TRPG General Chat

Cat

2:02 PM

Grats @waxeagle!

BESW

@Aether Is Charlin the Mundane basically ready to go?

@Cat Yawp!

:)

mornin folks.

Hey @Novian

@Novian marnin

2:02 PM

And suddenly there were many!

Novian

anyone else think that the sun needs to be turned down out of common decency for sleepin folk?

Cat

No!

BESW

@Novian It's 0003 Wednesday for me, so... no?

Cat

(sorry, I live farther North than you, obviously)

Novian

9:03 here.

as morning as it ever gets.

Tuesday here.

Problematic

2:05 PM

Saturday of the year 1336, here.

BESW

Hey guys, I've got a dude in scifi chat who is interested in tabletop RPGs because he finds video game RPGs too limited in scope, but knows basically nothing about RPGs.

Cat

:P lol

Novian

@BESW lol, been there.

BESW

I'm thinking to invite him to come over here for some chattery with all y'all.

Cat

Sounds good

Problematic

2:06 PM

@BESW I'll get the van, you get the Conversion Ray.

Cat

;)

Problematic

Remember to switch it off of "bacon" this time. Thought that was a delicious accident...

Novian

1st rule of tabletop RPG's, Screw the Min/Max and CharOp Boards.

:P

Cat

Agreed, lol

BESW

@MadTux Welcome! We don't bite, but we ramble and we have Opinions.

Cat

2:07 PM

Though I'm not really a great example of where that leads, lol

MadTux

Oh, wierd. I'm in RPG chat. Looks cool. Nice theme.

Novian

gotta do it your own way, no matter how suboptimal people call it.

Thumbs up @Novian

@MadTux cheers

Hey @MadTux

2:08 PM

Okay, guys, here's the deal:

MadTux

@BESW I have onions, that means I'm just lacking pi.

@BESW yes?

BESW

> I have no idea about RPG. None. Whatsoever. [...] It sounds very interesting. I feel very limited in Battle for Wesnoth. Only one direction.

Novian

Sup @MadTux

MadTux

@BESW Hey, I said that!

BESW

@MadTux And now they know where you're coming from.

Be gentle guys, he doesn't have context.

Problematic

2:10 PM

@MadTux do you have friends/associates/minions who are interested in playing with you, or is it just you at this point?

Novian

Indeed. BESW, is the resident magical ninja google-fu master of archeology/adventurer/person

3

MadTux

@Problema Just me.

Novian

You would need freinds/associates/minions.

Cat

Yup, it works better with buds

MadTux

Hey, you're actually not that bad/evil/biting.

Novian

2:11 PM

Lies.

wax eagle

@Novian nonsense

first rule of RPG: get your damned requirements straight.

Problematic

@MadTux it can work by your onesie, but fortunately you're in a chat full of friends/associates/minions who enjoy that sort of thing

MadTux

@Cat I'll just force my brother and my friends to play. Or find someone.

Novian

@waxeagle Fine, Second Rule: Screw the Charops and MinMax Boards.

Cat

Sounds great!

wax eagle

2:12 PM

@Novian nah, make them subservient to your requirements :P

BESW

We can deal with the CharOp Drama later, guys.

Problematic

Almost typed "demons" instead of "minions" there. Considering the company, probably still fits.

wax eagle

@BESW too true

BESW

He's at the "Hao I d20" stage, I think.

Cat

I guess it's time to figure out what kind of game you want to play as well.

wax eagle

2:13 PM

@BESW 4e's redbox

that's where I'd start

Problematic

1d20+4

MadTux

How fast do you all type here?

Novian

@MadTux Expect anyone you invite to be skeptical about playing tabletop rpgs the first time. I know I was. unless they already share an interest.

wax eagle

@MadTux depends on what's going on, I'm a coder though, I can type a bit :)

MadTux

@Novian Hmmmm.

Novian

2:14 PM

Not everyone will be obviously but TTRPG's are not what some people see spending their saturdays on. what you do is show them how fun it can be.

BESW

There are online and offline ways to meet strangers who want to run RPGs, and they're usually harmless, but given your level of experience (and your age) they're probably not ideal for your situation.

If you have a local game shop that hosts games rather than just providing space for them, that might be an option.

MadTux

How many people do you need?

wax eagle

@MadTux depends on the game

Cat

Depends on the game and gamers

BESW

Between two and as many as can keep quiet while the guy whose turn it is talks.

7

Novian

2:15 PM

4 in my experience. but you can have more or less depending on the game.

Cat

I like 3-5.

wax eagle

(much like computer RPGs there are literally 1000s of table top games)

Cat

Aw..things are just getting interesting and duty calls! be back later!

MadTux

Do I need anything apart from a pencil, paper, and a table?

Novian

bye @cat

Problematic

2:16 PM

@Cat ciao! don't forget to bury it

MadTux

Duty: [call]

BESW

@MadTux Again, depends on the system.

wax eagle

@MadTux you will probably need source books, either physical or digitals

and almost always dice...

MadTux

Normal dice?

Or really wierd dice?

wax eagle

@MadTux depends on the system, a lot of games use polyhedral dice

Novian

2:16 PM

indeed, running some games does require some sort of book full of long lines of text and guidelines.

BESW

@MadTux Again, depends on the system. Some use d6s or d10s exclusively. D&D uses ALL the dice.

wax eagle

@MadTux happy medium? most of the time you don't need a d7

BESW

Many RPG game systems will want you to have a map and miniatures to represent creatures. Many gamers find that they can adjust or ignore this requirement with some effort.

Novian

@BESW from the lowly d2 to the magnificent d20.

BESW

@Novian D&D uses the d2, too.

MadTux

2:17 PM

What is good to start with? I've got an iPod that can simulate a d100.

Novian

Noted.

wax eagle

@MadTux do you want to play dungeons and dragons or something else?

BESW

[cough] sounds like it's time to formalize this.

wax eagle

and how much money are you interested in spending?

Problematic

[puts on powdered wig]

MadTux

2:18 PM

Aww, no! I have to go. I'll be back in a few minutes.
- fantasy
- as cheap as possible

wax eagle

@BESW we've got some good beginner questions, moment

BESW

@MadTux How complicated do you want the game system to be?

Novian

[Puts on Suit and Tie, Secretly puts on theives gloves.]

BESW

That is, do you want a game that tries to provide specialized rules to look up for each scenario you might encounter?

Problematic

@BESW he plays Battle for Wesnoth, he's at least used to mildly-complex tactical combat

BESW

2:20 PM

Or a game that gives more generic rules that can be applied creatively to the situations as they arise?

Novian

I have one reccomendation of what not to start with.

Mutants And Masterminds.

BESW

@Problematic Just cause he's used to it doesn't mean he wants it in his first RPG. Being overwhelmed with rules can be smothering for some, but it can provide a tangible framework for others.

wax eagle

http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/5214/how-do-i-get-started-playing-dungeons-and-dragons-by-myself
http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/18619/what-role-playing-games-should-i-pick-for-an-absolute-beginner-group
http://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/11033/im-at-a-loss-with-dungeons-and-dragons-how-does-one-play-it-anyway

some good reference questions

BESW

[Bwahahahah. My domination of the starred comments rises!]

Problematic

@BESW okay, I'll concede that point. When I was 14, I would have loved FATE, but all my friends would have hated it. So we used some subset of the D&D rules and called it even.

@MadTux another thing you should know: if @BESW ever achieves total dominance of the starred comments sidebar, he'll ascend to deityhood and consume us all with glorious fire in the process.

4

MadTux

2:24 PM

@everybody I'm here again!

BESW

There's also the fact that D&D is the de facto flagship of RPGs whether we like it or not, and he may feel that it's the proper way to start his experience with the medium.

MadTux

What have you all been doing just now?

BESW

I, of course, shall offer up FATE on a Golden Rule platter when the time comes for recommendations.

wax eagle

@MadTux this is where my group and I started (5/7 of us were complete RPG n00bs) and I highly recommend it if your inerested in D&D:

amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying-Game/dp/…

MadTux

Can you get that in Germany?

Looks good, though.

wax eagle

2:26 PM

@MadTux amazon.de/Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying-Game/dp/… break the onebox

MadTux

@waxeagle Thanks!

BESW

@MadTux It's important to recognize, though, that although D&D is the most commonly known (and possibly most commonly played) RPG in the world, it's not the only one--and that other RPGs can be drastically different

MadTux

In what way?

wax eagle

@MadTux in every way.

MadTux

All I can say to that is *

wax eagle

2:28 PM

all that to say, if you can think of a concept, there is probably an RPG that models it.

BESW

RPGs are similar only in that a group of people get together to pretend that they are other people in another scenario, and they use a set of agreed-upon rules to determine the outcomes of their actions.

MadTux

Is there a Lord of the Rings RPG?

wax eagle

@MadTux there have been several, not sure if any are currently in print

MadTux

Oh.

Problematic

@MadTux they focus on different aspects of gameplay, for starters. D&D is concerned with numbers and their effect on the game (skills, attack bonuses, etc etc), at the expense of some realism; other games might be more concerned with dramatic storytelling, for example.

MadTux

2:29 PM

Both sound good.

BESW

They'll also be concerned with different kinds of stories: combat vs social interaction, for example.

MadTux

Combat and Adventure sounds better.

wax eagle

and they will use different mechanics to determine how conflicts in the story are resolved, dice, tarot cards, rock paper scissors.

BESW

It's worth noting that some game systems are generic; that is, they don't have an inherent setting.

Problematic

Fie, time to get ready for work. I'll be back in about an hour.

BESW

2:31 PM

The FATE system is deliberately designed to work in any setting (scifi, fantasy, reality, whatever) so long as you want a game experience that emphasizes narrative awesomeness and character development over statistics and realism.

MadTux

@Problema Fie!

BESW

So you could have a LotR game in the FATE system, but it would be a different kind of game (more about people and their personalities, even when there's high-action combat) than if you used, say, GURPS (which would give you a lot of very crunchy numbers and statistics, but not as much mechanical support for the personality type stuff).

MadTux

How do I use these systems?

BESW

Each system has a manual or manuals--it might be a pdf, or a physical book, but it's a book of rules, guidelines, and advice for creating characters, resolving conflicts, and running the game.

MadTux

So do I download the pdf/buy the book, read it, invite some friends, explain it and go?

BESW

2:35 PM

Most systems require you to purchase their manual (it's how they make money), but some are free to download.

wax eagle

@MadTux for the majority of games, the source books provide you with two things. Material to fill in the background of your story, and material to resolve conflicts. So, you develop a plot (or get a plot from a pre-written adventure) and the background material lets you set the scene. When your characters get into social situations or fights then the mechanics take over

BESW

Basically, yes. One of the people in the group will probably have to be the Game Master (or Dungeon Master, Storyteller, different systems use different names for the role).

MadTux

[Tux-has-idea] Can one play lotr with D&D?

BESW

@MadTux It's a bad idea.

MadTux

[Tux-wants-to-know-why]

BESW

2:36 PM

D&D has its own high-magic fantasy setting and tinkering with the level of magic in the system will create major problems with the system's balance.

LotR, by comparison, has precious few wizards throwing fireballs and a magic sword is a lifetime event.

MadTux

Oh. What's more suitable for LOTR?

BESW

Kinda depends on what kind of game you want to have. I've seen a Rangers of Rohan cover for Mouseguard that looked pretty good if you want to focus on that kind of experience.

What kind of adventures do you want to have in ME?

MadTux

Battles of the fords of Isen?

Fellowship of the Ring?

BESW

So, not much magic per se, but heroic action undertaken by more-than-ordinary mortals?

MadTux

In the second case, yes.

And Gandalf can light trees.

BESW

2:41 PM

How much do you want it to be about personalities and the story of the people involved, and how much do you want the focus to be on carefully detailed combat? Keeping in mind that neither precludes the other, but there will be a focus on one or the other.

MadTux

Probably combat.

Oh, telphone

Oh, ******* I missed the call because of that last post.

wax eagle

@MadTux :(

BESW

Vanishing suddenly is totally kosher. We know people have lives outside the Internet.

5

MadTux

I know, I'm far to polite.

Novian

@BESW 6 starred. a domionion indeed.

BESW

2:43 PM

It's appreciated.

@Novian Yeah, but they won't last long.

Novian

the longest lasting starred comment was up there for a few months. it was one of @Brian Ballson-Stanton's I belive.

MadTux

Very short username.

Novian

of course that was a comment of such unanimous opinion its no wonder it had 13 stars and a long life.

BESW

Okay, guys, I don't know enough different systems to make really appropriate recs. We need a system that can support a LotR-style setting/magic level, with an emphasis on heroic combat.

@Novian It actually got modbumped back up to the top, so that's artificial longevity.

MadTux

@BESW Yep.

Novian

2:46 PM

....hmm. L5R doesnt fit the bill.

MadTux

Wait. Does this site have an RPG Tag??

Novian

I am not sure.

BESW

It should be cheap, relatively easy for a total TTRPG noob to teach to other TTRPG noobs, and require minimal extra props because he doesn't have a stash of them yet.

@MadTux It'd get used on just about everything.

I'm thinking the Rangers of Rohan mod for Mouseguard.

Novian

....easy and non prop intensive. soo DFRPG is out.

BESW

@Novian FATE is probably out as a general rule ([sob]) because of the combat focus.

Novian

2:48 PM

@BESW probably.

MadTux

@BESW I'll think up a pun on that post.

Novian

D&D is prop intensive. Dice/Books galore. so its out.

BESW

And expensive.

Novian

very much so.

BESW

Does Mouseguard require much in the way of props?

Novian

2:50 PM

unless your an internet munchkin and pirate the books. which is ill advised.

BESW

Mouseguard uses d6es, which is good for our purposes.

MadTux

As I said, I can simulate dice on my iPod.

BESW

I think you'll find that rolling physical dice is pleasing, but digital options are good.

Novian

Can you simulate 100 six sided die without your ipod crashing?

BESW

iPods are less likely to roll under the couch.

...although it's worse for them if they do.

MadTux

2:51 PM

@Novian Yes.

Novian

@BESW yes, nothing like killing something with your own 12D6 save or die.

MadTux

I could build my own dice. Muahahaha

Novian

....MADNESS!

MadTux

At least they would be unfair.

OK. That's not nice.

BESW

Un moment, tracking down Mouseguard purchase options to see price and Germanic availability.

Amazon.de (I can't read it very well, so just giving you the search), and if you can buy things from rpgnow, they've got the pdf.

Mouseguard is of middling complexity, with some very interesting non-combat challenge options too. To make it LotR instead of mousey, use this free Realm Guard modification, which is designed to support Fourth Age adventures using the Mouseguard undercarriage.

I'm sure someone else will have another suggestion, but that's mine at the moment.

MadTux

2:59 PM

what's mousey?

BESW

Literally, in Mouseguard you play as mice.

Mice have established a safe kingdom protected from predators, and you play the brave little squeakers who patrol the borders of their haven.

It translates pretty well to Ranger-type adventures.

Enduring monsters as well as environmental hazards to keep an area safe for the citizenry.

MadTux

Sounds silly, but if you can LOTRise it . . .

Is this the right sort of thing?
http://www.amazon.de/Mouse-Guard-The-Role-playing-Game/dp/1848561741/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1367938821&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=mouse+guard+rpg

BESW

Yup.

That looks like the only manual you need to play Mouseguard.

MadTux

So if nobody else has a better idea, I just put it on my birthday wish list and get started?

BESW

Pretty much.

MadTux

3:03 PM

cool.

BESW

Given the specific criterion though, I think this could actually be turned into a good RPG.SE system-recommendation question.

MadTux

OK

What sort of title? 'What is a good system to play LOTR?'?

hehe - ?'?

wax eagle

@MadTux no, it's be like a gaming tag on arqade

MadTux

What?

BESW

@MadTux If you click the grey arrow to the right of his comment, you'll see which of your comments he's referring to.

@MadTux Yes, that's a decent title. Just be sure to be more specific inside the post: system recommendations need to have very clear requirements that make it easy for someone to know if their recommendation is likely to be helpful.

wax eagle

3:08 PM

@MadTux sorry, reading backscroll, generally tags that are or directly refer to the site name are blacklisted from the getgo

MadTux

I'll just go and write the question.

BESW

In your case: cheap, simple to learn and teach for people new to TTRPGs, combat-focuses, and built for or able to support a LotR style fantasy setting.

Low-prop would be good too. (You don't want to have to buy a lot of dice or other tools any more than you want to pay a lot of money for the manuals.)

...this has been a good night for stars.

Oh, come on. That's just silly.

MadTux

hehe. I know.

BESW

It's 0115, and I should go to bed.

My jetlag might let me rest.

MadTux

Good night.

BESW

3:14 PM

G'night. I look forward to seeing that question tomorrow.

wax eagle

@BESW I'll happily clear that if you want :P

MadTux

The question's here.

wax eagle

cuz that's totally a mod power :P

MadTux

0

Q: What is a good system to play LOTR?

I want to get started with RPGs and I want to play the Lord of the Rings. I'm looking for a system which is: Cheap Simple to learn for noobs like me combat-focused LOTRisable Low-prop That's about it, really.

system-recommendation

BESW

@Aether, @Problematic Please let Maurycy know to start finalizing his PC, and I hope to consider rules and procedures in the next few days before we start.

@waxeagle I don't want to trample on the rights of the people, but it is getting ridiculous. Mod's call.

MadTux

3:16 PM

@BESW Has almost reached starred supremacy.

wax eagle

@BESW yeah, it's silly

MadTux

Spoil-sports.

BESW

I'm okay with it if people actually like what I say, but I don't want to just take up space.

wax eagle

@MadTux I know, but we say enough pithy things in here that it's worth keepings stars just for those

BESW

@MadTux Do you want to play out the Lord of the Rings story, or do you want to play your own stories in the Middle-Earth setting?

MadTux

3:18 PM

I did like that 'good night for stars' one.

Both.

BESW

@MadTux That'll larn ya, then: when things go overboard, the good tends to get thrown out with the bad.

MadTux

Thanks for the edit, @BESW

BESW

My pleasure.

MadTux

No, mine.

Problematic

... I propose renaming this place to the @BESW General Chat

BESW

3:25 PM

@Problematic no

3

Problematic

I'm not sure your opinion counts much in the matter, sir :P

Oblivious Sage

@Problematic Not until he dominates the starred list. And really dominates it, too; people with screens up to 1300 or so height need to see only BESW comments in the starred list.

MadTux

You guys have got weird tags.

BESW

@MadTux You can make anything look like a tag.

Oblivious Sage

@MadTux He just used the tag formatting; we don't actually have a no tag.

BESW

3:27 PM

 [tag:word]

MadTux

thats-absurd

hey

Oblivious Sage

i don't think it likes apostrophes

MadTux

Ahh.

BESW

[applause]

Problematic

... somebody is abusing stars.

MadTux

3:28 PM

@ObliviousSage Thanks for the edit, by the way.

@Problematic 0:-)

BESW

Would threatening to flood the chat with ponies make it stop?

MadTux

. . .

Oblivious Sage

@MadTux You're welcome. I still think it could stand to be more specific, but I think at this point it's got enough requirements that a diamond mod will add a comment saying, "Make it more specific, please," instead of just closing it out of hand.

MadTux

I don't know enough to be more specific.

BESW

@MadTux Princess Celestia demands your compliance.

MadTux

3:32 PM

@BESW I had to DuckDuckGo that.

duckduckgo.com/?q=princess+celestia

Problematic

@MadTux A hipster, eh?

BESW

@Problematic Who?

Princess Celestia? Probably not.

Problematic

Damn kids and their newfangled searchmajiggers

3

MadTux

It's linuxy though. Linuxy is good.

Oblivious Sage

More importantly, it doesn't record every single search you make, the way Google does.

MadTux

3:35 PM

And it looks better.

And it has goodies.

And it's FOSS.

Problematic

@ObliviousSage I actually consider that a feature.

Oblivious Sage

@Problematic You consider Google tracking all your searches so they put ads in your GMail window a feature?

MadTux

ponies!

Problematic

@ObliviousSage I consider personalization a feature. The ads are a side effect that don't bother me.

wax eagle

@ObliviousSage Yes.

BESW

3:39 PM

Oh, man. Rob beat me by under 30 seconds.

Goodbye, easy silver.

Problematic

@BESW I like the idea of mice instead of hobbits

BESW

@Problematic One of the primary struggles in a Mouseguard game is overcoming one's mouseyness.

Problematic

@BESW yeah, I'm at least passingly familiar with the system. I think my favorite part is that advancement requires failures as well as successes.

BESW

Aye.

MadTux

@Problematic After all, mice ordered the earth to be made.

BESW

3:43 PM

I think MG is well-suited for Middle-Earth stories because it supports heroism, but requires struggle and suffering to achieve it.

MadTux

Sounds very good.

BESW

Unless you're Bard, you don't win your victories easily in Middle-Earth.

MadTux

That would, after all, be boring.

Oblivious Sage

@Problematic Yeah, I like that part. Ironically, I also like the reverse aspect (double jeopardy) in Unknown Armies' madness system, where passing or failing too many madness checks can drive you crazy.

BESW

@ObliviousSage You understand OR fail to understand too much?

Problematic

3:44 PM

@ObliviousSage sounds... precarious

MadTux

That actually sound quite cool.

Oblivious Sage

Failing madness checks basically breaks down your hold on reality. Passing madness checks essentially makes you not care about things; if there's too much you don't care about, you turn into a sociopath.

BESW

@MadTux I strongly advise you avoid sanity systems until you've got some more normal RPG experience with whatever group you want to play them with.

MadTux

Oops. This track pad keeps doing things on it's own.

wax eagle

@BESW yes, too true.

hard to roleplay, hard to model, hard to deal with.

and it's extra complication. Even if it's fun

MadTux

3:46 PM

So can a character become insane?

BESW

It's just not good for a group that doesn't know each other well to role-play insanity without creeping each other out and making IRL problems.

Oblivious Sage

@MadTux Yes! Sanity systems are tricksy, hard for noobs to use properly, and not at all appropriate in a LotR setting.

wax eagle

@MadTux in games like Call of Cthulu and others, yes

MadTux

Denethor?

BESW

There are game systems entirely designed around the struggle to retain (or lose) one's sanity.

In a LotR type of experience, sanity isn't lost often enough to justify a subsystem.

Problematic

3:48 PM

It's more of a storytelling element.

MadTux

TTRPG – Tickle Torcher Role Playing Game?

wax eagle

@MadTux wrong kind of RPG :P

Problematic

sad trombone

BESW

@MadTux Tragically Tangential Reality-Piercing Gimmick?

2

MadTux

@Problematic happy cello

@BESW Absulutely

BESW

3:50 PM

Actually, "TT" is for table-top.

MadTux

What? No. I'd never have guessed it.

BESW

It differentiates from live action roleplay (LARP), play-by-chat/post/email roleplay (PbC, PbP, PbeM), computer/video game RPGs, etc. Although LARP and PbX both usually use systems close enough to TTs that they're welcomed on this site.

MadTux

What about CRPG?

BESW

CRPG questions are sent to Arqade.

The primary point of difference being that the RPGs we deal with use human arbitration rather than electronic.

MadTux

Why Arqade?

wax eagle

3:53 PM

@MadTux "computer rpgs"

BESW

Because it's the SE for computer and video games.

MadTux

Oh.

BESW

At the end of the day, CRPGs have more in common with other computer/video games than with non-electronic RPGs.

MadTux

@BESW What time is it over there?

BESW

0155 Wednesday morning. Drat.

Problematic

4:01 PM

@BESW when you go to bed, the starred message churn will drop by about 98%

MadTux

Is this also a form of RPG?
http://www.alagaesia.com/game/index.php

wax eagle

@MadTux yes, but it would still be considered a computer RPG

MadTux

It is, after all, on the computer.

BESW

In a CRPG you're limited by the things the programmers were able to think of for you to be able to do. They can get creative with algorithms to expand options a little, but ultimately you're limited by the program.

MadTux

There, the fun is more in expanding, I love writing Wesnoth levels, for example.

BESW

4:04 PM

A TTRPG is limited by the ability of the people at the table to work together to tell a story, nothing more. If the rules you've chosen to use get in the way of the story you want to tell, you can change them or throw them out. If someone wants to wander into a place the GM hadn't mapped out, the GM can make stuff up on the spot (or request a snack break while he studies/makes notes).

MadTux

Sounds like a lot of work for the GM

BESW

It can be. Some considering GMing a chore to be rotated through the group.

MadTux

But it sounds more fun inventing.

BESW

I love GMing, and am currently exploring systems that share the creative work traditionally reserved for the GM with the rest of the group.

I've done both: coming in with a carefully prepared world for the players to explore, and coming in with only a vague notion of the setting and NPCs and letting the players' actions inform the decisions I made as we played.

MadTux

What about a sort of community GM - where everybody does GMing together?

BESW

4:07 PM

They're both very fulfilling in very different ways.

Problematic

@MadTux FATE

MadTux

Still haven't thought up a dreadful pun on FATE.

BESW

@MadTux There are GMless games where the responsibility is shared equally among all the players. FATE is not actually one of them; it's a game with shared responsibility, but there's still one guy the buck always stops at.

wax eagle

@MadTux some games support cooperative story telling, or even don't have a GM, but a lot of GMs have a more adversarial PC GM relationship that doesn't lend itself well to multiple GMs per session

again, just about every concept has a spectrum

BESW

@MadTux It stands for Fantastic Adventures in Tabletop Entertainment.

MadTux

4:09 PM

@BESW It didn't a few posts ago!

Are all the players on one team, with the GM as 'bad guy', or can the players have different teams as well?

BESW

@MadTux Again, different systems do it differently.

wax eagle

@MadTux it depends? generally it's cooperative play, but not always

BESW

Traditionally (IE, the way D&D did it), the players are a team of characters (one per player) and the GM runs everything else in the world whether friendly or not.

wax eagle

typically the story is king and everyone works together to create an excellent story, the GM provides conflict and the PCs work together to solve it and everyone works together to develop a story, but that's not always true.

BESW

Paranoia is designed to encourage over-the-top backstabbing and betrayal among players at every step of the way, because that's the game experience it aims for. (You start play with a six-pack of your character, because they expect you to die that often.)

MadTux

4:12 PM

Wow.

BESW

Your choice of game system will heavily inform the kind of experience you have at the table.

MadTux

I don't think backstabbing companions fits to LOTR.

BESW

I prefer systems where everyone at the table is working together to tell an interesting story, even if the characters we play are at odds with each other.

@MadTux Then you'll be happy to learn Mouse Guard encourages teamwork.

MadTux

Good

Oh, supper time! See you soon!

BESW

ARUGH I MUST TO BED.

Novian

4:43 PM

i Personally like it when a DM takes my backstory into account and realises I worked hard on a character. it makes the work feel all that much better.

More likely than not its just a desire for the acceptance of the odd hobby of creating characters ive developed.

I Write Backstories alot. I also have a tendency to make ECL 10 D&D characters in my free time.

Mind you these arent the most Opped Characters but they fit a theme, so I can write about them.

10 is about that level in D&D that you are a damn good asskicker. not yet godlike in your magnificence but not weaker than a truespeaker baby.

Phil

Can I draw any mods attention to the comments on this question please? rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/25378/…

I don't mind criticism of my opinions, but that goes far too far

wax eagle

@Phil flag those comments

Phil

I have

wax eagle

@Phil k, any additional comments will just inflame the situation, so it's up to our mods to show up...

Phil

yeah, looks like they have as all the comments have miraculously disappeared

Thanks to whoever did that

Problematic

4:57 PM

He potentially did it himself.

wax eagle

@Phil well, offensive flags can be enough to delete comments if you get enough of them

Phil

Is there a way of editing an existing comment, or can you only delete it?

@waxeagle Ah, cool. Thanks, I didn't realise that

wax eagle

@Phil you have a small edit window (5 minutes)

Phil

Darn. Its just that I'd like to remove the reference to personal insults from my comment and would rather not delete the whole thing

Meh, deleted then

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