tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post577302618428057002..comments2024-03-02T10:16:48.839-05:00Comments on Trilemma Adventures: Nothing at the Bottom: MOSAIC Strict RPG DesignMichael Prescotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-74430498359083088972023-12-08T10:23:09.018-05:002023-12-08T10:23:09.018-05:00Creator-owned comics and music are great, but word...Creator-owned comics and music are great, but words have lots of meanings, it's all contextual. As a coder with a statistician parent and a therapist spouse, 'creator owned' doesn't even crack my top 5 strongest associations for the 'independent'!Michael Prescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-49745848646602152632023-12-08T10:00:47.158-05:002023-12-08T10:00:47.158-05:00Just found this — very cool, Michael. Although it ...Just found this — very cool, Michael. Although it hurts my heart to see "Independent" used in this way when since the late 90s it's meant independent in the way comics and music use the term — creator-owned content. Sorry, not content. That's a bullshit term. Art. Creator-owned art.<br /><br />Anyway, "Coreless" seems to fit the bill by itself, so I'd throw the suggestion to you to make Independent mean creator-owned. YMMV. Your stuff continues to be great.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-38477624587734775782023-04-21T17:37:41.635-04:002023-04-21T17:37:41.635-04:00This is great! I have launched a jam for this at: ...This is great! I have launched a jam for this at: <br />https://itch.io/jam/tiny-library-tiny-library-mosaic-modern-fantasyLong Tail Gameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09388257461530223878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-25839728689825463952022-05-02T15:15:41.820-04:002022-05-02T15:15:41.820-04:00One of my buddies (Wafergix,) made a lot of MOSAIC...One of my buddies (Wafergix,) made a lot of MOSAIC Strict works - in Polish and English :<br />https://wafergix.itch.io/Michał Przygodzkihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00512493901233150471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-24951213965978660962021-08-22T12:17:03.278-04:002021-08-22T12:17:03.278-04:00Made a MOSAIC Strict doc for playing duels between...Made a MOSAIC Strict doc for playing duels between mechs: https://luckoflegends.itch.io/mechaduel. Cheers!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708428238333003776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-12401615073147238952021-07-11T21:36:40.066-04:002021-07-11T21:36:40.066-04:00Eek! Not sure why it posted me as Unknown - I'...Eek! Not sure why it posted me as Unknown - I'm Michael Low (please use my name, thanks!), and it's a pleasure. <br /><br />I started with a simple chargen system, then thought to offer some quick-play stuff I'd used ... it spiraled. If it doesn't qualify, let me know and I'll remove attribution! <br /><br />FWIW, I find the ethos completely compelling. I've tried making a game which had "Story LEGOs" as a design goal, and this seems more modular, creative, and functional - it acknowledges no gap between the rules and the experience they create, while celebrating mashups.<br /><br />It's very inspiring. I dig. Michael Lowhttps://luckoflegends.itch.io/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-55289131307393119032021-07-11T16:35:14.180-04:002021-07-11T16:35:14.180-04:00Skirting close to the edge by calling it a game, I...Skirting close to the edge by calling it a game, I see! How do you want to be credited, as 'Luck of Legends'?Michael Prescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-53484334016266746712021-07-11T00:56:47.410-04:002021-07-11T00:56:47.410-04:00Howdy. Paul Czege turned me on to this, and I gav...Howdy. Paul Czege turned me on to this, and I gave it a whirl: https://luckoflegends.itch.io/minifig-madnessAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13708428238333003776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-86031297081567036072021-05-18T00:05:24.667-04:002021-05-18T00:05:24.667-04:00Seems like you would run afoul of Gödel's theo...Seems like you would run afoul of Gödel's theorem of incompleteness at some point. Maybe you can take your work in for some Maths credit. :) GeoSapperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12277607757480791152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-60819554266204075012021-05-02T18:09:53.428-04:002021-05-02T18:09:53.428-04:00Hm, this is extremely fuckin neat, and touches on ...Hm, this is extremely fuckin neat, and touches on some thoughts I've had about a tome of independent rules modules, might try to attempt that while making use of these specs.Screwheadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17523892785968492469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-18714138342318631932021-04-14T21:31:51.789-04:002021-04-14T21:31:51.789-04:00Player overhead wouldn't come into play if the...Player overhead wouldn't come into play if they are mostly or totally thinking within game world fiction, letting the referee decide what rules, if any, apply.<br /><br />Michael's idea here doesn't assume a game style where players are doing heavy lifting with rules. All the better, because the modularity and independence would make it easier for the ref to swap out 'subsystems' as the context demands it! And the players would not have to know or care.<br /><br />Page 22!Evan Rineharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18247994138100958669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-91098937425852459612021-04-14T18:09:55.572-04:002021-04-14T18:09:55.572-04:00I'm asking for a somewhat niche elaboration so...I'm asking for a somewhat niche elaboration so a somewhat niche clarification makes sense.<br /><br />That's what I assumed the implications of the specs were, thank you I think I understand it.<br />Gorinichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17232977766320497127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-57803767587460648912021-04-14T17:12:17.714-04:002021-04-14T17:12:17.714-04:00To be somewhat pedantic, it's only the individ...To be somewhat pedantic, it's only the individual modules that are or are not Mosaic Strict. The criteria don't apply to games, collections of modules, game play, etc.<br /><br />So yes, you can write multiple Mosaic Strict modules that redundantly explain the same resolution system, that doesn't make them not strict.<br /><br />As for "meant to work well together," that's totally fine as long as that means that they're complimentary, orthogonal, and perhaps jointly cover enough areas for a complete game experience. If they build on one another by direct reference, then no, whichever modules do that aren't Mosaic Strict.<br /><br />Writing a module that only makes sense in context of another, specific module breaks the spirit of Mosaic, but not the letter of the spec.<br /><br />One extreme end of this would be two mosaic sets - one describes a set of holy prayers and their mechanical effects. Another has the same list of holy prayers (these are in-world things, like monster species, not mechanics) and describes something else mechanical about each one, such as the required components. Apart from being inconvenient for gamers, this is really not what I was going for with Mosaic Strict, but it's totally legal per the spec.Michael Prescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-731416140879442192021-04-14T16:52:25.688-04:002021-04-14T16:52:25.688-04:00Would it be Mosaic Strict to make several modules ...Would it be Mosaic Strict to make several modules that do not directly reference each other but are designed around the same resolution system, but each module describes the resolution system independently?<br /><br />On a similar but not exactly identical question, would it be Mosaic Strict to make design a set of modules that are meant to work well together, if they also perfectly well independently and don't make references to the other modules?<br /><br />I'm thinking of the idea of taking a game and breaking it apart into a set of Mosaic Strict modules, and I think you could be able to do it but it would result in unnecessary redundancy, and the requirement of everything being Optional could change how and when rules are applied.Gorinichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17232977766320497127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-2603756316468038942021-04-14T16:21:35.738-04:002021-04-14T16:21:35.738-04:00I think one way to solve player overhead is to tak...I think one way to solve player overhead is to take some prep time before play to "synchronize" the rules. If there are any overlapping concepts in each module then come to a decision about how to combine them and get going. There would still probably be some overhead thought. <br /><br />As far as strength draining there are other options. "Your strength is halved" does not mention other rules text. Another option "your weakened as you would be by a high fever" which actually has a distinct effect from something like "-3 strength". I don't losing the granularity of a spell draining -3 strength because fictionally, if your body is being drained what will probably make less coordinated and slower to think as much as it causes you to be less able to carry things. How the effect gets translated depends on if your modeling vampires sucking blood or everything withering and rotting under the sight of the evil idol.Gorinichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17232977766320497127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-5614661331182125012021-04-09T11:04:05.897-04:002021-04-09T11:04:05.897-04:00It makes sense to draw a bright line like that, I ...It makes sense to draw a bright line like that, I just wasn't sure how literally (or, uh, strictly) to read the Independent rule.<br /><br />But I can see now how you mean "Mosaic Strict texts do not build on one another" to mean no references or suggestions, not just no dependencies.wereoctopushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222253879692459954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-70738760757322513972021-04-09T10:38:42.026-04:002021-04-09T10:38:42.026-04:00No, that's expressly prohibited. The rule agai...No, that's expressly prohibited. The rule against this is arguably the most important thing in all of Mosaic strict. :) From the spec:<br /><br />Independent: Mosaic Strict texts do not refer to the mechanics or quantified state in any other game text.<br /><br />Mosaic Strict texts don't refer to any rules whatsoever from other documents. Mosaic Strict texts do not build on one another, they don't assume you're using alignment or levels or that you have a Strength stat described in another document, none of that. There are no mechanical connections whatsoever between Mosaic Strict documents.Michael Prescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-74712283176254167562021-04-09T10:32:31.955-04:002021-04-09T10:32:31.955-04:00Is it Mosaic Strict to elaborate on or give sugges...Is it Mosaic Strict to elaborate on or give suggestions for how the module might interface with other modules?<br /><br />e.g paragraph 3 in this toy example:<br />"Attribute Generation: You have 3 attributes: Strength, Dexterity, and Will. Assign the scores [2,1,0] to them in any order.<br /><br />"To make an Attribute Test, roll 1d6 and add the relevant Attribute Roll is 1d6 + Attribute. 5+ is a success.<br /><br />"In addition, Str, Dex or Wil scores may add that many extra dice to a dice pool, extra pulls from a card pack, or extra narrative currency to spend on a nonrandom game procedure."wereoctopushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222253879692459954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-7767728023839945032021-04-09T08:38:41.369-04:002021-04-09T08:38:41.369-04:00Hey, great stuff, Matthias—I'll put up a blog ...Hey, great stuff, Matthias—I'll put up a blog post soon summarizing all the rule sets I'm aware of, and I'll include these.Michael Prescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-81465593398058970342021-04-08T15:48:29.525-04:002021-04-08T15:48:29.525-04:00This is great - I just really love the idea of thi...This is great - I just really love the idea of this taking off and then we have all these little modular stuff that fit together strictly through attention to the fiction.<br /><br />Some offerings:<br /><br />combat https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/03/quick-combat-for-mosaic-strict.html<br />dream interpretation https://licheslibram.blogspot.com/2021/03/on-interpretation-of-dreams-or-rumor.html<br /><br />I think I'll keep on making more of these, but the best part is that if what I make sucks, it doesn't ruin anything else. (You can even have two "general" combat systems in your pocket and choose based on whether you want combat as war or combat as sport based on a read of what your players are feeling, say.)Matthiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06790203717118492124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-91805299808561472282021-03-31T21:43:05.142-04:002021-03-31T21:43:05.142-04:00Hm. I like the idea. Feels like a convergent evolu...Hm. I like the idea. Feels like a convergent evolution to the GLOG.The Oblidisideryptchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01045051609040990435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-62048888094678509832021-03-21T14:19:20.135-04:002021-03-21T14:19:20.135-04:00This is pretty neat! I found your post through The...This is pretty neat! I found your post through The Glatisant, and I happened to read it as I was thinking about how I run games when I don't have dice or paper. I wrote up my resolution mechanic using MOSAIC Strict as a scaffold.<br />https://stopdroproleplay.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/mosaic-strict-diceless-resolution/QuaQuahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805179513885224457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-85272770884760404762021-02-26T21:19:15.290-05:002021-02-26T21:19:15.290-05:00I really like this idea. It reminds me of the &quo...I really like this idea. It reminds me of the "mini games" you'd see in some old modules ("Something Rotten in Kislev" is a good example, as it has a few) that exist only for a specific setpiece in the scenario. I always enjoyed those, and pushing this idea further (even further than things like AD&D thief skills or WFRP2e Magic system) would make for some cool, idiosyncratic experiences. <br /><br />Also, it would be a fun design challenge.<br /><br />If you ever host a jam - I'll be there :) Von Bednarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01137448934414564261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-11867849595387294692021-02-23T08:53:12.334-05:002021-02-23T08:53:12.334-05:00Yes, I think you're right. Not all designs are...Yes, I think you're right. Not all designs are easy or practical to implement this way. The 3.5e-like approach where there's a standard resolution mechanic and everything latches on to it by adding modifiers, re-rolls, etc. becomes impossible. My guess is that strength drain type spells would tend to turn into instantaneous effects. "You drop d10 objects you're carrying," for instance.Michael Prescotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04704966067758312492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145649986851420179.post-53103848140372708222021-02-22T20:20:44.011-05:002021-02-22T20:20:44.011-05:00This is an interesting concept to think about, alm...This is an interesting concept to think about, almost like the unix software philosophy, where all programs should be simple and focus on doing only one thing. From a game design standpoint it seems a fine way to focus down on the core of the idea without worrying about implementing it in a specific broader system.<br /><br />It does seem like however that it's gonna add some amount of "player overhead", for lack of a better term. If every subsystem implements their mechanics of different resolution methods, the resulting system will be more harder to learn than a similar holistic system. I suppose that's helped by the simple requirement. <br /><br />Similarly while using something like spwacks mention of "as strong as a bear" to keep the concept of strength broadly compatible works fine for simple uses, I think it's gonna be harder if you want to make something like a drain strength spell. Of course one could go the route of just making it something like "you become as strong as a mouse." But it seems harder to me if the spell should affect strong and weak people equally hard (Something comparable to a strength -3 spell).<br /><br />But since you're pitching this as a design constraint that may just be an area that get's constrained away.Asbjørnnoreply@blogger.com