Motivation Question | Eclipse Phase

Mon, 2012-06-11 11:25

#2

CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture

Re: Motivation Question

Octopussing Around is a perfectly good motivation. Performing octopussy things, such as the predicting of important sporting events or escaping particularly curious containment, could very well be considered a motivation. =D

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Mon, 2012-06-11 11:39

#3

Geonis

Re: Motivation Question

The problem might have been in what each person defined it as. So I will ask, what is Octopussing Around? How does it fit as an Ideology or goal? Is it short term or long term? Another thing is to make sure to work with the GM when making motivations, it is important to be usable in game. While "Hunting rogue agents on Mars" is a valid motivation, but is a terrible motivation for a gate-crasher, something I could see a GM being opposed to in certain situations.

Mon, 2012-06-11 11:51

#4

Tyrnis

Re: Motivation Question

I'm with Geonis on this one. It's not that it's necessarily an invalid motivation so much as it is one that needs additional clarification. I look at that motivation and I don't know what you mean by it or how you'd go about accomplishing it. So long as you made it clear what it entailed, I think it would probably be fine.

Mon, 2012-06-11 12:05

#5

Pyrite

Re: Motivation Question

Perhaps it would be better to go with the more-general-yet-more-descriptive +Style.

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Mon, 2012-06-11 13:01

#6

TadanoriOyama TadanoriOyama's picture

Re: Motivation Question

I'd let a player use that as a Motivation in a game if they wanted as long as we had a discussion about what acitivies consitutated Octopussing prior to the game's beginning.

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Mon, 2012-06-11 18:27

#7

DivineWrath DivineWrath's picture

Re: Motivation Question

Quigs wrote:
Is +Octopussing Around a valid motivation?

I don't think its a good motivation. This needs some serious clarification. If I were asked what octupussing around meant, I would draw a blank. It would be like making your motivation dogging around, catting around, or even humaning around. Humaning around would be a very bad motivation as humans have a very broad spectrum of behaviors. In fact, it probably covers the whole spectrum of what we may call intelligent or sapient behaviors (we haven't meet another intelligent or sapient species yet, uplifts and AIs are made to think like us, so we wouldn't know of much else). Basically, it seems that the character is question seems to have the equivalent of the motivation of +Whistling. Whistling doesn't do much for the game. The player might try to argue that because he was whistling, he deserves moxie and rev points. Re-reading the rules for motivations, I would argue that any motivation a character has in the game (for the 3 that are listed on the character sheet and thus offer rewards), they must at the very least have something that could be called goals or significant victories. Motivations basically provide rewards in proportion to the effort applied and risks taken. I think that +Octopusing Around doesn't to meet that criteria (again because I would draw a blank if I tried to describe it, so I couldn't define goals or victories for it). For it, I think the effort applied or risks taken to meet such goals would be trivial, so the reward should be equally trivial. You should be allowed to pat yourself on the back for a job well done "Good for you!". You might do better to make motivations such as +Exploration, or +Maintaining Octopus Stereotypes. +Exploration would make it so that your character explores (something *I think* octopuses do, requires effort and risk, but can offer good rewards). The character should be considered to reached a goal when it finds something interesting. +Maintaining Octopus Stereotypes might be what your are looking for as it'll give you a good reason to "Octopusing around". It can be a good motivation for an entertainers, as it would likely require effort to perfect your acts that reinforce stereotypes.

Tue, 2012-06-12 00:34

#8

Decivre

Re: Motivation Question

Quigs wrote:
I played an Uplifted Octopus in a Takka morph last night. The GM and I had an argument about the validity of one of my motivations, so I'm polling you valued readers. Is +Octopussing Around a valid motivation?

If by "octopussing around", you mean "enjoying being an octopus", there are probably better ways to say it. I'd go with "+Hedonism", since that's the philosophy of doing what's pleasurable for yourself above all other goals. If it's pleasurable to enjoy your octopod body to the fullest, then that's hedonism to a "T". If by "octopussing around", you mean "getting a lot of octopussy"... then... yeah, it's still Hedonism. Dirty, dirty hedonism.

CodeBreaker wrote:
Octopussing Around is a perfectly good motivation. Performing [b]octopussy[/b] things, such as the predicting of important sporting events or escaping particularly curious containment, could very well be considered a motivation. =D

I saw the part that I just bolded, and immediately broke out my James Bond boxed set. Damn you, CodeBreaker!!!

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Tue, 2012-06-12 04:24

#9

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: Motivation Question

I would probably allow it, but tell the player that *I*, the GM, would be the judge of whether the character actually was octopussing around. Most likely I would reward moxie just when the PC did something cephalopodically strange that advanced the enjoyment of the game or the plot. Motivations can be very strange, and are a good way of fleshing out characters. One PC/NPC (it is complicated with forking...) has "helping humanity" as a motivation. Except that the specific idea for helping humanity (via transcending and making the world mythical) makes the character behave more than a little erratic. An AGI with the motivation "paperclips" can be downright frightening.

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Tue, 2012-06-12 05:38

#10

Smokeskin

Re: Motivation Question

Quigs wrote:
I played an Uplifted Octopus in a Takka morph last night. The GM and I had an argument about the validity of one of my motivations, so I'm polling you valued readers. Is +Octopussing Around a valid motivation?

I can tell you about one of my main real life personal motivations which could be described as +Cavemanning Around. I wanted to be a professional soldier for the simple reason that sneaking through the woods at night with your squad, trying to ambush an enemy using your cunning and ready to do violence, it is by far the thing I've ever done that's felt most natural. It felt like what I was made to do, and by and large that probably is the case. Whether our ancestors were pack hunting or fighting for their territory that is what they did, and it is what I like to do. Unfortunately a knee injury ended my military career early but I still pursue that feeling, at present through hunting and mixed martial arts. Everyone thought I'd become a scientist when I was younger and I ended up a businessman, but all I really want to do is hunt and fight.

Tue, 2012-06-12 12:45

#11

Xagroth

Re: Motivation Question

I'd say that the player can get the motivation he wants. However, he must be aware that Sir Isaac Newton's law of action and reaction is not limited to physics, so choosing an obscure motivation will, more than likely, produce a character that gets no benefict from that. Not to mention that I wash my hands when a player decides another player is being too annoying and blows that character's head (usually, by that point, it is with my blessing...). Playing kenders to justify being a troll gamer is not a safe practice in my tables. And please notice that there is a difference between trolling every player in the table and just having fun, being funny or trolling non-player characters.

Tue, 2012-06-12 14:04

#12

Quigs

Re: Motivation Question

Yeah, sorry, was just having a bit of fun. I *did* take it as a motivation, with the GM's permission of course. At every opportunity, I used my more perfect body to do things a human couldn't. Combining 8 limbs with grip pads to "sleeze" down a vent shaft. I'd also refer to limbs as having specific purposes, like "I wave to her with my arm of friendly greetings", or "I waggle my tentacle of dubious intent towards the cave entrance". More broadly, when short downtime arrives, if asked what my character is doing for the next hour, the answer is always 'Octopussing Around.'

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Tue, 2012-06-12 15:31

#13

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: Motivation Question

So, what other strange motivations have people used?

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Tue, 2012-06-12 19:30

#14

Anarhista

Re: Motivation Question

Putting aside that +Octopussing Around is joke and parody (after all, this IS a game) to me motivations of my PCa are really important. It is very hard to make good story/adventure if my players are NOT motivated to risk their resources/name/life for... something. Because of that I added character creation questions for bonus experience points (rez p.) which are completely optional but not insignificant. These are: 1) Who were your parents, what happened to them and what was your childhood like? Who or what was your biggest role model in childhood? 2) What basic needs did you had fulfilled in your life and that need were sorely missed? (money, power, love, friendship, home ...) 3) Where did you learn most skills you now possess, and what happened to those people who participated in this period of your life? 4) Who were the people close to you (relationships) and if you're close with someone describe everything about this person? (how, why, where ...), Relationships (I gave this as FREE trait to my players with bonus on dice rolls involved with loved person) need not to be 'positive', it is important that you have someone to whom you care. What is the name of your muse and describe what does it do for you (secretary, 'search engine' for movies, books ..., preparing a meal every day ...) 5) What do you want in life, what motivates you to work 10h a day, risk other lives and your own? How did you land at the current position and what are your future plans? 6) What do you hate, why are you afraid of, what kind of people you despise, what kind of people you hate and how well you control your anger? 7) What are you doing for fun, relaxation? (excluding alcohol ;) 8 ) Where do you live now, with whom, what is your occupation/profession? 9) What changes have occurred in your life when you became a sentinel? 10) Write, in brief, adventure you would like to play with this character? (Now you know WHY I make this questions... shameless isn't it? ;) Relationship: Trait: Relationship (1 to 5) Effect:The character has a reciprocal relationship with a Storyteller character, in which he has at least some emotional investment-the more dots, the more significant relationship. This relationship is a source of strenght and aid. It could be a parent, a sibiling, a child. It could be a lover or an ex-lover. The relationship doesn't have to be a positive one: that ex-wife who you've got to see every week because she's got custody of your kids is still important to you, ven if love turned horribly sour long ago. Your feelings for your going-right-of-the-rails teenage son may be appallingly conflicted, but he's still central in your world. Each purchase of the Trait counts for relationship with one specific Storyteller character. The character can be anyone. Once per scene, you may add your ranks in Relationship Merit*10% to one roll, provided that you can give a plausible rationaleas to why the relationship should aid you.

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So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.

Tue, 2012-06-12 19:06

#15

Geonis

Re: Motivation Question

@Anarhista, Nice list, going to copy it for a character creation resource to help when I hit idea blocks. Might help others to flesh out their characters as well. However, I often go with:

Quote:
No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force.

Once I enter a game, my initial vision of my character may change drastically, they may come out the other end nothing like how they entered. I start with concept and go from there, filling in the details are I play most of the time. I like improv however, both as a player and GM. OT: If it is disrupting the game to much, making it less fun, the motivation is bad. If the motivation is adding to the enjoyment of the game, it is good. Most probably fall in between those.

Tue, 2012-06-12 20:13

#16

DivineWrath DivineWrath's picture

Re: Motivation Question

Anarhista wrote:
Relationship: Trait: Relationship (1 to 5) Effect:The character has a reciprocal relationship with a Storyteller character, in which he has at least some emotional investment-the more dots, the more significant relationship. This relationship is a source of strenght and aid. It could be a parent, a sibiling, a child. It could be a lover or an ex-lover. The relationship doesn't have to be a positive one: that ex-wife who you've got to see every week because she's got custody of your kids is still important to you, ven if love turned horribly sour long ago. Your feelings for your going-right-of-the-rails teenage son may be appallingly conflicted, but he's still central in your world. Each purchase of the Trait counts for relationship with one specific Storyteller character. The character can be anyone. Once per scene, you may add your ranks in Relationship Merit*10% to one roll, provided that you can give a plausible rationaleas to why the relationship should aid you.

Storyteller? Dots? Sounds like you might be getting your rule systems mixed up.

Tue, 2012-06-12 20:28

#17

Anarhista

Re: Motivation Question

DivineWrath wrote:
Storyteller? Dots? Sounds like you might be getting your rule systems mixed up.

I don't use EP game mechanics for my EP campaign. (as you could guess I use WoD system)

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So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.

Tue, 2012-06-12 21:33

#18

DivineWrath DivineWrath's picture

Re: Motivation Question

Anarhista wrote:
DivineWrath wrote:
Storyteller? Dots? Sounds like you might be getting your rule systems mixed up.
I don't use EP game mechanics for my EP campaign. (as you could guess I use WoD system)

I may end up doing that as well. The whole percentile test system they use feels a bit weird for me.

Thu, 2012-06-14 17:36

#19

Xagroth

Re: Motivation Question

Well, while I agree that the new WoD combat system is more balanced than the one in the oWoD, I'd say "Yuk!" to that. But mostly because a lot of exurgents would look and act like a couple of my old characters... Specially a very old Setite with Vicissitude, imagination, and no humanity at all... On the character creation questions, by the way, the best ones I ever found until now were the ones in the 7th Sea player's Handbook (essentially the core book of that line, since the GM book was not that necessary), with 100 questions quite quick to be answered that are really neat (and there are some more in the GM book, including a 100 points "reserve" per player to distribute among the different kind of games that you can offer, so you can see a % of what the players want as a group).