Pair of Fives

As should be pretty clear by now, my blogging is really slow this Summer.

It's already mid-August and I've made only 3 posts before this one. My schedule this month has gotten in the way of a lot of things but especially my 'Cities' blog project. I still intend to continue it but it may bleed over into September. *Sigh*

To shake off the disappointment I'm feeling over my own progress [or lack thereof], I thought I'd throw my two credits in on a thing two of my favorite bloggers have done, list of our First Five Tabletop Roleplaying Games.

It began with Lord Blacksteel of The Tower of Zenopus and infected Kelvin of Aiee! Run From Kelvin's Brainsplurge! and now I've caught it. No amount of Vitamin C or Chicken Soup is going to get rid of it until I join in as well...

I'm going to list My First Five RPGs based on my imperfect memory, obsessive notes, and questions to my long time gaming buddies. The years noted aren't when the games were published but rather when [I believe] I played/run them.

While D&D was definitely first, what was second is a little unclear to me. The rest should be roughly in order. Again, check out the years.

Dungeons and Dragons (August 25th, 1977)

Gamma World / Metamorphosis Alpha (1979-1980) I think.

Boot Hill (1980-81) I think.

Traveller (1980-81) Definitely after Boot Hill. 

Gangbusters (1981)

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Ed. (1981) I think.

Sometimes I think I ran Boot Hill before I played Gamma World, other times I remember it the other way around. I do recall that the first time I played Gamma World, the GM (my friend Richard T.) also owned Metamorphosis Alpha and incorporated some elements of the latter game into his Gamma World adventure.

I also included Advanced D&D 1st Edition which, though it could arguably be lumped into the D&D I had already played, is important to mention because it was here that I started being turned off to Dungeons and Dragons as a whole. I absolutely loved AD&D at the time but the more I played other games after it, the more I noticed its flaws until I realized it just wasn't what I wanted to spend my time and money on. . 

Now, since I'm me and I gotta be different, I'm adding a bonus feature:

The Five RPGs That Currently Interest Me The Most!

Thing is, I posted a collection of games presently on my mind here, just 20 days ago (roughly). This isn't going to be the same list. What's the different? Well...

The previous list was focused on games I'm in the mood to run for which I already have ideas. These five RPGs here are ones that have me thinking about games and gaming in general. They have me considering how and why I play and run games the way I do. They interest me for their potential but not necessarily for ideas I currently have. 

Hmm. On closer inspection, many of these titles are the same as those. Heh. *Sweat Drop*

ALIEN

A game I love but rarely get to play, except when I modify it to run something like Ghostbusters or Red Dwarf. It is a game in which a goal was targeted and clearly achieved; they needed a game with a mechanic that would simulate the Human tendencey to screw up when they panic. They nailed it and did so in a fun, exciting, and unpredictable way (thanks to the randomization of dice results). This game has given me a new perspective on something I've always felt but never saw as clearly as I do here - rules don't have to be complex to be effective. They just need to do what they were intended to do. 

Meteor City SFRPG Star Rainy Days

I really like this game for its ability to capture a particular feel and maintain that atmosphere throughout the book. It's humorous, a little melancholy, kind, and potentially heartbreaking. It's got that cozy, slice-of-life element that I long to include in my games again. I'm searching this game for the secrets of its ability to create that vibe. Plus, what's not to love about a game that promotes world-buidling on both a small and galactic scale?

Smurfs

What can I say, I just SMURFING LOVE this game! It's a rare gem in that it's not overwritten, it has a sense of humor and self-awareness, yes doesn't try to deconstruct or modernize the subject. This is the Smurfs. It is what it says it is. Aside from how much fun I'm having with it, it inspires me to stay true to concept and being authentic about what I want and intend to do.

Star Trek Adventures 

Though it has more rules than it needs (I feel I have about 90% of the TRPGs in existance), it just works and it works so well at allowing me to do what I want to do: Create exciting and intriguing Star Trek scenarios. It allows for world-building, character exploration, and space battles (with a few homemade tweaks) and all the while feels like a Star Trek TV series. It reminds me to seek a balance between the narrative and the rules. 

Tokyo Ghost Research

What can a system be? What do you want it to do? TGR made me question those things and I like the answers I came up with. This game really put control of the outcome of rolls into the hands of the player. No action they take is boring. You don't have to sit through miss after miss before you hit ineffectively. You do what you wanted to, or you do it with consequence, or you the player can decide you failed and then you're compensated by the rules. Brilliant and sublime.

Anyway, that's all I got for you. My brain is a little fried from...just life in general.

Worry not though, more to come.

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Barking Alien