Angel: Yeah, I never told anyone about this, but I-I liked your poems. Spike: You like Barry Manilow.

'Hell Bound'


Gaming 1: You are likely to be eaten by a grue

A thread for the discussion of games: board, LARP, MMORPG, video, tabletop RPG, game theory etc. etc. and all attendant news, developments and ancillary subjects thereof, as well as coordinating/scheduling games either online or IRL. All are welcome to chime in, talk about their favorite games or learn about gaming of any sort.

PLEASE TO WHITEFONT SPOILERS for video games, RPG modules or anything for which foreknowledge of events might lessen one's enjoyment of whatever gaming experience.


amych - Aug 12, 2008 8:24:44 am PDT #1188 of 26132
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

I agree on the technical side of take-backsies vs. judgement calls -- but even in a computer context, reverting to a save feels different from a ctrl-z, somehow. Probably somewhere in between, or some of both, or something.

My answer is usually...it's a GAME. It really is a place to mouth off and suffer consequences, without losing your ability to pay rent.

Dude, yeah? Play isn't practicing no consequences, it's practicing taking consequences.


Miracleman - Aug 12, 2008 9:16:04 am PDT #1189 of 26132
No, I don't think I will - me, quoting Captain Steve Rogers, to all of 2020

But here's another thought: I also know a few gamers who do PnP RPGs (and things like WoW) as an outlet for their real-life frustrations. They want to be the biggest baddest killers around, and mouth off to everyone in a way they can't in real life. Which, if the game is not designed for the PCs to be mouthy bullies, gets them into trouble. So, bewildered, they wonder why they are having to live with the consequences even in a game.

I've had many players like this. My response to their petulant "But WHY? It's not like it's REAL!" whining is "You're detracting from the enjoyment of the other players. Thus, I must punish you.

Plus, you're being a dickweed. See above, re: Thus."


hippocampus - Aug 12, 2008 9:21:24 am PDT #1190 of 26132
not your mom's socks.

"You're detracting from the enjoyment of the other players. Thus, I must punish you.

Plus, you're being a dickweed. See above, re: Thus."

It would be so great to be able to use this at meetings.


amych - Aug 12, 2008 9:21:39 am PDT #1191 of 26132
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

Isn't that rather a lot of 'splaining when you could just say, "A flaming cow falls from the sky!"


hippocampus - Aug 12, 2008 9:22:57 am PDT #1192 of 26132
not your mom's socks.

"A flaming cow falls from the sky!"

would not work at meetings.


Jessica - Aug 12, 2008 9:23:50 am PDT #1193 of 26132
If I want to become a cloud of bats, does each bat need a separate vaccination?

would not work at meetings.

Depends on where you work, surely?


amych - Aug 12, 2008 9:23:51 am PDT #1194 of 26132
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

I think we all need better meetings.


hippocampus - Aug 12, 2008 9:25:38 am PDT #1195 of 26132
not your mom's socks.

I think we all need better meetings.

or more flaming cows.


amych - Aug 12, 2008 9:26:32 am PDT #1196 of 26132
Now let us crush something soft and watch it fountain blood. That is a girlish thing to want to do, yes?

or more flaming cows.

They would be an improvement.


Sean K - Aug 12, 2008 9:29:51 am PDT #1197 of 26132
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

I have used the flaming cow falling from the sky, and had it used on me. Actually, it's kind of a fun way to design an encounter -- a flaming cow flies into the party. Why?

Most of the time, with most players, we don't need a CTRL Z. And even with really stupid tricks that turn out not to work, we can live with the consequences.

I've had two incidences (back under D&D 2.0), where a particular fight led to a TPK, which each time prompted the DM to open the next session with the words, "Okay. You all wake up from the terrible shared nightmare where you all died."

I had one Shadowrun session where Joe had to do a retcon for something that would have severely messed up my spellcaster, after we all remembered *several* minutes after the fact that my character has been invisible, and that couldn't have happened that way.