USH'S MATRIX GAME- Oracle Predictions thread.

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Ushgarak
Ok, here I shall be keeping track of what everyone's Oracle's predictions are, for reference. I won't be making it sticky, though, so if you are interested in these I suggest you mark this thread for reference!

Here is what we have so far:

Burn: "Don't doubt your skills, because the time when it seems they are worthless, will be the time when you will need them the most."

Ares: "You will have to make a choice of life and death, and the result will not be what you expect."

Heph: "Your fiery personality will lead to the deaths of many, but in the end, you will be a savior for some."

Rade: "One day you are going to make a choice, and the choice will be the right one. But the effect won't be what you thought it was going to be..."

Coeus: Appearances can be deceiving, but it is up to you to choose her life, or your own

Cloud: "There will be an event, and when it happens you must choose to help yourself, or your friends."

Fire: "At a great moment of your life, you'll have to find out the difference between Illusion and Reality"

These ones have all been cleared and are fine. Some of them, however, have been ruled 'harsh'. If anyone does want to change them, it will have to be done pretty soon because these things will be going into the plot before long.

Then, we have some question marks:

Mors: "You will gain great respect for great accomplishements, but in the end, you will take the fall for what you believe in."

This one is cleared fine, though it seems more suited to the Philosophy path. More to the point, I am unsure if Mors wantesd to change. He made a new one, but that was too specific. Are you sticking with this one, Mors? If so, I need to know what you believe in, which is why it worked better on Philo... maybe a new one would be better?

Virus: (none). We were still working on making a final one for you, Phoe, and we never got around to it!

Celsius: (none). I am afraid your suggested one was more like general advice than a prediction, Kosta. I'll need another.

San and Castor: (pending) I am afraid yours are still awaiting some checks. At this point, I would say that Castor's may be considered anti-social (as it almost certainly invovles other players dying), which does not rule it out but should be considered. San's looks ok but it may be truncated a bit.

The general rules on the Oracle predictions are in the Character Creation thread still. But does anyone want to ask questions or advice about this? This is the thread in which to do it...

Kosta
At one time, when the odds seem stacked against you, you will learn, that they are greateky in your favor

(Is this ok?)

Bespin Bart
I kinda like that one, but I'm trying to even out the combat from the Philosophy.

"You will gain great respect for your accomplishments, but while guilt may stalk your past, you must leave it behind for the good of your friends."

Ushgarak
Ok, gimme a little time to run those over.

Bespin Bart
I think it fits the character better, now that I've worked up the whole thing about Mors being a Captain and losing his ship to Sentinels.

Ushgarak
These are being analyzed now... get back to you soon. I think there may be one or two problems.

Ushgarak
Ok then guys...

Now, we actually have a few problems here. (I may even end up going back over the originals as well...). A lot of wehat is being said is really just general advice or helpful comments. I do have to specify that these are direct predictions of something that WILL happen.

-

Ok, Mors, we have a big vagueness problem here. For a start, there is no direct link between the first and second half. It breaks down as follows:

A) I'm going to do something great that everyone will
like
B) I will feel guilty about something I have done
C) But thats OK as I'll get over it to help my friends

This might work well in a book, but role-playing wise it looks more like a get-out-of-jail card for your past mistakes.

The trick is, we cannot help thinking this one can work well but it is a matter of approach. So the alterations made are:

1. Drop the reference to accomplishments. They do not directly affect the rest and to say it to a hero like you is like predicting you will wear shades.

2. Make the middle the start, and make it lead to a choice. We suggest:

"Though you feel guilty about your past, there will be a time when you must chose between coming to terms with that past, or being of benefit to others."

This makes it a choice between personal gain- helping yourself- or social gain- helping others. Your one made it seem certain things would be fine- now there is difficulty involved and it works much better for the game.

-

Celsius, the problem with yours again is that it is unimpressive in a roleplay sense- all you can do is wait for things to turn crappy and then get good again, which frankly can happen half a dozen times each Assignment. So we'll need a new one.

-

Barbarossa has:

"You may be full of rage and anger, but you must push that aside to reach your goals."

Unfortunately this is disqualified as too vague- it does not seem to t refer to any predicted event. Furthermore, without any good idea of what 'goals' are it is not much use- the Oracle would tell you far more of what she is talking about. An example of a more specific use would be:

"Your rage and anger will seal your doom."

Don't use that one- it will kill you- but that is an exmaple of a simpler and more direct use of your concept.

-

San...

"You will have to make a choice, between your past and your future, and failing to let go of your past may cause you to not have a future."

We must admit to being slightly baffled by what you really meant by yours... we note a lot of people do not like their past. A man is the sum of his memories, you know!

With a little re-gigging it should work, because the base of it is fine. I donl;t know much ABOUT your past, of course. However, if we losr the second half, and make it just:

"You will have to make a choice, between your past and your future."

How does that sound? For me it is better as it makes no assumptions about what is good and what is bad (yours made it clear that past is bad. This way we get more role-playing as you don;t KNOW which way to go)

-

Castor-

The prophecy will be fulfilled. You will make a difference. Those
closest to you may die but your survival will tip the balance
of this war. Your natural ability will either be your downfall or your
liberation."

The others dying is too conditonal, so we will strip that out, and we will probably strip out the difference making part like we did with the accomplishments with Mors- I pretty much assume you guys will make a difference or it is not worth playing!

We also think the end should be twiddled to have an implicit downside to failure. So, the re-done version, pretty much just keeping the last line (which was the important bit) goes:

"You must have faith in your ability, or you will fail to make the difference that you can."

-

Phew! Ok, you guys there, tell me what you think.

The rest of you, don't panic, I won't tear any of your predictions down., just we may want them tweaked to work better in the game, is all. We shall see.

Bespin Bart
Alright, I like the reworded prediction that you wrote, Ush. I'll go with that.

Ushgarak
Good good...

tptmanno1
why am i the only one with positive predictions,
everyone's either gonna die or fail misrebly

Trinity_Matrix
Ok, my reworked one makes more sense...right now, anyway, I'm in the process of righting a story about San's past ^^

Kosta
BAH! Who ever thought that sounding smart would be so hard mad

Working on a new one now....

Kosta
Okies. I'll be unconventional

"You will free your younger brother from the matrix. Before now, you did not know of him."

Still to vague?

Captain REX
Sounds a little out there, but meh...

Kosta
The TRUTH is out ther Rex, THE TRUTH!!!!

I had to say it, sorry.

Well, Ush may be hesitant on it, but its unique. big grin

Fire
hmm I dont think he'll accept that Kosta

Ushgarak
You'll probably kill me for this, Kosta, but that might be too specific! However, I shall see.

Tpt, yes, gloomy lot, aren't they? We might re-work yours a little on the grounds that, like Mors' first one, it's a get-out-of-jail-free card that can be applied to many situations. The base of it is fine though.

Glad you are happy, TM...

Kosta
It is a little too specific, I see that. And perhaps I shoulda thought about it more. I mean, youd probably have to make a whole mission just on that, so scrap it, I'll come up with something new.

Kosta
It alll comes down to choice, my boy. And yours will not be an easy one. Its your life or theirs."

(Meaning, my crew.)

Well?

JediHDM
why is everyone so gloomy? remember what the Oracle told Trinity...some people need to make cheery predictions...its too "everyone is gonna die" in here...

Ushgarak
That's probably fine, Celsius... but it does actually mean I have to either kill you or your crew (if I agree it is your crew). Again, that can be considered 'anti-social'...

Kosta
OK! darnn it! I'll make a new one.

Damn this is hard. sad

Captain REX
Fall in love or something...

Trickster
Hehe /I think it's cos we are all so positive!

Fire
lol

Captain REX
It's the Christmas spirit... roll eyes (sarcastic)

Trinity_Matrix
Because we are all so optimistic, ya know...

Ushgarak
Ok, guys, this one is back in the focus again! I need to hammer in some things.

1. Celsius, are you sure you want one that really does mean either you or your crew dies?

2. Burn, can we work on yours a little? We have that same 'get out of jail free' feel to it that I find it hard to work into the story.

3. Hammurabi, how are you doing with this? Binding back together sounds good, maybe you want a different first half though?

4. Azrael, we kinda clash with your 'death is not the end' idea except perhaps in one VERY unpleasant way we can think of... I think a different approach may work better.

5. Castor, are you ok with the new one I made for you?

6. Barbarossa, still waiting for some work there.

This needs sorting urgently! Players who are not sorted my not play after the Second Assignment!

Vincent Rendar
The one you made is cool with me ush.

Ushgarak
Ok, excellent, you're done Castor.

Darth Revan
Yeah I kinda thought of mine at the last second. I wanted something that goes with my personality and name so the "binding together" thing seemed to work pretty well. Do you have any ideas for a better first half.

Ushgarak
Well.. you could even make it first half, like "You will bind back together that which has been broken."

Trickster
Though you will have many battles, the fight of your life shall pass, and you won't have a scartch on you. Would you like a cookie?"

Azrael's then. (I bet it is rejected)

Ushgarak
Ok, just did a fast track analysis on that one (aren't I nice?)

It's in. I shall probably ignore the first few words as I often do because it is a given (as I said before, like telling s Rebel he will wear shades).

However, I will warn you that this Prediction will not be sued to, say, save you in a fight against a bad guy. If he kills you he kills you and the apparent contradiction will be down to interpretation. Is that ok?

Darth Revan
ooo that's a good one Ush I like it

Ushgarak
Ok, Hammurabi, all done then, thankyou!

tptmanno1
ok, well what do you suggest I do about mine?
I never ment it to be a "get out of Jail free card" I just meant that in a situation where it looks liek a MA only thing, i will find some way to help out. I was just trying to be positive

Ushgarak
I know, it is just hard for me to do it any other way. I appreciate the positiveness but first time you do badly in a fight you could 'invoke' this.

I am having difficulty suggesting a straightforwards replacement for you but I think the core of it- the faith in the apparently fallible- can be kept to keep it upbeat. I am trying to play around with

"You must have faith in the hopeless"

right now. Trouble is, that's not a prediction, merely advice. I'll keep working on it. Any ideas yourself?

Trickster
There are other ways it could be interpreted. Now think on the real world...

Ushgarak
No, not in any way that works. Over-liberal interpretation would kil, these, anyway.

Trickster
Just cos you said it wouldn't work, heres an interpretation. I don't want it to be true, mind.

She could have meant that in the battle for his life, he will die, and his body wouldn't be damaged. Lol :P Although she probably didn't mean that!

Ushgarak
That doesn't work- it's not useful to me, nor to you. Tell me why the Oracle would have told you that?

tptmanno1
Hmmm...
Well the oracal really doesn't make predictions does she? She just gives strangly worded advice.

how about
"Through faith in your team you can find a way."
Not a get out of jail free, and emphasizes team play.
good?

Ushgarak
I strongly disagree. The Oracle does make predictions, and it is specifically predictions I am looking for. Again, to remind from the films:

"You will find the One"

"You will fall in love with someone and that person will be the One"

"You must chose between your life and Morpheus'"

Three simple predictions, one each for each of the main characters. And in the second film, Neo gets

"You must chose between the lives of all in Zion and Trinity"

-

So, ach, you're going to kill me Burn, but the problem here is that though it works there's just nothing I can do about it in a story sense, Faith is hard for me to quantify and there is no player-based drama to it because you know if you keep faith you will be fine and how can I shake that? I know this sounds like I am now complaining the other way- from too negative to too positive- but you have to understand that my difficulty is in making this part of the storyline and it has to have some sort of possible test and/or conflict that is quantifiably difficult. I mean, 'You will find the One' sounds positive, but is it? How will he find it, what will it cost, will it actually gain him anything?

As a gunner you always have to have faith in your team and so you will find a way and so the main effect weill be that your Prophecy does not do much, is all.

I'll pay some close attention to this. Both of your predictions have been about faith- in your skills, or your friends... neither have been technically illegal just very hard for me to do anything with. I will talk to my brother about it (just phoned him) and try and come up with something that works in the mood you want ASAP, ok?

Trickster
Hmmmm. I supppose that all this changing is weird aint it. What about
"Death is the end. But all life is a game, and even angels play games."
I admit that ones weird,but I'm just spouting stuff!

Ushgarak
But we have your done, Azrael! Did you want to change?

tptmanno1
sounds good,
I've just been trying to stay away from the bleakness of other peoples predictions.
Thanks alot though

Trickster
I dunno. As you said, mine had no point, since you would have just ignorewd it:P

Ushgarak
"The fight of your life shall pass, and you won't have a scratch on you."

This one I passed, I just said that it would not save you from simply losing a fight against a powerful opponent. It will have a more specific application. Other than that it is fine!

Trickster
Oh right. Have you written it in to the storyline or something?

Ushgarak
Oh cripes no, it doesn't happen that fast, I just have the dieas forming is all.

Trickster
Funky!

Trickster
You gunna give me a clue?

Ushgarak
Nope! Your prediction IS the clue.

In fact, whilst some will (and have) be referenced to in the current plot, it is unlikely that any will actually happen in the first batch of Assignments.

Trickster
You gunna tell us which have happened when they do?

Ushgarak
Oh yeah.

Trickster
goodgood

Ushgarak
Ok, Burn, we've worked on yours and we have ended up accepting something very similar to what you wanted.

"Your faith in your friends will show you a way- you must chose between the strength of your faith and the wisdom of others."

The second bit helps clarify the change of empahsis- because here, the way you are shown is not necessarily the right option. Happy?

tptmanno1
Sounds good to me!

Ushgarak
Yay! Who is left? Barbarossa to make one and Celsius to be less harsh., I think.

Captain REX
Hey Ush, just bumping this so that Voodoo and Simone can post their predictions... *whacks them over the head so they know what to do*

Ushgarak
Melitus is always interested in your future...

General Zink
Melitus can take a long walk off a short cliff...

Ushgarak
Actually he can't, remember?

Captain REX
Sure... stick out tongue

Ushgarak
Someone could roll him, I guess.

Captain REX
I'll do it personally...the crew of the Bounty can be strapped to him...

Trickster
He could clone himself some legs...

Captain REX
Or a better body...

Trickster
Lol. he could clone himself a iron lung with legs... Bet of both worlds - crippled and able to walk.

Ushgarak
Actually he can't...

Trickster
I'm sure he could if only he tried. That;s the trouble with young 'uns nowadays - they don't put their backs into what they're trying. Not like the good old days, no siree.

General Zink
Trickster, stop trying to think... stick out tongue

bobcrickett

Ushgarak
'Unseen' is a bit flat- give it a bit of drama with something like 'dangerous' and we may do better.

bobcrickett
Dangerous it is! smile

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