Ordinary vs Extraordinary

O'Borg · June 19, 2007, 04:12:33 AM

What do you prefer to play / run : extraordinary characters or ordinary characters who find themselves extraordinary situations?
By "extraordinary" I mean characters who, if they were an NPC, would stand out like a sore thumb amidst their peers.
Obviously in some games, every character is going to be far enough removed from the average to make this question moot

jeff37923 · June 19, 2007, 04:35:52 AM

I love the idea of the ordinary hero in the extraordinary situation. Probably one of the reasons why I like Traveller so much.

Drew · June 19, 2007, 04:45:16 AM

Both. I can't say that I have a preference one way or the other.

I find extraordinairy characters slightly more challenging to play, probably because I'm not a 7' demigod with a sword the size of a grown woman in real life. It's never stopped me deriving a huge amount of fun from the experience, though. Sometimes I want to play Herakles and shake the pillars of creation, other times I want my lisping pimp from Altdorf shitting himself with fear as the city watch walk by. It's the diversity of experience that's kept me interested in gaming for over 25 years.

Caesar Slaad · June 19, 2007, 05:36:29 AM

I don't know if my characters have to be extraordinary, but at the very least I like them to be thoroughly competant.

I grew ill of Call of Cthulhu style disempowerment a long time ago.

I love Traveller, love the "wanderers against a complex universe" thing. But I also expect my Traveller PCs to have a mix of skills that let them grapple with the problem decisively. Which is why I always preferred advanced style generation (and later MegaTraveller, which made basic characters as competant) more than basic LBB generation.

Jason Coplen · June 19, 2007, 07:12:16 AM

Both. Depends on my mood.

Kyle Aaron · June 19, 2007, 07:44:15 AM

I think we might want to be clear what "ordinary" means. So for example does Caesar Slaad's "thoroughly competent" mean "ordinary" or "extraordinary"?

There is "ordinary and useless" and "ordinary, just doesn't have k3w1 pw0rz." Most ordinary people are not useless, and they don't have k3w1 pw0rz. They are perhaps not thoroughly competent, but they're competent at something. Competence in one area in combination with courage and resilience can make an interesting character in an rpg. Being utterly useless is not much fun at all... well, good for a laugh for a session or two, but it gets old fast...

Sosthenes · June 19, 2007, 08:26:41 AM

I like it when _decisions_ make the characters stand out. Jebediah the guard might not be better-looking or better with a halberd than Ezekiel the guard, but he chose to go on an adventure - thus making him something special.
The usual RPG mechanisms award this, as most of the time you're advancing quicker than someone who stays at his desk job does.

I have no problems with those who want to prove themselves the fastest blaster in the galaxy. Except for one-shots (no pun intended), I don't particularly like it when characters start out that way. YMMV.

jrients · June 19, 2007, 08:46:10 AM

When making PCs I lean heavily toward Ordinary Bloke in Over His Head types, but every once in a while I will run the Myserious and Perhaps Emo Stranger With Pointy Ears and Weird Powers.

Sosthenes · June 19, 2007, 08:48:58 AM

"Emo"? Powergaming. Just a weird ruse to allow for a third ring slot by insisting on an additional "lip" slot.

beeber · June 19, 2007, 10:05:12 AM

both, depends on the mood and setting.

Settembrini · June 19, 2007, 10:18:40 AM

I´m all for "Bauergaming" aka playing ordinary people.

Mechwarrior and Traveller for the win!

David R · June 19, 2007, 10:22:14 AM

Jack Bauer is ordinary people ?

Regards,
David R

Caesar Slaad · June 19, 2007, 10:26:44 AM

Quote from: SettembriniI´m all for "Bauergaming" aka playing ordinary people.

Quote from: David RJack Bauer is ordinary people ?

I was going to say... the style I most immediately associate with the name Bauer is the same jack who consistently kicks ass and takes names, gets stabbed, tortured, and electrocuted and comes back for more.

That's the sort of Bauer-gaming I'm about. :cool:

Spycraft FTW!

Sosthenes · June 19, 2007, 10:30:02 AM

Baur-gaming?

David R · June 19, 2007, 10:41:16 AM

Quote from: Caesar SlaadI was going to say... the style I most immediately associate with the name Bauer is the same jack who consistently kicks ass and takes names, gets stabbed, tortured, and electrocuted and comes back for more.

That's the sort of Bauer-gaming I'm about. :cool:

Spycraft FTW!

Oh, okay cool. If it's that type of archtype personally I would go for John "okay Hans they get your point" Mcclane...I like my action heroes surviving bloody or bloody surviving :hehe:

Regards,
David R