I really love playing some aspect of myself, or to try out some aspect of myself. I have this internal representation of myself as a council of 10 people, and so exploring/indulging each of those individuals in roleplay has generally felt like a fulfilling personal growth exercise. In that way, roleplay activities have helped me explore my own gender identity in a really safe feeling way and definitely helped break open my egg. But more than that, roleplay has helped me explore other parts of my personality - embracing different types of darkness, leaning into vices, leaning into virtues, exploring failure and feelings and all sorts of stuff.

@Dswan34 Thank you so much for your questions, I'll do my best to answer! I'll start with some core info that will help in making sense of my answers to your specific questions, The prime directive of our system is to facilitate collaborative creative roleplay; all of our product decisions come back through this directive. Collaboration happens at both in the building of a Tale and the playing of a Tale.

1. At its core, the LiveTale realtime engine is an improv engine. The core of this system is a rule set around roleplay itself. It is designed to allow players to effectively yes-and parts of the Tale (and each other) as they explore and roleplay. Modules with hooks can be used to institute more specific/rigid game mechanics for players on top of that, and we will be working on multiple such modules based on existing roleplay systems. Our intent is to ship with a basic set of items, character types, and so on. We will also be providing the community with tools and infrastructure for creating, distributing, and monetizing their own custom content.

2. A Tale is a collection of characters, locations, items, plots, and their growing/changing relationships with each other. Encounters can be thought of as scoped scenes where action can happen and be resolved. Our intent is to provide realtime encounters, however rule modules can define more structured encounters, including turn-based combat varieties. Absent other rule modules, players will be free to run around within and between locations until something in the game stops them.

3. We intend for Tales to span the depths of imagination. We will be starting with a narrow scope of settings, and releasing more options as we grow. However that starting scope will actually be determined largely by of the results of the Tale Contest we are running. And of course user created content can take the settings far beyond that scope too.

In coming weeks and months we will be releasing some more information, including videos, documentation, and diagrams to better explain our system and its goals - so stay tuned!

@Lynx316 @Ezra Content that explores human atrocities can be okay, but we do reserve the ability to not select a Tale on the grounds of it having content that encourages any of the many types of systemic oppression in the real world.

For example, a story that dives into discrimination that parallels immigrant discrimination in the real world could be a problem if it trivializes the struggles of immigrants and/or gives any sort of validation to oppressors.

We are all still learning through this process, so your feedback on this is important to us and we'll use it to refine our policies. It is also important to us to encourage community building that fosters open cooperative role-play. Themes of various forms of oppression can get in the way of that primary goal, so I think for discrimination the question to ask yourself is if you imagine people may feel hesitant or not taking on key player-character roles in such a Tale.

Character Name: Xan
Fantasy Race: Human
Appearance: Thick and round, with her head up high
Personality Type: Reserved creative
Gender/Pronouns: She/her
Kitchen Role/job/responsibilities: Making spice mixes for dishes
Favorite Hobby: Sorting herbs and spices
Major Fear: Being the reason someone else stagnates
Major Flaw: Procrastination
Life Goals: Inspire others and watch them go
Secrets: Was the last high priestess of a goddess who gave up being a goddess, dispersing all her divine power.

Companions and mounts are definitely in scope of our thing. Unlike traditional MMO games, we wouldn't be necessarily having them be so much of a special mechanic as an optional piece that a Tale can support or not. BUT with the regard to a more non-Tale companions, we have been discussing a persistent assistant/buddy that could take on companion-like forms.

@Dswan34 You can! We are most likely to select as many different creators as possible for finalists, however the changes of becoming a finalist will likely only improve with the exploration of different ideas through multiple submissions.

We have a scoring rubric that is being finalized and will be published soon. This will help you refine your entries for the best chance at selection.

We'll be evaluating and tracking entries as they come in using this rubric. All submissions will be internally scored, and those with at least a 60/110 will be considered for selection.

Our primary goals include both seeding the content library of LiveTale, as well as building a healthy community by highlighting and working with content creators that we believe will make great Tale content. We want to highlight a variety of Tales and Tale creators. It is worth noting that even if you don't win, you can still develop your Tale and build community support for the assets and pieces you need to realize your story within LiveTale.

As I sit on my cycling seat, running the mill pedals with my feet, I toss varied hard and dried ingredients from my work table to the left and right mill shoots behind me for grinding. In front of me I mix some pastes with my mortars and pestles. Each piece I used on my table was bought from a different bazaar crafter, in different stones. Each stone brings something different to the mix, and a lot of folks just don't get it. But my results speak for themselves. In front of me is a slanted rock with a bottom lip that I use to hold my book.

However today I'm distracted from reading. It's my literal daily grind routine, and I'm on autopilot as I think about my latest correspondence from Sister Angela, or former Sister I suppose. We still call ourselves Sisters even though all the magic is gone with our goddess. I remember we used to grind for the sauce, side my side, in the old monastery. We'd joke about how our thighs were the ones racing to become the thickest, and our joking motto "thicc thighs make for a hot thicc sauce". Those were great joyful days. She doesn't cycle anymore though. Angela wrote to tell me about a library job she got, and to ask about my current book and recommend another. She was always recommending books, but I could never keep up, I have a queue of dozens from her now.

I still make hot sauce quite similar in ingredients, but it isn't nearly as successful because the magic is gone. The magic that we'd use to infuse our Thicc and Saucy with the heated lust of the men and women who would visit for a blessing and to buy the Sauce. These days I show up early to ride and read. It's good for me. And by getting a head start I'm able to take time to make everyone in the kitchen some energizing tea before open.

Today I'm experimenting with Troll Blood tea - I left some globs to ferment in a jar with Possumbee Honey. Honey is one of the things that stops the natural rockification process that tends to happen with Troll Blood. And Possumbee's make a honey that is sour instead of sweet. My thought is that the sourness will cut the potent savory flavor of the Troll Blood. Today I'll spoon out some fermented globs and steep it with some rosemary. I hope the crew enjoys it!

@Kendall Oh my absolute favorite has got to be the World of Darkness Changling, Mage, and mortal systems! However I like open roleplay a lot too (more or less systemless). I'm also really excited about Thirsty Sword Lesbians, because it is very social roleplay oriented, but I haven't played it yet.

Xan.

I glance my eyes discretely at each of my coworkers that are drinking the tea I lovingly made them - each queuing up their respective inner strengths, insights, and hallucinations. I wonder what each of them feels and sees. I ponder Gus's list, he always puts such care into the composition of the dining experience, handing out roles to the patrons as readily as he hands them out to us. At least... I think it is him making the list. I never really asked where the lists come from.

My thoughts drift to my sisterhood. If we were to to have eaten here back in our heyday, as a treat, would he have accommodated us? What roles would each of us been given to play in our dining experience? Questions I fear I may never have the answer to, as I have no idea where anyone is. I make a note to make the rounds during my free time tomorrow, and see who I can find and touch base with from the old crew.

Focus. FOCUS. The guest list is what's important right this moment. Obviously dreams are important, but today I am making a multitude of spice mixes, most of which are to chef spec as per my peers in the kitchen, but there is one where I have a little more... creative liberty:

A mix to infuse in a mead to be served at the start of the meal. I naturally lean to inspiring the inspirers: The Musician, the Inventor, maybe the Dancer and Superhero too? I think about what they have in common and it hits me, tonight may be about playing the patrons off each other. Resonating them against each other. The Dancer and the Inventor can help heal each other with purpose. The Musician and Superhero can help heal each other with empathy. Purpose and empathy... That's royal queen possumbee jelly, which is great because I have some from the harvest I used to ferment the trolls blood. With this, we'll nudge the patrons to feel each others' hurts with a compulsion to contemplate how their unique talents can help the immediate "hive", in this case our venue. I pour all of the royal jelly I have into a cloth sack along with the rest of the spice infusion mix I already prepped, and tie it off before dunking it into the barrel of basic mead and covering it to soak until it is time to serve.

With that out of the way, I look towards Irenah @Kismet, "Since this is for the finisher, I think we should focus on enhancing the guests who can best close out the experience. What do you think?"

Companions and mounts are definitely in scope of our thing. Unlike traditional MMO games, we wouldn't be necessarily having them be so much of a special mechanic as an optional piece that a Tale can support or not. BUT with the regard to a more non-Tale companions, we have been discussing a persistent assistant/buddy that could take on companion-like forms.

@Lynx316 @Ezra Content that explores human atrocities can be okay, but we do reserve the ability to not select a Tale on the grounds of it having content that encourages any of the many types of systemic oppression in the real world.

For example, a story that dives into discrimination that parallels immigrant discrimination in the real world could be a problem if it trivializes the struggles of immigrants and/or gives any sort of validation to oppressors.

We are all still learning through this process, so your feedback on this is important to us and we'll use it to refine our policies. It is also important to us to encourage community building that fosters open cooperative role-play. Themes of various forms of oppression can get in the way of that primary goal, so I think for discrimination the question to ask yourself is if you imagine people may feel hesitant or not taking on key player-character roles in such a Tale.

Xan.

I glance my eyes discretely at each of my coworkers that are drinking the tea I lovingly made them - each queuing up their respective inner strengths, insights, and hallucinations. I wonder what each of them feels and sees. I ponder Gus's list, he always puts such care into the composition of the dining experience, handing out roles to the patrons as readily as he hands them out to us. At least... I think it is him making the list. I never really asked where the lists come from.

My thoughts drift to my sisterhood. If we were to to have eaten here back in our heyday, as a treat, would he have accommodated us? What roles would each of us been given to play in our dining experience? Questions I fear I may never have the answer to, as I have no idea where anyone is. I make a note to make the rounds during my free time tomorrow, and see who I can find and touch base with from the old crew.

Focus. FOCUS. The guest list is what's important right this moment. Obviously dreams are important, but today I am making a multitude of spice mixes, most of which are to chef spec as per my peers in the kitchen, but there is one where I have a little more... creative liberty:

A mix to infuse in a mead to be served at the start of the meal. I naturally lean to inspiring the inspirers: The Musician, the Inventor, maybe the Dancer and Superhero too? I think about what they have in common and it hits me, tonight may be about playing the patrons off each other. Resonating them against each other. The Dancer and the Inventor can help heal each other with purpose. The Musician and Superhero can help heal each other with empathy. Purpose and empathy... That's royal queen possumbee jelly, which is great because I have some from the harvest I used to ferment the trolls blood. With this, we'll nudge the patrons to feel each others' hurts with a compulsion to contemplate how their unique talents can help the immediate "hive", in this case our venue. I pour all of the royal jelly I have into a cloth sack along with the rest of the spice infusion mix I already prepped, and tie it off before dunking it into the barrel of basic mead and covering it to soak until it is time to serve.

With that out of the way, I look towards Irenah @Kismet, "Since this is for the finisher, I think we should focus on enhancing the guests who can best close out the experience. What do you think?"

As I sit on my cycling seat, running the mill pedals with my feet, I toss varied hard and dried ingredients from my work table to the left and right mill shoots behind me for grinding. In front of me I mix some pastes with my mortars and pestles. Each piece I used on my table was bought from a different bazaar crafter, in different stones. Each stone brings something different to the mix, and a lot of folks just don't get it. But my results speak for themselves. In front of me is a slanted rock with a bottom lip that I use to hold my book.

However today I'm distracted from reading. It's my literal daily grind routine, and I'm on autopilot as I think about my latest correspondence from Sister Angela, or former Sister I suppose. We still call ourselves Sisters even though all the magic is gone with our goddess. I remember we used to grind for the sauce, side my side, in the old monastery. We'd joke about how our thighs were the ones racing to become the thickest, and our joking motto "thicc thighs make for a hot thicc sauce". Those were great joyful days. She doesn't cycle anymore though. Angela wrote to tell me about a library job she got, and to ask about my current book and recommend another. She was always recommending books, but I could never keep up, I have a queue of dozens from her now.

I still make hot sauce quite similar in ingredients, but it isn't nearly as successful because the magic is gone. The magic that we'd use to infuse our Thicc and Saucy with the heated lust of the men and women who would visit for a blessing and to buy the Sauce. These days I show up early to ride and read. It's good for me. And by getting a head start I'm able to take time to make everyone in the kitchen some energizing tea before open.

Today I'm experimenting with Troll Blood tea - I left some globs to ferment in a jar with Possumbee Honey. Honey is one of the things that stops the natural rockification process that tends to happen with Troll Blood. And Possumbee's make a honey that is sour instead of sweet. My thought is that the sourness will cut the potent savory flavor of the Troll Blood. Today I'll spoon out some fermented globs and steep it with some rosemary. I hope the crew enjoys it!

We'll be evaluating and tracking entries as they come in using this rubric. All submissions will be internally scored, and those with at least a 60/110 will be considered for selection.

Our primary goals include both seeding the content library of LiveTale, as well as building a healthy community by highlighting and working with content creators that we believe will make great Tale content. We want to highlight a variety of Tales and Tale creators. It is worth noting that even if you don't win, you can still develop your Tale and build community support for the assets and pieces you need to realize your story within LiveTale.

Character Name: Xan
Fantasy Race: Human
Appearance: Thick and round, with her head up high
Personality Type: Reserved creative
Gender/Pronouns: She/her
Kitchen Role/job/responsibilities: Making spice mixes for dishes
Favorite Hobby: Sorting herbs and spices
Major Fear: Being the reason someone else stagnates
Major Flaw: Procrastination
Life Goals: Inspire others and watch them go
Secrets: Was the last high priestess of a goddess who gave up being a goddess, dispersing all her divine power.

@Dswan34 You can! We are most likely to select as many different creators as possible for finalists, however the changes of becoming a finalist will likely only improve with the exploration of different ideas through multiple submissions.

We have a scoring rubric that is being finalized and will be published soon. This will help you refine your entries for the best chance at selection.

@Dswan34 Thank you so much for your questions, I'll do my best to answer! I'll start with some core info that will help in making sense of my answers to your specific questions, The prime directive of our system is to facilitate collaborative creative roleplay; all of our product decisions come back through this directive. Collaboration happens at both in the building of a Tale and the playing of a Tale.

1. At its core, the LiveTale realtime engine is an improv engine. The core of this system is a rule set around roleplay itself. It is designed to allow players to effectively yes-and parts of the Tale (and each other) as they explore and roleplay. Modules with hooks can be used to institute more specific/rigid game mechanics for players on top of that, and we will be working on multiple such modules based on existing roleplay systems. Our intent is to ship with a basic set of items, character types, and so on. We will also be providing the community with tools and infrastructure for creating, distributing, and monetizing their own custom content.

2. A Tale is a collection of characters, locations, items, plots, and their growing/changing relationships with each other. Encounters can be thought of as scoped scenes where action can happen and be resolved. Our intent is to provide realtime encounters, however rule modules can define more structured encounters, including turn-based combat varieties. Absent other rule modules, players will be free to run around within and between locations until something in the game stops them.

3. We intend for Tales to span the depths of imagination. We will be starting with a narrow scope of settings, and releasing more options as we grow. However that starting scope will actually be determined largely by of the results of the Tale Contest we are running. And of course user created content can take the settings far beyond that scope too.

In coming weeks and months we will be releasing some more information, including videos, documentation, and diagrams to better explain our system and its goals - so stay tuned!

@AvetaArduinna I love this, thank you!

My favorite games that resonated in some way or another:

• Tides of Numenera
• Transistor
• Final Fantasy 7 (especially since Remake)
• Dragon Age Inquisition
• Triangle Strategy
• Fire Emblem Awakening
• Baldur's Gate 2 (and expansion)
• Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines
• Octopath Traveler
• Kyrandia 3 Malcolm's Revenge
• Myst

I really love playing some aspect of myself, or to try out some aspect of myself. I have this internal representation of myself as a council of 10 people, and so exploring/indulging each of those individuals in roleplay has generally felt like a fulfilling personal growth exercise. In that way, roleplay activities have helped me explore my own gender identity in a really safe feeling way and definitely helped break open my egg. But more than that, roleplay has helped me explore other parts of my personality - embracing different types of darkness, leaning into vices, leaning into virtues, exploring failure and feelings and all sorts of stuff.