Generally speaking, I prefer my RPGs to have game mechanics that stay out of my way once I start playing. That need not mean that have to be simple or rules lite. Champions for example, which many see as very complex, is pretty easy to run. A game with seemingly complicated character creation is OK if the actual running of the game, engaging in combat and making skill checks if need be, is all fairly simple.
Now, every once in a while, I like to change up and play a RPG where the game gets in your face a bit. Not too much or all the time but you are definitely aware of some of the mechanics and they add an extra challenge or provide the game (and this is key) with a built in vibe or atmosphere.
These 'Gamey Games' as I call them are fun for me as they make me change my approach and execution when running a campaign that uses them. I need not focus on the game elements but I know I can't ignore them either.
As a friend said just yesterday in a discussion about music, "Sometimes we purposely do things we wouldn't normally do or don't really even favor, just to see if we can get a different result. It's an attempt to challenge ourselves so we don't get stuck in a place from which we can't expand. Sometimes you need to do something artistically uncomfortable or you'll end up repeating what you already know."
Now I can already see everyone from the art conscious to the RPG grognard getting up in a tither so let me clarify with the following:
YOU (Personally) DON'T HAVE TO (Must Do It or Die) DO ANYTHING (In regards to the above statements).
You wouldn't think you'd need to say that but you also wouldn't think you need a warning label on matches alerting you to the possibility that the product may catch fire.
The above quote comes from how this person feels about their music and the process of making it and it struck a chord with me (no pun intended but it's nice to have it there) in regards to how I feel about gaming.
She also noted the she sometimes makes up rules or limitations on her thought process for a given piece in order to facilitate her brain's creative problem solving ability. How can I follow these rules or given parameters and still make something creative that gets my message across.
This is basically the same thing you see in the random rolls on charts in RPGs. Now granted, I largely dislike the over use of charts and random rolling of everything as it feels (to me and me alone, OK?) like a bit of a cop out. Sometimes random rolls inspire and sometimes you are letting someone else do your thinking for you.
In regards to random charts as inspiration, I certainly love the character creation rules and superpowers charts from good ol' Villains & Vigilantes. I may roll some wacky combos of powers but often I roll up a character I know I probably wouldn't have thought up.
Now what's the point of this post? Why mention this?
Well, that gets me to the Moody Blues part.
You see, after running Champions, I am very much in the mood for a 'Gamey Game'. A generally rules light, indie game with some odd or interesting mechanic or other that makes the players look up and say, "Oh! We are playing a new game. This is something different."
My problem is, though some of my current players are a bit more flexible in trying new things than perhaps the average gamer, none of them are very much into games of this nature. No, their preferences lie somewhere between the detailed but abstract mechanics of a Champions or a D&D and a near simulationist mentality, attempting to emulate the faux-realism of the world their character live in.
Now, in my wildest dreams (wink), I could come up with a game that makes everybody happy by meeting a majority of the criteria of the types of games we all want to play.
For now, I've got Gamey Tastes and the Moody Blues,
AD
Barking Alien
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Science Fiction Party Mix
So I asked the fellas (my gaming group, which currently consists of Dave, Ray, Marcus and Lee), "What elements of Science Fiction do you like and want to see in our upcoming Science Fiction game?" I also asked them to use one word to describe each element.
The results were quite interesting.
Note that as I previously mentioned, Lee will likely not be joining us which sucks, but I get it. It's too 'close to home' for him to play a Science Fiction game when he doesn't get to run his homebrew Sci-Fi thing.*
The good news is we could occasionally see the return of Jeff, as we've seen him pop by periodically in the past few months for Champions. That'd be really nice.
Now, on to the responses...
Dave Likes
Aliens, Setting and Technology
Dave is a setting guy. He likes there to be an established universe full of things he can find out about, ask about and go investigate. Oddly, he is less inclined to do these things in a milieu where everything is a mystery.
I'll try to explain, though take my explanation with a grain of salt as I don't one hundred percent understand it myself...
Dave like RIFTS. One of the reasons he likes it so much is that he feels there are cool things to do and 'see' and yet a lot of room to move around and install your own elements and ideas. When Dave learns that there is a base on the moon that may have a portal to, say, Phase World, Dave wants to check it out because he knows what Phase World is before that adventure presented itself.
On the other hand, if we're playing a more generic Sci-Fi game and strange signals from a rogue moon indicate a man-made base with, possibly, a Quantum Space Fold gate to another dimension, he isn't so jazzed because it doesn't link in to a world, setting or thing he knows.
I am the opposite in many ways. While I do like playing Star Trek for example, where I know the Species, technology and other elements, I don't want to investigate the Klingon Homeworld, Deep Space 9 or even Janus 6. I want to boldly go where no one has gone before. I want to take the familiar into the unknown.
More on this in an upcoming post.
As for technology, Dave is a real gadget junkie when it comes to RPGs and video and computer games. He initially couldn't get into Traveller because it's tech seemed so 'primitive' compared to the Sci-Fi he is more familiar with from games, movies and anime. No 3-D, Holographic, free floating control panels? No nanotech healing?
Granted I do include some of that in my Traveller in order to beef up the 'visuals' of the setting but I noticed a lot of the time that's all it is. If Dave doesn't see the 'trappings' of a Sci-Fi future, then he views it as outdated when there is virtually nothing he is actually missing in terms of stuff he would use. That is to say, what he is looking for is the look of the future. Whenever he asks, "Does it have X, Y and Z items?", the answer is usually, "Yes. That stuff is pretty basic."
Ray Likes
Aliens (Non-Humanoid), Nanotechnology and Virtual Reality
Ray's choices strike me as interesting as they are perhaps the most 'Science Fictiony' of the all those the players have mentioned but also the elements least often specifically encountered in traditional Traveller.
While non-humanoid aliens exist in the Traveller canon and are even fairly important to the setting (the Hiver and K'Kree most notably), Nanotech and Virtual Reality play little part in the rules or setting unless added in by the enterprising GM. This is one of the few times I think Traveller feels dated, when some factor seen all over the place in modern Science Fiction wasn't considered a major deal when earlier additions of Traveller were written.
Ray notes that his interest in Virtual Reality stems from the Star Trek: The Next Generation holodeck episodes as well as the uses and abuses of it in various Cyberpunk settings.
Marcus Likes
Aliens (Humanoid), Armor and Weapons
Marcus is a combat junkie. His RPG roots are strictly D&D and his major Sci-Fi game exposure comes from computer games like Mass Effect and Halo. Bottom line, Marcus wants high tech tools for the purpose of beating people up.
But he's no mere cave man in a space suit. You see, Marcus has feelings too.
Marcus explains that he prefers human-like and humanoid extraterrestrials so that he can interact with them. An elephant-sized, jellyfish like gas bag living in the atmospheric soup of Saturn is interesting but how does he deal with it? At least to Marcus' thinking, "It doesn't want what I want or need what I need. I can't help it, compete with it, date it or anything so, yeah it's cool to think about but in the end, who cares."
Ray, Dave and I are of a very different view point but I can totally understand where Marcus is coming from in a game setting. Gave me something to think about.
Lee Likes
A cast of thousands, Hard Science meets weirdness and Untamed/uncategorized space
Yes, Lee was unable to use one word to explain what he likes. This is a thing with Lee. It's also interesting to note that all the things he mentions are, for me, part and parcel when running Sci-Fi. They are a given. So, the one guy who doesn't feel like joining in the fun is the guy who would probably enjoy the game the most. Not surprising. *Sigh*
AD
Barking Alien
The results were quite interesting.
Note that as I previously mentioned, Lee will likely not be joining us which sucks, but I get it. It's too 'close to home' for him to play a Science Fiction game when he doesn't get to run his homebrew Sci-Fi thing.*
The good news is we could occasionally see the return of Jeff, as we've seen him pop by periodically in the past few months for Champions. That'd be really nice.
Now, on to the responses...
Dave Likes
Aliens, Setting and Technology
Dave is a setting guy. He likes there to be an established universe full of things he can find out about, ask about and go investigate. Oddly, he is less inclined to do these things in a milieu where everything is a mystery.
I'll try to explain, though take my explanation with a grain of salt as I don't one hundred percent understand it myself...
Dave like RIFTS. One of the reasons he likes it so much is that he feels there are cool things to do and 'see' and yet a lot of room to move around and install your own elements and ideas. When Dave learns that there is a base on the moon that may have a portal to, say, Phase World, Dave wants to check it out because he knows what Phase World is before that adventure presented itself.
On the other hand, if we're playing a more generic Sci-Fi game and strange signals from a rogue moon indicate a man-made base with, possibly, a Quantum Space Fold gate to another dimension, he isn't so jazzed because it doesn't link in to a world, setting or thing he knows.
I am the opposite in many ways. While I do like playing Star Trek for example, where I know the Species, technology and other elements, I don't want to investigate the Klingon Homeworld, Deep Space 9 or even Janus 6. I want to boldly go where no one has gone before. I want to take the familiar into the unknown.
More on this in an upcoming post.
As for technology, Dave is a real gadget junkie when it comes to RPGs and video and computer games. He initially couldn't get into Traveller because it's tech seemed so 'primitive' compared to the Sci-Fi he is more familiar with from games, movies and anime. No 3-D, Holographic, free floating control panels? No nanotech healing?
Granted I do include some of that in my Traveller in order to beef up the 'visuals' of the setting but I noticed a lot of the time that's all it is. If Dave doesn't see the 'trappings' of a Sci-Fi future, then he views it as outdated when there is virtually nothing he is actually missing in terms of stuff he would use. That is to say, what he is looking for is the look of the future. Whenever he asks, "Does it have X, Y and Z items?", the answer is usually, "Yes. That stuff is pretty basic."
Ray Likes
Aliens (Non-Humanoid), Nanotechnology and Virtual Reality
Ray's choices strike me as interesting as they are perhaps the most 'Science Fictiony' of the all those the players have mentioned but also the elements least often specifically encountered in traditional Traveller.
While non-humanoid aliens exist in the Traveller canon and are even fairly important to the setting (the Hiver and K'Kree most notably), Nanotech and Virtual Reality play little part in the rules or setting unless added in by the enterprising GM. This is one of the few times I think Traveller feels dated, when some factor seen all over the place in modern Science Fiction wasn't considered a major deal when earlier additions of Traveller were written.
Ray notes that his interest in Virtual Reality stems from the Star Trek: The Next Generation holodeck episodes as well as the uses and abuses of it in various Cyberpunk settings.
Marcus Likes
Aliens (Humanoid), Armor and Weapons
Marcus is a combat junkie. His RPG roots are strictly D&D and his major Sci-Fi game exposure comes from computer games like Mass Effect and Halo. Bottom line, Marcus wants high tech tools for the purpose of beating people up.
But he's no mere cave man in a space suit. You see, Marcus has feelings too.
Marcus explains that he prefers human-like and humanoid extraterrestrials so that he can interact with them. An elephant-sized, jellyfish like gas bag living in the atmospheric soup of Saturn is interesting but how does he deal with it? At least to Marcus' thinking, "It doesn't want what I want or need what I need. I can't help it, compete with it, date it or anything so, yeah it's cool to think about but in the end, who cares."
Ray, Dave and I are of a very different view point but I can totally understand where Marcus is coming from in a game setting. Gave me something to think about.
Lee Likes
A cast of thousands, Hard Science meets weirdness and Untamed/uncategorized space
Yes, Lee was unable to use one word to explain what he likes. This is a thing with Lee. It's also interesting to note that all the things he mentions are, for me, part and parcel when running Sci-Fi. They are a given. So, the one guy who doesn't feel like joining in the fun is the guy who would probably enjoy the game the most. Not surprising. *Sigh*
AD
Barking Alien
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Likes and Dislikes
I was reading some threads on a 'private' web forum my old Compleat Strategist group used to use and I found this bit from March of 2009...
A friend asked:
What do you like and dislike in games?
What do I like? That's a bit vague. I like flexibility. I like creative thinking and solving unusual situations with bold, outside the box solutions. I like it when my players surprise me. I like to see people take chances.
What do I dislike? I don't like games that move slowly. I don't like PCs so overly cautious its hard to believe they took up the life of an adventurer. I don't like monsters, traps, characters or stories with one obvious, linear, unshakeble way that things can go. I don't like it when I as the GM or player are not entertained by the game.
AD
Barking Alien
A friend asked:
What do you like and dislike in games?
What do I like? That's a bit vague. I like flexibility. I like creative thinking and solving unusual situations with bold, outside the box solutions. I like it when my players surprise me. I like to see people take chances.
What do I dislike? I don't like games that move slowly. I don't like PCs so overly cautious its hard to believe they took up the life of an adventurer. I don't like monsters, traps, characters or stories with one obvious, linear, unshakeble way that things can go. I don't like it when I as the GM or player are not entertained by the game.
AD
Barking Alien
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Screw This I'm Happy
I've started writing this blog entry no less than three times. That is never a good sign.
While there is no end of subjects I would like to blog about and discuss, it has been unusually difficult of late to do so. I am motivated in 'spirit' but not enough to actually do something about it. *Sigh*
My main issue is the nagging problem of what to run next. As I've stated before, starting in August of this year (most likely on Saturday the 25th as that is the exact date of my RPG Anniversary), I intend on beginning a new campaign. Of what? Unknown.
I simply can not decide. No idea that pops into my head (and rest assured there has been quite a bit of popping going on)seems 'right'.
My group is, I have come to realize, more than a bit different from groups I've had in the past, especially without one particular player who often moves the plot, story and action of a give session along. My game is suffering from the nearly debilitating slowdown brought on by smart players overthinking every action. This is juxtaposed by one other player who does not do that but instead goes after plot ideas and actions that have very little to do with what is going on at any given moment.
I know, I know, more complaining from the AD-man. Starting to sound like a broken record am I?
Perhaps. And I certainly don't want to. I want to come here excited to blog all about the awesome game session we just had of this crazy-cool game you probably never heard of.
My problem is this...you can't please everybody but heck, I'm not trying to. I only want to please five people, my four players and myself. We can't be all that different in interests and styles can we? I mean, we're friends aren't we? Sure we are! So why is it so hard coming up with a game that will equally interest and fit us all. I thought it might be Traveller but for various reasons it's not. The mechanics and rules (especially character creation) don't appeal to one fellow and it's subject, style and setting are too similar to another's homebrew that he is experiencing a 'I'd-rather-run-my-thing-than-play-your-thing' situation. OK, I get that. So what can Adam run that he (and the rest) wouldn't play otherwise?
I don't know. I. Just. Don't. Know.
Ending on a happy thought...so, I have entered into a new and pretty, damn awesome relationship with someone who is just...wow. She is wow. She is interested in knowing more about this gaming stuff.
Screw the overall vibe of this post. I'm happy damn it.
AD
Barking Alien
While there is no end of subjects I would like to blog about and discuss, it has been unusually difficult of late to do so. I am motivated in 'spirit' but not enough to actually do something about it. *Sigh*
My main issue is the nagging problem of what to run next. As I've stated before, starting in August of this year (most likely on Saturday the 25th as that is the exact date of my RPG Anniversary), I intend on beginning a new campaign. Of what? Unknown.
I simply can not decide. No idea that pops into my head (and rest assured there has been quite a bit of popping going on)seems 'right'.
My group is, I have come to realize, more than a bit different from groups I've had in the past, especially without one particular player who often moves the plot, story and action of a give session along. My game is suffering from the nearly debilitating slowdown brought on by smart players overthinking every action. This is juxtaposed by one other player who does not do that but instead goes after plot ideas and actions that have very little to do with what is going on at any given moment.
I know, I know, more complaining from the AD-man. Starting to sound like a broken record am I?
Perhaps. And I certainly don't want to. I want to come here excited to blog all about the awesome game session we just had of this crazy-cool game you probably never heard of.
My problem is this...you can't please everybody but heck, I'm not trying to. I only want to please five people, my four players and myself. We can't be all that different in interests and styles can we? I mean, we're friends aren't we? Sure we are! So why is it so hard coming up with a game that will equally interest and fit us all. I thought it might be Traveller but for various reasons it's not. The mechanics and rules (especially character creation) don't appeal to one fellow and it's subject, style and setting are too similar to another's homebrew that he is experiencing a 'I'd-rather-run-my-thing-than-play-your-thing' situation. OK, I get that. So what can Adam run that he (and the rest) wouldn't play otherwise?
I don't know. I. Just. Don't. Know.
Ending on a happy thought...so, I have entered into a new and pretty, damn awesome relationship with someone who is just...wow. She is wow. She is interested in knowing more about this gaming stuff.
Screw the overall vibe of this post. I'm happy damn it.
AD
Barking Alien
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Not Quite Feeling It
Yet.
That is, I am not quite feeling the Traveller campaign I am preparing to run.
I am in one of my moods. I am incredibly inspired, partly thanks to a new relationship, partly because I just finished my campaign at the Learning Center with the kids and I'm looking forward to the summer program. Unfortunately I am also a little unfocused.
I say a little because my head is still in Sci-Fi mode but it isn't really on Traveller.
I've been reading and re-reading InSpace, the rule lite space exploration variant of the game InSpectres which explores the type of 'Big Science Fiction' mysteries found in Solaris, Forbidden Planet and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The new edition of Starships and Spacemen has had the effect of making me look at the original once more, as well as E.T. Smith's super cool update.
Then there's all the IP setting ideas I have, most notably something a big more tongue-in-cheek (after the deadly seriousness of much of our Champions game) such as Red Dwarf or Galaxy Quest (yeah, haven't revisited that in a while).
Anyway, I'm sure I'll come around. In the meantime I do have other things to address and hope to get back to regular posting pretty soon. Maybe it'll help me sort things out.
AD
Barking Alien
That is, I am not quite feeling the Traveller campaign I am preparing to run.
I am in one of my moods. I am incredibly inspired, partly thanks to a new relationship, partly because I just finished my campaign at the Learning Center with the kids and I'm looking forward to the summer program. Unfortunately I am also a little unfocused.
I say a little because my head is still in Sci-Fi mode but it isn't really on Traveller.
I've been reading and re-reading InSpace, the rule lite space exploration variant of the game InSpectres which explores the type of 'Big Science Fiction' mysteries found in Solaris, Forbidden Planet and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The new edition of Starships and Spacemen has had the effect of making me look at the original once more, as well as E.T. Smith's super cool update.
Then there's all the IP setting ideas I have, most notably something a big more tongue-in-cheek (after the deadly seriousness of much of our Champions game) such as Red Dwarf or Galaxy Quest (yeah, haven't revisited that in a while).
Anyway, I'm sure I'll come around. In the meantime I do have other things to address and hope to get back to regular posting pretty soon. Maybe it'll help me sort things out.
AD
Barking Alien
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