tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post3344388564268557956..comments2024-03-27T19:02:58.368-04:00Comments on BARKING ALIEN: I Want to BelieveAdam Dicksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-43232076526249979272020-02-24T17:45:29.204-05:002020-02-24T17:45:29.204-05:00I don't know if I agree with the core thesis. ...I don't know if I agree with the core thesis. I do not think it is a question of being able to accept the fantastical as much as navigate it in a way to their liking.<br /><br />And part of that, I strongly suspect, is in the power fantasy component to some people's RPG hobby. I don't mean fantasy as genre, but the emotional payoff of pretending to be powerful. I have players who are viscerally exited when their PC's accomplish some "heroic" feat like dealing a great deal of damage or overcoming some major obstacle. And understanding the rules mechanic will allow the player to find the path of least resistance, so to speak, towards achieving that goal.<br /><br />Now that is not why all people play RPG's. But it is a reason why many do. And it is a reason why many will absorb massive amounts of rules data, regardless of how fantastical the genre of the game, in order to get an "optimal" outcome.WQRobbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17436898737750581192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-61846229877665246782020-02-12T10:39:05.528-05:002020-02-12T10:39:05.528-05:00For me, I have to internalize rules so that they D...For me, I have to internalize rules so that they DON'T interfere with the running of the game...it's why I favor "rules light" or "moderate" games and where I have problems with any game requiring me to look up and/or calculate target numbers. B/X is just about right; AD&D is fine, so long as you have a cheat sheet or screen with the proper info.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03263662621289630246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-16799310862719054252020-02-11T22:52:41.230-05:002020-02-11T22:52:41.230-05:00I am of a similar mindset, though as you probably ...I am of a similar mindset, though as you probably picked up from my blog, a lot of my 'worlds' are known IP/franchises. <br /><br />I like running games in established pop culture/fandom settings such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Aliens, or even Ghostbusters because the buy in is easy. It's not hard for most people to become immersed in a setting they've grown up with for years. I also don't have to explain what a lot of basic elements are or what they look like. <br /><br />What I hope is that the new components I add in, such as planets, lifeforms, droids, or other original bits of my own design, intrigue the players and their PCs enough to investigate them and get to know them better. Eventually they may became as familiar as similar parts of a known setting's popular canon. <br /><br />It is in fact this very thing that drives me as both a player and a GM. The idea that it is the rules that give some players are comfortable place from which to launch their exploration into the unknown is alien to me in the extreme, but very fascinating. Adam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-49229105728696913362020-02-11T18:28:14.457-05:002020-02-11T18:28:14.457-05:00I think I share your perspective. When I run games...I think I share your perspective. When I run games, I try to limit my players' rule mastery as much as possible. I run a homebrew game usually and I generally haven't provided any rules for the players besides character generation. I'm also big on trying to evoke wonder and awe in my players; the goal is not for them to understand the world but to get a sense of what it is to be a PC, discovering that their world is much weirder than they'd ever imagined.Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988517412357391012noreply@blogger.com