tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426637848776233337.post2854041307720652655..comments2023-10-07T05:07:20.655-05:00Comments on Harvester: 7RPGs as a PlayerUndeadhosthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09131084242228738203noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426637848776233337.post-1470573381777897782012-12-21T22:32:12.541-05:002012-12-21T22:32:12.541-05:00The World of Darkness game worked for me, at least...The World of Darkness game worked for me, at least until the uncontrollable Mage player became...well, more uncontrollable. However, WoD was my schtick at the time. The last 6 months or so of the game felt too long. I'm not sure why. Maybe, it was you figuring out things with the game or it could just be one of the players was becoming more and more unruly. Who knows?<br /><br /><br />I can think of two other games of yours I have played in and enjoyed. The <i>Mutants & Masterminds</i> game was a fun experience. I think the only way to have ramped up the fun would have been to have the game go longer (at most twice as long) or re-do the character creation process in order to build a superhero group. We were individuals coming together in an almost “year one” type of situation. By default, it's hard to have characters gel that quickly. We tried and I think it worked for the most part. Out of the four games in this post, this would be my third favorite.<br /><br />The <i>Exalted</i> game worked out for me better than I thought. I think having Brandy to play off of helped me. Sherri and I did pretty well assisting each other in that game, but I do not recall us really teaming up for too many actions. I think I avoided Shari's character in a manner similar to the Freakish Band of Adventurers game for the same reasons. It has been too long and I do not recall that part too well. Chris and I played okay together, but our characters really did not have much in common. I seem to recall he and Sherri having more in common. Sadly, I had to bow out of that game for work. A necessary action, but not a happy one. Although, with how that game ended, maybe I am glad I had to bow out. I would rate this as probably my second favorite of your campaigns in which I played. If I had stayed in the game and the group dynamic not gone stupid, it may have become my favorite game. I can't say why – I will have to ponder it.<br /><br />I think those are all of your campaigns in which I have played. Has it really been 14 years? It does not feel like it, but when I think on it, I can see the changes of time on play style for both of us.Undeadhosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09131084242228738203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426637848776233337.post-16848881330785946412012-12-21T22:31:59.730-05:002012-12-21T22:31:59.730-05:00I have to break this in to two responses. I have t...I have to break this in to two responses. I have typed too much...<br /><br /><i>Freakish Band</i> - It is not that I'm being political. I simply see no reason to rehash what you and I have already discussed. I said something similar to that, maybe even exactly that. However, I also said I was in a horrible place in my life at the time and that affected my dis/like for it. To be certain, there were moments in the game I did enjoy. The expedition to the moon and a few of the combats, for example. My opinion of the game is also that, my opinion. The others clearly had fun during the game, so you were successful with it. One person does not make a quorum.<br /><br />I thought on that game today while driving to/from work (twice, none the less), and tried to come up with ways I might have liked it, given life not being a bitch. It is easy to play armchair quarterback, but the thought process is interesting and thought to share it.<br /><br />I think two things might have made it more interesting for me, without changing the setting. The first would have been a smaller group of people. The second would have been to make it more gonzo or weird than it already was – and we're talking about a group referenced as <i>The Freakish Band of Adventurers</i>, here.<br /><br />Let's compare the two games of yours I have played in that we are discussing here. First, the classic World of Darkness mash up. We had a vampire assassin from a lesser Clan, an outcast Werewolf, an uncontrollable Mage, and an Immortal (I don't remember what Dave started as, only that at one point he became an Immortal). That is a widely divergent group of character types, as well as, a smaller group. The fantasy game had two elves (another assassin by the same player and a royal perhaps?), an ex-demoness, a summoner, an Aperkitus, a Rakasta, and my technology clad human. I think that is everyone. The fact that we had two large tables to play on, large chairs to sit on, and large room in which to play contributed to the feeling that it was a large group, as well. The WoD game had a small room and one table. <br /><br />Of the characters in the fantasy game, the characters that felt the most divergent were the ex-demoness and the summoner. I think that is due to the players, not the rules or the setting. This is not a bad thing. The rest of the characters, in my mind today, had specific touch points to make them feel “familiar” to me. Perhaps, even generic. Generic is not the right word, but I hope you understand where I'm trying to go with the description. So, despite the name of the group, they really weren't gonzo. We simply appeared “freakish” to the NPCs due to our varied races. How could we make the group more gonzo? I think it would have taken more outlandish actions by players or more mundane setting pieces. <br /><br />More outlandish actions would not have worked. A larger group of players has to work harder to play nice at the table. Everyone has to learn to put their special interests on the back burner. That is a harder pill to swallow for some players than other players. By “more outlandish actions” I mean going for the shock factor in social situations with NPCs. We capitalized on the race part, but I think we held back on habits or rationalized them too quickly to NPCs. <br /><br />Perhaps, more odd quirks or appearances would have worked? I seem to recall we were pretty straight forward looking, in regards to gear. We traveled the continent, so there was always someone who appeared out of place, but a chest plate for armor carries over in concept throughout the land. A fanciful dressed elf is a fanciful dressed elf no matter where you go and how fancy the elf appears to be. <br /><br />And maybe, we did have all of those things and it never clicked for me.<br /><br />Undeadhosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09131084242228738203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8426637848776233337.post-5266980716245807752012-12-20T22:47:11.290-05:002012-12-20T22:47:11.290-05:00Interesting post. One thing that strikes me as I l...Interesting post. One thing that strikes me as I look back at both those games I ran for you is how much I was still in the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink mode for game and campaign development. That Vampire/WW game grabbed nearly everything I could get my hands on all of the monster types, Leviathan, Gnosticism, Highlanders, Kult, and probably more I've forgotten. But it ended up haivng some tremendously spooky moments- at least in my recollection. And the group waiting for the End Times on the roof of a Chicago skyscraper remains one of my favorite end scenes. I've used some of those concepts in later games. But I've also scaled back significantly- trying to focus on one "group" to really explore that.<br /><br />As for the Freakish Band, you're very politic in your comments there. The system itself was a mess- my attempt to hodge-podge BRP and GURPS. I still didn't know what I wanted out of a game. I didn't figure that out until much later. That was a glorious "heartbreaker" fantasy game and I'm glad I got it out of my system. <br /><br />of course the other thing being that I know you didn't enjoy the game itself. I think you're exact words to me were "I hated that f*cking game. That was the worst game I ever played in." You were generous enough to stick it out when it really wasn't your cup of tea. I know Sherri, Barry, Scott, Dave, and even John (at times) dug it, but it was much more in their wheelhouse. As for Sharon, who knows on that score, you could never tell. <br /><br />I think I have a better handle on what you want from a fantasy game now and I'd probably do a better job with that. At the very least I'd be aware enough to give you a heads up if I thought a game might not fit for you tonally. On the other hand, your tastes may also have shifted in the 14+ (wtf?) years since then. Lowell Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02359280169506945906noreply@blogger.com