d47
Journeyman Douchebag
RPG of Choice: Metagaming Melee
Posts: 194
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Post by d47 on Jun 1, 2018 14:41:05 GMT -8
Regarding canon, how about deciding a cut off point in the chronology after which anything goes? In an RPG set in another galaxy far far away, the Death Star continues to menace after a failed attempt by the Rebellion to destroy it at the Battle of Yavin.
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mysterycycle
Apprentice Douchebag
Living in a van down by the river.
Posts: 50
Preferred Game Systems: Dragon Age, GURPS, Fate, D&D retroclones
Currently Playing: Ryuutama
Currently Running: Marvel Super Heroes (FASERIP) NYC 1940
Favorite Species of Monkey: Chimpanzee
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Post by mysterycycle on Jun 1, 2018 15:31:00 GMT -8
Once again, Dan taunts me by mentioning Justifiers. I tried to run a Justifiers game at Fear the Con - specifically because it was an old, out-of-print game that he'd mentioned a couple of times on the podcast - but no one signed up to play. ;_;
To the subject of games that aren't sold as just playing murderhobos, there's a number of them out there, especially in the indie games scene. The Japanese RPGs Golden Sky Stories and Ryuutama (which is basically "D&D by Hayao Miyazaki") aren't about fighting and stealing treasure (though you can do that in the latter game if you want).
There's also more traditional games where the authors actively try to address the ugly history involved. The Steamscapes series tries to take the imperialism out of the steampunk genre, most notably in the Asia setting book. One of my favorite D&D settings, Northern Crown, presents an alternate history where the Transatlantic Slave Trade was ended shortly after it began.
And if fighting isn't your thing, even games like my beloved Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (2e) present rules (mostly in the Companion and the Sons of Sigmar books) that aid you in running a trading campaign. James Wallis recounted his experiences GMing the classic Enemy Within campaign, wherein his players became so preoccupied with using their riverboat to sail around playing at being merchant traders that he eventually had to destroy their boat so they could get on with the printed adventure. With WFRP, you don't ever have to fight - there's a lot more you can do in that world if you want.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2018 22:05:07 GMT -8
I feel like the whole conversation on exploitation was made laughable by the fact that it started off with the defense of trading glass beads for land. "Maybe they have a use for glass beads though?" Yeah, if that was actually the case in stead of something you looked the other way on, sure. It would be as if I was trading gold for copper, pound for pound, and no one bothered to mention that gold is worth vastly more than copper. They would be exploiting my lack of knowledge to get a better deal for themselves.
I mean, its like you want to complain that violence occurs but are totally fine with robbing someone blind. Never mind that may result in their demise this winter, because you didn't have to think about the long term ramifications of your actions.
Also, there is a big difference between a villain having a backstory and you being able to fix his problem or talk him down. Mr Freeze is a villain we can all empathize with. He just wants to cure his wife. However, his goals to accomplish that require that he be at odds with the heroes. It's not like you are just going to let him steal the diamonds, right? The best villains are those who you can understand, but still provoke some kind of conflict. You want to help them, and maybe you can in some cases, but that usually isn't an option.
Aka, having a sob story doesn't change the facts that we are in opposition because of something you did or are doing currently. Not every villain is able to be or wants to be reformed.
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