Apocalypse World and Kin, on a MU*

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Apocalypse World and Kin, on a MU*
« on: August 15, 2016, 12:24:58 AM »
So.

I am basically in love with AW and all of its descendants, and I want to play more of it.  I used to MUSH a lot; less so now, but there are some things about the format that I like -- it lives in a sort of middle ground space between Play By Post and tabletop, for instance. I also have some server space.

My question to the community at large is this:

If I was to set up a space intended to be used for people to play in and/or run PbtA games in a MU-y format, would people be interested? Would people want to play?

The vision I have is not of running a full-scale MU with staff and a lot of players, but having small stories with maybe like 3-10 people (no more than that) who get together with the MC and also play amongst themselves when they are on together -- somewhere between traditional play and co-MCing.

What do people think? Are there pitfalls? Cool things that happen because of such a format? Other reactions?

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Hildy

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Re: Apocalypse World and Kin, on a MU*
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2016, 12:58:03 PM »
Maybe? I'd need compelling reason to use that format though. I used to MU* a lot too, and loved the format for rules-driven games to be played by a large number of people at once. A MU* could totally be set up to do what you're talking about, and a couple of decades ago it would have been the ideal platform for this sort of thing.

But the rules light nature of Apocalypse World, with moves providing choices and campaign specific custom moves, limits the usefulness of a MU* environment. I have a hard time seeing it offering much more than communication (via text), a dice roller, character sheet management, and possibly a session log.

So, why would I use this over a virtual tabletop, like Roll20, which is already overkill mechanically? The VTT usually offers the dice rolling and session logging. Communication is usually done via voice (and sometimes video), and character sheets are usually intuitive form fields that don't require commands to edit. Most also offer image/file sharing/editing as well.

Re: Apocalypse World and Kin, on a MU*
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2016, 03:10:54 PM »
The compelling reason to my mind is that it provides a persistent space for players to find each other even when not everyone is on. I suppose Skype + Roll20 can do the same, but it means that if there are three people around one afternoon-- even if one of them isn't the MC-- they can get together and play easily.

One of the things that AW's rules light nature does is give people really good tools to play with each other without an MC and still have consequences. If Joe and I get in a scrap with some gangers, we don't need someone to be deciding how skilled those guys are and what they roll. We set a scene, make some moves, and the fiction means we can tell at least small scale stories by ourselves.

The other, mechanical advantage is having a bulletin board and the like. You could replicate that with Skype + roll20 + a google group or something, sure, but.

Actually -- the third advantage is that it is text based. You can mix playing with other stuff, whereas a headset and roll20 you need uninterrupted time and a closed door.

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Spwack

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Re: Apocalypse World and Kin, on a MU*
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2016, 04:15:12 AM »
I've taken one look at MUSH/MUD and I don't quiiiiite follow. How is this better than, say, Discord? Sell it to me! I feel like it would be something I'd enjoy, but I don't quite get the gist of it.