Hanukkah Havoc

[Mister Andersen]

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Fun is subjective, and the cognitive disconnect involved in the villain getting the central macguffin - the apallingly named DRED-L  - errected by the Wall wouldn't allow a fair few of the people I game with to enjoy it. It's humour on a South Park/Family Guy vein, which you really have to be in the right head space to watch and not want to stabinate the people responsible.

[Crafty_Pat]

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Certainly, but how does that make it bad? It just makes it not to your liking. The game's built for lots of different types of gamers and has to support all of them.

[Mister Andersen]

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Well, the central pun for a start (which as a matter of vague interest I only recognised because of South Park).

Because I can, for many people, is not a valid excuse for doing something, and this scenario has "Because I Can" written all over it.

The villain must be stopped because his racist attack on the muslim section of the city will exacebate relations between the cultures. Those same concerns would never have allowed him to get to the point where his plan could even be mounted in the first place. That lack of internal consistancy would be described by some as objectively bad.

Having a scenario that seems predicated on attempting to justify a set-piece image rather than organically from a narrative need - which is one of the reasons new Who is the easily digestible mental candyfloss it so often is, to the chagrin of many - is something people who enjoy depth and motivation would find bad.

[famine]

Well, this was designed as a quick one-scene, wasn't it?  You may be adding too much depth to what was intended as a quick, fun mission for the holidays.

[Crafty_Pat]

Andersen, you and I just aren't going to agree on this particular point, and I'm not feeling all that inclined to belabor it. Some folks found this mission - and the gear rules - fun as they are, and we're happy with that. You happen to fall outside both groups and that's cool. On some level the game works for you as well - clearly, or you wouldn't be here - which is all to the better.

Among the many folks who play Spycraft, there will always be a certain amount of adjustment required for taste. In part, that's what these forums are for. Go, says I, and make the game yours. Call upon your License to Improvise and add any and all detail you like. Ignore the missions that don't suit you. Everyone will be a lot happier that way.

[Toccata]

I think one of the reasons my group enjoyed it so much is that they all had advance warning that it would be rather silly and they'd be playing the straight-men in the gag. And they pulled it off expertly.

[Slippery_jim_digris]

Heck my play group should know that anytime I GM that they may, just may, be playing the straightman in a gag!

JBDG

[NezMaster]

My two cents


I thought the adventure was a fun read. A cute, silly idea run amok. I'm even amused at the idea that someone would run it.

Years ago I bought a pamphlet game called "Chicks with Guns" or something like that. It was very funny. A few years later someone told me they actually played it. "What, but it's just a joke right?"

I remember sitting down at a convention to play Hackmaster. "This will be hillarious" I thought. IT seemed to me the players did not get the joke. But apperently some people like that sort of thing.

I played Toon and Paranoia for years off and on, but could never imagine playing either one regularly. But I met a few people who did, and who considered those to their primary games. I even hung out with someone who wrote for both systems for a time.

I thought both the holiday adventures here cute funny, and utterly unplayable by my standards, but perfectly playable by someone with more ability to suspend belief in the name of humor.

In short, I'm glad Spycraft is diverse and building all kinds of games. I'm glad you could provide some free stuff that was fun to read and fun to play for some people. I hope next time free adventures are offered, it will appeal more to people like Anderson and myself, the 'other half' of your fanbase.

But well done all around. Still enjoying my recent purchases and very glad the books are finally out. I'm looking very forward to 10,000 bullets, and anxious to hear what else is in theworks (aside from Fantasy)

Havok is a decently written comic adventure. It's not to be taken seriously for a moment.

[Crafty_Alex]

Glad to hear you "get" it. It's the holidays, and frankly I cannot remember one holiday-themed adventure that's anything other than silly.  I ran amok with it because, well, just because. That some people actually played it and had a good time is great. That it's not perfectly balanced for realistic play was never a consideration, quite frankly.

[Krensky]

I will say that Deathmas is actually playable straight due to the nature of WoF.

[Crafty_Pat]

I remember sitting down at a convention to play Hackmaster. "This will be hillarious" I thought. IT seemed to me the players did not get the joke. But apperently some people like that sort of thing.

Yup. AD&D First Ed players. 

In short, I'm glad Spycraft is diverse and building all kinds of games. I'm glad you could provide some free stuff that was fun to read and fun to play for some people. I hope next time free adventures are offered, it will appeal more to people like Anderson and myself, the 'other half' of your fanbase.

Well, one could argue that a fair chunk of LSpy did that and it put out far more than two missions.

[Crafty_Pat]

I will say that Deathmas is actually playable straight due to the nature of WoF.

 

[NezMaster]

Glad to hear you "get" it. It's the holidays, and frankly I cannot remember one holiday-themed adventure that's anything other than silly.  I ran amok with it because, well, just because. That some people actually played it and had a good time is great. That it's not perfectly balanced for realistic play was never a consideration, quite frankly.

One of the best adventures I ever played, was a homebrewed superhero type game. We travelled back in time, and (in short) had to find a way to keep the candles burning for 8 days without getting caught in order to prevent a seige. (the origins of Hannukah)  We had the powers to do it, (air control, invisibility) but it was tense, extreme, and somehow magical. I normally hate time travel adventures, but this one was fantastic.
Oddly, as the party brick, I was the least effective, but I truly enjoyed that holiday game, and there was nothing light or frivilous about it.

[NezMaster]

I remember sitting down at a convention to play Hackmaster. "This will be hillarious" I thought. IT seemed to me the players did not get the joke. But apperently some people like that sort of thing.

Yup. AD&D First Ed players. 

In short, I'm glad Spycraft is diverse and building all kinds of games. I'm glad you could provide some free stuff that was fun to read and fun to play for some people. I hope next time free adventures are offered, it will appeal more to people like Anderson and myself, the 'other half' of your fanbase.

Well, one could argue that a fair chunk of LSpy did that and it put out far more than two missions.

You could and you'd be right! Kudos to you again. No harm or disrespect was meant with my post.

[Crafty_Pat]

You could and you'd be right! Kudos to you again. No harm or disrespect was meant with my post.

None taken at all. Just making the point.