Just an Update
Easy come, easy go. Why is it whenever I think I might have enough "extra" money to do something, something else comes up? This time, an assessment for snow removal from the condo roofs, probably followed by more expenses for repairs as the snow and ice did some damage here and there - mostly superficial, but damage nonetheless. Whee. And looking at dropping money to rent a car next month, too.
So... no PS3 on the horizon. No new mattress to sleep upon. No other vacations planned after the trip next month. Just life as "normal" for a while.
The Exalted game goes on. This is good. We've a new addition to our player base. Group dynamics... still are what they are. I may worry too much about it.
A GMly perspective
From the point of view of a player (and character), I have to say it feels like there's an almost overwhelming amount of stuff going on. That's... not all bad, but I feel as though I have to make every single day count, and that complicates matters in a game where training times are an issue.
Alexi was given two uber-spells to use. She has to learn them first, at 3 weeks each. of course, to learn either she has to train Solar Circle Sorcery, which will take 10 days. And to learn that, she has to finish what she's currently training (and started just before getting the mentioned spells) which is another few days yet. So about two months from "present" she'll be able to actually cast both spells, which are necessary for various parts of their greater plan.
Two months is not enough time to handle any of the big-bads. It's not even time to travel anywhere - unless using magic. And so Alexi's been using her Cloud Trapeze spell to zoom back and forth across Creation trying to get something done in the time they have because walking/riding/taking a ship seems too slow when "end of the world" stuff is happening. This has a disadvantage of being a drain on her Willpower and it means the group may accomplish two or three minor missions before anyone even finishes a week of training. That isn't necessarily bad, but it's very awkward. When the group was traveling normally, there seemed to be some balance between XP gain and training time. That's no longer the case (which probably benefits all the NPCs who went into XP-debt).
And the pressure really hasn't let up any. I was more focused on Thorns, picking up pieces of the multi-part sword along the way. Then the need to save Autochthon came up. Then it became pressing with "there's a supernatural plague and a Death Lord assaulting us, everyone's going to die if you don't do something now!" Then it tied in together as we discovered the sword was the weakness to the Death Lord in Autochthon, so completing that becomes a prerequisite to going at all. And just recently even more urgency as the group hears the Autochthonians have decided to invade Creation for resources because they're losing on their own front. @.@ Aieee. Every day more people die. To a Compassion-heavy character, that makes the two months required before she can even manage the spells necessary to fix things (not even accounting for time involved in fighting the Death Lord) unacceptable... yet still necessary.
I am somewhat amazed at how the PC group has acquired a lot of raw, personal power (XP, Charms, etc.)... yet no power base. Oh, a couple people have small cults/followers that they started with and Alexi is technically in charge of a few villages (towns?) that she's never had time to go to, but there's no political backing or army-raising going on. I feel that needs to change, especially when they turn to confronting the Shogun of Shattered Graves, but there's no time to do nation-building, so it's "PCs versus the world" for the foreseeable future.
I have, however, found moments of inspiration here and there. Watching The Matrix on TV reminds me that Exalted combat should be suitably over-the-top and Exalts should outperform mortals by leaps and bounds. And other little elements in various media that inspire toward the human-yet-more-than-human essence of what it is to be an Exalt, including a manga I saw that deals with betrayal, reincarnation, revenge, and a society established by the victors setting them up as heroes in opposition to the truth.
So... no PS3 on the horizon. No new mattress to sleep upon. No other vacations planned after the trip next month. Just life as "normal" for a while.
The Exalted game goes on. This is good. We've a new addition to our player base. Group dynamics... still are what they are. I may worry too much about it.
A GMly perspective
From the point of view of a player (and character), I have to say it feels like there's an almost overwhelming amount of stuff going on. That's... not all bad, but I feel as though I have to make every single day count, and that complicates matters in a game where training times are an issue.
Alexi was given two uber-spells to use. She has to learn them first, at 3 weeks each. of course, to learn either she has to train Solar Circle Sorcery, which will take 10 days. And to learn that, she has to finish what she's currently training (and started just before getting the mentioned spells) which is another few days yet. So about two months from "present" she'll be able to actually cast both spells, which are necessary for various parts of their greater plan.
Two months is not enough time to handle any of the big-bads. It's not even time to travel anywhere - unless using magic. And so Alexi's been using her Cloud Trapeze spell to zoom back and forth across Creation trying to get something done in the time they have because walking/riding/taking a ship seems too slow when "end of the world" stuff is happening. This has a disadvantage of being a drain on her Willpower and it means the group may accomplish two or three minor missions before anyone even finishes a week of training. That isn't necessarily bad, but it's very awkward. When the group was traveling normally, there seemed to be some balance between XP gain and training time. That's no longer the case (which probably benefits all the NPCs who went into XP-debt).
And the pressure really hasn't let up any. I was more focused on Thorns, picking up pieces of the multi-part sword along the way. Then the need to save Autochthon came up. Then it became pressing with "there's a supernatural plague and a Death Lord assaulting us, everyone's going to die if you don't do something now!" Then it tied in together as we discovered the sword was the weakness to the Death Lord in Autochthon, so completing that becomes a prerequisite to going at all. And just recently even more urgency as the group hears the Autochthonians have decided to invade Creation for resources because they're losing on their own front. @.@ Aieee. Every day more people die. To a Compassion-heavy character, that makes the two months required before she can even manage the spells necessary to fix things (not even accounting for time involved in fighting the Death Lord) unacceptable... yet still necessary.
I am somewhat amazed at how the PC group has acquired a lot of raw, personal power (XP, Charms, etc.)... yet no power base. Oh, a couple people have small cults/followers that they started with and Alexi is technically in charge of a few villages (towns?) that she's never had time to go to, but there's no political backing or army-raising going on. I feel that needs to change, especially when they turn to confronting the Shogun of Shattered Graves, but there's no time to do nation-building, so it's "PCs versus the world" for the foreseeable future.
I have, however, found moments of inspiration here and there. Watching The Matrix on TV reminds me that Exalted combat should be suitably over-the-top and Exalts should outperform mortals by leaps and bounds. And other little elements in various media that inspire toward the human-yet-more-than-human essence of what it is to be an Exalt, including a manga I saw that deals with betrayal, reincarnation, revenge, and a society established by the victors setting them up as heroes in opposition to the truth.
Wish I could help. Damn I'm tired of saying that. Sick and tired. I want to do something, just once, that makes my friends' lives not suck. Just once.
ReplyDeleteYou've done it already. :)
ReplyDeleteMeh. Even your work, I'm not getting done. Too busy right now. But I'll try.
ReplyDeletePS3 is overrated. No one will ever love you as much as microsoft. All your friends will buy 360's. Drink th ekool-aid...
ReplyDeleteI pretty much "have to" deal with Microsoft stuff at work and on my home computer. The thought of playing games on a Microsoft console makes me want to cry. That said, Mass Effect almost convinced me to go X360. But the money never quite coincided with the desire and now there's a PC version coming out relatively soon.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of mass effect... I assume you have seen these, but just in case: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/zeropunctuation/2738-Zero-Punctuation-Mass-Effect
ReplyDeleteAm I a cool new addition?
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good. I'm just kinda sorry you came in late. The group really doesn't trust as easily after Tainted Whispers, and being the daughter of the Shogun doesn't help. ;)
ReplyDeleteI considered a long parody of his review style, but nah. Suffice to say I do listen to his reviews. From them, I gain much entertainment and a little guidance about games.
ReplyDelete