Sporting Role Playing Games

noisms · September 07, 2008, 10:42:47 AM

Quote from: TonyLB;245357I'll admit to some surprise that the genre is so under-represented. I don't leap to the conclusion that geeks are averse to sports, but I'd sorta like to be handed a more likely explanation, so that the unflattering one didn't keep buzzing around my head.

I think it is the elephant in the room when it comes to this discussion. It's inexcapably true that lots of geeks feel antagonistic towards sport for various obvious reasons.

But sport is my favourite thing in the world, just about, so I find it unnatural that there should be no crossover with one of my other favourite things, rpgs.

Omega · October 25, 2024, 02:19:40 AM

The Battletech RPG had a set that included playing the mech arena sport on Solaris.

TSR's Marvel Superheroes could do it too. Its pretty much a be anything system.

HappyDaze · October 25, 2024, 04:02:16 AM

Quote from: Omega on October 25, 2024, 02:19:40 AMThe Battletech RPG had a set that included playing the mech arena sport on Solaris.

Those "high-resolution" Solaris rules also work great for playing out Clan Trials involving a very small number of combatants.

S'mon · October 25, 2024, 04:31:53 AM

I think gladiator team sports like the old 2000AD comic strip Mean Arena probably work best for this, if you're doing a traditional RPG rules game set up. The possibility of losing the PC creates a certain tension you wouldn't get in a real sport. And it gives a reason for PCs to work together.

My experience though is that some concepts don't work as well for a traditional RPG campaign as they do in other media. Large scale warfare is one. I think sports is likely another.

David Johansen · October 25, 2024, 11:35:23 PM

Quote from: flyingmice on September 05, 2008, 08:39:15 AM
Quote from: Nicephorus;244612You could probably adapt some aspects of Clash's rules from In Harm's Way and others. It has rules for troupe play to run a unit or crew that could be adapted to a team.

Don't think I haven't thought of this. There's an IHW: Tools of Ignorance* game floating around in my brain that will some day come out - I have a lot of ideas for this, stuff like collecting stats in play and a gradual shift in playing from lifetime stats to current stats as the year progresses - in other words the year starts entirely based on what your character did before. As the season wears on, though, it becomes more and more based on what you are doing this year. I also have some neat ideas on abstracting individual games to one or two nexus points that you actually play out.

One of these days!

-clash

*The Tools of Ignorance is the mocking name given to the catcher's gear - chest and shin pads, mask, helmet, and glove. The term is mocking because usually the catcher is the smartest guy on the team, but you'd have to be an idiot to choose to have some whacko throw baseballs at you at 95 mph.

Clash actually did get this out so it's available somewhere.

Krazz · October 26, 2024, 01:30:05 PM

I've not played it, so can't recommend for or against, but there's a PBTA RPG called Varsity:

https://tabletopatelier.itch.io/varsity

Cathode Ray · October 26, 2024, 02:47:02 PM

There's a baseball-themed RPG out there, but the creator also made a pro-communism game that promotes real-life (not just RPG) violence in the name of Marxist revolution.

rkhigdon · October 26, 2024, 03:01:12 PM

Quote from: Cathode Ray on October 26, 2024, 02:47:02 PMThere's a baseball-themed RPG out there, but the creator also made a pro-communism game that promotes real-life (not just RPG) violence in the name of Marxist revolution.

That would be Deadball from WM Akers, although it's not really an RPG but a dice and chart Baseball game similar to Strat-O-Matic or APBA.

David Johansen · October 26, 2024, 06:14:08 PM

I was thinking it would be a stretch to call Cold Space pro-communist.

Cathode Ray · October 27, 2024, 05:39:03 AM

Quote from: David Johansen on October 26, 2024, 06:14:08 PMI was thinking it would be a stretch to call Cold Space pro-communist.

I don't know if you're teasing, but the the game I alluded to is got identified in the post above yours.

David Johansen · October 28, 2024, 12:11:48 AM

Of course, I'm teasing.