Orion Sphere LRP

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====== OSLRP Digital Notes ======

Running digital events can result in some complicating factors that may impact the games. This page contains a list of what to expect when booking an OSLRP Digital event.

===== IC/OOC Considerations =====

  * Depending on the scenario, you can play as your in-field character or a temporary character.
  * Characters cannot die at Digital events, but do not gain experience.

OSLRP Digital events can take place in a variety of in-game situations, locations and time periods. While most of the events will take place in the “current time” within the OS Universe, we may run scenarios set in the past to retell or even add detail and flesh out the timeline. Similarly, most scenarios will be set within jump-reachable space in the Orion Sphere - although we might set a scenario outside this area to do something weird and different, or maybe some foreshadowing of future plotlines.

Because of this weirdness, you do not have to play your current mainline character at a given event if you do not wish to, or you feel it is inappropriate for them to be involved with the current scenario. If the scenario is a historical or outside-context one, then we’ll give you some details to either make up your own temporary character, or we’ll create a set of roles to choose from. If you decide to create a temporary character for a digital event, then ideally create one that suits the parameters of that event (Faction etc).

You can turn a temporary OSLRP Digital character into an in-field character, as long as it is reasonable to do so, but this may necessitate retiring your current in-field character.

Registered Characters attending OSLRP Digital events do not gain any character points for doing so. However, IC knowledge obtained by your character at these events can be used and acted upon at later digital and in-field events. If you aren’t playing your character, then you can’t transfer information between them to your current in-field character. You can, if you wish, create reports, diaries, artefacts, and other blue-booking materials and send them to the game team, and we’ll put them on the wiki as story content (possibly with some minor alterations).

Characters cannot die on OSLRP Digital events, unless the player decides to kill off their character in response to, for example, the ship being destroyed. Characters are assumed to have made it to an escape pod and been subsequently rescued. Similarly, any background elements like a group’s own ship or similar will not be at risk unless the group wants them to be. (If you want to bet your background ship on the scenario outcome, you can). By default, any scenario will take place on board a hired Spacer Collective Jump ship, which will be paid for by the powers initiating the mission. Any rewards will be collected by these powers as well, although in some scenarios there may be scope for a small amount of IC resources to be gained that can be used at in-field events - chits, exotic substances, medicaments, etc. - as well as the potential for small temporary Reputation boosts. If you want the events of a Digital scenario to have permanent effects on your character, such as an injury, horrible space affliction or other Condition, contact us to discuss it after the event!

===== Logistics =====

  * We use Empty Epsilon and Discord for most Digital events, but may use other free software or webapps.
  * Most events will require 5-6 players to be viable.
  * If we are using sound effects, we will run a sound test before starting.

Events will take place using the OSLRP Empty Epsilon software (the same as is used for the spaceships at events) and Discord for voice communication. We might occasionally incorporate video comms into our events, but this will be rare, and indicated in the scenario description - most of the time the starship stuff will take up too much attention to make using video worthwhile. We may also use other software or webapps like Google Docs to do some other niche stuff, but this will be indicated in the scenario description, or in the pre-scenario briefing with a bit of time to test things work. We’ll try and avoid anything that requires payment or sign-ups if at all possible. The version of Empty Epsilon that will be used will be consistent for each Chapter (group of events) but might change between Chapters as we make improvements and switch things around. We’ll send out a dropbox link to the current EE version prior to the events.

We use a dedicated OSLRP Digital Discord server for events. You’ll get an invite shortly before each event, and we’ll group you into appropriate server roles so that you can see certain things and not see things you don’t need. We might work out some way to view the text output of one of the channels to a web-based widget if that sounds like a thing people would be interested in (sort of spectating maybe?).

Events require a variable number of people to run, depending on the scenario. By default, this is 5-6 people. Some scenarios have the option for more people, who may either have the opportunity to fly a drone, or purely to engage with the plot and puzzles in the scenario. Unfortunately, games have to have a minimum viable number of participants to run. Although some Stations can be shared, others cannot without severely compromising the game. The absolute minimum number of players that can play a scenario is 3 - with a dedicated Engineer, and with Helm and Weapons sharing Science and Relay between them. Having only 3 people will make the game much more difficult and less fun for both the players and the GM. If you have booked and paid for an event please do your best to attend, because if we drop below the ideal numbers then everyone loses out.

Some scenarios may have the option to include a second ship, which adds another 5-6 player slots. Additional player ships will almost always be cooperating on the mission objective, but will have a separate voice channel and must use their Relay stations to communicate with each other. Similarly, some scenarios may have the option to include support Drones alongside a full player ship. Support Drones are light, maneuverable 1-person vessels controlled remotely from inside a player ship, so their player will have access to their ship's comm channel. Each drone slot in a scenario allows for 1 extra player.

All IC sound is delivered by a single audio channel in Discord. Some sound effects might be delivered via this channel. Before each session the GM will run an audio test so you can calibrate your sound levels to a level that is comfortable.

==== Trigger Warnings ====

We will try our best to include trigger warnings for specific themes and game elements in the description of each Scenario. Most games are likely to include a certain amount of abstracted starship combat, tension, as well as the primary themes of the OSVerse Factions involved in the scenario, but there will occasionally be other elements such as loud sound effects, etc. If we miss out on forewarning about a particular triggering element (generally through ignorance or oversight), then please let us know.

===== Equipment =====

  * You need Windows to run Empty Epsilon :(
  * Some player stations might benefit from having two screens.

You will need a Windows PC to run the Empty Epsilon software, and a reasonably reliable internet connection. Although the software isn't particularly intensive on either processor power or internet bandwidth, running ancillary stuff like Discord and a browser can push up the requirements a bit. You can ease things a little by running Discord on your phone or another device - all sound will be delivered via Discord, so you only need one audio device. If a player’s internet connection fails, it's a fairly simple task to reconnect and resume in the same position.

It may be helpful for some positions to have two screens. Some ship positions require focusing on their task most of the time, so they will have less need to swap over to different programs - in particular Helm and Engineering, and to a lesser extent Weapons don’t really need a second screen. Of the other positions, Relay, the Captain and to a lesser extent Science would benefit from another screen. Most importantly Relay will benefit from being able to read the Ship Computer channel on Discord, to communicate with the Ship’s computer and let the other players know what is going on - this is an extension of their role communicating with other ships and entities in the game software. The Ship’s Computer channel is used by the GM, in character as the ship’s computer, and is used to give updates on plot and things that can’t be simulated via the game software.
Orion Sphere LRP

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