What is PIG?

flyingmice · November 03, 2006, 09:35:03 AM

Quote from: DevP(Porter Square, Cambridge/Somerville, FTW.)

Ah! My bud Albert lived there for years. Great area - really hoppin'.

-clash

Mcrow · November 03, 2006, 10:33:01 AM

PIG, are no swine. Though Pundit would have had a field day if they were.

mattormeg · November 03, 2006, 10:35:55 AM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Now that I've had some sleep, I'd like to elaborate on the half-assed statements I made a few posts previous.

Hokay. "Amherth" is very satisfying, I think, because it takes a lot of pretty classic FRPG cliches (the dying empire, the newly-freed nation, the Adventurer's Guild, the evil emperor, etc.) and presents them in all their glory -- just the way they sound. Nothing's overly-detailed; that's your job, GM. It's more a sandbox than a gazeteer.

It includes a section which lists interesting locations...but doesn't tell you where they are. They're not mapped; they're drag-and-drop. It's a simple idea, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a FRPG setting suggest that before. Of course, that's what GMs have been doing for decades, but in this age of super-detailed settings (Forgotten Realms, f'r'ex), it's refreshing to see the approach not just suggested but encouraged.

As regards Steampunk Musha, it's another neat, simple idea: Fantasy feudal Asia meets steampower, clockwork and a big change of paradigm. Think L5R vs Deadlands, but not that directly. It's one of those ideas that just starts spinning around in your head and expands into other interesting ideas: How, for instance, does a very traditional samurai feel about himself when he loses his sword-arm arm in battle, but can have it replaced with clockwork?

That's a PC, right there. That fast. He's got a gimmick, he's got a personality, and he embodies the setting.

SM is further filled with good writing, neat (and suggestive) ideas, lots of adventure opportunities and clockwork geisha. Again, it's one of those settings which, in its simplicity and presentation, becomes vivid and complex in your imagination.

ROTWANG, why don't you start doing some reviews and article here? You've obviously got a gift for words.

Dr Rotwang! · November 03, 2006, 11:38:12 AM

Quote from: mattormegROTWANG, why don't you start doing some reviews and article here? You've obviously got a gift for words.

Same reason I'm not a published author: lazy and distractible, worse than my cat.

But I thank you for yor kind words!

flyingmice · November 03, 2006, 12:23:34 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Same reason I'm not a published author: lazy and distractible, worse than my cat.

But I thank you for yor kind words!

Rotwang and Bailywolf are a pair. The both drip with brilliant ideas and manic enthusiasm, and both can write eloquently when they want - though with very different styles - but the two of them would rather post on internet fora, tossing away magnificent concepts like pearls before swine, rather than focus on a single idea long enough to develop it and sell it.

The bastards!

-clash

Zachary The First · November 03, 2006, 12:33:36 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!But I thank you for yor kind words!

Which your cat likely wouldn't do.

Dr Rotwang! · November 03, 2006, 02:26:44 PM

Oh, he's a good kitty. But being that he can't speak English...yeah, you're right.

flyingmice · November 03, 2006, 02:35:14 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Oh, he's a good kitty. But being that he can't speak English...yeah, you're right.

Did you pick him up while you were in Mexico? I speak Spanish... unfortunately it's Castilian Spanish... :O

-clash

Zachary The First · November 03, 2006, 03:05:57 PM

Quote from: flyingmiceDid you pick him up while you were in Mexico? I speak Spanish... unfortunately it's Castilian Spanish... :O

-clash

You and me both....worthless, ain't it? Hell, I was in Andalucia and it didn't help...but then again, nothing would, in Andalucia.

Dr Rotwang! · November 03, 2006, 03:38:54 PM

Quote from: flyingmiceDid you pick him up while you were in Mexico?

Nope! Elletsville!

Thing about PIGames is, they're lean -- there's only meat and bones, no real fat. You get enough to get rolling with, rules-wise, and then...you roll.

Hard Nova II, for instance, doesn't concern itself with how politics, law, commerce and warfare work in the given setting, or even complex mechanical systems for social interaction or trade or martial arts; it worries about how to shoot a blaster at a rampaging megarhino, how to outrun a pirate corvette, how to chat up Princess Irina of Hottiecon IX. It explains that and lets you loose with your new powers, to use them for good -- or for awesome.

pspahn · November 03, 2006, 03:42:24 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Hokay. "Amherth" is very satisfying, I think, because it takes a lot of pretty classic FRPG cliches (the dying empire, the newly-freed nation, the Adventurer's Guild, the evil emperor, etc.) and presents them in all their glory -- just the way they sound. Nothing's overly-detailed; that's your job, GM. It's more a sandbox than a gazeteer.

It includes a section which lists interesting locations...but doesn't tell you where they are. They're not mapped; they're drag-and-drop. It's a simple idea, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a FRPG setting suggest that before. Of course, that's what GMs have been doing for decades, but in this age of super-detailed settings (Forgotten Realms, f'r'ex), it's refreshing to see the approach not just suggested but encouraged.

Thanks again Rotwang!

Brett was pretty clear that he wanted vanilla fantasy for IG's default setting, so the challenge I had was to make a setting that was easy enough to pick up and play while making the old tropes interesting enough to want to.

I GM fairly regularly, so when I write a supplement/setting I try to pick out the things I like to have when running/preparing a session. It seems to go over well. FYI, I'm using the drag and drop model for Vice Squad: Miami Nights as well to keep things flexible. Glad you liked it.

Pete

Zachary The First · November 03, 2006, 03:42:27 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Nope! Elletsville!

Thing about PIGames is, they're lean -- there's only meat and bones, no real fat. You get enough to get rolling with, rules-wise, and then...you roll.

Hard Nova II, for instance, doesn't concern itself with how politics, law, commerce and warfare work in the given setting; it worries about how to shoot a blaster at a rampaging megarhino, how to outrun a pirate corvette, how to chat up Princess Irina of Hottiecon IX. It explains that and lets you loose with your new powers, to use them for good -- or for awesome.

Elletsville! Their motto: "No, we aren't part of Bloomington, so stop asking!"

See, now I'd consider them definitely "quick-start", if that's what you mean by lean, but I don't consider the products themselves that way. Yes, very easy to jump in and start playing without reading through 217 pages of rules, but still nicely padded will all sorts of extras--disposable minis, paper dice, included setting, sample adventues, etc...

flyingmice · November 03, 2006, 03:43:41 PM

Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Nope! Elletsville!

Thing about PIGames is, they're lean -- there's only meat and bones, no real fat. You get enough to get rolling with, rules-wise, and then...you roll.

Hard Nova II, for instance, doesn't concern itself with how politics, law, commerce and warfare work in the given setting, or even complex mechanical systems for social interaction or trade or martial arts; it worries about how to shoot a blaster at a rampaging megarhino, how to outrun a pirate corvette, how to chat up Princess Irina of Hottiecon IX. It explains that and lets you loose with your new powers, to use them for good -- or for awesome.

That's it in a nutshell!

A poster once asked me how Hard (in SF terms) HN][ is. I couldn't answer except to say it's as Hard as you want it to be. It leaves all that to the GM's imagination, which really rocks.

-clash

-clash

Dr Rotwang! · November 03, 2006, 04:04:55 PM

Quote from: Zachary The FirstSee, now I'd consider them definitely "quick-start", if that's what you mean by lean...

...

Uh...

...

...yeah, yeah, that's good!

The Evil DM · November 05, 2006, 04:44:22 PM

For me PIG rocks because I bought Iron Gaunlets more than a year ago and they STILL email me a freesh copy whenever there is an update to the game.
Now THAT is cool. and that keeps me coming back to PIG for games.