much better at worldbuilding info than maths. Hell I still haven't picked a specialty for my Occult and i have exp unspent cause im just not good at utlizing it. And same for all the others here, in terms of not knowing the full in an out of mechanics because we just dont have that time or that experiance


CrankyBolt - Today at 12:37 PM
Do you want help?

I know everyone was skewering mages and shit the other day, but I can show people how to make a vampire sing just as awesome. I'm full of fun tricks, and that's before I get to "power game" which I don't do.

I make my characters the best at being themselves. Id love to have the 300 Niko sheet...drool

Also, I know this sounds like a strange bit of advice. Building a new character from scratch sometimes really helps

I think the unfortunately bad thing I brought to this game, wasn't a mage, it was that I highlighted a gap. People were content to just play here, and then I started and showed utility...and...yeah.

But! I am a positive person and here to help!

I'd love to do more RP scenarios with Chris and Niko where we are both rping, and exploring a mechanic


lurkbait - Today at 12:44 PM
Yeah I might take you up on that. And tbh making a new character isn't something I want to do. I'd rather pick roleplay over utility any day, but barring that I just don't have the time to do so, nor the focus. It'd have to wait till I get home though as I'm currently on the way to work

And ye I'd like that too


CrankyBolt - Today at 12:47 PM
That's a perception thing. Utlity does not mean you sacrifice rp. You can both have a great flawed character. And know how to use your sheet in order to be effective at advancing your story.

That's a scorned person perception. You think they are exclusive and have it confused with power gaming.

Also, I said we should build a PC. Never play it :) it helps reset fundamentals. Just  make it an npc


lurkbait - Today at 12:48 PM
Eh, it's possible for the first bit. I've had, a lot of unfortunate circumstances where people who build to be effective endednup taking over everything, or dicks. Or both


CrankyBolt - Today at 12:53 PM
Yup. I know exactly why you have that.

Hence scorned person perception

All the storytelling I do in part, is to help rehabilitate a lot of that stuff. Larps cut some people down to far and they didn't have the right staff in spot to step in.

So there became this mindset that "if you have a strong sheet, you aren't Role-playing" by those pushed out. "I'd rather RP," is a very common statement.

But think about it in tabletop where you have a party and are a team.

Would it be really okay for your Tank to simply...not tank? Or take flaws that made them not that.

Or would you all roll your eyes at that person?

On the other end is power gaming. Where you are the Inducted Nagarasha Nosferatu with Potence 5 and Path of Mercury 1 who can teleport and do 30 agg


CrankyBolt - Today at 1:03 PM
And yeah, it is a role playing game. There is a game aspect to this as well. You should always strive to be good at your own character sheet, whatever that happens to be. That's what you, as a storyteller, need your players to do. Whatever their sheet happens to be, you need them to know how to use that. As a player, you should always be looking for neat fun interactions on your sheet.

Like, when for example, was the last time you ever used the merit Sanctity combined with Dementation Passion to win your way over in a scenario?


lurkbait - Today at 1:31 PM
Never because I didn't know that was a thing. A lot of this is also us being inexperienced


CrankyBolt - Today at 1:46 PM
Yeah, but I didn't know it was a thing until just now when I opened the book and saw what Sanctity did and was looking up what Passion did as well.

:3

I'm just looking at things I know you have on your sheet now.

Sanctity:
This Merit is sometimes called the halo effect; everyone considers you pure and innocent, though not necessarily naïve. You have a saint-like quality that is hard to pinpoint but cannot be denied. You are trusted, even if you are not trustworthy. At the Storyteller’s discretion, you tend to receive lesser punishments for wrongdoing, and you are liked by most.

Right? Combine that with Passion for awesomeness

Like, "Dear Chris. you think I'm super innocent and really like me. You already have that emotion because well, I have this 1 point merit, and you've only got a humanity of 5 so... " ::rolls dice:: "You now like really feel that way even more so. K thanks bye."

and passion is subtle if used quietly.

It's not like people friggin know. But you could use that on anyone.

"Oh, you can tell Niko anything..." Niko says to the prince. Bats his eyes. Passion. Heightens the fact that Niko is Trustworthy...

Like, Sanctity doesn't mean you ARE trustworthy, just that people feel that way. But like, you can basically double up on it.

Have fun!


lurkbait - Today at 2:01 PM
I mean idk if moose would allow that, I'd have tonrun it by him first


CrankyBolt - Today at 2:01 PM
Why would it not be allowed? Is he going to go in and house rule passion to be a different power?

But that's just one effect I researched just now. I'm sure with 300plus xp you got all kinds of shit


lurkbait - Today at 2:05 PM
I mean as in like, the merit is kinda vague in a manner without numbers so It's a 50/50 tossup


CrankyBolt - Today at 2:06 PM
I don't really consider the merit vague at all. "Everyone considers you pure and innocent. You are trusted, even if you are not trustworthy." Those are blanket effects and emotions. Easy to heighten. Sanctity is a merit I outright deny in my games because of it's power

the fact that Rapheal even dislikes Rosa is pretty much sheer metagaming

I ban Sanctity more than I ban ironwill and unbondable. Heheh, it's why I have Chris always trying with Niko. Because you have that damn merit.

(This is where I run into a wall myself: I guess in this game, social stuff like that doesn't matter. Which I personally think is absolute B.S. and will until the cows come home. That it only affects NPCs. But I will always roleplay that)


lurkbait - Today at 2:09 PM
I honestly don't think Moose is attempting to meta. Also tbh Rosa is very unlikeable in how she plays her(edited)

So ita hard to say 'I like this person' when they are extremely unempathetic and backhanded


CrankyBolt - Today at 2:16 PM


Right, but that's still the effect you gotta pull off. Chris hates Niko but still does it. But I get that it's hard, it still is a thing. and shrug I think it's different playstyles. You generally are trying out of game with Chris more than in game. I'm pretty sure the reason that I slide in with some people well into this game, and not others, has something to do with different tastes. Unempathetic or unlikable are perspectives and tastes. BUTThat's why effects like Dementation generally drive you nuts.

You use your power on someone and have to hope they will use it. How many games have you seen where you passion someone....and they don't even change their actions at all?