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ViewScream: RULES
How to Play
All rules are instinctively known by participating characters.
All rules are instinctively known by participating characters.
- Despite being all on the same vessel, units are separated from one another, able to communicate only remotely via the vid panels in their rooms, represented by posting in the BRIDGE thread.
- Think of BRIDGE communications like non-secure radio channels (except video chat instead): Units can contact each other for one-on-one (or rather unit-on-unit) conversations—represented by making an appropriate toplevel (e.g. "AlcheME! to ☆ZRAEL")—but there is technically nothing stopping someone else from tuning in. That applies to would-be eavesdroppers too, though: they can't hide their presence, so you'll always notice as soon as they try to "spy."
It's also fine to make "open to anyone" posts for your unit in BRIDGE (e.g. "LiliS to ALL"). - OOC Note: If you—even OOCly—want to read a BRIDGE thread not open to your character's unit, remember that your character is visibly present in the conversation and will automatically show in the video chat participants panel, just like on Google Hangouts, etc. As such, you must make a post like "[here]" to represent this to other players. You're on the honor system for this; please make me proud.
- Think of BRIDGE communications like non-secure radio channels (except video chat instead): Units can contact each other for one-on-one (or rather unit-on-unit) conversations—represented by making an appropriate toplevel (e.g. "AlcheME! to ☆ZRAEL")—but there is technically nothing stopping someone else from tuning in. That applies to would-be eavesdroppers too, though: they can't hide their presence, so you'll always notice as soon as they try to "spy."
- Powers are off for this game.
- ...Instead, characters gain an instinctive, if rather shit, understanding of their Role for the duration of game: enough to operate the technology they have on hand with a TV actor degree of understanding. How is your Red Matter Inhibitor Coil going to help bring the Modular Reflex Couplers back online? The audience sure would love to know! Technobabble optional but encouraged.
- Each unit will be presented with three Problems. Each Problem is potentially lethal if allowed to go unsolved.
- 3 out of 3 problems solved: survive unharmed
- 2 out of 3 problems solved: terrible injury
- 2 or more problems unsolved: messy death
- Each unit also has three Solutions; however, as THEMiS is breaking down, one of your solutions is randomly assigned as broken. There is no way to determine which of your Solutions is broken ahead of time.
- When providing a Solution, the piece of tech you choose has no impact on its effectiveness.
(OOC: that is, tech names are for flavor/techno-babble purposes only.)
The only thing that matters is that your unit has the correct Role to help—and that you haven’t unluckily chosen a broken solution. - Each Solution can only be used once; however, they can be given away—or kept—in any combination you desire. In fact, each unit will find that there are 6 other units who need the help of either themselves, or the other unit with their same Role.
- The important implication of this is that—with 6 problems each Role needs to solve, but only 4 working solutions—it is impossible for every unit to survive unscathed.
- “Why wouldn’t we just distribute our solutions evenly and hope for the best?” Thanks for asking!
- First, because you do not and cannot know which solutions are broken, randomly assigning them very much so still carries the risk of units being left with 2 or more problems unsolved. I mean, you can still absolutely do this; the point is that there are clear drawbacks.
- Second, and key to the game's strategy:
Two “wrong” (but working) solutions can be jury-rigged into a single “correct” working solution, creating the potential to solve a problem that otherwise would have gone unsolved. (This is just as true for your unit's own tech, though you may not want to be so selfish for reasons explained in Rule 9.)- For example, if Helm Team 1 has a Xenobiology problem that went unsolved, but has an extra working solution from both Engineering and Psionics, those two extra solutions will be automatically counted as solving Helm Team 1's unsolved Xeno problem.
- Taking into account the 1-in-3 chance of a solution being broken + the “two wrongs make a right” rule, you may choose to provide 1, 2, or all 3 of your solutions to a unit you’re assisting (...including your own unit).
When helping a unit who needs you, providing two solutions of course guarantees success (by eliminating any chance of failure), while providing all three not only guarantees success, but also guarantees you help that unit towards having an extra out for an unsolved Problem.
Are you willing to sacrifice one unit to better protect another? Or will you not help anyone in order to try to save yourself? - "Why wouldn't we just keep everything for ourselves?" Thanks for asking!
- Firstly, if every unit plays that way, every single unit will only be able to solve one of their problems (2 "wrong" working solutions = 1 out of 3 problems solved), meaning everyone will die.
So, you know, the less of that sort of thing the better, right? - Secondly, should any unit play completely selfishly, they will corrupt the entire game, and idols on those units most thoroughly destroyed will never be the same again.
- Firstly, if every unit plays that way, every single unit will only be able to solve one of their problems (2 "wrong" working solutions = 1 out of 3 problems solved), meaning everyone will die.
- Winners will receive a full, scar-free heal if applicable. Do your best to survive!
- 𝓧𝓞𝓧𝓞
~ Your Host