Which of these two types makes an easier conversion?:

Miniatures gamers switching to Role Playing Games

-OR-

Role Playing Gamers switching to Miniatures gaming ?


Because of my comment in another thread I thought of this.

 Also Its a noticeable phenomena that its easier for a comedy actor to do drama than it is for a serious Drama actor to do Comedy.

What the gaming world equivalent of that idea?

- Ed C.

Quote from: Koltar;389194Which of these two types makes an easier conversion?:

Miniatures gamers switching to Role Playing Games

-OR-

Role Playing Gamers switching to Miniatures gaming ?


Because of my commenbt in another thread I thought of this.

 Also Its a noticeable phenomena that its easier for a comedy actor to do drama than it is for a serious Drama actor to do Comedy.

What the gaming world equivalent of that idea?

- Ed C.

I don't think they're so far removed as there to be an issue of conversion.  I played mini games from the late nineties to early 2000s; there wasn't really an rpg community in the town I was living in, but there were wargamers.  I missed the RP, but didn't feel like it was a huge conversion from what I had been doing.  

There did seem to be significantly more booze consumption...

Quote from: Koltar;389194Which of these two types makes an easier conversion?:

Miniatures gamers switching to Role Playing Games

-OR-

Role Playing Gamers switching to Miniatures gaming ?

I suspect that entirely depends on the type of people we're talking about.

Quote from: Benoist;389203I suspect that entirely depends on the type of people we're talking about.

*This*

Quote from: Benoist;389203I suspect that entirely depends on the type of people we're talking about.

Yeah.

For me, minis games feel comparatively more hollow.  But I've personally known a few HeroClix players who could NEVER be "geeky enough" to play RPGs.

Quote from: Benoist;389203I suspect that entirely depends on the type of people we're talking about.

Think about it some more then.

 What makes MINIS gamers different from gamers who prefer RPGs?

 Where do they overlap in interest?

I think there are very much two different types involved here.


- Ed C.

Quote from: Koltar;389219Think about it some more then.

I've played in minis games. RPGs back in the day with miniatures, then without. Then narrativist WoD. 3rd ed without minis, then minis-heavy, then back and forth in my Ptolus campaign. When I use miniatures, it might be Dwarven Forge, or Tact Tiles, when not, it might be a sheet of paper with marks on it, or nothing at all. I think I've got a fairly good sample of various types of scenarios in this case.

So, in my experience, hardcore role players have a harder time going for miniatures than miniatures gamers to go for mini-less role playing. There are many exceptions though, including hardcore RPers playing Blood Bowl, HeroQuest and/or Space Hulk back in the day, or my most recent RPing group which started by using miniatures every game to transition to mostly-without. And in any case, I would call my experience anecdotal at best, because "upbringings" and practices seem to vary -a lot-.

Really, I suspect it's all about particular cases, and how one is first introduced to one or the other, whether they practice both at the same time, though in unrelated venues, whether they shift back and forth in using minis during RPG sessions or not, etc.

I'm a gamer and most of my friends are gamers.   This means we play games, not just RPGs.  So we are equally happy playing D&D, Arkham Horror, Mage Knight or Mordheim.   In my groups, the GM is always welcome to say "tough week, no RPG, let's break out Warhammer Quest" and everyone goes "fuck yeah!"

And we roleplay Warhammer Quest as ferociously as any other RPG.  My old Warhammer Battles group had a few hardcore setting guys and they would color narrate all the battles which rocked.

The minis-only players I've met are about the competition and the tactics.  For them, gaming is the battlefield manuevers, the painting of minis and the visual pageantry of a really kickass army among cool terrain.  

The RPG-only players I've met don't enjoy competitive play or tactics.  They also tend to want a faster play experience than most minis games offer.

Quote from: Spinachcat;389392I'm a gamer and most of my friends are gamers.   This means we play games, not just RPGs.  So we are equally happy playing D&D, Arkham Horror, Mage Knight or Mordheim.   In my groups, the GM is always welcome to say "tough week, no RPG, let's break out Warhammer Quest" and everyone goes "fuck yeah!"

And we roleplay Warhammer Quest as ferociously as any other RPG.  My old Warhammer Battles group had a few hardcore setting guys and they would color narrate all the battles which rocked.

The minis-only players I've met are about the competition and the tactics.  For them, gaming is the battlefield manuevers, the painting of minis and the visual pageantry of a really kickass army among cool terrain.  

The RPG-only players I've met don't enjoy competitive play or tactics.  They also tend to want a faster play experience than most minis games offer.

I like board and card games quite a bit.  I just don't tend to get into minis games.  Our last roleplaying group got pretty heavily derailed by the game A Touch of Evil...freakin' nuts it was...especially when I got the rockin' expansions.

Well, miniature games often leave out a lot of stuff that RPGs can do, like, say, warhammer 40,000. A lot of players get frustrated when, say, the heavy or special weapons guy gets whacked and no on in the goddam squad can pick up his weapon and use it.

Once a mini player gets pissed off about all the things he can't do in a wargame, t might be time to just helpfully suggest there's a type of game where you COULD pick up the dead heavy weapon operator's gun assuming you had some skill with it and use it, and where the guy you're running can do things like set a grenade as a trap with some string tied to the spoon and such.

If you're careful you can hook and reel in a miniature gamer using this strategy many times.

Quote from: Spinachcat;389392The RPG-only players I've met don't enjoy competitive play or tactics.  They also tend to want a faster play experience than most minis games offer.

This is why I moved from minis (and AH/SPI boardgames) to RPGs when I encountered D&D in 1975. I enjoyed games, but had grown very tired of the competitive play and tactical detail of most of them. I've never enjoyed (or been good at) tactics and competition bores me after a while. TSR versions of D&D and similar RPGs with fast-playing, abstract combat systems ended up scratching my gaming itch better than anything else.

I will occasionally play a minis game or a tactical boardgame, but I enjoy them about as much as I do computer RPGs (which bore me to tears after an hour or two of play).

I was hording miniatures long before I heard of RPGs... and it wasn't so much a 'conversion' as an extension... a new way to get my minis into play.

On the other hand, I've known a fair few hard-core RPG players who HATE minis with a passion. I keep offering to bring some for our Earthdawn games but the GM insists on using bits of cardboard with letters on them when we go to the battlemap...