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Post by Kainguru on Dec 12, 2012 6:51:26 GMT -8
I'm more than a little convinced that all the weight of mechanics we have for everything now doesn't really help us role play at all. It helps us maintain fairness in the game play but does nothing for the role play. JiB I think you've elegantly stated the very same conclusion that I've been slowly coming to myself of late. Though I hadn't got any further than a nagging feeling that I could not quite put into words myself - thank you Aaron
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2012 9:25:54 GMT -8
One of the reasons I think 1e was so much fun is that we didn't have mechanics for every little thing so we didn't rely on them. We made it up as we went to make an epic heroic story. I'm more than a little convinced that all the weight of mechanics we have for everything now doesn't really help us role play at all. It helps us maintain fairness in the game play but does nothing for the role play. Just my 2 krupplenicks worth, your mileage may of course vary. JiB In a lot of cases, I think you are right. I have a tendancy to hand wave a lot of the more corner case mechanics in Pathfinder when i run it. I loved all of the material from Necromancer games with "third edition rules, first edition feel" printed on it, and it's what I strive for in my games. I love that the pointless level caps and class restrictions were eliminated in newer editions, but I also miss the freedom of having fewer rules for corner case situations.
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Post by mook on Dec 12, 2012 12:44:43 GMT -8
Great episode! And lots of GURPS lovin', which always makes me feel funny like in gym class. I could not agree more, for myself, about finding a system you love and just sticking with it (shocking, right?). I was voraciously system-omnivorous in my early gaming years, but eventually gravitated towards depth over breadth. So, I got GURPS in my blood, I just dig it, and conveniently enough it's a universal system. So far I haven't had a campaign I've wanted to run that I didn't find simple to run under GURPS, whether set past, present, or future. Should also mention that, though it's great to support FLGS when possible, the combined core set of GURPS will "only" set you back $53 on Amazon ... $23 for Campaigns (normally $35), and $30 for Characters (normally $50). With character creation, especially for newcomers, I definitely try to get it done in conversation with the player. It's just so much easier to be able to say "Um, no" when a player asks if they can buy Unkillable 3 for a modern cop game than to root through everything beforehand. Templates are also wonderful for this - if a player wants to play a 200-point Mage, it might be easier for me to make a 150-point Mage template and then just have them tweak out those last 50 points. I also wrote up a fillable PDF players can fill out to give the GM a good starting point for pre-creating some of their character, or at least for offering relevant suggestions and advice. Congratulations on another sweet episode! (I'm kicking myself for not grabbing a $15 bluetooth headset years ago - I'm finally able to listen to podcasts in the car to work! No more falling behind! Yay me!)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2012 4:59:20 GMT -8
From a general "RPG hobby" point of view, DnD Next is very relevant, as a large chunk of people in the hobby will not only buy it and play it, but it will be their primary game. As a result, a large portion of our listenership will play it and discuss it. But is it of significance, culturally? I mean, I get that more RPG players are going to play D&D than anything else. But I don't feel like D&D is influencing the other RPGs out there like it used to. To be fair, though, I'm not a big follower of the "hobby community," I guess. i mostly play with my players, and check out new games when someone mentions them, and that's mostly it. The sum total of my knowledge on this stuff is basically what I get from Happy Jack's. A couple of you raise another point that might help explain why I don't get it. While it's true I "started" on D&D when I was six... and played a tiny bit of AD&D in junior high... my real entry into serious RPGing was in early high school, and was Vampire. Since then, I have literally never played D&D. So it's possible I don't relate as well because it had so much less to do with my early roleplaying than a lot of folks. The nostalgia isn't there for me. --Pukka Tukka
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 13, 2012 5:23:59 GMT -8
I'm more than a little convinced that all the weight of mechanics we have for everything now doesn't really help us role play at all. It helps us maintain fairness in the game play but does nothing for the role play. JiB I think you've elegantly stated the very same conclusion that I've been slowly coming to myself of late. Though I hadn't got any further than a nagging feeling that I could not quite put into words myself - thank you Aaron I wanted to address something JiB and Aaron were talking about and clarify my own belief on the subject. I would agree in one aspect of what you two are thinking in that the mechanics are there to maintain a fairness to the roleplay. They do not affect the degree to which we chose to role play. However, I do believe the mechanics help us in our style of role playing. As stated on the podcast a while ago, a situation with guns will have a very different set of reactions based on whether it is D20 Modern, GURPS, or Savage Worlds. In this regard I believe the mechanics can help role play just as much as certain types of music can inspire one to dance over other styles of music. Eric
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Post by jazzisblues on Dec 13, 2012 6:36:25 GMT -8
I think you've elegantly stated the very same conclusion that I've been slowly coming to myself of late. Though I hadn't got any further than a nagging feeling that I could not quite put into words myself - thank you Aaron I wanted to address something JiB and Aaron were talking about and clarify my own belief on the subject. I would agree in one aspect of what you two are thinking in that the mechanics are there to maintain a fairness to the roleplay. They do not affect the degree to which we chose to role play. However, I do believe the mechanics help us in our style of role playing. As stated on the podcast a while ago, a situation with guns will have a very different set of reactions based on whether it is D20 Modern, GURPS, or Savage Worlds. In this regard I believe the mechanics can help role play just as much as certain types of music can inspire one to dance over other styles of music. Eric You raise a valid point Eric, and one that I think speaks to one of my fundamental beliefs. That being that if you try to affect the character's emotions you MIGHT get a response, but if you affect the player's emotions you WILL get a response. JiB
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 13, 2012 6:40:49 GMT -8
I wanted to address something JiB and Aaron were talking about and clarify my own belief on the subject. I would agree in one aspect of what you two are thinking in that the mechanics are there to maintain a fairness to the roleplay. They do not affect the degree to which we chose to role play. However, I do believe the mechanics help us in our style of role playing. As stated on the podcast a while ago, a situation with guns will have a very different set of reactions based on whether it is D20 Modern, GURPS, or Savage Worlds. In this regard I believe the mechanics can help role play just as much as certain types of music can inspire one to dance over other styles of music. Eric You raise a valid point Eric, and one that I think speaks to one of my fundamental beliefs. That being that if you try to affect the character's emotions you MIGHT get a response, but if you affect the player's emotions you WILL get a response. JiB Oh absolutely. I've GMed LARPs for years and years and whenever they paired up a newer GM with me I had a few simple rules: - Metagame to your advantage (aka if it will entertain the players and not detract from the game)
- It's the players, not the characters.
- Always make sure people have something to do.
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Post by kaitoujuliet on Dec 17, 2012 8:22:46 GMT -8
The bit about accepting new players into the party made me think of the classic bit from The Gamers ( start of episode 4): GM: Guys, please, I want you to roleplay this. Remember, you've never met this guy before. The last guys you met tried to kill you, and you're standing in the ruins of an evil, cursed castle. Just act appropriately. (Switch to in-game world)Magellan: Hello. I'm Magellan, a traveling mage. I notice your group has no wizard. Rogar: You seem trustworthy. Would you care to join us in our noble quest? Magellan: Yes. Yes, I would. (He immediately takes his usual spot in the marching order.)*** Regarding pins, I've been collecting anime pins for years (I may have mentioned that I volunteer at ACen, the Chicago anime con, every year). I have one of those lanyards that's as full of pins as it can get. I think I'm going to have to take a few off, because I can't put pins all the way around or the pin-backs will dig into my neck.
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 18, 2012 4:04:44 GMT -8
For those of us outside the Disney locus of control WTF are PINS?? (except as an aide in dress making/tailoring?) Aaron
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Post by Stu Venable on Dec 18, 2012 9:22:14 GMT -8
The vernacular here is pins. Maybe badges would be accurate as well? They're little metal emblems depicting one or more Disney character that you could wear on a lapel or somesuch. Here's Disney's Trading Pin Store
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 18, 2012 13:50:38 GMT -8
The vernacular here is pins. Maybe badges would be accurate as well? They're little metal emblems depicting one or more Disney character that you could wear on a lapel or somesuch. Here's Disney's Trading Pin StoreYeah we call them Badges or Buttons - I have a more British orientated collection left at the back of my closet from my more 'brit punk/new wave' daze. They were usually used decorate bags and jackets (second hand fashionably ripped ex hire formal suits being favourite). I don't think Disney would approve of their content . . . in fact I'm reasonable certain I'd be rapidly and forcibly ejected from their premises if I wore any of them . . . Aaron
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Post by ericfromnj on Dec 19, 2012 5:15:30 GMT -8
The vernacular here is pins. Maybe badges would be accurate as well? They're little metal emblems depicting one or more Disney character that you could wear on a lapel or somesuch. Here's Disney's Trading Pin StoreYeah we call them Badges or Buttons - I have a more British orientated collection left at the back of my closet from my more 'brit punk/new wave' daze. They were usually used decorate bags and jackets (second hand fashionably ripped ex hire formal suits being favourite). I don't think Disney would approve of their content . . . in fact I'm reasonable certain I'd be rapidly and forcibly ejected from their premises if I wore any of them . . . Aaron I think most of disney would not get the pins. "What's a U.K. Sub? Some type of sandwich?"
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 19, 2012 10:31:52 GMT -8
Yeah we call them Badges or Buttons - I have a more British orientated collection left at the back of my closet from my more 'brit punk/new wave' daze. They were usually used decorate bags and jackets (second hand fashionably ripped ex hire formal suits being favourite). I don't think Disney would approve of their content . . . in fact I'm reasonable certain I'd be rapidly and forcibly ejected from their premises if I wore any of them . . . Aaron I think most of disney would not get the pins. "What's a U.K. Sub? Some type of sandwich?" Lol. I think the ones with various universally recognised hand gestures involving 1 or 2 digits wouldn't get me past the gate though in true anglophile fashion I still have my badges with '42' and 'Don't Panic' in active use . . . Douglas Adams was right those large friendly letters on the front of 'The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy' are the single most reassuring and useful piece of advise ever . . . :)Aaron (Still hoping that one day there'll be a Hitchikers Guide RPG - from the books/radio not that horrible movie)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2012 13:31:23 GMT -8
(Still hoping that one day there'll be a Hitchikers Guide RPG - from the books/radio not that horrible movie) What about the text adventure game and the mini series? After all Adams wrote the script for everyone of them and changed the story ever damn time on purpose just to fuck with people. Gotta love an author who enjoyed toying with the fandom so much.
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Post by Kainguru on Dec 19, 2012 17:42:35 GMT -8
(Still hoping that one day there'll be a Hitchikers Guide RPG - from the books/radio not that horrible movie) What about the text adventure game and the mini series? After all Adams wrote the script for everyone of them and changed the story ever damn time on purpose just to fuck with people. Gotta love an author who enjoyed toying with the fandom so much. Hmmm the movie like the Colfer continuation of the books missed the mark . . . it's the characterisation of the main protagonists that's 'off'. Arthur Dent in the movie just wasn't quite Arthur Dent and Zaphod was another one that just didn't sit right with me. Colfer's expansion of the story was clever in the way he did it . . . and he's a very good author . . . but the tone of the humour was too different . . . it wasn't as seamless as I hoped it would be Aaron
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