Latest revision as of 19:24, 30 September 2007

Scheduling

When can we meet to make characters?

Discussion

I have started talking to some people about a possible saturday game, it could be a friday night game instead depending on availability. Any game is open to anyone who reads this. Instead of commenting on the games pages, comment here, so it can be kept separate by who might play.

--Gdaze 08:40, 14 September 2007 (MST) Comment here? I don't mind doing any of these really, but I couldn't commit to it every week as I am currently running a WHFRP group. Gaming 3 times a week is just a wee bit much for me. I'd love to do supers but I wouldn't want combat in that to be as deadly as stated. Also, as for timing mechanism... I agree with it because lets face it, our current games get bogged down in it. But in all reality we discuss something in real time for say an hour, or 30 minutes, it turns out to be like 2 or 3 hours game time. But, overall I agree with that. I'm interested in Exemplars, Fantasy (I'd even offer to GM, but I dunno, this group might not like my style), PA and Space Opera.

--76.164.21.217 10:16, 14 September 2007 (MST)Combat wouldnt be deadly in Exemplars, that would be silly. But the villains will be prepared and may win from time to time.

--Jason 10:33, 14 September 2007 (MST)Also, Gabe I dont mind if you want to GM some. This game will probably be every other week if its on Saturday, TBD if its Friday or another day.

In all likelihood, Gemini won't run for more than another 3 sessions, would be my guess, so that will open up friday night time, possibly.

--Jason 10:54, 14 September 2007 (MST)I had some other friends who wanted to start a group, and this was mainly for them. I just figured that since it could be on a different day that some of you might want to play too. I dont want to mess up your guys games.

--Gdaze Oh yeah, losing to them would be totally fine, long as a cool combat took place before! Haha I didn't think you were "muscling" your way in on our games. I use "" over muscle cause you know... its Jason.

Ben: ok, I figured that you were planning on saturday for a reason.

--Gdaze Oh actually your fantasy setting looks pretty neat too. I'd totally be the dwarf. See I love fantasy games, and I love playing in them, but none of my groups usually run them as much. Although I admit, I always aim towards high fantasy, but like gritty too... Gritty high?

--Jason 12:16, 14 September 2007 (MST)That fantasy game is set in the standard Warhammer world. The dwarf character has some interesting background stuff, much of it comes to light as the story progresses.

--Gdaze-- Wow, the Morrow project is really neat too, plus it would kinda force group unity.

--Tad 3:05, 14 September 2007-- Hey, new guy here (Got a link from Jason via craigslist, heh). Anyway, the Exemplars, Fantasy, Period RP (maybe crusades?), Morrow Project or PA Sound cool to me. I've had the most experience gaming in sort of Gritty High Fantasy settings, so that's what I know best, but new things are always good too. Saturdays work best for me, though I could probably make Friday nights work too.

--Tad 3:40, 14 Sept 2007-- Hm, just read through the Indiana Jones in Space and Space Opera a little more thoroughly. I'm usually skeptical of scifi RPGs, mostly because in my few experiences with it the GM didn't know what he was doing. These sound like fun though, and I'd be game to give em a try.

--Dieter the Bold 22:05, 16 September 2007 (MST) How do you work .rar files? I've gotten some before but have no idea how to use them.

--Jason 22:38, 16 September 2007 (MST)Download winrar and use it to unzip it just like with winzip. The program is located here: [1]

--Karl 10:44, 20 Septermber 2007 (PST) Hmm, reading the game ideas over again, I would be happy with just about anything. The Space Opera setting and anything set in the Warhammer world would be at the top of my list.

As for night, I have a bi-weekly Warhammer game right now on every other Saturday, so I would prefer maybe a bi-weekly Saturday or Friday night right now...

--Gdaze-- Alright, so I'm gonna have to say I can't really committ to this one right now either. I know, lame, but the amount of time I have is a wee bit more limited then I first thought.

--Tad: This saturday works for me if it works for everyone else.

The List

I will bring a list of all my ideas that are current and put them here.

Game Ideas

Exemplars

Fantasy Game

Period Roleplaying

Genre mish-mash

Deadlands

Morrow Project

Space Opera

Indiana Jones in Space

Mid-World

HP Lovecraft's American War of Independence

Other Post Apocalypse

Nothing In Particular

Caveats

Any game I run will be very XP light. My current idea I am considering is no XP except when they make a tangible sacrifice for the good of the story (give something, get something). Also, combats will be deadly. Of course, if your character dies in a way thats good for the story you will be able to keep your XP, maybe even get bonus XP, for your next character. In good literature and movies main characters die, so PCs shouldnt be any different.

Also I am going to work on enforcing some kind of timing mechanisms. Players should not always be able to plan everything, and opportunities will be lost when there is too much consideration and waffling. Uber min-maxing and 'treasure grabbing' will also have consequences.

Think back to good stories, often the best situations come when someone makes a mistake. If everything is too easy, nothing is fun.

--Ed -- treasure grabbing can be genre appropriate, imho. like in whfrp.

--Jason 13:23, 14 September 2007 (MST)I dont think looting the bodies of every bandit is genre appropriate in most stories, except in things like PA etc (places where survival is difficult). This is, of course, purely a judgment call.

Gabe: You know what, this is an interesting point of conflict for me. Its like.. why not pick up these perfectly good swords and other equipments? Yet in movies and stories, how often do the main characters loot the bandits? Hardly ever! In fact I actually can't remember any. Now I know in medieval type wars some people would target knights because their armor could be stripped and sold for a pretty penny. But what of all the weapons? What happened to them after battles? Did people grab them? I've never really seen heard anything like this.

Interesting you brought up PA. We take in PA because we have so little and everything can be useful. Now I think in the real world, most people didn't bother taking the bandits weapons because well... why bother? You already have pretty good stuff yourself, even more so if your a knight. I'm sure a peasent group who defeats a bandit or two WOULD take their weapons in order to defend themsevles.

Character in WHFRP however start out very poor. The good equipments costs an assload and getting money is usually quite hard. So in this way I think it is understandable that the PCs would loot. For example an elf in our party didn't have a bow, they killed some guys with a bow, so he took it. I mean why not take it?

And that is the next big question.... WHY NOT take the items? Morals perhaps? Being not better then them? But it IS a way to get cash.

I think the biggest deterent against this would be characters showing up in a city and selling swords... swords some people might recognize as being made form X blacksmith and being sold to Y person.

--Jason 13:48, 14 September 2007 (MST)I think the looting on battlefields took place once the battle was over. Your life is in danger when the battle is happening, so there just isnt time.

And time I think is one of the main reasons why looting isnt done in movies and such either. That and logistics. Try strapping 4 swords to your back. Now try doing anything useful. Also, if you just killed some bandits, and youre bending over the bodies taking their stuff, if someone else happens along, who are they going to think are the bandits? They will probably tell everyone they see its you, and in the end its your word against theirs.

Gabe: Right, so maybe there should be more danger invovled or risk? I guess it is kinda funny because some people would be like "I will not take their equipment, they are bandits!" While player characters, while we are in character most of the time, quickly loose that in order to loot the dead. Something most consider fairly low and degrading. I guess when it comes to money we just forget about that!

--Jason 14:10, 14 September 2007 (MST)Thats right, bitches! Phat l00tz > morals

--Ed: I just watched Troy, which was a fairly bad movie. but in it, they had soldiers harvesting lootz from temples in the middle of battles. can't really hold that movie up as the shining example of good storytelling, though.

Looting in the middle of battle was central to stories like the Iliad (the fight over Patroclus' body, for instance), and looting the camp of an enemy army that had been routed immediately after the battle appears to have been a common event in classical antiquity. The slaves employed by rome to fight against carthage in the second punic war were instructed in one battle that if they brought back the head of an enemy, they would be set free. Upon being informed that the slaves were being hampered in their fighting by having to behead slain enemies and then carry the head around, the general changed the rule to if the army were victorious, all the slaves would go free.

Character Generation Ideas (Sat Game)

Where to go

After talking to those who might play it seems like Indiana Jones in Space will be the winner. For anyone who is interested, go to www.wiki-rpg.com/SpaceOpera.rar and you can download (40 megs worth) virtually every supplement ever made for Space Opera, as well as the character generation and equipment documents I made.

Actual Character Generation

Even though it says 150/125 on the Indiana Jones in Space page, I think its going to be 120/95. Any NPCs on the ship will be 75 points.