Tabletop games: let's play them.
By
Ad Astra,
Posted on: 2010-10-13 01:19 in Comic and Hero-Villain Culture
Quote:
Note: I already said that I like The Dresden Files despite that mechanic. And no, I wouldn't hate the way you start campaigns, as it's very similar to the way I launch mine.|
Originally Posted by Manofmanychars
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.
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. |
But I can see why others have given up this discussion. You might think it's because you've won, but really, it's only because you refuse to listen. You tell people they're wrong and you're right and that's all there is to it, and when someone makes a valid point - one you can't argue - you shout it down because of the person's tone.
Yup, I'm done here. What I've said speaks for itself.
Where do we go from here?
This whole thread has just made me sad.
SO!
Getting back on topic!
Northern CT/Pioneer Valley Mass Gamer here. I'm a GM in two campaigns, so would love to find one to play in, both me and my wife. While D&D3.5/Pathfinder is my most comfortable setting, I've got a smattering of others, and would love to play just about anything. PM's would be the best bet, since my wife found this thread, and I rarely ever go into this forum.
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good job Manof, alienating people 
I do find it interesting the degree traditional games seem to have risen to grab hold of the geek culture that seems to be somewhat alienated as their former, virtual hobby has been absorbed by the mainstream football and shooter genres. For a while I assumed it was just me, but seeing how quickly board games are seizing Penny Arcade as well as most of my gamer friends leads me to wonder if its larger than that.
For what its worth, here's some games that have dominated my table recently:
Last Night on Earth - I really can't say enough good things about this one. We have a weekly Walking Dead/LNOE Zombie night going right now and this game is just amazing. Heroes really have to work together to survive while searching for makeshift weapons if they have any hope of driving back the undead. The fun of playing zombies is that of directing your own movie, using cliches such as suddenly locked doors and the ever popular "...this could be our last night..." to force the heroes to their doom. This game is good enough I'm learning to paint just to make it even better.
Summoner Wars - neat game by a really small publisher. It's sort of a card based minis game (though not at all collectable, you buy everything as a full deck). What's really neat is that you have a very small deck which you must both discard for 1 time resources and use to summon more units. It really makes for a lot of interesting decisions, as every character in your army must be weighed on whether you need them right now, or can afford to abandon them in order to summon more powerful characters.
Claustrophobia - A really neat game where you lead condemned prisoners through tunnels in hell. It's a fantastic game engine that just needs an expansion or two to provide a bit more variety and personality. The game does a fantastic job offering a streamlined, tense dungeon crawl experience in under an hour. The heroes have a really neat feel, rushing to get through the tunnels knowing that every unexplored tunnel is likely to erupt in a horde of little demonlings.
Games on my wishlist:
Ghost Stories - Co-op game where you need to use your kung-fu to drive off oriental spirits before they overrun a town. Apparently its extremely difficult, but extremely rewarding as a result.
Cyclades - A mix of city building and war gaming concepts in one package. In this you pay tribute to the Greek gods in order to earn their favor and build your metropolis (or use Ares to conquer someone else's). In addition, you can summon mythological creatures to aid your struggle, calling the kraken forth to devour enemy ships, or fortifying your fortress with a minotaur.
My main group wants to shift to Rogue Trader and it's spinoffs.
I do like the character concept I came up with (corrupt priest trying to bring down the Ecclesiarchy from the inside) but I'm still not sure this is a good thing. The GM and another player that spearheaded the movement are GW lorehounds, and I'm dreading sessions devolving into arguments over minutia like which Space Marine chapter found guy was born where.
Tales of Judgment. Also here, instead of that other place.
good luck D.B.B.
Reading this thread is only slightly less fun than reading an issue of Knights of the Dinner Table.
Watching other nerds rage against each other is fun, from a distance.
Im in AZ. Id be interested in starting up a game with other AZ people. Ive never played a full campaign, of anything, just 1 game of warhammer. Im interested in playing D&D, but am open to anything.
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Quote:
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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,
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Wrong. Get your head out of those D&D books and actually look around.
Glorantha, Runequest's game world, has a lot of game lore. I got a shelf of books about Glorantha larger than any of D&D's game world books that has ever been published. Granted, some of it is in a few magazine series, other information is in note form from the game world's creator (Greg Stafford), but it is there.
I'm not even a fan of Glorantha, but I do appreciate it's depth and breadth of information.
Quote:
Get Cyclades an absolute blast of a game, just make sure the players you are with know it is extremely aggressive in nature as every thing you do, does come at the expense of another.|
Originally Posted by LunarKnight
I do find it interesting the degree traditional games seem to have risen to grab hold of the geek culture that seems to be somewhat alienated as their former, virtual hobby has been absorbed by the mainstream football and shooter genres. For a while I assumed it was just me, but seeing how quickly board games are seizing Penny Arcade as well as most of my gamer friends leads me to wonder if its larger than that.
For what its worth, here's some games that have dominated my table recently: Last Night on Earth - I really can't say enough good things about this one. We have a weekly Walking Dead/LNOE Zombie night going right now and this game is just amazing. Heroes really have to work together to survive while searching for makeshift weapons if they have any hope of driving back the undead. The fun of playing zombies is that of directing your own movie, using cliches such as suddenly locked doors and the ever popular "...this could be our last night..." to force the heroes to their doom. This game is good enough I'm learning to paint just to make it even better. Summoner Wars - neat game by a really small publisher. It's sort of a card based minis game (though not at all collectable, you buy everything as a full deck). What's really neat is that you have a very small deck which you must both discard for 1 time resources and use to summon more units. It really makes for a lot of interesting decisions, as every character in your army must be weighed on whether you need them right now, or can afford to abandon them in order to summon more powerful characters. Claustrophobia - A really neat game where you lead condemned prisoners through tunnels in hell. It's a fantastic game engine that just needs an expansion or two to provide a bit more variety and personality. The game does a fantastic job offering a streamlined, tense dungeon crawl experience in under an hour. The heroes have a really neat feel, rushing to get through the tunnels knowing that every unexplored tunnel is likely to erupt in a horde of little demonlings. Games on my wishlist: Ghost Stories - Co-op game where you need to use your kung-fu to drive off oriental spirits before they overrun a town. Apparently its extremely difficult, but extremely rewarding as a result. Cyclades - A mix of city building and war gaming concepts in one package. In this you pay tribute to the Greek gods in order to earn their favor and build your metropolis (or use Ares to conquer someone else's). In addition, you can summon mythological creatures to aid your struggle, calling the kraken forth to devour enemy ships, or fortifying your fortress with a minotaur. |
And for another plug for the makers of Last Night on Earth. A Touch of Evil is an amazing game. Great theme, can be played completely coop, completely competitive, and even has a solo mode (though much more fun with friends).
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I like it. It's a random board game, not a RPG, and fun for what it is. It could be a good entry game into RPGs though for people who wouldn't otherwise try them.|
Originally Posted by Unknown_User
It's not dying just too much stuff going on. Speaking of which has anyone tried the Castle Ravenloft game?
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It wouldnt replace my RPG sessions, but makes a nice break when no one has energy to DM.
I like a co-operatve multiplayer game too.
I enjoy playing with my young daughter with it too - its easy.
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
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You are very dogmatic about this. |
Originally Posted by Manofmanychars
A character's backstory should be decided on creation. Having Schrodinger's Past is unrealistic and is one of the main contributing factors in the overall lack of attachment many players feel for their characters. You didn't get to choose your own past, why should your character?
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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.
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| 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. |
Quote:
| Also, the only self-selection on RPG.net is tabletop RPG players. Hence the name, RPG.net. Kinda thought it was self-explanatory, there. But yeah, what does the largest online tabletop gaming community on Earth, many of whom spend much of their time reviewing RPGs (not to mention the people in the community who make RPGs, including pros like John Wick), know about RPGs? |
http://www.enworld.org/index.php?page=rpgmap
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
Oh, and on topic, if anyone is looking for many types of Roleplay, Rollplay and board game action in Adelaide, Gamequest ( http://www.gamequest.net.au/ ) in the heart of the city is friendly and organsies players for GMS, and GMs for players.
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
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".
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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. |
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Quote:
I wouldn't call it humility, but I freely admit that there are many games besides the different incarnations of D&D that are better suited mechanically for role playing.|
Originally Posted by Manofmanychars
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".
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Your statement "There is nothing, nothing, that enables roleplaying in D&D" is still wrong.
Now, I feel the group (GM plus other players) are a far more important element than rules. No matter how well suited a game might be to Role Playing, if no one in the group can do more than stammer out 'hit the orc' then that first player's experience for role playing is going to be poor regardless of rule set you are using, no matter how ever many background charts are used.
Likewise, even if the rules are more mechanically suited for roll playing, a good story telling GM with group interested in it will be far superior RP experience.
I also have more respect for most newer players than to say that a new player must judge all role playing games and the hobby as a whole based solely on their first experience.
I'm not sure what you mean with the second half of your sentence going on from "and that many ..."
I don't suffer from altitis, I enjoy every minute of it.
Thank you Devs & Community people for a great game.
So sad to be ending ):
I was wondering if any of the Devs knew anything about the old City of Heroes Tabletop that was to be published by Eden Studios? I've found the Quick Play Pack Online at some Sites, but I was hoping more would be released.
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I think that pretty much fell through.
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Originally Posted by Tife_the_Gilded
I was wondering if any of the Devs knew anything about the old City of Heroes Tabletop that was to be published by Eden Studios? I've found the Quick Play Pack Online at some Sites, but I was hoping more would be released.
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Having Vengeance and Fallout slotted for recharge means never having to say you're sorry.
I have a copy of the COH demo pack. It's interesting but not something you could really run a campaign with.
Has anyone done any work on running their own tabletop supers RPG set in Paragon City? I ran some searches and saw nothing so this seemed like a good place to ask.
I'm considering doing it for M&M for my kids as they know the City of Heroes background pretty well (an advantage over starting them off in my old home-brew worlds) but it's more "open" than a DC or Marvel setting. Best of both worlds in this case. Plus they could run some of their COH characters so concepts are good to go. Lots of known badguy groups, landmarks, neighborhoods, and some big bads to take down later. Seems like a win at the moment here so I'm curious if anyone else has done it.
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Quote:
By "wishlist" I meant "currently sitting in the closet waiting for Christmas". |
Originally Posted by colorichard
Get Cyclades an absolute blast of a game, just make sure the players you are with know it is extremely aggressive in nature as every thing you do, does come at the expense of another.
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Picked up Small World for the family over Thanksgiving on a Black Friday sale. Fantastic little game of territory control with outstanding personality and artwork. I'd highly recommend the race expansions, as they add a lot more player interaction, and at least 1 guaranteed use of "they're after me lucky charms!"
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.
[B]The Once and Future Official Minister of Awesome[/B]
[I]And don't you forget it.[/I]
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