tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post4771589448361560382..comments2023-05-27T11:14:02.426-04:00Comments on Some Space to Think: Amber in ChainsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-7033417193994410432010-12-20T22:56:49.964-05:002010-12-20T22:56:49.964-05:00I really liked the sharply focused conflicts / gam...I really liked the sharply focused conflicts / gambits. I think they kept playing moving at a sharp clip. Short sessions usually leave me feeling unsatisfied, and this was definitely an exception. The fast clip also meant that waiting for a spotlight turn amidst everything that was going on wasn't tedious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-50406638578456310172010-12-18T00:18:47.909-05:002010-12-18T00:18:47.909-05:00It's also not THAT much story in the grand sch...It's also not THAT much story in the grand scheme. I mean, yes, we said and did a number of things, but there were pauses like you have in any game. The difference as Cam points out is that the combats are super brief -- I don't know that we can really be said to have had any, though there was that brief punch in the face I did on one dude in the climax. They take about as long as you'd see them take on a TV show, super fast. Which left the rest of the game to be all about each player coming up with a gambit, pursuing it to the point of a roll being made, and some consequences spilling out onto the table. There was very little filler in between and, I think due to our timeframe, very little side-chatter. In a more relaxed, less "holy crap it's already late and we want to finish this" mindset we could have had more banter and scenery-chewing (and I'd've enjoyed it -- if we started at 2pm instead of 9pm). But that wasn't the kind of game we were pursuing that night. This was more, we have a mission, let's probe the objective's defenses, find the soft spots, and push on through to our goal. Good stuff.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08362641974657304051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-7976946431244981602010-12-17T15:52:47.280-05:002010-12-17T15:52:47.280-05:00What I am finding is that the speed and relative e...What I am finding is that the speed and relative efficiency of many Cortex Plus-powered scenes is a sharp contrast to games folks are used to playing, if only because of the shift away from extended combat. It might help to explain why a lot of story can unfold in a shorter time period.<br /><br />That said, I'd love to sit in on a panel of other Cortex GMs and riff on this sometime. When the game hits the play space, it goes from being multiple ideas in theory to actual use, and I find that the best part of any game.Cam_Bankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162534181760938499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-80403536860976905232010-12-17T15:34:33.560-05:002010-12-17T15:34:33.560-05:00I have to agree with ZeroGain. I am mesmerized so...I have to agree with ZeroGain. I am mesmerized sometimes with the ease that you pull things out of the hat. If not a podcast, which could put pressure on the gaming table, how about a symposium of some type at a convention? I don't know how often you travel to them, but the opportunity to witness, interact, query you and your compatriots...well...would be quite enlightening.Big Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251008970700266009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-31188451256593915812010-12-17T14:33:56.793-05:002010-12-17T14:33:56.793-05:00Man, but I just wish I had a window into some of t...Man, but I just wish I had a window into some of these sessions. Ever consider a limited format podcast for some of these games where you hack up new ideas?<br /><br />I'd love to have an inside look at how you manage that much story inside 2.5 hours... in most of my games that'd be a single combat encounter...<br /><br />I hear the iPad has some wonderful voice recordings, maybe your crew would be interested in sharing with the rest of us?ZeroGainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03122409469631926274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-76625596575530677442010-12-17T12:14:52.335-05:002010-12-17T12:14:52.335-05:00One of the things it dovetailed with is my using c...One of the things it dovetailed with is my using complications more indirectly (in some ways, more like the Smallville trouble pool). I would occasionally put a complication to immediate use, but more often I would take a black poker chip and add it to my stack, then spend those as opportunities arose. Shifted the focus a bit, but definitely underscored the "building the adventure as we go" vibe.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-77333942225980754532010-12-17T12:09:26.761-05:002010-12-17T12:09:26.761-05:00Your experiences with Complications at d8 and &quo...Your experiences with Complications at d8 and "free" d6es is interesting. Ditto the "on the table" Assets and the "in my hands" ones. I think I like that quite a bit and may need to work it into some future designs.Cam_Bankshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162534181760938499noreply@blogger.com