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Author Topic: The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!  (Read 52505 times)

RPGPundit

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« on: September 08, 2012, 01:24:04 PM »
For the two years that LoO was under development, we had a lengthy Q&A thread going here.  I've now closed that thread and this will be the new place where anyone can ask me questions and get my best possible answer on the subject of the Lords of Olympus game.

You can feel free to ask questions either if you're trying to figure out about the game before buying it, or if you have any doubts or queries after buying the game.  

I will respond to any questions posted, and the questions and my answers will be compiled once a week at my blog.

So, post away!

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APN

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2012, 07:54:25 PM »
Are you planning to support the game with adventures, or are their plenty of hooks to go on in the book? Any sourcebooks in the pipeline?

Being diceless, I assume it's resource management based like the Marvel Universe RPG. In that game, you basically 'blew your load' in the first round of combat then floundered about with little/no energy. It also has a death spiral so that if you take damage and your opponent doesn't you're a bit, then a lot, screwed. Is this system better than that, and in what way does it improve on systems that use dice? In other words, why go diceless?

Will the system adapt itself to other genres - supers for instance?

Any system for mass or naval combat in there? I can imagine the size and scale of some monsters requiring armies to make a dent in them.

Spinachcat

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2012, 08:24:19 PM »
Again, congrats on LoO! I am sure diceless players will enjoy a new option on the market.

Here's my questions (for you + Brett):

1) How will the game be marketed?

2) How do you plan to develop a word of mouth campaign that spreads interest in the game?

3) How will GMs in North America (and Europe) be organized to demo your game at conventions?

I am asking more biz side questions because Field of Dreams' "build it and they will come" doesn't work in the RPG world of 2012. I'd like to get a sense if there will be an audience for the game before buying.

I'm a huge Mazes & Minotaurs fan, so I am already predisposed to liking LoO, except for the diceless aspect which just seems almost too weird for me. I'd love to go to a con and play LoO before I bought it.

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2012, 12:46:24 AM »
Thank you for your questions!

Quote from: APN;581577
Are you planning to support the game with adventures, or are their plenty of hooks to go on in the book? Any sourcebooks in the pipeline?

A: There are hooks for all kinds of adventures, though not an "adventure hooks" session. Instead, there's a section that has setups for different types of campaigns and guidelines for creating the kind of campaign you would like to run (out of a wide variety of possible scenarios, both fairly orthodox and pretty out-there; everything from internecine squabbling to overthrowing Olympus to end-of-the-multiverse scenarios). Then the individual entries for all the different Primordials, Titans, and Olympians, as well as setting descriptions for the different worlds and realms are absolutely filled with stuff that could make up the material for sessions of adventures.
As for published adventures or sourcebooks, at this very moment there's nothing to announce from me, though I won't rule out that possibility for the future (especially sometime after Arrows of Indra is released). However, Lords of Olympus will be having its own Open License, so this means anyone who likes the game enough will be able to publish adventures or sourcebooks for it!

Quote
Being diceless, I assume it's resource management based like the Marvel Universe RPG. In that game, you basically 'blew your load' in the first round of combat then floundered about with little/no energy. It also has a death spiral so that if you take damage and your opponent doesn't you're a bit, then a lot, screwed. Is this system better than that, and in what way does it improve on systems that use dice? In other words, why go diceless?

A: You assumed wrong, at the very premise of this question. Lords of Olympus, like Erick Wujcik's original Diceless RPG is NOT a system based on "resource-management", or what I like to call a 'beancounter' game; thus it doesn't run into the problem you describe.  Instead, the system works by the characters having "ranks" in different attributes, which can be utilized to attempt different things; and conflict is resolved by a comparison of those ranks modified by situational effects (environment, injury and restedness, tactical considerations, being team-up on, etc).  In play, Lords of Olympus is kind of "chess like"; you can't rely on getting a "good roll", instead you need to figure out a way to beat the other guy, either at his game or by changing the game you're playing with him.  If he outranks you at wrestling, you can try to switch the fight to a distance battle, or use sorcery, or try to take over his mind, or if you're close enough in ranking that it might make a difference, try to avoid him till you can get him somewhere that you have higher ground or he can't press down on you with all his force.
The first answer to how it might be better than games that use dice is if you happen to be a very unlucky dice-roller of course; but the less flippant answer is that in actual play this type of game encourages very descriptive action, making greater use of (and consideration of) the environment, and trying to engage in strategic thinking.  Its also the common experience of people who've played that the mechanics (from the player's side of things) just end up "fading into the background" in a very big way. No one talks about hit points or bonuses or how many points they have in a skill, or that kind of thing, instead you end up talking about your character and thinking about him in a descriptive way, of what you know he does well and not so well, of what powers and resources he has, etc.  If you've ever played games that use descriptive tags and such... well, Lords of Olympus does what those games can only promise to do; it actually comes through with making the game into a deeply immersive experience where you think of your character in a very different way than the typical collections of numbers and bonuses in a more conventional RPG.

Quote
Will the system adapt itself to other genres - supers for instance?

A: It'd be very simple to adapt LoO for other kinds of epic or mythic fantasy.  It would be possible to adapt it for certain types of "supers" games, but you'd need to do some more legwork; this isn't really a generic RPG system.

Quote
Any system for mass or naval combat in there? I can imagine the size and scale of some monsters requiring armies to make a dent in them.

A: One thing to keep in mind is that the PCs, starting-level PCs, are immensely powerful in this game. They START OUT being the equivalent of the kind of power-levels that you only find at the highest levels of most other fantasy game PCs.  They are, after all, the children of gods. Some of them could be considered  one-man armies.
However, as to your question: the Lords of Olympus RPG is probably something that would be considered a "rules-lite" game in comparison to, say, D&D or certainly GURPS.  Its not ultra-ultra-lite, but its mechanics are very streamlined; and the way the system works is not by having a bunch of subsystems or mechanics to deal with different things, but to rely on the core system of Ranks and the environmental modifiers to those ranks to determine how everything physical gets resolved, from a chess game, to a magical duel, to a dance competition, and yes, also a war. So in the game what would be considered for leading armies in battle (against huge monsters, or other armies) would be the character's martial rank (Prowess) along with the in-setting considerations: where does he get its army? What is the composition, equipment, and training of his trooops? How is he getting them to where his opponents are? what does the player say he's doing for an overall strategy; how is he placing his units and using the battlefield conditions?
And you ask all the same questions about the PC's opponent; and compare their relative Ranks, this gives you an idea from the start of who's got the upper hand, and how long the battle is likely to last. Then of course there's the question of what both sides do as the battle is going on, how do they react to situations of advantage or disadvantage, and try to adapt their original tactics? If things aren't going well for the PC, what's he going to do about it?
That's the way Lords of Olympus works.

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you've played 'medieval fantasy' until you play L&D.


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Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

RPGPundit

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2012, 12:50:15 AM »
Quote from: Spinachcat;581583
Again, congrats on LoO! I am sure diceless players will enjoy a new option on the market.

Here's my questions (for you + Brett):

1) How will the game be marketed?

2) How do you plan to develop a word of mouth campaign that spreads interest in the game?

3) How will GMs in North America (and Europe) be organized to demo your game at conventions?

I am asking more biz side questions because Field of Dreams' "build it and they will come" doesn't work in the RPG world of 2012. I'd like to get a sense if there will be an audience for the game before buying.

I'm a huge Mazes & Minotaurs fan, so I am already predisposed to liking LoO, except for the diceless aspect which just seems almost too weird for me. I'd love to go to a con and play LoO before I bought it.


A: I'm going to mostly leave these questions to Brett; its his company and he's the one who would know what the plan is here. I will say though that obviously I'll be trying to promote the game not just here on theRPGsite and my blog, but also on facebook and through interviews.  I will obviously support any plans Brett has to promote the game!

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you've played 'medieval fantasy' until you play L&D.


My Blog:  http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/
The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
Check out my short OSR supplements series; The RPGPundit Presents!


Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

Evermasterx

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2012, 09:25:21 AM »
will a printed version be available via amazon?
"All my demons cast a spell
The souls of dusk rising from the ashes
So the book of shadows tell
The weak will always obey the master"

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brettmb

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2012, 10:59:08 AM »
Quote from: Evermasterx;581674
will a printed version be available via amazon?

Yes. Probably in a few weeks.

Evermasterx

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2012, 11:53:53 AM »
Quote from: brettmb;581685
Yes. Probably in a few weeks.
great! +1 sold.
"All my demons cast a spell
The souls of dusk rising from the ashes
So the book of shadows tell
The weak will always obey the master"

Kamelot, The Spell
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http://evermasterx.altervista.org/blog/tag/lords-of-olympus/

Benoist

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 12:41:00 PM »
I think I might just give diceless roleplaying a shot for the first time in my life with this game.

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2012, 01:06:39 PM »
Quote from: Benoist;581702
I think I might just give diceless roleplaying a shot for the first time in my life with this game.


I don't think you'll regret it.

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you've played 'medieval fantasy' until you play L&D.


My Blog:  http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/
The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
Check out my short OSR supplements series; The RPGPundit Presents!


Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

daniel_ream

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2012, 01:41:09 PM »
Are there copious examples of how to resolve conflicts between Ranked PCs?
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Spinachcat

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2012, 03:47:45 PM »
Brett, kudos for putting the game on Amazon!

When will you have it on Kindle/iPad/Nook?

Quote from: daniel_ream;581708
Are there copious examples of how to resolve conflicts between Ranked PCs?

Great question!  

Can we see one as a preview / download? As someone who has never played a diceless game, I really have no clue how it works and Examples of Play are always extremely helpful.

BTW, will LoO have its own site / forum?

brettmb

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2012, 04:01:46 PM »
Quote from: Spinachcat;581720
Brett, kudos for putting the game on Amazon!

Most Precis Intermedia softcover titles are these days: LINK

Quote from: Spinachcat;581720
When will you have it on Kindle/iPad/Nook?

It's available as a PDF.

Quote from: Spinachcat;581720
Can we see one as a preview / download? As someone who has never played a diceless game, I really have no clue how it works and Examples of Play are always extremely helpful.

There will be a larger flashpaper preview soon.

Quote from: Spinachcat;581720
BTW, will LoO have its own site / forum?

It already has:
http://www.therpgsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29
or
http://www.pigames.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=104

RPGPundit

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2012, 04:06:58 PM »
Quote from: daniel_ream;581708
Are there copious examples of how to resolve conflicts between Ranked PCs?


There are what I feel are copious examples how to resolve conflicts; but perhaps more importantly (for those who want comparison with the previous Diceless RPG) is that it comes with more solid and concrete guidelines and parameters for comparison of Ranks than the original Diceless game had; things are more spelled out.

RPGPundit
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you've played 'medieval fantasy' until you play L&D.


My Blog:  http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/
The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
Check out my short OSR supplements series; The RPGPundit Presents!


Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

daniel_ream

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The NEW Lords of Olympus Q&A Thread!
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2012, 06:01:25 PM »
My decision to purchase the game will pretty much hinge on the quality of that writing, as it's (what I feel to be) the fatal flaw in the original Diceless - oh, fuck, it's the goddamned Amber Diceless RPG.  Let's stop being fairies about it.

Could you post, say, one such example, or ensure that one finds its way into the preview?
D&D is becoming Self-Referential.  It is no longer Setting Referential, where it takes references outside of itself. It is becoming like Ouroboros in its self-gleaning for tropes, no longer attached, let alone needing outside context.
~ Opaopajr