TheRPGSite

I noticed that in the threads about reading and TV that my tastes are pretty much at odds with the vast majority of the users here.

We've got a huge spectrum of roleplayers here, from me to the Pindot. To what extent do your tastes in books, films etc reflect your taste in RPGs?

I'm mostly a Sci-fi / Fantasy and Action guy for entertainment genres, but my RPG and Movie/TV tastes are reversed. Most of my games involve a fantasy element of some sort. Even the future games almost always have magic orpsionics in them. But on TV I don't watch anything with magic in it apart from Avatar and The Dresden Files.

For books I'm as likely to be reading (listening too really) some sort of self-help book as I am something fictional.

Not particularly, but then I think we have more in common in reading tastes than many others here.  I have Granta on my shelves too for a start.

As I've said elsewhere, I think some stories work better in some media than others, and the kind of stories I particularly like in literature, tv and movies adapt poorly by and large to the rpg form.

Quote from: BalbinusAs I've said elsewhere, I think some stories work better in some media than others, and the kind of stories I particularly like in literature, tv and movies adapt poorly by and large to the rpg form.

There's a massive side-track opening up here, but I think it goes better in your thread.

Granta's got some good shit, hasn't it?

As fiction goes, I prefer reading Sci-Fi over Fantasy but prefer the latter for gaming.  When I was into comic books, superhero gaming was by far the number one game for me.

I'm not a big movie guy but I generally go for "big" movies such as Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, that sort of thing.  I realize they aren't a genre in and of themselves but they do translate easily to an RPG medium.  The only genre of movies I'll generally follow are crime movies ranging from The Godfather to Sin City -- I haven't had much luck gaming with those ideas.

Mine are not the same to some point.  I really like super hero type shows (Heroes, the Spider-Man movies, etc) but have never really been a fan of any super hero game out there.

Cyberpunk type stuff is the crossover point.  I've read a ton of cyberpunk stuff, track down movies and even do a little writing.  It remains as one of my favorite RPG genre's also.

Horror used to be a crossover also.  But here over the last four years or so I've drifted away from most horror movies and television.

My taste in tv, movies, and comic books. Generally coralates with me roleplaying. My favorites are sci-fi, action, and crime drama. My last couple games I've run have been a zombie actioner, and a crime drama.

Quote from: droogGranta's got some good shit, hasn't it?

It sure does.

QuoteOriginally Posted by droog
To what extent do your tastes in books, films etc reflect your taste in RPGs?

Difficult to say. In my case there is a continuos interchange of ideas between books, films etc and rpgs. But I wouldn't really say that my taste in other media correlate with my taste in RPGs.

Regards,
David R

Pretty much lockstep. Napoleonic Naval? Check. SF? Check. Planes? Check. Military action? Check. Espionacge throllers? Check.

-clash

I really like the movie Office Space, and the TV show The Office.

While the premise is funny, I wouldn't actually enjoy an RPG based on working in an office -- even a quirky one. :(

I certainly wouldn't say that my tastes are anti-geek, but they certainly reject most of the stuff that is popular in geek circles by virtue of sheer geek appeal; in particular I abhor pretty well all fantasy/scifi novel series (ie. Star wars, star trek, forgotten realms novels etc), as most of them are junk.  There's also a ton of sci-fi tv shows that I have zero interest in (battlestar galactica, firefly, farscape, andromeda, etc etc; I never gave a shit about any of these; and I always thought  B5 was unbelievably over-rated; and I gave up on Star Trek after DS9).

But I do like comics (DC comics in particular, these days).

RPGPundit

In fantasy, I am very exacting - these days, I downright refuse to read anything that isn't sword&sorcery, weird fantasy or mystical adventure (as in Talbot Mundy, a recent discovery of mine - very highly recommended!). I wasted too much time on trash as a teenager, and no longer want to do it.

With a sole exception (Conan I.), I have never enjoyed a fantasy movie. All of them go for the cheesy high fantasy story with moronic comic relief sidekicks and the eye-rollingly badly conceived and acted bad guy. No thanks.

TV series are right out, esp. since I don't even own a TV. Anime, not really my thing. The sole exception is Revolutionary Girl Utena, which I was very surprised to actually like a lot - for its surreal and elegant art, the excellent music, and because a lot of it was about people who fail because of their huge character flaws (that's a theme I really appreciate in novels, too).

All in all: my tastes in geek media paralell my tastes in gaming in that with a few exceptions, I only read/watch stuff compatible with my sword&sorcery - traditional D&D interests. Of course, I also read things completely outside the geekosphere, but that has very little to do with this thread.

I don´t dig Fantasy novels or movies, but I like D&D as a game. I read fantasy only for archeological reasons, Howard, Leiber, Vance, Moorcock etc. I´m not willing to read any fat fantasy, so mostly short stories or excerpts.

In the same vein, I read a lot of SciFi for my traveller research: Aasimov etc. or for a Cthulhu game I read some Lovecraft.

I tried to a battletech novel, but couldn´t force me to finish it, although I´m a big sucker for battletech/ mechwarrior

For my own pleasure reading I prefer German literature, or history books; Nearly next to no contemporary popular literature.

I watch barely any TV nowadays.

Comics have never interested me,though  I´ve read Watchmen.

I like to research my games so at any given time I'm likely to be playing and reading the same subject. I like real world history and always look forward to a game in an unfamiliar territory.

For whatever reason, I'm missing the 'collector gene' so I'm out of the loop when it comes to following the backstory of periodicals like comics, Warhammer and tv series. I'll happily read a digest or lurk on a forum but actualy watching that much TV is a turn off. I've enjoyed reading borrowed comics but I don't care to go to the work and expense of procuring my own.

I enjoyed reading up on early medeval numerology, astrology and especialy Alchemy over the past year although I'm not sure how much of it applies since Ars Magica only has a superficial relationship to historical magic.

I like the original Star Wars movies and enjoyed WEG back in the day. I can't stand the new stuff though.

I tivo Doctor Who weekly (my public TV station is on the 4th Doctor right now), but that's mostly out of nostalgia. When Justice League Unlimited was playing I would never miss an episode, but it's over now, sadly.

Mostly I just have my Nintendo Wii playing. When I do "watch TV", it's usually something on Turner Classics. I managed to Tivo all of the (Harryhausen) Sinbad movies recently, but I have a regular Tivo search of Montgomery Clift, Edward G. Robinson, and a couple of other favorites running that alerts me of anything I might want to watch. (At this point I've seen every Monte Clift movie except some of the ones that he did later in his career).

My favorite movie is George Pal's 'Seven Faces of Dr. Lao' with Tony Randall, which is fantastic but not swords and sorcery fantasy.

I also like some black and white horror and sci-fi classics.

I like both kinds of fiction:- Science Fiction and Fantasy!

Yes, my tastes in rpgs match my tastes in movies and books.

However, that does not mean that one is always well-done, or there are a lot of such stories. For example, I enjoy realistic and well-done postapocalyptic or survival stories, but they're pretty thin on the ground in movies and books I've had better in rpgs. But on the other hand, I've had rpg sessions which were even worse than the D&D movie!

There's what you like in style, and then there's, how often is that done well. Different things.

Quote from: JimBobOzThere's what you like in style, and then there's, how often is that done well. Different things.

Absolutely. I love Ursula Le Guin's fantasy work, Stephen Donaldson's bores me, and I can't stand David Eddings'. But I've run more fantasy/mythical/historical games than anything else. I still find it the easiest type of setting to work with.

Yes, I think fantasy's the easiest to deal with, because so much of it is immediately familiar to people, whether they're new gamers or old.

But overall, postapocalyptic is the most versatile. You can have action, drama, comedy, stupidity, genius, building, destroying, it's lawful enough to restrain PCs from complete madness, but lawless enough that a few beatings and stabbings here and there will go unpunished, as PCs pretty much require... ;)

I do find I'm always coming back to fantasy, though. And that despite having perhaps only half a dozen fantasy books I've ever truly liked. The modern doorstopper trilogy books, I'm bored before I've even finished reading the blurb!

Quote from: JimBobOzYes, I think fantasy's the easiest to deal with, because so much of it is immediately familiar to people, whether they're new gamers or old.

Do you think?  Notwithstanding the massive success of the LotR trilogy, it isn't exactly a mainstream genre.  

Anyway, FWIW, I don't actually read that much fantasy.  I must be one of the few geeks on the planet that think Tolkein is overrated.  But I love a good fantasy game.  By contrast, I enjoy watching sci-fi, but don't often play sci-fi games.

My taste in RPGs is not all that similar to my taste in other media. I vastly prefer to read and watch scifi than fantasy, but fantasy is by far my genre of choice for RPGs.

I don't find fantasy fiction all that interesting, besides stuff like Tolkien, Howard, Dunsany, and perhaps not surprisingly, much of the "recommended reading" from the 1e AD&D DMG. I read scifi when I go for genre fiction, especially if we're talking about recently published books.

Besides that, I read a lot of fiction and nonfiction which simply wouldn't, or doesn't (in my opinion), translate well into RPG form - I really have no interest in gaming in a historical background, unless it was a short interlude in a larger campaign involving planes-hopping. I like detective fiction, especially stuff like Dashiell Hammett, but it's really more about the author's cleverness, style, and presentation, so I've never found detective-type RPGs interesting.

I like the idea of playing scifi RPGs, it's just that I haven't played one since probably my Classic Traveller heyday way way back. Maybe once I get my setting finished I've been working on for years...but I only work on that once in a blue moon.

Quote from: Tyberious FunkDo you think?  Notwithstanding the massive success of the LotR trilogy, it isn't exactly a mainstream genre.  

I think it is. Take a look at the section the next time you're in a bookstore. There are a lot of books being published in that area, it's very successful. Not as successful as cooking and gardening books, but hey, nothing is!

Just talk to people about these kinds of stories, the kid who grows up not knowing they're the heir to a kingdom, the blacksmith who grows up to slay a dragon, the party of brave heroes who must journey far from their homes to save the land - this stuff is deep down in our culture, the stories are familiar the first time you hear them.

Quote from: Tyberious FunkBy contrast, I enjoy watching sci-fi, but don't often play sci-fi games.

You don't play them, or don't want to? There's a difference!

Quote from: JimBobOzI think it is. Take a look at the section the next time you're in a bookstore.

I knew you'd take this stance.  :D Yeah, a typical bookstore has a pretty large selection of fantasy.  But it isn't often that a fantasy novel hits the best seller list.  It's a moot point, though.  Because Lord of the Rings (and Harry Potter if you consider it part of the genre) have thrust fantasy into the spotlight.  If a typical person didn't know about elves and dwarves before, they certainly should now!

QuoteYou don't play them, or don't want to? There's a difference!

I think that depends on what you consider sci-fi.  Hard core sci-fi?  Not really my bag.  Space opera?  Like Star Wars or Firefly? Bring it on!

Quote from: Tyberious FunkI knew you'd take this stance.  :D Yeah, a typical bookstore has a pretty large selection of fantasy.  

Why wouldn't I take this stance? What am I, talking to that drongo Luther from rpg.net? "I dislike the way the authour used facts in his argument."

Heaps of books in the bookstore, selling = widespread knowledge of topic.

Plus, like I said, it's basic to our culture. Jungian archetypes, the monomyth, all that shit.

Quote from: Tyberious FunkI think that depends on what you consider sci-fi.  Hard core sci-fi?  Not really my bag.  Space opera?  Like Star Wars or Firefly? Bring it on!

It's all sci-fi. So we'd say that in your case, your taste in other media overlaps your taste in roleplaying, but it's an overlap, not a perfect fit. If it were a perfect fit then you'd read more trashy fantasy rpgs, and you'd be waiting for the Dogs in the Vineyard movie to come out.

Quote from: JimBobOzWhy wouldn't I take this stance? What am I, talking to that drongo Luther from rpg.net? "I dislike the way the authour used facts in his argument."

Because this...

QuoteHeaps of books in the bookstore, selling = widespread knowledge of topic.

Is not a fact.  

There are many reasons why there would be heaps of fantasy books in a bookshop.  I worked in a bookshop for a number of years and we tried to keep a good selection of fantasy books because they sold well.  But they were being mostly purchased by the same half a dozen customers each time.  By comparison, I must have sold "Flowers in the Attic" to hundreds of different teenage girls.

We also used to maintain a HUGE selection of Mills and Boon romances.  And they sold like hot cakes.  But again, they were often being purchased by the same people each time (mostly bored, middle-aged housewives).

After the books are read, they pass on to the second-hand stores, where they're read by a wider selection of people.

But the real proof is, just mention any of the common themes of the stories to people, or the common plots, and see if they're nodding at how familiar it all is.

I'm interested in a couple of answers here:

QuoteOf course, I also read things completely outside the geekosphere, but that has very little to do with this thread.

QuoteFor my own pleasure reading I prefer German literature, or history books; Nearly next to no contemporary popular literature.

My question to the first respondent is: why do you feel this way? That is, why do you feel your reading outside the 'geekosphere' is unconnected to this thread?

My question to the second respondent is: you seem to feel there is a dichotomy between what you read 'for gaming purposes' and what you read 'for pleasure'? Why do you think you enjoy certain things in games but not in reading?

QuoteMy question to the second respondent is: you seem to feel there is a dichotomy between what you read 'for gaming purposes' and what you read 'for pleasure'? Why do you think you enjoy certain things in games but not in reading?

It´s fun to do stuff, even if it´s cliche or repetitive. Rolling for crits and destroying an enemy Battlemech is fun every time around, because the outcome is uncertain.

In cliche literature outcome and language are predictable and uninspiring.

As with RPG's, I get the feeling that my tastes in other media categories vary widely from most people's here.  I do read and enjoy some science fiction and fantasy books, but I don't dig into the big series because the quality drops off too quickly. I never read Stephen King, and most other horror novels bore the fuck out of me 5 pages in.

In tv science fiction, I loved Firefly, but hated Farscape. Liked Star Trek: TNG, but didn't Andromeda. Loved B5, but repeatedly turned off DS9.

In TV fantasy, I love Supernatural, Buffy, and Angel all pretty well, but cannot watch more than 3 minutes of Charmed without gagging on my own vomit.

On the other hand, I have played and loved several horror related games. I do love the Buffy and Angel games, and my current favorite game, WitchCraft reminds me in virtually every episode that I'm essentially looking at someone's rpg campaign being brought to screen.

The fact is that I saw my first science fiction show in 1975 on my 5th birthday when my father let me stay up until midnight to watch the "Miri" episode of Star Trek. From that moment 6 years before I saw my first copy of D&D, I was hooked on science fiction. Of course the next year, Star Frontiers utterly captured my attention, and there was no going back.

When I read non-gaing books, I read Terry Pratchet, which I guess is fantasy but it's more Parody. However I abhor just about all things fantasy, from Lord of the boRings to any book with a dragon and/or flaming sword on the cover. The only exception to this is Warhammer, I like the acthetic and the game world in general. I don't really like D&D (it's fun enough, but I'd rather play something else), but I play it to hang out with with my friends who enjoy it lots.

I like watching Horror movies, however I prefer my horror movies to be B grade and campy. I.e. Jason X, Bloodrayne, Toxic Avenger etc.. I love Zombies whichever way they come.

I like Sci-FI. Not all Sci-Fi, but mostly guys like Bradbury and Gibson (Semi-Hard?). I also dig Star Wars.

So, as far as my gaming habits go, the match up pretty well. I like to play really frightening WoD or AFMBE games, which is a little different from my viewing habits. I also like campy techy-Sci-Fi games like Star Wars D20 and Shadowrun. The only fantasy game I dig is Warhammer Fantasy, Ptolus is growing on me as a setting though:)