tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.comments2024-03-04T10:21:19.520-05:00The Retired AdventurerJohn Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17318244888477546773noreply@blogger.comBlogger618125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-89690958498057810522024-03-04T10:21:19.520-05:002024-03-04T10:21:19.520-05:00I can only speak to Amber, the diceless RPG, but h...I can only speak to Amber, the diceless RPG, but having been a huge player back in the day, the availability of dice was not what gave rise to Amber. If you read the Zelazny books, the "creative narrative" of the series gave rise to the diceless system moreso than any sort of dearth of dice. I mean, the books were literally "you think something and it happens" due to your royal blood; dice just don't work at arbitrage in such a game. And this was in the early 90s.<br /><br />In fact, I'd say after 1985 the idea that "dice were in short supply" was patently false, they were readily available at even Kaybee Toys or other hobby shops (not just "game stores"), and I recall getting my first set in 1987 from a large book reseller on the west coast. By 1991, every comic book store carried these as well as a plethora of Warhammer 40K material (including the lone place in Anchorage, Alaska). So, unless you're speaking to your experience in Russia, Japan, Africa or some state in the US that was burning RPG books, I don't see where this point comes from. It was not reality.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-39863898572639154932024-03-03T01:24:47.363-05:002024-03-03T01:24:47.363-05:00A refreshing and nuanced article. As a fairly old...A refreshing and nuanced article. As a fairly old hat, I find myself at odds with players of my own generation but also blend in poorly with newer gamers. Certain "hiccups" in my taste in editions scan with what you describe as being dominant styles of play during specific eras. I agree that a poll would be a less accurate way to get a sense of TTRPG personal play style preferences, though a radial graph might help some folks recognise their own specific style.<br /><br />A shame I didn't see this article until it was referenced in a YouTube video... but here we are. Sending a link to this page to my gamer friends! 🤘😏Finnulfhttps://www.instagram.com/finnulfxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-74260650008880520262024-02-28T13:02:50.333-05:002024-02-28T13:02:50.333-05:00This helps my neurodivergent brain understand how ...This helps my neurodivergent brain understand how people can be reading the same text and playing an entirely different game. I got into TTRPGs during peak Trad but I've always been intrigued by D&D's Classic roots, what Colville calls their "sacred cows." Alas most people I end up playing with are hardcore OC people, which drove me mad. I even coined the term "tyranny of cool" among friends without knowing "tyranny of fun" was already a thing. Now I have a better idea what to look for in a game and in a group. OSR for me from now on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-71005791360461570092024-02-27T16:42:31.645-05:002024-02-27T16:42:31.645-05:00As the author explicitly points out, you're no...As the author explicitly points out, you're not supposed to neatly fit into any one category, this isn't an allegiance chart. Every player, and every group of players, is a mix of different cultures, some more dominant than others, but never exclusively of just oneE.T.Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816067470809236388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-88997011392481452682024-02-27T16:12:34.729-05:002024-02-27T16:12:34.729-05:00I've been playing for over 40 years now and I&...I've been playing for over 40 years now and I've honestly never seen the OC/Neo-trad game anywhere except for recently with 5e. I've played in Gencon in the 2000's and hundreds of different games all over the place, from larping to MERP, Palladium, Mech Warrior, and every variation of D&D you could think of. <br /><br />Maybe it's technically older but I've never seen it around until recently personally.Blog Adminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03159828634065720231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-27585380593311336072024-02-20T03:18:17.744-05:002024-02-20T03:18:17.744-05:00Do you still have the pdf for treasure? I've b...Do you still have the pdf for treasure? I've been looking for it but all the links I've been finding are brokenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-17868539159610732122024-02-11T15:59:14.057-05:002024-02-11T15:59:14.057-05:00I really don't feel like any of these fit me, ...I really don't feel like any of these fit me, Idk maybe I didn't read them right, although the only "goal" I really have when running a game is to make sure the game is funBloodfox13https://www.blogger.com/profile/12756957929140525042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-13748350614555527372024-01-08T19:07:53.591-05:002024-01-08T19:07:53.591-05:00Speculation: Their own records indicate that they...Speculation: Their own records indicate that they never succeeded in traveling to the past, not even to leave behind encoded records and hidden datavaults that they could then read in the future. Going to the future therefore becomes the only option despite the added difficulty of needing to return to the past with any knowledge gleaned in order to gain any benefits from the trip. Even if the observed future turned out to be a mere possibility rather than a set actuality, it would still help refine projections about future affairs that might or might not require alteration in so-called present day of M41.<br /><br />Inquisitorial Access Only: Statistician temporal experiments are theorized to have failed due to a variation of the Niven-Svetz Effect, where their unanchored time vessels achieved a possible future state safely but succumbed to the "wobble" associated with all retro-temporal movement, becoming lost in an alternate now with high divergence characteristics. Their activities were originally detected when an Inquisitorial psy-scryer detected the wreckage of a Statistician timeship native to a low-divergence alternate that had suffered a catastrophic entry into our actual now when attempting to return from whatever possible future it had reached. Surviving non-linear temporal records from the wreck remain under Omega Black info seals.Dick McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14521293874696659063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-41365338779729440062024-01-07T14:17:36.621-05:002024-01-07T14:17:36.621-05:00This might require a spoilery answer, but why did ...This might require a spoilery answer, but why did the Statisticians want to go to the future instead of the past?huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-5162182856635886912023-12-27T11:23:55.345-05:002023-12-27T11:23:55.345-05:00My goodness this was the best writeup of ttrpg cul...My goodness this was the best writeup of ttrpg culture groups I have ever seen. Fantastic job and I am sharing this around.Trollbaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08115083695800266140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-80759051680780861522023-12-05T22:35:49.286-05:002023-12-05T22:35:49.286-05:00Thank you for being a positive force in the online...Thank you for being a positive force in the online space.Rafałhttps://issuu.com/highest-rated-legit-casino-reviewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-8043698625967090912023-11-12T15:54:19.537-05:002023-11-12T15:54:19.537-05:00As someone who got into TTRPGs through D&D5e, ...As someone who got into TTRPGs through D&D5e, and before that dabbled in fandom RP, this was an excellent read! It’s fascinating to learn this sort of hobby history.<br /><br /> In particular, I like how you acknowledged tables that use 5e for wildly different styles of play without dismissing or shaming them.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-66352334627027683722023-11-11T18:04:36.435-05:002023-11-11T18:04:36.435-05:00another latecomer. I also hope your new job is bet...another latecomer. I also hope your new job is better. Having recently been forced to switch to what is a lot better paying job but a lot worse benefits and stuff, hopefully the new one is giving you time. And having 3 cats (one just turned 1) yes, they are all rogues or wizards. Craig Oliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01058529051056253854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-53138328043080693402023-11-08T18:06:14.661-05:002023-11-08T18:06:14.661-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Marcos Vitalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08849637369925342355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-21525924399357982052023-10-24T01:14:12.182-04:002023-10-24T01:14:12.182-04:00Are you, perchance, the John Bell of Iron Heartbre...Are you, perchance, the John Bell of Iron Heartbreakers? If so, could you please drop me a line at d6todamage [at] gmailJameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17675415106033909130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-82967290459863616682023-09-15T23:09:14.006-04:002023-09-15T23:09:14.006-04:00latercomer to post - love that cat - hope the new ...latercomer to post - love that cat - hope the new job's been getting better<br /><br />t. semiurgeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-42380912628167166442023-09-12T09:14:59.731-04:002023-09-12T09:14:59.731-04:00Many or most of humanity's discoveries, cultur...Many or most of humanity's discoveries, cultural and technological, have occurred in multiple, distant places and minds. Casting these cultures of RPG play as actual ancestries is like saying that building walls with stone started in China and spread from there, building pyramids started in Egypt and spread from there, and building wooden boats started in Scandinavia and spread from there just because there are well documented examples from those places.<br />Otherwise, great summary, and I agree with its purpose. Members of RPG groups should understand each others' expectations.<br />Me, I was never plugged into (or even aware of) any of the extrovert-based public gaming groups mentioned over these decades, nor have I ever been a user of D&D or anything with D&D ancestry. But I went through the same kinds of gaming culture changes after my intro in the late '70s, essentially in isolation from all of the listed groups and products over those same decades.<br />So I've come to see RPGing play style/desirements/expectations as tied to personal maturation as an undertow pulling me and my associates away from simulationism and 1D characters and toward play experiences that have consequences, be those physical, moral, or ethical. The same undertow that pulled us toward more mature books and other products over those decades.<br />Everyone is different, everyone will find and need fun in different ways, and now that there *are* these RPG styles embedded in different products, everyone will start at a different place and ultimately end up at a different place. Some folks just have a tremendous amount of fun playing 1D characters in simulationist hack and slash/kill da monsta find da loot, far more a board game experience than the other realms of RPGing that have been explored. Me, I now love the sensibilities embedded in Ironsworn:Starforged, for the reasons mentioned (allows us to play with more mature consequences via flexibly immersive 'movie moments').<br />As I see it, most RPG players and groups will never see this blog post and its comments, or any such metadiscussions, and will experiment their way to their preferred range on the simulationist/1D <-> looser/2 or 3D play spectrum, or their interest in RPGing will 'die trying' as players separate and groups disband over expectation disconnects. Metadiscussions like this should be propagated in order to prevent the 'die trying' part. There is no 'right' way to RPG, but the 'wrong' way is to assume everyone at the table wants to RPG the same way (or got there the same way).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-38251112183333497882023-07-08T05:50:01.318-04:002023-07-08T05:50:01.318-04:00Holy boomer lmaoHoly boomer lmaoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-74652770165613642612023-05-21T02:10:49.411-04:002023-05-21T02:10:49.411-04:00Bookmarked! - ConnorBookmarked! - ConnorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-15332844315784572182023-05-18T16:11:55.648-04:002023-05-18T16:11:55.648-04:00The Classic mode of play, and it is differences fr...The Classic mode of play, and it is differences from the OSR are somewhat erroneous. The likes of Arneson and Gygax certainly didn't play in this "Classic" mode described here. Even AD&D it is not that. In the 70s the classic and osr styles fused in a lot of ways. The modern OSR only emphasized certain aspects to the detriment of othersAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-83692153743495195282023-04-05T15:12:58.831-04:002023-04-05T15:12:58.831-04:00Minor correction: You were featured three times in...Minor correction: You were featured three times in 2017. The Blogs on Tape website fell victim to CYBERCRIMES in 2018, and every episode had to be re-uploaded. That's why roughly one third of this 6 year old podcast appears to have been uploaded all in a single month. Nick LS Whelanhttps://www.linkskywalker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-484189402743838522023-04-04T10:08:55.433-04:002023-04-04T10:08:55.433-04:00Hi there. This is a bit of a message in a bottle b...Hi there. This is a bit of a message in a bottle but... I'm the editor at KNOCK! a paper magazine all about OSR stuff. Would you be interested in publishing one or more of your old blog posts in exchange for gold pieces?<br />Please drop me a line at the email on this page: https://www.themerrymushmen.com/2021/02/09/knocks-permanent-call-to-contributionEric Nieudanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07663906394653460662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-64743196276757683062023-03-10T03:50:03.471-05:002023-03-10T03:50:03.471-05:00Interested in what your 2e campaign was/is about, ...Interested in what your 2e campaign was/is about, if you're inclined to share. Sending love to your sick cat, your dramatic cat, and your flea-ridden half-kitten. Best of luck with the new job, fam!Ènziramirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352631114489892861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-35282522305273918962023-03-08T16:12:44.596-05:002023-03-08T16:12:44.596-05:00critical support for the thievish fur baby in her ...critical support for the thievish fur baby in her struggle against fleas :)Marcia B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04372016623917160094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-323276912086013429.post-16846225388165982832023-01-05T15:53:27.073-05:002023-01-05T15:53:27.073-05:00Also, to clarify, there is no scripted player agen...Also, to clarify, there is no scripted player agenda in story games. A Hallmark of the style is "story now", which very specifically means no pre planned story, and no play without engaging with or creating story (now). I.e. in story after play as opposed to story before or story now, there is no story per se, except after the fact, where players could look back at the adventure and create a thruline narrative of the events which occured. <br /><br />Story before is self explanatory and includes preplanned adventures, DM storytime , and preplanned plot which players experience in play but do not help to create.<br /><br />So story now is, experiencing the story (now) while we create it intentionally through play, and in the case of story games specifically, with a primary focus of "why" we are playing at all being to simultaneously make& experience the story as a intentional result of and purpose of our play.<br /><br />Hope that helps! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com