Post by logan9a on Jul 24, 2018 12:35:49 GMT
What game system is this?
"It's a heavily modified BRP system which utilizes something akin to fate points (we call them 'HERO points') and gives temporary skill buffs and such in the form of cards during the game as a reward for wit and cleverness. There are no levels or classes, it is a purely skill based system. Skills can increase over time from successful use in game."
Sadly, that explanation doesn't help that many people because they've only had experience with D&D. If reading that doesn't really enlighten you, I'd suggest just making a character. I'm confident that most will have a good idea what the system is like after doing so, more so after playing one session.
When I ask a question, I just keep getting referred back to these boards - why is that?
Finding new gamers is a lot like finding a qualified job applicant. The ones who seem to want to spend the most time chatting and such are never the ones who end up playing to see if they enjoy themselves. They seem to just have a lot of time on their hands and want to chat. I don't have a lot of time on my hands. If someone 'doesn't have time to go through the new player section' on the boards, they aren't going to have time to commit to playing. Hence, not something I want to invest time into.
What's this campaign about?
I've heard it referred to as Sliders meets a bunch of other stuff. Personally, I don't like that pigeon hole but people go with what they know.
Shouldn't I know what kind of campaign it is before making my character?
No. None of the starting players did. If you're looking for advice, I would personally make a 'modern day' (ie the time period you are now living your out of game life in) character that seems interesting to you. You could even make a stylized heroic version of yourself if you felt like it. Any skills you take can become very useful depending on where/when you find yourself. The more obscure of skill, the less often it will come up. 'Unarmed' will always come up more than say 'Accounting' - but there are times when the accounting skill is critical. Plus you get a free character rewrite after the first session though some players later regret changing their skills around based on the one place they were.
When do you start?
See the sign up sheet and use the time zone converter available there. The general answer: If you live in the USA, morning. If you live in Europe, afternoon. If you live in Australia, either amazingly late at night or very very early in the morning - depending how you look at it. We currently have players from those three continents.
Do you allow lurkers while the game is being played?
No. You can watch plenty of youtube videos of the game being played or listen to the games on podcast. We encourage people to get in there and play. If there is a 'guest GM' we will often broadcast those games 'live' as people seem to have a great hunger for 'live' things for some reason.
Anything special for the first game?
I'd recommend showing up fifteen or so minutes early. Get logged on then. There is generally a certain amount of coms testing and general computer fuckery to be dealt with. Better to have those extra minutes to take care of it than slow down the session more than we need to for everyone else.
Will Logan get in touch with me or come find me before game time?
No. It is the players responsibility to contact Logan. He is easy to find and generally at his computer before game time. Contact through Facebook or these Proboards. If you can't make it (emergency comes up or whatever) contacting me to let me know would be nice. If you don't show up on time (especially for your first session) your spot may be given to other people who are on time waiting to play. After you've played once, we give a fifteen minute grace period then attempt to fill the slot.
Why can we only sign up for one session?
Until someone has played, they are an unknown quantity. We don't know if we'll like them or if they'll like us. Also, new people are notoriously flighty. Of those who sign up for game sessions, only about 30% or less actually bother to show up. So, rather than rescheduling all of Bob's slots because he thought that he would show up a lot and signed up for ten games, we have Bob sign up for one. If Bob actually bothers to show up and everyone gets along and Bob has a good time, then we invite him (or her) to sign up for more slots.
What if I am unsure if I can make a session but would like to play?
Get sure before signing up. The sign up sheet does not deal in hope! Once you are sure if you can play then is the time to sign up - we'd love to have you try a game!
Do I need to contact you on Facebook for every game?
After the first game, you will have the roll20 information. Just log on to that at or before game time to find out the google hangouts address since that changes every time.
How long will it take before I feel I have a handle on what is going on in game?
According to one of our newer players, the first three sessions or so feel overwhelming and confusing. After that, you start to get a handle on some things. Keep in mind that a lot of this campaign is about finding out secrets (or maybe even making some) so the long time players often feel like they are put into the deep end of the pool.
Is there a shorter version of these rules somewhere?
If someone can't spend a half hour or hour to read the new players start here section of the board, I'm thinking it is unlikely they will devote five to seven hours every week or two toward gaming.
Why do you have new players go through the steps listed in the new players start here and watch a video on character creation instead of helping each individually?
It's a test. Can they follow simple instructions? Do they have enough dedication to do that then actually show up for the first session? Or the second? Most don't. Better to give them a manual and let them show who really wants to play and who is just out to waste time.
Why don't you publish your game system?
If thousands of people were interested in it, it would still classify as a 'labor of love' meaning 'no money in publishing it'. There are enough game systems out there. What really seems to be lacking is good campaigns. I'm working on making a good campaign that people enjoy instead.
Why do you advertise only for smart people?
This is a hard campaign.
What's the thoughts behind this system?
Generally, I feel that the more you have to pay attention to the system, the more you are playing a system rather than immersing yourself into the character. Obviously, there are some finicky things (like spells) but overall, this system is dead simple. After someone has played a couple times the system goes into the background. Unlike 'crunchy' (or overly complex depending on your point of view) systems, we don't have 'rules lawyers' and such in this game. It's not all about figuring out a way to 'min/max'. That is a turn off for some people who want to spend hours tweaking the most powerful character they can. In this game, making the most of what you have and making an interesting entertaining story is the goal.
Are spells necessary?
No. Lots of people either don't have spells or have a couple and rarely bother to use them.
How can my character become a spell caster?
It is (intentionally) a pain in the ass. Unlike many RPG's you don't just get new spells tossed at you periodically. In order to get very basic spells, you have to first find someone (PC or NPC) to teach you some rank one (very weak) spells. Generally, it's much easier to get a PC to do it. Then, they have to impart the knowledge via a teaching (skill) roll and succeeding at the spell (skill) roll. When that eventually happens, you pick up a low level spell at your 'Learn' statistic. You can then cast that until you finally get a critical. Making a critical roll while casting a spell imparts you with the next spell up in that tree. The process continues in that fashion. It is (and is meant to be) a huge pain in the ass to get good at spell casting. Generally, this is a very low magic game.
Anything special I should be aware of about the recordings?
I don't recommend talking about anything personal until after the end of the session. By all means, visit then. The recordings are edited only in that I take out some of the long stretches of silence so if you end up giving out your credit card numbers - for some reason (why??) mid session, you should expect that in the final copy. Due to time constraints I don't go back and 're-edit' stuff later. So wait till after 'the cameras are off' before you discuss personal stuff you don't want the world to know.
When will I be able to watch the session I participated in?
Sessions are released one hour at a time daily. Therefore, we have quite a bit of backlog. Could be half a year or longer. Edit: It is now up to over a year before stuff gets published due to the volume of stuff we have.
How much combat is there during a game?
In D&D, all good things (levels, loot, etc) comes from combat. Trying to train people out of that mindset is hard work. Generally, combat is more like in real life. If you have to do it, have overwhelming odds in your favor and try to get it over as fast as possible. If you are taking on a 'fair fight' (or one not in your favor) it is a series of poor choices which have brought you there.
So combat is always bad?
If you are 'relying on the strength of your character' to carry you through combat, yes, it is a poor choice. Buying a pistol which does d10 damage isn't that hard. Your character will have between 10-20 hit points. Simple math shows that combat is something best to be avoided. If you have to do it, having a superior plan, numbers, ambush, etc are advisable. Going toe to toe with all but the weakest foes is (in this game system) not a great move.
Do I need to print out that long assed character sheet or can I just use my computer?
Once you get access to the roll20, there is a place you can enter your character sheet into.
Why are the missions so hard?
In most games I've seen, it is your character's strength up against the lesser strength of the enemy in 'level appropriate' encounters. While all GM's claim that their players 'can run in to harder stuff than they can handle' I have found this is often nothing but defensive bravado. A huge majority of the encounters are 'level appropriate' and using the strength of ones spells and melee can bear them through the encounter. This bores the shit out of me. It's like playing chess against someone who has less pieces. Unless you are stupid or very unlucky of course you are going to win. Most things here are as they are and very little is a good idea to go up against in a straight line confrontation. Players will need to learn to come at problems from an unexpected angle ("Go at it sideways") to many things because characters in this system are super weak compared to most. Until untrained from 'my our characters are powerful' systems (usually D&D) it can be frustrating for new players. This is very much a 'information is more powerful than a magic sword' type of campaign.
Can I play cross-gender characters?
Not recommended.
Why don't you like having a conversation with potential players before the session or before they've made their character?
The last eight did not end up actually bothering to make a character - they were just 'time vampires'.
I have other exclusivity contracts that prohibit me from getting paid for this - do I need to worry?
Not even a little. We would need ten times the Youtube subscribers we have to even see a tiny income and I am keeping all of it until I pay back the hundreds of dollars I've put into the game. That may take longer than I'll be alive. Unless this all suddenly takes off. In that case I am happy to give any pay you would get to charity.
Is this a 'high fantasy' game?
This is definitely not a 'high fantasy' type game though I would say there are more than enough neat spells and magic toys which can be gained to keep you busy. It should (if you wish to try it) be a new and interesting experience for you. The reason (one of them) I don't run a high magic (HM) system is that I see HM as basically 'super heroes'. Super heroes defeating super villains is dull. It's their job. It is expected. In this system, people play characters who are very mortal, very vulnerable and must use brains - rather than relying on magic gizmos - to overcome challenges and obstacles. A 'mortal' defeating a super villain - now that's interesting!
How do the character groups work?
Consider it all one huge group that plays three people at a time. Advantages: Adults can schedule when they want to play based on their schedule. Also, you get to play with lots of different people instead of the same people week after week.
In a skill based game, won't everyone end up taking the same skills?
There are certain skills (like the bold faced ones) that if you do not have you are probably going to be a shitty adventurer, however there are so many skills that it impossible for everyone to work on everything all of the time. People who have been playing in the campaign since the beginning are often excited by a new player coming into the game who has a skill their group is lacking. The trade off is figuring out how good of investment those points are. You could buy a skill that is only used once every five or ten games. That could either be a lousy investment - or - if it saves the party a great investment.
How do I get my background used in the campaign?
Talk about it (BRIEFLY) from time to time. Send out little teasers. If people want to talk more about it, give a little more info. If you are talking for more than say two minutes you are probably wrong unless the players have demanded more info.
That's how Lumsie's (a character I had for a decade in a LARP) background ended up getting completely used - I would drop little bits here and there and the plot team got more and more interested then started writing stories for it and so on.
But - that takes work.
Most PC's (an overwhelming number) are more in the 'show up and have fun then fuck off' category. This is part of the reason why finding GM's is hard. Finding GM's that don't completely suck is EPICALLY (epically? Fuck) HARD.
So if someone has something they want to do, drop an occasional story or hint to the other PC's.
Example:
Al: "We are completely surrounded."
Jake: "This looks as bleak as that time the Janthrax had troops invade our starship!"
Al: "What?"
Jake: "No time for that now - you go that way and draw their fire! I'll go home!"
Al: "What?"
Jake: "On the count of three!"
Is there a wiki?
anytimeanywhere.fandom.com
Why is it over a year before the show comes out?
We publish one hour of material each and every day. This causes shows to back up further and further. During season 7, we will reach two years delay between when the game is played and when the show comes out. The reason I like to have this delay is a) one hour of ATAW each and every day for someone who has been keeping up with it seems like enough. b) for those just started listening to it, they have shows pretty much 'forever'. c) if they players are doing something secret from the other players, they have a LOT time before anyone finds out about it. Since this campaign is all about secrets and lack of information (other than what the players choose to tell each other via the IG board) this works for me.
NOTE: If you can think of another question to add to this FAQ (a question that you actually have - not something that you think maybe someone some day might have and wouldn't it be wonderful to invest tons of time into this to make it 'complete' so that it can be ignored by future generations) please post below.
"It's a heavily modified BRP system which utilizes something akin to fate points (we call them 'HERO points') and gives temporary skill buffs and such in the form of cards during the game as a reward for wit and cleverness. There are no levels or classes, it is a purely skill based system. Skills can increase over time from successful use in game."
Sadly, that explanation doesn't help that many people because they've only had experience with D&D. If reading that doesn't really enlighten you, I'd suggest just making a character. I'm confident that most will have a good idea what the system is like after doing so, more so after playing one session.
When I ask a question, I just keep getting referred back to these boards - why is that?
Finding new gamers is a lot like finding a qualified job applicant. The ones who seem to want to spend the most time chatting and such are never the ones who end up playing to see if they enjoy themselves. They seem to just have a lot of time on their hands and want to chat. I don't have a lot of time on my hands. If someone 'doesn't have time to go through the new player section' on the boards, they aren't going to have time to commit to playing. Hence, not something I want to invest time into.
What's this campaign about?
I've heard it referred to as Sliders meets a bunch of other stuff. Personally, I don't like that pigeon hole but people go with what they know.
Shouldn't I know what kind of campaign it is before making my character?
No. None of the starting players did. If you're looking for advice, I would personally make a 'modern day' (ie the time period you are now living your out of game life in) character that seems interesting to you. You could even make a stylized heroic version of yourself if you felt like it. Any skills you take can become very useful depending on where/when you find yourself. The more obscure of skill, the less often it will come up. 'Unarmed' will always come up more than say 'Accounting' - but there are times when the accounting skill is critical. Plus you get a free character rewrite after the first session though some players later regret changing their skills around based on the one place they were.
When do you start?
See the sign up sheet and use the time zone converter available there. The general answer: If you live in the USA, morning. If you live in Europe, afternoon. If you live in Australia, either amazingly late at night or very very early in the morning - depending how you look at it. We currently have players from those three continents.
Do you allow lurkers while the game is being played?
No. You can watch plenty of youtube videos of the game being played or listen to the games on podcast. We encourage people to get in there and play. If there is a 'guest GM' we will often broadcast those games 'live' as people seem to have a great hunger for 'live' things for some reason.
Anything special for the first game?
I'd recommend showing up fifteen or so minutes early. Get logged on then. There is generally a certain amount of coms testing and general computer fuckery to be dealt with. Better to have those extra minutes to take care of it than slow down the session more than we need to for everyone else.
Will Logan get in touch with me or come find me before game time?
No. It is the players responsibility to contact Logan. He is easy to find and generally at his computer before game time. Contact through Facebook or these Proboards. If you can't make it (emergency comes up or whatever) contacting me to let me know would be nice. If you don't show up on time (especially for your first session) your spot may be given to other people who are on time waiting to play. After you've played once, we give a fifteen minute grace period then attempt to fill the slot.
Why can we only sign up for one session?
Until someone has played, they are an unknown quantity. We don't know if we'll like them or if they'll like us. Also, new people are notoriously flighty. Of those who sign up for game sessions, only about 30% or less actually bother to show up. So, rather than rescheduling all of Bob's slots because he thought that he would show up a lot and signed up for ten games, we have Bob sign up for one. If Bob actually bothers to show up and everyone gets along and Bob has a good time, then we invite him (or her) to sign up for more slots.
What if I am unsure if I can make a session but would like to play?
Get sure before signing up. The sign up sheet does not deal in hope! Once you are sure if you can play then is the time to sign up - we'd love to have you try a game!
Do I need to contact you on Facebook for every game?
After the first game, you will have the roll20 information. Just log on to that at or before game time to find out the google hangouts address since that changes every time.
How long will it take before I feel I have a handle on what is going on in game?
According to one of our newer players, the first three sessions or so feel overwhelming and confusing. After that, you start to get a handle on some things. Keep in mind that a lot of this campaign is about finding out secrets (or maybe even making some) so the long time players often feel like they are put into the deep end of the pool.
Is there a shorter version of these rules somewhere?
If someone can't spend a half hour or hour to read the new players start here section of the board, I'm thinking it is unlikely they will devote five to seven hours every week or two toward gaming.
Why do you have new players go through the steps listed in the new players start here and watch a video on character creation instead of helping each individually?
It's a test. Can they follow simple instructions? Do they have enough dedication to do that then actually show up for the first session? Or the second? Most don't. Better to give them a manual and let them show who really wants to play and who is just out to waste time.
Why don't you publish your game system?
If thousands of people were interested in it, it would still classify as a 'labor of love' meaning 'no money in publishing it'. There are enough game systems out there. What really seems to be lacking is good campaigns. I'm working on making a good campaign that people enjoy instead.
Why do you advertise only for smart people?
This is a hard campaign.What's the thoughts behind this system?
Generally, I feel that the more you have to pay attention to the system, the more you are playing a system rather than immersing yourself into the character. Obviously, there are some finicky things (like spells) but overall, this system is dead simple. After someone has played a couple times the system goes into the background. Unlike 'crunchy' (or overly complex depending on your point of view) systems, we don't have 'rules lawyers' and such in this game. It's not all about figuring out a way to 'min/max'. That is a turn off for some people who want to spend hours tweaking the most powerful character they can. In this game, making the most of what you have and making an interesting entertaining story is the goal.
Are spells necessary?
No. Lots of people either don't have spells or have a couple and rarely bother to use them.
How can my character become a spell caster?
It is (intentionally) a pain in the ass. Unlike many RPG's you don't just get new spells tossed at you periodically. In order to get very basic spells, you have to first find someone (PC or NPC) to teach you some rank one (very weak) spells. Generally, it's much easier to get a PC to do it. Then, they have to impart the knowledge via a teaching (skill) roll and succeeding at the spell (skill) roll. When that eventually happens, you pick up a low level spell at your 'Learn' statistic. You can then cast that until you finally get a critical. Making a critical roll while casting a spell imparts you with the next spell up in that tree. The process continues in that fashion. It is (and is meant to be) a huge pain in the ass to get good at spell casting. Generally, this is a very low magic game.
Anything special I should be aware of about the recordings?
I don't recommend talking about anything personal until after the end of the session. By all means, visit then. The recordings are edited only in that I take out some of the long stretches of silence so if you end up giving out your credit card numbers - for some reason (why??) mid session, you should expect that in the final copy. Due to time constraints I don't go back and 're-edit' stuff later. So wait till after 'the cameras are off' before you discuss personal stuff you don't want the world to know.
When will I be able to watch the session I participated in?
Sessions are released one hour at a time daily. Therefore, we have quite a bit of backlog. Could be half a year or longer. Edit: It is now up to over a year before stuff gets published due to the volume of stuff we have.
How much combat is there during a game?
In D&D, all good things (levels, loot, etc) comes from combat. Trying to train people out of that mindset is hard work. Generally, combat is more like in real life. If you have to do it, have overwhelming odds in your favor and try to get it over as fast as possible. If you are taking on a 'fair fight' (or one not in your favor) it is a series of poor choices which have brought you there.
So combat is always bad?
If you are 'relying on the strength of your character' to carry you through combat, yes, it is a poor choice. Buying a pistol which does d10 damage isn't that hard. Your character will have between 10-20 hit points. Simple math shows that combat is something best to be avoided. If you have to do it, having a superior plan, numbers, ambush, etc are advisable. Going toe to toe with all but the weakest foes is (in this game system) not a great move.
Do I need to print out that long assed character sheet or can I just use my computer?
Once you get access to the roll20, there is a place you can enter your character sheet into.
Why are the missions so hard?
In most games I've seen, it is your character's strength up against the lesser strength of the enemy in 'level appropriate' encounters. While all GM's claim that their players 'can run in to harder stuff than they can handle' I have found this is often nothing but defensive bravado. A huge majority of the encounters are 'level appropriate' and using the strength of ones spells and melee can bear them through the encounter. This bores the shit out of me. It's like playing chess against someone who has less pieces. Unless you are stupid or very unlucky of course you are going to win. Most things here are as they are and very little is a good idea to go up against in a straight line confrontation. Players will need to learn to come at problems from an unexpected angle ("Go at it sideways") to many things because characters in this system are super weak compared to most. Until untrained from 'my our characters are powerful' systems (usually D&D) it can be frustrating for new players. This is very much a 'information is more powerful than a magic sword' type of campaign.
Can I play cross-gender characters?
Not recommended.
Why don't you like having a conversation with potential players before the session or before they've made their character?
The last eight did not end up actually bothering to make a character - they were just 'time vampires'.
I have other exclusivity contracts that prohibit me from getting paid for this - do I need to worry?
Not even a little. We would need ten times the Youtube subscribers we have to even see a tiny income and I am keeping all of it until I pay back the hundreds of dollars I've put into the game. That may take longer than I'll be alive. Unless this all suddenly takes off. In that case I am happy to give any pay you would get to charity.
Is this a 'high fantasy' game?
This is definitely not a 'high fantasy' type game though I would say there are more than enough neat spells and magic toys which can be gained to keep you busy. It should (if you wish to try it) be a new and interesting experience for you. The reason (one of them) I don't run a high magic (HM) system is that I see HM as basically 'super heroes'. Super heroes defeating super villains is dull. It's their job. It is expected. In this system, people play characters who are very mortal, very vulnerable and must use brains - rather than relying on magic gizmos - to overcome challenges and obstacles. A 'mortal' defeating a super villain - now that's interesting!
How do the character groups work?
Consider it all one huge group that plays three people at a time. Advantages: Adults can schedule when they want to play based on their schedule. Also, you get to play with lots of different people instead of the same people week after week.
In a skill based game, won't everyone end up taking the same skills?
There are certain skills (like the bold faced ones) that if you do not have you are probably going to be a shitty adventurer, however there are so many skills that it impossible for everyone to work on everything all of the time. People who have been playing in the campaign since the beginning are often excited by a new player coming into the game who has a skill their group is lacking. The trade off is figuring out how good of investment those points are. You could buy a skill that is only used once every five or ten games. That could either be a lousy investment - or - if it saves the party a great investment.
How do I get my background used in the campaign?
Talk about it (BRIEFLY) from time to time. Send out little teasers. If people want to talk more about it, give a little more info. If you are talking for more than say two minutes you are probably wrong unless the players have demanded more info.
That's how Lumsie's (a character I had for a decade in a LARP) background ended up getting completely used - I would drop little bits here and there and the plot team got more and more interested then started writing stories for it and so on.
But - that takes work.
Most PC's (an overwhelming number) are more in the 'show up and have fun then fuck off' category. This is part of the reason why finding GM's is hard. Finding GM's that don't completely suck is EPICALLY (epically? Fuck) HARD.
So if someone has something they want to do, drop an occasional story or hint to the other PC's.
Example:
Al: "We are completely surrounded."
Jake: "This looks as bleak as that time the Janthrax had troops invade our starship!"
Al: "What?"
Jake: "No time for that now - you go that way and draw their fire! I'll go home!"
Al: "What?"
Jake: "On the count of three!"
Is there a wiki?
anytimeanywhere.fandom.com
Why is it over a year before the show comes out?
We publish one hour of material each and every day. This causes shows to back up further and further. During season 7, we will reach two years delay between when the game is played and when the show comes out. The reason I like to have this delay is a) one hour of ATAW each and every day for someone who has been keeping up with it seems like enough. b) for those just started listening to it, they have shows pretty much 'forever'. c) if they players are doing something secret from the other players, they have a LOT time before anyone finds out about it. Since this campaign is all about secrets and lack of information (other than what the players choose to tell each other via the IG board) this works for me.
NOTE: If you can think of another question to add to this FAQ (a question that you actually have - not something that you think maybe someone some day might have and wouldn't it be wonderful to invest tons of time into this to make it 'complete' so that it can be ignored by future generations) please post below.
