For some time now I have been playing, off an on, on Witch Storm, an online role playing site and it has occurred to me that text rpgs of this sort have an odd relationship with fiction writing. I describe the site to non-role players as a "cooperative fiction writing forum" where we write stories by taking turns narrating from the viewpoints of different characters in the story. Often those who come in emphasizing the "game" aspect of role playing game face difficulties, as this is not the sort of game where you are trying to "win." Gaining power and wielding it, fulfilling your characters agendas, all these should be very much secondary to ensuring there is good drama overall. And usually drama is better when your viewpoint characters are having a very hard time rather than when everything is going their way.
This weekend I attended DunDraCon and, for various reasons, my normal ratio of RPGs to LARPs was inverted and I played in LARPs most of the weekend. I thus had time to reflect that LARPs had a somewhat parallel relationship with acting that online text rpgs did with creative writing. Later, to my amusement, the GM of the best LARP I played in commented on much the same thing and challenged us to act our characters rather than play them.
Whether I am playing a table top game, an online text game or a LARP, story and character growth interest me most. That is probably why I am less interested in computer games or even board games and card games where winning and strategy are paramount.
This DunDraCon was an epic one for LARPs. There was a three part game that spanned the whole history of a tiny world from creation to destruction. I got to play in the first and second game and my second game character appeared in the last one as well, having been one of four characters to gain god-like powers in game two. Not that that had been her intention...in fact it was somewhat inconvenient at the time! I also played in a WoD LARP at long last, and that was fun and dramatic, playing a Changeling (someone stolen by faeries and then escaped back to the real world forever altered) consumed by anger and a determination to see justice done and to protect humans from suffering a like fate. I got to plot and scheme but also pace angrily and pull at my hair and claw at the furniture in frustration.
But the most epic game by far in terms of drama, was an Elizabethan Steampunk fantasy game called "Ship of Fools." It was phenomenal. So detailed. At last I played a faction leader...well, co-leader. But everything seemed to go unrelentingly wrong for her from the word go. It was gut wrenching. She wanted so badly to do the right thing, an idealist to the core, and with loved ones along to protect and a whole way of life back home to guard...and yet she had the rug pulled out from under her feet and her world, had to trust people she'd been taught were inherently untrustworthy, learn compromise, and relearn the value of trusting her own instincts. In the end, she saved her party and helped prevent a war by, in fact, trusting the right person and not backing down from that decision. Wow, heavy stuff. I'm really quite shocked she survived it all. It was very touch and go for a while there. She even told someone to kill her if necessary.
I can't wait for the sequel next year.
Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gaming. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Bedlam and Gaming and More Goodbyes
Last night was awesome fun. Three floors of party just for us! Ok, so most of the people there didn't know it was just for us...but who asked them? What's that you say? GUGathons and Bedlam both happen quite regularly? I don't know what you mean.
In case you were wondering, GUGathons are a period of all night gaming in the QM. Technically it only just ended half an hour ago, at noon, but most of the hard core people go home around 7-9am I understand. It's been an age since I lasted nearly that long, so I wouldn't know. However we did make it to the lock-in stage where no one else could come into the QM anymore (3am, we left at 3:30). Neither of us found a role playing game to join in (there being only 3 and 2 of those already filled when we got there) but that was just as well in this case because it meant we could chat and say our goodbyes and whatnot around board games. And it gave me the freedom to head down to Bedlam.
Bedlam is something the QM's been doing for years once a month on a Saturday, though I didn't know about it till a couple years ago. The first floor gets turned into a clubbing atmosphere--not unusual--and the choice of music is goth, industrial and alternative (with a spattering of other loud, hard subgenres). It's awesome! I've never known that music scene (or any music scene) well. One of my 22-yr-old friends was complaining that she was getting old, the music not making sense any more! Well, it's never been a clear picture to me, but however the bands and subgenres and the rest have changed in the eight years since my first exposure (I think we were talking alternative and metal then? And punk perhaps?). So it didn't bother me in the least that there were only two songs the whole night I could lip sync all the lyrics too and one of those a heavier rock cover of "Sweet Dreams."
The other song I could sing along to was a Rammstein song. It was a little surreal dancing for the first time to something that I wrote much of my master's thesis to. I'd chosen Rammstein for writing music because it was high-energy but the lyrics are all in German so I wasn't particularly tempted to think about the lyrics instead of what I was supposed to be writing. But when you listed to something that many times, you're bound to learn the lyrics even if they're in German. Just don't ask what they mean. No really, trust me on this one.
Back to the topic of covers, I think a hard rock/metal/whatever cover of Bedlam Boys would be hysterical and awesome and would get played at every Bedlam. So, any takers?
In case you were wondering, GUGathons are a period of all night gaming in the QM. Technically it only just ended half an hour ago, at noon, but most of the hard core people go home around 7-9am I understand. It's been an age since I lasted nearly that long, so I wouldn't know. However we did make it to the lock-in stage where no one else could come into the QM anymore (3am, we left at 3:30). Neither of us found a role playing game to join in (there being only 3 and 2 of those already filled when we got there) but that was just as well in this case because it meant we could chat and say our goodbyes and whatnot around board games. And it gave me the freedom to head down to Bedlam.
Bedlam is something the QM's been doing for years once a month on a Saturday, though I didn't know about it till a couple years ago. The first floor gets turned into a clubbing atmosphere--not unusual--and the choice of music is goth, industrial and alternative (with a spattering of other loud, hard subgenres). It's awesome! I've never known that music scene (or any music scene) well. One of my 22-yr-old friends was complaining that she was getting old, the music not making sense any more! Well, it's never been a clear picture to me, but however the bands and subgenres and the rest have changed in the eight years since my first exposure (I think we were talking alternative and metal then? And punk perhaps?). So it didn't bother me in the least that there were only two songs the whole night I could lip sync all the lyrics too and one of those a heavier rock cover of "Sweet Dreams."
The other song I could sing along to was a Rammstein song. It was a little surreal dancing for the first time to something that I wrote much of my master's thesis to. I'd chosen Rammstein for writing music because it was high-energy but the lyrics are all in German so I wasn't particularly tempted to think about the lyrics instead of what I was supposed to be writing. But when you listed to something that many times, you're bound to learn the lyrics even if they're in German. Just don't ask what they mean. No really, trust me on this one.
Back to the topic of covers, I think a hard rock/metal/whatever cover of Bedlam Boys would be hysterical and awesome and would get played at every Bedlam. So, any takers?
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Winds Blow
Glagow
Well, winter has set in it seems, and a bit early too. Storms have been blowing off and on all week. I thought I would be blown off my feet on Thursday. And Tuesday was bitterly cold--with a sweat shirt and my winter coat over it I was still cold! And this is only October! Nevertheless I can't help but find the multicolored leaves and the sky streaked in different shades of gray anything but beautiful. Perhaps an ominous stark beauty at times, but beautiful nonetheless. Watching the storm go by on Thursday was particularly breathtaking, dark gray clouds streaked with the orangy-red of sunset flying past at a brisk pace. And then the clouds opened briefly, allowing a peak at the blue above fading towards twilight before the angry dark clouds closed in again.
International Travel Kitten
So I keep thinking that I'll have to ask for thermals for birthday/Christmas this year. And then I remember: by the time those come around I'll be about ready to head to California. Now if you didn't know about this ahead of time, don't get too excited. I've been hired, after a fashion, so I won't be free to jaunt all over the place visiting. But I'll be in the Bay Area so surely I can arrange a quick visit or two! Or better yet, you can visit me. I'm very exited to be going, but I'm going to miss Ron horribly...though I won't miss the Scottish weather!
The Mysteries of Blood Sugar
I have to say one thing for Scottish winter weather though--I think it may be inadvertently helping with my blood sugar issues. I noticed from the very first winter here that I fell prey to the tendency to pack on a bit extra weight as the cold season closed in and then lost it again when summer finally arrived. Well, it had occurred to me today that I'd only had one real "crash" in weeks...and when I thought about it, I realized that I'd started snacking and grazing more with the onset of cold weather...and thus had a far more steady supply of calories. Now if only I can learn to make a habit of the frequency of eating while keeping the healthfulness and quantities down to something that won't make me balloon out, I'll be all set.
Gaming
Well, I'm GMing (running a role playing game for the non-geeks in the audience) again for the first time since...well, ages. Undergrad...2003 maybe? Anyway, I've run 2 sessions now for my group of 6 players, and I think it's going well. I hadn't intended to have so many players. In fact I hadn't really intended to do this at all, though looking back I think I came prepared to be persuaded. At the start of the school year GUGS holds a couple weeks of "one-offs" for people to try out, and then there comes the day when all the long campaigns start. It wasn't like this in my day, but I think it's a good idea overall...except for the poor souls who can't come that day. Anyway, I made sure Ron and I got there good and early. Then we got word there weren't really enough GMs this year and would we please consider running games? I had brought the Serenity RPG rule book with me which I think shows how much I was secretly considering doing this anyway. So I signed up as a GM telling myself if I got few to no players I could still just cancel it and cheerfully play in another game. Well, I put down I wanted 4-6 players and not only did I have 6 sign up, but 3 more people, including other GMs, said they wished they could play in my game. Now, to be fair, I think this is as much about the system I picked as for me and my wonderful pitch. After all, Serenity and Firefly are awesome.
So yes, now I have an intrepid crew. And they're already in so much trouble. Oh, how easily they fell into my clutches. Muahaha! Plots aside, I am struck once again by the parallels between GMing and teaching, especially a discussion section. I am certainly a more confident GM than I was 6 years ago. And, more impressively, I've kept my energy up for the whole sessions both times, even though I showed up tired and kind of down the second time. I thought my energy would flag far more. I mean, 3+ hours of near-constant talking, and constant thinking and interaction for an introvert?! But so far so good.
High School Reunion
I thought when this day came it would make me feel old. But it doesn't. Maybe I'm numbed by the shock of three pairs of my friends all having babies at about the same time. Reunions just can't stand up to that. Yes, I got the email yesterday that it's time for my 10 year reunion. Unfortunately it's taking place two weeks after I head back to Scotland!! I really had intended to go. I've been looking forward to catching up with a few people in particular. Oh, I know, I know, they might not come either, but chances are at least one of them would!
Well, winter has set in it seems, and a bit early too. Storms have been blowing off and on all week. I thought I would be blown off my feet on Thursday. And Tuesday was bitterly cold--with a sweat shirt and my winter coat over it I was still cold! And this is only October! Nevertheless I can't help but find the multicolored leaves and the sky streaked in different shades of gray anything but beautiful. Perhaps an ominous stark beauty at times, but beautiful nonetheless. Watching the storm go by on Thursday was particularly breathtaking, dark gray clouds streaked with the orangy-red of sunset flying past at a brisk pace. And then the clouds opened briefly, allowing a peak at the blue above fading towards twilight before the angry dark clouds closed in again.
International Travel Kitten
So I keep thinking that I'll have to ask for thermals for birthday/Christmas this year. And then I remember: by the time those come around I'll be about ready to head to California. Now if you didn't know about this ahead of time, don't get too excited. I've been hired, after a fashion, so I won't be free to jaunt all over the place visiting. But I'll be in the Bay Area so surely I can arrange a quick visit or two! Or better yet, you can visit me. I'm very exited to be going, but I'm going to miss Ron horribly...though I won't miss the Scottish weather!
The Mysteries of Blood Sugar
I have to say one thing for Scottish winter weather though--I think it may be inadvertently helping with my blood sugar issues. I noticed from the very first winter here that I fell prey to the tendency to pack on a bit extra weight as the cold season closed in and then lost it again when summer finally arrived. Well, it had occurred to me today that I'd only had one real "crash" in weeks...and when I thought about it, I realized that I'd started snacking and grazing more with the onset of cold weather...and thus had a far more steady supply of calories. Now if only I can learn to make a habit of the frequency of eating while keeping the healthfulness and quantities down to something that won't make me balloon out, I'll be all set.
Gaming
Well, I'm GMing (running a role playing game for the non-geeks in the audience) again for the first time since...well, ages. Undergrad...2003 maybe? Anyway, I've run 2 sessions now for my group of 6 players, and I think it's going well. I hadn't intended to have so many players. In fact I hadn't really intended to do this at all, though looking back I think I came prepared to be persuaded. At the start of the school year GUGS holds a couple weeks of "one-offs" for people to try out, and then there comes the day when all the long campaigns start. It wasn't like this in my day, but I think it's a good idea overall...except for the poor souls who can't come that day. Anyway, I made sure Ron and I got there good and early. Then we got word there weren't really enough GMs this year and would we please consider running games? I had brought the Serenity RPG rule book with me which I think shows how much I was secretly considering doing this anyway. So I signed up as a GM telling myself if I got few to no players I could still just cancel it and cheerfully play in another game. Well, I put down I wanted 4-6 players and not only did I have 6 sign up, but 3 more people, including other GMs, said they wished they could play in my game. Now, to be fair, I think this is as much about the system I picked as for me and my wonderful pitch. After all, Serenity and Firefly are awesome.
So yes, now I have an intrepid crew. And they're already in so much trouble. Oh, how easily they fell into my clutches. Muahaha! Plots aside, I am struck once again by the parallels between GMing and teaching, especially a discussion section. I am certainly a more confident GM than I was 6 years ago. And, more impressively, I've kept my energy up for the whole sessions both times, even though I showed up tired and kind of down the second time. I thought my energy would flag far more. I mean, 3+ hours of near-constant talking, and constant thinking and interaction for an introvert?! But so far so good.
High School Reunion
I thought when this day came it would make me feel old. But it doesn't. Maybe I'm numbed by the shock of three pairs of my friends all having babies at about the same time. Reunions just can't stand up to that. Yes, I got the email yesterday that it's time for my 10 year reunion. Unfortunately it's taking place two weeks after I head back to Scotland!! I really had intended to go. I've been looking forward to catching up with a few people in particular. Oh, I know, I know, they might not come either, but chances are at least one of them would!
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