wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Feb 14, 2016 5:53:37 GMT -8
I'll be there again, this time running with Corridor Games on Demand. I'm running Swords Without Master on Saturday and I'll around all weekend to run a variety of things. If anyone is interested, check out the Indie Grab Bags at 7PM Friday and 4PM Saturday. All the Corridor GMs will pitch games, and you pick! See you there, uselesstriviaman!
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Feb 26, 2015 7:21:58 GMT -8
I'm exactly the same. When I GM, I might have one to loosen up, but I like to stay sharp so that I can move the game along. Getting drinky makes me miss cues that people are bored or haven't had the spotlight in a while. When I play, I try to keep nice and steady with liquor. I'm only focused on my PC and the other PCs, so there's less need for sharpness and more need for looseness (if that's a word).
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Feb 26, 2015 7:14:50 GMT -8
I don't have much experience at teaching games to kids, except when they drop into con games next to me. Looking back on my own experiences as a young gamer, I cut my teeth on the TMNT RPG. I've still got some of my old books, and flipping through them, I wonder how I ever learned to play! The rules are inconsistent, lead to flat murder-hobo PCs, and are generally pretty baroque. However, I loved the Ninja Turtles growing up. Playing a mutant animal that kicks butt was what I was excited to be doing. I think that's the key to introducing gaming to kids. What are they interested in? Fantasy, anime, Harry Potter, Legos? That's the kind of game to play. I feel like adults underestimate kids' ability to handle more complex rule systems. I think that's nonsense. They won't get it all right away, but kids have the time and focus for things they are into to learn all about it. Those kids I played with and helped out in Pathfinder and Call of Cthulhu con games? As long as they got to be effective and participate in the story- they were hooked. By the end of the session, they were picking up the right dice and making active choices for their characters. And to undercut my argument above, here are some recommendations. - D&D - Absolutely. While I would choose Dungeon World, any of the versions of D&D give you the vocabulary in gaming to progress into other games.
- Fate Accelerated (FAE) - With it's flexibility on describing how you do things, and it's portability into any setting you care to name, FAE is a great choice.
- Golden Sky Stories - A low conflict game about animals that help people out. A nice choice if you don't want to have a lot of violence in your kid's games. I haven't played it yet, but I think a lot of us could stand to try a game with no combat.
(I didn't realize I had so much to say! Maybe I should teach some kids to play...)
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Feb 24, 2015 4:23:43 GMT -8
lowkeyoh: Your experience of Urban Shadows lines up with all of the *World games that I've played and run. I played a game of The Sword, the Crown, and the Unspeakable Power at Gamicon. It was an extremely powerful session that will stick with me for a long time... super intense. Probie Tim: Running Dungeon World is some of the best, freshest and most invigorating GMing I have ever done. Coming from other dungeon fantasy games (D&D, Pathfinder) into DW is an easy transition. I find the mechanics evocative of the genre, and more than that- they reinforce it in way that barely intrudes. The DM moves (ask about moves if you're unfamiliar - it's a thing) help you guide and craft a story that fits you and your players with almost no prep. You will also find yourself accomplishing way more in your sessions becaus engaging the mechanic causes story to move forward. As long as you have read the book and get the basic concepts, the time to table is extremely short. A 20 minute chargen session is about as I can see it taking, but the characters are just as defined as your standard dungeon fantasy PCs. Also, the pdf is 10 bucks. It's literally all you need. There are a lot of add-ons that people have made, but the base game doesn't feel lacking without them. It's not just HyveMynd. The Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) games are revelatory. My only warning is that they make it hard to go back to more traditional games- but if you do go back, you will be a better player/GM for having tried it.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Feb 23, 2015 16:01:50 GMT -8
Thanks to uselesstriviaman for letting me take a crack at his awesome GRINDHOUSE! I would have made it to the top, too- if I didn't have to run off for a 4pm hippy game! All the HJ people I met at Gamicon were awesome. Please remain so.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Dec 7, 2014 5:01:02 GMT -8
I got my Kickstarted copy at the end of October, but I haven't had a chance to bring it to table. I'll report back.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Nov 4, 2014 16:43:10 GMT -8
It's on John Nolen Drive, near 12/18 at the Sheraton. State Street's not close, but not super far either. There's been quite a bit of turnover in the past few years, but still a lot of good food. There isn't much right by the hotel, though. Thank goodness for food cart culture!
My schedule is this:
Friday 8AM - Cobra Commander is Dead! - Spirit of the Century 2PM - The Thing They Brought Back - Call of Cthulhu 6PM - In the Realm of a Dying Sea - Call of Cthulhu
Saturday 8AM - How to Design a Successful Game - Seminar 10AM - Wasteland 2010 - Cartoon Action Hour 2PM - Genre Emulation - Seminar 6PM - Savage Saturday Night Ghostbusters
Looks like we have the same chunk of time on Friday. I'll be the slightly heavy guy with the beard... never mind, I'll find you.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Oct 30, 2014 14:22:49 GMT -8
Anyone going? I'll be arriving the 6th and leaving the 9th. This is only their 2nd con, but the 1st one had universal praise. Check this review from the Dungeon Bastard: www.dungeonbastard.com/?p=767 to see what I mean. Pretty wide selection of games as well. Looks to be a good time. I'll be there all 3 days! I was just coming to see if any of the Madison/South Central WI folks were going to be there. I'd be up for a Jacker get-together. I'd be happy to run some shadow con stuff: Dungeon World, Fiasco, Quiet Year, etc. I went to last year's on a lark. I happened to have the day off and my wife was working. Went in, played some Pathfinder (so-so) and Call of Cthulhu (great!), and I had a fantastic time. It was so well run, you wouldn't have known it was the first year. I'm playing some Fate, CoC, Savage Worlds, a couple of indie things and some seminars. Let's meet!
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Aug 18, 2014 8:39:23 GMT -8
I don't have much in the way of specifically gaming related apps, but I recommend ezPDFReader for your gaming books. Google Drive is more than likely already on it- use it, it's super useful. I'd love to know if there are any decent gaming specific apps, too!
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Aug 17, 2014 18:28:57 GMT -8
It's funny, as I've just been re-reading the pdf. I LOVE the combat system and the magic systems.
As far as crunchiness, I would agree. It's pretty straight forward and very complete. I'd love to a run a Ancient Greece fantasy game in it.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Aug 9, 2014 3:49:16 GMT -8
Sounds like Viewscream. Though I think there are a few like it out there now.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Aug 8, 2014 9:10:17 GMT -8
Stu Venable in regards to the trouble reading the Apocalypse World book, I had the same problem. But I found the Dungeon World and MonsterHearts book to be much easier to understand and read. Same here. I love the system and the drama it encourages, but the writing of the AW book really put me off.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Aug 5, 2014 3:32:21 GMT -8
Evil Hat is publishing what looks to be a 4 volume set of Designers & Dragons, a comprehensive history of the RPG industry. Stu and crew talked about the Mongoose 1st edition of it. I can't wait to bore my wife to tears about the early days of TSR! Designers & Dragons
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Aug 5, 2014 3:22:56 GMT -8
Dogs in the Vineyard would also make a good choice. It's made for travelling from place to place, with a great system for escalating conflict.
|
|
wellmoustachioed
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 23
Preferred Game Systems: Trail of Cthulhu, FATE, Dungeon World
Currently Playing: Diaspora in Fate Core
Currently Running: Trail of Cthulhu
Favorite Species of Monkey: Proboscis
|
Post by wellmoustachioed on Jul 29, 2014 16:40:58 GMT -8
The Hillfolk/DramaSystem conflict resolution is a bit more nuanced than explained, and I think it offers a great way to enhance social conflicts betweeen characters without stymieing the action moving forward. The token mechanic mentioned gives the character acquiescing to the demand of the other 'plot power' in a future scene- similar to Fate points, but not quite. Often there is an impasse, which is resolved by characters having dramatic poles, which are desires that can be fundamentally opposite. For example, a paladin's dramatic poles could be Defend the Weak/Attack my God's Enemies. When it comes to kobod baby slaying, the paladin could want to destroy the infernal spawn, but shift to protecting the babies without destroying the plausability of the character- given proper motivation. This might be a bit hyperbolic, but you get the idea.
The dramatic poles concept + plus 'plot power' for allowing your PC to be swayed = a nice solution to the heel-digging-in that often comes when people 'are just playing my character' and are unwilling to be swayed in any way.
|
|