The primary mode of communication within the community was TML or the traveler mailing list, which went on for more than 20 years.
There are three major dislikes, and all of them came from MegaTraveller and The New Era. The Empress Wave, the Assassination of Strephon, and the Virus. All of these are catastrophic changes in the setting, they rob the players of agency, and remove huge chunks of continuity.
RPGs, much like SF, have always been a mechanism to explore social issues in philosophy, governance, and thought. In Human society I don’t personally believe that “politics” can be avoided in any group anywhere. —of course that’s just one man’s opinion.
Scatter ideas… players are unlikely to move in any specific order or direction because that’s what’s expected. Most experienced players are terrified to do what the GM wants because they believe they’ll all die. Players and GMs are commonly perceived as adversaries, but they should be collaborators. So the GM can scatter ideas and little bits of business al over the place and then the group can choose. Members of the group can ask for elements and the GM can choose. Create the series together, allow the players to affect change in the setting, and never let an NPC do what a player does. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
Back in the 80s we were just guessing most of the time. At least until Akira was released in the United States in 1988 and only then white people started realizing there was a market.
I very much appreciate UpNote for three reasons. First it is a flexible and straightforward notes app. Second, there is a one time purchase option. Third, I can use it for Linux, Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Nothing else combines these value propositions.
I was an Evernote user since version 2 but it has just become a bloated terrible experience, and it’s egregiously expensive. UpNote gives me those key features without any cruft.
Yes, but I thought it was an interesting idea and question for the wider community.
Some people just love to bitch, especially if that's all they do. James Wallis said (IIRC) "Game designs aren't tools, but some game designers are".
Why just RED? Why not a wider group?
I have never met a dice-pool mechanic I didn't dislike or despise. What makes your compelling?
• I refer to this as the 'Video Game Rule'. In the last thirty years the visual aspects of the hobby have become more important because we’re think we are ‘competing’ with video games. Once we realize we are making a different kind of experience it allows the story (that is the narrative elements) to outshine the graphics, if you will.-
Here's a link, but the details are very vague. They are a deus ex machina.