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Author Topic:   MMORGs and role playing discussion.
Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 1 of 198 (525263)
09-22-2009 6:34 PM


I know some of us worthies commit the sin of role playing, either on the pc or console or table top, hell, some of us may even be LARPers!
I hope this will be a thread where we can have a bitch and a moan or a praise and a hail about the state the current games.
I currently DMing a 4th ed D&D game using the heroic tier modules (we are on the 7 Pillar Hall module) and we are having a great time.
Combat is the most fluid I've ever known D&D to be. But I do worry that D&D will never transcend it's roots of hack and slash as the new iteration seems very combat intensive.
I'm also a player in a nWoD game based on the TV series 'Dolls' where we get brain wipes every session and can spend XP to 'keep' certain traits we have used in the session. It's a blast but I miss being DM and the nWoD seems a bit anaemic compared to oWoD.
I know this may be a niche topic here but I'm interested in you experiences, adventures etc...
Coffee House?

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by CosmicChimp, posted 09-22-2009 6:57 PM Larni has replied
 Message 5 by Rrhain, posted 09-23-2009 4:23 AM Larni has replied
 Message 8 by Modulous, posted 09-23-2009 6:02 AM Larni has replied
 Message 14 by PaulK, posted 09-23-2009 7:29 AM Larni has replied
 Message 183 by Son Goku, posted 07-15-2014 2:47 PM Larni has not replied

  
AdminAsgara
Administrator (Idle past 2303 days)
Posts: 2073
From: The Universe
Joined: 10-11-2003


Message 2 of 198 (525267)
09-22-2009 6:43 PM


Thread Copied from Proposed New Topics Forum
Thread copied here from the MMORGs and role playing discussion. thread in the Proposed New Topics forum.

  
CosmicChimp
Member
Posts: 311
From: Muenchen Bayern Deutschland
Joined: 06-15-2007


Message 3 of 198 (525268)
09-22-2009 6:57 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Larni
09-22-2009 6:34 PM


Hi,
What's a LARPer? And maybe elaborate upon the other abbreviations. These I think I know: Dungeon Master (DM) & Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).
I played Ogame for over two years, that was fun. As far as strictly role playing games go though, I don't get into them at all.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Larni, posted 09-22-2009 6:34 PM Larni has replied

Replies to this message:
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Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 4 of 198 (525272)
09-22-2009 7:25 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by CosmicChimp
09-22-2009 6:57 PM


LARP is Live Action Role Playing. Where you dress up and 'really' get into the role of whatever you are playing.
WoD is World of Darkness; a setting where the world is more dark and contains supernatural entities. Think of the the first few series of X Files (before it became UFO oriented).
nWoD is the new version and oWoD is the old version.
MMORG stands for Mighty Morphing....lol, it really stands for Masive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game like WoW (World of Warcraft) or Everquest and Ultima Online (for all you oldies out there).
Ogame sounds pretty cool, I used to play the X games loads back in the day.

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Rrhain
Member
Posts: 6351
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Joined: 05-03-2003


Message 5 of 198 (525350)
09-23-2009 4:23 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Larni
09-22-2009 6:34 PM


I, too, am a gamer. My group is also running D&D 4e. We've just finished the 7 Pillared Hall. Our DM has reworked the Red Hand of Doom for 4e and we'll see how well he did.
My character is a half-human, half-werewolf (no shifting powers, just tall and hirsute) Cleric (though he's about to take a cross-class feat of Druid so he can do the shapeshifting thing). My take on the new system is that it seems specifically designed to be adapted into a videogame. That is, older versions of D&D were much more complex with the number of options that you could have. Spellcasters had literally dozens of different spells to cast, for example. Melee fighters would have a much more simplified time having to choose which weapon to use and then simply having at it (though strategic placement is important).
In 4e, everybody has the same set of tools: a fixed number of at-will, encounter, and daily powers and the ability to use only a single magic item's power or two in any given encounter, and then only once. This would make it very easy to program into a game: A character can take only one of a dozen actions at most, all of which have been hard-coded.
One possible "benefit" from this is that since all character classes function identically on a large scale, you don't have to worry about certain character classes being unbalanced. Spellcasters are very powerful at high levels, but they're made of balsa wood and tissue paper early on. One good hit with a sword and the mage is literally dead and they don't really have any offensive capabilities since they can only shoot that magic missile once per day. But contrast this to the psionicist (PHB3, out soon). I don't know anybody who managed to play a game with psionics and enjoy it. Given the new system, the powers of the psionicist will be very much like the others though the type of damage will be different (psychic compared to the cleric's radiant, for example) with different side effects.
We've also played Traveller, GURPS, Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and even variations such as a Traveller game with Castle Falkenstein rules.
I think the most interesting game we've had was a one-off, lightning speed Traveller game. A couple of our players couldn't make a session so the remaining ones came up with some Traveller characters (through classic build process...so that took some time) with the idea that we were going to have an entire plot session wrap up by the end of the night. Thus, we were encouraged to develop character backstory on the fly and declare by fiat. My character was an award-winning actor (his stats didn't really put him in any other category), and the other two were his agent, and his lawyer. He got caught up in a false charge of importing ocelots and was suddenly on the run to clear his name.
My character had earned some contacts during character generation which weren't established so when he was dragged off to the police station, I declared that his contact was a mafioso who had muscle and could stage a breakout. We then tried to find out why he would be accused of importing extinct animals to the planet. We eventually learned that the ocelots weren't cats but rather a type of missile and the one who had set me up was apparently an acting rival, angry at me for having landed the part and winning the award he thought was his. After a gala costume ball that involved seven identical yeti costumes, an NPC with an allergic reaction to cotton, and trapping the bad guy in a hollow bull (with the appropriate symbology there), all was well.
When we are missing people for a game session, we'll pull them out to try another instant game done as silly as we can make it.
I've played a mixed Vampire/Mage WoD game and I like the original rules. The new ones and the new campaign setting don't seem quite right.

Rrhain

Thank you for your submission to Science. Your paper was reviewed by a jury of seventh graders so that they could look for balance and to allow them to make up their own minds. We are sorry to say that they found your paper "bogus," specifically describing the section on the laboratory work "boring." We regret that we will be unable to publish your work at this time.

Minds are like parachutes. Just because you've lost yours doesn't mean you can use mine.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Larni, posted 09-22-2009 6:34 PM Larni has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 9 by Larni, posted 09-23-2009 6:18 AM Rrhain has replied

  
Shield
Member (Idle past 2863 days)
Posts: 482
Joined: 01-29-2008


Message 6 of 198 (525351)
09-23-2009 4:48 AM


Ive played some D&D and a lot of Magic: The Gathering. Both great games.
Havent played 4e of D&D though.
As for video games, i mostly played Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction. It's more just hack'n'slash than a roleplaying game. Still, one of the best video games ever made. (Or as Kanye West would have said: "WoW, im really happy for you and imma let you finnish, but Diablo 2 is one of the best video games of all time! Of all time!")

Replies to this message:
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greyseal
Member (Idle past 3862 days)
Posts: 464
Joined: 08-11-2009


Message 7 of 198 (525354)
09-23-2009 5:19 AM


I've played WoW (World of Warcraft) and most likely will again in the near future.
Glory to the Horde!

  
Modulous
Member
Posts: 7801
From: Manchester, UK
Joined: 05-01-2005


Message 8 of 198 (525362)
09-23-2009 6:02 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Larni
09-22-2009 6:34 PM


I'm currently running a Kindred of The East Game and a Vampire the Masquerade game set in Chicago. I'm playing in a Babylon 5 game(Mongoose), CthulhuTech (Wildfire), Orpheus (White wolf, but not wod), and and Unhallowed Metropolis (Hallows Eve). I plan to be playing in a Dark Ages: Vampire set in the crusader kingdoms soon too. I have a lot of roleplaying going on.
I've not played any D&D based games for well over ten years, though one of my friends is running one (What with the above (abridged) schedule I don't have time to play it!)
I tend to avoid MMORPGs because they are more accurately described as Massively multiplayer online stats increasing games. I find them mostly boring (a few occasional exceptions).
What's the 'Dolls' game called (Is it an official expansion?), my 'troupe' is resisting nWoD with teeth and claws (aggravated damage style) and that might be a way to pique some interest.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Larni, posted 09-22-2009 6:34 PM Larni has replied

Replies to this message:
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Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 9 of 198 (525364)
09-23-2009 6:18 AM
Reply to: Message 5 by Rrhain
09-23-2009 4:23 AM


I really see your point about D&D 4th ed being perfect for video game conversion but I would point out that all the iterations of D&D fit into that category.
My favourite PC game of all time is Baldur's Gate 2 and that's 2nd ed.
The 4th ed character can feel a bit samey but with the right back story and re skinned powers (the flavour text is specifically bland for most powers) one can get a good deal of colour into them.
As a DM I find 3.5 a real bugger to create for if you are at higher levels and this is not the case in 4th ed.
I really like your Traveller story and will shamelessly plagiarise the first opportunity I get.
I know what you mean about the nWoD. It seems to be lacking in omph. I try to play Vampire/Werewolf more like the setting presented in Underworld.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by Rrhain, posted 09-23-2009 4:23 AM Rrhain has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 12 by Wounded King, posted 09-23-2009 6:55 AM Larni has replied
 Message 42 by Rrhain, posted 09-24-2009 5:16 AM Larni has replied

  
Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 10 of 198 (525365)
09-23-2009 6:19 AM
Reply to: Message 6 by Shield
09-23-2009 4:48 AM


I'm still hacking and blasting away at Oblivion and Fallout 3.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 6 by Shield, posted 09-23-2009 4:48 AM Shield has not replied

  
Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 11 of 198 (525368)
09-23-2009 6:34 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by Modulous
09-23-2009 6:02 AM


Sounds like you got a tight schedule, there!
The 'Dolls' game is homebrew game using the nWoD base mortals. We use the core book with out any supernatural template and have an episodic 'adventure of the week' style game where the plot is wrapped up in one session with hints to the meta plot being dropped every so often.
As we get brain wiped and re imprinted with skills and legends each 'mission' we can effectively make up new characters every session but when we spend XP we 'remember' stats and develop a stat that is analogues to Humanity (in Vampire) where we can remember more of who we were and resist the imprinting.
The first mission I was was fixer for an extraction team trying to recover a politician who went AWOL in the South American jungle and in the next I was helicopter pilot for a news crew investigating a suspicious death in the rough and tumble world of Formula 1.

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Wounded King
Member
Posts: 4149
From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Joined: 04-09-2003


Message 12 of 198 (525370)
09-23-2009 6:55 AM
Reply to: Message 9 by Larni
09-23-2009 6:18 AM


I really see your point about D&D 4th ed being perfect for video game conversion but I would point out that all the iterations of D&D fit into that category.
I think an accusation that has been leveled at 4th edition a lot is that it is a WoWification of D&D. Having never played either WoW or 4th ed. I don't know if this is a fair statement or even if it really constitutes a criticism even if it is true.
TTFN,
WK

This message is a reply to:
 Message 9 by Larni, posted 09-23-2009 6:18 AM Larni has replied

Replies to this message:
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Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 13 of 198 (525373)
09-23-2009 7:12 AM
Reply to: Message 12 by Wounded King
09-23-2009 6:55 AM


The big thing about that accusation is that now each class fits into a 'role'.
Fighters and Paladins are 'defenders' (tanks), Rogues and Rangers are strikers (spikers) and so on.
This is very much like the the conventions used in some MMORGs. Powers are also used 'per encounter' or 'scene' and this is viewed like 'cool down' on MMORGs.
As far as comparisons to video games go I think that's about the size of it.

This message is a reply to:
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PaulK
Member
Posts: 17822
Joined: 01-10-2003
Member Rating: 2.2


Message 14 of 198 (525374)
09-23-2009 7:29 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by Larni
09-22-2009 6:34 PM


I play tabletop RPGs (including online via RPoL) I've LARPed once (the "rubber sword" variety) and played in quite a few freeforms.
I started with the original D&D and I've plauyed quite a number of games from that era. I've played a lot of GURPS (3rd Edn.). My personal preference these days is for the more freeform or "indie" games (we use a variant of Over The Edge's WaRP system for most things in our group, although we're just starting a Traveller New Era game). On-line I tend to prefer Amber although I've tried running Everway and HeroQuest 2.
We went to a one-day "min-con" last Saturday and played Mutant City Blues and Over the Edge (fun!)
Over the years I've picked up a few playtester credits and even an author credit for one book.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Larni, posted 09-22-2009 6:34 PM Larni has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 15 by Larni, posted 09-23-2009 7:37 AM PaulK has replied

  
Larni
Member (Idle past 164 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 15 of 198 (525375)
09-23-2009 7:37 AM
Reply to: Message 14 by PaulK
09-23-2009 7:29 AM


What book did you author?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 14 by PaulK, posted 09-23-2009 7:29 AM PaulK has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 16 by PaulK, posted 09-23-2009 7:53 AM Larni has replied

  
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