[Hot War] is awesome

Malcolm Craig · June 30, 2010, 07:44:15 PM

Quote from: Peregrin;390970Anywho, to get back on topic, just got my PDFs, and I like what I'm reading so far. Very evocative settings (especially so because of the time periods chosen), and the mechanics seem nifty (though I'll reserve final judgment till I can force my group to sit down and play a few sessions ).

The 'Zone of Alienation' definitely reminds me of Roadside Picnic/Stalker/Shadow of Chernobyl, just in England instead of Ukraine.

Spot on. The Zone of Alienation is very much an analogue of the Chernobyl exclusion zone (the very name itself is exactly the same) and a respectful homage to Stalker/Roadside Picnic.

Cheers
Malcolm

RPGPundit · June 30, 2010, 11:49:12 PM

Quote from: Roger Calver;390849OK I'll bite as well.

What gives you the right to decide that your view of what is or not a RPG is correct ?
Thats break this down to its very core here, what is a RPG ?
Take away the rules/system/mechanics and whats left in any RPG ?, well that to me is simple a "story" and a story that is told by the interactions of both the GM and players.
You can take a game and play the session as a adhoc LRP and I have done so myself.

Rog.

No, that's not "a story", the point of that isn't "let's make a story", its "let's play pretend". When kids do it, their goal isn't to make a story, its to play a role. Likewise, in RPGs, any "story" that happens is a completely coincidental byproduct of a method that is NOT DESIGNED to tell good stories. Quite the opposite, the RPG is designed to simulate a virtual reality, not to read like a novel.

No matter how much some people want it to be to the contrary.

RPGPundit

RPGPundit · June 30, 2010, 11:52:15 PM

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;390886Why on earth don't you give the game the benefit of the doubt? How would you feel if someone did this to your game? It's just petulance.

I would not expect the Forge or Storygames forums to give my games the benefit of the doubt and assume they're storygames until proven otherwise, that's just silly.

RPGPundit

RPGPundit · June 30, 2010, 11:54:25 PM

Quote from: Roger Calver;390903This is the thread title for the RPG sectionof this board.

"Roleplaying Games (RPGs)
For discussion of traditional pen-and-paper roleplaying games and anything related to their game mechanics and settings, as well as industry events and gossip."

So as Hot War has a setting and mechanics how or why isnt it in the RPG section ?
It is also a tradition pen-and-paper RPG, you have dice to roll and paper to write on for PC's, NPC's etc.
So by your own thread titles it MUST be included or you are just picking your own battles at the expense of the forum and its memership.

Rog.

Other Games
For discussion of all other games, including story-games, miniatures, board, card, computer, and video.

So yeah, the question is if its a story game. The philosophy of this site, clearly spelled out in several places, is that games that are Story Games are NOT RPGs. A thread about The Mountain Witch or My Life With Master or Dogs in the Vinyard would all belong on this subforum, as they are not RPGs.
The only real question is whether Hot War is an RPG.

RPGpundit

RPGPundit · June 30, 2010, 11:56:33 PM

Quote from: Roger Calver;390939So if a poll was cast asking where Hot War should be would Pundit move or leave it based on the results ?
In other words is this forum a Democracy or a dictatorship ?

This forum is not a democracy, it never has been. It is a civil dictatorship like that of Rome under Vespasian.
What will move the game back to the main RPG forum is if I personally am convinced that I acted in haste and Hot War is actually an RPG.

RPGpundit

RPGPundit · June 30, 2010, 11:59:05 PM

Quote from: Roger Calver;390945Actually to get this thread backto the OP can I ask an admin to split this into two seperate threads please ?

It is not our policy to go around splitting up threads per se; but what I would propose is this: from here on in, discussions about my policies or theRPGsite's policies (and the attempts to argue in defense of Hot War being an RPG) should go to a thread in my subforum, and on this thread (or a new one, if people prefer) the discussion about Hot War's qualities as a game can continue to be discussed.

So for my part, I'm not going to continue answering things here.
If people want to continue to discuss with me, someone should start a thread about this subject on the RPGPundit's Forum.

RPGPundit

Peregrin · July 01, 2010, 01:02:44 AM

Quote from: Malcolm Craig;390986Spot on. The Zone of Alienation is very much an analogue of the Chernobyl exclusion zone (the very name itself is exactly the same) and a respectful homage to Stalker/Roadside Picnic.

Cheers
Malcolm

If I had read a little further I would've seen that you list Stalker in the mediagrophy. Doh.

Really though, props for putting the Zone in there. It's a concept I've been wanting to see done in tabletop for a while now, and having it in Hot War gives me a great excuse to use it at the table.

My brother's only done a brief stint with RPGs with some of his friends, but he's really into Eastern European post-apoc literature like Roadside and Metro 2033 -- I might be able to get him to sit at the table again if I let him look over Hot War.

Ghost Whistler · July 01, 2010, 03:28:03 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;391026This forum is not a democracy, it never has been. It is a civil dictatorship like that of Rome under Vespasian.
What will move the game back to the main RPG forum is if I personally am convinced that I acted in haste and Hot War is actually an RPG.

RPGpundit

You really have lost the plot.

Roger Calver · July 01, 2010, 09:12:00 AM

As requested Ive opened a thread in your subforum.

Malcolm Craig · July 01, 2010, 11:54:17 AM

Quote from: Peregrin;391036If I had read a little further I would've seen that you list Stalker in the mediagrophy. Doh.

Really though, props for putting the Zone in there. It's a concept I've been wanting to see done in tabletop for a while now, and having it in Hot War gives me a great excuse to use it at the table.

My brother's only done a brief stint with RPGs with some of his friends, but he's really into Eastern European post-apoc literature like Roadside and Metro 2033 -- I might be able to get him to sit at the table again if I let him look over Hot War.

I'd be really interested to hear how you use the Zone in play. It's one of the deliberately ambiguous things that groups really could make their mark on. Actually, in the upcoming first issue of the Hot War Transmission, the pre-created game situation revolves around dust that was been brought back from the Zone. It presents one interpretation of what the Zone might be and what it might do.

Oh, and if your brother is into that kind of Eastern European fiction, I'd recommend The Slynx by Tatyana Tolstaya (if he hasn't read it already). Very odd, but worthwhile.

Cheers
Malcolm

Ghost Whistler · July 05, 2010, 04:17:56 AM

Why the fuck is this thread still in the wrong forum?

Benoist · July 10, 2010, 12:08:08 AM

Quote from: Roger Calver;390849What gives you the right to decide that your view of what is or not a RPG is correct ?

Being a gamer.

Quote from: Roger Calver;390849Thats break this down to its very core here, what is a RPG ?
Take away the rules/system/mechanics and whats left in any RPG ?, well that to me is simple a "story" and a story that is told by the interactions of both the GM and players.

No.

http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=17329

Malcolm Craig · July 12, 2010, 09:59:37 AM

Oh, as I mentioned up-thread, we've been working on a new quarterly mini-supplement for Hot War. Well, the first, full colour 36 page issue is now available to download for free! There's more about it here.

Cheers
Malcolm

Jason Morningstar · July 12, 2010, 10:14:40 AM

Holy crap, Malcolm, that's fantastic. I am digging the Quartermass stuff.

This adds a ton of value to Hot War - well done.

crkrueger · July 13, 2010, 05:54:22 PM

I'll definitely get these at some point just for the read and the setting, but I definitely won't use that type of system with it.

As to whether it's an RPG or not, I haven't read it, but it sure sounds from the description that the game comes down more on the side of player viewpoint, agenda, and intent, rather then character viewpoint, agenda and intent.

That, to me is a storygame. Yes storygames include roleplaying elements, that doesn't define them as an RPG.