Manofmanychars
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Posts
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Joined
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Quote:Marcian, did you forget? I made you see my point with a very succinct verbal beatdown. Playboy is for nudity, at least topless, no exceptions. There are plenty of other venues for showing off one's eroticism if you don't want to remove your clothes. Munn just wanted to generate cheap publicity by saying "Hey, I'm gonna be in Playboy!" and then didn't have the guts to actually do a real Playboy photo shoot.Originally Posted by Marcian Tobay
Ahhhh, I remember when people posted on these forums that she was a tease or a hypocrite for being in Playboy but not being naked. They couldn't handle the idea that a woman enjoyed being sexy but had limits. It was hilarious.
More relevantly, did I miss a meeting? Since when did anyone consider Olivia Munn the least bit funny or talented? Heck, the jury was still categorically out on whether or not she was all that hot last time I saw her being discussed. -
Quote:Macross had better music back in the 90's.Originally Posted by NinjaPirate
Macross Frontier source, for those who have no idea what it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wieStI7kN-I
And the music in MF isn't all like that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JklqFwo5u0k
-np -
It is actually a muscle. Several, actually, IIRC.
Also what. -
Quote:And if you lack the humility to admit that no matter how good a roleplayer someone is, a new player will judge their first game, and thus the hobby as a whole, by how robust the aspects they are interested in are, and that many well-known games lack the robust roleplaying found in other games, doesn't mean everyone else needs to in order to have "creative ability".Originally Posted by tanstaafl
You are very dogmatic about this.
Like there are many ways to write a novel, or tell a tale, not every story or background must be done via step 1 to step x in a fixed proscribed way.
The player is more important than the rule system.
If you lack the creative ability to role play with different systems (even the different flavours of D&D) it does not mean no one else in the world can either. Your limitations are not everyone elses. -
So, another new guy with less than five-hundred posts figures they know more about the game than folks like Arcanaville, who have been datamining it for years. Must be Friday.
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Quote:Originally Posted by Mr. DJ
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When the old lady turns towards the camera, she opens her hand somewhat, and it's plain that she wasn't holding anything. I'm thinking it's just a headscratch plus a trick of forced perspective.
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Quote:There you go again with slipping in the snide comments amongst your cries for unbiased discussion. Maybe if you gave my views a little respect, yours might get some in return.Originally Posted by Hero Prime
I'm not claiming any high ground. I'm just trying to explain to you that, like mine, your viewpoint is nothing more than an opinion, and one that can be worked around. And I don't mind settings a bit - in fact, I've previously stated, I much prefer rules light games with heavy setting material, like The Dresden Files. Perhaps you missed that part.
All I'm trying to say is that if you require some kind of mechanic to shoehorn your player characters into the setting, then perhaps your players aren't all that creative.
And, if I'm not mistaken, the Dresden Files RPG actually has a number of mechanics that are exactly what I've been talking about. Mechanics where you're forced to think up who your character is as you create them.
Of course you'd hate the way I start campaigns. Rather than say "Did you do this?" or "Are you here?", I ask "Why did you do this?" and "Why are you here?" Rather than the players having to determine if something is in-character for them, I simplify the issue, tell them the situation they start off in, and give them an opportunity to make it fit. My players tell me it's a very useful tactic, since not only does it ensure that the game begins smoothly, it also reminds players that motivation doesn't necessarily have to come before action, and that saying "yes, and" or "no, but" is far better than a plain yes or no. -
Quote:You claim an unbiased viewpoint, yet you pepper your post with phrases with decided biased connotations. "Pre-conceived notions"? You attempt to claim the high ground of humility yet simultaneously place yourself above me as somehow more "open-minded".Originally Posted by Hero Prime
You need to add something to the end of your posts. Just three little words would help.
"For some people."
Your experiences are not universally true. I know this because my experiences (and the experiences of the hundreds of people who I've to introduced role playing games over the last nearly thirty years) say otherwise. The problem you seem to be having is that you're confusing "good roleplaying" with "good roleplaying with a narrow focus". I can guarantee that the creative mind is more capable of pure creativity when it has its freedom... for some people. Just not for you.
See how that works?
Equally, I can guarantee you just as enjoyable a roleplaying experience sitting down at a table with no character sheets, no pens or pencils, no maps, and even no dice - just a bucket of M&Ms - as I could provide with a game like ]The Dresden Files. And if my players are to be believed, that is a considerable level of fun. But I could only do that if you freed your mind of pre-conceived notions about what makes a game "good".
If you don't want to roleplay a setting, play GURPS, or Tri-Stat dX, or Toon, or some other universal or setting-free system. Other games have settings for a reason, and when I run those games, the players are expected to take the setting into account. I'm perfectly happy to run any of the above-mentioned games if they want to be crazy space ninja cavemen or cyborg Barry Manilow. But those are two different kinds of roleplaying, they appeal to two different types of players. And by focusing on only one type of gameplay as the so-called "beginner's game" (that being D&D's number-crunching min/max environs), you risk failing to attract people interested in the other types of RPG. -
Quote:Actually, the inverse is true. By forcing you to think within the confines of the game's mythology and the various gameplay bits you selected, you are required to think of a more three-dimensional character, because even the best roleplayers develop patterns and flanderize their characters. By having reminders of greater depth on the character sheet, it prevents RP decay.Originally Posted by Hero Prime
I don't disagree with you about GNS being flawed. Maybe I was being too subtle in pointing out that people who normally fall into one camp can just as easily wander into others. *chuckles* That doesn't change the fact that your reasoning is flawed, as well.
I would, however, argue that systems which don't inherently tie your character to the background are better for pure roleplaying because they force you to think to involve your character in the world. -
Quote:Oh god, G/N/S is one of the most flawed sets of gaming theories ever written. I cannot even begin. But for starters, breaking down any group into only a few narrow definitions is a bad idea in any situation.Originally Posted by Hero Prime
I've been reading lively debate for a little while now, and while I'm a narrativist at heart, I take issue with the idea that there's nothing within D&D4E to enable roleplaying. The truth is, D&D provides a more fleshed out world than any other RPG, period, and provides a wide variety of classes and customization options that allow a good roleplayer to create pretty much any kind of character he or she wants. Whether those options encourage roleplay or not is a whole different subject, but it definitely enables roleplay. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Dungeons & Dragons, and fourth edition is my least favorite iteration. But to claim it provides nothing for the roleplayer is just silly.
Here's the thing: A good roleplayer can roleplay with any system, and a good DM/GM/Storyteller/Narrator can encourage roleplay better than any system. If a person requires a system that has those encouragements built it, well, that's fine. But they aren't inherently better.
(Full disclosure: My current favorite system is FATE, specifically The Dresden Files by Evil Hat Games. It's got all sorts of background and roleplay-encouraging elements, and I personally find it more fun than systems like D&D4E. I also regularly game with someone who is more simulationist and someone else who is more gamist. Both these guys dislike FATE for the same reasons I love it, and both of them are excellent roleplayers.)
By the way, allow me to apologize and retract that essay I linked earlier. I had not realized it was written by Ron Edwards, the reigning champion of stupid in the RPG world. He actually said that games that don't operate like his cause actual, measurable brain damage, and then compared the people that play those games to child molesters. -
Quote:I am currently playing Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden. Isamu and Guld rock the house, nothing can come close to hitting them.Originally Posted by Father Xmas
SHARON! SHARON! SHARON!
Actually one thing that I found very interesting from that concert is the biometric monitoring wristbands. Then idea of redirecting the performance to areas of the stadium that are feeling left out is an interesting idea. -
Quote:You know the argument has never been which is better, right? We all agree that they are both good. We're arguing over how some systems favor one over the other, and how that might affect new RPG players and their likelihood of continuing to play RPGs.Originally Posted by Crim_the_Cold
Yay I just recently found a group to play D&D 3.5 with here in my town. It has been two years since my last group broke apart due to lay offs, finding better jobs, and moving to said jobs. The best part is I may get to DM again. I can't wait! I've got to get all my supplies ready again.
Oh ya on the arguement of Roleplay vs Roll-play usually a mix is better. I don't care if the mechanics favor one or the other. Some players will get bored if there is too much roleplaying and not enough dice rolling and vice versa. The best way I found was to streamline combat a bit, since anyone who has played D&D 3.5 can tell you it sometimes takes over an hour. As long as the game doesn't stagnate on either side its usually entertaining for all. The other thing I do is use 3x5 notecard with the player's name on it to keep track of accomplishments and good roleplaying. I also tally up exp on the card and give it to the player at the beginning of the next game session. Its an easy way to calculate exp and gives the player a cliff notes version of the last session if they want to keep a character history.
I reward good roleplaying in order to encourage it but its not always exp rewards. Sometimes it is items or extra quest opportunities. At the same time I also encourage quick, efficient combat so there can be more of it. I make combat easier by having round by round tactics for each enemy group, and by encouraging players to come up with round by round tactics for their character. It helps prevent players spending 3-4 minutes deciding what they are going to do. My goal in combat is to keep non-spellcaster turns down to about 30-40 seconds and spellcaster turns to about 60-90 seconds. It helps keep combat down to about 5-15 minutes instead of an hour. Good grief I hate it when it takes a group 30 minutes to an hour to deal with an encounter that is maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of their level. No DBZ combat. -
Quote:Yeah, I got it when I read it in this month's Game Informer. I think Marcian wanted to bypass the "no video games" rules by having us discuss RPGs based upon how they do or do not follow the chart, and then compare those flowchart diversions without ever dropping the name of a single actual game.Originally Posted by White Hot Flash
Some of you guys failed your Sense of Humor check.
Thank you, Marcian. I lol'd. -
Quote:Actually, get me in on that, that first one sounded neat.Originally Posted by Reiraku
toss me a PM on these ones. I'd like to know what they are.
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Pffft. Hatsune Miku (a Vocaloid, one of a series of computer programs that sings whatever lyrics you want in a nearly-human singing voice based on real-life voice samples) had a concert as a hologram.
Why is that better? Because Macross Plus predicted it in 1994.
Also it looked less horrifying.
Here's a Youtube video of the concert! -
Quote:He's copying an article from the latest Game Informer that lampoons standard RPG tropes.Originally Posted by rian_frostdrake
on the one i finished with over a hundred hours, this was not the case at all. the lead went from using a fan to claws to his bare fists, only one female lead healed that well and even she was better with a sword or spear. the other was better at buffing and having pairs of wolves rip things up, and the final one was the party tanker.
in fact, i can name several off the top of my head where none of those were true. in one older one, the princess is the team buzzsaw and her priest companion is the main healer, along with a fortune teller. in another the main is a spear user bandit presently, and the "main female" went from being a black mage to bard. the whiny emo kid is usually the healer. or shall i get into the one where i really am me, and the kid that myself and an alien prefessor with a trans-species dog kidnapped primarily uses his fists, unless he is a chef or fisherman, and the ambiguously evil group is a j-pop band with a monkey.
oh and maybe the caffeine is dulling my senses, but i have no idea whatsoever what marcian is going for here, could you dumb it down for the caffeine addled? -
I know! How dare that humor article be limited and/or inaccurate in its scope!
The nerve! -
Quote:You're still assuming that the "existing group" has a good roleplayer. I've been in groups where not a single person was any good at roleplaying. If a new player who wanted to roleplay was in that group, he would likely not want to continue playing RPGs, because he would leave with the impression that roleplaying is not what he though it was. However, if the system itself offers roleplaying aids, not only does it help a novice roleplayer flesh out his character, but it confirms that roleplaying is indeed a major facet of the hobby.Originally Posted by NinjaPirate
Not really.
Because that's not how people get into gaming.
You don't have a group of folks spontaneously deciding to play RPGs. You have individuals and groups joining OTHER groups that already play RPGs.
As such you have folks that can teach. Better than any words on a page can do so. -
Quote:Well, it was good while it lasted. IBTD.Originally Posted by Cynical_Gamer
Hey, Planescape: Torment broke the chart after only three spaces.
Good job, hero. -
But not all groups have good roleplayers in them. Not all cities have good roleplayers in them. Someone new to the hobby has no guarantee of meeting anyone interested in roleplaying. And if that's what said new player wants to do, they'd be out of luck with a lot of games. However, games like 7th Sea, Houses of the Blooded, Amber Diceless, they provide help so that even without a single person capable of roleplaying, somebody new to the hobby could learn how to become their character.
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Quote:No way, this flowchart is all dark and androgynous! The last flowchart had the best villain of all the flowcharts!Originally Posted by NinjaPirate
It's the same flowchart! They just changed the graphics!
-np -
Man, this flowchart sucks, the flowchart from a few years ago was way better.
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Quote:Now you're putting words in my mouth. I'm saying that D&D is not made to appeal to everyone. It is made for roll players. Period, full stop, end of story. There is nothing, nothing, that enables roleplaying in D&D. New players often have trouble roleplaying, but if roleplaying is what appeals to them, D&D would leave them disappointed. Houses of the Blooded, on the other hand, would quickly become their favorite game ever.Originally Posted by docbuzzard
You are falling into a trap. You are taking up the banner (which is common to rpg.net) that role players are superior to roll players. They are not. They are just different categories of people who like to play in that genre of games. Neither is superior, and as long as they are having fun the way they like to, all is fine.
7th Sea has elements to appeal to every type of gamer, and thus is a superior "first RPG" than D&D. That's all. -
Yes, we've covered that, that's a nice idea, but this is mostly me, having noticed a disproportionate number of people from Arizona on the boards, trying to get a few of them to play with me around an actual table, because games over the internet are not nearly as much fun.