Pantheon - Discussions on the Future

[Fist and Faith]

Hey Xar, can you please post results immediately, so this conversation will end?

[Dorian]

Mm creator to want to know when the turn will arrive is not rude, but to expect weekly updates is. At the end of the day, the game is not a right, its a privilege.

Now don't get me wrong, it would certainly be nice to know how processing is going, but I don't think having some agreement for Xar to update us weekly is hardly fair. If he can, then he can, if not then so be it.

And to menolly, if it has happened in previous ages of the game, and if its a problem then why do people continue to sign up to the game to go through again. Its clearly not that big of a problem. And as someone who has completely forgotten what they were doing in game I don't think being told the turn is soon coming each week would've helped that.

Of course, if the the weekly notifications went along lines like these "Im busy this week guys so cant do processing, but Madeva remember your still trying to rule this town, Nor your still trying to cure down syndrome and Bel your still inventing weapons of mass destuction" etc than that would be of great help

Im not attacking you guys for suggesting such things, I just feel for Xar, as someone who has also ran games in the past. Trying to take care of many players at once and fit it all in is a pain in the arse. In fact Xar is the only person I know who still keeps the game going. Look at all the other game son here that when things get busy the GM drops them. At the end of the day if the wait is really a problem (such as losing touch with your character) then do as I am doing and consider leaving the game, or try and find ways to help Xar where you can, or whatever. Adding additional pressure on Xar is not the best option

[The Numen]

I have constantly said Xar deserves his down time in the past. Many times.

On the other hand, you've kept detailed track of when he's logged into the Watch, whether he's browsed any forums, and if he's opened the PM you just sent.

I think the best thing we can do for Xar, and for ourselves, is to arrange it so that there's less stuff for him to do all at once. Approaching a big project in your spare time is rough. Especially if you've had to step away from it for a bit, you have to get your head around everything again before you can start making progress. With this many players, with that much detail going on... my response if I were in Xar's shoes would be to not begin processing the turn until I felt that I had enough time to grind through most / all of it right then.

So, I'm thinking Xar's house system would help a lot with that. Only 1/4 of the number of player submissions to deal with. Likewise, having fewer named characters will automatically cut down on the volume of stuff he has to manage. And if we could all make an attempt to put less stuff in our turn submissions, that might also help. The fewer individual actions, the less reprecussions he'll have to deal with on everybody else's actions.

[Menolly]

I have constantly said Xar deserves his down time in the past. Many times.

On the other hand, you've kept detailed track of when he's logged into the Watch, whether he's browsed any forums, and if he's opened the PM you just sent.

Oh, Xar knows I stalk him.
He also knows I'm quite harmless.

And if we could all make an attempt to put less stuff in our turn submissions, that might also help. The fewer individual actions, the less reprecussions he'll have to deal with on everybody else's actions.

Unless Xar says otherwise, this is a n00b talking.

Xar has said time and again he enjoys the stories and creative actions players puts in to their submissions, as long as a summary of said action is included to ease processing. That in particular is what makes Pantheon enjoyable for him.

[Fist and Faith]

Nothing's ever been agreed upon up until now.

For P4, Xar could agree to at least say, "Sorry, no processing is at all likely this week." Hopefully, he'd not make such a post often.

Or, Xar doesn't have to agree to any such thing. In which case, those of us who play won't have reason to expect it, or be upset if we don't get it.

[Xar]

Xar has said time and again he enjoys the stories and creative actions players puts in to their submissions, as long as a summary of said action is included to ease processing. That in particular is what makes Pantheon enjoyable for him.

That's true, but it's one thing to describe one's actions creatively and quite another to add orders upon orders which serve no practical purpose in the game. For example, in P4 I would still like and welcome stories written by the players - both in turns and in game - but even if you wrote stories with named characters in them, I would then disallow using those named characters in your turn orders unless they had been generated by the game's rules (i.e. they are your Prophet, or an important follower which popped up due to your overwhelming influence in city X, or so on). Although it's nice to read through the stories, if 50% of a turn orders are "I tell this little child to go home to her mommy" or "this character whom I mentioned in my previous story is going to city X to buy furniture for my temple", that simply slows processing down...

[Fist and Faith]

Is that a CH?? Are you saying my attempts at buying furniture this turn were not successful?

[Xar]

Is that a CH?? Are you saying my attempts at buying furniture this turn were not successful?

They were, you bought very beautiful furniture built out of Shaldirian wood...

[Fist and Faith]

Ah! So good to hea...


Hey! Wait a minute!!!!

[Madadeva]

Actually, it is Madadeva who is acquiring furniture ... dragon skin upholstered furniture! (Not to mention the dragon's head and wings decorations!)

[Xar]

Ok, enough sidetracking - let's get back on topic here.

[Menolly]

How about we leave discussions of the future to the future and we concentrate on the current Age?

*cringe*

[Xar]

Since I mentioned it to Fist, here's something more as to how I would intend to use the idea of each deity creating his or her own realm:

You'll be making other dimensions or places of existence. They will have several uses: first of all, I think from a narrative point of view you'll be able to describe the ideal realm of your deity (however unearthly it may be) which will give you a better sense of what the god is like and give other players a feeling for that god's attitude as well. From a rules point of view, it will both be an advantage and a disadvantage. A disadvantage, because each godly realm will have one fixed portal in the world, which means that if enemies find that portal, they can invade it (and, due to another rules change, this invasion can weaken the deity severely). An advantage, because you'll be able to use your realm to create stuff within its boundaries at a reduced cost and without anyone knowing - imagine it as your sanctuary, if you'd like.

[Menolly]

Ooo...

For once, a change I think I may like.
Potential for invasion not withstanding.

[caamora]

Cool idea, Xar!

[[Syl]]

Heh. Both Solus and Simjen (and Hedra) had such realms (though they were more like homes).

hmm. Maybe that's why Aarklar sucked.

[Menolly]

hmm. Maybe that's why Aarklar sucked.

From what little interaction cho had with Aarkler, I would say he far from "sucked." For cho (and me), he was just a bit too esoteric at times for me to comprehend fully what he was saying. But, I loved the quotes for communication. I felt it was my lack in not always getting the meaning, not Aarklar's.

[stonemaybe]

Some of the ideas Xar has suggested for P4 - such as the staggered submissions - would it be an idea to bring into P3, now that we know it's definitely going ahead?

[I'm Murrin]

I guess Nergal is a little like that, he has his dark hall of Irkallas, which I've not quite managed to use or define fully just yet. It'll be an interesting thing to try and come up with, since I've decided to stick with a certain idea for my next god.

[Fist and Faith]

A disadvantage, because each godly realm will have one fixed portal in the world, which means that if enemies find that portal, they can invade it

Can a deity enter the realm of another deity? I'm thinking a being defined as one specific thing cannot enter a realm that's the very embodiment of a different specific thing. Therefore, a deity wanting to invade another deity's realm would have to have others do the invading.

Or am I making it too complicated?


Ah, another question!! Do we have to make this realm from scratch? Building and strengthening it as we go? Or do we start the game with it already in existence, as though we were just hanging out in our realms/homes, and this crazy portal somehow appears that opens into this world?

I guess Nergal is a little like that, he has his dark hall of Irkallas, which I've not quite managed to use or define fully just yet.

Yes, Nergal should be mentioned in the Pantheon footnotes.