Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Seems like you had fun, Uncle. I guess it's normal for settings to change somewhat between editions, it's probably better to treat them as new settings, or maybe 100 years in the future.

Lately, quite a few books don't offer tactical advice. Sometimes, this leads to funny scenes.
(I remember and treasure the scene when my wife was playing the role of giving out in-character tactical advice to another player in RQ6 Sengoku Japan. It was doubly funny because the other player was her superior in the ninja clan hierarchy, and that didn't save her from name-calling. She explained her exactly why she's going to get her character killed and destroy the clan's reputation. Quote "how can you be so stupid to expect another ninja would fight fair and not bring assistance, you moron", unquote, which had me grinning widely because I was in the process of rolling the stats for the two helpers.

And yes, I know ninja didn't have duels, what they did do was psychological warfare. The NPC had made the offer just to psych her character out, and was actually quite surprised when the PC accepted).

The comment about Tractics made me laugh, though. You were probably playing D&D 5e (or maybe, less likely, 3.5/Pathfinder), and I assure you, I could think of games that are much heavier at first level.
It's the new normal. Thankfully, it doesn't bother me to play mechanics-heavy, as long as the mechanics can be used for something that makes sense.
Applications are almost a blessing, though, I fully share those feelings!

I did enjoy myself; very good players, and a good GM was what made the game fun.

I agree about the settings changing. I just didn't like that what we, back in the day, had thought was part and parcel of Blackmoor's quirky and whimsical charm had been removed and the place made into A Serious RPG Setting For Serious Gaming. I kept thinking that I was intruding at the table, and being from a very different time and place. My impression, which has been developing for some years, is that there's no place for the kind of gaming and games that I like in today's hobby. Of course, with the kind of money one has to spend to get into the hobby these days, I can see why Serious Gaming is the norm; I looked at both the Star Wars and Star trek miniatures games that are on the market - the ships for which I would have been happy to give up an arm for, back in the day - and it all seems that if you spend enough money. you'll be able to play the game. (And this from a guy who just dropped $80 on a two-foot long trieme and $45 on a Sleazy Merchant and his six Sleepy Guards, too; different tastes, I would venture to say.)

Agreed. I did some suggestions on tactics that both players and GM thought were good, and they got used. I was pleased, as it saved our little party a lot of grief later on in the session.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

I did enjoy myself; very good players, and a good GM was what made the game fun.

Well, that's great!

I agree about the settings changing. I just didn't like that what we, back in the day, had thought was part and parcel of Blackmoor's quirky and whimsical charm had been removed and the place made into A Serious RPG Setting For Serious Gaming.

Yeah, though my impression is that most groups still play it quirky and whimsical. AFAICT, the rationale behind the shift is that it's easier to use a Serious RPG Setting for whimsical play than the other way around.
Or maybe they've decided that players can do it quirky without help. I can attest to that.

I kept thinking that I was intruding at the table, and being from a very different time and place. My impression, which has been developing for some years, is that there's no place for the kind of gaming and games that I like in today's hobby.

I was at the same point about a decade ago.
Then I decided that what the hobby doesn't have is enough GMs. Thus, if I run it, I decide what kind of gaming there is place for.
The results, may I add, seem to prove me right.

Of course, with the kind of money one has to spend to get into the hobby these days, I can see why Serious Gaming is the norm; I looked at both the Star Wars and Star trek miniatures games that are on the market - the ships for which I would have been happy to give up an arm for, back in the day - and it all seems that if you spend enough money. you'll be able to play the game. (And this from a guy who just dropped $80 on a two-foot long trieme and $45 on a Sleazy Merchant and his six Sleepy Guards, too; different tastes, I would venture to say.)

I don't think so, Uncle. Most games I can think of you can get for less than those $80, and probably for less than the $45 you mentioned. That includes the dice, but not the pizza.

Agreed. I did some suggestions on tactics that both players and GM thought were good, and they got used. I was pleased, as it saved our little party a lot of grief later on in the session.

I'm unsurprised!
Can you give us an example of said tactics?

You got something there, Chirine. That Heavy Metal (as in magazine) mix of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, informed as much by Sword and Planet as Sword and Sorcery, and both of them more than Tolkien, is hard to come by these days. Some OSR stuff out there tries, like DCC, but many of them just go for the gonzo, which makes them seem more like a cover band then the real thing.

I think you're right, in that it was a sign of the times and the times have changed.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

I did enjoy myself; very good players, and a good GM was what made the game fun.

I agree about the settings changing. I just didn't like that what we, back in the day, had thought was part and parcel of Blackmoor's quirky and whimsical charm had been removed and the place made into A Serious RPG Setting For Serious Gaming. I kept thinking that I was intruding at the table, and being from a very different time and place. My impression, which has been developing for some years, is that there's no place for the kind of gaming and games that I like in today's hobby. Of course, with the kind of money one has to spend to get into the hobby these days, I can see why Serious Gaming is the norm; I looked at both the Star Wars and Star trek miniatures games that are on the market - the ships for which I would have been happy to give up an arm for, back in the day - and it all seems that if you spend enough money. you'll be able to play the game. (And this from a guy who just dropped $80 on a two-foot long trieme and $45 on a Sleazy Merchant and his six Sleepy Guards, too; different tastes, I would venture to say.)

Agreed. I did some suggestions on tactics that both players and GM thought were good, and they got used. I was pleased, as it saved our little party a lot of grief later on in the session.

I fell in love with the Star Wars X wing game, until I saw the 'expansion packs' in play. Once again, the game turns into "how much money do you spend," not "how much skill does the player have."

Yeah, they're pricey, but sweet Avanthe's perfect tushy, they are gorgeous.

And I know what you mean by the death of whimsy. As I said when Anthony interviewed me for "Dungeons & Dragons, A Documentary" -- "When did sitting around a table with friends, drinking beer and talking about pretending to be an elf, become such SERIOUS BUSINESS!"

Originally Posted by AsenRG

I'm unsurprised!
Can you give us an example of said tactics?

#1: Look behind you once in a damn while!

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

#1: Look behind you once in a damn while!

I'd hope they knew that one already.

Originally Posted by AsenRG

I'm unsurprised!
Can you give us an example of said tactics?

What we used to call 'travelling' and 'bounding' 'overwatch', where the various sections / people of the party covered each other's moves;
Communication - saying to the party, and not just to the GM, what they were wanting or about to do;
Covering people engaged in a task by someone with a ranged weapon or spell - covering fire, as it were;
Rearguards that guarded the rear of the party.
Archers or crossbowpersons carry one arrow or bolt that has oil-soaked tow wrapped around the head, so that it can be used as an 'illumination' or 'incendiary' round - giant spiders have webs, webs burn, ambush blown;
Carry lanterns, not torches - and carry them low, so as not to blind everybody;

Them was the basics we covered in this game session.

Originally Posted by CRKrueger

You got something there, Chirine. That Heavy Metal (as in magazine) mix of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, informed as much by Sword and Planet as Sword and Sorcery, and both of them more than Tolkien, is hard to come by these days. Some OSR stuff out there tries, like DCC, but many of them just go for the gonzo, which makes them seem more like a cover band then the real thing.

I think you're right, in that it was a sign of the times and the times have changed.

Agreed. So it goes, I would think...