Play@YSDC

Woo, now I've read halfway through your old posts I'm finally again in a position to post in OOC.

Looks like I just can't stay away from playing very attractive pilots. 8)

Guess it does mean I'll have to actually read up on planes.

Don't worry, Decrepit, I've already got one character who's a bit of a hound (apparently) who's chasing one of your characters (or so she thinks, anyway ), so I'll try not to do the same to Kitt. However, with me playing her, she'll bound to be just that suave Jack won't be able to help himself... 8) Yeah, right!

I'll try to keep Kitt heading in the same direction she was before, at least for now. Hopefully I don't make a right balls of it!

Looking forward to playing with you all. Seems like a good team.

I was going to make a lunchtime post, but I forgot to scan a copy of the next handout last night, so I’ll have to post this evening instead.

thewhatchamacallit, who plays Timour Rukov in my Masks campaign will be joining us as well.

He will play the part of Maurice Cole, one of the Camp Worker NPCs who I don't think I've introduced at all yet.

This will bring the number of players back up to 10.

*shakes head*

Is it too late to quit while I'm ahead?

Kidding! Don't hit me.

*mumble, mumble* Glad to be coming aboard the campaign with thewhatchamacallit. *grouchy student sigh* It'll be soooo much fun.

Looking forward to meeting you, Cole, and everyone else.

Hi Laraqua, welcome to the 'madness'.

Gonna use your arrival as an excuse to get back to the hotel - Recently I've not been able to get that old DRAGON magazine joke out of my head.

Q. How many COC investigators does it take to change a light bulb ?

A. All of them. Never split the Party!!!

Although I never really understood the joke because as an investigator myself I'm not sure I always want to turn the light on

Heya Laraqua. Welcome on board.

Yup its far to late to quit now

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I'd totally forgotten about the joke Charles. Very funny

Isugtag is simply going to go back to the hotel.

Jack is in research mode, as previously indicated.

Sorry, I wasn't feeling very well last night, I should be posting at lunchtime (in 3-4 hours)

Charles Graves wrote: Q. How many COC investigators does it take to change a light bulb ?

A. All of them. Never split the Party!!!

Although I never really understood the joke because as an investigator myself I'm not sure I always want to turn the light on

I can see this will be a great group.

Somehow I'm seeing the post count shoot up ...

Maksim and Caroline, Kitt and Jack, so many gender issues, so confused...

Trust thewhatchamacallit to sum it all up.

Besides ... I promise not to hit on all of Decrepit's characters.

*says with hands firmly hidden behind back*

How many characters does Decrepit run again?

See? That didn't take long.

Now I have to check *this* forum every couple of minutes too.

I just hope the rest of the players can cope; it’s been so peaceful in this forum since Commander Douglas was murdered.

What's that ya say, sonny?

Anyhoo, getting us back together again will, I think, help get us moving ahead again.

This is a tough adventure to play, or at least I'm coming to think so after Masks. In the latter, it seems, events have a way of pushing things along in a fairly obvious direction (although the adventure itself is nonlinear in a really important way). In Beyond--and this is no knock on anyone here at all--it's harder to see what the PCs are supposed to do. Investigate, sure, but are they supposed to stop the expedition (presumably not), stop Starkweather, prove a vast conspiracy before the ship even leaves dock? It's just a bit hard to get a sense of what's a red herring and what's absolutely critical to accomplish. I'm being a bit silly here, but it seems like maybe we could even just do nothing until the ship leaves. I'm sure that's not literally true, but there's a way in which the adventure as crafted puts the PCs in secondary places next to the NPCs, who are, after all, funding the expedition, chartering the boats, hiring us, etc. In Masks (which I'm not saying is better, btw), we so far have been pretty self-directed.

Anyway, just some thoughts I've been having that were kind of spurred on a bit by Raiko's crack.

Decrepit wrote: What's that ya say, sonny?

Anyhoo, getting us back together again will, I think, help get us moving ahead again.

This is a tough adventure to play, or at least I'm coming to think so after Masks. In the latter, it seems, events have a way of pushing things along in a fairly obvious direction (although the adventure itself is nonlinear in a really important way). In Beyond--and this is no knock on anyone here at all--it's harder to see what the PCs are supposed to do. Investigate, sure, but are they supposed to stop the expedition (presumably not), stop Starkweather, prove a vast conspiracy before the ship even leaves dock? It's just a bit hard to get a sense of what's a red herring and what's absolutely critical to accomplish. I'm being a bit silly here, but it seems like maybe we could even just do nothing until the ship leaves. I'm sure that's not literally true, but there's a way in which the adventure as crafted puts the PCs in secondary places next to the NPCs, who are, after all, funding the expedition, chartering the boats, hiring us, etc. In Masks (which I'm not saying is better, btw), we so far have been pretty self-directed.

Anyway, just some thoughts I've been having that were kind of spurred on a bit by Raiko's crack.

I hope I didn't offend anyone, I was just thinking how shocked some of the players will be when they go to bed for the night, only to return to twenty new posts from you Masks people.

You make some pretty perceptive points there, I don't want to spoil things, so I'll try to be careful with this reply:

This adventure is quite a lot different to other CoC campaigns. As you say the PCs are (to an extent) secondary to some of the NPCs, at least until later in the adventure. Also the mysteries surrounding the expedition may well remain 'enigmas.' Where the clues in Masks point to (mostly) obvious things, the clues here are intentionally mysterious.

I don't think it's not too much of a spoiler to say that the expedition will eventually depart for Antarctica, although it's important to realise that without Starkweather and Moore there isn't any expedition.

You're actually quite right that you could all just sit back, there is obviously danger ahead (after one murder, one suicide, and two threatening letters), but the detective work is entirely optional.

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It's actually pretty hard to run the early game (compared to Masks).

Starkweather is very handsome, charismatic 'man of action,' but not the greatest of planners, and 'a little short fused.' A dashing explorer and a war hero.

Moore is quite dour and reserved, a great planner, but to the point of being annoying, everything must be triple checked, then checked again.

Of the two people Starkweather should be the more likeable (at least for men).

Think back to the first 'lecture' (after the Lawrence incident), everybody was impressed by Starkweather's enthusiastic speach, but bored silly by Moore droning on.

But to anyone playing the game gung-ho Starkweather is obviously a loose-canon, while the studious Moore is the obvious person to turn to. This is exasperated by Starkweather's obsession with Acacia Lexington (which may or may not be paranoia).

Like I said, some friendly observations.

Without trying to suck up, I do appreciate that you're putting so much into this one. Nary a car chase, but there's still a lot going on.

Does Kitt have a concealed firearm permit?