)[19:27] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Hey all! My name is Joseph Thompson (although most people just call me Bear) and I am the Creative Director at TAPM Systems, and the Lead Designer on Project Biomodus.
[19:27] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> First off, I want to thank you all for coming here to listen to me waffle about the game and to ask your questions. As a thank you, I would like to give everyone in the chat (and the readers of the blog afterwards) a copy of our 165-page, full color PDF as a sign of my gratitude. You can download the playtest from here: (Link: http://bit.ly/Play-PB)http://bit.ly/Play-PB
[19:27] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> (Please note this link will expire on Friday Midnight, Pacific Time.)
[19:27] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Feel free to share it among yourselves and anyone you might think interested. If you would like to see the Kickstarter itself, please feel free to go check it out by going here: (Link: http://bit.ly/projectbiomodus)http://bit.ly/projectbiomodus I wouldnβt say no to you sharing that either, but truthfully I am just glad to see you all here!
[19:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Onto the game – Project Biomodus is a Transhuman, Post-Apocalyptic Action RPG set in a world of biomechanical survivors, vast and sprawling wastes, horrifically malformed monsters and the concrete tombs of cities long since deserted or home to murderous flora and fauna.
[19:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Humanity as it once was no longer exists and Homo biomodi (the immortal, biomechanical descendants of humanity) now populate the globe β collectively called Munsi.
[19:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> You play a Biomodus: one step above even your immortal peers. With a self-contained brain and Bioforge (the thing that makes Munsi immortal), you can swap bodies, change every aspect of your character and augment yourself with impossibly powerful and adaptive Modifications, as well as having access to powerful, spell-like abilities called Configurations.
[19:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> With all this power in your hands, you take to The Wastes to fight monsters, fend off Maalkari raiders, destroy marauding A.I. drones and outsmart the globally-spanning Trade Cult β the House of Trade.
[19:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> With that said, this intro is done! BRING ON YOUR QUESTIONS BRIDGE KEEPER.
[19:29] <~Dan> Thanks, JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus!
[19:29] <~Dan> The floor is open to questions!
[19:29] <~Dan> I believe someone called dibs on the first one…?
[19:30] <~Dan> Tallania?
[19:30] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I think that would be the delightful Tallania
[19:30] <+Tallania> Oh, oh. You go and put me in the spotlight now. I see how it is.
[19:30] <+Tallania> π
[19:30] * ~Dan shines the spotlight on Tallania
[19:31] * +sendoshin cranks up the spotlight’s brightness setting to 11…
[19:31] <~Dan> (Were you joking about having a question? π )
[19:32] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I swear, if you ask me what the unladen flight speed is of any avian life… so help me!
[19:32] <+GenoFoxx> What is your favorite color
[19:32] <+Tallania> No, I wasn’t. π I’m writing, I promise!
[19:32] <~Dan> No worries. π
[19:32] <+Tallania> …and damnit, Jo, just go and spoil all my fun..
[19:33] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I live to serve, ma’am.
[19:33] <+GenoFoxx> seriously what’s the overall tech level?
[19:33] <+sendoshin> …. I’d ask quickly…Β These spotlights have a tendency to melt faces…
[19:34] <+Tallania> For the sake of saying, Jo and I have been friends ongoing for 16 years now. So I am totally proud of all the hard work being put into the project – but I know very little about it (at this point).. I think the question I want to know most is; what is your expectation for it? Obviously, you’ve set into this with huge aspirations and are delivering..
[19:34] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I’ll get stuck in: @GenoFoxx 1) Black / Silver equally, 2) Tech level is pretty high. Nanomachines, energy rifles, refraction fields, all sorts of tech, but it is mostly salvaged and grown, rather than manufactured.
[19:35] <~Dan> Grown? Interesting.
[19:35] <+GenoFoxx> so BioBooster Guyver by way of Terminator?
[19:36] <+Tallania> Mmm.. cybertech. π
[19:36] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> @Tallania: Truthfully, i am trying not to expect anything. If I can get one solid, finished copy of the books in my hands, I would have succeeded. This is a labor of love, trying to get a picture of a world of my making into a format that not only I will love, but so that other people can enjoy the image and theme in my head and be part of it’s development.
[19:36] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> @Dan: Yep. Biomechanical components are just as important as mineral ones in this world. Moreso perhapsd.
[19:37] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> @GenoFoxx: The analogy I use, is imagine Ghost in the Shell, set in a Mad Max world with hints of Monster Hunter / Tokiden Kiwami.
[19:37] <~Dan> I get a strong H.R. Giger vibe from the setting.
[19:38] <+Tallania> That sounds like the Jo that I know and love. π
[19:38] <+Tallania> afk!
[19:38] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I would be lying if H.R. was not one of my artistic inspirations, but my aesthetics gravitate to some of the muddier animes, such as Ergo Proxy, BLAME!, Biomega and video games such as Warframe and Deus Ex.
[19:38] * ~Dan nods
[19:39] <~Dan> You said you this is an action-oriented setting, right?
[19:40] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> That is right. You play super-powered humans with even lighter, speedier characters able to toss people thorugh concrete walls or flip a car with their bear hands. our Narrating guide is explicit in that the world should be built with the intent of the players mauling it.
[19:40] <~Dan> Heh. Cool. π
[19:40] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> There is always room for more character-driven narrative though.
[19:41] <~Dan> So the characters are superhero scale compared to the baseline?
[19:41] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> There are trade cults, factions, conspiricies, invasions and all sort of opportunity for the world to pull the characters into it’s darker, quieter side.
[19:41] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Actually pretty much every decendant of humanity would be super-powered in comparison to Homo sapiens sapiens.
[19:41] * ~Dan nods
[19:42] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Biomodus are just a few steps above that.
[19:42] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Sadly, so are the monsters.
[19:42] * ~Dan nods sadly
[19:42] <~Dan> What is the source for said monsters?
[19:43] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> The same as the one that uplifted humanity. To give some background, humanity developed the Bioforge to become immortal, their natural offspring started to overtake and outbreed humanity and the resulting conflict came to an end when one of the first Biomodus released a nanite plague / gift upon humniaty to uplift everyone to the level of Homo biomodi.
[19:44] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> It just went really, really badly. The uplifting essentially wiped out the ecology, twisted every living thing into unrecognizable new speicies and those who did not survive became food for those who did.
[19:44] <~Dan> Well, it’s the thought that counts.
[19:45] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> What was left was the horrific, malformed remnants of these adapted creatures.
[19:45] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Exactly, thats what the Engineer thought as the world burned around them.
[19:45] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> (The Engineer being that early Biomodus)
[19:45] <~Dan> How quickly did all this happen?
[19:46] <+sendoshin> Mmmm…Β Fire…
[19:46] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> The development of the bioforge, the threat to humanity and the resulting conflict lasted for roughly 20 years. The uplifting almost destroyed the planet in close to a month.
[19:47] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> A rather large, serious punctuation mark, it would seem.
[19:47] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> And yes. Lots of fire.
[19:47] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> No trees, no ecosystem, lots of holes in the ozone and a bunch of microwaves.
[19:47] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Fire. Fire for days.
[19:48] <+Tallania> :3
[19:48] <~Dan> So lacking an ecosystem, what do people eat?
[19:49] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Anything they can get their hands on that possesses a Bioforge.
[19:49] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Well, with some limitations:
[19:49] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> There is no food chain any more. If a mutated chicken can devour your character and assess it has a good chance of surviving it, it will give it a good bloody try.
[19:49] <~Dan> Does any living thing lack a Bioforge?
[19:50] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> However feeding on other Munsi / Biomodus is not only Taboo, but potentially harmful.
[19:50] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> No, part of the uplifting’s mistake was that only humanity was meant to have a bioforge. One curious Military A.I. later, the targeting parameters were changed to every living creature.
[19:51] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> The biological shock was what wiped everything out. Trees, insects, mammals, fish… eveything was ‘infected’
[19:52] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Fast forward 800 years and everything that is left is trying to eat each other
[19:53] <+sendoshin> Including the fire.
[19:53] <~Dan> Has the environment settled down (relatively speaking), or is the Earth in its death throes?
[19:53] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Biofire.
[19:53] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> So the ecology got pretty close.
[19:54] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Instead of trees, there are now towering skyscrapers of organic and metal obsidion with leaves a mile long acting as oxygen scrubbers in place of miles of rainforest.
[19:54] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Plant life is fairly sparse and even then, a lot of it has adapted into dangerous flora, capable of corroding and consuming flesh to feed itself.
[19:55] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Much of the Earth’s water has burned away, and if you were a vanilla human in the world, the background levels of heat and radiation would make for a short life.
[19:55] <~Dan> Speaking of flesh, does everything require organic food, or can things metabolize inorganic matter?
[19:56] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Munsi (and by proxy Biomodus) are capable of withstanding vast levels of heat and cold, pressure and even vacuum for a small period of time.
[19:57] <~Dan> I mean, if everything is biomechanical now…
[19:57] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Nanites and the Nanite gel produced by the bioforge is the ultimate sustenance for any creature. While it is possible to repair and heal without it, the process is much slower and by far more invasive for the body by building or growing new components. This isn;t helped by a period of a year during a Munsi’s life called the Trial where the Bioforge would rath
[19:58] <~Dan> (Cut off at “would rath”)
[19:58] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> rather consume a wounded organ or limb to make way for a replacement.
[19:58] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> (Saw that! LOL – Too into my typing)
[19:59] <~Dan> π
[19:59] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> A common replacement is the lower jaw. Should a Munsi lose a tooth during the Year of Trails, the Bioforge consumes the jaw and it must be replaced by a local MedTek.
[19:59] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> You’ll see a lot of pictures in the book with this replacement.
[20:00] <~Dan> You mentioned that characters can migrate from body to body?
[20:00] <~Dan> (Howdy, Lassek!)
[20:01] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Yep.. this is the fundamental trait of a Biomodus.
[20:01] <~Dan> How many spare bodies to PCs generally have? Or is that not how it works?
[20:01] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> At some point, the Bioforge decides that the body is too limited, then continues to deconstruct the brain, image the electrical patters and rebuilds it within a core, alongside the bioforge into a self-contained organ.
[20:02] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> That Core can then move from body to body. Depending on how established a character may be, they can have as many bodies as they can keep safe.
[20:03] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Most starting characters will have one for a while, then as they gain welath and hopefully a good Medtek buddy, they can have two or three for different jobs.
[20:03] <~Dan> Can identities be duplicated?
[20:04] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> No. The bioforge is a fundamentally jealous and cowardly organ. By coping itself, it would potentially risk corruption, conflict or degredation. As such, the complexities of the Biomodus are the equivilent of encryption in the world of Project Biomodus.
[20:05] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> …at least, as far as anyone knows… perhaps it could be a good story hook.
[20:05] <~Dan> (Howdy, MonkofLords!)
[20:06] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Some crazy MedTek genius manages to figure it out and copies himself. Who knows?!
[20:06] <~Dan> π
[20:06] <+sendoshin> Probably more likely copies a hapless “volunteer” first…
[20:07] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> @Sendoshin Oh hell yes. Then another hook can be the eventual corruption of the ‘clone’ and how it goes rampaging or soemthing.
[20:07] <~Dan> (wb, Drew)
[20:07] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Perhaps even a player…. someone commiting atrocites as them.
[20:07] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> And hello to the new joiners :3
[20:09] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> (For the new joiners: Free Playtest!: (Link: http://bit.ly/Play-PB)http://bit.ly/Play-PB – Kickstarter Link: (Link: http://bit.ly/projectbiomodus)http://bit.ly/projectbiomodus)
[20:09] <~Dan> Are there any obvious big bad guys in the setting?
[20:09] <~Dan> (And that’s very cool of you, by the way! π )
[20:10] <+sendoshin> JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus: Happy to help!
[20:11] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> NPC’s are still being built as I wanted to let the backers to the campaign design theirs first so they could fill major spots. As for Major threats on a grander scale, you have the Oculari which are a nation of A.I. controlled drones in an unstoppable floating city called Oclum, the Maalkari which are Mad Max-style raiders,
[20:12] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> The House of Trade, which is a global Trade Cult with its hands in many secretive, corrupted pies, the Daalum who are the games equivilent of Undead and then more ecclectic threats, such as the Naarako and something you are going to hear here first, a Biological Cult called the Typhometi.
[20:13] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> And you are all very welcome, by the way. The Playtest is my way of saying thank you for having me here.
[20:13] <~Dan> π
[20:13] <~Dan> (Howdy, Silverlion!)
[20:13] <&Silverlion> (allo Dan)
[20:13] <+Tallania> π we appreciate all your hard work, Jo!
[20:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Awwww… shtaaaap
[20:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> :3
[20:14] * ~Dan chuckles
[20:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> If I may,
[20:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I would like to add that I am nothing without my backers.
[20:14] * ~Dan nods
[20:14] <+Tallania> Nevar! It’s my prerogative to gush.
[20:15] <~Dan> On a related note, how much of a bestiary do you include?
[20:15] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> This would just be a few scribbles on a shelf, were it not for the people around me pushing me to get this done. Now some 2 years down the road, we have the makings of a small community and a Kickstarter that is doing well. that level of honor and pride is remarkable.
[20:16] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> In the playtest there are a few monsters. The kickstarter is also going to have 10 (hopefully) player-designed entries and then more will be added to fillin the blanks.
[20:16] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I am hoping for a good sized monster section. There are also monsters called ‘Mobs’ which is one ‘enemy target’ representing many small, weaker foes.
[20:17] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Those can be whatever you want, from a group of drone scouts, to Daalum infectees to anything else. They are the equivilent of fodder in those action movies you see die in droves.
[20:17] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> In fate, they would be called Mooks I think.
[20:17] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> May just have been the setting using the FATE system I think.
[20:18] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Basically an easy way to have a swarm of foes without the narrator having to roll for 20 individual monsters
[20:19] <~Dan> That’s handy.
[20:19] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> And quick.
[20:19] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Makes combat very fluid when you just want the players to massacre some scum.
[20:20] <~Dan> How fast is combat, speaking of which?
[20:21] <&GKG_Alan> greetings.
[20:21] <~Dan> (Howdy, GKG_Alan!)
[20:21] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Well, much of the building of a character is front loaded. There is a lot of working out during creation and advancement (a good analogue would be shadowrun or the Hero system) but when all the stats are in place, your combat traits rarely change, and when they do it is by a few points at maximum. Monsters have set traits for eveything
[20:21] <~Dan> (Topic: (Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/silverbones/project-biomodus-a-transhuman-post-apocalyptic-act?ref=nav_search)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/silverbones/project-biomodus-a-transhuman-post-apocalyptic-act?ref=nav_search)
[20:21] <&GKG_Alan> (QA, sorry!)
[20:22] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> so the narrator isn;t doing trigonometry every time a monster round hits.
[20:22] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> On top of that, Players roll botht heir attack and defense, The narrator rarely rolls for anything.
[20:22] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> That means they are engaged, even when the player is not on their turn.
[20:23] * ~Dan nods
[20:23] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> None of this, take an action, wait 20 minutes and then roll again.
[20:23] <~Dan> I like systems that do that, re: no GM rolling.
[20:23] <~Dan> When it’s done well, that is.
[20:24] <~Dan> Although… how do you handle NPC vs. NPC conflicts?
[20:24] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> GM’s still roll monster damage, because I feel there has to be some element that sets them in opposition in combat, as well as being able to fudge something should the need arise or to advance the story.
[20:25] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Most NPC vs. NPC conflicts should be peripheral to the involvment of the players and probably narrative driven. Of course you could compare their ratings to each other and roll a dice to see who is doing better.
[20:25] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> DOwn to the narrator really, but it is mechanically supported if needed.
[20:25] * ~Dan nods
[20:26] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Personally, I would have it be a narritive thing in the background of the players being bad ass.
[20:27] <~Dan> Perhaps this would be a good point at which to cover the core mechanic. What sort of system does the game use?
[20:27] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Project Biomodus uses a proprietary system known as TAPM20 or Tactical Action and Power Management – D20.
[20:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> At it’s core, it has two fundamentals that set it aside:
[20:28] <+Tallania> Oh oh. Any aspirations of a digital platform? Because, ya’know.. It’s not like we live in the same town! One of these days I’d love to play. Never done any sort of tabletop before, myself.
[20:29] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> 1) Statistics are derived from a players Core (their bioforge and mind – representing their metaphysical and mental aspects) and their Case (the body they happen to be in.) The stats – when augmented with Modifications – make your final stats.
[20:29] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> These stats represent your ability to fight, jump, defend, run, generate power and use Configurations
[20:30] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> When in combat, these front-loaded stats provide a single number. This number is compared against an enemy rating to determine a modifer.
[20:30] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> That modifier is added or subtracted to a d20. If the player rolls a 12+, they succeed, if below, they fail.
[20:31] <~Dan> Does degree of success matter?
[20:32] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> 2) Actions are fluid and interchangable. Your character has a ppol of action points which must be spent to do nearly every action. If you have a lot of AP, then you can take more actions, however you also have an APR (action Point Regen) that determines how many AP you regenerate at the start of your turn.
[20:33] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> This means that you also have a risk and reward to overbearing yourself. AP is also used to defend yourself an move. Spend too much and you are a sitting duck. However, you could finish off that pesky creature standing in your way.
[20:33] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Action is fluid, but their is risk and concequence.
[20:34] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> As for a digital platform? Esssh, I can dream, but right now I am focused on making the book a reality. Once that is up, my all-time biggest fantasy is to see a videogame adaption, but right now, I am limited to paper π
[20:35] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I do plan on running a Roll20 game for some folks soon. I’ll announce that on our page / discord/ twitter, etc.
[20:35] <~Dan> Sorry, Joseph — did you answer the degree of success question?
[20:36] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Degree of success does not matter, with the exception of rolling a 20 or a 1.
[20:36] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Your characters can freely describe their aesthetics and attacks in any way they see fit. One of the biggest things I try to make clear is that the Rule of Cool Trumps all.
[20:37] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> ROlling a 20 is a success, but the players may suggest an additional utility benefit, such as removing cover or disarming a foe.
[20:37] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> a 1… well, then the Narrator decides something else that happens to make it that bit worse, such as a jam or a slip.
[20:38] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> And sorry, Dan. Just caught that at the end.
[20:38] <~Dan> Hmmm… I’m not a big fan of flat criticals and fumbles, because they disconnect crits and fumbles from ability. Any thoughts on the subject?
[20:38] <~Dan> No problem!
[20:39] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I think that Criticals and fumbles – when coupled with a hard bonus like damage or additional attacks – can be detrimental, yes. However this is more of a narrative-driven benefit in Project Biomodus. Narrators can use a fumble to make something bad happen, but ultimately sipping down that ravine may lead them to something that forwards the story.
[20:40] <~Dan> Fair enough.
[20:40] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> In that sense a player can really add some depth to a scene and show some of their creativity
[20:40] * ~Dan nods
[20:40] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Its a fair concern thoguh.
[20:40] <~Dan> Oh, I almost forgot: Do you have a character sheet we can see?
[20:41] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Those kinds of things are covered int he Narrating section.
[20:41] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> A finalized version of the sheet is still in progress, but I can get you what I have so far. Warning though: without context and final art editing, it may seem a bit intensive.
[20:42] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> In fact, let me show you the pregenerated characters I created for Big Bad Con this last weekend.
[20:42] <~Dan> Sure!
[20:43] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Eeek… gimme a second to build an easy link.
[20:43] <~Dan> No problem.
[20:45] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Try this: (Link: http://bit.ly/PB-BBCSheets)http://bit.ly/PB-BBCSheets
[20:46] <~Dan> Let’s see here…
[20:46] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> For some back story, Big Bad Con is centered around the story of Little Red Riding hood, so all my Pregen characters were built as characters from the story.
[20:46] <~Dan> (And yup, that works.)
[20:47] <~Dan> Can you comment on what the Core Statistics mean?
[20:48] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Production: Raw output of the Bioforge – Adapability: How good the Bioforge is at adjusting to new situations and needs – Gnosis: A measure of intelligence, wisdom and mental faculties – Awareness, social and perceptive strength, measuring not only the five sense, but your empathy as well.
[20:49] <~Dan> And the Case Statistics?
[20:51] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Speed:Β a measure of how quickly your Case can move – Integrity: how rugged and structually sound your body is – Power: physical output in the form of strength – Control: dexterity and agility, also a measure of stability of action.
[20:51] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Guest18!)
[20:51] <~Dan> Are skills hard linked to specific stats?
[20:52] <~Dan> (Howdy, KJ|Laptop!)
[20:52] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> No! in fact the skill can be paired with any stat. A narrator may suggest a basic one to pair it up, but if the player can justify another one that may be viable and more usefult ot hem, then the narrator is encouraged to allow it, unless it would be stupid.
[20:53] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> For example, If I make a call for a Awareness + Social check, one large, buff character may say “Well, I use my overwhelming manliness to woo the store owner” and instead requests their Power stat be used instead of awareness.
[20:54] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Which I – being a benevolent and kind Narrator – would allow.
[20:54] <~Dan> π
[20:55] <~Dan> How is damage determined, and how does armor work?
[20:55] <+sendoshin> Often poorly.Β π
[20:56] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Damage and armor come in three forms, Physical (whackbonk), Energy (zapfizz) and Scratch (meh).
[20:56] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> LOL @ Senoshin
[20:56] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Attacks are listed in D6’s 2P damage would be 2d6 Physical Damage for exqample.
[20:57] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> (Urgh, my spelling and typoing)
[20:57] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Damage is rolled, armor is a set DR.
[20:57] * ~Dan nods
[20:57] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Or Damage Reduction… for people wondering
[20:57] <+sendoshin> I like exqamples.Β Very tasty.
[20:58] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> My mother taught me how to vomit up our family exqamples for 20 years.
[20:58] <+sendoshin> How kind of her.Β Had to teach myself.
[20:58] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Something to be said about self-starters!
[20:59] <+sendoshin> We tend to be arrogant jerks, yeah.Β π
[20:59] <&GKG_Alan> I’d like to think I’m pretty nice π¦
[21:00] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Well, if it helps, I
[21:00] <+sendoshin> Well, that’s the something that’s said most often about me, at least.Β π
[21:02] <~Dan> You said that most tech is grown or scavenged, correct?
[21:03] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> That is correct, yes. Because of Nanite construction and deconstruction, there is very little waste. The House of Trade will take in materials, grind them down into highly valuble TD$ (Traders Due – a conceptual currency for the game) and that can then be excanged to get more parts from other traders, etc.
[21:04] <~Dan> Ah, that’s where I was going — the economy.
[21:04] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Even weapon ammunition takes the form of fluid until it is inserted into a gun, where it reforms into the ammo required by the weapon.
[21:04] <~Dan> Huh. That’s cool.
[21:04] <+Guest18> Is there any chance of being plant life in the game, like a deep underground nature preserve?
[21:05] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Yep. ARM – Adaptive, Reprocessed Munition.
[21:05] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Very possible. In fact I would say probabe.
[21:05] <~Dan> (Oh, btw, Guest18: You can set your name with the /nick command if you like.)
[21:05] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> *probable.
[21:05] <+Guest18> want to remain a secret of true identity
[21:05] <~Dan> (Fair enough. π )
[21:06] <+Guest18> Is there a levelling system, if so how does it work?
[21:06] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> There are areas that adapted and changed over 8 centruies in relative isolation… such as the island arcology of Naarako (formerly Japan) they have their own government and system of rulership.
[21:07] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> ‘Leveling’ is a classless use of XP to invest in your characters growth, Even character creation is done with the same system with starting XP. Advancing in one way becomes cumulativly harder, where as you are rewarded for spreading your stats and modifications to cover a wide range of possibilities.
[21:08] <+Guest18> agh so I can’t go full hulk without having a bit of flash in me
[21:08] <+Guest18> without making it difficult to play my character
[21:08] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> It’s more about radial growth and expertise than vertical advancment.
[21:08] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> It’s possible, but difficult.
[21:08] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> And costly.
[21:10] <+Guest18> Are there multiple languages or did everyone converge on one language?
[21:10] <~Dan> On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being totally gritty and 10 being over-the-top action, how cinematic is the game?
[21:11] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> The Bioforge is basically an organic supercomputer augmenting your brain, your senses and your body. Languages, although hard at first can be decoded in days, translated for you in real time and then stored in memory, in some cases, biomechanically inherited from family in large, multicultrual communities.
[21:12] <+Guest18> oh so there is reproduction. Is it similar to how humans did?
[21:12] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I would say Project Biomodus hits a solid 9, or a full “DOKTOR” on the MetalGearRising-o-dometer.
[21:12] <~Dan> Really? So it’s comparable to, say, Feng Shui in that respect?
[21:13] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Also, yes, Reproduction by the Munsi population (non Biomodus humans) is just as typical as before. It’s the growing up and then the survival part that remains different.
[21:13] <+Guest18> wait so the virus didn’t turn everyone into a biomodus?
[21:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Well, in Project Biomodus, your character can be tossed through a concrete wall, fall a few floors down to a concrete floor and then flip back tot heir feet with a few scratches.
[21:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> So yeah, Pretty Feng Shui-like.
[21:14] * ~Dan nods
[21:14] <~Dan> Cool.
[21:14] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Also no, the Engineer’s gift made everyone a Homo biomodi, or a transhuman with a Bioforge. your character is one evolutionary step ahead of that where the Bioforge and the brain are a seperate, transplantable organ.
[21:15] <+Guest18> agh alright
[21:16] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> If everyone is SWAT, you are RoboCop.
[21:16] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Everyone is still a badass, but you… YOU’RE ROBOCOP
[21:16] <+Guest18> Is it possible to take control of someone elses bioforge while they are still alive? Like mind control or knocking their brain case out and putting in yours.
[21:18] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> There is a high level Configuration (our version of magic) called Overlord that lests you dominate another bioforge-using creature (with some exeptions, and yes, you could theoretically rip out another Biomodus’ Core and use their case, but the process of doing so would leave it a wreck, most likely.
[21:19] <+Guest18> Agh so I can’t impersonate the leader of new japan if he is a biomodus
[21:19] <~Dan> Can you say a bit more about the capabilities of Configuration? What sorts of things can it accomplish on the high end?
[21:20] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Nope. And most likely, the Divine Emporess Malhonna would eviscerate your character should they try it on her π
[21:21] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Configurations are much like spells in DnD. Lower tier configs have minor attack or utility effects such as increasing your jump range, electrifying a weapon for a bit more damage, or changing an outward appearance. High level Configurations can assert control over another creature, reassemble your body in combat, disintegrate armor and all sorts of neat thin
[21:21] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> *things.
[21:22] <~Dan> Is this “sufficiently advanced” nanotech in action?
[21:22] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Exactly.
[21:23] <~Dan> Cool.
[21:23] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> The quote you are alluding to is a perfect description.
[21:24] <+Guest18> I noticed you can move VERY fast in this game. What would the point be for other forms of transportation such as vehicles?
[21:24] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Some Biomodus -CAN- move fast, yes, but many others are walking monoliths of armor and violence. You got to provide the wheels for them, too.
[21:25] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Also, inter-continetal transports still (somewhat) run in this world, as well as armored convoys and the like.
[21:25] <~Dan> In the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?
[21:26] <+Guest18> oh.. Also could someone do almost as much damage as a hulk if they go really fast at a target with their weapon?
[21:26] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> While Biomodus may be the apex form of humanity right now, the technology was originally build for the stock transhuman variation first.
[21:26] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> It’s certainly possible, Guest18 π
[21:26] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> As for final thoughts?
[21:27] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> I wanted to bring up how involved I want the community and the backers to be in the games development. I created a bunch of creative tiers in the kickstarter for people to come on board and have some input. in that sense, the world of Project Biomodus has no ‘meta’ storyline. I want groups to make each version of their world their own
[21:28] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> It’s my world to build, but it’s the players would to play in. I want nothing more than to hear the stories and creations made by players, so please let me know! COme to the website or the discord channel and come chat with us about what you think!
[21:29] <~Dan> Awesome. π
[21:29] <+Guest18> (applauds)
[21:29] <~Dan> Thanks very much for joining us, JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus!
[21:29] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Also, if any other questions pop into mind about Project Biomodus, feel free to email me at bear @ project biomodus (dot) com.
[21:29] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Thanks for having me!
[21:30] <~Dan> As a reminder to folks, my tip jar is here if you’re so inclined: (Link: https://gmshoe.wordpress.com/the-gmshoes-tip-jar/)https://gmshoe.wordpress.com/the-gmshoes-tip-jar/
[21:30] <+Guest18> glad I was able to make it to the end
[21:30] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> (Final links before we stop!: Free Playtest!: (Link: http://bit.ly/Play-PB)http://bit.ly/Play-PB – Kickstarter Link: (Link: http://bit.ly/projectbiomodus)http://bit.ly/projectbiomodus)
[21:30] <~Dan> And if you’ll give me just a moment, I’ll get the log posted and get you the link!
[21:30] <+JosephThompson|ProjectBiomodus> Nice! Thank you good sir!