[War_ooc] Potentially Dumb Ideas

Wed Jul 15 11:39:02 EDT 2009

Okay....

Generally, I decide actions, when they aren't otherwise fairly
decideable, by rolling dice. For those who don't know, I generally use
the "hit-based" system of Shadowrun 4th edition, modified to WAR. In
short, I roll a (GM-decided) number of dice (D6s) against a fixed
target number of 5. (Initially, I had visions of a chart with "skill
levels" for each country in major spheres of activity, which would
decide how many dice you got, but at least 6 major spheres....190+
countries....I quickly scrapped that idea.) I'm not in the mood to dig
out a chart I have somewhere of the probabilities, but let's sum it up
by saying that you get about a 33% chance of success on any given die.

Far better for you, then, if I were to use another method more
conducive to success. Like a coin.

I have someone else designate heads or tails as success/failure, I
flip the coin, the result shows obviously. I used to use real coins
for this, but I suck at flipping coins and keep losing em, so I use
random.org's coin flipper now. I don't lose money that way.

Now, where might a player use this?
---
Example 1:

Player is trying to, I dunno, get a budget passed despite several
objectionable parts. He has, for drama's sake, decided to go whole hog
and devote a post to this.

Now, for various reasons (low popularity for example?), this player
does not have a secure grip on their majority in the parliament.

Their chances of success thus come down to the dice. If this post
matters to the player, perhaps they want to be more assured of success
than that.

Recently, Player has been helpful OOCly; maybe they've brought in a
new player, for example. So they have an improbability chit laying
around that they spend.

I note the spending down in my excel sheet, I set the dice aside, I
pull out a coin, and I ask the player to pick heads or tails. (If
they're not around, I ask someone else.)

The coin then gets flipped. With a 50/50 shot (representing an
unusually good speech or whatever), he has a much better chance of
success.

John

On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 5:32 AM, Bryan Tribble<bgtribble at gmail.com> wrote:
> John, could you give some examples where this idea might apply? For
> instance, country X is trying to do Y and this "improbability chit" would be
> helpful. I think I'm not understanding the concept very well yet.
>
> Bryan G. Tribble
> Development Director
>
> Chipua Institute for Social Transformation
> P.O. Box 105650
> Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
> +255 786 522 984 (Mobile)
> http://www.chipua.org
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: John Penta <john.penta at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: <war_ooc at esteroic.com>
> Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:36:04 -0400
> To: <war_ooc at esteroic.com>
> Subject: [War_ooc] Potentially Dumb Ideas
>
> Just because today is a slow-ish day for me, I'm going to put out some
> ideas I've been having. I really want to hear feedback, even
> (especially) if you think it a dumb idea.
>
> In short, I'm pondering a rewards system for accomplishing needed OOC
> tasks, referring new players (that stick around!), etc. A way to take
> the load from being completely on my back, and spreading it around.
> Helps to reduce burnout, and helps to make the game more yours, less
> mine.
>
> Some of this stuff that needs doing falls under "Will make the GM's
> life easier", some of it will fall under "Stuff that needs to get done
> anyway that the GM has no clue how to do."
>
> My pet name for it at the moment is "Improbability chits", though a
> better one is certainly welcome:
>
> You would still be limited by game balance, probability, and just
> plain story, but if you were trying to pull off a dramatic action
> where there's no real clue for me how to decide if it's a success or
> not, an Improbability chit would enable you to at least a 50/50 shot
> (versus my typical methods, rolling dice against a somewhat-guided
> target number or number of hits, which gives a smaller chance).
>
> Key point: You would only get a limited number of chits at any one
> time, and they would expire (after, say, 30 to 90 days).
> ---
> If people like the idea, I'll come up with detailed rules of
> application, but this is how I envision earning and spending would
> work.
>
> Earning would be accomplished by being helpful to the game OOCly:
>
> For instance, at this moment, I'd award the best design for a WR
> template a chit.
> Similarly, once we get the web presence set up, I plan on going on an
> ad campaign, wherever I can find (that we fit) on the web. Finding
> places for me to advertise (note to Lisa: I know about the Yahoo
> groups - I mean besides that) would be worth a chit if I ascertain
> posting an ad there is allowable and haven't stumbled upon it before
> you bring it up - and writing a new Standard Ad (the one I currently
> use is kinda bleh, I wrote it myself) would be worth one too.
> Advertising, yourself, would also be worth one - especially if you
> cross into RL and get us notice from more than the usual PBEM types -
> you could do this by spreading flyers (after approval from me of the
> flyer), where you're allowed to, for example. I would measure this by
> including a "where did you hear about us" question on the join form.
>
> Referring new players to WAR would be worth chits if they stick around
> and are active. (I'd probably set some sort of activity standard for
> this beyond the minimum activity requirement being mentioned in
> another thread - as well as cutting off the supply if I felt we were
> getting too big.)
>
> Once we get our web presence up and running (I'm bashing my head on
> the Wiki every day and not getting anywhere, so I may take up Bryan's
> offer to help with a Joomla-powered website once he gets back
> Stateside), adding info to it could be worth rewards in targeted cases
> (for instance, assembling a WAR FAQ for people who stumble on our web
> presence).
> ---
> Spending (draft rules, I reserve the right to change them for the sake
> of game balance - and to control "inflation"):
>
> Not applicable to tech projects - those are governed more strictly, by
> notes I keep for myself as to what's possible and plausible, my gut
> opinion of game balance, and so forth.
> However, you can privately spend them on virtually any other action
> you take. If I decide it's a "spendable application", I deduct a chit
> from your account and switch from dice to a coin at random.org.
>
> Chits would expire after a period of time, probably between 2 weeks and 90
> days.
> ---
> Like I said, it is a potentially dumb idea. If people want to do it, I
> can do it. If there's no interest, or if it's thought a probably or
> definitely dumb idea, it's something I can set aside.
>
> John
>
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