Kasimir

Still working on my presentation. Field logs be back tomorrow Araris, why are you switching to Illwei? Sart, Danex. Opportunist vote. I don't like it. It's true that it's an oddly exposed position for an Elim to go for in a vote though so I'm open to negotiation. Potentially agree with Araris that Szeth sticking to his guns doesn't seem like an Elim move. I'm hesitant to Village read that too strongly as my past play history with Szeth generally has my default reaction to Szeth be "welp that's counterintuitive" so I worry my thoughts don't map well onto Szeth's strategic calculus. No real read on Archer and Illwei at this time. Obviously they're engaged with the game which makes me feel a bit better about them but this is within Archer and Eiwlil parameters so I'm not going to Village read them off it.

Oh hello there! A bluetext discussion! And an ethics discussion! In summation: Blue text is a useful tool. But I'm generally against the use of blue text and strongly against compelling people to use blue text. I am more weakly against the use of blue text because I understand where it's helpful to be able to say beyond doubt that there are OOG reasons that prevent you from accessing the game. However, I feel that having a reified category of "utterances that must be true" implies that anything else can possibly be false. I think that this creates communal norms or expectations that players can reasonably lie about RL or their game experience (emotional stuff, for instance), which can create a lot more trouble. I don't think such expectations are very healthy. I dislike these expectations for two reasons. First, I worry that having the expectation that anything not in blue text can place utterances such as "I'm done with this. I'm not enjoying the game" and "You really make me want to punch you" and other ways players signal they're not having fun anymore firmly within the category of "Possibly a lie." I don't think that facilitates a healthy community response because players are forced to choose between tapping out, or reasonably feeling that they've been taken advantage of. (Recall that this is not and cannot be blue texted, and so cannot be assumed to be true, and indeed, the creation of a blue text category itself implies that the status of certainty is categorically denied any other class of utterances!) Second, I feel that one potential player response to worries of lies or manipulation is to demand blue text. The very existence of blue text justifies or demands its use. This is a problem because it further entrenches the mentality that things not in blue text are untrustworthy or are lies. Even if we don't demand blue text, it's easy to create a situation where players who post about RL in blue text get the benefit of the doubt, and players who don't just get ignored. But that creates a powerful incentive to lie and use blue text even when you shouldn't. I also think that compelling players to use blue text just puts us in territory that makes everyone really angry really quickly and is distasteful. A game shouldn't hinge on whether a person can prove they were without Internet or not. On the question of emotional manipulation, I used to be more categorically against it but since then, I think I'm drawing a line between subclasses. I think that it should be a powerful communal norm that you don't lie about being really angry or upset or not enjoying the game. This issue has always been very inflammatory and I remember a huge explosion about this during AG3. Again, lying about this in order to emotionally manipulate players and gain an advantage for your team may be technically allowed, but in my view, it poisons the well of goodwill. It creates a situation where players can't take at face value that another player isn't having fun, and the last thing anyone wants to deal with as a response to being really ticked off or upset is "Well, sorry, I think you're lying", or "Prove it, bluetext it", or something else. It potentially escalates situations when it should be deescalating them, and it turns the gaming atmosphere just a bit more toxic and competitive. I've said it before but I'll say it again: this is a class of emotional manipulation I'm not okay with, and will always strongly condemn Elim teammates trying to pull that. I do think there's a lot of grey areas though. Being the last Elim standing isn't fun, and Elims can be defensive when pressured. The corollary of what I've said is that it potentially puts an Elim in a difficult situation and creates - similarly to what I've said about blue text - a protected class of utterances. On the flip side though, there's what happened with Striker/Heron in Steel's LG - where in particular, Striker's earnest insistence he was really good and we were mislynching him really got me to hesitate and nearly pull off him. There's also Araris's "Dude not me man" in Lotus's MR, where again, I nearly veered off because I was so convinced he sounded sincere. I think those types of manipulation are more subtle, because they're less attention-grabbing than a thread fight but those are a legitimate part of the Elim's playbook. I guess my distinction would be: don't lie about the gamestate/utterances about your game experience. Emotionally manipulating people to get them off your back is fine, but emotionally manipulating them by telling the whole thread you're not going to bother with the game anymore can create more downstream problems.

Yes officer sir, this one right there gives me bad vibes. I'm staying put for now.

Right Harmony damn it's 2AM and I have a headache I will return with field logs tomorrow and will just come out and say it. In general I agree with both of this. Neither of us had much of a reaction and in general, you have a track record of non-reaction despite provocation. Sure's hell doesn't stop me from trying, either, but it puts me in the odd position of having tried to elicit a reaction from you despite also thinking that it is in general a futile strategy. So I'm not sure where that tactic was going. (To be clear, slight agreement with Araris.) It does make me squint a bit at Archer for Araris reasons. Here's the problem: I generally agree with Eiwlil's take more than Szeth's which is bad news because: It's marginal agreement because my sharpest memory of Elim Archer was garden path Archer. In theory I should also agree with this but: Link here for those of you who prefer to have the sign-up post sourced. I'm in principle disinclined to use a point of playstyle against a player when the fact that he planned on deviating has been signalled before the game. It's the same principle I rely on to highlight I'll be slacking off because I have IRL mid-terms to study for (part-time studies and work, joy) so it would be hypocritical for me to [Edited to add because I apparently derped: request that playstyle deviation be noted for me but not for someone else.] My point is that this obviously doesn't exonerate Archer. It's just that I don't take this to be especially damning either. (NAI for those of you who like the term: it's plausible he could be Evil, since RNGesus doesn't care about that when you sign up. But it's just as plausible the playstyle shift could be exactly what it's supposed to be.) I do find Archer's interplay with Araris to be more interesting - in a negative way. I'm not sure Sart is the person I absolutely want to see dead D1 but we'll see how that goes. I have a negative gut read on Szeth as I said earlier - it's nothing solid, just a playstyle similarity to how Szeth played in the one game I saw Evil Szeth in. ...I did say I'd just shrug and roll dice this game if I have no bandwidth, right? Hmmm....

FIELD LOGS #0212-ACV Brawnze [=Archer] does not seem to like Sart. Claims it was an experiment, but as he has not seemed to waver on the topic [=vote], perhaps it is more than that. No indication either way. Suspect those of Brawnze's inclinations have a tendency to be proactive, whether Feruchemist or not. I will have to keep my eyes open if I wish to make contact and study the Feruchemists as well. [=Archer has a deepwolf MO and is a proactive Villager so I have no opinion on whether this is an opportunistic vote or not. Akan datang.] Penrod [=Araris] is rumoured to have a killer poker face. Most attempts to elicit a reaction from him fail. Wonder what prompted the attempt. A splinter Pathian sect in Elendel has records of previous groups - Hemalurgic rather than Feruchemical, but all the same - capable of initiating new members. Perhaps there is only one Feruchemist and he is recruiting. The lack of knowledge and therefore the uncertainty makes it difficult to analyse the situation. Seems unlikely to me, but is not ruled out. Feruchemists after all can do strange things with Identity. Am primarily concerned with the way the local Feruchemist group behave as a subculture with their own cues and codes but question of their abilities v. the capabilities of the local Allomancers is a fascinating one. After all, Allomancy is more studied. Does every Allomancer have an ability? Have any of them gone rogue, seeking to supplant the others? [=SK?] Unknown. Find it unlikely however at given prevalences. Uncertain what to make of the doubled vote on Brawnze from Sart. Potential retaliatory element. Unclear why Szeth points to Brawnze and says that it would be bad play for Feruchemists to identify their own from the start. Eiwlil known to act that way - cannot recall if Brawnze and Szeth have behaved similarly as teammates. Am wary of narrowing down on who the Feruchemists might be this early. Risk antagonising the local factions, and then I'll have to postpone the field study to yet another year, and deal with the paperwork from having to graduate at least a year later. Haven't heard from Mage yet, or Danex. Reva made a token presence, and - something about Szeth seems to set my teeth on edge. Is intuition alone sufficient to identify a Feruchemist?

FIELD LOGS #0212-AXV Allomancers are wary. Have not heard much from them yet. Some sensible talk from Brawnze [=Archer]. Have heard the local Feruchemists seek to conceal themselves among the Allomancers and avoid attention. With much unknown, perhaps they will be less wary than expected. Capabilities of the local Feruchemists and Allomancers are unknown, but are unlikely to deviate too significantly from what is known. Local informants suggest both are small in number. As Prof Erikeller would remind me, the point of a field study is to take up the perspective of the group under study, to understand situations & issues through their eyes and frameworks. Mutual antagonism between the Allomancers and Feruchemists might prove a complicating factor. But we work with what we've got. This town is fairly remote but has been known for the distinctiveness of the Allomancer and Feruchemist subcultures present. Seeking an informant to introduce me to the groups under study, esp. the Feruchemists. Perhaps Sart might be of help?

Fair enough! I have my concerns beyond just sale culture about how sustainable this industry (?) really is - the rise of indie pen makers really makes me think of the many cafes popping up here but we'll see. Same. I was so worried, but looks like Sanzen is generally doing a good job with it!

Bah, alright, I'll play. I'll just RP and roll dice most of the time because I really don't have bandwidth to play seriously -.- Changed my avatar because Wyrm dared me to. I'll swap it back later if necessary. On mobile right now. Signing up as Kiril Jerzy, local amateur student doing a field ethnography of Allomantic and Feruchemical subcultures. Edited to justify because I cannot live without justification.

Oh hey is this another Riyria fan I spot in the wild? ( @|TJ|!!!!) Right now, it's the Philosopher's Propeller by Susumu Hirasawa.

Apologies for double-posting - this hobby thread is intermittently active so I hope the mods will forgive this one. Anyone picked up something fun on Black Friday or Fountain Pen Day? I had been eyeing Cult Pens' exclusive inks but didn't pull the trigger. I did pick up two bottles of Dominant Industry ink to give them a try though. Fudefan also has a review of the new Tomoe River paper and it sounds pretty neat.

Nah, had been thinking about whether or not to go for it. I'm generally fond of Scadrial LGs though Tyrian or vanilla rulesets really get me to show up, no questions asked. That being said, I have two mid-term exams coming up in two weeks so yeah I'm going to just ask for a spec doc. Cheers.

I know I have one LG with Burnt - that one is definitely on the backburner (sorry, couldn't resist the pun ) The idea was complicated (tldr; Murder on the Orient Express where players can send in any action they want) and the rules need to be simplified for it to be playable and that takes time and energy we don't have right now. But that wouldn't have been marked (feb-may) anyway.

I see Ookla season has become your burden to bear. Considering joining up but I'm also tired. And I'm definitely not in the mood for analysis... Sorry Mat, porch fence sitting during your games seems to have become a habit of mine

What happened to nice quiet RPful games >:(

Ouch, brutal You mean the ones where the Village messes it up and the noisy people die early and judge hard from the dead doc while the Village sort of idles out into death? Just you, I think. #TyrianFallsBestRuleset Rent! Rent! Rent! Rent! - I was told TJ embarked on a paranoid rant about me and Orlok possibly getting into contact in the Elim doc before Mat told him I'd dropped out of the game. Thanks Mat

Sorry, think I'm going to have to pull out. I'll have to remember to use Kaoren another time. It's the third day of leave and I'm still passed out so I don't think I'm in a good state to play a game. Apologies, and have fun with your murdering!

Timezone conversions have always been iffy for me, thanks for the check Time to think about whether I should stay in.. Then again I think I've never been GMed by you before.

Is it possible for someone to learn this power?

I recognise that Araris is trying to goad me but I have apparently nothing better to do with my time and I hear there are... Porches. In fact, there must be at least one porch since Araris has a porch, so I shall summarily attempt to steal it from him Edited to add: @Matrim's Dice, just to confirm, sign-ups close in slightly under two hours?

Don't expect the same treatment. My energy is exhausted by having to wrangle Wyrm on a daily basis >> Signing up as Kaoren, a retired official with the Glory Faction. Once a paper-pusher for Cang Lu of the Glory Faction who was totally not a backstabbing traitor with the Discovery Faction, he has since retired from politics. Nowadays, he prefers to sit on other people's porches and drink tea and read the future of the Rose Empire in the pattern of the leaves. FYI I'm only on leave for part of next week and things are going to get hectic (I've just come off four consecutive all-nighters and OTing) so I really, genuinely cannot promise high or consistent activity. Will keep to RP style hopefully.

I'm quite sure you will, old man

Says the venerable one who has the most experience playing SE in this game You started before Orlok, I'm pretty sure

Pass. You all have fun murdering each other in giant foyers now

Did you say...a porch? :eyes:

Agreed I'm on the love train for Sailor nibs. I've actually had one or two not write perfectly out of the box, but that's because the tines were too tight. Their alignment and feel has always been top-notch for me.