Questions for players....

[m-danson.livejournal.com]

Since the game is in a state of change right now I think it is a good time to ask for a player status report...

Game based questions
1) Any complaints? Any thing you would like to see more of or less of? What do you like?
2) Based on (1) do you have any suggestions?
3) Is anybody else's work schedule going to do something funky in the near future?
4) Are the remaining players okay with a three person game group for the near future?

Character based questions
1) Are you happy with your character and his present direction?
2) Tell me a bit about what is going through your character's mind lately?
3) Tell me a bit about his goals and how he's changing.
4) What does he think is going on?

Comments

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

In order, then:

Any complaints? Any thing you would like to see more of or less of? What do you like?

I'm a bit ambivalent about the recent pacing of the game. We, as players, don't see each other outside the game all that often, so we don't have as much of a chance to bat ideas back and forth except during the sessions. I get the idea that each session has an established endpoint, and feel pressured to make it to that "milepost." I get lots of deadlines at work, so I would probably prefer slightly less pressure against in-character speculation and theorizing.

That said, I do like the format of these Ratcatcher adventures, in that they have a purpose and a direction. There's a backbone to hang the incidental bits and complications from, and it keeps the group together and focussed.

Based on (1) do you have any suggestions?

Where logistics permits, a bit more room to hash theories out would go down well with me. I realize that this Sunday, the priority was to ease Aeden out of the picture, though.

Is anybody else's work schedule going to do something funky in the near future?

It darn well better not. I have, if not a 9 to 5 job, at least an 8:30 to 5:30 job, and I won't let it turn into an 8:30 to 7:30 job. The worst I expect is the very rare night where I may have to request a late start by an hour or so.

Are the remaining players okay with a three person game group for the near future?

Hey, it's that or nothing in this case, I think. I'd be happier to add someone, but not at the cost of the game's quality.

Are you happy with your character and his present direction?

Mostly, yes. I think Sean fits well into the group, in that the skill sets cover the bases well. We don't have a true mage, currently, and that is something that could be nice to change; unfortunately, a player new to HERO and to the gameworld (if we find one) would not be a good choice for this. With Aeden away, we're also a bit light on Gun Fu: I'm probably as good a marksman as Robert, and almost certainly better than Max. Sean is sociable enough to fit well with me as a player, and tolerably easy to have fun with.

Tell me a bit about what is going through your character's mind lately?

The working life isn't too bad to Sean, although it does cut into his latitidue to do any real acting etc. His music is now his only artistic outlet, and so he's been concentrating on that somewhat. Sean is a bit concerned about Marylou and his family. The whole "secret identity" thing is distancing him from them somewhat, and this bothers him somewhat, particularly as regards Marylou. She is in many ways his thread to the other side of the looking-glass he's fallen through, and not being able to share things with her or spend much time with her is stressful for him. He'll be happy when the unveiling makes the secrets unnecessary.

Tell me a bit about his goals and how he's changing.

Sean is a bit torn. He wants to settle down, get back to what he sees as a normal life, act, and all those things he had in mind before falling down the rabbit hole. On the other hand, he sees how important the work he's doing now is, and values that rather more than he expected. He's vain enough to like the prestige of it all, too. He's twentysomething, and it shows. He's having to grow up now in a lot of ways, and like most of us, is finding that it does have its upsides. Right now, I guess his goals are in flux; ask him again in a year.

What does he think is going on?

Sean hasn't put it all into one big picture yet. To him, all these people and adventures are disjoint episodes, folders that have front and back covers containing the whole issue. He doesn't think big enough to have views of motives and plans more sweeping that that. To him, this case is just a little nest of vipers trying to get a cobra loose from its basket, and this happens to involve the Ratcatchers very personally. The whole business with the ship is interesting, and a bit puzzling, but he wasn't in any mood to ask too many awkward questions at the time. We need all the help we can get, right?

[ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com]

Hello

1: I don't have any major complaints, not anything that would spring to mind. (I have one MINOR one that has been bugging me... on a 3d6, a - 3 penalty is for a "very difficult" task, but the penalties are frequently highter than that. Mind you, if someone has 18 on a score I can see why, but most of us poor saps don't :P )

2: in responce to ironphenix and some of your coments... I'm feeling like I have very little free time these days. Rather, I have too many thing to do with said free times. I'm trying to maintain contact with about 4 groups of people, going to the gym, various research, reading I want to get done... If I was unemployed, you can bet I would take advantage of the ratcatcher comunity more. I might not be able to make rent though.

3: Not that I know of. My seniority is pretty good at work, and if I get that other job (a very big IF) well, it is a goverment job so I would still have a decent scedule.

4: If we have to, sure. We are a bit lacking, as a party, in certain skill sets (ironphoenix laid them out well). Sure, my character is a combat monster, but in a very archaic and short distance style... there is a good reason why most people use guns!


For the second part:

1: Yes, I am happy with Robert. He is a lot more well rounded than before and not the "one trick pony" so much anymore. He's still a bit of a stereotype, but oh well. No one is actualy like that, but there is a fun aspect to play someone completely fanatical in a very gray world.

2: Robert is so well suited to his curent situation that he has reached an almost-zen like level of focus, comitement and contentment. He is curently wondering on how to solve the current problem. If all the cult members must be taken out permanently... so be it.

3: Although Robert has no fear of death, he is starting to wonder about continuation. The traditions and philosophy of the samurai must be passed on, so that while the individual may perish, Honor and Duty will endure. Robert is not sure how to do this. Sure, he can and does influence those around him, but it is not enough... it requires either a truly dedicated pupil, or starting a family. All these present challenges and responsabilities, attachements to life that may interfeer in his Duty of service. Theses thoughts will probably insil a faint amount of very healthy self-preservation.

4: Robert believes that his current interpretation of past and current events to be essentialy correct. He just doesn't understand all the motives yet. He does want to know why the fay are geting involved however.... but he doesn't want to get distracted too much by too much speculation.

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

Game based questions
1) Any complaints? Any thing you would like to see more of or less of? What do you like?

Unlike iron_pheonix, I would like to abbreviate the discussion a bit and move on to doing things. Discussion is nice, but it's nice to move forward in the game somewhat rather than spending the evening hashing out a fine detail.

2) Based on (1) do you have any suggestions?

We need to be willing to take more risks.

3) Is anybody else's work schedule going to do something funky in the near future?

Nope.

4) Are the remaining players okay with a three person game group for the near future?

I would prefer four, but agree with iron_pheonix in that I'm not willing to sacrifice game quality. We have a good group, I don't want to spoil it by bringing in someone who doesn't fit.


Character based questions
1) Are you happy with your character and his present direction?

Yes, he is developing his crime-scene analysis skills which, combined with his medical knowledge, is his "nitch".

The racoon I'm not as happy with at the moment because I don't get to use him as much. He's the more impulsive side of the personality, fun to play as a chance from the serious and worrying Max. He is much more fearless than Max so well suited for getting into trouble. That is the fun in playing this character, he will get into trouble as the very nature of his personality.

2) Tell me a bit about what is going through your character's mind lately?

Mr.Coon tends not to have too much going on in his mind except what he is focused on: food, fun, and learning more magic. I'm trying to add magic skills to his bag of tricks so that he can be more useful for infiltration.

Max has two things in his mind. First, he suspects the existence of a brain structure that focuses magic and is tied into conscious thought. He hopes to find a cure not only for Susan but for the other coma patient. His second thought is that Det. Banks is trustworthy so we shouldn't have to spend so much time going around behind her back and jumping at shadows. he was trained not only as a forensic examiner, but as an emergency room physician. You just have to trust the people you work with and make decisions in a timely manner. People die if you spend too much time in debate. He is, as a result, getting frustrated with paranoia and debate, prefering to just get on with his job.

3) Tell me a bit about his goals and how he's changing.

I'm rounding out Max by adding complementary skills: blood-stain interpretation, sculpting (for recontructing victims or assailants), and then magic to perform crime scene analysis (perhaps triggered by his Analyze: Crime scene skill that I keep forgetting to use)

At the moment Mr. Coom wants to turn metal into dust (after some frustration with picking tough locks). In general he wants to build up a repertoire of magic that can assist him in spying and infiltration. He has a flash defense, but that is a last-restort knee-jerk reaction to personal danger.

4) What does he think is going on?

Max believes the fey have infiltrated the police force to make sure that they don't discover the existence of them or their allies. He pictures Avalon as being located somewhere in London with a Prince much like Sarah, but more secretive. He believes the cult was formed in the 1800s around Jack who has learned to maintain his soul (or what's left of it) through blood-sacrifices. The Catholic side screams "deal with the Devil". He is following up on his suspicion through his research into blood-cults. The fey, fearing they will be discovered inadvertently if the investigation continues as it has been, have taken the risk to guide the ratcatchers around their existence by offering to help.

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

I think the reason I'm not willing to take a lot of risks is that the world feels dangerous. Sean has a pretty hefty self-preservation instinct, considerably more than Fionn did.

A more natural-feeling way of limiting discussions might be to have events occur during conversations. Phone calls, alarms, "chance" meetings, etc. all have a place in hustling things along. Windows of opportunity can be used to force our hand. Too much of this, of course, can leave a bad taste, particularly if we get drawn into doing things that, if we had had as much time as players to think about it as the characters had, we wouldn't have done.