A while ago I did a post- the ideal tabletop gamer. Today I wanted to expand on it in a simple way.
The ideal GM should also be a good player.
There's numerous quotes about leadership, but the one that comes to my simplistic mind is; "Those that cannot follow, cannot lead." That sounds very sadistic on paper, but it's true. The player's role is to follow the narrative, and enjoy themselves along the way. The GM's job is to make the narrative and respond to any player feedback. And to enjoy him/her/itself.
One thing I truly appreciate is dedicated players. People who can just follow a story, wherever it goes. There's something magical about it- being able to deliver an experience perfectly, to an eager audience. I'm mostly sure that's one of my basic food groups by now.
The internet (and local chatter) is stuffed with stories of bad GMs. Ninety percent of those shortcomings could have been avoided if the GM would have thought, "How would I like this as a player?"
Some food for thought.
The desert is an oasis of blood.
Showing posts with label IRL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IRL. Show all posts
April 12, 2013
March 10, 2013
Stuff Happens
For the last couple of days, my computer hasn't been able to start up. It's better now, but I think it may be dying. After 8 years of solid performance, it may be giving up the ghost.
Specifically, just at random, it decided to work this morning. So, I'll muse about it.
One thing I solidly believe in is that life happens. It's good, it's bad, it's sideways, stuff just happens- and the only way to stay alive is to keep up with it.
This is something a good GM throws in on occasion- just random events which slightly alter the dynamic of gameplay. A tunnel collapses, someone survives a bullet by chance, etc. Even "random" good things change up the dynamic, because it all adds uncertainty.
And, ultimately, uncertainty is one of the most powerful gameplay elements in RPGs. It's the entire reason dice were created. Even if it's something calculated, and designed to change the plot (even small things, like a character stubbing their toe on a rock) it still has impact. It makes the world less predictable, and I believe, more dynamic and enjoyable.
It also depends on the campaign. If it's a hard military-science/post-apoc setting, LOTS of things should go wrong (especially if you're a fan of 1980's post-Heinlein military sci-fi). But, if it's a Candy Land RPG-
Has anyone done a Candy Land RPG? Leave a comment.
-Then most random events should be positive, unless if you're trying to create a very stark contrast. Some food for thought, hopefully enough to appetize after an unexpected week-long hiatus. I'm back, or so I hope.
Specifically, just at random, it decided to work this morning. So, I'll muse about it.
One thing I solidly believe in is that life happens. It's good, it's bad, it's sideways, stuff just happens- and the only way to stay alive is to keep up with it.
This is something a good GM throws in on occasion- just random events which slightly alter the dynamic of gameplay. A tunnel collapses, someone survives a bullet by chance, etc. Even "random" good things change up the dynamic, because it all adds uncertainty.
And, ultimately, uncertainty is one of the most powerful gameplay elements in RPGs. It's the entire reason dice were created. Even if it's something calculated, and designed to change the plot (even small things, like a character stubbing their toe on a rock) it still has impact. It makes the world less predictable, and I believe, more dynamic and enjoyable.
It also depends on the campaign. If it's a hard military-science/post-apoc setting, LOTS of things should go wrong (especially if you're a fan of 1980's post-Heinlein military sci-fi). But, if it's a Candy Land RPG-
Has anyone done a Candy Land RPG? Leave a comment.
-Then most random events should be positive, unless if you're trying to create a very stark contrast. Some food for thought, hopefully enough to appetize after an unexpected week-long hiatus. I'm back, or so I hope.
February 26, 2013
Tripping Balls
My productivity is more in the garbage than usual. I've started playing Fallout: New Vegas again. No spoilers, and I'm only going to describe as much of the game as necessary.
I'm Mark, and I have a problem with... well, all the drugs. Fallout is notorious for having at least a dozen different drugs the character can take to alter their stats, get addicted to, and get a lot of money from selling (like any other item- Fallout doesn't put the player in the position of being a dedicated drug dealer). I downloaded a mod which would give each drug its own visual effect. Alcohol makes things grainy, blurry, and double. Jet makes a shaky circle, which grows in size the more you take. The best healing item (The Super Stimpack) makes your vision go purple, skew sideways, and shake rapidly until it wears off.
Good times! I can't wait to get my character hooked on everything under the sun!
Fallout is a "realistic" game, with lots of grays and browns in its palette. See the pic:
It gets a little boring after a while. The pic above was chosen from a series of many, and while not the most accurate, gives a general idea of what most people mean by the "gritty and realistic" art style of most games.
Anyhow. After about five minutes of tripping balls in the post-apocalyptic future (if you haven't, I highly suggest it) I found one drug in particular. Mentats are basically the Fallout version of ecstasy, so they don't get "Drug Use" on the ESRB rating. They'll little chalky pills that boost your intelligence and charisma by an absurd amount, much to the delight of very stupid characters.
I'd used them many times before, but not without the mod. This time I was in for a surprise. The colors suddenly became richer, and more vibrant. There was color! The reds were bold, the greens were earthy without being depressing, and the yellows nearly gave me epilepsy. It was wonderful!
I only realized just how wonderful after the effect faded. It was like any scene from Avatar was filmed in sepia. It felt lonely, dark, and eerily empty. Then it hit me: this is what the withdraws of actual drugs is probably like.
Disclaimer: I have zero drug use. This is mostly speculation, as well as bits from a few conversations I've had with stoners. Don't do drugs.
A gameplay element, meant as a humorous visual addition, simulated an actual aftermath from a trip. This gave me more insight into the appeal of actually using.
Note: This character was optimized to be a drug-guzzling machine. Lots of endurance in his stats to avoid getting the in-game "addiction" (penalties while you're not on something). I never actually got addicted from the game's perspective, despite ingesting no less than 5 pounds on a daily basis.
I've played New Vegas a lot of times. I know the sights. But, seeing them again in technicolor had appeal. It was like something totally new, and all I had to do was crunch a few pills in-game. I had happiness, or something similar, equipped in my inventory.
Of course it sucked to run out. Same brown wasteland, same gray dirt. I spent lots of money- even traded food (not totally important in the game, but still)- for more drugs. I was desperate to get a fix for a digital character I had heavy ties with. To an outside observer, this character was an addict. So, by extension, I was an addict. I needed my color fix, or else life (AKA the game) wasn't as fun as I wanted it to be. Just like how some people describe real life.
Even if it's just digital, video games still contain many parallels to real life. I'm not a druggie, stoner, or what have you. But in that place, with a little packet I got off the internet, I got to see the world through their eyes.
Now, if only I could download a support group.
I'm Mark, and I have a problem with... well, all the drugs. Fallout is notorious for having at least a dozen different drugs the character can take to alter their stats, get addicted to, and get a lot of money from selling (like any other item- Fallout doesn't put the player in the position of being a dedicated drug dealer). I downloaded a mod which would give each drug its own visual effect. Alcohol makes things grainy, blurry, and double. Jet makes a shaky circle, which grows in size the more you take. The best healing item (The Super Stimpack) makes your vision go purple, skew sideways, and shake rapidly until it wears off.
Good times! I can't wait to get my character hooked on everything under the sun!
Fallout is a "realistic" game, with lots of grays and browns in its palette. See the pic:
It gets a little boring after a while. The pic above was chosen from a series of many, and while not the most accurate, gives a general idea of what most people mean by the "gritty and realistic" art style of most games.
Anyhow. After about five minutes of tripping balls in the post-apocalyptic future (if you haven't, I highly suggest it) I found one drug in particular. Mentats are basically the Fallout version of ecstasy, so they don't get "Drug Use" on the ESRB rating. They'll little chalky pills that boost your intelligence and charisma by an absurd amount, much to the delight of very stupid characters.
I'd used them many times before, but not without the mod. This time I was in for a surprise. The colors suddenly became richer, and more vibrant. There was color! The reds were bold, the greens were earthy without being depressing, and the yellows nearly gave me epilepsy. It was wonderful!
I only realized just how wonderful after the effect faded. It was like any scene from Avatar was filmed in sepia. It felt lonely, dark, and eerily empty. Then it hit me: this is what the withdraws of actual drugs is probably like.
Disclaimer: I have zero drug use. This is mostly speculation, as well as bits from a few conversations I've had with stoners. Don't do drugs.
A gameplay element, meant as a humorous visual addition, simulated an actual aftermath from a trip. This gave me more insight into the appeal of actually using.
Note: This character was optimized to be a drug-guzzling machine. Lots of endurance in his stats to avoid getting the in-game "addiction" (penalties while you're not on something). I never actually got addicted from the game's perspective, despite ingesting no less than 5 pounds on a daily basis.
I've played New Vegas a lot of times. I know the sights. But, seeing them again in technicolor had appeal. It was like something totally new, and all I had to do was crunch a few pills in-game. I had happiness, or something similar, equipped in my inventory.
Of course it sucked to run out. Same brown wasteland, same gray dirt. I spent lots of money- even traded food (not totally important in the game, but still)- for more drugs. I was desperate to get a fix for a digital character I had heavy ties with. To an outside observer, this character was an addict. So, by extension, I was an addict. I needed my color fix, or else life (AKA the game) wasn't as fun as I wanted it to be. Just like how some people describe real life.
Even if it's just digital, video games still contain many parallels to real life. I'm not a druggie, stoner, or what have you. But in that place, with a little packet I got off the internet, I got to see the world through their eyes.
Now, if only I could download a support group.
February 6, 2013
Man on Wire
I don't plan on making a habit of reviewing movies, books, or games on here- there's plenty of other websites you can go to for that. This one is just too important to merit a casual mention, though.
"Man on Wire," 2008. Currently on Netflix. Go watch it. Like right now. Go to your TV, or computer, and watch it. I'll be here.
If you don't watch it, this post will be harder to understand than usual.
Dude, seriously! Just watch it already! It's a good movie to boot, even if you don't like tabletop games.
Okay, here goes.
~
Man on Wire is one of the most exceptional movies I've ever seen. Not only is it a powerful documentary, it is one of the best examples I've ever seen of a real-life adventuring party. I even made a new label for this sort of thing- IRL.
The "quest" was extremely simple, and so very moving- get to the top, build the wire, and have Philippe walk across it in the morning. This has no tactical or strategic purpose, but is rather a demonstration, and a message about the power of man. It was an epic (you won't find me using that word very much) show of precision and ability, and stunned the eyes of millions. Even now, nearly forty years later, it still makes me shake inside to watch it.
You could argue that it was just Philippe having an obsession to fulfill. In fact, it probably was. But, that's not the message most people left with. To anyone on the ground, he was like an angel, or butterfly- whimsical, but captivating. Separated by a quarter mile from the ground, he acted with complete grace and agility. I believe that act is one of the grandest pieces of performance art in the history of society.
I think the cop in the interview said it best- he saw something so unusual, yet so moving, it was probably one of the greatest moments of his life. As a GM, I'm going to be taking pointers from that whole experience.
GM Tip: Let the players bask in some glory. Even for a little while.
From the ground up, the whole experience sounds like an adventure module. Much better written than anything I could come up with.
But, more intriguing than the gameplay, would be the story. Not of the GM, but of the players- I've never seen a group of players motivated to do something like this, unless prompted. It would be easy to just tell the players their characters are all highwire enthusiasts, but that's majorly railroadey.
Also, the story of the inter-group politics would be very interesting. I'm not even sure Philippe would be a player character, he's so over-powered. But, say, the circle of friends he has, supporting him through the whole ordeal? That would be a really fun game, if the GM could put the focus on the characters, not Philippe. And, especially if they feel included at the big event.
~
Ultimately, it's a movie I think everyone should see. Even if you just want to take it at face-value, it's a dazzling success from start to finish. A little campy, a little low-budget, but it has even more emotional draw than any other movie I can recall.
And, yes, I thought about it- I'd put Philippe's Coordination score at about 13 or 14.
"Man on Wire," 2008. Currently on Netflix. Go watch it. Like right now. Go to your TV, or computer, and watch it. I'll be here.
If you don't watch it, this post will be harder to understand than usual.
Dude, seriously! Just watch it already! It's a good movie to boot, even if you don't like tabletop games.
Okay, here goes.
~
Man on Wire is one of the most exceptional movies I've ever seen. Not only is it a powerful documentary, it is one of the best examples I've ever seen of a real-life adventuring party. I even made a new label for this sort of thing- IRL.
The "quest" was extremely simple, and so very moving- get to the top, build the wire, and have Philippe walk across it in the morning. This has no tactical or strategic purpose, but is rather a demonstration, and a message about the power of man. It was an epic (you won't find me using that word very much) show of precision and ability, and stunned the eyes of millions. Even now, nearly forty years later, it still makes me shake inside to watch it.
You could argue that it was just Philippe having an obsession to fulfill. In fact, it probably was. But, that's not the message most people left with. To anyone on the ground, he was like an angel, or butterfly- whimsical, but captivating. Separated by a quarter mile from the ground, he acted with complete grace and agility. I believe that act is one of the grandest pieces of performance art in the history of society.
I think the cop in the interview said it best- he saw something so unusual, yet so moving, it was probably one of the greatest moments of his life. As a GM, I'm going to be taking pointers from that whole experience.
GM Tip: Let the players bask in some glory. Even for a little while.
From the ground up, the whole experience sounds like an adventure module. Much better written than anything I could come up with.
- Steal the picture from the dentist's office (Coordination/Reflex)
- Plan the escapade with friends (Science)
- Scout out the building (Observation)
- Make connections, bluff your way to the top (Speech)
- Map the rooftop (Observation)
- Recover from a wire-walking accident (Medicine)
- Bluff your way inside the building (Speech)
- Optional: Climb the stairs (Terrain)
- Hide from the guard (Stealth)
- Wait out the guard (Concentration)
- Shoot the arrow across (Ranged)
- Find the cable, using your naked body as a wire detector (Observation)
- Set up the intercom (Education)
- Thread the cable across (Strength)
- Optional: Catch the falling cable (Reflex)
- Set up the lines (Players know Philippe)
- Take pictures (Depends how much film they packed)
But, more intriguing than the gameplay, would be the story. Not of the GM, but of the players- I've never seen a group of players motivated to do something like this, unless prompted. It would be easy to just tell the players their characters are all highwire enthusiasts, but that's majorly railroadey.
Also, the story of the inter-group politics would be very interesting. I'm not even sure Philippe would be a player character, he's so over-powered. But, say, the circle of friends he has, supporting him through the whole ordeal? That would be a really fun game, if the GM could put the focus on the characters, not Philippe. And, especially if they feel included at the big event.
~
Ultimately, it's a movie I think everyone should see. Even if you just want to take it at face-value, it's a dazzling success from start to finish. A little campy, a little low-budget, but it has even more emotional draw than any other movie I can recall.
And, yes, I thought about it- I'd put Philippe's Coordination score at about 13 or 14.
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