I AM ZOMBIE RPG-Boulevard mit Mark Rein*Hagen [I am Zombie] [Democracy]

One of the reasons I did this AMA is to let the whole gaming world see what I deal with almost every day. These people just don't let up. They send anonymous emails with pornography, they make threats, they mention my kids by name (just plain creepy), they publically call me a liar and a cheat and they make wild, unhinged accusations even after I answer every one of their endless repeat questions.
Finally they NEVER try to be part of any constructive dialogue which we have with our backers. When the decision was made to wait for the animal meeples, we got a ton of supportive emails from backers, but not one from this bunch.
Part of me sometimes thinks they must be part of some organized campaign created by some rival, other times I remember that George RR Martin has to deal with these kind of haters as well, and I think maybe this is just what some geeks do. They want to "kill the creator" as it it were akin to killing the dragon.
No matter what I do, what I say, how much money I spend, who I hire, or how often we update they just continue to attack and troll, usually without a whole of reference to reality but with a tremendous amount of trembling, impotent rage. Our last update made it VERY clear where we are at: "we are expecting in a few weeks the the 'Animal Meeples' that the backers agreed to wait for", just as I have said here today a dozen times. The KS updates are all public and can all be referenced, so it will be clear to any who care to check that these repeated questions aren't valid, and that indeed, this is all a show.
What happened here today was simply another example of their well organized troll campaign to kill me off as a creator, and I suspect sometimes, as a person. Cuz thats just what trolls do. You can't declare victory until you utterly crush someone.
Here is the irony, I am not someone who deals well with being hated, which is why I never became a politician (though I love politics) and why I prefer to live far, far away from certain kinds of gamers. This is ONE of the many reasons why things got as screwed up as they did on the KS, the more they hated on me, the more they sent me hate mail, the more I... disengaged.
It's why I had to hire a guy named Milton to do Democracy, I had just completely shut down in terms of making updates. Being ill certainly didn't help either.
You reap what sow boys. Today you proved that if nothing else.
Indeed, thank you for proving what I could never prove without you acting like jackasses in public: this really isn't about Democracy anymore, it's has become something else entirely.
[...So you realize it wasn't me who stole your girlfriend, it was that Toreador guy in the ascot and vest!]

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Attention Rules People:
So as you may or may not know, the RPG game rules now work using a system where you roll D6, and the you get to reroll them if you have the appropriate Attributes. Its usually not too hard to get that first reroll, but two is hard and three is the max. Think Yahtzee or King of Tokyo.
So this has been worrying me a bit because if people don't play using my storytelling style (you only make one roll per scene, or at the most 7 in an action scene) then there is going to be way too much dice rolling.
But I just had a breakthrough, which warps (in a good way) what a turn really is, and makes the flow of the story more interactive, flexible and surprising.
What if you made your roll on your own turn, but had to wait till you made your reroll(s) until another players turn. The tension would be terrific, unbearable even. You would have an idea of what your roll was, but you would not know how it was going to turn out.
Each reroll gave players a chance to extend or change their descriptions of what they are doing. Players can interrupt during any other players turn to make their reroll, when they do so could give them some of their successes. They could transform their action into something else in combination with the other player (with the permission of the Narrator) if they give up one dice.
Initiative btw is still simply the player whose turn it is picks the person who goes next.
This will create, I hope, one of the most fluid and interactive systems ever created, yet still remain as simple and elegant as the cards themselves.
Of course the setting is complicated as hell, but thats just how I roll.

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Obviously I will test this ASAP.

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Mark Rein-Hagen
21. Oktober um 23:33 · Tiflis
Two of the game companies who reviewed IAZ at Essen specifically asked about Bump chips, and a couple of fans who stopped in the aisles asked about them as well. I had no idea there was such a strong attachment to the idea of representing emotions in an RPG using a chip mechanic. But I suppose it makes sense, real emotion is one of the hardest things to roleplay or even to represent. Its slightly embarassing and it can feel melodramatic if you don't have a clear motivation.

So I started thinking about how to do the chips right. Super light mechanics, realistic but fun and flexible. So here goes:

Vex Chips
When someone provokes another character emotionally (social roll) they can force them to take a Bump chips. They can choose which type/color of chip they want. If they get get provoked again they flip it over and find out what even more powerful emotion they have now. This emotion has a game effect, and it lasts however long the Narrator (and player) wishes it too. However its not all bad, emotion chips can be readily used to earn Brainz, AS LONG AS YOU ROLEPLAY OUT THE EMOTION ON THE CARD.

Confident - Arrogant (-2 Physical)
Confident - Fearless (-2 Mayem)
Confident - Hostile (-2 Social)
Confident - Ecstatic (-2 Mental)

Submissive - Embarrassed (-2 Social)
Submissive - Terror (-2 Mayem)
Submissive - Brooding (-2 Mental)
Submissive - Dejected (-2 Physical)

Insecure - Embarrassed
Insecure - Helpless
Insecure - Hateful
Insecure - Ashamed

Jealous - Selfish
Jealous - Perturbed
Jealous - Outraged
Jealous - Betrayed

Anxious - Intimidated
Anxious - Frantic
Anxious - Terror
Anxious - Spooked

Mellow - Freaked
Mellow - Passionate
Mellow - Obsessed
Mellow - Fire Up

Selfish - Jealous
Selfish - Heartbroken
Selfish - Defensive
Selfish - Vainglorious

Bored - Guilty
Bored - Apathetic
Bored - Shocked
Bored - Panic

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