[GGG4] Quantum Bums

[mtiru]

also, my local branch of the library has the old ESPN video series about the Dodgers.

i haven't seen it in a while - but I remember the episode about the move to LA, where O'Malley's #2 guy was saying:

"We looked out the window of O'Malley's office and saw a line full of Puerto Ricans waiting for their welfare checks and knew it was time to go."

i can go by and check it out if anyone wants to see it.

[phredd]

"We looked out the window of O'Malley's office and saw a line full of Puerto Ricans waiting for their welfare checks and knew it was time to go."

Wow. Well that sets the stage, doesn't it?

Which brings me to asking about lines and veils* for this game. We've already talked about sex a bit and decided that it would be veiled.

What other lines and veils should be in place? There's going to be a racism component to our game and I think it'll be front and center for some episodes. Since we're not HBO and it's no longer the 1970s, I'd suggest that we draw a line such that racial epithets are not used, at least not the strongest.

I also wonder if sexual violence might become germane if things play out a certain way. I'd be happy to draw a line against that as well, and by doing so now, we'll have that in mind as we frame our scenes, etc.

Anything else? I'm very open to discussion. I'd also suggest that we enforce lines according to the level that our most restrictive player is comfortable with.

I'm suggesting this not just to mark things out of line. Without this conversation, there are things I know I won't touch with a 10 foot pole as the Producer, but if all of you strongly indicate that you're comfortable with the line being somewhere less restrictive than my assumptions, then I'll know that I can push things further than I might otherwise.

*Thanks for the link Thor!

[phredd]

Oh, and I'm reading Bums right now, which is definitely getting my brain percolating. O'Malley isn't just coming off as a villain in it, he's being depicted as more machiavellian than Emperor Palpatine. There's a few tricks I have up my sleeve now that I may get to pull out on y'all.

I hope y'all have thought up some names too. And if you guys don't name the bar before we start tomorrow night, I'll do it.

[mtiru]

i think part of my characters Self Destruction issue is going to be related to racism (coming back in time and seeing a more-overtly racist society, and basically feeling that America isn't worth saving).

i would ask that the other protagonists not be bigots - there's less reason for them to work together in the story. i think that racism can still be discussed without laying on the epithets, but they ~should not~ be off limits for purpose of color.

we've said our show is "basic cable" so does that mean language limits?

i'd say no to sexual violence. i think that surviving sexual violence is material for a whole other series - there's no way for us to include it and do it any justice. i think we've already drawn a line about guns and gunplay.

character name: Keith Kamau Robinson (goes by Kamau)

bar name: Bumrest

[jenskot]

For this specific game I would suggest:

- PG13 sex
- No in scene sexual violence. As a background element I don't mind
- Any violence should have believable consequences.
- No de-protagonizing any of the player's characters by other players via their stakes. For example, no player characters killing other player characters unless there is a way for that players to continue playing a protagonist over 7 sessions.

Can you give me examples of strong racial epithets? I suspect this will come up and want to be clear about where to draw the line. My character will not be racist though. He's much more classist.

I'm ok enforcing lines according to the level of our most restrictive player as long as it doesn't interfere with the game or any of the player character's premises. Like if someone said no drugs, that would force me to change my character. But at the same time it is more important to me that everyone have fun and I will redo my character if I have to.

Mtiru, when you mentioned "i think we've already drawn a line about guns and gunplay", did you mean "any violence should have believable consequences" or something more?

[phredd]

i think part of my characters Self Destruction issue is going to be related to racism (coming back in time and seeing a more-overtly racist society, and basically feeling that America isn't worth saving).

i would ask that the other protagonists not be bigots - there's less reason for them to work together in the story. i think that racism can still be discussed without laying on the epithets, but they ~should not~ be off limits for purpose of color.

Sounds good to me.

we've said our show is "basic cable" so does that mean language limits?

Hmm... I think it might be fun to have language limits, more to evoke the pseudo wholesomeness of 1950s media rather than the current limits on what's spoken on television. We could even do something like have no foul language except on a certain set and then have that set feature the bluest of blue language.

i'd say no to sexual violence. i think that surviving sexual violence is material for a whole other series - there's no way for us to include it and do it any justice. i think we've already drawn a line about guns and gunplay.

Also works for me.

character name: Keith Kamau Robinson (goes by Kamau)

bar name: Bumrest

[Timmy Trogdor]

name: Patrick Nicholas O'Hagen

not using racial epithets in play i agree with. However, my character as an irish guy in the 50's would most likely come from a racist family, so i do question if him being a bigot is a bad thing based on the role. so i can actually see it having an influence on my character. (this can always be altered if it bothers everyone, where my family was one of the few on the block who didnt mind minorities).
sexual violence... not in scene... it is the 50's so its an interesting culture to play.
violence has real world effect. GUNS affect people like wise, i.e. NO CASUAL GUNPLAY

i like the idea of no harsh language except on certain sets (i.e. the bar)... it definitely sounds like a fun thing to play (and will keep me from cursing the whole time)


someone give me a 50's vocabulary list and ill speak in an irish accent the whole time with that language!

[mtiru]

my character as an irish guy in the 50's would most likely come from a racist family, so i do question if him being a bigot is a bad thing based on the role. so i can actually see it having an influence on my character. (this can always be altered if it bothers everyone, where my family was one of the few on the block who didnt mind minorities).

i've played enough games with dudes playing up "racism for historical accurancy" to say that i'm not comfortable with having someone play a bigot.

i don't think we're trying to accurately reflect the 50s - and regardless, the Dodgers was the first team to break the color barrier - so there's a reason why issues of racial tolerance might be central to our story.

sexual violence... not in scene... it is the 50's so its an interesting culture to play.
violence has real world effect. GUNS affect people like wise, i.e. NO CASUAL GUNPLAY

i like the idea of no harsh language except on certain sets (i.e. the bar)... it definitely sounds like a fun thing to play (and will keep me from cursing the whole time)

let's say no harsh language except in the bar or in the locker room!

Can you give me examples of strong racial epithets? I suspect this will come up and want to be clear about where to draw the line. My character will not be racist though. He's much more classist.

i did a google search for something that listed common racial epithets and the third link was a white power site so i gave up... i'd say any language that demeans a group based on racial identity or ethnicity.

Mtiru, when you mentioned "i think we've already drawn a line about guns and gunplay", did you mean "any violence should have believable consequences" or something more?

what both you and timmy said. no casual gunplay. violence has realistic implications.

[Timmy Trogdor]

my character as an irish guy in the 50's would most likely come from a racist family, so i do question if him being a bigot is a bad thing based on the role. so i can actually see it having an influence on my character. (this can always be altered if it bothers everyone, where my family was one of the few on the block who didnt mind minorities).

i've played enough games with dudes playing up "racism for historical accurancy" to say that i'm not comfortable with having someone play a bigot.

i don't think we're trying to accurately reflect the 50s - and regardless, the Dodgers was the first team to break the color barrier - so there's a reason why issues of racial tolerance might be central to our story.

i hope you dont think IM a bigot for possibly playin a character like that. I was the kid in the neighborhood who condemned racial slurs.. so if it bothers you, not a problem, i wont play it (thats why i asked).
we'll discuss it more in person tomorrow, but we'll work something out

[phredd]

I'm ready. I gots my chips. I gots the cards. I gots your characters.

Everyone's got a screen presence of 2, so I get a budget of 19.

Hopefully Bird-Poop will get a chance to read the thread today and chime in on the lines and veils so we can finalize 'em.