Gone too long

I have been busy with a great many things, and lots have been going on outside of this project. Ergo, I have not worked on it in some time. However, I have done a lot of deving in the as week as there has been a major shift in the idea behind the Hollow.

First and foremost, the idea of consciousness and the definition of "life". This game is an exploration of that idea (sort of). It might be more accurate to say that I am plugging my own ideas on consciousness and the definition of life into this game. My research into this subject was restarted with the discovery of the "off/on" switch of consciousness.

 http://news.discovery.com/tech/biotechnology/elusive-on-off-switch-found-for-human-consciousness-140707.htm

Thus, i began to look again into the science and mechanics of consciousness, and discovered a great many things. However, the most influential piece of material was the video linked below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpUVot-4GPM&index=12&list=LLyeZ8eKmfe4w0_gskX2HFuA

Though I don't quite grasp the mechanics of everything he is saying, his ideals, at least, for the definition of consciousness versus intelligence align very nicely with my own.

What does this mean for the Hollow??? Well... alot.

The Field produced by all sentient being is now that of a Quantum Field. Sentient, conscious beings are Quantum Singularities, capable of collapsing Quantum Information.

The Observers create Quantum Information out of Chaos with their powerful Aether Field.

The Fae are Quantum Field Engines; they are not Singularities. They cannot create information, but they can breakdown and modify that information that already exists with their Anti-Causal Field.

 Singularities (the characters) are capable of influencing Quantum Information (i.e. Mancy), but they can only bend the rules, not break them as a Fae can.

Sentient beings are protected by a Fae's Anti-Causal Field by their own Quantum Field; a Singularity cancels the Fae's ability to reconstruct Information... at least in close proximity. However, if a being were to drop unconscious, they are left exposed, and the Fae may destroy that being.

The Hollow was a bit much of a Hyper-Advanced Civilization... I had to downsize. 

That is, the Factories were OP... I really like the idea of distilling energy into matter which may then be programmed to construct anything and everything the peoples of the Hollow could desire... but... Star Trek did that with replicators, and they REALLY shouldn't work that effectively. At least, not on the level of civilization I want.

Sure, the Observers are technologically beyond anything else in the Hollow, but is it feasible to have one piece of hyper-advanced tech which is incredibly limited versus an infinite fountain of resources down at your local Factory.

Think of Ghost in the Shell and Mass Effect and add some Borderlands and Destiny to grunge it up a bit. Ideally, that it what I am looking for in a setting.

New Resource and Resource System

Orichalcum (Ore) is still a thing, but it has changed dramatically.

Ore are now solidified shards of energy used to power most things in the Hollow. Ore is "mined" in Factories as they were before, but they cannot be condensed into matter to form equipment and the like as they could before. They are still a standard currency used in the Hollow, but only for non-Restricted Equipment.

Glass is congealed, unbound Hadrons which are used to construct all raw materials required in the Hollow. It is a less common form of currency required for those less than common items on your shopping list. For anything beyond Restricted, or if you want to Upgrade your current equipment, you will need Glass.

If they character wishes to fence any of their Equipment, they may disassemble it at a local Factory of other such facility. The character is provided Glass equal to half the total cost (Ore AND Glass) of the item they are disassembling.

Cold Iron is the third, final, and most precious currency. Each piece of Cold Iron is a knot in space-time geometry which, upon activation, collapses its own bound Quantum Information, destroying itself. When forged into munition, it has proved incredibly effective against Fae. However, Cold Iron is incredibly difficult to produce, and is thus, very difficult to come by. Many will pay a great price for a single Blok of Cold Iron.

Major changes more than likely coming to Exocortex.

Basically...

They are going to become integral to all players.

Exocortex are going to, mechanically, supply the power that the Character's Armor and Weapons requires as well as boost the Character's Mancy and Tech power potential through what I am calling Hardpoints at the moment.

Characters may equip 1 set of Armor, and as many Weapon as they have Hardpoints to accommodate.
"THAT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS" you may say, but it really isn't... The Character may be able to equip up to 4 Compact Weapons after investing lots of Ore, or MAYBE 2 Large Weapons. This does not mean the character cannot use Weapons with their Hands... but they still require a power source, a portable Harpoint, as it were, which will be available as an Upgrade to Weapons as well as Armor.

Thus, if they really wanted to, the Character could equip as many as 6 guns. Damage output, however, will vary depending on the build, more guns may provide more shots and a higher potential damage output, but they will miss more often as well, and Soak is applied to EACH SHOT creating diminishing returns. Build carefully.

As for Mancy and Power users, for every Hardpoint which is unused by the Character, the Force of any Power is increased by 1. Powers are also getting a significant buff; base Damage is now 2d6+3 instead of 1d6+3 and other powers without damage are buffed in kind.

Ergo, Powers are now nukes the Character deploys between shots or artillery used behind cover to support those will all the guns. This, however, does make them vulnerable; to get the maximum Force out of an Exocortex, they must forgo Armor and Weapons.

Basically a Title Update...

Yeah... lots of changes to just about everything to make things more balanced and friendlier to the players.

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page

Link above to all the rules thus far.

My hope is to be done with the mechanics and everything rules related by next year if not earlier.
After which, I will begin to process of publishing this monster.

Many things I have missed.

So, i am going back through everything, and adding things I forgot or haven't implemented yet.

As well... there are many things that I seemed to have overlooked when writing or rewriting rules.

Ergo, there will be MANY new updates to the game in the next few weeks. Updates will be hitting the Obsidian Portal Page soon!

STAY TUNED!!!

EVERYTHING IS TOO COMPLICATED!!!

UGG!!

I keep trying to add mechanics because I have new ideas, and all it does is make things extra complicated for no reason which makes balancing things VERY difficult! Specifically, Powers and Consumables! I know how I want them to work, but it ends up way too complicated for my liking...

I am going to have to go all the way back to the drawing board and simplify everything...

I'd really like some help on all this...

Many Updates!

https://the-hollow.obsidianportal.com/wikis/main-page

The game has been updated... alot.
Go check out all the changes at Obsidian Portal!
PLEASE play the game, look over the rules, give me feedback!

Training

I am planning on removing Specializations and replacing them with Trainings.

These are trees through which the Character specializes in their abilities.

These are based on (Currently 5) archetypes that I have created for the Hollow.

Training

These are trees of special qualities the character has gained from their experience. The character may partake in any number of Trainings, but they may not begin buying Ranks in another Training until they have completed their current tree. Each Rank of Training costs 6bp.

Valiant – They are the veterans of the battlefield; nothing can deter them or their allies from reaching their goal.

Training Bonus – Reduce penalties to Direct Combat Actions by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Reduce Armor Burden penalties by 1.

Rank 2 – Increase Willpower by 1.

Rank 3 – Increase all Consumable Unit Sizes by 1.

Rank 4 – Valiant Training bonus is applied to everyone within Close Range.

Tactician – They provides tactical support on the battlefield and through the Matrix to aid in their teams objective.

Training Bonus – Reduce penalties to Cyber Combat Actions by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Reduce penalties to Technical Skills by 1.  

Rank 2 – Reduce Tax Cost of Technical Powers by 1.

Rank 3 – Increase the Firewall rating of self and party by 2.

Rank 4 – Increase Duration of Technical Powers and effects by a factor of 1.

Operator – They act as advance surveyors and snipers of the battlefield. They gather information key to the survival of the mission.

Training Bonus – Reduce Rank required to Investigation by Training Rank. Increase Awareness rolls by 1 per Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Increase Weapon Accuracy by 1.

Rank 2 – Increase bonus provided by Aim Actions by 1.

Rank 3 – A single Aim Action may be made as a Swift Action per Round.

Rank 4 – The Character’s Defense is only reduced by half when Flat-Footed. This does not affect the Character if they are Helpless.

Mancer – Powerful wielders of powers who can fill many roles on and off the battlefield.

Training Bonus – Reduce penalties to Mancy Skills by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – Gain a +1 bonus versus Mancy Powers and Skills.

Rank 2 – Reduce Mancy Power Energy Cost by 1.

Rank 3 – Increase Mancy Power Durations of Mancy Skill Powers and effects by a factor of 1.

Rank 4 – Reduce Damage required to Overwhelm targets with Mancy Powers by 1. Willpower Levels of Mancy Powers are increased by 1.

Dragoon – Unstoppable combat monsters, they reign supreme in close range; laying waste to all in their path.

Training Bonus – Increase Encumbrance and Speed by Training Rank.

Rank 1 – A single Melee Action may be made as a Swift Action per Round.

Rank 2 – Increase Tolerance by 1.

Rank 3 – Reduce Damage required to Overwhelm targets by 1.

Rank 4 – Increase the Character’s Defense by 2 versus Actions made at Close Range.