Charles Evans 25 |
Charles Evans 25 wrote:Why aren't you answering questions on the Kingmaker threads any more?
Hmm, however, since this is apparently a place where questions are being answered these days:
What happened to the Varnhold Vanishing?
The adventure seems to me that it's fine and will work well if you're using the 'Kingdom in the Background' rules which assume that the PCs are regular adventurers being hired to take care of problems by Lady Lily of Shrikewall, but I feel there's a shortage of sand in the sandbox to play with for PCs who are actually their own bosses, trying to run, develop, and expand a realm.
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **... 1) Because I'm busy answering threads here. :-P
2) Because when I'm not answering threads here, I'm scrambling to get Bestairy 2 out the door, to get the World Guide revision off to editing, to help Serpent's Skull from crashing and burning on the rocks, and moving from Renton to Redmond.
3) Because with each day that passes, Kingmaker fades more and more into the background and I just need to skew my online presence more and more to support more recent products. Which is why I don't have a big presence on the older adventure path forums. When I start a work day, and then again in the evening, I generally do a quick pass through the messageboards to look at things that need answering, and in a lot of threads that go on forever, things start to get bloated and distracted. I lose interest in the threads at that point.
4) Because as the days wear on and Kingmaker fades into the background, my brain becomes more and more focused on design problems and issues with current and, more to the point, upcoming adventure paths. As a result, I have not only less time to keep answering questions about Kingmaker, but it takes me progressively longer to answer them since I have to reacquaint myself with the various complexities and intricacies of that campaign. Put simply... each day it becomes harder to answer Kingmaker questions...
:shakefist: Those wretches who bust my home PC have yet to return it, so limited time here still...
*BUT* it seems to me that taking The Varnhold Vanishing in the direction of international diplomacy (or at least diplomacy with neighbours) would have been a logical step transitioning from Kingdom Building to what goes on in Blood for Blood and War of the River Kings.Maybe I'll be able to get back to this next week, when I don't have a zillion other things to do and 1 hour's computer time maximum a day...
Okay, on to the questions:
What dinosaur would you recommend for dealing with:
1) Computer engineers who trash your computer instead of fixing it, then take it away to repair, and not return it once they've fixed it 'because they're too busy', despite having a 'gold standard' service/maintenance contract with your household?
2) Builders who say that they're going to take 4 days to refit your loft/attic and end up taking 6 because one of them seems to be on the phone half the time?
Charles Evans 25 |
Mikaze wrote:In your take on it, what did Desna look like before she arrived on Golarion? Like she's commonly seen now? Something more alien but beautiful like the beings from The Abyss? Or alien and horrifying to human eyes? Or something else?
And what are the space angels referred to as hanging around the asteroid belt? Actual angels in space, or something else?
Before Desna discovered humans and elves and decided that they were the epitome of beauty and decided to change her appearance to match, she looked like a giant colorful space butterfly (likely with cosmic-sized wings to pick up all the solar rays she needed to fly)... hence why butterflies are sacred creatures to her faith.
The "space angels" are likely not angels but similar creatures; space butterflies or the like. (It's a reference/easter egg/homage to the Ousters from Dan Simmons' Hyperion/Endymion novels.)
Cross-posting this to the CS thread, as this looks a useful nugget of background information.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
JMD031 wrote:Since I asked how many it would take for James to do so, does this mean that he's some kind of frogemeth lycanthrope?LazarX wrote:How many licks does it take for you to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?I already asked this question and it depends on if you are talking about a human tongue or a frogemeth one.
HA! Frogemeth. I imagine it as a super thin tweaker version of a frog that lives in an empty apartment in some run-down urban environment until he croaks.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Jimmy Jacobs wrote:How obvious is it for someone to use this alias?
Can I answer any questions you don't?
Did you not answer these questions because I blended in with your answers or because you find them to be trite?
Could you answer them anyways?
I am genetically predisposed to not answer questions of folks who poach my name and avatar.
And... no.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
*BUT* it seems to me that taking The Varnhold Vanishing in the direction of international diplomacy (or at least diplomacy with neighbours) would have been a logical step transitioning from Kingdom Building to what goes on in Blood for Blood and War of the River Kings.
Maybe I'll be able to get back to this next week, when I don't have a zillion other things to do and 1 hour's computer time maximum a day...
Okay, on to the questions:
What dinosaur would you recommend for dealing with:
1) Computer engineers who trash your computer instead of fixing it, then take it away to repair, and not return it once they've fixed it 'because they're too busy', despite having a 'gold standard' service/maintenance contract with your household?
2) Builders who say that they're going to take 4 days to refit your loft/attic and end up taking 6 because one of them seems to be on the phone half the time?
The Kingmaker Adventure Path includes kingdom building elements... but those elements can't be the focus of every adventure and every encounter. The kingdom building elements are an addition to the game, not the focus. The focus remains adventuring—exploring dungeons and unknown locations, building characters, and roleplaying—as a result, it was not logical to me to take "Varnhold Vanishing" into the realm of international diplomacy (also: We didn't want to do any encounters out of the Stolen Lands).
Other questions:
1) Velociraptor.
2) Tyrannosaurus
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
For your home games, when running a campaign, do you normally have an idea of where you want the campaign to get to before the campaign kicks off, or do you like to plan a few adventures ahead at most and see what evolves naturally?
I always have an idea of where I want the campaign to go; in fact, the adventure path model is pretty much the type of campaign I've always used. How the PCs GET to the end can vary—for the current "Shadows Under Sandpoint" campaign I'm running for the folks here at Paizo, I know the plot and the bad guys and the dungeons, but how the PCs get there is up to them.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Would you describe your home games as more ‘railroady’ or ‘sandboxy’? Or happy middle ground?
If / when you do ‘railroad’ your players, do they notice? Do they care?
They're railroads that the players would swear are sandboxes if I do my job right.
And to be frank... I kind of hate both terms. A good game is both and neither.
Wrath |
I find that the PbP format gives me far more ability to develop NPC's and characters than sitting around a table ever did. Part of that is my players aren't really into the "talk in character" type of thing.
Is your home game different to this?
If so, how do you encourage players to develop their character more, or interract with NPC's on a deeper level?
Do you use voices or mannerisms for your NPC's to help immersion?
How much DM exposition do you end up using to get story points across compared to roleplaying out the interractions and info?
Wow, that was a real barrage of questions, hope you don't mind.
Cheers
Jimmy Jacobs |
Jimmy Jacobs wrote:Jimmy Jacobs wrote:How obvious is it for someone to use this alias?
Can I answer any questions you don't?
Did you not answer these questions because I blended in with your answers or because you find them to be trite?
Could you answer them anyways?
I am genetically predisposed to not answer questions of folks who poach my name and avatar.
And... no.
Imitation is considered the sincerest form of flattery.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
I find that the PbP format gives me far more ability to develop NPC's and characters than sitting around a table ever did. Part of that is my players aren't really into the "talk in character" type of thing.
Is your home game different to this?
If so, how do you encourage players to develop their character more, or interract with NPC's on a deeper level?
Do you use voices or mannerisms for your NPC's to help immersion?
How much DM exposition do you end up using to get story points across compared to roleplaying out the interractions and info?
Wow, that was a real barrage of questions, hope you don't mind.
Cheers
My home games generally have the players speaking in character, but not usually with funny voices. I usually try to involve the characters by having NPCs or monsters or events or situations in the world specifically call out to their characters, effectively FORCING them to react to the new development.
When playing NPCs, I often use voices or mannerisims to help the players keep track of who they're talking to. As for the balance between GM exposition and roleplaying... it's about 50/50, I would guess. It really depends on the player I'm interacting with.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
If you could ask a slaad anything, what would it be?
If you could ask a FaWTLy anything, what would it be?
If you could ask a poodle anything, what would it be?
What's Ygorl like on the weekends?
Did you REALLY read every post in this thread?
As for the poodle... gross. I wouldn't ask it anything. It has dog breath.
Rathendar |
Mothman wrote:Would you describe your home games as more ‘railroady’ or ‘sandboxy’? Or happy middle ground?
If / when you do ‘railroad’ your players, do they notice? Do they care?
They're railroads that the players would swear are sandboxes if I do my job right.
And to be frank... I kind of hate both terms. A good game is both and neither.
I agree 2000% to this! Both the answer and the terms.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Which AP, in your opinion, seems to have been most disappointing among Pathfinder gamers?
Second Darkness, hands down, seems to have disappointed the most folks. Which is a shame, because there's a lot of cool stuff in that one. That said, I do know WHY it disappointed folks, and hopefully we won't be repeating those choices.
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Have you had the opportunity to watch Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend?
OMG! NO!
James Jacobs Creative Director |
Jason Nelson Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games |
joela wrote:Opinion on the 1998 Godzilla movie?Well.
The profanity filters here won't let me tell you my ACTUAL opinion, so I'll summarize.
It is my least favorite movie. I came out of the theater actively wanting to punch someone.
Worst.
Movie.
EVER.
There are very few movies that leave you with that intense a feeling when you leave the theater. For me, the final insult was the remix of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir that played over the final credits. Kashmir, great song, right?
Kashmir + PUFF DADDY (uhhh... yeah... ) = NOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Let me put it to you this way: It knocked Highlander 2 to a distant second in my "most awful movie I ever paid money to see at a theater" list.