OOC RPG Discussion Thread v2.0

Personally, I think this thread is fine as a preview thread - that's pretty much what goes on here, though we could have a preview thread in its place. For the most part, actual game discussion tends to go on in the GDG, so if we did form a preview thread, this thread might become unnecessary. In any case, I think Hammer and Saint are planning a a discussion on the Resource sometime in the near future.

And Winged, I must say I'm a disappointed I won't get to see more of Millions of Voices for a while yet, but I'm also very excited to see the return of some of the ideas from Ossus. Suffice to say you can expect a character sheet from me fairly soon.

EDIT: Actually, I had this thread slightly mixed up with the RP introductions thread. In any case, I think some reorganization is in order. We should have a preview thread, but we should also consider what will become of this thread and the introductions thread if we create a new preview thread. Right now I'd have to say that at least two of the threads should be merged, as I'm not sure there's enough room for them in the Resource (this isn't so much because the Resource is crowded as much as it's because the Resource is small). This is actually an issue that I've become somewhat interested in discussing. There's a few things I'd like to see around here (a thread for unused game ideas, much like Fanfic's plot bunnies thread, and most importantly, threads dedicated to the subjects of RPing and GMing, similar in scope to the GDG and the CDG). I just took a look at Hammer's tentative schedule for the year, and it looks like a possible 'guild restructuring' is scheduled to (possibly) occur sometime this summer. I'd be interested in discussing the subject sooner (and on a broader scale), but it's not exactly urgent.

 

i've actually already got one sent in. that was an extremely interesting idea my friend. and i DEFINITELY wished i could have been in ossus, so it's really interesting to be in a game that uses some of what was in it.

:snoopy

 

Man Cubs looks amazing.

 

I think thats an important point! Actually Game Design and Character Design keep a game alive for the famous first five pages. And then? I read through a few old games the other day and realized how one of my favs stole many narrative ideas from literature. Another GM was extremely cinematic in his approach to players, who jumped the train. I have a lot of enthusiasm to do my Blade Runner Game somewhere in February of March, but I am afraid I lack the tricks to pull it off!

So YEAH! A Game Mastering Guild and a Roleplaying Guild would be hell of a nice idea. First one probably the most needed ressource not existent so far.

 

We actually had a Game Masters Guild at one point, it was a shame to see it fall behind.

 

Isn´t Game Design over when the first post comes out? I think running a game, let´s say as a Co-GM who never had any hand in the creation, is something alltogether different. How do you keep players interested, how do you deal with situations, how do you keep the game running, how do you forward your plot . . . etc.

I can design a good game. A hundred, if I need to. But can I GM them? I´ll find out when my first one gets up.

 

Given the number of excellent game ideas out there that fall apart after a few pages (or even earlier), I would say our game and character design (both qualities required to launch a game, not sustain it) are sufficient.

The new guilds would, as the current guilds do, help players out with GMing and RPing. We wouldn't be able to use the standard post-a-CS-or-game-intro-and-have-it-critiqued method as heavily, though we could do so for prospective posts. I don't think this would take up as much space as in the current guilds, so it would have to be supported by discussion of various issues related to RPing and GMing. Members would be able to introduce issues, but of course we would need some leadership to moderate discussion and stimulate the thread with new topics when it becomes idle.

 

combine what sirak and hammur said and you have my thoughts on that. i can design a game... i can design a CS. neither of those are things i need a huge amount of help with, it's keeping the thing afloat that messes with me and is one of the main reasons i've not tried GMing again. although my first game was not a terribly good example of the game failing, but me.

:snoopy

 

With our powers combined, Sinre, we are Captain Planet.

Also, how can you possibly disagree, modesty aside? lol

 

modesty would be the key thing. he doesn't ever admit how good he is at anything. it's most infuriating at times. and no, ryan, you don't have to say it. i know.

you(matt), sinre, hammer, ktala, saint. well, now that i think about it just swipe the people from the winners list of best GM, both current and historical (assuming they're still around), and i think you have your candidates to help us lesser mortals in this venture.

for the RPing one, again just look at the list of best RP winners in the last few years and you have your people to recruit on it. sadly, there are also those who don't recieve the recognition they deserve so also anyone whom impresses you as an RPer is also a good person to go after.

:snoopy

 

I think successful GM - those whose games keep running and attract a lot of people - should reflect on what they do right about there games ONCE THEY RUN. They could probably even think about their methods.
And when their games failed . . . why?


I totally agree, that opening-posts, of which is made such a great hype around here, don´t make the game. I have no clue what 128 ABYs Opening-Post was (except it had fancy pics ). Did the sequels even had one? Nor do I remember the one of Lea Monde. Or any other . . .

I could spill out a list of people I thought are great GMs around here. Or we could take Trimajs approach and use the List of Winners. I would love to see them think about the way they make games work. AND there is the bunch of players who have seen many games failed but enjoyed others a lot! They probably can tell best what a GM is doing wrong. Or right.

A quote from someone, I read a few days back. I think it was in one of the Award-threads.

XYZ - the one Jedi vs. Sith that truly works

Well, there you are. It is a Jedi vs. Sith. Why does it succeed, when all others failed. How do you have to do one of these POPULAR Jedi vs. Sith-thinga to make it an success? Surely it is NOT the opening post. Must be something that is done while playing it. Same goes for every other sort of game. For one success, we have a dozen failures. AU-games, shorties, trader-games, Kotor games . . . super-hero games, franchise-sequels, manga-games, computer-game-adaptions . . . many, many failed attempts and a few really successful games.

 

I think - and this is just from the games I've played, rather than my non-existent experience running them - that a large part of what makes a good GM is their grasp of pacing. The games I've enjoyed most always had:

- fast updates, or at least a (relatively) regular schedule for them. Sinre's are the most regular I've ever seen, every Tuesday like clockwork, but a trait all good GMs share is they update often.
- GM with a good sense of when to push things forward, or when to wait for players, or push players to post. Or even when (and how) to write players out, rather than wait for them.
- a well-paced story. No matter how sandbox-y the game is, you need a story ... and the story needs to move along at a sensible pace, independent of your update schedule. Don't drag things out.

Course you need other things, like a good game premise to begin with, a half-decent story, writing ability ... but pacing's a large part of it, IMHO, especially in an environment where a fight can quite reasonably take two months to resolve. Bad/slow pacing bores players; bored players leave.

 

Tonight's RPFchat will have a special "shop" section at 8pm Central about the current talk in the RPR on trailer threads and guilds and the like. If we get enough interested parties, some good work might come about.

-I_H

 

consider me there, mister hammer, sir.

:snoopy

 

Second!

 

I have no social arrangements to think of until next week (okay, ever) so count me in.

 

I probably won't be online right at eight, but I should make it on some time shortly thereafter.

 

How can one join the chat? And how? And am I allowed to? And which time is "8" . . . east-coast-us?

 

think six board time sirak

what's your AIM signin? i can add you

:snoopy

 

Aaaah! AIM. I´ll reinstall it immediately and PM you then. Thanks for the help, Trimaj. Much appreciated.

 

welcs sirak. glad to be of service.

:snoopy

 

Maybe I'm just tired, but...what exactly is being proposed here, again?

 

Now that I am mildly caught up on what the hell is going on in these forums, I think that would be a horrible idea, personally.

A teaser thread? Is this another one of those ideas to up activity in the Resource Thread?

If so, we will get activity in the form of spam because people will basically go in there posting "Here's my idea for a game blah bla blah. Get ready cuz here it comes!"

This thread has always been good enough for new, or half baked, game ideas.

*Shrugs* I am not completely against this or change in general, but I'm like Matty. What is being proposed? And we have to ask ourselves, is it actually necessary?

-B-