Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
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ANNOUNCING Outpost IV: Roll Them Bones!
EVENT #2703279
February 16 - April 27, 2021
Greetings Pathfinders, Starfinders, & ACG Enthusiasts!
We’re all very excited to announce the upcoming Outpost IV: Roll Them Bones! We will be focusing on games that emphasize undead creatures, whether as enemies or allies.
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Important Dates
GM signup/game submissions: January 11-25, 2021
GM early player access:January 26-28, 2021
Player Sign-up: January 29-February 15, 2021
Start of Outpost III: February 16, 2021
End of Outpost III: April 27, 2021
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All games must be registered by the end of the GM signup period; new games will not be accepted once player signup begins. GMs may run at most three games that are part of the convention. GMs must use our spreadsheet for player signup, and must have a link to their gameplay thread, ready for players to dot in, by the first day of player signup. Detailed instructions for GMs will be posted before the start to GM signup. Scenarios will be selected by the convention organizers.
Players will be expected to sign up with complete details, and (if the game is on Paizo forums) dot into the game promptly. Players will only be allowed to sign up for one table of a special, and only three RPG games total. This limit may be lifted to fill tables close to the start date.
Instructions and dates for the Adventure Card Game will be posted soon.
Our specials for this convention will be PFS2E #2-00 and SFS #2-00. Details for those interested in GMing a table of one of the specials will be posted soon.
There will be boons for Pathfinder 1, Starfinder and ACG, and Achievement Points for Pathfinder 2.
If you have questions, you can contact the convention organizer, Redelia (Redelia#3748 on Discord), post in this thread, or contact any of the other Play by Post venture officers. For questions about the specials, you can contact the overseer.
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
Tyranius |
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Is it ok for some of the games to push the start date back a little?
I notice the 30 Jan Starfinder scenarios are two more of their respective series, but the 24 Feb scenarios are standalones.
Should be fine Shifty, just keep your table notified of your start date and as long as it is completed before the time the Con ends in April.
Tyranius |
If you wish to GM either of the Multi-Table Specials (SFS #2-00 Fate of the Scoured God or PS2E #2-00 The King in Thorns) during Outpost IV then please submit your information into the form below.
The form will be active until January 10th and GM's will be notified by January 15th. This way if you are not chosen to GM the Special then you can still have the opportunity to submit another game to Outpost.
GM Nowruz |
Thanks Pirate Rob,
I just saw Shifty reference scenarios and thought that these were already accessible somewhere.
Is it ok for some of the games to push the start date back a little?
I notice the 30 Jan Starfinder scenarios are two more of their respective series, but the 24 Feb scenarios are standalones.
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
3 people marked this as a favorite. |
Hi, everyone, GM signups have now started!
Please follow the instructions carefully.
1. Fill out the GM registration form.
2. Go to the games spreadsheet and choose one (or a few) game slots you would like to run. Put your GM name in the GM slot and which lodge you plan to use in the location slot for the games you are volunteering to run. Please remember that GMs are limited to three games, and that limit includes the specials.
3. Before the end of GM signup, if you are running your games on Paizo, you must provide a link to your gameplay thread so that your players can dot in as soon as they sign up. Failure to provide such a link will result in removal of your game.
The game slots in the spreadsheet are the only options. If slots fill up quickly, we will add in more. Please remember that GM signup ends on January 25; we will not allow more games after that.
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
redeux |
What are Box Runners and House GMs?
Box Runners ("BRs") are what we call the "GMs" of the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game ("PACS"). We use the term Box Runner because the game is a cooperative game and just requires someone to handle the game box.
A House GM is the lead GM for the specials. They essentially organize and coordinate the other GM's, track successes, make announcements, etc. We'll be running two specials (SFS #2-00 Fate of the Scoured God and PS2E #2-00 The King in Thorns)
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
Muzouka Venture-Agent, Philippines—Quezon City |
redeux |
Are we allowed to use the playtest classes for the outpost?
The pathfinder society participation in the playtest concludes February 5th, which is prior to this event's start date. So no, playtest classes wont be allowed and that's across all society events after February 5th. Society Playtest Blog
Automationeer |
Regarding this question on the signup form,
Do you already have all the scenarios? (either from Venture Officer drops or subscribing to them)
Does this mean all the scenarios, or just the ones we're interested in GMing?
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
Regarding this question on the signup form,
Quote:Do you already have all the scenarios? (either from Venture Officer drops or subscribing to them)Does this mean all the scenarios, or just the ones we're interested in GMing?
The reason I ask about all scenarios is that most people will fill out the form and then pick their scenarios. If you say that you have all the scenarios, we will not include you in our convention support request.
Watery Soup |
The game slots in the spreadsheet are the only options. If slots fill up quickly, we will add in more. Please remember that GM signup ends on January 25; we will not allow more games after that.
Did you mean that if GMs sign up very quickly, you'll offer more of those game? Or that if players sign up very quickly, you'll offer more games?
If it's the latter, nobody should know if the players fill games quickly until January 29 (when registration is opened to all), but GMs will lock in their games on the 25th.
And if it's the former, I'm not sure how that works, as many of the games had only one slot, so how "fast" it filled was just a function of how soon after your message someone checked the thread. (Note that I'm one of the beneficiaries of the FCFS system, I think I was the 2nd GM to open the spreadsheet and I got my run of the place. So this isn't a sour grapes thing, it's just me wanting everyone to GM and play the games they want.)
I think it'd be helpful to overlap the timeframe to add games with the timeframe to sign up for games. For example, you could stipulate that after January 25, games can be added, but only to augment games that have filled up. That would allow unexpectedly popular games to run extra tables, without introducing too much variability on the organization side. Edit: Also, unexpectedly unpopular games with multiple tables to re-organize. This happened during Gameday where there were, I think, 3 tables of 2-02 that ended up collapsing into 1 when there were only 5 signups between the 3 games.
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |
I mean that if we almost run out of GM signup slots for a game system (i.e. only 3 or 4 SFS games do not have a GM), I will add second games of some scenarios so that GMs are able to sign up. I also may add a few games if I notice that the only slots available are high tier, or other similar situations.
As soon as GM signup is done, I will delete all games that do not have a GM signed up. I also will check that all GMs have followed instructions, and remove any not following the requirements. Players will only be able to sign up for games that a GM has volunteered to run.
Outpost is our convention that is intended to have a lot of the feel of in person conventions. At a lot of the in person conventions, GMs do not get to choose their scenario at all, only game system and perhaps tier. They also are often assigned multiple tables of the same scenario.
It is possible that a GM may have to choose a scenario that is not at the top of their wish list to run. They may even have to run a game they have not yet played or which they have run before.
If there is a particular scenario you really want to run that is not available on the list, I would suggest you run it before the convention, and then pick something where there is an open slot to run as part of the convention.
We will keep your suggestion in mind. If we did use it, it would be for our third convention of the year (which has been RetroCon or PlayDisCon in the past), as both Outpost and Gameday have well defined methods of choosing scenarios.
Watery Soup |
At a lot of the in person conventions, GMs do not get to choose their scenario at all, only game system and perhaps tier. They also are often assigned multiple tables of the same scenario.
It is possible that a GM may have to choose a scenario that is not at the top of their wish list to run. They may even have to run a game they have not yet played or which they have run before.
This happens in F2F conventions because running a scenario they've run before or GMing what they're told to GM may be the best option after someone has paid for a badge and made a physical journey to a faraway convention center and plans fall through. People are physically stuck in that location, so they can either settle for something non-ideal, or go find a pickup game of Catan, or something.
It's a bug that F2F conventioners put up with as an unfortunate necessity, not a feature that people miss about F2F conventions. At least, I don't miss it.
Regardless, it seems like it's a decision that has been made actively and intentionally, with all this in mind, so I'll shut up about it. I didn't have any problems signing up, as a GM or a player, at last year's Outpost, so even if I think there's something better, whatever you're doing is fine from my perspective.
Tyranius |
Christine Bussman wrote:What can one do to help their PbP platform of choice get recognized as an online lodge?I've had several people ask me by private message, so I wanted the answer to be here. Convention games must be run at an official Org Play Online lodge.
Will send you a PM, what site are you looking for information to make an Official online Lodge?
Redelia Venture-Lieutenant, Online—PbP |