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Post by ironnikki on Jun 18, 2013 7:16:07 GMT -8
I'll check out EZ PDF Reader for my tablet; thanks for the suggestion!
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Post by ironnikki on Jun 14, 2013 10:15:57 GMT -8
I've got a Kindle Fire (7" tablet, first edition) and save my books to my Dropbox. I use Acrobat Reader to read them. The Fire is nice for its portability, and if I'm just reading through a book it works fine, but it takes long enough to load pages that it's not practical for table use.
Slightly off topic, but I've also started using OneNote to prep for games, as suggested by JiB, and its been working out quite nicely. The reason I bring this up is because there's an Android app for it, and I was surprised to find that a 7" screen actually works out pretty well with it. I would assume that it would only be better on a 10" screen, so that might come in handy for your tablet, shadrack. I particularly like that I can set up the notebook on my computer, and take screen clippings to paste directly into the notebook, so I can pull entire stat blocks and stick them all into one place for easy reference during the game.
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Post by ironnikki on Jun 10, 2013 8:37:06 GMT -8
I qualified as a nurse first and can earn more money thru it plus what I want to do with psych is research based and the economic climate just isn't favourable to funding the research I'm interested in at the at the moment (esoteric and highly theoretical) Just in case this thread isn't entirely off the tracks yet: the current economic (and now political) climate here in the States is causing even "practical" research to struggle to find a place. In other words, I'm starting to feel your frustration :-)
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Post by ironnikki on Jun 7, 2013 12:50:08 GMT -8
As said above, Paizo has provided some alternate racial templates to help to make races less mechanically homogeneous.
However, if we're specifically talking about Pathfinder, the "average" human is used as a reference point when it comes to stats. I see it this way: if you have an elf and a human that are as similar as possible, the elf will naturally be more dexterous than the human. Additionally, the reason given for humans getting to choose where their bonus goes is because the race (or species) as a whole has a lot of variation. It is assumed that this is not the case with the other groups. This doesn't really jive with the different racial templates presented in the Advanced Race Guide. However, I do think that it bears mentioning that the diversity and versatility of humanity doesn't necessarily extend to non-human groups (although it certainly could).
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Post by ironnikki on May 31, 2013 10:11:31 GMT -8
Cool idea! The idea of a rotating GM is also used in Cosmic Patrol. While your story probably isn't right for the Cosmic Patrol system, it at least shows that a rotating GM can work well.
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Post by ironnikki on May 30, 2013 6:39:52 GMT -8
I've always thought in the back of my mind that the paladin class was more restrictive than it should be. The remainder of the core classes are not as strict; you can have a variety of bards, rangers, etc. But it seems to me that every RAW paladin I've seen has pretty much boiled down to the same thing. The idea that a powerful class is limited by their RP is interesting; the problem that the limiting factor is ALWAYS the same is boring. I like your variant, JiB.
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Post by ironnikki on May 30, 2013 6:30:59 GMT -8
The issue with your technique, maxinstuff, is that it may just further convince a new player that the hobby isn't for them. That depends on the player, of course, but many first time players won't escalate the situation, especially if they've never met these other players before. They'll simply walk away, and the hobby has lost one potential player.
However, when someone I game with is being an asshole for no apparent reason, I generally take the same tack. When assholes can't shit all over everything without getting some on themselves, they seem to tend to find a nice thick plug, or pack their bags.
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Post by ironnikki on May 30, 2013 6:20:04 GMT -8
I picked up L5R so that I can finally understand what they're talking about in the Actual Play. With a PDF of $35, I sure as hell wasn't going to be getting it any other time!
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Post by ironnikki on May 29, 2013 12:47:00 GMT -8
I'm just not certain that a definition for asshole is feasible, or even really necessary. Like you said, our games are a form of communication, and when the dynamic is fundamentally broken, it should be apparent. If a newcomer encounters an asshole GM, they're going to feel something is off. Recognizing assholery isn't typically an issue, but resolving it can be, especially when it comes to newer players that don't want to step on toes, or how to go about fixing it.
Yes, asshole players should be stood up to if they're causing problems. However, I'm a big believer of prevention rather than reparations. Ensuring a good first experience is easiest if the friendly groups are the most accessible. I run a game here with a swinging door mentality (which makes planning encounters tricky). I know my players, and they're all great people and really fun, so I'm sure that if we got a newcomer and the hobby was right for them, they would have a great time. I advertise my group around my friends, extending invitations, and ask my players to do the same. Now, my group back home does contain an asshole or two, and while I enjoy playing with them, they might scare off any newcomers I brought by. I wouldn't normally invite someone inexperienced with the hobby to play with that group.
There are other initiatives with the same goal. Terra Libris (http://www.theescapist.com/library/), although apparently now somewhat defunct, is one such project. Starting up a RPG club at a school is another great way to try and ensure that first experiences are good ones. Even putting up ads in local game shops (FLGS, video, whoever will take it) helps spread the love.
Assholes are the Westboro Baptist Church of gaming. Let's be the Patriot Guard Riders. (okay, not a great analogy, but you get the point.)
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Post by ironnikki on May 29, 2013 7:45:18 GMT -8
I do not see a definition as IF / THEN statements. I foresee a definition of asshole universal to RPGs as contributing nothing but a challenge to Assholes to engage in one-upsmanship finding new ways to be assholes. That is the asshole way after all. But I just underline that the definition is not for the benefit of assholes. The paradign is a shift away from adversarial. It says we have these types of players in our hobby including assholes (defined). I mean, really, if we can formally define Explorer players, or Min-Maxers, or Story players, etc., then we can certainly define the player attitude for asshole. And by 'frowning' on that one type of player, we become a more inclusive hobby. We do not have to say do not be an asshole because an asshole has no choice but to be. But the definition - the acceptance that we have a social game played by antisocial assholes - can empower (especially, new-to-the-hobby) players who otherwise will sit at a game table wondering if they are the problem or if the hobby is made in such a way that it not only attracts assholes but is fly paper for them. (Keep in mind that every hobby is not for every one, and we already know this.) So here is a hobby that is full of vocal and quietly enabling assholes... this is how Moonday comes to her question of is it just me or is it all of them.... and the player has to answer themself: is this hobby for me? Let's tell people there are assholes in this game and that it can be very easy for assholes to enter into this hobby. But they are assholes and not merely accomplished experienced players doing it right. That way when someone spots an asshole they know him for what he is and not for his hobby. One of the things I like about my GM = System slang is that it puts the presentation of the game on the guy most responsible for it (or collaborative group if GM-less). If the guy responsible is an asshole, that is his individual system. And the guy responsible can also evict players because he is responsible for his system. There is permission in that definition. For example, many people here want to play in a game of GURPS with mook, for example. If we can get the same type of thing going with a definition of asshole where we can identify assholes, maybe, many people here would not want to play with them. BUT, more important than all of us here are the majority of persons who are not here. And if they can identify an asshole separate from the game/hobby, we have a winning definition. Our games can be more fun without assholes. Not only do we clarify our hobby but we have empowered new-to-the-hobby players who can then spot and asshole. But we have to be able to call a spade a spade first. An asshole is not simply someone whose rulings we disagree with or someone who explores social deviant topics in game stories that touch moral and/or ethical choices. But first we have to be humble enough to acknowledge that along side the other types of players we have in ur hobby we also have system competent assholes and, we're not simply talking about the character they choose to play. To me, it's easier to define min-maxers, story-gamers etc. than assholes because of their motivations. A min-maxer's actions serve to optimize their character's stats. A story-gamer's actions serve to impact the plot. An asshole's actions serve to... what? Asshole motivations vary, and are often just not clear. Asshole is a more broad term than the others that makes nailing down a definition challenging. I think that regardless of the hobby one chooses to participate in, assholes will abound. I don't believe that there is any particular subset of people that completely excludes jerks, and similarly, I think that the problem we're discussing (i.e: asshole players driving away new players) exists in all hobbies. After all, if I decide that I want to start playing soccer, and the IM team that I choose to join is full of douchenozzles, I may write off the activity as full of douche. So in that sense, I don't think that this is unique to our hobby. The problem is that when a new player encounters a group full of assholes, they often have nowhere else to turn. An effective cure for this is for current players to actively recruit new blood to established games without asshole players. That way, new players will know how players are expected to act, and should be able to separate an asshole from a gamer. Furthermore, it gives the new player a support base to consult if and when they do encounter a problem in another game. I think that I am beginning to understand what you've been proposing. Rather than establish a rigid definition of an asshole to include in rulebooks along with the mandate "THOU SHALT NOT PLAY WITH ASSHOLES," those of us with enough hutzpah should stand up and call assholes out on their bullshit. Is that right? If so, we're certainly in agreement.
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Post by ironnikki on May 28, 2013 7:52:27 GMT -8
RPPR (Roleplaying Public Radio, actualplay.roleplayingpublicradio.com/) does good APs in various systems. Last I checked they had a supers game running and an Eclipse Phase game running. They also seem to really like to return to Call of Cthulhu and Delta Green, which are fun. Another AP that I really enjoyed listening to was "At Sixes and Sevens," a Changeling: The Lost AP by Flaming Sofa Productions (http://flamingsofaproductions.blogspot.com/). They've stopped updating unfortunately, but the episodes that they do have up are pretty interesting. I haven't listened to their newer Chronicle yet. I'm pretty certain that RPPR is available on iTunes, but I don't know about At Sixes and Sevens. Their RSS on the site that I've linked should suffice, though.
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Post by ironnikki on May 28, 2013 7:41:51 GMT -8
CC, are you proposing to construct a conclusive list of assholish player behavior and include it in all RPG rulebooks as forbidden? I've found that most rulebooks I've read do include a section about cooperative play, and how selfishness kills the game. While I do agree that rulebooks are the most likely form of media to reach all roleplayers, I'm not certain there's a good way to take advantage of that media. Granted, a paragraph damning behavior that upsets the group will not effect change in a player if the group gives his actions the green light, but how do you collect all of the asshole behavior into a singular list? Or, a better question, how does one define what is and isn't assholish?
Apparently, telling players not to do stuff that makes their group uncomfortable hasn't been working (though I still contend that the number of pleasant roleplayers is growing faster than asshole ones). Is there a better definition of assholish player behavior than that?
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Post by ironnikki on May 27, 2013 8:54:32 GMT -8
Oh whoops, sorry!
*BA DUM TSSSSSS*
I always miss my cues...
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PB&J
May 24, 2013 11:14:02 GMT -8
Post by ironnikki on May 24, 2013 11:14:02 GMT -8
That was one of the most genius evil plots I've ever been subjected to... that's awesome.
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Post by ironnikki on May 24, 2013 9:16:47 GMT -8
Side note: I'd love to get in on another DW game to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun, though it sounds like Humble may need to up his game to be as memorable as the everyone else!
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