Project Shiny

[binidj]

I'm sure that many of you will know that I've been lucky enough to work on the new Odyssey LRP game for a while now.

Well, the teaser website is now up: www.odysseylrp.co.uk.

Comments

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

At this current stage I am uninterested in it as a game, as it is failing to grab me. The setting and time-period are 'meh' and without the addition of more fantastical elements available to players (magic?fantastical races?) I can't see myself becomnig interested.

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

I'm impressed by the quality of the preview, but still it's not grabbing me.

[ed-fortune.livejournal.com]

That honestly suprises me.

I can see you as mad Persian alchemy wielding bastard with curly slippers and an evil laugh.

I can see you as a Gold covered Egyptian Strategos, Kohl lined eyes, stroking your Bubastis as you send warriors to their glory.

Or even a Roman Priest, slick in appearance, strong in duplicity and opportunity.

(But then I've seen under-the-hood, lucky, privileged sod that I am).

[fearmeforiampink]

Ditto. Then again, the level of combat that I understand to be involved doesn't really grab me either.

[chess]

I'm interested in it as a game purely and simply because I want to play some disreputable urchin standing by the arena yelling impolite 'encouragement' to their country's team and 'discouragement' to the others...

[chess]

And possibly selling Rat Onna Stick if I can figure out how to physrep it (might have to settle for Unnamed Meat Pies).

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

... yeah... but that's not really enough for me to get involved.

OK, to give examples.
a) a WW2 game.
b) an alternate history 'WW2-style' game with slightly changed names.
c) an alternate history 'WW2-style' game where the Ratzis have zombie shock-troopers 'Albian' has wizards and 'The Unified States of The Americas' has werebears armed with Telsa-guns and 'Soviet Prussia' under Joeseph Taslin has vampires.

Game 'a' dosn't appeal to me.
Game 'b' I'd find interesting enough to look at the rule book and no more.
Game 'c' I'd be excited about playing.


Currently from what I can see Odyssey LRP is game 'b'. It looks well put together - but has no fantastic elements that make me go "Wow! Werebears with Tesla-Guns! How do I make that kit? I'd best get some brass spraypaint and some leather and some... oh god oh god so cool. Ooh, could I play an Albian RAF captain? Pip pip, chocks away! Wow!".

I might be wrong and Odyssey LRP will be full of "wow factor", but currently it lacks that for me.

I wouldn't mind crewing, but playing... meh. Of course that might change but currently... meh.

[nattydreadi.livejournal.com]

It'd make more sense to wait to see the full rules/background before making that assertion surely?

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

You'll notice the "currently"s throughout the comment as well as the "that might change" in the last sentance. I'm unable to comment on the full background but currently while I'm very impressed by the shineyness and profesionalism of it all and am keen to crew I'm unenthused by the setting, of course that might change.

I'm rather encouraged by that...

[harrytc.livejournal.com]

To me, at what I agree is a very early stage of the publically available information, that sounds like "mission accomplished" for the dev. team so far.

As Mr Jones says - it's designed to be different.

designed to be different

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

... and now't wrong with that. Sounds like something I'd enjoy helping to crew but not nesicarily enjoy playing as a character.

Re: designed to be different

[kneeshooter]

And if you still fancy that closer to the time give us a shout.

[fearmeforiampink]

Yet previews are meant to raise interest and enthuse people about the thing in question, and when they are failing to do so, it is noteworthy.

[kneeshooter]

In a sense certainly, but if something is designed to be all things to all men is bound to fail somewhere along the line!

The PD ethos has always been 'this is what it is, we hope you like it - but if you don't don't feel you have to stay'.

[renniek.livejournal.com]

In contrast, I find too many fantastickal elements in a background off-putting ;-)

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Actually I'd say that odyssey sits somewhere between (b) and (c), though I freely admit that this isn't immediately obvious from the preview.

Think Harryhausen as opposed to History Channel.

[hortorum.livejournal.com]

Bet you support those scum sucking Blues!


Up the Greens!

[binidj.livejournal.com]

That's quite reasonable, the idea is to provide a different flavour to Maelstrom ... there is no expectation that everyone will love everything that comes out of the Profound Decisions stables.

[ash1977law.livejournal.com]

It looks well put together, and I wouldn't mind crewing but the game itself so far dosn't appeal. Of course not every game needs to appeal to every player, and that's OK.

[delvy.livejournal.com]

Stables! I see what you did there...

[kingandy]

From site, front page, second paragraph:

"... set in a mythical version of the Ancient World. ... Use your cunning to piece together the lost magic of the Titans or speak to the gods themselves."

I suspect there may be magic.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

Well, the (as expected) fine looking website does confirm to me that it's a game I'll not be getting involved in. I'm sure that it'll be a lot of fun for the people to whom it appeals - just not me.

Seeing that it has got so far does make me wonder how much of Matt's attention has moved to it and away from Maelstrom. I can quite understand why he wants another, different, string to his LRP bow - I'm just not convinced that he can concentrate on losing both arrows at once.

Anyway, best of luck with it.

[nattydreadi.livejournal.com]

From what I have gathered, he's pretty much handed it to Si to project manage in development ... Matt runs PD, but doesn't get involved in the running of the games outside of database code for Mael ... though I could be wrong as to the depth of his input into Odyssey.

[rebby.livejournal.com]

I can't say what he puts in the odyssey side but I can confirm he is still putting an awful lot of time & new ideas into Maelstrom & encouraging the crew to put ideas forward too.

There are also different people on each team, some cross over but a lot only do one and will be encouraged to play the other.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

Matt has very little to do with Odyssey, although clearly he's the person in charge of Profound Decisions and as such is keeping an eye on what's going on. In terms of game development and writing there are very few crossovers from the Maelstrom team.

In short, no need to worry.

[pax-draconis.livejournal.com]

I'm genuinely curious - might I ask why it doesn't appeal to you?

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

I'm not in any way comparing it with the LT's traditional way of 'implementing' ideas, but it doesn't appear to me in the way that the same way that the first Heartland Games didn't appeal to me.

I enjoy a good messy LARP fight, but I'm not that good in them, too slow, old, and lazy. I enjoy them when they happen as part of something else happening, not as the focus. They're the means, not the end.

Therefore a game that is based around the arena, however gorgeous it may look with a topping of heroic quests whether implemented on on the Trent flood plain, or the equally barren plains of a downtime, is not one that appeals.

Of course, going back to the Heartland Games, once I realised that it was possible to go, and be very involved in the other stuff while totally ignoring the games (from an IC point of view anyway) I changed my mind, an have enjoyed them a lot. I reserve the right to change my mind on this one - but I feel it is unlikely.

[nattydreadi.livejournal.com]

You make a good point WRT the heroic quests ... Trent flood plain site is a flat open site ... with the best will in the world, running a linear (about the only aspect of LRP organisation I can credit myself as 'experienced' at) in an open field isn't really the most fun you can have in a day. I'll be interested to see how this issue is managed by the game team.

[samharber.livejournal.com]

From what I understand, the option to diplome, bribe and outrageously lie is going to be there in spades. Fighting is for the young and the fit...

[kneeshooter]

I think we'll have some more interesting stuff for you closer to time.

But maybe not!

Of course, thankfully we're not asking people to book based on a 'holding' website and some teaser material.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

No, but you are using some pretty key phrases to tell us the focus and shape of the system.

They're nothing new - just firm confirmation of what has been being discussed over the past couple of years.

based on that, it's not a game that appeals to me very much.

[kneeshooter]

Fair enough :-)

Might try and drag you along to crew closer to the time then!

[pax-draconis.livejournal.com]

I understand completely - it took me ages to finally find a niche I enjoyed in Maelstrom and I still don't like the overall game much. In that context, I can see your argument. I found that while I too am old slow and lazy with the added bonus of fat, I have enjoyed the few batters I have been involved in in recent times immensely, (all the more so when the tingling in my left arm passes and the black spots disappear from in front of my eyes).

However, if I wasn't confident of the game's complexity, coherency and ability to appeal across a wide player spectrum, I wouldn't be giving it my time and support. I'll echo Simon below - as more information comes out, I hope you'll find there's something in the game to appeal to you too.

[uncanic.livejournal.com]

It wasn't grabbing me from what I had heard yet after the preview I am seeing many options and ideas I could do.

[hortorum.livejournal.com]

Makes me wish that the local scene wasn't so deeply, deeply LT. I could almost see me dragging the toga out of the loft to give a pseudo-historical classical LRP a go.

Never gonna happen as I'd be on my own, but I really do wish the project well from afer.

[jfs.livejournal.com]

I think you'd really, really enjoy it, if you could hook up with a group or persuade some others to go.

[pauln.livejournal.com]

I'm almost certainly persuadable...

[hortorum.livejournal.com]

Not unless the local gaming culture shifts significantly from "Silly names and cider" sadly.

But it's nice to know there's stuff out there that doesn't make me want to vomit bile over the local landscape whenever it gets mentioned :)

(Someone knee-jerk slagged off PD/Maelstrom based on zero knowledge and got a choice me-ism, even though I've never attended, I've done my homework)

[chess]

Do you need to find a group (for Maelstrom or Odyssey) from your local gamers? There are lots of groups at Maelstrom who pick up people from all over the place...

[hortorum.livejournal.com]

Tbh I'm only likely to go to an event if the wife is going (I've been her +1 to the G for the last few years) and she's very much a "Gathering only, to see friends" type.

More's the pity, I have a lot of respect for the way PD do things (player actions having lasting consequences and legacy? Migosh... the heresy of it all) and like I said, I own a toga. :)

[delvy.livejournal.com]

I am impressed. Simon told me about the site the other day and I had a walk around it. To me it seems elegant lines and fine details. Very good and am looking forward to reading more.

And I was someone who was not sold on the concept when I first heard it.

[velvet-the-cat.livejournal.com]

You have my interest. I look forwards to reading more... :o)

[mymindcrime.livejournal.com]

ditto

[kathbad]

Have had a look - does look very shiny.

See you at the weekend? Or soon?