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No love for the weird

Started by David R, October 23, 2006, 08:10:54 PM

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Maddman

#30
October 25, 2006, 01:09:01 PM
Quote from: Casey777Exalted's pretty damn weird in my book (Bronze Age of Heroes + China + Sumeria + Glorantha + anime + Heroin Pissing Dinosaurs + fantasy mecha + Fey +++) but has done quite well. The books look good, tie in with previous lines that had a large pre-existing fanbase, and have great distribution.

And from what I understand* it's reached Forgotten Realms levels of detailing out the setting and something of a metaplot. :eek: ;)

*only have 1st edition core+companion, a splat book, and a couple of the setting books

I think what makes Exalted work so well is that it has all those elements but it lets you focus on what you like and tone down the rest.  My Creation is all about Bronze age heroes and Sumeria, with the anime/mecha/dinosours toned down.  Mine is a game of Achillies and Odysseus, not Cloud and D.  Someone else may do the opposite, and it doesn't bother me at all.
I have a theory, it could be witches, some evil witches!
Which is ridiculous \'cause witches they were persecuted Wicca good and love the earth and women power and I'll be over here.
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blakkie

#31
October 25, 2006, 01:14:28 PM
Quote from: jrientsConan encounters a elephant god from another planet in one story.  That's pretty effin' weird, if you ask me.
Doesn't even bump the Weird needle for me. *shrug*
QuoteBut here's the trick: the story starts out in a stinking city of wretches and thieves.  One way to cross over into the phantasmagorical is to start firmly grounded and build from there into the uncanny.  Some settings seem to skip that first step.
You mean rugyanking the campaign setting midstream? OK, I suppose that's some wierdness. Or just annoying, one of those two.
"Because honestly? I have no idea what you do. None." - Pierce Inverarity

blakkie

#32
October 25, 2006, 01:27:00 PM
Quote from: David ROkay, this is a spin off thread from the WTF threads the Pundit started. Why is it there is no love for weird settings? A lot of the time the reasons given are various shades of the "I don't know what to do with it" or  "I can't relate to it" variety. Why is that?
I'm getting the impression that it's RPGPundit doing a version of "pick on the different kid". :(  Although I will say that it has generated some interesting discussion. So for pot stirring I give it a B+. :stirthepot:
"Because honestly? I have no idea what you do. None." - Pierce Inverarity

Casey777

#33
October 25, 2006, 01:37:56 PM
Quote from: MaddmanI think what makes Exalted work so well is that it has all those elements but it lets you focus on what you like and tone down the rest.

Please expand on this and perhaps why other settings don't. Offhand the latter might be the perception that you have to take the whole of a particular setting before even starting. That there's not a subset the GM can latch onto and use.

-E.

#34
October 25, 2006, 04:56:38 PM
Quote from: Casey777Exalted's pretty damn weird in my book (Bronze Age of Heroes + China + Sumeria + Glorantha + anime + Heroin Pissing Dinosaurs + fantasy mecha + Fey +++) but has done quite well. The books look good, tie in with previous lines that had a large pre-existing fanbase, and have great distribution.

And from what I understand* it's reached Forgotten Realms levels of detailing out the setting and something of a metaplot. :eek: ;)

*only have 1st edition core+companion, a splat book, and a couple of the setting books

Good point -- I played once, and found it *weird* (I never read the books, and it was explained to me as "high level fantasy" -- which I suppose isn't *incorrect*). Lots of fun, though, even if I never even made an attempt to "get" it (I delcared my character had amnesia, so I didn't need to know the difference between... Solars and... Lunars? I dunno... I'm an Exalted Illiterate).

Still, me excepted, lots of people find Exalted accessible... what makes it different from the wtfvilles? That it's modular? Are the other game settings resolutely not-modular?

Or is it that the component parts (dinosaurs aside) are reasonably familiar, even if post-blender, it's a complex world?

Cheers,
-E.
 

David R

#35
October 25, 2006, 08:34:45 PM
Does weird mean inaccessible?

Regards,
David R

Bradford C. Walker

#36
October 26, 2006, 10:11:16 AM
Quote from: David RDoes weird mean inaccessible?
More than that, "weird" = "can't be played cold and stupid".  The successful games allow you to do that.

Sosthenes

#37
October 26, 2006, 10:24:07 AM
Quote from: Bradford C. WalkerMore than that, "weird" = "can't be played cold and stupid".  The successful games allow you to do that.

There's a setting that doesn't allow you to do a dungeon crawl? Unpossible!
 

Casey777

#38
October 26, 2006, 01:47:06 PM
Quote from: Bradford C. WalkerMore than that, "weird" = "can't be played cold and stupid".  The successful games allow you to do that.

So RIFTS isn't weird? :confused: For that matter Runequest was successful back in the day.

David R

#39
October 26, 2006, 08:41:47 PM
Quote from: Bradford C. WalkerMore than that, "weird" = "can't be played cold and stupid".  The successful games allow you to do that.

No game can't be played. The question is whether the game leaves you cold and hence not wanting to run/play it. For some, most trad fantasy settings are pretty cold whereas some of the weirder settings warms them up pretty well.

What I was getting at, is that I think weird does not necessarily mean inaccesible.

Regards,
David R
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