andrewrgross

I had this idea for an adventure. I wanted to post it here so I don't forget it, and also to share it in case anyone else wants to use parts of this.

~

Players investigate a fatal industrial accident in a mining project by a fault line management agency. They discover that the deceased had uncovered a conspiracy: the agency has been slowly infiltrated at multiple levels by members of the suicide cult NostroCramo. This group believes that the world is a simulation, and seeks to crash the simulation to liberate themselves and anyone else who is trapped in it, and they've become convinced that triggering a massive earthquake will do it.

To do so, they've infiltrated the Seismic Management Division of the Pacifican Department of Geology, which is responsible for conducting deep subterranean operations to execute small controlled releases of energy along fault lines. Their plan has been to use the agency's resources to do the exact opposite purpose: instead of modeling out the safest way to release energy, they've been setting up an energy release meant to trigger the biggest possible release along the entire San Andreas fault line ever: the first magnitude 10+ quake.

The players have to investigate the death, discover that the accident was really a murder, uncover the conspiracy, then make their way through mine shafts to disable the charges. They must work their way all the way to the location of the largest charge in a bunker sitting 7 km down within the earth's crust. They can initially be trying to move undetected to avoid motivating the cultists to trigger the charges early, and then later be racing them down to the last and deepest one.

(I'm calling it "Rock-a-bye Baby" for now, although I'm pretty sure I can do better than that. Feel free to suggest cooler names.)

I created a brief introductory video explaining the premise of the game, another describing the premade characters, and four actual play videos to show folks what the game looks like in practice!

I've uploaded these to YouTube and of course PeerTube as well!

https://video.everythingbagel.me/c/fully_automated/videos

https://www.youtube.com/@FullyAutomatedRPG-nz1wh

I don't plan on making any more content at the moment, but I'm glad to have a few videos that I think might help people who want to know more get a clearer picture on what this is. And if we happen to make more video content in the future, we now have somewhere to put it!

RPGGeek.com is a website for rating and discussing role playing games. We now have a product listing there. If anyone is registered to the site, consider going on and leaving a rating or review!

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13236888

Not givin' up

Not givin' up

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13156086

Parable of the Sower is such a good book.

First, it's interesting that it starts right about now. The book starts in mid-2024, and even mentions that its an election year. That was a fascinating experience to read a scifi book in the moment in time in which it is set. It still feels like it takes place about 20 years in the future. It was written 31 years ago, so politically things have seemed to move as many steps forward as backward. It seems like a lot of things have not gotten better and worse than when Butler wrote it, so in some sense I feel like I'm looking at it as a near future in the same way as when it was written a generation ago. I guess I'm glad things didn't go as badly as in the story, but it's rough that the looming threat from 30 years ago feels the same distance away now as then.

Second, it's painful to read. Although the events described in the book haven't happened in the book's setting -- California -- the social collapse and migrations described have happened in Honduras, Gaza, Yemen, and certainly others I'm not aware of. It was really hard to read that and know that it was already real somewhere.

Third, as a solarpunk novel -- and really as general fiction -- it feels like it should be part of a high school curriculum. It's really well written and an engrossing read. Since publishing Fully Automated, I often relate solarpunk stories to that game. What might I have added to the game if I'd read this before? How well does it naturally fit? One thing that struck me is that her emerging in-world faith -- Earthseed -- reminds me quite a bit of elements of Seekerism, a new faith tradition in Fully Automated. I wish I'd known and included direct references to Earthseed, but it's nice when the game has alignment with great works that I wasn't directly familiar with.

Has anyone else read this? What do you folks think?

Parable of the Sower is such a good book.

First, it's interesting that it starts right about now. The book starts in mid-2024, and even mentions that its an election year. That was a fascinating experience to read a scifi book in the moment in time in which it is set. It still feels like it takes place about 20 years in the future. It was written 31 years ago, so politically things have seemed to move as many steps forward as backward. It seems like a lot of things have not gotten better and worse than when Butler wrote it, so in some sense I feel like I'm looking at it as a near future in the same way as when it was written a generation ago. I guess I'm glad things didn't go as badly as in the story, but it's rough that the looming threat from 30 years ago feels the same distance away now as then.

Second, it's painful to read. Although the events described in the book haven't happened in the book's setting -- California -- the social collapse and migrations described have happened in Honduras, Gaza, Yemen, and certainly others I'm not aware of. It was really hard to read that and know that it was already real somewhere.

Third, as a solarpunk novel -- and really as general fiction -- it feels like it should be part of a high school curriculum. It's really well written and an engrossing read. Since publishing Fully Automated, I often relate solarpunk stories to that game. What might I have added to the game if I'd read this before? How well does it naturally fit? One thing that struck me is that her emerging in-world faith -- Earthseed -- reminds me quite a bit of elements of Seekerism, a new faith tradition in Fully Automated. I wish I'd known and included direct references to Earthseed, but it's nice when the game has alignment with great works that I wasn't directly familiar with.

Has anyone else read this? What do you folks think?

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13067768

I finally got around to making a playlist of the music used to score the starter campaign, Fully Automated: Regulation!

I think it's a collection of real bangers. I hope that for people who haven't played these stories, this might give an enticing taste of what to expect. And for people who might've played, perhaps it takes you back to some memorable moments.

Demonstration of Power

• The stakeout: “This DJ” by Warren G
• Fight scene!: “Dare to be Stupid”, covered by The Cybertronic Spree
• Roll credits: “Fine”, by Lemon Demon

Psychonautica

• Opening Sparing match: “Champion” by Buju Banton
• Entering neurospace: “Just dropped in” by Kenny Roger
• The mindscape: “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C.” by André 3000
• Dance battle: “Do the Damn Thing” by Rupee
• The Bathhouse: “Ants to You, Gods to Who?” by André 3000
• Android assault: “Robot Rock” by Daft Punk
• Synthesizing the cure: “The Oligo Separation Verse” and “Analytical Gangster” by True Speak
• Roll credits: “Pony” by Deluxe

Piece of Mind

• Surf Intro: “Cecilia Ann” by The Pixies
• Fighting back: “Headshot” by she
• Starting the investigation: “No Time for Dreaming” by Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
• Sneaking around: “The Sensual Woman” by The Herbaliser
• Piecing things together: “Cause for Alarm” by The Heavy
• Research montage, pt.1: “Metrocenter 84” by Sunset Neon.
• Research montage, pt.2: “You Rock Me” by she
• Making a plan: “Drag and Drop” by the Soul Motivator
• Showtime: “Swing Break” by the McMash Clan, feat. Kate Mullins
• Showdown: “Mastermind” by Deltron 3030 and Dan the Automater
• Showdown, cont’d: “Don’t Get In My Way” by Zach Hemsey
• Roll credits: “UNLVD” by Socalled

Olives Fair in Love and War

• Vampire fight: “Dark Entities” cover by Daniel Guerra Caballero
• Roll credits: “Birdhouse in your Soul” by They Might Be Giants

I finally got around to making a playlist of the music used to score the starter campaign, Fully Automated: Regulation!

I think it's a collection of real bangers. I hope that for people who haven't played these stories, this might give an enticing taste of what to expect. And for people who might've played, perhaps it takes you back to some memorable moments.

Demonstration of Power

• The stakeout: “This DJ” by Warren G
• Fight scene!: “Dare to be Stupid”, covered by The Cybertronic Spree
• Roll credits: “Fine”, by Lemon Demon

Psychonautica

• Opening Sparing match: “Champion” by Buju Banton
• Entering neurospace: “Just dropped in” by Kenny Roger
• The mindscape: “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C.” by André 3000
• Dance battle: “Do the Damn Thing” by Rupee
• The Bathhouse: “Ants to You, Gods to Who?” by André 3000
• Android assault: “Robot Rock” by Daft Punk
• Synthesizing the cure: “The Oligo Separation Verse” and “Analytical Gangster” by True Speak
• Roll credits: “Pony” by Deluxe

Piece of Mind

• Surf Intro: “Cecilia Ann” by The Pixies
• Fighting back: “Headshot” by she
• Starting the investigation: “No Time for Dreaming” by Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
• Sneaking around: “The Sensual Woman” by The Herbaliser
• Piecing things together: “Cause for Alarm” by The Heavy
• Research montage, pt.1: “Metrocenter 84” by Sunset Neon.
• Research montage, pt.2: “You Rock Me” by she
• Making a plan: “Drag and Drop” by the Soul Motivator
• Showtime: “Swing Break” by the McMash Clan, feat. Kate Mullins
• Showdown: “Mastermind” by Deltron 3030 and Dan the Automater
• Showdown, cont’d: “Don’t Get In My Way” by Zach Hemsey
• Roll credits: “UNLVD” by Socalled

Olives Fair in Love and War

• Vampire fight: “Dark Entities” cover by Daniel Guerra Caballero
• Roll credits: “Birdhouse in your Soul” by They Might Be Giants

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/12656646

Created by /u/joan_de_art on Reddit.