Hello!

I'm writing this at around past midnight so I might not be able to catch all of my thoughts...but first and foremost, I want to thank everyone that was involved with Shadow War, this includes both the GM Team and the players.

Tassu has very much put a lot of work into making the setting realized and it took more than a year of preparation before revealing everything that you see here, including the personalities, location and events. He is meticulous and careful, in many ways that I find myself very much admiring. Clever, too! There are small bits of humour that are to be appreciated, some are obvious and others are subtle in the setting. He really sets a wonderful standard, which I'm glad to be a part of for four games (still amazed at this) now and learn from. Thimacek came in later, after we've done a bit of searching and considering who to join our team. There were some initial challenges that needed to be tackled but once the game got running, Thimacek really exceeded all expectations and I was very glad to have them around with us, so much work that been done in the back end that would have made more mortals heads spin but Thimacek just manages to make it look so natural, plus that's not even to mention the plot and combats that were run on top of those responsibilities. Both of them very much deserve thanks and appreciation for their hard work.

Thank you very much to the players who participated in the game. I know that the pitch of Banner isn't exactly conventional and not something for everyone, which is fine. Whether you had faith with us, returned from a previous game, or decided to merely give us a chance, thank you for being part of Shadow War and making it a success. You all indeed made that possible! You have been a wonderful crowd to GM and I admit that it was great seeing many of you participate in events. The write-ups are something I look forward to with any game and easily bring a smile.

I played Bayushi Mariko, Matsu Eriko, and Kuni Sumie...along with a large cast of other NPCs.

My event were...
Day 4 Side Event: Turbo Tickets Arcade Night
Day 5 Side Event: Fantasy Fight Tournament (only 1/2 of that, just the qualifier portion)
Day 6 Side Event: Realm Expo
Day 7 Side Event: Sole Survivor Battle Royale Tournament
Day 10 Side Event: Escape from the Tomb of Iuchiban
Day 11 Information Event: System Breach!
All the Eriko stuff on Day 9 and Day 10

I'm open to comments and questions!

The singular downside to playing ronin was not having the skills/time/inclination to experience the Boogie events (Except the last one I fell into). Hopefully, Boogie didn't notice one fewer participants.

And I really appreciated Doctor Badass showing up in one of my open threads I wasn't going to get anyone in. I realize how precious GM bandwidth is, but whenever you can take the time to give players a little bit of unexpected story when they'd otherwise be getting nothing at all is a really excellent trait in a gamemaster.

I'd be curious to learn more about Doctor Badass. Curious how someone like her comes to be in an L5R setting, far flung into the future as it may be. Also curious if there's any truth to the rumors that she was the one killing ronin and dumping them in the back of the Crab embassy.

Again, great game Boogie, keep on rockin!

Thank you so much for all the fun events and especially for all the NPC work you did. I appreciate you actually coming to me to ask for scenes especially early on. I always feel a little bad asking for stuff because my brain always tells me “Oh, but what if someone else needs Boogie’s time. I can wait.”

*kermit flail of yaaaaay!* Also many thanks.

Love what you've added and continue to add to the setting. The silly Nari-chan/Mariko bit of a plot was just one fantastic little detail.

I appreciate all the lost sleep and stress and work that goes into these.

Going to ask the same questions I asked Tassu because the answers have already been fun.

Favorite plot?

Favorite NPC, yours or others'?

Was Yuria one of the missed 'experiments' from the purge that took Yurei's parents? If so, nice tangling of PC backstory threads.

Thank you for the absolutely amazing work you have done throughout the entirety of the game. Your events, and characters, really help bring the world to life in ways that makes everything super fun and exciting to interact with. I still remember fondly my excitement at getting to tackle your Eriko event Day 10.

And, of course, your work on Moriko was absolutely phenomenal. Finding her at least just as shattered and broken as Koyuki, and almost certainly more so was such a cool writing moment. I hadn't considered the possibility of you diving into it with that, and I'm super happy you did cause it made their whole relationship so beautifully complicated.

No questions just a lot of thanks - you folks did an amazing job with the game and the events especially considering the rough times we're dealing with at the moment and the obstacles that put in the way.

Hato wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 5:17 am

The singular downside to playing ronin was not having the skills/time/inclination to experience the Boogie events (Except the last one I fell into). Hopefully, Boogie didn't notice one fewer participants.

And I really appreciated Doctor Badass showing up in one of my open threads I wasn't going to get anyone in. I realize how precious GM bandwidth is, but whenever you can take the time to give players a little bit of unexpected story when they'd otherwise be getting nothing at all is a really excellent trait in a gamemaster.

I'd be curious to learn more about Doctor Badass. Curious how someone like her comes to be in an L5R setting, far flung into the future as it may be. Also curious if there's any truth to the rumors that she was the one killing ronin and dumping them in the back of the Crab embassy.

Again, great game Boogie, keep on rockin!

Haha, I did! But I suppose yes, the event might not necessarily fit into the character's thing.

Thank you and you're welcome! After finally giving Doctor Badas her own NPC profile after three games of appearances, I was thinking about dropping her more in random scenes but the other half of the game was where I found myself a bit more preoccupied with making my plots realized. I would say Sumie fell to the wayside but the intention was to have her do more scenes.

Admittedly, Doctor Badass was originally created to be someone's unknown love in Banner 1. Since then she just stuck around as I just fell in love with her unforgivingly edgy and full-of-attitude personality. I'll admit that she's a tiny bit reminiscent of Kuni Chinatsu from a previous game but just so full of rebellion without no cause. She is most certainly not a great person but still a Kuni in some ways and I think her ridiculousness and slightly hypocritical nature just allow me to add much-needed humour in parts of Banner that I had hoped to express. As for killing, she hasn't killed anyone intentionally. However, she will absolutely get rid of a body as a favour.

Matsu Hide wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 5:19 am

Thank you so much for all the fun events and especially for all the NPC work you did. I appreciate you actually coming to me to ask for scenes especially early on. I always feel a little bad asking for stuff because my brain always tells me “Oh, but what if someone else needs Boogie’s time. I can wait.”

You're welcome! Hah hah, I didn't know that you felt bad! You shouldn't! I had wanted to play Eriko more and get her out in the city. I'm sure there were more than a few things that they could have done together, more dates around the city!

Hotaru Tsuyo wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 5:27 am

*kermit flail of yaaaaay!* Also many thanks.

Love what you've added and continue to add to the setting. The silly Nari-chan/Mariko bit of a plot was just one fantastic little detail.

I appreciate all the lost sleep and stress and work that goes into these.

Going to ask the same questions I asked Tassu because the answers have already been fun.

Favorite plot?

Favorite NPC, yours or others'?

Was Yuria one of the missed 'experiments' from the purge that took Yurei's parents? If so, nice tangling of PC backstory threads.

Thank you very much for your appreciation! The Nari-chan/Mariko thing was pretty fun, not an earth-shattering revelation but happy to play out that tiddit.

Favorite plot?
Oooh, that's going to be a hard one to decide. In retrospect at the end of the game, I realized that I'd done quite a few. The Eriko plot was rather grand and that was a big thing going for it with a lot of things happening. I originally had a bit more story on both sides but the plot didn't pick up much traction until the other half of the game. Considering how things lined up, I think that was easily the right call.

The intention was to drop a few of these tidbits earlier and have players interact with some facet of it. Taiki was lingering out earlier in attempts to bring some characterization to the main baddie, luring a PC to the progression of them finding Cheung. If those involved had gotten too nosy, there might have been a kidnapping involved and some further insight on the operation of the True Scions. There were other opportunities I would have wanted to shed more light on the plot but found myself being a bit too ambitious. The investigation event was kind of made in the same spirit as Arkham Horror the card game and the last event was very much trying to go for the action movie vibe. There were different versions of what could have been done in my mind but I'm overall pretty pleased with how it ended up.

That said, I have to say the Nari-chan plot was pretty neat in its own way, something that mostly had some fun attached without some super stressful end-of-world consequence attached to it.

Favorite NPC, yours or others'?

"Ugggh!"

I have to admit, originally her only part in the game was going to be a cameo in the Fantasy Fight card game and maybe show up in the RP thread. However, I took her for a spin on the Crab forums and just found her too fun to just keep her in the background. Just so many ridiculous things that she does and says really made her a joy to play. It's perhaps no mystery that this is her third Banner game and it felt only right that she deserved a real NPC account finally. I suppose she had no plot attached to her (although she was curious about venturing out to Desolation and might have randomly shown up at the end of the True Scion fight if people needed healing) but I'm just happy that she got whatever moments out of the game she could.

Was Yuria one of the missed 'experiments' from the purge that took Yurei's parents? If so, nice tangling of PC backstory threads.
Oh, very much yes. I'm kind of pleased that the Yurei's parent revelation kind of set the foundation for other things to happen. Sort of the drop that creates a ripple event in the surroundings. That's been my favourite thing to play with, creating plots that branch out to other plots that have unrelated but very connected ties, allowing people to pursue things from one event. I suppose that was also the intention with the Eriko plot too.

It's a pleasant joy to see people who are watching connect the dots together on their own and go "ooooh!". Very rewarding as a storyteller.

Kuni Koyuki wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 5:29 am

Thank you for the absolutely amazing work you have done throughout the entirety of the game. Your events, and characters, really help bring the world to life in ways that makes everything super fun and exciting to interact with. I still remember fondly my excitement at getting to tackle your Eriko event Day 10.

And, of course, your work on Moriko was absolutely phenomenal. Finding her at least just as shattered and broken as Koyuki, and almost certainly more so was such a cool writing moment. I hadn't considered the possibility of you diving into it with that, and I'm super happy you did cause it made their whole relationship so beautifully complicated.

You're welcome and thank you very much for enjoying my work! As always, I'm wishing that I did MORE! But yes, it's very much my hope that my work puts in more content, depth, and especially, FUN into the game.

I'm glad you like what I did with Moriko! She was there on Day 0 to hint something unwell about her and I suppose that became quite obvious when the two finally clashed. While Moriko had it better after running away from the incident that left Koyuki stranded, I kind of found it difficult to think that she had gotten away completely unscathed, especially when she had as much of a history as Koyuki with her team. That came with a cost on its own and I very much like to imagine that she was a mirror to her in many ways, achieving a sort of pyrrhic victory where she enjoyed very little of her new life as a Scorpion and having much of the past haunting her.

Dai wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 5:30 am

No questions just a lot of thanks - you folks did an amazing job with the game and the events especially considering the rough times we're dealing with at the moment and the obstacles that put in the way.

You're welcome! Thank you for playing!

Boogiepop wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 2:22 pm

Favorite NPC, yours or others'?

"Ugggh!"

I have to admit, originally her only part in the game was going to be a cameo in the Fantasy Fight card game and maybe show up in the RP thread. However, I took her for a spin on the Crab forums and just found her too fun to just keep her in the background. Just so many ridiculous things that she does and says really made her a joy to play. It's perhaps no mystery that this is her third Banner game and it felt only right that she deserved a real NPC account finally. I suppose she had no plot attached to her (although she was curious about venturing out to Desolation and might have randomly shown up at the end of the True Scion fight if people needed healing) but I'm just happy that she got whatever moments out of the game she could.

Man, Sumie could’ve showed up at the end of the True Scions fight to be an actual doctor? Amazing. Although, that would put Eriko and Sumie within interacting distance which may have proven lethal to us all caught in the crossfire.

"Thanks for the help! I probably haven't felt this sore since Yoritomo Akane was booted from the Heavenly 9. Hah! I half-kid."



"Wait, WHAT?!"

"By the way, are you unmarried Kuni-san?"

Multiple crises avoided?

Thank you for all the hard work and dedication you put into this!

My question will be a silly one: How have we not had a Crab world game? Or did I miss it? Regardless, that would be the time for ONLY Kuni NPCs.

Thank you so much for all the excellent work, Boogie! <3 It was really a joy to play with you as my GM again, and wow you've grown so much into the role too and really you do a great job.

It was a pleasure to play again.

Which event turned out to be your favorite, not only to design, but to see the players engage in?

Oh my god, the fake kidnapping!

I don't usually do romances with NPCs. But when I came into the game, I was hoping to do a romance with Rei of a particular type. Lots of chemistry, lots of flirty banter, lots of passion. And holy crap, he and Mariko had all that and more. I really enjoyed every scene they did together, so thank you for that.

Also, thank you for taking my weird pregame idea (what if my character was like "hey, where's my wife?!?!") and doing something with it. That gave a lot of depth to Rei, and its resolution provided a lot of heartache, but also closure.

Also also, thank you for everything else you did! Events, the Eriko mission, Doctor Badass... all terrific.

I also want to ask about events, so I'll change it a little. What goes into your event design process? How do you put them together?

Wait, I have more questions!

What WAS the deal with Mariko and the plushies? Was it just a side thing she was working on?
Did the plan for Yuria change? What other directions were you thinking that might go?

Mariko was a delight to RP with!

Sakkaku really wanted the Investigation Team to (mostly) succeed, which I found hilarious!

Favorite event?

I might have some questions later, but for now I just want to give you a huge, heartfelt thanks for inviting me to be part of this game, for all your help and support before game start, and for being part of an incredible team to learn from <3 <3 <3

Tassu wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 3:35 pm

"By the way, are you unmarried Kuni-san?"

"UUUGGGHHH!"

Utaku Yesugen wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 4:24 pm

Thank you for all the hard work and dedication you put into this!

My question will be a silly one: How have we not had a Crab world game? Or did I miss it? Regardless, that would be the time for ONLY Kuni NPCs.

You're quite welcome!

I know there have been like at least two-three games in the last decade that took place in the Crab provinces? It would be amusing to think that there would be only Kuni NPCs there XD but clearly, there must be others. Or maybe, there are no Kuni NPCs at all! That would be rather ominous and I'd consider sleeping with one eye open.

Susumu Yakumo wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 4:29 pm

Thank you so much for all the excellent work, Boogie! <3 It was really a joy to play with you as my GM again, and wow you've grown so much into the role too and really you do a great job.

It was a pleasure to play again.

Which event turned out to be your favorite, not only to design, but to see the players engage in?

Thank you very much! <3 Really happy to hear the feedback and that you've had fun!

Hmm! I have to say that Realm Expo is probably that I'm really happy with how it turned out and all of the interactions that I've seen from it. It was probably all too easy to make another Fan Con but I suppose I've decided to give another sort of idea a try. Especially, with the World of Dreams, Fan Con would probably be just one of the many conventions that are hosted there. It gave me the opportunity to try something different and start with something fresh while using the convention theme.

It seemed like a tough endeavour at first but there were a number of ideas that were just conjured up from brainstorming. I liked Gaki-Do, using the Fear mechanic in an event. Jigoku was nice, which allows people to go in one of two ways with an avenue for a potential fictional oni dark pact (probably teaches the lesson: oni deals are bad, mmmkay?). Sakkaku was great. I really didn't know how people felt about randomizing what they would be rolling for but it seemed people enjoyed the element of chance. It was probably a bit of a hard proposition but the Pekkle's Proposition was there as a prize, I suppose. Toshigoku was also neat with the continuous fighting mechanic and racking up points that way. Overall, I'm really pleased with how that one turned out and very much like reading everyone's run-through.

Admittedly, I liked reading everyone's write-up in all of my events. I'm also in love with Cumulative TNs for reason, I really like those because it makes all efforts feel like you're doing something and you're making your way towards a goal.

Usagi Rei wrote: ↑

Sun May 08, 2022 4:53 pm

Oh my god, the fake kidnapping!

I don't usually do romances with NPCs. But when I came into the game, I was hoping to do a romance with Rei of a particular type. Lots of chemistry, lots of flirty banter, lots of passion. And holy crap, he and Mariko had all that and more. I really enjoyed every scene they did together, so thank you for that.

Also, thank you for taking my weird pregame idea (what if my character was like "hey, where's my wife?!?!") and doing something with it. That gave a lot of depth to Rei, and its resolution provided a lot of heartache, but also closure.

Also also, thank you for everything else you did! Events, the Eriko mission, Doctor Badass... all terrific.

I also want to ask about events, so I'll change it a little. What goes into your event design process? How do you put them together?

Wait, I have more questions!

What WAS the deal with Mariko and the plushies? Was it just a side thing she was working on?
Did the plan for Yuria change? What other directions were you thinking that might go?

Yes! the fake kidnapping! I suppose after all the talks of kidnapping during Asakaze, it was my intention to subvert that trend with what Mariko did. It was also sexy too, obviously! I'm pleased that you enjoyed your interaction with Mariko and they really hit it off in the beginning. Honestly, I didn't know what quite to expect from her when she was made. Sadae and her were supposed to be kind of a plot pair where he was trying to find a spouse for her, as he might have mentioned to a few. However, Sadae wasn't present in the game and it seems those negotiations weren't really needed!

I'm glad you like that dramatic element! It took a bit of brainstorming but I eventually found a hook that I was very happy about, with the vague tie-in to Yurei's story as you know. And you're very welcome.

As for my design process...hmmm! I guess I'm not too sure how to break it down, as I've never been asked before but it is a good question! I suppose I always start with pretty much the event fluff itself, like trying to get a sense of what's being done, what's the occasion, and what's involved in the event. Then from there, I look through the mechanics of the game and try to have them emulate what's being done in those events. I also try to change things up by not having them done in the same structure and using some less-used mechanics.

I know some of these might be wonky as they don't exactly follow the mechanics to the letter. Sometimes I keep telling myself that I should be building a Rube Goldberg machine of mechanics for all of my events but I end up toning those down to that they become easiest to calculate when it comes to points at the end. I'm always looking for ways to have people involve themselves in side events, and especially give a story to tell with fun to be had. It's hard to directly engineer that but that's my intent! At mentioned above, I really like Cumulative TNs apparently and I also like putting the element of choice. Choice really adds another layer without needing to roll, also gives the opportunity to decide how the character would proceed IC through the event even!

Mariko and her plushies! Weeeelll, yes it was a side thing that she had going on. It was a means to allow her to express herself outside of her job in acting, which she had pursued her entire life, so gave her another creative outlet. Actually, it might have been a hint that she wanted to do something else other than act. As Koyuki discovered, it was also a glimpse into her cultural upbringing and that sort of blend of two worlds. I'm really pleased that bit of her was revealed.

As for Yuria, yes. There were a few ideas early on that I shuffled through a few times before it arrived to the conclusion of what it was there. Originally, we had considered tying her to Tassu's plot and even Eriko's plot (potentially someone who had been spying on the True Scions). I suppose I wasn't really content with having her be a passenger to an existing plot but rather have a story to tell on her own. Two years is a long time and the details of her disappears are extremely peculiar, it was answered with an extremely peculiar situation.