OOC Thread

I agree with Remnant. If we're not going to play Screams Against the Stars as written, and you want to make fundamental changes to the way it plays, then I think it is reasonable to codify the rules.

If you prefer to run a skill-system based game, then maybe a different system is the way to go. The characters aren't so complicated as to be hard to convert.

On a sidenote I think it's awesome we as adults can discuss this and hash something out.

Had I known you wanted something with skill rolls, I would have strongly suggested another system.

But coming back to the subject of why it is a bad idea to replace skill checks with saves in Screams Amongst the Stars, you must consider the following. We roll attributes using 2d6+3, this means an average of 10 per attribute (looking at what we've rolled, we seem to be pretty much within the ball park...). Since saves requires you to roll your (current) attribute or under, we're talking of a best-case scenario of having roughly 50% or so chances of succeeding. This works perfectly for saves made in order to avoid some horrible fate, not so much for mundane skills...

I think this is why the game insists on letting players auto-succeeding at mundane tasks. The spirit of the rules if you will: "let the players have their little victories, they'll be hurting soon enough when they start rolling saves or getting into fights...".

So... this game dead in the water? Like a moldy skull in a bucket? Zakk's next single by the way is Moldy Skull in a bucket.

Sorry for the delays. Had a new job, and need to mentally prepare to post.

Another apology again. I am busy this season, but if any of you still want to discuss how to continue, we can.

I thought I have shared in the "background information" thread, but maybe it's not enough info. (nevermind, it's not enough, and rule changes will cause much more confusion. Sorry.)

I was thinking to make use of rolls more. I was getting interested in having a range of results to simulate that the narrative could be more natural instead of looking rigid. I also thought that creating risks and opportunities for rolling is good player interaction, as I don't want you guys to feel bored/lack of agency in the introduction scenes. This can be further discussed as GMing philosophy, but so far I have messed up, as I didn't do enough pregame discussion. And also have been adding extra rules without player input.

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I will go ahead and give brief answers.

If you go with non roll, there will be a sort of natural outcome, but if we go with the route of non-instant success, "normal" will mean what makes sense for your character backgrounds. But with rolling, you have the chance of getting a better result at the cost of getting a worser one. The stats have an effect, and give a leaning chance to succeed or fail.
If we go with the original rules of instant success, you will already have the knowledge and skill of a professional space explorer.

Combat works as what we are doing so far. Roll init if party and enemies are aware of each other. If you pass, you are faster and act first, and failure means act after enemy. After first round, the order will be more clear with party and enemy alternating.

Social can be roll or non roll. Rolling normally means that your interaction has an effect you want, which has a chance of not happening with the npc, and could lead to more complications.

Investigating, this part I am also thinking how to best do it. Do I make it a roll to determine outcome, or do I give environmental clues and see how you guys want to approach the investigation? Both options have pros and cons on how easily you can solve a "puzzle".

Research, this part, I have tried to make rules in the "background information" thread. If you are doing quick research, it will be similar to Investigating.

Alright, looks like the issue is that I want to play with skill checks, but the system is different to the extent it doesn't do that.

Remnant, Qralloq, what do you think? Shall we continue in this system and have the new spacers be somewhat smooth in their operation before things escalate to needing saves? Or shall we move to a system that can accommodate what we are doing so far, in terms of having different skilled characters?

I'd like to continue, but I'm also unreasonably gunshy about houserules. I'll defer to Remnant: if he wants to continue as you've suggested, then I'll happily do so and try my best.

Well to self-depracate a bit I canceled a game I was starting due to not thinking the players would have time to post and to that point succeed due to activity levels and just getting legit characters created after a month didn't happen, also some people were confused on rulings for character creation or at least implied until requested to show where in the book they go the ruling or interpretation.

If we're going more space opera I think the system being more rules light and less roll heavy works out of the box. That's the feel of the genre. If it's going to be for lack of better words more Sci-Fi D20 checks for most things due to homebrewing I think we should talk and agree upon what dictates a roll and the standard DCs and such to speed things along so we understand what we're playing.

For example are we going to take a rules light exploration investigation game and homebrew it to be a crunchy skill check oriented game? That sounds more like a different game in a different system than a homebrew update to me. Although I can do either I'd like to know which way things float, because if it's more crunch we should have a more distinct idea action X does or does not involve a check since it's more Roll vs Role.

I do get you're trying to find the right mechanics and meta of a system to run the story of a game but currently as a test there's data and feedback to end it from the data so far.

TLDR: I don't think the current system with homebrew is working to run the kind of story/game for the players and GM that have all the pistons firing. New system honestly would kind of be a repitching so in a way similar but new PCs unless you have enough data to figure some things out on how you wanted to run the plot and we end it so you can plan V2.

I think you've described my own feelings on the situation perfectly. If we want to rebuild the characters using a skill based system, I think that one time pain would yield greater benefits than attempting to turn rules-light into rules-medium.

One option would be to wrap up the current scene and then start somewhere later, be it with a time skip and introduce a couple new players -- as I say that, I know that RoAries puts a ton of effort into establishing back story for us all, and so that's not as easy as just interjecting a few new faces.

Alright, I see that we are now leaning to using a new system to make skill checks, as to ease my GMing style. Also with time skipping to recruit more players.

However, if you guys still desire to do away with skill checks via this system, then I'll readjust and communicate any issues or system changes I'm planning. If I'm still vague about something, please let me know.

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Btw, regarding what my vision of the story is, is that it centres on a closed off human planetary civilisation that just recently begun to re-explore space, and discover more disturbing truths of the situation of their species.
So the theme would be sci-fi cosmic horror. But could potentially develop into Space Opera, with elements of survival horror for the focus on the individual.

For such a theme, would you think rules light or medium is better?

Broad strokes:
I think it's also an opportunity to look at and think so you can state if the game is more about skill checks or the discovery exploration part of things. Skill checks means quantitative and quantitively means conflict physical/social/intellectual for a well beat down to get a desired result for PCs and NPCs. Skill check combat has a scripted outcome in the process, if it's more RP and rules light it's any one's guess and fickle what happens.

Under the hood with the zoom in googles down:
So for sci-fi cosmic horror is sanity a mechanic or an RP point? Or would it just lumped into additional mental task burden?
The Oxygen Tank resource management part to me kind of pinged the game at survival already.

Meta on a system
I think for rules light to ultrafine modular metal powder crunchy I guess what do you want the PCs to hit on the beats during a session/adventure/episode? FYI I play crunchy very differently probably then most of my characters on GP because it's data driven and that's a different mindset then RP heavy since to me that'smore Chuck would do X cause they have beer or something since it's more cinematic versus scripted/formulaic.

That said I figure this and the Cypher game are test games to see what system hits those beats you want the players to be on for the story and theme. This topic in general could probably span and be waxed poetically about for the same time as a long running campaign though.

@Qralloq your thoughts?

I don't think that I had any expectations of the game being a certain way when we joined up. I just knew basically it would be "sci fi with horror elements" and trusted RoAries to do that well.

Once we settled on Screams Against the Stars, then the expectation evolved a bit. More story driven, improv style seemed the key, with a kind of unforgiving resource management mechanic to bend the horror back in a bit.

I like trying new systems, it's my primary motivation to joining and running lots of games. I'm less a fan of houserules because that can obliterate the feeling and intention of the ruleset. Skill checks would drastically alter the play of SAtS enough that we are no longer playing that. HOWEVER, the game comes first rather than any purist interest I have.

As has been said before, you can play and game with any system.
-- Powered by the Apocalypse might be a good skill system for this style if you want to keep it rules light -- no real skills, just generic approaches or Moves as they call them. Then you can simply focus on the story, and call for a Move when you want the chance of failure to be on the table.
-- Cypher certainly works, for a straightforward roll-over mechanic we're all familiar with.
-- If we stick with SAtS, then maybe simply adding in a 13th Age style Background pool, or D&D 5e/PF2e style Proficiency Bonus to add to the base stat checks when the PC would have skills in the relevant area. Keep any homebrew very simple is my preference.

Alright. Now I have a better sense of how I should do it.

SAtS should be more RP interactive. I am thinking of making use of chance still, via the 1d6 luck roll. The expectation is that a roll of 1 is normally less desirable than a 6 for the players, and this roll shall be made by me as the GM. The probable outcomes of a luck roll will be kept secret. There could be minimum of 2 outcomes and max of 6 if done this way.

Stats are only as health/Sanity resource for survival, and lower of such stats mean less likelihood to avoid danger, aka save rolls.

Combat is straight forward. Attacks auto hit, and only roll the damage. Distances and armour will be taken into account. There may be special abilities and moves, and this will be discussed when the time comes.

For the first mission and planet, lack of clean oxygen will not be instant death, but will affect health for prolonged inhalation of the planet air.

If you guys are fine with my plan of continuing with the SAtS system, with the addition of occasional use of luck rolls, then I shall prepare to make a post of Time skipping the fight, and also posting to look for more players. Any new players' characters will be staff of the current colony base sent to accompany the new arrivals.

Sure, that sounds simple enough.

Works for me.

Hello and welcome SavageBob! We will character Creation posts on the relevant thread, but I would like to give the new players an option.

You can go with the original way of rolling for everything. Any background that seems at odds with standard space colony stuff could be further discussed.

Or, you could pick and choose what background and appearance that you want. To make it fair to the starting players, I'll say that you will be given 1 background item, and 1 less O2 canister. But in exchange, you get to manually describe your character.

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Let me know if you guys have any opinion on the second character Creation method.

Hey, folks! I'm happy to be joining you all. I've toyed with doing a cosmic horror game in Star Wars for awhile now, so it's exciting to try it out here in a more Aliens-esque setting (as I understand it).

I'm happy to roll up stats randomly, so I'll do that in the Character Creation thread. After that, I tend to find a picture of my PC first (finding something on Pinterest that inspires me) and then work out character traits and background from that. I'll go ahead and do the stats part, but I'll need another day or so to finish the rest. Once I have some basic idea of who the person is, I'll be very reliant on all of you to fill me in on what's going on and how I might slot into it!