When updates get hundreds of likes and there's constant discussion throughout the many months between each update, people do some pretty crazy things
Crystalwatcher's Magical Girl Quest!
- Thread starter Crystalwatcher
- Start date
- Original
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
Yeah. But I might just stick to a PHO generator and slapping it into a slider.
... I'll stick to my tiny quests. That scares me.When updates get hundreds of likes and there's constant discussion throughout the many months between each update, people do some pretty crazy things
We're aware, and I will be endeavoring to ensure such things don't happen in the future. *holds up the beating stick* I am prepared.
Though with the Truth situation, that was legit-unwinnable, so we went with the best case. I assure you, it was not a decision made lightly. *stares at the many, many pages of PM's generated*
That'd be neat. Especially if Nepgear ends up talking to her fans/links her MG identity to her online identity(which I hope doesn't include her real name).
I'm guessing the Hell Beasts main issue is them being unintelligent(?), and very large/obvious, which keeps them at a lower ranking?
Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
False Forum Formatting (Author Resource)
SV has a xenforo plugin that allows you to embed HTML tables in posts. With a sufficiently clever arrangement of tables inside tables inside tables with various background colors and cell spacings and widths and junk, you can implement a forum layout.
Then he wrote a spreadsheet that you can use to write posts and it'll spit out formatted bbocde for you. O_O
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
It does have a few issues, but it's still awesome.
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
She's seen what happens when MGs link their real name. She's not fluff-headed enough to repeat that mistake.
They can be summed up as "large and stupid". Just look at the update where Gabriel and Judgement Core shot a bunch down.
Their only saving grace is their large HP pools.
So he's coding jesus?
Its also the perfect place for Nepgear to find out about the internet's nicknames for her and Team Gear.
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
Pretty much.
- Location
- United States
The issue, though, is that even if the situation is "unwinnable", the entire point of a Quest is that the voters decisions drive the story. And if that isn't happening, it's no longer a quest but a story the author is writing, and there's not really any point in pretending otherwise.
And that didn't, and still does not always, happen. Even if it comes to presenting them with a choice that only really determines the how they go about not winning an unwinnable situation, it is generally better to have more agency rather than less.
Particularly when it involves the protagonist killing their own allies by way of friendly fire. Loss of agency in that kind of situation is the kind of thing that sits and festers over time.
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I was talking about stuff like old forum identities and stuff like that.
And yes, the horror of having your identity known: at best, swarmed by obsessive fans. At worst, swarmed by demons.
Or is it the other way around?
To expand upon what I meant with the missions I'm going to try and make a demonstration.
First here are all the missions we've received so far:
Each and everyone is quite obviously an important campaign mission. They are also all things that would go badly without Nepgear, so being forced to chose between them means we're effectively being told: "Here are three vitally important things that are about to go horribly wrong, pick one to stop". Which again leads back into presenting the war as being a desperate holding action against the Unified Darkness rather then an actual war.
Instead I propose something like:
Then after you finish a Campaign mission you get an updated mission screen with any new Campaign Missions and a number of Secondary Missions available:
Once the day is over, either through sleeping or working through the night, an updated mission screen appears:
First here are all the missions we've received so far:
[]The Valhallan Front (Operation: Canned Whoopass)
Heaven and Hell have been enemies since before they formed from prayers and broken promises. Even now, their legions clash with fevered force across the fields of Valhalla. Once the realm of glorious warriors, where the Norse Gods would bring the greatest of heroes in preparation of Ragnarök. Though the souls of those legendary few do not rest upon these shores, it does not mean that Ragnarök has not come. Rumor has it that Shiva-Sil is on the move. The Maidens of the Apocalypse have been sighted across Valhalla hunting... something. One of the WEAPONs is also in the area, and she's been clashing with Unified Darkness forces on and off for the last few days herself. They're all up to something, and Hero isn't saying a thing, so Alaya needs someone to go there and figure out what's going on, and do something about it.
Known Allies: ???? WEAPON, Team RIOT
[]The Reluxus Super Gate (Operation: High Tide)
The Elves' Super Gates create a trans-dimensional super-highway that allows them to move resources and manpower across their kingdom at a rate that is nearly equal to Humanity. The problem is that there are very few of them, and they are nearly prohibitively expensive to build. Reluxus, before it's fall, had the only Super Gate the Elvin Empire had at the battle front. If they are to bring their full might to bear against the Darkness, this Gate must be retaken. The Elves are unable to build a new Super Gate in time for the Offensive, even with the aid of Humanity. So if they are to help pull this insane plan off, the Reluxus Gate must be reopened. Otherwise, the Unified Light will drown underneath the sheer numbers their enemies can bring to bear in their place.
Known Allies: Team ROUND TABLE, Silver Chevalier, White Knight, The Four Horse(wo)men
[]The Ultimate Weapon (Operation: Starborn)
When Hope Fell, Humanity had thrown everything they had at the Darkness in a mad attempt to save it. If it wouldn't end in long-lasting environmental effects, we used it. But it wasn't enough. We failed, and the shining monument to our future called Hope was torn down over the course of a week... So this time... We hold nothing back. Humanity will draw our most terrible swords, our most frightening weapons, and we will see our enemies burnt to ash before we're done. The Akashic Pillar is pulling out all the stops. They're calling on every reservist, every volunteer, and every gun they can. Entire scrap yards are being melted down, entire waste dumps are being combed over. If it can be converted for military use, they're scraping it together. But this kind of mobilization can't go without notice. We're going to far as to even bring out our most terrible weapons, in numbers that have never been seen before. Nuclear warheads are being unburied by the thousands, and everyone is aware of it. The Unified Darkness has somehow snuck kill teams onto Earth in an attempt to neutralize our most powerful weapons before we can use them upon our enemies. But we know where they're targeting first. And it would be a simple matter to stop them.
Known Allies: Judgement Drive, Judgement Core, M.E.C.A. Force
[]The Road to Elysium (Operation: Charon)
It was the greatest portal Humanity has ever made. A permanently open gateway to Hope, with a two-way highway twenty lanes wide. Thousands moved through it daily, both ways. Rush hour was a bitch, but we didn't care. It was a monument to our future, a symbol of what awaited us all... but now it lays dormant. That cannot stand. The Highway to Elysium needs to be reopened, but doing so presents a risk that we can't reasonably take without proper preparation. We need forces, a lot of forces... and we know exactly where to get them. The Fairy-Elf Fortress at Milidia has been all that's held Earth's flank ever since Reluxus fell. Forty thousand Elves, Ten Thousand Fairies, and nearly an entire division of Human soldiers hold it against an endless tide of raving demons. But its true strength lies in the more than fifty Magical Girls that man its walls and turrets. It's a concentration of power that has held Hell itself at bay for half a decade now, but we need those Girls if we're going to retake Hope. But we can't leave Milidia undefended, otherwise the Fairy Home Realms will be overwhelmed. So we're going to insert a strike team to close the Hell Gates that feed the Unified Darkness reinforcements and rip their legs out from beneath them in one move. But it's not going to be easy.
Known Allies: Crimson Hood, Flawless Paladin, Sumire Saber, Sakura Saber, Madama Morte
Confirmed Enemies: Hell's Seventh Legion
Possible Combatants: Army of the Apocalypse
Heaven and Hell have been enemies since before they formed from prayers and broken promises. Even now, their legions clash with fevered force across the fields of Valhalla. Once the realm of glorious warriors, where the Norse Gods would bring the greatest of heroes in preparation of Ragnarök. Though the souls of those legendary few do not rest upon these shores, it does not mean that Ragnarök has not come. Rumor has it that Shiva-Sil is on the move. The Maidens of the Apocalypse have been sighted across Valhalla hunting... something. One of the WEAPONs is also in the area, and she's been clashing with Unified Darkness forces on and off for the last few days herself. They're all up to something, and Hero isn't saying a thing, so Alaya needs someone to go there and figure out what's going on, and do something about it.
Known Allies: ???? WEAPON, Team RIOT
[]The Reluxus Super Gate (Operation: High Tide)
The Elves' Super Gates create a trans-dimensional super-highway that allows them to move resources and manpower across their kingdom at a rate that is nearly equal to Humanity. The problem is that there are very few of them, and they are nearly prohibitively expensive to build. Reluxus, before it's fall, had the only Super Gate the Elvin Empire had at the battle front. If they are to bring their full might to bear against the Darkness, this Gate must be retaken. The Elves are unable to build a new Super Gate in time for the Offensive, even with the aid of Humanity. So if they are to help pull this insane plan off, the Reluxus Gate must be reopened. Otherwise, the Unified Light will drown underneath the sheer numbers their enemies can bring to bear in their place.
Known Allies: Team ROUND TABLE, Silver Chevalier, White Knight, The Four Horse(wo)men
[]The Ultimate Weapon (Operation: Starborn)
When Hope Fell, Humanity had thrown everything they had at the Darkness in a mad attempt to save it. If it wouldn't end in long-lasting environmental effects, we used it. But it wasn't enough. We failed, and the shining monument to our future called Hope was torn down over the course of a week... So this time... We hold nothing back. Humanity will draw our most terrible swords, our most frightening weapons, and we will see our enemies burnt to ash before we're done. The Akashic Pillar is pulling out all the stops. They're calling on every reservist, every volunteer, and every gun they can. Entire scrap yards are being melted down, entire waste dumps are being combed over. If it can be converted for military use, they're scraping it together. But this kind of mobilization can't go without notice. We're going to far as to even bring out our most terrible weapons, in numbers that have never been seen before. Nuclear warheads are being unburied by the thousands, and everyone is aware of it. The Unified Darkness has somehow snuck kill teams onto Earth in an attempt to neutralize our most powerful weapons before we can use them upon our enemies. But we know where they're targeting first. And it would be a simple matter to stop them.
Known Allies: Judgement Drive, Judgement Core, M.E.C.A. Force
[]The Road to Elysium (Operation: Charon)
It was the greatest portal Humanity has ever made. A permanently open gateway to Hope, with a two-way highway twenty lanes wide. Thousands moved through it daily, both ways. Rush hour was a bitch, but we didn't care. It was a monument to our future, a symbol of what awaited us all... but now it lays dormant. That cannot stand. The Highway to Elysium needs to be reopened, but doing so presents a risk that we can't reasonably take without proper preparation. We need forces, a lot of forces... and we know exactly where to get them. The Fairy-Elf Fortress at Milidia has been all that's held Earth's flank ever since Reluxus fell. Forty thousand Elves, Ten Thousand Fairies, and nearly an entire division of Human soldiers hold it against an endless tide of raving demons. But its true strength lies in the more than fifty Magical Girls that man its walls and turrets. It's a concentration of power that has held Hell itself at bay for half a decade now, but we need those Girls if we're going to retake Hope. But we can't leave Milidia undefended, otherwise the Fairy Home Realms will be overwhelmed. So we're going to insert a strike team to close the Hell Gates that feed the Unified Darkness reinforcements and rip their legs out from beneath them in one move. But it's not going to be easy.
Known Allies: Crimson Hood, Flawless Paladin, Sumire Saber, Sakura Saber, Madama Morte
Confirmed Enemies: Hell's Seventh Legion
Possible Combatants: Army of the Apocalypse
Instead I propose something like:
The Deployment Date is when the missions happens. It will always happen on this date whether you're ready or not.Finality Drive said:
Then after you finish a Campaign mission you get an updated mission screen with any new Campaign Missions and a number of Secondary Missions available:
After a Campaign Mission you can take say two Secondary Missions before the day ends. On days without a Campaign Mission Nepgear can select up to say four missions. Campaign Missions would decrease Team GEAR's readiness by a variable amount depending upon how difficult they are, representing a hard or easy fought battle, while Secondary Missions decrease Team GEAR's readiness by a fixed amount, representing the exhaustion brought about from sustained combat. Any day in which Nepgear selects the maximum number of missions is treated as her and Team GEAR going without sleep that day.Unifier Drive said:
Once the day is over, either through sleeping or working through the night, an updated mission screen appears:
This is where we see the final change I'm suggesting. Even when Campaign missions are available it should always be possible to decline a mission. Of course declining a Campaign Mission is generally a terrible idea since they are vital to the war effort and will generally fail without Nepgear's presence. However sometimes it may be necessary if Team GEAR isn't capable of safely completing the mission; for example they are still heavily wounded from a previous mission or haven't slept in three days.Theoretical Gear said:
And I'm aware. What part of "not made lightly" is confusing to you?
Actually, some missions don't require Nepgear at all. As in, they'll be completely perfect without Nepgear being there.
Or the importance of the mission was less then thought.
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- Location
- United States
The part where it happened at all, really. That was hands-down a bad call, and I have no idea how it could even be justified as a "least bad decision".
Then I'd have to ask why they even ended up in our mission list to begin with. Because getting assigned a mission we're not required for, when there are plenty of missions where we are, sounds like a pretty serious failure on Basilicom's part.
Incidentally I take back my previous comment on her failing to alert Nepgear as to the surprise. Apparently I was doubly wrong since not only was Sixth Heaven under magical concealment but I also completely missed that the ability is limited to Assault Missions, which honestly seems quite odd, rather then applying to all missions.
Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
On the one hand, they had a magical girl that was actively compelling revelations of the truth from everybody near her, and that was screwing up every idea they had about an espionage plot.
On the other hand, forcing the MC to do the deed herself was a little bit iffy. It might have been better done quietly and offscreen, just... all the same things happen, but it's Rei that does the shoot-down instead of Nep, and we don't hear about it until everybody goes nuts and we're brought in for an extremely awkward interview and check for control seals.
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
This is actually a really good idea, and feels a lot better than what I was doing...
You mind if I shanghai this and work over it some? If so I'll close and re-open the voting while I go over it in the workshop with Gore and Lost.
Exactly. With Uber's suggestion I can organize the missions to show which ones are actually important without giving anything else away about them. More depending on his response to my request.
jaiveer00
Siding With Thanos
- Location
- The Beginning and The End
@crystalwatcher
are class 0 demons intelligent? demons can grow over time the same as angels right? what is the greatest growth shown by a demon class 0 or 1? i'm asking because i wanted to know if there was a demon started at the bottom who rose through the ranks and took control of something he should have had no business controlling given where he started.
are class 0 demons intelligent? demons can grow over time the same as angels right? what is the greatest growth shown by a demon class 0 or 1? i'm asking because i wanted to know if there was a demon started at the bottom who rose through the ranks and took control of something he should have had no business controlling given where he started.
LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
It's probably something like MGs. Not only do the strongest ones start stronger, they grow faster as well.
I don't mind in the slightest.
A mission could enter Nepgear's list because the Possible Combatants would require her aid if they appear, but if they don't appear, the mission can succeed without her.
There could very well also be cases in which its possible to complete two missions simultaneously by splitting the party. Gabriel, James, and Lucky are pretty bullshit like that (although Lucky hasn't really had a chance to do anything yet).
- Location
- United States
The issue is that if the "player character" is present, the players quite reasonably expect that they will have some kind of input on what the player character does. That is literally the point of having a player character to begin with. The degree of that input depends both upon the type of game and any previously agreed upon rules, but even in a very "big picture" game such as the popular CKII format, players can reasonably expect to set goals, priorities, and conditional behavior. This is not always the case. But when it is not the case, it is because the players and game master have established that it will be so and why, even if in some cases that is implicit rather than explicit.
If the player character is not present, they have little grounds for complaint on any lack of agency, as their interface with the world is not present. Equally, they should not be able to complain if other characters in a scene do their own thing, because they are not the player character and have their own agenda, motivations, and perspectives. Finally, if there are outside factors explicitly compelling the player character, without recourse any form of objection or player decision, such as outright mind or body control imposed by a third party, they may not have grounds for complaint.
When the player character is present, and the players have zero input on how things occur, that is where issues arise. Because if they do not control the player character, then what the hell are they playing? And if that input is not explicitly apparent, because implied input is vague and often hidden, then they quite rightly feel as though they have no agency or control.
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Incorrect or incomplete intel, outside interference that could not be expected, blind luck or just plain-old bad analysis of the situation. Plus what happens on other missions might affect others. This can mean the mission is far easier, or far harder then expected.
I mean, if your expecting to fight an army, only to find out most of said army has been recalled due to unexpectedly massive success elsewhere. Conversely, a massive failure on a mission might mean your facing more and tougher enemies then expected.
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LostDeviljho
Flame Dragon Princess
- Location
- The glorious Pacific Northwest
- Pronouns
- Any
Basilicom, notably, is not precognitive. A mission can go unexpectedly well or unexpectedly terribly.
Crystalwatcher
(Verified GM)
- Location
- Limbo
Class 0 Demons are variable in intelligence. Along with all other classes.
And what Lost said.
I'll bring it up and work it over some time tomorrow. I'm heading to bed soon.
For the Voters: Voting is closed for a bit, pending on revamp of the Mission Selection Process. I'll be striking out the votes from the last update and thread marking the new vote selection once I'm done working on it with the Workshop.
I'll also tack on the Profile Updates and EXP Gains when the new vote block is put up.