Interest Query

Actually, actually, I have some questions, v sorry, hold my phone.

So I wanted to know what would be expected when I post, like obviously besides writing out character actions whatnot, but will there be any rolling involved? (I REALLY like rolling, but I don't always know when to do it/what to roll for, etc.) And if there is, does there always need to be rolling involved? Is eating a free action?

In general, I guess I want to know 'what should I expect to be doing/contributing/writing in a post'.

And also like, will this be a thing where we have a set in order of people posting, or is it a free-for-all, post whenever you want to type of thing?

I imagine this will be like most games Jaiser and I have run (even though experience is lacking with groups). First of all: no, not every post will require you to do something that needs a role. WoD's system is known at the "Storytelling System" for a reason, and while we'll give you plenty of chances to roll dice (it is pretty fun, after all!) the storytelling comes first. So just post what makes sense for what your character wants to do, and is able to do. In general, what I think I would look for in a post is that it simply contribute something. How do I mean? well...

• Actions: Yes, I mean stuff you roll for. No, I don't mean for any action, like, say, eating. XD But mostly for checks to see if your character attempts something that can fail. This includes intellect based actions like researching, recalling a fact, spotting a clue, and working a complex computer program, among other things. Physical checks are in there too, so defending yourself, attacking, trying to be stealthy, hell, climbing, performing acrobatics, etc. There are also major social actions, like lying, performing, detecting lies, inspiring people, and more (including how well you are with animals).
  
• Communicating: With a party, this is very much a team game. No, maybe all your characters won't see it tat way at first, the whole "team" thing. Hell, they may not even like one another at first, but they'll need to still talk to one another...and while chatting among the players is allowed, posts will be for the characters, not the players themselves (though how we plan to differentiate that, we'll have to decide on that, too).
  
• Characterization: This is basically what doesn't fit into the above, but still adds something vital: bringing out and expanding on your character. This is one of the more fun parts of these type of games, at least in my opinion, where you just get to act like your character, whether it's having a moment with another character, explaining a bit of history about them, describing their aspirations, or even just describing a quirk. I'd actually like to see this sort of thing roughly as often as the other two...though, again, with a group, it's tricky. Some of this (most?) may have to be done outside the thread, if just not to bog it down. There's also the risk that, yes, while every character is a leading character, no one is the main character, so posting too much like this and hogging the spotlight (even unintentionally) can cause issues.

Also keep in mind, your posts can be anywhere from a sentence long (if it's enough to get the point across, which can include your character just saying something real quick) to several paragraphs (just don't make a habit of consistently long posts, please). Well...That's kinda my theory on it, anyway. Most games I've run have been wit just one player, and done in Google Drive. The one exception that I did with a group was all done face-to-face at a table. So, honestly, this will be a learning experience for all of us...but still, I believe these general guidelines will apply.

Post something that contributes to the game and story (nevermind the length of your post), don't worry about needing to refer to your sheet and dice all the time, and...be cool to one another. : D

To make it all nice and easy, links!

This is to a Dropbox folder of mine, where I ave the core rulebook and God-Machine update inside:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/08ktudxp8qptw20/AADyqubQemkq5kA64_peQFz3a?dl=0

This is also for the God-Machine update:
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/114078/World-of-Darkness-GodMachine-Rules-Update

And these are just some character sheets of various sizes (since the site Jaiser an I used to use is now crappy for World of Darkness) :
http://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/pdf/NWOD/NWoD_GodMachine_1-Page_Interactive.pdf
http://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/pdf/NWOD/NWoD_GodMachine_2-Page_Interactive.pdf
http://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/pdf/NWOD/NWoD_GodMachine_4-Page_Interactive.pdf

I'm still interested. I just have a bunch of back-reading to do and like Mr. Alice I'm unsure of my activity level given the new term.

You two (Tiki and Jaiser) know of my interest already, but posting here to be more official about it. Still looking into character creation, but I believe the majority of my questions about game mechanics have been resolved through (troubling, lengthy) bouts of inquiry already. I'll post here if I have any other thoughts, though.

wheezes oh god that's a lot of reading uh

Is it recommended to read all of that? Or can you recommend like, the most important parts that absolutely need to be gone over? (I'm sorry I'm not really good at reading books online. But I'm trying. :'( )

Oh yeah, uh, good question...

Well, in these sorts of games, a lot of the mechanics you mostly learn through play, though taking a look at ow using skillls works is handy. Same for combat. Still, a lot of it is for the guys who run the game (ie, Jaiser and I), so no, you don't need to read it cover to cover.

BUT FOR NOW, let's focus it down to something more manageable. Between those docs, here's what I would say you would want to read to get going:

World of Darkness core book

• Chapter 2: Attributes
  You'll want to at least read the description of each attribute so you know what it entails. These are your most important stats in the game, and dictate much of what your character can do well (or poorly). I wouldn't say you need to read every word in this chapter, but it is a pretty short one.
  
• Chapter 3: Skills
  NOT a short chapter, because there are a lot of skills. Still, I would recommend at least reading the description for each one. You can do virtually anything in the game tat you normally could as a human in this world, but this should help give you some better ideas of what to do with your character, while defining those words on your character sheet.
  
• Character Creation (subsection in chapter 1)
  While this is no longer completely accurate for our needs, it's still the basis for how our characters will be made. There are a few changes, but those are detailed in the first section of the God-Machine Update (see below).

The update PDF is where most of the character creation will take place for us. Mostly, as far as you guys are concerned, it just lacks all the information on skills and attributes (hence my recommendations above : D). Pretty much everything is listed under "Character Creation," and you will want to read the first part of it to get the gist of everything. Actually, everything up through "Integrity," at least until we get characters onto sheets (and we can always modify those sheets before the game proper starts).

I hope this makes the reading look less intimidating. And of course, of when reading all this, if you ave any questions over what the hell you're looking at, Jaiser and I will be happy to answer those questions. : D

Everyone who's interested, hit me up on Skype: Jackintheblackbox I'll help you get up to speed and work up your character. I'm holding off on Preludes till everyone's on the same page.