tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137427717203852100.post1911688914528013714..comments2022-11-09T00:48:23.783-08:00Comments on Telluric Currents: Pwning the Game and the Fear of FailureKeith Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00059044388944936192noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137427717203852100.post-12885888576625195612011-11-27T06:18:49.790-08:002011-11-27T06:18:49.790-08:00For me, a large part of what makes an RPG enjoyabl...For me, a large part of what makes an RPG enjoyable is the freedom to not produce predictable outcomes, either by the roll of the dice, or by the genius (or its opposite) of collaboration.<br /><br />Hand in hand with this is the understanding of heroism as braving dangers no one else will, despite having no reasonable chance for success. I find that games typically billed as being about heroic characters tend to really concern themselves with ones predisposed by the system toward victory. While there is enjoyment to be had in playing the Special People giving aid to the mundanes, it is heroism of another sort, and one which requires challenges - often moral, or at least ethical - to give it any lasting value or attraction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137427717203852100.post-1840033767918352812011-11-16T22:08:17.849-08:002011-11-16T22:08:17.849-08:00Anna, my best guess on the intended commentary of ...Anna, my best guess on the intended commentary of Mr. Mega-Bonus, is that he believes the system to be needlessly complex, and probably broken. That's just a guess on my part. He's also the source of some brilliant insights on gaming and game structure,and someone I respect for that.<br /><br />Patrick, I've played in games with fragile characters and vicious mechanics. It does make you thing at least twice about many of your actions. Personally, I like a game with a mix of fear and heroics...Keith Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00059044388944936192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137427717203852100.post-56211130050757382962011-11-16T12:40:34.972-08:002011-11-16T12:40:34.972-08:00To each there own I suppose. I think weaknesses c...To each there own I suppose. I think weaknesses can make things more interesting. <br /><br />One game I'm itching to try is Chaosium's Call of Cthulu. I like it precisely because the characters have no superpowers. For some of the monsters, it says Damage: Instant Death. Even the lesser ones can knock half your hit points off in a single hit. It's a very very dangerous world for your character.<br /><br />To top it off, in true Lovecraftian fashion, there is a sanity mechanic as well. See a roomful of headless bodies, you can lose sanity points. And you don't just get them back (although there is a mechanic for it). <br /><br />In short, you character can be very prone to either dying or ending up in a padded cell (should your sanity fall to zero).<br /><br />So, why do I want to try it? Because I think it's interesting. Game play encourages caution and thinking skills. It encourages you to maybe not open that door and maybe back out and burn the house down. <br /><br />It's a horror game, so the threats have to be credible. And if a character dies, well, as one of my storytellers once said "it's just a piece of paper". <br /><br />Patrickmrbarkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11790509969524237811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137427717203852100.post-90835875551343232472011-11-16T09:54:45.499-08:002011-11-16T09:54:45.499-08:00I say let players fail. It’s just a game. If the...I say let players fail. It’s just a game. If they can’t fail, where’s the challenge? And what will happen if they do fail? No child has ever died because a 20th level cleric died in combat.<br /><br />If they take it more seriously than a game, as in it being a reflection of themselves as real human beings, then I agree with Ralph Waldo Emerson.<br /><br />"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."<br /><br />And<br /><br />“Every hero becomes a bore at last.” <br /><br />I am curious about what commentary you think the almost unbeatable player is making about the state of the game he’s playing in by having so many bonuses….?Annahttps://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=XX#106437661751318809554/postsnoreply@blogger.com