Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal - part II

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Good points! I think that a really big and wonderful part of being a referee / GM is dealing with the challenges that the players throw at me. Yes, I've set my guards and laid my ambushes, but if they are smart enough and clever enough to get around and past everything I can throw at them, then I'm having a great time. It seems to work both ways; I got a lot of very positive comments on how cleverly I'd set up the game board, with lots of nooks and crannies to hide things in, and how I'd thought up a good solid back story to supply them with all sorts of Clues and Red Herrings.

It has been a constant in my gaming over the last three or four years that there's a big element of learning going on on the part of the gamers who visit. People come, game, and take away lessions that they use in their gaming. I had this last weekend as well, when my co-commander in an armored battle picked up very, very quickly some basic lessons about tank tactics. It was also pretty delightful to see our opponents learn the same lessons at my hands, and then apply them instantly in the game; they changed their entire approach in mid-game, and became much more canny and formidable opponents. We all had fun, and we've had a run of really good games over the past couple of weeks.

I did get to see a lot of old props again, though...

No doubt about the learning, Uncle. Good gamers learn, poor gamers go away to play something that guarantees a fair challenge, as I tend to say (though I admit I tend to say so when I want to get a lot of modern gamers angry).

Originally Posted by Baron

Thanks for the kind words, all. I actually run two separate games, one in-person and one on Roll20. I try to invest my time doing prep that I can use in both games, but it's amusing to see how different groups of players react to the same situations. In any case, both groups are now on Kashi (the second group having only just arrived at the close of the latest session). In today's game, the first group almost wiped themselves out -- only one player fatality though, thankfully. We'll see how the second group handles the same situation.

To answer your question, Shemek, all players were new to Tekumel coming in. This was about three years ago. I almost fell out of my chair when I made a reference to the Goddess of the Pale Bone a couple of weeks ago, and a player immediately replied, "Hey, we've heard of her!" and whipped out his notes. In today's game, a player actually said, "Hey, this place is related to Ksarul, right?" without any reminders or prompting from me. Since each group only plays once a month, and we've been running for years, it's quite a feat to retain this kind of information, so I am gratified at their interest. Further, no one has ever said, "Hey, enough of this Tekumel crap, can't we fight some ogres or something?" No, instead, when I took an informal poll of one group, each piped up with a different type of Tekumel gaming that was their particular favorite, and eventually everything I'd mentioned got at least one vote. In the other group, I was specifically told that the players wanted "more Tekumel!"

Can't go wrong with that.

Sounds like the marks of a great campaign!

Originally Posted by Baron

Thanks for the kind words, all. I actually run two separate games, one in-person and one on Roll20. I try to invest my time doing prep that I can use in both games, but it's amusing to see how different groups of players react to the same situations. In any case, both groups are now on Kashi (the second group having only just arrived at the close of the latest session). In today's game, the first group almost wiped themselves out -- only one player fatality though, thankfully. We'll see how the second group handles the same situation.

To answer your question, Shemek, all players were new to Tekumel coming in. This was about three years ago. I almost fell out of my chair when I made a reference to the Goddess of the Pale Bone a couple of weeks ago, and a player immediately replied, "Hey, we've heard of her!" and whipped out his notes. In today's game, a player actually said, "Hey, this place is related to Ksarul, right?" without any reminders or prompting from me. Since each group only plays once a month, and we've been running for years, it's quite a feat to retain this kind of information, so I am gratified at their interest. Further, no one has ever said, "Hey, enough of this Tekumel crap, can't we fight some ogres or something?" No, instead, when I took an informal poll of one group, each piped up with a different type of Tekumel gaming that was their particular favorite, and eventually everything I'd mentioned got at least one vote. In the other group, I was specifically told that the players wanted "more Tekumel!"

Can't go wrong with that.

Which all sounds great, and I thin may be evidence that Tekumel may be 'approachable' by people. I think you're doing it well, and looking forward to hearing more!

Originally Posted by AsenRG

No doubt about the learning, Uncle. Good gamers learn, poor gamers go away to play something that guarantees a fair challenge, as I tend to say (though I admit I tend to say so when I want to get a lot of modern gamers angry).

It was a lot of fun, seeing people absorb and apply what they were seeing. I hugely enjoyed myself, and so did they.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

It was a lot of fun, seeing people absorb and apply what they were seeing. I hugely enjoyed myself, and so did they.

All I can answer to that is to nod approvingly and try to look wise and understanding.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

It has been a constant in my gaming over the last three or four years that there's a big element of learning going on on the part of the gamers who visit. People come, game, and take away lessions that they use in their gaming. I had this last weekend as well, when my co-commander in an armored battle picked up very, very quickly some basic lessons about tank tactics. It was also pretty delightful to see our opponents learn the same lessons at my hands, and then apply them instantly in the game; they changed their entire approach in mid-game, and became much more canny and formidable opponents. We all had fun, and we've had a run of really good games over the past couple of weeks.

I did get to see a lot of old props again, though...

A 75mm porthole suddenly appearing through the hull flank concentrates the mind wonderfully, doesn't it!

I'd like to see the PIAT. The damn thing used NITROGLYCERINE as its explosive.

Those Tommies had a stiff upper lip, indeed!

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

A 75mm porthole suddenly appearing through the hull flank concentrates the mind wonderfully, doesn't it!

It also could have been the platoon of T-34/76s in their rear, too. Everybody learned very quickly about the difference between tactical and operational objectives were - this was an operational scenario, not a purely tactical one - and that time and space are sometimes much more important then how many enemy tanks you can kill.