OOC- Chapter 3- Over, Under, and Through- General Discussion

[welsh]

Have a good time Handy!

I have to say I am loving Under. To think of the planning for this happened what, 9 months ago, or was it longer!
Wonderful carnage!

[Mr Zombie killer]

Yes Welsh and Handy I am glad that you enjoy the lovely idea of killing off old characters and then allowing us to pick new ones which are already crazy. Lovely idea!
Actually my characters for the most part are going to be interesting to play. The only one I am having a problem playing is Sheen and that is because I cannot get an idea on how to play him other then "killed another zombie, or missed one dang nap it!" Am working on that.

[welsh]

Well, I can say that this part in the Under has been in play for a very long time. To tell you more would be telling. I think that the entire recording was written... oh over a year ago. I think it fair to say that while you're enjoying the fruits of much planning, that the consequence and situation that the characters find themselves were largely a result of the characters themselves. So, in terms of mechanics, I am very happy to see how things are turning out.

[Mr Zombie killer]

you know i know that you and handy have said on this board and the last one that the point of the games are to work together but it is very hard when each person has a secret that may push him away from others and we each have no idea why the other person will not work together leading us to death and destruction. We must learn!

[welsh]

Yep. That's basically what this game is about- the problem of cooperation among individuals operating under their own motivation, driven by their own goals. It is the collective action problem under stress. But whether this is a stag hunt or a prisoner's dilemma is unclear-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stag_hunt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_Dilemma

Or some other game?
That's all part of the existential uncertaintly of this game. Which, for me, is really the heart of good horror.

[Fearlessfred]

It doesn't help that their all getting assulted by Zombies and have not had a break to actually talk to each other or get to know each other for any real
length of time.

[Mr Zombie killer]

Yeah welsh or Mr. Handy that would be nice, to not have zombie attacks for say 2 weeks to allow us to get to know each other so we could then win.
By the way i would have tosay it is a stag hunt not a PD.

[SuAside]

survival horror by definition does not allow you to plan for stuff much. not two quiet weeks anyway.

but i like it just fine as is. strife between humans is usually the downfall of people in survival horror and it's not far from reality in that aspect.

[Mr Zombie killer]

I did not mean two weeks in game quiet I meant two weeks of us just getting to know each other say 1 hour in game or even 2 hours. I mean this game is fun and all but come on we are on round 3 and it has only been 4 hours since the beginning of the invasion? Why not let a few weeks or months pass in between times?

[Mr. Handy]

Thanks, everyone, I'm back and I had a great time in London! I won't have time to update tonight, but I plan to update at least Over and Through early on Friday. I still need actual player responses for Under before I can update that one. Ryansommer, you're now playing Sally in that thread as you asked, and I've sent you her secrets. Go ahead and post there when you're ready. If anyone hasn't posted for their characters yet, you should do so soon.

I agree, Under is turning out great and I love writing it. Events could have unfolded differently had the PCs coordinated better and prepared for the worst. There was ample warning, and you had all the knowledge you needed to deal with the problem. If everyone had gathered together and been ready to defend themselves, or if the characters had simply had luckier rolls, it's possible they all would have survived. Instead, the characters were split up into two main groups, and one group got hit very hard without the others nearby to help them. I particularly liked how it worked out with the recording playing as the crisis unfolded. It had all been in the works for about a year or more.

Sheen and Black are together on the motel roof, and they are free to talk to each other as much as they feel like during times when the zombies aren't close enough for one combat round per update (and even then, they can still converse briefly). They're good friends and know each other already. Read Sheen's secrets again to get a handle on him and how you could play him.

There are some opportunities for characters to talk to each other. Right now in Through the nearest zombies are too far for most people to shoot at, so chat away! While I was on vacation would have been the perfect time for PCs to talk to each other. The reason you don't get a whole lot of downtime in the game is that the first day is a very chaotic and dangerous situation. If you try to settle down where you are and just spend what little time you have getting to know each other, you won't be using that time to prepare your defenses or make plans (and you can get to know each other a little while you do those things). In order to have some time to spare for things like that, you'll need to find a place that can be used as a safe haven, at least temporarily. Clearly, the secret underground facility is not such a place. Once you've gotten into a secure position, you'll have more time to spare to train each other or simply to get acquainted. First, you have to find a sanctuary and make it there alive. Even if you can, chances are you won't have weeks or months to hole up before you have to deal with something else. Days are possible, though. Yes, only about 4 or 5 hours have passed in the game since the start of Chapter 1, but there has been a lot happening during that time and the action has been very intense. An important part of this game is dealing with one disaster after another and managing your time carefully. Every minute is precious right now, and how you choose to spend your time has a great deal to do with your ultimate fate.

[welsh]

Indeed- remember that the game started with a very long lull period. The first zombie was actually Horst, although he was merely a "twitcher". The most significant threat was the zombie that came out of the junkyard (probably someone who was killed by the Hammonds and deposited under a junked car). Then Lynne and the news team drew the zombies from the highway... and thus crisis.

But the game tries to incorporate a few different elements. By giving characters secrets and different goals- we allow the characters to have their own interests and preferences, some of which are very deep while others quite shallow. Many of the secrets never carried through. But the game was also aimed at putting the characters under constant pressure and stress. It is, essentially, a "group of strangers face disaster and strive to survive" story. So it plays on some of the classic disaster films and TV shows such as Lost and 24.

As for beasts, we did warn you that this was not a normal zombie story. The mosquitos from the meteorites and other beasts are part of the plot but were also aimed to make this game a bit more interesting and dangerous.

[Mr. Handy]

It was Thomas who went with the news team (Willie and Tisha), not Lynne, but otherwise Welsh has it exactly right. Horst, Earl, and Hammond were killed early on, so a lot of their secrets never came into play, but things could have gotten even hairier had they lived. Lost and 24 are major influences here. In 24, the characters don't get a chance to rest until the day is over, and in both shows (almost) any character can die at any time.

Another key theme of this game is individual vs. collective action. If everyone only looks out for their own self-interest, it will really hinder the survival of the group as a whole. Only by working together as a team and coordinating your efforts do you have a decent chance to survive.

[kabukiman]

I'm back to play again!

[Mr. Handy]

Welcome back, Kabukiman! Also, welcome aboard zielonobrody! Both of you can post in the IC threads whenever you're ready.

[zielonobrody]

I'll be taking up:
Joe Soarez - Electrician Age:26
But I'm having a hard time at work/school and I proposed on thursday(she said yes ) and everything is hectic of late. I'm trying to read up on the through story, but it'll take me some time. No more than two weeks though.

[Mr. Handy]

Congratulations! I'll keep running Joe Soarez as an NPC in the meantime, and he'll tag along with Colin Lewis. When you're ready, just jump in and start posting.

[welsh]

Congrats on the engagement!

[SuAside]

congratz!

[zielonobrody]

Thanks everyone I hope I don't kill this game, because like I warned Syrinx, all my games seem to die. And his just did I had a great big laugh when he wrote "pause till August". "I told you I'm cursed!"

[Mr. Handy]

Don't worry, this is a zombie game. When it dies, it gets right back up again and eats you!

By the way, I'm still waiting for one player to post in Under and a couple to post in Through. If you want to get a post in before I update them, please do so soon.