033 Octopus Slipper: RPGs-as-drugs to make re-sleeving easier. this drug causes alienation if you /don't/ quickly resleeve. From the sound of it, this is a cruel way of forcing your enemies to live in a world as described by Jack Chick.
Not sure if "sweets" are a game thing like feats, or AH's own extras, but he lists three: two "if-then" game effects, and a coupon for plot.
Overall: ??
Farcast "review"
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Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
034 Token is about living the life of currency. That's kind of neat, if utterly alien. Missing a physical description ("infomorph" apparently means that Token can swap bodies freely, but a default answer would make this much cleaner). The "using Token" section (sadface) is fairly good. Even though Token is introduced as a reason to ambush your players with discussions of BDSM, AH emphasizes talking about it only as long as your players are amused by the discussion.
Overall: B
Overall: B
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
035 K-Rep. It's Wuffie, from Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom. That's cool. I do like this bit: "the player gets a token (poker chip, M&M, etc.) for every 10 points in k-rep they have at the beginning of a session, which the player can cash-in for an appropriate lucky break (Level 0 favor) sometime during the session (or as a snack, if edible)."
Apparently designed as a whole new subsystem, this is fairly short for that level of effort. Not too short, just surprisingly short. The seeds are basically built around mechanical exploitation of the system, which is pretty neat.
Overall: A- (lowered because it requires a separate bookkeeping.
Apparently designed as a whole new subsystem, this is fairly short for that level of effort. Not too short, just surprisingly short. The seeds are basically built around mechanical exploitation of the system, which is pretty neat.
Overall: A- (lowered because it requires a separate bookkeeping.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
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Ancient History
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Petals are nanite-based drugs made to look like flowers; sweets are like easter eggs in a video game.
Infomorphs are digital intelligences - people that have uploaded their minds into computers, AIs, etc.
A lot of Eclipse Phase uses reputation systems instead of money. If you have enough Rep, you can "buy" things, and if you do favors for other people your Rep goes up. There's several different flavors of Rep corresponding to different factions/groups/interests.
Infomorphs are digital intelligences - people that have uploaded their minds into computers, AIs, etc.
A lot of Eclipse Phase uses reputation systems instead of money. If you have enough Rep, you can "buy" things, and if you do favors for other people your Rep goes up. There's several different flavors of Rep corresponding to different factions/groups/interests.
036 : Red Green: It's a golf course on Mars. Well thought out and good detail, but hard to work in. First seed is a Mr. MacGuffin, second is a cute 'PCs as golf legbreakers' bit, third is pure MacGuffin.
Overall: B
Overall: B
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
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Any time I start something, everything else gets busy. Currently working two ACAT 1 programs (one full-time, the other as bonus work), have a paper due for class (for which I must read ALL THE THINGS), running a game each week, and trying to keep up with some Coursera stuff. But most importantly, there's my full internet arguments dance card.
But, I have a martini again, so on I go:
037 Io Warren: "a scumbarge, minus the barge". Likely more evocative if I knew what a scumbarge was.
Okay, I think I got this: it's voluntary functional communism as parodied in Paranoia, realized in a Mad Max-style motorcade.
The using section is not helpful. The seeds are neat and surprisingly good though, and concept is fantastic. Overall: A, despite being way too intricate to use at a table. I would love to see a short series of novellas against this background though. (In my idle novella-dream, each story spoofs another Hugo winner's style).
But, I have a martini again, so on I go:
037 Io Warren: "a scumbarge, minus the barge". Likely more evocative if I knew what a scumbarge was.
Okay, I think I got this: it's voluntary functional communism as parodied in Paranoia, realized in a Mad Max-style motorcade.
The using section is not helpful. The seeds are neat and surprisingly good though, and concept is fantastic. Overall: A, despite being way too intricate to use at a table. I would love to see a short series of novellas against this background though. (In my idle novella-dream, each story spoofs another Hugo winner's style).
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
038 Iggy
Iggy is a genetic defect dwarf, who has no transhumanisation. Fairly evocative characterization, but the 'using' section just builds onto that characterization. It suggests using Iggy as a villain, but offers no advice on how to make that happen.
Overal, B-. With a solid hook, this could have been a slam dunk though, because pathetic villains are the best. ("pathetic" meaning "evoking pathos").
(incidentally, for anyone wondering, my grading rubric is "whatever the hell I feel like." Within that, it's generally a combo of completeness, usability, and coolness.)
Iggy is a genetic defect dwarf, who has no transhumanisation. Fairly evocative characterization, but the 'using' section just builds onto that characterization. It suggests using Iggy as a villain, but offers no advice on how to make that happen.
Overal, B-. With a solid hook, this could have been a slam dunk though, because pathetic villains are the best. ("pathetic" meaning "evoking pathos").
(incidentally, for anyone wondering, my grading rubric is "whatever the hell I feel like." Within that, it's generally a combo of completeness, usability, and coolness.)
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
039 Surrogate pod
...aka Axlotl tanks. Though, the thing where you could be your own parent, growing the future you is pretty neat(1). There are some crunchy bits at the end, but I can't evaluate them.
Overall, B+. Easy to use, and probably papers over some cracks, but not immediately inspiring.
1 There's a sort-of performance art blog I follow off and on that hits some similar notes - google "sulmere".
...aka Axlotl tanks. Though, the thing where you could be your own parent, growing the future you is pretty neat(1). There are some crunchy bits at the end, but I can't evaluate them.
Overall, B+. Easy to use, and probably papers over some cracks, but not immediately inspiring.
1 There's a sort-of performance art blog I follow off and on that hits some similar notes - google "sulmere".
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
040 Knowledge-of-Self
It's an academic curriculum. Kind of cool though, in that it starts from practical genetics, and apparently branches to cover history (ancestry) and IP law (copyrighted genes). The mechanics seem incomplete, and somewhat non-coherent. Five hooks on this one, three of them are good (the other two are a mole hunt (okay) and a data heist).
Overall: A- for solid work, but penalized a little for being uninspiring.
It's an academic curriculum. Kind of cool though, in that it starts from practical genetics, and apparently branches to cover history (ancestry) and IP law (copyrighted genes). The mechanics seem incomplete, and somewhat non-coherent. Five hooks on this one, three of them are good (the other two are a mole hunt (okay) and a data heist).
Overall: A- for solid work, but penalized a little for being uninspiring.
041 Sue Dies
is a surrogate pod from two entries ago, who uses her "womb" to smuggle illegal biomorphs. Amusing throwaway line about her actual reproductive organs being in storage on Venus. Still ignorant of Eclipse Phase rules, but I somehow suspect that "Art: Erotic Entertainment (Pregnancy Fetish)" is not a core skill. The Using section is helpful, but most of it still should have been mixed back up into the main body. Seeds are okay, but it looks like any stories with Sue are going to be character sketches of Sue, plus some bones thrown to the players.
Overall B.
is a surrogate pod from two entries ago, who uses her "womb" to smuggle illegal biomorphs. Amusing throwaway line about her actual reproductive organs being in storage on Venus. Still ignorant of Eclipse Phase rules, but I somehow suspect that "Art: Erotic Entertainment (Pregnancy Fetish)" is not a core skill. The Using section is helpful, but most of it still should have been mixed back up into the main body. Seeds are okay, but it looks like any stories with Sue are going to be character sketches of Sue, plus some bones thrown to the players.
Overall B.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
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042 The Meaning of Life Factorials
Factorials are imitations of Factors. Factors are apparently some sort of colony organism. I'm guessing Foglets from Transmetropolitan, or that hive mind from that book I read once (google is unhelpful in finding it).
Overall: A-. Possibly based on my misunderstandings, but colony organisms are cool, and making them playable is good.
Factorials are imitations of Factors. Factors are apparently some sort of colony organism. I'm guessing Foglets from Transmetropolitan, or that hive mind from that book I read once (google is unhelpful in finding it).
Overall: A-. Possibly based on my misunderstandings, but colony organisms are cool, and making them playable is good.
043: Arindov Space
It's a tightly-packed, lightless moon-cave, where everyone navigates by sonar. There is some discussion of artificial boundaries, and that violating those boundaries is taboo, but nothing about what those boundaries are, or what purpose they serve. It's also not clear if this is one huge 3km^3 cave, or a network. Either way, for 30k inhabitants, that's around 100,000m^3 per person. That is potentially quite a lot (the plot my house sits on is significant;y smaller than 100m*100m, and also less than 10m tall, but it all depends on topology.
the using section suggests that this is a good way to get people thinking about alternate senses, and that you should use it sparingly. Both advices are good.
Overall: A-
It's a tightly-packed, lightless moon-cave, where everyone navigates by sonar. There is some discussion of artificial boundaries, and that violating those boundaries is taboo, but nothing about what those boundaries are, or what purpose they serve. It's also not clear if this is one huge 3km^3 cave, or a network. Either way, for 30k inhabitants, that's around 100,000m^3 per person. That is potentially quite a lot (the plot my house sits on is significant;y smaller than 100m*100m, and also less than 10m tall, but it all depends on topology.
the using section suggests that this is a good way to get people thinking about alternate senses, and that you should use it sparingly. Both advices are good.
Overall: A-
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
044: Hive Bob
Schlock Mercenary's Gav Collective, but derived from a guy named Payushi instead ("his nickname was Bob"). Except generational instead of single-event, so they have lineages. Two hooks are fairly generic (MacGuffin, rescue mission), the third is a reasonably interesting conflict resolution.
Overall: A-. Would have been a B+, but the comedy potential of everyone being Bob pushed it up.
Schlock Mercenary's Gav Collective, but derived from a guy named Payushi instead ("his nickname was Bob"). Except generational instead of single-event, so they have lineages. Two hooks are fairly generic (MacGuffin, rescue mission), the third is a reasonably interesting conflict resolution.
Overall: A-. Would have been a B+, but the comedy potential of everyone being Bob pushed it up.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
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Martini. Better read more Farcast.
This time: 045: Catsphere. This better be a kitty spacecraft.
...Actually, pretty close. It's a Star Wars interrogator droid which thinks it's a cat. Also comes with a crazy sensor suite. One hook, which is uninspired.
Overall, intriguing, and would be a great part of a novel. As an RPG thing, seems like throwaway ambiance. B-
This time: 045: Catsphere. This better be a kitty spacecraft.
...Actually, pretty close. It's a Star Wars interrogator droid which thinks it's a cat. Also comes with a crazy sensor suite. One hook, which is uninspired.
Overall, intriguing, and would be a great part of a novel. As an RPG thing, seems like throwaway ambiance. B-
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
046 Zushell
It's a zombie shell. With rationalization. Apparently, zombie bodies are super-cheap, so desperate people will use them. They're also like burner phones, which makes more sense for an RPG.
The payoff is the hook: "An exsurgent terrorist is planning to release dozens of zushells puppeted by his forks and infected with the exsurgent virus within a habitat..." That's right, it's a zombie apocalypse setup for Eclipse Phase. And it's one which makes sense, and could flow well.
Overall, I love this. If the players run into anonymous contacts a few times, they'll be used to this zombie thing. Springing the hook then will flow naturally, and also make sense.
A+
It's a zombie shell. With rationalization. Apparently, zombie bodies are super-cheap, so desperate people will use them. They're also like burner phones, which makes more sense for an RPG.
The payoff is the hook: "An exsurgent terrorist is planning to release dozens of zushells puppeted by his forks and infected with the exsurgent virus within a habitat..." That's right, it's a zombie apocalypse setup for Eclipse Phase. And it's one which makes sense, and could flow well.
Overall, I love this. If the players run into anonymous contacts a few times, they'll be used to this zombie thing. Springing the hook then will flow naturally, and also make sense.
A+
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
047 Fireballs
Okay, so transhumanists are going to go live everywhere, as everything. Sometimes that means figuring out what's the most interesting part of existing as a mollusk (nothing), but it apparently also means living in the freaking sun. But you don't just wake up one morning and jump in; the sun gets a bit toasty. So there are custom built chambers to simulate the sun, so you can design and test your bad-idea body in a controlled environment.
Those chambers are super expensive. So obviously, they double as super expensive nightclubs, and fund their research off that.
I like it. I don't know if its good for games. It seems like a neat setting though.
Overall, B+. Great for a novel.
Okay, so transhumanists are going to go live everywhere, as everything. Sometimes that means figuring out what's the most interesting part of existing as a mollusk (nothing), but it apparently also means living in the freaking sun. But you don't just wake up one morning and jump in; the sun gets a bit toasty. So there are custom built chambers to simulate the sun, so you can design and test your bad-idea body in a controlled environment.
Those chambers are super expensive. So obviously, they double as super expensive nightclubs, and fund their research off that.
I like it. I don't know if its good for games. It seems like a neat setting though.
Overall, B+. Great for a novel.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
048: Planet Killer
What if Linus Torvald wanted to blow up a planet instead of make an OS? Well, this. Apparently Planet Killer wants to blow up a dwarf planet out past Pluto. So far, so good, but he's presented as a potential antagonist for wanting/being able to bring the big booms. I have no idea why; it's like presenting the Mythbusters as antagonists.
Hooks are good. A neat spin on a MacGuffin ("Bring me detailed maps of Saturn's moons! Why? Um, no reason..."), and a rescue mission that would feel at home as a Star Trek TOS episode.
Overall B.
What if Linus Torvald wanted to blow up a planet instead of make an OS? Well, this. Apparently Planet Killer wants to blow up a dwarf planet out past Pluto. So far, so good, but he's presented as a potential antagonist for wanting/being able to bring the big booms. I have no idea why; it's like presenting the Mythbusters as antagonists.
Hooks are good. A neat spin on a MacGuffin ("Bring me detailed maps of Saturn's moons! Why? Um, no reason..."), and a rescue mission that would feel at home as a Star Trek TOS episode.
Overall B.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
049: Wet Makers
(giggity-giggity)
It's arbitrarily good chemical synthesis, so you can make single malt scotches (or whatever). High-grade mind-caulk.
Hooks are a slight twist on a bank job (pay is booze), and another that's sprt of a MacGuffin.
Overall, B+. Bonus points added for hooks that don't neatly categorize.
(giggity-giggity)
It's arbitrarily good chemical synthesis, so you can make single malt scotches (or whatever). High-grade mind-caulk.
Hooks are a slight twist on a bank job (pay is booze), and another that's sprt of a MacGuffin.
Overall, B+. Bonus points added for hooks that don't neatly categorize.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
050: The Legitimate Bar
It's a bar. Almost a no-frills theme bar. The oldest off-Earth bar, it's well sketched out. Could use a map, but the layout is described and simple enough that it's not a problem. Good description of the owner too, including a couple lines that could turn into good hooks.
Overall, A-. Easy to drop in, unobtrusive, but depth if needed.
It's a bar. Almost a no-frills theme bar. The oldest off-Earth bar, it's well sketched out. Could use a map, but the layout is described and simple enough that it's not a problem. Good description of the owner too, including a couple lines that could turn into good hooks.
Overall, A-. Easy to drop in, unobtrusive, but depth if needed.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
051 - it's gardeners. There's more writing, but nothing that would make a member any different from some guy who just happens to be mildly interested in gardening. C-, saved by good hooks.
052 - Jalla Free is a different space-buddhist than the previous space buddhists. Also, she's a smuggler. Her motivations don't make a lot of sense.
Might be a decent book; possibly decent ambiance. Seed is incoherent because motivations are incoherent (what is motivating someone who eschews passions and possessions to smuggle?). Overall C.
053 "Oxygen Emancipation" is the cold fusion of the future. Neat, good ambiance, decent mind-caulk. One good hook, one not. Overall B-
(note: one comment praises the hook I panned as not good. It's possible that I only fail to appreciate it because I continue not having read Eclipse Phase.)
052 - Jalla Free is a different space-buddhist than the previous space buddhists. Also, she's a smuggler. Her motivations don't make a lot of sense.
Might be a decent book; possibly decent ambiance. Seed is incoherent because motivations are incoherent (what is motivating someone who eschews passions and possessions to smuggle?). Overall C.
053 "Oxygen Emancipation" is the cold fusion of the future. Neat, good ambiance, decent mind-caulk. One good hook, one not. Overall B-
(note: one comment praises the hook I panned as not good. It's possible that I only fail to appreciate it because I continue not having read Eclipse Phase.)
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
054 It's a rules patch, I think? Hard to evaluate. Overall ??
...And I've caught up.
...And I've caught up.
Vebyast wrote:Here's a fun target for Major Creation: hydrazine. One casting every six seconds at CL9 gives you a bit more than 40 liters per second, which is comparable to the flow rates of some small, but serious, rocket engines. Six items running at full blast through a well-engineered engine will put you, and something like 50 tons of cargo, into space. Alternatively, if you thrust sideways, you will briefly be a fireball screaming across the sky at mach 14 before you melt from atmospheric friction.
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