TRIHAN'S PROFILE

Trihan
"It's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly...timey wimey...stuff."
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Sidhe Quest
When everything goes wrong, it's up to our heroes to go and do a bunch of other stuff!

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[RMVX ACE] Trihan's Script-o-tron!

So I recently invented this amazing little robot. What it does is it takes script requests for VX Ace, dithers about a bit doing nothing, and then spits out a script!*

So if you've always wanted a cool system or a change to the way things work by default, give me your requests and I'll do my best to fit them in. I already have a number of other projects on so my time for this will be limited by other commitments, but rest assured I'll do my best.

* robot is actually me, writing scripts by hand.

RMN Plays: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance!

Okay, so before we start here are some boring rules.

RULES REMOVED BECAUSE THE PLAY MODEL HAS CHANGED

Basically once I post the latest happenings go wild and suggest what you want to do next. The first post after the update will be the one that's selected so if you see someone has already posted there's no point in you posting too.

Now let's get on with the show! I have no idea how popular this will be, but hopefully you'll all have fun. If you have any suggestions to tighten up the rules or make this more involving/fun, by all means share them.

THE STORY SO FAR

A bunch of evil schoolkids are picking on one of their new classmates, and a snowball fight breaks out!


What will this young man's name be?
>

[Poll] Combining a forum RPG with a let's play, sort of

Okay, so looking at the forum RPG for Fire Emblem I had a sort of idea, and I was wondering how many people would be up for doing this.

Basically I would be playing through an actual tactical RPG (I'm thinking probably something like Vandal Hearts or maybe Final Fantasy Tactics); people on the forums "claim" a character and get to decide what that character does (whether that's their actions in battle, what equipment they're wearing, what classes they change to etc.)

Obviously this means that to start with there will only be a handful of people controlling characters, who will be switched out if the party changes/people die etc. and also it'll get more chaotic as more characters are introduced in the game. Every time a new character comes in, I'll open it up for people to start claiming again.

Trihan's definitive answer to #thedress.

Nomic: game thread

THE PLAYERS

DrOctopus: 25 points, 40 Makerscore (removed from the game due to inactivity)
LockeZ: 60 points, 0 Makerscore
meustrus: 36 points, 70 Makerscore
Shinan: 35 points, 10 Makerscore
TangledLion: 34 points, 0 Makerscore
Trihan: 38 points, 10 Makerscore

THE RULES

Immutable Rules
101. All players (a player being defined as "a forum member who expressed an interest in joining the game prior to the proper game thread being created", and taking effect only at the creation of that thread) must always abide by all the rules then in effect, in the form in which they are then in effect. The rules in the Initial Set are in effect whenever a game begins. The Initial Set consists of Rules 101-116 (immutable) and 201-213 (mutable).

*
102. Initially rules in the 100's are immutable and rules in the 200's are mutable. Rules subsequently enacted or transmuted (that is, changed from immutable to mutable or vice versa) may be immutable or mutable regardless of their numbers, and rules in the Initial Set may be transmuted regardless of their numbers.

*
103. A rule-change is any of the following: (1) the enactment, repeal, or amendment of a mutable rule; (2) the enactment, repeal, or amendment of an amendment of a mutable rule; or (3) the transmutation of an immutable rule into a mutable rule or vice versa.

(Note: This definition implies that, at least initially, all new rules are mutable; immutable rules, as long as they are immutable, may not be amended or repealed; mutable rules, as long as they are mutable, may be amended or repealed; any rule of any status may be transmuted; no rule is absolutely immune to change.)

*
104. All rule-changes proposed in the proper way shall be voted on. They will be adopted if and only if they receive the required number of votes.

*
105. Every player is an eligible voter. If a player has not voted 72 hours after a proposal being made, they will be considered to have voted against the proposal.

*
106. All proposed rule-changes shall be written down before they are voted on. If they are adopted, they shall guide play in the form in which they were voted on.

*
107. No rule-change may take effect earlier than the moment of the completion of the vote that adopted it, even if its wording explicitly states otherwise. No rule-change may have retroactive application.

*
108. Each proposed rule-change shall be given a number for reference. The numbers shall begin with 301, and each rule-change proposed in the proper way shall receive the next successive integer, whether or not the proposal is adopted.

If a rule is repealed and reenacted, it receives the number of the proposal to reenact it. If a rule is amended or transmuted, it receives the number of the proposal to amend or transmute it. If an amendment is amended or repealed, the entire rule of which it is a part receives the number of the proposal to amend or repeal the amendment.

*
109. Rule-changes that transmute immutable rules into mutable rules may be adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among the eligible voters. Transmutation shall not be implied, but must be stated explicitly in a proposal to take effect.

*
110. In a conflict between a mutable and an immutable rule, the immutable rule takes precedence and the mutable rule shall be entirely void. For the purposes of this rule a proposal to transmute an immutable rule does not "conflict" with that immutable rule.

*
111. If a rule-change as proposed is unclear, ambiguous, paradoxical, or destructive of play, or if it arguably consists of two or more rule-changes compounded or is an amendment that makes no difference, or if it is otherwise of questionable value, then the other players may suggest amendments or argue against the proposal before the vote. A reasonable time must be allowed for this debate. The proponent decides the final form in which the proposal is to be voted on and, unless the Judge has been asked to do so, also decides the time to end debate and vote.

*
112. The state of affairs that constitutes winning may not be altered from achieving n points to any other state of affairs. The magnitude of n and the means of earning points may be changed, and rules that establish a winner when play cannot continue may be enacted and (while they are mutable) be amended or repealed.

*
113. A player always has the option to forfeit the game rather than continue to play or incur a game penalty. No penalty worse than losing, in the judgment of the player to incur it, may be imposed.

*
114. There must always be at least one mutable rule. The adoption of rule-changes must never become completely impermissible.

*
115. Rule-changes that affect rules needed to allow or apply rule-changes are as permissible as other rule-changes. Even rule-changes that amend or repeal their own authority are permissible. No rule-change or type of move is impermissible solely on account of the self-reference or self-application of a rule.

*
116. Whatever is not prohibited or regulated by a rule is permitted and unregulated, with the sole exception of changing the rules, which is permitted only when a rule or set of rules explicitly or implicitly permits it.

117. If a player is required to post and fails to post for a week, they lose and are permanently removed from the game. If the game cannot continue as a result (for example if they were the judge in a dispute), the game master, in this case Trihan, is appointed to act in that player's stead.

*
Mutable Rules
201. Players shall alternate in alphabetical order by username, taking one whole turn apiece. Turns may not be skipped or passed, and parts of turns may not be omitted. All players begin with zero points.

*
202. THIS RULE HAS BEEN AMENDED BY PROPOSAL 305.

*
203. THIS RULE HAS BEEN AMENDED BY PROPOSAL 302.

*
204. If and when rule-changes can be adopted without unanimity, the players who vote against winning proposals shall receive 10 points each.

*
205. An adopted rule-change takes full effect at the moment of the completion of the vote that adopted it.

*
206. When a proposed rule-change is defeated, the player who proposed it loses 10 points.

*
207. Each player always has exactly one vote.

*
208. The winner is the first player to achieve 200 (positive) points.

*
209. At no time may there be more than 25 mutable rules.

*

210. If two or more mutable rules conflict with one another, or if two or more immutable rules conflict with one another, then the rule with the lowest ordinal number takes precedence.

If at least one of the rules in conflict explicitly says of itself that it defers to another rule (or type of rule) or takes precedence over another rule (or type of rule), then such provisions shall supersede the numerical method for determining precedence.

If two or more rules claim to take precedence over one another or to defer to one another, then the numerical method again governs.

*
211. If players disagree about the legality of a move or the interpretation or application of a rule, then the player preceding the one moving is to be the Judge and decide the question. Disagreement for the purposes of this rule may be created by the insistence of any player. This process is called invoking Judgment.

When Judgment has been invoked, the next player may not begin his or her turn without the consent of a majority of the other players.

The Judge's Judgment may be overruled only by a unanimous vote of the other players taken before the next turn is begun. If a Judge's Judgment is overruled, then the player preceding the Judge in the playing order becomes the new Judge for the question, and so on, except that no player is to be Judge during his or her own turn or during the turn of a team-mate.

Unless a Judge is overruled, one Judge settles all questions arising from the game until the next turn is begun, including questions as to his or her own legitimacy and jurisdiction as Judge.

New Judges are not bound by the decisions of old Judges. New Judges may, however, settle only those questions on which the players currently disagree and that affect the completion of the turn in which Judgment was invoked. All decisions by Judges shall be in accordance with all the rules then in effect; but when the rules are silent, inconsistent, or unclear on the point at issue, then the Judge shall consider game-custom and the spirit of the game before applying other standards.

If a Judge cannot be determined, the Game Master (Trihan) will have final say in the resoution of the dispute.

*
212. If the rules are changed so that further play is impossible, or if the legality of a move cannot be determined with finality, or if by the Judge's best reasoning, not overruled, a move appears equally legal and illegal, then the first player unable to complete a turn is the winner.

This rule takes precedence over every other rule determining the winner.

*
302. Amendment to rule 203. A rule-change is adopted if at least three eligible voters vote in favor of it during the voting period. The voting period for a rule-change ends when all eligible voters have made their final vote.

*
303. Should a rule-change result in the proposing player winning the game, either by points (assuming the maximum points able to be gained), the game being unable to continue, or any other method, the proposing player must include the word "Nomic" in the post putting the rule-change up to a vote. Should the proposing player fail to do so, or if the post has been edited from its original state, his or her turn will end immediately and the rule-change will not be adopted. The game shall not be declared won until it is confirmed that this rule has been followed.

*
305. Amendment to rule 202. One turn consists of two parts in this order: (1) proposing one rule-change and having it voted on, and (2) subtracting 291 from the ordinal number of the proposal and multiplying the result by the fraction of favourable votes it received, rounded to the nearest integer. In the event the proposal is passed, this number is awarded to all advocates of the proposal in question, and double of this number is awarded to the play who suggested this proposal.

The scoring effects of this rule take effect on the exact turn of its passing.

*
306
Players have a non-negative integer value called Makerscore. Makerscore may not be used, gained or lost by any means other than those explicitly permitted by the rules, and may not be sold or traded to other players. From this point on, Makerscore with a capital M will refer to the strictly Nomic-based construct called Makerscore, whereas makerscore with a small m will refer to the makerscore value on RMN.

Should this proposal pass, at the end of the turn in which it passes, the initial pool of Makerscore values will be determined by taking each player's RMN makerscore, dividing it by 100, and rounding it up to the nearest 10. Once each player has calculated their Makerscore allotment, they must nominate one OTHER player to receive their Makerscore. Should multiple players name the same other player, that player will receive the combined total of the Makerscore pools. The allotment of Makerscore must be completed before the next player can take their turn. EXAMPLE: LockeZ has an allotment of 40 Makerscore (3143 / 100 = 31 rounded up) and meustrus has 10 (30 / 100 = 0.3 rounded up). LockeZ must nominate one player other than himself to receive 40 Makerscore, and meustrus must nominate one player other than himself to receive 10. If both LockeZ and meustrus choose the same person, that person will receive 50 Makerscore.

Points and Makerscore are transferable at a rate of 5:1 (5 points -> 1 Makerscore, 5 Makerscore -> 1 point). A player wishing to transfer points to Makerscore or vice versa may only do so during their own turn in the discussion phase before voting begins for their proposal, by clearly posting their intention to transfer resources and stating the amount being lost/gained. The Game Master (Trihan) will confirm transfers at the end of each player's turn, after voting has ended.

*
309
If a player officially submits a review for a game on rpgmaker.net that was created by another player (or players), and rpgmaker.net accepts the review, the player who submitted the review receives 50 Makerscore. If the review includes an official score of the game, the player(s) who made the game receive(s) 10 points.


DrOctopus is first to make a proposal. I'm not imposing a strict time limit on anything yet because there isn't one in the rules, but I think 72 hours is a fair loose limit for now. If he hasn't posted by then I'll try to move things along a bit somehow.

Happy rulemaking!

Nomic: a game about changing the rules

So I'm gonna try and get a little bit of Nomic going all up in here.

For the uninitiated, Nomic is a game, probably unlike any you've played before. You see, in Nomic, there are some rules, and the game is all about changing and adding to them. There is pretty much no limit to how this game will turn out; it will depend entirely on the decisions of its players.

There are a number of rules the game begins with, which will be posted below. As players add new rules or change the existing ones, I'll update the initial post. But as with any game here, it starts with sign-ups. I'm gonna say that I can probably manage about ten players for this.

Here's the initial list of rules so you can get an idea of how the game works before you decide if you want to play:

Immutable Rules
101. All players (a player being defined as "a forum member who expressed an interest in joining the game prior to the proper game thread being created", and taking effect only at the creation of that thread) must always abide by all the rules then in effect, in the form in which they are then in effect. The rules in the Initial Set are in effect whenever a game begins. The Initial Set consists of Rules 101-116 (immutable) and 201-213 (mutable).

*
102. Initially rules in the 100's are immutable and rules in the 200's are mutable. Rules subsequently enacted or transmuted (that is, changed from immutable to mutable or vice versa) may be immutable or mutable regardless of their numbers, and rules in the Initial Set may be transmuted regardless of their numbers.

*
103. A rule-change is any of the following: (1) the enactment, repeal, or amendment of a mutable rule; (2) the enactment, repeal, or amendment of an amendment of a mutable rule; or (3) the transmutation of an immutable rule into a mutable rule or vice versa.

(Note: This definition implies that, at least initially, all new rules are mutable; immutable rules, as long as they are immutable, may not be amended or repealed; mutable rules, as long as they are mutable, may be amended or repealed; any rule of any status may be transmuted; no rule is absolutely immune to change.)

*
104. All rule-changes proposed in the proper way shall be voted on. They will be adopted if and only if they receive the required number of votes.

*
105. Every player is an eligible voter. If a player has not voted 72 hours after a proposal being made, they will be considered to have voted against the proposal.

*
106. All proposed rule-changes shall be written down before they are voted on. If they are adopted, they shall guide play in the form in which they were voted on.

*
107. No rule-change may take effect earlier than the moment of the completion of the vote that adopted it, even if its wording explicitly states otherwise. No rule-change may have retroactive application.

*
108. Each proposed rule-change shall be given a number for reference. The numbers shall begin with 301, and each rule-change proposed in the proper way shall receive the next successive integer, whether or not the proposal is adopted.

If a rule is repealed and reenacted, it receives the number of the proposal to reenact it. If a rule is amended or transmuted, it receives the number of the proposal to amend or transmute it. If an amendment is amended or repealed, the entire rule of which it is a part receives the number of the proposal to amend or repeal the amendment.

*
109. Rule-changes that transmute immutable rules into mutable rules may be adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among the eligible voters. Transmutation shall not be implied, but must be stated explicitly in a proposal to take effect.

*
110. In a conflict between a mutable and an immutable rule, the immutable rule takes precedence and the mutable rule shall be entirely void. For the purposes of this rule a proposal to transmute an immutable rule does not "conflict" with that immutable rule.

*
111. If a rule-change as proposed is unclear, ambiguous, paradoxical, or destructive of play, or if it arguably consists of two or more rule-changes compounded or is an amendment that makes no difference, or if it is otherwise of questionable value, then the other players may suggest amendments or argue against the proposal before the vote. A reasonable time must be allowed for this debate. The proponent decides the final form in which the proposal is to be voted on and, unless the Judge has been asked to do so, also decides the time to end debate and vote.

*
112. The state of affairs that constitutes winning may not be altered from achieving n points to any other state of affairs. The magnitude of n and the means of earning points may be changed, and rules that establish a winner when play cannot continue may be enacted and (while they are mutable) be amended or repealed.

*
113. A player always has the option to forfeit the game rather than continue to play or incur a game penalty. No penalty worse than losing, in the judgment of the player to incur it, may be imposed.

*
114. There must always be at least one mutable rule. The adoption of rule-changes must never become completely impermissible.

*
115. Rule-changes that affect rules needed to allow or apply rule-changes are as permissible as other rule-changes. Even rule-changes that amend or repeal their own authority are permissible. No rule-change or type of move is impermissible solely on account of the self-reference or self-application of a rule.

*
116. Whatever is not prohibited or regulated by a rule is permitted and unregulated, with the sole exception of changing the rules, which is permitted only when a rule or set of rules explicitly or implicitly permits it.

117. If a player is required to post and fails to post for a week, they lose and are permanently removed from the game. If the game cannot continue as a result (for example if they were the judge in a dispute), the game master, in this case Trihan, is appointed to act in that player's stead.

*
Mutable Rules
201. Players shall alternate in alphabetical order by username, taking one whole turn apiece. Turns may not be skipped or passed, and parts of turns may not be omitted. All players begin with zero points.

*
202. One turn consists of two parts in this order: (1) proposing one rule-change and having it voted on, and (2) subtracting 291 from the ordinal number of the proposal and multiplying the result by the fraction of favourable votes it received, rounded to the nearest integer. (This yields a number between 0 and 10 for the first player, with the upper limit increasing by one each turn; more points are awarded for more popular proposals.)

*
203. A rule-change is adopted if and only if the vote is unanimous among the eligible voters. If this rule is not amended by the end of the second complete circuit of turns, it automatically changes to require only a simple majority.

*
204. If and when rule-changes can be adopted without unanimity, the players who vote against winning proposals shall receive 10 points each.

*
205. An adopted rule-change takes full effect at the moment of the completion of the vote that adopted it.

*
206. When a proposed rule-change is defeated, the player who proposed it loses 10 points.

*
207. Each player always has exactly one vote.

*
208. The winner is the first player to achieve 200 (positive) points.

*
209. At no time may there be more than 25 mutable rules.

*

210. If two or more mutable rules conflict with one another, or if two or more immutable rules conflict with one another, then the rule with the lowest ordinal number takes precedence.

If at least one of the rules in conflict explicitly says of itself that it defers to another rule (or type of rule) or takes precedence over another rule (or type of rule), then such provisions shall supersede the numerical method for determining precedence.

If two or more rules claim to take precedence over one another or to defer to one another, then the numerical method again governs.

*
211. If players disagree about the legality of a move or the interpretation or application of a rule, then the player preceding the one moving is to be the Judge and decide the question. Disagreement for the purposes of this rule may be created by the insistence of any player. This process is called invoking Judgment.

When Judgment has been invoked, the next player may not begin his or her turn without the consent of a majority of the other players.

The Judge's Judgment may be overruled only by a unanimous vote of the other players taken before the next turn is begun. If a Judge's Judgment is overruled, then the player preceding the Judge in the playing order becomes the new Judge for the question, and so on, except that no player is to be Judge during his or her own turn or during the turn of a team-mate.

Unless a Judge is overruled, one Judge settles all questions arising from the game until the next turn is begun, including questions as to his or her own legitimacy and jurisdiction as Judge.

New Judges are not bound by the decisions of old Judges. New Judges may, however, settle only those questions on which the players currently disagree and that affect the completion of the turn in which Judgment was invoked. All decisions by Judges shall be in accordance with all the rules then in effect; but when the rules are silent, inconsistent, or unclear on the point at issue, then the Judge shall consider game-custom and the spirit of the game before applying other standards.

If a Judge cannot be determined, the Game Master (Trihan) will have final say in the resoution of the dispute.

*
212. If the rules are changed so that further play is impossible, or if the legality of a move cannot be determined with finality, or if by the Judge's best reasoning, not overruled, a move appears equally legal and illegal, then the first player unable to complete a turn is the winner.

This rule takes precedence over every other rule determining the winner.


So who's in?

Project Zomboid.

So there's this game on Steam called Project Zomboid, which is basically the closest you can get to living in an episode of The Walking Dead without being one of the actors, an extra, or a mad scientist developing the zombie virus.

The level of realism and detail in this thing is astounding. If you get injured, you need to change/disinfect your bandages often or your wounds will get infected. If you leave the oven on your house can burn down. You need to keep open windows in safehouses covered with planks/sheets to avoid zombies seeing you or getting in. And it's only a tenner.

I'm thinking of setting up a server for it soon for some multiplayer zombie survival shenanigans, so if anyone's interested let me know.

Happy Everyone's-name-is-pink Day!

This is the occasion we are celebrating, there is no other holiday here.

So Sunless Sea is out.

After months of playing a pretty damn kickass early access version of Sunless Sea, I was pretty stoked to realise the other day that it had actually been released. Cue me rapidly installing it on Steam on my laptop so I could play the finished product.

For those who don't know, Sunless Sea is a roguelike-like with the same setting as Fallen London (formerly Echo Bazaar), a browser-based game with several thousand lines of really well-written Lovecraftian dialogue. The basic premise is that bats stole London. No, seriously. London and the surrounding land has been sucked down into the bowels of the earth, into the Neath, and most landmasses are now drops in a literal ocean called the Unterzee. You play as a zee-captain, a man (or woman) who has given up the life they knew and answered the siren call of the zee, exploring where no one else dares in search of interesting stories and forbidden treasures.

Gameplay largely consists of sailing your ship through the Unterzee, visiting the various ports and islands you encounter on the way. At first you'll be limited to short voyages before you return to Fallen London to stock up on fuel and supplies; after a long, long, long, long time you may have enough Echoes (the local currency) to buy a slightly better ship or upgraded weapons, but the meat and potatoes of the game is in the narrative. There isn't a set storyline to Sunless Sea per se, so much as a large number of events dotted around that you can encounter in any order, some of which have choices which will change the way they play out.

By default, the game has permadeath; you get one autosave and if you die, that's it. You do get a small respite in that you have a number of legacy options to give your successor either half of one of your stats/money, the map you'd completed until that point, an officer you'd recruited, one of your weapons etc. Sustained play may result in finding some more permanent legacy items.

So far I've logged about 18 hours in this game, and I've only scratched the surface of what it has to offer. I have not yet had to play messenger to the conflict between the rats and the cavies on Pigmote Isle, nor have I recruited the Imaginary Officer. I'm looking forward to getting there, though.

Anyone else played this or have any commentary on it? If you're into roguelikes I'd highly recommend it, though Sunless Sea isn't quite a roguelike in the traditional sense.

In other news, Prison Architect is coming out of alpha this year. :D

Storyline changes based on seemingly innocuous things: good idea or bad idea?

So one idea I was bandying about for Tundra that I really like as a concept at least is that in several cases there are going to be items obtainable in various places or from various enemies that can cause major shifts in the story. For example, let's say you get an item from an enemy that is clearly an artifact of <insert race here> and you later come across a/an <insert race> who only joins the party if you have said artifact but has a pretty big plot arc associated with them that you will only see if they are recruited (this is nothing like the main thing I'm planning on, just an example).

My question is, do you think it's a good idea to have such important things left to chance? It's not like this would affect the actual main plot of the game; that will happen with no input from the player besides playing the game. What I want to do is present various locations, scenarios and choices that may in fact completely change part of the game's story, or give you a new objective before you can get back to the main one. Not just on the level of a sidequest: what I'm proposing is something that will actually have a discernible effect on the character interactions, events that take place, or even the ending.

(I should also point out that most of the examples I'm thinking of will be gradual changes which will be signposted to the player via cutscenes, so they'll start to see what's going on and before the point of no return they will be able to do something to return from the path they were set on if they don't like where the story seems to be going)