Ponies AMA [Prep]

We’ve talked about this a few times, so here’s the thread that collects everything.

What is it? An AMA (Ask Me Anything) involving Link (originally) plus anyone else on the team who wants to come along or can be dragooned into doing so. We take over a coffee shop and talk to these people who have been around for us, and are relying on us. This would be happening in the next couple of game days.

What’s in it for the GM? This is a vehicle for world-building and introduction of new plot elements via rumors and questions. e.g. “what are you guys doing now that Iconoclast escaped?” “Icono-what?” “Concord, what do you know about the older you that is flying over New York?” “There’s a huh?”

What’s in it for the players? Hopefully some fun NPC interaction! It’s also an opportunity for character development (e.g. WADWJQ, more on that below) in ways the characters themselves might have resisted.

What’s in it for the characters? It’s a good chance to spread our message via our generation’s social media channels, and not rely on HHL mythologizing or AEGIS PR flacks. We get to talk about what matters to us, in a way that’s comfortable for us. Specific PCs might also get specific benefits.

If the players are interested in seeing this happen interactively, and/or there’s interest from Margie and K who are not normally forum active, we can do it as part of a regular session. If the only people who care are on forums, or if we think we can do it offline, that’s fine too.

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954635

Win A Date With Jason Quill:

Originally posted here: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5953890/

Bill G. said:
The rules are simple.

  1. The contest is open to anyone present for the AMA plus anyone to whom anyone in the Menagerie extends an invitation.
  2. Essay question: what good do you think the Quill Foundation could and should do under Jason’s direction?
  3. Jason himself can also enter, if he wins, he can spend the day as he likes.
  4. Entries are evaluated by our secret celebrity guest judge (really Dave).

This is Numina sneakily, or not so sneakily, trying to get Jason more socially engaged, out of his “castle of ghosts and regret”, and in a way that does him some good even if nobody wins the date. Even if he’s grumpy about it, Jason will hopefully get a bunch of thoughtful essays about how outside people see his Foundation and his potential. And it will hopefully get the Ponies to seriously look into what Jason Quill actually does, and hopefully get the Foundation itself some positive attention from more people.

If other players want to join in (Win A Date With Harry Gale?), I’m all on board with that too.

author: Bill G.
url: Community Forums: Ponies AMA [Prep] | Roll20: Online virtual tabletop

If whatever Mike & Doyce are cooking up lands by then, or Adam’s secret ID is no longer a limiting factor on him (and it sounds like this is the case, so I’ll go ahead unless Mike says something), this is also a venue where Link could unmask (and see where that goes…) I can’t think of any other public setting where he might be comfortable doing so.

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954748

If the players are interested in seeing this happen interactively, and/or there’s interest from Margie and K who are not normally forum active, we can do it as part of a regular session. If the only people who care are on forums, or if we think we can do it offline, that’s fine too.

I have pinged the respective parties. Though, to be fair regarding their forum activity, I think the volume of my posting averages out between the three in this household to just one normal person’s volume each, so we are maintaining a certain balance.

author: *** Dave H.
url: Community Forums: Ponies AMA [Prep] | Roll20: Online virtual tabletop

I’m hoping they’re interested and have fun stuff they’d like to see come of it. :slight_smile:

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954844

Bill G. said:

If whatever Mike & Doyce are cooking up lands by then, or Adam’s secret ID is no longer a limiting factor on him (and it sounds like this is the case, so I’ll go ahead unless Mike says something)

This is less me cooking things up and more me telling Doyce, “Hey, here are some ideas. I’m open to any or all of them, no matter how contradictory they are.” I’m sure Doyce would accommodate anything I’m dead set on doing, but I’m more of a “gardener” storyteller than an “architect” one: Set up all the pieces on the board and then let them free to see what they morph into.

author: Mike
url: Community Forums: Ponies AMA [Prep] | Roll20: Online virtual tabletop

I’ll go ahead with my thing then. :slight_smile: It’s certainly going to morph into something, though I have no idea what.

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954858

Regardless of Adam’s identity status when we get to this, I’m excited.

I can imagine there being a lot of questions directed towards the Universal Concordance and Sol just stonewalling with “This is not information this unit is at liberty to share.”

“Man, they just want to know how you’re enjoying Earth…”

author: Mike
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954867

I wonder how literal he still is. “CEREAL ENJOYMENT STATUS IS NOT AVAILABLE TO CIVILIANS.” “Sol, Cap’n Crunch is not actually a Captain. It’s not a military rank.” “THEN THIS INFORMATION MAY BE DISCLOSED?” “Affirmative.” “IT IS SUFFICIENTLY CRUNCHY.”

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954876

Bill G. said:

I wonder how literal he still is.

I never really thought of him being overly literal or particularly liked that trope in general. Funny? Yes. Sensible? Not really. Since he uses a form of telepathy to communicate, the ideas should flow naturally (filtered through both Adam’s understanding and Solaris’ own cultural assumptions). Now once he’s a focused, free-roaming, non-terminal repeating spirit to help communication that doesn’t involve Adam relaying info for him… probably still not.

Now cultural differences. I can get behind some cultural differences.

“Have you watched television.”

“I am aware of your emotional manipulation devices. The technology is primitive in comparison to other species’ we’ve encountered, but others have so much voluntary involvement in public sacrifices of dignity. You are a very giving people.”

“Sol, are you snarking?”

“‘Snark’ would be unCompassionate. I am merely being critically Truthful.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Functionally, nothing.”

author: Mike
url: Community Forums: Ponies AMA [Prep] | Roll20: Online virtual tabletop

That’s quite helpful and interesting, +1 :slight_smile:

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5954978

+1

author: *** Dave H.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5956531

I’m going to jump in here and say:

Please RP some NPCs for a second and post AMA questions that the Ponies would have gotten (and to whom the question is directed, if that’s relevant). Anyone can play, everyone will win!

author: Doyce T.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5979449

I’m sure Kaylee could contribute questions too, in which case everyone wins except Leo’s love life. More seriously, if there is an actual audience for the game itself, I think their questions would be neat to hear, and probably surprising too.

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5979680

The Ponies ask their fans for help.

author: Doyce T.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5979920

Doyce T. said:

The Ponies ask their fans for help.

Holy crap it worked.

author: Doyce T.
url: Community Forums: Ponies AMA [Prep] | Roll20: Online virtual tabletop

I’ve also put the word out to my folks who follow the game. At least a few questions should trickle in tonight and tomorrow.

author: Mike
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5980035

Pro: within a couple hours of posting, you’re getting responses via social media, which I think really validates the fiction too.
Con: you have to read Youtube comments, not normally recommended.

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5980038

Some of the questions might need some adjustment (e.g. I see one of those comments asks about Link’s AI, which he hasn’t explained to the public yet), but the spirit of the question should be easily transferable and/or seen as a followup to the necessarily first “how did you…” question.

author: Bill G.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/5980191

Mike, I need to get your friends’ AMA questions. I am compiling a list…

author: Doyce T.
url: https://app.roll20.net/forum/permalink/6043923