The dark ruminations that plague my endless existence have been disturbed by Miguel de Rojas once again! Suffer with me as I attempt to answer Question #9...
Judging from your timeline, you probably were right in the middle of the World of Darkness craze at the right age and place, yet it doesn't seem to have impacted your gaming in any meaningful way. Can you tell us how you lived it?
I've written and re-written this post half a dozen times already, diving deep into my history with the World of Darkness, how I first discovered it, my initial thoughts, my first campaign, blah blah yada yada. It was all to give context to how I really want to answer this question. Instead, I'll get right to the point...
Although I was impressed by the game, partly caught up in the hype and partly appreciative to encounter a game that eschewed the approach taken by many 'Old School Mainstream' games of the time (late 1980s/early 1990s), I didn't really hop on that train until Mage came around.
The game seemed cool, the mechanics interesting, but I've never been much of a horror fan and the games' gray-to-black morals held no interest for me. Remember, this is the guy whose favorite TRPGs are related to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Silver/Bronze Age Superheroes. I couldn't care less about vampires [at the time], was only slightly more intrigued by werewolves, and it wasn't until World of Darkness started to become a full on 'World' that it really grabbed my interest and attention.
By the time Mage: The Ascension came out there were a number of supplements that expanded the setting quite a bit. It was about this time, with more than just Vampires, Werewolves, and Wizards running around, that I fully invested in the game line and decided to run a game. I ended up running a number of short-to-medium length campaigns until I hit upon a cool idea for a longer term game.
I had a number of people interested and the campaign opened with a real bang. The details allude me right now but the very first scene had one of the PCs waking up with a hangover on top of Saint Patrick's Cathedral, unsure of how and when he got there. The initial session went over quite well, as did the campaign. Not longer after I played in a friend's campaign where I got to play a Mummy. Really fun.
After that...nothing really. I don't recall playing any World of Darkness related games again until much later; a few years in fact. It wasn't until I ran a brief jaunt of Mage and a slightly longer game of Changeling [both] with Selina (see my previous post). Why? That is, why did I just kind of drop the World of Darkness?
Well...
It just really wasn't my bag. I mean it kinda was but not as much as other things were and are. I would definitiely put World of Darkness and its various installments, particularly Changeling and Mage, on a list of 'Games I've Enjoyed' but it would be much further down the list than Star Trek Adventures, Smurfs, Ghostbusters, Star Wars D6, Traveller, Champions, Ars Magica, and perhaps another dozen RPGs. I'm just not that into the bleak, gothic-punk genre and subject matter. I prefer my heroes heroic, my universes hopeful, and colors a bit on the brighter and bold side. Usually. I do like some spooky stuff.
Did it impact my gaming in a meaningful way? Hmm. I think at the time it did have a noticable effect on me, getting me out of my comfort zone and exploring somewhat darker subject matter than I traditionally focused on. At the same time, when I think about my somewhat renewed interest in the Creepy and Disturbing, I don't think of World of Darkness. At least I haven't. I honestly haven't thought about it in years prior to this question. My tastes lean more towards ghost stories, Stranger Things, Ghostbusters of course, and some Anime/Manga horror.
The World of Darkness was a big, powerful blip along the timeline of my 48 years in the hobby but in the end, it was but a blip.
AD
Barking Alien
I prefer my heroes heroic, my universes hopeful, and colors a bit on the brighter and bold side.
ReplyDeleteThose were also my feelings at the time we were playing, around 2000. Yet, in hindsight, Vampire gave me some of the best games I've ever played in, and certainly my best characters.
As always, thank you for answering!
"I prefer my heroes heroic, my universes hopeful, and colors a bit on the brighter and bold side.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more. Monsters are antagonist, not protagonists. I picked up a "quick start adventure" for Vampire once and the first thing the "heroes" had to do was drain blood from a pair of random civilians... and that was enough for me.
Don't get me wrong: I love monsters (from vampires to Jason Voorhees, mummys to Freddy Krueger), but as creatures to be beaten and overcome. Part of the reason I was never so into Buffy as many of my peers was that she didn't simply stake Angel and Spike (her so-called "love interests") the moment she met them.
I don't mind the idea of playing the Monsters but I don't like the idea of BEING the monsters. That is to say, I'd definitely play a character like Kafka Hibino from the Manga and Anime 'Kaiju No.8'. As the world battles destruction Giant Monsters that appear to wreck havoc, one man is transformed into a Kaijujin (Monster Person) when a weird monster parasite/symbiote merges with him. He uses his new found power to battle the other Kaiju and protect Humanity.
ReplyDeleteA Vampire 'Hero' character should never be out to drink blood from people as a goal. Like the TV series 'Forever Knight', he/she/they should find some alternative while fighting the forces of evil with their Vampire abilities. That is cool to me.
I'm also not against a story where the protagonist monster fights against their monstrous nature to do good. That can be very interesting. I am just against, or rather don't like or find any interest in, glorifying the monster.