I knew this question was coming. I knew it.
Ah oh! Argh! Too late!
GRRR *Rip-Tear* Rawr!
Now look what you made me do.
Hulk Dog by Waylou
I've addressed this topic before, either in response to another such blog challenge question somewhere, or simply as a statement of my own on the subject.
I've heard of this situation before, and it's mere existence boggles my mind.
There are honestly gamers in the world, people who enjoy RPGs, and are devoted enough to the hobby to partake in it on a least a semi-regular basis, who no longer play their favorite game.
This isn't some Bigfoot, Bermuda Triangle crap working here. This is an honest to goodness thing-that-happens. WTF brothers, and sisters?
How can a game be your favorite if you don't play it? I mean, if you cared that much about it, you'd find a way right? Uh-oh, here come the whinny excuses...
Oh, but Adam, I like game X, and my players won't play it.
Screw them. What a bunch of narrow-minded louts. Get new players.
or
Tell them you've been running their crappy arse favorite game for however long, the least they can do is play a one-shot of yours.
See if anyone is running, or playing it online, at your FLGS, or at a convention. Offer to run it online, at your FLGS, or at a convention.
Don't let comfort zone hugging fools dictate what game you get to play!
I lost my copy years ago, and I haven't been able to find it again.
Are you serious? Are you aware that it's the 21st century? You may not realize this, and hold on to something 'cause I'm about to blow your mind, but you're looking at this blog on a thing called, 'The Internet'.
The Internet is full of websites, like this one, some of which are stores you can order games from. Some of those stores carry out of print games. If you still can't find it, try a thing called ebay, or talk to your players, and see if one of them has a copy.
Don't give up! I'd been trying to find a copy of Hunter Planet for years, and years, and kept missing out when it popped up at Noble Knight Games. I would find out it was on ebay, only to be outbid. Finally, the creator of the game heard my lament (OK, read about it in one of my blog posts), and he sent me a copy (Thanks again David - seriously man. That was incredibly awesome of you).
My favorite game is really obscure. How can I get people to try it if they haven't even heard of it?
I don't know. If it's your favorite, and it's obscure, how the hell did you hear about it? How did it hook you? Also again, why do you play with such tunnel-visioned dweebs?
There is no favorite game of mine I no longer play.
That is, if I no longer play it, ever, it is not a favorite of mine. If it is a favorite of mine, you can be rest assured that within the last year, or two, and within the next, that game will see play.
You can't play your favorite all the time perhaps, but the question above specifically says 'no longer play'.
My favorites include:
Ars Magica - Short, failed campaign a few years ago. In talks for a new one.
Champions - One solid campaign and several failed attempts over the last few years.
Faery's Tale Deluxe - Played with the kids at the tutoring center not too long ago.
Muppets RPG - Ran a one shot last Christmas. May be doing one this Christmas.
Star Trek (LUG) - Just finished a 6 session short campaign with Dan's Group.
Star Wars D6 - I have a one shot planned with Dan's Group before year's end.
Traveller - Running now with the Barking Alien Group. New series planned for next year.
About the only ones I haven't gotten to do in a long while are Mekton, Wares Blade, and Ghostbusters/InSpectres. Mekton might be a harder sell then Wares Blade, which I can probably swing a one shot of sometime next year. I've already pitched a Ghostbusters/InSpectres one-shot to Dan's Group and they're up for it.
Love a certain game? Want to play, or run it? Get off your lazy, candied arse, and go do so you lily-livered, scallywags! You make me ill. I can't even look at you.
Ahem...Greetings all, this is Barkley.
You'll have to excuse my Human cohort here. This is one of his pet peeves.
His rather brash, and snarky demeanor aside, he simply feels that too many people play the same old games, because that's what they've been playing.
Human nature leans towards wanting to stay with the familiar, and wanting to play it safe. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, unless of course it makes for a less than enjoyable time for those of you who prefer to try the new, and different.
The key message here is, if there is something you like that others around you do not seem particularly fond of, don't just walk about with a sad face, wishing you could partake in it. That way leads to sadness, and bad blood in the long term between you, and your gaming buddies. Instead, find a way to enjoy it, even if you have to do so on your own (that is, with another group, even for just a one-shot here, and there).
Don't deprive yourself of a favorite thing for the sole reason that it isn't everyone's favorite thing.
Thanks for your time.
AD
Barking Alien
My favorite game is really obscure. How can I get people to try it if they haven't even heard of it?
I don't know. If it's your favorite, and it's obscure, how the hell did you hear about it? How did it hook you? Also again, why do you play with such tunnel-visioned dweebs?
***
There is no favorite game of mine I no longer play.
That is, if I no longer play it, ever, it is not a favorite of mine. If it is a favorite of mine, you can be rest assured that within the last year, or two, and within the next, that game will see play.
You can't play your favorite all the time perhaps, but the question above specifically says 'no longer play'.
My favorites include:
Ars Magica - Short, failed campaign a few years ago. In talks for a new one.
Champions - One solid campaign and several failed attempts over the last few years.
Faery's Tale Deluxe - Played with the kids at the tutoring center not too long ago.
Muppets RPG - Ran a one shot last Christmas. May be doing one this Christmas.
Star Trek (LUG) - Just finished a 6 session short campaign with Dan's Group.
Star Wars D6 - I have a one shot planned with Dan's Group before year's end.
Traveller - Running now with the Barking Alien Group. New series planned for next year.
About the only ones I haven't gotten to do in a long while are Mekton, Wares Blade, and Ghostbusters/InSpectres. Mekton might be a harder sell then Wares Blade, which I can probably swing a one shot of sometime next year. I've already pitched a Ghostbusters/InSpectres one-shot to Dan's Group and they're up for it.
Love a certain game? Want to play, or run it? Get off your lazy, candied arse, and go do so you lily-livered, scallywags! You make me ill. I can't even look at you.
***
Ahem...Greetings all, this is Barkley.
You'll have to excuse my Human cohort here. This is one of his pet peeves.
His rather brash, and snarky demeanor aside, he simply feels that too many people play the same old games, because that's what they've been playing.
Human nature leans towards wanting to stay with the familiar, and wanting to play it safe. There is nothing inherently wrong with this, unless of course it makes for a less than enjoyable time for those of you who prefer to try the new, and different.
The key message here is, if there is something you like that others around you do not seem particularly fond of, don't just walk about with a sad face, wishing you could partake in it. That way leads to sadness, and bad blood in the long term between you, and your gaming buddies. Instead, find a way to enjoy it, even if you have to do so on your own (that is, with another group, even for just a one-shot here, and there).
Don't deprive yourself of a favorite thing for the sole reason that it isn't everyone's favorite thing.
Thanks for your time.
AD
Barking Alien
Hopefully my post on this gives you another take on how this might happen. It was my favorite at one time but it's not any more. That kind of thing. I get a lot of what you're saying up above and agree with a lot of it, but people do walk away from games. I think this question allows us to explore why. Not the games you never liked - like you and D&D - but games you DID like, but for whatever reason do not anymore.
ReplyDeleteI realize I am perhaps been too literal, and exacting with the questions, answering them, or attempting to answer them, just as they are stated.
DeleteTo me, favorite still means 'like the most', and if there is a game that I once liked more than any other, but no longer do, I can't honestly call it my favorite any more.
Have been living a situation like that. Me and my group used to really love 3D&T (Defenders of Tokyo Third Edition) on high school. It is a brazilian point-buy anime and manga RPG system. It got some weird character atributes (like Hability, that somehow represent both your intelligence and agility), but I liked the simplicity of the whole. Last year I bought a new version of it (3D&T Alpha) but still can't convince my group to play it, even offering to hack some of the weird rules. I think it must be that it is soo rare for we to play these days (oh, adult life...) that they prefer to play their favorite game instead (D&D 3.5). I like D&D too, but I am tired of gamemastering it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment Senhor Seis. I really like receiving messages from new readers, or at the very least ones who aren't regular commenters (although I do love my regulars). New blood! I also get a big kick out of getting comments from people who aren't in the United States (they're see this in Brazil! Bem-Vindo!).
ReplyDeleteIt really frustrates me when people won't give a game a chance, especially for strange, pre-conceived reasons. We gamers can be so nit-picky. Few things irk me more.
Defenders of Tokyo you say? Tell me more! Looks like I have a new game to add to my list of 'must finds'.
Thanks! Been reading your blog for a year or a year and a half I think. It became one of my favorites.
DeleteAbout 3D&T: it's the third edition of one of the most popular brazilian rpgs. There is a lot of factors to that, like that the first editions were sold at news stands at a low price, the simple rules and that it was published at the boom of anime popularity of the early 2000s. The system creator (Marcelo Cassaro) was at the time one of the editors of a games magazine (Dragão Brasil, the only brazilian rpg magazine of that time I think) and the first two editions of the game were published there too. These were more of a comedy RPG about tokusatsus heroes. As a whole, the system got it flaws, but the fast character creation rules and combat have a place in my heart. At the core, it is a generic system that is fit for any game of fast action.
Sadly I think that it is avaible only in portuguese, but here are some links for curiosity sake to the latest edition http://jamboeditora.com.br/produto/defensores-de-toquio-3a-edicao/ and here for their superhero campaign setting http://jamboeditora.com.br/produto/mega-city/
Ok, now you've gone and done it.
DeleteI am about to obsess over getting at least a partial translation of this thing, finding out if anyone has my Burning Spirit notes, and merging the whole mess with TFOS.
Crap. Just what I need. Another brilliant idea for a game I don't have time to run. LOL