Eclipse Phase Interest Check

[PixelatedPixie]

This is a system game but I believe all the rulebooks are available for free (legally) under a creative common license if you are unable/unwilling to pay:
https://robboyle.wordpress.com/eclipse-phase-pdfs/

I picked up Eclipse Phase (1e) awhile ago but only really sat down to look at it properly recently (with the Bundle of Holding and other reasons).  So I am not an expert on the system, but I thought it would be fun to explore and it seems well suited for this website.

Your mind is software.            Program it.
Your body is a shell.             Change it.
Death is a disease.               Cure it.
Extinction is approaching.        Fight it.

This is somewhat an interest check, somewhat a recruitment thread, mostly because I haven’t entirely decided what I want to run and how.

I thought it might be fun to do the Life Path (random) creation from Transhuman and see where that takes the group, but I am also torn somewhat between a small focused game and a larger more open/multithreaded one. 

So if you are interested, could you please post your answer to the below:

Do you mind if your character is solo at times? 
How large of a group are you willing to be part of? 
What size is your preferred group?
How much and what types of smut do you prefer?
Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?
Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?

Disclaimer

I would like to preface things by saying that I am not a great GM.  Pretty much all of the games I have tried to run here and elsewhere have died for various reasons. 

I need pro-active players who will make decisions and push the plot. In play by post particularly, I find that waiting for other people to make a decision can kill the game quickly.  Not to say that waiting isn’t sometimes appropriate, but if no one wants to take charge for fear of offending others (which is understandable) the game seems to get stuck in a circular loop and never proceeds. 

I tend to put characters in situations without a specific solution in mind.  I think this is because I always found it frustrating as a player to be told I clearly should have done X (and nothing else would work) when that wouldn’t occur to me in a thousand years.  So I tend to create the situation, and tailor the solution to what the players come up with.  I think this can be frustrating to players as I don’t always give decent hints to the solution. 

I don’t know of I adequately explained either of those, but they are things I figured I should mention.

Important Information

I aim, at a minimum, to make one post a week.  I prefer to go faster, but with life I can’t always manage that.  That said, if a week has gone by since I last posted, I may proceed without waiting for a post from any individual player.  If this goes on long enough (without me being notified) your character will probably be dropped or NPCed as the situation requires.

I shouldn’t have to say this (but will as I mentioned the random life path), but I can’t abide cheaters (even in the small things).  I have seen this happen a few times here now, even when it didn’t matter.  I am looking for players interested in playing fun, interesting, and ideally flawed characters.  I am not particularly interested in a min-maxed power fantasy character, especially if you have to bend or break the rules to get it. 

I am here (as opposed to on another website) for smut.  That said I am interested in roleplaying and not cybersexing, so plot and story are important.  I like systems because they allow a clear defeat condition, and add randomness.  So:

This game is intended to have (temporary) bad ends.  If the character is defeated, they will be abused, enslaved, or otherwise have a bad time.  The intent is for eventual rescue or escape.  In some situations, a second thread may be created so that the smut can be resolved even if the plot has moved beyond the timeframe for it. 

This game is intended to be heavily sexual.  I do like prudish/pure characters, but I also like ones willing to use their body to their advantage.  Sex as a distraction, bribe, or for some other purpose is not only possible but desired.

Because of the above this game will have content of the form Non-Consensual Exotic, and players should be comfortable with that.  However it will be rated Extreme, as I feel the system is best suited to that (uplifted animals, death, etc).  That said, anything extreme (well, anything at all) will be optional.  I will do my best to tailor when possible, and skipping is an option, but if you are not comfortable with your character being defeated and abused, this probably isn’t the game for you. 

[Lustful Bride]

*plants interest flag* :)
----------------

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?:

That's perfectly fine for me. :)

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?

Id be fine with anything up to 8 other players.

What size is your preferred group?

Size isn't that important, more the attitude and positivity of the group.

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?

Only when it works in character, and depends on the setting/scene.

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?

I am not sure. Depends on the story the group goes with I think.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?

I wasn't all that happy with how Eclipse Phase portrayed the Jovians. It felt like the writers were lazy and used them as a dumping ground for everything they didn't like and tried to make them too evil. Which is ironic considering what happened in the setting almost justifies the Jovians. Id like to see them more like Starship Troopers (more so the version of the book than the movie)  than evil capitalist right wing bigots. 

[wander]

Here's my interest, it's been a while since I touched Eclipse Phase and would love to jump in for a good group. :)

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?

As long as my character has something to do when solo, all's good.

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?

I'm totally open on this. More the merrier?

What size is your preferred group?

Probably enough that everyone can cover a particular schtick and we can cover each other's weaknesses. I'm not a fan of one person doing lots of things better than someone who's build is directed more to be good at a particular niche. Group game should suit a group dynamic, not be all special snowflakes and Mary Sues. Maybe 4-6 in that case? More the merrier still.

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?

Smut's awesome. I like butts! With pretty feminine faces (any gender) atop said butts!

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?

I am fully willing to see where the dice go and love the idea of it. I can quote my dicerolls from the dicebot, will comment before making rolls and you're cool to check my rolls to show I didn't cheat. I don't like dicebot rerolling cheaters who put a comment in after they roll the dicebot to the number they want.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?

I have too many places in EP's settings I'd love to see! More exotic the better, I like weird and different! I've seen lots of Mars already in games here, so maybe let's see some Outer System stuff for here maybe, please?

[ReijiTabibito]

Well, since the X-Risk Alert is going out and across Radio Free Argosy...

I'm interested.  I picked up EP's corebook a few years ago at a con and ended up really enjoying the setting.  The system is simple enough, AND that the makers have the courage to assign a CCL to it is all the better to share with my friends!

Now, on to the questions!


Do you mind if your character is solo at times?

Nope.  In fact, there's a group of (I'm assuming here) Firewall agents called crows who basically serve as scouts for x-risks, and I would imagine they do a lot of their work solo.

How large of a group are you willing to be part of? 

Up to around 10, I'd say.

What size is your preferred group?

4-6.  More than that and I find the logistical issues you talked about surfacing a lot more frequently.

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?

Uhm...some?  I don't know, it really depends on the individual.

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?

I'm not a rando, I like to design my characters from the ground up.  That said, I am willing to submit a backstory/concept FIRST before I design the character so that the GM may call my shenanigans.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?

Yes and yes.

To the former - I'm a huge Gatecrashing fan, and I like a lot of the exoplanets that are out there (Gatecrashing is one of three hardcopy books I own, and the only one that's not specifically a character-focused book), but I'm also a fan of the NMZ on Luna and/or running around habs/stations abandoned by the Fall.  Think the Nostromo from Alien (Original Flavor TM).

To the latter - I realize that while egocasting and re-instantiating are core conceits of the setting, the fact that you lose all your gear when you planet-hop is a major drag.  It's one thing when you die, but you're telling me that they haven't invented more efficient terms of space travel?  Yes, I know the book tells you to 'invest in blueprints and other digital goodies that can come with you!'  But if you look at nearly all of the pregenned characters the designers made, that rule was not followed.  That said, I am willing to hash this bit out.

[Re Z L]

I am certainly interested in all things Eclipse-Phasey!

Do you mind if your character is solo at times? 
I wouldn't mind that, generally I prefer to be in groups though, of course there could always be reasons to wander off by oneself for periods of time

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?
As large as people want!  The more the merrier as far as I'm concerned, though I know keeping a handle on multiple people at once (especially if they're spread out ie. above) can be tricky, the real trick though is to give everyone time to kind of share the spotlight

What size is your preferred group?
No preference, though the more the better (due to attrition, etc.)

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?
Whatever is pertinent to the story or the character, sometimes it's nice to have that in separate threads just to keep things from getting bogged down

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?
I would much rather build the character manually--I prefer to have the random changes to a character happen during the game

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?
Nothing specific on either end, the setting is really cool and unfortunately I haven't had many opportunities to really explore much of it in a game

[RPGer]

I've been interested in Eclipse Phase for a while now.  I'd be more than happy to play.  I would prefer to build my own character, however.


For those that are unfamiliar with the Eclipse Phase world:  Think of it as a cross between Altered Carbon and The Expanse, with a bit of Lovecraft thrown in for good measure.



Edit:  Missed the questions:

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?  I'm all for running a character solo for a bit.  Honestly, if I were to run the game, I'd probably run some of the players solo on occasion, because I love the idea of characters having their own motivations and secrets that they keep from others.  I think it adds to the complexity of the story and makes it more interesting.

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?  I've played tabletop games with groups of up to twelve people (which was pretty hard on the DM, but he handled himself pretty well), so I'd say anywhere from two to twelve is fine.

What size is your preferred group?  Six to eight-ish tops, to make it easier on the GM.

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?  In an Eclipse Phase game, I'm probably not going to engage in much smut necessarily, though I'd say anywhere from twenty to forty percent.  Preferably nothing male-male, though.

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?  I'd prefer to create one normally, though I think it may be interesting to go random with it.  Randomness is interesting on occasion.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?  I'm open to a lot of different things from political intrigue to horror to straight up action.  It would be nice to change it up on occasion, even if the overall plot is of a specific sort.  Honestly, I just love the Eclipse Phase setting (not sure about the rules), and I have been looking forward to exploring it for some time.  I even considered trying to port it over to a Basic Roleplaying System (since it's apparently similar enough to it already).

[Eobelle]

I am super into eclipse phase, and would love to play in this!

Do you mind if your character is solo at times? 
Not at all

How large of a group are you willing to be part of? 
8 i think is my limit, any more and things get messy/confusing.

What size is your preferred group?
I'd say around 6

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?
I prefer lots of smut, of the pretty extreme variety (non-con, bestiality, forced prostitution, public sex/nudity).  I love playing characters that use sex to get what they want, who have the tables turned on them and are they themselves used when things go wrong.  I'm not into gore or snuff. Morphs dying in combat, or just putting out a prisoner is totally fine.  I would just rather it not be a drawn out and/or sexualized occurrence...

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?
I would prefer to create one normally, but I am not totally opposed to the life path creation.  iirc it is a lot like the traveller character creation, yes?

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?
I love scum in the setting and would love to explore that faction more, but every game I have gotten to play has been very Firewall.  While I don't mind Firewall as it is an easy way to get a whole bunch of disparate people together and give them something to do, I want to play in this setting without being future cop.

[RPGer]

Ah, Traveler.  The only game (I know of) where you can die in character creation.

[Muse]

Ooh!  :)  Ooh, me!  Pick me. 

Do you mind if your character is solo at times? 
Not at all.  That could be fun. 

How large of a group are you willing to be part of? 
As large or as small as you like is fine. 

What size is your preferred group?
Mmm...  Maybe six. 

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?
Most types.  I'd rather not be part of a male male scene.  Romance, mischief, and non con are all fun, and bizarre lovers are awesome. 

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?

I'd prefer to create one normally but I'm flexible. 

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?
I'm still very new to Eclipse phase--though I have both run and played a few sessions.  I'm interested in all of it.  It is pretty awesome that this is a setting wherein Free Running is one of the core skills. 

[Nameless One]

Interested! Now, to the questions.

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?

I'm fine soloing if the story goes in that direction.

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?

No limits, as long as our GM feels comfortable.

What size is your preferred group?

5 or 6 sounds like the best size in my opinion, but I'm pretty flexible.

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?

I like smut, so I'm ready to enjoy a big amount of that. And type... Almost everything goes.

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?

Willing and curious.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?

Not really.

[wander]

Glad there are others at least curious to try the random Life Path generator. I thought I may be the only one! ^^'

I quite like the idea of it, as I think it'd give me a character I'd not thought of playing before and allow me to stretch myself and get inspired with what happens.

[PixelatedPixie]

Hello!

Thank you for your interest everyone!  I am not familiar with Traveller's creation enough to say, but it is basically rolling on tables and proceeding instead of flat out point buy.  That said, there doesn't seem to be a ton of interest in it so I may leave it as an option, with the understanding that it is unbalanced, but not have a dedicated group for it. 

If I missed a question somewhere please let me know!

I am going to sit down and decide what I want to do with things, since there seems to be enough interest.  I may go two different (smaller) groups to start instead of one large one (maybe with one or two solo characters if desired).  But otherwise I need to look through the books for inspiration before I make any firm decisions.  I will aim to get a proper information post up by Thursday.  Sorry for the delay and thanks for the interest!

[Re Z L]

A possibility is having the party all work for one particular organization (there's plenty to choose from) and then dole out missions that the group can decide to do and split up for.

Gives the larger group a chance to socialize and such in some kind of common area, and to mix up which sets of PCs do what--hopefully focusing on their strengths (ie. the hacker goes on the hacking mission with some others, and the socialite goes on the socialite mission with some others).

[RPGer]

I like Re Z L's suggestion:  They're all members of the same outfit (I'm cool whether we're Firewall or not), but they split into two or more teams depending on mission requirements.

[Chanticleer]

Oh, wow! People play EP here?! Fantastisch!

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?
Not at all. Of the three EP games I've had the good luck to participate in, one actually was a solo run. It was interesting, because in most games a solo character will struggle, but in EP it's quite possible to build a genuine JOAT/MoS...Of course, it's EP, so no matter what it's possible that you'll struggle. As with Call of Cthulhu, starting out with a high sanity just means you go crazy more slowly...

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?
I'm pretty much comfortable with whatever the GM can reasonably handle.

What size is your preferred group?
It really depends on the GM. If it feels like the GM is floundering/overwhelmed/having trouble then that usually results in a bad skew of activity towards a few characters while the rest work on levelling up their toe-tapping. That's generally not even as much fun as it sounds!

How much and what types of smut do you prefer? I enjoy smut. Having the ability to mix hard and serious RP with stolen kisses or rough, janitor-closet fucks while the guards are looking for us is one of the things I adore about Elliquiy. I do have a few limits, mostly relating to consent (although in a game of this sort I'm willing to suspend it as far as effects on my character, within reason...I.E., I certainly don't want excessive gore. Body horror in EP is delightfully capable of doing quite a lot without just spewing chunks of meat everywhere. One bizarre side effect of the way backups work is that it's entirely possible one could have a character trapped in a Bad End while another instance of said character got thawed out and didn't have a clue what was happening. One might even run into completely corrupted (hostile!) versions of one's self, if ones backup was stolen or ones original was captured/turned (ever read Stross's book Saturn's Children? EP feels like it was designed with that book at least partly in mind, as well as Altered Carbon). And I think that's awesome. I'm comfortable either playing a pure-and-chaste type who's liable to have to sacrifice their morals for the mission or the utter slut...I'd be happy to discuss what you enjoy having in a player, if you decide to do solos. If it's a group I'm as apt to flip a coin as not!

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?
I sort of feel like one of the joys of EP is coming up with bizarre characters. I tend to like playing more alien-ish characters in RPGs. I'm not intrigued by the Life Path because the odds suggest I'd end up with someone who I'd consider moderately bland.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?
I'd love to see some horror, not just space opera, and I'm afraid I'm on the polar opposite side of Reiji T about the whole space travel and equipment thing: I like the fact that in this game you may have to bootstrap yourself up from a pathetic tin can that you wake up in. I find that kind of challenge very exciting. Generally, when Firewall really wants something done they'll have ways and means to throw gear at an emergency as well as throwing warm bodies at it, but I really find the whole body-swapping thing to be one of the most characteristic elements of the game, and therefore one I'd like to see heavily used. The solo game I mentioned previously started with my PC waking up in the Wrong Body in bandit country and was only all the more entertaining to me for having to play clever with minimal resources.

I understand that the idea of losing all one's equipment is something that bothers a lot of people, though. If you decide, per Re Z L's suggestion, to do a group or two and a solo or two, I'd be comfortable solo or pseudo-solo (maybe interacting with the group when they were in comfortable public spaces) for a more 'raw and non-guaranteed morph' experience.

Also, I second LB's commentary about the Jovians. I think they're much more interesting if played as competent and effective, honest, survival-is-our-priority-and-this-is-necessary fascists than the clownish jackasses that they were portrayed as in Rimward.

[PixelatedPixie]

I sat down and typed up a quasi-intro, which I now need to check and make sure some of the details actually make sense for the setting. 

But what I am basically thinking is to start things on or near Oberon, and focus on the consequences of a Gatecrashing expedition as the overarching plot.  I won't post what I wrote because it was mostly just brainstorming :P but the summary is:

A group of Scum were using the Fissure Gate to explore a moon.  They abandoned the expedition and left on their Barge (how much detail I share at this point will depend on what people focus on), the Barge then sent a distress signal not long after reporting catastrophic failure. 

The players would probably be divided into 1-3 main groups depending on preference.  One could go through the Gate, one could investigate the Barge, one might investigate Oberon. 

I will probably have players (in general) as part of Firewall but may allow a few to not be part of it if requested.  In that case, they would need to provide an explanation as to why they are involved.  But it shouldn't be hard to come up with an explanation.  I can also come up with side-plots for small groups of non-Firewall if desired. 

I like the idea of an organization that everyone is a part of, but also find it stifling.  The best that comes to mind to me is that all the characters are part of the same small Anarchist or Scum habitat.

I will get to work on double-checking things and writing it up properly, but if people have suggestions, criticisms, or preferences please do let me know!

[Chanticleer]

I will probably have players (in general) as part of Firewall but may allow a few to not be part of it if requested.  In that case, they would need to provide an explanation as to why they are involved.  But it shouldn't be hard to come up with an explanation.  I can also come up with side-plots for small groups of non-Firewall if desired. 

I like the idea of an organization that everyone is a part of, but also find it stifling.  The best that comes to mind to me is that all the characters are part of the same small Anarchist or Scum habitat.

This would work. Or they all have business dealings (trickier to design) which rely on each other enough that they're compelled to help each other out in tight spots. Also, consider shared history (when someone pulled your ass out of a TITAN hellfest during the Fall, you probably don't hesitate to support them when they say 'Look, I'm working on a thing, and I can't explain for who, but I seriously need you here, now.').

And if all else fails, remember that there are no atheists in a foxhole and throw terrifying skerry things at everyone and make sure they're all frenemies who'll work together in a pinch...Even if they'd shoot each other once things calm down: Oversight, various corporate espionage groups, uplift rights terrorist groups, etc.

All of the really entertaining espionage fiction ends up with a few relationships that cross enemy lines. Favors owed and 'if only' relationships. Probably my favorite recent example is Ivan and Victoria from RED.



Although Lorraine and Delphine from Atomic Blond come mighty close...



...Aaaaand my head just exploded as I pictured what Atomic Blonde would look like if it were an Eclipse Phase movie...

[ReijiTabibito]

Cleric - if I may call you that - I have a suggestion if you don't want everyone in the crew belonging to an organization.  You can easily divide up the group into multiple orgs.  Some will probably belong to Love & Rage, simply because they own the Gate; Firewall will be interested in the SOS, and I'm pretty sure there's a way the Titanians can be worked in, too.

[RPGer]

This would work. Or they all have business dealings (trickier to design) which rely on each other enough that they're compelled to help each other out in tight spots. Also, consider shared history (when someone pulled your ass out of a TITAN hellfest during the Fall, you probably don't hesitate to support them when they say 'Look, I'm working on a thing, and I can't explain for who, but I seriously need you here, now.').

And if all else fails, remember that there are no atheists in a foxhole and throw terrifying skerry things at everyone and make sure they're all frenemies who'll work together in a pinch...Even if they'd shoot each other once things calm down: Oversight, various corporate espionage groups, uplift rights terrorist groups, etc.

All of the really entertaining espionage fiction ends up with a few relationships that cross enemy lines. Favors owed and 'if only' relationships. Probably my favorite recent example is Ivan and Victoria from RED.



Although Lorraine and Delphine from Atomic Blond come mighty close...



...Aaaaand my head just exploded as I pictured what Atomic Blonde would look like if it were an Eclipse Phase movie...

Yeah, I remember watching the TV series Burn Notice, and the main character had an on-again/off-again ex-IRA girlfriend (who was an explosives expert and gunrunner), an alcoholic ex-Navy SEAL best friend who was ratting him out to the Feds (even though he actually knew about it all along), and would periodically either make nice with people that hated him to get the job done, or talked to old acquaintances (friendly and otherwise) he met while working all over the world to get the job done.  He would even occasionally threaten people that were completely on his side in order to motivate them to take bigger risks to help him.  At the same time, he'd also go out of his way (often begrudgingly) to help them out in return if they needed it.

[Jezabelle]

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?  Every GM instinct in me is screaming this is a bad idea and to enforce party coherence.  But personally, no, that's fine for me as a playa.
How large of a group are you willing to be part of?  7 is my max for such a game
What size is your preferred group? 3-5
How much and what types of smut do you prefer? Meaningful, but at whatever pace it developed in-plot
Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally? Sounds like an interesting proposition, I've give it a twirl.
Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?  It's so rich to mine, I'm down for whatever.

[wander]

Yep, the only problem I think needs solving and has already been offered some solutions is that not everyone is going to be from the same faction. Not even including the random character generations, people are going to have their own ideas on what faction suits their character the best. Though also as mentioned above, sometimes those oddities being thrown together can make a lot of fun character dynamics.  :-)

IRL I lean more to the Scum dynamic, though I fully want to give the random character gen a go, as I'm more than willing to try and get my headspace into a character that's ideologically different to how I think about things.  :-)

[ChaoticSky]

Very interested!

Do you mind if your character is solo at times? 
How large of a group are you willing to be part of? 
What size is your preferred group?
How much and what types of smut do you prefer?
Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?
Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?

1) Not at all!
2) pretty much any size, though the bigger they get the more problems they have.
3) 4-8
4) wiggles hand. I like a mix of both. Smut as part of plot, rather than as plot is preferred.
5) Id prefer to create, but im not 100% adverse to randomized.
6) Bloody everything. But Tyche (the 9th planet) has always been a favourite mystery. I'm also fond of Titan, Venus and Saturn's rings in general.

[Autocad]

Posting interest!

Do you mind if your character is solo at times?
I don't mind.

How large of a group are you willing to be part of?
Up to 8, although for a large group, more important than any arbitrary number are the GM's ability to handle it and the players' commitment.

What size is your preferred group?
4 player characters.

How much and what types of smut do you prefer?
Lots of smut, smutty environments, smutty consequences, smutty rewards, extreme smut. That said, smut shouldn't derail the plot too much.

Are you willing to do a random (Life Path) character, or do you prefer to create one normally?
Yes, consider my interest piqued.

Is there anything in the setting you want to explore or avoid?
Fun with body switching and stuff, it's something pretty unique to EP.

[Chanticleer]

A dozen Eclipse Phase players.

That's likely more than's in L.A.

So neat to see so many in one place! Now if only more than one was GMing...I have a feeling PAC will probably not be up for a party of twelve.

[RPGer]

I'd volunteer to co-GM, but I'm still fairly new to the system (I'm still currently trying to wrap my head around character creation).  Anyone consider the possibility of maybe expanding it into one of the bigger setups?