Posts from Expedition: general discussions. Auto-translated

No, almost two thousand pages is too much for me... I barely managed 80.

That's the point. The expansion was so bad that now no one can handle this topic.

But I think I figured out how it all works. And I even understood why this thing replaced the mafia. With the mafia, you have to "go on schedule," but here you log in once a week, write something, and leave. A week later, you come back, check if "your character is still alive," and then proceed as needed... Now I understand why it lasts for months...

Not quite. I play like this when I get bored or really don't like what's happening; the others are quite active.
And it lasts for months because many things need to be coordinated with each other for joint actions. And even if everyone plays separately, the GM is one person and simply doesn't have time to respond to everyone quickly.

And the number of players is not limited in any way. You can even play alone.

That's a plus.

Well, if even you couldn't stand the GM's arbitrariness, what can I say. We, the reptilians, do not tolerate arbitrariness...

If arbitrariness starts, you'll drop out; if it doesn't, you'll continue. In any case, you'll have time to have fun.

If someone writes a decent quest...

I'm always ready to help.

Oh yeah... You're walking along, not bothering anyone, and suddenly, out of nowhere, some noob appears with twice as much damage as your HP... Awesome...

Lol. Twice as much)))))))))))))))))))

What's there to write, here's a template:

Author was born in a family of [...], in one of the many villages of the Empire. He was the [...] son, the most [...], the most [...], the most [...] and the most [...]. He also stood out for his [...], love for [...], for [...], for [...] and for [...]. He was quite [...], [...] helped his father and brothers. Mostly, he played with [...], [...], stole apples from neighbors, and collected wildflowers. He also loved to run around the area with other mischievous kids, playing war. His favorite weapon was [...]. Other children liked [...] because [...], he could always [...]. That's how he grew up, swinging a club, petting horses, cats, dogs, stealing apples, collecting flowers, and beating up bullies. At some point, his father decided that he wouldn't be of any use at home, so he sent his son to [...]. There, his [...] and [...] could be useful. And [...] himself was glad, because he was told that in [...] he would be able to protect the citizens of the Empire from bullies from other countries. That's how he ended up in [...].

You see... Even to fill in the blanks (in the brackets), my dull brain is not capable. I have absolutely no literary talent. :(
Sometimes, though, great inspiration comes, but that's very rare...

That's the thing. The exp died out so much that now no one can handle this topic.

Well, I thought that a year ago it was still alive, and this year it's just "that"...

Always ready to help

And will the "price-quality" ratio be adequate?

I found my own embarrassing post from 2012 among your conversations here, in this thread. I probably won't risk rereading it 🤣🤣🤣

I reread it and can confidently say that there is absolutely no cringe, it's a perfect example for Yashur of how he could have written something in that alternative timeline where he decided to play Expedition.

You see... even this (fill in the ellipsis in parentheses) is beyond my capabilities. I have absolutely no literary talent.

Just write whatever comes to mind and it will be good. Quenta is only one percent of the game.

Yeah, they’re decent bios, although now I’ll have to reread everything…

Will the price-quality ratio be adequate?

I can create a standard quest based on the template that Loken posted for 5 gold pieces. The cost of something more exotic will depend on the degree of its exoticness. But in general, there are people here with more significant literary talent than I have.

I'll create a "gachimuchi" quest for 50 Blood Diamonds. A quest for a powerful mistress will cost 100 Blood Diamonds. A quest for a suicidal character who will die first by their own hand: priceless.

Is this a Heroes of Might and Magic character or a Might and Magic character? 🤔

A GM character from the Mentha expansion.

The character's "ArtStation account has also been blocked, it turns out."

Yeah, I could do something like that, if it were a bit more anime-style.

you can imagine the anime style in your head (or almost use neural networks for it).

I can create a standard quest based on the template that Locken posted for 5 gold. The cost of something more exotic will depend on the degree of its exoticness. But in general, there are people here with more significant literary talent than I have.

No, no... "People with more significant talent" will be charging a "brand premium." :D No way...

Added 1 minute ago

I'll create a "gachimuchi" quest for 50 gold.
A quest for a powerful mistress for 100 gold.
A quest for a suicidal person who will die first by their own hand: priceless.

Well, here's one with "more significant talent" already showing up. :D

Added 1 hour 19 minutes ago
So, when is your next expansion coming out?

So, when is your next expansion coming out?

It's unknown until the GM announces it. They might not announce it and just open a thread directly. So, set up a notification for new private messages in your email, and I'll write to you.

Average-level starting characters or complete beginners (like in Cerberia) – which is better?

I've forgotten about this question a hundred times, but here's my take.

First, due to my personal time constraints, I probably won't be participating in an experience-based game. No matter how interesting it is, or how many emotions it evokes, I don't have the willpower of Fragment/Artz/Heroist to log in once a day or once a week (and this is without any irony; they are great at prioritizing and still manage to come online and write insightful posts that deserve to be framed). Other players have varying levels of involvement, but I personally feel like I'm mentally engaged in an experience-based game almost 24/7, which is not healthy in any way. So, I apologize, but I'm unlikely to continue.

Second, based on my own experience, and knowing that I'll still be reading your posts 100%, I've always been more interested in beginners with a significant advantage. As in Cerberia, and even more so in RI3, it was great to nurture a character from scratch and then watch them grow and become capable of more, earning someone's respect (or, conversely, unexpectedly gaining powerful personal enemies 😵). Based on the same principle, I initially didn't want to "isekai" anyone in AiA, and creating Aiko proved that this game was also well-suited for a low-level start.

Now, about average-level characters. Although this concept isn't inherently bad in a vacuum, and sometimes it even works (in Nebka's last experience-based game, our group really felt like a solid mid-tier team, already with an established reputation), in reality, it creates a lot of problems. Ideally, you already have a background, connections (if you're not an "isekai" character), a certain professional pride (you probably wouldn't go on a quest against rats, unless it's your personal quirk to complete all sorts of minor tasks), and, yes, this should be noticeable in terms of gameplay. As a result, all of this leads to greater challenges for the GM in creating that "pro" atmosphere, and limitations on possible quests and storylines... Even to higher expectations, because you automatically want certain organizations and individuals to recognize you, sometimes even to the point of friendship, if there are reasons for it in the backstory. At the same time, as a player, you are an absolute beginner in the setting and can easily make a mistake because you don't know something important.

I am convinced that it is no coincidence that even in video games, authors almost never manage to create a start with a "mid-level" hero: even if the prologue tells you that you are incredibly cool, in reality, you start at level one, with a rusty sword, and hunt goblins (and it's good if it's not jerboas).

Therefore, yes. Beginners are better than average-level characters, if you look at it realistically. If you want to challenge established patterns, I would be interested in seeing a good implementation of experienced soldiers, but I wouldn't say that I'm particularly excited about this possibility.

Ultimately, the GM always acts according to their vision, because the game's success depends on their enthusiasm.