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--- gameplay:new_player_guide:introduction [2017/02/18 11:44]
schrodinger
+++ gameplay:new_player_guide:introduction [2018/08/23 08:10] (current)
macthane
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     * [[gameplay:new_player_guide:introduction#good practice|Good Practice]]
     * [[gameplay:new_player_guide:introduction#mechanics|Mechanics]]
-===== What is Horizon: out of the ashes? =====
+====== What is Horizon: out of the ashes? ======
-Horizon: out of the ashes is a science fiction-themed roleplaying game, which features compelling future events of conflict, lawlessness and survival, set on humanity's only colony planet: Horizon. Despite a futuristic perspective, the lore draws primarily on themes of grit, mystery and intrigue, without glamorizing technology or human nature. In that light, the setting presents a subtly advanced civilization which remains relatable to the present day, rather than portraying a distantly futuristic universe. Since the main setting is the colony world of Horizon, lore is mostly conveyed through the stories and adventures of its people, including war, betrayal and other, stranger events, but if you're new and would like to get a good feel for the background, we thoroughly recommended reading __[[lore:horizon:the_horizon_story|The Horizon Story]]__ in the Lore section.
+Horizon: out of the ashes is a science fiction-themed roleplaying game, featuring compelling future events of oppression, resistance and hard-won survival, set on humanity's only colony planet: Horizon. Despite the futuristic perspective, the world has just a hint of Old West flair and draws primarily on themes of grit, conflict and the unknown, without glamorizing technology or human nature. In that regard, the civilization of Horizon is advanced, but without making a point of it and remains more relatable to the present day, or even the past, than it does to a distant future of bubble domes and space cars. Since the main setting is the colony world of Horizon, story is mostly conveyed through the stories and adventures of its people, including war, betrayal and other, stranger events, but if you're new and would like to get a good feel for the background, we thoroughly recommended reading __[[lore:horizon:the_horizon_story|The Horizon Story]]__ in the Lore section.
-From a gameplay standpoint, Horizon is designed from the ground up to give as much creative freedom as possible, while also offering a unique and immersive setting. We plan to achieve these goals through several approaches. First, is growing Horizon's rich setting organically over time; releasing thematic, story-based lore as well as interactive roleplaying adventures to engage with. Second, the gameplay system is built to be as approchable as possible. We didn't want to lose the depth or variety that make choice-driven gameplay so much fun though, so to meet the challenge of accessibility, we're developing intuitive browser-based apps that do the heavy lifting when it comes to maths and information management. This way, Players have a wealth of choice and flexibility, but with less time searching the rule book and more time forging an epic journey.
+From a gameplay standpoint, Horizon is designed from the ground up to give as much creative freedom as possible, both for the Player building a new Character, and the Director crafting a new story. Trying to achieve this while keeping the system intuitive and focusing the spotlight on a unique and immersive setting has created some unique challenges and lead us to take a different approach with development, compared to many other RPGs. Firstly, we wanted the gameplay system to be as approchable as possible, so it could be fun even for a first-time player but at the same time, we didn't want to lose the depth or variety that keep it fresh for veteran players. To satisfy this balance of accessibility and depth, we're developing intuitive browser-based apps that do the heavy lifting when it comes to maths and information management. This allows Players a wealth of choice and flexibility, but with less time searching the rule book and more time forging an epic journey.
-Our one caveat in this area is our ideal that Horizon: out of the ashes will always be playable with good-ol'-fashioned pencil, paper and dice, because sometimes there just isn't a substitute for sitting around a table to banter with friends.
+Our one caveat in this area is the ideal that Horizon: out of the ashes will always be playable with good-ol'-fashioned pencil, paper and dice, because sometimes there just isn't a substitute for sitting around a table to banter with friends.
-Altogether, we hope to give every Horizon Player a journey all their own. We want to offer something fun, a game that is consistently compelling and can show you something new every time you play. We hope it captures your imagination the way it's captured ours. Even if this page is the furthest you ever go with Horizon, thanks for exploring this far! ~Calder Niven, Creator.
+Altogether, we hope to give every Horizon Player a journey all their own. We want to offer something really fun; a game that is consistently compelling and can show you something new every time you play. We hope it captures your imagination the way it's captured ours. Even if this page is the furthest you ever go with Horizon, thanks for exploring this far! ~Calder Niven, Creator.
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 __COMMUNICATION__
-At its heart, roleplaying is a social activity, in which groups of people get together to share a fun experience. As with any other shared event, it's important to communicate, not just to maintain a friendly atmosphere, but also to make sure everyone knows what's going on. Social activities usually stop being fun if people feel they can't do what they enjoy, especially if that's because of decisions made by someone else. Roleplaying games can often struggle with this issue, and Horizon: out of the ashes is no different. Every Player can create their own custom Character and the Director makes up a unique story themselves. With the number of variables this creates, if every Player is tyring to go their own way and nobody is listening to the Director, the session can quickly grind to a halt or get out of hand. The wide range of choice can add a lot of variety and pleasing depth, but it also makes communication crucial, since every game is different from the last: it's important to share what you're thinking and how you plan to act. Plus, you never know when your conversation might uncover an opportunity you otherwise would have missed! This also leads us to our next point.
+At its heart, roleplaying is a social activity, in which groups of people get together to share a fun experience. As with any other shared event, it's important to communicate, not just to maintain a friendly atmosphere, but also to make sure everyone knows what's going on. Social activities usually stop being fun if people feel they can't do what they enjoy, especially if that's because of decisions made by someone else. Roleplaying games can often struggle with this issue, and Horizon: out of the ashes is no different. Every Player can create their own custom Character and the Director makes up a unique story themselves. With the number of variables this creates, if every Player is tyring to go their own way and nobody is listening to the Director, the session can very quickly grind to a halt or alternatively go completely overboard. This makes communication crucial: it's important to share what you're thinking and how you plan to act. Plus, you never know when your conversation might uncover an opportunity you otherwise would have missed! This also leads us to our next point.
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 __RESPECT__
-We mentioned before that a large part of our vison for Horizon: out of the ashes is creative freedom, for both the Director when making their story, and also for Players building their Characters. Now let's introduce the idea that the freedoms of choice that make the game so fun are mutually dependent. When one Player or the Director doesn't show regard for the others in the group, their fun comes at the cost of someone else's. While this might balance out naturally over time, as unpleasant Players or Directors find they have fewer and fewer people willing to join them for a game, we felt it was better to address this directly right at the start of evryone's Horizon experience: __Let's be considerate, so we can ALL have fun.__ This means several things:
+We mentioned before that a large part of our vison for Horizon: out of the ashes is creative freedom; both for the Director when making their story, and also for Players building their Characters. Now let's introduce the idea that these freedoms of choice that make the game so fun are mutually dependent. When a Player or Director doesn't show regard for the others in the group, their fun comes at the cost of someone else's. While this might balance out naturally over time, as unpleasant Players or Directors find they have fewer and fewer people willing to join them for a game, we felt it was better to address this directly right at the start of evryone's Horizon experience: __Let's be considerate, so we can ALL have fun.__ This means several things:
 <hidden Examples>
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-      * Communicate with your group! Tell them what you want to do and listen when they share their own ideas.  If they misunderstand your actions or intentions, be polite when you approach the matter; if you don't understand theirs, ask openly and try to keep things clear.
+      * **Communicate with your group!** Tell them what you want to do and listen when they share their own ideas.  If they misunderstand your actions or intentions, be polite when you approach the matter; if you don't understand theirs, ask openly and try to keep things clear.
-      * Never assume! If you need to know something about the setting, ask. The Director should be more than happy to answer your questions and provide more details. If it's important to know something about a Character, ask. Players should avoid being secretive in general, but this doesn't mean they have to share everything about their Character if it isn't relevant. Assumptions cause a great deal of confusion when it turns out they are wrong, especially if one person's assumption has been communicated to others without them realising it isn't fact. Asking questions is vital to understanding.
+      * **Never assume!** If you need to know something about the setting, ask. The Director should be more than happy to answer your questions and provide more details. If it's important to know something about a Character, again: ask. While Players don't have to share everything about their Characters and it's perfectly fine for a Character to have a "Dark Secret of which They Will Never Speak", they should avoid being secretive in general since it generally makes group play much harder than it needs to be. Either way, never assume something you don't know. If you have to make an educated guess, make sure that's clear when you share it.
-      * Work with your Director not against them! If they won't allow you to do something you want, it doesn't mean they're being unfair. Try to understand the reason first; there may be more to the situation than you realise, or your actions could be something that the Director didn't anticipate and could ruin the story. If this is only the first time, let it go. Encourage the Director to be straightforward about why they are disallowing your action, but remember it may be for reasons you will discover anyway if you play on!
+      * **Work with your Director not against them!** If they won't allow you to do something you want, it doesn't mean they're being unfair. Try to understand the reason first; there may be more to the situation than you realise, or your actions could be something that the Director didn't anticipate and could ruin the story. If this is only the first time, let it go. This is a major safety net for misunderstandings, since a little forgiveness can go a long way to help people understand each other better and have a better experience overall. Encourage the Director to be straightforward about why they are disallowing your action, but don't labor the point: it may be for reasons you will discover anyway if you play on!
-      * Cooperate! Since everyone gets to play a custom Character, there will often be situations where the Characters in the story don't make any sense as a group. Just roll with it and have fun. Sometimes this will mean suspending your Character's persona slightly to keep the group viable. If you're playing a police officer, don't constantly breathe down the neck of the thief in your group. Find funny ways of looking the other way when they use their skills. Likewise, if you're playing the thief, at least be subtle about it; the Player with the police officer wants to play the game too. The best outcome is for Players to establish a rapport outside the game and agree to give each other room to play without anyone having to give up on their Character.
+      * **Cooperate!** Since everyone gets to play a custom Character, there will often be situations where the Characters in the story don't make any sense as a group. Just roll with it and have fun. Sometimes this will mean suspending your Character's persona slightly to keep the group viable. If you're playing a police officer, don't constantly breathe down the neck of the thief in your group. Find entertaining methods for looking the other way when they use their Skills. Likewise, if you're playing the thief, at least be subtle about it; the Player with the police officer wants to play the game too. The best outcome is for Players to establish a rapport outside the game and agree to give each other room to play without anyone having to give up on their Character.
-      * Don't be a jerk! Don't abuse other Players' Characters unless you have their __explicit consent__ for you to play your Character in that way. It's not an excuse to say, "I'm just playing the part." Surely you acknowledge when you create a Character that you're not planning to sit in a room by yourself, pretending to be a cat burglar from another planet, so if you want to be part of the group, then be a team player. Often times the least likely groups can also be the most fun! In the event that you really, honestly can't agree, ask the Director for an executive decision on who has the "right of way" in a given situation. The Director's word is final.
+      * **Don't be a jerk!** Don't abuse other Players' Characters unless you have their __explicit consent__ for you to play your Character in that way. It's not an excuse to say, "I'm just playing the part." Surely you acknowledge when you create a Character that you're not planning to sit in a room by yourself, pretending to be a cat burglar from another planet. __If you want to be part of a group, then be a team player__. Often times, the least likely groups can also be the most fun! In the event that you really, honestly can't agree, ask the Director for an executive decision on who has the "right of way" in a given situation. The Director's word is final.
-      * Don't hide things from the Director! Chances are, the Director only wants information about your Character so they can give you a better interactive experience, which is what you want, so don't ruin it for yourself. If you don't want other members of the group to know something secret about your Character, it's perfectly fine to ask for privacy before talking to the Director, but if you hide things from the person running your game, don't be upset when they refuse to let you use the things you were hiding.
+      * **Don't hide things from the Director!** Chances are, the Director only wants information about your Character so they can give you a better interactive experience, which is what you want, so don't ruin it for yourself. If you don't want other members of the group to know something secret about your Character, it's perfectly fine to ask for privacy before talking to the Director, but always observe the Rule of Inception: if the Director doesn't know about it, then it doesn't exist.
-      * Everyone plays a part in having a good game! Directors: never get used to saying, "no". When your Players have an awesome idea, which only requires *slight* bending of the rules, really consider it. Roleplaying is about fun, not about sticking to the rules 100%. Don't punish ingenuity if you can avoid it; keep the game entertaining and the benefits will almost always come back to you. Happy Players are more fun and also more likely to respect your word on the occasions when you do need to say "no". Players: Your Director has spent their time and inspiration to create an adventure for you. Please be respectful of their creation when playing, just as you would want them to be respectful of your Character. Maybe you don't like the story, or the way they run the game. Maybe the Director doesn't like the way you play your Character because it makes running the game a chore. It's perfectly fine to disagree, but approach this with a positive, problem solving attitude. Communicate and try to find common ground.
+      * **Everyone plays a part in having a good game!** Directors: never get accustomed to saying, "no". When your Players have an awesome idea, which only requires //slight// bending of the rules, really consider it. Roleplaying is about fun, not about sticking to the rules 100%. Don't punish ingenuity if you can avoid it; keep the game entertaining and the benefits will almost always come back to you. Happy Players are more fun and also more likely to respect your word on the occasions when you do need to say "no". Players: Your Director has spent their time and inspiration to create an adventure for you. Please be respectful of their creation when playing, just as you would want them to be respectful of your Character. Maybe you don't like the story, or the way they run the game. Maybe the Director doesn't like the way you play your Character because it makes running the game a chore. It's perfectly fine to disagree, but approach this with a positive, problem solving attitude. Communicate and try to find common ground where you can. Remember though that sometimes, different people just enjoy different things. If you're not enjoying the experience, try another group.
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-__ACTION POINTS__
+=== Action Points ===
 Action Points, or AP, are the currency of action in Horizon: out of the ashes and represent the amount of useful activity produced when a Character tries to do something. When a Character uses their Skills, the effectiveness of the attempt depends on the number of AP they can generate. The more difficult an action is, the higher the required AP score will be, so the more AP a Character can generate the better.
@@ Line 106: / Line 106: @@
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-__TESTS__
+=== TESTS ===
-When a Character attempts an action, tests are the method for deciding whether or not they are successful. The basic concept is fairly simple; the more difficult an action is, the higher the AP Threshold, or in other words, the number of AP required to succeed. On that basis, the more AP a Character can generate, the more difficult actions they can accomplish. As a Character grows, they become stronger, allowing them to generate more AP for their desired abilities. There are several ways a Character can achieve this:
+When a Character attempts an action, tests are the method for deciding whether or not they are successful. The basic concept is fairly simple; the more difficult an action is, the higher the AP Threshold, or in other words, the higher the number of AP required to succeed. On that basis, the more AP a Character can generate, the more difficult actions they can accomplish. As a Character grows, they become stronger, allowing them to generate more AP for their desired abilities. There are several ways a Character can achieve this:
+  * __Skills__
+    * __Skills__ represent specific actions performed in the game. When a Character wants to perform a given action, they will use a Skill to do so.
+      * For example, if a Character wants to hack a computer, they would use the Tech Lore Skill, because this Skill represents a Character's knowledge and competence in working with technology.
+    * When using Any Skill, it provides +1AP for each rank it has.
+      * For example, if a Character has 5 ranks in Tech Lore, then they would gain +5AP in any test using Tech Lore, such as hacking, crafting technology, talking about technology or analyzing technology.
+    * Skill bonuses are always the same and stack fully with any other bonuses. This means that A Character will always get the benefit of their Skill ranks, even if other bonuses are random or only apply in specific circumstances.
+    * For more information on specific Skills and their effects, see the __[[system:skills:skills_list|Skills List]]__ or for a more detailed guide on how Skills work, see the __[[system:skills:Skill_mechanics|Skill Mechanics]]__ page.
+  * __Evolutions__
+    * __Evolutions__ are specialized bonuses to a Skill that represent focused practice or learning. These abilities offer larger bonuses; +5AP per rank instead of the +1AP from Skills, but only affect a specific usage of the Skill.
+      * For example, if a Character has the Tech Lore Skill, they could then add ranks to the Interface Evolution, which would offer the Character +5AP per rank when they are using Tech Lore for interacting with software (like hacking or repairing code), but would offer no bonus if the Character is using Tech Lore for anything else, such as crafting technology, analyzing something technological or conversing on the subject of technology.
+    * Skills can have any number of Evolutions at the same time.
+    * Evolutions are purchased with Lesser Mastery Points, rather than Skill Points
+    * Evolutions can be ranked multiple times with addative bonuses.
-  * __Path and Skill bonuses__
-    * __Skills__ represent specific actions. When a Character wants to perform a given action, they will use the matching Skill. For example, if a Character wants to hack a computer, they would use the Interface Skill. The more ranks a Character has in the Interface Skill, the more AP they receive when testing on it, so the higher a Character's rank in a Skill, the more effective they will be. Most Skills grant a +2AP bonus per rank. In some cases, the bonus will be circumstantial, or even offer special effects, rather than an AP bonus. This is especially common with weapon Skills. A new Skill may be unlocked every level, or in other words, every 4 Skill Points spent on a Character, limited to Skills in an available Path. See Paths below. For more information on specific Skills and their effects, see the __[[system:skills:skills_list|Skills List]]__ or for a more detailed guide on how Skills work, see the __[[system:skills:Skill_mechanics|Skill Mechanics]]__ page.
-    * __Paths__ are families of related Skills and represent shared bodies of experience or learning. As such, every rank in a path provides a +1AP bonus to ALL the Skills in that Path. This is not as large a bonus as the +2AP bonus for a Skill, but since it affects all Skills in the Path, it's benefits are worthwhile, especially when a Character has multiple Skills in the same Path. Additionally, the rank of a Skill cannot exceed the rank of its path. For example, if a Character wants to have 2 ranks in the Interface Skill, which is used for hacking, they would first need to have at least 2 ranks in Tech Lore, since that is the Path for the Interface Skill. Note that all bonuses are cumulative. This means with Tech Lore 2 and Interface 2, the Character receives +2AP from Tech Lore for every Skill in the Path and a further +4AP from the Interface Skill itself. These add up to a total of (2 + 4 = +6AP) whenever the Interface Skill is used. Every Character starts with 2 Paths at Character creation, any additional Paths must be unlocked with Perks. This is important to note, because the Skills of a given Path can only be unlocked once the Path itself has been purchased. For more information on Perks, see the __[[system:skills:perks|Perks]]__ page.
   * __Traits and Dice__
     * __Traits__ represent the general strengths and weaknesses of a Character. Each Trait governs a different area of the Character's performance and improves their capabilities in that area with each rank. These areas are:
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       * Physique - Improves speed and strength
       * Vigor - Improves resilience and tenacity
-    * Unlike Paths and Skills, Traits don't provide fixed bonuses to a Character's abilities. Instead, when a Character makes a test, the Player rolls a number of dice depending on the rank of the Trait used. Almost every Skill falls under one of the four Traits listed above. Since Traits are very broad, every Trait benefits a wide range of Skills, but as a trade off, rolled dice are not as reliable as the fixed bonuses offered by Paths and Skills. Whenever a Player makes a test, they roll 1 die for each rank in the associated Trait, much like adding Path and Skill bonuses, but in this case bonus AP are only gained on odd-numbered results, such as 1, 3, 5 and so on. Dice that produce an odd-numbered result are called "scoring dice" and each one grants +2AP to the test, while non-scoring dice give no benefit. The semi-random bonuses from dice rolls add a degree of variability to tests, and have potential to give both the largest and smallest bonuses in the game, so it's important to put high ranks in the Traits a Character needs most. Traits also determine the available ranks for a Character's Passives. For more information on Traits and Passives or Character building, please see the __[[system:traits|Traits]]__ or [[gameplay:new_player_guide:character_creation|Character Creation]] pages.
+    * Unlike Skills and Evolutions, Traits don't provide fixed bonuses to a Character's abilities. Instead, when a Character makes a test, the Player rolls a number of dice depending on the rank of the Trait used. Almost every Skill falls under one of the four Traits listed above. Since Traits are very broad, every Trait benefits a wide range of Skills, but as a trade off, rolled dice are not as reliable as the fixed bonuses offered by Skills or Evolutions. Whenever a Player makes a test, they roll 1 die for each rank in the associated Trait, much like adding up Skill and Evolution bonuses, but in this case bonus AP are only gained on odd-numbered results, such as 1, 3, 5 and so on. Dice that produce an odd-numbered result are called "scoring dice" and each one grants +2AP to the test, while non-scoring dice give no benefit. The semi-random bonuses from dice rolls add a degree of variability to tests, and have potential to give both the largest and smallest bonuses in the game, so it's important to put high ranks in the Traits a Character needs most. Traits also determine the available ranks for a Character's Passives. For more information on Traits and Passives or Character building, please see the __[[system:traits|Traits]]__ or [[gameplay:new_player_guide:character_creation|Character Creation]] pages.