Okay, so... we are nothing if not proactive. If you wanted to see our faces in realtime and watch us talk awkwardly on camera because we're not used to it, we're about to answer your prayers, because we took a little time out this afternoon to try recording a first video blog. In it, we fiddle with camera and settings, answer two questions, and have a surprise guest appearance by Achilles, one of the JSR Mascot Cats.
Question: Are roleplaying restrictions a valid metric to use when balancing a knack or boon? For example, is it okay for a knack or boon to be more powerful than average because overuse will make NPCs beat you up?
Question: I have a question about Roleplaying epic mental attributes. On paper, they should allow the character to formulate plans so elaborate they'll be incomprehensible to a mortal man. To think with the speed and wisdom that make the modern super computer seem like an earth-worm. How are you supposed to play an entity whose decision making possess is so superior to your own?
We apologize in advance for the boring living room and shaky sound quality. Experiments!
Incidentally, we mention a scene from a recent movie that illustrates Epic Wits and Intelligence well in the above video; you can find the ending clip of it here.
I like John's shirt. This format was fun.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised people could read it. We have many articles of clothing like this we hope to share.
DeleteI think it turned out really well. I certainly didn't notice any problems with sound quality that bothered me and I think the back and forth between the two of you made your responses to the questions even more informative than what we're used to.
ReplyDelete...and I'm inordinately jealous of John's shirt.
Glad to hear it. Sound bothered me, so I'll keep working on it...but i dont know what I'm doing so we'll see what happens.
DeleteAnd thanks about the shirt. Read comment above, but also it was a gift from anne.
When you first wrote about that format I was a bit sceptical, but seeing it wa great. It was easy to understand and fun to watch. I'm looking forward to the next one.
ReplyDeleteJohn's shirt really is great. But one thing: Could you post the questions in the Blog or in the commentary? Thank you very much and keep up the good work!
Good point - I'll edit the post to include them. :)
DeleteDefinitely set up a separate list of your video blogs for easy reference! If OP is watching they may want to be able to go through each of them, as opposed to paging through every single blog within a month.
DeleteThat's a very good point, too; we'll figure out something to keep a separate log of the vlog posts.
DeleteMaking a note here, huge success. The format was excellent and I recommend doing it like this in the future! I also agree with the above poster who mentioned a separate video blog archive.
ReplyDeletethumbs up
DeleteExcellently done. I simply can't wait for the next installment. And you two make a particularly enchanting duo.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I agree. Anne is pretty cute.
DeleteBut have you seen that John guy?
DeleteI've got to agree with the other posters. This was great. And Am sure that after the initial setup, it will take you probably less time to answer questions, at least some questions, and in a somewhat more fun and informative way than even the blog posts.
ReplyDeleteyeah, we had some of our players watch it today and give us some tips that I think will make it even better.
DeleteThe format is great. If this method cuts answering time, then it's working!
ReplyDeleteBaller. I think it will for certain types of questions. Itll certainly have me answering more of them cause it was fun and Im insanely vain.
DeleteI like the format, it's quite interesting, and it's interesting to actually physically see/hear people you only know over the Internet...
ReplyDeleteOnto the actual topics discussed... first of all, kudos on the distraction potential of Epic Perception. Parallel Attention is indeed useful in that, but I think Meditative Focus should be another possibility (or combined for maximum effect) to prevent you from getting distracted by everything around you. Multitasking is another one that could potentially aid a player. Basically, your mind is so used to either ignoring distractions or processing multiple things at once that having such incredible stimuli doesn't bother you so much anymore.
Or this could be a way for your character to roleplay. The comic book series Fables has a stellar example of this. One of the heroes is the Big Bad Wolf (it's that kind of series) and is constantly seen chainsmoking. In one issue, he mentions that the reason he does so is because, upon living in New York, he has such an olfactory overload that he has to smoke to deaden his nose enough for him to cope.
As for Epic Intelligence... Well, I want to provide an example of what you're talking about (and at the same time brag a little). I recently joined Telgar's game and we're currently in a story arc where the Band had to descend into Xibalba to retrieve their hearts from the House of Bats, where Camazotz, here a Titan Avatar, was keeping them for part of a nasty plan.
For Telgar's part, he did his homework and the depiction of Xibalba was hella awesome, but when it comes to the Maya, I kind of know my shit. This allowed Alan, a Scion of Quetzalcoatl, to really shine. He has 6/6 Intelligence and 6 dots of Academics, not to mention Knacks like Know-It-All and Perfect Memory, allowing him to reference the Popol Vuh verbatim at times. One such instance, when the Band was at Xibalba's crossroads trying to determine the correct path (Alan didn't want to screw it up and end up with the group headless like Hun Hunahpu), and it sucked since the PV never outright stated which road the Hero Twins took. As I was talking to Telgar, I mentioned the possibility laid by some scholars that there were actually FIVE roads, one for each cardinal direction and a fifth one representing the center was the correct path, and since Alan had the Unlidded Eye active along with a bunch of Psychopomp Boons, could he possibly notice it?
He decided to implement it on the spot and gave back 3 points of Legend ala stunting. One of the few times Epic Intelligence, a trait I like to invest in, really came alive for me...
One thing I suggest for players of Scions with high Epic Intelligence is to find a topic that you're a certifiable expert in and use that as a focus. Not saying that you should stick to those exclusively, but it makes it easier to make those kinds of "Eureka" moments happen. Alan is a Mesoamerican zoologist and, because of my geekiness in those two topics, I can make that Epic Int shine where that's concerned. If I made Alan, say, a psychologist, I'd be able to make it work, but doing so would be much more difficult, requiring more effort and study on my part. If he were an economist or a business expert, then I'd be in over my head and my attempts to showcase his Epic Intelligence would be very poor and come off badly.
very perfect use of epic int.
DeleteIve read a bit of fables and I should read more. I only hear excellent things about it.
I thought it was really good! John is much more personable over video than he is in writing, and Anne is just as knowledgeable. I really enjoyed your discussion on mental attributes specifically, and it makes me definitely consider the possibilities of playing an exclusively mental character (something I haven't done in Scion for the very reason discussed above.)
ReplyDeleteYeah...I have IRL charisma....it doesnt translate well across my writing. Its why people who know me irl generally defend me to the shock and confusion of the people on the internets.
DeleteMental characters can be a TON of fun. You should try it.
Great job, guys! I really like this format, and it's nice to see the people behind this fantastic resource.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever have any questions, I can certainly help out by providing my e-mail, since I am pursuing a career in filmmaking and have more than a bit of experience with this sort of thing.
The sound and picture quality was good for what I am assuming was a computer camera. An external HD webcam might be a good investment if you plan to take this route for the rest of your blog postings, John's proposed ST classes, or an eventual webseries.
Anyway, loved it and let me know if I can help!
Thank you thank you.
DeleteWhat kind of film? Where do you live? Come do films for my acting troupe ;)
We have an external camera, but I dont think its HD, we're going to try it next time. My biggest worry is getting the sound quality at least a little better. Any ideas?
Heh, yeah, it's just an onboard camera at the moment, but at some point we'd love it to be better.
DeleteI do mostly narrative films, and I prefer fantasy, sci-fi, mystery. Unfortunately, I live in Philadelphia, so it would be a bit of a hike. Though, if it's paid, that's another story! :D
DeleteFor sound quality, the best thing to do is find out what kind of microphone input your camera has (if any) and use that to record as opposed to using the built-in mic. You'll get rid of a lot of the background noise and your voices will be much more crisp. Even if your camera isn't HD, the quality should be better than the computer cam regardless.
HD webcams usually go for about $30-$50, for a standard one, though they can certainly get more expensive if you want all the fancy features. I'd say give your external cam a try and if that doesn't cut it, an HD webcam should suit your needs.
Hold the phone Threads of Fate - you live in Philadelphia? Are you looking for any Scion players/storytellers by any chance?
DeleteAs a matter of fact, yes. I am always looking for players and storytellers.
DeleteWell as it so happens, my players and I live in the Philadelphia area. Maybe we could work something out?
DeleteMaybe we can! More people is always good!
DeleteDo you have an e-mail or something we can further this conversation on so we don't natter up this comment box further? You can reach me at jgking15@gmail.com
Delete