Acropolis 1.0 - Rules, Comments, and Q&A

Moderator: Goatkiller666

User avatar
[Syl]
Unfettered One
Posts: 13017
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 12:36 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by [Syl] »

Look, guys. We've just finished turn 10. If there's something I think I can tell just you, I'll probably be telling you in results. But answering a lot of questions privately by necessity gives the questioners more information and therefor advantage than those who do not. It also risks revealing things that I, as the master narrator, do not wish to reveal.

I love to talk about the game and will be happy to answer any questions that appear in this thread, but I will no longer answer questions by PM or email. Some exceptions may be made, but it better be worth risking my wrath if you're wrong on the question's importance or my ability to answer it fairly.

As some of you may attest, I have no problem interpreting your moves how I see fit (or even misinterpreting as I see allowable). I also have no problem with you doing the same with your results (in fact, I would be utterly astounded if anyone understood everything I wrote exactly how I meant it). I will point out anything I think is a damaging misconception (which is entirely different than a fun misconception which I gleefully use to further the overall storyline) with no penalty, and I always try to reward creativity.

However, if you do not have faith in me or respect for me as a GM, you are, of course, welcome to withdraw from the game.

Sincerely,
The Autarch
(or how I learned to stop worrying and love ambiguity)
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
User avatar
[Syl]
Unfettered One
Posts: 13017
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 12:36 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by [Syl] »

Actually, thinking about it, Odin was willing to give up an eye for his knowledge. If you're willing to risk it, I'll offer the same bargain. You can ask any question you want, so long as you're willing to pay ten percent, rounded down to the nearest tenth, of your total DSP for the answer (which will take the form of some damaging event). I only stipulate that questions be limited to a single sentence. A question embedded in another question will be treated as two questions. Caveat emptor.

In return, I promise to answer truthfully and in a way that I think is helpful, though answers may still be cryptic.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
User avatar
Orlando
Ramen
Posts: 83
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:39 am

Post by Orlando »

What if we are just looking for clarification of what you meant? Or something was not addressed in our turn?

As long as it doesn't turn into 20 questions, right?

(hehehe, or are those questions going to cost me 10%?)
User avatar
[Syl]
Unfettered One
Posts: 13017
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 12:36 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by [Syl] »

No, I really don't want to do clarification any more. For one, if I'm vague, it's usually (I hope) for a good reason. For another, I'd rather you work with the vagueness. The more detail I give, the more I end up limiting your options and/or guiding you towards a certain response (and since I always try to answer in a way that's at least not detrimental to you...).

Example: I think just about everyone here has received some kind of event in their results that lets them know another player is doing something, usually when it verges on their domain or things they're closely involved with. The way I see it, you have a right to know something is going on, but that doesn't mean you have a right to know everything about it. It's my way of saying, 'Maybe you should look into this.' If I go and tell you more about it, it's kind of defeating the point.

However, if you work in game towards learning something (which is very important and worthwhile, imo), you're likely to learn a lot more. The only exceptions are if you look in the wrong spot (and if you don't learn something significant, that's probably a pretty good clue you did) or didn't put as much into learning as another player put into doing it (assuming that there's some secrecy to it).

Also, I tend to think you guys ask the wrong questions. ;) Not that they're bad questions, but... If I shine the light in one part of the room, it only makes the other parts of the room look darker.

There's also the problem that these questions end up like heads of the hydra. If I knock one down, two more can pop up. That's kind of frustrating for me, since if I give an answer, I'm almost always hoping that that 'solves' it. It also puts me at risk of giving away the plot or getting ahead of the narrative.

Really, just interpret it however you want to (and even if I have my own interpretation, who's to say it's better?). The words may be set in stone, but the meaning isn't. If you don't understand something, make your own interpretation. It will probably be a lot more fun for you that way.

I know a lot of you look at these games as fighting each other for supremacy, but I strongly believe that you're also fighting me. Not in a way that brings me into the game, but in the sense that it's just as much your job to fight me for the meaning of the game, to put your own stamp on it as much as I do.

Several people have asked me over the years for advice on Pantheon. I usually say that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission (let's hope Xar's not reading this, eh?). I don't think I ever asked Xar how many DRP it would take Simjen to do this or that, much less how I should do it. I rarely had any problems. Now, I'm not Xar, of course. I'm the Autarch. I might get a little mad if a player tried that with me. ;) I will say, though, that it is better to tell me the meaning than ask for it. Confidence and credibility will get far more done than DSP.

[/rant]

However, if I failed to mention something you put in your submission, let me know.

And no, no deduction. Public questions are fair game.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
User avatar
Fist and Faith
Magister Vitae
Posts: 23439
Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 8:14 pm
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Post by Fist and Faith »

Does anyone actually need until the 7th? Tuesday works for me. Not sure what'll happen if I have to sit on it that extra week. :D

Feel free to ignore me.
All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
-Paul Simon
User avatar
Menolly
A Lowly Harper
Posts: 24066
Joined: Thu May 19, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Contact:

Post by Menolly »

I'm with you, Fist. I'm pretty sure at this point Tuesday will work for me.
But I doubt submitting a week earlier will change the date the Autarch will start processing.

It would be nice to know when all submissions are in should we turn in early, so any storytelling to be done publicly could commence.
Image
User avatar
Goatkiller666
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2726
Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:06 pm
Location: Seattle, WA

Post by Goatkiller666 »

Yeah, I'm for submitting earlier, even if the Autarch can't process any sooner. On the off chance he gets a spare moment; and on the even less likely chance that he then feels his spare moment would best be spent dealing with our whining, instead of enjoying himself; perhaps he would be able to start processing sooner.

And I agree with Menolly's idea of giving us more time to post IC stuff after all turns are in, but before the results are out. (In fact, that would let us have time to use IC postings to bolster whatever was in our turn submissions.)

But finally, I'm so happy with my turn idea that I really don't want to give any of the rest of you time to come up with equally as cool an idea, and thus prevent my cool idea from taking fruition. Submitting sooner locks in our actions.
User avatar
Nyx
Ramen
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:35 am

Post by Nyx »

Might I suggest a minor adjustment to our lexicon? Since the word "temple" has specific rules-based meanings for the game, I would like to call the larger multi-faith building that Surya, Viralei, and I are having built "the Unification Church" instead of "the Unification Temple".
To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.
User avatar
Dread Poet Jethro
My quill pen is mightier Than the sword you drop
Posts: 856
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:32 am

Post by Dread Poet Jethro »

When I think about
“Unification Church”, it’s
Sun Myung Moon I see

Hardly the image
I think you are striving for
Odd implications…
Yes, I am an alt
Whose? An open secret to
Attentive Watchers
User avatar
Nyx
Ramen
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:35 am

Post by Nyx »

First Church of the City?

Also: turn sent.
To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.
User avatar
Menolly
A Lowly Harper
Posts: 24066
Joined: Thu May 19, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Contact:

Post by Menolly »

It is probably the cultural upbringing I had, but I have problems with the word "church."

Almost all of the deities I play have shamans; or in this case "Master Harpers," not a "priesthood."

I know it is in my head. But I just don't use either "church" or "priesthood" as words in play, if I can help it. If the Autarch is fine with us using Unification Temple to describe the site for now and the building when complete I would prefer sticking with that. But another name, such as "Unification Hall" or "Unification Sanctuary" will work for me.

But no "church" as part of the name, please!
Image
User avatar
Nyx
Ramen
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:35 am

Post by Nyx »

That's fair; I just would like to not use "temple" with two different meanings.
To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.
User avatar
Colu
Ramen
Posts: 99
Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:54 pm

Post by Colu »

I'm at least as uncomfortable with churches and priesthoods as anybody else. But... *shrug* It's a game. I don't care. I'll go along with whatever.

But I agree about the temple issue. For clarity's sake, if our consecrated... things... are temples, then it shouldn't be called the Unification Temple.
User avatar
Menolly
A Lowly Harper
Posts: 24066
Joined: Thu May 19, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Contact:

Post by Menolly »

Surya wrote:But I agree about the temple issue. For clarity's sake, if our consecrated... things... are temples, then it shouldn't be called the Unification Temple.
I am still most comfortable with having the Autarch make that determination, based on what all is happening at the site and if it does actually conflict with the term per the rules. But as long as "church" is not used, I'm good.
Image
User avatar
[Syl]
Unfettered One
Posts: 13017
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 12:36 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by [Syl] »

I really don't care what you call it. Honestly, the idea of it doesn't intrigue me very much. The way I see it, you're all ceding a part of your identity to participate in some meta-gaming effort towards a goal that I don't think is really all that important. Which isn't to say that nothing interesting will come of it, but...

From a historic/mythological approach, the idea doesn't have a lot of traction. The closest analog is probably the Pantheon of Rome (and you probably wouldn't use that name for obvious reasons), but even that structure's purpose was more political than devotional. This kind of thing strikes me as more mortal-thinking than god-thinking.

It doesn't matter to me whether it's called a temple or not. I certainly won't be confused by it. Unification Whatever sounds equally unwieldy, artificial. I'd probably prefer you found a unique name for it, a la The Outside, Nihon, or the Heart of Darkness. But that kind of thing is completely up to you guys.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
User avatar
Nyx
Ramen
Posts: 80
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 12:35 am

Post by Nyx »

Indeed, it is pretty much entirely a political creation, not a faith-based one. But, anticipating some Acropolis variant of Nietzche coming along and claiming that our loss of faith has undermined all of the social benefits of religion, we're covering that angle as well.

Maybe it's more like an Inter-Faith council? But we're none of us inherently as strong as the Greek gods were. ALLÓD could never siphon all of the water out of the city the way Poseidon did with Athens, even before he left the game. So we convince the people where we cannot cajole them into proper behavior.

Anyway, let's call it "The Rotunda". It's a big, round building. In my head (and I haven't checked this with Surya / Viralei), it looks a lot like Napoleon's Tomb, in Paris. (Go google pictures of the interior, if you care.)
To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night.
User avatar
Menolly
A Lowly Harper
Posts: 24066
Joined: Thu May 19, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Contact:

Post by Menolly »

The Rotunda works for me.
Image
User avatar
Menolly
A Lowly Harper
Posts: 24066
Joined: Thu May 19, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 7 times
Contact:

Post by Menolly »

Just in case there is anyone who needs the last minute deadline reminder...
...turn sent.
Image
User avatar
[Syl]
Unfettered One
Posts: 13017
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2002 12:36 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by [Syl] »

All in but Kai. Haven't heard anything from Neera for a while, either.
"It is not the literal past that rules us, save, possibly, in a biological sense. It is images of the past. Each new historical era mirrors itself in the picture and active mythology of its past or of a past borrowed from other cultures. It tests its sense of identity, of regress or new achievement against that past.”
-George Steiner
User avatar
Fist and Faith
Magister Vitae
Posts: 23439
Joined: Sun Dec 01, 2002 8:14 pm
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Post by Fist and Faith »

I txted Murrin's email yesterday. Heh. I think almost 3pm his time. Actually, I was a bit of a slacker. I usually txt a couple times in the days before deadline, but didn't this time. And sometimes Murrin forgets. :lol:
All lies and jest
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
-Paul Simon
Post Reply

Return to “Acropolis 1.0”