I am a little disappointed that my last post didn't get as many comment responses as I was hoping for. Perhaps I didn't quite pitch it correctly. The idea was 'What game would you want to run if it was strictly your choice without having to worry about your players' interests, opinions, tastes, etc.'
Since I run games to entertain my audience as much as myself, this question has a fairly large impact on my thinking. I'm always concerned about what my group will like and what kind of campaign best suits their preferences. As I've stated elsewhere, player input has a major effect on my plots and subplots as well as the type of adventures I design.
In the case of my running Hunter Planet for example, I don't think that game would go over well in NY. My New York crew is a bit 'too serious' and has trouble getting behind games whose premise is humorous from the start. It addition, I can't see them all playing weird aliens. Most likely you'd get very Human looking Star Trek types.
My NJ group could play this in a heartbeat. My lord it would hit the ground running and never look back. The issue here is I've promised them a serious game as a 'change of pace' from our usual comical endeavours.
So Hunter Planet, like so many other crazy Barking Alien ideas, goes back into RPG limbo for now. I will continue to tweak it and add to it and when the time comes I will unleash it on an unsuspecting world. For the time being however, I'll put it aside with my OZ campaign, FIENDish, and the like. I'm sure they all have much to discuss.
AD
Barking Alien
I'd really like to run a bronze age/iron age setting loosely based off the Celtic traditions with a bit of the dark Grimm's Fairy Tales and Russian Folklore/myth thrown in. I'd like it to have that kind of haunting mythic feel. I'd also like there to be a fair amount of political plot and intrigue. I've got Conspiracy of Shadows and I think that would work well. I've also got Reign as well. That's just what I'd like to run or play in if I could absolutely have my choice.
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't leave a comment. I've been on blog hiatus, scribbling away on zines. for me the idea game is not about the /what/ but the /who/.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to play anything with the guys I grew up with. The chemistry and level of friendship was unreal.
I really want to play a very whimsical light-hearted fantasy game where the main characters eventually save the world. I just think that most of my friends are too cynical or 'adult' to enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThat or Unknown Armies via Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service. :)
Very cool stuff here guys. I appreciate you coming by as always.
ReplyDelete@Johnathan - I recommend Reign for sure but don't be quick to overlook Ars Magica. As much as I dislike D&D (which is a lot) is how much I love Ars Magica. Tweaking it to up the Grogs and downplay the Mages isn't nearly as tough as most people think.
@Christian - Dude you don't have to apologize. I know you're good for it. ;)
With the right group anything will work. I'd be hard pressed to think of a game that my Jersey crew couldn't pull off.
@Jamie - When you say whimsical and light-hearted are you talking about 'heroic' or simply not so 'Grimdark'.
I like the KCDS idea. That would be sweet.
thats easy, rules lite d20
ReplyDeleteno feats, no prestige classes, no XP
sword and planet on Barsoom
(shameless plug).
Second choice, I would be a player in an expert GMs Traveller campaign.
Sadly, my group are all 3-tards.
At least they arent 4-ons ; )
The game that no one wanted to play: "Rude Awakenings" (a.k.a. a mildly mutated Metamorphosis Alpha) using "Plan B", but now I'm vaguely motivated to translate everything over to "Adventure Squad" and run it with a different group. Not any time soon, mind you.
ReplyDeleteOh yes...things I'd like to run vs. things they want to play...Godlike, modified Rifts, Reign, old D&D adventures, Deadlands, Arcana Evolved, and my Heroic Greece D&D game - that's a lot of overlap with some of the above commentators. Maybe we're all distributed evenly across the world to ensure the ideas spread but I don't feel like I've made a lot of progress yet.
ReplyDeleteI have hope with my Apprentices - I can make them play what I want to play at least part of the time. We will see.