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Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Nope. Only hardcore. Only freeform.

C. Try to remember how everything really happened.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
I am unsure if you aren't doing it on purpose. :M
feelings mutual, brovill. :M

Anyway, Shun noticing things is one thing - the guy virtually mastered WQS in no time flat and was able to use it on an immortal. We're talking about a genius here. Jing is just a guy figuring things out as he goes along. Does he know that Zhang is lucky? Sure. I know that someone who wins the lottery three times is lucky too. I might even suspect that they have some sort of weird supernatural blessing on them. But am I convinced of that to the point that I start making life or death decisions based on it? Nope.

Bottom line: the question you have to ask yourself is, would you be so sure that this guy had a luck superpowers if there was no luck stat in this lp? Or would there be a lot more room for doubt?

Meta is as meta does, but meta can be and probably is right.
 

Kayerts

Arcane
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
883
Anyway, Shun noticing things is one thing - the guy virtually mastered WQS in no time flat and was able to use it on an immortal. We're talking about a genius here. Jing is just a guy figuring things out as he goes along. Does he know that Zhang is lucky? Sure. I know that someone who wins the lottery three times is lucky too. I might even suspect that they have some sort of weird supernatural blessing on them. But am I convinced of that to the point that I start making life or death decisions based on it? Nope.

Bottom line: the question you have to ask yourself is, would you be so sure that this guy had a luck superpowers if there was no luck stat in this lp? Or would there be a lot more room for doubt?

Meta is as meta does, but meta can be and probably is right.

Jing clearly believes in the existence of luck:

The Prologue said:
“Well, he bought me because of what those toys told him. And he might just be right, I mean, look at my luck.”

Shun looks exasperated as he grabs you by the shoulders. “I have told you this many times, Jing. You are not cursed with bad luck. All you are is a person who has encountered misfortune, and there is no evidence that will happen till the day you die. You are focusing overwhelmingly on the bad things that happen to you and not the good - that is why you think your luck is poor. Superstitious nonsense is going to drag our country into the grave, and I don’t need that from you of all people.”

“Wait, you don’t believe in the gods or ghosts, then?” you grin. You know he is deathly scared of ghosts.

Which makes sense. His own luck is shitty, and barring our involvement in his life, he lacks obvious levels of incompetence that would account for his misfortune. Moreover, since having that dialogue, he has personally met multiple gods and ghosts, i.e. supernatural beings who influence the outcome of events favorably or unfavorably based on their disposition toward those involved.

With that said, I'm not totally sold on the idea that Jing would consider Manxing to have especially good luck, given that Manxing has had the misfortune to keep running into this bizarrely omnipresent Man Tiger Pig fucker in multiple locations, vast distances apart, and consequently keeps ending up beaten/bloodied/dickless. Manxing's most remarkable case of good fortune--surviving seemingly certain death by falling off a cliff, then meeting with and studying with the most skilled practitioner of his kind in the world--has happened to Jing himself twice, one instance of which was with the exact same dude.
 

Kz3r0

Arcane
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
27,026
It's not that Manxing is lucky, what sustains him is our incredible bad luck, probably the moment we decide to ignore him will be his death.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
Anyway, Shun noticing things is one thing - the guy virtually mastered WQS in no time flat and was able to use it on an immortal. We're talking about a genius here. Jing is just a guy figuring things out as he goes along. Does he know that Zhang is lucky? Sure. I know that someone who wins the lottery three times is lucky too. I might even suspect that they have some sort of weird supernatural blessing on them. But am I convinced of that to the point that I start making life or death decisions based on it? Nope.

Bottom line: the question you have to ask yourself is, would you be so sure that this guy had a luck superpowers if there was no luck stat in this lp? Or would there be a lot more room for doubt?

Meta is as meta does, but meta can be and probably is right.

Jing clearly believes in the existence of luck:
never said he didn't. In fact, I just said that he probably believes the guy has some sort of weird luck. But does he believe it to the point of making decisions along the lines of what Nevill suggested? I do, but I don't think our character has seen enough concrete proof of the guy's luck to do that without us nudging his paranoia a bit. Hence why I think the idea tends toward what Nevill usually chides me for as "meta".

Also, I wonder if Jing still truly believes he has bad luck now that he has a harem, master level fighting skills, his own cult and the favor of the emperor?
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
Eeep! Never mind...

Though he is still possessed and fated to at best become some lunatic god of war who betrays people all the time - but he doesn't know that.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
In fact, I just said that he probably believes the guy has some sort of weird luck. But does he believe it to the point of making decisions along the lines of what Nevill suggested? I do, but I don't think our character has seen enough concrete proof of the guy's luck to do that without us nudging his paranoia a bit. Hence why I think the idea tends toward what Nevill usually chides me for as "meta".
Lambchop,

We are not in a disagreement on what to vote for currently. We are not in a disagreement on what we think about zhang manxing and why we think that way. We are not in a disagreement about the characters' motivations, either. In fact, we are using the very same arguments which are just phrased a bit differently.

So far the only point of contention is whether we think it is 'meta' or not to acknowledge zhang's luck.

You said that what you've seen was enough for you to affect your decision making process. But do you know anything about zhang manxing that our character also does not know? Everything you've learned about his supernatural vitality, you have observed through our character's eyes. Not from GM's side commentary, not from some interludes - you've seen it in the updates themselves.

The only thing Jing didn't witness is his own death by aphrodisiac, but he got to see BJ in the same predicament instead, teaching him the very same lesson.

If that is enough for you to base your decisions on, why would Jing be oblivious to it?

Compare it to the DEMONZ, where the only things pointing to our possession were two failed saving throws and an ending that will not happen for another hundred years. Meanwhile, all Jing knows is that some guy tried to confuse him, messed with his memories somehow, but ultimately failed and is now dead. As far as Jing is concerned, the case is closed and the Sword Demon is no more. He certainly does not feel the urge to collect ALL THE SWORDS (in fact, he gives them away), and nothing seems out of the ordinary just yet.

Now, do you see why one is 'meta' and the other is not?

Also, I wonder if Jing still truly believes he has bad luck now that he has a harem, master level fighting skills, his own cult and the favor of the emperor?
I would not say it came to him effortlessly, as being 'lucky' would imply. He had to work for it. Hard.

Maybe having to fight for something other people find natural is a testament of bad luck in itself.

Edit: I almost forgot about this:
Bottom line: the question you have to ask yourself is, would you be so sure that this guy had a luck superpowers if there was no luck stat in this lp? Or would there be a lot more room for doubt?
I would not have called it 'luck superpowers', but I would notice his uncanny ability to get away with what he does and fuck up everyone who tries to kill him. I would ascribe it to some higher narrative purpose that requires him to stay alive, and would have adjusted my behavior accordingly.

Resulting, effectively, in the same thing.

It wasn't out of the kindness of my heart that I didn't want to kill him in Qingcheng, you know? I just believed it would not be worth it - just like it was not worth it two times before that. I don't even remember if his luck was even mentioned at this point, and I thought we would be able to kill him for sure.
 
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ChumBucket

Augur
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
349
Please forgive my ignorance, but could someone give me some background on this? I have no idea what a Big Wang adventure is.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Neither do we.

But judging by the mention of their junior apprentice, it is LORD Zhang's coming of age story. My body is ready.
 

ChumBucket

Augur
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
349
Ah, I thought there was a possibility this was a refernce to an update in a previous LP, or a non-cannon update that I missed. Thanks. :salute:
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
Bottom line: the question you have to ask yourself is, would you be so sure that this guy had a luck superpowers if there was no luck stat in this lp? Or would there be a lot more room for doubt?
I would not have called it 'luck superpowers', but I would notice his uncanny ability to get away with what he does and fuck up everyone who tries to kill him. I would ascribe it to some higher narrative purpose that requires him to stay alive, and would have adjusted my behavior accordingly.

Resulting, effectively, in the same thing.
objection! *slams hands down on the desk* cue Phoenix wright victory music...

Busted. So according to this, if you didn't have the meta knowledge about the luck stat (which the character does not know for certain exists), you would use OTHER meta knowledge relating to this being a narrative (which the character is certainly not aware of). Your reasoning, bro, is meta as fuck. :troll:
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
You got me, bro.

In the tongue of the Old Ones, they call me The Guardian Of Meta. No decision is considered without consulting the character's sheet first, no reasoning is given without implicitly pandering to the 'Dex secret desire for MORE SWORDS, no choice is made without conspiring with the DEMONZ to make us both reach their perfect ending. There in no Power but the Narrative, and OOC updates are its prophets.

All of the rerolls were carefully planned actions, for without the first one we would not have learned that Bai Jiutian was a girl, which would make us forsake visiting Mount Hua. Therefore, it was essential for us to die for the first time to make it to the gourge, whereupon we had to die for the second time to ensure that the 'Dex would continue mashing its WQS button in any out-of-the-ordinary situation - which, in turn, brought us together with the DEMONZ.

There can be no escape, there can be no salvation. The ending was set from the very beginning. The serpent have finally bit its own tail.

Now that you have learned my darkest secret, I have no choice but to have you dealt with.

It is for the peace of the world, you understand. Don't take it personally.

Henceforth I shall endeavor to convince the 'Dex to go full homo and make you leave this LP in disgust and despair, never to return.

...you only have yourself to blame, you know?
 
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