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Will there be a cimantic mode?

Sat 07 Nov 2020, 19:36

Will there be a cimantic mode in the game like Alian or will there only be traditional campaign RPG mode of the game?
 
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Carcharoth
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Sun 08 Nov 2020, 03:43

I believe the word you might be searching for is "cinematic" and I haven't heard of any plans to have different game modes in this edition.
"Of all the terrors that came ever into Beleriand ere Angband’s fall the madness of Carcharoth was the most dreadful; for the power of the Silmaril was hidden within him."
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bveld
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Sun 08 Nov 2020, 18:32

What is this cinematic mode?
 
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Jacob Rodgers
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Sun 08 Nov 2020, 18:57

What is this cinematic mode?
In Aliens you have the cinematic mode so that you can do a story about a Xenomorph encounter and know that all (or maybe just most) of the characters won't survive the story. So instead of traditional RPG campaign tropes you're instead focused on more movie-like tropes. The knowledge that your character was never intended to make it frees you up to have more fun with stuff, up to and including your death.
 
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jthurn
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Sun 08 Nov 2020, 20:51

I like it. "Your characters have one adventure to live. What will they do?" That makes a lot of sense for the Aliens universe. Or any "monster in the house" type of world really.
 
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Sun 08 Nov 2020, 21:20

I believe the word you might be searching for is "cinematic" and I haven't heard of any plans to have different game modes in this edition.
Yes I searched for the “cinematic” word.

That could have been really cool in this game. I can really imagine many scenes from the movies that should have been cool to jump into and played.
 
coniunctio
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Mon 09 Nov 2020, 11:37

What is this cinematic mode?
In Aliens you have the cinematic mode so that you can do a story about a Xenomorph encounter and know that all (or maybe just most) of the characters won't survive the story. So instead of traditional RPG campaign tropes you're instead focused on more movie-like tropes. The knowledge that your character was never intended to make it frees you up to have more fun with stuff, up to and including your death.
What happens with the player who's character died early in the session? Do they sit around with nothing else to do or are they assigned some other sort of role/NPC? Maybe one of the Aliens?
 
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Falenthal
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Mon 09 Nov 2020, 14:19

The scenario has always some NPCs prepared to be turned to PCs if/when needed.

The cinematic mode is a sort of "deadly one-shot", not unlike many Call of Cthulhu scenarios.
I don't think it would work for TOR as a standard mode, but it would make for great scenarios like "After the Battle of Azalnubizar, some dwarves accompanied Dáin inside Moria, to assess the possibility of seizing the stronghold", "Rangers of Ithilien decide to try to best the Many-legged Horror that lurks in the Pass of Cirith Ungol" or "Wayward Elves are convinced that the land around Dol Guldur still remembers the elves, and that their songs will awake what good remains in the trees".
 
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Tue 10 Nov 2020, 18:08

I don't think it would work for TOR as a standard mode, but it would make for great scenarios like "After the Battle of Azalnubizar, some dwarves accompanied Dáin inside Moria, to assess the possibility of seizing the stronghold", "Rangers of Ithilien decide to try to best the Many-legged Horror that lurks in the Pass of Cirith Ungol" or "Wayward Elves are convinced that the land around Dol Guldur still remembers the elves, and that their songs will awake what good remains in the trees".
Yes that should be so cool 8-) and something new interesting from ordinary campaign fantasy RPG.

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euromellows
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Re: Will there be a cimantic mode?

Wed 11 Nov 2020, 01:10

A cinematic mode would be great for some scenarios in Middle Earth. I'm a big fan of Alien RPG and the cinematic mode has been a great way of introducing RPGs to a very casual audience. In Middle Earth there is fertile ground for this style of play - Balin's Expedition for one, with the Balrog picking off players one by one. Of course, if you want a comparable example to a Xenomorph there is always Shelob...

Edit: On further thought, one of the features that makes the cinematic scenarios so engaging in Alien RPG is the use of secret agendas and/or secret identities. For example, a PC may have as a secret mission to "Obtain a live Alien specimem at all costs" : whereas another PC may have "Protect all your crew and let none perish". Even better, sometimes a PC will be a secret android which is only revealed under certain circumstances and immediately makes them a hostile NPC. These secret agendas provide an exciting element to the scenarios, and LMs can award 'Inspiration' points based on how successful the PC is in implementing their agenda. This would need to be handled tactfully in the Middle Earth context so as to not stray too far from Tolkien's vision and make it unnecessarily dark. However, I think there is scope for having some PCs work subtly against each other and/or having a secret agent of Sauron in their ranks.

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