Ask Me Anything: KCC

1. On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you that I introduced you to GP?
2. How does your wife allow you to buy so many gamebooks?
3. What game are you looking forward to running/playing the most? Which game(s) are you completely uninterested in playing?

4. Why frogs?

What was your favourite character you ever played?

How did you get into pbp gaming in the first place? Do you prefer it over gaming at a table? Why?

What do you look for in a game that keeps you interested as a player?

1) Haha! 10. Very happy I joined. No regrets on that front. It’s become part of the daily routine. Kids asleep, posting time!

2) She’s very understanding. I’m lucky. She’s even talked about buying a more comprehensive bookshelf to hold them all, as the number creeps ever upward. Her understanding of the games is almost zero, however. It’s the perfect spot to be in!

3) I always come back to being excited to run Call of Cthulhu. It’s the human fighter of roleplaying games for me! I could play X or Y but wouldn’t it be better to be a human fighter?

Right now I’m on a "mundane characters" buzz. The average kid in Tales. The grumpy old man surviving the apocalypse. Let’s me build up some character (at least I hope).

As for games I’m not interested in… Hard question, as I buy so many. I am wary of too much homebrew. Or a game where I feel like there would be too many questions where the answer is "well, in this world…" or "in my world there’s no…"

It’s a problem I encountered in Numenera a lot. I felt uneasy in that world because so much of simple roleplaying was undercut by "John lifts his cup of coffee to his lip… Wait, would they even have coffee? Or tables? It’s a billion years in the future! Forget the whole thing!"

There’s no reason at all! :D and I’ll let you in on a secret, I am currently on the market for a new icon, and it may not even be a frog (though they were still my first item searched! "Frog dressed like Santa."
Hmmm… in real life, I had a real fun time with a Ranger character that I ran through an altered version of Ravenloft 3.5 (I think). It was first ever game of D&D with some good friends. He became a vampire unfortunately but held on long enough to rid the realm of Strahd with his Paladin ally.

In PBP, phew. That’s a hard one. I had a great character in Okri Merryhelm, dwarf fighter. My first character on this site.

Or maybe Gilly Puddlefoot, halfling halfling in @funfungiguy OSE game. But there have been many memorable characters in the last 15 months. It’s hard to say!

@nezzeraj asked me to join as the pandemic ramped up here in South Korea. There was an old school game starting up that he wanted to try and asked if any of our then-group would be interested. I was, and so signed up to the site and that game.

In a lot of ways, I prefer PBP to in-person play. It’s easier on my schedule. I have two kids and a tough job, so time is tight. @nezzeraj has been very patient with me as I muddle through having two kids under two. It doesn’t leave much time for sitting down at a laptop on Sunday night for our game.

@nezzeraj will also attest to the fact that I’m quiet at the table. I don’t roleplay and I go with the flow. I’m very much a "I’m here to roll some dice and possibly stab things" kind of player in real life, the exact opposite of how I am on here. I don’t like combat in PbP as it drags the game to a halt.

But our in person game is vastly superior to PbP when it comes to that unbeatable human connection. Call of Cthulhu when it all starts to fall to pieces and the whole group is laughing all night. It’s a great time. I laugh on here, too, of course. But when the group is riffing, and @nezzeraj tries to hold it all together, it’s a great time.

Last question: Pace is a huge one for me. Sticking to the pace advertised. Keeping the story going, and giving every character something to do. Bending the rules a little is always good for the sake of making PBP a smoother experience for all!

What is an Irishman doing in Korea?

Met my wife in Ireland when she came to study English. After two years, or there abouts, she got homesick. She missed the food and the defined seasons, whereas Ireland is very wet and dreary from one end of the year to the next.

So we came here, supposedly for one year, over five years ago. I teach English over here to pay the bills. We get along okay. It’s a serious business over here.

Do you prefer PbP or RL play? What do you think some of the advantages are of one over the other?

If you could put a Loop anywhere in the world for a new TftL setting book, where would you put it?

Oops.

Ok then, a different question that isn't hurried because I'm embarrassed that I missed an entire post: Favorite foods!

Wait what?

;)

- Curious as to why you don't roleplay at the table, but do (in spades) here. Are you describing your character's action more in narrative form? Is one format influencing the other in terms of your overall play?

- What was the first RPG you played, and was it love at first play with the hobby?

- What was the first game you GMed?

- What's your worst RPG experience to date?

- Just how much do you hate your Tales from the Loop group who, um, don't color inside the lines very well?

I hope these last two don't blend into one response.

Then I was in Pohang/Osan for about 3 months, there was these pale slimy eels that would swim around in aquariums full of their own mucus in the windows of Korean restaurants, which evidently people eat, allegedly raw. Personally I didn't care for the food when I was there, and certainly wasn't brave enough to try the weird eel things.

1) Do you enjoy Korean food, in general?
2) Do you know what the snotty eels actually are, and do they actually eat them alive, and have you ever eaten them, and did you enjoy them?
3) If you carried a single polyhedral die in your pocket every day to make important life choices with, which die would it be, and is that your favorite die or just the one you think is most convenient for making important life choices with?

Being on this side of the world, I’d love to see the 80s that never were in Korea, China or Japan. Even somewhere a little less covered like Vietnam or the Philippines. Japan is the one that screams ‘most likely’ to me. But then again, Free League don’t seem interested in ‘most likely’.
Hmmm… Korean fried chicken is excellent. A weekly indulgence. I also like ‘dakgalbi’ which is a kind of communal chicken fried… thing. It’s the thing I eat when I most feel like leaving Korea.

"Could I really live without dakgalbi?"

Favorite things I miss eating from home: Western Chinese food. Fish and chips (especially the chips). Sausage rolls.

Favourite Korean MMO?

Since you like CoC, the thought of becoming a cultist must have crossed your mind before. Which Old God would you devote yourself to?

1) I’m a lot more reserved in person, I suppose. I’m talkative and sociable, to a certain extent. But I’m no actor, and I have that very (un)healthy Irish idea of "notions". Can’t attempt anything without someone saying "Look at me man over here, putting on the voice and all. Thinks he’s Daniel Day Lewis, does he?"

PBP allows more time for character moments and internal monologue. And time in general to really add in some extra details. In person, well, I want to make my action and then let others have their turn.

2) First I ever played was a heavily homebrewed Ravenloft. First ever roll was a Nat 20. Second ever was a Nat 1. And I’ve been cursed ever since.

And it was love at first sight. We even finished the module. That’s yet to be relocated, I think.

3) First foray into DMing was an ill-fated 5e game that died when I made the move to Korea (understandably). It was fiiine.

In Korea I was more of a player but did manage a few sessions of Warhammer 4e, which was fun. Other than that, it’s just been what you’ve seen here. I’m none-too-experienced.

4) It might have to be getting some pretty long, detailed messages from DeJoker on here expounding upon all the ways in which my DMing was insufficient. Dropped the games I was DMing back then, and even a few I played in where he was another player. Almost dropped the site too, truth be told, as I was a fresh face back then.

5) My Tales crew feel like characters independent of a DM. Like I could come back in ten years and they’d still be there, living life and getting into trouble. I love them.

1) I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of the food. The basics aren’t too bad, but so often it goes a step further than I’m willing to try.

2) Prime example: those eels you mentioned. My only knowledge of eel eating here is when they are tipped out onto the hot plate, alive. And then they kind of… burst open in front of you and then you eat them. I’ve never eaten eel like that. I’ve eaten prepared, packaged eel before, of course, but I didn’t care for the taste myself.

3) My dice rolls are always bad, no matter the game I play. Roll low? I roll high. Roll high? I roll low. If I left my life in the hands of the dice, I fear to see where I’d end up.

But I do like a good d20. It has a nice feel to it. It rolls around in your hand nicely. That said, i haven’t done terribly bad when it comes to d6 systems. So perhaps I’d leave my life to be decided on a d6. Or maybe 2d6+Stat

Haha, unfortunately, I’ve never played any. At least not to my knowledge. But I did play in a regular group with a man who worked in the company that made one of the bigger ones.

So I’ll choose (insert name of that game here)!

My first few years in Korea it was harder not to be a cultist than it was to be one. I got offers on the daily. Ask me about "God of the Mother".

But, as I’m sure you’re aware, my heart belongs to the King in Yellow.

An Irishman supporting the monarchy. Curious

Awww! Now get back to rolling.
Joking aside, to what extent can you get attached to a character (either be PC or NPC) and how do you feel about it?

😊

What albums can you recommend that are all hits? No skips.

I have heard that some long time players will find a character that they like to play, and reincarnate them across several games, adventures, settings or genres. I’ve found maybe 2 or 3 characters on this site that I would say are "my" characters that I would like to explore in other adventures. I just enjoy the idea of those characters.

I’m usually a player that doesn’t mind death, and really loves character creation. So I always want to try the new combination out. But these few characters? I always pray to the dice gods before I roll; save them!

- Do you write outside of roleplaying? Or roleplay without a system?
- If you ever had to draw a picture of one of your character, which one you'd draw (whether because it's easier or because it'll net funnier result)?
- Favorite video game? Have you tried playing tabletop games via video games (Tabletop Simulator, etc.)? Or video game versions of board games? If yes, how did you like it?
- Since there are so many questions about food: spicy or sweet? Or both? :D
- Do you think avatars add a lot to PbP roleplaying? Would it be fun if theoretically everyone had avatars with different emotions for their characters and could switch between them for each post? (Sort of like character ask blogs, if you're familiar.)
- Is your nickname an abbreviation?

1) No I’ve never written anything outside of roleplay. Of course I have notions of sitting down and trying to get something into a Zine or some such. But never have the time or energy to actually make a start!

2) I have a character called Bobby Green in Harrigan’s Zombie Apocalypse game that has had some fun moments. Stepping on a zombie with his bladed leg (amputee) and planting an ax into a zombie’s head. Or crossing a room firing a pistol to bring down a giant zombie that had battered down the door. He’s been a lot of fun and could be great to draw some dynamic art. I’m afraid I haven’t the skill for that. But my wife certainly does…

3) Being a dad of two, I’ve shifted over to games that I can jump in and out of quickly, in case something happens with the kids unexpectedly. At the same time I’ve grown weary of yearly released games and don’t buy them.

I’ve had fun with Helldivers, Chivalry 2 and, my GOAT, Vermintide 2. It’s just good fun!

4) I have a sweet tooth, but I prefer candy from back home. I still eat the candy here, but it’s kind of… too sweet. Lots of things are. Sweet, sugary garlic bread. Sweet sandwiches etc etc.

I love a bit of spicy food. Something that just warms the throat however and rests nicely on it. Nothing that makes me pant like a tired dog. :D

5) Avatars are one of, if not THE most important part of character making for me. I would petition we make the avatars as big as they used to be on mobile because they’re that big for me. If I can’t find the art I like, the whole character creation process comes to a halt. I need to see the character as a first step. I’ll look for days if needs be.

6) It is. Years ago I changed my name, and debated even changing my middle name for personal reasons. I didn’t end up doing it, but liked the way KCC sounded so I stuck with it for some stuff.

I, maybe famously, don’t like my tag though. I just can’t think of anything cooler to change it to. Like Flying Succulent. It’s evocative. KCC? Nothing.

You kinda just did. Poll here.

I suppose another question might be. Is there anything you wish was easier, better, cooler on GP?

I note that 1969 was the last year that the Kansas City Chiefs were in the AFL (joining the NFL in 1970), which seems like just the kind of thing a select group of people would memorialize for obscure reasons.

If you could describe the feeling that your hypothetical username would evoke, what would that be?

What is "God of the Mother?" 😁

Hmmm… I’m painfully bad at utilizing anything techy. I’m sure I underutilize the site already. Even pondering how to do that NPC thingy is enough for me: :D

Easier? Hmmm… perhaps an X on notifications. I seem to have one permanently stuck up there. Is there a way to move it? 🧐

Does it tell you that you have an open game?

Im going for one of two things.

A) Dang, I wish I’d thought of that.

Or

B) Really, I just beat myself up over my lack of imagination. Perhaps I should have a sit down over Xmas. Or am I too far gone now? The eternal debate.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Mission_Society_Church_of_God

It’s your fairly standard big business cult. I lived near the base of operations. It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest cult in Korea. And cults have been a particular problem here during Covid actually.

In any case, these people tend of pick up foreigners on the street. Lonely and they try to determine if you’re new to Korea. Then they lure you in with a cultural exchange type thing.

Since we're asking extra questions... >:D

-What plant is the most eye-catching in the area you live in? Like a bush or a tree or a flower you always notice when passing by?
- Did you ever play a character who is very out of the realm of your knowledge? Like playing a profession you have no connection with and no idea how it actually works?
- You mentioned a zombie apocalypse game - do you like this setting? Have you watched any movies/series about it? Any recommendations? Oh, maybe you watched Train To Busan or Kingdom? :0

PS: my nickname exists because I often use plants + random adjectives, but your comment earlier made me imagine what exactly it evokes. And now I'm thinking of thrown succulent pots... Still better than NeedleWhirlwind I had at some point, that would be painful. XD

1) Unfortunately, I find Korea very much lacking in beautiful shared spaces. There’s no real community spirit here to make your home area look nice. They have very beautiful public parks, for sure. But in residential areas, it’s very much "if it’s outside my front door, I don’t care about it." And so you end up with very uninspired areas. Plus… trash collection takes the form of great heaping piles of garbage on the sidewalk. It’s not pretty. Unfortunately, this has been true for all the areas I’ve lived in here. I’ve seen people throw old mattresses on top of the only flowers around because… well, I don’t know why.

@nezzeraj might have different experiences. The Cherry Blossom festival period can be nice though!

2) I actually can’t recall specifically. I do vaguely recall a few instances of OOC saying "And my character does the thing." So I suppose I must have dipped my toes into unfamiliar waters once or twice. :D

3) I do like the setting. It’s very only been one or two set pieces for setting, but it’s been very evocative indeed. Very easy to visualize.

I’m a big zombie fan. Ever since I was a young fella. Dawn of the Dead back in ‘03 (I think) was an eye opener. I’m not one for horror at all, but I’ll give any old zombie thing a chance, because I’m easily satisfied. I did enjoy the walking dead for a while but dropped it eventually, like most people, I hear.

Kingdom has been excellent. And Train to Busan. I think Korean movie makers have been trying to recapture that magic ever since, to varying degrees of success. Penninsula wasn’t great, and #alive was… okay. Like I said, I’m easily pleased.

Train to Busan was really special. It did so many things right.

Since I'm posting, I guess here's my question - if you were in South Korea during a zombie outbreak, where would you go for the best chance at surviving?

My experiences are the same. Some of the temples and national parks have some nice areas, but Korea isn't a very...flowerful country. Lots of nice mountains and trees and rivers, but flowers are not so common naturally.
Not KCC, but I think islands are usually safest so I'd say Jeju probably. If there was an outbreak there, Lotte World Tower.

@flyingsucculent and @c1nder : it seems like another South Korean series will drop this month. "All of Us Are Dead." High School kids during the apocalypse. Judgement shall be reserved until Chinese New Year weekend :D

That sounds interesting, thank for the heads up! :0 High school is a bit of a common setting for a zombie scenario, but still - old and tried! And apparently it's based on a webtoon? I'll take it as a good sign. XD

Oh yeah, that looks pretty good - gory and sure to be filled with lots of good drama too. Thanks for the heads up.