Slow paced RPGs

Baggly

I'd play the medical game too.

jasonb

So that’s it then?

For my first ever game, I’m not sure what I thought of it. Very different to what I thought it would be. It definitely didn’t feel like a team game, and was a lot more confrontational between characters than I expected. It felt like we went from crisis to crisis and never really had a plan/goal. Would those of you who’ve been playing a while consider this a ‘normal’ game (if such a thing exists) or was it a an unusual game? I definitely thought it would go on for longer.

I do think I had issues with trying to keep up online, you could miss a day and nothing would happen, or miss an hour and everyone would be dead! As I said before, what happened to slow paced? I would imagine it’s different with everyone around a table? At least no-one misses out that way.

I actually liked Glenn, though I didn’t really know what to do with him, and tended to sit back and watch a lot rather than jump to the fore. I felt I lucked out getting a flying telepathic character, but ended up relying on those traits rather than giving him a personality. Four, can you fill in some gaps, what was the attitude of Blue towards Droynes? Would it have been positive or negative? Was there any way to survive once the engine was set to blow?

Anyhow, thanks to Four for running it, and thanks to everyone else for their help and patience with a newbie!

Banjo

What Chris Hemsworth gif?
What on Earth are you talking about

@Four : no one change would be change enough. But now you have me curious....what's the change?

And as Jasonb said, thanks!

Baggly

Banjo wrote: »

What Chris Hemsworth gif?
What on Earth are you talking about

@Four : no one change would be change enough. But now you have me curious....what's the change?

And as Jasonb said, thanks!

See 6 posts before my not even sorry post.

sKeith

oh, I like puzzles.
1 change..
If the ranger dude had of given Dhinor a bazooka instead of light sabre, things would have turned out vastly different

Banjo

I've gone back 2 pages. No Hemsworth. I'll take your word for it. Still doexnt make sense but neither does a world where thor cuts his hair

OldGoat

Fourier wrote: »

One Ship. Two Men destined to kill each other....again.

Let that be your last battlefield.

Fourier

jasonb wrote: »

For my first ever game, I’m not sure what I thought of it. Very different to what I thought it would be. It definitely didn’t feel like a team game, and was a lot more confrontational between characters than I expected. It felt like we went from crisis to crisis and never really had a plan/goal. Would those of you who’ve been playing a while consider this a ‘normal’ game (if such a thing exists) or was it a an unusual game? I definitely thought it would go on for longer.

Some games are like this, some aren't. It depends on the dynamic that develops early on. From having played several (read >100) games, I'd say this happens about one in eight-ish games.

It's rarer in something like D&D where team based play is built into the rules more, and more common in other games like Vampire the Masquerade where people might be out to kill each other from the start explicitly.

I do think I had issues with trying to keep up online, you could miss a day and nothing would happen, or miss an hour and everyone would be dead! As I said before, what happened to slow paced? I would imagine it’s different with everyone around a table? At least no-one misses out that way.

People don't tend to miss out, but there are different issues, so it's a trade off. Story coherence is a bit harder face to face. Some games are more suited to play by post, like Vampire.

Four, can you fill in some gaps, what was the attitude of Blue towards Droynes? Would it have been positive or negative? Was there any way to survive once the engine was set to blow?

Their attitude was positive and not in an odd way, just genuinely in awe of Droyne.
There are a few ways the engine problem may have been averted, but really getting everybody to the pods was a good idea just bad rolls.

Fourier

In expansion to the above, some DMs would just cancel what went on between Dhinor and Evan, i.e. by fiat rule that they stop fighting, otherwise this would be more common. I stopped doing that years ago.:D

OldGoat

I'd like to try Traveller again, just to see how different it could be. I'm already casting up a character. I'd have preference for a new start though I'm sure Verne could be mustered in to whatever scene Fourier whips up.

The whole game never got settled, no groove, no big win for the gang. I'm sure that now we have a little exp under our belts (as players rather that characters) we would settle into roles a bit more slickly.

Necro

jasonb wrote: »

So that’s it then?

For my first ever game, I’m not sure what I thought of it. Very different to what I thought it would be. It definitely didn’t feel like a team game, and was a lot more confrontational between characters than I expected. It felt like we went from crisis to crisis and never really had a plan/goal. Would those of you who’ve been playing a while consider this a ‘normal’ game (if such a thing exists) or was it a an unusual game? I definitely thought it would go on for longer.

I do think I had issues with trying to keep up online, you could miss a day and nothing would happen, or miss an hour and everyone would be dead! As I said before, what happened to slow paced? I would imagine it’s different with everyone around a table? At least no-one misses out that way.

I actually liked Glenn, though I didn’t really know what to do with him, and tended to sit back and watch a lot rather than jump to the fore. I felt I lucked out getting a flying telepathic character, but ended up relying on those traits rather than giving him a personality. Four, can you fill in some gaps, what was the attitude of Blue towards Droynes? Would it have been positive or negative? Was there any way to survive once the engine was set to blow?

Anyhow, thanks to Four for running it, and thanks to everyone else for their help and patience with a newbie!

I haven't played much either, believe it or not. First time playing Traveller. It probably was a little bit too confrontational for my liking, although my brief time as an evil pirate was very fun.

I have very limited experience of actual table sessions so play by post is my favoured method at the moment anyways. As Four said, it is suited to some games better.

I feel I have to apologise though. Initially Bakleth was a pishtake character, but I grew to love him and was sad at his death as his was the first character death I experienced. I did probably way too much messing about with him, and at some points contributed to the lunacy which destroyed an entire planet.

Overall it was fun, but the confrontational side of things amongst the team imo slowed the pace down to a crawl and then when there was some action, people went doolally and carnage ensued.

That being said, it was a laugh and I had a blast in the end (literally) playing KaKraa, especially the battle with Molly.

Thanks for the game Four, and was good playing with the rest of you.


As for The Ward....

I call this guy:

Fourier

jasonb wrote: »

It felt like we went from crisis to crisis and never really had a plan/goal.

Just to concentrate on this point, as it is one of the pro/cons of Pen&Paper games.

This is quite common. It's getting less so as people have more of a tendency to model P&P campaigns on computer RPGs where goals are assured. However to take this game, had ye gotten the ship and taken off from Walston smoothly let's say, the Scouts were going to provide "missions" that would have been explicit early goals/targets. However with what happened, this was cancelled. It'd be like being able to shoot every quest giver in a computer RPG.

Again the only way to stop this is to curtail player freedom and rule that something cannot happen. It can cause you to enter "aimless" states, but I think the solution ends up killing what is unique about P&P games.

That's just my view.

Baggly

Banjo wrote: »

I've gone back 2 pages. No Hemsworth. I'll take your word for it. Still doexnt make sense but neither does a world where thor cuts his hair

This thread at 18.27

Mollyb60

Necrominus wrote: »

Banjo wrote: »

I've gone back 2 pages. No Hemsworth. I'll take your word for it. Still doexnt make sense but neither does a world where thor cuts his hair

Doode you know what a Hemsworth looks like right?

Banjo

Pter wrote: »

This thread at 18.27

It's probably blocked for me. Happens a lot with fours images too. Let it go. I said I was taking your word for it.

If had a do over, I think I'd not buy the toblerone. That's where it all spiralled for me. A curly wurly would have been better

Banjo

Mollyb60 wrote: »

Doode you know what a Hemsworth looks like right?

Yes I do. Why is this so important to you. You both know the games over don't you? They weren't real?

Mollyb60

jasonb wrote: »

So that’s it then?

For my first ever game, I’m not sure what I thought of it. Very different to what I thought it would be. It definitely didn’t feel like a team game, and was a lot more confrontational between characters than I expected. It felt like we went from crisis to crisis and never really had a plan/goal. Would those of you who’ve been playing a while consider this a ‘normal’ game (if such a thing exists) or was it a an unusual game? I definitely thought it would go on for longer.

I do think I had issues with trying to keep up online, you could miss a day and nothing would happen, or miss an hour and everyone would be dead! As I said before, what happened to slow paced? I would imagine it’s different with everyone around a table? At least no-one misses out that way.

I actually liked Glenn, though I didn’t really know what to do with him, and tended to sit back and watch a lot rather than jump to the fore. I felt I lucked out getting a flying telepathic character, but ended up relying on those traits rather than giving him a personality. Four, can you fill in some gaps, what was the attitude of Blue towards Droynes? Would it have been positive or negative? Was there any way to survive once the engine was set to blow?

Anyhow, thanks to Four for running it, and thanks to everyone else for their help and patience with a newbie!

I've played some RPG's in real life and there can be the same amount of confrontation in those. Usually though there's less of it than in this and also less dying because of it. It's mostly because the DM I play with generally won't let us kill each other.

I gotta say the dick measuring really got tiresome for me in that game. We seemed to just be fire fighting constantly because no one could agree on a single ****ing thing. I did enjoy the pace of the game though (thought it ended a bit quickly mind you) and would defintely give the world another go. A huge huge thanks to Four for running it. Your DM skills are unreal.

Fourier

Banjo wrote: »

@Four : no one change would be change enough. But now you have me curious....what's the change?

I'll give you two words as a clue.

Glenn

****

Fourier

Mollyb60 wrote: »

It's mostly because the DM I play with generally won't let us kill each other.

Your DM skills are unreal.

First of all, thank you Molly, that's kind of you to say.

Secondly your DM provides a good example of the other approach to this. Of course neither is objectively right. Different strokes, etc.

Baggly

I'll join the thanks to four for the game. I really enjoyed it and appreciate the openness to learn and play our characters, confrontation and all. Thanks to you as well Banjo, for your guidance during the game and clarifications on rules and mechanics. Apologies I was a bit tiresome with repeat questions to both of ye!

Banjo

Pter wrote: »

I'll join the thanks to four for the game. I really enjoyed it and appreciate the openness to learn and play our characters, confrontation and all. Thanks to you as well Banjo, for your guidance during the game and clarifications on rules and mechanics. Apologies I was a bit tiresome with repeat questions to both of ye!

What guidance?

Evan wrote:

go **** yourself, Dhinor

Not sure that counts

Baggly

Banjo wrote: »

What guidance?

Not sure that counts

It was mostly banjo, not Evan, giving the advice in fairness.

jasonb

Fourier wrote: »

I'll give you two words as a clue.

Glenn

****

I really hope that’s a reference to when Dhinor asked Glenn to read Evan’s mind about whether he’d done anything to the food. If it’s anything else, don’t tell me!

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on the game, and replying to mine, it’s really good to get a sense of how this game compared to others, and what the other players thought of it. I’d definitely be up for another game...

Fourier

Cool, well most want to do something then.

(d) is the obvious choice of course, but none of us could match Necro's skill.

So we have plenty for (b) and (c), although I think (c) has the edge. New Game could be Traveler or something else.

I really hope that’s a reference to when Dhinor asked Glenn to read Evan’s mind about whether he’d done anything to the food.

Just a bit before that and related to your very last action in the current game.

jasonb

Fourier wrote: »

Just a bit before that and related to your very last action in the current game.

Yep, I don’t know what you mean then! If you mean the very last action that you did on my behalf in the game, I actually assumed that was me chosing to end my own life, rather than trying something that failed! But if it was the latter, do let me know what I was trying! You did say you were going to tell me if I got stuck in a corner and needed it...

Banjo

"Krinaytsyuni Yaskoydray, Asdolikpis"

Krinaytsyuni - Russian actress, starred in a movie about a POW trying to return home

Yaskoydray - ancient and immortal droyne who created life and life that was not life and lives in a pocket universe

Asdolokpis - nothing.

My guess is you were trying to transfer your consciousness to the drones or the ship to cancel the explosion and atrack, or jump to a pocket universe

conor222

Thanks to Fourier for DMing, it was an interesting world, my first time trying these online rather than in person. Thought it was well done however I did find a few things a bit difficult.
I never got to settle into it , as was said above there was a lot of rocketing from spot to spot. I didnt really know what my character could or couldn't do and anytime I thought I might have an idea stuff just went off the rails. It was fun but I dont think I'd be hoping in for another one tbh. How every single time there was something to do (get ship, deal with pirates, literally just drive to the nearby planet) people just decided to go off the deep end and I'd land back that afternoon to find we were dead or we'd destroyed a planet or something really took me out of the experience and if anything made me less likely to get involved.
Liked the pace when the pace was what was expected, liked the story that was developing, hated that at no point could we spend more than a day going towards developing a story without it all going to ****. Maybe thats how travellers works, but not for me im afraid.
Thanks all

Necro

Anyone who fancies giving D&D a bash to see what it's like, new game will be starting soon specifically designed for beginners.

Now, that doesn't mean anyone else can't play, of course

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057861265

Banjo

Also, I won't be playing so don't worry. There will be no one there to bail you out when the crap interfaces the air conditioning. murder you in your sleep.

Fourier

There'll be a slow down in my two games soon. If anybody is interested I was planning two sequential Traveller adventures. These are not campaigns, just specific stories within a closed scenario, i.e. they have an ending, one or two weeks long each.

One is based on Aliens, the other is a cyberpunk style story.

And Traveller finally has a free reorganisation of the rules that I can give everybody, like the D&D beginners game has Labyrinth Lord.