Any Role-players here?

Yes.
We have an RPG group that meats on Wed nights.
We tend to play different "mini" games every Wed... digging through my library of 40 or so different RPGs to determine what we'll play that night.

Heck.... the only time I've had my name in print on a game is proofing work I did for Eden Studios.

So in short, I'd be glad to look over whatever you'd like.

Tyler

First, let me say something a little off topic:

No offense to anyone, but I never realized how young I really am for this forum....

Anyway, I've been 'playing' D&D for 2 years. I say 'played' because my friends don't really like to play and my local game shop has a age restriction on their D&D groups, so I never really 'played' it. But, I've gotten into the game and I would be intrested in reading to rules as well.

I took my first swing at RPG in 1982, I think, with Dungeons and Dragons... which, at the time, seemed to be taking over the world (that is when the original Saturday AM cartoon came out)... anyhow, it took over MY world, but it also led to lots of fantasy/scifi/historical board and simulation games as well... some of my favorite of the time period were Starfleet Battles, Tunnels and Trolls, Titan, Kingmaker, Victory in the Pacific, Dune, and to a lesser extent Traveller, Gamma World, and many many others.

Haven't played ANY RPGs since college, tho (1992 or so). But I still think that they are a tremendous source of entertainment if one has the mind for such things. It took me a little while to get used to a game where most of the action takes place solely in dialogue and in the minds of the players, and I am certain that it isn't for everyone (or maybe even for many).

First, happy new year to all ! ... (this is my first posting in 2004)

Out of curiosity, how many of you were really playing by the rules? ... you know, countless tables, modifiers, feats, races, abilities, etc. you know, the "hardcore" RPG stuff ...

I'm asking so because it appears to me that RPGs, in general, require tremendous amount of time and knowledge to play: For instance, a hero finds a door and that door is wood, metal, or something else so he/she needs to break it with a xDy + m ...

My wife and I attempted to play D&D 3e couple of years ago. I read the books (player's handbook and DM and also glanced at the monsters manual). We also bought the introductory set ( the one w/ few adventures and the precanned heroes) and tried them out ... we only did it twice. I never could correlate all the "hardcore" details to the adventures we played.

I even wanted to write my own campaign ... I had envisioned a "pretty neat" story line. I started writing it but lack of time didn't help.

We never played or saw playing other people so we never experienced the "real" RPG feeling.

So, rephrasing my question:
Does it playing by the strict rules really make a difference?

I think I have pretty good imagination ... I can picture in my mind what's going on quite vividly ... but I can't say if others do the same, even if what I do is what it takes to enjoy RPGs.

... just to keep the thread totally off BG topic ;)

- Henddher

Dragonkid, you aren't alone. I too am a young'un!

I have tried to break into the role playing world for a couple years now but I have never quite understood the process. I have sat down and generated two or three characters now but once it comes to playing things get chaotic very fast. Every session that I have played in (read: 3) has degenerated into a brawl between the supposedly allied players.

One time it was accidental. While swinging my longsword to hit a monster, my character swiped a neighboring dwarf (nearly beheading him). It took about an hour to generate my character, 10 minutes to get to my turn, and another 30 seconds to determine the outcome of my swing. So, by the time I found out what may character had done, I was glad the game was on a downward slope.

I have two D&D books that I peruse every so often. I would remove them from my bookshelf if they weren't so motivational just sitting there. Everytime I look at them I marvel at the intricate games that geek designers can dream up (after being locked in a room with only pepsi and pizza for a week). After being struck by how dense the RPG is I can reflect on how shallow my own games are (thereby humbling me and inspiring me to do better next time).

Anyway, I will try to get into RPGs again soon. But even I, coming from the CCG camp, cannot fathom how people get into RPGs.

- Silverdagon0

I can't speak for others, but I don't play and GM in the 'hardcore' way. Sure I use the the tables and the rules and the feats and all the 'structure' found in the rulesbooks. They are put in there for a reason (sometimes you don't know the reason - but there was a reason). But that doesn't mean that the rules shouldn't be bent - in fact, I enyoy the times when I can break the rules and re-write them.

The rules are the structure upon which the game is built. It's equivalent to the cards and rules in CCGs and the board and rules in board games. Without the rules you have no starting point to begin the game. But since its only a framework, how you use the rules is up to you.

The real secret to RPGs, I have found, and what often separates it greatly from CCGs, regular card games, and board games, is that the rules are meant to be bent and broken. I can't imagine playing Settlers of Catan when one player decides that they should get an extra resource card because they feel their settlers worked harder that turn. The rules are there to make the game as equal as possible for all the players to win. But in RPGs, playing strictly by the rules often leads to unhappy and disgruntled players. In fact, the 'rules' in the Dungeon Master's Guide suggest that you bend the rules to suit your needs. The goal of a RPG is often very different from the goal of a board game: in the RPG, the 'group' is working together to reach a common goal, in the CCG and board game, the individual is working to win the game (not always, but most of the time).

In the RPG it is up to the GM, acting as the leader and storyteller, to make sure that all players are having fun in the game. If your players are having fun, even though you may be bending and breaking rules left and right, then the game is a success. To me, that is what separates the RPG from other games, and what makes them so fun to play.

OK - I've probably rambled enough here to really confuse the issue. Let me just say that some people like board games, some like card games, and some like RPGs and that's fine. Some of us like all three, and that's fine too. As long as you have fun playing the game, then it doesn't matter what you are playing.

Just my two pence - though after all the rambling I wouldn't be surprised if you all ask for a refund. :D

- Geoff

This spring being last spring, then? :? Sorry I'm so late with my reply!

I've been roleplaying for (mumble mumble) years. I was one of the playtesters of D&D's 3rd edition. I also created the rpg-create YahooGroup, though it was a OneList at the time. :wink: That is a great forum for getting good feedback as long as you do it right. Don't just post a link and say "what do you think of this game." Select some aspect of your system and post that for comments. Ask directed questions. The folks on that group have been extremely informative over the years, and have a lot of experience with a lot of different RPG systems.

More recently, I have been doing some live-action role playing, but that's really off-topic for you. :wink:

- Brett
http://www.OrcSports.com