From catodon at whale-mail.com Fri Apr 17 02:23:28 2009 From: catodon at whale-mail.com (Carl Brown) Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:23:28 -0700 Subject: [Gullivers] Aspects: getting the burn rate right. Message-ID: <1adfc01c9bf03$7eb99b30$086a010a@mail2world.com> Conscience points and Aspects All up we have played for about 18 hours. Thanks to my diligent note-taker Liz we now have enough data to evaluate some key areas of game play. Conscience points: Every player begins with three of these. After 3.65 hours average Conscience (total of Quality, Pride, Enlightenment and Corruption) has been steady at 1.67 to 2.33 points per player. I feel this is about right and no changes are needed. Aspects: Unchecked Aspect boxes begin at 5 per player. Over the first couple of sessions (to about ten hours of play) there was a slow but steady loss. Aspect starvation loomed. When Aspects reached an average of one box per player I implemented changes including the enforced use of cards and a refresh at the end of every Chapter. Aspects available rose steadily until about 13 hours of play. Over the last 5 hours of play Aspect have either stabilised at 3 or are still climbing slowly. If they have stabilised at an average of 3/player this is about right, it gives the players use of their character traits but keeps them a little hungry driving them to earn more. If the Aspect are still slowly rising then the problem is probably not with the rules, I just need to make the adventures a smidge more challenging. The data for the 'burn rate' of Aspects has been important to tuning the game to the realities of play. Small but crucial changes to this portion of the rules have been made because of your support. Without these changes players would run out of Aspects to spend, play would become dissatisfying, and the game would have been a failure. I'd like to thankyou all for your important input.

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http://www.Care2.com Green Living, Human Rights and more - 8 million members! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From catodon at whale-mail.com Wed Apr 22 02:43:55 2009 From: catodon at whale-mail.com (Carl Brown) Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:43:55 -0700 Subject: [Gullivers] Possible destinations to consider Message-ID: To help you begin to consider where you would like to travel to next. Some potential trade opportunities in the world of GTC follow: Balnibarbi and Laputa The Academics of the flying island of Laputa rules over the nation of Balnibarbi. Though increasingly destitute Balnibarbi remains a trading partner of Luggnagg, the gateway to an unexplored continent, and is open to trade. Given the potential of trade through Balnibarbi good trade relations should be vigorously pursued. Blefuscu The rival sibling empire to Lilliput. After trade is established with the lesser-world of the quinbus flestrin the very fine wine Flunec is a potential luxury export from this great empire. Brobdingrag The colossal scale of the Brobdingragians and their works means that a single coin of that realm is worth a fortune in Europe and valuable goods can be had in great quantity. Inversely, European made items seem very intricately made to the giants. As well as the profit to be made through the differences in scale the fine clockwork of this nation would also be valuable in Europe. Glubbdubdrib The principal item of interest here is the knowledge of the ancients. The necromancers of this island have access to all the great minds of history. Houyhnhnm Land While the fertile lands of this country are a tempting target for colonisation by European powers Lemuel Gulliver has pointed out the folly of attempting an invasion. Lemuel Gulliver's scheme for introducing Houyhnhnm tutors to England is also unlikely to meet with much enthusiasm. While the powers of Europe might desire Houyhnhnm as cavalry horses inducing these noble people to serve in that capacity would be near impossible. Houyhnhnm Land is technologically primitive but has some resources that could be investigated as potential trade goods. They produce excellent herbal treatments for cut and bruises which may improve on the practices of European physicians. The Yahoos of the island covert a kind of shiny stone. Lemuel does not expand on the nature of these stones, perhaps deliberately. They may be gemstones of great worth. A root used by the Yahoos as a purge may have medicinal value and another produces an intoxicating juice that will find a market in England. A native animal, the nnuhnoh, has a pelt of fine down that could not fail to bring luxury prices from the fashionable in Europe. Since these beasts are rabbit sized it may be possible to procure a breeding pair and avoid further adventure with the natives of this land. Lilliput Lilliput would not be a source of bulk good, even provisioning a single European was a drain on the Empire and required considerable logistics. Similarly, the island could not support an English colony. However because of scale differences Lilliputian goods, such as cloth, seem very finely made to Europeans. It may be possible to manipulate the fashions of Europe to create markets for the following prestige goods: exceedingly short soft grass, medicinal ointments, glimigrim fine wine, fine fabrics, small but delicious livestock, Lilliputian geese might find favour with those who enjoy spatchcock. Luggnagg A close ally of Japan where they maintain an ambassador. Luggnagg also trades with Balnibarbi. Luggnagg would be an ideal Therefore Luggnagg may be the key to opening up trade in the region of Japan. The currency of Luggnagg includes large gold coins providing a convenient means of trade with this nation. Luggnagg is also a source of red diamonds. Lemuel sold one of these in London for ?1100. However, natives of this land fully appreciate the worth of these gems. Unknown Lands Large areas of the Americas, the continent on which Balnibarbi is located and the lands between New Holland and Van Deimans Land, Africa, the Artcic and the Antarctic remain unexplored by Europeans. Who knows what opportunities await discovery. However, exploration is a risky business if one seek profitable trade.

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