That's my girl... That's my good girl.

Kaylee ,'Serenity'


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.


Connie Neil - Jun 18, 2008 6:28:34 am PDT #989 of 26132
brillig

I have a hard time with combat when I DM, because I suck at combat tactics. "Umm . . . I charge?" Especially when I'm trying to run a monster/etc. that's supposed to be incredibly tough.

The problem is exacerbated because Hubby and/or his buddies are normally in the party, and they've all got military background, so they do things like "Oh, like hell we're marching up to the front gate! We're going around and climbing over the back wall after dark!"

Still, I got to catch one of them being stupid, because he wanted to change into the super-cool armor of badassness he'd found in the middle of a battle, and he thought hiding in a side room was sufficient. I did enjoy asking, "So what is your butt naked armor class, standing there in just your skivies?"


CaBil - Jun 18, 2008 6:34:11 am PDT #990 of 26132
Remember, remember/the fifth of November/the Gunpowder Treason and Plot/I see no reason/Why Gunpowder Treason/Should ever be forgot.

Hrm, I don't GM, but I have written adventures and I tend to fall into the Feng Shui (the RPG) design philosophy, where incidental combats I tend not to worry about, but story combats, combats that move the story/adventure along I tend to sweat over and try to have interesting environments/props for the players.

For a Shadowrun adventure I did a while back, the climatic scene was a fight in the Awakened Animal zoo with high level animal spirit. I ended up listing a dozen animals and the various tactics that they could use to mess with the players.

And for the Serenity adventure I just finished, I think that I have a pretty fun environment for the climatic combat, but I don't think I can talk about it. For people who play the game, all I can say is start beefing up your Zero-G skill...


Volans - Jun 18, 2008 9:22:17 am PDT #991 of 26132
move out and draw fire

then there was the D&D campaign where the DM thought he was the next Weis and/or Hickman

This is what you get for living in Utah.

Speaking of Hickman, I think my model is the original Ravenloft. Basically you got a (really cool) map and stat blocks for monsters. It lived or died based on what the DM and players brought to the table. If the DM really role-played Strahd, you could have some really interesting (occasionally nightmarish) fights.

In boardgame news, I just heard the best review of a game I've heard all week: We played El Grande at lunch (it comes with a black dildo as a playing piece, leading to a house rule involving positioning that piece and saying "They call me El Grande!" But that's not the point).

EG is a victory points game, so at each scoring round you tally up the points for each region. "Seville gives four to red and two to yellow. Valencia gives 9 to blue and three to yellow." etc.

One player said, "This game is Eurovision."


Connie Neil - Jun 18, 2008 9:30:13 am PDT #992 of 26132
brillig

This is what you get for living in Utah.

True, true . . .

re: Ravenloft, we were running Ravenloft II though no one knew it but me, the DM, and the entire table gave a lovely shriek when their courteous host said, "Oh, I am sorry, let me introduce myself, I am Strahd." (this being the same group that took him out in Ravenloft I with a natural 20 on the Hold Person and a natural 1 on the save, grr . . .)

Good times.


Tom Scola - Jun 18, 2008 9:37:24 am PDT #993 of 26132
Mr. Scola’s wardrobe by Botany 500

A "Eurovision Hero" video game would be fucking awesome.


Polter-Cow - Jun 18, 2008 12:16:35 pm PDT #994 of 26132
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

So I was at this awesome wedding this weekend, and I talked to a woman named Jane about The Wire.

It turns out that was Jane McGonigal, who appears to be quite famous in the ARG world.


Pete, Husband of Jilli - Jun 18, 2008 12:57:30 pm PDT #995 of 26132
"I've got a gun! I've got a mother-flippin' gun!" - Moss, The IT Crowd

Speaking of Hickman, I think my model is the original Ravenloft. Basically you got a (really cool) map and stat blocks for monsters. It lived or died based on what the DM and players brought to the table. If the DM really role-played Strahd, you could have some really interesting (occasionally nightmarish) fights.

Ah yes, Ravenloft. Good times, good times. I ran a few friends through the evil combined version of Ravenloft I & II a long time ago and the players' first encounter with Strahd was while they were holed up in the house of the woman the Count was after. There was a knock at the door, and player A answered it. The figure asked if he could come in, and the player said "sure". As one, all the other players turned and looked dumbstruck at player A who was like "What? We can totally take him in here! He's got nowhere to go!". Turns out Player A had never heard the folklore about vampires not being able to enter residences until they're invited. Yeah, he got call some choice names, all of them deserved.

They all survived that encounter - barely - but they didn't survive the adventure.


Connie Neil - Jun 18, 2008 1:00:19 pm PDT #996 of 26132
brillig

And then they made Ravenloft a different dimension, and it just became sad. So much more fun when it was a place you could get to in the "real" world, someplace you could stumble upon if you took the wrong turn on the road, all unawares . . .


Atropa - Jun 18, 2008 1:11:41 pm PDT #997 of 26132
The artist formerly associated with cupcakes.

Turns out Player A had never heard the folklore about vampires not being able to enter residences until they're invited.

Wait, what? How? Everyone knows that!


NoiseDesign - Jun 18, 2008 1:16:07 pm PDT #998 of 26132
Our wings are not tired

Turns out Player A had never heard the folklore about vampires not being able to enter residences until they're invited.

Did he fail his dumbass check or something?