WoF: Fluff, Crunch or Both?

[Krensky]

This is somewhat of a disconnect for me. Playing a Living game still requires a GM and players to play with. If you're going to DC or a con, why can't someone make an adventure and you enjoy a story together when you hang out? I guess I'm missing something about the inherent superiority of Living games in this situation, as they don't really produce players (at least, on the LSpy campaign's scale). The only thing I can think of is that you could all be PCs together, since you could theoretically have a GM at a con.

This is guesswork, but I think it may have to do with not having any local people to game with (or worth gaming with), so in order to manage that he has to travel.  Just flying across the country for a weekend game is ridiculous, but doing it to spend a long weekend at a con may be more justifiable.

[Desertpuma]

I loved that game and still have most of the books too. I have a feeling we should be scared to see your old fixer character. ... Just got a great hook in mind: what if all the PCs owe him a favor? ... There's a starting point for an adventure in itself.

As an NPC, Springheel Jack really requires cybernetics to be at his best (his legs were blown off then replaced with Speeding Bullets - against his will - after a nigh-unto-fatal encounter with a boobytrapped shipment of guns). But as a contact, he was a classic gun-running, style over substance, not terribly good at fighting Fixer. Though he liked his .44 revolver and automatic shotguns a lot.

Incidentally, much of the basics of the 10kB campaign was inspired by those first CP games, and some of the gang names are directly drawn from the ones I made up 10 years ago. Good times

I actually devised a new "selling out" option at the request of a player of mine in college. It's called Blackout.

Ever suddenly wake up in a bed in a hotel room with a smoking gun in your hand, a dead guy on the floor, a woman screaming, and the police banging on the door shouting in a language you don't really understand? .... Welcome to Blackout.

The player who requested this ended up jumping to the closest palm tree and trying to slide down as the police entered the room. He made it to the ground from 3 stories up and sprinted into the nearby jungle being chased by guerrilla fighters all while only wearing his boxers. He eventually got away but had to hide out for a week or so.

When Shatterpunk comes out, I may have to convert over my New Phoenix campaign and all the twisted allegiances in it.

[Argonnite]

If I could ever get some truly good gamers together, a home game would be great. Until then, only a living system can really offer this, as it means I can get together with my DC friends and others at conventions and be part of a story.

This is somewhat of a disconnect for me. Playing a Living game still requires a GM and players to play with. If you're going to DC or a con, why can't someone make an adventure and you enjoy a story together when you hang out? I guess I'm missing something about the inherent superiority of Living games in this situation, as they don't really produce players (at least, on the LSpy campaign's scale). The only thing I can think of is that you could all be PCs together, since you could theoretically have a GM at a con.

Below is something that I posted on the lspyplayers mailing list.

I'm a big fan of organized play since it's hard for me to find a local GM who has the time to create a homebrew campaign and run it regularly. I like being at a table at a convention with players from other places who've had a chance to grow into their characters, as opposed to the one-shot demo and fastplays characters run by players who're too distracted ("Who is my character again? What can I do?") or too detached ("Sure, I'll use the grenade to take out half my party, but at least it'll finish off the bad guys. I won't be using this character again anyways.") to gel as a team.

Since then, I've thought about it more and realized that at gamedays and conventions dominated by Living style campaigns I run mostly into busy professionals, like myself.  When I run or play convention one-shots this is not the case.  I can't speak for the rest of the "busy" people, but for me Living campaigns are the best compromise (outside of playing MMOs) since I'm too busy to create or find a homebrew campaign but still desire to build up my characters over several sessions.  To me, a Living campaign is a pool of GMs, authors, and players.  Consistency and continuity are largely maintained even if a GM or player can't make a gameday--they can make it up elsewhere, usually catching up at a con, and still be part of the shared experience ("How did you guys do in adventure X?  We got totally hammered in encounter Y.  What did you do?  Did anyone in your party get The Curse?").  Furthermore, the campaign doesn't fall apart if the GM moves off to college.

[Alphastream]

If I could ever get some truly good gamers together, a home game would be great. Until then, only a living system can really offer this, as it means I can get together with my DC friends and others at conventions and be part of a story.

This is somewhat of a disconnect for me. Playing a Living game still requires a GM and players to play with. If you're going to DC or a con, why can't someone make an adventure and you enjoy a story together when you hang out? I guess I'm missing something about the inherent superiority of Living games in this situation, as they don't really produce players (at least, on the LSpy campaign's scale). The only thing I can think of is that you could all be PCs together, since you could theoretically have a GM at a con.

A living campaign offers PC and storyline continuity. A one-shot is great for discovering new systems, trying concepts out, etc. They can be great. But a living campaign allows a sense of growth, like a home campaign, but with greater connection to a greater number of people. LG is the benchmark - on Yahoo groups around the world, people are having IC conversations with their PCs. The game becomes so much larger. Even when you meet someone new, you are often meeting someone that really knows their PC, and they weave right into the group. This facilitates humor, RP, etc. Interactives, special events... a stable multi-player-tested approach to a campaign... the advantages are numerous and they are appealing to me. A living campaign's familiarity to its players creates camaraderie, familiarity, and shared understanding of a setting which cannot be duplicated by sourcebooks or published modules. LSpy was a huge reason I was a fan of Crafty and of buying Crafty product.

With the news that SR Missions is ending too, there is a huge vacuum for someone to fill in the modern genre. Between Wyrmstone and LR (Living Realms) and others (Rokugan), the fantasy side is covered. It's the modern side that needs someone to lead the charge.

I started writing a whole bunch. But I'll just leave it at this.

Teos

[Alphastream]

This is guesswork, but I think it may have to do with not having any local people to game with (or worth gaming with), so in order to manage that he has to travel.  Just flying across the country for a weekend game is ridiculous, but doing it to spend a long weekend at a con may be more justifiable.

That is how I started playing LG. I saw 3rd edition was being released, but I had a job that involved heavy travel. There was no way I could take on a home campaign. Plus, I have a great relationship with my wife, and most people want to play on weekends. Miss a gaming session - you miss a part of the story. LG was starting up, so I jumped on board and it blew me away. I could play a game one week, then play a month later and be right back where I left off, with different people who were right where I was. Amazing! And when I traveled, I could play there too! It was like Gaming Christmas all year long.

But in the last two years I haven't traveled. I could start a home campaign, but where I am right now there is a limited pool of gamers that have good gaming and RP skills/interest. And there is still the issue of struggling with continuity when I'm part of a family that likes to do lots of stuff together. And with a home campaign, you don't need just a DM. You need an inspired campaign creator.

And then there are the other things I mentioned... the community aspects only a living game can introduce.

Teos

[spinningdice]

If anyone decides to go the online (chat/voice) route to get their spycraft fix, I'd be interested, though try to be sympathetic to my British timezone.

I was tempted by the LSpy one that came up, but looking at around 8 hours commitment in one go was a bit overmuch for me.

[Alphastream]

I'm on Pacific time, which makes a game with the UK fairly difficult, unfortunately.

By the way, the word on Shadowrun Missions is that it is simply going to be a 3rd campaign with a different city and different NPCs, etc. Whew! At least one living option remains! 

Teos

[Argonnite]

I'm on Pacific time, which makes a game with the UK fairly difficult, unfortunately.

By the way, the word on Shadowrun Missions is that it is simply going to be a 3rd campaign with a different city and different NPCs, etc. Whew! At least one living option remains! 

Teos

Cool news.  I can now placate the locals with this new development and proceed with scheduling SRM at my FLGS.

[Mister Andersen]

It always puzzled me why they never launched a Living Urban Arcana game.

[MilitiaJim]

 I am still sad about LSPY going away.     As others have said, talking about what different groups have done in different scenarios is a great deal of fun.  Is there any word on a replacement?

[Argonnite]

It always puzzled me why they never launched a Living Urban Arcana game.

I would've played it.

[Aziraphale]

It always puzzled me why they never launched a Living Urban Arcana game.

I would've played it.

Yeah, I was always dissappointed by the lack of a Living Urban Arcana campaign. It was such an obvious choice. It was the death of the Living Force campaign that pretty much took me out of the RPGA though. I'm dissapointed especially with them making Living Forgotten Realms the main one. I would have preferred them to make Eberron the main Living campaign.

Living campaigns were always convenient. All you need is a character and dice. Most of the leg work was done for the GM so they were easy enough to run and play.

Unfortunately I just can't play them anymore. Mainly because i never get too play as a player anymore  I think l5r's become the only game where i get to play as a pc. Probably because i can't help but involve ninjas in any campaign i try to run Even as a GM I just don't feel the urge to run Living campaigns. It's become more entertaining, for me, to make my own setting, campaign and scenarios.

Wow, a fair amount of people are buying this book just to give the Crafty team money.

[MilitiaJim]

Wow, a fair amount of people are buying this book just to give the Crafty team money.

I want more Crafty and I'll put my money where my mouth is.  It doesn't hurt that they put out racktastic books.

And I plan on buying it at my local gaming store, because I want them around too.

[RichardAshenden]

60% crunch, 40% fluff, 50% steroids, 88% cyborg-implants, 12% essential vitamins and minerals, 42% better math skills....

 

[Agent 333]

60% crunch, 40% fluff, 50% steroids, 88% cyborg-implants, 12% essential vitamins and minerals, 42% better math skills....

 

WARNING: Buying World on Fire will not improve your Math skills. Taking more vitamins might though  .