 |
| |
|
|
lord of the mark
|
 |
FUKCOV - Former United Kingdom Colony of Virginia
Dec 2000
time: 00:29
|
|
I played for about 15 minutes when i was in high school - just long enough for someone to help me set up a character. Then the party ended (or whatever) and i never followed up.
Didnt touch DnD again till I played BG, last year.
One of POTM's friends plays DnD, shes 14 (the friend). I hear tabletop RP is not uncommon. POTM and her friends play a "run around" RP theyve made up - id call it just playing pretend, they use no dice, etc but they DO have specific characters, magic items, powers, dimensions, etc. They have a whole club geared around this, theyve been doing it for over a year.
Once when I was in my BG phase I had POTM and another of her friends along in the car, and had to stop at the dentist to pick up some paperwork. To get them moving along, and in the RPG spirit, i suggested that this was a quest, and we could get experience points. Next thing I know ive been cooerced into playing DM for a quick. more or less made up, tabletop session. I made the combat rules, XP up as I went along. Fortunately they had to move on in about 30 minutes, and theyve forgotten to ask again.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Jon Miller
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by GameGeek
Rifts (by Palladium) - another good setting setting, but, while I've only played this one once or twice, the system seems to suffer from the same number-crunching hazard as Shadowrun, and also seems to have a huge power gap between one character class and another (e.g. compare the 1st level Rogue to the 1st level full-conversion cyborg or dragon).
|
problems with palladium (and I include Rifts with that, we went to the rifts earth for a bit...) are these
a combat made character (who ouldn't really do anything but combat) did less damage and was less useful in combat than the Mages (one regular and one telkinetic) (And Witch, who was incredibly powerful)
I actually was a Paladin, which is heavy combat and slight skills in paladium, and was a minor player in all combats (and it turned out my skills were rarely useful)
the wizard skills were useful all the time, and they leveled up faster, and got better abilities at level up
there was a rogue type character that was absolutely worthless (but some of that is the fault of the guy who rolled up the character)
there was the GM, who played a monk and was the only nonmagic character which did close to as much damage as the mages (and as consistent, the combat only character (soldier or something) would do a good bit of damage when he hit (like myself) but it wasn't that common for us physical combat characters to hit, while the mages hit everytime)
actually the telkinetic mage character was more ballanced, he did as much in battle as the other mage, but his skills weren't always in demand like the other mage and the witch
(there was also a lot of PvP put into it by the GM (The Witch versus the Paladin) and the Witch was helped by the only active god/demon and was given the regular mage as a servant (And the regular mage was a minotaur))
Jon Miller
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Jon Miller
|
|
and of course, when we traveled to Rifts earth, all nonmage characters suddenly grew very weak
Jon Miller
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
GameGeek
|
|
I didn't play Rifts long enough to know which classes leveled up faster, or how one class stacked up against others in terms of what benefits they got with each new level. What I do remember, though, is the (potential) imbalance created by the SDC/MDC system. If, as GM, you allowed characters to play whatever they wanted, without guidance, you could wind up with a party with a City Rat or Rogue Scientist who had, let's say, 30 SDC, alongside a full conversion Borg who has something like 300 MDC, the equivalent of 30,000 SDC! Not to mention all of the other bonuses that 'borgs, Juicers, mages, and the like get. So you sort of have to decide on the front end what category your party wants to play in: Ordinary Joe, Heroic, or Superheroic. I found this to be markedly different from most other games, in which characters of the same level are all more or less on a par, in terms of power. As an example, in most games, 1st level characters, regardless of class, are usually slightly, and only slightly, more powerful than your average butcher, baker or candlestick-maker. In Rifts, though, even the 1st level mage, psychic or 'borg is far and away more powerful than these people, and some classes appear to be enormously more powerful than other classes of the same level. I realize that a character's "power" varies with the situation (e.g. a full conversion Triax 'borg may not be much use in rescuing the kitten which has climbed onto that frail, rotten tree limb overhanging the canyon), but it's been so long since I played that I don't remember how most of the game mechanics other than combat worked.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Dis
|
 |
Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb 2000
time: 21:29
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by GameGeek
Well, a "good one to play" is awfully subjective, but here's my take on a variey of games:
AD&D - Always a great standby: basic, but fun. This is what I've been playing (1st ed) for about the past year and a half.
Shadowrun - a very good setting with the potential to be a number-crunching nightmare in terms of game systems, especially in 3rd ed. I ran a 1st ed campaign for a couple of years.
Rifts (by Palladium) - another good setting setting, but, while I've only played this one once or twice, the system seems to suffer from the same number-crunching hazard as Shadowrun, and also seems to have a huge power gap between one character class and another (e.g. compare the 1st level Rogue to the 1st level full-conversion cyborg or dragon).
Vampire/Mage/Werewolf/Changeling - I like the systems in the Storyteller series (again, without having played them much), as it appears to be really flexible and easy to learn. I've listed the games in the order I'd rank the settings. I think each game has one modern setting and one past-era one, medieval, wild west, etc.
Gamma World - very fun, but only if you get the right gamemaster. Easy to get the mood all wrong and totally hose a campaign from the gm's perspective.
Tales from the Floating Vagabond - sort of cartoonish and amusing. Probably not great for an extended campaign, but a great break from something more serious. |
gamma world? Is that still around? That was arond in the early 80's.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
GameGeek
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Dissident
gamma world? Is that still around? That was arond in the early 80's. |
Gamma world is indeed still around. It's been revised for d20, but you can still find copies of the old stuff around.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
GameGeek
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Barinthus
Top Secret heh. I mostly played solo RPGS such as Lone Wolf, Way of the Tiger, Freeway Warrior, Grey Star, Sagard the Barbarian, GrailQuest, Demonsword, Fighting Fantasy, and so many more. |
I don't really recall playing any solo RPGs, but I remember being in the 4th or 5th grade and ordering those books where you got to choose what actions you would take to change the course of the story. Surely some of you other old-timers remember these:
"If you want to flee the cavern, turn to page 14.
If you want to poke the dragon in the eye, turn to page 47."
|
|
| |
|
|
|
GameGeek
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Dissident
I wouldn't mind getting into a group (if only to get some new friends). with a city with well over 1 million people, I would expect some players here. I'm not sure where to find them though. I've heard of game shops. Like in comic book stores and such. I never messed around with comic books since I couldn't afford them as a kid, plus they never interested me much. So I never got into that scene. |
Check out both comic book stores and game stores, as there's usually a lot of overlap in both crowds and what they sell. Make up flyers with the games & groups you're interested in & contact info. See if they've got a bulletin board where you can post the aforementioned flyers. (I moved frequently for several years and had to do this to find new groups). You might also check websites for the companies whose games you want to play. Maybe there's something in their forums (fora?) where you can post a "looking for a game in the _____ area" message. Good luck in your search.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
GameGeek
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by DarkCloud A game that really limits powergaming, I understand is: Mage: The Ascension (only played it 3 times)... |
I've only played M:tA a few times, but I can see how its system would limit some powergaming. Powergamers who use really powerful magic in the presence of non-mages would get lots of "Paradox" points, which would result in some nasty side effects.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
duke o' york
|
|
Barinthus, test your luck!
If you succeed, go to page 36.
If you fail, go to page 145.
When I was young, I actually played with a pencil and dice, but when I got older, I just claimed that I won all of the battles, and automatically won all of the skill tests. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, right...?
I remember that the fantasy FF books were always better than the SF ones. My favourite was the third or fourth (?), City of Thieves, and my least favourite was the thirteenth (?), because it was quite hard. Well, for a youngish whippersnapper at least.
|
|
| |
All times are GMT. The time now is 05:29.
Apolyton Time is 00:29. |
top of page
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
|
HTML code is ON
vB code is ON
Smilies are ON
[IMG] code is ON
|
|
|
|
|
|
27-01-2005 08:35
ACK!
Cheaters.
|