Real-Time: How It Works

Real-time roleplaying on OtherSpace takes place online at jointhesaga.com port 1790, which you can reach using free software such as SimpleMU or MUSHClient.

Characters interact within a “grid” of rooms that represent the world of OtherSpace.
Generally, I’ll start a scene with an opening pose that establishes the situation as we begin. Example:

Busby wanders into the bar, a hololens gleaming silver-blue over his right eye and a bronze-hued earpiece alight with amber telltales, speaking to no one obvious and perhaps not even physically present. Calmly, he seethes. “Look, man, I am *not* interested in whatever those knuckleheads at the CTSB think. It was a freak storm, man. Not a design flaw with the Gasbag. Tell them to be cool and lift the no-fly order.” He makes his way to the bar, presumably listening to the response from the other side of his conversation. “They will *not* bring down the next one with a shoulder-launched rocket, man, no matter what their kneecapper claims. You keep the crew working on Gasbag II, man. I’ll work my connections. Bye, man.” He settles onto a stool and tells the bartender: “Water and cucumber, man. Also, rum. Leave the bottle.”

Other scene participants then have the opportunity to pose what they’re saying or trying to do as a response to that opening. In this case:

Kinako looks up from what is presumably a late dinner – looks like the remains of some vegetables and rice. Her brow furrows ever so slightly in confusion, but she inclines her head the couple of seats down the bar to the blathering executive. “Konbanwa, Mister Busby-sir, I hope that you are in improved health after your, ah, ordeal?”

Standing near the entrance to the pub is a old man looking furtively into the establishment. He seems to be muttering to himself, watching the patrons of the pub come and go. The man grumbles under his breath, “Heretics…sodomites….” and then seems to steel his strength and walks deeper into the bar. He comes to a stop at the actual physical bar, and taps the top of it a few times nervously.

Then it’s back around to me:

Busby turns to give a nod to Kinako. “Yeah, man, I’m okay, I guess. Just shook up, is all. And I had swimmer’s ear for, like, a week, man. Folks cleaned the port up nice, though. Like it never even happened, man, right?” He notes the bartender setting a glass of clear liquid with a green-rimmed organic disc inside along with a bottle of brown liquid. “Oh, wait, man. Man, I’m sorry. I meant water *and* cucumber. Like, you know, the actual cucumber, man. Not some sad little slice, right?” The bartender knits his brow, but wanders off to find an intact cucumber while likely imagining special methods of delivery.

This process repeats until we reach a point for pausing or concluding the scene. Real-time scenes can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours to play out in a session.

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