One hour...

I call bullshit...

There's absolutely no reason for an introductory RPG to feature a one hour play time.

Interesting how Go and Chess and boardgames are brought up as examples - seeing as how none of them are RPG's...

Did someone get to you Tony? What happened to you in your absence?

No non-civil argument in this thread!

Seriously, the 'role-playing games' section gives more than enough opportunity for people to vent.

Quote from: TonyLBIt would be really nice if you could get a group, sit them down, and be playing within ten minutes ... then be done by the time an hour was up ...

You could call it "Dungeons that Don't Drag On" :haw:

Quote from: James J SkachThere's absolutely no reason for an introductory RPG to feature a one hour play time.

There's no reason that they must.  But I think it'd be a cool feature.  It's easier to get people to sit down for "Hey, let's play this game, it'll take about an hour, and then if we want to do something else we'll do something else," than "Hey, let's dedicate the rest of this evening, until the wee hours, to this game ... I promise, it'll be cool!"

A longer play-time is just a higher bar, in terms of how much you need to convince people.  You're asking them to invest more of their life.

I think Tony's idea is terrible. Sorry, Tony. Not because of the one-hour play time, but because it's a completely plotted out, railroaded story.

I'd look more to the idea of using RPG mechanics as the resolution system within a larger "game scenario". The exact game framework could vary; it might be something like a card game with Milles Bornes-like mechanics, or it could be a hex-cum-paragraph deal like Barbarian Prince or (a much simplified) Source of the Nile.

Quote from: Elliot WilenI think Tony's idea is terrible. Sorry, Tony. Not because of the one-hour play time, but because it's a completely plotted out, railroaded story.

I'd look more to the idea of using RPG mechanics as the resolution system within a larger "game scenario". The exact game framework could vary; it might be something like a card game with Milles Bornes-like mechanics, or it could be a hex-cum-paragraph deal like Barbarian Prince or (a much simplified) Source of the Nile.

I like your idea, but I don't think Tony's talking about having a railroaded story. I got the impression that he meant a game where, within an hour, the characters will have used up all their spells/hit points/powers/Luck, so that they'll have either completed the mission or died.

What's Milles Bornes by the way?

hmm, I think a good idea for a starter game would be:

- Playable in one night. Not tied to it but one or two nights tops.

-Pregenned characters with rules for char gen included. Essentially, a means to look over a selection, and if you have the motivation, go on an make your own.

-Complete rules in a 1-2 hours read, shorter if possible.

-engaging setting that builds on common tropes of a genre. Crime drama, sci-fi that is commonly known, fantasy that is commonly known...

-Complete adventure with pointers and alternatives for the GM.

-Color maps that engage the players and gms as well.

-affordable format that is easy to impulse buy or place at the register for POS purchasing.

Man, someone should make a game like that.

Bill

Quote from: Age of FableWhat's Milles Bornes by the way?

It's a themed card game where you race cars. Essentially the cards allow you to strategically move along the "race" or cause bad things to happen to the other player, such as a flat tire. Other cards can be played to recover or protect yourself from bad stuff.

Essentially I'd look to something like a card-driven game (see also We the People and its successors) where the cards provide a framework for play and help to channel some of the decisions that are usually left up to GM judgment or more complex calculations, but many actions are resolved by resorting to the RPG mechanics. It might or might not be adversarial (i.e., have a player who's "the bad guy").

After this introductory form, you then tell players that a GM can be slotted in to replace the cards and provide a more flexible structure.

Quote from: Age of FableWhat's Milles Bornes by the way?

Wikipedia has a pretty comprehensive article on it here.

Side point:

I'd like to see a game that treated play-by-post as a 'proper' way to play along with playing face-to-face.

It might help to answer the question of 'what if I don't know anyone who's interested?'.

Quote from: Age of FableI like your idea, but I don't think Tony's talking about having a railroaded story. I got the impression that he meant a game where, within an hour, the characters will have used up all their spells/hit points/powers/Luck, so that they'll have either completed the mission or died.

Actually, given that this is a "What do you want?" thread, I was mostly talking about a game that runs in an hour ... however that's accomplished.

But then we got into all the follow-on questions of "How would you do that?" and I tried to give examples of how it might be done.  Not my main point, though.  My main point is more like "I think it would be nice if you could play an RPG with the same (small and easy) commitment of time that a board or card game requires."

Quote from: Age of FableSide point:

I'd like to see a game that treated play-by-post as a 'proper' way to play along with playing face-to-face.

It might help to answer the question of 'what if I don't know anyone who's interested?'.

I knew a guy who was working on a game like this for Black Adder(sp?). He was quite excited about it.

Bill

Quote from: Elliot WilenEssentially I'd look to something like a card-driven game (see also We the People and its successors) where the cards provide a framework for play and help to channel some of the decisions that are usually left up to GM judgment or more complex calculations, but many actions are resolved by resorting to the RPG mechanics. It might or might not be adversarial (i.e., have a player who's "the bad guy").

Can you give an example of what the cards might do?

Quote from: HinterWeltMan, someone should make a game like that.

I don't think that I could make a game like that, but I do think that I could make one tenth of a game like that. Find nine people in the same position and the game might get made.

Part of the reason I started this thread was because there are lots of people on this forum who are saying that Wizards of the Coast is doing it wrong, and (by implication) that they know how to do it right. I wanted to see whether that was just venting on the internet, or whether it could be turned into something constructive.

Quote from: Age of FableI don't think that I could make a game like that, but I do think that I could make one tenth of a game like that. Find nine people in the same position and the game might get made.

Part of the reason I started this thread was because there are lots of people on this forum who are saying that Wizards of the Coast is doing it wrong, and (by implication) that they know how to do it right. I wanted to see whether that was just venting on the internet, or whether it could be turned into something constructive.

PM me an email if you are interested but Squirrel Attack! is based on this approach. I will send you a comp copy of the PDF.

Bill