Shards of the Titanswar

Game Master EldonG

I will be leaving on a trip that lasts the next 5 days. While, I may have time to post I can not make that promise. So I post this here in forewarning if I can not.

Uh, can't think of anything right now except for get rid of Initiative. Anything that forces a player to wait for another player to act has to be eliminated.

I generally do block initiative for that very reason. XD Plus rolling, plus just kind of railroading the game forward if necessary. You really sort of have to in online games, because if nobody's saying "okay, stop talking, let's do THIS", things just don't advance.

Oh! And consider rolling the players saving throw for them when you attack them with spell or trap.

Yeah, Ive found that the best thing to do to keep the pace up is to roll pretty much anything passive for the players. Perceptions, initiatives, saves, you name it. If it would be something that the rest of the players would have to wait for someone to post on, then just roll it for everyone.

*Nods*

It takes a bit of control out of our hands, but it really does help keep things moving. ^^

My biggest issue with the suggestions I'm being given is simple - if you read through the game, that's not where it's bogging down. There was even someone rolling initiatives for the group, and it literally got slower. Ultimately, after people telling me that player's posting rates was really nothing I could do much about, I'm now being told that I just need to take more of the workload off of everyone.

I guess I'm just not prepared for having to do that much more, when I already have many times the workload of any player - for every daily post I'm looking to get from players, I have to do multiples, and maps, and write the storyline, plus the sidestories for individual players, then make extra explanations for anything that's not crystal clear - but that's not enough?

You might be trying to do too much, rather than not enough. You don't need to invest tons and tons of effort into creating stuff unless you really want to - it's usually fine to build stuff as players reach it. As a GM myself, I usually don't make stuff too far in advance of when the players reach it - I sort of let the campaign build itself, and it's actually worked out quite nicely.

Also, I'd encourage reducing sidestories as much as possible, and focusing on advancing the main plot. Don't feel like you need to post more often than the players, either - it's much easier to let everyone roll, and wing the results afterwards. ^^ This is what's worked for me, at least.

Eldon, Please call or email me. I need to talk to you.

For anybody that checks at all, if you celebrate it, or just appreciate the thought, merry Christmas (to those that don't check as well, but hey).

Sometime after the start of the new year, I'll pull the game out of hiatus . If people tell me that - barring special circumstances - they will commit to posting daily, it will resume. Otherwise, I'll end it. Even if I do end up having to bring the game to an end, I really appreciate having had the chance to try, and I think you're all really exceptional people, and wish you well.

I'll close this post with wishes for a great new year to all. :)

Merry Christmas to all! ^^/

Merry Xmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas all!

Ok - it's been a lot longer than I expected. I've had things happen in my life that kept me from wanting to restart the game - and in fact, I'm dealing with bronchitis right now - but, if I still have players, I would like a commitment to post at least once a day, barring extenuating circumstances. I'm not looking for perfection, but please assure me of honest effort.

I'll make a post in gameplay, but please post your commitment here before responding there.

Present!
I can commit to a post a day.

Present and ill do my best.

I'm here. A bit busy, but here.

Still waiting for Sakuro. I'll send a p.m. if there's no response by tomorrow - if you guys want, go ahead and start posting in gameplay. I may have to recruit more. :-/

Oh hey, posts. o wo~

Blame the system for not showing them. XD;

No problem. Great to have you back. :)

Eldon, Call me, please.

I was kind of hoping for an answer to my question

What question? I must have missed it...

How thoroughly the party might want to search.

Eldon, It is very important that I talk to you. Please call me.

Reiko, you mentioned that you've been busy, so I knew to make allowances - but I keep hoping for posts...anything, really...

Ok, I have a bit of a dilemma. You guys only number four, and this was meant for five to six. We're well past the point where mythic became a thing, and the event was obviously special, and meant to bind the group together.

I guess I'm just saying I'm open to suggestions. A frontliner would help an awful lot.

Oh - other than that - you might want to be ready to level. It'll happen soon, merely assuming you survive. :p

We could just go on with four. XD More people = slow game speed anyway, and mythic - once permanent - should be able to make up the difference.

I tend to agree with Sakuro in this.

Ok, we'll see how it goes.

I can agree and a bard can make a decent fighter. Cant post til late this evening. But will post!

I am going on a trip and my access to the internet will be limited. Feel free to bot me as needed.

Off to the coast for vacation, back Sunday. Bot me as needed.

Go ahead and level up, everybody, and congratulations. :)

Huzzah! I'll try to get that all done as soon as I can. XD Definitely need to make some thoughtful choices for Sakuro...

Levelled up!

Leveled up now! ^^ Not much of note - a pair of new spells, put my point in Charisma to bring that up, but otherwise pretty calm as a level. XD

As much as I was hoping to see some action taken, I should have just moved the game along. I apologize for that - it's been an incredibly stressful last couple of weeks. I'll have a good, long post up tonight - maybe not what you all might have gotten had there been more decisive action, but not horrible. :p

I thought we were still in round by round action. Otherwise he would have been bound and gagged.

Sorry to be so slow to respond - I have a friend interested in joining the game, and I'm trying to get her ready.

That's okay I've been really sick lately

What happened with my save?

Allow me to apologize. My possible player never contacted me again, even after I tried - and I've been very stressed - not so much about that. I'm having a very bad time, right now. Bear with me, and I'll hopefully get over it.

I am here, had a personal emergency but I am back.

No worries Eldon. The wonderful thing about PbP games is that no matter how much time you take off, everything is still here when you get back. :)

Also, I've been doing a lot of Pathfinder Society GM'ing lately. That really doesn't affect this game a whole lot, other than the fact that I've been going through and reformatting a lot of my character sheets to try and make them all uniform, and easier to post with. One example is that any ability that has a 'uses per day', like Flamboyant Arcana, gets a spot in the header bar. This keeps me from forgetting about crucial abilities. For instance, this character would have an entry for Spellscars and Magus Arcana, along with anything else I find during the process.

I'm posting this because I don't want anyone to see such a drastic change in appearance of my sheet and think that I've tried to get away with a free rebuild or anything. It's just that I've found a better way to not forget about character abilities with all of the games I'm playing and GM'ing simultaneously, and it increases the quality of play and enjoyment for everyone involved.

Also, GM, I just wanted to tell you that this game (and the massive influence it has on this character) has influenced me to make a pathfinder society version of Reiko, and once I finish the build, he's going to be insanely awesome and fun to play. :)

May check in.

Red 5 standing by!

Hello. o wo/

Hehe I see what you did there :P

Mew!

June check in.

Red 5 still standing by!