post world games

[A little gamer psychology today. Sorry.]

I game every two weeks in a World of Darkness LARP. I believe I’ve mentioned that before, but if I haven’t, here it is.

Yea.

There are about 30 people in the LARP. We have a facebook page to keep track of the group and everything.

I am not the most welcome face in the group for a number of reasons. I feel like a pariah, almost. Although I do have a few friends in the game, I really only roleplay with one storyteller and two other people 95% of the time.

That’s just what it is.

Oddly, I feel like a majority of my diaspora stems from the fact that many people play characters I cannot wrap my head around and/or play in stories I am not interested in and/or generally clash with me. Conversely, I tend to read gamers pretty well and I can see through all of the “issues” they bring to game. My buddy Mike is very good at showing patience when necessary toward these kinds of players. I am not. So rather than rub people the wrong way, I just avoid them. I’m really not a nice guy.

But over the course of the last year, I’ve noticed an alarming trend of disrespect among other people in the group toward one another (not toward me).

Which brings me to my belabored point.

We have a lot of players under the age of 30. Most of them have never done any other kind of gaming. Some of them say things that (out of context) trigger hostile rebukes from other players. Many of these people have more friends in game than I do. Rather than temper their voice of their response to seemingly innocuous (albeit inane) commentary, I sometimes watch in horror as people talk very very inappropriately to one another.

I’ve been to a lot of game conventions in my life. Heard people say awful, hateful things to one another. Racial slurs, brainless misogyny, and outright misinformed idiocy. In that arena, it’s so easy to ignore. People will be stupid and engendering debate with someone who thinks a game convention is the appropriate place to debate that Jews secretly control the World Bank is a waste of time and energy. I’m at a game convention after all.

And these are people I have zero respect for. I could easily tear him/her a new ass and never feel an ounce of remorse, so I move on.

Somehow. In the setting of a “Pollyanna” game environment like an all WoD game world, I find it troubling that people with this much background and connectivity to one another fail to show the least bit of awareness and understanding to (in their own head) say, “Okay. Joe is just being Joe. I need to temper my response to not sound so loud, abrasive, and antagonistic.”

I don’t have a final point, sadly. This is the first time since high school I’ve seen this kind of behavior amongst a regular group of gamers. And since I’m the guy no one likes and I never yell at anyone, I have to wonder…

…what am I doing wrong?

Feel free to post, if you’ve witnessed something similar in your gaming travels.

Since I lost count of the session number we are on, I’m just jumping ahead to 13.

We are in the final throws of the Dagon storyline, and perhaps ending this campaign. Everything after this is denouement.

The evening started very slowly. By 930pm, the group was still talking, debating, and tangenting their way around the eventuality of what was to come. In fact, Aaron and Jason went out on the balcony to talk in character for nearly a half-hour.

But eventually, the group made it to the Spire to meet Skye’s simulacrum; this time, Shephard, Pearce, Vasya, and Nadia accompanied them. There was a brief discussion about where and when to meet, the plan to get into the Palace, and so on. It was agreed that they would meet at the gate in 48 hours.

After, they made their way to Melbourne to talk with a few people — mostly Vromme, Darius Carmen, Father Konrad, and Duncan — to get help, update them on the status of things, and generally say goodbye one last time. Stauff’s new wife and mother-in-law let him have it for a few hours about how irresponsible he’s being, leaving town and all. Then he and his new wife had make-up sex. Crandel used this time to reconnect with his gypsy friends. News of Roth’s death finally made it to everyone and Crandel made it very clear he knew it was going to happen. In fact, it became quite clear that Crandel knows a little too much about the priest and inner workings of the Keep.

Ian and Verner sat down with Vromme and Brandy, told them what was going to happen, shared a meal, and then asked Vromme a very big favor. “Will you ignore the Regent’s edict to cancel Earendel Festival and instead blow off the folkmote?” They then went to the two taverns in town to stir up hostilities toward the Baronet regarding the folkmote and his canceling of the holiday festivites. It also became quite clear to the PCs that the Regent could call for the folkmote at anytime and he was clearly doing this to cement the new cult’s power in the area.

They also visited Darius Carmen and had a disturbing conversation about the fate of the mines. Darius was not happy that Engel’s people had not come through on the deal AND that Verner was trying to blockade the folkmote, which was there to repeal the boc-land in the first place. Should the Baronet see this as a move against him, Darius’ punishment will be even more severe.

Cold and fog setting in, the PCs bedded down for the night, but not before Stauff could create one more level of trouble for himself.

Stauff woke in the middle of the night for a late-night piss and found himself face to face with Konrad, the man he tried to drown a few weeks ago. The man he was supposed to avoid. The two had a staring contest for a few moments, before Stauff began to ape his foe’s behavior. Seeing that Stauff was being childish, Konrad turned and left, disappearing into the darkness. But Stauff gave chase and was attacked by the fed-up priest. A scuffle ensued that left Stauff once again, bleeding on the ground. Luckily the noise was overheard by Ian, who came to his aid and dragged him back to inn. Some rest, herbs, and a washcloth later and Stauff was expressing uninterrupted rage toward Konrad. He even tried to get up and go after him. While everyone held him back, Crandel went off and scolded Konrad, hinting that he knew the priest was part of Dagon and not Thunnor like he purported.

There was some minor bickering amongst the rest, but this eventually calmed down and we skipped ahead to the gate.

Long story short, they still have not met Skye face to face, only illusions and voices. A glowing scarab leads them to a dead end, which is clearly a secret door, which opens into a massive glowing chamber, with an nonsensical compound, surrounded by a 20 ft. wall. All along the parapets and inside the compound are fishmen… oddly mutated fishmen, performing menial, lackluster tasks. Massive pools and cisterns, with aqueducts between them, Growing tired of waiting, Stauff foolish ran out into the open, splayed himself against a wall, and snuck down to a gate. He crouched and waited. And waited. And waited.

Eventually a fishman partrol returned, pulling what could only be described as a 10 foot radius pale tongue/oyster inside a massive net. The massive oyster writhed as it passed Stauff from his hidden location, he felt it trying to talk to him, trying to make contact. But to no avail. The fishmen entered the compound, clubbed the oyster a few times, and then tossed it into the largest cistern.

The PCs reacted in horror, unsure of what they had just witnessed.

Stauff took his time walking back to the group, and by this point 4 hours had passed since they arrived. They grew restless and didn’t know how to proceed, Stauff and Crandel each took turns trying to be foolhardy and go back out there. They were shouted down.

Suddenly, a figure appeared coming from a massive structure inside the compound. Quickly, Ian concluded that it was Luther and he was headed their way, to the tunnels. The PCs took defensive positions inside the tunnels and waited. Sadly, confusion or over-zealousness led to Luther’s death during the ambush, instead of the bash on the head he should have received.

And that’s where the episode ended. With the man they were supposed to bring back to Divers, being killed by his rescuers.

King for a Day is funded!!

Not only have I hit my benchmark, but I hit the second benchmark as well.

I have added a third benchmark and should we hit that, I will add a fourth.

I am amazed. Thanks, everyone.

Link

I mentioned earlier that I am writing a fantasy-horror adventure-campaign. It’ll probably be in the neighborhood of 100+ pages.

The project is now LIVE on Kickstarter, so please visit and support this project.

Thanks

Link

As you may have noticed recently, my inspiration to start things has been strong, but eventually the reality of cost associated with new projects sets in and I never finish anything. While I have the means to do all of the work on any number of projects, the cost to print a game is not cheap and using POD for board games isn’t cheap for consumers, so even getting DICE CRAWL into people’s hands isn’t going to be easy. While a financial backer would be nice, what would be even better is someone to help with project organization/marketing, because I’m tired of self-promotion and self-inspired activities. If you know anyone…

Ha.

Today I started setting up my first kickstarter project (which is a pain in the ass, btw… because of all the online forms you have to fill out and then the bank authorization) for King for a Day, a project I think will be cheap to fund and that I can certainly create in a manner no one has made before. Successful or not, I would love to do this project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have a Savage World’s project I’ve been trying to team up with someone to do. It’s an atypical mash-up for the gaming industry. Should that pan out, that’ll be fun.

I recently designed a card game for a law-office (I kid you not) about getting patent’s approved. When that’s 100% completed, the developer and I intend to do a dice game.

I still want to work on Lineage, which I already made a logo for. This would be a game about surviving generations and the value of royalty.

There’s a time travel board game that I’ve been working on for some time. This is actually being worked on and is at about the 25% mark. I should have another prototype ready for Gamex 2012.

Dying Memories is a roleplaying game about oxygen deprivation aboard and crashing spaceship. It’s a completed project that I just need to print and market.

I have a Logan’s Run roleplaying game that I need to finish writing. It has art, but no title or graphics. Man, I do things backwards sometimes.

Temptation Hotel strikes me as a very interesting project to do and I’ve even contacted the estate about the cost of using the art.

Cycles is another mini RPG I should finish.

Warehouse 23 was a board game idea I had while talking with a player at a LARP one night. Definitely for people who like munchkin-style games.

I have notes written up for a Roadhouse-inspired board game about bouncing.

I started working on a Seven Samurai-inspired board game with an homage to Agricola.

Monsters, Aliens, Nazis, and Zombies is a board game idea I have about mash-up genre nonsense. I think it could be very funny.

3 More Quarters is a car-wash board game fueled by silly ideas I get sometimes when I’m out and about.

I’ve always wanted to a Vampire RPG without clans. Not sure what I’d name it, but setting it in a fantasy world or the middle ages would be ideal. I always thought Dark Ages vampire was brilliant.

Roane and I are talking about doing an educational game to teach kids that value of money.

King of Storms is an old RPG idea I started working on and never finished. The players are rulers of nations and descendants of now dead gods. Probably a better board game, since the PCs won’t be working cooperatively.

Jonathan Breece and I talked about doing the Plague as a video game.

I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all I can think of right now.

Okay. So, I have about 3.5 sessions to update everyone on. And I don’t remember where I left off. So, rather than go in any kind of order, here’s what’s happened.

Stauff married Mikhail’s daughter, Helga. Mikhail is the leader of the Gypsies.

Stauff tried to drown Father Konrad, who he suspects as a servant of Dagon.

Ingram was discovered to have fish-elixir in his pantry.

The water supply in the valley is tainted.

Bartlby lives underground, removed from the world, claiming to be over 200 years old and a descendant of the true lineage of the Huntley Keep.

Regan is a weird-looking dwarf guy who guards a gate to a world beneath the orc tunnels.

Everyone nearly died fighting five orcs in the orc tunnels.

Thurmaster was sieged (and subsequently flattened) by the Ragged Hand clan of Orcs living south of the town. They serve the Fomar. The Fomar serves the Wyrm.

Ian has unlocked some minor magical power.

Verner and Roth finally had it out in the middle of the street. At stake: Respect us or f*** off. A very interesting scene to say the least.

Brandy attempted suicide. It is possible she has been having an affair with father Konrad… who might be in league with Dagon. Which I may have already mentioned.

Darius Carmen is about to lose his Boc-Land use of the mines.

However, Verner has negotiated a deal with Engel and his merchant house to ensure that Darius keeps the copper ore coming. If this deal goes through at the upcoming folkmote, then Barclay’s attempt to remove Milbourne’s autocracy and financial security may be undone. Which will certainly make Verner an enemy of the keep (if he isn’t already).

Ian and Stauff had a long conversation with someone named Bartlby, claiming to be the true ruler of Huntley Keep.

Ian may or may have not unlocked some magical power.

I’m sure I will be informed if I’ve missed anything.

Can’t sleep. Leaving for Portugal in 6 hours. Decided to use that time to make a logo and card frame for a game that is just notes on a steno pad.

Yeah. That’s logical.

Artwork of the archers was stolen from the net. So was the sword. Everything else is mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am leaving for Portugal in a few days and I’m rushing to get everything prepared. I owe everyone two sessions of the Haranshire campaign and I pray I remember everything. I will update as soon as I can.

Now I want to design THIS game.

Damnit.

Our playtest of cycles at the convention went phenomenally well. I hope to sit down and write all of my notes for game play and have a 16-24 page rulebook soon.

The game needs oracles to get things moving and a chart of “mirrors” as I call them to start/end scenes.

The interludes were great and someone recommended using this for “therapy.” I’m sure he meant monetary gain.