Ment
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[31.05.2018 23:22:57] Don't Panic!: By the way, abstracting from the setting, NPCs and all that, I wanted to discuss with you later the exact game-mechanical reason why this happens. And essentially it doesn't depend on you; the root of the problem lies in the numerical part, which can only be reimagined from scratch (but even then there would be serious troubles in terms of how much more complex the GM's work becomes and whether running exps becomes completely impossible because it's too difficult).
[31.05.2018 23:26:45] Revan: What happens?
[31.05.2018 23:28:21] Don't Panic!: There is a need to create all sorts of complex things and a large number of very seriously hidden traps so that the exp remains interesting and isn't completed with eyes closed.
[31.05.2018 23:29:20] Revan: Well, there is such a problem
[31.05.2018 23:29:35] Revan: That since the game is mostly played through same-colored posts and metagaming, it's very difficult to "fool" the player
[31.05.2018 23:30:24] Revan: In situations where a character could be fooled, RP takes a back seat and the player makes a decision based on information their character shouldn't know.
[31.05.2018 23:30:40] Revan: And let's say with the fruits it was quite difficult to "pull all this off"
[31.05.2018 23:31:07] Revan: To both bait them and at the same time make it look authentic
[31.05.2018 23:33:35] Don't Panic!: I understand what you mean. But... no. That's not actually the point. The counterargument is simple — real characters, if they were there, could just as easily discuss plans among themselves, and they would have even more time. Plus a wealth of life experience in this dangerous world full of magic, and all that. Where players made the right decision based on at least game information, I would expect real characters to make it too.
[31.05.2018 23:33:47] Don't Panic!: Where non-game information...
[31.05.2018 23:33:59] Don't Panic!: Well, it's hard for me to remember when that last happened.
[31.05.2018 23:34:34] Don't Panic!: But I do remember the last time I honestly ignored non-in-game information.
[31.05.2018 23:34:43] Don't Panic!: That was in the bar with Laid )
[31.05.2018 23:35:03] Don't Panic!: And even then, the level of traps was clearly appropriate )
[31.05.2018 23:35:20] Don't Panic!: But that's not what this is all about; the reason is much deeper.
[31.05.2018 23:35:29] Don't Panic!: And here I need to do Yashchur's voice.
[31.05.2018 23:35:38] Don't Panic!: !random!
[31.05.2018 23:35:40] Revan: well regarding the traps
[31.05.2018 23:35:51] Revan: We chose a region where we'd do quests.
[31.05.2018 23:35:53] Don't Panic!: Fine, go ahead, then I'll finish.
[31.05.2018 23:35:55] Revan: What else can I say here
[31.05.2018 23:36:15] Don't Panic!: Well yeah, that's normal.
[31.05.2018 23:38:01] Don't Panic!: But again. The traps themselves are quite expected. What exceeds expectations is the quantity and ingenuity (for example, the incubation period of the fruit disease being more than a day). And the need to do this is a consequence.
[31.05.2018 23:38:27] Don't Panic!: But the reason lies in how game calculations are performed.
[31.05.2018 23:38:38] Don't Panic!: There are various wills, agility and accuracy.
[31.05.2018 23:38:56] Don't Panic!: And for any situation, a value of 1--parameter is rolled.
[31.05.2018 23:39:09] Don't Panic!: There are specific consequences from the parameter roll.
[31.05.2018 23:39:34] Don't Panic!: And these consequences, even from a single roll, have a cardinal influence on the overall result.
[31.05.2018 23:40:02] Don't Panic!: A spell with massive damage of 1000 hp might hit (and it's game over), or it might miss.
[31.05.2018 23:40:04] Revan: I admit, Ment.
[31.05.2018 23:40:14] Revan: I don't like the mechanical component of exps
[31.05.2018 23:40:17] Revan: It barely interests me
[31.05.2018 23:40:20] Don't Panic!: Paralysis might proc, or it might not.
[31.05.2018 23:40:36] Revan: But it is necessary so that the game can exist at all, as well as for flavor
[31.05.2018 23:40:42] Revan: Variability and diversity
[31.05.2018 23:41:13] Don't Panic!: And if it procs, some mega-boss who wipes out half a large army in one hit might suddenly become vulnerable for a couple or three turns and be quickly taken down by nobodies.
[31.05.2018 23:41:18] Don't Panic!: Even if the chance is small.
[31.05.2018 23:41:21] Revan: Plus all these calculations, editing quents and so on give me no pleasure at all
[31.05.2018 23:41:22] Don't Panic!: But it was just bad luck.
[31.05.2018 23:41:32] Don't Panic!: Well okay, listen to me out.
[31.05.2018 23:41:37] Revan: yeah, ok
[31.05.2018 23:41:43] Don't Panic!: This isn't a reproach, but a specific attempt to outline the reasons.
[31.05.2018 23:42:41] Don't Panic!: So here it is. It turns out that many things have too strong an element of randomness, which can disrupt logical coherence at a critical moment and, simply put, kill the mood. A tiny bit of (mis)fortune is enough.
[31.05.2018 23:43:08] Don't Panic!: To prevent this from happening, clever ignore-effects have to be introduced for players and NPCs.
[31.05.2018 23:43:24] Don't Panic!: Immunities to paralysis, slowing, mental attacks, and so on.
[31.05.2018 23:44:10] Don't Panic!: And then in some cases even ignoring immunities — so that various super-cool Lutroses don't suddenly find themselves defenseless against a creature with fire immunity, which would also look strange.
[31.05.2018 23:45:26] Don't Panic!: Okay. In the end, we have all sorts of items and guys immune to everything. After all, players create such characters from the start, find such things (we can't exactly introduce item self-destruction when you take them off a boss, after all) and so on.
[31.05.2018 23:45:59] Don't Panic!: And suddenly it turns out that ordinary traps no longer work for them.
[31.05.2018 23:46:45] Don't Panic!: Because you can find a specific immunity or cleansing of all negative effects or some other thing for almost everything, and that "some other thing" will definitely be found.
[31.05.2018 23:48:57] Don't Panic!: Each time, to satisfy both the mechanical part and the plot part, the latter has to become more complex and heavy to such a level that no panacea can be found, and it can only be resolved by using your head and luck. Traps end up being set not one or two, but many turns ahead, initiating a truly complex and non-obvious situation.
[31.05.2018 23:49:24] Don't Panic!: That's how I actually see it.
[31.05.2018 23:50:00] Don't Panic!: And the root of all evil is random. A rather non-obvious conclusion at first.
[31.05.2018 23:51:49] Don't Panic!: That is, if the mechanics were something like "upon freezing, not full paralysis or skipping a turn, but a reduction in the number of attacks", "upon dodging, not full damage ignore, but partial ignore" and so on — in my opinion, much of this could be avoided.
[31.05.2018 23:52:46] Don't Panic!: And things like own-will/subjugation and others are not needed at all in my view, because they aren't controlled by such limited randomness. Except perhaps as a rare exception for particularly serious bosses or specific game situations.
In my opinion — it's a reasonable theory.
As for the current game, well, I will still note that I would be interested in continuing and refining the plan that Ples and I started coming up with. In some way, this state of incompleteness is unpleasant — but what if? And strangely enough, I can't say yet that I didn't like the turns of events that led to this. Let's put it this way: for me, it's a good challenge, which I find better than linear completion of tasks from employer quests or opening numerous doors in sewers. At least as it seems to me at the moment — yes, we are on the edge of an abyss and one foot is already hanging, but we have the opportunity to plan and try to change this! I find this a positive point.