I don't really have a point with these questions. Just thought it would be interesting to see how folks answer these questions  

What kind of games do you play now ?

What kind of games did you play before ?

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

Do the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?

Did theory influence you in any way?

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

Did any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

Do you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

Does your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

Regards,
David R

What kind of games do you play now ?

I like all kinds of games.  I play more boardgames than anything, because they take less time.

What kind of games did you play before ?

Before when?  When I was 10-17 I could play marathon 8+ hour D&D sessions -- I definitely don't have the time for that now.  I used to play more videogames than I do now as well.  I blame an RSI for breaking that habit.

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

I didn't think about it as much when I first started gaming.  I appreciate games with well designed rules that are fun to play -- so I guess I do think system matters.

Do the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

I think you'll take a game more or less seriously depending on who you're playing with.  Rather than blame the other players for not supporting the playstyle i want, I'd say the game should make if clear:  "this is the playstyle for this game" and then anyone who agrees to play the game buys into that, so no worries about the other players roadblocking the style of game you like.  If you're playing Risk, don't start crying if someone kills one of your armies.

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?

Playing a lot of different games -- especially CCGs, Boardgames, and Wargames has definitely influenced the type of games I like.  I used to think poorly of "power gamers" in RPGs and now if I find that sort of thing in a game disruptive I don't blame the players -- I blame the game.  I mean -- those players are just playing the game (as they understand it) really well.  If that's not what the game designer intended, the rules shouldn't support and/or encourage it.  If that's not what the other players want... the group might be playing the wrong game, or at least not all in agreement about how to play the game.

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?

Not so much.  More like my approach to games influences the forums I visit.

Did theory influence you in any way?

If by "theory" you mean Forge Theory et al.  No.  Not at all.

If you mean talking about game design and systems on a forum like this one, then yes.  For example -- during the development of my game I was influenced by everyone's enthusiasm for Armour as Damage Reduction so much that I revisited that section of my game and reworked in completely.  I'm much happier with how it works now.

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Not really.  More that I just found less and less time for really long game sessions, so the types of games I chose to play were changing.

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

They were playing the same games, so I think so.

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

I stopped playing traditional RPGs for quite a while, because they took more time than I had available and/or they were too dependent on having the "right" people to game with.  A lot of the other games I played continued to have RPG elements in them.

Did any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

I can't pinpoint a single thing, but things like My Barbarian, Board Game Geek, and moving house and opening up a box of gaming stuff from the 80s / 90s were all catalysts.

Do you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

Again, I don't think this is a problem with people, it's a problem with not being able to hold up some games and say -- "who wants to play THIS?" and having everyone know how you play that game.

Does your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

No.  I don't think this is a common thing outside a handful of message boards.  

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

Absolutely.  If you try to play Monopoly the same way you play Dogs in the Vineyard, there's something really, really wrong with you.

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

Is Palladium an indie game?  

No.  If I want to play D&D, I play D&D.  If I want to play Shadowrun, I play Shadowrun.  If I want to play something else, I play something else.  Trying to use a system developed for a Forge-style indie game (eg. My Life With Master) in a game designed with a completely different system (eg. D&D 3.x) seems like a very bad and counter-productive idea to me.

You'd be better to take the elements of both games that you like, make a new game, and then ask people -- "Who wants to play THIS?"

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?

I really dislike "Illusionism" because I think everyone at the table should understand the game they're playing, the rules of the game, the goals, what's cool, what's not... and illusionism can really disrespect that.  

After watching the D&D Experience I *really* dislike the playstyle of the creepy old GM.  I'm not sure what you call that, but that's so incredibly bad it really bothers me. :mad:

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

I think a game MUST encourage a particular playstyle.  A game encourages the playstyle that leads to winning that game.  If it doesn't encourage any playstyle at all... you're not playing a game.

The catch is that many RPGs are not "a game" but rather a system for creating a variety of different games, some common to all the players and some specific to individuals.  This can be a good thing - - everyone is playing the game they want to.  Tons of freedom. Whoo-Hoo.  This can be a bad thing - - the other players aren't playing the same game you are and that can affect the fun, challenge or even possibility of playing the game you want to.

What kind of games do you play now ?

Games in general?  I play everything from simple Euros to things like Memoir '44 to full-out-level-10-complexity wargames.

For RPGs in particular, I seem to concentrate on older games: AD&D, Traveller, FGU stuff.  Occasionally I'll try something more recent, but I always come back to my comfort zone.

What kind of games did you play before ?

Pretty much the same as the above, minus Euros.  Euros are a recent thing with me.

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

No. These days a bit more (we hates the WW-style dicepool!), but in general, no.

Do the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

Of course they influence how I play/GM.  We all adapt to one another's styles and try to give all of our playstyles a chance to come out in play.  Doesn't always come off in an ideal way, but roadblock?  No.

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?

Those old AD&D books and articles in ancient issues of Dragon.

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?

As far as being aware of other playstyles that people might have, yes.  Plenty of practical advice and inspiration has come from discussions on boards.

Did theory influence you in any way?

RGFA theory gave me terms for things I pretty much already knew instinctually.  That's about it.

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Once or twice, but I got over it.

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

What newfound outlook?

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

Yes.  Friends drifted away, it was tough to find new players in my area who weren't the kind of people I wanted to punch in the face (I was angry back then), people were getting into LARP and CCGs, etc.

Did any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

Actually, it was my getting back into wargames that spurred me to get back into gaming in general.  My playstyle hasn't changed, except maybe that I have a more mature outlook on things these days and run a game much better than I did.

Do you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

We work together, riffing off what the others do.  I really don't get the idea of discouraging playstyles, to be honest.  We have powergamers, role-players, passive types, "sim" types, wargame types...somehow we make it work and have fun.

Does your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

I think I'm the only one in either group I'm in that has even paid attention to "theory" discourse.  So no.

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

No.

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

Not really, but I'll steal anything that looks interesting.  The old Wimsy deck was probably the last sort of thing along those lines I adopted, and that was about seven years ago.

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?

No.  Everyone has fun in their own way, and as long as the person isn't being disruptive, they can play however they want.

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

I don't particularly like it, but some folks do.  So why not?

Quote from: David RI don't really have a point with these questions. Just thought it would be interesting to see how folks answer these questions  

What kind of games do you play now ?

Mostly RPGs. Computer games come a close second, boardgames a distant third.

QuoteWhat kind of games did you play before ?

The pattern's been fairly consistent for some years now. Before I went to university I didn't know many roleplayers and so RPGs trailed in third place.

QuoteDid system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

When I started, system mattered. Picking up a D20 and rolling to hit was pretty damn exciting.

At the moment, system matters. How can it not? As much as a good GM and players can circumvent a bad system, it's vastly preferable to have a good system you don't have to circumvent at all.

Somewhere in the middle, I was less interested in system. Maybe the Swine got to me, but I bought into the anti-"power gamer" rhetoric. (Swine terminology: "power gamer" = someone who understands how the rules of the game work.) Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

QuoteDo the people you game with, influence the way you play?

Sure, how can they not?

QuoteAre the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

No. I'm lucky: I know enough local gamers that I don't have to play with people whose styles clash horribly with mine.

QuoteDid any particular game influence your playstyle?

Not really.

QuoteDoes participating in forums influence your playstyle?

Only very, very rarely, when someone has managed to convince me that my position on something is wrong. It's unhealthy to let the internet influence you too much.

QuoteDid theory influence you in any way?

Theory discussions, yes. The theories themselves? Less so. A good theory discussion, in my view, is one which involves the participants really thinking about how they game and talking about their conclusions, and it's very useful to see different people's takes on things; the theories themselves tend to be brief summaries of what little consensus those discussions reached, and are less useful.

QuoteWas there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

In specific games, yes. Then I complained to the GMs and normally things were fixed. (I never raised theory in these complaints, though, I just talked about what I was finding obtrusive or dissatisfying. Then again, some aspects of theory have helped me to analyse the situation and work out why I wasn't enjoying it.) This was NOT, I stress, a conversion experience, this was just me finding that I wasn't enjoying the game.

In terms of gaming in general? No.

QuoteWere the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

I've never had any gaming conversion experiences.

QuoteDid you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

Not yet, after 12 years of participation. Sometimes I will lose interest in particular kinds of game (or even particular people), but I know a sufficient variety of people who enjoy a sufficient variety of games (traditional RPGs, story games, boardgames, CRPGs, MMORPGs, non-massively multiplayer online RPGs like Neverwinter Nights, etc) that there's always something to do.

QuoteDid any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

I never lost interest. As far as play preferences go, I've never "gone back" to an old style because my style doesn't change in nice discrete chunks - it's evolved gradually over the years. Suddenly going back to an old style would be unnatural for me. Occasionally the evolution does find its way back towards earlier styles, but normally with more nuances. Imagine a spiral staircase as opposed to a circle.

QuoteDo you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

I don't have a consistent gaming group, and nor does most of the players I know in my area. People put groups together for specific campaigns, the groups split up when the campaign is done. Why limit yourself to playing with the same four people year after year?

My extended circle of roleplaying acquaintances is so diverse that I can't meaningfully answer the question.

QuoteDoes your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

Some of them, sometimes.

QuoteDoes your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

Naturally. I wouldn't play Cthulhu like I would D&D, for example.

QuoteHave you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

All the time, especially if the game systems are remotely compatible. I use BRP material all the time in my A|State campaign.

QuoteDo some playstyles bother you? Why?

It irks me when people have an OOC aversion to PvP play - especially if they tend to play assholes IC.

QuoteDo you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

Depends on the game. Certainly, Cthulhu should encourage caution and Pendragon should encourage chivalry, they'd be fundamentally different games if they didn't.

Quote from: David RI don't really have a point with these questions. Just thought it would be interesting to see how folks answer these questions  

What kind of games do you play now ?

For RPGs, mostly my own, but also CoC, Ringworld, TMNT, Pendragon, nWoD, Iron Gauntlets, JAGS 2 and a few others.

Quote from: David RWhat kind of games did you play before ?

Before what? I started playing in November 1977, just after my 21st birthday. I ran a 20 year D&D/AD&D game mostly, but ran short games of Traveller, Ringworld, CoC, Bushido, and others, but my old group just wanted AD&D. I'm totally burned out on any kind of D&D now.    

Quote from: David RDid system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

Yes and yes. I ran Traveller soon after running my first D&D game, and was shocked at how much smoother it was. BRP really hit my personal gaming button - simple, smooth, and got out of the way.  

Quote from: David RDo the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

Now? Not at all. I brought every one of them into roleplaying myself.

Quote from: David RDid any particular game influence your playstyle?

Yeah - BRP and Traveller.

Quote from: David RDoes participating in forums influence your playstyle?

Nah - I'm too old and set in my ways.

Quote from: David RDid theory influence you in any way?

Pfft! I pay no attention.

Quote from: David RWas there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Not with games, but with groups. My old group only wanted to play AD&D. I didn't have any fun running it after a while. Finally, I broke it up and started a new group that was more open to new things.

Quote from: David RWere the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

See above.

Quote from: David RDid you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

No. I knew I wasn't having fun because I felt I was being forced to play somwthing other than what I wanted. It wasn't the game's fault.

Quote from: David RDid any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

Not applicable.

Quote from: David RDo you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

Oh, they love it, and encourage it by their wild and crazy play.

Quote from: David RDoes your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

No, they don;t talk about it much at all.

Quote from: David RDoes your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

Hmmm... a bit.

Quote from: David RHave you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

Most of my games are "indie" games, if you mean Small Press. I've read a few Forge-style games, but I don;t play them.

Quote from: David RDo some playstyles bother you? Why?

Too much metagame manipulation bothers me.

Quote from: David RDo you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

No, if you mean force. Yes if you mean suggest. If the rules to support one play style actively discourage other playstyles, that is the dividing line for me.

-clash

What kind of games do you play now ?

'Stupid' and 'retro' are the two words that immediately come to mind.  Also 'explodey'.

What kind of games did you play before ?

I went through a period of ubercrunchy HERO play in the 90's.  Before that it was stupid and explodey but a little less retro.

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

Yes and yes, but not as much now as then.

Do the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a roadblock to the kind of style you prefer?

Yes, the crowd I'm with can push my own play in different directions.  No, I only play with people who at least tolerate my approach to play.

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?

Yes.  If I had to choose one particular game as most influential it would be the 1981 Basic D&D rules that I started out with.

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?

It has.  When I hung out more on the Forge I attempted to run things in a more Forgey way.  When I was a regular on RPGnet I was influenced a lot by that board.  TheRPGsite doesn't influence me so much as it makes it easier to stake out my own personal way of running games.

Did theory influence you in any way?

Oh, yeah.  For all its ills, the GNS concepts of creative agendas and stances helped me understand what was going wrong in my 90s HERO group.

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Yeah.

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

Not so much.  They couldn't or wouldn't see the problem.

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

I went through a few years in the late nineties where I felt extremely alienated from the mainstream of the hobby.  I never lost interest in rpgs, but I felt like rpgs had lost interest in me.

Did any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

3E D&D got me back into gaming regularly.

Do you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

Everyone in my group at least accepts my playstyle as valid, some actively support it and have an overlapping style.

Does your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

Some do.  Others just show up and roll dice.

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

Yeah, I think it does.  I try to take serious games more seriously, for example.

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

Yes, I love that sort of cross-fertilization.

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?

"I'm the GM so here's what your character does" annoys the crap out of me.  But if some people dig it, more power to them.

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

I think it is okay to focus a game on one playstyle, but it is also okay to have a more wide open approach.

Firstly I know it's a long list of questions and thanks to all of you who have answered so far. Your responses have been very interesting

Secondly, I know how I've phrased the questions is pretty dodgy and unfocused. That's because I had a point before I posted but as the list grew, I kind of said, to hell with it, and just made up a list of questions regardless of context

But I have to say, the answers to the first two questions is working out pretty well. Define game however you like. It's all good man. It's pretty cool what this thread has come up with so far.

Regards,
David R

What kind of games do you play now?
I have been playing mainly Forgista games in the last few years.

What kind of games did you play before?
I've played a lot of games since I started in 1980. If you looked over my history you'd be able to see that I've been a big fan of Greg Stafford's stuff since early on. So I kind of progressed from RQ to Pendragon to HQ in my main line of development.

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?
I've always found the system to be of great importance, if only aesthetically.

Do the people you game with influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a roadblock to the kind of style you prefer?
Every group has slightly different dynamics, which naturally affect the way one plays. All of the people I'm playing with right now are interested in the things I'm interested in, but of course I picked them for that.

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?
All of them. Big ones would be RuneQuest, Pendragon and Sorcerer.

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?
I'm not sure. It makes me more aware of other peoples' concerns.

Did theory influence you in any way?
It makes me more aware of issues in play and design.

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...
Sure – probably more than one. I've recently written at the Forge about my experiences with a long-term game of RQ.

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?
Yes and no.

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?
I never have. I'm terminal.

Does your gaming group talk about the different playstyles out there ?
One or two of them do.

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?
Probably, though that would involve unpicking exactly what you mean by 'playstyle'.

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?
Yes, many ideas are portable.

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?
It never bothers me  that other people are having fun.

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?
Well, again I'm not 100% sure about what you mean. I like games that have a vision and follow it through. I like that in all my entertainment.

Droog said:

"Do some playstyles bother you? Why?"

"It never bothers me that other people are having fun."

That's a very good point. I was reading the question one way - that is "to play/run" - but you can read it the other way as well - "for existing." Like droog, I am always happy that others are having fun. I may have trouble with some playstyles in playing or running them, but that other people play things differently is no problem.

-clash

Quote from: David RWhat kind of games do you play now ?

Burning Wheel Revised, Risus, D6 Star Wars, and until recently, True20.

QuoteWhat kind of games did you play before ?

I assume you mean "in the days of wayback". So. . . AD&D 1e, AD&D 2e, AD&D 1e/2e hybrid, Shadowrun 1e, Shadowrun 2e, Palladium FRPG, D6 Star Wars, Hercules & Xena, Vampire: Dark Ages, and Wraith. Those were the main ones, anyhow.

QuoteDid system matter much you when you first started gaming?

Not at all, past finding the time to learn more than one system being a PITA.

QuoteDoes it matter now?

Not so much, but a bit depending upon the tone that I'm trying to capture in a given campaign.

QuoteDo the people you game with, influence the way you play?

Not so much (see below).

QuoteAre the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

No. They're all very willing to try new things and, in fact, some of them insist that I introduce them to new things to try.

QuoteDid any particular game influence your playstyle?

Several, though I think that D6 Star Wars and The Window had the most profound influence.

QuoteDoes participating in forums influence your playstyle?

Over the long term, yes. Over the short term, no.

QuoteDid theory influence you in any way?

Yes, though mostly in a negative way. I started taking games and gaming too seriously, rather than simply getting down with actual play.

QuoteWas there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Yes. Last fall. I forget when exactly.

QuoteWere the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

I wasn't playing at the time, just scrutinizing and dissecting. As I think tends to be true of many self-proclaimed "serious" theorists.

QuoteDid you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

One too many encounters with fans of the personality cult variety.

QuoteDid any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

C&C was the game that broguth me back to the table and it ws, for the most part, all about killing things and taking stuff. Pure escapism and player empowerment.

QuoteDo you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

I'm blessed. They seem to be indifferent, so long as they're playing a game and havign fun.

QuoteDoes your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

Briefly, but not at length.

QuoteDoes your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

Yes.

QuoteHave you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

For me, this works both ways. I find neat things in many different games.

QuoteDo some playstyles bother you? Why?

Just one, and it's arguably nt a RPG playstyle. I hate the folks who totally disconnect from their character and treat said character as nothing more than a game token.

I mean, if you're goign to go that route, what does an RPG offer that a game of chess or a mundane boardgame doesn't do better? Tactics? If that's the case, why not pick up a full-fledged wargame? They're arguably better with the tactics than any RPG is.

QuoteDo you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

Do I think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? No. But if they do, I won't hold it against the game (that said, if it's a playstyle I have no interest in at the time, I won't play said game, either).

What kind of games do you play now ?

True20, but I'm pretty sure hollow Earth Expidition will be under the treee

What kind of games did you play before ?

Earthdawn in the early mid 90's and then homebrew until the late ninties, after that we took a few years (like 5) off. My best friend and I always make these decisions in tandem for some reason. He will usually go my way, though, if we have a split opinion.

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

Yeah system has always mattered, but it's different now. We used to be really into hombrew as I mentioned because we could tailor it in any way we wanted, but, somehow, that got old. I like trying new stuff; and new games are always full of fun (and sometimes not so fun) surprises. We are a hardcore rules light pair.

Do the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a raodblock to the kind of style you prefer?

the people I play with always have some impact, becuase as a GM I see my primary job as making sure they have a good time.

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?


Earthdawn was a real breakthrough campaign for us- our experiance with it was so good that we really couldn't get into anything else afterward, which is what ultimately led to the haitus.

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?

Not even a little.

Did theory influence you in any way?

Nope

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

Post Earthdawn

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

Some were, one guy in particular went insane when we closed down our game- which is funny because he pretty much killed it just as everyone else was starting to get into it.

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

This comes back to ED again. We had an epic save the world type campaign, and when it was over a lot of the magic was gone.

Did any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

I got the itch to play again late last year as the spring semster was winding down. I bought some games, Conan, True20, M&M2e and dug out the D&D 3.0 books I had- which I bought as they were realeased. Out of all of them True20 really got my attention. Conan was a close second, though.
All these games had feats, which were very much like talents in ED, but handled somewhat better. i like feats. Anyway, the first night I had True20 I made a character based on a preconcieved notion. It took five minutes. Rock! I thought the damage track was cool too. I went out and bought a second copy for my friend, and we started the pulp campaign several days later. Right now were also dong a fantasy campaign with it. anyway i loved it right from the start.
Our style hasn't changed so much as matured. Not that our games are mature, it's just that stuff blows up with more refinement now.

Do you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

Encourage

Does your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?
no.

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?
not so much, but a little. I wouldn't run CofC the same way I run my True20 pulp game, but my fingerprints would still be all over it.

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

I have never played an indie game.

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?

Yeah. I don't like anti combat soap operea stuff, or attempts at gritty realism

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?
No. It is an excercise in futility. People are going to play the way they want.


Whew, that was worse than the GRE.

Quote from: AosWhew, that was worse than the GRE.

Sorry about that (BTW what is GRE?)

The part in your response about your hiatus after an esp rockin' campaign of Earthdawn is pretty interesting. I think that's a very common situation some gamers find themselves in.

Regards,
David R

Quote from: David RSorry about that (BTW what is GRE?)

The part in your response about your hiatus after an esp rockin' campaign of Earthdawn is pretty interesting. I think that's a very common situation some gamers find themselves in.

Regards,
David R

Graduate Records Examination- it's a test you have to take to get into graduate school here in the states. I took it at the beginning of December, someday I'll recover.

What kind of games do you play now ?

Lots.  It tends to be board/card games a lot these days just due to the time component but I'm playing a semi-regular Etherscope (an excellent OGL setting) campaign online and a semi-irregular Burning Empires campaign IRL.  I've got lots of new games to try out as well (hippy games I'm afraid), most of which should hopefully see some play over the next 2 or 3 months.

What kind of games did you play before ?

I used to pay a lot of computer/console games but find myself without the time to do so these days.  I also, historically, played D&D for a good few years but have moved towards somewhat more rules-lite systems of late.  I've also played Lot5R, Arrowflight, CoC, Exalted and various other games.

Did system matter much you when you first started gaming? Does it matter now?

Not really when I first started.  I've got no problems learning a new system and, as long as it isn't busted, I find that any given system can do a reasonable job with almost any given setting.  I would say, however, that I've since come to appreciate a well crafted ruleset designed with the specific setting/genre/whatever in mind and think that such a thing certainly can aid a game, although it isn't necessarily essential.

Do the people you game with, influence the way you play? Are the people you are playing with now, a roadblock to the kind of style you prefer?

I think that I'd be lying if I said that they didn't.  Afterall, in any social, interactive situation the people around you influence they way you yourself behave.  I think that the people that I game with have certainly influenced my move towards more rules-lite, low-prep, 'hippy' games and I certainly don't see that as a roadblock, indeed that's far more what I'm looking for out of an RPG, I'm not massively into gaming the system most of the time (although enjoy indulging at times, as my FR spiked chain wielding fighter can attest!)

Did any particular game influence your playstyle?

3rd Ed D&D did initially as that was what first got me into the hobby (yes, I'm quite new to this, all things considered) and, since then, I would say that some of my other big influences have been Lot5R 1st Ed, Nobilis and Exalted.

Does participating in forums influence your playstyle?

That's difficult to analyse.  Forum participation has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of different games that I probably wouldn't have heard of otherwise and I would say that some of those games have influenced my playstyle and wants out of the hobby (Polaris certainly comes under this category.)  I don't know that anything that anyone has said on this or other forums has particularly made me go 'well, shit, I've been playing wrong, I'll try it that way from now on!' though.

Did theory influence you in any way?

Only insomuch as I like some of the games that have, supposedly, been crafted using theory as a basis for their design.  Past that I'd have had to actually read any of the theory for it to have influenced me!

Was there a specific moment when you said, "this is not working, I'm not having any fun, something's got to change" or something like that...

In short, no.  Sure, there have been individual sessions that haven't worked too well now and again and I've come to the conclusion that D&D (or more genrally d20) doesn't work too well over irc (or any equivalent) as it bogs down and moves far too slowly but specific moments?  No.

Were the people you were playing with at the time, supportive of your new found outlook?

N/A

Did you ever lose interest in rpgs? Why?

I've never lost interest in rpgs as a whole although my interest has waxed and waned quite etensively.  It tends to wane when I'm not getting to play much (and then only online) and am generally low on free time, simply because i can't work up the motivation during those periods.  I have never, though, stopped being interested in rpgs or stopped wanting to play since I first got into the hobby.

Did any particular game revive your interest and did you go back to your old style or was it something different?

I think that the current crop of small press games have done a lot to rekindle my interest aftyer a bit of a fallow period (I never totally lost interest, I just found it waning, as I say).  I can't point to any specific game, just the genral movement towards smaller, lower prep games with less work heaped on the GM's shoulders.  This has a lot to do with my current situation mind; my RL group consists of myself, my 14 year old son and a uni friend and none of us enjoy GMing.  So, the move towards GM-lite games has been kinda inevitable (and the fact that there are more games coming out of the small press scene these days that swing that way is why it's been a more recent resurgance in interest on my part.)

Do you think your gaming group encourages the kind of playstyle you want or are they indifferent to it or actively discourage your desired playstyle?

Oh I think that the 3 of us are on a similar wavelength when it comes to playing.  It's just hard to find someone to GM!  My son is still finding his feet mind; gaining the confidence, ability and vocabulary to do more IC work and gaining the skills to frame scenes himself and take the initiative. Still, he's getting there and he certainly seems to have fun!

Does your gaming group, talk about the different playstyles out there ?

Myself and said uni friend do from time to time, something that has continued to push us towards the smaller press games in many conversations.  However it's not a regular thing, when we talk it's normally only tangentially related to gaming, if at all.

Does your playstyle change according to the kind of game you are playing?

~Shrugs~  This is all far too self-analytical .  I would assume so, if nothing else because different rule sets allow (and can even require) different levels of detail of tactical thought.  Certainly I think that my playstyle was far more gung-ho, kill 'em and take their stuff when playing D&D than when playing, say, Lot5R or, even moreso, Nobilis.

Have you found that after playing one type of game - say an indie game - you bring over ideas/elements etc that you used in the indie game, to your more mainstream regular games?

I've not noticed anything specific but I would assume so.  I can't imagine playing something as singular as Polaris not having an effect on my style when playing Etherscope later in the week.  Having said that I do try to keep things separate from game to game and think that I'm reasonably successful in doing so.

Do some playstyles bother you? Why?

Ones where a player attempts to hog all of the limelight all of the time or where people are desperate to be railroaded and told what to do by the GM.  That pisses me off no end.

Do you think a game should encourage a particular playstyle? Yes/No why?

I think that it depends very much on the game.  Certainly it seems like a plan in games with a very narrow focus that are designed around a particular playstyle.  In fact it would seem stupid to not encourage said playstyle in such a case!  However, for a much broader game then I think that it is probably a mistake to encourage certain playstyles over others.  That way lies people getting pissed off that the game is rewarding some players at the table more than them, even if both people are putting in equal amounts of effort, just in different ways.

Hey folks, Kiero has posted these questions over at :

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=302789

I'm hoping as more folks post their replies we may discover a general trend in some of the answers.

Regards,
David R