OoC Spiderbus Discussion Thread

[Dikiyoba]

Well put, ADoS. There's just one more rule I'd like to add.

 

5. DO NOT TAKE CONTROL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS. A little bit of interaction and dialogue is fine, but leave them where you found them, don't make decisions for them, and certainly don't transform them (looking at you here, Jewels). If you want your character to interact with another person's character in any significant way, send them a PM and work it out together.

 

Dikiyoba.

[Balladeer]

Tyran likes the idea of being the tardis. He said so at least twice in the chat after I posted it. if he hadn't liked it I would have changed it but he liked it. Yeah I didn't ask, but I wasn't doing something he didn't want to happen. I don't know why everyone has a problem with me transforming Tyran's character when he is perfectly fine with it.

[Triumph]

*prepares to insert arbitrary rant at other posters*

 

Oh, wait, Fawful said it best: “I have fury! At last, my entrance with drama! Finally! Now is the time when my true might shines, like many angry sunbeams of rage!”

 

Well, that was cathartic.

[Student of Trinity]

RAAARRR! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-DA-BOOM!!!

 

</IC>

 

Heh. It is cathartic. Anyway, I'm not happy that the raptors just disappeared for no good reason. That's like leaving a whole Chekov arsenal lying onstage. So I'ma bringin' 'em back. Look out.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

Guys, learn to READ! The "blue dot/blue box" was established as the TARDIS (which outwardly resembles a blue British police box, and which is basically a time machine that often messes with things it encounters), and now it's GONE, because it was making the RP completely nonsensical and hard to follow. Also, Randomizer is at the ruin and NOT at the bus, Harehunter! Gaaah!

 

Jewels, Nikki and Tyran said two sentences to each other after supposedly being transformed, and I just sort of handwaved it because half the participants in the RP don't have the slightest clue what the TARDIS is, as evidenced by the continuing confusion. Also, the only one who can't communicate is you, and that's you're own doing, but I've sent Lampost after you to assist you. Trinit Eye is communicating via UTF-8, which normally most people don't understand, but we can handwave that as well if we want to.

[Actaeon]

Harehunter accidentally cloned himself, ADoS. He's the one person that actually CAN be in two places at once.

 

We can either accept that the RP energy that's surging around is creating all sorts of strangeness and paradoxes and continue as a unit, or call it quits. I would not like to see Spiderbus turn into something that makes people less likely to join Iffy's new RP in December.

[Harehunter]

Student Of Trinity, I guess I forgot to mention that I speak ASCII as a 2nd language. My 1st language was EBCDIC, but even IBMers don't speak that lingo anymore.

 

ADoS, I'm not as up on the Dr. Who canon as others here, Seeing that it had an effect on space/time, I saw the blue spot as a manifestation of a physics anomaly known as Maxwell's Demon. I was surprised that Randomizer had the same reference (Christopher Stasheff's Wizard In Rhyme series) to what this little beastie is capable of; affecting space/time and splitting atoms ( or whole hares ). When Actaeon chided me privately (politely) about my error in being in two places at once, it was suggested that Maxwell's Demon was certainly capable of that phenomenon.

 

When SoT showed up at the bus with the ruins in the background (at least that is what I understood), I thought it necessary to heed Jewels objection to my omnipresence. I took advantage of the (now square) blue spot to try to remedy my initial error and merge my two persona. After all, one of me is more than enough, wouldn't you agree?

[BMA]

ADoS, I have no idea why you asked me to pay special attention to the RP rules you posted here. It's all just common sense anyway . I haven't violated any of them, in my point of view, but if you think I have then be specific and I'll ensure it doesn't happen in my upcoming posts.

 

DO NOT TAKE CONTROL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS.

 

I guess I shouldn't have had that raptor bite Harehunter's antler off, but it didn't distort HH's story or the main storyline in any way. Besides, he seems to be okay with it. If not, I'm sorry HH.

 

One point I'd like to add to what ADoS said is (more of a guideline) :

 

Avoid private amusements and inside jokes which may annoy other/newer participants and keep them wondering. And don't assume everyone knows what you're talking about, be it Dr. Who/TARDIS or Harry Potter.

 

By the way this RP is starting to be more of work than the entertainment it's supposed to be. Are we really such a pack of dummies that we need an 'RP Rules and Guidelines' to refer to ? Just be nice, pay attention, think before you post and we all have fun.

[Randomizer]

Some of the rules are the result of problems in previous RPs.

[Harehunter]

BMA, I'm not only OK with it, it gave me something more to work with. Healing the antler gave me the idea that you could fix my other little problem.

[nikki.]

Haha, I can't believe you're all discussing what I've been transformed into/not been transformed into, when I wasn't the one doing the transforming. I mean, eh, I don't mind, it's just humorous, and I do make a rather dashing Doctor.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

You are no longer present, Nikki, so if you want to continue participating you will have to re-enter the story somehow. Maybe the TARDIS moved you high up into a nearby tree or something.

[Upon Mars.]

@Jewels and A.D.O.S. Actually I didn't know that Tyran was the Tardis. I even stated that Tyran was being congratulated.

I thought the Tardis was an actual object, not a person with feelings. Also this is not self evident:

 

"Jewels: "Not just any police box... I can understand you two! It's the TARDIS!" (Rawwrr... wwaaarrrraa! ArRRAW!)"

 

(I am more familiar with the William heartnell doctor who series than the recent ones, hence why I thought It was a nice thing to take the blue box on a spin so that every one may feel included in the writing process.)

 

If it does any good, I express my sincerest apologies to Tyran.

 

A.D.O.S could It be possible that instead of killing me, change the doctor's actions? How about this:

 

The Doctor enters the TARDIS, and violent sounds are heard from within. The Doctor sticks his head out, and says, "Uh, I'm sorry, but I think I've lost a good bottle of champagne. Did you see any one popping in and out when we where talking? Oh well, Goodbye!" The TARDIS, with the doctor disappear into time. ADoS hears none of this, however, as he is inside the bus and hasn't eaten any berries.

 

Also I've added a new description for my character.

 

But you can keep the martian Hell Division rolling on. It's a cool idea in my opinion.

 

As for the rest I am willing to make some more changes if requested.

[Balladeer]

@ADoS: I was only trying to present a catch-all solution that could help move the RP forward. After a day of taking a step back, I notice that your post was pretty much the same thing. I'm sorry for rolling my eyes at you and being snarky.

 

@Diki: I have been too long at Rebirth where nothing happens to anyone unless I put it into motion. Your rule is a valid rule, thank you for the reminder.

 

@Nikki & Tyran: You would have been brilliant as the Doctor and TARDIS, so says my headcannon, but I guess the idea is just too 'out there' for those that don't watch the show. Sorry I didn't ask you first, more sorry it couldn't work out.

 

@All: The communication difficulties lie with Jewels, Trinit Eye, and (as I gathered from his << >> notation) Actaeon who is now a stag. Might I suggest a compromise that could end all of our communications woes? The Spiderbus travels through time and space, yes? It kinda has a mind of its own and ends up where we're not expecting to be, yes? It is bigger on the inside, yes? (Well when I think about dancing in the aisles I picture it that way anyway.) This is much like the premise of the TARDIS. Why not give the bus a "Translator" button as well? The bus can translate for everyone, including any intelligent creatures we run across.

[Triumph]

Triumph and Jewels never got a chance to communicate because as Triumph reached Jewels, they suddenly got transported to place with no sound, and then Jewels possessed an inarticulate dinosaur. My intention was that was Triumph, as a more-than-just-physical being, might be capable of perceiving more than the just the physical, and thus could see / hear spectral Jewels. Alas, that intention was foiled.

 

 

Life goes on.

[Upon Mars.]

@All: The communication difficulties lie with Jewels, Trinit Eye, and (as I gathered from his << >> notation) Actaeon who is now a stag. Might I suggest a compromise that could end all of our communications woes? The Spiderbus travels through time and space, yes? It kinda has a mind of its own and ends up where we're not expecting to be, yes?.

 

Is it not all ready the case? (and I'm not being sarcastic here.)

 

As for universal translators why? Don't we have harehunter, a translator of arcane and strange languages and other spiderwebplayers or is that still problematic?

[Balladeer]

Is it not all ready the case? (and I'm not being sarcastic here.)

It is from my understanding. The "yes?" is to confirm with everyone that we see it the same way or invite a response if someone sees it differently. And really is just a set up for giving the bus a translator button/ability.

 

As for universal translators why? Don't we have harehunter, a translator of arcane and strange languages and other spiderwebplayers?

The purpose is to take out the needed middleman. I don't want to go "Rawr" and then need Lamppost to say "Jewels says, 'Hi.'" Or have Trinit Eye go "*Blink, blink*" and then need Harehunter to say "iBeast says, 'Peek-a-boo.'" Or need someone to step up when Actaeon talks and say "I speak stag!". A TARDIS-like translator gives everyone the freedom to communicate without the middleman.

[Upon Mars.]

Good point.

[Harehunter]

When Mmxpert introduced the blue spot, I assumed that it could cause shifts in the space/time continuum, as well as other things. That it has changed from a spot to TARDIS makes no difference to that end. It just changes the character from an intelligent being, which no one had control of, to an inanimate contraption, that has a few quirks in its controller circuits. That can work as well for Jewels idea of a universal translator. While I might enjoy reading binary ASCII, I can see that it does not appeal to everyone.

[Callie]

There seem to be several competing and irreconcilable plot lines going on. I'm a bit confused.

 

Edit: I somehow accidentally submitted this post with just "I"

[Harehunter]

I concur, I spent last evening going through the entire story and wrote up a summary of events, trying to piece together what happened, and where are we now? Now I've left the silly thing at work. I will attempt to assess where we are now, as I understand it. (I could very well be wrong on some points, but that is why I am asking for clarification.)

 

The Spiderbus has been infected by a blue spot, now a blue TARDIS, that has the ability to transport the bus through not only space but also time. It is a self-determinant thing that seems to have a mind of its own. In addition to space/time travel, this blue contraption can cause other anomalies such as transforming characters into ghost, Eye Beasts, etc., splitting hares ( and unsplittiing them) and can also serve as a universal translator. There is also a rather rowdy colony of inebriated gremlins in the motor compartment. Gremlins are well known as little saboteurs of mechanical things, and could also be blamed for some of the crashes and stalls the bus has had.

 

As the story began, the bus had just crashed, but gently, outside a castle, supposedly to be the new home for the Spiderwebbers. Then SoT, as an Eye Beast (now known as Trinit Eye) caused the thing to collapses. When Dikiyoba took the bus on a trip to get some food, Sot, Trinity, Jewels (and one half hare) were left behind. But the bus didn't get very far, coming to a halt in some sort of Jurassic Park (time line is uncertain, is this the Jurassic Period itself or some future time when genetics has advanced enough to create Jurassic Park?)

Sylae, as a flying horse, has found a nearby food source (Harehunter is still waiting for his 24 carrot salad). It turns out that this place has had a dampening effect on sound, but the berries i Sylae has brought can fix that. (Harehunter doesn't need those, having better than average hearing due to his long ears.) Dikiyoba has brought on an encounter with a couple of packs of Velociraptors by kidnapping one of their young. An attempt at negotiations has broken down due an inappropriate display of arms. The Reverend has lured away one pack of raptors, and the other SWer's have driven off the other pack, and are reassembling on the bus. Dikiyoba is now training D's new pet.

 

Trinit Eye, being a magical creature almost the level of a demon, has warped space/time to bring the ruined castle into proximity of the bus. This has allowed him to join the encounter with the raptors, which he continued to pursue into an ambush (his own). He is now rocking and rolling back to the bus, with the raptors in close pursuit. Big Man has caused the two Harehunter's to merge by shoving him/them into the blue box (TARDIS). After all, that is what caused the split, it can also repair it.

 

The current cast of characters that I have include: Students of Trinity, Randomizer, Sylae, Dikiyoba, Jewels, Cpt. Charles, Mmxpert, The Reverend, Actaeon, Excalibur, Triumph, ADoS, Nikki, Upon Mars, and Harehunter. If I have missed anyone, please chime in.

 

This is where I understand things to be right now. Please correct me or elaborate on things I have omitted.

[Student of Trinity]

Trinit Eye is not supposed to be any kind of super-powered demon. He's just a cross between an eyebeast and an iPad. He can see better than normal beings, when he's focused, and he has the eyebeast attack, when it's working. He does not do multi-tasking: he needs focus. His way of bringing everybody together was supposed to be a kind of joke about the pathfinding algorithm in Jeff's games, that doesn't always work very well. All he did was explore some of the hidden terrain, and suddenly everyone could just find their own way to the bus.

 

Otherwise, yes, Trinit Eye is rolling down the canyon toward the bus, pursued by a pack of vicious raptors. To my way of thinking, the renewed raptor attack ought to be a major event that everybody deals with together. But if nobody else really wants to deal with raptors, then Trinit Eye could simply successfully reboot and blast all the raptors with the eyebeast boom-boom thing.

[keira]

Sylae, as a flying horse

*pony

 

other than that, looks fine to me. I had some Sylae-related subplots but it's too chaotic to do anything so...yeah.

[Balladeer]

I am of the understanding that when Trinit Eye brought the others to the bus, he (and they) left behind SW proper. I do not consider the bus to be in proximity to the ruin. I also had intended for every active player to come along with but Randomizer seems to prefer the ruin instead. Trinit Eye actually being able to bring the whole forum to the bus while barely batting an eye seems excessively powerful.

 

The Spiderbus had timey wimey powers in the last RP (not inflicted by the TARDIS). It was hinted at as the SWers came back to the SW proper from the RP era of days past. Though, having the TARDIS share a type of kinship with the time traveling bus could lend credibility to its appearance. I liked the little blue dot better as something not related to the TARDIS, but rather a catalyst for transformation.

[Student of Trinity]

This was the point about the tracking algorithm: everybody only thought the bus had gone a long way. It may be down a trapdoor or across a Geneforge-style zone barrier, or something, but it's not actually distant from the castle. Maybe it went around in a circle.

 

I don't see how this can be a problem because it only adds flexibility. If we don't want to go back to the castle, we don't have to. If we do, we don't need to think hard about how to get there. If the concern was to unite the party at one place, and discourage anyone from lingering at the castle by threat of being separated irrecoverably from the rest, then I think that's the wrong way to do it. Better to make something happen near the bus that is so cool that nobody will want to miss the action.

[Harehunter]

Thanks SoT, I like your explanation better.

 

Sylae, I liked a lot of your subplots, and I had them written down in my long summary. And, yes, pony.

 

Jewels, I think of the blue spot and the TARDIS as the same thing. It started out as a spot but it is not restricted to that form. Regardless, the functions are all the same. For those who are not familiar with the Maxwell's Demon from The Wizard in Rhyme, it is a magical being that has its origin in the science of physics. It's magic is based upon the idea that it is able to manipulate matter and energy on the level of quantum physics. Include the Einsteinian physics of relativity, and you have the ability to alter space/time itself. Maxwell's Demon is a self-determinant being, which you can control, but only to the extent that you can encourage it to do what you want. It is also rather ornery in that it will do what you asked it to do, but often with side effects that you didn't want.

 

One point I forgot to mention is that Jewels, who was a ghost for a while is now in the possession of a Velocoraptrix (the Queen Vee maybe? You decide.)

[Balladeer]

This was the point about the tracking algorithm: everybody only thought the bus had gone a long way. It may be down a trapdoor or across a Geneforge-style zone barrier, or something, but it's not actually distant from the castle. Maybe it went around in a circle.

 

So... there were ALWAYS velociraptors near SW proper? Perhaps if we traveled through time, but in that case the people in the ruin would still be left behind. Or there was always a magical meadow where no one could hear things unless they eat of the fruit? When Sylae went scouting after the bus landed in the forest, she didn't mention seeing SW proper. We could choose to ignore it, of course, as we seem to be ignoring a great many things, but the premise of it being close necessitates a significant shift from cannon.

 

The only way I can see it working is if the velociraptors/forest/berries aren't actually real but a magical manifestation of the RP energy. Perhaps the energy that changed the SWers was also strong enough to transform a rather large area into something completely different from what it was.

[Student of Trinity]

Trinit Eye had not yet revealed the unexplored terrain at that point, so the tracking algorithm was still thinking that the only way between the bus and the castle was really long.

[nikki.]

You are no longer present, Nikki, so if you want to continue participating you will have to re-enter the story somehow.

 

Ugh. See, writing me out is probably something I'd mind.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

I didn't write you out. You were standing next to the bus, then the TARDIS came and you weren't. You were merely relocated/transmogrified like everyone else/whatever. For all anyone cares you could be lying on the ground on the other side of the bus where we can't see you, and all you have to do is stand up and walk to the other side. The only reason I did that was to get the TARDIS out of the story because it has too much baggage that not everyone (myself included) is familiar with.

 

Also, I see no problem with a Translator Button on the bus, as Jewels suggested.

[Actaeon]

Let's retcon in the translator. And, in future, let's avoid any transformations that fundamentally alter the plot. The fact that they're taking place is a plot point, but the specifics should not be.

[Balladeer]

Might have to be more specific than that. I think to move forward, these questions need to be nailed down:

 

!. Where is the bus now in relation to the SW forum? (close by or far away?)

 

2. When is the bus now in relation to the SW forum? (in the past, future, or same time?)

 

3. Are all currently active participants now at the bus from Trinit Eye's bringing them over? (Trinit Eye could have brought over some rubble for Randomizer to keep rummaging through if the bus is far.)

 

4. What is the blue dot? Or if it is still an unknown, what is the blue dot definitely NOT? (i.e. Not a demon or not the TARDIS or not a ball or wild RP energy.... or not a continuing part of the RP because it is too confusing?)

 

By all rights, you, Oh Mighty Actaeon, are in charge of this RP. I will defer to your wisest of decisions and retcon to before the transformations I so callously made.

[Actaeon]

1. Where is the bus now in relation to the SW forum? (close by or far away?)

 

2. When is the bus now in relation to the SW forum? (in the past, future, or same time?)

 

The bus is in the middle of an RP, which the occupants are unwittingly producing from leftover RP energy. It might still be standing right next to the forum, but it's impossible to tell and impossible to leave as long as the energy remains, even with a psychic monster.

 

3. Are all currently active participants now at the bus from Trinit Eye's bringing them over? (Trinit Eye could have brought over some rubble for Randomizer to keep rummaging through if the bus is far.)

 

Yes.

 

4. What is the blue dot? Or if it is still an unknown, what is the blue dot definitely NOT? (i.e. Not a demon or not the TARDIS or not a ball or wild RP energy.... or not a continuing part of the RP because it is too confusing?)

 

The blue dot is a RP energy made manifest by the bus's community spirit drive, and is interacting with the bus in unpredictable ways.

[keira]

The bus is in the middle of an RP, which the occupants are unwittingly producing from leftover RP energy. It might still be standing right next to the forum, but it's impossible to tell and impossible to leave as long as the energy remains, even with a psychic monster.

obligatory tel'aran'rhoid reference.

[Student of Trinity]

My idea of Trinit Eye's power does not extend to transporting rubble through time and space. All he did was enable everyone to find the way. Rubble can't walk.

 

I see no need to rope Randomizer in if he'd rather lurk in the ruins. Not everybody participates in RPs. It's in character for some people not to join the bus group.

 

The problem with making the blue dot so critical is that so far it doesn't seem to have done anything. If we want it to be the big plot focus, then we need to get more action out of it.

[Actaeon]

Hasn't done anything? It turned me into a newt!

 

(... I got better.)

[Harehunter]

That blue dot has split a hare, (and unsplit him). I like your explanation, Actaeon, that it is generated from or feeds on the energy of the RP's. Another similar creature was the energy entity from the Star Trek episode "Day of the Dove". It does not have to be a central plot item, but it can be used to explain strange and unpredictable circumstances. Also, how do the gremlins under the bonnet play into the behaviour of the bus?

 

I think SoT's effort to bring back the V.raptors needs to be fleshed out. Dikiyoba has a pet that could result in more conflict with them, and Jewel has become one. There is great potential for an active plot line here.

[Randomizer]

I see no need to rope Randomizer in if he'd rather lurk in the ruins. Not everybody participates in RPs. It's in character for some people not to join the bus group.

I got yanked into the RP when another poster added me. I sat out the earlier version that Slarty started. Besides someone has to clean up the mess here.

[Actaeon]

I think I added you, Randomizer, but just as a generic mod. I didn't intend to force you into participating, though I'm glad you have.

[The Reverend]

Things seem to have stalled a bit the past couple days. Maybe its time for the Reverend to wake from his slumber...

[Balladeer]

Retconned as neatly as I could putting everything to do with the tardis into Jewels' head while everyone else went on around her. ADoS, if you need that staff, you could always just pretend that you had it all along. Or say you fell asleep with a dream of having it brought to you only to have it appear on your lap when you awoke. Or it could have been on the bus the whole time since it IS your bus. I think that's the only thing the tardis brought about that should still be IC.

 

My post ends shortly before Trinit Eye comes rolling back out of the forest but I didn't want my post to be monster long. Anyone who wants to, feel free to use my character in the raptor pack solution.

[Student of Trinity]

Okay, I have just retconned stasis. We can leave it there forever, or come up with something. At least everyone now has a definite task. Cope with your raptor!

[Upon Mars.]

Ados can you edit out the part where I get killed and where I'm an imp? Thank you.

[The Almighty Doer of Stuff]

No, sorry. Too much has happened since then, too many posts. Anyway, Jewels has retconned a large swath out of the RP into a dream her raptor had, including that post, so feel free to resume your Martian-in-a-human-golem role or whatever if you think that will make the RP better.

[Actaeon]

If it's within my power, I'd like to officially put Spiderbus to rest. Iffy will be coming out with a new RP in the not so distant future. I'm still working on a hybrid RP/RPG, and I think I'll have a pretty cool web interface to go with it. Meanwhile, the rest of you can think of what YOU might like to do in this regard. I think there are many more potential participants in role playing than are currently involved.

[Upon Mars.]

No, sorry. Too much has happened since then, too many posts. Anyway, Jewels has retconned a large swath out of the RP into a dream her raptor had, including that post, so feel free to resume your Martian-in-a-human-golem role or whatever if you think that will make the RP better.

 

Ok.

[Student of Trinity]

We can leave things frozen in time. The RP energy giveth, and the RP energy taketh away. I am a bit curious what went wrong, here.

 

Did the initial premise provide too little direction? I would have thought we could all have just improvised something fun together. Somehow, though, nothing much seemed to happen. Even though we had a freaking raptor attack. Sheesh, you know? Maybe that's just my bias, though. I want to see wild things happen. Otherwise I might as well just go back to work.

 

One feeling I have is that people's improvisations all tended to be too passive. We invented settings, rather than events. Cool settings are great, but they're not enough, in my view, if they don't also suggest cool events. Or we gave our characters handicaps, like being invisible or incommunicative, that had to be alleviated in order for anything to happen, but whose solution only restored the default status quo, of visibility and communication, and led to no interesting consequences. I'm all for interesting handicaps, but I'd like to see them come with interesting advantages, too, so that we can have unusual stuff happen, instead of just being even more restricted than in real life.

 

If I had to make a snap diagnosis, guessing wildly, I'd venture that we were maybe over-reacting to previous experiences where individuals ran away with the story. So we were too timid. Nobody wanted to give the story a great big shove, and it died the awful death of tiny nudges. That's just a guess, though, and may simply reflect the fact that we didn't get the kind of rollicking adventure that I happened to want.

 

Oh well. Trinit Eye was fun. I may revive him someday, somewhere.

[Harehunter]

Actually, I like Trinit Eye very much. My guess for the lack of activity is that there are many distractions at this time, I myself am finding little time to craft a decent bit of prose to contribute, and what stuff I do come up with, I have to dream it on another thread. I promised Actaeon I wouldn't foul his bus.

 

I'm still unclear as to the nature of that blue spot, or is it a Tardis now. I hear it pulsing like a heart-beat, waiting for the next spurt of energy.

 

Right now I am waiting for Trinit Eye to appear on the scene with those velociraptors.

And just how intelligent is Dikiyoba's pet? Diki Yoda seems like the name of a height challenged wizard of some sort.

 

And Reverend, why did you have to slug yourself? It's your fault I'm laying on my back counting birdies!

[Student of Trinity]

I made one last update where Trinit Eye did re-appear on the scene, with the raptors, but then the blue dot somehow froze time, with the raptors in mid-spring and Trinit Eye half a meter from impact with the side of the bus.

[keira]

The reason the RP died was because there were eight billion things going on and no direction. It was like having twelve drivers on one bus all trying to steer.